How do you play Proverb Quiz?
A question appears on the parchment and you tap the right one of the four paper slips below it. A right answer gets a red CORRECT stamp, a wrong one makes ink spread over the slip you chose while the right slip lights up green. Either way the meaning of the proverb appears on the card, so you learn the sayings you did not know on the spot.
The quiz draws on 183 English proverbs written in their usual dictionary form. No proverb repeats within a round, and the wrong options are real words and phrases taken from other proverbs, so blind guessing rarely works. Faster answers and longer streaks score more.
What kinds of questions are there?
Four kinds, mixed together: fill the blank, finish the saying, match the meaning and put the words in order. In 10 Questions and Today's 10 the four kinds come in even measure, while Survival and 90 Seconds draw them at random.
| Type | On screen | How to answer |
|---|---|---|
| Fill the blank | A stitch in ____ saves nine | Choose the missing word from four options |
| Finish the saying | Actions speak ______ | Read the first half and choose the second half |
| Match the meaning | "What you do matters more than what you say" | Read the explanation and choose the proverb it describes |
| Word order | [words] [Actions] [speak] [louder] [than] | Tap the shuffled tiles in the order of the proverb. One wrong tap ends the question |
How do the modes differ?
10 Questions is the standard round with a score and a rank, Survival ends on your first mistake and counts your streak, 90 Seconds is about answering as many as you can before time runs out, and Today's 10 gives everyone the same ten questions each day.
| Mode | Ends when | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Questions | All ten are answered | Score and rank (Master, Scholar, Student, Apprentice, Rookie) |
| Survival | You miss one | Correct answers in a row |
| 90 Seconds | The timer hits zero | Score. The clock pauses while the meaning card is showing |
| Today's 10 | All ten are answered | Score and rank. Questions change at midnight Korean time and count toward your daily attendance |
How is the score worked out?
Each right answer is worth 100 points, plus a speed bonus of up to 50 and a streak bonus of up to 60. Ten quick answers in a row come close to 2,000 points.
- Speed bonus: drops by 7 points per second after the question appears and reaches zero after seven seconds.
- Streak bonus: grows by 12 points from the second answer in a row and caps at 60 from the sixth. A streak ribbon appears from three in a row.
- Rank: 10 of 10 is Proverb Master, 8 or 9 Proverb Scholar, 6 or 7 Proverb Student, 4 or 5 Proverb Apprentice, below that Proverb Rookie.
Which proverbs do people get wrong most?
Many sayings are repeated in a shortened or reversed form. The left column shows the full dictionary form used in this quiz and the middle column the version people often say.
| Dictionary form | Common slip | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| The proof of the pudding is in the eating | The proof is in the pudding | You judge something by trying it |
| You cannot have your cake and eat it too | Eat your cake and have it | You cannot enjoy two incompatible things |
| Beggars cannot be choosers | Beggars cannot be choosy | People with nothing must accept whatever they get |
| Fine words butter no parsnips | Fine words butter no bread | Nice talk achieves nothing by itself |
| Do not look a gift horse in the mouth | In the eye | Accept a gift without inspecting it for faults |
| Jack of all trades master of none | Jack of all trades (stopping there) | Someone who does many things is expert at none |
| Curiosity killed the cat | Curiosity caught the cat | Being too nosy can get you into trouble |
| Discretion is the better part of valour | Caution is the better part of valour | Caution is often wiser than bravery |
| Least said soonest mended | Less said soonest mended | Saying little avoids making trouble worse |
| Spare the rod and spoil the child | Spare the rod, spoil the child (as a warning only) | Children need discipline |
Tips for a higher score
- In meaning questions look for the key word. If the explanation mentions "envy", "order" or "modesty", the proverb built around that idea is the answer.
- For blanks, listen for rhythm and rhyme. Proverbs love repetition and pairs, as in "Easy come, easy go" or "No pain, no gain".
- In word order questions find the ending first. Spotting the tile that closes the sentence makes the rest fall into place.
- In Survival, accuracy beats speed. The speed bonus tops out at 50 points but one miss ends the round, so take a breath when unsure.
- Review your misses on the result screen. The proverbs you got wrong appear there with their meanings, so you pick up a few new ones every round.
Controls
- Touch or mouse: tap a paper slip or a word tile to answer. Once the meaning card is up, tap anywhere to move to the next question.
- Keyboard: 1 to 4 pick an option, and in word order questions 1 to 6 pick a tile. Enter, Space or the right arrow move on.
- Buttons: ⌂ at the top right returns to the menu and 🔊 toggles sound. Sound and best scores are saved in this browser.
Proverbs are given in their most common dictionary wording. Many sayings have regional variants, so if a line differs from the one you grew up with, both may well be in use.