Answers to Difficult Analogies Test

Of the 30 problems, an average adult would be expected to answer about 10 of these correctly (33%); an individual with a superior vocabulary & reasoning ability would score around 15 (50%), & only a gifted person would normally be thought to be able to answer more than 20 of these correctly (66%). If you get more than 25 correct (83%), you have extremely extensive knowledge & high intelligence, or you are extremely lucky! You should add a few points to your score if you are under age 18, or if your primary language is not English.

The analogies are on this page, if you want to see them again.

1. polyglot : languages :: polyphagous : food. A polyglot utilizes many languages, & a polyphagous organism utilizes many kinds of food.

2. confident : sanguine :: dregs : dross. Confident & sanguine are synonyms, as are dregs & dross.

3. simile : metaphor :: like : is. A simile states that something is like something else, & a metaphor in many cases states that something is something else.

4. I'll be back : Arnold :: make my day : Clint. Two famous lines (although "make my day" was only the last half of Clint Eastwood's line) made by two famous actors in two famous movies.

5. epitaph : grave :: epilogue : end. An epitaph appears on a grave, & an epilogue appears at the end of a work.

6. child : human :: poult : bird. A child is a young human, & a poult is a young bird.

7. Thursday : Thor :: Friday : Frigga. Thursday is said to be named for Thor, & Friday is believed by some to be name for Frigga.

8. Baluchi : Pakistan :: Flemish : Belgium. Baluchi is spoken by a large number of people in Pakistan, & Dutch (formerly known as Flemish) is spoken by a large number of people in Belgium.

9. gallon : 4 quarts :: parasang : about 6 kilometers. A gallon is 4 quarts, & a parasang is an ancient Persian measure that is approximately equal to 6 kilometers.

10. dorsal : back :: volar : palm. Dorsal relates to the back, & volar relates to the palm of the hand or sole of the foot.

11. Molly Brown : sink :: Bill Clinton : inhale. Molly Brown is famous for not sinking with the Titanic, & the dubious statement made by Bill Clinton that he did smoke marijuana, but did not inhale, is well known.

12. riparian : bank :: empirical : experience. Riparian relates to the bank of a river or other body of water, & empirical relates to experience.

13. misnomer : wrong :: pseudonym : false. A misnomer is a wrong name, & a pseudonym is a false name.

14. erstwhile : former :: mithridate : antidote. Erstwhile means former, & mithridate is an antidote.

15. escutcheon : scutcheon :: fabulist : liar. Escutcheon means the same as scutcheon, & a fabulist is a liar.

16. muddled : confused :: addled : confused. Muddled, addled, & confused are all synonyms.

17. effete : fructuous :: chapfallen : effervescent. Effete & fructuous are antonyms, as are chapfallen & effervescent.

18. 3 : 11 :: 3 : Jack. In some card games, a card with a 3 on it has a value of 3, & a Jack has a value of 11.

19. selenology : moon :: epistemology : knowledge. Selenology is the study of the moon, & epistemology is the study of knowledge.

20. commence : end :: born : die. Commence & end denote beginning & ending, & born & die signify beginning & ending of life.

21. sufi : mystic :: eider : duck. A sufi is a mystic, & an eider is a duck.

22. inter : exhume :: piebald : homogeneous. Inter & exhume are antonyms, & piebald indicates something bearing different colors, while homogeneous indicates something that is the same throughout.

23. apothecary : drugs :: cruciverbalist : crosswords. An apothecary works with drugs, & a cruciverbalist works with crossword puzzles.

24. Narcissus : flower :: Io : heifer. Narcissus was turned into a flower, & Io was turned into a heifer.

25. complete : compleat :: surgeon : chirurgeon. Compleat is an archaic spelling of complete, & chirurgeon is an archaic spelling of surgeon.

26. voluble : loquacious :: puma : cougar. Voluble & loquacious are synonyms, as are puma & cougar.

27. murrey : black :: magenta : red. Murrey is purplish black, & magenta is (deep) purplish red.

28. nim : counters :: craps : dice. Nim is a game that uses counters, & craps is a game that uses dice.

29. faithfulness : infidelity :: Penelope : Clytemnestra. Penelope is said to have been been faithful to Odysseus during his long absence, while Clytemnestra takes a lover while Agamemnon is gone, & she kills him when he returns.

30. scurvy : vitamin C :: kwashiorkor : protein. Scurvy is caused by a lack of vitamin C, & kwashiorkor is caused by a lack of protein.