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Everyday Origins
Where ordinary words and objects actually came from.
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The English word "salary" comes from the Latin word for which substance?
Signs, Symbols and Standards
Ten things you see constantly and were probably never told the meaning of.
About this topic
There is a layer of shared notation running underneath ordinary life — symbols on packaging, in text, on road signs and in software — that almost nobody is formally taught. You absorb the ampersand, the copyright symbol, the recycling triangle and the meaning of a padlock in a browser through repetition, and most people never learn where they came from or what precisely they claim. These questions cover ten of them. Several turn out to mean something narrower than the popular reading, which is exactly why they are worth knowing properly.
Questions & answers
Signs, Symbols and Standards: all 10 questions and answers
Every question in this quiz is listed below with its correct answer and the reasoning behind it. Play first if you would rather not see the answers — or read through as a study sheet.
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1The symbol & is called what?
- A An asterisk
- B A tilde
- C A caret
- D An ampersand Correct
Answer: D. An ampersand
Why: It is a compressed handwritten form of the Latin "et", meaning "and". The joined e and t are still visible in some typefaces.
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2A padlock icon in a browser address bar indicates what?
- A The site is government approved
- B The page cannot be copied
- C The connection to the site is encrypted Correct
- D The site is trustworthy
Answer: C. The connection to the site is encrypted
Why: It says nothing about the honesty of the site itself. Phishing pages routinely use encrypted connections.
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3The symbol © indicates what?
- A The work is a trademark
- B Copyright is claimed in the work Correct
- C The work is free to reuse
- D The work is out of copyright
Answer: B. Copyright is claimed in the work
Why: In most countries copyright now applies automatically, so the symbol is a notice rather than a requirement.
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4On packaging, the triangle of chasing arrows indicates what?
- A The material may be recyclable Correct
- B The item is made of recycled material
- C The item is compostable
- D The item is biodegradable
Answer: A. The material may be recyclable
Why: It is widely misread. A number inside identifies the plastic type, and not every type is accepted by local collections.
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5A "best before" date differs from a "use by" date how?
- A They mean the same thing
- B Best before is legally binding
- C Use by applies only to frozen food
- D Best before concerns quality, use by concerns safety Correct
Answer: D. Best before concerns quality, use by concerns safety
Why: Food past a best-before date is often perfectly edible. Past a use-by date it may not be safe regardless of appearance.
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6The # symbol is properly called what?
- A A pilcrow
- B An interpunct
- C An octothorpe or hash Correct
- D An asterisk
Answer: C. An octothorpe or hash
Why: It also means "number" in American usage and "pounds" in weight. Social media popularised the hashtag from 2007.
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7What does the abbreviation "e.g." stand for?
- A Exact group
- B Exempli gratia, meaning "for example" Correct
- C Et alia, meaning "and others"
- D Ergo, meaning "therefore"
Answer: B. Exempli gratia, meaning "for example"
Why: It is distinct from "i.e.", short for id est, which means "that is" and introduces a restatement rather than an example.
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8A red circle with a white horizontal bar on a road sign means what?
- A No entry Correct
- B No parking
- C No stopping
- D End of restriction
Answer: A. No entry
Why: It is deliberately the only common sign of that exact shape and colour, so it reads at speed and in poor light.
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9The abbreviation "RSVP" comes from which language?
- A Latin
- B Italian
- C Spanish
- D French Correct
Answer: D. French
Why: It stands for répondez s'il vous plaît, meaning "reply, please".
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10On a map, a scale of 1:25,000 means what?
- A The map was surveyed in 1:25 detail
- B Twenty-five thousand features are marked
- C One unit on the map equals 25,000 of the same unit on the ground Correct
- D The map covers 25,000 square kilometres
Answer: C. One unit on the map equals 25,000 of the same unit on the ground
Why: So one centimetre represents 250 metres. A smaller second number means a more detailed map.
Frequently asked questions about Signs, Symbols and Standards
How many questions are in Signs, Symbols and Standards?
Signs, Symbols and Standards has 10 questions and takes about 6 minutes to finish. It is rated Medium and sits in our General Knowledge category.
How is Signs, Symbols and Standards scored?
Each of the 10 correct answers adds 10 XP, up to 100 XP for a clean run. Wrong answers cost you nothing, and your full question-by-question review is shown at the end.
Are the answers to Signs, Symbols and Standards explained?
Yes. All 10 questions carry a written explanation of why the correct answer is right, so the quiz works as a study sheet as well as a test.
Can I replay Signs, Symbols and Standards?
Yes, as often as you like. The questions and the answer options are reshuffled on each run, and you can use Practice Mistakes afterwards to retry only the ones you missed. No account is needed to play.
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