Maybe the first thing to remember is which\ncharacters use this word–in the entire Austen canon, it is used by Isabella\nThorpe, John Thorpe, and Tom Bertram. These are characters who believe\nthemselves to be at the height of “cooldom”–and it\u2019s also clear that\nAusten believes them to be less than reasonable people. The term was very much\nslang. When the Thorpes use it, they are often inflating their own discernment\nor judgment<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Quiz” can be a verb or a noun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John Thorpe’s, “Where did you get that quiz\nof a hat?” implies that the hat is an oddity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A person can be a quiz–as in someone whom you\nmight tease. When you call someone a quiz, you’re saying that you see him or\nher as being somewhat strange. Isabella uses it to describe men she believes\nare ridiculous in some way or other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The act of quizzing is the act of teasing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John Thorpe uses it in both senses when he says to\nCatherine, “\u2026let us walk about and quiz people. Come\nalong with me, and I will show you the four greatest quizzers in\nthe room; my two younger sisters and their partners. \u2026 at last he walked off\nto quiz his sisters by himself.” He is teasing people,and\nhe says his sisters and their partners are odd.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Maybe the first thing to remember is which characters use this word–in the entire Austen canon, it is used by Isabella Thorpe, John Thorpe, and Tom Bertram. These are characters who believe themselves to be at the height of “cooldom”–and … Continue reading