Which animal's name also means to bother persistently?

Which animal's name also means to bother persistently?

• A. Badger
• B. Weasel
• C. Ferret
• D. Otter

Answer: (A)

Think about how some animal names become everyday verbs that describe behavior. Badger is one of those: as a verb it means to pester or nag someone persistently. So the animal name that also means to bother persistently is badger, because people literally say “to badger someone” when they keep harassing them for a response. Other animals have related phrases, but they don’t carry the same meaning: weasel out refers to evading or manipulating a situation, not persistent nagging; ferret out means to search for something; otter isn’t used as a common verb to describe pestering. The familiar, direct match is badger.

Think about how some animal names become everyday verbs that describe behavior. Badger is one of those: as a verb it means to pester or nag someone persistently. So the animal name that also means to bother persistently is badger, because people literally say “to badger someone” when they keep harassing them for a response. Other animals have related phrases, but they don’t carry the same meaning: weasel out refers to evading or manipulating a situation, not persistent nagging; ferret out means to search for something; otter isn’t used as a common verb to describe pestering. The familiar, direct match is badger.