SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 17 September 2025, Shift 1 · English Comprehension · Question 5 of 100

We transcribed this text from the pictures on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; the answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 13 September 2026.

Where this paper and its answers come from

SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. From 2025 the candidate response sheet prints every question and option as a picture, so the text here is transcribed from those pictures for this shift and checked against them independently; where the layout carries meaning, the picture is shown as well. Each answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. SSC released a tentative key for challenge and later its final one, both only to candidates behind a login, and the sheet does not say which of the two it carries. The solutions are written by UnlockIAS.

Choose the correct spelling of a word meaning 'witty, clever, and verbally skillful'.

(a)Persiflage
(b)Persiphledge
(c)Pursiflage
(d)Persiflagee

Answer

Why

Correct — A. The word is persiflage, light and teasing talk or banter.

Spell it in three parts: per + si + flage. It opens per- though it is said 'pur', and it ends -flage, as in camouflage.

Persiflage → option (a).

Why the others are wrong

(b)
Persiphledge — Persiphledge has two slips: the f sound is written ph, and the ending is -ledge instead of -lage.
(c)
Pursiflage — Pursiflage spells the opening as it sounds. The word begins per-, from French persifler, though it is said 'pur'.
(d)
Persiflagee — Persiflagee adds a stray final e. The word ends in a single e: per-si-flage.

Concept

A spelling item with a meaning attached tests recognition first, then the letters.

Persiflage came into English from French persifler, 'to banter', built on siffler, 'to whistle'. French spelling explains the two hard spots: the per- opening and the -age ending said 'ahzh'.

Anchor the ending to camouflage, another French loan with the same -flage.

The paper's gloss, 'witty, clever, and verbally skillful', reads like a description of a person. In dictionaries persiflage is a noun for the talk itself: light, often mocking banter.

The key still stands. The item asks for the correct spelling, and the rival forms are all misspellings.

Key facts

Persiflage = light, teasing or mocking banter (a noun).
Spelling: p-e-r-s-i-f-l-a-g-e, ending -flage as in camouflage.
From French persifler, 'to banter'.

Study next

French loanwords ending -age: camouflage, sabotage, espionage, collageBanter words: repartee, raillery, badinage

Common traps

Spelling the opening as it sounds, pur- instead of per-.
Writing the f sound as ph, which this word never uses.

Persiflage appears correctly spelt among the options at 14 Sep 2025, 16:00, English Q.4, a find-the-misspelt-word item keyed Obfescate, with Antediluvian (Q.8 here) beside it.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Spelling — all 118 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.