The Joy of Trivia - Random Trivia Answers

• A1) 4 billion. Much later in the book, Smith predicts that the 7 billion mark will be reached by the year 2000. In actuality, we just passed 6-2/3 billion this month and should reach 7 billion about thirteen years later than Smith expected. [From Chapter 1, "We Mortals"]
• A2) Leonardo da Vinci. One of da Vinci's few childhood memories was of being simultaneously terrified and excited by the possibility that a monster might live in a local cave. [From Chapter 2, "Those Immortals"]
• A3) James Ussher. The archbishop's treatise "Annals of the Old Testament, deduced from the first origins of the world" actually does not specify the time, which was erroneously misattributed to Ussher later. [From Chapter 3, "A Different Drummer"]
• A4) True. The blood provides nutrients needed to lay eggs. [From Chapter 4, "Animal"]
• A5) Stentor. The Trojan War herald has been immortalized by the adjective stentorian. [From Chapter 5, "The King's English"]
• A6) West Point, New York. The "Fort Knox of silver" opened in 1937 as the West Point Bullion Depository and finally became a branch of the U.S. Mint on March 31, 1988. [From Chapter 6, "The Public Trough"]
• A7) 10 inches. Smaller rocks down to 2-1/2 inches in diameter are cobbles and below that are pebbles. [From Chapter 7, "Earth, Sea, and Sky"]
• A8) Green. The green room is painted to soothe the eyes from the harsh footlights and spotlights. [From Chapter 8, "The Arts"]
• A9) Gin. The name comes from the juniper berries (via the Dutch genever) that the spirit is distilled in. [From Chapter 9, "Vegetable"]
• A10) Ann Boleyn. Queen Elizabeth I's mother usually wore gloves to hide her deformity. [From Chapter 10, "The Way It Was". Smith comments, "But boy! could she dial a telephone!"]
• A11) Tennis. French noblemen would shout tenez while playing an early variant of the game in the 15th century. [From Chapter 11, "It's How You Play the Game"]
• A12) False. William the Conqueror brought the dessert from France to England around 1066, and the Pilgrims transplanted the recipe around 1630. [From Chapter 12, "Eat, Drink, and Be". No, I don't know why Smith left out the "Merry" either.]