Thursday, April 30, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,637-3,642

Question 3,637: Entertainment & Food -- Fonda's First

For what movie did Henry Fonda win his only Oscar?

a) The Grapes of Wrath
b) Mr. Roberts
c) On Golden Pond
d) Young Mr. Lincoln

Question 3,638: History & Government -- Franklin's Fowl

What bird did Benjamin Franklin recommend for the American national bird?

a) Dove
b) Duck
c) Pigeon
d) Turkey

Question 3,639: Math & Science -- Bothered By Bursitis

Which ailment below is not a form of bursitis?

a) Arthritis
b) Bunions
c) Housemaid's knee
d) Tennis elbow

Question 3,640: Geography & Nature -- Mighty Middle East Metropolis

What is the most populous city in the Middle East?

a) Cairo, Egypt
b) Istanbul, Turkey
c) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
d) Tehran, Iran

Question 3,641: Literature & Arts -- Super Suicide Society

What coming-of-age novel tells about "The Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session"?

a) The Catcher in the Rye
b) Huckleberry Finn
c) A Separate Peace
d) This Side of Paradise

Question 3,642: Sports & Games -- Trump Triumph

What was Donald Trump's first Atlantic City casino?

a) Trump Casino
b) Trump Marina
c) Trump Taj Mahal
d) Trump Towers

General Trivia Answers #3,631-3,636

Answer 3,631: Entertainment & Food -- MGM Man

c) Network

Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin of the United Network Command for Law Enforcement battled THRUSH and other villains from 1964 to 1968.

Answer 3,632: History & Government -- McGovern Spurned

c) Massachusetts

The Democrat even lost his home state of South Dakota.

Answer 3,633: Math & Science -- Ptolemy Pivot

a) Earth

The scientist compiled the astronomy book Almagest in the 2nd century.

Answer 3,634: Geography & Nature -- Split City

b) Istanbul, Turkey

Thirteen million residents straddle the Bosphorus Strait, which separates Europe from Asia.

Answer 3,635: Literature & Arts -- Beat Fleet

a) Go

The book includes characters based on Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady, and Allen Ginsberg.

Answer 3,636: Sports & Games -- Sega Sense

a) Service

The name is short for "SErvice GAmes".

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,631-3,636

Question 3,631: Entertainment & Food -- MGM Man

What does the 'N' stand for in "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." television series?

a) Nation
b) Neighbor
c) Network
d) New

Question 3,632: History & Government -- McGovern Spurned

What was the only state that George McGovern won in the 1972 presidential election?

a) Arizona
b) California
c) Massachusetts
d) South Dakota

Question 3,633: Math & Science -- Ptolemy Pivot

What celestial object did Greek astronomer Ptolemy consider to be the center of the universe?

a) Earth
b) Moon
c) Sun
d) none of the above

Question 3,634: Geography & Nature -- Split City

What is the only major city that is split between two continents?

a) Gdansk, Poland
b) Istanbul, Turkey
c) Kiev, Ukraine
d) Minsk, Belarus

Question 3,635: Literature & Arts -- Beat Fleet

In what 1952 novel did John Clellon Holmes popularize the term "beat movement"?

a) Go
b) Pause
c) Start
d) Stop

Question 3,636: Sports & Games -- Sega Sense

In the world of video games, what does the 'S' in Sega stand for?

a) Service
b) Silicon
c) Special
d) Superior

General Trivia Answers #3,625-3,630

Answer 3,625: Entertainment & Food -- Little Lennon

d) Sean

Sean Taro Ono Lennon was born on October 9, 1975 and became a musician like his father and his half-brother Julian.

Answer 3,626: History & Government -- Student President

d) Harry Truman

All of the other presidents since 1900 have earned degrees, but Truman studied law for two years without an undergraduate degree.

Answer 3,627: Math & Science -- Export End

d) Water

The self-imposed ban was supported by Canadian public opinion but may have violated the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Answer 3,628: Geography & Nature -- State Date

c) 1876

The 38th state is nicknamed the Centennial State.

Answer 3,629: Literature & Arts -- Story Sleuth

a) Charlie Chan

The sleuth debuted in A House Without a Key in 1925.

Answer 3,630: Sports & Games -- Penalty Period

b) 2 minutes

Major infractions usually require five minutes in the penalty box and, unlike minors, are not immediately terminated if the shorthanded team gives up a goal.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,625-3,630

Question 3,625: Entertainment & Food -- Little Lennon

What is the first name of singer John Lennon's younger son?

a) John
b) Julian
c) Mark
d) Sean

Question 3,626: History & Government -- Student President

Who was the last U.S. President who did not graduate from college?

a) Andrew Johnson
b) Dwight Eisenhower
c) Grover Cleveland
d) Harry Truman

Question 3,627: Math & Science -- Export End

What natural resource, of which Canada possesses a fifth of the world's supply, did the country stop exporting in February 1999?

a) Coal
b) Natural gas
c) Timber
d) Water

Question 3,628: Geography & Nature -- State Date

When did Colorado become a U.S. state?

a) 1848
b) 1862
c) 1876
d) 1890

Question 3,629: Literature & Arts -- Story Sleuth

What famous fictional detective did author Earl Derr Biggers create?

a) Charlie Chan
b) Mike Hammer
c) Philip Marlowe
d) Sam Spade

Question 3,630: Sports & Games -- Penalty Period

How many minutes are assessed for a minor penalty in ice hockey?

a) 1 minute
b) 2 minutes
c) 3 minutes
d) 5 minutes

General Trivia Answers #3,619-3,624

Answer 3,619: Entertainment & Food -- Clown Frown

a) Bip

The character sported a dented, silk hat and a red flower.

Answer 3,620: History & Government -- Academy Address

a) Connecticut

The armed service's campus is in New London.

Answer 3,621: Math & Science -- Diamond Diaphaneity

a) FL

The ratings stand for "flawless", "internally flawless", and "very [very] slightly included".

Answer 3,622: Geography & Nature -- Marsh Metropolis

b) Brussels

Brussels sprouts were first grown in and named for the city, whose name means "marsh".

Answer 3,623: Literature & Arts -- Mockingbird Moral

c) Things aren't what they seem

Tom Robinson, a black man, is unfairly accused of raping a white girl in Alabama.

Answer 3,624: Sports & Games -- Scheduled Skating Time

c) 60 minutes

Three twenty-minute periods are separated by a pair of twenty-minute intermissions to repair the ice surface.

Monday, April 27, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,619-3,624

Question 3,619: Entertainment & Food -- Clown Frown

Who was Marcel Marceau's sad-faced clown?

a) Bip
b) Dip
c) Pip
d) Zip

Question 3,620: History & Government -- Academy Address

In which state is the U.S. Coast Guard Academy located?

a) Connecticut
b) Maryland
c) New York
d) Virginia

Question 3,621: Math & Science -- Diamond Diaphaneity

What is the best grade of diamond clarity?

a) FL
b) IF
c) VS1
d) VVS1

Question 3,622: Geography & Nature -- Marsh Metropolis

What is the capital of Belgium?

a) Antwerp
b) Brussels
c) Ghent
d) Liege

Question 3,623: Literature & Arts -- Mockingbird Moral

What is the major moral of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

a) Don't make fun of others
b) No crime goes unpunished
c) Things aren't what they seem
d) Waste not, want not

Question 3,624: Sports & Games -- Scheduled Skating Time

How long is the playing time of a regulation NHL hockey game?

a) 36 minutes
b) 48 minutes
c) 60 minutes
d) 90 minutes

General Trivia Answers #3,613-3,618

Answer 3,613: Entertainment & Food -- VHF Vicinity

c) 6

Some televisions can be fine-tuned to hear radio broadcasts there. The BBC referred to FM as VHF radio for many years.

Answer 3,614: History & Government -- All the Refuse That's Fit to Print

d) Spiro Agnew

The Greek-American shortened his last name from Anagnostopoulos.

Answer 3,615: Math & Science -- Aqua Regia Acids

a) Hydrochloric and nitric acids

The acid, named for its ability to dissolve gold, usually consists of one part nitric acid to three parts hydrochloric acid.

Answer 3,616: Geography & Nature -- Copper Combination Coin

b) Nickel

The five-pence, twenty-pence, and fifty-pence coins are also copper and nickel.

Answer 3,617: Literature & Arts -- Rag Road

c) Fleet Street

The major news publishers have mostly left for the Docklands, including Reuters in 2003.

Answer 3,618: Sports & Games -- Kentucky Cutoff

c) 20

The Run for the Roses takes place on the first Saturday each May.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,613-3,618

Question 3,613: Entertainment & Food -- VHF Vicinity

What VHF television channel is closest to the FM radio band?

a) 2
b) 4
c) 6
d) 8

Question 3,614: History & Government -- All the Refuse That's Fit to Print

Which U.S. Vice President charged, "Some newspapers dispose of their garbage by printing it"?

a) Hubert Humphrey
b) Nelson Rockefeller
c) Richard Nixon
d) Spiro Agnew

Question 3,615: Math & Science -- Aqua Regia Acids

What acids are combined to make aqua regia?

a) Hydrochloric and nitric acids
b) Hydrochloric and sulfuric acids
c) Nitric and sulfuric acids
d) Hydrochloric, nitric & sulfuric acids

Question 3,616: Geography & Nature -- Copper Combination Coin

Besides copper, what was the other main element in the British ten-pence coin in 2002?

a) Manganese
b) Nickel
c) Tin
d) Zinc

Question 3,617: Literature & Arts -- Rag Road

Which London street is synonymous with English journalism and the newspaper industry?

a) Bond Street
b) Broad Street
c) Fleet Street
d) Oxford Street

Question 3,618: Sports & Games -- Kentucky Cutoff

What is the maximum number of horses that can race in a Kentucky Derby?

a) 12
b) 16
c) 20
d) 24

Largest World Lakes - Random Trivia Answers

  • A1) Russia. #7 at 12,200 square miles. With its tremendous depth, the Blue Eye of Siberia holds more water than the five Great Lakes combined.
  • A2) Kazakhstan. #14 at 7,115 square miles. The shallowest lake on this list has been shrinking since its source rivers were diverted for irrigation.
  • A3) Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Russia. #1 at 143,000 square miles. The largest lake in the world holds two-thirds as much water as every other lake combined.
  • A4) Canada. #8 at 12,000 square miles. The Arctic lake is covered with ice for over half of the year.
  • A5) Canada. #10 at 11,170 square miles. North America's deepest lake was named for the local Indian tribe now known as the Slavey, formerly spelled Slave but always pronounced as two syllables.
  • A6) Russia. #15 at 7,000 square miles. Europe's largest lake feeds into the Neva River, which leads to the Gulf of Finland.
  • A7) Tanzania, Mozambique, and Malawi. #9 at 11,600 square miles. Africa's third largest and second deepest lake is also known as Lake Nyasa (with various spellings). Malawi calls it Lake Malawi, while Tanzania refers to it as Lake Nyasa (Malawi was formerly Nyasaland).
  • A8) Venezuela. #17 at 5,100 square miles. Maracaibo has been known to Europeans since 1499 when Alonso de Ojeda spotted it while exploring with Amerigo Vespucci.
  • A9) Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. #6 at 12,700 square miles. Africa's deepest lake, the second deepest in the world, feeds the Congo River, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean.
  • A10) Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. #5 at 26,828 square miles. Africa's largest lake was named for Queen Victoria by British explorer John Hanning Speke in 1858.
  • A11) Australia. #16 at 6,060 square miles. Hidden beneath the ice, Lake Vostok wasn't discovered until 1973. Despite an average temperature a few degrees below freezing, the lake remains liquid because of pressure from the ice above.
  • A12) Canada. #12 at 9,094 square miles. The shallow Manitoba lake's name means "muddy waters".

The rest of the top twenty are:

  • Lake Onega (Russia, 3,819 square miles).
  • Lake Titicaca (Peru and Bolivia, 3,141 square miles).
  • Lake Nicaragua (Nicaragua, 3,089 square miles).

Note: lake sizes fluctuate, sometimes dramatically, depending on environmental conditions. The order given here is as listed by Wikipedia but treating Lakes Michigan and Huron as separate lakes.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Largest World Lakes - Random Trivia Questions

Following up on last week's quiz, where are the largest lakes in the world by area, not including the Great Lakes (which are numbers 2, 3, 4, 11, and 13 on the list)? Can you identify the country or countries that border each of the following lakes?

Largest World Lakes Questions

  • Q1) Lake Baikal
  • Q2) Lake Balkhash
  • Q3) Caspian Sea (5 countries: name any two)
  • Q4) Great Bear Lake
  • Q5) Great Slave Lake
  • Q6) Lake Ladoga
  • Q7) Lake Malawi (3 countries: name any two)
  • Q8) Lake Maracaibo
  • Q9) Lake Tanganyika (4 countries: name any two)
  • Q10) Lake Victoria (3 countries: name any two)
  • Q11) Lake Vostok (in Antarctica: who claims it?)
  • Q12) Lake Winnipeg

Crow Killing -- Quiz Quilt 119 Solution

Category Answers:
Entertainment
&
Food
GRANTNative Brit Cary Grant officially assumed his decade-old stage name at the age of 38 when he became a U.S. citizen.
History
&
Government
BELGIUMLeopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha became the nation's first king in 1831.
Literature
&
Arts
ADAMSBudget analyst-turned engineer Scott Adams was working at Pacific Bell when the strip debuted in 1989.
Math
&
Science
BROWNLouise Joy Brown, a 5-pound 12-ounce miracle of modern science, was born on July 25, 1978 in Oldham General Hospital in England.
Geography
&
Nature
GUILDERThe Dutch converted to the Euro and the Surinamese to the Suriname Dollar.
Sports
&
Games
YMCAThe Young Men's Christian Association is now open to both men and women and often serves primarily as a sports facility.

Quiz Quilt Answer: MURDER (Second letters going up)

A group of the birds is known as a murder.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Crow Killing -- Quiz Quilt 119 Puzzle

Category Questions:
Entertainment
&
Food
What Academy Award-winning American actor was born as Archibald Leach?
History
&
Government
What country's kings have included Albert I, Leopold III, and Baudouin?
Literature
&
Arts
What artist draws the comic strip Dilbert?
Math
&
Science
Who was the first test tube baby?
Geography
&
Nature
What currency was used in the Netherlands until 2002 and in Suriname until 2004?
Sports
&
Games
What organization was begun in London in 1844 to improve the spiritual, social, physical, and intellectual health of young men?

General Trivia Answers #3,607-3,612

Answer 3,607: Entertainment & Food -- Buck Bonham

d) Willie Nelson

Emmylou Harris appeared in the movie as herself.

Answer 3,608: History & Government -- Minimal Month

c) 11

People went to bed on September 2 and woke up on September 14.

Answer 3,609: Math & Science -- Pain Container

d) Tylenol

Its active ingredient is acetaminophen.

Answer 3,610: Geography & Nature -- Swiss Confederation Capital

b) Bern

The city on the Aare River has been the government center since 1848.

Answer 3,611: Literature & Arts -- Poet Peers

c) Metaphysical Poets

The group of 17th-century British authors also included Andrew Marvell, Thomas Traherne, and Henry Vaughan.

Answer 3,612: Sports & Games -- Mancala Markers

b) 48

The game starts with four stones in each of two rows of six containers.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,607-3,612

Question 3,607: Entertainment & Food -- Buck Bonham

What country singer starred as country singer Buck Bonham in Honeysuckle Rose in 1980?

a) George Strait
b) Kenny Rogers
c) Tim McGraw
d) Willie Nelson

Question 3,608: History & Government -- Minimal Month

How many days are missing from the month of September 1752 because of a change in calendar systems?

a) 1
b) 6
c) 11
d) 16

Question 3,609: Math & Science -- Pain Container

Which pain reliever below does not contain ibuprofen?

a) Advil
b) Motrin
c) Nuprin
d) Tylenol

Question 3,610: Geography & Nature -- Swiss Confederation Capital

What is the current capital of Switzerland?

a) Basel
b) Bern
c) Geneva
d) Zurich

Question 3,611: Literature & Arts -- Poet Peers

What type of poets were George Herbert and John Donne?

a) Confessional Poets
b) Fugitive Poets
c) Metaphysical Poets
d) Transcendental Poets

Question 3,612: Sports & Games -- Mancala Markers

How many stones are needed to play Mancala?

a) 24
b) 48
c) 72
d) 96

General Trivia Answers #3,601-3,606

Answer 3,601: Entertainment & Food -- Sun City Song

a) Apartheid

The Artists United Against Apartheid sang, "I ain't gonna play Sun City... Twenty-three million can't vote because they're black."

Answer 3,602: History & Government -- Satellite Wish

d) Richard Nixon

His July 20, 1969 radio message to the Apollo astronauts included the line.

Answer 3,603: Math & Science -- What Tombaugh Saw

c) Pluto

Studying photographic plates at the Lowell Observatory in Arizona, the astronomer found his "Planet X" that he believed was disturbing Neptune's orbit.

Answer 3,604: Geography & Nature -- Commonwealth Capital

b) Canberra

The location of the new city had been selected in 1908 to replace Melbourne.

Answer 3,605: Literature & Arts -- 2001 Target

a) Jupiter

The mysterious monolith that sparks the journey, however, was found on the moon. The first novel used Saturn, but director Stanley Kubrick disliked the models they had of the ringed planet.

Answer 3,606: Sports & Games -- Golden Girl

b) Florence Griffith Joyner

Joyner-Kersee's sister-in-law won the 100 meters and 200 meters and earned a team gold in the 4x100-meter relay and a team silver in the 4x400-meter relay.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,601-3,606

Question 3,601: Entertainment & Food -- Sun City Song

What was the 1985 song "Sun City" fighting against?

a) Apartheid
b) Child labor
c) Drugs
d) War

Question 3,602: History & Government -- Satellite Wish

Who announced, "For years politicians have promised the moon. I'm the first one to be able to deliver it"?

a) Gerald Ford
b) John F. Kennedy
c) Lyndon Johnson
d) Richard Nixon

Question 3,603: Math & Science -- What Tombaugh Saw

Which planetary body did C.W. Tombaugh discover in 1930?

a) Mercury
b) Neptune
c) Pluto
d) Uranus

Question 3,604: Geography & Nature -- Commonwealth Capital

What has been the capital of Australia since 1927?

a) Adelaide
b) Canberra
c) Melbourne
d) Sydney

Question 3,605: Literature & Arts -- 2001 Target

Which planet do the astronauts visit in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey and the novel 2010: The Year We Make Contact?

a) Jupiter
b) Neptune
c) Saturn
d) Uranus

Question 3,606: Sports & Games -- Golden Girl

Which American track and field athlete won three gold medals and a silver at the 1988 Summer Olympics?

a) Carl Lewis
b) Florence Griffith Joyner
c) Jackie Joyner-Kersee
d) Roger Kingdom

General Trivia Answers #3,595-3,600

Answer 3,595: Entertainment & Food -- Milk Myth

c) Pink

It is a creamy color. A female yak is called a nak or a dri.

Answer 3,596: History & Government -- Unpopular President

c) John Quincy Adams

Only 29.8% of the voters selected him in 1824, but the House of Representatives chose him over Andrew Jackson.

Answer 3,597: Math & Science -- Sunrise, Sunset

b) Dust in the air

The air is dustier in the evening than the morning.

Answer 3,598: Geography & Nature -- Smallest Statement

b) "Hope"

South Carolina's related motto is the Latin Dum spiro, spero, meaning "While I breathe, I hope".

Answer 3,599: Literature & Arts -- Hypocrite Houseguest

b) Moliere

The writer, director, and actor was born as Jean-Baptiste Poquelin on January 15, 1622.

Answer 3,600: Sports & Games -- Pinball's Progress

c) Nudgy

Bally released the game in October 1947. Flippers were originally called nudge levers.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,595-3,600

Question 3,595: Entertainment & Food -- Milk Myth

According to a popular myth, what color is yak's milk?

a) Blue
b) Green
c) Pink
d) Yellow

Question 3,596: History & Government -- Unpopular President

Which U.S. President won the lowest percent of the popular vote?

a) Abraham Lincoln
b) Bill Clinton
c) John Quincy Adams
d) Woodrow Wilson

Question 3,597: Math & Science -- Sunrise, Sunset

Why does the setting sun appear redder than the rising sun?

a) The direction the Earth rotates
b) Dust in the air
c) An optical illusion
d) Temperature difference

Question 3,598: Geography & Nature -- Smallest Statement

What is Rhode Island's single-word state motto?

a) "Faith"
b) "Hope"
c) "Peace"
d) "Prosperity"

Question 3,599: Literature & Arts -- Hypocrite Houseguest

What French playwright wrote Tartuffe in 1660?

a) Frederic Mistral
b) Moliere
c) Rene Prudhomme
d) Romain Rolland

Question 3,600: Sports & Games -- Pinball's Progress

What was the first pinball game that used flippers?

a) Flicker
b) Flip Flop
c) Nudgy
d) Progress

General Trivia Answers #3,589-3,594

Answer 3,589: Entertainment & Food -- Delighting in Writing

d) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

His mother passed away that year.

Answer 3,590: History & Government -- Professor Instead of President

a) Columbia

The Tennessee senator's son taught a journalism class.

Answer 3,591: Math & Science -- Oil Bi-Octo Ounces

d) 306 pounds

About 31½ gallons fill a barrel.

Answer 3,592: Geography & Nature -- Territory Share a Story

a) Chicago, Illinois

The U.S. began using the area as military post following the Treaty of Greenville with the local Indians in 1795.

Answer 3,593: Literature & Arts -- Ghost Writing

c) King Lear

Kent chides, "Vex not his ghost", but it is just a figure of speech, as King Lear is there alive. Hamlet sees his father's ghost, Brutus sees Caesar's, and Macbeth sees Banquo's.

Answer 3,594: Sports & Games -- Tessenjutsu Technique

b) Fans

The iron tessen is a Japanese war fan that samurais once wielded.

Monday, April 20, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,589-3,594

Question 3,589: Entertainment & Food -- Delighting in Writing

In 1777, what composer remarked, "Writing music is my one and only passion and joy"?

a) Franz Josef Haydn
b) Johann Sebastian Bach
c) Ludwig van Beethoven
d) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Question 3,590: History & Government -- Professor Instead of President

At what university did Al Gore obtain a job after his failed Presidency bid in 2000?

a) Columbia
b) Harvard
c) Princeton
d) Yale

Question 3,591: Math & Science -- Oil Bi-Octo Ounces

Approximately how much does a barrel of crude oil weigh?

a) 96 pounds
b) 166 pounds
c) 236 pounds
d) 306 pounds

Question 3,592: Geography & Nature -- Territory Share a Story

What city was once an Indian territory known as Fort Dearborn?

a) Chicago, Illinois
b) Columbus, Ohio
c) Detroit, Michigan
d) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Question 3,593: Literature & Arts -- Ghost Writing

Which is the only Shakespeare play below that does not feature a ghost?

a) Hamlet
b) Julius Caesar
c) King Lear
d) Macbeth

Question 3,594: Sports & Games -- Tessenjutsu Technique

What weapon is used in the deadly Japanese martial art tessenjutsu?

a) Cards
b) Fans
c) Hands
d) Umbrellas

General Trivia Answers #3,583-3,588

Answer 3,583: Entertainment & Food -- Father and Sundance

c) Robert Redford

The actor was living in Utah at the time and wanted to help the festival draw more filmmakers to the state.

Answer 3,584: History & Government -- Godiva's Gripe

c) Taxes

Leofric, the Earl of Mercia, had promised to reduce taxes if his wife pulled the stunt. He was surprised that she agreed, but he kept his word.

Answer 3,585: Math & Science -- Gastrin Generator

d) Stomach

The polypeptide hormone induces the secretion of gastric acid for digestion.

Answer 3,586: Geography & Nature -- Second of Seven

a) Africa

About one-fifth of the world lives there, just over a third as many as Asia, but more than twice as many as South America.

Answer 3,587: Literature & Arts -- Space Needle Place

b) Seattle, Washington

At the time, the structure was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River.

Answer 3,588: Sports & Games -- Boxing Brown Bomber

c) Joe Louis

His reign of 11 years and 252 days was the longest ever in any weight class.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,583-3,588

Question 3,583: Entertainment & Food -- Father and Sundance

In 1978, what actor cofounded the Sundance film festival?

a) Burt Reynolds
b) Paul Newman
c) Robert Redford
d) Ryan O'Neal

Question 3,584: History & Government -- Godiva's Gripe

On May 31, 1678, what did Lady Godiva ride naked on horseback through Coventry to protest?

a) Religious prosecution
b) Slavery
c) Taxes
d) War

Question 3,585: Math & Science -- Gastrin Generator

What organ in the human body produces gastrin?

a) Kidney
b) Liver
c) Pancreas
d) Stomach

Question 3,586: Geography & Nature -- Second of Seven

What is the second most populous continent after Asia?

a) Africa
b) Europe
c) North America
d) South America

Question 3,587: Literature & Arts -- Space Needle Place

In what city was the 605-foot-high Space Needle built for the 1962 World's Fair?

a) Chicago, Illinois
b) Seattle, Washington
c) St. Louis, Missouri
d) Toronto, Canada

Question 3,588: Sports & Games -- Boxing Brown Bomber

Who was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949 known as the Brown Bomber?

a) Archie Moore
b) Jack Johnson
c) Joe Louis
d) Sonny Liston

Largest U.S. Lakes - Random Trivia Answers

  • A1) Alaska. #14 at 453 square miles. The remote lake is an excellent site for hunting, fishing (including salmon), hiking, and observing wildlife (including the brown bears who feast on the salmon).
  • A2) New York and Vermont (also in Quebec). #13 at 490 square miles. Burlington, Vermont is the most populous city on the lake, which empties into the Richelieu River.
  • A3) Utah. #6 at 2,117 square miles. The Great Salt Lake is the largest remaining remnant of the nearly 20,000-square mile Lake Bonneville, which also left us the Bonneville Salt Flats.
  • A4) Alaska. #8 at 1,014 square miles. The state's largest lake empties into Bristol Bay via the Kvichak River.
  • A5) Florida. #10 at 662 square miles. The Big O, whose name simply means "Big Water", is the headwaters of the Everglades.
  • A6) Louisiana. #11 at 631 square miles. Lake Pontchartrain borders New Orleans on the north and is the second largest salt lake in the U.S.
  • A7) Minnesota (also in Ontario). #20 at 345 square miles. Rainy Lake has hosted the annual Canadian Bass [Fishing] Championship since 1996.
  • A8) Minnesota. #16 at 427 square miles. The state's largest freshwater lake is a popular spot for ice fishing in the winter.
  • A9) California. #19 at 347 square miles. The surface of the Salton Sea is 226 feet below sea level, and the bottom is only five feet higher than Death Valley.
  • A10) Alaska. #17 at 404 square miles. Selawik Lake, which is named for its sheefish, extends across the Arctic Circle and therefore receives twenty-four hours of daylight during the middle of the summer.
  • A11) Michigan (also in Ontario). #15 at 430 square miles. Lake St. Clair, which is part of the Great Lakes system, feeds into the Detroit River.
  • A12) Minnesota (also in Manitoba and Ontario). #7 at 1,485 square miles, just 60 square miles less than the state of Rhode Island. A small section of Minnesota is cut off from the rest of the 48 contiguous U.S. states by the Lake of the Woods.

Three large artificial lakes complete the top twenty:

  • Lake Oahe in North Dakota and South Dakota (#9 at 685 square miles).
  • Lake Sakakawea in North Dakota (#12 at 520 square miles).
  • Fort Peck Lake in Montana (#18 at 393 square miles).

Michigan leads the pack with at least a share of five of the top twenty lakes (Lake St. Clair and all of the Great Lakes except for Ontario), Minnesota is in second place at four and Alaska earns the bronze with three.

Note: lake sizes fluctuate, sometimes dramatically, depending on environmental conditions. The order given here is as listed by Wikipedia and the most recent edition of the National Atlas of the United States.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Largest U.S. Lakes - Random Trivia Questions

Every geography or trivia buff knows the Great Lakes. They are easily the top five U.S. lakes by area: Superior (#1), Huron (#2), Michigan (#3), Erie (#4), and Ontario (#5). But what do you know about the next tier of U.S. lakes? Can you identify which state each of the following lakes are in? They're all in the top twenty in size, with the smallest measuring a healthy 345 square miles.

Largest U.S. Lakes Questions

  • Q1) Becharof Lake
  • Q2) Lake Champlain (two states)
  • Q3) Great Salt Lake
  • Q4) Iliamna Lake
  • Q5) Lake Okeechobee
  • Q6) Lake Pontchartrain
  • Q7) Rainy Lake
  • Q8) Red Lake
  • Q9) Salton Sea
  • Q10) Selawik Lake
  • Q11) Lake St. Clair
  • Q12) Lake of the Woods

Athletic Annie -- Quiz Quilt 118 Solution

Category Answers:
Geography
&
Nature
AUSTRALIAThe Brits originally used the continent as a penal colony.
Literature
&
Arts
DEFOEDaniel Defoe's complete title begins The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, Etc. Who was born in Newgate and continues for another 54 words.
Entertainment
&
Food
KILMERCalifornian Val Kilmer was nominated for Golden Raspberries in 1996 (Worst Supporting Actor for two movies) and 1997 (Worst Actor for The Saint) but did not win either.
History
&
Government
SERBIAThe nation was captured in October 1915.
Math
&
Science
ZYVOXThe antibiotic's generic name is linezolid.
Sports
&
Games
IZZYThe indistinct creature was not well received.

Quiz Quilt Answer: TOMBOY (Fourth letters)

A tomboy refers to a girl who "behaves in a boyish manner", but the word has lost much of its usefulness in the U.S. since Title IX passed 35 years ago.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Athletic Annie -- Quiz Quilt 118 Puzzle

Category Questions:
Geography
&
Nature
What country did the British Commonwealth found on January 1, 1901?
Literature
&
Arts
Who was the author of Moll Flanders in 1722?
Entertainment
&
Food
What actor starred in Top Secret! and Real Genius before taking on the lead role in Batman Forever?
History
&
Government
What country did Austria-Hungary declare war on to begin World War I on July 28, 1914?
Math
&
Science
What drug, announced by Pharmacia and Upjohn in 1999, was the first new antibiotic in 35 years?
Sports
&
Games
Who was the mascot of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta?

General Trivia Answers #3,577-3,582

Answer 3,577: Entertainment & Food -- Renfrew Renamed

d) Shirley Partridge

Shirley Jones played The Partridge Family mom from 1970 to 1974.

Answer 3,578: History & Government -- Viking Voyagers

c) Ravens

Released periodically, the black birds would attempt to fly to the nearest land.

Answer 3,579: Math & Science -- The Air Up There

a) Mesosphere

The middle layer picks up less warmth from the sun's radiation on one side and the Earth's heat on the other.

Answer 3,580: Geography & Nature -- Capital Connection

c) 4

The alliterative quartet consists of Dover in Delaware, Honolulu in Hawaii, Indianapolis in Indiana, and Oklahoma City in Oklahoma.

Answer 3,581: Literature & Arts -- Beyond Blue

d) Rose

The Spaniard then transitioned into Cubism and Surrealism.

Answer 3,582: Sports & Games -- Niblick Stick

d) 9-iron

The 5-iron was called a mashie, and the 1-iron a cleek.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,577-3,582

Question 3,577: Entertainment & Food -- Renfrew Renamed

What television character's maiden name was Renfrew?

a) Carol Brady
b) Laura Petrie
c) Lucy Ricardo
d) Shirley Partridge

Question 3,578: History & Government -- Viking Voyagers

What type of bird did the Vikings use to help navigate on the ocean?

a) Carrier pigeons
b) Doves
c) Ravens
d) Sea gulls

Question 3,579: Math & Science -- The Air Up There

What is the coldest layer of the Earth's atmosphere?

a) Mesosphere
b) Stratosphere
c) Thermosphere
d) Troposphere

Question 3,580: Geography & Nature -- Capital Connection

How many U.S. state capitals' names begin with the same letter as their state's name?

a) 2
b) 3
c) 4
d) 5

Question 3,581: Literature & Arts -- Beyond Blue

What color was the period that followed Picasso's Blue Period?

a) Crimson
b) Pink
c) Red
d) Rose

Question 3,582: Sports & Games -- Niblick Stick

What is the current name for the golf club once known as a niblick?

a) 3-iron
b) 5-iron
c) 7-iron
d) 9-iron

General Trivia Answers #3,571-3,576

Answer 3,571: Entertainment & Food -- Tubthumper Stumper

a) Making public political speeches

The word originally referred to a particularly forceful or violent manner of speaking.

Answer 3,572: History & Government -- Presidents Cents

c) Penny

Abraham Lincoln's portrait appeared on the front in 1909.

Answer 3,573: Math & Science -- Insulin Engine

d) Pancreas

Specifically, the polypeptide hormone is manufactured in the Islets of Langerhans, named for the German medical student who discovered them in 1869.

Answer 3,574: Geography & Nature -- East End

d) Somalia

Ras Hafun is at 51.17° East longitude. Including islands, Rodrigues, Mauritius lies another 12° farther to the east.

Answer 3,575: Literature & Arts -- Day of Devotion

a) Friday

Muslims gather for a weekly congregational prayer on the day on which they expect the Day of Judgment to occur.

Answer 3,576: Sports & Games -- Lacrosse Lair

a) Johns Hopkins

Lacrosse became the official sport of Maryland in 2004.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,571-3,576

Question 3,571: Entertainment & Food -- Tubthumper Stumper

What does the title of Chumbawamba's 1997 song "Tubthumping" refer to?

a) Making public political speeches
b) Playing the drums
c) Taking a bath in a hot tub
d) Vomiting

Question 3,572: History & Government -- Presidents Cents

What was the first U.S. coin to feature a President on it?

a) Half dollar
b) Nickel
c) Penny
d) Quarter

Question 3,573: Math & Science -- Insulin Engine

What part of the body produces insulin?

a) Gall bladder
b) Kidney
c) Liver
d) Pancreas

Question 3,574: Geography & Nature -- East End

In what country is the easternmost point on continental Africa located?

a) Djibouti
b) Egypt
c) Kenya
d) Somalia

Question 3,575: Literature & Arts -- Day of Devotion

What is the holy day of the week in the Islamic religion?

a) Friday
b) Saturday
c) Sunday
d) Thursday

Question 3,576: Sports & Games -- Lacrosse Lair

What university houses the Lacrosse Museum and Hall of Fame?

a) Johns Hopkins
b) North Carolina
c) Princeton
d) Syracuse

General Trivia Answers #3,565-3,570

Answer 3,565: Entertainment & Food -- Sphere Cheers

b) Los Angeles Lakers

The future singing star tried out for the Laker Girls in 1982 and became their choreographer within half a year.

Answer 3,566: History & Government -- Essential Export

c) Oil

Manufacturing of steel, aluminum, textiles, apparel, and other products accounts for three-fourths of the rest.

Answer 3,567: Math & Science -- Iron Man-ufacturing

a) Carbon

Carbon hardens the metal by preventing the iron atoms from sliding past each other.

Answer 3,568: Geography & Nature -- Phnom Penh-insula

a) Cambodia

The city was named for the Wat Phnom Daun Penh temple built in honor of Buddha in 1373.

Answer 3,569: Literature & Arts -- Turn Term

c) Pirouette

The French term means "spinning top".

Answer 3,570: Sports & Games -- Purple People Punishers

b) Minnesota Vikings

Jim Marshall, Carl Eller, Gary Larsen, and Alan Page were the front four of the Vikings in the 1960s and 1970s.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,565-3,570

Question 3,565: Entertainment & Food -- Sphere Cheers

Which NBA team was singer Paula Abdul once a cheerleader for?

a) Los Angeles Clippers
b) Los Angeles Lakers
c) Miami Heat
d) New York Knicks

Question 3,566: History & Government -- Essential Export

What product accounts for about four-fifths of Venezuela's export earnings?

a) Beef
b) Coffee
c) Oil
d) Rubber

Question 3,567: Math & Science -- Iron Man-ufacturing

What is the main chemical element combined with iron to make steel?

a) Carbon
b) Lead
c) Nickel
d) Titanium

Question 3,568: Geography & Nature -- Phnom Penh-insula

What Asian country's capital is Phnom Penh?

a) Cambodia
b) Laos
c) Mongolia
d) Thailand

Question 3,569: Literature & Arts -- Turn Term

What is the ballet term for a complete turn on one leg?

a) Jete
b) Pas de deux
c) Pirouette
d) Plie

Question 3,570: Sports & Games -- Purple People Punishers

Which NFL team's defense was once known as the Purple People Eaters?

a) Atlanta Falcons
b) Minnesota Vikings
c) New York Giants
d) Washington Redskins

General Trivia Answers #3,559-3,564

Answer 3,559: Entertainment & Food -- Monty Python March

c) John Philip Sousa

The tune is called the "Liberty Bell March".

Answer 3,560: History & Government -- Do You Know Woodrow?

d) Thomas

Woodrow was the Princeton graduate's middle name.

Answer 3,561: Math & Science -- Plumper Than Pluto

d) 7

The Earth's moon, Callisto, Europa, Ganymede, Io, Titan, and Triton are all bigger than the dwarf planet.

Answer 3,562: Geography & Nature -- Claw Flaw

a) Cheetah

The other genuses are panthera (roaring cats) and felis (non-roaring, including house cats).

Answer 3,563: Literature & Arts -- Winnie-the-Who?

d) Winnipeg

A real orphan bear, discovered by Lt. Harry Colebourn in White River, Ontario and named after his hometown in Manitoba, became a famous resident of the London Zoo.

Answer 3,564: Sports & Games -- Reynolds's Rage

b) Mood ring

The "stone" on the novelty rings supposedly changes colors to reflect the wearer's mood but really just measures the finger's temperature.

Monday, April 13, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,559-3,564

Question 3,559: Entertainment & Food -- Monty Python March

Who composed the "Monty Python's Flying Circus" theme song?

a) Jean Sibelius
b) Jeremiah Clarke
c) John Philip Sousa
d) Julius Fucik

Question 3,560: History & Government -- Do You Know Woodrow?

What was President Woodrow Wilson's given first name?

a) Henry
b) Maurice
c) Richard
d) Thomas

Question 3,561: Math & Science -- Plumper Than Pluto

How many moons in the solar system are larger than Pluto?

a) 1
b) 3
c) 5
d) 7

Question 3,562: Geography & Nature -- Claw Flaw

What is the only cat in the genus acinonyx, which contains cats that do not roar and whose claws do not fully retract?

a) Cheetah
b) Jaguar
c) Mountain lion
d) Puma

Question 3,563: Literature & Arts -- Winnie-the-Who?

What does the "Winnie" in Winnie-the-Pooh stand for?

a) Winchester
b) Winner
c) Winnifred
d) Winnipeg

Question 3,564: Sports & Games -- Reynolds's Rage

Which popular fad did Joshua Reynolds launch in 1975?

a) Cabbage Patch Kid
b) Mood ring
c) Nerf football
d) Pet rock

General Trivia Answers #3,553-3,558

Answer 3,553: Entertainment & Food -- Archibald Now Called

a) Cary Grant

The native Brit officially assumed his decade-old stage name at the age of 38 when he became a U.S. citizen.

Answer 3,554: History & Government -- League of Nations Creation

d) Treaty of Versailles

Germany and the Allied powers signed the agreement on June 28, 1919, but without the support of the United States, the organization was doomed.

Answer 3,555: Math & Science -- Hearing Hammer

c) Malleus

The hammer-shaped bone in the middle ear transmits sound vibrations from the eardrum to the incus.

Answer 3,556: Geography & Nature -- Helvetian Handwriting

c) German

French and Italian rank second and third.

Answer 3,557: Literature & Arts -- Thematic Thursday

c) Maundy Thursday

Also called Holy Thursday and Sheer Thursday, the day includes the distribution of alms and the preparation for the Last Supper.

Answer 3,558: Sports & Games -- Monopoly Marker

d) Sack of money

The token won an Internet vote in 1999, defeating a biplane and a piggy bank.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,553-3,558

Question 3,553: Entertainment & Food -- Archibald Now Called

What Academy Award-winning American actor was born as Archibald Leach?

a) Cary Grant
b) James Cagney
c) James Dean
d) Kirk Douglas

Question 3,554: History & Government -- League of Nations Creation

What treaty created the League of Nations?

a) Treaty of Brussels
b) Treaty of Ghent
c) Treaty of Paris
d) Treaty of Versailles

Question 3,555: Math & Science -- Hearing Hammer

What is the scientific name for the ear's hammer bone?

a) Akme
b) Incus
c) Malleus
d) Stapes

Question 3,556: Geography & Nature -- Helvetian Handwriting

What is the most common written language used in Switzerland?

a) English
b) French
c) German
d) Italian

Question 3,557: Literature & Arts -- Thematic Thursday

What is the day before Good Friday called?

a) Ascension Thursday
b) Good Thursday
c) Maundy Thursday
d) Sweet Thursday

Question 3,558: Sports & Games -- Monopoly Marker

What new game piece was added to the Monopoly board game in the 1990s?

a) Bicycle
b) Cell phone
c) Computer monitor
d) Sack of money

Information Please - Random Trivia Answers

  • A1) Google. The service, whose phone number can be more easily remembered as 1-800-GOOG-411, can answer generic spoken requests like "gas station".
  • A2) Free 411. For the annoyance of listening to a relevant ad, Jingle Networks's 1-800-FREE-411 gives you directory assistance without a charge.
  • A3) Tellme. In addition to phone numbers, Tellme also provides maps, movies, weather, and more.
  • A4) Frucall. Entering a product's barcode number will return pricing information from online sites. Your search history is available via any web browser.
  • A5) Yahoo!. Stanford electrical engineering graduate students Jerry Yang and David Filo soon renamed their company for the Gulliver's Travels characters, unnecessarily expanding to the awful "Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle".
  • A6) Infoseek. A merger with Starwave produced Go.com, which still exists but has been treading water since 2001.
  • A7) Lycos. Spain's Terra Networks bought the company for $5.4 billion in May 2000.
  • A8) Altavista. Originally a showcase for DEC's 64-bit Alpha processor, the search engine proved popular enough for Digital to pay AltaVista Technology Incorporated 3.3 million dollars for the altavista.com domain name. Altavista is now owned by Yahoo!
  • A9) Dogpile. The site is funded by a page of sponsored links returned with each query.
  • A10) iWon.com. Ask Jeeves bought the company in 2004 and was in turn acquired by InterActiveCorp a year later.
  • A11) Amazon. Because A9 keeps a history of all of your searches, you may prefer the anonymous Generic A9.
  • A12) Baidu. Less than a year later, the site, which began as an MP3 search engine, reached number nine in Alexa's internet rankings.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Information Please - Random Trivia Questions

In most of the U.S. and Canada, dialing 411 on your telephone will connect you with directory assistance. But because this is a paid service, you may want to get your information elsewhere. What do you know about these ways of using your phone or computer?

Information Please Questions

  • Q1) What company helps you out when you dial 1-800-466-4411?
  • Q2) What ad-sponsored service do you get when you dial 1-800-373-3411?
  • Q3) What Microsoft subsidiary uses voice recognition software to help you when you dial 1-800-555-8355?
  • Q4) What service provides price comparison information when you dial 1-888-363-7822?
  • Q5) What search engine, once commonly known as "big yellow", was bought by the Walt Disney Company in 1998?
  • Q6) What search engine was created by Carnegie Mellon University's Dr. Michael Loren Mauldin in 1994?
  • Q7) What search engine and Internet portal began its life in 1994 as "Jerry and David's Guide to the World Wide Web"?
  • Q8) What Internet search engine began as a Digital Equipment Corporation project in 1995?
  • Q9) What meta-search engine, founded in 1996 and now owned by Infospace, aggregates results from sites such as Google, Yahoo!, Live Search, and Ask.com?
  • Q10) What casual gaming site began its life in 1999 as a search engine that encouraged frequent use by offering daily prizes?
  • Q11) What company's A9 search engine is primarily focused on product searches?
  • Q12) What search engine company became the first Chinese company added to the NASDAQ-100 index in December 2007?

C# Instead of B-Flat -- Quiz Quilt 117 Solution

Category Answers:
Geography
&
Nature
YUCATAN The explorer made up the story about the Mayans as a shot at Diego Velazquez; the Yucatan is actually a "place of richness".
Sports
&
Games
ELWAYJohn Elway's kin made a good decision, as the Denver Broncos repeated as champs in 1999.
Literature
&
Arts
KANTPrussian Immanuel Kant developed the concept of transcendental idealism near the end of the Enlightenment.
Entertainment
&
Food
FONDAJane Fonda and the team's owner were married from 1991 to 2001.
History
&
Government
FAYDespite a U.S. protest, Michael Fay was caned and sent to jail for four months for breaking into and spray-painting cars.
Math
&
Science
ORIONIt includes the stars Rigel, Altinak, and Alnilam and the double star Mintaka.

Quiz Quilt Answer: OFFKEY (First letters going up)

If you sang a C-sharp when you were supposed to sing a B-flat, you would certainly be off-key.

Friday, April 10, 2009

C# Instead of B-Flat -- Quiz Quilt 117 Puzzle

Category Questions:
Geography
&
Nature
What Mexican peninsula's name did Hernando Cortes claim meant "I don't understand you"?
Sports
&
Games
After winning Super Bowl XXXII in 1998, what quarterback decided not to retire based on a vote by his family?
Literature
&
Arts
What metaphysical philosopher wrote Critique of Pure Reason in 1781?
Entertainment
&
Food
For over a decade, what actress was often seen at Atlanta Braves games doing the tomahawk chop with Ted Turner?
History
&
Government
What American teenager was flogged for vandalism in Singapore in 1994?
Math
&
Science
What constellation is known as the Hunter?

General Trivia Answers #3,547-3,552

Answer 3,547: Entertainment & Food -- Christian Cable Channel

b) ABC Family

In between it was also known as the Family Channel and Fox Family Channel before Disney purchased it in 2001.

Answer 3,548: History & Government -- Nominating Nader

b) Green

Green parties around the world are based on the four pillars of ecology, social justice, grassroots democracy, and nonviolence.

Answer 3,549: Math & Science -- Coin Collecting

b) Polio

In 1938, radio announcer and comedian Eddie Cantor urged his listeners to send their spare dimes to the White House to contribute to a fund for finding a cure.

Answer 3,550: Geography & Nature -- World Wildlife Workhorse

b) Giant panda

The endangered, black and white, Chinese bear has adorned the logo since the organization's founding on September 11, 1961.

Answer 3,551: Literature & Arts -- Egregious Equality

a) George Orwell

Animal Farm was a 1945 satire on the Russian Revolution.

Answer 3,552: Sports & Games -- Ring Rendering

a) Continents

North and South America are jointly represented by the red ring, while Antarctica has no ring.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,547-3,552

Question 3,547: Entertainment & Food -- Christian Cable Channel

What is the current name of the cable channel that started as the Christian Broadcasting Network in April 1977?

a) A&E
b) ABC Family
c) Discover Channel
d) USA Network

Question 3,548: History & Government -- Nominating Nader

What U.S. political party nominated Ralph Nader for President on June 25, 2000?

a) American
b) Green
c) Progressive
d) Reform

Question 3,549: Math & Science -- Coin Collecting

What disease was the March of Dimes founded to fight?

a) Epilepsy
b) Polio
c) Smallpox
d) Tuberculosis

Question 3,550: Geography & Nature -- World Wildlife Workhorse

What animal is the symbol of the World Wildlife Fund?

a) African elephant
b) Giant panda
c) Gorilla
d) Mountain lion

Question 3,551: Literature & Arts -- Egregious Equality

What English author wrote, "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others"?

a) George Orwell
b) Richard Adams
c) Robert Louis Stevenson
d) Rudyard Kipling

Question 3,552: Sports & Games -- Ring Rendering

What do the five Olympic rings represent?

a) Continents
b) Medals
c) Oceans
d) Sports

General Trivia Answers #3,541-3,546

Answer 3,541: Entertainment & Food -- Comic Relief Representation

a) Clown's nose

The organization was founded in the United Kingdom in 1985 to provide relief for the Ethiopian famine.

Answer 3,542: History & Government -- Wide Windsor

a) Edward VIII

The thick, wide knot honors the 20th-century monarch, although he personally used a four-in-hand knot.

Answer 3,543: Math & Science -- Bell Breakthrough

d) Transistor

John R. Pierce's naming suggestion won a company vote over possibilities like semiconductor triode, solid triode, surface states triode, crystal triode, and iotatron.

Answer 3,544: Geography & Nature -- Alternative Athens

a) Edinburgh, Scotland

The 18th-century comparison refers to the city's neoclassical Georgian architecture and the perceived intellect of its residents.

Answer 3,545: Literature & Arts -- Making a Monster

c) Lord Byron

19-year-old Mary Shelley wrote the novel based on a dream. Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, and a doctor friend were also supposed to concoct ghost stories but never did.

Answer 3,546: Sports & Games -- The Wright Stuff

c) Silly Putty

The bouncing pink rubber, mostly consisting of boric acid and silicone oil, was originally designed for General Electric to serve as caulking and molding.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,541-3,546

Question 3,541: Entertainment & Food -- Comic Relief Representation

What symbol does the charity Comic Relief use?

a) Clown's nose
b) Smile
c) Squirting flower
d) Whoopie cushion

Question 3,542: History & Government -- Wide Windsor

For which British king was the Windsor knot named?

a) Edward VIII
b) George VI
c) James II
d) William IV

Question 3,543: Math & Science -- Bell Breakthrough

What electronic component did John Bardeen, Walter H. Brattain, and William Shockley of Bell Labs invent in 1947?

a) Hard drive
b) Integrated circuit
c) ROM
d) Transistor

Question 3,544: Geography & Nature -- Alternative Athens

What city is known as the Athens of the North?

a) Edinburgh, Scotland
b) Leipzig, Germany
c) Lillehammer, Norway
d) Rotterdam, Netherlands

Question 3,545: Literature & Arts -- Making a Monster

What poet issued the challenge that resulted in Frankenstein being written?

a) Alfred Tennyson
b) John Keats
c) Lord Byron
d) Robert Burns

Question 3,546: Sports & Games -- The Wright Stuff

What popular squishy substance did James Wright invent in 1943?

a) Lava lamp
b) Play-Doh
c) Silly Putty
d) Slime

General Trivia Answers #3,535-3,540

Answer 3,535: Entertainment & Food -- Nubile Number One

a) Debbie Gibson

"Foolish Beat", which the 17-year-old composed in an airplane bathroom, topped the charts in June 1988.

Answer 3,536: History & Government -- Eli Up High

d) William Taft

The Skull and Bones member graduated in 1878 and became President 31 years later.

Answer 3,537: Math & Science -- Harmful Hydrophobia

b) Rabies

During advanced stages of the disease, victims constantly feel thirsty.

Answer 3,538: Geography & Nature -- Neighbor Unions

a) Bern

Albert Einstein constructed his Theory of Relativity while working at the Bern patent office.

Answer 3,539: Literature & Arts -- Wicked Woods

a) Chicago

The story about the meat packing district unleashed a storm of public indignation in 1906 and spurred Congress to pass the Pure Food and Drug Act later in the year.

Answer 3,540: Sports & Games -- Service Strike

d) Your point

You also win the point if the serve strikes the receiver on the fly.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,535-3,540

Question 3,535: Entertainment & Food -- Nubile Number One

Who was the youngest person to write, record, and produce a number one pop song?

a) Debbie Gibson
b) Janet Jackson
c) Mandy Moore
d) Tiffany

Question 3,536: History & Government -- Eli Up High

Who was the first Yale University graduate to become U.S. President?

a) George Bush
b) Herbert Hoover
c) William McKinley
d) William Taft

Question 3,537: Math & Science -- Harmful Hydrophobia

What is the common name for the disease hydrophobia?

a) Leprosy
b) Rabies
c) Shingles
d) Sleeping sickness

Question 3,538: Geography & Nature -- Neighbor Unions

What Swiss city is the home to the Universal Postal Union and the International Copyright Union?

a) Bern
b) Geneva
c) Lausanne
d) Zurich

Question 3,539: Literature & Arts -- Wicked Woods

What city does the title of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle refer to?

a) Chicago
b) New York
c) Philadelphia
d) Washington, D.C.

Question 3,540: Sports & Games -- Service Strike

In doubles tennis, what is the ruling if your serve hits the receiver's partner in the air?

a) A fault
b) A let
c) Their point
d) Your point

General Trivia Answers #3,529-3,534

Answer 3,529: Entertainment & Food -- Know-Where Man

d) Third base

The duo frequently used the routine on the radio starting in the late 1930s and performed it in the 1945 movie The Naughty Nineties.

Answer 3,530: History & Government -- Chief Executive Oval Officer

b) George W. Bush

The Yale graduate received his MBA from Harvard in 1975.

Answer 3,531: Math & Science -- Alcohol Analysis

a) Ethanol

Ethyl alcohol has the formula is C2H5OH.

Answer 3,532: Geography & Nature -- Concluding Capital

d) New Jersey

Trenton beats out Topeka, Kansas for the distinction.

Answer 3,533: Literature & Arts -- Mystery Music

d) Violin

The detective owns a Stradivarius, which figured prominently in one of his cases when he fooled a criminal with a recording of his bowing.

Answer 3,534: Sports & Games -- All-Star Agenda

b) Tuesday

The Monday before and the Wednesday after in July are the only two days of the year when no major sports are contested in the U.S.

Monday, April 6, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,529-3,534

Question 3,529: Entertainment & Food -- Know-Where Man

What position did "I Don't Know" play in the Abbott and Costello comedy routine "Who's on First?"

a) First base
b) Second base
c) Shortstop
d) Third base

Question 3,530: History & Government -- Chief Executive Oval Officer

Who was the first U.S. President with an MBA degree?

a) Calvin Coolidge
b) George W. Bush
c) Herbert Hoover
d) Richard Nixon

Question 3,531: Math & Science -- Alcohol Analysis

Chemically speaking, what type of alcohol is found in alcoholic drinks?

a) Ethanol
b) Hexanol
c) Methanol
d) Propanol

Question 3,532: Geography & Nature -- Concluding Capital

Which U.S. state's capital city is last in alphabetical order?

a) Florida
b) Kansas
c) Minnesota
d) New Jersey

Question 3,533: Literature & Arts -- Mystery Music

What musical instrument does Sherlock Holmes play expertly?

a) Accordion
b) Guitar
c) Piano
d) Violin

Question 3,534: Sports & Games -- All-Star Agenda

On which day of the week is the Major League Baseball All-Star game contested each year?

a) Monday
b) Tuesday
c) Wednesday
d) Thursday

General Trivia Answers #3,523-3,528

Answer 3,523: Entertainment & Food -- Fab Four Finale

d) San Francisco

The Fab Four rocked Candlestick Park on August 29, 1966.

Answer 3,524: History & Government -- Austrian Adversary

d) Prussia

They battled over control of Germany.

Answer 3,525: Math & Science -- Doppler's Demonstration

c) Trumpets

The Austrian scientist pushed musicians back and forth on a railroad car.

Answer 3,526: Geography & Nature -- South West Windhoek

d) Namibia

The country gained its independence from South Africa on March 21, 1990.

Answer 3,527: Literature & Arts -- Claim to Fame Game

d) Soccer

The book tells the story of the 1950 U.S. upset of England during the World Cup.

Answer 3,528: Sports & Games -- Cy Senior

c) Roger Clemens

The fireballer was 42 years old when he won the award in 2004 after former Yankees teammate Andy Pettitte convinced him to unretire and join the Houston Astros.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,523-3,528

Question 3,523: Entertainment & Food -- Fab Four Finale

In which city did the Beatles perform their last concert together?

a) London
b) New York
c) Paris
d) San Francisco

Question 3,524: History & Government -- Austrian Adversary

Which country did Austria fight in the Seven Years War begun in 1756?

a) France
b) Germany
c) Hungary
d) Prussia

Question 3,525: Math & Science -- Doppler's Demonstration

What musical instruments did Johann Doppler borrow to confirm the Doppler effect?

a) Drums
b) Flutes
c) Trumpets
d) Violins

Question 3,526: Geography & Nature -- South West Windhoek

What country, whose capital is Windhoek, was formerly known as South West Africa?

a) Angola
b) Botswana
c) Lesotho
d) Namibia

Question 3,527: Literature & Arts -- Claim to Fame Game

Which sport was featured in Geoffrey Douglas's 1996 book The Game of Their Lives?

a) Basketball
b) Hockey
c) Rugby
d) Soccer

Question 3,528: Sports & Games -- Cy Senior

Who was the oldest pitcher to win a Cy Young Award?

a) Early Wynn
b) Gaylord Perry
c) Roger Clemens
d) Steve Carlton

4-for-4 - Random Trivia Answers

  • A1) Steve Kerr. The shooting guard helped Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls win titles from 1996 to 1998, then was traded to San Antonio Spurs, who won the 1999 championship. He added another ring with the team in 2003. Bill Russell, Sam Jones, and K.C. Jones all won a record eight consecutive titles with the Boston Celtics from 1959 to 1966 (Russell finished with a record 11 rings, one more than Sam Jones).
  • A2) Al Arbour. The New York Islanders accomplished the feat from 1979-80 to 1982-83, immediately after Scotty Bowman and the Montreal Canadiens had done it. The all-time record is five in a row for Toe Blake with the Canadiens from 1955-56 to 1959-60.
  • A3) Maureen Connolly. In 1953, Little Mo easily bested Julie Sampson Haywood in the Australian final, then took out Doris Hart in straight sets to capture the French, Wimbledon, and U.S. Championships.
  • A4) Margaret Smith Court. She partnered with Ken Fletcher in 1963 and with John Newcombe (a shared Australian mixed doubles title), Fletcher, and Fred Stolle in 1965 before earning solo glory in 1970.
  • A5) Al Oerter. In the middle of his 1956 to 1968 run, the New Yorker became the first man to surpass the 200-foot mark in 1962.
  • A6) Carl Lewis. The Alabama native also won back-to-back 100m golds in 1984 and 1988, 200m gold in 1984, and 4x100m relay golds in 1984 and 1992 before capturing his ninth and final gold in the long jump in 1996. Besides Oerter and Lewis, the only other person to win individual golds in four consecutive Olympic games is sailor Paul Bert Elvstrom.
  • A7) Steven Redgrave. The Brit teamed up with Matthew Pinsent for their second straight coxless pairs gold, to add to Redgrave's golds in the coxed pair in 1984 and coxless pair in 1988.
  • A8) John Wooden. The Wizard of Westwood's UCLA Bruins won seven in a row from 1967 to 1973. No other team has won more than two titles in a row. Because freshmen weren't eligible to play back then, no players have won more than three in a row (Lew Alcindor, Sidney Wicks, and Henry Bibby).
  • A9) Carlos Delgado. The Toronto Blue Jays first baseman remains the last person to go deep four times in a game on September 25, 2003.
  • A10) Bill Madlock. The Chicago Cubs third basemen raised his average from .333 to .339 to leapfrog Ken Griffey Sr.'s .336.
  • A11) Casey Stengel. Taking over late in 1949, the Old Professor led the New York Yankees to that year's championship and the next four.
  • A12) Ted Williams. In 1946, the Splendid Splinter knocked a fourth inning offering by Kirby Higbie out of the park, and four innings later he did the same to Rip Sewell's famous eephus pitch.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

4-for-4 - Random Trivia Questions

Today is the fourth day of the fourth month of the year, so let's ponder some athletes and sports teams that went 4-for-4.

4-for-4 Questions

  • Q1) Who was the last NBA player to win four championship rings in four seasons?
  • Q2) Who was the last NHL coach to lead his team to four Stanley Cups in four seasons?
  • Q3) Who was the first female tennis player to win the Grand Slam?
  • Q4) Including singles and doubles, who has won the most tennis Grand Slams?
  • Q5) What American won the Olympic discus four straight times?
  • Q6) What American won the Olympic long jump four straight times?
  • Q7) In 1996, what British rower became the fourth athlete to win a gold medal in four consecutive Olympics?
  • Q8) Who was the only coach to win four NCAA Final Four championships in four seasons?
  • Q9) Who was the last Major League Baseball player to go 4-for-4 in a game, with four home runs?
  • Q10) What player won the 1976 National League batting title by going 4-for-4 in the last game of the season?
  • Q11) Who was the last Major League Baseball manager to win four World Series in four years?
  • Q12) Who was the only Major League Baseball hitter to go 4-for-4 in an All Star Game?

Nicked Note -- Quiz Quilt 116 Solution

Category Answers:
Entertainment
&
Food
SCHOENBERGThe same sequence of twelve notes is repeated throughout an Arnold Schoenberg piece.
Sports
&
Games
FLUSHThe hand ranks just above a straight and just below a full house.
Math
&
Science
PASTEURLouis Pasteur, the founder of microbiology, won an 1859 French Academy of the Sciences contest by using meat broth and S-shaped flasks to disprove spontaneous generation.
History
&
Government
BUSHGeorge Bush gave his approval on July 26, 1990 to U.S. Public Law 101-336, extending the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with protection against discrimination to the disabled.
Literature
&
Arts
ISHTARThe goddess of the planet Venus, which some astronomers call Ishtar Terra, is also known as Anunit, Astarte, or Atarsamain in other cultures.
Geography
&
Nature
VENICEThe Italian city's leaders used to perform a ritual ceremony, throwing a ring into the Adriatic and pronouncing, "We wed thee, O sea, in token, of perpetual domination."

Quiz Quilt Answer: CLAUSE (Second letters)

Part of a note written by St. Nick, a.k.a. Santa Claus, might be a clause.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Nicked Note -- Quiz Quilt 116 Puzzle

Category Questions:
Entertainment
&
Food
What Austrian-born composer contrived the twelve-tone method of composition for atonal music?
Sports
&
Games
What is the generic term for a poker hand with five cards of the same suit?
Math
&
Science
What French chemist disproved the theory of spontaneous generation and is known for his work on milk safety?
History
&
Government
Which U.S. President signed the Americans with Disabilities Act?
Literature
&
Arts
Who was the Babylonian goddess of love and war?
Geography
&
Nature
What city is known as the Bride of the Sea?

General Trivia Answers #3,517-3,522

Answer 3,517: Entertainment & Food -- Cheese State

d) Switzerland

The related cheeses were named for the Appenzell canton and a valley in the Fribourg canton respectively.

Answer 3,518: History & Government -- Pulitzer Presenter

a) Columbia

Joseph Pulitzer also donated two million dollars to the university to create the world's first school of journalism, which opened in 1912.

Answer 3,519: Math & Science -- Cavendish's Catch

b) Hydrogen

The British scientist referred to the gas as "inflammable air" in his paper "On Factitious Airs". Antoine Lavoisier named the element hydrogen about a decade later.

Answer 3,520: Geography & Nature -- Seward's Success

a) 2 cents

At a total cost of $7.2 million, the transaction was denigrated as Seward's Folly at the time, but history has vindicated Secretary of State William Seward.

Answer 3,521: Literature & Arts -- Death Breath

d) Oscar Wilde

The Irishman was drinking champagne as he passed away.

Answer 3,522: Sports & Games -- Basketball Bad Boy

c) Joe Dumars

The NBA renamed its sportsmanship award for him when his #4 was lifted to the rafters.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,517-3,522

Question 3,517: Entertainment & Food -- Cheese State

In what country did Appenzeller and Gruyere cheeses originate?

a) France
b) Germany
c) Holland
d) Switzerland

Question 3,518: History & Government -- Pulitzer Presenter

What university gives out the annual Pulitzer Prizes?

a) Columbia
b) Cornell
c) Dartmouth
d) Princeton

Question 3,519: Math & Science -- Cavendish's Catch

What chemical element did Henry Cavendish discover in 1766?

a) Helium
b) Hydrogen
c) Nitrogen
d) Oxygen

Question 3,520: Geography & Nature -- Seward's Success

How much per acre did the U.S. pay to Russia for Alaska in 1867?

a) 2 cents
b) 3 cents
c) 4 cents
d) 5 cents

Question 3,521: Literature & Arts -- Death Breath

What author's last words were, "I am dying as I have lived, beyond my means"?

a) Charles Dickens
b) Dylan Thomas
c) Mark Twain
d) Oscar Wilde

Question 3,522: Sports & Games -- Basketball Bad Boy

What NBA player and the last of the Detroit Pistons Bad Boys had his uniform retired in 2000?

a) Bill Laimbeer
b) Isiah Thomas
c) Joe Dumars
d) John Salley

General Trivia Answers #3,511-3,516

Answer 3,511: Entertainment & Food -- Atkins Sins

a) Carbohydrates

The 1972 book allows dieters to feast on protein and fat.

Answer 3,512: History & Government -- Killing a King

a) James Earl Ray

The white supremacist, who had escaped from the Missouri State Penitentiary a year earlier, assassinated the civil rights leader on April 4, 1968.

Answer 3,513: Math & Science -- Morse Message

d) "What hath God wrought!"

The message was transmitted from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, Maryland.

Answer 3,514: Geography & Nature -- Quake Question

a) Alaska

A 9.2 temblor hit Prince William Sound on March 28, 1964.

Answer 3,515: Literature & Arts -- Castle Character

c) K

The satirical novel, released as Das Schloss in 1926, follows K's futile attempts to penetrate the local bureaucracy.

Answer 3,516: Sports & Games -- Poker Parlance

b) Flush

The hand ranks just above a straight and just below a full house.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

General Trivia Questions #3,511-3,516

Question 3,511: Entertainment & Food -- Atkins Sins

What type of food does Dr. Robert Atkins Diet Revolution restrict?

a) Carbohydrates
b) Fat
c) Meat
d) Sugar

Question 3,512: History & Government -- Killing a King

Who murdered Martin Luther King, Jr.?

a) James Earl Ray
b) John Wilkes Booth
c) Lee Harvey Oswald
d) Sirhan Sirhan

Question 3,513: Math & Science -- Morse Message

What was the text of the first telegram sent by Samuel Morse on May 24, 1844?

a) "I pledge allegiance to the flag"
b) "Mary had a little lamb"
c) "We the people"
d) "What hath God wrought!"

Question 3,514: Geography & Nature -- Quake Question

Which U.S. state has experienced the most powerful earthquake?

a) Alaska
b) California
c) Hawaii
d) Missouri

Question 3,515: Literature & Arts -- Castle Character

Who is the hero of Franz Kafka's The Castle, who goes by a single initial?

a) C
b) F
c) K
d) X

Question 3,516: Sports & Games -- Poker Parlance

What is the generic term for a poker hand with five cards of the same suit?

a) Barrel
b) Flush
c) Pentagon
d) Straight

General Trivia Answers #3,505-3,510

Answer 3,505: Entertainment & Food -- Prolific Producer

d) Mark Goodson

His 39,312 episodes could be strung together into a nonstop marathon running almost 2½ years.

Answer 3,506: History & Government -- Assassination Miscalculation

a) Andrew Jackson

On January 30, 1835, Richard Lawrence shot him twice at point-blank range only to have both pistols misfire. Jackson then beat the would-be assassin over the head with his cane.

Answer 3,507: Math & Science -- Allergy Attack Arrest

b) Epinephrine

Adrenaline is another word for the substance, whose trade name is Adrenalin.

Answer 3,508: Geography & Nature -- Continent of Discontent

d) Sydney

The island continent was settled on January 26, 1788, mostly by convicts that Britain wanted to relocate.

Answer 3,509: Literature & Arts -- Published Pope

c) Pope John Paul II

The 1994 publication answered questions originally intended for an interview on Italian television.

Answer 3,510: Sports & Games -- Number Novelty

c) 3

When the New York Yankees began using uniform numbers, they simply indicated the players' positions in the batting lineup.