Kitchen Capers
($100) This classic baking disaster happens because the home cook mistakenly uses this “table” mineral instead of sugar.
Answer: What is salt? If it’s a small amount of salt, you might be able to salvage the dish. If you are working with a sweet batter, the recipe will call for a large amount of sugar, and you’ll need to start over. You haven’t earned your “home cook” badge until you’ve made this mistake at least once.
($100) Red and double-decker are two iconic characteristics of this kind of London transport.
Answer: What are buses? London’s red double-decker buses are among the city’s most recognizable sights. The classic Routemaster became one of London’s best-known bus designs after entering service in the 1950s
($100) Skydiving when strapped to another person is known as this
Answer: What is tandem? Tandem jumping requires one of the jumpers to be a certified tandem instructor.
($100) This flower is the most common flower associated with fall and has one of the longest bloom times.
Answer: What is chrysanthemum? It comes in a wide variety of colors and shapes, and it’s a perennial, though many people treat it as an annual
($100) As the days grow shorter and cooler, it’s time to do this with your summer clothes before storing them for the season.
Answer: What is wash and dry them? Always store clothes for the winter only after they have been laundered or dry-cleaned.
($200) This ingredient makes bread rise.
Answer: What is yeast? If you’re unsure if your batch of yeast is still fresh, try proofing it in a bowl with some warm water and sugar. If it foams, the batch is still good.
($200) This breakfast beverage is not merely the English standard; it’s almost mandatory.
Answer: What is tea? It’s not called “hot tea,” as it is in the United States; it’s just tea—and frequently it’s strong black tea with milk, not lemon.
($200) “Fly Me to the [this place]” is a beloved standard tune that has survived generation after generation.
Answer: What is moon? The song was originally titled “In Other Words.”
($200) This purple vegetable only wishes it came from a chicken.
Answer: What is an eggplant? During the 18th century, Europeans cultivated white varieties of eggplant, and because they resembled eggs, they were named a combination of the words egg and plant.
($200) This spooky flying mammal is associated with Halloween.
Answer: What is the bat? More than half of bat species in the United States are in severe decline or listed as endangered. That’s not a good thing because bats can eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes in an hour and are essential pollinators.
($400) This kitchen appliance displays magnets.
Answer: What is a refrigerator? It’s a great place to keep your grandchildren’s drawings, calendars, and photos so you can see them every day.
($400) This is the nickname for London’s underground transit, the oldest subway system in the world.
Answer: What is the Tube? The subway system’s official name is the London Underground, and the service was inaugurated in 1863.
($400) This superhero famously says, “Up, up, and away!” before taking off.
Answer: Who is Superman? The phrase originated when The Adventures of Superman debuted on the radio. Before radio, Superman was a DC Comics series, and there was no need to explain that Superman was flying.
($400) This sun-chasing flower is a sure sign of the harvest season.
Answer: What is a sunflower? Some varieties of sunflower last until the first frost. In warmer areas of the country, they’re available alongside fresh produce at farmers’ markets. Young sunflowers track the sun to absorb energy and are guided by their circadian rhythm. Mature sunflowers face east permanently.
($400) This European explorer reached the Americas in October 1492.
Answer: Who is Christopher Columbus? Columbus reached islands in the Caribbean in 1492. Leif Erikson is widely credited with reaching Newfoundland centuries earlier.
($600) This famous TV chef shouts “Bam!” while seasoning food.
Answer: Who is Emeril Lagasse? If you’re looking for a renowned TV chef with a heaping dose of personality, Emeril is your man. He will charm you with his Louisiana flair and Portuguese heritage. His Emeril Lagasse Foundation has awarded more than $23 million in grants to support youth programs, including culinary, nutrition, and arts education
($600) This official London royal residence is the place to see the changing of the guard.
Answer: What is Buckingham Palace? In this free, 45-minute ceremony, the Old Guard transfers responsibility for protecting the Sovereign to the New Guard. The ceremony schedule varies seasonally.
($600) If thrown correctly, this colorful toy spins through the air and then returns.
Answer: What is a boomerang? It comes back via a process called gyroscopic precession. Because of the spin when the boomerang is thrown, one wing is higher than the other one, causing the boomerang to return.
($600) Once the air chills, we turn our attention away from the summer varieties and turn to acorn, spaghetti, and butternut varieties of this vegetable.
Answer: What is winter squash? Winter squash has a hard rind and a long storage life.
($600) Three warm spices found in most pantries in autumn are cinnamon, nutmeg, and this one
Answer: What are cloves? Most recipes call for ground cloves at 50 percent of the quantity of cinnamon and nutmeg.
($800) A soufflé makes a lovely dessert, but if you make it ahead of time, it will do this.
Answer: What is fall? Air is trapped in the egg whites while the soufflé cooks, but as it cools, the air escapes, causing the soufflé to fall. If presentation is your main concern, it must be eaten before it cools.
($800) Home to Big Ben, the Clock Tower in London was renamed in her honor in 2012.
Answer: Who is Queen Elizabeth II? Parliament renamed Clock Tower to Elizabeth Tower in honor of the queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Big Ben is the name of the massive bell housed inside the tower.
($800) This expression comes from skydiving and means that individuals need to take responsibility for their own preparations.
Answer: What is “pack your own parachute”? Skydivers wishing to be certified must learn how to pack their own parachutes and exhibit proficiency in doing so. The saying was also popularized in Paul M. Hirsch’s 1987 book Pack Your Own Parachute: How to Survive Mergers, Takeovers, and Other Corporate Disasters.
($800) Once October hits, iced coffee cravings are frequently replaced by this flavor of latte.
Answer: What is pumpkin (spice)? Starbucks originated the Pumpkin Spice Latte—or PSL, as it’s now widely called by its many adoring fans.
($800) This October U.S. holiday plays double duty: Columbus Day and this day.
Answer: What is Indigenous Peoples’ Day? Indigenous Peoples’ Day honors the culture, history, and resilience of the continent’s first inhabitants.