Across the Pond
“G” Whiz
Name’s the Same
True or False?
Hodge podge
100

Queen Victoria gave this name to the day after Christmas

Boxing Day

100

Records set for all sorts of things appear in this popular book

Guinness World Records (or The Guinness Book of Records as it was called until 1999)

 The compendium has been published annually since 1955, and it has been translated into more than 20 languages.

100

Actresses Audrey and Katharine’s last name

Hepburn

 Katharine was once quoted as saying she wanted to “live like a man,” while Audrey flaunted her more feminine attributes. The two are often compared for their acting prowess. They are not related.

100

There are 5 colors in a rainbow. True or false?


False

There are 7 colors in a rainbow. They are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and purple

100

This is another name for corn and the word they use in Mexico.

maize

The corn crop in Mexico was first planted 10,000 years ago

200

What is the flagship TV station in the United Kingdom?

BBC

 It stands for British Broadcasting Company, and several radio and TV stations are a part of the BBC. It operates in 40 languages and has a large internet presence. Next year, the BBC will celebrate its 100th anniversary

200

What American actress became Princess of Monaco?

Grace Kelly

 Her official title was princess consort. She married Prince Rainier in 1956 and had to give up her acting career and American citizenship. The prince banned her films in Monaco.

200

Carol (of variety show fame) and Stockard’s last name

Channing

 Carol is synonymous with the tune “Hello, Dolly!,” and Stockard portrays Rizzo in the 1978 film Grease. The two are not related

200

Chartreuse is the name of a bright shade of red. True or false?



False

 Chartreuse is a color between yellow and green

like this color below:


200

This magazine publishes an annual list that ranks the 500 top companies in the United States.

Fortune

 The list, known as the “Fortune 500,” includes public and private companies and ranks them by total revenues. The magazine publishes other lists, too, such as “World’s Most Admired Companies” and “100 Best Companies to Work For.”

300

London’s double-decker buses are what color?

red

The iconic phone booths, known in London as phone boxes, are also red, but they’re mostly gone now. In 1907, the primary bus company had red buses. When London Transport took over the bus routes, they kept the tradition.

300

This slang term for the U.S. dollar reflects its color.

greenback

 The first U.S. dollars were issued during the Civil War, and the backs of the bills were printed in green

300

Biblical Saul’s other name and McCartney’s first name

Paul

In Acts 13:9 of the Bible, “Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit.“ Today, former Beatle Paul McCartney is known as Sir Paul McCartney

300

Scurvy is caused by a lack of vitamin C. True or false?

True

During the Age of Sail, it was assumed that 50 percent of the sailors would die of scurvy on a major trip. A Scottish surgeon in the Royal Navy, James Lind, is generally credited with proving that scurvy can be successfully treated with citrus fruit in 1753

300

Opiates such as morphine are derived from this bright red flower worn in Great Britain in celebration of Armistice Day

poppy

 Fun fact: Airlines discontinued serving poppy seed rolls when crews tested positive for drugs on random post-flight drug tests.

400

“America (My Country ’Tis of Thee)” shares its melody with the national anthem of the United Kingdom, which goes by this title.

“God Save the Queen”

 In the event of a king, it changes to “God Save the King.” The melody was composed by British composer Thomas Arne.

400

This is sisters Ava and Zsa Zsa’s last name.

Gabor

 They immigrated from Hungary to the United States with their father and their sister Magda during World War II. Their mother immigrated a year after they did.

400

MacLaine’s first name and Laverne’s counterpart on a TV sitcom

Shirley

Shirley MacLaine won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1984 for her role in Terms of Endearment. Cindy Williams plays Shirley on Laverne & Shirley

400

Omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet. True or false?





True

The Greek alphabet existed in many local variants, but, by the end of the 4th century BCE, the Euclidean alphabet, with 24 letters, ordered from alpha to omega, had become standard and it is this version that is still used for Greek writing today.

400

Saudi Arabia imports camels from what southern-hemisphere, English-speaking country?

Australia

 Saudi Arabia also imports sand from Australia.


500

When an heir in direct succession to the throne marries, it is expected the couple will produce an heir and one of these rhyming children.

spare

An heir and a spare almost guarantee the succession to the throne will remain within the nuclear family.

500

This type of ship has a crew that seems to have disappeared into thin air

ghost ship

One of the most famous ghost ships is the Mary Celeste. In 1872, the ship left New York en route to Italy. It was found adrift in the Atlantic Ocean with no one on board

500

The last name of both former basketball coach Bobby and singer Gladys

Knight

 Bobby Knight coached Indiana University’s basketball team and was known for his temper. He was nicknamed “The General.” Gladys Knight was nominated for 22 Grammy Awards and won seven.

500

Alexander Hamilton is featured on the rare $2 bill. 

True or false?


False

Thomas Jefferson is on the $2 bill


500

When it was built in the 1930s, this building was the tallest building in New York City.

Empire State Building

 It was built in a year and a half, and it stands at 1,250-feet tall, but it is no longer the tallest building in the city. The current tallest is One World Trade Center at 1,776 feet

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