Word Nerds
North American Tourism
Puzzles and Games
Wonderful Weirdos
Underlings and Sidekicks in Literature
Formerly Endangered Species
Potpourri
100
This word for a classy woman or the wife of a lord has roots in Olde English that mean Breadmaker.
What is LADY?
100
What started as an advertising campaign for a real estate development is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in Southern California; the last 4 letters LAND disappeared in 1949.
What is the Hollywood Sign?
100
Will Shortz, crossword puzzle editor at this publication, used the Indiana University's Individualized Major program to create a degree in puzzles. He is presently the only person in the world with a degree in enigmatology.
What is the New York Times?
100
Though we may think of him as the mild mannered mathematician who taught us that a squared plus b squared equals c squared where right triangles are concerned, he also led a math cult where new recruits had to be silent for 5 years and was a vegetarian who really, really disliked beans.
Who is Pythagoras?
100
As both Sherlock Holmes's partner and the narrator of many of his cases, this doctor provides a humanizing perspective on the brilliant but emotionally detached detective.
Who is John Watson?
100
Before there was even a federal Endangered Species Act, this Everglades predator was considered near-extinct, thanks to hunting and extensive habitat loss. Their populations rebounded in 1987, removing them from the official Endangered species ranks.
What is the American Alligator?
100
About 1/3 of all potatoes become this salty deliciousness.
What are French fries?
200
This small rodent - featured in Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" - most likely got its name from its tendency to hibernate for a long time
What is a dormouse?
200
Located between New York and Ontario, this well-known location was formed about 12,000 years ago during the last Ice Age. It comprises three sections: Horseshoe Falls, the largest at 188 feet high; American Falls up to 110 feet high; and Bridal Veil Falls, the smallest at 70 feet high.
What is Niagara Falls?
200
The name of this puzzle means "single number" in Japanese. The first one was published in 1979 by architect Howard Garns.
What is Sudoku?
200
While a student at Cambridge University, this eccentric romantic poet, with epic poems like Don Juan, kept a pet bear to protest the school's policy against students having dogs in the dorms.
Who is Lord Byron?
200
This Hobbit is Frodo's steadfast companion in The Lord of the Rings, providing essential support and loyalty.
Who is Samwise Gamgee?
200
This large, fast bird of prey can move up to 240 miles per hour. Thanks to a ban on pesticide DDT in 1972 as well as nest conservation efforts, they were removed from the US Endangered Species list in 1999.
What is the Peregrine Falcon?
200
Leg O' mutton, puffed, and poet are all examples of fashion trends related to this part of a garment.
What is a sleeve?
300
Feeble dwarves are thought by some to have given rise to which slang term describing the socially inept.
What is DWEEB?
300
Located on the Yucatan Peninsula, this city is known for its beautiful beaches, vibrant nightclubs, and easy access to Mayan ruins and lush jungles.
What is Cancun?
300
Before we started calling them this, oddly named for a tool not used to make them, they were called "dissected maps", as the first ones were created to teach geography by putting pieces together.
What are jigsaw puzzles?
300
This iconic surrealist artist was as famous for his eccentric personality and flamboyant mustache as for his art. He had a deep fascination with science, which influenced his work
Who is Salvador Dali?
300
This character is Hamlet’s most trusted confidant, offering unwavering support and a rational friend in a world filled with betrayal. His loyalty ensures that Hamlet’s story is told after his death, making him instrumental in preserving the prince’s legacy.
Who is Horatio?
300
This plump, docile, grass-munching sea cow made its way onto the endangered species list in 1973, after increasingly common boat collisions—exacerbated by habitat loss—caused its numbers to drop to a few hundred in its native Florida. Their numbers rebounded to around 6000 in 2017
What is the manatee?
300
Robert P. McCulloch bought this aging English landmark in 1968 (they were building a new one) and move to Lake Havasu City in Arizona.
What is London Bridge?
400
In the original meaning of this E word meaning short-lived, its Greek roots translate into lasting only one day.
What is EPHEMERAL?
400
Baseball fans won't want to miss a stop at the filming location of this Kevin Costner movie in Dyersville, Iowa.
What is Field of Dreams?
400
This is the highest title a chess player can achieve, awarded by the international chess governing body, FIDE. The youngest to achieve that title (as of August 2021) is Abhimanyu Mishra who began playing at age 7.
What is Grand Master?
400
This mystical advisor to Tsar Nicholas and Tsarina Alexandra acted as a faith healer to their hemophiliac son, but was rumored to have supernatural powers.
Who is Grigori Rasputin?
400
this earthy, practical-minded squire provides a humorous contrast to his master's romantic idealism; while his master is tilting at windmills, his common sense often saves Don Quixote from disaster.
Who is Sancho Panza?
400
Also known as the singing whale, this species was brought back from the brink of extinction in 2016, thanks to efforts from the International Whaling Commission to cease commercial hunting.
What is the humpback whale?
400
David Atchison is technically the twelfth president; for one whole day. James Polk's term ended on a Sunday and his successor, this man, would not be sworn in on a Sunday for religious reasons.
Who is Zachary Taylor?
500
The name of this light summery fabric comes from the Persian phrase shir o shakar (or similar variations), meaning "milk and sugar," which refers to the fabric's alternating smooth and bumpy textures.
What is SEERSUCKER?
500
On the shores of Lake Ontario, in this, Canada's biggest city, is the iconic CN Tower, one of Canada's most famous landmarks. The tower stands an impressive 553 meters high and dominates the skyline.
What is Toronto?
500
The British government were allowed to give copies of this game to their POW soldiers in WWII; unbeknownst to their captors, the games contained real cash, tools for escape and silk maps.
What is Monopoly?
500
This iconic Confederate Civil War general believed one of his arms was longer than the other, so he's often walk or ride around with it raised over his head. When this arm was shot off by friendly fire, it was given its own service, burial and tombstone.
Who is Stonewall Jackson?
500
This asylum dweller is Count Dracula's deranged, fanatically devoted servant, helping his master in exchange for bugs to eat and the promise of immortality
Who is Renfield?
500
Now, this mammoth marsupial, sought after for its meat and hide, is so plentiful that hunting them in Australia is considered sustainable. But in 1974, excessive hunting put the them on the endangered species list.
What is the red kangaroo?
500
This 80s and 90s rock band performed for 120 scientists at Carlini Station on Antarctica in 2013, making them the first band to perform on all seven continents.
Who is Metallica?