Our Changing Lives & Language
Grab Bag
Fictional Crime Fighters & Sleuths
Chocolate
St. Patrick's Day
100

We moved from watching them in theaters and drive ins to collecting them on VHS and DVD formats; now kids stream them on the internet.

What are movies? They’re available on various internet streaming channels such as Prime Video, the Roku Channel, and Netflix.

100

The Barbie doll was released in this decade.

What are the 1950s? The doll was released in 1959 and was the first mass-produced doll. Her full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.

100

He is Mayberry’s beloved sheriff.

Who is Andy Taylor? Barney Fife is his right-hand man. But who really runs the show in Mayberry? Aunt Bee.

100

This lighter-colored chocolate is often found in candy bars.

What is milk chocolate? It contains more milk solids and milk fats than dark chocolate, and it’s sweeter than dark chocolate.

100

This midwestern city dyes its river green every March 17th. 

What is Chicago? Chicago is actually one of two cities in the U.S. that dyes its river green. San Antonio is the other city.

200

They used to stop by for a visit, but now we can also communicate with them on screens and social media.

What are friends/loved ones? Increasingly, families communicate today via group text, ensuring everyone gets heard.

200

Eight squared equals this.

What is 64? A squared number is multiplied by itself. Eight times eight equals 64 and is written 8 X 8 = 64 or 8² = 64. The square root of 64 is eight, the number multiplied by itself.

200

On Hawaii Five-O, Steve McGarrett tells this person, “Book ’em.”

Who is Danno? Danno’s full name in the series is Danny Williams.

200

This candy bar company shares its name with a planet.

What is Mars? The company produces Milky Way bars. Mars also sells Galaxy bars in the UK.

200

This color is always at the end of a rainbow.

What is gold? Folklore says that leprechauns keep their pots of gold at the end of a rainbow.

300

This electronic communication device was once used strictly for audio communication between two parties; today, it’s a multifunction device.

What is a phone? Today’s smartphones do everything for us but clean the house. They serve as clocks, flashlights, calendars, cameras, education centers, nutrition counselors, and more.

300

Ben Franklin used a kite and a key to experiment with this.

What is electricity? Franklin attached a wire to the top of a silk kite and connected a key to a hemp string, which was attached to a silk string and hung from the kite. Standing in a shed door, he held the silk string. Thankfully, the kite escaped a lightning strike. When he noticed the hemp string standing upright, he moved his hand near the key and felt a spark.  

300

If you love mystery novels, you probably grew up reading books about this female amateur sleuth.

Who is Nancy Drew? Young boys had their own amateur sleuth series: The Hardy Boys.

300

This chocolate cake is named for a man with the same last name as a European country.

What is German chocolate cake? German chocolate cake was named after Samuel German, an American baker who created a special type of dark baking chocolate in 1852. German chocolate cake is layered and topped with coconut pecan frosting.

300

These 3 colors make the Irish flag.

What are green, white, and orange?

400

We were told one of these a day keeps the doctor away; now, it’s a top computer and smartphone brand.

What is Apple? Other major tech brands include Microsoft and Samsung.

400

The standard dinner fork and salad fork have this number of tines.  

What is four? The salad fork is shorter than the dinner fork and is placed outside the dinner fork.

400

Jim is the private detective protagonist in this 1970s series, and his father Rocky and friend Angel add color and implied off-color to the show.

What is The Rockford Files? Jim Rockford is an ex-convict who always seems to find himself in trouble through no fault of his own. His problems come with the territory of being a private detective. Often, he and his morally questionable friend Angel help each other when they find themselves in a jam.

400

This essential small or builtin appliance was initially marketed as the Radarange and has a history entwined with a chocolate bar.

What is a microwave? A Raytheon engineer who worked around radar equipment noticed that his chocolate bar had melted in his pocket. He went on to invent the microwave by discovering that radar emitted microwaves that could heat food. The first microwaves were around six feet tall, weighed 750 pounds, and were marketed to restaurants and labs.

400

This U.S. city had the first St. Patrick's Day parade.

What is Boston? Boston held the first parade in 1737.

500

This was once a time to party, club hop, and flock to the hottest new restaurant, but today many use it as a time to unwind and relax from a harried week.

What is a weekend? Many people use the weekend to prepare for a busy week ahead by cooking entire meals for the coming week.

500

“Sea cow” and “teddy bear of the sea” are nicknames for this marine animal.  

What is a manatee? “Sea cow” is the nickname for the animals in the order Sirenia, which includes manatees, dugongs, and the now-extinct Steller’s sea cows. Manatees are the largest marine herbivores and typically weigh between 800 and 1,200 pounds.

500

He is Agatha Christie’s Belgian detective creation.

Who is Hercule Poirot? Poirot is highly sought-after in retirement and can solve most any case, including the case of the Murder on the Orient Express.

500

This chocolate company opened a theme park in Pennsylvania.

What is Hershey? Hershey Park (now known as Hersheypark) opened in 1906 so that Hershey employees and their families would have a place to relax, boat, and picnic. Today, it’s a full-fledged theme park open to the public.

500

The birthplace of St. Patrick.

What is England? St. Patrick was born in Roman Britain during the late 4th century, not in Ireland. 

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