Funny Business
This actor and slapstick comedian is best known for his work with partner Dean Martin.
Who is Jerry Lewis? Lewis’ many comedic film credits include 1963’s The Nutty Professor. His last role was in the 2016 crime thriller The Trust.
This company that sells Barbie dolls began by selling wooden frames from a garage.
What is Mattel? In addition to the Barbie line and dollhouses, Mattel also sells the Fisher-Price line, Hot Wheels, and other toys.
A baby sheep
What is a lamb? Lamb is the meat of a sheep up to one year of age. The meat of a sheep older than one year is mutton. Lamb has a milder flavor than mutton.
This is an eight-armed marine animal.
What is octopus? Octopi die shortly after their offspring are born.
The game’s object is to capture this chess piece from your opponent.
What is the king? The king is a weak piece in the early phases of the game.
This 1977 comedy film stars Woody Allen and Diane Keaton (who plays the title role).
What is Annie Hall? The film won the Oscar for Best Picture and is the second-shortest movie to win that honor at only 93 minutes. Fun fact: The shortest film to win it was Marty, starring Ernest Borgnine.
A multi-billion-dollar business that runs “the happiest place on Earth,” this company began life as a cartoon.
What is the Walt Disney Company? Walt Disney leveraged the money from selling his cartoon Alice’s Wonderland to build his first studio. In that studio, Mickey Mouse came to life.
The title of a lord’s wife
What is lady? Lords and ladies are British nobility belonging to the “landed gentry,” otherwise known as landowners. You might have read about it in Victorian novels. They don’t work but reap the rewards from those who work on land they own, either on the estates or in the towns where they own land and businesses.
Fish use these to breathe.
What are gills? Most fish have four gills on each side of their body.
Each player begins with eight of these pieces on the board.
What are pawns? They are often the piece each side moves to open the game.
Peter Sellers’ iconic comedic role is this bumbling inspector in The Pink Panther.
Who is Inspector Jacques Clouseau? The Pink Panther films were originally intended to focus on a different character entirely, but the crew was so enamored with Sellers’ performance that he literally stole the show.
This famous chewing gum company’s owner started by selling baking powder and soap.
What is Wrigley’s? William Wrigley Jr. gave away sticks of gum to his customers. They grew more popular than his products, so he switched gears and built a chewing gum empire.
A light purple and flowering bush
What is lilac? Lilacs are hardy, and some varieties can survive in temperatures as cold as –60 degrees Fahrenheit.
This is a mythical half-human, half-animal sea creature.
What is mermaid, merman, or merfolk? In Greek mythology, Triton was a demigod and the “merman messenger of the sea.”
This one-word move ends the game.
What is checkmate? The king is under attack with no moves to save him.
John Cleese was a member of this British comedy troupe for many years, appearing in such films as Life of Brian.
What is Monty Python? The group had its own program, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, though Cleese left the show after three seasons to pursue other comedic roles.
Two teachers and a writer founded this now-famous coffeehouse at Seattle Pike Place Market. They sold beans, not brewed coffee, and they sold their company to a former employee—Howard Schultz.
What is Starbucks? The three founders went to school together at the University of San Francisco.
A small, two-edged surgical instrument and the name of a prestigious British journal
What is lancet? A lancet is used for small incisions. The Lancet is a peer-reviewed medical journal.
This seafood staple, found only in brackish or salt water, is often eaten raw on the half shell.
What are oysters? They filter 50 gallons of water each day, and they filter it better than countertop filters.
These pieces begin the game on the board’s four corners.
What are rooks? These long-range pieces can travel to the end of the board in a straight line. They cannot move diagonally.
Father-daughter duo Ryan and Tatum O’Neal costar in this 1973 comedy-drama film about a con man traveling with a girl who may or may not be his daughter.
What is Paper Moon? The film was Tatum O’Neal’s first acting experience, and she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
This poultry franchise was one of the first fast-food outlets to go international, but it began as “a roadside stop in Utah during the Depression,” according to Inc. magazine.
What is KFC or Kentucky Fried Chicken? The Colonel started by trading his services for a place to sell his chicken.
A term that means to “make fun of in a satirical manner”
What is lampoon? National Lampoon was a humor magazine that ran from 1970 to 1998.
Only the males of these sea creatures give birth and raise their young.
What are seahorses? The seahorse is the only male animal to birth and raise its own young.
This is the term for attacking the king without capturing him.
What is check? Novices announce “Check!” but it’s considered rude for skilled chess players to announce it.