Dishes & Destinations of Asia
Whatchamacalliting...
Sicko Mode
Lemme Get a #5
Toy-Selling Ploys
Older Than You Think
100

Nigiri in Nagoya

What is Japan?

100

This word is most frequently seen in its noun form and is used to describe someone who designs buildings and supervises their construction.

Claude Code prefers the verb version which is primarily used in a computing context.

What is architecting?

100

This highly contagious disease is characterized by itchy red blisters. It used to be very common in children but cases have declined by more than 97% since 1995.

What is chickenpox?

100

Egg McMuffin, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Chicken McNuggets

What is McDonald's?

100

Many fans of this franchise believe that George Lucas created the Ewoks in the sixth film purely to sell more merchandise.

What is Star Wars?

100

Before hitting it big with video game franchises like Mario, Legend of Zelda, and Animal Crossing, this Japanese company was started in 1889 to make playing cards by hand.

What is Nintendo?

200

Pad Kee Mao in Phuket

What is Thailand?

200

In startup world, this verb refers to the action of running a company without outside funding. It is also the name of a very popular CSS framework.

What is bootstrapping?

200

This disease was often said to be common in pirates who lacked sufficient Vitamin C while sailing the open waters.

What is scurvy?

200

Whopper, Triple Stacker, Rodeo Burger

What is Burger King?


200

This franchise is Disney's highest-grossing media franchise and is led by its eponymous anthropomorphic rodent and his many friends.

What is Mickey Mouse?

200

Although one would imagine matches to be far simpler, this device used to create a spontaneous flame was actually invented three years before.

What is a lighter?

300

Bibimbap in Busan

What is South Korea?

300

If you're simmering onions over low-medium heat for up to an hour to achieve a sweet taste and soft texture, you're doing this.

What is caramelizing?

300

Symptoms of this inflammatory arthritis include intense joint pain and swelling. It's often caused by consuming too much red meat, alcohol, and high-fructose corn syrup.

What is gout?

300

Baconator, Asiago Ranch Chicken Club, Frosty

What is Wendy's?


300

Despite not having any superpowers, the childhood trauma of losing his parents and being a billionaire are enough for this DC character's media franchise to be the most successful of any individual superhero.

What is Batman?

300

These cartilaginous fishes first appeared ~450 million years ago making them older than trees (~400 million years) and the rings of Saturn (~100 million years).

No wonder they get a whole week on the Discovery Channel!

What are sharks?

400

Bánh mì in Bắc Giang

What is Vietnam?

400

This verb refers to the process by which seeds or spores begin the growth process by putting up shoots.

What is germinating?

400

This respiratory infection is characterized by a signature noise that occurs when coughing.

What is whooping cough?

400

Doritos Locos Tacos, Crunchwrap Supreme, Nacho Fries

What is Taco Bell?

400

This franchise pits the Autobots against the Decepticons in their never-ending quest to lead the Cybertronians.

The main character's name is apparently "Convoy" in Japan.

What is Transformers?

400

This British University was founded in 1096, making it older than the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan which was said to be founded some time in the 1300s.

What is Oxford University?

500

Xiaolongbao in Xi'an

What is China?

500

Country duo Brooks and Dunn released a boot scootin' version of this verb which is now used as a general synonym for dancing.

What is boogieing?

500

The name of this fungal infection is only half correct. The first part of the name refers to the shape of the rash it forms while the second leads people to incorrectly believe it's actually caused by a parasitic host.

What is ringworm?

500

Fill Up Bucket with drums and thighs, mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits

What is KFC?

500

Every year, Sanrio asks fans to rank their favorite members from this cast of characters. Cinnamoroll held the top spot for several years before being dethroned by Pompompurin in 2025, who seems to be leading the pack once again in 2026.

The eponymous character typically hovers around fifth or sixth place.

What is Hello Kitty?

500

You would've never guessed that this company started as a Finnish pulp mill in 1865 since it's now a multinational telecommunications firm known for producing durable mobile phones and a catchy ringtone.

What is Nokia?

600

Adobo in Antipolo

What is the Philippines?

600

This verb often refers to smoke or clouds and means to flow outward. 

What is billowing?

600

Its technical name is Bovine spongiform encephalopathy but its common name is far more descriptive to people, especially since it's a neurodegenerative disease found in cattle.

What is mad cow disease?

600

Chow Mein, Orange Chicken, Beijing Beef

What is Panda Express?

600

A.A. Milne was inspired to create this franchise after seeing a tame bear named Winnipeg at the London Zoo. He would go on to add other characters including an owl, rabbit, and a particularly downtrodden donkey.

What is Winnie-the-Pooh?


600

These arthropods are known for their unique shape and their blue blood which plays a crucial role in creating modern medicine. 

They've also been around more than 400 million years and have remain relatively unchanged for the past 250 million years.

What are horseshoe crabs?