2026 Seniors Social - Sept 8

Movies, Music & TV Shows

100

Tim Curry terrified a generation of television viewers when he played which character in the 1990 miniseries It?

A. Freddy Krueger
B. Pennywise the Clown
C. The Crypt Keeper
D. Beetlejuice

b) Tim Curry played Pennywise in the 1990 television adaptation of Stephen King's It. His performance helped make Pennywise one of the most recognizable horror characters of the era. 

200

Which legendary singer recorded the hit "I Will Always Love You" years before Whitney Houston?

A. Cher
B. Diana Ross
C. Dolly Parton
D. Barbra Streisand

c) Dolly Parton - Dolly Parton wrote and recorded "I Will Always Love You" in 1973, nearly two decades before Whitney Houston's blockbuster version. 

300

On The Golden Girls, which actress was actually the oldest of the four stars?

A. Bea Arthur
B. Estelle Getty
C. Betty White
D. Rue McClanahan

c) Betty White- Betty White was the oldest of the four principal actresses. The funny part is that Estelle Getty played Sophia, Dorothy's elderly mother, despite being younger than both Betty White and Bea Arthur. 

400

Canadian actor Peter Cullen became famous as the original voice of which heroic character?

A. He-Man
B. Lion-O
C. Optimus Prime
D. Inspector Gadget

c) Canadian voice actor Peter Cullen became the iconic voice of Optimus Prime when The Transformers animated series debuted in 1984, and he returned to the role many times over the following decades.

 

500

Which famous song was originally written with the title "Scrambled Eggs"?

A. Yesterday
B. Let It Be
C. Imagine
D. Bridge Over Troubled Water

a) Yesterday- Paul McCartney woke up with the melody for "Yesterday" in his head. Before he had proper lyrics, he used the placeholder words "Scrambled eggs" while working on the song. 

600

In The Wizard of Oz, what colour are Dorothy's famous slippers in the original novel?

A. Silver
B. Ruby red
C. Gold
D. White

a) Silver – In L. Frank Baum's original book, Dorothy's shoes are silver, not ruby. They were changed to ruby slippers for the 1939 movie, partly to take advantage of the new Technicolor process. 

General Knowledge

100

If you divide 30 by half and then add 10, what do you get?

A. 25
B. 40
C. 60
D. 70 

d) 70 - Dividing by one-half is the same as multiplying by two. So 30 ÷ ½ = 60, then add 10 = 70. 

200

A clock strikes 6 times in 5 seconds. How long will it take to strike 12 times?

A. 10 seconds
B. 11 seconds
C. 12 seconds
D. 15 seconds

b) 11 seconds - Six strikes contain only five gaps between them, so each gap takes one second. Twelve strikes have 11 gaps, taking 11 seconds. 

300

I am an odd number. Take away one letter and I become even. What number am I?

A. Five
B. Seven
C. Nine
D. Eleven

b) Seven-Remove the S from SEVEN and you're left with EVEN. 

400

Which number becomes larger when you turn it upside down?

A. 2
B. 5
C. 6
D. 8

c) 6- Turn a 6 upside down and it becomes a 9. 

500

Which part of your body has no direct blood supply?

A. Fingernails
B. Tooth enamel
C. Cornea of the eye
D. Eardrum

c) Cornea of the eye- The cornea has no blood vessels. It gets oxygen mainly from the air through your tears and nutrients from fluids inside the eye. 

600

Why are flamingos often seen standing on one leg?

A. To see farther
B. To rest their wings
C. To help conserve body heat
D. To protect one foot from predators

c) To help conserve body heat- One reason flamingos stand on one leg is believed to be reducing heat loss, particularly while standing in water. Their anatomy also makes the one-legged position surprisingly energy-efficient. 

Around the World

100

In which country can you visit a beach where wild pigs famously swim in the sea?

A. Jamaica
B. Bahamas
C. Fiji
D. Barbados

b) Bahamas - The Bahamas are famous for the swimming pigs of Big Major Cay, often called Pig Beach. Nobody knows with certainty exactly how the pigs originally got there. 

200

Which country has a famous town where monkeys freely roam the streets and are treated as an important part of local life?

A. Thailand
B. Vietnam
C. Malaysia
D. South Korea

a) Thailand- Lopburi, Thailand is famous for its large population of macaques, which roam around temples and parts of the city. The monkeys have become both a tourist attraction—and occasionally a major headache for residents.

 

300

Which country has a post office where visitors can send letters bearing a special “North Pole” postmark from Santa's hometown?

A. Sweden
B. Finland
C. Norway
D. Canada

b) Finland- Rovaniemi, Finland, promotes itself as the official hometown of Santa Claus, and its Santa Claus Main Post Office receives enormous amounts of mail from around the world. 

400

Which country has a national anthem with NO official lyrics?

A. Spain
B. France
C. Greece
D. Portugal

a) Spain - Spain's national anthem, “Marcha Real,” has no official words. Various lyrics have been proposed over the years, but none became the official national text. 

500

Which country is famous for a town where residents still use donkeys to collect garbage because the streets are too narrow for trucks?

A. Greece
B. Portugal
C. Croatia
D. Malta

a) Greece - In parts of Hydra, Greece, motor vehicles are heavily restricted, and donkeys and mules are still used for carrying goods and handling everyday transport through the narrow streets. 

600

Which country has a famous “singing” sand dune that can produce a deep humming sound?

A. Namibia
B. China
C. Saudi Arabia
D. Australia

b) China - Some dunes can produce a low booming or humming sound when dry sand slides down their slopes. China’s Mingsha Shan, or “Singing Sand Mountain,” is one famous example. 

 

World Food, Cooking & Culinary Traditions

100

Why does popcorn "pop" when heated?

A. Air inside the kernel expands
B. Water inside turns to steam and builds pressure
C. The shell reacts with heat
D. The starch begins to boil

b) Water inside turns to steam and builds pressure- Each popcorn kernel contains a small amount of water. Heat turns that water into steam until the pressure bursts the hard shell and the softened starch expands.

200

Which country is the birthplace of the Caesar salad?

A. Italy
B. United States
C. Mexico
D. Greece

c) Mexico- Despite its Roman-sounding name, the Caesar salad was created in Tijuana, Mexico, and is associated with restaurateur Caesar Cardini in the 1920s. 

300

Which of these spices is actually the dried, unopened flower bud of a tree?

A. Cardamom
B. Star anise
C. Cloves
D. Allspice

c) Cloves- Cloves are dried flower buds picked from an evergreen tree before the flowers open. Once dried, the buds become the small, nail-shaped spice we use in cooking. 

400

The word “sushi” originally refers most directly to which part of the dish?

A. Raw fish
B. Seasoned rice
C. Seaweed
D. Wasabi

b) Seasoned rice- Sushi is defined by its vinegared rice, not by raw fish. Sushi can contain cooked seafood, vegetables—or no fish at all. 

500

What do the two M's in “M&M's” represent?

A. Milk & Malt
B. Mars & Milton
C. Mars & Murrie
D. Melt & Mix

c) Mars & Murrie - The M's stand for Mars and Murrie—Forrest Mars and Bruce Murrie, whose families were connected to the candy's original partnership. 

 

600

What does the word “mozzarella” refer to most closely in its Italian origins?

A. The milk traditionally used
B. Its white colour
C. The action of cutting or separating the curd
D. The stretching of the cheese

c) The action of cutting or separating the curd-Mozzarella comes from the Italian verb mozzare, meaning to cut or separate—referring to portions of cheese curd being cut off during production.

Potpourri (Fun Mix)

100

Which animal cannot stick out its tongue?

A. Crocodile
B. Turtle
C. Snake
D. Frog

a) Crocodile-A crocodile's tongue is held in place by a membrane along the bottom of its mouth, so it can't stick its tongue out the way many other animals can.

200

What is the only mammal capable of true sustained flight?

A. Flying squirrel
B. Sugar glider
C. Bat
D. Colugo

c) Bat- Bats are the only mammals capable of powered, sustained flight. Flying squirrels and other so-called flying mammals actually glide rather than fly.

 

300

What colour is the “black box” flight recorder on an airplane usually painted?

A. Black
B. Silver
C. Yellow
D. Bright orange 

d) Bright Orange- Despite the nickname “black box,” flight recorders are typically bright orange so investigators can find them more easily after an accident.

 

400

Which animal has rectangular pupils?

A. Horse
B. Goat
C. Rabbit
D. Deer

b) Goat- Goats have horizontally rectangular pupils, which give them a very wide field of view and help grazing animals spot approaching predators. 

500

What unusual body part do some frogs use to help swallow their food?

A. Their ears
B. Their front feet
C. Their eyes
D. Their nostrils

c) Their eyes- In many frogs, the eyes can sink downward into the head while swallowing, helping push food toward the throat. 

600

Which unusual body feature has been researched as a potential “biometric signature” for identifying people?

A. Pattern of the fingernails
B. Shape of the kneecap
C. Creases of the elbow
D. Shape and texture of the tongue

d)Shape and texture of the tongue- A person's tongue has distinctive shape and surface features, and researchers have investigated those characteristics for biometric identification—similar in concept to fingerprints or iris scans.