U.S.A
Palindromes
Potpourri
Crazy Animal Facts
Blasts from the Past
100
This was the worst economic downturn in U.S. history.
What is the Great Depression? It started in 1929 with the stock market crash and bank runs and lasted an entire decade. It was marked by 25 percent unemployment, soup kitchens, and shantytowns known as Hoovervilles.
100
This term of endearment is another name for father.
What is dad? We will also accept pop.
100
Oranges, lemons, and limes are this type of fruit.
What is citrus? Orange trees range in height from 16 to 50 feet tall.
100
These two common household pets aren’t colorblind, but they do see color in a reduced range compared to humans.
What are dogs and cats? Each has limited color perception because they have two types of color receptors (cones). Humans have three types of cones, so they see more colors
100
Historically, this soda’s main ingredient was sassafras.
What is root beer? It gained popularity during Prohibition and remained a popular mid-century soda. Today’s commercial root beers are flavored with artificial sassafras flavoring or sassafras extract
200
The Betsy Ross flag has the stars assembled in this geometric shape.
What is a circle? It features 13 stars arranged in a circle in the corner of the flag where the 50 stars now reside
200
Weather stations use this to detect weather patterns; one example is the Doppler.
What is radar? Weather radars send out radio waves that hit rain, snow, and ice and bounce back to the radar statio
200
The odd one out, this is the only letter that doesn’t appear in the name of a U.S. state.
What is Q? The letter X appears in Texas and New Mexico.
200
These highly intelligent garbage-digging bandits have human-like fingers.
What are raccoons? They are more closely related to bears than they are to cats.
200
We grew up on this snack, packaged in small boxes featuring circus characters.
What are animal crackers? Fun fact: In Nabisco’s Barnum’s Animal Crackers, the monkey is the only animal cracker that is wearing clothes
300
This is the highest Federal Reserve Note (dollar) in circulation.
What is $100? The last $500 note was printed in 1945. The last $2 note was printed in 2017, and approximately 1.7 billion remain in circulation.
300
When you vote in government elections, you are exercising one of the rights of citizenship and fulfilling a part of this type of duty.
What is civic? Many people vote only for the top of the ticket in presidential elections. State and local elections matter, often even more than federal elections
300
This is what lime slices tend to do in a drink.
What is sink? Limes are denser than lemons, so their slices sink, whereas lemons tend to float.
300
These household pets are likely to sleep away the day and creep around the house at night.
What are cats? All the places you deem off-limits are theirs to roam during the wee hours. Cats are not technically nocturnal; their most active hours are dawn and dusk. But if you have indoor cameras, you can catch their sneaky overnight activity.
300
She is known for her marvelous talent and as Liza Minelli’s mother.
Who is Judy Garland? Garland will forever be remembered for her role as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, a blast from the past that is a perennial must-watch movie.
400
If you need a little breathing room, maybe this least populous state is the place for you.
What is Wyoming? Around 600,000 people call Wyoming home. Most states have cities with at least that many residents.
400
This French word meaning “she” is also the name of a lifestyle magazine.
What is elle? Elle is a pronoun that also can mean “her” and “it,” depending on the noun it is replacing.
400
Some say Chicago is called the Windy City because of its windy weather, but in the late 19th century it was so named because these types of people were full of hot air.
Who are politicians? A New York Sun journalist introduced the moniker in 1893.
400
This deadliest animal on Earth kills by carrying malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and other diseases.
What is the mosquito? Their lifespans range from one week to one month
400
He recorded the 1966 hit “Strangers in the Night.”
Who is Frank Sinatra? When the song reached No. 1 on the charts, it knocked the Beatles’ “Paperback Writer” from its lofty position
500
Abe Lincoln was born in this state
What is Kentucky? Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, was also born in Kentucky
500
You have this palindrome if you have more than one of these long, detailed, written or filmed accounts of heroic deeds.
What are sagas? The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and The Chronicles of Narnia are famous sagas.
500
McDonald’s once made broccoli that was flavored to taste like this.
What is bubble gum? It was an effort to get children to eat healthy foods, but the unintended consequence was that it confused the children. They probably wondered what was wrong with their mothers’ broccoli.
500
When in Texas, don’t shoot at this animal; its bony plates can send the bullet right back to you.
What is the armadillo? A Texas man was hospitalized after shooting an armadillo. The bullet ricocheted off the animal’s hard covering and hit him in the jaw.
500
This company popularized the disposable diaper on a mass scale, especially in the United States.
What is Pampers? One early brand of disposable diapers came from England in the 1930s. Called “Destroyable Babies Napkins,” they were used in hospitals but never marketed to the general public.
