Invention Convention
Invented in the US by Alexander Graham Bell, this device was originally answered with "Ahoy!" instead of "Hello!"
What is the Telephone?
This is the only US State that is technically closer to Europe than any other, despite being known for its "Pine Trees" and lobster.
What is Maine?
If an American says you are "pulling their leg," they mean you are joking. In Ukraine, the equivalent is "Hanging this food item on someone's ears."
What is Noodles?
This 1990 film about Kevin McCallister being left alone for the holidays is a massive tradition in both the US and Ukraine every December.
What is Home Alone?
In the US, if you spill this seasoning, you should throw some over your left shoulder to avoid bad luck.
What is Salt?
This 3D puzzle, named after its Hungarian inventor, has over 43 quintillion possible combinations but only one solution.
What is the Rubik's Cube?
This river, the second-longest in Europe, flows through ten countries—including several in Eastern Europe—more than any other river in the world.
What is the Danube?
Americans say "When pigs fly" to describe something impossible. In Eastern Europe, the same idea involves this animal whistling on top of a mountain.
What is a Lobster (or Crawfish)?
This Ukrainian-born actress moved to the US as a child and eventually starred in Black Swan and as the voice of Meg Griffin on Family Guy.
Who is Mila Kunis?
If you accidentally walk under one of these leaning objects, many Americans will backtrack to "undo" the bad luck.
What is a Ladder?
Though popularized by Silicon Valley, the actual "pioneer" of this wireless technology used for headphones and mice was a Dutch engineer working with Swedish and American teams.
What is Bluetooth?
Most of the US is in the Northern Hemisphere, but this US State is the only one that technically extends into the Eastern Hemisphere.
What is Alaska? (The Aleutian Islands cross the 180° meridian)
If a US colleague says a task is a "piece of cake," they mean it’s easy. In Ukraine, the equivalent is "as easy as" doing this to a finger.
What is Soaking/Wetting a finger?
This legendary director behind Jaws and Jurassic Park has Ukrainian grandparents
Who is Steven Spielberg?
Many Ukrainians believe that if you do this musical action while inside a house, you will "blow all your money away" and end up poor.
What is Whistling?
A Serbian-American genius, he is the reason we have Alternating Current (AC) electricity and the "coil" that bears his name.
Who is Nikola Tesla?
This "sea" located between Eastern Europe and Western Asia is unique because it is the world’s largest inland body of water and contains more than 40% of the world's lacustrine (lake) water.
What is the Caspian Sea?
This English idiom about "letting a secret out" involves a specific animal escaping from a bag.
What is letting the Cat out of the bag?
Many famous US movies like John Wick and Mission: Impossible have filmed scenes in this Eastern European capital known as the "City of a Hundred Spires."
What is Prague?
To prevent "jinxing" a good situation, an American will often perform this physical action on a piece of furniture.
What is Knock on Wood?
This common writing instrument was patented by Hungarian journalist László Bíró because he was tired of fountain pens smudging.
What is the Ballpoint Pen?
If you started in Detroit, Michigan, and traveled directly South, you would actually cross an international border into this country.
What is Canada?
In English, we "kill two birds with one stone." In Eastern Europe, you achieve the same efficiency by killing two of these animals with one shot.
What are Hares?
Before he was the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy was a famous actor who provided the Ukrainian dubbing voice for this polite, marmalade-loving bear.
Who is Paddington Bear?
In Ukraine, you must never leave this on the dinner table. It must be placed on the floor to prevent "emptiness" in your life (or your wallet).
What is an Empty Bottle?