Happy Hour 5.18.26

Starts with V

100

Everyday language of ordinary people.

Vernacular  

200

Experienced through another person.

Vicarious

300

A wandering person without a home, evoking adventurous travels

Vagabond

400

Attractively lively and animated.

Vivacious

500

A hollow part or cavity in an organ.

Ventricle

U.S.A.

100

Name 2 cities in the US who share a name with a country. (10)

Here’s where those U.S. cities/towns are located:

• Lebanon — southeastern Pennsylvania
• Mexico — central Missouri
• Peru — north-central Indiana
• China — southeast Texas near Beaumont
• Jordan — southwest of Minneapolis
• Panama City — Florida Panhandle on the Gulf Coast
• Cuba — northwestern New Mexico
• Bolivia — southeastern North Carolina near Wilmington
• Paris — northeast Texas
• Athens — northeastern Georgia

200

This state:

Has more coastline than all other U.S. states combined.

Has over 3 million lakes and thousands of rivers.

Has more than 100 volcanoes and volcanic fields, many still active.

1. Alaska has more coastline than all other U.S. states combined.
   Because of its massive size and thousands of islands, Alaska’s coastline stretches over 33,000 miles depending on how it’s measured.
2. You can experience nearly 24 hours of daylight—or darkness.
   In places like Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow), the sun stays up for weeks in summer and disappears for weeks in winter.
3. Alaska was once sold for only about 2 cents an acre.
   The United States bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million. Many people mocked the purchase at the time and called it “Seward’s Folly.”

any more

Here are a few more lesser-known facts about Alaska:

• Alaska is the westernmost, easternmost, and northernmost U.S. state.
  Some Aleutian Islands cross the 180° meridian, technically placing part of Alaska in the Eastern Hemisphere.
• There are places in Alaska where you can see Russia from shore on a clear day. The Diomede Islands are only about 2.4 miles apart.
• Alaska has over 3 million lakes and thousands of rivers.
• The state has more than 100 volcanoes and volcanic fields, many still active.
• Dog mushing is the official state sport.
• Alaska has no counties. Instead, it uses “boroughs.”
• The largest city, Anchorage, contains nearly 40% of the state’s population.
• Moose are such a normal part of life that traffic jams can happen because of them.
• Earthquakes are extremely common. Alaska experiences thousands every year.
• 1964 Alaska earthquake was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in North America.

300

Which presidents were unmarried when serving as president?

Very few U.S. presidents were unmarried while serving. The only president who was truly single for his entire presidency was:

• James Buchanan — the only lifelong bachelor president in U.S. history.

A few others were technically unmarried at certain points:

• Thomas Jefferson was widowed before becoming president.
• Andrew Jackson was widowed shortly before taking office.
• Martin Van Buren served as a widower.
• Chester A. Arthur was also widowed while in office.

But James Buchanan is the only president who never married at all.

400

what is the average price of a gallon of milk in the U.S.?

As of spring 2026, the average price of a gallon of milk in the United States is roughly $4.10–$4.15 for whole milk. 

Prices vary by state and store type:

• Higher in places like Hawaii and Alaska
• Lower in many Midwestern states

Organic milk is usually more expensive, often over $5 per gallon. 

500

Name state capitals that start with B (4)

The U.S. state capitals that start with “B” are:

• Baton Rouge — capital of Louisiana
• Bismarck — capital of North Dakota
• Boise — capital of Idaho
• Boston — capital of Massachusetts

Human Body

100

Which human organ does not feel pain?

The brain itself doesn’t actually have pain receptors, called nociceptors. That means the brain tissue cannot directly “feel” pain the way your skin, muscles, teeth, or organs can.

What does feel pain are the structures around the brain, including:

• the meninges (protective layers around the brain)
• blood vessels
• nerves in the head and face
• scalp and skull muscles

That’s why you can still get:

• headaches
• migraines
• pressure pain
• sinus pain

During some brain surgeries, patients can even be awake because the brain tissue itself can be touched without causing pain. Surgeons still numb the scalp and surrounding tissues first.

Interestingly, the brain is the organ that interprets all pain in the body—even though it can’t feel pain itself.

200

RIDDLE:

I come and go without a trace,
Yet everyone notices my face.
You drink, you gasp, you hold on tight,
But I may return later tonight.
What am I?

Hiccups happen when your diaphragm—the large muscle that helps you breathe—suddenly spasms involuntarily.

Right after that spasm:

1. You quickly suck in air
2. Your vocal cords snap shut
3. That creates the “hic!” sound

Common triggers include:

• eating too fast
• swallowing air
• carbonated drinks
• alcohol
• spicy foods
• sudden temperature changes
• excitement, stress, or laughing hard

Scientists aren’t completely sure why humans hiccup, but one theory is that hiccups are a leftover reflex from early evolution, possibly connected to primitive breathing patterns seen in amphibians.

Fun fact: babies hiccup a lot more than adults, even before birth.

300

What is hyperhidrosis?

Hyperhidrosis

Hyperhidrosis causes sweating beyond what the body needs for cooling. It often affects:

• hands
• feet
• underarms
• face

There are two main types:

• Primary hyperhidrosis — usually starts earlier in life and isn’t caused by another illness
• Secondary hyperhidrosis — caused by something else, like medications, infections, hormone issues, or medical conditions

Some people sweat only in stressful situations, while others sweat heavily even when resting or cold.

400

what is heterochromia? 

• Some people have heterochromia, meaning each eye is a different color

500

what is Rhytidectomy?

Rhytidectomy

A rhytidectomy is a cosmetic surgical procedure that tightens facial tissues and removes or reduces sagging skin to create a more youthful appearance.

Facelifts are often combined with other procedures such as:

• neck lifts
• eyelid surgery
• brow lifts
• fat grafting

There are different types, including mini facelifts and deeper-plane facelifts depending on the areas treated.

Riddles?

100

• The Devil Wears Prada 
• Mamma Mia!
• Kramer vs. Kramer

Meryl Streep

200

• Ronald Reagan
• Clint Eastwood
• Al Frankin
• Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Actors who went into politics

300

I arrive without a sound or door,
Yet lengthen days across the floor.
I tilt the light, I bend the year,
And make the distant north feel near.

I burn in hours, not in flame,
Yet every land knows me by name.
I fade away, but leave a trace—
A turning point in time and space.

What am I?

Answer: The summer solstice

400

Coffee — Duct Tape — Therapy

Answer: Things holding society together.

500

I don’t rebuild, yet I redesign,
I trace the map where age did sign.
I pull the edges time has bent,
And soften every argument.

I keep the same, yet make it new,
Erase what years insist is true.
No mask I am, yet still I stay—
A crafted pause in time’s decay.

What am I?

Answer: A facelift

Global

100

Which country has the highest paid police officers?

Switzerland pays police officers the highest salaries in the world, with an average annual salary of about $101,504According to global salary data, Switzerland tops the list for police officer pay, followed closely by Iceland ($86,451 annually) and Luxembourg ($83,225 annually) These figures are based on adjusted U.S. base salaries of $64,000, factoring in local economic conditions and purchasing power.

200

Which country has the oldest continuous monarchy in the world?

Answer: Japan

300

Which country has a national anthem with no official lyrics?

Answer: Spain

400

Which country has a lake so salty that you float effortlessly and almost nothing can live in it?

Answer: Jordan (Dead Sea region)

500

Which country has a river that changes direction depending on the season?

Answer: Bangladesh