Say What?
“Don’t take any wooden nickels” was a way to say:
A) Don’t accept counterfeit money
B) Don’t be gullible
C) Don’t go shopping
D) Don’t trust banks
B) Don’t be gullible
Which song opens with the lyric, “You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips”?
A) Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers
B) You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' – The Righteous Brothers
C) Only You – The Platters
D) When a Man Loves a Woman – Percy Sledge
B) You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' – The Righteous Brothers
(A 1964 hit produced by Phil Spector, known for its dramatic build and emotional delivery.)
Which 1942 film features the famous line, “Here’s looking at you, kid”?
A) Gone with the Wind
B) Casablanca
C) Citizen Kane
D) The Maltese Falcon
B) Casablanca
What was the primary purpose of a “mangle” in mid-20th century households?
A) Grinding coffee beans
B) Pressing clothes to remove water
C) Mixing dough
D) Cleaning carpets
B) Pressing clothes to remove water
(Often used before electric dryers became common.)
Which inventor held over 1,000 patents and famously said, “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration”?
A) Alexander Graham Bell
B) Nikola Tesla
C) Thomas Edison
D) Benjamin Franklin
C) Thomas Edison
(Known for the phonograph, electric light, and motion pictures.)
If someone is “mad as a hatter,” they are:
A) Stylish and eccentric
B) Angry about fashion
C) Completely crazy
D) Obsessed with hats
C) Completely crazy
Which 1960s hit includes the line, “There’s something happening here, what it is ain’t exactly clear”?
A) For What It’s Worth – Buffalo Springfield
B) Turn! Turn! Turn! – The Byrds
C) White Rabbit – Jefferson Airplane
D) The Times They Are A-Changin’ – Bob Dylan
A) For What It’s Worth – Buffalo Springfield
Who played the role of Norma Desmond in the 1950 film Sunset Boulevard?
A) Joan Crawford
B) Bette Davis
C) Gloria Swanson
D) Katharine Hepburn
C) Gloria Swanson
Which household item was commonly used to freshen air before aerosol sprays became popular?
A) Potpourri
B) Vinegar bowls
C) Charcoal bricks
D) Baking soda sachets
A) Potpourri
(Dried flowers and herbs placed in bowls or sachets.)
What innovation is attributed to Grace Hopper, a pioneer in computer science?
A) The first computer mouse
B) The concept of debugging
C) The binary code
D) The internet protocol
B) The concept of debugging
(She famously removed a moth from a computer relay and coined the term.)
To “cut a rug” means to:
A) Rearrange furniture
B) Dance energetically
C) Start a fight
D) Leave quickly
B) Dance energetically
Which song features the lyric, “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave”?
A) Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
B) Hotel California – Eagles
C) Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
D) Dream On – Aerosmith
B) Hotel California – Eagles
In 12 Angry Men (1957), what is the central setting of the film?
A) A courtroom
B) A jury deliberation room
C) A police station
D) A judge’s chambers
B) A jury deliberation room
Which invention, patented in 1930, revolutionized food preservation in the home?
A) Pressure cooker
B) Electric refrigerator
C) Microwave oven
D) Vacuum sealer
B) Electric refrigerator
(It replaced iceboxes and became a kitchen staple by the 1940s.)
Which invention did Karl Benz patent in 1886, widely considered the birth of modern transportation?
A) The steam locomotive
B) The internal combustion engine
C) The automobile
D) The bicycle
C) The automobile
(His three-wheeled Motorwagen is considered the first true car.)
“Let sleeping dogs lie” advises you to:
A) Avoid waking pets
B) Not revisit old conflicts
C) Stay quiet during arguments
D) Be cautious around animals
B) Not revisit old conflicts
Which artist sang the original version of “The Tracks of My Tears”?
A) Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
B) Otis Redding
C) Sam Cooke
D) The Four Tops
A) Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Which Alfred Hitchcock film features a crop-duster plane attacking the protagonist in an open field?
A) Vertigo
B) Rear Window
C) North by Northwest
D) The Birds
C) North by Northwest
What was the primary purpose of the “party line” telephone system used in mid-20th century homes?
A) To host group calls for celebrations
B) To allow multiple households to share one phone line
C) To connect directly to emergency services
D) To play music over the phone
B) To allow multiple households to share one phone line
(Privacy was limited, and eavesdropping was common.)
Who invented the first practical telephone and faced years of legal battles over the patent?
A) Elisha Gray
B) Alexander Graham Bell
C) Guglielmo Marconi
D) Thomas Watson
B) Alexander Graham Bell
(Filed his patent just hours before Elisha Gray.)
If someone is “three sheets to the wind,” they are:
A) Very tired
B) Lost at sea
C) Drunk
D) Wearing pajamas
C) Drunk
Which song contains the lyric, “I was born in a crossfire hurricane”?
A) Born to Be Wild – Steppenwolf
B) Jumpin’ Jack Flash – The Rolling Stones
C) Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival
D) All Along the Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix
B) Jumpin’ Jack Flash – The Rolling Stones
(Released in 1968, this gritty anthem became one of the band’s signature hits and marked a return to their blues-rock roots.)
Which musical film includes the song “The Trolley Song” sung by Judy Garland?
A) Meet Me in St. Louis
B) Easter Parade
C) The Wizard of Oz
D) An American in Paris
A) Meet Me in St. Louis
What was a “Hoosier cabinet” primarily used for in early 20th-century kitchens?
A) Storing canned goods
B) Baking and food prep
C) Washing dishes
D) Housing ice blocks
B) Baking and food prep
(It often included flour sifters, spice racks, and work surfaces.)
Which invention, developed during WWII, laid the groundwork for microwave ovens?
A) Radar
B) Sonar
C) Jet propulsion
D) Atomic clock
A) Radar
(Percy Spencer discovered microwaves could cook food while working on radar technology.)