World Languages
What is the most common spoken language in the world by native speakers?
Mandarin Chinese
What three ingredients are pancakes primarily made out of?
Flour, eggs, and milk
This musical instrument, often found in elementary school music rooms, has many keys and produces sound by small hammers striking strings. What is it?
Piano
Who drew the Mona Lisa?
Leonardo da Vinci
What is the most common Thanksgiving dish?
Turkey (or roast turkey)
Which language uses the writing systems Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana?
Japanese
What are the two most popular fast food item in the US?
The hamburger and french fries
What plucked string instrument is a foundational component of many popular music genres, including rock, blues, and country, is typically played with a pick or the finger?
Guitar
Who drew Starry Night?
Vincent van Gogh
When is Thanksgiving? (__th/rd/st ___day of ___[month])
Fourth Thursday of November
What do we call a word that is spelled nearly identically in two different languages but means two completely different things?
False friend or false cognate
(For example, gift can mean present or talent in English, but in German, it means poison)
The ____ are the 9 most common food allergies in the US, therefore, it is mandatory for companies to label these on food items. This group includes milk, eggs, fish, nuts, and sesame.
Big 9
Which large percussion instruments, often consisting of four drums, have pedals that allow a player to change their pitch?
Timpani
On the international pencil grading scale, the letter "B" stands for "blackness" (indicating softness), while the letter "H" stands for "hardness". In this system, which specific grade is considered the middle ground and is often used for standard writing?
HB (#2)
When was the first Thanksgiving meal?
1621
Around how many languages are spoken in the world?
Around 7160
What is the most important staple food in the world?
Rice
In 1742, Georg Friedrich Händel's famous oratorio Messiah had its world premiere in this city, not London, to benefit local charities. What is the name of this city?
Dublin
This Russian composer utilized a then-new instrument called the celesta to create the iconic, shimmering music for the "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" in his famous 1892 ballet. Who was he?
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
(Accept: Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky)
The first Thanksgiving meal was shared between which two parties (if you can name their leaders, double points)?
The Wampanoag tribe (leader: Chief Massasoit) and the Puritan Separatists (or pilgrims) (leader: Governor William Bradford)
Around how many living languages are there that descended from Vulgar Latin?
What common kitchen ingredient is a natural leavening agent made from yeast and water, often used to make bread rise?
Sourdough starter
What is the most endangered brass instrument?
The serpent horn (otherwise known as the serpent d'église)
Ballerinas wear these specialized shoes, which allow them to dance "en pointe." What are they called?
Pointe shoes
When was Thanksgiving first recognized as a national holiday and by whom?
1863 by Abraham Lincoln