Misc
What hero killed Medusa in Greek mythology?
Perseus. Medusa was a gorgon who had a human face with venomous snakes for hair. He used Medusa's head as a weapon until he gave it to Athena.
What fabric is named in the song "Down by the Old Mill Stream"?
Gingham. The line from the chorus is "With your eyes of blue, dressed in gingham too." The song was published in 1910. It is frequently sung by barbershop quartets.
What ragtime composer wrote "Maple Leaf Rag"?
Scott Joplin. It is one of his first pieces and is one of the most famous ragtime compositions.
In what fairy tale does a young man sell a cow for five "magic" beans?
Jack and the Beanstalk.
What literary character has been portrayed by the most actors?
Sherlock Holmes. More than 70 actors have played the detective on film, screen, and radio.
What two countries fought during the Falkland War?
Great Britain and Argentina. During the 74-day conflict, 255 British and 649 Argentine military personnel died.
What trophy is awarded to the most outstanding college football player in the United States?
The Heisman Trophy. Some past winners include Roger Staubach (1963), O.J. Simpson (1968), Marcus Allen (1981), and Hershel Walker (1982).
What unit of measurement for temperature is used in Canada?
Celsius. Belize, Palau, and the U.S. and its territories are the only places in the world that do not use the Celsius scale.
What is another name for the children's playground apparatus the teeter-tooter?
Seesaw
What plant is aptly named because it turns to follow the sun?
Sunflower
Who wrote the controversial novel Ulysses?
James Joyce
What type of fruit are black Monukka, Concord, and cardinal?
Grapes. Black Monukka are primarily used for raisins. Concord grapes are used to make jelly, juce, and wine. Cardinal grapes are a cross between flame seedless and ribier table grapes.
What explorer was the first to sail from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean?
Ferdinand Magellan. The Portuguese explorer's expedition was the first to circumnavigate the globe. He did not finish the voyage because he was killed in the Philippines.
What is the capital city of British Colombia?
Victoria. The capital city is located on the southern part of Vancouver Island, off the Pacific coast of Canada.
In which decade did Henry Luce launch Life Magazine?
1930s. The news magazine, which featured many photographs, was launched in 1936. Its weekly format ended in 1972.
What actors starred in both The Sting and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?
Paul Newman and Robert Redford
What two colors are on Poland's flag?
Red and white. The flag has two horizontal stripes, red and white are the national colors of Poland.
What is the fifth letter in the Greek alphabet?
Epsilon. The first five letters are alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and epsilon.
To what vegetable family does broccoli belong?
Cabbage. The word broccoli is Italian and means "the flowery top of the cabbage".
What novelist created the characters M, Q, and Miss Moneypenny?
Ian Fleming. They are recurring characters in the James Bond series.
In what country is Mt. Everest?
Nepal. Mt Everest is the world's highest mountain. It is found withing the Himalayan Mountain chain.
What element is present within all organic compounds?
Carbon. Carbon has the greatest capacity to attach itself to most other nonmetallic elements, such as phosphorus, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen; therefore, it is the building block of life.
What kind of animal is Flipper in the film and subsequent television series?
Dolphin
What is the most widely used vegetable in the world?
Onions
The kumquat looks like a miniature version of what fruit?
Orange