The statement in the title is not true, except that it is.
If you are a little confused stay with me and let me clarify.
The United States used to be the industrial power house of the world. Its industries generated unprecedented wealth for the country, creating the world’s first self-made billionaires and productive wealth creating jobs galore for everyone. The whole country prospered.
Today, however, the United States has become the world’s second biggest importer of goods. Worse than that, even though America still exports billions of dollars’ worth in oil, consumer goods and automotive products, it imports even more. This creates a trade deficit ($471 billion according to recent figures).
So what are all these imports into the US?
Well, they include industrial machinery and equipment ($681 billion), automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($309 billion), miscellaneous private services, primarily financial services ($201 billion), cell phones ($90 billion), travel passenger services ($86 billion), pharmaceuticals ($84 billion), computers ($65 billion), chemicals ($61 billion), other transportation services ($59 billion), computer accessories ($57 billion), telecommunications equipment ($54 billion), royalties and license fees services ($42 billion), apparel ($49 billion), petroleum products ($48 billion), fuel oil ($44 billion), industrial supplies ($29 billion), U.S. Government service imports primarily defense ($25 billion), fish ($18 billion), fruit ($13 billion), and vegetables ($11 billion).
If you are a bit shell-shocked by all those figures let me phrase it a bit differently using as examples the types of goods you would tend to buy.
100% (almost) of the shoes bought in the U.S. come from China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Mexico;
90% of white goods (washers, fridges, etc.) and consumer electronics are imported;
85% of household furniture is imported;
80% of cars on U.S. roads come from Canada (31%), Japan (24%), Germany (16%) and Mexico (12%); and,
65% of U.S. clothing is imported from China (37%), Vietnam (9.4%), Indonesia (7.2%) and Bangladesh (6.7%).
Probably the saddest part is that even things you thought were “American” are now actually made overseas and imported.
I remember while on a business trip to the US many, many years ago I bought a gift for the young son of a friend of mine. He was a big sports enthusiast so I reckoned that one of the most iconic symbols of sport from America would be a baseball. I bought one in Wal-Mart. It was marked with all the different holding positions for the various ways to throw a baseball (fast ball, curve ball and all that). The perfect gift.
I gave it to him on my return feeling ever so pleased with myself. The kid opened it, showed momentary delight, then looked up at me accusingly. “It says ‘Made in China'” he told me.
But it’s not only baseballs. Similar types of product that you would think are all-American, like Converse All Stars, Levi’s, Huffy bicycles, televisions, Monopoly, Etch-a-Sketch, Radio Flyer wagons, Barbie dolls, and last but by no means least, most of those American flags just ain’t American no more.
It really doesn’t have to be this way. Apple, for example, doesn’t have to become the richest company in the world by manufacturing its products in China and storing its vast hoards of cash overseas.
Or does it?
Everything on the lists above could still be made in the US and surpluses exported to other countries. But the US government and its moronic bureaucrats are spending their time and our money thinking up new ways, not to help American businesses, but to add ever-increasing amounts of rules, regulations and bureaucracy on to American companies.
American businesses can no longer compete, because their own government has ensured that the deck is stacked against them.
In the mind of a bureaucrat losing a million productive wealth creating jobs, for example, in the automotive industry, and replacing them with a million more administrative jobs that cost the country money evens things out.
It doesn’t. Simple math will tell you that. Every time it happens things get worse and America gets poorer.
So America just can’t make it anymore, but not because China has stolen the jobs. It’s because the US government bureaucrats gave them away.
July is almost a week old and we haven’t had a quiz.
But we are about to rectify that right now.
Another twenty questions to wrap your brain around.
As usual, if you get stuck, you can find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but please NO cheating!
Enjoy and good luck.
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Q. 1. What is the world’s biggest island?
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Q. 2. In a speech on 5 March 1946 what did Winston Churchill say had descended over Europe?
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Q. 3. What city is known as ‘The Pearl of the Adriatic’ ?
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Q. 4. What is the official diameter of the center circle on a soccer pitch?
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Q. 5. What does the term ‘SAS’ refer to in terms of British Army Regiments?
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Q. 6. What famous American painter and illustrator’s best-known works include the ‘Willie Gillis’ series, ‘Rosie the Riveter’, ‘The Problem We All Live With’, ‘Saying Grace’, and the ‘Four Freedoms’ series?
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Q. 7. Where were the 2014 Winter Olympics held?
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Q. 8. Where will the 2016 Summer Olympics be held?
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Q. 9. Whose first novel was titled ‘Carrie’ ?
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Q. 10. What was the name given to the prosperous peasants in Russia who were violently repressed by Stalin?
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Q. 11. The famous ‘Stella Artois’ beer was originally brewed in which country?
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Q. 12. After World War Two (WWII) ended into how many sectors was the city of Berlin divided? (A point for the correct answer and bonus points if you can correctly name the countries in charge of the sectors.)
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Q. 13. What is the common name of the small piece of data sent from a website and stored in a user’s web browser?
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Q. 14. In the well-known saying, what do ‘birds of a feather’ do?
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Q. 15. What fruit is a cross between a grapefruit, tangerine and orange?
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Q. 16. What is the name for the Eskimo people of Canada?
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Q. 17. We all know to our cost about the recent ‘financial crisis’, but in what year was the infamous ‘Wall Street Crash’ ?
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Q. 18. What are the two movies for which Jack Nicholson received the Best Actor Oscar?
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Q. 19. What is ‘blood sausage’ better known as in places like the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand and the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador?
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Q. 20. Who was ‘The Country Girl’ who after ‘High Noon’ went on to ‘Dial M for Murder’ and ‘To Catch a Thief’ before entering ‘High Society’ ?
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ANSWERS
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Q. 1. What is the world’s biggest island?
A. 1. Greenland.
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Q. 2. In a speech on 5 March 1946 what did Winston Churchill say had descended over Europe?
A. 2. An Iron Curtain.
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Q. 3. What city is known as ‘The Pearl of the Adriatic’ ?
A. 3. Dubrovnik, Croatia.
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Q. 4. What is the official diameter of the center circle on a soccer pitch?
A. 4. 20 yards (18.3 metres).
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Q. 5. What does the term ‘SAS’ refer to in terms of British Army Regiments.
A. 5. Special Air Service.
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Q. 6. What famous American painter and illustrator’s best-known works include the ‘Willie Gillis’ series, ‘Rosie the Riveter’, ‘The Problem We All Live With’, ‘Saying Grace’, and the ‘Four Freedoms’ series
A. 6. Norman Rockwell.
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Q. 7. Where were the 2014 Winter Olympics held?
A. 7. In Sochi, Russia.
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Q. 8. Where will the 2016 Summer Olympics be held?
A. 8. The 2016 Summer Olympics, commonly known as Rio 2016, will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Q. 9. Whose first novel was titled ‘Carrie’ ?
A. 9. Stephen King.
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Q. 10. What was the name given to the prosperous peasants in Russia who were violently repressed by Stalin?
A. 10. Kulaks.
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Q. 11. The famous ‘Stella Artois’ beer was originally brewed in which country?
A. 11. Belgium.
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Q. 12. After World War Two (WWII) ended into how many sectors was the city of Berlin divided? (A point for the correct answer and bonus points if you can correctly name the countries in charge of the sectors.)
A. 12. There were four sectors, American, British, French and Soviet.
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Q. 13. What is the common name of the small piece of data sent from a website and stored in a user’s web browser?
A. 13. It is called a ‘cookie’.
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Q. 14. In the well known saying, what do ‘birds of a feather’ do?
A. 14. They ‘flock together’.
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Q. 15. What fruit is a cross between a grapefruit, tangerine and orange?
A. 15. The ‘Ugli fruit’.
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Q. 16. What is the name for the Eskimo people of Canada?
A. 16. They are known as ‘Iniut’.
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Q. 17. We all know to our cost about the recent ‘financial crisis’, but in what year was the infamous ‘Wall Street Crash’ ?
A. 17. 1929.
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Q. 18. What are the two movies for which Jack Nicholson received the Best Actor Oscar?
A. 18. They were ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’ and ‘As Good As It Gets’.
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Q. 19. What is ‘blood sausage’ better known as in places like the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand and the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador?
A. 19. It is better known as ‘Black Pudding’.
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Q. 20. Who was ‘The Country Girl’ who after ‘High Noon’ went on to ‘Dial M for Murder’ and ‘To Catch a Thief’ before entering ‘High Society’ ?
Half the year almost gone, but not before you get the chance to try out these questions.
As usual, if you get stuck, you can find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but please NO cheating.
Enjoy and good luck.
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Q. 1. What was bought by the United States from France in 1803?
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Q. 2. ‘Black’, ‘Hooper’ and ‘Bewick’ are all types of what bird?
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Q. 3. What city in South America is known as ‘The City Of The Kings’ ?
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Q. 4. Very recently in the news for all the wrong reasons, what organization do the letters ‘FIFA’ represent?
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Q. 5. Who was the leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953?
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Q. 6. What did Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen discover by accident on November 8 1895?
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Q. 7. He was born in Illinois and died in Idaho and during his lifetime he published seven novels, six short story collections, and two non-fiction works, and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize for Literature. Many of his works are considered classics of American literature. Who was he?
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Q. 8. What name is given to calfskin, dressed and prepared for writing on?
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Q. 9. Which sea is sometimes called the Euxine Sea?
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Q. 10. What is the name given to the person who is appointed the chief lawyer of the U.S. government?
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Q. 11. Name the famous Russian ballet dancer who changed the face of modern ballet?
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Q. 12. Who invented the rabies vaccination?
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Q. 13. Who is the current (2015) British Prime Minister?
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Q. 14. Big points opportunity. How many countries lie between Canada and Colombia? (A point for the correct number and a bonus point for each one you can name correctly.)
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Q. 15. What fruit is ‘Calvados’ distilled from?
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Q. 16. What is ‘Scooby’ short for in the name ‘Scooby Doo’ ?
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Q. 17. What does ‘RADAR’ stand for?
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Q. 18. In which French city was Joan of Arc put to death?
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Q. 19. What are the seven most popular sports in America? (A point for each correct answer and a bonus point if you can name them in the correct order.)
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Q. 20. He was famous as ‘Dracula’, ‘Scaramanga’ and ‘Saruman’. Who was he?
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ANWERS
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Q. 1. What was bought by the United States from France in 1803?
A. 1. The Louisiana territory (828,000 square miles).
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Q. 2. ‘Black’, ‘Hooper’ and ‘Bewick’ are all types of what bird?
A. 2. Swans.
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Q. 3. What city in South America is known as ‘The City Of The Kings’ ?
A. 3. Lima, Peru. (Ciudad de los Reyes)
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Q. 4. Very recently in the news for all the wrong reasons, what organization do the letters ‘FIFA’ represent?
A. 4. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association, the international governing body of association football, futsal and beach soccer.
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Q. 5. Who was the leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953?
A. 5. Joseph Stalin.
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Q. 6. What did Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen discover by accident on November 8 1895?
A. 6. X-rays.
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Q. 7. He was born in Illinois and died in Idaho and during his lifetime he published seven novels, six short story collections, and two non-fiction works, and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize for Literature. Many of his works are considered classics of American literature. Who was he?
A. 7. Ernest Hemmingway.
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Q. 8. What name is given to calfskin, dressed and prepared for writing on?
A. 8. It is known as ‘Vellum’.
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Q. 9. Which sea is sometimes called the Euxine Sea?
A. 9. The Black Sea.
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Q. 10. What is the name given to the person who is appointed the chief lawyer of the U.S. government?
A. 10. He/she is known as the ‘Attorney General’.
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Q. 11. Name the famous Russian ballet dancer who changed the face of modern ballet?
A. 11. Rudolf Nureyev.
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Q. 12. Who invented the rabies vaccination?
A. 12. Louis Pasteur.
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Q. 13. Who is the current (2015) British Prime Minister?
A. 13. David Cameron.
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Q. 14. Big points opportunity. How many countries lie between Canada and Colombia? (A point for the correct number and a bonus point for each one you can name correctly.)
A. 14. There are 9 countries that lie between Canada and Colombia – they are The United States, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.
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Q. 15. What fruit is ‘Calvados’ distilled from?
A. 15. Apples.
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Q. 16. What is ‘Scooby’ short for in the name ‘Scooby Doo’ ?
A. 16. Scoobert.
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Q. 17. What does ‘RADAR’ stand for?
A. 17. ‘RADAR’ stand for ‘Radio Detection and Ranging’.
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Q. 18. In which French city was Joan of Arc put to death?
A. 18. Rouen.
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Q. 19. What are the seven most popular sports in America? (A point for each correct answer and a bonus point if you can name them in the correct order.)
A. 19. 1. American Football 2. Baseball 3. Basketball 4. Ice Hockey 5. Soccer 6. Tennis and 7. Golf
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Q. 20. He was famous as ‘Dracula’, ‘Scaramanga’ and ‘Saruman’. Who was he?
A. 20. He was the wonderful actor Sir Christopher Lee.
Heed the warning in the title, another selection of warning signs written for the chronically stupid follows.
That these have to be written is a tragedy in itself. That most of them seem to be written by they very people they are aimed at is one of those mysteries that may take years to solve.
In the meantime, enjoy.
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“Malfunction: Too less water.”
A notice left on a coffee machine.
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“Prescriptions cannot be filled by phone.”
On a form in a clinic.
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“You could be a winner!
No purchase necessary.
Details inside.”
On a bag of Fritos.
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“Fits one head.”
On a hotel-provided shower cap box.
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“Payment is due by the due date.”
On a credit card statement.
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“No small children.”
On a laundromat triple washer.
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“Warning: Ramp Ends In Stairs.”
A sign, correctly describing the end of a
concrete ramp intended for handicap access to a bridge.
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“Take care: new non-slip surface.”
On a sign in front of a newly renovated ramp
that led to the entrance of a building.
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“In case of flood, proceed uphill.
In case of flash flood, proceed uphill quickly.”
One of the emergency safety procedures at a summer camp.
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“Ingredients: Artificially bleached flour, sugar,
vegetable fat, yeast, salt, gluten, soya flour,
emulsifier 472 (E) & 481, flour treatment agents,
enzymes, water.
May contain ……….fruit.”
The ingredients list on a package of fruit buns.
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“100% pure yarn.”
On a sweater.
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“Some materials may irritate sensitive skin.
Please look at the materials if you believe this may be the case.
Christmas week again folks and another year almost gone.
Time of course for the BIG Christmas quiz.
Some of the questions are fairly easy, but one or two will keep you thinking for a while.
So grab a cup of coffee, or something stronger if you like, and test your knowledge of Christmas and things Christmasy.
And, as always, if you get stuck, you can find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but please NO cheating!
Enjoy, good luck, and a very Merry Christmas.
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Q. 1: In which country does Santa have his own personal postcode ‘HOH OHO’?
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Q. 2: Which Christmas plant takes its name from the first US Minister to Mexico?
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Q. 3: What date is St Stephen’s Day?
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Q. 4: The song ‘White Christmas’ was first performed in which 1942 movie?
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Q. 5: Who is officially credited as the author of ‘Auld Lang Syne’?
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Q. 6: ‘Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents’ is the opening line from which classic novel?
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Q. 7: Which Christmas carol includes the lyrics ‘…To save us all from Satan’s power, when we were gone astray..’?
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Q. 8: In ‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’, what were there eight of?
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Q. 9: If you’ve watched a TV show like ‘The Sopranos’ you’ve probably heard the term ‘Bada Bing’, but in what country is Christmas known as ‘Bada Din’ (the big day)?
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Q. 10: Which of Santa’s reindeer shares its name with a mythical god of love?
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Q. 11: What color are the berries of the mistletoe plant?
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Q. 12: The character ‘Jack Skellington’ appears in which 1993 Tim Burton movie?
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Q. 13: What’s the second line of “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas“?
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Q. 14: Marzipan is made (conventionally in the western world) mainly from sugar and the flour or meal of which nut?
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Q. 15: In the inspirational 1946 movie, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, what’s the name of George Bailey’s guardian angel?
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Q. 16: What Christmas item was invented by London baker and wedding-cake specialist Tom Smith in 1847?
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Q. 17: We all know that “Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephan” and that he liked his pizzas deep pan crisp and even, but in which country was Wenceslas king?
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Q. 18: Who wrote ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’?
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Q. 19: Who were first people to visit the baby Jesus?
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Q. 20: A Christmas present for country western fans. Who sang “It was Christmas in prison the food was real good, we had turkey and pistols carved out of wood” ?
a) Willy Nelson b) Johnny Cash c) John Prine d) Garth Brooks
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Q. 21: What do George C. Scott, Alastair Sim, Daffy Duck, Patrick Stewart, Michael Caine, Fred Flintstone and Jim Carrey all have in common?
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Q. 22: Which Christmas condiment is made from fruit sometimes referred to as ‘marshworts’?
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Q. 23: The American ad writer Robert L. May invented which colorful Christmas character in 1939?
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Q. 24: ‘Three Kings Day’ is known by what numerical name in Britain?
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Q. 25: What Angel visited Mary?
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Q. 26: Which Christmas slogan was introduced by Clarissa Baldwin of Dogs Trust in 1978?
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Q. 27: Peter Auty sang ‘Walking In The Air’ in what Christmas time movie?
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Q. 28: What do American singer and actor Dean Martin, actress and singer Eartha Kitt, and Charlie Chaplin all have in common?
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Q. 29: In the song The Twelve Days of Christmas, ‘…my true love brought to me nine…’ what?
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Q. 30: Which American-born English poet, having first names Thomas Stearns, wrote the poem ‘The Cultivation Of Christmas Trees’?
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Q. 31: Who composed the music known as ‘The Nutcracker Suite’, for the Christmas themed ballet The Nutcracker, premiered in St Petersburg, 1892?
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Q. 32: What is the surname of the family in the 1989 movie ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’?
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Q. 33: Patra, the birthplace of the original Santa Claus, St Nicholas, is in which modern country?
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Q. 34: How many of Rudolph’s eight companions names start with ‘D’? (A point for the correct number and bonus points for each one you can name correctly.)
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Q. 35: Which southern central US state, whose capital city has the same name, was the last to recognize Christmas as an official holiday?
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Q. 36: Under which Puritan leader did the English parliament pass a law banning Christmas in 1647?
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Q. 37: In the song ‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas‘, how many swans were a-swimming?
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Q. 38: Why were Joseph and the expectant Mary on the road to Bethlehem in the first place?
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Q. 39: In which country was Boxing Day renamed ‘Day of Goodwill’ in 1994?
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Q. 40: How many Lords-a-leaping are there in ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’?
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Q. 41: In which American state would you find the city of Bethlehem?
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Q. 42: Which Hasbro children’s robot action figures were the most popular Christmas presents in 1984?
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Q. 43: What Christmas item takes its name from the old French word ‘estincelle’, meaning spark?
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Q. 44: In the movie ‘Jingle All The Way’ name the toy Arnold Schwarzenegger was hunting?
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Q. 45: Which famous mathematician was born on Boxing Day in 1791?
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Q. 46: What does the word ‘Christ’ mean?
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Q. 47: Which 1987 action/comedy movie opens to the music of ‘Jingle Bell Rock’?
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Q. 48: What Apple product was reportedly the most popular Christmas gift in 2007?
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Q. 49: A lot of them have already been mentioned in this quiz, so how many presents were given in total in the 12 Days of Christmas?
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Q. 50: In the Christmas carol, which town is known as ‘Royal David’s City’?
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ANSWERS
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Q. 1: In which country does Santa have his own personal postcode ‘HOH OHO’?
A. 1: Canada.
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Q. 2: Which Christmas plant takes its name from the first US Minister to Mexico?
A. 2: Poinsettia.
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Q. 3: What date is St Stephen’s Day?
A. 3: 26th December.
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Q. 4: The song ‘White Christmas’ was first performed in which 1942 movie?
A. 4: Holiday Inn.
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Q. 5: Who is officially credited as the author of ‘Auld Lang Syne’?
A. 5: Robert Burns.
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Q. 6: ‘Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents’ is the opening line from which classic novel?
A. 6: Little Women.
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Q. 7: Which Christmas carol includes the lyrics ‘…To save us all from Satan’s power, when we were gone astray..’?
A. 7: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.
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Q. 8: In ‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’, what were there eight of?
A. 8: Maids-a-milking.
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Q. 9: If you’ve watched a TV show like ‘The Sopranos’ you’ve probably heard the term ‘Bada Bing’, but in what country is Christmas known as ‘Bada Din’ (the big day)?
A. 9: India.
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Q. 10: Which of Santa’s reindeer shares its name with a mythical god of love?
A. 10: Cupid.
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Q. 11: What color are the berries of the mistletoe plant?
A. 11: White.
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Q. 12: The character ‘Jack Skellington’ appears in which 1993 Tim Burton movie?
A. 12: The Nightmare before Christmas.
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Q. 13: What’s the second line of “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas”?
A. 13: “Just like the ones I used to know”.
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Q. 14: Marzipan is made (conventionally in the western world) mainly from sugar and the flour or meal of which nut?
A. 14: Almond.
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Q. 15: In the inspirational 1946 movie, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, what is the name of George Bailey’s guardian angel?
A. 15: Clarence (Oddbody).
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Q. 16: What Christmas item was invented by London baker and wedding-cake specialist Tom Smith in 1847?
A. 16: Christmas cracker.
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Q. 17: We all know that “Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephan” and that he liked his pizzas deep pan crisp and even, but in which country was Wenceslas king?
A. 17: Bohemia (Czech Republic)
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Q. 18: Who wrote ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’?
A. 18: Dr Seuss.
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Q. 19: Who were first people to visit the baby Jesus?
A. 19: Shepherds.
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Q. 20: A Christmas present for country western fans. Who sang “It was Christmas in prison the food was real good, we had turkey and pistols carved out of wood” ?
a. Willy Nelson b. Johnny Cash c. John Prine d. Garth Brooks
A. 20: Answer c. John Prine (‘Christmas in prison’ from the album Sweet Revenge)
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Q. 21: What do George C. Scott, Alastair Sim, Daffy Duck, Patrick Stewart, Michael Caine, Fred Flintstone and Jim Carrey all have in common?
A. 21: They have all played the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in movies or television.
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Q. 22: Which Christmas condiment is made from fruit sometimes referred to as ‘marshworts’?
A. 22: Cranberry sauce.
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Q. 23: The American ad writer Robert L. May invented which colorful Christmas character in 1939?
A. 23: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
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Q. 24: ‘Three Kings Day’ is known by what numerical name in Britain?
A. 24: Twelfth Night.
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Q. 25: What Angel visited Mary?
A. 25: Gabriel.
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Q. 26: Which Christmas slogan was introduced by Clarissa Baldwin of Dogs Trust in 1978?
A. 26: A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas.
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Q. 27: Peter Auty sang ‘Walking In The Air’ in what Christmas time movie?
A. 27: The Snowman.
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Q. 28: What do American singer and actor Dean Martin, actress and singer Eartha Kitt, and Charlie Chaplin all have in common?
A. 28: All died on Christmas day.
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Q. 29: In the song The Twelve Days of Christmas, ‘…my true love brought to me nine…’ what?
A. 29: Ladies dancing.
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Q. 30: Which American-born English poet, having first names Thomas Stearns, wrote the poem ‘The Cultivation Of Christmas Trees’?
A. 30: T S Eliot.
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Q. 31: Who composed the music known as ‘The Nutcracker Suite’, for the Christmas themed ballet The Nutcracker, premiered in St Petersburg, 1892?
A. 31: Tchaikovsky.
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Q. 32: What is the surname of the family in the 1989 movie ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’?
A. 32: Griswold.
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Q. 33: Patra, the birthplace of the original Santa Claus, St Nicholas, is in which modern country?
A. 33: Turkey.
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Q. 34: How many of Rudolph’s eight companions names start with ‘D’? (A point for the correct number and bonus points for each one you can name correctly.)
A. 34: Three – Dasher, Dancer and Donner
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Q. 35: Which southern central US state, whose capital city has the same name, was the last to recognize Christmas as an official holiday?
A. 35: Oklahoma.
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Q. 36: Under which Puritan leader did the English parliament pass a law banning Christmas in 1647?
A. 36: Oliver Cromwell.
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Q. 37: In the song ‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’, how many swans were a-swimming?
A. 37: Seven.
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Q. 38: Why were Joseph and the expectant Mary on the road to Bethlehem in the first place?
A. 38: To pay tax (and take part in a census).
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Q. 39: In which country was Boxing Day renamed ‘Day of Goodwill’ in 1994?
A. 39: South Africa
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Q. 40: How many Lords-a-leaping are there in ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’?
A. 40: 10.
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Q. 41: In which American state would you find the city of Bethlehem?
A. 41: Pennsylvania
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Q. 42: Which Hasbro children’s robot action figures were the most popular Christmas presents in 1984?
A. 42: The Transformers
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Q. 43: What Christmas item takes its name from the old French word ‘estincelle’, meaning spark?
A. 43: Tinsel.
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Q. 44: In the movie ‘Jingle All The Way’ name the toy Arnold Schwarzenegger was hunting?
A. 44: Turbo Man.
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Q. 45: Which famous mathematician was born on Boxing Day in 1791?
A. 45: Charles Babbage.
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Q. 46: What does the word ‘Christ’ mean?
A. 46: ‘Annointed’ (from the Greek ‘Xristo’).
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Q. 47: Which 1987 action/comedy movie opens to the music of ‘Jingle Bell Rock;?
A. 47: Lethal Weapon
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Q. 48: What Apple product was reportedly the most popular Christmas gift in 2007?
A. 48: The iPod Touch.
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Q. 49: How many presents were given in total in the 12 Days of Christmas?
A. 49: 364.
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Q. 50: In the Christmas carol, which town is known as ‘Royal David’s City’?
I suppose I should have said Panama hats off because that’s one of today’s questions.
You will also need to have a sprinkling of knowledge about marbles, wars, cooking and even fairytales to stack up the points today.
But if you get stuck, as always, you can find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but please NO cheating!
Enjoy and good luck.
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Q. 1: An easy one to start with, where did Panama hats originate?
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Q. 2: What are toy marbles made from?
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Q. 3: How long did the ‘100 Years War’ last?
a) 106 years b) 116 years c) 126 years
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Q. 4: what is the only mobile National Monument in the USA?
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Q. 5: Here’s one for all you beer drinkers, in what month is the world famous ‘Munich Oktoberfest’ beer festival held?
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Q. 6: It contains beef or pork, but what is the main ingredient of the thick and spicy soup known as ‘Borscht’ that originated in Ukraine but is also popular in many Eastern and Central European countries.
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Q. 7: What type of building is a ‘picture palace’?
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Q. 8: From which part of its body does a cow, and presumably also a bull, sweat?
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Q. 9: How many sides has a ‘Prism’?
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Q. 10: What type of creature is a ‘horned toad’?
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Q. 11: Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?
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Q. 12: What sort of fruit is a ‘Chinese gooseberry’?
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Q. 13: In the original French medieval version of the story of ‘Cinderella’ (which gave us the modern Western version) what were Cinderella’s slippers made from?
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Q. 14: In sunscreen lotions, what does the abbreviation ‘SPF’ stand for?
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Q. 15: What do bullet proof vests, windshield wipers and laser printers have in common?
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Q. 16: What is the most prevalent infectious disease in the UK?
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Q. 17: A ‘mahout’ is a person who works with and rides what?
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Q. 18: How many times was Richard Burton nominated for an Oscar and how many times did he win? (A point for each correct answer.)
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Q. 19: Which breed of cats, rabbits, and goats have the same name?
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Q. 20: Finally, a guy is condemned to death and has three rooms to choose from and he must choose one of them. Room #1 contains a fiery inferno; room #2 contains 50 Assassins with loaded guns; and room #3 contains hungry lions that haven’t eaten in three months. Which room should he choose?
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ANSWERS
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Q. 1: An easy one to start with, where did Panama hats originate?
A. 1: Okay, maybe not so easy, they originated in Ecuador.
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Q. 2: What are toy marbles made from?
A. 2: Although called ‘marbles’ they are made from ‘glass’.
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Q. 3: How long did the ‘100 Years War’ last?
a) 106 years b) 116 years c) 126 years
A. 3: The correct answer is b) 116 years.
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Q. 4: what is the only mobile National Monument in the USA?
A. 4: San Francisco cable cars.
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Q. 5: Here’s one for all you beer drinkers, in what month is the world famous ‘Munich Oktoberfest’ beer festival held?
A. 5: In September.
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Q. 6: It contains beef or pork, but what is the main ingredient of the thick and spicy soup known as ‘Borscht’ that originated in Ukraine but is also popular in many Eastern and Central European countries.
A. 6: The main ingredient of ‘Borscht’ is beetroot.
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Q. 7: What type of building is a ‘picture palace’?
A. 7: It would be understandable if you said art gallery, but in fact a ‘picture palace’ was the name given to a cinema or theater for showing movies.
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Q. 8: From which part of its body does a cow, and presumably also a bull, sweat?
A. 8: Its nose.
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Q. 9: How many sides has a ‘Prism’?
A. 9: Five.
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Q. 10: What type of creature is a ‘horned toad’?
A. 10: A ‘horned toad’ is a lizard.
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Q. 11: Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?
A. 11: Their birthplace.
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Q. 12: What sort of fruit is a ‘Chinese gooseberry’?
A. 12: It is a Kiwifruit. It originated in China but renamed kiwifruit by growers/exporters in New Zealand.
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Q. 13: In the original French medieval version of the story of ‘Cinderella’ (which gave us the modern Western version) what were Cinderella’s slippers made from?
A. 13: They were made from squirrel fur which when you think about it is a lot more sensible than glass. The reason we ended up with a glass slipper is because the French word for squirrel fur is ‘vair’, which was misunderstood by Charles Perrault, writer of the modern version, to be verre, which means glass. You got it wrong Charlie and I guess so did most people who answered this question!
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Q. 14: In sunscreen lotions, what does the abbreviation ‘SPF’ stand for?
A. 14: ‘SPF’ stands for Sun Protection Factor.
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Q. 15: What do bullet proof vests, windshield wipers and laser printers have in common?
A. 15: They were all invented by women.
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Q. 16: What is the most prevalent infectious disease in the UK?
A. 16: The Common Cold.
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Q. 17: A ‘mahout’ is a person who works with and rides what?
A. 17: Elephants.
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Q. 18: How many times was Richard Burton nominated for an Oscar and how many times did he win? (A point for each correct answer.)
A. 18: Richard Burton was nominated seven times for an Oscar and surprisingly never won any. The correct answers are 7 and 0.
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Q. 19: Which breed of cats, rabbits, and goats have the same name?
A. 19: Angora.
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Q. 20: Finally, a guy is condemned to death and has three rooms to choose from and he must choose one of them. Room #1 contains a fiery inferno; room #2 contains 50 Assassins with loaded guns; and room #3 contains hungry lions that haven’t eaten in three months. Which room should he choose?
A. 20: He should choose room #3 because the lions would be dead if they hadn’t eaten in three months.
A good mixture of easy, difficult and maybe one or two tricky questions for you today.
But if you get stuck you can find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but please NO cheating!
Enjoy and good luck.
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Q. 1: Was the color orange named after the fruit, or was the fruit named after the color orange?
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Q. 2: Approximately how much of the mass of our solar system does the Sun take up?
a) 59% b) 69% c) 79% d) 89% e) 99%
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Q. 3: What is the deepest part of the world’s oceans known as?
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Q. 4: What was the discovery that gave archaeologists the key to understanding modern Egyptian hieroglyphs.
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Q. 5: You’ve seen it hundreds of times at least, but how many stars surround the mountain on the Paramount Pictures logo?
a) 12 b) 22 c) 32 d) 42
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Q. 6: Since the beginning of the modern Olympics, in 1896, what are the only two countries to have participated in every Games. (A point for each correct answer.)
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Q. 7: Who played detective Kojak in the long running TV series?
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Q. 8: Approximately how many bacteria are on each of your feet?
a) one thousand b) one million c) one billion d) one trillion
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Q. 9: What is the name of the lake situated on the border of Peru and Bolivia in the Andes Mountains? (You know it, it’s a very well known name.)
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Q. 10: What was the name of the New York Yankees baseball star who was once married to Marilyn Monroe?
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Q. 11: Which US state has the longest border with Canada?
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Q. 12: Lizzie Borden was an American woman, from Fall River, Massachusetts, who was famously accused of the axe murders of her father and stepmother. It was a famous case memorialized in a popular skipping-rope rhyme: “Lizzie Borden took an axe, And gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, She gave her father forty-one.” How long was her jail sentence?
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Q. 13: Without rearranging any of its letters, how many English language words can you make from the seven letter word “therein”? (You can have a point for each word you can make, so potentially a good score here!)
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Q. 14: They are now worth millions of dollars each and much sought after, but how many of his paintings did Vincent Van Gogh sell while he was alive?
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Q. 15: What is Queensland And Northern Territories Air Service better known as?
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Q. 16: South Africa is the only country with three official capitals, what are they? (A point for each correct answer, and a bonus point if you can correctly name all three.)
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Q. 17: What is a baby eel called?
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Q. 18: What is greater, the volume of the Earth’s moon OR the volume of the Pacific Ocean?
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Q. 19: Which US President pardoned Robert E. Lee posthumously of all crimes of treason?
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Q. 20: Probably the most famous version is by Frank Sinatra, but who wrote the song “I Get A Kick Out Of You”?
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ANSWERS
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Q. 1: Was the color orange named after the fruit, or was the fruit named after the color orange?
A. 1: The color orange was named after the fruit.
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Q. 2: Approximately how much of the mass of our solar system does the Sun take up?
a) 59% b) 69% c) 79% d) 89% e) 99%
A. 2: The correct answer is e) 99%.
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Q. 3: What is the deepest part of the world’s oceans known as?
A. 3: The deepest part of the world’s oceans is known as the Mariana Trench or Marianas Trench, located in the western Pacific Ocean, to the east of the Mariana Islands.
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Q. 4: What was the discovery that gave archaeologists the key to understanding modern Egyptian hieroglyphs.
A. 4: The discovery of the Rosetta Stone finally provided the key to understanding modern Egyptian hieroglyphs.
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Q. 5: You’ve seen it hundreds of times at least, but how many stars surround the mountain on the Paramount Pictures logo?
a) 12 b) 22 c) 32 d) 42
A. 5: The correct answer is b), there are 22 stars surrounding the mountain on the Paramount Pictures logo.
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Q. 6: Since the beginning of the modern Olympics, in 1896, what are the only two countries to have participated in every Games. (A point for each correct answer.)
A. 6: The only two countries to have participated in every modern Olympic Games are Greece and Australia.
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Q. 7: Who played detective Kojak in the long running TV series?
A. 7: Telly Savalas.
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Q. 8: Approximately how many bacteria are on each of your feet?
a) one thousand b) one million c) one billion d) one trillion
A. 8: There are about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet.
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Q. 9: What is the name of the lake situated on the border of Peru and Bolivia in the Andes Mountains? (You know it, it’s a very well known name.)
A. 9: It is called Lake Titicaca.
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Q. 10: What was the name of the New York Yankees baseball star who was once married to Marilyn Monroe?
A. 10: He was Joe DiMaggio.
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Q. 11: Which US state has the longest border with Canada?
A. 11: Alaska.
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Q. 12: Lizzie Borden was an American woman, from Fall River, Massachusetts, who was famously accused of the axe murders of her father and stepmother. It was a famous case memorialized in a popular skipping-rope rhyme: “Lizzie Borden took an axe, And gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, She gave her father forty-one.” How long was her jail sentence?
A. 12: She was acquitted and no one else has ever been charged with the murders.
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Q. 13: Without rearranging any of its letters, how many English language words can you make from the seven letter word “therein”? (You can have a point for each word you can make, so potentially a good score here!)
A. 13: There are ten English language words that can be made out of the word “therein” without rearranging any of its letters: the, there, he, in, rein, her, here, here, ere, therein, herein.
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Q. 14: They are now worth millions of dollars each and much sought after, but how many of his paintings did Vincent Van Gogh sell while he was alive?
A. 14: Vincent Van Gogh sold exactly one painting while he was alive, the Red Vineyard at Arles.
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Q. 15: What is Queensland And Northern Territories Air Service better known as?
A. 15: QANTAS, the name of the Australian national airline.
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Q. 16: South Africa is the only country with three official capitals, what are they? (A point for each correct answer, and a bonus point if you can correctly name all three.)
A. 16: South Africa’s three official capitals are Pretoria, Cape Town, and Bloemfontein.
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Q. 17: What is a baby eel called?
A. 17: A baby eel is called an elver.
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Q. 18: What is greater, the volume of the Earth’s moon OR the volume of the Pacific Ocean?
A. 18: Bit of a trick question here. The volume of the Earth’s moon is the same as the volume of the Pacific Ocean.
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Q. 19: Which US President pardoned Robert E. Lee posthumously of all crimes of treason?
A. 19: Gerald Ford.
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Q. 20: Probably the most famous version is by Frank Sinatra, but who wrote the song “I Get A Kick Out Of You”?
A. 20: Cole Porter. Sorry Frank but this is MY favorite version….
As usual if you get stuck you can find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but please, NO cheating!
Enjoy and good luck.
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Q. 1: Who played Cameron Poe in the action movie Con Air?
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Q. 2: What is the lowest number on the FM dial?
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Q. 3: We’ve all seen the iconic ‘Jeep’, but approximately how many were built during WWII?
a) 250,000 b) 450,000 c) 650,000 d) 850,000 or e) 1,050,000
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Q. 4: Think about a map of the bottom of South America for this one, what strait separates Chile from Tierra Del Fuego?
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Q. 5: One of the most famous up-market automobile brands is BMW, but what do the letters ‘B-M-W’ stand for?
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Q. 6: Who is former government agent ‘Raymond “Red” Reddington’ in the excellent television series ‘The Blacklist’?
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Q. 7: Founded in 1592, what is the oldest university in the Republic of Ireland called?
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Q. 8: Founded in 1908 what is the oldest university in Northern Ireland called?
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Q. 9: How many hot dog buns are in a standard package?
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Q. 10: What is the capital city of each of the following European countries? (A point for each correct answer, plus a bonus point if you name them all correctly.)
a) Greece b) Britain c) France d) Spain e) Portugal f) Switzerland
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Q. 11: Fifty cardinals, two flamingos and six penguins attended the 1963 London premiere of what movie?
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Q. 12: Mahatma Gandhi qualified in England for which profession before practicing in South Africa and then moving back to India?
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Q. 13: Name North America’s ‘Great Lakes’? (A point for each correct answer, plus a bonus point if you name them all correctly.)
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Q. 14: The stirring voices of Anthony Quinn, Richard Burton and Curd Jürgens were all used, albeit in different versions, to narrate what?
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Q. 15: How many states in the United States of America begin with the letter ‘C’? (Bonus points for each one you name correctly.)
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Q. 16: What American born actor of the 1930s to the 1950s shares his name with a county in Northern Ireland?
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Q. 17: Who was allegedly the first Christian Emperor of Rome and founder of Constantinople?
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Q. 18: Which fruit plays a role in the downfall of Captain Queeg in the movie ‘The Caine Mutiny’?
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Q. 19: In which year did William Shakespeare die?
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Q. 20: What member of this musical family was a ‘Long Haired Lover From Liverpool’?
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ANSWERS
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Q. 1: Who played Cameron Poe in the action movie Con Air?
A. 1: Nicolas Cage.
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Q. 2: What is the lowest number on the FM dial?
A. 2: 88.
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Q. 3: We’ve all seen the iconic ‘Jeep’, but approximately how many were built during WWII?
a) 250,000 b) 450,000 c) 650,000 d) 850,000 or e) 1,050,000
A. 3: The correct answer is c) approximately 650,000 Jeeps were built during WWII.
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Q. 4: Think about a map of the bottom of South America for this one, what strait separates Chile from Tierra Del Fuego?
A. 4: The Strait of Magellan. (Sometimes also called The Straits of Magellan.)
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Q. 5: One of the most famous up-market automobile brands is BMW, but what do the letters ‘B-M-W’ stand for?
A. 5: ‘BMW’ is an acronym for ‘Bavarian Motor Works’.
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Q. 6: Who is former government agent ‘Raymond “Red” Reddington’ in the excellent television series ‘The Blacklist’?
A. 6: James Spader.
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Q. 7: Founded in 1592, what is the oldest university in the Republic of Ireland called?
A. 7: Trinity College, aka the University of Dublin.
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Q. 8: Founded in 1908 what is the oldest university in Northern Ireland called?
A. 8: Queens University.
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Q. 9: How many hot dog buns are in a standard package?
A. 9: 8.
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Q. 10: What is the capital city of each of the following European countries? (A point for each correct answer, plus a bonus point if you name them all correctly.)
a) Greece b) Britain c) France d) Spain e) Portugal f) Switzerland
A. 10: a) Athens b) London c) Paris d) Madrid e) Lisbon f) Berne
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Q. 11: Fifty cardinals, two flamingos and six penguins attended the 1963 London premiere of what movie?
A. 11: The clue was in the question, it was the movie premier of ‘The Birds’.
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Q. 12: Mahatma Gandhi qualified in England for which profession before practicing in South Africa and then moving back to India?
A. 12: Law.
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Q. 13: Name North America’s ‘Great Lakes’? (A point for each correct answer, plus a bonus point if you name them all correctly.)
A. 13: North America’s ‘Great Lakes’ consist of Lakes ‘Superior’, ‘Michigan’, ‘Huron’, ‘Erie’, and ‘Ontario’.
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Q. 14: The stirring voices of Anthony Quinn, Richard Burton and Curd Jürgens were all used, albeit in different versions, to narrate what?
A. 14: Jeff Wayne’s musical version of ‘The War Of The Worlds’. Burton’s was used in the English version, Quinn’s in the Spanish, and Jürgens’ in the German.
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Q. 15: How many states in the United States of America begin with the letter ‘C’? (Bonus points for each one you name correctly.)
A. 15: Three states in the US begin with the letter’C’, California, Colorado and Connecticut.
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Q. 16: What American born actor of the 1930s to the 1950s shares his name with a county in Northern Ireland?
A. 16: Tyrone Power. County Tyrone is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland.
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Q. 17: Who was allegedly the first Christian Emperor of Rome and founder of Constantinople?
A. 17: Constantine The Great.
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Q. 18: Which fruit plays a role in the downfall of Captain Queeg in the movie ‘The Caine Mutiny’?
A. 18: Strawberries.
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Q. 19: In which year did William Shakespeare die?
A. 19: It should be an easy one to remember, the year was 1616.
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Q. 20: What member of this musical family was a Long Haired Lover From Liverpool?
fasab 