This is a bit Donald Rumsfeld, but it is certainly true that the more of these facts I see, the more I know I don’t know, except I would know if I could remember them all.
But enough of that.
Let’s get on with today’s lot.
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The official state vegetable of Oklahoma
is the watermelon.
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Horses cannot breathe through their mouths.
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The word ‘Hazard’ comes from the Arabic ‘al zahr’ which means ‘the dice’.
The term came to be associated with dice during the Crusades
and eventually took on a negative connotation because
games of dice were associated with gambling.
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If you eat a teaspoon of sugar after eating something spicy,
it will completely neutralize the heat.
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When the oldest person on Earth was born,
there was a completely different set of people on the planet.
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The last veteran of the American Civil War died in 1956,
long enough to see the atomic bomb dropped in Japan.
Albert Henry Woolson, last surviving Civil War veteran on either side whose status is undisputed.
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A “butt load” is an actual unit of measurement,
equivalent to 126 gallons.
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The word ‘posh’, which denotes luxurious rooms or accommodations,
originated when ticket agents in England
marked the tickets of travelers going by ship to the Orient.
Since there was no air conditioning in those days,
it was always better to have a cabin on the shady side of the ship
as it passed through the Mediterranean and Suez area.
Since the sun is in the south, those with money paid extra
to get cabins on the left, or port, traveling to the Asia,
and on the right, or starboard, when returning to Europe.
Hence their tickets were marked with the initials for
Port Outbound Starboard Homebound, or POSH.
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Nepal is the only country without a rectangular flag,
it looks like two pennants glued one on top of the other.
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Dr Seuss wrote “Green Eggs And Ham”
to win a bet against his publisher
who thought that Seuss could not complete
a book using only 50 words.
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Crocodiles are more closely related to birds than to lizards.
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Not only was James Garfield ambidextrous,
he could write Latin with one hand
and Greek with the other at the same time.
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Shakespeare and Pocahontas
were alive at the same time.
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Kiribati is the first country in the world
that will be entirely lost due to rising sea levels.
Another twenty brain teasing questions to stimulate those old grey cells.
As usual the answers can be found waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but please NO cheating!
Enjoy and good luck.
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Q. 1: Where would you go to look at the Abominable Snowman?
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Q. 2: Who was Jacqueline Lee Bouvier’s second husband?
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Q. 3: Where were Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire and Antony Perkins in the 1959 post apocalyptic movie that they starred in?
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Q. 4: What famous magician shares his name with an equally famous Dickens’ character?
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Q. 5: In which country is Togariro National park with its three volcanoes, including Mt. Ruapahu?
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Q. 6: Very few non Russians appeared on postage stamps in the USSR between 1922 and 1991, but two Americans did. Can you name them? (A point for each.)
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Q. 7: This famous actor starred in a movie being himself, who is he?
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Q. 8: Who was ‘The Once and Future King’?
a) Elvis b) Arthur c) Idi Amin d) Aragorn
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Q. 9: What was the name of the first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and who is it’s current chief? (A point for each correct answer.)
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Q. 10: What is the name of the river that rises on the Tibetan Plateau of western China and has flooded more often and killed more people than any other?
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Q. 11: Why were there no registered births or deaths in England on September 3rd 1752?
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Q. 12: The name of which form of literature stems from a Greek word meaning ‘making’?
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Q. 13: Which actor won his only Oscar for his role in the western ‘True Grit’?
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Q. 14: The old name for which island country stems from the Latin word for beautiful?
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Q. 15: What is the real name of The Shark Tank’s ‘Mr Wonderful’?
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Q. 16: What is the capital of Equador?
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Q. 17: Vincent van Gogh is not only a very famous artist with his works now commanding millions of dollars, but he is also well known for an incident in which he cut off an ear. Which one? (Go on, you have a 50:50 chance on this one!)
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Q. 18: What aliases did Hannibal Hayes and Kid Curry use in the long running television series?
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Q. 19: Who was hailed as the founder of the Mongol Empire?
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Q. 20: What was Elvis Presley’s first number one hit single in the USA?
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ANSWERS
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Q. 1: Where would you go to look at the Abominable Snowman?
A. 1: The Himalayas.
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Q. 2: Who was Jacqueline Lee Bouvier’s second husband?
A. 2: Greek shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis.
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Q. 3: Where were Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire and Antony Perkins in the 1959 post apocalyptic movie that they starred in?
A. 3: On The Beach.
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Q. 4: What famous magician shares his name with an equally famous Dickens’ character?
A. 4: David Copperfield.
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Q. 5: In which country is Togariro National park with its three volcanoes, including Mt. Ruapahu?
A. 5: New Zealand.
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Q. 6: Very few non Russians appeared on postage stamps in the USSR between 1922 and 1991, but two Americans did. Can you name them? (A point for each.)
A. 6: They were Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain.
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Q. 7: This famous actor starred in a movie being himself, who is he?
A. 7: He is John Malkovich, who starred in the movie ‘Being John Malkovich’.
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Q. 8: Who was ‘The Once and Future King’?
a) Elvis b) Arthur c) Idi Amin d) Aragorn
A. 8: b) Arthur.
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Q. 9: What was the name of the first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and who is it’s current chief? (A point for each correct answer.)
A. 9: J Edgar Hoover was the first, the current director is James Comey.
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Q. 10: What is the name of the river that rises on the Tibetan Plateau of western China and has flooded more often and killed more people than any other?
A. 10: The Yellow River.
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Q. 11: Why were there no registered births or deaths in England on September 3rd 1752?
A. 11: There was no September 3rd 1752. The British government adopted the Gregorian calendar. It was decreed that the day following September 2nd 1752 should be called September 14.
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Q. 12: The name of which form of literature stems from a Greek word meaning ‘making’?
A. 12: Poetry.
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Q. 13: Which actor won his only Oscar for his role in the western ‘True Grit’?
A. 13: John Wayne.
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Q. 14: The old name for which island country stems from the Latin word for beautiful?
A. 14: Formosa (the modern name is Taiwan.)
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Q. 15: What is the real name of The Shark Tank’s ‘Mr Wonderful’?
A. 15: Kevin O’Leary.
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Q. 16: What is the capital of Equador?
A. 16: Quito.
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Q. 17: Vincent van Gogh is not only a very famous artist with his works now commanding millions of dollars, but he is also well known for an incident in which he cut off an ear. Which one? (Go on, you have a 50:50 chance on this one!)
A. 17: It was his left ear.
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Q. 18: What aliases did Hannibal Hayes and Kid Curry use in the long running television series?
A. 18: They were ‘Alias Smith And Jones’.
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Q. 19: Who was hailed as the founder of the Mongol Empire?
A. 19: Genghis Khan.
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Q. 20: What was Elvis Presley’s first number one hit single in the USA?
Yes, it’s another Monday quiz here at the fasab blog.
Some tough questions this week, but a few multi-pointers so you still have the chance to score well.
Enjoy and very good luck.
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Q. 1: Which Olympic superstar was nicknamed ‘The Czech Locomotive’?
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Q. 2: Which two Disney ‘characters’ appear in the Bond movie ‘Diamonds Are Forever’?
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Q. 3: ‘Yamazaki’ is a prize winning what?
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Q. 4: Which fictional character was well versed in Latin and Greek, played excellent whist, spoke French and Spanish, was tone deaf and suffered from mal de mer?
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Q. 5: What is the name of the largest mountain range in both Iran and Iraq?
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Q. 6: We know this famous singer as ‘Sting’, but what is his real name?
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Q. 7: Bellus, a rogue red star and its companion planet Zyra threaten the earth and cause a Noah’s Ark like scenario in which classic science fiction movie?
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Q. 8: The name of which trendy beverage translated means ‘stained milk’?
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Q. 9: Who dictated the Qur’an to Muhammad?
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Q. 10: In the classic movie ‘Casablanca’, what were the last names for each of the following characters? One point for each correct answer.
a. Rick
b. Ilsa
c. Victor
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Q. 11: What is the most populated city north of the Arctic Circle?
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Q. 12: What was Sir Percy Blakeney’s colourful nickname?
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Q. 13: What is Barrack Obama’s middle name?
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Q. 14: What does the Greek root ‘hipp’ mean?
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Q. 15: Which word meaning uproarious is derived from the nickname that was given to the psychiatric institution The Hospital of St. Mary of Bethlehem in London?
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Q. 16: There are two famous David statues in Florence Italy. Who created
a. the bronze David (circa 1435) and
b. the marble David (1501-1504)?
(A point for each.)
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Q. 17: The name of which little island country, popular with tourists, stems from the Portuguese for ‘bearded ones’?
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Q. 18: Why did Edward VIII have to abdicate in 1936?
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Q. 19: Twelve English actresses have won the Academy Award for best actress. Can you name them? One point for each correct answer.
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Q. 20: What is the name of the deaf, dumb and blind kid who sure plays a mean pinball?
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ANSWERS
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Q. 1: Which Olympic superstar was nicknamed ‘The Czech Locomotive’?
A. 1: Emil Zatopek.
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Q. 2: Which two Disney ‘characters’ appear in the Bond movie ‘Diamonds Are Forever’?
A. 2: Bambi and Thumper. (The two female bodyguards)
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Q. 3: ‘Yamazaki’ is a prize winning what?
A. 3: Japanese whiskey.
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Q. 4: Which fictional character was well versed in Latin and Greek, played excellent whist, spoke French and Spanish, was tone deaf and suffered from mal de mer?
A. 4: Horatio Hornblower.
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Q. 5: What is the name of the largest mountain range in both Iran and Iraq?
A. 5: The Zagros mountains.
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Q. 6: We know this famous singer as ‘Sting’, but what is his real name?
A. 6: Gordon Sumner.
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Q. 7: Bellus, a rogue red star and its companion planet Zyra threaten the earth and cause a Noah’s Ark like scenario in which classic science fiction movie?
A. 7: When Worlds Collide (1951).
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Q. 8: The name of which trendy beverage translated means ‘stained milk’?
A. 8: Latte macchiato.
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Q. 9: Who dictated the Qur’an to Muhammad?
A. 9: The angel Jibril (Gabriel).
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Q. 10: In the classic movie ‘Casablanca’, what were the last names for each of the following characters? One point for each correct answer.
a. Rick
b. Ilsa
c. Victor
A. 10: Their last names were
a. Rick BLAINE
b. Ilsa LUND
c. Victor LASZLO
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Q. 11: What is the most populated city north of the Arctic Circle?
A. 11: Murmansk.
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Q. 12: What was Sir Percy Blakeney’s colourful nickname?
A. 12: The Scarlet Pimpernel.
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Q. 13: What is Barrack Obama’s middle name?
A. 13: Hussein.
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Q. 14: What does the Greek root ‘hipp’ mean?
A. 14: Horse.
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Q. 15: Which word meaning uproarious is derived from the nickname that was given to the psychiatric institution The Hospital of St. Mary of Bethlehem in London?
A. 15: Bedlam.
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Q. 16: There are two famous David statues in Florence Italy. Who created
a. the bronze David (circa 1435) and
b. the marble David (1501-1504)?
(A point for each.)
A. 16: a. the bronze David was created by Donatello (Donato di Nicola di Betto Bardi)
b. the marble David was created by Michaelangelo.
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Q. 17: The name of which little island country, popular with tourists, stems from the Portuguese for ‘bearded ones’?
A. 17: Barbados.
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Q. 18: Why did Edward VIII have to abdicate in 1936?
A. 18: He wanted to marry Mrs Simpson, a divorcee.
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Q. 19: Twelve English actresses have won the Academy Award for best actress. Can you name them? One point for each correct answer.
A. 19: Vivien Leigh, Joan Fontaine, Greer Garson, Olivia de Havilland, Elizabeth Taylor, Julie Andrews, Julie Christie, Maggie Smith, Glenda Jackson, Emma Thompson, Helen Mirren and Kate Winslet.
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Q. 20: What is the name of the deaf, dumb and blind kid who sure plays a mean pinball?
Once a pun a time there was a blog that championed that element of humor called word play. You are about to read the latest batch of these puns right now.
So all that remains to be said is, enjoy!
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I walked into the boss’s office and handed him a pear.
“What’s this for?” He asked.
“A pay rise.” I replied.
“My wife told me to grow it first and then ask you.”
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The other day a friend of mine hit me with a chocolate bar.
How dairy!
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HMV to close sixty stores.
Is this the Vinyl Countdown?
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I won £10,000 on a scratchcard last week and the wife said
we should draw up a list of what to spend it on.
“Well, I’m going to book a holiday for one.”
“Oh goody” she screamed excitedly, “I can’t wait!”
Can’t help thinking she’s misunderstood what I said.
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I was reading through the ingredients for
a fruit salad I’m making today and it said:
“Pineapples: five cubed.”
I’m not sure though,
125 will probably be too many.
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My friend has no hands.
I feel for him.
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When I was young, my mum always used to hit me with the telephone.
I was always on the receiving end…..
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My calculator is missing the minus button,
but on the plus side, it still works.
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A gay guy asked me if I liked to blow people.
I told him I’m not a fan.
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I just hired a really uncomfortable car.
It Hertz like hell.
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I said to my friend, “I just watched that film about the Nazis.”
He said, “Oh what, the one with Adolf in?”
I said, “No mate, you’re thinking of ‘Flipper’, this was just about the Nazis.”
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I went house hunting at the weekend.
I went to see one house that had mirrors all over the walls.
I thought, “I can see myself living here.”
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I told my Chinese friend that I bought very cheap cigarettes
that were shipped in from a foreign country.
He said, “Is that Regal?”
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Why shouldn’t you buy Ukrainian underpants?
Because Chernobyl fallout.
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I was walking into my local pub,
when I suddenly realized it was darts night.
So I did a 180 and left.
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Our Brazilian housekeeper is rubbish at making the beds.
She’s very tidy downstairs though.
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There was an unbelievably close finish
in this years “Shemale of the year” contest.
It was a Thai.
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Everyone can put on their curriculum vitae
that they know a little Latin.
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I’ve got a fear of two-letter words.
I get scared just thinking about it.
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I turned to my wife last night and said,
“I’m into anal”.
She gave me a look of despair and glared at me as she said,
“Animal”.
I love it when we do the cryptic crossword together.
fasab 