Tuesday, October 20, 2026

The tidbits, trivia answers and word pairs from Facts & Games on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Play today’s games · All past days · All past tidbits

Six tidbits

Commonly confused words

historic vs. historical

historic: Famous or important in history. historical: Relating to the past. A historic day matters; a historical one simply happened long ago.

elicit vs. illicit

elicit: To draw out a response or reaction. illicit: Forbidden by law or custom. Illicit starts like ill: it’s against the rules.

bemused vs. amused

bemused: Puzzled or bewildered. amused: Finding something funny or entertaining. Bemused means befuddled, not entertained.

perquisite vs. prerequisite

perquisite: A perk that comes with a job. prerequisite: Something required beforehand. Perquisite gives us the word perk.

envy vs. jealousy

envy: Wanting what someone else has. jealousy: Fear of losing what you have to a rival. Envy covets; jealousy guards.

Beatles trivia

1. Which song did Paul write to comfort John’s young son Julian?Answer: Hey Jude. Paul wrote it in 1968 as “Hey Jules” when John and Cynthia were splitting up.
2. Which English actress was Paul McCartney’s girlfriend through much of the mid-1960s?Answer: Jane Asher. Paul and Jane Asher were together from 1963 and got engaged in 1967.
3. In which film is a cult after a sacrificial ring stuck on Ringo’s finger?Answer: Help!. Help! (1965) follows the cult’s attempts to get the ring back.
4. Which Caribbean islands were a location for the film Help!?Answer: The Bahamas. Scenes were shot in the Bahamas, and others in the Austrian Alps.
5. Who directed the 1970 documentary film Let It Be?Answer: Michael Lindsay-Hogg. Michael Lindsay-Hogg filmed the January 1969 sessions.
6. Who directed the 2021 documentary series The Beatles: Get Back?Answer: Peter Jackson. Peter Jackson restored the 1969 footage shot for Let It Be.
7. Which song, released in November 2023, was billed as the last Beatles song?Answer: Now and Then. Now and Then was built from a late-1970s John Lennon demo.
8. At which London studios did the band record most of its music?Answer: EMI Studios on Abbey Road. EMI’s studios in St John’s Wood, later renamed Abbey Road Studios.
9. Who wrote “Taxman”, the opening track of Revolver?Answer: George Harrison. George wrote it after learning how much of the band’s earnings went in tax.
10. Which album cover shows the four faces half in shadow, in black and white?Answer: With the Beatles. Robert Freeman took the moody 1963 photo for With the Beatles.
11. On the UK cover of Help!, the band’s arm positions imitate what?Answer: Semaphore flag signals. They pose as if sending semaphore, though the letters don’t actually spell HELP.
12. Which song opens Please Please Me with Paul counting in?Answer: I Saw Her Standing There. I Saw Her Standing There starts with Paul’s count-in.
13. Which song was recorded last on the long day of Please Please Me sessions, with John’s voice nearly gone?Answer: Twist and Shout. Twist and Shout was done at the end of the day in essentially one take.
14. Which Lennon–McCartney song gave the Rolling Stones an early hit in 1963?Answer: I Wanna Be Your Man. The Stones released I Wanna Be Your Man as their second single.
15. Which Beatle was knighted first?Answer: Paul McCartney. Paul became Sir Paul in 1997; Ringo was knighted in 2018.
16. Which Beatle released the triple album All Things Must Pass in 1970?Answer: George Harrison. George’s solo album included the hit My Sweet Lord.
17. Who released the song and album “Imagine” in 1971?Answer: John Lennon. John Lennon, with Yoko Ono co-producing.
18. What was the name of the band Paul formed after the Beatles?Answer: Wings. Paul formed Wings with Linda McCartney and Denny Laine in 1971.
19. Which Beatle narrated the TV series Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends?Answer: Ringo Starr. Ringo narrated the first two series, from 1984.
20. Which band did George form with Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne?Answer: The Traveling Wilburys. The Traveling Wilburys released their first album in 1988.

Taylor Swift trivia

1. In which Pennsylvania town was Taylor Swift born?Answer: West Reading. She was born in West Reading and grew up nearby, later living in Wyomissing.
2. What did Swift's family grow on their Pennsylvania farm when she was little?Answer: Christmas trees. She spent holiday seasons on the family's Christmas tree farm, later celebrated in "Christmas Tree Farm."
3. At 14, Swift signed a publishing deal with which company?Answer: Sony/ATV. She signed with Sony/ATV in 2004, the youngest person the company had ever signed.
4. What is the name of Swift's younger brother?Answer: Austin. Austin Swift is an actor and producer.
5. Which singer co-wrote and sings on Fearless's "Breathe"?Answer: Colbie Caillat. Colbie Caillat co-wrote the song and sings harmony on it.
6. Swift's first headlining tour, the Fearless Tour, opened in April 2009 in which city?Answer: Evansville, Indiana. The tour opened in Evansville on April 23, 2009, and ran until July 2010.
7. What was the working title of Speak Now?Answer: Enchanted. Scott Borchetta suggested a new title, feeling "Enchanted" didn't suit the album's grown-up outlook.
8. According to Swift, what does the title Red stand for?Answer: Intense, tumultuous emotions. She tied the color to intense love, frustration, jealousy and confusion.
9. Which song replaced "Shake It Off" at No. 1 in 2014, making Swift the first woman to follow herself at the top of the Hot 100?Answer: Blank Space. "Blank Space" took over the top spot in November 2014.
10. Swift's music was pulled from which streaming service in November 2014?Answer: Spotify. Her catalog left Spotify on November 3, 2014, and returned in June 2017.
11. Swift's 2015 open letter persuaded which company to pay artists during free trials?Answer: Apple. Apple changed its Apple Music policy right after her June 2015 letter.
12. Which hit did Swift co-write under the pseudonym Nils Sjoberg?Answer: This Is What You Came For. The 2016 song was recorded by Calvin Harris and Rihanna.
13. Which group recorded "Better Man," a Swift song that won CMA Song of the Year in 2017?Answer: Little Big Town. Swift wrote it by herself and gave it to Little Big Town.
14. Which two artists are featured on Reputation's "End Game"?Answer: Ed Sheeran and Future. Ed Sheeran and the rapper Future both have verses on the 2017 single.
15. Which service released the Reputation Stadium Tour concert film on New Year's Eve 2018?Answer: Netflix. Netflix premiered it on December 31, 2018.
16. Which Lover song features The Chicks?Answer: Soon You'll Get Better. The Chicks (then the Dixie Chicks) sing on "Soon You'll Get Better."
17. "Cruel Summer" was written by Swift, Jack Antonoff and which artist?Answer: St. Vincent. St. Vincent (Annie Clark) co-wrote the song and played guitar on it.
18. Which English actor wrote on folklore under the pen name William Bowery?Answer: Joe Alwyn. Swift later confirmed that William Bowery was Joe Alwyn.
19. Folklore producer Aaron Dessner is a member of which band?Answer: The National. Dessner produced most of folklore and evermore, mostly at his Long Pond studio in New York's Hudson Valley.
20. How long after folklore did Swift release evermore?Answer: Less than five months. Evermore followed on December 11, 2020, just 140 days after folklore.

Football trivia

1. Which team puts its logo on only one side of its helmets?Answer: Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers’ logo appears only on the right side of the helmet.
2. Which Hall of Famer was nicknamed “The Galloping Ghost”?Answer: Red Grange. College star Red Grange joined the Bears in 1925 and drew huge crowds to pro football.
3. Who was the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft?Answer: Peyton Manning. The Colts took Manning first; the Chargers took Ryan Leaf second.
4. Tom Brady spent his final three NFL seasons with which team?Answer: Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady played for Tampa Bay from 2020 to 2022 and won Super Bowl LV there.
5. In which round of the 2000 draft was Tom Brady picked?Answer: Sixth round. The Patriots took him 199th overall in the sixth round.
6. In the 1966 AFL–NFL merger, what did “AFL” stand for?Answer: American Football League. The American Football League began play in 1960 as a rival to the NFL.
7. Which team’s defensive line was nicknamed the “Purple People Eaters”?Answer: Minnesota Vikings. Alan Page, Carl Eller, Jim Marshall and Gary Larsen anchored the Vikings’ line.
8. Joe Montana finished his career with which team?Answer: Kansas City Chiefs. After 14 years with the 49ers, Montana played his final two seasons for Kansas City.
9. Which team was the first wild-card team to win the Super Bowl?Answer: Oakland Raiders. The 1980 Raiders won Super Bowl XV over the Eagles.
10. How many points is a field goal worth?Answer: 3. A field goal is worth 3 points; a touchdown is worth 6.
11. Super Bowl XII was the first played indoors. In which stadium?Answer: Louisiana Superdome. The Cowboys beat the Broncos in New Orleans’ Superdome in January 1978.
12. Who is the NFL’s official career sacks leader?Answer: Bruce Smith. Bruce Smith had 200 sacks, most of them with the Bills.
13. Who was named NFL MVP for the 2024 season?Answer: Josh Allen. The Bills quarterback won his first MVP award.
14. Who scored the most points in NFL history?Answer: Adam Vinatieri. Kicker Adam Vinatieri scored 2,673 points over 24 seasons.
15. Which Hall of Fame coach was famous for wearing a fedora on the sideline?Answer: Tom Landry. Landry coached the Cowboys for their first 29 seasons.
16. What is the preseason game played in Canton each summer called?Answer: Hall of Fame Game. It is played during the Hall of Fame’s induction weekend.
17. Which NFL team is nicknamed “America’s Team”?Answer: Dallas Cowboys. The name came from the Cowboys’ 1978 NFL Films highlight film.
18. Which team lost to the Chiefs in overtime in Super Bowl LVIII?Answer: San Francisco 49ers. Kansas City won 25–22 in Las Vegas in February 2024.
19. How many minutes long is a regulation NFL game?Answer: 60. A game has four 15-minute quarters.
20. Which receiver set the single-season record with 23 touchdown catches in 2007?Answer: Randy Moss. Randy Moss caught 23 touchdowns for the 16–0 Patriots.

Basketball trivia

1. Who is the only player named Finals MVP while playing for the losing team?Answer: Jerry West. West won the first Finals MVP award in 1969 even though his Lakers lost to Boston in seven games.
2. Which team won its first NBA championship in 2023?Answer: Denver Nuggets. Denver beat Miami in five games, and Nikola Jokić was named Finals MVP.
3. In which round of the 2014 draft was Nikola Jokić picked?Answer: Second round. Denver took him 41st overall, one of the great bargains in draft history.
4. Who was Finals MVP with both the Spurs and the Raptors?Answer: Kawhi Leonard. Leonard won the award with San Antonio in 2014 and with Toronto in 2019.
5. LeBron James has won championships with which three teams?Answer: Heat, Cavaliers and Lakers. He won with Miami in 2012 and 2013, Cleveland in 2016 and the Lakers in 2020.
6. Which Hall of Fame center went to the U.S. Naval Academy?Answer: David Robinson. Robinson served in the Navy before joining the Spurs in 1989, which earned him the nickname “The Admiral.”
7. What was the nickname of the fast-breaking 1980s Lakers?Answer: Showtime. Magic Johnson ran “Showtime,” and the Lakers won five titles in the 1980s.
8. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were nicknamed the what?Answer: Splash Brothers. The name came from the pair’s record-setting three-point shooting for Golden State.
9. Which coach won nine titles with the Celtics and lit a cigar when a win was safe?Answer: Red Auerbach. Auerbach’s nine titles included eight in a row from 1959 to 1966.
10. Which team did the Bulls beat in both the 1997 and 1998 Finals?Answer: Utah Jazz. Beating Utah twice completed Chicago’s second three-peat.
11. Which NBA star teamed up with Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film “Space Jam”?Answer: Michael Jordan. LeBron James starred in the 2021 sequel, “Space Jam: A New Legacy.”
12. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played a co-pilot in which 1980 comedy?Answer: Airplane!. He played co-pilot Roger Murdock in the disaster-movie spoof.
13. Charles Barkley won the 1993 MVP award playing for which team?Answer: Phoenix Suns. Barkley led Phoenix to the 1993 Finals, where the Suns lost to Chicago.
14. Where was Hakeem Olajuwon born?Answer: Lagos, Nigeria. Olajuwon played soccer and handball in Lagos before moving to the University of Houston.
15. How high is an NBA rim above the floor?Answer: 10 feet. The 10-foot height goes back to Naismith’s original peach baskets.
16. Who won the 1986 Slam Dunk Contest despite standing just 5 feet 7 inches?Answer: Spud Webb. Webb beat his Atlanta teammate Dominique Wilkins, the defending champion.
17. What record did the 2015–16 Golden State Warriors finish with?Answer: 73–9. Golden State broke the 1995–96 Bulls’ record of 72 wins.
18. Which team was called the Bullets until 1997?Answer: Washington Wizards. Washington became the Wizards for the 1997–98 season.
19. Which country is Giannis Antetokounmpo from?Answer: Greece. The “Greek Freak” was born in Athens to Nigerian parents.
20. The NBA Finals MVP trophy is named after whom?Answer: Bill Russell. The league named it for Russell in 2009; he retired in 1969, the year the award began.

Baseball trivia

1. Who holds the single-season home run record, with 73?Answer: Barry Bonds. Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs for the Giants in 2001.
2. Which Cardinals shortstop was nicknamed “The Wizard of Oz” for his fielding?Answer: Ozzie Smith. Ozzie Smith won 13 straight Gold Gloves and was famous for his backflips.
3. The St. Louis Browns moved in 1954 and became which team?Answer: Baltimore Orioles. The Browns moved to Baltimore and took the old local name Orioles.
4. Which pitcher won a record seven Cy Young Awards?Answer: Roger Clemens. Roger Clemens won his seven with four different teams.
5. In baseball slang, what is a “can of corn”?Answer: An easy fly ball. The phrase is said to come from grocers tipping cans off high shelves and catching them easily.
6. In which Pennsylvania city is the Little League World Series played each August?Answer: Williamsport. Little League was founded in Williamsport in 1939, and the series is played in South Williamsport.
7. Which team won 22 games in a row in 2017, an American League record?Answer: Cleveland Indians. Cleveland’s streak ran from August 24 until a loss to Kansas City on September 15.
8. Who is MLB’s career leader in stolen bases?Answer: Rickey Henderson. Rickey Henderson stole 1,406 bases, more than 450 ahead of anyone else.
9. Which position is known as the “hot corner”?Answer: Third base. Third basemen stand close to right-handed hitters, so hard-hit balls reach them fast.
10. Which movie is about Oakland GM Billy Beane building a team with statistics?Answer: Moneyball. Moneyball (2011), starring Brad Pitt, is based on Michael Lewis’s book about the 2002 A’s.
11. A pitcher who throws a complete nine-inning game records how many outs?Answer: 27. Three outs in each of nine innings makes 27.
12. Which team was called the Colt .45s before taking its current name in 1965?Answer: Houston Astros. Houston joined the NL in 1962 as the Colt .45s.
13. Which 6-foot-10 pitcher was nicknamed “The Big Unit”?Answer: Randy Johnson. Randy Johnson struck out 4,875 batters, second only to Nolan Ryan.
14. Which White Sox slugger was nicknamed “The Big Hurt”?Answer: Frank Thomas. Frank Thomas won back-to-back AL MVP awards in 1993 and 1994.
15. Who was the first woman elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame?Answer: Effa Manley. Effa Manley, co-owner of the Negro Leagues’ Newark Eagles, was inducted in 2006.
16. At which team’s ballpark can home runs splash into McCovey Cove?Answer: San Francisco Giants. The cove beyond the right-field wall of the Giants’ Oracle Park is named for Willie McCovey.
17. Teams in baseball’s Grapefruit League hold spring training in which state?Answer: Florida. Teams that train in Arizona play in the Cactus League instead.
18. What does a “walk-off” hit do?Answer: Ends the game with a home-team win. The winning run scores and the teams walk off the field, since the visitors get no more at-bats.
19. Who is the only player to win Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award in the same season?Answer: Fernando Valenzuela. The Dodgers’ Fernando Valenzuela won both in 1981, when “Fernandomania” swept Los Angeles.
20. Which ballpark had MLB’s first fully retractable roof when it opened in 1989?Answer: SkyDome. Toronto’s SkyDome, now Rogers Centre, could open or close its roof in about 20 minutes.

U.S. History trivia

1. Who was the main author of the Declaration of Independence?Answer: Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson wrote the draft, which Adams and Franklin helped revise.
2. Who is often called the “Father of the Constitution”?Answer: James Madison. Madison drafted the Virginia Plan and kept detailed notes at the 1787 convention.
3. What was the Underground Railroad?Answer: A secret network helping enslaved people escape. Safe houses and guides helped thousands escape to free states and Canada.
4. Which Underground Railroad conductor was nicknamed “Moses”?Answer: Harriet Tubman. Tubman returned south many times to lead others to freedom.
5. Which Union general later became the 18th president?Answer: Ulysses S. Grant. Grant was elected president in 1868.
6. The 1898 explosion of which ship helped spark the Spanish–American War?Answer: USS Maine. The Maine blew up in Havana Harbor in February 1898.
7. What did the 13th Amendment do?Answer: Abolished slavery. It was ratified in December 1865.
8. Who declared “Give me liberty, or give me death!”?Answer: Patrick Henry. Henry said it in a speech to the Virginia Convention in March 1775.
9. Which brothers made the first powered airplane flight?Answer: Orville and Wilbur Wright. They flew at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in December 1903.
10. Which president was nicknamed the “Trust Buster”?Answer: Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt used antitrust law against big monopolies such as Northern Securities.
11. What was the Manhattan Project?Answer: The program that built the atomic bomb. The secret wartime program produced the first atomic bombs in 1945.
12. Which U.S. program helped rebuild Western Europe after World War II?Answer: Marshall Plan. Named for Secretary of State George Marshall, it began in 1948.
13. Which U.S. territory was the first to give women the vote, in 1869?Answer: Wyoming. Wyoming Territory granted women’s suffrage in December 1869.
14. Which 1925 Tennessee trial was about teaching evolution?Answer: Scopes Trial. Teacher John Scopes was tried in Dayton, Tennessee.
15. Who was the first American to orbit the Earth?Answer: John Glenn. Glenn orbited three times in Friendship 7 on February 20, 1962.
16. What principle did Marbury v. Madison establish in 1803?Answer: Judicial review. It confirmed the Supreme Court’s power to strike down laws that conflict with the Constitution.
17. Which short speech did Lincoln deliver in Pennsylvania in November 1863?Answer: The Gettysburg Address. He spoke at the dedication of a cemetery for soldiers killed at Gettysburg.
18. Which English-speaking Patuxet man helped the Pilgrims survive at Plymouth?Answer: Squanto. Squanto (Tisquantum) had learned English after being taken to Europe.
19. “Remember the Alamo!” was a battle cry in which conflict?Answer: The Texas Revolution. Texan soldiers shouted it at the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836.
20. What did Henry Ford introduce at his Highland Park plant in 1913?Answer: The moving assembly line. The moving line cut the time to build a Model T dramatically.

U.S. Presidents trivia

1. Who is the only president elected unanimously by the Electoral College?Answer: George Washington. Washington won every electoral vote in both 1789 and 1792.
2. Which president served the longest?Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt served just over 12 years, from 1933 until his death in 1945.
3. What was the first name of first lady Mrs. John F. Kennedy?Answer: Jacqueline. Jacqueline Bouvier married John F. Kennedy in 1953.
4. Which president was nicknamed “Old Hickory”?Answer: Andrew Jackson. Jackson’s soldiers gave him the name for his toughness.
5. Which president appears on the $50 bill?Answer: Ulysses S. Grant. Grant has been on the $50 note since 1913.
6. Which president signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964?Answer: Lyndon B. Johnson. Johnson signed the act on July 2, 1964.
7. Who is the only president who never married?Answer: James Buchanan. Buchanan stayed a lifelong bachelor; his niece Harriet Lane served as White House hostess.
8. Who was the first vice president of the United States?Answer: John Adams. Adams served as vice president under Washington from 1789 to 1797.
9. What number president is Joe Biden?Answer: 46th. Biden was inaugurated as the 46th president in January 2021.
10. Who was the first president to fly in an airplane while in office?Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt flew to the Casablanca Conference in January 1943.
11. Under which president did the U.S. buy Alaska from Russia?Answer: Andrew Johnson. Secretary of State William Seward arranged the purchase in 1867.
12. In which city was John F. Kennedy assassinated?Answer: Dallas. Kennedy was shot in Dallas on November 22, 1963.
13. Which first lady was a niece of Theodore Roosevelt?Answer: Eleanor Roosevelt. Eleanor was the daughter of Theodore’s brother Elliott.
14. Who was Ronald Reagan’s vice president?Answer: George H. W. Bush. Bush served as vice president from 1981 to 1989.
15. Which article of the Constitution sets up the office of president?Answer: Article II. Article II describes the executive branch and the president’s powers.
16. Which president was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford?Answer: Bill Clinton. Clinton studied at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar from 1968.
17. Monticello was the home of which president?Answer: Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson designed Monticello, near Charlottesville, Virginia.
18. Who became president when Franklin D. Roosevelt died?Answer: Harry S. Truman. Truman was sworn in on April 12, 1945.
19. Who is the first president to be impeached twice by the House?Answer: Donald Trump. The House impeached Trump in December 2019 and January 2021; the Senate acquitted him both times.
20. What call sign is used for an Air Force plane carrying the president?Answer: Air Force One. Any Air Force aircraft with the president aboard uses the call sign Air Force One.

Geography trivia

1. What is the capital of Spain?Answer: Madrid. Madrid sits near the geographic center of Spain.
2. Which continent has the most countries?Answer: Africa. Africa has 54 countries.
3. The Andes run along which side of South America?Answer: West. The Andes follow the continent’s western, Pacific side for about 7,000 km.
4. Sacramento is the capital of which U.S. state?Answer: California. Sacramento, not Los Angeles or San Francisco, is California’s capital.
5. Mount Fuji is in which country?Answer: Japan. Mount Fuji, on the island of Honshu, is Japan’s highest peak.
6. Mount Everest sits on the border between Nepal and which country?Answer: China. Everest straddles Nepal and the Tibet region of China.
7. What is the largest lake in Africa?Answer: Lake Victoria. Lake Victoria is shared by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
8. The Panama Canal links the Atlantic with which ocean?Answer: Pacific. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama between the Caribbean and the Pacific.
9. What is the capital of Argentina?Answer: Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires sits on the Río de la Plata estuary.
10. Which strait separates Asia from North America?Answer: Bering Strait. The Bering Strait lies between Russia’s Chukotka and Alaska.
11. Which country’s flag is a red circle on a white background?Answer: Japan. Japan’s flag shows a red sun disc on white.
12. What is the deepest lake in the world?Answer: Lake Baikal. Lake Baikal in Siberia is more than 1,600 m deep.
13. Oslo is the capital of which country?Answer: Norway. Oslo sits at the head of the Oslofjord in southern Norway.
14. Which river flows through Cairo?Answer: Nile. Cairo lies on the Nile just south of its delta.
15. Which U.S. state is nicknamed the Sunshine State?Answer: Florida. Florida has used the Sunshine State nickname for decades.
16. Which of these countries is completely surrounded by Italy?Answer: San Marino. San Marino is an enclave in north-central Italy.
17. Which Canadian province is mostly French-speaking?Answer: Quebec. French is Quebec’s official language and most residents’ first language.
18. What is the capital of New Zealand?Answer: Wellington. Wellington, at the southern tip of the North Island, is the capital; Auckland is the largest city.
19. Which desert covers much of southern Mongolia and northern China?Answer: Gobi. The Gobi stretches across southern Mongolia and northern China.
20. Victoria Falls is on which African river?Answer: Zambezi. The Zambezi drops over Victoria Falls on the Zambia–Zimbabwe border.