Wednesday, November 4, 2026

The tidbits, trivia answers and word pairs from Facts & Games on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Play today’s games · All past days · All past tidbits

Six tidbits

Commonly confused words

entomology vs. etymology

entomology: The study of insects. etymology: The study of where words come from. Etymology is about words; entomology is about bugs.

compose vs. comprise

compose: To make up or form a whole (said of the parts). comprise: To consist of (said of the whole). The parts compose the whole; the whole comprises the parts.

wary vs. weary

wary: Cautious about possible danger. weary: Very tired. Weary rhymes with dreary.

biannual vs. biennial

biannual: Happening twice a year. biennial: Happening every two years. Biennial stretches over years.

exalt vs. exult

exalt: To raise high in rank or praise. exult: To rejoice triumphantly. Exult is to celebrate, as in exultant.

Beatles trivia

1. Which Sgt. Pepper song took one line from a newspaper story about potholes in Blackburn, Lancashire?Answer: A Day in the Life. John Lennon read the Daily Mail item about Blackburn’s potholes and worked it into the song.
2. In what form was Magical Mystery Tour first released in the UK?Answer: A double EP. In Britain the six new songs came out as a pair of seven-inch EPs in a booklet; the US LP added the year’s singles.
3. Which new electronic instrument did George Harrison bring to the Abbey Road sessions?Answer: The Moog synthesizer. Its sound can be heard on songs including “Here Comes the Sun” and “Because”.
4. Which 1966 single is written as a letter from an aspiring novelist?Answer: Paperback Writer. Paul McCartney wrote it in the form of a letter to a publisher.
5. Paul McCartney borrowed the phrase “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” from which musician?Answer: Jimmy Scott. The Nigerian-born conga player Jimmy Scott used the phrase as a catchphrase.
6. Which road manager, a former Cavern Club bouncer, worked closely with the band from 1963?Answer: Mal Evans. Big Mal Evans hauled their gear, ran errands and even turned up on some of their records.
7. Who sings lead on “Girl”, from Rubber Soul?Answer: John Lennon. John wrote and sang it, complete with his famous sharp intake of breath.
8. Which song was on the B-side of “Love Me Do”?Answer: P.S. I Love You. Both sides of the first single were Lennon–McCartney originals.
9. Which song was on the B-side of “She Loves You”?Answer: I’ll Get You. “I’ll Get You” backed the band’s best-selling single of 1963.
10. Who brought the band’s rooftop concert to an end?Answer: The police. Officers from the Metropolitan Police came up to the roof after complaints about the noise.
11. Which Welsh actor appeared in A Hard Day’s Night, Help! and Magical Mystery Tour?Answer: Victor Spinetti. Spinetti, a friend of the band, was in all three films.
12. Which Liverpool group, also managed by Brian Epstein, had a 1963 UK No. 1 with “You’ll Never Walk Alone”?Answer: Gerry and the Pacemakers. Their version became the anthem of Liverpool FC’s fans.
13. Which instrument does Paul McCartney play on the recording of “Let It Be”?Answer: Piano. Paul sings and plays the piano part that drives the song.
14. Which song on Help! did George Harrison write?Answer: I Need You. George wrote two songs on the album, “I Need You” and “You Like Me Too Much”.
15. Which song begins the long medley on side two of Abbey Road?Answer: You Never Give Me Your Money. Its melodies return near the end of the medley in “Carry That Weight”.
16. Which White Album song pokes fun at an American tiger hunter John met in Rishikesh?Answer: The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill. The hunter was a young American visiting his mother at the Maharishi’s ashram.
17. Which pop star headlined the band’s first national UK tour, in early 1963?Answer: Helen Shapiro. By the end of the tour the Beatles were the act the crowds had come to see.
18. What did John Lennon have done to his Rolls-Royce Phantom V in 1967?Answer: It was painted in psychedelic colours. The yellow car, covered in swirls and flowers, became a symbol of the Summer of Love.
19. Which Beatle walked out for several days during the filmed sessions of January 1969?Answer: George Harrison. George left after tensions at Twickenham and returned once the band agreed to change plans.
20. Which Beatle is dressed all in white on the Abbey Road cover?Answer: John Lennon. John leads the line in a white suit; George brings up the rear in denim.

Taylor Swift trivia

1. Swift took the title “Lavender Haze” from a phrase she heard on which TV drama?Answer: Mad Men. The 1950s-style phrase describes being lost in the glow of love.
2. Midnights’ “Question...?” opens with a vocal snippet of which 1989 song?Answer: Out of the Woods. The callback is one of many nods to her earlier albums.
3. Swift said a Netflix romantic comedy inspired Lover’s “Death by a Thousand Cuts.” Which film?Answer: Someone Great. She wrote the song after watching the film’s story of a painful breakup.
4. Red’s “Starlight” was inspired by an old photo of which young couple?Answer: Ethel and Robert Kennedy. Swift said the picture showed them as teenagers, dancing.
5. Red was nominated for the Grammy for Album of the Year. Which album won?Answer: Random Access Memories. Daft Punk’s album took the top prize that night.
6. The Tortured Poets Department was nominated for Album of the Year. Which album won?Answer: Cowboy Carter. Beyoncé’s country album won the award.
7. How old was Swift when Fearless made her the youngest Album of the Year winner up to that time?Answer: 20. Billie Eilish later became the youngest winner, at 18.
8. Which bonus track from the deluxe edition of 1989 was later released as a single?Answer: New Romantics. Its video was put together from footage of the 1989 World Tour.
9. In which city did Swift play her first Eras Tour shows in South America?Answer: Buenos Aires. She played River Plate’s stadium in Argentina before moving on to Brazil.
10. In which city did the Eras Tour play its first shows in the United Kingdom?Answer: Edinburgh. The Scottish dates were at Murrayfield Stadium, home of Scotland’s rugby team.
11. “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” echoes the title of a famous play by which writer?Answer: Edward Albee. Albee’s play is Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
12. Which Welsh poet is name-checked in the title track of The Tortured Poets Department?Answer: Dylan Thomas. The same line mentions the singer and poet Patti Smith.
13. Which song on The Life of a Showgirl has an exclamation mark in its title?Answer: Cancelled!. It is track 10 on the album.
14. Which color dominates the look of The Life of a Showgirl, from the cover lettering to the merchandise?Answer: Orange. The album’s visuals are full of orange glitter.
15. Who directed the Netflix documentary Miss Americana?Answer: Lana Wilson. The film opened the Sundance Film Festival.
16. Which photographer shot the black-and-white woodland covers of Folklore?Answer: Beth Garrabrant. She also photographed the evermore covers.
17. Which actress plays the wicked stepmother in the Cinderella-style “Bejeweled” video?Answer: Laura Dern. The members of Haim play the stepsisters.
18. Travis Kelce hosts the New Heights podcast with which brother?Answer: Jason Kelce. Jason was a longtime center for the Philadelphia Eagles.
19. Aaron Dessner’s Long Pond Studio, where much of Folklore was made, is in which state?Answer: New York. The studio sits in the Hudson Valley.
20. Which was Swift’s first album to reach No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart?Answer: Red. Her first two albums never topped the British chart.

Football trivia

1. Who was the first overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft?Answer: Eric Fisher. The Kansas City Chiefs took the offensive tackle from Central Michigan.
2. Which team did the Green Bay Packers beat in Super Bowl XXXI?Answer: New England Patriots. Green Bay won 35–21 in New Orleans for its first title in 29 years.
3. Which team did the San Francisco 49ers beat in Super Bowl XXIX?Answer: San Diego Chargers. Steve Young threw a Super Bowl–record six touchdown passes in a 49–26 win.
4. Which team did the Dallas Cowboys beat in Super Bowl VI for their first title?Answer: Miami Dolphins. Roger Staubach was named MVP as Dallas won 24–3.
5. Who was named MVP of Super Bowl XVIII?Answer: Marcus Allen. He ran for 191 yards, including a 74-yard touchdown, as the Raiders beat Washington 38–9.
6. The Super Bowl MVP award is named after whom?Answer: Pete Rozelle. It honors the commissioner who led the league through the AFL–NFL merger.
7. What is the name of the white horse that gallops across the field when the Denver Broncos score?Answer: Thunder. Thunder, an Arabian horse, is the Broncos’ live mascot.
8. Which quarterback was nicknamed “The Sheriff”?Answer: Peyton Manning. He got the name for taking charge and barking out changes at the line of scrimmage.
9. Which tight end was known simply as “Gronk”?Answer: Rob Gronkowski. He won four Super Bowls, three with the Patriots and one with the Buccaneers.
10. Washington’s NFL team moved there from which city?Answer: Boston. The team began in 1932 as the Boston Braves and later became the Boston Redskins.
11. Between their two stints in Oakland, the Raiders played in which city?Answer: Los Angeles. They played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before returning to Oakland and later moving to Las Vegas.
12. Which team founder is credited with coming up with the name “Super Bowl”?Answer: Lamar Hunt. The Chiefs founder was inspired by his children’s bouncy Super Ball toy.
13. How many Super Bowls have the San Francisco 49ers won?Answer: Five. They won four in the 1980s and a fifth after the 1994 season.
14. Who was Seattle’s starting quarterback when it won Super Bowl XLVIII?Answer: Russell Wilson. Wilson won the title in only his second NFL season.
15. Who coached the Baltimore Ravens to their win in Super Bowl XXXV?Answer: Brian Billick. Billick’s Ravens, led by a record-setting defense, beat the Giants 34–7.
16. Who was named MVP of Super Bowl XLIV?Answer: Drew Brees. The Saints quarterback completed 32 passes as New Orleans beat the Colts.
17. Which Hall of Fame running back was nicknamed “The Diesel”?Answer: John Riggins. The powerful Washington back was named MVP of Super Bowl XVII.
18. Which quarterback took over as the Green Bay Packers’ starter after Brett Favre left?Answer: Aaron Rodgers. He had spent three seasons as Favre’s backup.
19. Who coached the Seattle Seahawks to their first Super Bowl win?Answer: Pete Carroll. Carroll, who had won college titles at USC, led Seattle to a 43–8 rout of Denver.
20. Which Packers end of the 1930s and ’40s led the NFL in catches eight times?Answer: Don Hutson. Hutson is often called the first modern wide receiver.

Basketball trivia

1. Which team plays its home games at the Frost Bank Center?Answer: San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs’ arena in San Antonio took the Frost Bank name in 2023.
2. Who was the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft?Answer: Derrick Rose. His hometown Chicago Bulls took the Memphis guard.
3. Who was the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft?Answer: Zaccharie Risacher. The Atlanta Hawks chose the French forward.
4. What jersey number did Larry Bird wear for the Celtics?Answer: 33. The Celtics retired his No. 33 in 1993.
5. Who won the 1987 NBA MVP award, the first of his three?Answer: Magic Johnson. He also won the award in 1989 and 1990.
6. Which player is nicknamed “Ant-Man”?Answer: Anthony Edwards. The Minnesota Timberwolves guard is usually just called “Ant.”
7. LeBron James signed with which team in 2018?Answer: Los Angeles Lakers. He left Cleveland and won a title in Los Angeles two seasons later.
8. The Cleveland Cavaliers traded for Kevin Love in 2014. Which team did he come from?Answer: Minnesota Timberwolves. He had spent his first six seasons in Minnesota.
9. Which Celtics Hall of Famer was nicknamed “Hondo”?Answer: John Havlicek. He won eight championships with Boston.
10. Which smooth-shooting Lakers forward was nicknamed “Silk”?Answer: Jamaal Wilkes. He won three titles with the Lakers after one with the Warriors.
11. Which Hall of Famer coached the Utah Jazz from 1988 to 2011?Answer: Jerry Sloan. He led Utah to the Finals twice, both times against Michael Jordan’s Bulls.
12. Which team did the Los Angeles Lakers beat in the 2020 NBA Finals?Answer: Miami Heat. The Lakers won the series 4–2 in the “bubble” near Orlando.
13. Which team did the Golden State Warriors sweep in the 2018 NBA Finals?Answer: Cleveland Cavaliers. It was the fourth straight Finals between the two teams.
14. Which player is known by the nickname “The Process”?Answer: Joel Embiid. The name comes from the 76ers’ long rebuilding plan, which drafted him in 2014.
15. Which Hall of Fame center was nicknamed “The Stilt”?Answer: Wilt Chamberlain. He was 7 feet 1 inch tall and reportedly disliked the nickname.
16. Who coached the Boston Celtics to the 2024 NBA title?Answer: Joe Mazzulla. He won the title in only his second season as head coach.
17. Which coach led the New York Knicks to titles in 1970 and 1973?Answer: Red Holzman. The Knicks later honored him with a banner reading 613, his win total with the team.
18. In basketball, what is a team’s best player off the bench usually called?Answer: The sixth man. The NBA gives a Sixth Man of the Year award to the best reserve.
19. Which team won the 1955 NBA title?Answer: Syracuse Nationals. Led by Dolph Schayes, Syracuse won Game 7 by one point, 92–91.
20. Which star is nicknamed “The Slim Reaper”?Answer: Kevin Durant. The name plays on his thin frame and his deadly scoring.

Baseball trivia

1. Which Orioles third baseman was nicknamed “The Human Vacuum Cleaner” for his fielding?Answer: Brooks Robinson. He won 16 straight Gold Glove awards.
2. Which Red Sox pitcher of the 1980s was nicknamed “Oil Can”?Answer: Dennis Boyd. Dennis Boyd said the name came from the slang for beer in his Mississippi hometown.
3. Which Tigers slugger was nicknamed “The Hebrew Hammer”?Answer: Hank Greenberg. He hit 58 home runs in 1938 and won two AL MVP awards.
4. Which left-hander won exactly 300 games for the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox?Answer: Lefty Grove. He finished 300–141 and led the AL in ERA nine times.
5. Which team plays its home games at Rate Field?Answer: Chicago White Sox. The ballpark was called Guaranteed Rate Field before it took the shorter name.
6. Which Cleveland shortstop is the only major leaguer to die from being hit by a pitch?Answer: Ray Chapman. He was struck in the head by a pitch from the Yankees’ Carl Mays.
7. Which catcher, nicknamed “Pudge,” won the 1999 AL MVP for the Texas Rangers?Answer: Iván Rodríguez. He won 13 Gold Gloves, a record for a catcher.
8. Which Negro Leagues star was so fast he was nicknamed “Cool Papa”?Answer: James Bell. Cool Papa Bell was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1974.
9. Which Pirates pitcher won the 2025 NL Cy Young Award?Answer: Paul Skenes. He won it in only his second big-league season.
10. Which Mariners catcher hit 60 home runs in 2025, the most ever by a catcher?Answer: Cal Raleigh. He was also the first switch-hitter to reach 60.
11. Which pitcher wrote “Ball Four,” a famous behind-the-scenes diary of a season?Answer: Jim Bouton. The 1970 book followed his season with the Seattle Pilots and Houston Astros.
12. In which movie does Kevin Costner play veteran minor-league catcher Crash Davis?Answer: Bull Durham. The film is set around the Durham Bulls of North Carolina.
13. The “Pesky Pole” is the right-field foul pole at which ballpark?Answer: Fenway Park. It is named for Red Sox infielder Johnny Pesky.
14. The Ford C. Frick Award, presented at the Hall of Fame, honors what kind of contributor?Answer: Broadcasters. It is named for a former commissioner who began as a sportswriter and broadcaster.
15. Who won the first Cy Young Award, when one award covered both leagues?Answer: Don Newcombe. The Dodgers ace also won the NL MVP that season.
16. Which Cubs Hall of Fame pitcher was nicknamed “Three Finger”?Answer: Mordecai Brown. A childhood accident with farm machinery mangled his pitching hand, which gave his pitches extra movement.
17. Which Cubs double-play trio was made famous by the poem “Baseball’s Sad Lexicon”?Answer: Tinker, Evers and Chance. Franklin P. Adams wrote it from the point of view of a frustrated Giants fan.
18. What rises out of a giant top hat in center field at Citi Field after a Mets home run?Answer: A big red apple. The Home Run Apple tradition began at Shea Stadium.
19. In baseball, what is the “hot stove league”?Answer: Offseason talk about trades and signings. Fans and writers chat about deals while gathered around the stove in winter.
20. Who was the first player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season?Answer: Jose Canseco. He did it for the Oakland Athletics and won the AL MVP.

Hockey trivia

1. Which star is nicknamed “The Great Eight”?Answer: Alex Ovechkin. He has worn No. 8 for the Washington Capitals since his rookie season.
2. Which forward earned the nickname “Mr. Game 7” for his scoring in deciding games?Answer: Justin Williams. He won the Stanley Cup three times, with Carolina and Los Angeles.
3. Which team made the “Miracle on Manchester” comeback from 5–0 down against Edmonton in the 1982 playoffs?Answer: Los Angeles Kings. Daryl Evans scored in overtime to finish a 6–5 win.
4. Who holds the NHL record for career hat tricks?Answer: Wayne Gretzky. He had 50 games with three or more goals.
5. Which NHL award honors outstanding service to hockey in the United States?Answer: Lester Patrick Trophy. It is named for the longtime coach and manager of the New York Rangers.
6. How many Stanley Cups did Wayne Gretzky win?Answer: Four. All four came with the Edmonton Oilers.
7. Kings center Anže Kopitar comes from which country?Answer: Slovenia. He became the first Slovenian player in the NHL.
8. Which Bruins goalie drew stitches on his mask wherever a puck hit it?Answer: Gerry Cheevers. Each painted stitch marked where his face would have been cut.
9. Which team played its home games at Joe Louis Arena until 2017?Answer: Detroit Red Wings. The team then moved to Little Caesars Arena.
10. About how much does the Stanley Cup weigh?Answer: 35 pounds. It weighs roughly 34.5 pounds, or 15.5 kilograms.
11. In hockey, what is “the Michigan”?Answer: A lacrosse-style goal tucked in from behind the net. It is named for Mike Legg’s famous goal for the University of Michigan.
12. What is the “playoff beard” tradition?Answer: Players stop shaving during the playoffs. Players let their beards grow until their team is knocked out or wins the Cup.
13. What was the championship trophy of the World Hockey Association?Answer: Avco World Trophy. The WHA played from 1972 to 1979 before four of its teams joined the NHL.
14. Who was the first overall pick in the 2014 NHL draft?Answer: Aaron Ekblad. The Florida Panthers chose the defenseman, who later won two Cups with them.
15. Which team plays its home games at Lenovo Center?Answer: Carolina Hurricanes. The Raleigh arena was called PNC Arena until 2024.
16. Which team plays its home games at KeyBank Center?Answer: Buffalo Sabres. The arena sits near Lake Erie in downtown Buffalo.
17. Which team plays its home games at the Canadian Tire Centre?Answer: Ottawa Senators. The arena is in Kanata, a suburb of Canada’s capital.
18. Which team’s home arena is nicknamed “the Shark Tank”?Answer: San Jose Sharks. Players skate out through the jaws of a giant shark head.
19. Which Bruins goaltender of the 1930s and 1940s was nicknamed “Mr. Zero”?Answer: Frank Brimsek. He earned the name with back-to-back shutout streaks as a rookie.
20. Which longtime Bruins left winger was nicknamed “Chief”?Answer: Johnny Bucyk. He played 21 seasons in Boston and later worked as a team broadcaster.

Soccer trivia

1. Which country reached its first men’s World Cup final in 2018, losing to France?Answer: Croatia. Croatia beat England in the semifinal before losing 4–2 to France in Moscow.
2. Who won the Golden Boot as top scorer at the 2018 World Cup?Answer: Harry Kane. England’s captain scored six goals in Russia.
3. Who scored the extra-time winner for Germany in the 2014 World Cup final?Answer: Mario Götze. Substitute Mario Götze volleyed in Schürrle’s cross in the 113th minute.
4. Which club has won the most Spanish league (La Liga) titles?Answer: Real Madrid. Real Madrid have won more than 35 Spanish league titles.
5. Which club has won the most Italian league (Serie A) titles?Answer: Juventus. Juventus have won the Scudetto more than 35 times.
6. Which Italian club is nicknamed “La Viola” for its purple shirts?Answer: Fiorentina. Fiorentina, from Florence, play in a distinctive violet.
7. Which two clubs meet in “El Clásico”?Answer: Real Madrid and Barcelona. El Clásico is Spain’s biggest rivalry, between its two most successful clubs.
8. Under the Laws of the Game, what is the fewest players a team may have on the field for a match to continue?Answer: Seven. A match cannot continue if either team has fewer than seven players.
9. Which German striker holds the record for most goals at men’s World Cups, with 16?Answer: Miroslav Klose. Klose scored at four World Cups, from 2002 to 2014.
10. Which Bayern Munich striker came off the bench and scored five goals in about nine minutes against Wolfsburg in 2015?Answer: Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker’s burst was the fastest five goals in Bundesliga history.
11. Which Uruguayan striker was banned for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup?Answer: Luis Suárez. FIFA banned Suárez from soccer for four months and nine international games.
12. Which MLS club is co-owned by David Beckham?Answer: Inter Miami. Beckham used an option in his Galaxy contract to start the club, which began play in 2020.
13. Which club won MLS Cup 2024, a record sixth league title?Answer: LA Galaxy. The Galaxy beat the New York Red Bulls 2–1 in the final in Carson, California.
14. Which Saudi club did Cristiano Ronaldo join in 2023?Answer: Al Nassr. Ronaldo moved to the Riyadh club after leaving Manchester United.
15. Which country hosted the 2006 World Cup?Answer: Germany. Italy won the tournament, beating France in the final in Berlin.
16. Who scored the first goal in World Cup history, in 1930?Answer: Lucien Laurent. The Frenchman scored against Mexico in Montevideo on the tournament’s opening day.
17. Which Swedish striker scored a spectacular 30-yard overhead kick against England in 2012?Answer: Zlatan Ibrahimović. It was his fourth goal in a 4–2 win that opened Sweden’s new national stadium.
18. Which club is Tottenham Hotspur’s rival in the North London derby?Answer: Arsenal. Arsenal moved to north London in 1913, starting one of England’s fiercest rivalries.
19. Which U.S. forward scored a 123rd-minute header to beat Canada in the 2012 Olympic semifinal?Answer: Alex Morgan. Morgan’s late goal at Old Trafford sent the U.S. to the final, where they won gold.
20. Which Dutch coach led England’s Lionesses to their first major title?Answer: Sarina Wiegman. Wiegman had already won a European Championship with the Netherlands before taking the England job.

Movies trivia

1. Who played Captain Georg von Trapp in The Sound of Music (1965)?Answer: Christopher Plummer. Julie Andrews co-starred as Maria, the family’s governess.
2. Who won Best Actress for playing a union-organizing textile worker in Norma Rae?Answer: Sally Field. It was the first of her two Best Actress Oscars.
3. Who played Kathy Selden opposite Gene Kelly in Singin’ in the Rain (1952)?Answer: Debbie Reynolds. She was still a teenager when the film was made.
4. In The Princess Bride, what does “R.O.U.S.” stand for?Answer: Rodents of Unusual Size. Westley battles one in the Fire Swamp.
5. In Toy Story (1995), what is the name of the toy-torturing boy next door?Answer: Sid. Andy owns Woody; Al is the toy collector in Toy Story 2.
6. In The Wizard of Oz (1939), the picture switches from sepia to color when Dorothy steps out into which place?Answer: Munchkinland. The Kansas scenes are shown in sepia tones.
7. Who played Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, Maverick’s rival in Top Gun?Answer: Val Kilmer. Anthony Edwards played Maverick’s friend Goose.
8. Who played oceanographer Matt Hooper in Jaws (1975)?Answer: Richard Dreyfuss. Roy Scheider played Chief Brody and Robert Shaw played Quint.
9. In Gone with the Wind (1939), what is the name of the O’Hara family plantation?Answer: Tara. Twelve Oaks is the Wilkes family’s plantation.
10. In Citizen Kane (1941), what is the name of Charles Foster Kane’s vast Florida estate?Answer: Xanadu. It was modeled in part on William Randolph Hearst’s castle at San Simeon.
11. How many roles does Peter Sellers play in Dr. Strangelove?Answer: Three. He plays a British officer, the U.S. president and Dr. Strangelove himself.
12. In Monsters, Inc., what does Sulley call the little girl who wanders into the monster world?Answer: Boo. Her real name is never mentioned in the film.
13. What was Pixar’s second feature film, after Toy Story?Answer: A Bug’s Life. It tells the story of an inventive ant named Flik.
14. Which film won Best Picture for 1987?Answer: The Last Emperor. It won all nine Oscars it was nominated for.
15. Who played Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady (1964)?Answer: Rex Harrison. He had also played Higgins on Broadway and won Best Actor for the film.
16. In Some Like It Hot (1959), which real-life crime do the two musicians witness before fleeing Chicago in disguise?Answer: The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis join an all-woman band to hide from the gangsters.
17. Which Disney film features the dinner song “Be Our Guest”?Answer: Beauty and the Beast. Lumière the candelabra leads the number.
18. In Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), what are Wonka’s small factory workers called?Answer: Oompa-Loompas. They sing a warning song each time a child misbehaves.
19. Which silent-era heartthrob starred in The Sheik and The Son of the Sheik?Answer: Rudolph Valentino. His sudden death at 31 in 1926 caused mass mourning among fans.
20. Which actor starred as Detroit cop Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop?Answer: Eddie Murphy. The role made him one of Hollywood’s biggest box-office stars.

Television trivia

1. On Seinfeld, what is the name of the holiday Frank Costanza invented?Answer: Festivus. Frank created Festivus, complete with an unadorned aluminum pole and the “Airing of Grievances.”
2. Which actor played Archie Bunker on All in the Family?Answer: Carroll O’Connor. Carroll O’Connor won four Emmys as Archie and later starred in In the Heat of the Night.
3. On The Office, what does Dwight Schrute grow on his family farm?Answer: Beets. Dwight runs Schrute Farms, a beet farm that also takes in guests as a bed-and-breakfast.
4. Which catchphrase does Joey Tribbiani use to flirt on Friends?Answer: “How you doin’?”. Matt LeBlanc’s Joey made the line his trademark pickup greeting.
5. Which actor played the young Republican Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties?Answer: Michael J. Fox. Michael J. Fox won three Emmys in a row for the role.
6. Where does Homer Simpson work?Answer: The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Homer is a safety inspector at Mr. Burns’s nuclear plant, in Sector 7G.
7. On The X-Files, what is Agent Scully’s first name?Answer: Dana. Gillian Anderson played FBI agent and medical doctor Dana Scully.
8. Which chef hosted the American version of Kitchen Nightmares?Answer: Gordon Ramsay. Gordon Ramsay hosted both the British original and the American Fox version.
9. Which actor played Walter White on Breaking Bad?Answer: Bryan Cranston. Bryan Cranston won four Emmys for Lead Actor in a Drama Series as Walter White.
10. Who played Tony Soprano on The Sopranos?Answer: James Gandolfini. James Gandolfini won three Emmys for the role.
11. On Twin Peaks, what is the name of the diner famous for its cherry pie and coffee?Answer: The Double R Diner. The Double R Diner is run by Norma Jennings.
12. Which animated family lives in Quahog, Rhode Island?Answer: The Griffins. Quahog is the hometown of Peter Griffin and his family on Family Guy.
13. What is the name of the high school on Saved by the Bell?Answer: Bayside High. Zack Morris and his friends went to Bayside High in California.
14. Which CBS newsman hosted the 1950s documentary series See It Now?Answer: Edward R. Murrow. Edward R. Murrow co-created See It Now with producer Fred W. Friendly.
15. Who played Deputy Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show?Answer: Don Knotts. Don Knotts won five Emmys as the jittery deputy.
16. On Dallas, what is the name of the Ewing family ranch?Answer: Southfork. Southfork Ranch is near Dallas, and the real house became a tourist attraction.
17. Which actor became a star playing pediatrician Doug Ross on ER?Answer: George Clooney. George Clooney played Dr. Ross for five seasons before focusing on films.
18. Which British comedy troupe made the sketch show Flying Circus?Answer: Monty Python. Monty Python’s Flying Circus first ran on the BBC and later became a cult hit on American public TV.
19. Who painted “happy little trees” on The Joy of Painting?Answer: Bob Ross. Bob Ross finished a landscape painting in nearly every half-hour episode.
20. On which sitcom was Al Bundy a shoe salesman?Answer: Married... with Children. Ed O’Neill played Al, who bragged about scoring four touchdowns in one high school game.

Fantasy trivia

1. What color is Mace Windu’s lightsaber in the Star Wars prequels?Answer: Purple. Samuel L. Jackson asked for a purple blade so he could spot himself in battle scenes.
2. On which forest moon do the Ewoks live?Answer: Endor. The Rebels fight there to bring down the second Death Star’s shield.
3. Who played Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars films?Answer: Ian McDiarmid. Peter Cushing played Grand Moff Tarkin; Christopher Lee played Count Dooku.
4. What is the registry number of Captain Kirk’s USS Enterprise?Answer: NCC-1701. Later ships named Enterprise added letters, such as NCC-1701-D.
5. Who played Captain Benjamin Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine?Answer: Avery Brooks. Sisko commanded the station and later the USS Defiant.
6. In Dune, what is the spice of Arrakis called?Answer: Melange. It extends life and makes space navigation possible.
7. Who played the android Bishop in Aliens?Answer: Lance Henriksen. Ian Holm played the earlier android, Ash, in Alien.
8. Which Swiss artist designed the creature in Alien?Answer: H. R. Giger. He shared the Oscar for the film’s visual effects.
9. Who directed Prey, the Predator film set among the Comanche?Answer: Dan Trachtenberg. He had earlier directed 10 Cloverfield Lane.
10. Who played Samwise Gamgee in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films?Answer: Sean Astin. Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd played Merry and Pippin.
11. In Quidditch, which small winged ball must the Seeker catch?Answer: The Golden Snitch. Catching it is worth 150 points and ends the match.
12. What is the name of Hermione Granger’s ginger cat?Answer: Crookshanks. Mrs. Norris belongs to Filch, and Trevor is Neville’s toad.
13. Who played Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?Answer: Chris Hemsworth. Tom Hiddleston played his adopted brother Loki.
14. Who played Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins?Answer: Christian Bale. He kept the role for The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.
15. What kind of being is the Doctor in Doctor Who?Answer: A Time Lord. The Doctor can regenerate into a new body instead of dying.
16. In Back to the Future, how much electricity does the DeLorean need to travel through time?Answer: 1.21 gigawatts. Doc gets it from a lightning strike on the clock tower.
17. In Jurassic Park, what does Dennis Nedry use to smuggle the dinosaur embryos?Answer: A shaving-cream can. He loses the can in the mud during the storm.
18. Who played Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones?Answer: Emilia Clarke. Sophie Turner played Sansa Stark.
19. Who played TV host Caesar Flickerman in The Hunger Games films?Answer: Stanley Tucci. Woody Harrelson played Haymitch and Donald Sutherland played President Snow.
20. Which Pevensie child becomes High King of Narnia?Answer: Peter. His siblings rule beside him as kings and queens at Cair Paravel.

Broadway trivia

1. Who played Captain Hook opposite Mary Martin in the original Broadway Peter Pan?Answer: Cyril Ritchard. He also played Mr. Darling, a doubling that many productions keep.
2. “Try to Remember” comes from which record-setting Off-Broadway musical?Answer: The Fantasticks. It ran for 42 years in a tiny Greenwich Village theatre.
3. Which singer-songwriter composed the music for Spring Awakening?Answer: Duncan Sheik. Steven Sater wrote the book and lyrics.
4. The musical Once is set in which city?Answer: Dublin. It follows a street musician and a Czech immigrant who make music together.
5. Who originated the role of Elsa in Frozen on Broadway?Answer: Caissie Levy. Patti Murin played her sister, Anna.
6. Who won a Tony for playing the Genie in Disney’s Aladdin?Answer: James Monroe Iglehart. His showstopper was “Friend Like Me.”
7. Who originated the role of King George III in Hamilton on Broadway?Answer: Jonathan Groff. The king appears only briefly but steals the show with his breakup-style songs.
8. Show Boat is based on a novel by which author?Answer: Edna Ferber. Her novel follows a family who run a Mississippi River showboat.
9. Fiddler on the Roof is based on stories by which writer?Answer: Sholem Aleichem. His Yiddish stories about Tevye the dairyman inspired the show.
10. Carousel is based on Liliom, a play by a writer from which country?Answer: Hungary. Ferenc Molnár set his play in Budapest; the musical moves it to Maine.
11. In Bye Bye Birdie, the rock star Conrad Birdie is a spoof of which singer, who was drafted into the Army?Answer: Elvis Presley. Birdie’s draft notice sets the story in motion.
12. In The Pajama Game, the factory workers demand a raise of how much an hour?Answer: Seven and a half cents. The demand even gets its own song.
13. The score of Kismet was adapted from music by which Russian composer?Answer: Alexander Borodin. “Stranger in Paradise” borrows a melody from his Polovtsian Dances.
14. Which country star wrote the songs for Big River, the musical of Huckleberry Finn?Answer: Roger Miller. Big River won the Tony for Best Musical.
15. Ain’t Misbehavin’ celebrates the music of which jazz pianist?Answer: Fats Waller. The revue takes its name from one of his best-known songs.
16. Who originated the role of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway?Answer: Sarah Brightman. She had also created the role in London.
17. Which Peter Shaffer play pits Mozart against the court composer Salieri?Answer: Amadeus. It won the Tony Award for Best Play.
18. In Mary Chase’s comedy Harvey, who or what is Harvey?Answer: A six-foot invisible rabbit. Only the gentle Elwood P. Dowd seems able to see him.
19. In Arsenic and Old Lace, how do the Brewster aunts poison lonely old men?Answer: With elderberry wine. Their nephew Mortimer discovers the bodies buried in the cellar.
20. When an actor “goes up” during a show, what has happened?Answer: They have forgotten their lines. A stage manager or fellow actor may help them get back on track.

U.S. History trivia

1. Which Virginia colonist led a 1676 rebellion in which Jamestown was burned?Answer: Nathaniel Bacon. Bacon’s followers set fire to the colonial capital after clashing with Governor William Berkeley.
2. Who was the oldest signer of the Declaration of Independence?Answer: Benjamin Franklin. Franklin was 70 years old when the Declaration was signed.
3. Who wrote the original Pledge of Allegiance in 1892?Answer: Francis Bellamy. Bellamy, a minister and writer, wrote it for a magazine’s celebration of Columbus’s 400th anniversary.
4. In which 1832–33 crisis did South Carolina declare federal tariffs void inside the state?Answer: The Nullification Crisis. South Carolina backed down after Congress passed a compromise tariff.
5. The XYZ Affair of 1797–98 was a diplomatic scandal with which country?Answer: France. French agents demanded bribes from American diplomats, which led to an undeclared naval war.
6. Who served as the Union’s Superintendent of Army Nurses during the Civil War?Answer: Dorothea Dix. Dix, already known for her work for the mentally ill, organized thousands of nurses.
7. Which 1846 treaty with Britain set the U.S.–Canada border in the Northwest at the 49th parallel?Answer: The Oregon Treaty. It split the disputed Oregon Country between the U.S. and Britain.
8. Which group of immigrants did the Exclusion Act of 1882 bar from entering the U.S.?Answer: Chinese workers. It was the first major federal law to ban immigration by a specific nationality.
9. Who co-founded the union that became the United Farm Workers with Dolores Huerta?Answer: César Chávez. Chávez and Huerta organized farmworkers in California starting in the early 1960s.
10. From which aircraft carrier did Doolittle’s bombers take off to raid Tokyo in April 1942?Answer: USS Hornet. Sixteen B-25 bombers flew off the Hornet’s deck, with the Enterprise escorting.
11. Which 1944 battle in the Philippines is often called the largest naval battle of World War II?Answer: Leyte Gulf. The U.S. Navy crippled Japan’s fleet in the fighting around Leyte.
12. Which couple was executed in 1953 after being convicted of spying for the Soviet Union?Answer: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. They were convicted of passing atomic secrets; Ethel’s brother David Greenglass testified against them.
13. Which 1963 agreement banned nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere, in space and underwater?Answer: The Limited Test Ban Treaty. The U.S., the Soviet Union and Britain signed it in Moscow.
14. Which presidential candidate was assassinated in Los Angeles in June 1968?Answer: Robert F. Kennedy. He was shot at the Ambassador Hotel just after winning the California primary.
15. What was the name of the first NASA rover to drive on Mars?Answer: Sojourner. The small rover arrived with the Mars Pathfinder lander in 1997.
16. Which Dutch director-general surrendered New Amsterdam to the English?Answer: Peter Stuyvesant. The English renamed the town New York after the Duke of York.
17. Which Pueblo leader organized the 1680 revolt that drove the Spanish out of New Mexico?Answer: Popé. The Spanish did not return to the area for about a dozen years.
18. Which Prussian officer drilled the Continental Army at Valley Forge?Answer: Baron von Steuben. His training turned Washington’s soldiers into a disciplined fighting force.
19. Brigham Young led Mormon pioneers to settle in 1847 beside which lake?Answer: Great Salt Lake. Their settlement grew into Salt Lake City.
20. Which 1886 Chicago labor rally ended in a deadly bombing?Answer: The Haymarket affair. A bomb was thrown as police moved to break up a rally for the eight-hour workday.

U.S. Presidents trivia

1. Who was the 13th president?Answer: Millard Fillmore. Fillmore took over when Zachary Taylor died in 1850.
2. Who was the 22nd president?Answer: Grover Cleveland. Cleveland was also the 24th president, after his non-consecutive return.
3. Who was the 31st president?Answer: Herbert Hoover. Hoover served one term, from 1929 to 1933.
4. Who was the ninth president?Answer: William Henry Harrison. He died about a month after his inauguration.
5. Who was Benjamin Harrison’s vice president?Answer: Levi P. Morton. Morton, a New York banker, later served as governor of New York.
6. Who was James Buchanan’s vice president, later a Confederate general?Answer: John C. Breckinridge. He is still the youngest vice president, taking office at 36.
7. Eliza was the wife of which president?Answer: Andrew Johnson. Eliza McCardle married Andrew Johnson in Tennessee and helped teach him to write.
8. Highland, near Monticello in Virginia, was the home of which president?Answer: James Monroe. Monroe bought the land to live close to his friend Jefferson.
9. Which president’s presidential library and museum is in Springfield, Illinois?Answer: Abraham Lincoln. Springfield was Lincoln’s hometown, where he practiced law before becoming president.
10. Which future president once led the Ohio school that became Hiram College?Answer: James A. Garfield. Garfield taught there and became its principal before entering politics.
11. Which president signed the G.I. Bill for World War II veterans?Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt. He signed it in June 1944, days after D-Day.
12. Which president signed the Americans with Disabilities Act?Answer: George H. W. Bush. He signed it on the South Lawn of the White House in 1990.
13. Which president signed the proclamation making Mother’s Day a national holiday?Answer: Woodrow Wilson. Wilson proclaimed the first national Mother’s Day in May 1914.
14. Which president is the only one who was an Eagle Scout?Answer: Gerald Ford. Ford earned scouting’s top rank as a teenager in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
15. Which president lived across the street in Blair House while the White House was gutted and rebuilt?Answer: Harry S. Truman. Engineers found the old mansion was close to collapse, so its inside was rebuilt around a steel frame.
16. What did Abraham Lincoln use the room now called the Lincoln Bedroom for?Answer: His office. He met his Cabinet there and signed the Emancipation Proclamation in the room.
17. Which president appears on the $500 bill?Answer: William McKinley. The large note is no longer printed; Cleveland is on the $1,000 bill.
18. Which first lady championed the Highway Beautification Act of 1965?Answer: Lady Bird Johnson. The law limited billboards and junkyards along major highways.
19. The “Kitchen Cabinet” was an informal group of advisers to which president?Answer: Andrew Jackson. Critics coined the name for the friends Jackson trusted more than his official Cabinet.
20. Which president is called “the Father of His Country”?Answer: George Washington. The title honors his roles leading the Revolution and the new government.

Geography trivia

1. What is the capital of the country of Georgia?Answer: Tbilisi. It lies on the Kura River in the Caucasus; Yerevan and Baku are the capitals of neighboring Armenia and Azerbaijan.
2. What is the capital of Nicaragua?Answer: Managua. It lies on the southern shore of Lake Managua.
3. What is the capital of Montana?Answer: Helena. Billings is Montana’s largest city.
4. What is the capital of Louisiana?Answer: Baton Rouge. Its name is French for “red stick.”
5. Which U.S. state is nicknamed the Badger State?Answer: Wisconsin. The name comes from early lead miners who dug homes into the hillsides, like badgers.
6. Which U.S. state is nicknamed the Pine Tree State?Answer: Maine. Its state flower is the white pine cone and tassel.
7. Which river flows through Washington, D.C.?Answer: Potomac. It forms part of the border between Maryland and Virginia.
8. Which river flows through Frankfurt, Germany’s banking capital?Answer: Main. The city’s full name is Frankfurt am Main.
9. The Bab-el-Mandeb strait links the Red Sea with which body of water?Answer: Gulf of Aden. It separates Yemen from Djibouti and Eritrea.
10. The region of Patagonia is shared by Argentina and which country?Answer: Chile. It covers the southern end of South America on both sides of the Andes.
11. Which of these states does NOT touch the Four Corners?Answer: Nevada. The Four Corners is where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet at a single point.
12. What is Canada’s smallest province?Answer: Prince Edward Island. The island is linked to New Brunswick by the Confederation Bridge.
13. Which country’s flag shows the Union Jack and four red stars?Answer: New Zealand. The stars stand for the Southern Cross constellation.
14. Which country’s flag is blue with a yellow Nordic cross?Answer: Sweden. Denmark’s flag, the oldest of the Nordic crosses, is red with a white cross.
15. The Alhambra palace stands in which Spanish city?Answer: Granada. It was built mainly by the Nasrid rulers of the Emirate of Granada.
16. Which is the northernmost of Japan’s four main islands?Answer: Hokkaido. Its largest city is Sapporo.
17. What is the capital of the Australian state of Queensland?Answer: Brisbane. It sits on the Brisbane River near the coast.
18. The island of Bora Bora is part of which country?Answer: France. It is one of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France.
19. The Danube begins in which country?Answer: Germany. It rises in the Black Forest.
20. Which is the world’s largest archipelagic country, spread across thousands of islands between the Indian and Pacific oceans?Answer: Indonesia. Its islands include Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi, and it shares Borneo and New Guinea with other countries.