Thursday, November 5, 2026

The tidbits, trivia answers and word pairs from Facts & Games on Thursday, November 5, 2026. Play today’s games · All past days · All past tidbits

Six tidbits

Commonly confused words

assent vs. ascent

assent: Agreement or approval. ascent: A climb or rise. Ascent goes up, like ascend.

epitaph vs. epithet

epitaph: Words in memory of someone, written on a tomb. epithet: A descriptive nickname or phrase. An epitaph goes on a grave.

rational vs. rationale

rational: Based on reason or logic. rationale: The reasons behind a decision. The rationale is the explanation.

council vs. counsel

council: A group that meets to advise or govern. counsel: Advice, or a lawyer who gives it. A council is a group; counsel is advice.

ingenious vs. ingenuous

ingenious: Clever and inventive. ingenuous: Innocent and unsuspecting. Ingenuous is like naive: genuine and trusting.

Beatles trivia

1. After the Indra, which Hamburg club did the Beatles move to in October 1960?Answer: The Kaiserkeller. Club owner Bruno Koschmider moved them from the small Indra to his bigger Kaiserkeller.
2. Why was George Harrison sent home from Hamburg in late 1960?Answer: He was too young to work in the clubs. At 17 he was under age for Hamburg’s late-night clubs, and the authorities deported him.
3. Which Sgt. Pepper song fades out through a string of animal sounds?Answer: Good Morning Good Morning. Its ending runs through animal noises, and a final clucking hen blends into the next track.
4. Which October 1963 TV appearance is often credited with setting off Beatlemania?Answer: Sunday Night at the London Palladium. Millions watched them top the bill at the Palladium, and the press soon started talking of Beatlemania.
5. Who directed the 2016 documentary The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years?Answer: Ron Howard. Ron Howard’s film covers the touring years from Liverpool to Candlestick Park.
6. Under what name did John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and Mitch Mitchell play “Yer Blues” for The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus?Answer: The Dirty Mac. The one-off supergroup was called the Dirty Mac, a pun on Fleetwood Mac.
7. Paul McCartney has called which Beach Boys album a big spur for Sgt. Pepper?Answer: Pet Sounds. Paul has often named Brian Wilson’s Pet Sounds as one of his favourite albums and an influence on Sgt. Pepper.
8. Paul modelled the piano part of “Lady Madonna” on which British jazz record?Answer: Bad Penny Blues. He based it on Humphrey Lyttelton’s 1956 hit “Bad Penny Blues”.
9. Which documentary filmmakers followed the band on its first US visit in February 1964?Answer: Albert and David Maysles. The Maysles brothers’ footage became What’s Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A.
10. In the TV special Around the Beatles, the band acted out a scene from which Shakespeare play?Answer: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. They played the comic Pyramus and Thisbe play-within-a-play, with John as Thisbe.
11. Which Magical Mystery Tour song features Paul playing a recorder?Answer: The Fool on the Hill. Paul played piano and recorder on “The Fool on the Hill”, with session players adding flutes.
12. Who wrote “It’s All Too Much”, from the Yellow Submarine soundtrack?Answer: George Harrison. George wrote the long, swirling song, which plays in the film as the Blue Meanies are defeated.
13. Which hit did the band record in Paris in January 1964, at the session where they cut German versions of two earlier singles?Answer: Can’t Buy Me Love. They recorded it at EMI’s Pathé Marconi studio in Paris during their run at the Olympia.
14. Capitol’s US album Meet the Beatles! drew most of its songs from which UK album?Answer: With the Beatles. Nine of its twelve songs came from With the Beatles.
15. Which Beatle appeared in Frank Zappa’s film 200 Motels?Answer: Ringo Starr. Ringo played Larry the Dwarf, dressed up as Zappa himself.
16. A boat trip off which island inspired Ringo to write “Octopus’s Garden”?Answer: Sardinia. A boat captain in Sardinia told Ringo how octopuses gather shiny stones on the seabed.
17. Which Carl Perkins song does Ringo sing on Beatles for Sale?Answer: Honey Don’t. Ringo sings “Honey Don’t”; George sings the album’s other Perkins cover, “Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby”.
18. On the set of which film did George Harrison first come across a sitar?Answer: Help!. Indian musicians in a restaurant scene in Help! sparked his interest in the instrument.
19. Which Abbey Road song has John, Paul and George singing a three-part harmony, overdubbed three times?Answer: Because. The three voices were recorded three times over, making a nine-voice choir.
20. Which Beatle married Liverpool hairdresser Maureen Cox?Answer: Ringo Starr. Ringo met Maureen at the Cavern Club and married her at Caxton Hall in London.

Taylor Swift trivia

1. Which Speak Now song did Swift debut at the MTV Video Music Awards a year after Kanye West interrupted her there?Answer: Innocent. She premiered “Innocent” at the VMAs, and it was widely heard as a gracious reply to the earlier interruption.
2. In the “Blank Space” video, what does Swift use to smash up her boyfriend’s car?Answer: A golf club. She takes a golf club to the car in one of the video’s most famous scenes.
3. What was the name of Swift’s first perfume?Answer: Wonderstruck. Wonderstruck, launched in 2011, was her first fragrance.
4. Bon Iver’s frontman sings with Swift on “Exile.” What is his name?Answer: Justin Vernon. Justin Vernon leads Bon Iver and duets with Swift on the Folklore song.
5. Which evermore song title names a sparkling wine?Answer: Champagne Problems. “Champagne Problems” is the second track on evermore.
6. Which Tortured Poets Department song is named after a U.S. state?Answer: Florida!!!. “Florida!!!” takes its name from the Sunshine State.
7. On which album is “Mary’s Song (Oh My My My)”?Answer: Taylor Swift (her debut). The song is on her self-titled debut album.
8. Which Reputation song shares its name with a piece of clothing?Answer: Dress. “Dress” is the 13th track on Reputation.
9. On which album is “Haunted”?Answer: Speak Now. “Haunted,” with its sweeping strings, is on Speak Now.
10. On which album is “Afterglow”?Answer: Lover. “Afterglow” is the 15th track on Lover.
11. Which Folklore song title is a word for a sudden moment of insight?Answer: Epiphany. An epiphany is a sudden realization; the song is on Folklore.
12. Which Taylor Swift album title has just three letters?Answer: Red. Red is her shortest album title.
13. What breed is Swift’s cat Benjamin Button?Answer: Ragdoll. Benjamin Button is a Ragdoll; her other two cats are Scottish Folds.
14. “Shake It Off” was nominated for Song of the Year at the Grammys. Which song won?Answer: Stay with Me. Sam Smith’s “Stay with Me” won Song of the Year that night.
15. Which soft drink did Swift advertise in a commercial where she is swarmed by kittens?Answer: Diet Coke. Swift was a Diet Coke spokesperson, and the kitten ad was a viral hit.
16. Which Lover song shares part of its title with Swift’s Netflix documentary?Answer: Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince. The documentary is Miss Americana, and the Lover song is “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince.”
17. How were the song titles on Folklore and evermore originally styled?Answer: All in lowercase. Both albums listed every song title in lowercase letters.
18. Which Life of a Showgirl song title describes a place in family birth order?Answer: Eldest Daughter. “Eldest Daughter” is track 3 on The Life of a Showgirl.
19. Which studio album of new songs came between Folklore and Midnights?Answer: Evermore. Evermore arrived just months after Folklore; Midnights followed after it.
20. Which album did Swift release right before Reputation?Answer: 1989. 1989 came three years before Reputation.

Football trivia

1. Which team plays its home games at Lambeau Field?Answer: Green Bay Packers. The Packers have played at Lambeau Field since 1957.
2. What jersey number did Jim Brown wear for the Cleveland Browns?Answer: 32. Brown wore No. 32 throughout his nine seasons in Cleveland.
3. What jersey number did Dan Marino wear for the Miami Dolphins?Answer: 13. Marino wore No. 13, which the Dolphins retired.
4. Which college did Dan Marino play for?Answer: Pittsburgh. Marino starred for the Pitt Panthers in his hometown before the 1983 draft.
5. Which college did Brett Favre play for?Answer: Southern Miss. Favre played at the University of Southern Mississippi.
6. Who was the first overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft?Answer: Alex Smith. The San Francisco 49ers took quarterback Alex Smith first; Aaron Rodgers fell to No. 24.
7. Who was the first overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft?Answer: Mario Williams. The Houston Texans chose defensive end Mario Williams over Reggie Bush and Vince Young.
8. Which team beat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL in Detroit?Answer: Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers won 21–10 at Ford Field for their fifth Super Bowl title.
9. Who was named MVP of Super Bowl XLIX, in which the Patriots beat the Seahawks?Answer: Tom Brady. Brady threw four touchdown passes and won his third Super Bowl MVP award.
10. What jersey number did Johnny Unitas wear?Answer: 19. Unitas wore No. 19, retired by the Colts.
11. Which linebacker won the NFL MVP award for the 1986 season, a rare honor for a defensive player?Answer: Lawrence Taylor. Taylor had 20.5 sacks that season and was named the AP MVP.
12. Which Washington kicker was named NFL MVP for the strike-shortened 1982 season?Answer: Mark Moseley. Moseley made 20 of 21 field goals and remains the only kicker to win the AP MVP award.
13. Which of these teams plays in the AFC North?Answer: Baltimore Ravens. The AFC North is the Ravens, Bengals, Browns and Steelers.
14. Which Kansas City Chiefs running back was nicknamed “The Nigerian Nightmare”?Answer: Christian Okoye. Okoye, born in Nigeria, led the NFL in rushing in 1989.
15. Which coach was nicknamed “Iron Mike”?Answer: Mike Ditka. Ditka earned the nickname as the tough-minded coach of the Chicago Bears.
16. Which coach was nicknamed “Chucky” for his resemblance to a horror-movie doll?Answer: Jon Gruden. Gruden’s scowl reminded players of the doll from Child’s Play.
17. Which head coach was famous for wearing a hooded sweatshirt with cut-off sleeves on the sideline?Answer: Bill Belichick. Belichick’s gray hoodie became his trademark with the Patriots.
18. What is it called when an offensive player moves before the snap after getting set?Answer: False start. A false start costs the offense five yards.
19. What does every inductee get displayed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton?Answer: A bronze bust. Each Hall of Famer’s bronze bust stands in the Hall of Fame Gallery.
20. Before joining the New Orleans Saints, Drew Brees played for which team?Answer: San Diego Chargers. Brees spent five seasons with the Chargers before signing with New Orleans.

Basketball trivia

1. Which team plays its home games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse?Answer: Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers play at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in downtown Cleveland.
2. Which college did Kobe Bryant play for?Answer: None; he went straight from high school to the NBA. Bryant jumped to the NBA from Lower Merion High School near Philadelphia.
3. Which college did Anthony Davis play for?Answer: Kentucky. Davis led Kentucky to the NCAA title before going first overall in the draft.
4. Which college did Damian Lillard play for?Answer: Weber State. Lillard starred at Weber State in Ogden, Utah.
5. Which team drafted Kawhi Leonard before trading him to San Antonio on draft night?Answer: Indiana Pacers. The Pacers picked Leonard 15th and sent him to the Spurs for George Hill.
6. Which guard was nicknamed “Mr. Big Shot”?Answer: Chauncey Billups. Billups earned the nickname for his clutch shooting with the Pistons.
7. Which Hall of Fame guard was nicknamed “Tiny”?Answer: Nate Archibald. Nate “Tiny” Archibald was actually 6 feet 1 inch tall.
8. Which flashy point guard was nicknamed “White Chocolate”?Answer: Jason Williams. Jason Williams got the nickname for his showy, no-look passing.
9. Shaquille O’Neal won his fourth NBA title with which team?Answer: Miami Heat. After three titles with the Lakers, Shaq won a fourth with Dwyane Wade’s Heat.
10. Which player appeared in the most NBA Finals?Answer: Bill Russell. Russell played in 12 Finals with the Celtics and won 11 of them.
11. Which country is Nikola Jokić from?Answer: Serbia. Jokić grew up in Sombor, Serbia.
12. Which country is Lauri Markkanen from?Answer: Finland. Markkanen was born in Jyväskylä, Finland.
13. What is it called when a player takes too many steps without dribbling?Answer: Traveling. Traveling gives the ball to the other team.
14. What is it called when a player stops dribbling and then starts dribbling again?Answer: Double dribble. Restarting a dribble after picking up the ball is a double dribble.
15. Who became the first Oklahoma City Thunder player to win the NBA MVP award?Answer: Kevin Durant. Durant won MVP for the 2013–14 season; Westbrook and Gilgeous-Alexander followed later.
16. Who won the MVP award in back-to-back seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers?Answer: LeBron James. LeBron James was MVP in consecutive seasons during his first stint in Cleveland.
17. Who won the 1996–97 MVP award, edging Michael Jordan?Answer: Karl Malone. Malone took the award narrowly over Jordan.
18. Which team did Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s Lakers sweep in the 2002 NBA Finals?Answer: New Jersey Nets. The Lakers swept the Nets for their third straight title.
19. Which team did the Chicago Bulls beat in the 1993 NBA Finals?Answer: Phoenix Suns. The Bulls beat Charles Barkley’s Suns in six games to complete their first three-peat.
20. Which team did the Chicago Bulls beat in the 1996 NBA Finals?Answer: Seattle SuperSonics. After their record 72-win season, the Bulls beat the SuperSonics in six games.

Baseball trivia

1. With which team did Hank Aaron finish his playing career?Answer: Milwaukee Brewers. Aaron returned to Milwaukee for his last two seasons, this time with the American League’s Brewers.
2. Which team won the World Series that was later tainted by the “Black Sox” scandal?Answer: Cincinnati Reds. The Reds beat a White Sox team whose players had taken money from gamblers to lose.
3. What is the cover of an official MLB baseball made of?Answer: Cowhide. Baseballs switched from horsehide to cowhide covers in 1974.
4. Home plate is a five-sided slab of what material?Answer: Whitened rubber. The rules call for home plate to be made of whitened rubber.
5. In baseball slang, what is a “cup of coffee”?Answer: A short stay in the major leagues. A player who gets only a brief call-up is said to have had a cup of coffee in the majors.
6. Who is the only player to win the MVP award in both the National and American Leagues?Answer: Frank Robinson. Robinson won it with the Cincinnati Reds and later with the Baltimore Orioles.
7. Which Yankees catcher won three American League MVP awards in the 1950s?Answer: Yogi Berra. Berra was named AL MVP in 1951, 1954 and 1955.
8. Who managed the 1969 “Miracle Mets” to the World Series title?Answer: Gil Hodges. The former Dodgers first baseman managed the Mets from 1968 until his death in 1972.
9. Which country won the 2017 World Baseball Classic?Answer: United States. The U.S. beat Puerto Rico 8–0 in the final at Dodger Stadium.
10. Who was the first player to go into the Hall of Fame with an Arizona Diamondbacks cap on his plaque?Answer: Randy Johnson. Johnson, who won four straight Cy Young Awards in Arizona, was inducted in 2015.
11. Which actor played manager Jimmy Dugan in “A League of Their Own”?Answer: Tom Hanks. Hanks played the washed-up slugger who manages the Rockford Peaches.
12. The “Curse of the Bambino” was blamed for which team’s long title drought?Answer: Boston Red Sox. Boston went 86 years without a title after selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees.
13. Which ballpark was nicknamed “The House That Ruth Built”?Answer: Yankee Stadium. Babe Ruth’s drawing power helped pay for the original Yankee Stadium.
14. Which star’s brothers Dom and Vince also played in the major leagues?Answer: Joe DiMaggio. All three DiMaggio brothers played center field in the majors.
15. What is the strip of dirt in front of the outfield wall, which tells fielders the wall is near, called?Answer: The warning track. The change underfoot from grass to dirt warns a fielder chasing a fly ball that the wall is a few steps away.
16. Which team’s fans affectionately called it “Dem Bums”?Answer: Brooklyn Dodgers. Brooklyn fans used the nickname for their often heartbreaking Dodgers.
17. Which is the oldest ballpark still used by an MLB team?Answer: Fenway Park. Fenway opened in 1912, two years before Wrigley Field.
18. Before 2008, what were the Tampa Bay Rays called?Answer: Devil Rays. The team dropped “Devil” from its name ahead of the 2008 season.
19. What must a runner do before advancing on a fly ball that is caught?Answer: Tag up. A runner has to retouch his base after the catch before he can run.
20. Who hit the first home run in All-Star Game history?Answer: Babe Ruth. Ruth hit a two-run homer in the very first All-Star Game at Comiskey Park.

Hockey trivia

1. Which Hall of Fame goaltender was nicknamed “Mr. Goalie”?Answer: Glenn Hall. Hall, a star for Chicago, also holds the record of 502 straight games in goal.
2. How many of the “Original Six” teams are based in Canada?Answer: Two. The Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs are the two Canadian teams of the Original Six.
3. Which team’s fans call it the “Bolts”?Answer: Tampa Bay Lightning. The nickname comes from the lightning bolt on the team’s logo.
4. What is the nickname of Utah’s NHL team?Answer: Mammoth. After a season as the Utah Hockey Club, the team took the name Utah Mammoth.
5. Which Hall of Fame sniper was nicknamed “The Golden Brett”?Answer: Brett Hull. The nickname played on that of his father, Bobby Hull, “The Golden Jet.”
6. How long is a misconduct penalty in the NHL?Answer: Ten minutes. A misconduct sends a player off for ten minutes, but his team is not shorthanded.
7. Which goaltender backstopped Edmonton’s 1980s dynasty and wore No. 31?Answer: Grant Fuhr. Fuhr was in goal for four of the Oilers’ five Stanley Cups in that era.
8. Marián Hossa, a three-time Stanley Cup winner, came from which country?Answer: Slovakia. Hossa was born in Stará Ľubovňa in what is now Slovakia.
9. Bobby Orr’s famous “flying” Cup-winning goal came against which team?Answer: St. Louis Blues. Orr scored in overtime of Game 4 to complete Boston’s sweep of the Blues.
10. Ottawa goalie Andrew Hammond earned which fast-food nickname during his hot 2015 run?Answer: The Hamburglar. Fans threw hamburgers onto the ice in his honor.
11. Who is the longest-serving captain in NHL history, leading Detroit for two decades?Answer: Steve Yzerman. Yzerman was named Red Wings captain at 21 and kept the “C” until he retired.
12. Who won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie in 2024?Answer: Connor Bedard. The Blackhawks center led all rookies in scoring.
13. To join hockey’s “Triple Gold Club,” a player needs a Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal and what else?Answer: A world championship gold medal. The club honors players who have won all three of hockey’s biggest team titles.
14. Which Hall of Fame center was nicknamed “The Moose”?Answer: Mark Messier. Messier’s size and strength earned him the nickname early in his Edmonton career.
15. Which goaltender’s heroics earned him the nickname “Saint Patrick”?Answer: Patrick Roy. Roy led Montreal to Stanley Cups in 1986 and 1993 and Colorado to two more.
16. How wide is the opening of an NHL goal?Answer: 6 feet. An NHL goal mouth is 6 feet wide and 4 feet tall.
17. Which Red Wings center was nicknamed “The Magic Man” for his stickhandling?Answer: Pavel Datsyuk. Datsyuk’s dazzling dekes made him a highlight-reel favorite.
18. Which NHL team did Wayne Gretzky coach?Answer: Phoenix Coyotes. Gretzky coached the Coyotes for four seasons, from 2005 to 2009.
19. How many teams make the Stanley Cup playoffs each season?Answer: 16. Eight teams from each conference qualify.
20. Which team plays its home games at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul?Answer: Minnesota Wild. The Wild have played there since their first season.

Soccer trivia

1. Which club plays its home games at the Camp Nou?Answer: Barcelona. The Camp Nou, Europe’s largest soccer stadium, is Barcelona’s home.
2. Which English club is nicknamed “the Gunners”?Answer: Arsenal. The nickname dates back to the club’s founding by workers at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich.
3. Which country’s national team is nicknamed “the Super Eagles”?Answer: Nigeria. Nigeria’s men’s team is known as the Super Eagles.
4. Which country’s national team is nicknamed “the Indomitable Lions”?Answer: Cameroon. Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions have won the Africa Cup of Nations five times.
5. Who scored the dribbling goal against England that was voted FIFA’s “Goal of the Century”?Answer: Diego Maradona. Maradona ran from his own half through England’s defense at the 1986 World Cup.
6. Before moving to Barcelona as a boy, Lionel Messi played youth soccer for which Argentine club?Answer: Newell’s Old Boys. Messi joined Newell’s in his hometown of Rosario before leaving for Spain at 13.
7. Which club won the expanded 32-team Club World Cup held in the United States in 2025?Answer: Chelsea. Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain 3–0 in the final at MetLife Stadium.
8. Who is the all-time top scorer in the Champions League?Answer: Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo scored 140 Champions League goals, the most ever.
9. Which English club is nicknamed “the Saints”?Answer: Southampton. Southampton began as a church team, St Mary’s Young Men’s Association.
10. The Copa Libertadores is the top club competition of which continent?Answer: South America. It is South America’s equivalent of the Champions League.
11. Which club did Pep Guardiola manage between Barcelona and Manchester City?Answer: Bayern Munich. Guardiola won three straight Bundesliga titles with Bayern.
12. Which England goalkeeper made the famous “save of the century” from Pelé’s header at the 1970 World Cup?Answer: Gordon Banks. Banks dived to flip Pelé’s downward header over the bar in Guadalajara.
13. Under the Laws of the Game, how long may the halftime interval last?Answer: No more than 15 minutes. The Laws say the halftime interval must not exceed 15 minutes.
14. Which German manager led Liverpool to its first Premier League title?Answer: Jürgen Klopp. Klopp’s Liverpool ended the club’s 30-year wait for a league title.
15. Which club went through the 2023–24 Bundesliga season unbeaten?Answer: Bayer Leverkusen. Leverkusen, coached by Xabi Alonso, won their first German title without losing a league game.
16. Which club won the 2025 Europa League final in Bilbao?Answer: Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs beat Manchester United 1–0 for their first major trophy in 17 years.
17. Which country won the 2025 Women’s European Championship?Answer: England. England beat Spain on penalties in Basel to keep the title they won in 2022.
18. A player cannot be offside when receiving the ball directly from which restart?Answer: A throw-in. There is no offside offense directly from a throw-in, goal kick or corner kick.
19. Celtic Park is in which city?Answer: Glasgow. Celtic play at Celtic Park in the east end of Glasgow.
20. Which club shares Rome’s Stadio Olimpico with Lazio?Answer: Roma. Both Rome rivals play their home games at the Olimpico.

Movies trivia

1. In The Shawshank Redemption, whose pin-up poster is covering Andy’s tunnel when his escape is discovered?Answer: Raquel Welch. Andy’s posters changed over the years, from Rita Hayworth to Marilyn Monroe to Raquel Welch, who hid the tunnel at the end.
2. Who played Forrest Gump’s mother in Forrest Gump?Answer: Sally Field. Sally Field played Mrs. Gump, who raises Forrest in Greenbow, Alabama.
3. In Cast Away, what is the name of the volleyball Tom Hanks’s character befriends?Answer: Wilson. Chuck Noland paints a face on a Wilson volleyball and names it after the brand.
4. Who won Best Actress for playing Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?Answer: Louise Fletcher. Louise Fletcher won the Oscar for the icy head nurse opposite Jack Nicholson.
5. Who played matchmaker Dolly Levi in the film version of Hello, Dolly!?Answer: Barbra Streisand. Barbra Streisand starred in the film; Carol Channing had created the role on Broadway.
6. In Mary Poppins, Dick Van Dyke’s Bert leads the rooftop dance “Step in Time” while working as what?Answer: A chimney sweep. Bert has many jobs in the film, and in the rooftop number he is a chimney sweep.
7. Which studio’s logo shows a mountain peak ringed by stars?Answer: Paramount Pictures. Paramount’s mountain-and-stars logo is the oldest surviving Hollywood studio logo.
8. Sophia Loren won the first acting Oscar for a non-English-language performance in which film?Answer: Two Women. Loren won Best Actress for the Italian film Two Women.
9. Which Alfred Hitchcock film is staged to look like a few long, almost continuous takes in a single apartment?Answer: Rope. Hitchcock hid most cuts in Rope so the story seems to unfold in real time.
10. Who played the title role in the French film Amélie?Answer: Audrey Tautou. Audrey Tautou starred as the shy Parisian waitress Amélie Poulain.
11. Who played Moses in Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments?Answer: Charlton Heston. Charlton Heston played Moses, and Yul Brynner played the pharaoh Rameses.
12. Which dancer starred opposite Ginger Rogers in Top Hat?Answer: Fred Astaire. Top Hat is one of ten films Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made together.
13. Who played Cole Sear, the boy who sees ghosts, in The Sixth Sense?Answer: Haley Joel Osment. Haley Joel Osment earned an Oscar nomination for the role.
14. Which film follows a family’s road trip in a yellow Volkswagen bus to a children’s beauty pageant?Answer: Little Miss Sunshine. The Hoovers push-start their temperamental yellow bus all the way to California.
15. Who played the title role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button?Answer: Brad Pitt. Brad Pitt played a man who ages backward, opposite Cate Blanchett.
16. In Disney’s Bambi, what kind of animal is Bambi’s friend Thumper?Answer: A rabbit. Thumper the rabbit is named for the way he thumps his foot; Flower is the skunk.
17. Matt Damon shared the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting with which co-writer?Answer: Ben Affleck. Damon and his childhood friend Ben Affleck wrote the screenplay together.
18. Who played Elliott, the boy who befriends E.T., in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial?Answer: Henry Thomas. Henry Thomas was about ten when he played Elliott.
19. Who played Vietnam veteran John Rambo in First Blood?Answer: Sylvester Stallone. First Blood launched Stallone’s second big franchise after Rocky.
20. Who played the Bride, the sword-wielding assassin, in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill films?Answer: Uma Thurman. Uma Thurman played the Bride; Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah and Vivica A. Fox played members of the Deadly Viper squad.

Television trivia

1. On The Office, what is the name of Michael Scott’s homemade employee awards show?Answer: The Dundies. Michael hosts the Dundies, handing out joke trophies at a local Chili’s.
2. Andy Richter was the original sidekick to which late-night host?Answer: Conan O’Brien. Richter sat beside Conan on Late Night and later returned for his Tonight Show and TBS shows.
3. On Seinfeld, what is Kramer’s first name?Answer: Cosmo. Kramer’s first name, Cosmo, was revealed in a later season, to Jerry’s delight.
4. On The Big Bang Theory, where does Penny work as a waitress for most of the early seasons?Answer: The Cheesecake Factory. Penny serves the guys at the Cheesecake Factory while trying to make it as an actress.
5. Which actor played Hawkeye Pierce on M*A*S*H?Answer: Alan Alda. Alan Alda played Hawkeye for the show’s entire run and also wrote and directed episodes.
6. Which sitcom starred Bob Newhart as a Chicago psychologist?Answer: The Bob Newhart Show. In The Bob Newhart Show he played psychologist Bob Hartley; on Newhart he ran a Vermont inn.
7. Which comedian replaced Bob Barker as host of The Price Is Right?Answer: Drew Carey. Drew Carey took over the long-running game show after Barker retired.
8. Which comedian has hosted Family Feud since 2010?Answer: Steve Harvey. Steve Harvey became host of the syndicated Family Feud in 2010.
9. On Friends, what is the title of Phoebe Buffay’s best-known song?Answer: Smelly Cat. Phoebe’s “Smelly Cat” became a running joke and even got a music video.
10. What is the name of Frasier Crane’s frosty ex-wife, a fellow psychiatrist?Answer: Lilith. Bebe Neuwirth played Lilith Sternin on Cheers and in guest spots on Frasier.
11. Which Jim Henson series is set in a world of caves where Doozers build and Gorgs grumble?Answer: Fraggle Rock. Fraggle Rock followed Gobo, Red, Wembley, Boober and Mokey.
12. Which journalist anchored NBC Nightly News for more than two decades before handing over to Brian Williams?Answer: Tom Brokaw. Tom Brokaw anchored the broadcast from 1982 until Brian Williams took over.
13. On The Andy Griffith Show, what was Andy Taylor’s job in Mayberry?Answer: Sheriff. Andy was the town’s easygoing sheriff, with Barney Fife as his deputy.
14. On Scooby-Doo, what is Shaggy’s real first name?Answer: Norville. Shaggy’s full name is Norville Rogers.
15. Which sitcom starred Fran Drescher as Fran Fine, a nanny to a Broadway producer’s children?Answer: The Nanny. Fran Drescher co-created The Nanny and played the Queens-born Fran Fine.
16. On Cheers, what is Diane’s last name?Answer: Chambers. Shelley Long played the bookish barmaid Diane Chambers.
17. Which daytime soap opera is set in the fictional town of Salem?Answer: Days of Our Lives. Days of Our Lives follows families like the Hortons and the Bradys in Salem.
18. What trophy do the winners of Dancing with the Stars receive?Answer: The Mirrorball Trophy. Champions lift the glittering Mirrorball Trophy, now named for judge Len Goodman.
19. Which TV family lived at 0001 Cemetery Lane?Answer: The Addams Family. The Addams family’s gloomy mansion stood at 0001 Cemetery Lane.
20. On The Cosby Show, what is the name of the youngest Huxtable child?Answer: Rudy. Keshia Knight Pulliam played Rudy, the youngest of the five Huxtable children.

Fantasy trivia

1. In The Empire Strikes Back, on which swampy planet does Luke Skywalker train with Yoda?Answer: Dagobah. Luke crash-lands his X-wing in Dagobah’s swamps, where Yoda lives in exile.
2. Who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars?Answer: Alec Guinness. Sir Alec Guinness earned an Oscar nomination for playing the old Jedi; Peter Cushing played Grand Moff Tarkin.
3. Which actor played Spock in the original Star Trek series?Answer: Leonard Nimoy. Leonard Nimoy played the half-Vulcan science officer from the first pilot onward.
4. On Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the station’s bar is run by a Ferengi and named after him. What is it called?Answer: Quark’s. Armin Shimerman played Quark, whose bar sits on the station’s Promenade.
5. What is the name of Fred and George Weasley’s joke shop in Diagon Alley?Answer: Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. The twins open Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes at 93 Diagon Alley.
6. In the Harry Potter books, what is a non-magical person called?Answer: A Muggle. Muggles are non-magical people; a Squib is someone born to wizards without magic.
7. Which Harry Potter sweets come in every flavor, including earwax and vomit?Answer: Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans. Dumbledore says he once had the bad luck to try a vomit-flavored one.
8. What kind of creature is Treebeard in The Lord of the Rings?Answer: An Ent. Treebeard is the oldest of the Ents, the shepherds of the trees of Fangorn Forest.
9. Before the Ring twisted him into Gollum, what was his name?Answer: Sméagol. Sméagol killed his friend Déagol to take the Ring and became Gollum.
10. What is the name of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s giant flying aircraft-carrier headquarters in the Marvel films?Answer: The Helicarrier. The Avengers gather aboard Nick Fury’s Helicarrier in The Avengers.
11. Which Fantastic Four hero shouts “It’s clobberin’ time!”?Answer: The Thing. Ben Grimm, the rocky Thing, made the catchphrase famous.
12. What is the name of Superman’s Arctic hideaway?Answer: The Fortress of Solitude. Superman keeps Kryptonian treasures in his Fortress of Solitude.
13. Who played Batman in the 1960s TV series?Answer: Adam West. Adam West starred as Batman, with Burt Ward as Robin and Cesar Romero as the Joker.
14. In Back to the Future Part II, Marty and Doc travel forward to which year?Answer: 2015. They visit October 21, 2015, a day fans celebrated when it finally arrived.
15. Who played park creator John Hammond in Jurassic Park?Answer: Richard Attenborough. Director-actor Richard Attenborough played the billionaire who built the park.
16. Which Ghostbuster did co-writer Harold Ramis play?Answer: Egon Spengler. Harold Ramis played the brainy Egon; co-writer Dan Aykroyd played Ray.
17. What is the name of the Doctor’s home planet in Doctor Who?Answer: Gallifrey. Gallifrey is the home world of the Time Lords; Skaro is the home of the Daleks.
18. Who played Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones?Answer: Peter Dinklage. Peter Dinklage won four Emmys for playing Tyrion.
19. In The Hunger Games, what is Panem’s ruling city called?Answer: The Capitol. The Capitol rules the districts of Panem and stages the Hunger Games.
20. Who played James T. Kirk in J.J. Abrams’s Star Trek films?Answer: Chris Pine. Chris Pine played the young Kirk, with Chris Hemsworth as his father and Karl Urban as McCoy.

Broadway trivia

1. In Hamilton, which of Alexander Hamilton’s children is killed in a duel?Answer: Philip. Philip Hamilton dies after a duel in the second act, three years before his father’s own fatal duel.
2. “Somewhere That’s Green” comes from which musical?Answer: Little Shop of Horrors. Audrey sings it in Little Shop of Horrors, dreaming of a quiet life in the suburbs.
3. “Gee, Officer Krupke” comes from which musical?Answer: West Side Story. The Jets mock the police and social workers in this comic number from West Side Story.
4. The dance song “The Lambeth Walk” comes from which musical?Answer: Me and My Girl. It is the big Act One number of Me and My Girl, set partly in the London district of Lambeth.
5. In theatre, what does it mean when an actor is “off book”?Answer: They have memorized their lines. Being off book means rehearsing without the script in hand.
6. In theatre, what is the “green room”?Answer: A lounge where performers wait when not on stage. The green room is the backstage waiting area for actors, whatever color it is painted.
7. Who wrote the comedy The Importance of Being Earnest?Answer: Oscar Wilde. Oscar Wilde’s comedy of mistaken identities premiered in London in 1895.
8. Who wrote the play A Doll’s House, about Nora Helmer?Answer: Henrik Ibsen. The Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen wrote A Doll’s House.
9. Deaf West Theatre’s 2015 Broadway revival of which musical was performed in American Sign Language and spoken English?Answer: Spring Awakening. Deaf West’s Spring Awakening cast Deaf and hearing actors and played on Broadway in 2015.
10. The musical School of Rock is based on a film starring which actor?Answer: Jack Black. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s School of Rock is based on the film starring Jack Black.
11. Which Broadway musical follows the young con artist Frank Abagnale Jr.?Answer: Catch Me If You Can. Catch Me If You Can, based on the film, has songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
12. Who played the title role in the original Broadway production of Pal Joey?Answer: Gene Kelly. Gene Kelly’s turn as the nightclub heel Joey Evans made him a star before Hollywood called.
13. “Fascinating Rhythm” was introduced in which Gershwin musical?Answer: Lady, Be Good!. Fred and Adele Astaire introduced it with Cliff Edwards in Lady, Be Good!
14. In Fiddler on the Roof, how many daughters does Tevye have?Answer: Five. Tevye has five daughters; the three eldest drive most of the plot.
15. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat retells a story from which book of the Bible?Answer: Genesis. The story of Joseph and his coat comes from the Book of Genesis.
16. In Chicago, Roxie Hart is jailed for shooting which man?Answer: Fred Casely. Roxie shoots her lover Fred Casely; Billy Flynn is her lawyer and Amos her husband.
17. Billy Elliot the Musical is set during a strike by which workers?Answer: Coal miners. The show is set during the 1984–85 miners’ strike in northern England.
18. “Losing My Mind” comes from which Sondheim musical?Answer: Follies. Sally Durant Plummer sings it in the Loveland sequence of Follies.
19. Nellie Forbush is the heroine of which Rodgers and Hammerstein musical?Answer: South Pacific. Nellie, a Navy nurse from Arkansas, falls for the French planter Emile de Becque in South Pacific.
20. Shubert Alley, the famous Broadway walkway, links which two streets?Answer: 44th and 45th Streets. The private alley runs between West 44th and West 45th Streets beside the Shubert Theatre.

U.S. History trivia

1. The Gadsden flag of the Revolution shows which animal above the words “Don’t Tread on Me”?Answer: A rattlesnake. Christopher Gadsden’s yellow flag shows a coiled timber rattlesnake.
2. Which city hosted the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, the World’s Fair of 1904?Answer: St. Louis. The fair in St. Louis marked the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase, a year late.
3. During Reconstruction, who were called “carpetbaggers”?Answer: Northerners who moved to the South after the Civil War. The insult suggested newcomers who arrived with all their belongings in a carpetbag.
4. Which French sculptor designed the Statue of Liberty?Answer: Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi. Bartholdi designed the statue; Gustave Eiffel engineered its iron framework.
5. Which engineer designed the Brooklyn Bridge?Answer: John A. Roebling. John A. Roebling designed it, and his son Washington and daughter-in-law Emily saw it built.
6. The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is famous for what flaw?Answer: A large crack. The bell’s wide crack, widened during an attempted repair, is its best-known feature.
7. What was the Teapot Dome scandal of the 1920s about?Answer: Secretly leasing federal oil reserves. Interior Secretary Albert Fall took bribes to lease government oil fields, including Teapot Dome in Wyoming.
8. From which country did the U.S. buy the Virgin Islands?Answer: Denmark. The Danish West Indies were bought from Denmark for $25 million and renamed the U.S. Virgin Islands.
9. Who first found gold at Sutter’s Mill, setting off the California Gold Rush?Answer: James W. Marshall. Carpenter James W. Marshall spotted the flakes while building a sawmill for John Sutter.
10. The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral took place in which Western town?Answer: Tombstone. Wyatt Earp, his brothers and Doc Holliday faced the Clantons and McLaurys in Tombstone.
11. Where did Lewis and Clark spend the winter of 1805–06, near the Pacific coast?Answer: Fort Clatsop. They built Fort Clatsop near the mouth of the Columbia River; Fort Mandan was their first winter camp.
12. Which Boston newspaper, shut down after a single issue, is considered the first newspaper in the American colonies?Answer: Publick Occurrences. Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick appeared once, in 1690, before officials suppressed it.
13. What was the “Great White Fleet”?Answer: U.S. Navy battleships sent on a voyage around the world. Theodore Roosevelt sent the white-painted battleships around the globe to show American naval power.
14. What did the Freedom Riders of 1961 challenge?Answer: Segregation on interstate buses and in bus stations. Black and white activists rode buses through the South to test court rulings against segregated travel.
15. Which landmark became the first U.S. national monument, proclaimed by Theodore Roosevelt?Answer: Devils Tower. Devils Tower was proclaimed the first national monument in September 1906.
16. Which 1956 law launched the Interstate Highway System?Answer: The Federal-Aid Highway Act. Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act, funding a national network of interstates.
17. What was the real name of the frontier apple planter known as Johnny Appleseed?Answer: John Chapman. John Chapman planted apple nurseries across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.
18. Which secret group of colonial patriots organized protests against British taxes, including the Boston Tea Party?Answer: The Sons of Liberty. Samuel Adams and Paul Revere were among the Sons of Liberty.
19. Who designed New York’s Central Park with Calvert Vaux?Answer: Frederick Law Olmsted. Olmsted and Vaux won the design competition with their Greensward Plan.
20. Which island prison in San Francisco Bay once held Al Capone?Answer: Alcatraz. Capone was sent to Alcatraz in 1934, soon after it became a federal prison.

U.S. Presidents trivia

1. Who was the 15th president?Answer: James Buchanan. James Buchanan served one term, just before Abraham Lincoln.
2. Who was the 17th president?Answer: Andrew Johnson. Andrew Johnson took office after Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president, was assassinated.
3. Who was the 28th president?Answer: Woodrow Wilson. Woodrow Wilson served two terms, from 1913 to 1921.
4. Who was the 20th president?Answer: James A. Garfield. James A. Garfield took office in March 1881 and died that September after being shot.
5. Who was the 42nd president?Answer: Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton served from 1993 to 2001, between the two Bushes.
6. Who was Rutherford B. Hayes’s vice president?Answer: William A. Wheeler. William A. Wheeler, a New York congressman, was vice president from 1877 to 1881.
7. Who was James A. Garfield’s vice president?Answer: Chester A. Arthur. Chester A. Arthur became president when Garfield died in 1881.
8. Who was John Quincy Adams’s vice president?Answer: John C. Calhoun. John C. Calhoun served under John Quincy Adams and then in Andrew Jackson’s first term.
9. Who was Zachary Taylor’s vice president?Answer: Millard Fillmore. Millard Fillmore became president when Zachary Taylor died in 1850.
10. Ida was the wife of which president?Answer: William McKinley. Ida Saxton McKinley was first lady from 1897 to 1901.
11. Letitia, who died in the White House in 1842, was the wife of which president?Answer: John Tyler. Letitia Tyler was John Tyler’s first wife; he later married Julia Gardiner while in office.
12. The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library is on the campus of which university?Answer: University of Michigan. The library is in Ann Arbor, at Ford’s alma mater; his museum is in Grand Rapids.
13. Which president was born in Plymouth Notch, Vermont?Answer: Calvin Coolidge. Calvin Coolidge was born in the village of Plymouth Notch on July 4, 1872.
14. Who was the first president born in Ohio?Answer: Ulysses S. Grant. Ulysses S. Grant was born in Point Pleasant, Ohio; William Henry Harrison was born in Virginia.
15. Who was the first president photographed while in office?Answer: James K. Polk. James K. Polk sat for daguerreotypes during his presidency in the 1840s.
16. Which Secretary of State arranged the purchase of Alaska, mocked by critics as his “folly”?Answer: William Seward. William Seward negotiated the deal with Russia, nicknamed “Seward’s Folly.”
17. Which president signed the Morrill Act, which funded land-grant colleges?Answer: Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Land-Grant Act during the Civil War.
18. Who was the first president to veto a bill?Answer: George Washington. George Washington vetoed a bill on dividing seats in the House of Representatives.
19. Which president had been governor of Texas?Answer: George W. Bush. George W. Bush was governor of Texas before winning the presidency.
20. Which president campaigned on a “return to normalcy” after World War I?Answer: Warren G. Harding. Warren G. Harding’s slogan promised calm after the war years and won him the 1920 election.

Geography trivia

1. What is the capital of Zambia?Answer: Lusaka. Lusaka has been Zambia’s capital since the country became independent in 1964.
2. What is the capital of Malta?Answer: Valletta. Valletta, Malta’s fortified capital, is one of the smallest capital cities in Europe.
3. What is the capital of Utah?Answer: Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City sits near the Great Salt Lake, which gave it its name.
4. What is the capital of Arizona?Answer: Phoenix. Phoenix is Arizona’s capital and its largest city.
5. What is the capital of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia?Answer: Halifax. Halifax is Nova Scotia’s capital and its largest city, with a busy harbor.
6. Which U.S. state is nicknamed the Silver State?Answer: Nevada. Nevada’s nickname comes from the silver rush that followed the Comstock Lode find.
7. Which river carved the Grand Canyon?Answer: Colorado River. The Colorado River cut the canyon over millions of years.
8. Which country’s flag is red with a white Nordic cross?Answer: Denmark. Denmark’s flag, the Dannebrog, is red with a white cross set toward the hoist.
9. Which country’s flag has vertical green, white and red stripes, with green nearest the pole?Answer: Italy. Italy’s plain tricolore has no emblem; Mexico’s adds an eagle and Hungary’s stripes run across.
10. What is the highest mountain in the contiguous United States?Answer: Mount Whitney. Mount Whitney, in California’s Sierra Nevada, rises to about 14,505 feet.
11. What is the longest river in France?Answer: Loire. The Loire runs about 1,000 kilometers to the Atlantic.
12. What is the longest river in the United Kingdom?Answer: Severn. The Severn rises in Wales and flows about 350 kilometers to the Bristol Channel.
13. The Bay of Biscay is part of which ocean?Answer: Atlantic Ocean. The Bay of Biscay lies off the Atlantic coasts of France and northern Spain.
14. The island of Crete belongs to which country?Answer: Greece. Crete is the largest of the Greek islands.
15. Which hills and mountains are often called “the backbone of England”?Answer: Pennines. The Pennines run north–south through northern England.
16. The Thar Desert lies in India and which other country?Answer: Pakistan. The Thar, or Great Indian Desert, stretches across northwestern India into Pakistan.
17. Which country is nicknamed “the Land of the Rising Sun”?Answer: Japan. Japan’s own name, Nihon, can be read as “origin of the sun.”
18. Which country is nicknamed “the Land of Fire and Ice”?Answer: Iceland. Iceland pairs active volcanoes with glaciers.
19. Which line of latitude lies at about 23.4 degrees south?Answer: Tropic of Capricorn. The Tropic of Capricorn marks the farthest south the sun is ever directly overhead.
20. What is the capital of Rwanda?Answer: Kigali. Kigali sits in the hilly center of Rwanda.