Ask FunTrivia Question Archive

39002. Which football team won the inaugural World Cup?

39005. Whereabouts in London do Marcus and Fiona live in the Hugh Grant movie 'About a Boy?'

39006. Who, 16th/17th century, is about to die again?

39009. Who was the first person to win a Grammy, an Oscar, a Tony, and have a number 1 record on both sides of the Atlantic?

39011. Where in the world is there literally a river of ink?

39012. Where are the lakes after which the LA Lakers are named?

39013. There is a movie starring Cheech and Chong where they keep saying "Dave's Not Here, Man." Does anyone know the name of that movie?

39014. What is the only wild animal that has been observed "paying homage" to its deceased ancestors?

39015. What is an ampersand, and how did it come to mean this?

39016. From where did we get the pejorative term 'Son of a Gun?'

39017. Why is someone who is running wild said to be 'berserk?'

39018. Name the champion who is against the overuse of technology in his sport: Tiger Woods, Pete Sampras, David Beckham, or Michael Schumacher?

39019. When fish die, why do they turn upside down and float to the top of the tank?

39020. Is there any historical evidence to support the existence of Marco Polo? My world history teacher said that he might have been a symbol to represent a real person who took a similar journey in real life.

39021. Why do Koalas only eat eucalyptus? You think they'd get bored and want to try something else for a change.

39023. TAMA is a very famous character in the east and how is Tama represented normally?

39025. What's the average wage of a politician?

39027. "Richard of York gave battle in vain" is a phrase that helps you to remember what?

39032. Which "angel" starred as an intern in the remake of an Australian film about a dolphin?

39033. What was the name and who sang the theme song to The Great American Hero?

39034. Whose last words to Buddy Holly before he died were to hope that his plane crashed?

39036. Who discovered the planet Neptune in 1846?

39037. What links Cher with the Average White Band?

39038. Who was the first female candidate for the American presidency?

39039. What was the name of the first baseball team in America?

39040. Why were military cars, and now the line of Chrysler cars, called 'Jeeps?'

39041. Why does 'pipe down' mean 'shut up?'

39042. Why are the elite called the 'upper crust?'

39043. Why is gibberish called 'gobbledygook'?

39044. What does the phrase 'Don't go there' mean and when did it first come into usage?

39046. Which one of the following animals carries chemicals that can fight cancer effectively: Fireflies, Vampire bats, Rattlesnakes, or Green turtles?

39047. Who are the top five male tennis players in Britain?

39049. What does the Tottenham Hotspur motto "Audere est Facere" mean?

39050. The inventor of "Tippex" had a son who was in which famous pop group?

39052. What is the name of the Queen of Sheba that spent three years with King Solomon?

39053. Where did the man known as "The Thundering Scot" preach his first sermon?

39054. What is the largest mass ever lifted by a man-made magnet?

39058. A person has two parents, four grandparents, eight great-grandparents and so on backwards through the generations. If we go back 40 generations, about 1200 years, this gives each person on Earth over a million million ancestors, many times more than the population of the entire Earth! Where does the logic break down? Are we all very inbred?

39059. Does anyone know why rubella is also known as 'German Measles?'

39061. I was under the impression that the "glass" slipper in Cinderella was a mistranslation of the French word for fur, now I find that it was, in fact, a glass slipper after all and not a mistranslation. Any light from esteemed contributors?

39064. In the past, which club offered Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a move from Man Utd which he rejected so that he could try and break for a place in the first team?

39067. Why is someone obviously in love "wearing his heart on his sleeve?"

39070. On Pop Stars the Rivals (October 12 2002), the first week all ten boys sang. What song did Peter Smith sing and who released the song?

39074. Why is the letter "I" in the word I capitalized?

39075. Which piece of music has a title which is half French, half Italian and was written about a third country by a citizen of a different country altogether?

39077. Who played the voice of 'Mister Ed' the talking horse on TV?

39078. Where is "$847.63" often seen? What is its significance and if it were updated what would it be now?

39079. Are there more grains of sand on the earth, or more stars in the sky?

39080. The first one was shaped like a tea kettle and had a bell on it. What was it?

39082. What animal is being bred to provide transplants for humans and why?

39083. On Star Trek, can anybody explain why Miles O'Brien went from a commissioned rank in 'The Next Generation' to a non-commissioned rank in 'Deep Space Nine?'

39084. How did the planet (or asteroid if you prefer) Pluto get its name?

39085. To which prominent family was the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams related?

39086. At which Olympic Games was women's basketball first played?

39090. On 'Family Ties' when Nick was eating with the Keatons, he asked, "Do you always eat like this?" What did Alex tell him?

39091. On 'Family Ties' which baseball team did Alex and Steven pull for in the 1984 World Series?

39093. On 'Three's Company' Jack and Larry borrowed Chrissy's film projector to see an adult film. What cartoon film was on it instead?

39094. A Siamese cat named 'Sugieh' was featured in a sweet book called 'Cats in the Belfry.' Where does that name Sugieh come from? Note: Her father's name was Solomon. Does that mean anything?

39096. Why is oil (of the cooking variety) so difficult to wash out of clothes?

39098. Who starred as Oliver Twist in the musical 'Oliver?'

39099. Who was the founder of the International Management Group?

39100. Who was British Ryder Cup captain in 1999?

39101. Who was the beaten men's finalist at Wimbledon 2003?

39102. Who holds the club record for the number of sacks made by a New York Jets player at 22 in a season?

39103. It probably stems from an abbreviated Latin word, is raised over something dubious and its first recorded use in English is often attributed to a 16th century poet who was also a soldier and a politician. What is it?

39105. Which EU country has the greatest percentage of its area which could be used as arable land?

39107. Who equalled a Donald Bradman batting record but declared rather than beat it?

39108. Why is a murder as a form of 'vigilante justice' called a 'lynching?'

39110. Denizens of Indiana are called Hoosiers, but what in the world is a Hoosier?

39111. Is a dandelion named after a lion?

39112. "The game is afoot." What does it mean and who said it?

39113. Which county, associated with scuppering nuclear plans, gives its name to a discipline of a certain sport?

39114. Who was the subject of a best-selling poster in 1972 and why?

39115. Formed in 1962 in Flint, Michigan, what band became a one-hit-wonder in 1966 with a song called '96 Tears?'

39116. There is a piece of music on the 'Gladiator' soundtrack called "Now We Are Free." Is this sung by Enya?

39117. This early American (pardon the pun) pop group wore Revolutionary costumes and were featured on Dick Clark's show 'Where the Action Is' in 1965. Later a solo act, who was their lead singer?

39118. When and where did the custom of having a minute's silence as a mark of respect originate?

39119. Which of the Ella brothers scored a try against every country on the Australian Rugby Union tour of Great Britain in 1984?

39120. Who played Luke Skywalker in the 'Star Wars' trilogy?

39121. Who wrote the book 'In the Office of Constable' published in 1978?

39123. By what name was Maputo formerly known?

39125. Which comic actor died just days after Elvis, and as a result his passing was less reMARKed upon at the time than it ought to have been?

39126. When first created, this show was called 'House of Mystery.' While reworking the premise, the name was changed to 'The Mysterious Five.' But lastly, based on the Frank Sinatra rendition of 'Strangers in the Night' the title changed to the one you all know. What is the title of this very popular program?

39132. A visionary mystic born in England in around 1342, this lady's real name is not recorded, but what is the man's name she took and under which she wrote?

39133. Which person has won most gold medals in a single Olympics?

39134. Which person went into the book of infamy on the night of December 8, 1980 and why?

39135. Who holds the record for the number of home runs hit in a baseball season?

39136. Which was the first book of the New Testament to be written?

39137. Which English football team is nicknamed 'The Canaries?'

39138. Which English city is the home to Colman's Mustard?

39139. For which radio station does Alan Partridge work?

39140. Who plays Jim Carver in 'The Bill'?

39143. Who played Zaphod Beeblebrox in the televised version of 'The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy?'

39146. Reports of whose death were "greatly exaggerated?"

39149. Which ex-Liverpool player joined the BBC's Match of the Day team in June 1997?

39150. Who was both vocalist and bassist with Level 42?

39151. Richard Burton played what character opposite Elizabeth Taylor's 'Cleopatra?'

39153. What English coin was worth two nobles?

39155. Who owns the 'Hat Creek Cattle Company?'

39156. Has Mary J. Blige ever had a number 1 in the UK?

39157. Mildred and Patty Hill own the copyright to which well-known song?

39158. Do pomegranates grow in England?

39160. Who is Dire Straits' lead guitarist?

39161. The lead character in the movie version of 'Planet of the Apes' is played by which Hollywood actor?

39166. Who was found safe and well in the Sahara desert on 15 January 1982?

39167. What fictional book and Oscar winning movie is set in Thalia, Texas?

39168. On 'Friends' which two names did Chandler consider changing his name to?

39169. What is the 'Plimsoll Line?'

39170. What American cowboy is recognized as the inventor of the rodeo event 'Bulldogging' in 1903?

39173. Which English town is twinned with Pawtucket, Rhode Island?

39174. What genus does the peanut belong to?

39175. What actor is married to one of the stars of Mork and Mindy?

39176. Douglas Fairbanks and Tyrone Power both played the lead role in what movie?

39177. What screenwriter also played a 'windtalker?'

39178. What well-known Canadian store did Canadian Tire recently purchase?

39180. Who is missing from this list and why: Brendan Croker, Steve Phillips, Guy Fletcher and Ed Bicknall?

39181. What president went skinny dipping at 4:00 A.M. in the Potomac River across from the White House?

39182. Where are the "Wexford" novels set?

39184. Who portrayed Ted Bundy in a 1986 movie about the serial killer?

39185. In what country did the yoyo originate?

39186. With what auto manufacturer did Kelvinator merge?

39187. Who was Bill Todman's production partner?

39189. Where does the boxer Audley Harrison come from, and also supports the team of that name?

39190. How often do hurricanes hit Canada?

39192. Why do we call an ice cream with syrup a "sundae"?

39193. He is affectionately referred to as 'Amarillo Slim.' He won the World Championship of Poker in 1972. He's still on the circut today, playing Texas Hold'em. Can you give me his real name?

39194. How tall was Winston Churchill ?

39197. Which band did Ringo Starr leave to join the Beatles?

39198. The Stockton and Darlington Railway opened in Cleveland, England in 1826. At what maximum speed did its first steam locomotive travel?

39199. What proportion of wives are younger than their husbands in the UK, USA and worldwide?

39200. Which team today became the first in almost half a century to win three successive VFL/AFL Australian Rules premierships?

39201. I have heard that a serial killer was once caught because he used a human thigh bone to prop his gate open. Is this true and if so, who was it?

39202. This is a 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Quiz Machine' question. I have tried to find the answer in foreign dictionaries in a local library but with no luck. I believe the word could be African, possibly Swahili. The question is, what is the meaning of the word 'yumbo?'

39203. How did 'sideburns' get their name?

39204. Why are two consecutive baseball games played in one day called a 'doubleheader?'

39206. Which London suburb was the convicted 1960's murderer James Hanratty from?

39210. During his career, Robert Palmer achieved five UK top ten hit singles. One of those songs was a collaboration with another band. Name the band in question, and the song.

39211. In show business why is a female impersonator known as a 'drag act?'

39212. What is the total amount given away in the UK on 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?'

39213. What high school did the teenagers attend in the film 'American Graffiti?'

39214. If your cousin had a child, what would their relationship to you be?

39215. Who is the best-paid female singer as of 2002?

39216. Who is the best-paid author as of 2002?

39217. Who is the best-paid celebrity as of 2002?

39218. Who is the best-paid sports person as of 2002?

39220. Where would you have been served a meal of roast boar, snake surprise, baked black beetles and sheep's eyeball soup, and what is the missing course from the menu?

39221. Whose film credits include "The President's Neck is Missing," "Preacher with a Shovel," "Lead Paint," "Delicious but Deadly" and "Smoke Yourself Thin?"

39222. Who was the only actor to be nominated twice for an Oscar for the same performance?

39223. Who was the only actor to win two Oscars for the same performance?

39224. Who recorded the 1972 song "One Tin Soldier?"

39225. William Cushing was the first man from Massachusetts to hold what job?

39226. Which 1989 UK chart hit contained yodelling?

39227. Why is the Maple Leaf the symbol for Canada?

39228. How does a gyroscope work?

39231. Why is it that in Britain general elections are always held on the first Thursday in May?

39232. When and how did the custom of using bagpipes at police funerals begin?

39237. What is the medicine Narcan used for, and in which recent popular movie was it shown?

39238. Which American's English ancestors called Sulgrave Manor home?

39239. Who became the first to commit legally assisted suicide in 1996?

39240. What was the occupation of Horatio Nelson's father?

39241. Who was the first American soldier killed in Vietnam?

39242. In the Bible in Numbers, they keep speaking of Israel as he is a person. Who is Israel?

39243. In 'The Hobbit' Thorin Oakenshield, the head dwarf, had two dwarves who were his nephews or something, his sister's children. What were their names?

39244. Dynamite is nitroglycerine absorbed into a special clay (kieselguhr) so why have I often heard that peanuts are used in its manufacture?

39245. How did squirrels at school and a kitten having tea recently make the news?

39246. When and where was the first school prom?

39247. What is the exact difference between jam and marmalade?

39250. She has sold over 32 million albums in the US alone and two of her LPs are among the best-selling, ever. However, she has never had a number one single. Who am I talking about?

39252. Who is the richest person in the UK?

39254. Which UK chart hit of 1991 featured yodelling?

39255. What is the most popular name for a city in the United States?

39257. What does the D stand for in Big D peanuts?

39258. How often does a bimonthly journal come out?

39260. Who was the last tennis player to score a point in a major tournament using an underhand serve?

39261. Why can some people "get your goat" instead of "getting your mynah bird" or "getting your basset hound?"

39263. In Star Wars 1 and 2 is Jar Jar Binks computer animated or is it just a costume?

39264. A suburb of Redditch in Worcestershire is called Headless Cross. Does anyone know the origin of this name?

39265. Who is the current voice of Toys 'R' Us spokesman Geoffrey the Giraffe?

39266. To what does the term 'malossol' refer?

39267. Whose statue was unveiled in Montreux, Switzerland in 1996?

39268. What did Henry Robinson open in England in 1650?

39269. Who recorded the Phil Spector song "To Know Him is to Love Him?"

39271. Who recently published an autobiography named 'My Side?'

39272. Three of them appear together as vampires in a movie. The odd man is Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Antonio Banderas, or Nicholas Cage?

39273. Google's search engine is actually run by which animals: pigeons, blue whales, plant bacteria, or chimpanzees?

39274. Who was the first Guy to be called 'guy,' as in 'some guy?'

39275. To what 'end' does the 'bitter end' refer?

39277. Salvador Dali did an original commercial portrait of which car: Datsun, Cadillac, Rolls-Royce or Mercedes-Benz?

39279. I just finished watching "And the Band Played On" for about the 15th time. Can anybody direct me to some sources that state exactly where the AIDS epidemic started, if it is known?

39280. What country would you have to be in to dig a hole down to China?

39286. Which animal has the largest brain?

39287. Who has a brain the size of a planet?

39288. What is the official name of the State of Rhode Island?

39289. In British football, how many teams are relegated each year from the Ryman League Division 2?

39290. Is there a Greek island called Argos?

39291. Does Glucosamine Sulphate occur naturally?

39292. What was the highest UK chart position reached by Ralph McTell's 'Streets of London?'

39294. Who is the only band to appear more than once in the 'best selling rock albums top 10 in the UK,' and with which two albums?

39295. What was the most populated city in the world in 1903?

39296. Which Opera has been performed the most times at the Royal Opera House, Convent Garden (1833-2002)?

39297. Apart from Highgate, which London suburb shares its name with one in Birmingham (it's just outside West Midlands)?

39298. How much is a 'pound' compared to the American dollar and what would 500 pounds a year be equivalent to in the 1800's?

39299. Who lives at 518 Crestview Drive?

39301. When was the last recorded instance of a duel at dawn at twenty paces using pistols?

39303. What is considered to be the autograph of the greatest historic value known in existence?

39307. What four-letter word is a Portuguese title of respect, used with the given name?

39308. What is a 'mousseron?'

39309. What was the name of Buddy Holly's first single?

39310. How long were Cher and Greg Allman married before Cher filed for divorce?

39311. What is the link between Saddam Hussein and King George III?

39316. Why in the 1950s did Wick and the surrounding area have good cause to be pleased with its wet weather?

39317. What is the origin of the phrase "running out of time?"

39318. Many so-called modern inventions are not modern at all but due to the destruction of a certain building much of the knowledge of the ancient Greeks and Romans have been denied to us. What was the building that was destroyed?

39319. What was the name of the first computer?

39320. We have a mileometer in our cars, which is really an odometer. Who invented the odometer?

39321. When was the first cuckoo clock made?

39323. When was the first mobile phone invented?

39325. Which 1989 UK No.5 hit featured yodelling?

39326. Has 'Where is the Love?' by Black-eyed Peas featuring Justin Timerlake been released in the United States, and if so, which position did it reach on the charts?

39327. On Friends, what are the names of Rachel's two sisters and who plays them?

39328. Which British "hottie" plays opposite Matthew Perry in 'Serving Sarah?'

39329. Was there a real duke who "put up his dukes?"

39330. Why does 'knuckle down' mean 'to work hard' or 'to concentrate'?

39333. Which early 1991 No.1 hit record was edited for airplay by the BBC because its intro featured the sound of machine-gun fire?

39334. Which English actress plays a small role in "Goldeneye" as Robbie Coltrane's character's mistress?

39336. Which singer's fans are known as 'lambs'?

39341. What are the names of the car wheels that keep moving even after you stop?

39342. What islands did the United States purchase from Denmark in 1917 to keep the Germans from building a submarine base?

39343. Of all the professional major league US teams in baseball, basketball, American football and ice hockey, which eight team names do not end with the letter 'S'?

39344. In the movie Ben Hur, what are the names of the four horses he guides during the Charriot race?

39346. What is the name of the vampire movie starring Alyssa Milano?

39347. What was used in the manufacture of the first glue patented in England?

39348. Whose last words were: "Don't give up the ship?"

39349. Who preceded Johnny Carson as host of 'The Tonight Show' on NBC-TV?

39350. What was the title of the authorised Charles Schulz biography?

39351. What British kings are also Roman Catholic saints?

39353. Who invented the submarine?

39355. What is the origin of the 'Jolly Roger?'

39360. Who invented the harpsicord?

39361. What exactly is a 404 error?

39363. Further to #39292, which record prevented Ralph McTell's "Streets of London" from topping the UK chart?

39364. In the UK National Lottery draw, what are the odds of matching: a) No numbers and b) Three numbers out of six?

39368. Why do migrating birds fly in a 'V' pattern?

39369. What country is unofficially known as Holland?

39370. In baseball, what does it mean if a pitcher is a southpaw?

39371. From what source did the English word "maverick" come?

39372. What famous words are attributed to Patrick Henry?

39373. What connects Shirley Temple, David Livingstone, Mae West and Aldous Huxley?

39374. What are the two dots (:) in between the hours and minutes on a digital clock?

39375. If we knew everybody's complete family tree, what would be the minimum number of people that must be passed through to connect any given two people on Earth along their family trees?

39376. If I was outside on a sunny day holding a standard Peter Rabbit with a rose what would I probably be doing?

39378. Who was the last US state governor to be removed from office before finishing their term?

39381. Who, in attempting to see Elvis, jumped a fence at Graceland in 1976?

39382. Which ship carried the Statue of Liberty from France to America in 1885?

39383. To whom was a patent for lifting vessels issued in 1849?

39385. What is the difference between proper glasses prescribed by an optometrist and the types of glasses you can buy cheaply at the chemist?

39386. Is there any difference between a crow and a raven?

39389. Why is chamomile called a soothing herb: it has a cooling effect, or it helps healing of wounds?

39390. Which allium vegetable helps fight prostrate cancer: garlic, onions, or leeks?

39391. Has there ever been unbreakable glass?

39396. Who was known as "that red-haired Welsh harriden?"

39397. How old is the the earliest known battery?

39400. How many different breeds of butterfly are there?

39402. Why do we say 'roger' when we mean 'understood?'

39403. What is the purpose of wasps?

39404. Is the head of a Prince Rupert drop completely unbreakable, or is there a force strong enough to break it?

39405. Why is mincemeat so named, when it doesn't actually contain meat?

39408. Why is Norry spheksophobic?

39411. With reference to Jesus, are the terms "disciple" and "apostle" interchangeable, and if not, what is the distinction between the two?

39412. Who wrote the novels "O Pioneers!" and "My Antonia?"

39413. After World War II what two super powers fought the Cold War?

39414. What island was blown off the map when an atomic bomb was dropped there?

39415. The most powerful bomb in the world can have a radius of destruction how long?

39418. In football, this NFL kicker booted 371 extra points in a row without a miss. Can you name him?

39419. What is the difference between the colours mauve and lilac?

39420. From where comes the term 'kin' as in family?

39421. Who were Jones, Dinkley, Rogers and Blake?

39424. What exactly makes a lemon smell like a lemon and an orange smell like an orange?

39428. Statistically speaking, what are the chances of winning a game of Solitaire?

39429. Which ancient sport requires the competitors to step down from high-level competition when they reach a certain level of baldness?

39431. What is the colloquial name given to the statue of Thomas Jackson that sits in front of the Hong Kong and Shanghai bank at Chater Gardens in Hong Kong?

39438. I am preparing an old northern English recipe known as 'love in disguise' for dinner. What exactly am I cooking?

39439. Who were the five contestants that won American Juniors?

39440. How old is a Jewish boy at his Bar Mitzvah?

39442. Who was the first person to reach the North Pole?

39443. How did Jim Fixx, author of 'Running' which started the jogging fad, die?

39445. The Equality Steamship Company is famous for the unfailing punctuality of its sailings. Every day at noon, Greenwich time, one of its liners leaves Southampton for New York and exactly at the same hour another boat sails from New York to Southampton. The crossing takes seven days, and the eastbound and westbound liners ply the same course. If we board such a vessel at Southampton, how many Equality ships do we meet during our voyage to New York?

39447. What does the government say about area 51?

39449. What was Washington, D.C.'s previous name?

39450. Who became the first professor of chemistry in the United States in 1769?

39451. Which two Major League teams played the only triple-header in baseball history, and what was the result?

39452. 'Rocco' is the son of which famous female pop sensation?

39453. Do alkalis have a pH number higher or lower than seven?

39455. What would be your sporting pastime if you made a belay?

39456. What does the initials 'O.K.' represent and where did it originate?

39457. What was music composer Wolfgang Mozart's middle name?

39459. In World War II, what was introduced to Lord Montbatten under the code-name 'Habbakuk' and has this invention been much used since?

39461. Why does 'You're So Vain' have that "I had a dream they were clouds in my coffee" lyric in what is otherwise a quite sensible song?

39462. Is it true that the three notes of the NBC theme are G, E and C for the General Electric Company that owned it once?

39463. On what sitcom did Rush Limbaugh play himself in 1994?

39474. Where in America would I find the Parthenon?

39476. Is there an "official" explanation as to the meaning of the lyrics to the song 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' or is the song just nonsense?

39478. On "Fawlty Towers" is it just my ears or does one of the diners at the start of the "Waldorf Salad" episode say "Wy Mife" instead of "My Wife?" Anyone with the video/DVD might like to check this out.

39479. In math, what is PEMDAS?

39481. How many countries are there in the world?

39482. Which state in the USA is the most densely populated?

39483. Which state in the United States is the most sparsely populated?

39484. On Three's Company Janet goes to work at a dance school but quits when the male teacher 'hits' on her. Jack consoles her by putting a record on and slow dancing. What was the name of the song he put on the record player?

39487. Who was the original host of 'Jeopardy?'

39490. What shape is the Earth?

39493. Lemony Snicket is the author of 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' but he or she is not using their real name. What is it?

39494. Which four countries grow vanilla beans?

39496. Who was the first black manager of a Major League Baseball team?

39497. Who was the highest ranking military officer, and the only general, to be killed by Indians?

39498. Two TV presenters, one BBC and one ITV, were both sacked from their programmes within a day of each other after press revelations last year. Who were they?