Totally Nuts

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. First of all, WIPE THAT SMILE OFF YOUR FACE! This is a (sort of) serious quiz by... I mean about serious nuts (the occasional word play not withstanding). And any trivia nut worth salting should be able to identify a real nut. But there are pit-falls (like almonds), and it's easy to be "druped" (a botanical stickler won't allow a so-called "drupaceous nut" to be considered a "real" nut.) And of course, having "nut" in your name doesn't make you a real nut. With the above in mind, which of the following would even the most picayune botanist have to concede is a real nut? [Note: the remainder of this quiz will assume that drupes are nuts. Otherwise squeezing out ten questions would be a nasty job.] A filbert A lychee nut A corn nut A peanut

2. Most states in the United States have chosen to ignore the critical importance of nuts by failing to designate a state nut. But one state has planted the seed of a kernel of truth that gets to the core of the matter of how significant nuts can be; one could even say they're literally the pip of the iceberg. Which farseeing state has named the pecan, not merely as their state nut, but as their state's official health nut? Hint: the state dish is chili and the state snack is tortilla chips and salsa. Minnesota Connecticut Maine Texas

3. Indeed, nuts can become a grave topic. Nuts may even be hazardous to your health! For instance, do you know which nut(s) one should warn those with serious poison oak allergy against? Neither Cashews Both Pistachios

4. Still unconvinced about the dire implications of nut abuse? Chew this little nut, and you'll get a little high. And you might get cancer by and by. Bet you'll never guess which exotic nut fits the preceding description, at least without using the hint at the start of this sentence. Which of the following nuts can stimulate your senses while possibly killing your tapeworms and increasing your risk of stomach cancer? Illipe nut Pili nut Betel nut Akee nut

5. It would indeed be rash to maintain that all nuts should be considered unhealthy simply because some might make you itch or give you cancer. What health benefit has been demonstrated for walnuts and almonds? Induction of weight loss Lowering of bad (LDL) cholesterol Prevention of acne Promotion of hair growth in bald males

6. To eat a nut, one must first get said nut out of its shell. Macadamia nuts are purported to be the hardest nut to crack, requiring a stunning 300 pounds per square inch of pressure to crack the shell. One might think that only a clever human employing a special tool could ever get at these delicious morsels. But which of the following animals has jaws strong enough to crack a macadamia shell? Hyacinth macaws Hyenas Alligators All of them

7. Few would dispute the claim that nuts have played a role in British history. One particular nut figured prominently in the folklore of the ancient British Isles. When these nuts fell into the water, salmon consumed them. The number of the spots on the salmon was a measure, thought the ancient druids, of the number of nuts eaten. In catching and eating the salmon, one became wise in proportion to the number of nuts the salmon had eaten. On which important druidic tree did the nuts grow? (Hint: the nuts are edible.) Yew Hazel Rowan Willow

8. Once the remarkable American chestnut, with its girth of up to twenty feet, its crown often towering 100 feet above the ground, was a source of sweet nuts and timber for much of the eastern United States. Now virtually none remain. What caused the near extinction of this venerable species? Replacement by European chestnuts Forest fires An Asian fungal blight first noted in the New York Zoological Garden Logging

9. Quizzes often include a question to which almost no one would know the answer were it not for the presence of a telltale, subtle hint. This is that question, MATE! In fact, the hint was right there in that last sentence. So then, on which continent would one find that seldom mentioned, obscure variety of nut called the bunya nut? Antarctica Australia Asia Africa

10. There seems to be quite a strong sentiment in some circles that California should be considered the nuttiest state in the United States. Which of the following is/are true about California nuts? All of them Only Iran produces more pistachios than California. California produces 80% of the world's almonds. The California walnut crop is valued at more than 300 million dollars annually.