City Mix-up Trivia Quiz

Answer: Buddy Sorrell, "The Dick Van Dyke Show"

The common word is AMSTERDAM.

Amsterdam, with its many canals, is sometimes called "the Venice of the North". With its origins in the 12th century, Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands. It is well known for its many canals. It is also known for its Red Light District, with legalized prostitution. A large portion of Amsterdam lies below sea level on land which was reclaimed from the sea. The quotation about Amsterdam comes from John Green's novel "The Fault in Our Stars".

Moritz "Morey" Amsterdam (1908-1996) was an actor best known for his role on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (1961-1966). Starting as a comedian in vaudeville, the large number of jokes he developed for his routine gave him the nickname, "The Human Joke Machine".

Answer: Wrote "White Christmas"

The common word is BERLIN

Berlin is the capital of Germany. From 1961 to 1989, the Berlin Wall surrounded West Berlin and separated it from East Germany. The Communist government of East Germany had erected to wall to prevent its citizens from escaping to West Berlin. In 1987, in a speech in Berlin, US President Ronald Reagan made the statement, referencing Mikhail Gorbachev, leader of the Soviet Union.

Irving Berlin (born Israel Beliin) (1888-1989) was the well-known composer of hundreds of songs, including "Alexander's Ragtime Band" (1911), "God Bless America" (1918), and "White Christmas" (1942), the last of which was one of the best-selling songs in history.

Answer: Wrote "Games People Play: The Psychology of Human Relationships"

The common word is BERNE.

Berne, or Bern, is the de facto capital of Switzerland--its not officially named so, but several functions of the Swiss government are carried out here. Although there were settlements here in the first millennium BCE, the history of the city proper dates from the 12th century. A 2017 Business Insider title described how "instagrammed" Berne was: "This stunning...city is the most Instagrammed place in the world in the winter."

Eric Berne (1910-1970) was a psychiatrist. His best-selling 964 book "Games People Play: The Psychology of Human Relationships" discusses both functional and dysfunctional social relationships.

Answer: Inventor of "The Dube"

The common word is DUBLIN.

James Joyce, author of "Ulysses," gave the quote about Dublin in 1921. Dublin is the capital and largest city in Ireland. Founded in the 7th century, it was expanded during the Viking Age. Dublin is found at the mouth of the River Liffey, which divides Dublin into a north side and a south side. Dublin is also home of the Book of Kells, a Celtic manuscript dating from about 800 CE.

Dion Dublin (born 1969) is a former football/soccer player for a variety of English teams between 1988 and 2008. He is also the developer of the Dube, a percussion instrument that is essentially a wooden cube, available in various sizes.

Answer: Wrote "The Call of the Wild"

The common word is LONDON.

The statement about London was made by Samuel Johnson to James Boswell in 1777. Britain's capital of London has its origins in a settlement from Roman times. From the Middle Ages until the present, London has been the largest city in England/Great Britain. Well known locations in London include the Tower of London (which has served many roles including prison and mint) and Westminster Abbey.

Jack London (1876-1916) was an author who wrote short stories and novels such as "The Call of the Wild" (1903), "The Sea Wolf" (1904), and "White Fang" (1906). In addition to being an author of fiction, however, at various points of his life, he was also a sailor, a miner, and a war correspondent.

Answer: President of Mexico in the 1980s

The common word is MADRID.

Lying on the River Manzanares, Madrid is the capital of Spain. Beginning as a small settlement, Madrid grew from about 4,000 to 37,00 during the 1500s. Sites in the city in the Zarzuela Palace, home of the Spanish Royal Family, the Prado Museum (the Spanish National Art Museum). Much of the architecture of Madrid dates from the sixteenth century to present.

Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado (1934-2012) served as President of Mexico from 1982 to 1988. He was the first of several holders of that office that used a market-oriented approach to dealing with economic issues. In addition, he dealt with the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City. One of his nicknames was "El Presidente gris" -"the grey President", in part for his relatively reserved performance as President, making relatively few speeches.

Answer: Played young Josh Baskin in "Big"

The common word is MOSCOW.

Moscow is both the capital city and largest city in the Russian Federation. Historically, the city referred to itself as the Third Rome, being a successor to Rome, and then Constantinople. St Basil's Cathedral, in the city, is a well-known site with its distinctive onion-shaped roofs on its towers, as is the Kremlin (once the home of the Tsars).

David Moscow (born 1974) is best known as an actor for his role in "Big" (Tom Hanks played the adult version of the character). As an adult, though he has continued to work as an actor, he has also moved into producing and directing projects.

Answer: "That's Hot"

The common word is PARIS.

Thomas Jefferson, who served as US ambassador to France in the 1780s, made the statement about the city of Paris. The modern name of Paris comes from the Roman name for the settlement: Lutetia Parisiorum. It has also been known as the City of Lights. Paris has been capital of France since the middle ages. Well known landmarks in the city include the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, and Notre Dame Cathedral.

Paris Hilton (born 1981) is a celebrity who may be a good example of someone who is famous for being famous. She unsuccessfully tried to trademark her catch phrase "That's Hot". She has also had turns at being a model, an actress ("House of Wax"), and a singer.

Answer: His sports talk show used to be burning

The common word is ROME.

Rome, known as the Eternal City, is the capital of Italy. Traditionally, Rome was founded in 753 BC by Romulus, its founder and first king. Located on the River Tiber, Rome has many well-known landmarks from various time periods, including the Colosseum, the Pantheon, and the Palazzo del Quirinale. Alberto Sordi (actor known for dubbing Oliver Hardy roles into Italian) made this statement about Rome: "[It] not like any other city. It's a big museum, a living room that shall be crossed on one's toes."

Jim Rome (James Philip Rome) (born 1964) is a sports commentator and sports talk host. His show "Jim Rome is Burning" aired on ESPN from 2004 to 2011. During his career he has also worked for FX and CBS Sports.

Answer: Carla Briggs, "Blood & Oil"

The common word is VALETTA.

Valetta is the capital of the island nation of Malta. This city is not as ancient as some of the others mentioned in this quiz, only going back to the sixteenth century. Valetta is located on a peninsula on the southern part of the island. Notable sites include St. John's Co-Cathedral and the Auberge de Castille et Leon.

Amber Valetta (born 1974) is a model-actress who co-hosted the MTV series "House of Style" from 1995 to 1996. She began appearing as Carla Briggs on the ABC soap opera "Blood & Oil" in 2015.