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Author Biography: uglybird

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uglybird has been a FunTrivia author since Dec 05 03 and has written 151 quizzes. uglybird writes for many different categories, but is most active in Humanities, General Knowledge, and Sci / Tech, and has won 10 Editor's Choice awards on submitted quizzes.

  • has earned 23,301 excellent quiz ratings from quiz takers.
Bio: It's really not my fault! You see, my daughter was on her high school quiz team in 2003, and had been told to practice at this "Funtrivia.com" website. I was only helping out... next thing I knew I was hooked. Everything I heard, each new tidbit of knowledge I gained just turned into a quiz question! Maybe it was a little out of hand. Then in 2007 my wife died; I remarried; I drifted away. Now I'm retired 37 weeks of the year, my wife is still working and I'm ready to write! Did I mention I'm inclined to write crazy quizzes?
Hobbies: My hobbies include Kayaking, walking and reading.
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Quizzes / Other Works Authored by uglybird
1.
  Clichés Taken Literally editor best quiz   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
You know the meaning of the cliché but how about the meaning of the individual words? Demonstrate your mastery of the vocabulary of clichés as you answer questions dependent on the literal meanings of the individual words (utilizing my GENEROUS HINTS).
Tough, 10 Qns, uglybird, Oct 28 17
Category: Cliches
Tough
uglybird
14568 plays
2.
  Official State Vegetables editor best quiz   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Any trivia novice should know the state capitals. A trivia expert might know the state flowers. But are you ready to take the ULTIMATE TRIVIA CHALLENGE? Do you know your state vegetables? (Generous clues are provided within each question.)
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Dec 14 20
Category: U.S. State Symbols
Average
uglybird
Dec 14 20
11955 plays
3.
  Original Objects editor best quiz   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The meaning of these prepositional phrases has evolved over time. Do you know the original "object" of the preposition? I'll PLANT a hint for the next question in each question the way I've PLANTED a hint for my first question in this sentence.
Tough, 10 Qns, uglybird, Sep 30 11
Category: Idioms and Proverbs
Tough
uglybird
9345 plays
4.
  Unofficial FunTrivia Symbols: A Trivial Proposal editor best quiz   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Should FunTrivia remain bereft of official symbols and other trappings? Embrace the trivial choice; heed the obvious clues, as you navigate my nominees for everything from official FunTrivia motto to official FunTrivia vegetable.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Apr 04 23
Category: Mixed
Average
uglybird
Apr 04 23
8249 plays
5.
  Boston to Berkeley: American Musical Protests editor best quiz   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Civil rights, the Vietnam War, nuclear power... a guy trapped on a public transit system. Test your knowledge of America's music of dissent in the mid-twentieth century.
Average, 10 Qns, Uglybird, Dec 16 16
Category: USA Music
Average
Uglybird
4711 plays
6.
  The Graham Island Affair editor best quiz   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
What do you suppose would happen if an Island erupted from the sea in the midst of a major Mediterranean shipping lane in 1831? Well, one did; and I'm betting you'll have little trouble guessing how 19th century Europeans responded.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Feb 26 13
Category: Historical Geography
Average
uglybird
4650 plays
7.
  Da Bums of Summer editor best quiz   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Travel back with me to a time long ago, in the faraway land of Brooklyn, where a band of baseball heroes emerged to battle Giants and Yankees, fighting an uphill and largely unsuccessful battle that would earn them an immortal name.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Jul 18 07
Category: Los Angeles Dodgers
Average
uglybird
2214 plays
8.
  The Life Cycle of a Little Red Balloon editor best quiz   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Each year millions of innocent balloons are created, inflated, used frivolously, casually destroyed, then heartlessly discarded. Are you versed in the technological and ecological issues of balloon manufacture? (Warning: some humorous content.)
Difficult, 10 Qns, uglybird, Nov 29 12
Category: Environment
Difficult
uglybird
4315 plays
9.
  Stonehenge: Historical and Etymological Aspects editor best quiz   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A long time ago some people stuck some very big rocks in the ground and piled others on top of them. Many other people have spent a lot of time guessing how and why they did it and inventing big words to describe their speculations. What fun!
Tough, 10 Qns, uglybird, Nov 21 13
Category: Buildings & Landmarks
Tough
uglybird
3251 plays
10.
  Make Mynah Quiz editor best quiz   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
In Hawaii we noted peculiar looking hopping birds. Having a rather limited ornithologic knowledge base, we called them uglybirds. Later we learned they were, in fact, Mynah birds. A mynah pun quiz follows.
Difficult, 10 Qns, uglybird, Jun 11 04
Category: Word Puzzles for Experts
Difficult
uglybird
1793 plays
11.
  Do You Know My Name?   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
From the nickname that became king to the duck that destroyed the popularity of a respectable and dignified first name, my ten "guests" will supply you with information that should allow you to guess their names.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, May 11 19
Category: Names
Average
uglybird
May 11 19
24516 plays
12.
  Old Fogeyisms   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
If you know these terms then you know fogeys. If, like the author of this quiz, you use these terms, then perhaps...you too are a...
Easier, 10 Qns, uglybird, Apr 03 25
Category: American Slang
Easier
uglybird
Apr 03 25
18504 plays
13.
  Capital Places   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
With the geographical information supplied (including latitude and longitude), supplemented with a bit of history, you should be able to locate many if not all of these capital cities.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Aug 14 13
Category: Historical Geography
Average
uglybird
21261 plays
14.
  Telling Ducks From Cats, The Easy Way   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
If you've tried doing "Telling Ducks From Cats, The Hard Way" (or even if you haven't), here's a quiz on some easier methods.
Easier, 10 Qns, uglybird, Mar 13 24
Recommended for grades: 6,7,8,9,10,11,12
Category: Identify the Animal
Easier
uglybird
Mar 13 24
18711 plays
15.
  American Boomers in the Early 60s   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
It was the early 60s. Women wore pillbox hats. Men longed for bigger houses and bigger cars. And then there was Camelot ...
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Mar 11 11
Category: 1960s Nostalgia
Average
uglybird
10783 plays
16.
  Euphemistically Speaking   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Whether you wish to assess your ability to replace an indelicate term with one that is inoffensive, or to brush up on the telling of the occasional polite lie, you may wish to avail yourself of the opportunity this humble quiz presents.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, May 23 24
Category: Idioms and Proverbs
Average
uglybird
May 23 24
12538 plays
17.
  The Guild Dishes It Out   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Just an informal Quiz Writer's Guild potluck: a mere coincidence that every dish seemed to be salted with a succulent question in mind. If this sounds like a delicious idea to you, play on.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Jan 28 10
Category: International Cuisine
Average
uglybird
8572 plays
18.
  What Would They Have Done in 60 or 61?   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Certain behaviors and mannerisms typified many of the TV characters in the early 1960s. Can you guess what these giants of prime time would have done in 1960 or 1961?
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Nov 16 23
Category: 1960s TV
Average
uglybird
Nov 16 23
9417 plays
19.
  50s TV Heroes: Heroic Gestures and Other Habits   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Some swashed, some buckled and one even drooled. See if you can identify these iconic television heroes from their trademark behaviors and accoutrements.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Aug 09 17
Category: 1950s TV
Average
uglybird
6179 plays
20.
  Feelin' Easy   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
My last several quizzes have turned out more difficult than I intended. Hopefully I can break out of my slump with this quiz. Just keep in mind as you answer these questions that "easy does it".
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Feb 10 25
Category: Easy and Hard
Average
uglybird
Feb 10 25
12653 plays
21.
  An Easy Quiz On Just The FaQs   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
I will provide you with a FACT and QUOTATION (FaQ) from a well known person. You match the person to the FaQ.
Average, 10 Qns, Uglybird, Apr 04 10
Category: Who Said It?
Average
Uglybird
9318 plays
22.
  More Fogeyisms   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Holy cow! My last fogey quiz was duck soup! Here's another opportunity to prove your "fogacity".
Easier, 10 Qns, uglybird, Jul 25 17
Category: American Slang
Easier
uglybird
7393 plays
23.
  Author Identification: Style and Substance   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Here are some snippets of information about authors and/or their works written in a way I hope will be reminiscent of their styles. Will this style and substance lead you to the author's identity? Play and see.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Aug 31 22
Category: Authors and their Works
Average
uglybird
Aug 31 22
5964 plays
24.
  Early Blooming Boomers: The Early Years (American)   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
If you were born in the first wave of the American baby boom between 1946 and 1954, you might find familiar material here. If not, it may still be worth the challenge. And don't forget to listen for the tom-toms.
Tough, 10 Qns, uglybird, Mar 31 23
Category: 1950s Nostalgia
Tough
uglybird
Mar 31 23
5009 plays
25.
  Words In Custody   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
English usage imposes limits on the company some words usually keep. Aspersions are most often "cast", and there is seldom "kith" without "kin". See if you know which word seems to be the constant (or at least frequent) companion of the other.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Jun 17 16
Category: Idioms and Proverbs
Average
uglybird
7654 plays
26.
  Dark Physics   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Some physicists seem obsessed with ... well...nothing - with empty, vacuous blackness and the things that arise from it. Enter the world of dark physics. And don't a-void the seemingly obvious answers. They're probably correct.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Aug 08 20
Category: Astronomical Physics
Average
uglybird
Aug 08 20
7305 plays
27.
  Regency England: History and Culture   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Are you well versed in England's Regency Period? Get a "10" on this quiz and earn your Regency scholarship award!
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Feb 04 23
Category: 1800s UK History
Average
uglybird
Feb 04 23
5534 plays
28.
  Sayings in 1970   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A chemistry professor at my university claimed we were the generation "that says, 'Ya know' and doesn't." Of course, we were just misunderstood. Do you know the meanings and/or derivations of these idioms current in 1970?
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Sep 24 24
Category: Words by Decade
Average
uglybird
Sep 24 24
7733 plays
29.
  Totally Nuts   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Please note: this quiz is not in the "People" category. This really is a quiz about edible nuts - no political nuts, nutty professors or nut cases here. (OK, the author IS Californian.) But are you ready to prove yourself a true trivia nut?
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Jan 26 23
Category: Nuts
Average
uglybird
Jan 26 23
4478 plays
30.
  This Quiz Is a Snap   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz showcases the versatility of this brisk, lively word. I suggest you take this quiz and make it snappy!
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Feb 25 21
Category: Fast and Slow
Average
uglybird
Feb 25 21
7303 plays
31.
  The Death of Terry Pratchett: A Discworld Quiz   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Terry Pratchett's anthropomorphic personification of the Grim Reaper (aptly named Death) has appeared at least once in every Discworld novel written through 2006. How well do you know the basics regarding this crucial character?
Easier, 10 Qns, uglybird, May 19 10
Category: Characters of Discworld
Easier
uglybird
2173 plays
32.
  The Churchill Perspective: World Leaders   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Winston Churchill expressed many strong opinions regarding the public figures of his own time. I will supply a fact about an historical figure and a quote about the person from Winston Churchill, which should allow you to identify him or her.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Aug 01 22
Category: U.K. Government
Average
uglybird
Aug 01 22
3621 plays
33.
  Origins and History of the American Comic Strip   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
You'll marvel at the glitter and the greed, be astonished by the soap operas and the censorship and perhaps even find a bit of humor too as we examine the lurid history of the funny papers.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, May 18 21
Category: Comics
Average
uglybird
May 18 21
2648 plays
34.
  Affected Latin: Phrases For Contemporary Use   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Various internet resources have made available a plethora of Latin phrases for daily use. You've probably heard a few of these phrases before and may well be able to figure out the rest. And afterwards you can impress your friends!
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Jan 24 17
Category: Latin
Average
uglybird
4787 plays
35.
  Odd Ducks   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Not every duck waddles on land and swims in water. A few are even darn difficult. So... are you going to duck this quiz?
Tough, 10 Qns, uglybird, Aug 14 22
Category: Vocabulary
Tough
uglybird
Aug 14 22
3684 plays
36.
  What About My Name?   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
From names that might declare one's character to names that were first declared for the purpose of naming a character, here are another group of "guests" anxious to see if you know about their names.
Tough, 10 Qns, uglybird, Feb 11 05
Category: Names
Tough
uglybird
6404 plays
37.
  I Can Quit Whenever I Want To... And You?   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Could you be addicted to... trivia? Take this quiz and find out. If you dare!
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Dec 09 18
Category: Human Nature
Average
uglybird
Dec 09 18
4522 plays
38.
  A Thoroughly Ridiculous Quiz   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
No! Silly is NOT good enough. To prosper in this quiz you're going to have to be downright ridiculous. This might be easier in the "Flash" mode.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Mar 08 22
Category: Language Use
Average
uglybird
Mar 08 22
5477 plays
39.
  Hollywood's Super Blockbusters   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
In the US, in the twentieth century, twenty-three films earned more than ½ billion dollars (adjusted for inflation). This quiz explores how and by whom these super blockbusters were made.
Average, 15 Qns, uglybird, Jul 29 19
Category: Something in Common
Average
uglybird
Jul 29 19
3662 plays
40.
  Dietary Indiscretions   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Have you eaten your vegetables and cleaned your plate? Are you in the mood for your just desserts? WARNING: Do not take this quiz on an empty stomach.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Jan 02 17
Category: Desserts
Average
uglybird
7011 plays
41.
  Warning! Enter These Songs At Your Own Risk   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The Insipid Song Lovers Association visits the dark underside of pre-Beatles rock and roll - a world of crime and punishment, space aliens and vampires and (most hazardous of all) dumb love.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Sep 12 22
Category: Rock Lyrics
Average
uglybird
Sep 12 22
4715 plays
42.
  A Sentimental Journey In Song   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Abandon your cynicism and bring your disposable mucous recovery devices (Kleenex). Let the Insipid Song Lovers Association transport you to those maudlin songs of yesteryear - a time of kiss sealed letters, pitiless towns and horizens that were new.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Jan 31 24
Category: Emotion in Songs
Average
uglybird
Jan 31 24
4730 plays
43.
  English Enslaved? The History of Punctuation   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Did English words once roam free and unfettered, unrestrained by marks diacritical? Does punctuation buy clarity at the expense of freedom of expression? This quiz examines what you know about the controversial history of punctuation.
Tough, 10 Qns, uglybird, Jul 31 13
Category: Grammatical and Lexical Items
Tough
uglybird
2719 plays
44.
  L-ing-guistics   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
How much do YOU know about the morphology, syntax, semantics, sociolinguistics, and pragmatics of "ing" usage? Yep. Me too. So you should do fine on this quiz!
Tough, 10 Qns, uglybird, Dec 01 15
Category: Linguistics
Tough
uglybird
3857 plays
45.
  Greece to Us: Political Origins   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
By word and deed, the ancient Greeks tutored Western Civilization in the art and practice of politics. Focusing on Athens and Sparta, this quiz explores some of the history and etymology of politics.
Tough, 10 Qns, uglybird, Mar 16 10
Category: Ancient Greece
Tough
uglybird
3304 plays
46.
  Camels to Carrots: A Food For All Quiz   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
"PUT THE CANDLENUT DOWN AND STEP AWAY FROM THE TABLE!" From exotic spices to wild carrots, test your knowledge of foods that fall alphabetically between camel and carrot, inclusively. Generous hints provided. "And DO try the camel paste."
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Mar 22 24
Category: History of Food
Average
uglybird
Mar 22 24
4341 plays
47.
  Look Right: Are You Ready To Drive In Britain?   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
If you're from the "right driving" world, relive the bewilderment, the aggravation and the sheer terror of your first taste of driving in Britain. If you are a native of the UK, indulge in a chuckle or two at the expense of a hapless tourist.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Jul 29 14
Category: U.K. Law
Average
uglybird
2703 plays
48.
  Fun Facts About Some Very Familiar Movie Quotes   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
What do you know about the background of these movie quotations taken from the American Film Institute's list: "AFI'S 100 GREATEST MOVIE QUOTES OF ALL TIME".
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Feb 14 18
Category: Movie Quotes Mixture
Average
uglybird
955 plays
49.
  Rock and Roll's Top Ten Tribute Songs   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Travel back to the days of yesteryear when men were "boys" and women were "girls", as the Insipid Song Lovers Association counts down the Top 10 examples of guys paying homage to their true loves.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Jan 09 18
Category: Which Song Is It
Average
uglybird
6019 plays
50.
  Can You Imagine These Places?   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The creative works of others have carried me to a number of memorable places that do not exist outside the realm of imagination. See if you can recognize the places from the clues. It will be easy...if you've been there too.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Aug 05 19
Category: Fictional Places in Entertainment
Average
uglybird
Aug 05 19
5540 plays
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