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1. "The Phantom of the Opera" is a musical set in what city?


answer Answer: Paris

Interesting Information:
The show is about the Phantom, a mysterious man who wears a mask and haunts the Paris Opera House. The Phantom falls in love with a ballet dancer and teaches her singing. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
London, New York City, Dusseldorf

2. What is the correct spelling of a word describing something that is free from blemishes or stains?


answer Answer: immaculate

Interesting Information:
The correct spelling is immaculate. Based on Dictionary.com, it is an adjective that means spotless, unblemished, and blameless. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
immacculate, imaculate, imaccualte

3. Which Broadway musical tells the story of the group the Four Seasons?


answer Answer: Jersey Boys

Interesting Information:
With a great deal of humorous dialogue and some amazing music, the play chronicles the rise of the original Four Seasons, through to the break-up of the original group and the birth of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. After a pre-Broadway run at the La Jolla Playhouse, it opened on Broadway in November 2005 and began touring a year later. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Wicked, We Will Rock You, Moving Out

4. Which is the word that refers to people repeating behaviour for which they have been treated or punished?


answer Answer: Recidivism

Interesting Information:
Recidivism comes from Latin and combines the ideas of repeating, falling, and back. Difficulty: Average.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Reactivation, Recedivity, Recumbent

5. In Roman mythology who was goddess of the dawn?


answer Answer: Aurora

Interesting Information:
'Aurora' is the Latin word for the dawn. Her Greek counterpart is Eos. Aurora's function was to charge across the sky and announce the arrival of the sun every morning. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Ceres, Juno, Minerva

6. You're visiting Australia and someone calls you "cobber". What did he call you?


answer Answer: Mate

Interesting Information:
"Cobber" is not currently as commonly heard as other Australian language phrases, but "mate" will forever be associated with Aussie lingo. If someone calls you a drongo, take offence: you've been called stupid. If you're a bludger, you don't like work. Anyone unemployed is often, unrightly so, termed a "dole-bludger". Difficulty: Average.
 
Some incorrect choices:
A shoe repairman, Bludger, Drongo

7. You are writing a story on the very popular US based auction and shopping website. How should you type the company's name?


answer Answer: eBay

Interesting Information:
A broken laser pointer was the first item bought and sold on eBay. In 2002 eBay bought PayPal for $1.5 billion. Although they use the logo ebay for their online website, the company's name is registered as eBay. Difficulty: Average.
 
Some incorrect choices:
EBAY, e-bay, E-bay

8. If you were at a sporting event in Australia and heard someone yell "Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!", what response would you be most likely to hear?


answer Answer: Oi! Oi! Oi!

Interesting Information:
This chant, a variation of the British chant "Oggy Oggy Oggy", has been in use at sporting events in Australia since the 70s. It received worldwide coverage at the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney. It was also used to cheer on Joe Hachem (who was born in Lebanon, but has lived in Australia since he was six years old) at the 2005 World Series of Poker main event. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
G'day, mate!, Aus! Tra! Lia!, Hey! Hey! Hey!

9. What is unusual about the word "suns"?


answer Answer: it reads the same if flipped upside down and reversed

Interesting Information:
The word "suns" is an example of an ambigram. Ambigrams are words that can be read when inverted. The NBA basketball team Phoenix Suns displayed a Suns logo at their arena so that the crowd could read "suns" from any side of the court. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
it reads the same backwards, it reads the same in a mirror, it's onomatapoetic

10. Aeolus was the god of what in Greek Mythology?


answer Answer: Winds

Interesting Information:
Aeolus was king of the island of Aeolia where he would keep the winds locked in the black mountains. One of his most famous appearances was in the Odyssey when he was visited by Odysseus. As a gift, he gave Odysseus the winds in a secure bag to ensure that he had a safe journey home. However, curiosity got the better of Odysseus' men and they opened the bag, then the winds that were released blew them off course again. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Mountains, Rivers, Fire

11. Which Broadway musical's plot is centered around the auditions for a Broadway musical?


answer Answer: A Chorus Line

Interesting Information:
Composed by Marvin Hamlisch, the show "A Chorus Line" sheds some quite critical light on the hardships that hopeful cast members have to take before they become the glittering stars - or even just the background chorus - of a Broadway show. Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
My Fair Lady, Evita, Sunset Boulevard

12. Reportedly inscribed on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, the ancient Greek philosophical statement "Gnothi Seauton" translates to what?


answer Answer: Know thyself

Interesting Information:
"Know thyself, and thou shall know all the mysteries of the gods and of the universe." This quote is of uncertain origin, but has been attributed to Chilon of Sparta as well as several others. Another Greek aphorism said to accompany "Gnothi Seauton" (γνῶθι σεαυτὸν in Greek) on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi is "Meden Agan" ("nothing to excess"). A key city in Greek mythology, Delphi was home to the famed Oracle. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
I think, therefore I am, Let the buyer beware, Seize the day

13. Calligraphy is an art practiced in many cultures across time. Do you know what the word "Calligraphy" actually means?


answer Answer: Beautiful writing

Interesting Information:
The word Calligraphy is greek. (Kallos)-beauty and (Graphia)- to write. Using a special type of pen the decorative writing is developed. It is an art practiced in many cultures. Difficulty: Average.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Graphic writing, Book writing, Gold writing

14. Nike was known to the Greeks as the Winged Goddess of what?


answer Answer: victory

Interesting Information:
Nike, the athletics company, was founded by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman in Oregon. The first shoe with the iconic "swoosh" was for soccer and was released in 1971. A goddess that represents victory and triumph is a great choice for the name of a sports company! Difficulty: Average.
 
Some incorrect choices:
war, love, sports

15. In Greek mythology, what would happen if you looked at Medusa?


answer Answer: You turned to stone

Interesting Information:
Medusa was a gorgon with snakes for hair. To gaze upon her face would cause a man to turn to stone. Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
You were granted eternal life, You became blind, You were awarded the Golden Fleece

16. What name, meaning "no-one" in Latin, refers to a submarine captain and an animated fish?


answer Answer: Nemo

Interesting Information:
"Captain No-One" might be an anti-hero from some sort of nightmarish postmodern Justice League; and the linguistic and existential ramifications of "Finding No-One" simply make my head spin! Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Norman, Neville, Nigel

17. The most famous of all the reindeer is Rudolph. But do you know what Donder and Blitzen mean in German?


answer Answer: thunder and lightning

Interesting Information:
The song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was first sung by Gene Autry in 1949, based on a promotional character created for the retailer Montgomery Ward.

The original names of these two reindeer were Dunder and Blixem (1838), a Dutch spelling; Clement Moore's famous poem changed to the German spelling Donder and Blitzen (1844). Nowadays both Donner and Donder are used, while Blitzen's name has remained constant. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
fight and flight, morning and night, peace and war

18. What art medium was the early 20th century artist Louis Comfort Tiffany best known for?


answer Answer: stained glass

Interesting Information:
His most enduring works are the stunning Tiffany Lamps. Many of his original lamps sell at auction for tens of thousands of dollars. One of his most striking design was called the Dragonfly Lamp, easily commanding six figures. Cheap knockoffs of his lamps abound, and can be found everywhere--from libraries to pool halls. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
landscape painting, sculpture, photography

19. I've answered the same Fun Trivia questions a trillion times. What is the preceding sentence an example of?


answer Answer: hyperbole

Interesting Information:
A hyperbole is an exaggeration of speech, not meant to be taken literally. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
metaphor, oxymoron, alliteration

20. What is oolong?


answer Answer: a type of tea

Interesting Information:
Oolong is a traditional Chinese tea somewhere between green and black in color. It is among the most popular types of teas served in Chinese restaurants. Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
a kind of coffee, a variety of verjuice, a sort of saki

21. The phrases "apples and pears", meaning stairs, "whistle and flute", meaning suit and "boat race", meaning face, are examples of which slang?


answer Answer: Cockney rhyming slang

Interesting Information:
Cockney rhyming slang has been in existence since the 15th century, but it became popular in the 19th century amongst market traders in London. The slang is updated with "Barack Obama's", meaning pyjamas, "Britney Spears", meaning beers and "Camilla Parker Bowles", being a Rolls, as in Rolls Royce. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Yorkshire slang, Lancashire slang, Yiddish slang

22. In terms of the color to which each term refers, which is the odd one out?


answer Answer: viridian

Interesting Information:
Viridian pertains to the color green. It comes from the Latin word, "viridis," which denotes green. The others are related to red. Difficulty: Average.
 
Some incorrect choices:
crimson, ruddy, rubescent

23. What is the literal meaning of the suffix - "onym" (as in "synonym")?


answer Answer: name

Interesting Information:
The suffix - "onym", means "name" in Greek. Therefore a synonym is a word that has the same or similar meaning as another, while an antonym has the opposite meaning.
Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
nine, thing, noun

24. "Friendly fire", "live recording" and "least favourite" are all examples of which figure of speech?


answer Answer: oxymoron

Interesting Information:
An oxymoron is a literary device which combines two normally contradictory terms. Many examples are used in the works of William Shakespeare', particularly in "Romeo and Juliet". When Juliet learns that Romeo has killed her cousin, Tybalt, she reels off a list of oxymorons, such as "Beautiful tyrant" and "Damned saint". These opposing images reveal her inner turmoil and confusion at loving one who has murdered a member of her family.
Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
palindrome, personification, enjambment

25. In the famous painting, "American Gothic", what is the man in the picture holding?


answer Answer: a pitchfork

Interesting Information:
American Gothic is a painting by Grant Wood. It is found in Chicago's art museum. Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
a bouquet, his wife, a gun

26. "Assumption of the Virgin" was painted by Peter Paul Rubens in 1626. Which style or movement does this painting represent?


answer Answer: Baroque

Interesting Information:
The painting serves as an altar piece for the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp, Belgium. Baroque paintings were straightforward and flamboyant, eye catching and often religious in nature. Rubens is one of the most celebrated artists of this period. Difficulty: Average.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Abstract, Cubism, Modernism

27. What does a cooper make?


answer Answer: barrels

Interesting Information:
A cooper is someone who makes wooden staved vessels with flat ends - such as barrels, casks, buckets and tubs. If your surname is Cooper, then it is likely that you have barrel-makers in your ancestry. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
chicken coops, copper pipes, buttons

28. In Vincent van Gogh's "The Starry Night", what village is represented in this painting at nighttime?


answer Answer: Saint-Remy-de-Provence

Interesting Information:
Saint-Remy-de-Provence is about 12 miles away from Avignon, and is the location of ancient Glanum. While van Gogh was in Saint-Remy-de-Provence, he painted "The Starry Night", which is now considered his greatest work. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Noves, Plan-de-Cuques, La Bouilladisse

29. Which Broadway show was based on the film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"?


answer Answer: Spamalot

Interesting Information:
Spamalot was written by Python alumnus, Eric Idle. The original Broadway cast included Tim Curry as King Arthur and David Hyde-Pierce as Sir Robin. John Cleese, appropriately, was the Voice of God. The show won the Tony Award for Musical of the Year in 2005. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
The Parrot Has Landed, The Revenge of the Llamas, I'm a Lumberjack and You're Not

30. If something is described as being antediluvian, what is it?


answer Answer: Really old

Interesting Information:
Antediluvian means "occurring before the Biblical flood". So if someone describes you as antediluvian, it's probably not a compliment. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Stealth, Spicy, Llama-esque

31. What term technically refers only to people from the New England states, but has come to be used to refer to Americans generally?


answer Answer: Yankee

Interesting Information:
The term "Yankee" has unknown origins, but may have originally been a mildly derogatory reference to "Jan" and "Kees", two Dutch names common to early New England. Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Quaker, Okie, Cajun

32. The word "smog" comes from what?


answer Answer: Combining the words "smoke" and "fog"

Interesting Information:
Smog, once a bane to only the largest cities, is now a problem for many communities around the world. Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
An acronym for "sulphurous metacarbonic ozone gas", An onomatopoeia of the sound of chimneys spewing pollution, An old British slang for "stink"

33. Which is not a type of geologist?


answer Answer: Egyptologist

Interesting Information:
An Egyptologist is a type of archaeologist. An Egyptologist is someone who studies ancient Egypt and its antiquities. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Gemologist, Mineralogist, Volcanologist

34. The musical "Wicked" is based on a book that was in turn based on what other book?


answer Answer: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Interesting Information:
"Wicked" the musical is based on Gregory Maguire's book "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West"(1995). Maguire's book is a sort of spin-off of L. Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"(1900). "Wicked" tells much the same story as Baum's book (and the movie based on it), but from the perspective of the misunderstood Wicked Witch of the West. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Great Gatsby, Twilight

35. Twm Sion Cati is a character from Welsh folklore. His character is often described as what?


answer Answer: The Welsh Robin Hood

Interesting Information:
All sorts of tales, books and folk fables have been written and told about Twm Sion Cati. He comes over as a lovable rogue, who often stole from the rich to give to the poor - thus his comparison with Robin Hood. Most of the stories centre around Tregaron, near the mid Wales coast. He may well be roughly based on Thomas Jones, the illegitimate son of a local squire. Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
The "other man" in "Delilah", David Lloyd George's muse, The role model for Homer Simpson
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