FunTrivia General Knowledge Mix: Vol 34 Quiz

Answer: Dams

Both Hoover and Jinping-1 are dams. Hoover Dam is in Nevada USA and Jinping-1 is in Sichuan, China. Beavers are associated with dams in that they build dams for protection against predators and to provide access to food for the winter. Another definition for dam is the female parent of an animal, particularly a domestic animal.

Question by player ramonesrule

Answer: a defect in vote-counting tabulation

Way back in electronic antiquity, punched tapes were created by telegraphy. This precursed the stock market "ticker tape" machines and the tape-driven teletype machines. Since the early 1930s, "chad" has referred to the confetti-like bits of paper produced by punching paper tapes.

In the 20th century, punch cards were used to input and output data to/from computers. The punches similarly created chad. The backronym "CHAD" for "Card Hole Aggregate Debris" is a folk etymology. When chad does not perfectly detach from a punch card, it is said to "hang." This became important in the US presidential election of 2000. Counties in Florida used Votomatic-style punch cards with which voters expressed their preference by make a hole in the ballot. These were then tallied by machine but cards with hanging chads were not counted at all, disenfranchising those inept voters.

Question by player FatherSteve

Answer: Oxford

The Oxford shoe is characterized by having closed lacing with shoelace eyelets attached under the vamp. They were derived from the Oxonian, a half-boot popular at Oxford University in 1800, but students began rebelling against knee-high and ankle-high footwear. The style is known as "Molière" in Belgium and Luxembourg and as "Richelieu" in France.

Question by player njbruce

Answer: chuck

Most power drills have a chuck (with or without a key) which adjusts to hold the drill bit in place. A chuck steak is cut from the chuck (shoulder) of a cow; it is a tougher cut of meat amenable to braising. Chuck Hagel (b. 1946) was made the Secretary of Defense after serving as a Senator from Nebraska from 1997 to 2009.

He is a decorated (two Purple Hearts) veteran of the War in Vietnam.

Question by player FatherSteve

Answer: chisel

The chisel is a versatile hand tool with a long history of use in various trades and crafts. Its primary function is to shape, cut or carve materials such as wood, stone or metal. The earliest chisels date back to ancient civilisations where they were made from materials such as flint, bronze or iron.

The use of chisels spans a wide range of industries and activities, including carpentry, woodworking, sculpture, masonry, metalworking and even surgery. In woodworking, chisels are used to carve intricate designs, form joints and refine details in furniture and cabinet making. In masonry, they are used to cut and shape stone for building projects or artistic sculptures.

Question by player wellenbrecher

Answer: Professor

Rapper Stephen Paul Manderson, known professionally as Professor Green, was born on 27th November 1983 in London. Professor Charles Francis Xavier (commonly referred to as Professor X) is the founder and leader of the X-Men in the Marvel Comics comic books. Professor Plum is the purple character in the board game "Clue" ("Cluedo").

Question by player ClarkyB

Answer: The revolving door

Van Kannel had a fear of opening doors for women. In the late 1800s, times were more chivalrous, so a man could not usually get through a day without having to hold a door or two open for the women around. The revolving door solved his problem because women simply leaned on the door to open it without the assistance of the nearest man.

The doors remain popular today because they are more efficient than traditional doors at keeping the weather out. In fact, researchers have found that revolving doors exchange eight times less air than swinging doors, thus reducing the carbon footprint of any building where one is installed.

Question by player Trivia_Fan54

Answer: Echidna

An echidna is a spiny anteater native to Australia and Guinea. It is a monotreme, meaning that it is a mammal which lays eggs. Echinacea and Euphorbia are both popular garden plants whilst Echeveria is a succulent and can often be seen in gardens or as a houseplant.

Question by player BrightonDragon

Answer: Yara

Yara is a primarily female name with Arabic roots meaning "small butterfly". There is also a Brazilian Portuguese equivalent meaning "water lady" with the alternate spelling of Iara. Yara is most prevalent as a given name in Egypt, with more than 1 in 1000 women in the country holding this beautiful name. Simba and Aiden are primarily male names meaning "lion" (Swahili) and "little fire" (Gaelic), respectively, and Jasmine is a Persian girl's name meaning "gift from God" or "fragrant flower".

Question by player kaddarsgirl

Answer: the Plimsoll Line

Samuel Plimsoll was an English social reformer. He realised the problems that could occur when overloading ships and so, when he became a Member of Parliament he had an act passed in 1876 which imposed this line.

Question by player Jomarion