Odds and Ends Trivia

This month, we have put together 36 trivia questions and answers along with two BONUS questions.

There are several activity possibilities:

1. Post the trivia on your bulletin board using this SIGN. Simply type in one or more of the trivia questions below.
2. Print fill-in-the-blank copies of the QUESTIONS (without the answers) to pass out for independent activities. Also available are the questions with the ANSWERS.)
3. Plan a "Trivia Time" activity. Read and discuss the trivia questions and answers below. In this case, you could print this PICTURE PAGE for helpful visual clues. Also, check out the links for additional information to bring to the activity.
4. For other ideas, see "Trivia Activity Tips."

Trivia Questions and Answers

1. What is the catchphrase that became popular because of Fred Flintstone in the 1960s?

"Yabba-Dabba-Do!" The Flintstones were the first prime-time animated series made for adults. The show ran from 1960 to 1966 on ABC. The series featuring the "modern stone age family" was originally titled The Flagstones.

2. How many letters are in the Hawaiian alphabet?

Twelve. Five vowels (a e i o u) and seven consonants (h k l m n p w). All Hawaiian words end in vowels. The language also does not distinguish between singular and plural.

3. Dwight Eisenhower named what place in Maryland after his grandson, Dwight David Eisenhower II?

Camp David. The mountainous military camp serves as a country retreat for the President of the United States. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president to use the camp as a retreat. He named it U.S.S Shangri-La. Eisenhower renamed it for his grandson who goes by the name David. David has been married to Julie Nixon, Richard Nixon's second daughter, since 1968.

4. Joseph Enterprises, Inc. manufactures what plant-growing, animal-shaped terra cotta figurines?

Chia Pet. The Chia Pet was first released in 1982 in the form of a ram. Since then, there have been many animal and cartoon character shapes, such as Garfield and Scooby Doo, that hold the sprout-like chia plant. A Chia Barack Obama is the most recent figure to be produced. Joseph Enterprises has also been successful with their product The Clapper. "Clap On! Clap Off!"

5. How many square inches are in a square foot?

144 square inches equals one square foot. (12" x 12" for those math buffs.)

6. What are the names of the 6 children from the TV sitcom The Brady Bunch?

Greg, Peter, Bobby, Marcia, Jan, and Cindy. One day when the lady (Carol) met the fellow (Mike Brady), they knew it was much more than a hunch that the group would form a family, and they became The Brady Bunch from 1969 to 1974.

7. Ladies' slippers, ladies' tresses, and dragon's mouth are examples of what exotic flower?

Orchids. The orchid family is the largest family of flowering plants. There are at least 22,000 species. Most orchids are found in the tropics of Central America, South America, and Asia.

8. What right-handed actor played lefty Lou Gehrig for the movie Pride of the Yankees?

Gary Cooper. The film was released 17 months after Gehrig's death. Because Cooper was right-handed and not extremely athletic, the close-up baseball scenes were shown in reverse. Cooper was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his role as Lou Gehrig but lost to James Cagney who played George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy. Babe Ruth also appeared in the 1942 film as himself.

9. Handsome Dan is the mascot of Yale University. What kind of dog is Handsome Dan?

A bulldog. Handsome Dan was the first animal used as a live mascot in the United States. The mascot was established in 1889 and there have been 16 bulldogs that have held the title "Handsome Dan."

10. What was the first credit card issued in the U.S.?

Diners Club. In 1951, 200 customers could use the card at 27 different restaurants in New York City. The magnetic strip was introduced in 1970. The word "credit" comes from Latin, meaning "trust."

11. What Australian singer won a Grammy for her hit "Let Me Be There," along with being named the Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year in 1974?

Olivia Newton-John. Newton-John's country success caused quite a stir in the country music community. The Australian singer, who would later star in the movies Grease and Xanadu, beat out country legends Loretta Lynn, Tanya Tucker, Anne Murray, and Dolly Parton for the title of Female Vocalist of the Year.

12. What white legume has long been a staple of a branch of the armed forces, hence its name?

Navy bean. The United States Navy uses them because the dried beans do not go bad and they provide an excellent source of nutrition.

13. How many of King Henry VIII's six wives were beheaded?

Two. Anne Boleyn was Henry's second wife. She was accused of adultery and high treason. Anne was beheaded in 1536. Catherine (or Kathryn) Howard, Anne Boleyn's first cousin, was Henry's fifth wife. She was beheaded in 1542 after two years of marriage on the grounds of treason (adultery), as well. A good way to remember the fate of King Henry's wives is from this rhyme: divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived.

14. The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually for what kind of book?

The children's picture book. The Association for Library Service to Children has given the medal to the illustrator of the most distinguished new American picture book every year since 1938. It is named after the 19th-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. Together with the Newberry Medal, the Caldecott is the most prestigious award for children's literature in the U.S. The winner for 2009 was The House in the Night by Beth Krommes. Other recipients have been Where the Wild Things Are (1964), Jumanji (1982), and The Polar Express (1986). The first award went to Dorothy P. Lanthrop for Animals of the Bible. (HERE is the complete list.)

15. What was the TCBY chain originally named?

"This Can't Be Yogurt!!" The frozen yogurt chain first opened in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1981. TCBY now stands for "The Country's Best Yogurt."

16. What is the last year the Classic Car Club of America considers a car to be a "classic"?

1948. The club recognizes cars built between the years of 1925 to 1948 as classics. The CCCA was established in 1952 with approximately 200 members. Today, the membership numbers up to 5,600 worldwide. Its headquarters are in Des Plaines, Illinois, near Chicago. Other car clubs' specifications on what a "classic car" is may vary. Do you think there are cars built after 1948 that should be considered classics?

17. What is the common name for iron oxide?

Rust. Iron oxide yields pigments. The cave paintings of Lascaux in southwestern France are an example of iron oxide pigments used in art.

18. The TV show Magnum P.I. began production in Hawaii when what series went off the air?

Hawaii Five-O. Hawaii Five-O began in 1968 and when production ended in 1980, Magnum P.I. was created because the studio didn't want to lose their Hawaiian set. Do you remember Hawaii Five-O's catchphrase? "Book 'em, Danno."

19. What plant's leaves are toxic, but stalks are red and edible?

Rhubarb. Even though the leaves are toxic, many people enjoy the tart flavor of rhubarb pie. The rhubarb plant is most commonly cultivated in the British Isles and the New England region of the U.S.

20. What is considered the hardest part of the human body?

Tooth enamel. Tooth enamel is also the most highly mineralized substance of the body. Tooth enamel comes in 5th on Mohs scale of mineral hardness. The scale is based on ten minerals where diamond is at the top as the hardest mineral and talc is at the bottom.

21. What baseball great was nicknamed "Bad Henry"?

Hank Aaron. Aaron played 21 seasons for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves starting in 1954. His last game was with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1976. His record of 755 career home runs was held for 33 years until Barry Bonds surpassed it in 2007.

22. Frank Sinatra's nickname during his Hoboken days was "Slacksy" because he had so many pairs of slacks, but you may remember him better as what?

"Ol' Blue Eyes." Sinatra (1915-1998) led an interesting life. He began his musical career in the swing era with Tommy Dorsey, and won an Academy Award in 1954 (Best Supporting Actor - From Here to Eternity). He was married to actresses Ava Gardner and Mia Farrow (when he was 50 and she was 21). When shooting the film None But the Brave (1965), Sinatra almost drowned off the island of Kauai, Hawaii, but he was saved by actor Brad Dexter.

23. What is the more commonly used name for curds and whey?

Cottage cheese. Curds are the milk solids and whey is the liquid that is poured off.

24. Helios is the mythological Greek god of what?

The sun. He is represented as a youth who stands in a chariot wearing a halo and sometimes a robe.

25. How many time zones does China have?

One. Although China is wide enough to cover multiple time zones, it chooses to have a single time setting for the entire country. What kinds of complications do you think this might present?

26. What kind of animal produces the loudest sound?

The Blue Whale. Its calls have been measured at 188 decibels, and they last between 10 to 30 seconds. (For comparison, a jet reaches about 140 decibels.) The Blue Whale is also the largest animal on the planet. It can get up to 108 feet long and weigh 190 tons.

27. What spice not only serves as a condiment, but provides seeds that produce high oil content and can act as biodiesel?

Mustard. Mustardoil can act as biodiesel, a renewable liquid fuel similar to diesel fuel. Canada grows approximately 90% of mustard seed for the international market. The province of Saskatchewan produces almost half the world's supply of the seed.

28. Farfel was the floppy-eared hound dog puppet that appeared in commercials for what product from the years of 1953-65?

Nestle's Quik. The puppet, created by ventriloquist Jimmy Nelson, was wooden dummy Danny O'Day's friend. The trio appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Milton Berle Show. Farfel, who got his name from a Jewish matzoh, finished the Nestle's song by singing "Chaw-klit!" Can you remember the whole jingle? "N-e-s-t-l-e-s, Nestlé's makes the very best... Chawk-lit!"

29. What is the name of Oprah Winfrey's production company?

Harpo. It is "Oprah" spelled backwards. Harpo productions includes Harpo Films and Harpo Radio. The Rachael Ray Show and Dr. Phil are television productions owned by Harpo. The 88,000-square-foot production facility, Harpo Studios, is located in Chicago. Oprah, after Mary Pickford and Lucille Ball, is the third woman in the American entertainment industry to own her own studio.

30. "The Doomsday Defense" was the nickname the media coined for the defensive unit of what NFL team in the 1960s?

The Dallas Cowboys. The first "Doomsday" team was led by Bob Lilly, Jethro Pugh, and Mel Renfro in the late 1960s. "Doomsday II" resurfaced in the Dallas Cowboy's heyday from the late 1970s to early 1980s. Other terms coined by the media for 1960s football teams were the Minnesota Vikings' "Purple People Eaters" and the LA Rams' "Fearsome Foursome" - consisting of Lamar Lundy, Rosey Grier, Merling Olsen, and David (Deacon) Jones.

31. How many stars are on the reverse of the Sacagawea dollar?

Seventeen. They represent the number of U.S. states at the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804-06.

32. By body mass, what is the largest snake in the world?

The anaconda. Anacondas, also known as "water boas," are non-venomous, but they are carnivores that kill their prey by squeezing. The females generally outweigh the males. They can eat a capybara (the largest rodent in the world, which can grow to over 4 feet in length and weigh 140 pounds) whole. Anacondas in the jungles of South America can grow as big around as a grown man.

33. The gramophone is the British term for what?

A "phonograph" or record player.

34. What is the lightest wood in the world?

Balsa wood. Did you ever make a balsa wood plane? The word "balsa" means raft in Spanish. The heaviest and hardest wood in the world is snakewood. It is 30% heavier than water and, therefore, will not float.

35. Frankie Avalon became famous for his beach party movies, co-starring what former "Mouseketeer"?

Annette Funicello. The two starred in beach movies of the 1960s, such as Beach Party, Bikini Beach, Beach Blanket Bingo, and Muscle Beach Party. They reunited in 1987 for Back to the Beach.

36. Which superhero series featured villainous appearances by the Penguin, the Joker, Catwoman, and the Riddler?

Batman. The television show ran for 120 episodes between 1966-1968. Batman (Adam West) would receive a call from his Batphone, and he and his sidekick, Robin (Burt Ward), took off down the Batpole into the Batcave. The "Dynamic Duo" then sped away in the Batcar to save Gotham City. In the series, Burgess Meredith played the Penguin, Cesar Romero was the Joker, Julie Newmar starred as Catwoman, and Frank Gorshin was the Riddler.

Bonus Questions:

Solve these questions from the Riddler:

1. "If you look at the numbers upon my face, you won't find 13 anyplace."

A clock.

2. "Tear me off and scratch my head. What once was red is black instead."

A match.

More August Trivia!

Visit all the pages of our site. Many of the activity ideas include trivia sections. In particular, check out the following this month:

• Morsels & More - Fun facts about SPAM
• Flora & Fauna - Pineapple quiz and trivia
• Reel to Real - Facts about Dustin Hoffman
• Who Am I? - Facts about Don Ho
• Daily Chronicles - Daily fun facts and other trivia

Trivia Activity Tips

• Plan a "Trivia Time" group activity every month. Read the trivia questions, give everyone a chance to respond, and then discuss the answers. If you want, keep score and award prizes.
• Have a "Traveling Trivia Trophy." Think of something clever to use as a "trivia trophy" - such as a funny mug, a silly sculpture, or even a stuffed animal (like an owl with a sign that says, "Look Hoot's a Winner!" Then, the person who correctly answers the most questions every month gets to keep the trophy for the month.
• Post the trivia on your bulletin board using this SIGN. (Simply type in your information.) Post one question and answer every morning. Alternatively, type just the question and the first person to bring you the correct answer during the day gets a prize. Then, post the person's name, along with the correct answer, the following day.
• Make large-print COPIES to pass out for independent activities.
• Make a sign that reads "This Month's Trivia" and put copies in your library.