Trivia

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    Imponderables

  • The German "Sense of Humor"

    feldman
    3 Nov 2009 | 3:21 pm
    Stereotype or reality? Both?...

  • Is This Cute Or What?

    feldman
    30 Oct 2009 | 9:39 pm
    Introducing the nudibranch, courtesy of FU Penguin....

  • Ray Browne Obit in New York Times

    feldman
    28 Oct 2009 | 7:32 pm
    I'm still under the weather, but I wanted to link to a wonderful obit written by Margalit Fox in the New York Times today. If you've read my books, I think you'll have a good idea from this why I...

  • Ray Browne, R.I.P.

    feldman
    24 Oct 2009 | 6:27 pm
    You'll notice that the icon on the left categorizes this post as "Pop Culture." The man who coined the expression "Popular Culture," and more important, led the crusade to study and teach popular culture in universities, died Thursday at...

  • Recession Road Trip

    feldman
    19 Oct 2009 | 8:03 pm
    The Atlantic's Christina Davidson has traveled across the U.S. in her car for more than four months, chronicling the effect of the economic downturn on ordinary individuals. Most of the stories are heartbreaking, including her latest dispatch, about a "happy...
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    Trivia - ArcaMax Publishing

  • How were ancient Chinese towns animals?

    In ancient China, towns were often arranged in patterns so that if seen from the air, the whole community would resemble an animal or a symbolic design. Some were arranged to resemble snakes, stars, sunbursts, and dragons.

  • How many mountains are there in New York?

    There are four mountain ranges in New York State: Adirondack, Catskill, Shawangunk, and Taconic.

  • How busy is a queen bee?

    An average bee hive has 30,000 to 60,000 bees living in it. This population is easily maintained by a queen laying 1,000 to 3,000 eggs per day.

  • Were Mugahl slaves well dressed?

    In the harem of Mughal kings in India, ladies of royal blood changed their garments several times a day and never put them on again. They were then given to slaves.

  • How expensive is rust?

    From bridges to rebar, rust is everywhere. According to a recent study, the annual cost of metallic corrosion in the U.S. is approximately $300 billion. The report, by the Specialty Steel Industry of North America, Washington, D.C., estimated that about one-third of that cost could be avoided
 
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    NuttyAboutSports.com Trivia

  • First NFL Player to Rush for 2,000 Yards

    6 Nov 2009 | 5:38 am
    Trivia Question: Who was the first NFL player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season? Click the title above or here - First NFL Player to Rush for 2,000 Yards - for the answer... Category: Football Trivia

  • Yankees First World Series Crown

    5 Nov 2009 | 5:28 am
    Trivia Question: When did the New York Yankees win their first World Series Championship? Click the title above or here - Yankees First World Series Crown - for the answer... Category: Baseball Trivia   Subscribe to baseball trivia

  • First NFL QB to Pass for 4,000 Yards

    3 Nov 2009 | 5:30 am
    Trivia Question: Who was the first NFL quarterback to pass for 4,000 yards? Click the title above or here - First NFL QB to Pass for 4,000 Yards - for the answer... Category: Football Trivia

  • First to Win 3 World Series Titles in a Row

    30 Oct 2009 | 5:42 am
    Trivia Question: What was the first team to win three World Series Championships in a row? Click the title above or here - First to Win 3 World Series Titles in a Row - for the answer... Category: Baseball Trivia   Subscribe to baseball trivia

  • First World Series Unassisted Triple Play

    29 Oct 2009 | 5:22 am
    Trivia Question: What player pulled off the first unassisted triple play in World Series History? Click the title above or here - First World Series Unassisted Triple Play - for the answer... Category: Baseball Trivia   Subscribe to baseball trivia
 
 
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    Braingle's Teasers

  • Today's Daily Brain Teaser (Nov 07, 2009)

    6 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    The Old Monk and the Staircase Construction of a stronger and more massive bell tower for the monastery to replace the one destroyed during the last civil strife with a neighboring lord was well underway when the old Monk visited the site. The Abbot showed the Monk the drawings and model for the three-bell tower. The Monk was impressed until he stood where the bell chamber would be and saw the spiral staircase in this medieval bell tower running the wrong direction (counterclockwise). "The staircase direction must be changed," said the Old Monk. The Abbot looked at the staircase and agreed.

  • Daily Brain Teaser for Nov 06, 2009

    5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    Four Letter Fun! Each group of words has one four letter prefix that fits in front of them to form another word or phrase. Can you figure out which word it is for each group? 1. Nail, man, out, ten 2. Sick, work, room, plate 3. Do, up, shift, believe 4. Range, shot, horn, bow 5. Back, baked, way, hour 6. Dress, band, ache, rest 7. Chair, jump, light, rise 8. Note, print, ball, step 9. Arm, fly, works, sale Check Braingle.com for the answer.
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    Braingle's Mentalrobics

  • Vocabulary : Word of the Day : Risible

    6 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    ris-i-ble adjective :: Exciting laughter; worthy to be laughed at; amusing. "Before long, I began to read aloud with my father, chanting the strange and wondrous rivers -- Shenandoah, Rappahannock, Chickahominy -- and wrapping my tongue around the risible names of rebel generals: Braxton Bragg, Jubal Early, John Sappington Marmaduke, William "Extra Billy" Smith, Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard." --Tony Horwitz

  • Creativity : Left vs Right Brain Thinking

    5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    As we know, the two hemispheres of the brain think in different ways. The left brain tends to be logical and analytical, while the right brain tends to be more creative and spontaneous. When you are using one side of your brain more than the other, this is called left or right brained thinking. Both types of thinking are valuable, so one should try to develop their skills in both. Unfortunately, left brained thinking is the type that is most valued by our society and taught in our schools. Almost all of the major subjects taught in school (math, science, history, etc) depend predominately on…

  • Memory : Only 10% of Your Brain

    5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    It is a myth that humans only use a fraction of their brains. Even though scientists are still trying to unravel the mysteries of the human mind, every part of the brain is known to have a function. From an evolutionary point of view, larger brains would not have developed if there had not been an advantage to do so. The origins of this myth are unknown, but it might have originated from a researcher named Karl Spencer Lashley who lived about a hundred years ago. He removed parts of the brains of rats and showed that they could still perform certain tests. The problem with these results are…
 
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    Braingle's Newest Brain Teasers and Riddles

  • Words With GU

    5 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    Five words that contain GU as a letter-pair have had all of their other letters removed and placed into a pool. Put those letters back in their proper places. What are the words? **GU*, GU****, **GU**, ***GU*, ***GU** Pool: A, A, A, D, E, E, E, I, I, J, L, M, N, N, N, O, P, R, R, T Check Braingle.com for the answer.

  • Kangaroo Words 6

    5 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    Female kangaroos carry their young (joeys) in a pouch. Likewise, kangaroo words contain another word (a joey) within themselves. A joey word is a synonym of the kangaroo word, and the letters must be in the same order. Example: "rapscallion" contains the word "rascal": RApSCALlion See if you can find the joey words in these kangaroo words: 1. banish 2. illuminated 3. devilish 4. sorcerer 5. exorcise See if you can find two joey words in this kangaroo word: 6. falsified Check Braingle.com for the answer.

  • Kangaroo Words 5

    5 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    Female kangaroos carry their young (joeys) in a pouch. Likewise, kangaroo words contain another word (a joey) within themselves. A joey word is a synonym of the kangaroo word, and the letters must be in the same order. Example: "rapscallion" contains the word "rascal": RApSCALlion See if you can find the joey words in these kangaroo words: 1. action 2. recline 3. chocolate 4. satisfied 5. isolated See if you can find two joey words in this kangaroo word: 6. alone Check Braingle.com for the answer.

  • Missing Word...5

    5 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    Figure out the words below based on the clues. ____ Morning ____ Night ____will ____ Girls Go Bad ____year Check Braingle.com for the answer.

  • Displayed in a Museum

    4 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    A museum has 5 wings: North, South, East, West, and Central. These wings are where the museum displays their traveling exhibits. One year 5 different exhibits came, each one to a different wing. From the clues below, determine the name of the traveling exhibit, what month it opened, how long it was on display, and what wing it was housed in. 1- East Wing hosted the Ancient Greek, an exhibition which opened later in the year than the one which lasted four months. 2- The first exhibit to go on display lasted for 3 months. 3- The exhibitions in North Wing opened in June. 4- Aztec was on display…
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    Braingle's Newest Trivia Quizzes

  • "Fire" - Dead By Sunrise

    4 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    How well do you know the song "Fire" by Dead By Sunrise? Take the Quiz at Braingle.com

  • Basshunter

    2 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    It's all about Basshunter. Take the Quiz at Braingle.com

  • Music That Rocks!

    2 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    This is a quiz about different rock bands and the songs that made them famous. Take the Quiz at Braingle.com

  • Who's Who: Vincent

    1 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    This quiz is about people named Vincent. The name can be the birth first name, the stage first name, or the name by which they are commonly known (which is sometimes actually a middle name). People with variations of the name, including shortened and foreign spellings, can also be included in this quiz. Take the Quiz at Braingle.com

  • I Gotta Feeling

    31 Oct 2009 | 11:00 pm
    This song is by the Black Eyed Peas. Take the Quiz at Braingle.com
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    Geek Riddles .com

  • Adventurous Traveler

    Gec
    6 Nov 2009 | 2:04 pm
    Far away my home is yonder Risky paths to there I’ll wander. Cars and trucks Sneak past I must. Turtle friend across will help Crocodile will chop my head. Who am I?

  • Semifinals

    Gec
    4 Nov 2009 | 9:11 pm
    “This is indeed a surprise, dear spectators,” says the older commentator, “nobody expected that Sun Bucharest could turn the score like this.” “Yes, Shaggyd, I concur,” confirms the younger, less experienced commentator, “they are making a good game indeed. For those who’ve just turned the TV on, we are watching the game between Sun Bucharest and Manchester Divided. Manchester Divided scored in the first five minutes, and was ahead for almost all the game, but Sun Bucharest turned this around by scoring twice in three minutes when the game is…

  • Friends of the Forest: To the Faithful Departed

    Gec
    1 Nov 2009 | 11:07 pm
    The wolf and the fox were wandering about in the old forest. Suddenly a crow falls from a tree, right at their feet. Something was obviously wrong with her, she could barely speak and her eyes were milky, she was altogether pale (as pale as a crow gets, that is). The wolf and the fox hurry to jump to her aid: “Are you hurt?” asks the fox, and then to the wolf: “She doesn’t seem to be wounded.” They realize that the crow was dying. The wolf says to the fox: “I know her. She’s the youngster you made fun of at the last forest gathering. The one who swore revenge.” With her last…

  • Bending Cereals

    Gec
    1 Nov 2009 | 11:06 pm
    Brandon Tilley correctly guessed: a spoon.

  • Bending Measures

    Gec
    1 Nov 2009 | 1:32 am
    A new riddle friends: I bend for some. I measure for others. Yet others I feed. Good luck!
 
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    bizgyan

  • The Pigeon

    praneeth
    12 Oct 2009 | 9:31 pm
    He worked the land as a boy in the New South Wales outback, harvesting wheat, rearing chicken, sticking pigs, while his father, a road-train driver, transported livestock to an abattoir. For release, the young bowler bowled at a 44-gallon drum behind the machinery shed, inflicting “belly wounds” on it. Despite the hours of practice, he did not have the accuracy he has come to be revered for. His captain in bush cricket rarely used his services as a bowler; he preferred to deploy him on the boundary. “It seemed as if everyone thought I was wasting my time playing cricket,” says X.

  • Red Flag limousine

    praneeth
    1 Oct 2009 | 9:45 am
    The limousine in which China's President Hu Jintao stood when he reviewed the military parade at china's 60th nationa day is a indigenous car developed by Chinese, manufactured by FAW.Hongqi HQE, or "Red Flag limousine" had been a political symbol in China since 1958, when the first "Red Flag" rolled off the production line at the First Automotive Works (FAW).FAW is China's first automobile manufacturer in 1953 as part of their first fiver year plan with soviet assistanceHu Jintao stood in a red flag limousine reviewed the military parade Thursday on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of…

  • Tata Crucible Quiz

    praneeth
    29 Aug 2009 | 8:30 am
    Tata Cruible Hyderabad witnessed a seesaw battle between Google and Mahindra Satyam, both the teams scored 35 points each after three rounds. Google hold its nerves at this stage and satyam's mistakes on buzzer helped them book a place in national finals for second year in rowDE Shaw, SBi Life, Microsoft and Idea are the other teams to enter finals Prelims: Whirlpool LogoWhich term is derived from latin word "secreme" meaning to distinguish and to set apart - secretaryThis magazine always featured only its founder on its cover, before Michelle Obama appeared along with her on its cover - O,…

  • Readers Digest trivia n history

    praneeth
    20 Aug 2009 | 1:48 am
    Readers Digest was conceived in Montana when DeWitt Wallace, a college dropout and struggling with life by publishing an agricultural digest for farmers. DeWitt Wallace thought about why he could not do the same with general articles from leading magazines for a wider public.Dewitt wallace worked on his dream two years later in a hospital in Aix-les-Bains, France,, as World War 1 intervened Dewitt Wallace felt magazines at that time or either too long or not worth reading Dewitt relocated to USA and then used to go to Minneapolis Public Library,and attempted to cut a selected article in a…

  • origins of share trading

    praneeth
    14 Aug 2009 | 6:17 am
    Share trading originated in Amsterdam, where the ‘Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie’, a large shipping company, was in permanent need of funds to finance the shipping of goods from the Far East.The popular Dutch nickname of this company was V(ergann) O(nder) C(orruptie) which means "Ruined By Corruption".VOC founders decided to raise money from general public, with one condition - in case you want to take back your money, you need to sell it to some other partner, thus introducing the practice of share tradingThe Oldest Share in the World:Dutch Vereinigte Oostindische Compaignie (VOC)…
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    The Ignoramus' Quiz

  • The Ignoramus' Quiz No.66

    blaiq
    1 Nov 2009 | 12:35 am
    1. In the Biblical account of Genesis, what was the first task entrusted to Adam by God? 2. What is password aging? 3. According to long-standing protocol, which country always speaks first at the UN General Assembly? 4. What's musician Stanley Gayetsky's stage name? 5. Silent movie superstar Clara Bow was the original 'It' girl. How did she come to be referred as such? For the answers, please visit: ten things i didn't know until last week.

  • The Ignoramus' Quiz No.65

    blaiq
    16 Aug 2009 | 7:32 am
    1. What led to association of the leader of the Tour de France wearing a yellow jersey?2. The Royal Marsden Hospital in the UK was the first hospital in the world to be dedicated to cancer. When was it founded?3. In Nepal, who are referred to as "Lahures"?4. What did Isaac Newton refer to as fluxions?5. Who ruled Scotland between 1040 and 1057?For the answers, please visit: ten things i didn't know until last week.

  • The Ignoramus' Quiz No.64

    blaiq
    26 Jul 2009 | 9:31 am
    1. According to the CIA World Factbook, which are the only 3 countries in the world that do not use the metric system?2. The name of which company means "Leave luck to heaven" in Japanese?3. The price of every DVD produced includes a small royalty payment to which company?4. US patent No. 5,255,452 covering a "system for allowing a shoe wearer to lean forwardly beyond his center of gravity by virtue of wearing a specially designed pair of shoes" was granted in 1993 to 3 people : Michael L. Bush, Dennis Tompkins and who?5. Which cartoon character was named after a scat-style phrase at the end…

  • The Ignoramus' Quiz No.63

    blaiq
    22 Jun 2009 | 12:15 am
    1. What is CS Lewis' middle name?2. The name of which element literally means 'acid giver or begetter' in Greek?3. Which company did Billy Durant found in 1908?4. In research, what is the "Hawthorne Effect"?5. Which hat gets its name from the title of an 1882 play by Victorien Sardou?For the answers, please visit: ten things i didn't know until last week.

  • The Ignoramus' Quiz No.62

    blaiq
    10 May 2009 | 10:39 am
    1. Name the only superhero comic to win the Hugo Award.2. In what way is the Republic of Kalmykia - a federal subject of the Russian Federation - unique among European states?3. Fill in the blanks: ______, ______, ______, ______ & umami.4. In energy circles, what does the term 'Negawatt' refer to?5. Who is the first Afro-American to appear solo on a circulating US coin?For the answers, please visit: ten things i didn't know until last week.
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    Ray's Question of the Day

  • Friday Trivia

    Question of the Day
    6 Nov 2009 | 6:23 am
    Question for November 6, 2009:While the Old Man is reading the newspaper in "A Christmas Story," he laments that the White Sox have traded a player he refers to what nickname?Previous question and answer:On the short-lived sitcom "When the Whistle Blows," Nobel Willingham played a construction worker known by what nickname?A: BULLDOG

  • Thursday Trivia

    Question of the Day
    5 Nov 2009 | 8:11 am
    Question for November 5, 2009:On the short-lived sitcom "When the Whistle Blows," Nobel Willingham played a construction worker known by what nickname?Previous question and answer:Clyde Turner, the Chicago Bears' first round draft pick in the 1940 draft, was known by what nickname?A: BULLDOG

  • Wednesday Trivia

    Question of the Day
    4 Nov 2009 | 6:49 am
    Question for November 4, 2009:Clyde Turner, the Chicago Bears' first round draft pick in the 1940 draft, was known by what nickname?Previous question and answer:What lost Beatles song from the movie "Yellow Submarine" was placed back into the film for its 1999 re-release?A: HEY BULLDOG

  • Tuesday Trivia

    Question of the Day
    3 Nov 2009 | 7:45 am
    Question for November 3, 2009:What lost Beatles song from the movie "Yellow Submarine" was placed back into the film for its 1999 re-release?Previous question and answer:What was the nickname of sportscaster Bob Briscoe on "Frasier"?A: BULLDOG

  • Monday Trivia

    Question of the Day
    2 Nov 2009 | 7:09 am
    Question for November 2, 2009:What was the nickname of sportscaster Bob Briscoe on "Frasier"?Previous question and answer:What film comedy opens with the line “This is a Halloween tale of Brooklyn, where anything can happen - and it usually does”?A: ARSENIC AND OLD LACE
 
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    Picanswers.com - post a picture and ask a question

  • Glyphs of unknown origin

    6 Nov 2009 | 7:04 pm
    I came across this in some papers. Does anyone know what language this is? Thanks.

  • What is wrong with my foot?

    5 Nov 2009 | 7:36 pm
    I’m a teacher and spend all day on my feet. After wearing ballet flats, occasionally, the side of my foot becomes bruised and numb. The "ball" beside my pinky toe also will stick out further than normal. It doesn’t start hurting until I’ve been o...

  • What dog breed it is ?

    5 Nov 2009 | 12:19 pm
    It's a dog that come from south Tunisia. Many pple asking me what breed it is. For me it look likes a mix of Collie/Border Collie, Fox and wolf. It will be helpful to prevent known attitudes from some breeds. Note: Before exporting this dog I ...

  • Unidentified object

    4 Nov 2009 | 9:12 am
    I found this 'rock' on the beach in Florida. It resembles a buckeye, but it is definitely not a buckeye. It has a sealed slit that extends about 3/4 of the way around, and it feels completely solid. Any idea what this is?

  • Mystery garden tool?

    1 Nov 2009 | 6:11 am
    I found this while metal detecting - it was buried about 8 inches down, next to what I think was a stone wall that marked out the edge of a garden. Anyone know what this tool was used for, or how old it is?
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    Quiz Quiz Bang Bang

  • Question of the Day: Teen Which?

    James Callan
    30 Oct 2009 | 9:34 pm
    TODAY’S QUESTION (literature) What novel is divided into three sections subtitled “Teenage Car-Songs,” “Teenage Love-Songs,” and “Teenage Death-Songs”? PREVIOUSLY That question, again: What game show from the mid-’90s was co-hosted by Chris Hardwick? Rich B got it: Mr. Hardwick was the non-bosomy cohost of MTV’s Singled Out, the show that is ultimately responsible for causing way too many people to pay attention to Jenny McCarthy’s theories on vaccines. Also, Carmen Electra. How hard was this? Note: There is a rating embedded within this…

  • Question of the Day: Pick the right one

    James Callan
    29 Oct 2009 | 11:53 am
    TODAY’S QUESTION (entertainment) What game show from the mid-’90s was co-hosted by Chris Hardwick? PREVIOUSLY That question, again: Who did Nellie Bly make a point of visiting in Amiens, France, during her record-setting 1889 trip around the earth? Answer: She was trying to beat the 80-day record set by Phileas Fogg, so Bly made sure to visit the man who created him: Jules Verne. Nicely solved by Wendy. How hard was this? Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

  • Question of the Day: Roam

    James Callan
    26 Oct 2009 | 4:24 pm
    TODAY’S QUESTION (history) Who did Nellie Bly make a point of visiting in Amiens, France, during her record-setting 1889 trip around the earth? PREVIOUSLY That question, again: Shepard Fairey’s iconic Barack Obama poster didn’t always say “HOPE.” What word appeared on Fairey’s original printing? Answer: Rich B got it right: the iconic Fairey-ized Obama was originally stamped PROGRESS. The Obama campaign requested “hope,” and some versions were done with “change,” as well. How hard was this? Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit…

  • [Lyrics quiz] Can you name this song?

    James Callan
    25 Oct 2009 | 10:01 am
    CAN YOU NAME THIS SONG? Can you name this song? I removed any mentions of its title, then ran the rest of the lyrics through Wordle. Can you name it? Hint: This song was released in the ’80s. LYRICS FROM LAST TIME … What song is it? Can you name this song? Rich B correctly identified “You Get What You Give,” by the New Radicals.

  • Question of the Day: You Can Believe It

    James Callan
    23 Oct 2009 | 10:00 am
    TODAY’S QUESTION Shepard Fairey’s iconic Barack Obama poster didn’t always say “HOPE.” What word appeared on Fairey’s original printing? PREVIOUSLY That question, again: Who was the subject of David Bowman’s 2002 biography Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa? Answer: Either Erik knew the answer or he was expressing his bafflement in French for some reason: David Bowman’s biography covers the career of Talking Heads. Though Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa was an earlier title, because it got renamed This Must Be the Place. Either edition is subtitled The Adventures of Talking Heads…
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    ken-jennings.com

  • Summarizing Proust

    Ken Jennings
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:54 pm
    During the 1990s, to great fanfare, Penguin Books commissioned a new translation of Marcel Proust’s seven-volume masterpiece Remembrance of Things Past (now usually called In Search of Lost Time in English), from seven different translators (each handling one volume). Through the irritating vagaries of American copyright extension, half the new series is unavailable in the United States for the foreseeable future, thank you very much Sonny Bono Copyright Act of 1998. But I’d heard good things about the new translation, and wondered if it was worth buying copies from the U.K. (Take…

  • Manic Friday, freaky Monday

    Ken Jennings
    4 Nov 2009 | 12:16 pm
    On what common, everyday item might you see the hard-to-pronounce magic word SMTWTFS? On a calendar, of course. It occurred to me the other day that SMTWTFS (boy, it just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?) is one letter away from being a palindrome. If only Monday started with an ‘F’ or Friday started with an ‘M’! Think how much better life would be. (The fact that this occurred to me is evidence that either (a) I have too much free time, (b) I have OCD, or (c) I was desperate for blog material, no matter how thin. You make the call.) So what can we rename Friday…

  • Lamp

    Ken Jennings
    3 Nov 2009 | 1:54 pm
    You ever find yourself in the middle of telling someone a little story and slowly become convinced that you have told this same person the same anecdote, probably very recently? This has happened to me a couple times in the last few weeks and I always feel like an idiot. The victim has politely pretended from the start not to recognize the retold story, but you’re starting to see the lie in his/her eyes. If you interrupt yourself to explain your deja vu or ask if you’ve already covered this conversational ground with them, they are now stuck being polite. They have to mumble and dissemble…

  • Stop me if you’ve heard this one

    Ken Jennings
    2 Nov 2009 | 9:57 am
    I’d never listened to the public radio language show A Way with Words, but the web page makes it sound like it’s been laboratory-engineered to be my favorite thing ever. Also, I’m the latest contestant in their weekly “slang quiz.” Go have a listen and see how I do. You ever find yourself in the middle of telling someone a little story and slowly become convinced that you have told this same person the same anecdote, probably very recently? This has happened to me a couple times in the last few weeks and I always feel like an idiot. The victim has politely…

  • Graveyard smash

    Ken Jennings
    30 Oct 2009 | 10:53 am
    Last night while carving pumpkins with the kids, Mindy and I were lamenting the shortage of good Halloween music. We have stacks of Christmas carols on CD, but nothing for Halloween. I don’t think I have a single ’60s novelty song on my iPod, so that’s pretty much ball game. We tried to put together a hypothetical Halloween mix of year-round pop songs, but didn’t get very far. What can you add? (Songs must be actually good, in addition to conveying the mood/theme of the season.) “Thriller” by Michael Jackson “Season of the Witch” by Donovan…
 
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    mental_floss Blog

  • The 5pm Quiz: State Flags

    Ethan Trex
    6 Nov 2009 | 2:00 pm
    We’ve tested your knowledge of state quarters, license plates and state nicknames. And earlier this week, you wowed us with your mastery of flags of the world. Now let’s see how well you know your state flags. Even if you don’t ace this one, you’ll be a better person for knowing some of these peculiar designs are flying over statehouses throughout the country. Take the Quiz: State Flags

  • The Quick 10: 10 of the Best Books of 2009

    Stacy Conradt
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:41 pm
    I hate the end of Daylight Saving Time. It means it’s dark by the time I get home at the end of the day, which makes it feel like the day is already over, which means I go home and get nothing done for the rest of the night. But there is a silver lining to this cloud: lots of loafing = lots more reading. For some reason I don’t feel as guilty about sitting on the couch with a book as I do when there’s daylight to burn. Luckily for me, Publishers Weekly just came out with their Top Books of 2009 list. Since I’m more apt to read fiction when I’m reading for fun, I’m going to list…

  • 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Pat Sajak

    Ethan Trex
    6 Nov 2009 | 11:33 am
    He’ll sell you a vowel or sympathize when you go bankrupt, but how well do you know Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak? Here are a few things you might not have known about the veteran game show man. 1. He Got to Say “Good Morning, Vietnam” Sajak joined the U.S. Army in 1968 with the hope that he could avoid being sent to Vietnam. Of course, since it was 1968, that plan didn’t work out so well; Sajak ended up working as a finance clerk in Long Binh, Vietnam. Desperate to switch jobs, he kept applying for radio duty, but nothing happened. Eventually, Sajak hit on an idea. He wrote a…

  • 8 Memorable Sesame Street Celebrity Cameos

    Joe Hennes
    6 Nov 2009 | 10:36 am
    Over 400 celebrities have guest starred on Sesame Street, including actors, musicians, writers, politicians and athletes. The upcoming 40th season will feature appearances by Adam Sandler, Matthew Fox, Ricky Gervais, Judah Friedlander, both Gyllenhaals, Paul Rudd and Michelle Obama. Here are a few memorable guest spots from the first 39 years. 1. James Earl Jones Scares Your Children In Sesame Street’s second episode, James Earl Jones became the first celebrity guest (which was no surprise, since he was a student of Will Lee, Sesame’s Mr. Hooper). Although having a big star like Jones…

  • The Mental Floss Trivia Show: Save the Date! (12/6/09)

    Jason English
    6 Nov 2009 | 10:19 am
    “Probably the most important trivia night that week.” —Mangesh Hattikudur If you’re the kind of person who likes doing things and you live within commuting distance of New York, get this on your calendar: the first Mental Floss Trivia Show will be held on Sunday, December 6th at 7pm. This (extra) special event will take place at the Galapagos Arts Space in Brooklyn. Come show off your trivia prowess, win moderately-sized prizes, and meet some of the mental_floss gang. We’ll share more details as the big day approaches. You just go ahead and clear your schedule.
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