Image: shutterstock
About This Quiz
Let's face it: It's been a long time since we've had a prime-time quiz show that has become a smash hit and national obsession. Sure, there's always "Jeopardy!," but we miss the late-1990s glory days, with prime-time shows like "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?" and "The Weakest Link" and "1 vs. 100." If you're anything like us, you miss them too. Celebrity game nights and shows with cute kids are fun, but you're not just smarter than a 5th grader, you're probably smarter than a college professor, and you miss the days of smash-mouth trivia competition.ÂÂ
Well, we're here to help. Our 35-question quiz will test you on a little bit of everything: science, geography, entertainment, history, and more. For example, do you know in which part of the world you'd find chilly Lake Baikal? Or where in the human body you'd find the cochlea? How about the name of the actress who was the first to be paid a million dollars for a role? (Hint: it was more than a few decades ago).
So, while you're waiting for the next prime-time quiz show to come along, play along with us and keep your trivia chops sharp. We'd wish you good luck, but we know you don't need it.ÂÂ
What era and city are associated with grunge music?
80s to early 90s, Baltimore
80s to early 90s, Seattle
Though grunge music became huge in the early 1990s, the movement gained steam in the Pacific Northwest throughout the 1980s. It is most associated with the Emerald City -- Seattle.
1990s overall, Miami
1990s overall, Boston
In which race did NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt die in a crash?
The Daytona 500
During the 2001 Daytona 500, Earnhardt's car hit another car, and then the retaining wall. It didn't seem to be a serious crash, and fans and fellow drivers were shocked to learn that Earnhardt had died, probably immediately on impact. The cause of death was a basilar skull fracture.
The Coca-Cola 600
The Ford Eco Boost 400
The Winston 500
Tim Berners-Lee is best known for what achievement?
Creating the World Wide Web
Wait, didn't Al Gore create the Internet? Well, the World Wide Web isn't quite the same thing. It's a broad index in which all addresses start "www." Everything else -- and there's a lot of "everything else" out there -- is the Deep Web.
Inventing snowboarding
Scaling Trump Tower
Creating the cronut
Advertisement
Which branch of the government can declare war?
Congress
No matter who brags about having a "nuclear button," it's Congress that has to declare war. (And yes, we know that the press isn't a branch of government ... though they're sometimes called "the Fourth Estate."
The President
The Supreme Court
The Press
Which of these purpose statements is NOT in the preamble to the Constitution?
"to form a more perfect union"
"to ensure the right to bear arms"
The right to bear arms is assured in the Second Amendment. The other three phrases are on the list that ends with "to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity."
"to promote the general welfare"
"to secure the blessings of liberty"
An ethical computer hacker is often called a _______.
Clark Kent
Will Scarlet
Freedman
White hat
In Western movies, the good guys often wore white hats and the bad guys, black hats. The terms have come to mean "good guys" and "bad guys," and are especially applied to hacking.
Advertisement
In sailing, what is crossing the "eye" of the wind with the boat's bow called?
Blinking
Lifting
Hauling
Tacking
Often, sailors "tack" back and forth across the wind to gain momentum in a desired direction. The opposite is "jibing," in which the stern crosses the wind.
Where would you find Lake Baikal?
Canada
Japan
Russia
Lake Baikal is the world's deepest lake and the seventh-largest freshwater lake. But think again about it as a vacation spot: it's located in Siberia, and summertime temperatures rarely go over 55 degrees.
Ukraine
The France family started what sporting association in 1948?
The NHL
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing was started by "Big Bill" France. Stock car racing had been around for decades earlier, but as loosely-organized folk entertainment.
The UFC
The XFL
Advertisement
In which profession would you consult the DSM-5?
Dentistry
Haute cuisine
Psychiatry
The DSM-5 is the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Vol 5". It lists and describes psychiatric disorders, and is periodically updated as understanding of mental illness changes.
Radiology
Occam's Razor is used in ______.
Barbering
Logic
A "razor" in logic is something that shaves away unnecessary or extraneous ideas. Occam's Razor says that any extra suppositions which don't go toward proving a hypothesis should be stripped away -- or that the simplest explanation is best.
High cuisine
Textile-making
Who finally defeated Ronda Rousey in a 2015 UFC bout?
Holly Holm
Rousey was considered virtually unbeatable before the November 2015 match, having won 12 previous UFC fights, some of them in a matter of seconds. Holm defeated her with a high kick to the head, which resulted in a 60-day medical suspension for Rousey.
Miesha Tate
Paige Van Zandt
Kat Zingano
Advertisement
What was the name of the anti-foreign-influence rebellion in China in 1899?
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion got its name from the number of martial-arts practitioners who were involved in it. It was an uprising against foreign and Christian influences in China.
Confucian Rebellion
Xianping Rebellion
Nativist Rebellion
Which of these documents did the US Constitution replace?
The Articles of Confederation
The initial documents the Founding Fathers drew up to govern the new nation were the Articles of Confederation. A major drawback was that they didn't allow for taxation -- a substantial problem for a country that needed to maintain an army and navy.
The Declaration of Independence
The Magna Carta
The Pentagon Papers
Which of these dogs was bred to run alongside coaches?
Dalmatians
Lively and energetic, Dalmatians used to run alongside coaches to discourage thieves. They were later adopted by firehouses, as companion and mascot dogs.
Jack Russell terriers
Pugs
Labrador Retrievers
Advertisement
Who was the first actress to be paid $1 million for a role?
Theda Bara
Jodie Foster
Julia Roberts
Elizabeth Taylor
"La Liz" broke this mark with her role in the big-budget "Cleopatra." William Holden had already been paid $1 million for "The Bridge Over the River Kwai."
A naturally-derived, oil-based perfume is called a/an _____.
Attar
"Attar" comes from the Arabic word "itr," meaning "perfume." Attar of roses is still very popular in the Middle East.
Cologne
Eau
Scent
Where is the body is the cochlea?
Eye
Ear
The cochlea is a spiral-shaped chamber in the ear, essential to hearing. A cochlear implant can provide hearing to deaf people, but they do not always opt for one, as some deaf people are offended by the idea that deafness is a defect to be fixed.
Hand
Foot
Advertisement
In what game are banana peels and turtle shells thrown?
Gears of War
Halo
Mario Kart
Mario Kart is one of Nintendo's most popular games. It was first released in 1992. Players can use the peels and shells to trip up opponents.
Pac-Man
In which nation is Samsung headquartered?
China
Japan
Qatar
South Korea
Samsung is one of the biggest success stories to come from this small East Asian nation. South Korea's economy was stagnant for years after the Korean Conflict ended, but not anymore.
Which of these popular ideas is NOT true?
Bumblebees shouldn't be able to fly
Excessive computer work causes carpal-tunnel syndrome
Suicides go up around the holidays
None of these are true
Yup, even the carpal tunnel one isn't true. People want to believe this, because spending lots of time on a computer just 'feels' unhealthy, but the truth is that the medical problem has no single known cause. It does seem to have a genetic component.
Advertisement
Which artist recorded "Weapon of Choice" and "The Rockafeller Sk*nk?"
Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim is a British musician and DJ. The "Weapon of Choice" video is a fan favorite because of the performance of Christopher Walken, who dances all over an otherwise empty hotel.
Kylie Minogue
Moby
Eminem
Which of these directors was married to Rita Hayworth?
Clint Eastwood
Sam Peckinpah
Orson Welles
Welles was only married to the "Gilda" star from 1943 to 1947. He directed her and acted alongside her in "The Lady From Shanghai," though they were separated at that time.
John Ford
What is the best definition of "foible"?
Hank of hair
Poison
Support structure
Personal weakness
This word has an interesting origin. A "foible" is also the most flexible part of a sword's blade -- a potential weak point.
Advertisement
In 2010, Laura Dekker set a world record for being the youngest person to do what?
Lead a national rugby team
Earn a teaching credential
Play violin with the LA Philarmonic
Sail around the world unaccompanied
Dekker had to go to court in her home of the Netherlands to be able to make the trip. The Dutch authorities had stepped in, asserting she was endangering herself with the plan. But Dekker successfully made the trip, finishing in 2010.
Curcumin is the active ingredient in which seasoning?
Basil
Cilantro
Rosemary
Turmeric
For a while, curcumin was the darling of the supplement industry, because it showed great promise as an anti-inflammatory agent. Sadly, in clinical trials, it was discovered that curcumin is about 1 percent bioavailable, meaning 99 percent is destroyed by the liver and kidneys. So use it to give your curry a beautiful color, but don't count on any health benefit.
If you are "heterodox," you have multiple _____.
beliefs
To clarify, the main issue with being heterodox is that you have multiple beliefs that don't usually go together. There are many tenets of Catholicism, but to believe in all of them doesn't make you heterodox.
illnesses
pets
spouses
Advertisement
The Capuchin Monkey gets its name from ______.
an ocean
a flower
an order of monks
The coloring of the monkey's fur reminded explorers of Capuchin monks, whose hood is called a "cappuccio." (And now, we want coffee!)
a pastry
If a condition is "idiopathic," what causes it?
Lack of sleep
Smoking
Stupidity
No one knows
You'll find this term in medicine, in which diseases without a known cause are idiopathic. This doesn't mean there isn't a root cause, just that it's not known yet.
What is the name of the theory that says nuclear reactions can take place at temperatures less than millions of degrees?
Boyle's hypothesis
Cold fusion
"Cold fusion" has been a dream of pop scientists and sci-fi writers for a long time, as it would provide cheap energy for millions of people. But the consensus of the scientific community is that it's a pipe dream.
Thermogenesis
the China Syndrome
Advertisement
For which of these is Ada Lovelace known?
Being a proto-computer programmer
Ada Lovelace was a mathematician who worked on Charles Babbage's "analytical engine" and wrote an algorithm for it. She died at age 36, the same age as her famous father, Lord Byron.
Working on Morse Code
Championing smallpox inoculation
Writing children's novels
Which of these Haitian loa is said to speak all human languages?
Baron Samedi
Erzulie Dantor
Erzulie Freda
Papa Legba
Papa Legba is the guardian of the crossroads, who grants permission to speak to the other loa. He is a patron of speech and communication.
The sol is the national currency of which country?
China
Japan
Peru
"Sol" is Spanish for "sun." You'll need some if you visit to try their fantastic cuisine and pisco sour cocktails.
Yemen
Advertisement
The "judgment of Paris" refers to what event?
A fashion show
The start of the Trojan War
A wine tasting
Both #2 and #3
Before 1976, the judgment of Paris was an event from Greek myth, in which the youth Paris judged three goddesses in a beauty contest (and accidentally set the Trojan War in motion). Since 1976, winemakers also know it as a blind tasting in which American wines (specifically, Californian ones) defeated French wines, an upset of shocking proportions.
You Got:
/35
shutterstock