Easy Questions:
[01] How long did the Hundred Years War last?
[02] What was New Mexico named after?
[03] Which country makes most Panama Hats?
[04] In the story “1001 Arabian nights” what nationality was Aladdin?
[05] What nationality were the original Pennsylvania Dutch?
[06] From which animal do we get Catgut?
[07] Which U.S. State is the farthest north? South? East? West?
[08] In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?
[09] What material was used to clad the sides of the US warship “Old Ironsides”?.
[10] What is a Camel hair brush made of?
[11] The Canary Islands are named after what animal?
[12] What was King George VI’s first name?
[13] What color is a Purple Finch?
[14] Where do the Cuban Lily and Confederate Rose come from?
[15] Upon what hill was the Battle of Bunker Hill fought?
[16] Who is buried in Grant’s tomb?
[17] What bird has the scientific name Puffinus puffinus puffinus?
[18] What is another word for Thesaurus? Hint: One word, four syllables, eight letters, one letter is used three times, another letter is used twice, and I found it in Roget’s Thesaurus.
[19] What color are White Rhinos?
[20] How long did the Thirty Years War last?
[21a] A man travels due south for one kilometer. He turns left 90 degrees and travels due east for one kilometer, at which point he shoots a bear. He then turns left 90 degrees and travels due north for one kilometer, returning to the exact spot he left from. What color is the bear?
[21b] What direction is the wind blowing from at the starting/ending point?
Answers to Easy Questions:
[01] How long did the Hundred Years War last?
Answer
116 years, from 1337 to 1453.
[02] What was New Mexico named after?
Answer
New Mexico was named during the 1500s after Mexico City, in the country named Nueva Espana – New Spain. The country called Mexico came into being hundreds of years later in 1821.
[03] Which country makes most Panama Hats?
Answer
Ecuador. The Panama region of Ecuador, to be precise. A portion of the Panama region of Ecuador became the country named “Panama” but the hats have been made for more than 300 years in the portion of the Panama region that remained in the country of Ecuador. In more recent years, they have also been made in Hawaii, and Costa Rica, and other parts of the world, but not in the country named Panama.
[04] In the book “1001 Arabian nights” what nationality was Aladdin?
Answer
In the original story, Aladdin was the son of a Chinese tailor.
[05] What nationality were the original Pennsylvania Dutch?
Answer
German – “Pennsylvania Deutsch.”
[06] From which animal do we get Catgut?
Answer
From sheep and horses.
[07] Which U.S. State is the farthest north? South? East? West?
Answer
Alaska, Hawaii, Alaska, Alaska.
[08] In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?
Answer
November. The Russian calendar was 13 days behind ours.
[09] What material was used to clad the sides of the US warship “Old Ironsides”?.
Answer
Oak. The name of the ship was the USS Constellation, called “Old Ironsides” because it had survived many battles.
[10] What is a Camel hair brush made of?
Answer
Hair from squirrels’ tails, although some other kinds of fur can be used. Camel is the name of the person who invented the Camel hair brush.
[11] The Canary Islands are named after what animal?
Answer
Dogs. The Latin name is Insularia Canaria – Island of the Dogs.
[12] What was King George VI’s first name?
Answer
Albert. Queen Victoria had requested that no future king should ever be called Albert. His full name was Albert Arthur Frederick George Windsor.
[13] What color is a Purple Finch?
Answer
Dusky rose red. The scientific name Carpoedacus purpureus means “purple fruit eater” despite the fact that the purple finch eats mostly seeds. Some have described the color as a dark crimson red overlaying an off-gray.
[14] Where do the Cuban Lily and Confederate Rose come from?
Answer
Scilla Peruviana, the Cuban Lily, comes from neither Peru nor Cuba, but from the Mediterranean. Hibiscus mutabli, the Confederate Rose, comes from Japan.
[15] Upon what hill was the Battle of Bunker Hill fought?
Answer
Breed’s Hill.
[16] Who is buried in Grant’s tomb?
Answer
Nobody. You don’t bury people in tombs, which are above-ground structures. You entomb them. So, who is entombed in Grant’s Tomb? Grant and his wife.
[17] What bird has the scientific name Puffinus puffinus puffinus?
Answer
The Manx Shearwater. If you were thinking of the Puffin, the Atlantic Puffin is Fratercula Arctica, the Horned Puffin is Fratercula Corniculata and the Tufted Puffin is Fratercula Cirrhata.
[18] What is another word for Thesaurus? Hint: One word, four syllables, eight letters, one letter is used three times, another letter is used twice, and I found it in Roget’s Thesaurus.
Answer
Synonymy. From the preface to Roget’t International Thesaurus, 1922 edition: “Apart from the scientific and logical arrangement the distinguishing feature of Roget is the inclusion of phrases. No other synonymy gives anything but individual words.”
[19] What color are White Rhinos?
Answer
They are gray, much the same color as black rhinos. The white refers to the Dutch ‘veite’ meaning ‘wide’. They are the wide mouthed rhinos compared with the hook lipped black variety.
[20] How long did the Thirty Years War last?
Answer
30 years (1618 to 1648). Were you expecting a trick question?
[21a] A man travels due south for one kilometer. He turns left 90 degrees and travels due east for one kilometer, at which point he shoots a bear. He then turns left 90 degrees and travels due north for one kilometer, returning to the exact spot he left from. What color is the bear?
Answer
White, yellow, or green. Like all white fur, a polar bear’s fur is clear and hollow. It is white for the same reason snow is white. As polar bears age, their fur becomes more yellow. Some polar bears are green because of algae growing in their fur.
[21b] What direction is the wind blowing from at his starting/ending point?
Answer
From the South. When you are at the north pole, all directions are south.