Wise and Witty Words Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mark Twain

The inimitable Mark Twain is the source of so many pieces of wisdom that singling out just one was a difficult task. The American author and satirist had a keen eye for human behaviour with a clever and wry way of noting such observations. Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in 1835, this Missouri native is probably best known for his two novels, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", and its sequel, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". William Faulkner called him the "Father of American Literature".

In an ironic twist, Twain knew what is was like to owe money. He once filed for bankruptcy before managing to sort out his financial affairs. He paid off every cent of his debt even though he had no legal obligation to do so.

Answer: True

Walt Disney! The very name has become synonymous with fun. His fertile imagination and pioneering work in the animation industry were the source of a host of characters and a world of fun. As the great man himself stated "it all began with a mouse" and it culminated in a world - Disney World.

Walter Elias Disney was born on 5th December 1901 in Chicago, Illinois and showed an aptitude for drawing from an early age. After moving to California and setting up a studio with his brother, Roy, he introduced the world to Mickey Mouse in the 1928 movie "Steamboat Willie" and the rest, as they say, is history. Over a 43 year career he spawned an entertainment empire, garnering 48 Academy Awards along the way. Impossible? Maybe not, but certainly great fun for a world of children and those of us who are still young at heart.

Answer: Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein is the German born physicist who is probably the most well known scientist of all time. His development of the theory of general and special relativity changed the course of modern physics. As it is a bit of a foreign language to me, I will leave it to the great man himself to provide a simple explanation. "When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second.

When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity." Not only a spectacular intellect, but also a witty way with words. On 9th November 1921, Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the discovery of the photoelectric effect.

Answer: Dalai Lama

Anyone who has shared a room with the annoying whine of a mosquito while trying to get some sleep will recognise the validity of the Dalai Lama's words. Tenzin Gyatso is the 14th Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He was born on 6 July 1935 to a farming family and was identified as the reincarnation of his predecessor at a very young age. He was enthroned as the 14th Dalai Lama in Lhasa on 23rd February 1940. With the Chinese annexation of Tibet in 1950, he assumed the role of head of state. Since 1959 he has lived in exile in Dharansala in India.

Because of his extensive international travels to promote both Tibet and Buddhism, he has become a global figure and, in 1989, he was awarded to Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. This deeply spiritual man has a gentle, humorous way of putting across his point and his sayings have become well known around the world. One of my favourites is "be kind wherever possible. It is always possible."

Answer: Steven Wright

Steven Wright is an Academy Award-winning actor, writer and comedian known for his drawling deadpan delivery of one-liners and ironic statements. Born in Cambridge Massachusetts on 6th December 1955, he began performing stand-up routines during his college years.

In 1982 he was invited to appear on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" and was an instant success. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for his 1985 comedy album called 'I Have a Pony' and in 1988 won an Academy Award for "Best Live Action Short Film" for "The Appointments of Dennis Jennings". Two examples which epitomise his brand of comedy are "ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy" and "a clear conscience is usually a sign of a bad memory".

Answer: Dr Seuss

This is a typically clever use of words by Dr Seuss, the American children's author and cartoonist. The inimitable style and wit that has made him a perennial favourite of children and adults alike can be summed up by his statement "You make 'em. I amuse 'em" as he never had any children of his own.

Born Theodor Seuss Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts on 2nd March 1904, he started out his career as a cartoonist and illustrator before publishing his first children's book "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street" in 1937.

A testament to his popularity was shown when Publisher's Weekly compiled its list of best selling children's books of all time in 2000 and four of them were by Dr Seuss. After giving the world such classics as "The Cat in the Hat" and "The Grinch whole Stole Christmas", Theodor Geisel died at the age of 87 on 24th September 1991.

Answer: Woodrow Wilson

Wry words indeed from a man who introduced a myriad of changes during his tenure as the 28th President of the United States of America and who, no doubt, made a number of enemies along the way. Thomas Woodrow Wilson was born in Staunton, Virginia on 28th December 1856 and won the 1912 presidential election. His tenure was marked by major changes to the economic policies of the nation with the introduction of, inter alia, the Revenue Act of 1913 which was the start of the income tax system and the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 which created the central banking system of the country.

However far reaching these changes were, his tenure as president will always be remembered by his role in taking the United States into World War I as a way of preserving democracy. He played a major role in the post war peace process and was instrumental in the formation of the League of Nations in 1919 which was the 14th point of his famous "Fourteen Points" speech to congress in 1918. For his efforts in the peace process and his role in reshaping the postwar world, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919.

Answer: True

When W.C. Fields was asked on his deathbed why he was reading the bible as he was known to be a non-believer, he succinctly replied that he "was looking for loopholes". This sums up the wit of William Claude Dukenfield aka W.C. Fields. Famous for his curmudgeonly, hard drinking, child-hating persona, he left a legacy of sayings which reflect the keen eye and sharp wit that made his one of America's greatest comedians.

He was born on 28th January 1880 in Darby, Pennsylvania and left home at an early age to start performing as a juggler.

He was a headline star in vaudeville by the time he was 21. In 1915 he joined the Ziegfield Follies where he became known for his quick repartee. In 1923 he starred in the Broadway hit musical "Poppy" and his star rose rapidly.

He moved into film and would end up with his final starring role coming in 1941 in "Never Give A Sucker An Even Break". Unfortunately his hard drinking lifestyle led to numerous health issues and he died on Christmas Day 1946 in Pasadena, California at the age of 66.

Answer: Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Gail Winfrey has been dubbed the "Queen of All Media" and, looking at her list of accomplishments, it's not hard to see see why. This American television host, actress, publisher and philanthropist rose from a poor and troubled past to become one of the most influential women in the world through determination, talent and hard work.

She was born in Kosciusko in rural Mississippi on January 29 1954 to a teenage single mother and herself became pregnant at the age of 14, although the baby died in infancy.

After being sent to live in Nashville with her father, she landed herself a job in radio while still in high school and the rest as they say is history. Her television chat show "The Oprah Winfrey Show" became the highest rated show of its kind and ran for a phenomenal 25 years from 1986 - 2011.

In 2013 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama. However, this self made superstar has kept her sense of perspective, once declaring that " I still have my feet on the ground, I just wear better shoes".

Answer: Will Rogers

Will Rogers is the American entertainer and humorist whose keen eye for the follies and foibles of life combined with a pithy and clever way of pointing them out made him a firm favourite with the public at large. It earned him the nickname of "Oklahoma's favourite son". Born William Penn Adair Rogers on 4 November 1879 in what was then Cherokee Territory and is now part of Oklahoma, he starting performing in wild west shows before moving onto Broadway and the Ziegfield Follies. He was an astute social commentator and became known for his one-liners that poked fun of current affairs and prominent people.

Never one to be sidetracked by 'tempting parking spaces', Rogers was a keen proponent of the burgeoning aviation industry. In 1935 he set off with the famous aviator, Wiley Post, on a plane trip to Alaska. Unfortunately on 15 August that year their small plane crashed on take off just north of Point Barrow and both Rogers and Post were killed instantly. However, his legacy lives on his many sayings of which this one is as true today as when he first uttered it - "Buy land. They ain't making any more of the stuff".