Swing States [2] Trivia Quiz

Answer: KENTUCKY

INDIANA + KENTUCKY = IN + KY

Something inky would be stained a deep black. Someone with a broken pen may be stuck with an inky and difficult-to-manage situation while someone cooking spaghetti al nero di seppia could be cooking an inky, black pasta with squid ink.

In 2021, researchers at Zippia determined the most popular tattoos inked onto their wearers by U.S. state. Indianans seem to get sheep tattooed on themselves more than most while Kentuckians go for Disney-themed tattoos.

Answer: MISSOURI

NEBRASKA + MISSOURI = NE + MO

The fish to find in the 2003 Disney-Pixar movie was Nemo and the movie was simply titled "Finding Nemo". Nemo, as a name, has a lot of crossover in film and literature as it was used Jules Verne's "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea"-- it's fitting that it was used in the fish-themed movie.

The states, however, are a lot less fitting. Neither Nebraska nor Missouri is suitable to find Nemo; both are landlocked.

Answer: NEBRASKA

MICHIGAN + NEBRASKA = MI + NE

Both Michigan and Nebraska have actually been significant sites for mining over the centuries. Michigan, at one time, was a key site for copper mining with part of the Upper Peninsula being named Copper County. Nebraska's claim to mining fame is a bit more recent as it was discovered, in the early 2020s, to be situated atop one of the largest deposits of rare earth magnets (like niobium) in the U.S.

Answer: CALIFORNIA

COLORADO + CALIFORNIA = CO + CA

A South American plant used for centuries as a medicant, coca is better-known today for being the key ingredient to make the drug cocaine. It's through this means that Coca-Cola would be made and named in the late nineteenth century, though the inclusion of coca would be phased out quickly as the brand developed.

Coca is illegal to grow in California and Colorado, partly due to its association with cocaine. Oregon was the first state to decriminalize personal growing of the plant though sales and dispensaries of the end product were still illegal at the time.

Answer: WYOMING

DELAWARE + WYOMING = DE + WY

While the word 'dewy' refers to the layer of moisture that accumulates outdoors during the early morning hours, it's also used to describe complexion. Someone who's dewy would be displaying revitalized skin indicating health and care.

Answer: DELAWARE

HAWAII + DELAWARE = HI + DE

Hide has multiple definitions depending on the context. For instance, an animal hide refers to its skin, fur, or pelt; you would tan a hide to make it into clothing or an accessory. Alternatively, to hide something is to put it away somewhere that it could not be found. Hiding in Hawaii might mean you're going away on a vacation somewhere far away while hiding in Delaware might imply you're using a tax haven if you're using it for nefarious reasons.

Answer: IOWA

ARKANSAS + IOWA = AR + IA

Translating to 'song' in Italian, an aria is typically a prolonged solo performance, often in an opera. Famous works by Mozart, Bizet, Puccini, and Verdi have all contained arias as performed by men and women alike. The song "O Sole Mio" is considered a stand-alone aria, and perhaps its most famous rendition was performed by Luciano Pavarotti.

Answer: LOUISIANA

GEORGIA + LOUISIANA = GA + LA

A gala refers to any larger special occasion, generally with a fancy dress code, to commemorate or celebrate an event or cause. For instance, if you were to attend a charity gala, you would probably be expected to take a seat, enjoy a meal, view a performance or speech, and contribute to the cause.

Though not associated with either state here, the Met Gala, held in New York City, is one of the most high-profile events of its kind. A fashion moment, it brings in celebrities and rich elite to fundraise for causes and charities in New York.

Answer: OREGON

CALIFORNIA + NORTH DAKOTA + OREGON = CA + ND + OR

Someone who is speaking with candor is doing so with directness and truth, and there's a fine line between speaking with candor and being poorly received; it requires tact and trust. There's a difference between straight-up honesty and candor. On one hand, if you got this question wrong, there would be the honest truth that you likely also got at least one other incorrect. If I were speaking with candor, I'd probably just say you need to look at the big picture of a Match Quiz and think harder on all the options for next time.

Answer: ALABAMA

FLORIDA + OREGON + ALABAMA = FL + OR + AL

It makes sense that Florida and 'floral' are similar-sounding words as the state was named as such partly due to its natural beauty when Spanish explorer Ponce de León landed there in the early sixteenth century in his search for the Fountain of Youth.

Something that is floral is simply related to flowers, whether that be a design or an arrangement of the actual thing.