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Quiz about 2B or not 2B  That is the Pencil
Quiz about 2B or not 2B  That is the Pencil

2B or not 2B ... That is the Pencil. Quiz


Everyone has used the humble yet indispensable pencil. Get the lead out and try this quiz about pencil related objects and people.

A multiple-choice quiz by Tizzabelle. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
Tizzabelle
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
324,877
Updated
Jul 23 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
312
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. The lead of a pencil isn't lead at all. It's graphite, a form of carbon. Its name came from the Greek "graphein" meaning what? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Staedtler pencils have been made in large quantities since 1835. In which German city did J.S. Staedtler first open a factory for the mass manufacture of wooden pencils? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The plant Cupressus sempervirens 'Glauca' is commonly known as which tree? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. From which Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan movie is this quote: "It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address."? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. If you were to ask for a pencil in French you'd ask for le ______ ? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Which American novelist whose works include "Cannery Row" would use as many as 60 pencils in a day while writing? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. The pencil skirt became a fashion item in the post WWII era and is still very popular. Which designer introduced the pencil skirt to the world? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Which Andrew Griffiths book of 2008 tells the tale of a destructive and malevolent pencil used by a child at school? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Which actress born in 1969 is nicknamed "The Pencil" due to her slim frame? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. "Maybe suave Errol Flynn or the Sheik of Araby, If only I had a pencil thin moustache" are lines from a song called "Pencil Thin Moustache". Who wrote and then recorded this song in 1974? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The lead of a pencil isn't lead at all. It's graphite, a form of carbon. Its name came from the Greek "graphein" meaning what?

Answer: To write

In the 1500s when graphite was first discovered in England it was found useful for marking sheep and was later used for writing. It was thought to be a variety of lead hence the term "lead" pencil. It was later named graphite. Other words which derive from "graphein" include biography, cartography, chromatography and cinematography.
2. Staedtler pencils have been made in large quantities since 1835. In which German city did J.S. Staedtler first open a factory for the mass manufacture of wooden pencils?

Answer: Nuremberg

The Staedtler family have been making pencils in Nuremberg for centuries. In the 1600s, Friedrich Staedtler's occupation was recorded in town documents as a pencil maker. He made his pencils by hand. The Staedtler company still has its headquarters in Nuremberg and one of its manufacturing plants in the north of the city.
3. The plant Cupressus sempervirens 'Glauca' is commonly known as which tree?

Answer: Pencil Pine

Pencil pines are hardy trees in the cypress family which grow in all but the most severe of climates. It will grow to 35m (115 feet) in height but has a very narrow form. The width of the tree may only be ten percent of its height. Other names for the pencil pine include Italian, Tuscan or Graveyard Cypress. Sempervirens refers to the tree's evergreen habit.

They are commonly used for landscaping as their height gives another dimension to a garden while taking up little ground area.
4. From which Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan movie is this quote: "It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address."?

Answer: You've Got Mail

In "You've Got Mail" Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are internet chat buddies who don't know each others' real identities. In this email Tom Hanks writes how he loves New York in the fall. For him it signals the time to buy school supplies and perhaps send Meg a bouquet of pencils. Tom and Meg also starred together in "Sleepless in Seattle" and "Joe Versus The Volcano". Meg Ryan was in "Top Gun" but the lead actor was Tom Cruise, not Tom Hanks.
5. If you were to ask for a pencil in French you'd ask for le ______ ?

Answer: Crayon

Le crayon is French for pencil. It is derived from the French word 'craie' meaning 'chalk'.
6. Which American novelist whose works include "Cannery Row" would use as many as 60 pencils in a day while writing?

Answer: John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck would start the day with 24 sharpened pencils. He'd need to resharpen them as the day wore on. Writing "East of Eden" used around 300 pencils. I wonder what he would have thought about computers and word processing.
7. The pencil skirt became a fashion item in the post WWII era and is still very popular. Which designer introduced the pencil skirt to the world?

Answer: Christian Dior

There was a slim line skirt called a hobble skirt in the early 1900s. The wearers of hobble skirts had movement restricted by a band around the skirt near the ankles. The fashion died out as these skirts made getting in and out of cars and buses very difficult.

After WWII, Christian Dior designed the pencil skirt, a slim line skirt which accentuates the female form. They do restrict movement somewhat but a split in the back or sides helps alleviate that problem. The pencil skirt has survived in various forms, particularly forming part of a corporate suit for business women.
8. Which Andrew Griffiths book of 2008 tells the tale of a destructive and malevolent pencil used by a child at school?

Answer: Pencil of Doom!

In this children's' book, Henry has a pencil. This magical pencil has the power to make everything Henry draws or writes come true but not in the way he imagined. Even if he draws something good the pencil will change his wish into something bad. Henry's attempts at disposing of or destroying the pencil fail, until the pencil falls into the hands of another schoolchild.

The pencil of doom twists the other child's wish into an unintentional self destructive act. The children and the pencil are trapped underneath a pile of library books, the children being rescued by Mr Shush, the librarian.
9. Which actress born in 1969 is nicknamed "The Pencil" due to her slim frame?

Answer: Ellen Pompeo

Ellen Pompeo is a native of Boston, Massachusetts. Born November 11, 1969, she didn't appear on the screen until 2002. She is best known for her role as Dr. Meredith Grey in TV's "Grey's Anatomy" made since 2005. She married her husband Chris Ivery in a quiet ceremony with only two witnesses. The witnesses were the Mayor and First Deputy Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg and Patti Harris respectively.
10. "Maybe suave Errol Flynn or the Sheik of Araby, If only I had a pencil thin moustache" are lines from a song called "Pencil Thin Moustache". Who wrote and then recorded this song in 1974?

Answer: Jimmy Buffett

"Pencil Thin Moustache" appeared on the 1974 "Living & Dying in 3/4 Time" album. It never reached the top 100 on the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number 101. It fared better on the Easy Listening charts reaching number 44.
Source: Author Tizzabelle

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nannanut before going online.
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