All That Glitters.... Trivia Quiz

Answer: golden fleece

The famous golden fleece in Greek myth was the wool of the winged ram Chrysomallus, who was sent by Hermes to rescue Phrixus and Helle, the two children of the Greek king Athamas and his wife Nephele. Chrysomallus was sacrificed to Zeus, and his fleece was given to Aeëtes, who placed it in a sacred grove under the guard of a dragon who never slept.

There it remained until Jason and the Argonauts happened upon the scene; Jason's sorceress girlfriend, Medea, put the dragon to sleep while Jason snatched the fleece.

Answer: California

California, the 31st state of the US, was admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850. The third largest state, it boasts the most people, cars, college students, and civil aircraft. It also has the greatest number of national parks and forests, and the only stand of giant sequoia in the US.

Answer: astronomy

Thomas Gold is an astronomer best known for his steady-state theory of the universe, which posits that the universe is homogeneous and that matter is continuously being created as the universe expands. He also developed the theory that pulsars are spinning neutron stars.

Answer: movie

The Golden Bear award is given annually to the best film presented at the Berlin International Film Festival in Germany, which was first held in 1951. The festival, which lasts for 12 days in February, features around 600 films competing for the prize.

Answer: pyrite

Pyrite, a mineral composed of iron sulfide, is known as "fool's gold" for its resemblance to gold. However, it is much more brittle and soft than gold. Pyrite, which is common among sedimentary rocks, is used mostly in the commercial production of sulfuric acid.

Answer: William Jennings Bryan

William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925) was a political leader, orator, and three-time Presidential loser. His famous "Cross of Gold" speech, given at the 1896 Democratic National Convention, was an impassioned plea protesting the proposal to switch from the gold to the silver standard.

The speech ended with the line "You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns; you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold."

Answer: Goldfinger

This 1964 Bond film starred Sean Connery as 007 trying to foil a gang, led by Goldfinger, who plans to contaminate all the gold at Fort Knox. The third Bond film, it also starred Harold Sakata as the villain Oddjob and Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore.

Answer: France

The Field of the Cloth of Gold is the place, located between Guînes and Ardres in France, where Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France met in June 1520 to begin an alliance between France and England. For three weeks, there was much merriment, feasting, and jousting, and little work. The name comes from the opulence and ostentatiousness of the furnishings and pageantry used.

Answer: golden retriever

The golden retriever, which is a cross between the yellow wavy-coated retriever and the tweed water spaniel, was originally bred to retrieve birds from cold water. Its keen sense of smell and gentle personality make it a popular pet; many have jobs as seeing-eye dogs and narcotics sniffers.

Answer: British Columbia

Golden Ears Provincial Park is located in southwestern British Columbia between the Coast Mountains and the Fraser River. The popular recreation site features lakes and trails in the Coast Mountains.

Answer: primate

The golden potto is a small, arboreal African primate which spends most of its time sleeping. These little cuties belong to the Lorisidae family.

Answer: Goldilocks

If you're a bear, I'm very impressed! Goldilocks is, of course, the blond girl of fairy-tale fame who breaks into the Three Bears' cabin and tries out all of their furniture before they come home and find her asleep in one of the beds.

Answer: Oliver Goldsmith

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-74) was a colorful character; born in Ireland, he studied medicine and travelled through Europe playing the flute and begging before settling down as a writer. In 1763 he became one of the original nine members of the literacy society known as The Club, presided over by Samuel Johnson, the foremost literary star of the day.

Answer: "Head to Toe"- Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam

This dance hit by hit Lisa Velez and her crew reached number 1 in the US in 1987. The first hit by the R and B/funk group was 1985's "I Wonder if I Take you Home".

Answer: Barry Goldwater

Arizona senator Barry Goldwater (1909-98) ran against Lyndon Johnson in the 1964 election. Best known for his views on states' rights, he retired from the Senate in 1986.