Unrelated General Knowledge Trivia Quiz

Answer: Rats

"The Pied Piper of Hamelin" is a legend that dates back to the Middle Ages and has been retold many times since. It tells the story of a piper who is hired by the town of Hamelin to rid them of their rat infestation, but when the town refuses to pay him, he lures away their children with his magical pipe.

There are many theories about the true events that may have inspired the legend, including theories about a plague, a children's crusade, and even a mass emigration.

Answer: Okapi

The okapi is the only living relative of the giraffe. The okapi has a similar body shape to a giraffe, but with a much shorter neck in relation to its body size. Like a giraffe, an okapi has large, upright ears and a long, dark, prehensile tongue, like a giraffe's, to help it strip leaves from plants in its rainforest home.

Answer: Haircut

A Sweeney is a haircut to service standards, and is named after Sweeney Todd, a fictional character who first appeared in 1846 as the villain of the serial "The String of Pearls". The tale has since been adapted for plays and movies, and is the story of a barber from Fleet Street who murders his customers with a razor and gives their corpses to a baker, Mrs. Lovett, who bakes their flesh into meat pies.

Answer: He didn't have to work when the Yankees were in the World Series

William Frawley, a keen baseball fan, had it written into his contract that he did not have to work when the Yankees were in the World Series, which happened in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, and 1958. His character of Fred Mertz was written out of two episodes because of this clause.

Answer: 32 hours

Robert Fulton's steamboat, the Clermont, made its historic 150 mile maiden voyage up the Hudson River from New York City to Albany in just 32 hours. This was a significant achievement as it was the first commercially successful steamboat, and it revolutionised transportation and trade in America.

Answer: Ernesto

"Che" Guevara was born to Ernesto Guevara Lynch and Celia de la Serna y Llosa, on 14 June 1928, in Argentina. The legal name on his birth certificate was Ernesto Guevara, but his name sometimes appears with "de la Serna" and/or "Lynch" added to it. He was the eldest of five children in an upper-class Argentine family of Spanish and Irish ancestry.

Answer: China

India Ink, despite its name, originated in China. It is a type of ink traditionally used in East Asia for calligraphy and brush painting. The ink is made from materials such as soot, resin, and oil, and is known for its intense black color and water resistance.

It was introduced to India by Chinese Buddhist monks, and from there it spread to other parts of the world. Today, India Ink is still widely used by artists and calligraphers around the globe.

Answer: Pointillism

Pointillism is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of colour are applied in patterns which form an image with the eye and mind of the viewer blending the dots into a range of tones. Georges Seurat and Paul Signac developed the technique in 1886.

The term Pointillism was first used by art critics to ridicule the works of the artists, but subsequently became used to describe the technique, without any pejorative associations.

Answer: Egypt

Lettuce was first cultivated in ancient Egypt for the production of oil from its seeds and for its edible leaves as early as 2680 BC. Lettuce was considered a sacred plant of the god of reproduction, Min. The cultivated variety was about 75 cm (30 inches) tall and resembled a large version of the modern cos or romaine lettuce.

These were developed by the Egyptians and handed on to the Greeks, who in turn passed them on to the Romans.

Answer: Glen Campbell

During the Beach Boys' 1965 tour, Glen Campbell was substituted for Brian Wilson as the lead vocalist. Wilson was struggling with mental health issues at the time. Campbell was a successful country music singer and guitarist in his own right, but he also had a close working relationship with the Beach Boys.

He played guitar on many of their recordings and even toured with them as a member of their backing band.