Trivia Questions About Everything Trivia

61. Women who worked in munitions factories in England during World War I were nicknamed "canaries". Why was this?

From Quiz Potpourri Number Five

Answer: Their skin became yellow from the TNT powder

During World War One, many of the women working in munitions factories in England making bombs, other explosive devices, and even aeroplanes, were, like most factory workers, from the lower classes. This was hardly surprising as those families needed all hands on deck to feed their broods. Working with the dangerous fumes and chemicals involved in TNT though was dangerous at the best of time, with these women, also known as "canary girls", returning home most days with the skin on their faces and hands tinged yellow. Illnesses these products could cause, according to the British Medical Journal of 1 April, 1916, were "headaches, eczema, loss of appetite, cyanosis, shortness of breath, vomiting, anaemia, palpitation, bile stained urine, constipation, rapid weak pulse, pains in the limbs and jaundice and mercury poisoning". Children born to many of these women were also often tinged yellow, and, as a result, became known as "canary babies". (Thanks to WaggaWagga2010 for the information regarding this question)

From Quiz The Second Half: L-W

Answer: Shirley MacLaine

Shirley McLean Beaty was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1934. This multi-talented author, singer, dancer and actress played the lead role in the 1969 musical "Sweet Charity" by Neil Simon. She was also Irma in "Irma La Douce", a 1963 comedy with Jack Lemmon, directed by Billy Wilder. In 1988 Shirley was "Madame Sousatzka", a film about a piano instructor who takes on a Bengali student. Gwen Verdon was in the original 1966 Broadway show "Sweet Charity", directed by her then husband Bob Fosse. Anne Bancroft starred with MacLaine in "Turning Point", and Meryl Streep's been in just about everything else.

From Quiz Pi's Commemorative Journey

Answer: Discworld

Discworld, a flat disc carried on the back of four elephants who are themselves balanced on the back of a giant turtle called the Great A'Tuin, is the setting for a series of fantasy novels written by Sir Terry Pratchett. The series began with the publication in 1983 of "The Colour of Magic" and continued through 41 novels. The final book in the series, "The Shepherd's Crown", was published posthumously in 2015 following the author's death from Alzheimer's disease. The stories are populated by a wide, wacky and wonderful cast of characters such as Rincewind the failed wizard, the Ramtop Witches including the inimitable Esmerelda "Granny" Weatherwax and, the most recurrent character, Death, who always speaks in CAPITAL LETTERS. I have Chris to thank for introducing me to the magical world of Terry Pratchett. Chris used to write the most wonderful stories for the team in which we would all set off in the Flying Pi, our hot air balloon, for a great adventure. In these stories she, as an avowed Terry Pratchett fan, assumed the persona of "Granny" Weatherwax and was the self-declared leader of our intrepid band of adventurers. Her stories and vivid portrayals of the different characters caught my imagination so I started reading "The Colour of Money" and I was hooked. I'll always be grateful to Chris for sharing her love of fantasy and science fiction and for opening my eyes to such a rich and colourful world. There is a quote from the Discworld novel "The Reaper Man" which states that "No one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away..." I have no doubt that, through her quizzes on FunTrivia and in the memories of the people that knew her, Chris will carry on causing ripples in the world. Question by KayceeKool.

From Quiz Just a Bunch of Questions

Answer: Intellivision

Intellivision hit the market with a boom in 1979. The graphics were far superior to that of the Atari 2600. The problem with Intellivision system was the controller. People became frustrated with its difficulty and soon started to sell or "mothball" their sets. By late 1983, production of the system had ceased. Mattel gave other reasons for the discontinuation of the system, but the high cost of the system itself, high cost of the game cartridges, and the controller is what caused its demise.

From Quiz Bit of This and That 7

Answer: Old pennies

Big Ben is the name of the bell in that famous clock tower, and not the clock at all, as many people mistakenly believe. However, the name has so long been associated with the clock that is has become synonymous with it instead. The pendulum which keep such accurate time is thirteen feet long, weighs 660 pounds, and is driven by a giant mechanism below which weighs some five tons. On top of that famous pendulum rests a stack of old pennies with a great claim to fame, for it is these that are responsible for maintaining Big Ben's notable accuracy. If the pendulum needs to be sped up, an extra penny is added to the pile - and vice versa. That top penny difference, one way or another, is the equivalent to a difference of 0.4 of a second in a twenty-four hour period. Amazing, isn't it?

From Quiz Who, What, Where, Why, When

Answer: Gossamer Albatross

The Gossamer Albatross was the second aircraft to win the "Kremer Prize" for human-powered flight. In 1977, the Gossamer Condor was the very first Kremer Prize winner for first human-powered flight over land. Both aircraft were built by Dr. Paul MacCready and both craft were piloted by Bryan Allen.

From Quiz Bit of This and That 6

Answer: It preferred to bite them

That's frightfully funny. Bred from the Newfoundland, Caucasian Shepherd, and East European Shepherd, the Moscow Water Dog was created by an organisation whose work was to provide trained working canines for the Russian military. Designed to be a water rescue dog, this animal turned out to be a complete failure. Certainly it swam out to people struggling in the waters, but instead of nobly dragging them back to safety, the Moscow Water Dog preferred to savagely bite them. It wouldn't be at all surprising to learn that it probably held them under with its large paws as well.

From Quiz Random Jottings, Part IX

Answer: It comes from sheep

Lanolin is extracted from the wool of sheep- it is the substance that stops the animal from shrinking when it rains! It has been used as a lubricant in gun barrels, and waterproofing of ship's propellers to repel barnacles and seaweed. Useful stuff, indeed!

From Quiz Mixture of General Questions

Answer: Crustaceans

The NYC water supply is of such high quality that it doesn't need to be filtered. Because of this, tiny crustaceans, known as copepods, that live in reservoirs have been found in the drinking water. They are about 1-2mm long and perfectly harmless, although people concerned about eating them - there has been debate about whether they are kosher - have taken to using water filters. Other cities that do not filter their water supply include Boston and San Francisco.

From Quiz Random Jottings, Part VIII

Answer: The 59th Street Bridge Song

'The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)' is a simple song about Paul Simon crossing the Queensboro Bridge in New York. It came from the 1966 album 'Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme' but did not chart as a single. The opening line is 'Slow down, you move too fast. You got to make the morning last', which I think is great advice!

From Quiz Bit of This and That 3

Answer: Healing rotten wounds

The Spaniards saw at first hand the intoxicating effects of coca leaves on the indigenous people who chewed same, and considered this the work of the devil. Physician and botanist, Nicolas Monardes described this in his work "Joyfull Newes out of the Newe Founde Worlde" by noting "When they wished to make themselves drunk and out of judgment, they chewed a mixture of tobacco and coca leaves which make them go as they were out of their wittes". However, it was the curative effects of this leaf that initially interested the Spaniards more than its intoxicating effects. Peruvian born Padres Blas Valera (1544-1597), the son of Luis Valera, a man who was part of Pizarro's conquest of the mighty Incas, met many of those early conquerors through his father and recorded their recollections of that time in history. He noted in his works "Vocabulario" and "Historia de los Incas", both of which detailed facts about the conquest, Peru and the Incans, that "Coca protects the body from many ailments, and our doctors use it in powdered form to reduce the swelling of wounds, to strengthen broken bones, to expel cold from the body or prevent it from entering, and to cure rotten wounds or sores that are full of maggots. And if it does so much for outward ailments, will not its singular virtue have even greater effect in the entrails of those who eat it?"

From Quiz Ten Interesting Snippets

Answer: Escape Velocity

To escape Earth's gravitational pull, a speed of around 11.2 km per second would be required which is done on a regular basis today. To escape our solar system, a speed of 500-600 km per second would be needed. The spacecraft Voyager 1, launched in 1977, crossed into interstellar space in 2013, becoming the first man-made object to escape our solar system. The speed required was generated by using the gravitational pull of the other planets in our solar system in a spiral trajectory.

From Quiz 'It Happened on My Birthday'

Answer: International Talk Like a Pirate Day

International Talk Like a Pirate Day is a spoof holiday (you don't get the day off with or without pay, but good luck trying) created by the warped minds of John Baur (Old Chumbucket) and Mark Summers (Cap'n Slappy) from Oregon, USA, who decided that everyone should talk like a pirate on this day. Ever since newspaper columnist Dave Barry promoted the day it has grown into quite a huge yearly event, with people dressing up as pirates and throwing parties. It also gives me another reason to get into the rum on September 19...Arrrr! Question by Hermit007

From Quiz A Bit of This and That 2

Answer: Abracadabra

We know this word today as part of the performance used by a magician in a stage show when he is revealing a magic trick that is meant to dazzle or amaze an audience. "Abracadabra" is thought to have originated in the old Aramaic language where it means, more or less, "I create". It first appeared in a medical book from the 3rd century, where people suffering from malaria were advised to wear an amulet with the word inscribed upon it. This was thought to banish the illness. The medical profession is just as helpful today with its treatments. Over time, "Abracadabra" continued to crop up periodically as a magical formula to cure or banish illness. An instance of this was during the Great Plague of London (1665-66) when people wrote the word on the outer doors of their homes to keep the plague at bay, much to the disgust of the author Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) who wrote of it fifty years later. He described this superstitious belief in his 1722 historical novel "A Journal of the Plague Work" with something akin to an authorial snort or derision.

From Quiz Arts & Books Mixed Bag 15

Answer: Auric

Published in 1959, Ian Fleming's seventh novel featuring James Bond was originally entitled "The Richest Man in the World". Fleming often named his characters after people he knew, and the antagonist in this novel was no different -- an architect named Ernõ Goldfinger had designed his house in Hampstead. The character's first name, Auric, is an adjective meaning "gold" -- the chemical symbol for gold is "Au". Auric Goldfinger was voted as the most sinister Bond villain in a 2003 poll, out-eviling the likes of Doctor No, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Max Zorin and Emilio Largo.

From Quiz Anything Goes Number Three

Answer: Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon (1769-1821) was astonishing, possessing one of those rare minds that occur every few generations. His perfect recall of historical and modern events, people, names, maps, military campaigns and laws impressed all who knew him. What was even more impressive was that this remarkable ability to recall and instantly organise all the information he needed on any issue saw him dictating and planning on many levels at any given time, linking and interlinking all streams of information at a moment's notice. To discuss his achievements at all levels of society requires much more than this simple question can provide, and would require half a dozen quizzes on their own. The man was a genius.

From Quiz What Did You Call That?

Answer: Beetle

Yes, the lady bug is really a beetle. Bugs and beetles may be distinguished by several characteristics. Just a few examples are: true bugs are feeders that pierce their food source and suck their nourishment in contrast to beetles that have a "chewing apparatus" that gives them the ability to "bite off" pieces of their food source. Beetles' reproductive cycle includes a larvae or pupae stage, while bugs lay eggs that hatch in "mini" adults. Beetles' wings cover their back and meet in a straight line down the middle of the back when closed. The bugs' wings cover their back by meeting in a rather cross hatch overlap.

From Quiz From Jay-A to Jay-Z

Answer: Singapore

Johor Bahru is one of the largest cities in Malaysia with over a million people. There is a causeway, just over one kilometre long linking JB with Singapore. It allows road, rail and pedestrian access between the two. There is a passport checkpoint at either end. Because of its proximity to Singapore, tourism plays a large role in JB's economy. The Johor port is the busiest in Malaysia.

From Quiz Click Here! Click Here!

Answer: its initial growing cycle is from September to December

Winter wheat is grown in North America, Europe, and Siberia. It is planted right after the fall harvest, sprouts before the first freeze, and then lies dormant until the spring, when it resumes growing. It is usually harvested in July and is used to make flour for yeast bread or combined with other flours to make the all-purpose flour used in a wide range of food products.

From Quiz Time For A Chuckle

Answer: Attention Deficit Disorder

Not only that, but they also diagnosed Winnie as having an obsessive-compulsive disorder and borderline intellectual functioning. Tigger was said to display symptoms of ADD as well, Eeyore was branded with a dysthymic disorder, while Owl needed to see an optometrist. Rabbit definitely had a narcissistic personality disorder, they stated severely, with poor old Piglet suffering badly from generalised anxiety problems. The author of this light-hearted article concluded by saying that "We cannot but wonder how much richer Pooh's life might be were he to have a trial of low-dose stimulant medication. With the right supports, including methylphenidate, Pooh might be fitter and more functional and perhaps produce (and remember) more poems". This could very well be true of course, but then he wouldn't be Winnie-the-Pooh any longer. He'd just be your average old bear in the streets that nobody sees at all, that nobody sees at all, at all, that nobody sees at all.

From Quiz In My Head

Answer: A rooftop platform used to watch ships coming in and out of port.

A widow's walk is a railed rooftop platform that is usually found on coastal houses erected in the 18th century. The term comes from the idea that sailors wives would pace around the platform watching anxiously for their husbands' ships to come into port. As being a mariner was a dangerous occupation, these women were often left widowed. Widow's walks were probably used for a variety of things including simple decoration.

From Quiz What Do You Know?

Answer: A short lived success or event

When something or someone is described as a flash in the pan it means very short lived and unsuccessful. It comes from the priming and firing of an old flintlock pistol, where the priming material would flash in the loading pan, but the pistol would fail to discharge. Anything that starts off with great promise but leads to quick failure and disappointment can be described this way.

From Quiz Tonight I'm Cleaning Out My Wallet

Answer: Little Shop of Horrors

In case she's reading this, I want to stress that my dentist Emma is lovely and kind and not like Orin at all. I'm not nervous about Wednesday at all. Honest. I played serial killer florist Seymour Krelbourn in a 2006 amateur production of "Little Shop of Horrors", and it remains by far the most fun I've ever had on stage. LSOH has an interesting history. Most people only know of the 1986 film, but that was based on the 1980 stage musical - which was in turn based on another very low-budget 1960 Roger Corman film that is primarily known today because one of Orin's patients was played by Jack Nicholson in one of his first screen roles. Without going into spoilers, I'll just say that people going to see "Little Shop of Horrors" the musical based solely on having seen the film may have a bit of a surprise!

From Quiz Essential Trivia

Answer: Mamma Mia!

'Mamma Mia' is a romantic comedy set on a picturesque Greek island. Amanda Seyfried (Sophie Sheridan) is a bride who doesn't know the name of her real father. She sends out invitations to men who could potentially be her father. The excellent cast includes Meryl Streep (Donna Sheridan), Colin Firth (Harry Bright), Pierce Brosnan (Sam Carmichael) and (Julie Walters) as Rosie.

From Quiz Stop It; You're Annoying Me!

Answer: "iYo quiero Taco Bell!"

The slogan means "I want Taco Bell!" Unfortunately for both dog lovers and Taco Bell aficionados, Gidget, the primary dog who played the Taco Bell Chihuahua, went to doggy heaven in 2009.

From Quiz Maybe You're Right

Answer: Southpaw

Long ago people who used to write with their left hands were forced to use their right hands. There is nothing wrong with being left-handed. Famous left handers are Barack Obama, Jimi Hendrix and Babe Ruth.

From Quiz Mix Me Up No 9

Answer: M-theory

String theory has been struggling because there's five main theories to it which tend to disagree with each other. M-theory now incorporates the ten dimensions of the existing five String theories. It then adds another dimension to link them all up so that they now agree and make sense. Edward Witten of the New Jersey Institute of Advanced Study was the brilliant mind who came up with M-theory. He has been described in the scientific world as having a brilliance greater than Einstein's. He is a theoretical physicist and professor of Mathematics Physics at the Institute. The problem with M-theory is that it lacks predictability because it can't be tested. So until it can, M-theory belongs more to the realm of philosophy than science.

From Quiz Mix Me Up No 8

Answer: Yosemite Sam

I can't see the resemblance myself and probably would have selected Porky Pig if I didn't already know the answer. Freleng was born in 1905 and passed away in 1995. Not only was he a skilled cartoonist, he was also a producer and director, with an astonishing 266 cartoons to his directing credit. Directing a cartoon is not an easy task by any means. During his career he won four Academy Awards for his work. With the given name of Isadore, Freleng earned the nickname Friz as a young man because of his frizzy hair. Unfortunately, that disappeared as he grew older and photographs of his hair in his later years would have probably earned him the name of Bits instead.

From Quiz Mix Me Up No 10

Answer: Breasts

Mata Hari (1864-1917) was born in Holland. After an unsuccessful early marriage, she left her bullying husband. By 1905 she was working as an exotic dancer, a role that would earn her international fame. Along the way she also became a much sought-after courtesan and mistress of many high ranking men in several countries. It was this which brought her under suspicion. The French needed a scapegoat to divert attention away from other issues. Therefore, despite her claims of innocence, Mata Hari was executed on 15 October 1917. Sixty-eight years later, when secret files on her were opened, it was revealed that she was indeed innocent of the charges of spying. Beautiful and exotic, this fascinating woman never allowed herself to be photographed without wearing some sort of pretty and brief top. This was because of her shyness about the size of her breasts. They just look like normal old breasts to me, but her feet - now they were a different matter entirely. They were really quite startlingly large.

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