Thematic Nature Trivia

61. "He that lives upon hope will die farting" is a quote from an essay from 1781, authored by which Founding Father of the United States?

From Quiz Farting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

Answer: Benjamin Franklin

The essay, titled "Fart Proudly" was written by Franklin to highlight the pretentious attitude held by many of Europe's academic societies, and included Franklin's proposal that a drug should be made which would make farts, "not only inoffensive, but agreeable as Perfumes". The essay is available in the collection, "Fart Proudly: Writings of Benjamin Franklin You Never Read in School" (2003), which also includes the illuminating essay, "On Choosing a Mistress".

From Quiz Crystal Clear

Answer: Blue

"Crystal Blue Persuasion" was written by Tommy James, Eddie Gray and Mike Vale. In interviews James has stated that at the time the song was written he was embracing Christianity and the lyrics referenced the Book of Revelation: "The imagery was right out of Chapter 19 of the Book of Revelation, about the lake of crystal, and just what John sees. The imagery was just right there. 'Crystal blue persuasion' although those words aren't used together, it was what the image meant to me." The lyrics, "It's a new vibration," are about James becoming Christian. He further stated "Everybody in the band, by the way, became Christian. And we're very proud of it. And 'Crystal Blue Persuasion' was sort of our way of saying that in a kind of pop record way."

From Quiz Why Does It Always Rain On Me?

Answer: Tis not fit for man nor beast

That verse goes "When the wind is blowing in the North, No fisherman should set forth, When the wind is blowing in the East, 'Tis not fit for man nor beast". This particularly applies in European countries because the direction from which the blows blow there is an indication of the condition of pressure systems. When the wind comes from the east, this indicates a low is on the way. Those winds can be very hot in summer but bitterly cold in winter. When the wind blows from the north, very choppy sea conditions are indicated. The best wind to hope for is either from the south, but particularly from the west, for "When the wind is blowing in the South, It brings the food over the fish's mouth, When the wind is blowing in the West, That is when the fishing's best!" and the weather will be fine for all occupations. All these weather sayings have been known to man for so long that their origins have been lost in time.

From Quiz The Most Dangerous Quiz Ever

Answer: Rembrandt van Rijn

This account is found in the New Testament of the Bible in the Gospel of Mark. Jesus and his disciples were in a boat when a storm hit. The disciples panicked and worried they would drown. Jesus however slept peacefully. When he was woken by his disciples, he spoke to the storm and commanded it to quiet down. The winds and waves listened to him and the storm abated. "The Storm on the Sea of Galilee" is a painting by Rembrandt of this incident. It is the only seascape painted by the Dutch Master. It was displayed in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, USA from where it was stolen in 1990 along with a few other works. More than fifteen years later, the theft was unresolved.

From Quiz Top Ten Reasons to Recycle

Answer: Consumed to cure dysentery

German soldiers suffered terribly from dysentery while stationed in North Africa during World War II, but amazingly found a way to cure same by copying an age long practice used by the native populations there. That, believe it or not, was the consumption of camel manure BUT it only worked if the camel manure was fresh.

From Quiz Take It For Granite

Answer: GMC

This vehicle was first shown to the public in 2010 and should it have gone into production it would have been GMC's smallest crossover SUV. It would also have been the first of its class to have rear hinged doors. It was powered by a 1.4 L (85 cu in) EcoTec turbocharged I4 engine and supported by a dual clutch, six speed transmission.

From Quiz Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot

Answer: Hay

This old saying suggests that it's important not to waste time or be lazy - don't procrastinate. This is especially true for farmers harvesting hay. If the hay is ripe and it's a sunny day, harvest it immediately! Tomorrow it might rain and hay can't be harvested when wet, as it will rot and not be of any use. Harvesting dry hay means a store of food for animals in times of drought or in winter when they are unable to find food outside. This question was raked in the sun by Phoenix Rising team member VegemiteKid.

From Quiz New Species Since 2000

Answer: Shocking pink

The shocking pink dragon millipede is found in Thailand. Its legs seem rather spiny, and it has a habit of sitting in the open on rocks and vegetation during the day. This has led scientists to speculate that its bright colour, coupled with its spiny appearance, are defence mechanisms, there to lead potential predators to believe that it is not edible.

From Quiz A Very English Conversation

Answer: Rainbow

"Rainbow" ran from 1972 to 1997. It helped kids with language and number skills using short sketches and repetitive songs. Long time presenter Geoffrey Hayes attempted to keep the puppets in order with help from musical group Rod, Jane and Freddy. There is a famous Christmas tape made by the show, but never aired, known as the "Twangers Episode" which features the puppets performing "Carry On" style humour.

From Quiz Rain, Rain, Go Away

Answer: Dustin Hoffman

In Barry Levinson's "Rain Man" Dustin Hoffman is Raymond Babbitt, an autistic savant, and Tom Cruise is his brother Charlie. Charlie discovers Raymond's existence after his father dies and leaves a three million bequest to the Institute where Raymond lives. He decides to check his brother out of the Institute and they embark on a journey across USA. Raymond has terrific mathematical abilities and can recall facts and figures but he is easily upset and isolates himself from his surroundings.

From Quiz Ain't No Sunshine

Answer: Midnight

Okay, so that old folk song is wrong when it says "Though it's darkest before the dawn..." Midnight is the point halfway between dusk and dawn when the sun is at 180 degrees to the observer's position. There are, though, factors that may affect brightness, such as the phase of the moon. The phrase "darkest before the dawn" comes from the theologian Thomas Fuller (1608-1661) who said: 'It is always darkest just before the day dawneth". This phrase is often wrongly attributed to the Bible.

From Quiz Burning Desire

Answer: Piper Alpha

On the night of July 6, gas leaked from a faulty condensate valve and ignited before anyone had time to react. The fire blocked the route to the emergency lifeboats and the smoke prevented helicopter landings. Three gas lines then ruptured, and ignited sending flames over 90 metres in the air and engulfing the platform. Of the 226 people on board, only 61 survived and two more people from a rescue vessel were also killed. It took three weeks to put the fire out and 60 bodies have never been recovered.

From Quiz Arboreal Tutorial

Answer: Willow

Willow is a very versatile tree. Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates wrote about the medicinal qualities of the leaves and bark, which can offer temporary relief from pain in much the same way as Aspirin and because it is such a pliable wood, it has been used in the manufacture of fishing nets, woven baskets and coracle boats. It is also the wood used for the construction of cricket bats as it is able to absorb the high impact of a cricket ball.

From Quiz Hurricane Warning

Answer: Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan's song 'Hurricane' was first released as a single in November 1975 and made it to number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The album it came from proved more successful, making it to number one on the US Billboard Hot 200 and achieving platinum certification. 'Hurricane' was a protest against the conviction of the middleweight boxer Rubin Carter for the murder of three people at a restaurant in New Jersey in 1966. Carter had maintained his innocence and the song (which was co-written by Dylan and Jacques Levy) suggested that he had been wrongfully accused and convicted of the crime as a result of racial discrimination. Carter's conviction was eventually quashed in 1985, after he had spent nearly 20 years in prison. His story was turned into the 1999 film 'The Hurricane', in which Carter was portrayed by Denzel Washington. Carter's nickname of 'Hurricane' came from the speed with which he had knocked out various opponents in the early stages of his boxing career.

From Quiz Weather or Not?

Answer: Steelhead

Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) have been a popular target for fly fishermen due to their strong fighting spirit in the wild. Steelfish are found in cold water tributaries and remain a popular seafood restaurant entree option.

From Quiz The Heat Is On

Answer: Chicken Wings

The scale was created by Wilbur Scoville in 1812. It measures the pungency of the chili pepper used in the dish. Watch out for the Komodo Dragon Chili Pepper, number one on the list. Some restaurants will put your picture on the "Wall of Flame" if you're able to eat their spiciest dish.

From Quiz The Ground Type

Answer: Kalahari

The Kalahari Desert can be found in Southern Africa, primarily in Botswana but also Namibia and South Africa. Technically, the Kalahari is not a true desert as it does receive heavy rains and is suitable for growing some crops. More animal and plant species can live here comfortably than would be possible in a true desert.

From Quiz The Fire Type

Answer: Arcade

Penny arcade Arcade Fire A penny arcade was a type of arcade with game machines that typically cost a penny. It is also a popular web comic series. Arcade Fire is an indie rock band from Montreal whose members include Win Butler and his wife Regine Chassagne.

From Quiz The Poison Type

Answer: Cyanide

Cyanide is the poison that is famous for smelling like bitter almonds and being used frequently in murder mysteries. However, despite what is often depicted in the media, not everyone can smell cyanide with only 60% of people possessing the ability.

From Quiz The Electric Type

Answer: slide & bass & valve

The Electric Slide is a popular party dance invented in 1976 by Ric Silver, although there is some controversy surrounding that claim. The instrument called the trombone is sometimes referred to as a slide trombone, even though all trombones have slides to make music. Electric bass refers to an a type of bass guitar. A bass trombone is one of two of the more common types of trombones. The other is a tenor trombone.

From Quiz The Water Type

Answer: tuna

There are a few species of tuna in existence, including the bluefins and the yellowfins. The bluefin varieties are considered more threatened as a species than yellowfins primarily because of overfishing and the fact that bluefins mature more slowly.

From Quiz The Rock Type

Answer: Igneous

Anthracite is a metamorphic rock because it is formed from another rock that has been heated and pressurized. Pumice is an igneous rock because it is formed from cooled lava or magma.

From Quiz The Snows Are Coming

Answer: Sapporo

Sapporo is situated on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. It is a relatively young city, having been founded in 1868. Its climate is perhaps warmer than one might expect with such heavy annual snowfall. Its mean annual temperature of 8.5 Celsius is similar to that of Edinburgh in Scotland, a city that gets just 46cm of snow a year on average. Sapporo's snowfall comes between November and April, a period in which more than two-thirds of days are snow days.

From Quiz To the Lighthouse

Answer: Alexandria

The Lighthouse of Alexandria (also known as the Pharos of Alexandria) was believed to have been constructed between 280-247 BC. It was vulnerable to earthquakes which it 1323 caused it to be abandoned. It rose over 400 feet into the sky. Stones have been recovered from the harbor. It remains a symbol of the city of Alexandria.

From Quiz Gifts of the Earth: Precious Things

Answer: Brown and shaped like little crosses

In a legend, a stranger told the fairies the story of Christ and how frightened and jealous men captured him and nailed his hands and feet to a cross, leaving him to perish. The fairies started crying at such a sad tale and their magical tears fell upon the earth, crystallizing in the shape of small crosses. The stones are actually staurolite (from the Greek Stauros, "cross"), a combination of silica, iron and aluminum. It crystallizes at 60 and 90 degree angles thus resulting in the cross shapes. The crosses were probably formed under great heat and pressure in the creation of the Appalachian Mountains. You can go to the park and try to find some for yourself for free! They are typically shaped like St. Andrews (X) and Roman (+) crosses. They were also part of a yearly Cherokee Spring Equinox ceremony. They have been considered a symbol of good luck and faith by the Cherokee for centuries. (darkgnome101)

From Quiz Follow that Rainbow

Answer: the entire range of colours

It is widely accepted that there are seven colours in the rainbow. However, the rainbow consists of all the colours detectable by the eye. These varying colours of light are refracted by different amounts when passed from one medium into the other.

From Quiz The Art of Snow

Answer: Chris de Burgh

Chris de Burgh was born in Argentina. His father was a diplomat, so Chris spent time in Malta, Nigeria and Zaire, before settling in County Wexford, Ireland. He attended college in Wiltshire, England and Dublin. I'm not sure why he chose to sing about snow in New York.

From Quiz Fire in the Whole

Answer: Fire boat

On September 11, 2009, the fireboat Three Forty Three was launched into service. Christened eight years after the events that happened in NYC, the fireboat's name honoured all those fire fighters who died that day in 2001. The Three Forty Three replaced the fireboat John D. McKean, which had been in service for over 50 years. The fireboat also has a sister ship called Fire Fighter II which serves the FDNY as Marine Company 9; it came into service just over a year later. These fireboats have a top speed of 18 knots when called into action. However, when they get there they can pump an amazing 50,000 gallons of water a minute. This question was created by Phoenix Rising member zonko.

From Quiz Rocks Fall, Nobody Dies

Answer: Rock Around the Clock

Written by James Myers and Max Freedman, 'Rock Around the Clock' was a huge hit for Bill Haley and His Comets in 1954, though they weren't the first group to record the song. It was the intention of the writers that it be first performed by The Comets, but Sonny Dae and His Knights made the first recording a month before Haley and his band were able to. Despite this, the latter's version went down in history as being the most popular version of the song, becoming one of the most recognisable songs of the '50s.

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Last Updated Dec 21 2024 5:54 AM

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