Easy General Knowledge 32 Quiz | Mixed 25 Questions

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Whose catchphrase in the British comedy, 'Dad's Army', was "Is that really wise Sir"?

Answer: Sergeant Wilson

Other members of the cast had well known catchphrases such as Corporal Jones' "Don't panic!", Captain Mainwaring's " Right then. Pay attention, men." and Private Godfrey's "Do you think I might be excused, Sir?" Even ARP warden Hodges continuously dismissed Mainwaring as 'Napoleon'.

2. To write a feature on behalf of a person, who is then acknowledged as the author.

Answer: Ghostwrite

People from all walks of life hire ghostwriters. They may not have the time to research or write a piece themselves or are not competent writers.

3. In which pantomime would you find Abanazer, Wishee Washee and Widow Twanky?

Answer: Aladdin

Abanazer is an evil magician and a door to door salesman who pretends to be Widow Twanky's long lost brother-in-law. Abanazer persuades Aladdin to climb down into a cave to retrieve a worthless old lamp. Widow Twanky is a washerwoman and is Aladdin's and Wishee Washee's mother.

Other cast members include the 'Slave of the Ring' and 'Princess Lotus Blossom' who is the Emperor of China's beautiful daughter.

4. Complete the title of the novel by H.G. Wells: The History of Mr _____ ?

Answer: Polly

H(erbert) G(eorge) Wells tends to be associated with science fiction novels such as 'The Time Machine'(1895), 'The Invisible Man' (1897) and 'The War of the Worlds' (1898). His later novels included 'Kipps'(1905) and 'The History of Mr Polly' (1910) which were comic social novels.

5. Name the bird which finds food by scent, using the nostrils at the tip of their long, down-turned bills?

Answer: Kiwi

Kiwis feed at night in the forests of New Zealand searching for worms and insects and are the only birds to have their nostrils in this position.

6. Name the secret chamber in certain houses in England which were built for Roman Catholic clergymen when they were condemned in the 16th and 17th centuries?

Answer: Priest's hole

A priest's hole was built when it was high treason for a Catholic priest to be in England. The Gunpowder Plot of November 1605 was a failed Roman Catholic conspiracy to blow up James I of England and his parliament. The leader of the plot was Robert Catesby, and its chief perpetrator was Guy Fawkes.

7. In the movie, 'The Third Man', Orson Welles plays charming racketeer Harry _______ ?

Answer: Lime

After the end of the Second World War, Holly Martins, played by Joseph Cotten, arrives in Vienna. He is a writer of western stories and has been promised work by his friend Harry Lime, played by Orson Welles. Martins is told that Harry Lime is dead and was involved in racketeering, illegal enterprises for profit.

8. Where is Mann's Chinese Theatre located?

Answer: Los Angeles

This is located at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles and still operates as a cinema. It was created in 1927 by Sid Grauman and is well known for its celebrity footprints and handprints at its fabulous forecourt. In January 1950, actor John Wayne placed his hand prints in wet cement at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, now called Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

9. What is the name of a portable cradle for a baby, often made of straw or wicker?

Answer: Moses basket

In the book of Exodus in the Bible, Moses was left in a cradle of bulrushes.

10. After Brazil, what is the next largest South American country in area?

Answer: Argentina

Argentina is the second largest country in South America and the eighth largest in the world. The list of the largest countries in the world are: (1) Russia, (2) Canada, (3) China, (4) USA, (5) Brazil (6) Australia, (7) India, (8) Argentina, (9) Kazakhstan.

11. Which type of animal has 21 species including the 'six-banded', 'giant', 'hairy' and the 'pink fairy' variety in their group?

Answer: Armadillo

The 'pink fairy' is the smallest species of armadillo. Their numbers are rapidly declining due to their habitat being destroyed and the fact they are a tasty meal for domestic dogs that live near the warm sandy plains of Argentina.

12. Which is the largest island in Europe?

Answer: Great Britain

Great Britain is the name for the island of Britain, comprising England, Scotland and Wales. The top eight largest islands in the world are: (1) Greenland, (2) New Guinea, (3) Borneo, (4) Madagascar (5) Baffin Island, (6) Sumatra, (7) Great Britain, (8) Honshu (Japan).
New Guinea, Borneo, Sumatra and Honshu are in Asia. Baffin island is part of Canada and Madagascar is off the coast of east Africa hence making Great Britain the largest island in Europe.

13. Which book features the City of Destruction and the Celestial City?

Answer: Pilgrim's Progress

John Bunyan's epic religious tale was probably written during his imprisonment for his nonconformist religious activities. He was both a preacher and an author and set himself up as a puritan preacher in 1655.

14. Which of the following island(s) is (are) closest to Easter Island?

Answer: Pitcairn Island

Easter Island is a volcanic island in the southeast Pacific Ocean and is located west of mainland South America.
St Helena is a rocky island in the south Atlantic off the coast of west Africa. The Galapagos Islands are on the equator and located west of mainland South America. Tahiti is an island in the south Pacific Ocean as is the volcanic Pitcairn island which is closer to Easter Island.

15. In which sport could you 'catch a crab'?

Answer: Rowing

To 'catch a crab' is a rowing term where you make a stroke in which the oar either misses the water or digs too deeply, causing the rower to fall backwards.

16. The Bahamas are located southeast off the state of Florida and consist of approximately how many islands?

Answer: 700

The largest island is Andros and Nassau is the capital of the Bahamas.

17. Name the finch-like bird found exclusively on the Hawaiian Islands?

Answer: iiwi

It is often known as the Hawaiian honey-creeper and is named after the squeaky sound of its call. Its plumage is scarlet and black and it uses its long down-curved bill to feed on nectar and insects.

18. Word play: Find the European capital city in the word 'Czechoslovakia'?

Answer: Oslo

czech(OSLO)vakia. Oslo being the capital of Norway. As quite correctly pointed out by player 'ripper1' one can have 'Kiev' (capital of the Ukraine)

19. In a can of beer, a small capsule (widget) is filled with which gas?

Answer: Nitrogen

A widget is a plastic, nitrogen filled sphere with a tiny hole in it which is added to the can before the can is sealed. When the can is opened the compressed gas inside the sphere quickly forces the beer out. This causes carbon dioxide dissolved in the beer to form tiny bubbles which forms a head on the beer. What a refreshing idea.

20. In snooker, who made the first televised maximum 147 break?

Answer: Steve Davis

This was achieved on 11th January 1982 in the Lada Classic tournament. Cliff Thorburn was the first to make 147 in the World Championships in 1983.

21. Which of the following animals could be accused of 'spy hopping'?

Answer: Dolphin

'Spy hopping' is a behavior in which a whale or dolphin raises its head and sometimes its upper body, straight out of the water in order to look around.

22. Spanish explorer Juan de Bermudez discovered which of the following islands?

Answer: Bermuda

He discovered Bermuda in the early 1500's. Bermuda has only a land area of 21 square miles. Its other name, the Somers Isles, commemorates Bermuda's British founder father, Admiral Sir George Somers, who colonized Bermuda for Britain when the island was not populated at all. He brought the first settlers in 1609 and died in Bermuda in 1610.

23. Who once said that cricket is basically baseball on valium?

Answer: Robin Williams

BBC radio cricket commentator, Brian Johnson, was notorious for many of his funny one-liners. (1) The bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey. (2) Welcome to Worcester where you've just missed seeing Barry Richards hitting one of Basil D'Oliveira's balls clean out of the ground.

24. Pictures of seemingly random dots that when viewed in the correct way produce an image of three dimensional objects are called SIRDS (single image random dot stereograms), Magic Eye Posters or _________ ?

Answer: Hollusions

This world-wide stereogram craze of the 1990's appeared in many newspapers. A 'Magic Eye' poster is one that if you look at the random image long enough you may see a three dimensional image within the two dimensional picture. The procedure was to hold the printed 'Magic Eye' image right up to your nose and stare through it as if looking into the distance.

The image will be blurry but try not to blink as you move the picture slowly away from your face. Hollusions can alternatively be spelt 'holusions'.

25. Name the only species of penguin that can be found on the coasts off South Africa?

Answer: Jackass

All of the above are species of penguins. Macaroni penguins have orange, yellow and black crests that join on the top of the head. Their principal diet is almost entirely krill with portions of squid (no macaroni). The chinstrap penguin are the most numerous penguins in the world despite the fact few people have heard of them. Hope you enjoyed the challenge.

Source: Author Inquizition

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor thejazzkickazz before going online.
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Easy General Knowledge 32 Trivia Quiz

Another 25 questions to make you feel brainy, clever, smart and quick-witted. These increase in difficulty. Have fun and good luck.

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