Hot Off the Press! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Metal

Printers injected molten metal alloy made of lead, tin and antimony into molds, called hot metal typesetting, hot lead, or hot type. The hot metal caused the ink to print warm, so recently printed news was hot. In the 21st century current news was called "breaking" news, perhaps because some stations "break" or interrupt regular programs to provide special or urgent bulletins: "This breaking news just in..."

Answer: Penny

The Pressed or Elongated Penny is also called squished, copper or souvenir cent. The first were created in Chicago in 1893, for an Exposition, and many fairs, zoos, and amusement parks came to feature a penny pressing machine. Squashing a penny under the wheels of a train was also popular. So long as one avoids fraud, creating or collecting these coins is legal in many countries.

But to press the point, in some countries elongating coins, or having them in your possession, could land you in jail.

Answer: France

France serves the delicacy pressed duck at a luxury price. The duck carcass is squeezed flat by a Duck Press, and other elaborate measures taken. The main idea is the duck should be stewed in its blood (canard au sang), mixed with seasonings and wine. Apparently it is delicious, though not for the faint of heart. China also serves pressed duck, but their dish involves a deep fried flattened duck which was double steamed. If you wonder why a duck must be flattened at all, the process presses out all its juices.

Answer: Bodum

Bodum, Inc., was a kitchen and tableware company founded by Peter Bodum of Denmark, in 1944. Bodum was a leading producer of the Bodum "FrenchPress" coffee maker, famous for its attractive and durable borosilicate glass. The French press is thus often called a bodum, but may be called a press pot, coffee plunger, coffee maker, cafetiere or coffee press.

It was initially produced in France, but patented by an Italian, Attilio Calimani, in 1929. Ceylon is tea, Takeya makes lemonade, while Spode is a type of china.

Answer: Bench

In the bench press a lifter lies on his or her back, lowers a weight to the chest, then presses it back up until the arms are straight. The barbell bench press is a lift used in power lifting, but people bench press in weight training, bodybuilding and fitness training, also.

While a bench press isn't hot, it makes you so, strengthening the chest, shoulders and arms. There are press canners, press releases and press washers, but not in the gym.

Answer: The flesh

To press the flesh is an idiom meaning to go around a crowd shaking hands, particularly at a political event. It's also called glad-handing. Since the word "press" can mean to exert influence or push, perhaps "pressing the flesh" is more than a friendly greeting? There are press boxes, pressed sleeves, and press secretaries, who should not be pressed.

Answer: Microwave

The microwave gently heats delicate flora or food items. You can also press flora using bricks, books, any heavy iron weight, silica gel or your oven. A flower press is more expensive, but they are specially designed to create flat, colorful, dried flowers. Toasters, hair blowers and floor fans would burn or blow the items to pieces.

Answer: Patterned glass

Pressed glass is called patterned. In the 1820s USA artisans were able to make evenly spaced, attractive patterns in their molten glass molds, and thereby mass-produce the same pattern inexpensively for the first time. Humans used natural glass in Stone Age societies, and created their own glass in ancient Egypt, Syria and Mesopotamia. Cut, blown and crystal glass lack the distinctive seams and even patterns found in pressed glass, and have their own characteristics.

Answer: Pressed for time

"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" was hot off the press in 1865, written by Charles Dodgson, under the name of Lewis Carroll. His White Rabbit appears to Alice in the first chapter, wearing a waistcoat, frantic with hurry, perhaps fearful that the Queen of Hearts will off with his head. Alice follows him down the rabbit hole into Wonderland, where her adventure begins.

"Oh, by the way, if you'd really like to know, he went that way".

Answer: Basketball

A strong, conditioned basketball team may set up a press defense, in which they extend defense into the opponent's back-court, deny them passes or otherwise pressure opponent players. Since basketball takes place on a court, person-to-person, and has zones, hopefully you got this one.

In a press defense the whole team will come in hot, off the press, because a press defense is often hard work.