Miscellaneous Madness II Trivia Quiz

Answer: The king was displeased with the administrator.

It was exorbitantly expensive to keep a white elephant because they needed special food. Besides that, it was never cheap to feed an elephant whether he was gray or white. The administrator could never refuse a gift from the king, so the elephant could easily lead to financial downfall for the owner.

This is one of the origins of the expression "white elephant" Ever been to a White Elephant Sale? Now you know what it meant!

Answer: M&Ms

M&Ms have an interesting history. Most of us know that the rock band, "Van Halen" would not allow brown M&M's in their dressing rooms. Many Americans are still afraid of the red ones because of the long-ago scare of Red No. 2 dye. President Reagan no doubt carried Jelly Beans on his Air Force One.

Answer: All are correct

A cat may purr when giving birth, when it is sick, in an attempt to quiet down an aggressor, when it is injured and even when it is dying. It is thought that when a cat purrs, calming endorphins are released which would explain the purring during fear and pain. A kitten will purr to tell its mother that it is OK. It can even do this without stopping its nursing.

Answer: A hobo is a professional tramp

A hobo is not a bum. Following the Civil War, soldiers sometimes did not have a home to return to, so they roamed the countryside looking for work. Frequently, they carried their own tools and so were called, "Hoe Boys" which was shortened to hobos over the years.

As the country moved westward, the hobos went along and became a significant part of the workforces building the railroads and giant dams. The Great Depression in the 1930's caused men to take to the open road to find work. Yes, we still have them. You can find hobos working in lumber camps, building bridges and roads or laying pipe---anywhere they can feel free. We have even had a Supreme Court Justice and a Pulitzer Prize winning author who were hobos.

It is estimated that 1.5 million hobos "rode the rails" on freight trains across the country during the 1930s.

Answer: The ships of Christopher Columbus

The chickens were much more valuable for their eggs than their meat, as they laid eggs year round. It is hard to believe that, in the year 2002, approximately 240 million laying hens made the United States a producer of at least 66 billion eggs a year. Just in case you wondered, the color of the egg yolk depends on what the hen has been eating.

Some chicken growers add marigold petals to the feed to get a more orange yolk.

Answer: 90 percent

Icebergs have always been dangerous to ships, because most of the ice is hidden below the water and remains unseen. These days, radar and satellites cut the danger significantly. Most icebergs come from glaciers on the western side of Greenland. Between 10,000 and 15,000 icebergs shear off from these glaciers every year.

Answer: Count the rings of his bones. He grows a new ring every year.

Scientists can determine the frog's age by counting the rings on his bones the same way we can determine a tree's age - by counting the rings in the wood. If you see a Goliath frog from West Africa, start going the other way as he can be up to a foot long. The world's smallest frogs are less than a half inch long when they are grown.

Answer: All answers are correct

If we are not getting rid of the carbon dioxide in our bodies fast enough, it builds up and sends a signal for the lungs to take a big, deep breath - a yawn. Some people even yawn when they are excited because of the need for extra oxygen in their bodies to remain attentive. Of course, being tired or being bored to death can also bring on a huge yawn.

While modern day science knows all about yawns, nobody has yet to determine why yawns are so contagious!

Answer: turnip

The turnip was a very special favorite vegetable of the Europeans. Because it was so well known, it rated the honor of being the jack-o-lantern long, long ago. In the 8th century, there were so many saints that there were not enough days in the year to give each saint a day. Pope Gregory III dedicated a chapel to honor all the saints and their day would be called All Saints' Day. All Hallows Eve was the evening before. Through the years, the name changed until we got our familiar "Halloween".

Answer: Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was awarded a patent for inventing a device that lifted boats over shoals.

Did you know that Lincoln's son, Robert, was present at both his father's assassination as well as at the scene of Garfield's?