Obscure Matter Dripping From My Brain Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In 1968, Wendy (Walter) Carlos released a classical music album that spent more than a year on Billboard's Top 200. What was the name of the album?

Answer: Switched-On Bach

Bach classics were performed on a Moog Synthesizer. "Switched-On Bach" won three Grammy Awards: Best Classical Album, Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist, and Best Engineered Classical Recording.

2. In 1783, the Montgolfier brothers (Joseph-Michel & Jacques-Etienne) demonstrated their invention before King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette using a sheep, a duck, and a rooster. Later that same year they made the first manned what?

Answer: hot air balloon flight

Initially it was felt that a man would not be able to survive the altitudes that a hot air balloon would reach. The Montgolfier brothers tested this theory using a sheep, a duck, and a rooster. The sheep was used to prove that a man could survive the altitude.

The duck was used as a control since it was used to altitudes. The rooster was used as a control as well even though it doesn't fly high, apparently no other high flyers were available. Or, the chick and the duck were friends, and the duck didn't want to fly alone! (Sorry "Friends" fans, I couldn't resist!)

3. When I was young I went to church with my Grandma, and we sang a song about "Bringing in the Cheese." Apparently my young brain didn't have a concept of the word sheaves, and substituted cheese as something I would be rejoicing to bring in. By the way, what were the "sheaves" we were supposed to bring in?

Answer: a bundle of cut stalks of grain or similar plants bound with straw or twine

"Bringing in the Sheaves" was written by Knowles Shaw. His inspiration was Psalm 126:6 (KJV), "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."

4. For Christmas in 1963, I asked for a Barbie doll. Santa brought me Midge, Barbie's first female friend. In 1965 I asked for Barbie's sister, Skipper. Santa brought me Skipper's first female friend. What was her name?

Answer: Scooter

Born in 1959, Barbie was an immediate hit, and Mattel started to introduce Barbie's family and friends in 1960. Not counting the Real World Celebrity friends, Barbie's friends and family include well over 100 dolls. Tiff (1972), Ginger (1975), and Courtney (1989) were all friends of Skipper, but Scooter was the first. I think Santa was trying to tell me that everybody needs friends.

5. When it was raining and the sun was shining, my grandmother used to say "The devil is beating __________." Who was the devil beating?

Answer: his wife

Sunshowers are known by a variety of sayings worldwide, in Hawaii they are known as "pineapple juice." The origins of this particular saying about the devil are obscure, some claim roots in English, Dutch, and Hungarian, as well as the American South.

Some say the devil is angry that God created such a beautiful day. Others say that God is crying and it is a sign that something bad is about to happen. My question was always, who the heck married the devil? For interesting reading on this question, try the Wikipedia entry on sunshowers. http://www.metafilter.com/comments.mefi/9621 or http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-mon2.htm are also helpful.

6. What word connects a soft drink, a freeway interchange in the City of Orange, and a surfing sea turtle in "Finding Nemo?"

Answer: Crush

Crush soft drinks come in several flavors, such as grape, apple, orange and pineapple. In 2002, the Orange Crush Interchange held the record for being the most complex interchange in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records. Crush, the father of Squirt, is a 150 year old sea turtle in "Finding Nemo."

7. I am searching this brain dripping for the name of an actor. He played Grandpa Amos McCoy on "The Real McCoys." He played Nash Crawford in "The Over-the-Hill Gang." He played a 943 year old gnome named Knobby in "The Gnome-Mobile." What is the name of this actor that will not trip off tip of my tongue?

Answer: Walter Brennan

Walter Brennan, who died in 1974 at the age of 80, won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor three times in his long career. He also put out 2 albums, "Dutchman's Gold" & "Old Rivers." While mostly remembered as a character actor in westerns, in "The Gnome-Mobile" Walter plays the dual roles of DJ the lumber tycoon, and Knobby the 943 year old gnome who is fading due to DJ's actions. "The Gnome Mobile" was Ed Wynn's last movie, and one of the last films personally produced by Walt Disney.

8. In the Super Bowl XLVII (2012 season), between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers, who was named MVP?

Answer: Joe Flacco

The Baltimore Ravens won Superbowl XLVII, and the only Baltimore player on the list is Joe Flacco, who was named the MVP. The Ravens posted a 34-31 win to take the Lombardi Trophy.

9. Take the Roman goddess of dawn, add the Greek name for the north wind, and you get the name of the phenomenon that the Cree people call the "Dance of the Spirits." What is this effect more commonly known as?

Answer: Aurora Borealis

The Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights are most often seen as fluorescent green curtain-like structures caused by charged particles from the solar winds. Our Aussie friends have the same effect in the south called the Aurora Australis or Southern Lights.

10. A pie vent or pie funnel is used to let steam out of pies. They are sometimes called crustholders because they prevent the center of the crust from sagging. What is it more commonly known as?

Answer: pie bird

Originally a ceramic funnel in the shape of a bird with outstretched beak, pie birds create the round hole found in the centre of the crust of many pies. Pie birds prevent the filling from boiling up and leaking through the crust.

Source: Author RufusDufus

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Exit10 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Obscure Matter Dripping From My Brain Quiz

What do you do with brain drippings? I pick them up and play with them, but the pile keeps growing, so I squished some into a box and sent them to you. Good luck!

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>