You Won't Believe Your Ears Trivia Quiz

Answer: Earmuffs

Surely the most comical pieces of apparel ever, but they keep your ears warm in winter, so don't get smart about it! (And don't joke about it in the town of Farmington, Maine.)

We owe the invention of ear muffs to one Chester Greenwood. In 1873, young Chester (he was aged 15) complained that his ears were cold while he was ice skating. He persuaded his grandmother to sew tufts of fur between loops of wire. He patented the idea in 1877 and earmuffs were manufactured in Farmington for many years.

On the first Saturday of December each year, the people of Farmington celebrate "Chester Greenwood Day". This includes a parade in Chester's honour. All taking part must wear earmuffs (naturally).

Answer: Earl Grey

Earl Grey tea is said to be named after Charles Grey, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1830 to 1834.

Answer: Earthling

"Third rock from the sun" is one way of describing Earth as being the third closest planet to our sun - after Mercury and Venus.

Meanwhile, "3rd Rock from the Sun" was an American TV comedy (1996-2001) that envisaged a group of aliens being sent to Earth to report on life here. John Lithgow, Jane Curtin and Kristen Johnston led the cast.

Answer: Earthquake

About 3,000 people died and over 80% of the city was destroyed when the 7.8 magnitude 'quake struck San Francisco on April 18, 1906.

As of September 2017, (the time of writing of this quiz) it was America's deadliest earthquake ever.

Answer: Earmarked

It can also mean setting aside money for a specific purpose, or a period of time for a useful task.

Animals such as sheep or cattle that are required by law to have individual identification often have tags in their ears and can be said to be earmarked.

Answer: Early Bird

"The early bird catches the worm" as a popular saying goes. It was first recorded as "The early bird catcheth the worm" in 'A collection of English proverbs' [SIC] in 1670.

As to what it is based on, perhaps it is because worms are more active when the ground is moist - such as early in the morning when there is still dew around. Birds, of course, will have worked this out.

In a more generalised sense "early bird" can refer to someone who is active early in the morning, or simply someone who gets in first on a project, or even a holiday. You can book a holiday, or even a flight, for an "early bird" discount.

In researching this question I was tickled by an idiom that I had not heard before: "The early bird catches the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese." (There's bound to be a quiz in there somewhere.)

Answer: Earls Court

Earl's Court is a station on the London Underground serving the District and Piccadilly lines. The name is sometimes spelt without the apostrophe. (Sacrilege!, I hear the pedants cry.)

Answer: Earthwards

For the crew of Apollo 13 in April 1970, the journey took them around the moon - 248,655 miles (400,171 km) from earth - and back again. The farthest humankind had been from earth at the time this question was written.

Answer: Earwitness

One of the most famous court cases involving earwitness testimony was the trial of Bruno Hauptmann, who was convicted of kidnapping and murdering the infant son of aviator Charles Lindbergh in 1935.

Lindbergh testified that Hauptmann's voice matched that of the man he had heard saying "Hey, doctor, over here, over here" when the ransom was paid in 1932.

Answer: Earache

When it is a medical condition, earache can cause either a sharp or a burning pain. It can also be one of several symptoms of another illness.

Many herbal remedies are available to treat isolated pain or discomfort.

If you do have pains or aches, please remember the old medical adage: "never put anything smaller than your elbow into your ear."

In its metaphorical sense, "earache" is slang for incessant chatter, moaning or nagging.