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Brother Can You Spare A Dime Trivia Quiz

Fill in the blanks in this quiz about the lyrics to "Brother Can You Spare A Dime." The lyrics are in order as they appear in the song (excluding repetitions). Also, please note the comments about the song and its genesis.

A matching quiz by lowtechmaster. Estimated time: 3 mins.

Author
lowtechmaster

Time
3 mins

Type
Match Quiz

Quiz #
380,998

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Very Easy

Avg Score
10 / 10

Plays
619

Last 3 plays: Guest 136 (10/10), bocrow000 (10/10), dslovin (10/10).

(a) Drag-and-drop from the right to the left, or (b) click on a right side answer box and then on a left side box to move it.

Questions		Choices
1. "Once I built a _____, made it run"		Rivet
2. "Once I built a _____ to the sun"		Al
3. "Brick and _____ and lime"		Khaki
4. "Once I built a _____, now it's done"		Dime
5. "Once in _____ suits/Gee we looked swell"		Drum
6. "Half a million boots went slogging through _____"		Hell
7. "I was the kid with the _____"		Tower
8. "Say don't you remember, they called me _____"		Railroad
9. "Say don't you remember, I'm your _____"		Tower
10. "Buddy can you spare a _____"		Pal

Select each answer

1. "Once I built a _____, made it run"

2. "Once I built a _____ to the sun"

3. "Brick and _____ and lime"

4. "Once I built a _____, now it's done"

5. "Once in _____ suits/Gee we looked swell"

6. "Half a million boots went slogging through _____"

7. "I was the kid with the _____"

8. "Say don't you remember, they called me _____"

9. "Say don't you remember, I'm your _____"

10. "Buddy can you spare a _____"

Most Recent Scores

Dec 07 2024 : Guest 136: 10/10
Nov 27 2024 : bocrow000: 10/10
Nov 26 2024 : dslovin: 10/10
Nov 26 2024 : Guest 164: 10/10
Nov 26 2024 : Guest 131: 10/10
Nov 26 2024 : Guest 172: 10/10
Nov 25 2024 : Guest 174: 10/10
Nov 22 2024 : Guest 73: 10/10
Nov 22 2024 : polly656: 10/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. "Once I built a _____, made it run"

Answer: Railroad

"Brother Can You Spare A Dime" was written by Yip Harburg and Jay Gorney. It concerns the problems of World War I veterans during the Great Depression. This section is concerned with the growth of railroads in the late 19th and early 20th century, and those who helped create them, folks who ended up fighting in World War I.

2. "Once I built a _____ to the sun"

Answer: Tower

The song appeared in the 1932 musical "Americana." It alludes to the early 20th century development of cities and those who helped create the tall buildings, more individuals who ended up in World War I.

3. "Brick and _____ and lime"

Answer: Rivet

This refers to the materials used by workers to create the buildings that made up the cities in the early 20th century. In 1932 the song was recorded by Bing Crosby, Rudy Vallee, and Al Jolson.

4. "Once I built a _____, now it's done"

Answer: Tower

The song deals with a World War I veteran, caught in the Great Depression. He enumerates the major contributions of his generation to the development of America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

5. "Once in _____ suits/Gee we looked swell"

Answer: Khaki

The song details many of the great accomplishments of the generation who were part of the American Expeditionary Force that went to Europe under the command of General John "Black Jack" Pershing, and underlines the "pride" those soldiers felt.

6. "Half a million boots went slogging through _____"

Answer: Hell

These words express the painful suffering of the American troops in Europe, a real contrast to how "swell" they looked in their new uniforms. The Great Depression began on October 28, 1929 when the stock market collapsed. [It would hang on until World War II.]

7. "I was the kid with the _____"

Answer: Drum

This is another comment on the contributions made by those who served in World War I. By 1932, when the song was written, unemployment in the US had risen to between 12 and 15 million workers, or 25-30 percent of the work force.

8. "Say don't you remember, they called me _____"

Answer: Al

"Al" is the generic World War I veteran out of work in the Great Depression. The song also reflects the "Bonus March" of 1932 when 43,000 persons (mostly World War I vets and their families) gathered in Washington D.C. to demand that the government redeem for cash their service certificates (a bonus to be paid them in 1945).

9. "Say don't you remember, I'm your _____"

Answer: Pal

These words reflect the way World war I veterans felt forgotten and ignored by the nation they served. On July 28, 1932, President Herbert Hoover had the US army clear the campsite of the Bonus Army. General Douglas MacArthur directed the infantry and cavalry (plus six tanks) that drove the protestors (men, women, and children) out and that destroyed the shelters and belongings.

10. "Buddy can you spare a _____"

Answer: Dime

A dime was welcome amount in 1932. More recently, the song was recorded by The Youngbloods in 1967, Spanky And our Gang in 1967, and Tom Jones in 1970.

Source: Author lowtechmaster

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