Totally Random Trivia - 2025

Questions for
Monday, March 17, 2025

Five questions to wake up your noodle. Answers in tomorrow’s email.

1. Canada’s oldest national park has a name that sounds like the noise Nightcrawler makes when he teleports. Name that park!

2. Shirley Jackson’s most famous short story was published on June 26, 1948, in the New Yorker. There’s a good chance that you read it in high school. Name that story.

3. What company — which was founded in 1870 as a shipping and coal mining operation, and has since branched out into manufacturing, electronics, banking, heavy machinery, and defense contracting — has a name that can be translated to “three diamonds” in English?

4. There is an actor whose first and last names are both surnames of U.S. presidents. He also played a U.S. president in the fourth-highest grossing movie of 1997. Name that actor.

5. In the 1930s, Boy Scouts began decorating their uniforms with colorful strips of leather tied into decorative knots. In 1935, a New Deal program allocated $3 million to teaching people to make handicrafts, including these leather decorations. Today, their name is used to describe any example of wasteful or useless spending. What were those tiny leather trinkets called?

1.  Banff - Knew it was the oldest, no idea on the nightcrawler part? 

4. Harrison Ford

3. Mitsubishi?

5. Boondoggle 

2) The Lottery.

Answers to Monday, March 17, 2025

1. Canada’s oldest national park has a name that sounds like the noise Nightcrawler makes when he teleports. Name that park!

Banff

2. Shirley Jackson’s most famous short story was published on June 26, 1948, in the New Yorker. There’s a good chance that you read it in high school. Name that story.

“The Lottery”

3. What company — which was founded in 1870 as a shipping and coal mining operation, and has since branched out into manufacturing, electronics, banking, heavy machinery, and defense contracting — has a name that can be translated to “three diamonds” in English?

Mitsubishi

4. There is an actor whose first and last names are both surnames of U.S. presidents. He also played a U.S. president in the fourth-highest grossing movie of 1997. Name that actor.

Harrison Ford
(played the president in “Air Force One”)

5. In the 1930s, Boy Scouts began decorating their uniforms with colorful strips of leather tied into decorative knots. In 1935, a New Deal program allocated $3 million to teaching people to make handicrafts, including these leather decorations. Today, their name is used to describe any example of wasteful or useless spending. What were those tiny leather trinkets called?

Boondoggles

Questions for
Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Five questions to wake up your noodle. Answers in tomorrow’s email. 

1. The Sprouse Brothers portrayed the Martin Brothers on the Disney Channel from 2005 to 2011. The Sprouse Brothers’ names are Dylan and Cole. What were the Martin Brothers’ first names?

2. What are the teeth between your canines and your molars called?

3. The London skyscraper whose official name is “30 St. Mary Axe” is informally known as the BLANK, due to its resemblance to a pickle. Fill in that blank.

4. What kind of coniferous tree is the national symbol of Lebanon, and is featured prominently on the country’s flag?

5. The “Peanuts” character Sally Brown was voiced by a young Stacy Ferguson from 1984 to 1986. By what name is Stacy Ferguson better known?

4. Cedar

3.  The Gherkin 

2 Bicuspids 

5. Fergie

Answers to Tuesday, March 18, 2025

1. The Sprouse Brothers portrayed the Martin Brothers on the Disney Channel from 2005 to 2011. The Sprouse Brothers’ names are Dylan and Cole. What were the Martin Brothers’ first names?

Zack and Cody
(“The Suite Life of Zack & Cody”)

2. What are the teeth between your canines and your molars called?

Bicuspids (or premolars)

3. The London skyscraper whose official name is “30 St. Mary Axe” is informally known as the BLANK, due to its resemblance to a pickle. Fill in that blank.

Gherkin

4. What kind of coniferous tree is the national symbol of Lebanon, and is featured prominently on the country’s flag?

Cedar

5. The “Peanuts” character Sally Brown was voiced by a young Stacy Ferguson from 1984 to 1986. By what name is Stacy Ferguson better known?

Fergie

Questions for
Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Five questions to wake up your noodle. Answers in tomorrow’s email. 

1. Harvard, Princeton, and Yale are among the 13 colleges and universities that granted honorary degrees to what late vocalist, whose many hits include “Think,” “Rock Steady,” and “Who's Zoomin' Who”?

2. Susan Eloise Hinton is the author of five young adult novels, all of which are set in Oklahoma. What is the title of the first one, which she began writing in 1964 at age 15?

3. Every November, Smith College serves its students coq au vin, crepes, and French onion soup in honor of which of that school’s alumni, class of 1934?

4. "Cut Piece," "Wish Tree," and "Earth Peace" are all notable works by what Japanese American conceptual artist, musician, and activist?

5. According to the official hymn of the United States Marine Corps, they will fight our country’s battles “from the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of” what Libyan city?

5. Tripoli

1: Aretha Franklin

3: Guessing Julia Child?

2. The Outsiders?

Posted by: @norm

↑

2. The Outsiders?

Correct

4) Yoko Ono

Answers to Wednesday, March 19, 2025

1. Harvard, Princeton, and Yale are among the 13 colleges and universities that granted honorary degrees to what late vocalist, whose many hits include “Think,” “Rock Steady,” and “Who's Zoomin' Who”?

Aretha Franklin

2. Susan Eloise Hinton is the author of five young adult novels, all of which are set in Oklahoma. What is the title of the first one, which she began writing in 1964 at age 15?

“The Outsiders”

3. Every November, Smith College serves its students coq au vin, crepes, and French onion soup in honor of which of that school’s alumni, class of 1934?

Julia Child

4. "Cut Piece," "Wish Tree," and "Earth Peace" are all notable works by what Japanese American conceptual artist, musician, and activist?

Yoko Ono

5. According to the official hymn of the United States Marine Corps, they will fight our country’s battles “from the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of” what Libyan city?

Tripoli

Questions for
Theme Thursday, March 20, 2025

Movie Merchandising: Five questions about famous — and infamous — movie merch!

Answers in tomorrow’s email. 

1. Hi-C rebranded a longstanding citrus flavor in 1989, in partnership with one of that year’s biggest movies. It re-released this product in 2016, and again in 2021. What was it called?

2. Hasbro faced a social media backlash in 2015 for its failure to include which “Star Wars” character in its “Force Awakens” merchandise?

3. As of 2005, Hot Topic announced that their highest-selling shirt of all time was a white shirt with red lettering from the movie “Napoleon Dynamite.” What three words appeared on that shirt?

4. The Vermont Teddy Bear Company’s best-selling Valentine’s Bear of 2015 came with a masquerade mask and a tiny pair of handcuffs. It was created in honor of what movie?

5. What 2009 movie was promoted with a line of neon blue condoms, whose packaging read, “We’re society’s only protection”?

3. Vote for Pedro

3 Vote for Pedro

2.  Rey  ??

4. Must be 50 shades of gray

5. Watchmen

1. Ecto Cooler

Posted by: @karlsson

↑

5. Watchmen

Answers to Thursday, March 20, 2025

Movie Merchandising: Five questions about famous — and infamous — movie merch!

1. Hi-C rebranded a longstanding citrus flavor in 1989, in partnership with one of that year’s biggest movies. It re-released this product in 2016, and again in 2021. What was it called?

Ecto-Cooler

2. Hasbro faced a social media backlash in 2015 for its failure to include which “Star Wars” character in its “Force Awakens” merchandise?

Rey

3. As of 2005, Hot Topic announced that their highest-selling shirt of all time was a white shirt with red lettering from the movie “Napoleon Dynamite.” What three words appeared on that shirt?

“Vote for Pedro”

4. The Vermont Teddy Bear Company’s best-selling Valentine’s Bear of 2015 came with a masquerade mask and a tiny pair of handcuffs. It was created in honor of what movie?

“50 Shades of Gray''

5. What 2009 movie was promoted with a line of neon blue condoms, whose packaging read, “We’re society’s only protection”?

“Watchmen”

Questions for
Friday, March 21, 2025

Five questions to wake up your noodle. Answers in Monday’s email. 

1. Quit While You’re Ahead: There were five Marx Brothers. Their given names were Leonard, Arthur, Julius, Milton, and Herbert. Identify as many of their stage names as you can for one point each. Zero points total if you get any wrong.

2. According to the website Operabase.com, the most produced opera in the world is “La Traviata.” Who composed that opera?

3. Following his retirement as an astronaut, John Glenn served as a U.S. senator from 1974 to 1999 for which state, whose capital city's airport now bears his name?

4. Lucy Dacus recently confirmed a long-rumored relationship with fellow indie musician Julien Baker. Both Dacus and Baker are in what Grammy-winning supergroup along with Phoebe Bridgers?

5. Yesterday was March 20. Happy birthday to director Spike Lee! He won his sole competitive Academy Award in 2019 for what film?

3. Ohio

1. Groucho, Harpo, Chico, Zeppo, Gummo

2.  Verdi

4. Boygenius

5. BlacKkKlansman

Answers to Friday, March 21, 2025

1. Quit While You’re Ahead: There were five Marx Brothers. Their given names were Leonard, Arthur, Julius, Milton, and Herbert. Identify as many of their stage names as you can for one point each. Zero points total if you get any wrong.

Chico, Harpo, Groucho, Gummo, Zeppo

2. According to the website Operabase.com, the most produced opera in the world is “La Traviata.” Who composed that opera?

(Giuseppe) Verdi

3. Following his retirement as an astronaut, John Glenn served as a U.S. senator from 1974 to 1999 for which state, whose capital city's airport now bears his name?

Ohio

4. Lucy Dacus recently confirmed a long-rumored relationship with fellow indie musician Julien Baker. Both Dacus and Baker are in what Grammy-winning supergroup along with Phoebe Bridgers?

Boygenius

5. Yesterday was March 20. Happy birthday to director Spike Lee! He won his sole competitive Academy Award in 2019 for what film?

“BlacKkKlansman”
(for Best Adapted Screenplay; he also has a Student Academy Award and a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award)

Questions for
Monday, March 24, 2025

Five questions to wake up your noodle. Answers in tomorrow’s email. 

1. According to BBC News, “some of the best-known and best-loved stars to come out of the U.K.” are what claymation duo, beginning with their 1989 short film “A Grand Day Out”?

2. What 2D shape’s area is calculated by multiplying its base by its height, and then dividing by two?

3. A 1993 college radio hit by The Breeders; jazz saxophonist Julian Adderley; and a type of large-caliber, round-shot ammunition all share what name?

4. Mayor Fox, Wolfgang Wolf, and Postman Pig are all characters in Busytown, a fictional city invented by what author?

5. A 2014 commercial for Lipton was later turned into a meme known, erroneously, as “Tea Lizard.” What character starred in that advertisement?

2. Triangle

1.  Wallace & Gromit

3.  Cannonball (love Adderley)

4. Richard Scarry

Have a lot of that stuff lying around the house. 

Answers to Monday, March 24, 2025

1. According to BBC News, “some of the best-known and best-loved stars to come out of the U.K.” are what claymation duo, beginning with their 1989 short film “A Grand Day Out”?

Wallace and Gromit

2. What 2D shape’s area is calculated by multiplying its base by its height, and then dividing by two?

Triangle

3. A 1993 college radio hit by The Breeders; jazz saxophonist Julian Adderley; and a type of large-caliber, round-shot ammunition all share what name?

“Cannonball”

4. Mayor Fox, Wolfgang Wolf, and Postman Pig are all characters in Busytown, a fictional city invented by what author?

Richard Scarry

5. A 2014 commercial for Lipton was later turned into a meme known, erroneously, as “Tea Lizard.” What character starred in that advertisement?

Kermit the Frog

Questions for
Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Five questions to wake up your noodle. Answers in tomorrow’s email. 

1. A New York nightclub named after a Brazilian neighborhood is, according to a 1978 Barry Manilow song, the hottest spot north of Havana. What is it?

2. In mathematics, the square root of −1 is represented by the lowercase letter "i." What does that "i" stand for?

3. Thanks to their 2017 hit singles “DNA” and “Mic Drop,” the K-pop group BTS became the second-ever Korean artist to score a gold record in the U.S. Who was the first?

4. Which U.S. state is home to more lighthouses than any other state in the country?

5. What brand, introduced by General Mills in 1971, uses a mascot named “Lefty”?

1. The Copacabana

2. Irrational number

2 imaginary

4 Michigan

5. Hamburger Helper

3. Psy?

Answers to Tuesday, March 25, 2025

1. A New York nightclub named after a Brazilian neighborhood is, according to a 1978 Barry Manilow song, the hottest spot north of Havana. What is it?

Copacabana

2. In mathematics, the square root of −1 is represented by the lowercase letter "i." What does that "i" stand for?

Imaginary

3. Thanks to their 2017 hit singles “DNA” and “Mic Drop,” the K-pop group BTS became the second-ever Korean artist to score a gold record in the U.S. Who was the first?

Psy
(for “Gangnam Style”)

4. Which U.S. state is home to more lighthouses than any other state in the country?

Michigan

5. What brand, introduced by General Mills in 1971, uses a mascot named “Lefty”?

Hamburger Helper
(he’s a glove)

Questions for
Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Five questions to wake up your noodle. Answers in tomorrow’s email. 

1. Lake Havasu, Lake Mead, and Lake Powell are all reservoirs located along what river?

2. Foods such as baklava and spanakopita are prepared using what thin, layered pastry, whose name comes from the Greek for “leaf”?

3. What 1943 novella takes place partially on an asteroid called “B-612”?

4. Micky Dolenz is the last surviving member of what '60s band, which featured his vocals on hits like “Pleasant Valley Sunday” and “I'm a Believer”?

5. The latest TikTok fad are plushies, or “Amusables,” like Clyde Capybara, Bashful Bunny, and Mia Macaron made by what London-based company with an endearingly cute name?

1. Colorado River

4. The Monkees

2. Phyllo dough