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General Knowledge

198 questions in this category

Q: What is Heisei 29 in Japan?
A: The current year (2017)

Q: Which is the busiest air route in the world by number of flights?
A: Rio de Janeiro - São Paulo with 284 flights daily as of late 2013
With thanks to Nick Dodd for updating the question

Q: SEAT, the car manufacturer, is an acronym of what?
A: Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo

Q: Where does the cloth denim, used in jeans, originally come from?
A: Nîmes in France (Denim=de Nîmes). It was originally called Serge de Nîmes.
With thanks to Godfrey Donaldson of Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, for fine tuning the answer

Q: How many candles does a menorah have in all?
A: Seven, except the Hannukkiyah used during Hanukkah which has nine
With thanks to Esther Ford for correcting the answer to this question

Q: What's the first letter of the Russian alphabet?
A: A

Q: According to Christian, Jewish and Muslim tradition, who is Adam and Eve's third son?
A: Seth

Q: What did my true love give to me on the first day of Christmas?
A: A partridge in a pear tree

Q: What is Sirimavo Bandaranaike's claim to fame?
A: The first woman Prime Minister in the World (Ceylon and then Sri Lanka)
With thanks to Alan for providing a more accurate answer

Q: Europeans are familiar with A-4 size paper. What is the area of A-0 paper?
A: One square metre
With thanks to Jurgen Lobert for correcting this question

Q: Who was the youngest president of the United States?
A: Theodore Roosevelt at 42 - JFK was 43 and Clinton was 46 (However, JFK was the youngest elected president as Theo Roosevelt took office on the assasination of McKinley but wasn't elected until he was 46 years old)
With thanks to Tony Newman for fine tuning the answer to this question

Q: Which well known fashion house made its fame and fortune as an official supplier of uniforms to the SS, SA and Hitler Youth using slave workers?
A: Hugo Boss

Q: In heraldry, what does a bar sinister or bend sinister typically denote?
A: An illegitimate son

Q: Which honour has been awarded once each to Winston Churchill and Neil Armstrong, twice to John Glenn, and nine times to the New York Yankees?
A: A New York ticker-tape parade

Q: In which city was the Titanic built?
A: Belfast

Q: How many leaves does a shamrock have?
A: Three

Q: Which is the largest airline in Ireland?
A: Ryanair

Q: What is the national symbol on the coat of arms of Ireland?
A: The harp

Q: What does kissing the Blarney Stone confer?
A: The gift of gab

Q: What's the name of the feminine spirit usually seen as an omen as she laments a death before it happens?
A: The Banshee

Q: Which reigning monarch of a European country has for the last two centuries been elected at regular intervals (currently every five years)?
A: The President of France as Co-Prince of Andorra

Q: What is the name of the woman who is the unofficial emblem of the French state?
A: Marianne

Q: Which Arabic name translates into English as 'Servant (or slave) of God'?
A: Abdallah

Q: What is the name of paranoid android in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?
A: Marvin

Q: In heraldry, what shape is a lozenge?
A: Diamond shaped

Q: Which were the original pieces in a Monopoly game?
A: Boot, dog, racing car, iron, ship, thimble, top hat and wheel barrow

Q: What total do the two numbers on the opposite side of a dice always add up to?
A: 7

Q: In which city is the headquarters of Greenpeace?
A: Amsterdam

Q: Which is the oldest airline in the world still flying under its original name?
A: KLM (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij) founded on 7 October 1919

Q: In Australia, what is a kylie?
A: A boomerang or hunting stick

Q: Who was on the cover of the first issue of Playboy magazine in 1953?
A: Marilyn Monroe

Minoru Yamasaki designed World Trade Center 1 and 2 (the twin towers) in New York. Which building in Madrid did he design?
A: Torre Picasso

Q: The first non-stop transatlantic flight was between which two countries?
A: Modern-day Canada and Ireland or, more accurately, from the Dominion of Newfoundland to the United Kingdom as they were then. (In June 1919, John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown made the first non-stop Transatlantic flight from St John's, Newfoundland to Clifden, Co. Galway, in a modified Vickers Vimy bomber.)
With thanks to Terry Denham for providing a more accurate answer to this question

Q: According to the proverb, what is the mother of invention?
A: Necessity

Q: According to the proverb, what is the better part of valour?
A: Discretion

Q: Who created the cartoon cat Garfield?
A: Jim Davis

Q: In addition to Ireland, St Patrick is also the patron saint of which other country?
A: Nigeria

Q: Which organisation's insignia bears the inscription Blood & Fire?
A: The Salvation Army

Q: The main news in London on July 7th 2005 was the bombing. What was the main news item the previous day?
A: London winning the Olympic bid

Q: What colour is zero on a roulette wheel?
A: Green

Q: What is a one-word synonym for "intelligent design" ?
A: Creationism

Iberia inaugurated a new route from Madrid on Saturday, December 17th, 2006 to a destination it has never flown to before. Where?
A: Gibraltar

Q: Where is the headquarters of Interpol?
A: Lyons

Q: From which country is Kofi Annan (ex-Secretary General of the UN)?
A: Ghana

Q: How deep in metres is 100 fathoms?
A: 182.88m

Q: On what day does Easter Sunday fall?
A: The first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox

Q: What does UNESCO stand for?
A: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

Q: What is a John Dory?
A: A fish

Q: Which country joined the G7 which then became the G8?
A: Russia

Q: Which ex-resident of 10 Downing Street put his good health in his old age down to gin and cigarettes?
A: Denis Thatcher

Q: What nationality was Winston Churchill's mother?
A: American (USA)

Q: Who was John Kerry's running mate in the 2004 US Presidential election?
A: John Edwards

Q: In which city is the HQ of the International Monetary Fund?
A: Washington DC

Q: Parnassus was the sacred mountain home of the muses and which Greek god?
A: Apollo

Q: What did John Sutter start in 1848?
A: The California Gold Rush

Q: A sesquicentennial celebrates how many years?
A: 150

Q: After how many years marriage do you celebrate your Emerald wedding anniversary?
A: 55

Q: Contrary to popular belief, brides do not walk down the aisle to the altar. What do they walk down?
A: The nave of the church - aisles are along the sides

Q: In Roman numerals, what is the letter M with a bar over it?
A: One million

Q: What are Mizaru, Kikazaru, and Iwazaru?
A: The three wise monkeys: Mizaru (See no evil), Mikazaru (Hear no evil), and Mazaru (Speak no evil)
With thanks to Mike O'Shea for correcting this question

Q: What did Dr John S. Pemberton concoct in a three-legged pot in his backyard in 1886?
A: Coca-Cola

Q: What does a circle with a cross through it mean on a clothing label?
A: Do not dry clean

Q: What does the distress signal SOS stand for?
A: Nothing, it is only an easy combination of morse letters (...---...)

Q: What is a leprechaun's profession?
A: Tailor and Cobbler

Q: What is the collective name for Tinky Winky, Dipsy, La La and Po?
A: Teletubbies

Q: What is the Turkish custom of Falaka?
A: Beating prisoners on the soles of their feet

Q: What was Jaguar Cars called before 1945?
A: SS, unpopular after World War II, originally stood for Swallow Sidecar Company
With thanks to George Pitchley and Colin Hurst for amending this question and clarifying the answer

Q: Where did the first modern traffic lights appear?
A: The first three-light electric traffic lights were installed in Detroit in 1920. Earlier, on 10 December 1868, the first gas traffic lights were installed outside the Houses of Parliament in London. They resembled the railway signals of the time, with semaphore arms and red and green gas lamps for night use. They exploded on 2 January 1869.
With thanks to Jonathan Burt for expanding and clarifying the answer

Q: Which is the largest denomination dollar bill issued?
A: $100, larger denominations were discontinued in 1969

Q: Who is Bibendum better known as?
A: The Michelin Man

Q: Who won the 1936 'Miss Hungary' title but had to give it up because she was under 16?
A: Zsa Zsa Gabor

Q: Who made the first telephone call to the moon?
A: Richard Nixon

Q: Which are the fire signs of the Zodiac?
A: Aries, Leo and Sagittarius

Q: The Valkyries are the nine handmaidens of whom?
A: Odin

Q: What is digamy?
A: A second legal marriage

Q: What is Hobson's Choice?
A: No choice at all

Q: What is known as 'The Greatest Show on Earth'?
A: The Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus

Q: What is the other name for the Union Jack?
A: The Union Flag
With thanks to George Holdstock for correcting this question

Q: Who invented the ball-point pen?
A: Laszlo and Georg Biro

Q: Who was the founder of Lotus Cars Ltd.?
A: Colin Chapman

Q: Where would you find together a verso and a recto?
A: In a book (left and right pages).

Q: What did Pandora release when she opened her box or jar?
A: Pandora released all of man's miseries and evils but closed the lid with hope still inside.
With thanks to Chris Goode and Nic Crequer for amending this question and clarifying the answer

Q: Where is the Encyclopædia Britannica published?
A: Chicago

Q: Donald F. Duncan introduced in 1929 a toy based on a weapon used by 16th-century Filipino hunters. What is it called?
A: Yo-yo

Q: What official title do ambassadors to the UK have?
A: Ambassador to the Court of Saint James'

Q: Which was the first credit card?
A: Diner's Club

Q: What's the connection between Mashed Potato, the Loco-Motion, the Frug, the Monkey, and the Funky Chicken?
A: Popular dances in 1962

Q: In the Netherlands, where does Sinter Klaas (Santa Claus) come from?
A: Madrid

Q: What are the two chambers of the Canadian Parliament called?
A: Senate and House of Commons

Q: Which number in Morse code is represented by five dots?
A: 5

Q: On which day is Thanksgiving celebrated in the United States?
A: The fourth (not last) Thursday in November

Q: In mythology, who killed the 9-headed Hydra?
A: Heracles (or Hercules in Roman mythology)

Q: What is the meaning of the word 'Bible'?
A: The Books (from the Greek 'ta biblia')

Q: Who lives in 11 Downing Street?
A: The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Second Lord of the Treasury)

Q: What is biblioclasm?
A: Destroying books usually ceremonially

Q: The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is a cartel of twelve countries which has its headquarters in which city?
A: Vienna

Q: In mythology, who was the first (and last) person to solve the Riddle of the Sphinx?
A: Oedipus

Q: According to legend, who was the tallest of Robin Hood's men and the only one with him when he died?
A: Little John

Q: The Penny Black was the first modern postage stamp in the world but the Penny Red was the first to have what?
A: Perforations

Q: Tenzin Gyatso was born on the 6th of July 1935 in Qinghai, People's Republic of China. By what title is he better known?
A: The (14th) Dalai Lama

Q: In the United States, who is second in presidential line of succession after the vice president?
A: The Speaker of the House of Representatives

Q: What do Aspirin, Dry Ice, Kerosene and Linoleum have in common?
A: They were all trademarks

Q: The Prince of Orange is the title carried by the heir to which crown?
A: The Netherlands

Q: In which country is the Court of Justice of the European Communities, usually called the European Court of Justice (ECJ)
A: Luxembourg

Q: The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. By what name are they better known?
A: Tony Awards

Q: The European Parliament meets in which two cities?
A: Strasbourg and Brussels

Q: Which is the only Semitic language that is an official language of the European Union? It is the only Semitic language written in the Latin alphabet in its standard form.
A: Maltese

Q: The RMS Titanic had two sister ships. What were their names?
A: Olympic and Britannic

Q: Which toy derives its name from the Danish words for 'play well'?
A: Lego, from 'Leg godt'

Q: The Oslo Accords of 1993 were a step forward in the peace process between which two parties?
A: Israel and Palestine

Q: Which territory became a Special Administrative Region of China in 1999?
A: Macao

Q: Where did the ATF and FBI storm the headquarters of the Branch Davidian sect in April 1993?
A: Near Waco, Texas

Q: Which state led by General Dudayev tried to gain independence but was invaded by Russia troops in 1994?
A: Chechnya

Q: In which country was an American-led military force trying to end famine and civil war in 1992?
A: Somalia

Q: What was the operation to liberate Kuwait in 1991 called?
A: Desert Storm

Q: Which terrorist group was led by Abimael Guzman until he was arrested in 1992?
A: Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path)

Q: What is the psychological condition of displaying loyalty to one's captors, regardless of the danger they have placed you in?
A: Stockholm syndrome

Q: What are the largest and smallest bones in the human body?
A: The femur and the stirrup

Q: Who travels by steamboat in November from Spain to the Netherlands?
A: Sinterklaas (Santa Claus)

Q: What is agliophobia?
A: Fear of pain

Q: Which shipping line owned the SS Titanic?
A: White Star

Q: Which sport did Oscar Wilde describe as 'the unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable'?
A: Fox hunting

Q: Which is the English language newspaper with largest daily circulation?
A: The Times of India (3,146,000 according to the World Association of Newspapers, 2008)

Q: Lafayette Ronald Hubbard founded which cult?
A: The Church of Scientology (usually known as L. Ron Hubbard)

Q: Where was Barack Obama born?
A: Honolulu, Hawaii

Q: What is the female term equivalent to a phallic symbol?
A: A Yonic symbol

Q: Where and in which decade was Greenpeace founded?
A: Vancouver, BC, Canada in the 1970s

Q: Which association was founded by George Williams in London on June 6th 1844?
A: YMCA

Q: Who wrote 'How to Win Friends and Influence People' in 1936?
A: Dale Carnegie

Q: The Queen Mary (and 2), the Titanic, the Queen Elizabeth (and 2) had the letters RMS before their name. What does it mean?
A: Royal Mail Ship (or Steamer or Steamship)

Q: Vaseline is a trademark for what?
A: Petroleum jelly (also called soft paraffin or petrolatum)

Q: What does UHT in milk stand for?
A: Ultra-high temperature processing or ultra-heat treatment

Q: What do the letters BMW stand for?
A: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (Bavarian Motor Works)

Q: Where did Shetland Ponies originate ?
A: The Shetland Isles

Q: Which airport opened the first Duty Free shop in 1950 as it was a refuelling stop for transatlantic flights?
A: Shannon International

Q: What are Jimmys or Manolos?
A: Shoes

Q: What do Prince Felipe de Borbón of Spain, Dr Benjamin Spock and the Emperor Nero have in common?
A: They all competed in the Olympic games. Borbón - sailing in 1992; Spock - rowing (gold medal in Paris 1924) and Nero - chariot racing in 67

Q: Who was both the 1958 Boxing Champion and the Crown Colony Cha Cha Champion of Hong Kong?
A: Bruce Lee

Q: What is Barack Obama's middle name?
A: Hussein

Q: How is an 'unpledged party leader and elected official' ('PLEO') in United States politics better known?
A: Superdelegate

Q: What is 'Opera' associated with in Information Technology?
A: A web browser

Q: What connects the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Algeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Ghana and Queen Maud Land?
A: The Prime (or Greenwich) Meridian

Q: What does 'Fitz' mean at the beginning of a surname?
A: Son of (fils de)

Q: What does the circle in the middle of Celtic cross represent?
A: The sun (St Patrick added the pagan symbol)

Q: What does the '0'' and the 'Mac' at the beginning of Irish surnames mean?
A: Grandson of and son of

Q: In addition to four Nobel prizes in Literature, an Irishman (Walton) has been awarded the Nobel prize in Physics, and five others all won in the same category. What was it?
A: Peace

Q: Who or what is the Taoiseach?
A: The Prime Minister of Ireland

Q: Which Eurovision song contest winner attempted to become President of Ireland in 1997 (came third, ahead of the Labour Party candidate) and is currently an MEP?
A: Dana

Q: Envelope, basket and burner are the three main parts of what?
A: Hot air balloon

Q: The 'X' in Xmas is derived from what?
A: The Greek letter Chi for Christ

Q: The Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square in London is a gift from which country?
A: Norway

Q: According to Northern European tradition, Thor rides across the sky in a wagon pulled by two Yule animals. What kind of animal were they?
A: Yule goats

Q: Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen. When is the Feast of Stephen?
A: December 26th

Q: The three wise men supposedly brought gold, frankincense and myrrh. What are frankincense and myrrh?
A: Resins

Q: In 'The Grinch Stole Christmas', why was the Grinch so mean?
A: His heart was two sizes too small

Q: Out of the last three countries admitted to the United Nations, two are European. Which two?
A: Switzerland and Montenegro

Q: What in Economics is Monopsony?
A: A market with a single buyer, the opposite of monopoly

Q: Which institution awards the Pulitzer prize?
A: Columbia University

Q: Which country in 1948 was the first to constitutionally abolish its army?
A: Costa Rica

Q: The motto 'E Pluribus Unum' appears on the Great Seal of the United States and on most denominations of US currency. What does it mean?
A: Out of many, one

Q: Which office was abolished by Pope John Paul II in 1983 which then allowed him to speed up the process of canonisation and beatification?
A: Devil's Advocate (advocatus diaboli)

Q: According to Christian theology (although not dogma), what are the three highest ranks of angel?
A: Seraphim, Cherubim and Ophanim (Seraph, Cherub, and Ophan in the singular)
With thanks to Nick Dadds for correcting the answer to this question

Q: "Old Fred" was the captain of which famous vessel?
A: The Yellow Submarine

Q: Sicilian, Ponziani, Russian, Scottish, Nimzo-Indian and Sokolsky are all examples of what kind of movement?
A: Opening moves in Chess

Q: On the flags of which two countries would you find the most stars ?
A: USA (50) and Brazil (27)

Q: What does 'alibi' literally mean?
A: Somewhere else

Q: If you were seated in a howdah, where would you be?
A: On an elephant (or an Oliphaunt in The Hobbit)

Q: Which currency was replaced by the Euro on January 1st 1999 at a ratio of 1 to 1?
A: The ECU (European Currency Unit)

Q: Which commercial chain is named after a character in Moby Dick and has a double-tailed mermaid as the main feature of its logo?
A: Starbucks

Q: Which word in the Arabic language originally meant 'old man', although it now can mean elder of a tribe, lord, revered wise man, or Islamic scholar?
A: Sheikh

Q: According to the Old Testament, who is considered to be the father of the Jewish nation?
A: Abraham

Q: Ask and Embla are the Norse equivalent to the Christian what?
A: Adam and Eve

Q: What is the official language or languages of the United States?
A: The United States has no official language

Q: On a standard English language computer keyboard what letter lies between "C" and "B"?
A: 'V'

Q: How do you say "no worries" in Swahili?
A: Hakuna matata

Q: Which country has the world's largest Muslim population?
A: Indonesia

Q: When did the Euro banknotes and coins officially become currency in Europe?
A: January 1st, 2002

Q: Which language does the word "safari" originate from?
A: Swahili

Q: In the American Presidential Election, the state of California is worth 55 points in the Electoral College system, which state is next most important with a total of 34 points?
A: Texas

Q: What is the official language of Pakistan?
A: Urdu

Q: Lake Volta is the largest reservoir in the world (2006) and is located in which country?
A: Ghana

Q: What does 3G mean in the mobile phone ads?
A: Third generation

Q: Which organisation has the motto: Fidelity, Bravery and Integrity?
A: The FBI

Q: What is a more common name for a polygraph?
A: Lie detector

Q: Before the Euro, the Irish Punt was divided into 100 what?
A: Pence

Q: Of all the -ologies (study of), which has the shortest name?
A: Oology, the study (and collecting) of eggs

Q: What do the following words have in common: aspirin, bakelite, breathalyzer, cellophane, escalator, frisbee, heroin, jacuzzi, styrofoam, tarmac, vaseline, zipper?
A: They were all trademarks

Q: What does the 'mp' stand for in mp3 players?
A: Moving Picture (MP3 is short for MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 and MPEG is Moving Picture Experts Group)

Q: What is the Sanskrit word for 'union'?
A: Yoga

Q: Which country has, by far, the most universities?
A: India has over 7000, the US comes second with over 4000

Q: The streets of Atlantic City, New Jersey, were used in the original version of what?
A: Monopoly game

Q: Who or what is 'ataxia'?
A: Loss of muscle control

Q: What does the word 'Islam' literally mean?
A: Submission

Q: What did Valentina Tereshkova do in 1963 that propelled her to fame?
A: Became the first woman in space

Q: Who do the Italians call Topolino?
A: Mickey Mouse

Q: Which is the third letter of the greek alphabet?
A: Gamma

Q: How many counters does a player start with in Backgammon?
A: 15

Q: What kind of people make up a plutocracy?
A: The wealthy

The quiz is held in English and consists of eight rounds of ten questions. Each round is on a topic or theme and one round may be chosen as a joker round earning double points for each correct answer.

Thanks also to Alan; Alan Boxall; Alan Chapple; Andy Corder and Mick Watts; Andy Henderson at the Breeze Beer Garden in Thailand; Anthony Anchors; Barbara Ridgely; Bob Clarke; Bren Murphy of The Irish Rover; Brian Holt; Carter Young; Chris; Chris Goode and Nic Crequer; Chris O'Byrne; Chris Wilkins; Claire Ambler, Billy Painter and Richard Painter; Colin Dinnie; Colin Hurst; Damian Considine; Dan Hall; Dave Cohen, ex-teammate; Dave Harrop; Dave Love and Andy Bell; David Heslop; David Keen; David Regal; Diane Peake; Esther Ford; Fithi Garza; Geoff Swaine; George Holdstock; George Pitchley and Colin Hurst; Gerry O'Sullivan of Killarney; Godfrey Donaldson of Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, ; Graham Jones; Harry Winfield, question master of the Marina Alto Pensionisters Association in Benitachell, Alicante, Spain; Ian; Ian Gerrard; Jake Whiteman; Jeff Hicks; Jim Welsh; Jimmy Rafferty; Joe Bicarregui; John Polias; Jonathan Burt; Jurgen Lobert; Karim Nanji, Entertainments Officer, Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London; Keith Woodcock from Chippenham; Ken G. Fisher of Toronto; Kevin Magill of the Cayman Islands; Kirsty Taylor; Lesley Melvin; Lucy Boulding; Luke Williams in Switzerland; Lynda Finn in New Zeland; Lynne and Thierry in Paris, and Steve Hall in Angola; Matt Jones; Mike Healy and Carol Balster; Mike Jones; Mike Mooney from Leeds; Mike O'Shea; Mr Lucky; Neil Robinson in New Zealand; Nick Dadds; Nick Dodd; Nick Wilde; Nicola Wood; Oscar Nolan from Dublin; Remo Anniyan; RKN; Rolland Willa; Ross Stewart of Auckland, New Zealand; Russ Hall; Sam Jones PhD, South Wales; Sebastien D. Fortas; Shelley; Sinead Fisher; Steve Rose; Steven Malan; Susanne; Suzy Fewtrell of New Zealand; Ted Bollard from Dublin; Terry Denham; Tim Sharples; Tony Newman; Yvonne Steyn from Somerset West, South Africa; and many others for correcting, amending and fine tuning the questions and answers.

Sources: Encyclopedia Britannica, The World Almanac and Book of Facts, Whitaker's Almanac, The Compact Edition of The Oxford English Dictionary, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Collins Gem Fact File, Diccionario Enciclopédico Espasa 1 and Wikipedia.. This page layout was last updated on Monday, June 22^nd, 2015 @ 11:22pm CEST (Europe/Madrid).

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