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General knowledge: 45 trivia questions with sources

This assortment uses calendars, clocks, shapes, arithmetic, symbols, books, codes, games, language curiosities, logic, probability, and ordinary objects to create a deliberately varied round.

45 questions · 22 easy, 14 medium, 9 hard · 45 with a source link

All 15 categoriesDraw them one at a time

Suggested round splits

5 ways to break this category into rounds. The printed sheet keeps the whole list in one run, so split it while you plan rather than while you host.

  • Time and calendars

    Leap years, months, dates, clocks, seconds, minutes, and calendar structure.

  • Numbers and shapes

    Arithmetic terms, primes, numerals, geometry, probability, patterns, and numerical laws.

  • Signs, codes, and communication

    Traffic lights, distress signals, invitations, cards, telegraph codes, and machine-readable marks.

  • Books, words, and arguments

    Book structure, alphabets, wordplay, pangrams, fallacies, paradoxes, and notation.

  • Everyday objects and customs

    Glass, mirrors, gemstones, compasses, games, clothing, colors, and familiar conventions.

All 45 questions with answers

45 carry a pinned source revision

  1. How many days are in a leap year?

    366Checked against: The historic Julian calendar has three common years of 365 days followed by a leap year of 366 days, by extending February to 29 days rather than the common 28.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap_year?oldid=1365633748

  2. What pale tint of red is named after a flower?

    PinkChecked against: Pink is a pale tint of red or rose, the color of the pink flower.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink?oldid=1364283451

  3. What is frozen water called?

    IceChecked against: Ice is water that is frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 ° C, 32 ° F, or 273.15 K.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice?oldid=1364560962

  4. Which hand on an analog clock usually shows the minutes?

    A long minute handChecked against: A long minute hand makes one revolution every hour.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clock_face?oldid=1358818568

  5. How many sides does a triangle have?

    ThreeChecked against: A triangle or trigon is a polygon consisting of three sides connected at three corners.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle?oldid=1365649475

  6. Which currency replaced Tokugawa coinage?

    The yenChecked against: The yen replaced the previous Tokugawa coinage as well as the various hansatsu paper currencies issued by feudal han (fiefs).Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_yen?oldid=1365819261

  7. Which month is the tenth in the Julian and Gregorian calendars?

    OctoberChecked against: October is the 10th month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October?oldid=1359863433

  8. Which ancient numeral system uses different symbols for each power of ten?

    Roman numeralsChecked against: Roman numerals use different symbols for each power of ten, and there is no zero symbol, in contrast with the place value notation of Arabic numerals (in which place-keeping zeros enable the same digit to represent different powers of ten).Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_numerals?oldid=1365177558#Description

  9. About 70 percent of soda-lime glass is made from which substance?

    SilicaChecked against: Soda–lime glass, containing around 70% silica, accounts for around 90% of modern manufactured glass.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass?oldid=1360678580

  10. Which part of a book lists chapter titles and page numbers?

    The table of contentsChecked against: Depending on the complexity or length of the text, the table of contents will include the parts (groups of chapters), if applicable, chapters or section headings, and sometimes chapter or section subheadings.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_contents?oldid=1347569847#Form

  11. What is the result of division called?

    The quotientChecked against: What is being divided is called the dividend, which is divided by the divisor, and the result is called the quotient.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_(mathematics)?oldid=1363470529

  12. Which traffic-light color means stop?

    RedChecked against: The usual traffic light colours are red to stop traffic, amber to signal a change, and green to allow traffic to proceed.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_light?oldid=1365810055

  13. What shape has four equal sides and four right angles?

    A squareChecked against: In the familiar Euclidean geometry, space is flat, and every convex quadrilateral has internal angles summing to 360°, so a square (a regular quadrilateral) has four equal sides and four right angles (each 90°).Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square?oldid=1359762716#Other_geometries

  14. Which month gains an extra day in a leap year?

    FebruaryChecked against: Under the reforms that instituted the Julian calendar, Intercalaris was abolished, leap years occurred regularly every fourth year, and in leap years February gained a 29th day.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February?oldid=1358896942#History

  15. What is the unit of temperature on the Celsius scale?

    The degree CelsiusChecked against: The degree Celsius is the unit of temperature on the Celsius temperature scale (originally known as the centigrade scale in English), one of two temperature scales used in the International System of Units (SI), the other being the closely related Kelvin scale.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celsius?oldid=1363467624

  16. When does the Gregorian calendar year begin and end?

    Begins on January 1 and ends on December 31Checked against: The Gregorian calendar year, which is in use as civil calendar in most of the world, begins on January 1 and ends on December 31.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendar_year?oldid=1354854738

  17. Which six types can a chess piece be?

    King, queen, rook, bishop, knight, or pawnChecked against: It can be either white or black, and it can be one of six types: king, queen, rook, bishop, knight, or pawn.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_piece?oldid=1356336050

  18. How many items are in a baker’s dozen?

    ThirteenChecked against: The broadest use of baker's dozen is simply a group of thirteen objects.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dozen?oldid=1343471035#Baker's_dozen

  19. Which gemstone is traditionally associated with an engagement ring?

    DiamondChecked against: The diamond engagement ring thus became a source of financial security for the woman.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engagement_ring?oldid=1363183387#Industry

  20. Why does a mirror reverse left and right only in the way we describe it?

    The third axis (front-back) is reversedChecked against: If one looks in a mirror two axes (up-down and left-right) coincide with those in the mirror, but the third axis (front-back) is reversed.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_image?oldid=1341408793#In_three_dimensions

  21. Did SOS originally stand for a phrase?

    Was initially not an abbreviationChecked against: SOS, when it was first agreed upon by the International Radio Telegraphic Convention in 1906, was merely a distinctive Morse code sequence and was initially not an abbreviation.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOS?oldid=1346960186

  22. Which game has a remix featuring Park Place and Boardwalk?

    MonopolyChecked against: For the show's fourth season, a new game was added called Monopoly Remix, featuring Park Place and Boardwalk, as well as Income Tax and Luxury Tax.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopoly_(game)?oldid=1365029127#Television_game_show

  23. What is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers?

    A prime numberChecked against: A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_number?oldid=1363371252

  24. Which calendar date is known as April Fools’ Day?

    The 1st of AprilChecked against: April Fools' Day or April Fool's Day (rarely called All Fools' Day) is an annual custom in many Western countries on the 1st of April consisting of practical jokes, hoaxes, and pranks.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Fools'_Day?oldid=1365593059

  25. What do the letters RSVP ask an invited guest to do?

    Please respondChecked against: RSVP is an initialism derived from the French phrase " répondez s'il vous plaît ", meaning " please respond "Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSVP?oldid=1365198805

  26. What is the most common pack of playing cards used today?

    The standard 52-card deckChecked against: The standard 52-card deck of French-suited playing cards is the most common pack of playing cards used today.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_52-card_deck?oldid=1361841647

  27. What is the dot-and-dash communication system called?

    Morse codeChecked against: With the advent of tones produced by radiotelegraph receivers, the operators began to vocalize a dot as dit, and a dash as dah, to reflect the sounds of Morse code they heard.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morse_code?oldid=1364531517#Operator-led_change_from_graphical_to_audible_code

  28. Which direction does a compass point halfway between north and east?

    NortheastChecked against: A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions - north, east, south, and west - each separated by 90 degrees, and secondarily divided by four ordinal (intercardinal) directions - northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest - each located halfway between two cardinal directions.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Points_of_the_compass?oldid=1364748457

  29. What does a barometer measure?

    Atmospheric pressureChecked against: A mercury barometer is an instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure in a certain location and has a vertical glass tube closed at the top sitting in an open mercury-filled basin at the bottom.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barometer?oldid=1365704103#Mercury_barometers

  30. Which number has no Roman numeral in the classical system?

    ZeroChecked against: Furthermore, the system as used by the Romans lacked a numeral for the number zero itself (that is, what remains after 1 is subtracted from 1).Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_numerals?oldid=1365177558#Zero

  31. What is the mathematical name for the answer to a multiplication?

    A productChecked against: The result of a multiplication is called a product.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiplication?oldid=1366033971#Notation

  32. How does a QR code differ visibly from a traditional bar code?

    Two-dimensional matrix barcodeChecked against: A QR code, short for quick-response code, is a type of two-dimensional matrix barcode invented in 1994 by Masahiro Hara of the Japanese company Denso Wave for labelling automobile parts.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_code?oldid=1364678158

  33. Where does the word alphabet come from?

    The first two letters of the Greek alphabetChecked against: The English word alphabet came into Middle English from the Late Latin word alphabetum, which in turn originated in the Greek ἀλφάβητος alphábētos; it was made from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet, alpha (α) and beta (β).Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphabet?oldid=1366003767#Etymology

  34. What literary technique makes words the main subject for intended effect or amusement?

    WordplayChecked against: Wordplay (also: play-on-words) is a literary technique and a form of wit in which words used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wordplay?oldid=1365705352

  35. What are numbers formed by adding one to products of the smallest primes called?

    Euclid numbersChecked against: The numbers formed by adding one to the products of the smallest primes are called Euclid numbers.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_number?oldid=1363371252#Infinitude

  36. How does sepia toning change metallic silver?

    The metallic silver in the print is converted to a sulfide compoundChecked against: The metallic silver in the print is converted to a sulfide compound, which is much more resistant to the effects of environmental pollutants such as atmospheric sulfur compounds.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photographic_print_toning?oldid=1359369026#Sepia_toning

  37. Sixty seconds to a minute, 60 minutes to an hour, and 360 degrees in a circle all reflect which number base?

    Base 60Checked against: Sexagesimal, also known as base 60, is a numeral system with sixty as its base.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexagesimal?oldid=1365865067

  38. Which probability puzzle involves switching doors after a host reveals a goat?

    The Monty Hall problemChecked against: The Monty Hall problem is a brain teaser, in the form of a probability puzzle, based nominally on the American television game show Let's Make a Deal and named after its original host, Monty Hall.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Hall_problem?oldid=1365828996

  39. Which natural number follows 5 and precedes 7?

    SixChecked against: 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6?oldid=1356173128

  40. How many distinct ways can a standard necktie knot be tied according to the classic Fink-Mao study?

    Exactly 85 waysChecked against: The authors prove that, assuming both the tie and the wearer to be of typical size, there are exactly 85 ways of tying a necktie using the conventional method of wrapping the wide end of the tie around the narrow end.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_85_Ways_to_Tie_a_Tie?oldid=1311371846

  41. Name one use of a pangram.

    Test equipmentChecked against: Pangrams can be utilised to display typefaces, test equipment, or develop skills in handwriting, calligraphy, and typing, amongst other uses.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangram?oldid=1362879795

  42. Which logical fallacy attacks the person instead of the argument?

    An argument to the personChecked against: (Latin for ' to the person '), short for argumentum ad hominem ('an argument to the person'), refers to when a speaker attacks the character, motive, or some other attribute of the person making an argument rather than the substance of the argument itself.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem?oldid=1361682138

  43. Who invented the equals sign in 1557?

    The Welsh mathematician Robert RecordeChecked against: It was invented in 1557 by the Welsh mathematician Robert Recorde.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equals_sign?oldid=1365057023

  44. Which paradox uses a liar’s statement that they are lying?

    Liar paradoxChecked against: In philosophy and logic, the classical liar paradox or liar's paradox or antinomy of the liar is the statement of a liar that they are lying: for instance, declaring that "I am lying".Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liar_paradox?oldid=1344302746

  45. How does Benford’s law describe leading digits?

    The leading digit is likely to be smallChecked against: Benford's law, also known as the Newcomb–Benford law, the law of anomalous numbers, or the first-digit law, is an observation that in many real-life sets of numerical data, the leading digit is likely to be small.Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benford's_law?oldid=1363676039