Pick Your Brain and Answer These General Trivia Questions
Written by Don Ayres
Last updated · -21 min play time
It's time to test your knowledge of general trivia. This quiz touches on a random assortment of subjects, so there's a little bit of something for everyone.
Trivia is a great conversation starter in a wide array of situations, but you need to have the knowledge before you start. You might have expertise in one particular subject, but a true quiz guru must be a virtual encyclopedia of knowledge. It's time to test your noggin to see how well you stack up against this series of questions.
Quiz written by
Don AyresEveryday Trivia 2 Quiz Questions
30 Questions · 37.7K Plays · 5 Comments
Question 1
Which of these is NOT a traditional ingredient to make beer?
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ABarley
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BYeast
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CHops
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DGrapes
Grapes
While some breweries include adjuncts to produce different flavors, it only takes four basic ingredients to make beer: water, barley, hops and yeast. Germany even passed a law called the Reinheitsgebot, which stipulates legal beer only uses those four components.
Question 2
What famous railroad line ran from Paris to Istanbul?
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AThe Polar Express
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BThe Trans-Siberian Railway
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CThe Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
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DThe Orient Express
The Orient Express
The Orient Express has seen several different routes, but the most famous alignment transported passengers from Paris to Istanbul. The railway became a symbol of luxury and gained further fame from Agatha Christie's novel "Murder on the Orient Express."
Question 3
Who played Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on Happy Days?
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AHenry Winkler
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BRon Howard
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CTed McGinley
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DScott Baio
Henry Winkler
Henry Winkler played Fonzie in every episode of Happy Days, making him one of two actors to appear in all 255 episodes (Tom Bosley is the other). He started out as a recurring character in the first season, but his popularity with viewers made him a member of the main cast for the remaining 10 seasons.
Question 4
Which hurricane devastated New Orleans in 2005?
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AKatrina
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BGloria
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CAndrew
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DOscar
Katrina
Hurricane Katrina made its initial landfall in Florida as a relatively weak Category 1 storm but later intensified to Category 5 strength after entering the Gulf of Mexico. The storm weakened back to Category 3 status before making its second landfall in Louisiana and Mississippi, but it still became the costliest Atlantic hurricane in history.
Question 5
Which volcano destroyed the city of Pompeii when it erupted in A.D. 79?
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AMt. Etna
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BMt. Stromboli
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CKrakatoa
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DMt. Vesuvius
Mt. Vesuvius
When Mt. Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79, it sent a pyroclastic flow careening toward Pompeii. The cloud of hot air and ash moved so fast, people were immediately buried alive.
Question 6
Which Jimmy wrote the hit song "Margaritaville"?
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AJimmy Fallon
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BJimmy Carter
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CJimmy Buffett
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DJimmy Stewart
Jimmy Buffett
Named for the tequila-based cocktail, Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville" is a song about a laid-back tropical lifestyle. Buffett's idea of paradise must resonate with a lot of people, as he has managed to develop an entire business empire around the song.
Question 7
Which term for three consecutive championships is closely associated with the Los Angeles Lakers?
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AThree-peat
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BTurkey
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CHat trick
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DTrifecta
Three-peat
Pat Reilly, coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, trademarked the term "three-peat" when his team was gunning for a third consecutive NBA championship in 1988. While that squad did not achieve its goal, numerous other teams have, including the Chicago Bulls and the New York Yankees.
Question 8
Which sport uses a bat, wickets and bowlers?
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ABaseball
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BSnooker
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CTable Tennis
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DCricket
Cricket
The popularity of cricket has spread throughout the world with the expansion of the British Empire. The object of the game is similar to baseball in that the offense tries to score runs while the defense attempts to dismiss batsmen.
Question 9
Which continent has the fewest flowering plants?
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AAntarctica
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BEurope
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CSouth America
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DOceania
Antarctica
Not only is Antarctica the coldest place on Earth, but it's also technically a desert with less than 2 inches of rain falling on the continent's interior every year. With such harsh conditions, it's no wonder there are so few flowering plants.
Question 10
According to legend, pizza Margherita symbolizes the colors of the Italian flag with red tomatoes, white mozzarella and which green herb?
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ACilantro
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BSpinach
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CBasil
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DParsley
Basil
If you order a pizza Margherita, you'll get a pie with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil leaves. Some believe the pie was first created to honor Queen Margherita of Savoy by mimicking the Italian flag, but examples of this pizza predate her reign by nearly a century.
Question 11
Dwayne Johnson is the real name of which famous professional wrestler and movie star?
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AThe Rock
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BHulk Hogan
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CThe Ultimate Warrior
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DStone Cold Steve Austin
The Rock
Dwayne Johnson was born to be a professional wrestler, as his father was Rocky Johnson and his mother came from the famous Samoan wrestling dynasty. While he rarely steps into the squared circle these days, he does pretty well for himself as one of the highest-paid actors in the world.
Question 12
What is the smallest country in the world?
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AMonaco
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BCuba
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CVatican City
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DSan Marino
Vatican City
Vatican City is a small enclave within Rome that functions as its own city-state. The leader of the country is Pope Francis, who was elected by the College of Cardinals in a process called the conclave.
Question 13
Which baseball player coined the phrase "it ain't over till it's over"?
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ABabe Ruth
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BYogi Berra
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CAlex Rodriguez
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DRandy Johnson
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra was the catcher for the New York Yankees for 18 years. Despite his outstanding offensive and defensive play, he is best remembered for his "Yogi-isms," including "it ain't over till it's over."
Question 14
Which popular Mexican dish has a name that literally translates to "little donkey"?
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ABurrito
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BQuesadilla
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CTaco
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DEnchilada
Burrito
Legend says burritos got their name when Juan Méndez, a taco merchant in Ciudad Juárez, would wrap his food in large tortillas to keep them warm as he traveled the streets on his donkey. That story may or may not be true, but the word does literally translate to "little donkey."
Question 15
Which NCAA athletic conference includes schools such as Duke University, Georgia Tech and Florida State University?
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AAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
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BConference USA
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CBig Ten
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DBig 12
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
The Atlantic Coast Conference was established in 1953 when Maryland, Duke, UNC, NC State, Clemson, South Carolina and Wake Forest departed the Southern Conference because of a ban on post-season football. Two of the founding member schools are now in other conferences, but the ACC contains more than double the original number of universities.
Question 16
What style of pizza was created at Ike Sewell's Pizzeria Uno in Chicago?
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AThin crust
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BHand-tossed
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CBarbecue chicken
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DDeep-dish
Deep-dish
While there are disputing claims as to who actually invented deep-dish pizza, both start in the kitchen of Ike Sewell's Pizzeria Uno in Chicago. Many say Sewell himself created the savory treat; others claim it was Uno Chef Rudy Malnati.
Question 17
Which of the following was the title of the 2005 film about the life of Johnny Cash?
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ARing of Fire
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BThe Man in Black
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CWalk the Line
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DFolsom Prison Blues
Walk the Line
"Walk the Line" tells the story of Johnny Cash's rise from Army veteran to music superstar. Joaquin Phoenix played Johnny Cash, while Reese Witherspoon won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as June Carter-Cash.
Question 18
Which of the following New York City landmarks houses the headquarters of NBC?
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AEmpire State Building
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BFlatiron Building
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CRockefeller Center
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DChrysler Building
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a sprawling complex of 19 buildings in Midtown Manhatten. The most famous address in the compound is 30 Rockefeller Plaza, which has been home to NBC since 1933.
Question 19
Which sport started with bootleg whiskey distillers trying to outrun law enforcement officers during prohibition?
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AHorse racing
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BSynchronized swimming
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CStock car racing
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DCross-country running
Stock car racing
Moonshiners needed fast cars to outrun the authorities during prohibition, but the cars needed to be ordinary enough to avoid attracting unwanted attention. The bootleggers would race these "stock cars" against each other when they weren't running moonshine.
Question 20
Which of these orchestral instruments is NOT part of the brass section?
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ATuba
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BTrumpet
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CTrombone
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DSaxophone
Saxophone
An orchestra is made up of brass, woodwind, string and percussion instruments. While a saxophone's body is normally made out of brass or a different type of metal, the instrument uses a reed to create sound, which makes it a woodwind.
Question 21
Jack Nicholson won his first Academy Award for his role in which movie?
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AAbout Schmidt
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BOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
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CThe Shining
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DEasy Rider
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Jack Nicholson has been nominated for 12 Academy Awards but has only taken an Oscar home three times. His first award came in 1976 for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," and he won his most recent Academy Award in 1998 for "As Good as It Gets."
Question 22
Who was the last president of the Soviet Union?
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ABoris Yeltsin
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BMikhail Gorbachev
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CDmitry Medvedev
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DVladimir Putin
Mikhail Gorbachev
The Soviet Union was a major world power from 1922 until it eventually crumbled in 1991. When the federation broke up, Mikhail Gorbachev was serving as president.
Question 23
Who was the original anchor for Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live?
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ADan Aykroyd
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BJane Curtin
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CChevy Chase
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DDennis Miller
Chevy Chase
Weekend Update is the longest-running skit in Saturday Night Live's storied history, and the first anchor was Chevy Chase, who created the concept. The segment has bounced back and forth between single and dual anchors over the years, but it remains one of the show's most popular skits.
Question 24
Which Olympic event was named for an Ancient Greek battle?
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ADiscus
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BJavelin
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CDecathlon
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DMarathon
Marathon
According to legend, the Greek messenger Pheidippides was tasked with carrying word to Athens about a victory over Persian forces in the Battle of Marathon. While the distance allegedly traveled on that day wasn't exactly 26.2 miles, the name of the race still honors the messenger's memory.
Question 25
Who played Chef on the Comedy Central series "South Park"?
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ARichard Roundtree
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BEddie Murphy
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CIsaac Hayes
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DSamuel L. Jackson
Isaac Hayes
South Park tells the story of Kyle, Stan, Kenny and Cartman as they live life in the eponymous Colorado mountain town. Isaac Hayes played the role of Chef from the first season until he departed the show in 2006.
Question 26
What is the name of the Major League Soccer team in San Jose?
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AEarthquakes
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BProspectors
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CGalaxy
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DDynamo
Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes are one of the charter members of Major League Soccer, although the original name of the franchise was the Clash. The team relocated to Houston and became the Dynamo, but San Jose got an expansion team two years later.
Question 27
What is the name of the main character in the Despicable Me movie franchise?
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ADr. Nefario
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BGru
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CKevin
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DStewart
Gru
In the Despicable Me franchise, Steve Carell plays Gru, a supervillain who becomes the adoptive father of three girls. Accompanied by his minions, he works to commit evil deeds in order to impress his overbearing mother.
Question 28
Which drink is the state beverage for 21 of the 26 states that designate official beverages?
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ACoca-Cola
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BOrange Juice
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CBeer
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DMilk
Milk
Americans love their dairy products, so it's no wonder that milk is the choice for 21 of the 26 states that designate official beverages. Two states have alcoholic libations as their official drinks: Virginia and Alabama.
Question 29
Which NFL franchise relocated to Baltimore and became the Ravens?
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ASan Diego Chargers
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BCleveland Browns
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CHouston Oilers
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DIndianapolis Colts
Cleveland Browns
In November of 1995, Art Modell announced that he intended to move the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore, where the team was eventually named the Ravens. Since relocating, the franchise has seen success with two Super Bowl wins and multiple playoff appearances.
Question 30
Which of the following people has never been a host of "The Tonight Show"?
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AJohnny Carson
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BJimmy Kimmel
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CConan O'Brien
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DSteve Allen
Jimmy Kimmel
Jimmy Kimmel is a veteran of the late-night talk show circuit, but he has never hosted NBC's venerated "Tonight Show." The role of host has been filled by six different people: Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Fallon.
Comments (5)
We want to hear your feedback! Share your scores and discuss the quiz, but keep it civil.
Saxophones aren't brass instruments they are woodwinds.
Don't like off the wall Music questions.
I like quizzes but most of my misses were caused by your program screwing up and in one question, there was no one choice; all four choices were "Brass Instruments"!
I think it's very interesting really makes you think
Good Questions.