Thanksgiving gives Americans a day to spend time with family and friends.  We all reflect, at the magical moment when we first sit down at the holiday table, how God has blessed the United States of America for two hundred and thirty-five years with an overflowing cornucopia, unfettered political and religious freedoms, and economic opportunity.  Let us also pause for a moment to pray for and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to safeguard our freedoms -- who protected and defended our country.  Amen.

Before everyone gets up from the supper table and before the TV comes back on, I have put together a family-oriented, cross-generational quiz of twenty-four sets of challenging questions to both entertain and recall times past.  Pick teams and use a pen and paper to write down each team's answers.  No fair looking up the answers on the internet!  Answers are linked below.  Enjoy.

 

1. What team did Bill Mazeroski play for?  What position did he play?  Who tossed a no hitter for the Colt .45s and lost?  One point for each correct answer.

 

2. What's Torchy's?  Who were the Attackers?  Who played Ellen Aim?  Who played Raven?  One point for each correct answer.

 

3. The First Amendment states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an _____________ of ________, or ___________ the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of ______, or of the _____; or the right of the people _________ to ________, and to petition the Government for a _______ of __________."  Fill in the blanks.  One point for each correct answer.

 

4. There are 5 sensations of taste that Western and Asian culture can identify.  What are they?  One point for each correct answer.

 

5. Who was Barry Goldwater's running mate?  Who was secretary of state from 1982 to 1988?  What West Coast College did Obama attend for two years?  Both Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant served under Winfield Scott during what war?  Who led the landing at Inchon?  What year?  How many times was Bill Clinton elected governor of Arkansas?  Two points for each correct answer.

 

6. What is the Little Mermaid's name?  What are the names of her two sidekicks?  Who is the voice of Cogsworth?  Who is Cogsworth's best friend?  What animated film has the characters Sally Carrera, Luigi, and Sarge?  Name the town they live in.  What is Shrek's sidekick's name?  His girlfriend's name?  Two point for each correct answer.

 

7. Fill in the blanks: _______ ______, Robert April, Christopher Pike, ______ __ ____, Rachel Garrett, ______ ___ ______.  What character did Suzie Plaskon (also spelled Plaksin) play in "Reunion"?  Name the sexy and smart character in "Booby Trap."  Two point for each correct answer.  Possible 10 points.

 

8. Without looking at a map, answer these questions (yes or no).  Is Reno, Nevada south of Washington, D.C.?  Is Ft. Worth, Texas west of Omaha, Nebraska?  Is Dublin, Ireland west of Madrid, Spain?  Is Santiago, Chile south of Sydney, Australia?  Is New York City south of Rome, Italy?  Five points possible.

 

9. According to Box Office Mojo, what are the ten top domestic grossing movies of all time, adjusted for inflation?  Gone With The Wind is number one and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is tenth on the list.  Name the other eight.  One point for each correct answer.

 

10. Betweens, long arm, batting, and trapunto refer to a traditional American art form.  Name that art form.  Four point for the correct answer.

 

11. Name the Mercury Seven astronauts.  One point for each correct answer.

 

12. The Preamble of our Constitution reads as follows: "We the ______ of the United States, in Order to form a more _______ Union, establish _______, insure ________ ___________ , provide for the ______ _______, promote the _______ ________, and secure the Blessings of _______ to ourselves and our _________, do ordain and establish this ____________ for the United States of America."  One point for each correct answer.

 

13. Who were Robert A. Lewis, Thomas Ferebee, Deak Parsons, and Jacob Beser?  Who was Etta Place?  Johnny Von Neumann?  Philo Farnsworth?  Mary Cassett?  Three points for each correct answer.

 

14. Name the speaker of the quotation.  Three points for each correct answer.

     

    1. "What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, howinfinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals-and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?

     

    2. "All that glisters is not gold; / Often have you heard that told. / Many a man his life hath sold / But my outside to behold. / Gilded tombs do worms enfold."

     

    3. "If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, do we not revenge?"

     

    4. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears! I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them,
The good is oft interred with their bones; So let it be with Caesar."

     

    5. Captain of our fairy band, Helena is here at hand, And the youth, mistook by me, Pleading for a lover's fee. Shall we their fond pageant see? Lord, what fools these mortals be!

     

15. Name the title where we read or hear this passage. Three points for each correct answer.

     

    1. Remember, the enemy's gate is down[.]

     

    2. Look Dave, I can see you're really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill, and think things over.

     

    3. The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.

     

    4. I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.

     

    5. Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.

     

    6. All men live enveloped in whale-lines. All are born with halters round their necks; but it is only when caught in the swift, sudden turn of death, that mortals realize the silent, subtle, ever-present perils of life.

     
    

16. NFL records -- name the player.  Two point for each correct answer

a) Most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, career: 43

b) Passer rating: Most consecutive seasons led league: 4

c) Most passing yards, game: 554

d) Most Passing Touchdowns, Half: 6

e) Most touchdown passes with no interceptions, season: 10

f) Most touchdown receptions, career: 197

g) Oldest player: 48 years old

17. Which term does not belong on this list?  Catadioptric, Dall-Kirkham, Maksutov-Cassegrain, Achromat, Honore-Clay, Schmidt.  Six points for the correct answer.

18. What business uses these terms?  Negociant, brettanomyce, botrytis, and leesy.  Five points for the correct answer.

19. Define these items: a) china cap b) paella c) ramekin d) bisque f) roulade.  Three points for every correct answer.

20. _______ is the Japanese art of flower-arranging.  True or false: enfilade is a cold summer drink made with fruit juice and sugar.  True or false: isodose rate line is a term used in an operating room.  True or false: selenodesy is the study of metamorphic rocks in oil-bearing formations.  Two points for every correct answer.

21. What is the longest-running five-days-a-week game show in the world?  Who was the original host in 1956?  Who was the original host of Jeopardy?  True or false: Pat Sajak served on the board of directors for the Claremont Institute.  Three points for every correct answer.

22. Last names: Maxene, Patty, and LaVerne.  Tom and Dick.  Nick, Joe and Kevin.  Barry, Robin, and Maurice.  Don and Phil.  Dennis, Carl, and Brian.  Three points for each correct answer.

23. From the Declaration of Independence.  Fill in the blanks.  Two points for every correct answer.

When in the ______ of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to _______ the political _____which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of _______ requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these ______ to be self-evident, that all men are _______ ______, that they are _______by their Creator with certain unalienable ______, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, ___________ are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the _______ of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes ___________ of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to _______ it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and _________. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are _________ , than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and __________, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their,_____ it is their ____, to throw off such Government, and to provide new ______ for their future security.

24. Bonus Question.  Can the youngest team member of voting age list the presidents in correct order from Hoover to Obama?  If so, add 6 points to your total.

For answers, click here.