Riddles With Answers

Which of these popular games shares its name with a Beatles song?

Fact: “Ticket to Ride” is not only a bestselling board game but also the title of a 1965 hit single by The Beatles. Released on their album Help!, the song became their seventh number-one single in the United States. Decades later, the name was reused for the railway-themed strategy board game created by Alan R. Moon in 2004, which went on to win the prestigious Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) award. The coincidence of a classic Beatles track and a modern classic board game sharing the same name makes this an especially fun piece of trivia.

Correct Answer: Ticket to Ride

Which bird has the largest wingspan in the world?

Andean Condor
Wandering Albatross
Marabou Stork
Great White Pelican

Fact: The wandering albatross boasts the largest wingspan of any living bird, stretching up to an astonishing 11 feet across. This enormous wingspan allows the albatross to glide effortlessly and gracefully over the open ocean for hours without flapping its wings, conserving precious energy during its remarkably long migrations that can span thousands of miles across the globe. While the Andean condor, marabou stork, and great white pelican also have impressively wide wingspans, none come close to matching the majestic reach of the wandering albatross.

Correct Answer: Wandering Albatross

What is the official air demonstration squadron of the United States Air Force?

Blue Angels
Thunderbirds
Golden Knights
Screaming Eagles

Fact: The United States Air Force’s official air demonstration squadron is known as the Thunderbirds. Established in 1953, the Thunderbirds perform precision aerial maneuvers in F-16 Fighting Falcons, showcasing the skills of Air Force pilots and the capabilities of modern fighter jets. Their performances are designed to showcase the Air Force’s skill and teamwork, while inspiring patriotism and encouraging careers in aviation and the military. Often compared to the Navy’s Blue Angels, the Thunderbirds are one of the most famous aerial demonstration teams in the world.

Correct Answer: Thunderbirds

Which character was orange during the first season of Sesame Street?

Grover
Kermit the Frog
Cookie Monster
Oscar the Grouch

Fact: Oscar the Grouch has had a colorful history, quite literally. In fact, Oscar looked very different from the grumpy green monster we know today — he was orange! Jim Henson had originally envisioned him as magenta, but television sets at the time couldn’t handle such a vibrant shade. The first-season orange Oscar eventually “went on vacation” to Swamp Mushy Muddy and returned green, a dramatic change that fit his grouchy personality much better. Since then, Oscar’s scruffy green fur, gravelly voice, and unending love of trash have made him one of the most recognizable Muppets in the world.

Correct Answer: Oscar the Grouch

The baby-care brand the Honest Company was founded by what actress?

Kristen Bell
Jessica Alba
Gwyneth Paltrow
Reese Witherspoon

Fact: Jessica Alba co-founded The Honest Company in 2011 after seeking safer, eco-friendly alternatives to traditional baby products for her family. Partnering with entrepreneur Brian Lee, she helped develop a line of non-toxic baby, personal care, and cleaning products that appealed to health-conscious parents. While other actresses like Gwyneth Paltrow (Goop), Kristen Bell (Hello Bello), and Reese Witherspoon (Draper James) also ventured into lifestyle or wellness brands, it was Alba who turned Honest into a household name, even taking the company public in 2021.

Correct Answer: Jessica Alba

The baby-care brand the Honest Company was founded by what actress?

Fact: Jessica Alba co-founded The Honest Company in 2011 after seeking safer, eco-friendly alternatives to traditional baby products for her family. Partnering with entrepreneur Brian Lee, she helped develop a line of non-toxic baby, personal care, and cleaning products that appealed to health-conscious parents. While other actresses like Gwyneth Paltrow (Goop), Kristen Bell (Hello Bello), and Reese Witherspoon (Draper James) also ventured into lifestyle or wellness brands, it was Alba who turned Honest into a household name, even taking the company public in 2021.

Answer: Jessica Alba

At just 21 years old, who became the youngest First Lady in U.S. history?

Dolley Madison
Julia Gardiner Tyler
Frances Cleveland
Jacqueline Kennedy

Fact: Frances Clara Folsom Cleveland became the youngest First Lady in U.S. history when she married President Grover Cleveland in 1886 at just 21 years old. Their marriage was notable not only for her youth but also because Cleveland remains the only U.S. president to marry while in office. Frances won over the public with her grace and modern outlook, and despite her age, carried out the responsibilities of First Lady with confidence and poise. After her husband’s death in 1908, she lived another 39 years, remaining a respected and admired figure.

Correct Answer: Frances Cleveland

Which opera features the famous repeated cry of “Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!”?

La Bohème
Madama Butterfly
The Barber of Seville
The Marriage of Figaro

Fact: The iconic line “Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!” comes from The Barber of Seville, an opera composed by Gioachino Rossini and premiered in 1816. The exclamation occurs in Figaro’s aria “Largo al factotum,” in which the witty barber introduces himself with a burst of energy and bravado. The rapid-fire repetition of his name has become one of the most recognizable moments in opera, often parodied in cartoons, films, and pop culture. While Mozart wrote The Marriage of Figaro, it is Rossini’s The Barber of Seville that contains the famous “Figaro!” refrain.

Correct Answer: The Barber of Seville

The CIA secretly purchased the film rights to several novels written by which author to alter their endings?

George Orwell
Ray Bradbury
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Ernest Hemingway

Fact: The CIA was so concerned with George Orwell’s novels “Animal Farm” and “1984,” that it purchased the film rights to both novels in order to reshape their endings. In “Animal Farm,” the original ending found both the pigs (representing Communists) and humans (capitalists) equally villainous, but the CIA-produced animated version made the story more anti-Communist by showing only the pigs as corrupt. In “1984,” the book ends with the protagonist, Winston, submitting to Big Brother, however in the the film, he dies heroically shouting “down with Big Brother!”

Correct Answer: George Orwell

Which popular dish is named after a famous military leader of the Qing Dynasty?

Beef Wellington
Kung Pao Chicken
Chicken à la King
General Tso’s Chicken

Fact: General Tso’s Chicken is a sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy deep-fried chicken dish that has become a staple of Chinese-American cuisine. The dish takes its name from Zuo Zongtang, a Qing Dynasty military leader renowned for his successful campaigns, most notably the recapture of Xinjiang in the 19th century. Food historians trace its creation to Peng Chang-kuei, a Taiwan who named the dish in honor of Zuo Zongtang. The dish’s name adds a sense of authenticity and intrigue, even though its roots are far more modern than the Qing Dynasty.

Correct Answer: General Tso’s Chicken