Riddles With Answers

Approximately how much is the U.S. national debt?

$15 trillion
$25 trillion
$30 trillion
$40 trillion

Fact: The federal debt hit a record $40 trillion this week, according to the Treasury Department. The national debt represents the total amount the federal government owes after years of spending more than it collects in revenue. It includes debt held by the public, such as Treasury securities owned by investors, as well as money the government owes to federal trust funds. The debt has grown dramatically in recent decades, roughly doubling from $20 trillion in 2017, as federal spending and annual budget deficits have continued to rise.

Correct Answer: $40 trillion

A person suffering from ophidiophobia would probably be most uncomfortable watching which of these movies?

Jaws
101 Dalmatians
The Birds
Snakes on a Plane

Fact: Ophidiophobia is the intense fear of snakes, making Snakes on a Plane a particularly frightening choice for anyone with the condition. The 2006 film stars Samuel L. Jackson as an FBI agent battling hundreds of venomous snakes deliberately released aboard a passenger jet. The term ophidiophobia comes from the Greek word ophis, meaning “snake,” combined with phobia, meaning “fear.” Fear of snakes is one of the most common animal-related phobias and can range from mild discomfort to severe anxiety triggered by simply thinking about snakes.

Correct Answer: Snakes on a Plane

Which plant often hosts the eggs of the common blue?

A. Wild rose
B. Lavender
C. Bird’s-foot trefoil

Fact: The female common blue butterfly often lays eggs on bird’s-foot trefoil, a plant whose leaves serve as food for the emerging caterpillars.

Correct Answer: Bird’s-foot trefoil

What is the main role ants play for common blue caterpillars?

A. Protect from predators
B. Build their cocoons
C. Help them fly faster

Fact: Ants are attracted to the honeydew produced by common blue caterpillars and, in return, often protect them from predators.

Correct Answer: Help them fly faster

How do male common blue butterflies get their wing color?

A. Light reflection
B. Pollen coating
C. Pigment cells

Fact: The bright blue color of male common blue butterflies comes from microscopic wing structures that reflect light rather than from pigments.

Correct Answer: Light reflection

Before it was the site of a famous battle, what was the Alamo?

Church
Prison
Hospital
Military fort

Fact: The Alamo was established in 1718 as a Spanish mission and church known as Mission San Antonio de Valero. Spanish missionaries used it to spread Christianity among Native Americans in the region. After serving as a religious mission for decades, the site was secularized and later used by Spanish and Mexican military forces. The Alamo became legendary in 1836, when a small group of Texan defenders held off a much larger Mexican army for 13 days. Their defeat inspired the famous rallying cry, “Remember the Alamo!”

Correct Answer: Church

What restaurant chain was known for its iconic orange roof?

Shoney’s
Bob Evans
Friendly’s
Howard Johnson’s

Fact: Howard Johnson’s became famous for its distinctive orange roofs, which made its restaurants instantly recognizable. Founded by Howard Deering Johnson in 1925, the company expanded rapidly along highways and eventually operated more than 1,000 restaurants across the country. The chain was also known for its fried clams and its famous selection of 28 ice cream flavors. Once one of America’s largest restaurant chains, Howard Johnson’s gradually declined amid growing competition. Its last remaining restaurant closed in 2022.

Correct Answer: Howard Johnson’s

What is the only dog breed specifically mentioned in the Bible?

Chow Chow
Greyhound
Cocker Spaniel
Basset Hound

Fact: Dogs are mentioned in the Bible 14 times. The only breed of dog mentioned by name in the Bible is the greyhound (Proverbs 30:29-31, King James Version). “There be three things which do well, yea, Which are comely in going; A lion, which is strongest among beasts and Turneth not away from any; A greyhound; A he-goat also.” Many versions, including the King James version, name the Greyhound as one of the “four things stately” in the Proverbs. The fast and graceful greyhound was known in ancient times, at least 3,000 years BC. Its image appears in Egyptian tombs.

Correct Answer: Greyhound

In 1982, Time broke with tradition by naming which non-human recipient its “Man of the Year”?

Space Shuttle
Personal Computer
Cellular Phone
Cable television

Fact: In 1982, Time departed from its tradition of selecting a person or group by naming the personal computer its “Machine of the Year.” The magazine recognized the growing influence of computers as they rapidly moved from offices and laboratories into American homes and became increasingly accessible to ordinary consumers. Time declared that computers were changing how people worked, communicated, learned, and entertained themselves, correctly anticipating the enormous impact personal computing would have on everyday life in the decades ahead.

Correct Answer: Personal Computer

In the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, what is Hobbes?

A boy
A mailman
A tiger
A dog

Fact: Hobbes is a tiger and the best friend of six-year-old Calvin in Bill Watterson’s comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. To Calvin, Hobbes appears as a living, talking tiger who joins him on countless adventures, while everyone else sees Hobbes as an ordinary stuffed toy. Watterson deliberately left the true nature of Hobbes ambiguous, allowing readers to decide whether he actually comes to life or exists that way only through Calvin’s imagination. The comic strip ran from 1985 to 1995 and appeared in more than 2,400 newspapers worldwide.

Correct Answer: A tiger