Common Trivia, or not? by GelinasT

People frequently ask the question, 'What is the only manmade object that is observable from the moon?' The answer is of course, 'The Great Wall of China' according to the askers of this question...but is it? In honor of this frequently asked question, here's another! What do the Chinese people call the Great Wall?

Here are two popular ones for the price of one: 'Who was the 'mad monk' of Russian history?' and 'What was the nickname of the Russian 'holy man' Gregory Efimovich?' Since we all know the answer to both questions is Rasputin, I shan't regale you by asking once again! However, I will ask...what does the name Rasputin mean?

Oh yes, here's one of my favorites, 'What is the largest fish in the ocean?' The trick here is to understand that a whale shark is a fish, and not a whale! Strangely, a question that never gets asked, which of these has long been considered the world's smallest fish?

'What is the capital of Australia?' seems to be another favorite amongst quizmakers in the general category. Perhaps the Aussies wish to giggle while watching their pals in America, England, etc. answer foolishly by clicking the little button next to 'Sydney' or 'Melbourne'. The clever ones amongst us know that the answer is Canberra! Speaking of Canberra, what does that name mean in Aboriginal lingo?

Here's one that you must have heard...'Which artist painted a mustache and goatee on the Mona Lisa?' The answer is of course Marcel Duchamp, but do you know the female pseudonym that he often used to sign his paintings?

This one is an oldie but a goodie...'Which common word changes its pronunciation when the first letter is capitalized?' The answer: polish, the verb that becomes a proper adjective or noun describing a nationality, Polish, when the first letter is capitalized! But that question isn't very fun...let's try a more exciting one. Which English word, meaning a teeming crowd or swarm, came to us from the Polish language?

Another classic is, 'From what wood was Noah's ark made?'? If you 'go for' it, you know it is 'gopher wood'! Speaking of wood, Pando, possibly the heaviest living organism on the globe at about 6,600 tons, is a member of which tree species?

'Which player was the last to hit at over a .400 average in Major League Baseball?' The answer, so far anyways, is Ted Williams, who hit .406 in 1941. But only a true baseball fan will know what was Williams' batting line during the final game of that season?

T.V. fanatics ought to be familiar with this question, 'What was the name of Colonel Potter's horse on the television show M*A*S*H?' Sophie? So good! But we can find something a little more challenging to ask than that, can we not? Here's a possibility...which of these regular or semi-regular M*A*S*H actors was the first to pass away? Mclean Stevenson Johnny Haymer Edward Winter Larry Linville

A common question about cinema and calendar events is to ask what is celebrated on February 2 (in the US) and is also the name of a film? Unless you're too young to remember the movie, you know the answer is Groundhog Day. But do you know how Punxsutawney Phil gets his longevity, according to groundhog. org?

"Globe" and "Jerusalem" are types of what? The answer to this very common trivia question is Artichoke. You might consider this related question a bit of "Stretch", but what is the name of the Jewish man who invented the Globetrotters?

Certainly this quiz wouldn't be complete without referring to the famous question, 'On which island was Napoleon exiled following his defeat at Waterloo?' Heck...everyone knows it's St. Helena, that tiny little island in the south Atlantic. Here's something that you may not know, though...on which ship did he make the 10 week trek to St. Helena?