A Little More

QUESTION: What was the original name of the drink Coca-Cola released to compete with Dr Pepper?

ANSWER: Peppo

A LITTLE MORE: First introduced as “Peppo” to compete against Dr Pepper, the name was changed to “Mr. Pibb” after Dr Pepper sued The Coca-Cola Company for trademark infringement. The original test markets for Mr. Pibb in 1972 were located in Waco, Texas the birthplace of Dr Pepper, before the company moved to Dallas, Texas. In 1980, Mr. Pibb was reformulated and marketed with the words “New Taste” printed prominently on the products.

QUESTION: Self-rising flour contains what crucial ingredient?

ANSWER: Baking Powder

A LITTLE MORE: Self-rising flour contains three crucial ingredients: All-Purpose Flour, Baking Powder, Salt. The combination of these three ingredients in self-rising flour makes it a convenient option for recipes where leavening is needed, such as biscuits and pancakes, as it eliminates the need to separately measure and add baking powder and salt.

QUESTION: Who holds The New York Times record for most #1 New York Times best sellers by a single author?

ANSWER: James Patterson

A LITTLE MORE: Patterson has had more than 114 New York Times bestselling novels, and holds The New York Times record for most #1 New York Times best sellers by a single author – 67 – which is also a Guinness World Record.

QUESSTION: What two-time All Big Eight defensive back at Colorado won three U.S. Open Golf titles?

ANSWER: Hale Irwin

A LITTLE MORE: The two-time All Big Eight defensive back at Colorado who won three U.S. Open Golf titles is Hale Irwin. Hale Irwin played college football at the University of Colorado and later went on to have a successful career as a professional golfer, winning the U.S. Open in golf three times (1974, 1979, and 1990).

QUESTION: According to Statista, as of January 2023, what is the most popular social media platform worldwide with over 2.9 billion monthly active users?

ANSWER: Facebook

A LITTLE MORE: Facebook – 2.958, YouTube – 2.514, whatsApp – 2.000, Instagram – 2.000, WeChat – 1.309, TikTok – 1.051

QUESTION: Who was never an official permanent host of “The Tonight Show”?

ANSWER: David Letterman

A LITTLE MORE: The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 2010–2014), Conan O’Brien (2009–2010), and Jimmy Fallon (2014–present). Among Carson’s regular guest hosts were Joey Bishop, David Letterman, Joan Rivers, David Brenner, and Jay Leno, although the practice has been mostly abandoned since hosts currently prefer reruns to showcasing potential rivals.

QUESTION: Which entertainer has hosted “Saturday Night Live” the most times?

ANSWER: Alec Baldwin

A LITTLE MORE: Actor Alec Baldwin holds the record for most times hosting, having done so seventeen times since 1990; Baldwin took the record from actor Steve Martin who has hosted sixteen times since 1976. Those who have hosted the most times through the decades include Alec Baldwin (17), Steve Martin (16), John Goodman (13), Tom Hanks (10) and Buck Henry (10).

QUESTION: Janis Joplin was not the first person to hit the charts with ‘Me And Bobby McGee’. Who first sang their way onto the charts with the song?

ANSWER: Roger Miller

A LITTLE MORE: Roger Miller hit #12 on the Country singles chart in 1969; Janis hit #14 in 1971. Kris Kristofferson wrote the song and released it in 1971. Gordon Lightfoot in 1971 and Willie Nelson in 1979.

QUESTION: What color are the sunsets on Mars?

ANSWER: Blue

A LITTLE MORE: Mars has plenty of red-colored iron oxide and therefore is called the red planet. A sunset on Mars is blue, thanks to its atmosphere. If you ever have the chance to look at the images of a sunset in Mars, you’re in for a surprise!

QUESTION: Bruxism is the medical term for what condition?

ANSWER: Teeth Grinding

A LITTLE MORE: Bruxism, also known as teeth grinding, is a medical condition characterized by the grinding or clenching of teeth. It can occur unconsciously during both day and night, and is often related to stress or anxiety.

QUESTION: While unidentified flying objects are called UFOs, the acronym UAP is used when describing unexplainable sights. UAP stands for what?

ANSWER: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena

A LITTLE MORE: UFOs: Unidentified flying objects, commonly mistaken as alien spacecraft. UAPs: Unidentified aerial phenomena, used to describe unexplainable sights

QUESTION: ‘Succession’ star Brian Cox was the first actor to play which iconic horror movie villain?

ANSWER: Hannibal Lecter

A LITTLE MORE: Manhunter is a 1986 American thriller film directed and written by Michael Mann. Based on the 1981 novel Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, it stars William Petersen as FBI profiler Will Graham. Also featured are Tom Noonan as serial killer Francis Dollarhyde, Dennis Farina as Graham’s FBI superior Jack Crawford, and Brian Cox as incarcerated killer Hannibal Lecktor. The film focuses on Graham coming out of retirement to lend his talents to an investigation on Dollarhyde, a killer known as the Tooth Fairy. In doing so, he must confront the demons of his past and meet with Lecktor, who nearly killed Graham.

QUESTION: Which of the following is NOT officially considered to be an island?

ANSWER: Australia

A LITTLE MORE: Australia sits on its own tectonic plate, which essentially declassifies it from being an island. Also, According to Britannica, an island is a mass of land that is both “entirely surrounded by water” and also “smaller than a continent.” By that definition, Australia can’t be an island because it’s already a continent.

QUESTION: Which member of the “Our Gang/Little Rascals” cast was shot to death in a dispute at age 31?

ANSWER: Alfalfa

A LITTLE MORE: On January 21, 1959, Carl Dean Switzer, the actor who played Alfalfa in the “Our Gang” comedy film series, was shot to death at age 31. The incident occurred during a fight, allegedly about money, in a Mission Hills, California, home.

QUESTION: Which comedian coined the pejorative term: “Karen”?

ANSWER: Dane Cook

A LITTLE MORE: His 2005 comedy album contains a riff called “The Friend Nobody Likes”: “There is one person in a group of friends that nobody likes,” Mr. Cook says, using an expletive to emphasize how much they are, in fact, disliked. “They basically keep them there to hate their guts. When that person is not around the rest of your little base camp, your hobby is cutting that person down.” As an “example” of this person, he describes a woman named Karen.