©05 The Media Desk
http://themediadesk.com
It got another one. A quiz to see if it was paying attention.
Well. Somebody wasn't. And evidently they had time to write the quiz.
Call the Desk picky, or say that it has nothing better to do, but, come on, if you are saying an answer to a trivia question is correct, well... damnit... Make Sure It's RIGHT!
Most of the 'CORRECT' answers are fine, as far as that goes. Maybe a few of them need rewritten or clarified, but OK, we'll go with it.
But some of them show that the writer of the quiz is either very young or maybe just ignorant, or possibly both.
Part of the problem is their use of the word 'standard'. For example, in the first question, the phrase used is 'Standard Traffic Light'. In some cities traffic control lights are horizontal, with the green to the right.
Below is the quiz, with the included answers, and then, the Desk's questioning of some of the answers with the researched information and link to appropriate document if easily available.
Oh, and just because somebody will ask. The Desk got 20 right BEFORE it started arguing about the answers.
Email SPAM quiz follows. Links will open in new window.
LET'S JUST SEE HOW OBSERVANT YOU REALLY ARE. - If not, just have fun!
Here we go!
- On a standard traffic light, is the green on the top or bottom?
a1. Bottom
Disputed. See above.
- How many states are there in the USA? (Don't laugh, some people don't know.)
a2. 50
- In which hand is the Statue of Liberty's torch?
a3. Right
- What six colors are on the classic Campbell's soup label?
a4. Blue, red, white, yellow, black & gold
Define the term 'Classic'. They were originally gold and black on white. Then they changed to add red sometime later.
www.campbellsoupcompany.com
- What two numbers on the telephone dial don't have letters by them?
a5. 1, 0
(this applies to a numerical keypad as well as the old rotary dial phone)
- When you walk does your left arm swing with your right or left leg? (Don't you dare get up to see!)
a6. Right
- How many matches are in a standard pack?
a7. 20
There's that word 'standard' again. Exactly WHO, pray thee tell, sets the standard for matches in a pack? According to the people that make the matches.... they don't have a 'standard' pack. The one with 20 is 'deluxe' implying that 'standard' would be smaller.
www.diamondbrands.com
- On the United States flag is the top stripe red or white?
a8. Top stripe is and has always been RED.
- What is the lowest number on the FM dial? (Don't look at that dial!)
a9. 87.7
The Second DISPUTED answer.
The FM Radio Band as defined by the FCC is 88 to 108 MHz although there are some low power stations (such as school radio stations, and now a few commercial stations as well) broadcasting at 87.7. They are actually crowding into the frequency used by broadcast TV channel 6. Most radios with dial tuners list 88 as the lowest FM frequency.
www.fcc.gov
hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu
- Which way does water go down the drain, counter or clockwise? (Get out of the bathroom!)
a10. Clockwise (north of the equator)
If they hadn't included the note about the equator, this would be disputed too. Remember it is the WORLD Wide Web, not the American Web.
- Which way does a "no smoking" sign's slash run?
a11. From lower right to upper left
Almost disputed. International standard, www.quitsmoking.com
but you do see some going the other way.
www.suppliesstore.co.uk
www.recsupply.com
- How many channels on a VHF TV dial?
a12. 12 (there is no #1)
Third Disputed Answer. The quiz writer's parentheses is wrong. In some places in the world there is still a channel 1, and even in the US, there WAS a channel 1, and many antique TV's (Prior to the middle 1940's) still have a 1 on their dial.
www.tvhistory.tv
- On which side of a women's blouse are the buttons?
a13. Left
Historical note- this goes WAY back to when 'Ladies' did not dress themselves. The buttons were put on the garment to make it easier for their servants to button.
- Which way do fans rotate?
a14. Clockwise as you look at it from the front.
- How many sides does a stop sign have?
a15. 8
Semi-disputed answer. Some early stop signs were round (and other shapes) and many were yellow as well, although most have been replaced and standardized (and that is the right word in this instance) by law.
www.reoldsmuseum.org
- Do books have even-numbered pages on the right or left side?
a16. Left
- How many lug nuts are on a standard car wheel?
a17. 5
Fourth Disputed Answer. Again it involved the word 'standard'. A 'standard' compact car might have four lugs. A 'standard' larger luxury car may have six or eight.
www.introwheels.com
- How many sides are there on a standard pencil?
a18. 6
A 'standard' pencil? Nevermind.
- Sleepy, Happy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey, Doc. Who's missing?
a19. Bashful
Sidenote. The story is "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." NOT 'Dwarves' as it has been changed in some modern versions. So these would be 'standard' Dwarfs.
- How many hot dog buns are in a standard package?
a20. 8
Again with the 'standard'. But there's 10 hotdogs in their package... go figure.
- On which playing card is the card maker's trademark?
a21. Ace of spades
NOTE: This is a vestige of one of the taxes England levied against its own citizens and by extension, the Colonies. The printer's mark had to be on that card to show the tax had been paid. The tax carried into the last century in the UK. Today there is often a printers marks (and advertising) on the Jokers as well.
- On which side of a Venetian blind is the cord that adjusts the opening between the slats?
a22. Left
This may depend on the manufacturer, but it's not worth the effort to dispute it.
- There are 12 buttons on a touch tone phone. What 2 symbols bear no digits?
a23. * and #
A convention going back to the original rotary dial days.
- How many curves are there in the standard paper clip?
a24. 3
no comment
- Does a merry-go-round turn counter or clockwise?
a25. Counter
Historical note. You may think that this goes back to the 'brass ring' rides of the last century. Well, it does, BUT THAT goes back much further to contraptions rigged for the training of novice horsemen for jousting tournaments sometime before 1700 in Europe. The eager young nobles would ride legless wooden horses suspended from a swing-like mechanism and try to spear rings hanging by a string as they went by. Since most of the nobles were right handed, that arm was placed on the outside. By the 1800's rides we would recognize as today's amusement park staples were in service, many still with the 'grab the ring' feature still found on some historic rides.
For more- see carouselmagic.com
end of spam
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The Media Desk
http://themediadesk.com