Below are a number of geographical facts together with what they apply to. Your challenge is to guess what would come 2nd in each respect. Just post your guesses. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.

1.Most spoken language in the United States
English

2.Longest river in the world
Nile

3.African country with the northernmost point
Tunisia


4.African country with the southernmost point
South Africa

5.Largest desert in Africa
Sahara

6.Largest desert in Asia
Arabian

7.Biggest island in the Mediterranean Sea
Sicily

8.Most populous African country
Nigeria

9.Country with the highest population density
Monaco

10.National capital closest to Madrid
Andorra la Vella

11.First country alphabetically
Afghanistan

12.Smallest Australian State by population (Northern Territory is not a State)
Tasmania

13.Southernmost capital city in Europe
Valletta

14. Continent with the highest peak
Asia

15.Most populous town in Kent
Maidstone

16.Most populous island
Java

17.Canadian province with the smallest land area
Prince Edward Island

18.Most populous national capital starting with T
Tokyo

19.Most spoken language in Switzerland
German

20.Northernmost national capital
Reykjavík

Can you guess these Japanese words that have sneaked into the English language over the years? Some fairly easy – others perhaps less so. Just post your guesses.

1.Artistic paper folding

2.Miniaturized tree

3.Vinegared rice and raw fish

4.Large sea wave caused by seismic shifts

5.Japanese wrestling style

6.Sing-along with pre-recorded backup music

7.9x9 number puzzle

8.17 syllable poem

9.Suicide bomber

10.Japanese comic book

11.Green condiment used with 3 above

12.Formal Japanese robe

13.Rice wine

14,Ornamental carp

15.Box lunch

16.Lightly battered fried veggies, etc...

17.Thin mattress on a foldable frame

18.Fresh green soybeans

19.Military ruler of feudal Japan

20.Crescent-shaped dumpling

21.Asian radish

Today I’m looking for the first names of the spouses of the last ten UK Prime Ministers. Just post your guesses and give everyone a chance. If you’re like me at all, you’ll be more familiar with the older ones than those more recent 😎.

PS. Only one spouse per PM so not counting Marina Wheeler who was separated from Boris Johnson when he became PM and later divorced.

Below are a number of aspects in respect of which the USA comes first. Your challenge is to guess the countries that come 2nd and 3rd in each aspect. Just post your guesses against the respective number of the aspect. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.

1.Most English speakers (native)

2.Largest economy at current exchange rates

3.Most military arms exports

4.Highest population in the Western Hemisphere

5.Most Nobel Prizes won

6.Highest crude oil production (2023)

7.Most modern Olympic games hosted (through 2032)

8.Most English speakers (total)

9.Most 100 meter dash gold medals

10.Highest Christian population

11.Busiest airport (2023)

12.Greatest total length of ski slopes

13.Most Grand Slam tennis titles (Open Era)

14.Greatest cheese production (2022)

15.Earliest declaration of independence in the Americas

16.Most immigrants

17.Birthplace of the most Major League baseball players

18.Country flag with the most stars

19.Most populous countries whose name ends in S

20.Highest market value of their most valuable corporation

Below is another list of 12 fruits or vegetables. Each one of these grows either On a cactus, Straight out of the ground, On a tree or Under the ground. What you have to do is guess in which way each of them grows – so you have to provide 12 names in a list in one post naming the fruit/vegetable with the way in which it grows. BUT ensure that you start with those you are certain are correct and leave any less certain answers to the end because the winner will be the answer whose list contains the most correct names until an incorrect one appears (or whose list contains all 12 correct answers of course). I hope this is clear but do let me know if you are uncertain.

Star Fruit

Lychee

Pistachio

Acai berry

Nopales

Wasabi

Cassava

Salsify

Rambutan

Parsley

Endive

Prickly pear

Below is a list of 24 world events from the last 150 years. What you have to do is guess in which year each of them occurred (your guess will count if it comes within 10 years of the event - that is plus or minus 5 years) – so you have to provide a list in one post naming the year against the event (just the number of the event will do). BUT ensure that you start with those you are certain are correct and leave any less certain answers to the end because the winner will be the answer whose list contains the most correct names until an incorrect one appears (or whose list contains all 24 correct answers of course). I hope this is clear but do let me know if you are uncertain.

1.The Tsar of Russia is deposed

2.Windows 1.0 is released

3.The Wright Brothers' first flight

4.The first year of the Baby Boom in the U.S. and Europe

5.Ayatollah Khomeini takes charge in Iran

6.Spanish Flu pandemic begins

7."Space Invaders" debuts in arcades

8.First cartoon featuring Mickey Mouse

9.Disneyland opens in Anaheim, CA

10.Toyota releases the Prius, the first hybrid car

11.Michael Jackson born

12.Chicken McNuggets introduced

13.The first Rock and Roll concert

14.Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reach the summit of Mount Everest

15.Volkswagen founded

16.Algeria becomes independent from France

17.Newspapers report that a "flying saucer" has been captured near Roswell, NM

18.Panama Canal opens

19.The bikini is invented by French designer Louis Réard

20.Christian Barnard performs the first successful heart transplant

21.Roger Bannister runs a mile in less than 4 minutes

22.Ned Kelly is hanged in Melbourne, Australia

23.Lizzie Borden was accused of murdering her parents in Massachusetts

24.Hillary Clinton elected to Congress as the Senator for New York

Below are the names of some of the most highly populated cities in respective US States. Twelve of these cities are also the state capital but can you guess which ones they are? So, you have to provide 12 cities in a list in one post BUT ensure that you start with those you are certain are correct and leave any less certain answers to the end because the winner will be the answer whose list contains the most correct names until an incorrect one appears (or whose list contains all 12 correct answers of course). I hope this is clear but do let me know if you are uncertain. Just post your guess list.

Huntsville Alabama
Anchorage Alaska
Phoenix Arizona
Little Rock Arkansas
Los Angeles California
Denver Colorado
Bridgeport Connecticut
Wilmington Delaware
Jacksonville Florida
Atlanta Georgia
Boise Idaho
Wichita Kansas
Louisville Kentucky
New Orleans Louisiana
Baltimore Maryland
Boston Massachusetts
Detroit Michigan
Jackson Mississippi
Newark New Jersey
Albuquerque New Mexico
Columbus Ohio
Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Providence Rhode Island
Charleston South Carolina
Sioux Falls South Dakota
Nashville Tennessee
Salt Lake City Utah
Charleston West Virginia

Below is a list of 22 Elvis Presley hit singles of which 10 made No. 1 in the UK charts. What you have to do is guess which those 10 were – so you have to provide 10 singles in a list in one post BUT ensure that you start with those you are certain are correct and leave any less certain answers to the end because the winner will be the answer whose list contains the most correct names until an incorrect one appears (or whose list contains all 10 correct answers of course). I hope this is clear but do let me know if you are uncertain. Just post your guess list.

Heartbreak Hotel

Hound Dog/Don’t be Cruel

Love me Tender

All Shook Up

Teddy Bear/Loving you

Jailhouse Rock

King Creole

One Night

A Fool Such as I

Stuck on You

Surrender

His Latest Flame/Little Sister

Return to Sender

Blue Christmas

Guitar Man

In the Ghetto

Suspicious Minds

The Wonder of You

Burning Love

Moody Blue

Way Down

A Little Less Conversation

Below is a list of 12 fruits or vegetables. Each one of these grows either

(1) On a cactus,
(2) Straight out of the ground,
(3) On a tree or
(4) Under the ground.

What you have to do is guess in which way each of them grows – so you have to provide 12 names in a list in one post naming the fruit/vegetable with the way in which it grows (you can use the numbers for the growth method) . BUT ensure that you start with those you are certain are correct and leave any less certain answers to the end because the winner will be the answer whose list contains the most correct names until an incorrect one appears (or whose list contains all 12 correct answers of course). I hope this is clear but do let me know if you are uncertain.

Pomegranite
Dragonfruit
Pak choi
Duran
Sweet potato
Ginseng
Jerusalem artichoke
Rocket
Papaya
Persimmon
Kohlrabi
Saguaro fruit

Twelve dingbats – can you guess the expression/phrase? Just post your guesses.

This one aims to stretch your knowledge of royal family history. Below are pairs of English or British Monarchs. Your challenge is to guess the relationship of one to the other. So, for example, to George V – Elizabeth II the answer would be Grandfather – Granddaughter. Below is a chart which may assist you to identify the relationship. Good luck.

1. William I – Stephen …

2. William II – Henry II …

3. Richard I – Edward I …

4. Edward I – Edward III …

5. Richard II – Henry IV …

6. Edward VI – Elizabeth I …

7. Mary I – James I …

8. William III – Mary II …

9. Queen Anne – George I …

10. George III – Victoria …

11. Edward VIII – Charles III …

Can you identify the only European country which:

1.has roads with no speed limits

2.borders both Poland and Hungary

3.doesn't have mosquitos

4.has one billionaire per 10,000 citizens

5.uses the Lev as its currency

6.has an orange stripe on its flag

7.has the death penalty

8.doesn't have an "A" or "E" in its name

9.has a capital whose name starts with K

10.has an average elevation above 1,500 meters

11.has a trillion dollar sovereign wealth fund

12.Is ruled by a seven-person council

13.is doubly landlocked

14.is an absolute monarchy

15.gets 40% of its power from wind

Just post your guesses.

Everyone (well many of us anyway) has their favourite ‘go to’ restaurant. A recent poll of 7,500 people in the UK produced a list of the top 10 restaurant chains as per the poll. Can you guess which chains they were? Just post your guesses.

PS. I suspect that those polled may well be fairly young and based in a large city or town - especially Greater London.

Following on from the last quiz:

1. Which country has the longest long name? You can answer with the short name.

2. Which European coutry is the only country whose long name does not include its short name either in whole or in part?

Countries have short names and long names (e.g. Commonwealth of Australia). Can you guess the 10 words that appear at least five times in the official long names of the countries of the world? Below shows the total number of occurencies and the number in the continent which has the most. Just post your guesses.

155
Africa (50) - Of

130
Africa (47) - Republic

17
Europe (7) - Kingdom

11
Africa (5) - The

9
Asia (5) - Democratic

9
Asia (3) - State

7
North America (4) - And

5
Africa (3) - Federal

5
Asia (4) - People's

5
North America (2) - United

Sixteen clues to the name of a city in Italy. Just post your guesses.

1.Capital of Piedmont. Headquarters of Fiat.

2.Where Dante and Machiavelli were born

3."Romeo and Juliet" was set here

4.Christopher Columbus's hometown

5.Capital of Sicily

6.Home of the world's oldest university, founded in 1088

7.City that gives its name to a type of ham and a type of cheese

8.The largest city in Italy's heel

9.Easternmost city in northern Italy

10.Capital of Sardinia

11.Birthplace of Galileo Galilei

12.City near Switzerland that is on a lake of the same name

13.Sicilian city which was once the largest Greek colony

14.Formerly part of Austria, it was the site of an ecumenical council in the 1500s

15.Capital of the Roman Empire during its dying days which is known for its mosaics

16.City in Italy's heel which was the southern terminus of the Appian Way

Who has the record for having won the most Oscars? They've won 22 and the next highest won 11.

What you be doing if you decided to hurkle-durkle?

Sixteen single clues to the name of a country. Just post your guesses.

1. Suffered a 9.0 earthquake in 2011

2. Located mostly on the peninsula of Jutland

3.About 750,000 people migrated from this country to Germany in the 2010s

4.Despite misconceptions, Alexander the Great was not born here

5.Its national anthem is "God Bless the Sultan"

6.The only country in Central America with English as an official language

7.Has more llamas than any other country

8.Connected via bridge to Saudi Arabia

9.Country that is 27% Shia, 27% Sunni, 41% Christian, and 5% Druze

10.Composed of Bohemia, Moravia, and part of Silesia

11.Its language can be written in Bokmål or Nynorsk forms

12.Broke away from Ethiopia in 1993

13.Has the highest percentage of territory below sea level (26%)

14.Formerly known as the Gilbert Islands, this country spans all four hemispheres

15.Sandwiched between Togo and Nigeria

16.World's largest landlocked country

What is the word used fo the prongs on a fork or the grooves on a ceramic tap gland?

Today I’m looking for the 20 countries (UN Member States) that have the coldest average annual temperature. Just post your guesses a few at a time.

What is a vagitus?

Below are the names of 11 Roman Gods – can you name the Greek equivalent? Just post your guesses a few at a time.


1.Jupiter

2.Neptune

3.Venus

4.Pluto

5.Mars

6.Minerva

7.Juno

8.Mercury

9.Diana

10.Cupid

11.Faunus

Ten well known sporting events but when was the event first held? Just post your guesses with a list of all 10 events in the order you think they took place starting with the earliest. Just put them in order – I’m not looking for the actual year.

Derby

Wimbledon

FA Cup Final

Test match in England

Open Golf Championship

Formula one world championship race

Winter Olympics

Modern Olympics

Professional Snooker Championship

Grand National

Below is a list of all the EU member states. What you have to do is guess which of them are majority Catholic countries (there are 11 in total) – so you have to provide 11 names in a list in one post. BUT ensure that you start with those you are certain are correct and leave any less certain names to the end because the winner will be the answer whose list contains the most correct names until an incorrect one appears (or whose list contains all 10 correct answers of course). I hope this is clear but do let me know if you are uncertain.

Ireland
France
Spain
Portugal
Belgium
Netherlands
Luxembourg
Germany
Sweden
Denmark
Finland
Malta
Italy
Austria
Poland
Czechia
Slovakia
Hungary
Slovenia
Croatia
Cyprus
Greece
Romania
Bulgaria
Latvia
Estonia
Lithuania

The list of English cities/towns below contains 10 which are county towns. What you have to do is guess which they are – so you have to provide 10 names in a list in one post. BUT ensure that you start with those you are certain are correct and leave any less certain names to the end because the winner will be the answer whose list contains the most correct names until an incorrect one appears (or whose list contains all 10 correct answers of course). I hope this is clear but do let me know if you are uncertain.


Hereford
Newport
Sheffield
Swindon
Aylesbury
Lincoln
Leeds
Derby
Chichester
Morpeth
Colchester
Blackburn
Shrewsbury
Penzance
Plymouth
Trowbridge
Scarborough
Canterbury
Buckingham
Beverley
Winchester

The list below of 20 animals contains 10 which are mammals. What you have to do is guess which ones are the mammals – so you have to provide 10 names in a list in one post. BUT ensure that you start with those you are certain are correct and leave any less certain names to the end because the winner will be the answer whose list contains the most correct names until an incorrect one appears (or whose list contains all 10 correct answers of course). I hope this is clear but do let me know if you are uncertain.


Grison
Wisent
Agama
Lumpsucker
Arapaima
Yapok
Ratel
Tyrant
Jacamar
Kakapo
Nyala
Titmouse
Gecko
Dik-dik
Kinkajou
Bulbul
Indri
Potoroo
Bonobo
Anole

.... quizzers

The 10 most common surnames in the UK are included in the list of 20 names below. What you have to do is guess which of the names appears in that top 10 – so you have to provide 10 names in a list in one post. BUT ensure that you start with those you are certain are correct and leave less certain names to the end because the winner will be the answer whose list contains the most correct names until an incorrect one appears (or whose list contains all 10 correct answers of course). I hope this is clear but do let me know if you are uncertain.


Smith
Jones
Jackson
Clark/Clarke
Williams
Brown
White
Richards
Edwards
Roberts
Wright
Taylor
Davies/Davis
Wilson
Evans
Hughes
Thomas
Johnson
Green/Greene
Thomson/Thompson

A lot of countries have a currency in Dollars (not just linked to eg the US$) some of which are included in the list below. These are mixed with 10 countries that do not use Dollars as their unit of currency. What you have to do is guess which the non-Dollar currency countries are – so you have to provide 10 countries in a list in one post. BUT ensure that you start with those you are certain are correct and leave less certain names to the end because the winner will be the answer whose list contains the most correct names until an incorrect one appears (or whose list contains all 10 correct answers of course). I hope this is clear but do let me know if you are uncertain.

Agentina
Barbados
Brunei
Bahamas
Belize
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Fiji
Guyana
Jamaica
Liberia
Marshall Islands
FS of Micronesia
Namibia
Nauru
Palau
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Samoa
Singapore
Solomon Islands
Tanzania
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Vanuatu
Zimbabwe

Something a bit different. China has a land border with 14 countries all of which are included in the list below. What you have to do is guess which they are – so you have to provide 14 countries in a list in one post. BUT ensure that you start with those you are certain are correct and leave less certain names to the end because the winner will be the answer whose list contains the most correct names until an incorrect one appears (or whose list contains all 14 correct answers of course). I hope this is clear but do let me know if you are uncertain.


Afghanistan
India
North Korea
Bangladesh
Turkmenistan
Vietnam
Russia
Kyrgyzstan
South Korea
Laos
Turkmenistan
Tajikistan
Jordan
Nepal
Uzbekistan
Iran
Malaysia
Pakistan
Thailand
Kazakhstan
Azerbaijan
Cambodia
Mongolia
Bhutan
Myanmar

Today I’m looking for the 12 traditional birthstones according to the International Gem Society website. The December birthstone has two stones – either would count. You don’t have to relate the birthstone to the actual month. How many can you guess?

What's the word for when your tummy rumbles or when you walk unsteadily?

I'm looking for the ten most populous urban areas that aren't the capital city of their country. Just post your guesses.

What is an aglet?

What is 'petrichor' ?

I’m looking for the ten countries that have the highest level of oil reserves. How many can you guess?

All you have to do in this one is to guess what it is that links the three things. If there should be more than one valid reason you have to get the one I had in mind. Just post your guesses.

To what does the word Glabella refer?

Today I'm looking for the 20 most-followed Twitter users. The list below shows what to expect - how many followers and singer/politician etc. Just post your guesses.

PS. I'm not expecting you to match your guess to any particular place in the list.


1. 202 m Billionaire

2. 132 m Politician

3. 113 m Athlete

4. 110 m Singer

5. 109 m Singer

6. 106 m Singer

7. 103 m Politician

8. 95.2 m Singer

9. 91.7 m Politician

10. 85.3 m Singer

11. 83.3 m Govt. agency

12. 83.0 m Singer

13. 79.8 m Website

14. 75. 3m Reality star

15. 73.9 m TV host

16. 68.6 m App

17. 65.9 m Actress / singer

18. 65.7 m Billionaire

19. 65.4 m Athlete

20. 64.9 m TV station

Had to follow up with this one. I’m looking for the twenty most popular girls’ names in the UK in 2023 (according to the BBC website). How many can you guess?

Oddly enough, the 20th name is again another example of one of which I can't personally recall anyone using.

I’m looking for the twenty most popular boys’ names in the UK in 2023 (according to the BBC website). How many can you guess?

I’m looking for the names of any world city which ranks higher than New York City in each of the following respects. How many cities there are to name is given in brackets. Just post your guesses.

1. Most populous urban area in the Americas (1)

2. Northernmost megacity with urban population > 10 million (4)

3. Most skyscrapers (1)

4. Oldest continuously-inhabited city in the 50 states of the U.S.(6)

5. Most airport passengers (counting all airports serving the city) (1)

6. City with the most valuable sports franchise (hint: the most valuable is an NFL team) (1)

7. Most populous city in the U.S. in 1776 (1)

8. Most metro rail stations (3)

9. Most populous urban area whose city centre is on an island (4)

10. Urban area with the most Jewish people (1)

11. Urban area with the earliest pizza restaurant (3)

12. Most populous urban area which was once a Dutch colony (1)

I'm looking for the names of the 10 longest-running West End musicals. How many can you name? Just post your guesses.

... in their younger days?

There are 11 elements whose presence in the human body is essential to life. How many can you name? Just post your guesses.

Twenty countries are considered to be the mostly "underpopulated" based on how many people they would have to add before their population density was the same as the global average? How many can you guess?

What is unusual about the Lake of Menteith in Stirling in Scotland?

Can you name the 20 countries of the world where the highest % of adults have a Body Mass Index of 30 or greater? Just post your guesses