Quiz template · Events

Icebreaker quiz for any event

Twelve easy, surprising questions to open a conference, workshop or party, from where Thursday got its name to the colour of a black box.

Easy
12 questions
30 s each · about 9 min
Checked against 12 sources

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An opener for the first ten minutes of any event, while people are still finding their seats. The questions need no special knowledge, so everyone can join in, and most come with a fact that gets the room talking: SOS stands for nothing, and a black box flight recorder is not black at all.

How to run it

Press Go live before people arrive, so the PIN is ready when the doors open.
Put the PIN or QR code on the screen so people join as they sit down.
Start when the room is mostly full and read the fun fact after each answer.

Questions and answers

1Thursday is named after Thunor. What was Thunor linked to?
- AThunder
- BThe sea
- CThe harvest
- DWar
Reveal answer
A. Thunder
Thunor was the Old English deity of thunder. The Norse Thor shares the same roots.
2What does www stand for in a web address?
- AWorld wide window
- BWorld Wide Web
- CWeb world wire
- DWide web world
Reveal answer
B. World Wide Web
The World Wide Web, invented by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN in 1989, is also known as WWW or simply the Web.
3The sandwich is named after an earl of which place?
- ABath
- BCheddar
- CSandwich
- DWorcester
Reveal answer
C. Sandwich
It is named after John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, an 18th-century English aristocrat.
4What do the letters SOS stand for?
- ASave our souls
- BSave our ship
- CSend out support
- DNothing: it began as a Morse code signal
Reveal answer
D. Nothing: it began as a Morse code signal
SOS was a distinctive Morse code sequence, not an abbreviation. Phrases like save our souls were invented later.
5How many keys does a modern standard piano have?
- A76
- B88
- C92
- D100
Reveal answer
B. 88
Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys.
6Which country gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States?
- AFrance
- BThe United Kingdom
- CSpain
- DItaly
Reveal answer
A. France
It was a gift from the people of France, dedicated on 28 October 1886.
7How many players does each team have on the pitch in a football match?
- A9
- B10
- C11
- D12
Reveal answer
C. 11
Association football is played between two teams of 11 players.