Fowl play

Test your knowledge with a Thanksgiving trivia quiz, By Sally McKee When your guests are nearly comatose from overindulging (again!), here is something fun to do. Challenge your relatives and friends to our Thanksgiving trivia quiz. It takes about 20 minutes but will provide a nice break between that third piece of pumpkin pie and the fourth quarter of the football game. Give the winner a prize. Maybe a pie. QUESTIONS 1. What was the name of the Pilgrim leader who invited the neighboring Wampanoag Indians to the first Thanksgiving? A. Bill Cosby B. Miles Standish C. Gov. William Bradford D. Thomas Jefferson 2. Who wanted to make the turkey the national bird of the United States of America? A. Benjamin Franklin B. Thomas Jefferson C. Joey on “Friends” D. George Washington E. Colonel Sanders 3. What drink did the Puritans bring with them on the Mayflower? A. Jones sodas B. Beer C. Wine D. Apple cider E. Yoo-Hoos 4. What state has the largest number of turkey eaters? A. Massachusetts B. Illinois C. New York D. California E. Idaho 5. What do you call that thing that hangs off the turkey’s beak? A. Wattle B. Drool C. Soul patch D. Flatolla E. Snood 6. Who recorded the song “Macy’s Day Parade”? A. The Beatles B. The Who C. Michael Jackson D. Clay Aiken E. Green Day 7. Where can you find the most turkeys in the United States? A. Minnesota B. The White House C. Hawaii D. Virginia E. Indiana 8. How fast can wild turkeys fly? A. They can’t fly B. Only Butterballs can fly C. 55 mph D. 5 mph, with the wind E. 10 mph 9. Which wild bird was NOT on the Pilgrims’ Thanksgiving menu in 1621? A. Turkey B. Duck C. Bald eagle D. Goose 10. What historic landmark is known as the place where the Pilgrims landed in America? A. Pilgrim Rock B. Patriot’s Rock C. Plymouth Rock D. Pet Rock E. Kid Rock 11. The baby born aboard the Mayflower was named: A. Seamus B. Miles C. Thomas D. Madonna E. Oceanus 12. Which of these U.S. presidents could claim Mayflower ancestry? A. Richard Nixon B. George Washington C. Robin Williams D. George Bush E. John F. Kennedy 13. The custom of watching football games on Thanksgiving Day evolved during the early decades of the 20th century. Traditionally, which two National Football League teams host games on Thanksgiving Day? A. Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys B. Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins C. Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals D. Houston Oilers and Cleveland Browns 14. What is the turkey trot? A. A ragtime dance B. The gait of a horse C. A card game D. The way a turkey runs E. What happens to you after that third piece of pumpkin pie 15. Most folks know that Americans celebrate a thanksgiving day, but they aren’t alone. What event is celebrated in the Virgin Islands on Oct. 25? A. A thanksgiving day to celebrate the end of the harvest season B. A thanksgiving day to rejoice in the end of the hurricane season C. A thanksgiving day to mark the beginning of the harvest season D. A thanksgiving day to celebrate the end of tourist season E. There is no such event - Questions courtesy of the many Thanksgiving trivia sites on the Internet. ANSWERS 1. C. It was Gov. William Bradford who invited them. The reason they were invited is because they were the ones who taught the Pilgrims to cultivate the land, thus making it possible for them to survive. 2. A. Benjamin Franklin, but he was opposed by Thomas Jefferson. Legend has it that Franklin then named the male turkey a “tom turkey” to spite Jefferson. (The female is called a “hen turkey” and the baby a “poult.”) 3. B. Beer. Really. 4. D. Californians are the biggest turkey eaters in the country. They eat three pounds more turkey than the average American consumer. 5. E. The flesh-like appendage that dangles from a turkey’s forehead is called the “snood.” It’s very long on male turkeys and hangs down over the beak. The wattle is the fleshy red growth at the turkey’s neck. When a tom is feeling amorous, the wattle and the snood become very bright red. 6. E. “Macy’s Day Parade” was the final single and is the final track of Green Day’s album “Warning.” It also appears on the compilation album “International Superhits!” and the live EP “Tune in Tokyo.” 7. A. Minnesota. 44.5 million is the estimate of the number of turkeys Minnesota raised in 2005. The Gopher State is tops in turkey production. It is followed by North Carolina (36 million), Arkansas (29 million), Virginia (21 million), Missouri (20.5 million) and California (15.1 million). These six states together account for about 65 percent of U.S. turkeys produced. 8. C. Wild turkeys can fly for short distances at up to 55 mph. Wild turkeys are also fast on the ground, running at speeds of up to 25 mph. Domesticated turkeys (farm raised) cannot fly. 9. C. The Pilgrims did NOT eat bald eagle on Thanksgiving. If you missed this question, go back for that third piece of pie and give it up. 10. C. Plymouth Rock. Almost a million people visit the famous landmark each year. 11. E. Oceanus Hopkins was born aboard the Mayflower during the Pilgrims’ two-month voyage to America. 12. D. Both George H.W. and George W. Bush are descendants of two Mayflower passengers, John Howland and Francis Cooke. Other U.S. Presidents with Mayflower ancestors are John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Zachary Taylor, Ulysses S. Grant, James Garfield and Franklin D. Roosevelt. 13. A. Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys. High viewership of these holiday games has made football an American Thanksgiving tradition. And for your football trivia, the Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Oilers could not be part of any long-standing tradition as the Panthers and Jaguars were part of the 1995 expansion of the NFL, and the Oilers moved to Tennessee in 1997 to become the Titans. 14. A. A ragtime dance. The turkey trot ragtime dance is characterized by a springy walk with the feet well apart and a swinging up-and-down movement of the shoulders. (Do not try this on a full stomach. See answer E.) 15. B. The Virgin Islands observe a thanksgiving day on Oct. 25 to rejoice in the end of the hurricane season.