Tuesday Trivia

1. What is the Greek meaning of the word Utopia (the name of the perfect island society created by Sir Thomas More)?
2. How long did it take Noah Webster to complete the first Webster’s English Dictionary?
3. Which children’s author wrote his first book in 1936 while crossing the Atlantic on a luxury liner?
4. What was the inspiration for the title of the long-running TV mystery series "Murder, She Wrote" starring Angela Lansbury?
5. Which celebrated British author insisted on facing North as a part of his writing process?

Last Week's Answers

What first name did Arthur Conan Doyle give to his famous detective before he came up with Sherlock?
Sherringford. The name was used in a short story Doyle wrote in 1886. Holmes's sidekick in the story was called Ormond Sacker — soon to be renamed Thomas Watson.

Which poet was the first American to have indoor plumbing?
The first American to have indoor plumbing was Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1840.

Who is the world’s youngest published author?
The youngest documented author is Dorothy Straight who was first published when she was only 4 years old. She wrote How the World Began, in 1964, for her grandmother.

Where does the phrase “good night, sleep tight” come from?
In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes so that when you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on.

What percentage of all publications sold in Japan are comic books?
20% of all publications sold in Japan are comic books. In the US it is only 3%.