# Trick Questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 21, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851 "2005-01-21T02:31:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851/81 "2005-01-23T23:53:12Z")
> [@Garfield226](#): > > Googled for trick questions, eh? > > /found the same site… I didn’t see any answer to the quarter question 😛😃 ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851/82 "2005-01-24T02:02:15Z")
What’s the most unusual feature about the Mona Lisa’s face? [![](http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/vinci/joconde/joconde.jpg) ](http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/vinci/joconde/joconde.jpg) The answer may be here?: [http://www.isidore-of-seville.com/monalisa/index.html](http://www.isidore-of-seville.com/monalisa/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851/83 "2005-01-24T02:52:41Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > This is a thread for those little pieces of trivia you run into which don’t quite conform to what you expect. > > 1. What animal were the Canary Islands named after? I beg to differ with the answer given. In fact, the origin of the name is uncertain. There are several theories and legends. By far, the most likely explaination is that the Islands were named after the [Canarii](http://www.historiaviva.org/canarias/canarii_ing.shtml) people. A less likely answer is that they were named after the birdsong. The verb “to sing” in latin is **canare.** There was a legend that they were named **Cranaria** after a man named Cranus who colonized the largest island. But he probably never existed. The idea that they were named directly after dogs is almost certainly wrong. Now my question. What is the capital of Australia? ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851/84 "2005-01-24T02:55:01Z")
She has no eyebrows. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851/85 "2005-01-24T03:15:12Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > She has no eyebrows. Too easy 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851/86 "2005-01-24T04:13:57Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > What is the capital of Australia? Canberra. What movie set in Philadelphia won an Academy Award for best cinematography? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851/87 "2005-01-24T06:03:23Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > A less likely answer is that they were named after the birdsong. The verb “to sing” in latin is **canare.** The Latin verb to sing is can **t** are, not canare. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851/88 "2005-01-24T08:04:53Z")
mea culpa. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851/89 "2005-01-24T08:29:18Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > She has no eyebrows. :dubious: _bete raises the eyebrow Mona doesn’t have_ I don’t know if that counts as unusual. I’ve heard it was a fairly common fashion statement of the time. Ok…two that are true or false (which therefore make them obvious, but you have to explain them). Prohibition made the drinking of alcohol illegal. When you are arrested you must be read your Miranda right. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851/90 "2005-01-24T09:10:27Z")
> [@betenoir](#): > > Ok…two that are true or false (which therefore make them obvious, but you have to explain them). > > Prohibition made the drinking of alcohol illegal. > > When you are arrested you must be read your Miranda right. False. Prohibition made the sale of alcohol illegal, not its consumption. False. “Miranda” is a reading of two separate rights (Right to remain silent, right to an attorney even if you cannot afford one), not just the one. And it has to be stated aloud, not necessarily read. ---
**Author:** ![Othersider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cab0a1/32.png) [@Othersider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Othersider)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851/91 "2005-01-24T10:45:32Z")
> [@dontknowmuch](#): > > 1/1024 The odds that _it just happened_ are much better. That would be the odds of it happening _before_ it happened. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851/92 "2005-01-24T11:05:30Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > False. Prohibition made the sale of alcohol illegal, not its consumption. Yes! Although it also made illegal the production of alcohol. But not the consumption. > [@](#): > > False. “Miranda” is a reading of two separate rights (Right to remain silent, right to an attorney even if you cannot afford one), not just the one. And it has to be stated aloud, not necessarily read. All true. And in fact more accurate than I was. But not what I was going for. The question is is it required that you be informed of your Miranda rights when you are are arrested? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851/93 "2005-01-24T13:34:33Z")
As I understand it: No there is no legal obligation for Police to read the Miranda rights. But if they fail to do so, any admission made by the suspect is inadmissable evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Iceland\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@Iceland\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iceland_Blue)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851/94 "2005-01-24T13:41:38Z")
Is it time to dig up and dust off ‘A plane crashes on the border of Country X and Country Y. Where do they bury the survivors?’ ‘Brothers and sisters have I none, but that man’s father is my father’s son’ and that old one about St. Ives ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851/95 "2005-01-24T13:50:59Z")
_Prohibition_: False. The Eighteenth Amendment made the manufacture, sale, transportation, or importation of alcoholic beverages illegal. If you happened to own some already “manufactured” and in your possession, you could drink it – as far as the Amendment itself was concerned; I do not know what the Volstead Act or other laws may have said about that. _Miranda right_: Not only are there four interrelated rights on the standard Miranda warning, but the recital of them is in no way mandated by law (though it may very well be by police procedural regulations). What **is** required is that under the circumstances calling for “reading him his rights” the apprehending authorities must ensure that the person they are detaining is fully aware of those four rights, and they must abide by his decisions with regard to them. “Reading him his Miranda rights” is merely the simplest way to ensure that he is aware of them. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851/96 "2005-01-24T16:17:29Z")
All those are easy. -If Mr Smith’s peacock lays an egg in Mr Jones’ yard, who owns the egg? Peacocks don’t lay eggs, peahens do -Name the most recent year in which New Year’s preceded Christmas. 1. January always comes before December. -Why are 1968 pennies worth more than 1967 pennies? Because $19.68 is more money than $19.67 -Who had the title role in the 1931 movie Frankenstein? The mad scientist (you can look up his name on IDMB just as easily as I can) -If there are 6 apples and you take away 4, how many do you have? You have the 4 apples you took. -There are two coins which total 55 cents (read: $0.55). One of them is not a nickel. What are the two coins? A 50 cent piece and a nickel. One is not a nickel, the other is. -Do you say “Loo-iss-vill” is the capital of Kentucky, or do you say “Loo-ee-vill” is the capital of Kentucky? I say Frankfurt -Exactly how many slices of 1.5 cm each can you cut from a whole loaf of bread which is 22.5 cm long? One. Once you slice off one slice it is no longer 22.5 cm ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851/97 "2005-01-24T16:22:42Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > As I understand it: > > No there is no legal obligation for Police to read the Miranda rights. But if they fail to do so, any admission made by the suspect is inadmissable evidence. Essentially (although Poly provided even more accurate information :)) . It’s really only relevant to suspects the police want to question, for the above reason. But I recall my fellow detainees (when I was arrested for buying drugs, back wheh I was young and stupid :o ) confidently tellling each other their arrest was invalid because they hadn’t been read their rights. Such is the power of television. ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851/98 "2005-01-24T16:37:38Z")
> [@Iceland\_Blue](#): > > Is it time to dig up and dust off > ‘A plane crashes on the border of Country X and Country Y. Where do they bury the survivors?’ They don’t, of course, bury the survivors. > [@](#): > > ‘Brothers and sisters have I none, but that man’s father is my father’s son’ [It’s you](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_174a.html) Easy one: George W. Bush is officially the 43rd president of the USA. How many men have served as president before him? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851/99 "2005-01-24T16:53:33Z")
> [@Loopus](#): > > [It’s you](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_174a.html) No. ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851/100 "2005-01-24T18:51:56Z")
It’s your son. Because your son’s father is your father’s son. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trick-questions/285851.md?page=6)