A United States flag folded the traditional way ends up in which shape?Answer: A triangle. Source: Wikipedia: Flag of the United States
The bald eagle has been on the Great Seal since 1782. In which year did a law first name it the national bird?Answer: 2024. Source: Wikipedia: Bald eagle
The bald eagle on the Great Seal holds an olive branch in one talon. What does it hold in the other?Answer: Thirteen arrows. Source: Wikipedia: Great Seal of the United States
The huge flag that flew over a Baltimore fort in 1814 and inspired the national anthem is kept at the Smithsonian. How many stripes does it have?Answer: Fifteen. Source: Wikipedia: Star-Spangled Banner (flag)
The Latin motto E pluribus unum appears on the Great Seal and on coins. What does it mean?Answer: Out of many, one. Source: Wikipedia: E pluribus unum
Old Glory, a nickname for the flag, began as the name William Driver gave to his own flag. What was his trade?Answer: Sea captain. Source: Wikipedia: Old Glory
On the back of the Great Seal, as printed on the one-dollar bill, what floats above the unfinished pyramid?Answer: An eye inside a triangle. Source: Wikipedia: Great Seal of the United States
The patriotic song "America", also known as "My Country, 'Tis of Thee", borrows its melody from the anthem of which country?Answer: The United Kingdom. Source: Wikipedia: America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee)
The tune of "The Star-Spangled Banner" was borrowed from the song of a gentlemen's club in which city?Answer: London. Source: Wikipedia: The Star-Spangled Banner
What is the blue field of stars in the corner of the flag called?Answer: The union. Source: Wikipedia: Flag of the United States
What is the full official name of the Statue of Liberty?Answer: Liberty Enlightening the World. Source: Wikipedia: Statue of Liberty
When a flag is lowered partway down its pole as a sign of mourning, where is it said to be flying?Answer: At half-staff. Source: Wikipedia: Half-mast
Which animal sits coiled above the words "Dont Tread on Me" on the yellow Gadsden flag?Answer: A rattlesnake. Source: Wikipedia: Gadsden flag
Which artist painted the "I Want You" poster of Uncle Sam, first used in 1917?Answer: James Montgomery Flagg. Source: Wikipedia: Uncle Sam
Which bearded figure in a top hat stands for the United States government in cartoons and posters?Answer: Uncle Sam. Source: Wikipedia: Uncle Sam
Which mascot of the US Forest Service has warned people about wildfires since 1944?Answer: Smokey Bear. Source: Wikipedia: Smokey Bear
Which two words were added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954?Answer: Under God. Source: Wikipedia: Pledge of Allegiance
Who wrote "The New Colossus", the sonnet on a bronze plaque inside the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty?Answer: Emma Lazarus. Source: Wikipedia: The New Colossus
Who wrote the Pledge of Allegiance in the form published in 1892?Answer: Francis Bellamy. Source: Wikipedia: Pledge of Allegiance
The words on the Liberty Bell, "Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land", come from which book of the Bible?Answer: Leviticus. Source: Wikipedia: Liberty Bell
Folk heroes and tall tales 20
According to legend, what was Juan Ponce de León hoping to find in Florida?Answer: The Fountain of Youth. Source: Wikipedia: Fountain of Youth
By which other name is Bigfoot known?Answer: Sasquatch. Source: Wikipedia: Bigfoot
Casey Jones, the hero of a famous ballad, did which job?Answer: Locomotive engineer. Source: Wikipedia: Casey Jones
The hodag, a horned beast that a prankster claimed to have captured in 1893, is the official symbol of Rhinelander in which state?Answer: Wisconsin. Source: Wikipedia: Hodag
In "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", what is Ichabod Crane's job?Answer: Schoolteacher. Source: Wikipedia: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
In New England tall tales, what kind of giant was Captain Stormalong?Answer: A sailor. Source: Wikipedia: Alfred Bulltop Stormalong
In the poem "Casey at the Bat", what does mighty Casey do with the game on the line?Answer: He strikes out. Source: Wikipedia: Casey at the Bat
In the tall tales, the cowboy Pecos Bill was raised by a pack of which animals?Answer: Coyotes. Source: Wikipedia: Pecos Bill
In Washington Irving's story, Rip Van Winkle falls asleep in the mountains and wakes how many years later?Answer: 20. Source: Wikipedia: Rip Van Winkle
The jackalope of Western folklore is a jackrabbit wearing the horns of which animal?Answer: An antelope. Source: Wikipedia: Jackalope
The Jersey Devil is said to haunt which stretch of forest?Answer: The Pine Barrens. Source: Wikipedia: Jersey Devil
The legendary Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine is usually placed in the Superstition Mountains of which state?Answer: Arizona. Source: Wikipedia: Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine
Mike Fink, a boastful hero of early tall tales, was called the king of which river trade?Answer: The keelboaters. Source: Wikipedia: Mike Fink
Sam Patch, the "Yankee Leaper", won fame in 1829 by jumping into the river at the foot of which waterfall?Answer: Niagara Falls. Source: Wikipedia: Sam Patch
Sightings of the winged Mothman were reported in 1966 and 1967 around Point Pleasant, in which state?Answer: West Virginia. Source: Wikipedia: Mothman
What did Buffalo Bill Cody call the traveling show he founded in 1883?Answer: Buffalo Bill's Wild West. Source: Wikipedia: Buffalo Bill
What is a tall tale?Answer: A story with unbelievable parts, told as though true. Source: Wikipedia: Tall tale
Which frontierswoman was born Martha Jane Canary in Missouri in 1852?Answer: Calamity Jane. Source: Wikipedia: Calamity Jane
Which New Mexico town gave its name to a 1947 "flying saucer" story that began with debris found on a ranch?Answer: Roswell. Source: Wikipedia: Roswell incident
Which poet wrote "The Song of Hiawatha" in 1855?Answer: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Source: Wikipedia: The Song of Hiawatha
Regional dishes 20
A s'more is chocolate and a toasted marshmallow pressed between two of what?Answer: Graham crackers. Source: Wikipedia: S'more
Buffalo wings take their name from what?Answer: A city in New York State. Source: Wikipedia: Buffalo wing
The cheesesteak sandwich comes from which city?Answer: Philadelphia. Source: Wikipedia: Cheesesteak
Cincinnati chili is a spiced meat sauce usually served over what?Answer: Spaghetti. Source: Wikipedia: Cincinnati chili
Deep-dish pizza is the signature pie of which city?Answer: Chicago. Source: Wikipedia: Chicago-style pizza
Despite its name, what is a Boston cream pie?Answer: A cake filled with custard. Source: Wikipedia: Boston cream pie
Frybread is the official state bread of which state?Answer: South Dakota. Source: Wikipedia: Frybread
Grits, a breakfast staple of the South, are made from which grain?Answer: Corn. Source: Wikipedia: Grits
Key lime pie is the official state pie of which state?Answer: Florida. Source: Wikipedia: Key lime pie
New Mexico has an official state question: "Red or green?" What does it ask?Answer: Which chile you want on your meal. Source: Wikipedia: New Mexican cuisine
The pasty, a turnover that copper miners carried to work, has become a cultural symbol of which part of Michigan?Answer: The Upper Peninsula. Source: Wikipedia: Pasty
The po' boy sandwich comes from which city?Answer: New Orleans. Source: Wikipedia: Po' boy
Poke, the Hawaiian dish of diced raw fish, takes its name from a Hawaiian word meaning what?Answer: To slice, or to cut crosswise. Source: Wikipedia: Poke (dish)
Shoofly pie, from Pennsylvania Dutch kitchens, is made with which dark sweetener?Answer: Molasses. Source: Wikipedia: Shoofly pie
Toasted ravioli, which is breaded and deep-fried, was created in which Midwestern city?Answer: St. Louis. Source: Wikipedia: Toasted ravioli
What gives Manhattan clam chowder its red color?Answer: Tomatoes. Source: Wikipedia: Clam chowder
Which condiment do most Chicagoans agree does not belong on a Chicago-style hot dog?Answer: Ketchup. Source: Wikipedia: Chicago-style hot dog
Which cookie is credited to Ruth Wakefield, who ran an inn in Whitman, Massachusetts, in the 1930s?Answer: The chocolate chip cookie. Source: Wikipedia: Chocolate chip cookie
Which New England city is nicknamed Beantown?Answer: Boston. Source: Wikipedia: Boston baked beans
Which state made the whoopie pie its official state treat and blueberry pie its official state dessert?Answer: Maine. Source: Wikipedia: Whoopie pie
Holidays and customs 20
A school's homecoming traditionally welcomes back which group?Answer: Alumni. Source: Wikipedia: Homecoming
The American custom of the class ring began with the class of 1835 at which school?Answer: The United States Military Academy at West Point. Source: Wikipedia: Class ring
Arbor Day, a day for planting trees, began in 1872 in which state?Answer: Nebraska. Source: Wikipedia: Arbor Day
At a Sadie Hawkins dance, who does the asking?Answer: Women ask men. Source: Wikipedia: Sadie Hawkins Day
By custom, where does a child leave a lost baby tooth for the tooth fairy?Answer: Under the pillow. Source: Wikipedia: Tooth fairy
Groundhog Day lore came to Pennsylvania from German-speaking Europe. Which animal did the forecasting there?Answer: The badger. Source: Wikipedia: Groundhog Day
In a barn raising, who builds the barn?Answer: The community, working together without pay. Source: Wikipedia: Barn raising
Memorial Day falls on which day each year?Answer: The last Monday in May. Source: Wikipedia: Memorial Day
Mother's Day in the United States falls on the second Sunday of which month?Answer: May. Source: Wikipedia: Mother's Day (United States)
On Memorial Day, the flag flies at half-staff until what time?Answer: Noon. Source: Wikipedia: Memorial Day
Prom, the formal dance for graduating high school students, is short for which word?Answer: Promenade. Source: Wikipedia: Prom
Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog who forecasts the weather each February 2, lives in which state?Answer: Pennsylvania. Source: Wikipedia: Punxsutawney Phil
What are the three traditional colors of Mardi Gras in New Orleans?Answer: Purple, green and gold. Source: Wikipedia: Mardi Gras in New Orleans
What is a luau?Answer: A traditional Hawaiian feast. Source: Wikipedia: Lūʻau
Which bugle call is sounded at American military funerals?Answer: Taps. Source: Wikipedia: Taps (bugle call)
Which city has dyed its river green for Saint Patrick's Day since 1962?Answer: Chicago. Source: Wikipedia: Saint Patrick's Day in the United States
Which famous road race is run each year on Patriots' Day, the third Monday in April?Answer: The Boston Marathon. Source: Wikipedia: Patriots' Day
Which Gulf Coast city holds the country's oldest official Carnival celebration, begun in 1703?Answer: Mobile, Alabama. Source: Wikipedia: Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama
Which march by Edward Elgar is played at most American high school and college graduations?Answer: Pomp and Circumstance. Source: Wikipedia: Pomp and Circumstance Marches
Which Rhode Island town is home to the oldest Independence Day celebration in the country, founded in 1785?Answer: Bristol. Source: Wikipedia: Bristol Fourth of July Parade
Highways, diners and roadside landmarks 20
A 135-foot water tower built in 1981 at Gaffney, South Carolina, was made to look like which fruit?Answer: A peach. Source: Wikipedia: Peachoid
At Cadillac Ranch, an artwork beside the road at Amarillo, Texas, what stands in a row, buried nose-first?Answer: Ten cars. Source: Wikipedia: Cadillac Ranch
The Big Duck, a duck-shaped shop built on Long Island in 1931, gave architects the word "duck" for what?Answer: A building shaped like an everyday object. Source: Wikipedia: Big Duck
The Corn Palace, whose outside walls carry murals made of corn and other grains, stands in which state?Answer: South Dakota. Source: Wikipedia: Corn Palace
Every August, people in Cawker City, Kansas, gather to add to a giant ball of what?Answer: Twine. Source: Wikipedia: Biggest ball of twine
The first boardwalk in the United States opened in 1870 in which New Jersey resort?Answer: Atlantic City. Source: Wikipedia: Boardwalk
The giant fiberglass figures known as muffler men began in 1962 with a statue of which folk hero?Answer: Paul Bunyan. Source: Wikipedia: Muffler man
Hugh Davis built the Blue Whale of Catoosa, a landmark of old Route 66 in Oklahoma, as what?Answer: A wedding anniversary gift for his wife. Source: Wikipedia: Blue Whale of Catoosa
In 1872 Walter Scott began selling food from a horse-pulled wagon, an early forerunner of the diner. In which city?Answer: Providence, Rhode Island. Source: Wikipedia: Diner
In old diner slang, what is "Adam and Eve on a raft"?Answer: Two poached eggs on toast. Source: Wikipedia: Diner lingo
The lodging that gave the world the word "motel" was built in 1925 in which California city?Answer: San Luis Obispo. Source: Wikipedia: Motel
Lucy, a six-story building put up in 1881 at Margate City, New Jersey, has the shape of which animal?Answer: An elephant. Source: Wikipedia: Lucy the Elephant
On a diner menu, what is a blue-plate special?Answer: A low-priced meal that changes daily. Source: Wikipedia: Blue-plate special
On the Interstate system, a main route with an even number, such as I-80, generally runs in which direction?Answer: East and west. Source: Wikipedia: Interstate Highway System
Some of the earliest diners were converted from what?Answer: Railroad dining cars. Source: Wikipedia: Diner
What did the Hollywood Sign spell out when it went up in 1923?Answer: Hollywoodland. Source: Wikipedia: Hollywood Sign
Where did the station wagon get its name?Answer: Early ones carried luggage and people to and from train stations. Source: Wikipedia: Station wagon
Which North Carolina landmark was moved 2,900 feet inland in 1999 to save it from the sea?Answer: The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Source: Wikipedia: Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Which toll road, opened in 1940, was America's first long-distance highway with controlled access?Answer: The Pennsylvania Turnpike. Source: Wikipedia: Pennsylvania Turnpike
Why were wooden bridges given a roof and sides?Answer: To protect the timbers from the weather. Source: Wikipedia: Covered bridge
Fairs and pastimes 20
At the Iowa State Fair, a life-size cow has been sculpted since 1911 from which food?Answer: Butter. Source: Wikipedia: Butter sculpture
At which point in a baseball game does the crowd traditionally sing the chorus of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"?Answer: The seventh-inning stretch. Source: Wikipedia: Take Me Out to the Ball Game
The bags thrown in the lawn game cornhole were once filled with what?Answer: Dried corn kernels. Source: Wikipedia: Cornhole
Big Tex, the giant cowboy who greets visitors to the State Fair of Texas, began life in 1949 as what?Answer: A giant Santa Claus. Source: Wikipedia: Big Tex
Bluegrass music takes its name from what?Answer: The band of Bill Monroe, the Blue Grass Boys. Source: Wikipedia: Bluegrass music
By long tradition, what does the winner of the Indianapolis 500 drink straight after the race?Answer: A bottle of milk. Source: Wikipedia: Indianapolis 500 traditions
The Chautauqua movement, which brought speakers, teachers and musicians to rural towns, began in 1874 beside a lake in which state?Answer: New York. Source: Wikipedia: Chautauqua
Frontier Days, an outdoor rodeo held every year since 1897, takes place in which state capital?Answer: Cheyenne, Wyoming. Source: Wikipedia: Cheyenne Frontier Days
How many couples make up the set in a square dance?Answer: Four. Source: Wikipedia: Square dance
In "spelling bee", "quilting bee" and "husking bee", what does the word "bee" mean?Answer: A gathering for shared work. Source: Wikipedia: Spelling bee
In a barbershop quartet, which voice generally sings the melody?Answer: The lead. Source: Wikipedia: Barbershop music
In the 4-H youth clubs, three of the four H's are head, heart and hands. What is the fourth?Answer: Health. Source: Wikipedia: 4-H
In the game of horseshoes, what is a ringer?Answer: A shoe that lands around the stake. Source: Wikipedia: Horseshoes (game)
In tractor pulling, what is a "full pull"?Answer: Dragging the sled the whole length of the track. Source: Wikipedia: Tractor pulling
The Little League World Series, for players aged 10 to 12, is held every August in which state?Answer: Pennsylvania. Source: Wikipedia: Little League World Series
The Soap Box Derby, a race of engineless cars driven downhill by young people, holds its championship each July in which Ohio city?Answer: Akron. Source: Wikipedia: Soap Box Derby
The Switchback Railway of 1884, one of the first roller coasters built for fun in the United States, stood at which New York resort?Answer: Coney Island. Source: Wikipedia: Switchback Railway
When organized cheerleading began at American colleges in the 1890s, who were the cheerleaders?Answer: Men only. Source: Wikipedia: Cheerleading
Which group of immigrants brought the fairground favorite funnel cake to America?Answer: The Pennsylvania Dutch. Source: Wikipedia: Funnel cake
Which horse race, held on the first Saturday in May, is known as the Run for the Roses?Answer: The Kentucky Derby. Source: Wikipedia: Kentucky Derby
Everyday inventions 15
The Adirondack chair, a wooden lounge chair with wide armrests, is named after mountains in which state?Answer: New York. Source: Wikipedia: Adirondack chair
Before Marvin Stone patented the paper drinking straw in 1888, the cheap straws in fashion were stalks of which grain?Answer: Rye. Source: Wikipedia: Drinking straw
The first commercial chewing gum, sold by John B. Curtis in 1848, was made from the resin of which tree?Answer: Spruce. Source: Wikipedia: Chewing gum
The grain elevator, which scoops loose grain out of ships and lifts it into storage, was invented in 1842 in which Great Lakes port?Answer: Buffalo, New York. Source: Wikipedia: Grain elevator
Hanson Gregory claimed that in 1847, aboard a ship, he gave the doughnut what?Answer: The hole in the middle. Source: Wikipedia: Doughnut
Hymen Lipman, a Philadelphia stationer, registered the first patent for which schoolroom item on March 30, 1858?Answer: A pencil with an eraser attached. Source: Wikipedia: Hymen Lipman
In 1868 Margaret Knight invented a machine to cut, fold and glue paper into which everyday item?Answer: The flat-bottomed paper bag. Source: Wikipedia: Margaret E. Knight
In 1902 Willis Carrier installed his first air-conditioning system in what kind of business?Answer: A printing plant. Source: Wikipedia: Air conditioning
Jacob Davis, a tailor in Reno, Nevada, made work pants tougher at the seams and pockets by adding what?Answer: Copper rivets. Source: Wikipedia: Jacob W. Davis
The Mason jar, the screw-top glass jar of home canning, is named after what?Answer: The tinsmith who invented it. Source: Wikipedia: Mason jar
On a cattle drive, what was the chuckwagon?Answer: A kitchen on wheels. Source: Wikipedia: Chuckwagon
The roadside mailbox with a curved, tunnel-shaped roof was approved in 1915 and named after its designer, Roy J. Joroleman. Who was he?Answer: A Post Office employee. Source: Wikipedia: Letter box
Which bird did the artist Don Featherstone design in 1957 as a plastic ornament for the front lawn?Answer: A pink flamingo. Source: Wikipedia: Plastic flamingo
The word "flyswatter" came out of a public health campaign in which state?Answer: Kansas. Source: Wikipedia: Fly swatter
The zipper got its name in 1923 from a product it fastened. What was the product?Answer: Rubber boots. Source: Wikipedia: Zipper
Sayings and slang 15
At county and state fairs in the United States, which color of ribbon came to mean first place?Answer: Blue. Source: Wikipedia: Blue ribbon
"Barking up the wrong tree" became a common saying in nineteenth-century America. Which pastime does it come from?Answer: Hunting raccoons with a dog. Source: Wikipedia: Barking up the wrong tree
Before "boondoggle" came to mean a wasteful project, the word belonged to which youth group?Answer: The Boy Scouts. Source: Wikipedia: Boondoggle
The cowboy word "buckaroo" is an English version of which Spanish word?Answer: Vaquero. Source: Wikipedia: Cowboy
Hoagie, hero and grinder are regional names for what?Answer: A submarine sandwich. Source: Wikipedia: Submarine sandwich
How did Alexander Graham Bell answer his telephone?Answer: "Ahoy ahoy". Source: Wikipedia: Hello
In American speech, who is a "snowbird"?Answer: A person who moves south for the winter. Source: Wikipedia: Snowbird (person)
In the slang of the early 1900s, what did "23 skidoo" tell a person to do?Answer: Leave quickly. Source: Wikipedia: 23 skidoo (phrase)
In the word "jaywalking", what did "jay" mean?Answer: A greenhorn or rube. Source: Wikipedia: Jaywalking
"Keeping up with the Joneses" gained currency from what, first seen in 1913?Answer: A newspaper comic strip. Source: Wikipedia: Keeping up with the Joneses
"Podunk", a name for a small and unimportant town, comes from which family of languages?Answer: Algonquian. Source: Wikipedia: Podunk
The Southern word "y'all" is a contraction of which two words?Answer: You all. Source: Wikipedia: Y'all
To "take a rain check" is to put something off until later. Which sport gave the language the phrase?Answer: Baseball. Source: Wikipedia: Rain check (baseball)
What is a "bubbler" in southern and eastern Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Rhode Island?Answer: A drinking fountain. Source: Wikipedia: Drinking fountain
The word "maverick" comes from Samuel Maverick of Texas, who was notorious for neglecting to do what?Answer: Brand his cattle. Source: Wikipedia: Maverick (animal)
How it works
What floats above the unfinished pyramid on the dollar bill, and which state has an official question, "Red or green?" These 150 Americana trivia questions and answers are about folk culture, not dates. Every pick is marked at once.
Read the full guide
Play a 20-question round
Start from holds eight rounds. Six run to 20 questions: National symbols and mottos, Folk heroes and tall tales, Regional dishes, Holidays and customs, Highways, diners and roadside landmarks and Fairs and pastimes. Everyday inventions and Sayings and slang run to 15. At a party, one person reads each question and its four choices aloud, then taps a choice.
Print a round for the holiday table
For the Fourth of July, Flag Day or Memorial Day, set Start from to National symbols and mottos or Holidays and customs. After a round, Print lists the questions you played with lettered choices, and its last row adds the rest of the round. A tick on With answer key repeats them with the reasons.
On Memorial Day, Holidays and customs asks how long the flag stays at half-staff. It goes back up at noon.
Seat older players for Sayings and slang, which asks about rain checks, snowbirds and keeping up with the Joneses.
For a senior group or a mixed table, set Level to Easy and only the 60 easy questions come up.
Questions and answers
What counts as Americana in this pack?
Folk culture: symbols, tall tales, regional food, customs, roadside sights, fairs, homely inventions and sayings. Elections, wars, treaties and office-holders belong to the American history pack on this site, and the two packs share no question.
How easy are the easy questions?
Easy asks which shape a folded flag ends up in. Hard asks which state made the hodag a city's symbol, or what 23 skidoo told a person to do. The marks are an estimate: 60 questions easy, 60 medium and 30 hard.
Where do the answers come from?
From Wikipedia alone: each answer and each added fact was read on September 19, 2026 in the article linked beneath its question. A legend is asked as a legend: the doughnut hole is Hanson Gregory's own claim.
Why is no brand or restaurant named?
Dishes are asked by place, such as toasted ravioli and St. Louis, and inventions by inventor. Company names, restaurant chains and song lyrics are left out on purpose.