Some trivia questions are easy, like naming the capital of France or knowing how many sides a hexagon has.
But then there are the weird, random, and oddly difficult ones that make even the smartest people stop and think. If you love testing your knowledge, here are some more unusual trivia questions that tend to stump a lot of people. See how many you can get right, and if you really struggle with them, pop them into your next pub quiz and see what other people think.
1. What’s the only letter that doesn’t appear in any U.S. state name?
Source: Unsplash Most people immediately start listing states in their head, convinced they’ll find every letter eventually. But here’s the shocker — no U.S. state name contains the letter Q. Every other letter in the alphabet appears at least once, but Q? Not a single state claims it. (And no, Quebec doesn’t count — it’s in Canada!)
2. What’s the dot over the letters “i” and “j” called?
You’ve probably written thousands of words containing the letters “i” and “j” in your lifetime, but have you ever thought about what that little dot is called? It’s called a tittle. Yes, really. Next time you’re trying to win a pub quiz, whip that fact out and watch people’s minds explode.
3. What common word changes pronunciation when you capitalise it?
Here’s a weird one — there’s a word that sounds different just because you capitalise it. Got any guesses? It’s polish and Polish. Lowercase, it’s what you do to shine something up. Uppercase, it refers to people from Poland. Same spelling, totally different sounds.
4. What animal can hold its breath longer than a dolphin?
If you thought dolphins were the champions of breath-holding, you’d be wrong. Sloths can actually hold their breath longer — up to 40 minutes by slowing their heart rate. Dolphins? Around 10-15 minutes max. Basically, sloths are accidental free-diving experts, and no one gives them enough credit for it.
5. What do the “M’s” in M&M’s stand for?
Those little chocolates have been around for ages, but do you know why they’re called M&M’s? The initials stand for Mars & Murrie — the surnames of Forrest Mars (of the Mars candy company) and Bruce Murrie, the son of Hershey’s president. They teamed up to create the now-iconic sweets, and the rest is history.
6. What do you call a group of flamingos?
Sure, you’ve heard of a “pack” of wolves or a “herd” of cows, but what about flamingos? They travel in something called a flamboyance, which honestly, is perfect for such flashy, over-the-top birds. It’s easily one of the most fitting animal group names out there.
7. What’s the only number spelled with its letters in alphabetical order?
Most people immediately start writing out numbers in their head, trying to spot a pattern. But there’s only one that fits the rule: forty. Yep, in “forty,” all the letters are in alphabetical order. Meanwhile, “one,” “two,” “three,” and pretty much every other number fail miserably.
8. What’s the only planet that rotates on its side?
Most planets spin upright (or at least, mostly upright), but Uranus is the odd one out — it rotates on its side. Astronomers believe a massive collision knocked it off its original axis, causing it to spin at a weird, almost horizontal angle. Basically, Uranus is doing its own thing while the rest of the planets stay relatively normal.
9. What’s the only food that never spoils?
Even canned food has an expiration date, but one natural food literally never goes bad: honey. Thanks to its low moisture content and natural antibacterial properties, honey can last forever. Archaeologists have found 3,000-year-old honey in Egyptian tombs, and guess what? It was still perfectly edible.
10. Which country has the most time zones?
Most people assume it’s the U.S. or Russia, but France actually wins this one. That’s because, thanks to its overseas territories, France technically spans 12 different time zones. Not bad for a country that, geographically, isn’t that massive.
11. What’s the tiny pocket inside your jeans originally for?
You know that little extra pocket in your jeans—the one that doesn’t really fit anything useful? Turns out, it had a purpose. It was originally designed to hold a pocket watch. Back in the 1800s, Levi’s added it for gold miners who needed a safe place for their tiny timepieces. Now, it just exists to collect lint.
12. What’s the only English word that ends in “mt”?
Most words follow pretty standard spelling rules, but there’s only one English word that ends in “mt.” It’s dreamt. Yep, as in “I dreamt about this question last night.” There are no other words in English that end the same way.
13. What’s the dot inside the number “8” on a dice called?
Most people never think about it, but the little dots on dice actually have a name. They’re called pips — so the dot inside the number 8 (or any number) is a pip. So next time you’re rolling dice in a game, you can casually drop that fact and watch everyone’s faces as they pretend to be impressed.
14. What’s the only metal that’s liquid at room temperature?
Source: Unsplash Mercury is the obvious answer, right? Yes, but did you know it’s the only metal that naturally exists as a liquid at room temperature? Most metals need extreme heat to melt, but mercury stays liquid because of weak atomic bonds. It’s also why those old-school thermometers worked before digital ones took over.
So, how many did you get right?
If you managed to answer most of these, congratulations — you’ve got some serious trivia knowledge! If not, well, at least now you’ve got a few random facts to throw around at your next quiz night. And who knows? One of these might just help you win someday.
