Cotton Candy

This kid-pleasing treat is often sold at fairs, circus shows, and other jovial events. It is usually tinted pink, though purple and blue are also popular colors. It is made by machines with a central bowl where sugar is melted and spun out through a myriad of tiny holes where it solidifies and is caught by a ring. The operator then catches the candy on a stick, forming a confection that is often larger than the human head. In what country is cotton candy known as “fairy floss”? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Piña Coladas

The Piña Colada is a sweet cocktail made of rum, coconut cream, and pineapple juice blended with crushed ice and typically garnished with a pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry. Its name means “strained pineapple” in Spanish. Several bartenders claim ownership of the drink, which was created in Puerto Rico and has been the country’s official beverage since 1978. There are many variations on the cocktail, such as the coconut-free “Staten Island Ferry,” and the “Lava Flow,” which contains what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Gates of Tashkent

The Gates of Tashkent were built around the town of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in the 10th century. The last of the gates was destroyed in 1890, but several of the city’s districts still bear their names. The gates, which varied in number over time, served as fortifications for the original settlement located at the intersection of the Bozsuv canal and caravan routes from the Tien Shan Mountains. Who was in charge of protecting the wooden gates? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Quinoa

Quinoa is a tall annual herb whose seeds have provided a staple food for peoples of the higher Andes since pre-Columbian times. In the Inca Empire, where only the potato was more widely grown, quinoa is said to have been sacred. The year’s first furrows were opened ceremoniously with a gold implement. In the US and other non-Andean nations, quinoa is now a popular alternative to rice and other grains for its higher protein content. What is typically removed from freshly harvested quinoa seeds? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Addams Family

The Addams Family is a group of eccentric characters representing a satirical inversion of the ideal American nuclear family. A creation of American cartoonist Charles Addams, the group first appeared in a comic strip in The New Yorker, and has since been featured in TV shows, movies, and video games. In Charles Addams’ original cartoons, the characters were not named. When the TV show was developed, Addams was asked to contribute names. All his suggestions were used except for what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

“Freedom Fries”

“Freedom fries” was a short-lived name used by some in the US for French fries after France resisted condoning the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In March, 2003, all references to French fries and French toast on the menus of restaurants run by the House of Representatives were removed. By July 2006, however, the move had been reversed. Politically-motivated renamings were also seen during World War I, when anti-German sentiment led some to refer to sauerkraut as what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Velcro

Velcro is a brand name of fabric hook-and-loop fasteners. It was invented by a Swiss engineer who came up with the idea after examining the burdock seeds that kept sticking to his clothes. Velcro consists of a layer of hooks and a layer of loops which, when pressed together, form a bond that can be very strong: full-body hook and loop suits have been made that can hold a person to a suitably-covered wall. Velcro was even involved in the first medical procedure of what kind? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Cuckoo Clocks

A cuckoo clock is a wall or shelf clock that announces intervals of time with a sound imitative of a cuckoo’s call and often with the simultaneous emergence of a mechanical bird from a small door. An Augsburg nobleman by the name of Philipp Hainhofer penned the first known description of a cuckoo clock in 1629. What region in southwest Germany boasts a strong clockmaking tradition that started in the late 17th century? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Temple of Artemis

The Temple of Artemis was a large Greek temple at Ephesus that was said to be one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The temple, dedicated to Artemis, the virgin goddess of the hunt and the moon and twin sister of Apollo, was a 120-year project started by Croesus of Lydia and completed around 550 BCE. The temple was destroyed and rebuilt numerous times. It was first destroyed in 356 BCE in an act of arson committed by Herostratus. What was his motivation? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Bodleian Library

The Bodleian Library is the main research library of the University of Oxford and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. The original library, destroyed in the reign of Edward VI, was replaced in 1602, chiefly through the efforts of Sir Thomas Bodley. The library has one of the great collections of English books, and its extensive manuscript collection is especially rich in biblical and Arabic material. Centuries of Oxford scholars have informally called it the what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary