February 2017 Recap – Random Trivia Generator by the Numbers

An update about Random Trivia Generator and a round up of February’s trivia rounds that includes Academy Awards, Valentines Day, Cars, and more!

Hello dear readers and fans of the Random Trivia Generator and welcome to the first of, what I hope is, many monthly update posts. The purpose of these posts is to provide a peek behind the curtain and all the action that takes place to bring the tens to thousands of trivia questions to users.

New Questions

This month we added 145 new questions to the main Random Trivia Generator website. As of this post, we are sitting at 17,199 trivia questions.

New Quizzes and Rounds

The following new trivia rounds and quizzes were added:

That’s another 107 questions!

New Developments

We are slowly tagging all questions with specific sub-categories in preparation of one of the most requested features – sub-categories! The process is very time consuming as we need to re-evaluate each question and what general sub-categories it could be tagged under. This activity also allows us to do some double-checking of the facts and the spelling.

For the eagerly, check out the preliminary implementation on the old website.

Stay tuned for even more questions next month.


Image credit: Giphy

Car Trivia Quiz

By popular demand, and to celebrate the 2017 Canadian Auto Show, here is a 5 round, 55 question trivia quiz on cars!

By popular demand, and to celebrate the 2017 Canadian Auto Show, here is a 5 round, 55 question trivia quiz on cars!

Round 1

  1. Which car was the subject of the 2015 documentary, “A Faster Horse”? – Ford Mustang
  2. In the automotive world, what does the abbreviation CVT stand for? – Continuously Variable Transmission
  3. What car manufacturer was the first to mass-produce and equip a production vehicle with a V4 engine? – Lancia
  4. What country is home to the automobile manufacturer ZAZ? – Ukraine
  5. What year did Volkswagen introduce the Golf GTI? – 1976
  6. The Benz Patent-Motorwagen, widely regarded as the world’s first automobile, was first built in what year? – 1885
  7. What year did GM first introduce the Corvette? – 1953
  8. Which Formula One world champion assisted Honda in the final design stages of the NSX? – Ayrton Senna
  9. What year marked the inaugural season of Formula One? – 1950
  10. In what year did the BBC debut the “Top Gear” TV series? – 1977

Tie-breaker: What was the world’s first mass-produced car to feature an all-aluminium body? – Honda NSX

Round 2

  1. In the world of racing, what does the abbreviation NASCAR stand for? – National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing
  2. What city is host to the North American International Auto Show? – Detroit
  3. What numbers appear on Donald Duck’s car plate? – 313
  4. Which car design firm was responsible for the design of the Enzo Ferrari? – Pininfarina
  5. Which racing team introduced a six-wheeled race car in 1974 and began racing it in 1976? – Tyrrell Racing
  6. The automotive engineering company, Cosworth, is known for its close relationship with which large car manufacturer? – Ford
  7. Which company introduced the Mangusta in the 1960’s? – De Tomaso
  8. What country is home to Volvo? – Sweden
  9. Who is the world’s largest tire manufacturer? – LEGO
  10. Which car manufacturer produces the Clio? – Renault

Tie-breaker: What is Donald Duck’s car? – A 1934 Belchfire Runabout

Round 3

  1. What year was NASCAR founded? – 1948
  2. Which Maserati vehicle was designed and built on the Enzo Ferrari chassis? – The MC12
  3. What celebrity’s car was fixed and raced in the 2009 documentary “Love the Beast”? – Eric Bana’s
  4. Which car is considered to be the first hot hatchback, introduced in the 1970s? – The Simca 1100 TI
  5. The Bugatti Veyron was designed and produced by which large automotive group? – Volkswagen Group
  6. Which company’s products did the “Wienermobile” advertise? – Oscar Mayer’s
  7. What is BMW’s name short for? – Bayerische Motoren Werke
  8. Which Canadian city is host to the Canadian International Autoshow? – Toronto
  9. What year did Porsche introduce the 911? – 1963
  10. What car did Chevrolet design the Camaro to compete with in 1966? – The Ford Mustang

Tie-breaker: What car was the focus of the 2009 documentary, “Love the Beast”? – Ford XB Falcon Hardtop

Round 4

  1. What company made the LFA? – Lexus
  2. Who bought the rights to manufacture the Isetta in the 1950’s from the Italian company Iso? – BMW
  3. In the automotive world, what does the abbreviation DOHC mean? – Double OverHead Cam, or Dual OverHead Cam
  4. What was the first production car to break the 200 mph top speed limit? – The Ferrari F40
  5. What year did BMW debut the M5? – 1985
  6. The Australian auto manufacturer, Holden, is a subsidiary of which US automotive brand? – General Motors
  7. How many cylinders did the first generation Dodge Viper have? – 10
  8. Before starting to produce cars in the late 1940s, what did SAAB originally manufacture? – Aircrafts
  9. Under what name was the AC Cobra sold in the US? – Shelby Cobra
  10. What former republic did the Trabant originate from? – East Germany, or German Democratic Republic

Tie-breaker: What was the original cost of the first Ford Model T, sold in 1909? – $825

Round 5

  1. Which automotive company introduced the Phaeton in 2002? – Volkswagen
  2. What company did Mercedes-Benz partner with to develop the Smart car? – Swatch
  3. Despite not being the first company to make a minivan, which company introduced the first successful mass-produced minivan in 1983? – Chrysler
  4. Which car company did Christian von Koenigsegg found in 1994? – Koenigsegg
  5. What car did Kowalski commit to delivering in the 1971 film “Vanishing Point”? – Dodge Challenger (1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum, to be specific)
  6. Which car manufacturer was the first to include seat belts as a standard feature in their vehicles? – Saab
  7. What country did the Lada car brand originate from? – Russia
  8. On what vehicle was the Mutt Cutts Van based on in the 1994 film “Dumb and Dumber”? – 1984 Ford Econoline
  9. What is the Wankel engine typically referred to as? – Rotary engine
  10. What was the nickname of the Ford Mustang featured in the 1974 film “Gone in 60 Seconds”? – Eleanor

Tie-breaker: How many cars had to be stolen in the 2000 film remake of “Gone in 60 Seconds”? – 50


Image credit: Giphy

Introducing the new Random Trivia Generator

After some time in development (and a lot of holding page teasing), our new look is finally live. Welcome to the new Random Trivia Generator!

After some time in development (and a lot of holding page teasing), our new look is finally live. Welcome to the new Random Trivia Generator!

What’s New

Everything is new! Except for the tens of thousands of trivia questions which are still here. The new look was designed from the ground up to work seamlessly across all popular device platforms. So if you are using your smartphone to look up trivia questions, you no longer have to squint or zoom in to be able to read the questions.

Not only did we completely update the look, and modernized the platform, but we also added some new user-suggested features, like card view and hidden answers. Don’t worry if you don’t see that feature you really wanted. We are working on lots of new features that will be rolled out in the future.

Take the new Random Trivia Generator out for a spin and enjoy the following new features:

  • Card and List views
  • Tap-to-reveal answers in Card view
  • Customizable random quiz generator
  • Category-specific lists
  • Infinite scrolling (my favorite!)
  • Improved trivia submittal tool

Native Apps

Don’t forget to check out our newly updated native apps for iOS and Android. You get all the features above with a single touch.

Next Steps

The work doesn’t end with this update. We are shifting our focus on developing new features to make trivia nights easier and more enjoyable. But we also haven’t forgotten our #1 priority – trivia questions. While we are working on new features and rolling them out, we will also be adding new trivia questions to the database and to this blog. 

Have any questions, suggestions, or general feedback? Leave a comment below or shoot us an e-mail.

Trivia Fuel Quiz

Every quizmaster needs some coffee, beer, tea, or cider to help the brain juices flow. But how much do you really know about these beverages? Check out our first official 2017 full trivia quiz and test your knowledge. Just click on the beverages above.

For the first official quiz of 2017 I decided to do a quiz on the fuel that drives the quizmasters and the players – coffee, tea, beer and cider…sorry wine lovers. Enjoy!

Round 1

The coffee round

  1. What are the two most popular types of coffee beans? – Arabica and Robusta
  2. What year was the instant coffee, Nescafe, released onto the market? – 1938
  3. Coffee beans come from which plant? – Coffea
  4. What widely consumed drug acts as a natural defence to protect the seeds of the coffee plant? – Caffeine
  5. Which modern-day country is often considered as the birthplace of coffee? – Yemen
  6. What chemical reaction during roasting is chiefly responsible for giving green coffee beans their flavor? – Maillard Reaction
  7. Which popular method of brewing coffee requires the beans to be ground to a powder? – Turkish
  8. What method of coffee preparation requires the beans to be ground as coarsely as possible? – Cold brew
  9. What year was the French Press first patented? – 1929
  10. What year was the AeroPress invented? – 2005

Tie breaker – What is an Affogato? – Gelato, or ice cream, topped with hot espresso 

Round 2

The beer round

  1. Zymology, also known as zymurgy, is the study of what? – Fermentation
  2. What are the four primary ingredients in beer? – Malt, hops, yeast, water
  3. Which beer was advertised as “Probably the best beer in the world.” in the 1970s? – Carlsberg
  4. What fruit are Kriek lambics made with? – Cherries
  5. What is Homer Simpson’s beer of choice? – Duff
  6. What types of beer are usually used in the making of a Black and Tan? – Pale lager and stout
  7. To make beer, what is barley normally made into? – Malt
  8. How many Imperial gallons would a firkin of beer contain? – Nine
  9. What does a Tegestologist collect? – Beer coasters
  10. In the beer industry, what does the abbreviation O.G. stand for? – Original gravity

Tie breaker – What type of cherries are used for Kriek lambics? – Sour Morello

Round 3

The tea round

  1. What year did the Boston Tea Party take place? – 1773
  2. What popular tea is named after an 1830’s United Kingdom Prime Minister? – Earl Grey tea
  3. What fruit oil is added to tea to create Earl Grey tea? – Bergamot
  4. In “Alice in Wonderland”, who did Alice see taking tea under a tree? – Mad Hatter and March Hare
  5. Who created the Lipton tea brand? – Thomas Lipton
  6. How many milliliters is a teaspoon? – 5 mL
  7. What tea is used typically used to make a London Fog? – Earl Grey tea
  8. What customary vessel is used for consuming yerba mate? – A gourd
  9. What province in China does Pu-erh tea originate from? – Yunnan
  10. What was the original purpose of tea bags in the western world? – To store small samples of tea

Tie breaker – What mass market tea brand shares a name with an English brewery? – Tetley

Round 4

The cider round

  1. Under what name is Bulmers cider sold outside of Ireland? – Magners
  2. What important property do cider apples have that most eating and cooking apples don’t? – High sugar content
  3. What year was Lasse Hallstrom’s film “The Cider House Rules” released? – 1999
  4. What name is shared between a 2nd Earl of Pembroke and an English cider? – Strongbow
  5. Who said “He that drinks his cider alone, let him catch his horse alone.”? – Benjamin Franklin
  6. What is the name of the weak alcoholic cider that is made from the solid remains of the pressed apples? – Ciderkin
  7. Which American colonial beverage was produced by freeze-distilling cider throughout the cold winter months? – Applejack
  8. The Somersby cider brand is owned by which multinational brewing company? – Carlsberg
  9. In the North American market, what is the difference between hard and sweet cider? – Hard cider is alcoholic while sweet cider is not
  10. If you order a Snakebite cocktail in the UK, what would you get? – A mix of lager and cider

Tie breaker – What French beverage is made by mixing apple juice with apple brandy and aging it in barrels? – Pommeau

Round 5

  1. What is Kahlua flavored with? – Coffee
  2. Where did Thomas Lipton open his first grocery store? – Glasgow, Scotland
  3. In the beer world, what does the abbreviation F.G. stand for? – Final gravity
  4. What company’s tea shipment was destroyed during the Boston Tea Party in 1773? – East India Company
  5. What popular French apple brandy is made by distilling cider made from selected apples? – Calvados
  6. How is a Long black coffee different from an Americano? – The espresso is poured on top of the hot water, instead of before
  7. Who wrote the essay “A Nice Cup of Tea”? – George Orwell
  8. What year was Strongbow cider introduced to the market? – 1962
  9. What country does Cafe au lait originate from? – France
  10. What style of beer is used to make a “Black Velvet” cocktail? – Stout

Tie breaker – What is champagne substituted with to turn a “Black Velvet” cocktail into a “Poor Man’s Black Velvet” cocktail? – Cider

Round 6

  1. Above 5,000 ft, coffee beans tend to develop a high level of what? – Acidity
  2. At what popular Seattle market did Starbucks open its first store in 1971? – Pike Place
  3. Which empire gave the world the Pilsner? – Austrian Empire
  4. What is the thin layer of foam on top of an espresso called? – Crema
  5. What fruits are fermented to make Perry? – Pears
  6. What continent does yerba mate originates from? – South America
  7. Who was Strongbow cider named after? – Richard de Clare
  8. What country does the cappuccino originate from? – Italy
  9. What are the four primary ingredients of a traditional Irish coffee? – Irish whisky, coffee, sugar and cream
  10. What is typically added to Vietnamese iced coffee to sweeten it? – Sweetened condensed milk

Tie breaker – What is Cask ale sometimes referred to as in the UK? – Real ale

Round 7

  1. Which Bohemian city gave us the Pilsner? – Pilsen
  2. What color is pure caffeine? – White
  3. Who is credited with inventing the AeroPress? – Alan Adler
  4. How much larger is UK pint compared to the US pint? – About 20%, or 95 mL
  5. What do you ferment to make kombucha? – Sweetened tea
  6. What 1960’s film with Michael Caine is often credited with aiding to the popularity of the French Press? – The Ipcress File
  7. In a Cortado, what is the main purpose of the milk? – To reduce the acidity of the coffee
  8. What dialect term describes rough cider made from unselected apples? – Scrumpy
  9. What are the main ingredients in a Cafe Cubano? – Espresso and demerara sugar
  10. In English-speaking countries, what is Rauchbier typically referred to as? – Smoked beer

Tie breaker – In the beer world, what does the abbreviation IBU stand for? – International Bitterness Units

Trivia Tuesday – 11 questions on Friday the 13th

This Friday is a special one. It will be Friday, January 13, 2017…or simply, Friday the 13th. I put together a short trivia round to mark the occasion. Feel free to use these questions for your trivia nights, or enjoy this round as a short trivia quiz.

This Friday is a special one. It will be Friday, January 13, 2017…or simply, Friday the 13th. I put together a short trivia round to mark the occasion. Feel free to use these questions for your trivia nights, or enjoy this round as a short trivia quiz.


  1. What is the fear of the number 13 known as? – Triskaidekaphobia
  2. At most, how many Friday the 13th can there be in the same calendar year? – 3
  3. Which famous rapper died on Friday, September 13, 1996? – Tupac Shakur
  4. What is the name of the avenue that lies between 12th and 14th Avenue in San Francisco? – Funston Avenue
  5. What is the more common name for the 1987 computer virus that was set to go off on Friday the 13th of every year? – Jerusalem
  6. Which famous pop star considers the number 13 to be her lucky number? – Taylor Swift
  7. Julia Louis-Dreyfus was born on Friday, January 13, of what year? – 1961
  8. The plane carrying what country’s national rugby team crashed on Friday, October 13, 1972? – Uruguay’s
  9. Who met in groups of 13, also called covens? – Witches
  10. What year was the original film “Friday the 13th” released? – 1980

Tie-breaker: “Friday the 13th motorcycle rally” is held on every Friday the 13th in what Canadian city? – Port Dover


Image credit: Giphy