Star signs, birthstones, anniversaries and codenames are the small closed
lists that quizzes return to whenever a round needs a question everybody can
attempt. None of them requires understanding anything; all of them require
having looked once.
The closed lists
The twelve zodiac signs with their symbols and dates; the Chinese zodiac in
order, and which animal is missing from it and why; birthstones by month;
wedding anniversaries by year — paper, cotton, leather, and the famous ones at
25, 40, 50 and 60. Each is a dozen or so facts and each is asked in every
direction, which is a good return.
The anniversary list is the one people most often half-know: the early years
are asked more than the late ones, and the British and American lists diverge
after about the fifteenth year, so a quiz may be marked from either.
Codenames and operations
Military and government codenames are a related favourite, because the name
is memorable and the operation is famous: Overlord, Barbarossa, Market Garden,
Desert Storm, Dynamo, Neptune, Mincemeat. Setters ask both ways — name the
operation, or say what it was.
Several have briefs of their own:
the deceptions before D-Day,
Dunkirk,
Napoleon's Russian campaign, and
Operation Paperclip. Royal and
governmental codenames — the plans for a monarch's death, in particular — are a
newer but now-standard seam.
The Chinese zodiac cycles over how many years?
Answer 12 (one animal per year)
The 20th wedding anniversary is marked with which material?
Answer China
The twelve signs divide into which four elements?
Answer Fire, earth, air and water
Name the five D-Day landing beaches.
Answer Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, Sword
Operation Barbarossa (June 1941) was the invasion of what?
Answer The Soviet Union (by Germany)
Which is the only mythical creature among the twelve Chinese zodiac animals?
Answer The Dragon
Garnet and amethyst are the birthstones of which two months?
Answer January and February
The twelfth and final sign of the zodiac?
Answer Pisces
Operation Rolling Thunder was a sustained bombing campaign in which war?
Answer The Vietnam War
What is the birthstone for April?
Answer Diamond
How many cards are in a tarot deck's Major Arcana?
Answer 22
Late October to late November, symbolised by the scorpion — and by reputation the most intense and emotional sign?
Answer Scorpio
The only zodiac sign represented by an inanimate object?
Answer Libra (the scales)
Opal is the birthstone of which month?
Answer October
July birthdays fall mainly under which two signs?
Answer Cancer and Leo
Which sign is the twins?
Answer Gemini
The first wedding anniversary is traditionally marked with which material?
Answer Paper
The zodiac's first sign, beginning at the March equinox?
Answer Aries (the ram)
Which sign is the archer?
Answer Sagittarius
The bull, late April to late May, stereotyped as stubborn?
Answer Taurus
The maiden, late August to late September?
Answer Virgo
Operation Dynamo (1940) was the evacuation of which port?
Answer Dunkirk
'Little Boy' and 'Fat Man' were dropped on which two cities?
Answer Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Operation Desert Storm (1991) drove Iraqi forces out of where?
Answer Kuwait
Silver, ruby, gold and diamond mark which wedding anniversaries?
Answer 25th, 40th, 50th and 60th
Operation Valkyrie (July 1944) was a plot to do what?
Answer Assassinate Hitler (Stauffenberg's briefcase bomb)
Operation Vittles (1948–49) is better known as what?
Answer The Berlin Airlift
The Manhattan Project developed what?
Answer The atomic bomb
Operation Neptune Spear (2011) was the raid that killed whom?
Answer Osama bin Laden
Intelligence from breaking Enigma at Bletchley Park went by which codename?
Answer Ultra