I’m cleaning and purging as a means of avoiding the television and political news.

I found an email I saved from 2005 — a quiz on how observant we really are. No author is noted for attribution.

Do you remember watching The Tonight Show with Jay Leno where he would ask people on the street random questions about history, math, science and everyday life? You can find these clips on YouTube, and they always made me smile.

I remember having a good laugh over some of the answers. Most importantly, I was glad I was not one of the people he stopped to ask questions. I would have gotten some of them wrong for sure!

This list is similar to that. Have fun with it. Ask these questions to your friends or family during a meal or turn it into a game with your children and grandchildren, complete with small prizes for correct answers. And if the kids don’t know the answers, encourage them to search for the answers and come back for a prize.

Don’t worry. I will provide the answers — our own little game of sorts without prizes for you to find the answers.

Here you go:

1. On a standard traffic light, is the green on the top or bottom?

2. How many states are there in the USA?

(Don’t laugh, some people don’t know.)

3. In which hand is the Statue of Liberty’s torch?

4. What six colors are on the classic Campbell’s soup label?

(Are you all running to your pantry?)

5. What two numbers on the telephone don’t have letters by them?

6. When you walk, does your left arm swing with your right or left leg?

(Raise your hand if you read this, stood up and started walking.)

7. How many matches are in a standard match book?

8. On the United States flag, is the top stripe red or white?

9. What is the lowest number on the FM dial?

10. Which way does water go down the drain, counter or clockwise?

11. Which way does a “no smoking” sign’s slash run?

12. On which side of a women’s blouse are the buttons?

13. Which way do fans rotate?

14. How many sides does a stop sign have?

15. Do books have even-numbered pages on the right or left side?

16. How many lug nuts are on a standard car wheel?

17. How many sides are there on a standard pencil?

18. Sleepy, Happy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey, Doc. Who is missing?

19. How many hot dog buns are in a standard package?

(Do you remember Steve Martin in “Father of the Bride” buying hot dog buns?)

20. On which playing card is the card maker’s trademark?

21. On which side of a Venetian blind is the cord that adjusts the opening between the slats?

22. There are 12 buttons on a touch tone phone. What two symbols bear no digits?

23. How many curves are there in the standard paper clip?

24. Does a merry-go-round turn counter or clockwise?

I hope you have fun with this quiz, and it provoked a laugh or two.

I believe we could all use a good laugh these days.

Debbie Galbraith

editor

East Penn Press

Salisbury Press

(1) Bottom

(2) 50

(3) Right

(4) Blue, red, white, yellow, black and gold

(5) 1 and 0

(6) Right

(7) 20

(8) Red

(9) 88

(10) Clockwise (north of the equator)

(11) Toward bottom right

(12) Left

(13) Clockwise as you look at it

(14) 8

(15) Left

(16) 5

(17) 6

(18) Bashful

(19) 8

(20) Ace of spades

(21) Left

(22) * and #

(23) 3

(24) Counter