Culture Quiz Answers

By Matthew Stanton, Metromemetics LLC
(first posted 01/14/2001; revised 01/20/2003)

Topics cited in University of Virginia professor E. D. Hirsh's book Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know:

Bundestag: The post-war form of legislature adopted by West Germany which instituted democracy over fasism and outlawed Nazism after World War II.

Ferdinand Magellan: Portuguese leader of the first expedition to circumnavigate the world.

Battle of Stalingrad: Site of a critical World War II Soviet victory early in 1943 that reversed Nazi Germany's advance to the east.

D.W. Griffith: Early 20th Century movie pioneer who made the film The Birth of a Nation in 1915.

Shawnee Indians: Ohio-based North American Indian tribe crushed in 1811 at the Battle of Tippecanoe by the forces of U.S. general (and future president) William Henry Harrison. (The pacifist advocates Tenskwatawa and Tecumseh were Shawnee.)

Adcult icons cited in James B. Twitchell's book Adcult USA:

Just Do It: Nike athletic shoes ad slogan introduced in 1988 and still widely used today. The company's ubiquitous swoosh logo was created by Caroline Davidson in 1971 to represent the wing of the Greek goddess Nike.

M'm m'm good: Campbell's Soup jingle first used in radio ads during the 1930s and occationally used today in nostalgic print and television advertising. Other famous Campbell jingles include "Wow, I could have had a V8!", "Uh-oh SpaghettiOs" and "Pepperidge Farm Remembers."

Fahrvergnugen: Volkswagon ad slogan used throughout 1990s. Fahrvergnugen is an actual word; loosely translated it means "driving is fun."

Have it your way: Burger King ad slogan first used in 1974 and continued throughout the 1980s.

Snap, Crackle, Pop: Cartoon characters created by Kellogg's to market Rice Krispies breakfast cereal. The product was introduced in 1928 and the phrase "Snap! Crackle! Pop!", without characters, first appeared on the box in 1932. "Snap" appeared as a tiny gnome on the box in 1933 but wasn't joined by his two buddies until later that decade.