Your guide to thinking up the best pub quiz questions
One of the greatest pieces of modern British culture has got to be our undying love for pub quizzes – fun competitions that wed the nation’s love for quizzes with our love of boozers too. In fact, pub quizzes are so firmly engrained in our cultural identity that it can be tempting to think they have been a constant presence, however it wasn’t until the 1970s that pubs started running regular quiz nights.
The whole thing started because a company called Burns and Porter were brainstorming ways in which they could fill pubs on quieter nights, although pub quizzes very quickly became so much more than that. These days they are so popular that people even make up their own, so at Winzum we thought: why not create a guide to thinking up the best pub quiz questions? We’ve told you how to win a pub quiz here [how to win a pub quiz…], so now here are some tips on how to create one!
Originality is key
As with many things in life, originality is key to creating your own pub quiz questions, as nobody is going to want to answer the same questions week in, week out. At Winzum we thought outside of the box with our pledge to deliver transparent, innovative and fun online competitions, so we implore you to do the same with your pub quiz questions!
Don’t be afraid to be original. One of our best pieces of advice here is to focus on the subjects you are passionate about, as this will naturally result in some interesting questions.
Nobody likes a smart-arse
As much as you need to be original when crafting a set of pub quiz questions, you also have to remember that nobody likes a smart-arse. If you are devising pub quiz questions that are purposely made to be answered by nobody but yourself there is something a little wrong.
At the end of the day pub quizzes are meant to be fun, and if nobody playing can answer any of the questions we’re not sure they are going to be enjoying themselves.
Don’t make it too easy
Yes, pub quiz questions should never be extraordinarily difficult, but at the same time there is a danger of making them too easy. There is definitely a sweet spot to hit here, and the best pub quiz questions will sit firmly in-between being slightly difficult, but also consistently answerable.
In order to hit this sweet spot you really have to think about who you are making a set of pub quiz questions for. Think about the extent of general knowledge in the room, for example, and whether or not there will be specific things that people know better than others, like sport or music.
Themed pub quiz questions make things more interesting
Don’t get us wrong, any pub quiz is going to be fun, however more often than not it is the themed varieties that really get people’s brains ticking over. Christmas themed pub quizzes are always great fun, for instance, as are pub quizzes that run in the midst of sporting competitions like the Olympics or Football World Cup.
Not only will making themed pub quiz questions boost everybody’s enjoyment, but it will also make it easier for you to think up quiz questions in the first place. Everyone’s a winner!