The Ultimate Kissing Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
2 min
The Ultimate Kissing Quiz
Image: Lt Victor Jorgensen/ US Archives

About This Quiz

It can be a sign of love, grief or respect worldwide. Kissing is a natural act that gives millions of people physical and psychological satisfaction, but where did it originate? Why does it make us feel good?
What percentage of people in the world kiss, according to anthropologists?
50 percent
75 percent
90 percent
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Anthropologists report that 90 percent of the people in the world kiss.

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Which of the following animals supports the theory that kissing is instinctive?
bonobo ape
giraffe
gorilla
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bonobo apes kiss one another frequently. They kiss to reduce tension after disputes, to reassure one another, to develop social bonds and sometimes for no clear reason at all. This supports the theory by some researchers that kissing is instinctive.

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The act of rubbing noses or cheeks with someone is often referred to as:
an Eskimo kiss
a French kiss
an Aztec kiss
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Anthropologists theorize that rubbing noses or cheeks with someone, commonly known as an Eskimo kiss, grew from people smelling one another's faces much the way animals do.

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The Indian epic poem "Mahabharata" described:
kissing as an abomination punishable by death
kissing on the lips as a sign of affection
kissing on the lips as a good way to become infected with a disease
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Indian epic poem "Mahabharata" describes kissing on the lips as a sign of affection. The "Mahabharata" was passed down orally for several hundred years before being written down and standardized around A.D. 350.

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What was a savolium in ancient Rome?
a deep kiss
a kiss on the cheek
a kiss on the lips
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Romans had three different categories for kissing; a savolium was classified as a deep kiss.

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Where did the idea of "sealing with a kiss" originate?
ancient Egypt
ancient Greece
ancient Rome
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Kisses were used to seal legal and business agreements in ancient Rome. This is probably the origin of the idea of a letter being "sealed with a kiss."

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In the 13th century, the Catholic Church replaced the holy kiss with which of the following?
a holy hug
a pax board
nothing
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The holy kiss was part of Catholic mass until 1528. In the 13th century, it was replaced with a pax board, a board the congregation kissed instead of kissing one another.

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What one muscle does the basic kiss rely on the most?
the zygomaticus minor
the masseter
the orbicularis oris
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The orbicularis oris is the muscle running around the outside of your mouth that allows for the basic kiss. It changes the shape of your mouth while you talk, and it puckers your lips when you kiss.

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What percentage of people tip their head to the right while kissing?
one-half
two-thirds
nearly everyone
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

About two-thirds of people tip their heads to the right while kissing. Scientists believe this preference starts before we're born, when we tilt our heads to the right in the womb.

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What illness is known as the kissing disease?
mononucleosis
meningitis
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mononucleosis is often called "the kissing disease" because it is carried in saliva and can be spread through kissing.

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What year did the first on-film kiss debut?
1896
1922
1968
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

An 1896 film by Thomas Edison featured the first kiss ever recorded in a motion picture, fittingly named "The Kiss."

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Which particular kiss is believed by many to have condemned a man to death?
the Spider-Man kiss
the Prince Charming kiss
the Judas kiss
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Bible describes Judas Iscariot identifying Jesus Christ to his enemies by kissing him. Judas was paid 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus, who was then arrested and crucified.

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The first interracial kiss on U.S. television featured which two characters?
Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura
Nurse Julia Baker and Dr. Thomas Sheppard
Special Agent Leroy Gibbs and Forensics Specialist Abby Sciuto
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

On the show "Star Trek," Captain Kirk (played by William Shatner) and Lieutenant Uhura (played by Nichelle Nichols) shared the first interracial kiss shown on U.S. television.

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How costly did a kiss become for one woman visiting a museum?
$250
$2,600
$1,260
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After kissing a painting by Jo Baer on display at an Oxford, England, museum, Ruth van Herpen was ordered to pay $1,260 in restoration costs to remove her lipstick mark. The kissing bandit struck in 1977, so we expect the restitution cost would be even higher today.

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How many calories does the average person burn while kissing for one minute?
18 calories
26 calories
78 calories
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

During a one-minute kiss, you could burn 26 calories. Time to revamp your workout routine!

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According to legend, kissing which stone could bring you good luck?
Blarney Stone
Wishing Stone
Rolling Stone
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Plant a smooch on the Blarney Stone at the Blarney Castle in Cork, Ireland, and you'll have good luck -- in the form of the gift of gab.

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How much of life does the average person spend kissing?
two days
two weeks
two months
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The average person will spend two weeks of his or her life kissing, but no word on whether there's a chapped lip correlation.

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Mick Jagger (of The Rolling Stones' fame) has lips so famous that a lipstick imprint of his kiss sold for how much?
$160
$1,600
$2,800
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mick Jagger's lips are so famous they have their own Facebook page. A lipstick imprint of a kiss he made sold for $1,600.

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Getting a smooch before your partner leaves for work could mean:
Your partner is cheating on you.
Your partner earns a good income.
Your partner doesn't mind morning breath.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Studies show a partner who kisses goodbye before he or she leaves for work averages a higher income than those who don't depart with a smooch.

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If you sport a mustache, it's a good idea to review the law in which state?
Indiana
Kansas
Michigan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In Indiana, it's illegal for men with mustaches to "habitually kiss human beings."

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Lt Victor Jorgensen/ US Archives