Suit up. These 120 How I Met Your Mother trivia questions cover Ted, Robin, Barney, Marshall, Lily, Tracy, MacLaren's, slap bets, interventions, doppelgangers, weddings, jobs, and the long story that finally explains how Ted met the Mother.
For episode and series history, see CBS's finale archive, Hulu's series guide, and the Television Academy. Keep playing with our TV show trivia, celebrity trivia, and pop culture trivia.
Ted, Robin & the Story Setup
Q: Who narrates the story to his children?
A: Future Ted Mosby.
Q: What year is Future Ted telling the story from?
A: 2030.
Q: Who voices Future Ted?
A: Bob Saget.
Q: Who plays younger Ted?
A: Josh Radnor.
Q: What is Ted's profession?
A: Architect.
Q: What city does Ted live in for most of the series?
A: New York City.
Q: Who does Ted meet in the pilot and immediately fall for?
A: Robin Scherbatsky.
Q: What nationality is Robin?
A: Canadian.
Q: What is Robin's profession?
A: Television journalist and news anchor.
Q: What does Ted steal for Robin during their first date?
A: A blue French horn.
Q: What instrument becomes a recurring symbol of Ted and Robin?
A: The blue French horn.
Q: What does Ted accidentally say too early to Robin?
A: “I love you.”
Q: What nickname does Ted use for the mysterious mother before she is revealed?
A: The Mother.
Q: How many seasons does the series have?
A: Nine.
Q: How many episodes are in the complete series?
A: 208.
Q: What bar is the group's main hangout?
A: MacLaren's Pub.
Q: What apartment do Ted, Marshall, and later others share?
A: The apartment above MacLaren's.
Q: What university did Ted, Marshall, and Lily attend?
A: Wesleyan University.
Q: What object does Ted often obsess over finding?
A: The yellow umbrella.
Q: Who owns the yellow umbrella before Ted gets it?
A: Tracy McConnell.
Q: What song title is associated with Ted and Tracy's eventual first conversation?
A: Their first meeting occurs under the yellow umbrella at the Farhampton train platform, rather than being built around one single theme song.
Q: What college does Ted eventually teach at?
A: Columbia University.
Q: What architecture project becomes Ted's biggest professional dream?
A: Designing the new Goliath National Bank headquarters.
Q: What famous building does Ted nearly design before losing the job?
A: The Arcadian redevelopment becomes a major project conflict.
Q: What kind of building is the Arcadian?
A: An old New York hotel.
Q: Who becomes Ted's architecture rival and later friend?
A: Zoey is a romantic and professional opponent during the Arcadian storyline.
Q: What is Ted's middle name?
A: Evelyn.
Q: What recurring correction does Ted make about pronunciation?
A: He insists on pronouncing “encyclopedia” carefully and is often mocked for being pretentious.
Q: What color cowboy boots does Ted love?
A: Red.
Q: What does Barney call Ted's boots?
A: He mocks them as ridiculous rather than treating them as stylish.
Barney Stinson
Q: Who plays Barney Stinson?
A: Neil Patrick Harris.
Q: What clothing does Barney insist men should wear?
A: Suits.
Q: What is Barney's famous catchphrase about excellence?
A: “Legendary.”
Q: What phrase does Barney use to invite friends to dress formally?
A: “Suit up!”
Q: What book contains Barney's elaborate dating schemes?
A: The Playbook.
Q: What second book contains Barney's personal rules?
A: The Bro Code.
Q: Who supposedly wrote The Bro Code in Barney's mythology?
A: Barnabas Stinson is part of Barney's invented lore, though the rules are really Barney's.
Q: What does Barney claim his job is when asked directly?
A: “Please.”
Q: What does P.L.E.A.S.E. eventually stand for?
A: Provide Legal Exculpation And Sign Everything.
Q: What bank employs Barney for much of the series?
A: Goliath National Bank.
Q: Who is Barney's half-brother?
A: James Stinson.
Q: Who plays James?
A: Wayne Brady.
Q: What is Barney's mother's name?
A: Loretta Stinson.
Q: Who is Barney's biological father?
A: Jerome Whittaker.
Q: What does Barney initially believe his father does?
A: He grows up without knowing his real father and builds fantasies around male role models.
Q: What childhood TV show does Barney discover was staged by his mother?
A: The Price Is Right becomes part of his mistaken father theory, not a private childhood show.
Q: Which game-show host does Barney once think might be his father?
A: Bob Barker.
Q: Who is Barney's first serious girlfriend shown from his hippie phase?
A: Shannon.
Q: What event turns young Barney into the suit-loving persona?
A: Shannon leaves him for a suited businessman.
Q: Who does Barney marry?
A: Robin Scherbatsky.
Q: Where is Barney and Robin's wedding held?
A: Farhampton Inn.
Q: Do Barney and Robin remain married forever?
A: No. They divorce after about three years.
Q: What finally changes Barney's outlook on relationships?
A: Becoming a father.
Q: What is Barney's daughter's name?
A: Ellie.
Q: What number is tied to the unnamed woman who becomes Ellie's mother?
A: Number 31.
Q: What does Barney say when he first meets Ellie?
A: He promises that everything he has and is belongs to her, marking a major emotional change.
Q: What ridiculous challenge has Barney repeatedly accepted?
A: He turns almost anything into a bet or dare.
Q: What magic trick does Barney love using socially?
A: He frequently performs elaborate magic and disappearing tricks.
Q: What phrase does Barney use before proposing an outrageous idea?
A: “Challenge accepted.”
Q: What color ducky tie is Barney forced to wear?
A: Yellow with ducks.
Marshall, Lily & the Running Jokes
Q: Who plays Marshall Eriksen?
A: Jason Segel.
Q: Who plays Lily Aldrin?
A: Alyson Hannigan.
Q: What state is Marshall from?
A: Minnesota.
Q: What town is Marshall's family from?
A: St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Q: What is Marshall's profession?
A: Lawyer and later judge.
Q: What kind of law does Marshall dream of practicing?
A: Environmental law.
Q: What is Lily's profession early in the series?
A: Kindergarten teacher.
Q: What artistic dream does Lily pursue?
A: Becoming a painter and working in art.
Q: Where does Lily move temporarily after breaking up with Marshall?
A: San Francisco.
Q: Do Marshall and Lily eventually marry?
A: Yes.
Q: What is their first son's name?
A: Marvin Wait-for-it Eriksen.
Q: Who chooses Marvin's middle name?
A: Barney.
Q: What is Marshall's father's name?
A: Marvin Eriksen Sr.
Q: What devastating event happens to Marshall's father?
A: He dies suddenly of a heart attack.
Q: What final words from Marvin become a joke during the funeral episode?
A: A pocket-dial voicemail initially seems meaningless before revealing an affectionate message.
Q: What mythical creature does Marshall strongly believe exists?
A: Bigfoot.
Q: What sea creature does Marshall also obsess over?
A: The Loch Ness Monster becomes part of the show's creature jokes, though Marshall's strongest obsession is Bigfoot.
Q: What ongoing punishment does Barney owe Marshall after losing a bet?
A: Slaps.
Q: Who is the Slap Bet Commissioner?
A: Lily.
Q: What holiday does Marshall invent around the punishment?
A: Slapsgiving.
Q: What fake music video exposes Robin's Canadian pop-star past?
A: “Let's Go to the Mall.”
Q: What was Robin's Canadian pop-star name?
A: Robin Sparkles.
Q: What later Robin Sparkles song is a breakup ballad?
A: “Sandcastles in the Sand.”
Q: What darker alter ego follows Robin Sparkles?
A: Robin Daggers.
Q: What song marks the Robin Daggers era?
A: “P.S. I Love You.”
Q: What phrase does the gang use when someone's lookalike appears?
A: They call the person a doppelganger.
Q: What are the five main doppelganger types?
A: Mustache Marshall, Lesbian Robin, Stripper Lily, Mexican Wrestler Ted, and Fertility Doctor Barney.
Q: What is the gang's formal meeting for confronting bad behavior called?
A: An intervention.
Q: What object is placed out during interventions?
A: A banner reading “INTERVENTION.”
Q: What game involves guessing how a story really happened?
A: The series often uses unreliable narration and perspective shifts rather than one named recurring guessing game.
Tracy, Farhampton & Hard HIMYM Trivia
Q: What is the Mother's full name?
A: Tracy McConnell.
Q: Who plays Tracy?
A: Cristin Milioti.
Q: What instrument does Tracy play?
A: Bass guitar.
Q: What band does Tracy perform with at Barney and Robin's wedding?
A: Superfreakonomics.
Q: What object links Tracy to Ted before they meet?
A: The yellow umbrella.
Q: Where do Ted and Tracy finally meet?
A: The Farhampton train station.
Q: What weather is happening when they meet?
A: Rain.
Q: What does Tracy tease Ted about when they meet?
A: He mistakenly claims the umbrella is his, and she knows its history better.
Q: What is the title of the episode focused on Tracy's earlier life?
A: “How Your Mother Met Me.”
Q: Who was Tracy's first great love?
A: Max.
Q: What happened to Max?
A: He died before Tracy met Ted.
Q: What roommate of Tracy dates Ted?
A: Cindy.
Q: What does Ted notice in Cindy's apartment that actually belongs to Tracy?
A: Many of the things he likes, including the yellow umbrella and other tastes, belong to Cindy's unseen roommate.
Q: What are Ted and Tracy's children named?
A: Penny and Luke.
Q: What major sad event is revealed near the finale?
A: Tracy dies years before Ted tells the story.
Q: Who do Ted's children realize the story is really largely about?
A: Robin.
Q: What object does Ted bring back to Robin in the final scene?
A: The blue French horn.
Q: What phrase does Barney often use to introduce a new rule?
A: He cites the Bro Code.
Q: What is Marshall's favorite Minnesota bar called?
A: The show repeatedly references Minnesota culture, but MacLaren's remains the central bar of the series.
Q: What food is Marshall famously enthusiastic about during a road trip?
A: He and Ted's road trips revolve around snacks, music, and the Fiero more than one single food.
Q: What car becomes legendary in Ted and Marshall's friendship?
A: Marshall's Pontiac Fiero.
Q: What song gets stuck playing repeatedly in the Fiero?
A: “I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers.
Q: What word does Robin hate hearing Americans misuse about Canada?
A: The group constantly stereotypes Canada, and Robin repeatedly corrects their exaggerated assumptions.
Q: What Canadian fast-food chain becomes part of Robin's nostalgia?
A: Tim Hortons is referenced among Canadian culture jokes.
Q: What liquor does Robin drink heavily?
A: Scotch.
Q: What job does Robin eventually achieve internationally?
A: Successful global news correspondent.
Q: What is the name of Barney's laser-tag obsession?
A: He treats laser tag as a serious competitive hobby.
Q: What game does Barney repeatedly play with women involving false identities?
A: His Playbook “plays” use elaborate invented personas and situations.
Q: What final lesson makes the show's structure unusual?
A: The title promises one meeting, but the series spends most of its time showing the friendships and relationships that shaped Ted before that moment.
Q: Why is How I Met Your Mother especially deep trivia material?
A: Nine seasons layer callbacks, unreliable narration, invented holidays, songs, props, doppelgangers, running bets, relationship history, and flash-forwards into one long story.
How Did You Score?
If Robin Daggers, P.L.E.A.S.E., Slapsgiving, the Fiero song, Tracy's band, the yellow umbrella, and all five doppelgangers came easily, your HIMYM knowledge is already legendary.
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