I went on a quiz night recently and did ok... my teammates all kept saying how well I did. The questions were wide ranging but I just knew a fair few of the answers. How? I don't know! I must just absorb snippets of otherwise useless information and trivia. I'm not saying I'm clever but its a knack i guess.
@Shropshire Lad posted about pub sign history recently... I read up a bit on it and its now in my brain and it'll stay there for a long time. When they became legal, what King was in charge at the time etc. I don't need to go back and check - its just stuck in there now for a future pub quiz.
I try not to chime in at work as a know it all