Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - May 27
THIS WEEK'S QUIZ
1. In 1866, what Scottish nobleman co-founded the Amateur Athletic Club, an influential sponsor of London boxing matches? Marquis of Queensberry
2. The 11th-highest grossing movie of 1984 and the fourth-highest grossing movie of 1985 both had what color in their titles? Purple (Purple Rain and The Color Purple)
3. Benjamin D. Foulois led the first air combat mission in U.S. history, while searching for what man? Pancho Villa
4. What do Americans call the asterism that's known as the Plough in Britain? Big Dipper
5. What body of water is home to the Uros Indians, who live on 42 floating reed islands on its surface? Amazon River
6. Hollywood couple Xander Berkeley and Sarah Clarke met while he was playing her boss on what TV show? No idea. I have never heard of either of these actors.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these countries, and no others? Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France (six times), Greece (five times), Italy (13 times), Lebanon, Libya, Spain, Syria, Turkey (four times), and the U.K. (13 times)? The total is 61 times. If something began after WWII, it would have happened about 61 times. Note the absence of Germany and Russia. I am guessing this relates to some annual event.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Who is the world's most famous user of the DECTalk DTC01 synthesizer? Stepen Hawking talks via one of these clunky old antiques, which is why he has an American accent even though he was born in Oxford. even if Peter Frampton used it, he is not as famous as Stephen Hawking
2. What major motion picture of 2007 held its premiere in, of all places, tiny Springfield, Vermont? The Simpsons Movie held a contest to see which of America's many Springfields would host the premiere. The tiny Vermont town edged out Springfield, Illinois for the honor. correct
3. What group took its name from the Al Aqsa Mosque, where it made its first headquarters in the 12th century? The Al Aqsa Mosque sits on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, and was the original hangout of the Knights Templar. what other 12th century groups do you know?
4. In 1986, who produced a short-lived MTV series called Fifteen Minutes? Yes, Andy Warhol used to be on MTV. On MTV, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes, except Matt Pinfield, who will be famous for 120 minutes. correct
5. Where, specifically, would you find Astroland, which was supposed to close last year but has recently reopened for one more summer? It's the famous old amusement park at Coney Island, now probably in its last months. no clues in the question that would have led me to that answer
6. What novel had its origins in The Harvest Gypsies, a series of articles printed in the San Francisco News in 1936? This is how John Steinbeck got interested in California's migrant-worker situation, which led to The Grapes of Wrath. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these rock albums? Am I Not Your Girl by Sinead O'Connor, Autoamerican by Blondie, Blue Valentine by Tom Waits, Congregation by the Afghan Whigs, I Am Gloria Gaynor, It's a Shame about Ray by the Lemonheads, With the Beatles, and A Wizard, a True Star by Todd Rundgren. Each of these albums has, as one of its tracks, a cover of a Broadway show tune. (In order: "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," "Follow Me" from Camelot, "Somewhere," "The Temple" from Jesus Christ Superstar, "I Am What I Am" from La Cage Aux Folles, "Frank Mills" from Hair, "Till There Was You," and "Never Never Land" from Peter Pan. Phew.) I was definitely in the neighborhood.
1. In 1866, what Scottish nobleman co-founded the Amateur Athletic Club, an influential sponsor of London boxing matches? Marquis of Queensberry
2. The 11th-highest grossing movie of 1984 and the fourth-highest grossing movie of 1985 both had what color in their titles? Purple (Purple Rain and The Color Purple)
3. Benjamin D. Foulois led the first air combat mission in U.S. history, while searching for what man? Pancho Villa
4. What do Americans call the asterism that's known as the Plough in Britain? Big Dipper
5. What body of water is home to the Uros Indians, who live on 42 floating reed islands on its surface? Amazon River
6. Hollywood couple Xander Berkeley and Sarah Clarke met while he was playing her boss on what TV show? No idea. I have never heard of either of these actors.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these countries, and no others? Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France (six times), Greece (five times), Italy (13 times), Lebanon, Libya, Spain, Syria, Turkey (four times), and the U.K. (13 times)? The total is 61 times. If something began after WWII, it would have happened about 61 times. Note the absence of Germany and Russia. I am guessing this relates to some annual event.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Who is the world's most famous user of the DECTalk DTC01 synthesizer? Stepen Hawking talks via one of these clunky old antiques, which is why he has an American accent even though he was born in Oxford. even if Peter Frampton used it, he is not as famous as Stephen Hawking
2. What major motion picture of 2007 held its premiere in, of all places, tiny Springfield, Vermont? The Simpsons Movie held a contest to see which of America's many Springfields would host the premiere. The tiny Vermont town edged out Springfield, Illinois for the honor. correct
3. What group took its name from the Al Aqsa Mosque, where it made its first headquarters in the 12th century? The Al Aqsa Mosque sits on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, and was the original hangout of the Knights Templar. what other 12th century groups do you know?
4. In 1986, who produced a short-lived MTV series called Fifteen Minutes? Yes, Andy Warhol used to be on MTV. On MTV, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes, except Matt Pinfield, who will be famous for 120 minutes. correct
5. Where, specifically, would you find Astroland, which was supposed to close last year but has recently reopened for one more summer? It's the famous old amusement park at Coney Island, now probably in its last months. no clues in the question that would have led me to that answer
6. What novel had its origins in The Harvest Gypsies, a series of articles printed in the San Francisco News in 1936? This is how John Steinbeck got interested in California's migrant-worker situation, which led to The Grapes of Wrath. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these rock albums? Am I Not Your Girl by Sinead O'Connor, Autoamerican by Blondie, Blue Valentine by Tom Waits, Congregation by the Afghan Whigs, I Am Gloria Gaynor, It's a Shame about Ray by the Lemonheads, With the Beatles, and A Wizard, a True Star by Todd Rundgren. Each of these albums has, as one of its tracks, a cover of a Broadway show tune. (In order: "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," "Follow Me" from Camelot, "Somewhere," "The Temple" from Jesus Christ Superstar, "I Am What I Am" from La Cage Aux Folles, "Frank Mills" from Hair, "Till There Was You," and "Never Never Land" from Peter Pan. Phew.) I was definitely in the neighborhood.
