Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - June 23
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What actress-turned-union leader is the author of the new memoir Prairie Tale? Melissa Gilbert was president of the Screen Actors Guild and on Little House on the Prairie.
2. In what language does the word "Basij" mean "mobilization"? I have heard this word in connection with the protests in Iran. What language do they speak there? Persian?
3. What biblical name is commonly given to your body's laryngeal prominence? Adam's apple
4. What TV network gives out "Buckle" Awards to musicians every year? I think of buckle on the Bible belt, but I cannot imagine a Christian network being that tongue-in-cheek. Does not sound like MTV. That leaves VH1 and BET. Buckle does not connect with anything to help me guess. I'll guess BET.
5. The "small blind" and the "big blind" sit immediately to the left of whom? sounds like a poker term. Are they next to the flop? or the river?
6. Two of the U.S.'s three biggest employers are government agencies--one a Cabinet-level department, the other a former Cabinet-level department. What are they? Cabinet level department must be Homeland Security. The other sounds like the Army since there used to be a Department of the Army.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these countries, and (to my knowledge) no others? Benin, Bhutan, Burma, China, Congo, East Timor, Gabon, Guyana, Japan, Lebanon, Malta, Marshall Islands, Nepal, Portugal, San Marino, Senegal, Sudan, Surinam, Taiwan, Togo, and Vietnam. Have to work on this when I have more time.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. The Italian "marasca" is a wild, bitter variety of what fruit? Maraschino liqueur is named for the fruit that flavors it--the marasca is a cherry. correct
2. What's the only U.S. state ever to change its two-letter postal abbreviation, to avoid confusion with a Canadian maritime province? Nebraska, now NE, used to be NB, but apparently too much Omaha mail was showing up in New Brunswick. correct
3. Bulldogging and barrel racing are competitions in what sport? The roping and riding events are the more popular ones: this is rodeo. correct
4. The "Sons of the Desert" are the international fan club of what famed movie pair? Sons of the Desert is one of the best-loved movies of Laurel and Hardy, in which I believe they get into, quote, another fine mess. correct
5. What did Luxembourg do first, on September 1, 2006, that the U.S. finally did on June 12, 2009, at midnight Eastern? That's when they officially got tired of the expression "It's all good." No, I'm only kidding. Luxembourg was a trailbrazer when it comes to the digital TV switchover that Americans managed to survive a week or two ago. correct
6. "Nevemore" is the last word of the final eleven stanzas of what famous poem? "Nevermore" is what Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" quoth. And quoth. And just kept on quoth-ing. correct
7. What unusual distinction is or was shared by all these famous people? Marlon Brando, Richard Branson, Bjorn Borg, David Copperfield, Johnny Depp, Mel Gibson, Dean Kamen, Andrew Wyeth. They all own (or owned at one time) their own islands. I would have had to win a few hundred more Jeopardy! games to make it onto that list, I'm afraid. Alex got this one. He was able to connect it to a Simpsons episode he remembered.
1. What actress-turned-union leader is the author of the new memoir Prairie Tale? Melissa Gilbert was president of the Screen Actors Guild and on Little House on the Prairie.
2. In what language does the word "Basij" mean "mobilization"? I have heard this word in connection with the protests in Iran. What language do they speak there? Persian?
3. What biblical name is commonly given to your body's laryngeal prominence? Adam's apple
4. What TV network gives out "Buckle" Awards to musicians every year? I think of buckle on the Bible belt, but I cannot imagine a Christian network being that tongue-in-cheek. Does not sound like MTV. That leaves VH1 and BET. Buckle does not connect with anything to help me guess. I'll guess BET.
5. The "small blind" and the "big blind" sit immediately to the left of whom? sounds like a poker term. Are they next to the flop? or the river?
6. Two of the U.S.'s three biggest employers are government agencies--one a Cabinet-level department, the other a former Cabinet-level department. What are they? Cabinet level department must be Homeland Security. The other sounds like the Army since there used to be a Department of the Army.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these countries, and (to my knowledge) no others? Benin, Bhutan, Burma, China, Congo, East Timor, Gabon, Guyana, Japan, Lebanon, Malta, Marshall Islands, Nepal, Portugal, San Marino, Senegal, Sudan, Surinam, Taiwan, Togo, and Vietnam. Have to work on this when I have more time.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. The Italian "marasca" is a wild, bitter variety of what fruit? Maraschino liqueur is named for the fruit that flavors it--the marasca is a cherry. correct
2. What's the only U.S. state ever to change its two-letter postal abbreviation, to avoid confusion with a Canadian maritime province? Nebraska, now NE, used to be NB, but apparently too much Omaha mail was showing up in New Brunswick. correct
3. Bulldogging and barrel racing are competitions in what sport? The roping and riding events are the more popular ones: this is rodeo. correct
4. The "Sons of the Desert" are the international fan club of what famed movie pair? Sons of the Desert is one of the best-loved movies of Laurel and Hardy, in which I believe they get into, quote, another fine mess. correct
5. What did Luxembourg do first, on September 1, 2006, that the U.S. finally did on June 12, 2009, at midnight Eastern? That's when they officially got tired of the expression "It's all good." No, I'm only kidding. Luxembourg was a trailbrazer when it comes to the digital TV switchover that Americans managed to survive a week or two ago. correct
6. "Nevemore" is the last word of the final eleven stanzas of what famous poem? "Nevermore" is what Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" quoth. And quoth. And just kept on quoth-ing. correct
7. What unusual distinction is or was shared by all these famous people? Marlon Brando, Richard Branson, Bjorn Borg, David Copperfield, Johnny Depp, Mel Gibson, Dean Kamen, Andrew Wyeth. They all own (or owned at one time) their own islands. I would have had to win a few hundred more Jeopardy! games to make it onto that list, I'm afraid. Alex got this one. He was able to connect it to a Simpsons episode he remembered.
