Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - July 28
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. All but one of the six U.S. coins in circulation are primarily made of what metal? tin
2. "Pon Farr," "Red Shirt," and "Tiberius" are the first in a new line of fragrances inspired by what? Star Trek
3. What kind of animal shares title billing in an ancient fable with Androcles? the lion
4. Who died in April 1947 at his sprawling estate of Fair Lane? estate makes me think of England, but Churchill did not die until the 1960s. Maybe a writer? Orwell? Fitzgerald? Aha. This came to me when I actually read the question out loud. Fair Lane --> Ford Fairlane --> Henry Ford
5. What is surrounded by the Ross, Weddell, Bellingshausen, and Davis Seas? cruciverbalists see Ross Sea often in crosswords --> Antarctica
6. What word did M. Night Shyamalan drop from the title of his next movie to avoid confusion with James Cameron's next movie? Avatar
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these musical artists? The Beatles, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, No Doubt, OutKast, Paul and Paula, Pink Floyd, Plain White T's, Hank Williams. All have a single that begins "Hey." Hey, Hey, Paula. Hey There Delilah. Hey Joe. Hey Baby. Hey Ya. Hey You. Hey Jude.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Which U.S. national monument was administered by the country's Lighthouse Board until 1902? The Statue of Liberty was a functioning lighthouse until 1902. I know, weird, right? I guess they were like, well, she's holding a torch, so what the hell? Good job, Alex. I checked and the Lighthouse Board also administered Alcatraz but turned over responsibility later. Also Alcatraz is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It is not a national monument.
2. How many planets of the solar system are, at their nearest approach, closer to the Earth than the Sun is? Mercury, Venus, and Mars are all closer to us than the Sun is. Everything from Jupiter on out: much farther. correct
3. Who's the only Shakespearean title character to die before the halfway mark of the play? Julius Caesar barely makes it into Act III. Quitter. correct
4. To explain their alien behavior, what nation did the Coneheads claim to come from? "We--are--from--France." correct
5. What U.S. sports organization has trademarked the name "The Octagon" to describe where it holds its matches? Ultimate Fighting Championship, baby! I'm not going to pretend I know what this is, because I'm an out-of-touch intellectual-snob type, but apparently it's AWESOME. correct
6. What Brazilian mountain is named for a moulded, conical 19th-century product often imported from Brazil and sold in European stores? Sugarloaf, overlooking Rio, is still named for the actual "sugarloaves" Brazil was once famous for. another good one, Alex
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these actors? Don Cheadle, Ricky Gervais, Ed Helms, Eugene Levy, Steve Martin, Victor Mature, Laurence Olivier, Campbell Scott. Open wide: they've all played dentists in movies. Bonus question for your own edification only: which of these men has played a dentist *twice*? Okay, now rinse and spit. Alex was en fuego last week
1. All but one of the six U.S. coins in circulation are primarily made of what metal? tin
2. "Pon Farr," "Red Shirt," and "Tiberius" are the first in a new line of fragrances inspired by what? Star Trek
3. What kind of animal shares title billing in an ancient fable with Androcles? the lion
4. Who died in April 1947 at his sprawling estate of Fair Lane? estate makes me think of England, but Churchill did not die until the 1960s. Maybe a writer? Orwell? Fitzgerald? Aha. This came to me when I actually read the question out loud. Fair Lane --> Ford Fairlane --> Henry Ford
5. What is surrounded by the Ross, Weddell, Bellingshausen, and Davis Seas? cruciverbalists see Ross Sea often in crosswords --> Antarctica
6. What word did M. Night Shyamalan drop from the title of his next movie to avoid confusion with James Cameron's next movie? Avatar
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these musical artists? The Beatles, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, No Doubt, OutKast, Paul and Paula, Pink Floyd, Plain White T's, Hank Williams. All have a single that begins "Hey." Hey, Hey, Paula. Hey There Delilah. Hey Joe. Hey Baby. Hey Ya. Hey You. Hey Jude.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Which U.S. national monument was administered by the country's Lighthouse Board until 1902? The Statue of Liberty was a functioning lighthouse until 1902. I know, weird, right? I guess they were like, well, she's holding a torch, so what the hell? Good job, Alex. I checked and the Lighthouse Board also administered Alcatraz but turned over responsibility later. Also Alcatraz is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It is not a national monument.
2. How many planets of the solar system are, at their nearest approach, closer to the Earth than the Sun is? Mercury, Venus, and Mars are all closer to us than the Sun is. Everything from Jupiter on out: much farther. correct
3. Who's the only Shakespearean title character to die before the halfway mark of the play? Julius Caesar barely makes it into Act III. Quitter. correct
4. To explain their alien behavior, what nation did the Coneheads claim to come from? "We--are--from--France." correct
5. What U.S. sports organization has trademarked the name "The Octagon" to describe where it holds its matches? Ultimate Fighting Championship, baby! I'm not going to pretend I know what this is, because I'm an out-of-touch intellectual-snob type, but apparently it's AWESOME. correct
6. What Brazilian mountain is named for a moulded, conical 19th-century product often imported from Brazil and sold in European stores? Sugarloaf, overlooking Rio, is still named for the actual "sugarloaves" Brazil was once famous for. another good one, Alex
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these actors? Don Cheadle, Ricky Gervais, Ed Helms, Eugene Levy, Steve Martin, Victor Mature, Laurence Olivier, Campbell Scott. Open wide: they've all played dentists in movies. Bonus question for your own edification only: which of these men has played a dentist *twice*? Okay, now rinse and spit. Alex was en fuego last week
