Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - December 15
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What two co-stars in an upcoming film have hosted Saturday Night Live a record 29 times between them? As I was coming out of the grocery store, I just saw an ad for this movie. Hope that is not considered cheating. Alex Baldwin and Steve Martin. That reminds me to re-watch the Pete Schweddy sketch.
2. What best-selling author calls his New Hampshire estate the "Isle of Langdonia"? New Hampshire leads me to think of John Irving. But I have not read enough of his works to know whether or not Isle of Langdonia refers to one of his books.
3. What country controls part of each of the world's two largest "divided islands"--that is, islands shared by two different nations? Malaysia and Indonesia share one of those islands (Java? Sumatra?). So the answer has to be one of those two. What is the other divided island? Singapore Island? If so, then I guess the answer is Malaysia.
4. A 27-foot red cube mounted in front of the Tycho Brahe Planetarium was the centerpiece of what recent news-making event? the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen
5. What kind of body part takes its name from the same Greek root as a mythical monster who guarded an entrance? Cerberus ---> cerebellum
6. After all the attempts made on his life, what finally turned out to be Rasputin's official cause of death? I recall that his enemies tried to shoot, stab and poison him. But I think that he drowned.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these Beatles songs? "Baby's in Black," "Norwegian Wood," "She's Leaving Home," "This Boy," "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," and, to a lesser degree, "I Me Mine," "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," and "A Taste of Honey." KJ went deep into the catalog and found some obscure Beatles songs.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. From what language did English borrow the word "sauna"? It's the only common English word borrowed from Finnish. And I'm not sure we're giving it back. correct
2. What U.S. state was the original setting for the TV shows The Fugitive, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, and Parks and Recreation? I didn't remember this about The Fugitive or Foxworthy either, but I do know that Parks and Recreation is set in fictional Pawnee, Indiana. And since The Office and 30 Rock are sort of sucking this year, I thought I'd give Parks and Rec a little shout-out. wrong midwestern state. Iowa not equal to Indiana.
3. Qin Shi Huangdi was the first man ever to hold what title? A surprising number of guesses for "WWF Intercontinental Champion"...maybe you were thinking of Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. No, this guy was the first emperor of a unified China. You know, terra cotta warriors and all that. correct
4. What unusual object, a calling card of the Lone Ranger, was also used to kill Lon Chaney's character in a 1944 movie? Werewolves would be no match for the Lone Ranger, who used silver bullets. correct
5. The first chalkboards hung in classrooms were made of what mineral? The first chalkboards were an extension of children's writing slates, and were also made of slate. Unfortunately, I goofed: slate is a rock (a conglomeration of minerals), not a mineral. It's a semi-technical distinction, but that's the kind of thing we try to get right here...especially since trivia fans tend to be, uh, detail-oriented people. I am considering this to be correct since I said "slate" and even knew that it is not a mineral
6. Who sang "Take My Hand, Precious Lord," at Martin Luther King's 1968 funeral, and then had it sung at her own 1972 funeral by Aretha Franklin? That gospel standard was the signature song of the queen of gospel music, Mahalia Jackson. The other MJ
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these nations, in this order? Panama, Mexico, France, Great Britain, Italy, Vatican City, Belgium, Canada, Cuba, Haiti, Colombia. I hoped that "Panama" first and the plethora of Latin American states that follow might have given you a glimmer: these are the first dozen foreign countries visited by a sitting U.S. president, in order visited. The very first such visit didn't happen until 1906, believe it or not, when Teddy Roosevelt went to see how the Panama Canal was coming along. well what do you know. No sitting president ever left the country until 1906! Surprised that Canada came so late too. This is actually a factoid that I enjoyed learning.
1. What two co-stars in an upcoming film have hosted Saturday Night Live a record 29 times between them? As I was coming out of the grocery store, I just saw an ad for this movie. Hope that is not considered cheating. Alex Baldwin and Steve Martin. That reminds me to re-watch the Pete Schweddy sketch.
2. What best-selling author calls his New Hampshire estate the "Isle of Langdonia"? New Hampshire leads me to think of John Irving. But I have not read enough of his works to know whether or not Isle of Langdonia refers to one of his books.
3. What country controls part of each of the world's two largest "divided islands"--that is, islands shared by two different nations? Malaysia and Indonesia share one of those islands (Java? Sumatra?). So the answer has to be one of those two. What is the other divided island? Singapore Island? If so, then I guess the answer is Malaysia.
4. A 27-foot red cube mounted in front of the Tycho Brahe Planetarium was the centerpiece of what recent news-making event? the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen
5. What kind of body part takes its name from the same Greek root as a mythical monster who guarded an entrance? Cerberus ---> cerebellum
6. After all the attempts made on his life, what finally turned out to be Rasputin's official cause of death? I recall that his enemies tried to shoot, stab and poison him. But I think that he drowned.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these Beatles songs? "Baby's in Black," "Norwegian Wood," "She's Leaving Home," "This Boy," "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," and, to a lesser degree, "I Me Mine," "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," and "A Taste of Honey." KJ went deep into the catalog and found some obscure Beatles songs.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. From what language did English borrow the word "sauna"? It's the only common English word borrowed from Finnish. And I'm not sure we're giving it back. correct
2. What U.S. state was the original setting for the TV shows The Fugitive, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, and Parks and Recreation? I didn't remember this about The Fugitive or Foxworthy either, but I do know that Parks and Recreation is set in fictional Pawnee, Indiana. And since The Office and 30 Rock are sort of sucking this year, I thought I'd give Parks and Rec a little shout-out. wrong midwestern state. Iowa not equal to Indiana.
3. Qin Shi Huangdi was the first man ever to hold what title? A surprising number of guesses for "WWF Intercontinental Champion"...maybe you were thinking of Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. No, this guy was the first emperor of a unified China. You know, terra cotta warriors and all that. correct
4. What unusual object, a calling card of the Lone Ranger, was also used to kill Lon Chaney's character in a 1944 movie? Werewolves would be no match for the Lone Ranger, who used silver bullets. correct
5. The first chalkboards hung in classrooms were made of what mineral? The first chalkboards were an extension of children's writing slates, and were also made of slate. Unfortunately, I goofed: slate is a rock (a conglomeration of minerals), not a mineral. It's a semi-technical distinction, but that's the kind of thing we try to get right here...especially since trivia fans tend to be, uh, detail-oriented people. I am considering this to be correct since I said "slate" and even knew that it is not a mineral
6. Who sang "Take My Hand, Precious Lord," at Martin Luther King's 1968 funeral, and then had it sung at her own 1972 funeral by Aretha Franklin? That gospel standard was the signature song of the queen of gospel music, Mahalia Jackson. The other MJ
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these nations, in this order? Panama, Mexico, France, Great Britain, Italy, Vatican City, Belgium, Canada, Cuba, Haiti, Colombia. I hoped that "Panama" first and the plethora of Latin American states that follow might have given you a glimmer: these are the first dozen foreign countries visited by a sitting U.S. president, in order visited. The very first such visit didn't happen until 1906, believe it or not, when Teddy Roosevelt went to see how the Panama Canal was coming along. well what do you know. No sitting president ever left the country until 1906! Surprised that Canada came so late too. This is actually a factoid that I enjoyed learning.
