Friday, January 13, 2012
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - January 10
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. Madonna's upcoming feature-length directorial debut, W.E., is named for what famous pair of lovers? are W and E the initials of the lovers? is this a couple from literature or antiquity? It's not coming to me.
2. A calyx made of sepals is the bottommost part of what? a flower
3. What famed rock bassist retired in 1992 to open a chain of restaurants called Sticky Fingers Cafe? Sticky Fingers --> Rolling Stones --> Bill Wyman
4. In what country were boxer Manny Pacquiao and quarterback Tim Tebow both born? Philippines
5. What position have Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, and Bruno Tonioli filled since 2005? I do not recognize any of these people. Why 2005? Is that significant? Is this an appointed position like Poet Laureate? Or have they been hosts or coaches of some kind on a show that I don't watch like Top Chef or any of the dancing shows?
6. P. D. James's new murder mystery Death Comes to Pemberley is an unasked-for sequel to what classic novel? Pemberley sounds like something from an Austen novel. Pride and Prejudice?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these U.S. presidents and no others? Jefferson, Madison, Garfield, Wilson, and Eisenhower? I believe that all served as college presidents or president-equivalent. Virginia (Jefferson and Madison); Princeton (Wilson); Columbia (Eisenhower). Garfield served as principal of Western Reserve Eclectic Institute (later named Hiram College).
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What 1980s movie protagonist is accidentally dubbed "Pierre Cardin" in the French translation of his film debut? In the original version, he's called "Calvin Klein," but changing it to a French designer makes the joke work for the American-designer-hating French. This is Back to the Future's Marty McFly. correct. Thanks, Alan and Harmony!
2. Which calendar month is observed as Black History Month in the U.S. and Canada? February--the shortest, coldest month, as Chris Rock once observed. correct
3. What has s, p, d, and f subshells? Those are the orbitals in which electrons are arranged around the atom, in one popular model. correct
4. What country is named for the "Lion Mountains" that Pedro de Cintra mapped around its harbor in 1462? Pedro de Cintra was Portuguese, so I'm not sure why the country he named has the weird Spanish-Italianate name of "Sierra Leone." correct
5. What married couple won 2011 CMT Music Awards for Male *and* Female Videos of the Year? Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton, or as country fans call the celebrity megacouple, Blakanda Lambelton.
6. What English clergyman and economist published An Essay on the Principle of Population anonymously in 1798? This is the tract in which Malthusian worries about population growth were first argued by, well, Thomas Malthus. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV series and mini-series? The Beverly Hillbiliies, Davy Crockett, Firefly, Gilligan's Island, Have Gun Will Travel, The Rebel. Each show's theme song is explicitly entitled a "Ballad": "The Ballad of Serenity," "The Ballad of Paladin," etc. ok, but I think my answer is correct too. If I was submitting my answers for scoring, I would argue the point.
1. Madonna's upcoming feature-length directorial debut, W.E., is named for what famous pair of lovers? are W and E the initials of the lovers? is this a couple from literature or antiquity? It's not coming to me.
2. A calyx made of sepals is the bottommost part of what? a flower
3. What famed rock bassist retired in 1992 to open a chain of restaurants called Sticky Fingers Cafe? Sticky Fingers --> Rolling Stones --> Bill Wyman
4. In what country were boxer Manny Pacquiao and quarterback Tim Tebow both born? Philippines
5. What position have Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, and Bruno Tonioli filled since 2005? I do not recognize any of these people. Why 2005? Is that significant? Is this an appointed position like Poet Laureate? Or have they been hosts or coaches of some kind on a show that I don't watch like Top Chef or any of the dancing shows?
6. P. D. James's new murder mystery Death Comes to Pemberley is an unasked-for sequel to what classic novel? Pemberley sounds like something from an Austen novel. Pride and Prejudice?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these U.S. presidents and no others? Jefferson, Madison, Garfield, Wilson, and Eisenhower? I believe that all served as college presidents or president-equivalent. Virginia (Jefferson and Madison); Princeton (Wilson); Columbia (Eisenhower). Garfield served as principal of Western Reserve Eclectic Institute (later named Hiram College).
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What 1980s movie protagonist is accidentally dubbed "Pierre Cardin" in the French translation of his film debut? In the original version, he's called "Calvin Klein," but changing it to a French designer makes the joke work for the American-designer-hating French. This is Back to the Future's Marty McFly. correct. Thanks, Alan and Harmony!
2. Which calendar month is observed as Black History Month in the U.S. and Canada? February--the shortest, coldest month, as Chris Rock once observed. correct
3. What has s, p, d, and f subshells? Those are the orbitals in which electrons are arranged around the atom, in one popular model. correct
4. What country is named for the "Lion Mountains" that Pedro de Cintra mapped around its harbor in 1462? Pedro de Cintra was Portuguese, so I'm not sure why the country he named has the weird Spanish-Italianate name of "Sierra Leone." correct
5. What married couple won 2011 CMT Music Awards for Male *and* Female Videos of the Year? Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton, or as country fans call the celebrity megacouple, Blakanda Lambelton.
6. What English clergyman and economist published An Essay on the Principle of Population anonymously in 1798? This is the tract in which Malthusian worries about population growth were first argued by, well, Thomas Malthus. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV series and mini-series? The Beverly Hillbiliies, Davy Crockett, Firefly, Gilligan's Island, Have Gun Will Travel, The Rebel. Each show's theme song is explicitly entitled a "Ballad": "The Ballad of Serenity," "The Ballad of Paladin," etc. ok, but I think my answer is correct too. If I was submitting my answers for scoring, I would argue the point.
