Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - June 19
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What are you calculating if you subtract course rating from five scores, multiply each by 113, and then divide by the appropriate slope rating? golf handicap
2. The "Denmark Strait" is actually located over a thousand miles away from Copenhagen, and lies between what two islands? Greenland and Iceland
3. In the U.S., federal inmates in prison or on furlough must agree not to eat baked goods containing what (generally harmless) ingredient? poppy seeds?
4. Shale, limestone, and sandstone belong to which of the three basic categories of rock? sedimentary
5. What TV show's characters often repeat the slogan "Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose"? Friday Night Lights
6. On April 18, 1975, President Ford visited what building to light in one of its windows a lantern that still hangs there today? on the 200th anniversary of Paul Revere's Ride, could this be the Old North Church?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these bands? Alabama, Backstreet Boys, the Beach Boys, the Dandy Warhols, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Kings of Leon, the Miracles, Rascal Flatts. since they are all bands and not a mix of solo performers and bands, I looked first at the band members and found a common thread. Each band includes members who are cousins.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What's the only Best Picture Oscar winner to spawn a hit TV series, lasting for eight seasons (1988 to 1995) on NBC and CBS? Crash was a fairly unsuccessful TV show (two seasons on Starz) but In the Heat of the Night became an actual, bona fide TV hit twenty years after winning its Oscar. correct
2. What word, sometimes explained by journalists as meaning "war of stones," is actually the Arabic for "shaking off"? "Intifada," more colloquially translated as "uprising" or something similar. ok, good to know
3. By what crimefighting name do comic book fans better know Kara Zor-El, a.k.a. Linda Lee? Kara Zor-El is the cousin of Jor-El's son Kal-El, but we know her better as Supergirl. correct
4. In 1921, a Utrecht phytopathologist named Bea Schwarz isolated what disease, which has since claimed over 200 million victims in the U.S. alone? Utrecht is in the Netherlands, which is why Dr. Schwarz's discovery is still called Dutch elm disease. correct
5. What U.S. state has the shortest coastline, a 13-mile stretch where you'd find the historic seaport of Portsmouth? New Hampshire. Delaware is in second place, by the way, with just 28 miles of coastline. correct
6. Followers of what religion build and worship at stupas? A stupa is one of those stone mounds that contain Buddhist relics. I guess pagodas are just the towers at Buddhist shrines. A good question because I learned something about a religion that is still mostly unfamiliar to me.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these countries and no others, listed in the correct order? Tunisia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Guatemala, Norway, Italy, Australia, Spain, China, Thailand, and Switzerland? These are the filming locations of the Star Wars films, in the chronological order they were visited by George Lucas's film crew. China, Thailand, and Switzerland, which appear briefly in the final film, were just second-unit visits to shoot background plates, since those three countries have strict no-Jar Jar immigration policies. I had a hunch that the list related to the settings for movies or a series of books. But I did not associate the countries with filming locations. This is kind of a weenie question.
1. What are you calculating if you subtract course rating from five scores, multiply each by 113, and then divide by the appropriate slope rating? golf handicap
2. The "Denmark Strait" is actually located over a thousand miles away from Copenhagen, and lies between what two islands? Greenland and Iceland
3. In the U.S., federal inmates in prison or on furlough must agree not to eat baked goods containing what (generally harmless) ingredient? poppy seeds?
4. Shale, limestone, and sandstone belong to which of the three basic categories of rock? sedimentary
5. What TV show's characters often repeat the slogan "Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose"? Friday Night Lights
6. On April 18, 1975, President Ford visited what building to light in one of its windows a lantern that still hangs there today? on the 200th anniversary of Paul Revere's Ride, could this be the Old North Church?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these bands? Alabama, Backstreet Boys, the Beach Boys, the Dandy Warhols, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Kings of Leon, the Miracles, Rascal Flatts. since they are all bands and not a mix of solo performers and bands, I looked first at the band members and found a common thread. Each band includes members who are cousins.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What's the only Best Picture Oscar winner to spawn a hit TV series, lasting for eight seasons (1988 to 1995) on NBC and CBS? Crash was a fairly unsuccessful TV show (two seasons on Starz) but In the Heat of the Night became an actual, bona fide TV hit twenty years after winning its Oscar. correct
2. What word, sometimes explained by journalists as meaning "war of stones," is actually the Arabic for "shaking off"? "Intifada," more colloquially translated as "uprising" or something similar. ok, good to know
3. By what crimefighting name do comic book fans better know Kara Zor-El, a.k.a. Linda Lee? Kara Zor-El is the cousin of Jor-El's son Kal-El, but we know her better as Supergirl. correct
4. In 1921, a Utrecht phytopathologist named Bea Schwarz isolated what disease, which has since claimed over 200 million victims in the U.S. alone? Utrecht is in the Netherlands, which is why Dr. Schwarz's discovery is still called Dutch elm disease. correct
5. What U.S. state has the shortest coastline, a 13-mile stretch where you'd find the historic seaport of Portsmouth? New Hampshire. Delaware is in second place, by the way, with just 28 miles of coastline. correct
6. Followers of what religion build and worship at stupas? A stupa is one of those stone mounds that contain Buddhist relics. I guess pagodas are just the towers at Buddhist shrines. A good question because I learned something about a religion that is still mostly unfamiliar to me.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these countries and no others, listed in the correct order? Tunisia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Guatemala, Norway, Italy, Australia, Spain, China, Thailand, and Switzerland? These are the filming locations of the Star Wars films, in the chronological order they were visited by George Lucas's film crew. China, Thailand, and Switzerland, which appear briefly in the final film, were just second-unit visits to shoot background plates, since those three countries have strict no-Jar Jar immigration policies. I had a hunch that the list related to the settings for movies or a series of books. But I did not associate the countries with filming locations. This is kind of a weenie question.
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - June 12
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What's the only Best Picture Oscar winner to spawn a hit TV series, lasting for eight seasons (1988 to 1995) on NBC and CBS? In the Heat of the Night? I thought maybe China Beach was created from Platoon but China Beach was on ABC.
2. What word, sometimes explained by journalists as meaning "war of stones," is actually the Arabic for "shaking off"? Fatwa?
3. By what crimefighting name do comic book fans better know Kara Zor-El, a.k.a. Linda Lee? Supergirl?
4. In 1921, a Utrecht phytopathologist named Bea Schwarz isolated what disease, which has since claimed over 200 million victims in the U.S. alone? Utrecht --> Netherlands. phytopathologist --> flowers or trees. Dutch elm disease.
5. What U.S. state has the shortest coastline, a 13-mile stretch where you'd find the historic seaport of Portsmouth? New Hampshire. I played golf once at the CC of Portsmouth, right on the marsh. I heard the name of the local with whom I played as "Judge" but it was actually "George." New Englanders do have an accent.
6. Followers of what religion build and worship at stupas? Buddhists worship at pagodas, Muslims at mosques. Hinduism?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these countries and no others, listed in the correct order? Tunisia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Guatemala, Norway, Italy, Australia, Spain, China, Thailand, and Switzerland? much jumping around in that list. Why is Tunisia first? Is this a pop culture reference? Settings for movies or books?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. The Battle of Waterloo was fought in what modern-day country? The battlefield is just eight miles south of Brussels, the capital of Belgium. correct
2. A spinet is a very small type of what not-uncommon household feature? It's a miniature piano (or other keyboard instrument). correct
3. In honor of his retirement the previous week, what U.S. state proclaimed January 13, 2007 to be "Steve Yzerman Day"? The hockey legend spent his entire career with the Detroit Red Wings, and is a still a beloved resident of the state of Michigan. correct
4. For what mathematical purpose is the fraction 52163/16604 occasionally used? That improper fraction divides out to 3.1415924...in other words, a pretty good way to approximate pi, if you're into five-digit long division. correct
5. In a 1977 interview, what 90-year-old explained to a reporter, "I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty"? Georgia O'Keeffe, describing her massive paintings of flower petals NO REALLY THEY'RE JUST FLOWER PETALS. yep, I knew the name but it never came to me
6. What brand of American root beer brags to customers that it "has bite"? Barq's has bite. Also caffeine, as I remember every time my children drink it. of course this makes sense once I hear the brand name. Not one that I am very familiar with.
7. What surprising distinction is shared by these foods? Chili con carne, corned beef and cabbage, fortune cookies, French dressing, General Tso's chicken, garlic bread, German chocolate cake, pepperoni. Perhaps the easiest Question Seven in the history of the quiz, and there's nothing wrong with that. All these "ethnic"-seeming dishes actually originated in the United States. correct. Glad I did not blow an easy one.
1. What's the only Best Picture Oscar winner to spawn a hit TV series, lasting for eight seasons (1988 to 1995) on NBC and CBS? In the Heat of the Night? I thought maybe China Beach was created from Platoon but China Beach was on ABC.
2. What word, sometimes explained by journalists as meaning "war of stones," is actually the Arabic for "shaking off"? Fatwa?
3. By what crimefighting name do comic book fans better know Kara Zor-El, a.k.a. Linda Lee? Supergirl?
4. In 1921, a Utrecht phytopathologist named Bea Schwarz isolated what disease, which has since claimed over 200 million victims in the U.S. alone? Utrecht --> Netherlands. phytopathologist --> flowers or trees. Dutch elm disease.
5. What U.S. state has the shortest coastline, a 13-mile stretch where you'd find the historic seaport of Portsmouth? New Hampshire. I played golf once at the CC of Portsmouth, right on the marsh. I heard the name of the local with whom I played as "Judge" but it was actually "George." New Englanders do have an accent.
6. Followers of what religion build and worship at stupas? Buddhists worship at pagodas, Muslims at mosques. Hinduism?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these countries and no others, listed in the correct order? Tunisia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Guatemala, Norway, Italy, Australia, Spain, China, Thailand, and Switzerland? much jumping around in that list. Why is Tunisia first? Is this a pop culture reference? Settings for movies or books?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. The Battle of Waterloo was fought in what modern-day country? The battlefield is just eight miles south of Brussels, the capital of Belgium. correct
2. A spinet is a very small type of what not-uncommon household feature? It's a miniature piano (or other keyboard instrument). correct
3. In honor of his retirement the previous week, what U.S. state proclaimed January 13, 2007 to be "Steve Yzerman Day"? The hockey legend spent his entire career with the Detroit Red Wings, and is a still a beloved resident of the state of Michigan. correct
4. For what mathematical purpose is the fraction 52163/16604 occasionally used? That improper fraction divides out to 3.1415924...in other words, a pretty good way to approximate pi, if you're into five-digit long division. correct
5. In a 1977 interview, what 90-year-old explained to a reporter, "I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty"? Georgia O'Keeffe, describing her massive paintings of flower petals NO REALLY THEY'RE JUST FLOWER PETALS. yep, I knew the name but it never came to me
6. What brand of American root beer brags to customers that it "has bite"? Barq's has bite. Also caffeine, as I remember every time my children drink it. of course this makes sense once I hear the brand name. Not one that I am very familiar with.
7. What surprising distinction is shared by these foods? Chili con carne, corned beef and cabbage, fortune cookies, French dressing, General Tso's chicken, garlic bread, German chocolate cake, pepperoni. Perhaps the easiest Question Seven in the history of the quiz, and there's nothing wrong with that. All these "ethnic"-seeming dishes actually originated in the United States. correct. Glad I did not blow an easy one.
Tuesday, June 05, 2012
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - June 5
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. The Battle of Waterloo was fought in what modern-day country? Belgium
2. A spinet is a very small type of what not-uncommon household feature? piano
3. In honor of his retirement the previous week, what U.S. state proclaimed January 13, 2007 to be "Steve Yzerman Day"? Michigan
4. For what mathematical purpose is the fraction 52163/16604 occasionally used? This looks to be a bit more than 3 to 1. Maybe this is a fraction that approximates pi.
5. In a 1977 interview, what 90-year-old explained to a reporter, "I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty"? Dang. I should know this. I want to say Andrew Wyeth, but I don't think that is correct.
6. What brand of American root beer brags to customers that it "has bite"? Dads, A&W, Hires? No idea because I don't drink or shop for root beer.
7. What surprising distinction is shared by these foods? Chili con carne, corned beef and cabbage, fortune cookies, French dressing, General Tso's chicken, garlic bread, German chocolate cake, pepperoni. I believe these are all foods that appear to be foreign but which were invented in the US.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Which is the smallest--but not the least massive--of the gas giant planets of our Solar System? The gas giants' size correlates with their distance from the sun: Jupiter is the biggest, and Neptune is the smallest. But the gases that make up Neptune are, surprisingly, denser: it weighs more than its larger neighbor Uranus. Some scientists believe that means Neptune originally formed closer to the Sun than Uranus. wrong
2. What American most famously spoke the state motto of Virginia in achieving his claim to fame? The state motto of Virginia is still "Sic semper tyrannis," even though John Wilkes Booth made it the catchy tagline of one of the most infamous acts in American history. wrong
3. What comedian died on the set of his 1991 sitcom The Royal Family, because cast and crew members didn't realize that he was actually suffering a real heart attack and not just doing a "bit"? By the time his co-stars realized he wasn't just doing his "I'm coming, Elizabeth!" bit from Sanford and Son, it was too late to save the great Redd Foxx. wrong
4. In 2009 and 2010, the Social Security Administration's most common baby name for both boys and girls were both character names from the same young adult novels. What were the two names? In both years, Jacob and Isabella weren't just thinly written Stephenie Meyer characters--they were also the most popular baby names in America. 1/2 wrong. I said Jacob and Bella, not Isabella
5. In what country did the genre of musical drama called Noh originate? Noh, like kabuki, is a form of Japanese drama. correct!
6. Who tweets under the Twitter handle @shebop_aka_cyn? Couldn't Cyndi "Shebop" Lauper get a real handle? Fire your publicist, Cyndi. Unlike the Goonies, he's just not good enough. correct!
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these U.S. states and no others--though California is, in all likelihood, about to leave the list? Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Utah. Their state capitals are home to NBA teams. Sorry, Sacramento. Looks like "Eight Is Enough" is about to once again become your biggest claim to fame. A pretty good question. But the hint about "CA about to leave the list" was a red herring. From what I have seen the Kings are committed to Sacramento at least through 2014. That does not qualify as "about to move."
1. The Battle of Waterloo was fought in what modern-day country? Belgium
2. A spinet is a very small type of what not-uncommon household feature? piano
3. In honor of his retirement the previous week, what U.S. state proclaimed January 13, 2007 to be "Steve Yzerman Day"? Michigan
4. For what mathematical purpose is the fraction 52163/16604 occasionally used? This looks to be a bit more than 3 to 1. Maybe this is a fraction that approximates pi.
5. In a 1977 interview, what 90-year-old explained to a reporter, "I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty"? Dang. I should know this. I want to say Andrew Wyeth, but I don't think that is correct.
6. What brand of American root beer brags to customers that it "has bite"? Dads, A&W, Hires? No idea because I don't drink or shop for root beer.
7. What surprising distinction is shared by these foods? Chili con carne, corned beef and cabbage, fortune cookies, French dressing, General Tso's chicken, garlic bread, German chocolate cake, pepperoni. I believe these are all foods that appear to be foreign but which were invented in the US.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Which is the smallest--but not the least massive--of the gas giant planets of our Solar System? The gas giants' size correlates with their distance from the sun: Jupiter is the biggest, and Neptune is the smallest. But the gases that make up Neptune are, surprisingly, denser: it weighs more than its larger neighbor Uranus. Some scientists believe that means Neptune originally formed closer to the Sun than Uranus. wrong
2. What American most famously spoke the state motto of Virginia in achieving his claim to fame? The state motto of Virginia is still "Sic semper tyrannis," even though John Wilkes Booth made it the catchy tagline of one of the most infamous acts in American history. wrong
3. What comedian died on the set of his 1991 sitcom The Royal Family, because cast and crew members didn't realize that he was actually suffering a real heart attack and not just doing a "bit"? By the time his co-stars realized he wasn't just doing his "I'm coming, Elizabeth!" bit from Sanford and Son, it was too late to save the great Redd Foxx. wrong
4. In 2009 and 2010, the Social Security Administration's most common baby name for both boys and girls were both character names from the same young adult novels. What were the two names? In both years, Jacob and Isabella weren't just thinly written Stephenie Meyer characters--they were also the most popular baby names in America. 1/2 wrong. I said Jacob and Bella, not Isabella
5. In what country did the genre of musical drama called Noh originate? Noh, like kabuki, is a form of Japanese drama. correct!
6. Who tweets under the Twitter handle @shebop_aka_cyn? Couldn't Cyndi "Shebop" Lauper get a real handle? Fire your publicist, Cyndi. Unlike the Goonies, he's just not good enough. correct!
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these U.S. states and no others--though California is, in all likelihood, about to leave the list? Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Utah. Their state capitals are home to NBA teams. Sorry, Sacramento. Looks like "Eight Is Enough" is about to once again become your biggest claim to fame. A pretty good question. But the hint about "CA about to leave the list" was a red herring. From what I have seen the Kings are committed to Sacramento at least through 2014. That does not qualify as "about to move."
