Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - August 28
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What famous American explorer died under mysterious circumstances at a Tennessee inn in October 1809? Tennessee - Daniel Boone?
2. What fictional baby spoke his first words on June 21, 1938, remarking, "Well, blow me down"? Popeye
3. In Greek mythology, what nymph dies pining away for her beloved Narcissus, leaving nothing but her voice behind to haunt the earth? Echo
4. Pitchfork Magazine's recent "The People's Top 200 List" of its readers' favorite albums of the last fifteen years was topped by two albums--one from 1997 and the other from 2000--both recorded by what band? Sounds like Radiohead to me
5. What was the more familiar baronial name of Victorian scientist William Thomson, famed for his calculations regarding absolute zero? Lord Kelvin
6. What TV hit used a Tootsie Pop for the letter 'O' in its title in the marketing materials for a brief 2005 revival? Tootsie Pop ---> Kojak
7. Based on the unusual distinction shared by these cities and no others, what city is missing from the beginning of this list? Mexico City, Paris, Versailles, Berlin, Paris, San Francisco, Vienna, and Moscow. Versailles on a list makes me think of treaties. Cities in which the US has signed treaties?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What 1984 movie, after becoming a surprise hit (the #5 box office success of the year) spawned a sequel set almost entirely in Okinawa? That was The Karate Kid, and the Okinawa-set sequel was an even BIGGER hit. Sweep the leg, Hiroki! correct
2. Between 1958 and 1978, the United States released 13 unmanned probes out into the solar system and beyond that shared what name? There were ten Pioneer probes. not correct
3. Most of the greatest works of architect Antoni Gaudi are found in what city, where he died in 1926? His ornate brand of surrealism can be seen in landmarks like Parc Guell and the Sagrada Familia in his beloved Barcelona. correct
4. What word that originally referred to Helicoverpa zea, a moth larva that attacks corn crops, has more recently come to refer to a hard-to-forget song or melody? Helicoverpa zea, like "Call Me Maybe," is an earworm. correct
5. What Asian country is home to over 2% of the world's population despite a smaller area than the state of West Virginia? This question, as Ed Toutant and others have pointed out to me, is in error. Bangladesh *is* the only Asian country that populous with such a small area; it's dramatically denser than the other contenders here (Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam). But I mixed up my square miles and square kilometers when it came to comparing areas. Bangladesh is much bigger than West Virginia--closer in size to Iowa, actually. Tuesday Trivia regrets the error. I still got it correct
6. The latest installment in the Elder Scrolls video game franchise is set in what titular province of Tamriel? That game is better known by its subtitle: Skyrim. meh
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these albums? All Things Must Pass by George Harrison, Electric Ladyland by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, 19 by Adele, Orange Blossom Special by Johnny Cash, Turn! Turn! Turn! by the Byrds, Up-Tight by Stevie Wonder, Use Your Illusion II by Guns N' Roses, The White Stripes by The White Stripes. These records all have one prominent (or more, in a couple cases) song that's a Bob Dylan cover. (I guess this is in honor of Bob's 35th album, out next month, said to be based around a 14-minute ballad about the sinking of the Titanic!) This isn't a SUPER-rare distinction, obviously, but I tried to pick some of the most prominent examples so that rock snobs could zero in on the trend. You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. correct!
1. What famous American explorer died under mysterious circumstances at a Tennessee inn in October 1809? Tennessee - Daniel Boone?
2. What fictional baby spoke his first words on June 21, 1938, remarking, "Well, blow me down"? Popeye
3. In Greek mythology, what nymph dies pining away for her beloved Narcissus, leaving nothing but her voice behind to haunt the earth? Echo
4. Pitchfork Magazine's recent "The People's Top 200 List" of its readers' favorite albums of the last fifteen years was topped by two albums--one from 1997 and the other from 2000--both recorded by what band? Sounds like Radiohead to me
5. What was the more familiar baronial name of Victorian scientist William Thomson, famed for his calculations regarding absolute zero? Lord Kelvin
6. What TV hit used a Tootsie Pop for the letter 'O' in its title in the marketing materials for a brief 2005 revival? Tootsie Pop ---> Kojak
7. Based on the unusual distinction shared by these cities and no others, what city is missing from the beginning of this list? Mexico City, Paris, Versailles, Berlin, Paris, San Francisco, Vienna, and Moscow. Versailles on a list makes me think of treaties. Cities in which the US has signed treaties?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What 1984 movie, after becoming a surprise hit (the #5 box office success of the year) spawned a sequel set almost entirely in Okinawa? That was The Karate Kid, and the Okinawa-set sequel was an even BIGGER hit. Sweep the leg, Hiroki! correct
2. Between 1958 and 1978, the United States released 13 unmanned probes out into the solar system and beyond that shared what name? There were ten Pioneer probes. not correct
3. Most of the greatest works of architect Antoni Gaudi are found in what city, where he died in 1926? His ornate brand of surrealism can be seen in landmarks like Parc Guell and the Sagrada Familia in his beloved Barcelona. correct
4. What word that originally referred to Helicoverpa zea, a moth larva that attacks corn crops, has more recently come to refer to a hard-to-forget song or melody? Helicoverpa zea, like "Call Me Maybe," is an earworm. correct
5. What Asian country is home to over 2% of the world's population despite a smaller area than the state of West Virginia? This question, as Ed Toutant and others have pointed out to me, is in error. Bangladesh *is* the only Asian country that populous with such a small area; it's dramatically denser than the other contenders here (Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam). But I mixed up my square miles and square kilometers when it came to comparing areas. Bangladesh is much bigger than West Virginia--closer in size to Iowa, actually. Tuesday Trivia regrets the error. I still got it correct
6. The latest installment in the Elder Scrolls video game franchise is set in what titular province of Tamriel? That game is better known by its subtitle: Skyrim. meh
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these albums? All Things Must Pass by George Harrison, Electric Ladyland by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, 19 by Adele, Orange Blossom Special by Johnny Cash, Turn! Turn! Turn! by the Byrds, Up-Tight by Stevie Wonder, Use Your Illusion II by Guns N' Roses, The White Stripes by The White Stripes. These records all have one prominent (or more, in a couple cases) song that's a Bob Dylan cover. (I guess this is in honor of Bob's 35th album, out next month, said to be based around a 14-minute ballad about the sinking of the Titanic!) This isn't a SUPER-rare distinction, obviously, but I tried to pick some of the most prominent examples so that rock snobs could zero in on the trend. You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. correct!
