Friday, March 07, 2014
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - March 4
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. Despite the fact that they come from South America, the rodent also called the cavy is better known by the name of what African country? is this the guinea pig?
2. The boy band One Direction leapt to fame after finishing third on what British reality show in 2010? The X-Factor? Britain's Got Talent? I'll guess The X-Factor.
3. What was the only U.S. state with no National Park Service unit until 2013, when a new National Monument was created around the Old New Castle Courthouse and along Brandywine Creek? Delaware
4. Whose nemeses included the Trinity Killer, the Brain Surgeon, the Ice Truck Killer, and the Doomsday Killer? Dexter?
5. According to the Chinese zodiac, we are currently in the year of what animal? I don't think it is the year of the snake, ox or rat. Year of the Dog?
6. What did ancient Greek city-states call their central gathering places, a word mostly used today in reference to people who *dislike* public spaces? agorae (from which we get agoraphobia)
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these musical acts, in this order? ABBA, Queen, Billy Joel, the Bee Gees, the Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Green Day, the Shirelles, Patsy Cline. ABBA --> Mamma Mia. Franki Valli --> Jersey Boys. Green Day --> American Idiot. This has something to do with musicals featuring the works of these artists appearing on Broadway.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What October 26, 1881 event took place not at the celebrated livery stable, but six doors down at the vacant lot by Camillus Fry's photography studio? The Gunfight at the OK Corral was actually the Gunfight Near the OK Corral. doh! I should remember that the Great Chicago Fire was 1871 not 1881
2. 2013's The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was the first movie with a female protagonist to top the annual U.S. box office charts in forty years. What 1973 megahit (with a male title character, interestingly) was the last to do so? The Exorcist was the last woman-led box office champ. Even Titanic gave top billing to Leo. correct
3. What Jewish rabbinic text is made up of the Mishnah and the Gemara? Those are the two parts of the Talmud. ah yes, the other sacred Jewish text
4. What ten-year NBA veteran and current Houston Rocket has led the league in rebounds five of the last six seasons? Center Dwight Howard, late of the Magic and the Lakers, has won five out of six rebounding titles. He's currently in fourth place this season, though. correct
5. Males of many species, including ours, are heterogametic, meaning they have what sex chromosome not found in females? Men have a Y chromosome. When it comes to average American salary, this is apparently worth 23% more than an Y chromosome. correct
6. "Gorod," sometimes shortened as "grad," is a Russian word meaning what? "City," as you may have noticed in place names like "Nizhny Novgorod" or "Stalingrad." correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these countries, listed in this order? Turkey, Germany, Spain, South Korea, France, South Korea, Canada, Switzerland, Italy, Switzerland, China. These were the runner-up countries in the last 11 IOC votes to host the Winter Olympics. Thanks again to longtime subscriber Greg McFarlane for suggested this very timely (and very hard!) Question Seven. correct!!
1. Despite the fact that they come from South America, the rodent also called the cavy is better known by the name of what African country? is this the guinea pig?
2. The boy band One Direction leapt to fame after finishing third on what British reality show in 2010? The X-Factor? Britain's Got Talent? I'll guess The X-Factor.
3. What was the only U.S. state with no National Park Service unit until 2013, when a new National Monument was created around the Old New Castle Courthouse and along Brandywine Creek? Delaware
4. Whose nemeses included the Trinity Killer, the Brain Surgeon, the Ice Truck Killer, and the Doomsday Killer? Dexter?
5. According to the Chinese zodiac, we are currently in the year of what animal? I don't think it is the year of the snake, ox or rat. Year of the Dog?
6. What did ancient Greek city-states call their central gathering places, a word mostly used today in reference to people who *dislike* public spaces? agorae (from which we get agoraphobia)
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these musical acts, in this order? ABBA, Queen, Billy Joel, the Bee Gees, the Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Green Day, the Shirelles, Patsy Cline. ABBA --> Mamma Mia. Franki Valli --> Jersey Boys. Green Day --> American Idiot. This has something to do with musicals featuring the works of these artists appearing on Broadway.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What October 26, 1881 event took place not at the celebrated livery stable, but six doors down at the vacant lot by Camillus Fry's photography studio? The Gunfight at the OK Corral was actually the Gunfight Near the OK Corral. doh! I should remember that the Great Chicago Fire was 1871 not 1881
2. 2013's The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was the first movie with a female protagonist to top the annual U.S. box office charts in forty years. What 1973 megahit (with a male title character, interestingly) was the last to do so? The Exorcist was the last woman-led box office champ. Even Titanic gave top billing to Leo. correct
3. What Jewish rabbinic text is made up of the Mishnah and the Gemara? Those are the two parts of the Talmud. ah yes, the other sacred Jewish text
4. What ten-year NBA veteran and current Houston Rocket has led the league in rebounds five of the last six seasons? Center Dwight Howard, late of the Magic and the Lakers, has won five out of six rebounding titles. He's currently in fourth place this season, though. correct
5. Males of many species, including ours, are heterogametic, meaning they have what sex chromosome not found in females? Men have a Y chromosome. When it comes to average American salary, this is apparently worth 23% more than an Y chromosome. correct
6. "Gorod," sometimes shortened as "grad," is a Russian word meaning what? "City," as you may have noticed in place names like "Nizhny Novgorod" or "Stalingrad." correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these countries, listed in this order? Turkey, Germany, Spain, South Korea, France, South Korea, Canada, Switzerland, Italy, Switzerland, China. These were the runner-up countries in the last 11 IOC votes to host the Winter Olympics. Thanks again to longtime subscriber Greg McFarlane for suggested this very timely (and very hard!) Question Seven. correct!!
