Tuesday, April 08, 2014
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - April 8
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. How many former or current First Ladies of the United States are still alive? Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama. Is Rosalyn Carter with us? I'll say 6.
2. In physics, the first derivative of velocity is acceleration, while the second is called "jerk." The third, fourth, and fifth derivatives are sometimes nicknamed for what commercial mascots? Snap, Crackle and Pop. Why? Because this answer seems to be an appropriate fit after Jerk.
3. Jim Fixx died in 1984 while participating in what sport, which he helped popularize? running
4. Over 10 million people live in the the 27 percent of what country's land area that lies below sea level? My guess is Netherlands. Hence, the dikes.
5. Name any one of the three movies in which actress Julianne Moore co-starred with the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. The Big Lebowski. What are the other two? Magnolia and another Paul Thomas Anderson movie?
6. What office supply is referred to as a "trombone" in France? paper clip
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these world leaders, past and present? Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Clement Attlee, Jacques Chirac, Georges Clemenceau, Grover Cleveland, Calvin Coolidge, Tayyip Erdogan, Ehud Olmert, Matteo Renzi, Nicolas Sarcozy. We discussed this after O'Briens pub quiz last week. Each was a mayor before becoming a country political leader.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. From 1958 to 1962, and again from 1965 to 1967, the Nielsen ratings were led by what genre of TV series, which has never again topped the ratings in years since? This is the late, lamented Western. Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, and Bonanza were the ratings leaders those years. Though I was wrong, this is a really good question.
2. What distinctive-smelling chemical was named by the Romans because they first discovered it near a temple to an Egyptian sun-god? Ammonia, interestingly, was named for the Egyptian god Amon. This might be the iffiest use of the word "interestingly" in the history of the English language. Another good question. I picked up on the Roman part of the clue, not the Egyptian sun-god part of the clue.
3. What numeric name is sometimes used for the insult-trading game played in black communities since the early 20th century? These are "the dozens." If you didn't get this question, you so dumb that...uh, I can't think of anything. I'm really, really white you guys. never heard of this
4. What city currently has 14 Michelin three-star restaurants, even more than Paris? Michelin produced its first Tokyo guide in 2007, and food snobs were shocked when the Japanese capital was awarded three times as many stars as Paris. I was thinking London or Tokyo and went with the wrong answer
5. In 1953, who became the second and last woman ever executed by the U.S. federal government? RIP Ethel Rosenberg. Or not, if you prefer. I don't really want to get into that whole thing. correct
6. What L.A.-based rock band, together since 1992, is named for its frontman's childhood nickname, supposedly due to asthma? Weezer--though sources differ on whether Rivers Cuomo actually wheezed much as a kid or not. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these movies? Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, Catwoman, Charlie's Angels, The Fall, Missing, Tim's Vermeer, Under the Cherry Moon, W.E. All these movies were credited to one-named directors: KAOS, Pitof, McG, Tarsem, Costa-Gavras, Teller, Prince, and Madonna. As you can tell, there's not a HUGE correlation between one-named director and movie quality. correct!
1. How many former or current First Ladies of the United States are still alive? Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama. Is Rosalyn Carter with us? I'll say 6.
2. In physics, the first derivative of velocity is acceleration, while the second is called "jerk." The third, fourth, and fifth derivatives are sometimes nicknamed for what commercial mascots? Snap, Crackle and Pop. Why? Because this answer seems to be an appropriate fit after Jerk.
3. Jim Fixx died in 1984 while participating in what sport, which he helped popularize? running
4. Over 10 million people live in the the 27 percent of what country's land area that lies below sea level? My guess is Netherlands. Hence, the dikes.
5. Name any one of the three movies in which actress Julianne Moore co-starred with the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. The Big Lebowski. What are the other two? Magnolia and another Paul Thomas Anderson movie?
6. What office supply is referred to as a "trombone" in France? paper clip
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these world leaders, past and present? Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Clement Attlee, Jacques Chirac, Georges Clemenceau, Grover Cleveland, Calvin Coolidge, Tayyip Erdogan, Ehud Olmert, Matteo Renzi, Nicolas Sarcozy. We discussed this after O'Briens pub quiz last week. Each was a mayor before becoming a country political leader.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. From 1958 to 1962, and again from 1965 to 1967, the Nielsen ratings were led by what genre of TV series, which has never again topped the ratings in years since? This is the late, lamented Western. Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, and Bonanza were the ratings leaders those years. Though I was wrong, this is a really good question.
2. What distinctive-smelling chemical was named by the Romans because they first discovered it near a temple to an Egyptian sun-god? Ammonia, interestingly, was named for the Egyptian god Amon. This might be the iffiest use of the word "interestingly" in the history of the English language. Another good question. I picked up on the Roman part of the clue, not the Egyptian sun-god part of the clue.
3. What numeric name is sometimes used for the insult-trading game played in black communities since the early 20th century? These are "the dozens." If you didn't get this question, you so dumb that...uh, I can't think of anything. I'm really, really white you guys. never heard of this
4. What city currently has 14 Michelin three-star restaurants, even more than Paris? Michelin produced its first Tokyo guide in 2007, and food snobs were shocked when the Japanese capital was awarded three times as many stars as Paris. I was thinking London or Tokyo and went with the wrong answer
5. In 1953, who became the second and last woman ever executed by the U.S. federal government? RIP Ethel Rosenberg. Or not, if you prefer. I don't really want to get into that whole thing. correct
6. What L.A.-based rock band, together since 1992, is named for its frontman's childhood nickname, supposedly due to asthma? Weezer--though sources differ on whether Rivers Cuomo actually wheezed much as a kid or not. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these movies? Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, Catwoman, Charlie's Angels, The Fall, Missing, Tim's Vermeer, Under the Cherry Moon, W.E. All these movies were credited to one-named directors: KAOS, Pitof, McG, Tarsem, Costa-Gavras, Teller, Prince, and Madonna. As you can tell, there's not a HUGE correlation between one-named director and movie quality. correct!
