January 21, 2009 – Barry would be proud

The theme word for this quiz was white.

Round 1 (73% correct)

1. In the Powerpuff Girls cartoon, what kind of animal is their arch enemy Mojo-Jojo

2. Who was given one large Oscar and seven small ones in 1938, and for what movie?

3. The bane of MP3 downloaders, what copyright protection technology is abbreviated DRM?

4. Our 44th president was sworn in as president yesterday. Who administered the oath of office?

5. According to Christina Aguilera’s 1999 song, why is she like a “Genie In a Bottle”?

1. She’ll give you three wishes
2. She wants you to be her master
3. She wants you to set her free
4. You have to rub her the right way

6. What does the musical term largo mean?

7. We know it as the Red Cross. What do they call it in Muslim countries?

8. The Chicago Typewriter is a gangster slang term for what?

9. Between 1820 and 1920, the majority of immigrants to the USA came from which two countries?

10. John Nance Garner famously intoned “The vice-presidency ain’t worth a pitcher of warm spit.” Whose vice president was he?

Round 2 (71% correct)

1. What company invites you to “leave the driving to us”?

2. Who, along with Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne, was the founding force behind Apple?

3. In the comic strip Peanuts, Snoopy often takes to the skies in his “Sopwith Camel”, otherwise known as his dog house, to do battle with what “moderately famous” World War I fighter ace?

4. The United States has the Dow Jones Industrial Average, London the FTSE 100. What country’s stock market uses the All Ordinaries?

1. Australia
2. Canada
3. South Africa
4. Sweden

5. Debuting in 1980, what animated character encouraged kids to “take a bite out of crime”?

6. Name the book and the author: ‘Where’s Papa going with that ax?” said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.’

7. Whose law predicts “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong”?

8. Home to the constitution, what building is the official repository for records of the US government?

9. On what date is the federally mandated switch from analog broadcast TV signals to digital?

10. Of the Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn, which one lies north of the equator?

Round 3 (68% correct) This round was a connections round. There was a bonus point to figure out what the connection was.  Very simple this week.

1. Last week, we learned that Indianapolis Colts used to be the Baltimore Colts. What team moved to Baltimore to ultimately become the Ravens?

2. What is Americas oldest military decoration, having been first issued in 1782?

1. Legion of Merit
2. Medal of Honor
3. Purple Heart
4. Silver Star

3. What is the official state insect of Washington?

4. What NCAA (at the University of Colorado) and NFL (Pittsburgh and Detroit) rushing leader later became an associate Supreme Court Justice, appointed by JFK?

5. Name the movie: “It’s 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark, and we’re wearing sunglasses.”

6. Which fearsome pirate, who terrorized the Caribbean from 1710 to 1718, sailed aboard a ship known as Queen Anne’s Revenge?

7. What color is the ‘Black Box’ found in commercial planes?

8. Is pork a red meat? Or a white meat?

9. Blue, black and red are three colors of the balls used in a game of Croquet. What color is the fourth ball?

10. What’s the common name for the eye inflammation doctors call conjunctivitis

11. What is the theme for this round?

Round 4 (82% correct)

1. Hail to the Chief is the official entrance march for the President of the United States. What song is played for the arrival of the Vice President?

1. Hail to the Chief
2. Hail, Columbia
3. For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow
4. The National Anthem

2. Name the 5 ships you must sink to win the game of Battleship!

3. Due to a health scare, what color M&Ms were removed from circulation for 9 years during the 1970s?

4. The Suez Canal connects what 2 bodies of water?

5. Located near Washington DC, what military installation is the home to Air Force One?

6. Who was president when the Iranian hostage crisis was ended with the release of all of the hostages to US custody?

7. Superman works for the Daily Planet along with Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. Who is the editor of the paper?

8. In which country did General Augusto Pinochet seize power in a military coup in 1973?

9. In what card game do you need the queen of spades to shoot the moon?

10. Name the states that make up the Gulf Coast

Answers:

January 14, 2009 – The piper’s son

Round 1 (47% correct)

1. Approximately how much blood does the average human body contain?

2. Responsible for the seasons as we know them, what it the axial tilt of the earth?

1. 19.2 degrees
2. 23.4 degrees
3. 27.6 degrees
4. 31.8 degrees

3. Who or what was the Boris that was the subject of a song by The Who?

4. The advertising for what breakfast cereal featured Cookie Crook being pursued by Officer Crumb?

5. Making his money in oil, who was the United States’ first billionaire?

6. Which U.S. President was first Secretary of State, then vice president before finally holding the office of president, the only man to hold all 3 offices?

7. Capable of producing geysers 30 ft in height, what candy causes explosive results when dropped into a bottle of diet coke?

8. What product invites you to “Live in your world, play in ours”?

9. What original minimum wage did the 1938 Wages and Hours Act set?

1. 5 cents per hour
2. 10 cents per hour
3. 25 cents per hour
4. 50 cents per hour

10. What does a professional pugilist do for a living?

Round 2 (55% correct)

1. In the state of Washington, how long are the temporary tags issued by a car dealer upon the purchase of a new vehicle good for?

2. Where on the human body do you find the deltoid muscles?

3. Whose portrait has been on the U.S. $2 bill since 1869?

4. How many players are there on a curling team?

5. Which of the following was an actual movie, not a Troy McClure film from The Simpsons?

1. The Erotic Adventures of Hercules
2. The Electric Gigolo
3. The Quick and the Undead
4. Here Comes the Coast Guard

6. Name the book and the author from the first line of this 1903 work: ‘Buck did not read the newspapers, or he would have known that trouble was brewing, not alone for himself, but for every tidewater dog, strong of muscle and with warm, long hair, from Puget Sound to San Diego.’

7. What is the highest score possible in a hand of cribbage (6 card)?

8. Who was the first American to orbit the Earth?

9. Tinea pedis is the correct name of which common minor bodily affliction?

10. In what city did the NFL’s Colts play before relocating to Indianapolis in 1984?

Round 3 (85% correct)

Round 3 was an audio round (the one that was supposed to happen last week, but didn’t because of technical difficulties). This round was all about theme songs from animated TV shows (as obtained from http://www.televisiontunes.com). The dates are the year the series debuted on TV

1. Johnny Bravo – 1997

2. American Dad – 2005

3. The Simpsons 1989

4. Pink Panther – 1964

5. Ren and Stimpy – 1991

6. Bugs Bunny – 1940

7. Rocky and Bullwinkle – 1959

8. Popeye – 1929

9. Futurama – 1999

10. Tom and Jerry – 1940

11. Dexter’s Laboratory 1996

12. Woody Woodpecker – 1940

13. King of the Hill – 1997

Round 4 (72% correct)

1. What breed of dog is Scooby-Doo?

2. The Swiss Water Process is used in the refinement of what food product?

3. Austrian scholar Ludwig von Kochel was born today in 1800. He used ‘K’ numbers to catalogue the works of which composer?

4. In American croquet, how many hoops (wickets) are used?

5. Which of the following celebrities did NOT die in their bathroom?

1. Elvis Presley
2. Orville Redenbacher
3. Pope John Paul I
4. Jim Morrison

6. If a prologue goes at the beginning of a book, what goes at the end?

7. Which deaf, dumb and blind kid, sure played mean pinball?

8. Who was the first U.S. president to be legally limited to two terms by the 22nd Amendment?

9. What nuts are used in making marzipan?

10. One of Shakespeare’s tragedies is called “The Scottish Play” by superstitious actors. Which one is it?

Answers:

January 7, 2009

There was supposed to be a round 3 this week, which would have been an audio round, but technical difficulties made that impossible.  So, we skipped that portion. The audio round will show up next week.  As a result, there is no theme word for this quiz.

Round 1

1. The minimum wage in the state of Washington went up on the 1st of January. What is the new amount? (+/- $0.50)

2. Which of the following is NOT one of the Real Men of Genius celebrated in the Bud Light commercials?

1. Mr. Underwear Inspector #12
2. Mr. Tiny Thong Bikini Wearer
3. Mr. Mail-Order Bride Orderer
4. Mr. Married Internet Dater

3. What is the name of Amazon’s electronic book reader?

4. What is the name of the car driven by Michael Knight in that most awesome of all 1980’s television series Knight Rider?

5. With a total haul of just over $743,000, how many banks were robbed by individuals in the state of Washington in 2008? (+/- 20)

6. Everyone knows that if you wanted to find out what Santa was up to on Christmas eve, you would log on to Norad Tracks Santa (http://www.noradsanta.org). What does NORAD stand for?

7. Seattle University is currently in the multi-year process of returning to NCAA Division I basketball play after a 28 year hiatus. Under what name to do they play?

8. In backgammon, what are the triangular places where the pieces go called?

9. Which telethon hosting comedian, who’s huge in France, starred in the 1963 film The Nutty Professor?

10. Which U.S. President’s brother Billy had a beer named after him?

Round 2

1. Which has more member nations? The U.N? Or FIFA?

2. According to Yahoo, whose name was the most searched for term in 2008?

3. Name the book and the author: ‘There were 117 psychoanalysts on the Pan Am flight to Vienna and I’d been treated by at least six of them.’

4. Which singer, who caused quite a scandal when it was discovered that his third wife was only 13 at the time of her marriage, had huge hits with Great Balls of Fire and Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On?

5. Who founded National Review magazine in 1955, hosted Firing Line from 1966 to 1999, and died at his Stamford, Ct home on Feb 28, 2008?

6. The Wright Brothers took their first flight last month in 1903. Where did this flight take place?

7. What is the difference between a meteor and a meteorite?

8. Time magazine named Barak Obama as their person of the year for 2008. Who did they name as their first person of the year in 1927?

1. Babe Ruth
2. Charles Lindbergh
3. Henry Ford
4. John D. Rockerfeller, Sr

9. Sarah Palin’s daughter Bristol gave birth to a strapping baby boy last weekend. What name was he given?

10. What was the first James Bond movie to be released?

Round 4

1. What breed of dog is Snoopy from the classic comic strip Peanuts?

2. According to Faroese, Icelandic, Irish, and Scottish mythology, a selkie is part man, part what?

3. First formulated in 1959 (6 years before being offered on NASA flights) what was the original flavor of Tang?

4. The young of the beaver, ferret, badger, fox, mink, polecat, raccoon, squirrel, and skunk are all known as what?

1. Calf
2. Cub
3. Foal
4. Kit

5. In what Washington D.C. Theater was Abraham Lincoln fatally shot?

6. What robust fuel can, frequently seen strapped to the back of Jeeps, has a name inspired by a disparaging term for its inventors, the German army of WWII?

7. Which Dallas based university will be the home of the George W. Bush presidential library?

8. The republic of San Marino is entirely surrounded by what country?

9. What perky and irritating TV chef uses the equally irritating EVOO when referring to olive oil?

10. What does the DS in Nintendo DS stand for?

Answers:

December 17, 2008 – Maybe you DO know Jack…

The theme word for this week was Jack.  It was a very holiday centric quiz.

Round 1 (75% correct)

1. According to PNC Wealth Management, the company that has been compiling the list for the last 24 years, what is the current cost of purchasing all of the items listed in the popular song “The Twelve Days of Christmas”?

1. $3,812
2. $45,342
3. $86,609
4. $143,576

2. Name the reindeer listed in Clemente Moore’s classic “A Visit from St. Nicholas”?

3. “Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus”, the most reprinted English language editorial, was printed in which New York paper in 1897?

1. New York Post
2. New York Sun
3. New York Times
4. New York Weekly

4. At Christmas, it is customary to exchange kisses beneath a sprig of which plant?

5. According to the Rankin-Bass TV classic, who brought Frosty the Snowman back to life?

6. In what country did the real St Nicholas live?

7. According to Zuzu Bailey, what happens every time a bell rings?

8. What is the name of Tiny Tim’s father in the story, “A Christmas Carol”?

9. In “The Christmas Song”, written by Mel Torme in 1944, we have Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, folks dressed up like Eskimos, and who is nipping at your nose?

10. How the Grinch Stole Christmas was written by whom?

Round 2 (45% correct)

1. In what holiday show does the character Yukon Cornellius play a major role?

2. Sherlock Holmes’ story “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle” revolves around a Christmas goose. What exactly is a carbuncle?

3. On this day in 1903, the Wright brothers took their first flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. What was the name of their airplane?

4. Here’s the IMDB tag line for this 1996 holiday movie: “He’s chillin…and killin”. What’s the movie?

<ed: this was a particular heinous question. It would have been a better candidate for the plot summary instead of the tag line>

5. What did the cowboy ride on the Island of Misfit Toys in the 1964 classic “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”?

1. Teddy Bear
2. Motorcycle
3. Ostrich
4. Toy Truck

6. What is the name of the town that is host to “It’s a Wonderful Life”?

7. What is the name of the department store that created “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”?

1. Macy’s
2. Marshall-Field
3. Montgomery-Ward
4. Sears

8. Who liked the Remington razor so much that he bought the company?

9. Name the book and the author: ‘Marley was dead, to begin with.’

10. Which river did George Washington cross on Christmas night in 1776 in the American Revolutionary War?

Round 3 – Theme round (64% correct)

1. What 1963 Alfred Hitchcock movie, which introduced the ever so talented Tippi Hedren, took place at the lovely Northern California town of Bodega Bay?

2. According to the tongue twister, who picked a peck of pickled peppers?

3. The world’s largest marketer of fruit juices, what is the juice arm of the Coca Cola company?

4. Released in 1978, what were the names of the two gangs which John Travolta and Olivia Newton John belonged to in the movie Grease?

5. The band Spinal Tap underwent many changes at which instrument, as each band member seemed to die under mysterious circumstances including spontaneous combustion, and a bizarre gardening accident?

6. In which television series did Shirley Jones play David Cassidy’s mother, before becoming his real step-mother?

7. The operas Das Rheingold, Die Walkre, Siegfried, and Gotterdammerung, when performed in succession, are commonly called what? (Seattle’s is ever 4 years)

8. Who played Steve McGarrett in Hawaii 5-0?

9. What is a female lobster called?

10. What kind of animal does “The Ugly Duckling” turn out to be in Hans Christian Andersen’s children’s story?

11. What was the theme to this round?

Round 4 (58% correct)

1. What does Lucy charge for a visit to her psychiatric booth in “A Charlie Brown Christmas”?

2. According to the animated TV movie, who was the father of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer?

3. Good King Wenceslas, of whom a carol was written, was king of which country?

1. Bohemia
2. Italy
3. Great Britain
4. Germany

4. In Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker”, who is the nutcracker’s main enemy?

5. In which body of water is Christmas Island?

6. Portrayed by Denise Richards, in which James Bond film would you find the character Dr. Christmas Jones?

7. What is the name of the King of Halloween Town who tries to take over Christmas in the Disney movie “The Nightmare Before Christmas”?

1. Dr. Frankincense
2. Eerie von Scares-a-lot
3. Gustav Finkleburgh
4. Jack Skellington

8. In the classic holiday movie “Home Alone”, where is the McCallister family heading for vacation?

9. Who are the four ghosts in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”?

10. In the holiday classic “Jingle Bells”, what is the name of the young lady going for a ride in the one horse open sleight?

Answers:

December 10, 2008 – It’s not just a winter home for old people…

The theme for this weeks quiz was Arizona.

Round 1 (60% correct)

1. In what US city did everyone’s favorite web site Craigslist get started?

2. What popular Discovery channel show details the struggle of a handful of boats in their quest for crab?

3. Introduced in Superboy #68 (October, 1958), by what name is Superman’s evil twin known?

4. What country uses the “Rand”, the most actively traded emerging market currency in the world?

5. Which father and daughter sang a time-warped duet of “Unforgettable”?

1. Elvis and Lisa Marie Presley
2. Frank and Nancy Sinatra
3. John and Chynna Phillips
4. Nat “King” and Natalie Cole

6. On this date in 1869, this state was the first to grant women suffrage?

7. According to a recent report just released by the U.S. Census Bureau, which state leads the nation with the highest percentage of college graduates and the highest per capita income?

8. Barak Obama was a senator from the state of Illinois. What state did John McCain represent?

9. On December 8th, 1941, FDR delivered his famous “a date that will live in infamy” speech. To what was he referring?

10. During the 1960s, what Emeryville, California Hula-hoop company introduced the slip ‘n slide, the super ball, and a do-it-yourself bomb shelter?

Round 2 (72% correct)

1. In what state would you find the geyser “Old Faithful”?

2. When used as food, which cow/pig/sheep organ is known as Sweetbread?

1. Brain
2. Kidney
3. Testes
4. Thymus

3. What is the name of the cat that frequently poses as the “evil director of human resources” in the comic strip Dilbert?

4. After clashing with Zeus and his allies, what race of Greek gods was banished to Tartarus, the pit of torment lying beneath the depths of Hades?

5. The first “Electric Pig” was developed in 1927. What do we call this common household convenience nowadays?

6. With a name that would make Rod Serling proud, the mesopelagic zone, the lowest ocean level at which light reaches, is better known as what?

7. What TV show’s theme song observed, “Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name”?

8. The sinking of what battleship during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor accounted for just over half of all deaths during the raid, with 1177 casualties?

9. Because he held the earth on his shoulders, for what Greek figure did Gerardus Mercator name his book of maps?

10. Used mostly in railroad measurements and horse racing, how many furlongs are there in a mile?

Round 3 (47% correct)

1. Fawn Hall was the document shredding secretary of what controversial late 1980’s figure?

2. In what summertime pastime would you be more impressed by a ringer than by a leaner?

3. Which airline, the largest in the US in terms of the number of passengers carried, was the first to have a presence on the internet?

4. This quiz is the greatest thing since sliced bread. In what year was the automatic bread slicing machine introduced?

1. 1786
2. 1893
3. 1928
4. 1974

5. Once known as book rate, what USPS service is reserved for books, cds, and video tapes?

6. Joey Buttafuoco’s name was linked with which notorious female in the early 1990s?

7. Which was the last of the contiguous 48 states to be added to the union, joining in 1912

8. From what country does the world’s greatest cheese, Wensleydale come from?

9. Who Would Buy This? is the recently released book chronicling what Seattle institution?

10. Name the book and the author of this 2006 best seller: “Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.”

Round 4 (54% correct)

1. What were the names of the rival gangs in ‘West Side Story’?

2. What is the name of Bruce Springsteen’s backing band?

3. Advertising Executive Roger O. Thornhill is mistaken for a government agent by a gang of spies in this 1959 thriller, whose climax takes place upon the faces of Mount Rushmore?

4. In case of emergency, the first flight attendants were required to be members of what profession?

5. Which fruit is dried to make prunes?

6. Just below Eagle scout, what is the second highest rank that a Boy Scout can attain?

1. Bear
2. Life
3. Tenderfoot
4. Wolf

7. Who rules in a hagiarchy [hag-ee-ahr-kee]?

8. IMDB uses the tagline “Four boys. One f***ed up town” for what television show?

9. The first Nobel prizes were awarded on this day in 1901. It was 5 years to the day later until the first American won one. Who was the winner and in what field?

10. Name the 4 states that meet at the Four Corners, the only location in the United States that is on the boundaries of four states.

Answers:

December 3, 2008 – It’s more of a Ponzi scheme…

The theme word for this quiz was Pyramid.

Round 1 (58% correct)

1. In late September, the crash site of what famed adventurer, missing for more than a year, was located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountain range?

2. What U.S. agency did the National Security Act establish in 1947?

1. CIA
2. FBI
3. INS
4. Secret Service

3. What did Jason and the Argonauts seek?

4. For what crime was gangster Al Capone eventually imprisoned?

5. Present in every Bond film from Dr. No to Die Another Day, what was the name of M’s secretary, who clearly had the hots for Commander Bond?

6. Who was the first athlete to appear on the Wheaties box? A bonus point if you can tell me the year.

7. The reverse side of The Great Seal of the United States (also featured on the rear of us currency) features the eye of providence hovering over what?

8. Which U.S. city is considered to be the home of the deep dish pizza?

9. In Slaughterhouse 5, Kurt Vonnegut recounts the World War II firebombing of what city?

10. Name the book and the author of this Sci-fi classic: “The drought had lasted now for ten million years, and the reign of the terrible lizards had long since ended.”

Round 2 (83% correct)

1. What is the primary alcoholic ingredient in a Piña colada?

2. Which 14th century Swiss hero is said to have shot an apple from the top of his sons head?

3. What geometric solid’s volume equals the area of the base times the height divided by three?

1. Cylinder
2. Pyramid
3. Sphere

4. In which musical/movie does Seymour become terrorized by a giant plant called Audrey?

5. What 1996 sequel to The Hustler earned Paul Newman his Academy Award for Best Actor?

6. At what type of establishment might you belly up to the “Genius Bar”?

7. In the world of Skeet shooting, also known as Inanimate Bird Shooting, what is the name of the small round disk that serves as the target?

8. What is the name of the whaling ship that is the focus of the classic Moby Dick?

9. What are the 3 recommended steps one takes when one spontaneously catches on fire?

10. In the world of ungulates, if it’s called a reindeer in Europe, what is it called in North America?

Round 3 (65% correct)

This round was an audio round. It featured the theme songs from TV game shows. Because of the similarity in most of these themes, I treated it mostly as a multiple choice by giving all of the teams the list of shows before playing the clips.

1. The Newlywed Game

2. Deal or No Deal

3. Family Feud

4. The Dating Game

5. The Match Game

6. Let’s Make a Deal

7. Wheel of Fortune

8. The Price is Right

9. Jeopardy

10. Who Wants to be a Millionaire

11. $25,000 Pyramid

12. Win Ben Stein’s Money

Round 4 (72% correct)

1. The Poem “Defense of Fort McHenry” written during the bombing of Baltimore is now much better known by another name.

2. In what city was a U.S. penny minted if the letter ‘D’ is stamped under the year?

3. What is the only one of the original 7 wonders of the ancient world survives today?

4. Which of the following has not been a book in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series?

1. Chicken Soup for the Horse Lover’s Soul
2. Chicken Soup for the Prisoner’s Soul
3. Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul
4. Chicken Soup for the Unemployed Soul

5. What brand of playing cards are used at most Las Vegas casinos?

6. What ice cream company was founded in a renovated gas station in Burlington Vermont in 1978?

7. According to the AKC, the Labrador Retriever is #1 on the list of the most popular dog in America. What is the #1 most popular breed in Seattle?

8. Added in 2004, in the board game Operation, what is the ailment called that requires the removal of an ice cream cone?

9. The Shakehand and Penhold are the two styles of holding a racquet in what Olympic indoor sport?

10. 54 years ago tomorrow, the first restaurant in which major fast food chain (currently #2) opened in Miami, Fl?

Answers:

November 26, 2008 – Let’s be Frank…

The theme word for this quiz was Frank.

Round 1 (50% correct)

1. Ok. Everyone grab your #2 pencils. Which is harder (makes a lighter line)? A #1? Or a #4?

2. Which age came after the Stone Age?

3. Having been published since 1927, what were the names of the two Hardy Boys brothers?

4. In Norse mythology, whose chariot was drawn across the sky by two goats, called Toothgrinder and Toothgnasher?

5. What TV character makes a living selling “propane and propane accessories?”

6. Which of the following is a new balloon being introduced into the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade this year?

1. Horton the Elephant
2. Linux Penguin
3. Ms Pac-Man
4. Wall-E

7. Named for the Secretary of State, what plan did the US initiate in 1947 to rebuild Europe?

8. According to Arthurian legend what did the lady of the lake give to Arthur?

9. Liquid Paper brand correction fluid, invented by the mother of former Monkee Michael Nesmith, was originally called what?

1. Correkt
2. Dab-a-Daub
3. Mistake Out
4. White Rub

10. What were called “Baby Gays” when they were invented in 1928?

Round 2 (67% correct)

1. The diary of which Amsterdam schoolgirl was first published in 1947, before ultimately being translated into numerous languages?

2. What are the primary ingredients in the Thanksgiving favorite Turducken?

3. According to the Butterball corporation, how long should one refrigerator thaw a turkey per 4 lbs of bird?

1. One hour per 4 lbs
2. 12 hours per 4 lbs
3. One day per 4 lbs
4. One week per 4 lbs

4. If Mafia is to Italy and Triad is to Hong Kong/China, what is to Japan?

5. Which country built the Maginot Line, a supposedly impenetrable series of interlinked forts?

6. Named after a former Wimbledon men’s singles champ, what is the name of the main stadium at Flushing Meadow (Queens), home of the US Open?

7. What West Virginia University uses the name Thundering Herd for their sports teams?

8. What fruit is the liqueur Kirsch made from?

9. What are the 2 official languages of Finland?

10. In which popular 1995 film was the main character replaced 48 times during the six months of filming?

Round 3 (66% correct)

1. What part of the turkey is saved, dried, and ceremoniously snapped as part of a good luck custom?

2. In bowling, what bird’s name is the name given to three successive strikes?

3. Where do the turkeys pardoned by President Bush end up?

1. Dick Chenneys dinner table
2. Disneyworld
3. Frying Pan national park in Virginia
4. Released in the wilds in Western Pennsylvania

4. What company is the top selling brand of turkeys in the US?

5. What is the currency of Switzerland?

6. Parchment, often used for important documents or books, is made from what?

7. The caruncle, snood, and wattle can all be found where?

8. Which country has a record eleven official languages?

9. What is the only thing that a silkworm eats?

10. Originally called the “Telecran,” what toy by Ohio Art allows kids to make erasable drawings?

Round 4 (56% correct)

1. There are 9 territories currently under the watchful eye of the United States. For a point each, name them.

2. Erroneously thought to be the biggest shopping day of the year (that is usually reserved for the Sunday before Christmas), the day after Thanksgiving traditionally marks the start the Christmas season. By what is it more commonly known?

3. As of 2005 (the last year the stats were available), what state lead the nation in the growing of domestic turkey, producing over 44.5 million birds a year?

1. California
2. Minnesota
3. Pennsylvania
4. South Carolina

4. In American slang, a “fin” represents what denomination of currency?

5. What number is posted to report HOV lane violators in the Seattle area?

6. In which book and film was “Room 101” feared?

7. 37 years ago on the 24th of November, a Northwest Orient (now Northwest Airlines) flight from Portland to Seattle was hijacked. Who ultimately was blamed for the crime?

8. Saturday saw the 45th anniversary of the assassination of JFK. Which Texas Governor was seriously wounded in the same assassination?

9. Name the book and the author from this first line of the best selling science fiction novel of all time: ‘In the week before their departure to Arrakis, when all the final scurrying about had reached a nearly unbearable frenzy, an old crone came to visit the mother of the boy, Paul.’

10. Two and a half miles wide, 155 miles long, and the most heavily armed border in the world, the DMZ separates North Korea from South Korea. What does DMZ stand for?

Answers:

November 19, 2008 – Roger, Roger. What’s our vector, Victor?

The theme word for this quiz was Roger

Round 1 (60% correct)

1. On this day in 1990, which singing sensation was stripped of their Best New Artist Grammy for not singing their own tunes?

2. Which actor was known as ‘King of the Cowboys’ since 1943, had a German Sheppard named Bullet, and rode the “smartest horse in the movies”?

3. Had he been elected, John McCain would not have been the first U.S. President to have spent time as a prisoner of war. Name either of the other two.

4. The unincorporated village of Dixville Notch has been the first to declare the results of the presidential elections for the last 50 years. In what state is it located?

5. What city dimmed its lights in honor of the late Dean Martin in 1995?

6. What company was the source of a deadly gas leak in Bhopal, India, in 1984, that killed thousands?

1. Union Carbide
2. Exxon
3. Monsanto
4. DuPont

7. Producing hamburgers affectionately known as Sliders or Belly Bombers, what is America’s oldest fast food hamburger chain?

8. In the WBA/WBC world, which of these boxer classes is the HEAVIEST: Bantamweight, Lightweight or Flyweight?

9. On The Simpsons, what grade has Bart been in for the last 19 years?

10. Along with Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the pilot (Roger Peterson), who else died in a corn field in the middle of Iowa on Feb 3, 1959?

Round 2 (30% correct)

1. What actor has played James Bond in the most movies?

1. Pierce Brosnan
2. Roger Moore
3. Sean Connery
4. Timothy Dalton

2. We all remember them from grade school. Cooties. But are they real or not?

3. What are the ingredients of a standard Egg McMuffin?

4. Pac-Man featured the antics of Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde. Ms. Pac-Man replaced Clyde with what ghost?

5. Which country consumes, per capita, the most donuts per year?

6. Crossing the Rubicon can either be considered passing the point of no return or walking in front of a Jeep. In what country does one find the Rubicon River?

7. What does it mean when a Q is appended to the end of a company’s stock ticker symbol?

8. Dedicated in 2004, what Washington D.C. memorial did Tom Hanks champion through fundraising efforts and TV commercials?

9. What color is the outermost ring in an official archery target?

10. What is the currency of Finland?

Round 3 – Theme round (67% correct)

1. What astronaut really remarked, “One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind”?

2. Robert Wagner played a character called Number Two in what film series?

3. Three spheres suspended from a bar is the symbol for what kind of shop?

4. Who was the first man to record a sub-4 minute mile in Oxford, England, May, 1954?

5. In which 1960 film did Frank Sinatra lead a gang attempting to rob five Las Vegas casinos at once?

6. What section of Los Angeles was devastated by six days of rioting, which resulted in the death of 34 people, in August 1965?

7. We can all probably guess the number of members in a trio or a quartet. What is it called when a group has seven members?

8. Eight of the world’s top highest mountains are in which country?

9. What is the name of the pitch cat for 9Lives cat food?

10. According to experts, on which continent do most of the ten deadliest snake species live?

1. Africa
2. Asia
3. Australia
4. South America

Bonus: What was the theme for this round?

Round 4 (65% correct)

1. What is the more common name for the skull and crossbones flag flown by pirates?

2. For a point each, name the book and the author: “Amergo Bonasera sat in New York Criminal Court Number 3 and waited for justice; vengeance on the men who had so cruelly hurt his daughter, who had tried to dishonor her.”

3. The largest country in the world is Russia, with 11.5% of the total land mass. Where does the US fall on the list?

4. With piano and button varieties, what musical instrument is also known as a squeeze box?

5. Currently published by Chooseco, what series of interactive children’s books allow readers to pick the path of the story?

6. A condition where someone is excessively preoccupied with worry about contracting a serious illness is hypochondria. What is it called when someone fakes an illness or disease in order to gain sympathy?

7. Which product was advertised with the slogan “Because I’m worth it”?

8. What World War II figure was known as Old Blood and Guts?

1. Douglas MacArthur
2. Charles DeGaulle
3. Winston Churchill
4. George Patton

9. Now that Halloween is over, what colors make up a standard candy corn?

10. What’s the primary alcohol in a Rob Roy?

Answers:

November 12, 2008 – Gotta love this planet of ours…

The theme word for this quiz was Earth.

Round 1 (71% correct)

1. What is the only Central American country with English as its official language?

2. What are the ingredients of that campfire favorite s’mores?

3. Monday saw the release of the last of the state quarters, honoring Hawaii. In what year was the first state quarter (Delaware) released?

4. Which of the following is not one of the men that Paul Simon gives advice to in his song “Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover”?

1. Bill
2. Jack
3. Lee
4. Roy

5. Who wrote 1965’s Unsafe at Any Speed, blasting the manufacturer of the Corvair for its’ safety problems?

6. What do we measure on the Richter scale?

7. Which musical instrument does Sherlock Holmes regularly play?

8. Born on this day in 1936, which retired television judge and boxing referee achieved international stardom as the voice and character on MTVs Celebrity Deathmatch, starting matches with the phrase “Let’s get it on!”?

9. Filled with peanuts and nougat, what candy bar was named for a beloved horse of the Mars family?

10. Robert Ludlum authored a series of best selling books featuring what retrograde amnesia stricken assassin?

Round 2 (69% correct)

1. Only one of the planets in our solar system is not named for a Greek or Roman mythological figure. Which one is it?

2. In 1987, what classic toy discarded his pipe in order to become an honorary chair of the Great American Smoke Out?

3. A person who refuses to participate in military service because of religious or moral principals is known as what?

4. With the mission of finding life out there somewhere, what does SETI stand for?

5. Name the book and the author of this 1951 book, later to be made into a 1999 movie starring Ralph Fiennes and Julianne Moore: ‘A story has no beginning or end: arbitrarily one chooses that moment from which to look back or from which to look ahead. ‘

6. The US Secret Service has recently announced it has chosen the code names for the new first family. What name did they bestow upon Barak Obama?

1. Eagle
2. Renegade
3. Scorecard
4. Tumbler

7. On what television show did the character Mr. Green Jeans make regular appearances

8. An emerald is normally what color?

9. What is the animal inspired term for someone paid to smuggle illegal aliens into the US from Mexico?

10. Kennedy Space Center is located on what cape in Brevard County, Florida?

Round 3 (54% correct)

1. In 1937, Cook County Hospital established the first blood bank in what U.S. city?

1. Boston
2. Chicago
3. New York
4. Seattle

2. Although he never actually practiced, which member of Monty Python was actually qualified as a medical doctor?

3. The Great Depression began during the administration of which US President?

4. What hero of Greek mythology was killed by an arrow shot into his heel?

5. How many servings of fruits and vegetables does the current food pyramid suggest you eat?

6. In the cartoon books, what is the name of the druid that provides potions for Asterix?

7. According to the Jim Croce song, who was the baddest man in the whole damn town?

8. In what eastern state are over half of all of the fortune 500 companies incorporated?

9. The Van Allen belts surround most of what planet?

10. The largest manufacturer of mobile phones in the world, what country does Nokia call home?

Round 4 (50% correct)

1. Which domestic airline, the worlds largest in terms of passenger miles flown, introduced the first frequent flyer program on May 1, 1981?

2. Which U.S. state split in two during the Civil War?

3. What folk hero was said to have a blue ox named Babe?

4. Which of the following is not a real Onion headline?

1. Report: 98 Percent Of U.S. Commuters Favor Public Transportation For Others
2. Congress Threatens To Leave D.C. Unless New Capitol Is Built
3. Armchair Psychologists Battle Lay-Z-Boy Clinical Social Workers in All Out Turf War
4. Project Manager Leaves Suicide PowerPoint Presentation

5. The top number of a fraction is known as the numerator. What is the bottom number known as?

6. The Blue Marble is a famous picture depicting what?

7. What was the name of the Harvard professor who urged students to “turn on, tune in, and drop out”?

8. For a point each, name the original MTV VJs.

9. In human anatomy, what is the flap of cartilage that prevents food from going down the wrong tube?

10. Airing every weekday since 1971, what was the first news program on NPR?

Answers:

November 5, 2008

The theme word for this week was seven.

Round 1 (56% correct)

1. Name the book and the author. “It was seven o’clock of a very warm evening in the Seeonee hills when Father Wolf woke up from his day’s rest, scratched himself, yawned, and spread out his paws one after the other to get rid of the sleepy feeling in their tips.”

2. Literally meaning you are dumb in Latin, “Tu Stultus Es” is the motto of what online “news source”?

3. What is the name of the restaurant atop the Space Needle?

4. Whose official residence is Number One Observatory Circle? <ed: There was confusion on this between naming an actual person and the office holder>

5. Which of the following is an example of a cryptid?

1. Blue Whale
2. Sea Lion
3. Loch Ness Monster
4. Rhinoceros

6. What does the prefix `xylo’ mean, as in xylophone?

7. Which soft drink, created in 1929 by Charles Grigg, was originally named “Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda”, and was launched two weeks before the Wall Street Crash?

8. Real person or not? Sweeney Todd?

9. What tree are the source of acorns?

10. Sometimes called long johns, what is the term for 1 piece long underwear with an access hatch, or fireman’s flap, in the rear?

Round 2 (48% correct)

1. Is an owl a carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore?

2. In today’s uncertain economic times, I’ve been considering converting my cash into Linden Dollars. Where could I then spend them?

3. In the world of economics, a monopoly is a market with only one seller. What is a monopsony (muh-nop-suh-nee)?

4. Created by Dr. Barry Sears, what diet centers around a 40/30/30 ratio of caloric intake?

5. California has the most number of electoral college votes. Which state(s) has the least?

6. Which of the following established the first mail-order catalog in the United States, and, incidentally, the first to offer “Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back”?

1. Montgomery Ward
2. Spiegel
3. Sears & Roebuck
4. J.C. Penney

7. Man has seven vertebrae in his neck, how many does a giraffe have?

8. How many seconds must a professional bull rider stay on mounted on a bull?

9. What revolutionary hero is most known for his speech “I only regret that I have but one life to give my country.”, given immediately before his execution?

10. George W. Bush has 15 members of his cabinet. George Washington only had 4. For a point each, name Washington’s cabinet positions (not the people occupying them).

Round 3 (73% correct)

Round 3 was an audio round. It featured movie theme songs. I played a bit over a minute of each track (this is especially required for the Airplane! theme, as it starts out sounding like Jaws). The final track was thrown in for a bonus, with double points offered because I was fairly sure that nobody would know it. I was wrong. Apparently, more attendees have daughters than I was aware of.

1. Back to the Future

2. Reservoir Dogs

3. Airplane!

4. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

5. Magnificent Seven

6. Jurassic Park

7. Psycho

8. The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

9. Pulp Fiction

10. Pink Panther

Q11. Godfather

Q12. American Beauty

Q13. High School Musical 2

Round 4 (55% correct)

1. Survey Says! was introduced with what TV game show in 1976?

2. What do the initials YMCA stand for?

3. In 2007, aged 87, the last surviving member of the Rat Pack died. Who was he?

4. How many officials (people in striped shirts capable of calling penalties) are on the field at one time during an NFL game?

5. Coined by a science fiction writer and popular among economists, what does the initialism TANSTAAFL stand for?

6.The youngest president, upon his swearing in, was Teddy Roosevelt at 42. The oldest was Ronald Reagan at 69. Barak Obama will be 47 at his. Plus or minus 4 years, what is the average age of all the presidents at their inauguration (note. This includes Grover Cleveland twice).

7. What popular website, owned by Google, advertises itself with the motto “Broadcast yourself”?

8. Bubble Wrap was invented by accident the company was originally trying to develop a new type of.

1. Wallpaper
2. Synthetic cloth
3. Insulation
4. Carpet padding

9. Which Motown legend was shot and killed by his own father in 1984?

10. The oldest public university on the west coast, this school, ranked 16th in the world’s top universities for 2008, which school opened on Nov 4th, 1861 as the Territorial University?

Answers: