Trivia Q&A: November 20

We had a record number of teams on Tuesday night for Trivia: a whopping 23 teams taking part. Before the night, I figured that we'd either have a big turnout or a very few in because of the Thanksgiving holiday. The bar was the most crowded I've ever seen it for a Trivia Night. (All the tables were taken and I had to grade the answers on the table I host the Trivia on. That's the first time I've ever done that.)

The toughest round of the night was the Thanksgiving Trivia round. I thought there might be some controversy over the George H. W. Bush question, as I found out earlier that day from my friend Jere in Boston that Harry Truman did NOT "pardon" the first turkey ever, and Bush began the tradition in 1989. (Somehow it seems to have been accepted by the media, but it is really just an urban legend.) A few said Truman and one person actually knew the right answer. But there was a bit of controversy over the Abraham Lincoln question over who proclaimed the Thanksgiving holiday as the fourth Thursday in November.

(Update: I received an email on Wednesday from Tarik, who was on one of the Trivia teams, and he pointed out that Lincoln was the first to proclaim Thanksgiving the "last" Thursday in November, while FDR proclaimed it the "fourth" Thursday, and that became law in 1941. My apologies to him and to everyone else who said FDR, and he can add a point to his team's total last night. I also made the correction in the answers section. Yes, the Maven does goof every once in a while.)

The scores were close going into the IQ Trivia round. Five teams had at least 30 points going into that round, but two teams came from even further back to grab the top two spots of the night, as most of the leading teams did not do well in the round. That's What Jim Said rolled up 20 points to take second place, and Itty Bitty Committee did even better, getting 4 of the 5 questions right for 21 points and won the night by three points. My congratulations to them on a great comeback victory.

Next Tuesday's special category will be on either sports or movies, due to popular demand of the bar. I'll decide which later this weekend. Have a great Thanksgiving everyone.

Current Events
1. Over 3000 people were killed last week when Cyclone Sidr struck this Asian country, with wind speeds up to 155 MPH.
2. Barry Bonds was indicted on federal charges of perjury and obstruction of justice charges last Thursday. How long did it take for the charges to be made after he first testified in the steroid investigation?
3. A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck this South American country last week, killing two and injuring over 150 people.
4. The Census Bureau revealed that two Hispanic surnames are in the Top 10 in the U.S. list of all surnames. Name one of the two.
5. The American Society of Criminology named this city as "The Most Dangerous US City" for 2006, based on their analysis of FBI crime statistics.
6. Dick Wilson, an actor who was a pitchman in TV commercials for this product for over 20 years as "Mr. Whipple," died yesterday at age 91.
7. Brian May, a guitarist for this legendary rock band, was named chancellor of a university in Liverpool, England yesterday.
8. A methane explosion killed over 80 miners yesterday in this Eastern European country.
9. This troubled athlete was sentenced to just 24 hours in jail, but also received three years probation for DUI and drug possession yesterday.
10. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are celebrating this milestone wedding anniversary today in England.

Answers: 1. Bangladesh; 2. four years; 3. Chile; 4. Garcia and Rodriguez; 5. Detroit; 6. Charmin toilet paper; 7. Queen; 8. Ukraine; 9. Mike Tyson; 10. 60th (diamond).

Thanksgiving Trivia
1. Which US president first proclaimed the fourth Thursday in November to be Thanksgiving Day?
2. In which month is Thanksgiving Day celebrated in Canada?
3. What was the original name for the Pilgrims?
4. Captain John Smith founded which colony in Virginia?
5. How many days did the original Thanksgiving feast last?
6. Name one of the two NFL teams that traditionally hosts a game on Thanksgiving Day.
7. Which Midwestern state has the most number of live turkeys in production in America?
8. What percentage of workers are given Thanksgiving Day and the day after off in America in 2007?
9. Which president in the late 20th century was the first to start the tradition of "pardoning" a turkey before Thanksgiving?
10. What song by Arlo Guthrie is a musical monologue based on a true story of Thanksgiving 1965 and inspired a 1969 movie of the same name?

Answers: 1. Franklin D. Roosevelt; 2. October; 3. The Puritans; 4. Jamestown; 5. three; 6. Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys; 7. Minnesota (44.5 million in 2005); 8. 78%; 9. George H.W. Bush; 10. "Alice's Restaurant."

True or False ("The Q Train")
1. The dog comic strip character Marmaduke is actually a Great Dane.
2. St. Croix is not one of the US Virgin Islands.
3. Oprah Winfrey had a segment on her show called "Remembering Your Spirit."
4. Mongolia shares a border with Russia and India.
5. A zephyr is a type of flood.
6. "Grease" was a Broadway musical before it became a movie.
7. A ponderosa is a type of pine tree.
8. The cherry blossom trees surrounding the Jefferson Memorial was originally a gift from the city of Tokyo.
9. In the novel, "Little Women," the March Sisters' father joined the Union Army as a doctor.
10. The term "hang a louie" means make a left a turn.

Answers: 1. true; 2. false, it is; 3. true; 4. false, it borders Russia and China; 5. false, it's a type of wind; 6. true; 7. true; 8. true; 9. false, he joined as a chaplain; 10. true.

General Knowledge
1. What type of garden material is also known as sphagnum?
2. What did JFK say in a famous speech that the US should do, not because it was "easy," but because it was "hard?"
3. What Broadway musical featured the song, "There's No Business Like Show Business?"
4. How many events make up a pentathlon?
5. What sauce gets its name from the Italian word meaning, "in sailor style?"
6. "Big Muddy" is the nickname for which U.S. river?
7. A phlebotomist is trained to perform what medical procedure?
8. Pyrex is a heat-resistant form of what material?
9. In the 1994 movie "The Shawshank Redemption," Andy Dufresne is wrongfully convicted of what crime?
10. "Pes planus" is the medical term for what condition?

Answers: 1. peat moss; 2. go to the moon; 3. "Annie Get Your Gun;" 4. five; 5. marinara; 6. Missouri River; 7. draw blood; 8. glass; 9. murder; 10. flat feet.

IQ Trivia
1. What civil rights activist popularized the phrase "black power" in a 1966 speech? (6 points)
2. In 1995, which female celebrity appeared as George Washington on the cover of the first issue of George Magazine? (5 points)
3. Until his departure in 1996, Iran-Contra participant Oliver North worked for what US agency? (5 points)
4. Pollex is the medical term for which part of the human body? ( 5 points)
5. Which Alfred Hitchcock film was originally filmed in 3-D? ( 4 points)

Answers: 1. Stokely Carmichael; 2. Cindy Crawford; 3. National Security Council; 4. thumb; 5. "Dial M For Murder."