Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Trivia Q&A: September 9

We had a terrific turnout at Professor Thom's on Tuesday night, as plenty of Red Sox fans came out for the contest with the Rays, and many of the regular Trivia players were also on hand. We had 19 teams take part. The scores were rather strong throughout most of the night, and we had five teams get perfect scores in the "Spell the Word Trivia" round. (It took a little longer last night as I had to stop while the bar went nuts over Jason Bay's eighth inning homer at Fenway.)

Going into the final round, we had a four-way tie for second place, and they were trailing the leaders by two points. The numbers on IQ Trivia were rather low, and I was worried when I began marking the papers that a few teams were getting shutout. But most teams got the King Henry VIII question right. And the team of Bridget Moynahan's Voodoo Doll's Got Legs emerged victorious, as they got 11 points (three questions correct) and were crowned champions, but the slimmest of margins, one point. (And it was over a team ironically named "525,600 Second-Place Finishes.") Congratulations to Matt and his crew for another successful night.

Current Events
1. Steven Spielberg and Dreamworks Pictures were hit with a lawsuit this week with claims that they stole the plot of their film "Disturbia" from this classic Alfred Hitchcock movie.
2. A London museum bought the original artwork of this rock band's logo for just under $100,000 last week.
3. In its annual survey, Forbes magazine rated this southern city as the best in the USA for single people.
4. This Oscar-winning actor is suing Paramount Pictures, the makers of a hit 2007 film he starred in, claiming he's owed more than $10 million in bonuses based on the movie's success.
5. This onetime 1970s sitcom star hit a fan with his truck after arguing with him over some pictures outside a Utah bowling alley this past weekend.
6. After 12 years and over 5,000 performances, this Broadway musical ended its run this past Sunday.
7. On the advice of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, this country's parliament was dissolved and elections will be held next month.

Answers: 1. "Rear Window;" 2. Rolling Stones; 3. Atlanta; 4. Tommy Lee Jones; 5. Gary Coleman; 6. "Rent;" 7. Canada.

September 9th Trivia
1. This state joined the Union on this date in 1850, becoming the 31st US state.
2. The small nation of Tajikstan gained its independence from this country on this date in 1991.
3. Elvis Presley made his first appearance on this legendary TV show on this date in 1956.
4. David A. Stewart, who gained fame as part of this 1980s rock duo, was born on this date in 1952.
5. Rachel Hunter, model and actress once married to Rod Stewart and originally hails from this country, was born on this date in 1969.
6. Alf Landon, who once ran for president and was defeated by this man, was born on this day in 1887.
7. Prisoners seized control of this maximum-security prison in 1971, and when it finally ended four days later, 43 people were dead.

Answers: 1. California; 2. Soviet Union; 3. "The Ed Sullivan Show;" 4. Eurythmics; 5. New Zealand; 6. Franklin D. Roosevelt; 7. Attica.

Spell the Word ("The Q Train")
1. ENUNCIATE (verb): to utter articulately; to pronounce.
2. HISTRIONIC (adj): overly dramatic; deliberately affected.
3. CATERWAUL (verb): to have a noisy argument.
4. POPINJAY (noun): a vain or a talkative person.
5. CORPULENT (adj): very fat; obese.
6. ACCLIMATE (verb): to become accustomed to a new climate or situation.
7. CAJOLE (verb): to persuade with flattery; to coax.
8. ARBITER (noun): a person chosen to judge or decide a dispute.
9. RECIDIVISM (noun): a tendency to lapse into a previous condition or pattern of behavior.
10. FACETIOUS (adj): given to jesting; not serious.

General Knowledge
1. What is the second longest river in the world?
2. The town of Baccarat, France has been known for centuries to produce what?
3. In the 1983 movie "All the Right Moves," Tom Cruise's character plays in what sport?
4. What state was 2008 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee once governor of?
5. What is the shortest of William Shakespeare's plays?
6. Which jazz sax player helped create bebop while playing with Dizzy Gillespie?
7. What is the only vitamin the human body can produce from exposure to sunlight?

Answers: 1. Amazon; 2. fine crystal; 3. football; 4. Arkansas; 5. "The Comedy of Errors;" 6. Charlie Parker; 7. vitamin D.

IQ Trivia
1. King Henry VIII belonged to what royal family? ( 4 points)
2. According to Greek mythology, the tears of Eos are responsible for forming what? ( 5 points)
3. What is the longest book in the Bible? ( 4 points)
4. What kind of pasta means "little turnips" in Italian? ( 3 points)
5. What was the only opera written by Beethoven? ( 4 points)

Answers: 1. Tudor; 2. morning dewdrops; 3. Psalms; 4. ravioli; 5. "Fidelio."

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