Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Trivia Q&A: March 31

We had 17 teams in for Trivia on Tuesday night, and it was a very interesting evening. We had a five-way tie for first place after the second round, and I don't think that's ever happened. The scores were strong for Current Events and 1-2-3-4 Trivia, but only so-so for Comedy Trivia.

There was another correction I had to make on one of my questions. The question was the one about the number of sets in volleyball, which for men is 3 out of 5. But it was also pointed out that for women's beach volleyball, it is 2 out of 3 for a win. So I did accept two as an answer.

It was close going into IQ Trivia, with the top six teams separated by just three points. But something happened tonight that hasn't happened in a few months: a tie. So I pulled out a question I had been saving for just such an occurance. "How many years was the Tower Records store on E. 4th Street and Broadway at that location?" Both guesses were close, but the team of We Don't Need Rob to Help Us Suck at Trivia guessed 26, and were the winners as they were the closest. (The actual answer is 23.) Congratulations to Rob and his friends on the victory, their first in quite some time.

Current Events
1. Parade magazine's annual "World's Worst Dictators" list has this African strongman with the top spot for 2009.
2. For the sixth consecutive year, this Western US state tops the list as "The Most Dangerous US State" as it is number one in the US for car theft and robbery.
3. This TV funnyman encouraged his viewers to vote for his name in an online Space Station room naming contest, and he wound up winning.
4. Mirek Topolanek resigned as Prime Minister of this eastern European country last week after his government lost a parliamentary confidence vote.
5. Dan Seals, a singer in this famous two-man 1970s pop group, died last week at the age of 61.
6. This Academy Award-winning actor has won the role of Larry in the upcoming Farrelly brothers film, "The Three Stooges."
7. Luiz Inacio de Silva, president of this country, stunned British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at a press conference with wild accusations that the world's financial crisis was caused by "white people with blue eyes."

Answers: 1. Robert Mugabe; 2. Nevada; 3. Stephen Colbert; 4. Czech Republic; 5. England Dan and John Ford Coley; 6. Sean Penn; 7. Brazil.

Comedy Trivia
1. What standup comedy legend had a hit movie and album in 1982 called "Live On The Sunset Strip?"
2. "Angela" is the actual title of what hit late 1970s/early 1980s comedy series' theme song?
3. What is the only comedy film to win the Best Picture Oscar in the last 30 years?
4. What 1990s comedy series won a record five consecutive Emmy Awards as Best Comedy Series?
5. What comedienne got into hot water when many felt she did a disrespectful singing of the Star Spangled Banner before a San Diego Padres game in 1990?
6. What immortal Hollywood comedian portrayed such movie characters as Otis B. Driftwood, Rufus T. Firefly and Hugo Z. Hackenbush?
7. The 1994 book "Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man" recalls what comedian/TV star's time in prison?

Answers: 1. Richard Pryor; 2. "Taxi;" 3. "Shakespeare in Love;" 4. "Frasier;" 5. Roseanne Barr; 6. Groucho Marx; 7. Tim Allen.

1-2-3-4 Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. This is number place is the lowest the US has ever finished in the overall medals in the Summer Olympics.
2. The number of MLB players who've hit at least 700 HRs in a season.
3. Cancer is the number sign of the Zodiac.
4. Catcher is this number on a baseball team.
5. A Beatles greatest hits album from 2000 was this number.
6. This is the number of Noble Truths in Buddhism.
7. The number of US presidents who have been impeached.
8. On a telephone, this number key is associated with the letters D,E, and F.
9. In volleyball, this is the number of sets needed to be won to win a whole match.
10. The number of WBC titles won by Japan.

Answers: 1. three; 2. three; 3. four; 4. two; 5. one; 6. four; 7. two; 8. three; 9. three (I also accepted two); 10. two.

General Knowledge
1. What Midwest city is known as "The Rubber Capital of the World?"
2. What is the name of the mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies?
3. A song by what rock group was used as the theme song of Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign?
4. What Roman emperor was rumored to have declared his horse a high priest of his temple?
5. What ingredient gives guacamole its green color?
6. According to the "Guinness Book of World Records," in what US state can you find the world's tallest tree?
7. Who was the co-anchor of the TV news program "20/20" for 21 years before stepping down in 1999?

Answers: 1. Akron, OH; 2. The Philly Phanatic; 3. Fleetwood Mac; 4. Caligula; 5. avocado; 6. California; 7. Hugh Downs.

IQ Trivia
1. What television show used to regularly feature a chimpanzee named J. Fred Muggs? ( 5 points)
2. The Islands of Murano and Burano are found in what coastal European city? ( 4 points)
3. What Civil War battle is considered the bloodiest and deadliest one-day battle in American history? ( 4 points)
4. The US Constitution has how many amendments? ( 3 points)
5. In Scandinavian mythology, what is the home of warriors who are slain in battle? ( 4 points)

Answers: 1. "The Today Show;" 2. Venice; 3. Antietam; 4. twenty-seven; 5. Valhalla.

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