Trivia Q&A: November 24

We had 18 teams in for Trivia Night on Tuesday. It being just two days before Thanksgiving, it was hard to tell ahead of time how big the crowd might be, but it was gratifying to see many of the regulars in before the long holiday weekend began.

We had some strong numbers for The Q Train and General Knowledge, as that was not unexpected. (I tossed out the "Cairo, Egypt" question in True or False Trivia, as it was pointed out to me that a university in Morocco has given out diplomas longer than any other college.) But then IQ Trivia may have been the toughest round I have ever done in that category's history. Exactly half the teams, nine in all, got none of the five correct. I honestly thought a couple of the questions would be answered correctly by most of the teams. But only one team got as many as four right, and only two others got two right. (I promise next week's IQ Trivia won't be as hard.)

One of three teams that got two right, The Stepfathers (Because We Beat You and You Hate Us), managed to go from second place into first and the win with their success in that round. They are also won recently, so congratulations on their win, which wound up being a seven-point one.

Current Events
1. Edward Woodward, a British actor best known to the US for this late 1980s TV series that had a devoted cult following, died last week at age 79.
2. A former smoker won a $300 million verdict against this company last Friday in Florida in what is the largest award ever among the thousands of lawsuits brought in such cases.
3. For the second time this decade, this Hollywood star won People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" title last week.
4. A US district court last week found this group negligent in maintaining the New Orleans levees that contributed to the massive flooding during Hurrican Katrina in 2005.
5. French soccer player Thierry Henry handled a ball in the penalty area against this country in a World Cup qualifier last week that led to a tying goal and France qualifying and the other nation not, and FIFA ruled a replay of the match would not happen.
6. 70 students at the University of California Santa Cruz ended an occupation of an administration building they held for three days on Sunday peacefully, as they were protesting for this reason.
7. This singer was named Artist of the Year on Sunday night at the American Music Awards, and it was won of four awards she won on the night.

Answers: 1. "The Equalizer;" 2. Philip Morris; 3. Johnny Depp; 4. US Army Corps of Engineers; 5. Ireland; 6. tuition increases; 7. Taylor Swift.

Turkey Trivia
1. What continent did turkeys originally come from? a. Europe; b. South America; c. Asia; d. Australia.
2. What month is National Turkey Lover's Month? a. January; b. April; c. June; d. November.
3. What American statesman wanted the turkey to be the national symbol of the US? a. George Washington; b. Thomas Jefferson; c. Alexander Hamilton; d. Benjamin Franklin.
4. Yes or no: Can wild turkeys fly?
5. What do you call a baby turkey? a. poult; b. chick; c. turklet; d. giblet.
6. What country consumes the most turkey per year per person? a. US; b. UK; c. Russia; d. Israel.
7. Yes or no: Was the country of Turkey named after the bird?

Answers: 1. b; 2. c; 3. d; 4. yes; 5. a; 6. d; 7. no.

True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Henry VIII was the last English king named Henry.
2. Katmandu is the capital of Tibet.
3. Johnny Weismuller, who played Tarzan in the movies, once won a gold medal in boxing.
4. The world's oldest university is in Cairo, Egypt.
5. Blue and white are the two colors that appear on the UN flag.
6. Elvis Presley was tossed out of the Grand Ole Opry after just one performance because he didn't sing country "correctly."
7. California is the US state with the most national park sites.
8. The song "Happy Birthday To You" is actually copyrighted.
9. Hawaii is the US state with the highest average rainfall.
10. Sideburns got its name from a Civil War general.

Answers: 1. true; 2. false, Nepal; 3. false, swimming; 4. true; 5. true; 6. true; 7. false, Alaska; 8. true; 9. false, Louisiana; 10. true.

General Knowledge
1. What cartoon huntsman carried a shotgun and spoke often of his desire to kill "the wabbit?" ( 1 point)
2. Slash was the lead guitarist for what rock group until 1996? (1 point)
3. Kabbalah is an offshoot of what religion? ( 1 point)
4. In paper measures, how many reams make up a bale? ( 2 points)
5. What was the name given to members of the militia who served on the American side of the Revolutionary War? ( 2 points)
6. What country is Qantas Airlines from? ( 2 points)
7. How many sides does a trapezium have? ( 3 points)

Answers: 1. Elmer Fudd; 2. Guns 'n' Roses; 3. Judaism; 4. ten; 5. Minutemen; 6. Australia; 7. four.

IQ Trivia
1. What legendary rock star's second published book was entitled "A Spaniard in the Works?" ( 3 points)
2. If you osculated someone, what in fact did you do? ( 4 points)
3. Nicholas Breakspear is the first and only Englishman to hold what position? ( 5 points)
4. Maniere's Disease is a condition that affects what part of the human body? ( 4 points)
5. By what nickname was convicted criminal Robert Stroud known? ( 4 points)

Answers: 1. John Lennon; 2. kissed them; 3. Pope (Adrian IV); 4. ears (hearing); 5. The Birdman of Alcatraz.