Trivia folks: some sad news to pass along to you. I am no longer hosting Trivia at Professor Thom's anymore. I was told by text message last night that my services as host was no longer wanted, as they have decided to bring in some trivia company to host trivia there every week. I'll be honest and say that I knew it was coming.
There was almost no publicity in the place about Trivia Night, and the crowds continued to decrease and decrease. So I guess I was going to take the fall for it and I did yesterday.
I want to thank all of you who supported my second stint at Professor Thom's these past three years. You all made it a joy to host Trivia there. I'm not sure what my next move will be. I may try to find a new bar in Manhattan to host a Trivia Night. I will let all of you know here at the blog and at the Facebook page what I decide to do.
I wish all of you the best. Thanks for the support over the years.
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Trivia Q&A: January 14
It was a rainy Tuesday night in New York and we had a small, but enthusiastic turnout for Trivia. The guys from DIMS pulled away by the third round, getting a perfect score in the Q Train lightning round and went on to an comfortable victory, rolling up 52 points. Congratulations to Ken and Darek on their first win of the decade.
Second place went to This Pitcher Smells Like Gwyneth Paltrow's Vagina (who also won for Best Team Name; yes, I had to say that name all night long!) with 29 points and third place went to Harry Potter's 9" Wand with 22 points.
Current Events
1. What film won Best Picture (Musical or Comedy) at the Golden Globes last week?
2. A failed baseball prospect named Garrison Lassiter announced he is suing what onetime NY baseball superstar player and his team for $34 million because they "derailed" his career and protected the superstar?
3. What TV network settled a $250 million lawsuit with Covongton Catholic student Nick Sandmann, after a January 2019 incident in Washington DC with a Native American he felt was slanted against him?
4. What Oscar-winning actor was recently credited with saving a man in the Caribbean who fell off his yacht over the New Years holiday?
5. What male pop singer last week revealed that he was recently diagnosed with Lyme disease and chronic mononucleosis?
6. What retail chain announced they will close 29 stores across the US despite upbeat sales during the recent holiday season?
7. Neil Peart, who was a Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame drummer from what classic rock group, died last week from brain cancer at the age of 67?
African American Trivia
1. In what year did Jackie Robinson became the first African American player in MLB in the 20th century for the Brooklyn Dodgers?
2. "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" is the autobiography of what African American woman?
3. Who was the first African American actress to be an "EGOT Winner": Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards winner?
4. What 19th century African American educator is credited with founding Tuskegee University?
5. Guion Bluford became the first African American to accomplish what feat in 1983?
6. What African American singer won the Album of the Year Grammy Award three times in the 1970s?
7. In 1989, Douglas Wilder became the first African American elected governor, of what southern state?
The Q Train: TV Cities Trivia
1. The Drew Carey Show
2. The Golden Girls
3. Dharma & Greg
4. This Is Us
5. Six Feet Under
6. St. Elsewhere
7. The Mary Tyler Moore Show
8. How to Get Away With Murder
9. The Bob Newhart Show
10. Blue Bloods
General Knowledge
1. What is the boiling point of water in degrees Celsius? ( 1 pt)
2. What color are 15 of the 22 balls in a snooker set? ( 1 pt)
3. What classic horror film did Gus Van Sant remake in 1998? ( 1 pt)
4. What male actor has received the most Oscar nominations? ( 2 pt)
5. What country has the most dairy cows? ( 2 pt)
6. The NBA Memphis Grizzlies began as an expansion team in 1995 in what Canadian city? ( 2 pt)
7. The current Democratic Republic of the Congo was formerly known by what name? ( 3 pt)
IQ Trivia
1. Dendrophobia is the fear of what objects? ( 5 points)
2. What 1979 war epic was inspired by Joseph Conrad's 1899 novella "Heart of Darkness?" ( 4 points)
3. In 1927, the first commercial transatlantic telephone conversation connected which two cities? ( 3 points)
4. What is the only US state in the Deep South that currently has a Democratic governor? ( 4 points)
5. Rembrandt Peale and Gilbert Stuart are best known for doing more than 100 paintings of what American historical figure? ( 4 points)
Answers
Current Events
1. "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood;" 2. Derek Jeter; 3. CNN; 4. Leonardo DiCaprio; 5. Justin Bieber; 6. Macy's; 7. Rush.
African American Trivia
1. 1947; 2. Maya Angelou; 3. Whoopi Goldberg; 4. Booker T. Washington; 5. Fly in space; 6. Stevie Wonder; 7. Virginia.
The Q Train: TV Cities Trivia
1. Cleveland; 2. Miami; 3. San Francisco; 4. Pittsburgh; 5. Los Angeles; 6. Boston; 7. Minneapolis; 8. Philadelphia; 9. Chicago; 10. New York.
General Knowledge
1. 100 degrees; 2. red; 3. "Psycho;" 4. Jack Nicholson (12); 5. India; 6. Vancouver; 7. Zaire.
IQ Trivia
1. Trees; 2. "Apocalypse Now;" 3. New York and London; 4. Louisiana: 5. George Washington.
Second place went to This Pitcher Smells Like Gwyneth Paltrow's Vagina (who also won for Best Team Name; yes, I had to say that name all night long!) with 29 points and third place went to Harry Potter's 9" Wand with 22 points.
Current Events
1. What film won Best Picture (Musical or Comedy) at the Golden Globes last week?
2. A failed baseball prospect named Garrison Lassiter announced he is suing what onetime NY baseball superstar player and his team for $34 million because they "derailed" his career and protected the superstar?
3. What TV network settled a $250 million lawsuit with Covongton Catholic student Nick Sandmann, after a January 2019 incident in Washington DC with a Native American he felt was slanted against him?
4. What Oscar-winning actor was recently credited with saving a man in the Caribbean who fell off his yacht over the New Years holiday?
5. What male pop singer last week revealed that he was recently diagnosed with Lyme disease and chronic mononucleosis?
6. What retail chain announced they will close 29 stores across the US despite upbeat sales during the recent holiday season?
7. Neil Peart, who was a Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame drummer from what classic rock group, died last week from brain cancer at the age of 67?
African American Trivia
1. In what year did Jackie Robinson became the first African American player in MLB in the 20th century for the Brooklyn Dodgers?
2. "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" is the autobiography of what African American woman?
3. Who was the first African American actress to be an "EGOT Winner": Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards winner?
4. What 19th century African American educator is credited with founding Tuskegee University?
5. Guion Bluford became the first African American to accomplish what feat in 1983?
6. What African American singer won the Album of the Year Grammy Award three times in the 1970s?
7. In 1989, Douglas Wilder became the first African American elected governor, of what southern state?
The Q Train: TV Cities Trivia
1. The Drew Carey Show
2. The Golden Girls
3. Dharma & Greg
4. This Is Us
5. Six Feet Under
6. St. Elsewhere
7. The Mary Tyler Moore Show
8. How to Get Away With Murder
9. The Bob Newhart Show
10. Blue Bloods
General Knowledge
1. What is the boiling point of water in degrees Celsius? ( 1 pt)
2. What color are 15 of the 22 balls in a snooker set? ( 1 pt)
3. What classic horror film did Gus Van Sant remake in 1998? ( 1 pt)
4. What male actor has received the most Oscar nominations? ( 2 pt)
5. What country has the most dairy cows? ( 2 pt)
6. The NBA Memphis Grizzlies began as an expansion team in 1995 in what Canadian city? ( 2 pt)
7. The current Democratic Republic of the Congo was formerly known by what name? ( 3 pt)
IQ Trivia
1. Dendrophobia is the fear of what objects? ( 5 points)
2. What 1979 war epic was inspired by Joseph Conrad's 1899 novella "Heart of Darkness?" ( 4 points)
3. In 1927, the first commercial transatlantic telephone conversation connected which two cities? ( 3 points)
4. What is the only US state in the Deep South that currently has a Democratic governor? ( 4 points)
5. Rembrandt Peale and Gilbert Stuart are best known for doing more than 100 paintings of what American historical figure? ( 4 points)
Answers
Current Events
1. "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood;" 2. Derek Jeter; 3. CNN; 4. Leonardo DiCaprio; 5. Justin Bieber; 6. Macy's; 7. Rush.
African American Trivia
1. 1947; 2. Maya Angelou; 3. Whoopi Goldberg; 4. Booker T. Washington; 5. Fly in space; 6. Stevie Wonder; 7. Virginia.
The Q Train: TV Cities Trivia
1. Cleveland; 2. Miami; 3. San Francisco; 4. Pittsburgh; 5. Los Angeles; 6. Boston; 7. Minneapolis; 8. Philadelphia; 9. Chicago; 10. New York.
General Knowledge
1. 100 degrees; 2. red; 3. "Psycho;" 4. Jack Nicholson (12); 5. India; 6. Vancouver; 7. Zaire.
IQ Trivia
1. Trees; 2. "Apocalypse Now;" 3. New York and London; 4. Louisiana: 5. George Washington.
Monday, January 13, 2020
African American Trivia This Week
The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"What is the boiling point of water in degrees Celsius?"
I look forward to seeing many of you this Tuesday night for another great night of Trivia Q&A!
Wednesday, January 08, 2020
Trivia Q&A: January 7
We got the decade of the 2020s off to a good start on Tuesday night, as 10 teams were in for Trivia. (I was a bit concerned when we just had a handful of folks in at 8 PM, but it was a late arriving crowd, and it was good to see you all.) The scores on the first two rounds were on the lower side, and we had a rare four-way tie going into the Q Train lightning round. But we had a three teams separated by one point heading into IQ Trivia, and the team of WWIII Vets pulled out a one-point win with 44 points to take the first Trivia Night of 2020. Congratulations to the Vets on their first ever Trivia Night victory.
DIMS finished second with 43 points, and Llama Del Rey finished third with 42 points.
Best Team Name: The Mara Lagu Security Council
Current Events
1. A 120-foot yacht belonging to what pop singer caught fire in a Miami marina and capsized last month, and a $7 million vessel was a total loss?
2. Which European country fined Google $166 million recently for "abusing its dominant position" in the online ad market?
3. The NY Post selected what local baseball star as the New York Athlete of the Decade for the 2010s?
4. According to an Insider survey, what city was selected as the "Rudest City in America" for 2019?
5. Last month, the FDA officially raised the minimum age to purchase all tobacco products to what age?
6. What Oscar-winning actor received an honorary citizenship to the nation of Greece last month, especially due to his actress wife's Greek ancestry?
7. What Oscar-nominated actress was blocked from the using the dating app Bumble recently, after some users reported her profile, thinking it was fake, but her account was later restored?
Events From 2019 Trivia
1. What song streamed so much in 2019, and had its video with more than 2.2 billion views on YouTube, that it landed on the Billboard Hot 100?
2. What film, which was released last April, became the highest-grossing movie of all-time?
3. Name 1 of the 4 nations that legalized same-sex marriage in 2019.
4. Who was selected the AP Female Athlete of the Year for 2019?
5. What country became the first to land a spacecraft on the far side, or "the dark side of the moon" last January?
6. What company was hit with a record $5 billion fine last July by the FTC for mishandled user privacy practices?
7. What film won the most Oscars (four) at the 2019 Academy Awards last February?
The Q Train: Oscar Nominees of the 2010s Trivia
1. Robert DeNiro
2. Emma Stone
3. Steve Carell
4. Glenn Close
5. Bradley Cooper
6. Julia Roberts
7. Jennifer Lawrence
8. Denzel Washington
9. Mary J. Blige
10. Christian Bale
General Knowledge
1. "The Hunt For Red October" was the debut novel for what author? ( 1 pt)
2. What European city has the world's oldest subway system? ( 1 pt)
3. Who wrote the fairy tale that "The Little Mermaid" is loosely based on? ( 1 pt)
4. A traditional patty melt has what kind of cheese? ( 2 pt)
5. Graphology is the study of what? ( 2 pt)
6. A swede is a cross between a turnip and what other vegetable? ( 2 pt)
7. Name 1 of the 2 South American landlocked countries. ( 3 pt)
IQ Trivia
1. At $150 billion, what is the most expensive object ever built? ( 5 points)
2. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, the former president for 8 years of what country, became vice-president of the nation last month? ( 4 points)
3. "The Secret of the Old Clock" was the first book in what series of mystery novels? ( 4 points)
4. "The Shop Around the Corner", a 1940 comedy classic, was the basis for what 1990s Tom Hanks film? ( 3 points)
5. On April 2, 2006, what US state became the 48th state to observe daylight savings time statewide? ( 4 points)
Answers
Current Events
1. Mark Anthony; 2. France; 3. Jacob deGrom; 4. New York City; 5. 21' 6. Tom Hanks; 7. Sharon Stone.
Events From 2019 Trivia
1. "Baby Shark;" 2. "Avengers: Endgame;" 3. Northern Ireland, Austria, Ecuador and Taiwan; 4. Simone Biles; 5. China; 6. Facebook; 7. "Bohemian Rhapsody."
The Q Train: Oscar Nominees of the 2010s Trivia
1. 1; 2. 3; 3. 1; 4. 2; 5. 4; 6. 1; 7. 4; 8. 3; 9. 1; 10. 4.
General Knowledge
1. Tom Clancy; 2. London; 3. Hans Christian Andersen; 4. Swiss; 5. handwriting; 6. cabbage; 7. Bolivia and Paraguay.
IQ Trivia
1. International Space Station; 2. Argentina; 3. Nancy Drew; 4. "You've Got Mail;" 5. Indiana.
DIMS finished second with 43 points, and Llama Del Rey finished third with 42 points.
Best Team Name: The Mara Lagu Security Council
Current Events
1. A 120-foot yacht belonging to what pop singer caught fire in a Miami marina and capsized last month, and a $7 million vessel was a total loss?
2. Which European country fined Google $166 million recently for "abusing its dominant position" in the online ad market?
3. The NY Post selected what local baseball star as the New York Athlete of the Decade for the 2010s?
4. According to an Insider survey, what city was selected as the "Rudest City in America" for 2019?
5. Last month, the FDA officially raised the minimum age to purchase all tobacco products to what age?
6. What Oscar-winning actor received an honorary citizenship to the nation of Greece last month, especially due to his actress wife's Greek ancestry?
7. What Oscar-nominated actress was blocked from the using the dating app Bumble recently, after some users reported her profile, thinking it was fake, but her account was later restored?
Events From 2019 Trivia
1. What song streamed so much in 2019, and had its video with more than 2.2 billion views on YouTube, that it landed on the Billboard Hot 100?
2. What film, which was released last April, became the highest-grossing movie of all-time?
3. Name 1 of the 4 nations that legalized same-sex marriage in 2019.
4. Who was selected the AP Female Athlete of the Year for 2019?
5. What country became the first to land a spacecraft on the far side, or "the dark side of the moon" last January?
6. What company was hit with a record $5 billion fine last July by the FTC for mishandled user privacy practices?
7. What film won the most Oscars (four) at the 2019 Academy Awards last February?
The Q Train: Oscar Nominees of the 2010s Trivia
1. Robert DeNiro
2. Emma Stone
3. Steve Carell
4. Glenn Close
5. Bradley Cooper
6. Julia Roberts
7. Jennifer Lawrence
8. Denzel Washington
9. Mary J. Blige
10. Christian Bale
General Knowledge
1. "The Hunt For Red October" was the debut novel for what author? ( 1 pt)
2. What European city has the world's oldest subway system? ( 1 pt)
3. Who wrote the fairy tale that "The Little Mermaid" is loosely based on? ( 1 pt)
4. A traditional patty melt has what kind of cheese? ( 2 pt)
5. Graphology is the study of what? ( 2 pt)
6. A swede is a cross between a turnip and what other vegetable? ( 2 pt)
7. Name 1 of the 2 South American landlocked countries. ( 3 pt)
IQ Trivia
1. At $150 billion, what is the most expensive object ever built? ( 5 points)
2. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, the former president for 8 years of what country, became vice-president of the nation last month? ( 4 points)
3. "The Secret of the Old Clock" was the first book in what series of mystery novels? ( 4 points)
4. "The Shop Around the Corner", a 1940 comedy classic, was the basis for what 1990s Tom Hanks film? ( 3 points)
5. On April 2, 2006, what US state became the 48th state to observe daylight savings time statewide? ( 4 points)
Answers
Current Events
1. Mark Anthony; 2. France; 3. Jacob deGrom; 4. New York City; 5. 21' 6. Tom Hanks; 7. Sharon Stone.
Events From 2019 Trivia
1. "Baby Shark;" 2. "Avengers: Endgame;" 3. Northern Ireland, Austria, Ecuador and Taiwan; 4. Simone Biles; 5. China; 6. Facebook; 7. "Bohemian Rhapsody."
The Q Train: Oscar Nominees of the 2010s Trivia
1. 1; 2. 3; 3. 1; 4. 2; 5. 4; 6. 1; 7. 4; 8. 3; 9. 1; 10. 4.
General Knowledge
1. Tom Clancy; 2. London; 3. Hans Christian Andersen; 4. Swiss; 5. handwriting; 6. cabbage; 7. Bolivia and Paraguay.
IQ Trivia
1. International Space Station; 2. Argentina; 3. Nancy Drew; 4. "You've Got Mail;" 5. Indiana.
Monday, January 06, 2020
We Kick Off a New Decade on Tuesday
The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"What European city has the world's oldest subway system?"
I look forward to seeing many of you on Tuesday night, as we kick off a new decade of Trivia Night at Professor Thom's!