Thursday, May 08, 2008

Trivia Q&A: May 7

We had 14 teams in for Trivia on a special Wednesday night edition. It was good to see many of the regulars come out on a different night, and I appreciate so many of you like it enough to come out on another night just for us. Thank you.

We also had an exciting Red Sox game going on at the same time, so at times it was tough not to get caught up in it. We started Trivia Night early last night (shortly after 8:30 PM), and it would be a memorable night.

The scores were generally good for True or False and General Knowledge, but the scores were a bit low for Mother's Day Trivia, as they were rather difficult, especially the last two questions, which I increased in value. We had a close match going into the final round, with four teams within four points of each other. And Yours Truly goofed in IQ Trivia.

On the first question, I accepted both "tetrahedron" and "pyramid" as answers, when in retrospect after the night was over, I really should only have taken "tetrahedron." I was going to toss the question out, but since everyone said either answer, I gave everyone three points. Yes, I do goof every once in a while.

And if that wasn't enough, we had a tie after IQ Trivia was over, so we had to break the tie between the two teams, Waffle Fry Experience and Jim Euthanized Eight Belles With Jaeger. Since my pal Mike, a huge Phillies fan, was tending bar last night, I came up with this: "Chase Utley is currently leading the majors with how many home runs right now?" JEEBWJ got it exactly right with 13, and were awarded the title for the night. My congratulations to them.

Next week we return to Tuesday night at the usual time of 9 PM (or so). There won't be a Celtics game on that night no matter how their series goes, just a Red Sox game in Baltimore. Hope to see many of you then.

Current Events
1. This Eastern US city overtook Los Angeles for the title of America's "Most Sootiest City" for 2007.
2. A recent survey by a research firm showed this giant oil-producing country has the cheapest price of gasoline in the world, at just 12 cents a gallon.
3. Northwestern University last week withdrew an offer of an honorary degree to this controversial figure last week because the school wanted "to ensure that the celebratory character of their commencement not be affected."
4. Hundreds had to flee when a volcano that had been dormant nearly 10,000 years erupted in this South American country last week.
5. A cyclone ripped through this Asian country last weekend, and 100,000 people are feared dead in its aftermath.
6. This Hollywood superstar actor put out a 2 1/2 minute video on the Internet on Sunday in support of the candidacy or Barack Obama.
7. The estate of this late rock legend says that an amateur video that surfaced last week of him having sex with two women is bogus.

Answers: 1. Pittsburgh; 2. Venezuela; 3. Jeremiah Wright; 4. Chile; 5. Burma (Myanmar); 6. Tom Hanks; 7. Jimi Hendrix.

Mother's Day Trivia
1. In which month is Mother's Day normally celebrated in the UK? a. March; b. April; c. May; d. June.
2. What country celebrates Mother's Day on the last Sunday in November? a. Norway; b. Canada; c. Sweden; d. Russia.
3. What team did the Boston Red Sox defeat 6-5 with six runs in the bottom of the ninth last Mother's Day? a. New York Yankees; b. Baltimore Orioles; c. Toronto Blue Jays; d. Oakland A's.
4. Which US president declared the first national Mother's Day holiday? a. Abraham Lincoln; b. Teddy Roosevelt; c. Woodrow Wilson; d. FDR.
5. True or False: Mother's Day is now the most popular day to dine out at a restaurant in the US.
6. What day of the week, since 2001, is the most popular day in the US to have a baby on? a. Monday; b. Tuesday; c. Friday; d. Sunday. (2 points)
7. What month of the year, since 2001, is the most popular month in the US to have a baby in? a. April; b. June; c. August; d. November. (2 points)

Answers: 1. a; 2. d; 3. b; 4. c; 5. true; 6. b; 7. c.

True or False Trivia
1. The term "preppy" was derived from the word preparatory.
2. Penne pasta is in the shape of a shell.
3. In the movie "When Harry Met Sally," Harry first meets Sally on a blind date.
4. Only female bees work.
5. Jimmy Carter once said, "I have committed adultery in my heart many times."
6. The theme song to "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" was written by John Denver.
7. Crickets hear with their legs.
8. The word "satan" comes from the Hebrew meaning "adversary."
9. The Spanish word for pelican is "attica."
10. Michael Jackson narrated the soundtrack for "E.T. The Extraterrestial Album."

Answers: 1. true; 2. false, it's a tube; 3. false, they met on a car trip; 4. true; 5. true; 6. false, it was Paul Anka; 7. true; 8. true; 9. false, it's "alcatraz;" 10. true.

General Knowledge
1. The smallest county by area in the US is located in what state?
2. What city is home to a sports stadium that is nicknamed "The Ted?"
3. In the 2001 movie "Joe Dirt," the title character has what distinctive hair style?
4. In the Old Testament, who asks, "Am I my brother's keeper?"?
5. A circle with a diameter of one foot will have a circumference of approximately how many feet?
6. In hip hop lingo, what are "the ones and twos?"
7. What US president's real first name was Hiram?

Answers: 1. New York (Manhattan); 2. Atlanta; 3. mullet; 4. Cain; 5. three; 6. turntables; 7. Ulysses S. Grant.

IQ Trivia
1. What is the three-dimensional shape with four faces called? ( 3 points)
2. Who is the co-author of the 1998 nonfiction bestseller "The Art of Happiness?" ( 5 points)
3. Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer Ted Williams flew in the same Korean War fighter plane as what future astronaut? ( 4 points)
4. What architect designed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? ( 4 points)
5. What poet was married to the author of the novel "Frankenstein?" ( 4 points)

Answers: 1. tetrahedron; 2. Dalai Lama; 3. John Glenn; 4. I.M. Pei; 5. Percy Bysshe Shelley.

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