Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Trivia Q&A: September 30

We had 20 teams in for Trivia on a nice night in the East Village. The scores were generally on the high side, especially for General Knowledge and Spell the Word Trivia. The Paul Newman Trivia scores were pretty strong as well. The scores were pretty close throughout, and we had six teams within four points of the lead heading into IQ Trivia.

The scores in the final round were generally good as well, as most teams got at least three right. But one of the teams tied for second place going into IQ Trivia (there were three tied), Thank God I Only Had $3.48 in My WaMu Account, ran the table with a perfect score of 20 points to sneak in and win the night by just two points. Nice job by Rob and his crew on their victory.

Current Events
1. It was revealed last week that this celebrity donated more money to charity than any other celebrity: just over $50 million.
2. Rich Fields, the voiceover announcer for this TV show, revealed last week on the air he was the victim of ID theft and is trying to get back $71,000 of his own money.
3. This actress was arrested on Saturday in Santa Barbara, CA on suspicion of driving under the influence of a controlled substance.
4. Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia set a new world record in this sport in Berlin over the past weekend.
5. This bank was placed into receivership by the Office of Thrift Supervision after it became the largest bank failure in US history.
6. The nation of Mexico is launching a campaign nationwide for the country to collectively lose this many pounds to fight obesity.
7. This troubled female country singer is being sent back to jail for 60 days because of a probation violation from a past drug arrest.

Answers: 1. Oprah Winfrey; 2. "The Price is Right;" 3. Heather Locklear; 4. marathon running; 5. Washington Mutual; 6. two million; 7. Mindy McCready.

Paul Newman Trivia
1. Outside which midwestern city was Paul Newman born? a. Chicago; b. Cincinnati; c. Detroit; d. Cleveland.
2. What was the first film Mr. Newman was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for? a. "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof;" b. "The Hustler;" c. "Sweet Bird of Youth;" d. "Hud."
3. How many years was Mr. Newman married to his second wife Joanne Woodward? a. 30; b. 40; c. 45; d. 50.
4. For which film did Mr. Newman win his only Oscar? a. "Nobody's Fool;" b. "The Color of Money;" c. "Cool Hand Luke;" d. "The Verdict."
5. How many times was Mr. Newman nominated for the Best Actor Oscar? a. 5; b. 6; c. 8; d. 10.
6. In which New England state did Mr. Newman make his home for many years, where he died last week? a. Rhode Island; b. Connecticut; c. Massachusetts; d. Vermont.
7. Which sport became Mr. Newman's passion in his later years? a. auto racing; b. hockey; c. skiing; d. golf.

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

Spell the Word Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. ABSCOND (verb): to depart secretly; to steal away and hide oneself.
2. EBULLIENT (adj): overflowing with enthusiasm or excitement.
3. RECALCITRANT (adj): stubbornly resistant to and defiant of authority.
4. MALFEASANCE (noun): wrongdoing or misconduct, especially by a public official.
5. XENOPHOBIA (noun): fear or hatred of strangers or people from other countries.
6. TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA (noun): fear of the number 13.
7. MUNIFICENT (adj): very generous; lavish.
8. GAUCHE (adj): lacking social polish; tactless.
9. RENEGE (verb): to go back on a promise.
10. BILIOUS (adj): of a peevish disposition; ill-tempered.

General Knowledge
1. In the human body, where is the humerus?
2. Who starred in the 17-minute sci-fi film "Captain EO," which debuted at Disneyland and Disney World in 1986?
3. Which current nation was called Hibernia in ancient times?
4. What is the term for the type of mineral deposit rising from the floor of a cave?
5. In Greek mythology, what did Prometheus steal from the gods on Mount Olympus?
6. In 1978, Congress banned the use of household paint containing what potentially toxic metal?
7. What trendy vegetable protein has been linked to lower fertility rates in males?

Answers: 1. upper arm; 2. Michael Jackson; 3. Ireland; 4. stalagmite; 5. fire; 6. lead; 7. soy.

IQ Trivia
1. What legendary sportscaster was known as "The Mouth That Roared?" (3 points)
2. What specific government agency is primarily responsible for tracking down counterfeiters? ( 4 points)
3. In the famous TV commercials for Memorex audiotape, what female singer's voice shattered a glass? ( 5 points)
4. What classic board game gets its name from a Hindi word meaning "twenty-five?" ( 4 points)
5. In 2006, which British tycoon vowed to invest $3 billion in the fight against global warming? ( 4 points)

Answers: 1. Howard Cosell; 2. The Secret Service; 3. Ella Fitzgerald; 4. parcheesi; 5. Richard Branson.

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