Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Trivia Q&A: June 25

History was made on Tuesday night at Professor Thom's. Firstly, we were back in the Loft last night, as the bar hosted many Michigan baseball fans who were in for the College World Series. Everything went great up there, as we had 12 teams in. But it was an historic night, as the guys from DIMS, Ken, Michael and Darek, did something that was never done in all the nights I have hosted Trivia going back to 2006: they had a perfect night! They got all 36 questions correct, and rolled up 56 points, and won the night by a staggering 22 points. My congratulations to them on having the greatest evening in Trivia Night history.

Second place ended in a tie between the teams of Orifice Prime (who won for Best Team Name) and Summertime & The Nachos Are Cheesy with 34 points. We broke the tie wiith the question: "What is the current population of the UK?" Orifice Prime was closest to the actual answer (66,934,000) and won second place.

Current Events
1. Over 16.5 tons of cocaine, valued at over $1 billion, was seized from a cargo ship last week at what East Coast city’s port?
2. A country singer named Heidi Merrill filed a lawsuit last week against what female singer claiming  she plagiarized the “Sunday Night Football”theme song?
3. French billionaire Bernard Arnault, Europe’s richest person, became the third person to be worth $100 billion, joining which two others?
4. Last Thursday, MLB gave the Tampa Bay Rays permission to explore becoming a two-team city team and possibly playing home games in what city that once had an MLB team?
5. What rap star was indicted by a Queens grand jury on a felony assault charge in connection with a brawl last year at a Queens strip club?
6. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay won a guitar at auction last week for over $3.9 million, a new record for a guitar sold at auction, from David Gilmour from what classic rock band?
7. Nine people died last Friday when a skydiving excursion in a small plane crashed in what US state?

Canada Trivia
1. What is Canada’s third largest city in population after Toronto and Montreal?
2. Who is currently Canada’s head of state?
3. What Eastern Canadian province became the most recent Canadian province in 1949?
4. How many countries in the world are larger in area than Canada?
5. What is Canada’s official national summer sport?
6. In 2016, who was the last Canadian actor to be nominated for the Best Actor Oscar?
7. What Canadian female singer’s 2004 album “Up” is the last album to go “double diamond” (2 million plus) in sales in Canada?

The Q Train: Oscar Winners Trivia
1. The Help (2001)
2. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
3. Reversal of Fortune (1990)
4. The Hours (2002)
5. Crazy Heart (2009)
6. The Accused (1988)
7. Blue Jasmine (2013)
8. Darkest Hour (2017)
9. Chicago (2002)
10. Traffic (2000)

General Knowledge
1. What is the official language of Jamaica? (1 pt)
2. What character did Danny DeVito play in “Batman Returns?” (1 pt)
3. “We’ll always have Paris” is a famous line from what classic film? ( 1 pt)
4. What sport involves a pommel horse? ( 2 pt)
5. What video game features the characters Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde? ( 2 pt)
6. What was the first human organ to be successfully transplanted? (2 pt)
7. In the 2016 Brexit referendum, which two of the four UK constituent countries had a majority of voters opt to remain in the EU? (3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. What 20th century author’s first professional sale was a short story called “The Glass Floor?” ( 4 points)
2. What is the world’s oldest currency still in use? ( 3 points)
3. Opened in 1903, what is the oldest continuously operating theater on Broadway? ( 5 points)
4. What is the largest island in area in the United States? ( 4 points)
5. Who was the only US president ever to serve aboard a Navy submarine, and later had a sub named for him? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Philadelphia; 2. Carrie Underwood; 3. Jeff Bezos & Bill Gates; 4. Montreal; 5. Cardi B; 6. Pink Floyd; 7. Hawaii.

Canada Trivia
1. Vancouver; 2. Queen Elizabeth II; 3. Newfoundland; 4. One (Russia); 5. Lacrosse; 6. Ryan Gosling; 7. Shania Twain.

The Q Train: Oscar Winners Trivia
1. Octavia Spencer; 2. Alan Arkin; 3. Jeremy Irons; 4. Nicole Kidman; 5. Jeff Bridges; 6. Jodie Foster; 7. Cate Blanchett; 8. Gary Oldman; 9. Catherine Zeta-Jones; 10. Benicia Del Toro.

General Knowledge
1. English; 2. The Penguin; 3. “Casablanca;” 4. Gymnastics; 5. Pac-Man; 6. Kidney; 7. Scotland and Northern Ireland.

IQ Trivia
1. Stephen King; 2. British pound; 3. Lyceum Theatre; 4. Hawaii; 5. Jimmy Carter.

Monday, June 24, 2019

We Salute Our Neighbors to the North This Week

Trivia will be happening this Tuesday night, June 25th at 8:30 PM, with “Canada Trivia” as the Special Category, in honor of next Monday, July 1st being Canada’s national holiday. It will be seven questions about our neighbors to the north in history and pop culture. The Q Train lightning round will be “Oscar Winners Trivia.” I will give you the name of a famous film from recent years, along with the year the film came out, that won just one Oscar acting award, and you have to tell me which actor or actress won the award.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
“What is the official language of Jamaica?”

I hope to see many of you on Tuesday night for what should be a great night of Trivia!

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Trivia Q&A: June 18

We had nine teams in for Trivia on Tuesday night, and a four-way tie for first after the second round. But it turned into a tough three-team fight after the lightning round. By the IQ Trivia round, the top three teams had six points between them. But it was a great night for Turkey Heart, who held on to first place all night, and got 4 of 5 correct in the final round to win the night with 47 points. Congratulations to Bob and Cato on another great victory.

DIMS finished in second place with 40 points, and third place went to Prolapse In Judgment (who won for Best Team Name) finished with 33 points.

Current Events
1. A street in Brooklyn was renamed for what late rap star last week?
2. What Oscar-winning actor was arrested last week for allegedly groping a woman at a bar in Midtown Manhattan?
3. In a poll of 600 Iowa Democrats last week, 2 of the 22 presidential candidates did not receive even one first or second place vote. Name 1 of the 2.
4. The USA women's soccer team opened the World Cup last week with the biggest lopsided win in World Cup history over Thailand by how many goals?
5. Last week a missile fired by Houthi rebels struck the arrivals hall of an airport in what Middle Eastern country?
6. Oberlin College, in what Midwestern state, was ordered to pay $44 million by a jury after they ruled the college assisted in helping students defame a local bakery?
7. A jersey belonging to what baseball legend was sold at auction for $5.6 million last Saturday, a new record for a piece of sports memorabilia?

June Trivia
1. What US president couldn’t take up residence in the White House in June 1800 because it wasn’t completed, so he moved into a Washington DC tavern instead?
2. Hernando deSoto claimed what current US state for Spain in June 1539?
3. What classic Beatles album was released in June 1967?
4. What HBO drama series concluded its memorable run in June 2007?
5. What American newspaper famously published the Pentagon Papers, about the Vietnam War, in June 1971?
6. The rainbow flag, representing gay pride, was flown for the first time in June 1978 in what US city?
7. What two Zodiac signs fall in the month of June?

The Q Train: Classic Car Songs Trivia
1. Freeway of Love (1985)
2. Born to Run (1975)
3. Autobahn (1974)
4. Little Red Corvette (1982)
5. Paradise By the Dashboard Light (1977)
6. Mustang Sally (1966)
7. Drive My Car (1965)
8. Little Deuce Coupe (1963)
9. On the Road Again (1980)
10. I Can't Drive 55 (1984)

General Knowledge
1. What British tycoon founded Virgin Records and Virgin Atlantic Airways? ( 1 pt)
2. What author wrote the novel "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?" ( 1 pt)
3. How many strings does a standard ukulele have? ( 1 pt)
4. What country supplies the guards who protect the Pope? ( 2 pt)
5. The USSR was officially dissolved on Christmas Day of what year? ( 2 pt)
6. What chess piece was originally called "The Elephant?" ( 2 pt)
7. What Central American country produces the most pineapples? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. What European country has the oldest flag still in use today? ( 5 points)
2. What actress is to date the youngest person to ever host "Saturday Night Live?" ( 4 points)
3. In 1874, merchant William Blackstone of Indiana built his wife a birthday present that was an early version of what appliance? ( 4 points)
4. Which two US states have the largest cities of the same name? ( 3 points)
5. Pago Pago is the capital of what US territory? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Notorious BIG; 2. Cuba Gooding Jr.; 3. Bill DeBlasio and Wayne Messam; 4. 13; 5. Saudi Arabia; 6. Ohio; 7. Babe Ruth.

June Trivia
1. John Adams; 2. Florida; 3. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band; 4. “The Sopranos”; 5. New York Times; 6. San Francisco; 7. Gemini and Cancer.

The Q Train: Classic Car Songs Trivia
1. Aretha Franklin; 2. Bruce Springsteen; 3. Kraftwerk; 4. Prince; 5. Meat Loaf; 6. Wilson Pickett; 7. The Beatles; 8. The Beach Boys; 9. Willie Nelson; 10. Sammy Hagar.

General Knowledge
1. Richard Branson; 2. Robert Louis Stevenson; 3. four; 4. Switzerland; 5. 1991; 6. bishop; 7. Costa Rica.

IQ Trivia
1. Denmark; 2. Drew Barrymore; 3. Washing machine; 4. Maine and Oregon (Portland); 5. American Samoa.

Monday, June 17, 2019

We Honor Driving Music on Tuesday

Trivia will be happening this Tuesday night, June 18th at 8:30 PM, with "June Trivia" as the Special Category. It will be seven songs connected to the month of June in history and pop culture. The Q Train lightning round will be "Classic Car Songs Trivia." I will give you the names of ten classic hit songs connected to cars in one way, shape or form, and I will give you the year the song was released. You have to tell me the artist who had the hit song. Every answer will be a different artist.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"What author wrote the novel 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?"

I look forward to seeing many of you this Tuesday night for another great night of Trivia!

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Trivia Q&A: June 11

We had nine teams in for Trivia on Tuesday night, on a very pleasant night in New York. It was good to see some old friends back for Trivia for the first time in a while, as it was "The Return of the Jabooties!" I hope to see more of them as the summer goes on. It was a really close race all night long, as the top five teams were bunched up going into IQ Trivia. But the guys from DIMS, who were in fifth a good part of the night, jumped over four teams in the IQ Trivia round, as they got a perfect score and won the night with 44 points. Congrats to Ken, Michael and Darek on probably their best comeback win.

Second place went to Coronas Are Skunked So We Drink Pacifico with 41 points, and third place went to Lizzo's Best Friend with 37 points.

Best Team Name: A Dentist, A Lawyer and Two Late Friends Walk Into a Bar

Current Events
1. What rock legend, who has lived with mental illness  for many years, canceled an upcoming summer US tour to take care of his mental health?
2. What female pop singer recently ripped the New York Times over a recent profile of her and claims she felt as if she had been "raped again?"
3. James Holzhauer's amazing run as Jeopardy's champion ended last week and he brought home over $2.4 million. How many Jeopardy matches did he win before his loss?
4. Beverly Hills, CA became the first city in America to ban what product, starting in 2021?
5. Mac Rebennack, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician from New Orleans better known by what name, died last week at the age of 77?
6. The Daily Beast and Facebook faced a backlash last week after a video of what politician was altered to make the subject appear drunk and the alleged creator's private details were outed?
7. Ashleigh Barty won her first tennis grand slam title at the French Open last weekend and became the first woman from what country since 1973 to win the singles title?

Fathers Trivia
1. What actor/director was the director of the 2006 film "Flag of Our Fathers?"
2. Which one of the Founding Fathers was the founder of the New York Post in 1801?
3. What month of the year is Fathers Day celebrated in the UK?
4. What 19th century biologist was known as "The father of evolution?"
5. Gene Hackman was the original first choice to play the father of the family in what beloved 1970s TV series?
6. What actor played the father of the bride in the 1991 film of the same name?
7. "Dance With My Father" was a 2003 song and the last top 40 hit song for what late R&B singer?

The Q Train: Best Selling Albums of the 2010s
1. Thank U, Next (2019)
2. Scorpion (2018)
3. 25 (2015)
4. The 20/20 Experience ( 2013)
5. 1989 (2014)
6. 4:44 (2017)
7. Recovery (2010)
8. Born This Way (2011)
9. Doo Wops & Hooligans ( 2010)
10. Songs of Experience ( 2017)

General Knowledge
1. In which "Rocky" film did Mr. T appear as Clubber Lang? ( 1 pt)
2. What British prime minister was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature? ( 1 pt)
3. What is the most common element in the universe? ( 1 pt)
4. Ping-pong originated in what European country? ( 2 pt)
5. What Roman emperor built a massive wall across Britain? ( 2 pt)
6. The iconis statue "Little Mermaid" is located in what European city? ( 2 pt)
7. Where on the human body is the hallux found? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. What 20th century US president is the only one to receive the Medal of Honor, and posthumously in 2001? ( 4 points)
2. The Karakoram Pass connects which two Asian countries? ( 5 points)
3. What actor has hosted "Saturday Night Live" the most times? ( 3 points)
4. The top wedding song of 2018 was "Thinking Out Loud" by what male pop singer? ( 4 points)
5. What actress is the only person to win an Academy Award for both acting and writing? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Brian Wilson; 2. Madonna; 3. 32; 4. All tobacco products; 5. Dr. John; 6. Nancy Pelosi; 7. Australia.

Fathers Trivia
1. Clint Eastwood; 2. Alexander Hamilton; 3. June; 4. Charles Darwin; 5. "The Brady Bunch;" 6. Steve Martin; 7. Luther Vandross.

The Q Train: Best Selling Albums of the 2010s
1. Ariana Grande; 2. Drake; 3. Adele; 4. Justin Timberlake; 5. Taylor Swift; 6. Ed Sheeran; 7. Eminem; 8. Lady Gaga; 9. Bruno Mars; 10. U2.

General Knowledge
1. "Rocky III"; 2. Winston Churchill; 3. hydrogen; 4. England; 5. Hadrian; 6. Copenhagen; 7. foot (big toe).

IQ Trivia
1. Theodore Roosevelt; 2. China and India; 3. Alec Baldwin (17); 4. Ed Sheeran; 5. Emma Thompson.

Monday, June 10, 2019

We Honor The Dads This Week

Trivia will be happening this Tuesday night, June 11th at 8:30 PM, with “Fathers Trivia” as the Special Category. It will be seven questions connected to fathers in pop culture in honor of next Sunday’s holiday. The Q Train lightning round will be “Best Selling Albums of the 2010s Trivia.” I will give you the names of some of the most popular albums of this decade, along with the year it came out, and you tell me the artist who recorded it. Every answer will be a different artist.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
“In which ‘Rocky’ film did Mr. T appear as Clubber Lang?”

I look forward to seeing many of you this Tuesday night for another great night of Trivia!

Wednesday, June 05, 2019

Trivia Q&A: June 4

We had 10 teams in for Trivia on Tuesday, and I surprised by the return of Michael, one of the players for the team known as DIMS. Michael is a longtime regular who was away in L.A. for a while, but returned with his comrades Ken and Darek. And it was their night last night, as they rolled up 48 points for the win. The Current Events round was a tough round for everyone, but the scores improved for just about everyone through World War II Trivia and The Q Train lightning round. And we had a goofup in the IQ Round, which rarely happens. It was pointed out to me by one of the Trivia players (who was originally from Argentina) that the Semana Santa holiday is celebrated in other Latin American countries besides Costa Rica, so I tossed out the question and gave everyone five points. Oh well, mistakes do happen. The Mighty Quinn regrets the error.

John Dick 3: Pair O'Balls finished second with 44 points (and they also won for Best Team Name), and third place went to Turkey Club with 42 points.

Current Events
1. What Southeast Asian country said it would begin sending back over 3,000 tons of plastic waste to the US, UK and other western nations, joining the Philippines who announced a few weeks ago a similar plan?
2. What British-born comedian set off a firestorm on social media last week when he said that London was "no longer an English city" and many called him a hypocrite because years earlier he moved from the UK to the Bahamas?
3. An earthquake measured about 6.6 struck off the coast of what Latin American country last Thursday?
4. Brigitte Bierlein was named what European country's first-ever female chancellor last week after Sebastian Kurz was forced out after a losing a no-confidence vote?
5. Curtis Blake, who founded what ice cream chain in Massachusetts with his brother in 1935 and grew it into a restaurant chain, died last week at the age of 102?
6. Canada's foreign minister announced last Sunday that the nation was closing its embassy temporarily in what embattled country?
7. Pope Francis visited what Eastern European nation this past weekend, the first Pope to visit the predominantly Orthodox nation since Pope John Paul II in 1980?

World War II Trivia
1. How many years did WWII last? a. 5; b.6; c. 7; d. 4.
2. Which US battleship accounted for almost half the casualties at Pearl Harbor? a. USS Nevada; b. USS Missouri; c. USS Arizona; d. USS Oklahoma.
3. Britain and France declared war on Germany after Hitler invaded what country? a. Hungary; b. Austria; c. Czechoslovakia; d. Poland.
4. The largest naval battle of WWII, the Battle of Keyte Gulf, took place in what country? a. The Philippines; b. Japan; c. New Guinea; d. Taiwan.
5. Which US general vowed "I Shall Return" after he and his forces were driven out of the Philippines  by the victorious Japanese in 1942?
6. Which one of the following countries was not a US ally in WWII? a. China; b. Soviet Union; c. Finland; d. Greece.
7. What was the codename of the allied landings on Normandy on D-Day? a. Operation Neptune; b. Operation Enduring Freedom; c. Operation Crossword; d. Operation Enigma.

The Q Train: Classic Movies Cities Trivia
1. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
2. Dirty Harry
3. The Blues Brothers
4. Moonstruck
5. Driving Miss Daisy
6. Trading Places
7. The Town
8. A Streetcar Named Desire
9. Scarface
10. Gran Torino

General Knowledge
1. What is the heaviest planet in the solar system? ( 1 pt)
2. How many wives did King Henry VIII have? ( 1 pt)
3. What US president's real first name was Hiram? ( 1 pt)
4. The sandwich was invented in what country? ( 2 pt)
5. Between Sherlock Holmes, Superman and Spiderman, which character has been played by the most actors? ( 2 pt)
6. What was Pierce Brosnan's first film as James Bond? ( 2 pt)
7. Themyscira was the mythical island home of what superhero? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. What folk singer was the opening act at the Woodstock Festival in August 1969? ( 4 points)
2. In what Latin American country is the religious holiday Semana Santa celebrated during Easter week? ( 5 points)
3. Who is the top selling British solo singer in the US, having sold over 78 million units in this country? ( 3 points)
4. What US city has more billionaires per capita than any other city in the world? ( 4 points)
5. Dixville Notch is a small community that announces its presidential voting results every four years first in the nation just after midnight and is located in what US state? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Malaysia; 2. John Cleese; 3. El Salvador; 4. Austria; 5. Friendly's; 6. Venezuela; 7. Romania.

World War II Trivia
1. b; 2. c; 3. d; 4.a; 5. b; 6. c; 7. a.

The Q Train: Classic Movies Cities Trivia
1. San Diego; 2. San Francisco; 3. Chicago; 4. New York City; 5. Atlanta; 6. Philadelphia; 7. Boston; 8. New Orleans; 9. Miami; 10. Detroit.

General Knowledge
1. Jupiter; 2. six; 3. Ulysses S. Grant; 4. England; 5. Sherlock Holmes; 6. "Goldeneye;" 7. Wonder Woman.

IQ Trivia
1. Richie Havens; 2. Costa Rica; 3. Elton John; 4. San Francisco; 5. New Hampshire.

Monday, June 03, 2019

We Remember The Heroes On Tuesday

Trivia will be happening on Tuesday night, June 4th at 8:30 PM, with "World War II Trivia," seven questions connected to the worst conflict of the 20th century, in honor of the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy this coming Thursday. All seven questions will be multiple choice.

The Q Train lightning round will be "Classic Movies Cities Trivia." We did TV last week, how about movies this week? I will give you the names of ten classic films and you have to tell me the major American city it was primarily set in. Every answer will be a different city.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"What is the heaviest planet in the solar system?"

I look forward to seeing many of you this Tuesday night with what should be a great night of Trivia!