Ken Jennings trivia challenge

[bluestocking]

1. What famous American explorer died under mysterious circumstances at a Tennessee inn in October 1809? Either Lewis or Clark, but I can't remember which one.

2. What fictional baby spoke his first words on June 21, 1938, remarking, "Well, blow me down"? Popeye, the sailor . . . baby?

3. In Greek mythology, what nymph dies pining away for her beloved Narcissus, leaving nothing but her voice behind to haunt the earth? Echo.

4. Pitchfork Magazine's recent "The People's Top 200 List" of its readers' favorite albums of the last fifteen years was topped by two albums--one from 1997 and the other from 2000--both recorded by what band? I mostly listen to classical music and opera, and I doubt anything from those genres made the list in question.

5. What was the more familiar baronial name of Victorian scientist William Thomson, famed for his calculations regarding absolute zero? Lord Kelvin, of the temperature scale that bears his name.

6. What TV hit used a Tootsie Pop for the letter 'O' in its title in the marketing materials for a brief 2005 revival? As with popular music, so with television; if it was a hit, I probably didn't pay attention to it.

7. Based on the unusual distinction shared by these cities and no others, what city is missing from the beginning of this list? Mexico City, Paris, Versailles, Berlin, Paris, San Francisco, Vienna, and Moscow. Paris, Versailles, and Vienna immediately strike me as cities in which major treaties were signed, but that's all I've got on this one.

[firefighter_raven]

For #7 is Paris supposed to be listed twice?

[dfresh]

Originally Posted by MacLloyd

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS

2. Between 1958 and 1978, the United States released 13 unmanned probes out into the solar system and beyond that shared what name? There were ten Pioneer probes.

Maybe I am missing something obvious, but why does he ask for the name of 13 probes, and then say that there were 10 Pioneer probes. Does he mean that Pioneer was the wrong name since there were just 10, or he meant 13 Pioneer probes and just typed wrong, in which case I want my money back, and $1,000,000 in compensation for mental anguish. Wiki says there were a 13, plus the ones that failed.

[Don Enrico]

Originally Posted by firefighter_raven

For #7 is Paris supposed to be listed twice?

Since the question is which city is missing from the beginning of the list, they are obviously in some kind of order. Therefore, Paris is probably listed twice on purpuse, which makes the order a timeline.

[GenYus234]

4. Pitchfork Magazine's recent "The People's Top 200 List" of its readers' favorite albums of the last fifteen years was topped by two albums--one from 1997 and the other from 2000--both recorded by what band?

Based on the name of the magazine, I'm going to guess it was the albums Songs to Storm By and Kill The Monster by Mitch and the Angry Villagers.

6. What TV hit used a Tootsie Pop for the letter 'O' in its title in the marketing materials for a brief 2005 revival?
Complete and total WAG - Pee-Wee's Playhouse?

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

Originally Posted by MacLloyd

2. Between 1958 and 1978, the United States released 13 unmanned probes out into the solar system and beyond that shared what name? There were ten Pioneer probes.

So, is Pioneer the answer or not?

Originally Posted by MacLloyd

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS

1. What famous American explorer died under mysterious circumstances at a Tennessee inn in October 1809?

Merriweather Lewis

2. What fictional baby spoke his first words on June 21, 1938, remarking, "Well, blow me down"?

Swee'Pea

3. In Greek mythology, what nymph dies pining away for her beloved Narcissus, leaving nothing but her voice behind to haunt the earth?

Echo

4. Pitchfork Magazine's recent "The People's Top 200 List" of its readers' favorite albums of the last fifteen years was topped by two albums--one from 1997 and the other from 2000--both recorded by what band?

The Carpenters

5. What was the more familiar baronial name of Victorian scientist William Thomson, famed for his calculations regarding absolute zero?

Lord Kelvin

6. What TV hit used a Tootsie Pop for the letter 'O' in its title in the marketing materials for a brief 2005 revival?

Pop Up Videos

7. Based on the unusual distinction shared by these cities and no others, what city is missing from the beginning of this list? Mexico City, Paris, Versailles, Berlin, Paris, San Francisco, Vienna, and Moscow.

Paris

Seaboe

[damian]

6. What TV hit used a Tootsie Pop for the letter 'O' in its title in the marketing materials for a brief 2005 revival?

Someone thought it was a good idea to remake Kojak, starring Ving Rhames.

[musicgeek]

1. What famous American explorer died under mysterious circumstances at a Tennessee inn in October 1809? Lewis?

2. What fictional baby spoke his first words on June 21, 1938, remarking, "Well, blow me down"? Swee'Pea?

3. In Greek mythology, what nymph dies pining away for her beloved Narcissus, leaving nothing but her voice behind to haunt the earth? Echo

4. Pitchfork Magazine's recent "The People's Top 200 List" of its readers' favorite albums of the last fifteen years was topped by two albums--one from 1997 and the other from 2000--both recorded by what band? WAG - The Foo Fighters?

5. What was the more familiar baronial name of Victorian scientist William Thomson, famed for his calculations regarding absolute zero? Lord Kelvin?

6. What TV hit used a Tootsie Pop for the letter 'O' in its title in the marketing materials for a brief 2005 revival? Kojak?

7. Based on the unusual distinction shared by these cities and no others, what city is missing from the beginning of this list? Mexico City, Paris, Versailles, Berlin, Paris, San Francisco, Vienna, and Moscow.
WAG - Appomattox Court?

[Spam & Cookies-mmm]

It's Tuesday? How did it get to be Tuesday already?

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS

1. Lewis? Clark?
2. Swea Pea
3. Echo
4. No guess
5. Kelvin
6. Kojak??

[Mateus]

7. Based on the unusual distinction shared by these cities and no others, what city is missing from the beginning of this list? Mexico City, Paris, Versailles, Berlin, Paris, San Francisco, Vienna, and Moscow.

Versailles is obviously a reference to the Treaty of Versailles; Berlin was the separate WWI-based treaty signed between Germany and the US when the Senate rejected some of the Versailles Treaty and the 18 Points of Pres. Wilson. Paris II is WWII and the European Axis, and San Francisco is the treaty between the US and Japan. Not sure about Vienna and Moscow (didn't get a chance to take Cold War History).

Working backwards, Paris might be the Spanish-American War, and Mexico City is Mexican-American War, most likely. Since we skipped the Civil War, apparently, My guess is Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812.

[MacLloyd]

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS

1. What famous American explorer died under mysterious circumstances at a Tennessee inn in October 1809? The death of Meriwether Lewis, just a few years after his famous expedition (he's the Lewis of "and Clark" fame) was officially ruled a suicide, but to this day many of his descendants insist he was murdered.

2. What fictional baby spoke his first words on June 21, 1938, remarking, "Well, blow me down"? This was "Swee'Pea," borrowing the catchphrase of his adoptive father, Popeye the Sailor Man.

3. In Greek mythology, what nymph dies pining away for her beloved Narcissus, leaving nothing but her voice behind to haunt the earth? Our word "echo" comes from the name of Narcissus' overly attached girlfriend.

4. Pitchfork Magazine's recent "The People's Top 200 List" of its readers' favorite albums of the last fifteen years was topped by two albums--one from 1997 and the other from 2000--both recorded by what band? The two records are OK Computer and Kid A, and the band is Radiohead. A shocking result from Pitchfork readers!

5. What was the more familiar baronial name of Victorian scientist William Thomson, famed for his calculations regarding absolute zero? Thomson was also Lord Kelvin, and proposed the absolute temperature scale today named for him. Basically he was one stone-cold motherf-er.

6. What TV hit used a Tootsie Pop for the letter 'O' in its title in the marketing materials for a brief 2005 revival? Kojak is the lollipop fan in question--played by Ving Rhames in the ill-fated revival in question, by the way. Yeah, I don't really remember it either.

7. Based on the unusual distinction shared by these cities and no others, what city is missing from the beginning of this list? Mexico City, Paris, Versailles, Berlin, Paris, San Francisco, Vienna, and Moscow. These are, in chronological order, the cities where the U.S. signed treaties ending all the declared wars in its history. (There are some oddities here--the final treaty with Germany after World War II wasn't signed until after reunification in 1990, which is what Moscow is doing on this list.) So the first city on the list would be the treaty ending the War of 1812, which was signed in Ghent, Belgium. Not an easy question this week.

[MacLloyd]

Per Ken Jennings' request, the trivia challenge discussed on this message board has the number seven question delayed by one week. This is to avoid easy googling of the question which is designed to foil those who would "cheat". If you know the current number seven question, please do not discuss it here.

The Rules of the Thread
1. If you use the thread to help you get answers, do not submit those answers to the official game.
2. No googling until Sunday. No looking anything up anywhere (and posting it) before Sunday. No checking an article in a magazine you read last week. No checking some old notebook from college. No wikipedia. Not even snopes.com. No checking anything, anywhere - until Sunday. Only information that is stored in your brain, or in the brains of your non-snopester friends and family. But you can't use your family members as a work-around to looking up the information yourself.
3. If you google, don't post that information to the thread until Sunday. Not even as confirmation of the guesses of other posters. Someone else might still know the information on their own.
4. No guess is stupid, throw it out there.
5. No Hinting. If you have a guess or a reasonable belief that you have the right answer, post it. If you are attempting to use hinting as a work-around to the no posting googled answers rule, don't.

And remember, this is an exhibition, not a competition, so please... no wagering.

This is Tuesday Trivia 321, as in contact, as in the secret, as in the moment when everything happens. Oops, sorry, just having a 1980s PBS flashback. We're beginning a new ten-week Tuesday Trivia challenge this week, if you want to send in your answers and have us judge you.

We *should* have a new ten-week champion crowned now at http://ken-jennings.com/messageboard...pic.php?t=7148 , but as of this writing, I'm not sure who will be receiving the signed copy of my latest book Maphead. IT COULD BE YOU!!! But a far more likely outcome is that it will not be you but rather someone else.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS

1. What specific object appears in the best-known paintings of both Jasper Johns and Emmanuel Leutze?

2. The 1961 jazz recording First Time! is a collaboration between what two legendary jazz pianists and bandleaders with aristocratic nicknames?

3. What city, once called Leopoldville, is on pace to surpass Paris as the world's largest French-speaking city by 2020?

4. The premise of the TV show Smash is a Broadway musical based on the life of what woman?

5. What unit of measurement is defined as 2,240 pounds in its "long" variety?

6. Who was famously arrested, at least initially, for the murder of a police officer named J. D. Tippit?

7. What distinction is shared by these NFL and Major League Baseball teams, and no others? The Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams, and Tampa Bay Rays?

[MacLloyd]

1. What specific object appears in the best-known paintings of both Jasper Johns and Emmanuel Leutze?

No idea. I think I have heard of Jasper Johns, but I can't place him.

2. The 1961 jazz recording First Time! is a collaboration between what two legendary jazz pianists and bandleaders with aristocratic nicknames?

Count Basie and Duke Ellington

3. What city, once called Leopoldville, is on pace to surpass Paris as the world's largest French-speaking city by 2020?

WAG - Wasn't Kinshasha once called Leopoldville? Didn't know they still spoke French there.

4. The premise of the TV show Smash is a Broadway musical based on the life of what woman?

Marilyn Monroe

5. What unit of measurement is defined as 2,240 pounds in its "long" variety?

The ton

6. Who was famously arrested, at least initially, for the murder of a police officer named J. D. Tippit?

Lee Harvey Oswald

7. What distinction is shared by these NFL and Major League Baseball teams, and no others? The Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams, and Tampa Bay Rays?

I don't even have a clue.

Mac"have I mentioned that I hate sports questions"Lloyd

[Floater]

2. The 1961 jazz recording First Time! is a collaboration between what two legendary jazz pianists and bandleaders with aristocratic nicknames?

Count Basie and Duke Ellington

3. What city, once called Leopoldville, is on pace to surpass Paris as the world's largest French-speaking city by 2020?

Kinshasa

6. Who was famously arrested, at least initially, for the murder of a police officer named J. D. Tippit?

I recognise the name Tippit, but I don't remember who is supposed to have killed him. Caryl Chessman, maybe?

[ganzfeld]

1. What specific object appears in the best-known paintings of both Jasper Johns and Emmanuel Leutze?

This must be the US flag.

[erwins]

For #7, they all play in domed stadia?

Other than that, I agree with all of MacLloyd's answers.

[musicgeek]

2. The 1961 jazz recording First Time! is a collaboration between what two legendary jazz pianists and bandleaders with aristocratic nicknames? Duke Ellington and Count Basie

5. What unit of measurement is defined as 2,240 pounds in its "long" variety? A ton?

6. Who was famously arrested, at least initially, for the murder of a police officer named J. D. Tippit? I know I should know this...


Whew - not many for me this week.

[UEL]

1. What specific object appears in the best-known paintings of both Jasper Johns and Emmanuel Leutze?

A knife?

2. The 1961 jazz recording First Time! is a collaboration between what two legendary jazz pianists and bandleaders with aristocratic nicknames?

The only two I can think of are Count Basie and Duke Ellington. I don't think Nat King Cole really counts.

3. What city, once called Leopoldville, is on pace to surpass Paris as the world's largest French-speaking city by 2020?

Dakar?

4. The premise of the TV show Smash is a Broadway musical based on the life of what woman?

Don't have a clue. Madonna?

5. What unit of measurement is defined as 2,240 pounds in its "long" variety?

The ton. The first one I do know.

6. Who was famously arrested, at least initially, for the murder of a police officer named J. D. Tippit?

Hurricane Carter?

7. What distinction is shared by these NFL and Major League Baseball teams, and no others? The Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams, and Tampa Bay Rays?

They were placed in divisions outside their geographic areas?

[GenYus234]

Originally Posted by erwins

For #7, they all play in domed stadia?

Can't be. The Arizona Cardinals play in a domed stadium and they aren't on the list.

[chillas]

1. What specific object appears in the best-known paintings of both Jasper Johns and Emmanuel Leutze?

I want to say those are flags.

2. The 1961 jazz recording First Time! is a collaboration between what two legendary jazz pianists and bandleaders with aristocratic nicknames?

Those were the Count (Count Basie) and the Duke (Duke Ellington).

3. What city, once called Leopoldville, is on pace to surpass Paris as the world's largest French-speaking city by 2020?

Partially blanking here, but something in the back of my mind is saying it's a city in The Congo, but which one I have no idea.

4. The premise of the TV show Smash is a Broadway musical based on the life of what woman?

Marilyn Monroe.

5. What unit of measurement is defined as 2,240 pounds in its "long" variety?

Going to guess a ton.

6. Who was famously arrested, at least initially, for the murder of a police officer named J. D. Tippit?

Lee Harvey Oswald.

7. What distinction is shared by these NFL and Major League Baseball teams, and no others? The Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams, and Tampa Bay Rays?

No guess.