Ken Jennings Trivia

[GenYus234]

Based on how he handled it when it was shown on screen, Jonathan Frakes does not play the trombone IRL.

[ChasFink]

Originally Posted by GenYus234

Based on how he handled it when it was shown on screen, [redacted].

According to Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki) "In reality, Jonathan Frakes is a trombone player and provided the audio whenever Riker was shown playing."

[DadOf3]

Happy Tuesday!

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS

1. Ed Sheeran's first three studio albums have one-character names. What symbol is so far notable for its absence from the set?
The three records so far are called +, ×, and ÷. If the pattern holds, − will be out in 2020.

2. Beavers, muskrats, capybaras, platypi, and otters are all mammals with what unusual anatomical feature, which they share with many birds, including ducks--but not coots?
These mammals--but not coots!--have webbed feet. Other mammals reportedly born with webbed toes: Ashton Kutcher and Joseph Stalin.

3. Who's the only president depicted on U.S. currency specifically because of his personal association with that denomination?
Franklin Roosevelt replaced "Winged Liberty" on the dime in 1946, because he had founded the March of Dimes during his presidency to fight polio.

4. The Oxford English Dictionary lists two traditional duties physically performed by a church's "sexton." Name either.
Sextons presumably have plenty to keep them busy, but the OED highlights their two traditional responsibilities: ringing church bells and digging churchyard graves.

5. The only two world capitals with hyphens in their names both begin with what set of four letters?
Porto-Novo, Benin and Port-au-Prince, Haiti are both ports.

6. Angelo Dundee, Ferdie Pacheco, and Drew Bundini Brown are best known for their association with what famous person?
They were all cornermen of the Greatest, Muhammad Ali.

7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these TV characters? Phoebe Buffay, Edith Bunker, Landry Clarke, Frasier Crane, Sherlock Holmes, Leonard Hofstadter, Gregory House, Lane Kim, William Riker, Lisa Simpson.
Each plays a musical instrument. Or "plays" in Landry's case. Crucifictorious!

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS

1. What city's legal code was overhauled by the lawmaker Solon?

2. On the American Film Institute's 2003 list of the fifty greatest movie villains of all time, there are two different characters that have flesh and blood, but no bones. Who are they?

3. Chris Patten, the current chancellor of Oxford University, was the last governor of what from 1992 to 1997?

4. Felix Mendelssohn wrote eight celebrated volumes of Songs Without what?

5. Anne with an E is the new Netflix series based on the novels of what writer?

6. Scientists E. E. Barnard, Max Wolf, and Adriaan van Maanen are probably best known today for having what named after them?

7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these objects? A bucket, a dog, a fishhook, a flagpole, a flower, a football, a kettle, a pastry, a pig, smoked meat, a turban.

Enjoy.

[Don Enrico]

1. Babylon
2. Maybe The Blob?
3. Hongkong
4. ???
5. ???
6. EMA (whatever that may be)
7. ???!

[Richard W]

Bah, I was hoping I'd be first with number 3 as it seemed somewhat obscure...

1. I had been going to guess Rome but pretty sure Don Enrico is right.

2. The alien from Alien? Do exoskeletons count? Um... can't think of another unless it's Don Enrico's guess.

3. Hong Kong.

4. Either titles or words. I'm going to guess words.

5. Who wrote Anne of Green Gables? I should know that.

6. Stars.

7. For some reason that list brings to mind Doctor Seuss...

[thorny locust]

1. What city's legal code was overhauled by the lawmaker Solon?

Athens? My head is telling me this is definitely something I ought to know; but I'm not sure of that answer.

4. Felix Mendelssohn wrote eight celebrated volumes of Songs Without what?

Words.

-- and is playing a musical instrument really an unusual distinction for a TV character? I don't see much TV; but I would have thought there would be quite a few.

[Steve]

1 is Athens

[GenYus234]

Originally Posted by ChasFink

According to Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki) "In reality, Jonathan Frakes is a trombone player and provided the audio whenever Riker was shown playing."

The director must have told him to ham it up then because there is no way an actual trombone player would play like that.

Originally Posted by Don Enrico

2. Maybe The Blob?

I don't think the Blob has blood.

2. I'm going to add Ursula the Sea Witch to Richard W.'s guess. ETA: Or, in a similar vein, Bruce, the shark from Jaws. IMS, they don't have bones, just cartilage.

[TallGeekyGirl]

#2 could also include Jabba the Hutt, if he's on that list.

[UEL]

1. Only city I can guess would be Vatican City

2. Darth Vader and Giant Squid from 20000 Leagues

3. Bermuda? Just threw that in there for DadOf3's benefit

4. A minor chord? Have no clue.

5. Lucy Maude Montgomery

6. Comets (All I can think of is the name Wolf-Biederman from Deep Impact)

7. Rejected Monopoly playing pieces from regional versions?

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

Originally Posted by DadOf3

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS

1. What city's legal code was overhauled by the lawmaker Solon?

Very interesting way to word the question. I'm going to say Athens (rather than Sparta), but don't know if that's correct.

2. On the American Film Institute's 2003 list of the fifty greatest movie villains of all time, there are two different characters that have flesh and blood, but no bones. Who are they?

Did the Blob bleed? I'm going to go for ants as the other.

3. Chris Patten, the current chancellor of Oxford University, was the last governor of what from 1992 to 1997?

Singapore or Hong Kong. I'll claim whichever one is right.

4. Felix Mendelssohn wrote eight celebrated volumes of Songs Without what?

Words. He was a composer, not a lyricist.

5. Anne with an E is the new Netflix series based on the novels of what writer?

Shoot, I'm getting two authors mixed up in my head. Lucy Maud Montgomery? They're based on Anne of Green Gables, anyway.

6. Scientists E. E. Barnard, Max Wolf, and Adriaan van Maanen are probably best known today for having what named after them?

I haven't a clue, even thought I rarely let that stop me. I'm going to say asteroids. ETA: ooh, I think UEL has this one right.

7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these objects? A bucket, a dog, a fishhook, a flagpole, a flower, a football, a kettle, a pastry, a pig, smoked meat, a turban.

Now that's a collection that looks random. It can't be a bladder, or an eye, or a barb, or a whistle, or a tail, and it has to be generic enough that he can just say "a pastry" without specifying what kind. Well, I assume one of the rest of you will get it. ETA: I'm going to say UEL has this one, too.

Seaboe

[GenYus234]

Originally Posted by TallGeekyGirl

#2 could also include Jabba the Hutt, if he's on that list.

He has the same potential problem as my first choice, Ursula the Sea Witch. While the main part of them would appear to be boneless, their arms and hands appear to be jointed and rigid just as human boned hands/arms are.

[Floater]

1. What city's legal code was overhauled by the lawmaker Solon?

Athens.

4. Felix Mendelssohn wrote eight celebrated volumes of Songs Without what?

Words. Lieder ohne Wörte

6. Scientists E. E. Barnard, Max Wolf, and Adriaan van Maanen are probably best known today for having what named after them?

Stars.

[damian]

1. What city's legal code was overhauled by the lawmaker Solon?

Athens

2. On the American Film Institute's 2003 list of the fifty greatest movie villains of all time, there are two different characters that have flesh and blood, but no bones. Who are they?

The shark from Jaws and the slug creature from Star Wars?

3. Chris Patten, the current chancellor of Oxford University, was the last governor of what from 1992 to 1997?

Hong Kong

4. Felix Mendelssohn wrote eight celebrated volumes of Songs Without what?

Words?

5. Anne with an E is the new Netflix series based on the novels of what writer?

Whoever wrote Anne Of Green Gables.

[chillas]

I'm calling shenanignas on last week's number 7. There's nothing unusual about that at all.

1. Athens.

2. Terminator and "Bruce" from Jaws.

3. No idea.

4. Words.

5. That's about Anne of Green Gables, but I'll be damned if I can remember the author's name.

6. Stars.

7. They're in alphabetical order. Yeah, I got nothing.

[Morning]

7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these objects? A bucket, a dog, a fishhook, a flagpole, a flower, a football, a kettle, a pastry, a pig, smoked meat, a turban.

My guess: Things removed from carry-on luggage by inspectors. But how one would get a flagpole in a totebag would require Houdini.

[damian]

Originally Posted by Morning

But how one would get a flagpole in a totebag would require Houdini. [/COLOR]

A small flag pole or a large tote bag.

[TallGeekyGirl]

Mary Poppins could do it...

[GenYus234]

But why would Mary Poppins be taking a commercial flight?

[Morning]

Broken umbrella.