Ken Jennings trivia challenge

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

Originally Posted by MacLloyd

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS

1. Which is the smallest--but not the least massive--of the gas giant planets of our Solar System?

Uranus

2. What American most famously spoke the state motto of Virginia in achieving his claim to fame?

J.W. Booth

3. What comedian died on the set of his 1991 sitcom The Royal Family, because cast and crew members didn't realize that he was actually suffering a real heart attack and not just doing a "bit"?

Benny Hill

4. In 2009 and 2010, the Social Security Administration's most common baby name for both boys and girls were both character names from the same young adult novels. What were the two names?

Harry & Hermione

5. In what country did the genre of musical drama called Noh originate?

Japan

6. Who tweets under the Twitter handle @shebop_aka_cyn?

Cyndy Lauper

7. What unusual distinction is shared by these U.S. states and no others--though California is, in all likelihood, about to leave the list? Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Utah.

They're all named for indian tribes. No, really.

Seaboe

[GenYus234]

#7 might be the case except a) California is not about to change their state name and b) it leaves off many other states like the two Dakotas, Minniesota, and others.

Also, c) I think Colorado is named after the color of the river, not any tribe.

Also, d), IMS, Georgia is named after one of the kings.

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

Originally Posted by GenYus234

#7 might be the case except...

You can rarely trust my answers to be given seriously, GenYus. No matter what comments I add.

Seaboe

[GenYus234]

Normally I don't. But I thought the "No, really." made the #7 one that might possibly have been serious. But in case it wasn't, I replied in a somewhat silly way as well.

[MacLloyd]

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS

1. Which is the smallest--but not the least massive--of the gas giant planets of our Solar System? The gas giants' size correlates with their distance from the sun: Jupiter is the biggest, and Neptune is the smallest. But the gases that make up Neptune are, surprisingly, denser: it weighs more than its larger neighbor Uranus. Some scientists believe that means Neptune originally formed closer to the Sun than Uranus.

2. What American most famously spoke the state motto of Virginia in achieving his claim to fame? The state motto of Virginia is still "Sic semper tyrannis," even though John Wilkes Booth made it the catchy tagline of one of the most infamous acts in American history.

3. What comedian died on the set of his 1991 sitcom The Royal Family, because cast and crew members didn't realize that he was actually suffering a real heart attack and not just doing a "bit"? By the time his co-stars realized he wasn't just doing his "I'm coming, Elizabeth!" bit from Sanford and Son, it was too late to save the great Redd Foxx.

4. In 2009 and 2010, the Social Security Administration's most common baby name for both boys and girls were both character names from the same young adult novels. What were the two names? In both years, Jacob and Isabella weren't just thinly written Stephenie Meyer characters--they were also the most popular baby names in America.

5. In what country did the genre of musical drama called Noh originate? Noh, like kabuki, is a form of Japanese drama.

6. Who tweets under the Twitter handle @shebop_aka_cyn? Couldn't Cyndi "Shebop" Lauper get a real handle? Fire your publicist, Cyndi. Unlike the Goonies, he's just not good enough.

7. What unusual distinction is shared by these U.S. states and no others--though California is, in all likelihood, about to leave the list? Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Utah. Their state capitals are home to NBA teams. Sorry, Sacramento. Looks like "Eight Is Enough" is abot to once again become your biggest claim to fame.

[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.

You know what really brightens a dreary Tuesday morning? A piece of cake. But I can't email you a big piece of cake, so here are seven trivia questions instead. ABOUT CAKE!!! (They are not about cake, sorry.)

The metaphorical frosting here--or, if you will, icing--is the Official Tuesday Trivia Scoreboard on my website at http://ken-jennings.com/messageboard...pic.php?t=7067 . You could be on that scoreboard yourself, if you know any of the answers to these seven questions. Good luck!

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS

1. The Battle of Waterloo was fought in what modern-day country?

2. A spinet is a very small type of what not-uncommon household feature?

3. In honor of his retirement the previous week, what U.S. state proclaimed January 13, 2007 to be "Steve Yzerman Day"?

4. For what mathematical purpose is the fraction 52163/16604 occasionally used?

5. In a 1977 interview, what 90-year-old explained to a reporter, "I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty"?

6. What brand of American root beer brags to customers that it "has bite"?

7. What surprising distinction is shared by these foods? Chili con carne, corned beef and cabbage, fortune cookies, French dressing, General Tso's chicken, garlic bread, German chocolate cake, pepperoni.

[MacLloyd]

1. The Battle of Waterloo was fought in what modern-day country?

Belgium

2. A spinet is a very small type of what not-uncommon household feature?

Piano

3. In honor of his retirement the previous week, what U.S. state proclaimed January 13, 2007 to be "Steve Yzerman Day"?

No idea

4. For what mathematical purpose is the fraction 52163/16604 occasionally used?

Pi

5. In a 1977 interview, what 90-year-old explained to a reporter, "I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty"?

Georgia O'Keefe

6. What brand of American root beer brags to customers that it "has bite"?

Barq's

7. What surprising distinction is shared by these foods? Chili con carne, corned beef and cabbage, fortune cookies, French dressing, General Tso's chicken, garlic bread, German chocolate cake, pepperoni.

Nothing comes to mind.

MacLloyd

[erwins]

2. piano
5. Georgia O'Keefe
6. Barq's
7. They are all American inventions, although they might be associated with "foreign" cuisine.

[damian]

1. Belgium
2. Piano
3. Don't know who this is.
4. Pi
5. Grandma Moses?
6. Don't know what this is.
7. They're all American inventions?

[UEL]

1. The Battle of Waterloo was fought in what modern-day country?

Ah, one I know outright. My MIL's family comes from not too far away. It's Belgium.

2. A spinet is a very small type of what not-uncommon household feature?

A spool of thread?

3. In honor of his retirement the previous week, what U.S. state proclaimed January 13, 2007 to be "Steve Yzerman Day"?

I believe that would be Michigan. Home of most Americans who wanted to come to Canada, but forgot their passport.

4. For what mathematical purpose is the fraction 52163/16604 occasionally used?

I don't know. Perhaps it is the closest proximation of pi for a 10 digit calculator?


5. In a 1977 interview, what 90-year-old explained to a reporter, "I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty"?

The only painter that I can immediately recall that was alive in the '70s would be Salvador Dali.

6. What brand of American root beer brags to customers that it "has bite"?

Ahhhh. I should know this one! I wanna say something like Bark's, but I'm thinking I'm close but not exactly right.

7. What surprising distinction is shared by these foods? Chili con carne, corned beef and cabbage, fortune cookies, French dressing, General Tso's chicken, garlic bread, German chocolate cake, pepperoni.

These are all foods that despite being associated with a certain nationality, were invented in the US. How's that for a SWAG. The only one I know that this fits for sure is German chocolate cake. I know that it was invented by a guy named German, it wasn't invented in Germany.


ETA: I gotta start getting here earlier. I type out my answers and afterwards read those behind me. Only to find out that I'm not the only one with such great guesses.

[Spam & Cookies-mmm]

2. piano
3. I could guess and have a 1 in 50 chance of being right, but whatevs.
5. Pretty sure it's Georgia O'Keefe
7. Are they foods that we associate with particular countries where they didn't actually originate?

[DadOf3]

Ah, all these Americans who don't follow the real sport that is hockey. Most Canadians, or at least Canadian sports fans, would be able to answer this question pretty quickly. Steve Yzerman was the long-standing captain of the Detroit Red Wings, so even though I didn't know there was a day named for him, I do know the state was Michigan.

For the record, Stevie Y was one of the best captains ever to play in the NHL.

PS - I know there are plenty of American hockey fans who know this answer, they just aren't posting to this thread yet.

[musicgeek]

4. For what mathematical purpose is the fraction 52163/16604 occasionally used? Approximation of pi

5. In a 1977 interview, what 90-year-old explained to a reporter, "I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty"? WAG - Georgia O'Keefe?

6. What brand of American root beer brags to customers that it "has bite"? Barq's

7. What surprising distinction is shared by these foods? Chili con carne, corned beef and cabbage, fortune cookies, French dressing, General Tso's chicken, garlic bread, German chocolate cake, pepperoni. American inventions, despite their associations with other cultures

[GenYus234]

1. The Battle of Waterloo was fought in what modern-day country?Sweden
2. A spinet is a very small type of what not-uncommon household feature?
My memory suggests this has to do with needle work, but I can't think exactly what.
3. In honor of his retirement the previous week, what U.S. state proclaimed January 13, 2007 to be "Steve Yzerman Day"?
Michigan (Steve Yzerman played for the Detroit Red Wings
5. In a 1977 interview, what 90-year-old explained to a reporter, "I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty"?Van Gogh?
6. What brand of American root beer brags to customers that it "has bite"?
Barq's has bite
7. What surprising distinction is shared by these foods? Chili con carne, corned beef and cabbage, fortune cookies, French dressing, General Tso's chicken, garlic bread, German chocolate cake, pepperoni.
They are all "ethnic" foods that were invented in the US?

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

Originally Posted by MacLloyd

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS

1. The Battle of Waterloo was fought in what modern-day country?

Belgium

2. A spinet is a very small type of what not-uncommon household feature?

piano

3. In honor of his retirement the previous week, what U.S. state proclaimed January 13, 2007 to be "Steve Yzerman Day"?

This must be a sports question. I'll say Wisconsin, even though I've never heard of this guy.

4. For what mathematical purpose is the fraction 52163/16604 occasionally used?

pi

5. In a 1977 interview, what 90-year-old explained to a reporter, "I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty"?

Grandma Moses

6. What brand of American root beer brags to customers that it "has bite"?

Dad's

7. What surprising distinction is shared by these foods? Chili con carne, corned beef and cabbage, fortune cookies, French dressing, General Tso's chicken, garlic bread, German chocolate cake, pepperoni.

Not. A. Clue. This is going to be interesting.

Seaboe

[quijote57]

1. The Battle of Waterloo was fought in what modern-day country?
A- Belgium, I think.

2. A spinet is a very small type of what not-uncommon household feature?
A- piano

3. In honor of his retirement the previous week, what U.S. state proclaimed January 13, 2007 to be "Steve Yzerman Day"?
A- Michigan?

4. For what mathematical purpose is the fraction 52163/16604 occasionally
used?
A- value of pi

5. In a 1977 interview, what 90-year-old explained to a reporter, "I
decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not
ignore its beauty"?
A- Andy Warhol?

6. What brand of American root beer brags to customers that it "has bite"?
A- IBC?

Having seen the answer to #7 already, I won't give it here. But I am surprised that it is a "surprising distinction/ instead of "unusual", which is usually what Ken calls them. And I knew the correct answer for once!

[gopher]

As for the answer to No.1 it has been siad that the only reason it exists is to give Germany and France somewhere to have wars.

[Andrew of Ware]

That country is often called 'the cockpit of Europe'. Poor country. And I struggle to think of six famous people from it.

[UEL]

Originally Posted by Andrew of Ware

That country is often called 'the cockpit of Europe'. Poor country. And I struggle to think of six famous people from it.

I can think of six, but I qualify that statement because four of them are French language connections.

[GenYus234]

But they did give the world a damned fine waffle.

ETA: Or is that another #7?