Brian Day 6

Due to a combination of good luck and generous defense from my opponents, I'm in 10th place with only 7 correct answers. I expect to fall in the standings very soon.

2/6 today

1) I guessed baccarat. My opponent went to UConn, close to Foxwoods casino, so I went with D0
2) no idea D3
3) I hope the Aussies nailed this. I guessed scalenoid, a little known hybrid of a trapezoid and a scalene triangle. D2
4) I have childhood memories of The Pirates of Penzance movie starring Rex Smith, figured that had to be it. D1
5) I simply said Exchequer, doubt that will be good enough D2
6) I thought of silk, curry, and Arrakis spice, then thought of more illicit materials like guns and drugs, then pictured opium dens, then the opium wars popped into my head. D1
Sent from my iPad

Jesse day 6

3/6

1. When both players have been dealt their six cards each, and the remainder put aside, both players select two of their six cards and discard them face down to the dealer's right. In this excerpt of rules from the traditional two-player version of a popular game, these four discards have a name, which in turn informs the name of the game. What is the name of this card game?
Correct Answer: CRIBBAGE
Your Answer: Rummy
Points Assigned: 2

I don't play cards.

2. A brutal death in a vehicle accident kicks off the events that conclude the story of The Great Gatsby. Give the first name of either the character who dies in the accident or the character who was driving the car at the time.
Correct Answer: MYRTLE, DAISY
Your Answer: Daisey
Points Assigned: 1

I saw the movie on cable not too long ago. 

3. While a quadrilateral with at least one pair of parallel sides is known in North America as a trapezoid, outside North America it is known as what? The term in question, to North Americans, describes a quadrilateral with no parallel sides (which, outside North America, is simply called a general irregular quadrilateral).
Correct Answer: TRAPEZIUM
Your Answer: Rohmbus
Points Assigned: 3

I had no idea.

4. The only Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera to premiere officially in New York (or any city other than London) did so in 1879 and, in 1981, became the first with an extended, open-ended commercial Broadway run, with Kevin Kline, Rex Smith, and Linda Ronstadt in starring roles. Name that show.
Correct Answer: THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE
Your Answer: Annie get your gun
Points Assigned: 2

Nope.

5. Among the 25 ministerial departments in the government of the United Kingdom, Her Majesty's Treasury is responsible for public spending and development and execution of the government's economic policy. What is the common title of the government minister responsible for overseeing HM Treasury?
Correct Answer: CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER
Your Answer: Chancelor of the excheqer
Points Assigned: 1

I didn't spell it right, but reading the Economist for a few years made me very familiar with the position. 

6. Two separate wars in the mid-19th century had their origins in China's efforts to block British traders from importing what product into China from India?
Correct Answer: OPIUM
Your Answer: Opium
Points Assigned: 0

I was pretty sure the opium wars were about opium, although part of me worried the answer might be tea. 

Ben Day 6

A hugely disappointing 2/6 on a day where I could have gone 5.

1 :) Cribbage. I've played plenty. One for his nob.

2 :( I can't believe I got this wrong. For some reason I thought it was Jordan driving. I've clearly crossed my mental wires on Daisy and Jordan. Studied this book in high school. Unacceptable miss.

3 :( I can't believe I got this wrong. I really couldn't work out what he was asking for. I put rhombus which of course is a stupid answer, given I grew up using the word trapezium.

4 :( I wrote HMAS Pinafore, after going the wrong way on a 50/50 with Penzance. This is bad luck as opposed to my abject stupidity of questions 2 & 3.

5 :( I only wrote exchequer

6 :) Opium. I figured this was the opium wars, though I don't know much about them other than that there were opium wars. I watched an art-house film about the opium wars when I was 16 before sneaking into my first strip club with two friends from high school. The movie was not the defining memory from that evening.

brad day 6

2/6

1) go fish d1

nope

2) tom d2

argh ... havent read since high school (and didnt see the recent remake) ... couldnt remember which buchanan was involved

3) quadrangle d1

have never heard of this

4) aida d3

no idea

5) chancellor of the exchequer d0

guessing opponent most a government economist based on location and history

6) opium d2

lucky guess, but not so confident in the d with all of you getting this

Ben L day 6

4/6 today:

1. When both players have been dealt their six cards each, and the remainder put aside, both players select two of their six cards and discard them face down to the dealer's right. In this excerpt of rules from the traditional two-player version of a popular game, these four discards have a name, which in turn informs the name of the game. What is the name of this card game?
Correct Answer: CRIBBAGE
Your Answer: Snooker
Points Assigned: 3

Close, I guess.

2. A brutal death in a vehicle accident kicks off the events that conclude the story of The Great Gatsby. Give the first name of either the character who dies in the accident or the character who was driving the car at the time.
Correct Answer: MYRTLE, DAISY
Your Answer: Myrtle
Points Assigned: 1

Glad they asked for only one as I forgot about Daisy

3. While a quadrilateral with at least one pair of parallel sides is known in North America as a trapezoid, outside North! America it is known as what? The term in question, to North Americans, describes a quadrilateral with no parallel sides (which, outside North America, is simply called a general irregular quadrilateral).
Correct Answer: TRAPEZIUM
Your Answer: Tetrazoid
Points Assigned: 2

I was about to answer "Trapezius" but then thought "no, that's a muscle." Too bad, maybe I would've gotten partial credit.

4. The only Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera to premiere officially in New York (or any city other than London) did so in 1879 and, in 1981, became the first with an extended, open-ended commercial Broadway run, with Kevin Kline, Rex Smith, and Linda Ronstadt in starring roles. Name that show.
Correct Answer: THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE
Your Answer: The Pirates of Penzance
Points Assigned: 0

I was in the chorus of a college production of this in the 90's

5. Among the 25 ministerial departments in the government of the United Kingdom, Her Majesty's Treasury is responsible for public spending and development and execution of the government's economic policy. What is the common title of the government minister responsible for overseeing HM Tre! asury?
Correct Answer: CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER
Your Answer: Chancellor of the Exchequer
Points Assigned: 2

Learned this in 10^th grade history for unclear reasons.

6. Two separate wars in the mid-19th century had their origins in China's efforts to block British traders from importing what product into China from India?
Correct Answer: OPIUM
Your Answer: Opium
Points Assigned: 1

"The <blank> wars"

 

David S Day 6

3/6, though I feel as though I should have done better on this set of questions.

1. Euchre, D2. Ugh, I'm annoyed I couldn't get this. It seems so obvious in hindsight. 

2. Daisy, D2. I like Gatsby a lot. 

3. Tetragon, D1. I had no idea. The only things I could think of were clearly wrong, so I made up a word I thought it could be. 

4. HMS Pinafore, D3. Only opera (technically an operetta, I think) that I was sure was by G&S. My opponent has theater and arts as her two worst categories, so I gave it D3. 

5. Chancellor of the Exchequer, D1. I've followed UK politics for years (depressingly so since June 23, 2016...)

6. Opium, D0. Seems like the easiest question of the day by far. 

Dave M day 6

Website had issues today! I just submitted now, 1.20pm Central Time.

3/6 today. Looks like they’ve delayed the next day until Friday.

 

1 J A lucky guess of Cribbage, which I understand is a popular US card game but one I don’t know the rules for. D2

2 L Guessed James. D1

3 L Trick question! Guessed Parallelogram but not expecting it to be right as I think by definition it has parallel sides. Trapezium surely to close to Trapezoid, I thought… D3

4 L Was 50/50 between the correct answer and Mikado, which I put down. D0 as opponent’s top category is theatre.

5 J UK gimme. D2

6 J Another UK gimme. D1

Gideon Day 5

4/6 today.
1 :) D1
2 :) D3 - poor defense on this one
3 :( D2 Lonesome
4 :) D1
5 :( D2 The Wind
6 :) D0 Wings - Imagine Bette Midler doing a headstand (see previous answer)

brad day5

1/6 ... no bueno

1) relativism d2

nope

2) iran, iraq d0

only thing that made sense

3) waco d3

no idea

4) assisi d2

amazingly, made it through engineering undergrad and grad school without taking a biology course

5) sorcery d1

would have read this in high school ...

6) snl d1

nope

Jesse Day 5

A battle against Amelia, one of my friends I referred. 3/6 on what I though was a hard day.

1. What term from philosophy is today an emphasis on the special position of persons in the greater scheme, their value and agency, and—per a third Manifesto in 2003—that "knowledge of the world is derived by observation, experimentation, and rational analysis"? It has been applied to schools of thought in contrast to "theism" and to an Ancient Greek doctrine (represented by Protagoras's decree that "man is the measure of all things") in contrast to "absolutism." 
Correct Answer: HUMANISM
Your Answer: Humanism
Points Assigned: 1

This was a guess. Only thing I could think of. 

2. Negotiations in 1988 led by U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar brought about an armistice in a prolonged border war that began in 1980 between what two foes?
Correct Answer: IRAN, IRAQ
Your Answer: Iraq and Iran
Points Assigned: 0

My first thought was Falklands, but that wasn't a border war. Then I thought about India and Pakistan and had put it down, but then at the last minute switched to Iraq and Iran for the correct answer.

3. An August 2009 fundraiser "Pickin' for the Record" sought the world record for most guitar players gathered at one time to play, with an official count of 1,868 players—1,865 more than the reported population of the central Texas community where the event was held. What is the name of that town, which is the subject of the 1977 Waylon Jennings song the group played?
Correct Answer: LUCKENBACH
Your Answer: Solo
Points Assigned: 3

Never heard of it. 

4. First proposed in the 1860s and controversial at the time, the scientific laws known as the law of segregation, the law of independent assortment, and the law of dominance are known collectively as a set of laws named after what Augustinian friar?
Correct Answer: GREGOR MENDEL
Your Answer: Paul
Points Assigned: 2

Nope. I have heard of this, but there is no way I could pull it from my brain. 

5. The first novel in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, the story of a cynical failed wizard named Rincewind, is The Colour of what?
Correct Answer: MAGIC
Your Answer: Sound
Points Assigned: 1

I considered reading this series, but never got to it. 

6. In addition to his appearances on Cheers and Frasier, Kelsey Grammer earned an Emmy nomination for portraying Frasier Crane on what other NBC comedy, for an episode in which Frasier and his wife Lilith fly to Nantucket to conduct a self-esteem workshop?
Correct Answer: WINGS
Your Answer: Wings
Points Assigned: 2

I think Amelia is too young to have seen Wings. I tried to think of a show set in Nantucket and then I thought maybe that airplane TV show was set there. The podcast My Brother, My Brother and Me occasionally mention Wings so the name of the show was still in my memory. 

Dave M day 5

3/6 today – and at the top of the rundle with questions that suit my strengths so far. That can’t last.

 

1 L I guessed progressivism. D2

2 J 1980-88 could only be Iran/Iraq. Pretty simple but I went with a risky D3 as my opponent’s two worst subjects are world history and geography.

3 L No idea – far too many central Texas ghost towns, so I guess you’d need to know the song. D1

4 L Also no idea. D2

5 J I enjoyed the Colour of Magic – but unlike Ben I did read it as a kid. D1

6 J I don’t remember Frasier Crane turning up but I do remember Wings being based at Nantucket Airport. D0

Ben Day 5

2/6. Struggling to find a foothold this week.

1 :( Humanism. I guessed objectivism.

2 :) Iran Iraq. Wasn't at all sure about this, but couldn't think of other options.

3 :( Never heard of this

4 :( I guessed Wallace. Right branch of science. Wrong guy.

5 :) Color of Magic. I started reading this earlier this year, and wa s abit disappointed. Never finished it. Would definitely have enjoyed it when I was younger.

6 :

Ben L day 5

3/6 today. Somehow even with 1/6 yesterday I eked out a win. (Did my opponent default?)

1. What term from philosophy is today an emphasis on the special position of persons in the greater scheme, their value and agency, and—per a third Manifesto in 2003—that "knowledge of the world is derived by observation, experimentation, and rational analysis"? It has been applied to schools of thought in contrast to "theism" and to an Ancient Greek doctrine (represented by Protagoras's decree that "man is the measure of all things") in contrast to "absolutism." 
Correct Answer: HUMANISM
Your Answer: Humanism
Points Assigned: 2

Seemed too non-arcane a term, but it also fit the best compared to theism and absolutism.

2. Negotiations in 1988 led by U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar brought about an armistice in a prolonged border war that began in 1980 between what two foes?
Correct Answer: IRAN, IRAQ
Your Answer: Iran and Iraq
Points Assigned: 0

Wasn't sure of the exact years but I knew it roughly spanned the 80's.

3. An August 2009 fundraiser "Pickin' for the Record" sought the worl! d record for most guitar players gathered at one time to play, with an official count of 1,868 players—1,865 more than the reported population of the central Texas community where the event was held. What is the name of that town, which is the subject of the 1977 Waylon Jennings song the group played?
Correct Answer: LUCKENBACH
Your Answer: Bluegrass
Points Assigned: 3

Just wasn't gonna happen

4. First proposed in the 1860s and controversial at the time, the scientific laws known as the law of segregation, the law of independent assortment, and the law of dominance are known collectively as a set of laws named after what Augustinian friar?
Correct Answer: GREGOR MENDEL
Your Answer: Gregor Mendel
Points Assigned: 1

Seemed a gimme, but I guess that the fact that "gene" is not mentioned may trip people up.

5. The first novel in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, the story of a cynical failed wizard named Rincewind, is The Colour of what?
Correct Answer: MAGIC
Your Answer: Envy
Points Assigned: 2

"Magic" seemed to be the Joe Bloggs answer. Oh well.

6. I! n addition to his appearances on Cheers and Frasier, Kelsey Grammer earned an Emmy nomination for portraying Frasier Crane on what other NBC comedy, for an episode in which Frasier and his wife Lilith fly to Nantucket to conduct a self-esteem workshop?
Correct Answer: WINGS
Your Answer: Will and Grace
Points Assigned: 1

Wings! Should've thought of that one.

 

David S Day 5

2/6, and I wasn't even close on any others. 

1. Relativism, D2. Just took a guess based on the words in the clue. 

2. Iran, Iraq, D1. Seemed like the only possibility based on the dates the war took place. 

3. Amarillo, D3. I had no idea, though in retrospect this seems like a pretty terrible guess, since the clue noted it was a "central" Texan town, which Amarillo is not. 

4. Mendel, D1. Had to figure out that these laws delt with genetics, which then made the answer clear. 

5. Regret, D2. No clue, though admittedly the title I chose probably doesn't sound much like a sci-fi/fantasy title. 

6. Ted, D0. I had no idea but gave it D0 because my opponent gets most TV questions right.

Gideon Day 4

2/6 today, limping my way through the season.

1 :( D2 France
2 :( D1 Chelsea
3 :( D3 John Greenleaf
4 :) D1 Deserts - I wonder if they will give credit for Desserts?
5 :) D0 Hectare
6 :( D2 Blue Papers

brad day 4

another 1/6

1) italy d1

makes sense

2) mayfair d1

no idea

3) man in the yellow hat d2

nope

4) states d2

nope

5) hectacre d0

assuming i dont get dinged for spelling

6) white papers d3

no clue

Dave M day 4

A day generally playing to my London, geography, and metric based strengths, so an unsurprising 4/6.

 

1 J I had the David S logic – Russia more likely to have precipitous decline than Germany in late 1910s. D2

2 J I’ve been several times – and walked about 200 paces from the Royal Opera House for a few months several years go. D2

3 L No idea. D3

4 J Namib and Karakum were the pointers here – and I love the way the word Taklamakan sounds. D1

5 J Simple for those schooled in the superior measurement system. D0

6 L Random guess of Red Letter Contract. Despite being a trained economist I failed to get this one unlike David S. D1

David S Day 4

4/6 on a day that was well-suited to my strengths (and on which I got a bit of luck). 

1. Russia, D1. Same logic as everyone else, but I seem to have guessed luckier than some. I just figured communism and civil war (Russia) would be even worse for an artistic movement than losing a war (Germany).

2. Mayfair, D1. Ugh. I feel like I should have gotten this. I just picked a neighborhood close to Buckingham Palace. 

3. Tom, D2. Had no idea at all. 

4. Deserts, D2. I knew the first two were deserts and figured the rest could be, too. 

5. Hectare, D0. Didn't realize this was metric, but I knew the approximate conversion. 

6. Yellow Dog, D3. I knew this (I am an economist, after all), but I think this is hardly a household term and is, in fact, very hard. I struggled on whether to give this a D3 or not but ultimately decided to do so. 

Jesse day 4

2/6

1. The art movement known, in English, as Suprematism, which was established in 1913 and peaked later that decade before its swift decline, was founded in—and mostly represented by artists from—what country?
Correct Answer: RUSSIA
Your Answer: Germany
Points Assigned: 2

Figured they were involved in WW 1, but that is a lot of countries to choose from. 

2. What district is the home—and the colloquial namesake—of London's Royal Opera House?
Correct Answer: COVENT GARDEN
Your Answer: Chelsea
Points Assigned: 2

Nope.

3. Whittier is the last name of what cheerful and irrepressibly optimistic (and arguably naive and self-delusional) character created in 1913 by Eleanor H. Porter?
Correct Answer: POLLYANNA
Your Answer: Peter
Points Assigned: 3

Nope again. I had no idea. 

4. Namib, Nafud, Rub' al-Khali, Dasht-e-Lut, Karakum, and Taklamakan are all names of what?
Correct Answer: DESERTS
Your Answer: Deserts
Points Assigned: 0

I knew Namib, Katakum and Taklamakan were deserts. 

5. What metric unit of area is roughly equal to 2.47 acres in the U.S. customary system?
Correct Answer: HECTARE
Your Answer: Hectacre
Points Assigned: 1

What else could it be. 

6. The 1932 Norris-La Guardia Act made unenforceable, and the 1935 Wagner Act made illegal, what colorfully named employment contract, which stipulates that a worker's employment is conditional on not joining a trade union?
Correct Answer: YELLOW-DOG CONTRACT
Your Answer: Pay for play
Points Assigned: 1

Never heard of it. 

Carr Day 4

2/6. Weird day. I knew hectare cold, but then was wrong on 2 that I thought were right and right on 1 I thought was wrong. Hard day to D!

1 :( Germany.

2 :( I put West End, knowing the theatre is around there, and was of course wrong.

3 :) Pollyanna. Don't know how I pulled it. Just trying to think of a 1-word name from about the right era, and it fit the definition. I had briefly paused on Dorothy then realized that it specified someone as author who wasn't Baum. I D3ed thinking I was wrong and that this was impossible.

4 :( I guessed Gods. Disappointing miss.

5 :) Hectare. I come from a country that uses sensible units. Hectare = 100m x 100m. Acre = 22yds by 22 yards * 10.

6 :( I was so confident with Pinkerton.

Ben L day 4

Another tough day: 1/6.

 

1. The art movement known, in English, as Suprematism, which was established in 1913 and peaked later that decade before its swift decline, was founded in—and mostly represented by artists from—what country?
Correct Answer: RUSSIA
Your Answer: Germany
Points Assigned: 1
I figured something coming out of Germany would have crashed late in the decade

 

2. What district is the home—and the colloquial namesake—of London's Royal Opera House?
Correct Answer: COVENT GARDEN
Your Answer: Covent Garden
Points Assigned: 1

Hadn't heard of the district but have been to the opera house

3. Whittier is the last name of what cheerful and irrepressibly optimistic (and arguably naive and self-delusional) character created in 1913 by Eleanor H. Porter?
Correct Answer: POLLYANNA
Your Answer: Anne
Points Assigned: 2
I dunno, Anne of Green Gables?

 

4. Namib, Nafud, Rub' al-Khali, Dasht-e-Lut, Karakum, and Taklamakan are all names of what?
Correct Answer: DESERTS
Your Answer: Months
Points Assigned: 3

Kicking myself over this one

5. What metric unit of area is roughly equal to 2.47 acres in the U.S. customary system?
Correct Answer: HECTARE
Your Answer: Kilometer
Points Assigned: 0

Hectare was my first thought but I figured that it wasn't metric

6. The 1932 Norris-La Guardia Act made unenforceable, and the 1935 Wagner Act made illegal, what colorfully named employment contract, which stipulates that a worker's employment is conditional on not joining a trade union?
Correct Answer: YELLOW-DOG CONTRACT
Your Answer: Blackball
Points Assigned: 2

Never heard of it

 

 

Brian Day 3 results

And now this rookie sees the power of defense. I eked out a win by getting 3 points for my single correct answer. BenL, I see you got 0 despite getting credit for Estruscans. Ouch. Looking forward to trash talking you when we match up.

Enjoy the days off everyone.

Sent from my iPad

Brad day 3

another 1/6 ... today felt like a tough set

1) kama sutra d2

my bwa attempt

2) ross, hammerskold d3

figured ross ice shelf and no idea of the other

3) etruscan d0

ate in one of their caves in siena last year

4) city stranger d2

no idea

5) davis d1

nope

6) bajans d1

no clue

Brian (aka IngramB2) Day 3

1/6, started off relatively easy and then went downhill.

1) While I didn't recognize Megingjörð and Járngreipr, this comic book Thor fan knows the Prose Edda is Norse mythology, and the only proper name for an item (as opposed to creature, person, or god) that I knew of was Mjolnir.  D1

2) no clue, chose Mendelsohhn-Ross (I knew Ross had something to do with Antarctica).  D2

3) no clue, went with Corinthians, they make nice columns somewhere nearby.  D2

4) Wild guess with Alphabet City.   I've heard of Asphalt Jungle.  D3

5) Ansel Adams was the only name i could think of.  D0

6) Tejano.   I liked my guess, but wish I had gone with Aggies, that's a good one, David.  D1

Dave M day 3

Ooh tough day, I feel OK with my 2/6. Hope you’re feeling better Ben.

 

1 L I went with Troll. D2

2 J Scott set out for Antarctica from my home town in NZ, we learnt all about this as kids. D1

3 J We saw lots of Etruscan ruins in Sicily on holiday. D1

4 L Great question. I guessed Disturbia, but would anyway have put down concrete jungle had I been closer. D2

5 L Would never have got close. D3

6 L I was confident with Tejanos, but with a bit of concern about the parenthetical clarification. Of course Tejanos are the historically Hispanic Texan residents. D0

Ben L Day 3

Sad to be reporting a 0/6, unless Etruscan/Etruscans gives me a 1/6. Tough, particularly after a 4/6 yesterday (which may have been this rookie's high watermark).

 

 

1. What is the corresponding name of the best-known item in the set, as outlined in the Prose Edda, that also includes Megingjörð and Járngreipr?
   Correct Answer: MJÖLNIR
   Your Answer: Robot
   Points Assigned: 1

Hadn't heard of any of this though Edda made me think of Norse mythology so I first wrote "Tarnhelm" but the markings above the o's and a's made me think this could be Czech.

2. The United States's scientific research station located at the South Pole is named formally after what two men, a Norwegian and a Briton respectively?
Correct Answer: ROALD AMUNDSEN, ROBERT FALCON SCOTT
Your Answer: Heyerdahl and Smith
Points Assigned: 1

Had to take a wild guess

3. Tarquinius Priscus and Tarquinius Superbus, the fifth and seventh (and final) kings of Rome, were traditionally identified with what ancient Italian civilization, which would begin its decline at the end of the Roman Kingdom and become fully assimilated during the subsequent Roman Republic?
Correct Answer: ETRUSCAN
Your Answer: ! Etruscans
Points Assigned: 3

If they don't accept "Etruscans" that would hurt.

4. The Ladykillers, Rififi, Ocean's Eleven, and Reservoir Dogs are among the movies influenced by what classic 1950 John Huston film noir? Its title (from the source novel of the previous year) introduced into the vernacular a term for an unsafe and alienating urban landscape.
Correct Answer: THE ASPHALT JUNGLE
Your Answer: The Deadzone
Points Assigned: 2

Thought about this for way too long, given I'd never heard of the term.

5. What woman, whose Fort Peck Dam appeared on the first cover of Life magazine in 1936, was one of the original staff photographers for the magazine, and later became the first woman photographer to work with the U.S. armed forces during World War II?
Correct Answer: MARGARET BOURKE-WHITE
Your Answer: Smith
Points Assigned: 0

Never heard of her.

6. While residents of modern Texas are referred to as "Texans", what demonym was used for citizens (especially Anglo citizens) of the Republic of Texas (1836-46) and the prior period when the area was a part of Mexico? Note, corr! ect spelling is required.
Correct Answer: TEXIANS
Your Answer: Texarkansians
Points Assigned: 2

I like my answer better!

 

 

 

 

 

That's David Seif, not Mirkin, Below

I'll use my last initial when posting from now on to avoid confusion. 

Ben Day 3

2/6. I agree with Mirkin that this was a tough day, espeically on defense

1 :( Guess Beowulf. I guess watching Das Rheingold with my mother in law a month ago didn't magically make me an expert on North mythology.

2 :| Amunsen and Scott. I knew this one, though I left out the D. I got penalized for spelling Filipino head "Duterte" without a T last season, so may be in trouble here

3 :) Etruscan. History of Rome podacst for the win. Took me a couple of minutes to recall this. Those are the most satisfying.

4 :( Dark City. I would have put "urban jungle" but the word urban was in the clue. Never heard of this. Also, in Australia I've heard the term "concrete jungle" but never "asphalt jungle"

5 :( I also guessed Smith!

6 :( Sorta close here I put Texicans. I figured it would be a variant on the word Texas or he wouldn't have specified precise spelling. I wondered if there was another Geographic region ending in "as" that has the same rule that could help one work out the answer. I couldn't think of one. In hindsight, Bahamas -> Bahamian! Honduras -> Honduran wouldn't have helped though.

Jesse Day 3

3/6 Started strong. 

1. What is the corresponding name of the best-known item in the set, as outlined in the Prose Edda, that also includes Megingjörð and Járngreipr?
Correct Answer: MJÖLNIR
Your Answer: Mjolinir
Points Assigned: 2

Based on Scandanavian words, I figured this was thor's hammer, which i knew the name of from video games. 

2. The United States's scientific research station located at the South Pole is named formally after what two men, a Norwegian and a Briton respectively?
Correct Answer: ROALD AMUNDSEN, ROBERT FALCON SCOTT
Your Answer: Amundson and Scott
Points Assigned: 2

I am into explorer's and have seen a few docs on Antarctica. 

3. Tarquinius Priscus and Tarquinius Superbus, the fifth and seventh (and final) kings of Rome, were traditionally identified with what ancient Italian civilization, which would begin its decline at the end of the Roman Kingdom and become fully assimilated during the subsequent Roman Republic?
Correct Answer: ETRUSCAN
Your Answer: Etruscan
Points Assigned: 1

I lived in Rome and knew the Etruscan's were the predecessors of the Romans. 

4. The Ladykillers, Rififi, Ocean's Eleven, and Reservoir Dogs are among the movies influenced by what classic 1950 John Huston film noir? Its title (from the source novel of the previous year) introduced into the vernacular a term for an unsafe and alienating urban landscape.
Correct Answer: THE ASPHALT JUNGLE
Your Answer: Urban Jungle
Points Assigned: 1

Damn. Seems very gettable. I never saw that film. 

5. What woman, whose Fort Peck Dam appeared on the first cover of Life magazine in 1936, was one of the original staff photographers for the magazine, and later became the first woman photographer to work with the U.S. armed forces during World War II?
Correct Answer: MARGARET BOURKE-WHITE
Your Answer: Strausenberg
Points Assigned: 3

Never heard of her.

6. While residents of modern Texas are referred to as "Texans", what demonym was used for citizens (especially Anglo citizens) of the Republic of Texas (1836-46) and the prior period when the area was a part of Mexico? Note, correct spelling is required.
Correct Answer: TEXIANS
Your Answer: Yankees
Points Assigned: 0

Never heard the term.

David Day 3

1 or 2/6 depending on what's deemed acceptable. I found today to be particularly tough. 

1. Hammer, D1. This is the correct item, though it looks like they weren't looking for the English word, so this could be scored either way. There's no way I was going to come up with the Norse word, mjolnir, so I won't be that upset it it's marked wrong. 

2. Bouvet, Scott, D3. I knew the name Scott, but I had no idea what the Norwegian's name was. (So lack of Norse knowledge cost me on both of the first two questions.) I picked Bouvet because there's a small island near Antarctica that Norway owns that is called Bouvet Island, so I thought maybe it was named after the Norwegian South Pole explorer. 

3. Etruscan, D0. 

4. Midnight Cowboy, D2. In believe it will be a cold day in hell before I get a question on classic cinema...

5. Smith, D2. I had no idea. 

6. Aggies, D1. I didn't know about this, so at least I learned something interesting. I guessed the team name for Texas A&M as a pretty much wild guess. 

Gideon Day 2

Hi all!
3/3 today and yesterday.

1 :( D2 Knishes - I went through a list of "K" named yiddish foods, forgetting the one I needed: Kishke, Kasha Varnishkas, Knedlach. It works well as a swear word to use when you miss an answer you should know. Kreplach!
2 :( D1 Soap
3 :) D1 Lee - I had an opponent a few seasons ago who went to Washington and Lee.
4 :) D0 Hammer and Sickle
5 :) D3 Jones
6 :) D2 Meninges

IngramB2 Day 2

Greetings from Rundle R.  After embarrassing myself, my family, and my sponsor Ben yesterday by brainfarting an easy Doctor J question, I redeemed myself by getting...2/6?  I'll take it.

1)while I never heard of the potato version, meat Kreplach were a childhood staple.  D2

2) the clue heroine, heroine led me to put Mary, Mary (why you buggin?) as a placeholder. The only spoof  I knew of was Soap which was a primetime show which ran for several seasons, ruling it out.  I answered (incorrectly) the last four questions, then came back to this and redeemed my Dr J flub as 'Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman' suddenly popped into my head.  Never knew what the show was, but the name was somewhere within my meninges.  D2

3) based on the years and location, I went for a confederate leader. Lee, of course!  Then I overthought it thinking I had recency bias, and changed it to Davis.  Oh well. D1

4) no idea what vexillogically meant, despite many episodes of Fun with Flags, but decided to go Russian with 'and' being the middle word. War and Peace, of course. D1

5) my familiarity with kreplach is strongly associated with a lack of familiarity of Christian denominations,and I went with Falwell's Liberty. But I assumed others would know this.  D0

6) no idea, but thought encephalitis was a swelling of the brain or fluids surrounding, so I made up the term 'encephalates'. D3

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Brad day 2

1/6 ... tough start to season

1) simmus d3

these have never been part of my high holiday meals ... maybe have to start now

2) dynasty d2

no idea

3) lee d0

curious if this was part of the question set prior to recent events

4) i am groot d1

seems gettable

5) hillsdale d2

makes sense

6) blood brain barrier d1

nope but opponent good at science

Ben day 2 vs David Seif

3/6 today. Seif is gonna give Mirkin a run for his money for low offensive efficiency. Very good at some categories and bad at others. 

1 :) kreplach. Love them

2 :( D3. I put carol Burnett show

3 :) Lee. All over the news.

4 :) hammer and sickle. Flags and Russian only lead me to one place.

5 :( I wrote yale. I don't really know what a Pentecostal preacher is.

6 :( I wrote epidural, relatively confidently. D2

Meanwhile I have food poisoning so this is one of the toughest days of my year. I would rather have taken a loss and not puked all night.

Dave M day 2

Disappointing 1/6 today given a couple of stupid misrememberings.

 

1 L I was thinking Kreplach but it went down as Blintz. D2 – non-Jewish opponent by the looks of it

2 L No idea. D3

3 J This was on NPR when I was driving home last week. D0

4 L I missed the vexillogical clue. My opponent ‘Atkinson G of Ice and Fire’ provided me with my incrorrect guess. D1

5 L I went with Billy Graham. He founded a college I think but I don’t know if he was Pentecostal. D2

6 L I was thinking Meninges but wrote Meniscus instead. Something rather different. D1

Jesse Day 2 v Steiny

I shit the bed against Steiny. Pretty sure he will beat my 1/6. 

1. The small dumplings, usually filled with minced meat or mashed potatoes, that are traditionally served on Rosh Hashanah or before the fasting of Yom Kippur are most commonly referred to by what Yiddish-derived name?
Correct Answer: KREPLACH
Your Answer: Pierogi
Points Assigned: 0

I knew about Kreplach, but wasn't sure that is what they were. Figured pierogi might be a polish word, but went for it anyway. 

2. What syndicated daytime television series, an influential soap opera spoof that ran for two seasons and 325 episodes in the mid-1970s, featured Louise Lasser as the show's title heroine, heroine?
Correct Answer: MARY HARTMAN, MARY HARTMAN
Your Answer: Soap
Points Assigned: 1

Never heard of it. I think Soap is from the 80's anyway. 

3. What man served as the president of what was then Washington College in Lexington, Virginia, from September 1865 until his death in October 1870?
Correct Answer: ROBERT E. LEE
Your Answer: Robert E Lee
Points Assigned: 1

The dates seemed right, he is in the news and lastly, figured it was the now Washington and Lee College. 

4. The vexillogically relevant term serp i molot (серп и мо́лот) translates to English as what?
Correct Answer: HAMMER AND SICKLE (SICKLE AND HAMMER)
Your Answer: The snake and the mullet
Points Assigned: 2

This seems very gettable. I did not know what "vexillogically" meant. 

5. If You Need Healing, Do These Things; The Miracle of Seed-Faith; and Something Good is Going to Happen to You! are works by what Pentecostal preacher and university founder?
Correct Answer: ORAL ROBERTS
Your Answer: Osteen
Points Assigned: 2

Wrong preacher.

6. The pia mater, the arachnoid mater, and the dura mater are the three membranes that envelop the mammalian brain and spinal cord. They are known collectively by what term?
Correct Answer: MENINGES
Your Answer: Gray mater
Points Assigned: 3

Ah, so that is where the word meningitis comes from. I had no idea.

David Day 2

Very disappointing 2/6 for the match I cared most about this LL. 

1. Kreplach, D0. I've had these way too many times to get this wrong. 

2. Mrs. Jones, D3. I had absolutely no idea. I never heard of any spoof soap opera in the 70s. I'm hoping I'm not way off in thinking this is not well known to people born after the show aired and therefore giving it D3. 

3. Robert E. Lee, D1. 

4. Stars and Stripes, D2. I'm going to seethe about this one all day. I was so proud of myself for knowing what the root vexil- referred to (flags), I missed the huge clue that there was a Russian translation and put in what seemed to me to be the most likely 3 word flag-related phrase with what appeared to be an "and" in the middle. 

5. Sun Myung Moon, D2. I couldn't think of any American Pentecostal ministers who were university founders, so I made an international guess. I didn't know Oral Roberts was Pentecostal, though I'm not sure I would have thought of him either way. 

6. Epithelial Layer, D1. I knew "epithelial" had something to do with membranes, but I guess it's not specific to the brain. 

So, it's not looking good for me accomplishing my first of two goals for this LL--beat Ben. I guess I'll just have to focus on getting my defense rating up!

David Day 1

I got so excited to trash talk, I guess I forgot about the subject instructions. That's me below. 

Ben is going down tomorrow!

Well, Ben, today we not only got the same 4 right but also gave the same incorrect Wilt Chamberlain answer. I took a wild guess on Tennessee. 

1. JPMorgan, 1

2. Chamberlain, 1

3. Zapata, 3

4. Tennessee, 2

5. Cow, 0

6. Canary Islands, 2

My goals for this season are:

1. Beat Ben tomorrow (and it's gonna happen!)

2. Get better at defending, at which I've been pretty terrible so far. 

Glad to join the blog!

Brad Day 1

Welcome back!  Disappointing 2/6 on what i thought was a not so tough set.

1) morgan d1

trading gimme

2) erving d0

straightforward hoops question

3) santa anna d2

nope

4) texas d1

saw permian and state and didnt read the rest of question

5) goat d2

narrowly avoided self concussion from palm after seeing this one

6) canine d3

another gettable one ...

Dave M day 1

A new season dawns in the, hopefully more gentle, confines of Rundle D. 4/6 to start with the same questions correct as Ben.

 

1 :) Pretty simple business question I reckon D1

2 :( I didn’t know Dr J was that far in the past. D2

3 :) No picture in my house unlike Ben, but remember the Zapatista groupies in college (yes, in small town New Zealand) D3

4 :( I was strangely confident with Utahn. We actually have oil production from Mississippian-era rocks in my company, I should have got this. D1

5 :) Seems a gimme. Bad luck Jesse. D0

6 :) Latin for dog = Cane, which prompted me to remember the Canary Islands were not in fact named after the bird, but rather the reverse, and it all fell together. D2

Jesse Day 1

Hey All! 3/6 on what seems like a kind of easy day. 

1. As measured by global revenue, two of the five biggest Wall Street investment banks have names that bear that of what legendary banker and co-architect of the formation of General Electric?
Correct Answer: J.P. MORGAN
Your Answer: JP Morgan
Points Assigned: 0

I went through some of the key names and was sure it was Morgan. 

2. What basketball superstar and Hall of Famer was the only player to win both the NBA and ABA Most Valuable Player Awards, accomplishing the latter three times during the league's last three years of existence while playing for the New York Nets?
Correct Answer: JULIUS ERVING
Your Answer: Julies Irving (Dr J)
Points Assigned: 1

Terrible spelling, right answer.

3. The indigenous Mexican guerilla movement that arose in 1994 in the southeastern province of Chiapas, fighting discrimination against the Mayan people and inequality blamed on the North American Free Trade Agreement, is named after what leader of the Mexican Revolution?
Correct Answer: EMILIANO ZAPATA
Your Answer: Zapata
Points Assigned: 1

It was between Zapata and Villa. I went with the right one. 

4. Within the Paleozoic era of the geologic timescale, two Periods sit between the Devonian and Permian Periods and are sometimes categorized as subperiods within a single Carboniferous Period. These two Periods, which span 359 to 299 million years ago, have names that reference U.S. states. Name either state.
Correct Answer: PENNSYLVANIA, MISSISSIPPI
Your Answer: Montanian
Points Assigned: 2

Damn. I live in Pennsylvania. 

5. In the standard English version of "Jack and the Beanstalk", what item does Jack trade in exchange for the magic beans?
Correct Answer: (HIS MOTHER'S) COW
Your Answer: Hat
Points Assigned: 2

Nope, I haven't read it in years. Probably over scored this one. 

6. Roman historian Pliny the Elder is credited with naming (or at least popularizing the name of) what archipelago, which he so named because of the multitudes of large dogs who (apparently) lived there?
Correct Answer: CANARY ISLANDS
Your Answer: Great Britain
Points Assigned: 3

I considered the canary islands, but didn't go with it. 

Ben day 1

Welcome back folks. A very solid 4/6 to start the season. Wasted a strong day against a weak .328 career opponent. Wish I'd saved it for my sophomore referral David Seif (who may start posting) tomorrow. 

1 :) Morgan. Pretty wheelhouse for a NYC finance worker. D1

2 :( I guessed chamberlain. Was never gonna get this one, but same goes for my opponent whose entire get rate in the sports and games category seems to come from games. D3

3 :) There was a picture of Zapata literally hanging in our breakfast room for the first 25 years of my life, and I was in Chiapas in 1994, so safe to call this wheelhouse too. D2.

4 :( guessed Nevada. About 20 states sounded plausible. Turns out I've never heard of his. I almost guessed Utah as I know there's a dinosaur called Utah Raptor, but my gut said Nevada for some reason. D1

5 :) cow. I'm calling this for easiest question the day. Not sure what the alternative guesses might be. Jack wasn't trading Credit derivative obligations or muni bonds. D0

6 :) Canary Islands. I think there might be a 1983 genus edition trivial pursuit question along these lines. At least that's where I think I learnt that canary was named after canines and not the birds. D2