Gideon Day 25 - LL75

Good season! See you all (online) in 2018, I hope.

4ish/6 Today

1 :) D1 Focus - I was afraid it was something more complicated.
2 :) D1 Alphabet
3 :( D3 Kauffman - I was pretty pleased with this as a plausible answer: either Nic Cage as Charlie Kaufman in Adaptation, or Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman in Man on Moon.
4 :| D0 The Bulge - Close enough?
5 :) D2 Olympic Games - Last minute get. I spent all day thinking about unseasonable weather and pandemics.
6 :( D2 Wings - It's been awhile since I've read any Dickenson. I do remember the dashes.

Brian I Day 25

4/6, hopefully enough to keep me from relegation after a devastating loss to Steiny yesterday.  Interesting opponent, we should be defending the opposite of each other based on strengths and weakness.  I'm hoping to grab my division's DE crown.  Happy new year!

1) Focus. Gimme. Finally my math degree comes in handy. That, or 11th grade math. D2

2) Alphabet. Nest was my way in. Without the 2015 date, I would have said Google. I don't think Alphabet is common knowledge for non-biz, should be difficult. D3

3) Welles. I have no recollection of Blanchett playing Hepburn, but she was a great Hela. D1 

4) Battle of the Bulge. Gimme. D0

5) Olympics. Made sense. D2

6) Wings.  Made the bird reference. Close but no cigar. D1

Ben Day 25

4/6. It is as if Thorsten is just rubbing in that I'm getting relegated by throwing some wheelhouse questions my way now that the dream is dead. btw, I have more correct answers than the guy in first!

1 :) focus. math gimme.

2 :) alphabet. tech biz gimme. deepmind is terrfiying. Just destroyed the best existing chess AI after spending 4 hours learning the game from scratch!

3 :( Philip Seymour Hoffman. Argh. Aviator crossed my mind but I couldn't remeber that it was Blanchett, and for some reason I thought Truman Capote might have won an Oscar for a screenplay.

4 :) Battle of the Bulge. I still don't really understand the question phrasing, though I got enough to get to the right answer.

5 :) Olympics. Don't know what else it could be.

6 :( Wings for me too

Dave M day 25

A 3/6 on the final day of the season against Carrbenite (but lapsed poster SeebeckK). See you in the new year!

 

1 : ( I should know this, I guessed Origin. D1

2 : ) Business gimme I suspect – Waymo, DeepMind, Nest were the ones that got it for me. D0

3 : ( Forgot there was a movie about Hepburn in 2005, risky D3. I went with Johnny Cash as he might have got an Oscar right? D3

4 : ) Simple WWII question. D1

5 : ) Pleased I got this, sounded like something needed to be cancelled/moved from Italy. Olympics was the only thing I could think of that made sense. D2

6 : ( I tried to get wording meter to match the third line, ended up with ‘Golden Wings’. D2

Jesse day 25

4/6 I got a math question right!!!!! See you all in Feb. 

1. A parabola is defined as a set of points on a plane equidistant from a given line and a given fixed point. The line is called the directrix; what is the term most commonly used for the fixed point?
Correct Answer: FOCUS
Your Answer: Focus
Points Assigned: 1

It was the only thing I could think of and it turned out to be right. 

2. Access, Calico, CapitalG, DeepMind, GV, Jigsaw, Nest, Sidewalk, Verily, and Waymo are some (but not all) of the divisions of what corporate conglomerate founded in 2015?
Correct Answer: ALPHABET INC.
Your Answer: Alphabet
Points Assigned: 0

With Nest I would have been in trouble, but I knew Google had bought them and Google was now part of Alphabet. 

3. The only occasion during which an Oscar was awarded for the portrayal of another Oscar winner happened at the 77th Academy Awards ceremony in February 2005. Name either Oscar winner (the 2005 recipient or the film's character). 
Correct Answer: CATE BLANCHETT, KATHARINE HEPBURN
Your Answer: Demille
Points Assigned: 2

Nope, I had no idea.

4. The salient in the German front lines that appeared on news maps is the source for the common name of what WWII battle, Germany's final major offensive on the Western Front?
Correct Answer: BATTLE OF THE BULGE
Your Answer: Battle of the Bulge
Points Assigned: 1

I wasn't sure what a salient was, but given the phrasing bulge made sense. 

5. What took place in London, England, beginning in April 1908 (and concluding later that year), in large part because of the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Italy two years prior?
Correct Answer: (1908 SUMMER) OLYMPICS
Your Answer: Olympics
Points Assigned: 2

I didn't know of any London famine at the time (I just watched a NOVA from earlier this year about a large volcano from Lombok causing a famine in London in the 1300s and they did not mention a famine in 1908.) so figured it could be an international event having to be canceled. The Olympics made the most sense to me, but I was concerned that they had not started yet, or perhaps they were always in Greece at this point. 

6. What word fills in the blank in this first quatrain from a famous poem by Emily Dickinson? \ "Hope" is the thing with ___________ - \ That perches in the soul - \ And sings the tune without the words - \ And never stops - at all -
Correct Answer: FEATHERS
Your Answer: Wings
Points Assigned: 3

Feathers is so much more poetic than wings. 

David S Day 25

3/6. Very frustrating as I thought I had a shot at all 6 and really thought I had at least 5. Despite that, it's been a great season. Happy holidays to all!

1. Focus :), D2. Should have been a gimme for me, but I actually struggled to come up with it. But once I had it I knew it was right. 

2. Alphabet :), D1. The 2015 almost actually tricked me, since Alphabet was only founded that year in the most technical sense. 

3. Hughes :(, D0. Ugh! I was so proud of myself for realizing it was the Aviator. Then I realized I didn't know if it was Hughes or Hepburn. I put down Hepburn and then changed it to Hughes. Ugh again! D0 because film is very strong for my opponent.

4. Battle of the Bulge :), D2. Gimme. D2 because my opponent is weak in history.  

5. Freezing of the Thames River :(, D3. Didn't really think this happened that year, nor did it really make sense that it should take 2 years. This is actually a very good clue in my opinion, but I was nowhere close. 

6. Birds :(, D1. Seemed like birds was all it could be. Rhymes with words and makes sense in context. Got it wrong and wasted a D1.

Gideon Day 24

4/6 today.

1 :( D3 DeBeauvoir - I know Nin, but was so pleased with myself for coming up with Simone DeBeauvoir that I didn't think about the question any further.
2 :) D1 Rabies
3 :) D2 Prosecco - I guess Asti will be MCW. I once sabred the top off of a bottle of prosecco with a hatchet. It was awesome.
4 :) D2 Medvedev - I know it's pronounced with an extra Y in there, and debated putin it in.
5 :) D0 Tehran
6 :( D1 Kanye West

brad day24

3/6

1) hurston d3

no idea

2) pneumonia d2

nope

3) prosecco d0

booze gimme

4) medvedev d1

had to be one or the other

5) tehran d1

pretty straightforward

6) bon jovi d2

who says you cant go home?

Brian Day 24

4/6, a nice start after yet another loss yesterday and losing my DE lead, but I think i really screwed up the defense vs Steiny. 

1) Bridget Jones. never heard of this woman. D2

2) rabies. Gimme. D0

3) Prosecco. the only sparkling wine i know. D1

4) Prokhorov. Yes, owner of the Nets, but i just couldn't get Medvedev.  Worried this is a gimme. D2

5) Tehran. Gimme. D1

6) Eminem.  I actually thought, "Eminem can't be right, he's too obvious, but I'll take the MCW" and D3ed it.  i feel uncomfortable.

Jesse day 24

3 or 4/6.

1. Though she had written numerous books, including House of Incest, Winter of Artifice, and the Cities of the Interior series, what French-born American novelist did not achieve wide renown until the publication of her diaries written from 1931 to 1966, with their seven volumes published between 1966 and 1980?
Correct Answer: ANAÏS NIN
Your Answer: Douglas
Points Assigned: 3

Never heard of her. I had no idea. 

2. Violent contractions of the larynx and respiratory muscles with accompanying panic and related symptoms, induced by drinking, are known as hydrophobia. Hydrophobia is itself a historical name for what viral and usually fatal zoonotic disease, during the course of which these symptoms often appear?
Correct Answer: RABIES
Your Answer: Rabies
Points Assigned: 1

I knew that Rabies causes hydrophobia. 

3. What Italian sparkling wine (spumante), typically made from its namesake grape (now known as the Glera) and named after the northeastern Italian village where the wine and grape originated, is the main ingredient in a Bellini cocktail?
Correct Answer: PROSECCO
Your Answer: Proseco
Points Assigned: 0

Wasn't sure whether this or question 2 should be D0. 

4. Who is currently serving as Prime Minister of Russia, a position he has held since his term as President ended in May 2012?
Correct Answer: DMITRY MEDVEDEV
Your Answer: Medvyed
Points Assigned: 2

Not sure this will be acceptable. I knew who it was, just couldn't get the name right.

5. Of the many factors that led to the inauguration of Ronald Reagan in January 1981, among the most significant was an event that occurred 444 days prior in what city?
Correct Answer: TEHRAN
Your Answer: Teheran
Points Assigned: 1

Not too hard for American history. 

6. This photo appeared on the cover of a 2010 album by what musical artist? LINK: http://www.learnedleague.com/images/art/48ireroiuh9tmy04e89.jpg
Correct Answer: EMINEM
Your Answer: Drake
Points Assigned: 2

I initially had Eminnem, thinking it was 8 mile, then changed to Drake. 

Dave M day 24

A 4/6 for me today, looks like a strong one for all of us so far.

 

1 : ( Had no idea and have never heard of Anais Nun. D3

2 : ( Of course it’s Rabies – I guessed Anthrax. D2

3 : ) The best of all the sparkling wines, I suspect a gimme in the elitist environs of Rundle Sierra? D0

4 : ) I love hearing his name pronounced on TV/Radio – ‘medvyedev’. So Russian. D1

5 : ) Could only be Tehran. D1

6 : ) A lucky guess for me too. I saw something about his new album the other day. D2

Ben day 24

Relegation is now inevitable (unless people aboveme start forfeiting and losing points) so 2 dead rubbers for me. 4/6.

1 :( I didn't know anais nun was American so she didn't cross my mind.

2 :( I wrote pneumonia. I thought zoonotic was related to animals but didn't put 2 and 2 together.

3 :) prosecco. No alternatives

4 :) Medvedev. Almost put Mendeleev when half awake this morning but caught myself on the train!

5 :) Tehran. I spent some time racking my brain for American cities wondering if this could be referring to the assassination attempt even though I thought hat happened once he was president, but as soon as I switched gears to world events this seemed my best bet. 

6 :) Eminem. It just looked like the real slim shady standing up.

David S Day 24

5/6 today. Took a bad beat with 4/6 yesterday, but today I think I'm probably good. 

1. Marchand :(, D3. No clue. 

2. Rabies :), D1. Didn't see what else it could be. 

3. Prosecco :), D0. I've never had a bellini, but is there any other Italian sparkling wine?

4. Medvedev :), D2. He and Putin just keep switching roles. 

5. Tehran :), D1. The key to the question was that the hostages at the US embassy were held for exactly 444 days and released the same day Reagan was inaugurated. 

6. Eminem :), D2. Total guess. Got a pop music question, ending my 0-7 start on these this season. 

Gideon Day 23

4 or 5/6 today vs. Carrbenite SilvermanA
1 :) D1 Van Eyk - That's the portrait that looks like putin
2 :) D0 The English Patient
3 :) D2 Sam Hill
4 :| D1 Interference - Close enough?
5 :( D3 Oscar Mayer All Beef Kosher Frankfurt - In hindsight it should have been Hebrew National.
6 :) D2 Principia

brad day 23

2/6 ... looking forward to the company in e next season

1) rembrandt d2

thought i had a chance here

2) the bandit d2

no idea

3) sweeney todd d3

also no clue

4) pass interference d0

gimme

5) frankfurter d1

my write in bwa submission

6) principia d1

science gimme?

Ben Day 23

2/6. Down I go.  The lower levels in Sierra have really increased in difficulty such that our Rundle D&E average qpct is the highest of all 50 leagues by more than a standard deviation over 2nd!

Also the incoming Sierra rookie division is also the strongest of all 50 leagues, so things are gonna get hotter.

1 :( Vermeer. I thought Vermeer is too recent, but had no better guess.

2 :( Thomas Crowne Affair. Good question. I've never seen the movie sadly

3 :( I wrote Blue Blazes.  This was brutal as I really sunk considerable time into it, only to find that it is an obscure Americanism that I've never heard of and could link with none of the context clues.

4 :) Pass interference.  Basic US sports questions if I can get it right

5 :( I'm afraid I've never heard of this. Guessed Frankfurt Kapital

6 :) Principia. Not enough to save me, I don't think.

Dave M day 23

Ugh, 1/6 today, only question right was the Frankfurt am Main one (which will almost certainly attract my opponent’s D0). A mile off on the others. Hoping for better luck tomorrow as I’m close to the relegation zone.

Jesse day 23

1/6 I think. Oof.

1. A 1434 portrait of Giovanni and Giovanna Arnolfini is a magnum opus of what Flemish master of the Northern Renaissance?
Correct Answer: JAN VAN EYCK
Your Answer: Rembrandt
Points Assigned: 0

Guessing this is the MCW and that I scored it poorly. 

2. The mysterious title character of what 1996 film was, as it turned out, a Hungarian aristocrat named László Almásy?
Correct Answer: THE ENGLISH PATIENT
Your Answer: The Usual Suspects
Points Assigned: 1

This is very gettable. I can't remember if I saw it, just the Seinfeld episode about it.

3. The name of what fictional American individual, possibly derived from that of a murderous English chimney sweep, from that of an archangel of death, and/or as a jolly euphemism for the underworld, fills in the blank in the slang expression of the form what in _____ _____ is going on here?
Correct Answer: SAM HILL
Your Answer: Sam Hill
Points Assigned: 1

I first thought Tarn Hill, decided that wasn't a thing, then thought Blue Blazes, then went with Sam Hill. 

4. "...[W]hen any act by a player more than one yard beyond the line of scrimmage significantly hinders an eligible player's opportunity to catch the ball." Per the 2017 edition of the rulebook of the National Football League, the preceding quote is the definition of what penalty, which can be committed by either the offense or the defense?
Correct Answer: PASS INTERFERENCE
Your Answer: Holding
Points Assigned: 2

This was a bad miss by me. Should have thought a bit longer about this one. 

5. To distinguish it from another city, on the Oder River, the German city and commercial hub of Frankfurt has what official full name?
Correct Answer: FRANKFURT AM MAIN
Your Answer: Frankfurt on the Rhine
Points Assigned: 2

I have been to the airport, never the city. Very gettable. 

6. "On the Motion of Bodies," "The Motion of Bodies in Resisting Media," and "On the System of the World" are common (though not official) titles of the three sections of a work by Sir Isaac Newton published in 1687. This work is best known by what shortened, one-word title?
Correct Answer: PRINCIPIA
Your Answer: Physica
Points Assigned: 3

It was in the back of my head, but I didn't quite remember it correctly. 

Correction: David S Day 23

Brian I Day 23

3/6.   Began the season 5-2-0, at which point I thought the season had a lot more gimmes than usual.  Since then I'm 2-8-5.  

1)Degas. wild guess. D3

2)The English Patient.  Never saw it, but the plot point  rang a bell, and the year seemed about right. D1

3)Sam Hill.  Just knew it. D2

4)pass interference. Gimme. Not to be confused with this rule making the rounds this morning(this one's for you,David S): "A player is not allowed to score a touchdown at the end of a game to beat the Patriots, therefore Steelers TE Jesse James' catch was correctly ruled an incomplete pass." D0

5) His Majesty's Canton of Frankfurt. D2

6) Mathematica.  I know the full title is something about principles of Mathematica. Embarrassing math/science fail. My other option was The Baroque Cycle, but the answer was one word. D1

David S Day 22

4/6 against an opponent with similar strengths and weaknesses to me. 

1. Van Eyck :), D3. I got an art question! I can't believe it.

2. The Usual Suspects :(, D2. No clue. 

3. The devil :(, D2. Didn't understand the question. Wouldn't have gotten it even if I had. 

4. Pass interference :), D1. A gimme unless you get fooled into thinking it's holding. Still recovering from yesterday's Pats-Steelers game. Go Pats!

5. Frankfurt-am-Main :), D1. Knew the name, but wasn't sure about the spelling. Got a bit lucky on that front. 

6. Principia:), D0. No way to get through my 4 years of college without knowing this. 

Gideon Day 22

6/6 today!

1 :) D1 Bel Canto - I was putting together Italian sounding words for beautiful and singing when I remembered the title of the Ann Patchett book (never actually read it).
2 :) D3 Ethiopia - Have we had this as an LL question before?
3 :) D1 Hermione - It took awhile but I got it through the muggle parents connection.
4 :) D2 Morgan - Good riddance
5 :) D2 E Pluribus Unum
6 :) D0 Merman - Everything's coming up Millhouse!

Ben Day 22

Wicked holiday party hang-over hindered my morning performance. 1/6.

1 :( I guessed Vocce Bella.

2 :( I wrote Kazakhstan. I blame the hangover for this as I know Ethiopia is the world's most populous landlocked country but was not all there when answering.

3 :( I wrote Matilda. Yes very gettable, and I probably should have. I'll blame hangover again.

4 :) Piers Morgan. Not sure how this is the question that I got right. Was a guess.

5 :( I only knew the word Unum, and wasn't even sure this was the phrase I was targetting so ended up guessing "Land of the Free"

6 :( I guessed Bridgette Bardot.

Brian I Day 22

​2/6 and sinking fast in the standings. Still tops in defensive efficiency, only thing saving me from relegation.

1) belaggio. D3

2)Kazakhstan. Ethiopia wasn't independent by by 1993? oh, now i see the explanations below. i had no hope of getting this. D1

3)Hermione. I read all the Harry Potter books this year. D1

4)Lehrer. D2.

5)E Pluribus Unum. History gimme D0

6)Gypsy Rose.  D2 

Dave M day 22

3/6 and I think my winning streak will continue as these questions are out of my opponent’s (who lives in remote Alaska – or does he?) wheelhouse

 

1 : ( Just like David S, I played round with the French word for song and came up with Chantibella. Not too far off! D3

2 : ) I read this in the Economist just this morning – a hidden bonus for subscribers. D1

3 : ( This seems more gettable than I thought. I guessed Athena. D2

4 : ) I think he’s more of a celebrity in the UK than the USA. Was pleased he was unsuccessful on CNN. D1

5 : ) Pretty easy I think. D0

6 : ( Random guess of Julie Andrews. D2

Jesse day 22

2/6

1. A term derived from the Italian for "beautiful singing" has been defined as a vocal style, popular in Italy in the 18th and early 19th centuries, which emphasizes technique and tone over dramatic expression. What is this term?
Correct Answer: BEL CANTO
Your Answer: Imprezario
Points Assigned: 1

I had no idea. Never heard of the answer.

2. As a result of a 1993 independence referendum that finished with 99.83% of voters in favor, what nation replaced Uganda as the world's most populous landlocked country?
Correct Answer: ETHIOPIA
Your Answer: Ethiopea
Points Assigned: 3

My first thought was Ukraine, but that was independent in 1991. Then I thought about maybe the Czech Republic. But I knew Eritrea became a country around 1993 and then remembered that when it left Ethiopia it made it landlocked and Ethiopia has a lot of people. This was a hard one. 

3. What name is shared by the only daughter of Menelaus and Helen from Greek legend, the saintly wife of Sicilian king Leontes in Shakespeare's Winter's Tale, and (likely) literature's most prominent only child of English dentists?
Correct Answer: HERMIONE
Your Answer: Sophia
Points Assigned: 2

Oh, the last one was a Harry Potter reference. Seems very gettable.

4. Following the retirement of Larry King from CNN in late 2010, what former newspaper editor hosted his own namesake talk show in King's timeslot until its cancellation due to very low ratings in 2014?
Correct Answer: PIERS MORGAN
Your Answer: Zakaria
Points Assigned: 1

Totally forgot about him. 

5. First proposed in August 1776 by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson, what motto on the seal of the United States was not officially adopted until 1782, and first appeared in an official capacity on a New Jersey coin in 1786? The phrase was a de facto motto of the U.S. until a 1956 act of Congress made "In God We Trust" the country's official motto.
Correct Answer: E PLURIBUS UNUM
Your Answer: Out of many, one (E Pluribus Unum)
Points Assigned: 0

Possible gimmie for Americans. 

6. The performance of what actress did Walter Kerr, writing for the New York Herald Tribune in a 1959 Broadway review, describe as a "brassy, brazen witch on a mortgaged broomstick, a steamroller with cleats, the very mastodon of all stage mothers"?
Correct Answer: ETHEL MERMAN
Your Answer: Bassy
Points Assigned: 2

Seems very gettable. 

brad day22

2/6 ... opponent had an 'artsy/film' profile so adjusted d as such

1) stacatto d2

nope

2) uzbekistan d3

figured would be ex-ussr

3) hermione d0

a rare lit get for me

4) cooper d1

remember this now, but was never going to get it

5) e pluribus unum d2

probably put d too high on this

6) garland d1

was thinking wizard of oz as well

David S Day 22

3/6. Only lucky guesses would have gotten me more. Also, Ben, thanks for that lovely image in your World of Warcraft explanation yesterday.

1. Dolce Chante :(, D3. Picked a word I kind of knew in Italian (dolce) and a slight modification of the French word for song and hoped for the best. Nope. 

2. Ethiopia :), D1. I like this question. Very tricky since it was another country, Eritrea, being granted independence that left the rump Ethiopia landlocked and since we aren't usually thinking Africa when we think about new countries formed in the early 1990s. 

3. Margaret :(, D2. No clue.

4. Morgan :), D1. I remember this show. Never really watched it or its predecessor. 

5. E Pluribus Unum :), D0. Easiest one of the day in my opinion. 

6. Hannigan:(, D2. No clue. Picked the actress who played the witch in The Wizard of Oz 20 years earlier. 

Gideon Day 21

2 or 3/6 today

1 :( D3 Mississippi Burning - You know, that documentary with Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe.
2 :) D0 Edo
3 :) D2 Kissing
4 :( Faulkner - Dammnit, I read The Good Earth a few years ago.
5 :( D2 Magic - "Expansion set" led away from my initial correct answer, to my card based incorrect answer.
6 :/ D1 Presidential - I hope this is close enough. I should have read the question more closely before answering.

brad day21

1/6

1) nation of islam d0

never heard of it, but history opponents best

2) samurai d2

gettable

3) thinking d1

also gettable

4) friedman d2

nope

5) warcraft d1

played warcraft 2 in high school, so got it from the azeroth one

6) cascade d3

completely missed the point of the question

Brian I Day 21

1/6 I had no chance today.  Seeing The Last Jedi tonight. All is well in the world.

1)Death of a Black Man D2

2)Edo. Gimme. D0

3) Thinking. Klimt, Klimt, why does that name sound familiar... oh well, Rodin is The Thinker. D1

4) Asimov.D2

5) Hearthstone. D1

6) Native American Names. D3

Jesse Day 21

2/6

1. The shocking stabbing death of Meredith Hunter, an 18-year-old African American man from Berkeley, California, is central to what 1970 documentary film, which includes footage of the incident?

Correct Answer: GIMME SHELTER
Your Answer: Endless Summer
Points Assigned: 3

I had no idea. I have heard of it. 

2. What was the name of the city that served as the political center of the Tokugawa Shogunate beginning in the early 1600s? The city, which gives its name to another term for the Tokugawa period, was renamed Tokyo with the restoration of imperial rule under Meiji in 1868.
Correct Answer: EDO
Your Answer: Edo
Points Assigned: 1

I have been there and also remember this from Civilization. 

3. Figures in a 1908 painting by Gustav Klimt, an 1882 sculpture by Auguste Rodin, a 1969 painting by Pablo Picasso, and a 1945 photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt are all engaged in what act?
Correct Answer: KISS
Your Answer: Ballet
Points Assigned: 1

Nope. I probably should have read into "act" more.

4. Sons and A House Divided, the second and third installments of the House of Earth trilogy, are works by what Pulitzer and Nobel-winning American novelist?
Correct Answer: PEARL S. BUCK
Your Answer: Smith
Points Assigned: 2

Nope!

5. The Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, Cataclysm, Mists of Pandaria, Legion, and Battle for Azeroth are expansion sets released for what game?
Correct Answer: WORLD OF WARCRAFT
Your Answer: World of Warcraft
Points Assigned: 0

Those sounded like they belonged to the world of Warcraft universe.

6. What is the most notable distinction shared by the names of the five tallest mountains in New Hampshire's White Mountains? This distinction is referenced in the name of the range of the White Mountains within which these peaks are located.
Correct Answer: NAMES OF U.S. PRESIDENTS
Your Answer: Color
Points Assigned: 2

Oh, yeah, I had no idea.

Dave M day 21 vs David Seif

Another Carrben matchup, 2 in a row, will I make it 2 wins in a row vs Seif? 4/6 for me today so a good start.

 

1 : ( No idea, went with Manson Murders. Seif correctly burned his D3 on this one. I D2-ed. 0-0

2 : ) Seif strong in geography and world history so D0. DM 1 (1) – 0 (1) DS

3 : ) We have the compulsory copy of Klimt’s kiss at our apartment in London. D1. DM 2 (2) – 0 (1) DS

4 : ( Random guess of Frantzen. I correctly burned my D3 on this one. DM 2 (2) – 0 (1) DS

5 : ) My husband played this years ago. D1. DM 4 (3) – 1 (2) DS

6 : ) I didn’t know this but this so I made a lucky guess of a stereotypically Amercian naming convention. D2 as I thought this one was tougher.

 

Final result DM 4 (4) – 3 (3) DS.

A second win for me in this matchup, at least this time I got more questions right than you David!

Ben day 21

1 :( never heard of this film. D2

2 :) edo. D0. Opponent rocks world history

3 :) kiss. Got it from Klimt and photo confirmed

4 :( guessed Steinbeck.

5 :( I guess magic the gathering because the wording of expansion sets steered me away from video games, even though I totally recognize 2 of the titles in hindsight. I treat multiplayer online role playing games like I treat heroin. Not even once. If I try either even one time, next thing I know I'll be waking up in a haze in a seedy south East Asian hostel, my life in tatters, whoring my ravaged nubile body out to depraved sex tourists for my next high.

6 :( this seemed too obvious so I went with brothers. Stupid. D1

David S Day 21 vs Dave M

3/6 unless the grading is harsher than normal. No real gimmes here for me, but many were gettable. Versus Dave M today, against whom I'm seeking revenge for a loss last season despite getting more questions correct than he did. 

1. Modern Lynching :(, D3. No clue. 

2. Edo :), D1. I knew this was the old name for Tokyo. Didn't know the rest of the history behind it. 

3. Thinking :(, D1. Ugh. I got so fixated on the Rodin sculpture that I didn't pick up on the bigger clue of the 1945 V-J Day photo, one of the most famous photos there is.

4. Morrison :(, D2. Only American Nobel Lit winner I knew. 

5. Warcraft :), D2. I haven't played any sort of Warcraft in ages (though I had a lot of fun playing it in middle and high school), but I remember/have heard of Azeroth. Given credit I've gotten for some recent close ones, I expect Warcraft will be acceptable, but if not, 2/6. 

6. Names for presidents :), D0. Didn't know this (despite traveling to the White Mountains several times), but since I knew the tallest mountain was Mount Washington, this seemed like the most likely answer by far. 

Gideon Day 20

3/6 today

1 :( D1 Bieber

2 :( D2 Khazakstan - I was choosing between Pakistan and Afghanistan before I convinced myself at the last minute that it was Kazakhstan. 

3 :) D1 Invasion of the Body Snatchers - pods!

4 :) D0 Calvin Coolidge - A possibly apocryphal story has it that a matron, seated next to him at a dinner, said to him, "I made a bet today that I could get more than two words out of you." He replied, "You lose."

- From the Calvin Coolidge Wikipedia article. 

5 :( D2 Prison 

6 :) D3 Erewhon - I've heard of a cereal brand with this name, that anagrams nowhere. This was a lucky educated guess. 

brad day20

2/6

1) mendes d2

shocked by the low get rate here, one of his songs has been on the radio basically non stop the last year.  d2 only because opponent australian with <.100 pop music

2) afghanistan d1

nope

3) the great escape d3

no idea

4) hughes d0

nope, probably a bad use of the d0

5) golf course d1

gimme if you follow golf, otherwise the st andrews clue probably not going to help

6) 1881 d2

the prequel to 1984 ...

Dave M day 20

Up against Ben and the duly anticipated win. I got 3/6 but Ben defended impressively so my score was low. I think this will result in us swapping relegation positions in the leaderboard…

 

1 : ( I guessed Diplo and D3ed, thought it was risky as Ben’s eldest must be getting closer to getting into this sort of music.

2 : ) Balochistan also, incidentally, the one province that didn’t make it into the name PAKIstan, so unimportant was it considered. P = Punjab, A = Assam (Bangladesh), K = Kashmir, I = Indus (Sindh). D1, Dave 1-0

3 : ( Also guessed Day of the Triffids for the same reason as Ben. D1

4 : ) Started off with Ebenezer Scrooge before remembering he’s fictional. Coolidge fit the timing best and I knew he had a reputation for being severe. D2. Dave 2-0

5 : ) Gimme. Dave 2-0

6 : ( Random guess of Lilyput. D2

So a 2(3) – 0(1) victory.

Brian Day 20

2/6

1) Mendes.  My family listens to pop music in the car, lucky me. I just bought Taylor Swift tickets this morning. D2

2) Afghanistan.  Somehow Pakistan didn't cross my mind. D1

3) Giant. I got the year right. Considered War of the Worlds , but never Body Snatchers. I thought those pods were bags of seed. D2

4) Wilson. Was between Wilson and Coolidge. Prob a gimme for a strong history opponent. D1

5) Golf course.  I came so close to writing farm because of McDonald, I'm not a golf guy. But St Andrews clicked for me, prob a gimme for the 90% of men who golf nowadays. D0

6) A Modest Proposal.  Though it was just an essay, couldn't anagram it into something else, but never heard of Erewhon. D3 

Ben Day 20

Relegation looms ever closer with a 1/6 v Mirkin today. I expect a 1(2)-0(1) loss. Hopefully if Mrirkin beats me he does it with style so that I can extend my lead in Correct Answers Against. I have a higher CAA in D than Steiny who is in C!

1 :( I worte Demi Levato. D2

2 :( I wrote Kazakhstan. D1.

3 :( I noticed the weird alin egg looking things on the trucl and guessed "Day of the Triffids" D3

4 :( I guessed Thomas Edison. I'm guessing some of that language is context clue for Coolidge, but it went right over my head. D1

5 :) Golf course. D0. Gimme

6 :( No idea. I guessed Noldon as an almost palindromic anagram of London. D2

Jesse day 20

3/6 against fellow Carrbenite SteinbergD.

1. What 19-year-old Ontarian pop star, whose recent hit singles include "Stitches," "Treat You Better," and "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back," first gained popularity in the summer of 2013 via cover videos uploaded to the now-defunct sharing service Vine?
Correct Answer: SHAWN MENDES
Your Answer: Lil' Trouble
Points Assigned: 2

I had no idea.

2. With terrain dominated by mountains and arid desert, Balochistan is the largest province by area, and the smallest province by population (both by a significant margin) of what Asian nation?
Correct Answer: PAKISTAN
Your Answer: Pakistan
Points Assigned: 0

I knew this one and guessed it could be easily guessed.

3. This is a screenshot from what 1956 film? LINK: http://www.learnedleague.com/images/art/3489598cyn0t9.jpg
Correct Answer: INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS
Your Answer: Invasion of the body snatchers
Points Assigned: 2

I saw the pods in the back of the trucks and knew pod people were from Invasion of the Body Snatchers from film school. Never seen the film though. 

4. Given his noted thriftiness and unadorned reticence, The Autobiography of ___________ is the fittingly titled (and at a brisk 246 pages, fittingly terse) 1929 autobiography of what American (whose name fills in the blank)? 
Correct Answer: CALVIN COOLIDGE
Your Answer: Henry Ford
Points Assigned: 1

I was sure it was one of the tycoons of the age. This was harder than I would have thought. 

5. Old Tom Morris, a Scotsman who was born in St Andrews in 1821 and died there in 1908, is widely recognized as the first formal architect of a certain type of facility, although the honor is also bestowed upon a student of Morris, an American named Charles B. Macdonald (including by Macdonald himself). What is that facility?
Correct Answer: GOLF COURSE
Your Answer: Golf Course
Points Assigned: 1

St Andrews and "facility" were enough for me. 

6. What is the anagrammatical title (nearly but not quite a semordnilap) of a satirical Utopian novel by English author Samuel Butler first published anonymously in 1872?
Correct Answer: EREWHON
Your Answer: Paradise
Points Assigned: 3

I had no idea, but I have seen this question before in the past somewhere. 

David S Day 20

Just 1/6. Was sure I had at least 3, but these turned out to be far trickier than I realized. Against a weak opponent, I actually think I still might pull of a win today. 

1. Bieber :(, D0. This is the worst type of question. I not only thought I had it right but also thought it was easy and wasted my D0. 

2. Pakistan :), D2. Pakistan in all forms has been in the news so much in the last two decades, this has come up. 

3. Patton :(, D2. No clue. 

4. Rockefeller :(, D1. I was certain this was right. Coolidge would probably have been my next guess, but I had no doubt it was Rockefeller. 

5. Factory :(, D1. Interesting. But I'm shocked to hear there weren't formal golf courses before this. 

6. Good Life :), D3. No clue. 

Gideon Day 19

4/6 today

1 :( D1 Germany - I'd heard about it, but forgot which country it was.
2 :) D0 As Mad As a Hatter
3 :) D2 Markel - I wonder if there will be a few Merkel's.
4 :) D1 Dutch West India Company
5 :( D3 Bootlegging - I've heard of this show, remembered that Keith David was in it and today realized that I knew absolutely nothing else about it.
6 :) D2 Treasure Island - I'm glad there aren't any books that I know of with a charismatic villain named Redd Lobster.

Brad day19

1/6 ... but still in the hunt for the mcw crown

1) italy d0

started the day well

2) tight like a tiger d2

a trading floor term of unknown origin or meaning ...

3) obama d1

thought the daughters were on the cover recently, but regardless was a bad miss

4) nato d3

my bwa submission

5) marijuana d2

read too much into the name of the show

6) moby dick d1

read this a very long time ago

Brian I Day 19

3/6, blew a fourth. Yesterday was only my second victory in 11 days. Happy Chanukah everyone!  https://youtu.be/fg51la8Yayc

1) Italy.  My co-worker Picciuto was bitching about Italy's elimination a few weeks ago, and I remember everyone at Sal's Pizza going nuts years ago when Italy won. D2

2) Mad as a Hatter.  close to a gimme D1

3) Markle. I loved her for years on Suits even before Prince Harry stole her away. D1

4) Dutch India Company. I thought West was in there somewhere, but it just didn't sound right. Kicking myself. Pretty sure this is a history gimme. D0

5) Hospital.  no clue. D3

6) Oliver Twist.  Couldn't come up with a nautically themed book besides Moby Dick. Is this Arthur Treacher? D2

​Addendum after reading all your posts before sending this: 

I feel like slightly less of a moron for omitting West.  

Ben, I knew it was Meghan and left it out just in case, that cracks me up.  

Long John Silver, wish I had thought of that instead of a probably long out-of-business Arthur Treacher chain. I don't know if there are any Long John's in the NYC area. 

Jesse Day 19

4/6

1. Of all the countries that have won the FIFA Men's World Cup in its history (and still exist, so not including West Germany), a single one did not qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Identify that country.
Correct Answer: ITALY
Your Answer: Italy
Points Assigned: 2

This was a relatively big sports story a few weeks back. 

2. What well-known simile allegedly originated from an occupational nervous disease that affected milliners and certain haberdashers, caused by extended exposure to mercury used in the manufacture of felt?
Correct Answer: MAD AS A HATTER
Your Answer: Mad as a hatter
Points Assigned: 0

Gimmie?

3. Identify the woman in this photograph, which appeared on the cover of the October 2017 edition of Vanity Fair magazine. LINK: http://www.learnedleague.com/images/art/847ty9c35n645v3.jpg
Correct Answer: MEGHAN MARKLE
Your Answer: Godot
Points Assigned: 1

Darn, very, very gettable.

4. What was the name of the Netherlands-chartered organization that was established in 1621 and was responsible for the country's participation in the Atlantic slave trade, commercial operation in the New World, and settlement of New Netherland (now New York)?
Correct Answer: (DUTCH) WEST INDIA COMPANY
Your Answer: Dutch East India Company
Points Assigned: 2

Uh oh, wrong direction.

5. The television drama series Greenleaf, which airs on the Oprah Winfrey Network, tells the story of the titular Memphis-based family and its running of what type of organization?
Correct Answer: (MEGA)CHURCH
Your Answer: Recycling Plant
Points Assigned: 3

Nope!

6. America's largest quick-service seafood restaurant is named after a villainous and charismatic cook from what 1883 novel?
Correct Answer: TREASURE ISLAND
Your Answer: Treasure Island
Points Assigned: 1

I wonder how many people put down Long John Silvers instead of the book itself. 

Dave M day 19

A somewhat better 3/6 today but probably a loss against fellow Carrbenite FriedlandW, given the questions seemed pretty straightforward, and given a poor defense on the future royal question.

1 :) Was surprised to hear this a couple of months ago. D1
2 :) Seems close to a gimme. D1
3 :( Why did I D3 this? I had no idea.
4 :( I was so confident with East India Company. D0
5 :) Random lucky guess based on Memphis-based industries. It was megachurches or giant express-freight businesses. D2
6 :( This is pretty simple and I would have got it if I'd been more patient. I went with Robinson Crusoe. D2

Ben day 19

Like seif, also taking shots at my foot from point blank range. Got 3 but should have been 4, and 5 was on the table. I'm leading the rundle in correct answers against and it is hurting. Relegation looking likely. 

1 :) Italy. Non American Sports gimme

2 :) mad as a hatter. didn't rtfq at first and almost put mad hatters disease.

3 :( first rule of LL is never put a first name in case you are wrong. No upside at all. I put Rachel markel because Rachel is the character she plays in Suits. I can't believe it. 

4 :( I also put Dutch East India, simply because I didn't know there was also a Dutch west India company. The question played to me as 'is there a Dutch west india' company and I decided no because I've heard of east India so much and never west India. 

5 :( never heard of this show. Have no intention of doing so.

6 :) treasure island. I only read that book in the last few years because it was a free kindle download.

David S Day 19

Utter and complete breakdown of brain function today. Maybe 2/6 or possibly just 1/6 on what should have been a strong day for me. 

1. Italy :), D1. At least I got one...

2. Hatter simile :(, D2. Somehow it didn't occur to me that I had to write the actual simile down, which I knew. 

3. Markels ?, D0. Put an extra S on this. Could go either way. 

4. Dutch East India Company :(, D3. I seriously can't believe I put down East instead of West. I'm perfectly aware of the difference between the West and East Indies. 

5. Marijuana cultivator :(, D1. Didn't really seem like an Oprah kind of show, but I had no clue. 

6. Moby Dick :(, D2. I thought the timing on this was off but didn't have another guess. 

Gideon Day 18

3/6 today.
I think today is the day I break my streak. I've been having a ridiculously good season so far.

1 :( D1 Johnson
2 :) D0 The Mona Lisa
3 :) D2 Obama
4 :) D2 Fletch - Lucky guess. I was trying to remember the plots of Inherent Vice, LA Confidential, Chinatown and Traffic; none seemed to match so I took a leap with a lighter film involving a reporter that I barely remembered.
5 :( D1 Poland - I really need to review world history.
6 :( D3 Sondheim - I read Jason Kander's Wikipedia page recently, and read about his great-uncle but I couldn't remember his partner's name.

Bonus trivia: today's Google doodle is about the physicist Max Born - one of the fathers of quantum mechanics, and grandfather of Olivia Newton-John:
Let's get theoretical, theoretical
I wanna get theoretical
Let's get into theory
Let me hear blackbody talk

Two things

Gideon- thanks for the Prince info, amazing how much he did that I never knew about
Everyone-I hate you all for not knowing Fletch. At least Ben knew it had Chevy Chase.

- Brian

Sent from my iPad

Ben Day 18

2/6

1 :( So close. I wrote Stratton rather than Stanton. Both are Aussie Rules footballers so I guess I confused the name.

2 :) Mona Lisa. What else could I guess?

3 :( Trump. Looks like I'm not alone.

4 :( I had no idea. Racked my brain for movies whose names referenced the clues but nada. Isn't Chevy Chase in this?

5 :) Ottomans

6 :( I guessed Sondheim, I have no idea whether that is a sensible guess.

Brad day 18

3/6

1) altuve d1

baseball gimme

2) tesla d2

very gettable, should have thought about this a bit

3) obama d1

a guess, but felt good about it

4) syriana d2

never heard of this

5) ottoman empire d0

world history gimme

6) rice d3

no idea, hoping for a mcw as im only 2 off the lead

Dave M day 18

A week off emailing here while travelling, which was an awful week, I think 2 ties 3 losses. Back to the blog today with a terrible 1-2/6

 

1 : ( Don’t follow baseball, hopefully my opponent burns a point on this simple question. D1

2 : ) Giaconda = Mona Lisa. D1

3 : ( Seems very gettable. I went with Trump. D2

4 : ( I’ve never heard of Fletch – is that terrible? D0

5 : | I wrote Turkey – is that close enough to Ottoman Empire to be correct? D3 as opponent’s worst category is world history.

6 : ( Guessed Tim Rice. D2

Brian I Day 18

​5/6, a rare relaxing day a with a lot of gimmes.

1) Stanton.  So pissed he went to the Yankees. The rich get richer.  Unfortunate, also, that his name in the news might make this an easier than expected answer. D1

2) Mona Lisa.  No other choice.  D2

3) Obama.  The new pics were all over the news last month. D1

4) Fletch.  80's gimme. Dr. Rosenpenis? I like how the question made it seem like a crime film, hopefully confused my opponent. D2

5) Ottoman Empire. Even I knew that history question. D0

6) Grey. I had no idea.  Curious how many people brushed ​up on broadway lyricists after the Tim Rice question. D3

Jesse day 18

4/6

1. For the 2017 Major League Baseball season, they both wore jersey number 27, they were both 27 years of age, and they were both named their league's Most Valuable Player. Name either player.
Correct Answer: JOSÉ ALTUVE, GIANCARLO STANTON
Your Answer: Altuve
Points Assigned: 0

I followed baseball more closely this past year because the Yankees were enjoyable again. 

2. The title of the Aldous Huxley short story "The Gioconda Smile," from his Mortal Coils collection, references a work of art best known by what name?
Correct Answer: MONA LISA
Your Answer: Mona Lisa
Points Assigned: 2

Art with a smile = Mona Lisa

3. A recent #1 on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Best Seller list is a book, published on November 7, 2017, which features over 300 photographs of whom?
Correct Answer: BARACK OBAMA
Your Answer: Obama
Points Assigned: 1

I remembered that the White house photographer had put out a book and Nov 7th clinched it. 

4. While investigating drug trafficking on the beaches of Los Angeles, a newspaper reporter is approached by a bigamous airline executive with an offer to kill the executive and relieve him of his terminal cancer in exchange for $50,000. The reporter comes to learn that this is part of a fraud scheme, and also that the executive is involved in the drug trafficking in coordination with the LAPD. This roughly outlines the plot of what film?
Correct Answer: FLETCH
Your Answer: Point Break
Points Assigned: 2

I haven't seen Fletch in a long time, if at all. 

5. The Triple Alliance, which was created by Otto von Bismarck in 1882 and consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy, evolved into World War I's Central Powers (or Quadruple Alliance). As Italy remained neutral at the war's onset, the Central Powers consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and two new allies. Name either one.
Correct Answer: BULGARIA, OTTOMAN EMPIRE
Your Answer: Ottoman
Points Assigned: 1

Wonder how many people put Bulgaria here. Glad they didn't ask for both. 

6. Name the Broadway lyricist who teamed up with composer John Kander on Flora the Red Menace, Cabaret, Zorba, and Chicago, among others.
Correct Answer: FRED EBB
Your Answer: Fitzgerald
Points Assigned: 3

Never hear of him.

David S Day 18

3/6, but left one on the table. Tough opponent to defend against. 

1. Altuve :), D3. Baseball gimme, although my spelling was off. A risky D3, but based on her history I really don't see my opponent getting this. 

2. Mona Lisa :), D0. A guess, but I didn't see what else it could be. 

3. Trump :(, D1. Dammit! I figured it was a presidential theme coming a year after the election but couldn't get it. 

4. Fair Play :(, D2. No clue. 

5. Ottoman Empire :), D2. History gimme. D2 because it's a very weak category for my opponent. 

6. Smith :(, D1. Two broadway lyricists in one LL?! Interesting decision. Thought of every lyricist I could and then realized none of them was correct, so I just took a random guess. 

Prince Facts

I just looked up "I Feel For You" by Chaka Khan.  Turns out it was written by Prince, who also wrote a whole lot of other trivia-worthy hit songs for other artists including Manic Monday for the Bangles, Stand Back for Stevie Nicks and Nothing Compares 2 You for Sinead O'Connor to name a few:

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7341553/prince-songwriter-billboard-hot-100-hits

- Gideon

Gideon Day 17

5/6 today

1 :) D1 Wenceslaus - I visited Jesse in Prague when he was there. And now I have a Christmas song stuck in my head.
2 :) D2 Nautical Mile - I knew a nautical mile was longer than a statute mile, and living in Denver has made me very aware of the number 5280.
3 :) D1 Scull - I've lived around rowers and the Head of the Charles long enough to know about sculls.
4 :( D2 Batman - I was choosing between The Batmobile, The Munsters and The Beverly Hillbillies. It turns out that all three cars were George Barris creations.
5 :) D3 Organ - I know it from Neil Young MTV Unplugged, and the movie Punch Drunk Love
6 :) D0 Shaka Khan - and Rufus!

Ben Day 17

1 :) Wenceslas. I don't know of many good kings

2 :) Nautical mile. Less nonsensical than most American Freedom Units.

3 :) Sculls. Australian Olympic team punch above their weight in rowing

4 :) Beverley Hillbillies. This was on TV in Australia around 4PM when I was growing up and was prime watching when home sick from school. 

5 :( I also switched from organ to piano.

6 :( The tiger from Jungle Book meets Shaka Zulu. Why have so many of you heard of this person.

Brian I Day 17

4/6 to get back on track but I don't know if it will be good enough versus a tough opponent, as I'm hoping for only my second win in the last ten days.

1) John.  No chance of getting this. D3

2) Nautical mile. A gimme for a Clive Cussler reader D1

3) Scull.  Picked up some crew terms in college. D2

4) Batman.  Was between this and the Hillbillies, couldn't believe the Batmobile was that old of a car, but it certainly tricked out and I was too unfamiliar with the Hillbillies to take the leap. Opponent is .910 in tv: D0

5) Organ.  got it from pump. D2

6) Chaka Khan. Chaka Khan. Chaka Khan Chaka Khan.  Chaka Khan let me rock you let me rock Chaka Khan​.  Let me rock you that's all I wanna do.  For years I thought she was a one-hit wonder because my first exposure to her was that ear worm. D1

Jesse day 17

3/6

1. What was the name of the pious Bohemian "Good King"—actually a duke, and now the patron saint of the Czech Republic—who is noted for his charitable giving on St. Stephen's Day (December 26)?
Correct Answer: WENCESLAUS (VACLAV)
Your Answer: Wenseslaus
Points Assigned: 1

I lived in Prague for 9 months.

2. What unit of length in the U.S. Customary System, expressed as a two-word term, is equal to 6,076 feet (1,852 meters). Traditionally, it has also been expressed as one minute of arc on the Earth's surface (i.e., one minute of latitude).
Correct Answer: NAUTICAL MILE
Your Answer: Nautical Mile
Points Assigned: 2

This was a guess, but seemed right.

3. One form of competitive rowing (crew), where each rower pulls one oar through the water with both hands, is called sweep. The other main form, where each rower has two oars (one in each hand), goes by what name, after a term for the oars themselves?
Correct Answer: SCULLING
Your Answer: Swain
Points Assigned: 2

Darn. This seems very gettable. 

4. A highly modified (and wildly unsafe) 1921 Oldsmobile Model 46 touring roadster appears prominently in the opening credits of what TV show?
Correct Answer: THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES
Your Answer: Beverly Hillbillies
Points Assigned: 0

Wildly unsafe got me there. 

5. The musical instrument known as a harmonium is a "pump" or "reed" version of what other instrument (and in fact those quoted words often precede this other instrument as alternate terms for the harmonium)?
Correct Answer: ORGAN
Your Answer: piano
Points Assigned: 1

I had organ writtn down, then switched to piano last second. 

6. What musical artist and "Queen of Funk," born Yvette Marie Stevens in Chicago in 1953, took at a young age her African name which means "woman of fire"?
Correct Answer: CHAKA KHAN
Your Answer: Shade
Points Assigned: 3

Ahh, also very gettable. 

brad day17

3/6 assuming grading is generous with spelling ... and with copeland counting as classical music, im off the .000!

1) nicholas d2

nope

2) nautical mile d0

a guess, but couldnt think of anything better

3) scull d1

a sport i care about for about a week every 4 years

4) dukes of hazzard d1

felt good about this until i read the question again after seeing the answer

5) trombone d2

no idea

6) shaka khan d3

did not expect to get this

David S Day 17

1/6. Found these very tough. I'm against an opponent today whose strengths are my weaknesses and vice versa, so my poor performance doesn't bode well. 

1. Hus :(, D2. I didn't think Jan Hus fit the clue, but he was my only guess. 

2. Nautical mile :), D1. Only easy one of the day for me. 

3. Stick :(, D3. I don't think this would have come to me, but I realized when I saw the answer that I had heard of it. 

4. Herbie :(, D1. No clue. 

5. Flute :(, D0. No clue, but I expect my opponent to get this. 

6. Franklin:(, D2. No clue. 

Gideon Day 16

5/6 today

1 :( D2 McBride - I couldn't remember her name.
2 :) D0 Beans - Had this theme song stuck in my head all morning.
3 :) D2 Lesotho - Tiny and far south.
4 :) D1 Screwtape
5 :) D3 Tin - Got it from Sn, and multiple oxidative states rang a bell.
6 :) D1 Zaideco - Creative spelling

Brad day16

2/6

1) copeland d1

knew this more as a current events question than an arts one

2) steak d1

no idea

3) new zealand d0

might have put oz if not for the question yesterday

4) beezelbub d2

no idea

5) nickel d3

didnt think of the symbol

6) reggae d2

have never heard of this

Ben Day 16

Nice to feel so loved.  2/6 today.  I haven't just been giving tours f Schechter.  A friend and I just built this wesbite. Check it out:

www.taxulator.com

1 :( Jackson. I recognize the name but couldn't pull it.  Totally the kind of fact I should have retained solely for trivia purposes.

2 :) Beans. This has come up in LL before and I remember it. I'd never heard of the show before that time.

3 :) NZ. Love the fact that Uruguay is but Argentina isn't

4 :( No idea of the senior level devil. Guessed Steve Bannon. I have heard of Screwtape though.

5 :( silicon. disappointed to miss the Sn link. I figured the 4 valence might have corresponded to a group 4 element so went Si.

6 :( Never heard of Zydeco. Guessed Bebop because I have heard of it.

Brian I Day 16

​2/6, but feels better than the 2 I got yesterday (I somehow got credit for Orion's Belt.)  David, you asked yesterday for thoughts on the Brisbane question, I felt it clearly asked for a state capital, not the state.  And I second your opinion, if you have time to submit answers, you have time to post here.  I'm sick of refreshing my browser hoping beyond hope for an update.  Ben, stop giving tours of Schecter, and let us know if you answered Brisbane correctly. 

1) Johnson. I remember her, but not her name. D3

2) Steak.  Please revoke my 70s/80s pop culture card. D1

3) New Zealand.  Was between this and Lesotho, glad it didn't matter. D1

4) Screwtape.  Thought was a gimme. From the two of you (where are the rest of you?!?!?), it's not, could be a wasted D0

5) Iron.  went through everything stannic could possible mean, settled on burnt or rusted, went with iron. Dave, great catch with the chemical symbol, that was a smart way in.  D2

6) Dixieland. Didn't think it quite fit the bill, but zydeco never crossed my mind. D2

Jesse day 16

2/6 against one of my invitees who is currently first in the rundle.

1. Who became, in June 2015, the first African American woman to be named a principal in the American Ballet Theater in its 75-year history?
Correct Answer: MISTY COPELAND
Your Answer: Robinson
Points Assigned: 2

I have heard of her, but had no chance of pulling this. 

2. According to the theme to The Jeffersons, fish don't fry in the kitchen, while what don't burn on the grill?
Correct Answer: BEANS
Your Answer: Burgers
Points Assigned: 1

Watched this as a kid, never internalized that part of the lyrics. 

3. Name any one of the four sovereign states whose land area sits entirely below the Tropic of Capricorn.
Correct Answer: LESOTHO, NEW ZEALAND, SWAZILAND, URUGUAY
Your Answer: New Zealand
Points Assigned: 0

I've been to all them besides Lesotho. 

4. A novel of religious satire by C.S. Lewis first published in 1942 takes the form of a series of letters to a "Junior Tempter" named Wormwood, with advice on how best to draw a particular Englishman into sin and, eventually, into Hell. These letters are written by Wormwood's uncle, a senior-level devil, who goes by what name?
Correct Answer: SCREWTAPE
Your Answer: Bezlebub
Points Assigned: 3

I had no idea.

5. A substance described as stannic, by definition, contains what element (especially with a valence of four)?
Correct Answer: TIN
Your Answer: Sodium
Points Assigned: 2

I had no idea.

6. What is the term for the musical genre, synthesizing elements from blues, jazz, country and western, R&B, gospel, and other forms, that originated among the Cajuns and African American Creoles of southwest Louisiana in the early 20th century? The vest frottoir (or rub-board) is an instrument closely associated with the genre.
Correct Answer: ZYDECO
Your Answer: Zydeco
Points Assigned: 1

First put Calypso, then changed it to Zydeco. I have no idea what the difference is but I guessed right. 

David S Day 16

First, I'm calling out all the haters who can't seem to be bothered to post these past few days. You know who you are...

2/6 today. Actually happy with this since I found these very hard. 

1. Winfrey :(, D2. No clue. 

2. Eggs :(, D1. Other than guessing it had one syllable by symmetry, no clue. 

3. New Zealand :), D0. I think I wasted a D0 here. I thought South Africa was one of them and that this was easier than it truly was. 

4. Luce :(, D3. No clue. 

5. Tin :), D1. I thought stannic was an archaic word for tin that gave it its chemical symbol in the same way plumbum is for lead. Close enough to get this clue. 

6. Gumbo :(, D2. Nope. 

Gideon Day 15

4/6 today

1 :( D2 Melbourne - I hope Ben gets 3 points for this one.
2 :) D1 Canola - Until I looked it up just now, I thought rapeseed and grapeseed were the same thing.
3 :) D3 Phineas and Ferb - I never saw any episodes, but I recognized it. It took awhile to remember the name.
4 :( D1 Pops - I like the real answer better.
5 :) D2 Orion
6 :) D0 The Associated Press

Brian I Day 15

Ugly day 1/6

1) Melbourne.  Sorry Ben, I can only name a few of your cities off the top of my head, and that's not one of them. D2

2) linseed.  Was between castor, linseed, and canola.  I thought castor's a bean, and I thought I could picture a currently trademarked brand named Canola with a picture of corn on it, so I ruled it out. D3

3) Rick and Morty . WAG D1

4) ensemble D2

5) Orion's Belt.  Dammit. D1

6) Associated Press.  gimme. D0

Jesse day 15

5/6 Another pretty easy day. I am in danger of being promoted to B.

1. Gold Coast, a major tourist destination and Australia's sixth-most populous city, is located about an hour's drive southeast of what state capital city?
Correct Answer: BRISBANE
Your Answer: Brisbane
Points Assigned: 2

I've been there. 

2. In North America, edible varieties of rapeseed oil are not known by that name (unsurprisingly), but rather by what other name, which was originally a trademark but is now used generically?
Correct Answer: CANOLA
Your Answer: Canola
Points Assigned: 0

I just knew this. They are beautiful when in bloom. 

3. Perry the Platypus, a government spy and foil to the evil Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, is also the pet of the titular stepbrothers in what animated television series?
Correct Answer: PHINEAS AND FERB
Your Answer: Venture Brothers
Points Assigned: 2

I used to have an iphone game with Perry in it, but forgot the name of the TV show, which I have never seen.

4. What term was used and perhaps introduced into the English language in February 1813, in the name of a London society formed for the promotion of instrumental music? The society still exists today, and the term in question has, over time, become synonymous with a symphony orchestra?
Correct Answer: PHILHARMONIC
Your Answer: Philharmonic
Points Assigned: 1

It was a guess, but made sense.

5. Betelgeuse, Rigel, and Bellatrix are the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma stars of what constellation?
Correct Answer: ORION
Your Answer: Orion
Points Assigned: 3

Also a guess, but I had a feeling it was right.

6. What nonprofit cooperative, which still exists today, was formed in May 1846, when five New York City newspapers shared the cost of a pony express route through Alabama to expedite the transmission of news from the Mexican–American War?
Correct Answer: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Your Answer: Associated Press
Points Assigned: 1

Also a guess that seemed to make sense.