3/6 gives me a tie with my best season of 90/150, but it looks like Seif wraps up the LLL as champion, congrats Dave.
1) Unloveable 2/3 I'd seen plenty of ads for this, but it just didn't stick strongly enough in my head
2) Turkey 2/1 Seems like an easy geography question, will hopefully get me some points
3) Goya 0/1 Goya, oh boya!
4) Raincoat 1/0 no clue, but being the sexist that I am, I gave my female opponents low D
5) Court 3/2 Two seasons in a row with Australian women's tennis questions? I know what to brush up on in the offseason
6) recycling 1/2 This was a math question to me, sounded like a mobius strip with arrows
Happy holidays and especially happy 2021!!!
Final day and rounding off with a Carr matchup. He’ll almost certainly win based on today’s questions. Happy holidays everyone!
1 : ) Insecure. I’ve seen ads, but not the show. D22
2 : ) Turkey. Geography gimme. D00
3 : ) Goya. Certain news events earlier in the year led me to the understanding that Goya was number 1 in the US. D11
4 : ( X-Line. Guessed based on the shape that ‘crosses at the chest’ might mean. Wrap seems really simple. D33
5 : ( Boyle. For some reason Tennis news has dropped off my radar the past 24 months, so my female tennis stars list still stops at the Williams sisters. D11
6 : ( Circling. Thought this might be the sign for a roundabout for some reason. Of course it’s recycling. D22
Reasonably happy with my 4/6 today.
1 : ) Playstation 5. I just defaulted to the latest big console release. D12
2 : ) Dark Side of the Moon. I knew where the robot was so this was pretty simple. D21
3 : ) Trans Pacific Partnership. While I got this right, the question is wrong and outrages my neoliberal elite sensitivities. The TPP was replaced by the CPTPP, essentially the same agreement but with waffle words added to soothe the Canadians. The RCEP is a limp pretend trade deal made to give China a warm feeling and annoy the Americans. D01
4 : ( Equalizer. Never heard of the Clapper as late 1980s TV electronic device. D32
5 : ( Robinson. Didn’t make the link to ‘around’ 1937 so just guessed a generic Irish name. D13
6 : ) Glee. I watched a couple of episodes when it first came out. I distinctly recall ‘Lima’ being pronounced and learning the Ohioans say it differently to the Peruvians! D20
Seeing Brad's post, I realize I meant to put down Nintendo Switch instead of Wii. If the correct answer had in fact been Switch, I would have berated myself to no end.
2/6 ready for the weekend
1) Kennedy 1/1 I was wondering how in the world I could be expected to know this? Who knows anything about the Teamsters besides Jimmy Hoffa getting killed? Didn't even consider putting him down as a WAG, as I bet a lot of people did
2) Ski jump 1/1 Didn't even think of javelin
3) Mulberry 3/2 no clue
4) Mandolin 2/3 no clue
5) Middle 2/0 9th grade social studies
6) Risky Business 0/2 Guys were known to strip down to their boxers when Old Time Rock N Roll was played at high school dances.
4/6. I really thought I'd done a lot worse today, but I had two lucky guesses.
1. Hoffa :), D02. I was pretty sure this was still in the family. I certainly had no other guess.
2. Javelin :), D21. I had no idea and am surprised this guess was correct. I would have put lower D in had I known it was right.
3. Payapa :(, D22. No idea.
4. Guitar :), D30. Again, a straight up guess. I'm surprised it's correct, but in fairness Spain is known for guitar to some extent.
5. Middle :), D11. Gimme.
6. Star Wars Return of the Jedi :(, D13. I had no idea.
Time for my hotly anticipated late-season matchup vs Seif, and celebrating the final day of Seif’s 2020 Forecasting Challenge what’s more. Here’s hoping the EIU doesn’t issue any last minute press releases today!
3/6 just like Seif, but picking up a big win based on a quick look at defense.
1 : ( Ghali, like just about everyone else here. Glad to draw the D0 here. D22
2 : ) Stan. At the beginning of the year (feels like a lifetime ago), I was surprised to read of the phenomenon of Pete Buttigieg ‘stans’ and looked it up. D10
3 : ) Irrational number. Gimmeish math q. D01
4 : ) Halt and Catch Fire. I was sure this was more recent than 2017, but it fit every other part of the clue. Heard an article about the Texas angle to the show on the local NPR station a few years ago. D22
5 : ( Spool. Was very confident this was correct. D11
6 : ( Tricolore. No idea, but based on colors decided it might be something to do with the Italian flag. D33
So I get the maximum 7 from my (3) and Seif gets 4 for (3).
4/6 in a very straightforward day
1) (Boutros) Ghali 0/2 Ouch. Was 100% sure of this, even though I couldn't place Perez de Cuellar
2) Stan 1/1 I've never heard the song, but learned the term from twitter in recent years. SNL actually spoofed the song/video last week
3) Irrational 2/1 math gimme
4) Halt and catch Fire 2/3 I watched and loved the show, but I'm worried this was asked before and I defended too high
5) Bobbin 3/2 I only know this because my daughter got a sewing machine for Chanukah a few years ago. She's used it only once, of course.
6) Tartuffo 1/0 Knew it wasn't right, but didn't feel like dwelling on it, not sure if it would have come to me. I feel like this will be easy for others.
6(4)-2(2) over my Notorious BBG (can we get that to catch on for Boutros Ghali?) buddy Brad.
Happy Chanukah to those who celebrate!
5 Brown :(. Never heard of this (and will admit I have a little crush on Harry Styles)
Oof tough day, really struggled. 2/6 which was the most I realistically expected. Managed Sydney Opera House and Casablanca, missed the rest.
2/6, and that's despite getting the pop music question right. I found today very hard even with a heavy dose of geography, NY-related questions, and history.
1. I feel good :), D02. I don't know how I've somehow gotten 3 of the past 4 pop music questions. But, as always on these, if I'm getting it right, it can't be that hard.
2. Citarella :(, D21. I haven't spent much time in the Hamptons. I do feel as though this kind of rings a bell now that I see the answer, but I wasn't going to come up with it.
3. Aswan Dam :(, D31. I really couldn't come up with a good answer here, but mine is particularly terrible. There have been several questions over the years where Sydney or something in Sydney was the answer, and I think I've missed all of them.
4. Casablanca :), D13. Not one of the best known conferences, I don't think, but I'm rarely going to miss a WWII history question.
5. Carson :(, D10. No clue at all.
6. Slaughterhouse-Five :(, D22. I had no idea which Vonnegut book it was. Not sure I could have named more than one anyway.
3/6 today against Brad. My defense wasn’t exactly great but his was worse, so a solid 6(3) – 3(2) victory to me.
1 : ) Sputnik. What was Soviet and 1950s? Sputnik makes sense! D01
2 : ) LBO. Business Gimme. D10
3 : ( Ryan Reynolds. Looks like it will be the MCW. D12
4 : ) Petronas. I’ve worked with them a couple of times before. D21
5 : ( Brown. Had no idea, and badly misjudged Brad’s 2020 pop trivia knowledge through his son. D23
6 : ( Shot glasses. I never really had shot at this. D32
3/6 and no chance for more. I'm on pace to beat my best season by 4 correct answers, so I'm bound to run into a rough patch the last week.
1) Sputnik 1/2 1950s was a giveaway
2) LBO 1/0 biz gimme
3) Ryan Reynolds. 0/1 no clue
4) Malay Petrol 3/1 Expecto Petronas!!!! My daughter has been obsesses with Harry Potter fanfic the last few weeks, wish I had thrown the petronus charm in as a goof
5) powdered 2/2 No clue
6) Dominos 2/3 Train rang a bell, otherwise wild guess. I hope this plays difficult
5/6 and was hoping for 6/6 when I submitted. Very, very friendly set of questions for me today.
1. Sputnik :), D11. I spent by far the longest on this question, mostly thinking about what happened in the USSR in the 50s that could have led to this name. After spending way too long thinking about nuclear bombs, I thought of Sputnik and realized that was probably the answer.
2. LBO :), D31. Business gimme.
3. Collier :(, D12. I knew he was Canadian and no other guess. I had no idea Keanu Reeves was Canadian.
4. Petronas :), D20. First wrote down 1MDB, which has been in the news so much but didn't sit right. Finally thought about the address portion of the question and realized a famous landmark was a better guess (plus it starts with "petro").
5. Watermelon :), D03. Rare pop music question that's a gimme for me. It's one of the songs I sometimes listen to while running.
6. Dominoes :), D22. The timing is quite something here. My wife introduced Mexican Train to us just a few weeks ago as a game all members of my family can play, so this was a gimme. Would have had no idea otherwise.
Despite a loss, I moved into the promotion zone of C on Friday when #3 forfeited his match. 2/6 today should ensure I fall back.
1) mobile 1/2 no clue
2) Rosemary 0/0 Gimme even for this non-foodie
3) Vatican City 1/1 lost the coin flip
4) Thunder 3/3 I had Boom Goes the Dynamite, then Crash, then Thunderstruck.
5) Bronte 2/2 Clever question. Without the requirement of a first name, you don't need to know anything about the novel to make a good guess.
6) JC 2/1 I've heard him mentioned, but absolutely no idea.
4/6 to start the week
1 : ) Saga. I have played Candy Crush in the past, it’s still on my phone. D02
2 : ) Rosemary. When I roast chicken it’s Salt Pepper Olive Oil and Rosemary. So it came straightaway. D10
3 : ) San Marino. This is basically my ideal question. Definitely an Italian airport given the name. Malta has its own airport, as does Slovenia. Monaco is closest to Nice in France (and Genoa, closest Italian airport, is named after Christopher Columbus). Vatican is Rome, which has Fiumicino/Da Vinci and Ciampino. So that leaves San Marino. And that is how I discover Rimini’s airport is named after Fellini. D22
4 : ( The Cannons. Just a random guess. D31
5 : ( Dickinson. Annoying miss, I knew this but had forgotten. I ran out of patience trying to think of the name. D21
6 : ) AMLO. I try to stay vaguely up to date with Mexican politics. D13
4/6. Debbie, I'm with Seif, I'm curious as well as to your NSFW answer in lieu of golf hole. I'll venture that your answer was...glorious?
1) Turks 0/1 Turks and Caicos is a common vacation destination from NY; maybe this plays more difficult internationally and on the west coast?
2) Walker 3/3 Sad that I don't know this, I've read about her, but absolutely no idea.
3) childbirth labor 1/0 Should be a gimme for anyone with kids
4) Paris 1/1 Wow did this cause me agita. The description did not ring any bells, but for me to miss an 80s movie and a sci-fi author would be unforgiveable. I made a list of all the Texas cities I could think of, absolutely nothing rang a bell. Was going to D3 it despite high film scores from my opponents, and my LL opponent living in Texas. I re-read the question one last time before submitting, and realized the Cannes film festival was a hint and I had forgotten one very important city. Phew!!!
5) Reuters 2/2 News from Reuters is very important in finance. Not sure how hard this plays
6) Hoedown Showdown 2/2 Thought Grand Ole Opry was only a place, not a show. No way was I getting this. Again, no clue how hard it plays
Pleasantly surprised with 4/6.
1 : ) Turks. Geography gimme but also I’m guessing reasonably common to anyone on the Eastern Seaboard with enough disposable income for a Caribbean vacation. D11
2 : ( Smith. No idea but I have seen the correct name somewhere before. D33
3 : ) Giving Birth. I had no idea so took a guess at a biological process. Turned out to be the right one. D01
4 : ) Was not sure on this one but vaguely remember there was a movie called Paris, Texas. Pleased to get it right. The scale Eiffel Tower in Paris, Texas has a cowboy hat on it FYI. D22
5 : ) Reuters. Could only be one answer. D10
6 : ( Was optimistic Prairie Home Companion would be correct, but did briefly wonder where it was broadcast in the decades between 1925 and whenever NPR was founded. Should have been a stronger warning sign. D22
3/6 today, and defending me should be very easy.
1. Turks :), D22. Geography gimme for me.
2. Jones :(, D31. I've never heard of her.
3. Giving birth :), D10. Should be easy enough for anyone with kids.
4. Dallas :(, D12. No idea, so I just guessed a random city.
5. Reuters :), D01. Didn't know any of the history here, so that was interesting. But there was enough info that it could only be Reuters.
6. Top 20 :(, D23. No clue.
Debbie, I have to admit I'm curious about your NSFW answer. I guess it will have to remain a LL mystery...
5. Guggenheim :), Happy I got this too - was thinking of the museum in Venice
4/6 with a self-inflicted miss that probably would have given me points. I'm glad the Weisz brothers know Bill the Cat (and probably have the same dolls I do), I was the only one in LLL to get it right!
1) That Bass 0/2 Could not avoid that song when my girls were in the car
2) Ibiza 3/2 I could not have named Balearic or Menorca, but I know Mallorca and Ibiza are near each other
3) Hubble 1/1 Made sense
4) Bhagavad Gita 2/3 Knew this was wrong, but my other option was In-A-Gadda-Da-Vita, and i figured I might give myself a shot.
5) Frick 2/0 Had Guggenheim entered, but knew for a fact that it was most definitely wrong, and changed to a name that randomly popped into my head. I should have used the same logic as I did for the last question and given myself a chance in my worst category
6) Enron 1/1 Hard to miss this given my field
4/6 which looks about typical on a high-scoring day so far…
1 : ) That Bass. The song is now replaying in my head. D22
2 : ) Ibiza. Those of a certain age remember Ibiza as either the ultimate clubbing destination or the chorus of a cheesy Vengaboys song. No comment which one came to mind first. D11
3 : ) Hubble. My husband had a youtube video of the James Webb telescope playing a couple of days ago. D33
4 : ( Ayurveda. Never heard of the correct answer. D11
5 : ( Chanel. Interesting, and seems gettable in hindsight. But I had no idea. D22
6 : ) Enron. Agree, a business gimme. D00
5/6, and in questions that should earn me a lot of points. Pelc thrashed me in LL two days ago, so perhaps I can exact a bit of revenge here. (I was going to get relegated from B anyway...)
1. That bass :), D20. The rare pop music question that I know. If it's easy even for me, I don't think this will give people a lot of trouble. Hand over your D3's, please!
2. Ibiza :), D12. Geography gimme.
3. Hubble :), D03. An event about the Webb telescope very nearly made it into the forecasting contest I run for 2021.
4. Gita :(, D21. I spent some time thinking about this, but now that I see the answer, I realize I had no shot. I probably should have put higher D, as well.
5. Guggenheim :), D32. I wasn't aware of the history of this, but Guggenheim is the clear default answer for any 20th century art patron in NYC.
6. Enron :), D11. Gimme, and probably the easiest question of the day. But also, I think, a rare error from Thorsten. I am almost certain that Arthur Andersen never actually declared bankruptcy, as part of the question states. Anyone think I'm wrong about that?
A 4/6 today for me, which I was happy with until I saw Brian’s 5/6… at least he humiliated himself with inadequate Star Wars knowledge so I feel a little better.
Rushing to get this out before a long meeting, so quickly – I got Panama Canal and Minsk as geography gimmes, happy to get Mickey Mouse and Quantum seemed obvious once I thought of it. Like Ben I guessed Magnum alongside Opus, and guessed geothermal well for West Virginia.
My third 5/6 in a row, so far I have a tie and a loss. Before I go into today's questions, I have an embarrassing mistake to admit. As I'm sure you all realized, the Millennium Falcon is not a Corellian Corvette. It is the Tantive IV, the rebel ship boarded by Darth Vader at the beginning of Star Wars, which is the Corvette I was thinking of. I only realized my mistake upon reading the LL message boards this morning. It got me to the correct answer, but still, how humiliating.
1) Panama Canal 0/1 Didn't see what else this could be. And nice to know I would have guessed correctly with Teddy if the answer asked only for the president.
2) Bill 1/3 I have an Opus doll and a Bill the Cat doll in my man cave. My dog growing up was named Opus. I own a Billy and the Boingers t-shirt. I still have Bloom County comic strips that I cut out of the newspaper when they first ran, not knowing they'd be collected into books which I now own. I have no idea how to defend this in LL, but in this group, there's a chance I'm the only one to get this correct. I hope not, for Bill's sake. Thhhpptttthh!!!!
3) Minsk 2/0 Was between Minsk and Kiev, ultimately thought Kiev was more directly SW and not W-SW
4) Mickey Mouse 1/2 Pretty sure Steamboat Willie featured Mickey
5) Mine shaft 2/2 Wow, my mind was in a completely different place. Great, misleading question. I'm assuming if I knew anything about golf, White Sulphur Springs would have given me the answer, as opposed to West Virginia leading me to mining.
6) Quantum 3/1 Physics gimme for me. I'm expecting a lot of incorrect 'atomic' answers.
