Brian Day 10

 4/6 but I thought I had all 6 after I spent a long time on and finally cracked the sandwich question. I think this will be a pretty tough day overall, as there were a few right up my alley.

1) periwinkle 1/1 First thing I thought of, never looked back, except at the very end to think "wait, isn't that greenish?"  But I had no other option so I continued to feel confident.  This should play tough

2) Brown 3/3 Opponents both terrible at pop music, but I had this at Bunton.  She's Baby, Halliwell is Ginger, Mel C is Sporty, leaving Adams as Posh and the missing one was Scary/Mel B.

3) LotR: The Two Towers 0/2  One of my e-mail addresses is Rivendell3@yahoo.com, and I  began my 4th re-read of Lord of the Rings last week.  Perhaps the gimme-ist of gimmes for me.

4 Death of a Salesman 2/0 I'm not falling for it this time Thorsten!  Every time you include part of the answer in a question, I throw away the right answer.  So the joke's on you! I'm saying Death of a Salesman even though salesman is in the question!!!  (Damn, and I've seen the same Iceman Cometh commercial with the distinctive narrator's voice so many times, especially with Robards and Dennehy, just never got there.)

5) Sandwich 2/2 Was so proud of myself for figuring this out, plus it gave me a 6/6 today! (Not.)   I spent a lot of time on gaming table/gambling devices, then on clocks and time, then on alcohol and coffee, then coffee got me to tea and Earl Grey, then went to Earl-y Breakfast, which led me to food and the Earl of Sandwich.

6) Checkers 1/1 The only one that made sense even though it's a convoluted question, and I know it has another name in the UK.

Reading the blog, I'm the only one who never heard the sandwich anecdote (though I knew after whom it was named).  

Also, the Spice Girls (especially Ginger) were foundational knowledge for straight men in their early 20s.

Jesse Day 10

3/6

1. What is the common name for the weedy herb of the genus Solidago, with small yellow flowers that grow along a narrow stem? Its name is often used for a color, a strong shade of yellow, notably in paper and in a particular Crayola crayon.
Correct Answer: GOLDENROD
Your Answer: Goldenrod
Points Assigned: 2

I got it from the paper reference. 

2. Identify the last name missing from this list of individuals, who first appeared as a complete set of five in 1994: Chisholm, Bunton, Adams, Halliwell, ________.
Correct Answer: BROWN
Your Answer: Chastain
Points Assigned: 3

I did not know what they were referring to, and even after seeing the answer had to look up the reference. 

3. Barad-dûr and Orthanc are names that could plausibly be the titular pair in what 2002 blockbuster film?
Correct Answer: THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS
Your Answer: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Points Assigned: 1

Big fan.

4. Jason Robards, James Earl Jones, Brian Dennehy, Kevin Spacey, Nathan Lane, and Denzel Washington are among the actors who have performed the role of salesman Theodore "Hickey" Hickman in acclaimed productions of what tragic play?
Correct Answer: THE ICEMAN COMETH
Your Answer: Death of a Salesman
Points Assigned: 0

I was pretty sure Death of a Salesman was Willy Lowman, but I did not have a better answer. 

5. 18th-century British politician John Montagu is often credited as the inventor of an innovation known as what? He allegedly developed it while playing around the clock at a gaming table, and it takes its name from his noble title, which is itself associated with a town in the county of Kent.
Correct Answer: SANDWICH
Your Answer: Sandwich
Points Assigned: 1

I have seen this piece of trivia come up before. 

6. One could reasonably argue that American mathematician Marion Tinsley was better at what board game than any other person has ever been at any game? He lost only a handful of official games to humans from 1950 to 1995, never lost a championship match (in either two-move-ballot or three-move-ballot schemes), and in 1990 defeated the Chinook computer program (which would ultimately "solve" the game) 4 wins to 2, with 33 draws. Note, the game's familiar name in either the US or the UK is acceptable.
Correct Answer: CHECKERS/DRAUGHTS
Your Answer: Go
Points Assigned: 2

Nope. 

Dave M day 10

Another 2/6 although I thought I would do better today.

 

1 : ( Saffron. Couldn’t think of another herb associated with yellow. D11

2 : ) Brown. Spice Girls are foundational knowledge for a gay man growing up in the 1990s. D23

3 : ( The Return of the King. Damn I should have thought of this one for literally a couple more seconds. Close but no cigar. A roommate of mine at the time was even an extra in the film (an orc at the Battle of Helm’s Deep). D12

4 : ( Death of a Salesman. Yes I fell for the bait. D31

5 : ) Sandwich. I think this might be a trivia gimme. D00

6 : ( Scrabble. I didn’t think of checkers as a board game. D22

David S Day 10

3/6 today.

1. Honeysuckle :(, D22.  I felt good about this guess.

2. Jones :(, D03.  I didn't recognized this as the Spice Girls (though a quick search afterwards made it clear), but I at least did guess that this was an entertainment group.  This at least allowed for good D.

3. The Two Towers :), D11.  I'm hardly a Lord or the Rings buff, but I at least realized that this was a Middle Earth reference.  Two Towers was a reasonable guess from that point given the word "pair" in the question.

4. Death of a Salesman :(, D10.  Seemed too obvious to be right, but I had no other guess.

5. Sandwich :), D21.  I've heard this anecdote many times over the years.

6. Checkers :), D32.  Fascinating history that I didn't know anything about.  I'd never heard of Tinsley, but there were enough clues in the questions for me to make a pretty confident guess.

Brian Day 9

 After 8 days I’ve given up 21 unforced points.  3/6 today

1) Halloween 1/1 Have never seen any of them, but the timing was right and there was one last year with original star Jamie Lee Curtis

2) Cobol 2/2 considered Basic, but it didn’t seem high level and I thought it was more recent as I used it in the 80s

3) basketball 3/2 Figured she was tall, I had volleyball until right before I submitted. 

4)Medici 0/3 Assumed there is some poetry journal I’ve never heard of, no idea what this is referencing 

5) catch 22 1/0 gimme

6) Marrakesh 2/1. Educated guess. Thank you CSN

Jesse day 9

5/6 Several educated guesses. 

1. The fictional small town of Haddonfield, Illinois, is the primary setting for what film series, which kicked off in 1978, and whose convoluted course of sequels continued in 2021 and is scheduled to end in 2022?
Correct Answer: HALLOWEEN
Your Answer: Halloween
Points Assigned: 1

I have never seen a Halloween movie but I figured it must be a horror film and Halloween seemed to fit the dates.

2. What early high-level computer programming language, an all-purpose symbolic instruction code aimed at beginners, was developed in 1964 at Dartmouth College by John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz?
Correct Answer: BASIC
Your Answer: BASIC
Points Assigned: 1

Aimed at beginners made me immediately think of BASIC. I was concerned their names had something to do with it, but could not think of another computer language that incorporated their names. 

3. American Flo Hyman was considered one of the greatest players in the world in what sport when she was tragically felled by a ruptured aorta caused by Marfan Syndrome, during a match in Japan in January 1986?
Correct Answer: VOLLEYBALL
Your Answer: Vollyball
Points Assigned: 2

I figured she was really tall because of Marfan. I think I would have heard of her if it is was basketball, so that left volleyball as my best guess. 

4. An Italian poet born in 1783 with the first name of Gabriele gave his last name to his famous English-born children Dante Gabriel (who helped found the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood), Christina Georgina (among the most prominent poets of her day), and William Michael (an acclaimed critic and editor). What was that last name?
Correct Answer: ROSSETTI
Your Answer: Alligeri
Points Assigned: 2

I thought I had a chance. 

5. US airmen pursuing release from active duty during WWII claiming mental instability are deemed ineligible, as such a request demonstrates their mental fitness. This scenario is central to what 1961 novel?
Correct Answer: CATCH-22
Your Answer: Catch 22
Points Assigned: 3

I read this just a few years ago. 

6. The "Imperial Cities of Morocco"—the country's four historical capitals—are Rabat (the current capital), Meknes, Fez, and what fourth, which, in fact, is the name of the country itself in some languages?
Correct Answer: MARRAKESH
Your Answer: Marrakesh
Points Assigned: 0

I've been to the royal palace there and my non-profit runs multiple Morocco trips each year. 

David S Day 9

Pulled off my first ever Buckner win yesterday. Very satisfying!

3/6 today. I really left one on the table but also got lucky on one.

1. Captain America :(, D00. No idea at all, but both my opponents are far better than I am at film. 

2. Basic :), D22. I wasn’t sure, but the beginners clue is what made me think of this answer. 

3. Volleyball :), D11. Complete guess. Just got lucky.

4. Garibaldi :(, D33. No idea. Feeling good about that D33.

5. Slaughterhouse Five :(, D22. On so many levels I’m pissed I missed this one. No excuse for this one.

6. Marrakesh :), D11. Didn’t know all the history in the question, but seemed like the clear best guess.

brad day9

2/6 vs buckfirek

1) superman d1/2

was pretty sure this was wrong, havent seen any of thrse

2) basic d2/2

wasnt sure, but i took the wordplay in the clue and went with this rather than one of the other early languages

3) ice hockey d2/3

nope

4) brown d3/1

no idea

5) farenheit 451 d1/1

had read this in high school, forgot which number book it was

6) marrakesh d0/0

only other moroccan city i could think of

Dave M day 9

Learned League is flying Ukrainian colors this morning!

A measly 2/6 to round out a disappointing week of answering from London.

1 : ( Friday the 13th. I had Halloween written down and swapped it last minute. D00
2 : ( Pascal. I don't really know my programming languages well. D22
3 : ( Table Tennis. Another one I had no idea on. D13
4 : ( Byron. Never heard of any of these people! D31
5 : ) Catch 22. Finally one I know. I watched the screen adaptation (I think Amazon?) a couple of years ago. D21
6 : ) Marrakesh. Not an easy geography question and I wasn't sure but Marrakesh sounds more like a name for all of Morocco than my alternatives Casablanca and Tangier, D12

Brian day 8 vs ben

Sub 500 defense this season was topped off with  a 8(5)-6(3) tie Yesterday

1) tumultuous 3/2 I had no clue, but that certainly sounds familiar and  once again I’ll prob get hurt by my defense.

2) High C 1/0

3) water 2/1 nope

4) DLP 0/1 no idea but it feels like something everyone else knows

5) Patton 2/2 gimme for me, hopefully not for others

6) Snider 1/3 NY baseball gimme

Jesse Day 8

4/6

1. In The Waste Land, what superlative does T. S. Eliot famously use to describe the month of April?
Correct Answer: CRUELLEST
Your Answer: Indefatigable
Points Assigned: 3

I had no idea. 

2. Luciano Pavarotti was not considered the "King of" a certain fruit-flavored drink brand (though it's a homophone), but rather of what particular operatic feat of strength for tenors, of which nine appear in only two minutes in the aria "Pour mon ame" from Donizetti's La Fille du régiment?
Correct Answer: HIGH C
Your Answer: High C's
Points Assigned: 2

Great question. I went through fruit-flavored drinks in my head: Tang, Ocean Spray, Capri Sun, Sunny Delight, Ribena, Snapple, and then tried to remember who made Ecto-cooler. That is when I cam up with Hi-C and figured that had to be it. 

3. In American parlance, the simple cocktail known as a "Boilermaker" contains two ingredients: whiskey, and what other?
Correct Answer: BEER
Your Answer: Beer
Points Assigned: 0

4. What is the present name (or the standard three-letter abbreviation) of the political party of which every Mexican president was a member from the party's founding in 1929 through the end of the 20th century, and again from 2012-2018 with the election of Enrique Peña Nieto?
Correct Answer: INSTITUTIONAL REVOLUTIONARY PARTY / PARTIDO REVOLUCIONARIO INSTITUCIONAL / PRI
Your Answer: MDP
Points Assigned: 2

I had no idea.

5. "Be seated. Now, I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." So begins the famous opening monologue from what 1970 biopic?
Correct Answer: PATTON
Your Answer: Patton
Points Assigned: 1

Gimmie for a film major.

6. The 1981 song "Talkin Baseball" by Terry Cashman includes in its refrain "Willie, Mickey, and The Duke", referring to three players who starred as center fielders for the three New York City-based teams of the 1950s. The former two are Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle; what was the last name of the third?
Correct Answer: SNIDER
Your Answer: Snider
Points Assigned: 1

I was a huge baseball fan. 

David S Day 8

2/6 and really fortunate to get that. I thought I had only 1 when I submitted. 

1. Happiest :(, D22. No idea, though it rings a bell now that I see it.

2. Fanta :(, D11. How did this not occur to me?

3. Seltzer :(, D00. No idea. D00 because both my opponents are very good at food/drink. 

4. PRI :), D23. Only one I knew with certainty. Should play hard, I think, but perhaps not with this crowd (if we still qualify as a crowd). 

5. Patton :), D12. Pleasantly surprised to get this. I thought the movie was older, but I didn’t have another guess. 

6. Smith :(, D31. A bit beyond my baseball knowledge. 

Dave M day 8 v Steiny LLL

Another day another tough set of questions and another 3/6

1 : ( Amazing. I don't know why I assumed alliteration. D13
2 : ) High C. I spent some time trying to get an Italian sounding name out of Snapple before taking a break and thinking of other "fruit-flavored" (cheap) brands. Thinking of Hi-C prompted relief; I've never seen the commercial the question presumably refers to. D01
3 : ( Soda. Never heard of a boilermaker. D22
4 : ) PRI. World affairs gimme? D30
5 : ) Patton. A guess, never seen the movie. Sounded like a war hero and language reflecting 20th Century so a toss up between Patton and Eisenhower. D22
6 : ( DiMaggio. My go to baseball guess when I have no clue. D11

Brian Day 7 vs Brad

 5/6 but not an easy day.  Looking back at yesterday, i missed that Minneapolis was in the Prince  question, which would have completely changed my defense, I’m lucky it didn’t hurt me

1) One Eyed Willy 3/3 the pirate from the Goonies was all I had.  Thats two early 20th century classics I’ve finally learned about this season..  Hopefully this plays as difficult as Pygmalion.

2) Tommy Gun 2/0  The only choice with Thompson as a clue

3) Jupiter 2/2  Optimus Maximus sounds like the leader of the gods, was pretty sure Zeus is Greek

4) Castaway 0/1 Never saw it, but familiar enough to make the Rita Wilson connection 

5) Barr 1/1 I had mono in college, which is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus

6) Chicken Little 1/2 Don’t know if I’ve ever been to KFC, but after considering Colonel Chicken as a wild guess,  the folk tale angle got me there.

Jesse day 7

5/6

1. What is the title character's name in DuBose Heyward's lyrical 1925 novel, which describes the adventures of a disabled African American street beggar (and his mistress) living among the tenements of Catfish Row in Charleston, South Carolina?
Correct Answer: PORGY
Your Answer: Jones
Points Assigned: 3

My daughter is named Bess, and I have the Miles Davis album, but I did not know this. 

2. Colonel John T. Thompson was an inventor whose best-known creation is associated most closely with American gangsters of the Prohibition era. What is the common name used for this invention?
Correct Answer: TOMMY GUN
Your Answer: Tommy gun
Points Assigned: 2

First thing that came to mind.

3. The principal religious structure in Ancient Rome was a temple on Capitoline Hill dedicated to what Roman god, who was referred to generally (and in the name of this temple) as "Optimus Maximus"?
Correct Answer: JUPITER (JOVE)
Your Answer: Jupiter
Points Assigned: 0

I figured it had to be Jupiter. I have been to Capitoline museum, which must stand in the place where the temple of Jupiter once stood. 

4. A character played by Tom Hanks repeatedly and desperately yells the last name of Hanks's real-life wife during a poignant scene in what film?
Correct Answer: CAST AWAY
Your Answer: Castaway
Points Assigned: 1

Cute. 

5. British pathologist Michael Anthony Epstein is credited with discovering the virus (of the family Herpesviridae and genus Lymphocryptovirus) that is associated with several human cancers and causes infectious mononucleosis. He made this discovery along with B.G. Achong and what Irish-born virologist?
Correct Answer: YVONNE BARR
Your Answer: Barr
Points Assigned: 1

I had mono Freshman year. That was the sickest I have ever been. 

6. The folk tale character Henny Penny is also known (particularly in the United States) by a different two-word name that is also the name of a menu item at most KFC locations. What is that name?
Correct Answer: CHICKEN LITTLE
Your Answer: Chicken Little
Points Assigned: 2

This was a guess as I have not eaten at KFC in several decades. 

David S Day 7

3/6, and lucky to get that. 

1. Jones :(, D21. No idea. 

2. Tommy Gun :), D11. “I believe you, but my Tommy Gun don’t…”

3. Jupiter :), D12. Seemed like the best guess, though I certainly wasn’t confident it was right. 

4. Castaway :), D02. Very clever question.

5. Fleming :(, D33. I had no chance here. Glad I at least recognized how hard this was for D purposes. 

6. Johnny Appleseed :(, D20. Seems gettable. 

brad day7

4/6 vs brian

1) desire d2/1

thought i had a rare theater get thanks to the simpsons

2) keg d3/3

nope

3) jupiter d1/1

straightforward mythology q

4) cast away d0/0 

willlsonnnnnnnnn

5) barr d2/2

my wife watches a lot of medical tv, not sure where else i would have known this from

6) chicken little d1/2

dont think ive ever been in a kfc, but this seemed to fit

Dave M day 7

Another 3/6 today, which was more than I was expecting when I submitted. Another day not in my wheelhouse.

1 : ( Skid. I thought maybe an origin of Skid Row. Porgy (and Bess) did not even enter my head. D12
2 : ) Tommy Gun. Couldn't think of any other inventions associated with prohibition gangsters. D03
3 : ) Jupiter. I don't know many Roman gods so just went for the one mentioned most often in Asterix comics. D21
4 : ) Cast Away. Never seen the movie or did I know his wife's last name but I'm now pretty sure it's Wilson. D12
5 : ( Papilloma. Utterly no idea about this one. D31
6 : ( Chicken Licken. Close but no cigar. D20

Brian Day 6 vs Will

 Was worried about defense, as the questions I thought would  be universally on the easy side were in my opponents weaker categories. Luckily I pulled a six pack

1) Japan 2/0 Biz gimme

2) Puerto Rico 1/2 Either it was the seemingly obvious answer, or I had no chance.  Figured I’d feel better missing with PR than saying American Samoa or the Solomon Islands and learning it was PR after all.

3) Pulse 0/1 Given that edamame has nothing to do with blood vessels, this is a gimme

4) Roland 3/1 The Song of Roland is on my pump up work out mix tape

5) NCIS 1/2  CSI began earlier (is it still on?), Law and Order SVU is NBC, my only worry was Criminal Minds, but I felt pretty comfortable with NCIS

6) Prince 2/3 Jungle Love, o e o e o. I think I’m gonna show ya show ya.  Morris Day and the Time hit it big after being featured in Purple Rain.   I considered Morris Day as the answer, but ‘early pseudonym’ could only mean the purple one.

Jesse Day 6

3/6 I am surely going to lose this one with my terrible defense and missed answers. 

1. "Abenomics" is a nickname that has been used widely for a set of economic policies adopted in what country?
Correct Answer: JAPAN
Your Answer: Japan
Points Assigned: 3

I occasionally read The Economist. 

2. Of the fourteen current territories formally administered by the United States, five have a permanent non-military population. Which of these territories' populations is the largest among the group?
Correct Answer: PUERTO RICO
Your Answer: Puerto Rico
Points Assigned: 1

The phrasing of this question initially confused me as I read formally as formerly. 

3. In physiology, it's the expansion and contraction of artery walls; in botany, it's a common name for the edible seed of plants in the Leguminosae or Fabaceae family. What is the word in question?
Correct Answer: PULSE
Your Answer: Pea
Points Assigned: 2

Oh damn. So gettable.

4. Of the chansons de geste, a set of epic poems of medieval France, the oldest existing and best known is the chanson of what military leader, composed around the year 1100?
Correct Answer: ROLAND
Your Answer: Charlamagne
Points Assigned: 2

I was sure it was Charlemagne. I guess they would have said the chanson of a king. I had no shot at this one. 

5. What CBS procedural drama, currently in its 19th season, has ranked in the top five in Nielsen broadcast ratings every year since the 2008–2009 television season?
Correct Answer: NCIS
Your Answer: Criminal Minds
Points Assigned: 0

Nope. I do not like procedurals. 

6. In 1981, Warner Bros. released an eponymous album by Minneapolis band The Time, with production, recording, engineering, and mixing credited to Jamie Starr—an early pseudonym for whom?
Correct Answer: PRINCE
Your Answer: Prince
Points Assigned: 1

Minneapolis + music + pseudonym = Prince. 

brad day 6

3/6 in a double matchup with kim

1) japan d0

econ gimme?

2) puerto rico d1

wasnt too confident here, but didnt have a better guess

3) popcorn d3

have never heard of these seeds

4) charlemegne d2

seems like the mcw

5) blue bloods d1

nope

6) prince d2

i knew he was from minnesota

David S Day 6 vs. Dave M

5/6 today should get me the win against Mirkin. Agreed, Dave, that you should expect to be first to post each day since Ben clearly can no longer deign to post. 

1. Japan :), D00. A clear gimme for Mirkin. Easy D0 for him. 

2. Puerto Rico :), D11. Would have been a clear D0 for Mirkin if not for question 1. 

3. Pulse :), D11. Almost a trick question. I struggled a bit with this but then realized there were edible seeds called pulses. I guess I wasn’t alone in struggling here and that this may be harder than I thought. 

4. Charlemagne :(, D33. I felt decent about this guess. Like Dave, I actually put William down first but then realized that just because the poem was written around 1100 didn’t mean that was when its subject lived. But still nope.

5. Ncis :), D22. Pleasantly surprised to get this. I’ve never watched it, but I’ve probably seen many hundreds of commercials for it during football games.

6. Prince :), D22. Maybe a gimme for everyone else, but this was hard for me. The Minneapolis clue was the only reason I got it. 

Hope you enjoy your trip, Dave. Always nice to not have to wait until late afternoon to find out how I did. 

Dave M day 6 vs David S

Good morning from London where timing will have me answering ahead of everyone this week (unless Carr decides to grace us with his presence from Oz).

A poor 3/6 today against Seif in a set of questions I wouldn't be surprised if he got 6/6 on.

1 : ) Japan. Economics gimme. D21
2 : ) Puerto Rico. Was a bit worried Puerto Rico wasn't a territory, but looks like it is. D20
3 : ( Legume. Of course it's a pulse. Process of elimination led me to D3ing this for Seif, somehow. D03
4 : ( William the Conqueror. Never heard of Roland. D31
5 : ( CSI Las Vegas. Wrong crime show guess. D12
6 : ) Prince. Only Minneapolis 1980s pop star I know of. D12

Brian Day 5

 3/6

1) Walters 1/0  Even if you don't know it, will prob be the go to guess

2) Midway 2/2  No clue

3) Alabama, LSU 0/1   Given that I don't watch college football, I shouldn't have been so confident in my answer

4) Atlanta 3/3  Knew it was a city name, but never heard of this band

5) Complete Blood Count 2/2 After years of hearing CBC on E/R, at some point I finally looked at the top of my annual blood results

6) Faroe Islands 1/1 Decicco's sells salmon from there

Dave M day 5

Another tough one and just 2/6 for me.

 

1 : ( Diane Rehm. Barbara Walters completely slipped my mind. Poor D as a result. D12

2 : ( Luzon Strait. I remembered it was the name of a piece of water but couldn’t remember which one. D21

3 : ) Alabama, Clemson. Work takes me periodically to Tuscaloosa and a colleague’s kid elected to go to Clemson because of the football team. D13

4 : ( Seven. No idea, hoped it was a series of numbers. D22

5 : ( Complete Blood Comparison. Again no idea but fluked 2/3 words. D31

6 : ) Faroe Islands. Neat geography question. D00

brad day5

2/6 vs ben

1) walters d1/1

family friend is a producer for her

2) iwo jima d1/2

no idea

3) alabama, clemson d0/0

college sports gimme?

4) king d3/3

never heard of these songs or the group

5) common blood count d2/2

close but no cigar

6) dragons live here d2/1

Jesse Day 5

3/6

1. Who was hired away from NBC's Today show in 1976 to serve as co-anchor, with Harry Reasoner, on ABC's flagship nightly news program, becoming the first woman to serve in such a role in American television history?
Correct Answer: BARBARA WALTERS
Your Answer: Walters
Points Assigned: 0

It had to be Barbara Walters. 

2. What World War II battle, part of the Allied effort to retake the Philippines, is widely considered the largest naval engagement in history and recorded the first planned use of Japanese kamikaze attacks?
Correct Answer: BATTLE OF LEYTE GULF
Your Answer: Batlle of Manilla
Points Assigned: 1

I listened to the Hardcore History series on the war in the Pacific and I did not recall this. 

3. With the exception of its first year during the 2014 season (when Ohio State defeated Oregon), every instance of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game has featured one of two teams (and on three occasions, both of these teams). Identify these two teams (only school names are required).
Correct Answer: ALABAMA, CLEMSON
Your Answer: Alabama, Clemson
Points Assigned: 2

I knew it was Alabama and wasn't sure if it was LSU or Clemson. I guessed right. 

4. What pop group, who had hits in 2009 with "1901" and "Lisztomania", has a name that would fit in a list with the names of the bands who recorded "More than a Feeling" and "Feelin' Stronger Every Day"?
Correct Answer: PHOENIX
Your Answer: Miami
Points Assigned: 1

Damnit. When I saw those song titles I immediately thought those were from the same band that did the song Napolean Says. Then I thought, I have not listened to pop music since 2007. Then I focused on the second part and got Boston and Chicago. Somehow my brain stopped working at this point and did not put down Pheonix because I guess I always thought of them as the bird rising from the ashes rather than a city? Wow, this one pains me. 

5. CBC is the abbreviation for a standard diagnostic laboratory test used to detect anemia, infections, and various other medical disorders. What do the letters in CBC stand for?
Correct Answer: COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT
Your Answer: Common Blood Chart
Points Assigned: 2

I had no idea, but that makes sense was anemia. 

6. Eighteen largely barren volcanic isles (along with hundreds of islets and skerries) situated in the North Atlantic between the Shetland Islands and Iceland make up, since 1948, what self-governing region of Denmark?
Correct Answer: FAROE ISLANDS
Your Answer: Faroe Islands
Points Assigned: 3

I have always wanted to go. This should play really hard. 

David S Day 5

4/6 today.

1. Walters :), D20.  Glad to get this.  I was debating between Cokie Roberts and her.  My guess is most people will go with Barbara Walters.

2. Battle of Leyte Gulf :), D23.  Pretty hard WW2 question, I think.  Right up my alley.

3. Alabama, Clemson :), D01.  Really surprised to see that at least one of them has made so many National Championship Games in a row, but there was no doubt that if any two teams had done that, these were the two.

4. Imagine Dragons :(, D11.  No idea.  I return to my pop music roots of cluelessness.

5. Compound Blood Count :(, D32.  Got pretty close, but it was just a guess.  I'd never heard of this.

6. Faroe Islands :), D12.  Geography gimme.

Brian Day 4 vs Steiny (LLL)

 2/6  Tough day

1) Agamemnon 2/2 No clue. Never knew that's what Pygmalion was about

2) Young Urban Professionals 3/3  I guess it takes its name from SF, not Yuppies.  I hope these questions are tough for everyone

3) Chancellor 2/2  Thought I'd kick myself upon seeing the answer, but no, I did not know this.

4) Stigma 1/1  Now that's more like it, a Grease 2 reference.  "Now we know just how the stamen gets its lusty dust onto the stigma...   Where does the pollen go?"

5) Jones 1/1 Never heard of him.  If I knew this wasn't Quincy Jones I would have defended higher. 

6) Impala 0/0 The Impala was much more successful than the Chevy Cow, which was my first guess.

Dave M day 4

3/6 on what I thought was a tough day question wise.

 

1 : ( Ozymandias. Of course it’s Pygmalion. I even was in a high school production of Pygmalion. And the story aligns. Don’t know how I missed this. D22

2 : ( Pier 39. I like how all of us so far have just reeled off possible yuppie locations in San Francisco. I considered both Haight and Golden Gate but considered that there was something more 1980s about Pier 39. D33

3 : ) Premier. Same as Jesse I saw it associated with the anti-vaxx protests and thought it was a neat word that works in both French and English. D11

4 : ) Stigma. I remember Stamens and Stigmata from high school biology and one of those fit the question. D22

5 : ( Nash. No idea. D11

6 : ) Impala. I don’t know what a bovid is but sounds like an animal, and remember Impalas being a popular car. A TV personality in NZ in the 1990s had an imported 1960s Impala so I wasn’t thrown by the timing. D00

Jesse Day 4

3/6

1. The legendary Cypriot king who carved a statue of a woman so beautiful that he fell in love with it (and eventually married her, after Aphrodite turned it into an actual woman) gives his name to what 1913 play?
Correct Answer: PYGMALION
Your Answer: Sisyphus
Points Assigned: 3

Oh, I knew it wasn't Sisyphus but I don't know many other famous kings from the Greek mythologies. I have heard about the play, but had no idea what it is was about. 

2. What was the title of author Vikram Seth's 1986 novel, written entirely in metered, rhyming 14-line stanzas, about the popular culture and activities of a group of "Yuppies" in San Francisco (hence the name)?
Correct Answer: THE GOLDEN GATE
Your Answer: The Bay
Points Assigned: 2

I had no idea. 

3. What is the common name (in English) for the head of government of a Canadian province that is roughly equivalent to a US state's "governor"?
Correct Answer: PREMIER
Your Answer: Premier
Points Assigned: 0

Doug Ford has been in the news for the anti-vaxxer strike. I think I would have known this anyway, but it is fresh in my mind now. 

4. The word for the part of a pistil in a flower that receives pollen grains during pollination can also be defined as a mark of shame or disgrace. What is that word?
Correct Answer: STIGMA
Your Answer: Stigma
Points Assigned: 1

It was the first thing to come to mind and I was pretty sure I was right. 

5. Detroit-born brothers Brian and Eddie Holland played a sizeable role in defining the Motown sound in popular music, most famously in close collaboration with what third songwriter and producer?
Correct Answer: LAMONT DOZIER
Your Answer: Jones
Points Assigned: 2

Never heard of him. I was somewhat confident of Quincy Jones. 

6. What Chevrolet model, named after a bovid and first introduced in 1958 (and re-introduced in 1994 and re-re-introduced in 2000), was the best-selling automobile in the United States during the 1960s?
Correct Answer: IMPALA
Your Answer: Impala
Points Assigned: 1

Impala was the only bovid car name that I could come up with. I had no idea it was so popular in the 60s. 

David S Day 4

Quite happy with a 3/6 on questions I found hard.

1. Narcissus :(, D32.  Nope!

2. Silicon Valley :(, D22.  Nope again!

3. Premier :), D20.  Was almost certain this was right.  Really unsure how hard this will play.

4. Stigma :), D01.  Happy to get this.  Pulled this from some corner of my brain, and the shame/disgrace clue made it clear it was right.

5. Smith :(, D13.  No idea at all.

6. Impala :), D11.  Probably the easiest question of the day, but not all that easy.

brad day4

only got covalent yesterday ... been a tough start as far as answers correct,  but matchup luck and good d has kept me good in the standings

1/6 vs freidlandmj today

1) midas d2/1

no idea

2) in the haight d3/1

no idea and thought i had a real shot at a vbwa nomination

3) premier d1/0

gimme?

4) stamen d2/3

may have got this in high school, been long forgotten

5) charles d0/2

no idea

6) corvette d1/2

nope

Brian Day 3 vs MeyerE

 3/6

1) Jordan  2/2  I didn't watch any of it, but this quote is still omnipresent on Twitter

2) Covalent  1/3  High school chemistry gimme

3) Lonely  3/1  No clue

4) Copenhagen  1/2  Very happy to have reasoned this out. I've never heard of Malmo, so the answer must be a more recognizable city, probably a capital. The o with the accent seems Scandinavian, could be another city up there with an o in it's name, meaning Oslo and Copenhagen.  Then I remembered from an old question that there is a bridge from Denmark to Sweden, and hoped that's what it was referring to. 

5) Macnamara Report  0/1  Pentagon Papers flashed through my head as I was about to click submit, but I thought, I don't actually know what the Pentagon Papers are, I'd better not second guess myself.     Prob a gimme for someone better educated than I. (looking at the blog, that's true)

6) Tamale  2/0  No clue, but I want one. 

Jesse Day 3

4/6. My match today is with a female competitor with very different strengths than mine, so scoring was hard to figure out. 

1. The phrase "…And I took that personally," a widely memed line from a 2020 documentary miniseries, is associated with what man? (He doesn't actually use that line at any point in the documentary, though he suggests the sentiment many many times.)
Correct Answer: MICHAEL JORDAN
Your Answer: Michael Jordan
Points Assigned: 1

I watched the full documentary series. I feel like this became a well known meme. 

2. In chemistry, there are two major types of chemical bonds: one in which atoms are joined by an electrostatic charge, and another in which atoms share a pair of electrons. The former are ionic bonds; the latter are most commonly known as what?
Correct Answer: COVALENT BONDS
Your Answer: Covalent
Points Assigned: 0

I don't know much about chemistry, but I knew Covalent was the answer. I feel like this has come up before in past LLs. 

3. Gertrude Stein's modernist novel, completed in 1911 but not published until 1925 (perhaps because it had little commercial interest, approaching 1,000 pages and containing neither plot, nor action, nor dialogue), is titled The Making of what? The missing word describes the characters in the book as well as the members of Stein's family after whom the characters are based.
Correct Answer: AMERICANS
Your Answer: Money
Points Assigned: 3

I had no idea.

4. Driving for 25 minutes west-northwest from the European city of Malmö, one would arrive in what other city?
Correct Answer: COPENHAGEN
Your Answer: Copenhagen
Points Assigned: 2

I lived in both Malmo and Copenhagen in 2004 and would commute between them to play ultimate. 

5. The Report of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Vietnam Task Force, an official study of US defense policy commissioned in 1967 to examine American involvement in Southeast Asia, is today (and since 1971) more commonly known by what name?
Correct Answer: THE PENTAGON PAPERS
Your Answer: Pentagon Papers
Points Assigned: 1

I feel this is well known. 

6. A roasted poblano pepper stuffed with cheese (and also perhaps diced meat, nuts, and/or cinnamon), then dipped in eggs and flour and deep-fried in oil—this is a basic recipe for what delectable dish that originated in the Mexican city of Puebla?
Correct Answer: CHILE RELLENO
Your Answer: Menudo con Queso
Points Assigned: 2

I don't eat spicy food, so I had no idea. 

Dave M day 3

4/6 and frustratingly close to a 5/6

 

1 : ) Michael Jordan. I haven’t seen the documentary, but have seen the memes. D23

2 : ) Covalent. High school chemistry. D11

3 : ( Children. Never heard of the book and hopefully reasonably obscure so D32.

4 : ) Copenhagen. I have greatly enjoyed two TV shows that feature Malmo a great deal – The Bridge, a grisly dark Danish/Swedish cop drama and… Eurovision a couple of years ago.

5 : ) Pentagon papers. Seems like a simple US History question which both opponents score well in, so D10

6 : ( Poblano Peppers. I had Chile Relleno written down then got fooled into a trick answer by the mention of Puebla and the alliteration in “delectable dish”. Curse you Thorsten. D22

David S Day 3

5/6 on questions that were extremely friendly to me.

1. Jordan :), D00.  Seemed like it had to be Michael Jordan.  This was a great documentary.

2. Covalent :), D23.  Chemistry gimme.  High D only because my opponents are pretty weak in science.

3. Women :(, D22.  Nope!  No idea here.

4. Copenhagen :), D32.  Amazingly, I was talking to a colleague at work about how close Malmo and Copenhagen were just yesterday.  I would have gotten this anyway, but quite a coincidence.

5. Pentagon Paper :), D11.  Down the middle American history question.

6. Chile Rellenos :), D01.  Assuming this pays despite the extra S.  I like these a lot, and although I wasn't sure, it seemed like the description in the question fit it.  I didn't have any other guess.

Brian Day 2 vs SeifD

 4/6 and it probably comes down to defense

1) Godzilla 0/1  A great Thorsten question; Japanese director combined with "its American debut" pointed the way.   I was actually at the NY premiere for the 1998 movie at MSG, it was very cool to be in the building when it was blown up onscreen.  I'm taking a chance giving Dave a 1 on a film question, but I think he'll get to the most logical guess. 

2) Ugg 2/2   Ugh is right.

3) Benin 3/1  Educated/lucky guess. Knew Mali's empire was much older, and between Togo and Benin which are sandwiched between Burkina Faso, Ghana and Nigeria, Benin rang a bell as an empire. 

4) Gotterdammerung 2/2  Hoping to get classical music points for my knowledge of the Ring Cycle. Kill the wabbit, kill the wabbit!

5) Garden gnome 1/3  No chance; are Calder or Duchamp strongly associated with this?  

6) Gross 1/0  The closest any of today's questions are to a gimme.

A 6(4) - 4(2) victory.  And a complete overestimation of the gimme-ness of gross anatomy.

Jesse Day 2

3/6

1. What character, who has appeared in major Hollywood films in 1998, 2014, 2019, and 2021, made its American debut in a 1956 movie co-directed by Terry O. Morse and Ishirō Honda and starring Raymond Burr?
Correct Answer: GODZILLA
Your Answer: Godzilla
Points Assigned: 0

I focused on Japanese culture and quickly arrived at Godzilla. 

2. Identify the type of boot, an ankle-high leather boot with two or three eyelets and a rounded toe, which takes its name from the sport of polo and its term for the seven-minute periods of play into which matches are divided?
Correct Answer: CHUKKA
Your Answer: Quarter boot
Points Assigned: 1

I had no idea. 

3. Among the various West African empires that flourished during the early modern period (roughly 1500-1800 CE) are the Asante (in present-day Ghana), Mossi (present-day Burkina Faso), Oyo (western Nigeria), and Dahomey, which was located within what other present-day country in the region?
Correct Answer: BENIN
Your Answer: Benin
Points Assigned: 2

Given the clues, I figured it would be between the countries mentioned, which left Togo and Benin. I guessed Benin. 

4. Ragnarøkkr is an Old Norse term that translates as "Twilight of the Gods". What word, popular in an operatic context, is a German translation of that phrase?
Correct Answer: GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG
Your Answer: Ragnarok
Points Assigned: 2

I knew it started the name of one of the Ring Cycles, but I could not pull it. 

5. A specific and now-popular type of sculpture was developed by Alexander Calder beginning around 1931 and named by his friend Marcel Duchamp. What is that name?
Correct Answer: MOBILE
Your Answer: Mobile
Points Assigned: 1

My brother Gideon is a big fan. 

6. The study of microscopic anatomy is histology. Its counterpart, macroscopic (i.e., visible) anatomy, is sometimes called macro anatomy or topographical anatomy, but is most often referred to as anatomy with what other descriptor (which, appropriately, means "large")?
Correct Answer: GROSS
Your Answer: Magnology
Points Assigned: 3

Oh, I always thought that was the last name of the author. 

Dave M day 2 v Pelc LLL

4/6 which looks good so far.

 

1 : ) Godzilla. The Japanese link got me started then I remembered the 1998 and 2014 films. D11

2 : ) Chukka. I knew this was both a boot and a polo term but wasn’t sure how it related to both. But as I was lucky enough to know the word this was a simple question. D21

3 : ) Benin. I know Benin used to be called Dahomey. D22

4 : ) Gotterdammerung. I had heard this word in relation to Wagner’s operas and God = gott in German so it made sense. D12

5 : ( Paper Mache. No idea. D33

6 : ( Mega. Just went with the only Greek work for big that came to mind. D00

brad day2

1/6 vs buckfireN

1) godzilla d0/0

gimme?

2) quarter d2/2

nope

3) sudan d3/3

no chance here

4) aria d1/1

never heard of this

5) man urinating in a fountain d2/1

vbwa attempt

6) greys d1/2

no idea  and figured the show name came from somewhere

David S Day 2 vs. Brian (LLL)

2/6.  Somehow I got the movie and the art question and missed the ones I should be good at.  This strikes me as a pretty tough day, and not just for me.

1. Godzilla :), D00.  Wasn't certain, but it seemed like the obvious guess.  Pushed a bit all in on this being right by giving the D00.

2. Quarter boot :(, D11.  No idea.  If I'd known it was so hard, I would have given higher D.

3. Togo :(, D23.  Right next door, but clearly wrong.  Frustrating...

4. Gazuntite :(, D32.  The answer looks like a random collection of letters.  I certainly had no chance.

5. Mobile :), D12.  I spent 5 years working in an office filled with Calder works.  So this was a gimme for me, though it's a total fluke.

6. Mega :(, D21.  I was 50/50 here and picked the wrong one.

Brian Day 1 vs Dave M

 Welcome back everyone! It's nice to take a break from Wordle to do some trivia.   4/6 to begin the season.

1) Klondike   1/1   The only other word I associate with that region.  And I just, as I'm typing this, remembered why it's historically famous ( gold rush, I assume, not the ice cream whose jingle has been in my head all morning.)

2) Lizard 2/1  No chance, went for alliteration, though upon seeing the answer it rings a bell. 

3) Clippy 1/2  Just reading the question annoyed me.  I hated that damn paper clip.  

4) Minogue 3/3   No clue. Thought I had a shot but I guess the band being Australian was meaningless.  

5) Suez Canal  0/0  First thought was Statue of Liberty, but no way it took that long to build.  It clicked right away once I thought about bigger international projects, and I think will be a gimme for the better history students amongst us.

6) War and Peace 2/2 Not that surprised that my guess was correct, but I was sort of hoping it was wrong, I'm worried it will be the default guess or a gimme for most and I overdefended.

Mirkin crushes me 8(5)- 4(4), but great minds think alike of lizards. 

Jesse Day 1, LL 92

4/6 to start things off

1. In the town of Dawson City, in Canada's Yukon Territory, the Yukon River is met by what other river, which gives the broader geographic region its historically famous name?
Correct Answer: KLONDIKE RIVER
Your Answer: Klondike
Points Assigned: 2

I read Call of the Wild and White Fang not too long ago. 

2. There are various plausible etymologies for why two regions of the globe—at about 30 degrees north and south of the equator, where winds are generally calm and the weather is sunny, hot, and dry—are known as "latitudes" named after what animal?
Correct Answer: HORSE
Your Answer: Lizard
Points Assigned: 3

I spent a while trying to figure this one out. I have never heard of this term. 

3. While others were available—including Scribble, Mother Nature, Hoverbot, and Rocky—the default and most common Office Assistant introduced in Microsoft Office 97 was an anthropomorphic character with what name?
Correct Answer: CLIPPY (CLIPPIT)
Your Answer: Clippy
Points Assigned: 0

Gimmie for people my age.

4. In August 2021, the account for the Australian musical trio Pnau tweeted, "We've just written a song with the biggest pop star of yesterday and the biggest pop star of today." The song's title is "Cold Heart"—name either of the pop stars subtweeted.
Correct Answer: ELTON JOHN, DUA LIPA
Your Answer: Mcartney
Points Assigned: 1

Nope.

5. The French diplomat Ferdinand Marie, Vicomte de Lesseps, is remembered today in large part for his role in the successful 1859–69 construction of what?
Correct Answer: SUEZ CANAL
Your Answer: Suez Canal
Points Assigned: 1

I wrote a paper on the Suez Canal in middle school. I remembered the name Lesseps. 

6. The Bezukhovs, Bolkonskys, Rostovs, Kuragins, and Drubetskoys are central characters in what work of literature published in 1869?
Correct Answer: WAR AND PEACE
Your Answer: War and Peace
Points Assigned: 2

It was a guess as I have never read it.

Dave M day 1 v Brian

Happy Valentines Day everyone! Happy to start with a 5/6, same as Qs as Seif.

 

1 : ) Klondike. I find this particular gold rush a very interesting piece of history. Such a remote and hard-to-live location compared with the other major ones. So I’ve read a bit about it. D22

2 : ( Lizard. Horse was on my shortlist but hey. D33 and feel good about that.

3 : ) Clippy. It looks like you want to write a letter. Can I help? D10

4 : ) Dua Lipa. Somewhat surprised to get this. I don’t think I’ve heard the song but read somewhere Dua Lipa had a big song that sounded something like Cold Heart. Did not know Elton John or Pnau were involved. D02

5 : ) Suez Canal. Timing aligned with only one big construction project. D21

6 : ) War and Peace. The only 19^th C Russian literature that came to mind. D11

brad day1

2/6 vs buckfirek and steiny

1) iditarod d2/1

nope

2) camel d1/3

no idea

3) paperclip d2/1

had no idea this had a name

4) elton john d3/0

imo this is an easy current pop q question, but in my ll opponents worst category by far

5) statue of liberty d0/2

nope

6) war and peace d1/2

didnt have a better guess

David S Day 1

Welcome back, everyone!  Solid 5/6 to start off this season.

1. Klondike :), D22.  Phew.  Did not feel good about this guess, but I didn't know what else it could be.  I've struggled on some Canadian geography questions, so maybe this is a tough area for me within a category in which I normally do well.

2. Turtle :(, D23.  No idea at all.

3. Clippy :), D00.  Gimmeish for people in our age range, I think.

4. John :), D31.  While I'm still terrible at pop music, my kids' insistence that we stream it whenever we're driving has definitely helped me.  Never would have gotten this one otherwise.

5. Suez Canal :), D12.  The dates made it pretty clear, but I'm pretty sure I could have gotten it with just the names.

6. War and Peace :), D11.  I wasn't sure, but this seems like the best default guess for a long Russian book from the mid/late 19th century.