Brian at least there's a pen and paper math 1DS coming up soon

Evidently Thorsten decided to give a math question for every time Ben posted here.  

Was nearly certain I had 5/6 today, but clearly I'm no good at numbers because I only had three. I finished with my lowest QPct in 6 seasons, but that's Thorsten's fault because there were no math questions.  I suppose I would have earned zero points for them anyway. 

Congrats to the Daves on their fine seasons! Don't forget us little guys.

1) Father Dowling 1/3  Assumed these must be the basis for the tv show.  

2) Tonga 2/0  no clue

3) Reno 1/2 I know the song, but I bet there will be many getting this from the geography.

4) Pewdiedie 3/2  Was convinced that the only YouTuber I've heard of must be the correct answer

5) Centripetal 2/1 physics gimme

6) Philadelphia 76ers   0/1  I knew this, but prob a 50/50 for anyone with a passing knowledge of U.S. sports. 

I've gone into wikiholes on franchise moves quite a bit, I think they're fun, especially in the NHL.  Some comments on your comments: The Houston Colt 45s were an expansion team which came in with the Mets; they soon became the Astros.  And it definitely feels weird that there was an NBA team in upstate NY, much less a few of them. The Rochester Royals eventually became the Sacramento Kings, and the Buffalo Braves became the Clippers.  And that's one to grow on.

Enjoy the offseason!!!  

Jesse day 25

4/6 Have a great off season!

1. The prolific English journalist, editor, and author G.K. Chesterton, a staunch conservative and fervent defender of the Catholic faith, is remembered for, among his many other works, a series of short stories featuring what gumshoe cleric?
Correct Answer: FATHER BROWN
Your Answer: Smith
Points Assigned: 3

Ah, I have heard of this. 

2. In 1962, what became the first Pacific small-island nation to gain independence from colonial powers? Its initial, directional two-word name was officially shortened to its current name in 1997 (either name is acceptable).
Correct Answer: (WESTERN) SAMOA
Your Answer: Western Samoa
Points Assigned: 1

Western Samoa came to mind right away.

3. In Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues, he sings about shooting a man in what city "just to watch him die"? While this city is about a two-hour drive from Folsom State Prison outside Sacramento, it's not in the same state (raising questions about jurisdiction or other possible crimes).
Correct Answer: RENO
Your Answer: Reno
Points Assigned: 0

Seems like a gimmie. 

4. What is the online alias of YouTuber and entrepreneur Jimmy Donaldson, whose expensive stunt videos have helped him become one of the platform's highest earners, and whose virtual burger brand is sold from hundreds of locations in North America?
Correct Answer: MRBEAST
Your Answer: Mr Bills
Points Assigned: 2

I have seen two of his video but the name did not click in my head. 

5. In physics, an apparent force arising for an observer moving with a rotating system, and a reaction force that acts radially inwards on the object moving in the curve, are known by two similar terms. What is either of these standard terms?
Correct Answer: CENTRIFUGAL FORCE, CENTRIPETAL FORCE
Your Answer: Centripetal
Points Assigned: 2

If I get a physics question it must be relatively easy. 

6. Name the professional sports franchise that relocated from Syracuse, New York, in 1963, becoming—with a name change—the third active team (at the time) among the four major North American sports leagues to have a number as part of its name. (Note, full post-1963 team name including city is required.)
Correct Answer: PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
Your Answer: Philadelphia 76ers
Points Assigned: 1

I was pretty sure this was 76ers. I was pretty sure it wasn't the 49ers. What is the third number team? 

Dave M day 25 vs Carr LLL

The score of the season for me – 4/6 – and I think promotion to B beckons. We’ll see. Hope everyone has a great LL break.

 

1 : ( Father Brown. I had no idea but at least got the 50/50 Father/Mother guess correct. D33

2 : ) Samoa. One of the ultimate gimmes for me, The colonial power in this case was New Zealand, and there are still several links, including a huge Samoan population in NZ (larger than in Samoa itself). It was also the first international destination I visited as a kid (along with Tonga). D21

3 : ) Reno. I remember Joaquin Phoenix singing this in the scene at Folsom Prison in the Cash biopic. D11

4 : ) Mr Beast. I’ve never watched a video, but sometimes I look at ‘trending’ on youtube and it’s full of this guy, so just made a guess. D02

5 : ( Inertia. Of course it’s centrifugal/centripetal. Brain Freeze. Glad I D0ed Ben. D20

6 : ) Philadelphia 76ers. Guessed this only because I couldn’t think of any other teams with a number (would have guessed 49ers if I remembered them). I assumed it would be hockey if they team was from Syracuse but hey. I’ll take the points. D12

David S Day Clearly Thorsten Is Trolling Us vs. Brad (LLL)

I interpret the last question as Thorsten trolling those of us who were hoping for a math question (or several) this season.  Just my interpretation.  Moving on...

4/6, which I'm pretty happy with.

1. Sherlock Holmes :(, D32.  Zero chance here.  I couldn't even think of a halfway decent guess.

2. Samoa :), D12.  Love this geography question.  Gimme for me, though I doubt it plays all that easy.

3. Reno :), D01.  Like Brad, I got this from the geography.  It seemed like only Reno or Carson City fit the question, and Reno certainly had a better ring to it.

4. Dare Devil :(, D13.  I had no idea.  More Youtuber questions than math questions this season.  Sad.

5. Centripetal Force :), D21.  Gimme.

6. Philadelphia 76ers :), D20.  Satisfying to get this.  I was pretty sure the 49ers were older than this, and I knew there was an old team called the Colt 45s.  This was the only other reasonable team I could think of, though I was certainly not all that confident it was right.  I wasted my D0 on Brad here, but it still looks like I pulled off a win in that match.

Have a great offseason, everyone!

brad day25

2/6 vs seif

1) sister jean d2/2

no idea

2) tonga d2/1

nope

3) reno d1/2

figured was this or vegas and i think vegas is a further drive

4) eat me d3/3

never heard of this before

5) centrifugal force d0/0

gimme?

6) san francisco 49ers d1/1

i would have thought answer was founded earlier

Dave M day 24 v Steiny LL and Brad LLL

Another 4/6 and hopefully another step closer to rundle B as I think I might edge Steiny in the main contest today. Brad another story as I D3ed that martial arts question

 

1 : ) FYROM. Sometimes Balkan politics truly can get petty and absurd. D22

2 : ( New York. I do not equate SF with trollies – I assume every city of any size had trollies in 1902, certainly every city I’ve ever lived in did – so just went for the biggest. D02

3 : ) Cement. Seems pretty straightforward. D20

4 : ) Trading Card Game. I knew Pokemon began as trading cards so it seemed straightforward from there. D11

5 : ( Tae Kwon Do. Random guess. Had no idea. D33

6 : ) Contras. Pretty simple US history question I think? D11

 

So Brad gets 4 (3) and I also get 4 (4) so I eke out a tie as Brad got perfect defense against my mediocre effort.

Brian Day There's still no F$@!ing math questions

 3/6 plus two bad misses.   Good luck to the Daves who have a good chance of being promoted to the hellhole of their respective B rundles!

1) FYROM 1/2 I did a lot of geography Sporcles a few years ago.  I assume it stands for Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia.

2) San Francisco 2/1  I thought to myself, this is probably that St. Louis movie that she's famous for (other than Wizard of Oz).  But....trolleys.  Better guess SF

3) Cement 1/2  Only option, but seemed so obvious it must be wrong

4) The Card Game 3/1  Ugh.  Utter fail. I know exactly what Magic is, but couldn't come up with the T word.  

5) Bushido 2/3  Knew that was wrong, but no clue.

6) Contra 0/0  I assume this pays, much like Reagan paid the rebels.

LOL Seif I wrote my subject line before seeing yours, great minds think alike.  Do we get one on Monday?   Was this intentional?  

Jesse day 24

4/6

1. From 1993 until 2019, the present-day country of North Macedonia was known (and formally recognized by the United Nations) by what five-letter abbreviation?
Correct Answer: FYROM
Your Answer: Thrace
Points Assigned: 3

I had no idea.

2. Judy Garland introduced the now-standards "The Trolley Song" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" in a 1944 film set in 1903 and 1904 in what US city?
Correct Answer: ST. LOUIS
Your Answer: St. Louis
Points Assigned: 2

My gut reaction was Meet Me in St. Louis, even though I never saw it. I was concerned it might be SF with the trolly reference but stuck with St. Louis. 

3. Concrete is a material produced by mixing sand and crushed stone with air, water, and a binder. What word is most commonly used to refer to that binding substance?
Correct Answer: CEMENT
Your Answer: Cement
Points Assigned: 1

I considered mortar but was pretty sure it had to be cement. 

4. In games such as Pokémon TCG and Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, what do the letters in TCG stand for (the 'G' is Game)? The phrase could also be used to describe and categorize other games such as Keyforge, Flesh and Blood, and the original TCG, Magic: The Gathering.
Correct Answer: TRADING CARD GAME
Your Answer: Trading Card Game
Points Assigned: 0

Without Magic I am not positive I would have gotten this. 

5. In what modern Japanese martial art, which is descended from the fighting techniques and swordmanship of the ancient samurai and whose name translates as "way of the sword", do practitioners use bamboo swords called shinai and protective armor called bōgu?
Correct Answer: KENDO
Your Answer: Boshido
Points Assigned: 2

Shoot, I should have thought harder on this. 

6. In the 1980s, US officials attempted to use proceeds from covert arms sales to Iran as a means of financing support for what anti-government group?
Correct Answer: CONTRA REBELS
Your Answer: Contras
Points Assigned: 1

I think this should play easy for Americans over 40. 

brad day24

3/6 vs mirkin

1) abcde d3/1

no idea

2) san francisco d1/2

had no idea but saw trolley and went for this

3) cement d1/2

drew a blank on this for a while and then it became super obvious, wasnt sure how to d this

4) the card game d0/0

ugh, but im likely going to get low d for this as well

5) kendo d2/3

i have no idea where i know this from but i was pretty sure this was right

6) contra d2/1

amer history gimme? (reg opponent not american)

David S Day I don’t know because LL is clearly a no math zone

5/6. Very friendly day for me. 

1. Fyrom :), D22. Gimme for me. But I really wonder how hard this plays. 

2. St. Louis :), D22. I’ve seen the play of this. Didn’t realize Judy Garland was in the movie, but the names of the songs were enough. 

3. Cement :), D11. Was I missing something here, or was this super obvious? I gave D11 because I thought I might be missing something, but I wish I’d done D00. 

4. Trading card game :), D11. I got it from Magic, and I bet this plays easy. 

5. Bushido :(, D33. I had no idea. Happy with my D33. 

6. Contras :), D00. I don’t think this is super easy, but both my opponents are strong in American history. 

Brian Day 23

 5/6 and, since I know it's getting old, I won't mention that there still hasn't been a math question.

1) Falklands 2/3  No clue.  Brad, I like your thinking that popularity in the US could be from the Revolutionary War. And I also think you credit. 

2) cabal 0/0 If he hadn't pointed with a big bright blinking glowing fluorescent arrow towards the acronym, I might have gone with Small Council

3) U2 2/2/  First thought was B-52s, which led to U2 which had to be correct.  Seif, Led Zep has been around since the 60s, but nice guess.

4) Pemex 3/2  I don't like that most of you got this given my defense, but we're all business somehow, hopefully that explains it

5) Mercury 1/1 Lucky coin flip with Venus

6) Bourne 1/1 Love these movies.  The convoluted parethentical seemed unnecessary and confusing by being there.  Standard rules say last name is required and acceptable alone, was this an added clue I'm missing?  Maybe pointing out that most of the movie titles only have his last name?

Jesse day 23

4/6

1. The plot of the BBC drama series Poldark, which has achieved a degree of popularity in the US via its broadcast on PBS's Masterpiece series, centers on the title character and his tribulations upon returning home after serving in the British army during what war?
Correct Answer: AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR
Your Answer: Crimean
Points Assigned: 3

I have never heard of this show

2. A small group of advisors who served Charles II of England between 1667 and 1673—The Earl of Arlington, The Lord Ashley, The Duke of Buckingham, The Lord Clifford of Chudleigh, and The Duke of Lauderdale (in alphabetical order)—were referred to by what five-letter word (which did not actually originate with them, though it fit them perfectly)?
Correct Answer: CABAL
Your Answer: Cabal
Points Assigned: 1

Seems pretty easy if play around with the letter. 

3. What rock band, which formed in 1976 and is still active today, has won more Grammys, sold more albums, and grossed more on concert tours than any other band that also shares its name with an actual aircraft?
Correct Answer: U2
Your Answer: U2
Points Assigned: 0

My first thought was B-52s, but that did not seem right. Then I thought of U2. 

4. What is the Mexican equivalent of Indonesia's Pertamina, Malaysia's Petronas, Ukraine's Naftogaz, Venezuela's PDVSA, and Brazil's Petrobras?
Correct Answer: PEMEX
Your Answer: Gasmex
Points Assigned: 2

I knew I had heard of it, but I could not pull it. 

5. Identify the celestial object whose mean distance from the Sun is approximately 36 million miles (58 million kilometers, 0.39 AU).
Correct Answer: MERCURY
Your Answer: Mercury
Points Assigned: 2

It was that or Venus and .39 seemed pretty close. 

6. A 2002 film begins with the title character floating in the Mediterranean Sea, sixty miles south of Marseilles, where an Italian fishing boat crew rescues him. This film is the first in an action movie franchise named after that main character. What is his name? (Last name is required, and last name alone is acceptable.)
Correct Answer: JASON BOURNE
Your Answer: Jason Bourne
Points Assigned: 1

One of my favorite film series. 

Dave M day 23

Hectic day yesterday means I didn’t post, but a measly 2/6 which was nonetheless good enough for a win. 4/6 today.

 

1 : ( Crimean War. Remember the buzz about the show (extremely good looking lead) and knew it was 18^th/19^th Century time, but never watched and so picked the wrong war assuming there would be a topical element to the question. D22

2 : ) Cabal. Anagram worked out eventually and seeing answers so far I’m nervous about my D33.

3 : ) U-2. I don’t know of any bands named after civil aircraft so once I got to military it U2 and B-52s came to mind immediately. No question between the two who was/is more popular. D21

4 : ) Pemex. Simple oil and gas question. D10 as I assume everybody notices the different gas station brands when overseas like me, right? Maybe not. D10

5 : ( Venus. I think Earth is ~90 million kilometers from the Sun so guessed wrong between the two closer planets. D12

6 : ) Bourne. Seems like a reasonably easy movie question. D01

David S Day 23

4/6.  Brad, I think you'll get credit for #1.

1. World War I :(, D11.  I had no idea.  Never heard of this show.  (Though it sounds interesting, so maybe I'll check it out.)

2. Cabal :), D23.  Like Brad, I might not have gotten it without the alphabetical order clue.  But with it, the term rang a bell, so I was pretty confident.

3. Led Zeppelin :(, D11.  Too bad.  I was so confident I had a pop music question.  That'll cost me 3 points...

4. Pemex :), D22.  I wonder how hard this plays.  I think it may play tough for people not in energy or finance.

5. Mercury :), D32.  I considered Venus also, but it seemed too close given that Venus's year is close to 2/3 that of Earth's.

6. Bourne :), D00.  Rare film gimme for me.  I suspect this plays pretty easy.

brad day23

4.5/6 vs amdurs common d

1) revolutionary d1

guessed based on us popularity, but not sure if i will get credit as not specific enough

2) cabal d1

seemed pretty obvious from clue that the names were an anagram and eventually arranged it correctly

3) journey d2

nope

4) pemex d3

energy companies very topical to markets in general right now, think this generally plays tough

5) mercury d2

guessed right between this and venus, d2 only because other qs better fit opponents strengths

6) bourne d0

saw these

Brian Day 22

4/6 Still no math; he's obviously messing with us.  And instead he gives 3 of my worst 4 categories.   Luckily one of them is a backdoor film question.

1) The Price is Right 1/1  How could I forget Dian?  First thought of morning news and soap operas, but as soon as I got to game shows it was a gimme.   

2) Illusory 2/3 no clue

3) Red 2/1 Only got it from the 8-ball reference

4) Fly 3/2 no clue

5) Jujyfruit 0/0  Interesting info in the question. Hard to get away from gummy bears, but once I thought of candy stuck in my teeth, it was obvious. Just don't drop them in an operating theater. (Correction, those were Junior Mints.  Jujus were what Elaine stopped off to get before visiting her boyfriend in the hospital.  What an embarrassing mistake.)

6) Tibet 1/2  I've heard of the Brad Pitt film Seven Years in Tibet; no chance otherwise.

Jesse day 22

4/6

1. Janice Pennington, Dian Parkinson, and Holly Hallstrom became famous for their daily appearances from the late 1970s into the early 1990s on what daytime television program?
Correct Answer: THE PRICE IS RIGHT
Your Answer: The Price is Right
Points Assigned: 1

I thought there was a chance those were Barker's Beauties. I was surprised this was right. 

2. Early 1960s works of English painter Bridget Riley including Fall, Fission, and Hesitate are archetypes of what contemporary art style, the term for which was coined in 1964 in Time magazine to describe a form of art that utilizes patterns and designs deceiving to the eye?
Correct Answer: OP ART
Your Answer: Magic Eye
Points Assigned: 3

I had no idea.

3. A standard set of 2<span style='font-size:0.8em;'>^1</sup>⁄₁₆</span>" full-size snooker balls comes with 22 balls, 15 of which are what color? This is also typically the color of the #3 ball in regular 8-ball pool.
Correct Answer: RED
Your Answer: Red
Points Assigned: 0

I played a fair amount of snooker on my travels. 

4. The title of Paula Vogel's bold and powerful 1998 Pulitzer-winning play pertains to the metaphor that provides the framework for its complex, empathetic story of pedophilia, sexual trauma, and victim-blaming. The title begins How I Learned to—what is that last word?
Correct Answer: DRIVE
Your Answer: Cope
Points Assigned: 2

Ah, I have heard of this in retrospect. 

5. The drupe of a certain small, shiny shrub within the genus Zizyphus originally provided the flavor—and still provides the name—for a certain gummy confection of flavoring (now violet, lilac, lime, wild cherry, or lemon) and sugar syrup. What is the name of that candy, or its similarly named (and similarly produced) sibling, both of which were introduced by the Heide Candy Company in 1920?
Correct Answer: JUJUBE/JUJYFRUIT
Your Answer: Jujubes
Points Assigned: 2

Violet and lilac led me to the candy Jujubes. I think this will play as hard as a Jujube stuck in one's teeth. 

6. The most successful work of Austrian author Heinrich Harrer is a fast-paced travel and adventure story from 1953 that settles on his seven years spent where?
Correct Answer: TIBET
Your Answer: Tibet
Points Assigned: 1

I immediately thought of 7 years in Tibet. 

brad day22

2/6 vs buckfireK

1) the price is right d1/3

once i got past the usual i have no idea for qs like this and realized i recognized the names this came quick

2) optical illusion d2/1

close but likely no get

3) red d0/2

not something i play often, but have seen this before

4) love d2/1

nope

5) skittles d1/0

nope

6) china d3/2

bad miss and d

David S Day 22

3/6 on a set of questions that were decidedly unfriendly for me.  I'd normally be happy with this, but I really thought I had 4.

1. The Price is Right :), D10.  Struggled with this for a while, but then it hit me.  I watched plenty of this when I was a kid.  The lovely...

2. Tromp l'oeil :(, D23.  I really thought this was right.  It's a common French term meaning "fool the eye."

3. Red :), D31.  I'm not sure I've ever played snooker, but you really only need to see a set once to remember most of the balls are red.

4. Live :(, D12.  No clue.

5. Starburst :(, D22.  I wish in that Seinfeld episode Elaine had described Jujubes instead of just mentioning them.  Then I'd have had this.

6. Tibet :), D01.  Should be the easiest of the day.

Brian Day 21 vs Dave M (LL) and some guy named Ben (LLL)

 4/6  but both difficult for me to defend and I think will be difficult for my opponents too. I'm getting excited for 6 math questions on Day 25.

1) McDonalds 2/2 Once I eliminated Parker Brothers and the Koch Brothers, I went through big companies and Ray Kroc rang a bell as the title Founder in this movie.  Not sure how this plays.

2) Thailand 0/1  all I knew was that at some point, Siam had a king.  

3) Baby doll 2/3  So baby does not come from renaissance/rebirth period?  Oh well, worth a shot.  

4) New York City Ballet 3/2  Alvin Ailey would probably have been founded by Alvin Ailey, so I went with my next guess.  I had zero confidence, but I felt like there must be something called the NYC Ballet and if it did exist, it would perform at Lincoln Center.  Hoping for a 3 here, but I'm worried my opponents will have the same thought process.

5) tapanade 1/0  I don't know how to spell it, but I know how to eat it

6) Runes 1/1  Considered Germanic, Norse and Scandinavian first, but ultimately only runes seemed to fit.  I thought rune was an even more generic term than letters in a certain type of alphabet, but I'm familiar with the rune for 'th' (Thor currently wears it on his new costume in the comics) and that cinched it for me.

I guess defense wasn't difficult after all, as perfect defense results in a 4(4)-4(4) tie between me and Mirkin.  As for the result of my match with Ben, well, I guess I'll just have to wait until tomorrow.  

Jesse day 21

2/6

1. The lead character in the 2016 biographical film The Founder, played by Michael Keaton, represents himself as the founder of what corporation? (He wasn't actually, though—that would be the company's namesake founding brothers, who were bought out in 1961, and were played by Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch in the film.)
Correct Answer: MCDONALD'S
Your Answer: McDonalds
Points Assigned: 0

I saw the commercials for this. 

2. Prince Boun Oum, Prince Souvanna Phouma, and Prince Souphanouvong were the "Three Princes" selected to form a government in 1961 by the king of what country, following its independence in 1953? The latter of the three became president (though essentially a puppet) when the kingdom was abolished in December 1975.
Correct Answer: LAOS
Your Answer: Cambodia
Points Assigned: 2

It was either Laos or Cambodia (I have been to both) based on those last names. I went with the wrong one. 

3. What is the dress style, dating to the late 18th century, in which the dress gathers at the narrowest part of the torso and drapes out under the bustline, and has a name that refers to a period in French history?
Correct Answer: EMPIRE (WAIST)
Your Answer: 1st Republic
Points Assigned: 3

Nope.

4. What is the four-word name of the company, arguably the foremost American dance company of the 20th century, that was founded by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein in 1948, and has been resident in the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts since 1964?
Correct Answer: NEW YORK CITY BALLET
Your Answer: American Ballet Dance Company
Points Assigned: 2

Nope.

5. What is the name of the paste originating in the Provençal region of France that consists of black olives, capers, and anchovy fillets, and is commonly spread on toasted bread or canapés?
Correct Answer: TAPENADE
Your Answer: Tapenade
Points Assigned: 1

I do like Tapendae.

6. The early Teutonic alphabet known as the futhark is so-named from its first six letters (f, u, th, a, r, and k). What word is used generally for the letters in the futhark and other related languages? The word in question is also used (in adjective form) to describe the broad family of languages that use these letters.
Correct Answer: RUNES/RUNIC
Your Answer: Germanic
Points Assigned: 1

Ah, that makes sense. 

Dave M day 21 vs Brian LL and Steiny LLL

Another 4/6 today and felt tantalizingly close to 6/6 sometimes.

 

1 : ) McDonalds. I have seen then forgotten this film, but the mention of Nick Offerman as a McDonald brother brought back the memories. D00

2 : ) Laos. 1953 plus SE Asian looking names means one of the former French colonies. Rule out Vietnam as no royals and none of the names looked like the name of the Cambodian king, who at any rate certainly wasn’t kept on as president when the Khmer Rouge took over. So that left Laos. D22

3 : ( Belle Epoque. I considered Empire but ruled it out as a silly name for a period in French history. D33

4 : ( New York Contemporary Dance. Considered Ballet but rejected it for something more modern. D22

5 : ) Tapenade. Delicious. D11

6 : ) Runes. The time period and locations made sense with the concept of Runes. D11

brad day 21

2/6 vs pelc

1) mcdonalds d1/0

saw this

2) singapore d2/2

nope

3) revolution d0/3

no idea

4) american ballet theatre school d1/2

mashed a bunch of words together hoping for a lucky guess

5) tapenade d2/1

yum

6) cyrillic d3/1

no idea

David S Day 21

Disappointing 3/6, but I really liked today's questions.

1. Proctor and Gamble :(, D12.  I had no idea.

2. Laos :), D33.  Sweet!  My most satisfying correct answer in a long time.  I bet this plays really hard.  The 1953 to 1975 date was a strong clue it was either Vietnam (North or South), Laos, or Cambodia.  Neither N or S Vietnam had a monarchy for that time.  Cambodia was taken over by the Khmer Rouge in 1975, which made it a good guess, but I was pretty sure the monarchy had fallen there several years earlier.  That left Laos by process of elimination.

3. Belle Epoque :(, D22.  Second straight LL season I've put belle epoque for an answer, second straight season I got the question wrong.

4. New York City Ballet :), D11.  Not exactly my area of strength, but I used to live in a building that was part of Lincoln Center and have been on their mailing list for well over a decade.  No way I was missing this.

5. Tapenade :), D00.  Seems like the easiest question of the day.  But even if that's not true, both my opponents are great at food/drink, so good D00.

6. Scandinavian :(, D21.  Oh, I get what the question was asking for now.  I spent my time debating Germanic vs. Scandinavian.  If someone had told me that neither was correct, I wonder if I would have gone in the right direction.

Brian Day 20

 Still no math, but that's okay when I get a 5/6.  Several bells, I mean gimmes, for me today.

1) Top Distance Compressed 3/3  Have heard the term, but had no idea what it was referring to. 

2) Hebrew 2/0  Spoken by over nine million people? Sure, maybe when they light the menorah.  A gimme for this group, hopefully not so much for the goyim.  

3) Nikkei 0/1  Biz gimme

4) Young 1/2  Was having a tough time until I realized the import of the streaming reference, making it a gimme current events question rather than a difficult music question.

5) El 2/2  The wordplay of the questions pointed to the 'definite article', which are le and la in French.  Le gets changed to l' in front of a vowel, so I figured something similar happened with the Spanish la in front of this particular words.  El was the only option I could think of

6) Water polo 1/1  Nothing else it could be, but that didn't stop me from trying to talk myself out of it and into something less obvious

Jesse Day 20

4/6

1. In auto mechanics, the abbreviation TDC refers to the position of an engine's piston on the compression stroke in which it is farthest from the crankshaft below. What do the letters in TDC stand for?
Correct Answer: TOP DEAD CENTER
Your Answer: Thrust Differential Compression
Points Assigned: 2

All three of my words were wrong. I have never heard of this. 

2. What language, widely cited as the only spoken language ever to be revived from extinction, is now one nation's official language and is spoken by over nine million people worldwide?
Correct Answer: HEBREW
Your Answer: Hebrew
Points Assigned: 1

Seems like a gimmie for us Jews. 

3. Bridgestone, Canon, Trend Micro, Rakuten, Softbank, ANA Holdings, Sharp, and Olympus are among the 225 components of what stock market index, named for the economics newspaper that has calculated it since 1950?
Correct Answer: NIKKEI
Your Answer: Nikkei
Points Assigned: 2

I knew Canon, Rakuten, and ANA were Japanese and guessed the others must be too. That is the Nikkei index. 

4. A new wave album named Trans, which prominently features electronic sound and use of a Sennheiser Vocoder VSM201, and whose current availability on streaming services is limited, was a polarizing 1982 release by what Canadian-born rock music artist?
Correct Answer: NEIL YOUNG
Your Answer: Neil Young
Points Assigned: 0

Never heard of the album, but Canadian-born, the time period and the recent Spotify disagreement all made the answer clear. 

5. The most exceptional thing about a set of feminine singular Spanish nouns that includes agua ("water"), alma ("soul"), águila ("eagle"), and hambre ("hunger") can be definitely articulated using what two letters?
Correct Answer: EL
Your Answer: ex
Points Assigned: 3

Ah. I don't remember enough for Spanish class. 

6. While no longer used, floating barrels and paddles were equipment integral to the gameplay of what sport when it originated in Great Britain in the 1870s?
Correct Answer: WATER POLO
Your Answer: Water Polo
Points Assigned: 1

What other game is played in a pool? I figured they were subbing in barrels for horses and paddles for mallets. 

Dave M day 20 v Liz LLL

Happy to get 4/6, was expecting worse.

 

1 : ( Total Draw Compression. Nope, and it’s not something I’ve forgotten either. D33

2 : ) Hebrew. Not expecting many false guesses in this group. D00

3 : ) Nikkei. They bought the Financial Times a couple of years ago which is the origin of the FTSE in London too – surely the media group with the most namesake stock indices out there. D12

4 : ) Young. Never heard of the album but have heard of the Spotify controversy. D21

5 : ( Do. Guessed it wasn’t La but not enough Spanish to make a different guess. D11

6 : ) Water Polo. The timing seemed to fit and couldn’t think of anything “better”. D22

David S Day 20

4/6.  I was pleasantly surprised with this.  I knew I had two, and felt like I had a decent shot at 4.

1. Top dead center :), D12.  I'd heard the term top dead center.  Glad I guessed it for here.

2. Hebrew :), D30.  Gimme.

3. Nikkei :), D01.  Business gimme.

4. Bon Jovi :(, D13.  I had no idea.

5. La :(, D21.  Actually got kind of close here, but I had no idea.  Now that I see the answer, I'm guessing the idea is that these words take the masculine article despite being feminine.

6. Water Polo :), D22.  Seemed like the best guess.  Maybe my D was too high here.

brad day20

3/6 vs buckfireN and brian

common d

1) turn dis car d3

no idea

2) hebrew d1

think this generally plays tough but not with this group

3) nikkei d0

biz gimme?

4) adams d1

thought i had this

5) aa d2

nope

6) water polo d2

pleasantly suprised to get this, couldnt think of a better water sport that could fit

Seif Addendum 2

My Pavlov comment didn’t age well… But more interesting is that I think wasabi had the highest get rate of any question in my LL career (this being my 20th season). 

Dave M day 19 late in the day v Seif

Hectic day here, getting my results in under the wire.

 

Just 3/6 and not threatening Seif in our matchup. And to Seifs addendum Pavlov was utterly un-gimmeish for me.

 

1 : ) Wasabi however was a universal gimme.

2 : ( Couldn’t think of anything so went with General Accounting Office hoping that I’d misremembered and that was the new name not the old name

3 : ) MAC – initials gave it away for me

4 : ) Barbary – Neat Q

5 : ( No idea, not a gimme! Went with Alexander Graham Bell in the end.

6 : ( Also no idea, and doesn’t look like anyone got it.

Seif Addendum

Brian, I bet Pavlov is going to be harder than you think.  I'm not sure what the threshold is for "universal gimme," but I bet there's a big gap between Pavlov and wasabi.  Just my guess.

Brian Day 19

 4/6 Unusual to have what I think will be two universal gimmes, should be a high scoring day.  I've gotten lucky recently, after a bunch of losses with 4 and 5 correct because of lousy defense, I've been winning and tying with 2s and 3s.  That's what I love about LearnedLeague.  Now,  WHERE ARE THE MATH QUESTIONS?!?!?

1) Wasabi 1/1 Gimme.  Plus I just had it with sushi for dinner last night.

2) Government Accountability Office 2/1  Very happy about this.  It was a wild guess that I thought had a shot, though I probably heard it before and it was in my subconscious.  

3) Sephora 3/2  I figured there was an acronym hidden in there, but I've never heard of MAC and had no shot.

4) Barbary 0/2  Named after the Berbers

5) Pavlov 1/0 Second universal gimme of the day

6) Jam On It 2/3  Bambaataa is a big hole in my 80s pop music knowledge, so I answered with the definitely incorrect, though my favorite, 80s rap song.

Jesse Day 19

5/6

1. When ground into a paste and served with sushi, Japanese horseradish is better known by what name?
Correct Answer: WASABI
Your Answer: Wasabi
Points Assigned: 0

This may be the easiest question for this season. 

2. The Office that serves the US Congress and was founded in 1921 as the General Accounting Office was renamed in 2004, remaining the GAO but replacing the first two words in its name. What is that new, current name?
Correct Answer: GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE
Your Answer: Government Accountability Office
Points Assigned: 1

I didn't know it offhand, but figured G would be Government. Accountability came soon after. It was very familiar once I put it together. 

3. What cosmetics company, a subsidiary of Estée Lauder, was founded in 1984 in Toronto by Frank Angelo and Frank Toskan as Make-Up Art Cosmetics, as their products were geared initially toward makeup professionals and fashion models?
Correct Answer: MAC
Your Answer: MAC
Points Assigned: 2

I used to work in the film industry in early 2000s and I was good friends with a make artist who swore by MAC, telling me it was the industry standard. I would have had no idea otherwise. 

4. Tripolitania, Tunis, and Algiers were three city-state-like provinces of the Ottoman Empire in North Africa that were known collectively as what "States"? The term originated from the name of an ethnic group indigenous to the region, and was also used for the coastal territory where these provinces existed.
Correct Answer: BARBARY STATES
Your Answer: Barbary
Points Assigned: 2

My first thought was Berber, but that did not feel right. Then I thought of the Barbary pirates, then the Barbary Coast, then Barbary States. 

5. Despite the familiar story, it is unlikely that a bell was often used as a tool by what 1904 Nobel winner (it was more likely a buzzer, metronome, electric shock device, or other stimuli)?
Correct Answer: IVAN PAVLOV
Your Answer: Pavlov
Points Assigned: 1

Seems like a gimmie.

6. What massively influential electro-funk and hip hop song, whose familiar bassline has appeared on hundreds of subsequent recordings, was recorded by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force and released on the fledgling Tommy Boy Records label in 1982?
Correct Answer: PLANET ROCK
Your Answer: Green Onions
Points Assigned: 3

I knew my answer was wrong. I had no idea. 

David S Day 19 vs. Dave M (LLL)

Pleasantly surprised with a 5/6, though I was pretty certain I had at least 4.

1. Wasabi :), D01.  Gimme.  I love sushi.

2. Government Accountability Office :), D12.  Gimme for me.  I have a lot of trouble guessing how hard this will play, so I ultimately went middle of the road with D.

3. Mac :), D21.  I can't believe this was right.  I knew someone who worked at one of their makeup counters after high school, and I frankly had no other guess.

4. Barbary :), D10.  I bet this plays relatively hard, but it should give Mirkin no problem (and probably not my LL opponent either).

5. Pavlov :), D22.  Great question.  Pavlov would have been my guess even without the Nobel question, but that aspect made me certain.

6. Uptown Funk :(, D33.  No idea at all.

brad day19

4/6 vs kim

1) wasabi d0/0

gimme

2) government accountability office d2/2

wasnt aware of the name change but this was the only thing i could think of that fit

3) mac d2/1

happy to logic this out from the clue, my wife uses this so im familiar with the brand

4) barbary d1/3

pirates!

5) edison d1/1

did not logic this out from the clue

6) rock the casbah d3/2

no idea

Brian Day 18

 3/6 

1) FM 0/1  Wish the abbreviation wasn't accepted to up the difficulty a bit, though I played it safe.  It's probably going to be the most common guess.  

2) Darkwing Duck 1/2 never saw, but I'm aware of it as a Batman spoof

3) Poverty 3/0  Okay, enough with all these modern art questions.  I'm bad enough at the old, famous art, but this is another level.  While we're at it, enough literature also.   I'm 5/18 in my bottom three categories.  And where are math questions?!?

4) NAACP 1/1   Seemed to fit the 12 million Americans

5) Kathmandu 2/2 Tried to get as close to Everest as I knew, but turns out that wasn't the right ballpark

6) Cards Against Humanity  2/3 Knew it was wrong, but I've never heard of the answer

Dave M day 18

From yesterday’s performance-resembling-someone-who-shall-no-longer-be-named to 5/6 today as the questions landed almost exactly right.

 

1 : ) FM. Seemed like a simple enough radio question. D11

2 : ) Darkwing Duck. If we’re going to stop getting mid-90s pop music questions, I don’t mind if they’re replaced with late-80s/early-90s kids TV questions. D23

3 : ( Koyannisqatsi. I had no idea and haven’t heard of the correct answer but do recall several different volumes of my answer (which I don’t want to write out too much). D30

4 : ) NAACP (except written out in full). I knew it was an early 20^th Century organization. D01

5 : ) Bangkok. Khaosan Rd was a popular location with friends when I was college age in NZ in 2000-2002, though I’ve never been (I think it is also referenced in “The Beach” at the same time). D12

6 : ) Codenames. Easily my most played boardgame over the emerging-from-covid period of the past few months. D22

Jesse Day 18

3/6

1. What is the term (or common abbreviation) for the method invented by American engineer Edwin Howard Armstrong by which radio waves are altered for broadcast signal transmission, which provided an advantage over its (still-common) predecessor due to its better signal-to-noise ratio?
Correct Answer: FREQUENCY MODULATION (FM)
Your Answer: FM
Points Assigned: 0

Seems like a gimmie.

2. What satirical title character from an early 1990s Disney animated comedy television series was the superheroic alter ego of unremarkable suburban avian Drake Mallard?
Correct Answer: DARKWING DUCK
Your Answer: Darkwing Duck
Points Assigned: 1

I did watch this back when there were not many options on tv. 

3. One of the best-known (and perhaps quintessential) works of modern video art, which has been met with wildly divergent critical and public opinion, is what seven-hour, five-film "Cycle" by American artist Matthew Barney?
Correct Answer: THE CREMASTER CYCLE
Your Answer: Clyde
Points Assigned: 2

Never heard of it. 

4. As published in the New York Charities Directory of 1917, what organization—incorporated six years prior—conceived as its mission to "make 12 million Americans physically free from peonage, mentally free from ignorance, politically free from disenfranchisement, and socially free from insult"?
Correct Answer: NAACP
Your Answer: Anti-defamation league
Points Assigned: 3

I was trying to decide between the ADL and NAACP. I went the wrong way. 

5. Khao San Road, a 1,345-foot-long travel hub that reportedly hosts the largest transient backpacker population in the world, is located in what city?
Correct Answer: BANGKOK
Your Answer: Bangkok
Points Assigned: 2

I have been there.

6. One player states a word and a number and nothing else (e.g. "breakfast, three"), and their partner subsequently begins pointing at cards lying on the table between them in a 5x5 grid. They are likely playing what popular game, designed by Czech game designer Vlaada Chvátil and published in 2015?
Correct Answer: CODENAMES
Your Answer: Codewords
Points Assigned: 1

I have this game downstairs but have not played in a few years. I just was careless and didn't think it through.

brad day18

2/6 vs ben

1) ham d1/1

nope

2) darkwing duck 0/1

right age for this

3) watching grass grow d2/3

no idea

4) naacp d1/2

guessed based on the clues

5) mumbai d2/2

nope

6) something ben likely knows d3/0

think we may have played this at one of his pre covid game nights

David S Day 18

3/6, with my most frustrating miss in at least a couple of seasons. 

1. FM :), D00. Strikes me as the easiest question of the day unless someone gets tripped up with AM. I also might have considered short wave, but the abbreviation clue ruled this out. 

2. Daffy Duck :(, D11. No chance here  

3. Video :(, D32. Also no chance. 

4. NAACP :), D12. Seemed like by far the best guess, but I wasn’t certain.

5. Bangkok :), D32. Very happy to get this and not make my abysmal geography season even worse. Seemed like there were only a few cities that could work. Bangkok came to mind, but I’m not sure if this was mostly luck or if I read about this when I was considering going on vacation to Thailand some years back. 

6. Codewords :(, D21. I can’t believe I did this. My only possible additional commentary here is an expletive-laden rant, so I’ll just leave it as is.

Brian Day 17 vs steiny (lll)

 I don’t know if it was a Seifish performance, but I thought today was difficult, as evidenced by my 2/6.

1) Aerial stunt.   Didn’t watch her ski, only checked out her pics online

2) Piltdown  no clue

3) gerund 

4) Livestrong

5) Bardot no clue

6) chili’s I want my baby back baby back baby back

David S Addendum

Not sure I approve of the term "Seif-like meltdown..."

Dave M day 17

I had my own Seif-like meltdown today, getting just the obvious one (Livestrong) and striking out on all the rest. Super Air instead of Big Air, Chilis instead of Applebees and the like. Ugh.

Jesse Day 17

5/6!

1. San Francisco-born Olympian Eileen Gu won her first gold medal representing China at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing in the women's competition of what freestyle skiing event, which gets its appropriate and evocative two-word name from the fact that its competitors achieve extreme height while performing tricks?
Correct Answer: BIG AIR
Your Answer: Big Air
Points Assigned: 1

I consumed a lot of the Olympics, including the events Gu competed in. 

2. Identify the fossil-rich ravine in northern Tanzania, at the southeast corner of the Serengeti plain, where an ancient river cut deep through the underlying strata to reveal millennia of early human activity.
Correct Answer: OLDUVAI GORGE
Your Answer: Olduvai Gorge
Points Assigned: 2

My company runs a Tanzania trip and we visit the Leeky museum. 

3. In English grammar, what is the term for a word which is a noun formed from a present participle (a verb ending in -ing)? An example would be "Thinking" in the sentence Thinking is useful in trivia.
Correct Answer: GERUND
Your Answer: Gerund
Points Assigned: 2

I wasn't positive, but glad to get this. 

4. A silicone wristband/gel bracelet fad was sparked around 2004 in part by yellow bracelets produced by the Lance Armstrong Foundation that were embossed with what term, a compound word neologism that would eventually be used for the name of the foundation itself (after Armstrong's downfall)?
Correct Answer: LIVESTRONG
Your Answer: Livestrong
Points Assigned: 0

Seems like a gimmie. 

5. 1958's Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter (Mémoires d'une jeune fille rangée) is the first of a four-volume autobiography by what philosopher, novelist, and feminist?
Correct Answer: SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR
Your Answer: Steinum
Points Assigned: 3

I had no idea. 

6. In response to the massive popularity (and virality) of the country music hit "Fancy Like" by Walker Hayes, what restaurant chain in August 2021 brought back its Oreo Cookie Shake, which is mentioned in a famous line in the song along with the restaurant's Bourbon Street Steak?
Correct Answer: APPLEBEE'S
Your Answer: Applebee's
Points Assigned: 1

This was a guess based on what chains serve steak. I initially put down TGIF Friday's, but switched to Applebee's for no particular reason. 

David S Day 17

4/6 to bounce back from my terrible day yesterday.  I should be hard to defend, too.

1. Big Air :), D23.  I watched just enough of the Olympics to get this.  Probably would have forgotten it in a few weeks if not for this question.  Maybe my D was too high here...

2. Great Rift Valley :(, D32.  Figured this was probably wrong, since the Great Rift Valley is much larger than described in the question.  But I didn't have another guess.  Glad my D was so high.  This is probably my worst season ever in geography, one of my best topics.

3. Gerund :), D11.  Straight from high school English.

4. Livestrong :), D10.  Gimme.

5. De Beauvoir :), D22.  Sweet!  My high school French teacher would be proud.  I didn't actually expect to get this.

6. Outback Steakhouse :(, D01.  Too bad.  Thought that would be right.  I bet everyone else will get this.

brad day17

3/6 vs friendland mj

1) big air d1/2

one of the few events i watched this year

2) ur d3/2

no idea

3) adverb d2/1

never heard of this term

4) livestrong d0/0

gimme?

5) stein d2/1

nope

6) applebees d1/3

credit return to office commute, this was on radio recently

brad day16

3/6 vs friedlandw  common d

1) mexico city d2

a guess, thought the stadium might be olympic related

2) jersey boys d0

saw this

3) spreadsheet d2

no idea

4) angelou d3

no idea

5) lemieux d1

got the owner win at the expense of my wings

6) accordion d1

thought i had this

Brian Day 16

 3/6

1) Cancun 1/1 Seriously, Mexico City?  The one I discarded for being too obvious?

2) Jersey Boys 1/0  The only answer I was sure of today.  Never saw it, but love the music in the commercials.

3) Relational 3/2 Had array, then remembered relational from the few months I dabbled in Microsoft FoxPro years ago, but was not at all confident.

4) Proudstar  2/3 no clue

5) Lemieux 0/2 Made the most sense

6) Accordion 2/1 no clue

Dave M day 16

Very happy to get a 4/6 on a day where the questions were mostly out of my natural strong areas. Commiserations Seif.

 

1 : ) Mexico City. Have visited both Tenochtitlan and Azteca Stadium. Seems gimmeish to the LL crowd. D00

2 : ) Jersey Boys. I remember posters all over London back in the 00s for this musical, and put 2 and 2 together. D22

3 : ) Relational. When temping right after college, I was seconded to Oracle for 3 months to assist with implementation of a new HR system at the London Underground. I learnt there that Larry Ellison perfected the relational database and it is what made Oracle big (at the time – 2004). D11

4 : ( Feather. Absolutely no idea. D31

5 : ) Lemieux. Opposite to Seif, I just tried to think of the most French sounding hockey player I knew of from the 1980s. D23

6 : ( Hohnogram. Not even close. D12

Jesse Day 16

3/6

1. The ruins of Tenochtitlan, the ancient capital of the Aztec Empire, are located within what modern-day city, which is appropriately also home to Estadio Azteca, about ten miles to the south of the ruins.
Correct Answer: MEXICO CITY
Your Answer: Mexico CIty
Points Assigned: 0

I have not been there yet, but I think this is well known.

2. "Walk Like A Man", "Who Loves You", "Working My Way Back to You", and "December 1963 (Oh, What A Night)" are songs from what Broadway musical, which won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2006?
Correct Answer: JERSEY BOYS
Your Answer: Jersey Boys
Points Assigned: 1

Always shocked when I get a musical. I have never seen it, but remember advertisements for it. 

3. In computing, there are various basic database model types, including hierarchical, network, and object-oriented databases. Another model, long and likely still the most popular, is a database in which data is organized as a collection of linked tables of rows and columns. What is the term most used for this database type?
Correct Answer: RELATIONAL DATABASE
Your Answer: Pivot table
Points Assigned: 2

I had no idea.

4. House Made of Dawn (1968), a Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction, is the first novel and best-known work of what Oklahoma-born Native American author of Kiowa heritage?
Correct Answer: N. SCOTT MOMADAY
Your Answer: Wilson
Points Assigned: 3

I have never heard of him.

5. What Montreal-born hockey Hall of Famer is the only person to have his name on the Stanley Cup both as a player and an owner, and was the only player to win the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player in the 1980s other than Wayne Gretzky?
Correct Answer: MARIO LEMIEUX
Your Answer: Mario Lemiux
Points Assigned: 1

I don't follow the NHL, but this was the only answer that made sense to me. I am old enough to remember when Gretsky and Lemieux were the best players. 

6. Pianica, blow-organ, key harmonica, and clavietta are some of the names of a particular hybrid musical instrument that has a set of keys on the top with a tube connected to an open port on the side, through which air is blown. By what name is this instrument best known, as dubbed by its inventor Hohner in the 1950s?
Correct Answer: MELODICA
Your Answer: Chromatic Harmonica
Points Assigned: 2

I have never heard of it. 

David S Day 16

1/6, with a lot left on the table or close.  Utter fiasco.

1. Mexico City :), D02.  Gimme.  But it was all downhill from here...

2. Mamma Mia :(, D21.  Seems gettable, but I didn't know it.

3. Array :(, D11.  I really had no doubt this was right.  Curious to see how this plays, since clearly I was way off.

4. Tallchief :(, D22.  No idea.

5. Roy :(, D10.  Really want this one back.  Despite his French-sounding name, I really had no doubt that Lemieux was American.  Not sure why.  So I thought of him and then moved on.

6. Mellica :(, D33.  A great microcosm for this whole day for me.  I kind of recalled it and was pretty sure it started with an M, but I couldn't pull it off.

Brian Day 15 vs David S (LLL)

 3/6 is unlikely to be good enough vs Seif today. 

1) Xendaya 1/3 Never heard of her

2) Goldwater 1/0  Knew for certain Bush/Nixon were every year but 64 and 76, figured Dole was more likely to be a VP candidate in 76 than 64. Should be cake for David

3) Pancreas 2/1 Isle of Langerhans in 9th grade bio

4) The Masked Singer 0/2  Have never seen it, but know enough that it seem likely. I think this question will be the make or break vs Seif, if he gets it, he wins.

5) Carpet bagger 2/2 Never crossed my mind, and never knew Twain was its source

6) Kuala Lumpur 3/1 No clue, should be gimme for Dave.

Not exactly how I thought it would go, but Dave wins 3(3)-2(3) 

Dave M day 15 v Pelc LLL

4/6 to start the week in good form.

 

1 : ( Xandra. Pleased with my D33, never heard of Xenobia.

2 : ) Goldwater. “You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore” in 1960 = must be the 1964 election. D11

3 : ( Brain. No idea so was just a crap shoot of organs. D22

4 : ) The Masked Singer. Watched 5 minutes of this a couple of years ago and decided it definitely wasn’t for me. D00

5 : ) The Gilded Age. A bit of a guess and happy it was correct. Started with “Demob Happy” but that sounded too 20^th Century. D22

6 : ) Tokyo. Never been but I knew the Skytree was in Tokyo. D11

Jesse Day 15

3/6

1. What is the first name adopted in the 1980s by the prolific African American designer and fiber artist born Sherilyn Bailey? It's taken from the name of a 3rd-century queen of Palmyra, making Bailey today arguably the most successful artist in history whose first name begins with "X" (in place of the "Z" with which her royal namesake's name is usually rendered)?
Correct Answer: XENOBIA
Your Answer: Xora
Points Assigned: 3

Xora the explore? 

2. In every US presidential election starting 1952 and ending in 2004, there was either a Bush, a Dole, or a Nixon on the GOP ticket, except for one year. Give the name of either of the Republicans on the national ticket in that exception year. (Note, answer with a name, not the year.)
Correct Answer: BARRY GOLDWATER, WILLIAM MILLER
Your Answer: Goldwater
Points Assigned: 0

I was pretty sure that Nixon wasn't Goldwater's running mate. 

3. 19th-century German anatomist Paul Langerhans spent the most significant period of his career conducting pioneering research into what organ?
Correct Answer: PANCREAS
Your Answer: Heart
Points Assigned: 1

I had no idea.

4. The Bull, the Banana Split, the Skunk, the Caterpillar, and the Mallard were the last four eliminated (with the Queen of Hearts earning the victory) on the most recently completed season of what reality competition television series?
Correct Answer: THE MASKED SINGER
Your Answer: The Masked Singer
Points Assigned: 1

I have never seen the show, but this seems right. 

5. What term was coined by Mark Twain in the title of his 1873 novel, which satirized the materialism and loosened business and political morals in the decade following the American Civil War?
Correct Answer: THE GILDED AGE
Your Answer: The Gilded Age
Points Assigned: 2

I just knew this one. 

6. Completed in 2012, a 2,080-foot-tall structure known as Skytree—currently the tallest tower in the world and second-tallest structure after the Burj Khalifa—dominates the skyline of what city?
Correct Answer: TOKYO
Your Answer: Taipai
Points Assigned: 2

I was last in Tokyo in 2006. Surprised I did not know this one. My opponent will probably score this a 0 for me. 

David S Day 15 vs. Brian (LLL)

3/6 today.  Not sure if today is hard or whether I just found it hard.

1. Xamen :(, D33.  No clue at all.

2. Goldwater :), D01.  Loved this question.

3. Pancreas :), D21.  I remember Islets of Langerhans from biology class.  Otherwise, I would have had no idea.

4. Survivor :(, D10.  No chance at all on this one.

5. The Gilded Age :), D12.  Sweet.  Didn't expect to get this one.  It was a term that clearly referred to this time, but I didn't know Twain coined it.

6. Shanghai :(, D22.  Surprising gap in my knowledge.  This is the sort of question that's usually a gimme for me.

Brian Day 14 vs Dave M (LLL)

 3/6 by a consonant

1) Kohl 2/1  Was just thinking the other day that I should know his name. 

2) Lids 3/2  Definitely a mall staple

3) Nautical mile 1/2  I know it's approx 1.1 miles

4) Friends 0/1  My kids recently discovered the show, and we do the four claps together during the song

5) Malagay 1/0  Knew it was something along these lines

6) Macrame 2/3  no clue

.  Mirkin wins 6(5)-3(3), and he deserves it for his Friends comment alone.

Dave M day 14 v Brian LLL

5/6 today, questions right in my wheelhouse.

 

1 : ) Scholz. A pretty gimme-ish current events Q I think. D01

2 : ) Lids. This was one of the maybe half dozen stores left at the dying mall next to my office pre-covid, I used to walk past sometimes when going to get lunch. D21

3 : ) Nautical Mile. I worked in shipping for a while. D12

4 : ) Friends. Could there be any more mid 1990s pop questions this season? At this rate my pop music get rate will jump up my category rankings. D20

5 : ) Malagasy. Geography in my wheelhouse. D12

6 : ( Decolletage. At least I know what Rococo is now. D33

Jesse day 14

3/6

1. Name the man who served as Germany's vice-chancellor and finance minister from 2018 until December 2021, when he replaced Angela Merkel to become the country's ninth post-World War II chancellor.
Correct Answer: OLAF SCHOLZ
Your Answer: Schultz
Points Assigned: 1

I think I will get credit for this. I had read his name recently in an article about how under him Germany was going to greatly increase military spending as a reaction to Russia's attacking Ukraine. That said, I could not remember his name, so just went with a popular German last name. 

2. A synonym for "hats" is the name of what retailer and shopping mall staple, which has over 1,000 locations in North America specializing in officially licensed and branded headwear for pro and college sports teams?
Correct Answer: LIDS
Your Answer: Lids
Points Assigned: 0

I was not sure if it was Lidz or Lids. I guessed right. 

3. What unit of length, historically defined as the meridian arc length corresponding to 1/60 degrees of latitude (i.e., one minute), is today defined as precisely 1,852 meters?
Correct Answer: NAUTICAL MILE
Your Answer: Arc second
Points Assigned: 2

Oh. Ok.

4. A song by The Rembrandts that reached the top 20 on the Billboard singles chart in 1995 was an extended version (at just over three minutes) of the 45-second theme song to what television series?
Correct Answer: FRIENDS
Your Answer: Friends
Points Assigned: 1

Seems like a gimmie for someone of my age. 

5. The demonym for an individual from the United States is American; for Egypt, it's Egyptian; for Argentina, it's Argentine. The proper demonym for an individual from Madagascar is not Madagascan but rather what other term, which is also a former name for the republic as well as one of the country's official languages?
Correct Answer: MALAGASY
Your Answer: Don't know
Points Assigned: 3

My company ran a Madagascar trip a few years ago and I wrote a classroom presentation for it where surely this came up, but I could not recall it. 

6. Identify the light and lively artistic style of the late baroque era, dominated by elaborate ornamentation, intricate detail, and pastel colors, which was principally used for interior decoration, and whose name comes from a French word for a method of decorating using pebbles and fancy shells.
Correct Answer: ROCOCO
Your Answer: Decopage
Points Assigned: 2

Darn, seems gettable, but I could not pull it. 

David S Day 14

4/6 today, and no chance at more.

1. Scholz :), D20.  About as much of a gimme as can be for me.

2. Lids :), D11.  It's been two years since I've been in a mall, but I remember this one.

3. Nautical mile :), D12.  Pretty clear what the answer was.  Just over a mile.

4. Friends :), D01.  This will probably be the easiest question of the day for most people, but I really struggled with it and am glad to get it.  It's the kind of TV question that I actually can get.

5. Manganay :(, D22.  Nope!

6. Elan :(, D33.  No idea at all.

Brian day13 vs Steiny (LL)

 3/6

1. What dynasty, whose name is now a common surname worldwide among individuals of Indian descent, existed on the subcontinent from the 300s CE until the late 500s, during what is widely regarded as the Golden Age of India?

patel

3

3

GUPTA

2. According to the lyrics to Alanis Morissette's "You Learn", what titular three-word object does she say to "swallow it down", as it "feels so good swimming in your stomach"?

jagged little pill

1

1

JAGGED LITTLE PILL

3. The majority of the ocean floor is made up of what dark, finely grained, igneous rock, which consists mostly of pyroxene and plagioclase feldspar, and is also the most common type of lava?

pumice

2

2

BASALT

4. Television shows based off of TV commercials include the 2007 ABC series Cavemen (from the Geico ads), the 2002 CBS sitcom Baby Bob (based on a talking six-month-old in ads for FreeInternet.com), and what Apple TV+ series, based on a series of 2013 promos for NBC Sports?

ted lasso

0

0

TED LASSO

5. The wedding dress worn by Meghan Markle at her wedding in May 2018 was designed by Clare Waight Keller, who was serving at the time as Artistic Director of what French luxury house? She was the first woman to hold the position at the company, which was founded by its namesake designer in 1952.

hermes

2

2

GIVENCHY

6. What word, from the Latin for "not any", is defined in a legal sense as having no binding force, and in mathematics is associated with the value or concept of zero?

null

1

1

NULL

Dave M day 13 v Kim LLL

My 5/6 yesterday was only good enough for a tie… and today’s 4/6 doesn’t look great given the posts so far.

 

1 : ( Singh. Like Jesse I was dubious about my answer given Sikh, but it sounded correct. D23

2 : ) Jagged Little Pill. Loving mid-90s pop music questions. D00

3 : ) Basalt. I recall it as the most common igneous rock from high school science. There’s a lot of it in the town where I grew up in NZ. D22

4 : ) Ted Lasso. The only Apple TV show I know of and the sport connection made sense. D11

5 : ( Saint Laurent. Random guess of French mid century designer. D31

6 : ) Null. Simple maths Q I think. D12

Jesse Day 13

4/6

1. What dynasty, whose name is now a common surname worldwide among individuals of Indian descent, existed on the subcontinent from the 300s CE until the late 500s, during what is widely regarded as the Golden Age of India?
Correct Answer: GUPTA
Your Answer: Singh
Points Assigned: 3

Shoot, that was very gettable. I figured Singh was wrong because that is a last name for Sikhs. 

2. According to the lyrics to Alanis Morissette's "You Learn", what titular three-word object does she say to "swallow it down", as it "feels so good swimming in your stomach"?
Correct Answer: JAGGED LITTLE PILL
Your Answer: Jagged little pill
Points Assigned: 1

That was the name of her most famous album. 

3. The majority of the ocean floor is made up of what dark, finely grained, igneous rock, which consists mostly of pyroxene and plagioclase feldspar, and is also the most common type of lava?
Correct Answer: BASALT
Your Answer: Basalt
Points Assigned: 2

This was a guess.

4. Television shows based off of TV commercials include the 2007 ABC series Cavemen (from the Geico ads), the 2002 CBS sitcom Baby Bob (based on a talking six-month-old in ads for FreeInternet.com), and what Apple TV+ series, based on a series of 2013 promos for NBC Sports?
Correct Answer: TED LASSO
Your Answer: Ted Lasso
Points Assigned: 1

That first season was really helpful during the pandemic. 

5. The wedding dress worn by Meghan Markle at her wedding in May 2018 was designed by Clare Waight Keller, who was serving at the time as Artistic Director of what French luxury house? She was the first woman to hold the position at the company, which was founded by its namesake designer in 1952.
Correct Answer: GIVENCHY
Your Answer: Louis Vitton
Points Assigned: 2

Fashion is not my strong suit. 

6. What word, from the Latin for "not any", is defined in a legal sense as having no binding force, and in mathematics is associated with the value or concept of zero?
Correct Answer: NULL
Your Answer: Null
Points Assigned: 0

Seems like a gimmie if I got a math question.