Brian Day 24

4/6 heading into the weekend.  Welcome back to the blog, Debbie!

1) Piranha 0/1  I've seen the original, there were a bunch of Jaws-inspired movies such as this an Orca at the time.  i think it's prob gettable from the science angle too

2) Atlanta 2/2 No clue

3) bergamot 1/0  Earl Grey is my favorite tea

4) Tejano 3/2  I hadn't heard of Selena or this music until JLo got famous for portraying her.  After fighting off the urge to submit salsa, it eventually came to me.

5) bobbies 2/1 no clue

6) Sumer 1/3 I let this simmer in the back of my mind all day, then when I looked at the questions again it came to me right away.

Re: Debbie Day 21

Might as well post as the season comes to a close!  3 I hope.

1 :) piranha.  originally had chupacabra and overwrote. didn;t know this was a movie  D2

2 :( New Orleans.   Doh! was thinking Anne Rice, not Tyler. D2

3: ( tangerine. Also had no idea bergamot was a fruit  D2

4: ) Tejana. Hope this counts? D3

5 :( wankers.  haha.  D1

6 :) Sumer. Recently thought about and looked this up when telling my daughter about a 6th grade project I did on their irrigation canals  D1

Jesse day 24

1/6

1. What voracious, predatory, and aggressive South American flesh-eater was the inspiration (and namesake) for a horror film series that began in 1978?
Correct Answer: PIRANHA
Your Answer: Pihrana
Points Assigned: 0

It was the only answer that made sense. 

2. Novelists Anne Tyler and Laura Lippmann are most closely associated with what US city, which provides the setting for the majority of their respective novels as well as Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks?
Correct Answer: BALTIMORE
Your Answer: Montgomery
Points Assigned: 1

I should have gotten this through the Johns Hopkins connection. 

3. What citrus, an orange hybrid developed in France in the late 18th century and possibly named for a city in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, has a rind that produces an essential oil used in pharmaceuticals, perfumes, confectionery, and Earl Grey tea?
Correct Answer: BERGAMOT
Your Answer: Etrog
Points Assigned: 1

I could not pull the word out of my brain. 

4. The American-born singer Selena, who died tragically in Corpus Christi at the age of 23, has been called the "Queen of" what music style, which is also associated with the music of Grupo Mazz, Emilio Navaira, Ramón Ayala, and Freddy Fender, and whose trademark sound draws from norteño (a musical style of Northern Mexico) and brass music of Czech and German immigrants?
Correct Answer: TEJANO
Your Answer: Mexican Soul
Points Assigned: 2

Nope.

5. What is the word missing from the following Cockney expression, which was used in the title of a beloved British sitcom that debuted in the early 80s: "Only fools and [BLANK] work."?
Correct Answer: HORSES
Your Answer: suckers
Points Assigned: 2

Nope.

6. Uruk, Ur, Lagash, Kish, Eridu, and Nippur were all city-states located within an ancient, historical, pre-Akkadian, pre-Babylonian region of southern Mesopotamia known by what name?
Correct Answer: SUMER
Your Answer: Assirians
Points Assigned: 3

Nope

Dave M day 24 v Brad LLL

3/6 today in a Texas- and UK- friendly question list, which is enough to easily clear Brad, 0(1) – 4(3).

 

1 : ) Piranha. Don't know the movie but could only be one creature. Easy D00

2 : ( Chicago. No idea. D33

3 : ( Milan Orange. Racked my brain for a citrus and in the end just went with a big city in Lombardy. Never knew Bergamot was a citrus. D21

4 : ) Tejano. Selena remains big in Dallas. There's an annual Tejano music festival here in her honor. D12

5 : ) Horses. A big gimme for anyone from the UK. D12

6 : ( Assyria. It felt too modern, but couldn't think of anything else. D21

brad day24

1/6 vs mirkin

1) piranha d0/0

never heard of movie, but what else could this be

2) new orleans d2/3

nope

3) clementine d1/1

makes sense now, gettable

4) latin soul d2/2

no idea

5) dogs d3/2

nope

6) canaan d1/1

also gettable, but i figured was biblical

David S Day 24

2/6, and I honestly thought I only had 1. This season has been a killer for me. 

1. Piranha :), D22. Pure guess, though admittedly an obvious one. 
2. Chicago :(, D32. No idea. 
3. Juniper :(, D11. No chance here. 
4. Salsa :(, D23. Thought I’d at least recognize the answer when I saw it, but I’d never heard of this. 
5. Royals :(, D11. Nope!
6. Sumeria :), D00. Gimme for me. 

Jesse day 23

6/6. Boom goes the dynamite. 

1. The Autonomous Region of Bougainville, located in the western South Pacific Ocean, is scheduled to become independent by 2027 from what country, which itself gained autonomy from Australia in 1975?
Correct Answer: PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Your Answer: Papua New Guinea
Points Assigned: 3

This was a guess, but the timing seemed right. I did not know at all about Bougainville. 

2. Name the location in Greece which is the basic equivalent in Greek mythology to the Norse Asgard.
Correct Answer: MOUNT OLYMPUS
Your Answer: Mt Olympus
Points Assigned: 2

Seems pretty easy

3. While it may evoke an abstract representation of the sun, or a flower, or an asterisk, the six yellow dashes on what company's logo are meant, per that company, to represent a spark (with each of the six parts called a "sparklet")?
Correct Answer: WALMART
Your Answer: Walmart
Points Assigned: 1

It was the first logo that came to mind.

4. Who was declared legally dead in January 1939 in a probate court in Los Angeles, California, probably over 4,000 miles from the actual location where the death sadly occurred?
Correct Answer: AMELIA EARHART
Your Answer: Earhart
Points Assigned: 1

First person that came to mind. 

5. In 1967, Birmingham, England teenagers John Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Terry Butler, and Bill Ward formed a band named the Polka Tulk Blues Band. The band was renamed Earth and then ultimately named what (after one of their songs, which would also be their debut album title)? The foursome would go on to release eight albums in the 1970s with this original lineup.
Correct Answer: BLACK SABBATH
Your Answer: Black Sabbath
Points Assigned: 2

John Osbourne is Ozzy Osbource. 

6. Liberty City, San Fierro, and Vice City are fictional cities (based on New York, San Francisco, and Miami, respectively) that appear as settings in what series of games?
Correct Answer: GRAND THEFT AUTO (GTA)
Your Answer: Grand Theft Auto
Points Assigned: 0

Seems like a gimmie. They advertise everywhere. Whenever I tried to play I would get serious motion sickness. 

Brian Day 23 vs Dave S(LLL)

Yesterday's tie with Brad dropped me from the top slot in Sierra D, but did clinch my promotion to C next season. Today I battle Dave for the top slot in the more prestigious Levinson Longevity League.   This season was shaping up to be my second best, but the last few days have knocked 50 points off my get rate.  However, today was very friendly to me.  I think 5/6 will be enough to take down Seif, but the questions in his lesser categories are gettable for him.

1) Caledonia 3/1 No clue for me, of course, and surely a gimme for Dave

2) Mt Olympus 2/1  Wonder Woman interacts with the Greek gods all the time.  I don't know how this plays for non-geeks, and I treated it as a semi-geography question for Dave.

3) Walmart 2/2  Walmart isn't big in New York so I'm hoping my opponents haven't seen the terrible new logo, but I've ordered from them online so I'm familiar with it.  

4) Earhart 0/0  The only reason I didn't give Dave a 0 for Bougainville

5) Black Sabbath 1/3  Gimme for me.  Had to give Dave a 3 here, but he's been pulling random pop music questions lately, and I can see him taking a wild guess that John Osbourne is Ozzy.  

6) Grand Theft Auto 1/2  A rare post-Tetris video game get for me, the commercials were ubiquitous. 

Dave stays in first place, as we both picked the correct D3 and got a 6(5)-6(5) tie.   Brad, follow Dave M's advice and observe Dave S for how to defend me  :)

Dave M day 23

5/6 today on what seemed like an easier than usual set of questions.

 

1 : ) Papua New Guinea. This was one of the handful of local Pacific conflicts that was ongoing when I was in high school so we learnt about it.

2 : ) Mt Olympus. Seems like a Grecian Gimme. D11

3 : ) Walmart. I got there with Asterisk, initially had symbols more like the BP "sunflower" in mind. D21

4 : ) Amelia Earhart. Timing and distance lined up. D00

5 : ( Earth Wind and Fire. Just a guess based off the original "Earth". D33

6 : ) Grand Theft Auto. Presumably a gimme-ish videogame question especially with the leak of a new Vice City-based installment a few days ago. D12

brad day23

4/6 in a double matchup with friedlandW

1) new caledonia d3

nope

2) olympus d1

was watching the new thor movie last night

3) walmart d2

almost got stuck on tech companies from the clue

4) teddy roosevelt d1

good q and a bad miss

5) black sabbath d2

a guess, hoping that john was ozzy as the timing and nationality lined up

6) grand theft auto d0

gimme?

David S Day 23 vs. Brian (LLL)

5/6 vs. Brian as I try to salvage what has been a tough season for me in qpct. I think today’s questions were more up my alley than his, so I’m feeling good about the matchup. I’m somehow in first in LLL right now despite being a distant 4th in TCA. I guess I just am good at defending against all of you :).

1. Papua New Guinea :), D33. I’ve been following this long running dispute for years. 
2. Mt. Olympus :), D22. Didn’t see what else it could be. Maybe my D was too high here. 
3. Walmart :), D10. Seemed to describe the logo well. 
4. Earhart :), D12. Two years after she disappeared and “probably” made this the clear guess. 
5. The Who :(, D01. No idea. 
6. Grand Theft Auto :), D21. It was top of mind given that it’s been in the news recently. Not sure I would have gotten it otherwise. 

Dave M day 22

2/6 was hoping for more. Damn Brad you need to sharpen your D against Brian!

 

1 : ( Natasha. I really need to read more closely. I thought the question required only one answer. D10

2 : ( Humphrey. Wild guess. D22

3 : ) Analgesic. Seemed a simple one. D01

4 : ( Mine eyes have seen the glory. That was the name it had as a hymn when we sang it in Presbyterian high school. Maybe it picked up a re-brand outside the USA. D23

5 : ( Red. Another wild guess. D11

6 : ) Ghana. Finally a geography question, albeit a tough one I think. D32

Brian Day 22 vs Brad (LL)

 After lucking out with a 3(1)-2(2) victory over Brad in LLL yesterday, I face him in Sierra D today.  I was confident I had 4, but only got 2.   

1) Boris, Natasha  2/1  Never actually watched the show, so was a little concerned this was Dick Dastardly and that mutt, but spies from a Slavic nation had to be from Rocky and Bullwinkle 3(1)-0(0) vs Brad

2) A 3/3   No idea, hoped his name was AKA 3(1)-0(0)

3) Narcotics 1/1 Thought I had this 3(1)-0(0)

4) The Saints Go Marching In 1/2  Ugh, marching band fail. 3(1)-1(1)

5) White 0/0 3(2)-1(2)

6) Burkina Faso 2/2   Growing up, Burkina Faso was known as Upper Volta, so even though it's not a coastal nation, I was confident I had the answer. 

3(2)-3(3) tie vs Brad.

Jesse day 22

3/6

1. What are the names (first names acceptable) of the villainous duo of dastardly spies from the television land of Pottsylvania?
Correct Answer: BORIS (BADENOV), NATASHA (FATALE)
Your Answer: Boris and Natasha
Points Assigned: 2

I am old enough to know the answer, but not old enough to remember watching the show much. 

2. 1889's Three Men in a Boat is a classic by an English novelist, playwright, and humorist whose first and last names are the same. His middle initial is K—what is that first/last name?
Correct Answer: JEROME
Your Answer: Byron
Points Assigned: 3

Never heard of him. 

3. Aspirin, ibuprofen, codeine, and morphine are drugs used to relieve pain in a class known by what name (from the Greek for "without pain")?
Correct Answer: ANALGESIC
Your Answer: Anlgesic
Points Assigned: 1

This was the first word that came to mind. 

4. What is the name of the song, first published with this title in The Atlantic Monthly in 1862, whose lyrics contain the line "He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored" and repeat three times in its chorus the line "Glory, glory, hallelujah!"?
Correct Answer: BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC
Your Answer: Battle Hymn of the Republic
Points Assigned: 2

I wonder how hard this will play. 

5. In the classic standard version of the game Monopoly, what is the color of the $1 note?
Correct Answer: WHITE
Your Answer: Green
Points Assigned: 0

I have not played Monopoly in a long time. My daughter plays with the money every now and again, but I don't pay attention to the colors. 

6. East of the Ashanti Plateau, the River Volta is dammed as it approaches the Gold Coast and the Atlantic Ocean, forming Lake Volta, the largest body of water in what nation?
Correct Answer: GHANA
Your Answer: Nigeria
Points Assigned: 1

Nope. 

brad day22

shana tova all!

3/6 vs brian/seif common d

1) pete, repeat d3

have a feeling this is one of those that if you have kids the right age this is a gimme

2) sam d2

no idea

3) he hurt me d2

no idea

4) the battle hymn of the republic d1

just knew this

5) white d0

my kids play a lot of this

6) ghana d1

i thought of this right away and cant think of why

David S Day 22

 4/6 today. 

1. John, Tom :(, D12. Lol. Great question, but I was never going to get it. 
2. Duncan :(, D03. No idea. 
3. Analgesic :), D11. Had to be a pretty general term to cover such a wide range of drugs. 
4. Battle Hymn of the Republic :), D31. More of a history question than a music question, so I knew right away. 
5. White :), D20. Phew! Was not 100% sure here despite having played a lot of monopoly over the years. 
6. Ghana :), D22. Spent a few minutes on this debating between Ghana (which used to be called the Gold Coast) and Burkina Faso (which used to be called Upper Volta). But since the question said close to the ocean, had to go with Ghana. 

Re: Debbie Day 21

Obviously way behind on posting but had to post today since I lucked into a better 2 than most of you - hahaha (not usually the case)

1 :(  hot dogs. Couldn't remember what ursine was  D2

2 :( Doris Day. thought this was right  D1

3: (  communication band. took a stab at the c D1

4: ) Formula One. Don't watch but my colleagues are obsessed. D0

5 :) pease porridge. No idea where I know this from but it popped in my head. Maybe from music class with my daughter when she was little... I bet that's it.  D3

6 :( Bangkok. love the game, never really knew its name.  D2

Brian Day 21 vs Brad

 Joining the 1/6 party.   Only my skill with puns saved me.  

1) Solar Bears 1/1  Thought of sun bears, which I knew were real, that got me to solar, which fit the bill.

2) Hayworth 2/2

3) Compact Band 3/3

4) Cars 0/2

5) Porridge 1/1  Have heard of the answer now that I see it, prob why i got halfway there

6) Baghdad 2/0

Dave M day 21

1/6 for me too. Tough day

 

1 : ( Unicorn. Completely misread "ursine" and threw away my defense with a D00 as well. Damn,

2 : ( Garbo. Figured there might be a Sweden connection. D33

3 : ( Closed Band. Like the others so far I got CB but didn't know what it stands for. D11

4 : ) Formula One. My only correct one and it was a guess based off the names. D11

5 : ( Mash. Unfortunately I don't think this Pease Pudding rhyme is taught in the UK itself, and I've never come across Pease Pudding there either. D22

6 : ( Angkor. I knew the game and that it had a Buddhism link but couldn't recall the actual city. D22

Jesse day 21

1/6

1. Befitting a cold-weather sport played in the Sunshine State, the punny name of the minor-league ice hockey team in Orlando imagines the existence of what fanciful ursine species?
Correct Answer: SOLAR BEARS
Your Answer: Fairy Bears
Points Assigned: 3

I had Sun Bears, but those are real. Considered Gummy bears too. 

2. What WWII icon had previously made her acting debut at age 12 as an uncredited chorus girl in the 1929 film Happy Days before later starring in Pigskin Parade (1936) and Million Dollar Legs (1939)?
Correct Answer: BETTY GRABLE
Your Answer: Davis
Points Assigned: 2

Nope. Wrong Betty. 

3. What is the name (not abbreviation) for the short-range two-way radio communication system that originated in the US in the 1940s and remains associated most closely with long-distance truck drivers, who were primary users of the system?
Correct Answer: CITIZENS BAND RADIO
Your Answer: Channel Broadcaster
Points Assigned: 1

Nope.

4. Drive to Survive is the subtitle of what popular and acclaimed series that launched on Netflix in 2019 and starred Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Max Verstappen, and Lewis Hamilton, among others?
Correct Answer: FORMULA 1
Your Answer: Formula 1
Points Assigned: 0

I watched the first few episodes and enjoyed it. 

5. Identify the lyrical mush made from yellow legumes that has been consumed (and liked) in Britain for centuries whether hot, cold, or in the pot over a week old.
Correct Answer: PEASE PORRIDGE/PEASE PUDDING
Your Answer: Mushy Peas
Points Assigned: 1

Never heard of it.

6. There are three poles and several discs of different sizes, all initially on one of the poles in size order with the smallest at the top. The object is to transfer the discs to one of the other poles by moving them individually, with a disc never placed above a smaller one. This is a mathematical toy commonly named a "Tower of" what Asian city?
Correct Answer: HANOI
Your Answer: Singapore
Points Assigned: 2

Nope

David S Day 21

2/6. I thought this was a very hard day. There was nothing I missed where I had a chance. 

1. Ice Bears :(, D33. I got the ursine part. But this seems really tough. How many people know the name of a minor league hockey team?
2. Day :(, D22. Nope!
3. Common Band :(, D22. I’d heard of CB but didn’t know what it stood for. 
4. Ice Road Truckers :(, D00. No idea. 
5. Peas porridge :), D12. Learned this song in elementary school with the 9 days old reference. 
6. Hanoi :), D11. Not really sure where I pulled this from, but I was pretty sure. 

Brian day 20

 3/6  but good chance I get assigned a 3 on a correct answer and a 0 on a miss

1) armory 2/0 I have absolutely no idea why that popped into my head, but I’m hoping it gets me points from my worst category. 

2) Middle Kingdom airlines 3/1 Have heard of it but I had no chance

3) St Louis 1/1 ugh, this must be Mr Smith Goes to Washington.   I had no idea, yet still kicking myself

4) Thatcher, May, Truss 0/2 solid current events q

5) mujahideen 2/2 somehow the easiest question of the day for me

6) goodbye 1/3 even seeing the answer I have no idea, on the type of question that’s usually in my wheelhouse 

Jesse Day 20

4/6

1. It's widely held that modern art was introduced to America in 1913 at an exhibition formally and straightforwardly named the International Exhibition of Modern Art. This show is informally (and probably better) known by a name that refers to the type of building where it was held, in New York City. Per that informal name, what type of building was that?
Correct Answer: ARMORY
Your Answer: Armory
Points Assigned: 1

I just happened to know this from the brief time that I lived in NYC while in college. This should play really hard, but my opponent lives in NYC and is really good at art questions. 

2. What airline, a current Oneworld alliance member and flag carrier of Hong Kong, uses in its name an ancient name for China? (Note, the name of the airline is required.)
Correct Answer: CATHAY PACIFIC
Your Answer: Cathay Pacific
Points Assigned: 2

I work in the travel industry so this was an easy one for me. 

3. The 1939 Frank Capra film that received 11 Oscar nominations and was the breakout performance for star James Stewart, as country bumpkin Jefferson Smith, was set primarily in what city?
Correct Answer: WASHINGTON, DC
Your Answer: Washington
Points Assigned: 0

I feel like this is a gimmie, but I was a film major who saw that film and wrote a paper about it. 

4. Give the last names of all of the women who have served as prime minister of the United Kingdom.
Correct Answer: THATCHER, MAY, TRUSS
Your Answer: Thatcher, May, Suss
Points Assigned: 3

So close! I knew I should have paid attention to the new prime minister. 

5. "Holy warriors" is a translation of what term used for Muslim guerrilla fighters who resisted Soviet occupation after the invasion of Afghanistan in late 1979?
Correct Answer: MUJAHIDEEN
Your Answer: Mujahadeen
Points Assigned: 1

I am guessing Jihadi is the most popular wrong answer. 

6. Songs by Frankie Avalon (1959), Carly Simon (1982), Bronski Beat (1984), Annie Lennox (1992), Jadakiss (2004), and Jason Aldean (2005) all have the same one-word title, which is what?
Correct Answer: WHY
Your Answer: Nobody
Points Assigned: 2

Nope. I was thinking maybe Nobody Does it Better from The Spy Who Loved Me might be called Nobody. Otherwise, I don't celebrate the catalogs of any of these musicians. 

Dave M day 20

4/6 today, not sure whether that's good enough as I really struggled with defense on these questions. How many people will remember Teresa May?

1 : ( Warehouse. No idea. D21
2 : ) Cathay Pacific. I would like more airline questions. D12
3 : ( New York. Oh It's Mr Smith goes to Washington. Whoops. D11
4 : ) Thatcher, May, Truss. A UK gimme but hope it's hard for others. D33
5 : ) Mujahideen. Seems gimmeish if the word can be remembered. D00
6 : ) Why. Happy to get this. My husband has Why by Bronski Beat on his mix. Would never get it otherwise. D22

David S Day 20

 4/6 today. 

1. Library :(, D33. I had no idea. Great piece of nyc history trivia I didn’t know about. 
2. Cathay Pacific :), D01. Lots of ways to get this from the clue. 
3. Washington :), D10. If I’ve heard of this film, I think it will play pretty easy. 
4. Thatcher, May, Truss :), D22. Gimme. How many people remember May?
5. Mujahadeen :), D22. I’ve heard this term for years. Not sure how hard this will play. 
6. Vain :(, D11. I had some vague notion there was a Carly Simon song with vain in the title. But not good enough to get this right. 

Brian Day 19

Was only certain of 2 answers when I submitted, so very happy to get 4

1) Temple of Athena  3/1  I know nothing about this area, and this is my biggest surprise get of the season.  I had a feeling it was the mausoleum that's a wonder of the world, but i didn't know its name, so I took a WAG on Temple of Athena (also forgetting its official name) thinking it  had a better, though still small, chance of success.  

2) Kevin 0/0  This is always on in my house

3) Trapeze  1/2 Slightly surprised, but still surprised, to get this.  Ruled out parachute, hang glider and the like, finally settled on bungee as perhaps being related to phalange?   Then apparatus made me think of gymnastics, which led me to trapeze, which I thought perfectly fit the aerial apparatus bill.

4) Verona 1/1 Romeo and Juliet 

5) Caught red handed 2/2  Was going back and forth between this and 'spill the beans'.  

6) Dnieper 2/3  Thought this had a better chance than Temple of Athena and trapeze, shows what i know. Have never heard of Transnistria 

Dave M day 19

Just 3/6 today to go into the weekend which, based on answers so far and bad D will be a loss.

 

1 : ) Parthenon. Seemed simple and the Civilization world wonder answer in a week. D11

2 : ( Jim. Only watched the UK Office. D23

3 : ( Helicopter. Seems obvious now I’ve seen the right answer. D11

4 : ) Verona. Yep, Romeo and Juliet. D30

5 : ( Money Shot. Oh of course it’s Smoking Gun. D22

6 : ) Transnistria. I have a friend who enjoyed traveling to the minor ex-Soviet frozen conflict statelets back when it was less risky, including Transnistria. D02

Jesse Day 19

5/6

1. Name the primary Acropolitan building of white Pentelic marble that was reduced to a shell via a 1687 explosion while housing a powder magazine during the concurrent Ottoman-Venetian war.
Correct Answer: PARTHENON (TEMPLE OF ATHENA)
Your Answer: Parthenon
Points Assigned: 2

I have been there.

2. On the US version of the sitcom The Office, for most of the series's run, the accounting department at the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company consisted of three people. Give the first name of any one of these three characters.
Correct Answer: ANGELA, KEVIN, OSCAR
Your Answer: Kevin
Points Assigned: 0

This was a great show. Considering watching it again with my daughter once she is old enough, which might actually be now. 

3. Though the use of a specific aerial apparatus probably does carry a greater than average risk of broken bones, that is not the reason why the apparatus shares an etymology with two different bones in the human hand. What is the name of that apparatus, or either bone?
Correct Answer: TRAPEZE/TRAPEZIUM/TRAPEZOID
Your Answer: Trampoline
Points Assigned: 3

I may have gotten this if I spent more time on it. 

4. Feuding families named Montecchi and Cappelletti (in reality, probably more like political factions than actual families) are today most closely associated, at least in a literary sense, with what Italian city (though they may not necessarily have existed there)?
Correct Answer: VERONA
Your Answer: Verona
Points Assigned: 1

I have been to fair Verona. 

5. An immediately post-homicide scene from Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Adventure of the Gloria Scott" is the source for a cliché that was used during Watergate to describe a tape where Richard Nixon, in a conversation with H.R. Haldeman, essentially reveals a conspiracy to obstruct justice. What is that cliché?
Correct Answer: SMOKING GUN
Your Answer: Smoking gun
Points Assigned: 1

I was pretty sure this was the cliche. 

6. Tiraspol is the largest city in a Russian-backed breakaway republic that borders Ukraine and is officially recognized as a part of Moldova. This enclave is best known by what name, after the river that mostly borders it to the east?
Correct Answer: TRANSNISTRIA
Your Answer: Transnistria
Points Assigned: 2

My friend Graeme is always trying to convince me to take a vacation in Transnistria. I should have made this the three-pointer.

David S Day 19

 4/6, but I’m kicking myself for missing a 5th. 

1. Acropolis :(, D22. The most careless error I’ve made in a few seasons. The answer I gave was in the question, and I knew the correct answer. Ugh. 
2. John :(, D00. I’m sure this will play easy, but I admit I never watched the Office and had no idea. 
3. Trapeze :), D12. Fun question. I was pretty sure this had to be it. 
4. Verona :), D11. I know Romeo and Juliet. 
5. Smoking gun :), D21. A common term now, but I knew it had to be this based on the history. Didn’t know about the scene in the story. 
6. Transnistria :), D33. Gimme for me. I bet this plays hard even with the Ukraine war going on. 

Brian Day 18

 4/6

1) Hypnotize 1/2  I assume he'll be accepting verb forms as well

2) Bowling 1/1  I remember the ads

3) Highway 2/2  So close.  The song Ventura Highway came to mind

4) Abigail 3/3 absolutely no clue and have never heard of this

5) Tutti Frutti  2/0  Oh Rudy!!!

6) Ampere 0/1  Is this a science question, or.... wait for it... current events?  

Dave M day 18 v Kim LLL

4/6 today. David S I’m surprised you only got 1 today we’re normally quite close together.

 

1 : ) Hypnosis. Mesmer must be mesmerized which lined up with Hypnosis. D11

2 : ( Cricket. Just about put boxing but figured it must have been another bat/stick swinging sport. D23

3 : ) Freeways. I worked in Long Beach periodically 10-15 years ago which is where the Harbor freeway heads (more or less). D11

4 : ( Miss Green. I had no idea but a vestigial thought had me put down “Miss” to start so I must have seen it somewhere before. D32

5 : ) Tutti Frutti. YEKIOYD and agree Jesse I suspect it’s more often a gimme than not. D20

6 : ) Ampere. Flow of electrons per second must be current. D02

Jesse Day 18

3/6

1. The term derived from the name of the late 18th/early 19th-century German physician Franz Mesmer has been broadly usurped in the English vernacular (thanks to a Scottish doctor named James Braid) by what now much more common synonym, a word that itself is derived from ancient Greek?
Correct Answer: HYPNOTISM/HYPNOSIS
Your Answer: Hypnosis
Points Assigned: 1

Mesmer = Mesmerism, which means hypnosis. 

2. The original version of the game Wii Sports that shipped with the Nintendo Wii in 2006 had five different game options. Three were golf, baseball, and tennis. Name either of the other two.
Correct Answer: BOXING, BOWLING
Your Answer: Bowling
Points Assigned: 0

I played a lot of Wii Sports. 

3. Santa Ana, San Diego, Santa Monica, Antelope Valley, Ventura, Hollywood, Harbor, Ronald Reagan, Golden State, and Glenn M. Anderson (or Century) are all names in Southern California of what, precisely (per their respective full names)?
Correct Answer: FREEWAYS
Your Answer: Boulevards
Points Assigned: 2

I have spent very little time in Southern California. I knew there was a Hollywood Boulevard and Ventura Boulevard. Oh well. 

4. Ernest J. Gaines's 1971 historical narrative of a former enslaved woman who lives to see the inception of the civil rights movement of the 1960s was published as a fictional woman's "Autobiography". What was her name, which was also used for the Emmy-winning television adaptation starring Cicely Tyson?
Correct Answer: (MISS) JANE PITTMAN
Your Answer: Jones
Points Assigned: 3

I had no idea.

5. "A wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom" (or something along those lines) is a lyric to one of the most seminal songs in rock and roll history (almost surely one of the most seminal with a non-English title). What is that song, recorded by Little Richard in 1955?
Correct Answer: TUTTI FRUTTI
Your Answer: Tutti Frutti
Points Assigned: 1

Feels like a gimmie. 

6. What base unit defined by the International System of Units (SI) is equal to 6.24x10<SUP>18</SUP> electrons per second (or one coulomb per second)?
Correct Answer: AMP/AMPERE
Your Answer: Mole
Points Assigned: 2

Nope. 

David S Day 18

 1/6. Just terrible. 

1. Anesthesia :(, D32. Confusing question. Seems I was on the right track but couldn’t get there. 
2. Football :(, D22. No idea. Took a shot, but no luck. 
3. Boulevard :(, D11. I had no doubt this was right. I guess there’s a lot of overlap in the names. 
4. Jones :(, D10. No idea. 
5. La Vida Loca :(, D01. No idea again. 
6. Ampere :), D23. Gimme for me, though I doubt this plays too easy. Kept me from an ignominious zero on the day.

Jesse day 17

3/6

1. In 1992, twelve members of the European Economic Community signed a treaty to form the European Union in what Dutch city, by whose name the treaty is commonly known?
Correct Answer: MAASTRICHT
Your Answer: Schengen
Points Assigned: 1

I answered Schengen without giving it much thought. 

2. "In space no one can hear you scream" was the tagline for what singular 1979 sci-fi horror movie, which won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects?
Correct Answer: ALIEN
Your Answer: Alien
Points Assigned: 1

I just knew this. 

3. The stock market index known as the Dow Jones Composite Average is composed of 65 companies: the 30 that constitute the main Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the remaining 35 from two other Dow Jones indices that gauge specific sectors of the US economy. Identify either of these two sectors, as named in these other respective stock indices.
Correct Answer: TRANSPORTATION, UTILITIES
Your Answer: Commercial
Points Assigned: 2

I had no idea.

4. A widely exported deepwater commercial fish that is sometimes known as "deep sea perch" or "slimehead" is most commonly known by what other name, referring to the color and the texture of its skin?
Correct Answer: ORANGE ROUGHY
Your Answer: Cod
Points Assigned: 3

Never heard of it. I feel like this might be the hardest question of this LL. 

5. Penhold, shakehand, Seemiller, and v-grip are different grips used (with varying frequency) in what competitive sport?
Correct Answer: TABLE TENNIS/PING-PONG
Your Answer: Table Tennis
Points Assigned: 2

I play a bit of table tennis and was aware of the handshake and penhold. 

6. Lemurs, fossas, vangas, tomato frogs, and two-thirds of the world's chameleon species are among the thousands of creatures endemic to what nation?
Correct Answer: MADAGASCAR
Your Answer: Madagascar
Points Assigned: 0

Lemurs made it easy for me. My company runs a trip to Madagascar. 

Brian Day 17 vs Steiny (LLL)

 4/6

1) Amsterdam 2/3  I thought I was going to be kicking myself when I saw the answer, but I've never heard of it

2) Alien 0/0  I like the subtle clue of "singular" so as to differentiate it from the far superior Aliens (which I actually saw first.)

3) Transportation 2/2  gimme for me, unsure how it will play for non-financial types.   David S, are you insinuating that a price-weighted index of 30 stocks is antiquated?

4) Bronzino 3/2  thought i had a shot

5) Table Tennis 1/1  I've seen players hold the paddle like a pen and like a handshake

6) Madagascar 1/1  Lemurs and fossas (they're really interesting looking) did it for me, but even not knowing them, for so many species to be endemic to one nation and not be marsupials, it's gotta be Madagascar.

Dave M day 17

4/6 today, was anticipating possibly getting 6/6 but not quite!

 

1 : ) Maastricht. The Maastricht Treaty was a big political deal in the UK. D22

2 : ) Alien. I knew it was from around this time and the tagline certainly fit. D11

3 : ( Financial. Figured one of the other averages had to be of banks. D12

4 : ) Orange Roughy. The Fish shops in NZ growing up usually had a poster with all the species, and Orange Roughy always got my attention as a weird name. Figure this plays hard though. D33

5 : ( Tennis. I remember v-grip for tennis so assumed the others were all variations. D21

6 : ) Madagascar. I figure this is a pretty widely known natural history question, who knows. D00

David S Day 17

 4/6.

1. Maastricht :), D23. Gimme for me, but I bet this plays fairly hard. 
2. Alien :), D12. If there’s a movie question that’s a gimme for me, it has to play easy. 
3. Transportation :), D11. The Dow… more like a history question…
4. Yellowtail :(, D00. No idea. Only did a D00 because food/drink is a strength for both my opponents. 
5. Badminton :(, D31. Nope!
6. Madagascar :), D22. Happy to get this! I first put down Brazil, but then I figured it was most likely an island. But I didn’t expect to get it right. 

Brian Day 16 vs a double dose of CarrBen12

 Facing Ben in Sierra D and in LLL, I greet him warmly with an unexpected 9(6)

1) Darfur 2/2   First name to pop into my head, it sounded right and I hoped it was in Sudan

2) Extra Terrestrial Intelligence 1/1 Gimme for us both

3) Lennon, Ono 3/3  First people I thought of, I 100% knew it was correct, and yet I have no recollection of this fact at all.  It might just be the image of them nakedly intertwined that got me there

4) Beowulf 0/0  Should be right in Ben's wheelhouse along with SETI

5) Guru 1/1 Feel like this has come up before and I missed it.

6) Robbery 2/2 Was thinking burglary, armed robbery and theft.  Then decided on (armed) robbery.  Then re-read the question, there was mention of force but not weapons, and submitted plain old robbery. 

Jesse Day 16

4 or 5/6

1. A peace agreement was signed in South Sudan in August 2020 aiming to end 17 years of conflict between the government of Sudan and a coalition of rebel groups from what region in western Sudan?
Correct Answer: DARFUR
Your Answer: Biafrans
Points Assigned: 2

I knew Biafra was in Nigeria, but Darfur just did not come to my mind. 

2. SETI, which originated in an organized manner in the 1960s, collectively includes an experiment in 1960 called Project Ozma, later studies and efforts by NASA and Soviet scientists, and a vast distributed campaign using CPU downtime. These activities all involve the search for what, exactly, per the precise phrase abbreviated by this acronym?
Correct Answer: EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE
Your Answer: Extra Terrestrial Intelligence
Points Assigned: 0

Seems like a gimmie

3. Name the individuals involved in what is perhaps the most famous event in history referred to as a "bed-in", which occurred in Amsterdam in 1969.
Correct Answer: JOHN LENNON, YOKO ONO
Your Answer: Yoko Ono and John Lennon
Points Assigned: 1

I pictured them in the bed together right away. 

4. In a well-known heroic legend, the feasting hall of King Hrothgar of the Danes, Heorot, is under nightly attack by a monster who kills the kingsmen as they sleep, until the Prince of the Geats comes to defend Heorot and slay the monster. What is this prince's name?
Correct Answer: BEOWULF
Your Answer: Beowulf
Points Assigned: 2

I have never read Beowulf, but I know what it is about. 

5. What term, Hindi for "teacher" and from the Sanskrit for "heavy", is applied in Sikhism to any of the first ten leaders of that religion?
Correct Answer: GURU
Your Answer: Guru
Points Assigned: 3

Total guess. 

6. In the US Model Penal Code, larceny is the unlawful taking of someone else's property without their consent and with intent to permanently deprive the owner of the property. Larceny becomes what more serious crime when, per that Code, it involves the taking of property by force or threat of imminent force?
Correct Answer: ROBBERY
Your Answer: Armed Robbery
Points Assigned: 1

I am guessing I won't get credit for this. 

Dave M dave 16 v Pelc LLL

Nice to get a 5/6 today though of course other Dave steals my thunder!

 

1 : ) Darfur. Western Sudan meant only one possible answer. D11

2 : ) Extra-terrestrial Intelligence. Second day in a row where an answer is a world wonder in Civilization. D00

3 : ) John Lennon, Yoko Ono. I remember seeing a photo of this once. D12

4 : ) Beowulf. Hope this plays hard as I D33ed, but remember learning this story in high school. D33

5 : ) Guru. Couldn’t think of anything better, was kind of surprised it was right. D22

6 : ( Grand Theft. I have no idea why Robbery didn’t come to mind. Seems simple in retrospect. D21

David S Day 16

 6/6, which was really unexpected when I submitted. I feel like I was due this by the LL gods after struggling so much in the past week :). 

1. Darfur :), D30. I followed this sad story for years. 
2. Extra terrestrial intelligence :), D01. Gimme. My guess is this plays easy. 
3. Lennon, Ono :), D11. Thrilled to get this. There’s a subtle reference to this in a Beatles song, and the timing matched up, so that’s how I got to this guess. But I didn’t think it was going to be correct. 
4. Beowulf :), D13. Almost wrote Grendel. I would have been apoplectic if I’d made that mistake. 
5. Guru :), D22. I’m a bit confused here because I thought this was a common term. I had no other guess, so it worked out, but I didn’t think this was right. 
6. Robbery :), D22. Considered burglary, but I didn’t think that had to involve violence. So I felt good if not certain about this one.

Brian Day 15

 4/6 no chance on the others

1) The Monkees 1/1  Musical foursome/tv/60s = The Monkees

2) Waiting for Godot 2/2 Knew it was wrong but had no idea.  I've heard of this play but know nothing about it

3) Griner 1/0  Terrific, roundabout way to ask what would otherwise be a relatively easy current events question.  Curious how this plays.

4) Sistine Chapel 3/3 Knew it was wrong, but had no clue, and never heard of Uffizi.  I need to travel more

5) German chocolate cake 2/2  Love this icing.  Is this question actually saying that Samuel German developed chocolate in 1957?  

6) Hoover Dam 0/1  What else could it be given the geography and the date?

Dave M day 15 v Steiny LL and Carr LLL

The rare double up against the originals neither of whom post here any more (except Ben occasionally)

3/6 today which I expect to be well defended against so not sure if I'll win either matchup.

1 : ( The Partridge Family. Total guess. Jesse surprised we both guessed the same wrong answer. D13
2 : ( The Odd Couple. Only 1960s play I could think of. D32
3 : ) Griner. This is Current Affairs not Sports! D02
4 : ) Uffizi. I've never been but it is a world wonder in Civilization. D21
5 : ( Belgium Gateau. Never heard of German Chocolate Cake and in that context my answer feels kind of close. D21
6 : ) Hoover Dam. I was reading recently about how the city council is set against rapid expansion which is rare in the context of Vegas suburbs/exurbs. Don't know if I'd have got it if I hadn't recalled that. D10

Jesse Day 15

3/6

1. The virtually plotless 1968 musical comedy film Head, directed by Bob Rafelson and written by Rafelson and Jack Nicholson, starred what foursome, whose TV show had been canceled earlier that year?
Correct Answer: THE MONKEES
Your Answer: Partridge Family
Points Assigned: 2

This feels very gettable.

2. "If you look on every exit being an entrance somewhere else" is a quote from Act I—and the essential foundational premise—of what 1966 play by Tom Stoppard?
Correct Answer: ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD
Your Answer: Sliding Doors
Points Assigned: 3

I feel like this comes up in trivia every now and again. 

3. What 2021 All-WNBA First Teamer was also the leading scorer for UMMC Ekaterinburg during their successful run for the 2020-21 EuroLeague Women Championship?
Correct Answer: BRITTNEY GRINER
Your Answer: Griner
Points Assigned: 1

Good current events questions disguised as a sports question. 

4. Name the building whose construction was begun in 1560 for Florentine Duke Cosimo de' Medici to house magisterial and administrative offices. The building's top floor was used to display the family's extensive art collection, and that usage for the building was expanded and famously endures to this day.
Correct Answer: UFFIZI
Your Answer: Doge's Palace
Points Assigned: 2

Damn, I have been to both, but I could not come up with the word Uffizi.

5. What dessert, distinctive with its unique frosting containing coconut and pecans, is deceptively named, as it has nothing to do with its namesake country, but rather is named after the man (first name Samuel) who developed a sweet ingredient called for in its original 1957 recipe? (Note, the dessert's full name is required.)
Correct Answer: GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE
Your Answer: German Chocolate Cake
Points Assigned: 1

I was familiar with this piece of trivia, but it did not stop me from going through every country in the world in my head. 

6. A US municipality known as Boulder City, which still exists today, was established in 1931 specifically to house workers hired for the construction of a structure that is now known by what name?
Correct Answer: HOOVER DAM
Your Answer: Hoover Dam
Points Assigned: 0

I have been to the Hoover Dam and thought Boulder City sounded familiar. 

David S Day 15

 2/6. I’ve lost 4 in a row in LL, and this won’t help. I’ve been getting a bit lit up this season.

1. The Beatles :(, D12. This is frustrating on a deep level. I had no idea, but the Monkees are my default answer for questions like this when I have no clue. But the one time I don’t put them, that’s the answer. You’ve gotta be kidding me.
2. Chain :(, D11. No idea. 
3. Griner :), D22. Like most who get this, I suspect, I got it from the Russia clue. 
4. Leaning tower of Pisa :(, D30. Terrible guess, but I had nothing else. I guess I don’t know Florentine buildings very well. 
5. Turkish Delight :(, D01. I doubted this was right given the late date, but I had nothing else. Didn’t even consider German chocolate cake. 
6. Hoover Dam :), D23. Finally one I knew…

brad day15

2/6 vs kim common d

1) the monkees d2

watched the show with my grandparents

2) life is a highway d3

no idea

3) griner d0

current events gimme?

4) accademia d2

ugh been to both, the other one ...

5) german torte d1

throwaway that got suprisingly close

6) disney world d1

nope

Brian day 14 vs Dave M

 2.5/6

1) Shrinking 2/2. I remember Damon in a trailer for a movie where everyone gets shrunk down into a tiny city, and the word ‘incredibly’ in the question was a clue for The Incredible Shrinking Man

2) Pomplemousse 3/0 went with joke answer

3) goldschlager 1/1 never heard of the answer

4) May 2/3.  My favorite part of the summer Olympics was Misty May in a bikini. Playing volleyball.   I always knew her as May for some reason , not May-Trainor, I hope I get credit 

5) theater 0/2

6) ballistics 1/1 

Jesse day 14

4/6

1. In a 2017 film, Matt Damon's character undergoes a procedure that could be described by a word in the title of a 1957 science fiction classic starring Grant Williams. What is that word—a procedure that the man played by Williams also undergoes, incredibly?
Correct Answer: SHRINKING
Your Answer: Shrinking
Points Assigned: 0

I saw the Damon movie. I wonder how difficult this plays. Probably shouldn't have used up my 0 on it. 

2. When Emmanuel Macron defeated Marine Le Pen in the French presidential election of 2022, he became the first incumbent to win re-election as the country's head of state since what other man did so twenty years prior?
Correct Answer: JACQUES CHIRAC
Your Answer: Chirac
Points Assigned: 2

It was Sarkozy or Chirac. I chose correctly. 

3. What piquant, golden Italian liqueur made from herbs and spices is familiar as an ingredient in a Harvey Wallbanger, and distinctive for its very tall, Roman-column-shaped bottle?
Correct Answer: GALLIANO
Your Answer: Amareto
Points Assigned: 2

Never heard of it.

4. The most successful and decorated partnership in the history of professional beach volleyball is that of two American women, whose many championships include gold medals at the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Summer Olympics. Name either of these two women.
Correct Answer: MISTY MAY-TREANOR, KERRY WALSH JENNINGS
Your Answer: Missy something?
Points Assigned: 3

Guessing Thorsten won't accept Missy something. 

5. Kathak, Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi, and Manipuri are classical Indian forms of what?
Correct Answer: DANCE
Your Answer: Dance
Points Assigned: 1

I have never heard any of those words, but the word "forms" led me to something artistic. Indian dance is famous so I thought that would make for a good guess. 

6. What is the name, derived from Latin and originating from a Greek word for "to throw", for the scientific study, within mechanics, of the motion and impact of projectiles such as missiles, rockets, and bullets? The word, as an adjective, has also come to be used as a synonym for "extremely excited and angry".
Correct Answer: BALLISTIC(S)
Your Answer: Ballistics
Points Assigned: 1

First thing that came to mind and the second half of the clue confirmed my answer.

David S Day 14

2/6. I found these hard and had no chance at the 4 I missed. 

1. Inception :(, D20. No idea. 
2. Chirac :), D03. Gimme for me, but I doubt this plays all that easy.
3. Grappa :(, D21. I thought grappa was clear, but I had no other guess. 
4. Smith :(, D31. No idea. 
5. Yoga :(, D21. I’m sure many will fall into this trap. 
6. Ballistics :), D12. These sort of questions usually take me a while, but this one came to me immediately. 

Dave M day 14 v Brian LLL

Ran out of time to post yesterday, a miserable 2/6 (Ellipse and Cutty Sark) that nonetheless earnt me a W against my opponent’s 2. Slightly better 3/6 today.

 

1 : ( Lobotomy. I couldn’t think of any Matt Damon 2017 films at all so just made a random guess. D21

2 : ) Chirac. Recall this factoid from the time of Macron’s re-election. D21

3 : ( Frangelico. I didn’t even know there was a liqueur called Galliano. D02

4 : ( Johnson. Had no idea so just guessed a common last name. Here’s hoping this is as much of a mystery to others as it was to me. D33

5 : ) Dance. Dance seemed more likely than music or Buddhism which were my other two thoughts. D12

6 : ) Ballistic. I just know this from somewhere. D10

Brian Day 13

 5/6 

1) Bastille 0/3    Got the French Revolution aspect, but that's ti.

2) The Public Theatre 2/0   I lived a few blocks away for a few years; is this gettable if you're not a New Yorker or a theater person?

3) Loris 2/1   Same as Jesse, was stuck on lorax for a bit. I knew it started with L-O, I finally went through the alphabet til it came to me.   

4) ellipse 3/2   Conic section gimme

5) Cutty Sark 1/2   Got it on my second whiskey

6) Ruby 1/1   I was lucky to have had kids after the Barney and Wiggles craze, but I did not avoid this annoying show or books. Luckily the phase didn't last long

Jesse Day 13

3/6

1. Brumaire, Germinal, Ventôse, and Thermidor were, for around 12 years beginning in 1793, names used for what?
Correct Answer: MONTHS (OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTIONARY CALENDAR)
Your Answer: Seasons
Points Assigned: 1

I knew they messed with the calendar during the french revolution, but I ended up putting down seasons as there were only four of them. Now I remember they shortened the months and added on four of them. 

2. Hair, A Chorus Line, and Hamilton are among the many Broadway shows that got their start off-Broadway at what venue, on New York's Lafayette Street, opened by Joseph Papp in 1967 and so named for its founding principle that "art and culture belong to everyone"?
Correct Answer: PUBLIC THEATRE
Your Answer: Public Square Theatre
Points Assigned: 0

I had no idea, but then thought I might have recalled hearing a commercial for a play at the public theatre. Then I thought I remember hearing public square so i changed it to that. Oops. 

3. A pale face with dark rings around large eyes is among the distinctive features of what primate native to forests of South and Southeast Asia, three types of which are the "slender", the "slow", and the "pygmy slow"?
Correct Answer: LORIS
Your Answer: Loris
Points Assigned: 1

Initially put down Lorax, then thought about it for a second and put down Loris

4. x^2</sup>/a^2</sup> + y^2</sup>/b^2</sup> = 1 — This equation produces a curve known typically as what?
Correct Answer: ELLIPSE
Your Answer: Bell Curve
Points Assigned: 3

I did not even look at the formula. Just through out a curve. 

5. A two-word nickname for the witch Nannie in Robert Burns's 1791 poem Tam O'Shanter was used as the name of what famed British clipper ship that first launched in 1869, and then subsequently for the blended Scotch whiskey created in 1923 that uses the ship as its logo?
Correct Answer: CUTTY SARK
Your Answer: Cutty Sark
Points Assigned: 2

Initially put down Cutty Shark, then thought about it for a second and put down Cutty Sark

6. Among the successful series produced by the Canadian animation studio Nelvana is a show based on books by Rosemary Wells that features an energetic and playful 3-year-old bunny in blue overalls named Max, and his responsible and protective older sister named what?
Correct Answer: RUBY
Your Answer: Ruby
Points Assigned: 2

My daughter watched this for a time. 

David S Day 13 vs Ben (LLL)

3/6 vs. Ben. Really thought I had a fourth that was easy (or so I thought), and it screwed up my defense.

1. Months :), D22. I knew Thermidor. Hadn’t heard of the others. Maybe my D here was too high vs. Ben. 
2. Public Theater :), D32. Good NYC trivia. I bet this plays hard, especially outside of NYC. 
3. Sloth :(, D01. I had no doubt this was right and also thought it was easy. Wasted some low D here. 
4. Ellipse :), D10. If I knew this easily, it will be a gimme for Ben. 
5. Iron Sides :(, D21. Familiar now that I see the answer, but I wasn’t going to come up with it. 
6. Maggie :(, D13. No idea. 

brad day 13

2/6 vs ben and pelc

1) prisons d1/2

figured french revolution from the date, but couldnt get any further than that

2) public theatre d2/0

very lucky guess based on end of q

3) koala d1/2

have never heard of this

4) ellipse d0/3

circle going to be mcw?

5) chivas regal d2/1

never heard of this whisky

6) julia d3/1

no idea

Brian Day 12

 3/6

1) temperance 1/2 no clue

2) Nimbus 2/1 Wouldn't have gotten this if Thorsten hadn't kindly defined nephology, but going through cloud terms, nimbus rang a bell.

3) fable 1/2  good question, feel like I should have gotten there

4) Spain 3/3  no clue

5) Sears 0/0  I don't know that I've ever heard 'in an edificial sense' before, nice turn of phrase.  The edifice formerly know as the Sears Tower is now the Willis Tower.  

6) Strait of Gibraltar 2/1 I'm aware of Spain's exclave near Morocco (and thank you for asking for the strait and not the name of the exclave). 

David S Day 12 vs. Mirkin (LLL)

 3/6 vs. Mirkin.

1. Bryan :(, D02. No idea here even though definitely at least partially American history. 
2. Nimbus :), D11. Given the cloud reference, I was guessing between nimbus and cirrus. And something about this kind of rang a bell for me. Not sure if I just guessed right or this was buried deep in my knowledge somewhere.
3. Folklore :(, D13. Ah, so gettable. Great question. 
4. Saxophone :(, D22. No clue at all. 
5. Sears :), D21. Love this question, too. 
6. Gibraltar:), D30. Straightforward geography question that should give Mirkin no problem.