General Trivia Questions #1,555-1,560

Question 1,555: Entertainment & Food -- Dark Drink

What type of soda is needed to make a black cow?

a) Coca-Cola
b) Dr Pepper
c) Pepsi
d) Root beer

Question 1,556: History & Government -- Last But Not Least in the East

What was the last state added to the U.S. east of the Mississippi River?

a) Arkansas
b) Minnesota
c) Mississippi
d) West Virginia

Question 1,557: Math & Science -- B Family

Which B-vitamin is more commonly known as riboflavin?

a) Vitamin B₁
b) Vitamin B₂
c) Vitamin B₆
d) Vitamin B₁₂

Question 1,558: Geography & Nature -- Formerly Formosa

What country do the Portuguese refer to as Formosa?

a) Japan
b) Korea
c) Taiwan
d) Vietnam

Question 1,559: Literature & Arts -- War Snore

What war did Rip Van Winkle sleep through?

a) American Revolution
b) French and Indian War
c) U.S. Civil War
d) War of 1812

Question 1,560: Sports & Games -- Cool Comedy

What Olympic sport is featured in the 1993 movie Cool Runnings?

a) Bobsled
b) Speedskating
c) Steeplechase
d) Water polo

General Trivia Answers #1,549-1,554

Answer 1,549: Entertainment & Food -- Sole Survivor

c) The Professor

Gilligan and the Skipper roomed together, Ginger shacked up with Mary Ann, and Mr. and Mrs. Howell had a hut to themselves during the 1960s television show's four-year run.

Answer 1,550: History & Government -- March Master

c) Mao Zedong

The Red Army lost four-fifths of its 100,000 soldiers on the 6,000-mile escape from the Kuomintang army.

Answer 1,551: Math & Science -- Combined Chemicals

a) Compound

Compounds can be separated in other ways, such as chemical reactions or electrolysis.

Answer 1,552: Geography & Nature -- Liked in Liberia

c) Monrovia

The city was formerly known as Christopolis.

Answer 1,553: Literature & Arts -- Bunyan and Babe

b) Minnesota

The state is called the Land of 10,000 Lakes, although the actual number may be as high as 15,000.

Answer 1,554: Sports & Games -- Dart Target

c) 60

A hit in the small inner ring scores triple, so the 20 section there is worth 60 points.

General Trivia Questions #1,549-1,554

Question 1,549: Entertainment & Food -- Sole Survivor

Who was the only character on Gilligan's Island without a roommate?

a) Gilligan
b) Ginger
c) The Professor
d) The Skipper

Question 1,550: History & Government -- March Master

Who led the Long March that began on October 18, 1934?

a) Chiang Kai-Shek
b) Jiang Zemin
c) Mao Zedong
d) Sun Yat Sen

Question 1,551: Math & Science -- Combined Chemicals

What is the scientific term for a chemical combination of two or more elements inseparable by physical means?

a) Compound
b) Mixture
c) Precipitate
d) Solution

Question 1,552: Geography & Nature -- Liked in Liberia

What is Liberia's U.S. President-honoring capital?

a) Jacksonville
b) Jeffersonia
c) Monrovia
d) Washingtown

Question 1,553: Literature & Arts -- Bunyan and Babe

According to legend, which U.S. state's lakes did the footsteps of Paul Bunyan and his ox create?

a) Michigan
b) Minnesota
c) Ohio
d) Pennsylvania

Question 1,554: Sports & Games -- Dart Target

What is the value of the highest scoring area of a dartboard?

a) 40
b) 50
c) 60
d) 100

Final Mystery - Random Trivia Answers

• A1) Johnny Hart (February 18, 1931 - April 7, 2007). The New Yorker would go on to win three more National Cartoonists Society awards and Sweden's Adamson Award.
• A2) Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (November 11, 1922 - April 11, 2007). The satirical sci-fi writer called his World War II wound "ludicrously negligible", but drew deeply upon his battle and prisoner-of-war experiences for his fiction.
• A3) Boris Yeltsin (February 1, 1931 - April 23, 2007). Following a successful coup of Mikhail Gorbachev that Yeltsin did not support, the former Communist Party member took office on December 12, 1991 and served until December 31, 1999.
• A4) Kurt Waldheim (December 21, 1918 - June 14, 2007). Throughout his six-year term, neither he nor his wife Elisabeth were welcomed by the U.S. because of his possible role in anti-Jewish war crimes during World War II.
• A5) Lady Bird Johnson (December 22, 1912 - July 11, 2007). Born as Claudia Alta Taylor, Lyndon Johnson's wife's lifelong nickname was bestowed upon her early on by a nurse who considered her "purty as a ladybird", which is called a ladybug here.
• A6) Phil Rizzuto (September 25, 1917 - August 13, 2007). The Scooter won the 1950 American League Most Valuable Player award and still holds several World Series records including career games played.
• A7) Richard Jewell (December 17, 1962 - August 29, 2007). Although he was originally deemed a hero in Atlanta for helping evacuate the site, the FBI treated him as a suspect. It wasn't until 2005, when Eric Rudolph pleaded guilty to the attack, that Jewell's name was finally cleared.
• A8) Al Oerter (September 19, 1936 - October 1, 2007). The New Yorker took home discus gold from Melbourne, Rome, Tokyo, and Mexico City from 1956 to 1968. Lewis won the long jump from 1984 to 1996.
• A9) Joey Bishop (February 3, 1918 - October 17, 2007). The Rat Packer had his self-titled The Joey Bishop Show as a both a NBC and CBS sitcom from 1961 to 1965 and an ABC talk show from 1967 to 1969.
• A10) Robert Goulet (November 26, 1933 - October 30, 2007). The baritone, born to Jeanette and Joseph Goulet in Lawrence, Massachusetts, captured the 1968 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for The Happy Time.
• A11) Norman Mailer (January 31, 1923 - November 10, 2007). Armies of the Night also won the National Book Award. The multi-genre author also captured the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters in 2005.
• A12) Dan Fogelberg (August 13, 1951 - December 16, 2007). The song peaked at #9, seven spots below his first and best Top Ten hit, "Longer", the previous year.

Let us take a non-trivial moment of silence to honor all twelve people above, each of whom said their last goodbye in 2007. Some other notable passings include Anna Nicole Smith, Art Buchwald, Benazir Bhutto, Bill France, Jr., Brad Delp, Brett Somers, Charles Nelson Reilly, Chip Reese, Clete Boyer, Darryl Stingley, Dennis Johnson, Don Ho, Eddie Feigner, Evel Knievel, Gump Worsley, Ike Turner, Jane Wyman, Joe Nuxhall, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Lee Hazlewood, Lew Burdette, Liz Claiborne, Luciano Pavarotti, Marcel Marceau, Richard Jeni, Rod Beck, Skip Prosser, and Wally Schirra.

Final Mystery - Random Trivia Questions

The last random weekly quiz of 2007 is also your final trivia mystery of the year. As usual with this type of puzzle, deducing the common theme could help you answer other questions. Good luck.

Final Mystery Questions

• Q1) What cartoonist won the 1967 National Cartoonist Society Newspaper Comic Strip (Humor) Award for B.C. and the 1968 Reuben Award Cartoonist of the Year for both B.C. and The Wizard of Id?
• Q2) What Purple Heart-winning author's daughter Edith was once married to Geraldo Rivera?
• Q3) Who was Russia's first elected president?
• Q4) What Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1972 to 1981 became President of Austria in 1986?
• Q5) What U.S. First Lady's first name was actually Claudia?
• Q6) What baseball announcer gave the play-by-play in Meat Loaf's song "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights"?
• Q7) What security guard was long considered the only suspect in the Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics?
• Q8) Who is the only track-and-field athlete besides Carl Lewis to win the same event at four consecutive Olympics?
• Q9) What stand-up comedian and talk show host was born as Joseph Abraham Gottlieb?
• Q10) What singer jokingly told reporters that he was born as Stanley Applebaum?
• Q11) What author won a Pulitzer Prize in non-fiction for Armies of the Night in 1969 and in fiction for The Executioner's Song in 1980?
• Q12) What singer hit the pop charts with the New Year's Eve favorite "Same Old Lang Syne" in 1980?

Computer Copy -- Quiz Quilt 51 Solution

Category Answers:

Math & Science	CARBON	Carbon-12, with six protons and six neutrons, was given an atomic weight of exactly twelve in 1961. Chemists and physicists had each been using different oxygen-based scales.
Geography & Nature	SQUAB	The term applies until the bird has grown feathers.
History & Government	LANCE	Georgia Democrat Bert Lance stepped down because of allegations of banking irregularities.
Literature & Arts	BUCK	West Virginian Pearl Buck was born as Pearl Comfort Sydenstricker in Hillsboro on June 26, 1892.
Sports & Games	BOGUES	5'3" point guard Muggsy Bogues, whose given first name is Tyrone, appeared as himself in the 1996 movie Space Jam.
Entertainment & Food	JEEP	The nickname "Jeep" probably came from Eugene the Jeep, a small but powerful character that debuted in the Popeye comic strip on March 16, 1936.

Quiz Quilt Answer: BACKUP (Fourth letters)

Hopefully, you regularly back up the important data on your computer!

Computer Copy -- Quiz Quilt 51 Puzzle

Category Questions:

Math & Science	What chemical element is used as the basis for atomic weights?
Geography & Nature	What is a baby pigeon called?
History & Government	Who was President Carter's budget director who resigned amid controversy on September 21, 1977?
Literature & Arts	What female author was born with the last name Sydenstricker and occasionally used the pseudonym John Sedges?
Sports & Games	Who was the shortest person to play in the NBA?
Entertainment & Food	What name is now used for the supposed "General Purpose Vehicles", developed by American Austin in 1929, which flopped before finding their niche in World War II?

General Trivia Answers #1,543-1,548

Answer 1,543: Entertainment & Food -- Ketchup Connoissieurs

c) Sweden

Italians consume a lot of the condiment because they put ketchup on their pasta.

Answer 1,544: History & Government -- 19

c) Rutherford Hayes

Tilden was prematurely announced as the winner when he was still one vote shy of victory. Three Republican-controlled states then gave their votes and the election to Hayes.

Answer 1,545: Math & Science -- Haber Harvest

a) Ammonia

German chemist Fritz Haber developed the technique for producing ammonia from nitrogen, hydrogen, iron as a catalyst, and heavy pressure in 1909.

Answer 1,546: Geography & Nature -- Free First Farce

d) North Carolina

The Mecklenburg Declaration of 1775 claimed that the town's citizens were independent from England immediately following the Battle of Lexington.

Answer 1,547: Literature & Arts -- Magazine Monsters

c) The New Yorker

His morbidly humorous cartoons became popular in the 1930s.

Answer 1,548: Sports & Games -- Torch Takeoff

b) Berlin, Germany

20-year-old track athlete Fritz Schilgen lit the torch at the 11th Olympiad in 1936.

General Trivia Questions #1,543-1,548

Question 1,543: Entertainment & Food -- Ketchup Connoissieurs

According to Heinz, which country uses the most ketchup per capita?

a) Canada
b) Italy
c) Sweden
d) U.S.

Question 1,544: History & Government -- 19

Who became the 19th President of the U.S. by defeating Samuel J. Tilden in a disputed election in 1876?

a) Chester Arthur
b) Grover Cleveland
c) Rutherford Hayes
d) Ulysses Grant

Question 1,545: Math & Science -- Haber Harvest

What chemical compound does the Haber process create?

a) Ammonia
b) Carbon dioxide
c) Nitrous oxide
d) Water

Question 1,546: Geography & Nature -- Free First Farce

Which U.S. state's license plates read "First in Freedom" from 1974 to 1982?

a) Delaware
b) Massachusetts
c) New Hampshire
d) North Carolina

Question 1,547: Literature & Arts -- Magazine Monsters

The Addams Family television show was based on a cartoon by Charles Addams in what magazine?

a) The Atlantic
b) Harper's
c) The New Yorker
d) The Saturday Evening Post

Question 1,548: Sports & Games -- Torch Takeoff

What Olympic host city began the tradition of the torch run?

a) Athens, Greece
b) Berlin, Germany
c) Los Angeles, California
d) Rome, Italy

General Trivia Answers #1,537-1,542

Answer 1,537: Entertainment & Food -- Comedian Kubelsky

c) Jack Benny

The early radio and television star originally changed his name to Ben K. Benny because violinist Jan Kubelik did not want to be confused with a vaudeville performer.

Answer 1,538: History & Government -- Fifty-four Forty Phrase

a) James Polk

The Democrat won the election but lost the latitude. The northern boundary of the Oregon Territory was set to 49° by the Oregon Treaty of 1846.

Answer 1,539: Math & Science -- Matter of Fact

a) Dark matter

They emit no radiation but can be detected by their gravitational effects and may account for over half of the universe's mass.

Answer 1,540: Geography & Nature -- Short State

b) Delaware

The Blue Hen State's average altitude is only sixty feet.

Answer 1,541: Literature & Arts -- Prose and Conrad

d) The Valley of Decision

Edith Wharton wrote the 1902 novel. The 1945 movie by the same name was based on a different book by Marcia Davenport.

Answer 1,542: Sports & Games -- Athletic Supporters

c) Lithuania

The players dressed in tie-dye shirts to receive their bronze medals.

General Trivia Questions #1,537-1,542

Question 1,537: Entertainment & Food -- Comedian Kubelsky

Who is comedian Benjamin Kubelsky better known as?

a) Bob Hope
b) George Burns
c) Jack Benny
d) Milton Berle

Question 1,538: History & Government -- Fifty-four Forty Phrase

Which U.S. President's campaign slogan was "Fifty-four Forty or Fight"?

a) James Polk
b) John Tyler
c) William Harrison
d) Zachary Taylor

Question 1,539: Math & Science -- Matter of Fact

What are the neutralino and axion types of?

a) Dark matter
b) Gray matter
c) Light matter
d) White matter

Question 1,540: Geography & Nature -- Short State

Which U.S. state has the lowest mean elevation?

a) Connecticut
b) Delaware
c) Florida
d) Rhode Island

Question 1,541: Literature & Arts -- Prose and Conrad

Which book below did someone besides Joseph Conrad write?

a) Chance
b) Lord Jim
c) Typhoon
d) The Valley of Decision

Question 1,542: Sports & Games -- Athletic Supporters

What country's Olympic men's basketball team did the Grateful Dead sponsor in 1992?

a) Australia
b) Greece
c) Lithuania
d) Yugoslavia

General Trivia Answers #1,531-1,536

Answer 1,531: Entertainment & Food -- Powers Star

d) Mike Myers

The comedian portrayed both the groovy title character and his unhip nemesis Dr. Evil in the spoof and its two sequels.

Answer 1,532: History & Government -- Sky Scraped

a) A B-25 bomber

The pilot had unwisely descended too far for better visibility in fog. Three crewmen and eleven office workers died.

Answer 1,533: Math & Science -- Dinosaur Days

b) Mesozoic Era

The era includes the well-known Jurassic Period.

Answer 1,534: Geography & Nature -- Sardinia's Sovereign

c) Italy

The second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, covering 9,300 square miles, is home to 1.65 million Italians.

Answer 1,535: Literature & Arts -- Falcon Guessed

d) Statuette

Gold and jewels are hidden in the black bird. The Dashiell Hammett story first appeared as a five-part serial in Black Mask magazine from September 1929 to January 1930.

Answer 1,536: Sports & Games -- Hockey Hundred

d) Phil Esposito

The Boston Bruins center shattered the barrier with 126 points on 49 goals and 77 assists in the 1968-69 season.

General Trivia Questions #1,531-1,536

Question 1,531: Entertainment & Food -- Powers Star

What Saturday Night Live actor wrote and starred in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery?

a) Dan Aykroyd
b) Dana Carvey
c) Jim Belushi
d) Mike Myers

Question 1,532: History & Government -- Sky Scraped

On July 8, 1945, what hit the 78th and 79th floors of the Empire State Building?

a) A B-25 bomber
b) A falling transmission tower
c) A flock of seagulls
d) Lightning

Question 1,533: Math & Science -- Dinosaur Days

During which geological era did the dinosaurs rule the Earth?

a) Cenozoic Era
b) Mesozoic Era
c) Paleozoic Era
d) Proterozoic Era

Question 1,534: Geography & Nature -- Sardinia's Sovereign

What country owns the island of Sardinia?

a) France
b) Greece
c) Italy
d) Spain

Question 1,535: Literature & Arts -- Falcon Guessed

What does the title of The Maltese Falcon refer to?

a) Cross
b) Gun
c) Rare bird
d) Statuette

Question 1,536: Sports & Games -- Hockey Hundred

Who was the first NHL player to score 100 points in a season?

a) Bobby Orr
b) Dickie Moore
c) Gordie Howe
d) Phil Esposito

General Trivia Answers #1,525-1,530

Answer 1,525: Entertainment & Food -- Esteem Weaver

d) Susan

Because of her six-foot height, as a teenager the Alien actress took the name of a Great Gatsby character, Mrs. Sigourney Howard, who in turn was named for Father Sigourney Fay.

Answer 1,526: History & Government -- Booth for Two

d) Ulysses Grant

The general and his wife had decided not to go to the play, Our American Cousin, at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Answer 1,527: Math & Science -- Salvarsan Salvation

c) Syphilis

The German pharmacologist created "Preparation 606" to treat the infection in 1909.

Answer 1,528: Geography & Nature -- Extreme Eggs

d) Ostrich

The eggs of the "sparrow camel" can be up to four pounds and almost seven inches in diameter.

Answer 1,529: Literature & Arts -- Ted and Tom

d) The Prince and the Pauper

Mark Twain's 1881 work of historical fiction revolves around the two characters' similarity in appearance and dissimilarity in everything else.

Answer 1,530: Sports & Games -- Cereal Billing

c) Bob Richards

The two-time Olympic pole vault champion joined the breakfast table in 1958.

General Trivia Questions #1,525-1,530

Question 1,525: Entertainment & Food -- Esteem Weaver

What was Sigourney Weaver's given first name?

a) Sally
b) Sarah
c) Sophie
d) Susan

Question 1,526: History & Government -- Booth for Two

Which future U.S. President was also a target of John Wilkes Booth when he assassinated Lincoln?

a) Andrew Johnson
b) James Garfield
c) Rutherford Hayes
d) Ulysses Grant

Question 1,527: Math & Science -- Salvarsan Salvation

Paul Ehrlich discovered the drug Salvarsan, the "magic bullet" against which disease?

a) Gonorrhea
b) Malaria
c) Syphilis
d) Typhoid

Question 1,528: Geography & Nature -- Extreme Eggs

What living animal lays the largest eggs?

a) Albatross
b) Condor
c) Duck-billed platypus
d) Ostrich

Question 1,529: Literature & Arts -- Ted and Tom

Which novel's title characters are named Edward Tudor and Tom Canty?

a) The Ambassadors
b) The Naked and the Dead
c) Of Mice and Men
d) The Prince and the Pauper

Question 1,530: Sports & Games -- Cereal Billing

What track and field star was the first athlete to grace the cover of a box of Wheaties?

a) Al Oerter
b) Bob Mathias
c) Bob Richards
d) Glenn Davis

General Trivia Answers #1,519-1,524

Answer 1,519: Entertainment & Food -- Friendly Neighbor's Name

a) Fred

Fred Rogers produced the children's show using his real name from 1968 to 2000 at WQED in Pittsburgh.

Answer 1,520: History & Government -- Operations Officer to Oval Office

d) Richard Nixon

Tricky Dick served in the South Pacific, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander and mastering the game of poker to the tune of nearly $10,000 in winnings along the way.

Answer 1,521: Math & Science -- Metal Mix

b) Mercury

The Frenchman Auguste Taveau first used amalgams for dentistry work in 1816 by mixing silver from coins with mercury. Copper, tin, and other metals are also used now.

Answer 1,522: Geography & Nature -- Victorious Village

c) Cairo, Egypt

Its residents repelled invasions by the Mongols, the Crusaders, and the Ottomans.

Answer 1,523: Literature & Arts -- Portmauthor

c) Lewis Carroll

"Chortle" ("chuckle" plus "snort") and "galumph" ("gallop" plus "triumph") both appear in the poem "Jabberwocky" in Through the Looking Glass.

Answer 1,524: Sports & Games -- Heidi Headache

c) Oakland Raiders

At the time, New York was up 32-29, but Oakland scored two quick touchdowns to win. The resulting uproar led the NFL to prohibit such a switch in its next network contract.

General Trivia Questions #1,519-1,524

Question 1,519: Entertainment & Food -- Friendly Neighbor's Name

What is the first name of the title character in the PBS show Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood?

a) Fred
b) George
c) Phil
d) Roger

Question 1,520: History & Government -- Operations Officer to Oval Office

Which U.S. President had been an operations officer of a Navy air transport unit in World War II?

a) Dwight Eisenhower
b) Gerald Ford
c) Jimmy Carter
d) Richard Nixon

Question 1,521: Math & Science -- Metal Mix

What chemical element creates mixtures called amalgams?

a) Lead
b) Mercury
c) Silver
d) Tin

Question 1,522: Geography & Nature -- Victorious Village

What capital city's name comes from the Arabic Al Qahira, meaning "victorious"?

a) Accra, Ghana
b) Ankara, Turkey
c) Cairo, Egypt
d) Kabul, Afghanistan

Question 1,523: Literature & Arts -- Portmauthor

What author coined the portmanteau words "chortle" and "galumph"?

a) Dr. Seuss
b) George Orwell
c) Lewis Carroll
d) Richard Scarry

Question 1,524: Sports & Games -- Heidi Headache

What team was playing the New York Jets on November 17, 1968 when NBC unwisely cut to Heidi with 65 seconds left in the game?

a) Chicago Bears
b) Green Bay Packers
c) Oakland Raiders
d) San Francisco 49ers

Holiday Quiz - Random Trivia Answers

• A1) Eggnog. Randy Brooks wrote the song but sold the rights to Elmo and Patsy Shropshire for $500 in 1979 when his own band wouldn't let him record it.
  
• A2) Chevy Chase. The comedic actor first played the role in Vacation in 1983, repeated it in European Vacation in 1985, and finished off with Vegas Vacation in 1997.
  
• A3) Mariah Carey. Along with classics such as "Silent Night" and "Joy to the World", she also covered "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town".
  
• A4) Rod Carew. The infamous rhyming couplet is, "O.J. Simpson: not a Jew! But guess who is... Hall of Famer Rod Carew." Actually, the infielder's wife and children are Jewish, but he never converted to the religion.
  
• A5) An old, silk hat. In the 1969 television special, a magician's top hat did the trick.
  
• A6) Thomas Nast. The cartoonist created the image in 1863 for Harper's Weekly magazine.
  
• A7) Kwanzaa. Dr. Ron "Maulana" Karenga scheduled the African American celebration to run from the day after Christmas through New Year's Day.
  
• A8) Vince Guaraldi. Producer Lee Mendelson discovered the jazz pianist's music on the radio while driving across the Golden Gate Bridge one day. On his Linus & Lucy album in 1996, George Winston was playing Vince Guaraldi playing Schroeder playing Beethoven.
  
• A9) The Nutcracker. The first scene begins with a Christmas party at the Stahlbaums' house.
  
• A10) Irving Berlin. He almost immediately claimed that it was the "best song that anybody's ever written", and Bing Crosby's rendition proved him right, having sold a record 50 million copies.
  
• A11) Nine. They're right between the eight maids-a-milking and the ten lords-a-leaping.
  
• A12) Scrooged. Not only did Bill Murray star as executive Frank Cross, his three brothers John, Brian, and Joel also made appearances.

Happy Holidays from the Trivia Why's Guy!

Holiday Quiz - Random Trivia Questions

Seasons greetings! The following questions are mostly about Christmas, but other December holidays are also represented.

Holiday Quiz Questions

• Q1) According to the song, what was Grandma drinking when she got run over by a reindeer?
  
• Q2) What actor starred as Clark W. Griswold, Jr. in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation in 1989?
  
• Q3) What singer's 1994 Merry Christmas album includes the hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You"?
  
• Q4) What Major League Baseball player does Adam Sandler mention in "The Hanukkah Song"?
  
• Q5) What object brought Frosty the Snowman to life in the original song?
  
• Q6) What artist first drew a jolly, red-suited Santa Claus?
  
• Q7) What winter holiday did a Long Beach State University professor create in 1966?
  
• Q8) What composer and pianist created the music for the Peanuts special A Charlie Brown Christmas?
  
• Q9) What holiday ballet did Peter Tchaikovsky compose in 1892?
  
• Q10) Who composed the all-time most popular Christmas song "White Christmas"?
  
• Q11) How many ladies are dancing in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas"?
  
• Q12) What 1988 A Christmas Carol movie variant starred Bill Murray?

Ligabent -- Quiz Quilt 50 Solution

Category Answers:

Sports & Games	NORMAN	The great white shark inhabits the ocean around Greg Norman's native Australia.
Geography & Nature	LANAI	James Dole bought the island in 1922.
History & Government	DUMA	The upper house is the State Council.
Literature & Arts	HARDY	Subtitled A Pure Woman, Thomas Hardy's 1892 book was initially denied publication because of its portrayal of a fallen woman.
Math & Science	EPSOM	The town, located fifteen miles southwest of London, is also the home of the Epsom Derby horse race.
Entertainment & Food	SEUSSICAL	The show, which debuted in 2000, is based on "Horton Hears a Who!" but incorporates famous Seuss characters from many other stories.

Quiz Quilt Answer: SPRAIN (Diagonally going up)

A sprain is a stretched or torn ligament.

Ligabent -- Quiz Quilt 50 Puzzle

Category Questions:

Sports & Games	What golfer is known as the Shark?
Geography & Nature	What 141-square-mile Hawaiian island does the Dole Food Company mostly own?
History & Government	What is the lower house of the Russian parliament whose name means "to think"?
Literature & Arts	What author's novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles was made into the 1980 movie Tess starring Nastassja Kinski?
Math & Science	What town in England gave its name to a salt that is a hydrated magnesium sulfate with cathartic properties?
Entertainment & Food	In what Broadway musical did David Shimer portray the Cat in the Hat?

General Trivia Answers #1,513-1,518

Answer 1,513: Entertainment & Food -- Vegemite Delight

d) Yeast

Men At Work added the food to the American vocabulary with its #1 song "Down Under" in 1983.

Answer 1,514: History & Government -- Soldier Salute

b) U.S. Civil War

General John Logan created the holiday in May 1868 to honor soldiers only from the victorious Union side.

Answer 1,515: Math & Science -- Sweet Science

d) Sucrose

A sucrose molecule consists of a glucose molecule linked to a fructose molecule.

Answer 1,516: Geography & Nature -- How Now Cowtown?

a) Calgary

Originally a ranching and farming community, the Alberta capital hosts the Calgary Stampede festival and rodeo each July.

Answer 1,517: Literature & Arts -- Dashing Duck

d) Swan

The swan was hatched by a duck but eventually discovers his true relatives.

Answer 1,518: Sports & Games -- Motto Modifiers

a) "Farther"

Composed by Father Henri Didon in 1895, the Latin motto Citius, Altius, Fortius ("Swifter, Higher, Stronger") was finally officially used in 1924.

General Trivia Questions #1,513-1,518

Question 1,513: Entertainment & Food -- Vegemite Delight

What is the main ingredient in vegemite?

a) Kangaroo meat
b) Legumes
c) Vegetable matter
d) Yeast

Question 1,514: History & Government -- Soldier Salute

What war's soldiers did Memorial Day initially honor?

a) Spanish-American War
b) U.S. Civil War
c) War of 1812
d) World War I

Question 1,515: Math & Science -- Sweet Science

What is the scientific name for common table sugar?

a) Fructose
b) Glucose
c) Maltose
d) Sucrose

Question 1,516: Geography & Nature -- How Now Cowtown?

What Canadian city is known as Cowtown?

a) Calgary
b) Hamilton
c) Saskatoon
d) Winnipeg

Question 1,517: Literature & Arts -- Dashing Duck

What kind of animal does "The Ugly Duckling" turn out to be in Hans Christian Andersen's children's story?

a) Goose
b) Heron
c) Seagull
d) Swan

Question 1,518: Sports & Games -- Motto Modifiers

Which of the following is not one of the adjectives in the Olympic motto?

a) "Farther"
b) "Higher"
c) "Stronger"
d) "Swifter"

General Trivia Answers #1,507-1,512

Answer 1,507: Entertainment & Food -- "H" Isn't for Homicide

d) Honor

The fourth is Head.

Answer 1,508: History & Government -- Hyde Park President

b) Franklin Roosevelt

The New Yorker lived in a house in the town next to the Hudson River.

Answer 1,509: Math & Science -- Vitaminwater

d) Vitamin A

It is fat-soluble.

Answer 1,510: Geography & Nature -- Tortoise Territory

c) Ecuador

The archipelago consists of over a dozen volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of South America.

Answer 1,511: Literature & Arts -- Bestseller Yeller

b) Fred Gipson

14-year-old Travis Coates adopts the stray, "yellow" dog who appears at his family's house during the late 1860s while his father is away. A movie adaptation was a hit in 1957.

Answer 1,512: Sports & Games -- First Four for Football

c) Princeton

They led the nation from 1869 to 1873, with no champion being crowned in 1871.

General Trivia Questions #1,507-1,512

Question 1,507: Entertainment & Food -- "H" Isn't for Homicide

Which of the following is not one of the "H's" in the 4-H Club?

a) Hands
b) Health
c) Heart
d) Honor

Question 1,508: History & Government -- Hyde Park President

Which U.S. President was known as the Sage of Hyde Park?

a) Calvin Coolidge
b) Franklin Roosevelt
c) Herbert Hoover
d) James Polk

Question 1,509: Math & Science -- Vitaminwater

Which vitamin below is not water-soluble?

a) Cobalamin
b) Riboflavin
c) Thiamine
d) Vitamin A

Question 1,510: Geography & Nature -- Tortoise Territory

What country owns the Galapagos Islands?

a) Brazil
b) Colombia
c) Ecuador
d) Peru

Question 1,511: Literature & Arts -- Bestseller Yeller

What author created Old Yeller in 1956?

a) Eric Knight
b) Fred Gipson
c) Joe Camp
d) Sheila Burnford

Question 1,512: Sports & Games -- First Four for Football

Which college won the first four NCAA football championships?

a) Harvard
b) Lafayette
c) Princeton
d) Yale

Duel Game Show

It's been pretty quiet for trivia game shows on television since Grand Slam in September, so I was happy to hear that Duel is airing this week on ABC.

As the game show's name implies, the contest is a head-to-head battle like Twenty-One, but with a couple of well-thought out twists. First, each contestant begins with ten chips (they have a dollar value, but that is mostly irrelevant), which can be placed on one or more of the multiple choice answers to each question. Second, each player has a Pressure button that can be used twice in each game to force the opponent to make a decision in the next seven seconds.

The first person to not cover the correct answer on a question loses. But covering multiple answers may ensure survival at the expense of the incorrectly placed chips, so strategy is fairly complicated based on your relative chip state, your confidence in your answer, and your guess at what your opponent will do.

Overall, Duel is a fascinating new game that so far has been hurt only by the relatively poor quality of the contestants ("confidence and charisma" were more important to the producers) compared to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Jeopardy!. For many more details and updated results, the Wikipedia Duel page is a good place to go.

You can also play Duel online by yourself or against other online contestants.

General Trivia Answers #1,501-1,506

Answer 1,501: Entertainment & Food -- Blow Duke?

b) Piano

The first band he formed was called The Washingtonians, named for the city where he was born as Edward Kennedy Ellington in 1899.

Answer 1,502: History & Government -- Bond Breaker

a) Passover

The April holiday runs from the 15th day of the month of Nisan to the 21st or 22nd depending on specific religious beliefs.

Answer 1,503: Math & Science -- Shoddy Body Part

d) Teeth

The condition occurs when the upper and lower teeth do not meet.

Answer 1,504: Geography & Nature -- Fourth State

c) Montana

Alaska, Texas, and California are the top three.

Answer 1,505: Literature & Arts -- By God

c) Neptune

The god of the sea was Zeus's brother.

Answer 1,506: Sports & Games -- Biggest Bingo Ball

c) 75

Each of the five lettered columns has fifteen possibilities, so the highest square is O-75.

General Trivia Questions #1,501-1,506

Question 1,501: Entertainment & Food -- Blow Duke?

What musical instrument did Big Band leader Duke Ellington play?

a) Clarinet
b) Piano
c) Trombone
d) Trumpet

Question 1,502: History & Government -- Bond Breaker

What Jewish holiday celebrates the release of the Israelites from bondage?

a) Passover
b) Purim
c) Rash Hashanah
d) Yom Kippur

Question 1,503: Math & Science -- Shoddy Body Part

What body part can be maloccluded?

a) Ears
b) Eyes
c) Nose
d) Teeth

Question 1,504: Geography & Nature -- Fourth State

What is the fourth largest U.S. state?

a) California
b) Minnesota
c) Montana
d) New Mexico

Question 1,505: Literature & Arts -- By God

Which planet below was not named for one of Zeus's children?

a) Mars
b) Mercury
c) Neptune
d) Venus

Question 1,506: Sports & Games -- Biggest Bingo Ball

What is the highest number found on a Bingo ball?

a) 25
b) 50
c) 75
d) 100

General Trivia Answers #1,495-1,500

Answer 1,495: Entertainment & Food -- Miles Mastery

d) Trumpet

The jazz musician's mother was a pianist and wanted him to learn to play piano, but his father gave him a trumpet as a 13th-birthday gift.

Answer 1,496: History & Government -- Obverse Observation

a) Abraham Lincoln

The Lincoln penny was introduced in 1909, predating the Washington quarter by 23 years.

Answer 1,497: Math & Science -- Metal Magic

d) Silver

A reaction occurs that forms a silver chloride precipitate.

Answer 1,498: Geography & Nature -- Arctic and Antarctic Arcs

b) 66½°

The Arctic Circle is mostly filled by the frozen Arctic Ocean, while the Antarctic Circle roughly outlines the continent of Antarctica.

Answer 1,499: Literature & Arts -- Uncultivated Cat

b) Bill

Bill the Cat followed Opus into both of the Bloom County sequels, Outland and Opus.

Answer 1,500: Sports & Games -- Australian Arena

c) Melbourne

The site rotated among several cities Down Under until settling in 1972.

General Trivia Questions #1,495-1,500

Question 1,495: Entertainment & Food -- Miles Mastery

What musical instrument did Miles Davis master although he did not pick it up until he was a teenager?

a) Clarinet
b) Saxophone
c) Trombone
d) Trumpet

Question 1,496: History & Government -- Obverse Observation

Which U.S. President has adorned the face of a U.S. coin for the longest time?

a) Abraham Lincoln
b) George Washington
c) John F. Kennedy
d) Thomas Jefferson

Question 1,497: Math & Science -- Metal Magic

What is the only common metal that aqua regia cannot dissolve?

a) Bronze
b) Gold
c) Platinum
d) Silver

Question 1,498: Geography & Nature -- Arctic and Antarctic Arcs

What is the latitude of the Arctic and Antarctic Circles?

a) 59½°
b) 66½°
c) 73½°
d) 79½°

Question 1,499: Literature & Arts -- Uncultivated Cat

What uncouth cat was featured in the comic strip Bloom County?

a) Barney
b) Bill
c) Bob
d) Bruce

Question 1,500: Sports & Games -- Australian Arena

In what city is the Australian Open tennis tournament played?

a) Adelaide
b) Canberra
c) Melbourne
d) Sydney

General Trivia Answers #1,489-1,494

Answer 1,489: Entertainment & Food -- Police Lineup

c) Stewart Copeland

The drummer was born in Alexandria, Virginia on July 16, 1952.

Answer 1,490: History & Government -- We Three Kings

b) Belgium

Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha became the nation's first king in 1831.

Answer 1,491: Math & Science -- Rainbow Connection

c) Iridium

The transition metal combines to form salts of a wide variety of colors.

Answer 1,492: Geography & Nature -- The Old, Old World

b) London

The Romans founded the city on the Thames as Londinium in A.D. 43.

Answer 1,493: Literature & Arts -- Strip Search

a) Batman

Artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger introduced the Caped Crusader in "Detective Comics #27" in May 1939.

Answer 1,494: Sports & Games -- Olympic Ouster

d) Tug of War

The others were all eliminated after 1900. Rugby was also discontinued after 1924.

General Trivia Questions #1,489-1,494

Question 1,489: Entertainment & Food -- Police Lineup

Who is the only member of the music group the Police who was not born in the U.K.?

a) Andy Summers
b) Henri Padovani
c) Stewart Copeland
d) Sting

Question 1,490: History & Government -- We Three Kings

What country's kings have included Albert I, Leopold III, and Baudouin?

a) Austria
b) Belgium
c) Denmark
d) Norway

Question 1,491: Math & Science -- Rainbow Connection

What chemical element is named for the Latin word for "rainbow"?

a) Beryllium
b) Fluorine
c) Iridium
d) Rubidium

Question 1,492: Geography & Nature -- The Old, Old World

What is the oldest European city?

a) Florence
b) London
c) Paris
d) Rome

Question 1,493: Literature & Arts -- Strip Search

Which comic strip below was not created by Stan Lee?

a) Batman
b) Fantastic Four
c) Incredible Hulk
d) Spiderman

Question 1,494: Sports & Games -- Olympic Ouster

Which sport below last appeared in the Olympics in 1924?

a) Cricket
b) Croquet
c) Polo
d) Tug of War

Dr. Seuss - Random Trivia Answers

• A1) Sam. You can also take credit for Sam-I-Am, although the rhyme isn't really part of his name.
  
• A2) Sally. The little boy narrator identifies his sister but never himself.
  
• A3) Stars (on their bellies). The Star-Belly Sneetches air of superiority over the Plain-Belly Sneetches gives Slyvester McMonkey McBean an excellent entrepreneurial opportunity.
  
• A4) Zax. A highway is eventually constructed around the stubborn locals of the prairie of Prax.
  
• A5) They're monochromatic. The first drawings are black and resemble shadows, but others are gray, white, orange, yellow, green, blue, and brown.
  
• A6) 23. In one of his numerous Wizard of Oz sequels, L. Frank Baum's hen Billina dubbed all her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren Dorothy and Daniel (around 400 of them).
  
• A7) Pants. The pale green pants wander around although nobody is wearing them.
  
• A8) Mr. Brown. The brown-hatted, blue-tied man can also imitate a bee, rooster, or owl, a train, a clock, or thunder, and a cork, a shoe, or a horn.
  
• A9) Mount Crumpet. The narrow, nearly two-mile-high peak overlooks Whoville from the north.
  
• A10) Lorax. He succeeds in convincing the capitalist of the long-term folly of his ways, saving the last Truffula tree seed.
  
• A11) Horton. The elephant, who debuted in Horton Hatches the Egg in 1940, rescued tiny Who-ville fourteen years later in Horton Hears a Who!
  
• A12) Theodore LeSieg. This moniker combines his given first name with the reverse of his real last name. For example, In a People House identifiably rhymes like a usual Seuss work, but was illustrated by Roy McKie, and The Tooth Book was drawn by Joe Mathieu. Also note that Dr. Seuss pronounced his last name to rhyme with "voice" not "loose".

Dr. Seuss - Random Trivia Questions

Is there a doctor in the house? Dr. Seuss definitely deserves a doctorate in early reading, and his books are scattered all over our house. How's your Seuss sense?

Dr. Seuss Questions

• Q1) Who convinces Dr. Seuss's protagonist to eat Green Eggs and Ham?
  
• Q2) What little girl is befuddled and bemused by The Cat in the Hat?
  
• Q3) What body marking gives grief to The Sneetches?
  
• Q4) What North-Going and South-Going characters refuse to step to the side for each other?
  
• Q5) How many sons does Mrs. McCave have in Too Many Daves?
  
• Q6) What is special about the drawings in The Shape of Me and Other Stuff?
  
• Q7) What Was I Scared Of? in the Seuss story?
  
• Q8) According to the Dr. Seuss book, who can moo?
  
• Q9) On what mountain peak does The Grinch Who Stole Christmas live?
  
• Q10) What environmentally-conscious Suess character defends the trees against the greedy Once-ler?
  
• Q11) What character repeatedly declares, "a person's a person, no matter how small"?
  
• Q12) Under what name is Dr. Seuss credited for books that he wrote but did not illustrate?

Dos Equis -- Quiz Quilt 49 Solution

Category Answers:

Sports & Games	PEQUOT	The Mashantucket Pequot Nation started a bingo hall in 1986 and, after making a deal with the state government, turned it into a casino six years later.
History & Government	AGNEW	On October 10, 1973, Republican Spiro Agnew resigned after pleading "nolo contendere" to one count of income tax evasion. John C. Calhoun had resigned as VP to become a Senator.
Geography & Nature	HARARE	Harare, Zimbabwe took its new name on April 18, 1982.
Literature & Arts	WREN	Christopher Wren got the call after a devastating fire began in a baker's shop in Pudding Lane in 1666.
Math & Science	WATT	James Watt's patented breakthrough was a separate condensing chamber.
Entertainment & Food	SMILEY	Muppet creator Jim Henson provided Guy Smiley's voice.

Quiz Quilt Answer: TWENTY (Last letters)

Dos Equis is Spanish for "two X's", which in Roman numerals means twenty. The Dos Equis beer debuted as Siglo XX ("twentieth century") in 1897.

Dos Equis -- Quiz Quilt 49 Puzzle

Category Questions:

Sports & Games	What Indian tribe runs Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut?
History & Government	Who was Richard Nixon's first Vice President, who was forced to resign during their second term?
Geography & Nature	What is the current name of the city formerly known as Salisbury, Rhodesia?
Literature & Arts	What English architect was entrusted with the reconstruction of many buildings and churches after the Great Fire of London?
Math & Science	What Scottish engineer developed the first practical steam engine in 1769?
Entertainment & Food	What muppet game show host appeared on Sesame Street from 1970 to 1990?

General Trivia Answers #1,483-1,488

Answer 1,483: Entertainment & Food -- Crestview Crew

a) The Beverly Hillbillies

They lived in Los Angeles during the show's decade run from 1962 to 1971.

Answer 1,484: History & Government -- Defoe Knows

b) An income tax

Born as Daniel Foe in 1660, the Englishman created his pseudonym for the publication, his first.

Answer 1,485: Math & Science -- Flintstone or Flintsteel?

c) Quartz

The silica rock was commonly used to start fires until the end of the 18th century.

Answer 1,486: Geography & Nature -- Breakaway Boroughs

a) Bronx

Staten Island and Manhattan are entire islands, while Brooklyn and Queens are both on Long Island.

Answer 1,487: Literature & Arts -- Top Cat

c) Maggie

Elizabeth Taylor played Maggie "The Cat" Pollitt in the 1958 movie.

Answer 1,488: Sports & Games -- '90s NBA Notable

a) David Robinson

The center put up 71 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 24, 1994 to clinch the season scoring title.

General Trivia Questions #1,483-1,488

Question 1,483: Entertainment & Food -- Crestview Crew

What TV show's main family resided at 518 Crestview Drive?

a) The Beverly Hillbillies
b) Green Acres
c) Mayberry R.F.D.
d) Petticoat Junction

Question 1,484: History & Government -- Defoe Knows

What did Daniel Defoe's 1697 "An Essay Upon Projects" recommend?

a) Assistance for the unemployed
b) An income tax
c) Independence from England
d) A national road system

Question 1,485: Math & Science -- Flintstone or Flintsteel?

What is flint a type of?

a) Diamond
b) Iron
c) Quartz
d) Sandstone

Question 1,486: Geography & Nature -- Breakaway Boroughs

What is the only New York City borough attached to the mainland of the United States?

a) Bronx
b) Queens
c) Staten Island
d) Yonkers

Question 1,487: Literature & Arts -- Top Cat

What is the first name of the title character in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof?

a) Billie
b) Cathy
c) Maggie
d) Stephanie

Question 1,488: Sports & Games -- '90s NBA Notable

What NBA player scored the most points in a game in the 1990s?

a) David Robinson
b) Hakeem Olajuwon
c) Michael Jordan
d) Shaquille O'Neal

General Trivia Answers #1,477-1,482

Answer 1,477: Entertainment & Food -- Ugly Duckling Dachshund

b) Great Dane

Brutus had been abandoned by his own mother and was wet nursed by the dachshund Danke.

Answer 1,478: History & Government -- Atrium Award

b) Fashion

The Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication has bestowed the awards since 1980.

Answer 1,479: Math & Science -- Isotope Identicalness

a) Atomic number

The number of electrons and protons is the same, but the number of neutrons differs.

Answer 1,480: Geography & Nature -- Pacific Pals

c) 5

They are Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.

Answer 1,481: Literature & Arts -- Painting Preacher

d) Vincent Van Gogh

The Dutchman was in the Saint Remy de Provence asylum to combat his depression when he swirled the oil painting in June 1889.

Answer 1,482: Sports & Games -- Thompson's Team

a) Georgetown

The senior Thompson led the Hoyas to a 596-239 record and a national title between 1972 and 1999. His son became coach in April 2004.

General Trivia Questions #1,477-1,482

Question 1,477: Entertainment & Food -- Ugly Duckling Dachshund

What type of dog is the 1965 movie The Ugly Dachshund about?

a) Golden Retriever
b) Great Dane
c) Labrador Retriever
d) St. Bernard

Question 1,478: History & Government -- Atrium Award

The Atrium Award is given annually by the University of Georgia for journalistic coverage of what area?

a) Business
b) Fashion
c) Music
d) Sports

Question 1,479: Math & Science -- Isotope Identicalness

Which of the following is the same in isotopes?

a) Atomic number
b) Atomic weight
c) Mass number
d) Number of neutrons

Question 1,480: Geography & Nature -- Pacific Pals

How many U.S. states border the Pacific Ocean?

a) 3
b) 4
c) 5
d) 6

Question 1,481: Literature & Arts -- Painting Preacher

What preacher and schoolmaster painted Starry Night?

a) Claude Monet
b) Leonardo da Vinci
c) Pierre Auguste Renoir
d) Vincent Van Gogh

Question 1,482: Sports & Games -- Thompson's Team

What university's basketball team did John Thompson coach for nearly a quarter of a century?

a) Georgetown
b) Providence
c) Seton Hall
d) Syracuse

General Trivia Answers #1,471-1,476

Answer 1,471: Entertainment & Food -- Prisoner Patrick

a) 6

The 1967-68 show's tagline was "No man is just a number."

Answer 1,472: History & Government -- Heroes' Holiday

d) Texas

The date was the actual birthday of Robert E. Lee in 1807, but the holiday also honors Jefferson Davis (born June 3, 1808) and others.

Answer 1,473: Math & Science -- Fruit Pursuit

d) Strawberry

They named it the SAAT gene, short for strawberry alcohol acyltransferase.

Answer 1,474: Geography & Nature -- Big Head... Little Brain

c) Stegosaurus

The dinosaur, which could reach 40 feet and 5 tons, had a brain the size of a walnut.

Answer 1,475: Literature & Arts -- Detective Dagliesh

c) P.D. James

The Scotland Yard inspector debuted in Cover Her Face in 1962.

Answer 1,476: Sports & Games -- Lamp Lighters

b) Edmonton Oilers

They posted the five highest totals in league history from 1981-82 to 1985-86, lighting the lamp a record 446 times in 1983-84.

General Trivia Questions #1,471-1,476

Question 1,471: Entertainment & Food -- Prisoner Patrick

What was Patrick McGoohan's prisoner number on TV's The Prisoner?

a) 6
b) 32
c) 58
d) 84

Question 1,472: History & Government -- Heroes' Holiday

Which state celebrates Confederate Heroes Day on January 19?

a) Alabama
b) Arkansas
c) Mississippi
d) Texas

Question 1,473: Math & Science -- Fruit Pursuit

In March 1999, British scientists isolated the gene that controls the flavor and smell of what fruit?

a) Apple
b) Grape
c) Orange
d) Strawberry

Question 1,474: Geography & Nature -- Big Head... Little Brain

What large dinosaur had the smallest brain as an adult?

a) Brontosaurus
b) Iguanodon
c) Stegosaurus
d) Tyrannosaurus Rex

Question 1,475: Literature & Arts -- Detective Dagliesh

What author created detective Adam Dagliesh?

a) Earl Derr Biggers
b) Mickey Spillane
c) P.D. James
d) Zane Grey

Question 1,476: Sports & Games -- Lamp Lighters

Which NHL team scored the most goals in a season?

a) Boston Bruins
b) Edmonton Oilers
c) Montreal Canadiens
d) Toronto Maple Leafs

General Trivia Answers #1,465-1,470

Answer 1,465: Entertainment & Food -- Tiny Tube

a) 10-inch diagonal

Color televisions were still three years away.

Answer 1,466: History & Government -- Farm Trade

d) Zimbabwe

White farmers retaliated by going on strike, disrupting the country's entire agricultural economy.

Answer 1,467: Math & Science -- A Star Isn't Born

b) Brown dwarf

They can generate energy from deuterium but do not fuse hydrogen into helium like stars do.

Answer 1,468: Geography & Nature -- Instead of Stalingrad

d) Volgograd

The name was changed after 36 years in 1961 as Nikita Khrushchev worked to remove all vestiges of Stalin's influence from the country.

Answer 1,469: Literature & Arts -- Yankee Hanky Panky

b) Mechanic

Hank Morgan falls asleep in 19th-century Hartford and wakes up in medieval England.

Answer 1,470: Sports & Games -- U.S. Nay

d) Norway

The U.S. shut out Brazil 1-0 in the semifinals, but fell to Norway 3-2 in overtime in the final.

General Trivia Questions #1,465-1,470

Question 1,465: Entertainment & Food -- Tiny Tube

What was the average size of a television screen in 1950?

a) 10-inch diagonal
b) 12-inch diagonal
c) 14-inch diagonal
d) 16-inch diagonal

Question 1,466: History & Government -- Farm Trade

What country announced on July 30, 2000 that it would acquire 3,000 farms from whites to give to blacks?

a) Angola
b) Congo
c) South Africa
d) Zimbabwe

Question 1,467: Math & Science -- A Star Isn't Born

What is the astronomical term for a "failed star"?

a) Black hole
b) Brown dwarf
c) Nebula
d) Planet

Question 1,468: Geography & Nature -- Instead of Stalingrad

What is the current name of the city formerly known as Stalingrad?

a) Moscow
b) Samara
c) St. Petersburg
d) Volgograd

Question 1,469: Literature & Arts -- Yankee Hanky Panky

What is the visiting character's profession in Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court?

a) Magician
b) Mechanic
c) Mercenary
d) Merchant

Question 1,470: Sports & Games -- U.S. Nay

What country upset the U.S. women's soccer team for the 2000 Olympic gold medal?

a) Brazil
b) China
c) Germany
d) Norway

General Trivia Answers #1,459-1,464

Answer 1,459: Entertainment & Food -- The Height of Hayes

b) 50 feet

Nathan Juran directed the Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.

Answer 1,460: History & Government -- Chicago Affairs

b) Harold Washington

The former lawyer edged Jane Byrne and Richard M. Daley in the Democratic primary, outpolled Bernard Epton by a similarly small margin, and was sworn in April 29, 1983.

Answer 1,461: Math & Science -- Moon Mask

b) New moons

A new moon appears every 29½ days, while an eclipse happens two to seven times a year.

Answer 1,462: Geography & Nature -- Go to Bogota

c) Colombia

The city of eight million people is over a mile and a half high in the Andes.

Answer 1,463: Literature & Arts -- Disowned Dagwood

a) Bumstead

The wealthy Bumstead family disowned Dagwood when he married "below his class".

Answer 1,464: Sports & Games -- Whooping Wahoo

c) Cleveland Indians

The team supposedly chose the mascot in 1915 to honor Louis Sockalexis, the first American Indian player in Major League Baseball.

General Trivia Questions #1,459-1,464

Question 1,459: Entertainment & Food -- The Height of Hayes

How tall was the woman in the 1958 sci-fi hit starring Allison Hayes?

a) 25 feet
b) 50 feet
c) 75 feet
d) 100 feet

Question 1,460: History & Government -- Chicago Affairs

Who was the first black mayor of Chicago?

a) David Dinkins
b) Harold Washington
c) L. Douglas Wilder
d) Tom Bradley

Question 1,461: Math & Science -- Moon Mask

During which of the following do solar eclipses occur?

a) Full moons
b) New moons
c) both
d) neither

Question 1,462: Geography & Nature -- Go to Bogota

What country's capital is Bogota?

a) Bolivia
b) Chile
c) Colombia
d) Paraguay

Question 1,463: Literature & Arts -- Disowned Dagwood

What is Dagwood's last name in the Blondie comic strip?

a) Bumstead
b) Dagwood
c) Finnerman
d) Hoberts

Question 1,464: Sports & Games -- Whooping Wahoo

Which professional sports team is Chief Wahoo the controversial mascot of?

a) Atlanta Braves
b) Chicago Blackhawks
c) Cleveland Indians
d) Washington Redskins

Same Name, Sports Edition - Random Trivia Answers

• A1) Adrian Peterson. The Chicago Bears' Adrian N. Peterson, the older of the pair by six years, was the team's starting running back for a few games in 2005 and in the second half of 2007. The Minnesota Vikings' Adrian Lewis "A.D. [all day]" Peterson shocked the San Diego Chargers with 296 rushing yards on November 4, 2007.
• A2) John Davidson. Goalie John Davidson helped the Rangers reach the 1979 Stanley Cup Finals and became a broadcaster for and then the president of the Blues. Entertainer John Davidson hosted his own talk show, The John Davidson Show, from 1980 to 1982.
• A3) Keith Jackson. The sportscaster's credits include auto racing, baseball, basketball, boxing, and the Olympics. The receiver won an NCAA title with Oklahoma in 1985, was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame 2001, and earned a Super Bowl ring with the Green Bay Packers in his final season in January 1997.
• A4) Kenny Rogers. Pitcher Kenneth Scott Rogers was nicknamed the Gambler for singer Kenneth Donald Rogers's 1978 song "The Gambler", in which the latter advised, "You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em". The single was his fifth country #1 and reached #16 on the Hot 100.
• A5) John Clayton. In 2007, the sportscaster won the Pro Football Writers of America's Dick McCann Memorial Award for his reporting. Tarzan was born to Lord and Lady Greystoke and was adopted by Kala the ape after their deaths.
• A6) Michael Jackson. Michael Dwayne Jackson, born as Michael Dyson in 1969, returned to his given name briefly at the start of the 1993 season. Michael Joseph Jackson had 13 number one singles in the U.S. between 1972 and 1995, not including "Thriller", whose award-winning video still inspires remakes and parodies almost a quarter-century later.
• A7) Ricky Williams. San Diego-born Errick Lynne Williams, Jr. finished his college career with 6,279 rushing yards and inspired Mike Ditka to trade away all of the New Orleans Saints 1999 draft picks plus two more from 2000 for him. The elder Williams did indeed lose his record the next year, but to Ron Dayne not Ricky Antwan Williams, who was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts but played very few minutes in his only two seasons.
• A8) Frank Thomas. Frank Edward Thomas walloped 34 home runs and plated 94 while his team won only 40 games in their inaugural season. Frank Edward Thomas, born a few years after the elder Thomas retired, finished in the top ten in MVP voting every season from 1991 to 1997 but never won the award. The two appeared on Sports Illustrated covers 42 year apart in 1958 and 2000.
• A9) Roger Craig. Roger Lee Craig was the Detroit Tigers pitching coach when they won the 1984 World Series and managed the San Diego Padres from 1978 to 1979 and the San Francisco Giants from 1985 to 1992. Roger Timothy Craig finished his NFL career with a combined 13,100 total rushing and receiving yards, 73 touchdowns, and three Super Bowl rings with the San Francisco 49ers.
• A10) Paul O'Neill. The lefthanded outfielder Paul Andrew O'Neill was a five-time All-Star who led the American League in batting with a .359 average in 1994. Paul Henry O'Neill resigned from George W. Bush's cabinet after only two years after too may disagreements and documented his views in the 2004 book The Price of Loyalty.
• A11) George Burns. George Francis Burns's final round 73 left him tied for second place, three strokes behind Australian David Graham. The funnier Burns became the oldest Oscar winner at age 80 in 1976, capturing the award for Best Supporting Actor for The Sunshine Boys, and lived to the ripe old age of 100.
• A12) Brian Wilson. Brian Patrick Wilson, forty years younger than the singer for whom he was named, recorded one save in his rookie year in 2006 and six in his sophomore year. Brian Douglas Wilson primarily sang backups for the Beach Boys but composed most of the songs.

Same Name, Sports Edition - Random Trivia Questions

Like last week's random quiz (and answers), this week you are looking for people who share their first and last names. Instead of each pair containing an entertainment figure, this time one or both is an athlete.

Same Name, Sports Edition Questions

What name is shared by...

• Q1) ...two running backs, one of whom was the first college sophomore to win the Walter Payton Award as the outstanding Division I-AA player for Georgia Southern in 1999, and the other of whom set the NFL single-game rushing record as a rookie?
• Q2) ...a goalie for the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers and a host of That's Incredible!, Time Machine, and Hollywood Squares?
• Q3) ...the multisport broadcaster for ABC who borrowed his "Whoa, Nellie!" call from Dick Lane and the NFL tight end who was called the Boomer Sooner in college?
• Q4) ...the Major League Baseball player who pitched a perfect game for the Texas Rangers against the California Angels on July 28, 1994 and a singer who topped the country charts with "Lucille" in 1977 and the pop charts with "Lady" three years later?
• Q5) ...the ESPN NFL reporter and writer nicknamed the Professor and Tarzan?
• Q6) ...the NFL wide receiver who tied with Tony Martin for most receiving touchdowns with 14 in 1996 and the pop singer whose video was ranked number one on MTV's 25th anniversary countdown?
• Q7) ...two NFL players, one from the University of Texas who set an NCAA career rushing record in 1998 and one from Texas Tech who had a chance to break the record the following year but was derailed by a sprained left knee?
• Q8) ...two Major League Baseball players, one of whom led the hapless 1962 New York Mets in homers and RBIs, and the other of whom was nicknamed the Big Hurt?
• Q9) ...the Major League Baseball pitcher who led the 1962 New York Mets with 10 wins but also tallied 24 losses and the first NFL running back to reach both 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season?
• Q10) ...the Major League Baseball player who won five World Series with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees from 1990 to 2000 and a U.S. Secretary of the Treasury?
• Q11) ...the male golfer who set a U.S. Open record with a 203 over the first three rounds in 1981 and the actor who was born as Nathan Birnbaum?
• Q12) ...the Major League Baseball pitcher who took over as closer for San Francisco Giants at the end of the 2007 season and a Beach Boys singer?

Next Online Jeopardy Tryout at End of January

According to an article touting the rise in female contestants on the official Jeopardy! site, the next online qualifying test will take place the last three days of January 2008. If you are 18 years or older, you are eligible this time around even if you took the last online test, since it will have been over a year ago. Stay tuned and get ready!

Note: Jeopardy! has a Brain Bus that holds contests where you can also qualify for a studio audition. You can sign up to be notified by email when the Winnebago comes to your area.

Map Move -- Quiz Quilt 48 Solution

Category Answers:

Geography & Nature	IDAHO	The Snake River joins the Lewis River at Yellowstone's south entrance.
Sports & Games	CLARKE	The win was the biggest of Englishman Darren Clarke's career, topping his second place tie in the 1997 British Open.
Math & Science	BOTANY	Theophrastus wrote On the History of Plants and On the Causes of Plants in the 3rd century B.C., but the term "botany" was not coined until nearly 2,000 years later.
Entertainment & Food	PFEIFFER	Californian Michelle Pfeiffer debuted on television as the Bombshell in the 1979 Animal House clone Delta House, which was dropped after fifteen episodes despite good ratings.
History & Government	INDONESIA	With help from Japan, on August 17, 1945, Indonesia declared its independence from the Netherlands.
Literature & Arts	BURNS	18th-century author Robert Burns also penned "Tam O'Shanter".

Quiz Quilt Answer: UNFOLD (Second letters going up)

The real puzzle is usually how to fold the map back up correctly.

Map Move -- Quiz Quilt 48 Puzzle

Category Questions:

Geography & Nature	What is the 43rd U.S. state, nicknamed the Gem State, where you can find the Snake River and Yellowstone Park?
Sports & Games	What golfer won $1 million dollars by defeating Tiger Woods in the finals of the 2000 Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship?
Math & Science	What is the scientific term for the study of plants?
Entertainment & Food	What actress was Married to the Mob in 1988 and Up Close and Personal in 1996?
History & Government	What country was Sukarno the first president of from 1949 to 1964?
Literature & Arts	What Scottish poet wrote "Auld Lang Syne" and "The Jolly Beggars"?

General Trivia Answers #1,453-1,458

Answer 1,453: Entertainment & Food -- Angel Actresses

d) Shelley Hack

Hack had played Tiffany Welles since 1979, and Roberts played Julie Rogers for a year before the show was cancelled. Jaclyn Smith's Kelly Garrett was the only perennial Angel.

Answer 1,454: History & Government -- Little Bill

d) 32 years old

His first term began in 1783, fifteen years after his father, William Pitt the Elder, left the office.

Answer 1,455: Math & Science -- Venus Voyage

a) Mariner 2

The rocket ship was launched on August 27, 1962 and measured solar winds and interplanetary dust before reaching Venus on December 14, 1962.

Answer 1,456: Geography & Nature -- Hand Halver

b) Lake Huron

The Mackinac Strait connects the two lakes.

Answer 1,457: Literature & Arts -- Fighting Words

b) Dan Quayle

The book hit the shelves in March 1999, one month before the Republican began his unsuccessful campaign for the presidential nomination.

Answer 1,458: Sports & Games -- Cromwell Critique

a) Cricket

The future Lord Protector was only 21 years old at the time, eight years before he was first elected to the Parliament.

General Trivia Questions #1,453-1,458

Question 1,453: Entertainment & Food -- Angel Actresses

Which Charlie's Angels actress did Tanya Roberts replace in 1980?

a) Cheryl Ladd
b) Farrah Fawcett
c) Kate Jackson
d) Shelley Hack

Question 1,454: History & Government -- Little Bill

How old was William Pitt the Younger when he became Great Britain's youngest prime minister?

a) 20 years old
b) 24 years old
c) 28 years old
d) 32 years old

Question 1,455: Math & Science -- Venus Voyage

What was the first spacecraft to pass by Venus?

a) Mariner 2
b) Ranger 5
c) Sputnik 7
d) Venera 1

Question 1,456: Geography & Nature -- Hand Halver

Along with Lake Michigan, what other Great Lake splits the state of Michigan?

a) Lake Erie
b) Lake Huron
c) Lake Ontario
d) Lake Superior

Question 1,457: Literature & Arts -- Fighting Words

Which U.S. Vice President wrote Worth Fighting For?

a) Al Gore
b) Dan Quayle
c) George Bush
d) Walter Mondale

Question 1,458: Sports & Games -- Cromwell Critique

In 1620, what "disreputable game" was Oliver Cromwell denounced for playing?

a) Cricket
b) Rugby
c) Soccer
d) Tennis

General Trivia Answers #1,447-1,452

Answer 1,447: Entertainment & Food -- Chicago Chat

c) Oprah

Oprah joined the struggling half-hour show on WLS-TV in January 1984, and by September 1985 the show was lengthened and renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Answer 1,448: History & Government -- Premier President's Place

a) New York

Both George Washington and John Adams led the nation from New York.

Answer 1,449: Math & Science -- Stone Stuff

a) Basalt

Although both basalt and granite are igneous, basalt is an extrusive rock, often found in lava flows, whereas granite is intrusive, formed deep inside the Earth.

Answer 1,450: Geography & Nature -- Bouncy Biking

c) Moab

The region features water-carved mountains and canyons and the famous Moab Slickrock Bike Trail.

Answer 1,451: Literature & Arts -- Dymaxion Principle Principal

a) Buckminster Fuller

The term is short for "DYnamic MAXimum tensION".

Answer 1,452: Sports & Games -- Lacrosse Law

b) Orange

The sport, based on Native American games, originated in Canada in 1867.

General Trivia Questions #1,447-1,452

Question 1,447: Entertainment & Food -- Chicago Chat

What talk show was originally called A.M. Chicago?

a) The Drew Carey Show
b) Jenny Jones
c) Oprah
d) Sally Jessy Raphael

Question 1,448: History & Government -- Premier President's Place

What city was the first capital of the United States of America on September 13, 1788?

a) New York
b) Philadelphia
c) Trenton
d) Washington, D.C.

Question 1,449: Math & Science -- Stone Stuff

Which of the following is not a component of granite?

a) Basalt
b) Feldspar
c) Mica
d) Quartz

Question 1,450: Geography & Nature -- Bouncy Biking

What Utah town is the mountain biking capital of the United States?

a) Bountiful
b) Layton
c) Moab
d) Orem

Question 1,451: Literature & Arts -- Dymaxion Principle Principal

What architect was known for the Dymaxion principle?

a) Buckminster Fuller
b) Frank Lloyd Wright
c) I.M. Pei
d) Louis Sullivan

Question 1,452: Sports & Games -- Lacrosse Law

Under International Lacrosse Federation rules, what color can a lacrosse ball be besides white?

a) Black
b) Orange
c) Red
d) Yellow

General Trivia Answers #1,441-1,446

Answer 1,441: Entertainment & Food -- From AM to VHF

c) Password

The Allen Ludden-hosted show debuted in 1961, much later than the other shows.

Answer 1,442: History & Government -- First Pooch

a) Buddy

The pooch was adopted in December 1997 and named for Bill's great-uncle, Henry Oren "Buddy" Grisham, who had died earlier in the year.

Answer 1,443: Math & Science -- Agoraphobia Angst

b) Open places

The fear of heights is acrophobia, the fear of the color purple is porphyrophobia, and the fear of rain is ombrophobia.

Answer 1,444: Geography & Nature -- Roll Out the Barrels

d) Saudi Arabia

Russia ranks third, Iran fourth, and Mexico fifth.

Answer 1,445: Literature & Arts -- Pussycat Poetry

a) Edward Lear

The writer who popularized the limerick in 1846 also invented the Quangle-Wangles, the Pobbles, and Lake Pipple-Popple.

Answer 1,446: Sports & Games -- Second to the Stilt

b) Michael Jordan

In 1986-87, Air Jordan averaged 37.1 points, a figure that Chamberlain topped four times.

General Trivia Questions #1,441-1,446

Question 1,441: Entertainment & Food -- From AM to VHF

Which TV game show below did not begin as a radio program?

a) Beat the Clock
b) Name That Tune
c) Password
d) You Bet Your Life

Question 1,442: History & Government -- First Pooch

What was President Clinton's dog's name?

a) Buddy
b) Checkers
c) Fala
d) Socks

Question 1,443: Math & Science -- Agoraphobia Angst

What is an agoraphobic person afraid of?

a) Heights
b) Open places
c) Purple
d) Rain

Question 1,444: Geography & Nature -- Roll Out the Barrels

What is the only country that produces more oil than the U.S. each year?

a) Iran
b) Mexico
c) Russia
d) Saudi Arabia

Question 1,445: Literature & Arts -- Pussycat Poetry

Who was the British author of The Owl and the Pussycat and The Jumblies?

a) Edward Lear
b) Lewis Carroll
c) Roald Dahl
d) Rudyard Kipling

Question 1,446: Sports & Games -- Second to the Stilt

Besides Wilt Chamberlain, what NBA player scored the most points per game in a season?

a) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
b) Michael Jordan
c) Nate Archibald
d) Rick Barry

General Trivia Answers #1,435-1,440

Answer 1,435: Entertainment & Food -- Lucy LeSueur

c) Joan Crawford

The future Academy Award winner began her entertainment career as a chorus line girl under the name Billie Cassin, using her nickname and the last name of her former stepfather.

Answer 1,436: History & Government -- Better Ballots

c) New Hampshire

Before then, the citizens voted only to choose which delegates to send.

Answer 1,437: Math & Science -- Herpes Harm

c) Shingles

The same virus causes chicken pox.

Answer 1,438: Geography & Nature -- Far-Out Flag

c) Nepal

The kingdom's flag looks like one right triangle stacked on top of another.

Answer 1,439: Literature & Arts -- Jurisdiction of Joy

b) Calcutta

With the royalties from the book, Lapierre created a foundation in India to support humanitarian activities.

Answer 1,440: Sports & Games -- ESRB's X

a) AO

The letters stand for "Adults Only". The other ratings are M for "Mature", T for "Teen", EC for "Early Childhood", and E for "Everyone".

General Trivia Questions #1,435-1,440

Question 1,435: Entertainment & Food -- Lucy LeSueur

What actress was born as Lucille Fay LeSueur?

a) Betty Grable
b) Doris Day
c) Joan Crawford
d) Lucille Ball

Question 1,436: History & Government -- Better Ballots

In 1952, what was the first state to add candidates' names to its primary ballots?

a) California
b) Illinois
c) New Hampshire
d) New York

Question 1,437: Math & Science -- Herpes Harm

Which disease below does the herpes zoster virus cause?

a) Leprosy
b) Rabies
c) Shingles
d) Sleeping sickness

Question 1,438: Geography & Nature -- Far-Out Flag

What is the only country whose flag is not rectangular?

a) Bangladesh
b) Monaco
c) Nepal
d) Tonga

Question 1,439: Literature & Arts -- Jurisdiction of Joy

What city was Dominique Lapierre's The City of Joy about?

a) Budapest
b) Calcutta
c) Paris
d) Rome

Question 1,440: Sports & Games -- ESRB's X

What is the Entertainment Software Rating Board's most restrictive rating?

a) AO
b) E
c) M
d) T

General Trivia Answers #1,429-1,434

Answer 1,429: Entertainment & Food -- Sixties Sci-Fi Series

d) Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

They played Admiral Harriman Nelson and Captain Lee B. Crane from 1964 to 1968.

Answer 1,430: History & Government -- Lincoln's Length

b) 6 feet, 4 inches

Lyndon Johnson was the second tallest, one inch shorter than Lincoln.

Answer 1,431: Math & Science -- North Wind Name

a) Aquilo

The Roman god was the equivalent of the Greek god Boreas.

Answer 1,432: Geography & Nature -- Sierra Club Creator

c) John Muir

The Scottish immigrant started the organization with 182 charter members on May 28, 1892.

Answer 1,433: Literature & Arts -- Museum Metropolis

b) Madrid, Spain

The city is also home to the National Archaeology Museum, the Bullfighting Museum, and the Sorolla Museum.

Answer 1,434: Sports & Games -- Preakness Stakes State

b) Maryland

Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore has held the contest, named for a New Jersey horse and stable, since 1873.

General Trivia Questions #1,429-1,434

Question 1,429: Entertainment & Food -- Sixties Sci-Fi Series

What 1960s ABC sci-fi series starred Richard Basehart and David Hedison?

a) Lost in Space
b) The Outer Limits
c) The Twilight Zone
d) Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

Question 1,430: History & Government -- Lincoln's Length

How tall was Abraham Lincoln, the tallest U.S. President?

a) 6 feet, 2½ inches
b) 6 feet, 4 inches
c) 6 feet, 5½ inches
d) 6 feet, 7 inches

Question 1,431: Math & Science -- North Wind Name

Which of the following is another name for the North Wind?

a) Aquilo
b) Auster
c) Eurus
d) Favonius

Question 1,432: Geography & Nature -- Sierra Club Creator

What naturalist founded the Sierra Club?

a) Jean Agassiz
b) John Audubon
c) John Muir
d) John Ray

Question 1,433: Literature & Arts -- Museum Metropolis

In what city are the Thyssen and Reina Sofia museums located?

a) Lisbon, Portugal
b) Madrid, Spain
c) Rome, Italy
d) Venice, Italy

Question 1,434: Sports & Games -- Preakness Stakes State

In which state is the Preakness Stakes run?

a) Kentucky
b) Maryland
c) New York
d) Virginia

Same Name, Entertainment Edition - Random Trivia Answers

• A1) Julie Brown. "Downtown" Julie [Dorne] Brown, who was born in the U.K. but also spent time to Singapore, India, Cyprus, and Wales because of her Royal Air Force father, hosted Club MTV. "West Coast" Julie [Ann] Brown starred in Just Say Julie and cowrote and appeared in the 1988 movie Earth Girls Are Easy.
• A2) David Jones. David Thomas "Davy" Jones, the elder by barely a year, first became famous portraying the Artful Dodger in the musical Oliver! in London and on Broadway. David Robert Jones, who performed briefly as Davie Jones and Davy Jones, renamed himself David Bowie in honor of American pioneer Jim Bowie and his eponymous knife.
• A3) Michael Douglas. The late Mike Douglas, born as Michael Delaney Dowd, Jr., hosted The Mike Douglas Show from 1961 to 1980, including a segment with Tiger Woods showing off his mad golf skills at age 2. Michael John Douglas took his stage name after reading about actress Diane Keaton. Michael Kirk Douglas, middle name courtesy of his famous dad, won his Best Actor Oscar as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street.
• A4) Paul Simon. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee and the bow tie-wearing politician cohosted the December 19, 1987 episode of Saturday Night Live as a same-name joke.
• A5) Howard Stern. Howard Allan Stern became so famous for his radio talk show that it became a bawdy television show and won him a nine-figure contract with Sirius Satellite Radio. Howard Kevin Stern worked for Anna Nicole Smith when she was just an unknown model; they became famous together when she contested her late multimillionaire husband J. Howard Marshall's will, and Stern later became a regular on The Anna Nicole Show.
• A6) James Brown. Born three years apart, James Joseph "Godfather of Soul" Brown and running back James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown both broke out in 1958, as singer James topped the R&B charts for the first time with "Try Me" and NFL sophomore Jim set a career high with 17 rushing touchdowns.
• A7) David Copperfield. The magician, who once used his tricks to keep robbers from discovering his wallet, chose the title character in the novel that Charles Dickens considered to be the most autobiographical.
• A8) Jimmy Walker. James John Walker won one reelection but left his wife for a chorus girl, led a corrupt administration, and eventually resigned under pressure from then-Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt. James Carter "Jimmie" Walker found fame as wise-cracking son J.J. Evans on the television series Good Times from 1974 to 1979.
• A9) Vanessa Williams. Born less than two months apart in 1963, Vanessa Lynn Williams, the first black Miss America, starred in the 1997 movie Soul Food, while Vanessa A. Williams appeared in its 2000 to 2004 Showtime spinoff, Soul Food: The Series (no, they didn't play the same character).
• A10) Jason Alexander. Jason Alexander, born as Jason Scott Greenspan, catapulted to fame as Seinfeld's friend George Costanza. Jason Allen Alexander was Britney Spears's childhood sweetheart, but their January 3, 2004 Vegas wedding was annulled two days later when Spears came to her senses.
• A11) Mike Myers. Ontario-born Michael John Myers plied his trade on television with The Second City and SNL before breaking out on the large screen as the title characters in the Wayne's World and Austin Powers movie series. Psychotic murderer Michael Myers scared viewers to the tune of 150 times the $325,000 spent to create the original movie.
• A12) Joe Jackson. Joseph Jefferson "Shoeless Joe" Jackson has been denied entrance into the Baseball Hall of Fame for his part in the 1919 Black Sox scandal despite batting .375 with the only homer in the eight games. Musician Joe Jackson had his biggest hit by "Steppin' Out" and up to number six on the charts in 1982.

Same Name, Entertainment Edition - Random Trivia Questions

As unusual as my last name is (it's an old transliteration of an uncommon name), there are still at least a dozen of us that share both our first and last name. When I first Googled my name (way back in the day when AltaVista was my search engine of choice), several others showed up pretty high in the results. Now, I'm the first ten hits and most of the top fifty. Unfortunate for people looking for another Robert Jen.

The same thing happens if you Google for a friend who happens to share a name with someone famous (a Google twin). But neither of these scenarios are likely to be common queries. For this week's quiz, all of the answers are names that are shared by two famous people, either of which you might be looking for. Tough luck if you seek the less popular one.

Same Name, Entertainment Edition Questions

What first and last name are shared by...

• Q1) ...the MTV VJ whose catchphrase was "Wubba Wubba Wubba" and "The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun" singer, who also had a show on MTV in the late 1980s?
• Q2) ...two singers, one who became famous with the Monkees, and the other who had to change his name as a result?
• Q3) ...the talk show host who won the first Emmy Award for Individual Achievement in Daytime Television, the actor who became famous as Michael Keaton, and another actor who captured the 1988 Best Actor Oscar while his father was given an honorary Oscar eight years later?
• Q4) ...the Grammy-winning singer who was briefly married to actress Carrie Fisher and the Illinois Senator who unsuccessfully campaigned for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988?
• Q5) ...a disc jockey and Anna Nicole Smith's lawyer?
• Q6) ...a singer who caught his big break when Little Richard abandoned rock for religion and a football player who retired in 1966 with an NFL career record 126 total rushing and receiving touchdowns?
• Q7) ...a magician, born in Metuchen, New Jersey on September 16, 1956 to Rebecca and Hyman Kotkin, and the Charles Dickens character from whom he borrowed his stage name as a high school freshman?
• Q8) ...a Seinfeld actor and a man who was married to Britney Spears for a mere 55 hours?
• Q9) ...the Tarrytown, New York native who was named Miss America in 1983 and the Brooklynite who won the Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series in 2003?
• Q10) ...the mayor of New York City from 1926 to 1932 and an actor whose catchphrase was "Dyn-o-mite!"?
• Q11) ...an Emmy Award-winning Saturday Night Live actor and the killer in the Halloween movie series?
• Q12) ...the Major League Baseball player with the third highest career batting average and the singer who first hit the pop charts in 1979 when he asked, "Is She Really Going Out With Him?"

Golden Braid's Eternal -- Quiz Quilt 47 Solution

Category Answers:

Entertainment & Food	MOORE	The Mary Tyler Moore Show, named for the actress rather than her character Mary Richards, ran from 1970 to 1977.
Sports & Games	MEYERS	Hall of Famer Ann Meyers won the female half of the Superstars competition on television in 1980, 1981, and 1982.
Literature & Arts	TYPHOON	The story about Captain MacWhirr was published in 1902.
Math & Science	CALCIUM	The polypeptide is released by the parathyroid glands in the neck.
History & Government	DASSLER	German businessman Adolph "Adi" Dassler first mass-marketed his sneakers in 1917.
Geography & Nature	CAYENNE	Cayenne chili peppers are ground up to create the hot spice of the same name.

Quiz Quilt Answer: ESCHER (Fourth letters going up)

Douglas Hofstadter's 1979 Pulitzer Prize winner Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid features the Dutch artist and his infinite constructions.

Map Move -- Quiz Quilt 48 Puzzle

Category Questions:

Geography & Nature	What is the 43rd U.S. state, nicknamed the Gem State, where you can find the Snake River and Yellowstone Park?
Sports & Games	What golfer won $1 million dollars by defeating Tiger Woods in the finals of the 2000 Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship?
Math & Science	What is the scientific term for the study of plants?
Entertainment & Food	What actress was Married to the Mob in 1988 and Up Close and Personal in 1996?
History & Government	What country was Sukarno the first president of from 1949 to 1964?
Literature & Arts	What Scottish poet wrote "Auld Lang Syne" and "The Jolly Beggars"?

General Trivia Answers #1,423-1,428

Answer 1,423: Entertainment & Food -- Saratoga Side

d) Potato chips

George Crum cooked up the snack in Saratoga Springs, New York in 1853 after Cornelius Vanderbilt kept complaining that his potatoes were too thick.

Answer 1,424: History & Government -- Court Count

c) 9

There were only six justices until 1807, then the number bounced around and peaked at ten before finally settling at nine in 1869.

Answer 1,425: Math & Science -- Prefix Power

c) "Peta-"

"Mega-" is 10 to the 6th (one million), "giga-" 9th (one billion), and "tera-" 12th (one trillion). One petabyte equals one quadrillion bytes.

Answer 1,426: Geography & Nature -- Single-Syllable States

b) 1

Maine is the only one. Six state names have two syllables: Georgia, Kansas, New York, Texas, Utah, and Vermont.

Answer 1,427: Literature & Arts -- Henrik's Home

d) Norway

The Father of Modern Drama was born in Skien in 1828.

Answer 1,428: Sports & Games -- Constant Cup Contenders

c) Montreal Canadiens

The New York Yankees of hockey have played for the Cup 32 times, winning a record 23 championships.

General Trivia Questions #1,423-1,428

Question 1,423: Entertainment & Food -- Saratoga Side

Which side dish was originally called Saratoga potatoes?

a) French fries
b) Mashed potatoes
c) Onion rings
d) Potato chips

Question 1,424: History & Government -- Court Count

How many justices make up the U.S. Supreme Court?

a) 5
b) 7
c) 9
d) 11

Question 1,425: Math & Science -- Prefix Power

What prefix means 10 raised to the 15th power?

a) "Giga-"
b) "Mega-"
c) "Peta-"
d) "Tera-"

Question 1,426: Geography & Nature -- Single-Syllable States

How many U.S. states have common names with only one syllable?

a) 0
b) 1
c) 2
d) 3

Question 1,427: Literature & Arts -- Henrik's Home

What country was author Henrik Ibsen from?

a) Denmark
b) France
c) Netherlands
d) Norway

Question 1,428: Sports & Games -- Constant Cup Contenders

Which NHL team has appeared in the most Stanley Cup finals?

a) Boston Bruins
b) Detroit Red Wings
c) Montreal Canadiens
d) Toronto Maple Leafs

General Trivia Answers #1,417-1,422

Answer 1,417: Entertainment & Food -- Reading Rock

b) Conjunction Junction

"I got 'and', 'but', and 'or', They'll get you pretty far."

Answer 1,418: History & Government -- One and Only

d) Nebraska

The single-branch legislature is also uniquely nonpartisan, with no party affiliations listed on election ballots.

Answer 1,419: Math & Science -- Pasteurization Point

a) 145° Fahrenheit

Higher temperatures are usually used in practice to shorten the time needed.

Answer 1,420: Geography & Nature -- Gold Diggers

c) Nevada

California and South Dakota mine the second and third most.

Answer 1,421: Literature & Arts -- Wizard Word

c) Mars

The good wizard's name stands for Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury.

Answer 1,422: Sports & Games -- Shogi Showdown

b) 81

The playing field is 9 by 9.