Trivia Quiz?

[phkrause]

On 2/1/2017 at 5:47 PM, phkrause said:

Who wrote the song "A Boy Named Sue"?

A. Johnny Cash
B. Robert Frost
C. Shel Silverstein
D. James Thurber

Well I know Cash sang the song! I'm guessing he wrote it too!

C. Shel Silverstein

The sort-of-silly song was sung by Johnny Cash, of course, but poet Shel Silverstein penned the ditty.

I'm really surprised!!

Source: various web sites.

[phkrause]

On 2/1/2017 at 6:10 PM, phkrause said:

How many Supreme Court Justices are currently presiding over the court?

7 8 9 11

8

Answer: The Supreme Court has had only eight justices for nearly a year, since Justice Antonin Scalia's unexpected death. The Court normally consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight associate justices who are nominated by the President. However, the court currently has eight justices and one vacancy after the February 2016 death of Justice Antonin Scalia. The current nominee to fill Justice Scalia's seat is Neil Gorsuch, who was named by President Donald Trump Tuesday night at the White House.

[phkrause]

On 2/1/2017 at 7:34 PM, phkrause said:

When Did Work Begin on the OED?

In June 1857, a small group of London intellectuals began working on what would become the Oxford English Dictionary. There had been dictionaries in the past, but the London Philological Society felt they were inadequate, so a group of experts, including Richard Chenevix Trench, Herbert Coleridge, and Frederick Furnivall, started working on a definitive one.

The work wasn't even on a dictionary at first: Trench was part of a committee to track down "unregistered" words. But his work led him to conclude current dictionaries were the definition of inadequate. He found their tracking of obsolete words and obsolete definitions of words, how words were related to each other, and the history of words in general was missing. On January 7, 1858, the Society formally began work on the OED.

 

On 2/1/2017 at 7:34 PM, phkrause said:

Who Edited the OED?

The first editor was Trench, an impassioned fan of words, but he was also Dean of Westminster in the Church of England, so he quickly deferred to Herbert Coleridge. Coleridge got as far as arranging 100,000 quotation slips, or examples of words in their proper usage, in a 54 pigeon-hole grid, and publishing samples in 1861; he passed away less than a month after those went to press.

Frederick Furnivall quickly realized his volunteers didn't have access to the old manuscripts they needed, so in 1864 he founded the Early English Text Society and in 1868 the Chaucer Society to get them back into print. Furnivall wound up spending 21 years preparing to make a dictionary without actually producing one.

In 1878, Oxford University agreed to print the project and the notorious Scriptorium became its home. Made of corrugated iron and wood planks, the Scriptorium quickly had 1000 submissions arriving daily and by 1880, there were 2,500,000 quotation slips.

 

On 2/1/2017 at 7:34 PM, phkrause said:

When was the OED Finished?

The first volume of what would become the Oxford English Dictionary arrived in 1888, covering A and B, but it redefined "slow" with its release schedule. C didn't arrive until 1893, D in 1894, and in fact the whole, entire dictionary wasn't completely in print until 1928. Yes, it took forty years to publish the definitive dictionary, and was ten volumes.

You'd think Oxford would rest on their laurels, but twenty years later, the work was out of date. Robert Burchfield was hired to take over and update the OED, a task that was supposed to take seven years. Instead it took 29 years, with volumes published in 1972, 1976, 1982, and 1986, with true official second edition issued in 1989.

The second edition is the longest book you'll ever read: It's 21,730 pages, and 20 volumes total. The second edition is also likely to be the last print edition. In 1983, the process began to transcribe the entire OED into a computer, a process that took decades. And, in fact, it's still ongoing: The third edition of the Oxford English Dictionary is being built online, as we speak, and will be finished in 2037.

[phkrause]

23 hours ago, phkrause said:

Who approves the appointment of a Supreme Court justice?

The Senate The Attorney General The President The House of Representatives

The Senate!!

Answer: The appointment and confirmation of Justices to the Supreme Court of the United States involves several steps set forth by the United States Constitution. The power to nominate the Justices is vested in the President of the United States, and appointments are made with the advice and consent of the Senate. Because the Constitution sets no qualifications for service as a justice, a president may nominate anyone to serve, subject to Senate confirmation. Confirmation by the Senate allows the President to formally appoint the candidate to the court.

[phkrause]

The rock stars born with the names Paul David Hewson and David Howell Evans belong to which group?

A. U2
B. Duran Duran
C. The Rolling Stones
D. Depeche Mode

[phkrause]

How accurate are Punxsutawney Phil's Groundhog Day forecasts?

16% accurate 39% accurate 64% accurate 82% accurate

[phkrause]

See If You Can Weather These Trivia Questions About Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day has been around a surprisingly long time and heralds (or doesn't) the beginning of spring. See how many of these tricky trivia questions you can answer about the most famous woodchuck in America.

When Was Groundhog Day First Celebrated in America?

How Many Times Has the Groundhog's Prediction Been Correct?

Do Groundhogs Actually Leave Their Dens in February?

Was the Movie, "Groundhog Day," Filmed in Punxsutawney?

[phkrause]

Which actor played weatherman Phil Connors in the 1993 comedy movie Groundhog Day?

Dan Akroyd Chevy Chase Bill Murray Steve Martin

Bill Murray of course!!

[phkrause]

19 hours ago, phkrause said:

The rock stars born with the names Paul David Hewson and David Howell Evans belong to which group?

A. U2
B. Duran Duran
C. The Rolling Stones
D. Depeche Mode

A. U2

Better known as Bono and The Edge, respectively, Hewson and Evans are members of U2.

Source: various web sites.

[phkrause]

19 hours ago, phkrause said:

How accurate are Punxsutawney Phil's Groundhog Day forecasts?

16% accurate 39% accurate 64% accurate 82% accurate

Answer: Happy Groundhog's Day! As the legend goes, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow on Feb. 2, six more weeks of winter weather lay ahead; no shadow indicates an early spring. Punxsutawney Phil, a groundhog, has been forecasting the weather on Groundhog Day for more than 120 years, but just how good is he at his job? According to the National Climatic Data Center, Punxsutawney Phil's weather predictions have been correct 39% of the time. The NCDC have described the forecasts as "on average, inaccurate" and stated that "the groundhog has shown no talent for predicting the arrival of spring."

[phkrause]

19 hours ago, phkrause said:

When Was Groundhog Day First Celebrated in America?

On February 2, 1887, the first weather prognostication made by a groundhog in the United States was held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, at Gobbler's Knob. His prediction is made in Groundhogese to the president of the Groundhog Club, who then interprets it to the gathered crowd as to whether winter is over or will continue for six more weeks. The legend is that the groundhog was named Punxsutawney, after the town, and Phil after King Philip, an early settler who lived in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Before that, he was referred to as Br'er Groundhog. Groundhog Day in the United States was adopted from the German Candlemas Day and began with the Pennsylvania Dutch. On Candlemas Day in Germany, the tradition was to use a badger to make the weather prediction. However, the legend may be much older because people have tried to predict the arrival of spring for 1,000 years or longer. Imbolc, the Celtic festival to celebrate spring was held on Feb. 1. With the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, it was moved to Feb. 2, the day of Candlemas and celebration of the patron saint of Ireland, St. Brigid.

 

19 hours ago, phkrause said:

How Many Times Has the Groundhog's Prediction Been Correct?

It hasn't happened as often as people might think. In the 129-year history of weather prognostication, Punxsutawney Phil has predicted an early spring only 18 times. He has been correct 39 percent of the time.

 

19 hours ago, phkrause said:

Do Groundhogs Actually Leave Their Dens in February?

Groundhogs are marmots and are related to squirrels. They are also called whistle pigs because they whistle, woodchucks and land beavers. They hibernate from late fall until late in the winter or until early in the spring. Male groundhogs wake up, and it can be as early as February, to give themselves a jumpstart on finding a girlfriend. Once they have visited burrows to find out if female groundhogs are there and to defend the territory against other male groundhogs, they return to their dens to snooze for a while longer until mating season arrives.

 

19 hours ago, phkrause said:

Was the Movie, "Groundhog Day," Filmed in Punxsutawney?

While the movie scenes may have seemed somewhat familiar to Punxsutawnians, the film itself was not made in Punxsutawney. The movie, about a weatherman (Bill Murray), who awakens and relives Groundhog Day over and over, was filmed in Woodstock, Illinois, and released in 1993. The reasons cited for not filming the movie in the original town were that Punxsutawney is not located near any major cities and has few roads. However, because the terrain was different, the film crew took detailed notes and tried to recreate Gobbler's Knob in the town square of Woodstock. Punxsutawney is located in a hilly area of Pennsylvania, and Gobbler's Knob is located on a hill. The film recreation even included storefronts from shops in Gobbler's Knob such as the local drug store and trash cans with groundhog heads.

[phkrause]

19 hours ago, phkrause said:

Which actor played weatherman Phil Connors in the 1993 comedy movie Groundhog Day?

Dan Akroyd Chevy Chase Bill Murray Steve Martin

Bill Murray of course!!

Answer: Groundhog Day is a 1993 comedy film starring Bill Murray. Murray plays Phil Connors, an arrogant Pittsburgh TV weatherman who, during an assignment covering the annual Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, finds himself caught in a time loop, repeating the same day again and again. Director Harold Ramis considered Tom Hanks, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, and John Travolta for the role of Phil Connors, but he thought they were all "far too nice" compared to Murray and Michael Keaton, who reportedly turned it down.

[phkrause]

Where are the adrenal glands located in the human body?

A. In the neck
B. At the base of the brain
C. Near the armpits
D. On top of the kidneys

[phkrause]

J.P. Richardson, Buddy Holly, and what other pop culture icon died in a plane crash on this day in 1959?

Paul Anka Jerry Lee Lewis Waylon Jennings Ritchie Valens

Ritchie Valens

[phkrause]

4 Trivia Questions About the Day the Music Died

On February 3, 1959, music fans were stunned by the untimely deaths of singers, Buddy Holly, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson and Ritchie Valens, when their light plane crashed. See if you can answer the following trivia questions about "the day the music died."

What Tour Were the Singers on at the Time of the Crash?

What Circumstances Led to the Plane Flight?

Why Did Some Band Members Decide to Not Fly?

What Were the Results of the Plane Crash Investigation?

[phkrause]

Which singer memorialized Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson in the song “American Pie”?

John Denver Bob Dylan Don McLean James Taylor

Don McLean

[phkrause]

23 hours ago, phkrause said:

Where are the adrenal glands located in the human body?

A. In the neck
B. At the base of the brain
C. Near the armpits
D. On top of the kidneys

D. On top of the kidneys

You'll find the adrenal glands, which secrete cortisol and other hormones, just above the kidneys.

Source: various web sites.

[phkrause]

23 hours ago, phkrause said:

J.P. Richardson, Buddy Holly, and what other pop culture icon died in a plane crash on this day in 1959?

Paul Anka Jerry Lee Lewis Waylon Jennings Ritchie Valens

Ritchie Valens

Answer: On this day in 1959, a small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, killed three American rock and roll musicians: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson also commonly known as The Big Bopper. After mechanical difficulties with the tour bus, Holly had chartered a plane for his band to fly between stops on the Winter Dance Party Tour. However, Richardson, who had the flu, convinced Holly's band member Waylon Jennings to give up his seat, and Ritchie Valens won a coin toss for another seat on the plane. The day was later called The Day the Music Died, in the song "American Pie".

[phkrause]

23 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Tour Were the Singers on at the Time of the Crash?

All three singers who died in the crash were members of a tour of northern states called the Winter Dance Party. It included Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Ritchie Valens, "The Big Bopper," Dion & the Belmonts and Frankie Sardo as the opening act. The tour began in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at George Divine's Million Dollar Ballroom on January 23, and the music stars had appeared in other towns, frequently long distances apart in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.

 

23 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Circumstances Led to the Plane Flight?

The performers were traveling in a bus lacking heat, and the tour was made more difficult by the subzero winter weather. Carl Bunch, drummer for the Crickets, had to be hospitalized due to frostbite on his toes, which occurred because of the lack of heat on the bus. Holly decided on hiring a four-seat Beechcraft Bonanza, piloted by Roger Peterson, to take himself and his other two band members, Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup, to the next concert at Moorhead, Minnesota. By flying, Holly believed the band members would have time to do laundry and get some rest from the rigorous schedule.

 

23 hours ago, phkrause said:

Why Did Some Band Members Decide to Not Fly?

Although the airplane had space for three passengers and the pilot, Roger Peterson, singers Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup ended up taking the tour bus. Jennings let Richardson have his seat on the plane because Richardson was ill with the flu at the time. Several stories exist of why Allsup gave his seat to Valens. In one version, Allsup stated that a coin had been tossed for the seat. Singer Dion DiMucci reported otherwise in 2010. He said that he was the person who was to have taken the third seat. After all, he was also a headliner in the show.

However, the flight cost $36, the same amount paid by his parents for rent in the apartment he grew up in, so he was reluctant to spend the money. Another story comes from Bob Hale, a local disc jockey and MC at the concert. He said that he was the one who made the coin flip and that the toss had been between Valens and Allsup. Along with the singers, the pilot died in the crash.

 

23 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Were the Results of the Plane Crash Investigation?

An investigation conducted by the Civil Aeronautics Board concluded that the accident was due to inexperience by the pilot and to the bad weather. Although the pilot had over 50 hours of training on instruments, he had not become qualified to fly only on instruments, which was necessary due to the weather conditions. In addition, his training had been on planes that used an artificial horizon. The Bonanza was equipped with a gyroscope instead. For whatever reason, music lovers suffered a great loss that day.

(ps: I grew up with Dion DiMucci and the Belmonts! I probably played stickball, etc., with them and never realized it. Dion lived on my street, Mapes Ave in the Bronx, one half was Jewish the other half Italian. The Belmonts lived on the next block over which ironically was Belmont St.)

[phkrause]

23 hours ago, phkrause said:

Which singer memorialized Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson in the song “American Pie”?

John Denver Bob Dylan Don McLean James Taylor

Don McLean

Answer: "American Pie" is a song by American folk rock singer and songwriter Don McLean. The single was a number-one US hit for four weeks in 1972. McLean's magnum opus, "American Pie", is a ballad inspired partly by the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) in a plane crash on February 3, 1959. The song popularized the expression "The Day the Music Died" in reference to this event. It's still the longest song ever to top the Billboard Hot 100, at a whopping eight minutes and 36 seconds.

[phkrause]

In Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, what is the monster's name?

A. Frankenstein
B. Adam
C. Henry
D. Percy

[phkrause]

Who is the only person to play in both a Super Bowl and World Series?

Bo Jackson Deion Sanders Troy Aikman Jim Thorpe

Deion! Bo Jackson also played both sports, but never in a WS or SB. I believe Troy was drafted by a baseball team but never player professional, not sure about Jim Thorpe!!

[phkrause]

These Barbie Trivia Questions Aren't Plastic, But They Are Fantastic

On February 4th, 1959, the Barbie doll was invented. This doll was created by Ruth Handler, who was one of the founders of the Mattel Company.  She would go on sale for $3 and come in a black and white bathing suit. How much do you know about the iconic doll?

What Was Mattel Before Barbie Came Along?

In 2004, What Major Breakup Occurred?

What Weight Loss Tip Did Slumber Party Barbie Give Girls Across America?

What Song Did Barbie Use a Parody of to Promote Their "Fashionista" Dolls?

[phkrause]

What is the only NFL team to go undefeated in a season and then win the Superbowl?

Dallas Cowboys Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins

[phkrause]

20 hours ago, phkrause said:

In Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, what is the monster's name?

A. Frankenstein
B. Adam
C. Henry
D. Percy

B. Adam

Most people call the monster Frankenstein, which is actually the doctor's name. Shelley refers to the monster early in the novel as "Adam," a nod to Adam and Eve.

Source: various web sites.