Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  How many masts does a sloop have?

2)  The first copyright law was signed on this date.  Who was president at the time?

3)  How many squares are on a standard chess board (as opposed to an "interdimensional" chess board as shown here) ?

4)  On what part of the body does one wear winklepickers?

Answers:

1)  1

2)  President George Washington signed the first copyright law in this country May 31, 1790.

3)  64

4)  The feet. Winklepickers, typically narrow-toed shoes and boots, were the fashion for late 50s, early 60s British rockers, and even now are considered pretty cool.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Thomas Jefferson was among the first to cultivate this crop in America.

2)  A sanative plant indicates that a plant has what kind of characteristic?

3)  When 1 - 10 are cumulatively added, what is the total?

4)  What sport is played at the Roland Garros in Paris?

Answers:

1)  tomatoes

2)  Sanative is a term indicating that a plant is believed to have curative properties.

3)  55

4)  tennis

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Who was the first president to have been born in a hospital?

2)  Grenadine syrup is traditionally made from what fruit?

3)  What is the largest island in the Mediterranean?

4)  Comedian Bob Hope managed to wrangle some sweet perks in his various contracts for films and appearances, including lifetime supplies of automobiles, gas and what else?

Answers:

1)  Jimmy Carter

2)  pomegranates

3)  Sicily

4)  bubble gum

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  This president added the words, "under God" to the pledge of allegiance.

2)  On this date in 1986, participants of Dick Clark’s TV special America Picks the Number One Songs chose three songs to represent the top songs of the rock era. What were they?

3)  The New York Yankees started out with another team name as well as another town. What was the original team name and what city was their home?

4) Bismarck is the capital of what state?

Answers:

1) Eisenhower

2) Participants  chose Bill Haley’s "Rock Around the Clock," Simon & Garfunkel’s "Bridge Over Troubled Waters," and Lionel Richie’s "All Night Long" as the top three songs of the era.

3)  The Yankees began as the Baltimore Orioles and relocated to New York in 1903.

4)  North Dakota

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Which river flows through the Grand Canyon?

2)  He is the cartoonist who created Garfield?

3)  Damascus is the capital of what country?

4)  Inventor Gottfried Wilhelm Daimler invented what type of motorized vehicle?

Answers:

1)  The Colorado River

2)  Jim Davis

3)  Syria

4)  Daimler created the first motorcycle in 1885.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  By tradition, the winner of the Indianapolis 500 drinks this beverage to celebrate the victory.

2)  This sporting event facility seats more spectators than any other in the world.

3)  Windsor Castle was built in what century?

 


Answers:

1)  Milk. According to Wikipedia, the tradition began when Louis Meyer requested a glass of buttermilk after winning his second Indy 500 race in 1933. After winning his third title in 1936, he requested another glass but instead received a bottle. He was captured by a photographer in the act of swigging from the bottle while holding up three fingers to signify the third win. A local dairy company executive recognized the marketing opportunity in the image and, being unaware Meyer was drinking buttermilk, offered a bottle of milk to the winners of future races. Milk has been presented each year since then apart from 1947 to 1955. Modern drivers are offered a choice of whole, 2%, and skim.
At the 1993 Indianapolis 500, winner Emerson Fittipaldi, who owned and operated an orange grove, notoriously drank orange juice instead of milk following the win. He eventually relented and also drank milk later in the post-race ceremonies.

2)  The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with seating for some 250,000 fans. The IMS is so large that Churchill Downs, Yankee Stadium, the Rose Bowl, the Roman Colosseum and Vatican City can all fit inside the IMS oval, which covers 253 acres.

^{3)  The 11th century.}

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  On this date in 1964 this singer became the first to chart in the UK with a cover of The Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love."

2)  Who sang the Bond theme "You Only Live Twice"?

3)  "The Fonz" was a character for what television series?

4)  What is a "homburg"?


Answers:

1)  Ella Fitzgerald. Listen here for Ella's swinging rendition from her 1964 album, Hello, Dolly!

2)  Nancy Sinatra sang the title song from the 1967 Sean Connery film. It was recently incorporated into the last scene of last season's finale of Mad Men.

3)  Henry Winkler's  Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli lightened his tough biker/greaser persona from Lords of Flatbush (a movie that launched his career and those of Sylvester Stallone and Perry King) and became the comic counterweight for the wholesome Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard) for TV's Happy Days.

4)  A homburg is a type of gentleman's hat and is a bit on the dressy side.



MORE:

(from plainolas.com)  

Hats for Dress Occasions and the Business Office
     You have two options, the Derby and the Homburg.  The Derby or Bowler is familiar to most of us who’ve seen old movies and it always seemed that it’s what the butler wore, but seems to have been pretty much on it’s way out in terms of popularity with the general public (Based on the fact that it's not featured in any of the era catalogs I've perused).  The black, rounded top (generally around 5” tall) and the flat rather slim brim (around 2”) are distinctive.  Less obvious is the 1 ½  inch black hatband. They were generally worn at daytime with a business suit or even with a tuxedo. 

     The Homburg was more often seen in daytime formal dress and in the business office and were either black (or very dark blue), brown, or grey colored.  It Featured a stiff brim about 2 ½ “ wide (sometimes narrower in the front) with an upward curl molded around the edge of the brim.  (Some catalogs call it a “rolled brim” hat.)  The crown was somewhat tapered and around 5 ½ inches tall featuring a lengthwise fold (the “center crease” style) running evenly from the front to the back of the hat.  The Homburg had straight, “un-pinched,” sides as befitting a serious hat and was set off with a 2 ¼ inch black (or complementary colored) hatband.  Some authorities rank the Homburg just below the top hat and above the derby, or order of formality.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Who directed the film  Apocalypse Now?

2)  The "shekel" is a unit of currency for what country?

3)  The pejorative term "boat people" was used in reference to what group of people?

4)  On this date in 1972, Ceylon became known as the Republic of _________?

Answers:

1)  Francis Ford Coppola

2)   Used in ancient times by the Hebrews, the "new shekel" is in current use in Israel.  At the current exchange rate, it's worth .27 U.S. cents.

3)  Though it is sometimes used in reference to Cuban, Haitian or Dominican refugees, the term was initially applied to Vietnamese refugees. "Boat people" were often forcibly prevented from landing at their destination or they are subjected to mandatory detention after their arrival. Unlike the wave of Vietnamese boat people in the 1970s and early 1980s, most boat people arriving more recently have purchased their passage on large but overcrowded and frequently unseaworthy boats from illegal immigration operators, who may demand considerable sums from their desperate clients.

4)  On this date in 1972, Ceylon became the 'Republic of Sri Lanka' severing a 157 years old link with the British crown.  Although Sri Lanka cut its Constitutional connection with Britain it was to remain within the Commonwealth.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  It's Lawrence Tero's birthday today.  He is better known as __________.

2)  Cryobiology is the study of how the human body responds to _________ .

3)  How many wedges are in the Trivial Pusuit game's pie?

4)  Where is the malleus bone located?

Answers:

1) Mr. T

2)  cold temperatures
 
3) 6

4)  the ear

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)   Which U.S. president kept this candy near whether he was in the Oval Office or on Airforce One.

2)   Venice, Italy is located on what body of water?

3)   This actor won the Golden Globe award for Best Actor for his role as Randy "The Ram" Robinson in The Wrestler.

4)   The baby version of this animal is called a "pullet."

Answers:

1)  President Reagan enjoyed Jelly Belly brand jellybeans.

2)   Venice is situated on the Adriatic Sea.

3)  Mickey Rourke.  Though he continued to work in smaller films during the 90s and the 2000s, the height of his popularity  was the early to mid 80s with movies like Diner, Nine and 1/2 Weeks, The Pope of Greenwich Village, and Angel Heart.  His being cast as the lead in The Wrestler was considered a comeback role.

4)  A pullet is a young hen that's less than a year old.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  This part of the eye receives no blood at all.

2)  What is the world's largest ocean?


3)   This manufacturer's washing machines have recently been recalled due to what problem?

4)  What does the acronym OPEC stand for?

Answers:

1)  the cornea

2)  the Pacific

3)  catching fire

4)  The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)   How many players are on a polo team?

2)  A horse's hock is equivalent to what body part on a human?

3)  On this date in 1929, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored films for the first time. What was the first film to receive the Best Picture award?

4)  Herpetology is the study of what?

Answers:

1)  4

2)  The equivalent of a hock on a human would be the ankle.

3)  There were two "Outstanding Picture" winners: Wings won for best production, and Sunrise, which won in the "unique and artistic" category, a category that was immediately dropped.

4)  Amphibians and reptiles

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) St. Cecilia is the patron saint of what?



2)  This former Poet Laureate wrote "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"?

3)  Who famously said, "Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clear to the bone"?

4)  Which Hollywood actress recently revealed to the New York Times that she had a preventative double mastectomy earlier this year?


Answers:

1) Singers and musicians

2) Maya Angelou



3) Dorothy Parker



4)  Angelina Jolie

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  West Side Story is based on this popular Shakespeare play.

2)  Benghazi is the second largest city in what country?

3)  The 1904 Olympics were held in this city.  It was the first Olympics held in the United States.

4)  Cattle become a herd; geese gather in gaggles; lions form a pride. When divas get together, what are the group of them called?

Answers:

1)  Romeo and Juliet

2)  Libya

3)  St. Louis, MO

4)  There is no official collective noun for divas, for as the Collective Noun Project explains,  

"Divas being without herding instinct, this noun of assemblage describes a phenomenon never yet observed in nature. A solitary predator with a strong territorial instinct, the diva may tolerate any number of scavengers, sycophants and assorted hangers-on but will fight a serious (younger/thinner) rival to the death."
example: "His extensive record collection paid homage to a ceremony of divas, each with bigger hair, more powerful a belt and a more poignant riches-to-rehab-to-return redemption story, than the last."

 

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  He was the first U.S. President to have a typewriter in the White House.

2)  They had a hit with the 1966 song, "Summer in the City."

3)  These are the only two vegetables that are perennials.

4)  What is lactase?

Answers:

1)  Rutherford B. Hayes

2)  The Lovin' Spoonful.

3)  Asparagus and rhubarb

4)  Lactase is an enzyme that aids digestion of dairy foods.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Laugh-In announcer Gary Owens made an appearance in this Oscar-winning film.

2)  After leaving Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, this saxophonist went on to have a great solo career as well as collaborating with Miles Davis and Joni Mitchell.

3)  The gemstone citrine is usually what color?

4)  What is a theremin?

Answers:

1)  Midnight Cowboy

2)  Wayne Shorter

3)  yellow

4)  The theremin is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after the westernized name of its Russian inventor, Léon Theremin, who patented the device in 1928. The theremin was originally the product of Russian government-sponsored research into proximity sensors (Wikipedia). It was frequently used as a sound effect in science fiction or suspense films, but it's most recognizable for its featured part in the Beach Boys' 1966 song, "Good Vibrations."

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  What was Louis Armstrong's first #1 hit on the Billboard charts?

2)  Mike Wallace once appeared in a commercial dressed as an old-time carnival barker, complete with a straw hat and cane. What product did the ad feature?

3)  What does the "I" in "ISDN" stand for?

4)  Candice Bergen was born on this date in 1946.  How many Emmys did she win for her show, Murphy Brown?

Answers:

1)  "Hello, Dolly" reached #1 on this date in 1964.

2)  Wallace was the spokesman for a number of diverse P&G products, including Revlon lipstick and Golden Fluffo lard. The carnival barker ad was for Peter Pan peanut butter.

3)  Integrated

4)  Bergen won 5 Emmys.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Which country is credited with starting the tradition of exchanging gifts at Christmas?

2)  This country was formerly known as Rhodesia.

3)  He composed The Magic Flute.

4)  What year was the Empire State Building completed?

Answers:

1)  This tradition began with St. Nicholas in Turkey. It moved throughout the world very quickly, and before the 10th century is is supposed that nearly every country was participating in this exchange (Answers.com).

2)  Zimbabwe

3)  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

4)  1931

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  This actor had a brief term as a boxer and billed himself as "Packy East."

2)  What was the name of the plane Charles Lindbergh piloted in his famous 1927 solo flight from New York to Paris?

3)  This major-league pitcher, a noted knuckleballer, once struck out 5 batters in 1 inning.

4)  Sarah Connor is a character in this movie franchise.

Answers:

1)  Born Leslie Townes Hope in Eltham, England, Hope's family emigrated to Northeast Ohio in 1906.  From The Cleveland Plain Dealer:

"Looking for a more masculine-sounding name than Leslie, he changed his named officially to Lester in 1920...Able to dance on canvas as well as hardwood, he tried amateur boxing under the name Packy East. Hope selected it because he thought it sounded tough and because there was a local boxer named Packy West. He used it for the first time, and almost the last, at an annual Golden Gloves tournament sponsored by The Plain Dealer.
'I had three fights," he said. 'I won two and got beaten so badly in the third that I gave up.'"

In the Eisenhower era, Hope boxed for charity in a fight with Jack Dempsey, which was held in Madison Square.

2)  The Spirit of St. Louis

3)  Joe Niekro

4)  Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

 

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)   On this date in 1954, Roger Bannister accomplished something no one had done before him. What was it?

2)  George Clooney celebrates his 52nd birthday today. When he was 21, he opted to try acting since he didn't make the cut for his original dream position.  What was it?

3)   England's "One Penny Black" was issued on this date in 1840.  What was the "One Penny Black"?

4)  In which decade was Casablanca released?

Answers:

1)  He was the first to run a mile in under 4 minutes.


2)  Clooney had tried out to be a centerfielder for the Cincinnati Reds.

3)  The One Penny Black was the world's first adhesive postage stamp.

4)  The 1940s.  Specifically, the film was released January 23, 1943.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Bing Crosby was born on this date in 1903.  Four of the many songs he sung won Academy Awards: "Sweet Leilani" (1937, "White Christmas" (1942), "Swinging on a Star" (1944), and "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" (1951). He also picked a Best Actor Oscar for his role in this 1944 film.

2)  What is the name of The Netherlands new king?

3)  This capitol was incorporated on this date in 1802.

4)  The latest Star Trek film  goes into wide release May 17. What is its name?

Answers:

1)  Going My Way

2)  King Willem Alexander

3)  Washington, D.C.

4)  Star Trek Into Darkness

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Stephen King wrote seven novels under this pen name.

2)  Who won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in 1993's The Piano?

3)  What state capitals have "City" as part of their names?

4)  What is the dot over the lowercase "i" called?

Answers:

1)  Richard Bachman

2)  Holly Hunter

3)  Jefferson City, MO; Oklahoma City, OK; Salt Lake City, UT; Carson City, NV

Jefferson City, MO

4)  That little dot over the "i" is a "tittle."

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  On this date in 1970, she became the first female jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby.

2)  What is the birthstone for May? The flower?

3)  In the 60s there was a Batman television series which starred Adam West. Famous actors took turns guest starring as the various villains determined to vanquish the crimefighter.  One of the foes was called "Egghead." Who played that character?

4) This famous figure "retired" on this date in 1975. He is also the only American to have his own zip code.

Answers:

1)  Diane Crump

2)  Birthstone: Emerald. Flower: Lily of the Valley or Hawthorn.

3)  "Egghead" was played by Vincent Price. Here he is with egg literally on his face.

4)  Smokey the Bear! His zip code was 20252 (the special designated zip code for the U.S. Forest Service.