Answers (out of 60 submissions) can be revealed by clicking “Answer” below each question. Correct percentages for each question will be added later tonight (12-13) for those interested.
1. What is the two-word name of the simple computer program, often used as an introduction to a programming language, whose only purpose is to output those same two words?
2. What is the commonly used name for the set of moral guidelines that U.S. motion picture studios voluntarily adhered to during the mid-20th century?
3. John and Alice Clayton (Lord and Lady Greystoke of England) are the birth parents of Lord John Clayton III, Viscount Greystoke. By what name is this fictional character better known?
4. Riots that broke out at a luxury wallpaper company were among the first acts of violence in what country’s revolution?
5. A 1974 U.S. number one hit by British band Paper Lace details a Fictional event that took place in what city (as referenced in its title)?
6. A nephrologist specializes in the study and treatment of what organ?
7. Larry Ellison, number five on the current Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest living Americans, is the co-founder and CEO of what tech company?
8. “Punch and Judy” is a traditional and often violent show associated with British seaside culture that is performed by what type of performer?
9. What is the primary grain used in the creation of bourbon whiskey?
10. In a standard game of BINGO, which letter would the number 30 be under?
11. The name of the candy company Necco is an acronym. What four words make up the full name of the company?
12. Coming into power in 1306, name the Scottish King who secured independence from England during his reign.
13. What is the title of the novel in which a man named Hank convinces a king that he caused the total solar eclipse that took place in the year 528?
14. Acorns are the nuts of what type of tree?
15. From the Italian for “drowned”, what is the name of the coffee-based desert that consists of a scoop of vanilla gelato or ice cream with a shot of hot espresso poured over it?
16. Released in 2009, what was Jay Z’s first (and, to date, only) number one single as a lead artist on the Billboard Hot 100?
17. What is the name of the restaurant chain owned by Mark Wahlberg’s family?
18. “Moon Over Parma” and “Five O’Clock World” are two of the three songs used as the theme of what sitcom throughout its 1995-2004 run?
19. Spider’s Web, Black Coffee, and The Mousetrap are among the plays written by what 20th century English writer?
20. Devon Island, the world’s largest uninhabited island, is a part of what country?
21. On the Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale, what two-word term is the lowest category, used to describe a cyclone with sustained winds of 61 km/h or less?
22. What American pop artist founded Interview magazine in 1969?
23. Only one airline has a one-star Skytrax World Airline Star Rating (out of a
possible ve, with ve being the best). What country is home to this airline?
24. Name the only two Central American countries that do not border BOTH the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
25. What two-word term, derived from a character name in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado, has come to be used as a mocking title for a self-important official with inflated self-regard?
26. Outside of a Japanese restaurant or market, where would someone in the Western world most likely see a dango, a sweet consisting of several rice our dumplings on a skewer?
27. Sid Meier is a video game programmer/designer who is most associated with what series of games, which debuted in 1991? The sixth edition of the game was released in October 2016.
28. The teaser trailer for the final episodes of what show featured the poem “Ozymandias” being recited by the show’s lead actor? “Ozymandias” was also the title of one of the final episodes of the show, which ended in 2013.
29. Nicknamed “White Mamba”, who is the member of the Phoenix Mercury that became the all-time leading scorer in the WNBA in 2017?
30. The first class Rock and Roll Hall of Famers was inducted in 1986. Of the ten inductees in that first group, nine were individuals, and one was a group. Name the group, a duo that had hits with “Cathy’s Clown” and “Wake Up Little Susie”.
31. Fat-tailed dwarf, crowned, blue-eyed black, and silky sifaka are among the 105 recognized species of what clade of primates, all of which are endemic to Madagascar?
32. Name two of the four smallest countries by population.
33. Name any member of Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem (as they appeared in the various Muppet movies) other than Dr. Teeth and Animal.
34. What type of vegetable is the main ingredient in harissa?
35. What is the last name shared by the puppeteer siblings who created H.R. Pufnstuf as well as a number of variety shows throughout the 1970s?
36. Name the colorful retired NHL player, born in 1934, who is currently most known as a hockey commentator. He co-hosts the intermission segment on Hockey Night in Canada, and has worked for ESPN as a commentator during the Stanley Cup playoffs.
37. A 1968 one-page comic by R. Crumb popularized what three-word phrase, an expression of optimism commonly used by hippies and often seen printed on T-shirts, posters, and mudflaps?
38. Chang’e is the Chinese goddess of what location, where she is said to live alongside a rabbit companion?
39. What is the four-letter name for Scotland in the Scottish Gaelic language? The name is also the surname of an actress who began her career as a teen in the 1990s.
40. Whole30, keto, and Zone are names of types of what?
41. What comedian was the subject of the 1999 film Man on the Moon? The film featured the 1992 R.E.M. song of the same name, which was also written in honor of the comedian.
42. Which two tennis stars competed in the nationally televised “Battle of the Sexes” in 1973?
43. NYSE, NASDAQ, London Stock Exchange Group, and Japan Exchange Group make up the top four stock exchanges (by market cap). Which country is represented by the fifth top stock exchange?
44. What was the name of Will Smith’s second solo studio album, which had a pun-based title and was released November 16, 1999?
45. Within one, in what year did WrestleMania I take place?
46. In what city does the original Oktoberfest festival take place?
47. Name the photographer and spouse of Georgia O’Keeffe who focused on making photography an accepted art form, running a number of New York art galleries featuring avant-garde European artists.
48. Within ten, how many electoral votes did Donald Trump get in the 2016 U.S. presidential election?
49. In what European city was the treaty that ended the War of 1812 signed?
50. Name one of the two NFL teams that existed before Super Bowl I, but have yet to appear in a Super Bowl.
51. What actor and performance artist appeared at the 2014 Berlin Film Festival wearing a brown paper bag over his head, which read “I AM NOT FAMOUS ANYMORE”?
52. What is the name of the Nigerian-born writer whose novels include Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah, and whose TEDx talk was sampled in Beyoncé’s song “Flawless”?
53. What is the name of the musical in which a mysterious performance troupe tells the story of the title character, a young prince and his search for meaning?
54. What is the name of the historic mansion in San Jose, California, built to the specifications of a gun magnate’s widow, known for its architectural oddities and lack of any master building plan?
55. What 19th century industrialist funded the building of over 2,500 libraries around the world, with his first library being built in his hometown of Dunfermile, Scotland?
56. Who is the only president to currently have a U.S. National Park named after him?
57. Born Virginia Patterson Hensley, name the country music star who had a hit in 1957 with “Walkin’ A er Midnight” and in 1962 with “Crazy”.
58. In 2015, Heinz merged with what Chicago-based food company?
59. Correctly spell the name of the city that will host the 2018 Winter Olympics.
60. What is the name of the hidden camera reality series, airing on TruTV since 2011, in which a group of four friends coerce one another into performing filmed public pranks?
61. John is the most common papal name (with 21 popes taking the name). What is the second-most common name, with 16?
62. How many pecks are in a bushel?
63. Sydney is located in what Australian state, the country’s most populous?
64. Gouda cheese originated in what country (in the city a er which it is named)?
65. In what European city did the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand take place?
66. What is the code name of the August 2017 version of the Android operation system, which replaced Android Nougat?
67. The game of pogs gets it’s name from POG, a juice drink developed in Hawaii in the 1970s. What was POG an acronym for?
68. Who wrote A Journal of the Plague Year, a fictionalized account of the 1665 Great Plague of London, which was published in 1722?
69. Named after a lake in western New York state, what is the name of the adult education movement, popular around the turn of the 20th century, which involved (sometimes traveling) groups of speakers, teachers, musicians, and entertainers performing for typically rural communities?
70. Derived from the Middle French word for “to cut out or cut from something”, what is the name of the art of decorating an object by gluing paper cutouts onto the surface, sometimes with added decorative elements such as paint or gold leaf?
71. Between 1970 and 1979, two different sitcoms had three-year winning streaks in the comedy category of the Emmys. Name either.
72. In September 2017, Cardi B became the first solo female rapper to hit number one on the Billboard 100 since 1998 (not including songs with featured artists or group performances). What woman had the 1998 number one?
73. Kershaw, Gerber, Opinel, and Havalon are companies that specialize in manufacturing of what type of item?
74. What is the name of the latest major Nintendo console, released in March 2017?
75. What is the last name of brothers John and Hank, who host the VlogBrothers YouTube channel? John is also a bestselling writer of young adult novels.
76. The plant genus Helianthus is best known by what more common name?
77. What 2009 film starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams was the last movie made by Nora Ephron before her death?
78. Within one, in what year was the Sacagawea dollar first minted?
79. Mazdayasna is another name for what world religion and refers to their sole god, Ahura Mazda?
80. Life in Hell was the title of a comic strip by what cartoonist from 1977 to 2012? The strip led to him producing animated shorts for The Tracey Ullman Show, and, ultimately, his own show.
81. Africa’s Lake Victoria is divided amongst what three countries?
82. In 2016, the three most popular names for baby girls in the U.S. all began with vowels. Name any one of the three names.
83. The only episode of The Twilight Zone to use a laugh track was a 1962 episode titled “Cavender is Coming”, which featured what actress, who would star in a comedy show of her own beginning five years later?
84. “On a Saturday her young beau / Called to see if she’d like to go / To see a show, but Miss Kate said ‘No, / I’ll tell you what you can do:’” . . .thus ends the seldom-heard first verse of what song, written in 1908?
85. What is the name of the website, founded in 2007, which allows current and former employees of companies anonymously review their employment experiences and is typically used by job-seekers looking for a peek into companies they are applying to?
86. Name the prolific poet, author and leader of the Harlem Renaissance in New York City who famously referred to the period as “when the Negro was in vogue”.
87. Cut Piece (1964) and Wish Tree (1981- present) are among the conceptual, participatory art pieces by what artist?
88. What does DRM stand for, when referring to the form of copy protection used to restrict use of proprietary hardware and copyrighted works?
89. In what city would you find the Spanish Steps, a stairway consisting of 135 steps linking a Bourbon Spanish embassy and a church?
90. Gros Michel (the most popularly traded prior to the 1950s) and Cavendish (currently the most popularly traded) are among the cultivars of what fruit?
91. What 1678 allegorical novel was partially written from a prison, where the author was imprisoned for holding religious services outside the auspices of the established Church of England?
92. Utilizing measures such as “value over replacement player” (VORP) and “wins above replacement” (WAR), what is the commonly used term (coined by Bill James) for the mathematical or statistical study of baseball?
93. Following 1997’s The Boxer, this English actor semi-retired to study woodworking, and then shoemaking. He came back to acting five years later, but has again announced his plans for retirement following 2017’s Phantom Thread. Name this actor.
94. Cloud Gate is the official name (though not the most common name) of a public sculpture located in what American city?
95. Named after a Dutch astronomer, what is the name for the theoretical shell of icy debris that exists on the outer edge of the solar system?
96. What rock band (that famously beat out Metallica with their win of the Best Metal Performance Grammy in 1989) is named in honor of the agriculturalist who perfected the seed drill?
97. Bhang is the name of an edible form of what substance, which has been consumed in the Indian subcontinent since as early as 1000 B.C.?
98. Mel Giedroyc & Sue Perkins (2010-2016) and Sandi Toksvig & Noel Fielding (2017) have been presenters on what British competition television show? (Either the British or the American title variant is acceptable.)
99. On October 26, 2017, Jacinda Ardern was sworn in as the Prime Minister of what country? At age 37, she is currently the world’s youngest female leader.
100. What is the title of the New York-set novel, published in 1943 and written by Betty Smith, that details the life of a second-generation Irish-American adolescent girl and her family?
101. What is the name of the website, launched as an o shoot of The Onion in 2014, that parodies clickbait website such as Upworthy?
102. Mary Barra is the current CEO of what company, number eight on the 2017 Fortune 500 list?
103. The 2017 Man Booker Prize was awarded to an experimental novel by George Saunders whose title refers to what historical figure “in the Bardo”?
104. What 1990’s ABC sitcom that aired during the TGIF programming block was adapted from a comic book series that exists within the Archie Universe?
105. The music for the 1980 film Xanadu was provided by Olivia Newton-John (who also starred in the film) and what British band, a 2017 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
106. What man fronted the band that released singles including “Mothership Connection (Star Child)”, “Dr. Funkenstein”, and “Tear The Roof Off the Sucker (Give Up The Funk)”?
107. In 1953, using data collected by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins, James Watson and Francis Crick determined the structure of what molecule?
108. The final scene of what Shakespeare comedy features four weddings, including that of Rosalind and Orlando?
109. What is the rhyming term for the Japanese world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection? In modern Western usage, it can refer to “perfectly imperfect” aspects of design, literature, and other art forms.
110. Eleocharis dulcis, a vegetable common to Asian cuisine, is not a nut, but rather a part of the root of a grass-like plant commonly known as what?
111. The title character of what 1970’s television drama was conceived of as Bret Maverick as a modern private eye? In addition to similarities in character, both roles were played by the same man.
112. She is a model who co-hosts Lip Sync Battle on Spike. He is a singer and piano player who appeared in La La Land. Name both halves of this celebrity couple.
113. The Elgin Marbles are a collection of marble sculptures that were originally part of what temple, but are now controversially displayed in the British Museum?
114. What is the name given to the movement by European Christians to expel Muslims from the Holy Land, said to have taken place in 1212? Modern historians believe the name, which refers to the age of the participants, is likely inaccurate.
115. Gamma rays, X-rays (hard and soft), and extreme ultraviolet rays all fall into what broader class of radiation, which describes their ability to liberate electrons from atoms or molecules?
116. Beginning with an “H” and primarily Muslim, what is the largest ethnic group in Nigeria, which makes up about 25% of the population?
117. Although not widely used, Ophiuchus (the serpent-bearer) is sometimes considered to be the 13th of what set?
118. What 2001 comedy film was banned in Malaysia, due to the plot involving the title character being brainwashed to kill the Malaysian Prime Minister?
119. What is the name of the so drink company, founded in Seattle in 1987, known for their limited edition novelty flavors, such as Peanut Butter & Jelly and Turkey & Gravy?
120. In American casinos, “punto banco” is the most commonly seen variant of what card game?
121. What opera, created by George Gershwin and first performed in 1935, featured a nearly entirely black cast?
122. In the 1980 film Airplane!, what sports star appears as the plane’s co-pilot, Roger Murdock?
123. Name the singer and composer who won two Tonys in 2007 for his work on Spring Awakening. Before working on Broadway, he had a pop radio hit with the song “Barely Breathing” in 1996.
124. American novelist James M. Cain wrote two crime novels inspired by the same real-life crime, in which a woman and her lover conspire to kill her husband. Both were adapted into popular films in the 1940s. Name either novel.
125. Name the musician and activist who was known as the “High Priestess of Soul” and recorded a version “I Put A Spell On You” that reached 23 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1965.
126. Joan of Arc led a French army in the siege of Orléans during what war?
127. Murmansk, with a population just shy of 300,000, is the most populous city north of the Arctic Circle. Which country is Murmansk located in?
128. “Get The Feeling”, “Moving Forward”, and “Let’s Go Places” have all been slogans used in the U.S. by what automaker?
129. Chuck Todd took over the moderator role of what TV news program in 2014?
130. What is the title of the graphic autobiography by Iranian-born French cartoonist Marjane Satrapi, which was adapted into an Oscar-nominated animated film in 2007?
131. The above image, which depicts the Battle of Hastings, is excerpted from work of art, likely created in the 11th century?
132. What West Coast university is this mascot representing?
133. What American conceptual artist created the above image?
134. What U.S. city is this?
135. What is this man’s first name?
136. Sometimes called “bean bag toss,” what is the other common name for the game being played above, which also references the bags’ potential contents?
137. What is this character’s name?
138. What type of instrument is this?
139. This icon is a part of the logo of what crowd-sourced review website?
140. Name the chemist this type of ask is named for.