Unused questions are shown with gray text.
| Number | 1 |
| Realm | The First Question |
| Subrealm | The Answer is right in front of you |
| Question | When Cambridge was accused of having nefarious dealings with Saddam Hussein, he ran off to Scotland with a secretary and left his much more intelligent and better-looking brother, Oxford, to take the blame. While many ignorant Americans may get the two confused, what website does our hero set up to prove his innocence? |
| Answer | I'm Oxford dot com |
| Song | Oxford Comma |
| Artist | Vampire Weekend |
| Number | 2 |
| Realm | Politics |
| Subrealm | Chicago Politics |
| Question | The Chicago Tribune is famous for not having endorsed a democratic candidate for president since they preferred Horace Greeley over Ulysses S. Grant in 1872. It was, therefore, worth noting when they endorsed a Democratic Candidate for President a few years back. Who was the candidate and what odd circumstances allowed them this unprecedented flexibility? |
| Answer | The Chicago Tribune, on December 16, 2005, urged the election of Democrat Matthew V. Santos as president of the United States, in the week after the tv show The West Wing mentioned that Matt Santos, played by Jimmy Smits, was pulling closer in Illinois to California Senator Arnold Vinick, played by Alan Alda, due to the endorsement of the Chicago Tribune. |
| Song | Jet Airliner |
| Artist | Steve Miller Band |
| Hint | Texas Congressman, former NY police officer, over a California Senator, former army surgeon. |
| Hint | The song was Santos' theme song |
| Number | 3 |
| Realm | Literature |
| Subrealm | Witty one-liners |
| Question | A nineteenth-century playwright, poet, and novelist once famously remarked that what experience reminded him of "chewing cold mutton"? |
| Answer | Visiting a female prostitute. (Oscar Wilde) |
| Song | Wild Thing |
| Artist | Tone Loc |
| Hint | The remark was made by Oscar Wilde. |
| Number | 4 |
| Realm | Politics |
| Subrealm | More witty one-liners. |
| Question | To whom is the following quote attributed? "I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly." |
| Answer | Winston Churchill |
| Song | Beer Goggles |
| Artist | Smashmouth |
| Number | 5 |
| Realm | Natural Disasters |
| Subrealm | Natural Disasters that haven't happened yet |
| Question | If Hurricane Frances occurs on September 28th, 2008, give a possible name for the 11th hurricane of the 2011 season. |
| Answer | Kristine, etc. |
| Song | Hurricane |
| Artist | Bob Dylan |
| Number | 6 |
| Realm | Drownings |
| Subrealm | You don't kiss me like you used to. |
| Question | In the late 1880's an unidentified drowned girl was pulled out of the Seine River in Paris. Apparently a suicide, the mortician at the Paris morgue thought her so beautiful that he made a plaster cast death mask of her face. Why the does the girl's fame live on today? |
| Answer | Her face became the basis for the CPR doll, first introduced in the 1960's as "Resusci Annie." (Strangely, copies of this bust became a fashionable in bohemian circles in Paris, and eventually inspired poems written about her by Rainer Maria Rilke and Vladimir Nabokov). |
| Song | Water's Edge |
| Artist | Seven Mary Three |
| Number | 7 |
| Realm | Museum Quality Art |
| Subrealm | Museum Quality Art hanging in the Whitehouse |
| Question | President George W. Bush is fond of telling visitors to the West Wing that the Western-themed painting hanging in the Oval office, called "A Charge to Keep", which features a cowboy who looks a bit like our 43rd President, hurriedly riding up over a ridge, is of a Methodist Evangelist bringing the word of God to the good people of the West. He even used the title for his ghost-written Autobiography in 1999. Recent research, however, called this interpretation of the painting into question. What is George Bush's favorite painting actually about? |
| Song | Escape is So Simple |
| Artist | The painting, according to art historian Jacob Weisburg, is of a horse thief fleeing from a lynch mob. |
| Artist | Cowboy Junkies |
| Hint | The truth has a well-known liberal bias. What do Liberals think of George Bush? |
| Number | 8 |
| Realm | Academy Award Winners |
| Subrealm | that you've probably never heard of |
| Question | Despite being only ten minutes long, this film won an honorary Academy Award and a special Golden Globe in 1946. It was selected as a notable film for the US National Film Registry in 2007. Name this 1945 short film dealing with issues of racial prejudice and its star. |
| Answer | The House I Live In starring Frank Sinatra |
| Song | Frank Sinatra |
| Artist | Cake |
| Number | 9 |
| Realm | Williams... |
| Subrealm | ...Reads |
| Question | The US is turning to anarchy, and refugees swarm the highways in search of a better life. But there is hope out there. Name the first Earthseed community. |
| Answer | Acorn (from "The Parable of the Sower" by Octavia Butler, this year's "Williams Reads" selection) |
| Song | Starry Eyed Surprise |
| Artist | Paul Oakenfold |
| Number | 10 |
| Realm | Sports |
| Subrealm | Twice is Nice |
| Question | In 2007, an issue of Sports Illustrated magazine carried the headline "Twice is Nice." To what does this refer, and who was pictured on the cover? |
| Answer | Jonathan Pappelbon, the Red Sox World Championship |
| Song | It's the End of the World as We Know it |
| Artist | REM |
| Number | 11 |
| Realm | Sports |
| Subrealm | Three is better |
| Question | There's been a long history of celebrities and sports stars trying to sell us products we don't need. Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, and Theirry Henry all appeared in a recent commercial for what product, for which three clearly isn't enough? |
| Answer | The Gilette Fusion Razor. The successor to the Mach 3, it has 5 blades on the front, as well as an additional "trimmer blade" on the back. |
| Song | Save Tonight |
| Artist | Eagle Eye Cherry |
| Hint | The song is a really bad pun on the word "shave" gone wrong |
| Number | 12 |
| Realm | Dubious Honors |
| Subrealm | And we really mean dubious here... |
| Question | Depending on who you talk to, a certain designation may be given to either Chicago, Taipei, Shanghai, or Dubai. What is this designation, and why is there some confusion? |
| Answer | These cities each contain what might be called the world's tallest skyscraper, but the definition of "tallest skyscraper" is a bit murky. (The Baj Dubai is taller than the other three, but it is not yet completed. Measurements also differ when taken to the top of an antenna, the top of a spire or to the top of a roof.) |
| Song | Purple Haze |
| Artist | Jimmy Hendrix |
| Number | 13 |
| Realm | Theme Songs |
| Subrealm | Sex Specific Cancer Theme Songs |
| Question | Please identify the Prostate Cancer Imaging Technology Mascot, and HUM for us his accompanying theme song. |
| Answer | Yes, kiddies, it is of course the beloved "Prosty the Spokesgland", the theme song is, terrifyingly but predictably, to the tune of Frosty the Snowman. |
| Song | Chasing Cars |
| Artist | Snow Patrol |
| Hint | It's worse than you can possibly imagine |
| Number | 14 |
| Realm | Good Poetry |
| Subrealm | ...is hard to find |
| Question | Sometimes you just need to find a good poet. If you were looking for the author of the poetic volume American Night, where would you probably find him? |
| Answer | Pere Lachaise Cemetery. The poet in question is Jim Morrison. |
| Song | Break on Through |
| Artist | The Doors |
| Number | 15 |
| Realm | Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll |
| Subrealm | Well, maybe not the sex and drugs... |
| Question | Rock bands are known for collecting drug habits, DUI records, and groupies. But what do Roger Manganelli and Vinnie Fiorello of Less Than Jake collect on their tours? |
| Answer | Pez dispensers. One of the band's albums is called Pezcore and fans are known for throwing dispensers onto the stage during live shows. The band states this is how they've made some of their best finds. |
| Song | Candy |
| Artist | Mandy Moore |
| Number | 16 |
| Realm | Delusions of Grandeur |
| Subrealm | Ways to simplify the upcoming election |
| Question | Joshua Norton was a much-beloved man from the San Francisco who had over 30,000 people attend his funeral. What was his occupation and full title? |
| Answer | Joshua Norton, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico (give them credit if they name both parts in whatever mangled form.) |
| Song | California |
| Artist | Phantom Planet |
| Number | 17 |
| Realm | Bad Journalism |
| Subrealm | Good Bad Journalism |
| Question | This is a 3-point play. One prominent conservative TV personality's critique of the NYTimes article in February about John McCain's inappropriate relationship with Vicki Iseman, of the firm Alcalde and Fay, was that it had, quote, "too many words" (the article ran 3,000 words, and had 4 reporters given bylines), and not one of them was "sex". This conservative, on his TV show, demonstrated that the whole story should have been written in 5 short lines. We want you to recite the first of these lines for 1 point, all 5 lines for 2 points. |
| Answer | Courtesy of prominent conservative TV personality Stephen Colbert: There once was a man named McCain Who had the whole White House to gain But he was quite a hobbyist Of boning his lobbyist So much for his '08 campaign. |
| Song | Me and Mrs. Jones |
| Artist | Michael Buble |
| Hint | The 5 lines were inspired by "an anonymous source from Nantucket" |
| Number | 18 |
| Realm | Common Problems |
| Subrealm | Folk Remedies |
| Question | When late morning rolls around and you're feeling a bit out of sorts, why shouldn't you worry? |
| Answer | You're probably just a little eleven o'clockish (Winnie the Pooh) |
| Song | Breakfast at Tiffany's |
| Artist | Deep Blue Something |
| Number | 19 |
| Realm | Gettin' Lucky |
| Subrealm | Thousands of miles from Kentucky |
| Question | In the United States, people tend to avoid picking up the check. But why might people in Taiwan be so excited to grab a Uniform Invoice? |
| Answer | The 8-digit serial number on the Invoice also serves as a lottery ticket for a bi-monthly drawing. Prizes range from a 2 million Taiwan dollar jackpot to $200 Taiwan dollars for merely matching the last three numbers. |
| Song | Take a Chance on Me |
| Artist | Abba |
| Number | 20 |
| Realm | Landmarks |
| Subrealm | Landmarks you probably don't want to end up in |
| Question | A small Roman Catholic chapel in the Czech Republic has become a tourist destination due to an oddity in its interior design. It houses works of art including a large chandelier and a depiction of the coat of arms of the Swarzenberg family, its nineteenth-century patrons. What's so noteworthy about these decorations? |
| Answer | The chandelier, coat of arms, and other decorations in the Sedlec Ossuary are made entirely of human bones. |
| Song | Death or Glory |
| Artist | The Clash |
| Hint | The chapel is an ossuary. |
| Number | 21 |
| Realm | World Fantasy Award Winners |
| Subrealm | ...But, it's a comic book |
| Question | Dream needed to recover his three totems of power before he could resume ruling his nocturnal realm after being imprisoned in a glass globe by Roderick Burgess. What were they? |
| Answer | A pouch of sand, a helm, and a ruby. |
| Song | Enter Sandman |
| Artist | Metallica |
| Number | 22 |
| Realm | Food |
| Subrealm | Too much of a good thing? |
| Question | Your mom might have told you that if you eat too much of the same foods, you'll get sick of them. Pro-skateboarder Bob Burnquist begs to differ. 5% of this athlete's diet consists of what food that many of us would be surprised to find is a staple? |
| Answer | Miso Soup. Bob Burnquist eats under a macrobiotic diet, which recommends, among other dietary guidelines, that 5% of food consumed be miso soup. |
| Song | Peach, Plum, Pear |
| Artist | Joanna Newsome |
| Number | 23 |
| Realm | Color Coding |
| Subrealm | Mind the gap |
| Question | If red is central, purple is metropolitan, and black is northern, where are you? |
| Answer | The London Underground (Also accept London Subway, London Tube, etc.) |
| Song | M.T.A. |
| Artist | The Kingston Trio |
| Number | 24 |
| Realm | Movies |
| Subrealm | Really Forgettable Movies |
| Question | Please explain the irony of the fact that the bellboy's first (and practically only) line in a 1966 James Coburn crime drama was "Paging Mr. Jones. Paging Mr. Jones." |
| Answer | The Bellboy in the film Dead Heat on a Merry Go Round was played by a young Harrison Ford, and if you still need to know why "Paging Mr. Jones" is ironic, you should not attempt to play Trivia - back away from the radio and put the phone down, you might hurt yourself |
| Song | Plush |
| Artist | Stone Temple Pilots |
| Hint | The bellboy was once played by River Phoenix |
| Number | 25 |
| Realm | Arboreal Delights |
| Subrealm | Remember When |
| Question | Much like profs in the art art history department, the ginkgo is an ancient tree that has existed essentially unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs. There are two of these noble trees on campus, where are they? |
| Answer | In front of Mission Park and in front of Spencer. Also, in front of Williamstown bank, although that's not on campus, technically. |
| Song | Past the mission |
| Artist | Tori Amos |
| Number | 26 |
| Realm | Travel |
| Subrealm | Secret Passageways |
| Question | What passageway in a children's novel is left out of the recent movie version in order to make it more kid-friendly? |
| Answer | The bridge out of Lyra's world from The Golden Compass/Northern Lights. |
| Song | Stairway to Heaven |
| Artist | Led Zeppelin |
| Number | 27 |
| Realm | American History |
| Subrealm | Delusions of Grandeur |
| Question | According to popular legend, what title did George Washington turn down? |
| Answer | King of the United States of America |
| Song | King of Wishful Thinking |
| Artist | Go West |
| Number | 28 |
| Realm | Movies |
| Subrealm | Really Good Movies |
| Question | Relatively few films win multiple Oscars, Astonishingly few win all five major awards: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. Name the first film that did. |
| Answer | It Happened One Night, 1934, starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert (and Alan Hale, Sr. among others), directed by Frank Capra, written by Robert Riskin. |
| Song | Because the Night |
| Artist | 10,000 Maniacs |
| Hint | Skipper's dad was in it, but it did not star _______ Kent or Stephen _________. (Skipper on Gilligan's Island was played by Alan Hale, Jr, and Clark Gable is not Clark Kent, and Claudette Colbert is not Stephen Colbert) |
| Number | 29 |
| Realm | Revolutionary Movements |
| Subrealm | We may not see the fruits of our labors |
| Question | Which group, named by "prime avatar" Les U. Knight, is extremely "vehement" about returning the earth to its natural splendor? |
| Answer | The Voluntary Human Extension Movement, or VHEMT (Pronounced "vehement"). They feel that humans should refuse to breed to avoid doing more damage to the environment. Their motto is "May we live long, and die out." |
| Song | Save the Population |
| Artist | Red Hot Chili Peppers |
| Number | 30 |
| Realm | Movies |
| Subrealm | Double Vision |
| Question | This is a 3-point play. Which actor was in both the original 1972 version and the 2007 remake of the movie "Sleuth"? For an extra point, tell us the role he played in each. |
| Answer | Michael Caine played Milo Tindle in 1972 and Andrew Wyke in 2007. |
| Song | Alfie |
| Artist | Joss Stone |
| Number | 31 |
| Realm | Brilliant TV |
| Subrealm | Therefore, obviously, Cancelled TV |
| Question | This is another 2-point play. What do Matt Albie, Lauren Bacall, Martin Scorcesse, Lord Dickenson, the 3rd Earl of Kent and 35 others have in common? For a third point - explain the history of the band. |
| Answer | They all wrote or faxed recommendations to Jordan McDeere on behalf of Danny Trip in the show Studio 60 as part of his attempt to woo her. The song was played in the Studio 60 Christmas episode, purportedly (and actually) by musicians from New Orleans, sitting in for members of the regular bands on the LA shows, hoping to get their union card and be able to send home money for Christmas presents. |
| Song | O Holy Night |
| Artist | The City of New Orleans (also accept Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrew) |
| Hint | I have no hints I can recommend (yes, that IS the hint) |
| Number | 32 |
| Realm | The Media |
| Subrealm | Newsies |
| Question | Which current American newspaper takes as its motto: "We don't hold anything back?" |
| Answer | The New Orleans Levee. (It's a satirical newspaper, similar to The Onion but focusing on New Orleans news.) |
| Song | American Pie |
| Artist | Madonna |
| Number | 33 |
| Realm | Science |
| Subrealm | If only it was this easy. |
| Question | If carbon plus oxygen is silicon and sodium plus potassium is zinc, what's copper plus tin? |
| Answer | Gold. (Copper has atomic number 29 and tin has atomic number 50; added together, they make 79, the atomic number of gold.) |
| Song | The Chemicals Between Us |
| Artist | Bush |
| Hint | Look at the periodic table of elements. |
| Number | 34 |
| Realm | Blatant Orientalism |
| Subrealm | Devil in the White City |
| Question | Sol Bloom was a showman (and later, US Congressman) in late-19th, early twentieth century. What is the song he is famous for, how does it go? |
| Answer | The "Hooch Coochy Dance," also known as "The Streets of Cairo", or "The Poor Little Country Maid." It's that "snake charmer" song, listenable here: http://www.shira.net/streets-of-cairo.htm . |
| Song | Walk Like an Egyptian |
| Artist | The Bangles |
| Number | 35 |
| Realm | Politicians |
| Subrealm | Strike Back |
| Question | When a reporter, in 1952, noticed that a well-known politician's footwear was looking a little worn out, what was his reply? |
| Answer | "Better a hole in the shoe than a hole in the head," Adlai Stevenson. |
| Song | Adlai Stevenson |
| Artist | Sufjan Stevens |
| Number | 36 |
| Realm | Movies |
| Subrealm | Subrealm Movies |
| Question | What famed director, after working for Fred ("Mr") Rogers, got his big break when The New York Times film critic Rex Reed, having read a pulse-quickening review in the French journal Cahiers du Cinema, got his first movie screened at the Museum of Modern Art? |
| Answer | George Romero, horror auteur and director of, originally, "The Night of the Living Dead" |
| Song | Staying Alive |
| Artist | The Bee Gees |
| Hint | The MOMA screening resurrected the film, which would otherwise have died an unremarkable death |
| Number | 37 |
| Realm | Botany |
| Subrealm | Global Warming |
| Question | What New England plant can generate temperatures of up to 60 degrees through chemical reactions, allowing it to melt snow and emerge during the winter? |
| Answer | Skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) |
| Song | Wildflowers |
| Artist | Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers |
| Number | 38 |
| Realm | Famous Plots |
| Subrealm | Let's play assassin |
| Question | In 1981, a Yale freshman was the motivating force behind what high-profile murder attempt? |
| Answer | The attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan. |
| Song | Unworthy of Your Love |
| Artist | Assassins |
| Hint | The freshman was Jodie Foster. |
| Number | 39 |
| Realm | Fine Dining |
| Subrealm | and SCIENCE! |
| Question | If you were to walk into Chicago's Alinea restaurant and order hot chocolate, how would they serve it to you, and what would they use to get it this way? |
| Answer | 1. They would serve it you "flash frozen" 2. by using an Anti-Griddle. (This is like a flame broiler grill (think Burger King) except the metal surface makes things cool down to -30 Fahrenheit instead of heating them up.) (Chicago's Alinea restaurant is one of the foremost experimenters in the realm of molecular gastronomy, the application of cutting edge science to high-end dining.) |
| Song | Ice Ice Baby |
| Artist | Vanilla Ice |
| Number | 40 |
| Realm | Academy Awards |
| Subrealm | Academy Award Snubs |
| Question | The Academy is often notorious for not giving directors their due. For example, Martin Scorcese didn't win the best director Oscar until 2006 for "The Departed". But Alfred Hitchcock had even worse luck: no director wins and only one Best Picture. What is the only Hitchcock film to win the best picture award? |
| Answer | Rebecca |
| Song | Ruby |
| Artist | Kaiser Chiefs |
| Number | 41 |
| Realm | History |
| Subrealm | History that happens on Fridays |
| Question | What is the most important thing that a farmer born in Barcelona on October 13, 1582 and a seamstress born in Boston on September 13, 1752 have in common? |
| Answer | They don't exist. There WAS NO October 13, 1582 in Spain, nor a September 13, 1752 in Boston - in each case a period of about 10 days was taken out as part of the transition from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar (the Catholic countries did this in 1582, England and its colonies in 1752) |
| Song | Monk's Chant/He is not dead yet |
| Artist | Spamalot |
| Hint | Early appearances of Jason Voorhees is NOT the answer |
| Number | 42 |
| Realm | History |
| Subrealm | History you probably haven't heard about |
| Question | Due to an ongoing lawsuit, what activity of Buzz Aldrin's shortly after he landed on the moon was concealed from the public? |
| Answer | He took communion. The lawsuit had been brought by Madalyn Murray O'Hair of American Atheists with regard to the reading of Genesis on Apollo 8 |
| Song | Jesus Walks |
| Artist | Kanye West |
| Number | 43 |
| Realm | Williams... |
| Subrealm | ...Sings |
| Question | Williams alums are known for being pretty influential. Which famous author, in December 2005, cited "I Want an Alien for Christmas" as one of his favorite songs of all time? |
| Answer | Steven King |
| Song | Fountains of Wayne Hotline |
| Artist | Robbie Fulks |
| Number | 44 |
| Realm | Television |
| Subrealm | Ink |
| Question | On the TV show "Lost", what does Charlie's shoulder tattoo read? And where does the idea for the tattoo come from? |
| Answer | "Living is easy with eyes closed" from Strawberry Fields Forever |
| Song | Lady Madonna |
| Artist | The Beatles |
| Number | 45 |
| Realm | Mythology |
| Subrealm | Not Greek Mythology |
| Question | According to Welsh mythology, how did Pwyll win his wife's hand in marriage? |
| Answer | Pwyll first met Rhiannon when she appeared as a beautiful woman dressed in gold and riding a white horse. Pwyll sent his horsemen after her, but she was too fast. After three days, he finally chased her himself. When he spoke, asking her to stop, Rhiannon told him she would rather marry him than the man she was being forced upon, Gwawl. She made a tryst with Pwyll and after a year from that day, he won her from Gwawl by tricking him to climb into a magic bag that Rhiannon had given to Pwyll-striking an agreement to free him in exchange for Rhiannon. (Accept anything similar). |
| Song | Rhiannon |
| Artist | Fleetwood Mac |
| Number | 46 |
| Realm | Whimsical Acronyms |
| Subrealm | Near and Dear to Our Hearts |
| Question | The "Perfect All-Singing All-Dancing Editorial and Notation Application", or "Pasadena" is currently being used to speed up the process of what historic text revision? |
| Answer | The Oxford English Dictionary (OED), 3rd Edition. |
| Song | Kinder Words |
| Artist | The Mighty Mighty Bosstones |
| Number | 47 |
| Realm | Politics |
| Subrealm | Family politics |
| Question | Williams alum and Congressman Mark Udall is running for an open Senate seat in Colorado as a Democrat. He's not the only politician in the family - father "Mo" Udall, and uncle Stewart Udall were both Democratic members of Congress. Who else in the family is currently running for office? |
| Answer | Tom Udall (son of Stewart, now congressman, running for Pete Domenici's senate seat in NM), and Gordon Smith (descended from the Republican great-grandmother's side of the family) is seeking his third Senate term in Oregon. |
| Song | Family Affair |
| Artist | Sly and the Family Stone |
| Hint | Great-grandfather and Mormon pioneer David King Udall was sent by Brigham Young to settle northern Arizona in the church's 19th-century days of polygamy |
| Hint | David King Udall had two wives. One voted Democrat, the other didn't. |
| Number | 48 |
| Realm | Literature |
| Subrealm | Literary Inspirations |
| Question | When Daniel Craig was shooting Casino Royale, many were worried whether the blond actor was close enough to Ian Fleming's ideal of James Bond. According to legend, who really provided the inspiration for Ian Fleming's description of James Bond? |
| Answer | Cary Grant |
| Song | James Bond Theme |
| Artist | John Barry (Just song is probably fine) |
| Number | 49 |
| Realm | Sports |
| Subrealm | Impressive feats |
| Question | In April 2008, Ted Kemp of Iowa achieved a sports feat for which the experts said the odds were 67 million to one. What was it? |
| Answer | Sunk two holes in one during the same game. They were on consecutive holes at the local Par 3 course. |
| Song | The Whole World |
| Artist | Outkast |
| Number | 50 |
| Realm | History |
| Subrealm | You say you want a revolution... |
| Question | This revolutionary, who wrote "Offering to the Nation" and "The Friend of the People," is probably better known for how he died. Name him. |
| Answer | Jean-Paul Marat |
| Song | Revolution |
| Artist | Kirk Franklin |
| Number | 51 |
| Realm | Dress Your Children in Corduroy and Denim |
| Subrealm | Wale-Watching |
| Question | What unique invention was given the second-ever Award for Exemplary Usage and/or Appreciation of Corduroy? |
| Answer | Horizontal Corduroy / Cordarounds (give credit for either). |
| Song | Corduroy |
| Artist | Pearl Jam |
| Number | 52 |
| Realm | Williams Alums |
| Subrealm | Or so we suspect |
| Question | Matt and Jason are the homeschooled children of which famous Williams alum, known for his taste in women? |
| Answer | Benjamin Braddock (from Home School, the sequel to The Graduate) |
| Song | Mrs. Robinson |
| Artist | Simon and Garfunkel |
| Number | 53 |
| Realm | Politics |
| Subrealm | but not this election cycle |
| Question | This is a 3-point play. What do Tom Hulce, Bradley Whitford, Michael O'Keefe, and Rob Lowe have in common? For an extra point, how does this relate to politics? |
| Answer | They have all played (broadway, broadway, national tour, and london respectively) the Tom Cruise role of Lt. Kaffee in Aaron Sorkin's play A Few Good Men. The Lt. Kaffe role was based in part on political-scandal-starting dismissed US Attorney David Iglesias, who had been a JAG at the Pentagon and the Navy Legal Service Office |
| Song | Old Time Rock and Roll |
| Artist | Bob Seger |
| Hint | You want the answer? you can't HANDLE the answer! |
| Number | 54 |
| Realm | Feminism |
| Subrealm | Annie Get Your Gun |
| Question | The author of the S.C.U.M. manifesto is probably better known for committing what crime? |
| Answer | Shooting Andy Warhol and Mario Amaya. The shooter was Valerie Solanas. |
| Song | The Black Angel's Death Song |
| Artist | Velvet Underground |
| Number | 55 |
| Realm | Famous Events in History |
| Subrealm | Water |
| Question | According to popular legend, what February, 1983 event caused the largest ever water use in the city of New York? |
| Answer | The series finale of M*A*S*H, as New Yorkers reportedly waited until the show was over to use the toilet. |
| Song | The M*A*S*H theme song (Suicide is Painless) |
| Artist | (None required) |
| Number | 56 |
| Realm | Racing |
| Subrealm | Well, maybe not quite racing... |
| Question | What special rule does the "24 hours of LeMons" race have that its more famous and similarly named counterpart lacks? (Note: if the question didn't make it clear, the pronunciation was intentional, and not just bad French) |
| Answer | All the cars used in the race must have values less than $500. Hence the use of the word "lemons" in the name of the race. |
| Song | I'm Gonna Be |
| Artist | The Proclaimers |
| Number | 57 |
| Realm | Short Lived Advertising Campaigns |
| Subrealm | Hey, at least the river's not on fire anymore. |
| Question | If New York is the Big Apple, then what is Cleveland? |
| Answer | A plum. |
| Song | Brown Girl (Suga Plum) |
| Artist | Jurassic 5 |
| Number | 58 |
| Realm | Architecture |
| Subrealm | Look out below! |
| Question | This 260-ft structure was originally built in the 14th century, before being repaired in the 17th by Christopher Wren. Poor construction led to its collapse, though, in 1861, when luckily nobody was injured. Name this architectural feature, rebuilt shortly after the collapse by George Gilbert Scott. |
| Answer | Chichester Cathedral Spire |
| Song | Cathedral |
| Artist | Crosby, Stills and Nash |
| Number | 59 |
| Realm | Literature |
| Subrealm | Famous First Lines |
| Question | The following is the first line of what well-known story: Habia una vez cuatro ninos cuyos nombres eran Pedro, Susana, Edmundo, y Lucia. |
| Answer | "El leon, la bruja y el ropero" a.k.a "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" |
| Song | Hotel California |
| Artist | Gipsy Kings |
| Number | 60 |
| Realm | Actors |
| Subrealm | and Keanu Reeves |
| Question | What do Nick Cage, Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Keanu Reeves, and Arnold Schwarzenegger have in common? |
| Answer | All played leads in films based on the stories of Philip K. Dick |
| Song | Flash |
| Artist | Queen |
| Hint | Do actors dream of celluloid sheep? |
| Number | 61 |
| Realm | Great Partnerships |
| Subrealm | Often Creepy Partnerships |
| Question | This is a 3-point play. There have been many great partnerships in film history. Currently, the partnership between Tim Burton and Johnny Depp has gotten a lot of attention. For one point, name 4 of the movies that they've made together. For two, name all of them. |
| Answer | Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Sweeney Todd, Charlie and the Chocolate Facory, Corpse Bride |
| Song | Pure Imagination |
| Artist | Gene Wilder |
| Number | 62 |
| Realm | Medicine |
| Subrealm | Watch out Stomach... |
| Question | This treatment was, in April 2004, approved by the French AFSSA for use as an antibacterial treatment in the urinary tract, although in the same year the UK Committee on Safety of Medicines warned of possible problems if it was taken at the same time as Warfarin. What is this treatment? |
| Answer | Cranberry Juice. (Components in the juice may prevent adhesion of bacteria to the bladder and urethra.) |
| Song | Linger |
| Artist | Cranberries |
| Number | 63 |
| Realm | The Web |
| Subrealm | No, not that Web... |
| Question | In the end of the 2002 movie Spider-Man, Spidey manages to save both Mary Jane and a tram full of children after they are dropped from the Queensboro bridge by the Green Goblin. But what should have happened to Mary Jane had the movie followed the original comic book storyline? |
| Answer | She should have died from the trauma of being suddenly stopped in her fall by Spider Man's web. This happened in the comics to Peter Parker's original girlfriend, Gwen Stacy (who is not introduced until the third film). |
| Song | Sweetest Escape |
| Artist | Gwen Stefani |
| Number | 64 |
| Realm | Iraq War Justifications |
| Subrealm | After the fact |
| Question | According to a Reuter's article posted this spring (2008), US Troops found WMD in Iraq several times. In each case, it was the SAME WMD, imported into Iraq after our invasion and the fall of Baghdad. Please identify this terrifyingly lethal WMD for us. |
| Answer | According to Reuters on March 10, Chuck Norris is the only WMD found in Iraq, according to US troops. |
| Song | Kung Fu Fighting |
| Artist | Fatboy Slim (original artist Carl Douglas) |
| Hint | The WMD in question is normally found in Oklahoma. |
| Number | 65 |
| Realm | Alternative Energy Sources |
| Subrealm | The Death Star ain't got nothing |
| Question | If you wanted to collect the entire output energy of the Sun and put it to use, what theoretical structure would you have to build around it? |
| Answer | A Dyson sphere. |
| Song | Space Lord |
| Artist | Monster Magnet |
| Number | 66 |
| Realm | Botany |
| Subrealm | A Plague on Both Your Houses |
| Question | Many people are worried about human impact on wildlife and the risk for human induced extinction in the biosphere. But what tree species was nearly wiped out by fungus in the early twentieth century? |
| Answer | The American chestnut, by chestnut blight. |
| Song | The Memory of Trees |
| Artist | Enya |
| Number | 67 |
| Realm | Sports |
| Subrealm | Not so famous moments in... |
| Question | According to the Boston Herald, which team won the 1990 Harvard-Yale football game and how did they do it? |
| Answer | MIT; they launched an MIT banner from the end zone during a Yale field goal attempt. |
| Song | Rocket Man |
| Artist | Elton John |
| Number | 68 |
| Realm | History |
| Subrealm | Silly Names in History |
| Question | Marcus Tullius Cicero, a Roman statesman and philosopher, is considered to be one of the greatest orators of the Latin language. His family name, once translated, makes him seem a little less dignified. What's its rather embarrassing meaning? |
| Answer | His name means chickpea. |
| Song | Don't Lie |
| Artist | Black Eyed Peas |
| Number | 69 |
| Realm | Renaissance Men |
| Subrealm | or not |
| Question | His mother was a spy for the OSS during WWII, he's a classically trained pianist, and also plays violin and harmonica. He has lectured at Oxford. He has been called the "hardest working man in show business", and has appeared in nearly 2,000, um, films. Who is he? |
| Answer | Porn "star" Ron Jeremy |
| Song | Big 10 inch record |
| Artist | Aerosmith |
| Hint | If you've seen him in any of his films, you probably don't want to admit it. |
| Number | 70 |
| Realm | Trivia Traditions |
| Subrealm | You already know the answer |
| Question | Which country has the highest number of Ph.D.'s per capita? |
| Answer | Tonga |
| Song | Two Princes |
| Artist | Spin Doctors |
| Number | 71 |
| Realm | Sartorial Scientists |
| Subrealm | England's tax dollars at work. |
| Question | Cambridge physicists Thomas Fink and Yong Mao are best known for research in what field, and what is the biggest example of the things they have classified? |
| Answer | Necktie knots, and the Balthus (the second part of the question is not on Wikipedia, people will say it is the Hanover but this is untrue.) |
| Song | Sharp Dressed Man |
| Artist | ZZ Top |
| Number | 72 |
| Realm | Dynamic Duos |
| Subrealm | That you might not have heard of |
| Question | You all know about Batman and Robin, Bonnie and Clyde, and Laverne and Shirley. But who are Knut and Flake? |
| Answer | German Polar Bears at the Berlin Zoo. They caused a massive influx of tourists during 2007. |
| Song | When the Sun Goes down |
| Artist | Arctic Monkeys |
| Number | 73 |
| Realm | Science Fiction Movies |
| Subrealm | Science Fiction Movies ABOUT Science Fiction TV Shows that never existed in the first place |
| Question | Alan Rickman's character Alexander Dane, known in the Thermian historical documents as Dr. Lazarus, had an uncomfortable moment cut from the film - in which he was shown to his quarters - which were, like the purported delicacies from his "home planet" - not at all pleasant for Alexander Dane. Please describe his quarters. |
| Answer | The quarters are an empty room - no distractions. A bunch of spikes rise from the floor to be "the bed". The bathroom is shown with an incomprehensible spiked multi-part toilet. (note: this comes from the special features on the DVD of Galaxy Quest) |
| Song | As I Lay Me Down |
| Artist | Sophie Hawkins |
| Hint | Where would you least like to sit down? Lie down? |
| Number | 74 |
| Realm | Magicians |
| Subrealm | Not Hookers |
| Question | He once had a job as one of the "Hot Cops" and was a founding member of the Magician's Alliance. Give the full name of this illusionist known for his use of "The Aztec Tomb." |
| Answer | George Oscar Bluth II, better known as Gob (Job). |
| Song | The Final Countdown |
| Artist | Europe |
| Number | 75 |
| Realm | Architecture |
| Subrealm | 126 years in and still unfinished |
| Question | What is unique about the orientation of Antoni Gaudi's architectural model for the Sagrada Familia church? |
| Answer | It's upside down (a system of threads representing columns, arches, etc.) |
| Song | A Rush of Blood to the Head |
| Artist | Coldplay |
| Number | 76 |
| Realm | Dubious Honors |
| Subrealm | Achievements in Television |
| Question | Over the three seasons of the HBO show Deadwood, what event occurs, on average, more than twice every three minutes? |
| Answer | The use of the "f" word. |
| Song | Four Letter Word |
| Artist | Def Leppard |
| Hint | If we tried this, we'd get taken off the air. |
| Number | 77 |
| Realm | Television |
| Subrealm | Strange Meetings |
| Question | When Desmond Hume gives Daniel Faraday a frantic call from a freighter, Faraday tells Hume of a place they can go meet. Where must Hume go, and what is so strange about this meeting? |
| Answer | Queen's College, Oxford. The meeting takes place in the past, as Desmond has "come unstuck in time." |
| Song | Downtown |
| Artist | Petula Clark |
| Number | 78 |
| Realm | Inventive Weaponry |
| Subrealm | and its uses |
| Question | Earlier this year, the New Zealand Herald reported an incident of assault with a weapon. The man in question attacked a teenager with this weapon and luckily only left minor injuries. Please name the strange weapon used and its attack range. |
| Answer | A hedgehog, thrown 5m (16ft) |
| Song | Closing Time |
| Artist | Semisonic |
| Hint | Apparently Spikey balls are coming back into fashion. |
| Number | 79 |
| Realm | Geographical Features |
| Subrealm | ...Kinda |
| Question | In a recent episode of the TV show "30 Rock," Tracy Morgan's character is warned about the "Uncanny Valley." Where would you find the feature known as the "Uncanny Valley"? |
| Answer | on a graph of "emotional response" versus "human likeness of a robot. The uncanny valley is the point in this graph where robots are very human-like, but still display some clearly robotic characteristics leading to unease among surrounding people. See the movie AI for a good example, or maybe just "The Polar Express". |
| Song | Robots |
| Artist | Flight of the Conchords |
| Number | 80 |
| Realm | Languages |
| Subrealm | Geography |
| Question | In which language would the name of a Midwest state sound similar to the phrase "Large Creek"? |
| Answer | Seneca. The state is Ohio. |
| Song | Ohio |
| Artist | Neil Young / Crosby, Stills, and Nash |
| Number | 81 |
| Realm | Intra-England Travel |
| Subrealm | Mind the Gap |
| Question | You've just arrived in London from Oxford via bus and gotten off at the Marble Arch station. You're going to see a concert at Shepherd's Bush; what Tube line or lines do you take? |
| Answer | Either just the Central Line, or the Central Line to the Hammersmith and City Line. |
| Song | Centerfold |
| Artist | The J. Geils Band |
| Number | 82 |
| Realm | Comics and Graphic Novels |
| Subrealm | only, you know, French |
| Question | A famous French comic series features the adventures of a cigar chomping, cattle driving, iconically grizzled wild west cowboy. What is the name of the rugged American Marlboro Man of the eponymous French comic series? |
| Answer | Blueberry |
| Song | Rawhide |
| Artist | The Blues Brothers |
| Hint | Did we mention that these are French people? Lets just say this name is NOT very macho. |
| Hint | Uma Thurman, Gus Van Sant |
| Number | 83 |
| Realm | Food |
| Subrealm | Etymology |
| Question | What language did the word "ketchup" come from, and what did it originally mean? |
| Answer | Chinese. Here's the full answer: "Apparently originally from the Amoy dialect of Chinese koe-chiap, ke-tsiap 'brine of pickled fish or shellfish', borrowed into Malay as kechap, taken by Dutch as ketjap, the probable source from which English acquired the term." |
| Song | Sellout |
| Artist | Reel Big Fish |
| Number | 84 |
| Realm | Dead White Guys |
| Subrealm | worth keeping around |
| Question | What do Alexander Hamilton, Ulysses Grant, Andrew Jackson, and Civil War General Philip Sheridan have in common? |
| Answer | They were all memorialized on successive versions of the $5 bill, before Abraham Lincoln took over in 1923 |
| Song | The Moneymaker |
| Artist | Rilo Kiley |
| Hint | Something to do with where you can see their portraits |
| Number | 85 |
| Realm | Beauty |
| Subrealm | ...In the eye of the beholder |
| Question | According to JRR Tolkien (and possibly others), what is the most beautiful phrase in the English Language? |
| Answer | "Cellar Door" |
| Song | Head over Heels |
| Artist | Tears for Fears (featured prominently in Donnie Darko, in which the phrase "Cellar Door" is discussed) |
| Number | 86 |
| Realm | Dynamic Duos |
| Subrealm | That you definitely have heard of |
| Question | Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made beautiful music together for many years and through countless movies. But what was their first film as a duo? |
| Answer | Flying Down to Rio |
| Song | Rio |
| Artist | Duran Duran |
| Number | 87 |
| Realm | Skyscrapers |
| Subrealm | Ditry Rotten Tricks |
| Question | The Chrysler Building holds the distinction of being the tallest building in the world from November to April 1930 AND also 27th of May 1930 to 1931. How does it hold the record twice? |
| Answer | In what was certainly one of the greatest secrets and publicity coups in Manhattan real estate history, a stainless steel cladding that had been hidden in five pieces within the building's shell and was hoisted out of the top of the building like the stinger of a giant bee and riveted into place, making it taller than its rival at 40 Wall Street and the tallest building in the world until the Empire State Building surpassed it in 1931. |
| Song | New York State of Mind |
| Artist | Billy Joel |
| Number | 88 |
| Realm | Whimsical Holidays |
| Subrealm | Wacky Canadian Pop Stars |
| Question | My humps aren't that entertaining, but Alanis Morisette's are! After Morisette's 2007 cover of the Black Eyed Peas' classic, "My Humps," what gift did Morisette supposedly receive from singer Fergie? |
| Answer | A cake in the shape of a derriere. The attached note read, "Alanis, you're a genius. Love, Fergie" |
| Song | Baby got Back |
| Artist | Jonathan Coulton |
| Number | 89 |
| Realm | Television |
| Subrealm | Not another Lost Question... |
| Question | Characters from Lost are always popping up where you least expect them. Which actor, whose character was killed off in the third season, can currently be found on Broadway? What show would you find him in? |
| Answer | Blake Bashoff (Karl), Spring Awakening |
| Song | Brain Stew |
| Artist | Green Day |
| Number | 90 |
| Realm | Movies |
| Subrealm | Movies we don't recommend to our parents |
| Question | Some big names in Hollywood have gotten started with small roles in large productions (Harrison Ford in American Graffiti, for instance), some have achieved stardom with a breakout performance in film after some time on Television (Haley Joel Osment is 6th Sense), and some just want to be in pictures so badly that they'll do ANYTHING, and sometimes EVERYTHING, to work in the movie business. Once such now-famous figure, in his first full-length film, is credited as lead actor, director, producer, director of photography, screenplay writer, editor, special effects animator, AND stunt man. Who? |
| Answer | Peter Jackson, in his 1987 "Aliens who want to serve humans at their fast food restaurants" uber-low-budget thriller "Bad Taste". |
| Song | Beauty and the Beast |
| Artist | Celine Dion |
| Hint | 8 Oscar nominations, 3 statuettes, and no shoes... |
| Number | 91 |
| Realm | Authors |
| Subrealm | Dead Authors |
| Question | This author's works include the characters of Rand, Mat, and Perrin. Considered influential enough to have an entire conference dedicated to his work scheduled in Atlanta for next April, name this former nuclear engineer turned author. |
| Answer | Robert Jordan (born James Oliver Rigney Jr.), author of the Wheel of Time series |
| Song | Full Circle |
| Artist | Aerosmith |
| Number | 92 |
| Realm | Bloodless Coups |
| Subrealm | A Little Late |
| Question | What was so anachronistic about the small French island of Sark's transition to democracy in July 2007? |
| Answer | They abolished the feudal system, the last remaining one in Europe. |
| Song | Our Last Night |
| Artist | Better than Ezra |
| Number | 93 |
| Realm | Wardrobe Malfunctions in History |
| Subrealm | Not subject to FCC regulation |
| Question | For several months in 1965, a glove earned the title "Most Dangerous Garment in History". What was special about it? |
| Answer | During the first US space walk, Gemini 4 astronaut Edward White lost a glove, which was orbiting the earth at 17,500 miles an hour until it burned up in the atmosphere a few months later. |
| Song | Smooth Criminal |
| Artist | Michael Jackson |
| Hint | When the owner dropped it, it didn't fall |
| Number | 94 |
| Realm | Science |
| Subrealm | Cuddly Science |
| Question | This year's Nobel prize went to scientists who pioneered the use of transgenic "knockout" mice. These scientists often give mutant animals they've created easy to remember names. Thus researchers have created the obese and diabetic mouse. But what type of mouse is known for a recessive skeletal mutation in the cby gene? |
| Answer | Chubby mouse |
| Song | Big Poppa |
| Artist | Notorious BIG |
| Number | 95 |
| Realm | Racing |
| Subrealm | ...but not in cars this time |
| Question | Which yachting race was originally called the "Hundred Guinea Cup" until it was renamed for its winner in 1851? |
| Answer | The America's Cup |
| Song | Move Along |
| Artist | The All-American Rejects |
| Number | 96 |
| Realm | Food |
| Subrealm | Dining Hall Food |
| Question | If you've looked in the vegan refrigerators at the dining halls in the past few months, you've probably noticed pudding cups from the brand "Zen Soy." What is pictured on the lids of these desserts? |
| Answer | A panda bear |
| Song | Honeybear |
| Artist | Yeah Yeah Yeahs |
| Number | 97 |
| Realm | Baby it's cold outside |
| Subrealm | A long night's journey into HELL |
| Question | On February 14 each year, the last plane takes off from Antarctica, and the entire community of scientists and support personnel hunker down, inaccessible, for the next 6 months of continuous darkness and claustrophobia. On the first night of that interminable vigil, by tradition, they throw a sheet on the wall, everyone gathers together, and they do... WHAT? |
| Answer | They project the film "The Thing From Another World" - a 1951 classic sci-fi about a remote polar station almost destroyed by a vicious blood-thirsty humanoid vegetable alien monster they find encased in the ice by its crashed spaceship, which they foolishly let thaw |
| Song | Science Fiction Double Feature |
| Artist | the cast of Rocky Horror Picture Show |
| Hint | "Not usually found in the frozen vegetable section of your local supermarket, THANK GOD" |
| Number | 98 |
| Realm | American States |
| Subrealm | Mascots |
| Question | The residents of a US state are probably given this nickname because of the tar, pitch, and turpentine made from their vast pine forests. Name these proud southerners, who always stuck to their guns during the Civil War. |
| Answer | Tar Heels |
| Song | Carolina in my Mind |
| Artist | James Taylor |
| Number | 99 |
| Realm | 2001 |
| Subrealm | A Science Fiction Oddity |
| Question | What production brought together the talents responsible for Dr. Crusher, Luke Skywalker, and Major Tom? |
| Answer | Labyrinth. Gates McFadden, who played Dr. Beverly Crusher, had been one of Jim Henson's Muppeteers, and choreographed major portions of the film, which starred David Bowie as the Goblin King (and writer/performer of the soundtrack), and which lists George Lucas as Executive Producer (and he also directed the "making of" documentary). |
| Song | Space Oddity |
| Artist | David Bowie |
| Hint | The actor, the writer, the singer |
| Number | 100 |
| Realm | Science |
| Subrealm | Those crazy Russians |
| Question | In the early 1940's, Soviet translators misinterpreted the location of the world's first nuclear reactor. Where did they believe it was located, and what was the actual location? |
| Answer | They mistranslated the location as a "pumpkin field", when in reality it was a "squash court" at the University of Chicago. |
| Song | Zero |
| Artist | Smashing Pumpkins |
| Number | 101 |
| Realm | Politics |
| Subrealm | More Family Politics |
| Question | Chelsea Clinton has what in common with her mother's former opponent, Dennis Kucinich? |
| Answer | They are both vegetarians. |
| Song | Don't Stop Believing |
| Artist | Journey |
| Number | 102 |
| Realm | Broadway |
| Subrealm | Turned into movies for profit |
| Question | The role played by Helena Bonham Carter in the 2007 film "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" was originally played by which actress? |
| Answer | Angela Lansbury |
| Song | The Worst Pies in London |
| Artist | Sweeney Todd original cast recording |
| Number | 103 |
| Realm | Two of a Kind |
| Subrealm | Fantasy Fellowships |
| Question | Who are Asfaloth and Bill? |
| Answer | Horses in Lord of the Rings. They belong to Glorfindel and Frodo/Sam respectively. |
| Song | Into the West |
| Artist | Howard Shore/Annie Lennox/LOTR |