Saturday, April 16, 2016

Digest for rec.games.trivia@googlegroups.com - 7 updates in 3 topics

Erland Sommarskog <esquel@sommarskog.se>: Apr 15 10:53PM +0200

My attempts to a Rare Entries contest is over, and it was not a stunning
success. Rather it was a bit of a fiasco with only eight entrants. One
possible reason for this might be that the questions were more difficult
than I thought: no entrant was able to produce a fully correct slate.
 
Nevertheless, congratulations to the winner: PETER SMYTH!
 
Here is the total result list:
 
1) Peter Smyth 28.672
2) Mark Brader 39.2
3) Lieven Marchand 46.9762048
4) John Gerson 62.72
5) Björn Lundin 75.16192768
6) Bruce Bowler 200.704
7) Calvin 280.9856
Stephen W. Perry 280.9856
 
The not so secret theme for the quiz was Sweden, and answers relating to
Sweden and things Swedish gave the 0.8 multiplier bonus. Swedish
answers are indicated with (SW) in the list below. (WR) means that I
have score that answer as wrong.
 
> 1. Name a person who has been King of Sweden.
 
1 Adolf Fredrik (SW)
1 Gustav III (SW)
1 Gustav V (SW)
1 Hans / Johan II (SW)
1 Karl X Gustav (SW)
1 Karl XIV Johan (SW)
1 Kristian I (SW)
1 Ragnvald Knaphövde (SW)
 
I've listed the names here with the common Swedish spelling.
 
All entrants found a unique correct answer to the question. Not so
surprising since there are a few to choose from, but the question does
actually have some traps. Around 1500 there were some heads of state
that were only regents ("riksföreståndare") and not kings. And I thought
that someone might just enter Karl or Erik with a low number - Karl
starts at VII and Erik at VIII.
 
> name is Abraham & Joseph Corporation. If this company is commonly
> referred to as AJC, that is a correct answer. However, if the common
> short name is AbeJoe, that would not be a correct answer.
 
2 IKEA (SW)
1 DHL
1 Hewlett-Packard (HP)
1 JCB
1 LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE)
1 RSA Security
............................................
1 A&W Root Beer (WR)
 
The examples I had in mind when wrote the question were IKEA and Hewlett-
Packard - and WalMart which I phrased the question to keep out.
 
A&W Root Beer is only a brand; it's not a company.
 
> 3. Name a country where I have spent at least 24 hours. Country here
> refers to a territory with an officially assigned country code in ISO
> 3166.
 
2 Ukraine
1 Canada
1 France
1 Italy
1 Sweden (SW)
1 USA
1 Czechoslovakia (WR)
 
For those who found the question silly: my web site is not difficult to
find and there is a photo gallery which should give some hints. Else
most countries in Europe would have done. However, it was a little too
brave to enter one of the countries no longer existing. I have been to
both the Czech and Slovak Republics, but I never visited Czechoslovakia
before the split.
 

> to deduce whether the limits is on border exactly, I will permit for
> a leeway fitting a path or a road, but generally not any buildings.)
> "City" here refers to the city proper, not metropolitan area.
 
4 Stockholm (SW)
1 San José
1 Shanghai
1 Gdansk (WR)
1 Port Said (WR)
 
When I first thought of the question, the two cities I had mind were
Stockholm and Seattle. Unfortunately, the original phrasing of the question
was poor. In Sweden all we have is "communes" or municipalities; formally
there are no cities. Thus, if two communes border the same lake, the
border between the two will run in the lake. So that was my predisposition.
That is, in my mental map, there was a border in Lake Washington between
Seattle and Bellevue and the other cities across the lake from Seattle.
 
However, in the US and many other countries there is a concept of being
"incorporated" and there are areas that are not incorporated. And
in these case, the border lake is simply not incorporated anywhere,
and no border traverse the lake. The original question said one thing
in the beginning and another at the end, and it appears that entrants
made different interpretations. Possibly this explains the collision on
Stockholm - it was a safe answer.
 
There is a second Swedish answer: Gothenburg, the second biggest city in
Sweden. The lake in that case is only 1.2 km², which explains the low
limit for the size of the lake. Alas, it was very difficult for
international entrants to find this answer, as neither Google nor Bing
maps show the municipality borders in Sweden. Swedish Eniro does, but
how would you know about it?
 
Gdansk is wrong because the lake in question is too small - only 35-37 ha
according to Polish Wikipedia. (And it can also be easily computed from
Google maps that the lake cannot be big enough.)
 
I do feel sad for the entrant who put down Port Said. Here is a case where
the border does traverse the lake. However, this is a lake that is part of
the Nile estuary and with decently wide openings to the Mediterranean and
Wikipedia confirmed that the water is brackish, and thus it is not a
sweetwater lake.
 
> 5. Name a person who was born after AD 1000 outside any nobility, but who
> reached a position as state ruler for which inheritance was the norm,
> or became the norm with this person.
 
2 Karl XIV Johan (SW)
1 Anastasio Somoza Garcia (Nicaragua)
1 Richard Cromwell (England etc)
1 Sverker I (SW)
1 Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (WR) (Iran)
1 Muammar Gaddafi (WR) (Libya)
1 Rama I (WR) (Thailand)

When I composed the question, I thought that there was a well-known
answer that everyone could fall back on - but when I looked it up
as the contest was running, I found that I was wrong!
 
Then again, there are still well-known answers if you are only able to
think a little outside the box - and several entrants did.
 
I purposely wrote the question to not talk about royalties, as one of the
most fascinating persons in this group is Hideyoshi Toyotomi, Japanese
Shogun at the end of the 16th century, who played a key role in the
reunification of Japan. I would have been very impressed if someone
had entered him.
 
Other persons I had in mind were Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. No
one named them, but Kim Il Sung is not the only president to have started
a dynasty, and one entrant though of the Somozas in Nicaragua. Another
entrant though of Ghaddafi, and suggested that he had planned for one
of his son take over after him. However, while there is some evidence
for this, it does not seem to have been official or in some other
way been constituted as the norm, why I ruled this as wrong.
 
Karl XIV Johan of Sweden was born as Jean Baptise Bernadotte in Pau
in the province of Béarn (and that's why like bearnaise sauce so much
in Sweden :-). He first became a general and a marshal in Napoleon's
army. He quit, and later he was appointed as heir to the Swedish throne.
His son Oscar I would also have been a correct answer, as he was
born before Jean Baptiste became Prince of Montecorvo and thus entered
the nobility.
 
And speaking of Napoleon, he was the person I had mind as the well-known
answer. But while he came from very humble origins financially, his
family was of Tuscan nobility. So I was wrong.
 
Richard Cromwell inherited the job as Lord Protector from his father,
but his father was not noble when he was born, so that's a correct
answer. I'm glad to see that entrant found this possibility.
 
Sverker I of Sweden was an answer that was very difficult to assess,
simply because very little is known about this person who was king of
Sweden in the middle of the 12th century. I looked at different sources
who pointed in different directions, but one suggested that had been
a farmer, and I decided to give the entrant the benefit of the doubt.
 
Khomeini succeeded the Shah as the leader of Iran, but he never had the
position as Shah. First he was only the informal leader after his return.
With the new constitution he entered a new position as Supreme Leader,
and this position is not inherited.
 
The case of Rama I is similar to Napoleon. It was his military skills that
permitted him to become King, but his family was noble.
 
> 6. Name a team that at least on one occasion reached the semi-finals in
> FIFA World Cup in football, but which never has become World Champions.
 
1 Croatia
1 Czechoslovakia
1 Hungary
1 Netherlands
1 Portugal
1 South Korea
1 Sweden (SW)
1 China (WR)
 
One would that this is a question where you cannot go wrong, but one
entrant tried to bend the question and bent himself out of shape. China
has reached the semi-finals in FIFA Women's World Cup, but the question
was about another competition.

> 7. Name a person who simultaneously was, or still is, the head of state of
> two countries that for all other practical matters were entirely
> independent from each other during the entire rule of this person.
 
1 Elizabeth II (UK, Canada, Australia, etc)
1 George VI (UK, Canada, Australia, etc)
1 Henri III (France and Poland)
1 Jacques Chirac (France and Andorra)
1 James II/VII (England and Scotland)
1 Sigismund (SW) (Sweden and Poland)
1 Gustav V (WR) (Sweden)
1 Karl XIV Johan (WR) (Sweden-Norway)
 
The most well-known answers here are probably the Commonwealth monarchs.
The second best-known group, at least in the English-speaking world,
is likely to be the 17th century monarchs in the personal union between
England and Scotland. However, the biggest pool of name to choose from
are all French heads of state (starting with Henri IV or so) who also
have been co-heads of state of Andorra (together with the bishop of
La Seu de Urgell).
 
A second Swedish correct answer is Magnus Eriksson who was king of
Sweden and Norway from 1319 to 1340 when he ceded the Norwegian crown
to one of his sons.
 
Karl XIV Johan was also king of Sweden and Norway, but that was a union
which was forced on the Norwegians by war. While they enjoyed autonomy
in many areas, defence and foreign policy was controlled from Stockholm.
Thus, Norway was not independent. And when Gustav V entered the throne,
the union was abolished since two years.
 
> state, head of government or foreign minister, and who had reached that
> position, directly or indirectly, as a result of democratic elections,
> generally considered free and fair by today's standards.
 
2 Olof Palme (SW) (Prime Minister, died 1986)
1 Anna Lindh (SW) (Foreign Minister, 2003)
1 Walther Rathenau (Germany, Foreign Minister, 1922)
1 Abraham Lincoln (WR)
1 Hendrik Verwoerd (WR) (South Africa, Prime Minister, 1966)
1 James Garfield (WR)
1 William McKinley (WR)
 
No less than three entrants entered US presidents that were elected by
men only. That was the standards in those days, but it is not good
enough in AD 2016. And being elected only by people with a certain
skin colour was a contestable standard already when Lincoln was
elected, and Verwoerd was elected that way 100 years later.
 
Correct answers that were not given that I can think of are: JFK,
Indira Gandhi and Yitzhak Rabin.

> 9. Name a person who is generally considered to have been involved in
> the discovery or the first isolation of one or more chemical element
> with an atomic number <= 96.
 
1 Albertus Magnus
1 Carl Gustaf Mosander (SW)
1 Daniel Rutherford
1 Jöns Jacob Berzelius (SW)
1 Marie Curie
1 Pierre Curie
1 Ernest Rutherford
1 Theodore Richter
 
There are plenty of people to choose from. Two more Swedish persons
I know are Carl Wilhelm Scheele and Per Teodor Cleve.

> entered the English language in the 19th century or later. The word
> should be present in an online general dictionary for English. That
> is, a dictionary for a certain field does not qualify.
 
2 gravlax (SW)
2 ombudsman (SW)
1 ombudsmen (SW)
1 snus (SW)
1 ångström (SW)
1 tungsten (WR)
 
"Tungsten" is of Swedish origin, but Merriam-Webster Online says that
first known use is 1796.
 
It was not my intention to handle inflexions as different words, but
I did not account for it in the question, so I saw but no choice to
accept "ombudsmen" as a separate entry.
 
The case for "snus" is weak; I can only find it in the wiktionary at
yourdictionary.com, but I never asked the entrant for a better reference.
 
Two words that were not given are "smorgasbord" and "moped".
 
 
Thanks to everyone who played!
 
--
Erland Sommarskog, Stockholm, esquel@sommarskog.se
msb@vex.net (Mark Brader): Apr 15 04:38PM -0500

Erland Sommarskog:
> 4 Stockholm (SW)
> 1 San José...
 
No, the city I named is San Jose. They just sometimes pretend it's
spelled San José. At least, that's what Wikipedia says; I couldn't
find any other sources on the point.
--
Mark Brader, Toronto | "We did not try to keep writing until
msb@vex.net | things got full." --Dennis Ritchie
Calvin <334152@gmail.com>: Apr 15 06:14PM -0700

On Saturday, April 16, 2016 at 6:53:45 AM UTC+10, Erland Sommarskog wrote:
> My attempts to a Rare Entries contest is over, and it was not a stunning
> success.
 
I enjoyed so tanks for trying. The questions are the fun- the scores are almost irrelevant. Especially when you come last ;-)
 
> 7) Calvin 280.9856
> Stephen W. Perry 280.9856
 
But at least I can now say that I tied with Perry !
 
cheers,
calvin
Marc Dashevsky <usenet@MarcDashevsky.com>: Apr 15 08:33AM -0500

In article <mYidnWAXiMCcko3KnZ2dnUU7-YvNnZ2d@giganews.com>, msb@vex.net says...
 
> For questions #1-6, see:
 
> http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/msb/rq217/handout.jpg
 
> 1. Give the manufacturer for 1 point and the model name for 3.
Lockheed Constellation
 
> 2. Name the character for 3 points, and the 2010 fantasy movie
> that introduced her for 1.
 
> 3. Give its common name in English.
aster
 
> and last names of the character and the actress; 1 point for
> the title of the 1951 movie.
 
> 5. What is it?
astrolabe
 
> system, the other to a type of hypocycloid curve. Give either
> word for 3 points, or both (in the order indicated) for 4.
> Exact spelling required.
asteroid
 
> or else her original first and last name before she was a Borg.)
 
> 9. What invertebrate sea creature commonly has 5 arms? Give its
> common name in English.
starfish
 
> investigations led to the charges is now a president himself
> -- president and chancellor of Baylor University. Who is he?
> 1 point for the first name, 3 for the surname.
Ken Starr
 
> what real-life newspaper? Give either its present name or its
> name at the time. 1 point for the city, 3 points for the rest
> of the name.
Kansas City Star
 
> For example, they might post messages on computerized media
> using many different false identities.
 
> 15. The Jetsons' dog.
Astro
 
> 16. Catastrophe.
disaster
 
> 17. *
asterisk
 
 
--
Replace "usenet" with "marc" in the e-mail address.
"Peter Smyth" <smythp@gmail.com>: Apr 15 05:42PM

Mark Brader wrote:
 
 
> 1. Give the manufacturer for 1 point and the model name for 3.
 
> 2. Name the character for 3 points, and the 2010 fantasy movie
> that introduced her for 1.
Elsa, Frozen
> the title of the 1951 movie.
 
> 5. What is it?
 
> 6. What title has been blanked out?
Bild
> system, the other to a type of hypocycloid curve. Give either
> word for 3 points, or both (in the order indicated) for 4.
> Exact spelling required.
Asteroid, Astroid
> her friends would use in conversation will do for 1 point;
> for the full 2 points give either a longer form of this name
> or else her original first and last name before she was a Borg.)
Seven of Nine
> 9. What invertebrate sea creature commonly has 5 arms? Give its
> common name in English.
Starfish
> investigations led to the charges is now a president himself
> -- president and chancellor of Baylor University. Who is he?
> 1 point for the first name, 3 for the surname.
Kenneth Starr
> simulate the appearance that it has widespread popular support.
> For example, they might post messages on computerized media
> using many different false identities.
Sockpuppets
> 15. The Jetsons' dog.
 
> 16. Catastrophe.
 
> 17. *
Asterix
> 18. (Tiebreaker.) Explain in complete detail the etymology behind
> answer #14.
 
 
Peter Smyth
Erland Sommarskog <esquel@sommarskog.se>: Apr 15 08:51PM +0200

> 3. Give its common name in English.
 
Aster
 
> 5. What is it?
 
A stellar watch.
 
> 6. What title has been blanked out?
 
Stern (The first question I new directly, and enough to spot the
theme. Why else would you ask about German magazines?)

> system, the other to a type of hypocycloid curve. Give either
> word for 3 points, or both (in the order indicated) for 4.
> Exact spelling required.
 
Asteroid

> 9. What invertebrate sea creature commonly has 5 arms? Give its
> common name in English.
 
Sea star
 
(Not that I have any idea of the English name is, but it's a direct
translation of the Swedish name. Seems to fit the theme.)

 
> "'People'? I ain't 'people'! I am a shimmering, glowing..."
 
> (There are 10 more words, and you need to get most of them right
> for the full 4 points, but the next word alone is worth 1 point.)
 
Star

> what real-life newspaper? Give either its present name or its
> name at the time. 1 point for the city, 3 points for the rest
> of the name.
 
Daily Star, Toronto

> 17. *
 
Asterisk

 
 
--
Erland Sommarskog, Stockholm, esquel@sommarskog.se
"Björn Lundin" <b.f.lundin@gmail.com>: Apr 15 04:30PM +0200

On 2016-04-14 07:39, Mark Brader wrote:
> or recent answers, and you will name the questions.
 
> 1. Which woman has won the most Wimbledon singles championships
> in the open era? In 1981 it was Billie Jean King.
 
Steffi Graf
 
 
 
> 5. Who is the youngest golfer to win the Masters tournament in
> the US? In 1981 it was Seve Ballesteros.
 
Tiger Woods
 
 
> 6. Who is the NHL's all-time leading point scorer? In 1981 it
> was Gordie Howe.
 
Wayne Gretzky; Mario Lemiux
 
> in the US? In 1981 it was horse racing. For the new answer,
> in 2013 there were 2,345 different events with a total attendance
> of over 70,000,000.
 
Bowling
 
> Vegas casinos? In 1981 it was craps. According to a 2008
> Atlantic Monthly article, the new answer makes up about 70%
> of the average Las Vegas casino's gambling income.
 
Poker
 
 
> 9. In 1981 the answer was Ingemar Johansson. When this game was
> played on the date indicated above, it was Wladimir Klitschko.
> Since then it's changed again. What was the question?
 
Who is the latest WHITE heavy weight champion in boxing?
 
 
 
> 1. Original: "Taurus" (1968), by a band called Spirit. Accused:
> a British band. They released the song in 1971, but the
> copyright suit was not filed until 2014.
 
Sounds a bit like Mike Oldfield, but 'they' does not fit,
nor that he stole it...
 
 
> 1. According to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund,
> which founding member of the European Economic Community has
> the highest GDP per capita of any country in the world?
Luxembourg
 
 
 
> 3. The world's third-largest island is Borneo. There are three
> countries located partly or wholly on Borneo. One is Indonesia;
> a second is Malaysia; what is the third?
Brunei
 
> Kazakhstan have the second-longest. Of the two countries that
> share the third-longest border, one starts and ends with A
> while the other has no A in its name. Name the latter.
 
Chile
 
> drink mocha is named?
 
> 6. In which country will you find the only remaining one of the
> Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?
Egypt
 
 
> 7. Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao are the three main geographical
> divisions of which archipelago nation?
Phillipines
 
> Double-landlocked means that it is entirely surrounded by
> landlocked countries. Uzbekistan is one of the two. What is
> the other? Hint: it's in Europe.
 
Lichteinstein
 
> Russia has the longest coastline and Norway the second-longest.
> Which country comes third in Europe, with over 1,000 km more
> coastline than #4, the UK?
 
Sweden
 
 
> 10. Viti Levu and Vanua Levu are the two most important and populous
> islands of which Pacific island nation?
 
Ninevu
 
 
--
--
Björn
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