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Rotating Quiz #217

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Mark Brader

unread,
Apr 14, 2016, 5:43:30 PM4/14/16
to
Welcome to Rotating Quiz #217.

My thanks to Chris Johnson for running RQ 216 and for writing a
contest that allowed me to win. The winner of RQ 217, in turn, will
be the first choice to set RQ 218, in whatever manner they prefer.

Please answer these questions based only on your own knowledge;
put all of your answers in a single posting, quoting the question
before each one. Answer slates must be posted by noon on Wednesday,
April 20 (by Toronto time, zone -4), which gives you 5 days and
somewhat over 18 hours from the time of posting.


On this contest questions #1-17 are worth 4 points each. Some are
all-or-nothing (unless I decide to give pity points for answers
that are almost correct), but others are designed with scope for
part marks as set out below.

In case of a tie, The first tiebreaker is how well you answer
question #18, the second tiebreaker is who answered the hardest
questions, and the third tiebreaker is who posted first.


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.

2. Name the character for 3 points, and the 2010 fantasy movie
that introduced her for 1.

3. Give its common name in English.

4. Who is this? 1 point each, up to a maximum of 3, for the first
and last names of the character and the actress; 1 point for
the title of the 1951 movie.

5. What is it?

6. What title has been blanked out?

7. Two words with the same etymology and very similar spellings.
One refers to an object many of which can be found in our solar
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.

8. The later seasons of the TV series "Star Trek: Voyager" featured
a regular character who had been liberated from the Borg.
For 2 points, name the lab where this character often worked
-- one that was created especially to suit her expertise.
For 2 points more, give her name. (The short one-word name
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.)

9. What invertebrate sea creature commonly has 5 arms? Give its
common name in English.

10. Complete this line from a 1952 musical-comedy movie:

"'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.)

11. In 1999 in the US, President Clinton was impeached on (and
acquitted of) charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.
The independent counsel and special prosecutor whose
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.

12. The fictional newspaper the "Daily Planet", where Superman
worked in his secret identity as Clark Kent, was named after
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.

13. This movie was nominated for 5 Oscars, winning one for visual
effects, and counted among its executive producers an emeritus
Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech, whose
ideas were featured in the story. Name the movie for 3 points
and the professor for 1.

By now you should have noticed that this quiz has a theme.
For each of questions #13-16, give a single word that fits the
theme and names the thing described. In one case there are two
possible answers; for that question give either one for 3 points
or both for 4.

14. This is when people who want to promote something, such
as a commercial product or a political position, attempt to
simulate the appearance that it has widespread popular support.
For example, they might post messages on computerized media
using many different false identities.

15. The Jetsons' dog.

16. Catastrophe.

17. *

18. (Tiebreaker.) Explain in complete detail the etymology behind
answer #14.

--
Mark Brader | "Well, in difficult circumstances, sacrifices do
Toronto | have to be made -- especially by ordinary people."
m...@vex.net | --Sir Humphrey ("Yes, Prime Minister" (2013), Lynn & Jay)

My text in this article is in the public domain.

Dan Tilque

unread,
Apr 14, 2016, 11:47:57 PM4/14/16
to
Mark Brader wrote:
>
>
> 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.
>
> 2. Name the character for 3 points, and the 2010 fantasy movie
> that introduced her for 1.

Elsa in "Frozen"

>
> 3. Give its common name in English.

aster

>
> 4. Who is this? 1 point each, up to a maximum of 3, for the first
> and last names of the character and the actress; 1 point for
> the title of the 1951 movie.

Astrid

>
> 5. What is it?

astrolab

>
> 6. What title has been blanked out?

Stern

>
> 7. Two words with the same etymology and very similar spellings.
> One refers to an object many of which can be found in our solar
> 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

>
> 8. The later seasons of the TV series "Star Trek: Voyager" featured
> a regular character who had been liberated from the Borg.
> For 2 points, name the lab where this character often worked
> -- one that was created especially to suit her expertise.
> For 2 points more, give her name. (The short one-word name
> 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.)
>
> 9. What invertebrate sea creature commonly has 5 arms? Give its
> common name in English.

starfish

>
> 10. Complete this line from a 1952 musical-comedy movie:
>
> "'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

>
> 11. In 1999 in the US, President Clinton was impeached on (and
> acquitted of) charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.
> The independent counsel and special prosecutor whose
> 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

>
> 12. The fictional newspaper the "Daily Planet", where Superman
> worked in his secret identity as Clark Kent, was named after
> 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.

New York Sun

>
> 13. This movie was nominated for 5 Oscars, winning one for visual
> effects, and counted among its executive producers an emeritus
> Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech, whose
> ideas were featured in the story. Name the movie for 3 points
> and the professor for 1.
>
> By now you should have noticed that this quiz has a theme.
> For each of questions #13-16, give a single word that fits the
> theme and names the thing described. In one case there are two
> possible answers; for that question give either one for 3 points
> or both for 4.

You mean 14-17 here, right?

>
> 14. This is when people who want to promote something, such
> as a commercial product or a political position, attempt to
> simulate the appearance that it has widespread popular support.
> For example, they might post messages on computerized media
> using many different false identities.
>
> 15. The Jetsons' dog.

Astro

>
> 16. Catastrophe.

disaster

>
> 17. *

asterisk; star

>
> 18. (Tiebreaker.) Explain in complete detail the etymology behind
> answer #14.
>


--
Dan Tilque

Mark Brader

unread,
Apr 15, 2016, 12:37:54 AM4/15/16
to
Where it says "For each of questions #13-16, give a single word..."
that is, obviously, supposed to be #14-17. As you may guess, at
some point I added a question and missed one of the places I had
to edit. Sorry about that, folks.
--
Mark Brader, Toronto | "X-ray of girl shows bureaucratic mentality"
m...@vex.net | --Globe & Mail, Toronto, January 18, 1988

Marc Dashevsky

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Apr 15, 2016, 9:33:21 AM4/15/16
to
In article <mYidnWAXiMCcko3K...@giganews.com>, m...@vex.net says...
> On this contest questions #1-17 are worth 4 points each. Some are
> all-or-nothing (unless I decide to give pity points for answers
> that are almost correct), but others are designed with scope for
> part marks as set out below.
>
> In case of a tie, The first tiebreaker is how well you answer
> question #18, the second tiebreaker is who answered the hardest
> questions, and the third tiebreaker is who posted first.
>
>
> 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

> 4. Who is this? 1 point each, up to a maximum of 3, for the first
> and last names of the character and the actress; 1 point for
> the title of the 1951 movie.
>
> 5. What is it?
astrolabe

> 6. What title has been blanked out?
>
> 7. Two words with the same etymology and very similar spellings.
> One refers to an object many of which can be found in our solar
> 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

> 8. The later seasons of the TV series "Star Trek: Voyager" featured
> a regular character who had been liberated from the Borg.
> For 2 points, name the lab where this character often worked
> -- one that was created especially to suit her expertise.
> For 2 points more, give her name. (The short one-word name
> 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.)
>
> 9. What invertebrate sea creature commonly has 5 arms? Give its
> common name in English.
starfish

> 10. Complete this line from a 1952 musical-comedy movie:
>
> "'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.)
>
> 11. In 1999 in the US, President Clinton was impeached on (and
> acquitted of) charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.
> The independent counsel and special prosecutor whose
> 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

> 12. The fictional newspaper the "Daily Planet", where Superman
> worked in his secret identity as Clark Kent, was named after
> 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

> 13. This movie was nominated for 5 Oscars, winning one for visual
> effects, and counted among its executive producers an emeritus
> Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech, whose
> ideas were featured in the story. Name the movie for 3 points
> and the professor for 1.
>
> By now you should have noticed that this quiz has a theme.
> For each of questions #13-16, give a single word that fits the
> theme and names the thing described. In one case there are two
> possible answers; for that question give either one for 3 points
> or both for 4.
>
> 14. This is when people who want to promote something, such
> as a commercial product or a political position, attempt to
> simulate the appearance that it has widespread popular support.
> For example, they might post messages on computerized media
> using many different false identities.
>
> 15. The Jetsons' dog.
Astro

> 16. Catastrophe.
disaster

> 17. *
asterisk

> 18. (Tiebreaker.) Explain in complete detail the etymology behind
> answer #14.



--
Replace "usenet" with "marc" in the e-mail address.

Peter Smyth

unread,
Apr 15, 2016, 1:45:50 PM4/15/16
to
Mark Brader wrote:

> Welcome to Rotating Quiz #217.
>
> My thanks to Chris Johnson for running RQ 216 and for writing a
> contest that allowed me to win. The winner of RQ 217, in turn, will
> be the first choice to set RQ 218, in whatever manner they prefer.
>
> Please answer these questions based only on your own knowledge;
> put all of your answers in a single posting, quoting the question
> before each one. Answer slates must be posted by noon on Wednesday,
> April 20 (by Toronto time, zone -4), which gives you 5 days and
> somewhat over 18 hours from the time of posting.
>
>
> On this contest questions #1-17 are worth 4 points each. Some are
> all-or-nothing (unless I decide to give pity points for answers
> that are almost correct), but others are designed with scope for
> part marks as set out below.
>
> In case of a tie, The first tiebreaker is how well you answer
> question #18, the second tiebreaker is who answered the hardest
> questions, and the third tiebreaker is who posted first.
>
>
> 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.
>
> 2. Name the character for 3 points, and the 2010 fantasy movie
> that introduced her for 1.
Elsa, Frozen
> 3. Give its common name in English.
>
> 4. Who is this? 1 point each, up to a maximum of 3, for the first
> and last names of the character and the actress; 1 point for
> the title of the 1951 movie.
>
> 5. What is it?
>
> 6. What title has been blanked out?
Bild
> 7. Two words with the same etymology and very similar spellings.
> One refers to an object many of which can be found in our solar
> 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
> 8. The later seasons of the TV series "Star Trek: Voyager" featured
> a regular character who had been liberated from the Borg.
> For 2 points, name the lab where this character often worked
> -- one that was created especially to suit her expertise.
> For 2 points more, give her name. (The short one-word name
> 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
> 10. Complete this line from a 1952 musical-comedy movie:
>
> "'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.)
>
> 11. In 1999 in the US, President Clinton was impeached on (and
> acquitted of) charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.
> The independent counsel and special prosecutor whose
> 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
> 12. The fictional newspaper the "Daily Planet", where Superman
> worked in his secret identity as Clark Kent, was named after
> 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.
>
> 13. This movie was nominated for 5 Oscars, winning one for visual
> effects, and counted among its executive producers an emeritus
> Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech, whose
> ideas were featured in the story. Name the movie for 3 points
> and the professor for 1.
>
> By now you should have noticed that this quiz has a theme.
> For each of questions #13-16, give a single word that fits the
> theme and names the thing described. In one case there are two
> possible answers; for that question give either one for 3 points
> or both for 4.
>
> 14. This is when people who want to promote something, such
> as a commercial product or a political position, attempt to
> 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

unread,
Apr 15, 2016, 2:51:22 PM4/15/16
to
Mark Brader (m...@vex.net) writes:
> 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?)

> 7. Two words with the same etymology and very similar spellings.
> One refers to an object many of which can be found in our solar
> 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.)

> 10. Complete this line from a 1952 musical-comedy movie:
>
> "'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

> 12. The fictional newspaper the "Daily Planet", where Superman
> worked in his secret identity as Clark Kent, was named after
> 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, esq...@sommarskog.se

Dan Blum

unread,
Apr 18, 2016, 11:40:11 PM4/18/16
to
Mark Brader <m...@vex.net> wrote:

> 1. Give the manufacturer for 1 point and the model name for 3.

Boeing Starliner

> 3. Give its common name in English.

aster

> 4. Who is this? 1 point each, up to a maximum of 3, for the first
> and last names of the character and the actress; 1 point for
> the title of the 1951 movie.

A Star is Born

> 5. What is it?

astrolabe

> 6. What title has been blanked out?

Stern

> 7. Two words with the same etymology and very similar spellings.
> One refers to an object many of which can be found in our solar
> 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, asteroil

> 8. The later seasons of the TV series "Star Trek: Voyager" featured
> a regular character who had been liberated from the Borg.
> For 2 points, name the lab where this character often worked
> -- one that was created especially to suit her expertise.
> For 2 points more, give her name. (The short one-word name
> 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

> 10. Complete this line from a 1952 musical-comedy movie:

> "'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

> 11. In 1999 in the US, President Clinton was impeached on (and
> acquitted of) charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.
> The independent counsel and special prosecutor whose
> 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

> 12. The fictional newspaper the "Daily Planet", where Superman
> worked in his secret identity as Clark Kent, was named after
> 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.

Chicago Sun-Times

> 13. This movie was nominated for 5 Oscars, winning one for visual
> effects, and counted among its executive producers an emeritus
> Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech, whose
> ideas were featured in the story. Name the movie for 3 points
> and the professor for 1.

Interstellar

> 14. This is when people who want to promote something, such
> as a commercial product or a political position, attempt to
> simulate the appearance that it has widespread popular support.
> For example, they might post messages on computerized media
> using many different false identities.

astroturfing

> 15. The Jetsons' dog.

Astro

> 16. Catastrophe.

disaster

> 17. *

asterisk

> 18. (Tiebreaker.) Explain in complete detail the etymology behind
> answer #14.

Widespread popular support is often called "grassroots" support.
Astroturf is a brand of artificial grass used in stadiums which many
people dislike. It is therefore applied to attempts to fake support
to convey the artificial nature of the support and the distate felt
for it.

--
_______________________________________________________________________
Dan Blum to...@panix.com
"I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't just made it up."

Mark Brader

unread,
Apr 19, 2016, 9:45:46 PM4/19/16
to
You still have over 14 hours to enter RQ 217 as I repost this.
See the original posting for further details.

Mark Brader

unread,
Apr 20, 2016, 2:13:53 PM4/20/16
to
Mark Brader:
> Welcome to Rotating Quiz #217... The winner of RQ 217, in turn,
> will be the first choice to set RQ 218, in whatever manner they
> prefer.

RQ 217 is over and the *star* entrant from a field of 5 is DAN BLUM.
Congratulations, sir!


> 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. (Also accepting "Super Constellation"
for the model, as they appear similar.) 4 for Marc.

> 2. Name the character for 3 points, and the 2010 fantasy movie
> that introduced her for 1.

Astrid, "How to Train Your Dragon".

Two entrants guessed Elsa in "Frozen". Besides not fitting
the theme, if the images I googled up are representative, this
character is more likely to be found wearing diaphanous blue
dresses than a heavy brown tunic with shoulder armor.

> 3. Give its common name in English.

Aster. 4 for Dan Tilque, Marc, Erland, and Dan Blum.

> 4. Who is this? 1 point each, up to a maximum of 3, for the first
> and last names of the character and the actress; 1 point for
> the title of the 1951 movie.

Kim Hunter as Stella Kowalski in "A Streetcar Named Desire".

("Stella!!")

> 5. What is it?

Astrolabe. 4 for Dan Tilque, Marc, and Dan Blum.

> 6. What title has been blanked out?

"Stern". 4 for Dan Tilque, Erland, and Dan Blum.

If Google Translate is correct, the headline under Obama's name means
"Savior or Deceiver?"

> 7. Two words with the same etymology and very similar spellings.
> One refers to an object many of which can be found in our solar
> 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. 4 for Peter. 3 for Dan Tilque, Marc, Erland,
and Dan Blum.

> 8. The later seasons of the TV series "Star Trek: Voyager" featured
> a regular character who had been liberated from the Borg.
> For 2 points, name the lab where this character often worked
> -- one that was created especially to suit her expertise.
> For 2 points more, give her name. (The short one-word name
> 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.)

Astrometrics; 7 of 9, tertiary adjunct of Unimatrix 01 ("7" was
sufficient for 1 point, "7 of 9" for 2), formerly Annika Hansen.
2 for Peter and Dan Blum.

> 9. What invertebrate sea creature commonly has 5 arms? Give its
> common name in English.

Starfish. Also accepting "sea star", a less common name that is
sometimes used. 4 for everyone -- Dan Tilque, Marc, Peter, Erland,
and Dan Blum.

> 10. Complete this line from a 1952 musical-comedy movie:

> "'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 in the cinema firmament. It says so, right there!" (Jean Hagen
as Lina Lamont in "Singin' in the Rain".) 1 for Dan Tilque, Erland,
and Dan Blum.

> 11. In 1999 in the US, President Clinton was impeached on (and
> acquitted of) charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.
> The independent counsel and special prosecutor whose
> 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 (or Kenneth) Starr. 4 for Dan Tilque, Marc, Peter, and Dan Blum.

> 12. The fictional newspaper the "Daily Planet", where Superman
> worked in his secret identity as Clark Kent, was named after
> 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.

"Toronto Daily Star", now "Toronto Star". 4 for Erland. 3 for Marc.

> 13. This movie was nominated for 5 Oscars, winning one for visual
> effects, and counted among its executive producers an emeritus
> Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech, whose
> ideas were featured in the story. Name the movie for 3 points
> and the professor for 1.

"Interstellar" (2014), Kip Thorne. 3 for Dan Blum.

> By now you should have noticed that this quiz has a theme.

To make it explicit: all answers contain a word or word element
meaning "star".

> For each of questions #13-16,

(Er, that is, #14-17.)

> give a single word that fits the theme and names the thing
> described. In one case there are two possible answers; for
> that question give either one for 3 points or both for 4.

> 14. This is when people who want to promote something, such
> as a commercial product or a political position, attempt to
> simulate the appearance that it has widespread popular support.
> For example, they might post messages on computerized media
> using many different false identities.

Astroturfing. 4 for Dan Blum.

> 15. The Jetsons' dog.

Astro. 4 for Dan Tilque, Marc, and Dan Blum.

> 16. Catastrophe.

Disaster. 4 for Dan Tilque, Marc, and Dan Blum.

> 17. *

Asterisk, star. 4 for Dan Tilque. 3 for Marc, Erland, and Dan Blum.

> 18. (Tiebreaker.) Explain in complete detail the etymology behind
> answer #14.

Space travelers working for NASA are called "astronauts", from Greek
roots meaning "star" and "sailor". In 1964 NASA's Manned Space Center
(now the Johnson Space Center) opened on its new permanent site
near Houston (now in Houston). The next year, the recently formed
Houston Colt .45s baseball team moved into their new permanent home,
the Harris County Domed Stadium, and in commemoration of NASA, the
team was renamed the Houston Astros and the stadium was unofficially
(later officially) renamed the "Astrodome". When it turned out
that that grass did not grow well under the dome, newly developed
artificial turf was substituted. This was given the brand name
"Astroturf" after the team and the stadium. Genuine popular support
for something is known as "grass-roots support". And if Astroturf
is fake grass, then faking grass-roots support must be "astroturfing".

As the only one to get #14, Dan Blum had the only chance to answer
this. He gave a part of the complete answer. But he had already won
without the tiebreaker. Scores, if there are no errors:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 TOTALS

Dan Blum 0 0 4 0 4 4 3 2 4 1 4 0 3 4 4 4 3 44
Marc Dashevsky 4 0 4 0 4 0 3 0 4 0 4 3 0 0 4 4 3 37
Dan Tilque 0 0 4 0 4 4 3 0 4 1 4 0 0 0 4 4 4 36
Erland Sommarskog 0 0 4 0 0 4 3 0 4 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 3 23
Peter Smyth 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 4 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 14

4 0 16 0 12 12 16 4 20 3 16 7 3 4 12 12 13

--
Mark Brader "Unfortunately for the grass, the cold water is
Toronto moving at over half the speed of sound."
m...@vex.net --Randall Munroe

Dan Blum

unread,
Apr 20, 2016, 3:44:34 PM4/20/16
to
Mark Brader <m...@vex.net> wrote:
> Mark Brader:
> > Welcome to Rotating Quiz #217... The winner of RQ 217, in turn,
> > will be the first choice to set RQ 218, in whatever manner they
> > prefer.
>
> RQ 217 is over and the *star* entrant from a field of 5 is DAN BLUM.
> Congratulations, sir!


> > 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. (Also accepting "Super Constellation"
> for the model, as they appear similar.) 4 for Marc.

It doesn't matter, but I note that there were several models of
Constellation and this particular one was the Starliner. In fact
Wikipedia uses the same picture for their Starliner article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_L-1649_Starliner

Admittedly I did get the manufacturer wrong.

Mark Brader

unread,
Apr 20, 2016, 9:38:13 PM4/20/16
to
Mark Brader:
>>> 1. Give the manufacturer for 1 point and the model name for 3.

>> Lockheed Constellation. (Also accepting "Super Constellation"
>> for the model, as they appear similar.) 4 for Marc.

Dan Blum:
> It doesn't matter, but I note that there were several models of
> Constellation and this particular one was the Starliner.

Huh! I did not know that, even though I probably saw that name when
I was searching for the picture. Well, it clearly fits the theme,
so another 3 for Dan Blum, then. Thanks.

Scores, if there are now no errors:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 TOTALS

Dan Blum 3 0 4 0 4 4 3 2 4 1 4 0 3 4 4 4 3 47
Marc Dashevsky 4 0 4 0 4 0 3 0 4 0 4 3 0 0 4 4 3 37
Dan Tilque 0 0 4 0 4 4 3 0 4 1 4 0 0 0 4 4 4 36
Erland Sommarskog 0 0 4 0 0 4 3 0 4 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 3 23
Peter Smyth 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 4 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 14

7 0 16 0 12 12 16 4 20 3 16 7 3 4 12 12 13

--
Mark Brader, Toronto "Dr. Slipher, I have found your Planet X."
m...@vex.net -- Clyde Tombaugh (1906-97), 1930-02-18
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