Tough Thursday Trivia; The Most Challenging Trivia You've Ever Read

Tough Thursday Trivia

By Jake Vigliotti

Cover Design by Hunter Lansche

© Jake Vigliotti 2013

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

For my mother, who told me to write what I know. Unfortunately, I know useless facts.

This is the most challenging trivia you’ve ever tried. The thing about these questions is you’ve probably heard about every single question at some point in your life, it’s just a matter of figuring out why you remember it. Pop culture is a big drawing point for the questions, and when you see the answers you might understand why you’d heard of it. The best thing about this book is the answers are explained; no one-word responses. It’ll all make sense as soon as you get started. So open up a notepad or break out the ole quill and papyrus and get started!

Table Of Contents

Round 1

Round 1 Answers

Round 2

Round 2 Answers

Round 3

Round 3 Answers

Round 4

Round 4 Answers

Round 5

Round 5 Answers

Round 6

Round 6 Answers

Round 7

Round 7 Answers

Round 8

Round 8 Answers

Round 9

Round 9 Answers

Round 10

Round 10 Answers

Round 11

Round 11 Answers

Round 12

Round 12 Answers

Round 13

Round 13 Answers

Round 14

Round 14 Answers

Round 15

Round 15 Answers

Round 16

Round 16 Answers

Round 17

Round 17 Answers

Round 18

Round 18 Answers

Round 19

Round 19 Answers

Round 20

Round 20 Answers

Round 21

Round 21 Answers

Round 22

Round 22 Answers

Round 23

Round 23 Answers

Round 24

Round 24 Answers

Round 25

Round 25 Answers

Round 26

Round 26 Answers

Round 27

Round 27 Answers

Round 28

Round 28 Answers

Round 29

Round 29 Answers

Round 30

Round 30 Answers

Round 31

Round 31 Answers

Round 32

Round 32 Answers

Thanksgiving Round

Thanksgiving Round Answers

Round 33

Round 33 Answers

Round 34

Round 34 Answers

Round 35

Round 35 Answers

Round 36

Round 36 Answers

Round 37

Round 37 Answers

Round 38

Round 38 Answers

Round 39

Round 39 Answers

Round 40

Round 40 Answers

Round 41

Round 41 Answers

Round 42

Round 42 Answers

Round 43

Round 43 Answers

Round 44

Round 44 Answers

Round 45

Round 45 Answers

Round 46

Round 46 Answers

Round 47

Round 47 Answers

Round 48

Round 48 Answers

Round 49

Round 49 Answers

Round 50

Round 50 Answers

Round 51

Round 51 Answers

Round 52

Round 52 Answers

Prologue:

These questions originated in 2006 on the website antsmarching.org, a fansite dedicated to the Dave Matthews Band. Why Thursday? Simply because DMB rarely performed on Thursdays, so it gave the website members something to do while DMB was on their travel day. Each question is evergreen, meaning it doesn’t matter when you try these questions, all the answers will still apply. The scope of the original layout was a weekly contest (on Thursdays, but you already figured that part out), so the questions are broken up into rounds – 52 in all with one Holiday edition (1325 questions in all). If you did play the original rounds at the website, you’ll find numerous changes throughout the rounds; basically all the bad questions were tossed out and a lot more were re-worded for clarity. No category is off-limits; music, politics, history, religion, sports, you name it, it’ll probably be in here. The title of the book isn’t just a catchy alliteration ploy; the questions are really tough! So take your time, and think ‘em through, there’s enough pop culture references sprinkled throughout to keep you guessing. To offer up a bit of a hint, as the game went weekly, I adjusted the questions accordingly. There was a girl who played weekly that was a Beatles savant, so the Beatles questions go from tough to oh come on! (She never missed one) And there were some non-Americans that played, so don’t be shocked to see a few questions that will challenge your knowledge of the whole wide world. Good luck! And just remember, we’re all counting on you.

Round 1

1. What is Garret Hobart best known for?

2. What does the JC Stand for in JC Penny?

3. What do Richard the Lionhearted, Winston Churchill, Alexander The Great, and Greg Louganis have specifically in common?

4. Which university did Michael Jordan play his last college game against?

5. How did President Franklin Pierce pronounce his last name?

6. The word Seminole a Creek Indian word. What does it mean in English?

7. Bet Freeman’s 1781 lawsuit established what state precedent?

8. What is the television term for the video playing while a news anchor or reporter speaks without being seen on camera?

9. What are the names the 5 Marx Brothers?

10. In what city did Elliott Ness fail to solve a series of gruesome murders in the 1930’s?

11. Who was the first US President to be elected to consecutive terms representing two different political parties?

12. What is the term where numerous households share a common phone line?

13. What minority ethnic group averages the largest gross earnings in the US?

14. What New Jersey founded beer company is famous for having a puzzle on the cap of its suds?

15. The Flintstones was a cartoon based on what live-action TV show?

16. What city loaned its City Hall to the movie Lethal Weapon 3 to be blown up?

17. Aye Aye, Fat Tailed Dwarf, and Indri are species of which animal?

18. What famous Confederate General joined the hated Republican Party after the Civil War and is greatly remembered in the South as a failure and pariah?

19. What is the former name of Zimbabwe?

20. What is the root language of English?

21. What do Moses, Winston Churchill, Lewis Carroll, and Greg Louganis have in common?

22. What city did Muslims originally face when praying?

23. What did actor Fred Dryer do professionally before acting?

24. What was the first film to win a Best Picture Oscar coming from the Horror genera, according to the academy?

25. What body part(s) does the Hindu God Vishnu have more than most people?

Round 1 answers

1. Vice President of the U.S. Garret Hobart was VP under William McKinley. He died in office in 1899 (Heart failure), which opened the door for Teddy Roosevelt to become the VP on the next election ticket. He also happened to be what you could call the first modern day Vice President; prior to him, VP’s were simply figureheads, but he actually advised McKinley on many subjects.

2. James Cash. He could very well be the only person with a double-monetary name.

3. All 4 had a known or admitted homosexual relation in their lives. As David Bowie would say, he’s not gay anymore. Churchill might make the same argument, but he did not deny the encounter, and remarked it was quite good.

4. Indiana University. Michael Jordan was bounced from the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament by Indiana in 1984, his junior and last year at North Carolina. Jordan fouled out of the 50-48 loss and scored only 13 points.

5. Purse, as in the lady’s handbag. Some history books incorrectly list Purse as his nickname, but it was the New Hampshire accent that turned Pierce into Purse.

6. Seminole in English is Runaway. The Seminole tribe has sometimes been cast in a poor light by other Indian tribes, due to the origin of their name (inferring they are all runaways). The Creek words ishi semoli literally mean Those who the Sun God does not love. Some have claimed that the word is from the Spanish word for runaway, Cimarron.

7. It made slavery illegal in Massachusetts. Bet Freeman and her child walked down to the home of Theodore Sedgwick, a lawyer and friend of her master Col. John Ashley, and asked Sedgwick to represent her so she could be free, as the colonists were free from the English. In 1783, Massachusetts became the first state to abolish slavery. Connecticut, and then the other New England states followed suit and outlawed slavery in their states citing this landmark lawsuit. The south, as you know, did not follow along.

8. VO (Voice Over). It is called B-Roll by some TV stations, but B-Roll can also refer to video used in an edited package with an edited on audio track. Older television folk may refer to it by Roll Over, as in the video rolls over the person talking. That wording is seldom used in TV today.

9. Groucho, Harpo, Zeppo, Chico, and Gummo. Gummo is the forgotten Marx, because he quit acting before the brothers made it big. He was, however, famous for representing the 4 others, and was known as a very good Hollywood agent.

10. The Cleveland Torso Murders (also known as the Kingsbury Run Murders). At least 12 murders took place in Cleveland (it expands up toward 40 if you begin to include some other cities, including as far away as Pittsburgh). The bodies were found as you’d expect from someone called the Torso Murder; arms and legs (and sometimes heads) were removed.

11. Abraham Lincoln. He was a Republican 1st term and part of the National Union Party (or Union for short) in 1864. It was made up of Republicans and Democrats loyal to the Union side.

12. Party line. They were still used in residential neighborhoods in the 1970’s.

13. Arab-Americans average $52,000 a year annually. That is brought way up by the large number of Arab doctors practicing in the US.

14. Ballantine. As the Beastie Boys rapped, Ballantine comes with the Puzzle on the cap (High Plains Drifter). Know your Beastie Boys, know your Ballantine.

15. The Honeymooners. And in case you’re wondering, no, Jackie Gleason didn’t have a pet dinosaur. But neither did the Flintstones at first. Dino was a character added later. The true homage is the relationship between Fred and Wilma, and their nutty neighbors.

16. Orlando, FL. The mayor of Orlando had a speaking role in the movie, saying, Good Job.

17. The Lemur. Ring Tailed is the most commonly known species.

18. James Longstreet. General Longstreet is just now receiving his just due as one of the greatest military minds in the history of Battle. His reputation was (and still is) besmirched by southern apologists in numerous books due to his political leanings.

19. Rhodesia. Zimbabwe was named for Cecil Rhodes, and English businessman. Sadly, the country is torn apart by racism now.

20. Germanic. It was Germanic invaders in the early AD’s that left the language on that tiny island north of France.

21. The 4 stuttered. Churchill and Louganis could control it, but Moses and Lewis Carroll could not. Once, Carroll gave a speech to Parliament and requested that the windows be closed so anyone outside did not know of his secret stuttering issue.

22. Jerusalem. The change to Mecca (more specifically, the Kaaba) occurred during the lifetime of Muhammad.

23. Fred Dryer was a pro football player (Rams). He was also the first choice to play Sam Malone on Cheers.

24. Silence Of the Lambs. It also won every major award: Picture, Director, Writing (adapted Screenplay), Actor, and Actress.

25. Vishnu has extra arms. As sung by Apu on the Simpsons. He has extra hands too. He is also the supreme god in Hinduism.

Round 2

1. Against whom did the US fight in their first war after obtaining independence from the British?

2. What North American country received independence next after the US?

3. What fruits true name is the Chinese Gooseberry?

4. Into What Religion was Adolph Hitler baptized?

5. What was the nationality of the character Aladdin from the book 1001 Nights?

6. Where was singer Tom Jones born (country)?

7. What oddly spelled word means a basin on or adjacent to a mountain usually formed by a retreating glacier?

8. What did Walt Disney originally name Mickey Mouse?

9. What is the root language of Romanian?

10. What two countries are native homes to the alligator?

11. What does the LL and J stand for in LL Cool J?

12. The Hittites from the Old Testament were from the area located in what modern country?

13. How is the word Juan pronounced in Lord Byron’s epic poem, Don Juan (phonetically or words like it)?

14. What actor’s real name was Archie Leach?

15. What 1980’s comedy featured a character named Archie Leach?

16. What US President spun off the Department of Education to its own department?

17. On whose side did the Catholic Church fight/support during the Spanish Civil War?

18. What was the name of the territory that separated itself from North Carolina in 1784 and fell two votes shy of becoming the 14th state in 1785?

19. What is the name of the area located on the France/German border known for its good farm land and iron ore fields?

20. Where was the Buddha born?

21. Which US state consumes the most Spam?

22. Joseph Jenkins Roberts was the 1st President of which African nation?

23. What Canadian gained notoriety for attempting to run across Canada with an artificial leg?

24. What soundtrack song became a popular hit in 1983 (reaching #7) after its movie was released on HBO?

25. What plan created by a US Sectary of State and French Foreign Minister – ratified by 65 countries – denounced war and denied it as a policy?

Round 2 answers

1. The Barbary Coast (or Barbary States). It was mainly a naval war fought against a group of city-states known collectively as the Barbary Coast or States. It is the true ‘lost war’ fought by the US. The US won, by the way.

2. Haiti in 1804. France did little to stop Haiti’s independence movement. England immediately recognized Haiti (since they were at war with France). The US didn’t recognize Haiti until 1863. They actually put an embargo on Haiti in 1806.

3. Kiwi. It’s grown in New Zealand now. It was done for marketing purposes, and it worked.

4. Roman Catholic. He wasn’t a very good Catholic. His mother was actually quite devout.

5. Chinese. The whole original story takes place in China. The original story may be as old as the 9th Century, but the tale didn’t move to Arabia until around the 1700’s.

6. Wales. If you want to be a pain you can say United Kingdom, but that’s a sovereign state, and the country of Wales is located within the sover.

7. Cwm. A Cwm and a Cirque is the same thing, and you could argue that Cirque is an oddly spelled word, but how many words do you know that use that forgotten ‘sometimes W’ vowel rule. The word is originally Welsh (like Tom Jones), where the W is most often found in its vowel-state. It is pronounced k oo m

8. Mortimer. Walt’s wife talked him into Mickey.

9. Latin. Romania was named after Rome, and was a stopping point for the crusaders before they ventured into Muslim held lands. That’s why Romania is the best example of a mix of Latin, Italian, Spanish, and French. A Spanish or Italian speaker has a pretty good shot at figuring out what a Romanian is saying.

10. US and China. The very rare Chinese Alligator is located in the Yangtze River. It’s extremely endangered (only about 300 remain). They get to a mere 6 feet in length (on average).

11. Ladies Love Cool James. He had his first hit single at age 16.

12. Turkey. The Hittites eventually moved down to modern day Syria, but their roots are deep in modern day Turkey.

13. Jew-an, or Joo-on(an). We know this by the rhyming pattern used by Byron. That was part of the joke in the satirical poem.

14. Cary Grant. He wanted Cary Lockwood, but studio executives liked Grant. It sounds better than Archie Leach, which sounds more like a barrister.

15. A Fish Called Wanda. That was part of the joke. There’s also a scene in the movie where Eric Idle slowly rises behind Jamie Leigh Curtis, the same way Michael Myers did (with JLC) in the movie Halloween.

16. Jimmy Carter. Prior to that, it was a branch of the Health and Human Services Department.

17. The Nationalists/Fascists/Franco. The Catholic Church emphatically supported the ‘rebels’ in the Spanish Civil War.

18. Franklin. It was not a state, but known as the Republic of Franklin. They almost struck a deal with Spain to become a territory of that country 1786. The Republic of Franklin is now occupied by the state of Tennessee.

19. Alsace-Lorraine. The land was the principle territory fought over for agricultural reasons in WWI and WWII, and also played a role in the Franco-Prussian War.

20. India/Nepal. Only recently has scholarship tended to say that the Buddha may have been born in Nepal. It’s probably more correct to say the India/Nepal boarder, but both answers are correct. Siddhartha Gautama was born into a royal family, and had he chosen, he did not have to leave his property during his life, and could have been waited on hand-and-foot.

21. Hawaii. Hawaiians’ love Spam to the tune that fast food restaurants (like McDonald’s and Burger King) serve it there.

22. Liberia. The country founded by the American Colonization Society. Jenkins was born in Norfolk, VA.

23. Terry Fox. Cancer spread and he did not finish his journey across Canada. But he did raise $24 million for cancer research.

24. On The Dark Side, John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. After the movie Eddie and the Cruisers appeared on HBO (all the time), people began calling radio stations requesting the song. This was HBO’s moment to shine, showing how many people were really watching the movie channel. It is akin to the Gulf War and CNN finally being seen as a legitimate channel.

25. Kellogg-Briand pact. It was another failed step in the League of Nations. Because it didn’t exactly stop war, you know.

Round 3

1. What 5 Beatles songs occupied the top 5 slots in the Billboard Hot 100 chart the week of April 4, 1964?

2. What political movement did Helen Keller enthusiastically promote and support?

3. Who was the US President when American troops invaded Russia?

4. Which US President reintroduced segregation to the federal Government - for the first time since the Civil War?

5. Which US State has the longest official name?

6. How do you pronounce South Dakota’s state capital, Pierre (phonetically or word similar)?

7. Who declared war on Japan August 8, 1945?

8. What famous American advocated the redistribution of wealth and power to the poorer classes in America and planned an ‘army of the poor’ to march on Washington D.C.?

9. What language did England’s King George I primarily speak?

10. What job in the legal profession – once exclusively male – is now female dominated, making up close to 90% of the workforce?

11. The character Johnny Fontaine in The Godfather is based on what real-life singer?

12. What is Gandhi’s first name?

13. While in South Africa, Gandhi planned to switch to which religion, only to