Trivia Time

[BlueWolf]

It’s been kind of dead around here lately, so let’s see if a little trivia get some action going. Since it’s Oscar week, here’s an Oscar trivia question (Don’t look it up! Give it your best guess). The winner gets an all expense paid trip to their living room, and a huge attaboy from me.

What is the most profanity-laced film, in terms of F-bombs, to be nominated for best picture?

[billyjoe]

My guess, since I just saw it, is Straight Outta Compton.

----------------billy

[Louetta]

Wolf Of Wall Street would be a good bet.

[BlueWolf]

That’s a great guess Billy, but Louetta nailed it. There were over 500 F-Bombs in the movie “The Wolf of Wall Street,” a record for an Oscar nominated best picture.

[BlueWolf]

Here’s a historical trivia question ...

Who was the first US president to have a woman serving in his cabinet?

[mimo_100]

I confess I searched for this answer...

Frances Perkins was the first woman to serve in the Cabinet; she was appointed Secretary of Labor in 1933 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

[BlueWolf]

Got it, Tim. I was a little surprised by the answer.

[BlueWolf]

Here’s a tough one: From which language did English borrow the word “dollar”?

[billyjoe]

I'd say Latin.

----------billy

[tiedyed1]

BlueWolf, the only reason I think I know this one is due to my ex-wife's family being Czech (and I guess that is a bit of history they are proud to share).
But I really do not know the background or why...lol.

[BlueWolf]

Not Latin, Billy.

I did some research, and technically, you are correct, tiedyed. The answer was supposed to be German, but the German word daler (in German taler or thaler) is actually short for Joachimstaler, which refers to a coin from the silver mines of Joachimstal, in Bohemia (now Jáchymov in the Czech Republic). What are the chances anyone would know that? That’s obscure!

[BlueWolf]

Here’s a good one. Try to guess without looking it up. The answer might surprise you. From which president did the following quote come from:

“In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.”

[mimo_100]

Not Latin, Billy.

I did some research, and technically, you are correct, tiedyed. The answer was supposed to be German, but the German word daler (in German taler or thaler) is actually short for Joachimstaler, which refers to a coin from the silver mines of Joachimstal, in Bohemia (now Jáchymov in the Czech Republic). What are the chances anyone would know that? That’s obscure!

Many years ago an avid coin collector told me this story.

At one time there was a coin called a dolar. This coin had eight evenly divided pie-shaped wedges minted into it. Since this was the smallest denomination coin, if you wanted 1/8th of the value, a person would literally "saw off" one of the wedges. This portion of the dolar was called a bit. So, if you wanted 1/4 of the coin, it took 2 bits. Thus the etymology of "two bits" being one quarter.

[mimo_100]

Here’s a good one. Try to guess without looking it up. The answer might surprise you. From which president did the following quote come from:

“In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.”

For me, the tipoff was "military-industrial complex, a term beginning in the 1950's I believe. So my guess would be Eisenhower.

[BlueWolf]

Nailed it, Tim. Man, we got some smart cookies around here. Kind of amazing that this came from our last ex-general president