A Thanksgiving trivia quiz

During this blessed week, we here at The Big Quiz Thing give thanks for many things, both big and small, both quizzy and otherwise. But there's nothing we're more thankful for than trivia. Join us in our joy by taking our Thanksgiving-themed trivia quiz. (Want answers? Visit us on Twitter or Facebook.)

1. In 2013, for the first time ever—and most likely the last time ever—Thanksgiving coincided with what other holiday?

Hiring trivia for holiday parties

Thanksgiving is nearly upon us: The end-of-year holiday season has begun! Prepare for peace and joy (we hope)–and, sadly, the headaches that holiday planning entails. But let's kill two birds with one stone: Let's talk about hiring a corporate trivia company to entertain at your holiday party, to increase your joy while reducing your stress. Read on…

An online Halloween trivia quiz

Costumes, candy, scary movies, plastic decorations, all that good stuff: 'Tis Halloween, the holiest day for lovers of pointless holidays. Balance out your extreme consumption of Milk Duds by feeding your brain with quality seasonal trivia questions. Spooked? Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook and we'll supply the answers…

1. What horror movie monster first appeared in 1932, returning in sequels titled after his hand, his tomb, his ghost, his curse, and that time he met Abbott and Costello?   

Take our online Election Trivia quiz

Only two weeks to go until the end of the world, trivia lovers! Election 2016 Hey, might as well tickle your brain while you're waiting. Need help? Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook…

1. Fill in the BLANKs: On April 27, despite the fact that his chances of winning the Republican nomination were almost totally gone, BLANK named BLANK as his running mate.  


2. Whose name is depicted here?

               

If only trivia nerds voted…

…what would the electoral map look like? Maybe a little something like this:

Something tells me Nate Silver can relate. (Want more trivia factoids on the regular? Follow the Big Quiz Thing on Twitter.)

FOLLOW THE BIG QUIZ THING FOR TRIVIA QUESTIONS, FACTOIDS, AND LINKS

Coffee facts for National Coffee Day

We're never sure who decides these things, but yes, today is "officially" National Coffee Day. So hey, have another cup (I'm midway through the second of the day myself). And while you're enjoying that fresh-brewed caffeinated goodness, peruse this latest factoid-packed blog post, containing some of our favorite beans of coffee trivia…

• Cappuccino is named for its color—the same shade of brown as the habits of Capuchin monks.
  
• Hawaii is the only one of the 50 states that grows coffee.
  
• The Maxwell House brand is named for a hotel in Nashville, Tennessee.
  
• According to legend, coffee was discovered by when an Ethiopian goat-herder named Kaldi noticed that his animals had more energy (and wouldn't sleep) after eating certain beans. (More about this legend and the history of joe is here, courtesy the National Coffee Association.)
  
• A 1967 bestselling book, purporting to offer “the uninhibited memoirs” or two rather promiscuous flight attendants, was cleverly titled Coffee, Tea or Me? (You figure it out.)
  
• The coffeeshop on Frasier was wittily named Café Nervosa. The one on Friends was, of course, Central Perk.
  
• The MooLatté—a frozen coffee drink available at Dairy Queen—attracted much criticism when it was introduced in 2004, for a perceived similarity between the name and an archaic term for people of mixed race. But the DQ persevered, and the drink's name remains.
  
• "We are happy to serve you" is the exact message on the iconic New York City Greek hot-beverage cup, officially named the Anthora design. (We relayed the history of the cup on the actually-really-existed Big Quiz Thing TV show.)

Craving more intelligence? Follow the BQT on Twitter!

HIRE THE BIG QUIZ THING FOR YOUR OWN PROFESSIONAL CUSTOM TRIVIA EVENT!

Adventures in bad trivia games

In honor of Thanksgiving, let me share a little family story: When I was a youngster, we were into games. Some favorites in the future-quizmaster household: Boggle (better than Scrabble, IMO), Sorry! (ceases to be fun past the age of 12), Clue (often inconvenient, since it needs at least three players), rummy cube (classic), the Hawaiian Punch game (honorable mention). We had a big closet of 'em, one of the joys of living in a large suburban house.

So in 1984, when American culture went through a brief spasm of trivia mania, and Trivial Pursuit became a significant sensation, my parents were quick to jump on the bandwagon. We tried playing as a family, but being well under puberty age, I had a lot of trouble with that dastardly original Genus edition. I somehow had a fighting chance with the blue questions—the Geography category, I was big into maps—but otherwise, it was a bloodbath (figuratively speaking; we weren't like that). Papa Quizmaster tended to find something better to do the second he got frustrated; Mama Quizmaster usually claimed victory.

The Pressman toy company (which would later get this song stuck in my head for 20 years) saw an opening and created a kid-oriented, galactic-themed trivia board game, Trivia Adventure. My parents bought it, we tried playing it, and discovered it was the single worst game ever invented by man. The questions came in two levels; Mom and Dad started me on easy, but when I was asked, "Is the Moon made of green cheese or rock?," they bumped me up to the supposedly challenging level. That's where I encountered tidbits like "What liquid are ice cubes made from?" That was it; Papa Quizmaster was so disgusted he brought the game back to Toys "R" Us. Shortly after, Trivial Pursuit issued its Young Players edition, and the appropriately unimaginatively named Trivia Adventure faded from memory.
Until last month. Walking through a street fair on the UWS, I encountered a battered copy of Trivia Adventure on a blanket, for sale. Nostalgia was stirred; I picked it up and examined it. The woman attending the booth said she'd give it to me for $3. It now sits in my living room.

Sucks, blows chunks, bites the big dick of hell: However you want to say it, this is a horrible trivia game. It's not just the stunning simplicity of a question like "What fruit is used in apple pie?" It's that far too many of these questions are too vague to really work, especially for children: "What do some women wear on their earlobes?" (sexist to boot). "What is the state of Florida most famous for?" (I'd say alligators or old people or election controversy, but they were looking for oranges). "What planet has many rings around it?" (perpetuating a common misconception). Pity the genius child who correctly says "Uranus" for the last question.
Another problem: the inconsistency. The easy "A" level includes both questions like the ice-cube one and "What movie featured apes as rulers and humans as slaves?" Or, amazingly, "Who attempted to run across Canada on one leg to raise money for cancer research?" (which, under other language, has been asked before at the Big Quiz Thing). This is an actual example of a complete question card:

"A" (easy) level
What is the name of French currency?
How many dots does the symbol for the word "therefore" have?
"B" (challenging) level
What are the Academy Awards give for?
Who led the German Nazi war effort in World War II?

Insane. I mean, not that the average five-year-old would find the "B" level a piece of cake, but the "A" levels seem flat-out impossible for any child who isn't a math prodigy living in Provence.

I have not played this game since (re)purchasing it, and most likely never will; I have far more important trivia games to waste my time with, as you are no doubt aware.

You win some, Palin loses some

In some incredibly unsurprising news about your quizmaster, I made a point of getting together with friends last night to watch the vice-presidential debate. I admit to being slightly disappointed that Governor Palin didn't literally fall on her face, but I'm comforted by the fact (yes, fact! I am an optimist!) that the result will have a minimal effect, if any, on reviving Senator McCain's nearly dead (and brain dead) campaign.

Regardless, it was a fun gathering: We played Vice Presidential Debate Bingo, and I drew this card:Sorry if you can't see it so well, but I had bum luck. I didn't win, and the only single space that would've put me over the top was "Intellectuals" (but hey, I was surprised to be able to cross off "Candidate cries").

After the debate, I stumped guests with some of my standby political trivia questions. Some of these are hella tough:

Q: Before McCain, who was the last major-party presidential nominee who wasn't technically born in the United States?

Q: Name the only state that currently has a female governor and two female U.S. senators.

Q: What three states gave their electoral votes to George W. Bush both times (2000 and '04), yet currently have a Democratic governor and two Democratic U.S. Senators?

Q: What state has given its electoral votes to the winner of the presidential election the most times running—every election since 1960?

Q: What state has voted for the same party in presidential elections the most times running—every election since 1976?

Want more? We're going to political it up at the quiz on October 27…

Farewell for now, kids

Yes, the quiz is taking a little forced hiatus, at least from Crash Mansion. Last night was the last show for FOUR weeks (we're back October 13). Crazy schedules, Jewish holidays and all that. But the BQT is not laying fallow; despite a national economic outlook that would make Larry King cry, we're doing okay with the private business. And there's always room for more, especially for you.

Anyway, last night was a(nother) great quiz. Technical snafus, images of candy, tasteless jokes about Trig Palin, '80s rap movies: We had it all. The Fantastic Fournicators were unseated. Strippers for Stephen Hawking regained their former prominence. But it was Sugah Titz that took the victory, one of few in their long history of BQT competition; big ups to Chrissy, Club Getaway trivia champion, for the come-from-behind tie-breaking round victory (on "What kind of hat, similar to a fedora, is named for its resemblance to a British meat dish?" and "Due to her distinctive hairdo, what Hollywood star of the 1940s was sometimes known as 'the Peek-a-Boo Girl'?"). And thanks, Chrissy, for satisfying the pervs in the crowd and shaking your breasts. We like being adults, we do.

Also, apologies for the vagueness of this question: "What’s the appropriate nickname for an alcoholic version of the Shirley Temple cocktail—usually a regular Shirley Temple with vodka added?" Yes, it could also be a "Dirty Shirley" (although in my defense, you knew that was wrong—EDP shouted it out); should have been phrased better. Besides, "Dirty Shirley" is lame—I wouldn't have asked the question if that were the answer. I mean, come on.

Finally, I'm glad you enjoyed that "celebrities known by their initials" four-parter. As mentioned, a full coterie of those questions will be in next week's issue of Time Out New York, in my very last trivia column for the magazine (the Games page is going online only). To mourn, read some of my past TONY quizzes. And hire me to write trivia for you.

Now, the standings…

1. Sugah Titz w/Mel Gibson (a mostly female squad this time, pulling off the narrowest of victories)
2. Strippers for Stephen Hawking (easily fending off the challenge of the insurgent team "Strippers for Sophie B. Hawkins")
3. Lipstick on a Trig Is Still a Retard (you're not helping)
4. Fantastic Fournicators
5. Jefferson Davis Starship

See you sooner than you think…