As we look at the round-two standings, we see that Scott solidifies his lead, but a close call for second place, and everything still wide open for two 600-point-laden rounds to come. The excitement -- it's like insects are crawling around underneath my eyelids!
Scott -- 200+225 = 425
Gavin -- 73+200= 273
Art -- 165+100 = 265
Karen/qiutank -- 95+150 = 245
Boxjam -- 70 + 150 = 220
Scraps -- 0+175 = 175
Jonathan -- 35+75 = 110
James -- 55+0 = 55
The Lady B. Hey! -- 10+0 = 10
There was, as usual, some water-balloon-hurling in the Wombat's direction from our more discerning participants. There was one complaint about a misleading clue (since "antimony" is not the most alphabetically primary of the elements) and one general accusation that my clues were making it too easy. I plead guilty to everything, including making up that bit in my memoir (which was really more of a work of "non-non-fiction"), in which me, Mr. T., George Peppard, and that crazy guy saved the village with a lawnmower, some insecticide, a bucket of marbles, and nun's habit.
But that's all behind us now. On to today's LIGHTNING ROUND, again a two-parter.
ONE:The correct answer to question #1 was The Czech Republic and Slovakia at the center, and Poland, Hungary, Germany, and Austria on the periphery. For 25 bonus points, by what name was this "empire" (sometimes referred to as "Great ________") known?
TWO: The correct answer to #4 was "George M. Cohan" and the most famous song from his first musical was -- as many of you identified -- "The Yankee Doodle Boy". No one correctly guessed the second tune I referred to in the question. It's not "Over There", which he didn't write until twelve years later during WWI. And "You're A Grand Old Flag" -- to which we referred in the clue (originally "You're a Grand Old Rag", which offended some) was written for another musical, George Washington Jr. For 25 points, what was the second big song from Little Johnny Jones?
All usual restrictions apply -- no Googling, please, and one guess per comment. First in for each gets the bonus points.
Posted by BT at January 13, 2006 11:39 AM>>one general accusation that my clues were making it too easy
Only for the surgery question.
The empire was known as Great Pilsner.
The song was "Remember the Maine."
Posted by: boxjam on January 13, 2006 11:53 AMI'll say Moravia for the empire.
Posted by: Scott on January 13, 2006 12:52 PMIf Moravia isn't right, I'll guess Bohemia.
Posted by: Scraps on January 13, 2006 01:24 PMMoravia it is! Scott pulls a mite further into the lead.
The George M. Cohan follow-up question is still wide open. And, may I say, there will be some head-slapping done whenever it is guessed.
Posted by: BT on January 13, 2006 01:26 PMThe only other Cohan song I can remember is "Give My Regards to Broadway," so I'll guess that.
Posted by: Scraps on January 13, 2006 01:27 PMThe two parts Bill has left open in the A-Team configuration are the girl and Dirk Benedict's "Face." I'll leave it as an exercise for the reader which one he imagines himself as.
Posted by: Gavin on January 13, 2006 02:00 PMAnd that wraps it up for today. Scraps sinks it with "Give My Regards to Broadway", garnering an additional 25 points. Also, Gavin rightly deduces that my questionable recollections put me in the character of a cross-dressed Lothario, both a local beauty and her would-be seducer. I cannot resolve this contradiction, but wish to point out per Oprah, Larry King, and everyone else that memoir is a brand-new genre, just invented, and no one knows what the hell is going to happen in this exciting new field of literature.
The Lady B. HeyJude writes to remind her of her notarized submission of pre-clue answers and by gum she's RIGHT. She got one right (the c-section one) and thus picks up the 50 points that was rightfully hers. My apologies to all of humanity.
I'd yatter further, but various duties call. Updated, restored and amended scores posted a bit later.
Two observations:
1) "Pig gelder" seems like an incredibly specific, and seasonal, job title. I'd think general "pig farmer" who could also geld would find more easy employ. Or, general "gelder," although he'd probably be the kind of guy where people didn't sit at the same table as him in the cafeteria.
2) Scott's a pig-gelding asshole.
Posted by: boxjam on January 13, 2006 03:45 PMAnd you're the pig. . .
Posted by: Scott on January 13, 2006 04:07 PMAhem!
Posted by: BT on January 13, 2006 04:17 PMI think I've got a handle on all the answers, but when you do the housekeeping, it'd probably be good to provide a rundown.
Posted by: Gavin on January 13, 2006 04:49 PMExcuse what is still blissful ignorance: wasn't yankee doodle whatnot a British put down song about Yanks during the Revolutionary War? - later to be positivized by the patriots? I say pooh for a Cohan answer.
Posted by: karen on January 13, 2006 11:46 PM"Yankee Doodle Dandy" is not the same song as "The Yankee Doodle Boy."
Posted by: Gavin on January 14, 2006 12:02 AMIknowIknow, but the lyrics seem ripped off, if you will...anyway, I do and did plead ignorance.
Posted by: karen on January 14, 2006 12:16 AMWell, it's always hard to argue with ignorance.
Posted by: Gavin on January 14, 2006 01:57 PM"The Yankee Doodle Boy" is "Yankee Doodle Dandy"; or at any rate, it's the song that has the lyrics "I'm a Yankee Doodle dandy, Yankee Doodle do or die". What it's not is "Yankee Doodle". The origins of "Yankee Doodle" are unclear; the British did use it to insult Americans, probably dating back to the French & Indian War. The basics of the song were around long before that; there's a version of it with pony and macaroni and all that at the time of Cromwell.
"The Yankee Doodle Boy" is a takeoff on "Yankee Doodle", obviously, and includes lyrics from the original song, but is an entirely original (and memorable) melody with mostly original lyrics. I don't see any reason not to give Cohan full credit for his song; songs have been referencing famous traditional gons for ever without it being considered a rip off, after all.
Posted by: Scraps on January 14, 2006 09:43 PMInteresting; I sit corrected.
Posted by: Gavin on January 15, 2006 11:59 AM