Silliness Quiz - Page 443

Stitchawl · 04-08-2012, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shayne Parkinson

Clue: two of these men have been NZ ambassador to the US.

In the early 70's I was teaching X-C skiing in a very exclusive lodge in central Vermont that catered to many Washington D.C. bigwigs. I had as students a lovely couple whose name I no longer could even guess at! The lodge concierge told me he was the Ambassador to the US from NZ. All I remember was 'nice folks!'

Stitchawl

Shayne Parkinson · 04-08-2012, 06:25 AM

The full set:

David Lange - in his day, probably best known outside New Zealand for his Oxford Union debate with Jerry Falwell, and for l'affaire Rainbow Warrior. Answered by Bookpossum.
Geoff Palmer - not hugely well-known outside New Zealand, so I'm impressed that Issybird answered this. A distinguished jurist who's taught at the University of Iowa and the University of Virginia.
Mike Moore (no, not that Michael Moore) - Director-General of the WTO 1999-2002; currently NZ ambassador to the USA.
Jim Bolger - served as NZ ambassador to the USA. Has a tendency to mimic (unintentionally) the accent of whomever he's currently talking to. Has nine children. Answered by SneakySnake

Bolger lost the leadership of his party, and with it the job of PM, to Jenny Shipley, who was our first female Prime Minister. She held it for two years, but at the next election lost to Helen Clark (as answered by SneakySnake), who was our first female Prime Minister to get the job by winning an election. She served three terms as PM, and is now with the UN, as answered by Bookpossum.

Bookpossum also supplied the fact that at least one PM went on to be an ambassador.

Scoring:
Bookpossum: 2.5
SneakySnake: 2
Issybird: 1

Thanks for playing this horrible round, everyone. I'll try to be less insular next time.

Looks like it's yours, Bookpossum.

Shayne Parkinson · 04-08-2012, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

In the early 70's I was teaching X-C skiing in a very exclusive lodge in central Vermont that catered to many Washington D.C. bigwigs. I had as students a lovely couple whose name I no longer could even guess at! The lodge concierge told me he was the Ambassador to the US from NZ. All I remember was 'nice folks!'

Stitchawl

That's a bit before I was taking much notice of such things, so I had to look this one up.

If it was was early 70s, it would've been Frank Corner or Lloyd White, both of whom were career diplomats (as opposed to political appointments). I'm glad they were nice, whoever they were! We have a reputation to uphold.

Helen Clark is a keen cross-country skier.

Bookpossum · 04-08-2012, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shayne Parkinson

Scoring:
Bookpossum: 2.5
SneakySnake: 2
Issybird: 1

Thanks for playing this horrible round, everyone. I'll try to be less insular next time.

Looks like it's yours, Bookpossum.

Could I pass the baton to Sneaky or Issy please, as I don't have a question ready at this stage. Anyway, that extra half point was only a guess about David Lange, as much as anything else because lots of our ex-pollies seem to finish up being Ambassadors somewhere or other.

issybird · 04-08-2012, 07:51 AM

It's down to Sneaky. Not only do I lag her on points, I only got mine with Shayne's "shares a name" hint, even as I was thinking, "Geoffrey Palmer isn't very well known to US audiences!"

poohbear_nc · 04-08-2012, 10:04 AM

OK - since I haven't managed to win (or even participate) lately in this thread (evil math, coin, insular questions

naming no names now!) I'm hijacking the thread (until Sneaky wakes up) and will pose the following (non-math, non-antipodean) challenge a la Jeopardy:

"Alex, I'll take nonsense riddles for $2000!"

Answer: "Because it can produce a few notes, though they are very flat; and it is nevar put with the wrong end in front!"

Question: ????

Source: ????

PeterT · 04-08-2012, 12:07 PM

I had to search that... what a question!!

poohbear_nc · 04-08-2012, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterT

I had to search that... what a question!!

There's a perfectly obvious clue embedded in the answer!

issybird · 04-08-2012, 12:47 PM

Something to do with a raven?

poohbear_nc · 04-08-2012, 01:05 PM

WARNING: Attempts to use math or logic to solve this question will make your brain explode!

Hmmmm ..... raven .... riddle ..... hmmmm.....

issybird · 04-08-2012, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

WARNING: Attempts to use math or logic to solve this question will make your brain explode!

Hmmmm ..... raven .... riddle ..... hmmmm.....

D'oh! The riddle from Alice, "Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

But I didn't know there was an answer!

issybird · 04-08-2012, 01:25 PM

But I have to quibble; logic got me to raven. Even if it took tomfoolery and a hint to get me the rest of the way!

poohbear_nc · 04-08-2012, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

D'oh! The riddle from Alice, "Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

But I didn't know there was an answer!

You are correct - there wasn't an answer ... originally .... none of the Mad Hatter's riddles had answers. That was the joke ... on Alice!
But readers & critics kept hounding Carroll for the answer to the riddles ... so he finally replied:

"Enquiries have been so often addressed to me, as to whether any answer to the Hatter’s Riddle can be imagined, that I may as well put on record here what seems to me to be a fairly appropriate answer,: "Because it can produce a few notes, though they are very flat; and it is nevar put with the wrong end in front!". This, however, is merely an afterthought; the riddle as originally invented, had no answer at all".

Tomfoolery will (sometimes) lead to victory!

Take it away Issy!

issybird · 04-08-2012, 01:45 PM

I'll defer to Sneaky, who got the last one. She'll wake up eventually.

orlok · 04-08-2012, 04:18 PM

May I jump in, whilst we're waiting? It's quick, but designed to annoy everyone (you'll see what I mean when the link is revealed...)

Can you work out the first names of each of the following fictional characters?:

A: Daughter of the incestuous marriage between a King and his mother, she was eventually walled up for her "crime".

B: Herione of a novel written in the '50s, which featured the search for a mysterious man.

C: She was notable for providing the hero of the story with a ball of thread, which saved his life.

And for a bonus 10 points, can you work out the link between them?

.

04-08-2012, 10:04 AM	#6636
poohbear_nc Bah! Humbug! Posts: 63,717 Karma: 135239851 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Durham, NC Device: Every Kindle Ever Made & To Be Made!	OK - since I haven't managed to win (or even participate) lately in this thread (evil math, coin, insular questions naming no names now!) I'm hijacking the thread (until Sneaky wakes up) and will pose the following (non-math, non-antipodean) challenge a la Jeopardy: "Alex, I'll take nonsense riddles for $2000!" Answer: "Because it can produce a few notes, though they are very flat; and it is nevar put with the wrong end in front!" Question: ???? Source: ???? Last edited by poohbear_nc; 04-08-2012 at 10:36 AM.

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04-08-2012, 06:25 AM	#6632
Shayne Parkinson Author Posts: 1,532 Karma: 5447804 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: New Zealand Device: Samsung Galaxy Tab	The full set: David Lange - in his day, probably best known outside New Zealand for his Oxford Union debate with Jerry Falwell, and for l'affaire Rainbow Warrior. Answered by Bookpossum. Geoff Palmer - not hugely well-known outside New Zealand, so I'm impressed that Issybird answered this. A distinguished jurist who's taught at the University of Iowa and the University of Virginia. Mike Moore (no, not that Michael Moore) - Director-General of the WTO 1999-2002; currently NZ ambassador to the USA. Jim Bolger - served as NZ ambassador to the USA. Has a tendency to mimic (unintentionally) the accent of whomever he's currently talking to. Has nine children. Answered by SneakySnake Bolger lost the leadership of his party, and with it the job of PM, to Jenny Shipley, who was our first female Prime Minister. She held it for two years, but at the next election lost to Helen Clark (as answered by SneakySnake), who was our first female Prime Minister to get the job by winning an election. She served three terms as PM, and is now with the UN, as answered by Bookpossum. Bookpossum also supplied the fact that at least one PM went on to be an ambassador. Scoring: Bookpossum: 2.5 SneakySnake: 2 Issybird: 1 Thanks for playing this horrible round, everyone. I'll try to be less insular next time. Looks like it's yours, Bookpossum.

04-08-2012, 07:51 AM	#6635
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 21,367 Karma: 235205657 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: Mini, H2O, Glo HD, Aura One, PW4, PW5	It's down to Sneaky. Not only do I lag her on points, I only got mine with Shayne's "shares a name" hint, even as I was thinking, "Geoffrey Palmer isn't very well known to US audiences!"

04-08-2012, 12:07 PM	#6637
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,576 Karma: 79436804 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	I had to search that... what a question!!

04-08-2012, 12:47 PM	#6639
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 21,367 Karma: 235205657 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: Mini, H2O, Glo HD, Aura One, PW4, PW5	Something to do with a raven?

04-08-2012, 01:05 PM	#6640
poohbear_nc Bah! Humbug! Posts: 63,717 Karma: 135239851 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Durham, NC Device: Every Kindle Ever Made & To Be Made!	WARNING: Attempts to use math or logic to solve this question will make your brain explode! Hmmmm ..... raven .... riddle ..... hmmmm.....

04-08-2012, 01:25 PM	#6642
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 21,367 Karma: 235205657 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: Mini, H2O, Glo HD, Aura One, PW4, PW5	But I have to quibble; logic got me to raven. Even if it took tomfoolery and a hint to get me the rest of the way!

04-08-2012, 01:45 PM	#6644
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 21,367 Karma: 235205657 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: Mini, H2O, Glo HD, Aura One, PW4, PW5	I'll defer to Sneaky, who got the last one. She'll wake up eventually.

04-08-2012, 04:18 PM	#6645
orlok Close to the Edit! Posts: 9,797 Karma: 267994408 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis, Amazon Fire 8", Kindle 6"	May I jump in, whilst we're waiting? It's quick, but designed to annoy everyone (you'll see what I mean when the link is revealed...) Can you work out the first names of each of the following fictional characters?: A: Daughter of the incestuous marriage between a King and his mother, she was eventually walled up for her "crime". B: Herione of a novel written in the '50s, which featured the search for a mysterious man. C: She was notable for providing the hero of the story with a ball of thread, which saved his life. And for a bonus 10 points, can you work out the link between them? .