KB for Dummies

Now that the Waitsburg Knowledge Bowl team knows that it’s state-bound, we’ve started planning like crazy for our trip to Seattle. We have an official t-shirt design mocked up, we’re picking places to visit for when we go into town, the hotel rooms are reserved, and the only question is whether to have dinner at The Crab Pot or Pike Street Fish Fry.

In the meantime, we’ve been practicing up on our trivia.

The Times writes a nice article every year about the local Knowledge Bowl teams, and they usually include a few sample questions. But because I’m all about customer service, and because everybody likes a good round of trivia, here are some of the questions we give incoming players during tryouts. (Source: Farmer’s Almanac ’08)

Are you ready? Cover up the italicized answers with your hand and start.

1. How long did the Hundred Years’ War last?

2. What country makes genuine Panama hats?

3. From what animal do we get catgut?

4. In what month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?

5. What is a camel hair brush made out of?

6. The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal?

7. What was King George VI’s first name?

8. What color is the male purple finch?

9. Where are Chinese gooseberries grown?

10. What color is the black box in a commercial airplane?

Ready for the answers? Here goes.

116 years. Historians stink at math.

Ecuador. (Yes, Ecuador.)

Sheep and horses. Apparently cats are difficult to herd for harvesting purposes. Or for any purposes, really.

November. “In Soviet Russia, we do not care for so-called ‘logic’ of

Western capitalist pigs. We will have holiday when we want.”

Squirrel, ox, goat, or pony fur. Izzy can breathe easy.

Dogs. (Think of the word “canine”.) The birds were named after the islands, which, by the way, are in the Atlantic, not the Pacific.

Albert. This makes no sense unless you try to say “Announcing His Majesty, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Defender of the Faith, King…Albert.” It sorta falls flat.

Crimson. Go Cougs! And Eagles! And Harvard! (Okay, so nobody around here roots for Harvard, but I just wanted to get all the crimson people covered.)

New Zealand. Apparently, “Chinese gooseberry” is another term for “kiwi,” although the biggest kiwi producer is actually Italy. Who knew?

Orange. Easier to find, I suppose.

Did you fail? So did I. I like to ask freshmen these questions and then tell them about my goose-egg of a score. It gets them out of the habit of regarding upperclassmen as infallible.

And tryouts? We don’t actually have any, or else I never would’ve gotten on!