Help me out with a little test.

[Fairy]

Do you know who wrote Catcher in the Rye?
Do you know who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird?
Do you know who wrote Catch-22?

Do NOT look this up, either you know or you don't. If you know but are having a memory block at the moment, then count that as a yes. I'm asking cuz I am hosting a Trivia Night on Saturday and have to nail down a handful of questions not yet finished. I just want to guage a representative group that will look very much like the people coming to this thing and see what you know so I can choose one. Thank you!

Ok, go.

[mctlaw]

I voted I can identify Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird, but I don't know who wrote Catch-22.

[DietCokeLover]

I voted I can identify Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird, but I don't know who wrote Catch-22.

:yeahthat:

[AnnieW625]

Yep knew all three off the top of my head.

[gobadgers]

I voted yes for all three, although I am having a brain cramp about To Kill a Mockingbird.

[TwinFoxes]

I knew all three, but Catch-22 was the one that made me pause for a split second.

What do I win????

[katydid1971]

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my all time favorite stories so that one was easy but I had to think for a second on Catch 22 (its been 22 years since I read it)

[Fairy]

I knew all three, but Catch-22 was the one that made me pause for a split second.

What do I win????

If you buy a ticket to Chicago and come to my Trivia Night, I will give you all the raffle prizes and buy you dinner! Heh.

I'm trying to pick the one that 50% or thereabouts know. I have my 50 questions, plus I need 10 backup quesitons (cuz I'm anal), and they're fantastic questions. But some need replacing, as they're skew European for about 8 or 10 of them. So, I'm replacing sports (cricket? No.) with sports (baseball!) and gov't (House of commons? No.) with gov't (US presidential!), etc. Not a signle literature question. Or music. So, I'm replacing some of the entertainment with music and literature. This is an intelligent board (not pandering, just the fact is that we're more literate and cultured than average in this cross section, IMO), and it matches well with my audience.

TNHANK YOU.

[jenfromnj]

I knew all three, but Catch-22 was the one that made me pause for a split second.

What do I win????

:yeahthat: IMO that's probably the one people will be least likely to know right off the top of their heads.

I love the idea of trivia night, complete with prizes!

[Fairy]

:yeahthat: IMO that's probably the one people will be least likely to know right off the top of their heads.

I love the idea of trivia night, complete with prizes!


If anyone lives in Chicago, it's a great cause! My club sponsors a $1k scholarshp to Illinois State University's college of education in the memory of our founding member who died of Lymphoma. We raise every cent by ourselves. We had to get very creative this year to raise it (3 years so far!). So, it's $10 to play, $100 given to the winning team (teams up to 4 ppl), and we're having a raffle of some stuff I got busienss to give me (mani/pedi, theatre tickets, High Tea, Wine Tasting & Truffles, HD Video Camera, 1:1 session with locally famous(ish) French chef, etc). I am hoping to dear God that we earn enough money to have made this all worth it.

[wellyes]

I knew 'em.
For a fun followup see if people also know who wrote Twilight.

[Fairy]

I knew 'em.
For a fun followup see if people also know who wrote Twilight.

Oooh! Love it! THANK YOU! Totally done.

Now no one here can play :-(

[Green_Tea]

I knew all three! Post all the questions after the event and we can have a BBB trivia event!

To inspire you - I have four friends who are doing the Susan G. Komen walk this summer. 60 miles in three days. Over the weekend they had a party where around 60 people paid $5 to attend (though most contributed much more - we gave $20.) They had a bunch of silent auction items and at the end of the night had raised $2500. This was just a bunch of their friends, having munchies and desserts (that the guests brought) and beer and wine (also contributed largely by the guests) at one of the walker's houses. People came and went, so it never felt super crowded. It was a great party and they raised 25% of their total fundraising goal!

Sending some of that mojo your way...

[Indianamom2]

I voted I can identify Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird, but I don't know who wrote Catch-22.

:yeahthat:

[JoyNChrist]

I knew all three right off the top of my head.

Trivia Night sounds like a blast!

[Twoboos]

I voted I can identify Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird, but I don't know who wrote Catch-22.

:yeahthat:

[fumofu]

I voted I can identify Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird, but I don't know who wrote Catch-22.

:yeahthat:

[KrisM]

I know none, but I'm really bad at that type of thing. It could be my favorite book or song and I won't know who wrote it.

ETA: And then there's my DH who is a trivia person. He knew them all, but never read any of them.

[ThreeofUs]

Heller I had to think for, but knew the first two no problem.


For a fun followup see if people also know who wrote Twilight.

The only reason I know about the books is this board, lol, and I have no idea who wrote.

[ashleybama24]

Try and get everyone to name all 50 states. Unless you learned the "song" back in grade school people struggle to do it....

[LMPC]

Heller I had to think for, but knew the first two no problem.

Yeah, in a pressure situation, I'm not sure I would have been able to come up with Joseph Heller. But sitting here on my couch, I could.

GL with the trivia night...sounds like fun!

[amldaley]

Is the typo in the Catch-22 answer choices a "catch"?

[bigpassport]

Oops. I voted yes on Catch-22, but I was wrong:(

[DrSally]

yes to all 3

[georgiegirl]

I knew all three immediately. Never read Catcher in the Rye though.

[Myira]

I know authors of "Catcher in the Rye" and "To Kill A MockingBird". Not sure about "Catch 22".

[citymama]

Oh heck yeah on all 3. I wrote undergrad papers on Salinger and Heller. And I love Mockingbird (although I'll admit that I saw the movie before I read the book).

[blisstwins]

JD Salinger
Harper Lee
Joseph Heller

[s7714]

I voted I can identify Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird, but I don't know who wrote Catch-22.

Same here

[niccig]

Try and get everyone to name all 50 states. Unless you learned the "song" back in grade school people struggle to do it....


Ask what were the first 13 colonies?
This is on the citizenship exam. When people ask me the questions that were on there, this is the one people always give me a blank look.

[mommylamb]

I knew Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird (both of which I've read multiple times), but I've never actually read Catch 22, so I didn't know that one. DH did without a moment's thought. So, I'm yes, yes, no.:bag

[TwinFoxes]

Ask what were the first 13 colonies?


Georgia always throws me, it seems too far south. :)

[mommylamb]

Ask what were the first 13 colonies?
This is on the citizenship exam. When people ask me the questions that were on there, this is the one people always give me a blank look.

DH just got his citizenship, so we had lots of fun going through the citizenship book. Now, there was no doubt he would pass, but there were some questions that most people wouldn't get. I think the 13 colonies question actually just asked you to name 3, so I *think* most people would get that, but some of the ones that people might miss include:
* What is the supreme law of the land?
* What is the rule of law?
* How many amendments to the constitution are there?
* What year was the constitution ratified?
* Name one of the authors of the Federalist Papers.

The first two are obvious once you know the answers, but they're worded strangely IMO and might throw even some educated people for a loop.

[TwinFoxes]

Supreme law of the land is odd wording (I'm assuming it's The Constitution). It sounds much more theoretical or even spiritual.

I think most people could name 3 colonies.

[wellyes]

How many amendments to the constitution - that is tough. At least 21.... I know this due to the many many bars named after the amendment that repealed Prohibition.

I've been wondering what books from today will be the equivelant of Catch 22 in generations going forward: so good that they don't get dated, so memorable that it stays with the reader for years and years. All I can think of right now is McCarty's The Road.

[lizzywednesday]

I knew all 3 without blinking.

I've only read one, though.

[lizzywednesday]

Try and get everyone to name all 50 states. Unless you learned the "song" back in grade school people struggle to do it....

I can only reliably name all 50 states if I can see their outlines. (And even then, I confuse Washington and Oregon with each other; I have trouble remembering which is further north.)

Weird, I know.

[Penny's Pappa]

Supreme law of the land is odd wording (I'm assuming it's The Constitution). It sounds much more theoretical or even spiritual.

Actually, it's text within the Constitution itself:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supremacy_Clause

And I think there are 27 amendments to the Constitution.

[lizzywednesday]

...

And I think there are 27 amendments to the Constitution.

There are; I had to look it up, though:

http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html

[Fairy]

I know all 50 states and can name them alphabetically cuz of the 50 Nifty United States song. DS knows it, too, I made sure to teach it to him! But cuz of this, I think i'tll be too easy. I'm big on Presidential history, so I'll be throwing some of those in. I've got 2 questions each round of History/Geography, Entertainment, Sports, Science/Nature, Pop Culture. So it's pretty fair. I also have a bonus point in one question in each round, one for each of the topics. After Saturday, I'll post the quiz, whomefver's idea that was is a goodie, and we can have the BBB quiz!

[ThreeofUs]

After Saturday, I'll post the quiz, whomefver's idea that was is a goodie, and we can have the BBB quiz!


Oh, fun, thanks! :thumbsup:

[mommylamb]

Actually, it's text within the Constitution itself:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supremacy_Clause

And I think there are 27 amendments to the Constitution.

According to the test booklet we got from Citizenship and Immigration Services (the new INS), it's the constitution itself. Maybe they're wrong :tongue5:. Anyway, the wording of the question made me scratch my head though.

Yes, it's 27 amendments.

Another one that I think most people would stumble over is Name one right guaranteed by the Declaration of Independence. I'm guessing a lot of people would immediately begin thinking of rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights instead. I think a lot of people wouldn't be able to name the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, which is another of the questions (DH, who knows this stuff inside out blanked at first and told me "it's that young guy, who's not Rehnquist." Which I said was not an acceptable answer.)

[Penny's Pappa]

According to the test booklet we got from Citizenship and Immigration Services (the new INS), it's the constitution itself. Maybe they're wrong :tongue5:. Anyway, the wording of the question made me scratch my head though.

Yes. The Supremacy Clause of the Constitution establishes it as "The Supreme Law of the Land." I was responding to TwinFoxes' statement about the term sounding theoretical or spiritual. It's neither; it's law.

[american_mama]

I voted in what seems like a common patter, knew the authors to Catcher and Mockingbird, but not Catch-22. I wonder why that is? They all seem like equally famous books. Then again, I don't think I've ever read Catch-22, but I have read the others.