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Games as Culture

RANDOM MUSINGS on the fin-de-millénaire games scene . . .

4 May 2008 . . . Recently I was reminded of the classic trivia game Go to the Head of the Class and decided to crack open my copy. This is edition 15 from the mid-1960s. Four decades later the questions are not easy at all. In fact it's rather amazing how much one was expected to know back in those days. Or, put it another way, how much we have forgotten.

But this is what I like about very old games. By virtue of their age they are no longer just games, but cultural artifacts – time travelers, really – that tell us something about from where we come.

So that you can have that time capsule experience too, and see how you would do, I pulled a number of the questions and reproduced them here. Try them out before you scroll on to get the answers at the end. How did ya do? How's your knowledge of kid lit? How about US coin introduction dates? Commercial slogans? Ships bells? Bridge, Dam and Tunnel locations? Ocean liners? Broadway musicals? Secretaries of State and Vice Presidents? Heavyweight boxing champions? Stock ticker symbols?


Subtitled The Story of
Parker Brothers, from
Tiddledy Winks to Trivial
Pursuit. Check out the
120-year history of this
gaming pioneer. You can
first get a taste here.

Have fun, and until next time, Happy Gaming!

Great oaks from little ...
Who lost her pocket?
Who sailed off in a wooden shoe?
Who lays eggs for gentlemen?
What was the first word of "Paul Revere's Ride"?
What is the first word of the poem "Trees"?
What is the first word of "The Children's Hour"
What is the first word of Whittier's "Barefoot Boy"?
What was the date on the first Lincoln cent?
What was the date on the first Buffalo nickel?
What was the date on the last Buffalo nickel?
What was the date on the first Kennedy half dollar?
What was the date on the last Indian head cent?
What was the date on the first Peace Type silver dollar?
What was the date on the first Roosevelt dime?
What was the date on the first Jefferson nickel?
What was the date on the last Franklin half dollar?
What was the date on the first Peace Type silver dollar?
What was the date on the first Washington quarter?
What's the next line of this nursery rhyme:

to market, to market to buy a fat pig --
I had a little pony --
There was a man in our town -- What state is known as the Cotton State?
What state is known as the Sunflower State?
What state is known as the Pelican State?
What state is known as the Gem State?
With this clue, name the holiday: Parades.
What cigarette says, "It's what's up front that counts"?
What airline "Makes it easier to fly"?
What company says "You go in snow - or we pay the tow"?
Which airline "Makes the going great"?
Which is the "World's Most Honored Watch"?
What company puts you in the driver's seat?
Which is the drink that "Hits the spot"?
Which is the smallest of the Canadian provinces?
What is the capital of the Province of Newfoundland?
It's a long lane that has no ...
In which continent is Mt. Kosciusko?
In what country is Mt. Aconcagua?
In what country is Mt. Cook?
In what country is Mt. Popocatepatl?
Who said: "Here once the embattled farmers stood and fired the shot heard 'round the world"?
Who said: "There's small choice in rotten apples"?
Who said: "Few things are impossible to diligence and skill"?
Who said: "A thing of beauty is a joy forever?
Who said: "What is so rare as a day in June"?
What is the most easterly of the Caribbean islands?
Name the three US Virgin Islands.
Which Caribbean island is known as the Spice Island?
What time could 1 bell mean on shipboard?
What time could 4 bells mean on shipboard?
Noon would call for how many bells on shipboard?
What time could 2 bells mean on shipboard?
What time could 6 bells mean on shipboard?
Midnight would call for how many bells on shipboard?
What time could 5 bells mean on shipboard?
What time could 8 bells mean on shipboard?
What time could 3 bells mean on shipboard?
What time could 7 bell mean on shipboard?
One o'clock would call for how many bells on shipboard?
In what country is the world's highest dam?
In what state is the Croton Dam?
In what state is the Fort Peck Dam?
In what state is the Diablo Dam?
In what state is the Neversink Dam?
In what state is the Palisades Dam?
In what state is the Gand Coulee Dam?
In what state is the Ashokan Dam?
In what state is the Gatun Dam?
What is the largest dam in the world?
In what state is the Kensico Dam?
If wishes were horses, what would beggars do?
What line operates the Santa Paula?
What line operates the Bergensfjord?
What line operates the Kungsholm?
What line operates the Rotterdam?
What line operates the Europa?
What line operates the Michelangelo?
What line operates the Gripsholm?
What line operates the Sagafjord?
What line operates the Santa Rosa?
What line operates the Breman?
What line operates the Queen Elizabeth?
In what city and state is the Walt Whitman bridge?
In what city and state is the St. Johns bridge?
In what state is the Mount Hope Bridge?
Who wrote it: The Children's Hour
the poem "Trees"
The Last Battle and The Longest Day Give the next line of the rhyme: Goosey, goosey, gander --
I love little pussy --
Needles and pins, needles and pins --
Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John --
Hark, hark! The dogs do bark -- What is the longest underwater tunnel in the US?
In what state is the Harbor Tunnel?
What is the longest rail tunnel in the world?
Which two countries does the Simplon Tunnel connect?
Which two countries does the Mont Blanc Tunnel connect?
In what state is the Washburn Tunnel?
In what state is the Callahan Tunnel?
What river flows under the Tappan Zee Bridge?
What did the governor of North Carolina say to the governor of South Carolina?
Who said, "Don't give up the ship!"
Who said, "Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and inseparable"?
Who took the part of Bloody Mary in the musical comedy South Pacific?
Who was the actress that took the leading part in the musical comedy Flower Drum Song?
Who was the leading lady in the original cast of the musical play The King and I?
Who was secretary of State under John Kennedy?
Who was secretary of State under Warren G. Harding?
Name 1 of 2 secretaries of State under William Taft.
Name 2 of 4 secretaries of State under Harry Truman.
Name 1 of 3 secretaries of State under Theodore Roosevelt.
Name 1 of 2 secretaries of State under Dwight Eisenhower.
Name 1 of 2 secretaries of State under Calvin Coolidge.
Name 1 of 2 secretaries of State under Herbert Hoover.
Who were two secretaries of State under Franklin Roosevelt?
Which make of automobile produces the Calais?
Who wrote "The Barefoot Boy"?
Who wrote "A Night to Remember"?
Who wrote "The Bells"?
Who wrote "The Sea Around Us"?
Who did Jess Willard knock out for the Heavyweight Championship?
Who knocked out Jess Willard for the Heavyweight Championship?
Who beat Jack Dempsey for the Heavyweight Championship?
Who did Joe Louis knock out for the Heavyweight Championship?
Who defeated out Max Schmeling for the Heavyweight Championship?
Who knocked out Ezzard Charles for the Heavyweight Championship?
Within 5 rounds, how many rounds did it take John L. Sullivan to beat Kilrain in 1889?
Who defeated out John L. Sullivan for the Heavyweight Championship?
Who did Rocky Marciano knock out for the Heavyweight Championship?
Who did Cassius Clay knock out for the Heavyweight Championship?
Who composed the opera: Martha
Faust and Romeo and Juliet
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Pagliacci and Zaza
Hamlet and Mignon
Don Quixote and Cleopatra Name two Caribbean islands beginning with A.
Name two Caribbean islands beginning with G.
Name two Caribbean islands beginning with B.
Name three Caribbean islands beginning with Saint.
Name two Caribbean islands beginning with M.
Name the Land of Opportunity state.
What is the stock ticker symbol used for the following securities listed in the New York Stock Exchange? Eastman Kodak
American Telephone & Telegraph
U.S. Steel
Pan American World Airways
Standard Oil of New Jersey
DuPont de Nemours
Chrysler Motor Corp.
Bethlehem Steel Who was Vice President for ... Hoover?
Truman?
Coolidge?
Wilson? Who composed the musical comedies Rose Marie, Vagabond King, Bird of Paradise?
Who composed the operettas The Student Prince, Desert Song, Blossom Time?
Who composed The Music Man?
And now, the Answers:

Great oaks from little ... acorns grow.
Who lost her pocket? Lucy Locket
Who sailed off in a wooden shoe? Winken, Blinken and Nod
Who lays eggs for gentlemen? Hickety, pickety, my black hen
What was the first word of "Paul Revere's Ride"? Listen
What is the first word of the poem "Trees"? I
What is the first word of "The Children's Hour" Between
What is the first word of Whittier's "Barefoot Boy"? Blessings
What was the date on the first Lincoln cent? 1909
What was the date on the first Buffalo nickel? 1913
What was the date on the last Buffalo nickel? 1938
What was the date on the first Kennedy half dollar? 1964
What was the date on the last Indian head cent? 1909
What was the date on the first Peace Type silver dollar? 1921
What was the date on the first Roosevelt dime? 1946
What was the date on the first Jefferson nickel? 1938
What was the date on the last Franklin half dollar? 1963
What was the date on the first Peace Type silver dollar? 1935
What was the date on the first Washington quarter? 1932
What's the next line of this nursery rhyme:

to market, to market to buy a fat pig -- Home again, home again, jiggety jig.
I had a little pony -- His name was Dapple-Gray.
There was a man in our town -- And he was wondrous wise. What state is known as the Cotton State? Alabama
What state is known as the Sunflower State? Kansas
What state is known as the Pelican State? Louisiana
What state is known as the Gem State? Idaho
With this clue, name the holiday: Parades. Memorial Day
What cigarette says, "It's what's up front that counts"? Winston
What airline "Makes it easier to fly"? Eastern
What company says "You go in snow - or we pay the tow"? General Tire
Which airline "Makes the going great"? Pan American
Which is the "World's Most Honored Watch"? Longines
What company puts you in the driver's seat? Hertz
Which is the drink that "Hits the spot"? Pepsi-Cola
Which is the smallest of the Canadian provinces? Prince Edward Island
What is the capital of the Province of Newfoundland? St. John
It's a long lane that has no ... Turning.
In which continent is Mt. Kosciusko? Australia
In what country is Mt. Aconcagua? Argentina
In what country is Mt. Cook? New Zealand
In what country is Mt. Popocatepatl? Mexico
Who said: "Here once the embattled farmers stood and fired the shot heard 'round the world"? Ralph Waldo Emerson
Who said: "There's small choice in rotten apples"? Shakespeare (Taming of the Shrew)
Who said: "Few things are impossible to diligence and skill"? Samuel Johnson
Who said: "A thing of beauty is a joy forever? Keats
Who said: "What is so rare as a day in June"? Lowell (Vision of Sir Launfal)
What is the most easterly of the Caribbean islands? Barbados
Name the three US Virgin Islands. Saints Thomas, Croix and John
Which Caribbean island is known as the Spice Island? Grenada
What time could 1 bell mean on shipboard? 12:30, 4:30 or 8:30
What time could 4 bells mean on shipboard? 2, 6 or 10
Noon would call for how many bells on shipboard? 8
What time could 2 bells mean on shipboard? 1, 5 or 9
What time could 6 bells mean on shipboard? 3, 7 or 11
Midnight would call for how many bells on shipboard? 8
What time could 5 bells mean on shipboard? 2:30, 6:30 or 10:30
What time could 8 bells mean on shipboard? 4, 8, noon, midnight
What time could 3 bells mean on shipboard? 1:30, 5:30 or 9:30
What time could 7 bell mean on shipboard? 3:30, 7:30 or 11:30
One o'clock would call for how many bells on shipboard? 2
In what country is the world's highest dam? USSR (Nurck Dam, 1017' high)
In what state is the Croton Dam? New York
In what state is the Fort Peck Dam? Montana
In what state is the Diablo Dam? Texas
In what state is the Neversink Dam? NY
In what state is the Palisades Dam? Idaho
In what state is the Gand Coulee Dam? Washington
In what state is the Ashokan Dam? NY
In what state is the Gatun Dam? Panama
What is the largest dam in the world? Fort Peck Dam in Montana
In what state is the Kensico Dam? NY
If wishes were horses, what would beggars do? Ride
What line operates the Santa Paula? Grace Line
What line operates the Bergensfjord? Norwegian America Line
What line operates the Kungsholm? Swedish American Line
What line operates the Rotterdam? Holland-America Line
What line operates the Europa? North German Lloyd
What line operates the Michelangelo? Italian Line
What line operates the Gripsholm? Swedish American Line
What line operates the Sagafjord? Norwegian America Line
What line operates the Santa Rosa? Grace Line
What line operates the Breman? North German Lloyd
What line operates the Queen Elizabeth? Cunard Line
In what city and state is the Walt Whitman bridge? Philadelphia, PA
In what city and state is the St. Johns bridge? Portland, OR
In what state is the Mount Hope Bridge? Rhode Island
Who wrote it: The Children's Hour? Longfellow
the poem "Trees"? Joyce Kilmer
The Last Battle and The Longest Day? Cornelius Ryan Give the next line of the rhyme: Goosey, goosey, gander -- Whither do you wander?
I love little pussy -- Her coat is so warm.
Needles and pins, needles and pins -- When a man marries, his trouble begins.
Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John -- Went to bed with his breeches on.
Hark, hark! The dogs do bark -- The beggars are coming to town. What is the longest underwater tunnel in the US? The Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel in NY (over 9000 feet)
In what state is the Harbor Tunnel? Maryland
What is the longest rail tunnel in the world? Simplon Tunnel
Which two countries does the Simplon Tunnel connect? Switzerland and Italy
Which two countries does the Mont Blanc Tunnel connect? France and Italy
In what state is the Washburn Tunnel? Texas
In what state is the Callahan Tunnel? Massachusetts
What river flows under the Tappan Zee Bridge? Hudson
What did the governor of North Carolina say to the governor of South Carolina? It's a long time between drinks.
Who said, "Don't give up the ship!" James Lawrence
Who said, "Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and inseparable"? Daniel Webster
Who took the part of Bloody Mary in the musical comedy South Pacific? Juanita Hall
Who was the actress that took the leading part in the musical comedy
Flower Drum Song? Pat Suzuki
Who was the leading lady in the original cast of the musical play The
King and I? Gertrude Lawrence
Who was secretary of State under John Kennedy? Dean Rusk
Who was secretary of State under Warren G. Harding? Charles Evans Hughes
Name 1 of 2 secretaries of State under William Taft. Robert Bacon or Philander Knox
Name 2 of 4 secretaries of State under Harry Truman. Dean Acheson, George C. Marshall, James F. Byrnes, E.R. Stettinius, Jr.
Name 1 of 3 secretaries of State under Theodore Roosevelt. John Hay, Elihu Root or Robert Bacon
Name 1 of 2 secretaries of State under Dwight Eisenhower. John Foster Dulles or Christian A. Herter
Name 1 of 2 secretaries of State under Calvin Coolidge. Charles E. Hughes or Frank B. Kellogg
Name 1 of 2 secretaries of State under Herbert Hoover. Frank B. Kellogg or Henry L. Stimson
Who were two secretaries of State under Franklin Roosevelt? Cordell Hull and E.R. Stettinius, Jr.
Which make of automobile produces the Calais? Cadillac
Who wrote "The Barefoot Boy"? John Greenleaf Whittier
Who wrote "A Night to Remember"? Walter Lord
Who wrote "The Bells"? Edgar Allan Poe
Who wrote "The Sea Around Us"? Rachel Carson
Who did Jess Willard knock out for the Heavyweight Championship? Jack Johnson
Who knocked out Jess Willard for the Heavyweight Championship? Jack Dempsey
Who beat Jack Dempsey for the Heavyweight Championship? Gene Tunney
Who did Joe Louis knock out for the Heavyweight Championship? James J. Braddock
Who defeated out Max Schmeling for the Heavyweight Championship? Jack Sharkey
Who knocked out Ezzard Charles for the Heavyweight Championship? Joe Walcott
Within 5 rounds, how many rounds did it take John L. Sullivan to beat
Kilrain in 1889? 75
Who defeated out John L. Sullivan for the Heavyweight Championship? James J. Corbett
Who did Rocky Marciano knock out for the Heavyweight Championship? Joe Walcott
Who did Cassius Clay knock out for the Heavyweight Championship? Sonny Liston
Who composed the opera: Martha? Friedrich von Flotow
Faust and Romeo and Juliet? Charles Gounod
The Merry Wives of Windsor? Otto Nicolai
Pagliacci and Zaza? Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Hamlet and Mignon? Ambroise Thomas
Don Quixote and Cleopatra? Jules Massenet Name two Caribbean islands beginning with A. Aruba, Antigua, Anguilla
Name two Caribbean islands beginning with G. Grenada, Guadeloupe
Name two Caribbean islands beginning with B. Barbados, Bonaire
Name three Caribbean islands beginning with Saint. Thomas, John, Croix, Maarten, Kitts, Barts, Vincent, Eustatius, Lucia
Name two Caribbean islands beginning with M. Martinique, Montserrat
Name the Land of Opportunity state. Arkansas
What is the stock ticker symbol used for the following securities listed in the New York Stock Exchange? Eastman Kodak? EK
American Telephone & Telegraph? T
U.S. Steel? X
Pan American World Airways? PN
Standard Oil of New Jersey? J
DuPont de Nemours? DD
Chrysler Motor Corp.? C
Bethlehem Steel? BS Who was Vice President for ... Hoover? Charles Curtis
Truman? Alben Barkley
Coolidge? Charles Dawes
Wilson? Thomas Marshall Who composed the musical comedies Rose Marie, Vagabond King, Bird of Paradise? Rudolf Friml
Who composed the operettas The Student Prince, Desert Song, Blossom Time? Sigmund Romberg
Who composed The Music Man? Meredith Wilson

   

by Rick Heli