I hope you enjoyed this quiz, which was originally posted on September 27, 2010.
Less Difficult
1. Huey, Duey & Louie are the nephews of Donald Duck. They first appeared in 1937. They are the sons of Donald’s sister, Della Duck. In current cartoons, they are often depicted with Scrooge McDuck, who is actually their great-uncle.
2. “Bewitched, bothered and bewildered” is the title of a song from the 1940 musical, Pal Joey by Rodgers and Hart. It was popularized when recorded by Ella Fitzgerald. It is now widely accepted as an American Standard tune.
3. The Executive, Legislative and Judiciary are the three branches of the U.S. Federal Government. The first three Articles of the U.S. Constitution prescribe the powers of each branch.
4. Santino (“Sonny”), Fredo and Michael are the three sons of Don Vito Corleone, characters in Mario Puzo’s 1969 novel, The Godfather. Similar to Shakespeare’s King Lear (see below), Corleone is an aging, powerful leader who must decide how to divide his empire among his three sons. Consistent with Italian patrilineal society, Corleone’s daughter, Connie, was not considered an heir. Academy-award winning films based upon this novel were made in 1972 and 1974, directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
5. Ford, General Motors (“GM”) and Chrysler are the three remaining major U.S. automobile manufacturers. Collectively, they are often referred to as “The Big Three.”
6. ABC, NBC & CBS were the three major U.S. broadcast networks for many years. Arguably, their power in terms of influence and market-share have diminished considerably with the arrival of many cable TV networks, including CNN.
7. Faith, hope & charity were three Christian martyred saints. Their feast day is September 17.
8. David Crosby, Stephen Stills & Graham Nash make up a rock recording group known collectively as Crosby, Stills & Nash (or “CSN”). They were occasionally joined by a fourth member, Neil Young. Prior to CSN’s formation in 1968, its members played in various other bands, such as The Byrds and The Hollies. CSN played at the Woodstock music festival in August 1969. Their music is known for its flawless harmony layered over acoustic guitars. However, electric guitars and other instruments have also contributed to the group’s sound.
9. Win, place or show are the three wagers available in horse racing.
10. The Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion are three characters from L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Literary scholars have held Baum’s tale to be an allegory for turn of the 20th Century American politics (for example, the Yellow Brick Road represents the US’s reliance upon the gold standard). The novel was adapted into a highly successful film in 1939.
More Difficult
1. Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance were a well-known double play combination for the Chicago Cubs. They were a part of the Cubs’ World Series-winning teams in 1907 and 1908, as well as a pennant-winner in 1910. Their names were immortalized in a poem by Franklin Pierce Adams called Baseball’s Sad Lexicon.
2. Patty, Maxine and LaVerne Andrews from Minnesota were a popular singing trio from the Swing and Big Band eras. The Andrews Sisters’ style was characterized by close harmony. Patty Andrews is still alive at 92.
3. The Yalta Conference took place in a Black Sea resort in Yalta in February 1945. Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin convened representing the heads of the major Allied powers of World War II. The leaders discussed an agenda for governing post-war Germany.
4. Stars Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi are titles of George Lucas films constituting Parts IV, V and VI respectively of his nine-part series, now collectively known as Star Wars.
5. The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness and The Belmont Stakes are the three races of thoroughbred horse racing’s Triple Crown.
Most Difficult
Laurence Olivier as Lear
1. Regan, Goneril & Cordelia are King Lear‘s three daughters from Shakespeare’s tragic play of that name. Written between 1603 and 1606, it tells the tale of Lear’s descent into madness after wrongfully distributing his estate after falling prey to flattery.
2. The Potsdam Conference took place in occupied Germany in July-August 1945. Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin and Harry S. Truman represented Great Britain, the USSR and the USA respectively. President Roosevelt had died suddenly in April 1945, and Truman ascended to the presidency. The leaders met to discuss various issues, including the post-war order following Germany’s unconditional surrender. Clement Attlee succeeded Churchill as Prime Minister midway through the conference.
3. Destiny’s Child was an American R&B group comprising lead singer, Beyonce Knowles, alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. The band achieved four US number-one singles before disbanding in 2006.
4. Betty Jo, Bobbie Jo & Billie Jo were the three daughters of Kate Bradley on the CBS sitcom, Petticoat Junction, which ran from 1963 to 1970. Together, they ran the Shady Rest Hotel outside of the fictional town of Hooterville.
5. The Three Musketeers (Les Trois Mouquetaires) was a novel by Alexandre Dumas, pere, serialized in March-July 1844. It recounts the adventures of a young man named D’Artagnan and his three friends, Athos, Porthos and Aramis.
Extra Hard Bonus Question
In 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt denounced the trio of “Martin, Barton and Fish,” three conservative Republican Congressmen who had harangued the president for years for failing to do enough to revive the economy. They also criticized Roosevelt for his efforts to augment the Armed Forces in the years leading up to World War II. In an October 28 campaign speech in Madison Square Garden, the president rattled off the names of Martin, Barton and Fish with such resonance that members of the audience took to repeating them in cadence.
— The Major
Kay Nou = Our House 