After a rousing game of 1984-era Trivial Pursuit, my friends and I had more questions than answers. I took notes in order to do some research later. Later is now. Here are the results:
Q: When did Krushchev bang his shoe?
A: On September 29th, 1960.
Q: We learned that Bill Cosby was the first African-American actor to land a starring role on a television drama, but what show was it?
A: I Spy
Q: Who was Vidkun Quisling?
A: A fascist jackass.
Q: Where did the term “playing hardball” originate?
A: Yes, we were correct. It was from the game of baseball, which is played with a small, hard ball.
Q: If you eat a lot of bananas are you more likely to attract mosquitoes?
A: Inconclusive. I should leave this one to Mythbusters.
Q: Was Indian Love Song some sort of one hit wonder?
A: All right, maybe I wouldn’t have the patience to be a research librarian. Too hard to narrow this one down without more info to go on.
Q: Where did the Salvation Army’s “Blood and Fire” come from?
A: Apparently this describes the blood of Jesus shed on the cross to save all people, and the fire of the Holy Spirit which purifies believers. Ack.
Q: Who was Irma la Douce?
A: Not a who but a what. Specifically a 1956 French stage musical.
Q: Tell us more about the Plains of Abraham.
A: Look here and here and here.
Q: Where did Robert “S for Strange” McNamara’s middle name come from?
A: As Maria had guessed, it was his mother’s maiden name.
Q: What was Lauren Bacall’s birth name?
A: Betty Joan Perske
Q: Totalizator is such a kickass term it sounds like you made it up. Did you?
A: No I didn’t, honest. Looky here.
6 Comments
Fantastic! Now, to complete the questions, I’ll have to see what info I can find on Indian Love Song . . .
I think the Wikipedia article is incorrect about the shoe-banging on 9/29/60: it cites as its only source an incorrect recent BBC article. On that date, Khrushchev did interrupt MacMillan twice by rapidly pounding both fists (not his shoe) on the table (but NOT saying “we will bury you” — another false “fact” in the BBC article). Just to be sure I’m not daft, I checked the N.Y. Times from that week, and all I could find was an article from September 29, 1960 entitled “MacMillan in U.N. Appeal; Khrushchev Shouts Protest”, which says “The Soviet leader shouted back at Mr. MacMillan from his seat in the General Assembly hall and pounded on his desk with his fists.” No mention of shoe removal at all. Another article from Oct. 4, 1960 describes a more colorful picture of “shouts from the floor and rub-a-dub of fists on his desk.”
As far as I can tell, the first shoe-banging actually happened at the UN on Oct. 12, 1960, in response to Filipino delegate Lorenzo Sumulong. The “We will bury you” quote also didn’t happen at this time either: that was four years earlier on Nov. 17, 1956, in Moscow.
– your fact-checking cuz
Mark, wow. You’ve totally made my day.
“Cherokee (Indian Love Song)” was a big band hit in the 1940’s . . . maybe that was it. I don’t remember the wording of the question too well, however I know it was asking what song had a chorus or lyrics that primarily were, “you-ooooo-oooo-oooo-oooo.”
washingtonblade.comRe: the Salvation Army. This is why it should come as no surprise to anyone that they maintain anti-gay policies (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2003/12-19/news/national/salvation.cfm). I refuse to drop a dime in those red buckets.
I had no idea Irma la Douce was a French stage musical first. I’m only familiar with the Shirley MacLaine/Jack Lemmon movie. You learn something new every day!
Apparently the shoe incident is generating lots of heated debate on Wikipedia. There’s no doubt in my mind he did not remove or bang his shoe on 9/29 though. I think the Brits just want their unflappable PM to get credit for the incident, rather than some lowly Filipino diplomat.
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