Backyard Trivia: Welcome to the W

ROUND ONE: WNBA MASCOTS

The questions for this round are inspired by WNBA mascots, but the categories are classic pub trivia potpourri. Assign one point value to each answer before you read the next question. Full rules and how to play here.

Categories: Fashion, Entertainment, Science, Animals, Cats, Dogs

Point Values: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Q1 R1: Fashion

Ellie the Elephant, of the New York Liberty is known for her provocative dance moves and incredible fashion sense, including her TELFAR bag. Designed by New York born designer Telfar Clemens, how many ounces of animal leather does it take to produce one TELFAR bag? You must be within one ounce.

Q2 R1: Entertainment

According to their website, the Las Vegas Aces pulled their mascot, Buckets (a rabbit), out of a hat, a magic trick first popularized on stage by John Henry Anderson. What is the other magic trick that Anderson is credited for popularizing? It's an illusion that Harry Houdini once planned to perform in New York in 1918, but did not after receiving a letter from a friend that said: "you owe it to your friends and your family to cut out all stuff that entails the risk of your life.”

HINT: David Blaine performs a version of the illusion in which he purports to catch the illusion's titular object in his mouth.

Q3 R1: Science

The Seattle Storm’s mascot, Doppler, is named after the type of radar that many meteorologists use to track storms. What characteristic of a wave, measured in hertz, is central to measuring the doppler effect?

HINT: You will perceive the siren of an ambulance moving towards you as having a higher pitch than when it is traveling away from you.

Q4 R1: Animals

The Washington DC Mystics’ mascot is Pax the Panda. According to a 2006 New York Times article entitled "Eats Shoots, Leaves and Much of Zoos' Budgets," pandas are by far the most expensive animal to keep in captivity, costing five times more than the second most expensive animal. According to the article, which animal is the second most expensive animal to keep in captivity.

HINT: According to the World Wildlife Fund, it has the longest gestation period of any mammal, 22 months. 

Q5 R1: Cats

The favorite book of the Minnesota Lynx mascot, Prowl, is "Forest Cats of North America." According to the publishers summary of the book, readers will be fascinated to learn that the cheetah may actually be descendant from which North American big cat?

HINT: The options are panther, cougar, lynx, and bobcat.

Q6 R1: Dogs

The favorite colors of Sparky, the LA Sparks’ mascot, are yellow and purple. However, since he is a dog, Sparky cannot see one of those colors. Which of the two colors is Sparky unable to see?

A1 R1

ZERO

The bags are made of vegan faux leather.

A2 R1

BULLET CATCH

John Henry Anderson was one of the first magicians to use advertising and marketing effectively. So he is credited with popularizing a lot of magic tricks.

A3 R1

FREQUENCY

Measured in hertz, frequency is the number of waves that pass a point in a certain period of time.

A4 R1

ELEPHANT

BYT BONUS (3 points): The elephant is the heaviest land mammal on earth. What is the second heaviest land mammal?

A5 R1

COUGAR

BYT BONUS (3 points): The ABC TV series, "Cougar Town," starring Courtney Cox, ran for a total of six seasons from September 2009 until March 2015. The first three seasons were on ABC. Which cable TV network served as its home for the final three seasons?

A6 R1

PURPLE

Orange, green and yellow, all look yellow to most dogs. Blue and purple all look like blue to most dogs.

BYT BONUS (up to 6 points): Name any six of the top twenty most memorable marketing mascots of all time, according to the Ranker dot com article "The Most Memorable Advertising Mascots Of All Time." Earn one point for each correct answer.

BA4 R1 (3 points)

RHINOCEROS

BA5 R1 (3 points)

TBS

BA6 R1 (up to 6 points):

Chester Cheetah

Colonel Sanders

Energizer Bunny

Fred Flintstone

GEICO Gecko

Kool-Aid Guy

Lucky the Leprechaun

Mario

Mickey Mouse

Mr. Clean

Mr. Peanut

Mr. Pringle

Pillsbury Doughboy

Red and Yellow M&Ms

Ronald McDonald

Smokey Bear

Snap, Crackle, and Pop

Tony the Tiger

Toucan Sam

Wendy

ROUND TWO: SECRET THEME

The answers to these questions are all related to each other via a secret theme.

Categories: Ancient Aliens, Technology News, Music, Food, Expensive Things, Chicago

Point Values: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Q1 R2: Ancient Aliens

Ancient Aliens, Season 14, Episode 6 asks the following question about which ancient civilization? “When Spanish Conquistadors obliterated the historical record of [this civilization] in the 16th century, did they wipe out evidence that ancient people traveled to the Americas from all over the world - and in flying craft provided by extraterrestrial visitors?”

HINT: The episode also mentions that this civilization’s greatest achievement was “their system of charting stars and planets in the form of a calendar.”

Q2 R2: Technology News

In a February 2023 article published on TechCrunch dot com, Greg Dracon, a partner at a venture capital firm, referred to what city when he said it has, “always been a great technology town in my opinion, and it’s hard to beat [all the] colleges and universities with more STEM grads than in any state in the U.S. So it’s always been really good at technology.”?

HINT: It is the capital of its state.

Q3 R2: Music

What word does the Y in the title of the 8th track on the album Thriller stand for?

HINT: The title of the song is P.Y.T.

Q4 R3: Food

In her August 2023 article about why this particular fruit is her favorite stone fruit, author Liz Bomze of America’s Test Kitchen says, “You don’t have to be a William Carlos Williams devotee to appreciate eating them out of hand. It’s thrilling to take a bite - the astringency of the skin that buzzes like the first sip of a freshly cracked Coke, the shock of color in red-fleshed fruits - and fun to suss out the nuances in different varieties. Last week I munched on a cherry [varietal] that tasted like a rose backlit with green-apple tang.” What stone fruit is she referring to?

HINT: It is widely considered to be one of the first crops cultivated by humans, with remains of it being found in Neolithic age archaeological sites along with olives, grapes and figs.

Q5 R2: Expensive Things

According to a February 2022 article published by Town and Country Magazine, The Pink Star is the most expensive what, ever sold at auction?

HINT: The second most expensive is The Oppenheimer Blue and the third is Memory of Autumn Leaves & Dream of Autumn Leaves.

Q6 R2: Chicago

What is the name of the street in Chicago that boasts the following landmarks along its route through the city: Wrigley Field, Lincoln Park, and the Rock N Roll McDonalds?

HINT: You can famously buy gourmet popcorn on this street.

SECRET THEME: WNBA #1 DRAFT PICKS

A1 R2

MAYA

(Maya Moore, 2011)

A2 R2

BOSTON

(Aliyah Boston, 2023)

BYT BONUS (up to 3): Point of clarification. According to the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, Massachusetts is home to the most STEM Degree Grads in the U.S. per million residents, however, according to the Site Selection Group, a company that helps corporations make location decisions, Massachusetts is NOT the state that produces the most STEM grads outright. In fact, it is not even in the top five. Name any three of the five states that graduated the most STEM degree holders. Earn one point for each correct answer.

A3 R2

YOUNG (Pretty Young Thing)

(Jackie Young, 2019)

A4 R2

PLUM

(Kelsey Plum, 2017)

BYT BONUS (3 points): Fill in the blank of William Carlos Williams’ 1938 poem titled “This Is Just To Say.”

I have eaten / the plums / that were in / the icebox

and which / you were probably / saving / for BLANK

Forgive me / they were delicious / so sweet / and so cold

HINT: It's a meal.

A5 R2

JEWEL

(Jewell Loyd, 2015)

A6 R2

CLARK

(Caitlin Clark, 2024)

BYT BONUS (up to 6 points): Name any six of the ten most common penalties/fouls in women's sports, according to Chat GPT. The exact prompt given to Chat GPT was "What are the ten most common penalties/fouls in women's sports? "

BA2 R2 (up to 3 points)

CA | TX | NY | FL | PA

BA4 R2 (3 points)

BREAKFAST

BA6 R2 (up to 6 points):

Traveling (Basketball): Taking too many steps without dribbling.

Foul (Basketball): Making illegal physical contact with an opponent.

Offside (Soccer): Being in an offside position when the ball is played.

Handball (Soccer): Using hands or arms to touch the ball intentionally.

Blocking (Volleyball): Illegal interference with an opponent's attempt to hit the ball.

Personal Foul (Field Hockey): Dangerous play or illegal physical contact.

Interference (Softball/Baseball): Disrupting a play or runner.

Excessive Force (Rugby): Tackling with too much aggression or without proper technique.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct (Various sports): Engaging in behavior that is disrespectful or disruptive.

Technical Foul (Basketball): Violating rules that do not involve physical contact, like unsportsmanlike behavior.

ROUND THREE: SECOND CHANCE POINTS

Each question is actually composed of four clues. I'll read to you the first clue. Then we must choose to either provide an answer, or be given another clue. If we answer correctly after the first clue, we earn four points. But if we get the answer wrong, we can only receive one more clue, and I will no longer be available to help with the answer. We earn one less point for each additional clue we receive after the first one. 

EXAMPLE:

First, I read the first clue and we decide to receive another clue.

Then, I read the second clue and we decide to answer, but we get it wrong.

That means that I read the third clue and if you answer correctly, we earn 3 points. But, if you answer incorrectly, that question is over and we earn zero points.

Q1 R3

CLUE 1 (5 points): What year did the WNBA hold its first game?

CLUE 2 (4 points): That same year, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, starring Sarah Michelle Geller, premiered on WB Television Network.

CLUE 3 (3 points): That same year, Madeleine Korbel Albright was confirmed as the Secretary of State by the U.S. Senate. She served in the position for four years.

CLUE 4 (2 points): It is the year the Notorious B.I.G. was murdered in LA.

CLUE 5 (1 points):  It is the year Princess Diana died.

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A1 R3

1997

Q2 R3

CLUE 1 (5 points): On May 23, 2000, the Houston Comets became the first WNBA team to be invited where?

CLUE 2 (4 points): Before the Houston Comets, only men's sports teams had been invited there.

CLUE 3 (3 points): It was once burned down by British soldiers.

CLUE 4 (2 points): It was destroyed by aliens in the movie Independence Day.

CLUE 5 (1 point): John Adams was the first president to live there.

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A2 R3

WHITE HOUSE

Q3 R3

CLUE 1 (5 points): On April 8, 2019, the WNBA announced a multiyear marquee partnership with their first non-apparel partner. The company had its logo featured on the front of all 12 team jerseys. Name the company.

CLUE 2 (4 points): The company is headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas.

CLUE 3 (3 points): It began its history as the American District Telegraph Company, formed in St. Louis in 1878.

CLUE 4 (2 points): After expanding services to Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas through a series of mergers, it became Southwestern Bell Telephone Company in 1920, which was then a subsidiary of American Telephone and Telegraph Company.

CLUE 5 (1 point): It is the second-largest wireless carrier in the United States behind Verizon. 

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A3 R3

AT&T

Q4 R3

CLUE 1 (5 points): The 2003 WNBA draft was delayed due to a what?

CLUE 2 (4 points): The term was first used in 1768, when sailors removed the topgallant sail of merchant ships, rendering them substantially less useful.

CLUE 3 (3 points): Justin Verlander has 36,438 of these things in his career (it's the same word as the above two clues, but a different meaning).

CLUE 4 (2 points): You can use this word to assume or take on a pose.

CLUE 5 (1 point): In bowling, it can be worth 10-30 points.

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A4 R3

STRIKE

Q5 R3

CLUE 1 (5 points): WNBA legend Lisa Leslie played high school basketball at Morningside High School in Inglewood, CA. She is one of the many professional sports player alum from the school. What animal is their mascot?

CLUE 2 (4 points): They are known as the Monarchs.

CLUE 3 (3 points): According to the World Wildlife Fund, three of the five largest populations of this animal can be found in Tanzania.

CLUE 4 (2 points): The zodiac sign of this animal is between Cancer the crab and Virgo. 

CLUE 5 (1 points): James Earl Jones voiced a cartoon version of this animal in a 1994 film.

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A5 R3

LION

Q6 R3

CLUE 1 (5 points): In September of 2024, the WNBA announced that an expansion team will tip-off in Portland, OR in the year 2026. What was the name of WNBA team that played in Portland from 2000-2002?

CLUE 2 (4 points): According to the National Parks Foundation, it "reduces dead vegetation, stimulates new growth, and improves habitat for wildlife."

CLUE 3 (3 points): It is one of the four classical elements.

CLUE 4 (2 points): It is a chemical reaction.

CLUE 5 (1 point): Smokey the Bear has been campaigning against it since 1944.

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A6 R3

FIRE

BYT BONUS (4 points): The Portland WNBA team will play at the Moda Center in Portland's Rose Quarter. What kind of company is the Moda Center named after?

BA6 R3 (4 points)

HEALTH INSURANCE