Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Quiz whiz

Although I'm very amused by trivia and pop culture I'm far from being an experienced pub quiz contestant. However, when Sean and Rebecca, two amiable acquaintances from the Leavenworth weekend, wondered if I would like to join them for some Monday night quizzing I certainly did not want to decline. Consequently, I met up with them and two other teammates yesterday at Green Lake Bar & Grill for some hearty pub grub and (friendly) competition.

Already a few questions into the game it dawned on me that for this particular occasion my knowledge base seemed somewhat maladjusted. Or to be frank: it was useless. I know very little of US state capitals, Rhode Island universities, NFL statistics, and (apparently) Back to the Future. My only contribution of any significance was the answer to a movie question that none of the others knew. The task was to figure out which motion picture that united actors behind two fictional characters; in this case Scout Master Ward and John Connor. And I nailed it (after some serious brooding)! Got a few highfives after that.

Luckily, my teammates were well-read and quick, and at the end of three rounds with ten questions each (plus a bonus round with a free beer pitcher at stake) there was a tie between us and another party. Oh, the drama! The winner was to be determined through a tiebreak, with one contestant from each team appointed by the quizmaster. I tried my best to sink through my chair, disappear under the table, and slip away between the cracks in the floor, because I really, really did not want to be picked. But of course I was. Of course! No wailing or moaning helped, no pleads for mercy were acknowledged; my teammates assured me that they couldn't care less about the outcome (although 30 seconds earlier they were all extremely focused and set on winning) and I eventually resigned and got up in front of everyone in the bar, facing my doom.

The tiebreaker consisted of estimating the nationwide opening (i.e. money made during the first weekend) of the movie Lincoln. I sort of blacked out and couldn't transform my thoughts into US dollars, so when the quizmaster pushed me for an answer I just scribbled down some figures on a paper and handed it over. The correct answer was just over $21 million; I had written about $1 million. Crap! But the other contestant was even further off than I, guessing around $100 000. The quizmaster rolled his eyes in disappointment at both of us, but none the less my team won! More highfives and great relief for me. And in addition, after paying the quiz fee and my food (including tax and tip) I ended up leaving with $8 more than I came with, which must be considered a successful result. Three cheers for team Pling Plong!

4 comments:

  1. Det är ju ett utmärklt tillfälle att lära sig sådan viktiga saker som gamla NFL-scores osv. hihihihi...
    Snyggt jobbat med filmen, om det är Lincoln the vampire hunter så såg jag den i helgen, helt ok.
    Har förresten fått ok från Diana, så nu ligger några små bilder på lilleman uppe :)
    Kramar

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  2. Låter som att du även hade ett finger med i spelet när laget skulle namnges!

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    1. Det hade jag inte! Totalt oskyldig faktiskt. Om jag hade döpt oss hade vi hetat något i stil med Tjong Plonk, dvs extremt stor skillnad.

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