Zippy Zooms VIII Trivia Quiz

Answer: kangaroo

The genus Macropus (from the Greek for "long foot") of the order Diprotodontia, the largest marsupial order, comprises two extant and thirteen extinct species of kangaroo. The largest of the two extant species, the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), is found in eastern Australia, including Tasmania - while the western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus) is found across most of southern Australia. Despite its specific name (meaning "gigantic"), the eastern grey kangaroo is not the largest kangaroo species, as this distinction belongs to the red kangaroo (Osphranter rufus), which is also the largest marsupial and the largest mammal native to Australia.

Both Macropus species are found in a wide range of habitats and are crepuscular or nocturnal. They also are gregarious animals that live in groups. The eastern grey kangaroo is the most frequently encountered in Australia, as it often inhabits areas not far from cities and towns. Classified by IUCN as Least Concern (2016), both species have healthy population numbers.

The koala is also a marsupial of the order Diprotodontia, while the kookaburra and the kiwi (which, unlike the other animals, is native to New Zealand) are birds.

LadyNym of the Phoenix Rising team jumped at the opportunity to write this question.

Answer: 33 1/3

RPM on a vinyl disc stands for revolutions per minute and it is the indicator used to tell how fast a record spins on the turntable.

Early recordings were generally spun at varying speeds between 70 and 80 rpms. This was solidified in the 1920s when 78 rpms became the standard. Whilst this was a great move, it did have one drawback and that was that the high speed limited the amount of music that could be held on the disc down to about three minutes. This changed after World War II when record labels introduced recordings of 33 1/3 rpms for long-playing albums (12 inch) and 45 rpms for the 7 inch short format disc.

Today vinyl recordings tend to come in three formats; the 7 and 10 inch, which hold less information and are informally known as "singles" and "extended plays" (played at 45 rpms) and the 12 inch, which has narrow grooves and holds significantly more information, is played at 33 and 1/3. The 78 rpms were phased out during the 1950s.

This question was spun out by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19.

Answer: Horn

Bull + horn = bullhorn, a funnel-shaped portable acoustic device used to amplify and direct the sound of a human voice. Bullhorns (or megaphones) are sometimes electrically powered to further intensify sound. Shoe + horn = shoehorn, a hand-held tool with a slight curve inserted at the heel to assist in putting on a shoe. Shoehorns were originally made of animal horns, but modern versions are typically metal or plastic. Prong + horn = pronghorn, a deer-like mammal indigenous to North America. Pronghorns are not antelopes and are in fact closer relatives to giraffes and okapi. They also hold the distinction of being the fastest land mammal in the Western Hemisphere.

JCSon struggled with this question until Phoenix Rising sent out a clarion call.

Answer: Design fault: Square windows

In a milestone aviation achievement, the de Havilland Comet jetliner was the first commercial jet airliner, considered by some the most beautiful aircraft ever made. The turbo jets were incorporated in sleek enclosures in the wing root. (The more efficient turbofans were not available for commercial aircraft until the 70s). It was thought that these novel engines would be the source of any problems with the jet.

However, the first two aircraft losses were due to the planes breaking up in mid-air indicating a structural fault, not an engine problem. The Comet manufacturers tested the structure of an existing Comet in a water tank with repeating pressurisation cycles. After just over 3,000 pressurisation cycles the cause of the two planes breaking up in mid-flight was found to be due to metal fatigue, exacerbated by the square window design. The fuselage break-up started at the corner of a window. The engineers redesigned the structure of the plane, with rounded-off windows in what became the Comet 2. The problem never recurred.

This question was flown into the quiz by Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1.

Answer: Benjamin Franklin

Without Benjamin Franklin, there likely would not be an independent America.

Ben Franklin was involved in helping draft the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The Continental Congress then sent Franklin to France to help persuade the superpower to join in an alliance against the British forces. He was successful in signing the Treaty of Alliance with France on February 6, 1778, but it still took until 1781 before the French fleets scared away the British forces at Yorktown. Finally, in 1783, Ben Franklin was one of the negotiators for the Treaty of Paris making peace with Britain, but not until the Empire officially acknowledged American independence.

The remarkable genius of making peace with Britain gave America a chance to form, before France could pounce and take the colonies for themselves. So many things had to go right in order for the American experiment to even start, and Ben Franklin had his hand in many of them. Franklin was lucky enough to live until April of 1790, a full year after the new United States government had begun to spread its wings as a new nation.

This revolutionary question was signed by BigTrivaDawg who admires the brilliance and style of his favorite American hero.

Answer: Pannapictagraphists

The word 'pannapictagraphist' can be broken down into its component parts to catch the overall meaning. 'Panna' means open or spread out, 'picta' means painted, and 'graph' is about writing. It all adds up to one who draws or paints in a sequence of pictures with words... which quite accurately describes comics and comic books.

As for the other choices, a deltiologist collects postcards, a labeorphilist collects beer bottles, and a plangonologist collects dolls.

Phoenix Rising's reedy collected the information for this question while admiring his collection of Star Trek memorabilia.

Answer: Doyle Brunson

Doyle Brunson, who was known as "Texas Dolly", was a ten-time WSOP bracelet winner and two-time Main Event Champion. 2023's World Series of Poker was dedicated to his memory. He wrote "Super System" in 1978 and originally self-published it. It was released in 1979 by B & G Publishing. The book revolutionized poker by giving insight into how professionals played and won. The book included chapters by other prominent pros at the time including Chip Reese, Mike Caro, Joey Hawthorne, David Sklansky, and Bobby Baldwin. In 2004, Doyle released an updated version "Super System 2".

Doyle was a legend in his own time and as poker gained popularity on TV, he became a fixture. His death in May left a big hole in the spectacle that is the WSOP and he was honored throughout the year's events.

This question was respectfully dealt into the quiz by Phoenix Rising's own poker aficionado tazman6619.

Answer: Bingo

"Bluey" is a blue heeler puppy in a cartoon show from Australia. All of the listed answers are dogs in the show - Bandit is Bluey's father, Muffin is a cousin, and Indy is a friend. The show started in 2018 and is popular around the world. The puppies look like different types of dogs - Indy is an Afghan hound, for example.

Player pusdoc was barking up the wrong tree when she provided this question for Phoenix Rising's quiz.

Answer: Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin (born 1958) received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his memorable role as Sheldon "Shelly" Kaplow in "The Cooler" (2003). Baldwin portrayed the role of Jack Donaghy in the TV series "30 Rock" (2006 - 2013).

In October 2021, Ukrainian cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was accidentally shot by Baldwin on a movie production set. The incident occurred due to a prop revolver that had not been adequately checked. The oversight led to the discharge of a bullet that resulted in the tragic death of Hutchins.

Phoenix Rising's Matthew_07 penned this question.

Answer: 'Scout' Finch

At the start of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee, the story's narrator, Jean Louise Finch ('Scout'), tells us she is six years old. She is eight when the storyline finishes. Shakespeare's tragic heroine Juliet (from 'Romeo and Juliet') is thirteen (and Romeo is sixteen). Primrose Everdeen from Suzanne Collins' 'Hunger Games' is the younger sister of the main protagonist, Katniss Everdeen. Prim is twelve years old at the commencement of the first book of the series. Similarly, Lucy Pevensie is eight years old when the story ('The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' by C.S. Lewis) begins. Lucy is the youngest of the four Pevensie siblings (Peter, Susan and Edmund are older). This was the first book written in the Narnia series by Lewis, although 'The Magician's Nephew' is often considered a prequel. The Pevensie children did not appear in this prequel.

This numerical question was added to the quiz by Phoenix Rising's MikeMaster99 who is always amazed by the precocious intellect and world views shown by many, very young, literary characters.