In Pursuit of the Wily Common Bond, No. 1 Quiz

Answer: Abie's Irish Rose

Every production of Anne Nichols' play, "Abie's Irish Rose" evoked complaints from various quarters. Neither Jewish organizations nor Roman Catholic organizations responded well to what was perceived as a "mixed marriage." Yet the play ran on Broadway from 1922 to 1927 and enjoyed two revivals: 1937 and 1954. The movie gave rise to an important case in copyright law, Nichols v. Universal Pictures Corp., 45 F.2d 119 (2d Cir. 1930), written by Judge Learned Hand. The court held that copyright does not extend to stock characters.

Answer: Green River

Green River was created by Richard C. Jones and marketed in the Greater Chicago Area before it became a national brand. Prior to being distributed in bottles, it was sold to soda fountains as syrup in a gallon jug. Cantor's jingle ran: "For a drink that's fine without a kick, Try Green River. It's the only soft drink you should pick, Try Green River." John Fogerty said he was inspired to write the song "Green River" by the label on the soda bottle.

Answer: Fever

Peggy Lee rewrote the lyrics and rearranged "Fever" which became her theme song for the rest of her career. The parts about Romeo and Juliet and about Captain Smith and Pocahontas were her words. Her version received three nominations at the First Annual Grammy Awards in 1959.

Answer: Gonzo journalism

Fueled by drugs and alcohol, Hunter S. Thompson inserted himself into the stories he wanted to write. He disbelieved the claims of objective journalism and countered that one can't write about what one hasn't lived. His style was dubbed "gonzo" by Bill Cardoso, magazine editor of The Boston Globe, and adopted by Thompson to describe himself and his oeuvre.

His novel "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream" (1971) demonstrates the style in an allied form.

Answer: a person who kills or injures another

In the law of many places, it is a defense to a charge of unlawfully killing or injuring another that the victim was in imminent peril not of the actor's own making. The doctrine applies only if the fear of imminent peril is both real and reasonable. Examples of such perils in the caselaw include buildings on fire, automobile accidents, and building collapses.

Some states in the US have codified the Doctrine of Imminent Peril in their statutes; there is also an evolving body of international common law to the same effect.

Answer: The Hunt for Red October

Tom Clancy wrote the novel "The Hunt for Red October" in 1984. It was remarkably accurate, so much so that it was published by the Naval Institute Press. The Soviet sub, a boomer (ballistic missile submarine), is equipped with a propulsion system called a "caterpillar drive" which makes it difficult to detect on passive sonar.

The fear is that it could easily evade detection and take station off the Atlantic Coast of the United States, armed with nuclear missiles.

Answer: Cash Cab

The original "Cash Cab" was produced in 2005 for the Discovery Network. It has since been revived on Bravo. The format appears around the world franchised from Great Britain. Unsuspecting people get into a cab only to discover that the driver wants to ask them trivia questions and give them money for correct answers. Bailey won the Daytime Emmy for best game show host in 2010, 2011 and 2013; the programme won for best game show in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Answer: Mustard gas

Mustard gas is not a gas at all but rather a fine mist which blisters lungs and exposed flesh upon contact. It smells of mustard, garlic or horseradish. Its effects are devastating and its use has been outlawed by international treaty. The poison is easily delivered and dispersed by artillery shells, airplanes, bombs, rockets and the like.

Answer: a bomber jacket

Flight jackets were created when military pilots flew in open cockpits where they were subject to extreme cold. The modern bomber jacket descends from those early garments. Bombers flew at very high altitudes where the air temperature could drop as low as -50 degrees F. And bombers weren't heated. Thus the bomber jacket provided durability and reliable warmth.

Answer: yellow

1. rose: "The Yellow Rose of Texas" is a song about "the sweetest little rosebud that Texas ever knew" as well as the title of a 1944 motion picture, a hybrid tea rose, and an award given by the governor of Texas to outstanding female citizens.

2. river: The Yellow River is a very long (second-longest) river in China. It flows about 5464 kilometers. The Yellow River Basin was a sort of cradle for ancient Chinese civilisation.

3. fever: Yellow Fever is caused by an RNA virus of the genus Flavivirus. It is transmitted by the bite of the Aedes or Haemagogus mosquito. It is found mostly in Africa and South America. The disease causes jaundice which turns the skin yellow and is the source of the name.

4. journalism: Yellow journalism describes a sensational exaggerated scandal-mongering style of news coverage designed to inflame and provoke rather than to educate and inform. The circulation battles of several newspapers circa 1900 typify the term. Among these in particular were the contests between Joseph Pulitzer and his New York World versus William Randolph Hearst and his San Francisco Examiner.

5. peril: The phrase "Yellow Peril" ("Le Péril Jaune") was first used in 1897 by Russian sociologist Jacques Novikow to describe the threat of Asian races to white European culture. It was used by Kaiser Wilhelm II to instill fear after the Japanese victory in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). It is a racist ideology which was revived several times during the 20th century. The premise is that Western civilisation will be overwhelmed by Asian powers, that Western culture will be lost and that Westerners will be enslaved.

6. submarine: United Artists and King Features Syndicate cooperated to produce the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" in 1968. An animated film, voiced by actors other than the Beatles, the movie features many familiar Beatles songs sung by the band. The premise is that Blue Meanies take over Pepperland, the home of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely-Hearts Club Band, and deprive it of all music. The Beatles travel from Liverpool to Pepperland to save the day.

7. cab: The original Yellow Cab Company was founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1907. It grew to be one of the two largest cab companies in the US, the other being Checker. The company has been through many changes of ownership and now is split into numerous companies across the United States.

8. mustard: Yellow mustard is a culinary preparation of ground yellow mustard seeds with salt and liquids such as wine, vinegar, or lemon juice. There are white, yellow, brown and black mustard seeds, each of which makes a distinctive mustard. The typical yellow mustard slathered on hot dogs at ball parks is particularly yellow because of the addition of turmeric powder.

9. jacket: Neither a bee nor a hornet, the yellowjacket (one word) is species of wasp. Typically black and yellow, they feed on pest insects and are therefore considered a boon to agriculture. Many schools have adopted the yellowjacket as their mascot, e.g. Black Hills State University, Defiance College, Howard Payne University, Montana State University Billings, University of Rochester, and West Virginia State University.