Son of Potpourri Trivia Quiz

Answer: eroteme

What is an eroteme? It is the symbol following the previous question, i.e., the question mark symbol, "?". "The Century Dictionary" defines 'eroteme' as a noun, "a mark indicating a question; a note of interrogation". The word, not in common usage, was coined by grammarian Goold Brown (1791-1857). Of the other choices: an ecphoneme is an exclamation point "!"; an ampersand is an 'and' symbol "&"; an interrobang is a combination of an eroteme and an ecphoneme "?!"!

Answer: Sargasso Sea

The Sargasso Sea is located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is the only sea on Earth without a coastline, without shores, surrounded only by ocean currents. It has no land boundaries. The Sargasso is the antithesis of the other three choices, i.e., the Caspian Sea, the Dead Sea and the Aral Sea, all of which are landlocked.

Answer: Sheldon

Sidney Sheldon (1917-2007) was a writer of Broadway plays, films and TV shows, as well as a producer. "The Other Side of Midnight" (1972) was his best-selling novel. He also won an Oscar for writing "The Bachelor and the Bobbysoxer" (1948).

Sheldon Leonard (1907-1997) was a pioneer of early television, producing early sitcoms like "The Andy Griffith Show" and "The Danny Thomas Show". In movies, he often acted as a tough gangster type with a fedora and a Brooklyn accent.

Answer: Guion Stewart Bluford Jr.

Guioin "Guy" Bluford was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1942. He is an aerospace engineer, retired Air Force officer and fighter pilot. Bluford was assigned to NASA in 1979, rising to the rank of Colonel. On August 30, 1983, Guy became the first African American in space; the mission was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

In 1997, he was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame and, in 2010, into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.

Answer: ingrown toenail

The word onychocryptosis is from the Greek, i.e., 'onyx' for nail, and 'kryptos' for hidden. It is listed as a nail disease where the nail cuts into the paronychium or nail bed. The condition, often involving the big toe, can be painful and might require treatment by a podiatrist. Of the other choices: enuresis is the scientific name for bed wetting; kinemortophobia is fear of zombies and cannibalism is just wrong.

Answer: Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss

Of all the choices above, it was Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss who appeared in the short lived sitcom "He and She" which ran from 1967 to 1968. The comedy was about an urban NYC couple where he is a comic book artist and...well, you've seen it before. Prentiss was in "Stepford Wives" (1975) and "Where the Boys Are" (1960). Benjamin appeared in "West World" (1973) and "Goodbye, Columbus" (1969).

The couple married in 1961.

Answer: Larry Doby

It is well known that number 42, Jackie Robinson, was the first black player in the National League in Major League Baseball, with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Far fewer have heard of Larry Doby (1923-2003), the second black man to integrate professional baseball.

He made his major league debut as the first black man in the American League of MLB on July 5, 1947 for the Cleveland Indians. His last professional appearance was on June 26, 1959 for the Chicago White Sox.

Answer: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band

The song "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" can be found on the Beatles' iconic 1967 album, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". It was the Beatles' eighth studio album, and it was released on June 1, 1967. The psychedelic album spent fifteen weeks at the top spot in the United States.

The song was predominantly written by John Lennon, and was based on a circus poster he had purchased.

Answer: Vincenzo Lancia

Vincenzo Lancia (1881-1937) was an Italian engineer. While he worked at Fiat, he began racing their automobiles. !n 1907 he built his first car, and produced models like the Lambda and Aprilia.

Regarding the other choices: Jorge Berglio is Pope Francis; Joseph Ratzinger was Pope Benedict XVI and Karol Wojtyla, Pope for over 26 years, was Pope John Paul II.

Answer: Clint Eastwood

Were you surprised to find it was Clint Eastwood? I know I was. The 1997 movie does not seem like the subject matter with which Eastwood usually deals. It is set in Savannah, Georgia and depicts a rich homosexual, murder and a trial. Among other Eastwood directed films are: "Unforgiven", "Gran Torino" "Million Dollar Baby", "The Bridges of Madison County" and "Play Misty for Me".