This Is the "N" Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jim Nabors

"Shazam!" was a catchword Jim Nabors used through his persona of Gomer Pyle through two television shows --"The Andy Griffith Show" (1960-1968) and "Gomer Pyle USMC" (1964-1969), the latter a spin-off. To Gomer "Shazam!" was an expression of glee, surprise, and astonishment. One of Nabor's song albums was called "Shazam!'.

Beginning in 1940 as a comic book superhero Captain Marvel as appeared in comic books in various versions since then, often outselling his clone, Superman. Teenage Billy Batson could summon Captain Marvel, his alter ego, by shouting Shazam!. Shazam meant Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury.

Answer: Ralph Nader

Ralph Nader is a political activist, candidate and an author involved in consumer protection, environmentalism, and government reform. His book "Unsafe at Any Speed" (1965) was an exposé of auto manufacturers indifference to safety features such as seat belts. He has campaigned for president for the Green Party in several times.

Answer: Joe Namath

The brash young quarterback of the New York Jets predicted the underdog Jets would defeat the Baltimore Colts even though they were was an 18 point spread. Namath was 17/26 passing for 206 yards and was named Most Valuable player of the game. Namath was called "Broadway Joe" for his life style in the Big Apple.

More significant was that it showed the American Conference was on a par with the National Conference.

Answer: Ogden Nash

Ogden Nash had a quick wit and some great one-liners.

The cow is of the bovine ilk; one end is moo, the other milk.
The trouble with a kitten is that eventually it becomes a cat.
Remorse is a violent dyspepsia of the mind.
Too clever is dumb.
Home is heaven and orgies are vile; but you need an orgy, once in a while.

Answer: Carrie Nation

Carrie (sometimes Carry) was a radical activist for a number of causes but predominantly an alcohol prohibitionist. She was known to show up in taverns with a hatchet. As the quote suggests she was also concerned about smoking and took a dim view of men.

She described herself as "a bulldog running along at the feet of Jesus, barking at what He doesn't like". To partly pay for her 'hatchet crusades' she marketed miniature hatchets. She died in 1911 and did not live to see the enactment of prohibition in the United States.

Answer: Wayne Newton

At one time or another Wayne Newton had several career breaks as he caught the attention of Lucille Ball, Bobby Darin, Danny Thomas, George Burns, and Jack Benny. But when Newton hit Las Vegas he became arguably the 'must see' performer. For decades he has performed and made Vegas the hub of his career. He has invested in casinos and promotions. With that has also come a parade of lawsuits and counter suits.

Answer: Jack Nicholson

In most photos of Jack Nicholson he is wearing sun glasses even at his beloved Laker games. For nearly sixty years he has been a screen presence, from the pain loving dental patient in the original in "Little Shop of Horrors" (1960), to bringing life to a dismal psychiatric ward in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975), to telling the waitress how to make a chicken sandwich in "Five Easy Pieces" (1970). Nicholson always gives you a scene you will remember.

Answer: Stevie Nicks

Stevie Nicks is known for her "distinctive voice, mystical stage persona, and poetic, symbolic lyrics" First. aa a lead singer for the classic rock band "Fleetwood Mac" and later as a solo performer, produced over 40 top-50 hits and sold over 140 million records. Her top billboard hit was "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" (1981), recorded with Tom Petty.


"Baby you come knocking on my front door
Same old line you used to use before
I said, "Yeah, well what am I supposed to do?"
I didn't know what I was getting into
So you've had a little trouble in town
Now you're keeping some demon down
Stop draggin' my, stop draggin' my
Stop draggin' my heart around".

Answer: David Niven

"The Moon's a Balloon" is the title of David Niven's autobiography. In it he recounts his experiences as an actor, tongue in cheek. Best remembered for Phileas Fogg in "Around the World in 80 Days",(1956) and Sir Charles Lytton in "The Pink Panther" (1963). He also won the Academy Award for Best Actor in "Separate Tables" (1958).

David Niven was on stage at the Academy Awards when a man streaked across the stage in 1974. Niven quipped "Isn't it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?"

Answer: Nostradamus

In the sixteenth century Nostradamus wrote obscure quatrains to predict the future. It has been a parlour game to relate these to events in history. Bless those true believers who regularly prove that he had a vision over six centuries.

What, according to his scholars, was predicted by the above quatrain? The election of Donald Trump to the presidency in 2016.

Answer: Richard Nixon

More than forty years have past since Richard Nixon boarded the helicopter and bid goodbye to the White House. No, he was not a crook in the traditional sense but he made bad decisions that compounded and weakened his power. He is now remembered as a tragic figure, a Macbeth or Lear. Often well intentioned but fatally flawed.

Answer: Cynthia Nixon

Cynthia Nixon is an actress who came to fame as Miranda Hobbes in "Sex in the City" (1998-2004). Her character was a lawyer and was often the voice of reason on the show.

Inspired by the presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders in 2016, she decided to challenge incumbent Andrew Cuomo in the democratic primary for Governor of New York. Up against a powerful political machine, she lost by a 2 to 1 margin, she was nonetheless able to showcase important issues.

Answer: Friedrich Nietzsche

Nietzsche used the phrase figuratively to mean that knowledge had excluded belief in God. The concept grew to mean that the Christian God was not part of western civilization. Nietzsche's 1882 novel "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" explored this concept. Central to the concept is that the universe is governed by physical laws not divine providence.

Answer: Nero

Vellem nescire literas translates to "I wish I was illiterate" and is attributed to Roman emperor Nero. This lament is generally interpreted as feeling the pressure of ruling. In his early years he was under the guidance of his mother, Agrippina, whom later he was to murder for reasons that are obscure to historians.

He was popular with people. Rumors still exist that the great fire of Rome was set so Nero could erect elaborate buildings for himself.

Answer: Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson has been a long-time marijuana advocate and has openly supported the healing properties of the crop for decades. In the 1960-70s this was not a popular position as it is now. He has his own recreational pot company called "Willie's Reserve". As Willie says, "It won't kill you unless a bale falls on your head".