My final regular hosting gig at the Old Pequliar (“Seattle’s Brainiest Trivia Night”) was January 3, and was my annual year-in-review quiz. Here’s a selection of questions adapted from that quiz – were you on my wavelength in 2011?
The Year in Twitter
- In early May, Sohaib Athar  tweeted “Go away helicopter, before I take out my giant swatter.†What city does he live in?
Show ▼ - What company denied negotiating with Jason Castillo for his twitter handle, stating that they were not yet “getting into the minutiae of marketingâ€?
Show ▼ - Who joined Twitter in June, saying in his first tweet: “Dear friends, I just launched News.va. Praised be our lord Jesus Christ!â€
Show ▼ - Who received a firestorm of criticism after he tweeted, in response to Ryan Dunn’s death, that “friends don’t let jackasses drink and driveâ€?
Show ▼ - When David Wiggs complained that a White House briefing was dull, the White House responded with a link to what popular destination?
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2011 Was for Lovers
- Who confirmed in November that she was going to divorce her husband, but has not yet changed her Twitter name, claiming it “isn’t a top priority�
Show ▼ - Who were Natalie Kenly and Bree Olsen living with back in early March?
Show ▼ - What magazine shipped with a special “runaway bride†sticker on its July issue after Crystal Harris called off her engagement?
Show ▼ - A “fascinator†eventually sold at auction for $131,000 after it became world-famous at what event?
Show ▼ - Scarlett Johansson used her cell phone to take nude photos for her husband, Ryan Reynolds. They were stolen by a hacker who shared them with the world. Who owns the copyright for the shots?
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2011 Memorial Reel
Each of these questions asks about a particular movie. Name the movie itself, and the performer who died in 2011.
- What boundary-pushing 1966 drama, about “an evening of fun and games,†was based on a well-known play and was Mike Nichols’ first film as a director?
Show ▼ - According to Wallace Shawn, at least once a day somebody approaches him on the street and says “inconceivable†based on his appearance in what 1987 film?
Show ▼ - What 1978 musical was the highest grossing movie that year, and had the second-best-selling soundtrack after Saturday Night Fever?
Show ▼ - What legendary 1965 exploitation film written and directed by Russ Meyer got its name because it promised speed, sex, and violence in four words?
Show ▼ - What 1984 comedy spawned six sequels that took characters to Miami Beach and Moscow, as well as an animated series and a live-action comedy?
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2011 Grab Bag
- What Scandinavian nickname for Sigrid was on everyone’s lips starting in October?
Show ▼ - What country’s leader fled to Saudi Arabia on January 14, becoming the first dictator overthrown in the Arab Spring uprisings?
Show ▼ - In April, Harvard scholar Lobsang Sangay was elected as the Kalon Tripa, or prime minister, of the government in exile of what region?
Show ▼ - What car (make and model) was advertised in the popular commercial where a young boy dressed as Darth Vader discovers that he can, sometimes, use the Force?
Show ▼ - What company applied for a trademark on the name “Seal Team 6†the day after the real Seal Team Six killed Osama Bin Laden?
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2011 to the Extreme! (The year in superlatives.)
- According to Facebook, the top status trend in the US in 2011 was the abbreviation “lms,†an abbreviation for what request?
Show ▼ - What sequel was the most positively reviewed video game of 2011 on Amazon.com?
Show ▼ - What world record was held by Brazil’s Maria Gomes Valentim until June 21, when it transferred to Besse Cooper of Georgia, USA?
Show ▼ - Which chain restaurant sponsored the most-retweeted tweet of 2011, raising $50,000 for kids in foster care?
Show ▼ - What Academy Award-winning new mom was the year’s most-rented actress at Redbox, thanks to her appearance in four films released on video?
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