Esquire's Hardest Quiz Ever

[jackyl]

And the D for #31 is from NYPD Blue.



W - Hee Haw
A - Quantum Leap
S - Alias
T - That 70's Show
E - American Idol
L - Man From U.N.C.L.E.
A - Futurama
N - Friends
D - NYPD Blue

[Hammer755]

Wouldn't 16 be Ellen Degeneres? The question doesn't ask for the identity of Mr. Hands, but "What celebrity's brother?".

Edit - Beaten to the punch by Joe C.

[dacman]

Originally Posted by digamma

Unless they've changed the font on Unsolved Mysteries, the e looks a bit too "thin" to fit that logo.

They have changed that font -- the pic posted earlier is in a font I've never seen it in unless my memory is failing me.

[Joe Canadian]

Originally Posted by dacman

They have changed that font -- the pic posted earlier is in a font I've never seen it in unless my memory is failing me.

That's the font I remember... and that's the font on their website, and all over Google.

[dacman]

Yep, I think it was colored differently, and that's throwing me off. I'm now inclined to go with American Idol this too.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

Games magazine frequently runs contest puzzles that are staggeringly tough. Usually not of the "right answer" variety, but rather ones that allow you to complete some tasks, and achieve a score for your efforts. (Lots of word games, which I generally dislike) If there is this much interest in this, I'd be game for postong one of those here, and we'll see if we can make a decent go of it. Often they don't seem to lend themselves all that well to group efforts, but I'm open to being proven wrong.

Howeveer, I'd also step up to defend some of the puzzles that have been created here, both in the enigma framework and otherwise. While not every one is a rare gem (which holds true for any source, of course), I think we have had some very clever and solid puzzles created from scratch from among our membership.

Sorry that I wasn't clear in my awkward statement. I had meant the source being Esquire not something like SA or even those brilliant puzzles we have had here at FOFC.

[Buccaneer]

Have we gotten them all (except for 15)?

[TazFTW]

I believe 19 and 27 are still unanswered.

[digamma]

Did we get 46?

[Craptacular]

15 D is Jane Russell, to go with Jules Asner

How the hell did I miss Jules Asner? Must have been the crappy scan.

[Craptacular]

For simplicity's sake, here is the full answer for 15:

1) Ehud Barak - E) Erykah Badu
2) Kid Rock - G) Dick York
3) Jules Asner - D) Jane Russell
4) Paul O'Neill - B) Lou Piniella
5) Blythe Danner - F) Brenda Blethyn
6) Noah Wyle - C) John Elway
7) Scott Weiland - A) Clint Eastwood

[TroyF]

#27 is interesting. My first thought was The Amityville Horror, but I think that one went the other way. It went from Non-Fiction to Fiction if memory serves.

Could this be a book involving religion?

This one is stumping me.

[Draft Dodger]

Originally Posted by TroyF

#27 is interesting. My first thought was The Amityville Horror, but I think that one went the other way. It went from Non-Fiction to Fiction if memory serves.

Could this be a book involving religion?

This one is stumping me.

my first thought was Primary Colors, but that was just a misfire in the dark

[Buccaneer]

In Cold Blood?

[Craptacular]

Originally Posted by TroyF

#27 is interesting. My first thought was The Amityville Horror, but I think that one went the other way. It went from Non-Fiction to Fiction if memory serves.

Could this be a book involving religion?

This one is stumping me.

Religion was my first thought.

[Arctus]

nevermind

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Arctus

the W may be from Hee Haw

http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~fof/foru...&postcount=301

[AENeuman]

Richard McCord
http://sunstonepress.com/cgi-bin/boo..._recordnum=318

"The party in the cemetery. The amputation of the bronze foot. The reincarnation of Billy the Kid. The only book ever to make The New York Times best-seller list in both fiction AND non-fiction."

[Draft Dodger]

for 19:
all the words on the left, you can replace one letter, then rearrange the letters into a new word:

collar - clamor
kinetic - kitchen
mrs - sum
verge - serve
tennis - listen/enlist/silent

unfortunately, you can do that with at least two on the right (rabbi - rabid, meekly - seemly. maybe more, but I gave up here since that obviously wasn't quite the correct path.

[ThunderingHERD]

Originally Posted by AENeuman

Richard McCord
http://sunstonepress.com/cgi-bin/boo..._recordnum=318

"The party in the cemetery. The amputation of the bronze foot. The reincarnation of Billy the Kid. The only book ever to make The New York Times best-seller list in both fiction AND non-fiction."

I take this to mean that the story of "the only book ever to make The New York Times best-seller list in both fiction AND non-fiction" is told in this book. I certainly don't think Richard McCord's book has, as it seems to printed only by a small New Mexico press.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by dacman

They have changed that font -- the pic posted earlier is in a font I've never seen it in unless my memory is failing me.

I'm not sold on it being either Unsolved Mysteries or American Idol for sure at this point. Doesn't seem like an exact match for either.

[cthomer5000]

ok, now im sold on american idol for the "e" the images i was finding weren't really selling me as the structure of the "e" actucally looked a little different, but this video has the lit stage with the backlight effect, so now im positive it is indeed the american idol E.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...=american+idol

[ThunderingHERD]

#27 After dozens of dead-end googles, I finally find the correct answer: Art Spiegelman for the graphic novel Maus:

Originally Posted by http://www.northern.edu/hastingw/maus.htm

Harvey Blume says of Maus that it is "just about unclassifiable," and Edward Shannon asks: "What is Maus? Biography? Autobiography? History? Prose? Comic? Book? Even as it defies the definition of human beings into preestablished slots, it defies definition of itself." (16) Most critics agree that it crosses genre categories between the novel, comix, autobiography, and biography, as well as bridging a division between high and low culture. The mix of genres raises questions about the classification of the book, but also about the nature of classification itself -- an important issue in terms of its subject matter.
Maus was initially placed on fiction bestseller list of the New York Times but was shifted to the nonfiction list at the artist's request; Spiegelman says

. . . it turns out there was a debate among the editors. The funniest line transmitted back to me was one editor saying, let's ring Spiegelman's doorbell. If a giant mouse answers, we'll put Maus in nonfiction. (Blume)

[QuikSand]

Damn... I have even read Maus (even fairly recently) but when I read that question, I had nothing (correct) to go on. Drat!

Good catch.

[Solecismic]

On 19: I haven't gotten any further than adding an a or two to the first syllable of each word, creating a new word. That would make the answer rabbi (arab).

On 46: A shawl is a cape, a torte is a cake. A levy is a toll, height is tall? Or a levy is a tax, to whip someone is to tan them? Or whip is a synonym for cane, continuing the ca_e theme, but there's no synonym for levy that fits.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

at least one place it will be hosted:
http://www.somethingwithanh.com/fofc/SCAN1262_000.pdf

Re-posting for convenience.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

On 46: A shawl is a cape, a torte is a cake. A levy is a toll, height is tall? Or a levy is a tax, to whip someone is to tan them? Or whip is a synonym for cane, continuing the ca_e theme, but there's no synonym for levy that fits.

The most promising to me seems to be "tall" on the grounds you mention. Thsi one really bothers me, sicne with a contst like this, you really want to feel pretty certain that you have the right answer... and while cape/cake:toll/tall sounds pretty good to me, it isn't a slam dunk in my mind.


We might get to the point where we have three or four different shaky answers -- maybe we each submit a variant of the possible set? If we have four answers where we could go two different ways, it's not ridiculous to think that 16 of us each send in a set of answers, with "FOFC" or some variant listed as the group who solved it... just to increase our chances.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

for 19:
all the words on the left, you can replace one letter, then rearrange the letters into a new word:

collar - clamor
kinetic - kitchen
mrs - sum
verge - serve
tennis - listen/enlist/silent

unfortunately, you can do that with at least two on the right (rabbi - rabid, meekly - seemly. maybe more, but I gave up here since that obviously wasn't quite the correct path.

Originally Posted by Solecismic

On 19: I haven't gotten any further than adding an a or two to the first syllable of each word, creating a new word. That would make the answer rabbi (arab).

Both more productive than anything I've got there, which is jack squat nada.

The use of "Mrs." is just so odd there... it really is puzzling.

[Segalovitch]

hey - like you all, been trying to figure out the quiz, and I ran across your site. I have the two answers you guys need. If you choose to use this info, great. If not, then don't. Mouse over and highlight the following:

19. whisk (D). All the words are either one or two syllables of state names (collar = Colorado, Mrs. = Mississippi, verge = Virginia, etc.) so whisk = Wisconsin
46. height (C). If you switch the first consonant sounds of the pair, the two words become antonyms. 'Shawl' and 'torte' = 'tall' and 'short'. Likewise, 'levy' and 'height' become 'heavy' and 'light'.

[Draft Dodger]

Originally Posted by Segalovitch

hey - like you all, been trying to figure out the quiz, and I ran across your site. I have the two answers you guys need. If you choose to use this info, great. If not, then don't. Mouse over and highlight the following:

thanks!
I don't think I would have ever come up with #19.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Segalovitch

hey - like you all, been trying to figure out the quiz, and I ran across your site. I have the two answers you guys need. If you choose to use this info, great. If not, then don't. Mouse over and highlight the following:

19. whisk (D). All the words are either one or two syllables of state names (collar = Colorado, Mrs. = Mississippi, verge = Virginia, etc.) so whisk = Wisconsin
46. height (C). If you switch the first consonant sounds of the pair, the two words become antonyms. 'Shawl' and 'torte' = 'tall' and 'short'. Likewise, 'levy' and 'height' become 'heavy' and 'light'.

Welcome and thanks!

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

Damn... I have even read Maus (even fairly recently) but when I read that question, I had nothing (correct) to go on. Drat!

Good catch.

yeah, same here. sitting on my shelf about 10 feet behind my head.

[cthomer5000]

wait... so are we done here? Perhaps just compile all the answers post them, and give everything a thorough once-over before finalizing things?

[nake1055]

In Cold Blood still seems possible, does it not? I seem to recall that NPR noted this a few weeks back... If not Maus is the ringer.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by nake1055

In Cold Blood still seems possible, does it not? I seem to recall that NPR noted this a few weeks back... If not Maus is the ringer.

At the very least we've got to be careful here. This article seems to indicate Maus II (the second volume) was the book in question. I don't know how thorough our answer needs to be.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/20...?from=storyrhs

edit: some more "Maus 2" backing, although this seems to basically be blog http://www.metaforix.com/archives/mail_01_04_17.html

[nake1055]

Maus was published in two different volumes several years apart. Volume I and Volume II. Which would you pick?

[ThunderingHERD]

I believe the question called for the author.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by ThunderingHERD

I believe the question called for the author.

you are correct. makes things a lot easier.

[TazFTW]

Copied from my reply on page 6 plus the answers since then (in bold). Correct away (also added the Ellen and Hedy corrections).

1. Anne Rice
2. Sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch
3. mind your business
4. Hop on Pop
5. 60. Euler's Formula says that with a simply connected polyhedron, the sum of the vertices and the faces is always the number of edges plus two (F - E + V = 2).
6. Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
7. Monty Python
8. Skim Milk
9. Jackie Robinson
10 b (Canada). Each country on the list has a red and white flag.
11. Gilligan's Island (The Minnow was named after Newton Minnow)
12. Jerry Garcia
13. Bill Robinson
14. Raft
15. 1 E
2 G
3 D
4 B
5 F
6 C
7 A
16. Ellen DeGeneres
17. William Ewart Gladstone
18. Sharp
19. d) whisk
20. 25
21. Russia
22. Theremin
23. Hedy Lamarr
24. gladiolus
25. NE Flanders St
26. Romeo
27. Art Spiegelman
28. The Ohio Express
29. Cincinnati Reds (changed name to Redlegs for 5-6 years in the 50's)
30. The Ace. The cards are in alphabetical order, but the ace needs to be moved to the front.
31. W - Hee Haw
A - Quantum Leap
S - Alias
T - That 70's Show
E - American Idol
L - Man From U.N.C.L.E.
A - Futurama
N - Friends
D - NYPD Blue
32. Harp
33. Wally Cox
34. Sissy Spacek
35. Sonic the Hedgehog
36. Peter Weir
37. 55
38. Ogden Nash
39. Vatican City
40. Nestle
41. Pennsylvania
42. Joe Frazier sang the National Anthem that night.
43. d) shout
44. a) Pierce
45. a) Peru
46. c) height
47. b) Mars Attacks
48. d) song
49. C. Jolt
50. ABC FGHI KL P

[hns2713]

just found this forum and was wondering why Raft is the answer to number 14? I had Rush because Kennedy, Harrison, Clinton, and Taft are all cities in the US but there is no "Bush City" but there is a "Rush city" and no other letter can replace the B in Bush to form a name of a city in the US....so if anyone can tell me what was the rationale behind Raft as the answer here that would be great.

[Draft Dodger]

Originally Posted by hns2713

just found this forum and was wondering why Raft is the answer to number 14? I had Rush because Kennedy, Harrison, Clinton, and Taft are all cities in the US but there is no "Bush City" but there is a "Rush city" and no other letter can replace the B in Bush to form a name of a city in the US....so if anyone can tell me what was the rationale behind Raft as the answer here that would be great.

all those guys (kennedy, clinton, raft, bush, harrison) are famous Georges.

[Shanonovic]

new here - - regarding question #14 - - -could it not be possible that the answer is "Rush" ? - - all of the others are colleges, change Bush to Rush, it fits - - - although famous Georges is also possible....hmmmmm

[Maple Leafs]

I'm still not sold on any of the answers to #14... every other question in the quiz has had an "a ha" answer that you knew was right as soon as you found it, none of these really seem to grab me that way.

[QuikSand]

Perhaps George Raft isn't as famous as we'd like him to be? Or are we just having generational issues? Beats me.

I'm open to offering this as a question where we team up and submit multiple answers... but I don't find "Rush City" anywhere near as compelling as George Raft. The list of "cities in the US" just seems so open-ended as to be a relatively useless category from which to draw a specific question like this.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

I'm open to offering this as a question where we team up and submit multiple answers... but I don't find "Rush City" anywhere near as compelling as George Raft. The list of "cities in the US" just seems so open-ended as to be a relatively useless category from which to draw a specific question like this.

See, that's where I have trouble with the "famous" answer. Cities may be open-ended (and I agree that's not the answer) but at least it's definitive. "Famous people" is so subjective that I just can't see it being a criteria in a quiz as well-crafted as this one.

Now, if there's something more concrete that links those famous people, it could still be the right answer. I'd just feel better if the link was "people who've been nominated for award xyz and lost" or "actors who share a birthday" rather than just "people you've heard of".

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

See, that's where I have trouble with the "famous" answer. Cities may be open-ended (and I agree that's not the answer) but at least it's definitive. "Famous people" is so subjective that I just can't see it being a criteria in a quiz as well-crafted as this one.

Now, if there's something more concrete that links those famous people, it could still be the right answer. I'd just feel better if the link was "people who've been nominated for award xyz and lost" or "actors who share a birthday" rather than just "people you've heard of".

I feel your pain... but once you link these people with celebrities who share the first name, it's certainly going to be tough to add yet another qualifier there (all actors, all award winners, whatever). Sems to me the novelty of the question lies in the ovvious appearance of a presidential connection -- when, in fact, that's pretty much a coincidence.

From the shoes of a puzzle-writer, this question makes sense to me. You notice how strange it is that several presidents share a last name with people named George -- maybe you first think of George Harrison and George Clinton, and it goes from there. Eventually, the Taft/Raft thing becomes the way to make it into a "one of these things is not like the other" style of puzzle.

I buy it... but again, I'm still open to another compelling answer.

[Maple Leafs]

I suppose. It goes without saying that I don't have anything better to offer.

(Although this still bugs me: if you have presidents on one side, and famous Georges on the other, isn't it somewhat cheap that one of your famous Georges is also a president?)

Interesting side note -- not sure if anyone else has tried this, but I tried to google for the quiz answers. I figured someone else must have come up with a list and posted it somewhere. It turns out the top five results are the Esquire site, the site of the folks who made the quiz for them, two blogs (which don't list answers) and... us.

So my guess is anyone who ends up googling over the weekend to try to fill in their missing answers before the deadline will wind up here. Hi everyone!

[QuikSand]

I'm still thinking that even if we collectively conclude that we have this thing beaten... I might still send in an entry that doesn't use Russia for question 21, and instead uses a more comventional answer (from among the list we considered before finding the separated part of Russia).

[Maple Leafs]

My other problem with the Georege question is that if you're going to link "president names" and "famous Georges", why not use Adams (George Adams is a jazz musician who's arguably at least as famous as George Raft)? And wouldn't you even have to include Jefferson as well?

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

My other problem with the Georege question is that if you're going to link "president names" and "famous Georges", why not use Adams (George Adams is a jazz musician who's arguably at least as famous as George Raft)? And wouldn't you even have to include Jefferson as well?

Fair points. Both would make more sense to me than including George Bush, which is an obvious copout to me (agreed with you there).

I got nothing better, though. It's not like finding a list of famous people with the same first name is really all that easy, though -- if George isn't the key, then it's a crazy coincidence there. You can't even come close even with far more common first names.