Botticelli, July 2011

No, I’m not Bob Balaban (“A Mighty Wind” gave that way for me.)

Was actually going for Bo Diddley, but I’ll let it slide.

IQ: Were you a famously long lived comedian?

No, not George Burns.

Never mind - I’m wrong.

In ‘Romeo and Juliet’, Mercutio and Tybalt fight. Romeo and Benvolio try to break up the fight; for whatever reason, I mis-remembered when I wrote the question. I thought it was under Benvolio’s arm that Mercutio was mortally wounded. It isn’t, of course; it’s under Romeo’s arm that Mercutio was wounded, as I now remember (and have verified with the script). No DQ for me!

I was actually going for Montgomery Burns, who is fruitlessly hankered after by Smithers in The Simpsons. I don’t know anything about Perry Mason, so perhaps the next passing Doper could rule on whether your answer was a fair one, and hence if I get a DQ or not?

In the meantime, another IQ: did your exceptional achievement in your field lead to an (admittedly rarely-used) eponym being coined meaning roughly “light years ahead of the competition”?

I should have thought of Mr. Burns!

Meantime, take a DQ for the eponym question, since I don’t even have a guess for it.

Correct. The sneaky prosecutor was in Absence of Malice and the computer genius was in 2010.

IQ: Were you unexpectedly named to command the battlecruiser MacArthur in The Mote in God’s Eye?

No idea who this is. Take a DQ.

IQ: Do you sing your little song-o? (And when the teacher calls your name, is your answer always wrong-o?)

I don’t recognize this at all- ask a DQ.

You are not Bongo the one-eared rabbit/child from Matt Groening’s Life in Hell comics.

DQ: First name begins with B?

IQ: Do you live in a house whose name is an Anglicized version of cul de sac?

Yes.

  1. Real person
  2. Male
  3. First name starts with “B”

No, I am not Bilbo Baggins (Cul de sac literally means “bottom of the bag,” whcih is pretty close to “Bag End”).

IQ: Are you known for your great lyrics and incomprehensible delivery of same?

Not Bob Dylan.

Roderick, Lord Blaine, in the classic Niven and Pournelle sf novel.

DQ: Living?

IQ: Did you write the Seventies funk all-instrumental hit “Love’s Theme”?

No, no longer living.

  1. Real person
  2. Male
  3. First name starts with “B”
  4. Dead

No, I’m not Barry White… though I wish I were (he was cool).

IQ: Did you tend to get violent when people used your nickname?

IQ: Didst say “Dost thou think because thou art virtuous there shall be no more cakes and ale?” to a sanctimonious adversary?

No, not Benjamin “Don’t Call Me Bugsy” Siegel