# Funny quizbowl moments **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 1, 2002, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-quizbowl-moments/106728 "2002-05-01T20:54:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Opus1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/858c86/32.png) [@Opus1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opus1)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-quizbowl-moments/106728/21 "2002-05-03T02:33:24Z")
2002 ACF Trash regionals at Scripps. A Tracy Lords bonus. The question: Name the Tracy Lords film whose title derives from an Eddie Murphy movie. My guess: Coming in America? Actual answer was Beverly Hills Copulator. I like my guess better. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-quizbowl-moments/106728/22 "2002-05-03T03:10:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by iampunha \* > \*\*I can’t remember his name now, but there’s a guy who’s been playing ACF for longer than I’ve been alive. He started playing when he was in his early teens, and he’s … well, a bit older now;) > \*\* Hey, I know who you’re talking about…I can’t remember his name either :(. I think it’s Gallagher–I know it starts with G. Anyway, he “played” for Maryland, and was also well-known for writing questions that only rarely were shorter than two long paragraphs. We never had the 40-30-20-10-1 questions (and I didn’t know that Penn State now hosted TRASHionals, it was Lion Bowl when I was there), but my top guess was a toss-up that started “Wanted: skinny wiry…” Answer on request. ---
**Author:** ![stankow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@stankow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stankow)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-quizbowl-moments/106728/23 "2002-05-03T03:17:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duke \* > \*\*We never had the 40-30-20-10-1 questions (and I didn’t know that Penn State now hosted TRASHionals, it was Lion Bowl when I was there), but my top guess was a toss-up that started “Wanted: skinny wiry…” Answer on request. \*\* Pony Express? ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-quizbowl-moments/106728/24 "2002-05-03T03:19:23Z")
Hm. Well, I only did high school scholastic bowl, so my experience is limited (DAMN you Valpo for not having a standing team!). There were some doozys, though… …a team member answering “Mexican” to the question “What language does the word tsunami originate from?” …a match where the other team seemed to know all the questions in advance (they HAD cheated, in fact). …the standing answer of “Hemingway” for any literature question. …Dan and I buzzing in on the same question…and having BOTH our lights light up. …threatening to kill anyone who doesn’t let me answer any bonus that includes REM (the band)…and having it be an answer in the next bonus question. …my friend COMPLETELY mangling the pronunciation of A.A. Milne. …me ringing in, blanking on the answer, and saying–loudly–“Oh fuck…” ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-quizbowl-moments/106728/25 "2002-05-03T03:32:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by iampunha \* > **And for that matter, the rules about people who can play are pretty lax. I can’t remember his name now, but there’s a guy who’s been playing ACF for longer than I’ve been alive. He started playing when he was in his early teens, and he’s … well, a bit older now;)** That’s gotta be John Nam, scourge of a.c.c-b message boards and gambling establishments everywhere! ---
**Author:** ![socialxray](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/35a633/32.png) [@socialxray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/socialxray)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-quizbowl-moments/106728/26 "2002-05-03T04:05:11Z")
I was only a high school one as well, but a few ones: Our standard name for people we had no clue about: Joseph Saddler (aka Grandmaster Flash) We had a guy on our team who was a history buff, was kind of arrogant about it. However, when it came to pop culture, he knew jack. Examples? Q: “This reggae musician appears on Jamaica’s $50 coin.” A: He didn’t. He didn’t know. I mean…even if you didn’t know for sure (and who would unless you’d been there?) you could guess a reggae musician…oh, i don’t know…like Bob Marley? (which was the answer) He wasn’t familiar with reggae as a style of music at all. Q: “This italian was the inventor of the hot tub.” A: “Sauna?” _shakes head_ All together now: Jacuzzi. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-quizbowl-moments/106728/27 "2002-05-03T04:34:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duke \* > We never had the 40-30-20-10-1 questions (and I didn’t know that Penn State now hosted TRASHionals, it was Lion Bowl when I was there) Nonono. PennBowl andTRASHionals are not even CLOSE to the same thing:D Pennbowl is academic, whereas TRASH … is not?😉 John Nam … that’s the guy! [sub]Oh FUCK! Been there many times, **Angel** …fortunately, moderators usually gave me a few seconds to recuperate–er, remember the actual answer;)[/sub] And on a completely different note, would anyone here projectile-vomit if I mentioned the Deb Fuller awards? ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-quizbowl-moments/106728/28 "2002-05-03T04:44:43Z")
Ten points to **Stankow**! **iampunha** : Lion Bowl (Penn State) is not the same as PennBowl (University of Pennsylvania). But it’s not TRASH either… ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-quizbowl-moments/106728/29 "2002-05-03T04:59:54Z")
PennBowl is about as far (Celine Dion boni aside) as you can get from TRASH without being CBI:) ---
**Author:** ![tsarina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@tsarina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsarina)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-quizbowl-moments/106728/30 "2002-05-03T05:43:12Z")
Actually, I can’t think of any stories that would be funny to outsiders. There was that one time, however, that Sarah prayed and prayed for a lightning round involving Gone With the Wind somehow, and guess what one of the topics was? I don’t give those Wiccans enough credit. And then there was that one time that we were standing out in the hallway of the studio, talking about Crow from MST3K, and how he’s made of molybdenum. Then the gang on TV at that point got a question about “element number 42” and I damn near wet myself. Beefcake, indeed. - tsarina, who got Quiz Bowl MVP the year after Juniper left. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Nocturne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9fc348/32.png) [@Nocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nocturne)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-quizbowl-moments/106728/31 "2002-05-03T08:03:47Z")
In my high school, we called it Scholar’s Bowl. It was way too much fun… Last year, my senior year, a sophomore named Timothy was on the team. Timothy is fairly bright, but he’s bad with geography. So anytime–I mean ANYTIME a question involving naming a country during afterschool practices, he would buzz in and answer “Germany.” Scene: Scholar’s Bowl tournament at a local high school. Last question, worth 15 points. We’re behind 10. The question was something like, “In what country was Martin Luther born?” Much to Timothy’s dismay, I buzzed in before him with the correct, winning answer–“Germany.” We made fun of him for that for the rest of the year. Also–in junior high Scholar’s Bowl, my friend Kyle (whose real first name is Stephen) could never score a point during afterschool practices. Finally, the teacher-sponsor took pity on him and asked one day, “What is Kyle’s real name?” Amy buzzed in and screeched, “STEPHEN!” Kyle put his head down and didn’t look up for the rest of the practice. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-quizbowl-moments/106728.md?page=1)