I gather not many are familiar enough with symphonic metal to discern what is quintessential about one band versus another (I know I’m not). So rather than let the thread die I’ll throw out an alternate:
US automobiles of the 1950’s
Chevy Bel Air
- considered an iconic design
- popular in drag racing
- premium level of trim
- large conspicuous gas guzzler
Quintessential man symbol
Quintessential man symbol: The phallus.
Need more be said? Nevertheless
-Ancient
-Universial
-Instantly recognizable (even when it wasn’t intended to be there)
-Based in reality but highly exaggerated in portrayal.
-Infinitely adaptable so as to be slipped into just about any design, especially big things like architecture.
Next: Quintessential question a kid might ask a parent for which the parent feels they should have a really good answer, but don’t.
It’s got to be “Where do babies come from?” (or perhaps the classic follow-up to the answer “Mummy’s tummy”: “How do they get in there?”).
Granted, it’s a question most parents can and do prepare for, but even then the timing will usually throw things off (e.g. the supermarket checkout, at a wedding, in the presence of other younger/older children).
A big field, this: quintessential classic rock song?
I gotta go with “Purple Haze”
why?
- it was released not simply in the 1960’s, but more particularly in 1967 where the song helped form the background to the Summer of Love
- The song was written and performed by Jimi Hendrix and in no way can legitimately be considered derivative
- the song’s subject matter had to do with drugs
- the song can be heard playing on classic rock radio stations only on days of the week that end with ‘y’
Next: quintessential Presidential (or other head of state) scandal?
Watergate
- Brought down a President
- Changed the language; now most scandals are terms something-Gate
- Huge, huge huge in popular culture
Next:
Quintessential spelling error
nm
Alot.
-See it a lot
-It doesn’t involve some weird rule or exception thereof, so it’s just a spelling fail
-It’s even wrong at being wrng, as the right wrong way to misspell it would be “allot”.
Quintessential sandwich.
Ham on rye
- while pbj’s might be more common, a sandwich consisting of meat, cheese and bread would be more recognizable to the Earl of Sandwich (were he still around)
- there aren’t many delis that don’t serve them
- there are many variants on this sandwich, but the basic ingredients are quite simple…like a sandwich should be
Next: quintessential daytime tv show
Let’s Make A Deal
-Long-running
-Mindless but engaging (ie. Works as either background noise or the sole focus)
-Wholly forgettable one show to the next
Quintessential Western (movie).
Shane
- classic good vs evil story
- defined a “real man” as a knight who protects the weak
- Joey fills role as audience participation
- “Come back Shane!”
Quintessential dairy product
Can’t see how it couldn’t be just plain old milk.
-The dairy product from whence all others flow
-The initial dairy product to which one is exposed
-Milk mustaches
-Cookies
Quintessential cocktail.
nm
Martini.
-Classic drink
-Hundred of variations
-James Bond meme
Quintessential Holiday song?
White Christmas
- Spotify has nearly 1,000,000 songs in its streaming catalogue. These are not all unique songs, because they stream albums. Far and away, Bing Crosby’s version(s) of White Christmas leads the pack, appearing on some 44,000 albums. Nothing comes close.
- They show Holiday Inn and White Christmas on TV every year, and the song appears in both.
Quintessential ballet?
Giselle
- It was written and performed over 150 years ago
- the story has a romantic theme and most importantly features a peasant girl
- regular people may be familiar with the name of the show, but there’s little chance they’ve seen it
Quintessential method of execution?
(Wow, morbid topic)
Hanging
- One of the most ancient methods, having been documented for nearly 3000 years (it was mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey, which dates to the 8th Century BC), and possibly employed for even longer
- Still in use in several countries which have yet to abolish capital punishment (and is still an approved, if alternate, method in New Hampshire)
- The term “hanging judge” is used to describe a judge who has become known to hand down particularly harsh sentences
Quintessential painting?
Mona Lisa
- the face is iconic and recognizable everywhere
- subject of a song
- has been the subject of centuries of analysis
Quintessential space craft
Space Shuttle
- Iconic look (was even copied by the Russians)
- 35 year history
- First orbiter named Enterprise
- It’s in movies, TV, pinball, and toys
Quintessential fictional space craft
Starship Enterprise.
-Known the world over, by SF geeks and normal people aike
-Original design with numerous copies
-Beam me up Scotty.
Quintessential item on a key ring other than keys.