# Trivia Dominoes: Play Off the Last Bit of Trivia **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [February 4, 2010, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657 "2010-02-04T08:12:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1834
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/36669 "2017-11-17T05:41:00Z")
Peter Gzowski was a Canadian radio broadcaster who hosted _This Country in the Morning_ (1971 to 1975) and then _Morningside_ (1976 to 1997) weekday mornings on CBC radio. It was described as a national conversation over Gzowski’s kitchen table, because of his combination of eclectic topics exploring Canada and the Canadian identity, coupled with his warm personality. He was made a Companion of the Order of Canada for his radio work. Gzowski’s first full-time job as a journalist was with the _Moose Jaw Times-Herald_. When he retired from _Morningside_ in 1997, he did his final broadcast live from the Moose Jaw Spa. Gzowski was a heavy smoker throughout his life and died in 2002 of emphysema. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/36670 "2017-11-17T09:14:08Z")
In 1963, Canada issued a commemorative postage stamp honoring Sir Kazimierz Stanislaus Gzowski, an engineer best known for his work on a wide variety of Canadian railways as well as work on the Welland Canal. He also served as acting Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1896 to 1897. He was the great great grandsfather of radio personality Peter Gzowski. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/36671 "2017-11-17T18:45:43Z")
According to [Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_rail_usage#Passenger_rail_by_passenger-kilometres_per_capita), Switzerland by far leads all countries in per capita railway travel. Switzerland leads the second country, Japan, by about 25%, and Japan in turn leads the third country, Denmark, by about 40%. In that list of 32 countries, the USA ranks last behind such countries as Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/36672 "2017-11-18T02:21:34Z")
The widely used sans-serif typeface of Helvetica Font actually originates from Switzerland! In 1957, Max Miedinger with Eduard Hoffman designed this neutral and convenient font. The name Helvetica comes from Helvetia, the female personification of Switzerland. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/36673 "2017-11-18T04:57:48Z")
Baptismal fonts vary widely among different Christian denominations, depending on beliefs about the baptismal ritual. Some practice baptism by aspersion (sprinkling) or affusion (pouring) and use fonts which are basically basins on pedestals. Others, such as Baptists, practice baptism by immersion and require larger fonts. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, baptism is always by full triple immersion, even in the case of infant baptism (aspersion or pouring is permitted only _in extremis_, if the person to be baptized is near death). ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/36674 "2017-11-18T05:27:47Z")
In the Episcopal Church, baptism is almost always of newborns or very young children, not adults. Baptism used to be a private ceremony attended just by the immediate family and godparents, but in recent years is more often carried out during a regular Sunday-morning church service in the presence of the entire congregation. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/36675 "2017-11-18T14:02:06Z")
The phrase\* baptism by fire\* or baptism of fire is a phrase originating from the words of John the Baptist in Matthew 3:11: “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.” In military use, the term refers to a soldier’s first experience of combat. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/36676 "2017-11-18T15:33:35Z")
The New Testament provides two accounts of the genealogy of Jesus, one in the Gospel of Matthew and another in the Gospel of Luke. Matthew’s starts with Abraham, while Luke begins with Adam. The lists are identical between Abraham and David, but differ radically from that point. One common explanation for the divergence is that Matthew is recording the actual legal genealogy of Jesus through Joseph, according to Jewish custom, whereas Luke, writing for a Gentile audience, gives the actual biological genealogy of Jesus through Mary. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/36677 "2017-11-18T16:26:47Z")
According to Social Security Administration name records, which start in 1880, Mary was the most popular girl’s name until 1947, when the name Linda overtook it and Mary fell to second place. In 2016, Mary ranked at #126 in popularity. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/36678 "2017-11-18T17:28:26Z")
Madison has become a popular name for girls in recent decades. Its rise is generally attributed to the 1984 film Splash From a practically non-existent given name before 1985, Madison rose to being the second-most-popular name given to baby girls in 2001. It has since declined in popularity as a name for girls, however, slipping to seventh place by 2009. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/36679 "2017-11-19T00:33:38Z")
Madison was not the original capital of Wisconsin. Although the town of Madison existed from 1829, the first territorial capital was situated at Belmont in 1835, then moved to Madison a year later. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/36680 "2017-11-19T03:04:10Z")
The Battle of Belmont was fought on November 7, 1861 in Mississippi County, Missouri. Union troops, under Ulysses Grant at first surprised and routed the Confederates, but they were re-inforced and eventually drove Grant’s men back to Paducah, Kentucky. It was a relatively small battle, but showed Grant’s aggressiveness at an early stage of the war. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/36681 "2017-11-19T04:50:20Z")
Mississippi Counties, in Missouri and Arkansas, form the approximate boundaries of what is known as “The Bootheel”, so named for its geographical shape extending south of the Missouri state line. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/36682 "2017-11-19T05:13:33Z")
Both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, opposing civilian leaders during the American Civil War, were born in Kentucky. Lincoln rose to political prominence in Illinois, however, while Davis did so in Mississippi. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/36683 "2017-11-19T06:40:35Z")
Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis were both born in Kentucky — they were born less than a year apart, and they were born about 100 miles apart. Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 on Sinking Spring Farm, near Hodgenville, and Jefferson Davis was born on June 3, 1808 in Fairview, [a 125 mile drive away](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Abraham+Lincoln+Birthplace+National+Historical+Park,+2995+Lincoln+Farm+Rd,+Hodgenville,+KY+42748/Fairview,+Kentucky+42266/@37.2413639,-86.603651,8z/data=!4m8!4m7!1m2!1m1!1s0x88688d198f125605:0x9d91225cfeef713b!1m2!1m1!1s0x8865395379308dd7:0x9bf9821e060be673!3e0). Between the two is the city of Bowling Green where, since 1981, all Chevrolet Corvettes have been built. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/36684 "2017-11-19T17:37:43Z")
Spring Song or Fruhlingslied is one of the best known of Felix Mendelssohn’s compositions, thanks to its frequent use as background music in Warner Bros cartoons. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/36685 "2017-11-19T20:43:10Z")
The song “The Flowers That Bloom in the Spring” was featured in Act II of the 1885 Gilbert & Sullivan comic opera _The Mikado_. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/36686 "2017-11-20T02:03:03Z")
Pocky is a very popular treat in Japan, consisting of chocolate-coated biscuit sticks. In Europe Pocky is produced under license and sold under the name “Mikado” in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/36687 "2017-11-20T02:51:16Z")
Austria is the one remaining holdout in the long trend in Europe of national borders approximating linguist borders. Austria is the lone exception where early everyone speaks a single language that is the national language of another country. However, in the past couple of decades, Moldova has emerged from enforced isolation as a sovereign unity that speaks the language of a neighboring country, Romanian. I have not counted Switzerland nor Belgium, since there is not a unifying language within those countries. ---
**Author:** ![ozziemaland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f07891/32.png) [@ozziemaland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ozziemaland)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/36688 "2017-11-20T03:57:37Z")
Benny Lewis is an Irishman who authored _Fluent in 3 Months_. His online blog discusses the point that Scandinavians are so good at English that there is a growing concern that the countries’ first languages will become irrelevant. The quote below is from his blog at > **[Why are Speakers of Scandinavian Languages so Damn Good at English?](https://www.fluentin3months.com/scandinavian/#)** > > Is there a secret in Scandinavian languages and cultures? Scandinavians always top the charts of English proficiency as a second language. > [@](#): > > How is it exactly that Scandinavians exhibit such a high level of success in learning English as a foreign language? The answer is exposure. In Scandinavia, English is everywhere!The Scandinavian countries are mass consumers of English media. They tend to watch British and American TV and movies with subtitles, as opposed to dubbed versions. The BBC, Britain’s public broadcaster, even has a Nordic channel, which broadcasts to these three countries… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657.md?page=1833) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657.md?page=1835)