# 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:** 2200
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/43989 "2019-07-16T04:18:48Z")
Madeira is a type of fortified wine, made on Portugal’s Madeira Islands. Originally developed simply as a fortified wine (i.e., a wine to which a bit of additional alcohol has been added), when some Madeira wine was returned to the islands after being in the hold of a ship during a long voyage, it was discovered that the extended time in the heat of the ship’s hold had a positive effect on the quality of the wine. Since then, makers of Madeira have developed other techniques for applying heat to the wine during aging, to achieve similar effects. ---
**Author:** ![boson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boson/32/11407_2.png) [@boson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boson)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/43990 "2019-07-16T04:58:46Z")
Playing cards may have been invented during the Tang dynasty around the 9th century AD as a result of the usage of woodblock printing technology. They played the “Leaf Game.” The earliest dated instance of a game involving cards with suits and numerals occurred on 17 July 1294 when two men were caught playing cards [zhi pai] and that wood blocks for printing them had been impounded, together with nine of the actual cards. Four-suited playing cards are first attributed in Southern Europe in 1365, and are likely derived from the Mamluk suits of cups, coins, swords, and polo-sticks, A card manufacturer provided crates of Ace of Spades cards for U.S. soldiers in the Vietnam War. It was erroneously believed that the Viet Cong believed the Ace of Spades to be a symbol of death and would flee at the sight of the card. In actuality, the Ace meant nothing to the Viet Cong, but the belief that the enemy was afraid of the cards improved the U.S. soldiers’ morale. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/43991 "2019-07-16T15:31:56Z")
The word ‘ace’ comes from the Old French word _as_ meaning ‘one unit’, from the name of a small Roman coin. It originally meant the side of a die with only one pip. Since this was the lowest roll of the die, it traditionally meant bad luck or trouble, but as the ace is often the highest playing card, its meaning has since changed to mean high-quality or excellence. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2019, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/43992 "2019-07-16T15:43:21Z")
Ten Roman _as_ coins added up to a _denarius_, the standard Roman silver coin. The word denarius is derived from the Latin dēnī, “containing ten”. The word for “money” descends from it in Italian (denaro), Slovene (denar), Portuguese (dinheiro), and Spanish (dinero). Its name also survives in the many past and dinar currencies used in the Balkans, North Africa and the Middle East. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/43993 "2019-07-16T16:44:02Z")
The musical _Oh Calcutta!_, consisting of sketches on sex-related topics, got its title from a painting by Clovis Trouille, itself a pun on “_O quel cul t’ **as**!_” French for “What an arse you have!”. One of the composers was Peter Schickele, better known as P.D.Q. Bach. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2019, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/43994 "2019-07-16T17:10:47Z")
A London workshop recently took place for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s modern musical remake of Cinderella, which welcomed some of Broadway’s most notable producers and theatre owners. Now the composer has revealed in an recent interview with Good Morning Britain that the musical will open on Broadway next year. And Annie does her Happy Dance! ---
**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:** [July 16, 2019, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/43995 "2019-07-16T19:11:20Z")
Actresses who have performed or voiced the character of Cinderella - from a tale of which the earliest variant may date back to Ancient Greece - include Mary Pickford, Colleen Moore, Yanina Zhejmo, Leslie Caron, Julie Andrews, Lesley Ann Warren, Shelly Duvall, Brandy Norwood, Drew Barrymore, Hilary Duff, Selena Gomez and Lily James. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/43996 "2019-07-16T23:10:25Z")
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II created a musical version of Cinderella, specifically for television. The musical was first performed live on CBS, on March 31st, 1957, with Julie Andrews (then only 21 years old) in the title role. In 1965, CBS aired a new production of the musical, starring Lesley Ann Warren (who was only 18) as Cinderella. A 1997 adaptation was created by Disney, and first aired on ABC, with Brandy Norwood (also 18 at the time) as Cinderella. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2019, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/43997 "2019-07-17T00:17:36Z")
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II created nine Broadway musicals in the years 1943-1959. Five of these shows were outstanding successes, including the first and the last, _Oklahoma!_ and _The Sound of Music_. The other successful shows were _Carousel_, **South Pacific** , and _The King and I_. ---
**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:** [July 17, 2019, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/43998 "2019-07-17T13:34:34Z")
George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess was first performed in Boston on September 30, 1935, before it moved to Broadway in New York City. It featured a cast of classically trained African-American singers—a daring artistic choice at the time. After suffering from an initially unpopular public reception, a 1976 Houston Grand Opera production gained it new popularity, and it is now one of the best-known and most frequently performed operas. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2019, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/43999 "2019-07-17T13:47:09Z")
_Porgy and Bess_, set in Charleston’s fictional Catfish Row, is the official state opera of South Carolina, the only state which has one. Gershwin wrote the character of Sportin’ Life, the local pimp and pusher, for bandleader Cab Calloway, but he did not take the role until a later revival production. ---
**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:** [July 17, 2019, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/44000 "2019-07-17T14:17:42Z")
Cab Calloway’s parents wanted him to become a lawyer, like his father, and he began prelaw studies at Crane College in Chicago, but he was more interested in music and eventually made his highly successful career in that field. ---
**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:** [July 17, 2019, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/44001 "2019-07-17T15:15:33Z")
Northern J. Calloway replaced Tony winner Ben Vereen as the Leading Player in Broadway’s original cast of Pippin. He would later play David on Sesame Street, and take over Mr. Hooper’s store, but his later years were marked by legal troubles and deteriorating physical and mental health. He died in 1990, age 41. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2019, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/44002 "2019-07-17T15:29:21Z")
The Northern League is a right-wing Italian political party which advocates the transformation of Italy into a federal state, fiscal federalism, regionalism and greater regional autonomy, especially for northern regions. At times, the party has advocated the secession of the North, referred to as “Padania”, and consequently Padanian nationalism. The party has always opposed illegal immigration, especially when involving non-Europeans and Muslims. It is allied with other European right-wing populist parties such as France’s National Rally, the Netherlands’ Party for Freedom and the Freedom Party of Austria. ---
**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:** [July 17, 2019, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/44003 "2019-07-17T15:33:27Z")
The musical CATS has been translated into more than 10 languages including Japanese, German, (three versions for Germany, Austria and Switzerland), Hungarian, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, Swedish, Chinese, French, Spanish (two versions for Mexico and Argentina) and Italian. The Swiss production required a bilingual cast who performed in German and English on alternate nights. The title of the show has rarely been translated, the Mexican producers did a survey as to whether the Mexican audience would like their production to be called Gatos – the response in favor of keeping the English original was unanimous. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2019, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/44004 "2019-07-17T16:27:56Z")
_Cats_ ranks #10 on the list of highest-grossing Broadway Musicals all-time. T_he Lion King_, _Wicked_, and _The Phantom of the Opera_ are the top three on this list. > **[The Top 10 Highest-Grossing Broadway Shows of All Time](https://www.playbill.com/article/the-top-10-highest-grossing-broadway-shows-of-all-time)** > > Broadway is home to multiple money-makers, but who ranks at the top? ---
**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:** [July 17, 2019, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/44005 "2019-07-17T16:31:44Z")
Lin-Manual Miranda, the book writer, lyricist, and composer of “Hamilton,” made $6.4 million dollars from show’s first year of its Broadway run. Attendance was about 10,700 a week or 558,000 annually. So Miranda got approximately $11.50 per ticket. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2019, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/44006 "2019-07-17T18:12:41Z")
Hamiltonian mechanics was first formulated by William Rowan Hamilton in 1833, starting from Lagrangian mechanics, a previous reformulation of classical mechanics introduced by Joseph Louis Lagrange in 1788. Historically, it was an important reformulation of classical mechanics, which later contributed to the formulation of statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics. ---
**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:** [July 18, 2019, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/44007 "2019-07-18T01:31:29Z")
The film _That Hamilton Woman_, (1941) with Laurence Olivier as Horatio Nelson and Vivien Leigh as Emma Hamilton, was one of several Hollywood films made to encourage pro-British sentiment among American audiences, especially with the United States not yet having entered the war. The film was popular in the United States and an outstanding success in the Soviet Union and was one of Winston Churchill’s favorites. In July 1941, the isolationist group America First Committee (AFC) targeted _That Hamilton Woman_ and three other Hollywood feature films (_The Great Dictator, Foreign Correspondent,_ and _The Mortal Storm_) as productions that “seemed to be preparing Americans for war.” The AFC called on the American public to boycott theaters showing these movies. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/44008 "2019-07-18T02:52:22Z")
The fictional character Horatio Hornblower, created by novelist C.S. Forester, was an officer in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. Hornblower has served as an inspiration for a number of notable fictional characters, including James Kirk, Honor Harrington, and Richard Sharpe. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657.md?page=2199) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657.md?page=2201)