# 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:** 2254
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2019, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45069 "2019-10-07T13:09:27Z")
The New York, Chicago, and St. Louis Railroad was commonly nicknamed the Nickel Plate Road. A former president of the company [explained the name](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York,_Chicago_and_St._Louis_Railroad#Origin_of_the_Nickel_Plate_nickname) at a banquet speech: > [@](#): > > Through northern Ohio, already served by four railroads, location of the line developed intense rivalries among cities. Three routes were surveyed and communities along each proposed route vied in the raising of public subscriptions to donate rights-of-way. The road’s general offices at Cleveland frequently were besieged by delegations hoping to bring about the routing of the line through their communities. During these inter-city rivalries was born the nickname for the New York, Chicago and St. Louis - The Nickel Plate Road - which rapidly became the name most commonly used. > > Numerous legends have grown about when and how the name “Nickel Plate” was first applied. The accepted version is that it appeared first in an article in the Norwalk, Ohio, Chronicle of March 10, 1881. On that date the Chronicle reported the arrival of a party of engineers to make a survey for the “great New York and St. Louis double track, nickel plated railroad.” > > Later, while attempting to induce the company to build the line through Norwalk instead of Bellevue, Ohio, the Chronicle again referred to the road as “nickel plated” - a term regarded as indicative of the project’s glittering prospects and substantial financial backing. > > In 1882, the Nickel Plate recognized F.R. Loomis, owner and editor of the Norwalk Chronicle, as originator of the term and issued him Complimentary Pass No. 1. > > Thus Norwalk named the road - but Bellevue finally got it. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2019, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45070 "2019-10-07T15:02:07Z")
The 1904 Summer Olympics was held in St. Louis. St. Louis was the first US city to host the Olympics. It was the first time that the Olympic Games were held outside Europe. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2019, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45071 "2019-10-07T15:28:28Z")
In 1899, the St. Louis Browns became the St. Louis Perfectos. That season, Willie McHale, a columnist for the St. Louis Republic reportedly heard a woman refer to the team’s red stockings as a "lovely shade of Cardinal." McHale included the nickname in his column and it was an instant hit among fans. The team officially changed its name to the Cardinards in 1900. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2019, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45072 "2019-10-07T15:31:45Z")
The late Bill Bidwill owned the NFL Cardinals in Chicago, St. Louis, and Phoenix. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2019, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45073 "2019-10-07T15:34:37Z")
Louis Vuitton, the founder of the Louis Vuitton brand of leather goods, came to Paris as a teenage runaway from the Jura mountains and found work as an apprentice to a box-maker and packer. He made his fame in 1858 with his revolutionary stackable and waterproof rectangular shaped trunks at a time when the market had only rounded-top trunks. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2019, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45074 "2019-10-07T15:37:13Z")
Bill Bixby’s fiand Brenda Benet were married in 1971, and she gave birth to their son, Christopher, in September 1974. They divorced in 1980. A few months later, in March 1981, six-year-old Christopher died while on a skiing vacation at Mammoth Lakes with Benet. He went into cardiac arrest after doctors inserted a breathing tube when he suffered acute epiglottitis. Benet was devastated by her son’s death and sank into a severe depression. On April 7, 1982, she died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at her home in Los Angeles. She was 36. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2019, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45075 "2019-10-07T18:57:46Z")
Four actors have portrayed physicist Dr. Bruce Banner, the alter ego of the Marvel comics character the Hulk, in live-action televison and films: - Bill Bixby (in the 1970s TV series _The Incredible Hulk_, and in three subsequent TV movies, though the character was re-named Dr. David Banner) - Eric Bana (in the 2003 film _Hulk_) - Edward Norton (in the 2008 film _The Incredible Hulk_) - Mark Ruffalo (in the 2012 film _The Avengers_, and in numerous subsequent Marvel Cinematic Universe films) ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2019, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45076 "2019-10-07T20:13:17Z")
Nitpick: The Bixby character was Dr. \*David \*Banner. The producers thought Bruce was too light-loafered a name. Earlier, Bixby starred in “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father”, in the role Glenn Ford played in the film. Brandon Cruz and Miyoshi Umeki played the son and the housekeeper, instead of Ron Howard (yes, him) and Shirley Jones. ---
**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:** [October 8, 2019, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45077 "2019-10-08T05:56:42Z")
Glenn Ford, born in Canada, was related to US President Martin Van Buren and to Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. ---
**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:** [October 8, 2019, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45078 "2019-10-08T13:22:43Z")
John Glenn’s space ship Friendship 7 safely splashed down 800 miles southeast of Cape Canaveral after Glenn’s 4-hour, 55-minute flight. He carried a note on the flight which read, “I am a stranger. I come in peace. Take me to your leader and there will be a massive reward for you in eternity” in several languages, in case he landed near southern Pacific Ocean islands. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45079 "2019-10-08T13:37:03Z")
One of the most popular puns about the musical compositions of Franz Schubert is “Take me to your lieder”. Art songs, for you philistines. ---
**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:** [October 8, 2019, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45080 "2019-10-08T14:07:08Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Nitpick: The Bixby character was Dr. \*David \*Banner. The producers thought Bruce was too light-loafered a name. (I did note that in my post, though not as clearly as I should have. 🙂 ) In play: Early in his career, Art Fleming was a radio announcer and television actor. In the early 1960s, producer Merv Griffin invited Fleming to audition for the role of host of a new quiz show which Griffing was developing. Fleming won the audition, and served as the host of “Jeopardy!” from its inception in 1964 until 1979, when the show went off the air. Fleming later played himself in the music video for “Weird” Al Yankovic’s 1983 song, “I Lost on Jeopardy.” ---
**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:** [October 8, 2019, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45081 "2019-10-08T14:35:16Z")
Burt Griffin of Cleveland, a staff attorney for the Warren Commission during its investigation of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, was later elected a judge of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. In dismissing allegations of a coverup by the Warren Commission, he said, “If I had discovered evidence of a conspiracy to kill the President, I would’ve been elected to the U.S. Senate and not Arlen Specter,” a colleague on the Commission’s legal staff. ---
**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:** [October 8, 2019, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45082 "2019-10-08T14:37:26Z")
After appearing in a few films, Merv Griffin developed a liking for television and made his first appearance in 1954 on a show called “_Summer Holiday_.” His “_The Merv Griffin Show_” was on for 21 years and showcased many of the biggest stars and luminaries in entertainment, art, music, and politics. Over the years the show received 11 Emmy Awards. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45083 "2019-10-08T15:07:43Z")
Merv Griffin’s fake British accent in his 1950 song “I’ve Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts”, when he was the vocalist for Freddy Martin and His Orchestra, was actually worse than Dick Van Dyke’s in “Mary Poppins”. ---
**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:** [October 8, 2019, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45084 "2019-10-08T15:37:26Z")
In his book _Those Funny Kids: A Treasury of Classroom Laughter_, Dick Van Dyke wrote that he had grown to 6’1" by age 11. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45085 "2019-10-08T16:18:00Z")
_Kids Say the Darndest Things_, interviewing young guests who had not yet developed a sense of when to shut up, was a segment on Art Linkletter’s radio and TV show “House Party”. It later became its own show, hosted by Bill Cosby, and is being revived with Tiffany Haddish as host. ---
**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:** [October 8, 2019, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45086 "2019-10-08T20:20:31Z")
Bill Clinton became, in 2001, the first Democrat to serve two full terms as President of the United States since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941. ---
**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:** [October 8, 2019, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45087 "2019-10-08T20:56:51Z")
Roosevelt Franklin was a Muppet who appeared frequently in the early seasons of the childrens’ television show _Sesame Street_. The character was created, and voiced, by actor Matt Robinson, who was the first actor to portray Gordon on the series. Franklin, whose appearances usually included him using rhymes or scat to teach lessons, was dropped from the show in the mid-1970s, due to criticism that the character reinforced negative stereotypes about African-Americans. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45088 "2019-10-08T21:06:01Z")
Morgan Freeman played Easy Reader on “The Electric Company”, an educational children’s show inspired by “Sesame Street”. He associated with Valerie the Librarian (Hattie Winston) and Vi (Lee Chamberlin) in her diner. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657.md?page=2253) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657.md?page=2255)