# 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:** 2261
**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 25, 2019, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45210 "2019-10-25T18:34:58Z")
Sir Joshua Reynolds, the English painter, was eager for recognition and when the office of “Principal Painter in Ordinary to King George III” became vacant, he lobbied for the position. He was appointed; however, a few months later he complained: “it is a most miserable office, it is reduced from two hundred to thirty-eight pounds per annum, the Kings Rat catcher I believe is a better place.” ---
**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:** [October 25, 2019, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45211 "2019-10-25T18:57:09Z")
A “rat king” is a collection of rats whose tails are intertwined and bound together by hair or sticky substances like sap or gum. There are several specimens preserved in museums but very few instances have been observed in modern times. A museum in Altenburg, Germany shows the largest well-known mummified “rat king”, which was found in 1828 in a miller’s fireplace. It consists of 32 rats. ---
**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 25, 2019, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45212 "2019-10-25T19:14:56Z")
NM ---
**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 25, 2019, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45213 "2019-10-25T19:20:15Z")
(It took me longer than 5 minutes to fix my post.) The Rat (子) is the first of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Rat is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 子. Some Recent Start and End Dates 5 February 1924 — 23 January 1925 24 January 1936 — 10 February 1937 10 February 1948 — 28 January 1949 28 January 1960 — 14 February 1961 15 February 1972 — 2 February 1973 2 February 1984 — 19 February 1985 19 February 1996 — 6 February 1997 7 February 2008 — January 2009 25 January 2020 — 11 February 2021 The Chinese zodiac has 12 signs. In order they are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. In the 1960s the years were: Pig — 8 February 1959 — 27 January 1960 Rat — 28 January 1960 — 14 February 1961 Ox — 15 February 1961 — 4 February 1962 Tiger — 5 February 1962 — 24 January 1963 Rabbit — 25 January 1963 — 12 February 1964 Dragon — 13 February 1964 — 1 February 1965 Snake — 2 February 1965 — 20 January 1966 Horse — 21 January 1966 — 8 February 1967 Ram — 9 February 1967 — 29 January 1968 Monkey — 30 January 1968 — 16 February 1969 Rooster — 17 February 1969 — 5 February 1970 There was no Dog in the 1960s. ---
**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 25, 2019, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45214 "2019-10-25T19:23:36Z")
:eek::eek: Railer13, uggghhhh!!! :eek::eek: In play: James Clavell’s first novel, _King Rat_, was based on his experiences as a prisoner of war of the Japanese in Singapore. Clavell spent three years in the notorious Changi Prison camp. Currently, Changi Prison is also one of the main places (though not the only one) where judicial corporal punishment by caning is carried out. Caning sessions at Changi are held twice per week. ---
**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 25, 2019, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45215 "2019-10-25T20:26:45Z")
Singapore is known for being a particularly law-abiding country, in part due to a combination of strict laws and harsh penalties. Among the offenses which can lead to a fine and/or jail time in Singapore are failing to flush a public toilet after use, spitting in public, connecting to someone else’s wifi network without permission, and selling chewing gum (for the first offense, one may be punished with a fine of up to $100,000, or a prison sentence of up to two years). ---
**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 25, 2019, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45216 "2019-10-25T20:28:10Z")
Filming of Shawshank Prison in the movie\* The Shawshank Redemption\* was done at the old, decommissioned Ohio State Penitentiary in Mansfield, Ohio. The site has become a major source of tourist revenue for the city. ETA: Some people in the city still chew gum. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2019, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45217 "2019-10-25T21:00:49Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > ETA: Some people in the city still chew gum. But do they sell it? In play: The movie _The Shawshank Redemption_ is based on the Stephen King novella _Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption_. That novella can be found in the collection entitled _Different Seasons_. The other three novellas in the collection are _Apt Pupil_, _The Body_, and _The Breathing Method_. All of these have been made into movies, although the movie for the last one is due to be released in 2020. ---
**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 25, 2019, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45218 "2019-10-25T22:51:00Z")
Rita Hayworth, born in 1918, was given the nickname “The Love Goddess” by the press after she had become the most glamorous screen idol of the 1940s ([image 1](https://time.com/3881042/rita-hayworth-photos-of-a-movie-legend-and-all-american-pinup-girl/), [image 2](https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/american-actress-rita-hayworth-in-a-halter-necked-lace-news-photo/176224422), and [image 3](https://www.google.com/search?q=Rita+Hayworth+hot&client=safari&hl=en-US&prmd=ivn&sxsrf=ACYBGNTYARtfV0d7eflqDI_CTmLxmBpMFg:1572043041535&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi3tb_YvLjlAhVrTd8KHczKDEcQ_AUoAXoECBEQAQ&biw=768&bih=922#imgrc=aOmARsiyN6oWtM)). She was the top pin-up girl for GIs during World War II. In 1980, at age 62, she was diagnosed with AD, Alzheimer’s disease. AD contributed to her death at age 68, and public disclosure and discussion of her illness drew attention to Alzheimer’s, which was largely unknown by most people at the time, and helped to increase public and private funding for Alzheimer’s research. ---
**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 26, 2019, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45219 "2019-10-26T00:04:45Z")
In Marvel comics, and in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, the Asgardians are a race of long-lived humanoid aliens, who had been worshiped by the pre-Christian Norse as gods and goddesses. The Asgardians first appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the 2011 film _Thor_, which starred Chris Hemsworth as the titular god of thunder. Other gods from Norse mythology who appeared in the film included Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston), Odin (Anthony Hopkins), Frigga (Rene Russo), Heimdall (Idris Elba), and Sif (Jaimie Alexander). ---
**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 26, 2019, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45220 "2019-10-26T05:03:03Z")
The tiny town of Thor IA (population 186), in the north-central part of the state, is some 50 miles southwest of Clear Lake IA ([gMap](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Clear+Lake,+IA,+USA/Thor,+IA+50591,+USA/@41.4749165,-92.9866734,6z/data=!4m8!4m7!1m2!1m1!1s0x87f10a7189b79c57:0x246e9eaa7c0b77e0!1m2!1m1!1s0x87f2133d8625d76b:0xbccce01e88295ba1!3e0)). The town was named after the Norse God. ---
**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 26, 2019, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45221 "2019-10-26T14:17:02Z")
United States with more vowels than contestants in their names include Ohio, Iowa, Hawaii, Alabama, Maine, Idaho, Georgia, Arizona, Louisiana and Indiana. ---
**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:** [October 26, 2019, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45222 "2019-10-26T15:31:03Z")
Four US states joined the Union within a 9 day period in 1889. North Dakota and South Dakota both joined on November 2; Montana joined on November 8; and Washington joined on November 11. ---
**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 26, 2019, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45223 "2019-10-26T16:44:52Z")
Iain Armitage, who plays Young Sheldon, resides in Arlington, Virginia. However, Montana Jordan, who plays his brother young Georgie Cooper, was born in Longview, Texas, and raised in Ore City, Texas. ---
**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 27, 2019, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45224 "2019-10-27T03:56:08Z")
The first four United States Army soldiers to be buried during the Civil War in what became Arlington National Cemetery all had the first name of William. ---
**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 27, 2019, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45225 "2019-10-27T08:00:48Z")
United Airlines is the 4th largest airline in the world when measured by revenue. American, then Delta, then Lufthansa are the top three. ---
**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:** [October 27, 2019, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45226 "2019-10-27T15:58:10Z")
Lufthansa began operation in 1926 and was Germany’s flag carrier until 1945, when all services were terminated following the defeat of Germany in WWII. In 1953, an airline company called Luftag was formed; this company later acquired the name of Lutfhansa and began service in 1955. ---
**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 27, 2019, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45227 "2019-10-27T16:39:33Z")
The practice of retiring names of tropical cyclones (tropical storms and hurricanes) was begun by the United States Weather Bureau in 1955, after major hurricanes Carol, Edna, and Hazel struck the Northeastern United States in 1954. ---
**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 27, 2019, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45228 "2019-10-27T17:51:17Z")
Bob Hazle was a rookie outfielder for the Milwaukee Braves in the 1957 season. Hazle wasn’t called up to the major league team until August, but in 41 games, he hit .403 for the Braves, and wound up in fourth place in Rookie of the Year voting, as Milwaukee won the National League pennant. Hazle’s last name, and torrid batting in '57, earned him the nickname “Hurricane Hazle,” inspired by Hurricane Hazel, the devastating storm which had hit the East Coast of the U.S. three years earlier. ---
**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:** [October 27, 2019, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657/45229 "2019-10-27T21:54:33Z")
The World Meteorological Organization’s Hurricane Committee manages hurricane names. A set of six lists of alphabetized storm names is in rotation, and names may be reused. For instance, there was a Hurricane Andrea in both 2013 and 2019. However, in the case of a particularly deadly or damaging storm, that storm’s name is retired, and a replacement starting with the same letter is selected to take its place. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657.md?page=2260) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia/527657.md?page=2262)