Quizmaster tests out ‘hard trivia’

FALLS VILLAGE — There was a trivia game at the David M. Hunt Library Tuesday evening, May 13.

This is not an unusual event. Trivia games are very popular, and the competition can get downright ferocious.

But this was a little different. This was “hard trivia.”

Quizmaster David Parks, assisted by his wife Jean Parks, set a reporter straight prior to the start.

“No questions about Michael Jackson,” he said firmly.

How about characters from recent Disney films?

Nope.

“I thought there was room in the world for harder trivia,” he explained. “And since I’m not taking any money I figured that way no one could complain.”

The turnout was modest, but there were enough people for four two-person teams, and a couple of extra contestants filtered in once the game was underway.

Hunt Library Director Meg Sher kept score.

The first question was a stinker and set the tone. Between 1950 and the present day, which month has the most tornado touchdowns?

There was hemming. There was hawing. The answers were collected.

And nobody got the answer, which was May.

“So far I’m winning!” cried one of the players.

It got worse.

Which country has the most pyramids? The choices were Sudan, Mexico, Egypt, and Peru.

Answer: Sudan.

Next up were police radio abbreviations: BOLO, LEO, FTA, PNB, and OIS.

“I was a deputy sheriff and I can’t remember,” observed Greg Bidou.

The abbreviation BOLO, or “be on the look out” was easy, but the group struggled with “law enforcement officer,” “failure to appear,” “pulseless non-breathing,” and “officer-involved shooting.”

People started breathing easier when asked to define a “lobule of the auricole.”

Everybody knew that was a $20 term for “earlobe.”

What are the three world cities with the largest population? With bonus points for getting them in order, first, second, and third.

Answer: 1. Tokyo 2. Delhi and 3. Shanghai.

“Did anyone put Falls Village in?” someone asked.

And then there was the halftime question. What is a famous saying abbreviated TANSTAAFL?

Parks noted that the saying was once the slogan of the Libertarian Party. This was not helpful.

The answer: “There Ain’t No Such Thing as a Free Lunch.”

A player said to Parks, “The point of the game is for you to win.” With a grin, Parks replied, “Yes.”