Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

The annual Matthew Alice quiz for readers

Quaker Oats Yukon deeds, Einstein and pop music, China and Disneyland

Okay, that’s enough. Trade papers with somebody you didn’t copy from, correct them, then add up your score.  - Image by Rick Geary
Okay, that’s enough. Trade papers with somebody you didn’t copy from, correct them, then add up your score.

Ignoring a deluge of requests, we’ll end the year with our annual pop quiz designed to show you how much smarter you are now than you were 364 days ago — ail thanks to the diligence and dedication of yours truly. We covered each of these topics in the past year, so don’t whine that I’m making up stuff to trick you.

Here’s a sample question:

I know M.A. would never make up stuff to trick me because: (a) M.A.’s honesty and fine character are legendary; (b) M.A. is a legendary character, and that’s fine with me, honestly; (c) uh, wa-a-a-ait a minute; maybe M.A. would trick me, d’ya think? (d) M.A. speaks to me, personally, in code through the classified ads.

Sponsored
Sponsored

The answer, of course, is...well, it’s so obvious I think we can skip that. So grab that #2 Ticonderoga and dig in.

  1. In the ’50s, Quaker Oats cereals gave away deeds to land in the Yukon Territory, a square inch at a time. Today the deeds are: (a) worth millions, contact Quaker immediately! (b) crammed into a box in your mother’s closet along with your third-grade report card, all your baby teeth, a lanyard you made at camp, and those embarrassing toddler pictures; (c) worth their weight in oatmeal.
  2. Tap dance lessons for hummingbirds...a bad idea because: (a) they have absolutely no sense of rhythm; (b) the little top hats and tailcoats never fit right; (c) in a kick line, they beat each other senseless with their wings; (d) Tap dance? Hummers are the only birds that can’t even walk.
  3. If Einstein were alive today, his favorite pop performer would be: (a) Frank Zappa; (b) Dr. Dre, who actually is a real Ph.D.! (French literature, or something like that); (c) E = M.C. Hammer; (d) Olivia Newton-John, granddaughter of his old friend Nobel physicist Max Born.
  4. Insect repellant keeps mosquitos away because: (a) the chemicals confuse the bugs’ receptors and make us “invisible” to them; (b) we smell so bad, even a mosquito won’t get near us; (c) when they land on us, the oil makes them slide right off, screaming, to their deaths; (d) gimme a break, Matt, I don’t believe any of these.
  5. Only one of these statements is correct. Which is it? (a) Marine iguanas bask in the sun after they eat in order to cook the food in their stomachs; (b) Roadrunners can’t fly; (c) The T-shirt was originally the “tea shirt,” designed so tea workers wouldn’t get leaves stuck in their clothes; (d) Janis Joplin was killed by the CIA; (e) Answers a, b, c, and d are bonehead things Alicelanders believed until M.A. set them straight.
  6. Disneyland is like Communist China because: (a) it’s hard to get the whole truth out of either one; (b) neither place is much fun; (c) they’re both much bigger than they need to be; (d) the people who run those places don’t like birds very much.
  7. Of all the famous body parts discussed this year, I’d most like to see: (a) Einstein’s eyes, because they’re in a New Jersey bank vault with money and valuables, and I might be able to walk off with some; (b) Edison’s breath, because it’s in a test tube in a museum in Detroit, a city with lots of good ethnic restaurants; (c) Josef Haydn’s skull...urn, who’s Josef Haydn?
  8. When M.A. published a request for lots of free valuable stuff as a token of appreciation, grateful readers sent: (a) gargantuan green T-shirt from the band Four Inches from the Floor, plus stickers and promo stuff; (b) gargantuan green T-shirt from the band Four Inches from the Floor, plus stickers and promo stuff; (c) gargantuan green T....
  9. Once again this year, M.A. did not answer the question I sent in, even though it was ten times better than the junk that did get answered. This is because: (a) M.A. is saving mine for that special centennial celebration column; (b) my question is still circulating among the staff of research gnomes, who are all getting a good laugh at my expense; (c) maybe I should have taped it to that $20 bill after all.

Okay, that’s enough. Trade papers with somebody you didn’t copy from, correct them, then add up your score. If you got all of them right, you’re a very sick person who needs a good entry-level job to get your life back on track. If you got all of them wrong, then you’d better pick up a pencil or a crayon or something and start sending those questions in to M.A. immediately. You’re severely fact-challenged.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Mary Catherine Swanson wants every San Diego student going to college

Where busing from Southeast San Diego to University City has led
Next Article

Reader writer Chris Ahrens tells the story of Windansea

The shack is a landmark declaring, “The best break in the area is out there.”
Okay, that’s enough. Trade papers with somebody you didn’t copy from, correct them, then add up your score.  - Image by Rick Geary
Okay, that’s enough. Trade papers with somebody you didn’t copy from, correct them, then add up your score.

Ignoring a deluge of requests, we’ll end the year with our annual pop quiz designed to show you how much smarter you are now than you were 364 days ago — ail thanks to the diligence and dedication of yours truly. We covered each of these topics in the past year, so don’t whine that I’m making up stuff to trick you.

Here’s a sample question:

I know M.A. would never make up stuff to trick me because: (a) M.A.’s honesty and fine character are legendary; (b) M.A. is a legendary character, and that’s fine with me, honestly; (c) uh, wa-a-a-ait a minute; maybe M.A. would trick me, d’ya think? (d) M.A. speaks to me, personally, in code through the classified ads.

Sponsored
Sponsored

The answer, of course, is...well, it’s so obvious I think we can skip that. So grab that #2 Ticonderoga and dig in.

  1. In the ’50s, Quaker Oats cereals gave away deeds to land in the Yukon Territory, a square inch at a time. Today the deeds are: (a) worth millions, contact Quaker immediately! (b) crammed into a box in your mother’s closet along with your third-grade report card, all your baby teeth, a lanyard you made at camp, and those embarrassing toddler pictures; (c) worth their weight in oatmeal.
  2. Tap dance lessons for hummingbirds...a bad idea because: (a) they have absolutely no sense of rhythm; (b) the little top hats and tailcoats never fit right; (c) in a kick line, they beat each other senseless with their wings; (d) Tap dance? Hummers are the only birds that can’t even walk.
  3. If Einstein were alive today, his favorite pop performer would be: (a) Frank Zappa; (b) Dr. Dre, who actually is a real Ph.D.! (French literature, or something like that); (c) E = M.C. Hammer; (d) Olivia Newton-John, granddaughter of his old friend Nobel physicist Max Born.
  4. Insect repellant keeps mosquitos away because: (a) the chemicals confuse the bugs’ receptors and make us “invisible” to them; (b) we smell so bad, even a mosquito won’t get near us; (c) when they land on us, the oil makes them slide right off, screaming, to their deaths; (d) gimme a break, Matt, I don’t believe any of these.
  5. Only one of these statements is correct. Which is it? (a) Marine iguanas bask in the sun after they eat in order to cook the food in their stomachs; (b) Roadrunners can’t fly; (c) The T-shirt was originally the “tea shirt,” designed so tea workers wouldn’t get leaves stuck in their clothes; (d) Janis Joplin was killed by the CIA; (e) Answers a, b, c, and d are bonehead things Alicelanders believed until M.A. set them straight.
  6. Disneyland is like Communist China because: (a) it’s hard to get the whole truth out of either one; (b) neither place is much fun; (c) they’re both much bigger than they need to be; (d) the people who run those places don’t like birds very much.
  7. Of all the famous body parts discussed this year, I’d most like to see: (a) Einstein’s eyes, because they’re in a New Jersey bank vault with money and valuables, and I might be able to walk off with some; (b) Edison’s breath, because it’s in a test tube in a museum in Detroit, a city with lots of good ethnic restaurants; (c) Josef Haydn’s skull...urn, who’s Josef Haydn?
  8. When M.A. published a request for lots of free valuable stuff as a token of appreciation, grateful readers sent: (a) gargantuan green T-shirt from the band Four Inches from the Floor, plus stickers and promo stuff; (b) gargantuan green T-shirt from the band Four Inches from the Floor, plus stickers and promo stuff; (c) gargantuan green T....
  9. Once again this year, M.A. did not answer the question I sent in, even though it was ten times better than the junk that did get answered. This is because: (a) M.A. is saving mine for that special centennial celebration column; (b) my question is still circulating among the staff of research gnomes, who are all getting a good laugh at my expense; (c) maybe I should have taped it to that $20 bill after all.

Okay, that’s enough. Trade papers with somebody you didn’t copy from, correct them, then add up your score. If you got all of them right, you’re a very sick person who needs a good entry-level job to get your life back on track. If you got all of them wrong, then you’d better pick up a pencil or a crayon or something and start sending those questions in to M.A. immediately. You’re severely fact-challenged.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

At Comedor Nishi a world of cuisines meet for brunch

A Mexican eatery with Japanese and French influences
Next Article

Born & Raised offers a less decadent Holiday Punch

Cognac serves to lighten the mood
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader