News Quiz

No. 49: “Three Little What?”

No. 49: “Three Little What?’

By Randy Cohen

Their names are Ghauri, Prithvi, and Thaad. Names of what?

by noon ET Thursday to e-mail your answer (NewsQuiz@slate.com).

Responses to Tuesday’s question (No. 48)–“Hear No Fear”:

“They don’t want to hear about fear and apocalypse. They want a vision of something more positive, but still more realistic.” Who does?

“Deluded fools who will be cast into the pits of hell when the day of judgment comes.”–Daniel Radosh (Steven L. Smith had a similar answer.)

“Visitors to Disney’s new Wacoland.”–John C. Koski (similarly but a shade darker, Gary Frazier and Beth Sherman)

“The people of the great nation of India, who have decided that, while killing cows is still bad, exploding nuclear weapons is both positive and realistic.”–Fred Graver (similarly, Fritz Strohmeyer)

“Preschool viewers of Barney and Friends Sing About Nuclear War.”–Russ Evansen

“Ex-girlfriends, once the relationship turns sexual.”–Brian Danenberg

“I’m guessing Deep Impact fans. See, in a depressing movie, everyone on Earth dies. In an uplifting movie, it’s just everyone in New York who dies (Fail Safe, Independence Day, Escape From New York, Meteor, Godzilla, My Giant).
“In lighthearted action comedy, for ‘New York’ read ‘strangled strippers’ and ‘dead black friend.’ “–Chris Kelly (similarly but less analytically, Chuck Lawhorn)

Click for more responses.

Randy’s Wrap-Up

I know that the Slate “News Quiz” would be nothing without you, the participants, thus creating in me a crippling sense of dependency, manifested as seething rage directed against my immediate friends and family. And so, from time to time, I open up the old e-mailbag and speak directly to you, in an artificially deep voice with a phony-baloney French accent.

BD: Sometimes the important word in “private life” is “private.”

KR: No higher praise than a response written during working hours on Condé Nast e-mail. Best of luck in your new job.

ME: Yes, “Teletubbies” is a funny answer to every question. Point taken.

FS: And at other times the important word in “private life” is “life.”

Thank you all. It’s a pleasure to serve you.

Emerald Answer

Northern Irish voters, says Quintin Oliver. Coordinating the campaign for several pro-peace-accord parties, he is working with the ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi to devise a logo that captures their view. A test audience rejected a dove, an olive branch, and happy children. “Too sappy,” said Oliver. They also spurned violent photographs. It is a narrow path between treacle and gloom. A referendum on the accord will be held in Northern Ireland and in the Irish Republic on May 22.

Augmented Quotations (final sentence added by News Quiz)

“The Nike product has become synonymous with slave wages, forced overtime, and arbitrary abuse. Aw right!!!”–Philip Knight, Nike CEO

“A very honest and courageous book. But, after all, she is a celebrity.”–Rosie O’Donnell on Suzanne Somers’ After the Fall

“It’s not a failure of American intelligence. It’s the nature of physics. Do I look fat in this dress?”–James Woolsey, CIA director

Box Score

hack references over the last five quizzes

Viagra —————– 11

Monica Lewinsky —— 8

My Giant ————– 6

Late Entry

Federal Triangle is my favorite Henry Miller book.”–Fred Graver

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