Baseball's over, but WAMC's Ian Pickus and resident quizzer Mike Nothnagel are back with a show about diamonds.
Last week's challenge
Start with the phrase GUNS N ROSES, famous for the tune “November Rain.” Rearrange the letters and you can spell a five-letter word related to the band’s work, and a five-letter occupation. What are the words?
Answer: SONGS, NURSE.
THIS WEEK'S CATEGORY: FAMOUS DIAMONDS
On-air questions: On November 10, 1958, jeweler Harry Winston donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution. Officially cataloged as Specimen #217868, the Hope Diamond is believed to have originated in India where it was part of a larger stone known as the Tavernier Blue, after Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a gem merchant who purchased the stone in the mid-1600s. The Hope Diamond changed hands multiple times before Winston sent it via registered mail and insured for $1 million to the Smithsonian in a plain brown box for a total of $145.29, including postage. To commemorate the Hope Diamond's travels, this week our questions are about famous diamonds.
1. Named by British sailors who misidentified calcite crystals on a nearby beach, Diamond Head is a volcanic cone that was formed by a series of geological events that also formed, among other things the Punchbowl Crater, (hah-nah-OO-ma) Hanauma Bay, and Manana Island. In what state is Diamond Head located?
2. A diamond jubilee is a celebration of the 60th anniversary of a particular event, usually related to a specific person. Two famous diamond jubilees were celebrated in honor of British monarchs: Queen Victoria celebrated hers in 1897, and 2012 marked the Diamond Jubilee for whom?
3. Michael Diamond, better known as Mike D, is best known for being a part of what hip-hop trio, along with Adam Horovitz (also known as Ad-Rock) and the late Adam "MCA" Yauch?
4. What phrase completes this section of Rule 2.01 of the official rules of Major League Baseball, which governs the layout of the infield (commonly called a "baseball diamond"): "When location of home base is determined, with a steel tape measure 127 feet, 3 3/8 inches in desired direction to establish _____."?
5. In the 1984 movie The Great Muppet Caper, the Muppets travel to London to stop the heist of the famous Baseball Diamond, a large jewel owned by Lady Holiday. Who makes a cameo as a restaurant patron whose picture is taken by Gonzo in an attempt to raise money to pay for his meal?
Extra credit
1. By what nickname do we know noted Prohibition-era gangster Jack Diamond, supposedly derived from his dancing prowess or his ability to escape from his enemies?
2. What throat remedies take their name from a geometrical synonym for "diamond" (derived from the French word for "rhombus") because they were originally manufactured in diamond shapes?
This week's challenge
Start with the phrase HOPE DIAMOND. Change one letter to a W, and you can spell a seven-letter word for something seen at the end of a bowling alley and a four-letter word for what that thing is made of. What are they?
ANSWERS
On-air questions
1. Hawaii
2. Queen Elizabeth II
3. Beastie Boys
4. Second base
5. Jim Henson
Extra credit
1. "Legs"
2. Lozenges
