Any Questions?

WAMC's Friday quiz segment, Any Questions?, puts news director Ian Pickus in the hot seat, as he and listeners field questions from resident quizzer Mike Nothnagel. Nothnagel is Associate Professor of mathematics at The Culinary Institute of America, and a crossword constructor for the New York Times and Games Magazine, among other venues. 

Last week's challenge

tart with the phrase TOMATO PASTE. Rearrange these letters to spell two other words that name foods. (As a hint, one word is singular and one is plural.)

Answer:  The foods are MEATS and POTATO.
 

THIS WEEK'S CATEGORY: "-GATE"s

On-air questions:  On May 17, 1973, the United States Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities – commonly referred to as the Senate Watergate Committee – opened its hearings on the burglaries at the Watergate hotel and the ensuing scandal. Inspired by that historic event, this week our quiz is about other famous "-gate" scandals and controversies.

1. The scandal dubbed Hackgate by the press involved the British tabloid News of the World. During his testimony before the investigating committee, what CEO admitted there was a cover-up to hide the scope of the phone hacking?
2. A 2010 controversy termed Antennagate (by Steve Jobs himself, no less) arose when the placement of the antenna sometimes resulted in reduced signal strength on the 4th generation model of what Apple product?
3.  Memogate was a 2004 controversy surrounding the authenticity of documents regarding President George W. Bush's service in the Air National Guard. On which news program did Dan Rather present a story about these documents?
4. During the 2012 Summer Paralympics, a controversy dubbed Bladegate arose when what athlete publicly questioned the size of the running blade of one of his fellow sprinters?
5. A 2012 scandal called Gategate involved an incident in which Andrew Mitchell, a member of Parliament, allegedly swore at a police officer. Mitchell was exiting from his office on what famous London street?

Extra Credit

1. A controversy dubbed Closetgate arose after what animated show aired an episode titled "Trapped in the Closet" which parodied, among other targets, Tom Cruise and the Church of Scientology?
2. Three scandals – one involving President Bill Clinton in 1993, one involving former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer in 2007, and one involving Sarah Palin in 2008 – were all given what name, referencing the fact that law enforcement officers played a role, in one way or another, in each scandal?
 

This week's challenge
Think of a six-letter word beginning with V that means "assorted." If you add the word GATE somewhere in the middle of this word, you'll get a synonym of the original word. What are the words?

About Any Questions?

WAMC's Friday quiz segment, Any Questions?, puts news director Ian Pickus in the hot seat, as he and listeners field questions from resident quizzer Mike Nothnagel. Nothnagel is Associate Professor of mathematics at The Culinary Institute of America, and a crossword constructor for the New York Times and Games Magazine, among other venues. Often, Mike and Ian switch seats or feature guest answers, such asWill Shortz, Liane Hansen, John Flansburgh and Mike Doughty.

Any Questions? airs Friday during Northeast Report Late Edition on WAMC.