WAMC's Ian Pickus and resident quizzer Mike Nothnagel take a ride to Virginia.
Last week's challenge
Start with the name of Reagan-era Attorney General Edwin Meese. If you change one of the letters in his name to an S and rearrange them, you can spell a two-word answer for why someone might have been selected to be Attorney General. What is it?
Answer: If you change the N to an S, you can spell SEEMED WISE.
THIS WEEK'S CATEGORY: THOMAS JEFFERSON
On-air questions: On May 16, 1866, the United States Congress eliminated the half-dime coin and replaced it with the nickel. The original design featured a shield on the obverse, the Liberty Head nickel came along in 1883, and that was followed by the Buffalo nickel in 1913. Let's see how much you and our listeners know about the President who currently appears on the obverse of the nickel: Thomas Jefferson.
1. In May of 1801, Jefferson authorized Major Jonathan Williams to organize the establishment of an institute for military education. Funding was granted in 1802, and it opened on July 4 of that year. By what name do we know this institution?
2. Signed in April of 1803 and ratified that October, the treaty regarding what land acquisition authorized by Jefferson added over 820,000 square miles to the U.S., effectively doubling the size of the nation?
3. There are some one dozen U.S. cities named for Thomas Jefferson, but only one is a state capital. Which city is it?
4. Throughout his political career, Jefferson held numerous offices. Among others, he was the third President, the second Vice President (under John Adams), and the first person to hold what office under George Washington?
5. The epitaph on Jefferson's tombstone mentions three of his many important accomplishments, but, as per Jefferson's instructions, does not mention what rather important fact?
Extra credit
1. The Jefferson disk (also called the Bazeries Cylinder) is a system using a series of wooden disks mounted on an axle, each containing the letters of the English alphabet. A version of the system was used by the U.S. Army in the early 20th century to do what?
2. The only declared war during Jefferson's presidency was the First Barbary War, fought between the U.S. and the Barbary States, which were part of the Barbary Coast. Name any two of the four African countries that this region now comprises.
This week's challenge
Start with the name of Jefferson's estate MONTICELLO. Change one letter to an S and you can rearrange the letters to spell the two-word name (three letters in the first word, seven letters in the second) of a cocktail. What is it?
ANSWERS
On-air questions
1. West Point
2. The Louisiana Purchase
3. Jefferson City, MO
4. Secretary of State
5. He was President
Extra credit
1. Encoding and decoding secret messages
2. Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
