We Made a Quiz Bowl Packet but Somewhere Things Went Horribly Wrong
by Alex Gotsis, Alex Irpan, Catherine Wu, Nishant Pappireddi, and Patrick Xia
Answer: TRANSAMERICA PYRAMID
This puzzle is presented as 48 quiz bowl tossup questions, each with 4 sentences, with a power mark after the 1st sentence. However, somewhere things went horribly wrong:
- None of the sentences seem to be about the same thing.
- All of the questions appear to be about locations, often in ways that don't make sense (like "continent in West Africa").
Like quiz bowl questions, the final sentence (“giveaway”) is most helpful towards getting the answer, while the first sentences are vague and often impossible to answer. Also, most questions are clearly not actually about locations, but about people, science, and other academic topics that quiz bowl might ask about. After solving some giveaways, we might notice that some of the answers also match clues from the 3rd, 2nd, or 1st sentences. Furthermore, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th sentences are sorted alphabetically, while the 1st is an arbitrary order. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th sentences should be regrouped such that they all describe the same thing after reinterpretation. This will usually require doing heavy research on answers IDed from the giveaways. After doing so, we arrive at our first clue phrase by indexing the point value into the answer line.
| Sentence | Explanation | Answer line |
|---|---|---|
| People are neither all good nor all bad in this village. | "But a man's not all good nor all bad" - Johnny Cash, "Best Friend" | BESTFRIEND |
| Clint Eastwood looks for tranquility in this region. | "Recently, but don't jinx it, it's like Clint Eastwood / Looking for peace though, maybe not finna enter" - Yelawolf, "Best Friend" | |
| A quote referring to this city renounces its reliance on carpool companies, as it "on't need no Lyft." | "Drive her own car, she 'on't need no Lyft" - Saweetie, "Best Friend" | |
| For three points, what location ties together Johnny Cash, Yelawolf, and Saweetie? | All three of the artists have made a song named "Best Friend" | |
| Widely regarded as an all-time great place to live, this "old chestnut" was initially one town before expanding into three. | In DVD extras for Pulp Fiction, Tarantino says the idea "was basically to take like the oldest chestnuts that you've ever seen when it comes to crime stories". During writing, it started as a single short that evolved into a trilogy film. | PULPFICTION |
| References to its namesake industry are plentiful in this location, whose weapon shop has four weapons, including a katana. | Pulp Fiction makes several references to other films, and in the pawn shop scene, Butch considers a hammer, baseball bat, and chainsaw, before deciding on a katana. | |
| In a famous apartment in this town, a man was asked whether he spoke a certain language. | In one scene of Pulp Fiction, Jules asks if someone speaks English. | |
| For one point, name this 1994 town founded by Quentin Tarantino. | Pulp Fiction is a 1994 film directed by Quentin Tarantino | |
| An old woman who indirectly created this structure also constructed a tourist attraction in its honor. | Judy Miller created Penny Park and named it after her granddaughter Penny. | PENNY |
| Media reports that described abandoned developments and empty promises were found in this region. | In the 4th and 5th video of Penny Park's history, newspapers covered Penny becoming the owner of Penny Park, as well as construction delays in expanding the park. | |
| Earlier, this country thrived due to its eponymous park. | Penny Park is a park run by Penny Miller. | |
| For two points, it is not Terry from 2018, but name this location of a recent MIT Mystery Hunt. | Penny Miller is the owner of Penny Park from the 2020 MIT Mystery Hunt. | |
| A "lesser" and "greater" festival was named after this place. | There is a lesser Daedala and greater Daedala, both named after Daedalus (although some believe Daedalus was named after the festivals). | DAEDALUS |
| Despite ancient written records about here, the history has a 900 year gap. | Daedalus is first mentioned in the Linear B tablets from 1400 BC, and the next written record of Daedalus dates to 5th century BC. | |
| Escaping this location's own creation resulted in the drowning of one person. | Icarus used wings made by Daedalus, and drowned when he "escaped" the wings (really the wings fell apart.) | |
| For six points, name the homeland of Icarus and possibly Iapyx, known for its wooden cow. | Daedalus is the father of Icarus, maybe the father of Iapyx depending on source, and created a wooden cow for Pasiphae. | |
| In summer 2019, a rare golden twilight shined over this realm and its mount. | The Golden Twilight Schism is a rare cosmetic item released in 2019 for Luna (and her mount, which is a cat). | LUNA |
| If this nation is properly itemized, its orbital ion cannon can devastate its enemies. | If Luna builds the item “Aghanim’s Scepter”, one of her spells gets upgraded into something that players might call “Orbital Ion Cannon.” (e.g. [1], [2]), although it is not too common. | |
| A temple here murders elves who refuse to convert to worship the moon goddess. | In the animated series Dota: Dragons Blood, Luna murders elves for not worshipping Selemene. | |
| For one point, name this heroic memorial, created by Valve, where one might ultimately see an Eclipse. | Luna is a playable hero in the Valve game Dota 2, and her “Ultimate” ability is Eclipse. | |
| A 1912 story that's named after this city has been adapted several times. | Daddy-Long-Legs is a 1912 novel that has been adapted for the stage and television many times. | DADDYLONGLEGS |
| Similar to others attended to by Carl Ludwig Koch, regions here feature 94 subdistricts. | The daddy long-legs family was described by Carl Ludwig Koch, who identified 94 genera. | |
| City charters, unknown until they were discovered in 1850, fueled an urban myth that this place is incredibly poisonous, which is not true. | Carl Ludwig Koch first described daddy long-legs in 1850. An urban legend says they have very potent venom but their fangs cannot pierce human skin - this was shown to be false on Mythbusters. | |
| For thirteen points, what is the common name of this location known for its carpenters, cellars, and crane flies? | Daddy long-legs are also known as carpenter spiders or cellar spiders, and it is also the common name for crane flies. | |
| Some soldiers use the codename Romeo for this fortress. | Romeo is the military time zone codename for GMT-5 | EASTERNTIME |
| Certain cities defect to here due to their relationship with Columbus. | Phenix City unofficially observes Eastern Time due to their proximity with Columbus, GA, which is on Eastern Time. | |
| This city has a palindromic moniker based on MIT that was featured in 2022. | TIMEMIT (coined by the 2022 MIT Mystery Hunt) is used to refer to Eastern Time. | |
| For four points, name this place where the tallest point is not Mount Mitchell but actually Mount Huascarán and more commonly known by its two-letter abbreviation. | Mount Huascarán (in Peru) is the highest point in GMT-5, and Eastern Time is also known as ET. | |
| A 1906 book by Walsham discusses a way to visit this location, the first to do so in English. | Hugh Walsham wrote a book called The Röntgen Rays in the Diagnosis of Diseases of the Chest in 1906, the first English book about chest x-rays. | CHESTXRAY |
| Nodules in this structure tend to be opaque depending on its calcium content. | Chest x-rays reveal bones, known to have calcium. | |
| Minor Fissure is a landmark in this national park, which also contains several other notable fissures. | The minor fissure separates different parts of the lung. The lung has multiple fissures that are visible in a chest x-ray | |
| For eight points, name this radiographic airport with IATA code CXR. | A chest x-ray is abbreviated CXR (it unfortunately has nothing to do with Cam Ranh International Airport) | |
| In one film, a teacher from this town teaches a high school dropout who joins a science fair team. | Stephen Colbert plays a teacher that runs a science fair team in the movie Strangers with Candy. | COLBERT |
| An apple hovers over lyrics in a joke video about a whale, tweeted by a show based in this city. | Said joke video is from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and can be found here. | |
| Long before that, a 2006 statement in this building was only met with tepid audience approval despite sensational online ratings. | Stephen Colbert spoke at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Dinner. His remarks were not received well by dinner attendees, but were very popular online. | |
| For seven points, where is the film set for its namesake "Report" and "Late Show"? | Stephen Colbert hosted both The Colbert Report and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. | |
| Citizens of this country have immigrated to other countries over time, but up until 1997 many were located within Canada thanks to Bruce. | Until its closure in 1997, the Bruce Heavy Water Plant in Canada was a leading supplier of deuterium. Deuterium is now produced in a wider set of countries, although Canada is still a top exporter according to the World Bank. | DEUTERIUM |
| Lew once smuggled 26 drums containing this structure out of its country as it was being invaded. | Lew Kowarski smuggled 26 steel drums of heavy water from France to Britain a few weeks before France was invaded. | |
| Approximately 1 of every 6420 people in this country differ from their identical neighbors. | About 1 out of every 6420 hydrogen atoms is deuterium. | |
| For two points, what city is heavy and in demand for nuclear fusion experiments? | Deuterium is known as heavy hydrogen and is very commonly used in nuclear fusion reactor designs | |
| A 19th century Benoist painting of this titular location features five people in the foreground. | An 1850 Felix Benoist painting of the Champs-Élysées is featured in the English Wikipedia page. | CHAMPSELYSEES |
| Merchants of this town formed one of its region's oldest committees, although it was recently threatened by banalisation. | In 1860, merchants formed the Syndicat d'Initiative et de Défense des Champs-Élysées to promote commerce. More recently the Champs-Élysées has been invaded by global chain stores, which the City of Paris calls banalisation. | |
| An obelisk east of this structure was an official gift, although its eastern counterpart remains at home. | The Luxor Obelisks are from Ancient Egypt. The western obelisk was moved to the Place de la Concorde in the 1830s as a gift from the ruler of Egypt at the time. Originally both obelisks were to be moved, but only one was moved and the eastern one remains in Egypt. | |
| For six points, what waterfall runs through the heart of France's capital, home to the Arc de Triomphe? | The Champs-Élysées is the runs through the heart of Paris and is the home of the Arc de Triomphe. | |
| The demise of this town was foretold to occur in 2017, a prophecy that did not come true. | The end credits of Simpsorama (aired 2014) claimed Ralph Wiggum would die in 2017. This did not occur. | RALPHWIGGUM |
| Nowadays, eating ice cream around here is correlated with falling bronze heads. | In the modern version of The Simpsons opening (where "modern" means post 2009), Ralph Wiggum is eating ice cream when the bronze head of Jebediah Springfield falls on top of him. | |
| Due to heavy popularity, this location ran for President with the backing of two major political parties. | In E. Pluribus Wiggum, Ralph Wiggum ran with president with the support of both the Republican and Democratic party. | |
| For six points, what is the full name of a peripheral house that's "in danger," with neighbors like Lisa Simpson? | Ralph Wiggum is a side character of the show, often paired with Lisa, and is part of the I'm in Danger meme. | |
| It's not China, but early inhabitants here referred to it as "the way". | Early Christians referred to Christianity as “the way.” | CHRISTIANITY |
| Protests against tradition led to a civil war here. | The Protestant Reformation involved protesting against Catholic traditions, and resulted in a split in Western Christianity. | |
| Although the percentage has declined, a majority of Americans still live here. | Most Americans are Christian, though the percentage has declined over time. | |
| For four points, what is this most populated country in the world, with over 2 billion residents? | Christianity is the religion with the most adherents in the world. | |
| Wearing traditional hats, two brothers from this place built a resistance protesting land usage rights. | The Battle of Tippecanoe featured forces under two Shawnee brothers, Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa, who opposed land cession from the Treaty of Fort Wayne. They are often depicted with Native American headwear. | TIPPECANOE |
| Warriors were supposedly granted spells by a resident of this country, and when they failed, that resident blamed his wife for interfering. | Tenskwatawa said he would cast spells on warriors that would prevent them from being harmed. According to one chief's account, when forces accused Tenskwatawa, he said his wife desecrated his magic medicine. | |
| After a confrontation held near this city, the city never fully recovered and was eventually turned into a park with an open-air museum. | The United States defeated Tecumseh's forces, burning the nearby village of Prophetstown to the ground. The village no longer exists. In its place is a state park with an open-air museum about the town. | |
| For one point, which mountain lent itself to Harrison's campaign slogan? | William Henry Harrison got the nickname "Tippecanoe" for his actions, which was part of the "Tippecanoe and Tyler too" campaign slogan in the 1840 election. | |
| This place was officially founded in 1976, but its identical twin city was reportedly discovered by a certain government a few years earlier. | The Diffie-Hellman key exchange protocol was published in 1976, but it was later revealed that GCHQ, a British intelligence agency, had discovered but not published a similar scheme in 1969. | DIFFIEHELLMAN |
| NSA leaks suggested that many government spies partially infiltrated several homes nearby this city, according to 2015 analysis from researchers based in Michigan and Paris. | A 2015 paper from the University of Michigan and INRIA Paris-Rocquencourt (among others) showed that Diffie-Hellman was practically used in insecure ways that allowed it to be partially broken. The paper concluded the NSA may have exploited this vulnerability prior to publication. | |
| Currently, large settlements of this type are secured by a discrete log. | Diffie-Hellman key exchange is considered secure because the discrete log problem has no known efficient solution. | |
| For seven points, name this doubly-eponymous location where residents frequently share keys. | Diffie-Hellman key exchange is named after Whitfield Diffie and Martin Hellman | |
| A species of flatworm was named after this notable location in 2018. | The baicalellia daftpunka is named after Daft Punk due to their helmets. | DAFTPUNK |
| Many organism names are picked due to shared properties with their namesake, such as this place's iconic helmets. | Daft Punk always appear in costume wearing stylized robot helmets. | |
| Once an occasional host of dance festivals, this place declared the tradition over in 2021, eight years after their last festival. | Daft Punk's last album, Random Access Memories, released in 2013. In 2021, they announced they had disbanded. | |
| For three points, which French place is composed of Outlands, an Armory, and Robotic Rocks? | Outlands, Armory, and Robot Rock are all names of Daft Punk songs. | |
| This location's origins are in medieval times, when boys used a crutch from an old Englishman. | The etymology of cricket is unclear, but one theory is that it comes from the Old English word cryce meaning crutch or staff. | CRICKET |
| Villas in this town were originally constructed with a curved skeleton, but the convention fell out of favor and new homes are always built straight. | Cricket bats used to be curved like a hockey stick, later evolving to the straight bat used today. | |
| The residents of this city requested 120 deliveries of food in Twenty20. | Twenty20 is a cricket format where the game is limited to 20 overs, where each over has 6 deliveries. | |
| For three points, what place keeps wicket prisoners behind three bars and only allows two people out on bail? | In cricket, there is a wicket made of three stumps (bars), with two bails balanced on top. | |
| This location's namesake is ultimately destroyed by a sycophant. | In Richard II, Henry IV becomes king. Henry suggests the imprisoned former king is a “living fear,” and Exton, a nobleman hoping to placate Henry, murders Richard. | RICHARDII |
| Many nobles were angered by the ruler in a kingdom with this name. | The king (Richard II) was highly unpopular in the play. | |
| Noisy trumpets hype up a duel that is ultimately canceled at this location. | Richard abruptly postpones a duel between two noblemen (Act 1. Scene III) | |
| For one point, where is the setting of the first part of four in Shakespeare's Henriad? | The first part of Shakespeare’s Henriad is Richard II. | |
| One comic provides a simple set of instructions for touring this popular photo spot while criticizing standard recommendations. | The comic in question is the xkcd about Password Strength (the touring is from "horse", the photo spot is just for flavor) | PASSWORD |
| In both 2013 and 2014, a large heist was enabled due to a flaw that allowed access without traversing through this location. | This refers to the Yahoo security breach in around 2013. | |
| Limiting the number of attempts at opening a box here deters thieves. | Limiting the number of password entry attempts can help secure your account from people trying to break in. | |
| For three points, this place itself and "123456" are common examples of what used to enter places? | “Password” and “123456” are common passwords. | |
| This town has roots in young boys from old Germany, before their promotion to exemplars of what the town stands for. | The etymology of "knight" is from the Old English word "cniht" meaning boy, and the German word "knecht" meaning servant. | KNIGHTS |
| In the 1970s, Hitchcock became a resident of this location. | Sir Alfred Hitchcock was knighted in 1979. | |
| Ni! is a common refrain among chess players in this town. | The Knights Who Say Ni are characters from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and knights are a piece in chess. | |
| For six points, name this location with a notable round table. | The Knights of the Round Table are a famous group of knights. | |
| A TikTok dance featuring a song from this place starts with a dancer swinging each hand in front of themselves before rubbing them together. | This is an extremely obscure TIkTok dance. | DIRTYLAUNDRY |
| While the inhabitant over there is rejected because of the title place, the resident of a different place is strangely attracted to this location. | The previous song is by blackbear, while another song titled Dirty Laundry by All Time Low expresses an opposite sentiment. | |
| Vacancy is featured at the end of a road in a city with this name. | In the music video for "Dirty Laundry" by Carrie Underwood, a "No Vacancy" sign turns to a "Vacancy" sign. | |
| For six points, what "Garment District" sometimes found in a basket might one "air"? | "Air one's dirty laundry" is an idiom, and laundry may be made of garments found in a basket. | |
| An imaging technique to detect cancer relies on an analog based in this location. | PET scans can be used to detect glucose consumption in tissues. A high level of glucose consumption could be indicative of cancer. | GLUCOSE |
| Neurons are highly expressive for the 3 transporter of these structures. | GLUT3 is specifically expressed in neurons to transport glucose across the plasma membrane. | |
| Yet another roadway connects from this location to places like Pyruvate. | A biochemical pathway known as glycolysis converts glucose to pyruvate. | |
| For seven points, name this building block found on Starches Street. | Starch is a carbohydrate polymer made up of numerous glucose units. | |
| This location resembles the Michelin Man. | Space Hero: Thirteen is a character from My Hero Academia. | THIRTEEN |
| Noel is the protagonist's friend in a film set in this location. | Noel is a friend of the protagonist in the movie Thirteen from 2003. | |
| E and I are replaced by digits in one of Robert Miles' residences named with this word. | Robert Miles has an album titled Th1rt3en. | |
| For one point, name this unlucky casino that doesn't exist in many tall buildings. | Many tall buildings in the US don’t have a labeled 13th floor. | |
| Warfarin, an anticoagulant, can cause a population collapse in one of these locations. | Warfarin and Vitamin K1 are inversely correlated. | VITAMIN |
| Gut microbiota can help increase the density in that particular city, making collapses otherwise uncommon. | Gut microbiota produce B vitamins and vitamin K in humans. | |
| A disease at sea was attributed to the barrenness of this location, where people love lemons and oranges. | Scurvy is attributed to a lack of Vitamin C, and is fixed by eating citrus fruits like lemons and oranges. | |
| For three points, name this country whose exports are often labeled with letters like A, C, D, E, or K. | Examples of vitamins include Vitamins A, C, D, E, and K. | |
| Many parades that would have happened in this location were canceled in 2020, over 150 years after its founding by its president. | Cinco de Mayo was announced as a holiday in 1862 by President Juarez. Several Cinco de Mayo parades were canceled due to COVID. | CINCODEMAYO |
| Sales of beer in this city rival sales during the Super Bowl. | Beer sales during Cinco de Mayo are similar to beer sales during the Super Bowl. | |
| During celebrations here, there are often dances and music events like the mariachi. | Dances, music events, and mariachi demonstrations are all things you might see during Cinco de Mayo. | |
| For seven points, what location hosts an early summer festival that's popular in Mexican-American culture? | Cinco de Mayo is associated with Mexican-American culture (and is more popular in the US than Mexico). | |
| A film set in this location features one of King Arthur's quests. | Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a parody of Arthurian legend. | PARODY |
| Named after a word from Ancient Greek, this location aptly describes the packet you are reading vis-a-vis quiz bowl. | Parody comes from the Greek word parodia, and this puzzle is a parody of quiz bowl packets. | |
| Very populated ones may become more famous than the original city, as evidenced by some of Weird Al's travels. | Some parodies, like Weird Al songs, become more popular than the original work they are spoofing. | |
| For three points, what location was built to imitate another one, for purposes of satire or commentary? | A parody is an imitation of another work for satire or commentary. | |
| The value of this region was once attributed to the boom of the leather and restaurant industries. | Salt is used in making leather and making food. | SALTMINE |
| Ontario, Canada has the largest one of these in the world. | One of the largest salt mines in the world is in Goderich, Ontario. | |
| Kansas's is featured in a "How Stuff Works" episode where this location is a way of life. | The Hutchinson, Kansas salt mine was featured on "How Stuff Works" (although it's more popular as a reaction meme in gaming circles) | |
| For five points, what two word town is the primary exporter of halite? | Salt mines are used to mine halite. | |
| Europe is known for having many of these structures. | Europe is sometimes known as the “peninsula of peninsulas.” | PENINSULA |
| Neither Switzerland nor Austria own one of these places, although Austria historically governed over one. | Switzerland and Austria are landlocked and thus don’t own any peninsulas. However, the Austrian Empire once owned the Istrian peninsula, for example. | |
| Jutting into the Pacific Ocean, Alaska arguably holds the biggest one of these regions in the US. | The Alaska peninsula, located in the southwestern part of the state, is the largest peninsula owned by the US. | |
| For four points, which lake is surrounded on most, but not all, of its sides by water? | Peninsulas are surrounded by water on 3 of 4 sides. | |
| Not wearing or wearing a ring could be illegal in this location with no laws about rings, but many laws against conspiracy. | Bridge has rules against illegal signals, and adjusting one's ring placement could be an illegal signal between partners. | BRIDGE |
| One of the favorite vacation destinations and pastimes of Mao's successor is at this structure. | Deng Xiaoping was an avid bridge player, and was the chairman of the Chinese Contract Bridge Association. | |
| Rubber is a nickname for a place in this state, which is distinctly split into north, south, east, and west regions. | Rubber bridge is the most popular form of contract bridge, where players are labeled North, South, East, and West. | |
| For four points, what town has card-carrying tricksters that love bidding? | Bridge is a trick-taking card game that involves bidding. | |
| Signs at this intersection include "Glory" and "Homecoming". | A theme of the Iliad is kelos (fame) vs nostos (homecoming), with Achilles forgoing homecoming to achieve more glory. | ILIAD |
| There is evidence of earlier civilization in this once temporary location, but modern studies typically use the first permanent records. | There is evidence suggesting the Iliad may have been a story passed by oral tradition long before Homer wrote it down, but modern studies are typically based on the written text. | |
| Xanthus was a mythical city in this region, where oracles prophesied a death before being shut up. | Xanthus is one of Achilles’ horses, who was in the Iliad. Xanthus, who was given the abllity to speak, predicts the death of Achilles. | |
| For five points, what settlement was founded by Homer and has inhabitants like Achilles? | The Iliad is attributed to Homer and features Achilles as a main character. | |
| This was the filming location for one version of a film about a fisherman and an American. | Faulkner wrote the screenplay for To Have and Have Not. | FAULKNER |
| V.K. narrates parts of a trilogy set in this location. | The Snopes trilogy is a set of novels set in Yoknapatawpha County. V.K. Ratliff is a narrator within all 3 books. | |
| A colocated carpenter loudly builds a wooden coffin for his mother, who watches him do so. | In As I Lay Dying, Addie watches her son make her coffin. | |
| For four points, it's not Mississippi, but which state contains Yoknapatawpha County? | Yoknapatawpha County is a fictional Mississippi country created by Faulkner. | |
| A character named after this place is featured on marketing material sent to potential customers. | Mr. ZIP is a character made by the US Post Office Department to promote usage of ZIP codes. | ZIPCODE |
| Five districts make up one of these, ubiquitous in the US, its military bases, and one ship near Detroit. | A ZIP code is made of 5 digits. Military bases often have their own ZIP code. The J. W. Westcott II is a mail boat in Detroit that has its own ZIP code. | |
| Lori Loughlin played a character in a show set in one of these locations. | Lori Loughlin plays a character in the TV series 90210. | |
| For seven points, name this address that was expanded in 1983, and used by the postal service. | The ZIP code was expanded to a ZIP+4 code in 1983. | |
| 27 power is needed to build a portal in a quest in the 4th district of a city in this country. | A main story quest in Fallout 4 (made by Bethesda) requires 27 power to construct a teleporter. | BETHESDA |
| Christopher sued the city's state in 2002, alleging he was owed severance pay after getting forced out. | Christopher Weaver, a co-founder of Bethesda, was forced out of the company in 2002. He later filed a lawsuit against their holding company ZeniMax over owed severance pay. | |
| Often, criticism of the town is directed towards its mayor Todd, the subject of multiple Internet memes. | Todd Howard is the director at Bethesda. As the figurehead for Bethesda, he is both loved and hated. | |
| For six points, which library has The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim? | Bethesda is the publisher for The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. | |
| This park features a lot of bamboo decorations in various rooms. | The living room of Spongebob's pineapple uses bamboo wallpaper. The bedframe of Spongebob's bed is also made of bamboo. | PINEAPPLE |
| When this location was first inspected, people noticed it was constructed with only one window. | Early Spongebob episodes depict his house with 1 window, but after the 1st season it almost always appears with multiple windows (see Trivia section - errors). | |
| In one story, this forest grew from a seed that was mistaken for a pebble, after the original was eaten by nematodes. | In Home Sweet Pineapple, Spongebob's home is eaten by nematodes, leaving just a seed that looks like a pebble. At the end of the episode, the seed grows back into a new pineapple. | |
| For four points, name this fictional place that serves as Gary and Spongebob's home. | Gary is Spongebob's pet snail, and they both live in a pineapple. | |
| The last pirate of this place's namesake is chased to New Mexico in a technically incorrect song taking place here. | In The Last Saskatchewan Pirate, the pirate is chased out of Canada and plans to take their plundering to New Mexico. | SASKATCHEWAN |
| Named after a river, this location's early human settlements are found in the shield area. | Pre-European inhabitants lived in the shield area; Saskatchewan is named after the river. | |
| Henry was one of the first Europeans to explore this building, until the late 18th century when many more moved in. | Henry Kelsey was the first European known to enter Saskatchewan. | |
| For twelve points, name this city with no natural borders and a capital city at Regina. | Saskatchewan’s capital is Regina, and all its borders are straight lines (no natural borders). | |
| Despite a lack of accreditation, this university claims to have a masters program. | Vonnegut lied about having a Master’s degree, as he did not complete it. | VONNEGUT |
| Midland can be found within a town in this country and a film was made about it. | Midland City is a fictional setting in Breakfast of Champions, which was adapted into film. | |
| Ilium is a planned city in this location based on Troy. | Ilium is a setting in many Vonnegut novels, and may a reference to the city of Troy, or at least Troy, New York | |
| For eight points, what comedy club is known for its Slapstick and Player Piano? | Slapstick and Player Piano are both novels written by Vonnegut. | |
| The first of these on Earth were found in yurts. | The earliest ovens we know of were roasting pits dug within yurts. | OVEN |
| One fake comic strip asks of here, "why do they call it" this self-contradicting name? | Why Do They Call it Oven? Is a meme based on a fake Garfield script about why ovens are called ovens. | |
| Heat during this location's summer season is usually preceded by a preseasonal heat. | It's common to preheat an oven before using it. | |
| For three points, name this park where one might make cakes, pizza, or bread. | An oven could be used to cook all three of these things. | |
| This place's namesake comes from a local term translating to "gathering place for bows". | Manhattan comes from the Munsee Lenape term for "place for gather the wood to make bows" | MANHATTAN |
| Taken by Europeans, patriots abandoned this locale after the Battle of Fort Washington. | In the Revolutionary War, they abandoned Manhattan after the battle mentioned. | |
| New construction in 1904 helped elevate this to a financial hub of the world. | The New York City subway was constructed in 1904 and helped the city stay connected as it grew. | |
| For three points, which subway station of New York City holds landmarks like Central Park? | Central Park is located in Manhattan. | |
| A professional rock thrower working in this location appeared on Last Week Tonight to discuss unfair treatment. | Rock is slang for basketball. The basketball player Ed O'Bannon is featured in a Last Week Tonight episode about the NCAA. | NCAA |
| Until 2016, beach volleyball was illegal in this place, although indoor volleyball had been legal since 1970. | The NCAA first sponsored beach volleyball in 2016. Indoor volleyball had been sponsored since 1970. | |
| The Supreme Court unanimously ruled against this state in a 2021 antitrust case, a benefit to athletes across the US. | In 2021 the Supreme Court ruled the NCAA violated antitrust law. | |
| For two points, where is March Madness held? | March Madness is a basketball tournament run by the NCAA. | |
| One debate at this location featured the opposing schools of thought of Bacon and Hobbes. | One philosophical interpretation of King Lear suggests the Lear group represents Bacon while the Edmund group represents Hobbes. | KINGLEAR |
| Modern buildings there belong to a "Q" or a substantially different "F" class. | There are two versions of King Lear, the Quarto and the Folio. | |
| During an interrogation here, someone interrupts "let him first answer that" before gouging out his victim's eyes. | "Let him first answer that" is from Act 3 Scene 7 of King Lear. | |
| For six points, name the country whose land should have been split between three daughters. | In King Lear, Lear wants to split his land between his three daughters. | |
| Abandoned stone walls in the southern part of this region are linked to the medieval gold trade and was its first World Heritage Site. | This refers to the Ruins of Loropéni. | BURKINAFASO |
| MIT Mystery Hunt infamously featured a puzzle about this building in 2019. | First You Visit Burkina Faso is an infamously difficult puzzle from MIT Mystery Hunt 2019. | |
| Sankara was deposed in a coup here by a former ally, but not before he renamed the village three years prior. | Thomas Sankara was the leader of Burkina Faso, until a coup in 1987. He renamed the country to "Burkina Faso" in 1984. | |
| For ten points, name this continent located in West Africa. | Burkina Faso is in West Africa. | |
| The diameter of a rotating shaft is made in this location in a formula on torsion. | There are several formulas on shear stress or torsion of a rotation shaft, all with the radius or diameter in the denominator. The denominator must be nonzero. | NONZERO |
| All units of a field must also be one of these provinces. | In a field, all nonzero elements are units. | |
| Zeta maps have an infinite expanse of this name once the real citizens are large. | For the Riemann Zeta function, there are no more zeroes in the half plane for the real part greater than 1. | |
| For two points, what often hyphenated place answers how high one might be if they are not at sea level? | Sea level is zero altitude, so if one is not at sea level, one could answer “how high are you?” with “nonzero.” | |
| A grape tomato with PDO status can only be grown in one of the 18 comuni in this park. | The Pomodorino Vesuviano is a grape tomato with PDO status that can only be cultivated in 18 comuni around Mount Vesuvius. | VESUVIUS |
| Kurt Vonnegut discusses the innateness of imagination and its ability to effortlessly envision this place. | “A book is an arrangement of twenty-six phonetic symbols, ten numerals, and about eight punctuation marks, and people can cast their eyes over these and envision the eruption of Mount Vesuvius or the Battle of Waterloo.” - a quote attributed to Kurt Vonnegut | |
| Yearly commemorations of the disaster that occurred here are observed on August 24th. | Vesuvius Day is celebrated on August 24th, although there is some evidence the true eruption day was different. | |
| For five points, name this empire that destroyed nearby cities in 79 AD. | Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, destroying Pompeii and other Roman cities. | |
| In 2003, construction began for a World Trade Center here. | Wenzhou’s World Trade Center began construction in 2003. | WENZHOU |
| With a combined area of almost 9000 sq mi, this area was planned by the founder of a certain traditional practice. | Wenzhou designed by Guo Pu, considered a father of Fengshui. Wenzhou has a combined area of 4,550 sq mi (land) and 4,200 sq mi (sea). | |
| Years of Christian influence here led to its nickname of "Jerusalem" of its region. | Wenzhou is known as “China’s Jerusalem.” | |
| For two points, name this province featuring the Ou River and the Yandang Mountains, located in Zhejiang. | The Ou River and Yandang mountains are in, or cross through, Wenzhou, which is located in Zhejiang Province in China. | |
| In an attempt to improve representation, this place was born in San Diego, from which it gets its name. | The Rockets were founded in San Diego as an NBA expansion team, before getting sold and moved to Houston. | ROCKETS |
| More recently, a player from here won the MVP award for leading his team to 65 wins in the season. | James Harden won the MVP award in 2018, leading the Rockets with a franchise-best 65-17 season. | |
| Though the place did not place first that year, in their last win, they were the lowest-seeded place to do so. | The Houston Rockets last won the NBA Championship in 1995, and so far they are the lowest-seeded team to ever do so (6th seed). | |
| For one point, name this 27-time missing county based in Houston. | In game 7 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals, the Houston Rockets missed 27 threes in a row. | |
| Within this locale, a structure with three large arches shares a nickname with Internet slang. | The JK Bridge has three arches. | BRASÍLIA |
| A hyperboloid structure here stands adjacent to one of the widest axes in the world. | The Monumental Axis contains the hyperboloid cathedral. | |
| RBD performed a concert there to a crowd of half a million attendees. | RBD performed in Brasília. | |
| For six points, what federal forest contains the Palácio de Alvorada, the official residence of its country's president? | It is located in Brasília. | |
| This region once opposed the Conservative Party in 2011, despite their public polls criticizing taxes. | Politically, she supports the Labour Party but doesn’t like taxes. | ADELE |
| It's not Billie Eilish's hometown, but this city was featured in both a soundtrack for a long-running film series and had the best new artist. | Adele’s Skyfall was a soundtrack in the James Bond franchise, and she won Best New Artist at the 51st Grammy Awards. It is not Billie Eilish, the other Best New Artist who performed for a James Bond film (No Time to Die) | |
| Days are dark in that location, where a common saying is to count to ten. | “Hold your breath and count to ten” and “Where worlds collide and days are dark” are both lines sung by Adele in her Skyfall. | |
| For one point, what country recently hit 30 and has celebrated with songs like Easy on Me? | Adele produced the album 30 and the song Easy on Me. | |
| A lab located at this building in an Ivy League school grew out of a Cold War project. | The Princeton Plasma Physics Lab grew out of a top-secret Cold War project. (It's not the Manhattan Project, because that grew out of World War II.) | PLASMA |
| Keeping someone in this location usually requires a lot of energy, lest they recombine to somewhere else. | Plasma is difficult to sustain for long periods of time, and maintaining plasma tends to require spending large amounts of energy to keep it hot enough. | |
| Solar flares occur within these habitats, which get heated to tens of millions of kelvins. | Solar flares are made of plasma and reach these temperatures. | |
| For one point, what fourth state consists of charged particles? | Plasma is typically considered the fourth state of matter, and consists of charged particles. |
The cluephrase we get is SPELL STATES WITH FIRST LETTER MIDDLE SENTENCES OVERLAP.
This suggests looking at the middle sentences’ first letters. The first letters of the middle sentences form state abbreviations of the 48 contiguous states, and answers match the length of the states. Overlapping the state name with the answer line, there is one unique shared letter.
| Answer | State | Shared letter |
|---|---|---|
| BESTFRIEND | CALIFORNIA | F |
| PULPFICTION | RHODEISLAND | I |
| PENNY | MAINE | N |
| DAEDALUS | DELAWARE | D |
| LUNA | IOWA | A |
| DADDYLONGLEGS | SOUTHCAROLINA | L |
| EASTERNTIME | CONNECTICUT | E |
| CHESTXRAY | NEWMEXICO | X |
| COLBERT | ALABAMA | B |
| DEUTERIUM | LOUISIANA | U |
| CHAMPSELYSEES | MASSACHUSETTS | S |
| RALPHWIGGUM | NORTHDAKOTA | H |
| CHRISTIANITY | PENNSYLVANIA | S |
| TIPPECANOE | WASHINGTON | O |
| DIFFIEHELLMAN | NORTHCAROLINA | L |
| DAFTPUNK | MISSOURI | U |
| CRICKET | VERMONT | T |
| RICHARDII | MINNESOTA | I |
| PASSWORD | ILLINOIS | O |
| KNIGHTS | INDIANA | N |
| DIRTYLAUNDRY | WESTVIRGINIA | T |
| GLUCOSE | NEWYORK | O |
| THIRTEEN | NEBRASKA | R |
| VITAMIN | GEORGIA | I |
| CINCODEMAYO | SOUTHDAKOTA | D |
| PARODY | NEVADA | D |
| SALTMINE | OKLAHOMA | L |
| PENINSULA | NEWJERSEY | E |
| BRIDGE | OREGON | R |
| ILIAD | TEXAS | A |
| FAULKNER | VIRGINIA | N |
| ZIPCODE | FLORIDA | D |
| BETHESDA | COLORADO | D |
| PINEAPPLE | WISCONSIN | I |
| SASKATCHEWAN | NEWHAMPSHIRE | A |
| VONNEGUT | MICHIGAN | G |
| OVEN | OHIO | O |
| MANHATTAN | TENNESSEE | N |
| NCAA | UTAH | A |
| KINGLEAR | MARYLAND | L |
| BURKINAFASO | MISSISSIPPI | I |
| NONZERO | ARIZONA | Z |
| VESUVIUS | KENTUCKY | E |
| WENZHOU | WYOMING | W |
| ROCKETS | MONTANA | O |
| BRASÍLIA | ARKANSAS | R |
| ADELE | IDAHO | D |
| PLASMA | KANSAS | S |
Following this instruction of FIND ALEX BUSH SOLUTION TO RIDDLER AND DIAGONALIZE WORDS, we do some searching and find https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-many-cars-are-on-this-circular-train/, a Riddler about finding a path through the contiguous 48 states. Re-order all the clues by where their state is in the path of Alex Bush's solution, then take the n-th word of the n-th clue to get one final tossup question.
| State traversal order | Tossup | Word number | Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| CALIFORNIA | People are neither all good nor all bad in this village. Clint Eastwood looks for tranquility in this region. A quote referring to this city renounces its reliance on carpool companies, as it "on't need no Lyft." For three points, what location ties together Johnny Cash, Yelawolf, and Saweetie? | 1 | PEOPLE |
| OREGON | Not wearing or wearing a ring could be illegal in this location with no laws about rings, but many laws against conspiracy. One of the favorite vacation destinations and pastimes of Mao's successor is at this structure. Rubber is a nickname for a place in this state, which is distinctly split into north, south, east, and west regions. For four points, what town has card-carrying tricksters that love bidding? | 2 | WEARING |
| WASHINGTON | Wearing traditional hats, two brothers from this place built a resistance protesting land usage rights. Warriors were supposedly granted spells by a resident of this country, and when they failed, that resident blamed his wife for interfering. After a confrontation held near this city, the city never fully recovered and was eventually turned into a park with an open-air museum. For one point, which mountain lent itself to Harrison's campaign slogan? | 3 | HATS |
| IDAHO | This region once opposed the Conservative Party in 2011, despite their public polls criticizing taxes. It's not Billie Eilish's hometown, but this city was featured in both a soundtrack for a long-running film series and had the best new artist. Days are dark in that location, where a common saying is to count to ten. For one point, what country recently hit 30 and has celebrated with songs like Easy on Me? | 4 | OPPOSED |
| NEVADA | A film set in this location features one of King Arthur's quests. Named after a word from Ancient Greek, this location aptly describes the packet you are reading vis-a-vis quiz bowl. Very populated ones may become more famous than the original city, as evidenced by some of Weird Al's travels. For three points, what location was built to imitate another one, for purposes of satire or commentary? | 5 | THIS |
| ARIZONA | The diameter of a rotating shaft is made in this location in a formula on torsion. All units of a field must also be one of these provinces. Zeta maps have an infinite expanse of this name once the real citizens are large. For two points, what often hyphenated place answers how high one might be if they are not at sea level? | 6 | SHAFT |
| NEWMEXICO | A 1906 book by Walsham discusses a way to visit this location, the first to do so in English. Nodules in this structure tend to be opaque depending on its calcium content. Minor Fissure is a landmark in this national park, which also contains several other notable fissures. For eight points, name this radiographic airport with IATA code CXR. | 7 | A |
| COLORADO | 27 power is needed to build a portal in a quest in the 4th district of a city in this country. Christopher sued the city's state in 2002, alleging he was owed severance pay after getting forced out. Often, criticism of the town is directed towards its mayor Todd, the subject of multiple Internet memes. For six points, which library has The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim? | 8 | PORTAL |
| UTAH | A professional rock thrower working in this location appeared on Last Week Tonight to discuss unfair treatment. Until 2016, beach volleyball was illegal in this place, although indoor volleyball had been legal since 1970. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled against this state in a 2021 antitrust case, a benefit to athletes across the US. For two points, where is March Madness held? | 9 | APPEARED |
| WYOMING | In 2003, construction began for a World Trade Center here. With a combined area of almost 9000 sq mi, this area was planned by the founder of a certain traditional practice. Years of Christian influence here led to its nickname of "Jerusalem" of its region. For two points, name this province featuring the Ou River and the Yandang Mountains, located in Zhejiang. | 10 | HERE |
| MONTANA | In an attempt to improve representation, this place was born in San Diego, from which it gets its name. More recently, a player from here won the MVP award for leading his team to 65 wins in the season. Though the place did not place first that year, in their last win, they were the lowest-seeded place to do so. For one point, name this 27-time missing county based in Houston. | 11 | IN |
| NORTHDAKOTA | The demise of this town was foretold to occur in 2017, a prophecy that did not come true. Nowadays, eating ice cream around here is correlated with falling bronze heads. Due to heavy popularity, this location ran for President with the backing of two major political parties. For six points, what is the full name of a peripheral house that's "in danger," with neighbors like Lisa Simpson? | 12 | A |
| SOUTHDAKOTA | Many parades that would have happened in this location were canceled in 2020, over 150 years after its founding by its president. Sales of beer in this city rival sales during the Super Bowl. During celebrations here, there are often dances and music events like the mariachi. For seven points, what location hosts an early summer festival that's popular in Mexican-American culture? | 13 | 2020 |
| NEBRASKA | This location resembles the Michelin Man. Noel is the protagonist's friend in a film set in this location. E and I are replaced by digits in one of Robert Miles' residences named with this word. For one point, name this unlucky casino that doesn't exist in many tall buildings. | 14 | FILM |
| KANSAS | A lab located at this building in an Ivy League school grew out of a Cold War project. Keeping someone in this location usually requires a lot of energy, lest they recombine to somewhere else. Solar flares occur within these habitats, which get heated to tens of millions of kelvins. For one point, what fourth state consists of charged particles? | 15 | A |
| OKLAHOMA | The value of this region was once attributed to the boom of the leather and restaurant industries. Ontario, Canada has the largest one of these in the world. Kansas's is featured in a "How Stuff Works" episode where this location is a way of life. For five points, what two word town is the primary exporter of halite? | 16 | RESTAURANT |
| TEXAS | Signs at this intersection include "Glory" and "Homecoming". There is evidence of earlier civilization in this once temporary location, but modern studies typically use the first permanent records. Xanthus was a mythical city in this region, where oracles prophesied a death before being shut up. For five points, what settlement was founded by Homer and has inhabitants like Achilles? | 17 | ONCE |
| LOUISIANA | Citizens of this country have immigrated to other countries over time, but up until 1997 many were located within in Canada thanks to Bruce. Lew once smuggled 26 drums containing this structure out of its country as it was being invaded. Approximately 1 of every 6420 people in this country differ from their identical neighbors. For two points, what city is heavy and in demand for nuclear fusion experiments? | 18 | LOCATED |
| ARKANSAS | Within this locale, a structure with three large arches shares a nickname with Internet slang. A hyperboloid structure here stands adjacent to one of the widest axes in the world. RBD performed a concert there to a crowd of half a million attendees. For six points, what federal forest contains the Palácio de Alvorada, the official residence of its country's president? | 19 | HERE |
| MISSOURI | A species of flatworm was named after this notable location in 2018. Many organism names are picked due to shared properties with their namesake, such as this place's iconic helmets. Once an occasional host of dance festivals, this place declared the tradition over in 2021, eight years after their last festival. For three points, which French place is composed of Outlands, an Armory, and Robotic Rocks? | 20 | SHARED |
| IOWA | In summer 2019, a rare golden twilight shined over this realm and its mount. If this nation is properly itemized, its orbital ion cannon can devastate its enemies. A temple here murders elves who refuse to convert to worship the moon goddess. For one point, name this heroic memorial, created by Valve, where one might ultimately see an Eclipse. | 21 | ITS |
| MINNESOTA | This location's namesake is ultimately destroyed by a sycophant. Many nobles were angered by the ruler in a kingdom with this name. Noisy trumpets hype up a duel that is ultimately canceled at this location. For one point, where is the setting of the first part of four in Shakespeare's Henriad? | 22 | NAME |
| WISCONSIN | This park features a lot of bamboo decorations in various rooms. When this location was first inspected, people noticed it was constructed with only one window. In one story, this forest grew from a seed that was mistaken for a pebble, after the original was eaten by nematodes. For four points, name this fictional place that serves as Gary and Spongebob's home. | 23 | WITH |
| ILLINOIS | One comic provides a simple set of instructions for touring this popular photo spot while criticizing standard recommendations. In both 2013 and 2014, a large heist was enabled due to a flaw that allowed access without traversing through this location. Limiting the number of attempts at opening a box here deters thieves. For three points, this place itself and "123456" are common examples of what used to enter places? | 24 | A |
| INDIANA | This town has roots in young boys from old Germany, before their promotion to exemplars of what the town stands for. In the 1970s, Hitchcock became a resident of this location. Ni! is a common refrain among chess players in this town. For six points, name this location with a notable round table. | 25 | HITCHCOCK |
| MICHIGAN | Despite a lack of accreditation, this university claims to have a masters program. Midland can be found within a town in this country and a film was made about it. Ilium is a planned city in this location based on Troy. For eight points, what comedy club is known for its Slapstick and Player Piano? | 26 | FILM |
| OHIO | The first of these on Earth were found in yurts. One fake comic strip asks of here, "why do they call it" this self-contradicting name? Heat during this location's summer season is usually preceded by a preseasonal heat. For three points, name this park where one might make cakes, pizza, or bread. | 27 | DURING |
| KENTUCKY | A grape tomato with PDO status can only be grown in one of the 18 comuni in this park. Kurt Vonnegut discusses the innateness of imagination and its ability to effortlessly envision this place. Yearly commemorations of the disaster that occurred here are observed on August 24th. For five points, name this empire that destroyed nearby cities in 79 AD. | 28 | ITS |
| TENNESSEE | This place's namesake comes from a local term translating to "gathering place for bows". Taken by Europeans, patriots abandoned this locale after the Battle of Fort Washington. New construction in 1904 helped elevate this to a financial hub of the world. For three points, which subway station of New York City holds landmarks like Central Park? | 29 | CONSTRUCTION |
| MISSISSIPPI | Abandoned stone walls in the southern part of this region are linked to the medieval gold trade and was its first World Heritage Site. MIT Mystery Hunt infamously featured a puzzle about this building in 2019. Sankara was deposed in a coup here by a former ally, but not before he renamed the village three years prior. For ten points, name this continent located in West Africa. | 30 | A |
| ALABAMA | In one film, a teacher from this town teaches a high school dropout who joins a science fair team. An apple hovers over lyrics in a joke video about a whale, tweeted by a show based in this city. Long before that, a 2006 statement in this building was only met with tepid audience approval despite sensational online ratings. For seven points, where is the film set for its namesake "Report" and "Late Show"? | 31 | WHALE |
| FLORIDA | A character named after this place is featured on marketing material sent to potential customers. Five districts make up one of these, ubiquitous in the US, its military bases, and one ship near Detroit. Lori Loughlin played a character in a show set in one of these locations. For seven points, name this address that was expanded in 1983, and used by the postal service. | 32 | SHIP |
| GEORGIA | Warfarin, an anticoagulant, can cause a population collapse in one of these locations. Gut microbiota can help increase the density in that particular city, making collapses otherwise uncommon. A disease at sea was attributed to the barrenness of this location, where people love lemons and oranges. For three points, name this country whose exports are often labeled with letters like A, C, D, E, or K. | 33 | WAS |
| SOUTHCAROLINA | A 1912 story that's named after this city has been adapted several times. Similar to others attended to by Carl Ludwig Koch, regions here feature 94 subdistricts. City charters, unknown until they were discovered in 1850, fueled an urban myth that this place is incredibly poisonous, which is not true. For thirteen points, what is the common name of this location known for its carpenters, cellars, and crane flies? | 34 | DISCOVERED |
| NORTHCAROLINA | This place was officially founded in 1976, but its identical twin city was reportedly discovered by a certain government a few years earlier. NSA leaks suggested that many government spies partially infiltrated several homes nearby this city, according to 2015 analysis from researchers based in Michigan and Paris. Currently, large settlements of this type are secured by a discrete log. For seven points, name this doubly-eponymous location where residents frequently share keys. | 35 | NEARBY |
| VIRGINIA | This was the filming location for one version of a film about a fisherman and an American. V.K. narrates parts of a trilogy set in this location. A colocated carpenter loudly builds a wooden coffin for his mother, who watches him do so. For four points, it's not Mississippi, but which state contains Yoknapatawpha County? | 36 | FOR |
| WESTVIRGINIA | A TikTok dance featuring a song from this place starts with a dancer swinging each hand in front of themselves before rubbing them together. While the inhabitant over there is rejected because of the title place, the resident of a different place is surprisingly attracted to this location. Vacancy is featured at the end of a road in a city with this name. For six points, what "Garment District" sometimes found in a basket might one "air"? | 37 | THE |
| MARYLAND | One debate at this location featured the opposing schools of thought of Bacon and Hobbes. Modern buildings there belong to a "Q" or a substantially different "F" class. During an interrogation here, someone interrupts "let him first answer that" before gouging out his victim's eyes. For six points, name the country whose land should have been split between three daughters. | 38 | ANSWER |
| DELAWARE | A "lesser" and "greater" festival was named after this place. Despite ancient written records about here, the history has a 900 year gap. Escaping this location's own creation resulted in the drowning of one person. For six points, name the homeland of Icarus and possibly Iapyx, known for its wooden cow. | 39 | NAME |
| PENNSYLVANIA | It's not China, but early inhabitants here referred to it as "the way". Protests against tradition led to a civil war here. Although the percentage has declined, a majority of Americans still live here. For four points, what is this most populated country in the world, with over 2 billion residents? | 40 | THIS |
| NEWJERSEY | Europe is known for having many of these structures. Neither Switzerland nor Austria own one of these places, although Austria historically governed over one. Jutting into the Pacific Ocean, Alaska arguably holds the biggest one of these regions in the US. For four points, which lake is surrounded on most, but not all, of its sides by water? | 41 | US |
| NEWYORK | An imaging technique to detect cancer relies on an analog based in this location. Neurons are highly expressive for the 3 transporter of these structures. Yet another roadway connects from this location to places like Pyruvate. For seven points, name this building block found on Starches Street. | 42 | BUILDING |
| CONNECTICUT | Some soldiers use the codename Romeo for this fortress. Certain cities defect to here due to their relationship with Columbus. This city has a palindrome moniker based on MIT that was featured in 2022. For four points, name this place where the tallest point is not Mount Mitchell but actually Mount Huascarán and more commonly known by its two-letter abbreviation. | 43 | TALLEST |
| RHODEISLAND | Widely regarded as an all-time great place to live, this "old chestnut" was initially one town before expanding into three. References to its namesake industry are plentiful in this location, whose weapon shop has four weapons, including a katana. In a famous apartment in this town, a man was asked whether he spoke a certain language. For one point, name this 1994 town founded by Quentin Tarantino. | 44 | IN |
| MASSACHUSETTS | A 19th century Benoist painting of this titular location features five people in the foreground. Merchants of this town formed one of its region's oldest committees, although it was recently threatened by banalisation. An obelisk east of this structure was an official gift, although its eastern counterpart remains at home. For six points, what waterfall runs through the heart of France's capital, home to the Arc de Triomphe? | 45 | ITS |
| VERMONT | This location's origins are in medieval times, when boys used a crutch from an old Englishman. Villas in this town were originally constructed with a curved skeleton, but the convention fell out of favor and new homes are always built straight. The residents of this city requested 120 deliveries of food in Twenty20. For three points, what place keeps wicket prisoners behind three bars and only allows two people out on bail? | 46 | CITY |
| NEWHAMPSHIRE | The last pirate of this place's namesake is chased to New Mexico in a technically incorrect song taking place here. Named after a river, this location's early human settlements are found in the shield area. Henry was one of the first Europeans to explore this building, until the late 18th century when many more moved in. For twelve points, name this city with no natural borders and a capital city at Regina. | 47 | UNTIL |
| MAINE | An old woman who indirectly created this structure also constructed a tourist attraction in its honor. Media reports that described abandoned developments and empty promises were found in this region. Earlier, this country thrived due to its eponymous park. For two points, it is not Terry from 2018, but name this location of a recent MIT Mystery Hunt. | 48 | 2018 |
People wearing hats opposed this shaft. A portal appeared here in a 2020 film. A restaurant once located here shared its name with a Hitchcock film. During its construction, a whale ship was discovered nearby. For the answer, name this US building, tallest in its city until 2018.
Before its construction, San Francisco protestors wore hats in the shape of the Transamerica Pyramid and held "Stop the Shaft" signs. In the Sonic the Hedgehog movie, a Ring (portal) is created near the Transamerica Pyramid. The Transamerica Pyramid used to have a restaurant named Vertigo. The Niantic was a whaling vessel that arrived in SF in 1849, and part of its hull was found during the Pyramid's construction. The Transamerica Pyramid was the tallest building in San Francisco until 2018.
The answer to the question is TRANSAMERICA PYRAMID.
Authors Notes
The original inspiration of this puzzle was to do a road trip across America with pyramidal quiz bowl questions. The "Oops! All Locations" aspect was done to avoid grouping sentences solely by category of answer word, and to increase puzzliness.
