Who’s the boss? Well, not our trivia team – especially when it came to questions about the ’80s sitcom “Who’s the Boss.” It was one of those times when you zig when you shoulda zagged, picked eenie miney instead of moe, picked Aaron Burr instead of Alexander Hamilton for who shot first in that duel (honestly I don’t know who shot first I only know who died). Yup, we picked the wrong sport which Tony Miceli played before becoming the nanny for that family in “Who’s the Boss” and did it for EIGHT POINTS. Wait, was he the nanny in that series? Or am I thinking of Fran Drescher? Even though I watched “Who’s the Boss” in the ’80s and enjoyed the sassiness of Katherine Helmond (whom I think used to be on “Soap.” If not, then John S. will surely correct me when I post this on my trivia team’s Facebook page). Truth be told, most of my memories of that series are pretty fuzzy. But…the blonde lady (Judith Light) used to be ON a soap opera, and another character played by Tony Danza in a former TV series actually used to be involved in the sport which we put as our answer. My what a rich tapestry is woven in this wild sitcom universe! I could go on, but here are the questions:

Round One

1) Computers – What does the letter “N” stand for in the acronym LAN, which describes a group of computers? Correct guess, even if not completely certain enough to wager a lot of points.

2) Gaming – The Nintendo Entertainment System was introduced in North America in 1985. Within two, in what year was the console discontinued in North America?

NERD POINT: Get the year exactly correct.

Got it within two.

3) Companies – What pet-care company founded in 2015 offers on-demand dog walking through a mobile app using independent contractors, and is named for a certain movement associated with dogs? Another correct guess.

4) TV Characters – On the TV series “Who’s the Boss?”, Tony Danza’s character is a former professional athlete in what sport? Total knockout here… (hint as to what sport we put as our answer).

Mystery One

Each year, Lake Superior State University releases its “Banished Words List,” consisting of words, terms, or phrases that are overused or misused. Name the overused term or phrase that made the list in 2022 based on the clue.

M1) Two-word question response to a statement that shows astonishment or disbelief; used by Anna several times in Frozen

M2) Overused synopsis of a conversation or debate, abbreviated ATEOTD

M3) Four-word phrase usually following a summary of a unique problem or situation, often added to avoid personal embarrassment

M4) Water-related two-word term for going more in depth when learning about a particular subject

Pretty bad mystery round for us. Only got #3 correct. Clearly we need to invite a kid into our home and watch Frozen.

Round Two

1) Labels – Known for soul music and the blues, what record label with a four-letter name was originally founded in Memphis, Tennessee, as Satellite Records in 1957, before changing its name. Getting this correct ALMOST made up for that “Who’s the Boss” disaster, seven points, yay!

2) Beer – A “black and blue” is a brand-specific drink using what two beers, one introduced in 1759 and the other introduced in 1995? This actually sounds good! But I am not good at pouring black and tans perfectly. Maybe I need to hire an Irish barkeep.

3) Bridges – The suspension bridge that was nicknamed “Galloping Gertie,” because of its tendency to move vertically in windy conditions, was located in which Western U.S. state? It opened in 1940 and lasted just over four months before dramatically collapsing. Sounds terrifying! Mike came through with correct guess here.

4) Animals – Which animal in the Echinoderm phylum belongs to the Asteriidae family and has a distinctive shape? This question is paraphrased, I didn’t write down the entire question.

Mystery Two – Before and After

Combine the two clues to form a single answer.

Answers may share a word, part of a word, or a syllable.

(For example, if I said, “Capital of Utah AND 1991 Western comedy film starring Billy Crystal,” you would answer, “Salt Lake City Slickers”)

M1) Singer who is “from the block,” according to a 2002 single AND contraption that holds and distributes 12 of its namesake Austrian candies

M3) 1977 hockey film revolving around the Charlestown Chiefs AND track and field event with world record distances of more than 72 feet

M3) Animated parody talk show hosted by a Hanna-Barbera character AND late-night radio talk show currently hosted by George Noory that frequently explores paranormal or conspiracy topics

M4) Great ape of the genus Pongo that is native to the rainforests of Malaysia and Indonesia AND South American dance that “takes two,” according to a well-known phrase.

We did better on this mystery round than on the first one. We only missed #3 (as did every other team).

We had 36 points going into the final which put us in fourth place (out of only five teams playing).

Final Category – Movie Pairs

We’re pretty hit or miss on this category, but we wagered 15 points.

The 2021 film Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is the seventh feature-length film in which what two performers are credited? Their previous shared credits include several films largely set south of the U.S. border and two kids’ movies.

Took a big risk since we knew one actor for sure, but weren’t sure about whether the other actor we were thinking about was in Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. Turns out he was, so we got it. Moved up to third place with 51 points.

As always, Go Pods, and stay classy, Galloping Gertie!