24 Karat Tragic Quiz | Thematic Fun

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In your heart, you might have known he was right, but this US senator lost badly in the 1964 US presidential election.

Answer: Barry Goldwater

Barry Goldwater (1909-1988) was a five-term US Senator (1953-1965, 1969-1987) from Arizona who was the nominee of the Republican Party for the 1964 presidential election. A staunch conservative, Goldwater's campaign used the slogan "In your heart, you know he's right" which was parodied in several ways including "In your guts, you know he's nuts".

In the election, Goldwater and running mate William Miller lost badly to incumbent Lyndon Johnson and his running mate Hubert Humphrey. Goldwater only gained 38.5% of the popular vote (to Johnson's historic 61.1%) and 52 electoral votes to Johnson's 486.

2. He wrote a book that sounds like Beelzebub but only ranked third on a list of postwar British authors.

Answer: William Golding

William Golding (1911-1993) was a British author best known for his debut novel "Lord of the Flies" (1954). Author of several other novels, Golding did win the 1983 Nobel Prize for Literature based on his 1980 novel "Rites of Passage". The list described in the question was a ranking of British authors since 1945 compiled in 2008 for "The Times" (of London, England).

In the Bible, Beelzebub is the name of a Philistine god whose name can be translated as "Lord of the Flies" or "Lord of the Flyers".

3. While he was a famous professional wrestler, he may have been disappointed by his lack of success in the National Football League.

Answer: Bill Goldberg

William "Bill" Goldberg (born 1966) was in the National Football League as a defensive end with the Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons, and Carolina Panthers, but only appeared in games with the Falcons (and only started in one of the fourteen games in which he made an appearance).

As Goldberg, he had a successful career in both World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment. He has also appeared in supporting roles in a variety of films and television programs.

4. Although I was already wealthy, I came to a bad end after breaking into Fort Knox.

Answer: Auric Goldfinger

Auric Goldfinger is the titular character in both the 1959 novel "Goldfinger" (written by Ian Fleming) and the 1964 film "Goldfinger". In the film, the character is portrayed by Gert Frobe (and dubbed by Michael Collins). A key difference between the novel and film is that in the novel Goldfinger takes the gold from the Fort Knox vault whereas in the movie he plans to make the gold radioactive to remove it from effective circulation.

5. Though I make a small appearance in the book "The Fellowship of the Ring" (1954), I am sadly absent from the filmed version directed by Peter Jackson.

Answer: Goldberry

Goldberry is the wife of Tom Bombadil. She and Tom help Frodo, Sam, Pippin, and Merry when they run into trouble while travelling through the Old Forest. Goldberry is described as very beautiful and helpful to the Hobbits. Goldberry and Tom Bombadil do appear in some of the other adaptations of "The Fellowship of the Ring".

6. This character from "The Family Guy" lost his wife in the episode "And Then There Were Fewer".

Answer: Mort Goldman

"And Then There Were Fewer" is the first episode of Season 9. While several characters were killed in the episode, Muriel Goldman was killed by television news anchor Diane Simpson. Her widowed husband, Mort Goldman, is the owner of Goldman's Pharmacy. Mort Goldman is voiced by John G. Brennan and appears in many "Family Guy" episodes.

7. I competed as a weightlifter for the US Olympic Team in 2012 but placed tenth out of fourteenth in my division.

Answer: Holley Mangold

Holley Mangold (born 1989) was born in Dayton, Ohio and in high school played on the offensive line of her high school football team. She has appeared in an episode of the MTV series "True Life" as well as season 15 of the US version of "The Biggest Loser". Her personal best in weightlifting is 562.2 pounds from a combination of snatch and clean/jerk.

8. While I am a character on a popular television show, my publisher father dies before I am born and my aristocratic mother is not able to publicly acknowledge me for a while.

Answer: Marigold Crawley

On "Downtown Abbey" (2011-2016), Marigold is the child of Edith Crawley and Michael Gregson. Gregson dies while in Germany and the unmarried Edith retreats to Switzerland with her aunt to give birth to Marigold. Marigold is first placed with a family in Switzerland and then with the Drewe family (tenants of Lord Grantham). Marigold eventually comes to live at Downton Abbey, though she is usually described as Edith's ward rather than daughter.

9. I may not even exist in the universe of "1984", but if I do I'm the enemy of the Outer Party and the Inner Party.

Answer: Emmanuel Goldstein

In the universe of George Orwell's book, "1984" (1949), Emmanuel Goldstein is portrayed as the enemy of Oceania and Big Brother in particular. Goldstein is presented as an early member of the Party and colleague of Big Brother who later turned traitor.

He is only seen onscreen in the novel and its adaptations and not in person. Many people believe that the character of Emmanuel Goldstein is a stand-in for real life leading player in the Russian Revolution, Leon Trotsky.

10. My life has not been exactly tragic, but I did record a Billboard Number One Hit about a man mourning the death of his lover.

Answer: Bobby Goldsboro

The song is "Honey", written by Bobby Russell, and Bobby Goldsboro's version spent five weeks at the Number One spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 1968. Bobby Goldsboro (born 1941) began his career as a guitarist for Roy Orbison. Other hits in the Top 20 for Bobby Goldsboro include "See the Funny Little Clown", "Autumn of My Life", and "Watching Scotty Grow".

In the 1970s he hosted a self-titled variety television show.

Source: Author bernie73

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24 Karat Tragic Trivia Quiz

Match the "Gold named" real person or fictional character with the description of a spot of "tragedy".

Questions		Choices
1. In your heart, you might have known he was right, but this US senator lost badly in the 1964 US presidential election.		Barry Goldwater
2. He wrote a book that sounds like Beelzebub but only ranked third on a list of postwar British authors.		Marigold Crawley
3. While he was a famous professional wrestler, he may have been disappointed by his lack of success in the National Football League.		William Golding
4. Although I was already wealthy, I came to a bad end after breaking into Fort Knox.		Holley Mangold
5. Though I make a small appearance in the book "The Fellowship of the Ring" (1954), I am sadly absent from the filmed version directed by Peter Jackson.		Goldberry
6. This character from "The Family Guy" lost his wife in the episode "And Then There Were Fewer".		Bill Goldberg
7. I competed as a weightlifter for the US Olympic Team in 2012 but placed tenth out of fourteenth in my division.		Emmanuel Goldstein
8. While I am a character on a popular television show, my publisher father dies before I am born and my aristocratic mother is not able to publicly acknowledge me for a while.		Mort Goldman
9. I may not even exist in the universe of "1984", but if I do I'm the enemy of the Outer Party and the Inner Party.		Bobby Goldsboro
10. My life has not been exactly tragic, but I did record a Billboard Number One Hit about a man mourning the death of his lover.		Auric Goldfinger