These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2025-11-03,
and should be interpreted accordingly... For further information
please see my 2026-03-10 companion posting on "Questions from the
Canadian Inquisition (QFTCI*)".
* Game 7, Round 2 - Entertainment - Clowns in History and Fiction
1. American performer Emmett Kelly created a type of character
clown which he called Weary Willie. What type of clown character
was Weary Willie?
2. Originating in Italy and rising to popularity in the 16th to
18th century, the commedia dell'arte features several types of
distinct characters in its clown troupe. What was the collective
name of the clown troupe?
3. Originating in the commedia dell'arte, this clown is
characterised by his checkered costume. His role is that of
a light-hearted, nimble, and astute servant. What is the name
of this clown?
4. This commedia dell'arte clown embodies the Neapolitan plebeians:
simple men who occupy the bottom place on the social scale.
This character was also the origin of the British character
Punch of the "Punch and Judy" puppet show. What is this
character called?
5. This type of clown had its origins in the late 17th-century
Italian troupe of players performing in Paris. His character
is the sad clown. His distinct costume features white make-up
and loose white blouse with large buttons, wide white pantalones
and a conical hat. What is this type of clown called?
6. This director's fascination with the circus was the inspiration
for his movie "The Clowns" (1970). Name him.
7. Introduced in the US in 1946 and to television in 1949, this
clown was created for children's entertainment and was widely
popular in the later half of the 20th century and featured on
many franchised local TV shows. Name this clown.
8. Clowns are sometimes depicted as being frightening and creepy
characters in various media. Some people have even developed
a serious psychological fear of them. In psychology what is
the fear of clowns called?
9. Stephen King's novel "It" features a frightening creature who
appears to children as a clown who leads them to their death.
Name this clown.
10. On "The Simpsons", the animated series, Bart Simpson's favorite
performer is a local TV clown. Name this clown.
* Game 7, Round 3 - Miscellaneous - 20th-Century Con Artists and Impostors
1. Archibald Stansfeld Belaney was a British-born conservationist,
fur trapper, and writer who impersonated an indigenous Canadian
man for much of his life. He was better known by what name?
2. David Hampton was an American impostor who conned his way
into the lives of wealthy New Yorkers to obtain food, shelter,
and money by posing as the son of which famous actor?
3. This boy-band impresario was convicted for perpetrating a large
and long-running Ponzi scheme, taking advantage of friends
and investors as well as cheating the members of the bands
he managed, which included the Backstreet Boys and `N Sync.
Who was he?
4. This single mother faked a cancer diagnosis, pretended to manage
it through diet and natural medicine, and then raised money
for cancer charities but kept it for herself. She gained fame
by launching an app for the Apple watch and writing a cookbook
"The Whole Pantry". Who is she?
5. Elizabeth Holmes was a high-tech business executive who was
once worth billions, but lost it all when she was convicted of
defrauding investors by claiming to have created innovative
blood-testing technology and concealing the fact that it did
not, work. What was the name of her company?
6. Rudy Kurniawan became infamous for producing fraudulent versions
of this product and putting them up for auction, fooling experts.
What product did this Indonesian connoisseur fake?
7. Simon Leviev is an Israeli con artist who conned more than
$10,000,000 from several women in many countries, including
Israel, the US, and several European countries. What was the
nickname by which he is commonly known?
8. Among his many fraud schemes, this entrepreneur's most notorious
caper was to organize the failed Fyre Festival, promising
a luxury concert experience, which he failed to deliver.
Who is he?
9. Using a false name, this Russian-born German con artist pretended
to be a wealthy German heiress while living the high life in
Manhattan's arts and social scene. She notoriously defrauded
New York hotels, high-end restaurants, and banks. Give either
he real or her fake name.
10. This founder of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX stole his
clients' funds and was convicted of fraud in 2024. Name him.
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