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UPDATE: We have a winner, whose name will be announced just prior to the next Weekend Genius Challenge on Saturday, February 9. Thanks for playing!
The fact that it’s Super Bowl Weekend has overshadowed (pun intended) the notion that it’s also Groundhog Day. Lest our furry forecasting friends get lost in the shuffle, we offer this Weekend Genius Challenge: We took the words “GROUNDHOG DAY” and found as many last names as we could using those letters. Twenty of those are listed below. Your job? Fill in the corresponding first names (using any letters of the alphabet).
Hints as to the names we’re looking for? Hmmm… Some are real people, some are fictional. You’ll find at least one golfer, songwriter, explorer, sitcom character, pro wrestler, survivor, congressman, sculptor, comic-book character, and quarterback. And that’s all you’ll get from us! Beyond that, use your smarts, and see if you can match the names that we came up with. The one who comes closest will win a mental_floss T-shirt of his or her choice!
Remember, the first names can use ANY letters of the alphabet. Here we go:
1. ________ Yuro
2. ________ Doohan
3. ________ Huard
4. ________ Gordon
5. ________ Nardo
6. ________ Roddy
7. ________ Grogan
8. ________ Young
9. ________ Hardy
10. ________ Dorough
11. ________ Grundy
12. ________ Hogan
13. ________ Grady
14. ________ Dragon
15. ________ Houdon
16. ________ Gaynor
17. ________ Norgay
18. ________ Dugan
19. ________ Grandy
20. ________ Hugo
The usual rules: One entry per person, please place all your answers in the same comment, and also include the style, type and size of T-shirt you’d like to win as a prize. And remember, your comments don’t show up until we review and release them, so if they don’t pop up right away, you know why.
Good luck! And please have fun and be safe this weekend. Don’t trip over any groundhogs.
1. Timi Yuro
2. James Doohan
3. Damon Huard
4. Flash Gordon
5. Donna Nardo
6. Rod Roddy
7. Steve Grogan
8. Steve Young
9. Thomas Hardy
10. Howie Dorough
11. Virginia Grundy
12. Hulk Hogan
13. Don Grady
14. Puff (the Magic) Dragon
15. Jean-Antoine Houdon
16. Gloria Gaynor
17. Tenzing Norgay
18. Dennis Dugan
19. Fred Grandy
20. Victor Hugo
Pluto RIP, XL
posted by TomH on 2-2-2008 at 8:31 am
1. Timi Yuro
2. James Doohan
3. Damon Huard
4. jeff Gordon
5. Mariatto di Nardo
6. Rod Roddy
7. Steve Grogan
8. Steve Young
9. Thomas Hardy
10. Bob Dorough
11. Miss Geraldine Grundy
12. Hulk Hogan
13. Wayne Grady
14. Puff (the Magic) Dragon
15. Jean-Antoine Houdon
16. Gloria Gaynor
17. Tenzing Norgay
18. Dennis Dugan
19. Fred Grandy
20. Victor Hugo
jung..small
posted by fibes2 on 2-2-2008 at 9:34 am
Timi Yuro
James Doohan
Jeff Gordon
Brock Huard
Elaine Nardo
Rod Roddy
John Grogan
Steve Young
Oliver Hardy
Howie Dorough
Miss Grundy
Hulk Hogan
Wayne Grady
Daryl Dragon
Jean Antoine Hudon
Gloria Gaynor
Tenzing Norgay
Jeff Dugan
Fred Grandy
Victor Hugo
alaska, womens small
posted by kate on 2-2-2008 at 9:34 am
1. Timi Yuro
2. James Doohan
3. Damon Huard
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Mariotto di Nardo
6. Robert Roddy
7. Steve Grogan
8. Steve Young
9. Thomas Hardy
10. Bob Dorough
11. Edna Grundy
12. Ben Hogan
13. Don Grady
14. The Dragon
15. Jean-Antoine Houdon
16. Gloria Gaynor
17. Tenzing Norgay
18. Dixie Dugan
19. Fred Grandy
20. Victor Hugo
What a combination. Beethoven XL?
posted by Mike Jackson on 2-2-2008 at 9:57 am
1. Timi Yuro
2. James Doohan
3. Damon Huard
4. Flash Gordon
5. Giovanni Nardo
6. Rod Roddy
7. Steve Grogan
8. Cy Young
9. Thomas Hardy
10. Howie Dorough
11. Stephan Grundy
12. Hulk Hogan
13. Henry Grady
14. Justin Dragon
15. Jean-Atoine Houdon
16. Mitzi Gaynor
17. Tenzing Norgay
18. Jeff Dugan
19. Fred Grandy
20. Victor Hugo
Idioms tee, L
posted by Jack da Bomb on 2-2-2008 at 10:12 am
1. Timi Yuro (songwriter)
2. James Doohan (actor)
3. Damon Huard (quarterback)
4. Flash Gordon (comic sci fi hero)
5. Elaine Nardo (sitcom actor)
6. Rod Roddy (announcer)
7. Steve Grogan (quarterback)
8. Don Young (Alaska congressman)
9. Matt Hardy (pro wrestler)
10. Bob Dorough (please don’t let it be Howie)
11. Solomon Grundy (zombie supervillain)
12. Ben Hogan (golfer)
13. Don Grady (actor)
14. Daryl Dragon (El capitain of Captain & Tennille)
15. Jean-Antoine Houdon (sculptor)
16. Mitzi Gaynor (actress/singer/dancer)
17. Tenzing Norgay (explorer/mountaineer)
18. Jaime Dugan (Survivor)
19. Fred Grandy (Gopher congressman)
20. Victor-Marie Hugo (poet/playwright/novelist)
Pavlov Women’s M
posted by AMR on 2-2-2008 at 10:31 am
1. Timi Yuro
2. James Doohan
3. Damon Huard
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Giovanni Domenico Nardo
6. Rod Roddy
7. Steve Grogan
8. Cy Young
9. Oliver Hardy
10. Bob Dorough
11. Felix Grundy
12. Paul Hogan
13. Delbert Grady
14. Justin Dragon
15. Jean-Antoine Houdon
16. Gloria Gaynor
17. Tenzing Norgay
18. Dixie Dugan
19. John Grandy
20. Victor Hugo
Beethoven, Medium
posted by Jake Le Master on 2-2-2008 at 10:49 am
1. Timi Yuro
2. James Doohan
3. John Huard
4. Flash Gordon
5. Donna Nardo
6. Rod Roddy
7. Steve Grogan
8. Loretta Young
9. Thomas Hardy
10. Howie Dorough
11. Solomon Grundy
12. Paul Hogan
13. Don Grady
14. Daryl Dragon
15. Jean-Antoine Houdon
16. Gloria Gaynor
17. Tenzing Norgay
18. Dennis Dugan
19. Fred Grandy
20. Victor Hugo
Beethoven 2XL
posted by Dennis M on 2-2-2008 at 1:01 pm
1. Timi Yuro
2. James Doohan
3. Damon Huard
4. Flash Gordon
5. Elaine Nardo (Marilu Henner on “Taxi”)
6. Rod Roddy
7. John Grogan
8. Steve Young
9. Andy Hardy
10. Bob Dorough
11. Solomon Grundy
12. Ben Hogan
13. Don Grady (Robbie Douglas on “My Three Sons”)
14. Daryl Dragon
15. Jean- Antoine Houdon
16. Mitzi Gaynor
17. Tenzig Norgay
18. Hacksaw Jim Dugan
19. Fred Grandy
20. Victor Hugo
Men’s Pavlov xl
posted by Don on 2-2-2008 at 3:19 pm
1. Timi Yuro
2. James Doohan
3. Damon Huar
4. Flash Gordon
5. Donna Nardo
6. Rod Roddy
7. Steve Grogan
8. Steve Young
9. Thomas Hardy
10. Howie Dorough
11. Virginia Grundy
12. Hulk Hogan
13. Don Grady
14. Justin Dragon
15. Jean-Antoine Houdon
16. Gloria Gaynor
17. Tenzig Norgay
18. Dennis Dugan
19. Fred Grandy
20. Victor Hugo
Wikipedia yay!
Dam, might ot win…took me an hour to compile this list :-(
but, anyway, Karl Marx Large
posted by Brady on 2-2-2008 at 4:14 pm
1. Timi Yuro
2. James Doohan
3. Brock Huard
4. Paul Albert Gordon
5. Giovanni Domenico Nardo
6. Rod Roddy
7. Steve Grogan
8. Adrienne Young
9. Nell Hardy
10. Howie Dorough
11. William Grundy
12. Hulk Hogan
13. Benjamin Grady
14. Justin Dragon (or Vlad the impaler)
15. Jean-Antoine Houdon
16. Mitzi Gaynor
17. Tenzing Norgay
18. Mickey Dugan
19. Fred Grandy
20. Victor Hugo
Mental_Floss Logo Slate Gray - Small
posted by Mary Ellen on 2-2-2008 at 6:47 pm
Timi (Yuro) - singer
James (Doohan) - actor who played Scotty on Star Trek
Damon (Huard) - Quarterback for KC Chiefs
Flash (Gordon) animated super-hero
Elaine O’Connor-(Nardo) - character from the show Taxi
Robert Ray “Rod” (Roddy) - TV/Radio announcer
Smiler (Grogan) - character in “It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world”
Denton True “Cy” (Young) - baseball player
Oliver (Hardy) - actor
Howie (Dorough) - Backstreet Boy
Solomon (Grundy) - nursery rhyme character
Hulk (Hogan) - professional wrestler
Wayne (Grady) - professional golfer
Richard (Dragon) - ficitional DC Comic Kung-Fu Fighter
Jean-Antoine (Houdon) - sculptor
Gloria (Gaynor) - singer
Tenzing (Norgay) - explorer
Jeff (Dugan) - Tight End - Vikings
Fred (Grandy) - actor who played Gopher on Love Boat
Victor (Hugo) - author
Pavlov Women’s Large
posted by Susan on 2-2-2008 at 8:18 pm
Timi Yuro
James Doohan
Damon Huard
Jeff Gordon
Aloysius Nardo
Rod Roddy
John Grogan
Neil Young!
Thomas Hardy
Bob Dorough
Solomon Grundy
Hulk Hogan
Don Grady
Elliot Dragon
Jean-Antoine Houdon
Gloria Gaynor
Tenzing Norgay
Dennis Dugan
Fred Grandy
Victor Hugo
Idioms, WMN Med please!
posted by Stephanie on 2-3-2008 at 12:26 am
1. Timotea Aurro Yuro (singer)
2. James Doohan (Star Trek)
Could also be Michael “Mick” Doohan
3. Damon Huard (NFL)
4. Flash Gordon
5. Donna Nardo (artist)
6. Robert Ray “Rod” Roddy (announcer)
7. John Grogan (author)
8. Neil Young (musician)
9. Thomas Hardy (novelist)
10. Bob Dorough (musician)
Could also be Howard Dwayne Dorough (of the Backstreet Boys)
11. Geraldine Grundy(teacher at Riverdale High [actually all the schools Archie went to], Archie comics)
12. Hulk Hogan (aka Terrence Gene “Terry” Bollea)
Could also be his daughter Brooke Hogan (musician), but since you said there was a wrestler involved…
13. Gail O’Grady (actress)
If this one is correct, very tricky knocking off the “O’” to make it work with the letters in Groundhog Day.
14. Walter Mondale: Dragon
15. Jean-Antoine Houdon (sculptor)
16. Gloria Gaynor (singer)
Could also be Mitzi Gaynor (actress), or Janet Gaynor (another actress)
17. Sherpa Jamling Tenzing Norgay (Sherpa, author)
18. Max Dugan (character, portrayed by Jason Robards, in Max Dugan Returns [1983])
19. Frederick Lawrence “Fred” Grandy (actor, US House of Representatives)
20. Victor Hugo
Easter Island please, Woman, Medium
posted by Stacy on 2-3-2008 at 1:49 am
Sorry–looks like the Easter Island shirt only comes in Men’s. That’s cool–still a medium :)
posted by Stacy on 2-3-2008 at 1:51 am
1. Timi Yuro
2. James Doohan
3. Damon Huard
4. Flash Gordon
5. Giovanni Domenico Nardo
6. Robert Ray (Rod) Roddy
7. John Grogan
8. Neil Young
9. Thomas Hardy
10. Bob Dorough
11. Solomon Grundy
12. Hulk Hogan
13. Henry Grady
14. Justin Dragon
15. Jean-Antoine Houdon
16. Mitzi Gaynor
17. Tenzing Norgay
18. Dennis Dugan
19. Fred Grandy
20. Victor Hugo
Gregor Mendel, Pine, L
posted by Craig on 2-3-2008 at 8:17 am
1. Timi Yuro
2.James Doohan
3. Bill Huard
4. Commissioner James Gordon
5. Giovanni Nardo
6. Rowdy Roddy Piper
7. Seth Grogan
8. Neil Young
9. Thomas Hardy
10. Bob Dorough
11. Solomon Grundy
12. Hulk Hogan
13. Wayne Grady
14. Puff the Magic Dragon
15. Jean-Antoine Houdon
16. Gloria Gaynor
17. Tenzing Norgay
18. Dennis Dugan
19. Fred Grandy
20. Victor Hugo
posted by C Olthof on 2-4-2008 at 2:20 pm
Thanks for the entries, everyone! We have a winner, and we’ll announce his or her name on Saturday, February 9, just prior to posting a new Weekend Genius Challenge.
posted by Sandy on 2-7-2008 at 9:18 am