Reddit vs Metafilter - London Oct 10th October 7, 2011 3:54 AM Subscribe

Reddit has discovered that the London Mefites are going to a pub quiz at the Hat and Tun on 10th Oct, and are proposing to 'hand their asses to them', along with alien signs, hats, vuvuzelas, etc. The gauntlet has been thrown, Mefites, and we must respond with overwhelming pancakes.

I know that this sort of stuff is meant for IRL, but our reputation is at stake here, ladies and gentlemen. The stakes have risen.

posted by adrianhon to MetaFilter-Related at 3:54 AM (422 comments total) 58 users marked this as a favorite

Oh, it's on.
posted by phunniemee at 4:25 AM on October 7, 2011 [5 favorites]

I have never wished I lived in London more than I do right now.
posted by josher71 at 4:26 AM on October 7, 2011 [28 favorites]

I just want to tell you, good luck, we're all counting on you.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 4:31 AM on October 7, 2011 [78 favorites]

CRUSH THEM WITH PLATES OF BEANS
posted by rmd1023 at 4:37 AM on October 7, 2011 [19 favorites]

REDDIT MOAR LIKE WRECKED IT AMIRITE
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 4:44 AM on October 7, 2011 [5 favorites]

If enough people turn up from both sides then I guess we'll both have cheerleaders as well as quiz teams.

*practices pom-poms*
posted by memebake at 4:48 AM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

Redditors are the kinds of people that go to bar trivia and then use their smartphones under the table.
posted by box at 4:53 AM on October 7, 2011 [32 favorites]

I have obnoxiously called out smartphone users for public shaming during pub trivia before. I WILL DO IT AGAIN. AND THIS TIME I WILL BRING OVERRIPE FRUIT. Redditors, you have been warned.
posted by phunniemee at 4:55 AM on October 7, 2011 [8 favorites]

You should totally challenge them on off-colour jokes.
posted by pompomtom at 4:57 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

I just want to tell you, good luck, we're all counting on you.
posted by DreamerFi at 4:57 AM on October 7, 2011 [8 favorites]

You know what would make this even more interesting--World Series mayor bets between Matt and moot or whoever the hell it is runs Reddit. If they win, Metafilter has to adopt threaded comments, and if we win, Reddit has to institute a $5 membership fee.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 5:15 AM on October 7, 2011 [7 favorites]

No chance; no-one in London has an ass, you have to check them at Heathrow and be issued with an EU-standard arse instead.
posted by Abiezer at 5:21 AM on October 7, 2011 [17 favorites]

I just want to tell you, good luck, we're all counting on you.
posted by molecicco at 5:30 AM on October 7, 2011 [7 favorites]

We will crush the Reddit team, we will see them driven before us and we will hear the lamentation of their women.
posted by permafrost at 5:32 AM on October 7, 2011 [16 favorites]

WHO TOLD THEM?!
posted by crunchland at 5:39 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

I, too, want to tell you, good luck, we're all counting on you.
posted by SpiffyRob at 5:49 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Can we get one of those slow-motion astronauts-approaching-the-launchpad montages for when we walk into the bar?
posted by phunniemee at 6:01 AM on October 7, 2011 [9 favorites]

WHO TOLD THEM?!
We have a mole.
posted by Jode at 6:08 AM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

I, too, in addition, want to tell you, good luck, we're all counting on you.
posted by pixlboi at 6:15 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

If experience following mefi referrer logs over to reddit are any indication, this will involve their team nicking our answer about hiding corpses without attribution once or twice each round and then complaining about us using complete sentences in our answers.
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:23 AM on October 7, 2011 [87 favorites]

Mmmm if I had the money for the plane ticket, I would be there. Good luck, and we're all counting on you.
posted by angrycat at 6:25 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Redditors are the kinds of people that go to bar trivia and then use their smartphones under the table.

Redditors once invaded my favorite local DC trivia night. It was confusing. They didn't win. But one team did manage to win the best team name, which is a popular vote. I think they self-clapped, which is verboten.
posted by quadrilaterals at 6:27 AM on October 7, 2011

Shit. I'd totally go, but my boyfriend is a redditor and I'm not sure I want to introduce this level of competition to our relationship. Plus I'd totally kick butt.
posted by fight or flight at 6:39 AM on October 7, 2011 [5 favorites]

Good luck at the trivia night, folks!

However, I feel this post is a tacit admission that if you want more than a couple of people to see your IRL post, you make it in MeTa.
posted by zamboni at 6:42 AM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

Not true - the IRL post had about 11 confirmed attendees and 6 maybes before I posted this. But a 'big' MeTa post does draw more attention, yes, but it can only be used in the most desperate of situations...
posted by adrianhon at 6:45 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

There's no question that posting an IRL event in MetaTalk could be abused, but it clearly was not in this case. The cross-site rivalry aspect of the post is what makes it legitimate for MeTa, and interesting to someone like me, who can't possibly attend.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 6:52 AM on October 7, 2011 [5 favorites]

Yeah, I agree. I would not have known about this otherwise but now I'm finding it interesting and plan on following it. It would be awesome if this could somehow benefit a charity. Let the real challenge be who raises the most money.

Also, the folks over at Yahoo Answers have challenged us to a game of Candyland.
posted by bondcliff at 6:56 AM on October 7, 2011 [19 favorites]

I want this livestreamed. I'm not kidding.
posted by desjardins at 7:06 AM on October 7, 2011 [41 favorites]

I just want to tell you, good luck, we're all counting on you.
posted by Doofus Magoo at 7:06 AM on October 7, 2011 [5 favorites]

I would throw down a sawbuck to be donated to a charity of the winning team's choice.
posted by Doofus Magoo at 7:07 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Consider this "maybe" CONFIRMED.
posted by timshel at 7:18 AM on October 7, 2011

Good luck to y'all, and hand them their asses (I mean arses) on a plate.
posted by patheral at 7:19 AM on October 7, 2011

Oh man this was just meant to be a casual evening of friends and suchlike. I'm not sure I'm ready for some kind of competition or anything like that.

But if that's what it is, then so be it.
posted by Infinite Jest at 7:26 AM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

SPOILER: A team from K5 quietly slips in and wins.
posted by cribcage at 7:26 AM on October 7, 2011 [5 favorites]

Can we get one of those slow-motion astronauts-approaching-the-launchpad montages for when we walk into the bar?

I was thinking more Reservoir Dogs.
posted by griphus at 7:32 AM on October 7, 2011

Ooooh, this should be fun.
posted by Optamystic at 7:36 AM on October 7, 2011

I am loving the probable reaction from quiz regulars when their pub is turned into a battleground for warring tribes from the internet.

Now: we need some theme songs. Is there a kind of Metafilter Fight Song on Music, anywhere? That we can play as each one of us walks in?
posted by Infinite Jest at 7:39 AM on October 7, 2011 [9 favorites]

Are they old enough to go in pubs? /trollface
posted by Jofus at 7:39 AM on October 7, 2011 [15 favorites]

I'd just like to say, get fucked, we're all counting on you.
posted by h00py at 7:40 AM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

Oh, the get fucked bit was because I'm many thousand miles away and can't get there, so I'm terribly jealous.
posted by h00py at 7:42 AM on October 7, 2011

[–]Lowercase_Drawera
YES. You should bring some nyanprops. The idea is to live up to every groan-worthy stereotype the Mefites have of Reddit. :)

I would go not just to kick their asses (arses?) but also to see this bit of metacosplay!
posted by ignignokt at 7:47 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

I was thinking more Reservoir Dogs.

That would be awesome if the MeFites dressed as the Dogs and came in under RS pseudonyms: Mr. Pink, Mr. White, Mr. Orange....

Anyway, I just want to tell you, good luck, we're all counting on you.
posted by magstheaxe at 7:47 AM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

I live in London and I am both a redditor and a Mefite. I am also pretty handy at pub quizzes.

Let the bidding commence!

.
.
.
.
.
.

Good Lord, I've never seen tumbleweed in Streatham before...
posted by Decani at 7:51 AM on October 7, 2011 [4 favorites]

That would be awesome if the MeFites dressed as the Dogs and came in under RS pseudonyms

Mr Blue, Mr Green, Mr Grey, Mr Professional White Background...
posted by permafrost at 7:54 AM on October 7, 2011 [59 favorites]

Personally, we have enough pub trivia teams according to IRL that I think it's about time to start issuing some cross-city(country! CONTINENT!) challenges just amongst us Mefites.
posted by PapaLobo at 8:00 AM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

Mr. Haughey, we must not allow a pub quiz gap!
posted by kmz at 8:00 AM on October 7, 2011 [12 favorites]

Oh my god. I would DIE for that. Upper Midwest represent!
posted by Madamina at 8:05 AM on October 7, 2011 [4 favorites]

Charter a plane.
posted by pracowity at 8:07 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

I can't believe I'm asking this but... ahem... is someone going to tweet / liveblog this?

I'd volunteer, but (a) I think I'll be working late that night and (b) my ineptitude at pub quizzes inflicts area damage. Seriously, just having me in the building would be a liability.
posted by metaBugs at 8:07 AM on October 7, 2011

I would also love some sort of livestream/blog of this event. Please.

And theme songs. Lots of theme songs.
posted by rtha at 8:11 AM on October 7, 2011

Did anybody quote Airplane yet?!
posted by adamdschneider at 8:18 AM on October 7, 2011 [9 favorites]

I just want to tell you, good luck, we're all counting on you.

Surley this is the last "good luck" post.
posted by BozoBurgerBonanza at 8:21 AM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

So the thing I saw on Aqua Teen Hunger Force is a real thing?
posted by BurnChao at 8:23 AM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

Good luck all we are counting on you.
posted by Sailormom at 8:26 AM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

So the thing I saw on Aqua Teen Hunger Force is a real thing?

Yes, my dad owns a dealership.
posted by mintcake! at 8:27 AM on October 7, 2011 [6 favorites]

Aww, hate to miss the super fun.
So when's the stateside event?
posted by Glinn at 8:28 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'm guessing if any women appear, they will be completely unable to function.
posted by cashman at 8:37 AM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

I think it's about time to start issuing some cross-city(country! CONTINENT!) challenges just amongst us Mefites.

Boston is willing to take on all challengers and grind them into a fine powder.
posted by backseatpilot at 8:38 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

DESTROY THEM. POLISH YOUR BOOTS IN THEIR BLOOD. CRUSH THEM AND SUCK THE MARROW FROM THEIR ROASTED BONES. PAVE THE ROADS WITH THE BURNT CINDERS OF THEIR VERY SOULS.

If you fail to utterly vanquish them, do not return to the land of bunnies and pancakes. You know what blood-price your shame will demand - for the narwhal bacons at midnight.

No, seriously. Nuke them from orbit. It really probably won't be that hard. The reddit userbase is really too young and too insulated to be any serious threat in a trivia match. Most of them don't even remember what life was like before Google and Wikipedia and having to actually remember things.
posted by loquacious at 8:42 AM on October 7, 2011 [10 favorites]

Also, bring a cell phone jammer.
posted by loquacious at 8:43 AM on October 7, 2011 [13 favorites]

I call no way, Redditors don't leave the house willingly.
posted by The Whelk at 8:44 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Most of them don't even remember what life was like before Google and Wikipedia and having to actually remember things.

Well, thanks to Google and Wikipedia, neither can I.
posted by metaBugs at 8:44 AM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

I call Subash and Yaphe for my pub trivia team.

/obscurequizbowlreference

Though I think Jon Pennington is actually around here somewhere.
posted by kmz at 8:45 AM on October 7, 2011

Please, if you would, gut them like the pigs they are, and then festoon the area with their entrails as a warning to the others.
posted by nevercalm at 8:45 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

We have ringers .
posted by ColdChef at 8:46 AM on October 7, 2011 [4 favorites]

WHERE IS YOUR LANGUAGE-HAT, NOW, 'FILTER SCUM. YOU GOIN' DOOOOOOOOWN.

Oh, shit. Way to hit where it hurts, dude.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 8:48 AM on October 7, 2011 [21 favorites]

Unless someone has an alternative, I would assume that Punch 'em in the Dick is our theme song for this.
posted by SpiffyRob at 8:51 AM on October 7, 2011 [30 favorites]

Spoiler: Something Awful runs down the entire group with paint guns.
posted by The Whelk at 8:52 AM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

Is there a kind of Metafilter Fight Song on Music, anywhere?

Surely, Punch 'em in the Dick is the appropriate theme music for this occasion.

yeah, yeah, don't call you Shirley whatever
posted by LionIndex at 8:53 AM on October 7, 2011 [4 favorites]

Goddamn it SpiffyRob.
posted by LionIndex at 8:53 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Boston is willing to take on all challengers and grind them into a fine powder.

I will co-helm the New York team.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:54 AM on October 7, 2011

Spoiler spoiler: Etsy knits paintgun cozies and everyone drinks absinthe, gives up the competition, and has sexy pub sex.
posted by mintcake! at 8:54 AM on October 7, 2011 [4 favorites]

WHERE IS YOUR LANGUAGE-HAT, NOW, 'FILTER SCUM. YOU GOIN' DOOOOOOOOWN.

Oh, shit. Way to hit where it hurts, dude.

That's just going to make the surprise fourth act substitution that much sweeter.
posted by kmz at 8:54 AM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

We have AskMe infiltration of this pub quiz.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 8:55 AM on October 7, 2011

Metafilter! Metafilter! ~~fight fight fight!~~ Reasonable calm and measured!
posted by The Whelk at 8:56 AM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

Goodamn it SpiffyRob all of us!
posted by SpiffyRob at 8:58 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Goddamn us, every one.
posted by LionIndex at 9:01 AM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

Come back carrying your iPad or on it.
posted by Jahaza at 9:01 AM on October 7, 2011 [5 favorites]

EmpressCallipygos: "Boston is willing to take on all challengers and grind them into a fine powder.

I will co-helm the New York team."

This is exactly right. We need to draw them into multiple conflicts around the globe. One giant pitched battle favors them. We need to practice fourth generation warfare and use our nimbleness to our advantage. Make them burn everywhere.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 9:03 AM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

This is all part of a larger plot to divine and conquer the Internet.
posted by The Whelk at 9:06 AM on October 7, 2011

( you know what, the typo makes it better)
posted by The Whelk at 9:08 AM on October 7, 2011 [9 favorites]

Not that I am suggesting our London MeFites will be anything other than victorious. I know our brethren and sisteren across the sea will offer blood, toil, tears, sweat and superior quiz answers!
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 9:09 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

So, is Reddit our archenemy now? I'm okay with this, I just need to know my appropriate response when I see one walking down the street.
posted by jabberjaw at 9:10 AM on October 7, 2011 [4 favorites]

You guys should tease them bacon and narwhals, redditors are really touchy about that. I am looking forward to about 1000 rage comics about this, we might even get a new scumbag mefite advice animal about it.
posted by Ad hominem at 9:13 AM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

In the event of a tie the winner will be decided by dancefight.
posted by The Whelk at 9:16 AM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

I just need to know my appropriate response when I see one walking down the street.

Do you bite your thumb drive at us, sir?
posted by kmz at 9:16 AM on October 7, 2011 [14 favorites]

I do bite my thumbdrive, but not at you, sir.

You, sir, are an ASK!
posted by Cold Lurkey at 9:18 AM on October 7, 2011 [4 favorites]

Keep Calm
posted by cashman at 9:19 AM on October 7, 2011 [16 favorites]

The Whelk: "In the event of a tie the winner will be decided by dancefight."

OMG, yes.

Also, should the need for a New York team arise, I am all over that. Empress, I got your back.

I am really, really, really having to restrain myself from relating the story of my greatest quiz bowl triumph here. Instead, I will link to my very first metafilter post ever, which is about college bowl.
posted by ocherdraco at 9:19 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

I already have a pub quiz going in Columbus on the 17th, we could totally take any comers. Especially if Solon and Thanks could be found.
posted by Blasdelb at 9:24 AM on October 7, 2011

This is exactly right. We need to draw them into multiple conflicts around the globe.

Edinburgh checking in here. Reporting for duty.
posted by ukdanae at 9:24 AM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

I am really, really, really having to restrain myself from relating the story of my greatest quiz bowl triumph here.

Do tell!

My only quiz bowl triumphs were few and uninteresting. Much better were my horrendous negs such as brainfarting Chaka Khan instead of Shaka Zulu.)
posted by kmz at 9:25 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

I demand ocherdraco tell us about her quiz bowl triumph! because it will give me an excuse to brag about my Jeopardy win.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 9:28 AM on October 7, 2011

scumbag reddit loses
posted by Ad hominem at 9:30 AM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

my jeopardy wins are bigger than horace's jeopardy wins
posted by Madamina at 9:32 AM on October 7, 2011

Very likely. I used the singular advisedly.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 9:41 AM on October 7, 2011

I lost on Jeopardy. :(
posted by kmz at 9:41 AM on October 7, 2011

I gotta warn you, 74 time Jeopardy Champ Ken Jennings is a redditor.
posted by Ad hominem at 9:42 AM on October 7, 2011

It would be disappointing if there wasn't video from this event.
posted by eyeballkid at 9:43 AM on October 7, 2011

Begin Operation Watson Heist.
posted by sarahnade at 9:43 AM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

I gotta warn you, 74 time Jeopardy Champ Ken Jennings is a redditor.

So he's good at questions. Big whoop.

Pub quizzes require answers.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:44 AM on October 7, 2011 [16 favorites]

In the event of a tie the winner will be decided by dancefight.

There's another Metafilter user who can explain to you the very real dangers of deciding trivia contests with danceoffs. He can also explain to you the very real dangers of jumping off couches while drunk.

On the plus side, he's a goofy-looking weirdo who makes a fool of himself easily, so he's pretty much a ringer in any sort of ironic danceoff competiton.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 9:46 AM on October 7, 2011

74 time Jeopardy champ Ken Jennings is also a Mormon. If he shows up, we'll just wave a pint and a cup of coffee in his face and scare him off. (That's how it works, right? I skipped my comparative religions class.)
posted by phunniemee at 9:47 AM on October 7, 2011 [4 favorites]

Huh, well that was totally not what I meant to happen. Anywhere the user is Copronymus.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 9:48 AM on October 7, 2011

Bwahahaha! SIC SEMPER PUERIS INERS
posted by clockzero at 9:48 AM on October 7, 2011

that's what we'll totally say when they lose
posted by clockzero at 9:49 AM on October 7, 2011

So who's in on taking up a collection to get languagehat to London? Who wants to contribute the frequent flyer miles?
posted by gingerbeer at 9:50 AM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

This sounds like so much fun. Good luck, teams!
posted by gemmy at 9:51 AM on October 7, 2011

Remember folks, if MeFi loses you can always throw their shoes on to the pub roof.
posted by bondcliff at 9:54 AM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

Digg users are also fielding a team, but they've all been paid to only pick "C".
posted by GuyZero at 10:01 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Wikipedia editors will be on hand to ensure the notability of every question.
posted by The Whelk at 10:06 AM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

Best of luck London Mefites!!

and if there is some charity link in, I'd be happy to throw some of my weak US dollars into the pot.
posted by Julnyes at 10:06 AM on October 7, 2011

I'm also in for a few dollars if some charity component comes together.
posted by mintcake! at 10:10 AM on October 7, 2011

Damn youuuuu, universe, why must this be happening in London and not New York. I spent three years reading and analyzing endless Jeopardy questions to prepare Watson, I just want a chance to use my new-found knowledge for ~~evil~~ good!
posted by badgermushroomSNAKE at 10:11 AM on October 7, 2011 [6 favorites]

Well, the little "staff" icon came in very handy so I could just quickly scan this, see what a mod had to say, and blow past all of your inane chatter.

Oh, and....

I just want to tell you good luck. We're counting on you.
posted by marxchivist at 10:13 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Shit, I'm totally fucking jealous. I want an LA MeFite quiz team, but unfortunately, moving to IRL has totally gutted the chance of casual LA MeFites showing up at meet-ups, and most LA MeFites are casual.
posted by klangklangston at 10:13 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Of course this would happen after I've left London. All that useless knowledge in my brain... even moar useless now.
posted by Specklet at 10:13 AM on October 7, 2011

STAKES IS HIGH!
posted by klangklangston at 10:15 AM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

Oh man, I should fly in the best of the best of all worldwide mefi team pub quizes into London so we can beat them with a superteam.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:18 AM on October 7, 2011 [49 favorites]

I am free and bursting with FACTS
posted by The Whelk at 10:20 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

So he's good at questions. Big whoop. Pub quizzes require answers.

There's a story here about 5 Jeopardy champs going to a pub quiz. You'd think this would be like showing up to a local 5K bike race and finding out Lance Armstrong had decided to enter, but they lost. Pub quiz != Jeopardy. (But I don't doubt Jennings would still be a force to be reckoned with at a pub quiz.)
posted by Zed at 10:20 AM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

Based on my one meeting with some London MeFites, I have no doubt that those heathen Redditors will have their arses handed to them! Those London folks are sharp.
posted by grapesaresour at 10:24 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

If this doesn't result in a West Side Story-style dance-off, I will be hugely disappointed.
posted by scrump at 10:26 AM on October 7, 2011 [7 favorites]

a West Side Story-style dance-off

For that, we'd also need a tale of forbidden love between a Redditor and a MeFite. A commenter like that would spam your brother! Stick to your own, one of your own kind.
posted by Zed at 10:33 AM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

There is a ....site for us.....
posted by The Whelk at 10:35 AM on October 7, 2011 [7 favorites]

MATHOWIE I AM AT YOUR COMMAND
posted by Madamina at 10:37 AM on October 7, 2011

I cannot attend, but I entreat you brave warriors to vanquish your enemies and chase them before you, to rob them of their wealth and see those dear to them bathed in tears, to ride their horses and clasp to your bosom their wives and daughters.
posted by Devils Rancher at 10:40 AM on October 7, 2011

A Romeo and Juliet reference, and now a West Side Story reference.

I ... I just don't want to see anybody wind up dead is all.
posted by jabberjaw at 10:43 AM on October 7, 2011 [4 favorites]

Pub quiz != Jeopardy

In my limited experience, pub quiz focuses on whatever fluff tmz and perez were talking about the week before. Very dissapointing.
posted by Think_Long at 10:43 AM on October 7, 2011

My major failing in London pub quizzes were the horse racing questions in the sports rounds. No I don't know who rode Laughing Boy in the Oaks in 1953.
posted by Abiezer at 10:49 AM on October 7, 2011

Ken Jennings is now writing a column for woot.com. That's the one website NOT to get into a pub trivia competition with.
posted by oneswellfoop at 10:52 AM on October 7, 2011

Reddit? Please. They're clearly out of their league.
posted by Daddy-O at 10:55 AM on October 7, 2011

The ken-jennings.com message boards have a pretty high concentration of trivia nerds (as one would expect). Though these days most everything there is all about pattern puzzles.
posted by kmz at 10:56 AM on October 7, 2011

I like how that Reddit thread is mostly lighthearted woohooing and who can make it and who can't, while over here we're daubing on the woad and howling for blood, with #1 leading the charge.

Well, whatever happens, I hope there will be pictures.
posted by Gator at 10:57 AM on October 7, 2011 [12 favorites]

over here we're daubing on the woad and howling for blood

The may take our lives, but they'll never take ... OUR FAVORITES!!!
posted by Horace Rumpole at 11:03 AM on October 7, 2011 [8 favorites]

That dude who came up with the USMC vesus Roman legions is also a Jeopardy champ, he has dropped out of sight though, supposedly working on a movie deal or with HBO or something.

I like that they gave phunniemee user flair

[–]phunniemeeIS A STINKIN' SPY! 6 points7 points8 points 3 hours ago

I am rooting for Hacker News anyway, they pay better.
posted by Ad hominem at 11:03 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

A Romeo and Juliet reference, and now a West Side Story reference.

There's no need to repeat yourself.
posted by zamboni at 11:05 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Looks like someone designed t-shirts for the team already.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:08 AM on October 7, 2011 [12 favorites]

the t-shirt is red though. shouldn't it be blue?

green shirts are reserved for the Jeopardy competition where answers have to be in the form of a question
posted by I am the Walrus at 11:14 AM on October 7, 2011 [5 favorites]

I like that they gave phunniemee user flair

Yeah, I'm so popular. This is literally the first time I've ever interacted with reddit (except for that one time I followed the link to that I am a 100 year old grandma ask me anything thing linked from mefi), and it came about because HandfulOfDust memailed me about the concern that they might not be able to get a table so late in the game. So I went over there to be a nice guy...AND LOOK WHERE IT GOT ME. Apparently I am a stinkin' spy. (Ask me anything!)

I am also going to go kick some serious redditor ass with my adopted compatriots on Monday night.
posted by phunniemee at 11:14 AM on October 7, 2011

I live in London and I am both a redditor and a Mefite. I am also pretty handy at pub quizzes.

Let the bidding commence!

posted by Decani

How about this. You join the Reddit team and put your MetaFilter account on the line.
posted by Sailormom at 11:17 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

I regret that I will unavailable to fly to London that night. It's too bad, really, because no one is more trivial than me.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:19 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

A Romeo and Juliet reference, and now a West Side Story reference.

> There's no need to repeat yourself.

AND AN UNDERWORLD REFERENCE
posted by jabberjaw at 11:21 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Looks like someone designed t-shirts for the team already

i stole the image from cashman and put it on mlkshk so i'd have it later. all props go to him.

(ps - follow me on mlkshk! don't miss the kitsch group)
posted by nadawi at 11:25 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

I like the idea of a charity wager; each site/team member puts up a stake and the winning site gets to decide which charity it goes to. Not sure exactly how we'd organise this though...
posted by adrianhon at 11:25 AM on October 7, 2011

bondcliff - It would be awesome if this could somehow benefit a charity.

It's too late to organise for this quiz, but we should totally do this. Pick a future challenge (or series of challenges, ideally spread across several countries) and run something like:

1) Each website nominates a charity
2) Both communities raise cash that goes into a common pot (an account held by the admins of either MeFi or Reddit)
3) Teams compete to see whose nominated charity gets the cash
4) Glory, dispair, charitable giving, etc.

I'm guessing that people won't love the idea of leaving a donation feeling that random, so we'd probably want to do a split. Right from the start, say that 1/3 of the money is for charity A, 1/3 for charity B. The competition is over whose charity gets the final third. Or we could work out some funky formula to bias the split according to points differential, or something.

Any thoughts? Team Mod would probably have to be involved in some capacity, so what do you guys think?

jabberjaw - AND AN UNDERWORLD REFERENCE
While I hated that film, I did enjoy the protagonist's shiny trousers. Yum.
posted by metaBugs at 11:25 AM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

damnit, adrianhon...
posted by metaBugs at 11:25 AM on October 7, 2011

Decani must join the Reddit team and answer "fish in the pants" regardless of the question. Unless it's about occupational hazards for trawlermen.
posted by Abiezer at 11:27 AM on October 7, 2011 [10 favorites]

trawlerpersons.
posted by taz (staff) at 11:33 AM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

I actually considered that whilst writing the comment. PC gorn mad!
posted by Abiezer at 11:35 AM on October 7, 2011

What about non-persons .. should be trawlerentities.
posted by Ad hominem at 11:36 AM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

CRASH COURSE, LONDON MEFITES! The blonde whom Ashton allegedly shagged in a hot tub San Diego is named Sara Leal. The dude in attendance was named Jacques. The new "Bond 23" movie will (probably) be called "Skyfall." Posh and Becks' new baby girl is named Harper Seven. Mariah Carey and Justin Bieber are releasing a duet version of her "All I Want for Christmas Is You" and there is no more hope for humanity. Sharon Osbourne got her breast implants removed. Blake Lively broke up with Leonardo DiCaprio and has already moved on to Ryan Reynolds. Mos Def is changing his name to Yasmiin Bey. Gwyneth performed Cee Lo's "Fuck You" for Prince Philip in a tiny black dress.

THAT IS ALL I HAVE TO GIVE YOU, BUT I GIVE YOU MY ALL!

Represent.
posted by argonauta at 11:38 AM on October 7, 2011 [22 favorites]

A Romeo and Juliet reference, and now a West Side Story reference.

We few--we happy few--we band of mefites;
For he that day that does the quiz with me
Will be a mefite; Be five bucks spent or no,
He'll have an honorary plate of beans.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 11:39 AM on October 7, 2011 [8 favorites]

I bid 1 (one) shot of the whisk(e)y of Decani's choice to have him on our team. (Additional contractual term: neither party shall discuss the writings of Mr David Foster Wallace, unless strictly called for by the quiz).
posted by Infinite Jest at 4:10 PM on October 7

Sold!

I'll settle for Laphroaig Quarter Cask, any Ardbeg, or Talisker at a push.

How about this. You join the Reddit team and put your MetaFilter account on the line.
posted by Sailormom at 7:17 PM on October 7

Oh, you big meanie. I'd actually get a huge kick out of seeing reddit take Mefi down - if the Mefite team was made up entirely of you. *MWAH*!

Decani must join the Reddit team and answer "fish in the pants" regardless of the question. Unless it's about occupational hazards for trawlermen.
posted by Abiezer at 7:27 PM on October 7

I'd do this for two shots of the whisky of my choice. Okay then, one. Oh all right, a hand job. You drive a hard bargain, sir.
posted by Decani at 11:42 AM on October 7, 2011 [4 favorites]

Oh man, I should fly in the best of the best of all worldwide mefi team pub quizes into London so we can beat them with a superteam.

I did have other plans but if you're providing tickets then I can arrange to be free.
posted by shelleycat at 11:43 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

if this were reddit, i'd make a terribly off color joke about "hard bargain."
posted by nadawi at 11:47 AM on October 7, 2011

I live in London and I am both a redditor and a Mefite. I am also pretty handy at pub quizzes.

Let the bidding commence!

You can't trust a man whose loyalty has a price.
posted by biffa at 11:52 AM on October 7, 2011

Sounds like fun. I'm so jealous of all of you Londoner MeFites.

Another request for live streaming/blogging/tweeting/whatever, please, please, please.
posted by marsha56 at 11:53 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

This is to remind Matt I pefer Virgin Atlantic but will take anything.
posted by The Whelk at 12:02 PM on October 7, 2011

moot or whoever the hell it is runs Reddit

Ooh, that was ingeniously bad.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 12:02 PM on October 7, 2011 [8 favorites]

BLARG! I'm in Toronto this week and will miss this. I've actually gone to a reddit meetup before. My money is on Mefi...
posted by generichuman at 12:13 PM on October 7, 2011

I need to 1. Win the lottery 2. renew my passport. 3. brush up on trivia.

maybe not in exactly that order.
posted by bilabial at 12:24 PM on October 7, 2011

I'm pretty sure we're going to win.
posted by Meatbomb at 12:29 PM on October 7, 2011

I hope a team of elderly Londonites who've never heard of the internet beat everyone!
posted by ChuraChura at 12:30 PM on October 7, 2011 [8 favorites]

ARGH. I love a pub quiz, live close to Clerkenwell, would love to participate in a Reddit smackdown, and have been dying to finally attend a MeFi meetup. But I have tickets to see Harry Shearer that night. My heart is with you, comrades.
posted by hot soup girl at 12:39 PM on October 7, 2011

Good luck!
posted by FunkyHelix at 12:42 PM on October 7, 2011

But I have tickets to see Harry Shearer that night. My heart is with you, comrades.

Somebody on reddit is also going to that, so clearly y'all need to have some kind of side competition there. I'm not sure how to judge Best Harry Shearer Audience Participant though.
posted by kmz at 12:48 PM on October 7, 2011 [9 favorites]

RUMBLE.
posted by The Whelk at 12:49 PM on October 7, 2011

i stole the image from cashman and put it on mlkshk so i'd have it later. all props go to him.

I've got the juice now, man

Yeah - make it a different color! I just used that keepcalmerator thingie. Here it is in mefi blue: Keep Calm and Crush Reddit.
posted by cashman at 12:50 PM on October 7, 2011 [6 favorites]

It is almost trivially easy to turn "America" into a song about Reddit and Metafilter.
posted by The Whelk at 12:57 PM on October 7, 2011

cashman - seriously, join mlkshk, then your images can be popular! your blue one has already been posted over there. you are in demand!
posted by nadawi at 1:03 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

harry shearer strikes me as the type who would invent such a competition and take time out of his show to judge it.
posted by nadawi at 1:04 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

I have a valid passport, excel at trivia!

I also (this is absolutley true, though it sounds incredible) coached high school cheerleaders, if you need the alternates to be your cheering section.

Wait a minute, let me check my Google Calendar....why, look at that, I' m free on Monday!
posted by misha at 1:08 PM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

And matt, if of course I mean WHEN we win this, can we get cashman's design on some shirts?
posted by misha at 1:11 PM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

Also, seriously, any Londoners have the capacity to livestream this?

Or liveblog in MetaTalk at the very leqst? I know we have some aeriously fast typists here.
posted by misha at 1:17 PM on October 7, 2011

I like reddit, but I have to say I think Mefi is going to walk this. If Mefi doesn't I will demand an inquisition. I mean an inquest.
posted by Decani at 1:18 PM on October 7, 2011

On stand-by for the New York showdown. Although I might only be able to contribute what Argonauta has already told you. But the current (meaning future) version. The best of page six. I figure you guys (entities?:)) have the other stuff down, right??
posted by bquarters at 1:39 PM on October 7, 2011

You guys don't need luck, you have good looks and stunning intelligence on your side. But, just in case that isn't enough, good luck - we're all counting on you.
posted by dg at 2:13 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

REDDIT MOAR LIKE WRECKED IT AMIRITE

hopefully spelling will be part of it.
posted by Ironmouth at 2:24 PM on October 7, 2011

Please please please let there be a Shakespeare round.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 2:38 PM on October 7, 2011

mathowie: Oh man, I should fly in the best of the best of all worldwide mefi team pub quizes into London so we can beat them with a superteam.

Great, we'd end up like The Dream Team, and being so full of ourselves, we would clash as a team, and our victory would ring hollow. "Sure, they're great as individuals, but the Reddit folks knew how to have a good time. Except the vuzuvu thing is tired."
posted by filthy light thief at 2:41 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Please please please let there be a Shakespeare round.

Oh, there will be. But it will be offest by an internet meme round.

You entities better start boning up on your rage faces, I want to see a training montage.
posted by Ad hominem at 2:49 PM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

Once more unto the pub, dear friends, once more;
Or close the site up with our Mefite dead.
In posts there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of quiz blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the troller;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let pry through the trivia of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height. On, on, you noblest Mefites.
Whose blood is fet from members of flame-proof!
Members that, like so many moderators,
Have in these parts from morn till even fought
And held their words for lack of argument:
Dishonour not your lurkers; now attest
That those whom you call'd fathers did beget you.
Be copy now to men of grosser blood,
And teach them how to triv. And you, good Mefites,
Whose limbs were made in England, show us here
The mettle of your website; let us swear
That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not;
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry 'God for Matty, Meta, and Cabal!'
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:55 PM on October 7, 2011 [13 favorites]

If there is any chance of a Weller round, please do let me know and I'll get on a plane ASAP. This is too complex a topic to be left to his countrymen and women, who perhaps do not have the requisite ~~decades of obsessive, Anglophiliac love and devotion~~ distance to fully appreciate the man's life in all its many-faceted glory. I can already start practicing, if you wish. ATTENDED SHEERWATER COMPREHENSIVE! FIRST SIGNED TO POLYDOOR FOR 6,000 POUNDS! MOST ILL-ADVISED HAIRCUT WAS THE MID-80s WEDGE! SMELLS FAINTLY OF WHISKEY, PRADA, AND MAGIC!
posted by scody at 2:58 PM on October 7, 2011 [4 favorites]

The rounds will be as follows: Civil Servants, Stamps From Around the World, Mothers and Sons, Beer, Bar Trivia, and Celibacy.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:59 PM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

er, Polydor, even
posted by scody at 3:01 PM on October 7, 2011

I want something somewhat disruptive to happen at this event, just to see the nightly news broadcaster having to do some sort of piece about two rival Internet Gangs having a blowout in a bar or something.
posted by mrzarquon at 3:04 PM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

One of the Redditors was found with a [!] carved into his chest, while one notable Mefite was violently down voted off the roof.
posted by The Whelk at 3:06 PM on October 7, 2011 [19 favorites]

A remote-controlled flying dildo.
posted by Sailormom at 3:13 PM on October 7, 2011

Oh man that category is so hard.
posted by The Whelk at 3:16 PM on October 7, 2011

One of the Redditors was found with a [!] carved into his chest

When asked by investigators why they suddenly left the scene of the crime, the culprit simply replied "FIAMO, bitches."
posted by Cold Lurkey at 3:23 PM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

DTMFA with extreme prejudice
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:26 PM on October 7, 2011

I hear in London they spell it Metafiltre.
posted by villanelles at dawn at 3:41 PM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

No it's metafiltur.
posted by The Whelk at 3:44 PM on October 7, 2011

When the ABQ mefites ("Team Beanplate") did Geeks Who Drink we didn't do that great on account of all of us knowing the same stuff. Any answer we knew, half the team knew, and the other ones we didn't really know at all. So it was like, RealDoll question? WE GOT THIS. Sports? Blank stare.

On the other hand, if TIL is any indicator reddit doesn't really know anything.

I should note that the ABQ mefites and the ABQ redditors get along fine and I keep meaning to arrange a co-meetup.
posted by NoraReed at 3:45 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

What are the mefite team names?

And: god speed, you excellent people.
posted by twirlypen at 3:54 PM on October 7, 2011

I might be newish to London, but my quiz skills are sharp & it'd be great to meet some people. I don't live too far away from the pub either. How many spots are available/needed on the team?
posted by snarkle at 3:55 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Wait, there are reddit users old enough to get into a pub?

Huh.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 4:04 PM on October 7, 2011 [6 favorites]

Win or lose, SOMEONE has to get defenestrated.
posted by Evilspork at 4:06 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

What's a reddit?
posted by not_on_display at 4:14 PM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

Here's a protip: if you don't know the answer, just say "Anderson Cooper".
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 4:18 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

>> Please please please let there be a Shakespeare round.
>
> Oh, there will be. But it will be offest by an internet meme round.

TITUS ANDRONICUS: Why, there they are, both baked in that pie
Whereof their mother daintily hath fed,
Eating the flesh that she herself hath bred.
PROBLEM, TAMORA?

*TROLLFACE.JPG*
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 4:22 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

What are the mefite team names?
One of them really needs to be "first, be smart from the very beginning".
posted by metaBugs at 4:25 PM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

if it's gossip news you need, i am well versed in ONTD and they like to cover the brits. i do lack a passport though, so there are holes in my plan.
posted by nadawi at 4:32 PM on October 7, 2011

One of them really needs to be "first, be smart from the very beginning".

THE BLUE: "With humility and charity, you jackass."
THE GREEN: "First, be smart from the very beginning."
THE GRAY: "He ain't Ralph."
posted by sarahnade at 4:45 PM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

I too, in addition, also, concurring, wanted to tell you, in the affirmative, we're all counting on you.
posted by whimsicalnymph at 4:54 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'm not.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 5:12 PM on October 7, 2011

I remember not to long ago someone whining that Erika Badu, Breaking Bad and Odd Future were all topics that people shouldn't be expected to know from a name-drop alone.

Also, portobello mushrooms.
posted by hattifattener at 5:14 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Go Blue!
posted by chinesefood at 5:43 PM on October 7, 2011

So, is Reddit our archenemy now?

We're the star-bellied sneeches to their plain. Or vice-versa, I can never remember.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:49 PM on October 7, 2011 [4 favorites]

I'm a Lorax. Or a poleaxe. I can never remember which.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 5:53 PM on October 7, 2011

So, is Reddit our archenemy now?

Kicking Digg when it was down just felt mean.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:55 PM on October 7, 2011 [6 favorites]

well we did just LOOSE a star so.
posted by The Whelk at 7:07 PM on October 7, 2011

Who are you calling loose?
posted by crunchland at 7:35 PM on October 7, 2011

The people that are both Mefites and redditors should be on "Team Dual-Class", or maybe "Half-Troll".
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 8:03 PM on October 7, 2011

We're gonna need a montage.
posted by bendy at 8:28 PM on October 7, 2011

Careful with the rhetoric. We don't want to end up like digg.
posted by Edogy at 9:04 PM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

Jessamyn has a staff! She'll save us! Roll d20 for trivia accuracy.
posted by not_on_display at 9:41 PM on October 7, 2011

I also lost on Jeopardy, but I swear I really am fucking great at trivia. SEND ME IN, COACH.

Alternatively, I'm up for a Twin Cities pub quiz. I really don't do so great with traveling.
posted by padraigin at 10:10 PM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

"TITUS ANDRONICUS: Why, there they are, both baked in that pie
Whereof their mother daintily hath fed,
Eating the flesh that she herself hath bred.
PROBLEM, TAMORA?

*TROLLFACE.JPG*

Y U MAD LAERTES
posted by klangklangston at 11:26 PM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

Also, it amuses me that all my friends who used to be on Digg all the time are now on Reddit.
posted by klangklangston at 11:29 PM on October 7, 2011

I just pity the poor pub quiz runner and pub management. They're expecting a quiet Monday quiz and they're going to get a pub full of weirdos. Making nyancat jokes.
posted by seanyboy at 12:55 AM on October 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

But good luck metafilter. Please crush this enemy.
posted by seanyboy at 12:56 AM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

This is another former 'maybe' who will now face hell or high water to make it to this quiz. At first I was all like 'Well that means I'd have to go into London two times that week and I have to wash my hair....' but now It. Is. On.
posted by Gordafarin at 2:49 AM on October 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

There is one corner of the Hat and Tun that will be forever MeFi. Good luck and we're counting on you.
posted by arcticseal at 4:41 AM on October 8, 2011

Y U MAD LAERTES

U JELLY, OTHELLO?
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 5:44 AM on October 8, 2011 [3 favorites]

- a West Side Story-style dance-off

For that, we'd also need a tale of forbidden love between a Redditor and a MeFite.

And, since it's Reddit, they'd both have to be gay.
posted by mediareport at 6:01 AM on October 8, 2011

I'm thinking I may show up to this just to take photos of the carnage.
posted by Decani at 6:11 AM on October 8, 2011

I would have loved this. Decani, if you have a laptop, and they have a hot-spot or someone has mobile internet, then a service like ustream or justin.tv would let you steam it live for the rest of us. I would be well into that!
posted by Iteki at 6:33 AM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

It's breaking my heart that it will all be taking place around the corner from where I normally would be, were I not away on a business trip.
posted by sueinnyc at 6:39 AM on October 8, 2011

Iteki - the camera on my laptop is pretty poor, but I'll certainly look into that possibility. I've had a quick look at ustream... I assume I need to set up and name a channel and then when I'm broadcasting, anyone who wants to view just selects that channel in some way?
posted by Decani at 7:08 AM on October 8, 2011

Now I kinda want there to be a trollface Shakespeare.

Just imagine Rosencrantz and Guildenstern finding the rewritten letter and being all "FFFFUUUU…"
posted by klangklangston at 9:01 AM on October 8, 2011 [3 favorites]

Decani: I think so, yeah. If somone comes with a better laptop cam you could probably just log in and broadcast from theirs once you has an account. You can also stream from like iphones, but who wants to hold a phone up all evening.
posted by Iteki at 9:12 AM on October 8, 2011

Now I kinda want there to be a trollface Shakespeare.

GHOST: But, soft! methinks I scent the morning air;
Brief let me be. Sleeping within my orchard,
My custom always of the afternoon,
Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole,
With juice of cursed hebenon in a vial,
And in the porches of my ears did pour
The leperous distilment; my mom got scared
And said, “You’re movin’ with your auntie and uncle in Bel-Air.”
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 9:58 AM on October 8, 2011 [6 favorites]

OK, the pressure is now officially unbearable. Look whose birthday it is on 10 October... The stakes, they get higher and higher.
posted by HandfulOfDust at 11:28 AM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

Didn't Anon brag they wanted to take down the NYSE on the 10th? It's just too much to be a coincidence.
posted by The Whelk at 12:03 PM on October 8, 2011

Hi metafilter I maed u a shakespere comic.
posted by Ad hominem at 12:52 PM on October 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

U Mad Brabantio?
posted by Ad hominem at 1:32 PM on October 8, 2011 [5 favorites]

Then shall he drop his trou and show his beans:
"These did I overthink on Quiz Win Day!"
And gentlemen in Reddit now abed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods..."
posted by Pallas Athena at 4:31 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

I was thinking something like

And MeFites round the world now abed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here
And hold their manhoods [sic?] cheap while any speaks
Who quizzed with us on Mathowie's day
posted by Infinite Jest at 1:50 AM on October 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

fav'rites cheap, surely
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:13 AM on October 9, 2011

Yeah, and 'speaks' should probably be 'posts', too.
posted by Infinite Jest at 7:08 AM on October 9, 2011

Greatest reddit comment in their thread about recruiting members for the pub quiz:

Damn, I'd be up for this apart from the fact that I have D&D on Monday nights!

posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:11 AM on October 9, 2011 [5 favorites]

Greatest reddit comment in their thread about recruiting members for the pub quiz:
Damn, I'd be up for this apart from the fact that I have D&D on Monday nights!

Ha! What a nerd! Good thing we're not like that.
posted by zamboni at 11:50 AM on October 9, 2011 [3 favorites]

I have a smartphone, mobile internet and the justin.tv app with an account set up already. I was hoping to play, but will happily stream it if no one else can - as long as I can find a power point. My battery tends to die pretty quickly whenever I do anything too exciting
posted by joboe at 12:27 PM on October 9, 2011 [2 favorites]

TIL MeFites are superior to redditors in every way.
posted by Dr. Zira at 3:53 PM on October 9, 2011

Um, I'm not sure about the idea of livestreaming it on video. This isn't a private event. I think people might not like the idea of walking into their local pub and having their semi-drunken blathering broadcast around the world.

In the few short weeks that I've been in London, I'm pretty sure the ubiquitous cameras around the city have captured me picking my wedgies from about 750,000 different angles. Seems to be as good as any a place for a livestreamed video.
posted by phunniemee at 4:36 PM on October 9, 2011 [2 favorites]

Me to redditor friend: did you hear about the reddit vs mefi showdown tomorrow?
Him: no and I think reddit might not have either
posted by NoraReed at 7:42 PM on October 9, 2011 [2 favorites]

Too late for today's showdown, but I will move to London for the next one.

_{And to be with my wife who's studying there. But trivia + beer + Mefi is attractive too.}
posted by the cydonian at 11:22 PM on October 9, 2011

Probably too late, but the "KEEP CALM CRUSH REDDIT GRAAAR" swag really needs mattdidthat's crown o' favorites.

(Also, is this being livestreamed? Where/when?)
posted by Rhaomi at 12:05 AM on October 10, 2011

In the few short weeks that I've been in London, I'm pretty sure the ubiquitous cameras around the city have captured me picking my wedgies from about 750,000 different angles. Seems to be as good as any a place for a livestreamed video.

Well, except that those are in a public place, and they're not streamed on the web.

Maybe we should at least be careful to only film us and the Reddit mob...
posted by Infinite Jest at 12:10 AM on October 10, 2011

"TITUS ANDRONICUS: Why, there they are, both baked in that pie
Whereof their mother daintily hath fed,
Eating the flesh that she herself hath bred.
PROBLEM, TAMORA?

*TROLLFACE.JPG*

Y U MAD LAERTES

Titus Andronicus meme comic
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 12:13 AM on October 10, 2011

I'll be very surprised if the pub/Quizmaster/other patrons are all cool with streaming video. Sounds like a good way to make ourselves unwelcome.
posted by Optamystic at 6:55 AM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

Where is this live blog of which people are speaking? It Is mandatory that I cheer them on from here in Texas.

On my iPhone. (Thanks, Mr. Jobs)
posted by MexicanYenta at 7:08 AM on October 10, 2011

Optamystic, see discussion in the IRL thread. Sure someone can liveblog it, although that might look suspiciously like cheating....
posted by Infinite Jest at 7:18 AM on October 10, 2011

Bravado is a lot harder to do in real life than it is on the internet

*goes to bathroom to practice bravado*

*co-workers are perturbed by bravado sounds from bathroom*
posted by memebake at 7:34 AM on October 10, 2011

I'm practicing my Randy Macho Man Savage voice.
posted by phunniemee at 8:29 AM on October 10, 2011 [2 favorites]

YOU CAN DO IT
posted by The Whelk at 8:58 AM on October 10, 2011

I'm counting on you. I love you all.
posted by Iteki at 10:38 AM on October 10, 2011

I'm doing some live tweeting and photos on @Adrianhon - no sign of those Livy-livered redditors yet...
posted by adrianhon at 11:04 AM on October 10, 2011

YOU'RE GETTING AN EXTRA SPECIAL FOLLOWER RIGHT NOW
posted by The Whelk at 11:05 AM on October 10, 2011

Good luck everybody!
posted by pemberkins at 11:07 AM on October 10, 2011

I'm following too.
posted by MexicanYenta at 11:08 AM on October 10, 2011

710 pm. One Redditor on site. Many of our tribe. A few people not from the internet.
posted by Infinite Jest at 11:12 AM on October 10, 2011

Ok, i'll post some on @infinitejest.
posted by Infinite Jest at 11:14 AM on October 10, 2011

A few people not from the internet.

Must assimilate.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:26 AM on October 10, 2011

Just posted a Happy Birthday video for mathowie at http://t.co/1ZeKyFna from all of us in London! Victory or flags!
posted by adrianhon at 11:26 AM on October 10, 2011 [3 favorites]

They have arrived and are mocking us for our lack of hair and threaded comments.
posted by Infinite Jest at 11:34 AM on October 10, 2011 [3 favorites]

go narwhal their bacon
posted by The Whelk at 11:40 AM on October 10, 2011

Mock them for their lack of pancakes.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:42 AM on October 10, 2011

Got to go to radio silence. See you on the other side...

- Team Jessamyn's Star out
posted by adrianhon at 11:46 AM on October 10, 2011

Aw, no streaming? :(
posted by Rhaomi at 11:49 AM on October 10, 2011

Great video adrianhon, I doubted its authenticity until the [+] made an appearance.
posted by arcticseal at 11:50 AM on October 10, 2011

Alpha team has gone dark. Come back with your shields or on them, MeFites.
posted by villanelles at dawn at 11:52 AM on October 10, 2011 [2 favorites]

Great video adrianhon, I doubted its authenticity until the [+] made an appearance.

I got one of those in England! Fight On Britain! FIGHT ON.
posted by The Whelk at 11:54 AM on October 10, 2011

A few people not from the internet.

*splutters* Wankers!
posted by Jofus at 11:59 AM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

Half time report - the scores are incredibly high and incredibly close, all ranging from 16 to 19 out of 21. The top two teams are one from Mefi and one from Reddit...
posted by adrianhon at 12:28 PM on October 10, 2011

Is everybody behaving themselves?
posted by Gator at 12:28 PM on October 10, 2011

If it ends in a tie we're nuking London just FYI
posted by The Whelk at 12:29 PM on October 10, 2011

Sheets are in.very tense.
posted by memebake at 1:08 PM on October 10, 2011

Huh, so these pub-quiz thingies only last a couple of hours?
posted by Gator at 1:09 PM on October 10, 2011

I just wanted to say good luck. We're all counting on you.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:10 PM on October 10, 2011 [3 favorites]

We have triumphed!
posted by adrianhon at 1:16 PM on October 10, 2011 [31 favorites]

Team Metafilter win!!!!!!!//
posted by Infinite Jest at 1:16 PM on October 10, 2011 [8 favorites]

From AdrianHon - METAFILTER CRUSHES THE REDDIT HORDES. That is all.
posted by MexicanYenta at 1:16 PM on October 10, 2011 [7 favorites]

Yay! Good for you! What are the spoils of war?
posted by desjardins at 1:17 PM on October 10, 2011

WOOT!
posted by MexicanYenta at 1:17 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

HUZZAH! Way to go London!!
posted by grapesaresour at 1:17 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

This is not a dewey defeats Truman moment, this is confirmed!!!!
posted by Infinite Jest at 1:18 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

Happy times all around: "We'd upvote you if we could etc."
posted by adrianhon at 1:18 PM on October 10, 2011 [3 favorites]

Hurray for Metafilter!!!
posted by ukdanae at 1:18 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

Woohoo!
posted by pemberkins at 1:19 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

Never was so much owed by so many to so few.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 1:19 PM on October 10, 2011 [7 favorites]

My comment karma on Reddit is going to be about -3000 in a few minutes.
posted by MexicanYenta at 1:20 PM on October 10, 2011

The spoils: £100 of free drinks (that's like $5m of your American dollars)
posted by adrianhon at 1:20 PM on October 10, 2011 [13 favorites]

Yay team! We virtually hoist you on our virtual shoulders and dance around the room! (And my back, for one, is grateful for the virtual-ness of it all.)
posted by Zed at 1:20 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

We can hear the lamentations of their women
posted by Infinite Jest at 1:21 PM on October 10, 2011 [3 favorites]

Good win!!! Hurra hurra!
posted by Iteki at 1:23 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

kick em in the jailbait!
posted by crunchland at 1:23 PM on October 10, 2011 [4 favorites]

Huzzah!
posted by rtha at 1:24 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

Well done, UK friends. Enjoy your drinks.

I extend an olive branch smothered in day-old curry mayonnaise to our Reddity counterparts. SHOULD YOU EAT IT?
posted by mintcake! at 1:24 PM on October 10, 2011 [4 favorites]

The spoils: £100 of free drinks (that's like $5m of your American dollars)

Yeah, but you're British, so that will only last you like 5 minutes. Probably won't even feel a buzz.
posted by desjardins at 1:24 PM on October 10, 2011 [3 favorites]

The spoils: £100 of free drinks (that's like $5m of your American dollars)

Or, more accurately, $156.73. That's what, thirty drinks?
posted by Sys Rq at 1:25 PM on October 10, 2011

Don't you tell me which zone is for loading, and which zone is for stopping!
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:27 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

We got some gherkins as well. They were all out of pickled onions and eggs.
posted by adrianhon at 1:27 PM on October 10, 2011

Or, more accurately, $156.73. That's what, thirty drinks?

Or one shot of the ridiculously expensive liquor that they always keep on a very high shelf.
posted by MexicanYenta at 1:28 PM on October 10, 2011

You know who else was very high?
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:29 PM on October 10, 2011

Metafilter: We kicked Reddit's ass.
posted by MexicanYenta at 1:30 PM on October 10, 2011 [3 favorites]

As mentioned on Twitter, we got 1st, 2nd and 3rd places, ahead of both Team Herp and Team Derp (although in fairness they did well in the first half)
posted by adrianhon at 1:30 PM on October 10, 2011 [8 favorites]

The ritual exchange of 'Reddit alien poster' and 'mefi upvote buttons' is taking place. The circle of life continues on.
posted by adrianhon at 1:33 PM on October 10, 2011 [9 favorites]

That is a soul-crushing defeat.
posted by Errant at 1:34 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

WADE BOGG'S PANTS! WADE BOGG'S PANTS! WADE BOGG'S PANTS!
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:34 PM on October 10, 2011

Team Reddit come to offer congratulations. Hearty cheers from team Metafilter.
posted by Infinite Jest at 1:35 PM on October 10, 2011 [3 favorites]

Congratulations, London MeFites! Bravo!
posted by PROD_TPSL at 1:38 PM on October 10, 2011 [2 favorites]

...And another things...give those Reddtior's a hearty pat on the back. A good show all around.
posted by PROD_TPSL at 1:40 PM on October 10, 2011

Awesome with the keeping calming and the crushing. Great job! And kudos to the good sports at Reddit. If a basketball game ever gets scheduled, somebody buzz me.
posted by cashman at 1:42 PM on October 10, 2011

Team Reddit come to offer congratulations. Hearty cheers from team Metafilter.

+1 for good sportsmanship.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 1:48 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

Yay!
posted by seanyboy at 1:52 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

Hooray to everyone! Our team tied with the redditors, but I feel perfectly comfortable basking in the overall MeFi win. YAAAAAY METAFILTER!
posted by phunniemee at 1:54 PM on October 10, 2011 [2 favorites]

Enjoy your hard-won gherkins, London MeFites! Well done!
posted by EvaDestruction at 1:58 PM on October 10, 2011 [4 favorites]

Oh, and someone needs to post that picture of Sad Redditor, stat!
posted by phunniemee at 2:04 PM on October 10, 2011

We got some gherkins as well. They were all out of pickled onions and eggs.
Look on the bright side, could have been pork scratchings. Well done, team!
posted by Abiezer at 2:04 PM on October 10, 2011

So when do they sign over the domain to us? Those were the stakes, right?
posted by Think_Long at 2:23 PM on October 10, 2011

Go team! Enjoy your hard-won pickles!
posted by gingerbeer at 2:33 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

CHAMPAGNE!
posted by The Whelk at 2:34 PM on October 10, 2011 [2 favorites]

Congratuwelldone! I'm about to celebrate your (really our) win with some beans on toast and as much tea as my monkey teapot will make.
posted by villanelles at dawn at 2:37 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

Totally want to see you all lining up and high-fiving. "Good game, good game, good game..."

I never thought good nerdsportsmanship would make me so schmoopy.
posted by sarahnade at 2:38 PM on October 10, 2011 [2 favorites]

There will be peace on Internet tonight
posted by The Whelk at 2:42 PM on October 10, 2011 [4 favorites]

How is "good hustle" in anyway applicable to trivia?
posted by mrzarquon at 2:57 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

Congratulations!
posted by Iridic at 2:59 PM on October 10, 2011 [2 favorites]

2nd place was neither Reddit nor Mefi, but some random other folk. I think Mefi was 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th, while Reddit was 4th and 6th. Something like that. Definitely 1st and 3rd.
posted by PercussivePaul at 3:20 PM on October 10, 2011 [2 favorites]

Your mother and I are both proud of you.
posted by ColdChef at 3:21 PM on October 10, 2011 [6 favorites]

Fuck yes!
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 3:31 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

We can hear the lamentations of their women

they have women on Reddit?
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 3:32 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

Fuck yeah! Best birthday gift ever. Congrats to the team!
posted by mathowie (staff) at 3:35 PM on October 10, 2011 [19 favorites]

they have women on Reddit?

Cheap shot, but subreddits I will not link to have visual proof that they do indeed have women on reddit.
posted by GuyZero at 3:35 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

Congrats, MeFites! It's doubly satisfying after looking at the trash-talk in the reddit thread.
posted by defenestration at 3:37 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

I arrived about 7ish, I thought that the places on the teams would be taken by much better quizsters than me, so I was expecting to just prop up the bar and watch. Inside there were over 20 mefites, we seemed to pretty much fill up the whole place. Grangousier was giving out little [+] badges and everyone in the pub seemed to have one. No Redditors were visible - rumour was they were assembling in a nearby pub and then were going to arrive en-masse.

Now and again people were wandering in and looking around, looking for their teammates but wary of approaching an enemy table by mistake. One lone Redditor strolled in, ascertained that we were all Mefites and performed a good-humoured italian chin-flick at us.

We discussed how to form the teams: TheophileEscargot thought all the best quizsters should go in one top team, but we had trouble working out who that would be. I asked who was good at quizzes and everyone held their hands down under the table. Our deliberations were then interrupted when a burger on a plate appeared, a candle was stuck in it, and adrianhon filmed us all singing Happy Birthday to Matt.

It transpired that there was enough of us (about 22?) to make up 3 Metafilter teams and that being a spectator wasn't going to be an option. As I struggled to come to terms with this responsibility, a large group of Redditors arrived.

As I watched them file in, my heart sank. They had the confident air of people who were very good at Pub Quizzes. These were clearly people who knew a lot of trivia.

Their leader, Lowercase_Drawer, came over and introduced himself, and spoke to adrianhon. I didn't really catch what he was saying, but from his poise and deliberateness, it seemed like he was saying the kind of stuff a Bond villain says when they have the upper hand.

Then the quiz-master arrived, all in a rush, and we all got enrolled. We were told we would lose 3 points if she saw any phones out, so we had to switch to radio silence at that point.

I was on team 'Ass-Jittering Cattle' along with Grangousier, HandfulOfDust, Infinite Jest, freya_lamb and Chichibio. Another of the mefi teams was 'Has Favourites', made up of Mr Bad Example, Mrs Bad Example, PercussivePaul, adrianhon, cillit bang and Gordafarin. The third mefi team was 'Jessamyn's Lost Star' - I didn't get all their names but recognised phunniemee, TheophileEscargot and permafrost.

Reddit had two teams: Team Herp and Team Derp. They had some large Reddit Alien printouts that they stuck to the wall. They sat proud, like people who know what the capital of Yemen is. There were also two or three teams strangely un-affiliated with any web site.

Then we did a quiz for a bit.
(Its hard to write that dramatically. You know the sort of thing. Sitting in a huddle, whispering answers to each other)

At half time we swapped papers. When the scores were totted up, Ass-Jittering Cattle were tied in first place with one of the Reddit teams (Herp or Derp? not sure) with 19 out of 21.

Then we did some more quiz for a bit.
(The second half was a bit more dramatic, as we realised the hopes and fears of perhaps a dozen people were temporarily resting upon us. The other members of Ass-Jittering Cattle did brilliant work, and I think my only worthwhile contribution was spotting that a cryptic clue about dinosaurs was referring to contraceptives)

Then we marked and the sheets were handed in. Uncertainty abounded. Was a sling the same as a slingshot? Was the British Raj of India the same as British Rule?

Then the quiz-master (she was from questionone by the way) read out the results in reverse order. The top three teams were to win prizes - some pickles, a bottle of wine, and a £100 bar tab. It was hard to work out the running because no-one really knew who the team names referred to. But it became apparent that Team Herp and Team Derp had not made it into the top three. Mefite team 'Has Favourites' came third and won a very large gherkin each. Some non-internet team won second place. But we knew then that Ass-Jittering Cattle had won!

And the rest is recorded here as living history. We all went and shook hands with the Redditors and they signed one of their posters and presented it to us. We discussed doing it again, with charity donations and maybe with other websites getting involved.

Thanks to phunniemee and Lowercase_Drawer for getting it organised, and adrianhon for the camerawork. And thanks to all the mefite team members. Apologies to those for whom it was their first meetup and I didn't get around to talking to you. Had to head home to feed that cat.
posted by memebake at 3:43 PM on October 10, 2011 [173 favorites]

Metafilter: meatfiller.co.uk
posted by stet at 3:46 PM on October 10, 2011 [2 favorites]

The third mefi team was 'Jessamyn's Lost Star' - I didn't get all their names but recognised phunniemee, TheophileEscargot and permafrost.

Yep, we were the above plus phunniemee's +1 and the gestalt entity that is timshel.

CHAMPAGNE!

At least two bottles, I think.
posted by permafrost at 4:03 PM on October 10, 2011 [2 favorites]

people who know what the capital of Yemen is

Ooooh, Sana'a! *sits proudly*

Was a sling the same as a slingshot?

No, a sling is a piece of rope or leather with a leather pouch in the centre that you whirl around & around, and then let go of one end, causing the missile to fly out at a tangent. A slingshot, also known as a shanghai, is a Y-Shaped object with an elasticated material holding the pouch for the missile. Instead of using centripetal force, it relies on the stored energy in the elastic's tension to fire the missile.

Was the British Raj of India the same as British Rule?

Yes, the Raj was established when QV took direct control of the East India Company after the Mutiny of 1857, turning it from an ostensibly commercial enterprise into a matter of state. Raj is the Hindi term for rule / realm, as in Rajkumar (prince of the realm) or Maharaja (great ruler).

a cryptic clue about dinosaurs was referring to contraceptives

Dying to know what the question was. Also jealous that British pub trivia includes cryptic clues.
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:03 PM on October 10, 2011 [7 favorites]

Awesome, guys.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 4:04 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

That was so much fun. Lovely people on both sides. I asked Bond Villain guy if he was a MeFi member, too. He scoffed at the $5 entry fee. I said that it was serving its stated purpose, to keep the riff-raff out. He looked over and retorted that it seemed to be keeping the riff-raff in. Touche, sir. Touche.
posted by Optamystic at 4:06 PM on October 10, 2011 [16 favorites]

Dying to know what the question was.

"Deadly dinosaur, soon to arrive."
posted by permafrost at 4:08 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

UbuRovias - We could have used you. The clue was "A deadly dinosaur who is almost arrived". Answer - Durex. The sling question was "With what weapon did David kill Goliath". Quizmaster said "slingshot" but credit was given for "sling". People did lose points for the Raj thing, though.
posted by Optamystic at 4:10 PM on October 10, 2011

Wait, was there a fourth metafilter team that I didn't mention?
posted by memebake at 4:10 PM on October 10, 2011

I think Metafilter teams placed First, Third, Joint Fifth With Two Other Teams, and Sixth (the underpersonned team with only four members).

Winning team was the Arse-Jittering Cattle, comprising Grangousier, Infinite Jest, Handful of Dust, Memebake, Freya Lamb and chichibio. However, they kindly shared their Victory Vouchers around. My team "Jessamyn's Lost Star" were the Joint Fifth.

Reddit I think came Fourth and Joint Fifth. However, they were gracious and dignified in defeat.

Here's another view of the Happy Birthday mathowie video from us.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 4:11 PM on October 10, 2011 [4 favorites]

Yeah, that was us. The International Solutions Specialists. We sucked.
posted by Optamystic at 4:11 PM on October 10, 2011

Memebake: I was on the fourth team. We totally would have won if we had 2 more people... Brilliant night though and my first meetup!
posted by joboe at 4:13 PM on October 10, 2011 [4 favorites]

Yeah, that was us. The International Solutions Specialists.

Ah, sorry! It was confusing because we didn't get to hear any team names till right at the end.
posted by memebake at 4:13 PM on October 10, 2011

But we were underpersonned.
posted by Optamystic at 4:14 PM on October 10, 2011

Huh, i still don't get the durex question.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 4:14 PM on October 10, 2011 [5 favorites]

But you were so handsome.

And two more players would have netted you a few more points easily putting you in contention for the prizes.
posted by PercussivePaul at 4:16 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

Due - Rex
posted by Optamystic at 4:16 PM on October 10, 2011

mathowie: it helps if you try to pronounce "durex" like a Brit. Go like totally stereotype with it.
posted by PercussivePaul at 4:16 PM on October 10, 2011

Huh, i still don't get the durex question.

"Deadly dinosaur to arrive soon".
=> T. Rex due
=> due T. Rex
=> durex
posted by TheophileEscargot at 4:18 PM on October 10, 2011 [2 favorites]

I had to do a bad New Yoik accent to work it out
posted by joboe at 4:18 PM on October 10, 2011

For the record, I wouldn't have gotten that one in 65 million years.
posted by Optamystic at 4:19 PM on October 10, 2011 [12 favorites]

We were told all the cryptics were brand names. Also in the the round: 'capsicum quack' and something along the lines of 'spider web sliced'.
posted by permafrost at 4:22 PM on October 10, 2011

Congrats to everyone who took part. I would've been there if it wasn't for the 8000 mile trip back to my old stomping ground.
posted by TheDonF at 4:23 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

Ubu, the Raj question was something like B r in I l 90 y. The answer they wanted was British rule in India lasted 90 years, but after a long explanation about the exact meaning of Raj, and the history of British colonialism, they gave us the point.
Mathowie, memebake was pretty much the only person in the pub to get that Durex one. It was not easy.
posted by Infinite Jest at 4:37 PM on October 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

Also, I have been kicked out of my bedroom and told to sleep on the couch because I came home drunk and singing 'Punch 'em in the dick', but it was worth it.
posted by Infinite Jest at 4:39 PM on October 10, 2011 [33 favorites]

'spider web sliced'

Silk Cut, right? I think I learned that from Hellblazer comics.
posted by mediareport at 4:43 PM on October 10, 2011 [4 favorites]

Sweeeet!
posted by Specklet at 4:44 PM on October 10, 2011

That's a cute cryptic clue. I think it helps make it less obscure if you know that brits often refer to condoms as durexes (I think this is true, right?) much like you might call a pen a biro.

And David most emphatically did not kill goliath with a slingshot. The ancients didn't have any kind of elastic material that could've been used for a slingshot. 100% incorrect. Sling is the only correct answer.

Capsicum quack = doctor pepper.
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:45 PM on October 10, 2011 [5 favorites]

What the hell kind of trivia is this? It sounds more like a pub version of a cryptic crossword.
posted by GuyZero at 4:49 PM on October 10, 2011 [3 favorites]

a pub version of a cryptic crossword

I have never wanted to live in London until now.
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:51 PM on October 10, 2011 [4 favorites]

Infinite Jest: "Also, I have been kicked out of my bedroom and told to sleep on the couch because I came home drunk and singing 'Punch 'em in the dick', but it was worth it."

Jesus Christ, I'm trying to make fewer tagline comments, not more.

Also, congrats to all y'all and cheers to our new Reddit friends.
posted by stet at 4:53 PM on October 10, 2011 [2 favorites]

What an absolutely stellar evening, kicked off by myself and HandfulOfDust finding ourselves first at the pub...after walking there straight from our shared place of work, not knowing that the other was a MeFite. It was like bumping into each other in the Fight Club basement after a hard day at the cubicle farm. She was quite nervous about the whole thing, hoping folks would show and the quiz master wouldn't be terrible, but after we (miraculously!) won, HoD was dancing on the Redditors graves harder than anyone! I can't wait until we get to do the secret MeFi nod at work tomorrow...

Everyone on our team was amazing, but I agree that memebake gets top marks for 'Durex'. And freya_lamb for solving the 5 + 5 + 5 = 550 question! (Can you add one line to balance the equation? It's not the answer everyone thinks it is.)

A rematch is a must. The folks from that other website were all very nice - lots of 'well met'-ting going on - but they should be given a chance to try and snatch the crown.

It will end in tears for them again, of course, but they should be given the chance. Congrats to them for being good sports and worthy foes.

See you at the next one! That means you, UbuRoivas.
posted by Chichibio at 5:12 PM on October 10, 2011 [12 favorites]

MetaFilter: I'm trying to make fewer tagline comments, not more.
posted by grouse at 5:21 PM on October 10, 2011 [3 favorites]

Congratumalations to both sides - MeFi for winning and Reddit for accepting their (inevitable, really) defeat graciously.
posted by dg at 5:22 PM on October 10, 2011

OK, since nobody else is asking, what's the answer to 5 + 5 + 5 = 550?
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:19 PM on October 10, 2011

5+5+5=/=550?
posted by ChuraChura at 6:20 PM on October 10, 2011 [2 favorites]

Do you add the line to make the = into the (I don't know how to type it!) not equal sign?
posted by misha at 6:22 PM on October 10, 2011

Jinx, ChuraChura!
posted by misha at 6:23 PM on October 10, 2011

Ooh it's probably the only time I'll be able to answer a math question on metafilter and I'm all atremble with excitement. You add a line to the first + turning it into a 4 and getting 545 + 5 = 550
posted by villanelles at dawn at 6:23 PM on October 10, 2011 [11 favorites]

Can you add one line to balance the equation?

Is that 535 in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 6:35 PM on October 10, 2011 [4 favorites]

...Best birthday gift ever...
posted by mathowie (staff)

ORLY? Better than the dead bat I brought you?
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 7:13 PM on October 10, 2011 [5 favorites]

But he was sleeping?
posted by ocherdraco at 7:35 PM on October 10, 2011

ack. ? = !
posted by ocherdraco at 7:35 PM on October 10, 2011

Cathy, is that you!
posted by cashman at 8:04 PM on October 10, 2011

As dumb as this sounds, this was really heartwarming. I guess when things look so bleak around the world, two websites getting together for a friendly, good-spirited pub quiz can make me feel all good inside. I'm such a sap.

You and me both. I had this vague sense of trepidation, like somehow one way or another the whole thing was going to go wobbly and turn into A Thing, but mostly I was hopeful that a bunch of mefites and a bunch of redditors would get together and have a fun nerdy time at the pub, and it sounds like that's exactly what did happen and that's pretty great for my faith in humanity.
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:28 PM on October 10, 2011 [6 favorites]

The math question was hilarious. Being nerds eveyone instantly thought 'oh just make it '=/=' but then thought hmmmm that's too easy, they probably wanted us to do something clever. A minute passed while we were thinking about it and then the quiz master said (in response to some question) 'it is NOT putting a line through the equals sign! no-one's ever said that before, I don't know where you got that idea!'. Then more murmuring followed and she said 'well it's not written here so you can't do it!'.
posted by PercussivePaul at 11:12 PM on October 10, 2011 [6 favorites]

'it is NOT putting a line through the equals sign! no-one's ever said that before, I don't know where you got that idea!'. Then more murmuring followed and she said 'well it's not written here so you can't do it!'

We were the ones who asked, and her response to us was something along the lines of, "what is that? what does that mean? I've never seen that symbol before in my life." Causing me to steal a page out of reddit's book and respond with this face.
posted by phunniemee at 1:27 AM on October 11, 2011 [6 favorites]

Fantastic night - I sipped my champagne and ate my gherkin with pride. I don't even like gherkins.

For anyone who's wondering, the giant thing in the middle of Reykjavik is Hallgrímskirkja.

The Reddit team were totally good sports. Though, I'm a bit disappointed there were no actual vuvuzelas.
posted by Gordafarin at 1:40 AM on October 11, 2011

Being nerds eveyone instantly thought 'oh just make it '=/=' but then thought hmmmm that's too easy

THAT'S NOT AN EQUATION. IT'S AN INEQUATION.

call yourselves nerds? bah.
posted by UbuRoivas at 1:40 AM on October 11, 2011 [1 favorite]

Dying to know what the question was. Also jealous that British pub trivia includes cryptic clues.

British life includes cryptic clues.
posted by srboisvert at 1:46 AM on October 11, 2011 [13 favorites]

True, like how the sacked News of the World journalists got back at Rebekah Brooks by snarking at her through the cryptic crossword.
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:08 AM on October 11, 2011 [1 favorite]

Congratulations guys! We all counted on you and you came up with a winning inequation.
posted by arcticseal at 2:08 AM on October 11, 2011 [2 favorites]

Man that was fun! And on a Monday night too. Hearty backslaps for all mefites in attendance, and high fives to honorable team mates, especially HandfulOfDust for naming the peoples of Monaco, and Grangousier's most excellent tactic of writing rather than shouting the answers. Kudos to Infinite Jest and Chicibio for white men both pretty fly and unable to jump, and memebake's durex is properly legendary. Huzzah!

And the redditors were lovely. I was very taken with their marvellous moustache.
posted by freya_lamb at 2:34 AM on October 11, 2011 [8 favorites]

I think it might be illegal to be this hung over on a Tuesday morning. Still. Yay! *winces*
posted by Grangousier at 4:08 AM on October 11, 2011 [1 favorite]

For the record, the birthday cake in the video was in fact a hamburger, sarcastically priced at £9.95.

Tentative suggestion for the next London meetup: a triple-bill screening of When Harry Met Sally, Drop Dead Fred, and Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.
posted by Chichibio at 5:21 AM on October 11, 2011 [5 favorites]

I'm so proud of all of you. Thanks for the smiles.
posted by Sailormom at 6:18 AM on October 11, 2011

I am so pleased that the phrase "ass-jittering cattle" lives on.
posted by Think_Long at 6:46 AM on October 11, 2011

I was rather gutted to miss this, but I'd already agreed to go to another pub quiz down in Greenwich. Sounds like a good time was had by all!

Part of my mind was definitely thinking "this will end in tears" though I'll admit. Glad it didn't and will definitely be keeping an eye out for the rematch.
posted by garius at 6:46 AM on October 11, 2011

Here's a picture of sad team Reddit after realising they would not be the night's winners.
posted by timshel at 7:09 AM on October 11, 2011 [1 favorite]

that's exactly what did happen and that's pretty great for my faith in humanity.

Also, the winning.
posted by Devils Rancher at 7:39 AM on October 11, 2011

So did anyone go to meatfiller.co.uk? If there's anything there, I'm pretty sure I don't want to see it at work.
posted by desjardins at 8:31 AM on October 11, 2011

Wow -- I don't know how I missed this post originally, but when it showed up in the sidebar, I'm so glad it did. Like has been mentioned previously, this just fills me with warm feelings all around, such warm feelings that I must make a comment even though I don't have anything really to say (and unlike staff or people who were actually there, my opinion doesn't feel actually... well... important.)

But I think it's a good thing I missed this prior to the actual event. Like going home and watching my high school football team play, I never realized how much I am emotionally invested in a place until their honor is at stake, and if I'd known there was a Metafilter/Reddit contest, I would have been on pins and needles until I heard the results, so thanks.

And also: Congratulations!
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:37 AM on October 11, 2011

desjardins: "So did anyone go to meatfiller.co.uk? If there's anything there, I'm pretty sure I don't want to see it at work."

Weirdly, it's pictures of cats wedged into scanners.
posted by stet at 8:57 AM on October 11, 2011

Actually, desjardins was right about not being work safe. In other words, that's not a cat wedged between the scanner.

haven't really checked it out

avoids making a joke about Mrs. Slocum's pussy, despite it being .co. uk
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:14 AM on October 11, 2011 [2 favorites]

Well, I am just unreasonably proud of y'all, and proud to be a MeFite. When I get home, I shall have a celebratory gherkin.
posted by theora55 at 3:40 PM on October 11, 2011

Congratulations!
posted by ericb at 5:14 PM on October 11, 2011

You all did us proud! I'm vastly impressed with the wealth of knowledge Mefites have amassed.

And also that London Pub Trivia is so mich better than the weksauce Stateside variety.
posted by misha at 5:33 PM on October 11, 2011

Weaksauce. Weksauce would totally clash with the gherkins.
posted by misha at 5:33 PM on October 11, 2011 [1 favorite]

I think Mefi was 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th...—PercussivePaul

Hmm. That's odd.

I'd love to participate in one of these. I'm pretty good at trivia, except for pop-culture...which is frequently emphasized in trivia contests because it's the one thing that people who aren't otherwise good at trivia are often well-versed in. I guess that's fair. I mean, when I wonder "who the hell cares?" about many times some celebrity has been in rehab, that's probably exactly the other guy's response to a question regarding the largest of Jupiter's moons.

Oh, also, I'm not very adept at those cryptic or otherwise cleverly-disguised trivia questions. That's a major crossword-puzzle–solving skill, right? I suck at crossword puzzles.

Er, maybe I'm not so great at trivia, after all.

Great. Now, if I ever go to a MeFi trivia meet-up and there's enough people there for multiple teams, I'm going to be like that last guy chosen for dodgeball.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 8:37 PM on October 11, 2011 [1 favorite]

Astro Zombie needs to fly over here for Texas Chainsaw Trivia, a trivia night hosted by a guy who's actually shown Astro Zombies.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 9:30 PM on October 11, 2011

Okay, so I'm lost -- if it *isn't* to make the "equals" into "doesn't equal," then what is the solution?
posted by tzikeh at 11:09 PM on October 11, 2011

add a vertical to the first + ... 5 + 5 + 5 = 550 becomes 5 4 5 + 5 = 550.
posted by Alterscape at 11:33 PM on October 11, 2011 [2 favorites]

I've been straining my tiny, non-mathematical brain trying to figure that out and it was that simple? Well, fuck me!
posted by dg at 12:54 AM on October 12, 2011

True, like how the sacked News of the World journalists got back at Rebekah Brooks by snarking at her through the cryptic crossword.

It amuses to me to image the intersection of people who enjoy cryptic crosswords and NotW readers.
posted by atrazine at 12:32 PM on October 12, 2011 [2 favorites]

I just want to tell you good luck, we're all counting on you.
posted by burnmp3s at 12:50 PM on October 12, 2011 [2 favorites]

Reddit had two teams: Team Herp and Team Derp.

Does that make Redditors Herp-Derp Butter-Eaters?

Congratualations Ass-Jittering Cattle, and all of you for participating. Thanks for updating the rest of us, memebake.
posted by jaruwaan at 1:58 PM on October 12, 2011

jaruwaan: "Does that make Redditors Herp-Derp Butter-Eaters?"

They probably eat margarine.
posted by dg at 6:37 PM on October 12, 2011 [2 favorites]

Couldn't you also add a line to the top of the equals signs to make it 5 + 5 + 5 (less than or equal to) 550 ? Or are we arguing that just makes it another inequality?
posted by maryr at 3:45 PM on October 13, 2011

An equation, by definition, is when the LH side exactly equals the RH side: An equation is a mathematical statement that asserts the equality of two expressions.

"less than or equal to" may be a true statement, but that doesn't make it an equation.
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:24 PM on October 13, 2011 [1 favorite]

So, the RSS feed for the sidebar promised a "Dramatic re-enactment of MeFi's pub quiz victory over Reddit."

I expected a made for youtube reenactment of Ass-Jittering Cattle's success, with everyone played by handsome actors, and a voiceover by our hero protagonists, explaining what they felt at that very moment.

I suspect J meant "a dramatic recounting".
posted by zamboni at 12:47 PM on October 14, 2011

So. When are we doing this in New York?
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 9:39 PM on October 17, 2011 [3 favorites]

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