Trivia at Dos Mariposas

05/22/2026

LOOPERS, WE DRINK, EARN TIE

A packed house greeted the Trivia Master on May 13, and well it should have; it was the only session of Trivia at Dos Mariposas for the entire month. Two new teams were on hand but by the close of play there were familiar faces slugging it out for the championship. After some confusion, a long period of analysis by the T.M and his boss the Sergeant-at-Arms, a tie was declared between The Loopers and We Drink and We Know Things, who love Paris in the Springtime.

Winnie’s (Mini) Cooper, at full strength following the birth of new team member Yeager, finished tied for third, two points off the lead, with Menage a (The Gang’s All Here), who led through the first two rounds, ceded their lead during Jacksonville, Jacksonville or Jacksonville, and couldn’t retake. They were followed by enthusiastic couch-dwellers the Average Jills in fifth, Norm and the Caregivers in sixth and the Merry Posas in seventh, with 39 points, only seven points off of the lead. After that came Norm’s spinoff group Family Affair, followed by somewhat rowdy rookies 3 Blind Mice and fellow newcomers the Ginja Ninjas. The Rose Twins chose an early exit, following their delicious Dos Mariposas dinner.

Here are your awards for this week:

OFFICIAL BABY OF TRIVIA AT DOS MARIPOSAS UPDATE: Tonight marked the debut of Seager’s little brother Yeager. How will Hadley compete now that she is outnumbered? Stay tuned.

ADORABLE: As if that weren’t enough, Erick swinging Seager around in the courtyard was pretty hard to top.

WENDY BLING UPDATE: Wendy chose a subdued ensemble for Wednesday Trivia, but is rumored to have worn sparkling golf shoes to Stewart Meadows on Saturday and to have provided backup harmonies at Holly Gleason’s show at Pebblestone on Sunday.

WE’RE NOT COMING BACK: To newcomers the Ginga Ninjas, whose last three rounds featured one team member who sat motionless, arms folded,, wearing a black expression. I hope you come back, Ginja Ninjas, but your folded-arm team member suggests otherwise.

SECOND-BEST FOLDED ARMS OF THE EVENING: To Rick of the Loopers, who was trying to not let me know what he thought of me saying San Francisco was the Paris of the West when he knew in his heart it was Buenos Aires.

TV GODS: After doing their best to convince the Trivia Master that they’d never heard of The Bear, the Merry Posas scored a perfect 10/10 in the Filmed on Location category.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: It’s too early for me to know any team members’ names, but anyone who shows up, carries out a comical one-woman vendetta against a team that isn’t there and heckles the Trivia Master mercilessly earns a return invite. Bravo, 3 Blind Mice.

BEST DINNER SPREAD: The Rose Twins arrived early, ordered tons of food, sipped their glasses of Rose, then suddenly bugged out after two rounds. And no, that doesn’t mean they finish last. They get an “incomplete.”

BEST WRONG ANSWER: “The Bear’ is not filmed at Jellystone Park, Team Family Affair, but it should be.

WIFE OF THE YEAR: Maybe if your husband is the Trivia Master, you shouldn’t yell out “That doesn’t even make sense!” When there’s confusion over a question. And if you should happen to yell it out anyway, don’t do it twice.

QUOTE OF THE EVENING: “That category knocked the scoff right off my face,” Brian O’Connor, Menage.

READING SUGGESTION: John Updike’s “Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu.” It’s an article about Ted Williams’ last game. In Boston, a city known as “The Hub.”

SECRET CHIPOTLE AWARD: I saw that, Kelsey.

LOCAL PRIDE: We Drink and We Know Things got a 9/10 in the Jacksonville, Jacksonville or Jacksonville category, correctly identifying everything about our town except that it is the site of the first established synagogue west of the Mississippi.

ENTHUSIASM AWARD: in the future, we might have to name this award after The Average Jills, because they win it every week.

That’s it for this week. See you all on June 3, when I will be flying solo and/or taking applications for stand-in Sergeant-at-Arms.

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05/13/2026

Jonesing for some trivia?

Tonight is your night, then.

Meanwhile, remember this great song? Thought I'd put it in your head for the day. It might come in handy.

Somewhere out on that horizonOut beyond the neon lightsI know there must be somethin' betterBut there's nowhere else in sightIt's survival in the cityWhen yo...

04/24/2026

MOLLY-LESS MENAGE MASTERS MILIEU

Sometimes, the surprising outcome is the outcome you get. Prior to the open of play on April 15, several members of what remained of the Menage team confided to me that their team’s chances were, in a word, slim. “Molly’s not coming,” said an ashen Brian, apologetically.

“I’m not even sure how many people we’re going to have,” added Team Captain Sherri, at full lung capacity after a bout with pneumonia. Calling themselves “Menage a Hodge Podge,” their concerns seemed well-founded early. After two rounds they were sitting sixth, with a total of 10 points. But then something changed.

Maybe it was the fervor with which they claimed all-star free agent Meghan for their team before her branded Jeep had come to a stop in the parking lot; or maybe it was that Erin showed up semi-unexpectedly after Round Two. Whatever the reasons, Menage caught fire after Tax Day and roared through Taxing Events of April 15 and Can I Write it Off? eventually overtaking first the Merry Posas and then the Barney-free Winnies, who’d spent most of the evening on top before having a RaySpots-like collapse in the final two categories. It’s difficult to describe the joy felt by the Menages upon securing their win; the best way is to say that, like Pinocchio, their Molly-less win gave them a validation they didn’t even know they’d been seeking.

Meanwhile, the Winnies’ valiant effort came up a single point short, thanks to a complete ignorance of the original members of the Ramones (an ignorance shared, sadly, by 90% of the room). Their second-place finish was still nothing to sneeze at. Nor was the performance of the Merry Posas, who finished two points behind them in third, tied with a completely random collection of players operating under the Loopers brand. One point behind them was We Drink and We Know Things, who fought hard and valiantly (and without pause) for each and every one of their points, followed by Nicky Would Know nee Coco Crazy, who’ve now sat in more parts of the room than any other team in history. Then came new mainstays You Had Me at Merlot and the Norms (minus Hadley). Rookies 3 Blind Mice flirted with an escape from the cellar all night only to fall shot. They finished two points behind the Norms in ninth.

Here are your awards for the April 15: Tax Day edition of Trivia at Dos Mariposas.

OFFICIAL TODDLER OF TRIVIA AT DOS MARIPOSAS UPDATE: Competition suspended. Neither Seager nor Hadley was in attendance.

WENDY BLING CHECK: In an unexpected zag, Wendy arrived sans all forms of sparkles, but did sport a pair of black faux leather pants. It is unclear at this point whether the correct term for these pants is “pleather” or “vegan leather.” Depends on the price point.

BEST WRONG ANSWER OF THE EVENING: The Norms hit this one early when they suggested the the 200M record broken by Gout Gout last week once belonged to Oscar Pistorius, who has no feet. And is in jail for murder.

NICKY WOULD, INDEED, KNOW: In an eerie case of seer-ism, the former Coco Crazy changed their name to “Nicky Would Know” and then, when presented with a chance to name all four of the original Ramones, moaned, “See? Nicky would know!”

SECOND-BEST PERFORMANCE BY A TEAM LACKING ITS CAPTAIN: CrossFit-toned Jeri and Kip arrived early, as usual, to anchor the Winnies, who are without team captain Erik (and Seager) indefinitely. The rudderless squad then claimed the lead for three of five categories before a disastrous bonus round dropped them to second — by a single point.

BEST OUTFIT OF THE EVENING, NON-WENDY DIVISION: Apologies to the Merry Posas for not knowing team member names, but anyone who shows up in a Niners hoodie and matching hat automatically wins favor with the Trivia Master.

BEST WRONG ANSWER THAT INDICATES YOU MISS THE 1970S: Katy Perry’s new boyfriend is Justin Trudeau, not Pierre. I’m not even sure Pierre rolled that way, though Margaret did. I did get, however, that “Turdeaux” was an intentional misspelling, Rick.

SCOFF OF THE EVENING: This did not come from Brian (more on this later), but from Doug of We Drink and We Know Things, and it was inevitable, as Doug has of late been demonstrating deep knowledge of ambiguous things the Trivia Master thought he could get away with; especially things that involve space travel.

WATCH OUT FOR THAT BONUS ROUND: Rookies 3 Blind Mice worked diligently to escape the cellar all evening, finally emerging after the final round, Taxing Feats of Great Strength… and then plummeted back into last after scratching out a three in the bonus round. Bone up on those pioneering punk rock bands, 3 Blind Mice!

REVERSE SCOFF OF THE EVENING: Nobody knew the names of any of the original Ramones, not even Brian, who works in radio, My punk rock little sister stands in retrofit judgement of you all.

WHAT WE THINK OF THE DANES: Of course Denmark wasn’t taxing fat people in 2011. Come on.

SOLID: You Had Me at Merlot. Two appearances, two mid-pack finishes, both times seated dead-center in the room. Look out for You Had Me at Merlot.

That’s it for this week. See you next time, which — take note — isn’t until May 13.

04/15/2026

Are you ready for trivia tonight?

Make sure you take care of this guy first...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G79-h_8AnpoThe Beatles - Taxman

04/09/2026

OPEN TOAD/MENAGE WALKS OFF WITH WIN

On a night that included what some have called “the greatest assembly of trivia categories in the history of trivia,” early stumbles created a packed field of 11 teams before one — the team nominally known as Menage a (fill in the blank) — rose above the others, outlasting their opponents for a three-point win. The Menages (who missed an excellent opportunity to name themselves “Menage a (Sherri is Wearing a Mask), in honor of Sherri’s very thoughtful mask-donning to save us from the lingering vestiges of the pneumonia she’d been battling for a week) engaged in no drama — except for the part where the Trivia Master insisted team member Meghan’s named was “Katie’ — and finished their night on a 30/30 run, showing once and for all that the key to life is a comprehensive knowledge of women comedians, Esquire’s Top 50 Movie Comedies and (in this order) Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Hangover and the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

The Loopers, renamed “Spring Fever,” who flirted with and actually held the lead for the first four categories of the evening, were overwhelmed by Open Toad’s power surge. They finished the night second, three points off the lead, tied with We Drink and We Know Things, who once again blamed their also-ran status on a poor performance in Current Events (or, at least, Michael blamed it on that). They were followed by the defending champs Winnie’s Winners, whose early-round struggles actually did cost them a chance at the crown (they were in 11th place after two rounds; then Bob showed up) and the Norms, one-half point back in fifth place, tied with zesty newcomers Katie² (and eventually ³).

Next came Five Gals and a Dude, obviously not hampered by the Dude’s arm being in a cast, then the Merry Posas, who never could get untracked during the evening, and Babble On, who competed fiercely and almost won the coveted “best wrong answer of the night” title before disappearing after handing in their Bonus Category scoresheet. In 10th place was returnees Forty Winers, who continue to insist their name is an homage to the greatest organization in the NFL, not a pejorative, and We Drink and We Know Things spinoff We Don’t Know, who, despite finishing in the cellar, actually did know some things, especially about Esquire’s Top 50 comedies.

Here are your awards for April 1.

OFFICIAL TODDLER OF DOS MARIPOSAS TRIVIA UPDATE: Competition was stout on April Fool’s, leaving Hadley with juice embedded in the front of her shirt and Seager shouting from the back of the room. Whether this was coincidence or indication of a confrontation between the two fiercely competitive toddlers is unclear.

WENDY BLING CHECK: Wendy’s shoes were tame by her standards but she more than made up for it by pairing them with a sparkly camouflage jacket.

ROOKIES OF THE WEEK: We’ve got to give this to the Katies, understaffed at three but over stimulated, the Katies (I think one was actually not named Katie) might’ve set a Dos Mariposas Trivia record for fist pumps and made such an impression on the Trivia Master that by evening’s end he was calling everyone else Katie, whatever their actual name.

SURPRISING STRUGGLES: The Merry Posas are usually in the hunt but something about the April Fools/Comedy categories sent them spinning off-kilter for most of the night. They recovered to finish on an 18/20 run but by then the damage was already done.

BEST WRONG ANSWER: Yes, Forty-Winers, it is entirely plausible that the women whose memoir is entitled “Bedwetter” could be Lena Dunham, but if Lena wrote it we’d have heard long ago, from Lena, that it’s not getting the respect it deserves, probably because of agism, or body-shaming, or anti-cosmopolitan bias.

SHOWOFFS: I asked for the MEN’S NCAA Final Four teams, but the Norms gave me both the men’s and the women’s; appreciated, but no bonus points.

SECOND-BEST WRONG ANSWER: It’s been a week and I still love that Babble On thought that Joseph Baena’s father was long-forgotten bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay, not Arnold Schwarzenegger. Great pull, Babble On.

WORST TECHNICAL GLITCH: “Do you want me to play the novelty songs while we do the answers?” “Yes!” (Connects to bluetooth, hits “play,” stands in front of a room of people with a very quiet version of “Witch Doctor” that no one can hear playing on his phone, not on the bluetooth speakers). “Never mind, we’ll try that next time.”

MOST CONTROVERSIAL QUESTION: From current events: “In their 2009 collaboration with T-Pain, Lonely Island sings to us from what mode of transportation?”

THE ANSWER, GUESSED CORRECTLY BY 75% OF TEAMS: A boat.

HAPPIEST ABOUT THAT QUESITON: Kiara, of the Norms, who basically said it was the soundtrack of her youth.

GROWING PAINS: Five Gals and a Dude, who weren’t kidding when they told the Trivia Master that their new team name would reflect the new, mixed-gender character of their team, were in second place after Current Events. Two categories later, they were in 10th.

BEST NAME TAG: Sarah, of Open Toed (and Windemere Real Estate). I remember her name because she wore a name tag. We should all wear name tags.

“WE’RE HALFWAY THROUGH THE APRIL FOOL’S CATEGORY, LETS CHECK WITH ROE; ROE, HOW ARE WE DOING?” (Thumbs down).

BEST DECEPTIVELY HARD CATEGORY: April Fools. Just ask Roe.

BEST BOUNCE-BACK LEADING TO A MID-CATEGORY HUG: The two members of We Don’t Know, exiled from their usual spots in We Drink and We Know Things, got a single point in Novelty Songs, so it’s understandable — and heartwarming — to see them embrace after notching an eight in Esquire’s Top 50 Comedies.

BEST INTERPRETATION OF THE RULES: This week the Sergeant-at-Arms cracked down on teams with more than six members, leading Winnie’s Winners to employ an intricate rotation system which unfortunately left team member Jeri on the sidelines during Funniest Women in the World, which didn’t stop her from jumping up and down with joy because she knew that Phyllis Diller’s fictional husband was named “Fang.”

That’s all for this week. See you on April 15!

04/01/2026

What's the funniest movie you've ever seen?

Discuss tonight at Dos Mariposas.

Doors open at 5 PM; play begins at 6.

03/26/2026

WINNIE’S WINNERS RISE TO VICTORY

A typically unseasonably warm night brought 11 teams out to the ninth installment of Dos Mariposas Trivia on March 18, with three teams posting up outside and actually behind the Trivia Master, all the better to bask in the weird pre-spring warmth (and, in the case of newcomers Just Here For the Vibes, to carry on a wholesome family picnic). For most of the evening it looked like the comfortably situated Merry Posas would walk off with the win but a late stumble in a category about cults allowed OG mainstays Winnie’s Winners to surge forward for the win.

In fact, the problems for the Merry Posas didn’t end there. Unfortunately, they went into the bonus round minus one very important knowledge base: NCAA basketball. Eight of the final 10 points depended on having that arrow in your quiver which, sadly, most of our teams lacked. We Drink and We Know Things scored a 9/10 in the last round, raising there status from sixth to third place, Menage a (Brian is back) notched an 8/10 and rose to second and the Winnie’s, who were clinging to a three-point lead going into the bonus, got a respectable 7/10 in the bonus, cementing their win.

Norm and the Caregivers, who spent the evening working on their tans from the spot to the aft of the Trivia Master, contended all night and finished tied with We Drink for third place, followed by The aforementioned Merry Posas, rookies You Had Me at Merlot, second-timers The Life Jackets (who at first seemed horribly offended at the NCAA question but in fact got all the mens’ teams correct) came next, then the gutted Mini Loopers skeleton squad, picnic-centric Just Here For the Vibes, returnees Coco Crazy and rookies Brain Train, who came in scorching hot, burned brightly and then burned out, slinking out of the room before the bonus category.

Hats off to Winnie’s Winners for their solid, confident win and we apologize again for calling team member Bob “Bill.”

Here are your awards for March 18:

OFFICIAL BABY OF TRIVIA AT DOS MARIPOSAS AWARD: Competition was fierce this week, despite Erick’s claim that Seager was “recovering from a cold.” Clearly relishing his last weeks as a only child, Seager mostly had the play area to himself, as Hadley joined the rest of the Norms from their spot on the patio. There was a meeting of the moms moment, however, when Kiara brought Hadley (and her printed Flashdance jumper) back to the toys to hang out with Ellery and Seager.

WENDY FASHION CHECK: In keeping with the warm weather, Wendy wore a pair of bedazzled flip flops to trivia.

BEST RETURN: After a month away, during which time he played Paul Sycamore in the Camelot Theater’s run of the Kaufman/Hart classic “You Can’t Take it With You,” Brian returned to Menage a (Fill in the Blank). Good to have you back and scoff-ready, Brian, and you were great in the play.

WORST MISREAD BY THE TRIVIA MASTER: It seemed clear that the normally jovial women of The Life Jackets hated the NCAA question so much that instead of writing anything down they chose, as a team, to stare daggers at the hapless Trivia Master, only to have it turn out that they’d written all of the correct answers quickly, leaving them plenty of time to stare down their host.

R.I.P.: Brain Train. Brain Train, you were boisterous, you refused to join another team, you clearly had an 8 PM hard out. Brian Train, we hardly knew ye.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A TEAM WITH ITS GUTS RIPPED OUT: No Steve, no Rick, no Ron or Chris and yet the (Mini) Loopers, left with Roe, Rebecca and Mike, soldiered on, peaking at second after Current Events. With such a positive crew, is it any wonder they struggled in categories like “All-Time Flops” and “Cult Heroes?”

BEST SCORECARD DOODLING: We Drink and We Know Things.

BEST SCORECARD HANDWRITING: Bob/not Bill) of Winnie’s Winners.

BEST SCORECARD SENTIMENT: After every round, whatever their score, Coco Crazy would write, “We’re having a great time!” At the top of their answer sheet.

WEIRDEST ANSWERS: The question was “name the California university whose basketball team holds the record with 207 consecutive losses from 1996-2007. Among the answers: UC Berkeley, Pepperdine and, most insultingly to my older sister the Turkey Tech Warrior, Cal State Stanislaus. The Beavers of Cal Tech would like a word.

ROOKIES OF THE WEEK: You Had Me at Merlot. Solid performance YHMAM. Close second: Just Here for the Vibes. You didn’t need our vibes, JH, you brought your own.

RUMOR MILL: I’ve heard that after singing the praises of their seat cushions, the Merry Posas are having second thoughts and shopping for a new seating arrangement. Don’t quote me on that.

WEAKEST THEME OF THE EVENING AWARD: To the Trivia Master and his “What a Disaster” theme. At this point, the practice of theming the categories has been suspended.

That’s all for this week. Hope to see you all next time, on April 1. For real. No April Fools.

03/18/2026

It's Trivia Day, so make sure your team arrives prepared.

You don't want to go down with the ship, do you?

03/11/2026

WE DRINK, MENAGE TIE IN CONTROVERSY-LACED FINALE

Controversy over the proper name of a fashion conglomerate dominated a thrilling ending at Dos Mariposas Wednesday, as We Drink and We Know Things’ come-from-behind semi-victory was met with outrage from members of The Team Once Known as Menage a (Fill in the Blank) due to an unintentionally hazy definition of LVMH (dominant market force Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey). “You can’t just call it Louis Vuitton!” Insisted Menage/There’s No F in Way team members. While acknowledging the disrespect shown to Moet and Hennessey and suddenly sweating profusely, the Trivia Master turned to AI, which, as always, delivered cheerfully:

“Yes, using Louis Vuitton as a name for LVMH is generally acceptable.”

The Trivia Master then showed this to the team. In response, team member Meghan pointed first to her eyes and then to the Trivia Master, sending chills up his spine.

The rest of the lightly-attended competition went more smoothly. And despite the controversy, in the end had the F Troop remembered the vermouth in their Negroni they would’ve walked with the solo win. We Drink, sitting fourth after the second round, surged to the tie by scoring 39 out of the last possible 40 points. The Loopers, though lacking the effervescence of Chris and Rebecca on this evening, followed up in third. Next came the Merry Posas and then the resigned Winnie’s Winners, who announced after finding themselves in fifth place after four rounds that they’d “accepted their fate.”

Special shout-out to our host, Mark, for solving the microphone problems that have plagued us for several weeks. While we do miss the freedom of the cordless mic, I think I speak for everyone when I say that having the unamplified Trivia Master shouting out the Current Events questions over a silent, music-less background was not close to being the optimal Trivia at Dos Mariposas experience.

Here are your awards for this week:

OFFICIAL BABY OF TRIVIA AT DOS MARIPOSAS UPDATE: Seager was the only baby in attendance this evening, which meant an open runway for his pursuit of this honor. While he was buried in the back of the room next to the toys, he’s reached the age where he can make his presence felt from wherever in the room. Also, it seems misleading to refer to him as a “baby” as he is poised within the next month to become a big brother.

MAN VS. MACHINE: The Trivia Master’s struggles with Dos Mariposas’ high-tech cordless mic are by now well-documented. Tonight, however, they became impossible to overcome, forcing us to interrupt Mark’s dinner and have him come try to solve the issue, which he did, by switching to a corded mic after first trying to “switch to a different frequency.”

FIE ON YOU, ROXY ANN: Prior to play, the depleted Merry Posas reported that their missing team members were “at Roxy Ann for music bingo.” For the evening they numbered four and sported a Girl Power motif.

AND YET WE HAVE OUR OWN MUSIC BINGO AT DOS MARIPOSAS: Well attended and successful, though hosts Sherri and Brice report the same struggles with the intermittent cordless mic. Come see for yourselves, this Sunday, March 15, at 2 PM, when the theme will be “Disney.”

“DO YOU WANT ENGLISH OR GERMAN?” Major flex by Menage/There’s no F team member Erin, who is obviously very familiar with the BMW, aka Bayerische Motorenwerke brand

FIRST SCOFF OF THE EVENING: From Looper Rick, who was incredulous that anyone would not know that the Submariner watch worn by various James Bonds was made by Rolex.

LOW-KEY WENDY IS REWARDED: She did not bring the bling but instead lit up the room with her joy at finding a high-fashion category included among the evening’s offerings. Bravo to you, Wendy of We Drink, and your effortless 10/10 in the category.

“WE’RE HALFWAY THROUGH THE CATEGORY, LETS CHECK ON ROE.” Roe, how are you doing? (Thumbs-up).

MISSED: The Norms, who lets us know they weren’t coming.

MISSED #2: The RaySpots, who we may never see again. I saw Jim out walking this morning and it didn’t even come up.

MOST SINCERE WRONG ANSWER: From Looper Steve, who I overheard wondering if the answer to “What TV character famously loved Mahnolo Blahnik shoes” was “Terry Bradshaw.”

NEGRONI FAN: If only someone knew me as well as Liz knew the ingredients of a Negroni.

That’s it for this week. Hope to see you all there next time, on March 18, when you can expect exactly zero questions about St. Patrick’s Day.

03/05/2026

Heading out to trivia. Hope to see you there.

Corona Beer Commercial (Andy Samberg, Snoop Dogg) (03/2023).