Posted on: Friday, December 20, 2002

Trivial Pursuit marks 20 years with updated edition

By Mimi Avins
Los Angeles Times

In the annals of social interaction, Trivial Pursuit is a very big deal.

Word and board games had existed before 1982, when the brain tickler in a box became widely available. But no board game created for adults had ever become such a phenomenal success.

And now there's a 20th anniversary edition of the game that could lure a new generation away from their Palm Pilots, iPods and personal DVD players with questions about Nikes known by name, deposed communist leaders and Max Headroom.

Trivial Pursuit is fast and irreverent, simultaneously smart and silly. Two to six players move around a wheel by answering questions in six categories. Each version of the game contains about 4,000 questions on cards that are rotated in play, so enthusiasts can spend a lot of time huddling around a Trivial Pursuit board before hearing a question twice.

The mechanics of the game don't begin to convey its charm. Who cares whether you know what bodily function can reach the breakneck speed of 100 mph? Considering the possibilities is hilarious. And if you guess that a sneeze has extraordinary velocity and therefore move on to the next category, so much the better.

A sampling of questions from the 20th anniversary edition:

Global View: What holiday do trigger-happy Bavarians ring in with shots from ceremonial pistols?

Sound & Screen: What trash-TV host popularized the expression "Zip it, fathead" in the 1980s?

News: What U.S. senator's announcement of his 2002 retirement inspired pollster Sam Watts to quip: "I guess the 19th century is over now"?

The Written Word: What society queen limited the premiere issue of her Living in Style magazine to just 58 photos of herself?

Innovations: What's in your hand if you're clutching a prized Mirado Black Warrior?

Game Time: What freestyler is featured on the first BMX game available for the PS2, GameCube and Xbox?

News: What rental company got free publicity in 2000 from endless TV news shots of its van lugging ballots from Miami to Tallahassee?

News: What Republican was chided by his dad for not having "the greatest smarts in the world" and for focusing in college on "booze and broads"?

Sound & Screen: What do the Chinese call Chinese food, according to Chandler on "Friends"?