Review: Union Pub Quiz

A few weeks ago, my first attempt at the Union’s pub quiz confirmed my sneaking suspicion that (as a Philosopher) I don’t really know anything, and I was left feeling dazed and numbed as I pretended to give a shit about the Trans-Siberian Railway. So what brought me back for a second week? Honour, of course. That first time at the pub quiz, our team – the maturely named ‘Quiz in my pants’ – were wrongly announced the winners and so returned to legitimately claim victory. (Note: since this is real life, and not an American film, the underdogs don’t eventually win)

I sat down, Long Beach cocktail in hand, expecting to yet again be merely nodding meaningfully and trying to bullshit about obscure subjects, but, to my relief, the format had been changed and for every question on Judaism, there was one on Jurassic Park. Finally my obsessive knowledge of Inglourious Basterds became of use, the only downside to these more accessible questions being that they brought out my competitive streak, which happens to be so big it could blot out the Sun. My eager and slightly drunken tense excitement peaked during the three-way tiebreaker for first place, but that proved to be a harsh reminder that my aptitude with Quentin Tarantino trivia wouldn’t always be useful. 

So a probably misplaced notion of honour will pull me back to the Union again next week. And pretty much that alone. Sure, thanks to the quiz I now know that four Popes have died during sex, but I’m unlikely to meet John Paul II and need a comedy icebreaker anytime soon. The two £20 bar tabs up for grabs are an incentive, but you either need to be a human version of Google, or win the slightly dubious ‘Best Team Name’ prize, which went to ‘Here for the booze’, rather than the ingenious ‘Quiz-team-a Aguilera’.

You’ll probably already know whether you like pub quizzes or not – most people have had enough shots at an Itbox to figure it out. If you do, then come along to the Union – the only condition being that you don’t call your team ‘Quiz in my pants’. Although we’d already moved onto ‘Lethal Quizzle’ by the second week, three less original teams settled on a name that, I’ll readily admit, was only a bit funny the first time. For those undecided on pub quizzes, the Union’s one is free to members, so you’ve got nothing to lose. Just make sure you brush up on papal sex lives first.