This match day pulls you across a wide swath of 20th‑ and 21st‑century knowledge: a New York literary magazine founded in 1963, a DC superhero sequel set in the Cold War year 1984, a classic Cantonese dim sum dish built on Japanese-named daikon radish, a pasture grass whose common name points to Kentucky, a West African capital appended to its country’s name, and the Somoza family dictatorship that ruled Nicaragua for over four decades.

A clear pattern here is how names, initials, and labels do a lot of the work. NYRB has long stood for The New York Review of Books; the MLS team’s RBNY abbreviation practically begs you to think of that older initialism. “Turnip cake” is famously misnamed, using shredded Chinese white radish (usually daikon) rather than Western turnips, while “Kentucky bluegrass” and Kentucky’s nickname as the “Bluegrass State” both derive from the prevalence of Poa pratensis in that region. Guinea‑Bissau literally bakes its capital into the country’s name to distinguish it from neighboring Guinea, and the Somoza dynasty is known simply by the family surname of its founding dictator.

Chronology is another throughline: the first Patty Jenkins/Gal Gadot Wonder Woman film is set in 1918 at the close of World War I, while its sequel explicitly jumps to 1984; the Somoza regime runs from the 1936 coup through Anastasio Somoza Debayle’s 1979 resignation; and Guinea‑Bissau’s independence in 1973–74 is part of the same late‑colonial timeline in which that capital-inclusive country name was formalized. If any of these felt out of reach—West African capitals, Nicaraguan politics, or dim sum ingredients—that’s normal; they’re exactly the sort of topics where building one or two memorable associations (a hyphenated country, a misnamed dish, a family dictatorship) can pay off in many future matches.

📄 View Full Podcast Script

Study Notes

Question 1: New York literary periodical (NYRB)

LITERATURE - The MLS team New York Red Bulls is often abbreviated RBNY, probably most likely because the team’s formal name is Red Bull New York, and also perhaps because NYRB has been in use since 1963 as the initialism for what literary periodical?

Core fact: NYRB in a literary context refers to The New York Review of Books, a semi‑monthly magazine of literature, culture, and current affairs first published in New York City in 1963, commonly abbreviated as NYRB or NYREV.

Reasoning Tips

  • The question explicitly tells you that NYRB has been used as an initialism since 1963 and asks for a literary periodical—that strongly points to a magazine rather than a book imprint or publisher.
  • The letter pattern NYRB almost screams New York Review of Books: “New (N), York (Y), Review (R), Books (B).” Filling in likely words after “New York” is a reliable strategy.
  • Knowing the MLS team’s formal name is Red Bull New York explains RBNY; contrasting that with NYRB nudges you toward thinking of an unrelated New York cultural institution that already claimed those initials.
  • The magazine’s prestige—often described as a leading English‑language literary‑intellectual review—makes it especially likely LearnedLeague would expect it to be in your mental library.
  • If you know the book imprint New York Review Books (NYRB Classics), that’s actually the publishing arm of The New York Review of Books, reinforcing that NYRB points back to the review itself.

Sources

Question 2: Wonder Woman sequel setting year

FILM - While the first Patty Jenkins/Gal Gadot Wonder Woman film was set at the end of World War I, its sequel was set in what year?

Core fact: The sequel Wonder Woman 1984 is explicitly set in the year 1984, during the Cold War, decades after the first film’s World War I setting in 1918.

Reasoning Tips

  • The biggest clue is in the title itself: Wonder Woman 1984. When a film includes a year in the title, it almost always indicates the story’s primary setting.
  • The question contrasts World War I for the first film with “its sequel,” priming you to think of the much‑publicized 1980s follow‑up; the marketing heavily emphasized neon‑soaked, mall‑and‑Reagan‑era aesthetics.
  • If you remember only that the sequel was “set in the 1980s,” working backwards from that decade plus the title should get you to 1984 even if you never saw the movie.
  • Keeping a mental map of major superhero franchises—MCU vs. DCEU, key dates and titles—pays dividends across lots of film and TV questions.

Sources

Question 3: Dim sum “turnip cake” and daikon radish

FOOD/DRINK - The Chinese dim sum dish turnip cake is not actually made with turnips, but with what variety of radish, also common in Japanese cuisine (the name is Japanese for “big root”) where it is served raw, pickled, or as a tsuma garnish?

Core fact: Cantonese “turnip cake” (蘿蔔糕, luóbo gāo / lo bak go) is made from shredded Chinese white radish—typically daikon—mixed with rice flour; daikon (大根) is a large white radish whose Japanese name literally means “big root” and is widely eaten raw, pickled, grated as daikon oroshi, or thinly sliced as tsuma under sashimi.

Reasoning Tips

  • The key linguistic hook is that the radish’s name is Japanese for “big root.” The Japanese word daikon is written 大根 (“big root”) and is by far the best‑known Japanese radish internationally.
  • Dim sum “turnip cake” is often a trap for English speakers: multiple reliable sources stress that the dish actually uses shredded Chinese white radish (daikon), not Western turnips. If you’ve ever read a recipe, that misnomer tends to stick.
  • The question also mentions Japanese serving styles—raw, pickled, and as tsuma garnish. Daikon is commonly grated or finely shredded under sashimi and served as daikon oroshi or tsuma, and it is the base for pickles such as takuan.
  • If you only remembered that turnip cake uses “radish” but not which one, combining “Chinese dim sum,” “Japanese for big root,” and “garnish under sashimi” should steer you away from generic answers and toward daikon.
  • More broadly, pay attention whenever a question points out a misleading food name (turnip cake, sweetbreads, Rocky Mountain oysters); those are favorite quizzer traps but also great mnemonics once you know the truth.

Sources

Question 4: Poa pratensis and the state of Kentucky

SCIENCE - The perennial plant Poa pratensis, native to Europe and Asia and extremely abundant in North America, has a common name that refers to what U.S. state?

Core fact: Poa pratensis is the species commonly known as Kentucky bluegrass, a cool‑season perennial grass native to Europe and parts of Asia and North Africa but now widespread and heavily used as turf and pasture across North America; its common name references the U.S. state of Kentucky.

Reasoning Tips

  • Recognize the genus Poa as “bluegrass” from ecology or lawn‑care contexts; Poa pratensis is the classic species called Kentucky bluegrass.
  • The question explicitly tells you the plant is extremely abundant in North America and asks for a U.S. state in its common name—pair that with “bluegrass” and the well‑known nickname “The Bluegrass State” to arrive at Kentucky.
  • Kentucky’s bluegrass pastures are culturally prominent because of horse breeding and racing (e.g., the Bluegrass Region near Lexington), so even non‑botanists may have encountered “Kentucky bluegrass” in sports or travel writing.
  • Note that although named for Kentucky, major seed production actually takes place in western states like Idaho, Oregon, and Washington—classic example of a common name that reflects historical association rather than strict nativity.
  • More generally, when you see a Latin binomial plus “common name refers to a U.S. state,” guessing the best‑known plant+state pairing (Kentucky bluegrass, California poppy, Texas bluebonnet, etc.) is often productive.

Sources

  • Poa pratensis – Wikipedia – Identified Poa pratensis as commonly known as Kentucky bluegrass, described its native range (Europe, North Asia, North African mountains) and its widespread use as lawn and pasture grass in North America.
  • Poa pratensis – USDA FEIS profile – Confirmed the scientific name and detailed its distribution and ecology as Kentucky bluegrass across North America.
  • Poa pratensis – USFS Research/FEIS summary – Listed Kentucky bluegrass as the common name for Poa pratensis and summarized its non‑native but naturalized status and habitat preferences.
  • KBG – Poa pratensis – NC Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox – Described Kentucky bluegrass as a cool‑season turfgrass, provided etymology of the genus and species names, and reinforced common names.
  • Kentucky – Wikipedia – Noted Kentucky’s nickname as “The Bluegrass State” tied to the presence of Kentucky bluegrass introduced by European settlers.
  • Kentucky State Nickname – State Symbols USA – Explained that the nickname “Bluegrass State” comes from bluegrass (Poa species, especially Kentucky bluegrass) found in many lawns and pastures.
  • Bluegrass region – Wikipedia – Discussed the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, its association with Kentucky bluegrass, and the link between bluegrass, the region, and the state’s identity.

Question 5: West African capital Bissau

GEOGRAPHY - What West African capital, a city of around half a million near the Atlantic coast, has been included in the official name of its country since independence to distinguish it from its neighbor to the southeast?

Core fact: Bissau is the capital and largest city of Guinea‑Bissau, with a 2015 census population of about 492,000, located on the Geba River estuary near the Atlantic Ocean; the country’s official name “Guinea‑Bissau” incorporates the capital to distinguish it from neighboring Guinea to the east and south.

Reasoning Tips

  • The key structural clue is a country whose official name includes its capital—very rare, but Guinea‑Bissau is the canonical example.
  • The question mentions a West African capital of about half a million people near the Atlantic coast; Bissau’s 2015 census counted 492,004 residents and it sits on the Geba River estuary off the Atlantic.
  • Britannica explicitly notes that Guinea‑Bissau “also uses the name of its capital, Bissau, to distinguish it from Guinea, its neighbour to the east and south,” matching the question’s “neighbor to the southeast.”
  • If West African capitals are a weak area, it helps to group the three “Guineas”: Guinea (capital Conakry), Guinea‑Bissau (capital Bissau, name doubled in the country), and Equatorial Guinea (capital Malabo, moving to Ciudad de la Paz). Remembering this triad can unlock multiple geography questions.
  • Recent headlines about coups and instability in Guinea‑Bissau can also serve as context hooks connecting the country name to its capital city.

Sources

Question 6: Somoza family dictatorship in Nicaragua

WORLD HIST - What was the name of the authoritarian family dynasty, notorious for corruption and repression, that dominated Nicaraguan politics from the 1930s to 1979, starting with the 1936 coup staged by Anastasio (“Tacho”), continuing with his eldest son Luis in the 1950s and 60s, and ending with the resignation of Anastasio (“Tachito”)?

Core fact: The Somoza family dynasty ruled Nicaragua as an authoritarian regime from Anastasio Somoza García’s 1936 coup until the 1979 overthrow of his younger son Anastasio Somoza Debayle; between them, Somoza García (“Tacho”), his elder son Luis Somoza Debayle, and younger son Anastasio Somoza Debayle (“Tachito”) controlled the presidency and the National Guard for over four decades, amassing great wealth amid widespread repression and corruption.

Reasoning Tips

  • The family‑name clue is central: an authoritarian dynasty in Nicaragua from the 1930s to 1979 almost certainly refers to the Somoza regime; few other Latin American dictatorships are so tightly associated with a single surname.
  • Wikipedia and Britannica both describe the Somoza family as ruling Nicaragua from 1936–1979, with Anastasio Somoza García seizing power in a 1936 coup and serving as president from 1937 until his assassination in 1956.
  • His elder son Luis Somoza Debayle became president from 1956/57 to 1963, while maintaining de facto family control, and younger son Anastasio Somoza Debayle later served presidential terms from 1967–1972 and 1974–1979 before resigning and fleeing on 17 July 1979.
  • The nicknames in the question—“Tacho” for the father and “Tachito” for the son—match Britannica’s bynames for Anastasio Somoza García and Anastasio Somoza Debayle, a strong cross‑check that you’re on the right dynasty.
  • Opposition figures like Pedro Joaquín Chamorro and later Violeta Chamorro are often described in biographies and obituaries as resisting “the Somoza dictatorship,” which can help cement that family name in memory as shorthand for mid‑20th‑century Nicaraguan authoritarianism.

Sources

  • Somoza family – Wikipedia – Summarized the Somoza family as a political dynasty ruling Nicaragua from 1936 to 1979, with Anastasio Somoza García, Luis Somoza Debayle, and Anastasio Somoza Debayle as key rulers and described the regime’s corruption and land concentration.
  • Somoza family – Britannica – Described the family as maintaining political control of Nicaragua for 44 years, beginning with Anastasio Somoza García’s rise to head of the National Guard and his 1937 assumption of the presidency.
  • Anastasio Somoza García – Britannica – Detailed his 1936 coup against President Juan Bautista Sacasa, his long rule, and his byname “Tacho.”
  • Luis Somoza Debayle – Wikipedia – Provided dates for his presidency (1956/57–1963) and his role as Somoza García’s eldest son and political heir.
  • Luis Somoza Debayle – Britannica – Confirmed his presidency from 1956–63 and his continued control over successors.
  • Anastasio Somoza Debayle – Britannica – Described him as the third Somoza president (1967–79), noted his byname “Tachito,” the regime’s repression, and his resignation and flight on July 17, 1979.
  • Anastasio Somoza Debayle – Wikipedia – Supplied term dates for his two presidential periods (1967–1972 and 1974–1979) and details of his final resignation and exile.
  • Violeta Chamorro obituary – The Guardian – Gave narrative context about opposition to the Somoza dictatorship and its long‑running rule beginning in 1936.