Wikipedia:Wikifun/Round 9/Answers/Question 15

I'll take a completely unsubstantiated stab at Bill Gates. Can use KBE but not Sir becuase he's not a subject of the British Empire. Alphax ^τεχ 12:25, 12 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Please note, this round requires an explaination of your logic behind your conclusion. I can not accept your answer. -- AllyUnion (talk) 17:19, 12 Jun 2005 (UTC)

I can only assume that diamonds is referring to Carbon (API), and the working and rent both refer to Steve Jobs - both of which are related to Apple Computers. Bill Gates is a computer magnate. I can't remember if he used to work for Apple, but it was claimed that he plagirised the concept of Windows from them. Alphax ^τεχ 09:52, 18 Jun 2005 (UTC)

That doesn't explain for "A person in this category was knighted for his work." -- AllyUnion (talk) 10:58, 19 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Um, I'm guessing that like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates is the chairman/director/overlord of his company, but isn't really the top guy (or is he?)... Alphax ^τεχ 08:59, 20 Jun 2005 (UTC)

If you want a bigger clarification, what do diamonds, working, and rent have in common? If you found that out, you'd find the person who was knighted for his work in this category. -- AllyUnion (talk) 23:35, 20 Jun 2005 (UTC)

I'm guessing it's William Henry Gates III, KBE, aka Bill Gates? -Hmib 06:09, 18 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Please note, this round requires an explaination of your logic behind your conclusion. I can not accept your answer. -- AllyUnion (talk) 09:24, 18 Jun 2005 (UTC)

my stab at it

They all have something to do with gay rights (Diamonds "were also a symbol of gay community in the 1950s", Rent (the musical, about AIDS and gay people))... someone who was recently gay who was Knighted was Sir Elton John. --kizzle 19:31, Jun 21, 2005 (UTC)

Yeah, but I guess you can't be knighted for being gay. nevermind :( --kizzle 19:31, Jun 21, 2005 (UTC)

They have nothing to do with Gay Rights. This is fun... try searching again. -- AllyUnion (talk) 05:41, 22 Jun 2005 (UTC)

John Lennon

John Lennon from The Beatles ("Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", "working like a dog" in "A Hard Day's Night"...) sent back the title of MBE to the queen and thus probably could never use the title Sir although he has been knighted. (As he died meanwhile, he can't use it anymore anyway.) — MFH: Talk 5 July 2005 00:09 (UTC)

PS: George Harrison (matching the same Beatles keywords) also can't use his title of MBE anymore since he's also dead. But Lennon's sending back of the title seems more remarkably to me. — MFH: Talk 5 July 2005 00:15 (UTC)

You've only used two, out of the three keywords. --AllyUnion (talk) 6 July 2005 02:12 (UTC)

OK, since you insist: in "When I'm Sixty-Four" (McCartney/Lennon):

(...) Every summer we can rent a cottage,

In the Isle of Wight, if it's not too dear (...)

or in : "You Never Give Me Your Money" (Lennon/McCartney):

(...) Out of college money spent

See no future, pay no rent (...)

— MFH: Talk 7 July 2005 20:32 (UTC)

P.S.: on this page you have even more songs for each one of the keywords... ("rent" also in "Lady Madonna", "working" also in "Eleanor Rigby" and in "Paperback Writer", "diamond" also in "Can't Buy Me Love") — MFH: Talk 7 July 2005 21:25 (UTC)

on this page even more ("diamonds" also in IF YOU'VE GOT TROUBLE, I FEEL FINE, "rent" again in I'M LOOKING THROUGH YOU, "working" in TAXMAN) - see also w:Category:The Beatles songs

As a side note (to kizzle ;), there was also homosexuality issue in between Lennon and Beatles' manager Brian Epstein...

The three have a more common relationship than you think. --AllyUnion (talk) 09:49, 10 July 2005 (UTC)

Screetchy cello's guess

My guess is Alan_Greenspan, who was knighted in 2002. Working, rent and diamonds all have to do with money and economics, and Alan Greenspan is, to quote the article, "considered by many to be the leading authority and key participant concerning American domestic economic and monetary policy." He is an American citizen and thus cannot use the honorific "Sir" in front of his name, as the article on the British_honours_system states.

I found him by finding the article on the British_honours_system (the knighthood), which mentions several foreigners who have been knighted. I followed the link on that to Bill Gates's article, which states he was knighted into the Order of the British Empire. That article has a slightly different list of people, including old Al here.

--Screetchy cello July 9, 2005 12:03 (UTC)

The former can use the proper title honorific while the latter may not. --AllyUnion (talk) 09:52, 10 July 2005 (UTC)

Musical theatre

"Working", "Rent" and "Diamonds" are all the names of musicals -- see List of Musicals: A to L and List of musicals: M to Z. Now, a quick browse on recent British knightings at List of honorary British Knights, with an eye towards someone who might be involved with musicals, leads me to the entry for André Previn. Following that link, I find that Previn is indeed a composer of musicals. And it states on his page: He is also an honorary Knight of the British Empire; while he is not entitled to the form "Sir André Previn" as he is not a British citizen, he is entitled to append the letters KBE to his name.

- Bjimba 16:35, July 21, 2005 (UTC)

You are rather close. But the former person may use the honorific title, while the latter may not. Please note, there are two people that are being asked for in the question. --AllyUnion (talk) 05:59, 22 July 2005 (UTC)

You're asking for two people? Then the only clue given for person number two is that he or she is not allowed to use the honorific title? This then amounts to a "guess which one I'm thinking of" contest. Could be Previn, could be Bill Gates, could be Steven Speilberg, could be Terry Wogan... Bjimba 13:59, July 22, 2005 (UTC)

"Recent" for the latter person means when this round started, specifically, 12 June 2005. But you still haven't correctly named the former person anyway. --AllyUnion (talk) 04:34, 24 July 2005 (UTC)

My Guess

Sir Elton John, didnt he work on those musicals?? What if its both Lennon AND Elton John!--Zxcvbnm 14:42, 24 July 2005 (UTC)

Sir Elton John was a musician, but he never worked on musicals to my knowledge. --AllyUnion (talk) 18:29, 24 July 2005 (UTC)

Are you joking? Elton John never worked on musicals? He's only got two currently running in New York (The Lion King and Aida (musical)), one in London (Billy Elliot) and a new one on the way. Bjimba 22:12, July 24, 2005 (UTC)

I stand corrected, however I don't believe Sir Elton John was knighted because he was a composer of music for musicals, but rather knighted as a musician in general. --AllyUnion (talk) 05:56, 26 July 2005 (UTC)

Also, out of Elton's work, he only has three musicals under his belt. There is someone else who has a lot more. --AllyUnion (talk) 06:02, 26 July 2005 (UTC)

All right, then my guess is Andrew Lloyd Webber for the first and Terry Wogan for the second. Bjimba 13:50, July 26, 2005 (UTC)

Modified guess: Andrew Lloyd Webber for musical theatre, Bill Gates for "can't use title". Bill's a bit more well-known than Terry. Bjimba 22:01, July 29, 2005 (UTC)

Taking your whole answer into account:

---

"Working", "Rent" and "Diamonds" are all the names of musicals -- see List of Musicals: A to L and List of musicals: M to Z. Now, a quick browse on recent British knightings at List of honorary British Knights, with an eye towards someone who might be involved with musicals, leads me to the entry for André Previn. Following that link, I find that Previn is indeed a composer of musicals. And it states on his page: He is also an honorary Knight of the British Empire; while he is not entitled to the form "Sir André Previn" as he is not a British citizen, he is entitled to append the letters KBE to his name. -- Bjimba 16:35, July 21, 2005 (UTC)

---

You are correct! --AllyUnion (talk) 08:17, 30 July 2005 (UTC)

bill gates