A Place Where They Put You to the Test

Take one part “Jeopardy!” one part “Cheers” and add in a bit of Irish football. What do you get? The weekly Wednesday night pub quiz at O’Brien’s in Santa Monica.

Open to all visitors of drinking age, the quiz consists of 30 questions. Examples from last week’s quiz include the grim (What is excarnation?) and the lighthearted (Who was famous for having a California license plate A1ANA2?). Answers below.

The questions are administered by quiz master Khalil Ghannam, who usually has a tall glass of Harp in hand, and scored by assistant quiz master Shannon Simonds, who also acts as school librarian, shushing the contestants when they get too rowdy.

Teams are limited to six players each, and there are no study aids or cheat sheets permitted. Nor are players allowed to seek outside counsel via their cell phones. (It’s happened.) Answers are dropped into a sequined red fez, and halfway through the competition, play is suspended for a cigarette break on the patio. The winning team receives a $75 gift certificate to the bar, which usually covers most, if not all, of their damage for the evening.

“I think Alex Trebek would find his match in the pub quiz,” Ghannam says. “It’s the street version of ‘Jeopardy!’ ”

* The Pub Quiz takes place Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. at O’Brien’s, 2941 Main St., Santa Monica. (310) 396-4725. Arrive 15 minutes early to register. Singles welcome.

* Answers: Excarnation (a popular practice in the Arctic Circle) is exposing the dead until the flesh is cleared away by the elements. The California license plate A1ANA2 (“a-one and a-two”) belonged to Lawrence Welk.