Think You Know 'Yada Yada Yada?'

• George bought Elaine a gift that was marred by a tiny red dot. What was it?

• The gang and their friends have been through many weddings, bar mitzvahs and other gift-giving holidays. Who is known to be the “Regifter”?

• What is the name of the dog who shares a similar-sounding cough with Kramer?

If you know the answers to these questions, chances are that you’re a fan of Seinfeld, named by TV Guide in 2002 as “the greatest television program of all time.” The popular sitcom, now in syndication, aired on NBC for nine seasons from 1989 to 1998. 

“People who are nuts about Seinfeld are a special breed; when you make a reference to the show, they get it, they get excited when you get blank looks from other people who are not fans,” explained Susan Conlon, teen services librarian at the Princeton Public Library. 

Conlon, a fan herself, is the brainchild behind Seinfeld Trivia Night held recently at the library.

“There are a few of us here at the library who love the show and have always talked about having a Seinfeld trivia contest. My colleagues Tom Hammel and Tony Goydon helped me brainstorm and helped me come up with these questions,” said Conlon.

“It’s a perfect summer night activity: low cost and lots of fun while promoting community. People who don’t know each other came together to socialize and laugh.”

Patterned after the popular quiz show, Jeopardy, participants were placed randomly on five different teams named for Seinfeld’s main characters: Jerry, Elaine, Newman, George and Kramer.

Questions were divided into five categories, including “Aliases", “Animal House” and “You are What You Wear,” with points ranging from one to five, depending on the question’s level of difficulty.

Rosemarie Jennas came from West Orange with her husband to visit a family member in Princeton and came to the library when she found out about the Seinfeld trivia contest. “I like Seinfeld. I like Princeton. I like the library,” declared Jennas.

After two rounds, the final “Jeopardy” question stumped even the most ardent fans of the popular show: “In the Seinfeld pilot called 'The Seinfeld Chronicles,' Kramer is instead named what?”

Team Jerry beat out the others to take first place. The team included Princeton residents Nitin Madnani, Carol Breslaw and Stephanie Longo, as well as Diane Napolitano from Highland Park and Ross Israel from West Virginia.

Even those not on the first place team still came away as winners in the free raffle.

Leatrice Minzter of West Windsor and her friend, Paul Rockman, of East Windsor won one of the biggest prizes of the night: tapes of Seinfeld’s first three seasons.

Shakuntla Madnani won perhaps the most iconic prize for fans of the long-running show: a loaf of marble rye bread. “I plan to eat it. It looks good,” said Sobti.

She came to the library with her nephew, Sumeet Sobti and his wife, Preeti, who, are fans of the Princeton Public Library even though they live in West Windsor.  Sobti is also a fan of Seinfeld.

“I like all the characters because they’re so unique,” he said. “I also like the tussle between Seinfeld and Newman because I have friends like that.”

Which one would he be? “Oh, I’d have to say I’m Seinfeld,” he laughed. 

By the way, for those who want to test their knowledge of Seinfeld trivia, here are the answers to the first three questions:

The gift George gives Elaine is a cashmere sweater.

The infamous regifter is named Tim Whatley.

And the dog with Kramer’s cough is Smuckers.

The answer to the final question -- “In the Seinfeld pilot called “The Seinfeld Chronicles,” Kramer is instead named what?” 

The answer: “Kessler”.

How well did you do?