Q4 + Avoid traps!

Often, quizzes have really easy questions made 'difficult' by having the clues surrounded with loads of rubbish. And in a gruelling quiz, when you see a slide full of words - after having no clue about any of the questions so far - you lose all will to even bother reading the question.

Just reaffirms another great tip for life: Never give up.

Here's a question to illustrate what I mean...

Q: Founding of which company is described in the lines below?
"Minoru Yoneyama founded Yoneyama Company, Ltd., a producer of wooden floats for fishing nets. His wood crafting business thrived until modern advancements - namely plastic floats - forced the company out of the float business. At this time, frustrated by being pushed aside by advanced technology, Yoneyama vowed never again to be left behind technologically. Thus, he began a commitment that eventually led to innovations in the world of golf, tennis, and badminton. Relying on strengths in wood crafting, the Yoneyama Company evolved into manufacturing badminton racquets in 1957 under other brand names."

Minoru Yoneyama

The main clue here lies in what the company was making. But, in all questions like this (where a name has been mentioned), it is good to keep the name at the back of your head all through the question.

So, we have:
1. Badminton racquets.
2. Minoru Yoneyama and the Yoneyama company.
3. "producer of wooden floats", "wood crafting", "never again to be left behind technologically".
4. "innovations in the world of golf, tennis, and badminton".

If you've ever played/followed badminton, the first two clues should make the answer evident to you. It has got to be Yonex, a badminton racquet manufacturer with a name so strikingly similar.

The third clue could probably serve to confirm your guess, though it is pretty obvious already. The fourth clue may take you off track if you don't know of Yonex in the context of a particular other sport and try to think of another company that fits all three.

Oh, and the answer to yesterday's bonus question was "Spoonerism".
Nooks and crannies -> crooks and nannies, right at the beginning :)