Wednesday, February 25, 2015

24th February – The Questions

 

 

All questions set by the Knot Know-alls.

Vetted by the Cock-A-2 and the Chester Road Tavern

SPECIALIST SUBJECTS

Science, Women In Sport, Geography, Art & Entertainment, History (picture round), A Piece Of Cake, The Eyes Have It, Dedicated Followers of Fashion.

SCIENCE

1. What is 1,009 in Roman numerals? MIX

2. Apart from iron, name one of the other two magnetic (ferromagnetic) elements

COBALT or NICKEL

3. What gas is produced by the Haber Process? AMMONIA

4. What phenomenon indicates that a far galaxy is moving away from ours? RED SHIFT

5. On 1st January 2015 England's Tree of the Year was awarded to the 'Major Oak'. Name the forest this tree is found in. SHERWOOD

6. Which English scientist, together with James Watson and Maurice Wilkins, won the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1962 for the discovery of the structure of DNA? Francis CRICK

7. In the plant and animal classification system developed by Carl Linnaeus in the 18th century, what comes between Class and Family? ORDER

8. In binary what number is represented by 1011? ELEVEN

Supplementaries

9. Gerontology is the scientific study of what? AGEING (accept OLD AGE or similar)

10. Name the 6-wheeled Mars rover, not to be confused with Curiosity, which has explored the Red Planet for 10 years. According to NASA, it now has memory problems.

OPPORTUNITY

WOMEN IN SPORT

1. ln the New Year Honours list, who was made Companion of Honour for services to sport in Northern Ireland? Mary PETERS

2. In the New Year Honours list, who was awarded the MBE for services to hockey?

Kate Richardson-WALSH

3. The World Cup of which sport will be played in Sydney, Australia in August? NETBALL

4. Which team won the women's FA cup in 2014? ARSENAL

5. Name any member of the Gold medal-winning Cycling - Women's Team Pursuit trio at the 2012 Olympics. Laura TROTT, Danielle KING or Joanna ROWSELL

6. Who is the current Commonwealth Games women's flyweight boxing champion?

Nicola Adams

7. Who is the current Individual World Champion in dressage? Charlotte DUJARDIN
8. Which team won the women's Rugby World Cup in 2014? ENGLAND

Supplementaries

9. Who is the current women's 10,000 metres European Champion, aged 40? Jo PAVEY

10. Which team were FA Women's Superleague champions in 2014? LIVERPOOL

GEOGRAPHY

1. Most of the active volcanoes in South America are located in which country? CHILE

2. The farthest-inland deep water port on the Mississippi River is located 80 miles upstream, at which city? BATON ROUGE

3. The Hindu Kush mountain range runs for 500 miles westwards from Pakistan to what country? AFGHANISTAN

4. Which race of humans is named after a mountain range?

CAUCASIAN (after Caucasus)

5. What famous landmark is found on the Ile de la Cite in Paris?Cathedral of NOTRE DAME

6. Kirkwall Airport serves which group of islands? ORKNEYS

7. What is the currency of Liechtenstein? SWISS FRANC

8. What is the capital city of Greenland? NUUK

Supplementaries

9. Name the country that borders all of the following countries: Ecuador, Columbia, Brazil, Bolivia & Chile. PERU

10. Which is the only US state named after an English county? NEW HAMPSHIRE

ART AND ENTERTAINMENT

1. What, architecturally, was described by Prince Charles as the highest slum in Britain?
(The OLD) CAFE ON TOP OF MOUNT SNOWDON

2. Which author wrote the "Foundation" series of science fiction novels? Isaac ASIMOV

3. Which region in the Pacific Ocean is also the name of a character in the Dr. Dolittle stories? POLYNESIA (the parrot)

4. What is the name of the company owned by Marvel Comic's billionaire, playboy, superhero Iron Man? STARK INDUSTRIES

5. Which poet is known as The Ploughman Poet? Robert BURNS

6. Elliott Spencer was married to which celebrity in January 2015? Stephen FRY

7. Which female novelist and gardener is associated with the Kent village of Sissinghurst?

Vita Sackvile-West

8. Acccording to Glastonbury legend, who brought the Holy Grail from Palestine to England?

JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA

Supplementaries

9. Which saint's day is March 17th? PATRICK

10. Which team won the BBC University Challenge 2014 competition?

TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE

HISTORY - Monuments and Memorials You will be shown a picture, then asked a question about it

The images used in the quiz are not currently available so they may not have been quite the same as those shown beloow

1. Who is this a memorial to?

GENGHIS KHAN

2. This museum is dedicated to which historic event?

Sinking of the TITANIC (Belfast museum)

3. This memorial is in memory of what?

 

MURDERED JEWS OF EUROPE (Accept HOLOCAUST, in Berlin)

4. This cross in London is one of 12 erected in memory of which queen? Eleanor (wife of Edward the First)

 

5. This small statue marks which particular event in history?

The spot where the GREAT FIRE OF LONDON was stopped (The Golden Boy at Pye Corner)

6. Who are these people collectively known as?

 

BURGHERS OF CALAIS (by Rodin, in Calais)

7. In which English town is this statue?

 

HUDDERSFIELD (Harold Wilson, outside the railway station)


8. Who is this figure situated in Shrewsbury?

Charles DARWIN

Supplementaries

9. Who is this a memorial to?

ALBERT (Prince Consort, in London)

10. Who is this?

GREYFRIARS BOBBY (in Edinburgh)

A PIECE OF CAKE

Each answer contains the name of a kind of cake. Just name the cake.

1. What was the birthplace of Christopher Columbus? GENOA

2. Which West Yorkshire town holds an annual liquorice festival?

PONTEFRACT (known for Pontefract Cakes, black liquorice sweets)

3. Which book of the Old Testament contains the line "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven"? ECCLESiastes

4. Which football club plays its home games at Dens Park? DUNDEE

5. Where was the footballer Cristiano Ronaldo born? MADEIRA (Funchal)

6. On which London underground line is Pimlico station? VICTORIA (sponge)

7. Which family decided to anglicise their name to Mountbatten because of anti-German sentiment in World War I? BATTENBERG

8. What is the common name of the flowering plant Helleborus niger? CHRISTMAS Rose
Supplementaries

9. Who challenged Henry Vll's right to be king by impersonating one of the sons of Edward IV, the Princes in the Tower? Lambert SIMNEL

10. In the stories by Richmal Crompton, the "Outlaws" were William and his friends, Henry, Douglas and who? GINGER

THE EYES HAVE IT

All answers have a link to the eye.

1. What is strabismus more commonly known as? CROSS-EYES

2. What is the common name for loss of peripheral sight? TUNNEL VISION

3. What is the name of the light sensitive membrane at the back of the eye containing rods and cones? RETINA

4. What does the horned lizard squirt from its eyes as protection against predators? BLOOD

5. Kate Bosworth, Jayne Seymour and Keifer Sutherland all have heterochromia. What is it?

DIFFERENT COLOURED EYES (Iris)

6. How many eyelids on each eye does a cat have?

THREE (one from the top, one from the bottom and one from side to side)

7. The insect eye is made up of many repeating units each of which functions as a separate visual receptor. What is this type of eye called? COMPOUND EYE

8. What is scotopic vision? NIGHT VISION (seeing in the dark)


Supplementaries

8. Black lemurs of Madagascar are thought to be the only primates, besides humans, to have what feature to do with their eyes? BLUE EYES

10. What is unusual about an owl's eyeballs?

OWLS CANT MOVE THEM (leading to the distinctive way it turns its head almost all the way around)

DEDICATED FOLLOWERS OF FASHION

1. Which iconic figure of the regency period, is credited with introducing the modern man's suit worn with a tie? He was a friend of the future George IV. Beau BRUMMEL

2. Which fashion accessory was launched by Michael Fish in the 1960's? KIPPER TIE

3. Which company, founded in 1977, is America's largest retailer of lingerie? Among their brands is "Angels", and their models are also referred to as "Angels". VICTORIA'S SECRET

4. What was the name given to the usually embroidered, box-like contraption at the front of mens breeches, first seen in the 15th and 16th centuries? CODPIECE

5. Opening his first shop in Basingstoke, who patented a cloth called Gabardine in 1888 and later made clothes for field sports and country classics? Thomas BURBERRY

6. A royal warrant holder, what do "Hunter" make? WELLIES or BOOTS

7. Name the mode of dress, also called The American Dress and The Turkish Dress, introduced in 1859 as a healthier alternative to wearing long, heavy and voluminous skirts?

BLOOMERS

8. Known as Mosquito Chasers in Norway, by what name do we know the 1950's shoes named/lifter a popular seaside snack? WINKLE PICKERS

Supplementaries

9. "Launer London" is an iconic brand which became synonymous with Margaret Thatcher. What do they make? HANDBAGS (leather purses, etc.)

10. Who designed Madonna's iconic conical bra for her "Blonde Ambition" tour?

Jean Paul GAULTIER

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

1. What was the name of the ship commanded by Captain Pugwash? BLACK PIG

2. What name could be either a variety of rose or a type of lettuce? ICEBERG

3. In which stretch of water was the Hoegh Osaka deliberately run aground to stop it sinking early in 2015? THE SOLENT

I. In which county is the National Memorial Arboretum? STAFFORDSHIRE

5. Apart from Brutus, who was the other chief conspirator in the murder of Julius Caesar?

CASSIUS

6. Which cult English punk band was led by Joe Strummer? THE CLASH

7. Which is the only royal family in the world which has a country named after it?

SAUD (Saudi Arabia)

8. Recently, Apple posted the biggest quarterly profit for any company ever. Who is their current Chief Executive Officer? Tim COOK

9.Which US President was the first to live in the White House?

JOHN ADAMS (don't accept John Quincy Adams)

10. How many square metres are there in a hectare? 10,000 m2 (100 m x 100 m)

11. Where specifically, are Stanley Matthews' ashes buried?

BRITANNIA GROUND (Stoke City FC, under the centre circle)

12.What secures a saddle to a horse? GIRTH or SURCINGLE

13. What do you fear if you are algophobic? PAIN (From Greek: algos = pain, phobos = fear)

14. Which EU country became the 19th to adopt the Euro as its currency in Jan 2015?

LITHUANIA

15. Lucy Honeychurch is the heroine of which E M Forster novel, later made into a film?

A ROOM WITH A VIEW

16. Which fictional character lived at 32 Windsor Gardens, London?

PADDINGTON BEAR

17. Pissaladiere is a dish from Nice, southern France. It has a pizza like dough base, topped onions, olives, garlic and what other particular ingredient? ANCHOVIES

18. In Roald Dahl's 'Matilda', what is Matilda's surname? WORMWOOD

19. Greg Wallace presented the December 2014 series of 'Masterchef the Professionals', name one of the two judges. Monica GILLETTY or Marcus WARING

20. Michael Scott of Dunder Miffin is the American equivalent of which fictional character?

David BRENT

21. Which band, in 1978, first sang the lines "They don't give a damn about any trumpet playing band, it ain't what they call rock and roll"?

DIRE STRAITS (Sultans of Swing)

22. First staged in 2003, these World Championships have, until last year, only been won by people born in the British Isles. Indian Vikram Joshi is the 2014 champion. What are they?

WORLD QUIZ CHAMPIONSHIPS (Kevin Ashman & Pat Gibson, 4 wins each)

23. Who lost the 2004 US Presidential election to George W Bush? John KERRY

24. What is the purpose of the Apgar test? ASSESS CONDITION OF NEWBORN BABIES

25. Which European capital city is nearest to Berlin? PRAGUE

26.Who is the only British Prime Minister to have captained his country at national level in any sport? Edward HEATH (sailing)

27. What activity is 'ikebana'? FLOWER ARRANGING (Japanese)

28. Who was the inventor of the 'Flying Shuttle' which allowed much wider fabrics to be woven? John KAY

29. Who is the current French Prime Minister? Manuel VALLS

30. Currently there is controversy over a Natural History Museum proposal to replace Dip the Diplodocus with what in 2017? BLUE WHALE (skeleton!)

31. Which of the states in the in the USA has the lowest population? WYOMING

32. The 2008 Olympics in Beijing was the third time the summer games had been held in Asia after Seoul in 1988 and which city in 1964? TOKYO

33. Which London Underground line has the most stations at 60? DISTRICT

34. Which instrument in a symphony orchestra do the musicians tune to? OBOE

35. Where is the Ross Sea? ANTARCTICA

36. Which composer, better known for musical theatre, wrote the theme tune for 'From Russia With Love1 and Cliff Richard's 'Living Doll'? Lionel BART

37. How many litres are there in a cubic metre? 1,000 litres

38. Depicting Philippe Petits 1974 wire-walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre, which film won the 2009 Oscar for Documentary? MAN ON WIRE

39. . What does Real stand for in the team name Real Madrid? ROYAL

40 What was the name of the ship which Captain Cook commanded on his first journey of discovery to Australia and New Zealand?

ENDEAVOUR (also known as HM Bark Endeavour)

41. Who is the director of The Imitation Game featuring Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing?

Morten TYLDUM

42Which strait separates the Indonesian Islands of Java and Sumatra? SUNDA STRAIT

43. Which Prime Minister conferred the title "Empress of India" on Queen Victoria?

Benjamin DISRAELI

44. Which lake in Africa holds the highest number of freshwater fish species in any lake in the world?

LAKE MALAWI (accept NYASA)

45. Name the German horse ridden by Ryan Moore who won the Melbourne Cup in

November 2014? PROTECTIONIST

46. Bones are hardened by 2 main, natural minerals. One is calcium. Name the other.

PHOSPHORUS

47. The opera "Orfeo",has the honour of being the earliest surviving opera still regularly
performed today. Who is its composer? Claudio MONTEVERDI

48 What was the title of the influential book, written by French economist Thomas Piketty,
which was published in 2014? CAPITAL in the 21ST CENTURY

49. What is the major European dub competition in Rugby Union which superceded the
Heineken Cup for the 2014/15 season? European CHAMPIONS CUP

50. Which Beatles album has the tracks 'Drive my car', 'Nowhere man1 and 'Michelle1?

RUBBER SOUL

51. The majority of the border between Canada and the contiguous states of the USA lies on which line of latitude? 49 degrees NORTH (accept 49th PARALLEL)

52. Name one of the three grape varieties that can be used for Champagne.

PINOT NOIR, PINOT MEUNIER or CHARDONNAY
53. Which US state is named after an English Quaker? PENNSYLVANIA

54. Which radical left political party won the Greek National Election last month? SYRIZA

55. In which city are the next Commonwealth Games to be held? GOLD COAST (Australia)

56. Which pop duo, in 1981, first sang the lines "Standin1 at the door of the Pink Flamingo, crying in the rain. It was a kind of so so love, and I'm gonna make sure it doesn't happen again"?

SOFT CELL (Say Hello, Wave Goodbye)

57. Which fashion designer, disgraced in recent times, presented an Outstanding Achievement Award to Anna Wintour at the British Fashion Awards in Dec 2014?

John GALLIANO

58. What award did Bath Blue cheese receive at the BBC Good Food Show at Olympia in November 2014?

WORLD'S TASTIEST CHEESE

59.In children's literature, whose famous line was "I'll thcream and thcream and thcream till I'm thick"? VIOLET ELIZABETH BOTT (Accept VIOLET ELIZABETH or BOTT) (Just William)

60. By what name was Henry John Temple, a British Prime Minister, better known?

Lord PALMERSTON

61. Who received a £250,000 investment to set up his digital marketing company when he won The Apprentice 2014? Mark WRIGHT (25 year old Australian)

62. In Wales, what natural feature is known as the Devil's Appendix? WATERFALL (tallest, single-drop waterfall in Wales)

63. Marc Bolland is the Chief Executive Officer of which high-street retailer?

MARKS AND SPENCER

64. Name the triangular bone made of 5 fused vertebrae, found between the coccyx and the four lumbar vertebrae in the spine. SACRUM

65. fhe market in The Pilgrim's Progress, in which all pleasures and delights are for sale, gives its name to which novel published in instalments in 1847/1848? VANITY FAIR

66. Shakespeare renamed his company The King's Men in honour of which monarch who granted him a patent? JAMES THE FIRST

67. Two private planes owned by Elvis Presley are going up for auction. Name either plane.

USA MARIE, or HOUND DOG 2 (accept HOUND DOG)

68. The Great Run Series, formerly sponsored by BUPA, which takes place in 8 UK cities, will from this year be sponsored by what company? MORRISONS

69. ln which English seaside town is the Turner Contemporary Gallery? It is situated on the same site where J M W Turner stayed when visiting the town. MARGATE

70. Penny Lane, made famous through the Beatles song, was named after James Penny. What was his main occupation? SLAVE TRADER

71. Prosecco (or sparkling white wine) and peach puree are the ingredients of which famous Venetian cocktail? BELLINI

72. Which MEP defected from UKIP to the Conservatives in Jan 2015? Amjad BASHIR

73. A self-established colony of beavers has been allowed to remain in Devon. On what inappropriately named river do they live? OTTER (near Ottery St Mary)

74. Who is the former-politician daughter of Testament of Youth author, Vera Brittain?

Shirley WILLIAMS

75. The name of which American General became a by-word for "treason" or "betrayal", after he changed sides to the British during The War of Independence? Benedict ARNOLD

76. Which Netherlands city is famous for its porcelain? DELFT

77. In Dec 2014, Paul Coleman from Weekend Wanderers Detecting Club found over 5,000 Anglo-Saxon coins buried in a lead bucket in which Buckinghamshire town? AYLESBURY

78. . Which game takes its name from the Chinese for 'sparrow'? MAH JONG

79. Which building was the 2014 winner of the Stirling Prize? EVERYMAN THEATRE (L'pool)

 

80. To which family of birds does the jay belong? CROW FAMILY, CORVIDS or CORVIDAE

81. In which Asian country does the Thar Desert mainly lie?

INDIA (85% India, 15% Pakistan)

82. Which poet wrote the poem The Night Mail? W H AUDEN

83. Bull's Blood wine comes from which country? HUNGARY

84. Which singer featured with Taylor Swift on her 2013 single Everything Has Changed?

Ed SHEERAN

85. Which European alphabet, dating from around the 3rd Century AD, is also known as Futhark? RUNIC

86. In British folklore, which antlered figure is supposed to haunt Windsor Forest and Great Park, Berkshire? HERNE THE HUNTER

87. Berengaria of Navarre was the wife of which English monarch? RICHARD THE FIRST

88. Who beat Felix Baumgartner's record for a free-fall parachute jump, and became the second person to break the sound barrier in free fall, in Oct 2014?

Alan EUSTACE (jumped from over 25 miles up)

89.

What was left in Pandora's Box after all the evil escaped? HOPE

90/Which comedian is the current host of Never Mind the Buzzcocks? Rhod GILBERT 91. What does the Old English word 'weald* mean?

WOODED COUNTRYSIDE (accept similar that includes wood or forest)
92. The name of which province of Canada means New Scotland? NOVA SCOTIA

93. Who is the new judge in the 2015 series of BBC's The Voice UK? Rita ORA

94. . Which city between Milan and Bologna gives its name both to a delicate, dry-cured ham and to a hard, dry cheese? PARMA

95. What is a sarabande? DANCE

96. Who won the BAFTA Fellowship at the 2015 BAFTA Film Awards? Mike LEIGH

SUPPLEMENTARY

97. A dish described as 'Dubarry' contains what food item? CAULIFLOWER

98. Following a recent legal ruling, which Spanish princess, sister of King Felipe VI, will stand
trial for tax fraud later this year? CRISTINA

99. In which conflict did the Battles of Saratoga take place?

AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR or WAR OF INDEPENDENCE (in 1777}

100. What name of Yiddish origin is given to a cured meat, usually brisket, which has been
brined, seasoned and then smoked? PASTRAMI

101. Whose eyes remain in a safety deposit box in New York city? Albert EINSTEIN's

102. Which historical figure, mainly associated with buildings in London, was known as The
Devil's Architect? Nicholas HAWKSMOOR

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

17th Feb–Cup/Plate Semi Finals’ Questions

 

Questions set and vetted by Ox-Fford C and Church House Bollington

1. Q Stan and Francine Smith are the central characters in which American animated TV series?
A American Dad

2. Q In The Simpsons, how is Herschel Krostowsky better known?
A Krusty the Clown

3. Q What is the first book in the bible that’s named after a person?
A Joshua

4. Q In Norse mythology, who was the brother of Thor and the god of mischief?
A Loki

5. Q Whose first play in nine years, entitled The Hard Problem, recently opened at the National Theatre?
A Tom Stoppard

6. Q Whose new album Shadows in the Night consists of songs made famous by Frank Sinatra?
A Bob Dylan

7. Q Born in Russia in 1877 and moving to America to work in films, who introduced the first cosmetics to be sold to the general public?
A Max Factor

8. Q Which UK retailer sells the 'Florence and Fred' range of clothing?
A Tesco

9. Q In which UK city is the Odyssey Arena?
A Belfast

10. Q Albuquerque is the largest city in which US state?
A New Mexico

11. Q In which country is the UNESCO world heritage site known as the Nazca lines - a number of ancient geoglyphs in the desert, which can only be properly seen from the air?
A Peru

12. Q Which modern country coincides approximately with the area known in ancient history as Mesopotamia?
A Iraq

13. Q Which controversial politician was the running mate of John McCain in the 2008 US presidential election?
A Sarah Palin

14. Q Which black civil rights leader contested the Democratic nomination for the US presidential elections of 1984 and 1988?
A Jesse Jackson

15. Q Which recording artist and Mercury prize winner has the real name Niomi (sic) McLean-Daley?
A Ms Dynamite

16. Q By what stage name is the American pop singer Alicia Beth Moore better known?
A Pink

17. Q What do Ken Barlow, Don Johnson, Paul Hogan and Elizabeth Taylor have in common?
A They married the same person twice

18. Q Which Hollywood superstar has been married since 1991 to the actress and former model Kelly Preston?
A John Travolta

19. Q In which city is the Test cricket ground known as The Gabba?
A Brisbane

20. Q Who was the first woman, in 1962, to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award?
A Anita Lonsbrough

21. Q Dave Hill, Jim Lea and Don Powell were three-quarters of the original line-up of which British pop group?
A Slade

22. Q Whose only UK Top 20 hit was the soul classic Rescue Me?
A Fontella Bass

23. Q What is the main ingredient of hummus?
A Chick peas

24. Q What is the main ingredient of satay sauce?
A Peanuts

25. Q The enzyme ptyalin is instrumental in which bodily function?
A Digestion

26. Q Where in the human body are the alveoli?
A The lungs

27. Q Who wrote the children’s novels Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little?
A E B White

28. Q Who wrote the modern classic children’s story Where the Wild Things Are?
A Maurice Sendak

29. Q Which type of duck has the same name as a James Bond film?
A Goldeneye

30. Q Which flowering shrub has a name that's derived from the Greek for ‘rose tree’?
A Rhododendron

31. Q Kevin Jorgeson and Tommy Caldwell succeeded in climbing which vertical rock face in the USA last month?
A El Capitan

32. Q Which country joined the Eurozone on January 1st 2015?
A Lithuania

33. Q Give a year in the life of the physicist Daniel Fahrenheit.
A 1686-1736

34. Q Which scientist, often known as the father of chemistry, was guillotined during the French revolution?
A Antoine Lavoisier

35. Q In which country was the singer Katie Melua born?
A Georgia

36. Q The writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez died in April 2014 in Mexico City, but in which country was he born?
A Colombia

37. Q What is the highest point in the Peak District National Park?
A Kinder Scout

38. Q Yes Tor is the highest point in which UK National Park?
A Dartmoor

39. Q His name preserved in a common pub name, who led the British fleet against the French at the 1782 Battle of the Saints?
A Admiral Rodney

40. Q The Treaty of Utrecht helped to bring which conflict to an end?
A The War of the Spanish Succession

41. Q Having overtaken Marks & Spencer, what is now the UK's largest clothing retailer?
A Next

42. Q Paul Allen was a co-founder of which major company in 1975?
A Microsoft

43. Q Which institution has the motto ‘My word is my bond’?
A The London Stock Exchange

44. Q Which museum can be found on Great Russell Street in London?
A The British Museum

45. Q Which commonly used Latin phrase means ‘at first sight’?
A Prima facie

46. Q Commonly used in English to mean excessive sentimentality, what does the word schmaltz literally mean in German?
A Rendered chicken or goose fat (accept fat or dripping)

47. Q What surname was common to the victims of assassinations in 1948, 1984 and 1991?
A Gandhi

48. Q Who was the longest serving UK prime minister of the 20th century?
A Margaret Thatcher

49. Q Banjul is the capital of which African country?
A Gambia

50. Q What is the most populous city in Morocco?
A Casablanca

51. Q In the Tour de France, which rider wears a white jersey with red polka dots?
A The King of the Mountains

52. Q Which Filipino boxer is the only person to have won world titles in eight different divisions?
A Manny Pacquiao

53. Q For which 1956 film did Yul Brynner win his only Oscar?
A The King and I

54. Q For which 1994 film did Cher win an Oscar?
A Moonstruck

55. Q Of which African country has Goodluck Jonathan been President since 2010?
A Nigeria

56. Q Who is currently president of the Football Association?
A The Duke of Cambridge (accept Prince William)

57. Q In the Shakespeare play, which king is murdered by Macbeth?
A Duncan

58. Q Which 19th century novel was subtitled The Modern Prometheus?
A Frankenstein

59. Q What's the largest town on the Hebridean island of Lewis, and the administrative centre of the Western Isles?
A Stornoway

60. Q San Antonio is the party capital of which Mediterranean island?
A Ibiza

61. Q Selling for $300m, a painting by which artist recently became the most expensive work of art ever sold?
A Paul Gauguin

62. Q Which Small Faces 1967 hit was covered in 1995 by M People?
A Itchycoo Park

63. Q In which state does the American football team Green Bay Packers play its home games?
A Wisconsin

64. Q What is the southernmost point of Africa?

A Cape Agulhas

65. Q In which town do Ross County play football?

A. Dingwall

66. Q Who is the Secretary of State at DEFRA?

A. Elizabeth Truss

67. Q Who is the current US Vice President?

A. Joe Biden

68. Recently elected (Jan 15), who is the Prime Minister of Greece?

A Alexis Tsipras

69. Q In which UK city is the National Space Centre?

A. Leicester

70. Q Which city is linked to Edinburgh by the M90 motorway?

A Perth

71 Q What is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra?

A. Mumbai (Bombay)

72. Q Which UK airport has the code CWL?

A. Cardiff

73 Q In which city is the Ponte Vecchio?

A. Florence

74. Q Born James Newell Osterberg in 1947, by what name is this rock musician better known?

A. Iggy Pop

75. Q In which film does Kenneth Williams utter the immortal line “Infamy, infamy, they’ve all got it in for me”?

A. Carry On Cleo

76. Q Which brand of condoms advertises with the slogan ‘The closest thing to wearing nothing’?

A. Mates

77. Q What is rugby union player Billy Twelvetrees nickname?

A. 36 (say his name in an Irish accent…)

78. Q What is footballer Fitz Hall’s nickname?

A. One size (one size Fitz Hall)

79. Q In “I’m sorry I haven’t a clue”, in answer to the question ‘What is the definition of countryside’, Stephen Fry famously replied ‘The murder of…’ who?

A. Piers Morgan

80. Q Which 1972 film had the tagline ‘This is the weekend they didn’t play golf’?

A. Deliverance

81. Q Towel Day is celebrated every 25th May in celebration of which author? In his most famous work a towel was described as ‘the most massively useful thing you can have’.

A. Douglas Adams

82. Q On leaving office, President Clinton’s staff reportedly removed which key from the keypads of every White House computer ahead of the incoming administration?

A. W (as in George ‘Dubya’ Bush)

83. Q Why were the family names in the sitcom Gavin and Stacey controversial?

A. They were named after serial killers (Gavin Shipman and Stacey West)

84. Q Scrummies are the rugby equivalent of what in football?

A. Wags

85. Q In 1967, Tony Benn justified the extra ‘e’ placed in which word by stating that it stood for ‘excellence, England, Europe and entente’?

A. Concorde

86. Q What was the name of Peggy’s never-seen boss in the TV show Hi-de-Hi?

A. Miss Cathcart

87. Q In March 2014, the Supreme Court refused Cadbury’s application to appeal against a decision denying its right to trademark what?

The colour purple (or at least, the specific shade used on their wrappers)

88. Which British comedy act features Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding?

A. The Mighty Boosh

89. Q Which terrorist group’s name translates into English as “Western education is forbidden”??

A. Boco Haran

90. Q Of all the EU member states, which has the longest coastline? A. Greece

91. Q Which band’s first drummer died in a bizarre gardening accident?

A Spinal Tap

92 Q In which novel does a character called O’Brien claim: ‘If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stomping on a human face – forever’?.

A. Nineteen Eighty-Four

93. Q From which Italian football club did Chelsea buy Colombian forward Juan Cuadrado during the January transfer window?

A. Fiorentina

94. Q Belmopan is the capital city of which Central American country?

A. Belize

95. Q In which year was the Grand National abandoned after two false starts?

A. 1993

96. Q Who was the only Austrian male player to have been ranked number one in the world in tennis?

A. Thomas Muster

97. Q Recently honoured at the BAFTAs, who directed the famous TV drama Abigail’s Party

A. Mike Leigh

98. Q Which actress played hotel worker Polly Sherman in Fawlty Towers?

A. Connie Booth

99. Q Dido & Aeneas is the only opera by which 17th century English composer, who was organist at both Westminster Abbey and the Chapel Royal?

A Henry Purcell

100. Q Which popular phrase stems from Prime Minister Arthur Balfour's relationship to Prime Minister Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne Cecil, third Marquess of Salisbury?

A. “Bob’s Your Uncle”

101. Q The following words come from which famous song of 1979:  "Phoney Beatlemania has bitten the dust"?

A. London Calling (The Clash)

102 Q In which cartoon show would you see the Army Surplus Special pitted against, among others, The Arkansas Chuggabug and the Compact Pussycat?

A. Wacky Races

103 Q In which country is Changi airport?

A. Singapore

104 Q The highest vertebra in the human spinal column which lies directly under the skull is named after which mythological character?

A. Atlas

105. Q In which Stephen King novel was the title character a red 1958 Plymouth Fury?

A. Christine

106. Q Which annual event was first held in 1956 at the Teatro Kursaal in Lugano, Switzerland?

A. The Eurovision Song Contest

107. Q In which English county are St Cuthbert’s Head and Thirlwall Castle?

A. Northumberland

108. Q Recently involved in a controversy for a foul-mouthed tirade at her fiancé’s opponent, what is the name of Andy Murray’s girlfriend??

A. Kim Sears

109. Q Phil Tufnell was the first contestant eliminated from which show this year?

A. The Jump

110 Q Which TV show was set in County General Hospital, Chicago?

A. E.R.

111. Q Which website is advertised on TV by a robot named Brian?

A. Confused.com

112. Q Who collaborated with Mark Ronson on the number one single, Uptown Funk?

A. Bruno Mars

113. Q “The Queen’s Orang Utan” is a children’s book written to raise money for Comic Relief by which comedian?

A David Walliams

114. Q Which city’s airport is the hub for Lufthansa?

A. Frankfurt

115. In which sport would the Leicester Riders face Durham Wildcats?

A. Basketball

116 Q Which film won the award for Best Film at the recent 2015 BAFTA awards?

A. Boyhood

117. Q Specifically, which item of clothing can be Boot Cut or Drop Crotch Carrot Fit?

A. Jeans

118. Q David Ruffin was the lead singer of which Motown group?

A. The Temptations

119. Q Give the full name of the historical figure who was nicknamed Tumbledown Dick

A. Richard Cromwell

120. Q Between 1642 and 1646, which city was the headquarters of the Royalists in the English Civil War after King Charles I fled from London?

A. Oxford


Supplementaries

121. Q Which team did the New England Patriots defeat to win this year’s Superbowl?

A. Seattle Seahawks

122. Q: By what name is the food colouring E120 better known?

A. Cochineal

123. The road runner is the official state bird of which American state?

A. New Mexico

124. Of what is basophobia the fear?

A. Walking / Standing up

125. Which comedian invented the character Sir Les Patterson?

A. Barry Humphries

TIE-BREAK

In the year 2000 the Mini Cooper finally ceased production. How many Mini Coopers were produced since the first one rolled off the production line in 1961?

A. 5,387,682

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

10th February–The Questions

 

Specialist questions set by the Nag’s Head

Thoroughly vetted by the Park Timers and Ox-fford C

R 1. Also known as

R 2. Gone but not forgotten

R 3. Science

R 4. History (years ending in 15)

R 5. Up in the air

R 6. Geography

R 7. Arts and Entertainment

R 8. Sport

Round 1. Also known as

1. Which well known crooner, born in 1936, stated life as Arnold George Dorsey?

ENGLEBERT HUMPERDINCK

2. What is the nickname of the Australian national football team?

SOCCEROOS

3. Which tourist port is known as The Pearl of the Adriatic?

DUBROVNIK

4. Which championship football team are nicknamed the Cherries?

BOURNEMOUTH

5. What was the pen name of English novelist Mary Ann Evans?

GEORGE ELIOT

6. What nickname was given to American murderer Robert Stroud?

THE BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ

7. A statue of Molly Malone and her barrow on Suffolk Street, Dublin is known colloquially as what?

THE TART WITH THE CART or THE TROLLOP WITH THE SCALLOP(S)

8. Which US city is known as The Big Easy?

NEW ORLEANS

Supplementaries

1. Which former England football captain was known as ‘Crazy Horse’?

EMLYN HUGHES

2. Name the 1980 world snooker champion who was known as The Grinder.

CLIFF THORBURN

Round 2. GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN... or are they? All the following people died in 2014.

1. This Irish politician was Taoiseach (pronounced Tee- shuck) of Ireland from February 1992 to December 1994. He died on August 21st.

ALBERT REYNOLDS

2. He died on March 11th at the age of 52. He was General Secretary of the RMT Trade Union.

BOB CROW

3. This actress who died of cancer on October 19th is remembered for starring in the Oxo TV commercials from 1983 to 1999.

LYNDA BELLINGHAM

4. She was an American comedian, actress, writer, producer and television host who died on September 4th, aged 81.

JOAN RIVERS

5. This English bass guitarist died on August 28th at the age of 67 in Hawaii. He was a founder member of Jethro Tull in 1967 and in 1971 formed his own band Wild Turkey.

GLENN CORNICK

6. First name and surname required. On July 16th, this American albino blues guitarist, singer and Producer, died at the age of 70 in Switzerland 2 days after his last performance. Who was he?

JOHNNY WINTER (not to be confused with his brother Edgar Winter)

7. She was a well known English crime writer who died at the age of 94 on November 27th. One of her most well known characters was police commander Adam Dalgliesh.

PD JAMES

8. This pop singer died on October 23rd. His real name was Bernard Jewry and he was also known as Shane Fenton. He had his only number 1 UK single with Jealous Mind in 1974.

ALVIN STARDUST

Supplementaries

1. An English television and BBC Radio 1 presenter , racing driver and pilot died on August 1st from complications following major heart surgery. He was married to Sarah Greene.

MIKE SMITH

2. An English gang member and criminal who, from his birth in 1923, served 42 years in various prisons until his final release in 1985. He died, aged 90 on November 26th.

‘MAD’ FRANKIE FRASER

3. Which Argentinian footballer, who died on July 7th aged 88, won 5 European Cup winners medals with Real Madrid from 1956 to 1960. He played for Spain and Colombia as well as Argentina.

ALFREDO Di STEFANO

Round 3. Science

1. What is the SI unit of mass?

KILOGRAM (kg)

2. What fruit is produced on a Blackthorn hedge plant?

SLOE

3. How many Apollo missions resulted in successful moon landings?

SIX

4. Which scientific instrument, invented in the mid seventeenth century, is also known as ‘Torricelli’s Tube’?

THE BAROMETER

5. To which plant family does Bamboo belong?

GRASS

6. To which English town would you go to visit The Catalyst Science Discovery Centre?

WIDNES

7. Diamond, is number ten on Moh’s scale of mineral hardness. What is at number one?

TALC

8. What is measured in ‘metres per second squared’?

ACCELERATION

Supplementaries

1. What does a Limnologist study?

LAKES

2. Cynology, is the study of what?

DOGS

Round 4. HISTORY – Years ending in Fifteen

1. Wellington led the British forces against Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Who led his allies, the Prussians?

(Field Marshall Gebhard Leberecht von) BLÜCHER

2. Which Roman general, brother of the future emperor Claudius, started his conquest of the region east of the Rhine and north of the Danube in A.D. 15 (C.E. 15)?

GERMANICUS

3. Henry V won the battle of Agincourt in 25 October 1415. On which Saint’s Day?

SAINT CRISPIN (also accept Saint Crispian)

4. To which port was the RMS Lusitania heading when she was sunk by a U-boat on 7 May 1915?

LIVERPOOL

5. Magna Carta was signed by King John at Runnymede in Jun 1215. Approximately how long did it last before being annulled by the Pope?

3 MONTHS (accept 1 month either side)

6. Who was appointed Lord Chancellor of England in December 1515?

(THOMAS/CARDINAL) WOLSEY

7. Which Dane launched his invasion of England in 1015?

CANUTE/CNUT (the Great)

8. Which Town, now a city, was as far south as the forces of the first Jacobite Rebellion reached, before they were forced to surrender in November 1715?

PRESTON

Supplementaries

1. Which year saw the start of The Great Famine across Britain and Europe, during which millions died of starvation? The famine was a contributory cause of The Peasants Revolt.

1315

2. Which king of France, known as The Sun King, died in September 1715 after 72 years on the throne?

LOUIS XIV

Round 5. UP IN THE AIR

1. What type of aeroplane was flown by Alcock and Brown when they crossed the Atlantic in 1919?
VICKERS VIMY


2. What was the name of Charles Lindburgh's plane in which he made the first solo transatlantic flight?
SPIRIT of St. LOUIS


3. Which aircraft company made the Mosquito fighter-bomber?
De HAVILLAND


4. Which aircraft company made the Lancaster bomber?
A.V. ROE (AVRO)


5. What was the last bi-plane fighter manufactured for the RAF?
GLOSTER GLADIATOR (SS37)


6. What was the name of the German plane that became the world's first operational jet fighter, but only saw action at the end of the second world war?
MESSERSCHMITT ME262.(ME262 will do)

7. The Lockheed C-130 transport plane is also known as what?
HERCULES


8. Most airports have three-letter abbreviations. In what country do almost all of these abbreviations begin with the letter Y?
CANADA


Supplementaries

1. Which European city is served by Marco Polo airport?
VENICE


2. Which European city is served by Christopher Columbus airport?
GENOA

Round 6. GEOGRAPHY

1. What is the name of the shipping area that covers the majority of the sea area off the southern Irish coast?
FASTNET

2. Which famous English author was named by his parents after a lake in Staffordshire?
RUDYARD KIPLING

3. What is the capital of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan?
REGINA


4. What is the name of the shipping area that covers the majority of the sea area off the northern Irish coast?
MALIN

5. On which river does Dresden stand?
ELBE


6. On which river does Nantes stand?

LOIRE


7. What is the English name for the European lake known in German as Bodensee?
LAKE CONSTANCE

8. What is the capital of the Canadian province of British Columbia?
VICTORIA

Supplementaries

1. What is the name of the bridge that connects Denmark with Sweden?
ORESUND BRIDGE
2. The world's tallest vehicular bridge is in France. What is its name?
MILLAU VIADUCT (accept Millau )

Round 7. Arts & Entertainment

1. Who will play Mad Max in the latest film, to be released later this year?

TOM HARDY

2. Which artist illustrated the original Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland book?
JOHN TENNIEL

3. Who released the albums, ‘Slow Train Coming’, ’Time Out Of Mind’ and ‘Nashville Skyline’?

BOB DYLAN

4. What does the M in the name of artist JAM Whistler stand for?

McNEILL ( JAMES ABBOTT McNEILL WHISTLER)

5. Which TV series follows the exploits of the SAMCRO motorcycle Club?

SONS OF ANARCHY

6. Who was the editor of Private Eye before Ian Hislop?

RICHARD INGRAMS

7. What does the M in the name of artist JMW Turner stand for?

MALLORD (JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER)

8. Who released the albums Dressed for the Occasion, I’m Nearly Famous and Wired for Sound?

CLIFF RICHARD

Supplementaries

1. Which actor played the part of Thorin Oakenshield in “The Hobbit”?

RICHARD ARMITAGE

2. Who has been Oscar nominated for his role as Stephen Hawking in “The Theory of Everything”?

EDDIE REDMAYNE

Round 8. Sport

1. In which country did the African Cup of Nations football tournament recently take place?

EQUATORIAL GUINEA

2. Which country was originally scheduled to hold the 2015 African Cup of Nations, but pulled out because of the ebola outbreak in West Africa?

MOROCCO

3. In which sport do the Birmingham Brummies and Poole Pirates compete?

SPEEDWAY

4. Which English golfer won his first major championship when he won the 2013 US Open?

JUSTIN ROSE

5. Which Australian was, in 1980, the first mother to win a Wimbledon singles title since before World War1?

EVONNE CAWLEY (accept GOOLAGONG)

6. In 2009, a statue of which ex cricketer and umpire was unveiled in Barnsley?

DICKIE BIRD

7. In which event did Lizzie Yarnold win an Olympic gold medal?

SKELETON

8. Elland Road Leeds, St James’s Park Newcastle and Kingsholm Gloucester will all be staging matches at which event later this year?

RUGBY UNION WORLD CUP

Supplementies

1. Who, IN 1958, was the first British driver to win the Formula 1 World Championship?

MIKE HAWTHORN

2. Name the horse, the jockey or the trainer who won the 2014 Grand National

PINEAU DE RE (horse), LEIGHTON ASPELL (jockey), RICHARD NEWLAND (trainer)

3. There are 2 nominations for the cities staging the 2022 Winter Olympics. One is Beijing and the other is Almaty. In which country is Almaty?

KAZAKHSTAN

General Knowledge

Set by the Park Timers, vetted by the Nags Head.

Q1. Which olympic swimming gold medalist later made 12 Tarzan films?

A1. Johnny Weissmuller

Q2. Which British city has districts called St Pauls and St Georges?

A2. Bristol

Q3. Who became president of North Vietnam in 1954 and remained so until his death in1969?

A3. Ho Chi Minh

Q4. With what sort of reform is Elizabeth Fry most associated?

A4. Prison

Q5. Who wrote “The Saint” series of Books?

A5. Leslie Charteris

Q6. What is the name of the pouch traditionally worn with a kilt?

A6. Sporran

Q7. Whose horse was called “Trigger?”

A7. Roy Rogers

Q8. Who resigned as British Prime Minister in 1957?

A8. Anthony Eden

Q9. In which war did the Battle of Edgehill take place?

A9. English Civil War

Q10. In ancient Greek architecture, Doric and Ionian are two of the three styles of column, name the third?

A10. Corinthian

Q11. In which year was the first Harry Potter book published in the UK?

A11. 1997 (accept 1995 - 1999)

Q12. In which year was the movie Godzilla vs Destoroyah released?

A12. 1995 (accept 1993 - 1997)

Q13. Who made Ray Bradbury's classic novel Fahrenheit 451 into a movie in 1966

A13. Francois Truffaut

Q14. Which public figure in Britain was born on the Greek island of Corfu on 10 June 1921?

A14. Prince Philip, (accept Duke of Edinburgh)

Q15. Who is Prince William's sister-in-law?

A15. Pippa Middleton

Q16. What is the name given to an act of practical benevolence, especially the donating of money?

A16. Philanthropy

Q17. Which long-established business institution in London allowed women in for the first time in 1973?

A17. London Stock Exchange

Q18. Who has been a team captain on 'Never Mind the Buzzcocks' since the show began in 1996?

A18. Phill Jupitus

Q19. US actor, Phil Silvers is best known for which long-running TV role?

A19. Sergeant Bilko

Q20. Which significant historical event took place by Senlac Ridge (or Hill) in Sussex?

A20. Battle of Hastings in 1066

Q21. What connects the governments formed by David Lloyd George in 1916 and David Cameron in 2010?

A21. Both were coalitions

Q22. Which terrorist organisation was responsible for the massacre of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972?

A22. Black September

Q23. What is the name of the Irish republican terrorist organisation formed by those unwilling to be signatories to the Good Friday Agreement?

A23. The Real IRA (accept Continuity IRA)

Q24. What horse race is the highlight of the French flat racing season in October?

A24. Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp

Q25. What is the name of Sherlock Holmes' elder brother?

A25. Mycroft

Q26. What is the name of Sherlock Holmes' nemesis in the first volume of stories?

A26. Professor Moriarty (accept Moriarty)

Q27. Balthazar, Casper and Melchior are known collectively as what?

A27. The Three Wise Men (accept three kings or Magi)

Q28. Larry, Moe and Curly are known collectively as what?

A28. The Three Stooges

Q29. What was the name of the comet that passed close to the earth in 1997?

A29. Hale-Bopp

Q30. What are 'Eagle' 'Intrepid' 'Antares' 'Falcon' 'Orion' and 'Challenger'?

A30. The six lunar modules to carry astronauts to the Moon's surface

Q31. What football term is known as 'elfmeter' in German?

A31. Penalty Kick.(the penalty spot is around 11 metres from the goal line and elf is 11in German)

Q32. Name either of the two books in the Bible that list the ten commandments?

A32. Exodus or Deuteronomy

Q33. In Egyptian mythology, who was the Mother Goddess?

A33. Isis

Q34. Which scientific theory postulates that subatomic particles are tiny one-dimensional loops?

A34. String Theory

Q35. The traditional Claret Jug is the trophy awarded to the winner of which annual sporting event?

A35. (British) Open (Golf) Championship

Q36. Who is the current captain of the England Men's rugby union team?

A36. Chris Robshaw

Q37. Who was the captain in 2003 of England's world cup winning men's rugby Union team?

A37. Martin Johnson

Q38. Who was the top goal scorer in the 2013/2014 Premier league season with 31 goals?

A38. Luis Suarez

Q39. To which city was flight MH370 heading before it went missing?

A39. Beijing

Q40. Which DJ wrote the UKIP calypso?

A40. Mike Read

Q41. In which town is Bletchley Park?

A41. Milton Keynes

Q42. Who is the father of Ed and David Miliband? both names are required

A42. Ralph Miliband

Q43. Which constituency is losing Gordon Brown as its MP?

A43. Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath

Q44. Who directed the film 12 Years A Slave?

A44. Steve Mcqueen

Q45. Who won a gold medal in the skeleton for team GB at the 2010 winter olympics?

A45. Amy Williams

Q46. Who played the winning shot at the 2014 Ryder Cup?

A46. Jamie Donaldson

Q47. What is the highest mountain in Europe, ahead of Mont Blanc?

A47. Mount Elbrus

Q48. In Newton's second law of motion F=ma for what does the "a" stand?

A48. Acceleration

Q49. Who kidnapped 276 schoolgirls in Nigeria in April 2014?

A49. Boko Haram

Q50. Which dinosaur's name means rapid thief?

A50. Velociraptor

Q51. Who invented the whirlpool bath?

A51. Candido Jacuzzi

Q52. Which animal is the emblem of the USA's Republican party?

A52. Elephant

Q53. How heavy is one litre of water at room temperature in Kg?

A53. One

Q54. Of what, specifically, is a Lux the unit?

A54. Illumination

Q55. Which King met with the rebels of the peasant's revolt at Smithfield?

A55. Richard 2nd

Q56. Who was the mother of King James 1st?

A56. Mary Queen of Scots

Q57. Who was named Guardian of Scotland in 1297?

A57. William Wallace

Q58. Which bands greatest hits compilation is the best selling album in UK chart history?

A58. Queen

Q59. What is the best selling single in UK chart history?

A59. Candle in the Wind (1997) by Elton John

Q60. What is unusual about the basenji dog?

A60. It does not bark

Q61. Who wrote the book Patriot Games?

A61. Tom Clancy

Q62. In which Australian city is Flemington horse racing course?

A62. Melbourne

Q63. Who played Perry Mason in the TV series?

A63. Raymond Burr

Q64. What does Popeye have tattooed on his arm?

A64. An anchor

Q65. Which film character's last word was “Rosebud?”

A65. Citizen Kane

Q66. Which musical was based on George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion?

A66. My Fair Lady

Q67. Who wrote the book “Kidnapped?”

A67. Robert Louis Stevenson

Q68. On which river does Lisbon stand?

A68. Tagus

Q69. Which is the largest of the North American Great Lakes?

A69. Lake Superior

Q70. What colour are the hottest stars?

A70. Blue

Q71. Which electromagnetic waves have the highest frequency?

A71. Gamma rays

Q72. In calculus, what is the derivative of x2 ("x squared") ?

A72. 2x

Q73. What is the derivative of the sine of x ?

A73. Cosine of x (accept "cos x")

Q74. What part of a plant consists of a filament and anther?

A74. Stamen

Q75. What is the layer of a rain forest immediately below the emergents?

A75. Canopy

Q76. Which Secretary of State for Defence resigned during the Westland Helicopter Affair?

A76. Michael Heseltine

Q77. Nicholas Breakspear is the only Englishman to have held which office?

A77. Pope – he was Adrian IV

Q78. Which animal's name is Greek for “River Horse?”

A78. Hippopotamus

Q79. Who wrote the Adrian Mole series of books?

A79. Sue Townsend

Q80. What nationality was Hans Christian Andersen?

A80. Danish

Q81. In the Bible, whose strength came from his hair?

A81. Samson

Q82. Which Egyptian president was shot and killed in 1981?

A82. Anwar Sadat

Q83. In which US State is Fort Knox?

A83. Kentucky

Q84. What kind of organisms cause leprosy, typhoid and gonorrhoea?

A84. Bacteria

Q85. Acid rain is a diluted form of nitric acid and which other acid?

A85. Sulphuric acid

Q86. In which modern day country was the Aztec civilisation based?

A86. Mexico

Q87. What was the name of the first effective telecommunications satellite, launched in1962?

A87. Telstar

Q88. Which French lawyer broke from Catholicism in 1530 and fled to Geneva where he promoted the Protestant Reformation?

A88. Jean Calvin

Q89. Give a year in The Thirty Years War

A89. 1618-1648

Q90. Ethiopia gained independence from which country in 1941?

A90. Italy

Q91. Who was chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation from 1969 to 2004?

A91. Yasser Arafat

Q92. The Sephardic and Ashkenazi are traditions of which religion?

A92. Judaism

Q93. What style of architectural decoration arose in Italy in the late Renaissance and became prevalent in Europe during the 18th century?

A93. Baroque

Q94. In which decade was Woody Allen born?

A94. 1930s (b. 1935)

Q95. Which woodwind instrument was invented in 1840 by a Belgian?

A95. Saxophone (by Adolphe Sax)

Q96. Which language group, still spoken in some areas around the North Sea, is more closely related to modern English than German, but less so than Scots?

A96. Frisian

Supplementary

Q97. Who wrote The Brothers Karamazov?

A97. Fyodor Dostoevski

Q98. What is the capital of Angola?

A98. Luanda

Q99. What is the currency of Romania?

A99. the Leu

Q100. What was the last dynasty of Chinese emperors called?

A100. Ch'ing/Qing

Q101. Who won the Best Actor Academy Award in both 1993 and 1994?

A101. Tom Hanks

Q102. Who wrote The Divine Comedy?

A102. Dante Alighieri (accept Dante)

Wednesday, February 04, 2015

3rd February–THE QUESTIONS

 

Specialist Rounds

Science

Art & Entertainment

History

Sport

Geography

Titfer Tat

Classic Films (picture round)

Eponymous Anonymous

Set by the Dolphin

Vetted by the Plough Horntails and the Lamb

|

Science

1. If a leaf is described as “saggitate”, what shape is it?

A. Arrow-shaped.

2. What name is given by geologists to the boundary between two tectonic plates, where one slides under the other?

A. Subduction zone.

3. A practitioners of what profession would use a Snellen chart?

A. An optician.

4. Among primates, what is brachiation?

A. Swinging from tree to tree using only the arms. Gibbons are particularly good at this.

5. The piece of scientific equipment originally known as a Leyden jar is nowadays called what?

A. A capacitor. (But accept also condenser).

6. Which organ of the body could suffer from iritis?

A. The eye. (Specifically, the iris).

7. Which species of bat could be described as haematophagous?

A. Vampire bats. (The word means blood-eating).

8. Occurring twice a year, what name is given to a day consisting of twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of darkness?

A. Equinox.

Supplementaries:

9. What is the formula for calculating the area of a triangle?

A. Half the base times the (perpendicular) height. Base x height over 2.

10. What kind of animal is a muntjac?

A. Deer.

 

Art & Entertainment

1. Which band, with singer Adam Lambert, rocked Big Ben on New Year’s Eve, 2014?

A. Queen.

Q. Trevor Ward-Davies, who died last month, was the bassist in the group which topped the charts in 1968 with “The Legend of Xanadu”. How was he known?

A. Dozy. (Of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich).

Q. Which comedy show had the highest viewing figures on Christmas Day?

A. Mrs. Brown’s Boys.

Q. In which BBC TV sitcom did Melvyn Hayes play the character Gloria Beaumont?

A. It ain’t half hot Mum.

Q. Which French artist, born 1834, was well-known for his paintings of ballet dancers?

A. Edgar Degas.

Q. The painting by W. F. Yeames entitled “And when did you last see your father?” is set in which conflict?

A. The English Civil War.

Q. Which 19th century author wrote a series of over 50 novels, many of them famous, under the collective title, “Extraordinary Journeys”?

A. Jules Verne.

Q. What series of short stories are written as narratives to a listener always addressed as “Best Beloved”?

A. The Just So Stories, by Rudyard Kipling.

Supplementaries:

9. What is the name of the anti-slavery novel written in 1852 by the American author Harriet Beecher Stowe?

A. Uncle Tom’s cabin.

10. Who wrote the words and music to the musical “Oliver”?

A. Lionel Bart.

 

History

1. During the reign of which king were the castles of Conway, Caernarvon, Harlech and Beaumaris built?

A. Edward I.

2. Grime’s Graves is a prehistoric site in Norfolk. What was its purpose in Neolithic times?

A. A flint mine.

3. Montezuma II (or Moctezuma) who lived from c1460 – 1520, was the emperor of which people?

A. The Aztecs.

4. Which Royal Navy frigate was trapped in the River Yangtse for three months in 1949 by Communist forces in China’s civil war?

A. HMS Amethyst.

5. The largest prehistoric stone circle in Britain surrounds a village. What is the village called?

A. Avebury.

6. Who was the last monarch of the House of Lancaster?

A. Henry VI.

7. Which US state was created during the American Civil War as a breakaway from the Southern Confederacy?

A. West Virginia.

8. The last Dutch director-general of the colony of New Amsterdam, now New York, gave his name to a brand of cigarettes. Who was he?

A. Peter Stuyvesant.

Supplementaries:

9. From 1350 to 1791 the heir apparent to the French throne had which title?

A. Dauphin.

10. In which war was the Gatling machine-gun first used?

A. The American Civil War.

 

Sport

1. Who won the 2015 Snooker Masters Tournament?

A. Sean Murphy.

2. Theo Walcott, Gareth Bale and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all came to prominence in football with which club?

A. Southampton.

3. Held in September last year at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, what name was given to the paralympic games for injured service personnel?

A. The Invictus games.

4. How many players are there in a handball team?

A. 7.

5. In rowing, when one team wins by a very narrow margin they are said to win by a what?

A. A canvas.

6. Which Rugby Union club’s emblem consists of a red star and crescent on a black background?

A. Saracens.

7. In 2014, which boxer topped the Forbes list of highest paid sportsmen for the second time in three years?

A. Floyd Mayweather.

8. Who is the current British No1 woman tennis player?

A. Heather Watson.

Supplementaries:

9. In cricket, what term do Australians use for the runs that we call extras?

A. Sundries.

10. At last year’s football World Cup finals, what was the final score in the match between hosts Brazil and Germany?

A. 7 – 1 to Germany.

 

Geography

1. On a 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey map, what is represented by the symbol of a blue wading bird?

A. A nature reserve.

2. What is the name of the region which forms the “toe” of Italy?

A. Calabria.

3. Before 1973, by what name was Belize known?

A. British Honduras.

4. By population, what is the largest city in Washington State?

A. Seattle.

5. Measured by volume of water, what is the largest lake in South America?

A. Lake Titicaca. (Lake Maracaibo has a larger surface area, but because it is directly linked to the sea is strictly defined as a brackish bay).

6. On a 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey map, what area of land is represented by a grid square?

A. One square kilometre.

7. By population, what is the largest city in Louisiana?

A. New Orleans.

8. The largest islands in Shetland and Orkney share the same name. What is it?

A. Mainland.

Supplementaries:

9. What is the highest mountain in Germany?

A. The Zugspitze.

10. Name either of the two countries linked by the Khyber Pass.

A. Afghanistan or Pakistan.

 

Titfer tat – a round about headgear

1. What form of headgear, associated with Scotland, takes its name from the protagonist of a poem by Robbie Burns?

A. Tam o’ Shanter.

2. Which style of hat gets its name from the title of an 1894 novel by George du Maurier?

A. Trilby.

Q. Particularly associated with seafarers and fishermen, what is the name of the waterproof, oilskin hat, long at the back to protect the neck, and having a turned-up gutter at the front, to allow water to run off?

A. Sou’wester.

4. Who would wear a cap and bells?

A. A jester, professional fool.

5. Which hat maker is credited with designing, in 1865, the standard cowboy hat that still bears his name?

A. J. B. Stetson.

6. What style of hat was made fashionable after King Edward VII brought one back from a visit to the German town whose name it bears?

A. Homburg.

7. What name is given to the flat-topped cylindrical peaked cap worn by the French army?

A. Kepi.

8. What form of headgear gets its name from a 13th century Scottish theologian and philosopher?

A. The dunce’s cap or hat. From John Duns Scotus.

Supplementaries:

9. What do Americans call the hat we know as a bowler?

A. A derby.

10. From which country does the Panama hat originate?

A. Ecuador.

 

Classic Films – Picture Round

Name the film from which the still is taken.

1. image

Gone with the Wind.

2. image

The Graduate.

3. image

In the Heat of the Night.

4.image

Planet of the Apes.

5. image

From here to Eternity.

6.image

North by North-west.

7.image

The Seventh Seal.

8.image

Dr. Strangelove.

Supplementaries:

9. image

Casablanca.

10. image

Airplane.

Alternative Qs for quizzers with visual impairment:

1. Which classic Western film has as its theme music the song “Do not forsake me oh my darling”?

A. High Noon.

2. Which composer’s 2nd piano concerto was used as the theme music for the film “Brief Encounter”?

A. Rachmaninoff.

3. Who wrote the music for the film “Limelight”?

A. Charlie Chaplin.

Eponymous Anonymous

Many books, plays, films and operas have titles which refer to the central character, not by name, but by some other aspect, eg relationship, status, profession, appearance, etc. In this round you will be given the name of a character and you must say how they are described in the title of the work in which they appear. Eg if you were given Oliver Mellors, in a novel by D. H. Lawrence, you would say that he was “Lady Chatterley’s Lover”.

1. Mr. Septimus Harding, in an 1855 novel by Anthony Trollope.

A. The Warden.

2. Sarah Woodruff, in a 1969 novel by John Fowles and a 1981 film by Karel Reisz.

A. The French Lieutenant’s Woman.

3. Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom in a 1968 film by Mel Brooks

A. The Producers.

4. Don Vito Corleone in a 1969 novel by Mario Puzo and a 1972 film by Francis Ford Coppola.

A. The Godfather.

5. Francisco Scaramanga in a 1965 novel by Ian Fleming and a 1974 film by Tom Hamilton.

A. The Man with the Golden Gun.

6. Loretta Lynn in a 1980 film by Michael Apted.

A. Coalminer’s Daughter.

7. Cio Cio San (pronounced Cho Cho San) in a 1904 opera by Puccini.

A. Madame Butterfly.

8. Figaro, in a 1775 play by Beaumarchais and an 1816 opera by Rossini.

A. The Barber of Seville.

9. Michael Henchard in an 1886 novel by Thomas Hardy.

A. The Mayor of Casterbridge.

10. Jake LaMotta in a 1980 film by Martin Scorsese.

A. Raging Bull.

11. Archie Rice in a 1957 play by John Osborne and a 1960 film by Tony Richardson.

A. The Entertainer.

General Knowledge

1. Named after a famous writer, what is the name of the annual award given for political writing?

A. The Orwell Prize.

2. Who had a Billboard number 10 hit in 1967 with “Brown-eyed girl”?

A. Van Morrison.

3. Give the name of the Green Party’s only MP.

A. Caroline Lucas.

4. In Greek mythology, who was the faithful wife of Odysseus?

A. Penelope.

5. In the medieval Mappa Mundi (Map of the World) housed in Hereford Cathedral, which city is placed at the centre?

A. Jerusalem.

6. Before achieving high office in US politics, Jimmy Carter was a farmer; of what crop, mainly?

A. Peanuts.

7. Which Premier League football club’s motto is “Superbia in Proelio” – meaning Pride in Battle?

A. Manchester City.

8. Complete this comment from Woody Allen; “I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work....”

A. “I want to achieve immortality through not dying”. (Accept any answer that contains the gist of the joke).

9. What is the name of the Ministry of Defence airbase north-west of Lashkar Gar in Helmand Province, including barracks for the Afghan national army?

A. Camp Bastion.

10. For the production of what commodity is the island of Murano, near Venice, famous?

A. Glass.

11. What is the name of the chart-topping album of 2014 released by the Brighton-based duo of the same name?

A. Royal Blood.

12. In 1993, which football club, nicknamed the Eagles, was relegated from the Premier League with 49 points, the highest for any relegated team in the history of the Premiership?

A. Crystal Palace.

13. The name of the flower tulip comes from which language?

A. Turkish.

14. In the Bible, who was the wife of Uriah the Hittite, after whom King David lusted?

A. Bathsheba.

15. Which comedian has announced his intention to stand for election against Nigel Farage in the South Thanet constituency, for the Free United Kingdom Party (FUKP).

A. Al Murray.

16. By what name are members of the Free Church of Scotland popularly known?

A. Wee Frees.

17. From a Malay word meaning something that rolls up, what is the alternative name for the scaly anteater?

A. Pangolin.

18. What does the leisure activity of zorbing involve?

A. Rolling down a hill in a large transparent sphere.

19. In law, what is the commonly used Latin word meaning “elsewhere”?

A. Alibi.

20. Which actress, who died in 2014, was born Meredith Lee Hughes in Montreal in 1948?

A. Lynda Bellingham.

21. Which German city is served By Manfred Rommel airport, commemorating a distinguished mayor?

A. Stuttgart.

22. In the card game Bridge, what is a Yarborough?

A. A hand with no card higher than a 9.

23. In Coleridge’s poem “Kubla Khan”, what was the name of the sacred river which ran through Xanadu?

A. Alph.

24. Since January, which multi-national company has sponsored the London Eye, changing the colour of its night time lighting to conform with their corporate image?

A. Coca Cola.

25. Instead of the usual two, how many candles were carried at the Westminster Abbey memorial service for Ronnie Barker?

A. 4. (Fork ‘andles).

26. Give the name of the Respect Party’s only MP.

A. George Galloway.

27. With which Scottish publishing company would you associate the cartoon characters “Oor Wullie” and “The Broons”?

A. D. C. Thomson.

28. FIDE is the world governing body of which game?

A. Chess.

29. The company ERF manufactured trucks in Sandbach until 2002. What does the F stand for in ERF?

A. Foden. (Edwin Richard Foden broke away from the parent company in 1933 because the board refused to move from steam driven trucks to diesel).

30. With the bulk of its population residing in the metropolitan area known as “the Twin Cities”, which is the second most northerly state in the USA, after Alaska?

A. Minnesota.

31. According to the nursery rhyme, how many miles are there to Babylon?

A. Three score and ten.

32. Which is the most common type of bean used in the USA and north-west Mexico for the Mexican dish “refried beans”?

A. Pinto bean.

33. What would you expect to find in an ossuary?

A. Bones.

34. In Longfellow’s poem “The Song of Hiawatha” what is the name of Hiawatha’s lover?

A. Minnehaha.

35. In the tradition of the Freemasons, what term is used to refer to their concept of God?

A. The Great Architect of the Universe. (Or Grand, or Supreme Architect – accept any answer which refers to Architect).

36. What, in Glasgow, is “the Clockwork Orange”?

A. The underground railway.

37. In Greek mythology, after Hera’s 100-eyed servant Argos was slain, where did she put his eyes, to preserve them?

A. In the tail of the peacock.

38. What is the UK’s smallest bird of prey?

A. The merlin.

39. For what spectacular Royal entertainment, to celebrate the end of the War of Austrian Succession, did the composer Handel write a suite of music in 1749?

A. Royal Fireworks.

40. Hollywood star Joan Fontaine, who died in December, 2013, had a lifelong feud with her actress sister. Who was she?

A. Olivia de Havilland.

41. In darts, what name is given to a throw of three darts which land in the single, double and treble of the same number?

A. Shanghai.

42. What is the name of the traditional Russian metal container, used to boil water to make tea?

A. Samovar.

43. With which Italian city is pesto sauce particularly associated?

A. Genoa.

44. Sir Peter Tapsell holds which title in the House of Commons?

A. Father of the House. (The longest continuously serving MP – in his case, since 1966).

45. Which world title is currently held by the Lithuanian, Žydrūnas Savickas?

A. The World’s Strongest Man.

46. In which UK city is the national water sports centre?

A. Nottingham.

47. Which Archbishop of York died in disgrace at Leicester in November, 1530?

A. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey.

48. Which famous poem begins with the words (in translation)

“Midway in our life’s journey I went astray from the straight road, and awoke to find myself alone in a dark wood”?

A. The Divine Comedy, by Dante. (Accept Dante’s Inferno).

49. Who was the narrator of the collection of 1001 stories known to us as the Arabian Nights?

A. Scheherazade.

50. A major river of central Europe, the river Labe (pronounced lah-bay) rises in the Czech Republic, eventually flowing into the North Sea. How is it known in Germany?

A. The river Elbe.

51. The skyscraper on New York’s 5th Avenue originally known as the Fuller Building is now known by what name, from its resemblance to a common household appliance?

A. The Flat Iron building.

52. “Hound Dog”, “Jailhouse Rock” and “Leader of the Pack” are just three of the hits written by Jerry Leiber and who?

A. Mike Stoller.

53. The many moons of Uranus have been given names from two literary sources; name either. (The name of the writer is sufficient).

A. Alexander Pope’s poem, the Rape of the Lock, or the plays of Shakespeare.

54. In music, what term is given to the set of five lines on which musical notation is written?

A. The stave.

55. In the history of whaling, what was a Nantucket sleigh ride?

A. When the whale, on being harpooned, swam off dragging the whalers’ boat behind it.

56. In the nursery rhyme, who “came to visit me, all for the sake of my little nut tree”?

A. The King of Spain’s daughter.

57. What name was given by the Nazis to art, generally modern, which did not fit in with their ideas of what art should be?

A. Degenerate art. (Entartete Kunst, in German).

58. Where does the European eel (Anguilla Anguilla) lay its eggs?

A. The Sargasso Sea.

59. In Coronation Street, who killed Tina MacIntyre?

A. Rob Donovan.

60. What in Southern and Eastern Africa is a knobkerrie?

A. A wooden club, used as a weapon.

61. In the dramatic narrative poem by J. Milton Hayes, the one-eyed yellow idol is located north of which city?

A. Kathmandu.

62. In Orwell’s novel “1984”, what name is given to Britain?

A. Airstrip one.

63. “Trouble in Store”, “The Bulldog Breed” and “On the Beat” were three of the many films to star which comic actor?

A. Norman Wisdom.

64. Wapentake is a traditional name for a division of a county in some parts of England; in others the terms lathe, rape or ward are used. What is it called in Cheshire?

A. A hundred.

65. Which infamous night club and music venue stood at 11-13 Whitworth Street, Manchester, from 1982 to 1997?

A. The Hacienda.

66. What natural product, important in the manufacture of glass, is extracted at Arclid, Sandbach, by the Bathgate Company?

A. Silica sand. (Accept sand).

67. In the children’s card game Happy Families, what is the name of the baker?

A. Mr. Bun.

68. How is the controversial investigative journalist Mazher Mahmood popularly known?

A. The Fake Sheik.

69. What would you do with Staunton pieces?

A. Play chess.

70. The novelist Robert Louis Stevenson came from a family of distinguished engineers who specialised in the building of what structures?

A. Lighthouses.

71. In which US state is the ski resort of Aspen?

A. Colorado.

72. Which Russian city gives its name to a geological period, falling between the Carboniferous and the Triassic?

A. Perm. (The Permian period).

73. What, in connection with food, is a freegan?

A. Someone who reclaims and eats food that has been discarded.

74. Which of Robin Hood’s Merry Men was a minstrel?

A. Alan-a-Dale.

75. With which country does China share its longest land border?

A. Mongolia. (2,906 miles).

76. What is the fundamental assumption of the Ptolemaic model of the Universe?

A. That the earth is at the centre.

77. In the First World War, what were the British Mk. IV and the German a7v examples of?

A. Tanks.

78. “Trouble Brewing”, “It’s in the Air” and “Turned out nice again” were three of the many films to star which comic actor and musician?

A. George Formby.

79. Complete this comment by Groucho Marx; “I never forget a face...”

A. “but in your case I’ll be glad to make an exception” (or anything that gives the gist of the joke).

80. Which river forms the border between South Africa and Zimbabwe?

A. The Limpopo.

81. What name is given to the political practice of artificially constructing the boundaries of an electoral district in order to achieve a desired election result?

A. Gerrymandering.

82. In which comedy series would you encounter, among others, Bubbles Devere and Norman Fry, M.P. for Little Fumble, who was always caught in compromising situations?

A. Little Britain.

83. Who wrote the novels “Pillars of the Earth” and “World without End”?

A. Ken Follett.

84. Which leader of a barons’ revolt against King Henry III was defeated and killed at the battle of Evesham in 1265?

A. Simon de Montfort.

85. “Walk on by”, “Anyone who had a Heart” and “Close to you” are just three of the hits written by Burt Bacharach and who?

A. Hal David.

86. What name is given to leather that has been processed to give it a highly polished, glossy finish, nowadays usually plastic-coated?

A. Patent leather.

87. In the Bible, what form of execution did Nebuchadnezzar order for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego?

A. Burning in a fiery furnace.

88. In which city did the 1916 Easter Rising take place?

A. Dublin.

89. On which river does the sacred Hindu city of Benares stand?

A. The Ganges.

90. What is the name of the sweet bread loaf originally from Milan, usually prepared and eaten at Christmas and New Year?

A. Panettone.

91. Warfarin and Heparin are types of drugs used specifically for what purpose?

A. Anticoagulants, i.e. thinning the blood.

92. What letter did the novelist Iain Banks add to his name when he started writing science fiction?

A. M. (As in Iain M. Banks).

93. In the title of the new James Bond film SPECTRE, what do any of the last three letters stand for?

A. Terrorism, Revenge, Extortion.

94. Who could boast that he inherited Rome brick and left it marble?

A. The Emperor Augustus.

95. Galen, a Greek living in the 3rd century, was a specialist in which field, on which he was regarded as the foremost authority until at least the 17th century?

A. Medicine. (Accept anatomy or physiology).

96. Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture commemorates which battle?

A. Borodino.

Supplementaries:

97. Which river flows through Lake Bala, in Wales?

A. The River Dee.

98. What, on the Isle of Man, is a MHK?

A. Member of the House of Keys.

99. If the title of a piece of classical music is followed by the letter K and a number, what does it signify?

A. It’s by Mozart. (K stands for Köchel’s catalogue of Mozart’s works).

100. What is the heraldic symbol for the Irish province of Ulster?

A. The red hand.

101. What was the number of the RAF bomber squadron which carried out the Dam Busters raids in 1943?

A. 617.

102. In which county is the fictional TV town of Broadchurch?

A. Dorset.

103. What is the currency of Belarus?

A. The (Belarusian) rouble.