14th March–the Questions

 

All Questions set by the Royal Oak

Please note the Specialist Subjects are not necessarily in the same order they were asked in the quiz

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

'It's all black or white'. Either the question or the answer will contain the word 'black' or white'. As an answer, 'black' or 'white' may be part of a longer word.

Q1. What is the name of the jazz dance which originally became popular around 1907 with African Americans in the south of the USA, and became a national craze through the 1920's? THE BLACK BOTTOM

Q2. Marvel Comics' Natasha Romanova is better known as which superhero?

BLACK WIDOW

Q3. In the BBC sitcom Chef, which aired from 1993 to 1996, what was the name of the lead character, a tyrranical chef played by Lenny Henry? Gareth BLACKSTOCK

Q4. White Linen perfume is produced by which cosmetics manufacturer? ESTEE LAUDER

Q5. Who was the first woman to win the Turner Prize? Rachel WHITEREAD

Q6. Which novel by Zadie Smith, published in 2000, focuses on the lives of two wartime friends, Archie Jones and the Bangladeshi Samad Iqbal? WHITE TEETH

Q7. What is the title of Susan Hill's gothic-style novella of 1983. It was adapted successfully for stage and screen? THE WOMAN IN BLACK

Q8. Which act released the single Ride a White Swan in 1970?

T. REX (accept Marc BOLAN)

Supplementaries

S1. Another Way to Die is the theme tune to Quantum of Solace. Who collaborated with Alicia Keys on what was the first Bond music duet? JACK WHITE (full name required)

S2. Which current US drama series is set in Litchfield Penitentiary, New York? ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

FOOD & DRINK (fact and fiction)

Q1. Who is Sweeny Todd's partner in crime who bakes the flesh of his victims into her pies?

MRS LOVETT

Q2. Which distinctly flavoured food ingredient has its own annual festival on the Isle of Wight? GARLIC

Q3. What is the name of the sweet and salty Chinese sauce consisting of soy beans, chillies, garlic, vinegar, five spice and sugar? HOISIN

Q4. Which fictional character subsists on the foul-tasting snozzcumber?

BFG or BIG FRIENDLY GIANT (Roald Dahl)

Q5. What is Homer Simpson's favourite beer? DUFF

Q6. In Enid Blyton's Famous Five books, what is their favourite drink? GINGER BEER

Q7. In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which irresistable treat does the Snow Queen tempt Edmund to eat, thus enslaving him to her? TURKISH DELIGHT

Q8. Which cocktail consists of rye whisky, sweet vermouth and angostura bitters? MANHATTAN

Supplementaries

S1. Which English cheese was invented by Alan & Jenny Gray?

YARG (from Cornwall. Yarg is Gray backwards)

S2. Napa is a variety of which vegetable?

CABBAGE (a type of Chinese cabbage sold commonly in the UK)

 

GEOGRAPHY

Q1. What is the state capital of Kentucky? FRANKFORT

Q2. What is the highest dam in the US? It was in the news last month when 130,000 people were evacuated over fears that it would collapse. OROVILLE (California)

Q3. What is the longest river flowing entirely within one country? YANGTZE (Nile and Amazon are longer but have watersheds in more than one country)

Q4. Which country was the world's largest copper producer in 2016? CHILE

Q5. After Great Britain and Ireland, what is the largest island in the British Isles? LEWIS AND HARRIS (confusing, but this is a single island in the Outer Hebrides)

Q6. What is the world's largest landlocked country by area? KAZAKHSTAN

Q7. The Trans-Siberian Railway has connected Moscow with which Pacific port since 1916? VLADIVOSTOK

Q8. How many of Canada's Provinces or Territories have a border with any of the Great Lakes? ONE (Ontario)

Supplementaries

S1. What is the name of the rail tunnel through the Alps in Switzerland which opened in 2016? It is the world's longest and deepest traffic tunnel. GOTTHARD Base Tunnel

S2. What is the capital of the Scilly Isles? HUGH TOWN

HISTORY

Q1. What was the nickname of WW2 German Field Marshall Erwin Rommel? DESERT FOX

Q2. The Jacobites raised a toast to "the little gentleman in the black velvet waistcoat". But who or what was he, who caused William the Third's fall from horse and his subsequent death? MOLE (horse tripped on a mole hill)

Q3. After Oxford and Cambridge, which is the third oldest university in the UK (founded 1411)? ST ANDREWS

Q4. Starting in York, the Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular uprising against the religious policies and actions of which English king? HENRY THE EIGHTH

Q5. John Brown, still remembered in the well-known song John Brown's Body, was a political agitator in what cause? ABOLITION OF SLAVERY (in the US)

Q6. Dating to around 400 to 250 BC and probably the oldest Iron Age gold work ever found in Britain, the discovery of three neck rings and a bracelet near Leek was publicly announced last month. The treasure is now known as the Leekfrith what? TORCS

Q7. In what year did the Roman Empire finally withdraw from Britain, when Roman Law ceased to apply? 410 AD (or CE) (allow 400 to 420)

Q8. Give the surname of the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). He held the post from 1949 to 1963. His first name was Konrad. ADENAUER

Supplementaries

S1. What is the oldest distillery in the UK? BUSHMILLS (Antrim, founded 1608)

S2. Richard the Second was buried in Westminster Abbey in 1400. In 1776, a Westminster School pupil stole what part of his body from his tomb? JAWBONE

Let’s Be Frank About This…..

All questions or answers relate to the name Frank or similar.

Q1. The hit Broadway and West End musical Jersey Boys features the music of a US band. Who was the frontman of the band who became famous in his own right? Frankie Valli (and the Four Seasons)

Q2. Singer Francesca "Frankie" Bridge born in 1989 made it to the Strictly Come Dancing final in 2014 and was a member of which girl band?

The Saturdays

Q3. What was the name of Frank and Betty Spencer's daughter in the 1970's sitcom "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em"? Jessica

Q4. Which English radio and television personality born in 1920, who had a long-standing partnership with Denis Norden, frequently sported a crisply knotted pink bow-tie? Frank Muir

Q5. Which Canadian-born architect’s best-known works include the titanium-clad Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles? Frank Gehry

Q6. Which Irish-American teacher and writer won a Pulitzer Prize for his book Angela's Ashes, a memoir of the misery and squalor of his childhood? A further memoir called 'Tis followed. Frank McCourt

Q7. Which American film director, famous for his dark, gothic, eccentric and quirky fantasy films, directed Frankenweenie in 2012?

Tim Burton

Q8. Which retired sportsman and children's author, reported by Mensa in 2009 to have an unusually high IQ score, is married to presenter Christine Bleakley? Frank Lampard

Supplementaries

S1. What was the second single released by Frankie Goes to Hollywood in May1984 following the massive success of Relax?

Two Tribes (Go To War)

S2. Which character's famous words "Frankly My Dear, I Don't Give a Damn" were in response to the question "Where Shall I Go?"?

Rhett Butler

RAMBLING ON

Q1. Ordnance Survey triangulation pillars (trig points) are found on UK mountains and hills. In which decade were the first ones installed? 1930's (To assist in the accurate retriangulation of Britain, the first were installed in 1935)

Q2. One end of the Pennine Way is at Edale. Where is the other? KIRK YETHOLM (just over the Scottish Border)

Q3. Cheryl Strayed was the first woman to walk the Pacific Crest Trail (Mexico to Canada)alone. Which well-known US actress played her in the 2014 film Wild, for which she was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar? Reese WITHERSPOON

Q4. A 2010 film describes the ordeal of Aron Ralston whose arm was trapped by a boulder when he was hiking and canyoneering in Utah. What was the film called? 127 HOURS

Q5. Which iconic 26 mile mountain trail, walked by thousands of visitors each year, finishes at the Sun Gate? INCA TRAIL (The Sun Gate is the entrance to Macchu Picchu)

Q6. Name one of the three hills which are climbed during the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge? INGLEBOROUGH, PEN-Y-GHENT or WHERNSIDE

Q7. The average walking speed is 3 mph. To the nearest whole number mph, what was the average speed of the winner of the 50 km long-distance walking Gold Medal in the 2016 Olympics? 8 MPH (Slovenian Matej Toth achieved an average of 8.45 mph)

Q8. On current plans, when will the full England Coastal Path be completed (no leaway)? 2020 (Two thousand and twenty)

Supplementaries

S1. Which UK brand of hiking boots and shoes are named after a 1956 Olympic Gold Medal winner? CHRIS BRASHER (3000 metre staplechase, Melbourne)

S2. In simple terms, what distinguishes walking from running?

WHEN WALKING, ONLY ONE FOOT LEAVES THE GROUND. BOTH FEET MAY BE OFF THE GROUND WHEN RUNNING

Science

Q1. The rich, brown pigment sepia is obtained from the ink sac of which sea creature?

Cuttlefish

Q2. For what essential activity does an insect use its spiracles?

Breathing/intake or output of air/gas exchange

Q3. Which part of the human body is known as the calcaneus (CAL-CANE-EUS)?

Heel bone

Q4. What is the SI base unit for temperature?

Kelvin

Q5. Which astronomer discovered four of the moons of Jupiter in 1610?

Galileo

Q6. Which noble gas element gets its name from a Greek word meaning stranger?

Xenon

Q7. What do humans have 52 of in a lifetime?

Teeth (20 milk plus 32 adult)

Q8. Name the element common to all acids.

Hydrogen

Supplementaries

S1. What structures of the human body consists of three muscles - Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus and Semimembranosus and are responsible for bending the knee?

The Hamstrings

S2. What is the brightest star in the northern hemisphere?

Sirius

SPORT

Q1. Chimene Mary Alcott (Chemmy Alcott) was five-times Senior British National Champion in what sport? SKIING

Q2. The first English manager to lead a team to a football World Cup final was George Raynor in 1958. Which country's team did he manage? SWEDEN (the host nation, who were beaten by Brazil)

Q3. In the 1970s, the World Snooker Championship was twice held in a country outside the UK. Which country? AUSTRALIA (Sydney 1971 and Melbourne 1975)

Q4. Name the largest sports stadium in Europe. NOU CAMP (Barcelona)

Q5. Which team won the men's Rugby Union Champions Cup in 2016, beating the French team Racing 92? SARACENS

Q6. What is the location of the last Greyhound Racing track in London? WIMBLEDON

Q7. Where will the next Winter Olympics be held in February 2018? PYEONGCHANG, S. Korea (Careful! Not Pyongyang)

Q8. Which is the host country for this year's Womens Euro Football tournament? NETHERLANDS

Supplementaries

S1. In which school was the game of squash invented? HARROW

S2. Jade Clarke of England has recently won a record 130th cap in which sport? NETBALL

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Q1.	Who wrote 'The History of Mr Polly' and 'The Shape of Things to Come'?	H G WELLS
Q2.	Damien Hirst's Newport Street Gallery in London won what prestigious UK Prize in 2016?	STIRLING Prize for Architecture
Q3.	What is the region of south-west France that gives its name to the country's second generic brandy?	ARMAGNAC
Q4.	Which of Canada's Provinces and Territories is the largest by land area?	NUNAVUT
Q5.	The early 19th Century emigration of Boers from Cape Colony in protest against British policies was known as 'The Great' what?	TREK
Q6.	Mr Cellophane and We Both Reached for the Gun are songs from which successful musical that later became a film?	CHICAGO
Q7.	What is the oldest comic strip in a British newspaper? It first appeared in 1920.	RUPERT BEAR (Daily Express)
Q8.	Hinkley Point C, the UK nuclear reactor given the construction go-ahead in 2016, is in which county?	SOMERSET
Q9.	King Camp were the first names of which innovator who developed a best-selling safety razor?	GILLETTE
Q10.	Who succeeded Donald Trump as host of 'The Apprentice USA'? He has subsequently resigned.	Arnold SCHWARTZENEGGER
Q11.	In 1923, Austrian author Felix Salten wrote a book subtitled 'A Life in the Woods'. It was adapted into which famous, animated, feature-length film?	BAMBI
Q12.	Professor Alexis Jay is the current chairperson of which major, long-running Government enquiry that has faced many difficulties?	Historic CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
Q13.	Give the name of the coarse, sacking fabric made from jute or hemp fibre.	HESSIAN
Q14.	Which territory in mainland South America is part of the European Union?	FRENCH GUIANA
Q15.	Who is the current President of The Philippines? Highly contraversial, he supported the killing of hundreds of drug dealers and criminals without trial.	Rodrigo DUTERTE
Q16.	Taboo the musical is based on the songs of which musician?	BOY GEORGE
Q17.	In legend, St Patrick is said to have banished which creatures from Ireland?	SNAKES
Q18.	What is the name of the pigment that determines skin and eye colour in humans?	MELANIN
Q19.	Which UK bookmaker sponsors the 'Sports Book of the Year Award'?	WILLIAM HILL
Q20.	What was the most popular car, in terms of quantity, bought new in the UK in 2016?	Ford FIESTA
Q21.	Name one of the 3 current presenters of Blue Peter?	Barney HARWOOD, Lindsey RUSSELL, Radzi CHINYANGANYA
Q22.	What is the pomegranate juice syrup that is commonly used as a mixer in cocktails?	GRENADINE
Q23.	The Volga, the longest river in Europe, flows into which sea?	CASPIAN
Q24.	What is the capital and chief port of the Bahamas?	NASSAU
Q25.	Frenchman Eugene Poubelle introduced La Poubelle to Paris in 1884. What is a poubelle?	DUSTBIN
Q26.	In the popular 1960's song Little Boxes by Pete Seeger, what were the boxes?	HOUSES
Q27.	In the Christian calendar, which special day falls on 25th March? It is also a Quarter Day.	LADY DAY (ANUNCIATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN)
Q28.	The medical term 'myoclonic jerk' can describe what common, repetitive affliction?	HICCUP
Q29.	For sponsorship purposes, what is the Millennium stadium in Cardiff now called?	PRINCIPALITY STADIUM (Principality Building Society)
Q30.	In a criminal trial under Scottish Law, 'guilty' and 'not guilty' are possible verdicts by a jury. What is the third?	NOT PROVEN
Q31.	The 'droogs' (Note to QM: spell it) Alex, Dim, Georgie and Pete are characters in which famous novel, subsequently filmed?	A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
Q32.	Who scored the winning goal at the 2016 Men's Euro Football tournament?	Ederzito LOPES, or EDER
Q33.	Dorset Dumplings are made from suet and which fruit?	APPLE
Q34.	A vaporetto is a form of transport found in which Italian city?	VENICE (water bus or water taxi)
Q35.	Cecil Chubb donated what site to the UK nation in 1918?	STONEHENGE
Q36.	Which British composer and conductor, who died in 2016, wrote 'Farewell to Stromness'? He was Master of the Queen's Music from 2004 to 2010.	Peter Maxwell DAVIS
Q37.	The Ten Commandments are in which book of the Bible?	EXODUS
Q38.	What is the scientific name for the hard upper shell of a crab, turtle or tortoise?	CARAPACE
Q39.	In the acronym WADA, relating to an organisation and cited regularly in the news in recent months, what does the D stand for?	DOPING (World Anti Doping Agency)
Q40.	Donald Trump has had three wives. His first and third were Czech and Slovenian, respectively. What nationality was his second wife?	UNITED STATES (her first name was Marla)
Q41.	What is the UK's smallest bat?	PIPISTRELLE
Q42.	Before Donald Trump, who was the only US President to have been divorced?	Ronald REAGAN
Q43.	Singing Hinnies, cakes named after the hissing sound from the dough when dropped onto a hot griddle, are associated with which English county?	NORTHUMBERLAND
Q44.	What are the vast areas of unforested plains in Siberia called?	STEPPES
Q45.	On which Hawaiian island does the Pearl Harbor naval base lie?	OAHU
Q46.	Which famous guitarist recently brought out his memoir Set the Boy Free?	Johnny MARR (formerly of The Smiths)
Q47.	In the theology of Hinduism, who is the ruler of the gods whose domain is the heavens?	INDRA
Q48.	Where on the human body are the Dimples of Venus?	Lower BACK
Q49.	Which racecourse is home to the Saint Leger?	DONCASTER
Q50.	What is is the UK's oldest registered trademark? It was the first trademark to be registered under the Trademark Registration Act 1875.	BASS TRIANGLE (red triangle logo for ale)
Q51.	Amazon Prime's petrol-head programme, starring Clarkson, Hammond and May (a rival to BBC's Top Gear) is called what?	GRAND TOUR
Q52.	Which UK politician wrote the recent memoir Politics - Between the Extremes?	Nick CLEGG
Q53.	Name the male presenter of the recent BBC Saturday evening boy-band talent show, Let It Shine, organised by Gary Barlow.	Graham NORTON
Q54.	What is the British name for the Greek island which the Greeks themselves call Thira or Thera?	SANTORINI
Q55.	Winston Churchill was born in which stately home?	BLENHEIM PALACE
Q56.	Name either the song or the band which made the UK Christmas number 1 single in 2016?	ROCKABYE by CLEAN BANDIT
Q57.	What is the Roman equivalent of Eos, the Greek goddess of the dawn?	AURORA
Q58.	Lathyrus is the Latin name for which common garden flower?	SWEET PEA
Q59.	In American Football, which NFL team have won the most Super Bowls with six championships? (QM: Full name needed)	PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Q60.	American Ray Tomlinson, who died in 2016, invented what common form of communication?	EMAIL
Q61.	Name the English novellist who died last year who wrote 'Shardik' and 'The Plague Dogs' as well as a famous book about bunnies?	Richard ADAMS
Q62.	Relating to costume, historically (especially in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries) what was a peruke? (Note to QM: spell it)	WIG
Q63.	Used to remove dry skin from feet, what is the only rock that floats on water?	PUMICE
Q64.	What enduring type of clock did Dutchman Christiaan Huygens invent in 1657?	PENDULUM CLOCK
Q65.	Which sea lies between Italy and Croatia?	ADRIATIC
Q66.	Who is the current Prime Minister of Japan?	Shinzo ABE
Q67.	The iconic Yucca brevifolia, particularly associated with the Mojave Desert in the USA, is more commonly known as what?	JOSHUA TREE
Q68.	In the long-running Radio 4 serial The Archers, at which farm do central characters David and Ruth Archer live?	BROOKFIELD FARM
Q69.	What UK eco-botanical endeavour was the brainchild of Tim Smit?	EDEN PROJECT
Q70.	Which 1977 film was based on the unsuccessful Allied Operation 'Market Garden', which was supposed to end the World War 2 by Xmas 1944?	A BRIDGE TOO FAR
Q71.	All the members of the UK's Supreme Court sat recently to decide a major Brexit case. How many judges are there in total?	ELEVEN
Q72.	Which Shipping Forecast area lies immediately to the north of Thames?	HUMBER
Q73.	Which well-known celebrity once declared, when still an unknown, "I want to be as famous as Persil Automatic"?	Victoria ADAMS or BECKHAM
Q74.	The name of which popular 1990s ITV television series is found in William Shakespeare's Sonnet 18, 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day'?	THE DARLING BUDS OF MAY
Q75.	Tony Hadley and Gary Kemp were members of which New Romantic group?	SPANDAU BALLET
Q76.	Digitalis, used in the treatment of heart conditions since 1775, is extracted fron the dried leaves of what common UK plant?	FOXGLOVE
Q77.	Savage, primitive creatures called Yahoos, obsessed with 'pretty stones' they find by digging in mud, are in which well-known, 18th Century novel?	GULLIVER'S TRAVELS
Q78.	Who is the director of the film musical success of 2017, La La Land?	Damien CHAZELLE
Q79.	What name did Mediaeval alchemists give to the imaginary substance that could turn base metal into gold?	PHILOSOPHER'S STONE
Q80.	Which gas, also known as 'firedamp', was a particular hazard in coal mines?	METHANE
Q81.	Gallipoli, the scene of a major World War 1 battle is in which modern-day country?	TURKEY
Q82.	The name kylie in Western Australian Aboriginal language refers to what object?	BOOMERANG (or hunting or throwing stick)
Q83.	Isca Dumnoniorum is the Roman name for which city?	EXETER
Q84.	The leaves of the Andean plant, family Erythroxylaceae, chewed as a stimulant or made into tea are known as what?	COCA
Q85.	In upper northern latitudes, 'taiga' is what type of feature? (QM: spell it)	FOREST (boreal or snow forest)
Q86.	Who was the first, and so far only, snooker player to have won BBC Sports Personality of the Year?	Steve DAVIS
Q87.	Which Finn will race along with Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes in the 2017 Formula 1 season?	Valtteri BOTTAS
Q88.	In Greek mythology, who was Mother Earth?	GAIA
Q89.	Kanya King and Andy Ruffell founded which prestigious, annual, UK music awards in 1996?	MOBO's (Music of Black Origin)
Q90.	What does the letter Q stand for in the abbreviation IQ?	QUOTIENT
Q91.	Name the Samsung smartphone which was recalled in 2016, at a cost of over US$ 17 billion, after many caught fire/exploded?	GALAXY NOTE (7 to be precise)
Q92.	Aged 10, which girl actor won an Oscar for playing a con artist in the 1973 film Paper Moon?	Tatum O'NEAL (real life daughter of Ryan O'Neal)
Q93.	Which serious disease, spread by lice, fleas and ticks, was once known as Gaol Fever? (QM: spell it)	TYPHUS
Q94.	Super Victor, the name of the mascot for the 2016 Euro football tournament, caused some amusement/embarrassment for what reason?	It's also the name of a SEX TOY (accept similar)
Q95.	Fashion designers Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren were both born in which city?	NEW YORK
Q96.	What is the national symbol on the Coat of Arms of Ireland?	HARP
	SUPPLEMENTARIES
S1.	In legend, the Lambton Worm was a dragon-like monster eventually killed by Sir John Lambton. It is associated with which English city?	DURHAM
S2.	How was Josip Broz better known (Questionmaster: spell it)?	Josip TITO (President of Yugoslavia)
S3.	Name the small fire-proof dish originally made to bake a cheese and egg mixture of the same name.	RAMEKIN
S4.	Ricky Gervais, in character as David Brent of The Office, went on a concert tour recently with a backing band named what?	FOREGONE CONCLUSION
S5.	Similar to samosas, what are the small Spanish breads or pastries stuffed with a variety of meats, cheeses, vegetables or fruits called?	EMPANADAS
S6.	In the 1800's, captured officers gave their word of honour that they would commit no further acts of war if freed. What was the name for this promise?	PAROLE