Stop the Pigeon (Before it is too Old) — Answers

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Today’s Answers

Today’s questions all relate to the title.

One

“Just the place for a …!” the Bellman cried,

As he landed his crew with care;

Supporting each man on the top of the tide

By a finger entwined in his hair.

What word is missing from the first line of the above?

Answer: Snark

The Hunting of the Snark, subtitled An Agony, in Eight Fits, by Lewis Carroll, published in 1876, is a nonsense poem with illustrations by Henry Holiday. It follows a crew hunting the Snark, which turns out to be a Boojum. The poem, dedicated to Gertrude Chataway, has been adapted widely and interpreted in various ways.

Two

What, in 1912, was the RMS Titanic’s last port of call before setting out across the Atlantic?

Answer: Queenstown.

RMS Titanic originally set sail on 10 April 1912 from Southampton, England; she crossed the English Channel to Cherbourg, France before sailing to Queenstown (now Cobh), County Cork, Ireland, picking up additional passengers at both of these ports before heading into the Atlantic Ocean on her fateful voyage. She struck the iceberg shortly before midnight on the 14 April and about two and a half hours later she broke in two and sank. About 1,500 people perished on the night.

Three

Whose 2005 hit song was entitled Caught Up?

Answer: Usher.

Caught Up by Usher, from Confessions, was released on 3 January 2005 as the final single. Written by Andre Harris, Vidal Davis, Ryan Toby and Jason Boyd, it reached number eight in the United States and number nine in the United Kingdom. Critics praised the performance; the music video premiered on Fox’s New Year’s Eve Live.

Four

The …, the Dish of the Day at The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, is a speaking quadruped, a ruminant specially bred not only to wish to be eaten but also to express this.

What three words (a fictional breed) are absent from this statement?

Answer: Ameglian Major Cow.

In The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, part of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, an Ameglian Major Cow, bred to want consumption, offers itself at Milliways; Zaphod orders steaks and Arthur a salad. The cow departs to shoot itself humanely, which Arthur finds revolting.

Five

The … Overland Mail ran from both Memphis, Tennessee, and St. Louis, Missouri, going via Fort Smith, Arkansas. to San Francisco, California.

What name is missing from the previous sentence?

Answer: Butterfield.

Butterfield Overland Mail operated from 1858 to 1861, carrying passengers and U.S. Mail from Memphis and St Louis to San Francisco via Fort Smith and multiple territories. Congress authorised Aaron V. Brown to contract this service in 1857; the route became a national historic trail in 2023.