The Naming Of Cats Is A Difficult Matter — Answer

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Today’s Answers

Charlie Parker, 1947.
Image Wikimedia Commons

Today’s first question relates to the date 26 September, but the remainder are not date-related. They do, though, follow on a theme from the first.

One

On this day in 1939 Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats was published. Who was this ‘Old Possum’?

Answer: T.S. Eliot.

In 1939, T.S. Eliot released a collection of light verse titled Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, with ‘Old Possum’ being Ezra Pound’s affectionate nickname for him. The first edition featured an illustration of the author on the cover. In 1954, composer Alan Rawsthorne arranged six poems for speaker and orchestra in a piece called Practical Cats. Following Eliot’s death, the book became the foundation for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats, which premiered in the West End in 1981 and opened on Broadway the following year.

Two

What American singer, born in 1980, has been referred to as the ‘Voice of a Generation’?

Answer: Christina Aguilera

Christina María Aguilera, born 18 December 1980, in New York City, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for a four-octave range and reinventions, Rolling Stone ranked her among the greatest singers; her work draws acclaim and controversy.

Three

What high-ranking politician from the first couple of decades of the 21st century was given the nickname ‘Mutti’?

Answer: Angela Merkel.

Angela Merkel served as Germany’s chancellor from 2005 to 2021, making her the first woman and second longest-serving leader in that role. She was a key figure in European politics, advocating for austerity during the euro-zone debt crisis and maintaining open borders during a major refugee crisis. Her steady leadership navigated Germany through significant global challenges.

Four

Eric Clapton joined a band in 1963 which had a name which may have come from Jack Kerouac’s novel On the Road. This name was also the nickname of a legendary jazz saxophonist. What was the band’s name; and who was the sax player?

Answer: The Yardbirds; Charlie ‘Yardbird’ Parker.

Formed in London in 1963, the Yardbirds featured Keith Relf, Paul Samwell-Smith, Chris Dreja, Jim McCarty and Anthony Topham. Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page played lead guitar before the 1968 split. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
Charles Parker Jr., nicknamed Bird or Yardbird, was an influential American alto saxophonist, bandleader and composer central to bebop. He introduced revolutionary rhythms and harmonies and became an icon for hipsters and the Beat Generation as an uncompromising artist.

Five

In September 2026, there are seven reigning monarchs in Europe who are all descended from the same person. Who was that person, and what nickname was bestowed on them relating to earlier descendant rulers?

Answers: Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom; Grandmother of Europe.

Seven reigning monarchs descended from Queen Victoria: King Charles III of the United Kingdom; King Frederik X of Denmark; King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands; King Philippe of Belgium; King Felipe VI of Spain; King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden; and King Haakon VIII of Norway.