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Today’s Answers
One
What is the 1982 science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein? What term best describes the title character?
Answer: Friday; Artificial person (genetically engeneered person).
Robert A. Heinlein’s 1982 science fiction novel Friday follows an eponymous genetically engineered ‘artificial person’. Working as a secret courier in a fractured future North America, Friday must navigate a deeply prejudiced society while concealing her enhanced physical and mental abilities from those around her.
Two
Who created F.R.I.D.A.Y. and what six words are represented by the acronym?
Answer: Tony Stark; Female Replacement Intelligent Digital Assistant Youth.
F.R.I.D.A.Y. is an artificial intelligence created by Tony Stark to serve as his digital assistant. Initially manifesting as a young girl’s hologram, she later gained a robotic body as ‘Friday Stark’. F.R.I.D.A.Y. has assisted Stark, operated independently, and even aided the A.I. Army.
Three
What 1719 Daniel Defoe novel introduced the character who would be dubbed Friday by the title character? According to his own journal how long (to the nearest year) had the title character been marooned on the island in total?
Answers: Robinson Crusoe; 28 years.
The title character Robinson Crusoe records in his journal that he is marooned for 28 years, 2 months, and 19 days. During his time on the island he rescues a prisoner from cannibals, and names him Friday. Eventually an English ship arrives and Crusoe helps the captain suppress a mutiny, finally securing his own passage back to England after years stranded.
Four
What song includes the line “Monday you can fall apart / Tuesday, Wednesday break my heart”? By what band, and from what album was it?
Answers: Friday I’m in Love; Cure; Wish.
Friday I’m in Love is a 1992 hit song by the British rock band the Cure, from their album Wish. Written by Robert Smith, it became a worldwide success. The accompanying music video, directed by Tim Pope, won an MTV Video Music Award in 1992.
Five
What is this: friggatriskaidekaphobia?
Answer: The fear of Friday the thirteenth.
The fear of Friday the 13th, known as friggatriskaidekaphobia, stems from Norse and Christian folklore. In Norse mythology, Loki crashed a dinner for 12 gods as the 13th guest, causing chaos and death. In the Christian tradition, Judas was the 13th disciple at the Last Supper, and Jesus was crucified on a Friday, linking the day and the number to bad luck. It is also often linked to the arrest of the Knights Templar in France on Friday, October 13, 1307.
Six
Who links question six to the others and why? Secondly, why is it not ‘quite for today’ as suggested in the title?
Answers: Frigga; the deity who gave her name to Friday; friggatriskaidekaphobia is a fear of Friday the 13th, not the 23rd.
Old English Frīgedæg ‘day of Frigga’, named after the Germanic goddess Frigga, wife of the supreme god Odin and goddess of married love; translation of late Latin Veneris dies ‘day of Venus’, Frigga being equated with the Roman goddess of love, Venus. Compare with Dutch vrijdag and German Freitag. — Oxford English Dictionary
The next post will be Monday 26th.
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