Author: Quizologist

  • Measure for Measure

    Four measuring instruments calibrated in metric units
    Wikipedia

    Ten questions, all to do with measurements.

    1. The grain was the earliest unit of mass, initially, it referred to a grain of …
      • Rice
      • Salt
      • Wheat or barleycorn
    2. What unit of length is equivalent to 66 feet (20.1168 m)?
      • Cana
      • Chain
      • Cubit
    3. Of these three choices what is NOT a unit for measuring how heavy something is?
      • Rod
      • Shekel
      • Talent
    4. The carat, a unit for measuring gemstones, had its origin in what?
      • Carrot seed
      • Carob seed
      • Caraway seed
      Noah’s Ark by Edward Hicks
      Wikipedia
    5. According to the bible (Genesis 6:14–16) God decreed the dimensions for Noah to build his ark. In modern measurements the ark would be approximately 450 x 75 x 45 feet (137 x 23 x 14 m) but what were the original sizes as given in Genesis?
      • 100 cubits long, 30 cubits wide and 10 cubits high
      • 200 cubits long, 40 cubits wide and 20 cubits high
      • 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high
    6. Which of these cats shares its alternative name with a unit of mass or weight?
      • Margay
      • Ocelot
      • Snow leopard
    7. The Nippur cubit, one of the oldest known units of length, dates from 2650 BCE. It was discovered on the banks of what river?
      • Euphrates
      • Nile
      • Yangtze
    8. What author used the measurement “leagues” in the title of a work written in 1870?
      • Arthur Conan Doyle
      • Jules Verne
      • HG Wells
    9. What is the only unit which is equal across the troy, avoirdupois and apothecaries’ systems?
      • Dram
      • Grain
      • Scruple
    10. What is an abbreviation for a unit of length which is defined to be exactly equal to 149,597,870,700 m?
      • AG
      • AR
      • AU
    Balance scale
    Wikipedia
  • Sheelah’s Day—Answers

    Here, in bold, are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

    Sophie Myles, 2007.
    Wikipedia
    1. Sophia MylesWikipedia describes her as “an English actress… best known in film for portraying Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward in Thunderbirds(2004), Isolde in Tristan & Isolde (2006), Darcy in Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), Erika in Underworld(2003) and Underworld: Evolution (2006), and Freya in Outlander (2008)”.
    2. Caldwell, New Jersey—Stephen Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th US President, was the first Democrat elected after the Civil War and the first to serve two non-consecutive terms. Known for his honesty and principled approach, he blocked legislative excesses during his first term and championed political reform, fiscal conservatism, and classical liberalism, gaining support from both Democrats and Republicans. His presidency saw significant legislation such as the Interstate Commerce Act and the Dawes Act. However, his stance on government intervention during the economic collapse and the legacy of the Dawes Act have resulted in mixed assessments of his legacy.
      Wilfred Owen
      Wikipedia
    3. Wilfred Owen, an English poet and soldier, expressed anger at war’s cruelty and waste through his poetry. Based on his World War I experiences, his war poetry was about the horrors of trenches and gas warfare. At only 25 years of age, he was killed in action at the Battle of the Sambre on 4 November 1918, exactly a week before the war’s end. His best-known works— most of which were published posthumously— are Anthem for Doomed Youth, Dulce et Decorum est, Futility, and Spring Offensive

      Final draft of Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen, penned by the author.
      Wikipedia
      Honoree Queen Latifah speaks at the Kennedy Center Honors dinner at the State Department in Washington, D.C., Saturday, December 2, 2023. (Official State Department photo by Freddie Everett)
      Wikipedia
    4. Queen Latifah—American musician and actress. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album, All Hail the Queen, which blended diverse styles and feminist themes. The name Latifah is Arabic for “delicate” or “sensitive”.
    5. Neville Chamberlain—Prime Minister of the UK from 1937 to 1940—is known for his policy of appeasement towards Hitler’s Germany. He served in various government positions, including Chancellor of the Exchequer, before becoming Prime Minister. Despite signing the Munich Agreement with Hitler in 1938, the latter’s invasion of Poland less than a year later compelled Chamberlain to declare war on Germany.
    Chamberlain holding up the paper signed by both Hitler and himself on his return to Great Britain from Munich, Germany.
    Wikipedia

    Sheelah’s Day

    Sheelah’s Day is celebrated on 18 March, the day after Saint Patrick’s Day, and is observed in the Irish diaspora in Australia and Canada. Although there are no Sheelahs included in my post today, all of the questions are about people born on 18 March.

  • Sheelah’s Day

    Shamrock
    Wikipedia

    Sheelah’s Day is celebrated on 18 March the day after Saint Patrick’s Day and is observed in the Irish diaspora in Australia and Canada. No Sheelah’s included here today but all of the following are about people born on 18 March.

    1. Born 1980. Actress who links the following roles: Penelope (in 2004), Isolde (2006), Erika (2003 and 2006), Darcy (2014) and Freya (2008). Who is she?
      • Rose Keegan
      • Sophia Myles
      • Lucy Russell
      Grover Cleveland
      Wikipedia
    2. Born 1837, Grover Cleveland, served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Where was he born?
      • Amherst, New Hampshire
      • Brighton, New York
      • Caldwell, New Jersey
    3. Anthem for Doomed Youth was written by a war poet born this day in 1893. Who was he?
      • Rupert Brook
      • Wilfred Owen
      • Siegfried Sassoon
    4. Who is Dana Elaine Owens, born 18 March 1970, a musician and actress, better known as?
      • Lauryn Hill
      • Missy Elliott
      • Queen Latifah
    5. Born today in 1869, this British prime minister returned from Germany with a “piece of paper” promising to “have brought you back peace — but a peace I hope with honour.” Who was he?
      • Stanley Baldwin
      • Neville Chamberlain
      • Winston Churchill

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • And Now for Something Completely Different—Answers

    The first Monty Python Live (Mostly) reunion show at the O2 Arena in London, 2014.
    Wikipedia

    The answers to my earlier post are shown here in bold.

    1. Norwegian Blue and
    2. Graham Chapman—The Dead Parrot Sketch from Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a satire on poor customer service, featuring a non-existent parrot species, the “Norwegian Blue”. It was written by John Cleese and Graham Chapman.
      Carol Cleveland and Michael Palin performing the Lumberjack Song during the Monty Python Live (Mostly) show, 2014.
      Wikipedia
    3. Tree to tree—A man, dissatisfied with his job, expresses his desire to be a lumberjack. He then sings, backed by a choir of male singers dressed as Royal Canadian Mounted Police, about the wonders of being a lumberjack in British Columbia and “Leaping from tree to tree”. The lumberjack reveals cross-dressing tendencies to his best girl and the Mounties, who become increasingly uncomfortable and eventually leave in disgust. The girl, shocked, rejects him and runs off.
    4. And Now for Something Completely Different—And Now for Something Completely Different is a 1971 British sketch comedy film featuring sketches from the first two series of Monty Python’s Flying Circus. The film, released in the UK in 1971 and the US in 1972, consists of 90 minutes of sketches and animation sequences.
      Graham Chapman, ‘The Colonel’.
      Wikipedia
    5. Graham Chapman—Graham Chapman, a British actor, comedian, and writer, was a member of the surrealist comedy group Monty Python. He was openly homosexual, a supporter of gay rights and an alcoholic until he quit drinking before working on Life of Brian. Chapman died of tonsil cancer in 1989.
      Spike Milligan.
      Wikipedia
    6. Spike Milligan—Spike Milligan, born in British India, was a comedian, writer, and actor known for his work on The Goon Show and Q, a comedy sketch show which ran for six series from 1969 until 1983. He also wrote books, including Puckoon and a seven-volume autobiography, and comical verse, much of it for children. Spike Milligan, visiting Tunisia, was included by the Pythons in a scene of Life of Brian. He had left before being included in close-ups or publicity shots.
      Terry Gilliam, in the Spanish Inquisition sketch during Monty Python Live (Mostly) show, 2014.
      Wikipedia
    7. Terry Gilliam—Terrence Gilliam is an American-British filmmaker, comedian, and actor. He gained stardom as a member of Monty Python, collaborating on sketch series and films. Gilliam transitioned to directing serious films with themes exploring imagination and oppositions to bureaucracy and authoritarianism. He has directed 13 feature films, gaining acclaim for, among others, Time Bandits (1981), The Fisher King (1991) and 12 Monkeys (1995).
      A title card for Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
      Wikipedia
    8. John Philip Sousa—Sousa’s Liberty Bell March performed by the Band of the Grenadier Guards, was used as the opening theme for Monty Python’s Flying Circus as it was in the public domain and would not be associated with the show’s content.
      Knights Who Say “Ni!”
      Wikipedia
    9. Ni—In the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, King Arthur encounters the Knights Who Say “Ni!”, who demand a shrubbery as a sacrifice. After obtaining a shrubbery, the knights change their name to the Knights Who Say “Ekke Ekke Ekke Ekke Ptang Zoo Boing!” and give Arthur a new test, which he passes by saying the word “it”, incapacitating the knights.
      Spambot poster.
      Wikipedia
    10. SpamalotSpamalot is a stage musical by John Du Prez and Eric Idle parodying Arthurian legend, based on the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The original Broadway production, directed by Mike Nichols, received 14 Tony Award nominations and won three, including Best Musical.
    See question 5. Graham Chapman. Blue plaque erected by The British Comedy Society on 6th September 2012 at The Angel Inn, 37 Highgate High Street, London N6 5JT
    Wikipedia
  • And Now for Something Completely Different

    Michael Palin (left) and John Cleese (right) performing the Dead Parrot sketch during the Monty Python Live (Mostly) show (2014).
    Wikipedia
    1. What features in the sketch pictured above?
      • Danish Turquoise
      • Norwegian Blue
      • Swedish Indigo
    2. Who co-wrote the above sketch with John Cleese?
      • Michael Palin
      • Terry Jones
      • Graham Chapman
    3. In a sketch from the ninth episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus Michael Palin’s character sings that he wants to ‘leap from…’
      • The cliff
      • Tree to tree
      • The tallest building
    4. The first Monty Python offering on film for cinematic release was…
      • Monty Python and the Holy Grail
      • And Now for Something Completely Different
      • Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life
    5. In Monty Python’s Life of Brian which Python is described as “a very naughty boy”
      • Eric Idle
      • Michael Palin
      • Graham Chapman
    6. What veteran from The Goon Show appeared as a prophet in Monty Python’s Life of Brian?
      • Harry Secombe
      • Spike Milligan
      • Peter Sellers
      A title card for Monty Python’s Fling Circus.
      Wikipedia
    7. Which of the Pythons created the animations?
      • Terry Jones
      • Eric Idle
      • Terry Gilliam
    8. The Liberty Bell was the title music for this series, who composed it?
      • William L. Dawson
      • Eleanor Everest Freer
      • John Philip Sousa
    9. Monty Python and the Holy Grail features the Knights Who Say…
      • Eh
      • Ni
      • Yees, pleeze
    10. What is the title of a Monty Python stage musical?
      • Clamalot
      • Edamalot
      • Spamalot

  • Doggy Dilemmas Part III—Answers

    Pekingese.
    Wikipedia

    Here,in bold, are the answers to my earlier post.

    1. Pink geese — PEKINGESE 
    2. Toe twirler — ROTTWEILER 
    3. Someday — SAMOYED
    4. Dopey tool — TOY POODLE
      Volpino Italiano.
      Wikipedia
    5. A Violin optional — VOLPINO ITALIANO
    6. Airman were — WEIMARANER
    7. Rehire Trike Sorry — YORKSHIRE TERRIER
    Yorkshire Terrier.
    Wikipedia

    That’s the end of my Doggy Dilemmas, tomorrow will be something completely different.

  • Doggy Dilemmas Part III

    Border Collie.
    Wikipedia

    Here are seven anagrams and the answers are dog breeds. The list is alphabetical with the first answer beginning with an ‘P’, no ‘Q’ so the second ‘R’ etc.

    For example Real Idea — A = Airedale.

    Each clue has a two word answer unless shown.

    1. Pink geese — P (One word answer)
    2. Toe twirler — R (One word answer)
    3. Someday — S (One word answer)
    4. Dopey tool — T
    5. A Violin optional — V
    6. Airman were — W (One word answer)
    7. Rehire Trike Sorry — Y

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Doggy Dilemmas Part II—Answers

    Harrier.
    Wikipedia

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below.

    1. Err hair — HARRIER
    2. Hush florid wino — IRISH WOLFHOUND
    3. Callus jerks — JACK RUSSELL
      Kerry Beagle.
      Wikipedia
    4. Bleaker grey — KERRY BEAGLE
    5. Larboard — LABRADOR
    6. Zither a nuisance rum — MINIATURE SCHNAUZER
    7. Add own funnel — NEWFOUNDLAND
    8. Shelling edged poohs — OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG
    Old English Sheepdog.
    Wikipedia
  • Doggy Dilemmas Part II

    Rottweiler pups
    Wikipedia

    Part II has eight anagrams and the answers are dog breeds. The list is alphabetical with the first answer beginning with an ‘H’, the second ‘I’ etc.

    For example Real Idea — A = Airedale.

    Each clue has a two word answer unless shown.

    1. Err hair — H (One word answer)
    2. Hush florid wino — I
    3. Callus jerks — J
    4. Bleaker grey — K
    5. Larboard — L (One word answer)
    6. Zither a nuisance rum — M
    7. Add own funnel — N (One word answer)
    8. Shelling edged poohs — O (Three word answer)

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Doggy Dilemmas—Answers

    Afghan Hound
    Wikipedia

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below.

    1. Fandango huh — AFGHAN HOUND
    2. Thou badness — BASSETT HOUND
    3. Inert carrier — CAIRN TERRIER
      Dachshund
      Wikipedia
    4. Dads hunch — DACHSHUND 
    5. Genteel shirts —ENGLISH SETTER
    6. Retro fixer —FOX TERRIER
    7. Danger tea — GREAT DANE
    Great Dane
    Wikipedia