Having finished our A to Z quizzes from the last few days, we now return to the date with questions about today, March 31st.
One
On this date Daylight Saving Time was introduced for the first time in the United States.
In what year did this occur?
True or false: Ancient Rome also adjusted their clocks to achieve similar results as daylight savings.
Two
Born in 1809, Edward FitzGerald, an English poet and writer who is best known for his 1859 translation of the work of ‘the Astronomer-Poet of Persia’. He published this in 1859 as the Rubáiyát of ——. What two word name is that of the Persian astronomer-poet which completes the title of FitzGerald’s 1859 translation?
Three
Born in 1984, Martins Dukurs, a Latvian sportsman, is a six-time world champion and double Olympic silver medallist. He holds the record for the most World Cup titles with 11. In which sport has Dukurs achieved this success?
Four
Born in Scotland on this day in 1971, an actor links these two roles. The first is a character from a 1996 film also born in Scotland, in Leith, Edinburgh. The second is not Scottish but a character in a 2009 film who said ‘Have you come to make me a martyr?’. Who is the actor?
Five
On this date, the U.S. Virgin Islands became American possessions.
By what name had they been known immediately prior to this?
Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.
Kublai Khan, a posthumous painting executed shortly after his death in February of 1294. Image Wikimedia Commons
Finishing the alphabetical theme with the remaining letters, so six questions today with answers beginning with the letters from U to Z, with each letter being used only once, but they are not in alphabetical order. If a question has more than one part it is only the first that conforms to the theme.
One
What word links Shangdu, which was ruled by Kublai Khan and is mentioned in the first line of a Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem, with the title track of a 1980 musical of the same name?
Answer: Xanadu.
Shangdu, the summer capital of Yuan dynasty ruled by Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan. A metaphor for opulence or an idyllic place, based upon Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s description of Shangdu in his 1816 poem Kubla Khan. Xanadu is the title song from the soundtrack of the 1980 musical film of the same name. Written by Jeff Lynne of the English rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), the song is performed by British-Australian singer, songwriter and actress Olivia Newton John.
Two
What professional golfer won the U.S. Masters tournament in 2007, and 2015 Open Championship at St. Andrews?
Answer: Zach Johnson.
Zachary Harris Johnson, an American professional golfer, has won 12 PGA Tour events, including two majors. He captained the unsuccessful U.S. Ryder Cup team in 2023.
Three
The Macallan, Bunnahabhain and Laphroaig are three examples of what product from the United Kingdom?
The last two mentioned, Bunnahabhain and Laphroaig, both come from what region which is well known for this product?
Answers
Whisky.
Island of Islay.
Scotch whisky, first mentioned in 1494, was originally made from malted barley. Single malt Scotch whisky, which the three examples mentioned are, must be distilled in one distillery using only water and malted barley. By 2024, Scotland boasted 151 distilleries, solidifying its reputation for this renowned spirit.
Four
Which name connects a character from a Charles Dickens’ 1850 novel to the 1972 studio album The Magician’s Birthday?
Answer: Uriah Heap.
Uriah Heep, a sycophantic character in Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield, manipulates his employer, Mr. Wickfield, into making him a partner. He later faces exposure for his frauds and is imprisoned for bank fraud. Named after the Dickens’ character Uriah Heep, an English rock band formed in 1969, pioneered hard rock, heavy metal, and progressive rock. With over 40 million albums sold worldwide, they are known for hits like Lady in Black and maintain a strong following in Europe and Asia.
Five
In what film does Tom Hanks play Joe Fox?
Answer: You’ve Got Mail.
You’ve Got Mail is a 1998 romantic comedy starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, directed by Nora Ephron. The film, inspired by a Hungarian play, tells the story of two online romantics who are business rivals.
Six
This small fully independent nation-state’s independence was recognised by the Lateran Treaty of 1929. Which nation is it?
Answer: Vatican City.
Vatican City, the smallest independent nation-state, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church and home to the Pope. It has its own infrastructure and diplomatic relations, with a population of around 882 people.
Kublai Khan, a posthumous painting executed shortly after his death in February of 1294. Image Wikimedia Commons
Finishing the alphabetical theme with the remaining letters, so six questions today with answers beginning with the letters from U to Z, with each letter being used only once, but they are not in alphabetical order. If a question has more than one part it is only the first that conforms to the theme.
One
What word links Shangdu, which was ruled by Kublai Khan and is mentioned in the first line of a Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem, with the title track of a 1980 musical of the same name?
Two
What professional golfer won the U.S. Masters tournament in 2007, and 2015 Open Championship at St. Andrews?
Three
The Macallan, Bunnahabhain and Laphroaig are three examples of what product from the United Kingdom?
The last two mentioned, Bunnahabhain and Laphroaig, both come from what region, an island which is well known for this product?
Four
Which name connects a character from a Charles Dickens’ 1850 novel to the 1972 studio album The Magician’s Birthday?
Five
In what film does Tom Hanks play Joe Fox?
Six
This small fully independent nation-state’s independence was recognised by the Lateran Treaty of 1929. Which nation is it?
Here are the answers to the questions posted earlier.
Continuing the alphabetical theme with today’s questions having answers beginning with the letters from P to T, with each letter being used only once. Please note they are not in alphabetical order. If a question has more than one part it is only the first that conforms to the theme.
See question four. Muggle quidditch or quadball. Image Wikimedia Commons
One
In Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, by what twelve-letter word does Éowyn, a noblewoman of Rohan, describe herself?
Answer: Shieldmaiden
Éowyn, a noblewoman of Rohan and shieldmaiden, kills the Witch-King of Angmar in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, fulfilling a prophecy. Her brief courtship by Faramir is seen as influenced by Tolkien’s experience with war brides. In Nordic folklore and Norse mythology Shield-maidens are female warriors.
Two
What three words completes this sentence from Encyclopædia Britannica: ’At the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, around June 21, the Sun attains its greatest declination north and is directly over the …’
At what latitude does the above answer lie?
Answers
Tropic of Cancer.
23°26’
The Tropic of Cancer, the northernmost circle of latitude where the Sun can be seen directly overhead, is currently 23°26′09.2″ north of the Equator. Its position changes due to the tilt of Earth’s axis. The Tropic of Capricorn is its southern equivalent.
Three
Which fairy tale features a miller, his daughter, a king and the transformation of straw into gold?
Answer: Rumpelstiltskin.
Rumpelstiltskin, a gnomelike man, spins straw into gold for a miller’s daughter in exchange for her firstborn child. When the miller’s daughter, now the queen, begs for her child’s release from the bargain, he gives her three days to guess his name.
Four
In 2022, the sport formerly known as muggle quidditch changed its name to what?
Answer: Quadball.
Quadball, formerly known as muggle quidditch, is a team sport inspired by the Harry Potter series. Two teams of seven players compete to score points by passing a ball through hoops while defending their own.
Five
Cobblepot: does he live in a rookery?
Answer: Penguin.
Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, aka The Penguin, a Gotham City criminal and Batman adversary, is known for his distinctive appearance and criminal activities centred around his nightclub, the Iceberg Lounge. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, he is one of Batman’s most enduring enemies and has been featured in various media adaptations. Penguin colonies are known as rookeries.
Posing Questions Referencing Selected Trivia
The post title is simply representing the five letters for today’s answers as I’m sure you all noticed.
Continuing the alphabetical theme with today’s questions having answers beginning with the letters from P to T, with each letter being used only once. Please note they are not in alphabetical order. If a question has more than one part it is only the first that conforms to the theme.
In Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, by what twelve-letter word does Éowyn, a noblewoman of Rohan, describe herself?
Two
What three words completes this sentence from Encyclopædia Britannica: ’At the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, around June 21, the Sun attains its greatest declination north and is directly over the …’
At what latitude does the above answer lie?
Three
Which fairy tale features a miller, his daughter, a king and the transformation of straw into gold?
Four
In 2022, the sport formerly known as muggle quidditch changed its name to what?
Here are the answers to the questions I posed in my earlier post.
See if you can KO these five questions with the answers beginning with the letters from K to O, with each letter being used only once, but they are not in alphabetical order.
Para-dummies, pictured above, were a deception device used in World War II. British troops nicknamed them Rupert; what name did the Americans give them?
Answer: Oscar.
These para-dummies, first used in World War II, served as military deception devices to imitate paratroop drops, causing the enemy to shift forces or fires unnecessarily or to lure them into ambushes. The dolls were nicknamed Rupert by British troops and Oscar by American troops. Made of burlap and filled with straw or green waste, these immobile dummies were about 85 cm tall, smaller than a person. However, during twilight, they were difficult to distinguish from real parachutists. To further confuse defenders, the dummies contained explosives that detonated on impact, and real parachutists would hang motionless from their parachutes, mimicking the appearance of real jumpers or fallen.
Two
In 2023, what is the official currency of Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands?
Answer: Krone.
Denmark has kept the krone (DKK) instead of adopting the euro, despite meeting the economic convergence criteria and following EU policies. A referendum in September 2000 rejected the euro, and public opinion has consistently been against its adoption. Greenland and the Faroe Islands are autonomous territories of Denmark.
Three
What interplanetary space probe launched in 2006 became, in 2015, the first to perform a flyby study of Pluto?
Answer: New Horizons.
New Horizons, a NASA space probe launched in 2006, conducted a flyby study of the Pluto system in 2015, becoming the first spacecraft to do so. It then flew into and is currently travelling through the Kuiper Belt, which it is expected to exit between 2028 and 2029.
Four
The Galaxy referred to in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is which one?
Answer: Milky Way
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams, follows Arthur Dent’s adventures across the galaxy after Earth’s destruction. The franchise includes radio, novels, comics, TV, games, stage shows, and film.
Five
Known as the Pineapple Island, what is the sixth-largest island in the U.S. state of Hawaii?
Answer: Lānaʻi
Lānaʻi, the sixth-largest Hawaiian island, is known as the Pineapple Island due to its past pineapple plantations. Lānaʻi has a population of 3,367 and is accessible only by dirt roads requiring four-wheel drive. There is one school, Lānaʻi High and Elementary School, one hospital, Lanai Community Hospital, and a community health centre providing primary care. Two per cent of the island is owned by the state or private entities, with the remaining 98% owned by Larry Ellison, co-founder and chairman of software company Oracle Corporation.
Post Title
It’s a Knockout
Today’s questions have answers in the range K to O and KO is an accepted abbreviation for Knockout.
See if you can KO these five questions with the answers beginning with the letters from K to O, with each letter being used only once, but they are not in alphabetical order.
Para-dummies, pictured above, were a deception device used in World War II. British troops nicknamed them Rupert; what name did the Americans give them?
Two
In 2023, what is the official currency of Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands?
Three
What interplanetary space probe launched in 2006 became, in 2015, the first to perform a flyby study of Pluto?
Four
The Galaxy referred to in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is which one?
Five
Known as the Pineapple Island, what is the sixth-largest island in the U.S. state of Hawaii?
Here are the answers to my earlier posted questions.
Mario Andretti in the lead with Ronnie Petterson behind, 1978 Dutch GP. Image Wikimedia Commons
Five questions with the answers beginning with the letters from F to J —Foxtrot to Juliett — with each letter being used only once, but they are not in alphabetical order.
One
What one word can be all of these: a mythical creature which pulled Poseidon’s sea-chariot; an area of the human brain; and a genus of small marine bony fish?
Answer: Hippocampus.
The hippocampus, located in the temporal lobe and part of the limbic system, is essential for memory and spatial navigation and is one of the first areas affected in Alzheimer’s disease, causing memory loss and disorientation. In mythology, the hippocampus is a creature with a horse’s upper body and a fish’s lower body, often depicted with Poseidon, the god of the sea, driving a chariot drawn by hippocampi and accompanied by dolphins. The Romans associated it with Neptune, the sea god. Additionally, Hippocampus refers to a genus of 46 species of small marine bony fish, known as seahorses, which have a horse-like head, segmented bony armour, and a curled prehensile tail. Found in shallow coastal waters worldwide, seahorses belong to the family Syngnathidae, along with pipefishes and seadragons, and vary in size from 2 to 35 cm.
Two
Who was the next North American to win Formula 1’s World Championship, and be crowned World Drivers’ Champion, after Mario Andretti?
Answer: Jacques Villeneuve.
Mario Andretti, an American racing driver, competed in Formula One and IndyCar, winning numerous races and championships, including the 1978 F1 championship. Jacques Villeneuve, a Canadian racing driver, competed in IndyCar and Formula One. He won the 1997 Formula One World Drivers’ Championship and the 1995 IndyCar World Series and Indianapolis 500.
Three
In what television sitcom did characters have surnames beginning with the these letters: 3 x G plus 2 x B and 1 x T?
‘When I saw Finn waiting for me at the corner of the street, I knew at once that something had gone wrong.’ This is the opening line of a work by what author, and what was the work?
Answers: Iris Murdoch; Under the Net.
Irish-British novelist and philosopher Dame Jean Iris Murdoch, known for her works exploring good and evil, sexual relationships, morality, and the unconscious, won the Booker Prize for The Sea, The Sea and was made a Dame in 1987. Her first published novel, Under the Net, is a philosophical story about a struggling writer in London. The novel, dedicated to Raymond Queneau, was named one of the best English-language novels since 1923 by Time magazine.
Five
Which double-Oscar-winning actress became a UK Member of Parliament in 1992, and for what two films did she win Best Actress Oscars?
Answer: Glenda Jackson; Women in Love and A Touch of Class
Glenda Jackson (1936–2023) was a British actress and Labour Party politician. She was a member of the House of Commons from 1992 to 2015. Jackson won two Academy Awards for best actress, the first in 1970 for Women in Love and the second in 1973 for A Touch of Class. Other notable roles include her portrayals of Queen Elizabeth I in both the BBC television miniseries Elizabeth R (1971) and the film Mary, Queen of Scots (1971). After retiring from politics, Jackson returned to acting, earning a Tony Award in 2018 for her performance in Three Tall Women.
Post Title
Dancing a Foxtrot with Juliett
Juliett is spelled as it is in radio communications, as Wikipedia explains…
The spelling Juliett is used rather than Juliet for the benefit of French speakers, because they may otherwise treat a single final t as silent.
Mario Andretti in the lead with Ronnie Petterson behind, 1978 Dutch GP. Image Wikimedia Commons
Five questions with the answers beginning with the letters from F to J —Foxtrot to Juliett — with each letter being used only once, but they are not in alphabetical order.
One
What one word can be all of these: a mythical creature which pulled Poseidon’s sea-chariot; an area of the human brain; and a genus of small marine bony fish?
Two
Who was the next North American to win Formula 1’s World Championship, and be crowned World Drivers’ Champion, after Mario Andretti?
Three
In what television sitcom did characters have surnames beginning with the these letters: 3 x G plus 2 x B and 1 x T?
Four
‘When I saw Finn waiting for me at the corner of the street, I knew at once that something had gone wrong.’ This is the opening line of a work by what author, and what was the work?
Five
Which double-Oscar-winning actress became a UK Member of Parliament in 1992, and for what two films did she win Best Actress Oscars?
Five questions with the answers beginning with the letters from A to E, with each letter being used only once, but they are not in alphabetical order.
See question two. Death in the Afternoon. Image A Couple Cooks
One
Who wrote, produced, and directed Moulin Rouge (2001) and Australia (2008)?
Answers: Baz Luhrman.
Baz Luhrmann is an Australian film director, producer, writer, and actor known for his Red Curtain Trilogy and other films like Australia, The Great Gatsby, and Elvis. He is also involved in opera, theatre, music, and the recording industries, with Grammy-nominated soundtracks and his own record label.
Two
An absinthe-Champagne cocktail was invented by an author and shares its name with his 1932 non-fiction book about a sport in a southern European nation. Who is the author, and what is the book and cocktail’s shared name?
Answers: Ernest Hemingway; Death in the Afternoon.
Death in the Afternoon, a 1932 non-fiction book by Ernest Hemingway, explores Spanish bullfighting, fear, and courage. Its namesake, a cocktail invented by Hemingway, is made with absinthe and Champagne. The drink, known for its decadence and high strength, can be made with absinthe alternatives like Absente or Pernod.
Three
Which chemical element derives its name from the Latin for ‘coal’?
Answer: Carbon.
Carbon, symbol C and atomic number 6, a non-metal which has two main forms, diamond and graphite, and which also occurs in impure form in charcoal, soot and coal. It is the 15th most abundant element in Earth’s crust and the fourth most abundant in the universe.
Four
Which small dog breed, which is not a terrier, is sometimes known as the monkey terrier?
Answer: Affenpinscher.
The Affenpinscher, a German toy dog breed, originated as a ratter and is now a popular companion worldwide. The breed, whose name is sometimes translated from German as ‘Monkey Terrier’, is believed to be ancestral to the Griffon Bruxellois and Miniature Schnauzer.
Five
The Malawian city of Blantyre was named after the Scottish birthplace of which missionary and explorer (1813-73)?
Answer: David Livingstone
Blantyre, Malawi’s second-largest city and commercial centre, was founded in 1876 by the Church of Scotland. It grew rapidly due to its role in colonial trade and became a major manufacturing centre. The city’s development was influenced by various factors, including commerce, industry, and administration, and it was merged with Limbe in 1956.
Quizology.Online 