Author: Quizologist

  • ABC | Answers

    Chinchilla (See question 5).
    Image Wikipedia

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

    1. Founded in the 1990s, WestJet is the second-largest airline in which Commonwealth country?
      • Canada—WestJet, founded in 1994 and headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, is Canada’s second-largest airline. It operates scheduled, charter and cargo air service to over 100 destinations across North America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Central America. WestJet is not a member of any major airline alliances but utilises codeshare and interline agreements.
    2. The first geological period of the Paleozoic Era has a Latin name connected to Wales. What is it?
      • Cambrian—The term Cambrian is derived from the Latin version of Cymru, the Welsh name for Wales, where rocks of this age were first studied. Adam Sedgwick named it in 1835. The Cambrian is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, lasting 51.95 million years. It witnessed the Cambrian explosion, producing the first representatives of most modern animal phyla. The Cambrian is characterised by the assembly of Gondwana and the development of new plate boundaries.
        Frontispiece, 1889 edition A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
        Image Wikipedia
    3. In Mark Twain’s novel, Hank Morgan is the titular Yankee. What word is missing from the title: A … Yankee in King Arthur’s Court?
      • ConnecticutA Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court is a satirical novel by Mark Twain. The story follows Hank Morgan, a Yankee engineer transported back in time to King Arthur’s court, where he uses his knowledge to modernise the past and challenge feudalism and monarchy.
        Achilles.
        Image Wikipedia
    4. Which of these was a mythical hero whom Thetis dressed as a girl and hid with King Lycomedes of Skyros?
      • Achilles—To protect Achilles from the war, Thetis hid him disguised as a princess at the court of Lycomedes. Odysseus, disguised as a pedlar, discovered Achilles’ true identity and convinced him to join the Greek campaign against Troy.
    5. What animal is pictured at the top of this post?
      • Chinchilla—native to the Andes mountains in South America, are known for their dense fur and are related to viscachas and chinchilla rats. Historically hunted for their fur, most chinchillas today are farm-raised for the fur industry, while domestic chinchillas are sometimes kept as pets.
  • ABC

    Image Wikipedia

    Today’s questions have answers which begin with A, B or C.

    1. Established in the 1990s, WestJet is the second-largest airline in which Commonwealth country?
      • Australia
      • Barbados
      • Canada
    2. The first geological period of the Paleozoic Era has a Latin name connected to Wales. What is it?
      • Aquitanian
      • Burdigalian
      • Cambrian
    3. In Mark Twain’s novel, Hank Morgan is the titular Yankee. What word is missing from the title: A … Yankee in King Arthur’s Court?
      • Appalachian
      • Baltimore
      • Connecticut
    4. Which of these was a mythical hero whom Thetis dressed as a girl and hid with King Lycomedes of Skyros?
      • Achilles
      • Basilisk
      • Chiron
    5. What animal is pictured at the top of this post?
      • Agouti
      • Bushbaby
      • Chinchilla

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Finders keepers | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

    Image

    The Rolling Stones, 1965.
    Left to Right: Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman, Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Keith Richards
    Image Wikipedia
    1. Brian Jones, born 1942, was a guitarist and founder member of what band?
      • Rolling Stones—Brian Jones, founder of the Rolling Stones, initially played slide guitar and later sang backing vocals and played various instruments. After developing alcohol and drug problems, his role in the band diminished, leading to his dismissal in 1969 and subsequent drowning at age 27.
        Shishapangma, Tibet.
        Image Wikipedia
    2. Which of these is NOT found in the Andes?
      • Shishapangma—aka Shishasbangma or Xixiabangma, is the 14th highest mountain in the world, standing at 26,335 feet (8,027 metres) above sea level. It is the lowest 8,000-metre peak and is entirely situated within the Tibetan Plateau. Notably, Shishapangma was the final eight-thousander to be conquered in 1964. Aconcagua and Cotopaxi are both in the Andes; Aconcagua is the highest mountain that is not in Asia, while Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano.
        Ferdinand von Wrangel.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. Of which of these was explorer Ferdinand von Wrangel founder?
      • Russian Geographic Society—Baron Ferdinand Friedrich Georg Ludwig von Wrangel was a Russian-German explorer and officer in the Imperial Russian Navy. He is known as the chief manager of the Russian-American Company and governor of Russian settlements in present-day Alaska.
        Icosagon.
        Image Wikipedia
    4. How many sides would be found on a polygon described as an icosagon?
      • 20—In geometry, an icosagon, or twenty-sided polygon, has a sum of 3240 degrees in its interior angles.
        Russell viper.
        Image Wikipedia
    5. The big four venomous snakes found on the Indian subcontinent are those responsible for causing the greatest number of medically significant snake bites on humans. Which of these is one of the big four?
      • Russell’s viper—The Big Four venomous snakes—Russell’s viper, common krait, Indian cobra and Indian saw-scaled viper—are responsible for the majority of medically significant snakebites on the Indian subcontinent. A 2020 study found Russell’s viper accounted for 43% of snakebites in India, followed by kraits (18%), cobras (12%), and other species. In 2023, the World Health Organisation published worldwide estimates showing that each year, 5.4 million people are bitten by snakes, resulting in 1.8 to 2.7 million envenomings and 81,410 to 137,880 deaths.
  • Finders keepers

    A few questions all of which simply feature either the word found or founder!

    Brian Jones.
    Image history.com
    1. Brian Jones, born 1942, was a guitarist and founder member of what band?
      • Fleetwood Mac
      • Rolling Stones
      • The Hollies
    2. Which of these are NOT found in the Andes?
      • Aconcagua
      • Cotopaxi
      • Shishapangma
    3. Which of these was explorer Ferdinand von Wrangel a founder of in 1845?
      • National Geographic Society
      • Russian Geographic Society
      • Swedish Geographic Society
    4. How many sides would be found on a polygon described as an icosagon?
      • 20
      • 25
      • 30
    5. The venomous snakes found on the Indian subcontinent that are responsible for causing the greatest number of medically significant snake bites on humans are known as the big four. Which of these is one of the big four?
      • Black mamba
      • Russell’s viper
      • Many-banded krait

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • “Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men — the other 999 follow women.” | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

    George III of Great Britain.
    Image Google Art Project/Wikipedia
    1. The American colonies gained independence during the reign of which British king?
      • George III—George III’s reign (1760–1820) saw the British Empire expand during the Seven Years’ War but shrink with the loss of the American colonies. The Napoleonic Wars solidified Britain’s position as a European power.
        Charles De Gaulle, 1942.
        Image Wikipedia
    2. Who was the Chairman of the French National Committee from June 1940 until June 1944 during World War II?
      • Charles De Gaulle—Charles de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II. He later founded the Fifth Republic, served as its first President, and pursued a policy of “national independence” that included withdrawing from NATO and developing an independent nuclear force. De Gaulle also advocated for a Europe of sovereign nations and opposed US intervention in Vietnam.
        Ptolemaic Kingdom in the 3rd–2nd centuries BCE.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. The Ptolemaic dynasty ruled Ancient Egypt from 305 BC until 30 BC. Where served as the Ptolemy’s capital city?
      • Alexandria—Alexandria had been founded by Alexander the Great. After Alexander’s death, Ptolemy Lagides took control of Egypt, executed Cleomenes, and declared himself Pharaoh in 305 BC, moving the capital to Alexandria.
        Leif Erikson, modern statue, Duluth.
        Image Wikipedia
    4. A Norse chieftain is thought to have been the first European to set foot on continental America, who is he?
      • Leif Erikson—Leif Erikson, a Norse explorer, is believed to have been the first European to reach continental America, establishing a settlement in Vinland (possibly Newfoundland, Canada). He later became chief of the Greenland settlement after his father’s death.
    5. Arrange these three assassins in chronological order based on the date of their infamous assassinations (earliest first).
      • John Bellingham (1812), Charles Julius Guiteau (1881) and Nathuram Vinayak Godse (1948)—
        • Bellingham assassinated Spencer Perceval, a British statesman and barrister who served as Prime Minister from 1809 until his assassination in 1812. He is the only British prime minister to have been assassinated.
        • Guiteau assassinated James Garfield, the 20th US president, who served from March to his death in September 1881. Garfield had a diverse background, having served as a preacher, lawyer, Civil War general, and nine terms in the House of Representatives.
        • Godse assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, an Indian lawyer and anti-colonial nationalist, in 1948. Gandhi led India’s independence movement through nonviolent resistance and championed civil rights, religious pluralism, and self-sufficiency, inspiring global movements. Godse, a Hindu nationalist, opposed Gandhi’s support for Muslims and shot him.

  • “Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men — the other 999 follow women.”

    Groucho Marx.
    Publicity portrait, 1947.
    Image Wikipedia

    Today’s post title, a quote by Groucho Marx, is only slightly relevant to these questions about leaders and rulers.

    1. The American colonies gained independence during the reign of which British king?
      • George I
      • George II
      • George III
    2. Who was the Chairman of the French National Committee from June 1940 until June 1944 during World War II?
      • Charles De Gaulle
      • Félix Gouin
      • Philippe Pétain
    3. The Ptolemaic dynasty ruled Ancient Egypt from 305 BC until 30 BC. Where served as the Ptolemy’s capital city?
      • Alexandria
      • Memphis
      • Thebes
    4. A Norse chieftain is thought to have been the first European to set foot on continental America, who is he?
      • Leif Erikson
      • Erik Thorvaldsson
      • Thorstein Eiriksson
    5. Arrange these three assassins in chronological order based on the date of their infamous assassinations (earliest first).
      • Charles Julius Guiteau
      • John Bellingham
      • Nathuram Godse

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Who, What, When, Where, Why and How IV | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

    Eric Liddell.
    Image Wikipedia
    1. Who was a British Olympic gold medal winner died in a Japanese civilian internment camp during the Second World War and whose story was told in Chariots of Fire?
      • Eric Liddell—a Scottish sprinter, rugby player, and Christian missionary, was born in China to Scottish missionary parents. He won the 400 metres at the 1924 Paris Olympics after refusing to run in the heats for the 100 metres as they were held on a Sunday. These events were recounted in the film Chariots of Fire. He became a Congregational minister in 1932, and served as a missionary teacher in China until his death in a Japanese civilian internment camp in 1945.
        Flyer for the 1979 stage production at the ICA of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy.
        Image Wikipedia
    2. What author wrote, “In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move“?
      • Douglas AdamsThe Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a comedy science fiction franchise that began as a BBC radio series. The story follows Arthur Dent, the last human who hitched a ride off Earth before its destruction.
        The X-Men, Volume 1
        Image Marvel Fandom
    3. When did the Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters make its first appearance In Marvel Comics?
      • 1963—The X-Mansion, located in Westchester County, New York, is the base of operations for the X-Men and houses the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. The mansion has undergone several name changes and relocations, reflecting significant events in the X-Men’s history.
        Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
        Image Harry Potter Fandom
    4. Where did Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire come in the Harry Potter book series?
      • FourthHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth novel in the Harry Potter series, following Harry’s fourth year at Hogwarts. The book, published simultaneously in the UK and US in 2000, won a Hugo Award and was adapted into a film and video game.
        Eastern glass lizard.
        Image Wikipedia
    5. Why is the glass lizard, such as the eastern glass lizard (Ophisaurus ventralis), so called?
      • Their tails break offAnguinae, a subfamily of legless lizards in the Anguidae family, commonly known as glass lizards, glass snakes, or slow worms, are native to North America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Their tails easily break or snap off, earning them their first two common names.
        Depiction of Rip Van Winkle by John Quidor.
        Image Wikipedia
    6. How long does Rip Van Winkle sleep in Washington Irving’s short story?
      • 20 yearsRip Van Winkle is a short story by Washington Irving about a Dutch-American villager who falls asleep in the Catskill Mountains and awakens 20 years later to a changed world. The story was inspired by a conversation on nostalgia and published in 1819
  • Who, What, When, Where, Why and How IV

    Image Wikipedia
    1. Who was a British Olympic gold medal winner who died in a Japanese civilian internment camp during the Second World War and whose story was told in Chariots of Fire?
      • Arthur Lumsden
      • Eric Liddell
      • Hector Lynch
    2. What author wrote, “In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move“?
      • Douglas Adams
      • Isaac Asimov
      • Terry Pratchett
    3. When did the Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters make its first appearance In Marvel Comics?
      • 1937
      • 1949
      • 1963
    4. Where did Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire come in the Harry Potter book series?
      • Third
      • Fourth
      • Fifth
    5. Why is the glass lizard, such as the eastern glass lizard (Ophisaurus ventralis), so called?
      • They are diaphanous
      • They are mirror-like
      • Their tails break off
    6. How long does Rip Van Winkle sleep in Washington Irving’s short story?
      • 10 Years
      • 15 years
      • 20 years

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Today’s miscellany | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

    Tom Thumb.
    Image B&O Railroad Museum
    1. 24 May 1840, saw the maiden journey of Peter Cooper’s Tom Thumb locomotive. On which of these did this take place?
      • Baltimore and Ohio Railroad—Tom Thumb, the first American-built steam locomotive, was designed by Peter Cooper in 1829 to demonstrate steam power to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Though it lost a race to a horse-drawn carriage, the demonstration convinced the railroad to adopt steam locomotives.
        Lys Assia.
        Winner of the Inaugural Eurovision Song Contest, 1956. (Photo 1957)
        Image Wikipedia
    2. Today in 1956, the first Eurovision Song Contest took place. Which of these cities hosted it?
      • Lugano, Switzerland—The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual international song competition organised by the European Broadcasting Union. Participating countries submit original songs to be performed live and voted on by other countries, with the song receiving the most points declared the winner. The contest, inspired by the Sanremo Music Festival, has been held annually since 1956, making it the longest-running international music competition on television.
        Queen Victoria.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. Queen Victoria was born on 24 May 1819, when did she become Queen?
      • 20 June 1837—Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901, oversaw significant industrial, political, and scientific changes in the United Kingdom and the expansion of the British Empire. After the death of her husband, Prince Albert, she withdrew from public life but later regained popularity, before dying at the age of 81.
        Joan Baez and Bob Dylan.
        Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C., 28 August 1963.
        Image Wikipedia
    4. Born this day in 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota, which singer-songwriter penned the lines “You don’t need a weatherman / To know which way the wind blows”?
      • Bob Dylan—These lines are found at the end of the second verse of Bob Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues (see lyrics quoted below), released in 1965 as a single and later on the album Bringing It All Back Home. It was Dylan’s first Top 40 hit in the US and is ranked 187th on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.
        John Wesley.
        Portrait by George Romney.
        Image National Portrait Gallery, London/Wikipedia
    5. Aldersgate Day, 24 May, is observed by which of these faith groups?
      • Methodists—Methodism, founded by John Wesley and his brother Charles, originated as a movement within the Church of England in the 18th century, emphasising sanctification and the transformative power of faith. Known for its focus on evangelism, charity, social justice, and a rich musical tradition, Methodism has spread globally through missionary work, with about 80 million adherents. The Wesley brothers began the “Holy Club” at the University of Oxford, where they lived a disciplined religious life, earning the nickname “Methodist” for their systematic approach. In 1735, they traveled to America as ministers but returned to England feeling spiritually unfulfilled. Seeking guidance, John Wesley experienced a pivotal evangelical conversion at a Moravian service in Aldersgate on 24 May 1738, feeling his “heart strangely warmed” and gaining assurance of salvation through Christ. This experience, along with Charles’s similar conversion, marked a monumental moment in the history of Methodism, ensuring its lasting impact on church history.

    Subterranean Homesick Blues

    WRITTEN BY: BOB DYLAN 

    Johnny’s in the basement
    Mixing up the medicine
    I’m on the pavement
    Thinking about the government
    The man in the trench coat
    Badge out, laid off
    Says he’s got a bad cough
    Wants to get it paid off
    Look out kid
    It’s somethin’ you did
    God knows when
    But you’re doin’ it again
    You better duck down the alley way
    Lookin’ for a new friend
    The man in the coon-skin cap
    By the big pen
    Wants eleven dollar bills
    You only got ten

    Maggie comes fleet foot
    Face full of black soot
    Talkin’ that the heat put
    Plants in the bed but
    The phone’s tapped anyway
    Maggie says that many say
    They must bust in early May
    Orders from the D.A.
    Look out kid
    Don’t matter what you did
    Walk on your tiptoes
    Don’t try “No-Doz”
    Better stay away from those
    That carry around a fire hose
    Keep a clean nose
    Watch the plain clothes
    You don’t need a weatherman
    To know which way the wind blows

    Get sick, get well
    Hang around a ink well
    Ring bell, hard to tell
    If anything is goin’ to sell
    Try hard, get barred
    Get back, write braille
    Get jailed, jump bail
    Join the army, if you fail
    Look out kid
    You’re gonna get hit
    But users, cheaters
    Six-time losers
    Hang around the theaters
    Girl by the whirlpool
    Lookin’ for a new fool
    Don’t follow leaders
    Watch the parkin’ meters

    Ah get born, keep warm
    Short pants, romance, learn to dance
    Get dressed, get blessed
    Try to be a success
    Please her, please him, buy gifts
    Don’t steal, don’t lift
    Twenty years of schoolin’
    And they put you on the day shift
    Look out kid
    They keep it all hid
    Better jump down a manhole
    Light yourself a candle
    Don’t wear sandals
    Try to avoid the scandals
    Don’t wanna be a bum
    You better chew gum
    The pump don’t work
    ’Cause the vandals took the handles

    Copyright © 1965 by Warner Bros. Inc.; renewed 1993 by Special Rider Music

    bobdylan.com

  • Today’s miscellany

    Queen Victoria.
    Image Wikipedia

    Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, May 24th.

    1. 24 May 1840, saw the maiden journey of Peter Cooper’s Tom Thumb locomotive. On which of these did this take place?
      • Albany and Pennsylvania Railroad
      • Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
      • Cambridge and Connecticut Railroad
    2. Today in 1956, the first Eurovision Song Contest took place. Which of these cities hosted it?
      • London, UK
      • Lugano, Switzerland
      • Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
    3. Queen Victoria was born on 24 May 1819, when did she become Queen?
      • 20 June 1837
      • 21 May 1838
      • 22 July 1839
    4. Born this day in 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota, which singer-songwriter penned the lines “You don’t need a weatherman / To know which way the wind blows”?
      • Bob Dylan
      • James Taylor
      • Neil Young
    5. Aldersgate Day, May 24th, is observed by which of these faith groups?
      • Baptists
      • Methodists
      • Quakers

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.