Category: Pursuit of the Trivial

Corridors of Power—Answers

Today’s five questions are on a government-related theme.

Parliament House, Canberra, Australia.
Image Wikipedia

One

The parliament of what country is pictured above and in what city is it sited?

Answer: Australia; Canberra

Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, is the meeting place of the Parliament of Australia and houses the executive branch. It replaced Old Parliament House and was officially opened on 9 May 1988.

Two

How many individuals were president of the United States during the 20th century? (The answer is a number.)

Answer: 18

This list displays each president and their respective years in office.

  1. William McKinley 1897–1901
  2. Theodore Roosevelt 1901–1909
  3. William Howard Taft 1909–1913
  4. Woodrow Wilson 1913–1921
  5. Warren G. Harding 1921–1923
  6. Calvin Coolidge 1923–1929
  7. Herbert Hoover 1929–1933
  8. Franklin D. Roosevelt 1933–1945
  9. Harry S. Truman 1945–1953
  10. Dwight D. Eisenhower 1953–1961
  11. John F. Kennedy 1961–1963
  12. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963–1969
  13. Richard Nixon 1969–1974
  14. Gerald Ford 1974–1977
  15. Jimmy Carter 1977–1981
  16. Ronald Reagan 1981–1989
  17. George H. W. Bush 1989–1993
  18. Bill Clinton 1993–2001

Three

What building is located at 55, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris, France?

Answer: Élysée Palace

The Élysée Palace, completed in 1722, is the official residence of the French president. Located on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, its name derives from the Elysian Fields in Greek mythology.

Four

How many individuals were prime minister of the United Kingdom during the 20th Century? (The answer is a number.)

Answer: 20

  1. Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury 1895–1902
  2. Arthur Balfour 1902–1905
  3. Henry Campbell-Bannerman 1905–1908
  4. H. H. Asquith 1908–1916
  5. David Lloyd George 1916–1922
  6. Andrew Bonar Law 1922–1923
  7. Stanley Baldwin 1923–1924; 1924–1929; 1935–1937
  8. Ramsay MacDonald 1924; 1929–1935
  9. Neville Chamberlain 1937–1940
  10. Winston Churchill 1940–1945; 1951–1955
  11. Clement Attlee 1945–1951
  12. Anthony Eden 1955–1957
  13. Harold Macmillan 1957–1963
  14. Alec Douglas-Home 1963–1964
  15. Harold Wilson 1964–1970; 1974–1976
  16. Edward Heath 1970–1974
  17. James Callaghan 1976–1979
  18. Margaret Thatcher 1979–1990
  19. John Major 1990–1997
  20. Tony Blair 1997–2007

Five

The National People’s Congress, the highest organ of state power in the People’s Republic of China, convenes annually for how many weeks?

Answer: Two weeks

The National People’s Congress (NPC) is the highest organ of state power in China, responsible for amending the Constitution, legislating, and overseeing government operations. It is a unicameral legislature with 2,977 members, elected for a five-year term, and operates under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. The NPC meets annually for two weeks, with most power delegated to its Standing Committee.

Corridors of Power

Today’s five questions are on a government-related theme.

Image Wikipedia

One

The parliament of what country is pictured above and in what city is it sited?

Two

How many presidents served in the United States during the 20th century? (The answer is a number.)

Three

What building is located at 55, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris, France?

Four

How many individuals served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the 20th century? (The answer is a number.)

Five

The National People’s Congress, the highest organ of state power in the People’s Republic of China, convenes annually for how many weeks of the year?

Are We There Yet?—Answers

Here are the answers to my earlier post.

The Great Globe in Guyot Hall, home to the Geosciences Department of Princeton University.
Image Wikipedia

Today you need to solve geographic anagrams. These ANAGRAMS are all written in capitals. For example

Example

WATCHING DONS at Georgetown University
One answer: a capital city

Solution

You would be looking for a capital city and your answer would be an anagram of WATCHING DONS: Washington DC

One

Don’t be in DENIAL about the change to old NICKEL ON TUMMY — a lofty environment in the new world.
Two answers: both the same place with a changed name

Answer: Denali / Mount McKinley

The Koyukon people have long called the mountain ‘Denali’. In 1896, a gold prospector named it ‘Mount McKinley’ in honour of presidential candidate William McKinley, who later became the 25th president. This name was officially recognised by the U.S. federal government from 1917 until 2015. In August 2015, the Obama administration restored the name Denali, aligning with Alaska’s official naming from 1975. However, in January 2025, the Trump administration reverted the official federal name back to Mount McKinley.

Two

JAVA ROSE is the capital of HONING BAZAAR NOSEDIVE
Two answers: the city and the European country it is capital of.

Answer: Sarajevo; Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo, the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a prominent cultural centre in the Balkans. With a rich history dating back to the 15th century, it hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics and is recognised for its religious and cultural diversity. Despite enduring the longest siege of a capital city during the Bosnian War, Sarajevo is now the fastest-growing city in the country.

Three

BET NUMEROUS eruptions have been seen from this southernmost volcano
One answer: a volcano.

Answer: Mount Erebus

Mount Erebus, the southernmost active volcano on Earth, is located on Ross Island in Antarctica. Named by Captain James Clark Ross in 1841, it has a long-lived lava lake and was the site of the 1979 Air New Zealand Flight 901 crash.

Four

BEACHFRONT BLUNDERING DAFFODILS are the capitals of the four nations that make up this one constitutional monarchy: NOT MINK GUIDED
Five answers: the first anagram hides the four capital cities, while the second reveals a constitutional monarchy.

Answer: London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast; United Kingdom

London—capital of England and UK. While Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, Cardiff—capital of Wales and Belfast—capital of Northern Ireland.

Five

ADIOS KARATE NINJA, according to the United Nations’ World Urbanization Prospects 2025 this city is the world’s most populous.
Two answers: one anagram hides the name of the city and the country it is in.

Answer: Jakarta, Indonesia

Population 41,913,860. Jakarta, the capital and largest city of Indonesia, is a major economic, cultural, and political centre. Despite its small area, its metropolitan area is the largest in the world, attracting migrants from across Indonesia. However, Jakarta faces challenges like rapid urban growth, ecological breakdown, and flooding, prompting plans to move the capital to Nusantara.

Are We There Yet?

The Great Globe in Guyot Hall, home to the Geosciences Department of Princeton University.
Image Wikipedia

Today you need to solve geographic anagrams. These ANAGRAMS are all written in capitals. For example

Example

WATCHING DONS at Georgetown University
One answer: a capital city

Solution

You would be looking for a capital city and your answer would be an anagram of WATCHING DONS: Washington DC

One

Don’t be in DENIAL about the change to old NICKEL ON TUMMY — a lofty environment in the new world.
Two answers: both the same place with a changed name

Two

JAVA ROSE is the capital of HONING BAZAAR NOSEDIVE
Two answers: the city and the European country it is capital of.

Three

BET NUMEROUS eruptions have been seen from this southernmost volcano
One answer: a volcano.

Four

BEACHFRONT BLUNDERING DAFFODILS are the capitals of the four nations that make up this one constitutional monarchy: NOT MINK GUIDED
Five answers: the first anagram hides the four capital cities, while the second reveals a constitutional monarchy.

Five

ADIOS KARATE NINJA, according to the United Nations’ World Urbanization Prospects 2025 this city is the world’s most populous.
Two answers: one anagram hides the name of the city and the country it is in.

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

100 Not Out—Answers

Caractacus Potts (Dick Van Dyke) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968).

One

Born on this day in 1925, an actor portrayed Caractacus Potts in a 1968 film adaptation of an Ian Fleming story. Who is he and what was the film?

Answer: Dick Van Dyke; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Happy Birthday! The post title refers to Dick Van Dyke being 100 today.

Dick Van Dyke, born in 1925, is an American actor and comedian renowned for his charm and physical comedy. He began his show business career after a failed advertising venture, performing in nightclubs and on television before making his Broadway debut in 1959. Van Dyke starred in the hit musical Bye Bye Birdie, winning a Tony Award, which led to his iconic role in The Dick Van Dyke Show, earning him three Emmys. He also starred in films like Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and returned to television with various shows and TV movies. His career highlights include roles in Dick Tracy, Diagnosis Murder, and Night at the Museum. Van Dyke received a Television Academy Hall of Fame induction in 1995 and a Kennedy Centre Honour in 2021.

Two

The first European to sight the South Island of New Zealand did so on this day. Who was he, and in what century did this sighting occur?

Answer: Abel Tasman; 17th century (1642)

Abel Janszoon Tasman, a Dutch explorer, was the first European to reach New Zealand and Tasmania. His 1642 expedition, commissioned by the Dutch East India Company, aimed to discover new trade routes and establish trade relations with native inhabitants. Despite a violent encounter with the Māori people, Tasman’s voyage paved the way for future colonisation.

Three

In 1956, the film Anastasia was released in America. This drama marked the Hollywood comeback of an actress following a scandal involving an extramarital affair. Her performance earned her the Best Actress Oscar. Who was she?

Answer: Ingrid Bergman

After years working exclusively in Europe following her highly publicised affair with Roberto Rossellini, this film marked a Hollywood comeback for Ingrid Bergman. Her performance earned her, among others, the Academy Award for Best Actress, the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture.

Four

The final moonwalk or EVA of the Apollo programme occurred on this day in 1972. Which Apollo mission was this and who were the two astronauts on the Moon?

Answer: Apollo 17; Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt

Apollo 17, the final Apollo mission, launched on 7 December 1972 and concluded on 19 December 1972. Commander Eugene Cernan and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt were the last humans to walk on the Moon, landing in the Taurus-Littrow Valley. They conducted experiments, collected samples, and travelled 19 miles in their lunar rover before returning to Earth. Cernan, the last person to date to stand on the Moon, said before returning to the lunar module, ‘We shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind. Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17’.

Taylor Swift at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards.
Image iHeartRadioCA via Wikipedia

Five

What singer-songwriter was born in West Reading, Pennsylvania on this day in 1989?

Answer: Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift, a renowned American singer-songwriter known for her autobiographical songwriting and artistic reinventions, made history in 2024 by becoming the first artist to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year four times and breaking the record for the highest-grossing concert tour. She is the highest-grossing live music artist and one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having won numerous awards, including 14 Grammys, and is the first individual from the arts to be named Time Person of the Year.

100 Not Out

See question one.

One

Born on this day in 1925, an actor portrayed Caractacus Potts in a 1968 film adaptation of an Ian Fleming story. Who is he and what was the film?

Two

The first European to sight the South Island of New Zealand did so on this day. Who was he, and in what century did this sighting occur?

Three

In 1956, the film Anastasia was released in America. This drama marked the Hollywood comeback of an actress following a scandal involving an extramarital affair. Her performance earned her the Best Actress Oscar. Who was she?

Four

The final moonwalk or EVA of the Apollo programme occurred on this day in 1972. Which Apollo mission was this and who were the two astronauts on the Moon?

Five

What singer-songwriter was born in West Reading, Pennsylvania on this day in 1989?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Words II—Answers

Here are the answers to my earlier post.

Words.
Image

The theme for today’s questions repeats yesterday’s: five words, each beginning with a different letter — W, O, R, D, and S. Each word appears in the Oxford English Dictionary and is presented below with three possible meanings. Simply choose the correct one for each.

Widdershins

A. Small shears; secateurs 

B. A direction contrary to the sun’s course; anticlockwise

C. Woollen leggings; gaiters

Answer: B. A direction contrary to the sun’s course; anticlockwise

adverb mainly Scottish English in a direction contrary to the sun’s course, considered as unlucky; anticlockwise: she danced widdershins around him.


– ORIGIN early 16th century: from Middle Low German weddersins, from Middle High German widersinnes, from wider ‘against’ + sin ‘direction’; the second element was associated with Scots sin ‘sun’. 


— Oxford English Dictionary

Omasum

A. An estate held in absolute ownership, without acknowledgement to a superior.
B. A hard, dark, glasslike volcanic rock formed by the rapid solidification of lava without crystallization.
C. The muscular third stomach of a ruminant animal

Answer: C. The muscular third stomach of a ruminant animal

noun (plural omasa /əʊˈmeɪsə/) Zoology the muscular third stomach of a ruminant animal, between the reticulum and the abomasum. Also called psalterium


– ORIGIN mid 16th century: from Latin, literally ‘tripe’, probably from Gaulish.


— Oxford English Dictionary

Rhinal

A. In Palaeontology relating to unicorns
B. The scientific study of water loss from riverine systems
C. Anatomy relating to the nose or the olfactory part of the brain

Answer: C. Anatomy relating to the nose or the olfactory part of the brain

adjective Anatomy relating to the nose or the olfactory part of the brain.


– ORIGIN mid 19th century: from Greek rhis, rhin- ‘nose’ + -al.


— Oxford English Dictionary

Dubbo

A. One who is an identical twin
B. An adolescent male kangaroo or wallaby
C. An unsophisticated or unintelligent person; a country bumpkin

Answer: C. An unsophisticated or unintelligent person; a country bumpkin

noun (plural dubbos) Australian English informal, derogatory an unsophisticated or unintelligent person, especially someone from the countryside; a bumpkin: why was she working with such a bunch of dubbos?


– ORIGIN 1980s: from the name of a famous farming town in New South Wales.


— Oxford English Dictionary

Shadoof

A. A pole and bucket system to collect well water
B. A shadow-like spectre

C. A Jewish professional matchmaker or marriage broker

Answer: A. A pole and bucket system to collect well water

noun a pole with a bucket and counterpoise used especially in Egypt for raising water.


– ORIGIN mid 19th century: from Egyptian Arabic šādūf.

— Oxford English Dictionary

Words II

Words.
Image

The theme for today’s questions repeats yesterday’s: five words, each beginning with a different letter — W, O, R, D, and S. Each word appears in the Oxford English Dictionary and is presented below with three possible meanings. Simply choose the correct one for each.

Widdershins

A. Small shears; secateurs 

B. A direction contrary to the sun’s course; anticlockwise

C. Woollen leggings; gaiters

Omasum

A. An estate held in absolute ownership, without acknowledgement to a superior.
B. A hard, dark, glasslike volcanic rock formed by the rapid solidification of lava without crystallization.
C. The muscular third stomach of a ruminant animal

Rhinal

A. In Palaeontology relating to unicorns
B. The scientific study of water loss from riverine systems
C. Anatomy relating to the nose or the olfactory part of the brain

Dubbo

A. One who is an identical twin
B. An adolescent male kangaroo or wallaby
C. An unsophisticated or unintelligent person; a country bumpkin

Shadoof

A. A pole and bucket system to collect well water
B. A shadow-like spectre

C. A Jewish professional matchmaker or marriage broker

Good luck! The answers will be posted later.

Words—Answers

Words.
Image

Today’s questions focus on five words, each starting with a different letter: W, O, R, D, S. These words are all found in the Oxford English Dictionary. Each word is listed below with three definitions, so simply select the correct one for each.

One

Welkin

A. A barrel with a capacity of 12 pecks (24 gallons)
B. A grandchild
C. The sky or heavens

Answer: The sky or heavens

noun literary the sky or heaven.

– ORIGIN Old English wolcen ‘cloud, sky’, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch wolk and German Wolke.

— Oxford English Dictionary

Two

Ouabain

A. A poisonous white crystalline glycoside
B. A two-wheeled cart
C. A witches potion

Answer: A. A poisonous white crystalline glycoside

noun [mass noun] Chemistry a toxic compound obtained from certain trees, used as a very rapid cardiac stimulant. It is a polycyclic glycoside.

– ORIGIN late 19th century: via French from Somali wabayo, denoting a tree that yields poison (used on arrow points) containing ouabain.

— Oxford English Dictionary

Three

Regolith

A. Unified register of official documents.
B. An order of reptiles characterised by a bony plate shell covered in horny scales.
C. The layer of unconsolidated solid material covering a planet’s bedrock.

Answer: The layer of unconsolidated solid material covering the bedrock of a planet

noun [mass noun] Geology the layer of unconsolidated solid material covering the bedrock of a planet.

– ORIGIN late 19th century: from Greek rhēgos ‘rug, blanket’ + -lith.

— Oxford English Dictionary

Four

Deemster

A. An apprentice printer
B. A judge
C. A person falsely claiming to have a special knowledge

Answer: A Judge

noun a judge (of whom there are two) in the Isle of Man judiciary.

– ORIGIN Middle English (originally a general word for a judge): from deem + -ster. The current sense dates from the early 17th century.

— Oxford English Dictionary

Five

Starets

A. A magnesium flare

B. A spiritual leader

C. A Vietnamese roasted snake dish

Answer: A spiritual leader

noun A spiritual adviser, often a monk or religious hermit, in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

A religious adviser (not necessarily a priest) in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

— American Heritage Dictionary

Words

Words.
Image

Today’s questions focus on five words, each starting with a different letter: W, O, R, D, S. These words are all found in the Oxford English Dictionary. Each word is listed below with three definitions, so simply select the correct one for each.

One

Welkin

A. A barrel with a capacity of 12 pecks (24 gallons)

B. A grandchild

C. The sky or heavens

Two

Ouabain

A. A poisonous white crystalline glycoside

B. A two-wheeled cart

C. A witches potion

Three

Regolith

A. Unified register of official documents

B. An order of reptiles characterised by a bony plate shell covered in horny scales

C. The layer of unconsolidated solid material covering a planet’s bedrock.

Four

Deemster

A. A printer’s apprentice

B. A judge

C. A person falsely claiming to have a special knowledge

Five

Starets

A. A magnesium flare

B. A spiritual leader

C. A Vietnamese roasted snake dish

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.