Quizology.Online

Category: Pursuit of the Trivial

  • The Great Dictator—Answers

    (See question 3.) This iconic shot of Harold Lloyd hanging from a clock in Safety Last! was achieved with some improvisation.
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    One

    The Great Dictator, which premiered in New York on 15 October 1940, satirised Adolf Hitler, Nazism and anti-Semitism. Who directed this film?

    Answer: Charlie Chaplin

    The Great Dictator is a 1940 American political satire black comedy film written, directed, produced by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. Having been the only major Hollywood filmmaker to continue to make silent films well into the period of sound films, Chaplin made this his first true sound film. — Wikipedia

    Two

    From which London railway station does the Hogwarts Express depart and what is the name of the Scottish viaduct it crosses on its way to and from Hogwarts?

    Answer: Kings Cross Station; Glenfinnan Viaduct

    Steam train on the Glenfinnan Viaduct features in four films in the series.
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    Three

    Two for the price of one! Who played the actor dangling from a clock on a skyscraper in the 1923 film Safety Last! and what’s the fictional name of the skyscraper in Die Hard?

    Answer: Harold Lloyd (Safety Last!) and

    Answer: Nakatomi Tower (or Plaza) (Die Hard)

    2121 Avenue of the Stars, formerly Fox Plaza, is a 34-storey skyscraper in Century City, Los Angeles. It stands at 493 feet (150 metres) tall was used for external filming of Die Hard’s Nakatomi Tower.
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    Four

    Which actor was the first to receive two consecutive Academy Awards for best actor?

    Answer: Spencer Tracy

    Tracy was nominated for nine best actor Oscars, a category record held jointly with Laurence Olivier. His two consecutive Academy Awards for Best Actor were for Captains Courageous (1938) and Boys Town (1939).

    Five

    Sean Connery won only one Academy Award during his career, and it came some time after he had finally retired from the role of James Bond. For which role, and in which film, did he win this Best Supporting Actor Oscar?

    Answer: Jimmy Malone in The Untouchables

    Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables (1987) was nominated for four Academy Awards. Connery won the best supporting actor Oscar and Golden Globe Award for his role as the incorruptible beat cop, Jimmy Malone.

  • The Great Dictator

    Today’s first question centres around a film premiere on October 15, followed by questions related to films.

    Adenoid Hynkel in The Great Dictator.
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    One

    The Great Dictator, which premiered in New York on 15 October 1940, satirised Adolf Hitler, Nazism and anti-Semitism. Who directed this film?

    Two

    From which London railway station does the Hogwarts Express depart and what is the name of the Scottish viaduct it crosses on its way to and from Hogwarts?

    Three

    Two for the price of one! Who played the actor dangling from a clock on a skyscraper in the 1923 film Safety Last! and what’s the fictional name of the skyscraper in Die Hard?

    Four

    Which actor was the first to receive two consecutive Academy Awards for best actor?

    Five

    Sean Connery won only one Academy Award during his career, and it came some time after he had finally retired from the role of James Bond. For which role, and in which film, did he win this Best Supporting Actor Oscar?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Presidential Genesis—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

    Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States.
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    One

    The US state of Virginia is in pole position with eight US presidents being born there. What state would be in second place?

    Answer: Ohio

    Ohio ranks second to Virginia in the number of US presidents born there. These seven presidents hail from Ohio: Ulysses S Grant, Rutherford B Hayes, James A Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Howard Taft and Warren G Harding.

    Two

    Which mammal family, common or scientific name, is the wolverine the largest member of?

    Answer: Weasels or Mustelidae

    The wolverine, the largest member of the Mustelidae family – commonly known as the weasel family – includes other animals like weasels otters martens and badgers. Renowned for their stocky build thick fur and impressive strength relative to their size, wolverines are truly remarkable creatures.

    Petrus Kartner—Father Abraham.
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    Three

    In 1977 Petrus Kartner was commissioned to compose a promotional song for The Smurfs which became a hit single and album. What nationality was Kartner and under what stage name did he perform?

    Answer: Dutch and Father Abraham

    Dutch musician and record producer Petrus Antonius Laurentius Kartner (1935-2022), known as Vader Abraham, wrote around 1600 songs. He is best known for his Smurf-themed music, including The Smurf Song, which sold 400,000 copies after a repress and a full album that sold 500,000 copies.

    Four

    In volleyball, a defensive specialist who can’t serve or rotate to the front line and wears a different coloured jersey is known as a …. What six-letter word describes this player?

    Answer: Libero

    The word originates from Italian and means ‘free’. The libero, is a defensive specialist in volleyball, wearing a different coloured jersey and unable to serve or attack above the net. Libero replacements don’t count against the substitution limit, but can only be made with the original libero.
    Established in 1998, this position is recognised by most volleyball governing bodies and is credited with lengthening rallies.

    Neptune’s Staircase, Caledonian Canal, Scotland, UK.
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    Five

    What eventually links Loch Ness to Neptune’s Staircase?

    Answer: Caledonian Canal

    Built by Thomas Telford between 1803 and 1822 the Caledonian Canal is one of Scotland’s most remarkable engineering achievements — a scenic 60-mile (97 km) waterway that cuts through the Great Glen, connecting the east coast at the Beauly Firth near Inverness with the west coast’s Loch Linnhe at Corpach near Fort William. Some 60 miles (97 km) in length with 22 miles (35 km) of man-made canal while the rest is natural lochs which include Loch Dochfour, Loch Ness, Loch Oich and Loch Lochy. Neptune’s Staircase is a flight of eight locks near to the Loch Linnhe end of the canal.

  • Presidential Genesis

    Here are five random questions for you to consider.

    Wolverine, see question 2.
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    One

    The US state of Virginia is in pole position with eight US presidents being born there. What state would be in second place?

    Two

    Which mammal family, common or scientific name, is the wolverine the largest member of?

    Three

    In 1977 Petrus Kartner was commissioned to compose a promotional song for The Smurfs which became a hit single and album. What nationality was Kartner and under what stage name did he perform?

    Four

    In volleyball, a defensive specialist who can’t serve or rotate to the front line and wears a different coloured jersey is known as a …. What six-letter word describes this player?

    Five

    What eventually links Loch Ness to Neptune’s Staircase?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Shrouded in Mystery—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions in my earlier post.

    Nero.
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    One

    Is it true or false that in 1988 the Archbishop of Turin announced that carbon-14 dating of the Shroud of Turin placed its date in the first century CE?

    Answer: False

    He admitted the shroud’s origins date back to the Middle Ages. The Shroud of Turin, traditionally believed to be Jesus’ burial cloth, was radiocarbon dated in 1988 to the period 1260–1390 CE This contradicts its traditional association with Jesus’ crucifixion. While some question the reliability of the 1988 test, no expert has deemed it substantially unreliable.

    Two

    The 1972 Andes flight carrying the Old Christians Rugby Club became international news when it was revealed that the survivors had resorted to cannibalism to survive. Is it true or false that the flight originated from Buenos Aires, Argentina?

    Answer: False

    They were flying from Montevideo, Uruguay to Santiago, Chile. Old Christians Club, a Uruguayan sports club from Montevideo, is known for its rugby union team. The club also has football and field hockey branches. Forty rugby club members and five crew members were on board a plane that crashed in the Argentinean Andes. They endured an avalanche and weeks of starvation, resorting to eating the frozen bodies of the deceased. Sixteen survivors were rescued after two trekked across the mountains to seek help.

    Three

    Is it true of false that in 54 CE the Roman emperor Claudius died from poisoning and was succeeded by his son Caligula, rather than his son with Messalina?

    Answer: False

    He was succeeded by his adoptive son Nero rather than Britannicus, his son with Messalina. Ancient historians believe Claudius was poisoned, likely by his wife Agrippina, to secure Nero’s succession. However, some argue he died from illness or old age, citing his poor health and the lack of evidence against his taster Halotus.

    Four

    Is this statement true or false: In 2010, 33 miners were rescued from South America’s Patagonian Desert after spending a 69 days underground.

    Answer: False

    It was the Atacama Desert in Chile. The 2010 Copiapó mining accident trapped 33 miners 700 metres underground for a record 69 days after a cave-in at the San José mine in the Atacama Desert, Chile. The rescue operation, involving multiple countries and organisations, successfully brought the miners to the surface. The mine’s owner, San Esteban Mining Company, had a history of safety violations and negligence.

    Margaret Thatcher.
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    Five

    Margaret Thatcher, who was born today in 1925 was the British Prime Minister from 1979 until 1990. Is it true or false that she was Member of Parliament for the constituency of Finchley for more than 32 years?

    Answer: True

    She became the MP for Finchley on 8 October 1959 and held the position until her retirement in the spring of 1992. Thatcher was Europe’s first female prime minister and the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century, also the only one to secure three consecutive terms.

  • Shrouded in Mystery

    Here are five questions which are all related to today, October 13th

    Shroud of Turin.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Is it true or false that in 1988 the Archbishop of Turin announced that carbon-14 dating of the Shroud of Turin placed its date in the first century CE?

    Two

    The 1972 Andes flight carrying the Old Christians Rugby Club became international news when it was revealed that the survivors had resorted to cannibalism to survive. Is it true or false that the flight originated from Buenos Aires, Argentina?

    Three

    Is it true of false that in 54 CE the Roman emperor Claudius died from poisoning and was succeeded by his son Caligula, rather than his son with Messalina?

    Four

    Is this statement true or false: In 2010, 33 miners were rescued from South America’s Patagonian Desert after spending a 69 days underground.

    Five

    Margaret Thatcher, who was born today in 1925 was the British Prime Minister from 1979 until 1990. Is it true or false that she was Member of Parliament for the constituency of Finchley for more than 32 years?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.

  • Names, Names, Names—Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier post,

    Theodore Roosevelt, 1904.
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    One

    Could you please identify the missing names in the following quote from Encyclopædia Britannica? It mentions a president’s name and a building’s name but both have been removed.

    1901 President … officially changed the name of the president’s residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. from … to the White House — Encyclopædia Britannica

    Answer: Theodore Roosevelt and Executive Mansion

    Originally called the “President’s Palace” on early maps, the building was officially named the Executive Mansion in 1810 to avoid connotations of royalty. Although the name White House was commonly used from about the same time (because the mansion’s white-gray sandstone contrasted strikingly with the red brick of nearby buildings), it did not become the official name of the building until 1901, when it was adopted by Pres. Theodore Roosevelt (1901–09). The White House is the oldest federally built building in the country’s capital. — Encyclopædia Britannica

    Two

    In 1748, the British Royal Navy secured a tactical victory over the Spanish near Havana in the Caribbean during the War of ….
    Which of the following completes the above statement: Barnard’s Nose; Jenkins’ Ear or Nelson’s Eye?

    Answer: Jenkins’ Ear

    The War of Jenkins’ Ear (1739-1748)—the name derives from Robert Jenkins, a British sea captain whose ear was allegedly severed by Spanish coast guards in 1731—between Great Britain and Spain, centred in New Granada and the Caribbean, was a precursor to the War of the Austrian Succession. The war ended with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, leaving Britain’s territorial ambitions largely unmet.

    Three

    In 2001, the centennial Nobel Prize was awarded to the United Nations and the organisations secretary-general. Who was this secretary-general?

    Answer: Kofi Annan

    In 2001, the Nobel Committee awarded the Peace Prize to the UN and Kofi Annan for their work towards a more peaceful world. Annan was also honoured with a chieftaincy title by the Asantehene for his contributions to humanity and peace.

    Four

    An island once named Fernando Pó is part of a country which achieved its independence from Spain in 1968. What country is this, and on what continent is it located?

    Answer: Equatorial Guinea and Africa

    Bioko, historically Fernando Pó after a Portuguese explorer, is an island in Equatorial Guinea. Located 32 kilometres south of Cameroon’s coast and 160 kilometres northwest of mainland Equatorial Guinea, its capital city Malabo sits on the island’s north coast. With an area of 2,017 km² it is the fourth largest island in Africa and is part of the Cameroon line of volcanoes, with its highest peak being Pico Basile at 3,012 m. In the Bube language, Bioko is called Ëtulá a Ëri.

    Edith Cavell.
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    Five

    In 1916, a British nurse was executed by a German firing squad for aiding Allied soldiers in their escape. Who was the nurse, and what was the name of the country?

    Answer: Edith Cavell

    Edith Cavell, a British nurse, was executed on 12 October 1915 by the Germans during WWI for helping Allied soldiers escape. Her selfless actions and words, ‘Patriotism is not enough’, inspired many and are commemorated on her memorial.

  • Names, Names, Names

    Today’s questions revolve around October 12th and touch on various names.

    An aerial view of the White House complex, including Pennsylvania Avenue in the foreground, the Executive Residence and North Portico (center), the East Wing (left), and the West Wing and the Oval Office at its southeast corner, April 2007.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Could you please identify the missing names in the following quote from Encyclopædia Britannica? It mentions a president’s name and a building’s name but both have been removed.

    1901 President … officially changed the name of the president’s residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. from … to the White House — Encyclopædia Britannica

    Two

    In 1748, the British Royal Navy secured a tactical victory over the Spanish near Havana in the Caribbean during the War of ….
    Which of the following completes the above statement: Barnard’s Nose, Jenkins’ Ear, or Nelson’s Eye?

    Three

    In 2001, the centennial Nobel Prize was awarded to the United Nations and the organisations secretary-general. Who was this secretary-general?

    Four

    An island once named Fernando Pó is part of a country which achieved its independence from Spain in 1968. What country is this, and on what continent is it located?

    Five

    In 1916, a British nurse was executed by a German firing squad for aiding Allied soldiers in their escape. Who was the nurse, and what was the name of the country?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Numbers—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

    One

    Eight nations lie within the Arctic Circle. Can you name them?

    Answer: Canada, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, United States

    The Arctic Circle, an imaginary line at about 66.5° North latitude, marks the southern edge of the Arctic region. Several countries have land or territories within them. Alphabetically, they are:

    Canada
    Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and northern areas of several provinces, plus the islands in Canada’s Arctic Archipelago which is described by Wikipedia as:

    Situated in the northern extremity of North America and covering about 1,424,500 km2 (550,000 sq mi), this group of 36,563 islands, surrounded by the Arctic Ocean, comprises much of Northern Canada, predominately Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. — Wikipedia

    Finland
    The Lapland region.

    Greenland
    Greenland, a vast autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

    Iceland
    Despite its name only a small part of Grímsey Island (off the north coast of mainland Iceland) lies within the Arctic Circle.

    Norway
    Northern mainland, for example, Finnmark; and the Svalbard Archipelago. Longyearbyen (Longyear Town) is the world’s northernmost settlement with a population greater than 1,000, and the capital and the largest inhabited area of Svalbard.

    Russia
    Russia has a massive Arctic region, including parts of Siberia, Murmansk Oblast and several Arctic islands. Murmansk is the largest city located above the Arctic Circle

    Sweden
    The northern part of the country, for example, Norrbotten County.

    United States
    The only US territory within the Arctic Circle is the northern part of the state of Alaska.

    Two

    In what 1996 film is Sherman Klump and various others played by the same actor and, who is that actor and how many roles do they play?

    Answer: (film) The Nutty Professor; (actor) Eddie Murphy; (number of roles) Seven

    The Nutty Professor (1996) Eddie Murphy seven roles
    – Professor Sherman Klump ‘The Nutty Professor’
    – Buddy Love
    – Lance Perkins
    – Cletus Klump, Sherman’s father
    – Anna Pearl Jensen-Klump, Sherman’s mother
    – Ida Mae Jensen, Anna’s mother and Sherman’s maternal grandmother
    – Ernie Klump Sr., Sherman’s older brother

    Three

    … days after the war ended, my sister Laura drove a car off a bridge.

    What number begins the opening line from Margaret Atwood’s The Blind Assassin?

    Answer: Ten

    The Blind Assassin, a historical fiction novel by Margaret Atwood, won the Booker Prize in 2000.

    Four

    In Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship of the Ring was formed at the Council of Elrond with the singular purpose of destroying the One Ring. How many members in total were in the Fellowship, and how was this number distributed among the various races?

    Answer: (total) Nine. (comprising) One Wizard, two Men, one Elf, one Dwarf and four Hobbits

    The Tolkien Gateway describe the members of the Fellowship of the Ring as follows:

    Gandalf — One of the Wizards sent to Middle-earth by the Valar. He was the leader of the Fellowship.
    Aragorn, son of Arathorn — The Chieftain of the Dúnedain and the last heir to the throne of Gondor and Arnor. He led the Fellowship after the loss of Gandalf.
    Boromir, son of Denethor — Captain-general of Gondor and next-in-line to be the Ruling Steward of Gondor.
    Legolas, son of Thranduil of Mirkwood — Emissary of the Elves of Mirkwood.
    Gimli, son of Glóin — A Dwarf of the Lonely Mountain.
    Frodo Baggins — A Hobbit from the Shire, chosen to carry the One Ring.
    Samwise Gamgee — A Hobbit, Frodo’s gardener, servant and close friend.
    Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck — A Hobbit and cousin of Frodo, best friends with
    Peregrin “Pippin” Took — A Hobbit and also a cousin of Frodo, youngest of the Fellowship.
    — The Fellowship by Pauline Baynes at The Tolkien Gateway

    Five

    The Hunting of the Snark, a poem by an English writer, is subtitled An Agony, in … Fits. What number is missing from the subtitle and who was the English author?

    Answer: (number) Eight and (author) Lewis Carroll

    The Hunting of the Snark is a nonsense poem by Lewis Carroll, published in 1876. The poem follows a crew’s hunt for the Snark, a creature that may be a dangerous Boojum, and explores themes of existential angst and the pursuit of happiness.

  • Numbers

    Today numbers are either in the questions or answers.

    One

    Eight nations lie within the Arctic Circle. Can you name them?

    Two

    In what 1996 film is Sherman Klump and various others played by the same actor and, who is that actor and how many roles do they play?

    Three

    … days after the war ended, my sister Laura drove a car off a bridge.

    What number begins the opening line from Margaret Atwood’s The Blind Assassin?

    Four

    In Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship of the Ring was formed at the Council of Elrond with the singular purpose of destroying the One Ring. How many members in total were in the Fellowship, and how was this number distributed among the various races?

    Five

    The Hunting of the Snark, a poem by an English writer, is subtitled An Agony, in … Fits. What number is missing from the subtitle and who was the English author?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later.