Quizology.Online

“There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge.”

— Bertrand Russell

Category: Pursuit of the Trivial

  • Far Flung Fortifications Fit VI


    Over the next nine days, 46 questions will be posed, one for each letter of the alphabet plus 20 others (There will be six one day). The 20 others appear as duplicate letters, and these duplicates spell out the name of the Roman Fortification which in CE 150 to 160 was the furthest boundary from the city of Rome, and the country that it was situated in. It is a three-word answer with eight letters in the first part of the name and four in the second part; the country has eight letters in its name. 
BTW Fit, as used in the post title, is an archaic term meaning ‘a division of a song, ballad, or story’.

    Twenty-six

    What word is defined as ‘a field where rice is grown’?

    Twenty-seven

    Q is a frequently recurring character who is either mentioned or appears in various of the James Bond series of novels and films. What does the designation ‘Q’ stand for?

    Twenty-eight

    … one of the least-populated countries in Europe, albeit with the highest population growth rate…

    — Wikipedia

    The country described above has a name which originated from a word meaning ‘Little Fortress’. What country?

    Twenty-nine

    Name the production company which made Raiders of the Lost Ark?

    Thirty

    A federal organisation, often known by a nickname or four initials, gifted Burmese to Queen Elizabeth II in 1969. The same organisation, to mark its 150th anniversary in 2023, gifted Noble to King Charles III. What is the full name of this organisation, and what word best describes Burmese and Noble?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers once all the questions have been asked.

  • Far Flung Fortifications Fit V

    Eucalyptus at Tocumwal, Murray River, New South Wales.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Over the next nine days, 46 questions will be posed, one for each letter of the alphabet plus 20 others (There will be six one day). The 20 others appear as duplicate letters, and these duplicates spell out the name of the Roman Fortification which in CE 150 to 160 was the furthest boundary from the city of Rome, and the country that it was situated in. It is a three-word answer with eight letters in the first part of the name and four in the second part; the country has eight letters in its name.
    BTW Fit, as used in the post title, is an archaic term meaning ‘a division of a song, ballad, or story’.

    Twenty-one

    Eucalyptus is a large genus of flowering trees and shrubs in a family with what English name?

    Twenty-two

    Etesian, ghibli and pampero all types of what?

    Twenty-three

    What is the capital and largest city of the Bahamas?

    Twenty-four

    What is the prison in the Harry Potter films?

    Twenty-five

    Which outermost major moon of Uranus is named after a mythical king of the fairies?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers after all the questions have been asked.

  • Far Flung Fortifications Fit IV


    Over the next nine days, 46 questions will be posed, one for each letter of the alphabet plus 20 others (There will be six one day). The 20 others appear as duplicate letters, and these duplicates spell out the name of the Roman Fortification which in CE 150 to 160 was the furthest boundary from the city of Rome, and the country that it was situated in. It is a three-word answer with eight letters in the first part of the name and four in the second part; the country has eight letters in its name. 
BTW Fit, as used in the post title, is an archaic term meaning ‘a division of a song, ballad, or story’.

    Sixteen

    The Petronas Towers are in what city?

    Seventeen

    In 1915, the RMS Lusitania was torpedoed 11 miles off the coast of which country?

    Eighteen

    Complete this: Nyotaimori is the Japanese practice of serving sushi on the …

    Nineteen

    Which Old Testament book tells the story of the ten plagues of Egypt?

    Twenty

    The following dogs all have the same five-lettered name: Cuthullin’s hunting dog in Ossian’s Fingal; Robert Burns’ Border Collie in The Twa Dogs; J.M. Barrie’s Newfoundland that inspired Nana in Peter Pan; and the Labrador retriever in both Sheila Burnford’s The Incredible Journey and the 1963 film adaptation. What name?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers once all the questions have been asked.

  • Far Flung Fortifications Fit III

    See question fifteen.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Over the next nine days, 46 questions will be posed, one for each letter of the alphabet plus 20 others (There will be six one day). The 20 others appear as duplicate letters, and these duplicates spell out the name of the Roman Fortification which in CE 150 to 160 was the furthest boundary from the city of Rome, and the country that it was situated in. It is a three-word answer with eight letters in the first part of the name and four in the second part; the country has eight letters in its name.
    BTW Fit, as used in the post title, is an archaic term meaning ‘a division of a song, ballad, or story’.

    Eleven

    In what sport are the men’s world team championships contested for the Swaythling Cup?

    Answer: Table tennis.

    Twelve

    Grand-Bassam and Bingerville are former capitals of which French African colony, now a country?

    Answer: Ivory Coast.

    Thirteen

    What Japanese sash is also the partial name of a character from Star Wars?

    Answer: Obi.

    Fourteen

    Which 1973 Tina Turner song features the name of a Tennessee town which was a childhood home for her?

    Answer: Nutbush.

    Fifteen

    In the Solar System, which of these planets is nearest to the Sun: Jupiter, Saturn or Uranus?

    Answer: Jupiter.

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers once all the questions have been asked.

  • Far Flung Fortifications Fit II

    Beyoncé, 2003.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Over the next nine days, 46 questions will be posed, one for each letter of the alphabet plus 20 others (There will be six one day). The 20 others appear as duplicate letters, and these duplicates spell out the name of the Roman Fortification which in CE 150 to 160 was the furthest boundary from the city of Rome, and the country that it was situated in. It is a three-word answer with eight letters in the first part of the name and four in the second part; the country has eight letters in its name. 
BTW Fit, as used in the post title, is an archaic term meaning ‘a division of a song, ballad, or story’.

    Six

    Beyoncé Knowles portrayed which singer in the 2008 film Cadillac Records?

    Seven

    What US president was in office for 12 years and 39 days?

    Eight

    What character sings Memory at the climax of the musical Cats?

    Nine

    Of what country did Haakon VIII become king in 2006?

    Ten

    In 1873, a club published the rules of polo, which are still followed by most of the world to this day? What club?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers once all the questions have been asked.

  • Far Flung Fortifications Fit I

    Duran Duran, 1983. See question 2.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Over the next nine days, 46 questions will be posed, one for each letter of the alphabet plus 20 others (There will be six one day). The 20 others appear as duplicate letters, and these duplicates spell out the name of the Roman Fortification which in CE 150 to 160 was the furthest boundary from the city of Rome, and the country that it was situated in. It is a three-word answer with eight letters in the first part of the name and four in the second part; the country has eight letters in its name.
    BTW Fit, as used in the post title, is an archaic term meaning ‘a division of a song, ballad, or story’.

    One

    To whom was R. Kelly married from 1994 to 1995?

    Two

    What 1968 film influenced the band Duran Duran’s choice of name?

    Three

    The Chinese Exclusion Act was signed into law by the 21st president of the US in 1882 who incidentally gave his name to an elementary school in a 1995 film. Who was this president?

    Four

    In what month and year was the world’s first atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima?

    Five

    What word can be defined as: the number below the line in a vulgar fraction; a divisor?

    Good luck! I’ll post all of the answers after the questions have all been asked.

  • Picture This — Answers

    Today’s Answers

    Noire et Blanche, see question three
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s first question is connected to the date, 8 September. The subsequent ones are not date-related but follow a similar theme to the first.

    One

    A controversial photographer and film director (Triumph of the Will) died this day in 2003 at the age of 103. Her association and collaboration with the Nazi regime before and during World War II led to severe reputational damage. Who was she?

    Answer: Leni Riefenstahl.

    Helene Bertha Amalie Riefenstahl (1902–2003) was a German filmmaker, actress, and photographer, active from 1925 to 2002. Notable works include The Victory of Faith, Triumph of the Will, Olympia, and Tiefland. Riefenstahl notably created Nazi propaganda films Triumph of the Will and Olympia in the 1930s. Post-war, her reputation suffered due to her previous association with Hitler. She later focused on photography, releasing Tiefland and photo books on the Nuba peoples of Sudan.

    Two

    Macro photography can be described by what two-word, hyphenated term?

    Answer: Close-up.

    Macro photography, or photomacrography, is extreme close-up photography which reproduces subjects larger than actual size, typically capturing small organisms such as insects.

    Three

    Which Dada and Surrealist photographer’s work from 1926 is pictured at the top of this post?

    Answer: Man Ray (or Emmanuel Radnitzky).

    Man Ray, born Emmanuel Radnitzky, was an American-born, French-naturalised visual artist prominent in the Dada and Surrealist movements. Primarily a painter, he innovated in photography, fashion, and portraiture, notably creating photograms called ‘rayographs’. He spent most of his career in Paris, contributing significantly to modern art.

    Four

    The RolleifleX, a line of high-end cameras, was originally made by which German company?

    Answer: Franke & Heidecke.

    Rolleiflex, renowned for medium format TLR cameras, offered exceptional quality, compact size, and superior optics. Known for Zeiss and Schneider lenses, it featured a semi-automatic film loading mechanism. Accessories enhanced its versatility. Production by DHW Fototechnik ended in 2015 after insolvency, with models remaining sought after by photographers and collectors.

    Child with a toy hand grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C., 1962.
    Image MOMA

    Five

    The 1962 photograph Child with a Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, NYC was taken by whom?

    Answer: Diane Arbus.

    Diane Arbus, an American photographer, captured diverse subjects in familiar settings. By befriending rather than objectifying them, she expanded acceptable subject matter and achieved rare psychological intensity.

  • Picture This

    Noire et Blanche, see question three
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s first question is connected to the date, 8 September. The subsequent ones are not date-related but follow a similar theme to the first.

    One

    A controversial photographer and film director (Triumph of the Will) died this day in 2003 at the age of 103. Her association and collaboration with the Nazi regime before and during World War II led to severe reputational damage. Who was she?

    Two

    Macro photography can be described by what two-word, hyphenated term?

    Three

    Which Dada and Surrealist photographer’s work from 1926 is pictured at the top of this post?

    Four

    The RolleifleX, a line of high-end cameras, was originally made by which German company?

    Five

    The 1962 photograph Child with a Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, NYC was taken by whom?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Decade Decisions — Answers

    Today’s Answers

    Elizabeth I of England, c.1575.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s questions are all related to today, 7th September.

    One

    The first Miss America pageant took place on this day. In what decade, and at what location did this occur?

    Answer: 1920s; Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.

    The inaugural Miss America pageant began on 7 September 1921, when the two-day Inter-City Beauty event opened in Atlantic City during the Fall Frolic. Margaret Gorman, representing Washington, D.C., secured victory on the first day and again in the Bathers’ Revue the following day. She was named ‘the most beautiful bathing girl in America’.

    Two

    England’s future Queen Elizabeth I was born on this day. In what decade, and at what palace was she born?

    Answers: 1530s; Greenwich Palace.

    Elizabeth I, born on this day in 1533, ruled England from 1558 to 1603. Her reign, known as the Elizabethan Age, saw the country emerge strongly as a leading European force in politics, trade, and the arts.

    Three

    The earliest recorded submarine attack occurred when an attempt was made by the Turtle to fix an explosive device with a timer to the British ship HMS Eagle in a harbour. In what decade, and in what harbour, did this occur?

    Answers: 1770s; New York Harbor.

    American colonial accounts describe how on 7 September 1776, Ezra Lee launched the first submarine strike in the Turtle, aiming to fix a timed explosive to HMS Eagle in New York Harbor, though British records do not confirm the event.

    Four

    A songwriter achieved a record-setting milestone while working at EMI by having written seven simultaneous hits by different artists on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. In what decade did she achieve this, and who was she?

    Answers: 1980’s; Diane Eve Warren.

    Her success drew praise from EMI’s UK Chairman, Peter Reichardt, who famously described her as ‘the most important songwriter in the world’. Although Warren is recognised for her extensive catalogue of hits with some of the most popular artists, she is strongly committed to safeguarding her creative rights; she founded Realsongs to retain ownership of her masters, a step that grants her full control over how her music is used and how revenue is generated.

    Five

    Georgi Markov, a Bulgarian dissident, was assassinated while walking across Waterloo Bridge in London, U.K. by Bulgarian secret police. In what decade did this happen, and what was the weapon speculated to have been used?

    Answers: 1970s; Umbrella.

    On 7 September 1978, Markov felt a sharp pain on his right thigh at a bus stop on Waterloo Bridge and reported seeing a man pick up an umbrella behind him. A post mortem examination later found a tiny pellet measuring 0.067 in (1.70 mm) in diameter in his leg. The assumption is that Francesco Gullino, a Bulgarian secret police agent, killed him using a ricin pellet launched from a purpose-built umbrella.

  • Decade Decisions

    Elizabeth I of England.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s questions are all related to today, 7th September.

    One

    The first Miss America pageant took place on this day. In what decade, and at what location did this occur?

    Two

    England’s future Queen Elizabeth I was born on this day. In what decade, and at what palace was she born?

    Three

    The earliest recorded submarine attack occurred when an attempt was made by the Turtle to fix an explosive device with a timer to the British ship HMS Eagle in a harbour. In what decade, and in what harbour, did this occur?

    Four

    A songwriter achieved a record-setting milestone while working at EMI by having written seven simultaneous hits by different artists on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. In what decade did she achieve this, and who was she?

    Five

    Georgi Markov, a Bulgarian dissident, was assassinated while walking across Waterloo Bridge in London, U.K. by Bulgarian secret police. In what decade did this happen, and what was the weapon speculated to have been used?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.