Quizology.Online

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

— Bertrand Russell

Category: Pursuit of the Trivial

  • Today: Carpe Diem — Answers

    Today’s Answers

    Tallinn old town during sunrise. View from Patkul viewing platform in September 2018.
    Wikipedia Picture of the Day 5 September 2026.
    Image Hendrik Mändla.via Wikimedia Commons

    Today: carpe diem! Following on from yesterday, we again have five questions but ten answers.

    One

    The above picture is of a national capital city (population population of 452,563), sitting on its country’s north coast and on the Gulf of Finland. What is the city, and of what country is it the capital?

    Answers: Tallinn; Estonia.

    Tallinn is Estonia’s capital and main centre, with 452,563 residents in 2026 and a 2024 metropolitan estimate of 646,315. Historically known as Reval, it gained Lübeck rights in 1248 and hosts the EU IT agency and NATO Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. The picture above is by Hendrik Mändla and shows Tallinn old town during sunrise. It was taken from the Patkul viewing platform in September 2018 and was a Wikipedia Picture of the Day on 5 September 2026. The image is courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

    Two

    The Moon landing in November 1969 landed in one of the Moon’s maria: what was the landing site named, and what mission was it?

    Answers: Oceanus Procellarum aka Ocean of Storms; Apollo 12.

    Award yourself a bonus point if you answered Oceanus Procellarum. The landing site for the Apollo 12 mission in 1969, Oceanus Procellarum, which translates from Latin as the ‘Ocean of Storms’, is the largest of the dark plains (maria) on the near side of the Moon, and unique in being the only one to be named an ocean. It covers roughly 10.5% of the total lunar surface and was formed by ancient volcanic eruptions that flooded the area with solidified magma.

    Three

    … 45 is a 170 m high tourist attraction in a desert in the Sossusvlei area of Namibia, which gets its name from being at the 45th kilometre on the Sesriem–Sossusvlei road. What word is missing from … 45, and what desert is it in?

    Answer: Dune; Namib Desert.

    Dune 45 is a star dune in Namibia’s Sossusvlei area, named after the 45th kilometre of the Sesriem–Sossusvlei road. Over 170 m high, it comprises 5-million-year-old sand from the Orange River and Kalahari Desert. It is frequently photographed and climbed.

    Four

    What 2009 film became the first film to gross more than $2 billion, and who directed it?

    Answers: Avatar; James Cameron.

    James Cameron’s 2009 film Avatar depicts humans mining Pandora and using genetically engineered bodies to interact with the Na’vi. It used new visual effects, earned over $2 billion, won three Academy Awards and became the highest-grossing film.

    Five

    The Wallis WA-116 featured in a James Bond film: what film, and what was it?

    Answers: You Only Live Twice; autogyro.

    Sean Connery’s James Bond is sent to Japan after American and Soviet spacecraft disappear. On a remote island, he confronts SPECTRE’s Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who is inciting Cold War conflict for an unnamed Asian power. During his investigation of Blofeld’s base Bond uses the autogyro Little Nellie on a reconnaissance mission.

    Today: Carpe Diem

    This post is headed ‘Today: Carpe Diem‘ (seize the day). My intention is that you seize the specific ‘day’ mentioned: Today. The answers therefore begin with the letters T, O, D, A, Y.

  • Today: Carpe Diem

    Tallinn old town during sunrise. View from Patkul viewing platform in September 2018.
    Image Hendrik Mändla.via Wikimedia Commons

    Today: carpe diem! Following on from yesterday, we again have five questions but ten answers.

    One

    The above picture is of a national capital city (population population of 452,563), sitting on its country’s north coast and on the Gulf of Finland. What is the city, and of what country is it the capital?

    Two

    The Moon landing in November 1969 landed in one of the Moon’s maria: what was the landing site named, and what mission was it?

    Three

    … 45 is a 170 m high tourist attraction in a desert in the Sossusvlei area of Namibia, which gets its name from being at the 45th kilometre on the Sesriem–Sossusvlei road. What word is missing from … 45, and what desert is it in?

    Four

    What 2009 film became the first film to gross more than $2 billion, and who directed it?

    Five

    The Wallis WA-116 featured in a James Bond film: what film, and what was it?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Fixed Locus — Answers

    Today’s Answers

    Cotopaxi. See question three.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Despite today’s questions being all over the place, the locus is fixed. BTW five questions: ten answers.

    One

    What European nation is one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world; and what two landlocked nations surround it?

    Answer: Liechtenstein; Austria and Switzerland.

    Liechtenstein, the world’s sixth-smallest sovereign state by area, is one of only two (Uzbekistan is the other) doubly landlocked countries in the world, meaning it is entirely surrounded by other landlocked nations: Austria and Switzerland.

    Two

    What sultanate on the Arabian Sea has been ruled by the Al Bu Said dynasty since 1744?

    Answer: Oman.

    Oman is a country in the southeastern Arabian Peninsula with a population of about 5.46 million. Its capital is Muscat, Islam is the state religion, and Arabic is the official language. As the oldest independent state in the Arab world, it has been ruled by the Al Bu Said dynasty since 1744 and was historically a major regional empire.

    Three

    What active stratovolcano is about 30 miles (50 km) south of the city of Quito; in what country and mountain range is this volcano located?

    Answer: Cotopaxi; Ecuador and the Andes Mountains.

    Cotopaxi is an active stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador. It is the second-highest summit in Ecuador at 5,897 metres, putting it amongst the highest active volcanoes in the world.

    Four

    The seventh planet from the Sun was the first planet to be classified as such with the aid of a telescope? What planet and who discovered it?

    Answer: Uranus; William Herschel.

    Uranus is visible to the naked eye but was not recognised as a planet by ancient observers due to its dimness and slow orbit. William Herschel discovered it while using his homemade telescope on March 13, 1781, making it the first planet found using a telescope. This discovery effectively doubled the known size of the Solar System, as Uranus is about twice as far from the Sun as Saturn.

    Five

    Who or what is the island nation of the Solomon Islands named after?

    Answer: Solomon.

    The Solomon Islands, with a population of roughly 828,857, has Honiara as its capital on the island of Guadalcanal. The country takes its name from the broader Solomon Islands archipelago which, in 1568, was visited by Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña, the first European to visit the islands. Although he only named individual islands, the archipelago was later named ‘Solomon Islands’ by others. They optimistically linked his voyage to the wealthy biblical King Solomon and the legendary city of Ophir.

    Fixed Locus

    Locus is defined as ‘a particular position or place where something occurs or is situated’. Despite the questions being all over place, locus is fixed and the initial letter of the first, and only the first, part of each answer should follow as such L, O, C, U, S.

  • Fixed Locus

    See question three.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Despite today’s questions being all over the place, the locus is fixed. BTW five questions: ten answers.

    One

    What European nation is one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world; and what two landlocked nations surround it?

    Two

    What sultanate on the Arabian Sea has been ruled by the Al Bu Said dynasty since 1744?

    Three

    What active stratovolcano is about 30 miles (50 km) south of the city of Quito; in what country and mountain range is this volcano located?

    Four

    The seventh planet from the Sun was the first planet to be classified as such with the aid of a telescope? What planet and who discovered it?

    Five

    Who or what is the island nation of the Solomon Islands named after?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Scene of Crime — Answer

    Today’s Answers

    Flag of Kenya.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Analyse today’s scene of crime.

    One

    Roxane expresses her love for the title character at the end of which 1897 Edmond Rostand play?

    Answer: Cyrano de Bergerac.

    Edmond Rostand’s 1897 French play Cyrano de Bergerac blends the 17th-century Cyrano’s life with invention and myth; his large nose is real but usually exaggerated in performance.

    Two

    The order Lagomorpha contains the pika and two other animals. What one has a six-lettered name?

    Answer: Rabbit.

    Derived from Greek and meaning ‘hare-shaped’ Lagomorphs comprise Leporidae and Ochotonidae, with 109 extant species across twelve genera and one recently extinct genus. Found on all continents except Antarctica, they differ from rodents by having four upper incisors and more cheek teeth. They are almost exclusively herbivores with fur-covered feet. Great Britain alone is estimated to have about 36 million wild European rabbits.

    Three

    The principal activity of which Yokohama-headquartered company is the production, marketing and sale of commercial vehicles and diesel engines?

    Answer: Isuzu.

    Headquartered in Yokohama, Isuzu Motors Ltd. produces and sells commercial diesel vehicles and engines globally. Operations include subsidiaries such as UD Trucks and Jiangxi Isuzu Motors, with plants in Fujisawa, Tochigi and Hokkaido.

    Four

    Wikipedia describes the design of the Flag of Kenya as follows: ‘A horizontal tricolour of black, white-edged red, and green with two crossed white spears behind a red, white, and black … shield.’ What word has been omitted from the description?

    Answer: Maasai.

    The flag’s design draws from the banner of the Kenya African National Union (KANU), the movement that guided independence. KANU’s colours were woven into the national flag alongside the traditional Maasai shield and crossed spears to signal cultural heritage and defence. This adjustment ensured the flag captured both political history and the broader identity of the Kenyan people.

    Five

    What is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States?

    Answer: Everglades.

    The Everglades, a flooded grassland from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay, suffered habitat loss through drainage and development. Conservation efforts resulted with Congress approval of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan in 2000.

  • Scene of Crime

    Flag of Kenya.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Analyse today’s scene of crime.

    One

    Roxane expresses her love for the title character at the end of which 1897 Edmond Rostand play?

    Two

    The order Lagomorpha contains the pika and two other animals. What one has a six-lettered name?

    Three

    The principal activity of which Yokohama-headquartered company is the production, marketing and sale of commercial vehicles and diesel engines?

    Four

    Wikipedia describes the design of the Flag of Kenya as follows: ‘A horizontal tricolour of black, white-edged red, and green with two crossed white spears behind a red, white, and black … shield.’ What word has been omitted from the description?

    Five

    What is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Chapter and Verse — Answers

    Today’s Answers

    River Bou Regreg at Rabat.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Subverse the verse!

    One

    Camerlengo Patrick McKenna was played by whom in a 2009 film?

    Answer: Ewan McGregor,

    In Angels & Demons (2009), which was based on Dan Brown’s 2000 novel of the same name, Ewan McGregor portrayed Father Patrick McKenna, the Camerlengo. In the Catholic Church, the Camerlengo (Chamberlain) is the official responsible for the temporal and administrative affairs of the Vatican and the Papacy during the period when the office of the Pope is vacant (sede vacante), following a Pope’s death and before a successor has been elected.

    Two

    What make of car has a name which comes from the Latin meaning ‘roll, cause to roll’?

    Answer: Volvo.

    The name Volvo is derived from the Latin verb volvere, which means “to roll” or “to turn.” This root gives the car brand its connection to rolling motion.

    volvo, volvere, volvi, volutus:

    Verb · 3rd conjugation · variant: 1st · Transitive

    roll, cause to roll; travel in circle/circuit; bring around/about; revolve;

    — Oxford Latin Dictionary

    Three

    What eight-letter noun describes any one of these three historic figures: Jacques Cartier, Edward John Eyre and Henry Hudson?

    Answer: Explorer.

    Jacques Cartier became the first European to venture inland across North America, asserting French authority over the territory he surveyed in 1534. Edward John Eyre was an English explorer of the Australian continent, colonial administrator, Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand’s New Munster province, and Governor of Jamaica. Henry Hudson explored what is now New York and northeastern Canada. Today he has both a river and bay named after him.

    Four

    Sitting at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg on the Atlantic Ocean this capital city of an African country is one of that country’s four imperial cities. It was founded in the 12th century by the Almohad dynasty and became the official capital in 1956 after the country gained independence from France. What is this city?

    Answer: Rabat.

    Rabat, founded by the Almohads in the 12th century, is Morocco’s capital and the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region’s centre. On the Atlantic at the Bou Regreg rivermouth, it became the French protectorate’s administrative hub in 1912 and the capital in 1956.

    Five

    If an airport runway is designated 18 in which direction is it orientated?

    Answer: South

    Runway 18 is oriented south, meaning that aircraft taking off or landing on it are heading in a southerly direction. The opposite end of this runway would be designated as Runway 36, which points north. These numbers refer to south being 180º on a compass and north 360º.

    Bonus Question

    The first letter of each answer, assuming you have answered the five questions correctly, will form a word which is the maiden name of a character in Dutch translations of Harry Potter; the first, second and fifth characters are the same as that used in the English language versions. What character?

    Answer: (Any of) Lily Potter, Lily Evans or Lily Evers.

    See below

    Chapter and Verse

    At the start you were told to ‘subverse the verse’, which I hoped you would read as a prompt to scramble the word ‘verse’ and reorder its letters. Those letters would serve as the initial letters of today’s answers. If solved correctly, you would have an anagram of verse as your first letters: E, V, E, R and S. Harry Potter’s mother Lily has the maiden name Evans in the English books, which became Evers in the Dutch version.

  • Chapter and Verse

    River Bou Regreg.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Subverse the verse!

    One

    Camerlengo Patrick McKenna was played by whom in a 2009 film?

    Two

    What make of car has a name which comes from the Latin meaning ‘roll, cause to roll’?

    Three

    What eight-letter noun describes any one of these three historic figures: Jacques Cartier, Edward John Eyre and Henry Hudson?

    Four

    Sitting at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg on the Atlantic Ocean this capital city of an African country is one of that country’s four imperial cities. It was founded in the 12th century by the Almohad dynasty and became the official capital in 1956 after the country gained independence from France. What is this city?

    Five

    If an airport runway is designated 18 in which direction is it orientated?

    Bonus Question

    The first letter of each answer, assuming you have answered the five questions correctly, will form a word which is the maiden name of a character in Dutch translations of Harry Potter; the first, second and fifth characters are the same as that used in the English language versions. What character?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Sense Lapsang Souchong Meeting Laphroaig — Answers

    Today’s Answers

    Stegosaurus.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    No more can be said than ‘sense lapsang souchong meeting Laphroaig’.

    One

    What dinosaur species is pictured?

    Answer: Stegosaurus.

    Stegosaurus, a Late Jurassic herbivorous quadruped from the western United States and Portugal, had kite-shaped plates and tail spikes likely used for display and defence although the plates may have regulated heat. Three species are recognised and remains exceed 80 individuals.

    Two

    Buonapart Ignace Gallia is the real name of which villain from an early James Bond novel by Ian Fleming?

    Answer: Mr. Big.

    Mr. Big serves as the alias for the central antagonist in the novel Live and Let Die and its 1973 film version. In the book, his actual name is Buonapart Ignace Gallia. Within Fleming’s narrative, Mr. Big acts as a SMERSH operative and leads the ‘Black Widow Voodoo Cult’, as it smuggles and launders 17th-century gold coins for the benefit of SMERSH.

    Three

    A highly poisonous plant of the dogbane family; an Australian wattle tree; and part of the title of a 2002 film featuring Billy Connolly. One eight-lettered word fits all three things above: what word?

    Answer: Oleander.

    Nerium oleander is native from the Mediterranean to southern Asia and cultivated widely. It is highly poisonous yet rarely ingested due to bitterness; ingestion causes gastrointestinal and cardiac effects, and sap causes irritation. Acacia neriifolia, known as oleander, silver or pechy wattle, is a tree native to north-eastern Australia and common in the Moonbi Ranges. The Billy Connolly film is White Oleander which also stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Renée Zellweger.

    Four

    What songwriter composed Help Me Make It Through the Night?

    Answer: Kris Kristofferson.

    Kristofferson claims that his inspiration for the song came from Frank Sinatra’s answer to an interview question asking what he believed in. Sinatra replied, ‘Booze, broads, or a bible…whatever helps me make it through the night.’ As well as Kristofferson’s recordings versions of the song has been released by several artists, including Sammi Smith, Brenda Lee, Gladys Knight, Elvis Presley, Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash and many more.

    Five

    What links George Williams in 1844 London with a 1978 song written by Jacques Morali and Victor Willis?

    Answer: Y.M.C.A.

    Founded in London in 1844 by George Williams, YMCA is a Protestant parachurch federation based in Vernier, Switzerland, promoting Christian values through youth development. With 12,000 branches and 64 million beneficiaries, it follows principles known as the Paris Basis. Jacques Morali and Victor Willis were the songwriters who wrote the chart-topping Y.M.C.A. for the Village People.

    Sense Lapsang Souchong Meeting Laphroaig

    Lapsang souchong is a well-known black tea which originated from Fujian Province, China and Laphroaig is a malt whisky from the Scottish island of Islay. Both of these drinks share a smoky aroma and taste and that is a small clue to today’s answers which begin with the letters S, M, O, K and Y

  • Sense Lapsang Souchong Meeting Laphroaig

    Stegosaurus.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    No more can be said than ‘sense lapsang souchong meeting Laphroaig’.

    One

    What dinosaur species is pictured?

    Two

    Buonapart Ignace Gallia is the real name of which villain from an early James Bond novel by Ian Fleming?

    Three

    A highly poisonous plant of the dogbane family; an Australian wattle tree; and part of the title of a 2002 film featuring Billy Connolly. One eight-lettered word fits all three things above: what word?

    Four

    What songwriter composed Help Me Make It Through the Night?

    Five

    What links George Williams in 1844 London with a 1978 song written by Jacques Morali and Victor Willis?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.