Quizology Online

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

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.

Today’s the Day—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions about October 10th which were posted earlier.

*Giant*, film poster, 1956. Image Wikipedia

One

On this day in 1956, an American film premiered and became particularly notable as the final film featuring James Dean, who died in a car crash shortly after filming concluded. Which film was it?

Answer: Giant

James Dean, a 1950s Hollywood actor, became an influential figure despite a brief career. His three major films, Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden, and Giant, are preserved in the National Film Registry.

Two

In 1969, the album In the Court of the … was released by a band which included Greg Lake. What words complete the album title and what was the band called?

Answer: (In the Court of the) Crimson King and King Crimson

King Crimson, an English progressive rock band formed in 1968, is known for its diverse musical influences and significant impact on the progressive rock movement. In the Court of the Crimson King, King Crimson’s debut album, is a pioneering work of progressive rock, blending rock with jazz, classical and symphonic music.

Three

In 1846, English astronomer William Lassell discovered Triton, a moon of which planet?

Answer: Neptune

William Lassell (18 June 1799 – 5 October 1880) was an English merchant and astronomer. He’s best known for his improvements to the reflecting telescope which led to his discovery of four planetary satellites.

Matt Monro, publicity picture for the single, *Born Free*, 1966.
Image Wikipedia

Four

In 1963, the second film in the official James Bond franchise, From Russia with Love, premiered. Which Englishman sang the title song in the film?

Answer: Matt Monro

If I had to choose three of the finest male vocalists, Matt would be one of them.
— Frank Sinatra

Born on December 1, 1930, Terence Edward Parsons, known as Matt Monro on stage, was an English singer renowned as ’The Man with the Golden Voice’. The former London bus driver, performed internationally for 30 years and sold 23 million records. AllMusic called him ‘one of the most underrated pop vocalists of the ‘60s’, praising his ‘easiest, most perfect baritone’. Monro, a heavy smoker and drinker, died of liver cancer in 1985 after which ‘Frank Sinatra said of him, ‘If I had to choose three of the finest male vocalists, Matt would be one of them.’
Monro’s recordings include UK top 10 hits Portrait of My Love, My Kind of Girl, Softly As I Leave You, Walk Away and a cover of the Beatles’ Yesterday. He also recorded film themes such as From Russia with Love, Born Free, and On Days Like These.

Five

In 1935, Porgy and Bess opened on Broadway. Who composed this opera?

Answer: George Gershwin

Porgy and Bess is an English-language opera by George Gershwin, based on a novel and play by DuBose and Dorothy Heyward. It premiered in 1935 and is now one of the most frequently performed operas, known for its story of Porgy’s attempts to rescue Bess from her violent lover and drug dealer.

Today’s the Day

These five questions are about events that all happened on October 10th.

One

On this day in 1956, an American film premiered and became particularly notable as the final film featuring James Dean, who died in a car crash shortly after filming concluded. Which film was it?

Two

In 1969, the album In the Court of the … was released by a band which included Greg Lake. What words complete the album title and what was the band called?

Three

In 1846, English astronomer William Lassell discovered Triton, a moon of which planet?

Four

In 1963, the second film in the official James Bond franchise, From Russia with Love, premiered. Which Englishman sang the title song in the film?

Five

In 1935, Porgy and Bess opened on Broadway. Who composed this opera?

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

Music to my Ears—Answers

Here are the answers to my earlier posts.

*Jailhouse Rock* film poster.
Image Wikipedia

One

Spider Murphy played the tenor saxophone,
Little Joe was blowin’ on the slide trombone.
The drummer boy from Illinois went crash, boom, bang,
The whole rhythm section was the Purple Gang.
— AZ Lyrics

Which two musical instruments are missing from this excerpt of Jailhouse Rock?

Answer Tenor saxophone and slide trombone

Written by Mike Stoller and Jerry Leiber it was released as a single, accompanying Elvis Presley’s motion picture, Jailhouse Rock, on the 24 September 1957.

Two

What musical instrument features in the title of a musical film starring Roy Orbison: The Fastest … Alive?

Answer: Guitar

The Fastest Guitar Alive is a 1967 American musical film comedy Western film directed by Michael D. Moore and starring singer Roy Orbison in his only acting role. The film features Orbison performing seven original songs, which appeared on his 1967 MGM album of the same name. Near the end of the American Civil War, a Southern spy (Orbison) with a bullet-shooting guitar is given the task of robbing gold bullion from the United States Mint in San Francisco to help finance the ill-fated Confederacy’s last-ditch war effort.

Three

Charlie, a young English actress, is the title character of which John le Carré novel?

Answer: The Little Drummer Girl

The Little Drummer Girl, a 1983 spy novel by John le Carré, follows Israeli spymaster Martin Kurtz’s plan to kill Palestinian terrorist Khalil.

Four

What was the title of Elton John’s first number one album on the UK Albums Chart?

Answer: Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player

Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player is the sixth studio album by British musician Elton John. Released on 26 January 1973 by DJM Records, it was the first of two studio albums he released in 1973 (the second was Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, released nine months later), and was his second straight No. 1 album on the US Billboard 200 and first No. 1 album on the UK Albums Chart.

Combo Waterhole Queensland. Probably the archetype of a billabong, under the shade of a coolibah tree from the song *Waltzing Matilda* by Banjo Paterson.
Image Alun Hoggett/Wikipedia

Five

Who composed Waltzing Matilda, the song widely regarded as Australia’s unofficial national anthem?

Answer: Banjo Paterson

Banjo Paterson, an Australian bush poet and journalist, is celebrated for his works capturing the Australian bush life. His poems, including Clancy of the Overflow and The Man from Snowy River, were published in The Bulletin, and Waltzing Matilda is considered Australia’s unofficial national anthem.

Music to my Ears

Today’s questions have a musical connection and each answer features at least one musical instrument or musician.

*Landscape with Swagman (*also known as The swagman’s camp by a billabong), Gordon Coutts, 1889.
Image Wikipedia

One

Spider Murphy played the …,
Little Joe was blowin’ on the ….
The drummer boy from Illinois went crash, boom, bang,
The whole rhythm section was the Purple Gang.

Which two musical instruments are missing from this excerpt of Jailhouse Rock?

Two

What musical instrument features in the title of a musical film starring Roy Orbison: The Fastest … Alive?

Three

Charlie, a young English actress, is the title character of which John le Carré novel?

Four

What was the title of Elton John’s first number one album on the UK Albums Chart?

Five

Who composed Waltzing Matilda, the song widely regarded as Australia’s unofficial national anthem?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

In a Hole in the Ground—Answers

Here are the answers to my earlier post.

One

In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a Hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.

What one word has been omitted from the above opening lines which were first published in 1937?

Answer: Hobbit

The openings words from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit (1937).

Two

The story so far: in the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.

The second book of an unusual trilogy begins with the above lines. What is the title of this book? How many books did the creator of this work write in the ‘trilogy’?

Answer: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. Five (books)

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe is the second book in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a ‘trilogy of five books’ by Douglas Adams with a sixth book written by Eoin Colfer.

Three

It was a pleasure to …

In Ray Bradbury’ Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag, the protagonist, was responsible for the opening sentence. What four-letter word completes it?

Answer: Burn

Montag is a fireman. In the world depicted in Fahrenheit 451 firemen are employed to burn books which are illegal to own. Disillusioned with his role as a censor and destroyer of knowledge, Montag eventually quits his job and dedicates himself to preserving literary and cultural writings.

Four

Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed.

Who was the subject of this opening sentence (the name has been removed from the above quote) from Ulysses by James Joyce?

Answer: Buck Mulligan

Ulysses by James Joyce, follows the lives of three Dubliners over a single day, 16 June 1904, now celebrated annually as Bloomsday by its fans.

Five

LOG ENTRY: SOL 6
I’m pretty much fucked.
That’s my considered opinion.
Fucked.
— The Martian by Andy Weir

The opening lines of The Martian are displayed above. Who was the American astronaut writing this log entry?

Answer: Mark Watney

Andy Weir’s 2011 science fiction debut, ‘The Martian’, began as a serialised blog post before Crown Publishing Group acquired and re-released it in 2014. The novel follows Mark Watney, an American astronaut stranded alone on Mars in 2035, who must use his ingenuity to survive. Ridley Scott’s 2015 film adaptation, starring Matt Damon, is based on the novel. Drew Goddard wrote the screenplay, and 20th Century Fox distributed it. Both the novel and film depict the astronaut’s struggle for survival and NASA’s rescue mission.

In a Hole in the Ground

Here are five questions about the opening lines of books.

One

In a hole in the ground there lived a …. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a …-hole, and that means comfort.

What one word has been omitted from the above opening lines which were first published in 1937?

Two

The story so far: in the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.

The second book of an unusual trilogy begins with the above lines. What is the title of this book? How many books did the creator of this work write in the ‘trilogy’?

Three

It was a pleasure to …

In Ray Bradbury’ Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag, the protagonist, was responsible for the opening sentence. What four-letter word completes it?

Four

Stately, plump … came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed.

Who was the subject of this opening sentence (the name has been removed from the above quote) from Ulysses by James Joyce?

Five

LOG ENTRY: SOL 6
I’m pretty much fucked.
That’s my considered opinion.
Fucked.
— The Martian by Andy Weir

The opening lines of The Martian are displayed above. Who was the American astronaut writing this log entry?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

The Writer Writes—Answers

Here are the answers to my earlier post.

*The Man in the Iron Mask.*
Image The Movie DB

One

Who wrote The Man in the Iron Mask?

Anawer: Alexandre Dumas

The person known as the Man in the Iron Mask was an unidentified prisoner of state during Louis XIV’s reign. His imprisonment was kept secret, leading to a long-lasting legend about his identity. Warranted for arrest on 19 July 1669 as ‘Eustache Dauger’, he was apprehended near Calais on 28 July, incarcerated on 24 August, and held for 34 years in four successive French prisons, including the Bastille. He died there on 19 November 1703, and his burial certificate bore the name of ‘Marchioly’, leading historians to conclude he was Italian diplomat Ercole Antonio Mattioli.

Two

Complete this Nevil Shute novel’s title: On the …?

Answer: Beach

Nevil Shute’s 1957 apocalyptic novel On the Beach follows a diverse group of people in Melbourne as they brace for the arrival of deadly radiation from the Northern Hemisphere. This radiation follows a nuclear war that occurred some years earlier. As the radiation draws nearer each character grapples with their impending death in their own unique way.

Three

In what story did John Le Carre first introduce the character of George Smiley?

Answer: Call for the Dead

John le Carré’s first novel, Call for the Dead (1961), introduces George Smiley and the fictional ‘Circus‘ based on MI6.

Four

What author was accused of obscenity after the 1915 publication of The Rainbow?

Answer: D.H. Lawrence

D. H. Lawrence’s novel The Rainbow, first published by Methuen & Co. in 1915, explores three generations of the Brangwen family in Nottinghamshire. It delves into their individual struggles for growth and fulfilment within the constraints of English social life. Lawrence’s Women in Love (1920) is the sequel and continues the story of the Brangwen family.

Five

TRUE! — nervous — very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?

Who wrote the short story which opens with the above sentence?

Answer: Edgar Allan Poe

TRUE! — nervous — very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses — not destroyed — not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily — how calmly I can tell you the whole story.
— First paragraph of The Tell-Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe, 1843. Poe Stories

The Tell-Tale Heart is a short story about a narrator who murders an old man with a “vulture-eye” and hides the body. The narrator’s sanity is questioned as they hear a thumping sound, believing it to be the dead man’s beating heart.

The Writer Writes

Here are five questions related to writers and writing.

Alec Guinness as George Smiley.
Image BBC via Pinterest

One

Who wrote The Man in the Iron Mask?

Two

Complete this Nevil Shute novel’s title: On the …?

Three

In what story did John Le Carre first introduce the character of George Smiley?

Four

What author was accused of obscenity after the 1915 publication of The Rainbow?

Five

TRUE! — nervous — very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?

Who wrote the short story which opens with the above sentence?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later