Tag: americas

Doubly Tuned—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

Five random questions today.

Billy the Kid.
Image Encyclopædia Britannica

One

Billy the Kid was shot and killed at Fort Sumner by whom?

Answer: Sheriff Pat Garrett

Henry McCarty, aka William H. Bonney and Billy the Kid, an American outlaw and gunfighter, was linked to nine murders, solely responsible for four, and possibly involved in five others. Sheriff Pat Garrett, responding to rumours, questioned Pete Maxwell, a friend of Bonney’s, and encountered Bonney unexpectedly, leading to a confrontation where Garrett fatally shot Bonney.

Two

Whose first novel was When the Lion Feeds?

Answer: Wilbur Smith

Wilbur Addison Smith (1933–2021) was a British-South African novelist known for his historical fiction set in Southern Africa. He wrote 49 books, selling over 140 million copies, and focused on themes like hunting, mining, romance and conflict.

Three

Tennis: The Woodies won six Wimbledon men’s doubles titles. What were their surnames?

Answer: Woodbridge and Woodforde

The Woodies, Australian tennis doubles pairing Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde, were one of the most successful in history, winning 61 ATP titles and 11 major titles. They represented Australia in the Olympics and Davis Cup, winning gold and silver medals and contributing to a Davis Cup victory. The Woodies were inducted into the Australian and International Tennis Halls of Fame in 2010.

Four

DOUBLY TUNED is an anagram of an English word, an adverb meaning certainly. What is the word?

Answer: Undoubtedly

undoubtedly /ʌnˈdaʊtɪdli /

▸ adverb without doubt; certainly: they are undoubtedly guilty.

— Oxford English Dictionary

Five

Simon and Garfunkel’s first U.S. number one single hit was what?

Answer: The Sound of Silence

The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel, written by Paul Simon, was initially released in 1964 as an acoustic version. A remixed version with electric instruments, released in 1965, became a number-one hit and led to the duo’s reunion and the release of their second album. The song appeared under both the opening and closing credits of the 1967 film The Graduate and was included on its soundtrack album.

Doubly Tuned

Five random questions today.

Billy the Kid.
Image Encyclopædia Britannica

One

Billy the Kid was shot and killed at Fort Sumner by whom?

Two

Whose first novel was When the Lion Feeds?

Three

Tennis: The Woodies won six Wimbledon men’s doubles titles. What were their surnames?

Four

DOUBLY TUNED is an anagram of an English word, an adverb meaning certainly. What is the word?

Five

Simon and Garfunkel’s first U.S. number one single hit was what?

Good luck! I’ll post the answer later.

Around the World—Answers

Five geographic questions.

Confluence of Blue Nile and White Nile at Khartoum, Sudan.
Image Pinterest

One

On mainland South America what countries do NOT border Brazil?

Answer: Chile and Ecuador

Brazil borders ten South American countries, namely Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela, and French Guiana, which is an overseas region of France.

Two

Europe: what seven-letter word gives a name to both an Irish province and a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany?

Answer: Munster

Munster is the largest province in Ireland, situated in the southwest, with a population of 1,373,346 in 2022. It serves as a provincial subdivision of the state without an official local government function. Münster is a major city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, renowned for its bicycle culture and historical importance, notably the Anabaptist rebellion and the Treaties of Westphalia.

Three

In Asia, what is the capital of Mongolia?

Answer: Ulaanbaatar

Mongolia, a landlocked country in East Asia, is the world’s most sparsely populated sovereign state. It has a rich history, having been ruled by various nomadic empires and later becoming a satellite state of the Soviet Union. Today, Mongolia is a democratic country with a nomadic culture and a majority Buddhist population.

Four

This quote from Wikipedia refers to what Australian city?

The city has been almost entirely rebuilt four times, following devastation caused by a cyclone in 1897, another one in 1937, Japanese air raids during World War II, and Cyclone Tracy in 1974

— Wikipedia

Answer: Darwin

Darwin, the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory, is the smallest, wettest, and most northerly capital city. With a population of 139,902, it serves as a key link to Southeast Asia and has a tropical climate with a wet and dry season.

Five

Of the two major tributaries of Africa’s River Nile, which is the longer?

Answer: White Nile

The Nile has two major tributaries: the 3,700-kilometre White Nile and the 1,450-kilometre Blue Nile. Traditionally, the longer White Nile is considered the headwaters, but the Blue Nile, which supplies 80% of the water and silt downstream, is actually the main source. The White Nile begins at Lake Victoria and flows through Uganda and South Sudan. The Blue Nile originates at Lake Tana in Ethiopia and flows southeast into Sudan. The two rivers converge in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital.

Around the World

Five geographic questions.

Confluence of Nile at Khartoum, Sudan.
Image Pinterest

One

On mainland South America what countries do NOT border Brazil?

Two

Europe: what seven-letter word gives a name to both an Irish province and a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany?

Three

In Asia, what is the capital of Mongolia?

Four

This quote from Wikipedia refers to what Australian city?

The city has been almost entirely rebuilt four times, following devastation caused by a cyclone in 1897, another one in 1937, Japanese air raids during World War II, and Cyclone Tracy in 1974

— Wikipedia

Five

Of the two major tributaries of Africa’s River Nile, which is the longer?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

One to Ten equals 55, Part II—Answers

Second of two parts. Questions one to five were posted in Part I yesterday.

Compass Rose, see question eight.
Image Clipartbest.com

Something a bit different today. You can earn a total of 55 points by answering all the questions completely. The first question is worth one point and has only one correct answer. The second question is worth two points for two correct answers and so on… until the tenth question which is worth ten points for ten correct answers.

Continuing from yesterday with questions six to ten.

Six

For SIX points, name the members of the comedy troupe, Monty Python.

Answer: Graham Chapman—John Cleese—Terry Gilliam—Eric Idle—Terry Jones—Michael Palin

Seven

For SEVEN points, list the Harry Potter novels. No need to put Harry Potter and…

Answer: Philosopher’s Stone—Chamber of Secrets—Prisoner of Azkaban—Goblet of Fire,—Order of the Phoenix—Half-Blood Prince—Deathly Hallows

Eight

For EIGHT points, starting from 0 degrees and moving clockwise, list the compass points formed by dividing a compass rose into eight segments. (in clockwise order)

Answer: North—Northeast—East—Southeast—South—Southwest—West—Northwest.

Nine

For NINE points. In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, a group of nine, known as the Company of the Ring or the Fellowship of the Ring, embarked on a mission to destroy the ring. Who were they?

Answer: Gandalf—Legolas—Gimli—Aragorn—Boromir—Frodo Baggins—Samwise Gamgee—Merry Brandybuck—Pippin Took.

Ten

For TEN points, list the world’s ten most populous cities as listed by the UN 2025 Population Estimates.

Answer: Jakarta, Indonesia—Dhaka, Bangladesh—Tokyo, Japan—Delhi, India—Shanghai, China—Guangzhou, China—Cairo, Egypt — Manila, Philippines — Kolkata, India—Seoul, South Korea

One to Ten equals 55, Part II

Second of two parts. Questions one to five were posted in Part I yesterday.

Compass Rose.
Image Clipartbest.com

Something a bit different today. You can earn a total of 55 points by answering all the questions completely. The first question is worth one point and has only one correct answer. The second question is worth two points for two correct answers and so on… until the tenth question which is worth ten points for ten correct answers.

Continuing from yesterday with questions six to ten.

Six

For SIX points, name the members of the comedy troupe, Monty Python.

Seven

For SEVEN points, list the Harry Potter novels. No need to put Harry Potter and…

Eight

For EIGHT points, starting from 0 degrees and moving clockwise, list the compass points formed by dividing a compass rose into eight segments. (in clockwise order)

Nine

For NINE points. In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, a group of nine, known as the Company of the Ring or the Fellowship of the Ring, embarked on a mission to destroy the ring. Who were they?

Ten

For TEN points, list the world’s ten most populous cities as listed by the UN 2025 Population Estimates.

Good luck! As usual I’ll post the answers later.

One to Ten equals 55, Part I—Answers

Noah’s Ark, question two.
Image Encyclopædia Britannica

Something a bit different today. You can earn a total of 55 points by answering all the questions completely. The first question is worth one point and has only one correct answer. The second question is worth two points for two correct answers and so on… until the tenth question which is worth ten points for ten correct answers.

Posted in two parts with the second part following tomorrow.

One

For ONE point, in what country was the composer Franz Liszt born

Answer: Hungary

Two

For TWO points. According to the Bible story, Noah released two birds from the ark to determine whether the flood had abated; what birds?

Answer: Raven—Dove

Three

For THREE points. In Alexandre Dumas’ novel, The Three Musketeers, the title characters meet and befriend d’Artagnan; what are their names?

Answer: Athos—Porthos—Aramis

Four

For FOUR points, list the patron saints of Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland.

Answer: Andrew—George—David—Patrick

Five

For FIVE points, list the five boroughs of New York City.

Answer: The Bronx—Brooklyn—Manhattan—Queens—Staten Island

Part II follows tomorrow

One to Ten equals 55, Part I

Noah’s Ark, question two.
Image Encyclopædia Britannica

Something a bit different today. You can earn a total of 55 points by answering all the questions completely. The first question is worth one point and has only one correct answer. The second question is worth two points for two correct answers and so on… until the tenth question which is worth ten points for ten correct answers.

Posted in two parts with the second part following tomorrow.

One

For ONE point, in what country was the composer Franz Liszt born

Two

For TWO points. According to the Bible story, Noah released two birds from the ark to determine whether the flood had abated; what birds?

Three

For THREE points. In Alexandre Dumas’ novel, The Three Musketeers, the title characters meet and befriend d’Artagnan; what are their names?

Four

For FOUR points, list the patron saints of Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland.

Five

For FIVE points, list the five boroughs of New York City.

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later and part II follows tomorrow.

Canterbury Tales—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions I posed earlier today.

I have five questions about today, December 29th.

The Murder of Thomas Becket.
Image The British Library via Encyclopædia Britannica

One

Four knights—Reginald FitzUrse, Hugh de Morville, William de Tracy and Richard le Breton—were responsible for an assassination in England on this date in 1170. Who was the victim of this assassination?

Answer: Thomas Becket

St. Thomas Becket, chancellor of England and archbishop of Canterbury, clashed with King Henry II, leading to his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr in the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion.

Two

In 1890, the Wounded Knee massacre resulted in 300 Lakota deaths on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Which US state is Wounded Knee located in, and which US regiment was responsible for this massacre?

Answer: South Dakota; 7th Cavalry Regiment

The Wounded Knee massacre is widely regarded as marking the end of the Indian Wars, a series of conflicts between the United States and Native American tribes that spanned much of the 19th century.

Three

In 1911, after gaining independence, the 8th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu was enthroned as Khagan. This took place in which country?

Answer: Mongolia

The 8th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu became both the spiritual and temporal leader of the newly independent state, establishing a theocratic government that lasted until Mongolia fell under strong influence from the Soviet Union.

Four

1860 – The launch of HMS Warrior, with her combination of …, … and …, renders all previous warships obsolete

The above quote from Wikipedia is missing the three factors which rendered previous warships obsolete. What were these factors?

Answer: Screw propeller, iron hull and iron armour

HMS Warrior demonstrated that ironclad, steam-powered warships were superior to traditional wooden sailing vessels, prompting navies worldwide to rapidly abandon older ship designs.

Five

According to his own account, which Native American woman saved the life of English explorer John Smith in 1607 by pleading with her father, the Powhatan leader Wahunsenacawh?

Answer: Pocahontas

Pocahontas was the daughter of Wahunsenacawh, the paramount chief of the Powhatan Confederacy, and her dramatic rescue of John Smith is known primarily from Smith’s own later writings—leading historians to debate how literally the event should be interpreted.

Canterbury Tales

I have five questions about today, December 29th.

One

Four knights—Reginald FitzUrse, Hugh de Morville, William de Tracy and Richard le Breton—were responsible for an assassination in England on this date in 1170. Who was the victim of this assassination?

Two

In 1890, the Wounded Knee massacre resulted in 300 Lakota deaths on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Which US state is Wounded Knee located in, and which US regiment was responsible for this massacre?

Three

In 1911, after gaining independence, the 8th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu was enthroned as Khagan. This took place in which country?

Four

1860 – The launch of HMS Warrior, with her combination of …, … and …, renders all previous warships obsolete.

The above quote from Wikipedia is missing the three factors which rendered previous warships obsolete. What were these factors?

Five

According to his own account, which Native American woman saved the life of English explorer John Smith in 1607 by pleading with her father, the Powhatan leader Wahunsenacawh?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.