Tag: art

  • M is for…

    The alphabet theme continues with some questions where all the answers begin with ‘M’.

    Mary Quant, 1966.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Who is the pictured British fashion designer?

    Two

    Who married James Hepburn, the 4th Earl of Bothwell, in 1567 at Holyrood, Edinburgh, Scotland?

    Three

    Captain First Rank … of the Soviet Navy was dressed for the Arctic conditions normal to the Northern Fleet submarine base at Polyarnyy.

    The above quote is the opening sentence of Tom Clancy’s The Hunt for Red October. What two-word name is missing from this quote?

    Four

    Who partnered Chris Evert to win the 1976 Wimbledon ladies’ doubles title?

    Five

    La Gioconda is better known as…

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • F is for… | Answers

    Forth Bridge.
    Image Wikipedia
    1. The bridge pictured is the…
      • Forth Bridge—The Forth Bridge, a cantilever railway bridge across the Firth of Forth (estuary of the River Forth) in Scotland, was completed in 1890 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was the world’s longest single cantilever bridge span until 1919 and remains the second longest.
        Frida Kahlo, by Guillermo Kahlo.
        Image Wikipedia
    2. Which Mexican painter’s final work, Viva La Vida (1954), depicts a still-life of watermelons?
      • Frida Kahlo—was a Mexican painter known for her self-portraits and works inspired by Mexican culture. Her paintings, often autobiographical and mixing realism with fantasy gained international recognition in the late 1970s and early 1990s, becoming an icon for Chicanos, feminists and the LGBTQ+ community.
        Felix in Oceantics (1930).
        Image Wikipedia
    3. Which feline has been described as the world’s most popular cartoon star before Mickey Mouse?
      • Felix the cat—created in 1919, is a cartoon character known for his black body, white eyes, and grin. He starred in animated shorts, a comic strip and merchandise, but his popularity declined with the advent of sound cartoons. Despite a brief revival in the 1930s and television appearances in the 1950s, Felix’s success waned.
        Enrico Fermi, 1943.
        Image Wikipedia
    4. Which synthetic element, atomic No 100, is named after an Italian-born physicist?
      • Fermium—a synthetic actinide with the symbol Fm and atomic number 100, is the heaviest element produced by neutron bombardment. Discovered in the debris of the first hydrogen bomb explosion in 1952 it is named after Enrico Fermi.
        Ray Bradbury.
        Image Wikipedia
    5. Author Ray Bradbury is best known for what 1953 novel?
      • Fahrenheit 451—Ray Bradbury was an American author and screenwriter known for his works in fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery and realistic fiction. His other well-known works include The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man.
  • F is for…

    A few questions where all the answers begin with ‘F’. As you know the starting letter, there are no multiple-choice options.

    Image Wikipedia
    1. The bridge pictured is the…
    2. Which Mexican painter’s final work, Viva La Vida (1954), depicts a still-life of watermelons?
    3. Which feline has been described as the world’s most popular cartoon star before Mickey Mouse?
    4. Which synthetic element, atomic No 100, is named after an Italian-born physicist?
    5. Author Ray Bradbury is best known for what 1953 novel?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • C is for… | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the questions simply for your information.

    1. What word connects the painter of the first image with the content of the second image?
      • Constable—John Constable, artist, is the painter of The Vale of Dedham , pictured, and Police Constable, three of whom are shown in London.
        A 21-foot bronze statue of Shakira erected in 2023 in Barranquilla, Colombia.
        Image Wikipedia
    2. In what country was the singer Shakira born?
      • Colombia—Shakira, a Colombian singer, songwriter, musician, and dancer achieved success in both Spanish- and English-speaking markets. Her early career included songwriting, talent competitions, and acting in a Colombian telenovela before releasing her breakthrough album, Pies descalzos, in 1995.
        Roadrunner
        Image Wikipedia
    3. To which family does the roadrunner belong? (Hint, the answer is one word which features in the title of a 1962 novel by Ken Kesey which was adapted into a 1975 Academy Award winning film of the same name.)
      • Cuckoo—Roadrunners (genus Geococcyx), or chaparral birds, are two species of fast-running ground cuckoos found in the southwestern and south-central United States, Mexico and Central America. They are capable of flight but typically flee predators on the ground, reaching speeds of up to 32 km/h. Ken Kesey’s book and subsequent film were One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
        One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest poster.

    4. Only one of the countries that border Mongolia fits this theme. Can you name it?
      • China—Mongolia, a landlocked country in north-central Asia, is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It has a continental climate with long, cold winters and short, cool-to-hot summers, featuring a variety of landscapes including steppes, semi-deserts, deserts and mountain ranges.
        Madonna, The Celebration Tour
        Image Wikipedia
    5. The lyric shown below is from a 2009 Madonna single. Which one?

      I guess I just don’t recognise you with your clothes on

      • Celebration—is a dance pop party song by Madonna, released in 2009 as the lead single from her compilation album of the same name. The song received mixed reviews, with some praising its dance nature and others finding it forgettable. It peaked at number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 but reached the top spot in several European countries.
  • C is for…

    A few questions where all the answers begin with ‘C’. As you know the starting letter, there are no multiple-choice options.

    1. What word connects the painter of the first image with the content of the second image?
    2. In what country was the singer Shakira born?
    3. To which family does the roadrunner belong? (Hint, the answer is one word which features in the title of a 1962 novel by Ken Kesey, which was adapted into a 1975 Academy Award winning film of the same name.)
    4. Only one of the countries that border Mongolia fits this theme. Can you name it?
    5. The lyric shown below is from a 2009 Madonna single. Which one?

      I guess I just don’t recognise you with your clothes on

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • From sewers to Easter eggs | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

    The original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
    Image Pinterest https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e1/b2/c5/e1b2c5a680091ded3db244f81704b73b.png
    1. Who were the four anthropomorphic turtle brothers who first appeared in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book stories, co-created by Kevin Eastman, who was born today in 1962?
      • Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and MichelangeloTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American media franchise about four anthropomorphic turtle brothers trained in ninjutsu. Created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird the franchise began as a comic book in 1984 and expanded to include television series, films, video games and merchandise.
    2. Born on 30th May 1908, the voice actor who voiced Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Tweety was who?
      • Mel Blanc—Melvin Jerome Blanc was an American voice actor and radio personality known for his work in the Golden Age of American Animation, voicing characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. He also voiced characters for Hanna-Barbera’s television cartoons, including Barney Rubble and Mr. Spacely.
        Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third wife.
        Image Google Art Project/Wikipedia
    3. Today marks the anniversary of England’s King Henry VIII’s third marriage. Who was his third wife?
      • Jane Seymour—Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third wife, died of postnatal complications after giving birth to Edward VI. She was the only wife of Henry VIII to receive a queen’s funeral.
    4. The Kharan Desert was the location of an underground test of a nuclear device on this day in 1998. Which country carried out this test?
      • Pakistan—The Kharan Desert is a sandy and mountainous desert located in Balochistan, Pakistan which was the site of Pakistan’s second nuclear test, Chagai-II.
        Bouquet of Lilies Clock, made in 1899 by Fabergé for Alexandra Feodorovna as a gift from her husband, Czar Nicholas II.
        Image Wikipedia
    5. Born on this day in 1846, a goldsmith and jeweller was known for his Easter eggs made from precious metals and gems. Who was he?
      • Peter Carl Fabergé—Peter Carl Fabergé and his brother Agathon transformed their father’s jewellery business into an international phenomenon. Their success, driven by design-led artistry and a focus on colour, included the creation of deluxe objets like the Imperial Easter Eggs, renowned for their craftsmanship.
    Mel Blanc’s Gravestone.
    Image Wikipedia
  • From sewers to Easter eggs


    Here are a few questions which are related to today, May 30th. Just straight questions today with no multiple-choice options.

    Image Pinterest
    1. Who were the four anthropomorphic turtle brothers who first appeared in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book stories, co-created by Kevin Eastman, who was born today in 1962?
    2. Born on 30th May 1908, the voice actor who voiced Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Tweety was who?
    3. Today marks the anniversary of England’s King Henry VIII’s third marriage. Who was his third wife?
    4. The Kharan Desert was the location of an underground test of a nuclear device on this day in 1998. Which country carried out this test?
    5. Born on this day in 1846, a goldsmith and jeweller who was known for his Easter eggs which were made from precious metals and gems. Who was he?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Terrible Twos | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

    Pratchett’s Night Watch at the top and Rembrandt’s The Night Watch below.
    Image Pinterest
    1. Willem van Ruytenburch, dressed in yellow, is depicted in a 1642 Rembrandt painting titled similarly to a Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. What two words which form the novel’s title are also present in the painting’s title?
      • Night Watch—Rembrandt’s The Night Watch depicts a civic guard company, while Terry Pratchett’s novel follows Sir Samuel Vimes and the Ankh-Morpork City Watch.
    2. One was the Bond girl Solitaire, and the other was Henry VIII’s third wife. What was their shared name, first and last?
      • Jane Seymour—Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third wife, died of postnatal complications after giving birth to Edward VI. Jane Seymour, born Joyce Frankenberg, is a British actress known for roles in film and television. A Bond girl, she played psychic Solitaire in Live and Let Die (1973).
    3. What crow is also the name of a Tchaikovsky ballet?
      • Nutcracker—The nutcracker genus, Nucifraga, comprises four species of passerine birds in the Corvidae family. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s 1892 ballet, The Nutcracker, is based on Alexandre Dumas’s short story and features a nutcracker doll. The ballet’s score, particularly its use of the celesta, has become famous and is widely performed.
    4. What name links a London gunmaker, which is over 200-years old, and a character in The New Avengers, a British television series from the 1970s?
      • Purdey—James Purdey & Sons, a British gunmaker based in London, specialises in high-end bespoke sporting shotguns and rifles. The company holds Royal Warrants of appointment as gun and rifle makers to the British and other European royal families. Purdey, played by Joanna Lumley, was a spy working for British Intelligence in The New Avengers, a British television series in the seventies.
    5. The Royal Guardsmen’s song “_ vs. the Red Baron” peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1966. The fictional character missing from the song title became a mascot for aerospace safety in 1969 and has often since been associated with NASA. Can you name the character?
      • Snoopy—The Royal Guardsmen are an American band with several snoopy related hits. Snoopy has been associated with NASA since the Apollo era, inspiring generations to dream big about space exploration. During Artemis I, Snoopy will serve as the zero-gravity indicator, symbolising the journey to the Moon. This partnership continues to promote STEM education and excitement about space exploration. (Snoopy/NASA)
  • Terrible twos


    Today’s trivia features a variety of questions without multiple-choice options, requiring you to come up with the answers yourself.

    Mrs Henry VIII, the third.
    Image Wikipedia
    1. Willem van Ruytenburch, dressed in yellow, is depicted in a 1642 Rembrandt painting titled similarly to a Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. What two words, which form the novel’s title, are also present in the painting’s title?
    2. One was the Bond girl Solitaire, and the other was Henry VIII’s third wife. What was their shared name, first and last?
    3. What crow is also the name of a Tchaikovsky ballet?
    4. What name links a London gunmaker, which is over 200-years old, and a character in The New Avengers, a British television series from the 1970s?
    5. The Royal Guardsmen’s song “_ vs. the Red Baron” peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1966. The fictional character missing from the song title became a mascot for aerospace safety in 1969 and has often since been associated with NASA. Can you name the character?

  • Legs 11 | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

    Statue of Constantine the Great in the Capitoline museums.
    Image Wikipedia
    1. Where, on 11 May 330, was dedicated as the “New Rome”? Byzantium—Constantine the Great renamed Byzantium as “New Rome” in 330 CE, later changing it to Constantinople. The city, founded in 657 BCE, was officially renamed Istanbul in the 20th century.
      Rhinoceros. Salvador Dali.
      Image Wikipedia
    2. Which Spanish artist born today in 1904, at Figueras, Spain, also died there in 1989? Salvador Dali—Salvador Dalí was a Spanish surrealist artist known for his technical skill and striking, bizarre images. He joined the Surrealist group in 1929 and achieved commercial success in the United States in the 1940s. Dalí’s work influenced Surrealism, pop art and contemporary artists.
      Entrance to the German death camp Auschwitz I in Poland. The sign “Arbeit macht frei” translates as “Work makes you free”.
      Image Wikipedia
    3. Former senior Nazi official Adolf Eichmann was captured by Israeli intelligence agents on 11 May 1960. Near what capital city was he captured? Buenos Aires, Argentina—Otto Adolf Eichmann, a German-Austrian Nazi official, was a key organiser of the Holocaust. He participated in the Wannsee Conference, where the Final Solution was planned, and oversaw the mass deportation of Jews to extermination camps. After the war, he escaped to Argentina but was captured by Mossad in 1960 and tried in Israel, where he was convicted and executed.
      Gary Kasparov vs Deep Blue, IBM Computer
      Encyclopædia Britannica
    4. On this day in 1997, Garry Kasparov was defeated in the final game of a six-game chess match. Which computer defeated him? Deep Blue—Deep Blue, a chess-playing supercomputer, was the first to defeat a reigning world champion under regular time controls. It first played Garry Kasparov in 1996, losing the match, but won a rematch in 1997.
      Gordon Brown.
      Image Wikipedia
    5. 11 May 2010, saw the resignation of which British prime minister? Gordon Brown—James Gordon Brown, a British politician, served as Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. Prior to this, he was Chancellor of the Exchequer under Tony Blair, overseeing significant economic reforms and the longest period of economic growth in British history. After leaving office, Brown continued to serve as an MP and later became a UN Special Envoy and WHO Ambassador.