Quizology.Online

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

— Bertrand Russell

Tag: entertainment

  • Ox, Tiger, Dragon, Monkey, Rooster And Pig — Answers

    Today’s Answers

    Pope Gregory XIII, portrait attributed to Bartolomeo Passarotti.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s first question is date-related being connected to today, 4 October. Subsequently, the questions are not date-related but maybe they really are!

    One

    This day in 1582 saw the introduction of the Gregorian calendar to replace the … calendar meaning that Thursday 4 October 1582 was followed by Friday … — what calendar’s name, and date complete the previous sentence?

    Answer: Julian (calendar); and (Friday) 15 October 1582.

    The Gregorian calendar was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 to correct the Julian calendar’s 11-minute yearly drift. By dropping 10 days and adjusting the leap year rule for century years, it realigned the calendar with the vernal equinox. Although adoption was gradual, most of continental Catholic Europe adopted the new calendar in 1582, while Great Britain and Ireland waited until 1752. More recent shifts occurred with Greece in 1923 and Saudi Arabia in 2016 and it is now the primary international dating system.

    Two

    Which song featuring lyrics by Howard Greenfield contains these lines, and which singer wrote the music?

    (January)

    You start the year all fine

    (February)

    You’re my little Valentine

    (March)

    I’m gonna march you down the aisle

    (April)

    You’re the Easter bunny

    When you smile

    — AZ Lyrics

    Answers: Calendar Girl: Neil Sedaka.

    Released in December 1960, Calendar Girl by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield reached No. 1 for Sedaka in Canada and Japan, and made the top ten in both the UK and US. Inspired by Lloyd Price, Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor and Ricky Nelson, it uses monthly imagery including Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe. Stan Applebaum and Gary Chester provided instrumentation.

    Three

    What secular device and tradition is associated with the beginning of the Christian liturgical year?

    Answer: Advent Calendar.

    An Advent calendar is a decorative tool used to count down the days leading up to Christmas, typically spanning from December 1 or the First Sunday of Advent through December 24 or 25. While often secular today, the practice originated with German Lutherans as a period of spiritual preparation for the birth of Jesus Christ. Early 19th-century traditions included lighting candles or marking doors to track the days. The modern format—featuring compartments, flaps, or pockets that reveal images, stories, Bible verses, or small gifts like chocolate—emerged in early 20th-century Germany. Following a decline during World War II, the tradition gained global popularity.

    Four

    Clues to this fitting novel are immersed in the following: it marked its author’s debut in 1984; sales rose after US President Ronald Reagan noted his enjoyment; a film with a former James Bond followed in 1990. What were the titles of the book and film; who wrote the book; and what was the former Bond actor’s character name?

    Answers: The Hunt for Red October; Tom Clancy; Marko Ramius.

    Tom Clancy’s debut novel, The Hunt for Red October, published by Naval Institute Press in 1984, features Soviet captain Marko Ramius allegedly defecting with the revolutionary new ballistic submarine Red October; CIA analyst Jack Ryan must try to assist Ramius’s defection and capture the submarine.

    Five

    This list from 1793 arranged names in sequence: vintage, mist, frost, snow, rain, wind, seedtime, blossom, meadow, harvest, heat and fruits. What did these terms denote; what system were they part of; and in what year was it replaced by a more international choice?

    Answers: Months; the French Republican calendar (also called the French Revolutionary calendar); 1806.

    Adopted on 5 October 1793, the French republican calendar replaced the Gregorian system with a secular structure of 12 months and supplementary days. It was abandoned by Emperor Napoleon on 1 January 1806.

    Ox, Tiger, Dragon, Monkey, Rooster And Pig

    The post title is a list of a few of the animals from the Chinese calendar. Although questions two to five are not date-related as in connected to 4 October they are date-related in being connected to calendars in general and calendars are collections of dates.

  • Ox, Tiger, Dragon, Monkey, Rooster And Pig

    Pope Gregory XIII, portrait attributed to Bartolomeo Passarotti.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s first question is date-related being connected to today, 4 October. Subsequently, the questions are not date-related but maybe they really are!

    One

    This day in 1582 saw the introduction of the Gregorian calendar to replace the … calendar meaning that Thursday 4 October 1582 was followed by Friday … — what calendar’s name, and date complete the previous sentence?

    Two

    Which song featuring lyrics by Howard Greenfield contains these lines, and which singer wrote the music?

    (January)

    You start the year all fine

    (February)

    You’re my little Valentine

    (March)

    I’m gonna march you down the aisle

    (April)

    You’re the Easter bunny

    When you smile

    — AZ Lyrics

    Three

    What secular device and tradition is associated with the beginning of the Christian liturgical year?

    Four

    Clues to this fitting novel are immersed in the following: it marked its author’s debut in 1984; sales rose after US President Ronald Reagan noted his enjoyment; a film with a former James Bond followed in 1990. What were the titles of the book and film; who wrote the book; and what was the former Bond actor’s character name?

    Five

    This list from 1793 arranged names in sequence: vintage, mist, frost, snow, rain, wind, seedtime, blossom, meadow, harvest, heat and fruits. What did these terms denote; what system were they part of; and in what year was it replaced by a more international choice?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Flowery Twats — Answers

    Today’s Answers

    See question four. Fawlty Towers episode 11 sign.

    Today’s first question is date-related to 3 October. The subsequent questions are not date-related but follow on a theme created in the first.

    One

    On this date, episode 1 of The Dick Van Dyke Show premiered. The show starred Dick Van Dyke as Rob Petrie, but who played his wife, Laura; and in what year did this episode air?

    Answers: Mary Tyler Moore; 1961.

    The Dick Van Dyke Show was an American sitcom that aired from 3 October 1961, to 1 June 1966, consisting of 158 episodes across five seasons. Created and produced by Carl Reiner, the series starred Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, and others. The show focused on the life of Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke), a television comedy writer for the fictional Alan Brady Show. Petrie lived in suburban New Rochelle with his wife, Laura Petrie (Mary Tyler Moore), and young son, Ritchie (Larry Mathews). The series achieved critical success, winning 15 Emmy Awards, and has maintained a strong reputation among critics and industry groups, earning high rankings on lists from TV Guide and the Writers Guild of America.

    Two

    Which of these was a character in an episode in the first season of The Flintstones; and what was Fred a member of at that time?

    • Hot Lips Hannigan; Loyal Order of Dinosaurs
    • Radar Rockpile; Loyal Order of Woolly Mammoths
    • Spearchucker Stone; Loyal Order of Pteranodon

    Answers: Hot Lips Hannigan

    The Hot Lips character predates MAS*H by some 10 years, and the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes replaced the dinosaurs in later episodes. The Flintstones, produced by Hanna-Barbera, was the first prime-time animated sitcom on ABC, set in a romanticised Stone Age. Its popularity stems from blending modern concerns with this setting; it was the most successful animated series for three decades.

    Three

    It is well known that the stars of Friends negotiated their contracts collectively, but this was only true for part of their ten-season run. In which season or seasons did they get different salaries; and in which season(s) did they receive $1 million per episode? (Answers will be number(s) between 1 and 10.)

    Answers: Season 2; Season 9 and 10.

    Wikipedia explains it as follows:

    In their original contracts for the first season, cast members were paid $22,500 per episode. The cast members received different salaries in the second season, beginning from the $20,000 range to $40,000 per episode. Before their salary negotiations for the third season, the cast decided to enter collective negotiations, despite Warner Bros.’ preference for individual deals. The stars were each paid $75,000 per episode in season three, $85,000 in season four, $100,000 in season five, $125,000 in season six, $750,000 in seasons seven and eight, and $1 million in seasons nine and ten, making Aniston, Cox, and Kudrow the highest-paid TV actresses of all time.

    — Wikipedia

    Four

    What two actors were the co-creators and co-writers of the British sitcom Fawlty Towers, and who played the Spanish waiter Manuel in the same series?

    Answers: John Cleese and Connie Booth; Andrew Sachs.

    In May 1970, the members of Monty Python stayed at the Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay, where owner Donald Sinclair’s rudeness, including discarding Eric Idle’s briefcase, influenced John Cleese and Connie Booth. The building was demolished and replaced by a nursing home, Sachs Lodge, which was named after the late Andrew Sachs.

    Five

    In Frasier, the lead character returns to his hometown to present a radio psychiatry programme. Which two cities mark his move from and to, and which two actors played Frasier’s father and brother?

    Answers: Boston, Massachusetts, to Seattle, Washington; John Mahoney (as his father Martin Crane) David Hyde Pierce (as his brother Niles Crane).

    Frasier, an NBC sitcom created by David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee, followed Frasier Crane’s return to Seattle. It won 37 Primetime Emmys, including five consecutive Outstanding Comedy Series awards.

    Flowery Twats

    The title draws from the opening sequence of Fawlty Towers, where the hotel sign shifts into forms such as Farty Towels and Fatty Owls; however, Flowery Twats in the penultimate episode is the sole arrangement using every letter of Fawlty Towers.

  • Flowery Twats

    See question four. Fawlty Towers episode 11 sign.

    Today’s first question is date-related to 3 October. The subsequent questions are not date-related but follow on a theme created in the first.

    One

    On this date, episode 1 of The Dick Van Dyke Show premiered. The show starred Dick Van Dyke as Rob Petrie, but who played his wife, Laura; and in what year did this episode air?

    Two

    Which of these was a character in an episode in the first season of The Flintstones; and what was Fred a member of at that time?

    • Hot Lips Hannigan; Loyal Order of Dinosaurs
    • Radar Rockpile; Loyal Order of Woolly Mammoths
    • Spearchucker Stone; Loyal Order of Pteranodon

    Three

    It is well known that the stars of Friends negotiated their contracts collectively, but this was only true for part of their ten-season run. In which season or seasons did they get different salaries; and in which season(s) did they receive $1 million per episode? (Answers will be number(s) between 1 and 10.)

    Four

    What two actors were the co-creators and co-writers of the British sitcom Fawlty Towers, and who played the Spanish waiter Manuel in the same series?

    Five

    In Frasier, the lead character returns to his hometown to present a radio psychiatry programme. Which two cities mark his move from and to, and which two actors played Frasier’s father and brother?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • 7 Up — Answers

    Today’s Answers

    Elvis Presley..
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s questions all relate to this date, 2 October, but have nothing else in common. Although numbered one to five there are seven answers.

    One

    On this day, Charles Darwin returned to the United Kingdom after his five-year voyage making observations and gathering specimens, which led to his theory of evolution. In what decade did he return to the UK; and what connects this voyage to Charlie Brown’s dog?

    Answers: 1830s; Beagle

    In 1836, Charles Darwin returned to Britain from his voyage on HMS Beagle, and Charlie Brown’s dog Snoopy is a beagle.

    Two

    Mummy brown, a shade of brown which appeared in the news on this day in 1964 was a colour which was named so because it was:

    • The mother of all shades of brown
    • The colour of habit worn by the Superior Mother Superior of the Carmelite Order
    • A pigment made from the flesh of mummies

    Answer: A pigment made from the flesh of mummies.

    Mummy brown, made from mummies, pitch and myrrh, was popular among Western European artists and Pre-Raphaelites such as Delacroix and Burne-Jones. Demand fell by 1915 and supply ended mid-twentieth century due to scarcity and poor quality.

    Three

    In 1954, Elvis Presley appeared on the radio show the Grand Ole Opry On how many occasions in total did he appear on this show?

    • Once
    • Twice
    • Three Times

    Answer: Once.

    The appearance on 2 October 1954, which received a mediocre reaction. was his only appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. He had more success with an appearance on the rival Louisiana Hayride show.

    Four

    In 1937, a speech by the Dominican Republic’s Dictator, Rafael Trujillo, led attacks by Dominican soldiers that resulted in the deaths of thousands of Haitians. By what name is this known?

    • Parsley Massacre
    • Poppy Pogrom
    • Pot Genocide

    Answer: Parsley Massacre.

    In October 1937, Dominican Army troops ordered by Rafael Trujillo killed an estimated 20,000 Haitians in the northwestern frontier and Cibao region. Known as the Parsley massacre, victims were killed or fled across the Dajabón River; the name stems from a reported pronunciation test, where Haitians had to pronounce the Spanish word for parsley, perejil, to the satisfaction of the interrogators, though scholars consider this mythic.

    Five

    On this day in 1957, a classic war film had it premiere. The film which featured the River Kwai in its title went on to win the Academy Award for the Best Picture. What was the film’s full title; and who starred as Colonel Nicholson, the senior British officer in the prisoner of war camp?

    Answer: The Bridge on the River Kwai; Alec Guinness.

    The 1957 epic war film The Bridge on the River Kwai, directed by David Lean and based on Pierre Boulle’s novel. It notes that while the story is fictional, it is set against the historical construction of the Burma Railway in 1942–1943. The film stars William Holden, Alec Guinness, and Jack Hawkins. The Bridge on the River Kwai was the highest-grossing film of 1957, won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, and is preserved in the National Film Registry. It appears on the American Film Institute’s best list and was ranked 11th by the British Film Institute.

  • 7 Up

    Elvis Presley..
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s questions all relate to this date, 2 October, but have nothing else in common. Although numbered one to five there are seven answers.

    One

    On this day, Charles Darwin returned to the United Kingdom after his five-year voyage making observations and gathering specimens, which led to his theory of evolution. In what decade did he return to the UK; and what connects this voyage to Charlie Brown’s dog?

    Two

    Mummy brown, a shade of brown which appeared in the news on this day in 1964 was a colour which was named so because it was:

    • The mother of all shades of brown
    • The colour of habit worn by the Superior Mother Superior of the Carmelite Order
    • A pigment made from the flesh of mummies

    Three

    In 1954, Elvis Presley appeared on the radio show the Grand Ole Opry On how many occasions in total did he appear on this show?

    • Once
    • Twice
    • Three Times

    Four

    In 1937, a speech by the Dominican Republic’s Dictator, Rafael Trujillo, led attacks by Dominican soldiers that resulted in the deaths of thousands of Haitians. By what name is this known?

    • Parsley Massacre
    • Poppy Pogrom
    • Pot Genocide

    Five

    On this day in 1957, a classic war film had it premiere. The film which featured the River Kwai in its title went on to win the Academy Award for the Best Picture. What was the film’s full title; and who starred as Colonel Nicholson, the senior British officer in the prisoner of war camp?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Gallimaufry IX — Answers

    Today’s Answers

    Jupiter in true colour, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in January 2024.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today is obviously is a disconnected collection of questions but don’t count on it.

    One

    In 2026, the EU, the European Union, has 27 members, butt is the successor organisation to what was originally the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). The ECSC was founded in 1952 by the six signatories of the Treaty of Paris: what were these six nations?

    Answers

    • Belgium
    • France
    • Italy
    • Luxembourg
    • the Netherlands
    • West Germany

    Two

    What are the first names of the von Trapp Children from the 1965 film The Sound of Music? (Including von Trapp is not necessary.)

    Answers

    • Liesl
    • Friedrich
    • Louisa
    • Kurt
    • Brigitta
    • Marta
    • Gretl

    Three

    What are the names of the US states which begin with ‘M’?

    Answers

    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Mississippi
    • Missouri
    • Montana

    Four

    List the Star Wars films in release order with episode number, whether or not it was shown as part of the title; and subtitle, including the later added subtitle for the original film. (Including Star Wars is not necessary.)

    Answers

    • *Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
    • Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    • Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)
    • Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
    • Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
    • Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
    • †(E(EpisodeII) The Force Awakens (2015)
    • †(Episode VIII) The Last Jedi (2017)
    • †(Episode IX) The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

    Note

    • Subtitle was added at a later date.
      † The sequel trilogy used the subtitle without the episode numbers.

    Five

    Starting with the largest, list in order of size (based on the equatorial diameter) each planet plus the two largest dwarf planets in the Solar System.

    Answers

    According to NASA
    Planets (1 to 8) and Dwarf Planets (9 & 10)

    1. Jupiter
    2. Saturn
    3. Uranus
    4. Neptune
    5. Earth
    6. Venus
    7. Mars
    8. Mercury
    9. Pluto
    10. Eris

    Gallimaufry IX

    The ninth edition of Gallimaufry — a confused jumble, a hodgepodge, or a heterogeneous mixture of things — so, simply an unconnected assortment of questions

    .

  • Gallimaufry IX

    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today is obviously is a disconnected collection of questions but don’t count on it.

    One

    In 2026, the EU, the European Union, has 27 members, butt is the successor organisation to what was originally the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). The ECSC was founded in 1952 by the six signatories of the Treaty of Paris: what were these six nations?

    Two

    What are the first names of the von Trapp Children from the 1965 film The Sound of Music? (Including von Trapp is not necessary.)

    Three

    What are the names of the US states which begin with ‘M’?

    Four

    List the Star Wars films in release order with episode number, whether or not it was shown as part of the title; and subtitle, including the later added subtitle for the original film. (Including Star Wars is not necessary.)

    Five

    Starting with the largest, list in order of size (based on the equatorial diameter) each planet plus the two largest dwarf planets in the Solar System.

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

    .

  • A Billion Here, A Billion There — Answers

    Bill Gates House, “Xanadu 2.0”. See question two.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s Answers

    The first question today is related to the date, 29 September. The remainder are not date-related but follow-on from number one.

    One

    On this day newspapers proclaimed the world’s first billionaire. Who was this billionaire and in what year were these stories published?

    Answers: John D. Rockefeller; 1916.

    In 1916, John D. Rockefeller was reported as the world’s first billionaire. Yet the claim remained uncertain. A sudden rise in the value of his oil holdings the day before seemed to push his wealth beyond $1 billion. Newspapers tracked his fortune like a baseball box score, though no exact count existed. Reporters had to estimate his assets and their value, making the billion-dollar figure an informed guess.

    Two

    Tech billionaire Bill Gates had a lakeside mansion built in Medina, Washington. A Wikipedia article about the house refers to it as follows:

    Some news articles call the house Xanadu 2.0, a reference to the motion picture …, which was itself a reference to the opening lines of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s classic poem …

    — Wikipedia

    What 1941 movie and poem published in 1816 are missing from this quote?

    Answers: Citizen Kane; Kubla Khan.

    In Xanadu did Kubla Khan

    A stately pleasure-dome decree:

    — Kubla Khan. Poetry Foundation

    Newsreel Narrator: [at beginning of newsreel on Charles Foster Kane’s death] In Xanadu did Kubla Khan a stately pleasure-dome decree.

    — Citizen Kane. IMDb

    Three

    Which is the nearest planet to the Sun whose average orbital distance is more than one billion miles? This planet has only been explored by one spacecraft (in 1986): what spacecraft?

    Answer: Uranus; Voyager 2.

    Uranus is the third largest planet in our solar system. It’s about four times wider than Earth, and has an equatorial diameter of about 31,763 miles (51,118 kilometres). Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun, orbiting at an average distance of 1.8 billion miles (2.9 billion kilometres). It’s about 19 times farther from the Sun than Earth. The exploration of Uranus has been limited to telescopes and a single flyby by NASA’s Voyager 2 in 1986. During this mission, the spacecraft discovered 10 new moons and two new rings, studied the planet’s atmosphere, and imaged its five largest moons.

    Four

    What now deceased billionaire bought the island of Skorpios in the Ionian Sea in 1963; and who did this billionaire marry on the island in 1968?

    Answers: Aristotle Onassis; Jacqueline Kennedy.

    Skorpios, a private Ionian island bought by Aristotle Onassis in 1963, hosts three residences and hosted his 1968 wedding to Jacqueline Kennedy, former First Lady of the United States. After Onassis’s death, ownership passed to Christina and then Athina Onassis.

    Five

    In January 2025, an American tech company saw the largest one-day loss in market capitalisation for a U.S. company in history. What company and how much was that loss?

    Answers: Nvidia; $600 billion.

    By 7 January 2025, Nvidia’s $3.66 trillion market cap exceeded double the combined value of AMD, ARM, Broadcom and Intel. That month, DeepSeek’s V3 model caused Nvidia’s record $600 billion one-day loss; its AI assistant overtook ChatGPT on Apple’s App Store.

  • A Billion Here, A Billion There

    Bill Gates House, “Xanadu 2.0”. See question two.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The first question today is related to the date, 29 September. The remainder are not date-related but follow-on from number one.

    One

    On this day newspapers proclaimed the world’s first billionaire. Who was this billionaire and in what year were these stories published?

    Two

    Tech billionaire Bill Gates had a lakeside mansion built in Medina, Washington. A Wikipedia article about the house refers to it as follows:

    Some news articles call the house Xanadu 2.0, a reference to the motion picture …, which was itself a reference to the opening lines of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s classic poem …

    — Wikipedia

    What 1941 movie and poem published in 1816 are missing from this quote?

    Three

    Which is the nearest planet to the Sun whose average orbital distance is more than one billion miles? This planet has only been explored by one spacecraft (in 1986): what spacecraft?

    Four

    What now deceased billionaire bought the island of Skorpios in the Ionian Sea in 1963; and who did this billionaire marry on the island in 1968?

    Five

    In January 2025, an American tech company saw the largest one-day loss in market capitalisation for a U.S. company in history. What company and how much was that loss?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.