Quizology.Online

Tag: entertainment

  • Oddities II — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    Michael’s Gate and tower, Bratislava, Slovakia.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Continuing from yesterday with some more ‘Oddities’ which are described as such as they are only connected by being ‘Odds and Ends’. Similar to yesterday, these are all true or false questions.

    One

    Is it true or false that although an estimated 90% of bird species partner up for life, only 20 to 25% of all mammal species do?

    Answer: False.

    Only a small percentage of mammals, approximately 3% to 5%, form lifelong monogamous relationships, often driven by practical needs rather than romantic notions. Notable examples of mammals that mate for life include those with various relationship types. Monogamous: Wolves —Alpha pairs mate for life, leading the pack and raising pups together. Socially monogamous: Beavers — Pairs collaborate to build and maintain their lodges, sharing parenting duties. Long-term monogamous: Gibbons — Known for their duet singing, which strengthens their bond and territory claims.

    Two

    Is it true or false that Gregory Peck portrayed infamous Nazi and Auschwitz doctor Josef Mengele in the 1978 film The Boys from Brazil?

    Answer: True.

    Josef Mengele, known as the ‘Angel of Death’, was a German physician and Nazi officer at Auschwitz during the Holocaust. He conducted inhumane experiments on prisoners. After the war, he fled to South America, evading capture until his death in 1979. His remains were identified in 1985 and 1992.

    Three

    Is it true or false that a bat mitzvah is a coming-of-age ritual in Judaism?

    Answer: True

    In Judaism Bat Mitzvah is the feminine equivalent of Bar mitzvah. These occur at 13 for boys and bat mitzvah at 12 for girls in Orthodox communities, or 13 for both in most others, it marks Jewish coming of age and accountability. The ceremony usually occurs on the first Shabbat after the birthday.

    Four

    Is it true or false that Michael’s Gate, pictured above, is in Bratislava, Slovakia?

    Answer: True.

    Michael’s Gate in Bratislava, Slovakia, is the only preserved medieval city gate, dating back to around 1300. Baroque reconstructions in 1758 added the statue of St. Michael and the Dragon. It houses the Exhibition of Weapons of Bratislava City Museum. The town once had four fortified gates.

    Five

    Is it true or false that the largest member of the dolphin family (Delphinidae) is an apex predator?

    Answer: True.

    The orca (Orcinus orca), or killer whale, is the largest oceanic dolphin, known for its black and white pigmentation. Apex predators with diverse diets, they form matrilineal pods and exhibit unique cultures. Conservation status is data deficient; some populations are endangered. Revered by indigenous peoples in Australia, Peru and the Pacific Northwest of North America.

  • Oddities II

    Michael’s Gate and tower.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Continuing from yesterday with some more ‘Oddities’ which are described as such as they are only ‘Odds and Ends’. Similar to yesterday, these are all true or false questions.

    One

    Is it true or false that although an estimated 90% of bird species partner up for life, only 20 to 25% of all mammal species do?

    Two

    Is it true or false that Gregory Peck portrayed infamous Nazi and Auschwitz doctor Josef Mengele in the 1978 film The Boys from Brazil?

    Three

    Is it true or false that a bat mitzvah is a coming-of-age ritual in Judaism?

    Four

    Is it true or false that Michael’s Gate, pictured above, is in Bratislava, Slovakia?

    Five

    Is it true or false that the largest member of the dolphin family (Delphinidae) is an apex predator?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Oddities — Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

    The Monkees.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Some random oddities for you today.

    One

    Is it true or false that Shorty Blackwell, a track on The Monkees 1969 album Instant Replay was inspired by and named after a school teacher?

    Answer: False.

    Micky Dolenz wrote Shorty Blackwell about his life and cat, recording piano in January 1968 and expanding it beyond five minutes with added instrumentation. Shorty Rogers arranged brass, strings, percussion, cello and flute; Rubini and Tommy Tedesco contributed. Micky and Coco recorded vocals in May; Micky finished it in June, later dismissing it as a Sgt. Pepper attempt.

    Two

    Is it true or false that the sea lion is the only marine member of the family Felidae?

    Answer: False.

    Sea lions are pinnipeds in family Otariidae with external ear flaps, long fore-flippers, four-legged movement, short hair and large chests; six extant and one extinct species span subarctic to tropical waters except the northern Atlantic.

    Three

    Is it true or false that in tennis Stirling Moss won the men’s singles at Wimbledon in 1969?

    Answer: False.

    Stirling Moss, a British driver and broadcaster, won 212 races including 16 Formula One Grands Prix. Runner-up to Juan Manuel Fangio and Mike Hawthorn, he retired after a 1962 accident. He was BBC Sports Personality of the Year and entered the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

    Four

    Is it true or false that in the classic World War II love story Casablanca (1942), Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) says ‘Play it again, Sam’?

    Answer: False.

    A line closely associated with Casablanca—”Play it again, Sam”—is not spoken in the film. When Ilsa first enters the Café Américain, she spots Sam and asks him, “Play it once, Sam, for old times’ sake.” After he feigns ignorance, she responds, “Play it, Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By’.” Later that night, alone with Sam, Rick says, “You played it for her, you can play it for me”, and “If she can stand it, I can! Play it!”
    — Wikipedia

    Five

    Is it true or false that Australia has three locations where New Year’s Eve occurs three times annually?

    Answer: True.

    New Year’s Eve is celebrated three times each year in Cameron Corner, Poeppel Corner and Surveyor Generals Corner, because three states, which are in three time zones, meet at each of these corners. Cameron Corner, Queensland is adjacent to the borders with New South Wales and South Australia. Poeppel Corner in Queensland is where it meets South Australia and the Northern Territory. Surveyor Generals Corner is the meeting of South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

  • Oddities

    The Monkees.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Some random oddities for you today.

    One

    Is it true or false that Shorty Blackwell, a track on The Monkees 1969 album Instant Replay was inspired by and named after a school teacher?

    Two

    Is it true or false that the sea lion is the only marine member of the family Felidae?

    Three

    Is it true or false that in tennis Stirling Moss won the men’s singles at Wimbledon in 1969?

    Four

    Is it true or false that in the classic World War II love story Casablanca (1942), Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) says ‘Play it again, Sam’?

    Five

    Is it true or false that Australia has three locations where New Year’s Eve occurs three times annually?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • The Great Vowel Shift — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    See question two. Robinson Crusoe.
    Image Goodreads

    Five questions which follow are not date related but do follow a theme.

    One

    The 2010 autobiography of whom is titled 9.58?

    Answer: Usain Bolt.

    Usain Bolt, born 21 August 1986, is a retired Jamaican sprinter, considered the greatest ever. An eight-time Olympic gold medallist, he holds world records in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. Known as ‘Lightning Bolt’, he won multiple World Championships and numerous prestigious awards, retiring in 2017.

    Two

    The location of the uninhabited island where Robinson Crusoe was shipwrecked is described as being ‘near the mouth of the great river …’— what river mouth?

    Answer: Oroonoque or Orinoco.

    Either Oroonoque or Orinoco as the spelling varies between editions. Robinson Crusoe, published on 25 April 1719 by Daniel Defoe, is an English adventure novel often credited as the start of realistic fiction. It follows Robinson Kreutznaer’s 28-year survival on a desert island, inspired by real-life castaways. Initially believed non-fiction, it was well-received for its narrative style. By the end of 1719, the book had four editions and became one of history’s most published works. It inspired numerous imitations across literature, film, television, and radio, defining the Robinsonade genre

    Three

    Historically known as Alexandretta, this city featured in a 1984 film starring Sean Connery. What was the film, and by what name is the city now known?

    Answer: İskenderun; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

    İskenderun, historically known as Alexandretta, is a district in Hatay Province, Turkey, with a population of 251,682 as of 2022. Situated on the Mediterranean coast, it experienced significant damage from the earthquakes in February 2023. The city was likely founded during the Hellenistic period by a successor of Alexander the Great and has since been under the control of the Seleucid, Roman, Abbasid, and Mamluk empires. It became part of the Ottoman Empire until World War I, after which it was a French mandate sanjak until gaining independence in 1938 and officially joining Turkey in 1939. İskenderun appears in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

    Four

    Which song begins:

    Risin’ up, back on the street
    Did my time, took my chances

    Answer: Eye of the Tiger

    “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor, written for Rocky III, topped charts worldwide and won a Grammy. It was also nominated for an Academy Award.

    Five

    Who played the title role in the 1973 film Serpico?

    Answer: Al Pacino.

    Serpico is a 1973 biographical crime drama film about Frank Serpico, a whistleblower who exposed corruption in the NYPD. The film, directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Al Pacino, was a critical and commercial success, earning several award nominations.

    The Great Vowel Shift

    Today’s title really in this instance only refers to the answers starting with one of the five vowels which have been ‘shifted’ into reverse order, U – O – I – E – A.
    The Great Vowel Shift, occurring between 1400 and 1700, altered the pronunciation of all Middle English long vowels and some consonant sounds. This shift, beginning in southern England, significantly influenced English dialects and contributed to the divergence between English spelling and pronunciation.

  • The Great Vowel Shift

    See question two. Robinson Crusoe.
    Image Goodreads

    Five questions which follow are not date related but do follow a theme.

    One

    The 2010 autobiography of whom is titled 9.58?

    Two

    The location of the uninhabited island where Robinson Crusoe was shipwrecked is described as being ‘near the mouth of the great river …’— what river mouth?

    Three

    Historically known as Alexandretta, this city featured in a 1984 film starring Sean Connery. What was the film, and by what name is the city now known?

    Four

    Which song begins:

    Risin’ up, back on the street
    Did my time, took my chances

    Five

    Who played the title role in the 1973 film Serpico?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Over the Moon — Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

    James Irwin with the Lunar Roving Vehicle on the Moon. Mons Hadley is in the background.
    Image NASA/David Scott via Wikimedia Commons

    One to five as usual today, but you need to find ten answers. The first question is related to today’s date, 31 July, while the subsequent ones follow on from the theme created by the first.

    One

    On this day in 1971, Apollo 15’s astronauts first used the Lunar Roving Vehicle, which is also colloquially known as a Moon Buggy, on the Lunar surface. By the end of the Apollo program how many of these vehicles were left behind on the Moon?

    Answer: Three.

    The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), built by Boeing Co., enabled extended travel, speed, and greater scientific activity on the Moon during the Apollo era. The first surface mission to use the LRV, Apollo 15 astronauts covered a total 17.5 miles of exploration and discovery.
    The historic Apollo Program sent the first U.S. astronauts into orbit around the Moon in 1968 and landed a dozen astronauts on the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972. The reach of initial Apollo surface missions was restricted to short walking distances. During each of the last three Apollo missions, between 1971 and 1972, a battery powered LRV provided transportation for two crew members and supplies several miles beyond the landing site.
    — NASA

    Two

    Set on the Moon in 1996, a short story first published in 1951 describes the discovery of a mysterious pyramid which had been placed by aliens several billion years previously. This story has an influential role in the development of a 1968 film. Three questions:

    • What is the story’s title?
    • Who was its author?
    • What was the title of the 1968 film?

    Answers

    • The Sentinal
    • Arthur C. Clarke
    • 2001: A Space Odyssey

    The Sentinel (1951) by Arthur C. Clarke, set in 1996, follows selenologist Wilson discovering a mysterious alien structure on the Moon. After breaching its shield with atomic energy, the structure is destroyed, revealing advanced technology. Wilson theorises it was a sentinel alerting aliens to the emergence of intelligent life.

    Three

    The Huygens lander was the first man made object to land on a world in the outer Solar System. Where did it land?

    Answer: Titan.

    The Cassini–Huygens mission, a collaboration between NASA, ESA, and ASI, aimed to study Saturn and its system. It included NASA’s Cassini probe and ESA’s Huygens lander. Launched in 1997, Cassini orbited Saturn from 2004 to 2017, providing extensive data on the planet and Huygens landed on Titan. The mission included flybys of Venus, Earth, asteroid 2685 Masursky, and Jupiter, ending on September 15, 2017, by burning up in Saturn’s atmosphere to prevent contamination. It was a ‘mission of firsts’, revolutionising understanding of Saturn’s system and potential life-supporting environments in the Solar System and landing on on a world in the outer Solar System the first time.

    Four

    In ancient Greek mythology who was the goddess and personification of the Moon who drives her Moon chariot across the heavens?

    Answer: Salene.

    The air, unlit before, glows with the light of her golden crown, and her rays beam clear, whensoever bright Selene having bathed her lovely body in the waters of Ocean, and donned her far-gleaming raiment, and yoked her strong-necked, shining team, drives on her long-maned horses at full speed, at eventime in the mid-month: then her great orbit is full and then her beams shine brightest as she increases. So she is a sure token and a sign to mortal men.
    — Homeric Hymn to Salene Wikipedia

    Five

    Moon River featured in a 1961 film and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Four questions:

    • Who composed the song?
    • Who wrote the lyrics?
    • What was the 1961 film?
    • Who sang it in the film?

    Answers

    • Henry Mancini
    • Johnny Mercer
    • Breakfast at Tiffany’s
    • Audrey Hepburn

    Moon River, composed by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, was performed by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), winning an Academy Award and two Grammys. The song relaunched Mercer’s songwriting career, stalled by rock and roll’s rise. The lyrics reflect Mercer’s Southern youth and wanderlust and an inlet near Savannah, Georgia, was named Moon River in his honour. Andy Williams made it his theme song, recording it in 1962 and in 2022, his version was preserved in the U.S. Library of Congress.

  • Over the Moon

    James Irwin with the Lunar Roving Vehicle on the Moon. Mons Hadley is in the background.
    Image NASA/David Scott via Wikimedia Commons

    One to five as usual today, but you need to find ten answers. The first question is related to today’s date, 31 July, while the subsequent ones follow on from the theme created by the first.

    One

    On this day in 1971, Apollo 15’s astronauts first used the Lunar Roving Vehicle, which is also colloquially known as a Moon Buggy, on the Lunar surface. By the end of the Apollo program how many of these vehicles were left behind on the Moon?

    Two

    Set on the Moon in 1996, a short story first published in 1951 describes the discovery of a mysterious pyramid which had been placed by aliens several billion years previously. This story has an influential role in the development of a 1968 film. Three questions:

    • What is the story’s title?
    • Who was its author?
    • What was the title of the 1968 film?

    Three

    The Huygens lander was the first man made object to land on a world in the outer Solar System. Where did it land?

    Four

    In ancient Greek mythology who was the goddess and personification of the Moon who drives her Moon chariot across the heavens?

    Five

    Moon River featured in a 1961 film and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Four questions:

    • Who composed the song?
    • Who wrote the lyrics?
    • What was the 1961 film?
    • Who sang it in the film?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • 42-0-20-(Z 16-102–8-15-39)-13 — Answers

    Here are today’s answers.

    George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-four.
    Image Pinterest

    Today’s questions are not related to the date; instead, they share a theme linked to the title in a subtle or hidden manner.

    One

    ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha, an appreciation society and their publication Mostly Harmless is connected to what science fiction franchise?

    Answer: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

    ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha organises gatherings and social events, produces the magazine Mostly Harmless and sells Beeblebears modelled on Zaphod Beeblebrox. It celebrates The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Douglas Adams’s works.

    Two

    What single word can mean nought, a strong-lined fabric, a quick immersion, a bivalve mollusc, a lowering of the head or a bird and in which sport did the meaning ‘nought’ originate?

    Answer: Duck: cricket.

    All of the above are from definitions of duck.

    • Nought: in cricket a batter’s score of zero. Origin mid 19th century: short for duck’s egg, used for the figure 0 because of its similar outline.
    • Fabric: a strong cotton or linen fabric. Origin mid 17th century: from Middle Dutch doek ‘linen, linen cloth’; related to German Tuch ‘cloth’.
    • Immersion: to dip under water. Origin Middle English: of Germanic origin; related to Dutch duiken and German tauchen ‘dive, dip, plunge’.
    • Mollusc: a pure white thin-shelled bivalve mollusc found off the Atlantic coasts of America. Genus Anatina, family Mactridae.
    • Lowering head: lower the head or the body quickly. Origin Middle English: of Germanic origin; related to Dutch duiken and German tauchen ‘dive, dip, plunge’.
    • Bird: a waterbird with a broad blunt bill. Origin Old English duce, from the Germanic German tauchen ‘dive, dip, plunge’.

    Three

    Where is the mythical Snow Lion a celestial emblem?

    Answer: Tibet.

    The Snow Lion, Tibet’s celestial emblem, symbolises power, strength, fearlessness, joy, east, and earth. Featured on Tibet’s flag from 1916 to 1950, it remains used by the Tibetan Government-in-Exile. Depicted as white with a turquoise mane, it represents hermits and yogis, and is prominent in Tibetan culture.

    Four

    What character is named when symbols for sulphur, nobelium, oxygen, phosphorus and yttrium are placed together in order?

    Answer: Snoopy

    S-sulphur
    No-nobelium
    O-oxygen
    P-phosphorus
    Y-yttrium

    Five

    What are the three super-states in the novel Nineteen Eighty-four, and in which of these is London located?

    Answers: Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia; Oceania.

    In April 1984, Winston Smith lives in Airstrip One (previously Great Britain), a province of Oceania, under totalitarian rule by ‘the Party’ and Big Brother. The Party enforces conformity through surveillance and Thought Police, erasing dissenters as “unpersons”. Winston, an Outer Party member at the Ministry of Truth, secretly rebels against the regime.

    42-0-20-(Z 16-102–8-15-39)-13

    The numbers in the title offer clues, perhaps obscure, to each of the questions in the correct order. The information breaks down like this

    1. 42: In The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy 42 is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything.
    2. 0: A duck is 0 as explained above, see ‘Nought’ under the second answer.
    3. 20: The 20th letter of the alphabet ‘T’ is the initial to this answer.
    4. (Z 16-102–8-15-39): Z is the symbol for atomic numbers and 16 is the atomic number for sulphur, 102 is nobelium 8 is oxygen 15 is phosphorus and 39 is yttrium each of which make Snoopy.
    5. 13: : ‘It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.’ Thirteen concludes the opening line of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-four.

  • 42-0-20-(Z 16-102–8-15-39)-13

    George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-four.
    Image Pinterest

    Today’s questions are not related to the date; instead, they share a theme linked to the title in a subtle or hidden manner.

    One

    ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha, an appreciation society and their publication Mostly Harmless is connected to what science fiction franchise?

    Two

    What single word can mean nought, a strong-lined fabric, a quick immersion, a bivalve mollusc, a lowering of the head or a bird and in which sport did the meaning ‘nought’ originate?

    Three

    Where is the mythical Snow Lion a celestial emblem?

    Four

    What character is named when symbols for sulphur, nobelium, oxygen, phosphorus and yttrium are placed together in order?

    Five

    What are the three super-states in the novel Nineteen Eighty-four, and in which of these is London located?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.