Quizology.Online

Tag: entertainment

  • Googly—Answers

    One

    A search engine launched in 1996 was named after a fictional character created by English author PG Wodehouse. This character first appeared in print in 1915 and made his last appearance in Wodehouse’s last novel in 1974. Who is this character?

    — Answer: Jeeves

    Jeeves, a fictional valet created by PG Wodehouse, is renowned for his competence and has become synonymous with the role of a manservant. He serves the wealthy Bertie Wooster and occasionally fills in as a butler.

    AskJeeves, a search engine founded in 1996, has since evolved into ask.com.

    Two

    A company based in Quebec City, Canada own desktop search software which runs on Microsoft Windows. Its name, when only one word is used, is almost that of an astronomer who was born in East Prussia in 1473. What is the one word name of the search software?

    — Answer: Copernic

    Copernic, founded in 1996, is a leading desktop and enterprise search provider. Acquired by Harris Computer Corporation in 2010, Copernic continues to develop innovative search solutions. The astronomer mentioned was Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543).

    Three

    A fictional character with the middle name Muriel was one of the lead characters in an American sitcom which ran from 1994 until 2004. This characters surname is what a search engine lainched in 2014 is commonly known as. What is the search engine?

    — Answer: Bing

    Chandler Muriel Bing, played by Matthew Perry, was a character in the TV show Friends. Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, offers web, video, image, and map search services. Launched in 2009, it introduced features like search suggestions and related searches. As of April 2024, Bing holds a 3.64% global market share, ranking second behind Google.

    Four

    Founded in 1994, a web portal and search engine has a name that means ‘rude, unsophisticated, uncouth’. A 1726 satire, written by an Anglo-Irish clergyman, is the origin of this meaning of the company name. What is the common two-word title of the satire, and who was the clergyman-novelist?

    — Answer: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

    The web portal etc is Yahoo. The word ‘yahoo’ is a backronym for ‘Yet Another Hierarchically Organized Oracle’ or ‘Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle’. Founders Filo and Yang chose the name because they liked the slang definition of a ‘yahoo’ as ‘rude, unsophisticated, uncouth’.
    Yahoos, in Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, are filthy, unpleasant creatures representing materialism and ignorant elitism. The term ‘yahoo’, which was coined by Swift, can now be defined as ‘a crude, brutish person’. By the way, the full name of Gulliver’s Travels is Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships.

    Five

    … Firefox, or simply Firefox, is a free and open-source web browser developed by the … Foundation and its subsidiary, the … Corporation.
    — Wikipedia

    The above description of the web browser Firefox is from Wikipedia. What one name has been omitted three times from the quote?

    — Answer: Mozilla

    Firefox, originally named Phoenix, was created as a standalone browser to replace the Mozilla Suite. After several name changes due to trademark issues, it was officially released as Mozilla Firefox in 2004. The browser gained popularity for its features like tabbed browsing and an extension mechanism, and underwent significant improvements with the Quantum project in 2017 to enhance performance and modernise its architecture.

  • Googly

    19 August 2004…
    The search engine company Google Inc. raised $1.66 billion in its initial public offering; in an unusual move, the shares were sold in a public auction intended to put the average investor on an equal footing with financial industry professionals. 
    — Encyclopædia Britannica

    As you’ll see above on 19 August 2004, Google had its initial public offering. Today’s questions are about other tech entities.

    One

    A search engine launched in 1996 was named after a fictional character created by English author PG Wodehouse. This character first appeared in print in 1915 and made his last appearance in Wodehouse’s last novel in 1974. Who is this character?

    Two

    A company based in Quebec City, Canada own desktop search software which runs on Microsoft Windows. Its name, when only one word is used, is almost that of an astronomer who was born in East Prussia in 1473. What is the one word name of the search software?

    Three

    A fictional character with the middle name Muriel was one of the lead characters in an American sitcom which ran from 1994 until 2004. This characters surname is what a search engine lainched in 2014 is commonly known as. What is the search engine?

    Four

    Founded in 1994, a web portal and search engine has a name that means ‘rude, unsophisticated, uncouth’. A 1726 satire, written by an Anglo-Irish clergyman, is the origin of this meaning of the company name. What is the common two-word title of the satire, and who was the clergyman-novelist?

    Five

    … Firefox, or simply Firefox, is a free and open-source web browser developed by the … Foundation and its subsidiary, the … Corporation.
    — Wikipedia

    The above description of the web browser Firefox is from Wikipedia. What one name has been omitted three times from the quote?

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

  • Where on Earth—Answers

    Ross’s Antarctic expedition.
    HMS Erebus and Terror in the Antarctic by John Wilson Carmichael.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On 16 August 1923, the UK named the Ross Dependency. On what continent is the Ross Dependency?

    — Answer: Antarctica

    The Ross Dependency, claimed by New Zealand, is a region of Antarctica defined by specific longitudes and latitude. While New Zealand’s claim is recognised by a few countries, the 1961 Antarctic Treaty holds all claims in abeyance. The Dependency, named after Sir James Clark Ross, includes the Ross Sea, Ross Ice Shelf, and several islands.

    Two

    Born in 1888, a military strategist and archaeological scholar also authored Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Who is he, and what by-name is he commonly known?

    — Answer: T.E. Lawrence aka Lawrence of Arabia

    T.E. Lawrence, known as Lawrence of Arabia, was a British Army officer, archaeologist, and writer. He gained fame for his role in the Arab Revolt during the First World War and his subsequent work with Emir Faisal. Lawrence published his autobiography, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, and later served in the Army and RAF before his death in a motorcycle accident in 1935. His life was dramatised in the 1962 film Lawrence Of Arabia.

    1834 portrait of James Buchanan at age 42–43 by Jacob Eichholtz.
    Image Wikipedia

    Three

    On 16 August 1858, a new transatlantic telegraph cable was inaugurated. The inaugural event involved an exchange of greetings between the Heads of State of the United Kingdom and the United States. Who were these two Heads of State?

    — Answer: Queen Victoria and President James Buchanan

    The Atlantic Telegraph Company, led by Cyrus West Field, constructed the first transatlantic telegraph cable. On that day, the first official telegram to cross two continents was a congratulatory letter from Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom to President James Buchanan of the United States. Despite initial success, the cable’s poor signal quality and subsequent destruction after three weeks undermined confidence and delayed restoration efforts.

    Madonna, 2020.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    Madonna, the singer and actress, celebrates her birthday on August 16th. In which city and state was she born?

    — Answer: Bay City, Michigan

    Madonna, the ‘Queen of Pop’, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. She is the best-selling female recording artist of all time, with numerous accolades including seven Grammy Awards and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Madonna is also a successful businesswoman, philanthropist and advocate for gender equality and LGBT rights.

    Richard Wagner, 1871.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    On this day in 1876, Richard Wagner’s penultimate opera in his Ring cycle premiered at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. What was the name of the opera?

    — Answer: Siegfried

    Siegfried is the third of Richard Wagner’s four epic music dramas, Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung). It premiered at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on 16 August 1876, marking the first complete performance of the cycle.

    Written over twenty-six years, from 1848 to 1874. The Ring cycle comprises:

    • Das Rheingold (The Rhinegold)
    • Die Walküre (The Valkyrie)
    • Siegfried
    • Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods)

  • Where on Earth

    One

    On 16 August 1923, the UK named the Ross Dependency. On what continent is the Ross Dependency?

    Two

    Born in 1888, a military strategist and archaeological scholar also authored Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Who is he, and what by-name is he commonly known?

    Three

    On 16 August 1858, a new transatlantic telegraph cable was inaugurated. The inaugural event involved an exchange of greetings between the Heads of State of the United Kingdom and the United States. Who were these two Heads of State?

    Four

    Madonna, the singer and actress, celebrates her birthday on August 16th. In which city and state was she born?

    Five

    On this day in 1876, Richard Wagner’s penultimate opera in his Ring cycle premiered at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. What was the name of the opera?

  • Double, double toil and trouble—Answers

    Macbeth and Banquo meeting the witches on the heath by
    Théodore Chassériau (1819–1856).
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On 14 August, King Duncan I of Scotland was killed in battle by his cousin, Macbeth, who then succeeded him. This event occurred in the what century?

     — Answer: 11th century

    Unlike the ‘King Duncan’ of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the historical Duncan appears to have been a young man. After his grandfather Malcolm’s death on 25 November 1034, Duncan succeeded him as king without apparent opposition. In August 1040, Duncan led an army into Moray, Macbeth’s domain, and was killed in action at the Battle of Bothnagowan.

    Two

    In the 1995 made-for-television movie, Catherine Zeta-Jones plays Sophie, a young Prussian princess who marries an immature future Tsar. The film’s title is what Sophie eventually becomes known as. What is the film’s title?

     — Answer: Catherine the Great

    Catherine the Great, reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796, modernised the country, expanded its territory, and fostered a cultural renaissance. Despite her Enlightenment ideals, serfdom persisted, leading to rebellions. Catherine’s reign saw the founding of cities, universities, and theatres, and the establishment of Russia as a great power.

    The Lion in Winter (1968)
    Image The MovieDB

    Three

    Katharine Hepburn won the best actress Oscar for her role as Henry II’s queen in this 1968 film. What was the film and what was the queen’s name?

     — Answer: The Lion in Winter and Eleanor of Aquitaine

    The play is set at Christmas 1183 at Henry II of England’s castle in Chinon, France. It follows the power struggles between Henry, his wife Eleanor, their sons, and the King of France, Philip II Augustus.

    Four

    In this 2023 film, Catherine Walker plays an Archduchess of Austria who becomes the French Queen, while Vanessa Kirby is an Empress Consort and first wife of the title character. What is the film?

     — Answer: *Napoleon *

    Ridley Scott’s 2023 film Napoleon, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby, depicts the French leader’s rise to power and his relationship with Joséphine. The film received mixed reviews, praised for its battle sequences and performances but criticised for its pacing and historical accuracy.

    W.E. film poster (2011).Image Sens Critique

    Five 

    Madonna’s 2011 film W.E. is a historical romance involving what 20th-century royal couple?

     — Answer: King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson (who became the Duke and Duchess of Windsor)

    Edward VIII’s relationship with Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American, caused a constitutional crisis. Despite attempts to find a solution, including a morganatic marriage, the Church of England and most politicians opposed the union. Edward chose to abdicate the throne on 11 December 1936, prioritising his love for Simpson over his royal duties.

  • Double, double toil and trouble

    The first question is related to today’s date, August 14th. It is about two monarchs who featured prominently in a work by William Shakespeare. The other questions are also about real monarchs who have been portrayed in fiction.

    The first page of Shakespeare’s Macbeth from the First Folio.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On 14 August, King Duncan I of Scotland was killed in battle by his cousin, Macbeth, who then succeeded him. This death and succession occurred in the what century?

    Two

    In the 1995 made-for-television movie, Catherine Zeta-Jones plays Sophie, a young Prussian princess who marries an immature future Tsar. The film’s title is what Sophie eventually becomes known as. What is the film’s title?

    Three

    Katharine Hepburn won the best actress Oscar for her role as Henry II’s queen in this 1968 film. What was the film and what was the queen’s name?

    Four

    In this 2023 film, Catherine Walker plays an Archduchess of Austria who becomes the French Queen, while Vanessa Kirby is an Empress Consort and first wife of the title character. What is the film?

    Five 

    Madonna’s 2011 film W.E. is a historical romance involving what 20th-century royal couple?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Bouquet of Barbed Wire | Answers

    Berlin Wall.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    What Cold War event led to August 13, 1961, being called Barbed Wire Sunday?

    — Answer: Berlin Wall closing

    The border between East and West Berlin was closed by East Germany, with Barriers erected and construction beginning.

    Two

    Annie Oakley, c. 1880s.
    Image Wikipedia

    Phoebe Ann Mosey was born this day in 1860. Named ‘Little Sure Shot’ by Sitting Bull, she was a star in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. What was her stage name?

     — Answer: Annie Oakley

    Oakley never failed to delight her audiences, and her feats of marksmanship were truly incredible. At 30 paces she could split a playing card held edge-on, she hit dimes tossed into the air, she shot cigarettes from her husband’s lips, and, a playing card being thrown into the air, she riddled it before it touched the ground

    — Encyclopædia Britannica

    Three

    Opha May Johnson (2 Feb 1900 – Jan 1976) was the first woman to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. This is a photo of her shortly after enlisting, c. 1918.
    Image Wikipedia

    Women were permitted to enlist in the United States Marine Corps for the first time on August 13th. In which decade of the 20th century did this occur?

     — Answer: 1910s (1918)

    Women first enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1918, Private Opha May Johnson being the first woman to enlist. Although deactivated after the First World War there was a significant increase during World War II. The Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948 made women a permanent part of the Marine Corps.

    Opha May Johnson monument,
    St. Paul’s Rock Creek Cemetery,
    Washington, D.C.
    Image Wikipedia
    Alfred Hitchcock’s birthplace.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    Alfred Hitchcock, the renowned film director and producer, was born today in 1899. In which city was he born?

     — Answer: London, UK

    Alfred Hitchcock, an English-born American director, was renowned for his suspenseful films and TV programmes, characterised by a macabre sense of humour and a bleak view of humanity.

    Cardinal Richelieu.
    Portrait of Richelieu by Champaigne, 1642.
    (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Strasbourg)
    Image Wikipedia

    Five 

    On 13 August 1624, Cardinal Richelieu was appointed principal minister in France. Who was the monarch who made this appointment?

     — Answer: Louis XIII

    Cardinal Richelieu (1585–1642) served as the chief minister to King Louis XIII of France from 1624 to 1642. His primary objectives, which he largely achieved, were the establishment of royal absolutism in France and the end of Spanish-Habsburg dominance in Europe.

  • Bouquet of Barbed Wire

    Alfred Hitchcock, c. 1960s. (Question 4)
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    What Cold War event led to 13 August 1961 being known as Barbed Wire Sunday?

    Two

    Phoebe Ann Mosey was born this day in 1860. Named ‘Little Sure Shot’ by Sitting Bull, she was a star in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. What was her stage name?

    Three

    Women were permitted to enlist in the United States Marine Corps for the first time on August 13th. In which decade of the 20th century did this occur?

    Four

    Alfred Hitchcock, the renowned film director and producer, was born today in 1899. In which city was he born?

    Five 

    On 13 August 1624, Cardinal Richelieu was appointed principal minister in France. Who was the monarch who made this appointment?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Q | Answers

    Quagga (Equus quagga quagga), 1870. Now extinct.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    One

    A quagga died in Amsterdam Zoo on 12 August 1883. Native to South Africa, the quagga was a type of…

    Answer: Zebra

    The quagga, a subspecies of plains zebra, was native to South Africa, where it was found in vast herds on the great plains, but is now extinct. It had a reddish-brown body with dark stripes and a white underside.

    Two

    What ‘Q’ links the novelist Herman Melville with Special Agent Dana Scully?

    Answer: Queequeg

    Queequeg, a Polynesian royal with facial tattoos, befriends Ishmael in Moby-Dick and becomes a harpooner on the Pequod. In The X-Files Scully names her dog Queequeg after the Moby-Dick character and used the name as her email handle and home alarm password.

    Three

    In which fictional series does Max Quordlepleen, a comedian and host, appear hosting a show at Milliways?

    Answer: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

    ‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ he said, ‘the Universe as we know it has been in existence for over one hundred and seventy thousand million billion years and will be ending in a little over half an hour. So, welcome to Milliways, the Restaurant at the End of the Universe!’

    With a gesture he deftly conjured another round of spontaneous applause. With another gesture he cut it.
    “I am your host for tonight,” he said, “my name is Max Quordlepleen.”
    — The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, The Ultimate Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (Pan Books).

    Four

    What ‘Q’ is a capital city which sits on the equator and is officially known as San Francisco de …

    Answer: Quito

    Officially known as San Francisco de Quito, the capital of Ecuador, is the highest national capital city in the world. It is the political and cultural centre of Ecuador, with a rich history dating back to its incorporation into the Inca Empire in the late 15th century.

    Five 

    Quirinus Quirrell is a character in the works of which novelist?

    Answer: J.K. Rowling

    In J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter stories, Quirinus Quirrell, Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, is possessed by Voldemort during Harry’s first year at Hogwarts. Harry defeats Quirrell, allowing Dumbledore to arrive and Voldemort to flee, resulting in Quirrell’s death.

    Professor Quirinus Quirrell.
    Image Pinterest

  • Q

    The first question relates to today’s date, August 12th, and contains a word beginning with a ‘Q’. The rest of the questions follow a ‘Q’ theme, either with a ‘Q’ in the question or answer.

    One

    A quagga died in Amsterdam Zoo on 12 August 1883. Native to South Africa, the quagga was a type of…

    Two

    What ‘Q’ links the novelist Herman Melville with Special Agent Dana Scully?

    Three

    In which fictional series does Max Quordlepleen, a comedian, appear hosting a show at Milliways?

    Four

    What ‘Q’ is a capital city which sits on the equator and is officially known as San Francisco de …

    Five 

    Quirinus Quirrell is a character in the works of which novelist?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.