Quizology.Online

Tag: entertainment

  • Enchanted Forest — Answers

    Here are today’s answers.

    Rivendell.
    Image Jerry Vanderstelt, LOTR Fandom

    The first question is connected to today, 29 July. The remainder are not date-related but continue a theme leading you on a quest through the fantasy worlds of fiction.

    One

    In 1954, the first volume of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic The Lord of the Rings was published. What was the title of this volume?

    Answer: The Fellowship of the Ring.

    In 1954, J.R.R. Tolkien published The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, the first parts of The Lord of the Rings, followed by The Return of the King in 1955. The Fellowship of the Ring refers to the company made up by Frodo, Merry, Sam and Pippin: all Hobbits; Aragorn and Boromir: both men; Legolas, an Elf; Gimli, a Dwarf; and Gandalf, a Wizard.

    Two

    What author’s work is home to the battle poet William the Gonnagle?

    Answer: Terry Pratchett.

    In Pratchett’s Discworld series, William the Gonnagle, a 96-year-old battle poet and musician, speaks in the lowland Scots of Robert Burns and with a slow careful voice. He plays mouse pipes that drive Grimhounds mad. Unlike bards, gonnagles compose poems to frighten enemies during battles causing their ears to explode. His name is derived from the notoriously poor poet William Topaz McGonagall.

    Three

    What series of books, the first published in 1995, included the character Fra Pavel Rašek, an alethiometrist of the Consistorial Court of Discipline (CCD), and of what organisation is the CCD a branch?

    Answers: His Dark Materials; Magisterium.

    Philip Pullman’s trilogy unfolds across a multiverse, with Northern Lights set in a world akin to Edwardian Britain, featuring zeppelins instead of cars or planes. The Church, led by the Magisterium, mirrors the Catholic Church’s authority, with the CCD as one of its most active branches.

    Four

    Who were Paul and Alia’s parents in the novel Dune?

    Answer: Lord Leto Atreides and Lady Jessica

    Dune, a 1965 novel by Frank Herbert, is set in a feudal interstellar society where noble houses vie for control of Arrakis, the sole source of the valuable spice melange. The story follows Paul Atreides as he navigates politics, religion, and ecology in this epic science fiction tale.

    Five

    In the world of Harry Potter, the Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra), the Cruciatus Curse (Crucio), and the Imperius Curse (Imperio) are known collectively as what?

    Answer: Unforgivable Curses.

    The Unforgivable Curses, Avada Kedavra, Crucio, and Imperio, are the most powerful and sinister Dark spells in the wizarding world. First classified as ‘Unforgivable’ in 1717, they carry the strictest penalties for their use, being tools of the Dark Arts.

    Enchanted Forest

    The title refers to a common feature in fiction: an enchanted forest.

  • Enchanted Forest

    Rivendell.
    Image Jerry Vanderstelt, LOTR Fandom

    The first question is connected to today, 29 July. The remainder are not date-related but continue a theme leading you on a quest through the fantasy worlds of fiction.

    One

    In 1954, the first volume of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic The Lord of the Rings was published. What was the title of this volume?

    Two

    What author’s work is home to the battle poet William the Gonnagle?

    Three

    What series of books, the first published in 1995, included the character Fra Pavel Rašek, an alethiometrist of the Consistorial Court of Discipline (CCD), and of what organisation is the CCD a branch?

    Four

    Who were Paul and Alia’s parents in the novel Dune?

    Five

    In the world of Harry Potter, the Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra), the Cruciatus Curse (Crucio), and the Imperius Curse (Imperio) are known collectively as what?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • End of the Line — Answers

    Today’s answers are below.

    Words.
    Image

    These are not date-related but there is a theme at the End of the Line.

    One

    What word means “an explanation of the history of a particular word”?

    Answer: Etymology.

    Etymology is the study of word origins and evolution, tracing their sounds and meanings across time. Etymologists use historical texts and comparative linguistics to reconstruct word histories and trace their roots to shared parent languages.

    Two

    This Skoda compact SUV, named after a cryptozoological creature, was superseded by both the Karoq and the Kamiq?

    Answer: Yeti.

    The Škoda Yeti, a compact crossover SUV, debuted in 2009 and won Top Gear Magazine’s Family Car of the Year.

    Three

    The Kabul River originates in the Hindu Kush mountains and flows 700 kilometres to empty into the …
    What is the watery destination missing from the end of the above statement? 

    Answer: Indus.

    The Kabul River, originating in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush mountains, flows 435 miles (700 km) to join the Indus in Pakistan. The Indus, a significant waterway in Asia, originates in Tibet and flows through disputed Kashmir, Pakistan, and empties into the Arabian Sea. Spanning 1,976 miles (3,180 km), it supports diverse ecosystems and has a rich historical significance, including the rise of the Indus Valley Civilisation. The river’s course is shaped by geological formations, including the Indus-Yarlung suture zone.

    Four

    This fictional Great Dane first graced our screens in 1969 and continues to be a beloved figure on television and in both live-action and animated films. Who is this remarkable dog?

    Answer: Scooby-Doo.

    Scooby-Doo is an American media franchise created in 1969, featuring four teenagers and their talking Great Dane solving mysteries. The franchise includes numerous shows, films, and specials, with the most recent series, Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?, premiering in 2019.

    Five

    Peter Cullen, Tesshō Genda and others have voiced which character from a media franchise that started with toys in the 1980s and has since spawned at least a dozen films?

    Answer: Optimus Prime.

    Transformers is a highly successful media franchise centred around the Autobots and Decepticons, two alien robot factions. The franchise, which began in 1984, includes toys, animation, comics, video games, and films, generating over ¥2 trillion in revenue. Ownership is split between Hasbro and Takara Tomy.

    End of Line

    The last letter at the ‘End of the Line’ of the first answer is the initial letter of the next answer and so on. This includes the final answer’s ‘E’ from Prime which starts the first answer, Etymology.

  • End of the Line

    Words.
    Image

    These are not date-related but there is a theme at the End of the Line.

    One

    What word means “an explanation of the history of a particular word”?

    Two

    This Skoda compact SUV, named after a cryptozoological creature, was superseded by both the Karoq and the Kamiq?

    Three

    The Kabul River originates in the Hindu Kush mountains and flows 700 kilometres to empty into the …
    What is the watery destination missing from the end of the above statement? 

    Four

    This fictional Great Dane first graced our screens in 1969 and continues to be a beloved figure on television and in both live-action and animated films. Who is this remarkable dog?

    Five

    Peter Cullen, Tesshō Genda and others have voiced which character from a media franchise that started with toys in the 1980s and has since spawned at least a dozen films?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Aargh — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    Tomb of the unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile, Paris.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s questions are not date-related. Hopefully, you’ll be saying ‘aargh’ before it is finished.

    One

    An eternal flame burns in Paris to honour unidentified casualties from both world wars. Where is it located?

    Answer: Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile (aka Arc de Triomphe).

    Beneath the Arc lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I. Buried on Armistice Day 1920, an eternal flame honours the unidentified dead (now from both world wars). In 1961, U.S. President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy honoured the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier alongside President Charles de Gaulle. Following the 1963 assassination of President Kennedy, Mrs. Kennedy recalled the eternal flame at the Arc de Triomphe and asked for a similar flame beside her husband’s grave at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

    Two

    Jesus and the Apostles are believed to have spoken …
    — Encyclopædia Britannica 

    What language completes the above sentence from Encyclopædia Britannica?

    Answer: Aramaic.

    Aramaic, a Semitic language linked to Hebrew, Syriac and Phoenician, spread from the Aramaeans via Assyrians and Babylonians, becoming the Achaemenian official language before Greek replaced it. It replaced Hebrew among Jews, appears in Daniel, Ezra and the Talmuds, was spoken by Jesus and the Apostles, and lasted until Arabic displaced it around 650 CE.

    Three

    A US group released Blitzkrieg Bop as their first single in 1976, while Baby, I Love You became their most successful UK track. What is the band’s name?

    Answer: Ramones.

    Released in February 1976, Blitzkrieg Bop is the Ramones’ debut single and opening track on their first album. Written by Tommy and Dee Dee Ramone, its chant became a global rallying cry. Baby, I Love You was first recorded by the Ronettes in 1963. Phil Spector produced the Ramones cover version of the song which appeared on their album, End of the Century (1980). The single reached number eight in the UK Singles Chart in 1980, their biggest UK top-ten hit.

    Four

    What 1992 film starring Al Pacino and Jack Lemmon depicts two days in the lives of four real-estate salesmen?

    Answer: Glengarry Glen Ross.

    Directed by James Foley and written by David Mamet, Glengarry Glen Ross follows four salesmen facing dismissal threats from Blake. Critically acclaimed, Jack Lemmon won the Volpi Cup and Al Pacino received award nominations, but the film grossed $10.7 million against a $12.5 million budget.

    Five

    Before the 1947 partition created India and Pakistan, what historic Persian-derived name was commonly used for the Indian subcontinent—especially its northern regions—and is still sometimes used as a poetic or cultural name for India today?

    Answer: Hindustan.

    The name Hindustan comes from the Persian word Hind (India) combined with the suffix -stan, meaning “land.” Although it once referred broadly to much of northern India or the Indian subcontinent, today it is mainly used in historical, literary, and cultural contexts rather than as India’s official name.

    Aargh

    The post title is an exclamation ‘used as an expression of anguish, horror, rage, or other strong emotion, often with humorous intent’. It is used here to provide the initial letters of the answers

  • Aargh

    Eternal Flame, Paris.
    Image Flickr

    Today’s questions are not date-related. Hopefully, you’ll be saying ‘aargh’ before it is finished.

    One

    An eternal flame burns in Paris to honour unidentified casualties from both world wars. Where is it located?

    Two

    Jesus and the Apostles are believed to have spoken …
    — Encyclopædia Britannica 

    What language completes the above sentence from Encyclopædia Britannica?

    Three

    A US group released Blitzkrieg Bop as their first single in 1976, while Baby, I Love You became their most successful UK track. What is the band’s name?

    Four

    What 1992 film starring Al Pacino and Jack Lemmon depicts two days in the lives of four real-estate salesmen?

    Five

    Before the 1947 partition created India and Pakistan, what historic Persian-derived name was commonly used for the Indian subcontinent—especially its northern regions—and is still sometimes used as a poetic or cultural name for India today?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Can I have a ‘P’ please, Bob?

    Jaws film poster, 1975 (cropped).
    See question one.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s questions are not date-related but the answers are consistant with the title.

    One

    Who wrote the book Jaws, which gave great white sharks such a bad reputation?

    Two

    In the human body, what is produced from the sudoriferous (or sudoriparous) glands?

    Three

    According to the World Wide Fund for Nature, 70% of a species of big cat live in Amazonia. This cat’s binomial name fits into today’s theme: what is that binomial name and what is its normal English name?

    Four

    Erle Stanley Gardner wrote more than 80 novels based on what character?

    Five

    Who was ‘the Gardener’s Daughter’ on Elvis Presley’s album Frankie and Johnny?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • The Prancing Pony — Answers

    The Prancing Pony, Bree.
    Image LOTR Fandom

    Five random questions today, neither date-related nor themed.

    One

    In the novels of J.R.R. Tolkien, who are said to be the inhabitants of Bree?

    Answer: Big Folk and Hobbits.

    Bree, east of the Shire, is the only Hobbit and Man settlement in Bree-land, inspired by the English village of Brill and Tolkien’s linguistics. The Prancing Pony in Bree is where Frodo’s use of the ring brings him to the attention of Aragorn and the Black Riders. 

    Two

    What is the world’s longest snake?

    Answer: Reticulated Python.

    The reticulated python is the only snake with verified human consumption, prompting a 2015 US import ban later partially rescinded. Documented fatalities and consumption of humans are recorded from 1638 to 2026, these are mainly in Indonesia.

    Three

    What is the nearest star to our Sun? 

    Answer: Proxima Centauri.

    Proxima Centauri, discovered in 1915 by Robert Innes, is the nearest star to Earth after the Sun, located 4.25 light-years away in Centaurus. A red dwarf which will remain a main-sequence star for four trillion years. Proxima Centauri has two confirmed exoplanets: Proxima Centauri b and Proxima Centauri d.

    Four

    In Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, Wednesday is revealed to be an incarnation of what God?

    Answer: Odin.

    Neil Gaiman’s 2001 fantasy novel American Gods centres on Shadow and won Hugo and Nebula awards. A 2011 expanded edition, audio versions and a 2017 Folio Society edition followed. It was adapted for television in 2017 with Gaiman as executive producer.

    Five

    Which character from television’s Friends is also a moon of the planet Saturn? 

    Answer: Phoebe.

    Phoebe Buffay is a main character in Friends, created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman and played by Lisa Kudrow. Phoebe, Saturn’s largest irregular satellite, was discovered photographically by William Henry Pickering in 1899. Cassini’s 2004 flyby enabled detailed study. Its retrograde orbit places it in the Norse group.

  • The Prancing Pony

    The Prancing Pony, Bree.
    Image LOTR Fandom

    Five random questions today, neither date-related nor themed.

    One

    In the novels of J.R.R. Tolkien, who are said to be the inhabitants of Bree?

    Two

    What is the world’s longest snake?

    Three

    What is the nearest star to our Sun? 

    Four

    In Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, Wednesday is revealed to be an incarnation of what God?

    Five

    Which character from television’s Friends is also a moon of the planet Saturn? 

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Stand Trial — Answers

    Fossil of a coelacanth.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The first question relates to today’s date, 21 July. The remainder are neither date-related nor themed.

    One

    The ‘Scopes Monkey Trial’, which came to a conclusion on 21 July 1925 centred on whether a high school teacher had violated a state law by teaching what scientific theory?

    Answer: The theory of evolution by natural selection.

    The Scopes Trial took place in Dayton, Tennessee, after teacher John T. Scopes was accused of violating the state’s Butler Act, which prohibited teaching human evolution in public schools. Although Scopes was found guilty and fined $100 (a conviction later overturned on ##a technicality), the trial became an international symbol of the clash between modern science and religious fundamentalism. It also featured a celebrated courtroom confrontation between prosecutor William Jennings Bryan and defence attorney Clarence Darrow.

    Two

    What was the first man-made object to reach the surface of the Moon, and in what year did it do so?

    Answer: Luna 2; 1959.

    The Soviet Union’s Luna 2 launched on 12 September 1959 became the following day the first spacecraft to impact the Moon, depositing Soviet emblems and detecting no magnetic field or radiation belts. Nikita S. Khrushchev gave a replica pennant to Dwight D. Eisenhower; it is held in his Presidential Library in Abilene, Kansas.

    Three

    A fish found off East Africa in 1938 was of a species which had existed from more than 410 million years ago until it was believed to have become extinct around 66 million years ago. What is this fish?

    Answer: Coelacanth.

    Coelacanths are an ancient group of lobe-finned fish (Sarcopterygii) in the class Actinistia. As sarcopterygians, they are more closely related to lungfish and tetrapods (the terrestrial vertebrates including living amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals) than to ray-finned fish. There is only a single living genus, Latimeria, with two described species. The name coelacanth originates from the Permian genus Coelacanthus. Thought extinct 66 million years ago, Latimeria chalumnae was found in 1938, and Latimeria menadoensis in the late 1990s. Despite being called ‘living fossils’, fossil studies show diverse ancient forms, challenging this status.

    Four

    Mel Gibson’s title character fights a motorcycle gang led by Toecutter in which 1979 film?

    Answer: Mad Max.

    In a near-future Australia, oil shortages and ecocide undermine order. Nightrider kills a Main Force Patrol officer and escapes in a Pursuit Special until Max Rockatansky forces a fatal crash, killing Nightrider and his girlfriend.

    Five

    What is the northernmost geographic location in the United States?

    Answer: Point Barrow.

    Point Barrow, or Nuvuk, is Alaska and the U.S.’S northernmost point. It is at 71°23′20″N 156°28′45″W and is 9 miles northeast of Utqiagvik and 1,122 nautical miles south of the North Pole. It separates the Chukchi and Beaufort seas.