Quizology.Online

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

— Bertrand Russell

Tag: film

  • Sausages II — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    See question four. Heart of Gold.
    Image © Touchstone Pictures IMDb (cropped)

    Today’s question continue the sausages theme with more links for you to digest.

    One

    Two events in a sport link Prestwick, Scotland, in 1860 with Newport, Rhode Island, in 1895. What sport, and what notable events?

    Answer: Golf; the inaugural Open Championship and the inaugural U.S. Open.

    The Open Championship, founded in Scotland at Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Ayrshire, in 1860, where it was originally played annually on its links course, is the oldest and one of the most prestigious golf tournaments. It is organised by the R&A. The U.S. Open, first played at the Newport Country Club in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1895, was initially dominated by British players until John J. McDermott became the first American winner in 1911. It is organised by the USGA. 

    Two

    The Hudson Strait links what bay to what sea?

    Answer: Hudson Bay to Labrador Sea.

    The Hudson Strait is a 750-kilometre-long waterway linking Hudson Bay with the Atlantic Ocean and Labrador Sea, separating Baffin Island from northern Quebec. First entered by Europeans in 1578 by Sir Martin Frobisher, it was later explored and named after Henry Hudson. The strait remains an important maritime route connecting central Canadian ports to the Atlantic, though Arctic ice limits its use as a Northwest Passage route.

    Three

    According to Wikipedia what character in a long-running film series ‘has been portrayed by Jack Lord, Cec Linder, Rik Van Nutter, Norman Burton, David Hedison, John Terry, and Jeffrey Wright’?

    Answer: Felix Leiter.

    Felix Leiter, James Bond’s CIA ally, is introduced in Casino Royale as a former U.S. Marine and NATO intelligence officer. He is described as a cool, no-nonsense character who understands Bond’s strengths and weaknesses.

    Four

    What three words link a Neil Young song from 1972 with a fictional spacecraft?

    Answer: Heart of Gold.

    Heart of Gold was a 1972 single from Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young taken from his fourth album Harvest. Heart of Gold was also the name of a spaceship in Douglas Adams’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

    Five

    What British TV quiz programme, first broadcast on 9 and 10 September 2001, links these real-life people: Charles and Diana Ingram and Tecwen Whittock?

    Answer: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.

    Charles Ingram, a contestant on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, raised suspicions during his run on the show. Despite using two lifelines early on, he progressed to the £1 million question, which he answered correctly, leading to further scrutiny from the production team. 

    Sausages II

    As explained yesterday, sausages in a chain are links, and today’s questions are all about links.

  • Sausages II

    See question four. Heart of Gold.
    Image © Touchstone Pictures IMDb (cropped)

    Today’s question continue the sausages theme with more links for you to digest.

    One

    Two events in a sport link Prestwick, Scotland, in 1860 with Newport, Rhode Island, in 1895. What sport, and what notable events?

    Two

    The Hudson Strait links what bay to what sea?

    Three

    According to Wikipedia what character in a long-running film series ‘has been portrayed by Jack Lord, Cec Linder, Rik Van Nutter, Norman Burton, David Hedison, John Terry, and Jeffrey Wright’?

    Four

    What three words link a Neil Young song from 1972 with a fictional spacecraft?

    Five

    What British TV quiz programme, first broadcast on 9 and 10 September 2001, links these real-life people: Charles and Diana Ingram and Tecwen Whittock?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Sausages — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    Sausages, The Covered Market, Oxford, U.K.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    There is a simple theme running through today’s questions, which I’m sure you will work out very quickly.

    One

    What five-letter word means sausages and an area of, for example, St. Andrew’s, Scotland?

    Answer: Links.

    Sausages in a chain are links, as is a seaside golf course on ‘linksland’. The Oxford English Dictionary definition of the golf variety is shown below.

    links /lɪŋks /
    ▸ plural noun [treated as singular or plural] (also golf links) a golf course, especially one on grass-covered sandy ground near the sea: a couple of days’ golf on a sunny Spanish links. ▪ another term for linksland

    – ORIGIN Old English  hlinc ‘rising ground’, perhaps related to lean1.

    — Oxford English Dictionary

    Two

    What eight-letter word relates to all of these: Joe Gilmore, a barman at the Savoy Hotel, London in 1969; Apollo 11, 1969; Mr Bean, 1969; Michael Jackson, 1983?

    Answer: Moonwalk.

    Joe Gilmore created the Moonwalk cocktail to celebrate Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s landing on the Moon in Apollo 11 and their moonwalks. Mr. Bean was Apollo 12’s Alan Bean who, along with his colleague Pete Conrad, also walked on the Moon a few months later. Michael Jackson’s famous Moonwalk was first publicly performed in 1983.

    Three

    What connects Fort Providence to the Beaufort Sea?

    Answer: Mackenzie River.

    The Mackenzie River, in Canada’s Northwest Territories, is, with the Slave, Peace and Finlay Rivers, the longest river system in Canada, with the second-largest drainage basin of any North American river after the Mississippi. The Mackenzie’s main stem flows 1,738 km (1,079 miles) from Great Slave Lake at Fort Providence to the Arctic Ocean at the Beaufort Sea, in the Inuvik Region. Historically significant, it supports limited economic development, including oil, minerals, and agriculture.

    Four

    Dr. John Watson; Bilbo Baggins; Lester Nygaard; Chris Carson. Who is the connection?

    Answer: Martin Freeman.

    English actor Martin Freeman has won two Emmy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He portrayed Dr. John Watson in Sherlock (2010–2017); a young Bilbo Baggins in the The Hobbit film trilogy (2012–2014); Lester Nygaard in Fargo (2014), and Chris Carson in The Responder (from 2022).

    Five

    What one title is shared by these: a 1956 film about Vincent van Gogh; an Iggy Pop album from 1977; a 2017 Lana Del Rey album?

    Answer: Lust for Life.

    Lust for Life is a 1956 biographical film about Vincent van Gogh, directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Kirk Douglas. Lust for Life was also the title of Iggy Pop’s second solo album, released in 1977. Finally, Lust for Life is Lana Del Rey’s fifth studio album, released in 2017.

    Sausages

    As explained in the first answer sausages in a chain are links and today’s questions are all about links.

  • Sausages

    Sausages, The Covered Market, Oxford, U.K.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    There is a simple theme running through today’s questions, which I’m sure you will work out very quickly.

    One

    What five-letter word means sausages and an area of, for example, St. Andrew’s, Scotland?

    Two

    What eight-letter word relates to all of these: Joe Gilmore, a barman at the Savoy Hotel, London in 1969; Apollo 11, 1969; Mr Bean, 1969; Michael Jackson, 1983?

    Three

    What connects Fort Providence to the Beaufort Sea?

    Four

    Dr. John Watson; Bilbo Baggins; Lester Nygaard; Chris Carson. Who is the connection?

    Five

    What one title is shared by these: a 1956 film about Vincent van Gogh; an Iggy Pop album from 1977; a 2017 Lana Del Rey album?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Art for Art’s Sake — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    Waterfall © MC Escher 1961.
    Image MyArtBroker.com

    These questions are all about people from the creative arts who were born on today’s date, 17 June.

    One

    Which Dutch artist, born 1898, created the lithograph Waterfall shown above? 

    Answer: M.C. Escher.

    Waterfall is a stunning visual representation of the concept of perpetual motion, depicting a never-ending cascade of water that flows uphill and back into itself. The piece combines elements of mathematics, physics, and art to create a seamless illusion of movement and transformation, inviting the viewer to contemplate the nature of change and the eternal cycle of life.
    — MyArtBroker.com

    Two

    Born in 1882, this composer was commissioned to write three ballets for the Ballets Russes’ Paris seasons: The Firebird (1910), Petrushka (1911), and The Rite of Spring (1913). Who is the composer?

    Answer: Igor Stravinsky.

    Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) was a Russian composer with French and American citizenship, pivotal in modernist music. His career spanned three periods: Russian, neoclassical, and serial. Known for ballets like The Rite of Spring, he influenced composers like Copland and Glass. Stravinsky died in New York City, leaving six memoirs.

    Three

    Barry Manilow, who was born in 1943, won the Grammy for Song of the Year in 1977 for a Bruce Johnston-written song. What song did Manilow ironically sing to win this award?

    Answer: I Write the Songs.

    Barry Manilow won a Grammy in 1977 for I Write the Songs — which, ironically, he did not write — written by Bruce Johnston. Manilow has produced, arranged, and performed for musicals, films, and commercials, including for McDonald’s and Pepsi. Nominated for 15 Grammy Awards, winning once, he has produced Grammy-nominated albums for Bette Midler and others. As a solo artist, he has sold over 85 million records globally.

    Four

    This English filmmaker, born 1936, received the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for both The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006) and I, Daniel Blake (2016). He is also known for Cathy Come Home (1966) and Kes (1969). Who is this filmmaker?

    Answer: Ken Loach.

    Ken Loach is a British director known for his social realism films. Initially studying law at Oxford, he transitioned to acting and directing, notably for the BBC. His 1966 docudrama Cathy Come Home highlighted homelessness. Loach’s acclaimed films include Kes, Hidden Agenda (1990), The Wind That Shakes the Barley and I, Daniel Blake, the latter two winning the Palme d’Or. He also directed documentaries like The Spirit of ’45 (2013) and received the Praemium Imperiale in 2003.

    Five

    Born in California in 1987, this American rapper and songwriter received the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, and has, at the time of writing, won 27 Grammys. Who is this musician?

    Answer: Kendrick Lamar.

    Kendrick Lamar, born in 1987, is a renowned American rapper known for his introspective lyrics and social commentary. He signed with TDE in 2005, achieving fame with albums like Good Kid, M.A.A.D City and To Pimp a Butterfly. Lamar has won 27 Grammys, headlined the Super Bowl, and co-founded PGLang.

  • Art for Art’s Sake

    Waterfall, 1961.
    Image MyArtBroker.com

    These questions are all about people from the creative arts who were born on today’s date, 17 June.

    One

    Which Dutch artist, born 1898, created the lithograph Waterfall shown above? 

    Two

    Born in 1882, this composer was commissioned to write three ballets for the Ballets Russes’ Paris seasons: The Firebird (1910), Petrushka (1911), and The Rite of Spring (1913). Who is the composer?

    Three

    Barry Manilow, who was born in 1943, won the Grammy for Song of the Year in 1977 for a Bruce Johnston-written song. What song did Manilow ironically sing to win this award?

    Four

    This English filmmaker, born 1936, received the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for both The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006) and I, Daniel Blake (2016). He is also known for Cathy Come Home (1966) and Kes (1969). Who is this filmmaker?

    Five

    Born in California in 1987, this American rapper and songwriter received the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, and has, at the time of writing, won 27 Grammys. Who is this musician?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Voyage of Discovery — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    See question five. Camellia sinensis.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s questions are not date related but follow a sequence which may become obvious as you venture through it.

    One

    What Canadian Province has borders with the US states of Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont?

    Answer: Quebec.

    Quebec, Canada’s largest province by area, is the only Francophone-majority province. It has a rich history, having been a French colony, then a British colony, before becoming part of Canada in 1867. Quebec’s economy is diverse, with key industries including aeronautics, hydroelectricity, and mining, and it is renowned for its distinct culture and contributions to Canadian society.

    Two

    In the film Some Like It Hot (1959) the band’s singer Sugar Kane also played what stringed instrument?

    Answer: Ukulele.

    Some Like It Hot is a 1959 American crime comedy film directed by Billy Wilder, starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. The film, set in the Prohibition era, follows two musicians (Curtis and Lemmon) who disguise themselves as women to escape mobsters.

    Three

    What was the title of the 1983 Paul McCartney/Stevie Wonder duet?

    Answer: Ebony and Ivory.

    Ebony and Ivory is a 1982 duet by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder, promoting racial harmony. The song topped charts in the UK and US, but was banned in South Africa during apartheid after wonder dedicated his Academy Award to Nelson Mandela.

    Four

    What letter of the Greek alphabet is used to indicate a mathematical function for ‘the sum of’?

    Answer: Sigma.

    Sigma is the eighteenth letter of the Greek alphabet, with a value of 200 in Greek numerals. It is used as a summation operator in mathematics and is the origin of the Latin letter S.

    Five

    Camellia sinensis is the plant used to make what?

    Answer: Tea.

    Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub or small tree, is used to produce various types of tea. The name sinensis means ‘from China’ in Botanical Latin, and the genus name Camellia honours Rev. Georg Kamel.

    Voyage of Discovery

    The post title was a voyage of discovery, or a quest, and if you look at the answers, the initial letters spell out Q U E S T.

  • Voyage of Discovery

    See question five. Camellia sinensis.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s questions are not date related but follow a sequence which may become obvious as you venture through it.

    One

    What Canadian Province has borders with the US states of Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont?

    Two

    In the film Some Like It Hot (1959) the band’s singer Sugar Kane also played what stringed instrument?

    Three

    What was the title of the 1983 Paul McCartney/Stevie Wonder duet?

    Four

    What letter of the Greek alphabet is used to indicate a mathematical function for ‘the sum of’?

    Five

    Camellia sinensis is the plant used to make what?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • The Best Way to Observe Fish is to Become a Fish — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    RV Calypso.
    Image francebleu.fr

    Today’s first question is the only one connected to the date 11 June. The others continue a theme created in the first.

    One

    Born in 1910, this French author, explorer, inventor, diver, and biologist was awarded the Legion of Honour, the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, for espionage work while a member of the French resistance during World War II. Who is this?

    Answer: Jacques Cousteau.

    Jacques Cousteau (1910–1997) was a French naval officer, ocean explorer, filmmaker and co-inventor of the Aqua-Lung, which revolutionised scuba diving. A World War II resistance member and decorated naval officer, he pioneered underwater research, photography, and filmmaking. Using his research vessel Calypso (pictured), he led expeditions worldwide and helped popularise ocean exploration through books, documentaries and television. Cousteau also directed Monaco’s Oceanographic Museum, developed underwater habitats, and founded organisations dedicated to marine conservation and environmental protection.

    Two

    This actor, who links Hamlet and Ealing comedies with adaptations of John Le Carré’s novels and Star Wars, commanded a World War II landing craft during the invasions of Sicily and Elba. Who is he?

    Answer: Alec Guinness.

    Sir Alec Guinness, born Alec Guinness de Cuffe, was a renowned English actor, noted for his roles in nine of the BFI’s 100 most important British films. He won numerous awards, including an Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe, Tony, and Volpi Cup. Knighted in 1959, he starred in films like Great Expectations, Lawrence of Arabia, and was Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy. Guinness also excelled in theatre and television, notably as George Smiley in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Smiley’s People.

    Three

    This actress, who played Delilah in 1949’s Samson and Delilah, was the co-inventor of a 1941 torpedo radio guidance system which utilised pioneering spread spectrum and frequency hopping technology to prevent jamming. Who was she?

    Answer: Hedy Lamarr.

    Hedy Lamarr, an Austrian-American actress and inventor, co-invented a radio guidance system during World War II with composer George Antheil. Their invention utilised spread spectrum and frequency hopping technology to protect Allied torpedoes from Axis jamming. Lamarr received numerous awards for her contributions to spread-spectrum technology, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Pioneer Award, the BULBIE Gnass Spirit of Achievement Award, and the Viktor Kaplan Medal. Its principles are utilised for secure wireless networking, such as Bluetooth and early versions of Wi-Fi, which use variants of spread spectrum to protect data from interception and interference. She was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

    Four

    This actor, who worked in Royal Air Force Intelligence during World War II, links all of these: Count Dracula; a 1970s Bond villain; baddies in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit; a High Councillor in The Golden Compass and the voice of Death in animated versions from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. Who is he?

    Answer: Christopher Lee.

    He was renowned for his portrayal of Count Dracula in Hammer Horror films, starting with Dracula (1958). He also starred as Bond villain Francisco Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Count Dooku in the Star Warsprequel trilogy (2002–2005), and Saruman in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies (2001–2003 and 2012–2014, respectively). Lee voiced the character Death in two animated fantasy-comedy television series adaptations of the Discworld novels Soul Music and Wyrd Sisters (both 1997).

    Five

    An actor who flew US Liberator bombers over Europe during World War II had a starring role in 1939 in which he ‘went to Washington’. The following year, a ‘tale about Philadelphia’ won him a Best Actor Oscar. Who was this actor and pilot whose time in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve spanned 1941 to 1968?

    Answer: James Stewart.

    The two films referenced in the question are Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) and The Philadelphia Story (1940). James Stewart, initially rejected for being underweight, enlisted in 1941 after gaining weight. An experienced pilot, he served in the Air Corps, becoming a second lieutenant in 1942. His celebrity aided recruitment, leading to 150,000 new troops. Volunteering for combat, he flew a B-24 Liberator in Europe, earning promotions to Major in 1944 and Colonel in 1945. Stewart received the Distinguished Flying Cross, French Croix de Guerre, and Air Medal. He served in the Air Force Reserve until 1968, retiring as a brigadier general. 

    The Best Way to Observe a Fish is to Become a Fish

    The post title is a quote from Jacques Cousteau

    “The best way to observe fish is to become a fish,” wrote Jacques-Yves Cousteau in 1952. “And the best way to become a fish…is to don an underwater breathing device called the Aqua-Lung.”
    — Time magazine

  • The Best Way to Observe Fish is to Become a Fish

    Image francebleu.fr

    Today’s first question is the only one connected to the date 11 June. The others continue a theme created in the first.

    One

    Born in 1910, this French author, explorer, inventor, diver, and biologist was awarded the Legion of Honour, the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, for espionage work while a member of the French resistance during World War II. Who is this?

    Two

    This actor, who links Hamlet and Ealing comedies with adaptations of John Le Carré’s novels and Star Wars, commanded a World War II landing craft during the invasions of Sicily and Elba. Who is he?

    Three

    This actress, who played Delilah in 1949’s Samson and Delilah, was the co-inventor of a 1941 torpedo radio guidance system which utilised pioneering spread spectrum and frequency hopping technology to prevent jamming. Who was she?

    Four

    This actor, who worked in Royal Air Force Intelligence during World War II, links all of these: Count Dracula; a 1970s Bond villain; baddies in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit; a High Councillor in The Golden Compass and the voice of Death in animated versions from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. Who is he?

    Five

    An actor who flew US Liberator bombers over Europe during World War II had a starring role in 1939 in which he ‘went to Washington’. The following year, a ‘tale about Philadelphia’ won him a Best Actor Oscar. Who was this actor and pilot whose time in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve spanned 1941 to 1968?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.