Quizology.Online

Tag: food and drink

  • The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread — Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

    Fresh brown loaf sliced to uniform thickness by a bread slicing machine.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    All of today’s questions relate to the date, 7 July.

    One

    On this day, bread loaves that had been pre-sliced by a machine designed by jeweller Otto Rohwedder were sold for the first time. In what decade and on what continent did this occur?

    Answer: 1920s; North America.

    Otto Frederick Rohwedder invented the first bread-slicing machine, with a working model in 1928. The Chillicothe Baking Company, Chillicothe, Missouri, U.S., sold the first sliced bread on 7 July 1928. Gustav Papendick improved slicing by using cardboard trays, and W.E. Long promoted packaging. Wonder Bread marketed sliced bread nationwide in 1930. The first slicing and wrapping machine in the UK was installed at Wonderloaf Bakery, Tottenham, London, in 1937. By the 1950s, approximately 80% of bread sold in Britain was pre-sliced, reflecting a significant shift in bread consumption habits and bakery practices during that era.

    Two

    The archipelago in which the six-month-long World War II Battle of Guadalcanal took place gained independence in 1978. By what name is this island country known today, and what country did it gain independence from?

    Answer: Solomon Islands; Great Britain.

    The Solomon Islands, an archipelagic country in Melanesia, consists of six major islands and over 1,000 smaller islands. Settled since at least 30,000 BC, it became a British protectorate in 1893 and gained independence in 1978, becoming a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II as queen, succeeded by King Charles III in 2022.

    Three

    Also in 1978, Martina Navratilova won the first of her Wimbledon singles titles. Who was the defeated semi-finalist in that match, and how many singles titles did Navratilova win at Wimbledon in total?

    Answer: Chris Evert; nine.

    Martina Navratilova, a Czech-American former tennis player, dominated women’s tennis in the 1980s. She holds numerous records, including 18 singles majors, 31 women’s doubles majors, and 10 mixed doubles majors. Navratilova, who became a US citizen in 1981 and later reacquired Czech citizenship, is also known for her activism on gay rights.

    Four

    The final film adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter book series premiered in London. What was the film’s title, and in what year was this?

    Answer: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2; 2011.

    The Harry Potter series, written by J.K. Rowling, follows the life of a young wizard and his friends at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The series explores themes of prejudice, corruption, love, and death, and has sold over 600 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling book series in history. The franchise has expanded to include films, a play, a television series, and various other derivative works.

    Five

    On this day in 1937, an incident occurred at the Marco Polo Bridge between troops of two armies. This became the first incident in a war that lasted eight years. In what country is the Marco Polo Bridge? The belligerents in this war were a republic and an empire. Who were they?

    Answer: China; Republic of China and the Empire of Japan.

    The Marco Polo Bridge, officially the Lugou Bridge, located southwest of Beijing, is famous for its praise by Marco Polo and the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, which sparked the Second Sino-Japanese War. This war, referred to in China as the War of Resistance Against Japan, was a conflict between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan, along with its puppet states, from 1937 to 1945. This war followed a localised conflict in Manchuria that began in 1931. It is frequently considered the start of World War II in Asia, as the two wars became closely linked after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. It stands as the largest Asian war of the 20th century.

    The best thing since sliced bread

    the best thing since sliced bread (also the greatest thing since sliced bread) informal used to emphasize one’s enthusiasm about a new idea, person, or thing: they think that she is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
    — Oxford English Dictionary 

  • The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

    Fresh brown loaf sliced to uniform thickness by a bread slicing machine.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    All of today’s questions relate to the date, 7 July.

    One

    On this day, bread loaves that had been pre-sliced by a machine designed by jeweller Otto Rohwedder were sold for the first time. In what decade and on what continent did this occur?

    Two

    The archipelago in which the six-month-long World War II Battle of Guadalcanal took place gained independence in 1978. By what name is this island country known today, and what country did it gain independence from?

    Three

    Also in 1978, Martina Navratilova won the first of her Wimbledon singles titles. Who was the defeated semi-finalist in that match, and how many singles titles did Navratilova win at Wimbledon in total?

    Four

    The final film adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter book series premiered in London. What was the film’s title, and in what year was this?

    Five

    On this day in 1937, an incident occurred at the Marco Polo Bridge between troops of two armies. This became the first incident in a war that lasted eight years. In what country is the Marco Polo Bridge? The belligerents in this war were a republic and an empire. Who were they?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Operation Little Vittles — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    Berlin Airlift Monument.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s questions are a mixed bag with no connection to the date.

    One

    What does the Oxford English Dictionary define as ‘a German dish of chopped pickled cabbage’?

    Answer: Sauerkraut.

    Sauerkraut, made by fermenting finely cut raw white cabbage with lactic acid bacteria, has a sour flavour and a long shelf life. This ancient fermentation process preserves cabbage by converting sugars into lactic acid. Roman writers Cato, Columella, and Plinius the Elder mentioned cabbage preservation, with evidence of sauerkraut in Europe during the early Western Roman Empire. Essential for winter nutrients in Northern, Central, and Eastern Europe, it was also used by Captain James Cook to prevent scurvy.

    Two

    What is a shark’s skeleton primarily composed of?

    Answer: Cartilage.

    Shark skeletons are made of cartilage, making them lighter and more flexible than bony fish and terrestrial vertebrate skeletons.

    Three

    What 2002 film was a remake of a 1960 Rat pack film?

    Answer: Ocean’s Eleven.

    Ocean’s Eleven was a remake of Ocean’s 11. During the 1960s, the Rat Pack included legends like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford.

    Four

    What is the capital city of the State of Florida?

    Answer: Tallahassee.

    Tallahassee, Florida’s capital since 1824, had 205,089 residents in 2024, ranking eighth in the state. Home to Florida State University and Florida A&M University, it hosts the Florida State Capitol. Indigenous peoples lived there for millennia. During the First Seminole War, future president General Andrew Jackson attacked the Seminoles near Tallahassee.

    Five

    The Berlin Airlift Monument pictured at top is located at which German airport?

    Answer: Tempelhof.

    The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was a Cold War crisis where the Soviet Union blocked Western access to West Berlin. The Berlin Airlift supplied the city, with over 250,000 flights delivering 2,334,374 tons of supplies. The blockade ended, highlighting ideological tensions and aligning West Berlin with the US and Britain. The Berlin Airlift Monument displays the names of the 39 British and 31 American airmen who lost their lives during the operation.

    Operation Little Vittles

    The post title Operation Little Vittles refers to an operation which came about when aircrew in the airlift started dropping sweets to German children as they made their landing approach over Berlin.

  • Operation Little Vittles

    Berlin Airlift Monument.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Today’s questions are a mixed bag with no connection to the date.

    One

    What does the Oxford English Dictionary define as ‘a German dish of chopped pickled cabbage’?

    Two

    What is a shark’s skeleton primarily composed of?

    Three

    What 2002 film was a remake of a 1960 Rat pack film?

    Four

    What is the capital city of the State of Florida?

    Five

    The Berlin Airlift Monument pictured at top is located at which German airport?

    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.

  • Before They Invented Drawing Boards What Did They Go Back To? — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    See question three. Horse-drawn plough.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Continuing the recent trend, today’s first question is connected to today’s date, 9 June. The remainder of the questions are not date-related but follow on a theme begun in question one.

    One

    In 1781, an English engineer who Encyclopædia Britannica describes as ‘the principal inventor of the railroad locomotive’ was born. Who is he, and which of his locomotives inaugurated public rail travel in September 1828?

    Answer: George Stephenson; Active (aka Locomotion).

    George Stephenson, born on 9 June 1781, in Wylam, Northumberland, England, revolutionised transportation with his locomotive innovations. After building the Blucher and introducing the ‘steam blast’, he gained fame with a mine-safety lamp. In 1825, his Active (renamed Locomotion) locomotive inaugurated public rail travel. He constructed the Liverpool-Manchester line, overcoming opposition, and his Rocket won a 1829 competition. Stephenson’s work spurred global railroad expansion, and he continued as a leading figure in transportation engineering until his death on 12 August 1848.

    Two

    Tea bags were reportedly invented by accident. Modern tea bags are made from paper but what material were the early ones made from?

    Answer: Silk.

    Tea bags were popularised in the early 20th century, reportedly by accident. Around 1908, American tea merchant Thomas Sullivan sent tea samples in small silk bags. Some customers are said to have brewed the tea directly in the bags, mistaking them for a replacement for traditional metal infusers, leading to the development of the modern tea bag. As stated, early tea bags were made of silk; paper tea bags did not become common until later, when manufacturers developed cheaper and more practical filter-paper versions.

    Three

    (Note, in this question, the word ‘houghing’ is an obsolete form of ‘hoeing’ as done with a horse-drawn hoe (hough)).

    What name links the book The New Horse Houghing Husbandry: Or an Essay on the Principles of Tillage and Vegetation, which was published in 1731, with the 1978 album Heavy Horses?

    Answer: Jethro Tull.

    Jethro Tull (1674–1741) was an influential English agronomist and inventor whose innovations shaped modern British agriculture. Initially trained for law, Tull managed his father’s farm in Oxfordshire, where he developed a horse-drawn seed drill around 1701. In 1709, he purchased a farm in Berkshire, adopting vineyard cultivation methods and inventing a horse-drawn hoe. His work, published in The New Horse Houghing Husbandry: Or an Essay on the Principles of Tillage and Vegetation (1731), faced initial criticism but eventually revolutionised farming practices. The eleventh studio album by the band Jethro Tull, Heavy Horses, was released in 1978. It is a folk rock album dedicated to British working ponies and horses. It continues the band’s combination of folk and progressive rock with a darker sound.

    Four

    Adolphe Sax, best known for inventing the saxophone, was born in which present-day country, and in what decade did he patent the saxophone?

    Answer: Belgium; 1840s.

    Adolphe Sax, born in 1814 in Dinant, Belgium, was a Belgian-French instrument maker and inventor of the saxophone, which he patented in 1846. He also developed the saxhorn, saxo-tromba, and saxtuba, and redesigned the bass clarinet. Sax studied flute and clarinet before moving to Paris in 1842 to exhibit his saxophone. Appointed instructor at the Paris Conservatory in 1857, he faced legal battles over patents and died in poverty in 1894. Sax’s innovations significantly impacted the world of music.

    Five

    What are the ‘Four Great Inventions’ traditionally attributed to ancient China? 

    Answer: Papermaking, printing, the compass, and gunpowder.

    These four inventions profoundly influenced world history. Papermaking and printing revolutionised the spread of knowledge, the compass transformed navigation and exploration, and gunpowder changed warfare. The concept of the ‘Four Great Inventions’ became especially popular in the nineteenth century as a way of highlighting China’s major contributions to global civilisation.

    Before They Invented Drawing Boards What Did They Go Back To?

    The post title was a quote from the American stand-up comedian, George Carlin (1937-2008).

  • Before They Invented Drawing Boards What Did They Go Back To?

    See question three. Horse-drawn plough.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Continuing the recent trend, today’s first question is connected to today’s date, 9 June. The remainder of the questions are not date-related but follow on a theme begun in question one.

    One

    In 1781, an English engineer who Encyclopædia Britannica describes as ‘the principal inventor of the railroad locomotive’ was born. Who is he, and which of his locomotives inaugurated public rail travel in September 1828?

    Two

    Tea bags were reportedly invented by accident. Modern tea bags are made from paper but what material were the early ones made from?

    Three

    (Note, in this question, the word ‘houghing’ is an obsolete form of ‘hoeing’ as done with a horse-drawn hoe (hough)).

    What name links the book The New Horse Houghing Husbandry: Or an Essay on the Principles of Tillage and Vegetation, which was published in 1731, with the 1978 album Heavy Horses?

    Four

    Adolphe Sax, best known for inventing the saxophone, was born in which present-day country, and in what decade did he patent the saxophone?

    Five

    What are the ‘Four Great Inventions’ traditionally attributed to ancient China? 

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • S is for… — Answers

    Today’s answers are shown below.

    Kurt Vonnegut, 1965.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The first question relates to today’s date, April 11th, and the answer begins with the letter ‘S’. The remaining questions are not date-related but follow the ‘S’ theme.

    One

    Kurt Vonnegut, who passed away at the age of 84 on this day in 2007, published a novel in 1969. It follows the life and psychological traumas of Billy Pilgrim. What ‘S’ is the title of this novel?

    Answer: Slaughterhouse-Five.

    Slaughterhouse-Five is a 1969 anti-war novel by Kurt Vonnegut. It follows Billy Pilgrim, a soldier who experiences time travel and psychological trauma after surviving the Allied firebombing of Dresden whilst he was being held as a prisoner of war, like Vonnegut himself.

    Two

    What ‘S’ is an acoustic sensing method first used by Leonardo da Vinci in the 15th century but more associated with the Cold War?

    Answer: Sonar.

    Sonar, a technique using sound propagation, is employed for navigation, distance measurement, communication, and object detection underwater. It can operate passively by listening for sounds or actively by emitting sound pulses and listening for echoes. Initially used by Leonardo da Vinci in 1490, who employed a tube inserted into the water to detect vessels by ear, sonar was further developed during WWI with a passive sonar system to counter submarines developed by 1918. Modern active sonar utilises acoustic transducers to detect objects.

    Three

    What ’S’ can this description apply to?

    • A republic with two heads of state
    • Official language: Italian
    • Currency: Euro

    Answer: San Marino.

    San Marino, a landlocked country in Southern Europe. It claims to be the oldest sovereign state and constitutional republic, being founded in AD 301. It has a unique political structure with two heads of state, the Captains Regent, elected every six months. San Marino is a member of the Council of Europe, uses the euro, and has a strong economy based on finance, industry, services, retail and tourism.

    Four

    What ‘S’ was the traditional garment worn by Roman women and the equivalent of the toga worn by men?

    Answer: Stola.

    The stola was the traditional garment of Roman women, akin to the men’s toga, and was also referred to as vestis longa due to its length. A well-known depiction of the stola is on the Statue of Liberty in New York City, which represents Libertas, the Roman goddess of liberty. Libertas, known to the ancient Greeks as Eleutheria, is portrayed wearing the stola, a crown, and sandals.

    Five

    What ‘S’ connects the Moby-Dick to coffee (at least to 88.889%)?

    Answer: Starbuck(s).

    Starbuck, the young chief mate, is a thoughtful Quaker who opposes Ahab’s quest for revenge against Moby Dick, believing it to be madness and blasphemous. Despite his objections and desire to return home, he feels bound to obey Ahab.

    Moby-Dick didn’t have anything to do with Starbucks directly; it was only coincidental that the sound seemed to make sense.

    — Gordon Bowker, co-founder of Starbucks

  • S is for…

    Kurt Vonnegut, 1965.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The first question relates to today’s date, April 11th, and the answer begins with the letter ‘S’. The remaining questions are not date-related but follow the ‘S’ theme.

    One

    Kurt Vonnegut, who passed away at the age of 84 on this day in 2007, published a novel in 1969 which follows the life and psychological traumas of Billy Pilgrim. What is the title of this novel?

    Two

    What ‘S’ is an acoustic sensing method first used by Leonardo da Vinci in the 15th century but more associated with the Cold War?

    Three

    What ’S’ can this description apply to?

    • A republic with two heads of state
    • Official language: Italian
    • Currency: Euro

    Four

    What ‘S’ was the traditional garment worn by Roman women and the equivalent of the toga worn by men?

    Five

    What ‘S’ connects the Moby-Dick to coffee (at least to 88.889%)?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.