Continuing the alphabetical theme with today’s questions having answers beginning with the letters from P to T, with each letter being used only once. Please note they are not in alphabetical order. If a question has more than one part it is only the first that conforms to the theme.
In Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, by what twelve-letter word does Éowyn, a noblewoman of Rohan, describe herself?
Two
What three words completes this sentence from Encyclopædia Britannica: ’At the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, around June 21, the Sun attains its greatest declination north and is directly over the …’
At what latitude does the above answer lie?
Three
Which fairy tale features a miller, his daughter, a king and the transformation of straw into gold?
Four
In 2022, the sport formerly known as muggle quidditch changed its name to what?
Five questions with the answers beginning with the letters from A to E, with each letter being used only once, but they are not in alphabetical order.
See question two. Death in the Afternoon. Image A Couple Cooks
One
Who wrote, produced, and directed Moulin Rouge (2001) and Australia (2008)?
Answers: Baz Luhrman.
Baz Luhrmann is an Australian film director, producer, writer, and actor known for his Red Curtain Trilogy and other films like Australia, The Great Gatsby, and Elvis. He is also involved in opera, theatre, music, and the recording industries, with Grammy-nominated soundtracks and his own record label.
Two
An absinthe-Champagne cocktail was invented by an author and shares its name with his 1932 non-fiction book about a sport in a southern European nation. Who is the author, and what is the book and cocktail’s shared name?
Answers: Ernest Hemingway; Death in the Afternoon.
Death in the Afternoon, a 1932 non-fiction book by Ernest Hemingway, explores Spanish bullfighting, fear, and courage. Its namesake, a cocktail invented by Hemingway, is made with absinthe and Champagne. The drink, known for its decadence and high strength, can be made with absinthe alternatives like Absente or Pernod.
Three
Which chemical element derives its name from the Latin for ‘coal’?
Answer: Carbon.
Carbon, symbol C and atomic number 6, a non-metal which has two main forms, diamond and graphite, and which also occurs in impure form in charcoal, soot and coal. It is the 15th most abundant element in Earth’s crust and the fourth most abundant in the universe.
Four
Which small dog breed, which is not a terrier, is sometimes known as the monkey terrier?
Answer: Affenpinscher.
The Affenpinscher, a German toy dog breed, originated as a ratter and is now a popular companion worldwide. The breed, whose name is sometimes translated from German as ‘Monkey Terrier’, is believed to be ancestral to the Griffon Bruxellois and Miniature Schnauzer.
Five
The Malawian city of Blantyre was named after the Scottish birthplace of which missionary and explorer (1813-73)?
Answer: David Livingstone
Blantyre, Malawi’s second-largest city and commercial centre, was founded in 1876 by the Church of Scotland. It grew rapidly due to its role in colonial trade and became a major manufacturing centre. The city’s development was influenced by various factors, including commerce, industry, and administration, and it was merged with Limbe in 1956.
Five questions with the answers beginning with the letters from A to E, with each letter being used only once, but they are not in alphabetical order.
See question two. Image A Couple Cooks
One
Who wrote, produced, and directed Moulin Rouge (2001) and Australia (2008)?
Two
An absinthe-Champagne cocktail was invented by an author and shares its name with his 1932 non-fiction book about a sport in a southern European nation. Who is the author, and what is the book and cocktail’s shared name?
Three
Which chemical element derives its name from the Latin for ‘coal’?
Four
Which small dog breed, which is not a terrier, is sometimes known as the monkey terrier?
Five
The Malawian city of Blantyre was named after the Scottish birthplace of which missionary and explorer (1813-73)?
Chico, born Leonard Joseph Marx in 1887, was the eldest. Harpo, born Adolph Marx in 1888, followed. Groucho, born Julius Henry Marx in 1890, then came Gummo, born Milton Marx in 1893. Finally, Zeppo, born Herbert Manfred Marx in 1901, was the youngest and last of the five Marx brothers. The picture shows them in age order but missing Gummo. From top: Chico, Harpo, Groucho and Zeppo.
Two
The African polecat is also known as a …
Zimbal
Zorilla
Zugerro
Answer: 3. Zorilla.
The striped polecat, native to sub-Saharan Africa, is a nocturnal, mostly carnivorous mammal with distinctive black and white fur. It uses its long claws to dig for prey and its spray to deter predators. While mostly solitary, females tolerate males during breeding season, and the species is not considered threatened.
Three
What movement which flourished in the early twentieth century was also referred to as Style Moderne?
Art Deco
Naturalism
Realism
Answer: 1. Art Deco.
Art Deco, a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, emerged in Paris in the 1910s and flourished internationally during the 1920s and 1930s. Influenced by various artistic movements and cultures, it represented luxury and progress, utilising both rare and new materials. While its popularity waned after World War II, Art Deco remains a significant architectural and design style.
Four
At what age did Alexander the Great die?
32 years old
41 years old
49 years old
Answer: 1. 32 years old.
Alexander the Great, king of Macedon (20/21 July 356 BCE – 10/11 June 323 BCE), created one of the largest empires in history through a decade-long military campaign. He conquered the Persian Empire, invaded India, and founded numerous cities, spreading Greek culture and initiating the Hellenistic period. His legacy includes cultural diffusion, military tactics, and legendary status in both Greek and non-Greek cultures.
Five
Florida
Louisiana
Texas
Answer: 3. Texas.
The latitude of the three cities listed are as follows with the southernmost first…
Austin, Texas (30.2672° N)
Tallahassee, Florida (30.4383° N)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana (30.4571° N)
Why a Duck? — Post Title
Why a Duck? is a well-known comedy routine from the Marx Brothers’ movie The Cocoanuts (1929). The scene, features Groucho mentioning an ‘viaduct’ and Chico asking ‘Why a duck?’. This turns into a prolonged routine which is a favourite among fans and has been analysed in Richard Anobile’s book of the same name. The script for the scene is on the Marx Brothers website here.
What is the alcoholic drink that is made from the fermented juice of pears?
Answer: Perry.
noun (plural perries) [mass noun] an alcoholic drink made from the fermented juice of pears. origin Middle English: from Old French pere, from an alteration of Latin pirum ‘pear’. — Oxford English Dictionary
Two
Which Avril Lavigne album cover features her with a red ‘X’ on her sleeve?
Answer: Under My Skin.
Avril Lavigne’s second studio album, Under My Skin, was released in 2004 and debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart and US Billboard 200. The album, produced by Raine Maida, Don Gilmore and Butch Walker, received mixed to positive reviews and is considered a classic that defined pop-punk in the early 2000s.
Three
—— was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, ‘and what is the use of a book’, thought —— ‘without pictures or conversation?’
What name is missing twice from, and what book opens with, the above quote?
Answers: Alice; Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a children’s novel by Lewis Carroll, follows a girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world. The novel, known for its literary nonsense genre, has had a lasting influence on popular culture and literature.
Four
List all the countries and their capital cities where that city stands on the River Danube.
Answers: Vienna, Austria; Bratislava, Slovakia; Budapest, Hungary and Belgrade, Serbia.
The Danube, Europe’s second-longest river, flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, connecting ten countries and serving as a vital trade route. Flowing from the Black Forest to the Black Sea, it is navigable for 2,415 km and supports various fish species, including carp and sturgeon.
Five
How many playing squares does a Scrabble board have?
Answer: 225.
Alfred Mosher Butts invented Scrabble in 1931. It is a word game played on a 15×15 grid of 225 squares. It is produced by Hasbro in the US and Canada—Mattel elsewhere—with 150 million sets sold worldwide.
What is the alcoholic drink that is made from the fermented juice of pears?
Two
Which Avril Lavigne album cover features her with a red ‘X’ on her sleeve?
Three
—— was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, ‘and what is the use of a book’, thought —— ‘without pictures or conversation?’
What name is missing twice from, and what book opens with, the above quote?
Four
List all the countries and their capital cities where that city stands on the River Danube.
Five
How many playing squares does a Scrabble board have?
A diploid cell resulting from the fusion of two haploid gametes; a fertilized ovum.
— Oxford English Dictionary
Two
What is northernmost of New York City’s five boroughs?
Brooklyn
Queens
The Bronx
Answer: The Bronx.
The Bronx, the northernmost borough of New York City, is coextensive with Bronx County. It is bordered by Westchester County to the north, Manhattan to the south and west, and Queens to the south and east. The Bronx is known for its diverse population, historic landmarks like Yankee Stadium, and significant open spaces including the Bronx Zoo and Pelham Bay Park.
Three
Which of these is found on the human body?
Anthracite rim
Vermillion border
Zinfandel margin
Answer: Vermillion border.
The transition from the colour of your lips to the colour of your normal skin is called the vermilion border and humans are the only creatures on Earth that have it.
Four
WhIch vessel achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first crewed vessel to reach the bottom of Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench – the deepest point on Earth’s seabed?
Trieste
Deepsea Challenger
Limiting Factor
Answer: Trieste
In January 1960, the Trieste, piloted by Jacques Piccard and USN Lieutenant Don Walsh, descended to the ocean floor in the Challenger Deep, reaching a depth of 10,911 metres. The descent took almost five hours, and they spent twenty minutes on the ocean floor before ascending due to a crack in the outer window.
Five
Which of these is a fairy creature from Celtic myth?
Children of the Watch
Cat-sith
Crow jedi
Answer: Cat-sith
The cat-sìth, a fairy creature from Celtic mythology, resembles a large black cat with a white spot on its chest. It is said to haunt the Scottish Highlands and may have been inspired by the Scottish wildcat or Kellas cats.
What is northernmost of New York City’s five boroughs?
Brooklyn
Queens
The Bronx
Three
Which of these is found on the human body?
Anthracite rim
Vermillion border
Zinfandel margin
Four
WhIch vessel achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first crewed vessel to reach the bottom of Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench – the deepest point on Earth’s seabed?
Trieste
Deepsea Challenger
Limiting Factor
Five
Which of these is a fairy creature from Celtic myth?
