Answers
Over the past nine days, 46 questions had been posed, one for each letter of the alphabet plus 20 others (There would be six one day). The 20 others appeared as duplicate letters, and these duplicates spelled out the name of the Roman Fortification which in CE 150 to 160 was the furthest boundary from the city of Rome, and the country that it was situated in. It was a three-word answer with eight letters in the first part of the name and four in the second part; the country had eight letters in its name.
BTW Fit, as used in the post title, was an archaic term meaning ‘a division of a song, ballad, or story’.
Fit I
One
To whom was R. Kelly married from 1994 to 1995?
Answer: Aaliyah.
Aaliyah Dana Haughton, an American singer and actress, reshaped R&B and pop before her death in a 2001 plane crash. Her albums reached millions of sales, including releases issued after her passing. The pilot lacked qualifications and was intoxicated.
Two
What 1968 film influenced the band Duran Duran’s choice of name?
Answer: Barbarella
Milo O’Shea played Durand Durand in Barbarella.
Three
The Chinese Exclusion Act was signed into law by the 21st president of the US in 1882 who incidentally gave his name to an elementary school in a 1995 film. Who was this president?
Answer: Chester A Arthur.
The 1995 film was the third of the Die Hard series, Die Hard with a Vengeance.
Four
In what month and year was the world’s first atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima?
Answer: August 1945.
During World War II, Hiroshima, Japan, experienced severe destruction when the United States B-29 Enola Gay released the atomic bomb Little Boy. The United States dropped the bomb in an effort to hasten the end of the war, resulting in the deaths of over 70,000 people immediately, with tens of thousands more perishing in later years from burns and radiation poisoning.
Five
What word can be defined as: the number below the line in a vulgar fraction; a divisor?
Answer: Denominator.
A simple fraction has an integer numerator above (or before) a line and an integer denominator below (or after) it; with positive integers, the numerator counts equal parts and the denominator defines the whole.
Fit II
Six
Beyoncé Knowles portrayed which singer in the 2008 film ‘Cadillac Records’?
Answer: Etta James.
Cadillac Records, a 2008 American biographical drama by Darnell Martin, depicts Leonard Chess and selected Chess Records musicians from the early 1940s to the late 1960s.
Seven
What US president was in office for 12 years and 39 days?
Answer: Franklin D Roosevelt.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd US president (1933–45), was elected four times and led through the Great Depression and World War II. He expanded federal power via the New Deal and shaped the defeat of German National Socialism and Japanese militarism.
Eight
What character sings “Memory” at the climax of the musical “Cats”?
Answer: Grizabella.
In Act I, Grizabella, once glamorous, is now an outsider seeking re-acceptance from the Jellicle Cats, who reject her. At the Jellicle Ball, she laments her weakness. In the climax, she sings “Memory,” pleading for acceptance. Encouraged by Jemima and Victoria, she ascends to the Heaviside Layer (Heaven).
Nine
Of what country did Haakon VIII become king in 2006?
Answer: Norway.
Haakon VIII, born 20 July 1973, became King of Norway on 28 August 2026 following his father, Harald V’s death. Married to Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, he has two children and serves as Supreme Commander of the Norwegian Armed Forces.
Ten
In 1873, a club published the rules of polo, which are still followed by most of the world to this day. What club?
Answer: Hurlingham Club.
Founded in 1869, the Hurlingham Club is an ultra-exclusive private social and athletic club in Fulham, London, with a Georgian-style clubhouse situated in 42 acres of grounds and membership in the Association of London Clubs.
Fit III
Eleven
In what sport are the men’s world team championships contested for the Swaythling Cup?
Answer: Table tennis.
The Swaythling Cup for men’s teams was presented in 1926 by Gladys, Baroness Swaythling, who was the mother of Ivor Montagu, the first ITTF president.
Twelve
Grand-Bassam and Bingerville are former capitals of which French African colony, now a country?
Answer: Ivory Coast.
Grand-Bassam served as the capital of the French Colonie de Côte d’Ivoire between 1893 and 1900. Originally a market town, Bingerville expanded as the colonial capital from 1909 to 1934.
Thirteen
What Japanese sash is also the partial name of a character from Star Wars?
Answer: Obi.
An obi is a sash of varying size and form used with traditional Japanese clothing and martial arts uniforms. It began as a narrow band in Heian period Japan and developed into several types with distinct dimensions, lengths, and tying methods. Perhaps more familiar is Obi-Wan ‘Ben’ Kenobi, a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He was introduced in the original Star Wars film (1977).
Fourteen
Which 1973 Tina Turner song features the name of a Tennessee town which was a childhood home for her?
Answer: Nutbush.
Nutbush, Tennessee, served as the early home of singer Tina Turner, who captured the town in her 1973 track ‘Nutbush City Limits’. In 2002, a stretch of Tennessee State Route 19 near Nutbush was designated ‘Tina Turner Highway’ to recognise her.
Fifteen
In the Solar System, which of these planets is nearest to the Sun: Jupiter, Saturn or Uranus?
Answer: Jupiter.
Under the strictest definition, the Solar System contains eight planets: moving outward from the Sun they are the terrestrial bodies Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, alongside the giant planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Fit IV
Sixteen
The Petronas Towers are in what city?
Answer: Kuala Lumpur.
The Petronas Towers are 88-storey supertall skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, standing at 451.9 m. They were the world’s tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004 and remain the tallest twin skyscrapers.
Seventeen
In 1915, the RMS Lusitania was torpedoed 11 miles off the coast of which country? Ireland
Answer: Ireland.
On 7 May 1915, U-20 torpedoed the Lusitania off Ireland; a second explosion caused rapid sinking. Of 1,960 aboard, 1,199 died, including 128 Americans; 767 survived. Only six lifeboats were launched.
Eighteen
Complete this: Nyotaimori is the Japanese practice of serving sushi on the …
Answer: Naked female body (or Naked woman).
Nyotaimori involves serving sashimi or sushi on a naked woman, with nantaimori as the male variant. Originating from Edo-period wakamezake, it was used by Ishikawa onsen resorts in the 1960s and later adopted by catering and sex establishments.
Nineteen
Which Old Testament book tells the story of the ten plagues of Egypt?
Answer: Exodus.
Yahweh inflicted ten disasters on Egyptians in Exodus to compel Pharaoh to free Israelites, each challenging Pharaoh and a god; Jews recite them during Passover Seder. Scholars reject the Pentateuch’s accuracy and natural explanations, citing supernatural control by Moses.
Twenty
The following dogs all have the same five-lettered name: Cuthullin’s hunting dog in Ossian’s Fingal; Robert Burns’ Border Collie in The Twa Dogs; J.M. Barrie’s Newfoundland that inspired Nana in Peter Pan; and the Labrador retriever in both Sheila Burnford’s The Incredible Journey and the 1963 film adaptation. What name?
Answer: Luath.
Luath, meaning swift in Scottish Gaelic, appears as a dog motif: Macpherson’s hunting dog, Burns’s Border Collie, Stables’s talking collie, Barrie’s Newfoundland inspiring Nana, and Burnford’s Labrador Retriever.
Fit V
Twenty-one
Eucalyptus is a large genus of flowering trees and shrubs in a family with what English name?
Answer: Myrtle.
Eucalyptus comprises over 700 Myrtaceae species, mostly trees or mallees, known as eucalypts or gum trees. Bark varies and leaves contain oil glands; fused sepals and petals form an operculum, from Greek meaning well covered.
Twenty-two
Etesian, ghibli and pampero all types of what?
Answer: Wind
Etesian is a dry north-westerly wind (that blows during the summer in the eastern Mediterranean; Ghibli is a hot, dry southerly wind of North Africa; and Pampero, a strong, cold south-westerly wind in South America, blowing from the Andes across the pampas towards the Atlantic.
Twenty-three
What is the capital and largest city of the Bahamas?
Answer: Nassau.
Nassau, on New Providence, is the Bahamas’ capital and largest city, housing 296,522 people and acting as the centre of commerce, education, law, administration and media.
Twenty-four
What is the prison in the Harry Potter films?
Answer: Azkaban.
Azkaban, a North Sea prison guarded by Dementors, held British and Irish wizarding criminals until Sirius Black escaped. Unforgivable Curses incur life sentences, though Aurors may use them. Kingsley Shacklebolt ended Dementor use after Voldemort’s demise.
Twenty-five
Which outermost major moon of Uranus is named after a mythical king of the fairies?
Answer: Oberon.
Oberon, discovered by William Herschel in 1787, is Uranus’s outermost and second-largest major moon, named after Shakespeare’s fairy king. It is the Solar System’s tenth-largest moon and orbits partly outside Uranus’s magnetosphere.
Fit VI
Twenty-six
What word is defined as ‘a field where rice is grown’?
Answer: Paddy.
Paddy fields are flooded arable land for rice and taro, originating in the Yangtze River basin and spreading via Austronesian expansion. Labour-intensive terraces use oxen and water buffalo; cultivation dominates across Asia and extends globally. Emissions reach at least 10% of methane; drip irrigation is proposed.
Twenty-seven
Q is a frequently recurring character who is either mentioned or appears in various of the James Bond series of novels and films. What does the designation ‘Q’ stand for?
Answer: Quartemaster.
Quartermaster is a military term for the officer in charge of supplies, equipment, etc. Although Ian Fleming refers to Q and Q Branch in the novels, the character himself does not make an appearance. The character does appear in the novelisations by other authors. Q appeared in 22 Eon Bond films and both non-Eon films. Desmond Llewelyn first appeared as Q in From Russia With Love (1963) until The World Is Not Enough in 1999 and was followed by John Cleese. Ben Whishaw portrayed Q in Daniel Craig films. It is unclear whether Q and Major Boothroyd are the same person or distinct.
Twenty-eight
… one of the least-populated countries in Europe, albeit with the highest population growth rate…
— Wikipedia
The country described above has a name which originated from a word meaning ‘Little Fortress’. What country?
Answer: Luxembourg.
The name Luxembourg originates from the castle Lucilinburhuc, which means “Little Fortress” in Old High German. This castle was acquired by Siegfried, count of Ardennes, in 963 CE, marking the beginning of Luxembourg as an independent entity. The name evolved from Lucilinburhuc to Luxembourg.
— Encyclopædia Britannica
Twenty-nine
Name the production company which made Raiders of the Lost Ark?
Answer: Lucasfilm Ltd.
Founded by George Lucas in 1971 in San Rafael and moved to San Francisco in 2005. Lucasfilm Ltd LLC produces Star Wars and Indiana Jones and leads in special effects, sound, and animation; since 2012 it has been a Walt Disney Studios subsidiary.
Thirty
A federal organisation, often known by a nickname or four initials, gifted Burmese to Queen Elizabeth II in 1969. The same organisation, to mark its 150th anniversary in 2023, gifted Noble to King Charles III. What is the full name of this organisation, and what word best describes Burmese and Noble?
Answer: Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Horse (or Horses).
The Mounties or R.C.M.P. gifted six Police Service Horses to
Queen Elizabeth II
- PSH Burmese was presented in 1969;
- PSH Centennial, 1973;
- PSH Saint James, 1998;
- PSH Golden Jubilee, 2002;
- PSH George, 2009;
- PSH Elizabeth, 2012, and to
King Charles III
- PSH Noble, 2023.
Fit VII
Thirty-one
If reading a 32-point compass rose from north in a clockwise direction what point follows S?
Answer: SbW.
Compass points provide azimuth references in navigation and cartography. The rose uses four cardinal directions and four ordinal directions; European tradition defines 32 points. SbW or South by West (191° 15′) is immediately after South (180°) on the 32-point compass rose.
Thirty-two
What is defined as a ‘facility on a watch for measuring speed’?
Answer: Tachymeter.
A tachymeter on an analog watch converts elapsed seconds into rates per hour, enabling speed or distance calculations using consistent units. Spacings follow 1/t, allowing frequency measurement for regular events.
Thirty-three
What is the Chinese province whose capital city is Chengdu?
Answer: Sichuan.
Sichuan, with a population of 83 million people, has Chengdu (21 million) as its capital, is China’s fifth-largest economy and largest inland economy. Historically linked to Ba, Shu and Liu Bei, it hosts panda reserves and distinctive cuisine.
Thirty-four
The Troy Dam and Lock, on the Hudson River at Troy, New York, are operated by (the) …
Answer: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Troy, New York, played a significant role in industrial growth through water power and steel innovation, including the first Bessemer converter and civil engineering degrees from RPI. Employing skilled workers, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed the dam, which is also known as the Federal Dam, with the aim of improving navigation. In 1920, Congress created the Federal Power Commission to enhance navigation and develop water power. The following year, Ford Motor Company sought congressional approval for a powerhouse at Troy to generate electricity, marking the first instance in American history where Congress authorised a federal dam for private hydropower development.
The photo published with the question on 15 September 2026 was obtained from a US Army Corps of Engineers Office of History webpage published October 1, 2024. Source: US ACE OOH
Thirty-five
During what war is the 1854 poem The Charge of the Light Brigade set?
Answer: Crimean (or Crimean War).
The Charge of the Light Brigade took place on 25 October 1854, during the Crimean War, at the Battle of Balaclava. A confused order from British commanders instructed around 600 cavalrymen, led by Lord Cardigan, to attack Russian artillery. The order was intended to recover guns captured by the Russians, but it was misunderstood, sending the brigade straight down a heavily defended valley—later called the ‘Valley of Death’. The cavalry charged bravely through intense cannon and rifle fire, reached the Russian guns, and briefly attacked them before being forced to retreat. Around half of the brigade was killed, wounded, or captured, and many horses were lost. The attack achieved little militarily but became famous as an example of extraordinary courage and disastrous military communication. Alfred, Lord Tennyson later commemorated it in his poem The Charge of the Light Brigade.
Fit VIII
Thirty-six
Nicolas Cage ate a live cockroach for a scene in which 1980s film?
Answer: Vampire’s Kiss.
Vampire’s Kiss is a 1989 American black comedy directed by Robert Bierman and written by Joseph Minion, starring Nicolas Cage, María Conchita Alonso, Jennifer Beals and Elizabeth Ashley. It follows a literary agent falling for a vampire and gained a cult following through Cage’s acting and Internet memes.
Thirty-seven
The title of which Percy Bysshe Shelley sonnet was the Greek name for Rameses II of Egypt?
Answer: Ozymandias.
Shelley’s sonnet Ozymandias, published in The Examiner in 1818, arose from a competition with Horace Smith on Ramesses II and explores time’s impact on legacies; it appeared in later collections.
Thirty-eight
Which Samuel Beckett play’s characters include Vladimir, Estragon, Pozzo and Lucky?
Answer: Waiting for Godot.
Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, a two-act tragicomedy, follows Vladimir and Estragon waiting for Godot. Written in French and adapted into English, it is widely regarded as the most significant 20th-century English play.
Thirty-nine
Which Persian king was assassinated in 465BC by Artabanus, the commander of the royal guard?
Answer: Xerxes I (or Xerxes the Great).
Xerxes I, son of Darius the Great and Atossa, ruled the Achaemenid Empire from 486 BC until his assassination in 465 BC. After consolidating power, he invaded Greece in 480 BC, capturing Athens before retreating; Mardonius was defeated at Plataea. Xerxes completed Persepolis and Susa projects before Artabanus killed him and Darius; Artaxerxes I succeeded him.
Forty
What is a tropical cyclone that originates in the Northwestern Pacific Basin known as?
Answer: Typhoon.
Tropical cyclones that originate in the Northwestern Pacific Basin, which covers areas like the Philippines, Japan and China, are known as Typhoons. Other regions use different names for their strongest tropical cyclones: ‘Hurricane’ in the North Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, and ‘Cyclone’ in the South Pacific/Indian Ocean.
Fit IX
Forty-one
Bos grunniens, pictured, is commonly known as what?
Answer: Yak.
The yak (Bos grunniens) is long-haired domesticated Asian cattle across the Himalayan region, Tibetan Plateau, Tajikistan, Pamir Mountains, Mongolia and Siberia.
Forty-two
The sixth Arrondissement of Paris is what?
Answer: Luxembourg.
The 6th arrondissement, known as Luxembourg on the Rive Gauche, had 40,389 residents in 2023. It hosts institutions and monuments, including Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Pont des Arts. Renowned for café culture and intellectuals, it is a wealthy Paris Ouest district.
Forty-three
The Battle of Otumba (1520) was fought between Spain and forces of which empire?
Answer: Aztec Empire.
On 7 July 1520 at Temalcatitlán, Spanish forces under Cortés and the Tlaxcala Confederacy defeated Aztec forces led by Matlatzincátzin. This defence enabled Cortés to reorganise after La Noche Triste and later retake Tenochtitlan.
Forty-four
Losing a war to forces of the British Empire in 38 minutes, Sayyid Khalid bin Barghash was sultan of where?
Answer: Zanzibar.
On 27 August 1896, the United Kingdom fought the Sultanate of Zanzibar for 38–45 minutes after Khalid bin Barghash succeeded Hamad bin Thuwaini without British consent. Bombardment destroyed the palace and Khalid fled to the German consulate.
Forty-five
What type of bird is a scaup?
Answer: Duck.
Scaup is the common name for three species of diving duck: Greater scaup, or just scaup, Aythya marila; Lesser scaup, Aythya affinis; and New Zealand scaup, Aythya novaeseelandiae.
Hidden Letters
The hidden letters spelled out
Antonine Wall Scotland.
The Antonine Wall, built in AD 142 under Emperor Antoninus Pius, marked Rome’s northernmost frontier in Britain. Spanning 63 kilometres across central Scotland, it comprised turf on stone, with forts, fortlets, ditches, and a Military Way. Abandoned after eight years, its remnants are now protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The last nine days were produced well in advance and I am having a few more days off. Quizology Online will resume on Monday 21st. Thanks.
