Miscellany II | Answers

  1. US President Jimmy Carter was a farmer, what type of farming was he involved in?
    • Peanut—Jimmy Carter, the first US president born in a hospital, grew up in Plains, Georgia, and later Archery. He attended the US Naval Academy, graduating in 1946, and served in the Navy until 1953, including a stint in the nuclear submarine programme. After his father’s death, Carter returned to Georgia to take over the family peanut business, facing challenges but eventually becoming successful.
      Amazon, which has the greatest discharge of any river, discharging into the Atlantic Ocean.
      Image NASA/Wikipedia
  2. What the second-largest river on earth by discharge?
    • Ganges—is second at 43,950 m$^3$/s following the Amazon’s 224,000| m$^3$/s. The Yangtze comes fifth with 31,900 m$^3$/s and the Mississippi tenth at 21,300 m$^3$/s.
      Tomb of Merlin, Forest of Paimpont (Brocéliande).
      Image Wikipedia
  3. Brittany’s Brocéliande Forest (aka Paimpont Forest) is the site of the tomb of which legendary magical figure?
    • Merlin—The forest of Brocéliande, first mentioned in Chrétien de Troyes’s Arthurian romance, is associated with Merlin and Morgan le Fay in later works. Its exact location is debated, with theories placing it in Brittany, specifically near Quintin or in Paimpont forest, with the latter being considered most likely.
      Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11, on Lunar Surface wearing an Omega Speedmaster.
      Image Wikipedia
  4. In 1969, the first wrist watch to be worn on the Moon was manufactured by…
    • Omega—Buzz Aldrin became the first person to wear a watch on the Moon, wearing the Omega Speedmaster Professional Chronograph. Although Neil Armstrong was the first to set foot on the Moon, he left his 105.012 Speedmaster inside the Lunar Module Eagle as a backup because the LM’s electronic timer had malfunctioned. Aldrin wore his Speedmaster, making it the first watch ever worn on the Moon.
      Marionette, is a puppet worked by strings.
      Image Pinterest.
  5. A person who’s actions are controlled by another could be described as a …
    • Quockerwodger—which is best described as follows:

      The term quockerwodger, although referring to a wooden toy figure which jerks its limbs about when pulled by a string, has been supplemented with a political meaning. A pseudo-politician, one whose strings of action are pulled by somebody else, is now often termed a quockerwodger.
      — John Camden Hotten. A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words (1859)

Miscellany II

Full Moon
Image Wikipedia

Here are a few questions which have no connections they are simply miscellany.

  1. US President Jimmy Carter was a farmer, what type of farming was he involved in?
    • Avocado
    • Peanut
    • Zucchini
  2. What the second-largest river on earth by discharge?
    • Ganges
    • Mississippi
    • Yangtze
  3. Brittany’s Brocéliande Forest (aka Paimpont Forest) is the site of the tomb of which legendary magical figure?
    • Circe
    • Merlin
    • Witch of Endor
  4. In 1969, the first wrist watch to be worn on the Moon was manufactured by…
    • Bulova
    • Omega
    • Rolex
  5. A person who’s actions are controlled by another could be described as a …
    • Quaalude
    • Quillaja
    • Quockerwodger
Ancient Greek Terracotta dolls.
National Archaeological Museum in Athens/Wikipedia

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

A year in the day | Answers

The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

Let It Be
Image Pinterest
  1. Almost a month after Paul McCartney’s announcement that he had left the band, The Beatles released their last original studio album, Let It Be on 8 May…
    • 1970—the Beatles’ final studio album, Let It Be, was released in 1970 after the band’s disbandment. The album, originally titled Get Back, was recorded in 1969 and included the iconic title track and popular songs like Across the Universe and I’ve Got a Feeling.
      Alex Van Halen.
      Image Wikipedia
  2. Drummer Alex Van Halen was born today in…
    • 1953—Alex Van Halen, drummer and co-founder of Van Halen, is known for his technical prowess and speed And widely regarded as one of the greatest drummers of all time. Van Halen, the band, formed in 1972 andsigned with Warner Brothers Records in 1977.
      Smallpox Immunization, Niger, Africa.
      Image: CDC/ Dr. J. D. Millar/Wikipedia
  3. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared it had eradicated smallpox, the announcement was made on 8 May…
    • 1980—The global eradication of smallpox was certified, based on intense verification activities, by a commission of eminent scientists on 9 December 1979 and subsequently endorsed by the World Health Assembly on 8 May 1980. The first two sentences of their resolution read:

      “Having considered the development and results of the global program on smallpox eradication initiated by WHO in 1958 and intensified since 1967 … Declares solemnly that the world and its peoples have won freedom from smallpox, which was a most devastating disease sweeping in epidemic form through many countries since earliest time, leaving death, blindness and disfigurement in its wake and which only a decade ago was rampant in Africa, Asia and South America.”


      Jaws, first edition cover.
      Image Wikipedia
  4. Peter Benchley, American author and screenwriter, was born on 8 May…
    • 1940—Peter Bradford Benchley was an American author best known for his novel Jaws. Later in life, he became an advocate for marine conservation, expressing regret for his writing about sharks.
      John S. Pemberton.
      Image Wikipedia
  5. Pharmacist John S. Pemberton sold a carbonated beverage for the first time as a patent medicine, naming it Coca-Cola, on 8 May…
    • 1886—Confederate Colonel John Pemberton, wounded in the Civil War and addicted to morphine, created Pemberton’s French Wine Coca nerve tonic in 1885. After prohibition legislation in Atlanta, he developed Coca-Cola, a non-alcoholic version, in 1886, marketing it as a cure for various ailments including morphine addiction.
Drink Coca-Cola 5¢“, an 1890s advertising poster.
Image Wikipedia

A year in the day

Coca-cola.
Image Wikipedia

Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, 8 May. All the answers are a year.

  1. Almost a month after Paul McCartney’s announcement that he had left the band, The Beatles released their last original studio album, Let It Be on 8 May…
    • 1969
    • 1970
    • 1971
  2. Drummer Alex Van Halen was born on 8 May…
    • 1949
    • 1951
    • 1953
  3. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared it had eradicated smallpox, the announcement was made on 8 May…
    • 1960
    • 1970—
    • 1980
  4. American author and screenwriter Peter Benchley was born on 8 May…
    • 1940—
    • 1950
    • 1960
  5. Pharmacist John S. Pemberton sold a carbonated beverage for the first time as a patent medicine, naming it Coca-Cola, on 8 May…
    • 1886
    • 1899
    • 1912

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Mysteries and Meanings: A Trivial Journey Through Mike—Quebec | Answers

Below are the questions from earlier today with the answers in bold.

  1. M is for Mike. This nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle World Champion went on to race cars in the Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship?
    • Mike Hailwood—Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood, nicknamed “the Bike”, was a British racing driver and motorcycle road racer. He won nine Grand Prix motorcycle World Championships and 14 Isle of Man TT victories before transitioning to Formula One and other car racing classes.
      Natalie Wood.
      Image Wikipedia
  1. N is for Natalie. She married actor Robert Wagner in 1957 and again in 1972?
    • Wood—Natalie Wood, an American actress, began acting at four and starred in films like Rebel Without a Cause and West Side Story. She drowned in 1981 at age 43 during a break from filming Brainstorm, with her husband Robert Wagner and co-star Christopher Walken. An ongoing investigation into her death named Wagner as a person of interest in 2018.
      Operation Overlord.
      Image Wikipedia
  2. O is for Operation. That was launched on 6 June 1944?
    • Overlord—Operation Overlord, the codename for the Battle of Normandy, was the Allied operation that liberated German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation, launched on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings, involved nearly 160,000 troops crossing the English Channel. German forces retreated east across the Seine on 30 August 1944, marking the close of Operation Overlord.
      MY Fair Lady, Playbill magazine cover, Broadway, 1952.
      Image Wikipedia
  3. P is for Pygmalion. This musical and a 1960s film were based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion?
    • My Fair Lady—George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion is a comedy about a phonetician who bets he can transform a Cockney flower seller into a duchess. The play, later adapted into My Fair Lady, starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn, explores love and the English class system.
      Dana Scully and Queequeg
      Image Pinterest
  4. Q if for Queequeg. Queequeg is a character in the 1851 novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, but who had a dog named Queequeg?
    • Dana Scully—In Moby-Dick, Queequeg is a skilled harpooneer from the cannibal tribe of Rokovoko. Scully, in The X-Files, named Queequeg (the dog) because of his cannabalistic behaviour in eating the dead body of his former owner.

Natalie Wood.
Image Wikipedia

Mysteries and Meanings: A Trivial Journey Through Mike—Quebec

Queequeg and his harpoon.
Image: Illustration from 1902 edition of Moby Dick/Wikipedia
  1. M is for Mike. This nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle World Champion went on to race cars in the Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship?
    • Haggar
    • Hailwood
    • Hawthorn
  1. N is for Natalie. She married actor Robert Wagner in 1957 and again in 1972?
    • Walnut
    • Willow
    • Wood
  2. O is for Operation. That was launched on 6 June 1944?
    • Overarch
    • Overlord
    • Overtake
  3. P is for Pygmalion. This musical and a 1960s film were based on George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion?
    • Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
    • Half a Sixpence
    • My Fair Lady
  4. Q if for Queequeg. Queequeg is a character in the 1851 novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, but who had a dog named Queequeg?
    • Dana Scully
    • Dr Doug Ross
    • Ross Geller

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

How much is that doggy in the window | Answers

The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the question simply for your information.

Terry Pratchett.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Which author born 28 April 1948, provided the city state of Ankh Morpork with the Latatian motto – Quanti Canicula Illa In Fenestra – meaning, “How Much Is That Doggy In The Window”?
    • Terry Pratchett—Sir Terry Pratchett, an English author, was renowned for his comic fantasy novels, especially the Discworld series and the apocalyptic comedy Good Omens. With over 100 million books sold globally, he was the UK’s best-selling author of the 1990s and received numerous literary awards. Pratchett began writing early, publishing his first novel, The Carpet People, in 1971. After careers in journalism and public relations, he became a full-time writer in 1987 and continued publishing until his death in 2015 from Alzheimer’s disease. PS “Latatian” is a fictional language: Discworld’s equivalent of Latin.
  2. On this day in 1947, Thor Heyerdahl set out on the primitive raft Kon-tiki to demonstrate that Easter Island could have been reached by whom?
    • Peruvians—Thor Heyerdahl, a Norwegian ethnologist and adventurer, is renowned for his Kon-Tiki expedition, where he sailed across the Pacific on a primitive raft to show Peruvians could have reached Easter Island and to illustrate the potential for ancient cultural contact between distant civilizations. Although his theories were not accepted by anthropologists, his voyages, including the Ra II expedition, inspired a book and documentary about the Kon-Tiki journey. His archives, covering the years 1937 to 2002, are preserved in Oslo.
      HMS Bounty II 1960 Tall Ship with full sails on Lake Michigan near the Port of Chicago for the 2010 Great Lake Tall Ship Challenge.
      Image Wikipedia
  3. On this day in 1789, William Bligh and 18 of his crewmen were set adrift in the Pacific Ocean. From which ship were they set adrift?
    • Bounty—in 1789, Fletcher Christian led a mutiny against Captain William Bligh on the HMS Bounty in the South Pacific. Bligh and 18 loyalists were set adrift but managed to survive a 3,500-nautical-mile journey to safety. The mutineers settled on Tahiti and Pitcairn Island, where their descendants still reside. Bligh, an English navigator and explorer, had discovered 13 Pacific islands but faced mutiny due to his strained relationships with the crew, characterised by verbal abuse and violations of sailor privileges. He later became governor of New South Wales, where he encountered further challenges, including the Rum Rebellion.
      Carioca (1948) – First Lamborghini tractor.
      Image Lambocars.com
  4. Ferruccio Lamborghini, born on this day in 1916, built his “Carioca” in 1948. What best describes it?
    • TractorLamborghini Trattori, established in 1948 by Ferruccio Lamborghini, initially created tractors using repurposed war materials, featuring engines from trucks and military vehicles. Ferruccio, who developed his mechanical expertise during World War II, built a reputation for reliable tractors in a small factory, surpassing competitors like Fiat and Landini. Following his success in tractors and air conditioners, he later founded Automobili Lamborghini, renowned for luxury cars.
      The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd.
      Image Pinterest
  5. Which album, which reached number one on the Billboard Album Charts on 28 April 1973, has remained on the charts for over 990 weeks (March 2025)?
    • The Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd—is a concept album exploring themes of conflict, greed, time, death, and mental illness. The album, released in 1973, brought the band international fame and is certified 14× platinum in the UK. It has sold over 45 million copies worldwide and, at March 2025, had been in the charts for over 990 weeks.

How much is that doggy in the window

Here are a few questions which are related to today’s date, 28 April.

Coat of arms of Ankh-Morpork
Motto is “Quanti Canicula Ille in Fenestra” (How much is that doggy in the window)
Image Wikipedia
  1. Which author born 28 April 1948, provided the city state of Ankh Morpork with the Latatian motto – Quanti Canicula Illa In Fenestra – meaning, “How Much Is That Doggy In The Window”?
    • Douglas Adams
    • Neil Gaiman
    • Terry Pratchett
  2. On this day in 1947, Thor Heyerdahl set out on the primitive raft Kon-tiki to demonstrate that Easter Island could have been reached by whom?
    • Paraguayans
    • Peruvians
    • Puerto ricans
  3. On this day in 1789, William Bligh and 18 of his crewmen were set adrift in the Pacific Ocean. From which ship were they set adrift?
    • Amistad
    • Bounty
    • Caine
  4. Ferruccio Lamborghini, born on this day in 1916, built his “Carioca” in 1948. What best describes it?
    • Speedboat
    • Sports car
    • Tractor
  5. Which album, which reached number one on the Billboard Album Charts on 28 April 1973, has remained on the charts for over 990 weeks (March 2025)?
    • Greatest Hits, Queen
    • Rumours, Fleetwood Mac
    • The Dark Side of The Moon, Pink Floyd

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Who, What, When, Where, Why and How III | Answers

(Left to right, per Getty Image crediting): Ed Pollack, Albert Wynn, Thomas A. Dorsey, Ma Rainey, Dave Nelson and Gabriel Washington in 1923.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Who, born 26 April 1886, in Columbus, Georgia, US; performed as Ma Rainey and was known as the “Mother of the blues”?
    • Gertrude Pridgett—Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, the “Mother of the Blues”, was a pioneering blues singer who began her career in vaudeville. Her powerful voice and flamboyant performances helped popularise the blues, influencing generations of singers.
      Mount Ventoux.
      Image Wikipedia
  2. What best describes Petrarch who climbed Mount Ventoux today in 1336 and, at some point, wrote about it?
    • Poet—Francis Petrarch, a prominent scholar and poet of the early Italian Renaissance, climbed Mont Ventoux in 1336. Inspired by the climb and a reading of Saint Augustine’s “Confessions,” Petrarch reflected on the true nature of wonder, shifting his focus from the external world to the inner soul.
      The seal of the London Company, also known as the Charter of the Virginia Company of London.
      Image Wikipedia
  3. When did the Virginia Company colonists make landfall at Cape Henry?
    • 1607—The Virginia Company, chartered by [Britain’s] King James I in 1606, aimed to colonise America’s eastern coast and established the Jamestown Colony in Virginia. Despite initial challenges, John Rolfe’s introduction of sweeter tobacco strains from the Caribbean improved the company’s prospects. The company also founded America’s first legislature, the General Assembly, in 1619. However, it was dissolved in 1624 after the Great Massacre, leading to Virginia becoming a royal colony.
      Wreckage of Messerschmitt Bf 110D flown by Rudolf Hess, Bonnyton Moor, Scotland.
      Image Wikipedia
  4. Where, during World War II, was senior Nazi Rudolf Hess—born today in 1894—captured?
    • Scotland—Rudolf Hess, a German National Socialist and Adolf Hitler’s deputy, flew to Scotland in 1941 to negotiate a peace between Britain and Germany. His proposals were rejected by both the British government and Hitler, who accused him of “pacifist delusions”. After the war, Hess was tried at the Nuremberg trials, convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment. He served his sentence at Spandau prison in Berlin, where he was the sole inmate from 1966 onwards.
      The Hull-Ottawa fire, 26 April 1900.
      Image Wikipedia
  5. Why were thousands of people in Canada left without a home on this date in 1900?
    • Fire—In 1900, a fire caused by a defective chimney in Hull, Quebec, spread to Ottawa, Ontario, destroying two-thirds of Hull and one-fifth of Ottawa. The fire, fuelled by wind and lumber, caused significant property damage and loss of life, with seven people being killed in the conflagration which displaced 15,000 people.
  6. How did John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Abraham Lincoln, die?
    • Gunshot—Following Lincoln’s assassination, John Wilkes Booth fled to southern Maryland, seeking refuge with Confederate sympathisers. After a failed attempt to cross the Potomac, Booth was shot and killed in a tobacco barn by Sergeant Boston Corbett.
“The killing of Booth, the assassin—the dying murderer drawn from the barn where he had taken refuge, on Garrett’s farm, near Port Royal, Va., April 26, 1865.” (Frank Leslie’s Illustrated News)
Image Wikipedia

Who, What, When, Where, Why and How III

A “Who, What, When, Where, Why and How” which all relate to today, 26 April.

Ma Rainey.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Who, born 26 April 1886, in Columbus, Georgia, US; performed as Ma Rainey and was known as the “Mother of the blues”?
    • Beatrice Rutledge
    • Gertrude Pridgett
    • Hortense Gwinnett
  2. What best describes Petrarch, who climbed Mount Ventoux today in 1336 and, at some point, wrote about it?
    • Poet
    • Politician
    • Pundit
  3. When did the Virginia Company colonists make landfall at Cape Henry?
    • 1557
    • 1607
    • 1657
  4. Where, during World War II, was senior Nazi Rudolf Hess—born today in 1894—captured?
    • Scotland
    • Sweden
    • Switzerland
  5. Why were twelve thousand people in Canada left without a home on this date in 1900?
    • Avalanche
    • Fire
    • Flood
  6. How did John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Abraham Lincoln, die?
    • Hanging
    • Gunshot
    • Drowning
John Wilkes Booth.
Image Wikipedia

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.