Tag: literature

H is for… | Answers

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

National flag of Haiti.
Image is from CRW Flags
  1. Added to the Liechtenstein flag in 1937 the prince’s crown distinguishes it from what other national flag?
    • Haiti—Liechtenstein’s flag, originally plain blue and red, was changed in 1937 to include a golden crown to avoid confusion with Haiti’s flag. The fact that both were identical had been first noticed at the previous summer’s Olympic games.
      Haiku.
      Image Pinterest
  2. In Japanese literature what is an unrhymed poetic form consisting of 17 syllables arranged in three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables respectively.
    • Haiku—is an unrhymed poetic form consisting of 17 syllables arranged in three lines with a pattern of 5, 7 and 5 syllables. Traditionally, it evokes images of the natural world.
      Happy Mondays.
      Image Pinterest
  3. The original line-up of what band included the brothers Shaun and Paul Ryder?
    • Happy Mondays—an English rock band from Salford, pioneered the Madchester sound by blending Manchester alternative rock with funk, house and psychedelia. They achieved commercial success with albums like Pills ’n’ Thrills and Bellyaches before disbanding in 1993. They have since reunited several times with variations in the line-up.
      Flyer for the 1979 stage production of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy.
      Image Wikipedia
  4. In The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Galactic President Zaphod Beeblebrox steals a prototype spacecraft. What was it named?
    • Heart of Gold—Arthur Dent, the protagonist of the stories, and his friend Ford Prefect are improbably rescued from interstellar space by the Heart of Gold, stolen by Zaphod Beeblebrox. The ship, powered by the infinite improbability drive, carries Trillian (Tricia McMillan, also from Earth) and the depressed Marvin, the Paranoid Android. Eventually, the ship moves into orbit around the legendary planet of Magrathea.
      Hercules and the Wagoner or Hercules and the Carter.
      Image is from Fables of Aesop
  5. _ and the Wagoner is one of Aesop’s Fables. What mythical hero’s name is missing from the title?
    • Hercules—Hercules and the Wagoner. A Wagoner, stuck in the mud, prayed to Hercules for help. Hercules appeared and advised the Wagoner to help himself by pushing the wagon. Aesop’s Fables, initially aimed at adults, have been adapted for children and reinterpreted over time. The fables, covering religious, social and political themes, have been adapted into various media, reinforcing their ethical dimension and enduring popularity.

H is for…

A few questions where all the answers begin with ‘H’. As you know the starting letter, there are no multiple-choice options.

Flag of Liechtenstein.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Added to the Liechtenstein flag in 1937 the prince’s crown distinguishes it from what other national flag?
  2. In Japanese literature what is an unrhymed poetic form consisting of 17 syllables arranged in three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables respectively?
  3. The original line-up of what band included the brothers Shaun and Paul Ryder?
  4. In The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Galactic President Zaphod Beeblebrox steals a prototype spacecraft. What was it named?
  5. ___ and the Wagoner is one of Aesop’s Fables. What mythical hero’s name is missing from the title?

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

G is for… | Answers

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

Cream in 1967.
L to R: Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Cream reunited in 2005 who, along with Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce, was the third band member?
    • Ginger Baker—Cream, a British rock supergroup formed in 1966, consisted of Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker. Known for their instrumental proficiency, they released four albums and sold over 15 million records worldwide before disbanding in 1969 due to internal tensions.
      Gerald Ford on the football field at the University of Michigan, 1933.
      Image Wikipedia
  2. A twentieth-century US President played football as a centre for the University of Michigan Wolverines football team. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics before studying law at Yale. Can you name him?
    • Gerald Ford—the 38th US President, served from 1974 to 1977 after Nixon’s resignation. He faced economic challenges, including inflation and recession, and granted Nixon a pardon for Watergate. Ford also signed the Helsinki Accords and ended US involvement in the Vietnam War.
      Goldberry and Tom Bombadil with the Hobbits, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin.
      Image Pinterest
  3. River-daughter, a character fromThe Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, doesn’t appear in Peter Jackson’s films. She is the wife of Tom Bombadil and resides with him in the Old Forest at the edge of Buckland. What name is she commonly known by?
    • Goldberry—the wife of Tom Bombadil, is a mysterious character in JRR Tolkien’s works. Her origins and role are debated, with scholars comparing her to characters in other works and suggesting she may be a divine being. In The Fellowship of the Ring novel Goldberry and Tom shelter Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin after their journey through the Old Forest.
      Groucho Marx.
      Image Pinterest
  4. By what name was Julius Henry Marx better known?
    • Groucho Marx—was an American comedian, actor, writer and singer known for his work with the Marx Brothers and his solo career, particularly as the host of You Bet Your Life. He is remembered for his distinctive appearance, including a stooped posture, spectacles, cigar and thick greasepaint moustache.
      Gambit (1966) poster.
      Image Pinterest
  5. What single word connects the following three things: Mike, a character in the TV series The New Avengers; Remy LeBeau, a fictional comic book superhero and X-Men member in the Marvel Universe; and a 1966 film starring Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine?
    • Gambit—Mike Gambit from the The New Avengers; Remy LeBeau aka Gambit from the Marvel Universe and Gambit the 1966 heist film.
Gareth Hunt as Mike Gambit,
The New Avengers.
Image Pinterest
Gambit,
The X-Men.
Image Pinterest

G is for…

A few questions where all the answers begin with ‘G’. As you know the starting letter, there are no multiple-choice options.

Cream in 1967.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Cream reunited in 2005 who, along with Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce, was the third band member?
  2. A twentieth-century US President played as a centre for the University of Michigan Wolverines football team. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics before studying law at Yale. Can you name him?
  3. River-daughter, a character from The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, does not appear in Peter Jackson’s films. She is the wife of Tom Bombadil and resides with him in the Old Forest at the edge of Buckland. What name is she commonly known by?
  4. By what name was Julius Henry Marx better known?
  5. What single word connects the following three things: Mike, a character in the TV series The New Avengers; Remy LeBeau, a fictional comic book superhero and X-Men member in the Marvel Universe; and a 1966 film starring Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine?

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

F is for… | Answers

Forth Bridge.
Image Wikipedia
  1. The bridge pictured is the…
    • Forth Bridge—The Forth Bridge, a cantilever railway bridge across the Firth of Forth (estuary of the River Forth) in Scotland, was completed in 1890 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was the world’s longest single cantilever bridge span until 1919 and remains the second longest.
      Frida Kahlo, by Guillermo Kahlo.
      Image Wikipedia
  2. Which Mexican painter’s final work, Viva La Vida (1954), depicts a still-life of watermelons?
    • Frida Kahlo—was a Mexican painter known for her self-portraits and works inspired by Mexican culture. Her paintings, often autobiographical and mixing realism with fantasy gained international recognition in the late 1970s and early 1990s, becoming an icon for Chicanos, feminists and the LGBTQ+ community.
      Felix in Oceantics (1930).
      Image Wikipedia
  3. Which feline has been described as the world’s most popular cartoon star before Mickey Mouse?
    • Felix the cat—created in 1919, is a cartoon character known for his black body, white eyes, and grin. He starred in animated shorts, a comic strip and merchandise, but his popularity declined with the advent of sound cartoons. Despite a brief revival in the 1930s and television appearances in the 1950s, Felix’s success waned.
      Enrico Fermi, 1943.
      Image Wikipedia
  4. Which synthetic element, atomic No 100, is named after an Italian-born physicist?
    • Fermium—a synthetic actinide with the symbol Fm and atomic number 100, is the heaviest element produced by neutron bombardment. Discovered in the debris of the first hydrogen bomb explosion in 1952 it is named after Enrico Fermi.
      Ray Bradbury.
      Image Wikipedia
  5. Author Ray Bradbury is best known for what 1953 novel?
    • Fahrenheit 451—Ray Bradbury was an American author and screenwriter known for his works in fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery and realistic fiction. His other well-known works include The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man.

F is for…

A few questions where all the answers begin with ‘F’. As you know the starting letter, there are no multiple-choice options.

Image Wikipedia
  1. The bridge pictured is the…
  2. Which Mexican painter’s final work, Viva La Vida (1954), depicts a still-life of watermelons?
  3. Which feline has been described as the world’s most popular cartoon star before Mickey Mouse?
  4. Which synthetic element, atomic No 100, is named after an Italian-born physicist?
  5. Author Ray Bradbury is best known for what 1953 novel?

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

E is for… | Answers

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

Europa, as imaged by the Juno spacecraft, September 2022.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Which moon of Jupiter is pictured?
    • Europa—Europa, one of Jupiter’s four Galilean moons, is an icy moon with a smooth surface, possibly due to a subsurface ocean. It is believed to have an iron-nickel core and a water-ice shell, with a thin atmosphere composed primarily of oxygen. Europa was discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610 and named after Europa, a lover of Zeus in Greek mythology.
      Discworld supported by four giant elephants on the back of Great A’Tuin, the Giant Star Turtle.
      Image Pinterest
  2. In Terry Pratchett’s Discworld what are Berilia, Tubul, Great T’Phon and Jerakeen?
    • Elephants—Great A’Tuin is the Giant Star Turtle (of the fictional species Chelys galactica) who travels through the Discworld universe’s space, carrying four giant elephants, named Berilia, Tubul, Great T’Phon and Jerakeen, who in turn carry the Discworld.
      Alligator in a cypress dome, Everglades National Park.
      Image Wikipedia
  3. The largest remaining subtropical wilderness in the continental USA is which National Park?
    • Everglades National Park—Established in 1947, Everglades National Park protects 1.5 million acres of wetland, forest, and marine habitats, providing drinking water and recreational opportunities.
      Jane Austen.
      Portrait by Cassandra Austen, c. 1810.
      Image Wikipedia
  4. Name a Jane Austen novel, published in 1816, which is set in the village of Highbury?
    • Emma—a novel by Jane Austen, is set in the fictional village of Highbury and explores the relationships of its inhabitants. The story follows Emma Woodhouse, a wealthy and intelligent young woman who meddles in the love lives of others, leading to humorous misadventures.
  5. Which part of a newt is mentioned as a potion ingredient by the second witch in Shakespeare’s Macbeth?
    • Eye—see quote below from Macbeth Act 4, Scene 1 (line 10)

In the poisones entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Sweated venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first in the charmed pot.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork and blindworm’s sting,
Lizard’s leg and howlet’s wing.
For charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and couldron bubble.

Scale of dragon,tooth of wolf,
Witch’s mummy, maw and gulf
Of the ravin’d salt-sea shark,
Root of hemlock digg’d in the dark,
Liver of blaspheming Jew;
Gall of goat; and slips of yew
silver’d in the moon’s eclipse;
Nose of Turk, and Tartar’s lips;
Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-deliver’d by the drab,-
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger’s chaudron,
For ingredients of our cauldron.
Double, double toil and trouble,
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

E is for…

A few questions where all the answers begin with ‘E’. As you know the starting letter, there are no multiple-choice options.

Image Wikipedia
  1. Which moon of Jupiter is pictured?
  2. In Terry Pratchett’s Discworld what are Berilia, Tubul, Great T’Phon and Jerakeen?
  3. The largest remaining subtropical wilderness in the continental USA is which national park?
  4. Name a Jane Austen novel, published in 1816, which is set in the village of Highbury?
  5. Which part of a newt is mentioned as a potion ingredient by the second witch in Shakespeare’s Macbeth?

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

D is for… | Answers

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

Devils Tower, Wyoming.
Image US National Parks Service
  1. What is the pictured US National Monument and in what US state is it located?
    • Devils Tower, Wyoming—Devils Tower, a 1,267-foot igneous rock butte in Wyoming, was established as the first US national monument in 1906. Originally named ‘Bear’s House’ by indigenous peoples, it was renamed “Devils Tower” in 1875 and remains unchanged despite proposals to recognise indigenous ties.
      Tenzin Gyatso – 14th Dalai Lama
      Image Wikipedia
  2. The spiritual leader of the Tibetan people is known by what title?
    • Dalai Lama—The Dalai Lama is the head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, with the title bestowed upon Sonam Gyatso in 1578. Since the 17th century, the Dalai Lama has symbolised Tibetan unity, serving as both a religious and secular leader. The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, lives in exile in India and has advocated for Tibetan autonomy while rejecting calls for independence.
      Dacha in Yekaterinburg, Russia
      Image Wikipedia
  3. What is defined as a ‘country house or cottage in Russia, typically used as a second or holiday home’?
    • Dacha—A dacha is a seasonal or year-round second home, often located in the outskirts of post-Soviet countries. Originating as small country estates gifted by the tsar, dachas have been popular among the Russian upper and middle classes. During the Soviet era, many dachas were state-owned and given to the people, and today, about 62% of Russians visit dachas in the summer.
      Marvin the Paranoid Android.
      Costume used in the TV series, on display at Gunnersbury Park Museum.
      Image Wikipedia
  4. Marvin the Paranoid Android was created by which science fiction writer?
    • Douglas Adams—writer of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy created Marvin as the ship’s robot aboard the Heart of Gold. Marvin is a failed prototype of Sirius Cybernetics Corporation’s GPP technology who, despite his vast intellect, is underutilised, leading to severe depression and boredom.
      David Coulthard.
      Champions for Charity 2022.
      Image Wikipedia
  5. A Scottish driver won 13 Formula One Grands Prix across his 15-season career, which began in 1994. Despite this, he didn’t secure the World Drivers’ Championship, although he came in second place in 2001. Can you identify him?
    • David Coulthard—nicknamed ‘DC’, is a former British Formula One driver who competed from 1994 to 2008. He won 13 Grands Prix, finished second in the Drivers’ Championship in 2001, and retired from Formula One in 2008. After retirement, he became a broadcaster and commentator for Formula One.

D is for…

A few questions where all the answers begin with ‘D’. As you know the starting letter, there are no multiple-choice options.

Devils Tower, Wyoming.
Image US National Parks Service
  1. What is the pictured US National Monument, and in which US state is it located?
  2. The spiritual leader of the Tibetan people is known by what title?
  3. What is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as a ‘country house or cottage in Russia, typically used as a second or holiday home’?
  4. Marvin the Paranoid Android was originally created for a radio series by which science fiction writer?
  5. A Scottish driver won 13 Formula One Grands Prix across his 15-season career, which began in 1994. Despite this, he didn’t secure the World Drivers’ Championship, although he came in second place in 2001. Can you identify him?

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.