Happy New Year. Yet another random mix of questions for today
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The Palace of Westminster seen from east. Victoria Tower and the House of Lords are on the left. The Clock Tower of Big Ben and the House of Commons are on the right. The spire left of centre is the 300ft ventilation chimney above the central lobby. The twin white towers of Westminster Abbey are just visible in the background. Image Wikimedia Commons
One
How are the hours nine, ten, eleven and twelve shown on the clock faces of the clock tower at the Palace of Westminster, which is also known as Big Ben?
Two
What is the complete title of this 1987 Hanna-Barbera made-for-television film: The Jetsons Meet…
Three
Rabbit underground, rabbit safe and sound
This quote is from a story which features anthropomorphised animals living in their natural habitats, complete with their own language, culture and mythology. Originally a 1972 novel, there have been both film (1978) and television adaptations (1999 and 2018), with the most recent being a co-production by the BBC and Netflix. Could you tell me the title and author of this novel?
Four
Through how many countries does the Andes mountain range extend and what are they?
Five
We are drinking beer at noon on Tuesday
The above quote is from a song which also mentions a boulevard. Could you please identify the song, the singer-songwriter who wrote it, and the specific boulevard mentioned in the lyrics?
The Beatles held the festive top spot with four singles topping the UK singles chart on Christmas Day in 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1967. Which songs secured these number one positions?
Answers: I Wanna Hold Your Hand
The Beatles hold the record for the most British Christmas number ones according to Guinness World Records,
The Beatles (UK) have had four singles in the festive top spot: “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” which went to No.1 on 12 December 1963, “I Feel Fine” (10 December 1964), “Day Tripper/We Can Work it Out” (16 December 1965) and “Hello Goodbye” (6 December 1967).
In 2004, researchers discovered that the rock summit of Mont Blanc was located west of the ice-covered summit. What is the distance between these two summits?
4 m (13 feet)
26 m (85 feet)
40 m (130 feet)
Answer: 40 m (130 feet)
Researchers discovered that the rock summit of Mont Blanc is 40 metres west of its ice summit. The rock summit, which reaches 4,792 metres, is actually 40 metres west of the ice summit at 4,807 metres. This finding informed an ice core drilling programme beginning in autumn 2004.
Three
What words are missing from this book title — The … at the … of the … — the second book in a ‘trilogy’?
Answer: Restaurant; End; Universe
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, the second book in Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a trilogy in five parts, follows Arthur Dent and his companions on their cosmic adventures. The book, like its predecessor, was an adaptation of Adams’ BBC radio series.
Four
What Australian city, a state capital, stands on the Swan River?
Answer: Perth
The Swan River in southwestern Western Australia flows 224 miles from the Avon River to the Indian Ocean. It is known for its black swans and was the site of Western Australia’s first free settlement in 1829.
Five
Who played Eloise Chandler, a florist, in the 2009 film Love Happens?
Answer: Jennifer Aniston
Love Happens is a 2009 romantic drama film starring Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston. The film, about a grieving widower finding love again.
The Beatles held the festive top spot with four singles topping the UK singles chart on Christmas Day in 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1967. Which songs secured these number one positions?
Two
In 2004, researchers discovered that the rock summit of Mont Blanc was located west of the ice-covered summit. What is the distance between these two summits?
4 m (13 feet)
26 m (85 feet)
40 m (130 feet)
Three
What words are missing from this book title — The … at the … of the … — the second book in a ‘trilogy’?
Four
What Australian city, a state capital, stands on the Swan River?
Five
Who played Eloise Chandler, a florist, in the 2009 film Love Happens?
Here are the answers to the questions I posed earlier.
A bit of a mix today with questions based on literature, film and television.
The three kinds of Hobbits: Harfoots, Stoors and Fallohides. Image — Art by Lidia Postma. Tolkien Gateway
One
Fallohides and Stoors are two of the three Hobbit breeds created in J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictional history of Middle-earth. Which is the third?
Answer: Harfoots
J.R.R. Tolkien crafted a fictional history encompassing three hobbit breeds distinguished by their physical characteristics and temperaments: Harfoots, Fallohides and Stoors. Over centuries, by the time of Bilbo and Frodo, these groups had intermingled unevenly, with some families and regions favouring descent from one of the three.
Two
What TV presenter—top guy who did a tour on the farm apparently—when a child in 1972, was one of the recipients of the first prototype Paddington Bear stuffed toy, which was made by his parents?
Answer: Jeremy Clarkson
Clarkson, known for Top Gear, The Grand Tour in and Clarkson’s Farm, received the gift from his parents. Shirley and Eddie Clarkson’s small family business created the first Paddington Bear stuffed toy in 1972. This was after Michael Bond, the author and creator of Paddington, granted the Clarksons worldwide licensing rights.
Three
There were five stones in the beginning. Over the centuries, they were dispersed by wars, sold off by thieves like you.
The above quote is from a 1984 adventure film. What film, and who co-starred as Willie Scott in this film?
Answer: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a 1984 action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark, following Indiana Jones as he battles a Thuggee cult in British India. The film was a financial success but received mixed reviews due to its violence and darker themes.
Four
Zem, is an affable, yet stupid, swamp-dwelling m…
An eight-letter word, finishes the above quote from Wikipedia about a creature from the swampy planet Sqornshellous Zeta in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy?
Answer: Mattress
Zem, a swamp-dwelling mattress on Sqornshellous Zeta, befriends Marvin the Paranoid Android and witnesses Marvin’s abduction by Krikkit war robots. He appears in the novel Life, the Universe and Everything.
Five
In HBO’s Game of Thrones, what role does Gwendoline Christie play?
Answer: Brienne of Tarth
Brienne of Tarth, a skilled warrior, is sworn into Catelyn Stark’s service after being falsely accused of murder. She escorts Jaime Lannister, fights a bear, and searches for Sansa and Arya Stark. Brienne fulfils her oath to Catelyn, becomes head of Bran the Broken’s Kingsguard, and reunites with Jaime before his death.
Happy Christmas. Here are five festive questions for you.
A Visit From Saint Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore Project Gutenberg Caption “Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and Blitzen— To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall! Now, dash away, dash away, dash away all!”
One
The names for Santa’s reindeer originate from a poem known variously as A Visit from St. Nicholas (in full Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas); The Night Before Christmas or ’Twas the Night Before Christmas. In this, there are eight reindeer, and below are anagrams of their names.
(Two are doubled — two reindeer names joined by ‘and’ — for example, if we were looking for cartoon characters, ‘trendy major’ would be ‘Tom and Jerry’.) The confused reindeer are
shared
craned
cavern annex drip
me cot
up cid
Over the years, the final two reindeer have had various names, so I’ve provided you with three versions: (1) is from the original publication, (2) is from Project Gutenberg, and (3) is [possibly] the best known.
darn mixed bundle
bland intruded zen
bland intern zoned
Answers
Dasher
Dancer
Prancer and Vixen
Comet
Cupid
The final two reindeer with their various names
Dunder and Blixem — published in the Sentinel of Troy, New York, on 23 December 1823
There is an even greater variety of spellings for the last two names than I’ve shown. A quick look online finds, for example, the Poetry Foundation using Donder and Blitzen from The Random House Book of Poetry for Children (Random House Inc., 1983).
Two
A writer best known for his 1900 novel, which was adapted into a musical film in 1939, penned The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus in 1902. In this work, he renamed Santa’s reindeer and increased their number to ten: Flossie, Glossie, Racer, Pacer, Fearless, Peerless, Ready, Steady, Feckless and Speckless. Who was the writer, and what was the title of his 1900 novel?
Answer: L. Frank Baum; The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a 1900 children’s novel by L. Frank Baum, follows Dorothy’s journey in the magical Land of Oz. The book’s success led to thirteen sequels, and it is considered a beloved American fairytale. The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus is a 1902 children’s book by L. Frank Baum. The story follows Claus, a human raised by fairies in the Forest of Burzee, who becomes known for his kindness to children and his gift-giving. After a battle with the evil Awgwas, Claus is granted immortality and becomes the immortal Santa Claus, with his deputies Wisk, Peter, Kilter, and Nuter.
Three
In Arthur C. Clarke’s short story The Star (1955), the faith of a Jesuit priest is tried when he discovers the Star of Bethlehem was actually a… — What nine-letter word completes this?
Answer: Supernova
The Star is a 1955 science fiction short story by Arthur C. Clarke. It follows a group of space explorers who discover the remnants of an advanced civilisation destroyed by a supernova. The story explores themes of faith and the intersection of religion and science, culminating in a crisis of faith for the chief astrophysicist, a Jesuit priest.
Four
The first solo female vocalist to reach number one on the UK Christmas chart simultaneously topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks – a record at the time. Who was the singer and with what song did she achieve these feats?
Answer: Whitney Houston: I Will Always Love You
I Will Always Love You from The Bodyguard soundtrack, spent 14 weeks at number one on the Hot 100, won GRAMMYs and was selected by the Library of Congress to be preserved in the National Recording Registry.
Five
Christmas crept into Pine Cove like a creeping Christmas thing: dragging garland, ribbon, and sleigh bells, oozing eggnog, reeking of pine, and threatening festive doom like a cold sore under the mistletoe.”
This is the opening of ‘Christmas Creeps’, which is chapter one of what novel, and who wrote it?
Answer: The Stupidest Angel or The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror; Christopher Moore
The Stupidest Angel is a 2004 novel by Christopher Moore, set in the fictional town of Pine Cove. The story follows an angel named Raziel, who accidentally turns the townspeople into zombies while trying to grant a child’s wish. The novel won the 2005 Quill Award for Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror.
Six
The creature who performed the wedding ceremony in The Owl and the Pussycat is popular at Christmas. What is this creature?
Answer: Turkey
The creature is a turkey — specifically, ‘the Turkey who lives on the hill’ from Edward Lear’s poem The Owl and the Pussycat. Turkey is very popular as a dinner ingredient at Christmas.
Seven
What Christmas ballet features the ‘Sugar Plum Fairy’?
Answer: The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker, a two-act ballet by Tchaikovsky, premiered in 1892. Though initially not as successful as the Nutcracker Suite, it gained popularity and is now performed by many ballet companies, especially in North America.
Eight
In A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown visits a psychiatric booth for help with his problems. Who runs this booth?
Answer: Lucy Van Pelt
A Charlie Brown Christmas is a 1965 animated TV special based on the Peanuts comic strip. It follows Charlie Brown as he struggles with holiday depression and directs a neighbourhood Christmas play.
Nine
In which decade did the first commercially available Christmas cards go on sale to the public?
Answer: 1840s
The first commercially available Christmas card, designed by John Callcott Horsley in 1843, depicted a family toasting and scenes of charity. Early British cards favoured fanciful designs, humour, and sentimentality over winter or religious themes.
Ten
White Christmas is Guinness World Records’ best-selling single. Who composed the song, for what film was it written, and who sang it in that film?
Answer: Irving Berlin; Holiday Inn (1942)
White Christmas was composed by Irving Berlin for Holiday Inn and sung by Bing Crosby. It has sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide, having topped the charts for eleven weeks in 1942 and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Elton John’s tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, Candle in the Wind 1997, has sold 33 million copies.
I hope you are having a Happy Christmas and continue to do so. At the moment, I do not have posts planned for the next couple of days, but I’ll see what happens.
Happy Christmas. Here are five festive questions for you.
A Visit From Saint Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore Project Gutenberg
One
The names for Santa’s reindeer originate from a poem known variously as A Visit from St. Nicholas (in full Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas); The Night Before Christmas or ’Twas the Night Before Christmas. In this, there are eight reindeer, and below are anagrams of their names.
(Two are doubled — two reindeer names joined by ‘and’ — for example, if we were looking for cartoon characters, ‘trendy major’ would be ‘Tom and Jerry’.) The confused reindeer are
shared
craned
cavern annex drip
me cot
up cid
Over the years, the final two reindeer have had various names, so I’ve provided you with three versions: (1) is from the original publication, (2) is from Project Gutenberg, and (3) is [possibly] the best known.
darn mixed bundle
bland intruded zen
bland intern zoned
Two
A writer best known for his 1900 novel, which was adapted into a musical film in 1939, penned The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus in 1902. In this work, he renamed Santa’s reindeer and increased their number to ten: Flossie, Glossie, Racer, Pacer, Fearless, Peerless, Ready, Steady, Feckless and Speckless. Who was the writer, and what was the title of his 1900 novel?
Three
In Arthur C. Clarke’s short story The Star (1955), the faith of a Jesuit priest is tried when he discovers the Star of Bethlehem was actually a… — What nine-letter word completes this?
Four
The first solo female vocalist to reach number one on the UK Christmas chart simultaneously topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks – a record at the time. Who was the singer and with what song did she achieve these feats?
Five
Christmas crept into Pine Cove like a creeping Christmas thing: dragging garland, ribbon, and sleigh bells, oozing eggnog, reeking of pine, and threatening festive doom like a cold sore under the mistletoe.”
This is the opening of ‘Christmas Creeps’, which is chapter one of what novel, and who wrote it?
Six
The creature who performed the wedding ceremony in The Owl and the Pussycat is popular at Christmas. What is this creature?
Seven
What Christmas ballet features the ‘Sugar Plum Fairy’?
Eight
In A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown visits a psychiatric booth for help with his problems. Who runs this booth?
Nine
In which decade did the first commercially available Christmas cards go on sale to the public?
Ten
White Christmas is Guinness World Records’ best-selling single. Who composed the song, for what film was it written, and who sang it in that film?
Here are the answers to the questions posed in my earlier post.
Today’s questions all relate to December 24th.
See question 5. Taken aboard Apollo 8 by Bill Anders, this iconic picture shows Earth peeking out from beyond the lunar surface as the first crewed spacecraft circumnavigated the Moon, with astronauts Anders, Frank Borman, and Jim Lovell aboard. Image NASA
One
The Wrong Sort of Bees, published in London’s Evening News on 24 December 1925, introduced a fictional anthropomorphic character to children’s literature and entertainment. Who was this character, and who was the author?
Answer: Winnie-the-Pooh; AA Milne
Winnie-the-Pooh, a fictional teddy bear created by AA Milne and EH Shepard, first appeared in a 1925 children’s story. The character, inspired by Milne’s son’s toy and a bear at London Zoo, became the subject of several books and was later adapted into a successful Disney franchise.
Two
Kiritimati (pronounced Kir-is-Maas) part of the Republic of Kiribati was named by a British naval officer and explorer who visited in 1777. In what ocean is Kiritimati, and who named it?
Answer: Pacific Ocean; Captain James Cook
The name given to it by Captain Cook as he visited on Christmas Eve was Christmas Island. In Gilbertese, ‘Christmas’ is ‘Kiritimati’, the combination ‘ti’ is pronounced as ‘s’.
Three
In which year did the first Christmas truce of World War I occur?
Answer: 1914
The Christmas truce was a series of unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front during World War I.
Four
What armed forces invaded Afghanistan on this day in 1979?
Answer: Soviet Union
Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan in December 1979, supporting the communist government against anti-communist Muslim guerrillas until February 1989.
Five
In 1968, in a television broadcast from space the crew of Apollo 8 read the first ten verses of the Genesis creation narrative from the King James Bible. What specific feat did the Apollo 8 mission achieve?
Answer: The answer is any, or all, of the points listed below
Apollo 8 was the first crewed spacecraft to leave Earth’s gravitational sphere of influence.
It was also the first human spaceflight to reach the Moon.
The crew orbited the Moon ten times without landing.
The three astronauts, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders, were the first humans to see and photograph the far side of the Moon.
They also witnessed and photographed an Earthrise (see image).
On Christmas Eve 1968, the Apollo 8 crew, the first humans to orbit the Moon, read from the Book of Genesis during a live television broadcast from lunar orbit. The reading, which was heard by an estimated one billion people worldwide, was a suggestion from Christine Laitin, the wife of one of those working on the project. Mrs Laitin had been a member of the French Resistance during World War II.
See question 5. Taken aboard Apollo 8 by Bill Anders, this iconic picture shows Earth peeking out from beyond the lunar surface as the first crewed spacecraft circumnavigated the Moon, with astronauts Anders, Frank Borman, and Jim Lovell aboard. Image NASA
One
The Wrong Sort of Bees, published in London’s Evening News on 24 December 1925, introduced a fictional anthropomorphic character to children’s literature and entertainment. Who was this character, and who was the author?
Two
Kiritimati (pronounced Kir-is-Maas) part of the Republic of Kiribati was named by a British naval officer and explorer who visited in 1777. In what ocean is Kiritimati, and who named it?
Three
In which year did the first Christmas truce of World War I occur?
Four
What armed forces invaded Afghanistan on this day in 1979?
Five
In 1968, in a television broadcast from space the crew of Apollo 8 read the first ten verses of the Genesis creation narrative from the King James Bible. What specific feat did the Apollo 8 mission achieve?
In 1815, Jane Austen published her fourth novel, which was later adapted into a film in 1996. What was the title of the book?
Answer: Emma
Jane Austen’s 1815 novel, Emma, follows the matchmaking misadventures of Emma Woodhouse in the fictional town of Highbury.
Two
Who, born in 1933, became the 125th emperor of Japan in 1989, and how did his reign end in 2019?
Answer: Akihito; abdication
Akihito, the 125th emperor of Japan, reigned from 1989 to 2019. He abdicated in favour of his son, Crown Prince Naruhito.
Three
In 1888, what two artists were involved in ‘the incident at the Yellow House’, and what injury happened to one of them?
Answers: Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin; Van Gogh cut off part of his left ear
Vincent van Gogh cut off part of his ear in 1888 after a heated argument with fellow artist Paul Gauguin. The incident, possibly linked to van Gogh’s mental health struggles, led to his hospitalisation and Gauguin’s departure from Arles.
Four
In 2001, which South American nation announced the suspension of payments on its external debt marking the largest debt default in history?
Answer: Argentina
Argentina’s economy experienced a severe recession from 1998 to 2002, culminating in a US$93 billion debt default in 2001. This led to a rapid devaluation of the peso, soaring inflation, and a significant drop in GDP.
Five
Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was born in 1805. Which US state was his birthplace?
Answer: Vermont
Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, translated golden plates into the Book of Mormon. His teachings, including revelations and polygamy, were recorded and published.
In 1990, the country whose flag is shown above put into effect its constitution. What is that country?
Answer: Croatia
The Republic of Croatia’s Constitution was promulgated today in 1990. It grants civil rights, including freedom of speech, religion, information, and association, as well as guaranteeing equality of nationalities.
Two
What gate in Berlin was reopened in 1989, having been obstructed and inaccessible during the Cold War?
Answer: Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate, a Berlin landmark, symbolises both Germany’s division and reunification. Built in the late 18th century, it was closed off during the Berlin Wall era and reopened in 1989, marking a pivotal moment in German history.
Three
In 1965, Doctor Zhivago premiered. Who played Larissa Ameliava Antipova in the film and whose 1957 novel was the film an adaption?
Answers: Julie Christie; Boris Pasternak
Doctor Zhivago, a 1965 American film directed by David Lean, is a sweeping adaptation of Boris Pasternak’s novel. The film, set against the backdrop of World War I and the Russian Revolution, follows the love story between physician and poet Yury Zhivago and Larissa Ameliava Antipova, ‘Lara’. Despite mixed reviews, the film became a box-office success, known for its grand scale, cinematography, and Maurice Jarre’s score. Boris Pasternak’s novel, Doctor Zhivago, although published in 1957, was banned in the Soviet Union until 1987.
Four
In 1894, Alfred Dreyfus, a French army officer, was sentenced to life imprisonment for treason and sent to Devil’s Island, a remote penal colony, to serve his sentence. Four years later, his case was the subject of a now-famous letter, *J’Accuse…!, *which was published in the French press. Where was Devil’s Island, and who wrote J’Accuse…!?
Answers: French Guiana; Émile Zola
The Devil’s Island penal colony, officially the penal colony of Cayenne, in French Guiana operated from 1852 to 1952. It was notorious for harsh treatment, high mortality rates, and the exile of political prisoners like Captain Dreyfus. Émile Zola’s open letter, J’Accuse…!, published in 1898, accused the French government of antisemitism and the unlawful jailing of Alfred Dreyfus. The letter, published in L’Aurore, sparked international outrage and led to Zola’s prosecution for libel. The letter heightened support for Dreyfus
Five
In 1941, two weeks after Pearl Harbor, the US president and British prime minister met in Washington DC to discuss World War II. Who were these two men?
Answers: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill
The First Washington Conference, attended by Roosevelt and Churchill, prioritised defeating Germany and established the Combined Chiefs of Staff. Allies committed to the Declaration by United Nations, vowing no separate peace and full resource utilisation.
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