Tag: miscellany

Mixed Up—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

Unscramble the capitalised ANAGRAM to find the answer in each of the following questions phrases and clues.

See question four. Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris).
Image Wikipedia

Example

Washington DC is the capital of the ESTATE NUDIST

Answer: United States

One

A quote from the BBC in which the first ANAGRAM is a band name, the second and third are a singer’s name.

When the ITCHY SERUM scored their first global hit in the early 1980s all eyes were on ONLINE ANNEX, the singer whose powerful androgynous look defied the male gaze.

and

The video accompanying the single, in which ONLINE ANNEX appeared with closely cropped orange hair and wearing a man’s business suit, was both striking and surreal. …extraordinary image was at odds with her female contemporaries.

— BBC

What is the band (One word) and who is the singer? (First name and surname)

Answer: Eurythmics; Annie Lennox

In 1983, the Eurythmics achieved global chart success, topping the US charts with their hit Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). Scottish singer-songwriter Annie Lennox achieved international success with Dave Stewart in the Eurythmics in the 1980s. She embarked on a successful solo career in 1992, releasing six studio albums and winning numerous awards, including eight Brit Awards and four Grammy Awards. Lennox is also a prominent political and social activist, raising awareness for HIV/AIDS and women’s empowerment.

Two

This Oxford English Dictionary definition for pewter has what element mixed up: ‘a grey alloy of tin with copper and MY NATION.’ (One word)

Answer: Antimony

Antimony (Sb), a lustrous grey metal or metalloid, is primarily sourced from stibnite (Sb2S3). It is used in alloys, flame retardants, semiconductors, and historically in medicine and cosmetics. Historically, pewter was an alloy of tin with up to 40% lead.

Argentinian tennis player Guillermo Vilas at the 1974 Dutch Open tournament.
Image Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0 nl
File:Guillermo Vilas.jpg Created: 14 July 1974

Three

In 1977, this Argentinian tennis player set a record of a 53-match winning streak on clay courts, which stood until it was surpassed by Rafael Nadal in 2006. He will be found in VILLAGE RUM SILO. (First name and surname)

Answer: Guillermo Vilas

Guillermo Vilas is an Argentine former professional tennis player. Argentine Guillermo Vilas, a former professional tennis player, was ranked world No. 1 in the Grand Prix seasons of 1974, 1975 and 1977. He won 62 singles titles, including four majors, and is renowned for his dominance on clay courts, holding the record for most clay court match wins. Despite studies suggesting he should have been ranked No. 1 for seven weeks, the ATP has not officially recognised this.

Four

A species of thrush (see picture at the top of this post): DEAF RIFLE

Answer: Fieldfare

The fieldfare is a migratory thrush found in northern Europe and the Palearctic. It breeds in woodland and scrub, and winters in the UK, Southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

A sign on the Eyre Highway indicating that an RFDS emergency airstrip is ahead. There are three such strips on the highway.
Image Wikipedia

Five

This sign for a Flying Doctor Service emergency airstrip is on what Australian road which crosses the Nullarbor Plain: GEE HAIRY WHY (two words)

Answer: Eyre Highway

Eyre Highway, a 1,664-kilometre highway, links Western Australia and South Australia via the Nullarbor Plain. Constructed during World War II, it was initially named Forrest Highway before being officially named after explorer Edward John Eyre.

Mixed Up

Unscramble the capitalised ANAGRAM to find the answer in each of the following questions phrases and clues.

See question four.
Image Wikipedia (Attribution link in answer post)

Example

Washington DC is the capital of the ESTATE NUDIST

United States

One

A quote from the BBC in which the first ANAGRAM is a band name, the second and third are a singer’s name.

When the ITCHY SERUM scored their first global hit in the early 1980s all eyes were on ONLINE ANNEX, the singer whose powerful androgynous look defied the male gaze.

and

The video accompanying the single, in which ONLINE ANNEX appeared with closely cropped orange hair and wearing a man’s business suit, was both striking and surreal. …extraordinary image was at odds with her female contemporaries.

— BBC

What is the band (One word) and who is the singer? (First name and surname)

Two

This Oxford English Dictionary definition for pewter has what element mixed up: ‘a grey alloy of tin with copper and MY NATION.’ (One word)

Argentinian tennis player VILLAGE RUM SILO at the 1974 Dutch Open tournament.
Image Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0 nl
(Attribution links in answer post)

Three

In 1977, this Argentinian tennis player set a record of a 53-match winning streak on clay courts, which stood until it was surpassed by Rafael Nadal in 2006. He will be found in VILLAGE RUM SILO. (First name and surname)

Four

A species of thrush (see picture at the top of this post): DEAF RIFLE

A sign on the GEE HAIRY WHY indicating that an RFDS emergency airstrip is ahead. There are three such strips on the highway.
Image Wikipedia (Attribution link in answer post)

Five

This sign for a Flying Doctor Service emergency airstrip is on what Australian road which crosses the Nullarbor Plain: GEE HAIRY WHY (two words)

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Now You See It, Now You Don’t—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

Today’s Question 1 concerns the revocation of an award on this date, November 19th. The subsequent questions explore a similar theme, focusing on disqualification, revocation or stripping of awards, medals and other honours.

Grammy Award.
Image Recording Academy

One

Which pop duo had their 1989 Grammy Award for Best New Artist revoked on 19 November 1990 after it was revealed they had not actually sung on their album?

Answer: Milli Vanilli

This remains the only time in Grammy history that an award has been formally withdrawn.

Two

Which professional cyclist had all of his Tour de France titles stripped after a major doping investigation, and how many titles were involved?

Answer: Lance Armstrong; seven (1999–2005)

Armstrong was stripped of seven titles (1999–2005). After his disqualification, race organisers chose not to award his vacated titles to anyone else.

Three

In 2024, the arrest and subsequent conviction of a multi-BAFTA award winner forced the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to amend its procedures to include the power to retrospectively strip future award winners should they be convicted of a crime. Whose arrest and conviction led to this change?

Answer: Huw Edwards

Huw Edwards, a Welsh news presenter, was the lead presenter of BBC News at Ten from 2003 to 2023. He resigned from the BBC in 2024 after pleading guilty to child pornography offences.

Ben Johnson, 2017.
Image Wikipedia

Four

Which Canadian sprinter was stripped of his 1988 Olympic gold medal in the 100 metres after testing positive for steroids?

Answer: Ben Johnson.

His world-record-breaking time of 9.79 seconds was erased, and the gold medal was reassigned to American runner Carl Lewis.

Five

What event in 1966 saw the competitors who finished in the first four places disqualified because of a single filament bulb?

Answer: Monte Carlo Rally

In 1966, the Monte Carlo Rally was marred by controversy when the winning Minis were disqualified for using an illegal lighting system with non-standard bulbs. Despite the disqualification, the incident generated significant publicity for the Minis and the rally, ultimately leading to a Mini victory in 1967. The event highlighted the growing professionalism of rallying and the complexities of navigating evolving regulations.

Now You See It, Now You Don’t

Today’s Question 1 concerns the revocation of an award on this date, November 19th. The subsequent questions explore a similar theme, focusing on disqualification, revocation or stripping of awards, medals and other honours.

Grammy Award.
Image Recording Academy

One

Which pop duo had their 1989 Grammy Award for Best New Artist revoked on 19 November 1990 after it was revealed they had not actually sung on their album?

Two

Which professional cyclist had all of his Tour de France titles stripped after a major doping investigation, and how many titles were involved?

Three

In 2024, the arrest and subsequent conviction of a multi-BAFTA award winner forced the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to amend its procedures to include the power to retrospectively strip future award winners should they be convicted of a crime. Whose arrest and conviction led to this change?

Four

Which Canadian sprinter was stripped of his 1988 Olympic gold medal in the 100 metres after testing positive for steroids?

Five

What event in 1966 saw the competitors who finished in the first four places disqualified because of a single filament bulb?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Bits and Pieces —Answers

Here are the answers to my earlier post.

Poker Night.
Image Pinterest

One

Thomas Hart Benton’s 1948 painting Poker Night depicts a scene from which Tennessee Williams play?

Answer: A Streetcar Named Desire

Two

What skill can be called funambulism?

Answer: Tightrope walking

Three

A ribauldequin was a type of musical instrument. Is this true or false?

Answer: False

It was a type of multiple barrelled gun

Four

The Taj Mahal is located on the south bank of what river?

Answer: Yamuna

The Taj Mahal, an ivory-white marble mausoleum in Agra, India, was commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1631 to house the tomb of his wife Mumtaz Mahal.

Five

Who is the world’s best-selling fiction writer?

Answer: Agatha Christie

The world’s best-selling fiction writer is the late Dame Agatha Christie (née Miller, later Lady Mallowan, 1890–1976), whose 78 crime novels have sold an estimated 2 billion copies in 44 languages. Agatha Christie (UK) also wrote 19 plays and, under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, six romantic novels. Royalty earnings are estimated to be worth millions per year.

— Guinness World Records 05/10/2025.

Bits and Pieces

Here are five unrelated questions.

Poker Night.
Image Pinterest

One

Thomas Hart Benton’s 1948 painting Poker Night depicts a scene from which Tennessee Williams play?

Two

What skill can be called funambulism?

Three

A ribauldequin was a type of musical instrument. Is this true or false?

Four

The Taj Mahal is located on the south bank of what river?

Five

Who is the world’s best-selling fiction writer?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Lists too…—Answers

Here are today’s answers.

One

An alphabetical list begins with the numbers 2, 6 and 21. The surname “2” starts with “A” and includes “John” somewhere in the name. What is the subject of this list and which names (their full names as commonly known) are associated with these three numbers in this context?

Answer: Presidents of the US. John Adams, John Quincy Adams and Chester A. Arthur

The second, sixth and twenty-first presidents of the US listed alphabetically by their surnames, ie, Adams, Adams and Arthur.

Two

Tanner, Bob, Florin and … were names for various coins used in pre-decimal currency in the UK. The fourth coin in this ascending list is missing but it’s the sum of two already listed. Can you name it and give the face value in old pence (d) for each of the four coins?

Answer: Half-crown. 6d, 12d, 24d and 30d

Tanner (aka sixpence) 6d (2.5p)
Bob (shilling) 12d (5p)
Florin (two bob or two shillings) 24d (10p)
Half-crown (two shillings and sixpence or 2/6 (pronounced ’2 and 6’)) 30d (12.5p)
Old British currency was known as pounds, shillings and pence or ’l.s.d.’ from Latin librae ( ‘pounds’), solidi, denarii (both denoting Roman coins).

Three

Arrange these capital cities by latitude from north to south: Baku, Azerbaijan; Beijing, China; London, UK; Ottawa, Canada; and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Answer: London, UK; Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; Ottawa, Canada; Baku, Azerbaijan and Beijing, China

London Coordinates: 51°30′26″N 
Ulaanbaatar Coordinates: 47°55′19″N
Ottawa Coordinates: 45°25′29″N 
Baku Coordinates: 40°23′43″N  
Beijing Coordinates 39°54′24″N

Four

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Gosford Park; and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
These films were all nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award but none of them won it. Put them in chronological order of the year of their release?

Answer: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Gosford Park, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was released 2000; Gosford Park, 2001 and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers in 2002.

Lists too…

Four more questions about lists.

One

An alphabetical list begins with the numbers 2, 6 and 21. The surname “2” starts with “A” and includes “John” somewhere in the name. What is the subject of this list and which names (their full names as commonly known) are associated with these three numbers in this context?

Two

Tanner, Bob, Florin and … were names for various coins used in pre-decimal currency in the UK. The fourth coin in this ascending list is missing but it’s the sum of two already listed. Can you name it and give the face value in old pence (d) for each of the four coins?

Three

Arrange these capital cities by latitude from north to south: Baku, Azerbaijan; Beijing, China; London, UK; Ottawa, Canada; and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Four

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Gosford Park; and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
These films were all nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award but none of them won it. Put them in chronological order of the year of their release?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Space Oddity—Answers

Here are the answers to my earlier post

LRV-1, Apollo 15.
Image Wikipedia

One

Who was the first astronaut to drive a Lunar Rover on the Moon’s surface?

Answer: David Scott

Between July 30 and August 2, 1971, David Scott, commander of Apollo 15, drove the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV-1) for 3 hours and 2 minutes. These journeys covered A total of 17.25 miles (27.76 km) across the lunar surface. Apollo 15(LRV-1) 17.25 miles (27.76 km) 3 h 02 min 7.75 miles (12.47 km) 3.1 miles (5.0 km)

Two

What, in Roman numerals, is the sum of LXXXIV and DCCLIX?

Answer: DCCCXLIII

LXXXIV =

  • L = 50
  • XXX = 30
  • IV = 4
    → 50 + 30 + 4 = 84

DCCLIX =

  • D = 500
  • CC = 200
  • L = 50
  • IX = 9
    → 500 + 200 + 50 + 9 = 759

84 + 759 = 843

Convert 843 to Roman numerals:

  • 800 = DCCC
  • 40 = XL
  • 3 = III

→ 843 = DCCCXLIII

Three

John F. Kennedy had a dog called Dunker. What breed was it?

Answer: Dachshund

The Dachshund is a small, long-bodied dog breed originally developed in Germany to hunt badgers. The name literally means ‘badger dog’—Dachs = badger, Hund = dog. They’re often called ‘sausage dogs’ because of their shape.

Four

Which character in a work by Alexandre Dumas was possibly inspired by the vengeful shoemaker Pierre Picaud of Nîmes?

Answer: Edmond Dantes, The Count of Monte Cristo

Pierre Picaud, a shoemaker from Nîmes, is believed to have inspired Edmond Dantès, the protagonist of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.
Picaud’s story is strikingly similar to that of Dantès. In the early 19th century, Picaud was wrongfully imprisoned due to the betrayal of his friends and his fiancée. During his imprisonment in the Château d’If, he met an old man who shared with him knowledge of treasure hidden on the island of Monte Cristo. Upon his release, Picaud used this treasure to exact revenge on those who had wronged him, much like Edmond Dantès does in Dumas’ novel.
This story of Picaud’s life—his unjust imprisonment, subsequent escape, and thirst for vengeance—closely mirrors the narrative of The Count of Monte Cristo.

Five

Please list the US states whose names start with the letter ‘M’?

Answer: Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri and Montana

Space Oddity

Today’s questions are random and unrelated.

LRV-1.
Image Wikipedia

One

Who was the first astronaut to drive a Lunar Rover on the Moon’s surface?

Two

What, in Roman numerals, is the sum of LXXXIV and DCCLIX?

Three

John F. Kennedy had a dog called Dunker. What breed was it?

Four

Which character in a work by Alexandre Dumas was possibly inspired by the vengeful shoemaker Pierre Picaud of Nîmes?

Five

Please list the US states whose names start with the letter ‘M’?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.