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.
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.
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?
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
A cathedral located in the Bebelplatz, Berlin, Germany is named St …
Hagrid’s
Hedwig’s
Hogwart’s
Answer: Hedwig’s
St. Hedwig’s Cathedral, the Catholic cathedral of the Archdiocese of Berlin, was built in Baroque style from 1747 to 1773. Damaged in WWII, it was restored in post-war modernist style and reopened in 2024 with a modern interior design.
Two
This has connected Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsula’s since 1957?
Big Bang
Big Easy
Big Mac
Answer: Big Mac
The Mackinac Bridge, a suspension bridge connecting Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas, spans the Straits of Mackinac. Opened in 1957, it is the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere and part of Interstate 75.
Three
Who played the bride’s father in the 1950 version of Father of the Bride?
Cary Grant
James Stewart
Spencer Tracy
Answer: Spencer Tracy
Father of the Bride is a 1950 romantic comedy film about a man coping with his daughter’s wedding preparations.
Four
What is the community of Ballarat in Australia most associated with?
Ballet
Gold
Surfing
Answer: Gold
Ballarat, a city in Victoria, Australia, experienced rapid growth during the Victorian gold rush in the 1850s. The Eureka Rebellion, a significant event in Australian history, occurred in Ballarat in 1854. Today, Ballarat is a major regional centre known for its history, culture and well-preserved colonial heritage.
Five
What channel is found between mainland Italy and Sicily?
Strait of Bonifacio
Strait of Messina
Strait of Otranto
Answer: Strait of Messina
The Strait of Messina, connecting the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas, separates Sicily from Calabria in Southern Italy.
Bunker on the Old Course, St Andrews. Image Lee Abbamonte
One
Golf courses traditionally include hazards like bunkers (sand traps). Is it true or false that the word ‘bunker’ originates from the Flemish dialect of Dutch?
— Answer: False
The word bunker originates from the Scots language.
OED’s earliest evidence for bunker is from before 1758, in the writing of Allan Ramsay, poet.
Bunker
1 a large container or compartment for storing fuel: a coal bunker.
2 a reinforced underground shelter, typically for use in wartime.
3 a hollow filled with sand, used as an obstacle on a golf course.
– ORIGIN mid 16th century (originally Scots, denoting a seat or bench): perhaps related to bunk1.
— Oxford English Dictionary
Brooklyn Bridge. Chromolithograph of the “Great East River Suspension Bridge” by Currier and Ives, created in 1883. Image Wikipedia
Two
Is it true or false that vaults constructed within the ramps of New York’s Brooklyn Bridge were used as arsenals storing weapons for the National Guard?
— Answer: False
The New York City government rented out vaults under the Manhattan anchorage of the bridge starting in 1876 to fund maintenance. These vaults, used for wine storage due to their consistent temperature, were closed during WWI and Prohibition but reopened later. By the late 20th-century the spaces were being used as storage for maintenance equipment.
This 3D topographical view of Antarctica gives an idea of its high elevations and mountains with ice that covers them. A topographical map shows the elevation and other features of a land surface in greater detail. Credit: NASA
Three
The South Pole is significantly colder than the North Pole during both summer and winter, as shown in a comparison of their average temperatures. Is the foregoing statement true or false?
The North Pole is located in the Arctic Ocean, which is mostly covered in sea ice due to its cold climate. This sea ice floats over water, affecting its thickness as the ocean warms the air and the water below the ice changes temperature. In contrast, Antarctica is a dry, high continent with extremely thick ice, up to 3 miles (5 kilometres), forming a plateau above sea level. The ice sits on tall mountains, and as altitude increases, the air becomes colder. The South Pole is significantly colder than the North Pole due to strong winds surrounding Antarctica, which prevent warmer air from mixing with the cold polar air. These winds are unimpeded by land, unlike around the Arctic, where land slows down the winds, allowing warmer air from the south to occasionally mix with the polar air, making the Arctic relatively warmer.
Four
Millvina Dean Memorial Stone, Southampton, UK. Image Wikipedia
Is it true or false that the last survivor of the RMS Titanic died in 2009?
— Answer: True
Millvina Dean, the last living survivor of the Titanic, was born in 1912 and boarded the ship as a nine-week-old infant with her family. After the Titanic sank, her mother returned to England with Millvina and her brother, as their father perished. Millvina became involved in Titanic-related events in her later years, but declined to see the film Titanic and criticised the BBC for a Doctor Who episode featuring a similar ship.
Five
The US State of New Hampshire had a law which required margarine to be dyed pink. Is this statement true or false?
— Answer: True
Margarine, created in 1869 as a cost-effective substitute for butter, encountered significant resistance from the American dairy industry. Although it was favoured by the lower classes, margarine was taxed and prohibited in various states, with critics arguing it endangered the American lifestyle. By 1902, 32 states imposed restrictions on margarine’s colour, with Vermont, New Hampshire, and South Dakota requiring pink dye. The Supreme Court eventually invalidated the ‘pink laws’ but maintained the ban on yellow margarine.
We have five random true or false questions today.
One
Golf courses traditionally include hazards like bunkers (sand traps). Is it true or false that the word ‘bunker’ originates from the Flemish dialect of Dutch?
Two
Is it true or false that vaults constructed within the ramps of New York’s Brooklyn Bridge were used as arsenals storing weapons for the National Guard?
Three
The South Pole is significantly colder than the North Pole during both summer and winter, as shown in a comparison of their average temperatures. Is the foregoing statement true or false?
Four
Is it true or false that the last survivor of the RMS Titanic died in 2009?
Five
The US State of New Hampshire had a law which required margarine to be dyed pink. Is this statement true or false?
Quizology Online 