Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, 1961. Image Wikipedia
One
In the 1961 comedy Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Audrey Hepburn stars as Holly Golightly. Born on this date in 1924, who wrote the novella that inspired the film?
Two
In an attempt to appease Adolf Hitler, Great Britain and France agreed to Hitler’s demand for the annexation of the Sudetenland, a region in what former country?
Three
…professional tennis player who became the youngest person in the “open” era to win a Grand Slam singles title and the youngest to be ranked world number one. In her relatively short, injury-plagued career, she won five Grand Slam singles titles—the Australian Open (1997, 1998, 1999), Wimbledon (1997), and the United States Open (1997).
This quote refers to a tennis player born in 1980 in Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia). Who is she?
Four
Today in 1949, an airlift delivering 2,323,738 tons of food, fuel, machinery, and other supplies was officially ended. To what city was this relief supplied?
Five
An opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart premiered in Austria on this day in 1791. According to Encyclopædia Britannica, ‘It is an allegory of the quest for wisdom and enlightenment presented through Freemasonry symbols’. What is the opera?
Here are the answers to the questions from my earlier post.
Ocelots are active especially during dawn and dusk. Image Wikipedia
One
Which fictional character habitually wears a charcoal turtleneck, Harris Tweed jacket, khakis and collegiate cordovan loafers; and which author created him?
Answer: Robert Langdon (created by) Dan Brown
Robert Langdon, a fictional character created by author Dan Brown for his Robert Langdon book series: Angels & Demons (2000), The Da Vinci Code (2003), The Lost Symbol (2009), Inferno (2013), Origin (2017), and The Secret of Secrets (2025). He is a Harvard University professor of Religious Iconology and Symbology (a fictional field).
Tom Hanks portrays Langdon in the Robert Langdon film series; starting with the 2006 film adaptation of The Da Vinci Code, reprising the role in the 2009 film adaptation of Angels & Demons, and again in the 2016 film adaptation of Inferno, while Ashley Zukerman plays a younger version of the character in the 2021 TV series adaptation of The Lost Symbol.
Two
Is it true or false that in zoology, a crepuscular animal is one which lives on a seashore in the areas between the high and low tide marks?
Answer: False
In zoology, a crepuscular animal is one that is active primarily during the twilight period, being matutinal (active during dawn), vespertine/vespertinal (active during dusk), or both. This is distinguished from diurnal and nocturnal behaviour, where an animal is active during the hours of daytime and of night, respectively. Some crepuscular animals may also be active by moonlight or during an overcast day.
Who was the British prime minister at the time of the abdication crisis, when King Edward VIII renounced the throne?
Answer: Stanley Baldwin
Baldwin served as Prime Minister from May 1935 to June 1937. He held office under three kings: George V, his eldest son Edward VIII, who abdicated and was succeeded by his brother Albert, who took the regnal name King George VI. In 1936, King Edward VIII’s proposed marriage to Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American, caused a constitutional crisis. The British government and the Church of England, of which the monarch is head, opposed the marriage. Consequently Edward abdicated in favour of his brother.
The Doors c. 1966: Jim Morrison (L), John Densmore (C), Robby Krieger (R), and Ray Manzarek (seated). Image Wikipedia
Four
The Doors chose their band name from a 1954 work by what author (1894-1963)?
Answer: Aldous Huxley
Morrison took the band’s name from Aldous Huxley’s book on mescaline, The Doors of Perception (1954), which in turn refers to a line in a poem by Romantic artist and writer William Blake. — Encyclopædia Britannica
Five
Can you name three players chosen for the European 2025 Ryder Cup team whose surnames begin with the same letter?
Answer: Tyrrell Hatton, Rasmus Højgaard and Viktor Hovland
The players are Ludvig Åberg, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Rasmus Højgaard, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Robert MacIntyre, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose and Sepp Straka.
Which fictional character habitually wears a charcoal turtleneck, Harris Tweed jacket, khakis and collegiate cordovan loafers; and which author created him?
Two
Is it true or false that in zoology, a crepuscular animal is one which lives on a seashore in the areas between the high and low tide marks?
Three
Who was the British prime minister at the time of the abdication crisis, when King Edward VIII renounced the throne?
Four
The Doors chose their band name from a 1954 work by what author (1894-1963)?
Five
Can you name three players chosen for the European 2025 Ryder Cup team whose surnames begin with the same letter?
Here are the answers for the questions I posted earlier.
Sylvia’s Mother, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show. Image CD and LP
One
Mrs Avery is the title character in which 1972 song by Dr. Hook; and what was the full name of the band at the time of the original release?
Answer: Sylvia’s Mother and Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show
Sylvia’s Mother, written by Shel Silverstein and originally performed by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, was their first hit. It reached number five on the Billboard singles chart and topped charts in several countries. The band kept this name until 1975 when they shortened it to Dr. Hook.
Thetis Dipping the Infant Achilles into the River Styx by Peter Paul Rubens (c. 1625); Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam. Image Wikipedia
Two
Achilles was dipped into which river by his mother to make him invulnerable?
Answer: Styx
Legend claims Achilles was invulnerable except for his heel, which his mother held while dipping him in the River Styx. Achilles heel, a term derived from this, signifies a vulnerable point despite overall strength. The Achilles tendon is also named after this legend.
Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall by Spike Milligan. Image Libris
Three
September 3rd, 1939. The last minutes of peace ticking away. Father and I were watching Mother digging our air-raid shelter.
The opening lines of a novel first published in 1971 are quoted above. Can you name the novel and its author?
Answer: Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall by Spike Milligan
Spike Milligan’s war memoir, Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall, recounts his experiences from Britain’s declaration of war to the Allied liberation of Africa. The book, the first of seven volumes, blends anecdotes, photographs and sketches.
Who plays Lily on television’s How I Met Your Mother?
Answer: Alyson Hannigan
Lily Aldrin, portrayed by Alyson Hannigan, is a fictional character in How I Met Your Mother. She is a kindergarten teacher, amateur painter, and later becomes an art consultant.
Statue of Helena in the Musei Capitolini, Rome. Image Wikipedia
Five
Evelyn Waugh’s 1950 novel Helena is about the mother of which 4th-century Roman emperor?
Answer: Constantine I or Constantine the Great
Flavia Julia Helena, also known as Saint Helena, was a Roman Augusta and mother of Emperor Constantine the Great. Revered as a saint, she is believed to have discovered the True Cross during a religious tour.
Statue of Constantine I in York, England. Near the spot where he was proclaimed Augustus in 306 CE. Image Wikipedia
The opening chapter of a book, first published on 21 September 1937, is titled ‘An Unexpected Party’. Before the party begins, the householder is unexpectedly visited by a group of dwarfs. How many dwarfs are there?
Answers: Thirteen
The book is The Hobbit. Bilbo Baggins lives in the house. Gandalf, without Bilbo’s knowledge, organises a party. The dwarves arrive either singly or in groups:
Dwalin
Balin
Kili and Fili
Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin and Gloin
Bifur, Bofur and Bombur
Thorin Oakenshield
Two
The Grammy-winning album American Idiot was released on 21 September 2004 by which band?
Answer: Green Day
American Idiot, Green Day’s seventh studio album, is a concept album that follows the story of Jesus of Suburbia. The album, which marked a return to the band’s punk rock sound, was a critical and commercial success, selling over 23 million copies worldwide and winning several awards.
According to the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, on the night of September 21, 1823, Joseph Smith prayed to know God’s further will. A light steadily grew, “as though the house was filled with consuming and unquenchable fire.” …, a messenger sent from God stood before him. Who was this messenger?
Answer: Moroni
Moroni, son of Mormon, was a Nephite prophet, historian and military commander. He completed the Nephite record, buried the plates, and later became the Angel Moroni in Latter Day Saint belief.
Four
On this day in 1957, a mystery series based on Erle Stanley Gardner’s books debuted on American television. What was the TV series?
Answer: Perry Mason
Perry Mason, a long-running American legal drama series, aired on CBS from 1957 to 1966. The show, based on Erle Stanley Gardner’s detective fiction, starred Raymond Burr as the titular lawyer and received numerous awards and accolades.
Janis Joplin photographed by Jim Marshall about one year before her death. Image Wikipedia
Five
Born on 21 September 1934, a singer-songwriter released an album titled New Skin for the Old Ceremony in 1974. This album included the song Chelsea Hotel No. 2, which Encyclopædia Britannica describes as a ‘frank recollection of a brief sexual encounter with Janis Joplin’. Who is this singer-songwriter?
Answer: Leonard Cohen
Chelsea Hotel #2 recounts a sexual encounter at the Chelsea Hotel with Janis Joplin. Cohen later regretted revealing the song’s inspiration and the explicit details of their relationship. In 1994, on the BBC, Cohen said it was “an indiscretion for which I’m very sorry. If there is some way of apologising to the ghost, I want to apologise now for having committed that indiscretion.” Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.
The opening chapter of a book, first published on 21 September 1937, is titled ‘An Unexpected Party’. Before the party begins, the householder is unexpectedly visited by a group of dwarfs. How many dwarfs are there?
Two
The Grammy-winning album American Idiot was released on 21 September 2004 by which band?
Three
According to the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, on the night of September 21, 1823, Joseph Smith prayed to know God’s further will. A light steadily grew, “as though the house was filled with consuming and unquenchable fire.” …, a messenger sent from God stood before him. Who was this messenger?
Four
On this day in 1957, a mystery series based on Erle Stanley Gardner’s books debuted on American television. What was the TV series?
Five
Born on 21 September 1934, a singer-songwriter released an album titled New Skin for the Old Ceremony in 1974. This album included the song Chelsea Hotel No. 2, which Encyclopædia Britannica describes as a ‘frank recollection of a brief sexual encounter with Janis Joplin’. Who is this singer-songwriter?
Here are the answers to the questions from my earlier post.
Enable and Frankie Dettori at the 2018 Breeders’ Cup. Image Wikipedia
One
In 2018, which jockey won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for the second year in a row riding Enable?
Frankie Dettori
Italian jockey Lanfranco ‘Frankie’ Dettori, based in England for over 35 years, achieved significant success, including riding all seven winners at Ascot on 28 September 1996. He was British flat racing Champion Jockey three times and rode 287 Group 1 race winners. After a long career with Godolphin Racing and Al Shaqab Racing, he announced his retirement from professional riding in 2023.
Two
What ‘I’ are animals that have no backbones?
Answer: Invertebrates
Invertebrates are animals that lack a backbone, or spine. They include arthropods (such as insects and spiders), molluscs (like snails and clams), annelids (e.g. earthworms), echinoderms (like starfish and sea urchins), flatworms, cnidarians (such as jellyfish and corals), and sponges.
Which Hogarth Press co-founder published their third novel, Jacob’s Room, in 1922?
Answer: Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf’s third novel, Jacob’s Room, centres on the life of Jacob Flanders, presented through the impressions of other characters. The novel explores themes of emptiness and absence, portraying Jacob as a series of perceptions rather than a concrete reality.
Four
The writer of the song Always Look on the Bright Side of Life is described by Wikipedia as a ‘actor, comedian, songwriter, musician, screenwriter and playwright’. Who is he?
Answer: Eric Idle
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life is a comedy song by Eric Idle, featured in Monty Python’s Life of Brian. It became a popular singalong and reached No. 3 on the UK singles chart in 1991. In 2014, it was shown to be the most popular song choice for Britons to have played at their funerals.
Scapa Flow during World War II, 1942. Image Wikipedia
Five
The Royal Navy’s Grand Fleet was based at which anchorage in the Orkney Islands during the First World War?
Answer: Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow, a sheltered body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, has been significant for travel, trade and conflict throughout history. It served as the UK’s chief naval base during both World Wars before closing in 1956. On 21 June 1919, the interned Imperial German Navy’s High Seas Fleet was scuttled by its sailors in Scapa Flow with 52 of the 74 vessels sank.
FIVES
The post-title FIVES provided the initial letters F-I-V-E-S for each answer in order, with a prompt at number 2—What ‘I’—to hopefully help you on the road.
In 2018, which jockey won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for the second year in a row riding Enable?
Two
What ‘I’ are animals that have no backbones?
Three
Which Hogarth Press co-founder published a third novel, Jacob’s Room, in 1922?
Four
The writer of the song Always Look on the Bright Side of Life is described by Wikipedia as an ‘actor, comedian, songwriter, musician, screenwriter and playwright’. Who is he?
Five
The Royal Navy’s Grand Fleet was based at which anchorage in the Orkney Islands during the First World War?
Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.
The Admiral Benbow in Penzance, reportedly an inspiration for Stevenson’s Inn. Image Wikipedia
One
Which 1883 novel begins at an inn called the Admiral Benbow, and who wrote it?
Answer: Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
The Admiral Benbow in Penzance is reportedly an inspiration for Stevenson’s Inn from Treasure Island, although the inn in the story was set in a rural location.
Two
Lady Jane Grey’s reign of only nine days came between what two other monarchs?
Answer: Edward VI and Mary I
Lady Jane Grey, known as the ‘Nine Days Queen’, was proclaimed Queen of England and Ireland in 1553 after Edward VI’s death. However, her reign was short-lived as Mary I was proclaimed queen just nine days later. Jane was later executed for treason in 1554.
Three
Of what ocean is the Bay of Fundy an arm?
Answer: Atlantic Ocean
The Bay of Fundy (French: Baie de Fundy) is a bay located between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and the US state of Maine. It is an arm of the Gulf of Maine and is renowned for its exceptionally high tidal range, making it the highest in the world.
Cnidus Aphrodite. Marble, Roman copy after a Greek original of the 4th century. Image Wikipedia
Four
Which ancient goddess of love is a 2010 album by Kylie Minogue named after?
Answer: Aphrodite
Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love, beauty and passion, was associated with various symbols and worshipped in several cult centres. Her origins can be traced back to the Phoenician goddess Astarte and the Sumerian goddess Inanna.
Five
What ‘A’, found in perfumes and food, is defined as follows?
a waxy substance that originates as a secretion in the intestines of the sperm whale, found floating in tropical seas and used in perfume manufacture. — Oxford English Dictionary
Answer: Ambergris
Ambergris, used in perfumes like musk, has also been used as a flavouring agent in food and drink, including a favourite dish of King Charles II and in Turkish coffee and hot chocolate.
ambergris /ˈambəɡriːs , ˈambəɡrɪs / ▸ noun [mass noun] a waxy substance that originates as a secretion in the intestines of the sperm whale, found floating in tropical seas and used in perfume manufacture. – ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French ambre gris ‘grey amber’, as distinct from ambre jaune ‘yellow amber’ (the resin). — Oxford English Dictionary
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