Tag: music

C is for…

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

Image Wikipedia
Image Wikipedia
  1. What word connects the painter of the first image with the content of the second image?
  2. In what country was the singer Shakira born?
  3. To which family does the roadrunner belong? (Hint, the answer is one word which features in the title of a 1962 novel by Ken Kesey, which was adapted into a 1975 Academy Award winning film of the same name.)
  4. Only one of the countries that border Mongolia fits this theme. Can you name it?
  5. The lyric shown below is from a 2009 Madonna single. Which one?

    I guess I just don’t recognise you with your clothes on

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

B is for… | Answers

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

Bette Davis as Baby Jane Hudson in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
Image Wikipedia
  1. What two words link these: a Bette Davis role from 1962 film, a 1977 single from Dr Feelgood and a 1983 single by Rod Stewart?
    • Baby Jane—Davis was nomininated for an Academy Award for her performance as the title character in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962). Baby Jane, by Dr Feelgood first appeared on Be Seeing You, a Dr. Feelgood album released in 1977 and was later a single. A track with the same name was the lead single from Rod Stewart’s twelfth studio album Body Wishes (1983).
      A bearded Jeremy Paxman.
      Image BBC
  2.  Pogonophobia is an extreme dislike of what?
    • Beards—Pogonophobia, derived from Greek words for “beard” and “fear”, is a fear of beards. The term is often used jokingly, but it has been studied in psychological experiments and has been associated with cultural norms, religious beliefs and societal perceptions. Jeremy Paxman accused the BBC of pogonophobia after facing criticism for presenting Newsnight with a beard.
      Charles Dickens.
      Image Wikipedia
  3. Charles Dickens only wrote one book with a female narrator. What was it?
    • Bleak House—Charles Dickens’s Bleak House, published serially from 1852 to 1853, satirises a long-running legal case, Jarndyce and Jarndyce, inspired by real-life precedents. The novel, set in London, is credited with introducing urban fog to Gothic fiction and helped support judicial reform.
      City of Puno, Peru the largest urban area on Lake Titicaca.
      Image Wikipedia
  4. Two countries share shores on Lake Titicaca, but only one fits the theme of today’s questions. Which country is it?
    • Bolivia—Lake Titicaca, located in the Andes mountains on the border of Bolivia and Peru, is the largest lake in South America. It is often called the highest navigable lake in the world, with a surface elevation of 3,812 metres. The lake consists of two sub-basins, Lago Grande and Wiñaymarka, connected by the Strait of Tiquina.
      European beech (Fagus sylvatica)
      Image Wikipedia
  5. The following word origin from the Oxford English Dictionary relates to a natural world name. What is the name that has been removed below?
    • Beech—Beech trees, native to Eurasia and North America, are deciduous trees with 14 accepted species. The European beech, Fagus sylvatica, is commonly cultivated for its timber, used in furniture, flooring, engineering, and brewing.

– ORIGIN Old English bēce, of Germanic origin; related to Latin fagus ‘beech’, Greek phagos ‘edible oak’.

– Oxford English Dictionary

B is for…

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

Amantaní viewed from Taquile on Lake Titicaca.
Image Wikipedia
  1. What two words link these: a Bette Davis role from 1962 film, a 1977 single from Dr Feelgood and a 1983 single by Rod Stewart?
  2. Pogonophobia is an extreme dislike of what?
  3. Charles Dickens only wrote one book with a female narrator. What was the title?
  4. Two countries share shores on Lake Titicaca, but only one fits the theme of today’s questions. Which country is it?
  5. The following word origin from the Oxford English Dictionary relates to a natural world name. What is the name that has been removed below?

– ORIGIN Old English bēce, of Germanic origin; related to Latin fagus ‘…’, Greek phagos ‘edible oak’.

– Oxford English Dictionary

Good luck! As usual, I will post the answers later today.

Hotchpotch | Answers

The Carpenters.
Image Wikipedia

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

  1. Since 2011, Algeria has been the largest country in Africa by area. What is the second largest?
    • Democratic Republic of Congo—is a Central African country, the second largest in Africa and the most populous Francophone country in the world. It is bordered by several countries and the South Atlantic Ocean, with terrain ranging from dense rainforests to mountains.
  2. Which Carpenters song begins by asking: “Why do birds suddenly appear/Every time you are near?”?
    • (They Long to Be) Close to You—The Carpenters, an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter, achieved major success with hit singles like (They Long to Be) Close to You and We’ve Only Just Begun. Their melodic pop produced a record-breaking run of hit recordings on the American Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts. Karen’s death from heart failure in 1983, due to complications from anorexia, ended the duo.
      A page from Thomas Blount’s Glossographia (publ. 1661)
      Image Wikipedia
  3. Thomas Blount’s Glossographia, published in 1656, was what?
    • English Dictionary—Blount’s Glossographia, published in 1656, was the largest English dictionary of its time, defining 11,000 hard words. It was the first dictionary to include illustrations, etymologies, and source citations, and many of its words were not included in later dictionaries.
  4. Prior to colliding with the ice berg, where had been RMS Titanic’s last port of call?
    • Queenstown, Ireland—Titanic’s maiden voyage began on 10 April 1912, with passengers boarding in Southampton, Cherbourg and Queenstown, Ireland from where the ship set sail for New York City. It was carrying a total of 2,224 passengers and crew of which some 1,500 died.
      Dan Brown.
      Image Wikipedia
  5. What 1998 thriller was the first to carry Dan Brown’s name?
    • Digital Fortress—was published in 1998. (Angels & Demons, 2000 and Deception Point, 2001) and is a techno-thriller novel by Dan Brown, exploring government surveillance and its ethical implications. The story follows the NSA’s struggle to crack a revolutionary code, Digital Fortress, created by Ensei Tankado, who died mysteriously. Amidst a web of deceit and murder, the NSA’s head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher, uncovers the truth behind Tankado’s death and the code’s creator, ultimately preventing a catastrophic data breach.

Hotchpotch

Today’s questions are a hotchpotch.

RMS Titanic departing Southampton on 10 April 1912.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Since 2011, Algeria has been the largest country in Africa by area. What is the second largest?
    • Democratic Republic of Congo
    • State of Libya
    • Republic of the Sudan
  2. Which Carpenters song begins by asking: “Why do birds suddenly appear/Every time you are near?”?
    • Bless the Beasts and Children
    • The Rainbow Connection—
    • (They Long to Be) Close to You
  3. Thomas Blount’s Glossographia, published in 1656, was what?
    • Atlas in colour
    • Bible in English
    • English Dictionary
  4. Prior to colliding with the ice berg, where had been RMS Titanic’s last port of call?
    • Cherbourg, France
    • Queenstown, Ireland
    • Southampton, England
  5. What 1998 thriller was the first to carry Dan Brown’s name?
    • Angels & Demons
    • Deception Point
    • Digital Fortress

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Golden II | Answers

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

Perspective view looking southwest over the Golden Gate Bridge toward the Pacific Ocean.
Image Wikipedia
  1. The Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay are connected by what strait?
    • Golden Gate—The Golden Gate is a strait connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. It is spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge. The entire shoreline and adjacent waters throughout the strait are managed by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
      The Tremeloes, Silence is Golden.
      Image obriens.no
  2. In 1967, what British group had number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and number 11 on the US charts with Silence is Golden?
    • The Tremeloes—Silence Is Golden was originally recorded by The Four Seasons in 1964 and later covered by The Tremeloes in 1967. The Tremeloes’ version reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and number 11 on the US charts. Selling one million records globally earned it a Gold Disc.
      Golden Snitch.
      Image The Making of Harry Potter/Wikipedia
  3. In Quidditch, the Seeker needs to capture what to end the game?
    • Golden Snitch–Quidditch, a fictional sport from the Harry Potter series, is played on flying broomsticks. The objective is to score points by throwing a ball through hoops, while avoiding Bludgers and catching the Golden Snitch.
      Vegas Golden Knights logo.
      Image Wikipedia
  4. In 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights made their debut in which sports league?
    • National Hockey League (or NHL)—The Vegas Golden Knights, founded in 2017, are a professional ice hockey team based in Las Vegas. They compete in the NHL’s Western Conference and won their first Stanley Cup championship in 2023.
      Mrs Coulter, The Golden Compass, 2007.
      Image Pinterest.
  5. Nicole Kidman’s character in The Golden Compass (2007) was who?
    • Mrs Coulter (or Marisa Coulter)—Mrs. Coulter, a powerful and ruthless character in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy and its adaptions. She and Lord Asriel are Lyra Belacqua’s parents. Initially, she is portrayed as elegant and sophisticated. However, she is revealed to be calculating and power-hungry. She manipulates events to dominate the armoured bears and later betrays the Church to save Lyra. Ultimately, she sacrifices herself alongside Asriel to defeat Metatron, demonstrating her complex character and love for her daughter.

Golden II

This is a second outing for a theme based on the title. The word ‘golden’ appears in either the question or the answer, so there’s no multiple-choice.

Quidditch arena.
Image Pinterest
  1. The Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay are connected by what strait?
  2. In 1967, what British group had number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and number 11 on the US charts with Silence is Golden?
  3. In Quidditch, the Seeker needs to capture what to end the game?
  4. In 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights made their debut in which sports league?
  5. Nicole Kidman’s character in The Golden Compass (2007) was who?

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Hatches, matches and despatches | Answers

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

Josephine Baker, 1940.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Born in St Louis, Missouri, on 3 June 1926, this singer and dancer was a resistance member and spy in occupied France during World War II. Who was she?
    • Josephine Baker—born in St. Louis, Missouri, was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. She renounced her US citizenship and became a French national in 1937. Baker aided the French Resistance during World War II, working with the British and US Secret Services. After the war, she received French honours. Baker was inducted into the Panthéon in Paris in 2021, the first black woman to receive this honour.
      Rafael Nadal, 2009.
      Image Wikipedia
  2. Tennis player Rafael Nadal was born on this day in 1986. He won his first Grand Slam singles title in 2005 at the …
    • French Open—Rafael Nadal, a former Spanish professional tennis player, won 92 ATP Tour-level singles titles, including 22 major titles and an Olympic gold medal. He holds the record for the longest single-surface win streak in the Open Era.
      Château de Candé, Monts, Indre-et-Loire, France, 2007.
      Image Wikipedia
  3. On this day in 1937, the Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII, married Wallis Simpson, the woman for whom he had abdicated the British throne. Where were they married?
    • Château de Candé, Tours, France—The Dukedom of Windsor was created in 1937 for Edward VIII after his abdication to marry Wallis Simpson. The title, derived from Windsor Castle, became extinct upon Edward’s death in 1972 as he died without issue. They were married in France where he lived in exile, no members of his family attended the wedding.
      Anthony Quinn in Barabbas (1961)
      Image Wikipedia
  4. An actor who died today in 2001 had played the following roles during a long career. In 1961, he was Andrea Stavros in The Guns of Navarone; the same year, he took the title role in Barrabas and the following year, he was the Bedouin sheikh Auda Abu Tayi in Lawrence of Arabia (1962). Who was he?
    • Anthony Quinn—Anthony Quinn, born in Mexico and raised in the US, was a two-time Academy Award-winning actor known for his passionate roles in over 100 films, television shows and stage productions. He was also a civil rights activist, painter and author.
      Frank Kafka, 1923.
      Image Wikipedia
  5. An author and lawyer who died on this day in 1924 has an adjective named after him. The adjective is defined as ‘characteristic or reminiscent of the oppressive or nightmarish qualities of …’s fictional world’. What name is omitted from this definition?
    • Frank Kafka—the adjective is kafkaesque. Kafka was a Jewish, Austrian and Czech writer from Prague, known for exploring alienation and absurdity. His best-known works include The Metamorphosis, The Trial and The Castle. Despite being prolific, he burned much of his work due to self-doubt and was relatively unknown until his influence spread globally after World War II, two decades after his death.

Hatches, matches and despatches

A few questions related to people who were born, got married or died on today’s date, June 3.

King Edward VIII, 1936.
Image Wikipedia
  1. Born in St Louis, Missouri, on 3 June 1926, this singer and dancer was a resistance member and spy in occupied France during World War II. Who was she?
    • Josephine Baker
    • Mata Hari
    • Edith Cavell
  2. Tennis player Rafael Nadal was born on this day in 1986. He won his first Grand Slam singles title in 2005 at the …
    • Australian Open
    • French Open
    • US Open
  3. On this day in 1937, the Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII, married Wallis Simpson, the woman for whom he had abdicated the British throne. Where were they married?
    • Chapel Royal, Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh, Scotland
    • Château de Candé, Tours, France
    • Crathie Kirk, Balmoral, Scotland
  4. An actor who died today in 2001 had played the following roles during a long career. In 1961, he was Andrea Stavros in The Guns of Navarone; the same year, he took the title role in Barrabas and the following year, he was the Bedouin sheikh Auda Abu Tayi in Lawrence of Arabia (1962). Who was he?
    • Anthony Daniels
    • Anthony Perkins
    • Anthony Quinn
  5. An author and lawyer who died on this day in 1924 has an adjective named after him. The adjective is defined as ‘characteristic or reminiscent of the oppressive or nightmarish qualities of …’s fictional world’. What name is omitted from this definition?
    • Lewis Carroll
    • Frank Kafka
    • Bram Stoker

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Finders keepers | Answers

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

Image

The Rolling Stones, 1965.
Left to Right: Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman, Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Keith Richards
Image Wikipedia
  1. Brian Jones, born 1942, was a guitarist and founder member of what band?
    • Rolling Stones—Brian Jones, founder of the Rolling Stones, initially played slide guitar and later sang backing vocals and played various instruments. After developing alcohol and drug problems, his role in the band diminished, leading to his dismissal in 1969 and subsequent drowning at age 27.
      Shishapangma, Tibet.
      Image Wikipedia
  2. Which of these is NOT found in the Andes?
    • Shishapangma—aka Shishasbangma or Xixiabangma, is the 14th highest mountain in the world, standing at 26,335 feet (8,027 metres) above sea level. It is the lowest 8,000-metre peak and is entirely situated within the Tibetan Plateau. Notably, Shishapangma was the final eight-thousander to be conquered in 1964. Aconcagua and Cotopaxi are both in the Andes; Aconcagua is the highest mountain that is not in Asia, while Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano.
      Ferdinand von Wrangel.
      Image Wikipedia
  3. Of which of these was explorer Ferdinand von Wrangel founder?
    • Russian Geographic Society—Baron Ferdinand Friedrich Georg Ludwig von Wrangel was a Russian-German explorer and officer in the Imperial Russian Navy. He is known as the chief manager of the Russian-American Company and governor of Russian settlements in present-day Alaska.
      Icosagon.
      Image Wikipedia
  4. How many sides would be found on a polygon described as an icosagon?
    • 20—In geometry, an icosagon, or twenty-sided polygon, has a sum of 3240 degrees in its interior angles.
      Russell viper.
      Image Wikipedia
  5. The big four venomous snakes found on the Indian subcontinent are those responsible for causing the greatest number of medically significant snake bites on humans. Which of these is one of the big four?
    • Russell’s viper—The Big Four venomous snakes—Russell’s viper, common krait, Indian cobra and Indian saw-scaled viper—are responsible for the majority of medically significant snakebites on the Indian subcontinent. A 2020 study found Russell’s viper accounted for 43% of snakebites in India, followed by kraits (18%), cobras (12%), and other species. In 2023, the World Health Organisation published worldwide estimates showing that each year, 5.4 million people are bitten by snakes, resulting in 1.8 to 2.7 million envenomings and 81,410 to 137,880 deaths.