Quizology.Online

“There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge.”

— Bertrand Russell

Tag: music

  • My great-grandmother was your great-great grandfather’s mistress—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

    Today’s questions are simply a random mix.

    Two-colour gold, guilloché enamel, brilliant and rose-cut diamonds. It was given to King Edward VII by his favourite mistress, Mrs George Keppel, in 1908.
    Image Royal Collection Trust

    One

    ‘My great-grandmother was your great-great grandfather’s mistress,’ she is said to have joked. ‘So how about it?’

    — Tatler, 11 December 2024

    This quote was reportedly made in the second half of the twentieth century by one Briton speaking to another. Who is the person speaking, and who is listening?

    Answer: Camilla Shand (later Parker Bowles) and Charles, Prince of Wales (now Queen Camilla and King Charles III)

    Alice Keppel, a mistress of King Edward VII, gifted him a Fabergé cigarette case symbolising her love. History has somewhat repeated itself: Alice Keppel’s great-granddaughter is none other than Queen Camilla, who was, of course, in a relationship with Prince Charles when he was married to Princess Diana. Queen Camilla, is married to King Charles III.

    Two

    Stay With Me ___ was a 1979 single by Judie Tzuke. What two words complete the title?

    Answer: Till Dawn (Stay With Me Till Dawn)

    Her debut album Welcome to the Cruise included the single that peaked at number 8 in Australia and 16 in the UK. It also reached number 47 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

    Three

    The rings of ___, comprising 13 planetary rings, were discovered in 1977. Which body in the Solar System has been omitted from the previous sentence?

    Answer: Uranus

    Uranus has 13 planetary rings, discovered in 1977. Their complexity is between Saturn’s extensive rings and Jupiter and Neptune’s simpler systems. In 1789, William Herschel reported observing rings. However modern astronomers are divided on whether he could have seen them as they are very dark and faint.

    Four

    This wall, which began construction in AD 142, served as the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire while garrisoned. What wall is this and in which modern country is this wall located?

    Answer: Antonine Wall

    The Antonine Wall, a turf fortification built by the Romans in Scotland, spanned 63 kilometres and was the northernmost frontier barrier of the Roman Empire. Constructed under Emperor Antoninus Pius, it was abandoned after eight years and its remains are less evident than Hadrian’s Wall due to weathering. It is now under the care of Historic Environment Scotland and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    Five

    The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event is the most recent mass extinction and the only one definitively connected to a major asteroid impact. Some ___ percent of all species on the planet, including all nonavian dinosaurs, went extinct.

    — National Geographic, September 26, 2019

    Complete the quote by selecting one of these percentages: 43, 61 or 76.

    Answer: 76

    The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, 66 million years ago, wiped out 76% of species, including all non-avian dinosaurs, due to an asteroid impact near Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.

  • My great-grandmother was your great-great grandfather’s mistress

    Today’s questions are simply a random mix.

    Two-colour gold, guilloché enamel, brilliant and rose-cut diamonds. It was given to King Edward VII by his favourite mistress, Mrs George Keppel, in 1908.
    Image Royal Collection Trust

    One

    ‘My great-grandmother was your great-great grandfather’s mistress,’ she is said to have joked. ‘So how about it?’

    — Tatler, 11 December 2024

    This quote was reportedly made in the second half of the twentieth century by one Briton speaking to another. Who is the person speaking, and who is listening?

    Two

    Stay With Me ___ was a 1979 single by Judie Tzuke. What two words complete the title?

    Three

    The rings of ___, comprising 13 planetary rings, were discovered in 1977. Which body in the Solar System has been omitted from the previous sentence?

    Antonine Wall near Bar Hill showing ditch.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    This wall, which began construction in AD 142, served as the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire while garrisoned. What wall is this and in which modern country is this wall located?

    Five

    The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event is the most recent mass extinction and the only one definitively connected to a major asteroid impact. Some ___ percent of all species on the planet, including all nonavian dinosaurs, went extinct.

    — National Geographic, September 26, 2019

    Complete the quote by selecting one of these percentages: 43, 61 or 76.

  • Our House—Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier post.

    Four of today’s questions concern November 7th and Canada or Canadians.  Question two is included because the house mentioned was owned by a Canadian at the time (she is the answer to question one).

    Déjà Vu, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
    Image

    One

    Roberta Joan Anderson, who was born at Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada on 7 November 1943, wrote Ladies of the Canyon (released 1970), her third studio album while living at 8217 Lookout Mountain Avenue, Laurel Canyon. Who is Roberta Joan Anderson better known as?

    Answer: Joni Mitchell

    Joni Mitchell’s third studio album, Ladies of the Canyon, was released in 1970 and includes Big Yellow Taxi, Woodstock and The Circle Game.

    Two

    A follow-on from the previous question regarding 8217 Lookout Mountain Avenue, Laurel Canyon where singer-songwriter Graham Nash lived with lady referred to in question one. The house is the subject of Our House written by Nash and released in 1970. What group, described by Wikipedia as a ‘folk rock supergroup’, released the song on and album and as a single in 1970.

    Answer: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

    Joni Mitchell bought the house in the Laurel Canyon district of Los Angeles in 1968 and met Graham Nash shortly after. Their house became a popular hangout for musicians. Our House featured on Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s Déjà Vu album in 1970 and was released as a single the same year.

    Three

    The ‘Last Spike’ ceremony at Craigellachie on 7 November, marked the completion of Canada’s transcontinental railway. In what decade did the ‘Last Spike’ ceremony take place, and in what Canadian province or territory is Craigellachie?

    Answer: 1880s (1885) and British Columbia

    At 9:22 a.m. on November 7, 1885, the ceremonial final spike was driven into the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) at Craigellachie, British Columbia. The honor fell to CPR financier Donald Smith, Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal. This historic moment marked the completion of Canada’s first transcontinental railway, bringing to a close years of struggle marked by natural disasters, financial crises, and even rebellion.

    Leonard Cohen.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    Born in Quebec, this songwriter, singer, poet and novelist passed away at 82 on 7 November 2016.  A fifteenth studio album Thanks for the Dance was released three years later. Who is this singer?

    Answer: Leonard Cohen

    Leonard Cohen, a celebrated Canadian songwriter, singer, poet and novelist, explored faith, mortality and love in his work. He received numerous accolades, including induction into several halls of fame and the Prince of Asturias Award for literature.

    Sergeant Edward Holland’s Victoria Cross, for valour at the Battle of Leliefontein, 7 November 1900.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    On this date in 1900, at The Battle of Leliefontein, the Royal Canadian Dragoons won three Victoria Cross. During what war did this battle take place?

    Answer: Second Boer War

    Lieutenant-Colonel François-Louis Lessard led a rearguard action to cover the withdrawal of a larger force. The Royal Canadian Dragoons, supported by artillery and a machine gun, repelled multiple Boer assaults, including a mounted charge. Despite heavy casualties, the Dragoons successfully protected the field guns, earning three of their members—Sergeant Edward Holland, Lieutenant Richard Turner, and Lieutenant Hampden Cockburn—the Victoria Cross for their bravery.

  • Our House

    Four of today’s questions concern November 7th and Canada or Canadians.  Question two is included because the house mentioned was owned by a Canadian at the time (she is the answer to question one).

    Flag of Canada.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Roberta Joan Anderson, who was born at Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada on 7 November 1943, wrote Ladies of the Canyon (released 1970), her third studio album while living at 8217 Lookout Mountain Avenue, Laurel Canyon. Who is Roberta Joan Anderson better known as?

    Two

    A follow-on from the previous question regarding 8217 Lookout Mountain Avenue, Laurel Canyon where singer-songwriter Graham Nash lived with the lady referred to in question one. The house is the subject of Our House written by Nash and released in 1970. What group, described by Wikipedia as a ‘folk rock supergroup’, released the song on an album and as a single in 1970.

    Three

    The ‘Last Spike’ ceremony at Craigellachie on 7 November, marked the completion of Canada’s transcontinental railway. In what decade did the ‘Last Spike’ ceremony take place, and in what Canadian province or territory is Craigellachie?

    Four

    Born in Quebec, this songwriter, singer, poet and novelist passed away at 82 on 7 November 2016.  A fifteenth studio album Thanks for the Dance was released three years later. Who is this singer?

    Sergeant Edward Holland’s Victoria Cross, for valour at the Battle of Leliefontein, 7 November 1900.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    On this date in 1900, at The Battle of Leliefontein, the Royal Canadian Dragoons won three Victoria Cross. During what war did this battle take place?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today

  • Blood in the Water—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

    Following the violent blow delivered by [Soviet Union’s] Valentin Prokopov, Hungarian Ervin Zador bleeds profusely from above his eyebrow.
    Image Bettmann / Getty Images via Yahoo! Sports

    One

    The violent Blood in the Water Olympic water polo match between Hungary and the Soviet Union erupted in the aftermath of the Soviet Union suppressing a Hungarian uprising. During which Olympics—year and host city—did this match take place?

    Answer: 1956 Melbourne Olympics

    The match became a powerful symbol of Cold War tensions. Hungary went on to win the gold medal, and player Ervin Zádor’s bloodied face was widely photographed, capturing global attention.

    Two

    On November 6, 2012, a US president was re-elected for a second term. Who were his defeated opponents in both the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections?

    Answer: John McCain (2008) and Mitt Romney (2012)

    Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, was the first African American to hold the office. He served two terms, from 2009 to 2017, during which he implemented significant domestic and foreign policies, including healthcare reform, economic stimulus and the end of the Iraq War. Obama left office with high approval ratings and remains politically active.

    Three

    A composer died on November 6, 1893. One of his symphonies, Symphony No. 6 in B minor, which premiered just nine days earlier, became known as his Pathétique. Who was the composer?

    Answer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    The Pathétique is often interpreted as an emotional farewell, blending passion and tragedy in what became Tchaikovsky’s final completed work.

    Four

    Switzerland officially abolished the death penalty on 6 November. Which decade was this?

    Answer: 1990s (1992)

    Though executions had already ceased decades earlier, the 1992 constitutional amendment made abolition permanent, aligning Switzerland with wider European human rights standards.

    Luner Orbiter 2.
    Image NASA via Wikipedia

    Five

    On 6 November 1966, NASA’s Lunar Orbiter 2 was launched with a primary mission objective of photographing specifically what on the Moon’s surface?

    Answer: Potential landing sites on the Moon

    The Lunar Orbiter 2 spacecraft was designed primarily to photograph smooth areas of the lunar surface for selection and verification of safe landing sites for the Surveyor and Apollo missions.

    — NASA

    Lunar Orbiter 2 transmitted over 800 high-resolution images, including the first detailed close-ups of the Moon’s surface. These images were crucial in selecting the Apollo 11 landing site.

  • Blood in the Water

    Here are five questions related to today, November 6th.

    Following the violent blow delivered by [Soviet Union’s] Valentin Prokopov, Hungarian Ervin Zador bleeds profusely from above his eyebrow.
    Image Bettmann / Getty Images via Yahoo! Sports

    One

    The violent Blood in the Water Olympic water polo match between Hungary and the Soviet Union erupted in the aftermath of the Soviet Union suppressing a Hungarian uprising. During which Olympics—year and host city—did this match take place?

    Two

    On November 6, 2012, a US president was re-elected for a second term. Who were his defeated opponents in both the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections?

    Three

    A composer died on November 6, 1893. One of his symphonies, Symphony No. 6 in B minor, which premiered just nine days earlier, became known as his Pathétique. Who was the composer?

    Four

    Switzerland officially abolished the death penalty on 6 November. Which decade was this?

    Five

    On 6 November 1966, NASA’s Lunar Orbiter 2 was launched with a primary mission objective of photographing specifically what on the Moon’s surface?

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

  • Swimming with Sharks—Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier questions..

    Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier). 
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Which shark is pictured? 

    Answer: Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier)

    The tiger shark, the largest member of the Galeocerdo genus, is a solitary, nocturnal predator found in tropical and temperate waters. It has a diverse diet and is considered near-threatened due to human activities. 

    Two

    What 1964 film starring Stanley Baker and Michael Cain depicts the 1879 Battle of Rorke’s Drift?

    Answer: Zulu

    Zulu is a 1964 British historical drama film about the Battle of Rorke’s Drift during the Anglo-Zulu War. Directed by Cy Endfield, it stars Stanley Baker and Michael Caine, and received critical acclaim for its sets, soundtrack, cinematography, and performances.

    Three

    Complete the title of this short story by Alan Sillitoe which was published in 1959: The Loneliness of the…?

    Answer: Long-Distance Runner (The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner)

    Alan Sillitoe’s 1959 short story The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner follows Smith, a Nottingham teenager who finds solace in running.

    Four

    Which state or territorial capital of mainland Australia is the only one north of the Tropic of Capricorn?

    Answer: Darwin (Northern Territory)

    Darwin, the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory, is the smallest, wettest, and most northerly capital city. It has a tropical climate with a wet and dry season, and its proximity to Southeast Asia makes it a key link between Australia and countries like Indonesia and Timor-Leste. The city has been rebuilt four times due to cyclones and WWII air raids.

    Chumbawamba’s The Boy Bands Have Won
    Image The Independent

    Five

    Chumbawamba’s 2008 album The Boy Bands Have Won holds the Guinness World Record for the longest album title.  Can you tell me how many words are in the full title?  A decade (a group of ten) is acceptable. For example, if the answer is 104 then 101-110 is fine.

    Answer: 156 (151-160 acceptable)

    Its full title contains 156 words, or 865 characters, and holds the Guinness World Record for the longest album title. In full, it is…

    The boy bands have won, and all the copyists and the tribute bands and the TV talent show producers have won, if we allow our culture to be shaped by mimicry, whether from lack of ideas or from exaggerated respect. You should never try to freeze culture. What you can do is recycle that culture. Take your older brother’s hand-me-down jacket and re-style it, re-fashion it to the point where it becomes your own. But don’t just regurgitate creative history, or hold art and music and literature as fixed, untouchable and kept under glass. The people who try to ‘guard’ any particular form of music are, like the copyists and manufactured bands, doing it the worst disservice, because the only thing that you can do to music that will damage it is not change it, not make it your own. Because then it dies, then it’s over, then it’s done, and the boy bands have won.

  • Swimming with Sharks

    Today’s five questions are random with no connection.

    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Which shark is pictured? 

    Two

    What 1964 film starring Stanley Baker and Michael Cain depicts the 1879 Battle of Rorke’s Drift?

    Three

    Complete the title of this short story by Alan Sillitoe which was published in 1959: The Loneliness of the…?

    Four

    Which state or territorial capital of mainland Australia is the only one north of the Tropic of Capricorn?

    Five

    Chumbawamba’s 2008 album The Boy Bands Have Won holds the Guinness World Record for the longest album title.  Can you tell me how many words are in the full title?  A decade (a group of ten) is acceptable. For example, if the answer is 104 then 101-110 is fine.

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • There’s a Theme Running Through It—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

    Swallowtail.
    Image Wildlife Trusts

    One

    What is the largest butterfly in the UK? It has a ten-letter name and lives in the Norfolk Broads. 

    Answer: Swallowtail

    The swallowtail is the largest and most localised butterfly in the UK. Adults emerge from winter chrysalises, drying their wings in reedbeds before displaying their bright colours. Their swallow-like tails and false eye spots confuse predators. Even as caterpillars, they are striking, with bulging horns for defence and orange scent glands that release a pineapple-like odor when threatened.

    Two

    In what 1975 novel does IRA member Liam Devlin take part in a wartime plot to kidnap Winston Churchill?

    Answer: The Eagle Has Landed

    Irish Republican Liam Devlin and Joanna Grey, an Afrikaner woman and seasoned Abwehr agent residing in England, team up with German paratroopers to plan and execute the kidnapping of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

    Three

    In the 1955 film, To Catch a Thief (1955), who is seen sitting beside Cary Grant and a pair of caged birds on a bus? 

    Answer: Alfred Hitchcock

    Producer and director Alfred Hitchcock makes his signature cameo, approximately ten minutes into the film, as a bus passenger sitting next to Cary Grant and a caged pair of birds.

    Four

    What single answer satisfies all of the following: the title of Fleetwood Mac’s only number one hit on the UK Singles Chart; a significant being in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner; and in golf, refers to a score of three strokes under par for a hole?

    Answer: Albatross

    Albatross is a guitar-based instrumental by Fleetwood Mac, composed by Peter Green. It was released as a single in 1968 and became their only number one single on the UK charts. The albatross that saves the ship by leading the way from the ice in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and is then shot; and the word used as an alternative to double eagle meaning a score of three strokes under par for a hole.

    A nesting pair of Macaroni penguins, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    Eudyptes chrysolophus: part of this bird’s name is also a type of pasta. What pasta? 

    Answer: Macaroni 

    The macaroni penguin—Eudyptes chrysolophus—is a crested penguin with a distinctive yellow crest, it is the most numerous penguin species, with an estimated 18 million individuals. Despite its abundance, the species is vulnerable due to widespread population declines since the mid-1970s.

    Theme

    The theme was of course Birds. Question 1. swallow (from swallowtail); 2. Eagle; 3. Caged birds mentioned in the question plus Hitchcock was the director of The Birds; 4. Albatross and 5. penguin.

  • There’s a Theme Running Through It

    Today, a common thread weaves through five seemingly unrelated questions.

    Image Wildlife Trusts.

    One

    What is the largest butterfly in the UK? It has a ten-letter name and lives in the Norfolk Broads. 

    Two

    In what 1975 novel does IRA member Liam Devlin take part in a wartime plot to kidnap Winston Churchill?

    Three

    In the 1955 film, To Catch a Thief (1955), who is seen sitting beside Cary Grant and a pair of caged birds on a bus? 

    Four

    What single answer satisfies all of the following: the title of Fleetwood Mac’s only number one hit on the UK Singles Chart; a significant being in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner; and in golf, refers to a score of three strokes under par for a hole?

    Five

    Eudyptes chrysolophus: part of this bird’s name is also a type of pasta. What pasta? 

    Good luck! The answers will be posted later.