United Nations Building, New York City. See question five. Image Wikimedia Commons
Five unassociated questions.
One
Travelling west along the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) from its western terminus, how many provincial and territorial capitals do you pass through, and what, in geographical order, are their names along with their respective province or territory?
Answers: Six; Victoria, British Columbia; Regina, Saskatchewan; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Québec City, Quebec; Fredericton, New Brunswick; St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Trans-Canada Highway is a transcontinental highway system spanning all ten Canadian provinces, with its main route covering 7,821 kilometres from Victoria, British Columbia, to St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Construction began in 1950, the highway officially opened in 1962, and the final section was completed in 1971. The entire system, including routes such as the Yellowhead Highway, totals about 12,800 kilometres. Design standards vary along its length, although most sections remain two-lane, undivided highways. The longest continuous divided section extends for about 1,500 kilometres from the Rocky Mountains to the Manitoba–Ontario border. Although the network does not extend into Canada’s three territories or to the U.S. border, it forms part of the National Highway System. In addition to passing through six provincial capitals, the Trans-Canada Highway also serves Canada’s national capital, Ottawa.
Two
A fictitious error deliberately placed in a reference work is a what?
Ballicatter
Frauendienst
Mountweazel
Answer: Mountweazel.
A fictitious entry is a deliberate error in reference works used as a copyright trap. Types include Mountweazel, trap street, and paper town. Henry Alford coined “Mountweazel” after a fake entry in the 1975 New Columbia Encyclopaedia. These entries are also known as nihilartikel.
Three
The title of a 2017, single by Drake shares its name with a fruit, the flower of which is shown above. What was the title of the single?
Answer: Passionfruit.
Passionfruit by Drake, featuring Zoë Kravitz, is a tropical house, R&B, pop, and dancehall song from his 2017 mixtape More Life. It peaked at number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on the Canadian Hot 100.
Four
Three questions based the standard UK and US editions of monopoly.
What on the UK edition is the equivalent of the American Marvin Gardens?
The British Leicester Square is the equivalent of what on the American edition?
What colour are these properties on both the British and American versions?
Answers
Piccadilly
Atlantic Avenue
Yellow
Monopoly, derived from Lizzie Magie’s 1903 game, involves moving tokens to buy properties and bankrupt opponents. Parker Brothers published it in 1935; Hasbro acquired it in 1991. It has sold 275 million copies across 113 countries.
Five
In this post, No. 3 was appointed on 30 November 1962. The first, Gladwyn Jebb, serving in an ‘acting’ capacity and therefore unnumbered, held the post for 101 days in 1945/46. Nos. 1 and 2 were Scandinavian, while No. 3 was the first non-European. What is this post, who was No. 3, and what was his nationality?
Answers: Secretary-General of the United Nations; U Thant and Burmese.
The secretary-general of the United Nations oversees the Secretariat under Chapter XV of the Charter, appointed by the General Assembly after a Security Council recommendation, with any permanent member able to veto. Precedent excludes permanent members’ citizens, favours regional rotation and gender equality, and all appointees are career diplomats. Since 1971, five-year terms are standard, with reselection common. The secretary-general’s duties include advocacy, diplomacy, and civil service, with informal powers for dispute prevention.
United Nations Building, New York City. See question five. Image Wikimedia Commons
Five unassociated questions.
One
Travelling west along the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) from its western terminus, how many provincial and territorial capitals do you pass through, and what, in geographical order, are their names along with their respective province or territory?
Two
A fictitious error deliberately placed in a reference work is a what?
Ballicatter
Frauendienst
Mountweazel
Three
The title of a 2017, single by Drake shares its name with a fruit, the flower of which is shown above. What was the title of the single?
Four
Three questions based the standard UK and US editions of monopoly.
What on the UK edition is the equivalent of the American Marvin Gardens?
The British Leicester Square is the equivalent of what on the American edition?
What colour are these properties on both the British and American versions?
Five
In this post, No. 3 was appointed on 30 November 1962. The first, Gladwyn Jebb, serving in an ‘acting’ capacity and therefore unnumbered, held the post for 101 days in 1945/46. Nos. 1 and 2 were Scandinavian, while No. 3 was the first non-European. What is this post, who was No. 3, and what was his nationality?
Flag of Côte d’Ivoire/Ivory Coast. See question three. Image Wikimedia Commons
All of these questions relate to today’s date, 7 August.
One
In what sport could a ‘Salchow’ be performed?
Answer: Ice skating.
Swedish skater Ulrich Salchow, born 7 August 1877. The salchow, named the Salchow, an edge jump, after him. It is the easiest figure skating jump. It involves taking off from the back inside edge of one skate, completing one or more full turns, and landing on the back outside edge of the opposite skate. American skater Theresa Weld was reprimanded at the 1920 Olympics for performing a single Salchow jump because her skirt would fly up to her knees, creating an image deemed too risqué.
Two
The six-month-long Battle of Guadalcanal, which began on 7 August 1942, unfolded in which country?
Answer: Solomon Islands.
Guadalcanal Island, the largest island in the Solomon Islands, is situated in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The Battle of Guadalcanal, occurring from August 1942 to February 1943, involved a series of World War II land and sea engagements between Allied and Japanese forces on and around Guadalcanal, one of the southern Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. Alongside the naval Battle of Midway, the combat on Guadalcanal signified a turning point in favour of the Allies in the Pacific War.
Three
In 1960, the country represented by the flag shown above gained independence from France. What country is it?
Answer: Côte d’Ivoire/Ivory Coast.
Côte d’Ivoire, located on the western coast of Africa, was previously a French colony. Abidjan functions as the de facto capital, while Yamoussoukro has been the administrative capital since 1983. Known as Ivory Coast, this West African nation is the leading cocoa exporter globally and has seen substantial economic growth since 2011. Nonetheless, 46.1% of its population remains in poverty. The economy is predominantly dependent on agriculture, especially smallholder cash-crop production.
Four
How many persons were onboard Thor Heyerdahl’s balsa wood raft, Kon-Tiki when it reached Raroia in the Tuamotu Islands after sailing 4,300 mile (7,000 km) in 101-days?
Answer: Six.
The Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947, led by Thor Heyerdahl, was a raft journey from South America to Polynesia. Named after the Inca god Viracocha, it inspired Heyerdahl’s book and a 1950 Oscar-winning documentary. A 2012 dramatised film was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film.
Five
In 1926, in motor racing the first British Grand Prix was held. Where was the race held?
Answer: Brooklands.
Built in 1907 near Weybridge, Surrey, Brooklands was the first purpose-built motor racing venue and one of the UK’s first airfields. The British Grand Prix debuted there on 7 August 1926, won by Robert Sénéchal and Louis Wagner. The second race, on 1 October 1927, was also held there.
Bonus Question
The post title is two lines taken from a popular song, what song?
In olden days a glimpse of stocking Was looked on as something shocking
It is part of the lyrics from Anything Goes from the Cole Porter musical of the same name. It is used here only as an oblique remark about Ms Weld’s risqué performance; see answer one.
Anything Goes
By Cole Porter
[RENO] Times have changed, And we’ve often rewound the clock, Since the Puritans got a shock, When they landed on Plymouth Rock. If today, Any shock they should try to stem, ‘Stead of landing on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock would land on them.
In olden days a glimpse of stocking Was looked on as something shocking, But now, God knows, Anything Goes.
Good authors too who once knew better words, Now only use four letter words Writing prose, Anything Goes.
The world has gone mad today And good’s bad today, And black’s white today, And day’s night today, When most guys today That women prize today Are just silly gigolos And though I’m not a great romancer I know that you’re bound to answer When I propose, Anything goes
When grandmama whose age is eighty In night clubs is getting matey with gigolo’s, Anything Goes.
When mothers pack and leave poor father Because they decide they’d rather be tennis pros, Anything Goes.
If driving fast cars you like, If low bars you like, If old hymns you like, If bare limbs you like, If Mae West you like Or me undressed you like, Why, nobody will oppose! When every night, The set that’s smart Is intruding in nudist parties in studios, Anything Goes.
[RENO, PASSENGERS & CREW] The world has gone mad today And good’s bad today, And black’s white today, And day’s night today, When most guys today That women prize today Are just silly gigolos And though I’m not a great romancer I know that you’re bound to answer When I propose, Anything goes
[RENO] If saying your prayers you like, If green pears you like If old chairs you like, If back stairs you like, If love affairs you like With young bears you like, Why nobody will oppose!
[ALL] And though I’m not a great romancer And though I’m not a great romancer I know that you’re bound to answer When I propose, Anything goes… Anything goes! — All Musicals
All of these questions relate to today’s date, 7 August.
One
In what sport could a ‘Salchow’ be performed?
Two
The six-month-long Battle of Guadalcanal, which began on 7 August 1942, unfolded in which country?
Three
In 1960, the country represented by the flag shown above gained independence from France. What country is it?
Four
How many persons were onboard Thor Heyerdahl’s balsa wood raft, Kon-Tiki when it reached Raroia in the Tuamotu Islands after sailing 4,300 mile (7,000 km) in 101-days?
Five
In 1926, in motor racing the first British Grand Prix was held. Where was the race held?
Bonus Question
The post title is two lines taken from a popular song, what song?
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter caught this image of … hanging from its parachute as it descended to the Martian surface in 2008. Image NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
Question one is date-related, but the rest are not. There is a space theme in all of the questions.
One
A U.S. space probe was launched on this day in 2007 and a year later it landed on Mars. What mythical creature was the probe named after?
Two
What two words are missing from this 1969 quote: “Houston, … here. The Eagle has landed.”
Three
In 2012, travelling a whopping 480 million kilometres to reach our ears, … was the first tune to be broadcast from another planet. — BBC Sky at Night magazine
The above quote is missing the name of the song which was broadcast. What was that song and who had especially written it for this purpose?
Four
If Voyager 2’s flyby of Uranus occurred in January 1986, when was its next encounter, the Neptune Flyby? (Month and Year)
Five
For what planet in the Solar System is the following true?
See question two. Robinson Crusoe. Image Goodreads
Five questions which follow are not date related but do follow a theme.
One
The 2010 autobiography of whom is titled 9.58?
Answer: Usain Bolt.
Usain Bolt, born 21 August 1986, is a retired Jamaican sprinter, considered the greatest ever. An eight-time Olympic gold medallist, he holds world records in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. Known as ‘Lightning Bolt’, he won multiple World Championships and numerous prestigious awards, retiring in 2017.
Two
The location of the uninhabited island where Robinson Crusoe was shipwrecked is described as being ‘near the mouth of the great river …’— what river mouth?
Answer: Oroonoque or Orinoco.
Either Oroonoque or Orinoco as the spelling varies between editions. Robinson Crusoe, published on 25 April 1719 by Daniel Defoe, is an English adventure novel often credited as the start of realistic fiction. It follows Robinson Kreutznaer’s 28-year survival on a desert island, inspired by real-life castaways. Initially believed non-fiction, it was well-received for its narrative style. By the end of 1719, the book had four editions and became one of history’s most published works. It inspired numerous imitations across literature, film, television, and radio, defining the Robinsonade genre
Three
Historically known as Alexandretta, this city featured in a 1984 film starring Sean Connery. What was the film, and by what name is the city now known?
Answer: İskenderun; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
İskenderun, historically known as Alexandretta, is a district in Hatay Province, Turkey, with a population of 251,682 as of 2022. Situated on the Mediterranean coast, it experienced significant damage from the earthquakes in February 2023. The city was likely founded during the Hellenistic period by a successor of Alexander the Great and has since been under the control of the Seleucid, Roman, Abbasid, and Mamluk empires. It became part of the Ottoman Empire until World War I, after which it was a French mandate sanjak until gaining independence in 1938 and officially joining Turkey in 1939. İskenderun appears in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Four
Which song begins:
Risin’ up, back on the street Did my time, took my chances
Answer: Eye of the Tiger
“Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor, written for Rocky III, topped charts worldwide and won a Grammy. It was also nominated for an Academy Award.
Five
Who played the title role in the 1973 film Serpico?
Answer: Al Pacino.
Serpico is a 1973 biographical crime drama film about Frank Serpico, a whistleblower who exposed corruption in the NYPD. The film, directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Al Pacino, was a critical and commercial success, earning several award nominations.
The Great Vowel Shift
Today’s title really in this instance only refers to the answers starting with one of the five vowels which have been ‘shifted’ into reverse order, U – O – I – E – A. The Great Vowel Shift, occurring between 1400 and 1700, altered the pronunciation of all Middle English long vowels and some consonant sounds. This shift, beginning in southern England, significantly influenced English dialects and contributed to the divergence between English spelling and pronunciation.
See question two. Robinson Crusoe. Image Goodreads
Five questions which follow are not date related but do follow a theme.
One
The 2010 autobiography of whom is titled 9.58?
Two
The location of the uninhabited island where Robinson Crusoe was shipwrecked is described as being ‘near the mouth of the great river …’— what river mouth?
Three
Historically known as Alexandretta, this city featured in a 1984 film starring Sean Connery. What was the film, and by what name is the city now known?
Four
Which song begins:
Risin’ up, back on the street Did my time, took my chances
Five
Who played the title role in the 1973 film Serpico?
James Irwin with the Lunar Roving Vehicle on the Moon. Mons Hadley is in the background. Image NASA/David Scott via Wikimedia Commons
One to five as usual today, but you need to find ten answers. The first question is related to today’s date, 31 July, while the subsequent ones follow on from the theme created by the first.
One
On this day in 1971, Apollo 15’s astronauts first used the Lunar Roving Vehicle, which is also colloquially known as a Moon Buggy, on the Lunar surface. By the end of the Apollo program how many of these vehicles were left behind on the Moon?
Answer: Three.
The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), built by Boeing Co., enabled extended travel, speed, and greater scientific activity on the Moon during the Apollo era. The first surface mission to use the LRV, Apollo 15 astronauts covered a total 17.5 miles of exploration and discovery. The historic Apollo Program sent the first U.S. astronauts into orbit around the Moon in 1968 and landed a dozen astronauts on the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972. The reach of initial Apollo surface missions was restricted to short walking distances. During each of the last three Apollo missions, between 1971 and 1972, a battery powered LRV provided transportation for two crew members and supplies several miles beyond the landing site. — NASA
Two
Set on the Moon in 1996, a short story first published in 1951 describes the discovery of a mysterious pyramid which had been placed by aliens several billion years previously. This story has an influential role in the development of a 1968 film. Three questions:
What is the story’s title?
Who was its author?
What was the title of the 1968 film?
Answers
The Sentinal
Arthur C. Clarke
2001: A Space Odyssey
The Sentinel (1951) by Arthur C. Clarke, set in 1996, follows selenologist Wilson discovering a mysterious alien structure on the Moon. After breaching its shield with atomic energy, the structure is destroyed, revealing advanced technology. Wilson theorises it was a sentinel alerting aliens to the emergence of intelligent life.
Three
The Huygens lander was the first man made object to land on a world in the outer Solar System. Where did it land?
Answer: Titan.
The Cassini–Huygens mission, a collaboration between NASA, ESA, and ASI, aimed to study Saturn and its system. It included NASA’s Cassini probe and ESA’s Huygens lander. Launched in 1997, Cassini orbited Saturn from 2004 to 2017, providing extensive data on the planet and Huygens landed on Titan. The mission included flybys of Venus, Earth, asteroid 2685 Masursky, and Jupiter, ending on September 15, 2017, by burning up in Saturn’s atmosphere to prevent contamination. It was a ‘mission of firsts’, revolutionising understanding of Saturn’s system and potential life-supporting environments in the Solar System and landing on on a world in the outer Solar System the first time.
Four
In ancient Greek mythology who was the goddess and personification of the Moon who drives her Moon chariot across the heavens?
Answer: Salene.
The air, unlit before, glows with the light of her golden crown, and her rays beam clear, whensoever bright Selene having bathed her lovely body in the waters of Ocean, and donned her far-gleaming raiment, and yoked her strong-necked, shining team, drives on her long-maned horses at full speed, at eventime in the mid-month: then her great orbit is full and then her beams shine brightest as she increases. So she is a sure token and a sign to mortal men. — Homeric Hymn to SaleneWikipedia
Five
Moon River featured in a 1961 film and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Four questions:
Who composed the song?
Who wrote the lyrics?
What was the 1961 film?
Who sang it in the film?
Answers
Henry Mancini
Johnny Mercer
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Audrey Hepburn
Moon River, composed by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, was performed by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), winning an Academy Award and two Grammys. The song relaunched Mercer’s songwriting career, stalled by rock and roll’s rise. The lyrics reflect Mercer’s Southern youth and wanderlust and an inlet near Savannah, Georgia, was named Moon River in his honour. Andy Williams made it his theme song, recording it in 1962 and in 2022, his version was preserved in the U.S. Library of Congress.
James Irwin with the Lunar Roving Vehicle on the Moon. Mons Hadley is in the background. Image NASA/David Scott via Wikimedia Commons
One to five as usual today, but you need to find ten answers. The first question is related to today’s date, 31 July, while the subsequent ones follow on from the theme created by the first.
One
On this day in 1971, Apollo 15’s astronauts first used the Lunar Roving Vehicle, which is also colloquially known as a Moon Buggy, on the Lunar surface. By the end of the Apollo program how many of these vehicles were left behind on the Moon?
Two
Set on the Moon in 1996, a short story first published in 1951 describes the discovery of a mysterious pyramid which had been placed by aliens several billion years previously. This story has an influential role in the development of a 1968 film. Three questions:
What is the story’s title?
Who was its author?
What was the title of the 1968 film?
Three
The Huygens lander was the first man made object to land on a world in the outer Solar System. Where did it land?
Four
In ancient Greek mythology who was the goddess and personification of the Moon who drives her Moon chariot across the heavens?
Five
Moon River featured in a 1961 film and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Four questions:
