Jupiter in true colour, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in January 2024. Image Wikimedia Commons
Today is obviously is a disconnected collection of questions but don’t count on it.
One
In 2026, the EU, the European Union, has 27 members, butt is the successor organisation to what was originally the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). The ECSC was founded in 1952 by the six signatories of the Treaty of Paris: what were these six nations?
Answers
Belgium
France
Italy
Luxembourg
the Netherlands
West Germany
Two
What are the first names of the von Trapp Children from the 1965 film The Sound of Music? (Including von Trapp is not necessary.)
Answers
Liesl
Friedrich
Louisa
Kurt
Brigitta
Marta
Gretl
Three
What are the names of the US states which begin with ‘M’?
Answers
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Four
List the Star Wars films in release order with episode number, whether or not it was shown as part of the title; and subtitle, including the later added subtitle for the original film. (Including Star Wars is not necessary.)
Answers
*Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)
Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
†(E(EpisodeII) The Force Awakens (2015)
†(Episode VIII) The Last Jedi (2017)
†(Episode IX) The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Note
Subtitle was added at a later date. † The sequel trilogy used the subtitle without the episode numbers.
Five
Starting with the largest, list in order of size (based on the equatorial diameter) each planet plus the two largest dwarf planets in the Solar System.
Answers
According to NASA Planets (1 to 8) and Dwarf Planets (9 & 10)
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Earth
Venus
Mars
Mercury
Pluto
Eris
Gallimaufry IX
The ninth edition of Gallimaufry — a confused jumble, a hodgepodge, or a heterogeneous mixture of things — so, simply an unconnected assortment of questions
Today is obviously is a disconnected collection of questions but don’t count on it.
One
In 2026, the EU, the European Union, has 27 members, butt is the successor organisation to what was originally the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). The ECSC was founded in 1952 by the six signatories of the Treaty of Paris: what were these six nations?
Two
What are the first names of the von Trapp Children from the 1965 film The Sound of Music? (Including von Trapp is not necessary.)
Three
What are the names of the US states which begin with ‘M’?
Four
List the Star Wars films in release order with episode number, whether or not it was shown as part of the title; and subtitle, including the later added subtitle for the original film. (Including Star Wars is not necessary.)
Five
Starting with the largest, list in order of size (based on the equatorial diameter) each planet plus the two largest dwarf planets in the Solar System.
Over the next nine days, 46 questions will be posed, one for each letter of the alphabet plus 20 others (There will be six one day). The 20 others appear as duplicate letters, and these duplicates spell out the name of the Roman Fortification which in CE 150 to 160 was the furthest boundary from the city of Rome, and the country that it was situated in. It is a three-word answer with eight letters in the first part of the name and four in the second part; the country has eight letters in its name. BTW Fit, as used in the post title, is an archaic term meaning ‘a division of a song, ballad, or story’.
Six
Beyoncé Knowles portrayed which singer in the 2008 film Cadillac Records?
Seven
What US president was in office for 12 years and 39 days?
Eight
What character sings Memory at the climax of the musical Cats?
Nine
Of what country did Haakon VIII become king in 2006?
Ten
In 1873, a club published the rules of polo, which are still followed by most of the world to this day? What club?
Good luck! I’ll post the answers once all the questions have been asked.
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?
The Mary Rose as depicted in the Anthony Roll of the 1540s. Image Wikimedia Commons
The first question relates to today’s date. The others aren’t date-related but build on the theme established in the first.
One
This English carrack-type warship, built for the king’s navy and involved in a battle with the French that resulted in its sinking in the Solent on 19 July 1545, had its wreck rediscovered by salvagers in 1971, ultimately leading to the opening of a museum dedicated to its history at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in 2013. What is the warship’s name and for what king’s navy was it built?
Answers: Mary Rose; Henry VIII.
On this day in 1545, Henry VIII’s flagship, the Mary Rose, sank during the Battle of the Solent. A sudden gust of wind flooded seawater through its open gunports, tragically resulting in the loss of over 400 crew members. Centuries later, the remarkably preserved wreck was rediscovered in the English Channel. It has since become one of the world’s most significant underwater archaeological finds.
Two
Although not the first such instance the action of soldiers and sailors during the 1852 sinking of HMS Birkenhead made which maritime protocol more prominent?
Answer: Women and children first.
‘Women and children first’ is an unofficial code prioritising their safety in life-threatening situations, like shipwrecks, due to limited resources. Celebrated as a chivalric ideal in the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was notably invoked during the HMS Birkenhead evacuation, SS Central America sinking, and Titanic disaster, though unevenly applied. The protocol is sometimes described as ‘Birkenhead Drill’.
Three
What 1960 musical and 1964 musical film told the story of a woman who survived the sinking of the Titanic?
Answer: The Unsinkable Molly Brown.
The Unsinkable Molly Brown is a fictionalized account of the life of Margaret Brown, who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic. It originated as a 1960 musical with music and lyrics by Meredith Willson and a book by Richard Morris. In 1964, it was adapted into an American Western musical comedy film directed by Charles Walters and starring Debbie Reynolds, filmed in Panavision. The screenplay by Helen Deutsch is based on the musical’s book, and the song score was composed by Meredith Willson. Reynolds received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her portrayal of Brown.
Four
What ship did Ernest Shackleton and his Trans-Antarctic Expedition lose in 1915 when it was crushed by ice and sank?
Answer: Endurance.
Endurance, originally Polaris, was a three-masted barquentine used by Ernest Shackleton for the 1914–1917 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Built in 1912, it sank in 1915 after being trapped in ice. All crew survived. The wreck was found in 2022 at a depth of 3,008 metres and is a protected historic site.
Five
Which US state’s name completes this: the 1864 Battle of Cherbourg is also known as the Sinking of CSS…?
Answer: Alabama.
The CSS Alabama, a Confederate sloop-of-war built in 1862, was a successful commerce raider under Captain Raphael Semmes. It captured or sank 68 Union ships in just 22 months across the Atlantic, West Indies, and East Indies. On June 19, 1864, the USS Kearsarge sank the Alabama during the Battle of Cherbourg, France.
That Sinking Feeling.
The post title is an idiom meaning a feeling that something bad is going to happen. In today’s post, it is simply a play on words regarding the ‘sinking’ theme of the questions.
The ? as depicted in the Anthony Roll of the 1540s. See question one. Image Wikimedia Commons
The first question relates to today’s date. The others aren’t date-related but build on the theme established in the first.
One
This English carrack-type warship, built for the king’s navy and involved in a battle with the French that resulted in its sinking in the Solent on 19 July 1545, had its wreck rediscovered by salvagers in 1971, ultimately leading to the opening of a museum dedicated to its history at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in 2013. What is the warship’s name and for what king’s navy was it built?
Two
Although not the first such instance the action of soldiers and sailors during the 1852 sinking of HMS Birkenhead made which maritime protocol more prominent?
Three
What 1960 musical and 1964 musical film told the story of a woman who survived the sinking of the Titanic?
Four
What ship did Ernest Shackleton and his Trans-Antarctic Expedition lose in 1915 when it was crushed by ice and sank?
Five
Which US state’s name completes this: the 1864 Battle of Cherbourg is also known as the Sinking of CSS…?
The first question concerns today’s date, 10th July. The others aren’t date-related but connect to the first.
One
On 10 July 1985, the flagship of a campaigning organisation sank after explosions caused by two bombs planted by agents of the Directorate General for External Security. Four questions:
What was the name of the ship?
For what campaigning organisation was it the flagship?
At a harbour in what city did the sinking occur?
What nationality was the organisation which planted the bombs?
Answers
Rainbow Warrior
Greenpeace
Auckland, New Zealand
French
The sinking of Rainbow Warrior on 10 July 1985, codenamed Opération Satanique, was a French state-terrorism act. The Rainbow Warrior was docked in Auckland prior to sailing to lead planned protests against French nuclear testing at Mururoa Atoll in French Polynesia in the South Pacific. Two French operatives sank the Greenpeace ship in Auckland, killing photographer Fernando Pereira. France initially denied involvement but later apologised, paid reparations, and the agents served two years in French Polynesia.
Two
This 1947 musical is set in ‘Missitucky’, U.S. and features a newly arrived Irishman, his daughter and a leprechaun named Og. What is this musical?
Answer: Finian’s Rainbow.
Finian’s Rainbow follows Irishman Finian and daughter Sharon in Missitucky (a concoction of Missi-ssippi and Ken-tucky), where he buries a stolen leprechaun’s gold, believing wealth will follow. Leprechaun Og pursues the gold, turning increasingly human. A wish leads to chaos: transforming a bigoted senator, while love blossoms, and moral lessons unfold about dreams, humanity, prejudice, and the folly of greed.
Three
Which metallic element derives its name from the Greek goddess of the rainbow?
Answer: Iridium
iridium /ɪˈrɪdiəm, ʌɪˈrɪdiəm/ ♫ ▶ noun [mass noun] (Symbol: Ir) the chemical element of atomic number 77, a hard, dense silvery-white metal. Iridium is a member of the transition series and is one of the densest metals. Iridium–platinum alloys are hard and corrosion-resistant and are used in jewellery and for electrical contacts – ORIGIN early 19th century: modern Latin, from Latin iris, irid– ‘rainbow’ (so named because it forms compounds of various colours). — Oxford English Dictionary
Four
What is the common name for the bird pictured at the top of this post?
Answer: Rainbow lorikeet.
Rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus moluccanus), a parrot species native to Australia, inhabit rainforests, coastal bush, and woodlands along the eastern seaboard. Rainbow lorikeets are medium-sized parrots with bright, colourful plumage. Males and females are visually indistinguishable, requiring surgical sexing or DNA analysis to determine sex.
Five
A ballad by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Yip Harburg was written for a 1939 film where it would be sung by a character whose name in part is ‘Gale’. The song contains a reference to bluebirds.
What is the song?
What is the full name of ‘Gale’?
What is the film?
Answers
Over the Rainbow
Dorothy Gale
The Wizard of Oz
Over the Rainbow, a ballad by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg, was sung by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz (1939). It won an Academy Award, became Garland’s signature song, and was inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2017 for its cultural significance.
Over the Rainbow
Somewhere over the rainbow way up high There’s a land that I heard of once in a lullaby Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true
Someday I’ll wish upon a star And wake up where the clouds are far Behind me Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That’s where you’ll find me
Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly Birds fly over the rainbow Why then, oh, why can’t I?
If happy little bluebirds fly Beyond the rainbow Why, oh, why can’t I? — AZ Lyrics
ROYGBIV
The mnemonic ROYGBIV helps remember the colours of the rainbow: Richard of York gave battle in vain.
(mnemonic) A mnemonic phrase to help remember the order of the seven colours of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Wiktionary
See question four. …? (Trichoglossus moluccanus moluccanus), Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Image Wikimedia Commons
The first question concerns today’s date, 10th July. The others aren’t date-related but connect to the first.
One
On 10 July 1985, the flagship of a campaigning organisation sank after explosions caused by two bombs planted by agents of the Directorate General for External Security. Four questions:
What was the name of the ship?
For what campaigning organisation was it the flagship?
At a harbour in what city did the sinking occur?
What nationality was the organisation which planted the bombs?
Two
This 1947 musical is set in ‘Missitucky’, U.S. and features a newly arrived Irishman, his daughter and a leprechaun named Og. What is this musical?
Three
Which metallic element derives its name from the Greek goddess of the rainbow?
Four
What is the common name for the bird pictured at the top of this post?
Five
A ballad by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Yip Harburg was written for a 1939 film where it would be sung by a character whose name in part is ‘Gale’. The song contains a reference to bluebirds.
Today’s first question relates to the date 1st June. The subsequent questions follow on, but I won’t reveal how.
One
The roles shown are from each decade between the 1980s and the present. Which actor born today links them? Hoke Colburn, Azeem Edin Bashir Al Bakir, Eddie Dupris, Sheikh Ilderim, and Thurmond Fowler.
Answer: Morgan Freeman.
Morgan Freeman was born in 1937. The roles referred to were 1989 Driving Miss Daisy Hoke Colburn 1991 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Azeem Edin Bashir Al Bakir 2004 Million Dollar Baby Eddie ’Scrap Iron’ Dupris 2016 Ben-Hur Sheikh Ilderim 2022 The Minute You Wake Up Dead Sheriff Thurmond Fowler
Two
I love the smell of … in the morning.
What word is missing from this quote from a 1979 film?
Answer: Napalm.
The quote is from Apocalypse Now and is said by Robert Duvall‘a character Lieutenant Colonel William ‘Bill‘ Kilgore, who was a composite character based on several real-life officers. Duvall requested changes to the character, finding the original portrayal too over-the-top, and sought advice from military personnel to portray the character authentically.
Three
Singer Jack Jones had a top forty hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1966 with The Impossible Dream. What Broadway musical had the song been written for?
Answer: Man of La Mancha.
Man of La Mancha based on Cervantes’s Don Quixote, is a 1965 musical adapted as a play within a play. The original Broadway production ran for 2,328 performances and won five Tony Awards. The Impossible Dream, a song from this musical, was composed by Mitch Leigh with lyrics by Joe Darion. It was later recorded by Jack Jones, reaching number one on the Easy Listening chart.
Four
In the United States, the state dog of the 49th state to be admitted to the Union is what?
Answer: Alaskan Malamute.
The Alaskan Malamute is a large dog breed originally bred for its strength and endurance. This made it ideal for hauling heavy freight as a sled dog. It shares similarities with other Arctic breeds like the Siberian Husky, Greenland Dog, Canadian Eskimo Dog and Samoyed.
Five
Which composer won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for the 2015 film The Hateful Eight?
Answer: Ennio Morricone.
Ennio Morricone (1928–2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, trumpeter, and pianist. He wrote music for over 400 films and television shows, including Sergio Leone’s films and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and received numerous accolades including two Academy Awards. Morricone also composed music for artists like Paul Anka and Andrea Bocelli.
Last to First
The post title refers to the fact that the last letter of the first answer, N, is the first letter of the second, and so on.
