Quizology.Online

Tag: myth

  • Dancing a Foxtrot with Juliett — Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier posted questions.

    Mario Andretti in the lead with Ronnie Petterson behind, 1978 Dutch GP.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Five questions with the answers beginning with the letters from F to J —Foxtrot to Juliett — with each letter being used only once, but they are not in alphabetical order.

    One

    What one word can be all of these: a mythical creature which pulled Poseidon’s sea-chariot; an area of the human brain; and a genus of small marine bony fish? 

    Answer: Hippocampus.

    The hippocampus, located in the temporal lobe and part of the limbic system, is essential for memory and spatial navigation and is one of the first areas affected in Alzheimer’s disease, causing memory loss and disorientation. In mythology, the hippocampus is a creature with a horse’s upper body and a fish’s lower body, often depicted with Poseidon, the god of the sea, driving a chariot drawn by hippocampi and accompanied by dolphins. The Romans associated it with Neptune, the sea god. Additionally, Hippocampus refers to a genus of 46 species of small marine bony fish, known as seahorses, which have a horse-like head, segmented bony armour, and a curled prehensile tail. Found in shallow coastal waters worldwide, seahorses belong to the family Syngnathidae, along with pipefishes and seadragons, and vary in size from 2 to 35 cm.

    Two

    Who was the next North American to win Formula 1’s World Championship, and be crowned World Drivers’ Champion, after Mario Andretti?

    Answer: Jacques Villeneuve.

    Mario Andretti, an American racing driver, competed in Formula One and IndyCar, winning numerous races and championships, including the 1978 F1 championship. Jacques Villeneuve, a Canadian racing driver, competed in IndyCar and Formula One. He won the 1997 Formula One World Drivers’ Championship and the 1995 IndyCar World Series and Indianapolis 500.

    Three

    In what television sitcom did characters have surnames beginning with the these letters: 3 x G plus 2 x B and 1 x T?

    Answer: Friends

    G: Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), Ross Geller (David Schwimmer); B: Phoebe Buffay-Hannigan (Lisa Kudrow), Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry); T: Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc). 

    Four

    ‘When I saw Finn waiting for me at the corner of the street, I knew at once that something had gone wrong.’ This is the opening line of a work by what author, and what was the work?

    Answers: Iris Murdoch; Under the Net.

    Irish-British novelist and philosopher Dame Jean Iris Murdoch, known for her works exploring good and evil, sexual relationships, morality, and the unconscious, won the Booker Prize for The Sea, The Sea and was made a Dame in 1987. Her first published novel, Under the Net, is a philosophical story about a struggling writer in London. The novel, dedicated to Raymond Queneau, was named one of the best English-language novels since 1923 by Time magazine.

    Five

    Which double-Oscar-winning actress became a UK Member of Parliament in 1992, and for what two films did she win Best Actress Oscars? 

    Answer: Glenda Jackson; Women in Love and A Touch of Class

    Glenda Jackson (1936–2023) was a British actress and Labour Party politician. She was a member of the House of Commons from 1992 to 2015. Jackson won two Academy Awards for best actress, the first in 1970 for Women in Love and the second in 1973 for A Touch of Class. Other notable roles include her portrayals of Queen Elizabeth I in both the BBC television miniseries Elizabeth R (1971) and the film Mary, Queen of Scots (1971). After retiring from politics, Jackson returned to acting, earning a Tony Award in 2018 for her performance in Three Tall Women.

    Post Title

    Dancing a Foxtrot with Juliett

    Juliett is spelled as it is in radio communications, as Wikipedia explains…

    The spelling Juliett is used rather than Juliet for the benefit of French speakers, because they may otherwise treat a single final t as silent.

  • Dancing a Foxtrot with Juliett

    Mario Andretti in the lead with Ronnie Petterson behind, 1978 Dutch GP.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Five questions with the answers beginning with the letters from F to J —Foxtrot to Juliett — with each letter being used only once, but they are not in alphabetical order.

    One

    What one word can be all of these: a mythical creature which pulled Poseidon’s sea-chariot; an area of the human brain; and a genus of small marine bony fish? 

    Two

    Who was the next North American to win Formula 1’s World Championship, and be crowned World Drivers’ Champion, after Mario Andretti?

    Three

    In what television sitcom did characters have surnames beginning with the these letters: 3 x G plus 2 x B and 1 x T?

    Four

    ‘When I saw Finn waiting for me at the corner of the street, I knew at once that something had gone wrong.’ This is the opening line of a work by what author, and what was the work?

    Five

    Which double-Oscar-winning actress became a UK Member of Parliament in 1992, and for what two films did she win Best Actress Oscars? 

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Gallimaufry VIII—Answers

    Here are the answers to my questions from earlier.

    Another gallimaufry, a random mix of themeless trivia.

    Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    What is a zygote?

    • Officer in the Pontifical Swiss Guard
    • Striped opossum
    • Fertilised ovum

    Answer: A fertilised ovum

    A diploid cell resulting from the fusion of two haploid gametes; a fertilized ovum.

    — Oxford English Dictionary

    Two

    What is northernmost of New York City’s five boroughs?

    • Brooklyn
    • Queens
    • The Bronx

    Answer: The Bronx.

    The Bronx, the northernmost borough of New York City, is coextensive with Bronx County. It is bordered by Westchester County to the north, Manhattan to the south and west, and Queens to the south and east. The Bronx is known for its diverse population, historic landmarks like Yankee Stadium, and significant open spaces including the Bronx Zoo and Pelham Bay Park.

    Three

    Which of these is found on the human body?

    • Anthracite rim
    • Vermillion border
    • Zinfandel margin

    Answer: Vermillion border.

    The transition from the colour of your lips to the colour of your normal skin is called the vermilion border and humans are the only creatures on Earth that have it.

    Four

    WhIch vessel achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first crewed vessel to reach the bottom of Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench – the deepest point on Earth’s seabed?

    • Trieste
    • Deepsea Challenger
    • Limiting Factor

    Answer: Trieste

    In January 1960, the Trieste, piloted by Jacques Piccard and USN Lieutenant Don Walsh, descended to the ocean floor in the Challenger Deep, reaching a depth of 10,911 metres. The descent took almost five hours, and they spent twenty minutes on the ocean floor before ascending due to a crack in the outer window.

    Five

    Which of these is a fairy creature from Celtic myth?

    • Children of the Watch
    • Cat-sith
    • Crow jedi

    Answer: Cat-sith

    The cat-sìth, a fairy creature from Celtic mythology, resembles a large black cat with a white spot on its chest. It is said to haunt the Scottish Highlands and may have been inspired by the Scottish wildcat or Kellas cats.

  • Gallimaufry VIII

    Another gallimaufry, a random mix of themeless trivia.

    Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    What is a zygote?

    • Officer in the Pontifical Swiss Guard
    • Striped opossum
    • Fertilised ovum

    Two

    What is northernmost of New York City’s five boroughs?

    • Brooklyn
    • Queens
    • The Bronx

    Three

    Which of these is found on the human body?

    • Anthracite rim
    • Vermillion border
    • Zinfandel margin

    Four

    WhIch vessel achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first crewed vessel to reach the bottom of Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench – the deepest point on Earth’s seabed?

    • Trieste
    • Deepsea Challenger
    • Limiting Factor

    Five

    Which of these is a fairy creature from Celtic myth?

    • Children of the Watch
    • Cat-sith
    • Crow jedi

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Gallimaufry IV | Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions from my earlier post.

    Today, more gallimaufry — ‘a confused jumble or medley of things’.

    Dobby, see question two.
    Image Harry Potter Fandom

    One

    In July 1985, Live Aid was held simultaneously at two venues on either side of the Atlantic. What were the venues?

    Answer: Wembley Stadium, London and JFK Stadium, Philadelphia

    Live Aid, a benefit concert held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia on July 13, 1985, was organised by Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof and Ultravox vocalist Midge Ure. The event attracted an estimated 1.5 billion television viewers and raised millions of dollars for famine relief in Ethiopia.

    Two

    Dobby, the house-elf from Harry Potter, was in the news a couple of years ago when the National Trust asked fans not to leave memorabilia at the site of his grave at Freshwater West Beach, Pembrokeshire, Wales. What one item associated with Dobby and Harry Potter have fans been leaving?

    Answer: Sock

    Many fans have been leaving a sock for Dobby, referencing the fact that it was a sock Harry Potter used to trick Lucius Malfoy to set the house-elf free. Freshwater West, a ‘Site of Special Scientific Interest’, is home to large grey seals, harbour porpoises, and some of the world’s largest seabird populations. The National Trust asks visitors to leave no trace – no socks included.

    Three

    What creature, from Greek mythology, is being described here: ‘a creature with the head, arms, and torso of a man and the body and legs of a horse’?

    Answer: Centaur

    Centaurs, creatures from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse, were known for their wild nature and inhabited various regions in Thessaly and beyond. They also appear in Roman mythology and medieval bestiaries. In modern fiction, centaurs appear in C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter.

    Four

    What song opens ‘We’re caught in a trap, I can’t walk out’?

    Answer: Suspicious Minds

    Mark James’s 1968 song Suspicious Minds initially failed to chart, but Elvis Presley later recorded it, transforming it into a number one hit and earning it a Grammy Hall of Fame induction.

    Five

    An African dictator who was in office as the President between January 1971 and April 1979 declared himself the uncrowned King of Scotland. Who was this dictator, and what country did he rule?

    Answer: Idi Amin; Uganda

    Idi Amin, a Ugandan military officer, ruled as a dictator from 1971 to 1979 after overthrowing President Milton Obote. His regime was marked by human rights abuses, economic collapse, and international isolation. Amin, who had become known as ‘The Butcher of Uganda’, was ousted by Tanzanian forces in 1979 and lived in exile until his death in 2003.

  • Gallimaufry IV

    Today, more gallimaufry — ‘a confused jumble or medley of things’.

    Dobby, see question two.
    Image Harry Potter Fandom

    One

    In July 1985, Live Aid was held simultaneously at two venues on either side of the Atlantic. What were the venues?

    Two

    Dobby, the house-elf from Harry Potter, was in the news a couple of years ago when the National Trust asked fans not to leave memorabilia at the site of his grave at Freshwater West Beach, Pembrokeshire, Wales. What one item associated with Dobby and Harry Potter have fans been leaving?

    Three

    What creature, from Greek mythology, is being described here: ‘a creature with the head, arms, and torso of a man and the body and legs of a horse’?

    Four

    What song opens ‘We’re caught in a trap, I can’t walk out’?

    Five

    An African dictator who was in office as the President between January 1971 and April 1979 declared himself the uncrowned King of Scotland. Who was this dictator, and what country did he rule?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Lies, You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time. (Abraham Lincoln)—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions posted earlier.

    The first question relates to today, November 17th.  The others follow a theme connected to it.

    Richard Nixon, President of the United States.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    On November 17th, sometime in the 20th century, which US President declared, “I am not a crook”?

    Answer: Richard Nixon

    On 17 November 1973, during a televised press conference at the Contemporary Resort in Walt Disney World, Florida, Richard Nixon famously declared ‘I am not a crook’. This response came amid questions about his personal finances as the Watergate scandal unfolded.

    Two

    In Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio, what physical feature of the wooden puppet famously grows longer whenever he tells a lie?

    Answer: His nose

    In Collodi’s original 1883 novel, Pinocchio is far more mischievous than in the later Disney adaptation, and his nose grows several times—not just once—making it a recurring symbol of the moral consequences of dishonesty.

    The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf. An illustration of The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf (also known as The Boy Who Cried Wolf) by Milo Winter, from The Aesop for Children, published by Rand McNally & Company, Chicago, 1919.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    Three

    Which ancient Greek is traditionally credited with moral tales such as The Boy Who Cried Wolf, a story warning of the consequences of repeated lying?

    Answer: Aesop

    Although Aesop is believed to have lived in ancient Greece around the 6th century BC, there is no firm historical record of his life; many scholars think ‘Aesop’ may represent a tradition of oral storytelling rather than a single individual.

    Four

    In which Shakespeare play does the villain Iago manipulate Othello through lies and insinuations, ultimately leading to tragedy?

    Answer: Othello

    Iago actually speaks more lines than Othello, making him one of Shakespeare’s most verbally dominant villains—a fitting trait for a character whose destructive power lies almost entirely in persuasion and deceit.

    Five

    What 18th-century literary character, created by Rudolf Erich Raspe, is famous for outrageous tall tales such as riding on a cannonball and escaping a swamp by pulling himself up by his own hair?

    Answer: Baron Munchausen

    The fictional Baron was loosely inspired by a real nobleman, Hieronymus Karl Friedrich von Münchhausen, who entertained guests with wildly exaggerated stories about his life—though nowhere near as fantastical as those in the book.

  • Lies, You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time. (Abraham Lincoln)

    The first question relates to today, November 17th.  The others follow a theme connected to it.

    See question 3.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    One

    On November 17th, sometime in the 20th century, which US President declared, “I am not a crook”?

    Two

    In Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio, what physical feature of the wooden puppet famously grows longer whenever he tells a lie?

    Three

    Which ancient Greek is traditionally credited with moral tales such as The Boy Who Cried Wolf, a story warning of the consequences of repeated lying?

    Four

    In which Shakespeare play does the villain Iago manipulate Othello through lies and insinuations, ultimately leading to tragedy?

    Five

    What 18th-century literary character, created by Rudolf Erich Raspe, is famous for outrageous tall tales such as riding on a cannonball and escaping a swamp by pulling himself up by his own hair?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Walking on the Moon—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions posted earlier.

    The questions all relate to today, November 14th.

    Alan L Bean prepares to step onto the lunar surface.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Apollo 12, launched on 14 November 1969, became the second mission to land on the Moon. Among the three-man crew, who landed and walked on the lunar surface, was which of these: Mr Bean, Mr Hyde or Mr Spock?

    Answer: Mr. Bean

    Alan L Bean. Apollo 12’s crew consisted of Charles Conrad Jr., Richard F Gordon Jr and Alan L Bean. Alan Bean, an American astronaut, piloted the lunar module during the mission. He made two walks on the lunar surface, totalling eight hours, and later commanded the Skylab 3 mission. After retiring from NASA, Bean became a painter specialising in spaceflight themes.

    Two

    Is it true or false that Hannibal the Great was crowned pharaoh of Egypt today in 332 BCE?

    Answer: False

    It was Alexander the Great who was crowned pharaoh of Egypt today in 332 BCE. In Egypt, Alexander was portrayed as the son of Nectanebo II, the final pharaoh before Persian conquest. His victory over Darius was celebrated as Egypt’s salvation, demonstrating that Egypt remained under Egyptian rule.

    Three

    In Moby-Dick—which was published in the US today in 1851—Captain Ahab offers a gold coin as a reward for spotting the white whale. What real-world coin does he nail to the mast — and from which country does it come?

    Answer: A Spanish gold doubloon from Ecuador.

    The coin is a gold Spanish doubloon, specifically a sixteen-dollar piece from Ecuador. Its design includes symbols of the sun, zodiac signs, and the Andean mountains, which the crew interprets differently—each seeing their own meaning in it. The coin thus mirrors Ahab’s monomania and the novel’s larger theme of how individuals project their own beliefs and destinies onto the same object or event.

    Eugene B. Ely flies his Curtiss pusher airplane from USS Birmingham (Scout Cruiser # 2), in Hampton Roads, Virginia, during the afternoon of Nov. 14 1910.
    Image General Aviation News

    Four

    On this date, Eugene Burton Ely achieved the first aircraft takeoff from a ship. In which decade did this happen?

    Answer: 1910s

    In 1910, Ely took off from a makeshift deck on the USS Birmingham in a Curtiss Pusher aircraft and safely made landfall. A year later he made the first shipboard landing, complete with hooks attached to his Pusher to catch sandbagged ropes to abbreviate the landing roll.

    Five

    In the television series MASH*, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake, played by McLean Stevenson, was discharged and sent home in the final episode of Season 3. What shocking event was revealed at the end of that episode?

    Answer: His plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan, with no survivors.

    McLean Stevenson was born on this day in 1927. The twist ending of the episode ‘Abyssinia, Henry’ (1975) was kept secret from most of the cast until filming; their shocked reactions during Radar’s announcement were genuine. It marked one of the most memorable and emotional moments in television history.

  • Walking on the Moon

    The questions all relate to today, November 14th.

    Apollo 12 launch, November 14, 1969.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Apollo 12, launched on 14 November 1969, became the second mission to land on the Moon. Among the three-man crew, who landed and walked on the lunar surface, was which of these: Mr Bean, Mr Hyde or Mr Spock?

    Two

    Is it true or false that Hannibal the Great was crowned pharaoh of Egypt today in 332 BCE?

    Three

    In Moby-Dick—which was published in the US today in 1851—Captain Ahab offers a gold coin as a reward for spotting the white whale. What real-world coin does he nail to the mast — and from which country does it come?

    Four

    On this date, Eugene Burton Ely achieved the first aircraft takeoff from a ship. In which decade did this happen?

    Five

    In the television series MASH*, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake, played by McLean Stevenson, was discharged and sent home in the final episode of Season 3. What shocking event was revealed at the end of that episode?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.