Quizology.Online

Tag: nature

  • Sailing to Philadelphia—Answers

    The answers to my questions from earlier are posted below.

    A boat load of stray cargo to amuse you today.

    Blue whale mother and young.
    Image Whale Expeditions.

    One

    What is the young of a whale called?

    Answer: Calf

    The term ’calf’, when referring to a young whale, is derived from the same root as the word for a young cow, which comes from Old English cealf and Proto-Germanic kalbam. This usage has been extended to marine mammals, where the adults are called bulls and cows, and the young are referred to as calves/calves.

    Two

    What were the first names of Mason and Dixon, after whom the Mason-Dixon Line is named?

    Answer: Charles and Jeremiah.

    The Mason-Dixon Line, surveyed by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon from 1763 to 1767, initially served to resolve a land dispute between the Penn and Calvert families by marking the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania. It later became a symbolic boundary between slave and free states in the United States before the Civil War.

    Three

    What eight letter word means ‘the study of Chinese language, history, customs, and politics’, and from what does the first three letters of the word ultimately derive?

    Answers: Sinology; Qin.

    The terms sinology and sinologist were coined around 1838, Sinae, in turn from the Greek Sinae, from the Arabic Sin—which ultimately derive from Qin, i.e. the Qin dynasty.
    — Wikipedia ultimately the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 3rd edition 1992): 1686.

    The astronomical seasons are based on the position of the Earth in relation to the sun. The equivalent meteorological seasons are also shown. This image is for the northern hemisphere.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Four

    In the northern hemisphere, what astronomical season ends at the vernal equinox and what three months form the equivalent meteorological season?

    Answers: Astronomical winter; December, January and February.

    Astronomical winter starts with the Winter Solstice about December 21st in the northern hemisphere and ends with the Vernal Equinox about March 20th. Meteorological winter covers the months of December, January and February.

    Five

    Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically.

    The opening words of which English novel, first published in Florence Italy in 1928, are quoted above. What is the novel’s title and who is the author?

    Answer: Lady Chatterley’s Lover; D.H. Lawrence.

    Lady Chatterley’s Lover, D. H. Lawrence’s final novel, explores the relationship between a working-class man and an upper-class woman. The novel, influenced by Lawrence’s life and the story of Lady Ottoline Morrell, faced obscenity trials in the UK and US before becoming a bestseller. It was not published fully and openly in the UK until 1960.

    Sailing to Philadelphia – The Post Title

    The title refers to Mark Knopfler’s album from 2000, and its title track which was inspired by Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon, a novel about Mason and Dixon. The track features American singer-songwriter James Taylor.

    Sailing to Philadelphia

    Mark Knopfler

    I am Jeremiah Dixon
    I am a Geordie Boy
    A glass of wine with you, sir
    And the ladies I’ll enjoy 

    All Durham and Northumberland
    Is measured up by my own hand
    It was my fate from birth
    To make my mark upon the earth… 

    He calls me Charlie Mason
    A stargazer am I
    It seems that I was born
    To chart the evening sky 

    They’d cut me out for baking bread
    But I had other dreams instead
    This baker’s boy from the west country
    Would join the Royal Society… 

    We are sailing to Philadelphia
    A world away from the coaly Tyne
    Sailing to Philadelphia
    To draw the line
    The Mason-Dixon line 

    Now you’re a good surveyor, Dixon
    But I swear you’ll make me mad
    The West will kill us both
    You gullible Geordie lad 

    You talk of liberty
    How can America be free
    A Geordie and a baker’s boy
    In the forest of the Iroquois… 

    Now hold your head up, Mason
    See America lies there
    The morning tide has raised
    The capes of Delaware 

    Come up and feel the sun
    A new morning is begun
    Another day will make it clear
    Why your stars should guide us here… 

    We are sailing to Philadelphia
    A world away from the coaly Tyne
    Sailing to Philadelphia
    To draw the line
    The Mason-Dixon Line

    AZLyrics

  • Sailing to Philadelphia

    A boat load of stray cargo to amuse you today.

    Blue whale mother and young.
    Image Whale Expeditions.

    One

    What is the young of a whale called?

    Two

    What were the first names of Mason and Dixon, after whom the Mason-Dixon Line is named?

    Three

    What eight letter word means ‘the study of Chinese language, history, customs, and politics’, and from what does the first three letters of the word ultimately derive?

    Four

    In the northern hemisphere, what astronomical season ends at the vernal equinox and what three months form the equivalent meteorological season?

    Five

    Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically.

    The opening words of which English novel, first published in Florence Italy in 1928, are quoted above. What is the novel’s title and who is the author?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • The Wind in the Wires Made a Tattle-tale Sound—Answers

    Five random questions for you to ponder today. 

    Edmund Fitzgerald.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    On which of the Great Lakes did the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sink with the loss of her entire crew in 1975?

    1. Lake Michigan
    2. Lake Ontario
    3. Lake Superior

    Answer: 3. Lake Superior.

    The SS Edmund Fitzgerald, the largest ship on the Great Lakes, sank during a storm on November 10, 1975, with all 29 crew members lost. The cause of the sinking remains unknown, though it is believed to have been due to a combination of factors such as structural failure and high waves. The disaster led to changes in Great Lakes shipping regulations and practices. The Edmund Fitzgerald disaster, immortalised in Gordon Lightfoot’s ballad, led to significant changes in Great Lakes shipping regulations, including mandatory survival suits and increased inspections.

    Two

    This Eurasian woodland plant, Allium uranium, with broad shiny leaves and round heads of flowers, producing a strong aroma of garlic is also called wild garlic. What is it?

    1. Larsons
    2. Ramsons
    3. Tamsons 

    Answer: 2. Ramsoms.

    Allium ursinum, or wild garlic, is a bulbous perennial flowering plant native to Eurasia. It is a wild relative of onion and garlic. It has several names including ramsons; it is also known as buckrams, broad-leaved garlic, cowleekes, cows’s leek, cowleek, wood garlic, Eurasian wild garlic, onion grass, bear leek and bear’s garlic. 

    Three

    What letter(s) is the symbol which represents the element tungsten?

    1. T
    2. Gs
    3. W

    Answer: 3. W.

    Tungsten, also known as wolfram, is a chemical element with the symbol W and atomic number 74. It is a metal found naturally in compounds and was first isolated as a metal in 1783.

    Four

    Who, on a sixties album, released a version of the Christmas carol Silent Night with a simulated 7 O’clock News, which featured real events from the preceding summer, being read over it? 

    1. Crosby, Stills and Nash
    2. Joni Mitchell
    3. Simon & Garfunkel

    Answer: 3. Simon & Garfunkel.

    7 O’Clock News/Silent Night by Simon & Garfunkel is a sound collage from their 1966 album, combining Silent Nightwith a simulated news bulletin. A sound collage juxtaposes Silent Night with a news report, highlighting social issues like civil rights, Lenny Bruce’s death, and the Vietnam War. The track’s mix emphasises the contrast between the news and the Christmas song.

    Five

    In which Scottish body of water was the German High Seas Fleet scuttled in June 1919?

    1. Loch Ness
    2. Scapa Flow
    3. Firth of Lorn

    Andwer: 2. Scapa Flow.

    Scapa Flow is a strait in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. It was an important British naval base, especially in the First World War. The German High Seas Fleet was interned there after its surrender, and was scuttled in 1919 as an act of defiance against the terms of the Versailles peace settlement.

    The Wind in the Wires Made a Tattle-tale Sound — Post Title

    The post title is a line from The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot. Full lyrics below from AZ Lyrics.

    The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald

    By Gordon Lightfoot.

    The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
    Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
    The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
    When the skies of November turn gloomy
    With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
    Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
    [Former version:] That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
    [Latter version:] That good ship and crew was a bone to be chewed
    When the gales of November came early 

    The ship was the pride of the American side
    Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
    As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
    With a crew and good captain well seasoned
    Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
    When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
    Then later that night when the ship’s bell rang
    Could it be the north wind they’d been feelin’? 

    The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
    When the wave broke over the railing
    And every man knew, as the captain did too
    ‘Twas the witch of November come stealin’
    The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
    When the gales of November came slashin’
    When afternoon came it was freezing rain
    In the face of a hurricane west wind 

    When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck
    Saying, “Fellas, it’s too rough to feed ya.”
    [Former version:] At seven PM a main hatchway caved in
    [Latter version:] At seven PM it grew dark, it was then
    He said, “Fellas, it’s been good to know ya.”
    The captain wired in he had water comin’ in
    And the good ship and crew was in peril
    And later that night when his lights went out of sight
    Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald 

    Does anyone know where the love of God goes
    When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
    The searchers all say they’d have made Whitefish Bay
    If they’d put fifteen more miles behind her
    They might have split up or they might have capsized
    They may have broke deep and took water
    And all that remains is the faces and the names
    Of the wives and the sons and the daughters 

    Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
    In the rooms of her ice-water mansion
    Old Michigan steams like a young man’s dreams
    The islands and bays are for sportsmen
    And farther below, Lake Ontario
    Takes in what Lake Erie can send her
    And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
    With the gales of November remembered 

    [Former version:] In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
    [Latter version:] In a rustic old hall in Detroit they prayed
    In the Maritime Sailors’ Cathedral
    The church bell chimed ’til it rang twenty-nine times
    For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald
    The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
    Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
    Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
    When the gales of November come early.
    AZ Lyrics.

  • The Wind in the Wires Made a Tattle-tale Sound

    Five random questions for you to ponder today. 

    Edmund Fitzgerald.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    On which of the Great Lakes did the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sink with the loss of her entire crew in 1975?

    1. Lake Michigan
    2. Lake Ontario
    3. Lake Superior

    Two

    This Eurasian woodland plant, Allium uranium, with broad shiny leaves and round heads of flowers, producing a strong aroma of garlic is also called wild garlic. What is it?

    1. Larsons
    2. Ramsons
    3. Tamsons 

    Three

    What letter(s) is the symbol which represents the element tungsten?

    1. T
    2. Gs
    3. W

    Four

    Who, on a sixties album, released a version of the Christmas carol Silent Night with a simulated 7 O’clock News, which featured events from the preceding summer, being read over it? 

    1. Crosby, Stills and Nash
    2. Joni Mitchell
    3. Simon & Garfunkel

    Five

    In which Scottish body of water was the German High Seas Fleet scuttled in June 1919?

    1. Loch Ness
    2. Scapa Flow
    3. Firth of Lorn

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Why a Duck?—Answers

    Here are the answers to my questions which were posted earlier.

    Five random multiple-choice questions for you today.

    The Marx Brothers, 1931.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    Who was the eldest of the Marx Brothers? 

    1. Chico
    2. Groucho
    3. Harpo

    Answer: 1. Chico.

    Chico, born Leonard Joseph Marx in 1887, was the eldest. Harpo, born Adolph Marx in 1888, followed. Groucho, born Julius Henry Marx in 1890, then came Gummo, born Milton Marx in 1893. Finally, Zeppo, born Herbert Manfred Marx in 1901, was the youngest and last of the five Marx brothers. The picture shows them in age order but missing Gummo. From top: Chico, Harpo, Groucho and Zeppo.

    Two

    The African polecat is also known as a …

    1. Zimbal
    2. Zorilla 
    3. Zugerro

    Answer: 3. Zorilla.

    The striped polecat, native to sub-Saharan Africa, is a nocturnal, mostly carnivorous mammal with distinctive black and white fur. It uses its long claws to dig for prey and its spray to deter predators. While mostly solitary, females tolerate males during breeding season, and the species is not considered threatened.

    Three

    What movement which flourished in the early twentieth century was also referred to as Style Moderne?

    1. Art Deco
    2. Naturalism
    3. Realism

    Answer: 1. Art Deco.

    Art Deco, a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, emerged in Paris in the 1910s and flourished internationally during the 1920s and 1930s. Influenced by various artistic movements and cultures, it represented luxury and progress, utilising both rare and new materials. While its popularity waned after World War II, Art Deco remains a significant architectural and design style.

    Four

    At what age did Alexander the Great die?

    1. 32 years old
    2. 41 years old
    3. 49 years old

    Answer: 1. 32 years old.

    Alexander the Great, king of Macedon (20/21 July 356 BCE – 10/11 June 323 BCE), created one of the largest empires in history through a decade-long military campaign. He conquered the Persian Empire, invaded India, and founded numerous cities, spreading Greek culture and initiating the Hellenistic period. His legacy includes cultural diffusion, military tactics, and legendary status in both Greek and non-Greek cultures.

    Five

    1. Florida
    2. Louisiana
    3. Texas

    Answer: 3. Texas.

    The latitude of the three cities listed are as follows with the southernmost first…

    • Austin, Texas (30.2672° N)
    • Tallahassee, Florida (30.4383° N)
    • Baton Rouge, Louisiana (30.4571° N)

    Why a Duck? — Post Title

    Why a Duck? is a well-known comedy routine from the Marx Brothers’ movie The Cocoanuts (1929). The scene, features Groucho mentioning an ‘viaduct’ and Chico asking ‘Why a duck?’. This turns into a prolonged routine which is a favourite among fans and has been analysed in Richard Anobile’s book of the same name. The script for the scene is on the Marx Brothers website here.

  • Why a Duck?

    Five random multiple-choice questions for you today.

    The Marx Brothers, 1931.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    Who was the eldest of the Marx Brothers? 

    1. Chico
    2. Groucho
    3. Harpo

    Two

    The African polecat is also known as a …

    1. Zimbal
    2. Zorilla 
    3. Zugerro

    Three

    What movement which flourished in the early twentieth century was also referred to as Style Moderne?

    1. Art Deco
    2. Naturalism
    3. Realism

    Four

    At what age did Alexander the Great die?

    1. 32 years old
    2. 41 years old
    3. 49 years old

    Five

    1. Florida
    2. Louisiana
    3. Texas

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Gallimaufry VII—Answers

    Today we have a mixed bag of trivia with no theme.

    Tom kha kai soup.
    Image Pinterest

    One

    Tom kha kai is a Thai soup made with which milk?

    Answer: Coconut

    Tom kha, a Thai soup originating around 1890, evolved from tom kha pet (duck and galangal) to tom kha kai (chicken) and tom kha kung (shrimp). It is distinguished from tom yam by its coconut milk base.

    Two

    In which country is Punta Gallinas, the northernmost part of mainland South America?

    Answer: Colombia

    Punta Gallinas, also known as Cape Gallinas or Cape Hens, is a northern Colombian headland in the Caribbean Sea.  Situated in Uribia Municipality within La Guajira Department, it marks the northernmost point on South America’s mainland and is one of the continent’s extreme points.

    Three

    Caspian, Indian, and monocled are species of which snake?

    Answer: Cobra

    The Caspian cobra, a highly venomous snake endemic to Central Asia, and the monocled cobra, found in South and Southeast Asia, are both known for their potent venom and are responsible for numerous snakebite incidents. The Indian cobra, native to the Indian subcontinent, is one of the ‘big four’ species responsible for the most snakebite cases in Sri Lanka and India.

    Four

    In what game was a character renamed in 2023 as Boden ‘Boddy’ Black Jr?

    Answer: Cluedo/Clue.

    In the 2023 update of Cluedo/Clue, Boden “Boddy” Black Jr. finally aligns the British Dr. Black with the American Mr. Boddy.

    Five

    Where in Ireland is the cultural region of Connemara?

    Answer: County Galway.

    Connemara, a region in western County Galway, Ireland, is renowned for its traditional Irish culture. It’s Ireland’s largest Gaeltacht, a district where Irish is the predominant language, and boasts mountains, peninsulas, coves, islands and small lakes. Clifden serves as its largest settlement.

  • Gallimaufry VII

    Today we have a mixed bag of trivia with no theme.

    Tom kha kai soup.
    Image Pinterest

    One

    Tom kha kai is a Thai soup made with which milk?

    Two

    In which country is Punta Gallinas, the northernmost part of mainland South America?

    Three

    Caspian, Indian, and monocled are species of which snake?

    Four

    In what game was a character renamed in 2023 as Boden ‘Boddy’ Black Jr?

    Five

    Where in Ireland is the cultural region of Connemara?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • The Truth Will Out II—Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

    Today’s questions aren’t about dates; they simply ask whether something is true or false.

    Orville Wright beginning the first successful controlled flight in history, at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, December 17, 1903.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    One

    Is it true or false that the first controlled and sustained flight of an engine-powered, heavier-than-air aircraft was made by Wilbur Wright?

    Answer: False.

    The first flight was made by Orville Wright at 10:35 am on 17 December 1903 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, United States. The flight was captured in the above photograph. The duration of the flight was 120 feet (37 m) in 12 seconds at a speed of 6.8 mph (10.9 km/h). By noon that day, they had made four flights, and on the last, Wilbur flew 852 feet.

    Two

    Is it true or false that a gnu is another name for a water buffalo?

    Answer: False.

    A gnu is another name for a wildebeest. Wildebeest are antelopes native to Eastern and Southern Africa. There are two species: the black wildebeest and the blue wildebeest, which differ in colour and horn orientation. Wildebeest are abundant in East Africa, often migrating in herds with zebras for protection against predators.

    Three

    Is it true or false that Marc Antony, Roman general and politician, lived in the first century CE?

    Answer: False.

    Born in 83 BCE, Marc Antony died at the age of 53 in August 30 BCE. Mark Antony, a Roman general and triumvir, was defeated by Octavian in the final civil war that ended the Roman Republic. He allied with Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, and their relationship, along with his perceived favour towards Greek culture, contributed to his downfall. Despite his abilities as a leader and general ultimately lost the battle of Actium, leading to his and Cleopatra’s suicides.

    Four

    Is it true or false that Eswatini is a landlocked country in Southern Africa?

    Answer: True.

    Eswatini, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, shares borders with South Africa and Mozambique. Formerly known as Swaziland, it’s a developing nation with a lower-middle income economy. Agriculture and manufacturing are its primary industries. Eswatini is an absolute monarchy ruled by King Mswati III since 1986 and faces significant health challenges, including a high HIV/AIDS prevalence.

    Five

    Is it true or false that nephology, a term from the late 19th century, relates to the study of the ground in relation to gold prospecting?

    Answer: False.

    Nephology, a rare term from the late 19th century derived from the Greek word ‘nephos’ meaning ‘cloud’ and the suffix ‘-logy’, refers to the study or contemplation of clouds. A nephoscope, an instrument from the 19th century, was used to measure cloud altitude, direction, and velocity through transit-time measurement, distinguishing it from a nephometer, which measures cloudiness.

  • The Truth Will Out II

    Today’s questions aren’t about dates; they simply ask whether something is true or false.

    The beginning the first successful controlled flight in history, at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, December 17, 1903.
    Image Encyclopædia Britannica

    One

    Is it true or false that the first controlled and sustained flight of an engine-powered, heavier-than-air aircraft was made by Wilbur Wright?

    Two

    Is it true or false that a gnu is another name for a water buffalo?

    Three

    Is it true or false that Marc Antony, Roman general and politician, lived in the first century CE?

    Four

    Is it true or false that Eswatini is a landlocked country in Southern Africa?

    Five

    Is it true or false that nephology, a term from the late 19th century, relates to the study of the ground in relation to gold prospecting?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.