Tag: sport

  • O is for… | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown highlighted below.

    The three fictional superstates of the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four are Oceania (black), Eurasia (red) and Eastasia (yellow). Areas shown in grey are ‘disputed’.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    The map above depicts the three fictional superstates from George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, along with disputed territories (in grey). The black-coloured state encompassing the Americas, Australia and the United Kingdom, among others, is known by what name?

    Answer: Oceania

    In George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, the world is divided into three superstates—Oceania (black on map), Eurasia (red) and Eastasia (yellow)—engaged in a perpetual war. The origins of these states, which may not even exist, are unclear, emerging from nuclear warfare and civil unrest between 1945 and 1965. In this post-war world, totalitarian ideologies such as English Socialism, Neo-Bolshevism and Obliteration of the Self dominate.


    Ogden Nash and Dagmar from the television game show Masquerade Party, 1955
    Image Wikipedia

    Two

    Some tortures are physical and some are mental, but the one that is both is dental.

    The above quote was originally made by which American humorist and poet?

    Answer: Ogden Nash

    Frederic Ogden Nash, an American humorist, wrote over 500 pieces of light verse, including 20 volumes of poetry and lyrics for musicals and children’s books.


    Orienteering pictogram
    Image Wikipedia

    Three

    A competitive sport in which runners have to find their way across rough country with the aid of a map and compass.
    Oxford English Dictionary

    What sport is being defined above?

    Answer: Orienteering

    Orienteering is a sport involving map and compass navigation through unfamiliar terrain. Participants use specially prepared maps to locate control points, with foot orienteering being the oldest and most popular variation. Orienteering features in the programs of global sporting events, such as the World Games and the World Police and Fire Games.


    Oberammergau Passion Play 1860 Production.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    A Passion Play, depicting the final phase of the life of Jesus Christ, has taken place in a Bavarian village once every ten years (barring a few exceptions) since the 17 century. What is the village name?

    Answer: Oberammergau

    The Oberammergauer Passionsspiele, a passion play performed by the inhabitants of Oberammergau, Germany, depicts Jesus’ final days from His visit to Jerusalem to His crucifixion. The play, composed by several individuals and the village inhabitants, is the earliest surviving continuous vernacular drama of the Christian era.


    Librarian of the Unseen University, Ankh-Morpork.
    Image Pinterest

    Five

    What one creature answers both the following
    – In The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett, the university librarian is accidentally turned into one of these
    – One is featured in Edgar Allan Poe’s short story The Murders in the Rue Morgue

    Answer: Orangutan (or orangutang)

    In The Light Fantastic, the second instalment in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld fantasy novel series, the Librarian of the Unseen University undergoes an unexpected transformation into a sentient orangutan. This transformation persists throughout the series, and he actively resists any attempts to revert him to his original state.
    The Murders in the Rue Morgue tell how a sailor’s orangutan, imitating him shaving, runs off with his straight razor and later kills a woman and her daughter. The sailor, attempting to catch it, was heard arguing with the animal. The orangutan fled, leaving the sailor to sell it and the police to release their suspect, Le Bon.

  • O is for…

    The alphabet theme continues with some questions with answers beginning with ‘O’.


    Image Wikipedia

    One

    The map above depicts the three fictional superstates from George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, along with disputed territories (in grey). The black-coloured state encompassing the Americas, Australia and the United Kingdom, among others, is known by what name?

    Two

    Some tortures are physical and some are mental, but the one that is both is dental.

    The above quote was originally made by which American humorist and poet?

    Three

    A competitive sport in which runners have to find their way across rough country with the aid of a map and compass.
    Oxford English Dictionary

    What sport is being defined above?

    Four

    A Passion Play, depicting the final phase of the life of Jesus Christ, has taken place in a Bavarian village once every ten years (barring a few exceptions) since the 17 century. What is the village name?

    Five

    What one creature answers both the following
    – In The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett, the university librarian is accidentally turned into one of these
    – One is featured in Edgar Allan Poe’s short story The Murders in the Rue Morgue

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • M is for… | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown highlighted below.

    Mary Quant, 1966.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Who is the pictured British fashion designer?

    Answer: Mary Quant

    Mary Quant, a British fashion designer, was a key figure in the 1960s Mod and youth fashion movements. She is credited with designing the miniskirt and hotpants.


    James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell and Mary, Queen of Scots third husband.
    Image Wikipedia

    Two

    Who married James Hepburn, the 4th Earl of Bothwell, in 1567 at Holyrood, Edinburgh, Scotland?

    Answer: Mary, Queen of Scots

    James Hepburn, 1st Duke of Orkney and 4th Earl of Bothwell (c. 1534 – 1578), known simply as Lord Bothwell, was the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. Accused of murdering Mary’s second husband, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, he was acquitted of the charge. However, his marriage to Mary was controversial and divided the country. When he fled the growing rebellion to Norway, he was arrested and spent the rest of his life imprisoned in Denmark.


    First Captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery), The Hunt for Red October (1990).
    Image Pinterest

    Three

    Captain First Rank … of the Soviet Navy was dressed for the Arctic conditions normal to the Northern Fleet submarine base at Polyarnyy.

    The above quote is the opening sentence of Tom Clancy’s The Hunt for Red October. What two-word name is missing from this quote?

    Answer: Marko Ramius

    The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy’s debut novel, was published in 1984 and introduced Jack Ryan. The book, which popularised the techno-thriller genre, was adapted into a film starring Sean Connery as Ramius in 1990.


    Martina Navratilova, 1980.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    Who partnered Chris Evert to win the 1976 Wimbledon ladies’ doubles title?

    Answer: Martina Navratilova

    Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova defeated Billie Jean King and Betty Stöve in the final of the 1976 Wimbledon ladies’ doubles title with a score of 6–1, 3–6, 7–5. This victory marked Evert’s only Wimbledon doubles title and third major doubles title, while it was Navratilova’s first Wimbledon doubles title and second doubles major title.


    Mona Lisa, Leonardo Da Vinci.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    La Gioconda is better known as…

    Answer: Mona Lisa

    Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa gained global fame in 1911 when Vincenzo Peruggia stole it, believing it belonged to Italy. The theft and subsequent recovery generated unprecedented publicity, leading to numerous cultural depictions and a Guinness World Record for the highest known painting insurance valuation.

  • M is for…

    The alphabet theme continues with some questions where all the answers begin with ‘M’.

    Mary Quant, 1966.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Who is the pictured British fashion designer?

    Two

    Who married James Hepburn, the 4th Earl of Bothwell, in 1567 at Holyrood, Edinburgh, Scotland?

    Three

    Captain First Rank … of the Soviet Navy was dressed for the Arctic conditions normal to the Northern Fleet submarine base at Polyarnyy.

    The above quote is the opening sentence of Tom Clancy’s The Hunt for Red October. What two-word name is missing from this quote?

    Four

    Who partnered Chris Evert to win the 1976 Wimbledon ladies’ doubles title?

    Five

    La Gioconda is better known as…

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • K is for… | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below.

    Tourists at London King’s Cross Platform 9¾ in July 2016.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Which London railway station has a marker indicating the location of Platform 9¾?

    King’s Cross

    King’s Cross is the starting point of the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter books. The film crew used the brick roof-support arches between platforms 4 and 5 to represent the fictional Platform 9¾.


    Kuwaiti 20 Dinar note.
    Image Left Over Currency

    Two

    In April 2024, Forbes named which country’s dinar as the highest valued currency in the world?

    Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD)

    The Kuwaiti dinar, the strongest currency globally, is pegged to an undisclosed basket of currencies. Kuwait, a leading oil exporter, introduced the dinar in the 1960s.


    North Island Brown Kiwi
    Image Wikipedia

    Three

    What bird has the biggest egg of any bird species relative to its size?

    Kiwi

    The brown kiwi (Apteryx australis) of New Zealand lays the largest eggs relative to its body size. One female kiwi weighing 1.7 kg (3 lb 12 oz) laid an egg weighing 406 g (14 oz), which is almost one quarter of her total body mass, and weights of up to 510 g (1 lb) have been reliably reported for other kiwi eggs. — Guinness World Records https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/83111-largest-bird-egg-relative-to-body-size


    Ken Rosewall, 1970.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    Who is the oldest male tennis player to win a major singles title in the Open Era?

    Ken Rosewall

    The oldest tennis Grand Slam singles winner (male, open era) is Ken Rosewall (Australia, b. 2 November 1934), who was aged 37 years 62 days when he won the 1972 Australian Open at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on 3 January 1972. Rosewall defeated Malcolm Anderson 7–6, 6–3, 7–5 in the final match of the tournament.

    Guinness World Records, 23 June 2025


    Five

    In the opening verse of Queen’s Killer Queen, both a United States President and a Soviet Premier are named. Please provide the surnames of these individuals?

    Khrushchev and Kennedy

    The lyrics are written below. Killer Queen is a song by Queen about a high-class call girl. It was written by Freddie Mercury and reached number two in the UK Singles Chart and number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100.

    Killer Queen

    She keeps Moët et Chandon
    In her pretty cabinet
    “Let them eat cake,” she says
    Just like Marie Antoinette
    A built-in remedy
    For Khrushchev and Kennedy (Ooh, ooh)
    At anytime an invitation
    You can’t decline (Ooh, ooh)

    Caviar and cigarettes
    Well versed in etiquette
    Extraordinarily nice

    She’s a killer queen
    Gunpowder, gelatin
    Dynamite with a laser beam
    Guaranteed to blow your mind
    (Pa-pa-pa-pa) Anytime
    Ooh
    Recommended at the price
    Insatiable an appetite
    Wanna try?

    To avoid complications
    She never kept the same address
    In conversation
    She spoke just like a baroness
    Met a man from China
    Went down to Geisha Minah (Ooh, ooh)
    (Killer, killer, she’s a killer queen)
    Then again incidentally
    If you’re that way inclined

    Perfume came naturally from Paris (Naturally)
    For cars, she couldn’t care less
    Fastidious and precise

    She’s a killer queen
    Gunpowder, gelatin
    Dynamite with a laser beam
    Guaranteed to blow your mind
    (Pa-pa-pa-pa)
    Anytime

    Drop of a hat she’s as willing as
    Playful as a pussycat (Ooh)
    Then momentarily out of action (Ooh)
    Temporarily out of gas (Ta-taaa)
    To absolutely drive you wild, wild
    She’s out to get you

    She’s a killer queen
    Gunpowder, gelatin
    Dynamite with a laser beam (Pa-pa-pa-ra)
    Guaranteed to blow your mind
    Anytime
    Ooh
    Recommended at the price
    Insatiable an appetite
    Wanna try?
    You wanna try

    AZ Lyrics, 23 June 2025.

  • K is for…

    The alphabet theme continues with some questions where all the answers begin with ‘K’.

    Platform 9¾, Kings Cross Railway Station, London. Image https://www.pexels.com

    One

    Which London railway station has a marker indicating the location of Platform 9¾?

    Two

    In April 2024, Forbes named which country’s dinar as the highest valued currency in the world?

    Three

    What bird has the biggest egg of any bird species relative to its size?

    Four

    Who is the oldest male tennis player to win a major singles title in the Open Era?

    Five

    In the opening verse of Queen’s Killer Queen, both a United States President and a Soviet Premier are named. Please provide the surnames of these individuals?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • D is for… | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the questions simply for your information.

    Devils Tower, Wyoming.
    Image US National Parks Service
    1. What is the pictured US National Monument and in what US state is it located?
      • Devils Tower, Wyoming—Devils Tower, a 1,267-foot igneous rock butte in Wyoming, was established as the first US national monument in 1906. Originally named ‘Bear’s House’ by indigenous peoples, it was renamed “Devils Tower” in 1875 and remains unchanged despite proposals to recognise indigenous ties.
        Tenzin Gyatso – 14th Dalai Lama
        Image Wikipedia
    2. The spiritual leader of the Tibetan people is known by what title?
      • Dalai Lama—The Dalai Lama is the head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, with the title bestowed upon Sonam Gyatso in 1578. Since the 17th century, the Dalai Lama has symbolised Tibetan unity, serving as both a religious and secular leader. The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, lives in exile in India and has advocated for Tibetan autonomy while rejecting calls for independence.
        Dacha in Yekaterinburg, Russia
        Image Wikipedia
    3. What is defined as a ‘country house or cottage in Russia, typically used as a second or holiday home’?
      • Dacha—A dacha is a seasonal or year-round second home, often located in the outskirts of post-Soviet countries. Originating as small country estates gifted by the tsar, dachas have been popular among the Russian upper and middle classes. During the Soviet era, many dachas were state-owned and given to the people, and today, about 62% of Russians visit dachas in the summer.
        Marvin the Paranoid Android.
        Costume used in the TV series, on display at Gunnersbury Park Museum.
        Image Wikipedia
    4. Marvin the Paranoid Android was created by which science fiction writer?
      • Douglas Adams—writer of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy created Marvin as the ship’s robot aboard the Heart of Gold. Marvin is a failed prototype of Sirius Cybernetics Corporation’s GPP technology who, despite his vast intellect, is underutilised, leading to severe depression and boredom.
        David Coulthard.
        Champions for Charity 2022.
        Image Wikipedia
    5. A Scottish driver won 13 Formula One Grands Prix across his 15-season career, which began in 1994. Despite this, he didn’t secure the World Drivers’ Championship, although he came in second place in 2001. Can you identify him?
      • David Coulthard—nicknamed ‘DC’, is a former British Formula One driver who competed from 1994 to 2008. He won 13 Grands Prix, finished second in the Drivers’ Championship in 2001, and retired from Formula One in 2008. After retirement, he became a broadcaster and commentator for Formula One.

  • D is for…

    A few questions where all the answers begin with ‘D’. As you know the starting letter, there are no multiple-choice options.

    Devils Tower, Wyoming.
    Image US National Parks Service
    1. What is the pictured US National Monument, and in which US state is it located?
    2. The spiritual leader of the Tibetan people is known by what title?
    3. What is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as a ‘country house or cottage in Russia, typically used as a second or holiday home’?
    4. Marvin the Paranoid Android was originally created for a radio series by which science fiction writer?
    5. A Scottish driver won 13 Formula One Grands Prix across his 15-season career, which began in 1994. Despite this, he didn’t secure the World Drivers’ Championship, although he came in second place in 2001. Can you identify him?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • A is for… | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below. I have included the questions simply for your information.

    The Admiral Benbow in Penzance, reportedly an inspiration for Stevenson’s Inn.
    Image Wikipedia
    1. An inn featuring in the first chapter of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island is the…
      • Admiral Benbow—The narrator recounts the arrival of a mysterious seaman, the Captain, at the Admiral Benbow inn. The Captain, a silent and brooding figure, pays for a long stay and requests the narrator to keep watch for a one-legged seafarer. The narrator, haunted by dreams of this ominous figure, becomes entangled in the Captain’s web of secrecy and fear.
        The view of destroyed interior of briefing room in Hitler’s headquatter Wolfsschanze near Rastenburg (Ketrzyn) in East Prussia.
        (from left to right Heinz Linge, Martin Bormann, Julius Schaub, Hermann Göring, Bruno Loerzer, unknown.)
        Image Wikipedia
    2. In the film Valkyrie (2008) who do the German army officers plot to assassinate?
      • Adolf Hitler—During World War II, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise), disillusioned with Nazi Germany, joins the German Resistance. He proposes using Operation Valkyrie to seize power after assassinating Hitler, but the plan fails when Hitler survives the bomb attack. The plotters are arrested, and Stauffenberg, along with other leaders, is executed.
        Alain Prost, 1990, US Grand Prix, Phoenix.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. Who is missing from this chronological list of motor racing’s Formula 1 World Drivers’ Champions from the 1990s: Ayrton Senna, Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, …, Michael Schumacher, Michael Schumacher?
      • Alain Prost—nicknamed “the Professor”, is a French former racing driver who competed in Formula One from 1980 to 1993. He won four Formula One World Drivers’ Championship titles and held records for most wins, fastest laps and podium finishes at the time of his retirement. After retiring from Formula One, Prost competed in various racing series, including the FFSA GT Championship and the Andros Trophy, and was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1999.
        Uluru/Ayers Rock.
        Image Wikipedia
    4. In 1873, William Gosse became the first European to visit Uluru. What did he name it?
      • Ayers Rock—Uluru, a landmark in the Northern Territory, is known as Uluṟu by the local Aṉangu people. It was named Ayers Rock in 1873 after Sir Henry Ayers, but officially became Uluru/Ayers Rock in 1993 and Uluru/Ayers Rock in 2002.
        Theseus slaying the Minotaur by Bayre.
        Image Wikipedia
    5. In Greek myth, which daughter of King Minos helped Theseus escape the Labyrinth?
      • Ariadne—Ariadne, a Cretan princess, helped Theseus escape the Minotaur but was abandoned on Naxos. There, Dionysus fell in love with her, married her, and created the Corona Borealis constellation.
  • A is for…

    Robert Louis Stevenson.
    Image Wikipedia

    A few questions where all the answers begin with ‘A’. As you know the starting letter there are no multiple-choice options.

    1. An inn featuring in the first chapter of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island is the…
    2. In the film Valkyrie (2008) who do the German army officers plot to assassinate?
    3. Who is missing from this chronological list of motor racing’s Formula 1 World Drivers’ Champions from the 1990s: Ayrton Senna, Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, …, Michael Schumacher, Michael Schumacher?
    4. In 1873, William Gosse became the first European to visit Uluru. What did he name it?
    5. In Greek myth, which daughter of King Minos helped Theseus escape the Labyrinth?

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.