Tag: sport

  • Odd one out II | Answers

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

    Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
    Image Pinterest
    1. Two of these were written by the same author and one was not. Which is the odd one out?
      • George’s Marvellous Medicine—was written by Ronald Dahl. Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car and the James Bond novel From Russia with Love were both written by Ian Fleming
        Harpy eagle.
        Image Wikipedia
    2. Two of these creatures are semi-aquatic reptiles, while the third is a completely different kind of animal. Which one is the odd one out?
      • Harpy—is one of two species of eagle: the American harpy and the Papuan harpy. Nile and saltwater are both species of crocodile.
        Crew of Apollo 12.
        Left to right they are: Commander, Charles “Pete” Conrad Jr.; Command Module pilot, Richard F. Gordon Jr.; and Lunar Module pilot, Alan L. Bean.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. The three men listed comprised the crew of Apollo 12. With regard to the Moon which of them was the odd one out?
      • Richard Gordon—was the command pilot who stayed in Lunar orbit while Conrad and Bean landed on the Moon and carried out surface activity for about 31 hours.
        The Salvation Army crest.
        Image The Salvation Army.
    4. Two of these are mottos of military organisations. Which one is the odd one out?
      • Blood and Fire—is the ‘War Cry’ of the Salvation Army; it refers to the blood of Christ and fire of the Holy Spirit. Semper fidelis (“Always faithful”) is the motto of the US Marine Corps while Who Dares Wins is the motto of the UK’s SAS (Special Air Service)
        Aryna Sabalenka, 2024.
        Image Wikipedia
    5. In sporting terms, which of these women is the odd one out?
      • Aryna Sabalenka—currently ranked world No. 1 in women’s tennis, has won three major championships: the 2023 and 2024 Australian Opens and the 2024 US Open. Additionally, she has won doubles titles at two majors, partnering with Elise Mertens, at the 2019 US Open and the 2021 Australian Open. Catriona Matthew (Europe) and Stacy Lewis (USA) are both golfers who captained their respective teams to victory in the Solheim Cup.
  • Odd one out II

    Moon.
    Image Wikipedia

    A few questions where you have to identify the odd one out.

    1. Two of these were written by the same author and one was not. Which is the odd one out?
      • Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car
      • George’s Marvellous Medicine
      • From Russia with Love
    2. Two of these creatures are semi-aquatic reptiles, while the third is a completely different kind of animal. Which one is the odd one out?
      • Harpy
      • Nile
      • Saltwater
    3. The three men listed comprised the crew of Apollo 12. With regard to the Moon which of them was the odd one out?
      • Alan Bean
      • Pete Conrad
      • Richard Gordon
    4. Two of these are the mottos of military organisations while one is not. Which one is the odd one out?
      • Blood and Fire
      • Semper fidelis (“Always faithful”)
      • Who Dares Wins
    5. In sporting terms, which of these women is the odd one out?
      • Aryna Sabalenka
      • Catriona Matthew
      • Stacy Lewis

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Who, What, When, Where, Why and How IV | Answers

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

    Eric Liddell.
    Image Wikipedia
    1. Who was a British Olympic gold medal winner died in a Japanese civilian internment camp during the Second World War and whose story was told in Chariots of Fire?
      • Eric Liddell—a Scottish sprinter, rugby player, and Christian missionary, was born in China to Scottish missionary parents. He won the 400 metres at the 1924 Paris Olympics after refusing to run in the heats for the 100 metres as they were held on a Sunday. These events were recounted in the film Chariots of Fire. He became a Congregational minister in 1932, and served as a missionary teacher in China until his death in a Japanese civilian internment camp in 1945.
        Flyer for the 1979 stage production at the ICA of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy.
        Image Wikipedia
    2. What author wrote, “In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move“?
      • Douglas AdamsThe Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a comedy science fiction franchise that began as a BBC radio series. The story follows Arthur Dent, the last human who hitched a ride off Earth before its destruction.
        The X-Men, Volume 1
        Image Marvel Fandom
    3. When did the Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters make its first appearance In Marvel Comics?
      • 1963—The X-Mansion, located in Westchester County, New York, is the base of operations for the X-Men and houses the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. The mansion has undergone several name changes and relocations, reflecting significant events in the X-Men’s history.
        Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
        Image Harry Potter Fandom
    4. Where did Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire come in the Harry Potter book series?
      • FourthHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth novel in the Harry Potter series, following Harry’s fourth year at Hogwarts. The book, published simultaneously in the UK and US in 2000, won a Hugo Award and was adapted into a film and video game.
        Eastern glass lizard.
        Image Wikipedia
    5. Why is the glass lizard, such as the eastern glass lizard (Ophisaurus ventralis), so called?
      • Their tails break offAnguinae, a subfamily of legless lizards in the Anguidae family, commonly known as glass lizards, glass snakes, or slow worms, are native to North America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Their tails easily break or snap off, earning them their first two common names.
        Depiction of Rip Van Winkle by John Quidor.
        Image Wikipedia
    6. How long does Rip Van Winkle sleep in Washington Irving’s short story?
      • 20 yearsRip Van Winkle is a short story by Washington Irving about a Dutch-American villager who falls asleep in the Catskill Mountains and awakens 20 years later to a changed world. The story was inspired by a conversation on nostalgia and published in 1819
  • Who, What, When, Where, Why and How IV

    Image Wikipedia
    1. Who was a British Olympic gold medal winner who died in a Japanese civilian internment camp during the Second World War and whose story was told in Chariots of Fire?
      • Arthur Lumsden
      • Eric Liddell
      • Hector Lynch
    2. What author wrote, “In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move“?
      • Douglas Adams
      • Isaac Asimov
      • Terry Pratchett
    3. When did the Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters make its first appearance In Marvel Comics?
      • 1937
      • 1949
      • 1963
    4. Where did Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire come in the Harry Potter book series?
      • Third
      • Fourth
      • Fifth
    5. Why is the glass lizard, such as the eastern glass lizard (Ophisaurus ventralis), so called?
      • They are diaphanous
      • They are mirror-like
      • Their tails break off
    6. How long does Rip Van Winkle sleep in Washington Irving’s short story?
      • 10 Years
      • 15 years
      • 20 years

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Mysteries and Meanings: A Trivial Journey Through Mike—Quebec | Answers

    Below are the questions from earlier today with the answers in bold.

    1. M is for Mike. This nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle World Champion went on to race cars in the Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship?
      • Mike Hailwood—Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood, nicknamed “the Bike”, was a British racing driver and motorcycle road racer. He won nine Grand Prix motorcycle World Championships and 14 Isle of Man TT victories before transitioning to Formula One and other car racing classes.
        Natalie Wood.
        Image Wikipedia
    1. N is for Natalie. She married actor Robert Wagner in 1957 and again in 1972?
      • Wood—Natalie Wood, an American actress, began acting at four and starred in films like Rebel Without a Cause and West Side Story. She drowned in 1981 at age 43 during a break from filming Brainstorm, with her husband Robert Wagner and co-star Christopher Walken. An ongoing investigation into her death named Wagner as a person of interest in 2018.
        Operation Overlord.
        Image Wikipedia
    2. O is for Operation. That was launched on 6 June 1944?
      • Overlord—Operation Overlord, the codename for the Battle of Normandy, was the Allied operation that liberated German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation, launched on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings, involved nearly 160,000 troops crossing the English Channel. German forces retreated east across the Seine on 30 August 1944, marking the close of Operation Overlord.
        MY Fair Lady, Playbill magazine cover, Broadway, 1952.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. P is for Pygmalion. This musical and a 1960s film were based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion?
      • My Fair Lady—George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion is a comedy about a phonetician who bets he can transform a Cockney flower seller into a duchess. The play, later adapted into My Fair Lady, starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn, explores love and the English class system.
        Dana Scully and Queequeg
        Image Pinterest
    4. Q if for Queequeg. Queequeg is a character in the 1851 novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, but who had a dog named Queequeg?
      • Dana Scully—In Moby-Dick, Queequeg is a skilled harpooneer from the cannibal tribe of Rokovoko. Scully, in The X-Files, named Queequeg (the dog) because of his cannabalistic behaviour in eating the dead body of his former owner.

    Natalie Wood.
    Image Wikipedia
  • Mysteries and Meanings: A Trivial Journey Through Mike—Quebec

    Queequeg and his harpoon.
    Image: Illustration from 1902 edition of Moby Dick/Wikipedia
    1. M is for Mike. This nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle World Champion went on to race cars in the Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship?
      • Haggar
      • Hailwood
      • Hawthorn
    1. N is for Natalie. She married actor Robert Wagner in 1957 and again in 1972?
      • Walnut
      • Willow
      • Wood
    2. O is for Operation. That was launched on 6 June 1944?
      • Overarch
      • Overlord
      • Overtake
    3. P is for Pygmalion. This musical and a 1960s film were based on George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion?
      • Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
      • Half a Sixpence
      • My Fair Lady
    4. Q if for Queequeg. Queequeg is a character in the 1851 novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, but who had a dog named Queequeg?
      • Dana Scully
      • Dr Doug Ross
      • Ross Geller

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Birthdays | Answers

    1. Born 20 April 1964, this actor, who is best known for motion-capture acting, plays and provides the voice for the computer-generated Supreme Leader Snoke in the Star Wars franchise. Who is he?
      • Andy Serkis—is an English actor and filmmaker renowned for his pioneering work in motion capture, portraying iconic characters such as Gollum, King Kong and Caesar. His performances have earned him critical acclaim, including an Empire Award, two Saturn Awards, nominations for a BAFTA and Golden Globe. In addition to acting, Serkis has directed films like Breathe and Venom: Let There Be Carnage. His portrayal of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy not only showcased his talent but also significantly influenced the use of motion capture in future films, impacting productions like King Kong and Planet of the Apes.
        Napoleon III, portrait by Xaver Winterhalter.
        Image Wikipedia
    2. Georges-Eugène Haussmann, known as Baron Haussmann, was commissioned in 1853 “to give it air and open space, to connect and unify the different parts of the city into one whole and to make it more beautiful”. Who, born this day in 1808, commissioned Haussmann?
      • Napoleon III—Napoleon III, born Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, was the first president, second emperor and last monarch of France. He seized power in 1851, proclaimed himself Emperor and modernised France through economic reforms, infrastructure development and colonial expansion. His reign ended with his capture by Prussia in 1870.
        Luther Vandross.
        Image Wikipedia
    3. Today in 1951, Luther Vandross was born. He was a singer/songwriter who went on to win eight Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year in 2004 for…
      • Dance With My FatherLuther Vandross, known as the “Velvet Voice”, was an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter and record producer. He achieved eleven consecutive platinum albums and sold over 40 million records worldwide. Vandross won eight Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year in 2004 for Dance With My Father. He died of a heart attack in 2005, aged 54.
        The Hitler birthplace memorial stone, in front of the building where Adolf Hitler was born. The writing on the stone translates as; ” For Peace, Freedom and Democracy. Never Again Fascism. Millions of Dead remind us.”
        Image Wikipedia
    4. Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, was born on this day in 1889; where was he born?
      • Braunau am Inn—Adolf Hitler, born in Austria-Hungary, led the Nazi Party in Germany and became Chancellor in 1933. His aggressive expansionist policies, including the invasion of Poland and the Soviet Union, led to World War II. Hitler’s regime was responsible for the Holocaust and millions of other deaths, making it the deadliest conflict in history. Hitler championed territorial expansion and racial supremacy.
    5. Who, born on 20 April 1997, is a professional tennis player, the current world No. 3, and the defeated finalist in the 2025 Australian Open?
      • Alexander Zverev—Alexander Zverev is a German professional tennis player, currently ranked world number 3. He has won 23 ATP Tour titles, including a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and titles at the 2018 and 2021 ATP Finals.
    Alexander Zverev.
    Image Wikipedia

  • Birthdays

    See #2. Georges-Eugène Haussmann. Image Wikipedia

    All of these are about people with a birthday on 20 April, although not Monsieur Haussmann.

    1. Born 20 April 1964, this actor, who is best known for motion-capture acting, plays and provides the voice for the computer-generated Supreme Leader Snoke in the Star Wars franchise. Who is he?
      • Ahmed Best
      • Andy Serkis
      • Joseph Gatt
    2. Georges-Eugène Haussmann, known as Baron Haussmann, was commissioned in 1853 “to give it air and open space, to connect and unify the different parts of the city into one whole and to make it more beautiful”. Who, born this day in 1808, commissioned Haussmann?
      • Napoleon I
      • Napoleon II
      • Napoleon III
    3. Today in 1951, Luther Vandross was born. He was a singer/songwriter who went on to win eight Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year in 2004 for…
      • Dance with My Father
      • Endless Love
      • The Best Things in Life Are Free
    4. Adolf Hitler (Pictured below), the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, was born on this day in 1889; where was he born?
      • Berchtesgaden
      • Berlin
      • Braunau am Inn
    5. Who, born on 20 April 1997, is a professional tennis player, the current world No. 3, and the defeated finalist in the 2025 Australian Open?
      • Alexander Zverev
      • Jannik Sinner
      • Taylor Fritz
    See #4 above. Adolf Hitler. Image Wikipedia

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Spin, trials and unlucky 13 | Answers

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

    Martin Luther. Wikipedia
    1. The trial of Martin Luther over his teachings and efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church began on 17 April 1521 during the…
      • Diet of Worms—At an Imperial Diet of the Holy Roman Emperor in the Imperial Free City of Worms, Martin Luther refused to recant his writings unless proven wrong by Scripture or reason, famously stating, “Here I stand; I can do no other.” The Diet declared Luther a heretic and banned his writings.
      Muttiah Muralitharan. Wikipedia
    2. On this day in 1972, Muttiah Muralitharan, cricketer, was born in…
      • Kandy—(Sri Lanka)—Muttiah Muralitharan, a Sri Lankan cricketer, is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. He is the only bowler to take 800 Test wickets and over 530 One Day International (ODI) wickets. Muralitharan was a part of the Sri Lankan team that won the 1996 Cricket World Cup.
      Henry Ian Cusick. Wikipedia
    3. Henry Ian Cusick, born today in 1967, who is best known for his role as Desmond Hume in Lost, is described in Wikipedia as…
      • Peruvian-Scottish—Henry Ian Cusick is a Peruvian-Scottish actor known for roles in Lost, The Gospel of John, Scandal, The 100, The Passage, and MacGyver.
      Apollo 13 crew: Commander, James A. Lovell Jr., Command Module pilot, John L. Swigert Jr., and Lunar Module pilot, Fred W. Haise Jr. Wikipedia
    4. The damaged Apollo 13 spacecraft returned to Earth safely today in 1970; the commander was…
      • James A. Lovell Jr.—Jim Lovell, a US astronaut, participated in the Gemini and Apollo space programmes. He commanded the Apollo 13 mission to the Moon in 1970, which faced a critical oxygen tank explosion but successfully returned to Earth. Apollo 13 was his fourth and final spaceflight.
    5. Anneli Jäätteenmäki took office on 17 April 2003 as the first female prime minister of…
      • Finland—
    Anneli Jäätteenmäki. Wikipedia
  • Spin, trials and unlucky 13

    Apollo 13 mission insignia. Wikipedia
    1. The trial of Martin Luther over his teachings and efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church began on 17 April 1521 during the…
      • Diet of Weeds
      • Diet of Woods
      • Diet of Worms
    2. On this day in 1972, Muttiah Muralitharan, cricketer, was born in…
      • Bonbon
      • Kandy
      • Toffey
    3. Henry Ian Cusick, born today in 1967, who is best known for his role as Desmond Hume in Lost, is described in Wikipedia as…
      • Argentinian-Welsh
      • Chilean-Irish
      • Peruvian-Scottish
    4. The damaged Apollo 13 spacecraft returned to Earth safely today in 1970; the commander was…
      • Fred W. Haise Jr.
      • John “Jack” L. Swigert Jr.
      • James A. Lovell Jr.
    5. Anneli Jäätteenmäki took office on 17 April 2003 as the first female prime minister of…
      • Fiji
      • Finland
      • France

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today