words – Quizology Online

Gallimaufry V—Answers

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

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

Snow leopard aka ounce.
Image Wikimedia Commons

One

Panthera uncia, native to Central and South Asia, inhabits mountain ranges like the Altai, Hindu Kush, and Himalayas. What is its name in English and by what other name, which could be confused with a measure, was it known?

Answer: Snow leopard; ounce.

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is a large cat native to Central and South Asia’s mountain ranges. It is listed as Vulnerable due to poaching and habitat destruction, with fewer than 10,000 mature individuals remaining. The snow leopard is legally protected in most of its range and is culturally significant in Kyrgyzstan.

Two

The acronym SONAR means what?

Answer: Sound navigation and ranging. (SO(und) NA(vigation and) R(anging).

sonar
noun [mass noun] a system for the detection of objects under water by emitting sound pulses and detecting or measuring their return after being reflected: [as modifier] a weak sonar signal. – [count noun] an apparatus used in sonar: we reduced the sensitivity of our scanning sonars. – the method of echolocation used in air or water by animals such as whales and bats: the fishing nets are detectable by dolphin sonar. – ORIGIN 1940s: from so(und) na(vigation and) r(anging), on the pattern of radar. — Oxford English Dictionary iOS App ©Oxford English Dictionary.

Three

The name of a 2003 Grammy Award winner and the title of a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in 1839 are linked by a single word. Can you supply the word and the full title of Poe’s short story?

Answer: Usher; The Fall of the House of Usher.

Edgar Allan Poe’s Gothic fiction short story, The Fall of the House of Usher, delves into themes of madness, family and isolation. In 2003, Usher won his second consecutive Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for U Don’t Have to Call.

Four

What was the name of Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s ship during his ill-fated Antarctic expedition?

Answer: Terra Nova.

The Terra Nova Expedition, led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott, aimed to reach the South Pole and conduct scientific research. Although they achieved this goal on January 17, 1912, they arrived second—a month after Amundsen. Scott and his team tragically died on the Ross Ice Shelf during their return journey, leading to debate about the expedition’s organisation and management.

Five

In December 1969, on a television programme, a Norwegian Blue was purchased, and then an attempt was made to return it. What was the name that this sketch is known by, and in what TV programme was it featured?

Answer: ‘Dead Parrot sketch’; Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

The ‘Dead Parrot sketch’ from Monty Python’s Flying Circus satirises poor customer service. It features a customer, Mr Praline, arguing with a shopkeeper about a dead parrot. Mr Praline complains about a deceased parrot he bought. The shopkeeper, using euphemisms for death, sends him to his brother’s shop in Bolton for a refund, but Praline discovers it’s the same shop. The shopkeeper, claiming it’s a prank, is interrupted by a Colonel who orders the sketch to stop.

Gallimaufry V

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

One

Two

The acronym SONAR means what?

Three

Four

What was the name of Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s ship during his ill-fated Antarctic expedition?

Five

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

What the Dickens—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions I posed in my earlier post.

Each of these questions relates to today’s date, February 7th.

One

British novelist Charles Dickens was born on this day in 1812. But what does the word ‘Dickens’ refer to in the phrase ‘What the dickens’?

Answer: Devil.

dickens /ˈdɪkɪnz /  noun [in singular] informal, dated used for emphasis, or to express annoyance or surprise when asking questions: what the dickens is going on? they work like the dickens. – ORIGIN late 16th century: a euphemism for ‘devil’, probably a use of the surname Dickens. — Oxford English Dictionary

Two

After the death of King Hussein in 1999, his son Abdullah II became king in what country, and what countries border it?

Answer: Jordan; (bordering countries are) Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria, West Bank.

Syria is to the north; Iraq to the east; Saudi Arabia to the southeast and south; Israel to the west; and the West Bank to the west. There is also a maritime border with Egypt on the Gulf of Aqaba to the south.

Three

On this day, Michael Romanov became Tsar of Russia as Michael I and founded the Romanov dynasty. In what century was it founded? In what year did it end, and who was the last Tsar?

Answer: 17th century. 1917 and Nicholas II

Michael Romanov, elected Tsar of Russia in 1613 at age 16, initially relied on his mother’s relatives to restore order. His father, Philaret, returned from Polish captivity in 1619, becoming co-ruler and patriarch, and significantly influencing the government until his death in 1633. Michael’s reign (1613-1645) saw increased European contact, financial reforms, and the strengthening of serfdom. The dynasty ended with the Russian Revolution of 1917 when Nicholas II abdicated and, with his family, was later executed.

Four

The Beatles arrived in the United States for the first time on this day in 1964 in what the press named the ‘British Invasion’. What single gave the Beatles their first Billboard Hot 100 number one?

Answer: I Want to Hold Your Hand.

It became the Beatles’ first US number-one single when it topped the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1964, kicking off full-blown Beatlemania in America. They held the number one spot for a then-record fourteen straight weeks, from February 1st through May 2nd, and on April 4th, the Beatles held the top five positions in the Hot 100 simultaneously.

Five

Walt Disney’s Pinocchio premiered in 1940. Who wrote the novel it was based on?

Answer: Carlo Collodi.

Pinocchio, a 1940 Disney animated film, follows the adventures of a wooden puppet who becomes a real boy. The film is renowned for its animation, storytelling, and music. The film won two Academy Awards: Best Original Score and Best Original Song for When You Wish Upon a Star. This made it the first Disney film to win either category.

What the Dickens

Each of these questions relates to today’s date, February 7th.

One

British novelist Charles Dickens was born on this day in 1812. But what does the word ‘Dickens’ refer to in the phrase ‘What the dickens’?

Two

After the death of King Hussein in 1999, his son Abdullah II became king in what country, and what countries border it?

Three

On this day, Michael Romanov became Tsar of Russia as Michael I and founded the Romanov dynasty. In what century was it founded? In what year did it end, and who was the last Tsar?

Four

Five

Walt Disney’s Pinocchio premiered in 1940. Who wrote the novel it was based on?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Naturally Confused—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions posted earlier.

Today’s questions revolve around animals but the specific types are concealed within capitalised anagrams. The solution lies in identifying the animal type hidden within the anagram.

Platypus aka Duck-billed Platypus.
Image Wikimedia Commons

One

SING ODE to wild, perhaps half-domesticated, members of the family Canidae.

Answer: Dingoes

dingo, (Canis lupus dingo, Canis dingo), member of the family Canidae native to Australia. Most authorities regard dingoes as a subspecies of the wolf (Canis lupus dingo); however, some authorities consider dingoes to be their own species (C. dingo). The name dingo is also used to describe wild dogs of Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and New Guinea.

— Encyclopædia Britannica

Two

LAID MORALS are nocturnal insectivorous mammals, which are found from South America to southern North America; they have large claws for digging and a body covered in bony plates.

Answer: Armadillos

Armadillos (Spanish for ‘little armoured ones’) are New World placental mammals in the order Cingulata. They form part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. 21 extant species of armadillo have been described, some of which are distinguished by the number of bands on their armour.

— Wikipedia

Three

HEATHER TWIGS ARK while Peter Benchley researched this species, Carcharodon carcharias.

Answer: Great white shark

The great white was the villain in Peter Benchley’s novel Jaws and its film adaptation by Steven Spielberg. The white shark, a vulnerable apex predator, is widely protected due to its low productivity and human impacts. Despite being well-studied, many questions about its abundance, life history, habitats, and movements remain unanswered.

Four

PUP DULY BLACKLISTED when a specimen arrived in England, it was assumed to be a hoax or practical joke.

Answer: Duckbilled platypus (aka platypus)

When the first platypus specimen reached England from Australia in 1799, the scientific community claimed that it was a hoax. On closer investigation, dubious European naturalists eventually declared it to be real, though in an age obsessed with classification, the category-defying platypus sparked heated debates across Europe for a century.

— Publishers note for Platypus: The Extraordinary Story of How a Curious Creature Baffled the World by Ann Mayal.*

Five

A ‘water boa’ has another name which can be unravelled from DANCE GOER NANA.

Answer: Green anaconda

The green anaconda, the largest snake in the world by mass and length, is dark green with black spots and can grow up to 10 metres long. It feeds on aquatic and amphibious animals, and cannibalism has been observed.

*Moyal, Ann. Platypus: The Extraordinary Story of How a Curious Creature Baffled the World*. United States: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004.

Naturally Confused

Geese migrating. Which has no relevance to today’s questions.
Image Wikimedia Commons

Today’s questions revolve around animals but the specific types are concealed within capitalised anagrams. The solution lies in identifying the animal type hidden within the anagram.

One

SING ODE to wild, perhaps half-domesticated, members of the family Canidae.

Two

LAID MORALS are nocturnal insectivorous mammals, which are found from South America to southern North America; they have large claws for digging and a body covered in bony plates.

Three

HEATHER TWIGS ARK while Peter Benchley researched this species, Carcharodon carcharias.

Four

PUP DULY BLACKLISTED when a specimen arrived in England, it was assumed to be a hoax or practical joke.

Five

A ‘water boa’ has another name which can be unravelled from DANCE GOER NANA.

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Doubly Tuned—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

Five random questions today.

Billy the Kid.
Image Encyclopædia Britannica

One

Billy the Kid was shot and killed at Fort Sumner by whom?

Answer: Sheriff Pat Garrett

Henry McCarty, aka William H. Bonney and Billy the Kid, an American outlaw and gunfighter, was linked to nine murders, solely responsible for four, and possibly involved in five others. Sheriff Pat Garrett, responding to rumours, questioned Pete Maxwell, a friend of Bonney’s, and encountered Bonney unexpectedly, leading to a confrontation where Garrett fatally shot Bonney.

Two

Whose first novel was When the Lion Feeds?

Answer: Wilbur Smith

Wilbur Addison Smith (1933–2021) was a British-South African novelist known for his historical fiction set in Southern Africa. He wrote 49 books, selling over 140 million copies, and focused on themes like hunting, mining, romance and conflict.

Three

Tennis: The Woodies won six Wimbledon men’s doubles titles. What were their surnames?

Answer: Woodbridge and Woodforde

The Woodies, Australian tennis doubles pairing Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde, were one of the most successful in history, winning 61 ATP titles and 11 major titles. They represented Australia in the Olympics and Davis Cup, winning gold and silver medals and contributing to a Davis Cup victory. The Woodies were inducted into the Australian and International Tennis Halls of Fame in 2010.

Four

DOUBLY TUNED is an anagram of an English word, an adverb meaning certainly. What is the word?

Answer: Undoubtedly

undoubtedly /ʌnˈdaʊtɪdli /

▸ adverb without doubt; certainly: they are undoubtedly guilty.

— Oxford English Dictionary

Five

Simon and Garfunkel’s first U.S. number one single hit was what?

Answer: The Sound of Silence

The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel, written by Paul Simon, was initially released in 1964 as an acoustic version. A remixed version with electric instruments, released in 1965, became a number-one hit and led to the duo’s reunion and the release of their second album. The song appeared under both the opening and closing credits of the 1967 film The Graduate and was included on its soundtrack album.

Doubly Tuned

Five random questions today.

One

Billy the Kid was shot and killed at Fort Sumner by whom?

Two

Whose first novel was When the Lion Feeds?

Three

Tennis: The Woodies won six Wimbledon men’s doubles titles. What were their surnames?

Four

DOUBLY TUNED is an anagram of an English word, an adverb meaning certainly. What is the word?

Five

Simon and Garfunkel’s first U.S. number one single hit was what?

Good luck! I’ll post the answer later.

Are We There Yet?—Answers

Here are the answers to my earlier post.

The Great Globe in Guyot Hall, home to the Geosciences Department of Princeton University.
Image Wikipedia

Today you need to solve geographic anagrams. These ANAGRAMS are all written in capitals. For example

Example

WATCHING DONS at Georgetown University
One answer: a capital city

Solution

You would be looking for a capital city and your answer would be an anagram of WATCHING DONS: Washington DC

One

Don’t be in DENIAL about the change to old NICKEL ON TUMMY — a lofty environment in the new world.
Two answers: both the same place with a changed name

Answer: Denali / Mount McKinley

The Koyukon people have long called the mountain ‘Denali’. In 1896, a gold prospector named it ‘Mount McKinley’ in honour of presidential candidate William McKinley, who later became the 25th president. This name was officially recognised by the U.S. federal government from 1917 until 2015. In August 2015, the Obama administration restored the name Denali, aligning with Alaska’s official naming from 1975. However, in January 2025, the Trump administration reverted the official federal name back to Mount McKinley.

Two

JAVA ROSE is the capital of HONING BAZAAR NOSEDIVE
Two answers: the city and the European country it is capital of.

Answer: Sarajevo; Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo, the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a prominent cultural centre in the Balkans. With a rich history dating back to the 15th century, it hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics and is recognised for its religious and cultural diversity. Despite enduring the longest siege of a capital city during the Bosnian War, Sarajevo is now the fastest-growing city in the country.

Three

BET NUMEROUS eruptions have been seen from this southernmost volcano
One answer: a volcano.

Answer: Mount Erebus

Mount Erebus, the southernmost active volcano on Earth, is located on Ross Island in Antarctica. Named by Captain James Clark Ross in 1841, it has a long-lived lava lake and was the site of the 1979 Air New Zealand Flight 901 crash.

Four

BEACHFRONT BLUNDERING DAFFODILS are the capitals of the four nations that make up this one constitutional monarchy: NOT MINK GUIDED
Five answers: the first anagram hides the four capital cities, while the second reveals a constitutional monarchy.

Answer: London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast; United Kingdom

London—capital of England and UK. While Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, Cardiff—capital of Wales and Belfast—capital of Northern Ireland.

Five

ADIOS KARATE NINJA, according to the United Nations’ World Urbanization Prospects 2025 this city is the world’s most populous.
Two answers: one anagram hides the name of the city and the country it is in.

Answer: Jakarta, Indonesia

Population 41,913,860. Jakarta, the capital and largest city of Indonesia, is a major economic, cultural, and political centre. Despite its small area, its metropolitan area is the largest in the world, attracting migrants from across Indonesia. However, Jakarta faces challenges like rapid urban growth, ecological breakdown, and flooding, prompting plans to move the capital to Nusantara.

Are We There Yet?

Today you need to solve geographic anagrams. These ANAGRAMS are all written in capitals. For example

Example

WATCHING DONS at Georgetown University
One answer: a capital city

Solution

You would be looking for a capital city and your answer would be an anagram of WATCHING DONS: Washington DC

One

Don’t be in DENIAL about the change to old NICKEL ON TUMMY — a lofty environment in the new world.
Two answers: both the same place with a changed name

Two

JAVA ROSE is the capital of HONING BAZAAR NOSEDIVE
Two answers: the city and the European country it is capital of.

Three

BET NUMEROUS eruptions have been seen from this southernmost volcano
One answer: a volcano.

Four

Five

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.