Specialist Rounds
History – Not Bernardo O’Higgins
Geography
Quotations
Art and Entertainment
Science
Say that Again
Sport
The Devil’s in the Detail (Picture round)
History – Not Bernardo O’Higgins
In honour of that perennial quiz personality, Bernardo O’Higgins, you will either be given a politician’s name, and asked to name the country he led to independence, or the name of a country, and asked to identify its independence leader.
1. Thomas Masaryk, first president of which country after independence?
A. Czechoslovakia. (Do not accept the Czech Republic).
2. Lee Kwan Yew was first Prime Minister of which state, from its independence in 1959 until 1990?
A. Singapore.
3. As Prime Minister, 1963, Hastings Banda led which country to independence a year later?
A. Malawi. (Accept Nyasaland).
4. Of which country did Julius Nyerere serve as first president from its independence in 1961 until his retirement in 1985?
A. Tanzania. (Accept Tanganyika).
5. Who led Indonesia to independence from the Dutch, and served as the country’s first president from 1945 until overthrown in a military coup in1967?
A. President Sukarno.
6. Who led Pakistan to independence in 1947, and served as its first Governor-General until his tragically early death the following year?
A. Mohammed Ali Jinnah.
7. Elected Prime Minister of The Gold Coast in 1952, who led the country to independence with the name Ghana in 1957?
A. Kwame Nkrumah.
8. Who served, from 1960 – 74, as the first President of the independent Republic of Cyprus?
A. Archbishop Makarios.
Supplementaries:
9. One of the earliest independence leaders, which country did Toussaint L’Ouverture lead to independence in the 1790s?
A. Haiti.
10. Name the world-renowned concert pianist who, as Prime Minister of the newly independent Poland, negotiated his country’s boundaries at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919.
A. Jan Paderewski.
Geography
1. On which river does Lincoln stand?
A. The River Witham.
2. On which river does Peterborough stand?
A. The River Nene.
3. What is the highest point in the Pennines?
A. Cross Fell.
4. What is the highest point on Exmoor?
A. Dunkery Beacon. (Accept Dunkery Hill).
5. What is the chief town of the Isle of Skye?
A. Portree.
6. For what physical feature is Corryvreckan, in Scotland, famous?
A. A whirlpool.
7. The most southerly areas of both France and Italy are known in those countries by a name which means a time of day. Give either the French or Italian version, or the English translation.
A. Le Midi (French), Il Mezzogiorno (Italian); both mean Midday.
8. Which South American country was formerly known as New Granada?
A. Colombia.
Supplementaries:
9. In which region of Italy is Rome?
A. Lazio.
10. In which region of Greece is Athens?
A. Attica.
Quotations
1. In her journal of 1912, Lady Alice Hillingdon wrote that, on hearing her husband approaching the bedroom she would lie down, close her eyes and do what?
A. Think of England.
2. Archimedes said, give me a place to stand, and I will......do what?
A. Move the earth.
3. When asked by a New York customs officer if he had anything to declare, what did Oscar Wilde reply?
A. Nothing but my genius.
4. When, on his deathbed, Lord Palmerston was told by his doctor that he was about to die, what was his response?
A. (Die, my dear doctor?) That’s the last thing I shall do!
5. Sir Isaac Newton explained that he was able to see further than other because he was standing where?
A. On the shoulders of giants.
6. What did George Bernard Shaw describe as “the extreme form of censorship”?
A. Assassination.
7. Why, according to Voltaire, do the English from time to time execute an admiral?
A. To encourage the others. (Pour encourager les autres).
8. Denis Healey, when Chancellor of the Exchequer, described being criticized by Sir Geoffrey Howe as “Like being savaged by...” what?
A. A dead sheep.
Supplementaries:
9. When, in 1848, Marx and Engels called on the workers of the world to unite, the told them that they had nothing to lose but what?
A. Their chains.
10. Queen Mary Tudor said that when she was dead and opened, people would find what lying in her heart?
A. Calais.
Arts and Entertainment
1. In the Toy Story series of films, what is the Christian name of the owner of Buzz Lightyear and the other toys?
A. Andy.
2. What was the most famous surname used by the late Norman Wisdom in his comedy films?
A. Mr. Pitkin.
3. Which TV detective inspector has had sidekicks named Sergeant Gavin Troy, Sergeant Dan Scott and Sergeant Ben Jones?
A. Tom Barnaby. (Midsomer Murders).
4. Which TV detective superintendent is ably assisted by DI Doug Kersey and DI Lucy Lane?
A. Charles Wycliffe.
5. John Milton’s sonnet which ends with the line “They also serve who only stand and wait” is about which subject, central to the poet’s own experience?
A. His blindness.
6. Of which Indian servant did Rudyard Kipling write:
Though I’ve belted you and flayed you, By the livin’ Gawd that made you, You’re a better man than I am....?
A. Gunga Din.
7. According to the title of an opera by Rossini, what was the trade or profession of Figaro?
A. Barber (of Seville).
8. According to the title of an operetta by Gilbert and Sullivan, what was the trade or profession of the brothers Marco and Giuseppe Palmieri?
A. Gondoliers.
Supplementaries:
9. Who wrote The Owl and the Pussycat?
A. Edward Lear.
10. In Are You Being Served, Who was the manager of the clothing department?
A. Cuthbert Rumbold.
Science
1. What type of creature is a Miller’s Thumb?
A. A fish.
2. What type of creature is a fer de lance?
A. A snake.
3. Which is the largest moon in the Solar System?
A. Ganymede.
4. How many years does Halley’s Comet take to orbit the sun?
A. 76.
5. Which branch of medicine deals with childbirth?
A. Obstetrics.
6. which branch of medicine deals with the study of tumours?
A. Oncology.
7. In which scientific field did Mary Anning, of Dorset, make important discoveries in the early 19th century?
A. Palaeontology. Accept fossil collecting.
8. The scientist Rosalind Franklin made vital contributions to which important 20th century discovery, although, because of her early death, she failed to get the Nobel Prize that others won for the same discovery?
A. DNA.
Supplementaries:
9. What did British inventor Sir Frank Whittle invent?
A. Jet propulsion.
10. What did British inventor Sir Christopher Cockerell invent?
A. The hovercraft.
Say That Again
All answers consist of repeated words or syllables. For example, native drum used to send messages would be Tom Tom.
1. A disease caused by deficiency of thiamine (Vitamin B1), research into which led to the discovery of vitamins.
A. Beriberi.
2. An anti-colonial resistance movement in 1950s Kenya.
A. Mau Mau.
3. An alternative name for the edible dormouse.
A. Glis glis.
4. In The Flintstones, the name of Barney Rubble’s baby son.
A. Bamm Bamm.
5. Nickname of the South African Football team, from a Zulu term meaning “Our boys”.
A. Bafana Bafana.
6. An informal saying meaning “hurry up”, from a Pidgin English corruption of a Chinese phrase.
A. Chop chop.
7. The villain in the film Barbarella, played by Milo O’Shea.
A. Durand Durand.
8. Famous New York State prison, its location on the river Hudson gave rise to the saying “going up the river” for going to jail.
A. Sing Sing.
Supplementaries:
9. A very hot member of the chilli family, also known as bird’s eye or Aftican red devil, used to make a very strong chilli sauce.
A. Piri piri (or Peri peri).
10. This lemur, native to Madagascar, is the world’s largest nocturnal primate.
A. Aye aye.
Sport
1. In 2008 Belgian cyclist Wim Vansevenant became the first man to win the Lanterne Rouge in the Tour de France three years running. For what achievement is this awarded?
A. Last cyclist to finish. (Dropping out does not count).
2. In the 2010 Ryder Cup, which golfer secured Europe’s victory by winning the final singles match?
A. Graeme McDowell.
3. How did John Isner and Nicolas Mahut make headlines at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships?
A. They played the longest match in Wimbledon history, including the longest set, 70 – 68. (Accept longest set).
4. Danielle Brown made history when she became the first English paralympic sportswoman to compete alongside able-bodied athletes in the Commonwealth games. In which sport did she win a team gold medal?
A. Archery.
5. Who won gold medals for Britain at both 5,000 and 10,000 metres in the 2010 European Athletics Championships?
A. Mo Farrah.
6. In England’s glorious first match in the World Cup finals, goalkeeper Rob Green let in a soft goal. Who was the scorer?
A. Clint Dempsey. (USA).
7. Which Spanish player (as of 24th October) holds the record for the most games (127) and the most goals (67) in the Champions’ League? (He’ still going strong!)
A. Raul.
8. In which Commonwealth Games event did England’s Katherine Endicott end up with a silver medal despite finishing fourth, after the Australian winner was disqualified for a false start, and the Nigerian who came second failed a drugs test?
A. Women’s 100 metres.
Supplementaries:
9. The Commonwealth Games were originally The Empire Games. In which country were they first held, in 1930?
A. Canada.
10. Which club did Sir Alf Ramsey manage immediately before being appointed England manager?
A. Ipswich.
The Devil’s in the Detail
You will be shown a detail, or small part, of a painting. From this identify the artist. Sorry pictures not available
1. Degas – Ballet Rehearsal.
2. Van Gogh – Starry Night.
3. Dali – The Persistence of Memory.
4. Hockney – A Bigger Splash.
5. Turner – The Fighting Temeraire towed to its last resting place.
6. Rubens – The Three Graces. (An excellent illustration of the term “Rubensesque” for a certain type of female form!).
7. Michelangelo – The Creation of Adam. (From the Sistine Chapel ceiling).
8. Leonardo da Vinci – La Gioconda, otherwise known as The Mona Lisa.
Supplementaries:
9. Gauguin – Tahitian woman.
10. Hieronymus Bosch – The Garden of Earthly Delights.
General Knowledge
1. The firm of De Beers is known the world over for dealing in what commodity?
A. Diamonds.
2. Which type of biscuit is named after a doctor who flavoured plain biscuits with sugar and caraway seeds?
A, Abernethy.
3. What is the name of Postman Pat’s black and white cat?
A. Jess.
4. What word is used for the practice of cutting off the tails of dogs or other animals?
A. Docking.
5. In the early 1950s, with whom did Princess Margaret controversially fall in love, though she was forbidden to marry him?
A. (Group Captain Peter) Townsend.
6. Christmas Island, in the Indian Ocean, falls under the jurisdiction of which country?
A. Australia.
7. In Bizet’s opera Carmen, in what kind of factory do most of the women work?
A. Cigarette Factory.
8. On election day this year, which politician was injured in a plane crash?
A. Nigel Farage.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
9. Which 13th century English Franciscan Friar is generally credited with the invention (or discovery) of gunpowder in the west?
A. Roger Bacon.
10, What name is given to the ancient Christian communities in Egypt and Ethiopia?
A. Copts, or Coptic Church.
11. Twigs of what kind of wood are traditionally used in the art of water divining?
A. Hazel.
12. What was the name of the nuclear submarine which recently ran aground off the Scottish coast?
A. HMS Astute.
13. What would an Italian be doing if he was enjoying his “dolce far niente”?
A. Nothing at all. (May be loosely translated as “Sweet F.A.”).
14. As of 4th November, who is the manager of Blackpool FC?
A. Ian Holloway.
15. Which long-running TV Western series had as its title a word which is Spanish for fair weather, especially at sea, and by analogy, prosperity.
A. Bonanza.
16. Four US states have names which begin and end with the same letter; two are Alaska and Alabama, name either of the other two.
A. Ohio or Arizona.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
17. Who said, in a speech in 1983, “I warn you not to be ordinary, I warn you not to be young, I warn you not to fall ill, and I warn you not to grow old”?
A. Neil Kinnock.
18. Which professional dancer was given the unenviable task of partnering Anne Widdecome in Strictly Come Dancing?
A. Anton du Beke.
19. Of the towns elevated to city status to celebrate the Millenium, which was in Scotland?
A. Inverness.
20. Which US Attorney General was responsible for the criminal conviction of Trade Union leader Jimmy Hoffa?
A. Bobby Kennedy.
21. With which famous actress did Bruce Springsteen dance in his video of Dancing in the Dark?
A. Courtney Cox. (Accept Courtne Cox Arquette).
22. What term is used for a female hedgehog?
A. A sow.
23. To within £10,000 either way, what is the basic salary of the Prime Minister (excluding his MP’s salary)?
A. £142,500; accept 132,500 – 152,500).
24. In the Gospel of St. John, in which town in Galilee did Jesus transform water into wine?
A. Cana.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
25. For which film did Steven Spielberg win his first Oscar?
A. Schindler’s List.
26. Who wrote the novels The Invisible Man and The Time Machine?
A. H. G. Wells.
27. As of 4th November, who is the manager of West Bromwich Albion FC?
A. Roberto di Matteo.
28. The ventriloquist Ray Allen sadly died earlier this year. With which dummy will he be forever associated?
A. Lord Charles.
29. Claims that the world will end, or be apocalyptically transformed, on 21 Dec., 2012, are supposed to be derived from the prophetic writings of which ancient civilization?
A. the Maya.
30. With which magistrates’ court would you associate the novelist Henry Fielding and his brother John?
A. Bow Street. (Where they were magistrates, and formed the Bow St. Runners).
31. The agony aunt Claire Rayner, who died recently, left a son, Jay, who is also a journalist. In which field of journalism does he specialize?
A. Food.
32. Give any one of Prince William’s other three Christian names.
A. Arthur Philip Louis.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
33. What, in music, is a hi-hat?
A. A pair of cymbals operated by a foot-pedal. (Accept cymbal).
34. In the film Ace Ventura – Pet Detective, what kind of creature is Snowflake?
A. A dolphin. (Mascot of the Miami Dolphins).
35. Which word can follow Corn, Reed or Snow to make the names of three species of bird?
A. Bunting.
36. Which Italian cheese has a name which means “re-cooked”?
A. Ricotta.
37. There are four Inns of Court. Two of them are Middle Temple and Inner Temple; name either of the other two.
A. Gray’s Inn or Lincoln’s Inn.
38. Which TV series featured a band named Doctor Teeth and the Electric Mayhem?
A. The Muppet Show.
39. What is signified by the letters OSB after the name of a Catholic priest?
A. Benedictine. (Member of the Order of St. Benedict).
40. In which TV drama series does Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman lead a team consisting of retired detectives Jack Halford, Brian Lane and Gerry Standing?
A. New Tricks.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
41. Which distinguished mathematician had an historic quarrel with Isaac Newton over who had invented Calculus?
A. Leibniz.
42. Which country has developed a programme of music education for deprived children, called “El Sistema”, which has produced the world-renowned Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra?
A. Venezuela.
43. In which novel of 1932 did one of the characters once see “something nasty in the woodshed”?
A. Cold Comfort Farm. (By Stella Gibbons).
44. In which Dickens novel would you find the heroine Nell Trent and the villain Daniel Quilp?
A. The Old Curiosity Shop.
45. In an Indian restaurant what is paneer?
A. Cheese.
46. Energy firm British Gas is owned by which company?
A. Centrica.
47. In which brace of films does Hugh Grant play the cad and love rat Daniel Cleaver?
A. Bridget Jones’s Diary.
48. Which historic legal document contains the promise (Clause 40): “To no man will we sell, or deny, or delay, right or justice”?
A. Magna Carta.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
49. Who wrote the novels Ivanhoe and Rob Roy?
A. Sir Walter Scott.
50. What German word means a malicious pleasure in another’s misfortune?
A. Schadenfreude.
51. Which British Prime Minister was born in Bury in 1788?
A. Sir Robert Peel.
52. In music, what does the term “Pizzicato” mean?
A. The strings of a violin, cello, etc. are to be plucked, rather than bowed.
53. After Kenneth Williams, with 26 appearances, which actor has appeared in the second most Carry On films?
A. Charles Hawtrey. (23).
54. In the Iliad, who was Achilles faithful friend, killed by Hector while wearing Achilles armour?
A. Patroclus.
55. Which British bird is sometimes known as the “merle”?
A. Blackbird.
56. Who was the first American to be honoured by a memorial in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey?
A. Longfellow.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
57. In the usual arrangement of the New Testament, which is the first of St. Paul’s letters?
A. Romans.
58. The flag of which country is the oldest in the world?
A. Denmark.
59. The Spanish composer Rodrigo wrote Fantasia para un Gentilhombre for guitar and orchestra. Who was the “Gentleman” for whom the work was written?
A. Segovia.
60. Three film stars and a director formed United Artists in 1919. One was Charlie Chaplin, name one of the others.
A. Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks or D. W. Griffiths.
61. Which conflict was ended, but not settled, by the Panmunjon peace talks?
A. The Korean War.
62. In the House of Lords, what name is given to those peers (apart from the Bishops), who do not belong to any political party?
A. Crossbenchers.
63. Andrew Bailey, Merlyn Lowther and Graham Kentfield have all held which post?
A. Chief Cashier of the Bank of England.
64. Bubbles of which gas in the blood cause the condition Caisson’s disease, better known as the Bends?
A. Nitrogen.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
65. In frequent comedy sketches, Les Dawson played Cissie Braithwaite; which other actor played Ada Shufflebotham in this comic duo?
A. Roy Barraclough.
66. Which British bird is sometimes call the mavis?
A. The song thrush.
67. From the Latin for requiring to be done, what name is given to a list of items to be discussed at a meeting?
A. Agenda.
68. With what was Balder, the Norse god of light, killed?
A. A twig of mistletoe. (Accept mistletoe).
69. Which author won the 2010 Booker Prize?
A. Howard Jacobsen. (for The Finkler Question).
70. On an Indian menu, what kind of vegetable is gobi?
A. Cauliflower.
71. Which uprising, under the leadership of Robert Aske, began in Yorkshire in 1536?
A. The Pilgrimage of Grace.
72. Who or what might be referred to by the Greek term “Hoi Polloi”?
A. The lower orders; the working-class; the “great unwashed”.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
73. Which word can mean either a crudely built shack or a work song sung by sailors?
A. Shanty.
74. Which Archbishop of Canterbury married Prince Charles and Diana Spencer?
A. Robert Runcie.
75. Which metal is traditionally used to make the stills for malt whisky?
A. Copper.
76. Who became the heaviest boxer ever to win a world title in 2005?
A. Nikolai Valuev.
77. Which hymn was used as the English national anthem in the recent Commonwealth Games?
A. Jerusalem.
78. At the age of 74, who became the oldest man to win best director Oscar for the film Million Dollar Baby?
A. Clint Eastwood.
79. Name either of the two football stadia situated either side of Stanley Park.
A. Goodison or Anfield.
80. Who this year was inmate 836SAW at Pentonville prison, before being transferred to Highpoint and, after serving 28 days, being released?
A. George Michael.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
81. Which fruit contains the most calories?
A. Avocado.
82. Which English king ordered the massacre of Danes on St. Brice’s Day, 1002.
A. Ethelred the Unready.
83. What office was won last week by John Boehner (pronounced Bay-ner)?
A. Speaker of the US House of Representatives.
84. Because of their colour, what nickname was given to the substitute fire appliances used by the army during the Firemen’s strikes of 2002 and 1977?
A. Green Goddesses.
85. What was the name of the heavily criticised chief executive of BP during the recent Gulf of Mexico oil spill?
A. Tony Hayward.
86. Which word can mean to move or swerve about erratically, or an individual’s progression through various stages of employment?
A. Career.
87. In which English county would you see the well-endowed Cerne Abbas Giant?
A. Dorset.
88. In the record label A & M, what do either of the letters stand for?
A. Alpert (as in Herb Alpert) and Moss.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
89. The London skyscraper located at 30 St. Mary Axe is better known by what nickname?
A. The Gherkin.
90. Who was the first Cabinet Minister to resign from the coalition government, after critical reports about his private life and his expenses claims?
A. David Laws.
91. In Greek mythology the three sisters Stheno, Euryale and Medusa were collectively known as what?
A. the Gorgons.
92. What do the Czechs call the river that the Germans know as the Moldau?
A. The Vltava.
93. Who hosts the daily BBC 2 programme Strictly Come Dancing: it Takes Two?
A. Claudia Winkelmann.
94. In the traditional song Scarborough Fair, the herbs parsley, rosemary and thyme are mentioned, and which other herb?
A. Sage.
95. Which legal Latin phrase refers to a situation where someone is caught red-handed, in the act of committing a crime?
A. In flagrante delicto. (Accept in flagrante).
96. When England beat Germany 5 – 1 in 2001, all the goals were scored by players from which club?
A. Liverpool.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Supplementaries:
97. Workers in which occupation are represented by the Trade Union BASSA?
A. Airline cabin staff.
98. Which dog food was advertised by Clement Freud and his lugubrious dog Henry?
A. Minced Morsels.
99. Which political economist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries wrote, “Population, when unchecked, increases in a geometrical ratio. Subsistence only increases in an arithmetical ratio?
A. Thomas Malthus.
100. Name either of the two teams to play in the last FA Cup Final held at the old Wembley Stadium?
A. Chelsea or Aston Villa.
101. Henry VIII is buried alongside which of his six wives?
A. Jane Seymour.
102. Before he became a famous novelist and poet, what was the profession of Thomas Hardy?
A. Architect.
103. By what name is Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony known?
A. The Eroica Symphony.
104. According to ancient Jewish tradition, Adam had an earlier wife before Eve, a night demon in Jewish mythology. What was her name?
A. Lilith.
