January 13th–The Questions

 

Questions supplied by the Knot Arf.

Thanks to the Robin Hood and the Cock for vetting: almost all of your suggestions have been adopted!

Specialist questions: Geography, Sport, History, Neologisms, Arts and Ents, Science, What’s in a Name, and Which Decade

GEOGRAPHY

1. Q. Off the coast of which Asian country would you find the Bismarck Archipelago?

A. Papua New Guinea. (Largest is New Britain)

2 Q. Augusta is famous for its golf course but Augusta is also a US state capital. Which one?

A. Maine

3 Q. The Longships are a group of rocks about a mile from a more famous landmark. What is the more famous landmark?

A. Lands End

4 Q. Barranquilla and Cartagena are the chief ports of which country?

A. Colombia

5 Q. You will have heard of Demerara sugar. Which country includes the Demerara River ? (where the sugar is grown)

A. Guyana

6 Q. The first garden city in England is called what?

A. Letchworth

7 Q. What is the capital of Macedonia?

A. Skopje

8 Q. Hadrian’s Wall runs from Maryport on the West coast. Where does it finish on the East coast?

A. Wallsend

Supps

9 Q. Which US state is home to Mount Rushmore (presidential heads)?

A. South Dakota

10 Physically, which is the largest Canadian province?

B. Quebec

SPORT

1. Who was the only footballer to be nominated for BBC Sports personality award in 2014?

GARETH BALE

2. One of the nominees in SPOTY was two people. Why?

DISABLED (SIGHT-IMPAIRED) ATHLETE AND HER GUIDE (The skier Kelly Gallagher and Charlotte Evans

3. Golf rules: what is the maximum time allowed to look for a lost ball?

5 MINUTES

4. More Golf rules: what is the maximum number of clubs allowed in a player’s bag?

14

5. In the classic version of Monopoly, what square is diagonally opposite ‘Go’?

FREE PARKING

6. In scrabble the first word placed on the board scores double. If the first word played is QUIZ, what score is achieved?

44 (Q and Z are 10 points each, U and I 1 point each, all doubled)

7. The leading international run-scorer (all forms of cricket included) is Sachin Tendulkar of India. He batted 782 times. How many runs did he score?

34,357 (allow 33-36,000)

8. The leading international wicket taker in all forms of cricket is Muttiah Miuralitharan of Sri Lanka. He played in 495 matches. How many wickets did he take?

1,347 (allow 1250 to 1450)

Supplementaries

1. Which horse won the 2014 Grand National?

PINEAU DE RE

2. Which jockey won the 2014 Epsom Derby?

JOSEPH O’BRIEN

HISTORY

1. In which year did Ireland gain independence, or Dominion Status?

1922

2. Who made the Winds of Change speech?

Harold Macmillan

3. In what year was the Good Friday Agreement, aka the Belfast Agreement, signed and ratified by referendums in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland?

1998

4. Who was the only US president to be elected neither as President nor Vice-President?

Gerald Ford

5. Who was the first woman to be appointed US Secretary of State? Madeleine Albright

6. Which Conservative Prime Minister was Foreign Secretary in both the Macmillan and Heath administrations?

Lord Home, though also accept Sir Alec Douglas Home

7. The Dayton Agreement of 1995 ended what war?

Bosnian

8. In what year did Labour win its first overall majority of seats in Parliament?

1945

Supplementaries

1. This year's World Cup was the first for which former Yugoslav nation?

Bosnia and Herzegovina.

2. What was the name of the Swedish Prime Minister who was assassinated while on his way to the cinema in 1986?

Olof Palme

NEOLOGISMS

Lexicographers record hundreds of new English words every year based on their apparent significance. This round tests your knowledge of some of the most popular words defined recently by Oxford Dictionaries.

Note: None of the answers is ‘Selfie’

1) Oxford Dictionaries’ US winner of Word of the Year 2005, which word defines a new form of downloadable audio programming?

podcast

2) Author of science fiction classic Neuromancer, William Gibson invented which popular word that describes a notional environment in which computers communicate?

cyberspace

3) Popularised in English through its use in sport crowds in 2010, which Word of the Year nominee is thought to originate in Zulu?

vuvuzela

4) 2005 UK winner of Word of the Year, which Japanese word translates literally as ‘number single status’?

Sudoku

5) Popularised in the 1999 musical revue Fosse, which dance move was defined as a way to indicate excitement or triumph after a wave of splayed-fingered image macros appeared around the internet in the late 2000s?

jazz hands

6) Praised by Oxford Dictionaries for its “sophisticated language manipulation”, which American sitcom popularised the word “regift” after a character presents Jerry with a label maker originally received as a gift from Elaine?

Seinfeld

7) Recently made 2014’s Word of the Year, what is the verb meaning of the word, “vape”?

to inhale or exhale the vapour produced by an electronic cigarette (must specify electronic, or e-cigarette)

8) Frequently used ironically, which three-word phrase added to the OED in 2014 denotes a cause of frustration arising as a result of perceived privilege? A: First World problem

Supplementary questions

1) What word is defined as “the malicious practice of manipulating a website user’s activity by concealing hyperlinks beneath legitimate clickable content”?

clickjacking

2) What adjective describes something that is “suitable or sufficiently interesting as a topic” for an informal article published online?

bloggable

3) The name of a 2010 documentary feature film, what word is defined: “lure (someone) into a relationship by adopting a fictional online persona”?

catfish

Arts and Entertainment

1.- What was the first name of the composer Bartok ?

Bela

2- What was the first name of the composer Birtwistle ?

Harrison.

3- In which city is the Herbert Art Gallery ?

Coventry.

4- In which city is Kettles Yard Art Gallery ?

Cambridge.

5- Picasso, Braque and Miro, among others, designed labels for which product?

Wine (Chateau Mouton Rothschild)

6- Which sculptor designed the Arcelor Mittal Orbit in the Olympic Park ?

Anish Kapoor

7- Which Radio 4 programme was hosted by Humphrey Lyttleton for 36 years ?

I'm sorry I haven't a clue.

8. Vittore Carpaccio (1455-1525 ) was an Italian painter known for his use of red. An hors d'oeurve was named after him. What is it made of ?

Thin slices of raw beef ( or fish )

Supplementary

1. In the Sitcom ‘The Office’, what was the name of the fictional Slough-based paper merchant?

Wernham Hogg

2. In the League of Gentlemen, the action was set in the village of Royston Vasey. Which comedian provided the inspiration for this village name?

Chubby Brown - RV is his birth name

SCIENCE ETC

1. Which Scotsman is credited with inventing the vacuum flask?

James Dewar

2. Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, but surface temperatures can be as low as Minus 150C. Why?

Virtually no atmosphere, so nothing to retain heat on side not facing the sun.

3. In terms of diameter, how many times larger than the moon is the Sun?

400 (allow 300-500)

4. Douglas Engelbart, who died recently, is credited with the invention of which computer device?

Mouse

5. What is the only metal that is anti-bacterial?

Copper

6. What is the only element that cannot be solidified?

Helium

7. Gregor Mendel was a key figure in the development of what branch of science?

Genetics

8. Give a year in the life of Copernicus

1473-1543

Supplementaries

1. Give a year in the life of Isaac Newton

1643-1727

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Note to QM: in view of the mental gymnastics required, please allow an extra 5 seconds per question. Explain this at the start of the round.

Each question will contain clues to the names of two famous people. By taking the surname of the first person and the forename of the second person can you make the name of another famous person? Example: The lead singer with Culture Club and the actor who played Indiana Jones gives George Harrison (Boy GEORGE and HARRISON Ford )

1. Male star of the film “ Rebel Without a Cause “ and the actor who plays Bilbo Baggins in the Hobbit films.

DEAN MARTIN ( James Dean and Martin Freeman )

2. WW2 diarist who died in a concentration camp aged 15 and the excitable Italian judge on Strictly Come Dancing.

FRANK BRUNO ( Ann Frank and Bruno Tonioli )

3. Record goalscorer for the England national football team and the owner of the Fat Duck restaurant in Bray.

CHARLTON HESTON ( Bobby Charlton and Heston Blumenthal )

4. One half of Wham and the famous American abstract expressionist painter who died in 1956.

MICHAEL JACKSON ( George Michael and Jackson Pollock )

5. Comedian with the catchphrase “ shut that door “ and actor who plays Billy Mitchell in Eastenders.

GRAYSON PERRY ( Larry Grayson and Perry Fenwick )

6. Satirical stand-up comedian who co-wrote Blackadder and the author of East of Eden.

ELTON JOHN ( Ben Elton and John Steinbeck )

7. Actor who played Anthony in The Royle Family and the first man to be seen on Channel 4.

LITTLE RICHARD ( Ralf Little and Richard Whiteley )

8. Female singer/songwriter who sang the UK’s 1977 entry and who died in October 2014 and the lead singer of Duran Duran.

PAUL SIMON ( Lynsey de Paul and Simon le Bon )

SUP 1. Singer/songwriter whose albums include New Morning and Blood on the Tracks and the American inventor who died in 1931 and had over 1000 patents issued in his name.

DYLAN THOMAS ( Bob Dylan and Thomas Edison )

SUP 2. Lead singer with Blondie and the American author of In Cold Blood and Breakfast at Tiffanys

HARRY TRUMAN ( Debbie Harry and Truman Capote )

NAME THE DECADE

1. Tutenkhamen’s tomb is discovered ; Lady Chatterley’s Lover is published ; Lenin dies.

1920’s

2. Malta becomes independent from Britain ; The film “ West Side Story “ is released ; Yasser Arafat becomes Leader of the P.L.O.

1960’s

3. Bonnie and Clyde are killed ; Empire State Building is officially opened ; Brave New World is published.

1930’s

4. Bill Haley dies ; Hurricane Gilbert devastates Jamaica ; the film “ E.T. “ is released.

1980’s

5. President McKinley is assassinated ; The Hound of the Baskervilles is published ; 500 die in the San Francisco earthquake.

1900’s

6. Charlie Parker dies ; C.N.D . is formed ; Hawaii becomes the 50th state.

1950’s

7. Lawrence of Arabia dies ; The film “ Zorba the Greek “ is released ; Britain abolishes the death penalty.

1960’s

8. The Dead Sea Scrolls are discovered ; Al Capone dies ; The film “ The Third Man “ is released.

1940’s

SUP 1: Premiere of The Planets Suite by Holst ; Charlie Chaplin makes his film debut ; The novel “ Sons and Lovers “ is published.

1910’s

SUP 2: John Wayne dies ; The liner Queen Elizabeth is destroyed by fire ; The film “ A Clockwork Orange “ is released.

1970’s

 

General Knowledge Quiz Questions

set by the Knot Arf

.

1. Hunting, Dress, Old and Prince Charles Edward are all types of what ?

Tartans

2. Who wrote “ Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man “ ?

James Joyce

3. What is the last word in the New Testament ?

Amen

4. In Rudyard Kipling’s “ Jungle Book “, what was the name of the panther ?

Bagheera

5. In 1979, in the space of 40 days, which British athlete set new world records for the 800 metres, 1500 metres and the mile ?

Seb Coe

6. Who created the Mister Men ? (

Roger Hargreaves

7. The river Volga flows into which sea ?  Caspian

8. What nationality was Che Guevera ?

Argentinian

9. Which author created Inspector Maigret ?

Georges Simenon

10. Complete the saying : “ The road to Hell is…….”

Paved with good intentions

11. In London, how is the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter better known ?

Westminster Abbey

12. In which battle of the Crimean War did the Charge of the Light Brigade take place ?

Balaclava

13. In Jane Austen’s novel “ Emma “, what is Emma’s surname ?

Woodhouse

14. In the Beatrix Potter stories, what kind of animal is Mr. Tod ? 

Fox

15. The Abbey Road studios, where the Beatles recorded many of their hits, is in which district of London?

St John’s Wood

16. In Arthurian legend, who was the child of a nun and a demon ?

Merlin

17. Blood Sports was the long awaited album released by which Britpop group in 2013?

Suede

18. Baroness Stowell holds which parliamentary position?

Leader of the House of Lords

1. Which Australian Prime Minister, recently deceased, was dismissed by the Governor General, Sir Hugh Kerr, in 1975, and changed the Australian national anthem from 'God Save the Queen' to 'Advance Australia Fair'?
2. Gough Whitlam

1. Which Verdi opera includes the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves?

Nabucco

1. The 2014 Booker Prize winning novel is called the Long Road to the Hard North. What notorious 20^th century project is its centrepiece?

Building of the Burma Railway)

1. Who is the new leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party?

Nicola Sturgeon

1. Complete the quote, attributed to Lloyd George when talking about rival politician John Simons. ‘When they circumcised him….

They threw away the wrong bit

1. Warren Clarke, recently deceased, was best known for his role as Andy Dalziel in Dalziel and Pascoe. Who wrote the Dalziel and Pascoe novels?

Reginald Hill

1. Which second generation Polish detective, based in Nottingham, recently returned for his last case in John Harvey's latest novel, 'Darkness, Darkness'?

Charlie Resnick

1. Which vegetable has varieties called Polestar and Scarlet Emperor ?

Runner bean

1. The first successful moving picture featuring sound , “ The Jazz Singer “, was released in which year ?

1927 – accept 1925 to 1929

1. How many planets in our solar system have only one moon ?

One – Earth

1. Which planet in our solar system was discovered in 1846 ? Neptune )

 

1. The river Danube flows into which sea ?

Black Sea

1. Which Poet Laureate wrote “ I must go down to the sea again, the lonely sea and the sky “ ?

John Masefield

1. What is the maximum number of dots used to form a single letter or number in the Braille alphabet ?

6

1. In September 1997 over 32 million people in Britain watched which event on television ?

Princess Diana’s funeral 

1. Which former England football manager died in April 1999 ?

Sir Alf Ramsey 

1. In Only Fools and Horses, what’s the name of Del Boy’s local pub ?

The Nag’s Head

1. To the nearest million, how many miles is the Earth from the Sun ?

93 million

1. In London, where do Whitehall, the Strand and the Mall meet ?

Trafalgar Square

1. In London, where do Regent St., Shaftesbury Ave. and Haymarket meet?

Piccadilly Circus

1. In mythology, who was the wife of King Meneleas ?

Helen of Troy

1. In “ The Royle Family “, what’s the name of Jim Royle’s local pub ?

The Feathers

1. Who was Charles Darwin’s famous industrialist grandfather ?

Josiah Wedgwood

1. Which model was married to both Eric Clapton and George Harrison – but not at the same time!

Patti Boyd

1. On the 10th of January each year, where is Margaret Thatcher Day celebrated ?

Falkland

1. What’s the name of the skull cap worn by Jewish men ?

Yarmulka or Kippah

1. In which Midlands city will you find the Broadmarsh shopping centre ?

Nottingham

1. What is the term used for a person who sells ribbon, buttons, tape etc?

Haberdasher

47. In mining, what is the name for a horizontal shaft from the surface to reach a mineral seam?

Adit

48. There are 5 islands that make up the Balearic Islands. Three of them are: Majorca; Minorca and Ibiza. Name one of the other two.

Cabrera or Formentera

1. A type of unaccompanied, close-harmony singing of sentimental ballads traditionally with 4 male voices revived in the US during the 19th century. What is its common name?

Barber shop singing

50. Who composed the piano piece ‘4 minutes 33 seconds’ in which the performer does not play a note?

John Cage

51. Which sporting event has taken place at Sebring, Watkins Glen, and Riverside?

US Grand Prix

52. In which film did Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier co-star?

Prince and the Showgirl)

53. Who was British Prime Minister immediately before Margaret Thatcher?

James Callaghan

54. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is supposed to be built on the site of what event?

The crucifixion of Jesus

55. These mountains run along the north coast of Spain. What is their name?

Cantabrian mountains

56. An Englishman called Percy Shaw invented a road safety device in 1934. What is the name of the invention?

Cat’s-eyes

57. This wood preservative is derived from coal tar. What is it?

Creosote

58. Sabena Airways went bust in the early 2000’s, but in which country were they based?

Belgium

59. The Crimea was in the news a lot in 2014. What is its capital?

Simferopol)

60. The Crusades occurred between 1096 and 1291. How many Crusades were there?

Eight (accept Nine - Children’s Crusade could count)

61. The French rivers Garonne and Dordogne merge to form a navigable estuary. What is it called?

Gironde

62. In London, this bell sounds once when a ship is missing and twice for good news. What is its name?

The Lutine Bell

63. The ‘magi’ are best known as the wise men who visited the infant Christ. It is also the word used as the name of priests in a religion. What is the name of the religion?

Zoroastrian religion – also accept Zarathustrianism, Magianism or Mazdaism

64. Sam Nujoma was a left-wing politician who led a group seeking freedom for his country. What is the name of the country, which gained independence in 1990?

Namibia

65. Which festival in the Muslim calendar marks the end of Ramadan ?

Eid-ul-Fitr, accept Eid

66. Which country has the largest Spanish speaking population in the world ?

Mexico

67. Which book of the Bible tells the story of Noah’s ark ?

Genesis

68. In which year did the Aberfan disaster take place ?

1966 – no leeway

69. Which game are you playing if you are squidging and squopping ?

Tiddleywinks

70. In Roman numerals, which letter represents 500 ?

D

71. The Ebola virus gets its name from a river in which country ?

Democratic Republic of Congo

72. Which famous film is set on the fictional island of Amity ?

Jaws

73. Who composed the music commonly known as The Bridal Chorus or Here Comes the Bride ?

Wagner

74. Which popular dance craze of the 1960’s originated in the Peppermint Lounge nightclub in New York?

The Twist

75. In which cabaret club in Paris did the Can-Can originate ?

Moulin Rouge

76. Which writer created the character Hannibal Lector ?

Thomas Harris

77. Which of Australia’s state capitals has the shortest name ?

Perth

78. What’s the common name of the wild hyacinth ?

Bluebell

79. Which Disney film is based on the Hans Christian Andersen story “ The Snow Queen “?

Frozen

80. In which TV drama series did a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost share a house ?

Being Human

81. Magician Steven Frayne is better known by what name ? (

Dynamo

82. Which American state lies between California and Washington ?

Oregon

83. Which orchestral conductor had the nickname “Flash Harry “?

Sir Malcolm Sergeant

84. Which jazz bandleader’s signature tune was “One O’Clock Jump “

Count Basie

85. Which Radio 4 magazine programme was hosted by Ned Sherrin for 21 years ?

Loose Ends

86. Lamp, Ivory and Bone are prefixes applied to which artists colour ?

Black

87. Cadmium, Sap and Chrome are prefixes applied to which artists colour ?

Green

88. Who is the patron saint of France ?

St Denis

89. In which country is the Gibson Desert ?

Australia

90. On which river does Berlin stand ?

Spree.

91. Which German line lay opposite the Maginot line ?

The Siegfried line.

92. Lurcher dogs originated from which country ?

Ireland

93. Sleat is known as the " garden" of which Scottish Island ?

Skye.

94. According to the 2015 edition of Jim Murrays Whisky Bible, where does the worlds best whisky come from ?

Japan - Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013

95. Chateau Musar, a spicy, aromatic red wine comes from which country ?

Lebanon.

96. What is the modern name for the seaport on the Adriatic coast, formerly known as Ragusa?

Dubrovnik

SUPPLEMENTARIES

1. Which country is known as Bharat in its own language?

India

2. In a right-angled triangle, dividing the length of the side adjacent to an angle by the length of the hypotenuse gives which trigonometric function?

A: The cosine of an angle

3 In which town in England is there a museum dedicated to the history and manufacture of pencils?

A: Keswick

4 In which Derbyshire town is the National Tramways Museum? A: Crich

5 In the 1976 film Robin and Marian, Sean Connery played Robin Hood. Which actress played Maid Marian?

A: Audrey Hepburn