ROUND 1

1.

Of which Labour politician did Winston Churchill remark: “There’s less to him than meets the eye”?

2.

In which field were Milton Humason, Vesto Slipher, Harlow Shapley and Henrietta Leavitt eminent?

3.

Which Oldham-born entertainer has recently published a 500 page memoir entitled If I Don’t Write It Nobody Else Will?

4.

Which country has the car registration symbol RP?

5.

Who was the first US woman in space?

6.

In which town is soccer club St Johnstone based?

7.

Who are the three judges in the television show X Factor?

8.

Chemical element 100 is named after which Italian born scientist?

ROUND 2

1.

Chemical element 104 is named after which New Zealand born scientist?

2.

Who were the two presenters of the television show Celebrity Love Island?

3.

In which town is soccer club Raith Rovers based?

4.

Which US woman civilian perished in the Challenger Shuttle disaster of 1986?

5.

Which country has the car registration symbol WAN?

6.

Which TV and radio presenter has published memoirs entitled I Should Have Been At Work?

7.

In which field were Bernhard Riemann, Kurt Gödel, David Hilbert and Christian Goldbach eminent?

8.

Of which Labour politician did Winston Churchill remark: “There, but for the grace of God, goes God”?

ROUND 3 - 'An Evil Round'

1.

“The evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones” is a quote from which Shakespeare play?

2.

“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes” is a quote from which Shakespeare play?

3.

Which poison was used by serial killer Graham Young to murder his victims?

4.

Which poison was used to murder Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov?

5.

The Sendero Luminosa are a terrorist group in which country?

6.

The Tupomaros were a terrorist group in which country?

7.

What nickname is attached to John George Haigh executed in 1949?

8.

What nickname is attached to serial killer David Berkowitz?

ROUND 4 - 'A Literature Round'

1.

How many syllables are there in a Haiku?

2.

The rhyme scheme of a Limerick is: a-a-b-b-a.  What is the rhyme scheme of a Clerihew?

3.

Which poet was in love with, but never married, Miss Fanny Brawne?

4.

Which poet had an unrequited love for Miss Maud Gonne, who told him: “The world will thank me for not marrying you”?

5.

“Very flat, Norfolk” is a line from which play?

6.

“He is the very pineapple of politeness” is a line from which play?

7.

Which Latin poet wrote “Omnia vincit amor” ("Love conquers all thing"?

8.

Which Latin poet wrote “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori” ("How lovely and honourable it is to die for one’s country")?

ROUND 5 - 'The State we're in'

1.

Traditionally, which is the first state of the US to have a caucus to nominate Republican and Democratic candidates for the presidential elections?

2.

In the news this summer, Haley Barbour is the governor of which US state?

3.

The sinking of which warship sparked the Spanish-American War of 1904?

4.

On which warship did Japan formally surrender in World War 2?

5.

Which novel, published in 1981, is partly set in Vienna, and features the Berry children, a bear called State o’Maine, a dog called Sorrow, and a girl called Susie the Bear?

6.

Which Coen Brothers comedy of 1987 starred Holly Hunter and Nicholas Cage?

7.

What was Ray Charles’s first ever entry in the UK singles charts in 1960?

8.

What was the Bee Gees first ever entry in the UK singles charts in 1967?

ROUND 6

1.

What first was achieved by Constance Gore-Booth in 1918?

2.

Two tiles in Scrabble have a point value of 8.  Name both.

3.

In which UK city is the National Railway Museum?

4.

Which snooker player is nicknamed 'The Wizard of Wishaw'?

5.

Which post was occupied by Miss Merlyn Lowther from 1999 to 2003?

6.

Since 1990 four women have won the Nobel Prize for Literature.  Name any one.

7.

Lake Taupo is the largest lake in which country?

8.

What is the name of iconic cartoon character Fred Flintstone’s daughter, born on 23rd February 10,000 BC?

ROUND 7

1.

Which contemporary cartoon character lives in Bikini Bottom?

2.

Lake Balaton is the largest lake in which country?

3.

Which woman currently completes the following quartet: George IV, General Charles Napier, and Major-General Sir Henry Havelock?

4.

Which post is currently occupied by Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller?

5.

Which snooker player was the first to win the World Professional Championship having previously won the World Amateur Championship in 1989?

6.

In which UK city is the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television?

7.

Five tiles in Scrabble have a point value of 4.  Name three.

8.

What first was achieved by Margaret Bondfield in 1929?

1.

I have a square garden with an area of 121 square metres.  If I walk round the edges twice how far have I walked?

2.

I have a tin box measuring ½ metre by ½ metre by ½ metre.  How many litres of water would fill this box to the half way mark?

3.

On which race course is the Irish Grand National run?

4.

On which race course is the Irish Derby run?

5.

What nationality was Trygvie Lie, the first United Nations Secretary General?

6.

What nationality was U Thant, the third United Nations Secretary General?

7.

How old was Horatio, Viscount Nelson, when he was killed at the Battle of Trafalgar? (one year either way allowed)

8.

How old was Arthur, Duke of Wellington, when he defeated Napoleon at Waterloo? (one year either way allowed)

1.

In which city is the National Lifeboat Museum?

2.

Which painter is regarded as the founder of Fauvism?

3.

Which soccer team is based in Dumfries?

4.

Who was the first British woman in space?

5.

Who is the author of the memoirs Margrave of the Marshes?

6.

Who was the first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury?

7.

Name both the US Senators for Massachusetts.

8.

Who is the present Chief Cashier of the Bank of England?

9.

What happened to Pope Pius X (tenth) on 29th May 1954?

10.

Who is President Elect of the Royal Society?

ROUND 1

1.

Of which Labour politician did Winston Churchill remark: “There’s less to him than meets the eye”?

Clement Attlee

2.

In which field were Milton Humason, Vesto Slipher, Harlow Shapley and Henrietta Leavitt eminent?

Astronomy

(especially cosmology)

3.

Which Oldham-born entertainer has recently published a 500 page memoir entitled If I Don’t Write It Nobody Else Will?

Eric Sykes

4.

Which country has the car registration symbol RP?

The Philippines

5.

Who was the first US woman in space?

Sally Ride

(in 1983 on the Challenger Space Shuttle)

6.

In which town is soccer club St Johnstone based?

Perth

7.

Who are the three judges in the television show X Factor?

Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne & Louis Walsh

8.

Chemical element 100 is named after which Italian born scientist?

Enrico Fermi

(fermium)

ROUND 2

1.

Chemical element 104 is named after which New Zealand born scientist?

Ernest Rutherford

(rutherfordium)

2.

Who were the two presenters of the television show Celebrity Love Island?

Kelly Brook & Patrick Kielty

3.

In which town is soccer club Raith Rovers based?

Kirkcaldy

4.

Which US woman civilian perished in the Challenger Shuttle disaster of 1986?

Christa McAuliffe

5.

Which country has the car registration symbol WAN?

Nigeria

6.

Which TV and radio presenter has published memoirs entitled I Should Have Been At Work?

Des Lynam

7.

In which field were Bernhard Riemann, Kurt Gödel, David Hilbert and Christian Goldbach eminent?

Mathematics

8.

Of which Labour politician did Winston Churchill remark: “There, but for the grace of God, goes God”?

Stafford Cripps

ROUND 3 - 'An Evil Round'

1.

“The evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones” is a quote from which Shakespeare play?

Julius Caesar

2.

“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes” is a quote from which Shakespeare play?

Macbeth

3.

Which poison was used by serial killer Graham Young to murder his victims?

Thallium

4.

Which poison was used to murder Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov?

Ricin

5.

The Sendero Luminosa are a terrorist group in which country?

Peru

6.

The Tupomaros were a terrorist group in which country?

Uruguay

7.

What nickname is attached to John George Haigh executed in 1949?

'The Acid Bath Killer'

8.

What nickname is attached to serial killer David Berkowitz?

'Son of Sam'

ROUND 4 - 'A Literature Round'

1.

How many syllables are there in a Haiku?

17

2.

The rhyme scheme of a Limerick is: a-a-b-b-a.  What is the rhyme scheme of a Clerihew?

a-a-b-b

3.

Which poet was in love with, but never married, Miss Fanny Brawne?

John Keats

4.

Which poet had an unrequited love for Miss Maud Gonne, who told him: “The world will thank me for not marrying you”?

W B Yeats

5.

“Very flat, Norfolk” is a line from which play?

Private Lives

(by Noel Coward)

6.

“He is the very pineapple of politeness” is a line from which play?

The Rivals

(by Richard Sheridan)

7.

Which Latin poet wrote “Omnia vincit amor” ("Love conquers all thing"?

Virgil

8.

Which Latin poet wrote “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori” ("How lovely and honourable it is to die for one’s country")?

Horace

ROUND 5 - 'The State we're in'

1

Traditionally, which is the first state of the US to have a caucus to nominate Republican and Democratic candidates for the presidential elections?

Iowa

2.

In the news this summer, Haley Barbour is the governor of which US state?

Mississippi

3.

The sinking of which warship sparked the Spanish-American War of 1904?

Maine

4.

On which warship did Japan formally surrender in World War 2?

Missouri

5.

Which novel, published in 1981, is partly set in Vienna, and features the Berry children, a bear called State o’Maine, a dog called Sorrow, and a girl called Susie the Bear?

The Hotel New Hampshire

6.

Which Coen Brothers comedy of 1987 starred Holly Hunter and Nicholas Cage?

Raising Arizona

7.

What was Ray Charles’s first ever entry in the UK singles charts in 1960?

Georgia On My Mind

8.

What was the Bee Gees first ever entry in the UK singles charts in 1967?

New York Mining Disaster 1941

ROUND 6

1

What first was achieved by Constance Gore-Booth in 1918?

First woman elected to Westminster

(but as a Sinn Feiner she didn’t take her seat)

2.

Two tiles in Scrabble have a point value of 8.  Name both.

J & X

3.

In which UK city is the National Railway Museum?

York

4.

Which snooker player is nicknamed 'The Wizard of Wishaw'?

John Higgins

5.

Which post was occupied by Miss Merlyn Lowther from 1999 to 2003?

Chief Cashier of the Bank of England

6.

Since 1990 four women have won the Nobel Prize for Literature.  Name any one.

(one from)

Nadine Gordimer

(1991 South African novelist),

Toni Morrison

(1993 US poet),

Wislawa Szymborska

(1996 Polish poet)

Elfrieda Jelinek

(2004 Austrian novelist)

7.

Lake Taupo is the largest lake in which country?

New Zealand

8.

What is the name of iconic cartoon character Fred Flintstone’s daughter, born on 23rd February 10,000 BC?

Pebbles

ROUND 7

1.

Which contemporary cartoon character lives in Bikini Bottom?

Sponge Bob Square Pants

2.

Lake Balaton is the largest lake in which country?

Hungary

3.

Which woman currently completes the following quartet: George IV, General Charles Napier, and Major-General Sir Henry Havelock?

Alison Lapper

(statues on four plinths of Trafalgar Square)

4.

Which post is currently occupied by Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller?

Head of MI5

5.

Which snooker player was the first to win the World Professional Championship having previously won the World Amateur Championship in 1989?

Ken Doherty

(he won the Professional title in 1997)

6.

In which UK city is the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television?

Bradford

7.

Five tiles in Scrabble have a point value of 4.  Name three.

(three from)

F, H, V, W & Y

8.

What first was achieved by Margaret Bondfield in 1929?

First female member of the Cabinet

1.

I have a square garden with an area of 121 square metres.  If I walk round the edges twice how far have I walked?

88 metres

2.

I have a tin box measuring ½ metre by ½ metre by ½ metre.  How many litres of water would fill this box to the half way mark?

62.5 litres

3.

On which race course is the Irish Grand National run?

Fairyhouse

4.

On which race course is the Irish Derby run?

The Curragh

5.

What nationality was Trygvie Lie, the first United Nations Secretary General?

Norwegian

6.

What nationality was U Thant, the third United Nations Secretary General?

Burmese

7.

How old was Horatio, Viscount Nelson, when he was killed at the Battle of Trafalgar? (one year either way allowed)

47

(accept 46, 47 or 48)

8.

How old was Arthur, Duke of Wellington, when he defeated Napoleon at Waterloo? (one year either way allowed)

46

(accept 45, 46 or 47)

1.

In which city is the National Lifeboat Museum?

Bristol

2.

Which painter is regarded as the founder of Fauvism?

Henri Matisse

3.

Which soccer team is based in Dumfries?

Queen of the South

4.

Who was the first British woman in space?

Helen Sharman

5.

Who is the author of the memoirs Margrave of the Marshes?

John Peel

6.

Who was the first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury?

Thomas Cranmer

7.

Name both the US Senators for Massachusetts.

Edward Kennedy & John Kerry

8.

Who is the present Chief Cashier of the Bank of England?

Andrew Bailey

9.

What happened to Pope Pius X (tenth) on 29th May 1954?

He was created a saint

10.

Who is President Elect of the Royal Society?

Sir Martin Rees

Go back to Spare questions without answers