ROUND 1 - Hidden theme

1.

Leo McKern and Maurice Denham died one day apart in July 2002.  Which role had they both played?

2.

Which English cricketer, born 1923, played test cricket from 1949-59, ending up with both batting and bowling averages of 29?  He is the only player since the war to have taken over 100 first class wickets and scored over 2000 first class runs in a season.

3.

Which band topped the charts for three weeks in October 1970 with a cover version of Joni Mitchell’s Woodstock?

4.

Which Bristol-based chill-out band has just released their long-awaited third album, actually called Third?

5.

Name the 1958 instrumental by the band The Champs.  The title of the song constitutes the entire lyrics and is said only three times.

6.

Name the 1973 debut hit by Thin Lizzy.  It was the record with which they achieved their highest position in the charts.

7.

Who managed Holland between 1992 and 1995, PSV Eindhoven between 1995 and 1998, Glasgow Rangers between 1998 and 2001, Holland (again) between 2002 and 2004, Borussia Mönchengladbach between 2004 and 2005, United Arab Emirates in 2005, South Korea between 2005 and 2006 and is currently managing FC Zenit St Petersburg?

8.

In the context of this themed round, what role did Raymond Burr play?

ROUND 2

1.

Who said, and in what circumstances: “Equations are more important to me because politics is for the present, but an equation is something for eternity”?

2.

What word can mean the following:

• an odd looking person

• a monocle

• a piece of banter

• an 18th-century toy resembling a yo-yo?

3.

Goodbye, Farewell and Amen was the last episode of which TV series? 

4.

Who was the founder of Sikhism?

5.

A renowned Manchester-born author, playwright, critic and composer who died in 1993, was known to his friends and family as Jack Wilson but is much better known to the world by his middle two names.  What are they?

6.

Which credit card was advertised in the 1980s as 'Your flexible friend'?

7.

Which word was coined by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels to refer to ill-educated outcasts of society?

8.

Corporal Snark, Sergeant Tower, Lieutenant Scheisskopf, and Captain Black are lesser-known characters in which novel?

ROUND 3

1.

Who had a UK hit in 1965 with Concrete and Clay?

2.

Which country won the first ICC World Twenty20 Championships?

3.

What is the nearest yellow dwarf to Earth?

4.

Nicholas Bulstrade, Mary Garth and Fred Vincy live in which eponymous literary town?

5.

Sir Thomas Bertram owns which estate in the eponymous novel of 1814?

6.

In which constellation are the stars of Rigel and Betelgeuse?

7.

Which Johannesburg Stadium hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup final?

8.

Which band released Modern Life is Rubbish in 1993?

ROUND 4

1.

Which location did Salvador Dali consider the centre of the earth?

2.

Which London Bridge was nicknamed ‘The Ladies Bridge’ during WWII?

3.

Who ‘lost his head’ at Liverpool’s South Parkway transport hub last week?

4.

Which literary character has been played on film by Timothy Dalton, Ralph Fiennes and Laurence Olivier?

5.

What name was given to Professor Peter Higg’s boson particle, the existence of which, it is hoped, will emerge when the Large Hadron Collider begins its experiments?

6.

Which is the only US state without a straight line in its boundary?

7.

What is the name of the high pass through the Appalachian Mountains, near the junction of the boundaries of Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky, known as ‘the gateway to the west’ by many early pioneers?

8.

Michael Ramsey was the 100th man appointed to which office?

ROUND 5

1.

Michael Lubowitz is the real name of which prominent 1960s pop musician?

2.

Dragoon (or Anvil) was the codename for which Allied operation in World War II?

3.

Name the West Indian-born bowler with the middle name Cleophus who took 55 test wickets between 1986 and 1991 for England.

4.

Which US President whose face appears on US banknotes said “advertisements contain the only truth to be relied on in a newspaper”?

5.

What is the common name for the antirrhinum?

6.

What is the other name for Mount Goodwin Austen?

7.

In what year did the following events all happen:

• First episode of Coronation Street was broadcast

• Poor Me by Adam Faith reached No 1

• Wolverhampton Wanderers won the FA Cup?

8.

In what year did the following events all happen:

• First episode of Brookside was broadcast

• Come On Eileen by Dexy’s Midnight Runners reached No 1

• Spurs won the FA Cup?

ROUND 6

1.

Which former important route ran between San Antonio and Abilene, Kansas, and is nowadays roughly followed by United States highway 81?

2.

In 1519 Henry VIII attempted to become Holy Roman Emperor.  Who in fact was elected emperor that year?  One of his first acts was to summon Luther to the diet of Worms.

3.

Which spiritual leader’s title translated into English means ‘Ocean teacher’?

4.

Ben Bernanke is the chairman of which institution?

5.

Female lyricists were relatively rare on Broadway and in Hollywood.  However, which female lyricist wrote the lyrics for Sweet Charity, the film Swing Time and for the song On the Sunny Side of the Street?  She also wrote the book for Annie Get Your Gun.

6.

The majority of people who were known as Ruthenians in the Austro-Hungarian Empire inhabit which modern day north Slav country?

7.

Which hair preparation is produced from ylang-ylang flowers?

8.

Which two Rugby Union clubs formed the Ospreys in 2003?

ROUND 7

1.

Aspirin, cholesterol, testosterone, glucose and alcohol are all different combinations, in different structures, of which 3 chemical elements?

2.

Which ancient province of Japan gave its name to a small citrus fruit?

3.

Which king was killed at Flodden?

4.

Whose motto is 'Maintiens le droit'?

5.

Who would be given an Apgar Score?

6.

Which treaty ended the 30 Years’ War?

7.

Of which country is Podgorica the capital?

8.

Which tennis player won at least one Grand Slam every year between 1972 and 1986?

ROUND 8

1.

How was Leo Colston more succinctly known in a 1953 novel that was made into a film in 1971?

2.

Which is the only team to have won the FA and Amateur Cups?

3.

On which river does Lewes stand?

4.

Benjamin Britten wrote 5 Operas which had men’s names in the title.  Name any 2.

5.

Stamford Raffles founded which London tourist attraction which opened in 1828?

6.

What links the Sahara Desert, Lake Nyasa, the River Avon, Pendle Hill?

7.

Which object has only one side and one edge?

8.

Which honorary post in the Royal household has Martin Rees held since 1995?

Spares

1.

Which board game has a Greek name meaning jump?

2.

Which Monty Python pair created TV’s Ripping Yarns?

3.

David Brower founded which environmental organization in 1969?

4.

In which year did the following events happen:

• Birth of Monet

• Introduction of the Penny Post?

5.

In which year did the following events happen:

• Death of Cezanne

• Launch of HMS Dreadnought, making all existing warships obsolete

• Major earthquake in San Francisco?

6.

Where is the mythical hall of Domdaniel located?

7.

For which Brazilian team did Pelé play?

8.

The word Pinnoy is used to describe people from which country?

Tiebreakers

1.

What is the sum of the years in which these three events occurred:

• First underground railway built, between Paddington and Farringdon Street

• Howard Carter opens Tutankhamun’s tomb

• Captain Cook lands at Botany Bay?

2.

What is the height of Jerusalem above sea level in metres?

ROUND 1 - Hidden theme

1.

Leo McKern and Maurice Denham died one day apart in July 2002.  Which role had they both played?

Rumpole, of the Bailey

(McKern on TV, Denham on Radio)

2.

Which English cricketer, born 1923, played test cricket from 1949-59, ending up with both batting and bowling averages of 29?  He is the only player since the war to have taken over 100 first class wickets and scored over 2000 first class runs in a season.

Trevor Bailey

3.

Which band topped the charts for three weeks in October 1970 with a cover version of Joni Mitchell’s Woodstock?

Matthew’s Southern Comfort

4.

Which Bristol-based chill-out band has just released their long-awaited third album, actually called Third?

Portishead

5.

Name the 1958 instrumental by the band The Champs.  The title of the song constitutes the entire lyrics and is said only three times.

Tequila

6.

Name the 1973 debut hit by Thin Lizzy.  It was the record with which they achieved their highest position in the charts.

Whisky in the Jar

7.

Who managed Holland between 1992 and 1995, PSV Eindhoven between 1995 and 1998, Glasgow Rangers between 1998 and 2001, Holland (again) between 2002 and 2004, Borussia Mönchengladbach between 2004 and 2005, United Arab Emirates in 2005, South Korea between 2005 and 2006 and is currently managing FC Zenit St Petersburg?

Dick Advocaat

8.

In the context of this themed round, what role did Raymond Burr play?

Perry Mason

ROUND 2

1.

Who said, and in what circumstances: “Equations are more important to me because politics is for the present, but an equation is something for eternity”?

Einstein

(on refusing the Presidency of Israel in 1952)

2.

What word can mean the following:

• an odd looking person

• a monocle

• a piece of banter

• an 18th-century toy resembling a yo-yo?

Quiz

3.

Goodbye, Farewell and Amen was the last episode of which TV series? 

MASH

4.

Who was the founder of Sikhism?

Guru Nanak

5.

A renowned Manchester-born author, playwright, critic and composer who died in 1993, was known to his friends and family as Jack Wilson but is much better known to the world by his middle two names.  What are they?

Anthony Burgess

6.

Which credit card was advertised in the 1980s as 'Your flexible friend'?

Access

7.

Which word was coined by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels to refer to ill-educated outcasts of society?

Lumpenproletariat

8.

Corporal Snark, Sergeant Tower, Lieutenant Scheisskopf, and Captain Black are lesser-known characters in which novel?

Catch-22

ROUND 3

1.

Who had a UK hit in 1965 with Concrete and Clay?

Unit 4+2

2.

Which country won the first ICC World Twenty20 Championships?

India

3.

What is the nearest yellow dwarf to Earth?

The Sun

4.

Nicholas Bulstrade, Mary Garth and Fred Vincy live in which eponymous literary town?

Middlemarch

5.

Sir Thomas Bertram owns which estate in the eponymous novel of 1814?

Mansfield Park

6.

In which constellation are the stars of Rigel and Betelgeuse?

Orion

7.

Which Johannesburg Stadium hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup final?

Ellis Park

8.

Which band released Modern Life is Rubbish in 1993?

Blur

ROUND 4

1.

Which location did Salvador Dali consider the centre of the earth?

Perpignan Railway Station

2.

Which London Bridge was nicknamed ‘The Ladies Bridge’ during WWII?

Waterloo

(it is rumoured that the majority of the workforce which rebuilt the bridge after it was bombed were women)

3.

Who ‘lost his head’ at Liverpool’s South Parkway transport hub last week?

Ringo Starr

(his head was removed by vandals from the sculptured topiary exhibit of the Beatles)

4.

Which literary character has been played on film by Timothy Dalton, Ralph Fiennes and Laurence Olivier?

Heathcliffe

5.

What name was given to Professor Peter Higg’s boson particle, the existence of which, it is hoped, will emerge when the Large Hadron Collider begins its experiments?

God Particle

6.

Which is the only US state without a straight line in its boundary?

Hawaii

7.

What is the name of the high pass through the Appalachian Mountains, near the junction of the boundaries of Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky, known as ‘the gateway to the west’ by many early pioneers?

The Cumberland Gap

8.

Michael Ramsey was the 100th man appointed to which office?

Archbishop of Canterbury

ROUND 5

1

Michael Lubowitz is the real name of which prominent 1960s pop musician?

Manfred Mann

2.

Dragoon (or Anvil) was the codename for which Allied operation in World War II?

The invasion of the South of France in 1944

3.

Name the West Indian-born bowler with the middle name Cleophus who took 55 test wickets between 1986 and 1991 for England.

Gladstone Small

4.

Which US President whose face appears on US banknotes said “advertisements contain the only truth to be relied on in a newspaper”?

Thomas Jefferson

5.

What is the common name for the antirrhinum?

Snapdragon

6.

What is the other name for Mount Goodwin Austen?

K2

7.

In what year did the following events all happen:

• First episode of Coronation Street was broadcast

• Poor Me by Adam Faith reached No 1

• Wolverhampton Wanderers won the FA Cup?

1960

8.

In what year did the following events all happen:

• First episode of Brookside was broadcast

• Come On Eileen by Dexy’s Midnight Runners reached No 1

• Spurs won the FA Cup?

1982

ROUND 6

1

Which former important route ran between San Antonio and Abilene, Kansas, and is nowadays roughly followed by United States highway 81?

The Chisholm Trail

2.

In 1519 Henry VIII attempted to become Holy Roman Emperor.  Who in fact was elected emperor that year?  One of his first acts was to summon Luther to the diet of Worms.

Charles V

3.

Which spiritual leader’s title translated into English means ‘Ocean teacher’?

The Dalai Lama

4.

Ben Bernanke is the chairman of which institution?

The Board of Governors of the US Federal reserve system

(accept simply Federal Reserve)

5.

Female lyricists were relatively rare on Broadway and in Hollywood.  However, which female lyricist wrote the lyrics for Sweet Charity, the film Swing Time and for the song On the Sunny Side of the Street?  She also wrote the book for Annie Get Your Gun.

Dorothy Fields

6.

The majority of people who were known as Ruthenians in the Austro-Hungarian Empire inhabit which modern day north Slav country?

Ukraine

7.

Which hair preparation is produced from ylang-ylang flowers?

Macassar oil

8.

Which two Rugby Union clubs formed the Ospreys in 2003?

Swansea and Neath

ROUND 7

1.

Aspirin, cholesterol, testosterone, glucose and alcohol are all different combinations, in different structures, of which 3 chemical elements?

Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen

2.

Which ancient province of Japan gave its name to a small citrus fruit?

Satsuma

3.

Which king was killed at Flodden?

James IV of Scotland

4.

Whose motto is 'Maintiens le droit'?

The Mounties

5.

Who would be given an Apgar Score?

A new born baby

6.

Which treaty ended the 30 Years’ War?

Westphalia

7.

Of which country is Podgorica the capital?

Montenegro

8.

Which tennis player won at least one Grand Slam every year between 1972 and 1986?

Chris Evert Lloyd

ROUND 8

1.

How was Leo Colston more succinctly known in a 1953 novel that was made into a film in 1971?

The Go Between

2.

Which is the only team to have won the FA and Amateur Cups?

Wimbledon

3.

On which river does Lewes stand?

Ouse

4.

Benjamin Britten wrote 5 Operas which had men’s names in the title.  Name any 2.

(2 from)

Albert Herring, Peter Grimes, Billy Budd, Paul Bunyan and Owen Wingrave

5.

Stamford Raffles founded which London tourist attraction which opened in 1828?

London Zoo

6.

What links the Sahara Desert, Lake Nyasa, the River Avon, Pendle Hill?

They are all tautologies

(i.e. ‘Sahara’ means desert, ‘Nyasa’ means lake, ‘Avon’ means river and ‘Pendle’ means hill)

7.

Which object has only one side and one edge?

Moebius Strip

8.

Which honorary post in the Royal household has Martin Rees held since 1995?

Astronomer Royal

1.

Which board game has a Greek name meaning jump?

Halma

2.

Which Monty Python pair created TV’s Ripping Yarns?

Michael Palin and Terry Jones

3.

David Brower founded which environmental organization in 1969?

Friends of the Earth

4.

In which year did the following events happen:

• Birth of Monet

• Introduction of the Penny Post?

1840

5.

In which year did the following events happen:

• Death of Cezanne

• Launch of HMS Dreadnought, making all existing warships obsolete

• Major earthquake in San Francisco?

1906

6.

Where is the mythical hall of Domdaniel located?

The bottom of the ocean

7.

For which Brazilian team did Pelé play?

Santos

8.

The word Pinnoy is used to describe people from which country?

The Philipines

Go back to Spare questions without answers

1.

What is the sum of the years in which these three events occurred:

• First underground railway built, between Paddington and Farringdon Street

• Howard Carter opens Tutankhamun’s tomb

• Captain Cook lands at Botany Bay?

5555

(1863+1922+1770)

2.

What is the height of Jerusalem above sea level in metres?

760m

Go back to Tiebreaker questions without answers