ROUND 1 - Pairs

1.

Which academic was alleged to have challenged one of his students with the words "You have hissed all my mystery classes"?

2.

To which Italian city was Romeo exiled after killing Tybalt in the play Romeo and Juliet?

3.

Which Sunday newspaper, founded in 1850 by Edward Reynolds, which supported the centre-left Co-operative Party ceased publication in 1962?

4.

Which comedian originated the line "Time wounds all heels"?

5.

What common factor links the wife of James I, the husband of Queen Anne and the wife of Edward VII?

6.

Which right wing Sunday newspaper, founded in Manchester in 1884 as The Umpire, ended up by being merged with the News of the World in 1960?

7.

In which Italian city is the Verdi opera Rigoletto set?

8.

What common factor links Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland (1640-1709), Elizabeth Villiers, Countess of Orkney (1657-1733) and Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey (1785-1867)?

1.

For which film role did Katherine Hepburn demand a screen test, telling producer David O Selznick, "I AM her. The role is practically written for me."?

2.

Which organisation was formed in 1968 as an offshoot of the Vietnam People’s Army?

3.

What is the nickname of the sports teams of Harvard University?  It is also the name of the daily student newspaper.

4.

Who, along with the King of France, is a suitor to Cordelia in the first act of King Lear?

5.

Which 1969 film starring Gregory Peck and Gene Hackman tells the story of three astronauts stranded in orbit without sufficient engine capability to attempt atmospheric re-entry?

6.

Which TV personality is married to Ed Bye, producer and director best known for his work with Jasper Carrott and French and Saunders?

7.

What is the name of the TV presenter and journalist best known for her work on 1990s youth programmes Rough Guide, DEF 2 and Reportage?

8.

What word describes a brownish roughened area on the skin of a fruit, especially on apples?

ROUND 3 - Pairs

1.

Which character from Dickens’ The Old Curiosity Shop had a lawyer named Mr Brass?

2.

Who played mine owner Bradley Hardacre in the 1980s TV series Brass?

3.

Who did Margaret Thatcher describe as "A man we can do business with"?

4.

Who did Margaret Thatcher believe she was quoting on the steps of No. 10 on becoming Prime Minister?

5.

Who released the album 461 Ocean Boulevard?

6.

Who released the album Gasoline Alley?

7.

In which film did Sigourney Weaver play the First Lady?

8.

In which film did Glenn Close play the First Lady?

ROUND 4 - Pairs

1.

In the song, on the road to which city does Nellie the Elephant rejoin the herd?

2.

In the nursery rhyme I Had a Little Nut Tree, who comes to visit the tree?

3.

Which 20th century Prime Minister’s ministerial career path was: Secretary of State for Air, Minister of Housing and Local Government, Minister of Defence, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor of the Exchequer, PM?

4.

Which 20th century Prime Minister’s ministerial career path was: Minister of Health, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Minister of Health, Chancellor of the Exchequer, PM?

5.

The mascot of the 1972 Olympics, a dog called Waldi, appeared in a variety of colour schemes but never in which two colours?

6.

Which English town has hosted a local version of the Olympic Games since 1850?  Baron de Coubertin visited the town  in 1890 and went on to establish the International Olympic Committee.  In recognition of its part in modern Olympic history, one of the 2012 mascots was named after it.

7.

From the theme tune to which TV comedy are the following lines taken: "Riding high but hitting the ground, catching the penny but missing the pound"?

8.

From the theme tune to which TV comedy are the following lines taken: "In West Philadelphia born and raised, on the playground is where I spent most of my days"?

ROUND 5 - Hidden theme

1.

Which famous Roman is alleged to have committed suicide near Lake Lucerne in AD37 or AD38?

2.

Which fictional Welsh town is the home of the children’s TV character Fireman Sam?

3.

What was the name of the area of swampland south of Rome which was drained by order of Mussolini in the 1930s to show the progress of Fascist Italy?

4.

Which Paris bridge was built in 1558, known as the first modern bridge in Paris and links the Louvre, the Ile de la Cité and the Left Bank?

5.

What is the name of the Pope’s Twitter account?

6.

What was the ancient name of the stretch of water between Europe and Asia across which both Leander and Lord Byron swam?

7.

Which Welsh town is the birthplace of Tom Jones?

8.

According to an old song where did people come to dance in a ring?

ROUND 6 - Pairs

1.

"I don’t mind other guys dancing with my girl" are the first words of which song?

2.

"There’s talk on the street" are the first words of which song?

3.

According to the American Film Institute, what is the fifth most memorable line in cinema history?

4.

According to legend, whose treasure is buried on Oak Island, Nova Scotia?

5.

Who played the role of Billy the Kid in the film Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid?

6.

Who played the role of Billy the Kid in the film Young Guns?

7.

How many kids were there in the Waltons?

8.

How many kids were there in the Partridge family?

ROUND 7 - Themed questions

....apart from the final pair where the theme is in the answers

1.

For what reason was the Penny Black stamp replaced by the Penny Red in the 1840s?

2.

Which First World War general was nicknamed 'Black Jack'?

3.

Who was the President of the United States on Black Tuesday, 29 October 1929, the start of the Wall Street Crash?

4.

In which series of films does a ship named The Black Pearl feature?

5.

Who was the political activist who edited and published the radical newspaper Black Dwarf from 1968 to 1970?

6.

In which novel does a villainous prince nicknamed Black Michael attempt to overthrow his brother the King?

7.

What is the name of the 2012 song from which these lines come?

"I know people who use chat rooms as confessionals,
I know down and outs who once were, once they were professionals"?

8.

Which novel contains the following sentence: "There is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to man and beast, it is all a sham"?

ROUND 8 - Pot pourri

1.

The 1892 US Presidential Election is unique for what reason?

2.

Fifteen US Presidents have been elected with a minority of the popular vote but only three of them have managed to do this twice. Name one of them.

3.

A dual role in which 1965 western won Lee Marvin an Oscar?

4.

For which 1968 Burt Lancaster film, based on a John Cheever story, did Marvin Hamlisch get his first film score writing credit?

5.

Recently The Sunday Times reported that traditional Cockney dialogue is dying out in London and is being replaced by a cross cultural slang.  What is the meaning of the phrase 'Sup Blud’ in the new version?

6.

In the new multicultural slang what is the meaning of `endz’?

7.

In which animated character’s cartoon did Marvin the Martian make his first appearance in 1948?

8.

How is the robot Marvin known in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy?

Spares

1.

Which British male monarch was the last to marry an equal?

2.

Which Barry Manilow song became a hit for Take That?

3.

What game, which originated in the Far East, requires players to match the symbols on miniature tiles?

4.

Which guitarist was born Brian Robson Rankin?

5.

Which US President was elected to office in 1824 with the lowest ever percentage of the popular vote - 29.8%?

6.

What is the more popular name of the Cocktail Beetle (ocypus olens)?

ROUND 1 - Pairs

1.

Which academic was alleged to have challenged one of his students with the words "You have hissed all my mystery classes"?

2.

To which Italian city was Romeo exiled after killing Tybalt in the play Romeo and Juliet?

Padua

3.

Which Sunday newspaper, founded in 1850 by Edward Reynolds, which supported the centre-left Co-operative Party ceased publication in 1962?

Reynolds News

4.

Which comedian originated the line "Time wounds all heels"?

Groucho Marx

(in the film Go West)

5.

What common factor links the wife of James I, the husband of Queen Anne and the wife of Edward VII?

Ann of Denmark, George of Denmark and Queen Alexandra were all
Danes

6.

Which right wing Sunday newspaper, founded in Manchester in 1884 as The Umpire, ended up by being merged with the News of the World in 1960?

The Empire News

7.

In which Italian city is the Verdi opera Rigoletto set?

Mantua

8.

What common factor links Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland (1640-1709), Elizabeth Villiers, Countess of Orkney (1657-1733) and Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey (1785-1867)?

All were royal mistresses

Barbara (Charles II), Elizabeth (William III) and Frances (George IV)

1.

For which film role did Katherine Hepburn demand a screen test, telling producer David O Selznick, "I AM her. The role is practically written for me."?

Scarlett O’Hara

2.

Which organisation was formed in 1968 as an offshoot of the Vietnam People’s Army?

Khmer Rouge

3.

What is the nickname of the sports teams of Harvard University?  It is also the name of the daily student newspaper.

4.

Who, along with the King of France, is a suitor to Cordelia in the first act of King Lear?

5.

Which 1969 film starring Gregory Peck and Gene Hackman tells the story of three astronauts stranded in orbit without sufficient engine capability to attempt atmospheric re-entry?

Marooned

6.

Which TV personality is married to Ed Bye, producer and director best known for his work with Jasper Carrott and French and Saunders?

Ruby Wax

7.

What is the name of the TV presenter and journalist best known for her work on 1990s youth programmes Rough Guide, DEF 2 and Reportage?

Magenta de Vine

8.

What word describes a brownish roughened area on the skin of a fruit, especially on apples?

Russeting

ROUND 3 - Pairs

1.

Which character from Dickens’ The Old Curiosity Shop had a lawyer named Mr Brass?

Quilp

2.

Who played mine owner Bradley Hardacre in the 1980s TV series Brass?

Timothy West

3.

Who did Margaret Thatcher describe as "A man we can do business with"?

Gorbachev

4.

Who did Margaret Thatcher believe she was quoting on the steps of No. 10 on becoming Prime Minister?

St Francis of Assisi

5.

Who released the album 461 Ocean Boulevard?

Eric Clapton

6.

Who released the album Gasoline Alley?

Rod Stewart

7.

In which film did Sigourney Weaver play the First Lady?

Dave

8.

In which film did Glenn Close play the First Lady?

Mars Attacks

ROUND 4 - Pairs

1.

In the song, on the road to which city does Nellie the Elephant rejoin the herd?

Mandalay

2.

In the nursery rhyme I Had a Little Nut Tree, who comes to visit the tree?

The King of Spain’s daughter

3.

Which 20th century Prime Minister’s ministerial career path was: Secretary of State for Air, Minister of Housing and Local Government, Minister of Defence, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor of the Exchequer, PM?

Harold Macmillan

4.

Which 20th century Prime Minister’s ministerial career path was: Minister of Health, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Minister of Health, Chancellor of the Exchequer, PM?

Neville Chamberlain

5.

The mascot of the 1972 Olympics, a dog called Waldi, appeared in a variety of colour schemes but never in which two colours?

Red and black

(The 1972 games were held in Munich and the IOC wanted to avoid anything which referenced the Third Reich)

6.

Which English town has hosted a local version of the Olympic Games since 1850?  Baron de Coubertin visited the town  in 1890 and went on to establish the International Olympic Committee.  In recognition of its part in modern Olympic history, one of the 2012 mascots was named after it.

Much Wenlock

7.

From the theme tune to which TV comedy are the following lines taken: "Riding high but hitting the ground, catching the penny but missing the pound"?

Bread

8.

From the theme tune to which TV comedy are the following lines taken: "In West Philadelphia born and raised, on the playground is where I spent most of my days"?

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

ROUND 5 - Hidden theme

1.

Which famous Roman is alleged to have committed suicide near Lake Lucerne in AD37 or AD38?

Pontius Pilate

2.

Which fictional Welsh town is the home of the children’s TV character Fireman Sam?

Pontypandy

3.

What was the name of the area of swampland south of Rome which was drained by order of Mussolini in the 1930s to show the progress of Fascist Italy?

The Pontine Marshes

4.

Which Paris bridge was built in 1558, known as the first modern bridge in Paris and links the Louvre, the Ile de la Cité and the Left Bank?

The Pont Neuf

5.

What is the name of the Pope’s Twitter account?

Pontifex

6.

What was the ancient name of the stretch of water between Europe and Asia across which both Leander and Lord Byron swam?

The Hellespont

7.

Which Welsh town is the birthplace of Tom Jones?

Pontypridd

8.

According to an old song where did people come to dance in a ring?

("Sur le pont d’Avignon")

ROUND 6 - Pairs

1.

"I don’t mind other guys dancing with my girl" are the first words of which song?

(by The Who)

2.

"There’s talk on the street" are the first words of which song?

(by The Eagles)

3.

According to the American Film Institute, what is the fifth most memorable line in cinema history?

"Here’s looking at you, kid"

4.

According to legend, whose treasure is buried on Oak Island, Nova Scotia?

Captain William Kidd’s

5.

Who played the role of Billy the Kid in the film Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid?

Kris Kristofferson

6.

Who played the role of Billy the Kid in the film Young Guns?

Emilio Estevez

7.

How many kids were there in the Waltons?

Seven

8.

How many kids were there in the Partridge family?

Five

ROUND 7 - Themed questions

....apart from the final pair where the theme is in the answers

1.

For what reason was the Penny Black stamp replaced by the Penny Red in the 1840s?

Post Office staff had difficulty in seeing whether stamps had been franked

2.

Which First World War general was nicknamed 'Black Jack'?

Pershing

3.

Who was the President of the United States on Black Tuesday, 29 October 1929, the start of the Wall Street Crash?

Herbert Hoover

4.

In which series of films does a ship named The Black Pearl feature?

Pirates of the Caribbean

5.

Who was the political activist who edited and published the radical newspaper Black Dwarf from 1968 to 1970?

Tariq Ali

6.

In which novel does a villainous prince nicknamed Black Michael attempt to overthrow his brother the King?

The Prisoner of Zenda

7.

What is the name of the 2012 song from which these lines come?

"I know people who use chat rooms as confessionals,
I know down and outs who once were, once they were professionals"?

(by Paloma Faith)

8.

Which novel contains the following sentence: "There is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to man and beast, it is all a sham"?

Black Beauty

ROUND 8 - Pot pourri

1.

The 1892 US Presidential Election is unique for what reason?

(Benjamin Harrison, Republican and Grover Cleveland, Democrat)

2.

Fifteen US Presidents have been elected with a minority of the popular vote but only three of them have managed to do this twice. Name one of them.

3.

A dual role in which 1965 western won Lee Marvin an Oscar?

Cat Balou

4.

For which 1968 Burt Lancaster film, based on a John Cheever story, did Marvin Hamlisch get his first film score writing credit?

The Swimmer
 

5.

Recently The Sunday Times reported that traditional Cockney dialogue is dying out in London and is being replaced by a cross cultural slang.  What is the meaning of the phrase 'Sup Blud’ in the new version?

'What’s up, friend/man/brother?'

6.

In the new multicultural slang what is the meaning of `endz’?

Neighbourhood or community

7.

In which animated character’s cartoon did Marvin the Martian make his first appearance in 1948?

8.

How is the robot Marvin known in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy?

The Paranoid Android

Spares

1.

Which British male monarch was the last to marry an equal?
 

Edward VII

(in 1863 he married Alexandra, daughter of Christian IX of Denmark - since then all other male heirs have contracted morganatic marriages i.e. marriages to inferiors)

2.

Which Barry Manilow song became a hit for Take That?

Could It Be Magic?

3.

What game, which originated in the Far East, requires players to match the symbols on miniature tiles?

Mahjong

4.

Which guitarist was born Brian Robson Rankin?

Hank Marvin

5.

Which US President was elected to office in 1824 with the lowest ever percentage of the popular vote - 29.8%?

John Quincy Adams

6.

What is the more popular name of the Cocktail Beetle (ocypus olens)?

The Devil’s Coach Horse