ROUND 1 - Science pairs

1.

The heaviest of the actinides, which element has the atomic number 103?  It is named after an American scientist who won the 1939 Nobel Prize in Physics for inventing the cyclotron.

2.

Which element is named after a physicist born in Vienna in 1878?  She helped discover and explain the nuclear fission of Uranium.

3.

Who was the first Briton to win the Nobel Prize in Physics?  He won the award in 1904 for his studies of the density of gases and the discovery of argon.  He also gives his name to the scattering of electromagnetic radiation by particles much smaller than the wavelength of the radiation.

4.

Also in 1904, who became the first Briton to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry?  He worked on discovering inert gases including neon and xenon, and was a co-discoverer with Lord Rayleigh of argon.

5.

Along with chats, which birds belong to the family Turdidae?  Species of this family include the common or Eurasian blackbird, the fieldfare and the redwing.

6.

The ‘true’ species of which birds belong to the family Fringillidae?  Species found in Britain include the brambling, the crossbill and the linnet.

7.

The 2016 winner of the Royal Society Science Book Prize, Andrea Wulf’s The Invention of Nature, is a biography of which naturalist and explorer born in 1769?  (as well as a surname, you must give either his birth name or the middle name by which he is now known)

8.

Who was the subject of an award-winning 2010 book by Rebecca Skloot?  After the person in question died of cervical cancer in 1951, cells taken from one of her tumours were used to create the first immortalised cell line (cells that do not deteriorate with age).  (first name and surname required)

Sp.

Atomic number 71, which element is the last of the actinides in the periodic table?  It derives its name from the Roman name for Paris.

Go to Round 1 questions with answers

ROUND 2 - 'Loser' pairs

1.

In the 1976 US election, the four names on the tickets of the two main parties were those of people who would all go on to lose a presidential election.  Gerald Ford would lose that election, and Jimmy Carter would lose the 1980 election.  Name either of the two vice-presidential candidates.  (surname only is sufficient)

2.

From 1944 until the election of John F Kennedy in 1960, only two men from the two main political parties would lose US presidential elections.  Name either one.  (surname only is sufficient)

3.

The refrain, "Soy un perdador; I’m a loser, baby, so why don’t you kill me?" is taken from which American singer-songwriter’s 1994 single, Loser?

4.

R.E.M.’s Losing My Religion first appeared on which of their albums?

5.

In the largest naval battle in history at the time, which empire met defeat at the Battle of Lepanto?

6.

Which empire suffered a major defeat and saw its ruler captured at the Battle of Manzikert?

7.

Ben Stokes became the most expensive overseas player in the competition’s history when he signed for which team, captained by Steve Smith, which would go on to lose the 2017 final to Mumbai Indians?  (the city name alone is enough)

8.

Which football club, currently playing in Scottish League One, is the only Scottish club to have competed in an FA Cup final, losing on both occasions to Blackburn Rovers?

Sp.

Quote: “I’m telling you, baby, they kicked your little ass there; boy, they whipped your hide real good!” In which 1988 film is this tirade delivered in response to the line: “We did not lose, Vietnam! It was a tie!”?

Go to Round 2 questions with answers

ROUND 3 - 'The 2017 Round'

For all the answers in this round, a surname alone will suffice 

1.

In terms of a politician prominent in the news this year, what links: ‘being a professional footballer at Tranmere Rovers’, ‘being awarded a PhD from Liverpool Hope University in 2004’ and ‘losing close friends at Hillsborough’?

2.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was the first footballer to score 100 goals in two of Europe’s top five leagues (that is, Serie A, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Premier League and La Liga).  In 2017, two South American strikers joined him in this exclusive club.  Name either.

3.

Who became the youngest winner of the Academy Award for Best Director when he won for La La Land?

4.

Which album marked its 50th birthday in 2017 by returning to the top of the UK album charts for one week, knocking Ed Sheeran’s Divide off the top spot?

5.

Which Spanish player won her second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon 2017, beating Venus Williams in the final?

6.

Having served as President Trump’s campaign manager last year, who is now the ‘Counselor to the President’? Her recent contributions to public discourse have included popularising the phrase ‘Alternative facts’ and inventing the ‘Bowling Green Massacre’ in an attempt to justify Trump’s travel ban.

7.

Zhou Youguang (pronounced Joe Yo-Gwang) died earlier this year at the age of 111.  He is often described as the ‘father’ of which now-ubiquitous Romanisation system for Mandarin Chinese?  (the precise six-letter name is required)

8.

George Saunders won the Man Booker Prize this year for which novel?  The precise four-word title is required.

Sp1

The author of How to Win a Marginal Seat which Tory politician lost his marginal seat of Croydon Central in this summer’s general election?  He was then appointed Theresa May’s Chief of Staff.

Sp2

Which Frenchman was the top points scorer in the 2017 Six Nations Championship?

Go to Round 3 questions with answers

ROUND 4 - Christmas Around the World

1.

Following a highly-successful advertising campaign in 1974, which American fast food chain established itself as the place to celebrate Christmas in Japan?  An estimated three and a half million Japanese families get Christmas dinner there each year.

2.

In Austrian and German folklore, which demon-like being accompanies Saint Nicholas on his rounds, doling out punishment to naughty children while the saint delivers presents to the good ones?

3.

Who is credited with writing the much-loved Christmas poem A Visit from St. Nicholas, also known as Twas the Night Before Christmas?  It has become an integral part of American Christmas tradition and is believed to have introduced or popularised a number of aspects of Santa Claus folklore, including the flying reindeer-drawn sleigh.  (surname alone suffices)

4.

What is the name of the witch who delivers presents to Italian children on 5th January?  Her name is believed to be derived from the feast of epiphany.

5.

‘Yule Lads’ or ‘Yulemen’ visit children on the thirteen nights before Christmas eve in the folklore of which Nordic country?  Their names include 'Sausage Swiper', 'Sheep Harrasser' and 'Door Sniffer'.

6.

‘Black Pete’ is the companion of St. Nicholas in the folklore of which country or group of countries?  His appearance has become controversial in recent years as he has been accused of perpetuating harmful stereotypes.

7.

In Ukraine, it is traditional to decorate a tree with which arthropods, which seem more suited to Halloween decor?  This tradition is believed to stem from a legend in which a poor woman, who could not afford decorations for her tree, wakes up on Christmas day to discover that a helpful creature has trimmed the tree for her.

8.

In Sweden, it is traditional to place straw effigies of which hoofed mammal in public spaces during advent?  This has inadvertently given rise to another, more lawless, Swedish Christmas tradition in which the straw sculptures are (usually deliberately) set on fire at some point before Christmas.

Go to Round 4 questions with answers

ROUND 5 - Run Ons

One half of each answer relates to a UK Christmas hit single

Usual conventions apply regarding close sound-alikes and grammatically similar forms of words

1.

Unconventional Christmas number one from 2009

2.

X Factor winning singer who was Christmas number one in 2008 with a cover of Hallelujah

3.

Unconventional 1971 Christmas number one chosen by David Cameron as one of his Desert Island Discs

4.

Girls Aloud Christmas number one from 2002, also the title of their first album

5.

1988 Cliff Richard Christmas number one, used in an anti-drunk driving campaign

Variety of famously non-alcoholic sweets

6.

Route that is the subject of Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods

7.

Mormon Celebrity Masterchef finalist's 1972 Christmas number one

8.

1954 film adaptation of an 1870 novel, which starred Kirk Douglas as Ned Land

Sp1

Sp2

Italian-American singer and actor in The Godfather who recorded Here in My Heart (this song became the first UK Christmas number one when it reached the top spot in 1952, the year the Official Singles Chart began)

Sp3

Novel by Primo Levi whose original Italian title was Si Non Ora, Quando

Go to Round 5 questions with answers

ROUND 6 - 'Post Code Lottery'

This round does not have a witty title, nor is it Christmassy.  It concerns UK Postcode Areas whose two-letter codes are abbreviations of other things.  Listen carefully.  You will hear a list of localities within a UK Postcode Area.  Use the two-letter code for this area to answer the question that follows.

This round includes only a few places south of the river Trent; it does not concern itself with locations in southern England (the opposite to the Tories you might say).

1.

Localities: Widnes, Runcorn, Golborne and Newton-le-Willows

Answer required: U.S. State

2.

Localities: Wombourne, Wednesfield, Bilston and Bridgnorth

Answer required: U.S. State

3.

Localities: Monkwearmouth, Roker, Peterlee and Easington Colliery

Answer required: SI derived unit

4.

Localities: Port Glasgow, Wemyss Bay, Bridge of Orchy and Isle of Jura

Answer required: SI derived unit

5.

Localities: Borrowash, Belper, Alfreton and Ashbourne

Answer required: European country (via its internet country code)

6.

Localities: Mickle Trafford, Shotton, Wallasey and Port Sunlight

Answer required: European country (via its internet country code)

7.

Localities: Bangor, Hillsborough, Bushmills and Warrenpoint

Answer Required: title in the British Honours system

8.

Localities: Kirkheaton, Rawthorpe, Brighouse and Holmfirth

Answer required: motorcycle manufacturer

Sp1

Localities: Ledbury, Leominster, Bromyard, Ross-on-Wye

Answer required: European country (via its internet country code)

Sp2

Localities: Bonnyrigg, Broxburn, Linlithgow and Prestonpans

Answer required: an exclamation

Go to Round 6 questions with answers

ROUND 7 - Hidden theme

In each case, the answer is a four-letter surname or other naming word (nothing more, nothing less)

All the answers are connected through a hidden theme.

The theme may be revealed following the spare question.

1.

Which admiral was executed in 1757 for failing to relieve the naval base of Minorca from a French siege?

2.

Born in 1815, which explorer gives his name to a large peninsula in west of Adelaide and to the large, seasonal lake that is the lowest point of Australasia?

3.

At a party towards the end of his life, which English philosopher had a confrontation with boxer Mike Tyson when the latter was, allegedly, forcing himself upon the model, Naomi Campbell?  He is probably better known for Language, Truth, and Logic and The Problem of Knowledge.

4.

Which tutor of Freddie Ayer used the expression ‘ghost-in-the-machine’ in reference to Descartes’ mind-body dualism?  His works include The Concept of Mind.

5.

Give the English spelling of the Gaelic word meaning ‘narrow passage of water’, or ‘strait’.  This word appears in the name of the closest railway station to the Skye Bridge.

6.

Derived ultimately from Sanskrit, what common name is used in South Asia for a gregarious, crow-like birds of the starling family?  They include the Gracula religiosa bird, noted for its ability to mimic human speech.

7.

The surname of which Scottish industrialist appears on the design of the grocery product sometimes said to be Britain’s oldest brand?  Its trademark, unchanged since 1885, bears a motto referring to a story in the Book of Judges.

8.

What surname links the U.S. congressman killed at the Jonestown Massacre in 1978 with Mitt Romney’s running-mate in the 2012 presidential election?

Sp.

What is the unit of force in the centimetre-gramme-second (C.G.S.) system?  It is equivalent to ten (10) micronewtons.

Go to Round 7 questions with answers

ROUND 8 - 'Add a letter'

Each question will require two single-word answers that differ only by the addition of one letter, for example ‘save’ and ‘slave, ‘anal’ and ‘banal’, or ‘Hal’ and ‘halo’.

1.

A fermented, air-dried, cured sausage

2.

The surname of Ewan McGregor’s character in Trainspotting

3.

The four-letter name of the currency of Iran

4.

Surname of the Cabinet minister who is the MP for Surrey Heath

5.

The wolves Geri and Freki are companions of this mythological figure

Surname of the creator of The Burghers of Calais

6.

Capital of the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen

7.

Surname of the American screenwriter whose credits include Silkwood, When Harry Met Sally, and Sleepless in Seattle

8.

Surname of a South Africa-born cricketer who plays for England, a limited-overs specialist; in June he became the first batsman to be given out for obstructing the field in a T20 international match

Sp.

Character who marries Sebastian in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night

Go to Round 8 questions with answers

ROUND 1 - Science pairs

1.

The heaviest of the actinides, which element has the atomic number 103?  It is named after an American scientist who won the 1939 Nobel Prize in Physics for inventing the cyclotron.

Lawrencium

(Ernest Lawrence)

2.

Which element is named after a physicist born in Vienna in 1878?  She helped discover and explain the nuclear fission of Uranium.

Meitnerium

(Lise Meitner)

3.

Who was the first Briton to win the Nobel Prize in Physics?  He won the award in 1904 for his studies of the density of gases and the discovery of argon.  He also gives his name to the scattering of electromagnetic radiation by particles much smaller than the wavelength of the radiation.

Lord Rayleigh

(John William Strutt)

4.

Also in 1904, who became the first Briton to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry?  He worked on discovering inert gases including neon and xenon, and was a co-discoverer with Lord Rayleigh of argon.

(Sir William) Ramsay

5.

Along with chats, which birds belong to the family Turdidae?  Species of this family include the common or Eurasian blackbird, the fieldfare and the redwing.

Thrushes

6.

The ‘true’ species of which birds belong to the family Fringillidae?  Species found in Britain include the brambling, the crossbill and the linnet.

Finches

7.

The 2016 winner of the Royal Society Science Book Prize, Andrea Wulf’s The Invention of Nature, is a biography of which naturalist and explorer born in 1769?  (as well as a surname, you must give either his birth name or the middle name by which he is now known)

Alexander (or Friedrich) von Humboldt

(do not accept ‘Wilhelm’)

8.

Who was the subject of an award-winning 2010 book by Rebecca Skloot?  After the person in question died of cervical cancer in 1951, cells taken from one of her tumours were used to create the first immortalised cell line (cells that do not deteriorate with age).  (first name and surname required)

Henrietta Lacks

(accept Loretta Pleasant, her birth name)

Sp.

Atomic number 71, which element is the last of the actinides in the periodic table?  It derives its name from the Roman name for Paris.

Lutetium

ROUND 2 - 'Loser' pairs

1.

In the 1976 US election, the four names on the tickets of the two main parties were those of people who would all go on to lose a presidential election.  Gerald Ford would lose that election, and Jimmy Carter would lose the 1980 election.  Name either of the two vice-presidential candidates.  (surname only is sufficient)

Walter Mondale or Bob Dole (Mondale would lose the 1984 election, and Dole would lose the 1996 election)

2.

From 1944 until the election of John F Kennedy in 1960, only two men from the two main political parties would lose US presidential elections.  Name either one.  (surname only is sufficient)

Thomas E. Dewey or Adlai Stevenson

(Dewey would lose to Roosevelt in 1944 and Truman in 1948; and Stevenson would lose in 1952 and 1956, both times against Eisenhower)

3.

The refrain, "Soy un perdador; I’m a loser, baby, so why don’t you kill me?" is taken from which American singer-songwriter’s 1994 single, Loser?

Beck

(full name: Beck Hansen)

4.

R.E.M.’s Losing My Religion first appeared on which of their albums?

Out of Time

5.

In the largest naval battle in history at the time, which empire met defeat at the Battle of Lepanto?

Ottoman

(1571)

6.

Which empire suffered a major defeat and saw its ruler captured at the Battle of Manzikert?

Byzantine / Eastern Roman

(1071)

7.

Ben Stokes became the most expensive overseas player in the competition’s history when he signed for which team, captained by Steve Smith, which would go on to lose the 2017 final to Mumbai Indians?  (the city name alone is enough)

(Rising) Pune (Supergiants)

8.

Which football club, currently playing in Scottish League One, is the only Scottish club to have competed in an FA Cup final, losing on both occasions to Blackburn Rovers?

Sp

Quote: “I’m telling you, baby, they kicked your little ass there; boy, they whipped your hide real good!” In which 1988 film is this tirade delivered in response to the line: “We did not lose, Vietnam! It was a tie!”?

Go back to Round 2 questions without answers

ROUND 3 - 'The 2017 Round'

For all the answers in this round, a surname alone will suffice 

1.

In terms of a politician prominent in the news this year, what links: ‘being a professional footballer at Tranmere Rovers’, ‘being awarded a PhD from Liverpool Hope University in 2004’ and ‘losing close friends at Hillsborough’?

Lies told by Paul Nuttall about himself

(accept any variant that mentions Nuttall and lying - prompt on hearing just  "Nuttall")

2.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was the first footballer to score 100 goals in two of Europe’s top five leagues (that is, Serie A, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Premier League and La Liga).  In 2017, two South American strikers joined him in this exclusive club.  Name either.

Gonzalo Higuain

(La Liga and Serie A)

or Edinson Cavani

(Serie A and Ligue 1)

(Zlatan's achieved this feat in Serie A and Ligue 1)

3.

Who became the youngest winner of the Academy Award for Best Director when he won for La La Land?

Damien Chazelle

4.

Which album marked its 50th birthday in 2017 by returning to the top of the UK album charts for one week, knocking Ed Sheeran’s Divide off the top spot?

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

5.

Which Spanish player won her second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon 2017, beating Venus Williams in the final?

Garbine Muguruza

6.

Having served as President Trump’s campaign manager last year, who is now the ‘Counselor to the President’? Her recent contributions to public discourse have included popularising the phrase ‘Alternative facts’ and inventing the ‘Bowling Green Massacre’ in an attempt to justify Trump’s travel ban.

Kellyanne Conway

7.

Zhou Youguang (pronounced Joe Yo-Gwang) died earlier this year at the age of 111.  He is often described as the ‘father’ of which now-ubiquitous Romanisation system for Mandarin Chinese?  (the precise six-letter name is required)

Pinyin

(in full ‘Hanyu Pinyin’, but, as ‘Hanyu’ means ‘Chinese language’, it is irrelevant here)

8.

George Saunders won the Man Booker Prize this year for which novel?  The precise four-word title is required.

Lincoln in the Bardo

Sp1

The author of How to Win a Marginal Seat which Tory politician lost his marginal seat of Croydon Central in this summer’s general election?  He was then appointed Theresa May’s Chief of Staff.

Gavin Barwell

Sp2

Which Frenchman was the top points scorer in the 2017 Six Nations Championship?

Camille Lopez

Go back to Round 3 questions without answers

ROUND 4 - Christmas Around the World

1.

Following a highly-successful advertising campaign in 1974, which American fast food chain established itself as the place to celebrate Christmas in Japan?  An estimated three and a half million Japanese families get Christmas dinner there each year.

KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken)

2.

In Austrian and German folklore, which demon-like being accompanies Saint Nicholas on his rounds, doling out punishment to naughty children while the saint delivers presents to the good ones?

Krampus

3.

Who is credited with writing the much-loved Christmas poem A Visit from St. Nicholas, also known as Twas the Night Before Christmas?  It has become an integral part of American Christmas tradition and is believed to have introduced or popularised a number of aspects of Santa Claus folklore, including the flying reindeer-drawn sleigh.  (surname alone suffices)

(Clement Clark) Moore

4.

What is the name of the witch who delivers presents to Italian children on 5th January?  Her name is believed to be derived from the feast of epiphany.

Befana

5.

‘Yule Lads’ or ‘Yulemen’ visit children on the thirteen nights before Christmas eve in the folklore of which Nordic country?  Their names include 'Sausage Swiper', 'Sheep Harrasser' and 'Door Sniffer'.

Iceland

6.

‘Black Pete’ is the companion of St. Nicholas in the folklore of which country or group of countries?  His appearance has become controversial in recent years as he has been accused of perpetuating harmful stereotypes.

Netherlands or Belgium or Luxembourg

7.

In Ukraine, it is traditional to decorate a tree with which arthropods, which seem more suited to Halloween decor?  This tradition is believed to stem from a legend in which a poor woman, who could not afford decorations for her tree, wakes up on Christmas day to discover that a helpful creature has trimmed the tree for her.

Spiders

8.

In Sweden, it is traditional to place straw effigies of which hoofed mammal in public spaces during advent?  This has inadvertently given rise to another, more lawless, Swedish Christmas tradition in which the straw sculptures are (usually deliberately) set on fire at some point before Christmas.

Goat

Go back to Round 4 questions without answers

ROUND 5 - Run Ons

One half of each answer relates to a UK Christmas hit single

Usual conventions apply regarding close sound-alikes and grammatically similar forms of words

1.

Unconventional Christmas number one from 2009

Killing in the Name of the Rose

2.

X Factor winning singer who was Christmas number one in 2008 with a cover of Hallelujah

Alexandra Burke and Hare

3.

Unconventional 1971 Christmas number one chosen by David Cameron as one of his Desert Island Discs

Ernie, the Fastest Milkman in the West Side Story

4.

Girls Aloud Christmas number one from 2002, also the title of their first album

Sound of the Underground Railroad

5.

1988 Cliff Richard Christmas number one, used in an anti-drunk driving campaign

Variety of famously non-alcoholic sweets

Mistletoe and Wine Gums

6.

Route that is the subject of Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods

Appalachian Trail of the Lonesome Pine

7.

Mormon Celebrity Masterchef finalist's 1972 Christmas number one

Long Haired Lover from Liverpool (Anglican) Cathedral

8.

1954 film adaptation of an 1870 novel, which starred Kirk Douglas as Ned Land

Band Aid 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Sp1

Sp2

Italian-American singer and actor in The Godfather who recorded Here in My Heart (this song became the first UK Christmas number one when it reached the top spot in 1952, the year the Official Singles Chart began)

Sp3

Novel by Primo Levi whose original Italian title was Si Non Ora, Quando

If Not Now, When a Child is Born (Soleado)

(accept If Not Now, When a Child is Born)

Go back to Round 5 questions without answers

ROUND 6 -  'Post Code Lottery'

This round does not have a witty title, nor is it Christmassy.  It concerns UK Postcode Areas whose two-letter codes are abbreviations of other things.  Listen carefully.  You will hear a list of localities within a UK Postcode Area.  Use the two-letter code for this area to answer the question that follows.

This round includes only a few places south of the river Trent; it does not concern itself with locations in southern England (the opposite to the Tories you might say).

1.

Localities: Widnes, Runcorn, Golborne and Newton-le-Willows

Answer required: U.S. State

Washington. (WA=Warrington)

2.

Localities: Wombourne, Wednesfield, Bilston and Bridgnorth

Answer required: U.S. State

West Virginia (WV=Wolverhampton)

3.

Localities: Monkwearmouth, Roker, Peterlee and Easington Colliery

Answer required: SI derived unit

steradian

(SR=Sunderland)

4.

Localities: Port Glasgow, Wemyss Bay, Bridge of Orchy and Isle of Jura

Answer required: SI derived unit

pascal

(PA=Paisley)

5.

Localities: Borrowash, Belper, Alfreton and Ashbourne

Answer required: European country (via its internet country code)

Germany

(DE=Derby)

6.

Localities: Mickle Trafford, Shotton, Wallasey and Port Sunlight

Answer required: European country (via its internet country code)

Switzerland

(CH=Chester)

7.

Localities: Bangor, Hillsborough, Bushmills and Warrenpoint

Answer Required: title in the British Honours system

Baronet

(BT=Belfast)

8.

Localities: Kirkheaton, Rawthorpe, Brighouse and Holmfirth

Answer required: motorcycle manufacturer

Harley Davidson (HD=Huddersfield)

Sp1

Localities: Ledbury, Leominster, Bromyard, Ross-on-Wye

Answer required: European country (via its internet country code)

Croatia

(HR=Hereford)

Sp2

Localities: Bonnyrigg, Broxburn, Linlithgow and Prestonpans

Answer required: an exclamation

Eh!

(EH=Edinburgh)

Go back to Round 6 questions without answers

ROUND 7 - Hidden theme

In each case, the answer is a four-letter surname or other naming word (nothing more, nothing less)

All the answers are connected through a hidden theme.

The theme may be revealed following the spare question.

1.

Which admiral was executed in 1757 for failing to relieve the naval base of Minorca from a French siege?

(John) Byng

2.

Born in 1815, which explorer gives his name to a large peninsula in west of Adelaide and to the large, seasonal lake that is the lowest point of Australasia?

(Edward John) Eyre

3.

At a party towards the end of his life, which English philosopher had a confrontation with boxer Mike Tyson when the latter was, allegedly, forcing himself upon the model, Naomi Campbell?  He is probably better known for Language, Truth, and Logic and The Problem of Knowledge.

(AJ / ‘Freddie’) Ayer

4.

Which tutor of Freddie Ayer used the expression ‘ghost-in-the-machine’ in reference to Descartes’ mind-body dualism?  His works include The Concept of Mind.

(Gilbert) Ryle

5.

Give the English spelling of the Gaelic word meaning ‘narrow passage of water’, or ‘strait’.  This word appears in the name of the closest railway station to the Skye Bridge.

Kyle (of Lochalsh, of course)

6.

Derived ultimately from Sanskrit, what common name is used in South Asia for a gregarious, crow-like birds of the starling family?  They include the Gracula religiosa bird, noted for its ability to mimic human speech.

Myna

7.

The surname of which Scottish industrialist appears on the design of the grocery product sometimes said to be Britain’s oldest brand?  Its trademark, unchanged since 1885, bears a motto referring to a story in the Book of Judges.

(Abram) Lyle

(Lyle’s Golden Syrup - ‘out of the strong came forth sweetness’)

8.

What surname links the U.S. congressman killed at the Jonestown Massacre in 1978 with Mitt Romney’s running-mate in the 2012 presidential election?

Ryan (Leo and Paul)

Sp.

What is the unit of force in the centimetre-gramme-second (C.G.S.) system?  It is equivalent to ten (10) micronewtons.

dyne

Theme: Each answer has 'Y' as its second letter

Go back to Round 7 questions without answers

ROUND 8 - 'Add a letter'

Each question will require two single-word answers that differ only by the addition of one letter, for example ‘save’ and ‘slave, ‘anal’ and ‘banal’, or ‘Hal’ and ‘halo’.

1.

A fermented, air-dried, cured sausage

Salami and Salamis

2.

The surname of Ewan McGregor’s character in Trainspotting

Renton and Trenton

3.

The four-letter name of the currency of Iran

Rial and Trial
(The Trial by Franz Kafka)

4.

Surname of the Cabinet minister who is the MP for Surrey Heath

Gove and Glove
(Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

5.

The wolves Geri and Freki are companions of this mythological figure

Surname of the creator of The Burghers of Calais

Odin and Rodin
(Auguste Rodin)

6.

Capital of the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen

Aden and Auden
(W H Auden)

7.

Surname of the American screenwriter whose credits include Silkwood, When Harry Met Sally, and Sleepless in Seattle

Ephron and Nephron
(Nora Ephron)

8.

Surname of a South Africa-born cricketer who plays for England, a limited-overs specialist; in June he became the first batsman to be given out for obstructing the field in a T20 international match

Roy and Troy
(Jason Roy and Troy McClure)

Sp.

Character who marries Sebastian in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night

Olivia and Bolivia

Go back to Round 8 questions without answers