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QUESTION PAPER

19th December 2018

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The Question voted as 'Question of the Week' is highlighted in the question paper below and can be reached by clicking 'QotW below

WithQuiz League paper  19/12/18

Set by: Guest (Mike Bath)

QotW: R7/Q12

Average Aggregate Score:   70.2

(Season's Ave. Agg. to-date: 77.1)

"I think it's safe to say we found it a very challenging paper.  The first half seemed to go on forever and we felt that some of the question pairs were very unbalanced"

"This was a tough quiz which had some enjoyable highlights"

 

ROUND 1Hidden theme – ‘41’

A literal connection runs throughout the answers – the thematic material relies on sound-alikes (occasionally approximate) and part words

1.

Originally broadcast on Radio Luxembourg, which early ITV quiz show featured, during its 13-year TV run, hostesses Alice Earley, Nancy Roberts, Julie de Marco and Monica Rose?  Each show culminated with contestants shut in a sound-proofed 'isolation booth’ answering a string of 6 questions.

2.

Which 1982 hit single by Survivor was used as the theme tune for the film Rocky III?

3.

Which 1773 colonial incident involved the East India Company ships Dartmouth, Eleanor and Beaver?

4.

Which optician business (now part of Boots Opticians) was founded in 1750?  In the 1990s it used Burt Reynolds in a series of TV ads to popularize its brand.

5.

Which branch of Maths was effectively launched by Agner Krarup Erlang in the early 1900s during his work helping to plan the Copenhagen telephone exchange?

6.

The grounds of Ardchattan Priory in Scotland was said to contain which precious resource used by Robert the Bruce’s men to make weapons for the Battle of Bannockburn?

7.

What are the first 4 words of Christopher Isherwood’s novel Goodbye to Berlin?  They were subsequently used as the title of a 1951 Broadway play written by John Van Druten.

8.

Peaking at number one in the US and number 6 in the UK which 1975 Paul McCartney hit single featured the lyrics: “Soldier boy kisses girl / Leaves behind a tragic world / But he won't mind, he's in love / And he says love is fine”?

Go to Round 1 questions with answers

ROUND 2 - ‘WithQuiz’s Brothers in Rhyme’

Following the Prodigals a few weeks back here are pairs of well-known men whose surnames rhyme

You need to get both forename and surname in each case for the points

1.

St Kitts and Nevis athlete who won the 100m Gold medal at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games;

Perhaps the greatest living American jazz tenor saxophonist with compositions including Oleo, Doxy and Pent-Up House which have become jazz standards.

2.

Right back who played 19 times for England and enjoyed a club career with Norwich, Charlton, Leeds, Middlesbrough and Manchester City retiring in 2009;

With Sid Green the creator of most of the scripts for the Morecambe and Wise TV shows.

3.

British composer famous for his work with Peter Greenaway and for writing the score for Jane Campion’s film The Piano;

Born William Perks this British rock musician and band member went solo in 1993 – amongst other interests he is the owner of the Sticky Fingers Café in Kensington, West London.

4.

Musician who wrote a highly influential song about the wanton killing of an African-American barmaid by William Devereux ‘Billy’ Zantzinger;

Politician who likened Margaret Thatcher’s privatisation programme to “selling off the family silver” – he was famously cuckolded by Lord Boothby. 

5.

Started his TV career by playing the part of Duncan in the children’s TV drama Byker Grove;

Comedian who started his entertainment career in a folk-pop duo called the Humblebums, later joined by Gerry Rafferty – he is now a knight and CBE.

6.

Gibraltarian singer, songwriter, and record producer responsible for writing such hits as Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now, One Moment in Time and The Air That I Breathe;

Politician who succeeded Gordon Wilson in 1990 as leader of a major UK political party, and Robin Cook as tipster for The Glasgow Herald - more recently he joined a foreign TV station as a chat show host. 

7.

Irish politician, writer, historian and academic who became Editor-in-chief of The Observer in the late 1970s;

Creator of TV’s Captain Pugwash animated cartoons. 

8.

Irish snooker player who won the 1985 World Snooker final at the Crucible;

US author who co-founded The Village Voice, was convicted of assault after stabbing his wife and ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of New York.

Go to Round 2 questions with answers

ROUND 3 - Hidden theme round dedicated to the Dunkers

In some cases thematic material relies on sound-alikes

1.

Which popular orchestral interlude written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan was played in the film Shine when Geoffrey Rush's character David Helfgott wandered out of a rainy night into a cafe and amazed the few patrons there by playing a piano version?

2.

What is the popular name for the fish poecilia reticulate, one of the most widely distributed tropical fish? It is also known as the millionfish or the rainbow fish.

3.

In computing the 4 Coffman conditions are used to define what state of impasse?

4.

In the 1870 Jules Verne novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: A Tour of the Underwater World who created and commanded the submarine Nautilus?

5.

In a popular BBC sitcom of the 1990s, which included the characters Onslow and Daisy, what role was played by Patricia Routledge?      

6.

Who created and wrote the BBC comedy series The Detectorists?

7.

Who succeeded Robin Leigh-Pemberton and preceded Mervyn King?

8.

Of which Irish county is Ennis the county town?

Go to Round 3 questions with answers

ROUND 4 - Any Old Science Pairs

1.

In Boolean algebra what is the 3-character name of the operation that gives the result ‘0000’ when applied to the binary values ‘1010’ and ‘0101’?

2.

In Boolean algebra what result do you get when you apply the ‘exclusive or’ operation (XOR) to the binary values ‘1111’ and ‘0101’?

3.

In mammals what name is given to the central section of the small intestine?

4.

What is the more usual name for the joint known by the Latin term ‘coxa’ in medical terminology?

5.

Whose law states ‘that the force needed to extend or compress a spring by a certain distance scales linearly with respect to that distance? 

6.

What name is given to the zone of energetic charged particles that are captured by and held around a planet by that planet's magnetic field?

7.

On Mohs scale of hardness what mineral is lowest on the scale? It has a chemical formula of Mg3Si4O10(OH)2.

8.

On Mohs scale of hardness what mineral is just one down from diamond (which is top of the scale)? It has a chemical formula of Al2O3.

Go to Round 4 questions with answers

ROUND 5 - Any Old non-Science Pairs

1.

Which current Premiership club has spent the second most consecutive seasons in the top division (i.e. First Division/Premiership) after Arsenal’s 99 year unbroken record?

2.

Which manager holds the record for managing the most English football clubs that at the time he managed them were in the Premiership for at least part of his tenure?

3.

Until overtaken in 1962 by the CIS Tower what was the tallest structure in Greater Manchester?  It was built in 1877.

4.

The tallest structure nowadays in Greater Manchester is still under construction but has already overtaken Beetham Tower.  What is it called?

5.

The offensives of Albert, Bazentin Ridge and Fromelles were all part of the first phase of which major battle that took place between July and November 1916?

6.

At the outbreak of World War One who was the Commander of the British Expeditionary Force in France?

7.

On the same day (December 14th 2018) that the statue of Emmeline Pankhurst was unveiled in St Peter’s Square another suffragette was honoured in Oldham with the unveiling of her statue.  Who was she?

8.

Emmeline Pankhurst had three daughters: Christabel, Sylvia and whom? 

Sp.

Which current League Division One club holds the record for having spent the most seasons in the third and fourth tier of English football without ever being promoted to the second tier or relegated to the National League?

Go to Round 5 questions with answers

ROUND 6 - ‘The Crap Culture Round’

A paired and themed round dedicated to Prodigal Michael to celebrate his 30th birthday

1.

Which pop song written by husband and wife songwriting team, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, was recorded by their baby-sitter and became a Number one hit in 1962?

2.

Which 1990s pop duo reached number 11 in the charts in 1992 with their single Trouble?  Their name derived from the excuse they used to use at school for turning down dates.

3.

Which 1987 film, written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, starred (amongst others) Jennifer Grey?

4.

Which 1977 film is based on an article written by British rock journalist, Nik Cohn, for a New York magazine about dancer, Tony Manero?

5.

What was designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974 and is commonly recognized as the product that launched the role-playing game industry?

6.

In Nintendo’s Super Mario games franchise Princess Peach was born and lives in the Mushroom kingdom. What name did Nintendo originally give this Princess before changing it to Peach?

7.

One of the most popular novels of the 20th century, A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh, takes its title from which other highly regarded 20th century work of English literature – in this case a poem?

8.

In the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament the Israelites were commanded by the Lord to use which type of wood to make the Ark of the Covenant?

Go to Round 6 questions with answers

ROUND 7 - Geographical Blockbuster Bingo

1.

DSH

What is the name of the promontory which forms the most westerly point of the English mainland?

2.

EOTSS

With 250 inhabitants what is the main settlement of the British dependency of Tristan Da Cunha?  The first word of its name was taken from the title held by Prince Alfred, Queen Victoria’s second son.

3.

CB

Named after an East India Company official, which city, fishing port and tourism centre lies in the south east of Bangladesh?

4.

PC

The Lancashire coalfield last deep-mine pit to close in 1993 was in Newton-le-Willows.  What was it called?

5.

DES

Which city (the most populous in its country) has a name which means ‘House of peace’?

6.

SOH

39km wide it provides the natural border between the UAE, Oman and Iran – what is it called?  

7.

CP

What is the name of the town in the interior of the state of South Australia which is famous for mining opal? 

8.

FS

Named after a famous British explorer what is the busiest railway station in Melbourne?     

9.

HBR

What is the name of the train service that links Winnipeg and Churchill?

10.

SD

Part of the Mountains of Morne what is the highest peak in Northern Ireland?  

11.

AP

What is the name of the most westerly point of the Scottish mainland often referred to on BBC Shipping forecasts?

12.

RABT

What are the words inscribed on a stone near the junction of the A83 and the B828 roads in a pass in the Arrochar Alps in Scotland?  They were placed there by soldiers who built the original military road in 1753 and have been used ever since as the name of the mountain pass.

Go to Round 7 questions with answers

ROUND 8 - ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’

A round of Christmas questions for Rachael

1.

What religious beliefs did the celebrated Old Bailey barrister and (later) judge, Christmas Humphreys, famously espouse?

2.

Christmas Island is administered by Australia.  Which is the closest Australian state to this island?

3.

Which illness is sometimes known as Christmas disease?

4.

What are the first 6 words of the popular song officially known as The Christmas Song?

5.

In the traditional song The Twelve Days of Christmas the fourth day’s gift is now said to be “Four Calling Birds” but this is thought to be based on an earlier version which had “Four Colly Birds” for the fourth day.  ‘Colly’ is an old English name for which type of bird?

6.

What important event took place in the city of Târgoviște on Christmas Day 1989?

7.

Who wrote the popular prose piece A Child's Christmas in Wales?

8.

In Dickens’ A Christmas Carol what is the name of the jovial, somewhat foppish man under whom Ebenezer Scrooge was once an apprentice?  Dickens portrays him as having all the good business ethics that Scrooge lacks? 

Go to Round 8 questions with answers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROUND 1 - Hidden theme – ‘41’

A literal connection runs throughout the answers – the thematic material relies on sound-alikes (occasionally approximate) and part words

1.

Originally broadcast on Radio Luxembourg, which early ITV quiz show featured, during its 13-year TV run, hostesses Alice Earley, Nancy Roberts, Julie de Marco and Monica Rose?  Each show culminated with contestants shut in a sound-proofed 'isolation booth’ answering a string of 6 questions.

Double Your Money

2.

Which 1982 hit single by Survivor was used as the theme tune for the film Rocky III?

Eye of the Tiger

3.

Which 1773 colonial incident involved the East India Company ships Dartmouth, Eleanor and Beaver?

The Boston Tea Party

4.

Which optician business (now part of Boots Opticians) was founded in 1750?  In the 1990s it used Burt Reynolds in a series of TV ads to popularize its brand.

Dollond and Aitchison

5.

Which branch of Maths was effectively launched by Agner Krarup Erlang in the early 1900s during his work helping to plan the Copenhagen telephone exchange?

Queuing Theory

6.

The grounds of Ardchattan Priory in Scotland was said to contain which precious resource used by Robert the Bruce’s men to make weapons for the Battle of Bannockburn?

 Yew trees

(to make longbows)

7.

What are the first 4 words of Christopher Isherwood’s novel Goodbye to Berlin?  They were subsequently used as the title of a 1951 Broadway play written by John Van Druten.

“I am a camera”

8.

Peaking at number one in the US and number 6 in the UK which 1975 Paul McCartney hit single featured the lyrics: “Soldier boy kisses girl / Leaves behind a tragic world / But he won't mind, he's in love / And he says love is fine”?

Listen to What the Man Said

Theme: Progressively the sound of the letters W – I – T – H – Q – U – I – Z appear in the answers

WithQuiz is now in its 41st season

Go back to Round 1 questions without answers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROUND 2 - ‘WithQuiz’s Brothers in Rhyme’

Following the Prodigals a few weeks back here are pairs of well-known men whose surnames rhyme

You need to get both forename and surname in each case for the points

1.

St Kitts and Nevis athlete who won the 100m Gold medal at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games;

Perhaps the greatest living American jazz tenor saxophonist with compositions including Oleo, Doxy and Pent-Up House which have become jazz standards.

Kim Collins

Sonny Rollins

2.

Right back who played 19 times for England and enjoyed a club career with Norwich, Charlton, Leeds, Middlesbrough and Manchester City retiring in 2009;

With Sid Green the creator of most of the scripts for the Morecambe and Wise TV shows.

Danny Mills

Dick Hills

3.

British composer famous for his work with Peter Greenaway and for writing the score for Jane Campion’s film The Piano;

Born William Perks this British rock musician and band member went solo in 1993 – amongst other interests he is the owner of the Sticky Fingers Café in Kensington, West London.

Michael Nyman

Bill Wyman

4.

Musician who wrote a highly influential song about the wanton killing of an African-American barmaid by William Devereux ‘Billy’ Zantzinger;

Politician who likened Margaret Thatcher’s privatisation programme to “selling off the family silver” – he was famously cuckolded by Lord Boothby. 

Bob Dylan

(The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll)

Harold MacMillan

5.

Started his TV career by playing the part of Duncan in the children’s TV drama Byker Grove;

Comedian who started his entertainment career in a folk-pop duo called the Humblebums, later joined by Gerry Rafferty – he is now a knight and CBE.

Declan Donnelly

Billy Connolly

6.

Gibraltarian singer, songwriter, and record producer responsible for writing such hits as Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now, One Moment in Time and The Air That I Breathe;

Politician who succeeded Gordon Wilson in 1990 as leader of a major UK political party, and Robin Cook as tipster for The Glasgow Herald - more recently he joined a foreign TV station as a chat show host. 

Albert Hammond

Alex Salmond

7.

Irish politician, writer, historian and academic who became Editor-in-chief of The Observer in the late 1970s;

Creator of TV’s Captain Pugwash animated cartoons. 

Conor (Cruise) O’Brien

John Ryan

8.

Irish snooker player who won the 1985 World Snooker final at the Crucible;

US author who co-founded The Village Voice, was convicted of assault after stabbing his wife and ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of New York.

Dennis Taylor

Norman Mailer

…. and by the way each of the above pairs includes the surname (in sound if not spelling) of a regular WithQuizzer

Go back to Round 2 questions without answers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROUND 3 - Hidden theme round dedicated to the Dunkers

In some cases thematic material relies on sound-alikes

1.

Which popular orchestral interlude written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan was played in the film Shine when Geoffrey Rush's character David Helfgott wandered out of a rainy night into a cafe and amazed the few patrons there by playing a piano version?

The Flight of the Bumble Bee

2.

What is the popular name for the fish poecilia reticulate, one of the most widely distributed tropical fish? It is also known as the millionfish or the rainbow fish.

Guppy

3.

In computing the 4 Coffman conditions are used to define what state of impasse?

Deadlock

(i.e. when 2 or more processes are competing for the same resource)

4.

In the 1870 Jules Verne novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: A Tour of the Underwater World who created and commanded the submarine Nautilus?

Captain Nemo

5.

In a popular BBC sitcom of the 1990s, which included the characters Onslow and Daisy, what role was played by Patricia Routledge?      

Hyacinth Bucket

(in Keeping Up Appearances)

6.

Who created and wrote the BBC comedy series The Detectorists?

Mackenzie Crook

7.

Who succeeded Robin Leigh-Pemberton and preceded Mervyn King?

Eddie George

(as Governor of the Bank of England)

8.

Of which Irish county is Ennis the county town?

County Clare

Theme: Each answer contains the name of a character from Dickens’ Bleak House

Miss Flite, William Guppy, Honoria Lady Dedlock & Sir Leicester Dedlock, Captain Nemo, Inspector Bucket, Krook, Mr George, Ada Clare

and as we have found out down the years The Dunkers have a particular thing about Dickens questions!

Go back to Round 3 questions without answers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROUND 4 - Any Old Science Pairs

1.

In Boolean algebra what is the 3-character name of the operation that gives the result ‘0000’ when applied to the binary values ‘1010’ and ‘0101’?

NOR

(Note: 'AND' is also a correct answer')

2.

In Boolean algebra what result do you get when you apply the ‘exclusive or’ operation (XOR) to the binary values ‘1111’ and ‘0101’?

1010

3.

In mammals what name is given to the central section of the small intestine?

Jejunum

4.

What is the more usual name for the joint known by the Latin term ‘coxa’ in medical terminology?

Hip

5.

Whose law states ‘that the force needed to extend or compress a spring by a certain distance scales linearly with respect to that distance? 

(Robert) Hooke

6.

What name is given to the zone of energetic charged particles that are captured by and held around a planet by that planet's magnetic field?

Van Allen’s (radiation) belt

7.

On Mohs scale of hardness what mineral is lowest on the scale? It has a chemical formula of Mg3Si4O10(OH)2.

Talc 

8.

On Mohs scale of hardness what mineral is just one down from diamond (which is top of the scale)? It has a chemical formula of Al2O3.

Corundum

Go back to Round 4 questions without answers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROUND 5 - Any Old non-Science Pairs

1.

Which current Premiership club has spent the second most consecutive seasons in the top division (i.e. First Division/Premiership) after Arsenal’s 99 year unbroken record?

Everton

(65 seasons)

2.

Which manager holds the record for managing the most English football clubs that at the time he managed them were in the Premiership for at least part of his tenure?

Sam Allardyce

(7 - Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United, Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Everton)

3.

Until overtaken in 1962 by the CIS Tower what was the tallest structure in Greater Manchester?  It was built in 1877.

Manchester Town Hall Clock Tower

(accept simply ‘Manchester Town Hall’)

4.

The tallest structure nowadays in Greater Manchester is still under construction but has already overtaken Beetham Tower.  What is it called?

Deansgate Square South Tower

(accept simply ‘Deansgate Square’)

5.

The offensives of Albert, Bazentin Ridge and Fromelles were all part of the first phase of which major battle that took place between July and November 1916?

Battle of the Somme

6.

At the outbreak of World War One who was the Commander of the British Expeditionary Force in France?

(Field Marshal Sir)

John French  

7.

On the same day (December 14th 2018) that the statue of Emmeline Pankhurst was unveiled in St Peter’s Square another suffragette was honoured in Oldham with the unveiling of her statue.  Who was she?

Annie Kenney

8.

Emmeline Pankhurst had three daughters: Christabel, Sylvia and whom? 

Adela

Sp.

Which current League Division One club holds the record for having spent the most seasons in the third and fourth tier of English football without ever being promoted to the second tier or relegated to the National League?

Rochdale

(91 seasons)

Go back to Round 5 questions without answers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROUND 6 - ‘The Crap Culture Round’

A paired and themed round dedicated to Prodigal Michael to celebrate his 30th birthday

1.

Which pop song written by husband and wife songwriting team, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, was recorded by their baby-sitter and became a Number one hit in 1962?

The Loco-motion

(Eva Boyd – Little Eva – was the baby-sitter)

2.

Which 1990s pop duo reached number 11 in the charts in 1992 with their single Trouble?  Their name derived from the excuse they used to use at school for turning down dates.

Shampoo

3.

Which 1987 film, written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, starred (amongst others) Jennifer Grey?

Dirty Dancing

4.

Which 1977 film is based on an article written by British rock journalist, Nik Cohn, for a New York magazine about dancer, Tony Manero?

Saturday Night Fever

5.

What was designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974 and is commonly recognized as the product that launched the role-playing game industry?

Dungeons & Dragons

6.

In Nintendo’s Super Mario games franchise Princess Peach was born and lives in the Mushroom kingdom. What name did Nintendo originally give this Princess before changing it to Peach?

(Princess) Toadstool

7.

One of the most popular novels of the 20th century, A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh, takes its title from which other highly regarded 20th century work of English literature – in this case a poem?

The Wasteland

(by T S Eliot – “I will show you fear in a handful of dust”)

8.

In the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament the Israelites were commanded by the Lord to use which type of wood to make the Ark of the Covenant?

Shittah

(wood from the shittah tree)

Go back to Round 6 questions without answers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROUND 7 - Geographical Blockbuster Bingo

1.

DSH

What is the name of the promontory which forms the most westerly point of the English mainland?

Dr Syntax’s Head

(Land’s End, Cornwall)

2.

EOTSS

With 250 inhabitants what is the main settlement of the British dependency of Tristan Da Cunha?  The first word of its name was taken from the title held by Prince Alfred, Queen Victoria’s second son.

Edinburgh of the Seven Seas

3.

CB

Named after an East India Company official, which city, fishing port and tourism centre lies in the south east of Bangladesh?

Cox’s Bazar

4.

PC

The Lancashire coalfield last deep-mine pit to close in 1993 was in Newton-le-Willows.  What was it called?

Parkside Colliery

5.

DES

Which city (the most populous in its country) has a name which means ‘House of peace’?

Dar es Salaam

(in Tanzania)

6.

SOH

39km wide it provides the natural border between the UAE, Oman and Iran – what is it called?  

Strait of Hormuz

7.

CP

What is the name of the town in the interior of the state of South Australia which is famous for mining opal? 

Coober Pedy

8.

FS

Named after a famous British explorer what is the busiest railway station in Melbourne?     

Flinders Street

9.

HBR

What is the name of the train service that links Winnipeg and Churchill?

Hudson Bay Railway

10.

SD

Part of the Mountains of Morne what is the highest peak in Northern Ireland?  

Slieve Donard

11.

AP

What is the name of the most westerly point of the Scottish mainland often referred to on BBC Shipping forecasts?

Ardnamurchan Point 

12.

RABT

What are the words inscribed on a stone near the junction of the A83 and the B828 roads in a pass in the Arrochar Alps in Scotland?  They were placed there by soldiers who built the original military road in 1753 and have been used ever since as the name of the mountain pass.

Rest and Be Thankful

Go back to Round 7 questions without answers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROUND 8 - ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’

A round of Christmas questions for Rachael

1.

What religious beliefs did the celebrated Old Bailey barrister and (later) judge, Christmas Humphreys, famously espouse?

Buddhism

2.

Christmas Island is administered by Australia.  Which is the closest Australian state to this island?

Western Australia

3.

Which illness is sometimes known as Christmas disease?

Haemophilia B

(the first patient diagnosed with this disease was called Stephen Christmas)

4.

What are the first 6 words of the popular song officially known as The Christmas Song?

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire”

5.

In the traditional song The Twelve Days of Christmas the fourth day’s gift is now said to be “Four Calling Birds” but this is thought to be based on an earlier version which had “Four Colly Birds” for the fourth day.  ‘Colly’ is an old English name for which type of bird?

A blackbird

6.

What important event took place in the city of Târgoviște on Christmas Day 1989?

Trial and execution of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife Elena

7.

Who wrote the popular prose piece A Child's Christmas in Wales?

Dylan Thomas

8.

In Dickens’ A Christmas Carol what is the name of the jovial, somewhat foppish man under whom Ebenezer Scrooge was once an apprentice?  Dickens portrays him as having all the good business ethics that Scrooge lacks? 

Mr Fezziwig

Go back to Round 8 questions without answers