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QUESTION PAPER

November 27th 2019

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WithQuiz League paper  27/11/19

Set by: The Opsimaths

QotW: R8/Q6

Average Aggregate Score: 86.6

(Season's Ave. Agg.: 78.0)

Highest scoring paper of the season to date with very few questions going unanswered.

"Our compliments to the Opsimaths who produced an accessible paper and a trademark pointsfest..."

A few grumbles about imbalance of the relative hardness of the questions that favoured the team going second

 

ROUND 1 - Hidden theme

For reasons that will become apparent, first names are required in the answers, and they sometimes form part of the theme

1.

This actor received multiple awards for playing the eccentric teacher Douglas Hector in The History Boys on stage, and a BAFTA nomination for the 2006 film adaptation.  He played Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films, and was the disillusioned policeman and chef Henry Crabbe in TV’s Pie in the Sky.  Who was he?

2.

This Dublin-born left-handed batsman plays county cricket for Middlesex.  Under his captaincy, England beat New Zealand on boundary count to win the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.  Who is he?

3.

His first poetry collection was The Hawk in the Rain in 1957.  His most significant work is perhaps Crow from 1970.  His last poetry collection was Birthday Letters in 1998, the year he died.  Who was he?

4.

Who is missing from this list from the 2000s: Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Räikkönen, Jenson Button?

5.

This American actress made her debut in a 1987 direct-to-video feature.  Her first Oscar nomination was for a 1989 film where she featured as a young bride with diabetes.  In 2000, she portrayed a real-life environmental activist and won the Best Actress Oscar.  Who is she?

6.

This Dominican Friar (sometimes known as ‘Doctor Angelicus’ or ‘Doctor Communis’) is perhaps best-known his works Summa contra Gentiles (1259-65) and the unfinished Summa Theologica (1265-74).  Among other things, he is the patron saint of chastity and pencil makers.  Who is he? 

7.

The singer Beth Ditto has launched an exclusive collection for this retailer, as has the comedian Dawn French.  The singer Adele has bought clothing from this retailer.  Which retailer has over 300 stores in the UK, including one in the Arndale? 

8.

She was the lover of slum landlord Peter Rachman.  Before the Profumo affair, she had an affair with the osteopath Stephen Ward, and during the trial, Lord Astor denied having an affair with her. ("Well he would, wouldn’t he").  Describing her life as "one slow descent into respectability", she died in 2014, survived by her third husband, a millionaire waste management businessman.  Who was she?

Sp1

Ayrton Senna died in an accident, while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.  Which team was he driving for at the time?

Sp2

This railroader died on April 30, 1900, when his train collided with a freight train near Vaughan, Mississippi.  His heroic death while trying to stop the ‘Cannonball Express’ and save the lives of his passengers, was immortalised in a popular ballad of the time.  Who was he?

Go to Round 1 questions with answers

ROUND 2 - 'Isms’

All the answers in this round are -isms

1.

A philosopher and social reformer’s hay-padded skeleton, dressed in his clothes, and with a wax head with some of his hair on, is displayed at University College London.  He died in 1832, but this ‘auto-icon’ attended a 2013 College Council meeting, where he was listed as ‘present but not voting’.  Which philosophy did he found?

2.

This philosophy was espoused in about 2100 BC in the Epic of Gilgamesh.  The earliest philosopher to categorically embrace it was Democritus, and it was formalised by the Cyrenaics in the 4th century BC.  What is this pleasurable school of thought called?

3.

The Bible Christian Church was founded in 1809 in Salford, by Reverend William Cowherd.  One distinctive feature of this church was taken up by a society founded in 1847, and its first full public meeting was in 1848 in Manchester.  What is this belief?

4.

Following inflammatory statements by rock musicians, such as Eric Clapton and David Bowie, this movement began as a one-off concert in 1976.  More concerts followed.  The biggest, in August 1978, attracted 40,000 to the Northern Carnival in Manchester.  The last carnival organised by this movement was in 1981 in Leeds.  What was this movement called?  (it’s a three word answer)

5.

Aspects of Hegelianism hold that history proceeds in something like a conversation, with each stage overcoming the previous stages and therefore coming closer to finally attained unity or truth.  Derived from this, what form of historical determinism is espoused by Marxism? (it’s a two word answer)

6.

In the 1770s, what two-word name was given by German doctor Franz Mesmer to an invisible natural force that he believed was possessed by all living things?  He believed that it could have physical effects, including healing.  He was unsuccessful in achieving scientific recognition of his ideas, but the two-word phrase is still in use.

7.

Officially lasting from 1914 to 1915, this movement was a blend of Cubism and Futurism.  Its main proponents included Wyndham Lewis and Ezra Pound.  What was this avant-garde art and poetry movement called? 

8.

The first wave of this movement was during the 19th and early-20th centuries.  The second wave began in the early 1960s, still continues, and, as such, coexists with the third-wave.  The term ‘third wave’ is credited to Rebecca Walker, from her 1992 article for Ms. Magazine.  What is this movement?

Sp1

In 2020, the European Court of Human Rights will hear the case of a Dutch woman.  Her country’s highest court has told her she cannot wear a plastic colander on her head for her ID photo, despite her religious beliefs as a member of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.  By what other term is this church is also referred to?

Sp2

After Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism, Ragism, and Tagism, what are the last two ‘-isms’ mentioned in the Beatles song Give Peace a Chance?

Go to Round 2 questions with answers

ROUND 3 - 'On First Name Terms with Queen Victoria’s Children'

All the answers include the name of one of Queen Victoria’s children

All names are in chronological order of birth, except that the first-born is used as a spare

1.

In June 2013, a CIA employee leaked thousands of classified documents, revealing numerous global surveillance programmes, many run by the National Security Agency with the cooperation telecommunication companies and European governments.  Who is this whistle-blower, who now lives in asylum in Moscow?

2.

The annual Henley-on-Todd Regatta is held in the usually dry sandy bed of the Todd River.  ‘Boats’ are made from metal frames and hung with banners and advertisements, and teams of ‘rowers’ run with their boats in races through the hot sand.  In which central Australian town is this regatta held?

3.

A number of phrases from his works have become commonplace such as "Nature, red in tooth and claw", "Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all", and "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield".  Who was he?

4.

Due to her influence on her son, Constantine the Great, this Empress is an important figure in the history of Christianity. In her final years, she toured Roman province of Syria Palaestina and, during a visit to Jerusalem, she allegedly discovered the True Cross.  Who was she?

5.

She started as a member of the R&B girl group Eternal.  In her solo career, she has released the albums Naked (1996), Woman in Me (1997) and Elbow Beach (2000).  From 1998 to 2017, she was married to a former footballer and TV pundit.  Her new album Heavy Love is due for release in January 2020.  Who is she?

6.

Who is the only black tennis player to win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open?  He died in 1993.

7.

Which literary character is famed for his peregrinations and encounters on 16 June 1904?

8.

In one of Shakespeare’s plays, the two main characters are tricked into confessing their love for each other.  Which character has the lines: "He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man; and he that is more than a youth is not for me; and he that is less than a man, I am not for him."?

Sp.

Founded in 1977 by Roy and Gaye Raymond, this company is the largest lingerie retailer in the United States.  There are local branches in the Manchester Arndale and the Trafford Centre.  What is it called?

Go to Round 3 questions with answers

ROUND 4 - '2019 RIP'

This round is all about people who died in 2019. Quizzers are invited to each pick a month and, from the information read out, simply name the person who died on the given date

1.

1st Jan

This Frenchman’s first Academy Award win was in 1969 for the song The Windmills of Your Mind, followed by Oscars for his music for Summer of ‘42 in 1972 and for Yentl 1984.  Who was he?

2.

2nd Feb

The short one made his TV debut in 1961 on Coronation Street.  The tallest one was the son of the woman who invented the correction fluid Liquid Paper.  One came to Britain in 1980 to make the TV sitcom Metal Mickey, which featured a large metallic robot with the catch-phrase ‘boogie boogie’.  Who was the fourth one of this quartet?

3.

3rd Mar

From 1997, he served as FIA Formula One Director and Safety Delegate.  In this role, he was responsible for track and car safety, enforcing the FIA technical and procedural regulations, and controlling the lights that start each race.  Who was he?

4.

4th Apr

When Celtic beat Inter Milan 2-1 in 1967, who became the first British captain to lift the European Cup?

5.

5th May

Who wrote in his 2001 autobiography: "I have never eaten or even nibbled a live hamster, gerbil, guinea pig, mouse, shrew, vole, or any other small mammal."?

6.

6th Jun

He was President of his country from June 2012, until deposed by a military coup on July 2013.  A sentence of death for spying in May 2015 was overturned in November 2016.  On June 17th, during a retrial, he collapsed in court, and later died, reportedly of a heart attack.  Who was he?

7.

7th Jul

Arguably, his most famous role was as the eccentric and violent but sympathetic antihero Roy Batty in the 1982 sci-fi thriller Blade Runner, in which he delivered the famous ‘Tears in the Rain’ monologue, but the ‘Pure Genius’ commercials for Guinness in the 1980’s and 90’s, made who a household face?

8.

8th Aug

This American author is perhaps best known for her works The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, Tar Baby, and Beloved.  Name this author who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993.

9.

9th Sep

For his abrasive manner, but ability to get things done in politics, he was nicknamed ‘Le Bulldozer’ in 1960s.  With a more mellowed attitude, who served as Co-Prince of Andorra from 1995 to 2007? 

10.

10th Oct

On March 18th 1965, who became the first human to conduct a spacewalk, when he exited the capsule during the Voskhod 2 mission for 12 minutes and 9 seconds?

Go to Round 4 questions with answers

ROUND 5 - 'It’s All Latin to Me'

All the answers in this round are Latin phrases

1.

What is the mixture of one part concentrated nitric acid and three parts concentrated hydrochloric acid called?

2.

What Latin motto links the city of Exeter and the United States Marine Corp?

3.

At the height of the Punic Wars, the Roman statesman Cato the Elder had a habit of ending all his speeches with what Latin motto?

4.

This 1637–38 French Baroque style painting by Nicolas Poussin, depicts a pastoral scene with idealized shepherds from classical antiquity clustered around a tomb.  What is its Latin title?

5.

Which Latin interrogative phrase is used to imply that whoever appears to have the most to gain from a crime is probably the culprit?

6.

Oscar Wilde wrote a letter to ‘Bosie’ in 1897, while in Reading Gaol.  He entrusted it to a former lover, Robert Ross who published it in 1905, five years after Wilde’s death.  What title did Robert Ross give this letter?

7.

What interrogative phrase is found in the apocryphal Acts of Peter, at least seven times in the Latin Vulgate, and is the title of a 1951 epic film?

8.

This phrase was used as a nation’s motto for over 150 years until 1956.  It is used by the sports club Benfica.  A variant is used in a poem of the 1st century BC, attributed to Virgil, describing the making of ‘moretum’, a kind of herb and cheese spread related to pesto.  What is this Latin phrase?

Sp1

The motto of the Victoria University of Manchester was ‘Arduus ad solem’, meaning ‘Striving towards the sun’.  In 2004, it merged with UMIST to form the University of Manchester.  What is the University’s motto now?

Sp2

What is the Latin motto of Stockport MBC?

Go to Round 5 questions with answers

ROUND 6 - Prophets

All answers involve the names of biblical prophets, both male and female

1.

This American singer and sometimes actor was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8th, 1935 and died in his bathroom on August 16th, 1977.  What was his middle name?

2.

In the 1970 Disney film The Aristocats, Thomas O’Malley is a feral cat who befriends Duchess and her kittens.  In the song Thomas O’Malley Cat, he reveals his full name.  What is his first name?

3.

Between 1977 and 1987, he won 107 consecutive 400m hurdles finals and set four world records. He won Olympic Golds in 1976 and 1984.  Name this athlete, who probably would have won Olympic Gold in 1980 as well, but for the US boycott of the Moscow games.

4.

In 1959, as a Conservative MP, he gave a speech about the Hola Camp massacre in Kenya, which Denis Healey described as "the greatest parliamentary speech I ever heard... it had all the moral passion and rhetorical force of Demosthenes", but he is best remembered for his 1968 address to the General Meeting of the West Midlands Area Conservative Political Centre.  Name this politician.

5.

He embarked on a career with the National Coal Board in 1945 and was Chairman from 1971 to 1981.  He later served as a Liberal Democrat life peer.  When Denis Healey died in October 2015, he became the oldest sitting member of the House of Lords, but took leave of absence on 30 November and died on 22 December 2015.  Who was he?

6.

Which British boxer is a former unified world heavyweight champion, having held the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO titles between 2016 and 2019?

7.

As a student at Newnham College, Cambridge, she appeared in the first series of University Challenge in 1962, where she may have been the first person to say ‘Fuck’ on British television.  As an actress, she won a BAFTA award for her role in The Age of Innocence (1993), appeared in several episodes of the Blackadder, and was cast as Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter films.  Who is she?

8.

This American lyricist was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.  Their hits included Alfie, What’s New Pussycat?, Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head, I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, Do You Know the Way to San Jose, Walk on By, and Anyone Who Had a Heart.  Who was he?

Sp1

In 1847, the Texas Rangers ordered 1,000 of his revolvers for the war with Mexico.  Later, his firearms were widely used during the settling of the western frontier.  With his use of interchangeable parts, he become one of the first to use the assembly line efficiently.  He was also a pioneer of advertising, product placement, and mass marketing.  He died in 1862.  Who was he?

Sp2

What first name links the oleaginous chaplain in Anthony Trollope’s Barchester Towers (played by Alan Rickman in the 1982 TV series), and the villain also known as Iron Monger in Iron Man comics and film series?

Go to Round 6 questions with answers

ROUND 7 - Hidden theme

1.

Egypt has about 140 of these, Sudan has about 220, but there is a factory in Trafford Park that produces millions every day.  What are they?

2.

The first President of this organisation was David Devant in 1905.  Past Presidents include Nevil Maskelyne (1906-24), and David Berglas (1989-98).  What is the organisation called?

3.

This area in downtown Cairo was the focus for political demonstrations, most notably those that led to the 2011 Egyptian revolution and President Hosni Mubarak’s resignation.  What is this space called?

4.

Charles D Scanlon was a painter for the LA Street Painting Department and patented these in 1943. In the UK, they were first used in 1958, when the M6 opened.  What are they?

5.

Coined by the CIA, what name refers to an area of about 367,000 square miles that overlaps the mountains of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, known for its opium production?

6.

What name is applied to the Middle East region where agriculture and early civilisations, such as Sumer flourished?

7.

Created by James Patterson, this former FBI agent and psychologist works in Washington, DC.  Who is this fictional character, who appears in nearly 30 novels and in three films?

8.

In this literary universe, a Giant Star Turtle called the Great A'Tuin swims slowly through space, with four huge elephants standing on its back.  What rests on the backs of these elephants?

Sp1

Which football club has many celebrity fans including Stephen Hendry, the late Ronnie Corbett, Ken Stott, Alex Salmond and Sir Chris Hoy?

Sp2

What 3-D combination puzzle was invented in 1974 by a Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture?

Sp3

Allegations in this report, delivered to the US Congress on September 9th 1998, led to the impeachment of Bill Clinton.  Named after the independent counsel who conducted the investigation, what was this report called?

Go to Round 7 questions with answers

ROUND 8 - Famous phrases

1.

On January 13th 1898, what short headline appeared on the front page of the newspaper L’Aurore?

2.

In 1942, General Douglas MacArthur left Corregidor Island in the Philippines.  On his arrival in Australia on March 20th, what famous three-word promise did he make?

3.

What four-word German phrase resounded around the world on June 26th 1963?

4.

What historic four-word phrase was proclaimed numerous times in Washington on August 28th 1963?

5.

What four-words complete this transmission from July 20th 1969?

6.

In 1974, the New York Times published transcripts of the Nixon White House tapes.  Soon afterwards, protesters outside the White House held up placards.  Complete the four-word phrase that they displayed: 'Impeach the…' what?

7.

Following a terrorist attack in Paris on January 7th 2015, which left 12 dead, supporters of freedom of speech and freedom of the press adopted what three-word slogan?  (French or English version is acceptable)

8.

What song was started by Lydia Bernsmeier-Rullow, and taken up by the rest of the crowd in Manchester on May 25th, 2017?

Sp.

What song was started by Joan Baez, and taken up by a crowd of 300,000 at Washington’s Lincoln Memorial on August 28th, 1963?

Go to Round 8 questions with answers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROUND 1 - Hidden theme

For reasons that will become apparent, first names are required in the answers, and they sometimes form part of the theme

1.

This actor received multiple awards for playing the eccentric teacher Douglas Hector in The History Boys on stage, and a BAFTA nomination for the 2006 film adaptation.  He played Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films, and was the disillusioned policeman and chef Henry Crabbe in TV’s Pie in the Sky.  Who was he?

Richard Griffiths

2.

This Dublin-born left-handed batsman plays county cricket for Middlesex.  Under his captaincy, England beat New Zealand on boundary count to win the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.  Who is he?

Eoin Morgan

3.

His first poetry collection was The Hawk in the Rain in 1957.  His most significant work is perhaps Crow from 1970.  His last poetry collection was Birthday Letters in 1998, the year he died.  Who was he?

Ted Hughes

4.

Who is missing from this list from the 2000s: Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Räikkönen, Jenson Button?

Lewis Hamilton

(winners of the F1 Championship in the 2000s - LH 2008)

5.

This American actress made her debut in a 1987 direct-to-video feature.  Her first Oscar nomination was for a 1989 film where she featured as a young bride with diabetes.  In 2000, she portrayed a real-life environmental activist and won the Best Actress Oscar.  Who is she?

 

Julia Roberts

(the 1989 film was Steel Magnolias and the 2000 film was Erin Brockovich)

6.

This Dominican Friar (sometimes known as ‘Doctor Angelicus’ or ‘Doctor Communis’) is perhaps best-known his works Summa contra Gentiles (1259-65) and the unfinished Summa Theologica (1265-74).  Among other things, he is the patron saint of chastity and pencil makers.  Who is he? 

Thomas Aquinas

7.

The singer Beth Ditto has launched an exclusive collection for this retailer, as has the comedian Dawn French.  The singer Adele has bought clothing from this retailer.  Which retailer has over 300 stores in the UK, including one in the Arndale? 

Evans

8.

She was the lover of slum landlord Peter Rachman.  Before the Profumo affair, she had an affair with the osteopath Stephen Ward, and during the trial, Lord Astor denied having an affair with her. ("Well he would, wouldn’t he").  Describing her life as "one slow descent into respectability", she died in 2014, survived by her third husband, a millionaire waste management businessman.  Who was she?

Mandy Rice-Davies

(born Marilyn Davies)

Sp1

Ayrton Senna died in an accident, while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.  Which team was he driving for at the time?

Williams

Sp2

This railroader died on April 30, 1900, when his train collided with a freight train near Vaughan, Mississippi.  His heroic death while trying to stop the ‘Cannonball Express’ and save the lives of his passengers, was immortalised in a popular ballad of the time.  Who was he?

'Casey’ Jones

(Jonathan Jones)

Theme: Answers contain the 10 most common surnames in Wales in reverse order

Go back to Round 1 questions without answers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROUND 2 - 'Isms’

All the answers in this round are -isms

1.

A philosopher and social reformer’s hay-padded skeleton, dressed in his clothes, and with a wax head with some of his hair on, is displayed at University College London.  He died in 1832, but this ‘auto-icon’ attended a 2013 College Council meeting, where he was listed as ‘present but not voting’.  Which philosophy did he found?

Utilitarianism

(Jeremy Bentham)

2.

This philosophy was espoused in about 2100 BC in the Epic of Gilgamesh.  The earliest philosopher to categorically embrace it was Democritus, and it was formalised by the Cyrenaics in the 4th century BC.  What is this pleasurable school of thought called?

Hedonism

3.

The Bible Christian Church was founded in 1809 in Salford, by Reverend William Cowherd.  One distinctive feature of this church was taken up by a society founded in 1847, and its first full public meeting was in 1848 in Manchester.  What is this belief?

Vegetarianism

(the society was founded in Ramsgate at a meeting chaired by Joseph Brotherton, MP for Salford)

4.

Following inflammatory statements by rock musicians, such as Eric Clapton and David Bowie, this movement began as a one-off concert in 1976.  More concerts followed.  The biggest, in August 1978, attracted 40,000 to the Northern Carnival in Manchester.  The last carnival organised by this movement was in 1981 in Leeds.  What was this movement called?  (it’s a three word answer)

Rock Against Racism

5.

Aspects of Hegelianism hold that history proceeds in something like a conversation, with each stage overcoming the previous stages and therefore coming closer to finally attained unity or truth.  Derived from this, what form of historical determinism is espoused by Marxism? (it’s a two word answer)

Dialectical materialism

6.

In the 1770s, what two-word name was given by German doctor Franz Mesmer to an invisible natural force that he believed was possessed by all living things?  He believed that it could have physical effects, including healing.  He was unsuccessful in achieving scientific recognition of his ideas, but the two-word phrase is still in use.

Animal magnetism

(Lebensmagnetismus)

7.

Officially lasting from 1914 to 1915, this movement was a blend of Cubism and Futurism.  Its main proponents included Wyndham Lewis and Ezra Pound.  What was this avant-garde art and poetry movement called? 

Vorticism

8.

The first wave of this movement was during the 19th and early-20th centuries.  The second wave began in the early 1960s, still continues, and, as such, coexists with the third-wave.  The term ‘third wave’ is credited to Rebecca Walker, from her 1992 article for Ms. Magazine.  What is this movement?

Feminism   

Sp1

In 2020, the European Court of Human Rights will hear the case of a Dutch woman.  Her country’s highest court has told her she cannot wear a plastic colander on her head for her ID photo, despite her religious beliefs as a member of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.  By what other term is this church is also referred to?

Pastafarianism

Sp2

After Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism, Ragism, and Tagism, what are the last two ‘-isms’ mentioned in the Beatles song Give Peace a Chance?

This-ism, That-ism

Go back to Round 2 questions without answers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROUND 3 - 'On First Name Terms with Queen Victoria’s Children'

All the answers include the name of one of Queen Victoria’s children

All names are in chronological order of birth, except that the first-born is used as a spare

1.

In June 2013, a CIA employee leaked thousands of classified documents, revealing numerous global surveillance programmes, many run by the National Security Agency with the cooperation telecommunication companies and European governments.  Who is this whistle-blower, who now lives in asylum in Moscow?

Edward Snowdon

(Edward Albert: b. 1841, d.1910)

2.

The annual Henley-on-Todd Regatta is held in the usually dry sandy bed of the Todd River.  ‘Boats’ are made from metal frames and hung with banners and advertisements, and teams of ‘rowers’ run with their boats in races through the hot sand.  In which central Australian town is this regatta held?

Alice Springs

(It is the only dry river regatta in the world and it was cancelled in 1993 because of wet weather and there being actual water in the river)

(Alice Maud Mary: b. 1843, d. 1878)

3.

A number of phrases from his works have become commonplace such as "Nature, red in tooth and claw", "Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all", and "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield".  Who was he?

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

(Alfred Ernest Albert: b. 1844, d.1900)

4.

Due to her influence on her son, Constantine the Great, this Empress is an important figure in the history of Christianity. In her final years, she toured Roman province of Syria Palaestina and, during a visit to Jerusalem, she allegedly discovered the True Cross.  Who was she?

Helena

(or Saint Helena)

(Helena Augusta Victoria: b.1846, d.1923)

5.

She started as a member of the R&B girl group Eternal.  In her solo career, she has released the albums Naked (1996), Woman in Me (1997) and Elbow Beach (2000).  From 1998 to 2017, she was married to a former footballer and TV pundit.  Her new album Heavy Love is due for release in January 2020.  Who is she?

Louise Redknapp

(accept Louise Nurding, or just Louise)

(Louise Caroline Alberta: b.1848, d.1939)

6.

Who is the only black tennis player to win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open?  He died in 1993.

Arthur Ashe

(Wimbledon 1975, US 1968, Australian 1970)

(Arthur William Patrick Albert: b.1850, d.1942)

7.

Which literary character is famed for his peregrinations and encounters on 16 June 1904?

Leopold Bloom

(in James Joyce’s Ulysses)

(Leopold George Duncan Albert: b.1853, d.1884)

8.

In one of Shakespeare’s plays, the two main characters are tricked into confessing their love for each other.  Which character has the lines: "He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man; and he that is more than a youth is not for me; and he that is less than a man, I am not for him."?

Beatrice

(in Much Ado about Nothing)

(Beatrice Mary Victoria Feodore: b. 1856, d. 1944)

Sp.

Founded in 1977 by Roy and Gaye Raymond, this company is the largest lingerie retailer in the United States.  There are local branches in the Manchester Arndale and the Trafford Centre.  What is it called?

Victoria’s Secret

(Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise: b.1840, d. 1901)

Go back to Round 3 questions without answers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROUND 4 - '2019 RIP'

This round is all about people who died in 2019. Quizzers are invited to each pick a month and, from the information read out, simply name the person who died on the given date

1.

1st Jan

This Frenchman’s first Academy Award win was in 1969 for the song The Windmills of Your Mind, followed by Oscars for his music for Summer of ‘42 in 1972 and for Yentl 1984.  Who was he?

Michel Legrand

2.

2nd Feb

The short one made his TV debut in 1961 on Coronation Street.  The tallest one was the son of the woman who invented the correction fluid Liquid Paper.  One came to Britain in 1980 to make the TV sitcom Metal Mickey, which featured a large metallic robot with the catch-phrase ‘boogie boogie’.  Who was the fourth one of this quartet?

Peter Tork

(the others were Davy Jones, Mike Nesmith, and Mickey Dolenz from The Monkees)

3.

3rd Mar

From 1997, he served as FIA Formula One Director and Safety Delegate.  In this role, he was responsible for track and car safety, enforcing the FIA technical and procedural regulations, and controlling the lights that start each race.  Who was he?

Charlie (Charles) Whiting

4.

4th Apr

When Celtic beat Inter Milan 2-1 in 1967, who became the first British captain to lift the European Cup?

Billy McNeill

5.

5th May

Who wrote in his 2001 autobiography: "I have never eaten or even nibbled a live hamster, gerbil, guinea pig, mouse, shrew, vole, or any other small mammal."?

Freddie Starr

(‘Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster’ was the Sun’s main headline on 13th March 1986)

6.

6th Jun

He was President of his country from June 2012, until deposed by a military coup on July 2013.  A sentence of death for spying in May 2015 was overturned in November 2016.  On June 17th, during a retrial, he collapsed in court, and later died, reportedly of a heart attack.  Who was he?

Mohamed Morsi

7.

7th Jul

Arguably, his most famous role was as the eccentric and violent but sympathetic antihero Roy Batty in the 1982 sci-fi thriller Blade Runner, in which he delivered the famous ‘Tears in the Rain’ monologue, but the ‘Pure Genius’ commercials for Guinness in the 1980’s and 90’s, made who a household face?

Rutger Hauer

8.

8th Aug

This American author is perhaps best known for her works The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, Tar Baby, and Beloved.  Name this author who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993.

Toni Morrison

(born Chloe Wofford)

9.

9th Sep

For his abrasive manner, but ability to get things done in politics, he was nicknamed ‘Le Bulldozer’ in 1960s.  With a more mellowed attitude, who served as Co-Prince of Andorra from 1995 to 2007? 

Jacques Chirac

(Co-Prince of Andorra is an ex-officio position held by the French President)

10.

10th Oct

On March 18th 1965, who became the first human to conduct a spacewalk, when he exited the capsule during the Voskhod 2 mission for 12 minutes and 9 seconds?

Alexei Leonov

Go back to Round 4 questions without answers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROUND 5 - 'It’s All Latin to Me'

All the answers in this round are Latin phrases

1.

What is the mixture of one part concentrated nitric acid and three parts concentrated hydrochloric acid called?

Aqua Regia

(Royal water)

2.

What Latin motto links the city of Exeter and the United States Marine Corp?

'Semper Fidelis'

(accept 'Semper Fi', as the Americans often say - it means 'Always faithful', or, 'Always loyal')

3.

At the height of the Punic Wars, the Roman statesman Cato the Elder had a habit of ending all his speeches with what Latin motto?

"Carthago delenda est"

("Carthage must be destroyed")

4.

This 1637–38 French Baroque style painting by Nicolas Poussin, depicts a pastoral scene with idealized shepherds from classical antiquity clustered around a tomb.  What is its Latin title?

Et in Arcadia Ego

(And I am in Arcadia, or, I am even in Arcadia)

5.

Which Latin interrogative phrase is used to imply that whoever appears to have the most to gain from a crime is probably the culprit?

'Cui bono?'

('Who benefits?')

6.

Oscar Wilde wrote a letter to ‘Bosie’ in 1897, while in Reading Gaol.  He entrusted it to a former lover, Robert Ross who published it in 1905, five years after Wilde’s death.  What title did Robert Ross give this letter?

De Profundis

(Out the Depths)

7.

What interrogative phrase is found in the apocryphal Acts of Peter, at least seven times in the Latin Vulgate, and is the title of a 1951 epic film?

'Quo Vadis?'

('Where are you going?' or 'Whither goest thou?')

8.

This phrase was used as a nation’s motto for over 150 years until 1956.  It is used by the sports club Benfica.  A variant is used in a poem of the 1st century BC, attributed to Virgil, describing the making of ‘moretum’, a kind of herb and cheese spread related to pesto.  What is this Latin phrase?

'E Pluribus Unum'

('Out of Many, One')

Sp1

The motto of the Victoria University of Manchester was ‘Arduus ad solem’, meaning ‘Striving towards the sun’.  In 2004, it merged with UMIST to form the University of Manchester.  What is the University’s motto now?

'Cognitio, sapientia, humanitas'

('Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity' - Manchester City Council has the motto ‘Concilio et Labore’)

Sp2

What is the Latin motto of Stockport MBC?

'Animo et Fide'

('With Courage and Faith')

Go back to Round 5 questions without answers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROUND 6 - Prophets

All answers involve the names of biblical prophets, both male and female

1.

This American singer and sometimes actor was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8th, 1935 and died in his bathroom on August 16th, 1977.  What was his middle name?

Aaron

(Elvis Aaron Presley)

2.

In the 1970 Disney film The Aristocats, Thomas O’Malley is a feral cat who befriends Duchess and her kittens.  In the song Thomas O’Malley Cat, he reveals his full name.  What is his first name?

Abraham

(as in "Abraham de Lacy Giuseppe Casey Thomas O'Malley, O'Malley the alley cat")

3.

Between 1977 and 1987, he won 107 consecutive 400m hurdles finals and set four world records. He won Olympic Golds in 1976 and 1984.  Name this athlete, who probably would have won Olympic Gold in 1980 as well, but for the US boycott of the Moscow games.

Edwin Moses

4.

In 1959, as a Conservative MP, he gave a speech about the Hola Camp massacre in Kenya, which Denis Healey described as "the greatest parliamentary speech I ever heard... it had all the moral passion and rhetorical force of Demosthenes", but he is best remembered for his 1968 address to the General Meeting of the West Midlands Area Conservative Political Centre.  Name this politician.

Enoch Powell

5.

He embarked on a career with the National Coal Board in 1945 and was Chairman from 1971 to 1981.  He later served as a Liberal Democrat life peer.  When Denis Healey died in October 2015, he became the oldest sitting member of the House of Lords, but took leave of absence on 30 November and died on 22 December 2015.  Who was he?

Derek Ezra

6.

Which British boxer is a former unified world heavyweight champion, having held the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO titles between 2016 and 2019?

Anthony Joshua

7.

As a student at Newnham College, Cambridge, she appeared in the first series of University Challenge in 1962, where she may have been the first person to say ‘Fuck’ on British television.  As an actress, she won a BAFTA award for her role in The Age of Innocence (1993), appeared in several episodes of the Blackadder, and was cast as Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter films.  Who is she?

Miriam Margolyes

8.

This American lyricist was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.  Their hits included Alfie, What’s New Pussycat?, Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head, I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, Do You Know the Way to San Jose, Walk on By, and Anyone Who Had a Heart.  Who was he?

Hal David

Sp1

In 1847, the Texas Rangers ordered 1,000 of his revolvers for the war with Mexico.  Later, his firearms were widely used during the settling of the western frontier.  With his use of interchangeable parts, he become one of the first to use the assembly line efficiently.  He was also a pioneer of advertising, product placement, and mass marketing.  He died in 1862.  Who was he?

Samuel Colt

Sp2

What first name links the oleaginous chaplain in Anthony Trollope’s Barchester Towers (played by Alan Rickman in the 1982 TV series), and the villain also known as Iron Monger in Iron Man comics and film series?

Obadiah

(Slope and Stane)

Go back to Round 6 questions without answers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROUND 7 - Hidden theme

1.

Egypt has about 140 of these, Sudan has about 220, but there is a factory in Trafford Park that produces millions every day.  What are they?

Pyramids

(Trafford Park is where PG Tips make their pyramid tea bags)

2.

The first President of this organisation was David Devant in 1905.  Past Presidents include Nevil Maskelyne (1906-24), and David Berglas (1989-98).  What is the organisation called?

The Magic Circle

3.

This area in downtown Cairo was the focus for political demonstrations, most notably those that led to the 2011 Egyptian revolution and President Hosni Mubarak’s resignation.  What is this space called?

Tahrir Square

4.

Charles D Scanlon was a painter for the LA Street Painting Department and patented these in 1943. In the UK, they were first used in 1958, when the M6 opened.  What are they?

Traffic Cones

5.

Coined by the CIA, what name refers to an area of about 367,000 square miles that overlaps the mountains of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, known for its opium production?

The Golden Triangle

(technological advances in the area included the development of writing, glass, the wheel, and the use of irrigation)

6.

What name is applied to the Middle East region where agriculture and early civilisations, such as Sumer flourished?

The Fertile Crescent

7.

Created by James Patterson, this former FBI agent and psychologist works in Washington, DC.  Who is this fictional character, who appears in nearly 30 novels and in three films?

Alex Cross

8.

In this literary universe, a Giant Star Turtle called the Great A'Tuin swims slowly through space, with four huge elephants standing on its back.  What rests on the backs of these elephants?

The Discworld

Sp1

Which football club has many celebrity fans including Stephen Hendry, the late Ronnie Corbett, Ken Stott, Alex Salmond and Sir Chris Hoy?

Heart of Midlothian

(or simply Hearts)

Sp2

What 3-D combination puzzle was invented in 1974 by a Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture?

Rubik's Cube

(accept 'Magic Cube', as it was originally called)

Sp3

Allegations in this report, delivered to the US Congress on September 9th 1998, led to the impeachment of Bill Clinton.  Named after the independent counsel who conducted the investigation, what was this report called?

The Starr Report

(after Kenneth W. Starr)

Theme: Each answer contains a word for a type of shape

Go back to Round 7 questions without answers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROUND 8 - Famous Phrases

1.

On January 13th 1898, what short headline appeared on the front page of the newspaper L’Aurore?

J’Accuse…!

(the open letter published by Émile Zola on the Dreyfus affair)

2.

In 1942, General Douglas MacArthur left Corregidor Island in the Philippines.  On his arrival in Australia on March 20th, what famous three-word promise did he make?

"I shall return"

(accept "I will return" as near enough but do not accept "We shall return" since Washington asked him to amend his promise to this, but he ignored the request)

3.

What four-word German phrase resounded around the world on June 26th 1963?

"Ich bin ein Berliner"

(by JFK in West Berlin)

4.

What historic four-word phrase was proclaimed numerous times in Washington on August 28th 1963?

"I Have a Dream"

(by Martin Luther King)

5.

What four-words complete this transmission from July 20th 1969?

"Houston, Tranquility Base here….  The Eagle has landed"

(first words from the Apollo 11 lunar module after landing on the Moon)

6.

In 1974, the New York Times published transcripts of the Nixon White House tapes.  Soon afterwards, protesters outside the White House held up placards.  Complete the four-word phrase that they displayed: 'Impeach the…' what?

‘Impeach the Expletive Deleted’

7.

Following a terrorist attack in Paris on January 7th 2015, which left 12 dead, supporters of freedom of speech and freedom of the press adopted what three-word slogan?  (French or English version is acceptable)

"Je suis Charlie"

(or "I am Charlie" - after two Islamist gunmen opened fire in the offices of magazine Charlie Hebdo)

8.

What song was started by Lydia Bernsmeier-Rullow, and taken up by the rest of the crowd in Manchester on May 25th, 2017?

Don’t Look Back in Anger

(by Oasis - in St Ann’s Square after a minute’s silence for the victims of the Ariana Grande concert bombing three days earlier) 

Sp.

What song was started by Joan Baez, and taken up by a crowd of 300,000 at Washington’s Lincoln Memorial on August 28th, 1963?

We Shall Overcome

(at the same rally as the Martin Luther King speech)

Go back to Round 8 questions without answers