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ROUND 1 - Hidden theme - 'Aglaia, Euphrosyne and Thalia'

1.

Which team has won the most United Rugby Championships, with 10 titles?  The United Rugby Championship is competed for by teams from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Italy, and South Africa.

2.

Who sponsors the cricket County Championship?

3.

Which production holds the record for most Tony nominations?  It received 16 in 2016.

4.

What is the name of the main shopping street in South Dublin?  It suffers the indignity of being mentioned in an Ed Sheeran song.

5.

Which prep school did Prince Phillip and Charles both attend?

6.

What constituency does Rishi Sunak represent in parliament?

7.

Which company built the RAF’s last biplane fighter and first jet powered fighter?

8.

Despite being 40 miles inland, what was at one point the third busiest port in the United Kingdom?

Sp

A ‘rugged cowboy’ was used to advertise what for 46 years?  Advertising this legal product is now completely banned in the UK.

Go to Round 1 questions with answers

ROUND 2 - 'Sixty Years of Hurt'

After the sorry events of 15th July it is now 60 years since England won the World Cup.

Each answer contains the forename or surname of someone who has managed England since then.

Forenames are required and the usual caveats about sound-alikes and part words apply..

1.

Neasden FC’s most famous supporters were Sid and Doris Bonkers.  Who was their tight-lipped, ashen-faced manager?

2.

Which novel by Lionel Shriver won the 2005 Orange Prize for fiction?  It was later filmed starring Tilda Swinton.

3.

Which John Le Carré novel set in Central America was turned into a film directed by John Boorman starring Pierce Brosnan, Geoffrey Rush and Jamie Lee Curtis?

4.

Who partnered Andy Murray in winning the silver medal in the tennis mixed doubles at the 2012 Olympics?

5.

Who was the lyricist for songs including That Old Black Magic and Moon River?  He shares his name with a former Plymouth MP who was Minister of State for Veterans’ Affairs from 2022 to 2024.

6.

Who was the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury?

7.

What is the name of the reindeer in the animated film Frozen?

8.

Who recorded the 1983 album Duck Rock?  It included the singles Buffalo Gals and Double Dutch?

Sp

Who is the lead guitarist of Radiohead?

Go to Round 2 questions with answers

ROUND 3 - 'Not all there'

You will be given a list of places, people etc. which are members of a group of some sort. 

1.

Munster, Leinster, Ulster and?

2.

Morrisey, Andy Rourke, Mike Joyce and?

3.

Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, Lihou and?

4.

Birmingham, Southwark, Westminster, Cardiff-Menevia and?

5.

Ian Brown, Gary Mounfield, Alan Wren and?

6.

St. Mary’s, St. Agnes, Bryher, St. Martin’s and?

7.

Karol Wojtyla, Robert Prevost, Joseph Ratzinger and?

8.

George Wasington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and?

Sp1

William II, Edward V, Edward VIII, Elizabeth I and?

Sp2

Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor, Brian May and?

Go to Round 3 questions with answers

ROUND 4 - 'Good things come in threes'

A round of 3-letter abbreviations

1.

In the world of computing what does VPN stand for?

2.

What does LED stand for in the phrase 'an LED lamp'?

3.

What does MRI stand for in the phrase 'MRI scan'?

4.

In computing, what do the letters PDF stand for?

5.

In Trump’s America what do the initials ICE stand for?

6.

In the world of biotechnology what does GMO stand for?

7.

The acronym MMA refers to which sport?

8.

What does GPT stand for in the phrase ChatGPT?

Sp1

What do the composer CPE Bach’s initials stand for?

Sp2

What is the origin of the letters LIV in the phrase LIV Golf?

Go to Round 4 questions with answers

ROUND 5 - Paired

1.

When I am Laid in Earth is the final aria from which 17th century opera set in Carthage?

2.

The value of cos(60⁰) is 0.5.  What is the value of sec(60⁰)?  (i.e. 'the secant of 60⁰')

3.

Give either solution to the equation x² = -4 (i.e. 'x squared equals negative 4')

4.

Which football club played at Boothferry Park until 2002?

5.

Actor Eva Marie Saint died last week at the age of 102.  Her best known role was probably in North by Northwest but for which film did she win the 1955 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress opposite Marlon Brando?

6.

In the film North by Northwest the intelligence agency chief was played by Leo G Carroll.  In which 1960s TV series did he play another intelligence chief?

7.

Which football club played at Elm Park until 1998?

8.

An aria which translates as 'Woman is fickle' is from which 19th century opera set in Mantua?

Sp

Which football club played at the Manor Ground until 2001?

Go to Round 5 questions with answers

ROUND 6 - 'Collectively Speaking'

1.

In Paradise Lost what name did John Milton give to the capital of Hell?

2.

In Indian politics, the Nehru / Gandhi family is associated with which party?

3.

The great American funk innovator George Clinton recorded under the names of two groups.  One was Funkadelic, what was the other?

4.

The song which is played during the last scene of the film Saltburn was a hit in 2001 for Sophie Ellis-Bextor.  What is its title?

5.

Traditionally celebrated on November 4th in the north of England, what is the name of the night when young people play pranks and jokes and engage in minor vandalism?

6.

The prophet Jeremiah is traditionally said to have written two books of the Old Testament.  One, obviously, is the book of Jeremiah.  The other is the book which follows Jeremiah.  What is it called?

7.

Subatomic particles called quarks have six flavours.  They are up, down, top, bottom, strange and what else?

8.

What is the name of the e-reader device designed by Amazon and introduced to the market in 2007?

Sp

In universities what is the name of the formal ceremony at which graduating students receive their degrees?

Go to Round 6 questions with answers

ROUND 7 - Hidden theme - 'Nobel words'

Usual caveats about sound-alikes and part words apply

1.

Which British food company uses the advertising slogan ‘exceedingly good BLANK’?

2.

Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes and who else made up the ‘Three Ws’ of West Indian cricket?

3.

What was the original name of Leicester City when the club was founded in 1884?

4.

Broadly, what is a mountain in Scotland with a height of over 3,000 feet called?

5.

Yorkshire Fog, Italian Rye, Meadow Fox-tail and Timothy are all types of what?

6.

What is Britain’s oldest pub chain?  They have rebranded from a three-word name to a sole identifier.

7.

Frankfurt am Main is the most populous city, and Wiesbaden the capital, of which land-locked German state?

8.

Sebastien Lecornu is the prime minister of which country?

Sp1

Which fictional bell-ringer was named after the second Sunday of Easter?

Sp2

What title does the heir to the Spanish throne hold?

Sp3

Prince Philip was born into what royal house?  His birth into this house makes the Mountbatten-Windsors a cadet branch of it.

Go to Round 7 questions with answers

ROUND 8 - 'Follow my Leader'

The answers to these questions begin with one letter and end with the following letter in the alphabet

e.g. The stage name of the entertainer Erik Weisz - answer Harry Houdini - begins with H and ends with I.

Answers which involve people’s names will require the full name to be given to fit the pattern

1.

An organic compound commonly used as an acidifier, preservative and for flavouring.

2.

Painter born in 1390.  His most famous works include The Arnolfini Marriage and The Ghent Altarpiece.

3.

The name of this dessert means ‘cheer me up’ in the language of its country of origin.

4.

In 2013 this scientist and writer was named the world’s top thinker in a poll conducted by the magazine Prospect.  He has appeared in an episode of Dr Who and has had an asteroid named after him.  Who is he?

5.

Novel published in 1904 with the subtitle A Tale of The Seaboard.  Its title is also the name of the spacecraft in the film Aliens.

6.

The only man in US history to have served as President, Vice-President and Director of the CIA.

7.

He was born in Stretford in 1958 and was the youngest of four musical brothers.  He was the first solo artist whose first three singles went to Number One in the US.  He died at the age of 30 in 1988.

8.

The city with the world’s northernmost metro system.

Sp1

Classic 1959 comedy film whose characters include Sugar ‘Kane’ Kowalczyk, ‘Spats’ Colombo and ‘Toothpick’ Charlie.

Sp2

This novel inspired an orchestral piece by Richard Strauss.  Unsuccessful attempts to film it were made by Orson Welles and Terry Gilliam.

Go to Round 8 questions with answers

ROUND 1 - Hidden theme - 'Aglaia, Euphrosyne and Thalia'

1.

Which team has won the most United Rugby Championships, with 10 titles?  The United Rugby Championship is competed for by teams from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Italy, and South Africa.

Leinster

2.

Who sponsors the cricket County Championship?

Rothesay

3.

Which production holds the record for most Tony nominations?  It received 16 in 2016.

Hamilton

4.

What is the name of the main shopping street in South Dublin?  It suffers the indignity of being mentioned in an Ed Sheeran song.

Grafton

5.

Which prep school did Prince Phillip and Charles both attend?

Gordonstoun

6.

What constituency does Rishi Sunak represent in parliament?

Richmond and Northallerton

(accept Richmond – Northallerton was added in 2024)

7.

Which company built the RAF’s last biplane fighter and first jet powered fighter?

Gloster

8.

Despite being 40 miles inland, what was at one point the third busiest port in the United Kingdom?

Port of Manchester

Sp

A ‘rugged cowboy’ was used to advertise what for 46 years?  Advertising this legal product is now completely banned in the UK.

Marlboro cigarettes

Theme: Each answer contains an extant Dukedom - and Dukes are addressed as "Your Grace"  - and Aglaia, Euphrosyne and Thalia are the Three Graces in Greek Mythology

ROUND 2 - 'Sixty Years of Hurt'

After the sorry events of 15th July it is now 60 years since England won the World Cup.

1.

Neasden FC’s most famous supporters were Sid and Doris Bonkers.  Who was their tight-lipped, ashen-faced manager?

Ron Knee

2.

Which novel by Lionel Shriver won the 2005 Orange Prize for fiction?  It was later filmed starring Tilda Swinton.

We Need to Talk About Kevin

3.

Which John Le Carré novel set in Central America was turned into a film directed by John Boorman starring Pierce Brosnan, Geoffrey Rush and Jamie Lee Curtis?

The Tailor of Panama

4.

Who partnered Andy Murray in winning the silver medal in the tennis mixed doubles at the 2012 Olympics?

Laura Robson

5.

Who was the lyricist for songs including That Old Black Magic and Moon River?  He shares his name with a former Plymouth MP who was Minister of State for Veterans’ Affairs from 2022 to 2024.

Johnny Mercer

6.

Who was the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury?

Michael Ramsey

(or 'Arthur Ramsey' - his commonly used first forename 'Michael' was in fact his second forename)

7.

What is the name of the reindeer in the animated film Frozen?

Sven

8.

Who recorded the 1983 album Duck Rock?  It included the singles Buffalo Gals and Double Dutch?

Malcolm McLaren

Sp

Who is the lead guitarist of Radiohead?

Johnny Greenwood

Go back to Round 2 questions without answers

ROUND 3 - 'Not all there'

You will be given a list of places, people etc. which are members of a group of some sort. 

All you need to do is to provide the name (place, person etc.) missing from the group. 

There is no significance to the order in which the names in the question are given.

1.

Munster, Leinster, Ulster and?

Connacht

(the four provinces of Ireland)

2.

Morrisey, Andy Rourke, Mike Joyce and?

Johnny Marr

(members of The Smiths)

3.

Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, Lihou and?

Alderney

(the inhabited Channel Islands)

4.

Birmingham, Southwark, Westminster, Cardiff-Menevia and?

Liverpool

(the Catholic archdioceses of England and Wales)

5.

Ian Brown, Gary Mounfield, Alan Wren and?

John Squire

(members of The Stone Roses)

6.

St. Mary’s, St. Agnes, Bryher, St. Martin’s and?

Tresco

(the inhabited Scilly Isles)

7.

Karol Wojtyla, Robert Prevost, Joseph Ratzinger and?

Jorge Bergoglio

(the last four popes and the only four non-Italian popes in the last five hundred years)

8.

George Wasington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and?

Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt

NB: full name required

(the four US Presidents carved into Mount Rushmore

Sp1

William II, Edward V, Edward VIII, Elizabeth I and?

Edward VI

(English / UK monarchs since the Norman Conquest who remained unmarried while monarch)

Sp2

Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor, Brian May and?

John Deacon

(original members of Queen – nobody ever remembers the bassist!)

Go back to Round 3 questions without answers

ROUND 4 -  'Good things come in threes'

A round of 3-letter abbreviations

1.

In the world of computing what does VPN stand for?

Virtual Private Network

2.

What does LED stand for in the phrase 'an LED lamp'?

Light-emitting Diode

3.

What does MRI stand for in the phrase 'MRI scan'?

Magnetic resonance imaging

4.

In computing, what do the letters PDF stand for?

Portable document format

5.

In Trump’s America what do the initials ICE stand for?

Immigration and customs enforcement

6.

In the world of biotechnology what does GMO stand for?

Genetically modified organism

7.

The acronym MMA refers to which sport?

Mixed martial arts

8.

What does GPT stand for in the phrase ChatGPT?

Generative pre-trained transformer

Sp1

What do the composer CPE Bach’s initials stand for?

Carl Philipp Emanuel

Sp2

What is the origin of the letters LIV in the phrase LIV Golf?

They are the Roman numerals for the number 54

(LIV events are played over three rounds or 54 holes rather than the traditional four rounds of major golf tournaments)

Go back to Round 4 questions without answers

ROUND 5 - Paired

1.

When I am Laid in Earth is the final aria from which 17th century opera set in Carthage?

Dido and Aeneas

(Henry Purcell)

2.

The value of cos(60⁰) is 0.5.  What is the value of sec(60⁰)?  (i.e. 'the secant of 60⁰')

2 (sec(x) = 1÷ cos(x))

3.

Give either solution to the equation x² = -4 (i.e. 'x squared equals negative 4')

2i or -2i

(accept 2j or -2j if any electrical engineers are present)

4.

Which football club played at Boothferry Park until 2002?

Hull City

5.

Actor Eva Marie Saint died last week at the age of 102.  Her best known role was probably in North by Northwest but for which film did she win the 1955 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress opposite Marlon Brando?

On the Waterfront

6.

In the film North by Northwest the intelligence agency chief was played by Leo G Carroll.  In which 1960s TV series did he play another intelligence chief?

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

7.

Which football club played at Elm Park until 1998?

Reading

8.

An aria which translates as 'Woman is fickle' is from which 19th century opera set in Mantua?

Rigoletto

(the aria in question is La Donna è Mobile)

Sp

Which football club played at the Manor Ground until 2001?

Oxford United

Go back to Round 5 questions without answers

ROUND 6 - 'Collectively Speaking'

1.

In Paradise Lost what name did John Milton give to the capital of Hell?

Pandemonium

2.

In Indian politics, the Nehru / Gandhi family is associated with which party?

Congress

3.

The great American funk innovator George Clinton recorded under the names of two groups.  One was Funkadelic, what was the other?

Parliament

4.

The song which is played during the last scene of the film Saltburn was a hit in 2001 for Sophie Ellis-Bextor.  What is its title?

Murder on the Dancefloor

5.

Traditionally celebrated on November 4th in the north of England, what is the name of the night when young people play pranks and jokes and engage in minor vandalism?

Mischief Night

6.

The prophet Jeremiah is traditionally said to have written two books of the Old Testament.  One, obviously, is the book of Jeremiah.  The other is the book which follows Jeremiah.  What is it called?

Lamentations

7.

Subatomic particles called quarks have six flavours.  They are up, down, top, bottom, strange and what else?

Charm

8.

What is the name of the e-reader device designed by Amazon and introduced to the market in 2007?

Kindle

Sp

In universities what is the name of the formal ceremony at which graduating students receive their degrees?

Convocation

Theme: Each answer is a collective noun ...

Parrots, baboons, owls or rooks, crows or ravens, mice or rats, swans, goldfinches or hummingbirds, cats or kittens and eagles

Go back to Round 6 questions without answers

ROUND 7 - Hidden theme - 'Nobel words'

Usual caveats about sound-alikes and part words apply

1.

Which British food company uses the advertising slogan ‘exceedingly good BLANK’?

Mr Kipling

2.

Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes and who else made up the ‘Three Ws’ of West Indian cricket?

Sir Clyde Walcott

3.

What was the original name of Leicester City when the club was founded in 1884?

Leicester Fosse

4.

Broadly, what is a mountain in Scotland with a height of over 3,000 feet called?

A Munro

5.

Yorkshire Fog, Italian Rye, Meadow Fox-tail and Timothy are all types of what?

Grass

6.

What is Britain’s oldest pub chain?  They have rebranded from a three-word name to a sole identifier.

Yates’s (wine lodge)

7.

Frankfurt am Main is the most populous city, and Wiesbaden the capital, of which land-locked German state?

Hesse

8.

Sebastien Lecornu is the prime minister of which country?

France

Sp1

Which fictional bell-ringer was named after the second Sunday of Easter?

Quasimodo

Sp2

What title does the heir to the Spanish throne hold?

Prince/Princess of Asturias

Sp3

Prince Philip was born into what royal house?  His birth into this house makes the Mountbatten-Windsors a cadet branch of it.

Glücksburg

Theme: Each answer contains the surname of a winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature ...

Rudyard Kipling, Sir Derek Walcott, Jon Fosse, Alice Munro, Günter Grass, W.B. Yeats, Hermann Hesse, Anatole France, Salvatore Quasimodo, Miguel Ángel Asturias, Louise Glück

Go back to Round 7 questions without answers

ROUND 8 -  'Follow my Leader'

The answers to these questions begin with one letter and end with the following letter in the alphabet

1.

An organic compound commonly used as an acidifier, preservative and for flavouring.

Citric acid

2.

Painter born in 1390.  His most famous works include The Arnolfini Marriage and The Ghent Altarpiece.

Jan van Eyck

3.

The name of this dessert means ‘cheer me up’ in the language of its country of origin.

Titamisu

('Tirami su' in Italian)

4.

In 2013 this scientist and writer was named the world’s top thinker in a poll conducted by the magazine Prospect.  He has appeared in an episode of Dr Who and has had an asteroid named after him.  Who is he?

Richard Dawkins

5.

Novel published in 1904 with the subtitle A Tale of The Seaboard.  Its title is also the name of the spacecraft in the film Aliens.

Nostromo

6.

The only man in US history to have served as President, Vice-President and Director of the CIA.

George Bush

7.

He was born in Stretford in 1958 and was the youngest of four musical brothers.  He was the first solo artist whose first three singles went to Number One in the US.  He died at the age of 30 in 1988.

Andy Gibb

8.

The city with the world’s northernmost metro system.

Helsinki

Sp1

Classic 1959 comedy film whose characters include Sugar ‘Kane’ Kowalczyk, ‘Spats’ Colombo and ‘Toothpick’ Charlie.

Some Like it Hot

Sp2

This novel inspired an orchestral piece by Richard Strauss.  Unsuccessful attempts to film it were made by Orson Welles and Terry Gilliam.

Don Quixote

Go back to Round 8 questions without answers