February Quiz

February 2024 LALG Quiz

The Results

(play ominous music and pause for rather too long)

But before the results, a few pithy comments from the Questionmaster:

  • In Round 2 on Greek Mythology, Jocasta was, of course, not only the bride of Oedipus but also his mother. I allowed All the Ws answer “He loved his mother” not only because it is essentially correct but also because it exhibits a pleasing knowledge of Tom Lehrer’s song lyrics.

  • In Round 4 on Japanese Loan Words, the translation “The numbers must be single” elicited a range of answers including Haiku, Kamikee and Pokemon. I like to imagine a communal groan in certain living rooms when the answer Sudoku was revealed.

  • In Round 9 on Famous British Women, I was inclined to give half a point to All the Ws for their answer to Question 3 (the woman who was killed during the 1913 Derby) which was “Emily Oops She Slipped”. But then I thought, no. First because it is probably too soon and second because I don’t want a raft of indignant emails from half the quiz contestants.

 

So, having paused long enough, here are the results of last night’s quiz:

 

Smashing Pumpkins   92 points

Dahlias                          91 points

All the Ws                     88 points

Team Crackers              88 points

Carrot Cakes                 86 points

Herts 2                           84 points

Jolliers                            83 points

touCHE                           78 points

 

All very high scoring and pretty close. Particular commiserations to Dahlias who were but a Sunderland in Round 5 from sharing the gold medal.

 

Finally, a shout out to The Carrot Cakes who will be hosting the March 2024 LALG Quiz. This will take place on Saturday, 23rd March (6 45pm for 7pm) given that the usual last Saturday in March falls on Easter Saturday. Over to you Carrot Cakes.

 

 

Hi everyone, here are the answers to all of the February quiz rounds.

Hope you enjoyed the variety of the questions. The final results will be posted tomorrow.

The March 2024 LALG quiz will take place on Saturday, 23rd March (6 45pm for 7pm). The usual quiz night would fall on Easter Saturday, so the March quiz will take place a week early. This March quiz will be the last of the 2023/24 season, so be there or be square. Your hosts in March will be The Carrot Cakes.

Rounds 1-9 (Answers)

 

Round 9

Famous British Women (Answers)

 

  1. Mary Anning, the now acclaimed 19th century palaeontologist and fossil collector, was recently the subject of a film starring Kate Winslet set on the Jurassic coast of Dorset. What is the title of the film? (Ammonite)

  2. Who wrote the novel Frankenstein published in 1818? (Mary Shelley)

  3. Name the suffragette who walked in front of King George V’s horse Anmer during the 1913 Epsom Derby and subsequently died of her injuries? (Emily Davison)

  4. Constance Markiewicz was the first woman to be elected to the British Parliament. She represented the St. Patrick district of Dublin. However, she never sat in the House of Commons. To which Irish political party did she belong? (Sinn Fein)

  5. Which daughter of an English lighthouse keeper rose to national fame in 1838 after participating in the rescue of the crew of a paddle steamer that ran aground on the Farne Islands off the coast of Northumberland? (Grace Darling)

  6. Who was the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia in May 1930? (Amy Johnson)

  7. Rosalind Franklin was a chemist whose X-ray diffraction images, taken in the early 1950s, led to the discovery of the double-helical structure of DNA in 1953. In this context, what do the letters DNA stand for? (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

  8. Name the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1997-1999) who was closely involved in the negotiation of the Good Friday Peace Agreement signed in 1998. She died in 2005 aged 55. (Marjorie (Mo) Mowlam)

  9. Name the English comedienne, lyricist and screenwriter who wrote the tv series Dinner Ladies and the tv sketches Acorn Antiques, as well as the song entitled The Ballad of Barry and Freda. She died in 2016 aged 63? (Victoria Wood)

  10. Who became the first British person to go into space, as well as the first woman to visit the Mir space station, in May 1991? (Helen Sharman)

 

Round 8

Orange (Answers)

 

  1. Which pigment gives carrots their orange colour? (Carotene)

  2. Who wrote the novel A Clockwork Orange? (Anthony Burgess)

  3. What is the colour of orange blossom flower? (White)

  4. Orange Pekoe is a variety of what? (Tea)

  5. Which brand of hover lawnmower was coloured blue and white until 1977 when a new, now well-known orange colour was introduced? (Flymo)

  6. The Dutch men’s national football team is nicknamed Oranje. The men’s team has been beaten in three FIFA World Cup finals. Give one of the years in which the Dutch men lost a football World Cup final? (1974, 1978, 2010; only one required for a point)

  7. Which type of flying insect is an orange tip? (Butterfly)

  8. Jason Orange was a member of which popular music combo from 1990 to 2014 (with a break in the middle)? (Take That)

  9. Orange Telecom began operating in the UK in 1994. In 2010, Orange UK merged with T-Mobile UK to form a new mobile phone company. What was (and is) the name of the new company? (EE)

  10. A Spanish chemist named Dr. Trigo developed a soft drink in 1933 that is still marketed today in a pear-shaped glass bottle. What is the name of the drink? (Orangina)

 

Round 7

First or Last Lines (Answers)

 

The following ten sentences are either the first or the last line of ten well-known novels. But which ones? 

 

  1. It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known. (A Tale of Two Cities)

  2. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone)

  3. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. (Pride and Prejudice)

  4. Renowned curator Jacques Saunière staggered through the vaulted archway of the museum’s Grand Gallery. (The Da Vinci Code)

  5. Cambridge in the fourth winter of the war: a ghost town. (Enigma)

  6. If YOU want to find Cherry Tree Lane all you have to do is ask the Policeman at the crossroads. (Mary Poppins)

  7. And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One! (A Christmas Carol)

  8. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which. (Animal Farm)

  9. Thursday January 1st; Bank Holiday in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales; These are my New Year resolutions: (The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 ¾)

  10. The naked man who lay splayed out on his face beside the swimming pool might have been dead. (From Russia with Love)

 

Round 6

Four Letter Words (Answers)

 

There are eleven countries recognised by the UN with names that are four letters long. All you have to do is name ten of these countries. Note that Eire is not a correct answer.

  1. Chad

  2. Cuba

  3. Fiji

  4. Iran

  5. Iraq

  6. Laos

  7. Mali

  8. Niue (a freely associated territory treated as an independent state under international law.)

  9. Oman

  10. Peru

  11. Togo

 

Round 5

Cryptic British Towns and Cities (Answers)

The answers to the following 15 cryptic clues are all British towns or cities. Name them.

 

  1. This cathedral city has some sauce. (9) (Worcester)

  2. A fawlty university lecturer? (8) (Basildon)

  3. Two Johns, one a poet, one an economist. (6,6) (Milton Keynes)

  4. Sounds like a champion jockey’s home city. (9) (Leicester)

  5. A mixed up bard to cross a shallow stream. (8) (Bradford)

  6. A group of witches score 5 points at Twickenham. (8) (Coventry)

  7. Sounds like Ms Rantzen is being lifted up. (10) (Winchester)

  8. Where an internal organ goes swimming? (9) (Liverpool)

  9. Father ill but….. (10) (Motherwell)

  10. Mr Sheeran has entered a chartered town. (9) (Edinburgh)

  11. Short brassiere found in Cypress (9) (Braintree)

  12. Break a country apart. (10) (Sunderland)

  13. The Prince of Wales’ stronghold? (4,7) (Fort William)

  14. Chancellor Alistair scores a hundred at Lords. (10) (Darlington)

  15. They pronounce this incorrectly in Kentucky. (5) (Derby)

 

 

Round 4

Japanese Words in the English Language (Answers)

 

Set out below are the literal translations of ten Japanese words that are now widely used in the English language. So, for example, “alcoholic drink” would be “sake”, “group leader” would be “honcho” and “great lord or prince” would be “tycoon”. All you have to do is identify the Japanese words that are now found in English dictionaries from the literal translations.

 

  1. Planted in a pot or tray. (Bonsai)

  2. Empty orchestra. (Karaoke)

  3. Empty hand. (Karate)

  4. Fold paper. (Origami)

  5. A thing to wear. (Kimono)

  6. Sour rice. (Sushi)

  7. Divine wind. (Kamikaze)

  8. Harbour wave. (Tsunami)

  9. The numbers must be single. (Sudoku)

  10. Warrior who is concealed (or invisible). (Ninja)

 

Round 3

The USA and (a few of) its People (Answers)

 

  1. If Joe Biden is the 46th President of the USA who was the 42nd (President)? (Bill Clinton)

  2. How many stripes are there on the flag of the USA? (Thirteen)

  3. Which was the first national park to be established in the USA? (Yellowstone)

  4. Where in the USA (place not state) would you find four sixty-foot-tall sculptures of four US Presidents (Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Lincoln)? (Mount Rushmore)

  5. The Statue of Liberty was given to the USA by which European country in 1886? (France)

  6. How many American astronauts have walked on the moon? (Twelve)

  7. Which type of porridge, favoured in southern US states, is made from coarsely ground maize or hominy? (Grits)

  8. Who wrote the classic American novel Little Women? (Louisa May Alcott)

  9. Which 34-year-old singer/songwriter was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2023? (Taylor Swift)

  10. Which US city will host the Summer Olympic Games for the third time in 2028? (Los Angeles)

 

Round 2

Greek Mythology (Answers)

  1. Which Greek God was the Messenger of the Gods and was also, until recently, the name of one of the UK’s largest parcel delivery companies? (Hermes)

  2. The tragic hero Oedipus married Jocasta, the Queen of Thebes. What did Jocasta later discover that made the marriage a bit awkward? (Oedipus was her son)

  3. Which part of Achilles body was not dipped into the River Styx when he was an infant? (Heel)

  4. What was the name of Odysseus’ faithful dog, as well as the brand of a retailer acquired by Sainsbury’s in 2016? (Argos)

  5. Arachne was a weaver who challenged the skill of Athena, the Goddess of War. What was Arachne changed into as a result of this tactical error? (Spider)

  6. Name the Greek Goddess who often swooshed to victory. (Nike)

  7. Who opened a box and let numerous evils into the world? (Pandora)

  8. The Greek God of the Sky gave his name to the seventh planet from the (Earth’s) sun. Which planet? (Uranus)

  9. Who was the King of Phrygia who, when given a wish, unwisely chose a foolish means to get rich quick? (Midas)

  10. If Helen of Troy had enough beauty to launch a thousand ships, how many ships would one Millihelen of beauty launch? (One)

 

Round 1

2023 in the UK (Answers)

  1. In January 2023, a memoir detailing the life of Prince Harry, ghostwritten by J.R. Moehringer, was published in the UK. What was the book’s title? (Spare) 

  2. On 6th May 2023, the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla I took place in Westminster Abbey. Which government minister held the Sword of Offering upright for an hour during the ceremony? (Penny Mordaunt)

  3. In which English city did the Eurovision Song Contest take place in May 2023? (Liverpool)

  4. Who left ITV’s This Morning programme in May 2023 after his earlier relationship with a much younger male colleague was revealed? (Philip Schofield)

  5. In June 2023, the former Government advisor Charlotte Owen was made a life peer in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list. Within five years, how old was Ms Owen when she became a Baroness? (30; 25 – 35 gets a point)

  6. Which 74-year-old singer/songwriter appeared on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival in June 2023 performing hits such as Morning Has Broken and Peace Train? (Cat Stevens (or Yusuf))

  7. Which private bank closed Nigel Farage’s accounts in June 2023? (Coutts)

  8. Protesters from which environmental activist group disrupted the First Night of the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in July 2023? (Just Stop Oil)

  9. In August 2023, England reached the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Which nation beat them in the final? (Spain)

  10. In September 2023, Rishi Sunak announced that the sale of new cars with petrol or diesel engines would be banned in the UK from which year? (2035)

 

6.45 for 7pm.  Your hosts tonight: Steve and Barbara.

Welcome to LALG’s February (2024) Monthly Quiz

 

  • Please put your Team Name and the Round Number in the Subject box of each email and, just to be on the safe side, please also head the text with the Round Number

  • Questions for Rounds 1 to 4 (ten questions in each round) will be published here at 7.00, 7.15, 7.30 and 7.45pm. There will be 15 minutes to complete each round. Your answers should be sent to lalgquiz@outlook.com before the start of the next round. You may copy the questions into the email, and then put the answer after each question, if you find that easier. 

  • Please note that some devices may need you to refresh the screen from time to time to see each new round. Depending on the type of device you are using, you can do this by pressing either the F5 key or the refresh icon.

  • At 8.00pm there will be a round (Round 5; fifteen questions) lasting 30 minutes to allow for refreshments. The questions for Round 5 should be answered and returned by 8.30pm. The answers for Rounds 1 to 4 will also be provided by about 8 15pm.

  • There will be another four rounds (Rounds 6 to 9) issued at 8.30, 8.45, 9.00 and 9.15pm. Make sure to read the instructions for Round 6 carefully. The ten answers for each of these rounds should again be submitted within 15 minutes.

  • The answers to Rounds 5 to 9 will be placed on the website at 9.45pm. Teams should mark all nine rounds themselves and then send the results for each round plus the overall total to lalgquiz@outlook.com after the end of the quiz. Please do not send any results during the quiz.

  • Please do not use the email address at the top right of this page (MonthlyQuiz@ ......) as this will not be checked during the evening.

  • The Quizmaster’s decisions will be final.

  • The spelling of an answer, providing it is intelligible, will not be assessed.

  • There are no prizes but there are points and the final list of each team’s points will be published here by Sunday evening.

  • And remember, to paraphrase Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the most important thing in a quiz is not to win but to take part.

 

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