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GK 40
Quiz
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| First performed in 1959, which English dramatist wrote the play "Sergeant Musgrave's Dance" in which the title character displays an oddly violent pacifism? | John Arden |
| According to W.S. Gilbert's satirical attack on the aesthetic movement in "Patience": "You will rank as an apostle in the high aesthetic band/If you walk down Piccadilly with a poppy or..." - which flower - "in your medieval hand"? | Lily (a symbol of the aesthetic movement) |
| Which is the last of the Chronicles of Narnia books? | The Last Battle |
| The acronym MIDI, an electronic device that allowed synthesizers and the like to be connected to computers, stands for what? | Musical Instrument Digital Interface |
| Which monument on a hill outside Pretoria commemorates the Battle of Blood River and the achievements of the first Dutch farmers in leaving the British Cape Colony in southern Africa and moving to the interior in the 1830s? | Voortrekker Monument |
| In Aeschylus' play "Seven Against Thebes" the rival claimants to the throne are the sons of which man? | Oedipus |
| What does the letter R represent in the formal name of the World Bank, often abbreviated to IBRD? | Reconstruction (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development) |
| Also known as Inchcape Rock, what is the other name of the reef off the NE coast of Scotland with a lighthouse designed by the father of Robert Louis Stevenson? | Bell Rock |
| Which former England football manager created the private eye Hazell with Gordon Williams under the pseudonym PB Yuill? | Terry Venables |
| Who had a 2017 UK number 1 with "Havana", the track also featuring Young Thug? | Camila Cabello |
| Which city is the HQ of the Met Office in the UK? | Exeter |
| How many pods are there on the London Eye? | 32 |
| The number of pods on the London Eye was chosen because it corresponds to the number of what? | London boroughs (32) |
| The name of which marine creature is a corruption of the Latin locusta? | Lobster |
| In which Dickens novel of 1865 does the schoolmaster Bradley Headstone attempt to murder Eugene Wrayburn? | Our Mutual Friend |
| What pen-name was used by Nathan Weinstein, the US author of The Day of The Locust and Miss Lonelyhearts? | Nathanael West |
| Who directed the films "Gregory's Girl" and "Gregory's Two Girls"? | Bill Forsyth |
| Who wrote the epistolary novel Evelina in 1778, in which the eponymous heroine is recognised ultimately as the rightful heir of Sir John Belmont? | Fanny Burney |
| Who wrote the lines "Hope springs eternal in the human breast/Man never is but always but to be blest"? | Alexander Pope |
| Which battle of 1275 resulted in the death of Godfred VI Magnuson, the last Norse King of the Isle of Man? | Battle of Ronaldsway |
| Which word prefixes the names of compounds containing copper in its plus-one oxidation state? | Cuprous |
| According to the motto of conservative German nationalists, embraced by the Nazis, which K went along with Kinder and Kirche in the supposed role of women? | Kuche (Kitchen) |
| "Lie heavy on him earth, for he lay many a heavy load on thee!" is the epitaph of which English architect and dramatist, who died in 1726? | John Vanbrugh |
| The English name of a travel account by the late 17th century Japanese haiku-master Matsuo Bashō, what title was used by the Australian novelist Richard Flanagan for a book of 2013? | The Narrow Road To The Deep North |
| Balearic, sooty and Manx are species of which medium-sized, long-winged seabirds? | Shearwaters |
| Who received the first Best Actor Oscar nomination for playing a non-human, for his role as the titular "Starman" in 1984? | Jeff Bridges |
| In an 1899 issue of "International Geography", Hugh Robert Mill introduced which word to accompany lithosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere? | Biosphere |
| In March 2000, which US singer-songwriter complained that lyrics from his song "I Am The Way" had been included in Robbie Williams' song "Jesus In A Camper Van"? | Loudon Wainwright III |
| Which traditional African song was recorded by The Weavers in 1950, and subsequently became a British hit for Karl Denver, and for The Tokens and Tight Fit, when it was re-titled "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"? | Wimoweh |
| "The Mother of Modern Dance" is an epithet that has been given to which dancer and choreographer, born in San Francisco in the late 1870s? She died in an accident in 1927. | Isadora Duncan |
| De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae (Latin for "On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain", sometimes just "On the Ruin of Britain") is a work by which 6th-century AD British cleric? | Gildas |
| What does the English place name suffix -ing mean? | "The people of..." |
| Which British novelist and scriptwriter (1864-1943) who specialised in romantic fiction that was considered scandalous for its time popularized the concept of "It"? | Elinor Gwyn |
| In the Dark Ages what was the value placed on every being and piece of property? If property was stolen, or someone was injured or killed, the guilty person would have to pay it as restitution to the victim's family or to the owner of the property. | Weregild |
| Earl Byrhtnoth and his thegns led the English against a Viking invasion in which battle of 991CE in Essex? | Battle of Maldon |
| Which possibly mythical 5th-century warlord in Britain, according to Bede, is said to have invited Hengist and Horsa to aid him in fighting the Picts and the Scots? | Vortigern |
| Edward the Exile (1016 – 19 April 1057), also called Edward Ætheling, the son of King Edmund Ironside and of Ealdgyth spent most of his life in exile in which kingdom? | Hungary |
| How is US singer Ashley Nicolette Frangipane better known? | Halsey |
| Fleury Abbey lies on the banks of which European river? | Loire |
| On what date of 1066 was the Battle of Hastings? | 14th October |
| Who co-created Dungeons and Dragons? | Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson |
| Who was the first ever European Footballer of the Year? | Stanley Matthews |
| Who was the first non-European winner of European Footballer of the Year? | George Weah |
| Give a year in the life of Cardinal Richelieu. | 1585-1642 |
| Which Cuban track and field athlete who specialises in the 110 metre hurdles set a World Record in 2008 and won gold at the Olympics that year? | Dayron Robles |
| Which Jamaican athlete won gold at the men's 110m hurdles at the 2016 Beijing Olympics? | Omar McLeod |
| Sharing his forename with a star sign, and setting a world record time of 12.80 s set on September 7, 2012, who won Olympic gold at the men's 110m hurdles at the 2012 London Olympics? He had a kidney transplant in 2015. | Aries Merritt |
| Accommodating 150,000 spectators what was the largest venue of Classical Europe, and one of the largest sporting arenas of all time? | Circus Maximus |
| How high off the ground are the hurdles in the Men's 110m event in athletics? | 3ft 6in |
| What name was given to the World Curling Championships from 1968 to 1995? | Silver Broom |
| Who wrote 1850's "The Scarlet Letter"? | Nathaniel Hawthorne |
| "There's No Business Like Show Business", written for the musical Annie Get Your Gun, was her signature song - which American actress and singer was born with the surname Zimmerman on January 16th 1908? | Ethel Merman |
| Kiruna is the northernmost city of which European country? | Sweden |
| Which open-air theatre located in Central Park, in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, opened in 1962? | Delacorte Theater |
| In metallurgy and materials science, what name is given to a heat treatment that alters the physical and sometimes chemical properties of a material to increase its ductility and reduce its hardness, making it more workable? | Annealing |
| What is the literal meaning of the name of the Chinese game "Mah jong"? | Sparrows |
| Which woman, born in 1884, was the niece of one American president and the wife of another? | Eleanor Roosevelt |
| Terra Natalis was the name given to a region on the eastern coast of which modern country by Vasco de Gama after he first sighted it on Christmas day in 1497? | South Africa |
| Who was the youngest of Queen Victoria's nine children, born 1857? | Beatrice (Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom) |
| Napoléon, Prince Imperial (full name: Napoléon Eugène Louis Jean Joseph Bonaparte, prince impérial; 16 March 1856 – 1 June 1879), also known as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, was killed in which war, ending hopes of a Bonapartist restoration? | Anglo-Zulu War |
| Who said "At long last I am able to say a few words of my own. I have never wanted to withhold anything, but until now it has not been constitutionally possible for me to speak." on December 11th 1936? | Edward VIII |
| Which British PM's last words were reputedly "I'm so bored with it all"? | Winston Churchill |
| Which woman (1932-2015) was acquitted of running a brothel at 32 Ambleside Avenue, in Streatham, a southwestern suburb of London? | Cynthia Payne |
| What was the most common weapon used before the introduction of firearms in Africa, especially used by Zulus? It a pole weapon used for throwing, usually a light spear or javelin made of wood and pointed with iron or fire-hardened tip. | Assegai |
| Who was Cleopatra (VII)'s father and predecessor as ruler of Egypt? | Ptolemy XII Auletes |
| A powerful and influential woman with a reputation for promiscuity who was the third wife of the Roman Emperor Claudius? | Messalina |
| Who was the first US President to have impeachment proceedings against him, for "Violating the Tenure of Office Act"? He was acquitted. | Andrew Johnson |
| Give a year when Henry Campbell-Bannerman was Prime Minister. | 1905 to 1908 |
| Which war was ended by the Treaty of Paris in 1856? | Crimean War |
| In which year was Indira Gandhi assassinated? | 1984 |
| Eleanor of Provence was married to which King of England? | Henry III |
| Which sculptor created "Cloud Gate" for the AT&T Plaza at Millennium Park, Chicago? | Anish Kapoor |
| Derived from the Latin for a tumulus, what name is given to a narrow sand or shingle bar that links a small island with another island or the mainland? | Tombola |
| Defined by Interpol as "money transfer without money movement", deriving from an Arabic word for transfer, what name is given to an alternative remittance channel in mainly Muslim countries that exists outside traditional banking systems? | Hawala |
| Which company was founded by Erling Persson in 1947, when he opened his first shop in Västerås, Sweden? | H & M |
| Which King of Scotland was nicknamed "Toom Tabard", meaning "empty coat"? | John Balliol |
| In 2016, which airline, founded in 1984, was the largest European airline by scheduled passengers flown, and carried more international passengers than any other airline? | Ryanair |
| Which low-cost airline was established in 1967 by Herb Kelleher? In the 2010s it was one of the biggest airlines in the world. | Southwest Airlines |
| In 1997 which airline alliance was founded by Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International, Air Canada, Lufthansa, and United Airlines? | Star Alliance |
| In 1998, American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines (which left the alliance a few years later on merging with Air Canada), Cathay Pacific, and Qantas founded which airline alliance? | OneWorld |
| Émile Gagnan (November 1901 – 1979) was a French engineer and, in 1943, co-inventor of what? | Aqualung (with Cousteau) |
| John Jacob Loud (November 2, 1844 – August 10, 1916) was an American inventor known for designing the first example of what, until a more famous inventor produced a more practical version? | Ballpoint pen |
| In physics and geometry, what name is given to the curve that an idealized hanging chain or cable assumes under its own weight when supported only at its ends? | Catenary |
| A complex number is invariably made up of which two components? | Real and Imaginary Numbers |
| If the x coordinate is an abscissa, what is the y coordinate properly called? | Ordinate |
| With which song did Winifred Atwell become the first black artist to have a UK number 1, in 1954? | Let's Have Another Party |
| Which 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones, loosely based on the play The Romancers by Edmond Rostand, ran a total of 42 years and 17,162 performances off-Broadway, making it the world's longest-running musical? | The Fantasticks |
| Which 18th Century French physician (1678 – March 22, 1761) is known as the 'father of modern dentistry'? | Pierre Fauchard |
| Killed at the Battle of Fitjar in 961AD, who was the first Christian King of Norway? | Haakon I (Haakon the Good) |
| Which oddly-named city in Alberta was described by Rudyard Kipling as "all hell for a basement" referring to the vast reserves of natural gas beneath it and is thus known colloquially as the Gas City? | Medicine Hat |
| What do the letters CITES stand for in the name of the international agreement? | Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species |
| The first ten amendments to the US Constitution are collectively known by what name? | Bill of Rights |
| Which former child actor, who played Richie Cunningham in Happy Days, later directed "Frost/Nixon", "The Da Vinci Code" and "Apollo 13"? | Ron Howard |
| Which game is known as Rochambeau in the USA and Jam Ken Pon in Japan? | Rock Paper Scissors |
| What is the equivalent decimal value of eight shillings and sixpence? | Forty two and a half pence |
| Stendahl's novel 'Le Rouge et le Noir', a Bildungsroman telling the story of the ambitious Julien Sorel, is set during the reign of which French king? | Charles X |
| Which famous sports team, founded in the late 1920s, originally featured members from a semi-professional team known as the Savoy Big Five? | Harlem Globetrotters |
| What name is given to the peninsula that forms the detached former northern portion of Lancashire, preserved in the name of a borough in what is now in Cumbria? | Furness |
| In a film of 2015, Alex Jennings played two aspects of the personality of which writer, a device which allowed the character to be portrayed having arguments with himself? | Alan Bennett (in The Lady In The Van) |
| What is the more common name for calcium magnesium carbonate? It is named after the man who described it in 1791. | Dolomite |
| Which theatre architect was perhaps best known for his work in London, under Moss Empires, which included the designs of the Hippodrome (1900), Hackney Empire (1901), London Coliseum (1903), London Palladium (1910), and the Victoria Palace in 1911? | Frank Matcham |
| Which two Greek words, meaning "image of a king", formed the title of the collection of works supposedly written by the incarcerated Charles I of England, and published on the day of his burial in 1649? | Eikon Basilike |
| There are nine of which unit in a firkin of beer? | Gallons |
| The mythological lovers Pyramus and Thisbe, whose story is performed by the mechanicals in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", belonged to which ancient civilisation? | Babylon (they first appear in Ovid) |
| Charles I in Three Positions, also known as the Triple portrait of Charles I, is an oil painting of Charles I of England painted in 1635 or 1636 by which artist? | Sir Anthony van Dyck |
| In which borough of New York City will you find the Botanical Gardens and Poe Cottage, the last home of Edgar Allan Poe before his mysterious death in 1849? | The Bronx |
| On October 3, 1849, Edgar Allan Poe was found delirious on the streets of which city, where he died 4 days later? | Baltimore |
| In Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Cask of Amontillado" what is the not-very-fortunate fate of the character Fortunato? | He is bricked up and left to die (in a cellar) |
| Violet Gibson was known for her attempt to assassinate which prominent figure in 1926? | Benito Mussolini |
| Who directed the film "The Misfits", released in 1961, and featuring the final roles of both Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe? | John Huston |
| Which suburb of Birmingham is a class shibboleth, with so-called working-class speakers emphasizing the first syllable and giving the second syllable a short "I" sound, while the upwardly mobile emphasize the second syllable as a long "A"? | Edgbaston |
| Which three-word phrase, frequently encountered during the Second World War, is believed to have originated with a shipyard inspector in Quincy, Massachusetts, who chalked it on the inside of ships' hulls to show that a check had been made by him? | Kilroy Was Here |
| Mentioned in Matthew's gospel, what monetary unit was equal to 3000 shekels? | Talent |
| Brian Eno, was an original member of which 1970s band, being their keyboard player and technical adviser? | Roxy Music |
| Which migratory bird comprises the genus Hirundo and is the hirondelle in heraldry? | Swallow |
| Who was the eldest son of William the Conqueror? | Robert Curthose |
| Which Roman fort stood on the site of Newcastle Upon Tyne? | Pons Aelius |
| What name did Anders Ekberg give to the silvery-grey metallic element of Group 5B he isolated in 1802, because of the teasing difficulty he had in dissolving its oxide in acids? | Tantalum |
| Andrew Motion's "In A Perfect World" was the first poem to be written by a Poet Laureate in honour of which organisation, founded in 1868? | Trades Union Congress |
| Which British model, born in Billericay in 1980, has been the face of D&G's Light Blue fragrance since 2006 and competed in the 2013 and 2015 Mille Miglia Italian endurance races as well as powerboat races with Martini Racing? | David Gandy |
| Where was the second meeting of Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin during WW2, in February 1945? | Yalta |
| Where was the first meeting of Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin during WW2, in November 1943? | Tehran |
| The former John Street, in Hampstead in London, was renamed to reflect the street's association with which major poet who lived there between 1818 and 1820? | John Keats (it is now Keats Grove) |
| Blaisdon Red, Early Laxton and Rivers' Early Prolific are varieties of which fruit? | Plum |
| To which great French cinema director did Steven Spielberg give a bit-part as a UFO expert in the 1977 film "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"? | François Truffaut |
| Incredible though it now seems, in 1970s Britain there was a group openly advocating paedophilia, under the acronym PIE - what did PIE stand for? | Paedophile Information Exchange |
| Which English noun can mean both conscientious and industrious attention to a task, and a type of stagecoach? | Diligence |
| Throughout the British isles are thoroughfares and squares called "The Butts" - this indicates that which activity formerly took place there? | Archery |
| In the opening chapters of which Dickens novel is corpse of a man called John Harmon found floating in the Thames? | Our Mutual Friend |
| Also the name of a pop group, eurythmics was a form of musical education through movement invented by which Frenchman in the early 20th century? | Emile Jacques Dalcroze |
| In July 1976, who became the first democratically elected Spanish Prime Minister after the death of Franco? | Adolfo Suarez |
| Which small market town on the outskirts of Milton Keynes is best known for its annual Pancake Race that has taken place each Shrove Tuesday since 1445? | Olney |
| As of 2018, which two nations have "observer status" at the UN? | Vatican City, Palestine |
| As of 2018, which is the only nation recognised by the UK that is not a member or observer state of the UN? | Taiwan |
| In 1842, the British general and Commander-in-Chief in India, Sir Charles Napier, sent which famous one-word Latin message (meaning 'I have sinned') back to Headquarters after his victories at Meanee and Hyderabad? | Peccavi |
| In 1777, Marie Grosholtz (later Madame Tussaud) created her first sculpture. Who was the subject? | Voltaire |
| Found in the shallow tropical marine waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans, what is the common name of Synanceia verrucosa, the world's most venomous fish? | Stonefish |
| Katharine Lee Bates was inspired to write the words to the song 'America the Beautiful' in 1893 after taking a carriage ride to the top of which mountain in the Front Range of the Rockies in Colorado? | Pikes Peak |
| Published in 1911, what was the title of Max Beerbohm's only novel, a satire on life at Oxford University? | Zuleika Dobson |
| The final plate of William Hogarth's 'A Rake's Progress' series depicts a scene inside which institution, founded in London in 1247? | Bethlem Hospital (also called Bedlam) |
| A similar size to the sparrow, Micrathene whitneyi is the world's smalleset species of owl; what is its common name? | Elf Owl |
| Born in 1867, who was the American sculptor best known for creating the monumental presidents' heads at Mount Rushmore? | Gutzon Borglum |
| What is the name of the radio tower in Moscow, designed by Nikolai Nikitin, that, at 540 metres (1772 feet), is the tallest free-standing structure in Europe and was until the construction of the CN Tower also the tallest structure in the world? | Ostankino Tower |
| Nikolai Nikitin was also involved in the construction of which statue on Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd which, at 84 metres (270 feet) tall, is one of the tallest sculptures in the world? | Mother Motherland Is Calling/Mother Motherland Calls |
| Named after the English naturalist who first described it, what is the name of the phenomenon in which harmless, edible species develop resemblances to other distasteful poisonous species in order to gain protection from predators? | Batesian Mimicry |
| In 1850, while playing for the South against the North at Lord's, which cricketer took all 10 wickets in an innings, all clean bowled, which was the first and, to date, only instance of this in first class cricket? | John Wisden |
| According to tradition, San Marino was founded in 301AD by the stonemason Saint Marinus of Rab after fleeing his homeland in fear of the persecution of which Roman Emperor? | Diocletian |
| If people from England are known collectively as the English, then which Italian word is used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of San Marino? | Sammarinese |
| Which sea takes its name from the Kyrgyz word for 'sea of islands'? | Aral Sea |
| Which passerine bird is the official state bird of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia? | Cardinal |
| With a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 8, the Oruanui eruption is the name given to an eruption of which New Zealand volcano in approximately 24,500BC, the world's largest known eruption in the last 70,000 years? | Taupo |
| Born in Bristol, England in 1821, which women's rights activist, who opened the Women's Medical College with Florence Nightingale, became the United States' first qualified female doctor? | Elizabeth Blackwell |
| Louis Brabant, a 16th Century valet to Francis I of France, is thought to have been the first person to become proficient in which stagecraft? | Ventriloquism |
| Which Scottish-born Australian swimmer won three gold medals at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne and became the first man to swim the 1,500 metres freestyle in under 18 minutes? | Murray Rose |
| Which Micronesian atoll in the Pacific Ocean is of special interest to geneticists because of the prevalence of the rare disease complete achromatopsia, sufferers of which are completely unable to distinguish colours? | Pingelap |
| Tommaso da Modena's 1352 portrait of Hugh of Provence is the earliest painting to show its subject wearing what? | Glasses |
| In botany, what defines a leaf, flower or fruit described as 'sessile'? | It has no stalk (it grows directly from the stem) |
| In reality, what colour is an aeroplane's so-called "black box"? | Orange |
| Kyoto was capital of Japan from which century until 1868, when it was transferred to Edo, now Tokyo? | 8th (794CE) |
| Growing to little over three feet at the shoulder, which Asiatic buffalo, Bubalus depressicornis, is the smallest of all wild cattle? | Lowland Anoa |
| Highclere Castle was the real-life setting for which television drama series? | Downton Abbey |
| Who played pirate Geoffrey Thorpe in the 1940 film "The Sea Hawk"? | Errol Flynn |
| Duncan Renaldo played which eponymous character in an 1950-1956 American TV series? | The Cisco Kid |
| Kevin Patterson and Julio Geordio were comic creations by which English comedian? | Harry Enfield |
| Cato Fong was which fictional character's manservant? | Inspector Clouseau |
| Diversion is a 1980 British short film written by James Dearden, that he later adapted it into which much bigger 1987 American film? | Fatal Attraction |
| Mike Delfino, played by James Denton, was a main character in all 8 series of which US TV show? | Desperate Housewives |
| For her role in the 2007 film No Country for Old Men, she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She went on to star for five seasons in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014) as Margaret Thompson. Which actress? | Kelly MacDonald |
| "I Am a Camera" is a 1951 Broadway play by John Van Druten that was later adapted in to which Broadway musical and hit film? | Cabaret |
| Who voiced Homer's crush Mindy Simmons in series 5 of "The Simpsons"? | Michelle Pfeiffer |
| Which Swedish director was responsible for the films "Force Majeure" (2014) and "The Square" (2017), which won the Palme D'Or? | Ruben Östlund |
| Who directed the films "Crimes and Misdemeanours" and "Hannah And Her Sisters"? | Woody Allen |
| Which fictional vehicle was piloted by Steve Zodiac? | Fireball XL5 |
| Which Dutch/Palestinian film director has received two Academy Award nominations: in 2006 for his film Paradise Now, and again in 2013, at the 86th Awards, for his film Omar? He also directed "Rana's Wedding". | Hany Abu-Assad |
| What is the surname of the family who were the main focus of the TV series "Arrested Development"? | Bluth |
| In which British town or city is the longest pleasure pier in the world? | Southend |
| Which geographical corridor is sometimes called the "Afghan Panhandle"? | Wakhan Corridor |
| Dresden is the capital of which Germen state? | Saxony |
| Frankley Services is located on which British motorway? | M5 |
| Which Ivy League university is located in Ithaca, New York state? | Cornell University |
| The Shona people are most associated with which country? | Zimbabwe |
| From what did the Australian suburb of Surfer's Paradise change its name in 1933? | Elston |
| On the outskirts of which European city is Schloss Nymphenburg? | Munich |
| Lahemaa National Park is on which country's north coast? | Estonia |
| Which of the main Orkney Islands lies nearest Scotland's mainland? Its main settlement is St Margaret's Hope. | South Ronaldsay |
| St Enoch railway station was in which British city from 1876 until its demolition in 1977? | Glasgow |
| Which European city boasts a copy of the Arc De Triomphe that was inaugurated on 1st December 1936? | Bucharest |
| What is the national currency of Afghanistan? | Afghani |
| Ambleside stands on which lake? | Lake District |
| Huntingdon Castle was located in which English county? | Cambridgeshire |
| The face of the Great Sphinx of Giza is generally held to represent which pharaoh? | Khafre |
| What is the currency of Palau? | US Dollar |
| The town of Honiton in Devon is famed for its production of which commodity? | Lace |
| The site of a current power plant, what was the name of the Norwegian plant used by the Nazis to produce heavy water in WW2, and sabotaged by resistance fighters, as depicted in the film "The Heroes of Telemark"? | Vemork |
| The minority ethnic group, the Setos chiefly inhabit which two countries? | Estonia,Russia |
| What is the capital of the Austrian state of Upper Austria? | Linz |
| What is the capital of the Austrian state of Lower Austria? | St. Pölten |
| Chamaenerion angustifolium, commonly known in North America as fireweed, is known by what name in the UK? | Rosebay/Rosebay Willowherb |
| The unofficial flag of which English county is a dark green cross on a pale blue background, and a yellow Tudor Rose at the centre? | Derbyshire |
| Which Indian city is nicknamed the "Pink City"? | Jaipur |
| In which TV series of the 1980s - set '20 minutes into the future' - did the seriously injured investigative reporter Edison Carter have a copy of his mind downloaded onto a computer? | Max Headroom |
| The Devil's Tower volcanic neck can be found in which US state? | Wyoming |
| Which Austrian author wrote the 1914 novel "The Golem"? | Gustav Meyrink |
| Who commanded the joint French and Spanish fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar? | (Admiral Pierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de) Villeneuve |
| The probably real Hittite King Mita of Mushki later found fame in Greek myth as which legendary character? | King Midas |
| How are the people generally known as Phoenicians known in the Bible? | Canaanites |
| Sardis was the largest city in which ancient kingdom, now in Turkey? | Lydia |
| Which pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt is mentioned in "1 Kings" in the Bible as invading Judah? | Shoshenq I |
| The city-kingdom of Kition, from where Zeno of Citium hailed, is now in which modern-day city? | Larnaca (Cyprus) |
| Derived from an old Norse word, a Cleg is another name for which insect? | Horsefly (also called gadfly) |
| Who directed The Empire Strikes Back, the James Bond adaptation Never Say Never Again, and RoboCop 2? | Irvin Kershner |
| Which British tennis player became the first British male to reach a Grand Slam final for 61 years in 1997? | Greg Rusedski |
| According to tradition, the founder of which ancient city-state on Cyprus was Teucer, son of Telamon, who could not return home after the Trojan war because he had failed to avenge his brother Ajax? | Salamis |
| In Greek myth, Kadmos or Kadmus was the founder and first king of which major city-state? | Thebes |
| In a suit of armour, greaves protect which part of the body? | Shins |
| In the original Phoenician, from which the Greek and ultimately our alphabets derive, what was the meaning of the first letter"aleph"? | Ox |
| In the original Phoenician, from which the Greek and ultimately our alphabets derive, what was the meaning of the second letter"bet"? | House |
| In the original Phoenician, from which the Greek and ultimately our alphabets derive, what was the meaning of the third letter "gimel", later "gamma"? | Stick |
| Which island and UNESCO World Heritage Site, lying off the coast of Queensland, is the world's largest sand island? | Fraser Island |
| "Clunton and Clunbury/Clungunford and Clun/Are the quietest places/under the sun" are lines from a poem published in the 1890s, naming villages in which county? | Shropshire (from A.E Housman's "A Shropshire Lad") |
| In physics, what name is given to the observable effect whereby the course of a moving object appears to be deflected by the rotation of the Earth? | Coriolis Effect |
| Which English scientist developed the method of classifying fingerprints by patterns, a system - improved upon later by Sir Edward R. Henry - that was introduced at Scotland Yard in 1901? | Francis Galton |
| On which temperature scale - propose din 1730 - is the freezing point of water 0 degrees and the boiling point 80 degrees? | Réaumur scale |
| "Titus Groan" was the first part of Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast trilogy - what were the other two? | Gormenghast, Titus Alone |
| Mervyn Peake was commissioned to create the logo for which publisher of paperback books? | Pan |
| Which British Labour politician defined his foreign policy as "being able to take a ticket at Victoria Station and go anywhere I damn well please"? | Ernest Bevin |
| In which field of the arts is the Prix Goncourt awarded? | French literature |
| Warren Casey and Jim Jacobs wrote which stage musical first performed in 1971, that later became a massively successful film? | Grease |
| Which animal did Robert Koch use in his experiments to develop a TB vaccine? | Guinea Pigs |
| The trophy awarded to the winners of the European Football Championship is named after which French football administrator who first proposed the idea for such a tournament in 1927? | Henri Delauney |
| Which 1976 American-British musical gangster comedy film was directed by Alan Parker and featured only child actors? | Bugsy Malone |
| What was the epithet given to Ptolemy I of Egypt, meaning "saviour"? | Soter |
| Which Seleucid monarch, who reigned from 175 BC until his death in 164 BC suppressed the Jewish religion by force in 167BCE? | Antiochus IV Epiphanes |
| What is the motto of the Salvation Army? | Blood and Fire |
| Wittern, whitty, wiggen and quickbeam are all dialect words for which species of tree? | Rowan/mountain ash |
| Which novel by Robert Graves did Alexander Korda attempt to film in 1937, with Charles Laughton in the title role, although the project was abandoned after a few weeks' shooting? | I, Claudius |
| Which Greek word applies to the proposed union between Cyprus and Greece? | Enosis |
| Which British reservoir was created in the 1970s by damming the river Kwash? | Rutland Water |
| Which US musician, who was unaware for many decades that his recordings had made him a huge star in South Africa, was the subject of the 2012 documentary "Searching For Sugarman"? | Sixto Rodriguez |
| Hippoglossus hippoglossus is the scientific name for which common flatfish found in the North Atlantic? | Halibut |
| What name is given to someone whose specific job is to shoe horses? | Farrier |
| In jazz, what adopted forename is common to the drummer and bandleader William Henry Webb and the pianist with real name Armando Corea? | Chick (Check Webb; Chick Corea) |
| In the 1400s, John Holland, Duke of Exeter created which instrument of torture while Constable of the Tower of London? | Rack |
| In use in the Austro-Hungarian period, what is the German name of Ljubljana? | Laibach |
| Which term, coined by Ludwig von Rochau in the 19th century describes pragmatic politics based on material needs rather than moral ideals? | Realpolitik |
| In tectonics, the oceanic plate on the Pacific coastline of South America is named after which ancient culture? | Nazca |
| Who wrote the 1920 long work "Hugh Selwyn Mauberley"? | Ezra Pound |
| Who is believed to have authored the Aegyptiaca, or History of Egypt, at the request of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, of great interest to Egyptologists for evidence of the chronology of the reigns of the ancient Pharaohs? | Manetho |
| What is the largest of the Phlegrean Islands? | Ischia |
| Which island, off Sardinia's SW coast, is the site of ancient Sulci, considered the second city of Sardinia in antiquity? | Sant'Antioco |
| Which Portuguese novelist and playwright, author of 'The Gospel According to Jesus Christ' and the 2004 work 'Seeing' was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998? | Jose Saramago |
| Which island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska is the westernmost point of the United States? | Attu Island |
| By what Italian name was the city of Nice officially known prior to its cession to France in 1860? | Nizza |
| Who was the Spanish Renaissance Roman Catholic philosopher and theologian, remembered for his influential theories regarding international law, who founded the intellectual school of thought known as the School of Salamanca in the early 16th Century? | Francisco de Vitoria |
| Imaqliq, Nunarbuk and Ratmanov Island are all alternative names for which island in the Bering Strait? | Diomede Island |
| Which 16th Century English author wrote the plays 'Supposes' and 'Jocasta', both published in 1566? | George Gascoigne |
| Which town, located at the confluence of the Tagus and Jarama rivers just south of Madrid, derives its name from the Basque for 'valley of thorns'? | Aranjuez |
| In which country was 1964's October Revolution? | Sudan |
| In which country was 1974's Carnation Revolution? | Portugal |
| In which country was 1978's Saur Revolution? | Afghanistan |
| What is Greece's third-largest city and the regional capital of Western Greece, in the northern Peloponnese? | Patras |
| What does 'pithecus' mean in the name "Australopithecus"? | Ape |
| Which town was designated the first of Britain's "new towns" in 1946? | Stevenage |
| What was the profession of the first Olympic champion Koreibos of Elis? | Baker |
| Galanthus nivalis is the Latin designation for which common spring flower? | Snowdrop |
| Which 251-seat, not-for-profit theatre in Covent Garden, London, England derives its name from its founders Donald and Margaret Albery? | Donmar Warehouse |
| What is the name given to the method of mining where rock is removed progressively in horizontal layers from the surface downwards, rather than vertically through shafts? | Open cast mining |
| The works "The Grapes Of Wrath" by Steinbeck and "In the Beauty of the Lilies" by John Updike both derive their titles from which hymn? | The Battle Hymn Of The Republic |
| The six official languages of the UN are English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, French and which other? | Russian |
| Which science fiction author, born in 1890, is best known for the Lensman and Skylark series? | E.E. Smith |
| Who was heir apparent to the British throne from 1727 until his death from a lung injury at the age of 44 in 1751, and was father of George III? | Frederick, Prince of Wales |
| The five main actresses of which UK sitcom that ran from 1992 to 2012 all had first names beginning with the letter 'J'? | Absolutely Fabulous |
| Which 60s pop group were sued for libel when they sent out promotional postcards of showing the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Harold Wilson, in bed with his secretary, Marcia Williams? | The Move |
| Which word, the surname of a New Zealand film director, can be preceded by bladder, sea and moss in the names of British wold flowers? | Campion |
| As of 2018, which is the largest British trades union? | UNITE |
| The largest monument anywhere in the world to be dedicated to a writer commemorates whom? | Walter Scott |
| In the 1960s "Family Choice" was the short-lived successor to which previous radio programme that had run for over 20 years? | Housewives' Choice |
| What is a mountweazel? | Deliberately incorrect entries in reference works such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and directories |
| Lt Columbo's first name was not Philip - what was it? | Frank |
| What was the name of the giraffe that made the news in 1977 by doing the splits at Marwell Zoo and never getting back up again? | Victor |
| Laura Jesson and Alec Harvey are the central characters in which film? | Brief Encounter |
| Which son of Zeus is said to have founded the Nemean Games of ancient Greece? | Heracles |
| Toronto (2015), Guadalajara (2011) and Rio de Janeiro (2007) have hosted which multi-sport event? | Pan American Games |
| The late Robert Kennedy was the senator for which state? | New York |
| Which day occurs on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday? | Corpus Christi |
| In the music hall song, the lady who dillied and dallied rather than follow the van carried what? | Linnet |
| Rosh Hashanah (New Year) and Yom Kippur occur in which month of the Hebrew Calendar? | Tishri/tishrei |
| How is Yom Kippur known in English? | Day of Atonement |
| From Rodgers and Hart's song "Mountain Greenery" "Beans could get no keener reception..." - where? | In a beanery |
| Which US composer's music was used in the 1974 ballet "Elite Syncopations"? | Scott Joplin |
| Which numbered Haydn symphony is the "Surprise Symphony"? | 94 |
| Premiered in 1892, what was Tchaikovsky's last opera? | Iolanta |
| Which political family’s compound, with three houses on six acres of waterfront property, is in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts? | The Kennedys |
| Prue (Shannen Doherty) and Phoebe Halliwell (Alyssa Milano) were witches in which TV show? | Charmed |
| Laraine Brennan, Julia Cameron, Isabella Rossellini and Barbara De Fina are which US film director’s ex-wives? | Martin Scorsese |
| The bashkir curly is the only known hypoallergenic breed of which animal? | Horse |
| Which Austrian-Hungarian conductor directed the Hallé (1899-1911) and the London Symphony Orchestra (1904-11)? | Hans Richter |
| Known for Monkeys Smoking and Drinking, which Antwerpenaar was a prominent 17th-century painter of peasant life? | David Teniers the Younger |
| Which Japanese games maker produced Space Invaders and Bubble Bobble? | Taito Corporation |
| Neville Cardus called which ruler of Nawanagar “the Midsummer night’s dream of cricket”? | Ranjitsinhji |
| Which Swedish industrialist, best remembered for his invention of the AGA cooker, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1912 for his invention of the sun valve? | Gustaf Dalén |
| Which Pope founded the Pontifical Swiss Guard, which has acted as the personal bodyguard of the Pope ever since, in 1506? | Julius II |
| With approximately 104 million speakers worldwide, which is the mostly widely spoken language that is not the official langauge of any country (although it does have some official status within parts of some countries)? | Punjabi |
| Which Swedish film director, who made several music videos for ABBA and the film 'Abba: The Movie', had his first international success in 1985 with 'My Life as a Dog' before working on such American movies as 'The Cider House Rules' and 'Chocolat'? | Lasse Hallström |
| Which pomace wine, obtained by fermenting must, is distilled to make the Turkish anise-flavoured liqueuer, raki? | Suma |
| Which 6th Century Italian saint was named the patron saint of Europe by Pope Paul VI in 1964? | St Benedict (of Nursia) |
| Which English football club are the world’s oldest football club, having been founded in 1857? | Sheffield FC |
| Which anchorman’s TV crew includes sportscaster Champ Kind and weatherman Brick Tamland? | Ron Burgundy |
| Which London museum’s Rothko room often displays up to nine of his Seagram murals? | Tate Modern |
| Which writer, known for his portraits of New York low-life, was on the staff of the New Yorker until his 1996 death, and although he attended the offices every day, he produced nothing at all for his last 32 years, suffering with severe writer's block? | Joseph Mitchell |
| The Rosebay Willowherb has another name that relates to why it used to be common on bomb sites - what is that? | Fireweed |
| How is the statue of Molly Malone on Grafton Street, Dublin, affectionately and humorously nicknamed? | The Tart with the Cart |
| Featuring the cross of Ypres an oil lamp - known as the Lamp of Maintenance - is the symbol of which charitable organisation? | Toc H |
| According to legend, what was the profession of Peeping Tom, the Coventry citizen struck blind for observing the naked Lady Godiva? | Tailor |
| Which writer founded the review "Les Temps Moderne" with Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Raymond Aron and Jean-Paul Sartre? | Simone de Beauvoir (Sartre was her lifelong companion) |
| In 2014, Whitney Wolfe Herd launched which dating app where women make the first move? | Bumble |
| Which second husband of Joan Collins co-wrote the Bond theme Goldfinger? | Anthony Newley |
| Which Nobel laureate remains the only US president to have earned a PhD? | Woodrow Wilson |
| Which “father of American ballet” married the ballerinas Tamara Geva, Vera Zorina, Maria Tallchief and Tanaquil Le Clercq? | George Balanchine |
| A term popularised by the climatologist Jerry Mahlman, hockey stick graphs present what information? | The global/hemispherical mean temperature record of the past 500 to 2000 years |
| What is the correct full title of the body who annually hand out the 'Oscars'? | The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |
| In Wagner's Ring Cycle, who is the father of the Valkyries? | Wotan (NOT Odin) |
| Which 20th century British politician was the only one of the century to hold all four great offices of state: Chancellor, Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary and Prime Minister? | James Callaghan |
| To the nearest 1%, what percentage of the air we breathe is oxygen? | 21% |
| What adjective is officially used to describe the water in bodies such as The Baltic Sea, which is not as saline as the open ocean due to the volume of fresh water that flows into it? | Brackish |
| Which English writer married Thomas Mann's daughter Erika in 1935, in order to secure her a British passport? | WH Auden |
| In materials engineering, what is the term for a point when a body is permanently deformed through stress? | Yield point/yield strength |
| Now located 20km from the Estonian border, which city was the scene of the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II in 1917? | Pskov |
| During the late 1800s, which cult religion, also called Nanissáanah, was briefly practiced by Native American tribes in the South-Western USA, in the hopes of ridding their lands of white settlers? | The Ghost Dance |
| Which US writer and publisher, in editorial charge of Cosmopolitan magazine for over 30 years from 1965, wrote the influential book "Sex And The Single Girl"? | Helen Gurley Brown |
| A member of the Birmingham Group of working class authors, who is best known for his 1931 novel "Saturday Night at the Greyhound"? | John Hampson |
| Who created the idea of the Daleks for the Dr Who series, though Raymond P. Cusick designed their look? | Terry Nation |
| Which nation fought a successful war of independence from 28 November 1918 – 2 February 1920 as part of the Russian Civil War? | Estonia |
| What is Lithuania's second-largest city? | Kaunas |
| What is the name of the village, halfway between the towns of Vannes and Quiberon in Brittany, that is famous for its extensive collection of Neolithic menhirs, said to have been a Roman legion turned to stone by Merlin? | Carnac |
| The historical region of Bukovina is currently split between which two European countries? | Romania and Ukraine |
| Which Irish bishop and saint built the monastery of Clonmacnoise on the River Shannon in County Offaly in 545 AD? | Saint Ciarán |
| Home to several art galleries, the Palazzo Pitti stands on the banks of which river? | Arno |
| Which Polish town on the River Raba is home to the world’s oldest operating salt mine that was built in the middle of the 13th Century? | Bochnia |
| In which European city could you visit the Mercedes-Benz Museum, completed in 2006? | Stuttgart |
| How is the plant anagallis arvensis, or "poor man's weather glass" better known? | Scarlet Pimpernel |
| In which country did the Women's Institute first form in 1896? | Canada |
| On which island did the first British branch of the Women's Institute form in 1915? | Anglesey |
| Which famous Hollywood sound effect was created by combining the actor's voice, the howl of a hyena, the bleat of a camel, the growl of a dog, and the plucked sound of a violin G-string? | Tarzan's yell |
| Which satirist drew the cartoon that first depicted The Bank of England as 'The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street'? | James Gillray |
| Which British bird is turdus philomenos? | Song Thrush |
| Who created the Academy Award-winning scores to the films Dances with Wolves and Out of Africa? | John Barry |
| GvHD is a medical complication following the receipt of transplanted tissue from a genetically different person. For what does GvHD stand? | Graft versus Host Disease |
| Which band consists of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel? | Air |
| On December 2, 1896, Bob Fitzsimmons fought Tom Sharkey in a Heavyweight Boxing match. Who was the controversial referee? | Wyatt Earp |
| Which game features alleys, aggies and cats' eyes? | Marbles |
| Which abbey, the last to be disbanded during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, is also reputed to be where King Harold was buried after the Battle of Hastings? | Waltham Abbey |
| The Greatest Gift is a 1943 short story written by Philip Van Doren Stern which became the basis for which film of 1946? | It's A Wonderful Life |
| 'The Sonnet' (1839) and 'Choosing the Wedding Gown' (1846) are among the most famous works of which Irish-born genre painter? | William Mulreany |
| The construction of the Arch of Titus, that commemorates the sacking of Jerusalem and is located on the Via Sacra in Rome, was ordered by which Emperor? | Domitian |
| Published in 1819, which historical novel by Sir Walter Scott was used as the basis of Gaetano Donizetti's most famous bel canto opera? | The Bride of Lammermoor |
| Which Spanish missionary, who according to the Catholic Church converted more people to Christianity than anyone since St Paul, died on Shangchuan Island off China in 1552? | St Francis Xavier |
| In 2000, Italy lost their first ever Six Nations rugby match against which country? | Scotland |
| What is the name of Cyprus' largest mountain range that has its highest peak at Mount Olympus? | Troodos Mountains |
| Singers Football Club took its name from the bicycle manufacturer whose employees founded the club in 1883. To what did the club change its name in 1898? | Coventry City FC |
| In which battle that took place on 8 January 871 did Alfred the Great, then a prince of only 22, led the army of his brother, King Ethelred of Wessex, in a victorious battle against the invading Danes? | Battle of Ashdown |
| Which former US Secretary of State was born in Bavaria on May 27, 1923? | Henry Kissinger |
| Which major European battle occurred on 21st October 1805? | Trafalgar |
| Which former US Secretary of State was born in Czechoslovakia on May 15, 1937? | Madeleine Albright |
| On what date in 1815 was the Battle of Waterloo? | 18th June |
| Hubert Humphrey was the US Vice-President to which President? | Lyndon B Johnson |
| Who was Dwight D Eisenhower's Vice-President? | Richard Nixon |
| Yorkshire's Battle of Towton occurred in which year? | 1461 |
| Enoch Powell only ever held one Cabinet post - which one, from 1960-63? | Minister of Health |
| The Battle of Prestonpans occurred in which conflict? | Jacobite Rising of 1745 |
| Victory Boogie Woogie (1942-44) is the last, unfinished, work by which Dutch abstract painter? | Piet Mondrian |
| The Aceh War (1873-1904) was fought between the sultanate of Aceh and which kingdom? | The Netherlands |
| Which strait between the Arabian peninsula and Iran is the world’s most important oil artery? | Strait of Hormuz |
| Alan Shepard, the first US man in space, also commanded which Apollo mission? | Apollo 14 |
| Which Lewis Carroll character says a word “means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less”? | Humpty Dumpty (in Through the Looking-Glass) |
| Which classic play of 1956 centres around the Tyrone family? | Long Day's Journey Into Night (Eugene O'Neill) |
| Who made the first recorded observations of the phases of Venus? | Galileo Galilei |
| Which Apollo mission was the first manned mission to go to the 'dark side of the moon', by way of being the first manned mission to orbit it? | Apollo 8 |
| Name either of the astronauts who walked on the moon from the Apollo 12 mission, the second mission to land men on the moon. | Charles "Pete" Conrad, Alan L. Bean |
| On what date in 1969 did man first walk on the moon, in the person of Neil Armstrong? | July 20th |
| Agatha Christie's 1943 novel "The Moving Finger" takes its title from a translation of which work? | Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám: |
| "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side" by Agatha Christie takes its title from which poem? | The Lady of Shalott (by Alfred, Lord Tennyson) |
| Which mathematical theorem, now proved, states "Every simply connected, closed 3-manifold is homeomorphic to the 3-sphere"? | Poincaré conjecture |
| The Indian festival of Raksha Bandhan celebrates the relationship, specifically, between who? | Brothers and sisters |
| The Hindu festival of Ratha-Yatra, where chariots in honour of Krishna and other deities are pulled in the town of Puri, gave rise to which English word? | Juggernaut |
| The Hindu festival Dussehra commemorates whose victory over the demon Ravana? | Rama |
| Which French post-impressionist painter in the Naïve or Primitive manner painted "The Football Players" in 1908? | Henri Rousseau |
| Which American realist painter (1844-1916) was noted for his nudes and paintings of surgical theatre, and painted "The Gross Clinic" in 1875? | Thomas Eakins |
| Born 1834, which French artist painted "Scene from the Steeplechase", "Fallen Jockey" and "Racehorses at Longchamp"? | Edgar Degas |
| Which Austrian-born “founder of modern management” coined the term “knowledge worker” in 1959? | Peter Drucker |
| The Barong Tagalog, more commonly known as simply Barong (and occasionally called Baro) is the national dress of which country? | Philippines |
| Which military engagement in the Gallic Wars that took place in September, 52 BC is considered to be one of Caesar's greatest victories, and was the last major engagement between Gauls and Romans? | Siege of Alesia |
| The fourth and last book of Arthur C. Clarke's Space Odyssey series is called "The Final Odyssey", and is prefixed by a year - which one? | 3001 |
| In which 1957 film classic do we find out none of the characters are named - until the very end, when two of them tell each other their names "Davis" and "McArdle"? | 12 Angry Men |
| In which city was Isambard Kingdom Brunel born? | Portsmouth |
| What is a LogMAR chart used for? | Testing eyesight |
| What do cyclists say "SMIDSY" stands for, a term heard after an accident? | Sorry Mate I Didn't See You |
| What structure has forms called dogleg, open, well and circular? | Staircases |
| How is Fulgurite formed? | Ground struck by lightning |
| Albert Einstein received a PhD in 1905 from which university? | Zurich |
| "Verses Upon The Burning Of Our House" written on 10th July 1666 was written by which Puritan poet? | Anne Bradstreet |
| The Joad family appear in which work of literature? | The Grapes of Wrath |
| Which US novelist, short story writer's 1962 novel "Ship of Fools" was the best-selling novel in America that year? | Katherine Anne Porter |
| In which decade did Ezra Pound die? | 1970s (1972) |
| Which Thomas Hardy film is subtitled "A Rural Painting of the Dutch School"? | Under The Greenwood Tree |
| Which Puerto Rican-American poet and doctor's notable poems include "The Red Wheelbarrow" and the poetry collections "Spring and All" and "Paterson"? | William Carlos Williams |
| What is the translation of the German word "weltanschaung"? | World view |
| In which decade did Thomas Hardy die? | 1920s (1928) |
| The Elementary Education Act 1870 allowed for compulsory schooling until what age in the UK? | 12 |
| In which year in the UK were the Corn Laws repealed? | 1846 |
| Charles Dickens' novels 'The Old Curiosity Shop' and 'Barnaby Rudge' both appeared originally in serial form in which short-lived weekly periodical that was published between 1840 and 1841? | Master Humphrey's Clock |
| The New York police arrested the entire crew and cast of which play at its first public performance in 1905 because of its frank portrayal of prostitution? | Mrs Warren's Profession |
| Who did Adolf Hitler appoint as the temporary leader of the Nazi Party whilst he was incarcerated in Landsberg Prison after the unsuccessful Beer Hall Putsch? | Alfred Rosenberg |
| What was the name of Hitler's German Shepherd, given as a gift to him by Martin Bormann in 1941, that was killed by Hitler on the day of his own death when he tested the cyanide tablet that he and Eva Braun were then to take on the dog? | Blondi |
| Who was the lover and accomplice of Charles Starkweather, the spree killer who murdered 11 people in Nebraska, Missouri and Wyoming in 1957 and 1958? At fourteen she is the youngest person ever to be tried for first degree murder in the United States. | Caril Ann Fugate |
| Deriving ultimately from the Quechua for 'splendid foundation', what was the name of the legendary first king of the Kingdom of Cuzco in Inca mythology? | Manco Capac |
| Who was 'Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office' in Downing Street under Edward Heath, Harold Wilson, Jim Callaghan and Margaret Thatcher before his retirement in 1987 when he was eventually replaced by Humphrey? | Wilberforce |
| Named after the American female golfer who dominated her sport in the 1920s, what name is given to the trophy awarded to the LPGA player with the lowest seasonal scoring average? | Vare Trophy |
| Who became the first (and to date, only) Argentinian to win the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, doing so in 1970 "for his discovery of sugar nucleotides and their role in the biosynthesis of carbohydrates"? | Luis Federico Leloir |
| Which 1980 film, that tells the story of a team of 4 men who head deep into the jungle to make a documentary on native tribes, was banned in Italy when rumours were circulated that the actors were actually killed to record the murder scenes? | Cannibal Holocaust |
| After hydrogen and oxygen, what is the third most abundant element in seawater? | Chlorine |
| In which year did Albert Einstein die? | 1955 |
| In 1852, who introduced the safety elevator, which prevented the fall of the cab if the cable broke? He demonstrated it at the New York exposition in the Crystal Palace in a dramatic, death-defying presentation in 1854. | Elisha Otis |
| In printing, what is the value of a point (DTP or desktop publishing point), in inches? | 1/72 (72 points to an inch) |
| In jewellery, what is the value of a point in carats? | 1/100 (there are 100 points in a carat) |
| What name is given to the side of a right-angled triangle opposite the right-angle? | Hypotenuse |
| In computing - designed to be the successor to MP3, for what does AAC stand? | Advanced Audio Coding |
| In computing, what dis MPEG stand for? | Moving Pictures Experts Group |
| Who first established the principle of the lightning rod in Pennsylvania in 1749? | Benjamin Franklin |
| What is the Griffon Bruxellois or Brussels Griffon? | Dog |
| The British "Spring Double" consists of the Grand National and which other race? | Lincoln Handicap |
| French Officer Pierre-François Bouchard discovered what in 1799? | Rosetta Stone |
| Which fairy tale character was the subject of operas by both Rossini (1817) and Massenet (1899)? | Cinderella |
| Which Shakespearean character was the subject of operas by both Rossini (1816) and Verdi (1887)? | Othello |
| According to the Bible, from what type of wood was Noah's Ark made? | Gopher wood |
| Which 1970 Top 10 hit in the UK begins "I met her in a club down in old Soho"? | Lola |
| According to the Bible from what type of wood was the Ark of the Covenant made? | Acacia wood |
| The arch monument "Gateway of India" is in which city? | Mumbai |
| What was the name of the South African leader who died on 12 September 1977 while in police custody? | Steve Biko |
| What name is given to both a female lobster and a female octopus? | Hen |
| Which novelist left his work "The Confessions of Felix Krull" unfinished at his death in 1955? | Thomas Mann |
| The River Orinoco, for part of its length, forms a border with Venezuela and which other country? | Colombia |
| The Orange River, for part of its length, forms a border with South Africa and which other country? | Namibia |
| Which artist's last work "The Transfiguration" was left unfinished at his death in April 1520? | Raphael |
| Who played Jim Hacker in a TV series that ran from 1980 to 1988? | Paul Eddington |
| Which work by Hesiod is a farmer's almanac in which he instructs his brother Perses in the agricultural arts? | Works and Days |
| Which part of the region of Central Greece, also a region in Ancient Greece, has its capital at Livadeia, and its largest city at Thebes? | Boeotia |
| Who was the teacher of the Neoplatonist philosopher Iamblichus? | Porphyry |
| According to legend, which ancient philosopher worked out the connection between musical notes and mathematical ratios when he walked past a blacksmith's shop and noted the different tones that rang out when different lengths of metal were struck? | Pythagoras |
| From which city did the ancient Presocratic philosopher Heraclitus hail? | Ephesus |
| Which philosopher, economist and sociologist developed the term "character mask", based on the idea of mimesis in Greek theatre, where a character is disguised within another? | Karl Marx |
| Which US city is nicknamed "The Big Orange"? | Los Angeles |
| Taking its name from a 16,000 verse French work, a 'Romance' of 1170 that detailed incidents in the life of a noted person from Antiquity, what name is commonly given to a line of verse having six iambic feet? | Alexandrine |
| Named after the archipelago in the Arctic where it was first described by Gerrit de Veer, what name is given to the polar mirage, caused by refraction of sunlight between atmospheric thermoclines, that gives the effect the Sun is rising earlier? | Novaya Zemlya Effect |
| Primarily associated with the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, which graffiti tag used on the streets of New York City from 1977 to early 1980 stands for "Same old shit"? | SAMO |
| Once known as the "Mikado" which term meaning literally "heavenly sovereign" is used for the Japanese Emperor within the country? | Tenno |
| The Suez Canal opened in which decade? | 1860s (1869) |
| Cape São Roque is located in which country? | Brazil |
| Mizen Head, a major tourist attraction, and noted for its dramatic cliff scenery, is in which Irish county? | Cork |
| How is flowering plant Prunus spinosa better known? | Blackthorn or sloe |
| Brother William of Baskerville is the main protagonist in which 1980 work of fiction? | "The Name of The Rose" by Umberto Eco |
| What is the largest lake entirely in Canada and the fourth largest in Canada? | Great Bear Lake |
| Which is the only one of the five Great Lakes of North America located entirely within the United State? | Lake Michigan |
| According to ancient sources, Alexander the Great, thrilled to meet a famous philosopher, asked if there was any favour he might do for him. Which philosopher replied, "Yes, stand out of my sunlight"? | Diogenes |
| Porlamar is the largest settlement on which island, nicknamed the "island of pearls"? | Margarita Island |
| A Personal Record is an autobiographical work (or "fragment of biography") by which author, published in 1912? | Joseph Conrad |
| Named after a French otolaryngologist, what name is given to the involuntary tendency of speakers to increase their vocal effort when speaking in loud noise to enhance the audibility of their voice? | Lombard effect/Lombard reflex |
| The Big Dipper (US) or the Plough (UK, Ireland) is a large asterism consisting of seven bright stars in which constellation? | Ursa Major |
| Sterope, Merope, Electra, Maia, Taygeta, Celaeno, and Alcyone are stars in which asterism in the constellation Taurus? | Pleiades |
| The 1985 The Pogues album "Rum, Sodomy & The Lash" used which artwork on its cover? | The Raft of The Medusa (Gericault) |
| Derived from the Arabic "az-zulayj" (meaning 'polished stone') and similar in style to the zellige found in Morocco, which form of painted and glazed ceramic tilework is found on the interior and exterior of buildings in Spain and Portugal? | Azulejo |
| The Geneva conventions comprise three additional protocols and how many core treaties (or conventions)? | Four |
| Which 1977 Sam Peckinpah film - set during World War II - is based on Willi Heinrich's 1956 novel The Willing Flesh? | Cross of Iron |
| Which 1971 film is lightly based upon Gordon M. Williams's 1969 novel, The Siege of Trencher's Farm? | Straw Dogs |
| Who wrote 1361's "De Mulieribus Claris", notable as the first collection devoted exclusively to biographies of women in Western literature? | Giovanni Boccaccio |
| Adriano Sturli and Alfred von Decastello, students of Landsteiner, together discovered which of the four blood types? | AB |
| a rotund mad scientist who plans to conquer the world in order to build his own empire, who is the main antagonist of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series? | Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik |
| The second-deepest trench in the world, reaching 35,700 feet (about 10,900 meters) at its deepest point, is named after which country in Oceania? | Tonga (Tonga trench) |
| Also known as sword-and-sandal, which genre of largely Italian-made historical or Biblical epics dominated the Italian film industry from 1958 to 1965, eventually being replaced in 1965 by Spaghetti Westerns? They were named for a tunic-like garment. | Peplum |
| Andy Warhol famously said ""In the future, everyone will be world-famous for..." how many minutes? | Fifteen |
| In which city was Alexander I of Yugoslavia assassinated by Bulgarian revolutionary Vlado Chernozemski during a state visit? | Marseille |
| In which year did Robert Maxwell drown? | 1991 |
| His younger brother, Boleslaus the Cruel, was complicit in the murder of which man in 935? | Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia |
| "The Fountains of Paradise" and "Childhood's End" are novels by which science fiction writer? | Arthur C. Clarke |
| Who was the pianist partner of TV's "Muffin the Mule" from 1946 until her death in 1955? | Annette Mills |
| Who replaced Brian Johnson as lead singer of AC/DC in 2016? | Axl Rose |
| Which actor, who once provided the voices of the Tetley Tea Folk, was a professional wrestler who once went by the name "Leon Arras the Man From Paris"? | Brian Glover |
| The authors of Book of Ingenious Devices, which described various machines and automata, what collective name, meaning ‘son of Moses’, is given to Abū Jaʿfar, Abū al‐Qāsim, and Al-Ḥasan, three 9th century brothers and scholars from Baghdad? | Banū Mūsā brothers |
| Which Irish Fine Gael politician served as Taoiseach from 2011 to 2017? | Enda Kenny |
| Who was the first actor to refuse the Academy Award for Best Actor? | George C Scott |
| Who was appointed the tenant for life of Highgrove House in 1980? | Prince Charles |
| In Scrabble, how much is the letter J worth? | Eight points |
| How many red balls are used in the game of billiards? | One |
| Which artist designed the sleeve for the Beatles' "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album? | Peter Blake |
| Which German intelligence officer, first seen in "Biggles Flies East" is Biggles' arch-enemy? | Erich Von Stalheim |
| Which veteran British rock band won a Grammy in 2014 for their album "Celebration Day"? | Led Zeppelin |
| Who was the first cricketer to play in 200 Test Matches? | Sachin Tendulkar |
| On which island was tennis star Rafael Nadal born? | Majorca |
| Which character did Christopher Lee play in "The Man With The Golden Gun"? | (Francisco) Scaramanga |
| Which investment bank was founded in 1869 in Lower Manhattan and is named after the founder and his son-in-law? | Goldman Sachs |
| Described as one of the best detectives at Scotland Yard, which fictional Inspector appears in multiple Sherlock Holmes stories - the first being "A Study In Scarlet"? | Inspector Lestrade |
| Who played the character of Sherlock Holmes / Reginald Kincaid in the 1988 movie "Without A Clue"? | Michael Caine |
| In the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, it is revealed that Dr John Watson's middle name begins with which letter? | H |
| Who played the character of "Dr Watson" in the US TV series "Elementary"? | Lucy Liu |
| What do the letters BBFC stand for in the name of the cinema organisation founded in 1912? | British Board of Film Classification |
| The adjective galline refers to which animal? | Chicken |
| In how many films did Pierce Brosnan play James Bond? | Four |
| Which person received an honorary BAFTA in 2013 for her outstanding contributions to the film and television industries? | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Which British author wrote a series of romantic novels known as "The Rutshire Chronicles"? | Jilly Cooper |
| At the Olympic Games, how high is the high diving board, in metres? | 10m |
| The gothic horror story "Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter" was by which author? | Sheridan Le Fanu |
| Born 11th January 1503, how was author Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola better known? | Parmigianino |
| Pemberley is a fictional country estate in which novel? | Pride and Prejudice (It is owned by Mr Darcy) |
| Better known in another scientific context, what term is defined in astronomy as "the absorption and scattering of electromagnetic radiation by dust and gas between an emitting astronomical object and the observer"? | Extinction |
| The Arabian, Scimitar, Gemsbok and East African are the four extant species of which genus of antelope? | Oryx |
| In economics, what term defines the practice of taking advantage of a price difference between two or more markets: striking a combination of matching deals that capitalize upon the imbalance, the profit being the difference between the market prices? | Arbitrage |
| A crested crane and a cob appear on the coat of arms of which landlocked African country that gained independence from the UK in 1962? | Uganda |
| Which hoofed animal appears on the coat of arms of Eritrea? | (Dromedary) camel |
| Which artist has two British galleries dedicated to their work: one in St Ives and one in Wakefield? | Barbara Hepworth |
| Which influential sculptor was born Naum Neemia Pevsner? | Naum Gabo |
| What is the tallest complete cathedral in France? | Amiens Cathedral |
| Which island, home to a Cistercian Abbey, lies 0.6 miles (1 km) off the coast near Tenby in Pembrokeshire, Wales? | Caldey Island |
| The Syrah grape takes its name from which city in Iran? | Shiraz |
| What is the longest river in New Zealand? | Waikato River |
| In which English county are the Howardian Hills? | North Yorkshire |
| 12,060foot high volcano Semeru is the highest point on which island? | Java |
| Which Mediterranean country is divided into 81 provinces called 'ils'? | Turkey |
| Which NYC borough was, until 1975, called the "Borough of Richmond"? | Staten Island |
| Closed in 1859, which pleasure garden in Kennington on the south bank of the River Thames, were well known as the site of romantic assignations? | Vauxhall Gardens |
| Attercliffe and Heeley are suburbs and constituencies in which city? | Sheffield |
| In 2016, which US sprinter's daughter was fatally shot in the parking lot of a Cook Out restaurant in Lexington, Kentucky? | Tyson Gay |
| Who won the men's 100m Olympic gold in 1996? | Donovan Bailey |
| Which team do Southampton play in the 'New Forest derby'? | Bournemouth |
| Who released the album "Reputation" in 2017? | Taylor Swift |
| A "Tintoretto" is a Bellini with the peach puree replaced with what? | Pomegranate Juice |
| Actress Patsy Kensit's first husband was a member of which band? | Big Audio Dynamite |
| Sprinter Freddie Fredericks represented which nation? | Namibia |
| The name of which city also means "to eat" in German? | Essen |
| Which big cats were a symbol of royalty in Ancient Egypt and were kept as pets by Genghis Khan and Charlemagne? | Cheetahs |
| Who held the 100m men's world record immediately before Usain Bolt? | Asafa Powell |
| Who married Olivia Arias in 1978? | George Harrison |
| A gybe or jibe is a manoeuvre in which sport? | Yachting |
| Which football team were losing finalists in the FA Cup 3 times in the 1960s? | Leicester City |
| Playing cards are generally held to have originated in which country? | China |
| The Middleton Cup and Leonard Trophy are competed for in which sport? | Bowls |
| Which cricket commentator's cricket career was curtailed as a teenager when he suffered a very serious accident, when he was hit by a bus while riding a bicycle? | Henry Blofeld |
| In which calendar year were Manchester United last relegated from the English top division? | 1974 |
| Which Australian cricketer was Fred Trueman's 300th test wicket? | Neil Hawke |
| What is the Spanish word for bullfighting? | Corrida |
| Who won the first European Footballer of The Year Award in 1956? | Stanley Matthews |
| What name is given to the traditional Apulian dry stone huts with conical roofs? | Trulli (singular: trullo) |
| The MetroCentre shopping centre can be found in Dunston, which is the most westerly part of which British town? | Gateshead |
| Which English cathedral possesses a famous 24-hour clock, an astronomical clock from about 1325, believed to be the work of Peter Lightfoot? | Wells Cathedral |
| Carinthia is located in which country? | Austria |
| In which city was Boris Johnson born? | New York City |
| Quebec City stands on which river? | St Lawrence |
| Which company's headquarters and main manufacturing facilities are located in Martorell, an industrial town located some 30 kilometres northwest of Barcelona? | SEAT |
| The Indian company TATA is headquartered in which city? | Mumbai |
| Which country's flag features, in its centre, one rendering of the Arabic simply stating "God Is Great"? | Iraq |
| The Arabic phrase Allāhu Akbar, or "God is Great" is also known by what term? | Takbir |
| The Fountain of Rosello is considered the symbol of which city, the second largest on Sardinia? | Sassari |
| The centre of the Iranian flag features the Iranian emblem, a stylised version of the Persian for what word? | Allah/God |
| The words "Paz y Justicia" feature on which national flag? | Paraguay |
| The Equator reaches the Indian Ocean at the coast of which African country? | Somalia |
| Stane Street was a Roman road that linked London to which town or city? | Chichester |
| The hilltop of Ambohimanga, a traditional fortified royal settlement, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in which country? | Madagascar |
| The Equator in South America traverses Brazil, Ecuador and which other country? | Colombia |
| Referencing two rivers, which line forms the basis of the international border between Germany and Poland? | Oder–Neisse line |
| Corinium Dobunnorum was the Roman name for which location? | Cirencester |
| Bari is the capital of which Italian region? | Apulia |
| Which Scottish First Minister resigned in 2001 after a financial scandal? | Henry McLeish |
| In which decade was Portugal's Carnation Revolution? | 1970s (1974) |
| Which pupil of Socrates (c. 445 – c. 365 BC) was regarded as the founder of Cynic philosophy? | Antisthenes |
| What was the first and family name of the famously disappearing peer Lord Lucan? | Richard Bingham |
| Used by the Royal Navy in WW1 what name was given to heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks? | Q-ships |
| Which prison did Ronnie Biggs escape from in 1965? | Wandsworth |
| Which king of the Zulu Kingdom from 1873 to 1879 famously led the Zulu nation to victory against the British in the Battle of Isandlwana? He was the last king of an independent Zulu nation. | Cetshwayo (kaMpande) |
| How was the mobster Arthur Simon Flegenheimer born August 6, 1901 better known? | Dutch Schultz |
| With the last known meeting held with all the bosses in November 1985, what name is given to the governing body of the American Mafia, formed in 1931? | The Commission |
| It ran across Italy from just north of where the Garigliano River flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west, through the Apennine Mountains to the mouth of the Sangro River in the east, what was the rearward of the German defensive lines in Italy in WW2? | Gustav Line |
| Opium is made from which substance secreted by the opium poppy, when dried? | Latex |
| Which reservoir on the Euphrates in Raqqa Governorate, Syria was created in 1974 when the Tabqa Dam was closed? | Lake Assad |
| At levels between 215 metres (705 ft) and 209 metres (686 ft) below sea level, what is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth? | Sea of Galilee |
| In archaeology, what name is given to a distinctive type of sediment, artefact, style or other cultural trait that is found across a large geographical area, from a limited time period? | Horizon |
| Which culture of the European Neolithic, flourishing c. 5500–4500 BC is abbreviated as LBK? | Linearbandkeramik/Linear Band Ceramic |
| Which ancient building technique involves a woven lattice of wooden strips being interfilled with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw? | Wattle and Daub |
| Who is the only English monarch to also have been crowned King of France? | Henry VI |
| Dawda Jawara was which country's first President? | Gambia |
| What was the codename of the failed mission to rescue US hostages in Iran in 1980 that Jimmy Carter blamed for his subsequent election loss? | Operation Eagle Claw |
| From the Arabic for blasting or drifting, what name is given to a type of intense dust storm carried on an atmospheric gravity current, also known as a weather front? | Haboob |
| What name is generally given to an unsuccessful attempt by the Kingdom of Scotland to become a world trading nation by establishing a colony called "Caledonia" in the late 1690s, the subsequent widespread bankruptcy contributing to the Act of Union? | Darien Scheme |
| James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, who led a famous rebellion, was the illegitimate son of which king? | Charles II |
| James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, led an unsuccessful rebellion to depose which king? | James II |
| Caroline of Brunswick was the estranged wife of which monarch? | George IV |
| The Great Potato Famine in Ireland began in which decade? | 1840s |
| Which country ceded control of Guyana to Britain in 1814? | Netherlands |
| Sranan Tongo is an English-based creole language that is spoken as a lingua franca by approximately 500,000 people in which country? | Suriname |
| General Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay was the first man to hold which post, from 1952-57? | Secretary-General of NATO |
| From which country did Madagascar declare independence in 1960? | France |
| Joseph Kony was the leader of which guerrilla group that operated in northern Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo? | Lord's Resistance Army |
| The grandfather of Charlemagne, this king of the Franks defeated an army of the Umayyad caliphate at the Battle of Tours in 723CE, earning him what nickname that translates as "the Hammer"? | Martel |
| It was announced in October 2018 that a Greek merchant ship, dating back more than 2400 years, was found lying on its side a mile under what body of water, making it one of the world's oldest shipwrecks? | Black Sea |
| What is the name of the Washington DC theatre in which John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln? | Ford's Theatre |
| Which city was the capital of the Emirate of Sicily (831-1072CE)? | Palermo |
| Which Spanish explorer, governor, and conquistador is best known for having crossed the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean in 1513, becoming the first European to lead an expedition to have seen or reached the Pacific from the New World? | Vasco Núñez de Balboa |
| French multimedia artist Laure Provost picked up which prestigious prize in 2013? | Turner Prize |
| Which nephew of Pope Paul V (reigned 1605-21) was an early patron of the sculptor Bernini and a collector of works by Caravaggio? Works by both artists are among those displayed at the gallery housed in this man's family villa on the Pincian Hill in Rome. | Cardinal Scipione Borghese |
| Who was the first boxer ever to regain the heavyweight title? | Floyd Patterson |
| Earthquakes were said to be the manifestation of his laughter. Which Ancient Egyptian god of the Earth is both the brother and husband of the sky goddess Nut? | Geb |
| Who was the UK Prime Minister at the time of the Apollo 11 landings? | Harold Wilson |
| Which Persian polymath (854–925 CE) wrote Kitab al-Mansuri, a work on temperament and physiognomy, and Kitab al-Hawi, a 'medical encyclopedia'? | Rhazes (Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi) |
| Which bird (Aegithalos caudatus) is occasionally referred to as the silver-throated tit or silver-throated dasher? | Long-tailed tit |
| Which bird, native to the UK, alcedo atthis, makes a nest of regurgitated bones? | Common kingfisher |
| Which chemical element makes up approximately 60% of a human's body weight? | Oxygen |
| By what two word name are the Group 1 elements of the Periodic Table known? | Alkali metals |
| What is the only radioactive transition metal? | Technetium |
| In the world of chemistry, what is the IUPAC? | International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry |
| WKL Dickson, William Kennedy-Laurie Dickson, was a Scottish inventor who devised an early motion picture camera under the employment of which more famous man? | Thomas Edison |
| What general name is given to the six chemical elements in group 2 of the periodic table? They are beryllium (Be), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), and radium (Ra) | Alkali Earth Metals |
| Often used to make rods, bars and tubes, by what one-word name is the is process where a material is pushed through a die of the desired cross-section known? | Extrusion |
| Home to the world's highest sand dunes, which desert is Africa's third biggest? | Namib |
| Found in Xinjiang, what is the world's second largest shifting sand desert, crossed by the Tarim Desert Highway, which links the cities of Hotan (on the southern edge) and Luntai (on the northern edge)? | Taklamakan |
| In which valley is "Silicon Valley", south of San Francisco, located? | Santa Clara Valley |
| Which English cathedral is home to the supposed remains of King Canute? | Winchester |
| What is the meaning of the term "thwaite" in place names? | Meadow (or clearing) |
| In which city was former UK PM Henry Campbell-Bannerman born? | Glasgow |
| What is the modern name of the place known to the Romans as Vectis? | Isle of Wight |
| In which English county is Ingleborough cave? | North Yorkshire |
| Which Albanian city was historically known as Epidamnos and Dyrrachium? | Durrës |
| Which Roman road once ran from Rome to Constantinople? It crossed Illyricum, Macedonia, and Thrace, running through territory that is now part of modern Albania, Macedonia, Greece, and European Turkey as a continuation of Via Appia. | Via Egnatia |
| Elaine Strich starred with Donald Sinden in which ITV comedy that ran from 1974-79? | Two's Company |
| What was the name of the fictional cab company in the US TV series "Taxi"? | Sunshine Cab Company |
| Which 2002 movie starred Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz and was an English-language adaptation of Alejandro Amenábar's 1997 Spanish film "Open Your Eyes", with Penelope Cruz reprising her role from the original film? | Vanilla Sky |
| Who played the school teacher Charles Shaughnessy in the 1970 film "Ryan's Daughter"? | Robert Mitchum |
| Which UK sitcom broadcast from 1989 to 1995 was based around Sheila Sabatini, a senior surgeon at the Gillies Hospital? | Surgical Spirit |
| Which actress played Diana Trent in the 1990s UK TV sitcom "Waiting For God"? | Stephanie Cole |
| Which singer played himself in 1996 cult film "Mars Attacks!", with his song closing out the film? | Tom Jones |
| In The Flintstones, who is Betty and Barney Rubble's adopted son? | Bamm-Bamm |
| In 2016, who made Olivier Award history when she won Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in The Winter's Tale, breaking her own record with her eighth win as a performer? | Judi Dench |
| Who, in 1994, became only the second woman ever nominated for a Best Director Oscar with "The Piano"? | Jane Campion |
| Who played Dr Edward Fitzgerald in a British TV drama that ran from 1993-2006? | Robbie Coltrane |
| Novels featuring which literary and later TV hero began with the 1937 novel The Happy Return? | Horatio Hornblower |
| In which country was Hollywood actress Hedy Lamarr born? | Austria |
| In "The Forsyte Saga" by John Galsworthy, which book follows "A Man of Property"? | In Chancery |
| What is the final book in the original "The Forsyte Saga" trilogy? | To Let |
| Who wrote the thriller "The Fourth Protocol"? | Frederick Forsyth |
| What is the alternative title of Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein"? | The Modern Prometheus |
| Private Robert E. Lee "Prew" Prewitt is a character in which novel? | From Here To Eternity |
| Who are the wife and son of the Raymond Briggs character Fungus the Bogeyman? | Mildew and Mold, respectively |
| Whose series of humorous books on how to secure an unfair advantage began in 1947 with Gamesmanship? | Stephen Potter |
| Which English executioner employed by King Charles II beheaded the Duke of Monmouth, taking between five and eight blows to do so, according to witnesses? | Jack Ketch |
| Whose portrait of Anne of Cleves apparently helped induce Henry VIII to marry her? | Hans Holbein (the Younger) |
| Whose portrait of the Duke of Wellington was stolen from the National Gallery in 1961? It featured in the 1962 film "Dr No". | Goya |
| Mr Barkis is a character in which Dickens novel? | David Copperfield |
| Which writer created the character "Bulldog" Drummond? | H. C. McNeile/Sapper |
| Bassanio is a character in which play by Shakespeare? | The Merchant of Venice |
| Which book gave Anita Brookner her Booker win? | Hotel du Lac |
| Who won the 1984 Booker Prize for their novel "The Bone People"? | Keri Hulme |
| What was the sequel to the Anita Loos book "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"? | But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes |
| The Bobbsey Twins, the principal characters of what was, for many years, the Stratemeyer Syndicate's longest-running series of American children's novels, were penned under what pseudonym? | Laura Lee Hope |
| In Gaelic Football how many points are won by kicking or punching the ball into the other team's goals? | Three |
| In which Gerry Anderson TV series did the organisation SHADO appear? | UFO |
| Which Empress was born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst? | Catherine II the Great |
| The period known as the "Robinocracy" was the dominance in the UK of which political figure? | Robert Walpole |
| Which 1759 battle is known as Bataille des Cardinaux in French? | Battle of Quiberon Bay |
| In which year was the event known as the 'Boston Tea Party'? | 1773 |
| In what subject did Gordon Brown gain an Edinburgh University first? | History |
| In what subject did David Cameron gain an Oxford First Class Degree? | PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) |
| Who was the last King of Romania, abdicating in 1947? | Michael I |
| In which decade was the First Crusade? | 1090s (1095-99) |
| Operation Downfall was a never-executed WW2 invasion plan of where? | Japan |
| What did the 'S' stand for in George S Patton? | Smith |
| What did the 'T' stand for in the name of US Army General William T Sherman? | Tecumseh |
| Operation Herkules was a never-executed WW2 invasion plan of where? | Malta |
| Which US politician said "I didn't leave the Democratic Party, the party left me"? | Ronald Reagan |
| Which far-right former leader of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) was killed in a 2008 car crash? | Jorg Haider |
| 1 of 2 primary sources of Islamic theology (along with the Quran), what is the name - meaning 'habit' - of the oral record of the teachings, deeds & sayings of Muhammad? Not to be confused with hadith, which is a verbatim collection of his pronouncements. | Sunnah |
| The Italian Regency of Carnaro was a self-proclaimed state in the city of Fiume which was founded in 1919 by which poet of the Decadent movement whose influence on Mussolini has led to him being dubbed 'the John the Baptist of Italian Fascism'? | Gabriele D'Annunzio |
| What is the modern name of the city of Fiume? | Rijeka (Croatia) |
| Aristotle's six works on logic are Categories, On Interpretation, Prior Analytics, Posterior Analytics, Topics, and Sophistical Refutations. What collective name - coined by his followers, the Peripatetics - is given to these six works? | Organon |
| Pease Pudding is traditionally served with which meat? | Ham/bacon |
| "American V: A Hundred Highways" was a posthumous album by who? | Johnny Cash |
| Black Country savoury dish Groaty Pudding is traditionally eaten on which day of the year? | Bonfire Night/Guy Fawkes Night |
| A member of which pop band later held the titles of Princess Reuss and Countess of Plauen? | ABBA (Anni-Frid Lyngstad) |
| Which drink originated as a cola substitute in Nazi Germany under a World War II trade embargo for Coca-Cola ingredients in 1940? | Fanta |
| What is the alternate title of the operetta "The Pirates of Penzance"? | The Slave of Duty |
| What single word title is shared by songs by Brian Wilson, Nat King Cole and Lily Allen? | Smile |
| In Louisiana, what name is given to a meat or seafood sandwich served on a baguette? | Po'boy |
| Which dessert is named after the wife of George III of the United Kingdom? | Apple Charlotte |
| Give a year during which Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey was British PM? | 1830-4. |
| Who wrote "The Talisman" (1825) and "Count Robert of Paris" (1832)? | Walter Scott |
| Which English singer-songwriter, musician, author, poet and wit provided the voice of the Master of Ceremonies on Mike Oldfield's album Tubular Bells? | Vivian Stanshall |
| Which musician's guitar is called Red Special or the Fireplace because the wood used to make the neck came from a fireplace mantel? | Brian May |
| Trigger is the name of the Martin N-20 nylon-string classical acoustic guitar used by which singer-songwriter? | Willie Nelson |
| According to the Bible, what was the first bird released by Noah's Ark? | Raven |
| In Greek myth, who dipped Achilles in the River Styx but held him by his heel, making that vulnerable? | His mother Thetis |
| Who is the patron saint of politicians and statesmen, declared on 31 October 2000 by Pope John Paul II ? | Thomas More |
| What was the first name of Elvis Presley's twin brother, delivered stillborn 35 minutes before him? | Jesse Garon Presley |
| Who was the lead singer of the band Amen Corner? | Andy Fairweather Low |
| Which item of cookware, usually made of copper and similar to two clamshells, is used to prepare Portuguese seafood dishes, popular in the country's Algarve region? | Cataplana |
| What is half a semibreve called? | Minim |
| Whose Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35, published in 1840, contains a famous funeral march? | Chopin |
| If a piece of music with two sections is called 'binary', what name is given to one with three sections? | Ternary |
| The lute and the hurdy-gurdy both belong to which family of musical instruments? | Stringed |
| A brass instrument described as 'natural' lacks what? | Valves |
| Shawms and crumhorns both belong to which family of musical instruments? | Woodwind |
| What is the most northerly county in the Republic of Ireland? | Donegal |
| How many strings do violins, violas, cellos and double bass have? | Four |
| A violin's fingerboard is traditionally made of what, something most commonly yielded by several different species in the genus Diospyros? | Ebony |
| Sébastien Érard and Georges Cousineau were famed for making which musical instrument? | Harp |
| Who wrote the 1975 play "Bedroom Farce"? | Alan Ayckbourn |
| The 1610 "Martyrdom of St Ursula" was one of the last paintings by which artist, who died in the same year? | Caravaggio |
| Wordsworth wrote a poem in 1843 about which real-life heroine, who had helped save shipwrecked people in 1838? | Grace Darling |
| Which prominent British courtesan (1741-67) was painted by Nathaniel Hone and Joshua Reynolds, but died just 4 months after being married? | Kitty Fisher |
| In the UK, for how long does copyright append to an author's work? | Seventy Years |
| Which one-word term refers to a piercing that is below the bottom lip, above the chin? | Labret |
| In Roald Dahl's "Matilda", who is the headmistress of Crunchem Hall? | Miss Agatha Trunchbull |
| Millefiori is a technique for making what? | Glass |
| What is the name of the teddy bear owned by Sebastian Flyte in "Brideshead Revisited"? | Aloysius |
| The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award is given out in which field? | Ballet/Dance |
| Which play follows Chicken Soup with Barley in the Wesker trilogy of plays by Arnold Wesker? | Roots |
| What is the third and final play in the Wesker trilogy of plays by Arnold Wesker? | I'm Talking About Jerusalem |
| Harry, Lord Monchensey is a character in which 1939 play by TS Eliot? | The Family Reunion |
| Who painted "Primavera" circa 1482? | Botticelli |
| Who painted 1665's "Girl With The Red Hat"? | Johannes Vermeer |
| "Breezing Up (A Fair Wind)" is a painting by which American landscape painter and printmaker, best known for his marine subjects (1836-910)? | Winslow Homer |
| Harry Hope and Theodore "Hickey" Hickman are characters in which 1946 play? | The Iceman Cometh (by Eugene O'Neill) |
| Amory Blaine is a character in which novel, the debut novel of F. Scott Fitzgerald? | This Side of Paradise |
| (An Agony in 8 Fits) is the subtitle of which work, written 1874-76? | The Hunting of the Snark (Lewis Carroll) |
| What term signifies a common type, or group of types, of works common in Dutch Golden Age painting and Flemish Baroque painting that shows an exaggerated facial expression or a stock character in costume? | Tronie |
| Which character's name from "Trilby" by George du Maurier has entered the English language? | Svengali |
| Mrs Ramsey and Lily Briscoe are characters in which 1927 novel? | To The Lighthouse (Virginia Woolf) |
| Which movement in early 20th-century Anglo-American poetry that favoured precision of imagery and clear, sharp language peaked 1914-17 and had as prominent exponents Ezra Pound, H.D. (Hilda Doolittle), Ford Madox Ford and William Carlos Williams? | Imagism |
| Named for a Polish physicist, which type of diagram illustrates the electronic states of a molecule and the transitions between them? | Jablonski diagram |
| Formerly best-known for her role as Jerry's ex-girlfriend Elaine Benes in Seinfeld, which American actress starred as President (formerly Vice President) Selina Meyer in the political comedy series Veep? | Julia Louis-Dreyfus |
| Who wrote 1899 short story Twenty-six Men and a Girl? | Maxim Gorky |
| Alec Guinness starred as Henry "Dutch" Holland and Stanley Holloway as Alfred "Al" Pendlebury in which 1951 Ealing Comedy? | The Lavender Hill Mob |
| What was The Wailers' first album release under Island Records in 1973? Their fifth studio album, it helped establish them as international stars and is widely regarded as one of the best reggae albums of all time? | Catch A Fire |
| Which dramatist and novelist was born in Sicily in the city of Girgenti (now Agrigento) in 1867? In ancient times, Agrigento was one of the largest cities of Magna Graecia with population estimates in the range of 200,000 to 800,000 before 406 BC. | Luigi Pirandello |
| Which Japanese Emperor (reigned 1867-1912) presided over a time of rapid change that witnessed the Empire of Japan rapidly transform from an isolationist feudal state to an industrialized world power? | Meiji (Mutsohito) |
| How was the US artist born Robert Clark in September 1928 better known? | Robert Indiana |
| The Glyndebourne Festival Opera is especially known for its production of which composer's operas, which it almost exclusively produced in its early days? | Mozart |
| In 2005 the words "bachelor" and "spinster" on UK marriage certificates were replaced with which word? | Single |
| In which UK building is the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior located? | Westminster Abbey |
| What nationality was the merchant ship Dei Gratia that found the Marie Celeste in 1872? | Dutch |
| In a 1950 Disney film, Lady Tremaine is which girl's stepmother? | Cinderella |
| Hans Werner Henze's 1968 oratorio "The Raft of the Medusa" is a requiem for which man? | Ernesto "Che" Guevara |
| What herb is added to a Double Gloucester cheese to make it a Cotswold cheese? | Chives |
| Which football commentator famously said "They think it's all over/It is now"? | Kenneth Wolstenholme |
| San Juan and Ponce are cities on which Caribbean island? | Puerto Rico |
| Who was the first of Queen Elizabeth II's children to marry? | Princess Anne |
| The 1990 film "Total Recall" was based on which Philip K Dick short story? | We Can Remember It for You Wholesale |
| Which Japanese company developed the world's first VHS format video recorder? | JVC |
| Who sang the UK's 1970 Eurovision entry "Knock Knock, Who's There"? | Mary Hopkin |
| Who sang the UK's 1971 Eurovision entry "Jack In The Box"? | Clodagh Rogers |
| Tom (b. 1974) and Laura (b.1978) are the children of which member of the UK Royal Family? | Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker-Bowles |
| Designed by Zaha Hadid, the MAXXI modern art gallery is in which capital city? | Rome |
| Dieter Schwarz bought the rights to which supermarket name from a retired schoolteacher? | Lidl (from Ludwig Lidl) |
| Godfrey Rampling, late father of the actress Charlotte, won Olympic gold at which sport? | Athletics (4x400m relay) |
| Which cricketer (24 November 1894 – 22 January 1978) had a completed career first class batting average of 60.73, as of 2019 the highest of any English player? | Herbert Sutcliffe |
| In the Bible, the giant Goliath belonged to which people? | Philistine |
| What nationality was the tennis player Roy Emerson, the first person to complete a Career Grand Slam in both singles and doubles? | Australian |
| Falmouth is a seaside town in which English county? | Cornwall |
| Grant County, Georgia is the fictional setting for many of the works of which US novelist, born 1971? | Karin Slaughter |
| Who played the title role in the 1953 film "Calamity Jane"? | Doris Day |
| A meat chop is taken from which part of an animal? | Ribs |
| Alec Baldwin played Jack Donaghy in which US TV sitcom from 2006-13? | 30 Rock |
| Which fashion designer (1883-1971) created the Little Black Dress? | Coco Chanel |
| Which future Oscar winner played surfer Scott Irwin on Australian TV show "Home and Away" in 1997? | Heath Ledger |
| Who was Soviet Azerbaijan's leader from 1969 to 1982, later serving as third president of Azerbaijan from 1993 to 2003, when his son Ilham succeeded him? | Heydar Aliyev |
| The Paris shop Deyrolle specialises in which hobby? | Taxidermy |
| The Trojan Room coffee pot was the subject, in 1991, of the world's first what? | Webcam |
| Which movie gunfighters fought Eli Wallach's mexical bandit leader Calvera? | The Magnificent Seven |
| Which Star Trek movie saw the crew travel back in time to 1980s San Francisco? | Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home |
| Which 2012 film was based on the novel "These Foolish Things" by Deborah Moggach? | The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel |
| Teenage film truant Ferris Bueller took his day off in which US city? | Chicago |
| Which Vittorio de Sica work won the first "Sight & Sound" greatest film poll in 1952? | Bicycle Thieves |
| Founded in 2010 by Prashant Rajkhowa and Karan Anshuman what award Is presented in recognition of the worst film in Bollywood? | Ghanta Award |
| Which 1962 movie was Roman Polanski's feature film? | Knife In The Water (Nóż w wodzie) |
| Who was the final person of the 16 icons mentioned in Madonna's "Vogue" song to die? | Lauren Bacall |
| Mickey Goldmill was a character in which film series? | Rocky (played by Buster Meredith) |
| Giulietta Masina (1921-94) was the wife and muse of which director? | Federico Fellini |
| Dominic Toretto is a lead character in which film series? | Fast and the Furious (played by Vin Diesel) |
| Starring Esther Williams, which 1952 film tells the story of Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman? | Million Dollar Mermaid (also known as The One Piece Bathing Suit in the UK) |
| Which language in a 2009 movie was created by Paul Frommer? | Na'vi from the film "Avatar" |
| In a standard deck of playing cards, what is the only one-eyed king? | King of Diamonds |
| Starring Gregory Peck, the 1959 film "Beloved Infidel" was based on which US writer's life? | F. Scott Fitzgerald |
| What was the inspiration for the name 'Caine' chosen by Maurice Micklewhite as his stage name? | The Caine Mutiny |
| The Xquisite strip club is the setting for which 2012 Steven Soderbergh film? | Magic Mike |
| Tsar Ivan the Terrible had what regnal number? | IV |
| Her second novel, after a very successful first, who published "The Almost Moon" in 2007? | Alice Sebold |
| The Veil Nebula is in which constellation? | Cygnus |
| The true life Peaky Blinders, later used as the title for a BBC TV series, were based in which city in the early 20th century? | Birmingham |
| What are Bowyer, Constable, Beauchamp, Martin, Salt and White? | Some of the towers at the Tower of London |
| The Battle of Austerlitz took place in which modern day country? | Czech Republic |
| The Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy is awarded for which sporting feat? | Season's leading NHL goalscorer |
| The Sharks are a professional ice hockey team who play in the Western Conference of the NHL and play in which city? | San Jose |
| The NHL "Battle of Alberta" is contested between the Edmonton Oilers and which other team? | Calgary Flames |
| In 1980 something called the Herbert Johnson "Poet" was chosen to adorn the head of which movie hero? | Indiana Jones (it is the make of his fedora) |
| Which Greek PM served, aged just 40, after the shock win of Syriza in 2015 but lost his post after just 2017; he was later re-elected in 2018 and sought to separate the Greek state from the Orthodox Church? | Alexis Tsipras |
| In 2018 an agreement was struck between Greece and the Republic of Macedonia that the latter be renamed what? | Republic of North Macedonia |
| Though not its final section, what is the last "Canterbury tale"? | The Parson's Tale |
| Which famous comedienne was the niece of Nancy Astor? | Joyce Grenfell |
| Which fictional character is friends with Bill Badger, Algy Pug and Edward Trunk? | Rupert the Bear |
| What type of devastating mudflow, composed of a slurry of pyroclastic material, rocky debris and water, is named from the Javanese for "lava"? | Lahar |
| Formed in 1676, what is the Queen's bodyguard in Scotland? | Royal Company of Archers |
| Which agreement reached on 12 June 2018 between Greece and the Republic of Macedonia under the United Nations's auspices, resolving a long-standing dispute over the latter's name, was named after the lake where it was signed? | Prespa agreement (after Lake Prespa) |
| What are Dorabella, Troyte, Ysabel and W.N.? | Four of Elgar's 14 Enigma Variations |
| What name is given to a type of stemware, a short-stemmed glass whose vessel has a wide bottom and a relatively narrow top? It is mostly used to serve aged brown spirits such as bourbon, brandy, and whisky. | Snifter |
| The first time a European king personally went to the Holy Land during a Crusade followed the first Crusade, and was when the king of which country went from 1107 to 1111? | Norway (King Sigurd I) |
| Which annual meteor shower, associated with the comet Encke, and often divided into Northern and Southern groups, are active from September to early December? | Taurids |
| What name is given to baryons which have more than 3 valence quarks? | Exotic baryons |
| What Greek letter denotes a family of subatomic hadron particles which have 2 quarks from the first flavour generation (up and/or down quarks), and a 3rd quark from higher flavour generations? | Sigma baryon/Sigma particle |
| A type of contemporary game, for what do the letters LARP stand? | Live Action Role Play |
| Which branch of psychology is defined as the study of mental processes such as "attention, language use, memory, perception, problem solving, creativity, and thinking"? | Cognitive Psychology |
| The magnificent fortress of Kuélap in Northern Peru was built by which culture in the 6th Century AD? Conquered by the Inca Empire circa 1550CE, these people are known to us only by their Inca name. | Chachapoyas |
| A sepicolous plant or animal lives where? | Hedges/hedge-rows |
| Phenol is an alternative name for which acid? | Carbolic acid |
| Leper's squint, oeil-de-boeuf and bulls-eye are types of which architectural feature? | Windows |
| Iyaric is a dialect spoken by members of which religion? | Rastafarianism |
| Panama disease is a type of Fusarium wilt that threatens which type of plants? | Banana |
| In taxonomy, which term describes "distinct species that are erroneously classified (and hidden) under one species name"? | Cryptic Species |
| In taxonomy, which Latin phrase is often used after a binomial species name, often abbreviated as s.l., to indicate a species complex represented by that species? | Sensu Lato |
| Rosemarie Franklind was the first British winner of which title? | Miss World (1961) |
| What is the name of the US version of the TV show known in the UK as Dragons' Den? | Shark Tank |
| The international TV show franchise Dragons' Den originated in which country in 2001? | Japan |
| Which 1956 poem begins "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness"? | Howl by Allan Ginsberg |
| In geology, permafrost is defined as soil at or below the freezing point of water for at least how many years? | Two |
| Which Irish province has the greatest of native Irish speakers? | Connaught |
| Which Old Testament book contains both the longest and shortest chapters in the Bible? | Psalms (117 - shortest; 119 - longest) |
| S. Daniel Abraham created which diet drink in 1977? | Slim-Fast |
| Which spirit derives its name from the Dutch for "burnt wine"? | Brandy |
| Daniel Peter (9 March 1836 – 4 November 1919) is closely associated with the development of which foodstuff? | (Milk) chocolate |
| Rocamdour and Montranchet are varieties of which type of food? | Goat's cheese |
| The Brockman family featured in which BBC sitcom of 2007-14? | Outnumbered |
| Philadelphians Pat and Harry Olivieri are often credited with inventing which fast food in the 1930s? | Cheesesteak |
| Which Australian director is best-known for directing the original Saw film in 2004 and, more recently, "Insidious" (2010), "The Conjuring" (2013) and "Aquaman" (2018)? | James Wan |
| Which American cartoonist is best-known for creating Marmaduke, a cartoon strip centred on the titular Great Dane owned by the Winslow family? | Brad Anderson |
| Miami cardiologist Arthur Agatson is best known for his advocacy of which diet? | South Beach diet |
| Discovered in 1906, what is the largest butterfly in the world, with females reaching wingspans slightly in excess of 25 cm (9.8 inches)? | Queen Alexandra's Birdwing |
| "So You Win Again" (1977) was which group's sole UK number 1? | Hot Chocolate |
| What name is given to the fried fritters of dough, commonly eaten as a breakfast in New Orleans, often with sugar on top? | Beignets |
| Who is the wife of Cupid in Roman myth, appearing in Ovid's Metamorphoses? | Psyche |
| Which Australian city is named after the Governor of New South Wales (1821-25)? | Brisbane (Sir Thomas Brisbane) |
| What was Boeing's largest single-aisle passenger aircraft, produced from 1981 to 2004? | Boeing 757 |
| The progression of what is measured on the Hamilton-Norwood scale? | Male Pattern Baldness |
| How many time zones does the island of Australia have? | Three |
| A Peterman is slang for what type of criminal? | Safe-cracking |
| Red Star is a popular brand of which Chinese "Liqueur", the most widely consumed spirit in the world at 2019? | Baijiu |
| Which South African dish consists of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping? | Bobotie |
| Complete the next five words of the Edward Lear poem "Who or why or which or what..." They include the poem's title. | ...is the Akond of Swat? (from The Akond of Swat) |
| Which Victorian architect designed Westminster Cathedral in the Early Christian Byzantine style? | John Francis Bentley |
| In 1746 which painter married Margaret Burr, an illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Beaufort? | Thomas Gainsborough |
| British bakery chain Greggs opened in the 1930s in which city? | Newcastle-upon-Tyne |
| Louis Mountbatten opened which Surreytheme park on 24th May 1979? | Thorpe Park |
| Who was the captain of the Bismarck when it was sunk on 27th May 1941? | Ernst Lindemann |
| Robert Cornelius is credited with taking the first of which type of photos in 1839? | Self-portrait or selfie (accept portrait as also first portrait) |
| Which Florentine museum houses Michelangelo's sculptures "Bacchus" and "Brutus"? | The Bargello |
| Which legendary German blacksmith appears in the Poetic Edda, Waldere and Beowulf, and is depicted on the Franks Casket? | Weyland the Smith |
| Recently found to be prevalent in American Football players, which disease is abbreviated to CTE? | Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy |
| The horse "Quiz" won which classic race in 1801? | St Leger |
| Commonly misattributed to Bob Holness, who actually played the saxophone solo in Gerry Rafferty's hit "Baker Street"? | Raf Ravenscroft |
| In legends about which real king that spread after his death, who became known as Dietrich von Bern, a king ruling from Verona (Bern) who was forced into exile with the Huns? | Theoderic the Great |
| Who had their final US number 1 in 1978 with the disco hit "Shadow Dancing"? | Andy Gibb |
| Which symphony by Felix Mendelssohn celebrated the 300th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession? | Reformation Symphony |
| Completed in 1962, Montezuma is which composer's only full-length opera? | Roger Sessions |
| Sir Neville Marriner founded which chamber orchestra in 1958? | Academy of St Martin in the Fields |
| Which German composer's third symphony is also known as the "Rhenish"? | Robert Schumann |
| Who played both Rusty Parker and Maribelle Hicks in the 1944 musical "Cover Girl"? | Rita Hayworth |
| The Leo Tolstoy short story "God Sees the Truth, But Waits", became, via an indirect route the ultimate inspiration for which 1994 film? | The Shawshank Redemption |
| What term is used for someone in the second of the four stages of canonisation in the Catholic Church? It precedes beatification. | Venerable |
| Which racecourse stages the Lancashire Oaks, the Rose of Lancaster Stakes and the Betfair Chase? | Haydock Park |
| Which skyscraper in Manchester is also called the Hilton Tower? | Beetham Tower |
| Which cocktail is a mixture of bourbon whiskey, fresh mint sprigs, sugar and water served in a highball glass? | Mint Julep |
| Three of the first five US Presidents all died on July 4th. Which three? | John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe |
| Maximilian Bircher-Benner (1867-1939) was a Swiss physician credited with popularising which food? | Muesli |
| The three Berlin albums by David Bowie were Low (1977), Heroes (1977) and which other 1979 album? | Lodger |
| The former currency the escudo derives its name from the Portuguese for what? | Shield |
| Italy's Edoardo Mangiarotti won 13 Olympic medals (including six golds) in which sport? | Fencing |
| Which American football coach said "winning isn't everything - it's the only thing"? | Vince Lombardi |
| The village of Flash, the highest village in England, lies in Staffordshire, but only three miles from which Derbyshire town? | Buxton |
| Who succeeded Simon Rattle as music director of the Berlin Philharmonic in 2018? | Kirill Petrenko |
| Which mechanism near Northwich, lifts barges 15m vertically from the Trent & Mersey Canal to the River Weaver? | Anderton Boat Lift |
| Hannibal was decisively and finally defeated by Scipio Africanus at which battle near Carthage in 202BCE? | Battle of Zama |
| The G12 is a group of industrially advanced countries whose central banks co-operate to regulate international finance, which actually consists of 13 countries. Which country joined in 1984, leaving the name unchanged? | Switzerland |
| What is Europe's smallest rodent and the only British mammal with a prehensile tail? | Harvest Mouse |
| What name is shared by the third largest cities in Venezuela and Spain? | Santiago |
| Give a year in the life of St Thomas Aquinas. | 1225-1274 |
| What is the name of the highest peak on the island of Martinique? It takes its name from a French word meaning bald, or literally, peeled? | Mont Pelée |
| The 2003 romantic drama film The Room has been described by critics as one of the worst film of all time. It was directed by, and starred, which man who would go on to direct, and star in, the 2015 sitcom The Neighbors? | Tommy Wiseau |
| Dysnomia is the only moon of which dwarf planet? | Eris |
| Achernar (Arabic for 'end of the river') is the brightest star in which constellation? | Eridanus |
| Who became the second Astronomer Royal on succeeding John Flamsteed in 1720? | Edmond Halley |
| Containing Barnard's Star, which constellation is the "snake-holder"? | Ophiuchus |
| Which two animals appear on the trademark of Lyle's Golden Syrup? | Lion, Bees |
| The astronomy abbreviation CME means what, when referring to the Sun? | Coronal Mass Ejection |
| What did Cervantes call "short sentences drawn from long experience"? | Proverbs |
| First explored in 1994, which French cave features the Megaloceros Gallery? | Chauvet |
| How is the singer born Peter Gene Hernandez on October 8 1985 better known? | Bruno Mars |
| Which US photojournalist was played by Candice Bergen in the film "Gandhi"? | Margaret Bourke-White |
| Which French Argentine singer, songwriter, composer and actor, arguably the most prominent figure in the history of tango, was killed in an air crash in 1935, aged just 44? | Carlos Gardel |
| There are two Caribbean islands shared by two sovereign states. Hispaniola is one. Which is the other? | St Martin |
| Which Mexican boxer became the first man to defeat Gennady Golovkin in a controversial points decision in their 2018 rematch? | Canelo Álvarez |
| Which American composer and performing musician is best known for works such as his 1964 composition "In C" for an indefinite number of performers, and described as the first minimalist composition? | Terry Riley |
| Which American string quartet based in San Francisco were founded in Seattle by David Harrington in 1973? | Kronos Quartet |
| Which Estonian composer of classical and religious music most performed works include Fratres (1977), Spiegel im Spiegel (1978), and Für Alina (1976)? In 2011 he became the world's most performed living composer. | Arvo Pärt |
| "I am half sick of shadows" and "the curse has come upon me" are the only words uttered by the title character of which 1842 poem? | The Lady of Shalott |
| Healthy human beings have 23 pairs of chromosomes. One pair is an allosome, which determines sex, while the other 22 pairs are given what name? | Autosomes |
| What is the capital of the Indian state of Gujarat? | Gandhinagar |
| Chennai is the capital of which Indian state? | Tamil Nadu |
| Which seven letter word represents a preparation to assist the beginning of the fermentation process in preparation of various foods, especially sourdough? | Starter |
| Ignacy Hryniewiecki was the principal assassin, in 1881, of who? | Alexander II of Russia |
| "Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat, Drowned in a Tub of Gold Fishes," was a poem by which 18th century poet? | Thomas Gray |
| Now considered offensive, which word of Spanish/Portuguese origin referred to people born of one white parent and one black parent? | Mulatto |
| Which term traditionally used in Spain, Latin America and the Philippines, originally referred to a person of combined European and Native American descent, regardless of where the person was born? | Mestizo |
| "Not all those who wander are lost" is a line from a poem in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Fellowship of the Ring" and refers to which character? | Aragorn |
| In chemistry, what name is given to a chemical compound derived from an acid (organic or inorganic) in which at least one –OH (hydroxyl) group is replaced by an –O–alkyl (alkoxy) group? | Ester |
| "An Essay on the History of Civil Society" is a book by which Scottish Enlightenment philosopher, who died in St Andrews in 1816? | Adam Ferguson |
| The Behistun Inscription, crucial to the decipherment of cuneiform and Akkadian, is found in relief on cliffs in which country? | Iran |
| Which scroll is often cited as yielding up insight into Egyptian mathematical problem solving, and is generally named after the Scottish lawyer who acquired it in Luxor in 1858? | Rhind papyrus |
| Who took the iconic photo that provided the front cover to The Beatles' album "Abbey Road"? | Iain MacMillan |
| Who became the first male editor of British Vogue in 2017? | Edward Enninful |
| Virgin Records was founded in 1972 by four men - Richard Branson was one. Name any of the others. | Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and Tom Newman |
| In which country is Ian Fleming International Airport? | Jamaica |
| Which Mozart opera tells the story of a King of Crete saved by Neptune, but who has to sacrifice the living person he sees? This, of course, turns out to be his own son. | Idomeneo, re di Creta |
| What name is given to the left hand page of an open book? | Verso |
| What name is given to the right hand page of an open book? | Recto |
| Complete the line from TS Eliot's "The Love Song of J Alfred Prufock" - "In the room the women come and go, talking of...." what? | Michelangelo |
| Which Victorian novel, first published in eight instalments (volumes) in 1871–1872, is set in a fictitious Midlands town between 1829 and 1832? | Middlemarch |
| In making a website appear higher up in Google searches, what does the term SEO mean? | Search Engine Optimisation |
| Which star sign's dates correspond roughly to Jul 23 - Aug 22? | Leo |
| Which star sign's dates correspond roughly to Aug 23 - Sep 22? | Virgo |
| Which star sign's dates correspond roughly to Nov 22 - Dec 21? | Sagittarius |
| Which star sign's dates correspond roughly to Oct 23 - Nov 21? | Scorpio |
| Which fictional village is the home of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple? | St Mary Mead |
| What is the name of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter website? | Pottermore |
| Located on the slopes of Mount Carmel in Haifa, what is the supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith? | Universal House of Justice |
| Which serial killer and master of disguise was created in 1911 by the French authors Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre? | Fantômas |
| A major port on the Lena River, which city - the capital of the Sakha Republic - is the coldest major city in the world with average winter temperatures of -34 degrees Celsius? | Yakutsk |
| His first opera, Ernestine, had a libretto by de Laclos - who would go on to find fame as the author of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Which Guadeloupe-born composer is best-remembered today for being the first classical composer of African heritage? | Chevalier de Saint-George or Joseph Bologne |
| Protons and neutrons contain only which two flavours of quark? | Up and down |
| What name is given to any eukaryotic organism (one with cells containing a nucleus) that is not an animal, plant or fungus? | Protists |
| Which onomatopoeically named warbler has the Latin name Phylloscopus collybita? | Chiffchaff |
| Which profession use conformitors for taking measurements? | Hat makers |
| The "Women and children first" maxim is often also known as the "drill" of which English town or city? | Birkenhead (the Birkenhead Drill) |
| What is the collective name for porcupines (supposedly)? | Prickle |
| What name is given to the skirt-like garment worn by Albanian and Greek men in many traditional folk dresses? | Fustanella |
| Which man's name is often colloquially given to the autopilot on a plane? | George |
| In which year did Amelia Earhart disappear? | 1937 |
| In which decade did a patient receive the first implantable cardiac pacemaker? | 1950s |
| Later jailed for perjury, who directed Predator, Die Hard and The Hunt For Red October? | John McTiernan |
| Who directed Amadeus (1984)? | Miloš Forman |
| Which large breed of dog owned by George Lucas in the 1970s alleged provided the first name of Indiana Jones, and inspired Chewbacca? | Alaskan Malamute |
| Which actress won a Best Actress Award at the 51st Academy Awards in 1979 for "Coming Home"? | Jane Fonda |
| Kate Capshaw, best known for her portrayal of Willie Scott, an American nightclub singer and performer in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), married who in 1991? | Steven Spielberg |
| Who played the detective Van der Valk on British TV in the 1970s? | Barry Foster |
| In which film of 1945 does Gene Kelly dance with a cartoon mouse? | Anchors Aweigh |
| Who played Gilderoy Lockhart in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"? | Kenneth Branagh |
| Who directed the film "The Magnificent Seven" of 1960? | John Sturges |
| Who played Professor Pomona Sprout in the Harry Potter films? | Miriam Margoyles |
| The food company Maggi originated in which country? | Switzerland |
| The food item Bovril in part takes its name from an electric substance in the novel "The Coming Race", written by who? | Edward Bulwer-Lytton |
| Knebworth House is in which English county? | Hertfordshire |
| Which American film director was renowned both for Westerns such as Stagecoach (1939), The Searchers (1956), and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), as well as adaptations of classic novels such as the film The Grapes of Wrath (1940)? | John Ford |
| What did the D stand for in the name of the author RD Blackmore? | Doddridge |
| Carver and Jan Ridd are characters in which 1869 novel? | Lorna Doone |
| The word paparazzi comes from the character Paparazzo in which film? | La Dolce Vita |
| Which film score composer - particularly associated with Westerns - won Academy Awards for Best Original Score for his work on High Noon, The High and the Mighty, and The Old Man and the Sea? | Dimitri Tiomkin |
| Miles Coverdale was the 16th century Bishop of Exeter who famously produced the first printed translation of the Bible into English. But Miles Coverdale was also the name of the central character in which US author’s 1852 novel The Blithedale Romance? | Nathaniel Hawthorne |
| Which popular North American coffee brand hit the headlines for the wrong reasons in 1969, when Abigail ______ - the heiress to the company's fortune - was murdered by the Manson Family along with her friend Sharon Tate? | Folgers |
| Which Central Asian capital city has a name that means "stone city" in English? | Tashkent |
| The Florence Nightingale Museum is located at which London hospital? | St. Thomas Hospital |
| The Alexander Fleming Museum is located at which London hospital? | St Mary's Hospital |
| According to its director, which 2014 film was "stolen" from the novels Beware of Pity and The Post-Office Girl by the Austrian writer Stefan Zweig (1881-1942)? | The Grand Hotel Budapest |
| The aeroplane accident that claimed the lives of Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins crashed in which US state? | Tennessee |
| Named after a river, the caves at Lascaux are in which French department, often given the suffix -shire because of its large expat British community? | Dordogne |
| Cave art from over 30,000 years ago was discovered in which cave on December 18, 1994 by three speleologists: Eliette Brunel-Deschamps, Christian Hillaire, and a third whose surname it took? | Chauvet |
| I, the Jury is the 1947 debut novel of American crime fiction writer Mickey Spillane, the first work to feature which private investigator? | Mike Hammer |
| Which Russian soprano performed with Robbie Williams at the opening ceremony of the 2018 World Cup, and shares his forename with an iconic Verdi character? | Aida Garifullina |
| From the Urdu and Persian meaning "soldier" which term referred to Indians serving under European orders in the colonial era? | Sepoy |
| Which Mayor of San Francisco was assassinated on the same day as Harvey Milk on 27th November 1978? | George Moscone |
| Which treaty of April 1814 ended Napoleon's rule as emperor of France and sent him into exile on Elba? | Treaty of Fontainebleau |
| Catherine the Great of Russia came to power on the death of her husband, who reigned as which Emperor of Russia? | Peter III |
| Which Italian master of the High Renaissance was born on March 28 or April 6, 1483, in Urbino? | Raphael |
| Occurring four times every 12 years, which mass Hindu pilgrimage of faith - said to be the world's largest mass gathering - sees adherents bathing in a holy river (usually the Ganges) which is said to cleanse them of all sin? | Kumbh Mela |
| Forced to abdicate in 1797 by Napoleon Bonaparte, who was the last Doge of Venice? | Ludovico Manin |
| Rembrandt's "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Tulp" and Paulus Potter's "The Young Bull" are located in which art gallery? | Mauritshuis, the Hague |
| Which man founded the Achaemenid Empire? | Cyrus the Great |
| Which term is a nickname for the women who, while attending sessions of the National Convention and public executions in Revolutionary France, took their knitting with them? | Tricoteuses |
| Which a Dutch painter, born in Amsterdam c. 1585, where he studied with the Danish-born portrait painter Pieter Isaacks (1569–1625), is best known for his paintings of people ice skating? | Hendrick Avercamp |
| Which Academy Award winner was born with the forenames John Uhler on February 8, 1925? | Jack Lemmon |
| Who played Martha in the 1966 film "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?"? | Elizabeth Taylor |
| Which Martin Scorsese film was based on Dennis Lehane's 2003 novel of the same name? | Shutter Island |
| Who directed the films Bloody Sunday (2002), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), Green Zone (2010) and Captain Phillips (2013)? | Paul Greengrass |
| In which year did a fire, caused by lightning strike, cause over £2.2 million pounds worth of damage to York Minster? | 1984 |
| Which Italian violinist and composer was best known for his trilogy of orchestral tone poems: Fountains of Rome (1916), Pines of Rome (1924), and Roman Festivals (1928)? | Ottorino Respighi |
| Quetsch brandy is made with which fruit? | Plums |
| What is the surname of the singer Florence from Florence and the Machine? | Welch |
| What is Lady Gaga's real name? | Stefani Germanotta |
| Georges Bizet's opera "Carmen" is mainly set in which city? | Seville |
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garyegrant
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