In 2013 to encourage the use of zebra crossings, Kolkata’s police employed what image from the world of music with the caption “If they can, why can’t you?”?
The Beatles crossing Abbey Road
In December 1989, along with “I Fought The Law” by The Clash, what hard rock song was famously used by the US Military to ferret out a hiding Noriega from the
Vatican Embassy? Van Halen’s “Panama”
An aversion therapy called the ‘Ludovico technique’ from
the 1971 classic A Clockwork Orange features which
composer’s music? Kudos if you can name the piece too.
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony
Composer Philip Glass’s ‘Portrait Trilogy’ of operas consists of Einstein on the Beach, Akhnaten and Satyagraha with the last one focusing on whom? Mahatma Gandhi
In 2010 Sony signed a $250 million deal to retain
distribution rights to whose works, a fall out from a 2009 incident? Michael Jackson’s
Talking about which of his hits did Eric Clapton say the following?
“… It’s no good to write a deliberate anti__ song and hope
that it will catch. Because the general thing is that people will be upset by that. It would disturb them to have someone else shoving something down their throat. So the best thing to do
is offer something that seems ambiguous …” Cocaine
A West End theatre that opened in 1881 to perform the
comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan was built on the site of a palace that was called as what? Savoy Palace
Talking about what 1977 rock classic did a band member
say that his physics training helped him in designing the
“stomp, stomp, clap” section of the song?
Queen’s “We Will Rock You”
After a premiere in 1952, the creator of a certain work said the following words.
Name him.
“They missed the point. There’s no such thing as … What they thought was …, because they didn’t know how to listen, was full of accidental … You could hear the wind stirring outside
during the first … During the second, raindrops began
pattering the roof, and during the third the people themselves made all kinds of interesting … as they talked or walked out.”
John Cage after the premiere of 4’33”
(It was composed in 1952 for any instrument (or combination
of instruments), and the score instructs the performer not to
play the instrument during the entire duration of the piece
throughout the three movements (which, for the first
performance, were divided into thirty seconds for the first,
two minutes and twenty-three seconds for the second, and one minute and forty
seconds for the third).
When this classical music suite was written in the period of 1914-16, it consisted of seven parts, and not eight, for astrological
reasons. When a discovery was made in 1930, the composer was urged to add an eight part but refused. In 2006 the work was said to have became complete again.
What are we talking about? The Planets by Gustav Holst
What is the better known name of Violin Sonata in G
minor by Giuseppe Tartini that the composer said was played to him in a dream by Satan himself? Devil’s Trill sonata
It is famous for being extremely technically demanding.
In which country did the dictator Rafael Trujillo promote
the merengue style of music/dance into the country’s national music? Dominican Republic
“March of the Volunteers” was the second most played
tune at the award ceremonies of what 2012 event?
London Olympics
It is the national anthem of China.
The titular object fashioned by dwarf Alberich is the focus of what monumental work of music? Ring Cycle by Wagner
The cold infection of which superstar of music was the
subject of Gay Talese’s 1966 article for Esquire, a piece now considered a landmark in journalism?
Frank Sinatra (Frank Sinatra Has a Cold)
As its lyrics attest, what 1974 rock classic that celebrates a place was written in response to two songs of Neil Young
that were derogatory of the American South?
“Sweet Home Alabama”
What custom in the world of classical music originates
from the belief that at the premiere of a Handel’s musical
event, King George II did so and the crowd followed suit?
Standing during the Hallelujah Chorus
According to the lyrics of a 1931 song by Noël Coward,
what is it that the Japanese don’t care to do, the Chinese
wouldn’t dare to do and the Hindus and Argentines avoid it
as they sleep firmly from twelve to one?
“go out in the midday sun” (“Mad Dogs and Englishmen”)
What song by The Doors that has a strong reference to
the Oedipus complex got them fired from the
Whisky a Go Go nightclub in West Hollywood? “The End”
What musical instrument that takes its name from a muse was used in riverboats and in circuses because of its loudness? Calliope
Which 1977 musical was inspired by a magazine article
about Bay Ridge kids of Brooklyn whose working class lives were said to be so empty that they lived just to dance on the weekend? Saturday Night Fever
The title of what well known piano waltz comes from the composer’s specification
that it must be played with both hands held sideways, little
fingers down, striking the keys with a particular type motion?
“Chopsticks”
In 1934 when a Broadway production As Thousands Cheer played this song, the producers were taken to court by the Hill family for using it without paying royalty as they owned the melody.
What ubiquitous song? “Happy Birthday to You”
In 1989, rocker Ted Nugent made a multi-million dollar bid to purchase what company to shut it down as he felt it’s ubiquitous sounds were representative of everything “uncool” about music? Muzak
Which breakthrough hit for Queen contains the phrase
“Let them eat cake”, a quote often attributed to
Marie Antoinette? “Killer Queen”
When an American theatre director was reading about the travels of Henry Kissinger, he came across the figure of Mao and thought “there’s an opera in there.” What work resulted when he proposed this idea to a composer?
Nixon in China by John Adams
The phrase “it’s better to burn out than to fade away” from Neil Young’s classic song “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)” became better known after being quoted in whose 1994
suicide note? Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain
The short poem And did those feet in ancient time by
William Blake that features the phrase ‘dark satanic mills’ is
best known in what musical context? The anthem Jerusalem
In 2009, a Face to Face tour featuring Elton John and
Billy Joel was promoted as ‘___ Man meets ___ Man.’
Can you fill-in the missing words? Rocket, Piano
What is the term given to a musical that uses previously released popular songs as its musical score, examples of which are Mamma Mia! and Jersey Boys? Jukebox musical
The next 10 are difficult questions on football losers
Various artists have recorded “Death is not the end” but who wrote the song? Bob Dylan
Auf Wiedersehen Pet Launched the career of which actor & singer? Jimmy Nail
Exit is a large dance music festival held each year in which country? Serbia
The first line of which song is “We’re leaving together/ but still it’s farewell” ?
The Final Countdown by Europe
Cloud to Cloud and intra-cloud are two types of what? Lightning
Which figure from greek mythology answered the Riddle of the Sphinx? Oedipus
Where is the Denmark Strait? Between Greenland & Iceland
What colour is the outer ring of an official. Fita approved archery target? White
What is the chemical formula for the form of limestone known as chalk? CaCo3
“Amy and George and Alberto and Helena and Aaron all went to the park” is an example of which linguistic device. Polysyndeton
What was the pseudonym used by Edwin Snowden before he leaked the NSA file, it is also the title of Laura Poitras’s documentary about him? Citizen 4
To which country do the Galapagos Island belong? Equador
In the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, what was Buffy’s surname? Summers
What turns a Martini into a Roosevelt martini? An extra olive
What does the computer file extension .tif or .tiff stand for? tagged image file format
For which film did Russell Crowe win his only best actor Oscar to date? Gladiator
Who wrote Le Morte d’ Arthur ? Thomas Malory
Ogaden is the name of a disputed region lying between which two African countries? Somalia & Ethiopia
In which Sci-Fi show are the Minbari, Drakh, Vorlon and pak’ma’ra alien races? Babylon 5
Which Egyptian paraoh was responsible fr the building of the great pyramid of Giza? Khufu
Which Irish indie band consists of Alex Trimble, Sam Halliday, and Kevin Baird?
Two Door Cinema Club
Which musical play by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill features the song Mack the Knife? The Threepenny Opera
What is the name of the musical comedy starring Tommy Steele that was based on HG Wells’ novel Kipps? Half a Sixpence
What was the name of the film starring Charlton Heston which depicts Michelangelo’s life? Agony and Ecstacy
Where in Cambridge will you find a Time Eater? The Corpus Clock
What is the name of the 1941 novel by AJ Cronin which tells the story of a Scottish Catholic priest, Father Chisholm, who struggles to establish a mission in China?
The Keys of the Kingdom
What is the name of the character played by Carrie Anne Moss in the Matrix Films? Trinity
What was the name of the Conservative politician who served as Foreign Secretary, Chancellor of the Exchequer and then Speaker of House of Commons until his retirement in 1976? Selwyn LLoyd
Whose first novel is entitled The Racehorse Who Wouldn’t Gallop? Clare Balding
Which gland of the human body is affected by Hashimoto’s disease? Thyroid
Which gardener’s item was invented by Edwin Beard Budding in 1830? Lawnmower
What is the term used for a baby ferret? Kit
Which size of paper measures 148mm by 210mm? A5
Of what is ‘oenology’ the study? Wine
What type of creature is a kob? African Antelope
It has become almost customary for musicians from a particular country to play the duduk to commemorate a tragedy of 1915. Which country? Armenia (the genocide)
Swedish director Lasse Hallström who directed Chocolat and My Life as a Dog is also known for his contribution in the world of music to whom/what?
ABBA (he directed almost all of ABBA’s promotional films)
What popular 1870s music composition is based on a poem of Henri Cazalis that starts with “Zig, zig, zig, Death in cadence,…”?
Danse macabre by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns
The name of what genre has its origin in what producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz had in their mouths when they discussed music targeting the younger crowd?
Bubblegum pop
In 1934, a regulation promulgated in a certain country required that when the Horst-Wessel-Lied was sung, what gesture must be performed? Hitler salute
While selling what 2007 music release did a website list a question mark where the price would normally be? If a user clicked on it, he would see “It’s Up To You” and clicking again would show “It’s Really Up To You.” Radiohead’s In Rainbows
Ships of what cruise line use the tune of “When You Wish upon a Star” from Pinnochio as the melody of their horns? Disney Cruise
The meeting of George Harrison with whom in 1965 resulted in the introduction of a certain Indian instrument on “Norwegian Wood”? Ravi Shankar (sitar)
Whose March 31, 1994 appearance on Late Show with David Letterman resulted in the episode becoming the most censored in American network television talk-show history for obvious reasons? Madonna
Who is the American entertainer who shares her name with a West African Empire known for its symbol of Golden Stool? Ashanti
Whose Symphony No. 1 was called “Beethoven’s Tenth” by conductor Hans von Bülow? Brahms’
India’s national anthem is written in what language that is also the national language of one of its neighbors? Bengali
“Hey There” is a song from a Broadway musical in which workers of a factory making what are demanding a raise of seven-and-a-half cents?
Pyjamas (The Pyjama Game)
The song “Seasons of Love” from Rent has become associated with New Years Day with lyrics mentioning “Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes.” What is the significance of that number?
Number of minutes in a (non-leap )year
What album of Sting takes its title from a sonnet he quoted in response to a drunk’s query, “How beautiful is the moon?”? …..Nothing Like the Sun
16/ If Michael Jackson popularized the Moonwalk, what yesteryear great is associated with the Duckwalk? Chuck Berry
The musical ensemble arrangement called ‘gamelan’ which often accompanies wayang puppet performances (among others) is a tradition of what Asian country?
Indonesia
During what landmark 1969 event was a ‘freak out tent’ established for those suffering from the ill-effects of drugs? Woodstock
Which iconic figure of 20th century music is known for his “I am a Catalan” speech he gave to the UN in 1971? Pablo Casals, the cellist
The 1902 guitar composition “Gran Vals” by the Spanish composer Francisco Tárrega would have remained obscure but for corporate executive Anssi Vanjoki selecting it for something in 1993. How do millions of people recognize it now?
The Nokia tune
Though denied by its author as the source of his inspiration, what musical work has strong resemblance to the story of a mythical village called Germelshausen that fell under a curse and appears for only one day every century?
Brigadoon by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe
In December 1971, Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention were playing in a concert when the casino venue they were in caught fire due to an over-zealous member of the audience firing a a flare gun into the rattan covered ceiling. This is the true origin story of what rock classic? “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple
Name the Actor, Movie, Year and Director of the following film roles
Tommy DeVitto Joe Pesci in GoodFellas (1990 Dir. Martin Scorsese)
Virgil Tibbs Sidney Poitier in In the Heat of the Night (1967 Dir. Norman Jewison)
Stanley Kowalski
Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951 Dir. Elia Kazan)
Jules Winnfield Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction (1994 Dir. Quentin Tarantino)
Terry Malloy Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront (1954 Dir. Elia Kazan)
Dil Jaye Davidson in The Crying Game (1992 Dir. Neil Jordan)
Rose Sayer Katherine Hepburn in The African Queen (1951 Dir John Huston)
Rick Blaine Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942 Dir Michael Curtiz)
Vito Corleone Marlon Brando in The Godfathe (1972 Dir. Francis Ford Coppola)
Atticus Finch Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mocking Bird (1962 Dir. Robert Mulligan)
Fred C. Dobbs
Humphrey Bogart in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948 Dir. John Huston)
Travis Bickle Rober de Niro in Taxi Driver (1976 Dir. Martin Scorsese)
George Bailey James Stewart in Its a Wonderful Life (1946 Dir. Frank Capra)
Roger (Verbal) Kint Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects (1995 Dir. Bryan Singer)
Howard Beale Peter Finch in Network (1976 Dir. Sidney Lumet)
Mrs.Robinson Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967 Dir. Mike Nichols)
Jake Gittes Jack Nicholson in Chinatown (1974 Dir. Roman Polanskii)
Harry Lime Orson Welles in The Third Man (1949 Dir. Carol Reed)
Marge Gunderson Frances Mc Dormand in Farg(1996 Dir Joel Coen)
Sandy Olsson Olivia Newton John in Grease (1978 Dir. Randal Kleiser)
Margo Channing Bette Davis in All About Eve (1950 Dir. Joseph Mankiewicz)
Tony Montana Al Pacino in Scarface (1983 Dir. Brian De Palma)
Dorothy Gal Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz (1939 Dir. Victor Fleming)
Jacques Clouseau Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther (1964 Dir. Blake Edwards)
Ratso Rizzo Dustin Hoffman in Midnight Cowboy (1969 Dir. John Schlesinger)
Randle Patrick McMurphy
Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975 Dir. Milos Forman)
Gordon Gekko Michael Douglas in Wall Street (1987 Dir. Oliver Stone)
Alex Forrest Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction (1987 Dir. Adrian Lyne)
Carl Spackler Bill Murray in Caddyshack (1980 Dir. Harold Ramos)
Captain Quint Robert Shaw in Jaws (1975 Dir. Steven Spielberg)
Oda Mae Brown Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost (1990 Dir. Jerry Zucker)
Raymond Babbitt Dustin Hoffman in Rainman (1988 Dir. Barry Levinson)
Lt.Col Bill Kilgore
Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now (1979 Dir Francis Ford Coppola)
lex DeLarge Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange (1971 Dir. Stanley Kubrick)
Norman Bates Anthony Perkins in Psycho (1960 Dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
William (Bill the Butcher) Cutting
Daniel Day-Lewis in Gangs of New York 2002 Dir. Martin Scorsese
Melanie Daniels Tippi Hendren in The Birds (1963 Dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
Tony Manero ohn Travolta in Saturday Night Fever (1977 Dir. John Badham)
Kevin McCallistr Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone (1990 Dir. Chris Columbus)
Jack Torran Jack Nicholson in The Shining (1980 Dir. Stanley Kubrick)
Norma Desmond Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (1950 Dir . Billy Wilder)
Ellen Ripley Sigourney Weaver in Alien (1979 Dir. Ridley Scott)
Lester Burnham Kevin Spacey in American Beauty (1999 Dir. Sam Mendes)
Michael Dorsey / Dorothy Michaels ]
Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie (1982 Dir. Sydney Pollock)
Mrs. Iselin
Angela Lansbury in The Manchurian Candidate (1962 Dir. John Frankenheimer)
What gas were British World War Two barrage balloons filled with? Hydrogen (which was highly explosive so detered any attacks on the balloons themselves, plus the safer Helium was in rare supply!)
Who was the United States Ambassador to Czechoslovakia between 1989 and 1992? Shirley Temple (former child actress)
Name the main character in cartoonist Chic Young’s long-running comic strip Blondie? Dagwood Bumstead
Who bought Dodington Park, in Gloucestershire, in 2003 for a price believed to be £20 million? James Dyson
What is a clerihew? A poem – four-line biographical poem invented by Edmund Clerihew Bentley. (e.g. Sir Humphry Davy, Abominated gravy. He lived in the odium, Of having discovered sodium.)
Which monarch knighted artist Sir Joshua Reynolds? George III (in 1769)
Which famous 19th century book’s title comes from the name of a stop along the pilgrim’s route in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress? Vanity Fair
If you’re unfortunate to have a furuncle, what do you have? A Boil
Which poem, written by Alexander Pope, is the source of the famous quotations “To err is human, to forgive divine,” and “A little learning is a dang’rous thing”?
An Essay on Criticism
The Rapa Nui are specifically inhabitants of which part of the world? Easter Island
Which actress provided the voice for Duchess in the 1970 American animated film The Aristocats? Eva Gabor
Which war, thought between 1665 and 1667 for control over trade routes, was given an eyewitness account in Samuel Pepys’ diaries? The Second Anglo-Dutch War
During the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in London, which actress played the Queen on board the helicopter in the short James Bond segment?
Julia McKenzie
Which play features assistant bank manager, Peter Hunter, who lives in a flat above his bank with his new bride Frances? No Sex Please Were British
What was the name of Amy Johnson’s plane in which she flew solo to Australia in 1930? Jason
In which year was the death of Queen Elizabeth I? 1603
1Which film roles have been done by boxer Billy Wells and wrestler Ken Richmond? The man banging the gong introducing Rank Films
Edible varieties of which fruit can be divided into three main types: purple ones, yellow ones and giant granadilla? Passion Fruit
The 1992 Winter Olympics were held in Albertville, France; the next Winter Olympics were held in Lillehammer, Norway, but in which year ? 1994 (the Winter Olympics were held in the same year as the Summer, but it was decided to change this to every two years after in the early nineties)
Can you name the fictional Welsh fishing village that features in the play Under Milk Wood? Llareggub (which is “bugger all” backwards!)
The next 30 Questions are on Shakespeare
Which play features two sets of twins called Antipholus and Dromio?
Comedy of Errors
Enter Rumour, painted full of tongues.’ To which play does Rumour deliver the prologue? Henry IV part 2
In The Merchant of Venice, what name does Portia adopt when she speaks in court in Antonio’s defence? Balthasar
In which play is a Latin lesson used to create a comic scene?
Merry Wives of Windsor
The signature tune to The Apprentice was taken from a scene in the ballet based on which Shakespeare play? Romeo & Juliet
Which person, mentioned by Shakespeare in a dedication, has been identified variously as the 3rd Earl of Pembroke, the 3rd Earl of Southampton or William Holme, an associate of Shakespeare’s publisher?
‘Mr W. H’, to whom the published version of the sonnets is dedicated.
Which character delivers the ‘Seven Ages of Man’ speech, and in which play? Jaques, in As You Like It
Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain (also called Deeds of the Britons) seems to have been Shakespeare’s source for two plays. One is King Lear. What is the other? Cymbeline
In Julius Caesar, which character delivers the speech which starts ‘Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears’? Mark Antony
Which work by Berlioz is based on Much Ado about Nothing? Beatrice and Benedict
In Twelfth Night, who is the steward in Olivia’s house? Malvolio
Apart from Timon of Athens, one other Shakespeare play is set primarily in or around Athens. Which one? A Midsummer Night’s Dream
In the opening scene of Macbeth, one of the witches says ‘Paddock calls’. In Shakespeare’s time, what sort of creature was referred to as ‘Paddock’? Toad
‘Prince of Tyre’ is the description of the title character of a Shakespeare play and appears in the full title of that play. What is this character’s name? Pericles
In what professional capacity is Shakespeare’s father linked to the mother of crime and thriller writer Peter James? Both are/were glove-makers – Cornelia James was glove-maker to Queen Elizabeth II and John Shakespeare was a glover
The speech in which England is described as ‘this sceptred isle’ is part of the deathbed scene of a character in King Richard II. Which character delivers this speech? John of Gaunt
In Hamlet, what is the name of Ophelia’s brother? Laertes
In which war is Troilus and Cressida set? Trojan
And who wrote the English poem (based mainly on a French source) which is generally believed to be Shakespeare’s main source for this play? Chaucer
In Henry IV, what was the name of the tavern in Eastcheap frequented by Falstaff, Prince Hal and their friends? Boar’s Head
‘Upstart Crow’ is an insult levelled at Shakespeare in a posthumous pamphlet by Robert Greene. In Ben Elton’s Upstart Crow, David Mitchell plays Shakespeare – but who plays Greene? Mark Heap
In The Taming of the Shrew, what is the name of Katharina’s milder-mannered sister? Bianca
Which Terry Pratchett novel mixes a pastiche of theatre in Shakespeare’s time and a pastiche of Macbeth? Wyrd Sisters
Dogberry in All’s Well That Ends Well and Dull in Love’s Labour’s Lost both have the same profession. What is it? Constable
In Henry V, what provocative present does the King of France send to Henry? Tennis balls
Which 20th century writer’s play shares its title with the play performed before Claudius and Gertrude in Hamlet?
Agatha Christie – the play is called The Mousetrap
Which sonnet provides the title for the first in a series of books by H. E. Bates about an unconventional family? Sonnet 18, which starts ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day’ and contains the phrase ‘The darling buds of May’
‘A plague on both your houses’ is said by a character who lies dying. To what ‘houses’ does the character refer? Montague & Capulet
Richard II’s was called Barbary, and Richard III’s was called Surrey. What are we talking about? Horses
Which Shakespearean character is the rightful Duke of Milan, deposed by his brother? Prospero in The Tempest
Gibreel Farishta and Saladin Chamcha are prominent characters in which controversial literary work that famously attracted a fatwa?
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
Washington Irving’s classic story Rip Van Winkle is set in which geographic region of New York state? The Catskills
Baden-Powell used themes from which two books in setting up the Scouting movement? The Jungle Book and Kim
What is observed annually on June 16 in Dublin to celebrate the life of James Joyce and relive the events in his novel Ulysses? Bloomsday
Which influential 19th century work on military strategy by Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz is prescribed at various military academies to this day? On War
If the book The Catcher in the Rye is to Mark Chapman-John Lennon, which book is to Yigal Amir-Yitzhak Rabin? The Day of the Jackal
(As published in the Israeli press at the time, police investigators believed that the assassination was partially inspired by the book, and that Amir used it as a kind of “how to” manual).
What is the significance of the title of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 given that it is set in a society where censorship is prevalent? 451 degrees Fahrenheit is stated as ‘the temperature at which book-paper catches fire and burns’
The title of which book comes from a dialogue within where the character Atticus warns his children that, although they can “shoot all the blue jays they want,” they must remember that “it’s a sin to do this”? To Kill a Mockingbird
Which author admitted that large passages of his best seller were copied from the book The African by Harold Courlander? Alex Haley for Roots
Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India spoke with Khrushchev and was partly instrumental in preventing the expulsion of which writer from the Soviet Union after that person won the Nobel Prize for Literature? Boris Pasternak
If Maugham’s The Moon and Sixpence fictionalizes the life of Paul Gauguin, his novel Cakes and Ale contains characterizations of which English author who never lived in Wessex? Thomas Hardy
What 1889 comic classic that describes a boating holiday on the Thames was initially intended to be a serious travel guide until the humorous elements took over and made the book what it now is? Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
Which well-known short story about time travel by Ray Bradbury is a fictional exploration of the ‘butterfly effect’ of Chaos theory? A Sound of Thunder
What section of the South Transept of Westminster Abbey gets its name from the number of literary figures buried there? Poets’ Corner
The 2000 film Finding Forrester in which Sean Connery plays a reclusive author was loosely based on the life of which person who passed away in 2010? J. D. Salinger
Which 1939 American play takes place in Harry Hopes’ saloon and starts with the scene where everyone is waiting for ‘Hickey’ to show up?
The Iceman Cometh by Eugene O’Neill
San Jose State University in the US has an annual fiction contest for bad writing named for which 19th century writer known for his hyperbolic prose?
Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873)
In adventure literature, what lie in an unexplored region of Africa beyond a mountain range called Sheba’s breasts and a lush green valley called Kukuanaland?
Mines of King Solomon
Which 1903 book by Erskine Childers that is still enjoyed for its accurate portrayal of inland sailing was credited by Winston Churchill as a major reason for the establishment of naval bases in the UK? The Riddle of the Sands
Fans of Russian Literature who cannot read the originals in Russian ought to be thankful to Constance Garnett. Why? She was an English translator whose translations of nineteenth-century Russian classics introduced them on a wide basis to the English public.
Mark Twain’s ridiculing of chivalry in his story A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court is considered as specifically targeting whose books? Sir Walter Scott
In Dante’s Divine Comedy, if Hell is divided into 9 circles and Paradise into 9 spheres, what is divided into 7 terraces? Purgatory
In the Indiana Jones series of novels, Indiana loses his virginity to which real life spy? Mata Hari
After William Shakespeare, who is the most frequently quoted writer in the English language with phrases like “Theirs not to reason why,/Theirs but to do and die”?
Alfred Lord Tennyson
The following lines are the answer to what book’s titular explanation?
“When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,
When he beats his bars and would be free;
It is not a carol of joy or glee,
But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core,
But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings”
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
/In Britain, a peeler is an old name for a policeman. What is a peeler in the USA?
A Striptease dancer
Traditionally, on Boxing Day, cricket test matches start in which Australian city? Melbourne
Which city was the capital of Spain until 1560? Toledo
What was the name of the plot to murder the entire cabinet of Lord Liverpool in
1820? The Cato Street conspiracy
The Beach Boys’ 1979 song Lady Lynda uses a melody derived from which composer of classical music?
Johann Sebastian Bach (his Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring)
Which animal appears on the badge of Kent County Cricket club? A Horse
Which English King was known as Beauclerc? Henry the First
In 1970 and 1973 Glenda Jackson was awarded an Oscar for Best Actress; name the films which earned her this award. Women in Love and A Touch of Class
In 1902, the second winner of the Nobel Prize for medicine was the first Briton to win a Nobel Prize. Who was he?
Sir Ronald Ross (for the discovery of the mode of transmission of malaria)
Which circle of latitude forms a large part of the land border between Canada and the USA? The 49th parallel
What name was given to the German Military Intelligence Service that existed between 1920 and 1945? The Abwehr
What was the name of the 1571 plot, which involved the Duke of Norfolk and the Bishop of Ross, to murder Elizabeth I? The Ridolfi Ploit
In 1975 Jack Nicholson won an Oscar for Best Actor for his role in which film?
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
The first Rugby League Challenge Cup final was in 1897. Which teams played in this match? Batley and St Helens (Batley won 10-3)
Which English King was known as Bolingbroke? Henry the Fourth
What single word describes a sculptor’s small preliminary model? Maquette
Who co-wrote the TV sitcom Fawlty Towers with John Cleese and played the role of the chambermaid, Polly? Connie Booth
Who was the muse of astronomy? Urania
What was the name of the Pope who, in 1532,excommunicated Henry VIII?
Pope Clement VII
What was the name of the plot to murder Charles II and his brother (later James II) on their return journey from Newmarket races in 1683? Rye House Plot
Vince Gilligan created and produced which successful American TV series starring Bryan Cranston? Breaking Bad
Originally acquired by eBay in 2005, which communications tool was bought by Microsoft in 2011 for $8.5bn? Skype
By what name is singer Elly Jackson better known? La Roux
What is the name of the constructed international auxiliary language created by L.L. Zamenhof? Esperanto
‘Woman with a Hat’ and ‘Nu Bleu‘ are notable works by which French painter? Henri Matisse
‘Road to Rouen‘ is the fifth studio album by which British group? Supergrass
Cornu Aspersum is the common name of which mollusc? Garden snail
Directed by Carol Reed, which 1949 film starring Orson Welles top a 1999 BFI poll as the greatest British film of the 20th century? The Third Man
Which Scottish DJ was born Adam Richard Wiles in January 1984? Calvin Harris
Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and which other club are the only sides to have won the English title three seasons in succession? Huddersfield Town ‘Land and Freedom‘ directed by Ken Loach features which 20th century war? Spanish Civil War
Who painted ‘The Sistine Madonna’? Raphael
The “Brabançonne” is the national anthem of which European country? Belgium
Which politician became Austalia’s 29th prime minister in 2015?
Malcolm Turnbull
Which unit of electric current is equal to a flow of one coulomb per second? Ampere
Which US actor played Private Ryan in the blockbuster film Saving Private Ryan? Matt Damon
Songwriter Billy Steinberg spent more than a year attempting to find someone to record which song before it was accepted by Madonna? Like a Virgin
Though often associated with John Barry, can you name the film composer who wrote the music to the first James Bond movie, ‘Dr. No‘? Monty Norman
A ‘Kri-kri’ is a feral goat now found on which island? Crete, Greece
What is Scotland’s second highest mountain? Ben Macdui
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