Mastermind Club
Question Archive 7
Which song opens “The minute you walked in the joint”? Big Spender from the musical Sweert Charity Who was the second Plantagenet King of England? Richard I
Which motorway runs between Sunbury and the outskirts of Southampton? M3
In the works of Jane Austen, what is the surname of sisters Elinor, Marianne and Margaret? Dashwood
Becoming fully operational in 2011, what is the UK’s newest National Park? The South Downs
In the theme tune to a 1960s American television series, which dolphin was “faster than lightning”? Flipper
In Arthurian legend, which knight was the nephew of King Mark of Cornwall and lover of the King’s wife? Sir Tristan
In which town is the northernmost railway station in Britain? Thurso
Which Sir John Everett Millais painting featured the future Admiral Sir William James? Bubbles
V is the symbol for which chemical element? Vanadium
Which DIY chain was formed by Richard Block and David Quayle in Southampton in 1969? B&Q
Serenade for Strings, Op. 20 and Introduction and Allegro for Strings, Op. 47 are works by which composer? Sir Edward Elgar
In The Iliad, and more importantly as seen in the 1965 Doctor Who story The Myth Makers, who killed Hector? Achilles
Which ship was infamously torpedoed by U-Boat U20 on 7 May 1915? Lucitania
Two aircraft carriers led the Task Force to the Falklands in 1982. One was H.M.S. Invincible – what was the other? H.M.S.Hermes
Jèrriais, Dgèrnésiais, Auregnais and Sercquiais are dialects of which island group? The Channel Islands
Which Welsh hymn is often given the alternative title Bread of Heaven? Cwm Rhondda
How many stars are there on the flag of the People’s Republic of China? Five
In the Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy books by Douglas Adams, what is the name of the Paranoid Android? Marvin
Vodka and orange juice are the two constituents of which cocktail? A Screwdriver
In heraldry, what is an animal described as naiant doing? Swimming
Who was assassinated in Parral, Chihuahua at the behest of Congressman Jesus Salas Barrazas? Pancho Villa
How is 24 rendered in binary notation? 11000
Which King mysteriously died in the New Forest in 1100? William II (Rufas)
Rubber Bullets, I’m Not In Love and Dreadlock Holiday were number 1 hits in the 1970s for which band? 10cc
What metal are Timpani usually made from? Copper
Who was the captain of the Titanic on her fateful voyage? Captain Edward John Smith
What is the aim of silver iodide nucleation of clouds? Rain making
Which river, running South to North, almost bisects of Isle of Wight? Medina
The composer of Ruslan y Lyudmila, who is regarded as the father of Russian opera? Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka
Released three years later, what was the sequel to the 1932 book Little House in the Big Woods? Little House on the Prairie (by Laura Ingalls Wilder)
Which movement of the Church of England arose from John Keble’s Assize Sermon on National Apostasy? The Oxford Movement
Which great West Indian fast bowler took 134 first-class wickets for Hampshire in the 1982 season? Malcom Marshall
Found in Columbia in 2006, Doris Swanson’s poison-dart is a species of which amphibian? Frog
Which company developed the Spitfire aeroplane? Supermarine
What animal’s name did designer R J Mitchell want to give to the Spitfire, but was overruled by the Chairman of Vickers-Armstrong, who named it after his nickname for his daughter Anne? Shrew
To whom did Noël Coward once start a letter “Dear 338171 (May I call you 338?)”? T.E.Lawrence (when he was serving in the R.A.F)
Marilyns, Deweys, Hewitts and Nuttalls are lists of what? Hills (of varying types)
In which organ of the body can the Sinoatrial node be found? The heart
Dinas Oleu, a coastal hillside in Wales, was in 1895 the first acquisition by which organisation? The National Trust
The Courting at Burnt Ranch is an alternative title for which Aaron Copland ballet of 1942? Rodeo
Who created the selfish rogue Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge, who appears in a number of short stories by this writer? P G Wodehouse
Which singer was arrested for pinching the backside of a woman in the monkey house of the Central Park Zoo, New York, in 1906? Enrico Caruso
Of what is Mycology the study? Fungi
Winchester Cathedral was a number 4 hit in 1966 for which group? The New Vaudiville Band
Who collaborated with A N Whitehead on the Principia Mathematica of 1910? Bertrand Russell
James Collinson, Thomas Woolner, W. M. Rossetti and F.G. Stephens were among the founder members of which artistic group? The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
Played by Dirk Bogarde, Tom Riley shot and killed which policeman in a 1949 film? George Dixon
What name is given to a fear of the Dutch? Dutchphobia
At sea, when does the First Watch commence? 20.00 (8pm)
Which composer’s infatuation with the actress Harriet Smithson inspired the composition of his Symphonie Fantastique? Hector Berlioz
What is the name of the title character in Thomas Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge? Michael Henchard
Which sauce was invented in Louisiana by Edmund McIlhenny in the late 1860s, but shares its name with an area of an adjoining country to the USA? Tobasco
Environmentally in Britain, what are APACs? Areas of Particularly Attractive Countryside
Which British runner won an Olympic silver medal behind Michael Johnson in the men’s 400 metres at the 1996 Atlanta games? Roger Black
Nicknamed “The Cheeky Chappie”, Thomas Henry Sargent was the real name of which music hall star? Max Miller
The name of which title given to some Islamic rulers in history is derived from the Arabic for “successor”? Caliph
Which cricket commentator wrote the hymn “God, whose farm is all creation”? John Arlott
In which city is the royal picture gallery of the Mauritshuis located? The Hague
The Stag and Dolomite were cars of the 1970s from which motor marque? Triumph
In a not unsurprisingly unsuccessful advertising campaign by Great Northern Railways around the turn of the 20th century, which resort was marketed as “Nottingham-on-Sea”? Skegness
Which creatures make up the Order Anguilliformes? Eels
In M.C. Beaton’s The Travelling Matchmaker series Emily goes to Exeter and Belinda goes to Bath. Where does Penelope go to? Portsmouth
Who compiled a noted collection of country dances in the 1651 work The English Dancing Master? John Playford
After the first performance of one of his plays, who remarked “The play was a great success, but the audience was a total failure”? Oscar Wilde (after the premiere of Lady Windermere’s Fan)
Which work by Johann Strauss the Elder was composed in honour of the Austrian general who put down an uprising in Lombardy and Venetia in 1848-9? The Radetzky March
The abbreviation for which cloud is the name as the chemical symbol for arsenic? Altostratus (AS)
Which sitcom was set in Hatley railway station? Oh, Doctor Beeching
What was the surname of the brothers who painted the Ghent Altarpiece? Van Eyck (Hubert & Jan)
Which region of that country is nicknamed “The Garden of Spain”? Andalusia
Who took the possibly remarkable double of the wedding photographs of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and the coronation photograph of the present Queen? Sir Cecil Beaton
Which Italian city is served by Capodichino airport? Naples
What sort of book was John Ogilby’s Britannia, published in 1675?
A collection of road maps showing routes between various places in Britain
Who scored the winning goal when Southampton won the FA Cup in 1976? Bobby Stokes
Guernsey Cream is a cheese from which country? Japan
In geology, what term is given to a vent in the Earth’s surface from which steam and volcanic gases are emitted? A Fumarole
Which historian and curator made television programmes on the history of the home and the Regency period in 2011? Lucy Worsley
Which wine growing area of the Bordeaux region shares its name with an American car manufacturer? Cadillac
Which 18th century Venetian painter decorated the Archbishop’s Palace in Udine, the Prince Archbishop’s Palace in Würzburg and painted the ceiling of the throne room for Charles III of Spain? Giambattista Tiepolo
In a Mark Twain novel, Tom Canty is a double of which historical personage? King Edward Vi (in The Prince and the Pauper)
In printing, what term is used to denote that a page’s width is greater than its height? Landscape
Stock 84 is the world’s best-selling Italian brand of which spirit? Brandy
Blue Picardy, Brittany, Écossais and Pont-Audemer are among French breeds of which dog? Spaniel
What is the name of Tannhaüser’s beloved in Wagner’s opera of that name? Elisabeth
Which Old Testament hero was the son of Mahoah? Samson
For the treatment of which disease died Augier Ferrier of Toulouse in the 16th century give the following advice to his fellow physicians: “get out fast, stay well away, come back late”? (Boubonic) Plague
Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs are the members of which pop band, named after a French football team? Saint Etienne
In astronomy, what is a WIMP? Weakly Interacting Massive Particle
What sort of mammal is a Red-bellied Titi? A Monkey
San Miguel is the most important rum distillery in which South American country? Equador
Uncle Silas, Guy Deverell and The Wyvern Mystery are amongst the works of which Irish writer? Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
Which pub name comes from the heraldic symbol of Richard II? White Hart
Best known for a 1624 painting of a man, whose paintings include Lucas de Clercq, Feyntje van Steenkistle and Regents of the St Elizabeth Hospital ? Frans Hals
In the Pacific Ocean, what is the name of the cold counterpart to the El Niño phase? La Nina
What was the name of the liner in Morgan Robertson’s 1898 novel Futility, which sinks after hitting an iceberg on her maiden voyage? Titan
A bizarre gardening accident, choking on vomit and spontaneous human combustion are amongst the means of death of drummers from which rock band? Spinal Tap
John Evans, whose tenancy expired on 25th August 1762, was the last man to live on which structure? London Bridge
Which 1819 novel opens “In that pleasant district of merry England which is watered by the river Don, there extended in ancient times a large forest, covering the greater part of the beautiful hills and valleys which lie between Sheffield and the pleasant town of Doncaster”? Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
What is the second sign of the zodiac? Taurus
Coming into force in 1994, who are the three member countries of the North American Free Trade Agreement? Canada, Mexico and The United States
Which King met his end in Pontefract Castle? Richard II
Brigg Fair and On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring are amongst the works of which composer? Frederick Delius
Which sport’s World Championship is staged annually in the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield? Snooker
Dakar is the capital of which African country? Senegal
In the measurement of horses, how many inches make a hand? Four
Which rank in the British Army comes between Major-General and Colonel? Brigadier
The tenth brightest star in the night star, and the home solar system of Ford Prefect in The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, what is the red supergiant star found in the shoulder of Orion? Betlgeuse
What name is given to a strip of paper with only one edge and one side? A Mobius Strip
Who invented the first process for the inexpensive mass production of steel in 1855? Sir Henry Bessemer
Which ancient measurement was based on the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger? The Cubit
What is the name of the home ground of Sheffield United? Bramall Lane
What is Haar? A North sea fog
Which sit-com featured the stuttering tight-fisted shopkeeper Arkwright and his nephew Granville? Open All Hours
Which poison can be obtained from the Monk’s Hood or Wolfsbane plants? Aconite
Phil Oakey is the lead singer with which long-running Sheffield pop group? The Human League
In which country is the New Year holiday known as Shogatsu? Japan
Which poet, sister of a painter, produced the book of nursery rhymes Sing-Song in 1877? Christina Rosetti
Which First Sea Lord, a former officer in HMS Warrior, was responsible for the conception of the battleship HMS Dreadnought? Sir John Arbuthnot “Jackie” Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher of Kilverstone
Pine, Beech and Stone are varieties of which mammal of the Weasel family? Marten
What is Vitamin B2 also known as? Riboflavin
Which sports presenter was supposedly told by Socrates through a medium in 1990 that he would heal the earth? David Icke
Who insured his taste buds for £250,000 in 1993? Egon Ronay
When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed is an elegy penned by Walt Whitman on the assassination of whom? Abraham Lincoln
What name is given collectively to Scotland’s peaks of a height of between 2,500 and 2,999 feet above sea level with at least 500 foot of ascent on all sides, of which there are 221 Munros
The earliest report of what form of athletics is a race up Creag Choinnich organised by King Malcolm III of Scotland in 1064? Fell Running
Which writer and craftsman’s only completed oil painting was the 1858 work Queen Guinevere? William Morris
What was notable about the gun Johnny Mack Brown used whilst playing the title role in the 1930 film Billy the Kid? It (allegedly) belonged to Billy the Kid himself
With 33 victories to date, which county has won cricket’s County Championship the most times? Yorkshire
Jacqui McShee was the lead singer of which 1960s folk-jazz group? Pentangle
The Palk Strait separates which two countries? India & Sri lanka
Bruichladdch and Bunnahabain are whisky distilleries found on which island? Islay
With over 35 million sales since its launch in 1966, what Japanese car is the best-selling of all time? Toyota Corolla
Who wrote about Piers Plowman in a famous allegorical poem? William Langland
What is the name of the salesman in Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman? Willy Loman
Which brewing company is based at the Old Brewery, Tadcaster? Samuel Smith
Errol Brown was lead singer with which band, popular in the 1970s and 1980s? Hot Chocolate
What was the surname of the Unitarian Minister the future writer Elizabeth Cleghorn Stevenson married in 1832? Gaskell
Where would you be most likely to find a Macpherson strut suspension? In a motor vehicle
Where was Assistant Surgeon William Brydon the only man to return alive from in 1842? Afghanistan (although several other survivors subsequently turned up)
Which Prime Minister dismissed the Daily Mail as “By office boys for office boys”? Lord Salisbury (Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury)
In which European country is The Order of the Falcon awarded, the reverse of the Order’s badge bearing the inscription “Seytjandi juni 1944”? Iceland
What is the young of a Walrus called? A Pup
On the Plimsoll Line, what does F denote? Fresh Water
What colour is the Northern Line on a London Underground Map? Black
In cookery, what name is given to a mixture of thyme, bay and parsley, usually enclosed in a muslin bag? Bouquet Garni
Who was Captain-General of the New Model Army on its establishment? Sir Thomas Fairfax
Whose paintings inspired the French Academy to coin the term “fête galante”? Jean-Antoine Watteau
What was the first name of Captain Mainwaring in Dad’s Army? George
Which actress delivered lines such as “it’s not the men in my life that counts – it’s the life in my men” and “Why don’t you come up sometime, and see me” in 1930s films? Mae West
Cotswold, Border, Molly and Longsword are types of what form of dance? Morris dancing
Which fortified city in the Languedoc has inspired a German board game? Carcassonne In the news in December 2010, which of the United Arab Emirates is the only one not to have a flag with a red and white colour scheme? Qatar Somebody described as “sanguine” is supposedly governed by w hich of the classical bodily humours? Blood What was Commander Henry Raby RN the first person to receive, in Hyde Park on 26th June 1857? The Victoria Cross Who wrote the semi-autobiographical play The Dresser based on his time on tour with Sir Donald Wolfit? Ronald Harwood In Chemistry, what is the measure of an element’s capacity to combine with other elements known as? Valency Who murdered over 600 girls in the misplaced belief drinking their blood would prevent her ageing? Countess (Erszébet) Báthory Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe are the members of which pop group? The Pet Shop Boys Montagu-Douglas Scott is the surname of which Duke? Duke of Buccleuch In heraldry, what did a bend sinister on a coat of arms indicate? The person was born illegitimate Which actress famously took an illicit tumble in the surf with Burt Lancaster in From Here to Eternity? Deborah Kerr Whose orchestral works include 3 Orchestral Pieces from Sigurd Jorsalfar, Opus 56 and Wedding Day at Trondhaugen, Opus 65 Number 6? Edvard Grieg Which economist, in a 1917 letter to Duncan Grant, showed less than satisfaction with his job when he wrote “I work for a Government I despise for ends I think criminal”? John Maynard Keynes Which Saint was Abbot of Rievaulx from 1147 to 1167? St.Ailred At which sacred site did the Pythian Games take plan in Ancient Greece? Delphi In a CAT scan, for what does the CAT stand? Computerised Axial Tomography Which 1970 film was filmed in and around the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway? The Railway Children Where can Broca’s Area and Wernicke’s Area be found? The Brain Which of Alexander the Great’s generals was given the epithet Soter, or “saviour” after defending the Rhodians against Demetrius? Ptolemy I At 147 square miles, what is the largest lake in the UK? Lough Neagh Which actor played Queen Victoria in the 1974 film The Great McGonagall, which starred Spike Milligan in the lead role? Peter Sellers Which Prime Minister wrote the novel Savrola, of which he said “I have consistently urged my friends to abstain from reading it”? Sir Winston Churchill From which country do Jumilla wines, which use the Monastrell, Airén, Merseguera and Pedro Ximénez grapes, come? Spain Which part of the human body connects the mouth and the nostrils to the oesophagus, and is also connected to the inner ear by the Eustachian tubes? The Pharynx Which National Trail runs for 110 miles between Helmsley and Filey? The Cleveland Way A Clergyman might wear a Pluvial as part of his vestments as protection against what? Rain Marduk was the chief God of which ancient people? The Babylonians Which American President designed his own house at Monticello, Virginia? Thomas Jefferson Perhaps unsurprisingly, Jesus Christ is the person with most mentions in the King James Bible, with 1,528. Who, with 1,011 is second? King David As well as becoming joint principal of the Cordon Bleu Cookery School, Constance Spry was notable figure in what field? Flower Arranging Also called Wood Alcohol, with the formula CH3OH what is the simplest of the alcohols? Methanol What is the nickname of Tchaikovsky’s 2nd symphony, given due to the use of Ukrainian folk melodies in the work? The Little Russian (Little Russia being a Russian term for the Ukraine) In Downton Abbey, what is the title held by the character played by Hugh Bonneville? The Earl of Grantham Which theologian, an Archbishop of Canterbury for 16 years, formulated the ontological argument for the existence of God? St.Anselm The works of which composer were damned by the London Musical World in a review of his Mazurkas in 1841 as “a motley surface of ranting hyperbole and excruciating cacophony”? Frederic Chopi What is the name of the process developed by Gunther von Hagens for the preservation of bodies and body parts? Plastination Why has a field in Dyersville, Iowa been a tourist attraction since 1989? It was the location of the field in the film Field of Dreams Which 1138 book was supposedly based on a “most ancient book in the British tongue” possessed by Walter, Archdeacon of Oxford? Historia Regum Britanniae (or History of the Kings of Britain) by Geoffrey of Monmouth In medieval cathedrals and monasteries, what name was given to a covered passage leading east from the cloisters, usually near the Chapter House? Slype Which popular progressive rock supergroup’s member’s forenames were Keith, Greg and Carl? Emerson, Lake & Palmer Used in engineering and geology and sharing its name with that of a Jane Austen character, what is the cgs unit of permeability? The Darcy What colour is the liqueur Parfait Amour? Violet or Purple Which Hall near Ashbourne in Derbyshire contains the National Trust Museum of Childhood? Sudbury Hall Best known for its aria “Ebben? Ne andrò lontana”, the opera La Wally was composed by whom? Alfredo Catalini A common sight in the scrublands of southern Asia, and nervous in nature, what sort of creature is an Ashy Prinia? A bird (a member of the warbler family) What award connects Fridtjof Nansen, Frank B Kellogg, Lech Walesa, the Dalai Lama and Jimmy Carter? The Nobel Peace Prize Whose last words when she died in 1931 were “Get my swan costume ready”? Anna Pavlova