Friday, June 30, 2006
An extra-big super King Lizard of a special quiz
Jurassic and which other, lasting from 135 million years to 65 million years
ago?
2. Relatives of dinosaurs, ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs inhabited what sort
of environment?
3. Which herbivorous dinosaur from the Jurassic period, which derives its
name from the Greek for ‘double beam’, had fifteen hollow vertebrae
supporting a remarkably long neck?
4. Which dinosaur, characterised by a double row of kite-shaped plates
running down its back also had a cluster of spikes of bone covered with horn
known as a thagomizer which it used to defend itself by lashing out at
predators?
5. The iguanodon from the suborder ornithopoda takes its name from the
English word ‘iguana’ and the Greek word odontos, referring to which part of
the animal’s anatomy, the first example of which was found in a field in
West Sussex in 1922?
6. The bones of small Cretaceous period dinosaurs have been found preserved
on which continent, which in the modern era would be too cold to sustain a
habitat for dinosaurs?
‘shield’ means a plate or lump of bone buried in the skin for extra
protection?
8. Which small and agile dinosaur from the suborder theropoda which lived
during the late Cretaceous period had large sickle-shaped claws, about
eighty blade-like teeth and almost certainly had a body partly covered in
feathers, leading to some experts to retrospectively classify it as a type
of bird?
9. Carnivores ate meat, herbivores ate plants. What word is used to describe
those dinosaurs which ate both meat and plants?
10. No one is certain why about 65 million years ago the dinosaurs became
extinct, though one theory suggests that it was a giant dust cloud which
circled the entire globe and blocked out the sun. What caused this dust
cloud?
11. Which sauropodomorph, a partial skeleton of which was found in
Mexico
long from snout to tail?
12. The deinonychus of the Cretaceous period, roughly 3-4 metres long and
living on a diet of herbivorous dinosaurs was characterised by two
distinctive features. One was a striped body like that of a tiger which
helped it to camouflage itself in woodland; the other was which notable
feature on its feet?
13. The Troodon formosus, an intelligent feathered dinosaur from the late
Cretaceous period, shared which feature with today’s galago or bushbaby,
which would have helped it with night vision and depth perception?
14. What ‘p’ is the study of the developing history of life on Earth, of
ancient plants and animals based on fossils?
15. Which enormous dinosaur of the therapoda group with a large head and
bonecrushing teeth was in an academic paper of 1994 suggested by famous
palaeontologist Jack Horner to have been exclusively a scavenger owing to
its tiny arms and eyes, bonecrushing teeth and slow speed?
Thursday, June 29, 2006
The mother of the Monkees' Mike Nesmith invented which aid to secretaries?
1) Carly Simon is the daughter of one of the founders of which publishing house?
2) Bach's 'Air on a G string' was used to advertise which cigar brand on British television?
3) How long is a marathon?
5) The Scoville chart measures the heat of what?
6) Which Football League club was formerly known as
7) Who would be the victim of an uxoricide?
8) Which culinary technique refers to cooking in water just below its boiling point?
9) Where would you find the Mount of Venus and the Plain of Mars?
10) Michelle Phillips was one of the four members of which 1960s American folk rock group?
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
An icosahedron has how many sides?
1) Igor Sikorsky is associated with which technological innovation?
2) Which American football team’s helmet is decorated with the stripes of a tiger?
3) Which literary character lives in Stowey House Care Home (later renamed Cliffside) and has been portrayed on screen by Dani Harmer?
4) If I were tuning in my radio, on which two medium wave frequencies could I pick up Radio Five Live?
5) Which Neoclassical French artist born in 1748 painted “The Death of Marat”?
6) Who compiles the Pears Ultimate Quiz Companion?
7) What was Roger Moore's last Bond film?
8) What was launched in 1935 as Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp?
9) If I were American, to avoid incriminating myself which Amendment would I plead?
10) In cockney rhyming slang what is a Lady Godiva?
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
What was the nationality of astronomer Nicholas Copernicus?
1) Legally speaking, what is the
2) Who was the father of Britney Spears's first child Sean Preston?
3) Which actor from the BBC drama series Spooks starred as Mr Darcy in the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice?
4) What is the common name for lysergic acid diethylamide?
5) Which Spaniard led the conquest of the Inca Empire in the 16th century?
6) The presence of glauconite in certain areas of sand to be found on the ocean floor turns the sand which colour?
7) Used by locals to describe the entire island, what do we call the part of Borneo occupied by
8) Which dog of African origin is famous for its tightly curled tail, avoidance of water and reluctance to bark?
9) What metal is produced in the Bessemer process?
10) What is the smallest prime number?
Monday, June 26, 2006
Who was arrested after urinating on The Alamo in 1982?
1) Which Sam Peckinpah film was based on the novel ‘The Siege of Trencher’s Farm’ by Gordon Williams?
2) In 1999 the artists Jian Jun Xi and Yuan Cai sabotaged whose work which had been shortlisted for the Turner Prize?
3) What does HTTP stand for?
4) Andreas Cornelius van Kujik was the real name of which rock star manager?
5) How many innings does each team have in a baseball match?
6) In the 1992-3 Premiership season Oldham Athletic stayed up on goal difference at the expense of which side, whose squad included Stan Collymore, Gareth Southgate and Nigel Martyn?
7) The word 'caviar' derives from the word for 'fish eggs' in which language?
8) What is the location of the
9) Where would I find an I.S.B.N. number?
10) Which piece of gaming equipment was required to play classic Nintendo game Duck Hunt?
Friday, June 23, 2006
Some sad woman really likes Star Wars so these are by special request – don’t blame me.
1) What full title is given to the first of the Star Wars films released in
US cinemas on 25th May, 1977?
2) Hailing from Kashyyyk, a planet characterised by thick forests and
jungles and sometimes known as Planet C, what sort of alien creature is
Chewbacca?
3) Finse in south-western
featuring which icy planet, the sixth of a planetary system of the same name
and the setting for the Rebel Alliance headquarters after their victory at
the Battle of Yavin?
4) What is the name of Anakin Skywalker’s wife who dies in childbirth whilst
bearing the twins Luke and Leia?
5) What name is taken by Darth Sidious in his alter-ego as his Imperial
Majesty, the Emperor of the Galactic Empire?
6) What does Obi-Wan Kenobi describe as "An energy field created by all
living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy
together."
7) Specifically what sort of competition is won by a young Anakin Skywalker
in Episode I: The Phantom Menace in order to win his freedom?
8) What is the name of the renegade Jedi Master who turns to the dark side
and becomes the apprentice of Darth Sidious? He is eventually betrayed by
his master and decapitated by Anakin Skywalker with a pair of light sabers.
9) Which character, in the Italian version of the films, appears to viewers to be speaking in a form of Sardinian dialect thanks to their unusual speech pattern?
10) Peter Serafinowicz, better known for his comedy roles in such projects as Shaun of the Dead, Look around You and Hardware, provided the voice of which character who only appeared in one film?
Thursday, June 22, 2006
How many moons orbit the planet Mars?
2) Who might use measures known as ‘ems’ and ‘ens’?
3) Who wrote the James Bond theme as used in the movie series?
4) Who was the first foreign manager of an English football team to win the FA Cup?
5) Which ancient port served the city of
6) In
7) Which medical device was invented by Frenchman René Laënnec in 1816?
8) In cricket who are the Dynamos?
9) In the sixties singer Tom Jones had an affair with which member of the Supremes?
10) 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.' Where are those words inscribed?
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
How is Brazilian footballer Marcos Evangelista de Moraes better known?
1) Which member of the cat family has non-retractable claws?
2) Which country won the 1975 Eurovision Song Contest with Ding Ding Dong?
3) What is the name of the building which has been the official
4) Which 1969 movie starred Barbra Streisand and Michael Crawford?
5) Jodrell Bank radio observatory is in which county?
6) Who is buried with her husband Abélard in Père Lachaise cemetery,
7) In the TV sitcom Open All Hours, Granville is convinced his father is of what nationality?
8) In Peter Pan, how is Tinkerbell saved from death after she drinks the hero’s poisoned medicine?
9) Which city’s university comprises two colleges – King’s, founded in 1494, and Marischal, founded 1593?
10) In which city was Mozart’s Don Giovanni premiered in 1787?
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Who walked a tightrope across Niagara Falls in 1859?
1) What was the Hippophagic Society founded in the 17th century to popularise?
2) What is the date of the Queen’s real birthday?
3) Who died while making the second series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet?
4) What is pedology?
5) At which public school did the original members of Genesis meet?
6) Into which lake was King Arthur’s sword Excalibur thrown, according to legend?
7) George Raft and Hedy Lamarr were supposedly the first choice actors to play which roles in which famous movie?
8) What was Calamity Jane’s real name?
9) Who died when, after being sent to
10) Which modern sport can be traced back to the similar ancient games of Pok Ta Pok and Ollimalitzli?
Monday, June 19, 2006
Who was the lead singer of the band Hot Chocolate?
1) Who was Governor of Britain from 78-85 AD and had a history of his life penned by his son-in-law Tacitus?
2) Who were the parents of Achilles?
3) What was the name of Oscar-winning actress Olivia de Havilland’s Oscar-winning actress sister?
4) In which year did
5) In theatre, how are Valentine and Proteus better known?
6) What was abolished by Act of Parliament in 1833?
7) Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis created the Kazaa peer-to-peer filesharing network, but what was their next (and more profitable) creation?
8) In American Football, how many points is a touchdown worth?
9) With what is the Belgian beer Kriek flavoured?
10) Which Swiss-born naturalist and Harvard professor, having a zoology museum at the university named in his honour, put forward the theory that
Friday, June 16, 2006
Shut your north and south.
Yep, it’s a Lahndan special.
2. Which line on the London Underground was nicknamed The Twopenny Tube when it opened in 1900?
3: Which
4 What kind of establishment first opened in
5. In which park is London Zoo?
6. In which district of London did “Jack the Ripper” (in)famously carry out at least five murders in 1888?
7. In which street did the infamous Sweeney Todd live and operate?
8. Which
9. The famous ‘London Stone’ is can now be seen in the wall of what kind of shop on
10. Where in
Thursday, June 15, 2006
In which seaside town was the comedy series Fawlty Towers set?
1. Who piloted the H4 Hercules, also known as the Spruce Goose, on its only flight in 1947?
2. What nationality was Madame Tussaud?
3. What was notable about the 1964 movie Incubus starring William Shatner?
4. If I suffered from musophobia, what would I fear?
5. Which woman won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979?
6. Who wrote the opera Fidelio, which tells of Leonore’s attempt to rescue her political prisoner husband?
7. Which musical star was born Julia Wells in Walton-on-Thames,
8. Epistaxis is the proper medical term for which symptom or complaint, often claimed to have been the cause of Attila the Hun’s death?
9. Which
10. Which comedy series began life as 1962 Comedy Playhouse episode entitled The Offer?
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Who was born William Claude Dukinfield in 1879?
1. The distance of which race was only standardised in 1924?
2. According to Dante, what is written above the gates of Hell?
3. What was formed at
4. In which city was the composer Mozart born in 1756?
5. In which year was the last judicial hanging in
6. Which country was banned by FIFA from competing in the 1990 World Cup finals after they fielded over-age players in the 1988 World Youth Championships?
7. How many characters did Alec Guinness play in the 1949 film Kind Hearts and Coronets?
8. Which Roman emperor instigated the building of
9. Who had a British Number One hit in 1974 with She?
10. What is the state capital of
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
In which year did ITV begin broadcasting?
1. What is Paul McCartney’s given first name? (Clue: it isn’t Paul)
2. Other than prize money, what does the winner of the
3. Who composed the light opera The Merry Widow?
4. In legend, who was the son of Zeus and Europa who became King of Crete?
5. Which species of big cat is more commonly known as the snow leopard?
6. Where were the Macdonalds massacred by the
7. By what name are Rontgen Rays better known?
8. The movie version of which Frank Loesser musical starred Jean Simmons and Marlon Brando?
9. What are the names of Prince Charles’ four nieces?
10. What name is given to goods thrown overboard to lighten a sinking ship?
Monday, June 12, 2006
In which European country is the town of Plovdiv?
1. Arran Pilot, Home Guard and
2. Who called Rodney ‘Dave’ in the TV sitcom Only Fools and Horses?
3. How many people with the surname
4. Who invented the hovercraft in 1959?
5. What did Ian Fleming describe as “dangerous at both ends and uncomfortable in the middle”?
6. What does NASA stand for?
7. What travels by conduction, convection and radiation?
8. Which Indonesian island is also known as
9. Which PG Wodehouse character had the first name Reginald?
10. What is the capital of
Friday, June 09, 2006
By popular demand....a World Cup special
1. With a tally of 13, which player holds the record for most goals scored in a single World Cup finals?
2. In which year was the first clean sheet kept in a World Cup Final?3 .Name three top ten hit singles released to support
5. And what breed was the real Pickles?
6. What kind of creature was Footix, the official World Cup Mascot for the 1998 World Cup?7. Who is the oldest player to have won the World Cup?
9. The current trophy is due to be ‘retired’ in 2038. Why?
10. Which Boltonian commentator came up with classic line “they think it’s all over….it is now!"?Thursday, June 08, 2006
What was the German Republic called between 1919 and 1933?
1. The General Strike of 1926 was called in support of which union?
2. In which month and year did decimalisation take place in the
3. How many years did the American Civil War last?
4. Which country did
5. Which Roman Emperor was the son of Marcus Aurelius and ruled from 180-192 AD?
6. Who was the last Stuart monarch?
7. What was the name of Christopher Columbus’ flagship?
8. Who was the world’s second female prime minister?
9. Which Scottish king died of leprosy?
10. Who was the first British Prime Minister to occupy
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
The name of which disease literally means 'bad air'?
1. According to the saying, what is paved with good intentions?
2. In which year was the death penalty abolished in the
3. In chess, what is the name for checkmate in two moves?
4. In a sloth race, which type of sloth should you put your money one (i.e. which is faster?): the two-toed or the three-toed variety?
5. Who succeeded General de Gaulle as President of France in 1969?
6. In cricket, who was the first bowler to take 300 Test wickets for
7. Who was Lady Chatterley’s lover?
8. What was the first name of the Second War War commander Rommel?
9. In TV, what was the former name of the eponymous soap village Emmerdale?
10. What does the Welsh word ‘Heddlu’ mean in English?
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Vaduz is the capital of where?
- What is the second largest island in the
- In which Indian city is the Taj Mahal?
- What cost £46,000 when it was built in
- The capital of which Commonwealth island republic is
- Which town is the administrative centre of Buckinghamshire?
- The highest point in which country is the
- Which country’s web domains end .tv?
- What would be my nationality if my anthem was ‘Jana Gana Rana’?
- What is the capital city of the nation which won the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest?
- On which island would you visit the ruins of the
Monday, June 05, 2006
Which BBC soap was axed in 1993 after one year on air?
- In the radio comedy series Dead Ringers, which announcer and newsreader is known as “the daddy of radio 4”?
- Who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in the 1988 movie A Fish Called Wanda?
- John Drake was the title character in which 1960s secret agent adventure series?
- Which amateur sleuth resides in Cabot Cove?
- Which respected director made the 1980 movie Popeye with Robin Williams?
- In the movie Roxanne, what is the profession of C.D. Bales (played by Steve Martin)?
- In which street could you buy bread from Diggory’s and sausages from Elliot and Son?
- You’ll Have Had Your Tea is a spin-off from which popular Radio 4 programme?
- On TV, which presenter threatens to make you 10 Years Younger?
- In Eastenders, how did Tiffany Mitchell (played by Martine McCutcheon) die?
Friday, June 02, 2006
How many players are there in a basketball team?
Oh, you do. I'll think about slipping you a half, but don't tell everyone or they'll all want one.
We've had some chunnering from the blokes at the bar, so tonight it's all about sport.
- Which player, with opening odds of 1000-1 to win the tournament, beat Raymond Barneveld in the final of the BDO World Darts Championship in 2005?
- What was the host town for the 1992 Winter Olympics?
- In which year was the Football league founded?
- Which sport or activity is overseen by the ruling body TWIF?
- Which American Triple Crown horserace is usually contested at Churchill Downs in
- In which US state would I be if I were watching the Ravens play at home in the NFL?
- What sport is played on a singles court 44 ft by 17 ft?
- Which unfavoured side won the rugby league Challenge cup in 1998?
- Which two athletes currently jointly hold the world 100m record?
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Which poet wrote "The Darkling Thrush"?
Right, tonight's round is themed around literature. Remember, we don't do spelling, so if it looks there or thereabouts, it gets the point. We're not playing for the town hall clock.
1. Who won the Booker Prize with "The God of Small Things"?
2. Which prolific author's first job was sticking labels onto jars of polish?
3. Which form of poem was first championed by Thomas Wyatt in the 1500s?
4. Izaak Walton's most famous work is on which subject?
5. What is the name of the main character in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, as played by Tom Hanks in the 2006 movie?
6. In Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events", Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire are menaced by which sinister character?
7. Leo Colston is given which sobriquet in the title of a 1953 novel?
8. Which Defoe heroine is described thusly?: born in Newgate, and during a life of continu'd Variety for Threescore Years, besides her Childhood, was Twelve Year a Whore, five times a Wife (whereof once to her own brother), Twelve Year a Thief, Eight Year a Transported Felon in Virginia, at last grew Rich, liv'd Honest and died a Penitent.
9. Name two characters in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" who make romantic declarations to Elizabeth Bennett and whom she rejects immediately.
10. Which poet was married to Harriet Westbrook?
