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Answer 51 corrected 23 Aug 2008. The Woolsack was the seat of the Lord
Chancellor until 2006, when due to the creation of two separate roles (Lord
Chancellor previously covered the Speaker role too) it became the seat of the
Lord Speaker - thanks C White.
quizballs 42 - free general knowledge quiz -
questions and answers for trivia quizzes and pub quizzes
Which horse won the Epsom Derby in 1989? Nashwan (owned by
Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ridden by Willie Carson, odds were 5/4, winning
distance was five lengths)
What is the medical condition icterus commonly called?
Jaundice (jaundice is a yellowing of the skin related variously to red
blood cell break-down, liver function or bile processing)
What plant was traditionally cultivated in Europe for its unique blue
dye? Woad (sometimes called 'Asp of Jerusalem', is was later replaced by
indigo dye from the various indigofera plant varieties, among whose most common
applications was the manufacture of denim jeans. Woad is a much older dye,
dating back to 8,000 BC and perhaps even earlier)
What significant member of the British government drowned when HMS
Hampshire was sunk by a mine off Orkney in 1916? Lord Kitchener
(1850-1916, Secretary of State for War, noted for his finger pointing
appearance on the famous and much imitated World War I recruitment poster)
Who discovered and opened Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922? Howard
Carter (English archaeologist and Egyptologist, 1874-1939)
Who invented the jet engine? Frank Whittle (it was patented in
1930)
In which London building was the funeral of Diana Princess of Wales
held in 1997? Westminster Abbey
Which Argentine leader was deposed in 1982? General Galtieri
(fully, Leopoldo Fortunato Galtieri Castelli, 1926-2003)
Marron Glacé is what, preserved and coated in sugar?
Chestnut
In which year was the Battle of Waterloo? 1815 (on 18 June,
Wellington's defeat of Napoleon ended the Napoleonic Wars - Waterloo is in
Belgium, close to Brussells)
Which actor's real name was William Henry Pratt? Boris Karloff
(1887-1969 - he was actually born in Dulwich, London, and educated at Uppingham
School in Rutland)
The creation of what famous and anthemic song is officially
attributed to Banjo Paterson and Christina Macpherson? Waltzing
Matilda
Who played Daisy Duke in the 2005 film The Dukes of Hazzard?
Jessica Simpson (Catherine Bach played Daisy in the 1979-85 original TV
show, and Waylon Jennings sang the TV theme song)
What name is given to the uncut locks of hair worn on the sides of
the head by orthodox male Jews? Payess
In Greek mythology what is the name of the river whose water when
drunk caused complete forgetfulness and made the souls of the dead forget their
life on earth? Lethe (also referred to as the 'river of oblivion')
What are the little discs of waste called that are produced by a
paper or card hole-punch? Chad (or chads)
What are the padded high-waisted trousers with shoulder straps worn
for skiiing called? Salopettes
What type of natural substance is caoutchouc (pronounced kachook)?
Rubber (or latex)
The first atomic bomb explosion was carried out in which US state?
New Mexico (1945)
Whose last work entitled The Transfiguration was unfinished when he
died in 1520? Rafael
What is the capital of Jordan? Amman
Which bird is generally considered to have the best sense of smell?
Kiwi
Who was the second president of the USA? John Adams (president
from 1797-1801)
Who wrote the Ballad of Reading Gaol in 1898? Oscar Wilde
The World Trade Organization was founded in 1995 in which European
city? Geneva (replacing GATT - the General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade established in 1947)
Brunswick, Lancastrian and Pearl Pickler are types of which
vegetable? Onion
In numerology a tern is a set of how many? Three
Eamon de Valera founded which Irish political party in 1926?
Fianna Fail (more precisely Fianna Fáil, the largest - as at 2007
- and most frequently governing party of Ireland - Fianna Fáil means
literally 'soldiers of discovery' ? -
clarification sought
please)
Actor Frank Gorshin played which character in the 1960's TV series
Batman? The Riddler
Pekoe is a type of which drink? Tea
Which station has the longest escalator in London's Tube network?
Angel
Caprine relates to which animal? Goat
The Welland Ship Canal is in which country? Canada (connecting
the lakes Ontario and Erie)
Who played Woody Allen's ex-wife in the 1979 film Manhattan? Meryl
Streep
The 1957 song Butterfly was (surprisingly) the only UK number one hit
achieved by which significant recording artist? Andy Williams
On what date is St Martin's Day - or Martinmas - celebrated in
Europe? 11 November
What is a funambulist? Tightrope walker
Where on a woman's body would you see a bindi? Forehead (a
bindi, or a pottu or tilak among other terms, is the name of the decorative
mark or jewel on the forehead just above the eyebrows, worn typically by Hindu
women, and increasingly now by other women and girls beyond traditional Hindu
use. The forehead position relates to the sixth Chakra, which is significant in
the traditional Eastern spiritual concept
of the Chakras.)
From which European country does Limburger cheese originate?
Belgium
England cricketer Denis Compton played for which county club?
Middlesex (Compton, 1918-97, also played football for Arsenal and
England, as did his twin brother Leslie - imagine the fuss that the tabloids
would make of them now..)
Mount Godwin-Austen is better known by which name? K2
(second-highest mountain on Earth)
Who made the famous statement, 'I think, therefore I am' ? Rene
Descartes (generally regarded as the father of modern philosophy, Descartes
was born near Tours in France in 1596, and died from pneumonia in Stockholm in
1650 while tutoring Queen Christina of Sweden whose demanding schedules were
said to have contributed to his exhaustion. 'I think, therefore I am' - Latin
'Cogito Ergo Sum', or French: 'Je pense donc je suis' - first appearded in his
'Discourse de la Méthode' published in 1637.)
Who composed the ballet music Swan Lake in 1877? Tchaikovsky
(in full, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, 1840-93, among many great symphonies the
Russian composer also wrote the ballets The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker
- and in a letter to a friend also the inspirational quote, '..I have never
felt such self-satisfaction, such pride, such happiness, as in the knowledge
that I have created a good thing.')
The city of Bulawayo is in which African country? Zimbabwe
(where in 2007, life-expectancy is presently just 37 years of age, which maybe
puts our own worries into clearer perspective)
Henry Darnley was the husband of which British monarch? Mary Queen
of Scots (it didn't last - Darnley, 1545-67, was blown up while recovering
from smallpox, probably murdered by Mary and the Earl of Bothwell, whom she
married shortly after Darnley's death)
Catherine de Medici was the wife of which French monarch? Henri
II (Catherine, 1519-89, produced ten children for Henri, including the
future King Francois II, who wed Mary Queen of Scots, before she married
Darnley..)
In what state was Jimmy Carter governor before becoming president?
Georgia
In which European city is the sixteenth century limestone Bridge of
Sighs? Venice (the bridge is so named, apparently by poet Lord Byron in
the 1800's, because it offered convicted prisoners their last view of the city
before they entered prison)
In which film does Robert De Niro play the character Rupert Pupkin?
The King of Comedy
The Florence Nightingale School of Nursing was founded in 1860 at
which London institution? St Thomas' Hospital (the School is now based
at King's College on the Thames South Bank in London and remains a centre of
excellence for nursing and midwifery)
The person holding what office sits on the Woolsack in the House of
Lords? The Lord Speaker (The Woolsack seat, originally stuffed with
English wool, was introduced by King Edward III, 1327-77, as a symbol of
England's wool trade and resulting prosperity. Today the Woolsack is stuffed
with wool from the Commonwealth countries and symbolises unity. The Woolsack
was the seat of the Lord Chancellor until 2006, when due to the creation of two
separate roles - Lord Chancellor previously encompassed the Speaker role - it
became the seat of the Lord Speaker.)
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