ROUND 1 - Cryptic & Straight

Each question comes in two parts: Part A is a cryptic clue and Part B a factual clue - both parts lead to the same answer

1.

A) Bad lad Harold was an author
B) Wrote the screenplay for You Only Live Twice

2.

A) The captain returns in this horror film
B) Film directed by Richard Donner in which Gregory Peck plays American diplomat, Robert Thorn

3.

A) Lady was angry at the turn of the year
B) Singer/actress whose roles include Breathless Mahoney

4.

A) Edward IV, Richard II, Edward II and Mary II meet at the opera
B) Opera which ends with the heroine being buried alive

5.

A) Artist was preserved in aspic as soon as possible
B) Works include Child With a Dove and Three Musicians

6.

A) Nasty Lee pees all over a band
B) Biggest UK hit was All Around My Hat

7.

A) Athenian novel
B) 1959 film starring Laurence Harvey and Simone Signoret in which she won Best Actress Oscar

8.

A) Dirty and licentious ingrate starting to be an artist
B) Designer of the Mae West Lips Sofa

Sp1

A) Artist returned, 10 in the morning
B) Works include Olympia and The Execution of Emperor Maximilian

Sp2

A) Miserable singer sounds a bit like Ravel
B) Born Davyhulme, May 1959. forenames Steven Patrick

Go to Round 1 questions with answers

ROUND 2 - 'A Bit of Afters'

Each answer includes a word which when following the word 'after' makes a longer word or phrase; e.g. 'glow' and 'afterglow'

1.

1952 film directed by Fred Zinnemann which had the tagline ‘The story of a man who was too proud to run’.

2.

1961 film directed by Tony Richardson which had the tagline ‘A bit of love, a bit of lust'.

3.

2007 book by Naomi Klein subtitled The Rise of Disaster Capitalism.

4.

Which phrase links a 1934 Irving Stone novel, a 1956 film starring Kirk Douglas and an Iggy Pop album?

5.

In physics what is the term to describe the change in frequency of a wave in relation to an observer who is moving relative to the wave source?

6.

In which film did Shaun the Sheep first appear?

7.

Which phrase links the opening of St John’s Gospel, the album Rubber Soul and a Channel 4 TV show?

8.

They were created in 1981.  They originally featured on greetings cards.  They spawned several TV series and three feature films.  They included Bedtime, Birthday, Good Luck, Grumpy and Love-A-Lot.  What are they?

Sp.

This Botticelli painting can be found in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.  It has been used in a Reebok advert and has inspired pop videos by Beyonce and Lady Gaga.  What is its name?

Go to Round 2 questions with answers

ROUND 3 - 'The Year 22'

Simply identify these individuals who were either born or died in a year ending in '22'

1.

Born into slavery, she escaped and became involved in the Underground Railroad, helping to rescue about 70 other escape slavery.  She served as a spy for the Union during the American Civil war and later became an activist for women’s suffrage.

2.

Holy Roman Emperor whose byname kicked off a major conflict on 22nd June 1941.

3.

British politician who fought a duel with George Canning, and later served as Foreign Secretary for 10 years until his death by suicide.

4.

Future president of the USA, he commanded the Union Army at the battles of Shiloh and Vicksburg.

5.

Sportsman whose greatest achievement, at Old Trafford, arguably fell one short of perfection.  He was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in the same year.

6.

Playwright whose works (in translation) include: The School for Husbands, Medical Love, The Misanthrope and The Learned Ladies.

7.

Irish revolutionary who was the first Chairman of the Provisional Government of the Irish Free State until his assassination.

8.

Scottish heroine whose renown stems from her involvement in events in the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden.

Sp1

British statesman and soldier whose military achievements led to his ennoblement and the granting a palace which was to be the birthplace of a future Prime Minister.

Sp2

Tutor of Alexander the Great who was allegedly "a bugger for the bottle".

Go to Round 3 questions with answers

ROUND 4 - Run-ons

As usual there are soundlikes in use

1.

Winner of the Best Picture Oscar at the 2014 Academy Awards,

&

1985 hit song, bizarrely performed by its hula-hooping singer at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee concert.

2.

1987 cult British film starring Richard E Grant and Paul McGann,

&

1967 Beatles song said to have been inspired by a Lewis Carroll poem.

3.

Jacobean Shakespeare play which opens with a Phoenician ruler solving a dangerous riddle,

&

1973 number one hit about a released prisoner unsure of the welcome he will receive at home.

4.

Chinese American entrepreneur, media mogul and third wife of Rupert Murdoch,

&

Mosquito borne tropical disease, characterised by a skin rash, sometimes fatal to the very young or the elderly.

5.

Five times NBA champion who played point guard for the LA Lakers for 13 seasons from 1979 to 1991,

&

1968 top ten hit about taking a walk (and doing other things) with Billy Ray.

6.

Unfinished Marquis de Sade novel, written in 1785, concerning the activities of four wealthy men locked away in a castle one winter,

&

MP for Esher and Walton and one of the five co-authors of Britannia Unchained.

7.

Longest serving female character in a British soap opera, appearing on screen from 1960 to 2015 and again in a one-off cameo in 2019,

&

Name for the position reached after white’s second move as follows: 1. e4 e5; 2. Bc4.

8.

Footballing prodigy now retired from playing, he was first capped aged 17 in 2003 and is the youngest ever goal scorer for his country,

&

Pub song originating in the East End of London, believed to date from the 1800s but first published in 1938.

Go to Round 4 questions with answers

ROUND 5 - Hidden theme

1.

British-American actress who starred in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Giant and won Oscars for Butterfield 8 and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

2.

British-American actress who starred in Grosse Point Blank, The Phantom of the Opera and was Oscar nominated for Good Will Hunting.

3.

Wolverhampton born actress who starred in Prick Up Your Ears and Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool and was nominated for Olivier awards for her stage work in Camille and Uncle Vanya.

4.

American-French entertainer, French Resistance agent and civil rights activist born 1906.  Early in her career she was one of the most celebrated performers at the Folies Bergère.

5.

American film director, specialising in horror, whose works include Halloween, Christine and The Fog.

6.

Name of the character played by Peter Sellers in the 1979 film Being There.

7.

What name was given to the anti-foreign, anti-colonial uprising which took place in China between 1899 and 1901?

8.

What name is given to a burial place for unknown, unclaimed or indigent people?  The name is of Biblical origin, the first such burial place being purchased with the coins which had been paid to Judas Iscariot for his betrayal of Jesus.

Go to Round 5 questions with answers

ROUND 6 - Picture Round

1.

The UK’s largest native butterfly, but also one of the rarest, found only in the Norfolk Broads.  What is it called?

2.

These are the ingredients for which classic Italian dish?

3.

Name this racecourse, also known as the Roodee.

4.

This North American butterfly migrates annually from the north-eastern USA to central Mexico. What is it called?

5.

Translate this sentence from Esperanto.

6.

Name this racecourse, also known as the Knavesmire.

7.

These are the ingredients for which classic Italian pasta sauce?

8.

Translate this question from Esperanto.

Sp1

A popular, if tricky, route to the top of Helvellyn, what is the name of this ridge?

Sp2

Name this spectacular geographical feature

Go to Round 6 questions with answers

ROUND 7 - Connecting Word

For each question provide the word or name that is shared by both parts; occasionally the word is part of a longer word

1.

A detective created by Jo Nesbo and a Top Ten single for Traffic.

2.

The English name of the French TV series whose original name was Dix Pour Cent and Blondie’s 3rd UK Number One.

3.

Electrical inductance and 20th Century Pygmalion.

4.

An Italian detective created by Michael Dibdin and a cult book written by Robert Pirsig.

5.

An opera by Tchaikovsky and a city in Oregon, home of Nike.

6.

Electromotive force and Francois-Marie Arouet.

7.

The English name of the French TV series whose original name was Engrenages and a band formed in Oldham whose biggest hit was This Is How It Feels.

8.

The English name of an opera by Tchaikovsky and a football team based in Dumfries.

Sp.

A children’s TV series, first shown in 1967, featuring Chippy Minton the carpenter and the Pugh twins and the 2019 Snooker World Champion.

Go to Round 7 questions with answers

ROUND 8 - Hidden theme

1.

Which word links Anton Chekov and Eric Cantona?

2.

Which word links Gioacchino Rossini and Susan Stranks?

3.

Hitler’s mountain retreat near the Bavarian town of Berchtesgaden is known by which English phrase?

4.

Which geographical feature in Cumbria is the starting point of Wainwright’s coast to coast walk?

5.

Which actor’s film roles include H G Wells, Claus Von Bulow and Neville Chamberlain?

6.

Which band had five UK Number Ones including Never Ever, Bootie Call and Black Coffee?

7.

Which confectionery features Peppy the Polar Bear its packaging?

8.

This charitable organisation was founded in 1939. It has 316 branches in the UK.  In 2013 its website was visited by a third of the UK population.  What is it?

Sp.

Walkers, Farrahs and Cartwright and Butler are all brands of what?

Go to Round 8 questions with answers

ROUND 1 - Cryptic & Straight

Each question comes in two parts: Part A is a cryptic clue and Part B a factual clue - both parts lead to the same answer

1.

A) Bad lad Harold was an author
B) Wrote the screenplay for You Only Live Twice

Roald Dahl

(anagram of lad Harold)

2.

A) The captain returns in this horror film
B) Film directed by Richard Donner in which Gregory Peck plays American diplomat, Robert Thorn

The Omen

(Nemo in reverse)

3.

A) Lady was angry at the turn of the year
B) Singer/actress whose roles include Breathless Mahoney

Madonna

(mad followed by anno in reverse; Breathless Mahoney was in Dick Tracy)

4.

A) Edward IV, Richard II, Edward II and Mary II meet at the opera
B) Opera which ends with the heroine being buried alive

Aida

(4th letter of Edward, 2nd letter of Richard etc)

5.

A) Artist was preserved in aspic as soon as possible
B) Works include Child With a Dove and Three Musicians

Picasso

(hidden in aspic as soon)

6.

A) Nasty Lee pees all over a band
B) Biggest UK hit was All Around My Hat

Steeleye Span

(anagram of Nasty Lee pees)

7.

A) Athenian novel
B) 1959 film starring Laurence Harvey and Simone Signoret in which she won Best Actress Oscar

Room at the Top

(Athenian = Attic)

8.

A) Dirty and licentious ingrate starting to be an artist
B) Designer of the Mae West Lips Sofa

Dali

(first letters of Dirty and licentious ingrate)

Sp1

A) Artist returned, 10 in the morning
B) Works include Olympia and The Execution of Emperor Maximilian

Manet

(ten am in reverse)

Sp2

Miserable singer sounds a bit like Ravel
B) Born Davyhulme, May 1959. forenames Steven Patrick

Morissey

(Ravel’s first name was Maurice)

ROUND 2 - 'A Bit of Afters'

Each answer includes a word which when following the word 'after' makes a longer word or phrase; e.g. 'glow' and 'afterglow'

1.

1952 film directed by Fred Zinnemann which had the tagline ‘The story of a man who was too proud to run’.

High Noon

2.

1961 film directed by Tony Richardson which had the tagline ‘A bit of love, a bit of lust'.

A Taste of Honey

3.

2007 book by Naomi Klein subtitled The Rise of Disaster Capitalism.

The Shock Doctrine

4.

Which phrase links a 1934 Irving Stone novel, a 1956 film starring Kirk Douglas and an Iggy Pop album?

Lust For Life

5.

In physics what is the term to describe the change in frequency of a wave in relation to an observer who is moving relative to the wave source?

The Doppler Effect

6.

In which film did Shaun the Sheep first appear?

A Close Shave

7.

Which phrase links the opening of St John’s Gospel, the album Rubber Soul and a Channel 4 TV show?

The Word

(“In the beginning was The Word….”;

song on 1966 Beatles’ album;

1990s TV show featuring the unspeakable Terry Christian)

8.

They were created in 1981.  They originally featured on greetings cards.  They spawned several TV series and three feature films.  They included Bedtime, Birthday, Good Luck, Grumpy and Love-A-Lot.  What are they?

The Care Bears

Sp.

This Botticelli painting can be found in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.  It has been used in a Reebok advert and has inspired pop videos by Beyonce and Lady Gaga.  What is its name?

The Birth of Venus

The 'after' words: AfterNOON, AfterTASTE, AfterSHOCK, AfterLIFE, AfterEFFECT, AfterWORD, AfterSHAVE, AfterCARE, AfterBIRTH

Go back to Round 2 questions without answers

ROUND 3 - 'The Year 22'

Simply identify these individuals who were either born or died in a year ending in '22'

1.

Born into slavery, she escaped and became involved in the Underground Railroad, helping to rescue about 70 other escape slavery.  She served as a spy for the Union during the American Civil war and later became an activist for women’s suffrage.

Harriet Tubman

(born 1822)

2.

Holy Roman Emperor whose byname kicked off a major conflict on 22nd June 1941.

Frederick I

(accept Frederick Barbarossa - born 1122)

3.

British politician who fought a duel with George Canning, and later served as Foreign Secretary for 10 years until his death by suicide.

Robert Stewart, Lord Castlereagh

(accept Castlereagh - died 1822)

4.

Future president of the USA, he commanded the Union Army at the battles of Shiloh and Vicksburg.

Ulysses S Grant

(born 1822)

5.

Sportsman whose greatest achievement, at Old Trafford, arguably fell one short of perfection.  He was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in the same year.

Jim Laker

(born 1922)

6.

Playwright whose works (in translation) include: The School for Husbands, Medical Love, The Misanthrope and The Learned Ladies.

Molière

(born 1622)

7.

Irish revolutionary who was the first Chairman of the Provisional Government of the Irish Free State until his assassination.

Michael Collins

(died 1922)

8.

Scottish heroine whose renown stems from her involvement in events in the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden.

Flora MacDonald

(born 1722)

Sp1

British statesman and soldier whose military achievements led to his ennoblement and the granting a palace which was to be the birthplace of a future Prime Minister.

John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough

(died 1722)

Sp2

Tutor of Alexander the Great who was allegedly "a bugger for the bottle".

Aristotle

(died 322BC)

Go back to Round 3 questions without answers

ROUND 4 - Run-ons

As usual there are soundlikes in use

1.

Winner of the Best Picture Oscar at the 2014 Academy Awards,

&

1985 hit song, bizarrely performed by its hula-hooping singer at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee concert.

Twelve Years a Slave to the Rhythm

2.

1987 cult British film starring Richard E Grant and Paul McGann,

&

1967 Beatles song said to have been inspired by a Lewis Carroll poem.

Withnail and I Am the Walrus

3.

Jacobean Shakespeare play which opens with a Phoenician ruler solving a dangerous riddle,

&

1973 number one hit about a released prisoner unsure of the welcome he will receive at home.

Pericles, Prince of Tyre (Tie) a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree

4.

Chinese American entrepreneur, media mogul and third wife of Rupert Murdoch,

&

Mosquito borne tropical disease, characterised by a skin rash, sometimes fatal to the very young or the elderly.

Wendi Deng(ue) Fever

5.

Five times NBA champion who played point guard for the LA Lakers for 13 seasons from 1979 to 1991,

&

1968 top ten hit about taking a walk (and doing other things) with Billy Ray.

Magic Johnson of a Preacher Man

6.

Unfinished Marquis de Sade novel, written in 1785, concerning the activities of four wealthy men locked away in a castle one winter,

&

MP for Esher and Walton and one of the five co-authors of Britannia Unchained.

The 120 Days of SoDominic Raab

7.

Longest serving female character in a British soap opera, appearing on screen from 1960 to 2015 and again in a one-off cameo in 2019,

&

Name for the position reached after white’s second move as follows: 1. e4 e5; 2. Bc4.

Emily Bishop’s Opening

8.

Footballing prodigy now retired from playing, he was first capped aged 17 in 2003 and is the youngest ever goal scorer for his country,

&

Pub song originating in the East End of London, believed to date from the 1800s but first published in 1938.

Wayne Rooney (Knee)s Up Mother Brown

Go back to Round 4 questions without answers

ROUND 5 - Hidden theme

1.

British-American actress who starred in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Giant and won Oscars for Butterfield 8 and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

Elizabeth Taylor

2.

British-American actress who starred in Grosse Point Blank, The Phantom of the Opera and was Oscar nominated for Good Will Hunting.

Minnie Driver

3.

Wolverhampton born actress who starred in Prick Up Your Ears and Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool and was nominated for Olivier awards for her stage work in Camille and Uncle Vanya.

Frances Barber

4.

American-French entertainer, French Resistance agent and civil rights activist born 1906.  Early in her career she was one of the most celebrated performers at the Folies Bergère.

Josephine Baker

5.

American film director, specialising in horror, whose works include Halloween, Christine and The Fog.

John Carpenter

6.

Name of the character played by Peter Sellers in the 1979 film Being There.

Chance the gardener

(or Chauncey Gardiner)

7.

What name was given to the anti-foreign, anti-colonial uprising which took place in China between 1899 and 1901?

The Boxer Rebellion

(accept Boxer Uprising or Boxer Insurrection)

8.

What name is given to a burial place for unknown, unclaimed or indigent people?  The name is of Biblical origin, the first such burial place being purchased with the coins which had been paid to Judas Iscariot for his betrayal of Jesus.

Potter’s Field

Theme: Each answer contains the name of an occupation

Go back to Round 5 questions without answers

ROUND 6 - Picture Round

1.

The UK’s largest native butterfly, but also one of the rarest, found only in the Norfolk Broads.  What is it called?

Swallowtail butterfly

2.

These are the ingredients for which classic Italian dish?

Spaghetti cacio e pepe

3.

Name this racecourse, also known as the Roodee.

Chester

4.

This North American butterfly migrates annually from the north-eastern USA to central Mexico. What is it called?

Monarch butterfly

5.

Translate this sentence from Esperanto.

"This is a quiz question"

6.

Name this racecourse, also known as the Knavesmire.

York

7.

These are the ingredients for which classic Italian pasta sauce?

Puttanesca

8.

Translate this question from Esperanto.

"Where is the nearest pub (or bar etc)?"

Sp1

A popular, if tricky, route to the top of Helvellyn, what is the name of this ridge?

Striding Edge

Sp2

Name this spectacular geographical feature

Malham Cove

Go back to Round 6 questions without answers

ROUND 7 - Connecting Word

For each question provide the word or name that is shared by both parts; occasionally the word is part of a longer word

1.

A detective created by Jo Nesbo and a Top Ten single for Traffic.

Hole

(Harry Hole and Hole in My Shoe)

2.

The English name of the French TV series whose original name was Dix Pour Cent and Blondie’s 3rd UK Number One.

Call

(Call My Agent and Call Me)

3.

Electrical inductance and 20th Century Pygmalion.

Henry

(Unit of inductance and Professor Henry Higgins)

4.

An Italian detective created by Michael Dibdin and a cult book written by Robert Pirsig.

 Zen

(Aurelio Zen and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance)

5.

An opera by Tchaikovsky and a city in Oregon, home of Nike.

Eugene

(Eugene Onegin and Eugene, Oregon)

6.

Electromotive force and Francois-Marie Arouet.

Volt

(Unit of Electomotive force and original name of Voltaire)

7.

The English name of the French TV series whose original name was Engrenages and a band formed in Oldham whose biggest hit was This Is How It Feels.

Spiral

(Spiral and Inspiral Carpets)

8.

The English name of an opera by Tchaikovsky and a football team based in Dumfries.

Queen

(Queen of Spades and Queen of the South)

Sp.

A children’s TV series, first shown in 1967, featuring Chippy Minton the carpenter and the Pugh twins and the 2019 Snooker World Champion.

Trump

(Trumpton and Judd Trump)

Go back to Round 7 questions without answers

ROUND 8 - Hidden theme

1.

Which word links Anton Chekov and Eric Cantona?

Seagull

(The play The Seagull and Cantona’s cryptic remark at the 1995 press conference: “When the seagulls follow the trawler it is because they think sardines will be thrown in the sea”.)

2.

Which word links Gioacchino Rossini and Susan Stranks?

Magpie

(The opera The Thieving Magpie and the children’s TV show)

3.

Hitler’s mountain retreat near the Bavarian town of Berchtesgaden is known by which English phrase?

The Eagle’s Nest

4.

Which geographical feature in Cumbria is the starting point of Wainwright’s coast to coast walk?

St Bees Head

5.

Which actor’s film roles include H G Wells, Claus Von Bulow and Neville Chamberlain?

Jeremy Irons

6.

Which band had five UK Number Ones including Never Ever, Bootie Call and Black Coffee?

All Saints

7.

Which confectionery features Peppy the Polar Bear its packaging?

Fox’s Glacier Mints

8.

This charitable organisation was founded in 1939. It has 316 branches in the UK.  In 2013 its website was visited by a third of the UK population.  What is it?

Citizens Advice Bureau

Sp.

Walkers, Farrahs and Cartwright and Butler are all brands of what?

Toffees

Theme: Each answer contains the nicknames of Premier League football teams...

SEAGULLS (Brighton), MAGPIES (Newcastle), EAGLES (Crystal Palace), BEES (Brentford), IRONS (West Ham), SAINTS (Southampton),

FOXES (Leicester City), CITIZENS (Manchester City) and TOFFEES (Everton still in the Premier League at the time of going to press)

Go back to Round 8 questions without answers