Questions

ROUND 1

1.

In cricket how many straight lines are there on the field of play?

2.

Which former member of the Football League is to leave it after 115 years?

3.

Although Pall Mall came to mean an alley what is its original meaning?

4.

Why did hatters go mad?

5.

Who invented the name Wendy?

6.

It’s been around since 1996 - but what does JSA stand for?

7.

Beckham has “Septem est perfectum” (“Seven is perfect”) tattooed on his arm.  Which well-known football phrase rendered in Latin is “Solus numquam ambulabis”?

8.

…and which might be rendered “Quis comedit omnia crusta”?

ROUND 2

1.

What are the four Ivy League Universities?

2.

Why are they called Ivy League?

3.

What is a general name given to a later English type of university usually founded in the late 19^th, or early 20^th, century?

4.

In which century was Oxford University founded?

5.

The writer of the pioneering dramas Cathy Come Home and Edna the Inebriate Woman has just died.  What was his name?

6.

Computer videos are often in MPEG format.  What does MPEG stand for?

7.

How many lakes are there in the Lake District?

8.

How many streets are there in Chorlton?

ROUND 3

1.

What is the name and rank of the British officer who gave an inspiring speech in Iraq, but is now accused of improper conduct?

2.

Last week’s best selling book was Man and Wife.  Who wrote it?

3.

In cricket England have just beaten Zimbabwe.  Who is the captain of Zimbabwe?

4.

In the Eurovision Song contest on Saturday UK gained ‘nul points’.  Turkey won.  Which country came second?

5.

There will be a G8 summit this weekend. Where? (City/town, please - not just country)

6.

In the first Test Match against Zimbabwe who took the most wickets for England in the final innings?

7.

What was the name of the Conservative Chief Executive who was recently ousted?

8.

What type of claret did President Chirac recently give Tony Blair?

ROUND 4 – Crossword

Question-person please hand a blank crossword grid to each team and read out these instructions:

"Both teams are completing the same diagram.  Bonuses work as usual.  There are 8 cryptic clues.  If both teams fail to solve a clue, I'll give you the correct answer so that you can fill it in.  All definitions are verified by Chambers Dictionary.  When it’s your go, say which clue you want and then try and solve it.  It will help if you write the answers in as the round progresses."

ROUND 5

1.

Name the three members of the pop group Cream?

2.

There were 5 original members of the pop group The Travelling Wilburys.  Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty were 2.  Who were the other three?

3.

Steveland Judkins (born 1950) prefers to be known as Steveland Morris – but who is he better known as?

4.

Who wrote The Appalachian Suite?

5.

Which jazz musician died aged 34 though the doctor said he looked 60?

6.

Place in order of their birth (oldest first): Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis.

7.

Bach (JS), Handel and Scarlatti (Domenico) were all born in which year?

8.

Place in order of their frequencies in MHz broadcast in the North West (lowest number first): Classic FM, Radio 3, Jazz FM.

ROUND 6 

1.

Which current female poet wrote the poem that begins….

Next to my own skin, her pearls.  My mistress

Bids me wear them, warm then, until evening

When I’ll brush her hair…

2.

Which 20^th century non-fiction book begins….

Intelligent life on a planet comes of age when it works out the reason for its own existence.  If superior creatures from space ever visit earth, the first question they will ask, in order to assess the level of our civilisation, is: ‘Have they discovered evolution yet?’

3.

Which major 20th century novel began….

Stately, plump Buck Milligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed.

4.

Which controversial 20th century novel began….

Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it ironically. The cataclysm has happened, we are among the ruins...

5.

Which early 20th century poem began….

April is the cruelest month, breeding

Lilacs out of the dead land...

6.

Which current, prize-winning poet wrote the poem that begins….

Between my finger and my thumb

The squat pen rests, snug as a gun­

7.

Which American 20th century novel began….

When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got its arm badly broken at the elbow.

8.

Which early 19^th century ode began….

My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains

My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk,

ROUND 7

(In the actual quiz specimens of leaves and plants were handed out at this stage.  For the purpose of the website I have had to resort to the less satisfactory expedient of pictures taken from the internet)

From the woods perhaps....

1.

What tree does this leaf come from?

2.

What tree does this leaf come from?

3.

What tree does this leaf come from?

4.

What tree does this gall come from?

From the allotment perhaps....

5.

Of what plant is this a specimen?

6.

Of what plant is this a specimen?

7.

Of what plant is this a specimen?

8.

Of what plant is this a specimen?

ROUND 8

1.

Who is this?

2.

Where would you find Strength, Magician and The Wheel of Fortune?

3.

How many cards in a normal modern Tarot pack?

4.

Who is this?

5.

Who is this?

6.

Mayday developed from a pagan festival called what?

7.

According to classical writers, the Celts held 3 classes of citizen in particular esteem; Druids and Vates (Vah-teas) were two. Which was the third?

8.

Who is this?

SPARES

1.

Hypericum is good for depression.  What’s the common name for most members of this genus?

2.

What are the four Tarot suits called?

3.

George Orwell, Georges Simenon, Evelyn Waugh; what links them?

4.

Yale University is named after Mr YaIe.  What nationality was he?

5.

Which girl is the Speedwell genus?

6.

Who invented the word Yahoo?

7.

What was the name of Turkey’s Eurovision-winning song?

8.

What was the name of the UK’s Eurovision-losing song?

Answers

ROUND 1

1.

8

2.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (they’ve just been promoted from the Football League into the Premiership)

3.

It’s the ball game from which croquet developed (Pall is ball, Mall is mallet)

4.

Mercury poisoning (used in felt manufacture - nothing to do with Stockport FC)

5.

JM Barrie (in Peter Pan, probably short for Wednesday)

6.

Job Seekers’ Allowance

7.

“You’ll never walk alone”

8.

“Who ate all the pies?”

ROUND 2

1.

Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia

2.

There are four, and the Roman numerals for four are IV

3.

Redbrick universities

4.

12^th (1100s)

5.

Jeremy Sandford

6.

Moving Picture Expert Group

7.

One (Bassenthwaite – the rest are Meres and Waters – some people wrongly call Windermere 'Lake Windermere')

8.

None (Roads, Avenues etc., but no Streets)

ROUND 3

1.

Lieutenant-Colonel Tim Collins

2.

Tony Parsons

3.

Heath Streak

4.

Belgium

5.

Evian

6.

Mark Butcher (4)

7.

Barry Legg (hence IDS hasn’t got a Legg to stand on – ho! ho!)

8.

Chateau Mouton Rothschild (1989)

ROUND 4 – Crossword

ROUND 5

1.

Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce

2.

Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Bob Dylan

3.

Stevie Wonder

4.

(Aaron) Copland

5.

Charlie Parker

6.

Basie (1904), Parker (1920), Davis (1926)

7.

1685

8.

Radio 3 (91.5), Jazz FM (100.4), Classic FM (101.1)

ROUND 6

1.

Carol Ann Duffy (Warming Her Pearls)

2.

The Selfish Gene (Richard Dawkins 1976)

3.

Ulysses (James Joyce 1922)

4.

Lady Chatterley’s Lover (DH Lawrence 1928)

5.

The Wasteland (TS Eliot aided by Ezra Pound)

6.

Seamus Heaney (Digging)

7.

To Kill a Mocking Bird (Harper Lee 1960)

8.

Ode to a Nightingale (John Keats 1819)

ROUND 7

1.

Hazel (Corylus avellena)

2.

Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)

3.

Beech (Fagus sylvatica)

4.

Oak (Quercus) - it’s an Oak marble, grown as a response to the gall wasp (Andricus Kollari) which flew out of the holes

5.

Sage/Salvia

6.

Rocket/Eruca

7.

Chives/Allium Schoenoprasum

8.

Comfrey/Symphytum

ROUND 8

1.

Gordon Brown

2.

In a Tarot pack

3.

78

4.

Tony Blair

5.

George Clooney (in Welcome to Colinwood)

6.

Beltane

7.

Bards

8.

Trevor Phillips

SPARES

1.

St John’s Wort

2.

Cups, Wands, Swords and Pentacles (or Coins)

3.

2003 is the centenary of their births

4.

Welsh (if British is given ask for a more specific answer)

5.

Veronica

6.

Jonathan Swift (in Gulliver’s Travels)

7.

Every Way That I Can (by Sertab Erener)

8.

Cry Baby (by Jemini who have renamed themselves Nul Point)