General Knowledge Quiz

[Ivo]

That's a decent enough answer, although I think you've got your century allocations muddled up (14thC = 1300s ).

A theory exists that the "immune" French brought it over after Henry VII (as he would soon be known) summoned them to fight for him at Bosworth, which works because it was first documented in 1485. However, other evidence existed that it was too early in 1485 for Henry's men to be the cause.

Roughly speaking, it arrived when Henry VII ascended the throne, and disappeared after Henry VIII died.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

JUst a brief aside before the next one is set....was Anne Boleyn ever struck down with Sweating Sickness before she married Henry VIII ?

 

[Welshman]

What are the next two in this sequence, and to what does the sequence refer?

Turnhill
Bursley
Hanbridge
..............
..............

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

What are the next two in this sequence, and to what does the sequence refer?

Turnhill
Bursley
Hanbridge
..............
..............

Arnold Bennett wrote his novel about "The Five Towns" about the Potteries area that covers the area now referred to as Stoke-on-Trent.

Turnhill = Tunstall
Bursley = Burslem
Hanbridge = Hanley
Knype = Stoke
Longshaw = Longton

The sixth and "forgotten town" was Fenton. I remember reading "Anna and the Five Towns" when I was in my early years in the late 1950's at grammar school, being one recommended by my English teacher.

 

[Welshman]

18 minutes!

That's pretty good going, Paul.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Who were the "red-haired" ancient Indo-European people who had the Balkans as a major area base and were known to the ancient Greeks as "barbarians".

 

[Golghar]

Are you talking about the Thracians?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Well done..and so quickly solved.

Please set the next one.

 

[Golghar]

On William IV's death in 1837 the thrones of the Uk and Hanover were separated as according to the Salic Law as valid in Hanover a woman could not accede to the throne there. A similar situation occurred in Europe once again later in the 19th century. Which countries were these?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

There was the 1890 separation of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg from the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

 

[Golghar]

Correct answer! Your turn now.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Why would you not like to be introduced to a brazen bull ?

 

[deltic1989]

Why would you not like to be introduced to a brazen bull ?

I wouldn't like to be introduced to a bull full stop, not my favorite creature in the world, but a Brazen Bull is particularly nasty.
If my knowledge of Ancient Greece serves me correctly it was a form of torture /execution, where by the condemned was locked inside a hollow bronze bull and fire lit underneath, so that they slowly roasted.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Your classical knowledge does you proud...a most correct answer.

Please set the next one.

 

[deltic1989]

Thank you.

I shall declare an open floor. As I am rather busy with other commitments at the moment.

 

[Heinz57]

I'll take up the floor...

Quite a challenging one from me

Ok the following extract is from a mucical...

'Did you hear the story about the Jonstone twins?
Like each other as two new pins,
Of one womb born, on the self same day?
How one was kept and one given away?
And did you never hear how the Jonhstones died,
Never knowing that they shared one name,
Till the day they died, when a mother cried,
My own dear sons lie slain.

Can you name the musical, who it was by, who said the extract and when (as in when in the story)?

Good luck!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I shall pick up the baton once again..

Where would you most likely see an Itelmen these days and why would you be fortunate to see one?

 

[Meridian richard]

The answer to Heinz is
BloodBrothers by Willy Russell
Spoken by the narrator at the start of the play

If correct let Paul's next question stand

 

[Heinz57]

You're answer is 100% correct!

It was indeed spoken by the narrator at the start of Blood Brothers. Its actualy one of my more favorite theatre shows, I've been to see it no less than 7 times.

I agree, shall we let Paul's question be the new floor?

 

[Meridian richard]

Went to see it last week for 4th time

As an educated guess at Paul's

You would see an Itelmen in Russia and be lucky to see one as they are a dying breed

 

[Golghar]

So here is my answer to Paul's question: I read Linguistics at University so for me this isn't really general knowledge. I happen to remember that Itelmen is an alternative name for the Kamchadal language and ethnic group on the Kamchatka peninsula. As for being fortunate to see one - I fear this might be because they face total assimilation or even extinction.

Crossposted with Richard - so he get's priority.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Sorry to have been away.

I will have to award it to Meridian richard as he answered first, but both answers were correct. There are less than 100 of the Itelmen now living.

 

[Meridian richard]

What was Gandhi's first name and what did Churchill refer to him as

 

[Welshman]

Mohandas.

I think Churchill referred to him as the "half-naked fakir"

 

[Meridian richard]

Correct on both counts

Mohandas and not Mahatma as many people think

 

[Golghar]

Just a comment: what Churchill is actually reported to have said was

"It is alarming and also nauseating to see Mr. Gandhi, a seditious middle temple lawyer, now posing as a fakir of a type well known in the east, striding half-naked up the steps of the viceregal palace, while he is still organizing and conducting a defiant campaign of civil disobedience, to parley on equal terms with the representative of the king-emperor."

- Winston Churchill, 1930

 

[Welshman]

Who is alleged to have referred to questions about his sexuality as being like asking a man who has just crawled across the Sahara desert as to whether he would prefer Perrier or Malvern Mineral Water?

 

[Meridian richard]

Had to do an internet search so won't give the answer
I can just imagine him saying it though

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I have just remembered that we had a certain Mr A.Bennett (Arnold) as part of a quiz answer in the last day or so, which made me think of another one with that initial and name who may well fit....so I will go for the much more recent one called....Alan Bennett

 

[Welshman]

You can see how my simple mind works - Alan Bennett is correct.