Mastermind Club

General Question Archive 4

Hollywood icon and two time Oscar winner Elizabeth Taylor passed away in March 2011. For which two films did she receive the Best Actress award?      Butterfield 8 and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
“Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moo cow coming down along the road’ is the first line of which book       Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
What was the Latin name for Ireland ?     Hibernia
Who wrote “Tis better to have loved and lost, Than never to have loved at all”?       Tennyson (In Memoriam 27, st 4.)
What is the name given to the form of polygamy in which a woman has more than one husband at the same time?     Polyandry 
In which popular 1988 film comedy is the leading characters name Cary Grant’s real name?                                                                     A Fish Called Wanda. (John Cleese is Archie Leach)
Which famous tap dancer and actor was originally cast as the “Tin Man” in The Wizard of OZ and appeared in the films Breakfast at Tiffanys and Broadway Melody?        Buddy Ebsen ( of Beverly Hillbillies fame)
One addresses a Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox patriarch with “Your” what?     Your Beatitude
What name did Capt James Cook give the Hawaiian Islands?     Sandwich Islands
According to the Bible, how old was Methusalem?      969 years of age
What was the name of the radical left wing US terrorist organisation that declared war on the US government in 1970?                   The Weathermen
Captain Robert Fitzroy, the man who was influential in introducing meteorology into GB in the 19th century was the captain of which famous ship?    The Beagle
Where did the worst air disaster in history occur on the 27th of March 1977?                                                                                   Tenerife Spain. (Two 747s collided on the runway killing 583 people)
Where was the first world exposition held in 1851?        Crystal Palace, London.
Who was the famous passenger on ‘the sealed train’ in 1917?      Lenin (Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov)
The word for wooden clog shoes in Holland is also the sound they often make, hence, an onomatopoeia. What are these shoes called in Holland?     Klompen
Legend has it Captain William Kidd’s treasure is buried on which Nova Scotia island?     Oak Island
The Battle of Karansebes took place over a few days in September 1788 and was responsible for an estimated 9,000 dead and wounded. Interesting is the fact that the casualties were the result of so called ‘friendly’ fire. Which country’s army mistakenly battled itself?   Austria (apparently schnapps played a role in this military blunder)
The two most visited grave sites in Arlington national cemetery belong to two World War II veterans, one is John F Kennedy, who is the other?     Audie Murphy
Who released the eye catching 1965 album Whipped cream and other delights depicting a woman covered only in whipped cream?     Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass
What colour is the traditional wedding dress in China?      Red
Which world famous and caring Italian born female was the first woman to be awarded the British ‘Order of Merit’ in 1908 ? Florence Nightingale.
The great and mighty dragon “Ancalagon the Black” inhabited which land ?    Middle Earth (Tolkien’s middle earth)
Which dapple land mammal has the most powerful bite in Africa ?     Spotted Hyena
In which of the carry on films did Elke Summer play a Russian archaeologist professor Anna Vooshka?   Carry on Behind
Which sitcom about a local cricket club starred Josie Lawrence as Timothy Spall’s wife?     Outside Edge
Which track athlete won the gold medal in both the 200 and 400 metres in gold shoes at the 1996 Olympics?   Michael Johnson
What is the name given to the technique of clipping trees and hedges into ornamental shapes?        Topiary
What does a sphygmomanometer measure?     Blood Pressure
Which British theoretical physicist won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2013?        Peter Higgs
The Shrine of the Three Kings, a reliquary said to contain the bones of the Three Wise Men, can be visited in the cathedral in which city?       Cologne
By what name was Chilean poet and Nobel Prize winner Neftali Ricardo Reyes better known?       Pablo Neruda
How many sheets of paper are there in a ream?     500
Which of the Balearic Islands is closest to mainland Spain?      Ibiza
What was the title of Claude Monet’s painting that gave impressionism its name?       Impression Sunrise
The aboriginal tribe Linu come from which country?        Japan
The marriage between which two famous people was described as ‘Egghead meats hourglass’?                                                      Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe

What was the name of the gang headed by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid?.      The Hole in the Wall Gang
Who Is The Patron Saint Of Mountaineers?      St.Bernard
Which women became her country’s president in 1986 after its previous president for 21 years fled to the USA?                            Corie Aquino (Phillipines)
Who was the host of the old tyme music hall TV show? The Good Old Days ?      Leonard Sachs
Which European republic was founded by St. Marinus and his Christian followers?     San Marino
Which playwright said in a 1960 revue “Life is rather like a tin of sardines – were all looking for the key”?     Alan Bennett
In 1990 who became the Irish Republic’s first female president?       Mary Robinson
Who was the lead singer with the heavy metal group Twisted Sister?      Dee Snider
Which Shakespeare play is about 2 pairs of twins?        The Comedy of Errors
By what name was Agnes Bejaxhu better known?       Mother Teresa 
Which movie superstar was born in ‘UFO country’ , Roswell, New Mexico?     Demi Moore
Who was the leading Confederate General in the American Civil War who was accidentally shot by his own men at the Battle of Chancellorsville?     Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson
In Michael Dibdins controversial work The last Sherlock Holmes Story set towards the end of the 19th century in London what is the surprise twist at the end?     Holmes is Jack the Ripper
George Michael infamously crashed his Range Rover into the Hampstead branch of what high street shop?   Snappy Snaps
There are 20 regions in Italy. Which region is the ‘toe’ of Italy?         Calabria
In which US state did the Battle of Little Big Horn take place?      Montana
Who is the only King of England to be buried in Canterbury Cathedral?       Henry IV
Who was the first African to win the Nobel Peace Prize?                                                                                                                         Albert John Luthulu, (South African Civil Rights Leader, 1960)
Which US city hosted the 1904 Summer Olympic Games?      St Louis
Which female Irish pirate was known as ‘The Sea Queen of Connaught’?         Grace O’Malley or Grainne Ni Mhaille
Which English county with a sea border has the shortest coastline?        County Durham
Which country does Sukhindol wine come from?    Bulgaria
What is the world’s largest sand island situated northeast of Brisbane?        Fraser Island
Tarifa is the southern most point on the mainland of which country?      Spain
Which island group does the Pentland Firth separate from the British mainland?        Orkney Islands
Which country was suspended from the Arab league for 10 years from 1979?       Egypt
The official country retreat of the President of the USA, Camp David is in which range of mountains?  Appalachians
During the 20th century which player lost a record seven singles Wimbledon finals?
Chris Evert (Lost in 1973, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1985 and 1986)
What were serfs or slaves called in ancient Sparta?     Helots
What was the name of the 1783 treaty that formally ended the American Revolutionary War?    The Treaty of Paris
Who was East Germany’s last Chairman of the Council of State? Egon Krenz
In the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, which country’s jury memorably voted “nul points” to the Swedish entry (which happened to win the competition and later go on to be a massive act worldwide) in 1974?      U.K. (ABBA with Waterloo)
Who wrote the novel Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas’?        Hunter S Thompson
Cristina Kirchner became the first elected woman president of which country?    Argentina
In, the 1976 film, Robin and Marion Sean Connery played Robin, who played Marion?    Audrey Hepburn
Besides Marie Curie (nee Sklodowska) and Pierre Curie, who else won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903?                               (Antoine) Henri Becquerel
In which European country did the Aster Revolution take place between the 28th and 31st of October 1918?       Hungary
Which Leon Uris novel deals with the Warsaw Ghetto uprising?      Mila 18
Which fruit plays a role in the downfall of Captain Queeg in the film The Caine Mutiny?      Strawberries
Which strategically important neutral island country did the UK invade on the 10th of May 1940?      Iceland
What are cruciverbalists?          Creators or lovers of Crosswords
“Then I got Mary pregnant and man that’s all she wrote, and for my 19th birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat” is a line from which song?     The River (Bruce Springsteen)
On the flag of which European country are two cows depicted?       Andorra
Which modern means of transport now usually replaces the richly adorned but antiquated and impractical ‘Sedia Gestatoria’?       The Popemobile
The flag pole in front of Anfield Stadium in Liverpool was the top mast of which 19th century ship?      S.S.Great Eastern
The stirring voices of Anthony Quinn, Richard Burton and Curt Jürgens were all used, albeit in different versions, to narrate what?        Jeff Wayne’s musical version of War of the Worlds
Which politician is the co-author of the book Judo: History, Theory, Practice?      Vladimir Putin
In Japan, what is a Gaijin?      A Foreigner
In the memorable Monty Python sketch about Greek philosophers playing football against German philosophers. Who ist he only real footballer on the pitch?      Franz Beckenbaur
The name of which popular US band from the 1970s is an aboriginal expression used to describe an extremely cold evening?       Three Dog Night
In novels from which cult author would one find an alien race called Tralfamadorians?     Kurt Vonnegut
What is the name of the London Underground station in which a mysterious Martian vehicle is found in the 1967 film “Quatermass and the Pit”?        Hobbs End
The 1977 novel, The Dead Of Jericho, was the first novel to feature which detective?      Inspector Morse
Which unit equals the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radition corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium 1.33 atom?      A Second
Who was selected as the first Time Magazine Man of the the Year in 1927?     Charles Lindbergh
Which world famous landmark is found on Mount Lee?   The Hollywood Sign
In which famous battle did the English defeat the flower of France and capture the French king Jean I?      Poiters
Burnt at the stake 18th March 1314, Jacques de Molay was the 23rd and last what?    Grand Master of the Knights Templer
Which French town attracts 5 million visitors a year and has more hotels than any other French city except Paris? Lourdes
The name Deianira means ‘destroyer of her husband’. Who was Deianira’s husband?   Hercules
Who did Goran Ivanisevic beat in the men’s singles final at Wimbledon in 2001?    Pat Rafter
Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs , Is the real name of which character in Literature and Film?  The Wizard of Oz
How is the branch of physics that deals with the action of heat and the conversions from one to another of variouforms of energy better known?    Thermodynamics
Sobek was an Egyptian god – in what form is he seen?       A Crocodile
Which Shakespearean play is set in Sicilia and Bohemia?   A Winters Tale
What is pseudonym of authors Frederic Dannay and Manfred B. Lee?     Ellery Queen
In which Dickens novel did the character Mrs Jellby appear?    Bleak House
Which Englishman wrote the music to Nat King Cole’s hit song ‘Smile’?     Charlie Chaplin
What were the last two letters added to the English alphabet?       J & U
Which actor once came in second place at the Le Mans 24 Hour race ?     Paul Newman
Who was King of England from 1016, of Denmark from 1018 and of Norway from 1028 until his death in 1035?      Canute
In which city is the equestrian statue of Joan of Arc, known by locals as “Joanie on the Pony”?      New Orleans
Which Frenchman’s work for the blind earned him the title “Father and Apostle of the Blind”?    Valentin Hauy
Who became Australian Prime Minister in 1992?      Paul Keating
Which two woodwind instruments are classified as double reeds?     Oboe and Bassoon
Of which country was Adolph Stroessner president from 1954 to 1989         Paraguay
What was the name of the record company set up by Frank Sinatra in 1960? Hits such as ‘My Way’ and ‘Strangers in the Night’ were recorded on this label.        Reprise
In Greek mythology Oedipus unwittingly fulfilled a prophecy when he unknowingly married his mother. What was his mother?s name?        Ocasta
Francis Scott Keys wrote “The Star Spangled Banner” after watching the British bombard which building outside Baltimore?       Fort McHenry
Which British economist is famous for his Essay on the Principle of Population in which he maintained that while the population increases in geometrical ratio, food supply increases in arithmetical ratio?         Thomas Malthus
Which sports playing area is 2.7 metres by 1.5 metres?           Table Tennis
Which instrument did Lionel Hampton introduce to jazz?       The Vibraphone
On 15th November, 2007 the most expensive Andy Warhol painting ever was sold at Christie’s for $17.36m. Whom does it depict?          Mao Tse-Tung
At the Torino Winter Olympic Games, Shani Davis became the first black athlete to win a Winter Olympic individual gold medal. In which event?        1000m Speed Skating
Tina Turner sang the title song from the film Golden Eye which music legend wrote the song?       Bono (and The Edge)
Which male first name stems from the Greek word for ‘crown’ or ‘garland’?   Stephen / Steven
“Got on board a westbound seven forty seven, didn’t think before deciding what to do” is the opening line from which 1972 song      It never rains in Southern California (by Albert Hammond)
Eugenius Birch the Victorian architect was noted for which type of constructions?     Seaside Piers
What would you be eating if you ordered Lengua in Spain ?      Liver
Where would you find the letters TGFOP?                                                                                                                                                      On a box of tea T(ippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe – This grade represents some of the most precious teas in the world.)
What was the name of the first ship that arrived to pick up the Titanic survivors?     The Carpathia
Who was Lisa Gherardini?        The supposed model for the Mona Lisa
In the world of art,what is Chiaroscuro?        Light and Shade
Flagalleta, Rhizopoda, and Ciliata are all examples of what?        Single cell Organisms
The strait of Hormus separates which two gulfs?      The Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman
The following is he first line of which song: “Lord Almighty, I feel my temperature rising”?   Burning Love  (Elvis Presley)
In 1937, the European record football match attendance of 149,577 fans watched which two countries play?                              Scotland v England at Hampden Park, Glasgow
In Greek mythology, who was the father of Zeus?    Cronos
Which Irish-born actor plays King Henry VIII in the TV series “The Tudors”?    Jonathon Rhys Meyers
What is the capital of Belize?    Belmopoan
The SS Empress of Ireland sunk in the early morning of 29 May, 1914 with the loss of 1,012 lives. It is still the worst maritime disaster ever in which country?    Canada
In which English city is John Wesley’s Chapel, the worlds first Methodist Chapel, where he used to preach?      Bristol
Who was assassinated by John Bellingham on May 11th 1812?   Spencer Percivel
Which radio station took over Radio 1’s old medium wave frequencies when it started broadcasting in Feb 1995?  Talk Radio
What was the name of the Cuban President over thrown by Fidel Castro in 1959?       General Fulgencio Batista

Which wife of a politician said in 1981, ‘Woman is like a teabag: you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in the hot water’?                                                                                             Nancy Reagan (Plagiarised from a comment by Eleanor Roosevelt)
Which ex-model and ex-Emmerdale actress, who rose to fame in a famous “booze advert”, played Dolly Clothes-peg in TV’s Worzel Gummidge?     Lorraine Chase
Which radio series had the signature tune The Devils Gallop?        Dick Barton Special Agent
In which Gilbert and Sullivan opera does the character Little Buttercup appear?      HMS Pinafore
Who played the title role in the film The Rose, based on the life story of the Rock singer Janis Joplin?      Bette Midler
Since 1810, the largest fair in the world, Oktoberfest, renowned for beer consumption, has been cancelled 24 times, usually due to war. Why was it cancelled in 1923 and 1924 ?                   Out of control inflation in Germany
What is represented by a red triangle on an Ordnance Survey Map?    A Youth Hostel
In which English city is Parliament Street, the worlds second narrowest ‘road’, at just 122 centimetres wide? Exeter ( the Spreurhofstrasse, in Reutlingen, Germany is 50 cm wide)
In sports what do Canton, Ohio. Toronto, Ontario. Newport, Rhode Island and Springfield, Massachusetts have in common?
Locations of Sports Hall of Fame Canton (American Football) Toronto(Ice Hockey) Newport (Lawn Tennis) Springfield (Basketball)
What is the name of the Roman road that followed a remarkably straight route from Exeter to Lincoln? Fosse Way
In the Harry Potter book, what is the name of the three headed dog that guards the entrance to the place where the philosophers stone is being kept?        Fluffy
Who was the first singer to get five Top Ten hits from one album?         Michael Jackson (Thriller)
Mr Honeythunder is a character in which Dickens novel?       The Mystery of Edwin Drood
The musical The Boys from Syracuse is based on what Shakespeare play?      A Comedy of Errors
Which two European countries declared their independence on Jan 1st 1993?     Czech Republic & Slovakia
The car in the Knightrider series was called KITT. What does this acronym stand for?     Knight Industries Two Thousand
What is the only landlocked country in South East Asia?     Laos
Blüthner, Erard, Chickering, Broadwood, Beckstein, Heintzman and Cristofori are all famous examples of what?             Piano builders or piano’s
The first official international cricket match was held in 1844 between which two countries?       USA and Canada
What island in the Arabian sea, part of the sultanate of Oman, was formerly used as an air staging post by British forces on their way to and from the far east?          Masirah Island
On which island in the Seine does Notre Dame stand?      lle de la Cite
Which river that rises on the Tibetan Plateau of western China and has flooded more often and killed more people than any other?     The Yellow River
Which South American country provides the setting for the climax of the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? Bolivia
Which historical leader was called the Scourge of God?    Attila the Hun
The actress Sharon Tate was murdered by members of the Charles Manson family, who was she married to at the time?    Roman Polanski
The Basque country won a gold medal playing its national sport at the 1900 Olympic games in Paris. It must be noted however that they did not have to play any matches as no other country took part in the competition.What is the Basque country’s national game ?     Pelota
Which breed of dog has won “Best in Show” at Crufts on the most occasions?     English Cocker Spaniel
In 1993 Which company announced a loss of $4.97 billion, the largest single-year loss in US corporate history?     IBM
Twenty five square feet of land in which US state officially belongs to the UK?   Hawaii (around the James Cook monument)
Which US entertainer, famous for her ‘shimmy’, was sentenced to ten days in the workhouse in 1927 for “corrupting the morals of youth”?      Mae West
What is the six letter word meaning “to snap ones fingers”?      Fillip
The hyoid bone is the only bone in the human body that is not articulated (attached) to any other bone. Where is the hyoid bone found?     The Neck
By what name is the comic book (and film) character of Oswald Cobblepot better known?    The Penguin
What does a phillumenist collect? Matchbox Labels
On New Year’s Day 1914, the world’s first airline started operating within which American state?      Florida
The dockyards in which city were the largest industrial complex in the world for much of the 19th century?    Portsmouth
Thomas Tompion (1637-1713), John Arnold (1736-1799), Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823) and Ferdinand-Adolf Lange (1815-1875) were all world famous makers of what?                          Clocks and Watches
xn+yn=zn is associated with which famous French mathematician?     Pierre de Fermat
Which Hollywood child star played the little girl in the 1947 Christmas film Miracle on 34th Street?     Natalie Wood
What is the collective noun given to a group of Unicorns?    A Blessing
From 1982-1996, who was the only woman to win the Wimbledon Ladies Singles title, other than Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf?         Conchita Martinez (in 1994)
NATO gave the ultra modern Russian MiG-29 which pivotal code name?  Fulcrum
How is Ilyena Vasilevna Mironov better known?      Dame Helen Mirren
“In Plenty and In Time of Need” is the National Anthem of which Island nation?      Barbados
The ramparts that surround which city are the only intact fortified city walls on the North American continent?    Quebec City                                                                                                  Which actor has been nominated twice for an Academy Award for playing a US President?     Sir Anthony Hopkin (In “Nixon” and as John Quincy Adams in “Amistad”)
“Every time I go for the mailbox gotta hold myself down” is a line from which song?    Walking on Sunshine  (Katrina and the Waves)
Which former ward attendant in a psychiatric hospital wrote One flew over the cuckoo’s nest?    Ken Kesey
The name of which playful mammal stems from the Greek word for womb?    Dolphin
The following words in different languages all mean what?Gehve, Qahwa, Sourj, Koohii, Kape      Coffee
Measured in kilometres from the nearest human being, who was the most isolated person in history for a few hours in the summer of 1969?                                                                          Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins. Collins was at times 5,456 km (3,400 miles) from his colleagues Armstrong and Aldrin
In which country was Josef Stalin born?      Georgia
With 2,438, which city has the most bridges in Europe?       Hamburg
The title of which 2008 monster film was apparently the US military code name for New York City during the cold war? Cloverfield
Liv Tyler didn’t learn the true identity of her biological father, Steve Tyler until age nine. Until that time she was told she was the daughter of which rock star, famous for his song “I saw the light”?     Todd Rundgren
Which organisation was created by Justin Berkmann under the concept “100% sound system first, lights second, design third (in that order); the reverse of everyone else’s idea”?      The Ministry of Sound
Trick-or-treating, also known as guising, is an activity for children on Halloween in which they proceed from house to house in costumes, asking for treats such as candy with the question, “Trick or treat?”. In which country did this practice originate?     The United Kingdom, surprisingly, even mentioned in Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona
In the James Bond books and movies What is the motto of the Bond family as found on their coat of arms?     “The World is not enough”
Walter Gropius was the founder of which school of Architecture?      Bauhaus
Which Strait separates Sri Lanka from India?     The Palk Strait
Which spirit’s name derives from a Dutch word that means ‘burnt wine’?     Brandy
Why was Erika Schinegger stripped of her 1966 downhill skiing world title?    “She” was a man
Normal, Reverse, Strike Slip, Horst and Graben are all types of what?    Faults caused by movements in the earth
Who was first offered the TV role of Lieutenant Colombo?     Bing Crosby
In which sport is the first reserve player referred to as the “19th man”?   Australian Rules Football
Who did Winston Churchill describe as a Sheep in sheep’s clothing?      Clement Atlee
Which Shakespeare play ends in marriage of Benedick & Beatrice?       Much Ado About Nothing
Virginia Patterson Hensley became more famous as who?    Patsy Cline
Ophidiophobia is the fear of what?     Snakes
What are Acheron, Cocytus and Phlegethon?    Rivers of Hades
Which grape variety is nicknamed “The King of Grapes”?      Cabernet Sauvignon
In which country is The Owen Falls Dam?    Uganda
If a dog is canine, a cat is feline, what creature is accipitrine?    A Hawk
What links Yul Bryner, Burt Lancaster, WC Fields and Joe E Brown?     All were former Circus performers
Which author famously said “Sometimes, too much drink is barely enough”?    Mark Twain
What make and model of car was Christine in the book and film?      Plymouth Fury
What were the Christian names of J.R.R. Tolkien?      John Ronald Reuel
Which British airport has the code MME?     Teeside
Bearbrass, founded by John Batman, was the original name of which city?     Melbourne
According to the poem who dug the grave for cock robin?     The Owl
Mr Mybug was only interested in sex with Flora in what book?      Cold Comfort Farm
What is unique about the book of Esther in the bible?      The only one that doesn’t mention God