1 |
What position in UK politics is currently held by Angus Robertson? |
|
SNP Leader in the House of Commons (and SNP Deputy Leader) |
2 |
What is the particular concern of someone described as a valetudinarian? |
|
The state of their health – they're a hypochondriac |
3 |
How did Dippy make the news recently? |
|
It's the Natural History Museum's diplodocus skeleton, which
is being dismantled to go on tour |
4 |
What is the membrane called which lines the abdominal cavity? |
|
The peritoneum |
5 |
On what road did Nellie the Elephant meet the head of the herd? |
|
The road to Mandalay |
6 |
Which Czech tennis player won the Wimbledon men's singles title in 1973, the year of the professional boycott? |
|
Jan Kodes |
7 |
Nonnatus House features in which popular TV drama series? |
|
Call the Midwife |
8 |
Which company operated the unfortunate ro–ro ferry, the
Herald of Free Enterprise? |
|
Townsend Thoresen |
9 |
What was the name of the world's first ballistic missile site, bombed by the Allies and relocated to the Harz Mountains in
World War II? |
|
Peenemunde |
10 |
Which song, first released in 1963, begins "I met him on a Monday and my heart stood still"? |
|
Da Doo Ron Ron (by the Crystals) |
11 |
In Greek mythology, name either of the two sisters of the heavenly twins Castor and Pollux. |
|
Helen (of Troy) or Clytemnestra |
12 |
What is the cube root of one eighth? |
|
A half |
13 |
"The Old Lady" is the nickname of which Italian football team? |
|
Juventus |
14 |
In which river did the Pied Piper drown the rats that plagued Hamelin? |
|
The Weser |
15 |
What kind of fruit grows on the evergreen tree Persea americana? |
|
Avocado |
16 |
Maurice Hankey, Robin Butler, Gus O'Donnell and Jeremy Heywood have all held which public office? |
|
Cabinet Secretary |
17 |
In the BAFTA award–winning and 2017 Oscar nominated film Lion, the action takes place in India and which other
country? |
|
Australia |
18 |
Which new town in north–east England is named after a miners' leader who died in 1935? |
|
Peterlee |
19 |
Where would a formally–dressed Highlander put his skean–dhu? |
|
Tucked into his stocking top. (It's a small knife) |
20 |
In theatrical terms, what is 'Kensington gore'? |
|
Fake blood |
21 |
Which footballer received a five–match ban for stamping on Zlatan Ibrahimović's head in March? |
|
Tyrone Mings |
22 |
Lichfield Cathedral has three spires; by what name are they commonly known? |
|
The Ladies of the Vale |
23 |
In 1809, which official was appointed by the Swedish government with the job of protecting citizens from administrative errors
or injustices? |
|
The Ombudsman |
24 |
The element lutetium gets its name from the Latin name for which city, in whose university its discoverer worked? |
|
Paris |
25 |
A 1972 film starring Michael Caine in one of two central roles opposite Laurence Olivier was remade in 2007, now starring Caine
in the other role, opposite Jude Law. What were the two films called? |
|
Sleuth |
26 |
What rank in the Royal Navy is above Able Seaman and below Petty Officer? |
|
Leading Seaman |
27 |
What is the principal ingredient in the dish coquilles St. Jacques? |
|
Scallops |
28 |
What title is held by the Queen's representative on the Isle of Man? |
|
Lieutenant Governor |
29 |
Painted between 1509 and 1511 for a room in the Vatican, the fresco entitled The School of Athens and representing
philosophy, is by which artist? |
|
Raphael |
30 |
Kodiak Island is in which US state? |
|
Alaska |
31 |
According to Arthur Conan Doyle, when Sherlock Holmes
retired he took up and became an expert in which activity? |
|
Bee–keeping |
32 |
What slang word for a clumsy person comes from the Yiddish word for such a person? |
|
Klutz |
33 |
Dianthus is the botanical name for which flower? |
|
Carnation |
34 |
In two recent Guy Ritchie films – Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: a Game of Shadows – who
plays the eponymous detective? |
|
Robert Downey Jr. |
35 |
In opera production, what do the parts of Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro
and Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier have in common? |
|
They're trouser roles – male parts played by a female singer |
36 |
St. Catherine, who gives her name to the Catherine wheel, is associated with which African city? |
|
Alexandria |
37 |
If 6 is the first perfect number, what is the next lowest perfect number? |
|
28 |
38 |
Which Pope sent St. Augustine to convert the English in 597 AD? |
|
Pope Gregory (the Great – regnal number not necessary) |
39 |
Name either of the two royal personages who in 2006 set up the charity named Sentebale, to help orphans and other vulnerable
children. |
|
Prince Harry, or Prince Seeiso of Lesotho |
40 |
H&M is a Swedish multi–national clothing retail company. What does either of H or M stand for? |
|
Hennes or Mauritz |
41 |
In which English county is Watership Down? |
|
Hampshire |
42 |
What name was given to the practical results of the Housing (Temporary Accommodation) Act, 1944? |
|
Prefabricated houses (prefabs) |
43 |
Which of the four evangelists is the patron saint of doctors and artists? |
|
St. Luke |
44 |
Which planet's surface is marked by an intermittent great dark spot? |
|
Neptune |
45 |
"For ever, for everyone" is the motto of which conservation organisation? |
|
The National Trust |
46 |
Worn extensively in Europe from the Middle Ages until the early 20th century, what are pattens? |
|
Wooden overshoes, to protect the softer shoes from mud and other dirt |
47 |
By what name was the 19th century circus performer Charles Stratton better known? |
|
General Tom Thumb |
48 |
Which is the only US state to have borders with three Canadian provinces? |
|
Montana (British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan) |
49 |
In Norse mythology, what was the collective name for the nine handmaidens of Odin? |
|
The Valkyrie |
50 |
Following the sacking of Claudio Ranieri, who was appointed as caretaker and then manager of Leicester City in March? |
|
Craig Shakespeare |
51 |
"Watching the people get lairy / Is not very pretty I tell thee / Walking through town is quite scary / And not very sensible
either" are lyrics from which song, first released in 2004? |
|
I Predict a Riot (by the Kaiser Chiefs) |
52 |
Which food writer was responsible for popularising Mediterranean cuisine in Britain and the use of ingredients such as peppers,
aubergines and courgettes? In 1950 she published the best–selling Mediterranean Food. |
|
Elizabeth David |
53 |
By what name is Ely Cathedral known locally, in reference to its prominent position above the surrounding flat landscape? |
|
The Ship of the Fens |
54 |
What was the only film that Sean Connery made with the director Alfred Hitchcock? |
|
Marnie |
55 |
Belted Galloway, Irish moil and white park are breeds of which animal? |
|
Cattle |
56 |
At which battle near Edinburgh was an English government army defeated by the Jacobites in the rebellion of 1745? |
|
Prestonpans |
57 |
Topshop and Burton are subsidiaries of which holding company? |
|
Arcadia (owned by the wonderfully popular Philip Green and family) |
58 |
What was the name of the character played by Jean Alexander in The Last of the Summer Wine? |
|
Auntie Wainwright |
59 |
With the death of Gerald Kaufman in February this year, who is now the Father of the House of Commons? |
|
Kenneth Clarke (continuously in Parliament since 1970) |
60 |
For what type of products is the Winmau company noted? |
|
Dartboards and other darts equipment |
61 |
"I like work; it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours." These are the words of the narrator of which
comic novel, first published in 1889? |
|
Three Men in a Boat (by Jerome K. Jerome) |
62 |
What type of oil is used in the making of putty? |
|
Linseed oil |
63 |
The TV clash between Leeds and Reading in 1962 was the first contest in which long–running annual tournament? |
|
University Challenge |
64 |
The modern pentathlon comprises fencing, show jumping, shooting, cross–country running, and which other discipline? |
|
Swimming |
65 |
What is the longest land–based mountain range in the world, outside the Americas? |
|
The Great Divide (or Great Dividing Range, or
Eastern Highlands) – of Australia |
66 |
Who, along with Peter Firmin, set up the TV production company Smallfilms, which produced such classic children's programmes
as Noggin the Nog, Ivor the Engine, The Clangers and Bagpuss? |
|
Oliver Postgate |
67 |
Mike Leigh's 1999 film Topsy Turvy recounts the troubled relationship of which theatrical partnership? |
|
Gilbert & Sullivan |
68 |
Similar to Spanish paella, which Creole dish has a Louisiana French name that is derived from the Provençal word for
'chicken and rice stew'? |
|
Jambalaya |
69 |
What breed of dog was named Best in Show at Crufts in 2017? |
|
American cocker spaniel |
70 |
How is the poem The Defence of Fort McHenry, by Fancis Scott Key, better known? |
|
The Star Spangled Banner |
71 |
Myeloid tissue can be found in the liver and the spleen, but is mainly found in which part of the body? |
|
Bone marrow |
72 |
Which American singer–songwriter has the real name Peter Gene Hernandez? |
|
Bruno Mars |
73 |
Name a British prime minister who fought a duel. |
|
The Duke of Wellington and William Pitt the Younger fought
duels while in office. Also accept George Canning and the Earl of Shelburne, who fought duels while not in office. |
74 |
Who stars as Detective Sergeant Arnott in the BBC drama series Line of Duty? |
|
Martin Compston |
75 |
What name is given to an early 20th century art movement, led by Matisse, after a French critic, Henri Vauxcelles, dismissed
them as "wild beasts"? |
|
Fauvism, or Les Fauves |
76 |
Which 2012 film, starring Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender (among others), is seen as a 'prequel' to the
Alien series? |
|
Prometheus |
77 |
What do birds do when they nidificate? |
|
Build nests |
78 |
Which is the only African country to have Spanish as an official language? |
|
Equatorial Guinea |
79 |
Parkour was recognised by Sport England as a sport in January of this year. What is it? |
|
Free running – negotiating obstacles, generally in an urban environment,
by running, jumping, climbing, crawling or whatever way seems best |
80 |
What was a Lazar House? |
|
A place of quarantine for lepers |
81 |
The term 'parsec', meaning a measurement of astronomical distance, is derived from two words. One is 'second';
what is the other? |
|
Parallax |
82 |
What position in UK politics is currently held by Michelle O'Neill? |
|
Sinn Fein leader in Northern Ireland |
83 |
What portmanteau word refers to the provision of luxury holiday accommodation under canvas? |
|
Glamping |
84 |
Which poet and playwright, who died at his home on the island of St. Lucia on March 17th, received the Nobel Prize for Literature
in 1992? |
|
Derek Walcott |
85 |
What is the name of Peppa Pig's brother? |
|
George |
86 |
Bizet's opera The Pearl Fishers is set on which island? |
|
Sri Lanka |
87 |
A depiction of the supposed ancestry of Jesus Christ, presented in the form of a tree, is named after which Biblical figure? |
|
Jesse (the father of David) |
88 |
Which MP is Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, and lists his interests in Who's Who
as "family, walking in the Peak District, mountaineering, church"? |
|
David Rutley |
89 |
Which king of England was the son of Sweyn Forkbeard? |
|
Canute |
90 |
In which sport might a competitor be confronted by an arrowhead, a bounce or a coffin? |
|
Eventing or cross–country – accept any
equestrian jumping sport. They're types of fence. |
91 |
What is Zakat, one of the basic religious acts that make up the Five Pillars of Wisdom? |
|
Alms–giving |
92 |
In Norse mythology, what was Bifrost? |
|
A rainbow bridge between Earth (Midgard) and Asgard, the realm of the gods. |
93 |
Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean, belongs to which group of islands? |
|
The Chagos Islands |
94 |
Who wrote the music for the films Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, and Ryan's Daughter –
among many others? |
|
Maurice Jarre |
95 |
For what product has the London manufacturer and retailer James Purdey been famous for over 200 years? |
|
Guns – especially sporting shotguns and rifles. |
96 |
What term was coined by the American art critic Harold Rosenberg in 1952 to describe the technique used by Jackson Pollock and
others? |
|
Action painting |
97 |
Fill in the missing name in this sequence: Robert Bridges, John Masefield, [blank], John Betjeman, Ted Hughes. |
|
Cecil Day Lewis |
98 |
What rhyming nickname was given to Wayne Shaw, when he was in the news in February of this year? |
|
The roly–poly goalie – he ate a pie while on the bench for
Suttton United in their FA Cup tie against Arsenal |
99 |
Before he took control of Haiti in 1957, what was the profession of François Duvalier? |
|
Medical practitioner (hence 'Papa Doc') |
100 |
Jargonelle, seckel and winter nelis are what types of fruit? |
|
Pear |
101 |
In Paradise Lost, what name does Milton give to the city of fallen angels, located on the burning floor of Hell? |
|
Pandemonium |
102 |
In Greek mythology, who solved the riddle of the sphinx? |
|
Oedipus |
102 |
Which country shares a land border with Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo and Serbia? |
|
(Former Yugoslav Republic of) Macedonia |
104 |
Why were Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz in the news
earlier this year? |
|
They were the PwC accountants who passed the Wrong envelope to Warren Beatty
at the Oscar awards ceremony, causing the wrong film to be announced as the winner of Best Picture |
105 |
What two–word term refers to the government policy of increasing certain state pensions each year by the highest of
price inflation, earnings inflation, or 2.5%? |
|
Triple–lock |
106 |
The Fighting Tigers was the original title of which popular sitcom? |
|
Dad's Army |
107 |
Which chart–topping artist of 2017 has the real name Rory Graham? |
|
Rag and Bone Man |
108 |
Who was the founder of Sikhism? |
|
Guru Nanak |
109 |
The element hafnium gets its name from the Latin name of which city, in which it was discovered? |
|
Copenhagen |
110 |
Isabella Marie 'Bella' Swan is the main character in which popular series of four novels? |
|
Twilight |
111 |
In 1979, Keymarkets store in Spalding, Lincolnshire was the first in the UK to use what – starting with Melrose tea bags? |
|
Barcode scanners |
112 |
Which Second World War general was known as Vinegar Joe? |
|
Joseph Stilwell |
113 |
Which horse won last year's Epsom Derby? |
|
Harzand |
114 |
Painted in 1632 in oil on canvas, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp is by which artist? |
|
Rembrandt |
115 |
In Bologna, the home of Italy's most famous meat sauce (the ragù Bolognese), with what type of pasta is
Bolognese sauce traditionally served? |
|
Tagliatelle – never spaghetti |
116 |
Discovered in 1938 after it was believed to have been extinct for 66 million years, what kind of creature is a coelacanth
(seal–a–kanth)? |
|
Fish |
117 |
The words 'arsenal', 'ghetto' and 'lido' all have their origins in which European city? |
|
Venice |
118 |
According to the Acts of the Apostles, on which island did St. Paul suffer a shipwreck? |
|
Malta |
119 |
Jennifer Lawrence won her first Oscar in 2013 for her performance in which Philadelphia set film? |
|
Silver Linings Playbook |
120 |
In which musical does the song There's No Business Like Show Business appear? |
|
Annie Get Your Gun (by Irving Berlin) |
1 |
What, in 1867, was Seward's Folly? |
|
Alaska |
2 |
Chronologically, which is the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia series? (not the first to be written) |
|
The Magician's Nephew |
3 |
Duting the Scottish independence referendum campaign, which politician led the "Better Together" campaign? |
|
Alastair Darling |
4 |
In which country is the Awami League the governing party? |
|
Bangladesh |
5 |
Who composed the Polotsvian Dances? |
|
Borodin |
6 |
All the Fun of the Fair is a musical based on the songs of which British singer? |
|
David Essex |
7 |
In which capital city is the Rungrado 1st May Stadium, the largest stadium in the world (with a capacity of 114,000)? |
|
Pyongyang |
8 |
What is the name of the dog in Enid Blyton's Secret Seven books? |
|
Scamper |
9 |
Who is the actress wife of Daniel Craig? |
|
Rachel Weisz |