1 |
What is the name of the sitcom written by Ben Elton that stars David Mitchell as William Shakespeare? |
|
Upstart Crow |
2 |
Which author wrote romantic novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott? |
|
Agatha Christie |
3 |
The bandicoot is a marsupial from which country? |
|
Australia |
4 |
In which small mountain range in the USA would you find the Mount Rushmore National Monument? |
|
The Black Hills (of South Dakota) |
5 |
Just give the title of the novel from the brief summary: a 1962 novel set in a near–future dystopian society featuring
Alex and his friends, or 'droogs' as they are referred to in the novel's Anglo–Russian slang, 'Nadsat'. |
|
A Clockwork Orange |
6 |
Who became the first President of Zambia after the country gained independence from Britain in 1964? |
|
Kenneth Kaunda |
7 |
The musical duo comprised of Izora Armstead and Martha Wash had their biggest hit in 1982, selling over 6 million records
worldwide. Under what group name did they perform? |
|
The Weather Girls |
8 |
Born in 1890 and playing a key role in the Dada and Surrealist movements, which artist became the unofficial photographer of
an exciting group of artists and thinkers including Cocteau, Picasso, Joyce and Matisse when he arrived in Paris in 1921? |
|
Man Ray (or Emmanuel Radnitzky) |
9 |
Who is the current Secretary of State for Education? |
|
Damian Hinds |
10 |
According to a 2011 biography, which artist did not commit suicide as once thought, but was shot accidentally by two boys he
knew who had "a malfunctioning gun"? |
|
|
Vincent van Gogh |
11 |
On 12th October 1187, after a 12 day siege, Saladin captured which religiously and culturally important city which had been
under Crusader rule for the previous 88 years? |
|
Jerusalem |
12 |
Coming from the Greek for 'many' and 'island', which subregion of Oceania, comprises a large grouping of over
1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean? |
|
Polynesia |
13 |
Isle of Wight Prison is the collective name given to the three main prisons on the island. Give the individual name of any of
the three? |
|
|
Parkhurst, Albany or Camp Hill |
14 |
Which Renaissance mathematician and astronomer formulated a model of the universe that placed the Sun rather than the Earth
at its centre? |
|
Nicolaus Copernicus |
15 |
Which theoretical physicist, author and Radio 4 broadcaster was also President of the British Humanist Association between
2013 and 2016? |
|
Jim Al–Khalili |
16 |
Which French phrase is commonly used in English to mean a feeling of solidarity among members of a group, or morale? |
|
Esprit de corps |
17 |
What metal is derived from bauxite? |
|
Aluminium |
18 |
Of which actress did Groucho Marx say "I knew her before she became a virgin"? |
|
|
Doris Day |
19 |
In which war did the Battle of Ebro take place? |
|
Spanish Civil War |
20 |
Which 19th–century French socialist first suggested that "Property is theft"? |
|
Pierre–Joseph Proudhon |
21 |
Which English political philosopher coined the phrase, "survival of the fittest"? |
|
Herbert Spencer |
22 |
Which war was ended by the Treaty of Vereeniging? |
|
Boer War (the second one, to be precise) |
23 |
Of which other actress was Bette Davis speaking when she said "she's screwed everyone at MGM except Lassie"? |
|
|
Joan Crawford |
24 |
Which expensive foodstuff is obtained from crocus flowers? |
|
Saffron |
25 |
Which French phrase is commonly used in English to mean small ornamental objects, less valuable than antiques? |
|
Bric–à–brac |
26 |
Which Radio 4 and Television broadcaster is probably best known for his 2013 interview with the then London Mayor Boris Johnson,
when he asked critical questions about past known misdeeds and commented "... you're a nasty piece of work"? |
|
Eddie Mair |
27 |
Which nebula, in the constellation of Taurus, originated in the explosion of a supernova observed in the eleventh century by
the Chinese? |
|
The Crab Nebula (so called because it looks a bit like a crab) |
28 |
In Maritime Law, there are four classifications of 'wreck' (one concerning a vessel, the other three its contents or
former contents). If Derelict is one such term, name any of the other three. |
|
Lagan, Flotsam or Jetsam |
29 |
From the Latin for 'nothing', which philosophical doctrine suggests that values do not exist but rather are falsely
invented? |
|
Nihilism |
30 |
In 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam's independence from which European country? |
|
France |
31 |
Let It Bleed, Black and Blue and Beggar's Banquet are all Rolling Stones albums. They are also
books by which British crime writer? |
|
Ian Rankin |
32 |
Who is the current Secretary of State for Defence? |
|
Gavin Williamson |
33 |
Which opera was based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette and was first performed at the Khedivial
Opera House in Cairo on 24 December 1871? |
|
Aida |
34 |
Which 1989 film had the tag line, "The man in the hat is back, and this time he's bringing his Dad!"? |
|
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade |
35 |
Who became the first Prime Minister of India after the country gained independence from Britain? |
|
Pandit (Jawaharlal) Nehru |
36 |
Just give the title of the novel from the brief summary:
a 1925 novel, seen as the ultimate mirror to the "Jazz
Age". The principal character lives in West Egg, Long Island and pursues the beautiful Daisy Buchanan. |
|
The Great Gatsby |
37 |
Which stratovolcano, most notorious for a major eruption in 1980, is found in the Cascade Mountain Range in the USA? |
|
Mount St. Helens |
38 |
What type of creature is a mandrill? |
|
Monkey |
39 |
Whose first novel was The Rachel Papers in 1973? |
|
Martin Amis |
40 |
Which of Shakespeare's plays has two sets of twins in it? |
|
The Comedy of Errors |
41 |
In which century did the following happen? St Bartholomew's Hospital is founded in London, Oxford University is created
and Nicholas Breakspear becomes the only English Pope, Adrian IV. |
|
|
12th |
42 |
Horse racing – at which course is the Scottish Grand National run? |
|
Ayr |
43 |
In the Book of Genesis, who is described as "a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time"? |
|
Noah |
44 |
Which is New York City's main jail complex, as well as the name of the island on which it sits? |
|
Rikers Island |
45 |
Give a year in which Lord Liverpool was British Prime Minister. |
|
1812 to 1827 |
46 |
Identify the TV show from the first line of its theme tune: "It's time to play the music, it's time to light the
lights" |
|
The Muppet Show |
47 |
Ellis Carver and Thomas 'Herc' Hauk are fictional police officers in which US TV show? |
|
The Wire |
48 |
Which Sky Sports presenter replaced Des O'Connor and preceded Nick Hewer as presenter of Channel 4's Countdown? |
|
Jeff Stelling |
49 |
In which novel set in the near future is there a country called Gilead, roughly where New England now is? |
|
The Handmaid's Tale (by Margaret Atwood) |
50 |
Which current UK national newspaper was launched in 1903 by Alfred Harmsworth as a paper "for women and run by women"? |
|
Daily Mirror |
51 |
Which fast–food chain took its name from a hamburger–loving character from the Popeye cartoons? |
|
Wimpy |
52 |
Only two African countries have names that begin with "D". Name either. |
|
Djibouti or Democratic Republic of Congo. |
53 |
On what day of the year has Star Wars Day
been celebrated since 2011? |
|
May the 4th (be with you) |
54 |
From which film does the following quotation come? "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!" |
|
Dr. Strangelove |
55 |
The MOBO Awards were held in Liverpool in 2012, for the first time, winners included Emilie Sande and Plan B. What does the B
stand for in MOBO? |
|
Black (Music of Black Origin) |
56 |
Which famous chemist was guillotined at the height of the French Revolution in 1794? |
|
Antoine Lavoisier |
57 |
From which remote South Atlantic island, a British Overseas Territory, was the whole population evacuated to the UK, following
a volcanic eruption in 1961? |
|
Tristan da Cunha |
58 |
Which body of water separates Cape Horn from Antarctica? |
|
Drake Passage |
59 |
The name of which Beano character was also the nickname of rugby star Jason Robinson? |
|
Billy Whizz |
60 |
Name the film from the promotional catch phrase: They're here to save the world |
|
Ghostbusters |
61 |
Name the film from the promotional catch phrase: An adventure 65 million years in the making |
|
Jurassic Park |
62 |
Who famously tripped up Mary Decker at the 1984 Summer Olympics? |
|
Zola Budd |
63 |
Which country's principal native language is called Tagalog? |
|
The Philippines |
64 |
Findel Airport is the only international airport in which European country? |
|
|
Luxembourg |
65 |
Born in Strasbourg in 1761, Marie Grosholtz's first sculpture was of the French novelist Voltaire. By what name is she
better known today? |
|
Madame Tussaud |
66 |
Which programming language, developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995, shares its name with an
Indonesian island? |
|
Java |
67 |
From which film does the following quotation come: "Major Strasser has been shot. Round up the usual suspects." |
|
Casablanca |
68 |
What is the name of the punk feminist band whose members were imprisoned for blasphemy in 2012 after an incident Moscow's
St. Saviour's church? |
|
Pussy Riot |
69 |
Two princes were allegedly murdered on the orders of King Richard III around 1483 in the Tower of London. Name either. |
|
Edward or Richard |
70 |
Which 1985 Steven Spielberg film, based on a novel by Alice Walker, was nominated for 11 Oscars and won none? |
|
The Color Purple |
71 |
Which UK national newspaper moved from a broadsheet format to Berliner format in 2005? |
|
The Guardian |
|
72 |
Which British author wrote the 1980 Booker Prize winning novel Rites of Passage? |
|
William Golding |
73 |
Which Hollywood actress had a double mastectomy in 2013 to reduce her risk of breast cancer? |
|
Angelina Jolie |
74 |
Which British TV show features the character of Police Sergeant Catherine Cawood? |
|
Happy Valley (played by Sarah Lancashire) |
75 |
Identify the TV show from the first line of its theme tune: "Hey baby I hear the blues a–calling, tossed salads and
scrambled eggs" |
|
Frasier |
76 |
In which decade did Warren Harding die in office as President of the USA? |
|
1920s (1923) |
77 |
The snows on which African mountain are thought to have reduced by more than 80 percent since 1912? |
|
Kilimanjaro |
78 |
According to the book of Genesis, who first bought Joseph as a slave in Egypt? |
|
Potiphar |
79 |
Who did Muhammad Ali beat to win his first World Heavyweight title? |
|
Sonny Liston |
80 |
In which century did the following happen? Joan of Arc is burned at the stake in Rouen, Vasco de Gama lands in India having
rounded the Cape of Good Hope and Vlad the Impaler is born and dies. |
|
15th |
81 |
The song Perfect World, by the Irish rock band Kodaline, is used as the theme tune for which TV programme? |
|
Gogglebox |
82 |
Two of Queen Henrietta Maria's sons became kings of England. Name either. |
|
Charles II or James II |
83 |
Who is the only woman to have been French Prime Minister? |
|
Edith Cresson |
84 |
American musician and actor William James Adams Jr. is known professionally by what name? |
|
will.i.am |
85 |
Which red wine is traditionally released for sale on the third Thursday in every November? |
|
Beaujolais Nouveau |
86 |
Which cosmetics brand uses the slogan "The London look"? |
|
Rimmel |
87 |
In Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest, what was the two–word reply of Lady Bracknell when
told where Jack Worthing was found? |
|
A handbag! |
88 |
The first act of Othello is set in Venice. Where is the rest of the play set? |
|
Cyprus |
89 |
Which music venue, four miles north of Congleton, opened in 1974 and is set on a 240 acre farm? |
|
Clonter Opera |
90 |
What surname is common to both a member of the Pet Shop Boys and an actor who played Doctor Who on television? |
|
Tennant (Neil and David) |
91 |
In which castle was Edward II murdered in 1327? |
|
Berkeley |
92 |
What is the name of the largest group of baleen whales, which includes the humpback whale and the blue whale? |
|
Rorquals |
93 |
What is the name of India's largest vehicle manufacturer and largest private company, which now owns both Jaguar and Land
Rover? |
|
Tata |
94 |
"I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey" is the narrator's opening line to which 1975 cult
film? |
|
The Rocky Horror Picture Show |
95 |
Who was the first Astronomer Royal? |
|
John Flamsteed (1675 – 1719) |
96 |
Which British river had the longest single span suspension bridge in the world when it opened in 1981? |
|
Humber |
97 |
Which US comedy programme is set in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company? |
|
The Office (the US version) |
98 |
Which word can mean a Governmental body or a piece of furniture? |
|
Cabinet |
99 |
What is the name of the traditional Scandinavian dish of raw pickled salmon in a mustard or dill sauce? |
|
Gravlax (or gravadlax) |
100 |
In which county would you find Beaulieu Motor Museum, HMS Victory and the birthplace of Jane Austen? |
|
Hampshire |
101 |
In which county would you find Corfe Castle, Milton Abbey and the Cerne Giant? |
|
Dorset |
102 |
Which vegetable is commonly known in North America as rutabaga? |
|
Swede (a cross between a cabbage and a turnip) |
103 |
Which word can mean contemporary or refer to the flow of a river? |
|
Current |
104 |
Jermaine Clement and Bret McKenzie often bill themselves as "Formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular
folk parody duo". What is the name of both their act and TV Series? |
|
Flight of the Conchords |
105 |
Situated on the Pennine Way National Trail, what is thought to be the largest waterfall in England? |
|
Cauldron Snout |
|
106 |
Who was the first official Poet Laureate? |
|
John Dryden (1668 – 1688) |
107 |
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end" is a line in which book of the Bible? |
|
Revelation |
108 |
The Leaf is a best–selling highway–capable all–electric car, produced by which company? |
|
Nissan |
109 |
By what name is the Russian wolfhound also known? |
|
Borzoi |
110 |
In which English cathedral are the bones of King Canute? |
|
Winchester |
111 |
How is Professor Noel Fitzpatrick known in the title of a current Channel 4 TV series that began in 2014? |
|
Supervet |
112 |
What three–word name is given to the mechanism, just north of Northwich, which provides a link between the River Weaver
and the Trent and Mersey canal? |
|
Anderton Boat Lift |
113 |
In which country is A Midsummer Night's Dream set? |
|
Greece |
114 |
Who famously said in 1995, "There were three of us in the marriage, so it was a bit crowded"? |
|
Diana, Princess of Wales |
115 |
Which magazine, founded in the USA in 1885 and printed in the UK since 1922, features articles about diet, health, recipes and
product testing, and is famous for its 'seal of approval'? |
|
Good Housekeeping |
116 |
During the 1980s, which drink was promoted using the advertising slogan "the totally tropical taste"? |
|
Lilt |
117 |
Which American actress became known as 'The It Girl' after her appearance in the 1927 film It? |
|
Clara Bow |
118 |
Who was Britain's first female Foreign Secretary? |
|
Margaret Beckett (2006–7) |
119 |
Two sons of Queen Mary (of Teck) became kings of England. Name either. |
|
Edward VIII or George VI |
120 |
The song Harder Than You Think, by the American hip hop group Public Enemy, is used as the theme tune for
which TV programme? |
|
The Last Leg |
1 |
The tune Westminster Quarters, played by Big Ben, is possibly based in part on the tune I Know that My Redeemer
Liveth – a piece by which composer? |
|
Handel |
2 |
What creatures can be Silky, Giant, Spiny or Scaly? |
|
|
Anteater |
3 |
Which British independent school, founded in 1934, has the motto 'Plus est en Vous' (there is more in you)? |
|
Gordonstoun |
4 |
Which TV programme was described by John Betjeman as "The Pickwick Papers of television"? |
|
Coronation Street |
5 |
Nicknamed Mr Las Vegas and The Midnight Idol, which entertainer has performed over 35,000 shows in Las Vegas and has the
signature tune Danke Schoen? |
|
|
Wayne Newton |
6 |
Which golf course, overlooking the Firth of Forth, is home to the Honourable Company of Edinburgh golfers? |
|
Muirfield |
7 |
The oil painting, The Young Anthony, incorrectly attributed to Rubens, is actually thought to have been a
self–portrait by which of Rubens's pupils? |
|
Anthony Van Dyck |
8 |
What female forename is the name given to the furry, sometimes knitted, thick handgrip on a church bell rope? |
|
Sally |
Ask individually or get the teams to add them all together.