The Daily Teaser …

Wow, so that’s where the phrase came from …

I’ve got Yesterday on in the background, who are showing a potted history of the British Navy. And there’s a phrase I’ve heard over the years — ‘copper bottomed’, generally referring to something that’s trustworthy — came from Royal Navy ships of the time: seems they had copper plating on the bottom of the hulls, to help keep off ship-worms and barnacles.

And, incidentally, boosting the speed of the ships …

Rule, Britannia, and of of that …

Lets move on, shall we … ? Before I start promenading …

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Yesterday’s Teaser saw just Trevor, bless him, bagging both 5 out of 5, and putting in some fascinating quotes from the original Quantum Mechanic, Niels Bohr.

Lets see how he — and you — do with today’s questions, shall we? Here they are, along with the ‘How To’ and License …

Q1) 8th October, 1967, saw the capture of noted revolutionary, Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara: who played Guevara in the 2008, Stephen Soderburgh film, Che?


Q2) 7th October, 2004, saw Gray Davies recalled as the Governor of which US state … ?

Q3) More to the point, who replaced him … ?

Q4) 8th October, 2001, saw President George W. Bush announce the formation of which government department … ?

Q5) And finally … 8th October, 1986, saw the birth of footballer, Louis Dodds: which League Two side does he play for … ?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 7th October, 3761 BC is the generally accepted first day of the Jewish calendar: is the calendar Lunar, Solar or Lunisolar … ?


A1) Lunisolar.

Q2) More to the point, what’s the name of the first month in the Jewish calendar?

A2) Nisan. (Also called Nīsān, Nissan, Nisanu, or Aviv.)

Q3) 7th October, 1959, saw the birth of which TV producer, music executive and really rather blunt talent show judge … ?

A3) Simon Cowell.

Q4) 7th October, 1993, saw the death of actor, Cyril Cusack: in which 1965 film did he play Control … ?

A4) The Spy Who Came In From the Cold.

Q5) And finally … 7th October, 1977, saw 90 pairs of identical twins go on a shopping trip: but to which Suffolk town … ?

A5) Felixstowe.

And — as it’s Friday — here’s the Friday Question Set, for struggling pub quiz-masters. Covered, of course, by the same Creative Commons License as everything else …

Online 74.

ROUND ONE. GENERAL IGNORANCE.

Q1) Which Italy defender did Zinedine Zidane head-butt, in the final of the 2006 World Cup?

A1) Marco Materazzi.

Q2) Who was the first Tsar of all The Russians?

A2) Ivan the Terrible.

Q3) What’s noisier, a vacuum cleaner, a pneumatic drill or tennis player, Maria Sharapova?

A3) Maria Sharapova: she’s on a par with a police car’s siren.

Q4) True or False: Walnuts & Pistachios can spontaneously combust.

A4) True.

Q5) How many honourary degrees does Nelson Mandela have?

A5) 53.

Q6) In which European country is the worlds largest freshwater lake?

A6) Russia. (It’s Lake Baikal, in Siberian: the only ones bigger are technically oceans)

Q7) Three members of prison staff have to be on site, 24 hours a day: name one of them. (Two points for two, & three for all three!)

A7) A prison governor, a doctor and a chaplain.

Q8) Which Beatle turned 64 in 2006?

A8) Sir Paul McCartney.

Q9) The Palme D’Or is awarded at which film festival, London, Cannes or Venice?

A9) Cannes.

Q10) Which prison comedy shares its name with something eaten at breakfast?

A10) Porridge.

ROUND TWO. SOAP & FLANNEL.

Q11) Which father and son came to a sticky end, in a 2005 episode of EastEnders.?

A11) Den & Dennis.

Q12) In EastEnders, what was Sharon’s surname, after she married Dennis?

A12) Rickman.

Q13) Who is Coronations Street’s repetitive butcher?

A13) Fred Elliot.

Q14) In which soap did Dave Glover perish in a fire?

A14) Emmerdale.

Q15) In the BBC’s daytime soap, Doctors, what’s Dr Brendan McGuire’s nickname?

A15) ‘Mac’.

Q16) Who — currently — is the most senior member of the Archer family?

A16) Jill Archer.

Q17) Which soap’s twentieth anniversary storyline featured a documentary about Ramsey Street?

A17) Neighbours.

Q18) What exactly are the housewives that live on on Wisteria Lane?

A18) Desperate. As in Desperate Housewives.

Q19) Which soap was advertised as ‘…sun, sea, & sangria’?

A19) Eldorado.

Q20) In Dynasty, what was the name of the Joan Collins character?

A20) Alexis Carrington.

ROUND THREE. SPORTING CHANCES.

Q21) Which football club is generally agreed to be the oldest in England?

A21) Notts County.

Q22) True or false: Alf Common was the first player to be transferred for £1 Million?

A22) False; - he was the first player to be transferred for £1000!

Q23) Who was the first Rugby Union player to score fifty international tries?

A23) David Campese.

Q24) Which Derbyshire wicket-keeper set a record for the most dismissals, between 1960 and 1988?

A24) Bob Taylor.

Q25) Francis Chicester made his 1960s solo round the world trip in which yacht?

A25) Gypsy Moth 4.

Q26) Bob Nudd became a world champion in which sport?

A26) Angling.

Q27) In January 2005, Joachim Johansson set the then world record for the most aces in a match: how many did he get?

A27) 51.

Q28) Who was the youngest ever winner of the US Masters golf tournament?

A28) Tiger Woods.

Q29) George Lee has been three times world champion in which aerial sport?

A29) Gliding.

Q30) Sergei Bubka has broken over 30 records in which Olympic event?

A30) Pole Vaulting.

ROUND FOUR. ROOM AT THE TOP.

Q31) Who had a 90s hit with Turtle Power?

A31) Partners in Kryme.

Q32) Who backed Desmond Dekker on The Israelites?

A32) The Aces.

Q33) Who had a Comic Relief No. 1 with Neneh Cherry, Cher and Eric Clapton?

A33) Chrissie Hynde.

Q34) What was Daniel Beddingfield’s second Number One?

A34) If You’re Not the One.

Q35) Bring Me To Life was a 2003 Number One for which Christian Rock Band?

A35) Evanescence.

Q36) What song was B-side of the Beatles hit, We Can Work It Out?

A36) Day Tripper.

Q37) During the 90s, who bounced back to Number 1, after being off it for a week?

A37) Mr Blobby.

Q38) What was the only number one for Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich?

A38) The Legend of Xanadu.

Q39) What song was a Number 1, first, for Madonna: Vogue or Frozen?

A39) Vogue.

Q40) Who had an 80s number one with La Bamba?

A40) Los Lobos.

ROUND FIVE. 21st CENTURY.

Q41) Which killer, convicted in the year 2000, was generally agreed to be Britain’s most prolific?

A41) Harold Shipman.

Q42) In June 2004, who was President of Russia?

A42) Vladimir Putin.

Q43) Who was found guilty of killing Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells?

A43) Ian Huntly.

Q44) In June of 2006, what post did Kofi Annan hold?

A44) UN General Secretary.

Q45) In which European country were three British plane-spotters jailed for spying, in 2003?

A45) Greece.

Q46) Sir Paul Condon joined the House of lord’s as a people’s peer - which prominent London post had he held, Lord Mayor, or Commissioner of the Met?

A46) Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

Q47) Who was captured in Tikrit, in Iraq, in 2003?

A47) Saddam Hussein.

Q48) What changed its name to Consignia in 2001?

A48) The Post Office.

Q49) Who was fired as the presenter of Have I Got News For You, after allegations about his private life?

A49) Angus Deayton.

Q50) Which rock star sold his home, and gave the money to a homeless charity, Dave Gilmour, of Pink Floyd, or Elton John?

A50) Dave Gilmour.

ROUND SIX. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE.

Q51) In which US state is the HQ of the CIA? (Extra point for the city)

A51) Virginia. (Langley).

Q52) On a standard UK Monopoly board, what London street is between Go To Jail and the Water Works?

A52) Piccadilly.

Q53) What’s the only English anagram of the word ‘LIONESSES’?

A53) NOISELESS.

Q54) Which medical magazine is the oldest weekly publication in the UK?

A54) The Lancet.

Q55) Which Australian singer did Jordan marry in 2005?

A55) Peter Andre.

Q56) For what movie did Michael Caine win his second Oscar?

A56) The Cider House Rules.

Q57) Cu is the chemical symbol for which metal?

A57) Copper.

Q58) What word can go after ‘blue’, and before ‘hound’?

A58) Blood.

Q59) Name either of the two colours that make up the Greek flag. (Two points for both.)

A59) Blue, or White.

Q60) Which fraction’s bigger, ⅔, or ½?

A60) ⅔.

Enjoy that lot, every one. I’ll catch you later. But I’ll leave you with what happened when Simon Cowell met some really emotional contestants …