Wednesday 26 August 2015

The Brentwood Gazette’s Weekly Teaser — 26-8-2015: Steamboat Willie

Right … I’m off to work in a minute.

So, I’m feeling a little … rushed, right now!

After all, I STILL have to make a Sandwich, for when I get there!

Oy VEH … !

~≈∂≈~

With that said … ?

With THAT said, it’s Wednesday.   Which means that it’s time for the Brentwood Gaztte’s Weekly Teaser.

Here’s this week’s steamy questions: covered by the usual Creative Commons License* …
Q1) John Fitch patented the steamboat on the 26th of August.   In which year of the 1790s?
Q2) What did he name his first steamboat: Persistence, Percussion or Perseverance?
Q3) What river did his first boat travel: the Colarado, the Delaware or the Mississippi?
Q4) Fitch got most of his funding from businessmen in which US city?
Q5) His boats made regular trips between that city: and Burlington.   Burlington was and is in which US state: New Jersey, New York or Rhode Island?
Q6) Most US steamboats travelled which US river: the Brazos, the Rio Grande or the Mississippi?
Q7) There was a line of steamboats on that river named for which Native American tribe: the Natchez, Navaho or Nisqually?
Q8) Which US writer worked on Mississippi steamboats: Nathaniel Hawthorn, Mark Twain or Edgar Allen Poe?
Q9) The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, by The Band, mentions a famous steamboat, named after a Confederate general.   Which general: Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson or George Pickett?
Q10) Finally … the writer mentioned in Q8 builds a steamboat: in which series of science fiction books: the ‘Riverworld’ series, the ‘Dune’ franchise or the ‘Culture’ novels?

Here’s last week’s questions and answers …
Questions.
Q1) 19th August saw the Salmesbury Witches put on trial.   In which year: 1611, 1612 or 1613?
Q2) Salmesbury is in which English county: Derbyshire, Lancashire or Yorkshire?
Q3) Thomas Potts published his account of the trials of the time.   Which court position did he hold?
Q4) The witches were accused of holding regular meetings.   What name is usually given to these kinds of meet: shabbaths, sabbaths or sabbats?
Q5) The trials of the Salmesbury Witches were at the same Assizes as those of the Pendle Witches.   The main accused was who: Anathema Gadget, Alia Widget or Alizon Device?
Q6) Were the Samlesbury Witches imprisoned, hung or acquitted?
Q7) These witch trials were influenced by England’s king, James 1st. His book on the subject was called what: the ‘Daemonologie’, the ‘Malleus Maleficarum’ or ‘Thou Shalt Not Suffer A Witch To Live’?
Q8) 19th August also saw four people executed as a result of the Salem Witch trials.   In which year of the 1690s?
Q9) Salem is now called Danvers: and is in which US state: Massachusetts, Maryland or Rhode Island?
Q10) Finally … Arthur Miller wrote THE play about the Salem Witch Trials.   What was it called?
Answers.
A1) 1612.
A2) Lancashire.
A3) Clerk of the Court.
A4) Sabbats.   (Although ‘sabbath’ is occasionally used.   ‘Shabbath’ is one of the more popular renderings of the Hebrew version of the word.)
A5) Alizon Device.   (Indeed, Anathema Device — a main character in Gaiman and Pratchett’s Good Omens — is named for her: indeed, Agnes Nutter — another Good Omens character — takes her name from another of the Pendle Witches.   The name’s pronounced ‘deVISE’, with a soft s: as if she were ‘devising’ things.)
A6) Acquitted.
A7) The Dæmonologie.   (The Malleus Maleficarum was a well-known 14th century book on witches.  The Thou Shall Not Suffer line is lifted from Exodus 22:18.)
A8) 1692.
A9) Massachusetts.
A10) The Crucible.   (I was in my school’s production of this.   I played Francis Nurse, the only time the character’s been played by a short teenager with purple hair.   This WAS a few years ago …)
Enjoy the week … !






*        All that means is that you’re free to copy, use, alter and build on each of my quizzes: including the Teasers, Gazette Teasers and the Friday Question Sets.   All I ask in return is that you give me an original authors credit on your event’s flyers or posters, or on the night: and, if you republish them, give me an original authors credit AND republish under the same license.   A link back to the site — and to the Gazette’s, if that’s where you’ve found these — would be appreciated: as would pressing my donate button, here.   Every penny is gratefully received.

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