The Daily Teaser, and the Friday Question set …

Ooh …

It’s a Friday …

And, as a result, the BBC’s Breakfast News have got their Entertainment correspondent, Lizo Mzimba, is putting the work in: he’s doing the coverage of tonight’s live episode of EastEnders.

It’s the 25th Anniversary special.

Twenty-five years?

Twenty-five YEARS?

Where the hell did that lot go?

Time goes at one second, per second.

Isn’t that a git?

Any way, let’s move on, shall we? Shall we?

Yes, let’s …

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Simon doing his thang, again, and getting 6.5 out of 7!

Those definitive articles, eh … ?

Let’s see how he — and everyone else — does with today’s questions. Here they are, along with the ‘How To’ and License …

Q1) 19th February, 1674, saw the UK and the Netherlands sign the Peace of Westminster, thus ending the Third Anglo-Dutch War: as part of this treaty, Britain gained control of which Dutch colony?

Q2) 19th February, 1861, saw the abolition of what, in Imperial Russia?

Q3) 19th February, 2001, saw the setting up of a 5-mile exclusion zone around an Essex abattoir: after an outbreak of which disease?

Q4) 19th February, 1997, saw the death of which Chinese leader?

Q5) And finally … 19th February, 1878, saw Thomas Alva Edison patent … what?

And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 18th February, 1884, saw the first publication of which Mark Twain novel?

A1) Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn. (Believe it or not, there’s no The in the novel’s title.)

Q2) Just as a follow on, what was Mark Twain’s birth name?

A2) Samuel Langhorne Clemens.

Q3) 18th, February, 3102 BC, saw the official start of the Kali Yuga: in which world religion is this important?

A3) Hinduism.

Q4) 18th February, 1965, saw the birth of producer, Andre Romelle Young: how is he better known?

A4) Dr Dre.

Q5) That producer shares his birthday — on 18th February, 1954 — with which US actor?

A5) John Travolta.

Q6) 18th February, 1901, saw which politician make their maiden speech in the House of Commons?

A6) Winston Churchill.

Q7) And finally … 18th February, 1930, saw Elm Farm Ollie become the cow to be … what?

A7) Fly on a fixed wing aircraft, AND be milked on board a plane.

And here — covered by the same Creative Commons License as the rest of the questions — is the 60 question set for struggling pub quizmasters …

Online 42

Round One. General Knowledge.

Q1) Which modern day liturgical language is the only surviving relative of Ancient Egyptian: Coptic, Latin, or Sanskrit?

A1) Coptic.

Q2) Which Greek philosopher died of an overdose of Hemlock?

A2) Socrates.

Q3) Which poker hand is higher: a royal flush in spades or hearts?

A3) Neither: in Poker, the suits are irrelevant.

Q4) How many notes are there in an octave?

A4) 8.

Q5) What do you measure with a protractor?

A5) Angles.

Q6) Who is the Queen’s youngest son?

A6) Prince Edward, the Duke of Wessex.

Q7) Ronan Keating was the lead singer of which boy band?

A7) Boyzone.

Q8) Prior to joining the Euro, what was the currency of Italy?

A8) The Lira.

Q9) In which English county is Sherwood forest?

A9) Nottinghamshire.

Q10) What wood is traditionally used for the black piano keys?

A10) Ebony.

Round Two. Birds of a feather.

Q11) Which Eagles hit begins with the line, “On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair…?”

A11) Hotel California.

Q12) What name is given to a baby pigeon?

A12) Squab.

Q13) Walter Lantz created which cartoon bird?

A13) Woody Woodpecker.

Q14) Which river dwelling bird was sacred to the ancient Egyptians?

A14) The Ibis.

Q15) A species of which bird has the largest wingspan?

A15) The Albatross. (The Wandering Albatross.)

Q16) What colour are budgerigars, in the wild?

A16) Green.

Q17) What’s the alternative name for the Butcher Bird?

A17) The Shrike.

Q18) Who wrote Swallow and Amazons?

A18) Arthur Ransome.

Q19) Who directed the 1963 classic, The Birds?

A19) Alfred Hitchcock.

Q20) A species of which bird is considered by most ornithologist’s to be the worlds smallest?

A20) The hummingbird.

Round Three. The Letter G.

Q21) In Japan, what name is given to a woman who acts as a professional hostess, and entertainer?

A21) Geisha.

Q22) What is word is defined as ‘the deliberate extermination of a race of people’?

A22) Genocide.

Q23) What term is given to the process of coating iron with zinc, to stop it rusting?

A23) Galvanisation.

Q24) What branch of care deals with the care, and diseases of the elderly?

A24) Geriatrics.

Q25) Which fabled creature has the body & legs of a lion, and the head & wings of an eagle?

A25) The Griffin.

Q26) What plant is traditionally used to repel vampires?

A26) Garlic.

Q27) What is the birthstone for January?

A27) Garnet.

Q28) What is measure is four quarts equal to?

A28) A gallon.

Q29) What food did Oliver Twist want more of?

A29) Gruel.

Q30) Which Indian river is considered sacred to Hindu’s?

A30) The Ganges.

Round Four. What a Carry On!

Q31) Who played the title character, in Carry On Columbus?

A31) Jim Dale.

Q32) Which Carry On… actor was born in South Africa, in 1913?

A32) Sid James.

Q33) In which film did Barbara Windsor make her debut?

A33) Carry On Spying As Agent Brown Cow.

Q34) In which horror spoof did Kenneth Williams play a character inspired by Baron Frankenstein?

A34) Carry On Screaming.

Q35) In which year was the first Carry On film released?

A35) 1958. (Carry On Sergeant.)

Q36) In which of the Carry On’s did Phil Silvers appear?

A36) Carry On, Follow That Camel!

Q37) Carry On, Don’t Lose Your Head was set during which country’s revolution?

A37) France.

Q38) Who played the Khasi of Kalabar, in Carry On Up The Khyber?

A38) Kenneth Williams.

Q39) Which of the Carry On … films is about the exploits of a highwayman?

A39) Carry On, Dick.

Q40) Who was the director of the majority of the Carry On films?

A40) Gerald Thomas.

Round Five. Musical Roots.

Q41) AC/DC?

A41) Australia.

Q42) Julio Iglesias?

A42) Spain.

Q43) Vanessa Paradis?

A43) France.

Q44) Ace of Base?

A44) Sweden.

Q45) The Boomtown Rats?

A45) The Republic of Ireland.

Q46) Kiri Te Kanawa?

A46) New Zealand.

Q47) Shaggy?

A47) Jamaica.

Q48) Simple Minds?

A48) Scotland.

Q49) A-Ha?

A49) Norway.

Q50) Gloria Estefan?

A50) Cuba.

Round Six. General Ignorance.

Q51) Which town is southern California has the highest number of Spanish speakers, in the USA?

A51) Santa Ana.

Q52) Which jazzman and radio presenter made a guest appearance on the Radiohead song, Life in a Glasshouse?

A52) Humphrey Lyttelton.

Q53) What job did the Wright brothers’ do, before inventing the plane?

A53) Bicycle repair men.

Q54) Which character in The X-Files was fond of pistachio nuts; Mulder or Scully?

A54) Fox Mulder.

Q55) Other than in the Lethal Weapon series of films, in which movie franchise does Mel Gibson play a policeman?

A55) Mad Max.

Q56) What was the family name of the last Russian Tsars?

A56) Romanov.

Q57) In what kind of public building was George Michael charged with a “lewd act?”

A57) A public toilet.

Q58) Which Lara featured in the computer game, Tomb Raider 2?

A58) Lara Croft.

Q59) Hull is the administrative centre for which English county?

A59) Humberside.

Q60) Which singer was known as the Empress of the Blues?

A60) Bessie Smith.

Enjoy those, everyone! I’ll catch you all later!