The Daily Teaser — 28-4-2013: Terry Pratchett’s Discworld

I’ve used the term, before, and I’ll no doubt use it again.

But I’ve had an earworm floating around my head, ever this I woke up.

Actually … ?

I think it’s since just before I woke up.

It’s baffling.

But the fact is, I’ve got Strawberry Switchblade’s Since Yesterday banging around my head, and I’m blowed if I know why … !

Actually … ?

I’m blowed if — after all this time — I know what the song’s about.   That’s the eighties for you … !

Let’s move on, shall we … ?   Yes, let’s … 

}}}·{{{

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi† and Adrence putting in their answers.   With Debbi telling us she’ll be looking at putting her work onto iBooks, and Adrence* telling us he’s got Star Wars playing in his head, it saw Adrence scoring two out of five and Debbi scoring up a full house of five out of five.

Let’s see how they — and you — do with today’s questions, shall we?   (I REALLY couldn’t resist this one … )

Here they are, along with the ‘How To’, License and video … 

Q1) 28th April, 1948, saw the birth of writer, Sir Terry Pratchett, OBE, creator of the Discworld series of books.   In which year of the 1980s was the first Discworld book published … ?

Q2) More to the point, what was it called … ?

Q3) Name either of the two main characters in the first Discworld novel …

Q4) Over the series, both of those characters have owned The Luggage: a notoriously hostile trunk on what … ?

Q5) Who — having appeared in every Discworld novel,ei bar two — is Pratchett’s most frequent recurring Discworld character … ?

Q6) More to the point, what’s the name of that character’s horse … ?

Q7) The Disc’s largest city — Ankh-Morpork — is twinned with which small English town … ?

Q8) Who’s the current Patrician of Ankh-Morpork … ?

Q9) Equally to the point, who is the current commanding officer of Ankh-Morpork City Watch … ?

Q10) And finally … The Disc’s most powerful (living) witch first appeared in Equal Rites: who is she … ?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 27th April is Freedom Day: a public holiday in which African nation … ?

A1) South Africa.

Q2) More to the point, it commemorates elections held in which year of the 1990s … ?

A2) 1994.

Q3) Those elections were the first in the country to not depend on what: sex, ethnicity or height … ?

A3) Ethnicity, or race.

Q4) Is the country concerned a monarchy, republic or theocracy … ?

A4) A republic.

Q5) And finally … which Star Trek character has a name derived from the Swahili word for ‘Freedom’ … ?

A5) Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, played by both Nichelle Nichols and Zoe Saldana.   (In the original Swahili, the word is ‘Uhuru’)

I’ll leave you with one interpretation of The Hedgehog Song

Whilst pointing you at what’s considered the definitive lyrics. 

I’ll also leave you with this quote from the birthday boy, himself …

“The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.”

Terry Pratchett.

Have a good day … 

*        Adrence, it could be worse: it could be Darth Vader being REALLY silly … 

†        Hmmm … If you’re on the Kindle or Nook stores, Debbi, you should be accessible through the relevant iOS apps, Debbi‡.   (I’ve still not managed to try them, Debbi: I’ve only so much credit, I’m afraid.   I should be able to try for you, as and when.)

‡        Just so you know, Debbie, Apple takes a thirty percent cut of anything sold through the App Store: which is basically what the iBookstore is, it’s the book retailing arm of the Store.   (Yes, I know that’s what some consider a touch excessive: but it’s worked well for Apple.   It’s ALSO why Microsoft haven’t put a paid version of MS Office on the Mac App Store: they’d rather NOT hand over a slice of that one to anyone else … !)