The Daily Teaser — 1-5-2013: May Day, May Day, May Day … !

Wouldn’t you know it … ?

I’ve got an engineer due over, today.

One from BT, I should add.

They’re my internet service provider and are offering a freebie upgrade to their faster cable connection.

Which would be nice.   So long as it doesn’t cost any extra.

Here’s hoping.   If nothing else, my connection’s still live: and helping me with the potential cabin fever by offering up More, More, More, by Carmel.

Which has been ear-worming it’s way through my mind all morning … 

Let’s move on … 

(—·—)

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi* putting in her answers: along with thanking me for linking to a post of hers, she also managed to score five out of five.

Let’s see how she — and you — do with today’s questions, shall we?

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

Q1) 1st May is May Day.   In which year of the 1920s does the phrase May Day have its origins as a distress signal … ?

Q2) From which French phrase does the distress signal, May Day, come … ?

Q3) More to the point, what does the phrase mean in English … ?

Q4) The May Day signal is used by both maritime and aeronautical radio operators, usually on VHF frequencies.   What does VHF stand for … ?

Q5) One can also use the Morse Code distress signal, SOS, as flashes of light or sound.   Those dots and dashes are short for what … ?

Q6) One can indicate distress by flying one’s national flag upside down.   With flags like the UK’s or Japan’s, you have to fly them upside down, after putting what in them … ?

Q7) Finally … what colour of distress flare is usually used at sea … ?

And here’s yesterday’s Walpurgis Night questions: hopefully, these’ll interested @TerrenceMyles, over on Twitter …

Q1) 30th April is Walpurgis Night, in many parts of Europe.  Which Devonshire saint is it named after … ?

A1) St Walpurga.

Q2) Brocken Mountain — in Germany — sees who gather for a festival on Walpurgis Night … ?

A2) Witches.

Q3) Which composer wrote Die erste Walpurgisnacht — The First Walpurgis Night —  in 1831: Felix Mendelssohn, Ludwig van Beethoven or Johann Ludwig Krebs … ?

A3) Felix Mendelssohn.

Q4) Which American ‘Z’ wrote a short story called Walpurgisnacht … ?

A4) Roger Zelazny.

Q5) And finally … which well known Black Sabbath song was originally called Walpurgis … ?

A5) War Pigs.

I’ll leave you with this line from Night Terrors …

“George sent a message — a distress call, if you like — Whatever is inside that cupboard is so terrible so powerful, that it amplified the fears of an ordinary little boy across all the barriers of time and space.”

The Doctor, from Night Terrors.

And with possibly the only matching song I could think of that fit today’s theme … 

Happy May Day: don’t strain any May Poles … !

*        My pleasure, Debbi, anytime … !   Oh, remember me saying about the 3rd of May … ?   Managed to get the video done, last night.   Done, dusted and suitably polished.