Friday 20 December 2013

The Friday Question Set — 20-12-2013: It’s CHRISTMAS … !

OK, OK … SUE ME!

I didn’t put together a specific — and seasonal — image for today’s Friday Question set.

You’ll forgive me, I hope: especially when you consider I’ve JUST finished writing it.

And, LORDY, it was a dozy.

Certainly in the sense that each question and answers has an attached link: in the hope that everyone reading this will find that helpful.

So: WITHOUT much ado — and with reference to the fact this set is, as always, covered by the Creative Commons License* — here’s this weeks Christmas Friday Question Set
Xmas 60: 2013
ROUND ONE. CHRISTMAS KNOWLEDGE.
Q1) Brassica oleracea is a species of vegetable that includes one found with your Christmas dinner.   WHICH one … ?
A1) The Brussel Sprout.
Q2) Father Christmas’ outfit is based out which rank of churchman?
Q2) A cardinal’s.
Q3) The importance of mistletoe come from which ancient culture … ?
A3) The Celts..
Q4) The traditional christmas cracker was invented in 1847. It originally contained what: small toys, sweets or a hat?
A4) Sweets: the original manufacturer wanted to boost sales.
Q5) The Ashen Faggot is an old English version of which Xmas tradition: the Xmas tree, the Xmas pudding or the Yule log … ?
A5) The Yule log.
Q6) 25th December, 1950: and what got stolen from Westminster Abbey … ?
A6) The Stone Of Scone.
Q7) Which form of clean ‘transport’ do Norwegians hide away somewhere in the house on Christmas Eve?
A7) Brooms: It’s to hide them from the witches … 
Q8) Which of the Three Wise Men’s gifts to the baby Jesus is also known as ‘Olibanum’?
A8) Frankincense.
Q9) The world’s longest cracker pulling chain was in London, this year.   How many people took part: 601, 602 or 603 … ?
A9) 603.
Q10) Santa Claus Land — the world’s first theme park — opened in which year of the 1940s … ?
A10) 1946.   (It’s NOW called Holiday World & Splashin' Safari.   Apparently … )
ROUND TWO. MUSIC AND CHRISTMAS LIGHTS.
Q11) For her 2006 album, Wintersong, Sarah McLachlan covered which John Lennon hit?
A11) Happy Xmas (War is Over).
Q12) What was Wham!’s first Christmas number one?
A12) Last Christmas..
Q13) More to the point, in which year?
A13) 1984.
Q14) In what year of the 70’s was Merry Xmas Everybody, by Slade, first a Xmas hit?
A14) 1973.
Q15) Kylie Minogue did a cover of which Xmas song, in December, of 2000?
A15) Santa Baby..
Q16) Who had a hit with the original version of that song: Nancy Sinatra, Earth Kitt or Connie Francis?
A16) Earth Kitt.
Q17) Prior to the release of Do They Know It’s Xmas, by Band Aid, in 1984, what was Britain’s biggest selling Xmas record?
A17) Mary’s Boy Child.
Q18) David Bowie had a Xmas hit, with a recording of Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy in which year of the 70’s?
A18) 1977.
Q19) With who did Bowie duet, on that song?
A19) Bing Crosby.
Q20) Which band had the UK’s Christmas No 1 in 2009?
A20) Rage Against The Machine, with Killing In The Name.
ROUND THREE. GOBBLE GOBBLE!
Q21) As a result of Jamie’s School Dinner’s, there was something of a national uproar about … what … ?
A21) Turkey Twizzlers.
Q22) Which Labour frontbencher did David Cameron recently refer to as a Turkey … ?
A22) Ed Balls.   (Or Mr Sweaty, as I prefer to think of him … )
Q23) Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was the first leader in which modern country … ?
A23) Turkey.
Q24) In The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, what type of sweet does Edmund get offered … ?
A24) Turkish Delight.
Q25) Meleagris gallopavo and Meleagris ocellata … are what … ?
A25) Turkeys: the North American Wild Turkey, whichhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocellated_Turkey the Domestic Turkey is a subspecies of,  and the Ocellated Turkey, from the Yucatan.
Q26) In which Guy Ritchie film would you find Bricktop, Turkish and Cousin Avi … ?
A26) Snatch.   (Quoting Bricktop’s Pig speech may — or may not —  be a good idea … )
Q27) Which Irish rock band had a big hit with Zombie, AND goes very well with turkey … ?
A27) The Cranberries.
Q28) More to the point, what colour is the berry that band takes its name from … ?
A28) White, initially: but turning red on ripening.
Q29) In which sport are a given number of strikes — or maximum scores per ball — sometimes referred to as ‘turkeys’: ten-pin bowling, lawn bowling or boulles … ?
A29) Ten pin bowling.
Q30) What’s the capital of Turkey … ?
A30) Ankara.
ROUND FOUR. CHRISTMAS MOVIES.
Q31) Which Aardman Animations film sees Santa’s youngest song son, delivering a bicycle to a girl called Gwen … ?
A31) Arthur Christmas.
Q32) When their version of the story was released in 1961, what DID Disney call the operetta, Babes In Toyland … ?
A32) Funnily … Babes In Toyland.
Q33) Which film saw Macauley Culkin as Kevin MacAllister, defending his home against two incompetent burglars … ?
A33) Home Alone.
Q34) Which 2009 film sees Martin Freeman as a primary school teacher school teacher in charge of the school Nativity play … ?
A34) Nativity!.
Q35) French film, Joyeux Noël, is all about the famous Christmas time truce: during which war … ?
A35) World War 1.
Q36) Which Batman movie is set at Christmas … ?
A36) Batman Returns, back in 1992.
Q37) Christmas time horror movie, Rare Exports, is set in which European country: Sweden, Norway or Finland … ?
A37) Finland.
Q38) Who directed The Nightmare Before Christmas … ?
A38) Tim Burton.
Q39) What Bruce Willis film is — famously — set at an office party that gets seriously interrupted … ?
A39) Die Hard.
Q40) Which 1998 film stars Michael Keaton as a man who dies and comes back to life as a snowman … ?
A40) Jack Frost.   (It also features three of Frank Zappa’s kids — Ahmet, Dweezil and Moon-Unit, so you know — in various minor roles.)
ROUND FIVE. CHRISTMAS STUFFING.
Q41) What is the name of the cake traditionally eaten in Italy at Christmas?
A41) Panettone.
Q42) Tamales, pozoles, and menudo are tradition Xmas dishes in which Central American country?
A42) Mexico.
Q43) What’s the North American term for stuffing?
A43) Dressing.
Q44) True or false: mince pies have meat in them …
A44) USUALLY False: although some recipes do.
Q45) What vegetable was used a booby prize on kids TV show, Crackerjack?
A45) A cabbage.
Q46) Turrón is usually eaten at Christmas: in Argentina, and other Spanish speaking part of the world.   Is Turrón chocolate, nougat or liquorice?
A46) Nougat.
Q47) Traditionally eaten at Christmas, Arroz con dulce is a Puerto Rican version of what … ?
A47) Rice pudding.
Q48) If you were eating a Christmas Damper, what would you be eating?
A48) A star or wreath shaped soda bread.
Q49) More to the point, where would you be eating it: Australia, South Africa or India … ?
A49) Australia.   (The same country, I should add, that gave us the Pie Flouter)
Q50) Where would you be eating Vánoční cukroví … ?
A50) The Czech Republic.
ROUND SIX. CHRISTMAS IGNORANCE.
Q51) True or False: the 12 days of Christmas lead up to Christmas.
A51) False: they the 12 days after, including Xmas day, itself.
Q52) Which of Shakespeare’s plays is subtitled What You Will … ?
A52) Twelfth Night: and, mildly ironically, first performed on Candlemas, Feb 2nd.
Q53) According to the carol, The Twelve Days Of Christmas, what DID my True love give to me, on the twelfth day … ?
A53) 12 Drummers, drumming.
Q54) Sometimes assumed to be where Santa lives, would you find the North Pole: in the ocean or on land?
A54) Ocean: it’s in the Arctic Ocean.
Q55) What — in Monty Python’s version of the Nativity story — is the name of Brian’s mother … ?
A55) The Virgin Mandy.
Q56) Which US city banned Christmas between 1659 and 1681: Boston, New York or Galveston … ?
A56) Boston.
Q57) Speaking officially, how many White Christmas did England see, during the 20th century … ?
A57) Seven.
Q58) In which east European country is Father Christmas known as Swiety Mikolaj … ?
A58) Poland.
Q59) What’s the name of the plays usually performed at Christmas, in the UK … ?
A59) The pantomime.
Q60) And FINALLY … which part of Los Angeles is ALSO known as Tinseltown … ?
A60) Hollywood.
Enjoy those: and Happy Christmas … 















*        Regulars will know already, but for newcomers … all it 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 would be appreciated.

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