Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 12-3-2026 — 71

12th March, 2026: Number 71.

It’s officially official: it’s Thursday.

So … ?

It’s officially the day after I was supposed to have a hygienist’s appointment.

Which fell through.

The hygienist was ill, it seems.

I found this out, as my dentist phoned me, yesterday morning: just as I was going for a stroll around the block.

I’m thankful it didn’t long to walk back to the flat, switch on the Mac, and re-arrange the diary.

That’s all sorted … but lord, the dentists know how to time things!

~≈🦷≈~

It’s that time of year when prices — rent, utilities, what have you — go up.

But also when, for those of us who get benefits, get whatever increases we’re due.

There’s possibly a sarcastic comment, there.

At any rate … I, like so many others, are due an increase in April.

So, of course, I’ve looked up the potential increases: and dound I’m due a ~£3 a week increase in Personal Independence Payments, and a £24 a month increase in Universal Credit.

Which will be useful.

A little lower down, there was an entry that said people like me, on Universal Credit with Limited Capability for Work, could expect a payment of £158·76p.

My morning started looking interesting: potential extra money is always promising.

But is always worth double checking.

So I did: leaving a message for my case officer on the Universal Credit website.

Only to be told that the £158·76p payment was for those who’d been transferred from Employment Support Allowance, to Universal Credit with Limited Capability for Work.

I wasn’t surprised, as I wasn’t expecting to get any extra money: it’s nice to get it confirmed.

But equally?

It would’ve been nice to get an extra payment.

Heigh … ho!

~≈£≈~

Let’s move on.


Yesterday’s Teaser saw Mum* and Debbi† putting in their answers: with Debbi scoring five out of five, and Mum on four.

Let’s see how everyone does with today’s questions, shall we?

Here they are, along with the How To, License and video.

Q1)        In a non-leap year like 2026, 12th March is the 71st day of the year.   Is 71 a prime number?

Q2)        ’71 is a 2014 film set in Belfast, at the height of the Troubles.   Its main character is a trapped British soldier, played by who: Jack O’Connell, Richard Dormer or Paul Anderson?

Q3)        Lutetium has the atomic number of 71   The metal has how many naturally occurring isotopes: one, two or three?

Q4)        The A71 is in which country of the UK: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales?

Q5)        Finally … ?   71BC is also 683 Ab urbe condita, or ‘years since the founding of’ where: Rome, Athens or Kyoto?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1)        Helen Rollason was born on 11th March, 1956.   In 1990, she was the first female presenter of which show: Newsround, Grandstand or Sport on Friday?
A1)        Grandstand.   (Helen was from Brentwood: or, at least, lived here. My street’s named after her, as is one of the blocks, nearby.)

Q2)        11th March is the Day of Restoration of Independence of where: Lithuania, Estonia or Latvia?
A2)        Lithuania.

Q3)        The Great Blizzard started on 11th March.   Of which year of the 1880s?
A3)        1888.

Q4)        The Saint Germain bombing took place on 11th March, 1892.   Where: Lyons, Paris or Toulouse?
A4)        Paris.

Q5)        Finally … ?   Harvey Mandel was born on 11th March, 1945.   He played guitar for which band: Status Quo, Canned Heat or Dumpy’s Rusty Nuts?
A5)        Canned Heat.

Here’s a thought …

“71 (seventy-one) is the natural number following 70 and preceding 72.”
From the Wikipedia entry on the number 71.

A Frank Weber song …

And an earworm … about a hippo …

The next ten-question set is on 25th March: it’s about Greece.

Your comments, and today’s answers, will be published in tomorrow’s Teaser.

AI is avoided when writing these questions.

Answers are as accurate as possible: at the time of writing.

Decisions about scores are final.

Thank you for coming: have a good day.

*        Hello, Mum!   (It was Lithuania, Mum, not Estonia … !)

†        It’s the posh British accent, isn’t it, Debbi?   Did you know both Mary Tamm and Diana Rigg were from the West Riding?   West Yorkshire, in other words: as far from an RP accent as you can get, and still be in England.   Patrick Stewart’s‡ from the West Riding: and Brian Blessed’s from South Yorkshire.

        As I recall?   Lalla Ward’s genuinely upper class: her father is — or was — the 7th Viscount Bangor … !

        (I think there’s a few audio plays with the character, although I’ve not heard them: apparently, Juliet Landau plays a version of the character in some of them.)

‡        This might interest you, Debbi: