The Quiz Thread

[BOF]

Queens English

As in New Yoik ?

[CrackpotForeigner]

 

Queens English

As in New Yoik ?

 

Oy, you schmucks, enough with the byad spelling already.

[maqroll]

Minneapolis and Indianapolis can't be considered English words, so yep, those are right, along with the others mentioned, with the exception of Philadelphia and Chicago which aren't capitals.

 

A few more to go...

[tonyh29]

 with the exception of Philadelphia

out of interest why is it Harriberg instead of Philly ?  ...

[maqroll]

 

 with the exception of Philadelphia

out of interest why is it Harriberg instead of Philly ?  ...

 

Not sure, really. It's similar to Albany instead of NYC.  Maybe they wanted some separation between commerce and government. I'm sure Levi will sweep in here with the right answer 

[leviramsey]

Minneapolis and Indianapolis can't be considered English words, so yep, those are right, along with the others mentioned, with the exception of Philadelphia and Chicago which aren't capitals.

A few more to go...

Minneapolis isn't the capital of Minnesota (Saint Paul is)

[StefanAVFC]

Albany? Columbus? Juneau?

Edited December 2, 2013 by StefanAVFC

[leviramsey]

Not sure, really. It's similar to Albany instead of NYC. Maybe they wanted some separation between commerce and government. I'm sure Levi will sweep in here with the right answer

In the case of Harrisburg, it's almost certainly a result of the inland Ulster Scots and Germans taking power from the Philadelphia Quaker elite.

[BOF]

Juneau?

I forgot that one. And on a similar theme, Honolulu.

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

Talahassee...

 

There is also a French one which also shares a name with a pretty big French town but I can't remember it.

[bickster]

ANyone mentioned Olympia and Helena yet? Santa Fe? and CED's one is Montepellier

[BOF]

ANyone mentioned Olympia and Helena yet? Santa Fe? and CED's one is Montepellier

I said Santa Fe, Montpelier & Tallahassee ya bleedin' bats :-P The others are a case of 'is it English or not'. It's a poorly designed question if I may be so bold... :-)

[maqroll]

No.

[Xann]

DVMHABB

 

'Da Virgin Mary Had A Baby Boy'

 

Is that a typo, or a stab at Jamaican dialect (it is Jamaican), or am I talking cobblers?

[8pints]

'Da Virgin Mary Had A Baby Boy'

 

 

My very own Father used to tell me he made this song up....I found out in my adult life that he in actual fact did  not   

 

That man caused me a great deal of ridicule, as the way I found out was someone at work playing this version

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7zivz_XIqE

 

To I and all the others that worked with us with all the information and song writing credits.

 

He still sings it every Christmas though and tells his version of the tale I've told you today.

[leviramsey]

(I'll count anything named after someone for whom English was their first language as English)

Augusta, Maine: arguably English

Concord, New Hampshire: English

Boston, Massachusetts: English

Montpelier, Vermont: French

Providence, Rhode Island: English

Hartford, Connecticut: English

Albany, New York: arguably English (there have been various HMS Albanys in the Royal Navy over the centuries)

Trenton, New Jersey: derived from an English name (William Trent)

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: English

Dover, Delaware: English

Annapolis, Maryland: not English (more Greek than anything)

Richmond, Virginia: English

Raleigh, North Carolina: English

Columbia, South Carolina: arguably English

Atlanta, Georgia: not English (more Latin than anything)

Tallahassee, Florida: not English

Montgomery, Alabama: not English, but close enough

Nashville, Tennessee: English

Frankfort, Kentucky: not English

Charlestown, West Virginia: English

Columbus, Ohio: not English

Lansing, Michigan: possibly English (not sure of the etymology... it comes via Lansing, New York)

Indianapolis, Indiana: not English

Springfield, Illinois: English

Madison, Wisconsin: English

St. Paul, Minnesota: English

Des Moines, Iowa: not English

Jefferson City, Missouri: English

Little Rock, Arkansas: English

Jackson, Mississippi: English

Baton Rouge, Louisiana: not English

Austin, Texas: English

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: 50/50

Topeka, Kansas: not English

Lincoln, Nebraska: English

Pierre, South Dakota: not English

Bismarck, North Dakota: not English

Helena, Montana: unknown (named for either/both of Helena, Minnesota and Helena, Arkansas)

Cheyenne, Wyoming: not English

Denver, Colorado: English

Santa Fe, New Mexico: not English

Phoenix, Arizona: arguably English

Salt Lake City, Utah: English

Boise, Idaho: not English

Tacoma, Washington: not English

Salem, Oregon: not English (named for Salem, Massachusetts, which is derived from salaam/shalom, perhaps as a shortening of Jerusalem)

Sacramento, California: not English

Carson City, Nevada: English

Juneau, Alaska: not English

Honolulu, Hawaii: not English

[BOF]

In true VT style I'll point out the one error rather than the 49 good ones. Tacoma isn't the capital of Washington state. Olympia is.

[mjmooney]

Back to back wins in the Monday quiz. 

 

1. What year was the Great Fire of London? 

2. What first took place in England in 1769, in St. George's burial ground, London? 

3. Sir John Barbirolli was famously the chief conductor for which orchestra? 

4. The PFA was founded in 1907, in the Imperial Hotel in which city? 

5. 22 of what were first installed in London in 1929 (initially as an aide to policing)? 

6. In 1966 what item of clothing was banned from the Houses of Parliament? 

7. How many Oscars did the film Gandhi win? 

8. In which city was rogue trader Nick Leeson tried? 

9. What was wrestler Big Daddy's real name? 

10. Who was Tory leader in 1998? 

11. Kemet (meaning 'black land') was the original name for which country? 

12. What cut-price supermarket chain was taken over by ASDA in 2010? 

13. On a circuit diagram, what does an "A" in a circle mean? 

14. Who was Soviet leader from 1964 to 1982? 

15. Thackeray's novel Vanity Fair was subtitled "A novel without a..." what? 

16. What was then name of the BP oil rig that caused a huge spill in the Gulf of Mexico? 

17. Which leader of the Lakota Sioux was killed in a botched arrest attempt in 1890? 

18. FIDE (established in Paris in 1929) is the world governing body for what? 

19. Which Danish explorer had a strait, a sea and an island named after him? (First and second names) 

20. Which country banned strip clubs and topless bars in 2010? 

21. Which radio programme features "Thought for the Day"? 

22. In "A Streetcar Named Desire" what is the name of Blanche Dubois' sister? 

23. On what river does Lisbon stand? 

24. Juan Antonio Samaranch was head of which organisation? 

25. Which element has the symbol Au? 

26. What form of insurance was first sold in 1666? 

27. Which London institution has recently moved from Threadneedle Street to Paternoster Square? 

28. In what country was ballerina Dame Ninette de Valois born? 

29. What is the 16th letter of the Greek alphabet? 

30. What colour is the cross on the Jamaican flag? 

 

There was a picture round as well, but ICBA to scan it. 

Edited December 3, 2013 by mjmooney

[Stevo985]

That's hard, but I'll do the ones I know or can guess at

1. 1666

2. Something to do with the steam engine?

5. Phonebox?

7. 7

9. Shirley Crabtree

10. William Hague?

12. Netto

13. Ammeter

16. Something like "Deep Blue Horizon"

25. Gold

26. Life?

28. Belgium?

29. Complete guess... Sigma

30. Yellow

 

Not sure I'd have won...

[BOF]

Back to back wins in the Monday quiz. 

 

1. What year was the Great Fire of London? 1666

2. What first took place in England in 1769, in St. George's burial ground, London? Don't know and won't guess.

3. Sir John Barbirolli was famously the chief conductor for which orchestra? London Philharmonic (guess)

4. The PFA was founded in 1907, in the Imperial Hotel in which city? Birmingham (guess)

5. 22 of what were first installed in London in 1929 (initially as an aide to policing)? Traffic lights?

6. In 1966 what item of clothing was banned from the Houses of Parliament? Mini skirt?

7. How many Oscars did the film Gandhi win? 10

8. In which city was rogue trader Nick Leeson tried? No idea but I'll say London.

9. What was wrestler Big Daddy's real name?  Shirley somethingorother

10. Who was Tory leader in 1998? Bliar

11. Kemet (meaning 'black land') was the original name for which country? Absolutely no idea but I'll guess Cuba?

12. What cut-price supermarket chain was taken over by ASDA in 2010? Iceland?

13. On a circuit diagram, what does an "A" in a circle mean? Alternator?

14. Who was Soviet leader from 1964 to 1982? Nikola Kruschev ?

15. Thackeray's novel Vanity Fair was subtitled "A novel without a..." what? Nope.

16. What was then name of the BP oil rig that caused a huge spill in the Gulf of Mexico? Nope.

17. Which leader of the Lakota Sioux was killed in a botched arrest attempt in 1890? Sitting Bull?

18. FIDE (established in Paris in 1929) is the world governing body for what? Quitters. (France eh?)

19. Which Danish explorer had a strait, a sea and an island named after him? Bering (sp?)

20. Which country banned strip clubs and topless bars in 2010? No idea.

21. Which radio programme features "Thought for the Day"? Nope.

22. In "A Streetcar Named Desire" what is the name of Blanche Dubois' sister? Nope.

23. On what river does Lisbon stand? For shame Don't know.

24. Juan Antonio Samaranch was head of which organisation? IOC I think.

25. Which element has the symbol Au? Gold or silver, I'll say gold.

26. What form of insurance was first sold in 1666? Property insurance (great fire)

27. Which London institution has recently moved from Threadneedle Street to Paternoster Square? Central Bank, no idea.

28. In what country was ballerina Dame Ninette de Valois born? France is too obvious so I'll say Belgium

29. What is the 16th letter of the Greek alphabet? Theta (guess)

30. What colour is the cross on the Jamaican flag? Black with a yellow border on a green background.

There are a lot of British-centric questions there, as you'd expect. It leans heavily that way though.

Congrats and my pathetic attempt is contained within ...