Ready to kickstart your week with a cerebral challenge? Our Monday quiz is here to test the breadth of your knowledge, from obscure vocabulary and classic films to chart-topping music and surprising scientific facts.
A Lexical and Cultural Challenge
The quiz begins with a word of the day: defenestration, which means the act of throwing someone out of a window. It then moves to culinary terms, asking what an olio is (a highly spiced stew). Film buffs are tested on the first name of the legendary actor Al Pacino, while music lovers must recall UK top twenty hits with the word 'BIRD' in the title by artists like Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson, The Beatles, and Busted.
From the Silver Screen to the Natural World
The questions delve into cinema history, probing which character Vivien Leigh played in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' (Blanche DuBois) and the real first names of heavy rock singer Ozzy Osbourne (John Michael). The natural world is also explored, with a query about xylophagous insects, which primarily feed on wood.
British Institutions and Historical Facts
The quiz rounds out with questions about British culture and history. It asks who sang the theme to the TV comedy 'One Foot in the Grave' (Eric Idle) and in which publication, founded in 1665, British government official announcements are made (The London Gazette). Other questions cover the nationality of composer Dvorak (Czech) and how the year 2018 is represented in Roman numerals (MMXVIII).
Loading Answers for November 16
For those seeking to verify their answers, the provided set includes solutions to a range of topics. It confirms there are 35 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the UK as of the reference date and that the croissant originates from Austria. It also reveals that Wiccaphobia is the fear of witches and that the first UNESCO World Heritage Site listed in 1978 was The Galápagos Islands.
Other notable answers include the maximum rounds in professional boxing being twelve, the average weight of a newborn polar bear cub being just 1lb, and the surprising fact that an average cumulus cloud weighs 499 tons.
