Mixed Bag (3) Trivia Quiz

Answer: Star

This Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star found in the Orion constellation some 548 light years away. It is on the hunter's right shoulder. After the planets, it is regarded as one of the brightest objects in the night sky, although its brightness oscillates noticeably over time. This is possibly due to material ejected from the star obscuring the view.

Answer: Star

Pentagrams and hexagrams are respectively five and six-pointed star polygons. Alternative names for the pentagram include pentalpha and pentangle but not pentacle. The magical talisman known as the pentacle in one form is a five-pointed star-shape enclosed within a circle.

Despite the 'penta' prefix, the talisman does not always have 5-sided symbol (or indeed a star) as part of the design.

Answer: Star

This is a reference to the 2016 film which forms part of the Star Wars franchise. The full title is "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story". It takes place shortly before the events depicted in the 1977 film "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" and is in effect a prequel to that film.

Answer: Star

The eye-catching headline was in fact: "Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster". This was the main headline in the 13 March 1986 edition of "The Sun" newspaper and was apparently not true. Max Clifford, employed as a publicity agent by entertainer Freddie Starr, made the story up. It gave a boost to Starr's career and remains one of the best-known British tabloid headlines.

Answer: Ball

This is a reference to the formal dance event that emerged from the Middle Ages in Europe. There are various flavours such as the masked ball and the debutante ball. The prom could be seen as a modern version. This use of the word 'ball' derives from the Latin word 'ballare', meaning to dance.

Answer: Ball

Coming from the spherical object meaning, as opposed to the dance meaning of ball, the medicine ball is used for strength training or rehabilitation. It has a history going back to Hippocrates and the Ancient Greeks. They vary in weight and width but are normally around shoulder-width.

Answer: Ball

This is a reference to American actress Lucille Ball. The American TV sitcom series "I Love Lucy", which Lucille Ball created with her then husband Desi Amaz, ran to 180 episodes during the 1950s. She also starred in the show. Various spin-off series followed however the original series was the ground-breaking one.

Answer: Ball

Similar to the ball-and socket joint found in the human shoulder, virtually all cars and trucks have ball joints as part of the steering mechanism, specifically at the end of control arms and linking with the suspension systems. Similar joints in other applications have different names such as tie rod ends and inner socket assemblies.

Answer: Tell

The idiom "to kiss and tell" dates back to at least the 17th century, being mentioned in the 1675 book "Burlesque" by Charles Cotton. Meaning to disclose an intimacy, particularly a romantic exploit, the phrase "Kiss and Tell" can also refer to an unauthorised biography, various books, films and TV episodes as well as numerous song titles.

Answer: Tell

The Swiss archer is William Tell, a folk hero from the early 14th century when what became the Swiss Confederacy was under the tyrannical rule of the Austrian House of Habsburg. The legend, perhaps embellished over the centuries, involves an apple-shot (shooting an apple off the head of his son with a crossbow bolt) and assassinating Albrecht Gessler, the Habsburg bailiff. William Tell is celebrated for sparking rebellion which eventually led to independence.

Answer: Tell

Part of the skillset of a poker player is being able to recognise changes in an opponent's behaviour, particularly if it is subconscious and consistent. Known as a tell, this may provide an advantage in playing the game. It can also be faked and thus used to induce poor gameplay.

Answer: Tell

In archaeology, a tell is an artificial mound associated with a settlement built on top of the debris of earlier settlements. These are usually, but not exclusively, found in parts of the modern Middle East region. The mounds consist of the accumulated debris of multiple settlements on the same site. The mounds arise because the accumulation of materials, human-sourced and natural, exceeds the rate of erosion or removal.