Mysterious Connections Trivia Quiz

Answer: Red

Mick Hucknall is the lead singer of the band 'Simply Red', so his name fits into the group that has a connection to the colour red. The band comes from Manchester and originally got together in 1984. Among their hit records are 'Holding Back the Years', which reached number two on the UK singles chart on its second release in 1985 and 'Fairground', a number one hit for the band in the UK in 1995.

Answer: Red

The clue referred to the very famous horse named Red Rum. The Grand National is a challenging steeplechase run at Aintree, Liverpool every spring and it is rare for the same horse to win it more than once. The fences and the number of runners means that horse and rider need an element of luck as well as skill to succeed. Red Rum certainly proved his worth winning the race in 1973, 1974 and 1977.

He also finished second in both 1975 and 1976. Red Rum died in 1995 and was buried near the winning post at Aintree, the place where he won the hearts of so many fans.

Answer: Red

Pinot noir is a popular grape variety used to make red wine. The name is of French origin which noir meaning 'black' and pinot referring to the shape of the grape bunches, which resemble pine cones. The grapes, and wine, are particularly associated with the Burgundy region of France although they are widely used in other wine producing countries including America, Canada and Australia to name just a few.

Answer: Red

This clue might have given you the hint you needed to work out the grouping as red has long been associated with communism. Red has had an association with rebellion for some time, with the French revolutionaries of the eighteenth century wearing red caps.

It is particularly associated with the Russian Revolution of 1917, and is now widely viewed as relating to communism and left wing politics.

Answer: Four

The grouping here is sets of four. The Beatles consisted of four members - John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, and were often referred to as the 'Fab Four'. They met as young men in Liverpool, where all four were born, and by 1963 had become one of the best known and most popular bands in the world.

They were the spearhead of what became known as the British invasion of the USA as bands from Britain dominated the music scene in America.

Answer: Four

There is another set of four here as there are four Gospels in the Bible, attributed to and named for Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The first three Gospels cover similar ground, describing the birth, life and death of Jesus. That of John is different as it has a more mystical approach and has more of a focus on Jesus being divine. Traditionally, the Gospels were attributed to disciples of those names who accompanied Jesus, but this is now considered unlikely to be the case.

Answer: Four

The four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT), Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello and Leonardo, were the heroes of a comic book series which began in 1983. I'm sure you recognised that their names are derived from famous artists. The premise is that the turtles were exposed to an agent which caused them to mutate into a mixture of humans and turtles.

Their story has been continued on the big screen in several films and in animated television series.

Answer: Four

The terrestrial planets are the four nearest the sun, starting with Mercury, then Venus, Earth and Mars. They are classed as terrestrial as they have a solid surface - terra meaning land in Latin. The remaining planets fall into two basic categories, the gas giants of Jupiter and Saturn and Neptune and Uranus which are commonly referred to as ice giants.

Answer: Dart

This set of four is linked by having the same answer to each of the clues given - the word 'dart'. A dart is a sudden, quick, movement possibly to avoid someone or something. Words with a similar meaning are dash, bolt or sprint. You could dart across a busy road if you happen to see a gap in traffic, for example.

Answer: Dart

The River Dart begins its journey on the rugged uplands of Dartmoor, which is one of the UK's national parks. It flows for a distance of just under fifty miles (75 km) reaching the sea at Dartmouth on the southern coast of the county of Devon. It is a picturesque river, known for the clapper bridges which cross it at several points, particularly where it crosses Dartmoor.

These bridges are made from flat stones, supported on piles or piers of rocks and stones. You need to be sure footed to use them.

This style of bridge is found in many other parts of the UK, including Wales and northern areas of England.

Answer: Dart

A dart in this sense of the word refers to an object with a sharp point which can be used as a missile. If you go into a British pub, you will often see a game of darts taking place where players aim at a board on the wall aiming to score as many points as possible or hit an exact score to bring the game to an end. Darts can also be used for hunting animals or fighting enemies, sometimes by fitting them into a blowpipe to give a longer range.

The darts can even be tipped with poison to cause maximum damage, injury or even death.

Answer: Dart

In dressmaking a dart is used for shaping a garment. It is particularly used for bodices of dresses and blouses to ensure a good fit around a woman's bust. A dart creates a wedge shape on the inside of the item of clothing to remove excess material. Darts can also be used to tailor trousers, especially around the waist area. If you look closely at pictures of dresses, you can usually pick out the seam where a dart has been created.

Answer: Tennis

This group is linked by tennis, a game which is played in many countries around the world. Matches are divided into sets, where a player has to win a minimum of six games and must have two more games than their opponent. If there isn't a clear gap, play continues until there is or until a tie-breaker game is played. Women play a maximum of three sets while men can play as many as five in the major tournaments, held in the UK (Wimbledon), France, USA and Australia.

Answer: Tennis

A rally, in tennis terms, refers to an extended period when the players hit shots back and forth between them, looking for a weakness to exploit to enable them to win the point. It is often referred to as a baseline rally as each player remains near the back of the court to play their shots. Rallies usually have a range of shots - backhands, forehands, sometimes a lob where one player will hit the ball high to gain some time to reposition him or herself, or an unexpected drop shot to force the opponent to rush in closer to the net.

Answer: Tennis

Roland-Garros is the name of the tournament held in Paris, one of the four major championships which are often referred to as 'Grand Slams' although, technically, this is not correct terminology. The name comes from a World War I pilot named Roland Garros, who died in combat just a month before the war ended.

The stadium is named for him - the Stade Roland Garros, but the name is hyphenated when referring to the championship on the official website. The French Open is the only one of the major championships to be played on clay. Wimbledon retains its traditional grass while the US and Australian Opens are played on hard courts.

Answer: Tennis

On a tennis court, the tramlines are the lines which mark the limits of the court lengthways. There are two parallel lines on each side with the inner one marking the edge of the court in a singles match while the outer one is that used when a doubles match is played.

The service box remains the same for both formats - the ball must land within the designated area in singles and doubles.