A Catalogue of General Questions Quiz

Answer: Siam

"The King and I" is a musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein. It tells the story of Anna Leonowens, an English governess to the children of the King of Siam in the 1860s. It features songs such as "Getting to Know You" and "I Whistle a Happy Tune". The musical was based on a book called "Anna and the King of Siam" by Margaret Landon, that was a somewhat fictionalised account of the real-life story of Anna Leonowens at the court of King Mongkut of Siam.

The picture is of a seal point Siamese kitten.

Answer: Persian Empire

The First Persian Empire, also known as the Achaemenid Empire, was founded by Cyrus the Great in 500 BCE. At the time, it was the biggest empire ever seen. "The Immortals" was a term coined by Herodotus, the historian, to describe a group of 10,000 elite infantry that served as fighting men and as an imperial guard. They played key roles in Persian conquests in India and Egypt, and fought at the Battle of Thermopylae against Greek forces.

The title of the picture is Grumpy Persian Cat!

Answer: Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the twentieth century. Besides his singing, he also appeared in a remarkably varied and interesting range of movies. His early movies centred on his singing. When he made the 1949 musical, "On the Town", on location in New York City, playing a naïve sailor on shore leave, he was at the height of his "bobby-soxer" popularity and caused a sensation. "The Man with the Golden Arm" (1955) had him starring as Frankie Machine, a drummer, and card dealer at illegal games, who was a drug addict. In the 1957 movie "The Joker is Wild", Sinatra played a fictionalised version of real-life comic Joe E. Lewis, who fell foul of the mob and was brutally attacked and disfigured.

The picture of a blue-eyed tabby cat is supposed to remind you of Sinatra's nickname, "Ol' Blue Eyes".

Answer: Tiger Bay

Tiger Bay was the name given to the area around Cardiff Docks and Butetown. Cardiff became a massive port for the export of coal from the south Wales coalfields. Tiger Bay was known for being racially diverse, with a strong community spirit and a lively nightlife. The area was changed dramatically by the creation of the Cardiff Barrage in the 1990s and early 2000s, and it is now known as Cardiff Bay. Tiger Bay inspired two movies, and Shirley Bassey sang a song called "The Girl from Tiger Bay", as she was born there, although she grew up in another area of Cardiff, Splott.

The photograph shows a Siberian tiger cub.

Answer: Sphinx

"Oedipus Rex" tells the story of a man who is cursed because of the sins of his father. Oedipus is destined to kill his father and marry his mother. His father, King Laius, had been cursed by Apollo for despicable behaviour. Hearing a prophecy that Oedipus would kill him, he orders the boy to be killed.

Oedipus is rescued, and raised by the King of Corinth. He leaves Corinth when told the prophecy about himself, assuming it means he will kill the King of Corinth and marry his wife. When Laius and Oedipus meet on the road they don't recognise each other. They argue, Laius makes to attack Oedipus, and the younger man kills him. Oedipus comes to Thebes, where the Sphinx is killing those who fail to solve its riddle. Oedipus solves it, and wins the right to marry Jocasta, unaware that she is his mother. The play follows on from that as Oedipus discovers that it was he who killed the king. Jocasta hangs herself, and Oedipus puts his eyes out. The chorus chants at the end, "no man should be considered fortunate until he is dead".

The picture is of a 2-week-old Sphynx kitten.

Answer: Rag Doll

"Rag Doll" was a song written by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe, apparently inspired by a child from the Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood of New York City. It was released as a single by the Four Seasons, with Frankie Valli on lead vocals, in 1964. One of their most popular singles, it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Aerosmith's song with the same name was written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Jim Vallance, and Holly Knight, and released on the 1987 album, "Permanent Vacation". It was released in 1988 as the fourth single from the album.

The picture shows a ragdoll cat.

Answer: Tortoiseshell

André Charles Boulle (1642-1732) was renowned for his furniture and the use of inlay of metals and tortoiseshell into ebony. It was termed Boulle work, as he was the greatest exponent of the craft, though he didn't originate it. His work for Louis XIV and his family is now mainly found in museums, and his work has fetched millions of dollars at auctions.

Tortoiseshell is used to refer to the material produced from the shells of large turtles and tortoises. The finest tortoiseshell is produced from the shell of the Hawksbill sea turtle, a critically endangered species, which is now protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

The photograph shows a tortoiseshell cat with its toy teddy bear.

Answer: Halloween

The word Halloween is a contraction of "All Hallows' Evening", and it takes place on the day before All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day. Some believe that Halloween may have come out of ancient pagan Celtic festivities, others that it was originated by Christianity. It was celebrated in Ireland and Scotland, from which the practice was brought to the USA by emigrants. Bobbing for apples, fancy dress, trick or treat, and pumpkin spiced foodstuffs are highly popular.

The picture is of a cat from the White House Halloween celebrations in 2007.

Answer: Calico Jack

"Calico Jack" Rackham (1682-1720) acquired his nickname from the calico clothing he favoured. He was a leading pirate towards the end of the so-called "Golden Age of Piracy". Mary Read and Anne Bonny, his lover, were on his crew. He was hanged in 1720 in Jamaica.

The picture is of a calico cat.

Answer: Jealous Guy

"Jealous Guy" was a track from John Lennon's 1971 album, "Imagine". Lennon had started writing it when he was in the Beatles and the band had recorded a demo. It was not released as a single.
"I didn't mean to hurt you, I'm sorry that I made you cry, Oh no, I didn't want to hurt you. I'm just a jealous guy".

When Lennon was murdered in 1980, Roxy Music added "Jealous Guy" to their set when on tour, as a tribute to him, and they recorded it early the next year. "Jealous Guy" became the group's biggest hit.

The cat with green eyes is supposed to point you to jealousy.