A Slice of Pie from Pi in the Sky Quiz

Answer: Humble

The expression "eating humble pie" means to "eat your words", by taking back something you have said and apologising for an error on your part, like the American equivalent "eating crow". Hopefully such an apology would be grovelling, sincere and sorrowful as well, but these words are not associated with the word pie!

The origins of the phrase lie in the dish of Umble pie, a meal of tripe and other offal meats served in pastry, which was a staple in the diets of poorer families in Medieval England. Over the years the pie evolved with better cuts of meat and expanded its repertoire to include the alternative of fruits and sweet ingredients. Umble pie as a food was even mentioned in the 17th-Century diary of Samuel Pepys.

Question submitted by Jennifer5

Answer: Kia Silverbrook

Kia Silverbrook, born in 1958, is an inventor, scientist and entrepreneur and while he has over 4000 US utility patents, he has more than 9000 registered in the international patent document database (INPADOC).

His first invention, released in 1984 was the Fairlight CVI, a real-time video effects computer. The following year he founded Integrated Arts, a parallel processing and computer graphics company using the Inmos transputer. Of his patents, several are assigned to companies Kodak, Canon and Cintel but the majority are assigned to his research company Silverbrook Research.

Thomas Edison, while a prolific inventor himself, was an American. Lance Hill and David Warren are both Australian inventors. David Warren is credited with inventing the black box flight recorder, which happens to be orange! Lance Hill gave Aussies the Hills hoist which isn't used just for hanging out the washing. Little kids swing around on it while older kids (over the age of 18) use it to play the "Wheel of Goon", a drinking game.

Question submitted by leith90

Answer: That's Amore

All these songs appear on the soundtrack of "Moonstruck" (1987). This song has been used in a few films, but the original singer was Dean Martin. He released his version in 1953 and it became identified as his signature tune. It was composed by Harry Warren and lyricist Jack Brooks, and released by Capitol Records. Amore means "love" in Italian, giving a general translation in English "that's love". Aw, no wonder I love it!

Question submitted by em1958

Answer: Gerard Manley Hopkins

Hopkins, born in England in 1844, was a Roman Catholic convert who became a Jesuit priest. He became a teacher and eventually moved to Dublin, where he died of typhoid in 1889. His poems were not published during his lifetime because he believed that it would conflict with his religious vow of humility. This poem, written in 1877, was not published until 1918, and has since become a standard text in English poetry.

Question submitted by Invinoveritas

Answer: New Mexico

The town is so named for a dried apple pie business started in the 1920s. Pie Town holds a Pie Festival in September each year. The "Daily Pie Cafe" was the subject of an article in "Smithsonian Magazine" in 2005.

Question submitted by 2tough4u

Answer: Overweight

Meat pies are standard fare on the terraces at football matches in the UK. Any player who is less than fit, struggling to keep up with the game and obviously carrying a little too much weight can be certain of getting this chant aimed at him. It suggests that he has indulged in a few too many of these fattening goodies, and also indicates to the player that the crowd are less than satisfied with his performance.


Question submitted by Christinap

Answer: James Stewart

James Stewart was so taken with Pie he rode him in seventeen films over a period of 22 years and over time the pair developed a great rapport. The last film they made together, with Henry Fonda, was "The Cheyenne Social Club", during which Pie's health was failing. Stewart revealed in an interview that Fonda, who was also an accomplished artist, painted Pie's picture shortly before the horse's death and gave it to him. It was a keepsake he treasured.

Question submitted by Gracie3

Answer: Jiles Perry Richardson

On February 3rd 1959, known as The Day The Music Died in the song "American Pie" by Don McLean, Richardson was killed in a plane crash along with Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens, shortly after takeoff from Mason City, Iowa. The Big Bopper's best known song was "Chantilly Lace", written by and recorded by him in 1958.

Question submitted by Ronny8

Answer: An unlikely positive future outcome

The phrase "pie in the sky" was coined by Joe Hill, a Swedish-born labourer who emigrated to the USA in 1902. He was a member of The Industrial Workers of the World, known as The Wobblies, and wrote many radical songs for them. He disliked the Salvation Army's preaching that the salvation of the soul was more important than the feeding of the hungry. His most popular song was "The Preacher and the Slave" a parody of the Salvation Army hymn, "In the Sweet Bye and Bye".

The words include:

"Long-haired preachers come out every night,
Try to tell you what's wrong and what's right;
But when asked how 'bout something to eat
They will answer with voices so sweet:

Chorus:
You will eat, bye and bye,
In that glorious land above the sky;
Work and pray, live on hay,
You'll get pie in the sky when you die."

After World War II the phrase was taken up and used to mean a future happiness that was not likely to occur.

Question submitted by Calpurnia09

Answer: A meat pie served on thick, green pea soup

The pie floater is usually sold from pie carts and often serves as a tasty evening snack (perhaps acting as an effective alcohol sop). In 2003, the National Trust of Australia recognized the pie floater as a South Australian heritage icon.

Question submitted by Dutty4eva