Jon's Catty Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Jon, of course, loves it when a mouse's plans don't pan out, so his favorite cliche is "The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry." Can you tell Jon were it comes from?

Answer: Robert Burns

"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang oft a-gley" is from the poem "To A Mouse" by Scottish poet, Robert Burns (1759-1796). "Gang aft a-gley" means "often go awry". "To A Mouse" first appeared in "Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect" published July 31, 1786.

2. Jon loves reading vintage mysteries, and he is trying to find "Cat of Many Tails". He knows it was published in 1949, but he doesn't know the author's name. Can you please tell Jon who wrote it?

Answer: Ellery Queen

Ellery Queen was the pen name of cousins Frederic Dannay (1905-1982) and Manfred Bennington Lee (1905-1971). Their first Ellery Queen novel was "The Roman Hat Mystery" published in 1929. The cousins wrote several Ellery Queen novels and short stories. One of the finest was "Cat of Many Tails" (1949), a suspenseful tale about an unlikely serial killer.

They also wrote the Drury Lane mysteries under the pen name Barnaby Ross.

3. It really figures that Jon's favorite musical is "Cats". Jon says it was based on a book of poetry by T.S. Eliot. Is Jon correct?

Answer: Yes

T.S. Eliot's book of poetry "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" was first published in 1939 and was the basis for the musical "Cats". Thomas Stearns Eliot (1888-1965) was an American-born dramatist, poet, and critic, but he made his life and literary career in Great Britain, becoming a British citizen. One of his most acclaimed works was "The Waste Land" published in 1922.

4. Jon thought the concept of humans having a mouse as a son was quite controversial in E.B. White's novel "Stuart Little". He did, however, like the family cat. What was the cat's name?

Answer: Snowbell

"Stuart Little" was first published in 1945 and told the adventures of Stuart, a mouse born into a family of humans. American writer E.B. (Elwyn Brooks) White (1899-1985) also wrote two other wonderful novels for children: "Charlotte's Web" (1952) and "The Trumpet of the Swan" (1970). White also published several volumes of essays.

5. Jon says it's not true that cats don't dance, and his favorite party tune is "Stray Cat Strut". Can you guess who made it?

Answer: Stray Cats

The American rockabilly trio of Brian Setzer, Slim Jim Phantom, and Lee Rocker first found success in Great Britain with their albums "Stray Cats" and "Gonna Bail" in 1981. "Built For Speed", the best of their two British albums, was released in the United States in 1982, and contained the hits "Stray Cat Strut" and "Rock This Town".

6. Jon enjoys watching old movies on the late show, but he fell asleep during the final credits of "Cat People" (1942). Can you tell Jon who played Irena Dubrovna?

Answer: Simone Simon

"Cat People" starred Simone Simon as Irena. It also starred Kent Smith and Jane Randolph. All three actors returned in the 1944 sequel "The Curse of the Cat People".

7. I tried to tell Jon that the play "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" wasn't about the daring rescue of a cat from a housetop by the fire department, but he just will not listen. He also thinks William Faulkner wrote it, but is Jon right?

Answer: No

American playwright Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) won his second Pulitzer Prize for drama for "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1954). His first Pulitzer was for "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1947). "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" was loosely based on Williams' short story, "Three Players of a Summer Game" and like much of his work, it was set in the American South.

8. Jon slept with a nightlight for a week after watching this 2003 horror movie remake which starred Crispin Glover and a bunch of rampaging rats. What's the name of the movie that caused Jon's fur to stand on end?

Answer: Willard

"Willard" (2003), starring Crispin Glover as Willard Stiles, was the story of how a man used a bunch of rats to get even with his nasty boss. It was a remake of "Willard" (1971) which starred Bruce Davison as Willard Stiles and Elsa Lanchester as Henrietta Stiles.

9. According to Jon's favorite poem, written by Carl Sandburg, what "comes on little cat feet"?

Answer: Fog

"Fog" was written by American poet and writer Carl Sandburg (1878-1967) and first appeared in "Chicago Poems" published in 1916. "The fog comes on little cat feet. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on."

10. Jon loved the play "The Mousetrap" because Agatha Christie used his favorite nursery rhyme throughout the story. What is Jon's favorite nursery rhyme?

Answer: Three Blind Mice

Agatha Christie's play "The Mousetrap" was based on the story "Three Blind Mice" found in her book "The Mousetrap and Other Stories" (1950), also published as "Three Blind Mice and Other Stories". "The Mousetrap" has been running in London, England, since Nov. 25, 1952. Mr. J. Katt and I thank you for taking our catty quiz.

Source: Author LindaC007

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ozzz2002 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

This quiz is a look at films, books, plays, etc. through the eyes of my feline friend, Mr. Jon C. Katt. There are a few questions for mice, too.

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