Zippy Zooms XII Trivia Quiz

Answer: The size of a domestic cat

A quokka weighs 2.5 to 5.0 kg (5.5 to 11 lb) and is 40 to 55 cm (16 to 20 in) long with a 25-to-30 cm-long (10-to-12 in) tail. They were first spotted in 1658 by Dutch sailor Samuel Volckertzoon, who wrote of sighting "a wild cat" on an island off Perth. In 1696, Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh thought they were giant rats, and named the island "'t Eylandt 't Rottenest". Translated, this means "the rat nest island" in Dutch. On the Western Australian mainland in the southwest, they are vulnerable to introduced species such as foxes and cats. On the islands off the Western Australian coast, they are more plentiful as there are no unnatural predators.

This question was brought to you today by Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1 who, like a quokka, is no rat.

Answer: Luxor

Luxor Las Vegas opened in October of 1993. It has been home to many different live acts throughout its history including The Blue Man Group, Jabbawockeez, and magician Criss Angel in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil. In 2021, the Luxor debuted "America's Got Talent Las Vegas Live" which was retitled in 2023 to "America's Got Talent Presents Superstars Live". The show features many of the most popular acts from the TV show throughout the years and is headlined by various winners from past seasons.

This question was choreographed and judged by Phoenix Rising's tazman6619.

Answer: Sir Thomas More

It is unusual for the Pope to make a special announcement to declare a saint as the patron of a specific domain. In this case Pope John Paul II made an exception. He was seeking to set a strong example as to how politicians should behave under Catholic principles and to draw attention to the work of More.

In a speech on 7 April, 1998 he urged politicians to take heed of the way More combined his faith with reason, politics and the pursuit of truth. He proclaimed that "man is created by God, and therefore human rights have their origin in God, are based upon the design of creation and form part of the plan of redemption". In 2000 he would write an apostolic letter proclaiming More as the patron of politicians, at a time when the world of politics demanded and needed credible role models.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 who was once told he had the face of a saint. When he enquired as to which one, he was told a St. Bernard.

Answer: Donated by English seed merchant, Samuel Ryder

After preliminary matches between male golfers from Great Britain and the USA earlier in the decade, English businessman and golf promoter, Samuel Ryder (1858-1936) donated a gold trophy, "The Ryder Cup", as the prize to the winning team in 1927.

The British team was expanded to players from Europe in 1979 to assist in making the event more competitive. Each team has a nominated captain, whose role is firstly to select the players for that team and then to choose match-ups in the variety of match-play competitions (pairs and singles) over the multi-day event. The Ryder Cup tournament is held every two years and alternates between courses in the USA and in Europe. Despite the absence of any prize money for the winning team, almost all golfers eagerly agree to play for their team.

Yes, I know it is actually H. Rider Haggard!

This question was pitched into the quiz by Phoenix Rising's golf tragic, MikeMaster99 who is much more successful with sports involving moving targets than trying to guide one that is initially stationary!

Answer: Liquorice

Originally made by Plaistowe, a confectionery company which has its origins in the UK, Choo-Choo bars were a delicious chewy bar, made from liquorice-favoured caramel. A bit like four inch-square liquorice blocks joined together (you could purchase liquorice blocks for the price of four-for-a-cent in the late 1960s) Choo-Choo bars were almost guaranteed to pull out your fillings or any baby teeth you might have had left, but they were great! They disappeared from the shelves in the 1990s, but were reintroduced by the Lagoon confectionery company in 2007, available in either liquorice or raspberry flavour.

This question was stirred together by Phoenix Rising member VegemiteKid, who has fond memories of spending 10 cents from her Granny on a huge bagful of lollies - including Choo-Choo bars.

Answer: Ulysses

The eighth circle of Hell in Dante's "Inferno" is dedicated to the eternal punishment of sinners guilty of various kinds of fraudulent behaviour. In the eighth of the ten "Malebolge" ("evil ditches") in which the circle is divided, Dante and his guide, the Latin poet Virgil, meet the soul of Ulysses (Latin name of Odysseus), punished as a counsellor of fraud for his stratagem of the Trojan Horse by being enclosed in a living flame with his close friend Diomedes - so that the flame has two horns rather than a single one.

When addressed by Virgil, Ulysses tells the tale of how he met his death: driven by his unquenchable thirst for knowledge, he sailed south through the Pillars of Hercules with a small group of devoted followers, finally reaching the South Pole - where in the Middle Ages the mountain of Purgatory was believed to be located. Caught in a whirlpool when trying to approach the mountain - where no living person could set foot - the ship sank to the bottom of the sea, killing Ulysses and his companions.

Dante, who had not read the "Odyssey", had obtained his knowledge of Ulysses' fate from later sources (in particular Ovid's "Metamorphoses") that diverged considerably from Homer's tale. The hero's restlessness and desire for adventure as described by Dante inspired, among others, Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "Ulysses" (1842).

LadyNym of the Phoenix Rising team did not mean to deceive anyone when she wrote this question.

Answer: Raspberry

Botanically, a berry is a fruit that arises from a single ovary of a single flower, and contain seeds imbedded in the flesh. Therefore bananas, cucumbers, tomatoes, melons, avocado, kiwifruit, pumpkin and squash are all technically berries. Raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries are termed aggregate fruits, meaning they are formed from a flower with multiple ovaries, and the tiny seeds on the surface are technically the true fruits.

Despite this question not being a berry, Phoenix Rising's leith90 happily sunk her teeth into it.

Answer: The Piano Guys

The Piano Guys was formed in 2011 in St. George, Utah, USA. Alongside pianist Jon Schmidt and cellist Steven Sharp Nelson, the group includes videographer Paul Anderson and music producer Al van der Beek. All four members are followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Anderson is the mastermind behind the stunning visual featured in various music videos. The performance "Kung Fu Piano: Cello Ascends" was filmed at the Great Wall of China. The mashup "The Mission/How Great Thou Art" was shot against the backdrop of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The mashup "The Jungle Book/Sarabande" was filmed at Chichen Itza, Mexico. The piece "Indiana Jones and the Arabian Nights" was recorded at Petra, Jordan.

This question was musically orchestrated by Phoenix Rising's Matthew_07.

Answer: Gold

The golden wattle is Australia's national flower, and the blooms are fluffy, puffy little balls of bright yellow. The 'leaves' are long and thin - in fact they are actually fattened stems called phyllodes, that just look like leaves! The plant is found all over the Australian continent.

Golden wattle is included, along with the kangaroo and emu, on the national Coat of Arms. Aussies have been wearing 'the green and gold' since the late 1800s but they weren't recognised officially as the national colours until the 1980s.

This question was planted in the quiz by Phoenix Rising's VegemiteKid, who loves the green and gold.

Answer: Periphrasis

As described in the question itself, periphrasis is the practice of saying something simple in a roundabout way, or through the use of more words than necessary. It is a common phenomenon in many languages, and can be used to add emphasis or to avoid using a taboo word, such as through the use of a euphemism.

This challenging query was created out of thin air by an individual who might be said to have a thin, high-pitched voice, who is a member of a team known for lifting from the ashes, like the mythical bird of the same name. (This question was crafted by Phoenix Rising's reedy.)