Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. "A Book of Nonsense" was published anonymously in 1846, with this poem on the title page:
There was an Old Derry down Derry, who loved to see little folks merry;
So he made them a book, and with laughter they shook at the fun of that Derry down Derry.
The author is generally considered to be the father of this verse form, which subsequently gained the name limerick - which of these was it?
2. Probably the most famous Victorian writer of nonsense, in one of whose books the following lines of classic nonsense poetry first appeared, has contributed a number of new words to the English language.
Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
Who was responsible for giving us the immortal "Jabberwocky"?
3. I couldn't resist including this poem, as it includes llamas!
The one-L lama,
He's a priest.
The two-L llama,
He's a beast.
And I would bet
A silk pajama
There isn't any
Three-L lllama.
Which master of humorous poetry gave us "The Llama"?
4. Which writer, possibly best known for writing the short novel which inspired the play "I Am a Camera", which in turn evolved into the stage musical and film "Cabaret", is responsible for this little bit of nonsense?
The common cormorant (or shag)
Lays eggs inside a paper bag.
The reason you will see, no doubt,
It is to keep the lightning out.
But what these unobservant birds
Have never noticed is that herds
Of wandering bears may come with buns
And steal the bags to hold the crumbs.
5. Try to stop the nostalgic giggling, and identify the nom de plume of the author who brought us this nonsensical image:
"Put me down!" said the fish.
"This is no fun at all!
Put me down!" said the fish.
"I do NOT wish to fall!"
"Have no fear!" said the cat.
"I will not let you fall.
I will hold you up high as I stand
On a ball. With a book on one hand!
And a cup on my hat!
But that is not ALL I can do!" said the cat.
6. After first establishing himself as a painter and illustrator, including illustrations for a 1940s edition of Lewis Carroll's "The Hunting of the Snark", our next poet is probably best known for his "Gormenghast" trilogy, but he also produced a significant amount of nonsense verse. Who penned the story of "Aunty Flo"?
When Aunty Flo
Became a crow
She had a bed put in a tree;
And there she lay
And read all day
Of ornithology.
7. Charlie, James and Matilda featured in some of his work, but not in "Revolting Rhymes", which retold six classic folk tales (with a twist) in verse form. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" ended with these lines:
They went to Ascot and of course
For once they backed the winning horse
Thereafter, every single day
The Mirror made the bookies pay
Each Dwarf and Snow-White got a share
And each was soon a millionaire
Which shows that gambling's not a sin
Provided that you always win.
Which poet brought us these surprising adaptations of traditional tales?
8. A member of the Goons comedy team produced a significant body of nonsense verse, including a poem that starts with these lines:
On the Ning Nang Nong
Where the cows go Bong!
A manic depressive, he wrote nonsense material in his manic phases, and focused on more serious themes during his depressive periods. Born in India in 1918, which of these was responsible for "On the Ning Nang Nong"?
9. Here is a selection from a poem which first appeared in the author's second book, "A Spaniard in the Works".
The Mungle pilgriffs far awoy
Religeorge too thee worled.
Sam fells on the waysock-side
And somforbe on a gurled,
With all her faulty bagnose!
Which of the Beatles was responsible for "The Faulty Bagnose", and much more nonsense?
10. Apparently Vogons take their poetry very seriously, even when it goes like this:
Oh freddled gruntbuggly/thy micturations are to me/As plurdled gabbleblotchits on a lurgid bee.
Groop I implore thee, my foonting turlingdromes. And hooptiously drangle me with crinkly bindlewurdles,
Or I will rend thee in the gobberwarts with my blurglecruncheon, see if I don't!
Who wrote the five-book trilogy that started with "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", in which we first met the Vogons and were exposed to their poetry?
Source: Author
looney_tunes
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trident before going online.
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