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Quiz about Mr Nonsense
Quiz about Mr Nonsense

Mr Nonsense Trivia Quiz


Come meet some of the poets who have contributed to the art form of nonsense verse. This quiz will only deal with poets who wrote in English - can you identify them from a sample of their work?

A multiple-choice quiz by looney_tunes. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
looney_tunes
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
345,315
Updated
Jul 23 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
700
Awards
Top 5% quiz!
Last 3 plays: Guest 86 (10/10), kickaha49 (7/10), Guest 76 (6/10).
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Question 1 of 10
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?
Hint


Question 2 of 10
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"?
Hint


Question 3 of 10
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"?
Hint


Question 4 of 10
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.
Hint


Question 5 of 10
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.
Hint


Question 6 of 10
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.
Hint


Question 7 of 10
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?
Hint


Question 8 of 10
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"?
Hint


Question 9 of 10
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?
Hint


Question 10 of 10
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?
Hint



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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?

Answer: Edward Lear

"A Book of Nonsense" was published anonymously because that was the convention at the time for children's books. Edward Lear's name appeared on the third edition, published in 1861. Lear wrote many limericks (but without the risque element that has since become popular for those who use the form). He is also known for his neologisms - he loved to make up words whose sound pleased him, and use them without worrying exactly what they meant. One famous example is the runcible spoon which appears in "The Owl and the Pussycat". Much effort has been spent trying to work out what a runcible spoon might look like, and debating a possible etymology for the word. None of them, however, fits in with the ways in which Lear used the adjective runcible in other works, which included a runcible cat (in "The Pobble Who Has No Toes"), a runcible goose and a runcible wall (both in "Mr and Mrs Discobbolos Part Two").

None of the other writers was active during the 19th century - Chaucer and Shakespeare were long dead, and Thomas had yet to be born in 1846.
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"?

Answer: Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll's best known work is probably "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" (1865), but the sequel "Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There" (1871) gave the world "Jabberwocky", and added such words as burbled, chortle, frabjous and galumphing, as well as a number of nonsense words of indeterminate meaning, to the English language.

The poem actually predates the book. Its first verse (to be edited slightly on expansion) was published in an 1855 installment of "Mischmasch", a Dodgson family magazine which produced issues between 1855 and 1862.

None of the other writers is famed for nonsense writing - primarily, Dickens wrote realistic novels, Poe wrote stories and poems of suspense, and Hugo wrote in French, which is outside the scope of this quiz.
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"?

Answer: Ogden Nash

Ogden Nash wrote many humorous poems, some of which would be classified as nonsense poems. "The Llama" qualifies both because of the mysterious reference to betting a silk pajama, and because of the final pun. It was one of a number of animal poems Nash wrote, including poems to accompany each movement of "The Carnival of the Animals" by Camille Saint-Saens. These poems were read by Noel Coward on the first recording, in 1949, and are often featured in performances of the piece. Unfortunately, Saint-Saens did not include a llama.

The others are all famous Americans known for their wit, but not especially for nonsense verse.
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.

Answer: Christopher Isherwood

While the poem "The Common Cormorant" makes perfect semantic and grammatical sense, the actual matter-of-fact statements made in the poem are blatantly ludicrous falsehoods, which qualifies it as nonsense poetry. Isherwood is better known as a prose writer than as a poet, and his "The Berlin Stories" (a compendium of two separate short novels, "Mr Norris Changes Trains" and "Goodbye to Berlin"), which included the character Sally Bowles in one story, was the inspiration on which John van Druten based his play "I Am a Camera". Isherwood himself wrote several plays, in conjunction with his mentor W. H. Auden, and collaborated on the screenplay for the 1965 film version of Evelyn Waugh's "The Loved One".

Isherwood knew and worked with the other authors whose names were offered as incorrect options.
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.

Answer: Dr Seuss

Theodor Seuss Geisel wrote most of the children's books for which he is renowned under pseudonym of Dr. Seuss, including "The Cat in the Hat", from which the passage in the question was excerpted. His books usually use a small vocabulary, and lots of repetition of words and parallel structures that make them a joy to read aloud to young children. And adults enjoy the crazy goings on of some characters as much as youngsters!

Seuss (originally a German name pronounced to rhyme with voice) was Geisel's mother's maiden name. He eventually acceded to the tendency of English-speaking readers to pronounce it as if it rhymed with Mother Goose, considering that it evoked a suitable image for a children's author.

The incorrect options were pen names of Eric Blair (George Orwell), Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) and Stephen King (Richard Bachman).
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.

Answer: Mervyn Peake

"Aunty Flo" first appeared in "A Book of Nonsense", which was posthumously published in 1972. It was chosen for this quiz because it was short, not because it is the best available sample of Mervyn Peake's poetry, of which six volumes were published during his lifetime, starting with "Shapes & Sounds" in 1941 and his first book of nonsense poetry, "Rhymes Without Reason", in 1944.

The incorrect options were all leading figures of the Aesthetic movement around the end of the 19th century.
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?

Answer: Roald Dahl

In "Revolting Rhymes", Roald Dahl offered six classic stories with bizarre twists: "Cinderella", "Jack and the Beanstalk", "Goldilocks", "Little Red Riding Hood", "The Three Pigs" and "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", cited in the question. In this version, Snow White gets a job as cook and housekeeper for seven jockeys who are compulsive, but unsuccessful, gamblers. She sneaks back to the castle to steal the Magic Mirror, which will let them know in advance which horses are going to win, leading to the conclusion quoted. Not exactly the way I remembered it from the Brothers Grimm version, or Walt Disney's animation with all those cutesy animals!

Charlie ("Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"), James ("James and the Giant Peach") and Matilda ("Matilda") were all title characters of Roald Dahl books. Andersen, Lang and Grimm (along with his brother Jacob) were well known for collecting traditional fairy tales, not for adding their own spin to them.
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"?

Answer: Spike Milligan

Spike Milligan was one of the main writers and central cast members for "The Goon Show", in which he performed with the others named in the incorrect options. "On the Ning Nang Nong", first published in "Silly Verse for Kids" (1968), was chosen as the most popular British comic poem in a 1998 survey conducted by the BBC. That's quite a call! Its title may remind you of the nonsense song which Milligan wrote for the Goons, and which was often sung on their show, "Ying Tong Song", with its immortal chorus, "Ying tong iddle I po".
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?

Answer: John Lennon

John Lennon's first book, "In His Own Write" (1964), was a collection of stories, poems and drawings which many eager young Beatles fans purchased only to find they had no idea what he was on about! It was well received by literary critics, and he followed it up with another collection, "A Spaniard in the Works", in 1965.

The titles reflect the wordplay to be found within, some of which is simple punning, some of which verges on gibberish, much of which is laden with social and political commentary.

A close reading of these books should have alerted readers to the creative direction Lennon later took in his songwriting.
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?

Answer: Douglas Adams

Douglas Adams never intended us to like the Vogons - they were responsible for blowing up Earth to make way for an intergalactic bypass at the beginning of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", and are described as slug-like in appearance and nasty in temperament. These lines are a sample of what we are told is the third worst poetry in the Universe, exceeded in dreadfulness only by the Azgoths of Kria and Paula Nancy Millstone Jennings of Sussex, whose work was lost when the Earth was destroyed. The poem quoted in the question was recited to Arthur Dent and Ford prefect as they were about to be ejected into space from the Vogon spaceship.

The incorrect options were authors who all wrote multi-book series, but none of them included Vogons.
Source: Author looney_tunes

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor trident before going online.
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