A Distressingly Obvious Quiz_Beagle CB Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What is the open source programming language invented by Yukihiro Matsumoto?

Answer: Ruby

Matsumoto, who was born in 1965, is the inventor of Ruby, a dynamic object-oriented language. Ruby is also my birthstone, and I don't like it. Ruby is the red variety of carborundum. I would have preferred the blue variety, also known as sapphire, but I would have had to born in September for that. Bad timing, Mum and Dad. April would have got me a diamond, and December a turquoise.

2. The wild version of this belongs to the natural order Umbelliferae. In its natural state it is thin, small and red, purple or even black. By Roman times, it came in varieties of purple or white. A famous cartoon character is rarely seen without this. What is it?

Answer: Carrot

The carrot became orange in the 15th century because of the efforts of patriotic Dutch growers who succeeded in getting it adopted as the Royal vegetable of the House of Orange - I presume the Royal fruit was already spoken for. Bugs Bunny is rarely seen without his carrot.

3. This actor, who has become linked with a monster almost as much as Anthony Perkins got linked to Norman Bates, is actually incredibly versatile, with roles as Claudius in 'Hamlet', David Lloyd George in 'Young Winston' and Yitzhak Rabin in 'Victory at Entebbe'. In 1988 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Wales, which I suppose makes him eligible to call himself Doctor who?

Answer: Hopkins

Sir Anthony Hopkins (knighted in 1993) is irrevocably linked to Dr. Hannibal Lecter, but he is a great actor. Christopher Lee was one of the finest Draculas, and Robert Englund will probably be always linked to Freddy Krueger. Lon Chaney, on the other hand, despite playing such horrors as 'The Wolfman' and 'the Phantom' was known as 'The Man With a Thousand Faces'.

4. This was the profession of 'Bat Girl' during the day, by Tsui Chik in the film 'The Black Mask' and by Mike Hanlon in 'It'. What was the profession?

Answer: Librarian

Bat Girl was Head Librarian at Gotham City Public Library by day and a sexy costumed crime fighter by night. In 'Black Mask', Jet Li played a gentle, mild-mannered Hong Kong Librarian, but he was also the genetically-engineered eponymous superhero. Mike Hanlon was the only member of The Losers brave enough to stay in Derry - as Head Librarian.

Other famous librarians appear in 'The Name of the Rose' and, of course, Giles in 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'.

5. Which of the following best defines 'demurrage'?

Answer: In maritime law, this is the amount that can be charged for detaining a ship beyond the time alloted for loading or unloading.

The opposite of demurrage is 'dispatch', where a ship is unloaded ahead of schedule. If a ship is delayed unloading, demurrage can run to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

6. Steeleye Span, the English folk group, sang about this unsavoury character who 'lives among the gorse'. Despite the lady being warned, the 'false nurse' let him in and between them they killed the lady and the baby. He was to be hanged, and the 'false nurse' burned. Who was the gruesome hero (whose name starts with 'Long') of this song on the album 'Commoner's Crown' and also covered by Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick on 'But Two Came By'?

Answer: Lankin

'Long Lankin' was the sinister subject of the song (and quite creepy it is too). Of the wrong answers, Jack the Ripper is England's best known 'unknown' killer, Dick Turpin was a famous English highwayman and Thomas the Rhymer was an innocent Steeleye Span character lured away by the Queen of Elfland.

7. These little wingless insects thrive in moist areas, like bathrooms and under sinks, and can be quite destructive to things like wallpaper. They are approximately 3/8in (10mm) long with three long bristletails at the end of their bodies, and they have a shiny appearance. What are they?

Answer: Silverfish

There is nothing remotely piscine about silverfish (Lepisma saccharina) apart from their colour and movement. They are also known as the fishmoth, and they date back 300 million years(!) from the Palaeozoic Era.

8. What is the surname of the character Lisa who is the Dean of Medicine and hospital administrator in the medical drama 'House', portrayed by Lisa Edelstein?

Answer: Cuddy

Having once had a one-night stand with Gregory House, there was an undeniable chemistry between the characters. Gregory House is played by the UK's Hugh Laurie.

9. What is the familiar name of Perantechinus apicalis, an endangered Australian carnivorous marsupial mostly found on Boullanger, Whitlock and Escape Islands but also in several of Australia's national parks and nature reserves?

Answer: Dibbler

These cute little creatures, which look like marsupial mice with white rings around their eyes, are unfortunately endangered.

10. Now, review your previous answers and tell me where you would find all these answers?

Answer: Discworld

1. 'Ruby', a troll and Detritus the troll's love. First found in "Moving Pictures"
2. 'Carrot', a dwarf by adoption and probably the heir to Ankh-Morpork. First appeared in "Guards, Guards!"
3. 'Dr. Hopkins', secretary of the Clockmaker's Guild from "Thief of Time".
4. 'Librarian'. The Librarian of Unseen University was once a wizard, but was magically transformed into an orang-utan and has strenuously resisted efforts to change him back.
5. 'Demurrage'. Black Aliss Demurrage, a witch who went to the bad. Shoved into the oven of her gingerbread cottage by a couple of kids in the end.
6. 'Lankin'. An elf from "Lords and Ladies".
7. 'Silverfish'. President of the Alchemist's Guild and also heavily involved in the clicks industry in "Moving Pictures".
8. 'Cuddy'. First (genetic) dwarf in the Watch, who joined in "Men at Arms".
9. 'Dibbler'. Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler, sausage-purveyor extraordinaire.

I hope you enjoyed it!

Source: Author Quiz_Beagle

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

A Distressingly Obvious Quiz_Beagle CB Quiz

Having completed a lot of Common Bond quizzes, I decided to try one myself. It concerns a literature series. Enjoy.

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