Anything Goes Number Ten Trivia Quiz

Answer: A dove

Pope Fabian was born into a noble Roman family (birth date unknown) by the name of Flavius. His reign as Pope ended upon his death in the year 250. During his reign, which was mostly peaceful, he ended a schism between a top bishop and theologian that was threatening to divide the church, he established up to date record of church martyrs, and he sent out assorted missionaries to do the work of the church. Following the death of Pope Anterus, Fabian was visiting Rome for the new papal elections that were under way. He was not considered a possible candidate in any way, but while the names of the other candidates were being debated, the congregation witnessed a dove suddenly descending and landing upon Fabian's head. This similarity to the dove that descended upon the head of Jesus during his baptism was obviously too important to ignore, and Fabian was immediately chosen as the next head of the church.

Alas though, towards the end of Fabian's life, the Roman rulers were growing tired of the troublesome Christians and their new faith, and ordered that everybody must offer offer up tokens of worship to the various Roman deities. Fabian refused to do so, and was tossed unceremoniously into prison, where he rather suspiciously died. His Feast Day is marked on the 20th of January each year - the date of his death. The significance of the dove's descent upon Fabian was wonderfully spiritual, but let's hope that's all it did on the future Pope's head.

Answer: Dog

Canines played a major part in various aspects of Mesoamerican culture. It was believed, for example, that the spirit of a recently deceased person was carried across a river by a dog. Accordingly then, upon this death, it was customary to bury dogs with their owners. Hopefully the dogs were put to death first. Canines also represented protectors of the hearth and fire in various Mesoamerican cultures.

The popular animal of choice for many people was the hairless dog known as Xoloitzcuintil. Rather unfortunately though, these dogs were considered a tasty treat as well, and were usually consumed at ceremonial events.

It was a dog's life, you could even say.

Answer: Small rocky islands or reefs

Often found at the mouths of fiords, formed by long ago glaciers, skerries are small rock islands lying off the mainland of north-western European nations such as Norway, Sweden, Finland, Scotland and Ireland. They are also known as sea stacks, and many are only exposed at low tide.

Others which jut above the ocean all year long are way too small for humans to populate, but are covered with sturdy grasses and moss, and provide habitation for birds and seals instead.

Answer: No

Most definitely not. And that was one very costly error. During the 1970s, the US military banked on maintaining its air superiority during conflicts, so had not given high priority to the development of sophisticated anti-aircraft weapons, believing instead they had plenty of time to do so. When it was realised that the Soviets had well and truly got the jump on the Americans in the Middle East in this matter, all stops were pulled out to develop equally effective anti-aircraft machines. In an effort to cut five years off the time required to produce these, however, it was decided to skip most standard development and testing procedures, and to rush patched up old machines through for testing before possible interested industry representatives. Eventually Ford Aerospace was awarded a multi billion contract to develop and produce their M247 Sergeant York prototype. In February 1982, Ford's machine was ready to display before a group of US and British officers, members of Congress, and other assorted bigwigs.

It was a disaster. When the machine was activated, Wikipedia tells us that it "immediately started aiming the guns at the review stands, causing several minor injuries as members of the group jumped for cover", its next attempt saw the machine fire into the ground instead of the target, and, in spite of various hurried adjustments, it never did hit any target at all. Later attempts saw the machine take out a latrine fan instead of its stipulated target, and rapidly following problems on fifty other ordered machines followed. It wasn't until 1985, that the project was cancelled altogether. A substitute machine was eventually found, and the useless M247s, except one kept for display purposes, were later used by the Air Force as targets in bombing practice. A great relief, no doubt, for anyone heading to the latrines.

Answer: Mashed potato

Those clever and inventive housewives who liked a dash of mayonnaise on various food dishes, simply mashed up a small amount of potato, to which they added vinegar, mustard, cooking oil, salt and pepper. It looked and tasted something like the real thing.

This war, which saw an over supply of carrots, and with governments encouraging a policy of no waste at all, also saw carrot cake, pudding, scones and biscuits as well. Some brilliant women even produced carrot fudge with a combination of grated carrot, gelatine and orange essence. Bugs Bunny would have been proud of them.

Answer: The breweries and the clergy

When tea first made its way into Britain, it was initially only consumed by the upper classes. It was originally introduced by Catherine of Braganza, who was the wife of King Charles II. Coffee and coffee houses (from which women were barred) were already well known, but coffee was not to everyone's taste. Business entrepreneur Thomas Twining took advantage of this gap in demand and began selling his imported tea to the elite of society, and, over the next years, access to this product began to filter down to the lower classes. Its increasing consumption, however, met with strong opposition from two strands of society in particular.

The clergy thundered from the pulpits of the travesty of importing this drink from non-Christian countries, while the breweries really fought against its access to everyone and agitated for a 112% tax on the sale of this product. This of course led to a thriving black market in the product, as more people than ever came to appreciate a soothing and delicious cuppa. Until then, ale had always been the drink of choice for most people, owing to the polluted waters of the Thames turning one off a good old glass of H2O. In fact, it was quite common for children as young as five to be given ale to quench their thirst. You can imagine then how hard the breweries fought against the substitute of a much healthier cup of tea made with boiled water. Spoiler alert? They lost. Today, perhaps more than any other product, the Brits are known for their love of tea.

Answer: The Oracle of Delphi

The Pythia was the priestess of Pytho, the sanctuary dedicated to the god Apollo in Ancient Greece. Only available to speak on nine days out of every year, it was believed that the words she spoke during her trances were a direct link from Apollo himself.

Historians believe, however, that the Pythia was more than likely stoned out of her brain because the seat on which she sat for her pronouncements was directly above a fault line in the temple, from which gases such as methane ethylene and ethane seeped.

She also held a laurel branch in her hand, which researchers now believe was possibly a highly toxic oleander branch instead. Initially the Oracles of Delphi were young unmarried virgins, but over time, because an increasing number of these girls were subject to rape and assault, it was decided (rather insultingly) to replace them with women over the age of fifty, who, if they were married, had to give up all connection to their families.

These women maintained the illusion of the youth and beauty of the Oracle by continuing to wear a veil (no doubt somewhat thicker) and a long white gown.

Answer: A wooden carrying basket

The sturdy, but visually appealing Sussex trug was a wooden basket manufactured from white willow and sweet chestnut wood. The handles and rim of the basket comprised hand shaved sweet chestnut wood, with the body of the basket made by interweaving thin slats of the white willow.

These trees abounded in the marshes around Sussex, hence the basket's quaint name. Although utilised for other purposes, and at one time coming in assorted sizes, Sussex trugs were mainly used for gathering freshly cut garden flowers and home grown fruit and vegetables. So popular were they, that, when displayed in the 1851 Great Exhibition, Queen Victoria was so taken with them that she purchased several for members of her immediate and extended royal family.

The best thing of all about trugs, however, is that they're still being made in England today, so they're a lovely link to the England of yesterday.

Answer: Tobacco leaves

In 1492, Columbus made note of the fact that indigenous people from the Americas were using tobacco leaves both for the minor physiological buzz it gave them, but mostly for medicinal purposes to cure various ills. As reported in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (JRSM) in June, 2004, tobacco leaves, and the juices obtained from same, were used for centuries to cure "abscesses, fistulas, sores, inveterate polyps and many other ailments" such as migraines, small tumours, colds, wounds and burns. It was in fact often referred to as the "holy herb" or "God's remedy". How the mighty have fallen.

Apart from its pleasurable and medicinal effects, tobacco was also mixed with lime or chalk by indigenous Americans and used as a type of toothpaste to whiten teeth. Even well into the 21st century, powdered tobacco is used by people from the continent of India for the same purpose, and tobacco toothpaste is sold in various shops there as a matter of course. One's mouth would tend to taste as though they'd licked out an ashtray, but ah well, why not. Don't tell the tobacco companies though. They'll start marketing toothbrushes made from tobacco leaves.

Answer: Its tail

Because fish was allowed to be consumed by Christians during many fasting periods of medieval Europe, creatures such as whales, barnacle geese, puffins and even beavers - because of their association with water - were blithely reclassified as fish by wily western European churchmen. Amusingly so, though, only the beaver's tail was classed as such.

The rest of this fascinating little creature's body wasn't safe though, tail or no tail. It was also hunted for its fur, its meat (apparently only in the top half of its body), and the glands surrounding its tail which were used in the manufacture of perfume. In fact, from once being prevalent right throughout Europe and Asia, the Eurasian beaver was hunted to virtual extinction by the beginning of the 20th century, with only 1,200 beavers surviving right across the two continents. Now re-introduced in enough numbers for it to be considered of least concern of extinction, the Eurasian beaver can today be seen in most countries in Europe - with the exception of Portugal, Moldova and Turkey. Poor little creature, though, what with man's appetite for its meat, fur, tail and anal glands, it would never have had time to sit down and rest from its pursuers - mainly because it would have had nothing left to sit down upon.