Bah! Humbug! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Peppermint

Humbugs originate from England, but are popular across the British Isles and in Commonwealth nations such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand. They probably date back to the early 19th century and can be identified by their stripy appearance (usually either black and white or two shades of brown) and the fact that they taste of peppermint.

The humble humbug has made various literary appearances, including in the Sherlock Holmes story 'The Adventure of the Six Napoleons' and the first of JK Rowling's Harry Potter novels, but it didn't feature in any works by Charles Dickens. Ebenezer Scrooge's catchphrase referred to an entirely different meaning of the same word.

Answer: Dishonest nonsense

The word humbug refers to words or actions that are insincere or deliberately intended to mislead and is often used for deceptions which are particularly hypocritical or sanctimonious. It doesn't generally get used a lot in everyday language but regularly pops up in the somewhat pompous language of the British parliament, where records of its use date back to the early 19th century.

It is this meaning of the word that Charles Dickens employed to make Ebenezer Scrooge's view of the Yuletide holidays clear to his readers.

For those wondering about the choice of incorrect answer options here, a ladybug (or ladybird) is an example of a spotted beetle, a doodlebug was a Second World War V-1 flying bomb and the jitterbug is a high-tempo energetic American dance.

Answer: Jules Verne

Jules Verne's 'Le Humbug' is believed to have been written around 1870, although it wasn't published until 1910, five years after the author's death. The humbug in question is an American conman named Meade Augustus Hopkins, who falsely claims that he owns the skeleton of a giant extinct beast and plans to exhibit it.

He then announces that he has been financially ruined by its accidental destruction in order to get his sympathetic supporters to donate money to help him.

Answer: The X-Files

'The X-Files', which was first broadcast in 1993, featured stories involving the alien-obsessed FBI Agent Fox Mulder (played by David Duchovny) and his somewhat more sceptical partner Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson).

The episode 'Humbug' appeared in 1995 and was the 20th episode of the show's second season. It marked a departure from the show's usual format up until that point as the storyline - in which the agents investigated whether a Fiji mermaid was the serial killer responsible for murdering a group of circus performers - was clearly intended as a comedy. The title derived from the fact that a Fiji mermaid was a common 19th century circus trick designed to deceive the audience.

Answer: Oregon

Humbug Mountain in south-west Oregon gives its name to the surrounding Humbug Mountain State Park and the paths up to its summit form part of the Oregon Coast Trail. The summit itself is around 538 metres (1,765 feet) above sea level - a fact that can be handily verified by simply looking down at the sea once you get up there!

The mountain has been known by various names over the centuries, but the humbug connection began in 1851 when it was named Tichenor's Humbug after an inept exploration attempt organised by a Captain Tichenor.

Answer: Arctic Monkeys

'Humbug' was the third studio album released by the Arctic Monkeys - a group from the English city of Sheffield consisting of lead singer Alex Turner along with Jamie Cook, Matt Helders and Nick O'Malley. Three of the album's tracks were released as singles - 'Crying Lightning', 'Cornerstone' and 'My Propeller' - but these had limited success compared to the band's earlier hits as only one ('Crying Lightning') made it into even the Top 40 on the UK Singles Chart. Given this fact it seems rather surprising that the album itself made it to number one and gained platinum certification for selling over 300,000 copies.

Answer: The Phantom Tollbooth

'The Phantom Tollbooth' was written by Norton Juster and featured illustrations by Jules Feiffer. It promoted the importance of education to children through the adventures of a young boy named Milo, who travelled through the titular tollbooth to the Kingdom of Wisdom.

The Humbug - a member of the "Insecticus humbugium" species - was a loud, swaggering character who eventually became the hero's guide to the strange new world he found himself having to navigate and helped him in his quest to rescue a pair of princesses named Rhyme and Reason.

Answer: Buck Mitty

Buck Mitty, aka Humbug, first appeared in a Marvel comic in 1986, as an enemy of Spider-Man. He was a professor of entomology who became a costume-clad criminal in order to obtain the money needed to fund his research. After being caught by Spider-Man, imprisoned and partially eaten by insects, he later began a new career as a superhero as one of the 'Heroes for Hire'. His powers included the ability to communicate with insects as well as superhuman speed and strength.

Peter Parker is Spider-Man, Wade Wilson is Deadpool and Jim Hammond is the Human Torch.

Answer: Brisbane River

The Brisbane River flows for approximately 350 kilometres (215 miles) from the mountains of the Great Dividing Range, through the city of Brisbane and out into Moreton Bay and the Coral Sea. The term Humbug Reach refers to the section of the river immediately downstream from the tributary of Norman Creek, with the Brisbane suburbs of New Farm to the north, and Norman Park and East Brisbane to the south.

Australia isn't home to a Melbourne River or a Sydney River (although there is one of the latter in Canada). While there is an Australian river called the Adelaide River, it is Northern Territory rather than the city of Adelaide on the opposite side of the country.

Answer: Colour - they're black rather than red

A black "Bah humbug" Santa hat makes a perfect present for people who hate the December holiday season so much that they probably shouldn't care about whether or not they receive a present during it! Aside from its colour (usually black, although obviously one could be produced in any colour, except perhaps red), it can be easily differentiated from the varieties worn by cheery people shouting "Ho ho ho" by the fact that it will usually have "Bah humbug" printed on its white trim.