Cool Zooms, Part XXXVI Trivia Quiz

Answer: Omnivorous

Also called the "Eurasian blackbird", "Turdus merula" is a thrush species with "Turdus" being the Latin word for "thrush". Found in Europe, North Africa and Asiatic Russia the bird has also been introduced to parts of Oceania, including Australia and New Zealand. The birds are omnivorous, feeding on a range of berries, fruits, insects and earthworms.

Blackbirds feature in many songs and poems. "The Twelve Days of Christmas" includes "Four calling birds" although this probably originated as "four colly birds", a popular nickname for the "black as coal" common blackbird. In a well-known nursery rhyme, the practice of cooking live birds under a pie crust may have led to:
"Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye;
Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie!
When the pie was opened the birds began to sing,
Oh, wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king?"

Agatha Christie, doyen of detective fiction authors, was not averse to borrowing from nursery rhymes for the titles of her novels and short stories. In "The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding" (1960), the "Four and Twenty Blackbirds" story sees Hercule Poirot investigating the murder of a restaurant diner. One of the clues relates to blackberry tart.

Phoenix Rising's chirpy team member psnz hunted and pecked before flying this question into the quiz.

Answer: cyanide

Cyanide is a fast-acting, potentially deadly chemical compound containing a carbon atom (C) triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom (N). Exposure to cyanide gas (especially in a confined space) is most harmful to humans, but ingestion can also be toxic. Cyanide disrupts the electron transport chain in the mitochondria, effectively preventing the cells of the body from using oxygen and resulting in cell death. Cyanide is particularly damaging to the heart and brain since those organs are heavily dependent on oxygen. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn against eating the seeds and pits of fruits like apples, apricots, and peaches, because they contain higher concentrations of chemicals that are metabolized in the body to form cyanides.

Agatha Christie's "Sparkling Cyanide" (1945) marks the last appearance of the recurring character Colonel Race as he investigates the suspicious deaths of a husband and wife exactly one year apart. The novel was published in the United States under the title "Remembered Death".

This question is brought to you by Phoenix Rising's JCSon who doesn't drink champagne, or any other common vehicles for cyanide in detective fiction.

Answer: Emma Watson

In 2014, Emma Watson was named a women's advocate in the HeForShe campaign for gender equality and women's empowerment. At the time of her appointment Watson had already been working with CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education) for a number of years, promoting education and denouncing child marriage. Her humanitarian efforts had previously taken her to Zambia and Bangladesh, where she saw the effect early marriage to an older man had on young girls.

"The Ambassador's Boots" by Agatha Christie featured in a collection of short stories titled "Partners in Crime" which was released in 1929.

Phoenix Rising's leith90 was appointed ambassador for this question, so she happily booted it into the quiz.

Answer: Ride behind

'Croupe' is a middle English word derived from old French meaning 'rump'; not to be confused with croup, the severe respiratory illness. This led to the connotation of riding on the back part of the horse or 'riding behind'. Thus, the person who stood behind a gambler and provided extra cash, if and when required, was called a 'croupier'. The word evolved further in the gambling context to the current meaning which is the person who collects and distributes the money at the gambling table.

"The Soul of a Croupier" was one of several short stories in Agatha Christie's 1931 collection entitled "The Mysterious Mr Quin".

This question was turned over, hopefully as a winner, by Phoenix Rising member Mike Master99, whose father always said the only sure way to make money on horses is to follow them with a bucket and spade!

Answer: Three, four, Knock at the door

Unlike a lot of nursery rhymes there doesn't appear to be a historical event attached to this one and it is merely a tool to assist children to learn to count.

The first known publication of the rhyme was in a toy book published by Walter Crane in 1873. However, it is considered that the rhyme originated a great deal earlier, though its origins are not known. Crane's book was praised for its illustrations and is, today, treasured for its clear depictions of 19th century children. In Crane's book the rhyme stretches to "Nineteen, twenty, my belly's empty" but there are records of alternate lines and also versions that extend to the number thirty.

Agatha Christie, who borrowed a lot of her titles from nursery rhymes, did not let this one go to waste and used it as the title of her 1940 novel that featured her Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot.

Phoenix Rising's polluci19 was inspired to write this question after his wife greeted him with, "One, two, You started to snore. Three, four, You slept on the floor..."

Answer: Fewer stops

The Collins Dictionary gives a very basic definition of an "express" train by simply calling it a "fast train". Whilst that is true in many respects, it doesn't tell the whole story. Essentially, an express train is set up to reach a destination quickly and it does this by eliminating intermediate stops, in other words, not stopping at every station like a local train would.

A good example of an express train is one utilised for heavily catered sporting events where a train is set up to ferry spectators from the venue to a central station (without stops) and punters can then find passage for the rest of their journey using their local services.

One of Agatha Christie's most famous stories featured an express train, the quirky "Murder on the Orient Express", which was published in 1934 and featured her bothersome Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot.

This question was hastily put together by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 who ventured to see the 1974 film version of the book and was rather peeved that the film didn't live up to its express title and finish a whole lot sooner.

Answer: Land between rivers

Part of the greater "Fertile Crescent" (also called the "Cradle of Civilization"), Mesopotamia runs from the Persian Gulf in the southeast to the Mediterranean Sea in the northwest. It lies partly in the modern countries of Kuwait, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. 'Meso' means "within" or "in the middle of" and 'potamos' means "river".

There is evidence that humans first settled the area during the Paleolithic Era, building small settlements there by the 14th century BCE. By 10,000 BCE, during the Neolithic Revolution, the area's advances in culture inspired some of the important developments in history including the planting of crops, the invention of the wheel, and early mathematics and astronomy.

Set at an archeological excavation in Iraq, the Hercule Poirot story, "Murder in Mesopotamia" was first published in the UK and then in the US, both in 1936.

Having to dig a bit for the information, Phoenix Rising's mike32768 (known as mike5 to his fellow PR sleuths) investigated the topic just enough to kill this question's important information.

Answer: Norton

The Norton Model 1 was a large machine with an engine capacity of 633cc. It was used by the Russians in WWI and British troops in WWII, usually with a sidecar attached. It was a rugged machine, able to operate in rough terrains, loaded up with a couple of passengers and armaments. The model had a long life, being manufactured for almost 50 years, from 1907 to 1954.

The Norton Motorcycle Company was an early pioneer in motorcycles, forming in Birmingham, England, way back in 1898. They have had a few name changes and mergers over the years but are still going strong.

"The Big Four" was an Agatha Christie work, released in 1927, and starring our favourite Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot.

This question was mysteriously written by Phoenix Rising member, ozzz2002.

Answer: Bridge

Ruffing and finessing are terms applicable to "trick-taking" card games. Players are likely to ruff or finesse in Bridge, Euchre and Whist, but not in Cribbage, Poker or Rummy.

"Ruffing" is a synonym for "trumping" and refers to a player winning a trick by playing a trump card when a non-trump suit has been led.

"Finessing" is a technique to win a trick with a lower honour (face) card when a player does not hold higher cards. Here is an example showing the distribution of cards in a particular suit:
East: Q J 9
Dummy: K 8 6 3
West: A 10 7 5
Declarer: 4 2
Declarer leads the 2 or 4. If West plays the Ace, Dummy and East play their lowest cards (3 and 9) making the King the highest remaining card in that suit. If West plays any other card, hoping that West holds the Ace, Dummy plays the King which is now a winner. This is known as "finessing the King".

In her 1929 collection of short stories called "Partners in Crime", Agatha Christie included a tale entitled "Finessing the King/The Gentleman Dressed in Newspaper". Detectives Tommy and Tuppence ("Prudence") Beresford notice a newspaper personal advertisement: "I should go three hearts. 12 tricks. Ace of Spades. Necessary to finesse the King." In their endeavours to decode the message, the Beresfords discover a murder.

Phoenix Rising's psnz bid for this question and was pleased to deal with it.

Answer: One of the lion's claws

Hera, queen of the gods, loathed Heracles because he was such a striking representation and reminder of her husband's (Zeus') many infidelities. In her jealousy, she drove Heracles mad causing him to murder his wife Megara and his five children. When Heracles came to his senses, he was grief-stricken and sought counsel from the Oracle at Delphi. As penance for his crimes, Heracles was instructed to serve King Eurystheus for ten years and to complete whatever tasks the king gave to him. These impossible tasks would become known as the Twelve Labours of Heracles.

Slaying the Nemean lion was the first of these labors. It was a ferocious monster with an impenetrable golden hide and claws sharp enough to slice through any armor. Heracles cornered the beast in its cave, stunned it with his club, and eventually strangled it with his bare hands. His knife and sharpening stone were useless against the hide, but the goddess Athena came to his aid and recommended using the lion's own claw to cut through the skin.

"The Nemean Lion" is one of a collection of short stories by Agatha Christie originally released as periodicals and subsequently published in 1947 as "The Labours of Hercules".

This question by Phoenix Rising's JCSon was a labor of love.

Answer: Seven Dials

"Seven Dials" lies in London's West End, near Covent Garden and is a road junction of seven streets. Part of the larger St. Giles slum, Seven Dials gained its name from a column at the intersection containing sundials.

Between 1833 and 1836, Charles Dickens wrote many short pieces about London scenes and its inhabitants which he published in newspapers and other journals. Later they were collected and released in book form. Entitled 'Sketches by "Boz," Illustrative of Every-day Life and Every-day People', Dickens commented on Seven Dials:
"The stranger who finds himself in the Dials for the first time... at the entrance of Seven obscure passages, uncertain which to take, will see enough around him to keep his curiosity awake for no inconsiderable time...".

All the answers are London slums from the Victorian era. Whitechapel features in both Dickens' "Oliver Twist" and "Pickwick Papers". Infamous killer 'Jack the Ripper' haunted Whitechapel and nearby Bethnal Green. Spittalfields was synonymous with urban deprivation in those times.

In "The Seven Dials Mystery" (1929), Agatha Christie reprises several of her characters from 1925's "The Secret of Chimneys". In a prank, a habitual over-sleeper has several alarm clocks placed in his bedroom but is found dead the next morning. "Bundle" (Lady Eileen Brent) investigates the mystery which has links to a "Seven Dials" nightclub in London.

After researching this question, a Phoenix Rising team member was left wondering whether this "interesting information" might be renamed "Sketches by psnz".

Answer: Imhotep

In the 1932 version Imhotep (Karloff), as punishment, is tortured, mummified and then buried alive with the scroll he'd used to attempt to resurrect his lover, Princess Anck-es-en-Amon. An archaeological expedition uncovers his body and, unwittingly, brings him back to life.

A similar storyline follows the 1999 remake when Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) is also, unwittingly, resurrected by an expedition led by Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) and a librarian, Evelyn Carnahan, played by Rachel Weisz. Vosloo would reprise his role in the 2001 sequel "The Mummy Returns".

Agatha Christie wrote the short story "The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb" as part of her 1924 collection "Poirot Investigates".

This question was written by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 who marvels at the open-mindedness of the ancient Egyptians and reckons they were ahead of their time, calling males "mummies". All groans kindly accepted.

Answer: "Everything's Coming Up Roses" and "Let Me Entertain You"

The four productions: "Gypsy", "West Side Story", "A Little Night Music" and "Into the Woods" were all Stephen Sondheim musicals. Sometimes he wrote music and lyrics and other times just the lyrics.

Gypsy was based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee and Ethel Merman was to lead. Arthur Laurents was approached for the book, but composers Irving Berlin and Cole Porter declined the score. Stephen Sondheim was then asked as he had collaborated with Robbins and Laurents on "West Side Story". Ms. Merman did not want an "unknown" composer as Mr. Sondheim was not so well known in 1959. She wanted Jule Styne to write the music. Reluctantly, Mr. Sondheim was persuaded to write only the lyrics. It was a successful partnership.

Agatha Christie's "The Hound of Death and Other Stories" is a 1933 collection of twelve short stories which includes "The Gypsy". In this story, dreams and gypsy portents are ignored with ultimately fatal consequences.

This question was written by Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1 who has a personal connection to "Send in the Clowns".

Answer: Edgar

Born in Wales, Edgar Evans, a seaman, first met Scott on HMS Majestic, where Scott was serving as a torpedo lieutenant in 1899. Scott took to Evans and held him in high regard for his work ethic, thoroughness and physical strength. Scott's biographer, Roland Huntford, would describe Evans as "a huge, bull-necked beefy figure" and a "beery womanizer". It was his penchant for the booze that nearly saved his life. In a state of drunkenness, he tried to board a ship in New Zealand, just before the "Polar Party" was due to sail, made a complete botch of it and fell into the water. There was talk of leaving him behind, but Scott pushed for his retention.

Evans would suffer another fall on the return journey from the South Pole, this time into a crevasse which left him severely concussed. This and other injuries slowed the party down and ate (pun not intended) into the team's food supplies. Evans would die on the ice on February 17, 1912. No record was made as to what became of his body.

"Why Didn't They Ask Evans?" (1934) is both the title of an Agatha Christie novel and the dying words of a murder victim. In this particular case, "Evans" happens to be the parlourmaid, Gladys Evans.

This question was written by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19, who'd guessed correctly, at the team's Zoom meeting, that his name was Edgar because the initials of Petty Officer Evans equated to POE.

Answer: Manse

Clergy houses are houses provided by the church to house their ministers. It was felt necessary as church officials are sometimes required to move between churches quite frequently.

The names of these houses are often linked to their occupant's rank. Vicars live in a vicarage, parsons inhabit parsonages. Deans are found in deaneries. Bishops however have bishop's palaces.

The Anglican Church is the protestant Church of England. Manse is a clergy house linked to Scottish Presbyterianism and therefore wouldn't be used by the Anglican Church, though some English churches such as Baptists and Methodists do sometimes have manses.

Published in 1930, Agatha Christie's first novel to feature the redoubtable Miss Marple was set in St. Mary Mead and was titled "The Murder at the Vicarage".

Phoenix Rising team member smpdit shamefully has never read an Agatha Christie novel. She has never been in a vicarage either.

Answer: Pink, purple or blue

Found throughout the temperate regions of the world and most likely originating in the eastern Mediterranean, the "true" geranium is a hardy groundcover. It is also known commonly as "crane's bill" from the Greek word "geranos", as the flower's structure reminded the ancient Greeks of that bird.

Commonly confused with geraniums are pelargoniums. Both are members of the Geraniaceae genus, but they are constructed quite differently. True geraniums are delicate, petite flowers, used in ancient herbal remedies, while the pelargonium are larger, showier blooms.

"Blue Geranium" is a short story by Agatha Christie, first published in 1929 as part of her collection "The Thirteen Problems". Mary Pritchard is apparently scared to death by a clairvoyant, who tells Mary that she should be wary of blue geraniums. A confirmed invalid, Mary's bedroom is lined with floral wallpaper. The pink geraniums on the wallpaper are cleverly overlaid with red litmus paper, which, to Mary's horror, turns blue due to the effects of a bottle of alkaline smelling salts on her bedside table. Miss Marple, who doesn't believe that Mary was really scared to death, cleverly deduces the real killer.

This question bloomed in the mind of Phoenix Rising's VegemiteKid, whose favourite geranium is Herb Robert.

Answer: Twickenham Stoop

Harlequin F.C., founded in 1866, is often shortened to Harlequins or Quins. Since 1963 the team has played their home matches at Twickenham Stoop Stadium. Commonly called 'The Stoop', the stadium is located in the southwestern portion of London. Prior tenants of Twickenham Stoop have included the London Broncos, London Scottish and London Irish rugby clubs.

Amongst other uses of the word 'Quin', the master suspense writer Agatha Christie penned the "The Mysterious Mr. Quin" short story collection in 1930 about a rich man named Mr. Satterthwaite and a peculiar man named Mr. Harley Quin who solve mysteries together.

This question was stooped into the quiz by Phoenix Rising team member Triviaballer who doesn't have any harlequin clothing in his wardrobe... yet!

Answer: Joan Hickson

Although all four actors mentioned have played Miss Marple at some stage in their careers, Joan Hickson was the one that starred in the BBC television series based on the Agatha Christie novels. The adaptations in this series are mainly true to the original novels. Joan Hickson was 78 years old when the first series was produced.

Joan Hickson had previously acted in Miss Marple productions, but not as Miss Marple. She appeared on stage, in 1946, in "Appointment with Death" based on the Christie novel of the same name. According to "Agatha Christie--Murder in Four Acts" by Peter Haining, after seeing Hickson's performance in this play, Christie wrote a note to Hickson saying, "I hope one day you will play my dear Miss Marple". In 1961 Joan Hickson appeared as Mrs. Kidder in a film entitled "Murder, She Said" which was based on the Christie novel "4.50 from Paddington" and starred Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple.

Geraldine McEwan starred in the title role of the ITV series "Agatha Christie's Marple". Angela Lansbury played Miss Marple in the movie "The Mirror Crack'd" in 1980. Helen Hayes played Miss Marple in two American television films: "A Caribbean Mystery" (1983) and "Murder with Mirrors (1985)".

This question was posed by Agatha Christie fan Phoenix Rising team member lg549 who thinks that Joan Hickson's portrayal is the closest to the Miss Marple in her head.

Answer: Links

Access Software developed five golf simulation computer games in the "Links" series from 1990-1998, and Microsoft produced five more games (including "Links 2004" for the Xbox) from 1999-2003, after acquiring the company. The first game in the series, "Links: The Challenge of Golf" (1990), won Computer Gaming World's 1991 award for 'Action Game of the Year'. Access Software, Inc. was a video game developer founded in 1982 and based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

"The Murder on the Links" is an Agatha Christie crime novel published in 1923, featuring detective Hercule Poirot. The story involves Poirot arriving in France to a dead body left near a golf course.

Phoenix Rising's Rizeeve took a swing at this question and was pleased to connect a golf-titled Agatha Christie novel with a Utah-based video game developer.

Answer: Mississippi

In 2001 Mississippians voted to retain the current state flag which contained the Confederate Battle flag in its canton. In 2003, Georgia revealed a new state flag with the Confederate Battle flag removed making Mississippi the only state with the confederate flag retained.

On June 30, 2020 Mississippi retired its flag and a competition was held to design a new one with the caveats that the Confederate flag was prohibited and that the flag must contain the phrase "In God We Trust". After several run-offs, the winning entry incorporated a central magnolia blossom encircled by 20 white stars, one gold star, and the motto "In God We Trust" on a field of unequal vertical stripes of red (each end), gold (thinner), and blue (centre).

The magnolia at the centre of the flag, a symbol of Mississippi, also represents "hospitality, hope, and rebirth". The circle of 20 white stars reflects Mississippi's position as the 20th state admitted into the union; the gold star represents the Native American people of the land that would become the state of Mississippi. The blue in the central vertical stripe is a nod to the blue of the U.S. flag and represents "vigilance, justice, and perseverance." Red is "indicative of hardiness and valour". Gold, used in two thin stripes, represents Mississippi's cultural heritage.

"Magnolia Blossom" is a story in Agatha Christie's collection: "The Golden Ball and Other Stories" (1971). Loyalties are tested when a wife discovers that her husband is facing financial ruin.

This question was hoisted into the quiz by Phoenix Rising's amateur vexillologist 1nn1.