Holy Hairspray, it's the "H" Quiz!

Answer: Holmium

Holmium (Ho) was not really named after Sherlock. Found in gadolinite and used in nuclear reactors, it's silver, hexagonal and classified as a rare earth. It's atomic number is 67, atomic mass is 164.93031 amu, melting point is 2678 degrees F, and it has four isotopes.

Hafnium (Hf) really does exist, it's not just a stoner's way to say the glass isn't full... Discovered in 1923 by a chap named Dirk Coster, it finally found a use in nuclear reactors. The element is found in zircon, has ten isotopes with halflives ranging from 70 days to stability, has an atomic number of 72 and an atomic mass of 178.49 amu and a melting point of 3902 degrees F. This 'hot stuff' element is silver coloured and is hexagonal in shape.

Helium (He)is a noble gas best known for producing a voice like Donald Duck. Actually, it is used mostly in filling balloons and in deep sea diving. It was first identified in 1895 by Sir William Ramsay, is atomic number 2, has a mass of 4.002602 amu, a melting point of -457.6 F (yup, that means it is a gas, unless you have a really really cold freezer!), has two isotopes which are both stable (ie, no half lives here) and is hexagonal and colourless.

Hydrogen is element number 1 - it's the lightest one on the periodic block. It is in air, and with oxygen forms water (just in case you slept though chem 101). With an atomic mass of 1.00794 amu, it is used in metal refining and yes, for filling balloons (where would civilisation be without those balloons?), and hopefully will someday become a reliable and common power source for cars. It was identified in 1766 by Henry Cavendish, has three isotopes, two of which are stable and the other has a half life of 12.3 years, melts at -434.45203 degrees F (another colourless gas) and is hexagonal.

Answer: Homicide

Kinsey falls into some bad company and ends up in gaol, then is bailed by her friend's gangsta ex-fiancé, who holds them both at gunpoint. How does she get free? Has she really gone bad? What is the significance of the Meat Locker? I'm not telling, you'll have to read it yourself...

Answer: Hans Holbein the Elder

Hans the Elder was instrumental in taking art from the Gothic to the Renaissance, and was the first to use architectural details in his paintings' backgrounds. One of his most famous works, the altar of the basilica of St Paul, includes a self-portrait.

Son Han the Younger was born in 1497 in Augsburg, Germany. He specialised in portraits and woodcuts, later expanding his repertoire to altarpieces and designs for stained glass windows. He became court painter to Henry VIII until his (Hans') death in London in 1543.

Ambrosius was the elder brother of Hans the Younger. Born in 1494, he died in or about 1519. He moved to Basel in 1516 and worked with his brother, until his death at or about age of 25.

Sigismund was the brother of Hans the Elder. He was born around 1470 and died in Berne in 1540. He worked with his brother, but apparently none of his own works have survived (I'm relying on a translated Wiki article here, and the German translated very humourously if unread-ably into English! It does, however, give me a translation of the name Holbein: "getting leg". I'll say no more...)

Answer: Hohenzollern

Hohenzollern looks like it should have Rapunzel letting her hair down from one of its towers. It has been rebuilt several times, the last time was following its destruction in the 1450s. It is the ancestral home to the German kings from Otto onward, and the tree is the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen family tree.

Hohenschwangau Castle was built starting in 1837 on the site of the Schuangau fortress, dating from at least the 12th century. It can be found in southwestern Bavaria, in the town of Hohenschwangau. It was the childhood home of Ludwig II of Bavaria. In 1913 it was opened as a museum, although it remains a residence of the descendents of the Bavarian crown.

Heidelberg castle is in, well, Heidelberg. The city is enchanting, while the castle is largely in ruins. Unlike the two mentioned above, this castle is not off the cover of a fairy tale. Rather, it is (or was) a conglomeration of a number of styles over a large number of years. The castle has its origin in the 1300s when Prince Elector Ruprecht III built a comparatively simple residence there. It is said that he also transferred columns from a palace of Charlemagne to the courtyard. The castle was largely destroyed in the 1600s, during the 30 Years' War, then rebuilt and destroyed again several times. For the oenophiles of you, probably the most intriguing item is the Heidelberg Tun, a wine barrel holding over 58,000 gallons of wine.

Harburg castle is in excellent condition and has been in the possession of the same family since 1731. (Tours are available.) Construction of the castle started around 1070, making it a true medieval German castle.

Answer: Hula

One can but wonder whether speakers of the language were among the first of the Polynesians to cross the Pacific and settle on the Hawaiian islands, bringing the name of their language to a new art form, the hula dance. Unfortunately there is little or no available evidence either way...

Hung is a language spoken by about 3,000 people living in Laos and Viet Nam.

Heyo is also spoken by very few; it is estimated that only about 200 people at most speak it exclusively, and those being older women. Also found in Papua New Guinea, it is used by the Wanib people in the Sandaun Province.

Haya is heard spoken by far more people than Hula, Heyo or Hung - over 1 million speak it in the Kagera Region, mainly Bukoba District, of Tanzania.

Answer: Headhunter

I know where my head will be after a Headhunter or two, and it won't be in the clouds! One can only suppose that the vitamins from the fruit will counteract the explosive effect of mixed rums and beer...

The Hashi Bashi is gin and Campari poured over ice and topped with Schweppes Russchian. Mild, compared to some of the recipes I saw checking out this question!

Hurricane Leah is light rum, gin, vodka, tequila, Blue Curacao, cherry brandy, sour mix and orange juice poured into a parfait glass and garnished with a twist of orange peel. That could surely blow one into the next county - or at least onto the floor!

The Hard Green Bricaki would probably leave me matching its colour: Absolut Citron, Malibu rum and Midori melon liqueur are poured over ice; a dash of lime juice is added, the pineapple juice tops it off and a slice of lime garnishes.

Answer: Valentin Haussmann

Not a great deal is known about the life of Valentin Haussmann, and much of what is written, was written in German. Google does a great job of translating documents, but German translates into very odd English indeed! It would appear that Haussmann popularised some of the 'country' music of Germany and Poland, as well as bringing new musical forms, found in Italy, to Germany. His own works are largely found in the Wrockaw University Library's collection. He was employed for an unspecified period as an organist, and was also a councilman in his home town of Gerbstadt. He died in or before 1614, when there is a reference in a document to his having died previously.

Hans Leo Hassler is one of the great composers of his time. Born in 1564 in Nuremburg, Germany, he left for Venice at the age of about 20 to learn from the Italian master Andrea Gabrieli. Two years later he returned to Germany where he became an organist and composer in Augsburg. He later moved back to Nuremburg, where he became involved in the production of musical clocks, then to Ulm. He died in June, 1612 in Frankfort of tuberculosis, at the age of 48.

Paul Hofhaimer was born in 1459 near Salzburg, Austria. He was an organist who also composed, taught and consulted on the construction of new organs. He is particularly famous for his ability to improvise upon a piece of music. Most of his surviving compositions are songs, which were widely distributed, and therefore likely very popular, during his time. This Renaissance composer/musician died in 1537, while organist at Salzburg Cathedral.

Wolff, or Wolfgang, Heintz was born around 1490. He was an organist at Magdeburg and later at Halle, and was a friend of Martin Luther. His compositions included songs, cantatas and psalms. It is thought that he died around 1552.

Answer: Battle of Hill's Plantation

Also known as the Battle of Cache River (the poor generals must have had a confusing time with all these names!) this battle was fought in Woodruff County, Arkansas. Union General Samuel Curtis and his brigade were heading toward Helena, Arkansas (a town on the Mississippi River) in search of supplies when Confederate General Albert Rust was ordered to stop Curtis and his men at the Cache River. Rust didn't apparently have his act totally together, so by the time he and his forces met up with the Union forces, they were about 4 miles south of the river, at Parley Hill's plantation. Despite being badly outnumbered, the Union forces held off the Confederates until reinforcements arrived, at which time they totally defeated them. Curtis occupied Helena, giving strategic advantage to the North by controlling that part of the Mississippi River.

The Battle of Hatchie's Bridge was fought three months later in Tennessee. It was a fairly minor skirmish during a chase to capture Confederate General Earl van Dorn's Army of West Tennessee.

The Battle of Hartville occurred in January 1863 in Hartville (and surrounding area), Missouri. Essentially, Confederate troops captured a Union garrison in Hartville, and Union troops sent to take it back were unsuccessful.

Not until 1864 was the Battle of Haw's (or Hawe's) Shop, also known as the Battle of Enon Church, fought in Hanover County, Virginia. It was one of the nastiest, bloodiest battles of the war. It seems the Union army under General Grant escaped a trap set by General Lee, and were scouting for Lee's troops and a good place to fight them. The scouting army ran into the Confederates and despite the geography being against them, took up the battle. In the end, the Union forces won the battle as the Confederates withdrew after about seven hours of fighting, but they probably lost more men.

Answer: true

It's true. Hungary is a country of about 10 million (1997 est) and a literacy rate of 99.4% of those 15 and over. The country is bordered by Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria. It was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which fell apart after World War I. After WWII it became a communist nation, but is now a member of NATO and the European Union.

Answer: Hadar

Hadar is a site in East Africa. The site has yielded thousands of fossils, mostly from mammals but some also from early man.

Helwan in Egypt dates back to the first and second pharonic dynasties. Excavations first began in 1942, and so far over 10,000 tombs have been discovered on the site.

Hassana is in Iraq. The site is late Neolithic (stone age) where people lived in villages, farmed, made pottery and hunted.

Hissarlik is the site of Troy, discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in the late 1800s. There are actually quite a number of Troys on the site, one on top of the other, the oldest having been built around 3000 BCE.

I hope you enjoyed doing the quiz as much as I enjoyed putting it together!