I'm a Rat What's Your Excuse? Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Stranglers

The title was changed to 'Rattus Norvegicus' at the last minute. The band's name was actually listed as 'Stranglers IV' on the sleeve. The second most successful mammal on earth (after humans), Rattus norvegicus is also known as the brown rat, the Norway/Norwegian rat, the common rat, the Hanover rat and the wharf rat, but they actually originated in China. Rattus norvegicus has been blamed for the spread of bubonic plague, but it was actually spread by the fleas on the rats - a subtle distinction, but one to appreciate for the sake of the rat!

Answer: A water vole

The European water vole (Arvicola amphibius) was nearly wiped out in the UK, but is making a comeback. It is also known as the water rat, which is why 'Ratty' is the character's name in 'Wind in the Willows'.

Answer: Richard Ratcliffe

The Tudors have never stopped slandering Richard III (who is now not believed to have murdered the princes in the tower - for an interesting take, read Josephine Tey's 'The Daughter of Time'). In this doggerel, the Cat was Catesby, one of Richard III's most trusted councillors, the Rat was Richard Ratcliffe, another of Richard's confidants, as was Lovell (our dog) and the Hog was Richard III himself, who had a wild boar as his personal totem.

Answer: Banksy

Much as though I disapprove of graffiti in itself, there is no doubt that Banksy is a genuine artist. His 'Gangsta Rat', which has appeared in many images, wears a baseball cap, bling (prominent jewellery) and is accompanied by a ghetto blaster (portable stereo). All the wrong answers are American graffiti exponents.

Answer: A ducat

Polonius was hiding behind an arras (tapestry) to eavesdrop on Gertrude and Hamlet's conversation, but when he cried out, Hamlet killed him in mistake for Claudius. Hamlet, Act IV, Scene III, 23: "How now? A rat? Dead, for a ducat, dead!" A ducat was a gold coin used in Europe before the first World War.

A doubloon was a Spanish gold coin. Eight half crowns made up a pound in British pre-decimal currency and a sovereign is a gold coin that is nominally equivalent to a pound sterling but, being made of gold, is worth considerably more.

Answer: UB40

UB40 was named after the then Unemployment Benefit Form 40. Their biggest successes were with covers ('Red, Red Wine', '(I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You' and 'I Got You, Babe'), but they had modest success with 'Rat in the Kitchen', which reached number 4 in the British charts and number 53 in the US.

Answer: Michael Jackson

The song is 'Ben', the theme tune to the film of the same name, which was a follow-up to 'Willard'. It was first offered to Donny Osmond, but he was on tour and it became Michael Jackson's first number one as a solo artist. More love songs for rats!

Answer: Rat Trap

'Rat Trap' was written by Noel Coward when he was only 18. 'Rat Trap' was the first punk number one actually acknowledged by the BBC ('God Save the Queen' by the Sex Pistols only made number two on the BBC charts). 'The Mousetrap' is a play by Agatha Christie. 'King Rat' is a book by James Clavell.

Answer: William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was born under the sign of the rat (as am I!) Other famous rats include Plato, Tolstoy, Mozart, Andrew Lloyd Webber, George Washington and Antoine de St Exupéry. The wrong answers are all people born in the Year of the Horse, which is the least compatible sign with rats.

Answer: Ganesh

Ganesh, the elephant-headed deity, is often shown with a rat at his feet or riding on a rat, and there is always a statue of a rat in a temple to Ganesh. Contrast that with their reputation in the West (although Jimmy Cagney never said "You dirty rat") and laboratory rats. Anyway, "I'm a rat - what's your excuse?" I hope you've enjoyed the quiz and thanks to Terry for the idea of challenges and Rowena8482 for setting the challenge.