Jumpin' Jehosophat, it's the "J" Quiz!

Answer: Jonquil

The name "jonquil" is often used when describing a narcissus, but the real Jonquil is the "narcissus jonquilla", a bulb which produces a flower similar to the daffodil or narcissus. The major difference is that the jonquil has dark green, round, leaves and clusters of small yellow blossoms. (The narcissus and daffodil have larger flowers.)

The Jacaranda could never be mistaken for a daffodil - it's a large shrub or tree with purple-blue flowers which can reach 30 metres tall. It is native to tropical South and Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Jasmine is found in shrub and vine forms and is related to the olive. Most varieties have white, fragrant flowers. It makes a lovely hedge!

The Juniper is a plant which, like the Jacaranda, can be found in shrub or tree form. It produces berrylike cones; in some species the 'berry' is poisonous, in others it is used to flavour gin or as a spice (grind some up with salt and pepper and coat your pork chop - pork never tasted so good!).

Answer: Jora

Jina is a language found in Cameroon. It has dialects, one of which (Muxule) may be considered a separate language. Approximately 1500 people in the far northern part of the country use this language.

Jiru is a language found in a section of Nigeria, with about 3500 people speaking it.

Jula is a major language in Burkina Faso, also found in the Ivory Coast and Mali. About 1.2 million people speak it as their main language; about 3-4 million have it as a secondary language.

Answer: Judgement

Kinsey is hired by an insurance company who recently paid out on the death of a man who has just been spotted very much alive. For five years, everyone thought he'd committed suicide by jumping out of his yacht, but now the question is, is it he who was spotted or someone else? If it's the same person, where was he, and why did he do it? What skeletons jump out of Kinsey's family closet as a result of her investigations?

I'm not telling. Read the book to find the answers to these questions and more...

Answer: John Johnson

John Johnson was born around 1540-45 and died in 1594. According to Naxos, "In 1577 Johnson entered Royal service as one of 'Her Majesty's Musitians for the three lutes'" His work reflected the styles found in both contemporary Italian and English music, and it was apparently greatly appreciated all across Europe. It is not believed that he himself ever travelled outside his native land.

Robert Johnson was the son of John Johnson, born around 1580-1583. Living in the Jacobean period, he was able to compose music for court masques and was also employed as a composer for Shakespeare's theatre company, the King's Men, from 1610-1617. His are the original compositions for a number of Shakespeare's songs, including "Full Fathom Five My Father Lies" and "Where the Bee Sucks". He died around 1634.

John Jenkins (1592-1678) was a lutenist and an expert on the lyra viol who composed over 800 instrumental pieces. He became resident music-master to Lord Dudley North. One notable piece was written after the 1646 Siege of Newark during the English Civil War.

Robert Jones (c.1577-1617) was another lutenist and the most prolific composer for the lute of his time. A graduate of Oxford (St. Edmund Hall, 1597), he ran a school in London. Amongst his compositions were 27 madrigals about birds.

Answer: Jan Mayen Island

Jan Mayan Island is a cold, damp spot of land between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea, northeast of Iceland. Its volcano, Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg, woke up from a long sleep in 1970 and has erupted occasionally since.

Juan de Nova Island is part of The Iles Eparses, a group of islands under French administration. The others are Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands and Tromelin Island, located in the Indian Ocean, surrounding Madagascar. They are uninhabited except for some military and scientists.

Johnston Atoll and Jarvis Island are both part of the United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges, located in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Australia. They have been used in the past for military and for guano mining, amongst other uses, but are now generally just considered off-limits for all but those involved in conservation efforts.

Answer: Jadraque

Jadraque castle is in Jadraque, Guadalajara province, Spain. Rebuilt at the end of the 15th century on the top of a hill where a castle built in 801 CE stood, it is fairly plain (no turrets) with both circular and square towers and a barbican. It is known locally as the "Castle of El Cid"; tradition claims he conquered it at some point in his lifetime.

Jumareh is a castle apparently built by Xerxes in Persia (now Iran) to defeat the Macedonian army of Alexander the Great. Unfortunately there is little information available on the internet about it.

Johannesburg Schloss (castle) is in Aschaffenburg, Germany. It is the only surviving German 4-tower castle. It is an attractive, later castle with four corner towers and what appears to be Dutch detailing. While I am unable to find much information on it, apparently it is open to the public and houses a good restaurant.

I made up the Jelamar castle. Couldn't find a fourth starting with "J"...

Answer: Henry James

Henry James (1843-1916) was a writer of novels and stories with themes of morality and consciousness. His own life was less defined: of indeterminate sexuality, he tried reading Law at Harvard, but failed. He became a British citizen shortly before his death, partly in protest of the policies of his native America, and is reputed to have said as his last words, "So it has come at last - the distinguished thing."

William James (1842-1910) was the brother of Henry and of another writer, diarist and sister Alice James. William's works, however, are quite different from those of his siblings. He wrote on psychology, philosophy, religion and mysticism.

James Joyce (1882-1941) was a rather notorious Irish author, most famous for his novel "Ulysses". While born in Dublin, he lived abroad for most of his life. At an early age he was sent to Paris to study medicine, but wasted the tuition money instead. He was a heavy drinker, was afraid of dogs and thunderstorms, and died of complications of surgery for a perforated ulcer.

Edward Jenner (1749-1823) also authored works, but they were scientific treatises on his work on the smallpox vaccine. (Contrary to popular opinion, he did not invent the concept, but rather refined it.)

Answer: Jaleo

The Jaleo dates back to around 550 BCE, and is danced by a single female with castanets (preferably a gypsy) to the music of a guitar playing a love song. Variations include the Jaleo de Xerxes and the Ole.

The Jarabe Tipatio is a Mexican Hat Dance, from around 1900.

The Jota is a national dance of Aragon in Spain, dating from around 1700. Variations include the Jota de la Vendimia, a wine harvest dance from Ciudad Real, the Jota of Alcaniz, the Jota of Albalate, the Jotas of Calanda, the Jota of Huesca and the Zaragoza Jota. This appears to be an "all-purpose" dance, done on a variety of occasions including while watching the dead.

The Jibao, or more properly, the Pie de Jibao, was a dance performed at the royal court in or around the 1560s, and was performed by couples.

Answer: Battle of Johnsonville

The Battle of Johnsonville fought November 4-5, 1864, in Benton County, Tennessee. Forrest attacked a Union supply base in Johnsonville to slow down the Union army in its march through Georgia. Union troops under Colonel C.R. Thompson found where the Confederates were building their fortifications and attacked, but were not able to destroy the Confederate gun batteries. The Union side took position on the other bank of the Tennessee River, taking their gunboats with them. In order to prevent the boats being captured and used against the Union, they were set on fire; the fire spread to a warehouse and stores on the levee. Forrest tried to take advantage of this by shelling the Union side to prevent them putting out the fire, then he left under cover of the night.

The Battle of Jonesborough was fought on August 31 and September 1, 1864 in Clayton County, Georgia. It was the battle which caused the city of Atlanta to fall to Union troops. General Sherman led the Union Army against General Hood, who burned supplies and facilities as the city fell - the burning of Atlanta is immortalized in the film, "Gone With the Wind".

The Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road was fought June 21 - 24, 1864, near Petersburg, Virginia between General Grant and General Lee. It was the opening battle of the "Siege of Petersburg" and aimed to capture the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad, thus breaking the supply line to the Confederates. The end result was a draw: the Union side extended their siege lines but failed to capture the railroad.

The Mississippi Battle of Jackson (there was another Battle of Jackson, this one in Tennessee)was fought on May 14, 1863, in Jackson, Mississippi between Generals Grant and Johnston as part of the Siege of Vicksburg. Grant won the skirmish, captured the town, cutting off a Confederate supply line and allowing troops to move westward.

Answer: Jamesonite

Jamesonite is lead iron antimony sulfide and forms fine crystals that look like hairs. It is dark grey with a silky metallic sheen and grey-black streaks. It rates as a 2-3 on the hardness scale, and is found in Cornwall, England, South Dakota and Arkansas in the USA, and in parts of Mexico and Romania. It was named for the Scottish mineralogist Robert Jameson.

Jarosite is potassium iron sulfate hydroxide. It is found in the Jaroso ravine, Sierra Almagrera, Spain, Colorado,Arizona,Idaho and California, USA, and has been identified on Mars.

Joaquinite is - wait for it - hydrated sodium barium iron cerium titanium niobium silicate oxide hydroxide fluoride. It's a rather pretty mineral, yellow to brown and either translucent or transparent. It is found only at the Joaquin Ridge, Mt. Diablo Range, Contra Costa County and the head waters of the San Benito River, San Benito County, California, USA, and very rarely in Quebec, Canada.

Jordanite is lead arsenic antimony sulfide, forming opaque black or dark grey crystals. It was named for Dr. A. Jordan of Saarbrücken, Germany. It is found in Switzerland, and in Colorado and Pennsylvania, USA.