Maids Not a Milking Trivia Quiz

Answer: Niagara Falls

Although known to most as simply Niagara Falls, there are actually three waterfalls in very close proximity. The American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls are on the American side, while the really large Horseshoe Falls falls (pun intended) almost completely on the Canadian side.
The original Maid of the Mist was launched in 1846 and used to transport passengers across the river. With the building of bridges cutting down on the need for ferries, the Maid of the Mist turned to tourism for a source of livelihood. This service drew to an end as America moved towards civil war and the boat was sold to Montreal in 1861.
A second Maid of the Mist was launched in 1885 with a sister ship christened in 1892.
A ride on the Maid of the Mist takes you past the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls and then to a spot near the thunderous base of Horseshoe Falls. It's an exhilarating, if wet, experience.
In 2014 Hornblower Niagara Cruises replaced the Maid of the Mist on the Canadian side and, while it was sad to see the end of a legend, the Hornblower boats are catamarans, which makes it possible to get even closer to the base of Horseshoe Falls. Niagara Falls, New York continues to use the Maid of the Mist.

Answer: "all in a row"

"Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row."

As with many nursery rhymes chanted by children, they were actually written to make comment on current events (like the plague in "Ring a Ring o' Rosies") or the politics of the time. One of the popular interpretations of this particular nursery rhyme is that Mary refers to Mary Queen of Scots. Her garden growing is allegedly a reference to her kingdom, while "silver bells" refers to Catholicism, "cockle shells" to her husband's lack of fidelity and "pretty maids all in a row" to her ladies in waiting.

Answer: She looks after the bride on her wedding day.

The Maid of Honour (Matron if she is married) is the chief bridesmaid who witnesses (by signing) the marriage license. Her duties can include anything from taking the bride for dress fittings, throwing a bridal shower and organising a girls' night out, to making sure that the bride arrives at the church on time and holding the bride's bouquet and/or gloves during the ceremony. The origin of bridesmaids, as we know them in North America, is unknown but may date back to ancient Roman times where ten people were required to witness a wedding (hence a wedding party).

The witnesses dressed the same as the bride and groom did, to confuse any nasty spirits that might be hanging around.

Answer: Joan of Arc

Born to peasant farmers in 1412, when still a teenager Joan of Arc claimed to receive visions from the Archangel Michael, Saint Margaret and Saint Catherine of Alexandria. She took her message to the then uncrowned King Charles VII of France who was engaged in the 100 Years War with England at the time. Because she had information that Charles felt she had no other way of knowing, he believed in her visions and sent her to the siege of Orleans (hence the nickname Maid of Orleans). The siege ended only nine days later. This victory did much to improve the morale of the French, led to other victories, the crowning of Charles and the eventual resolution of the 100 Years War.
Joan of Arc was captured by the English, found guilty of heresy and burned at the stake when only 19 years old. She was eventually convicted on the charge of cross-dressing, which was considered heresy, something she did in battle and again in prison to protect herself from rape.
In 1436, Pope Callixtus III ordered an inquisitional court to investigate her trial, which acquitted her of all charges and named her a martyr. She was canonized in 1920 and is one of the secondary patron saints of France.

Answer: The Help

Based on a novel by Kathryn Stockett, "The Help" is a very powerful movie that exposes how racism was very much a way of life in the American south in 1963. The movie focuses on Skeeter Phelan (played by Emma Stone) who wants to be a writer. College educated and unmarried, Skeeter is already very different from her peers and the fact that she wants to be a writer, only cements those differences.

She becomes disgusted by the way her friends treat their maids and writes a book about it but the publisher she submits to insists that the maids' stories must be heard. Getting the women to talk isn't easy at first, but when they do, some incredible stories come to light.

Answer: as a vixen

Reference to Robin Hood can be traced back to a 1377 poem "Piers Plowman", but the character that has been immortalised in film developed in ballads around the 15th to 16th centuries.
The Disney movie, released in 1973, had all characters portrayed as animals. Little John is a bear, Friar Tuck a badger, the Sheriff of Nottingham is a wolf, Prince John and King Richard (when he shows up) are lions. Robin Hood and his love interest, Maid Marian, are foxes.
In the movie Maid Marian, a niece of King Richard's, is attended by Lady Kluck, who is a chicken as her name suggests, to whom she confides that she and Robin were childhood sweethearts. True love prevails and the star crossed lovers manage to meet and fall in love again.
Maid Marian, voiced by Monica Evans, is a feisty vixen who risks everything for the fox she loves and the causes he fights for.

Answer: a house cleaning service

Formed in Canada, in 1979, by husband and wife Chris and Adrienne Stringer, Molly Maid is headquartered in Oakville, Ontario. It expanded into the U.S. in 1984 and has over 400 franchises, that provide house cleaning services, in countries around the world like the U.K., Portugal and Japan.

The co-founders say that the titular character from the 1964 film "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" was the inspiration for the name.

Answer: False

Old Maid is a card game that originated in the Victorian era in Great Britain. Special decks can be purchased but it can also be played with a regular deck of cards. This is done by either adding a joker to represent the Old Maid, or to remove a card. Having an uneven number of cards with one that cannot be paired up is key. Cards are dealt and players take turns presenting their hands, face down, to the player on their left who picks one. If this matches another card in their hand they can discard the pair. Play continues until only the unmatchable card, the Old Maid, is left and the person holding that card loses the game.

Answer: Germany

The iron maiden, consisting of a person-sized iron enclosure filled with spikes, was invented in the Germanic town of Nuremberg, probably in the 14th century. There are many iron maidens on display in museums around the world but scholars feel that these were made for display and never used.
The iron maiden of Nuremburg (first displayed in 1822 and destroyed during WWII bombing attacks) was one of these mock-ups but it is believed that this one was based on a real device used in the torture of witches and others who opposed the church.

Answer: Downton Abbey

Filmed in part at Highclere Castle, Downton Abbey is a fictional, large estate in England. The show opens just after the sinking of the Titanic, a time when a large staff is needed to look after the large estate. As the years progress the Earl and his family must adapt to changing times, as the staff becomes smaller both for financial reasons and because of changing societal attitude, with the decline of the aristocracy as the working class emerges.