What the "L" Will You Do with These Questions? Quiz

Answer: Lundehund

The Lundehund is a Norwegian spitz variety, bred to hunt puffins, hence the extra toes - it made it easier for them to climb up cliffs to find the birds. At one point the breed nearly died out - following a decline in their use in hunting, and the imposition of a tax on dogs. They eventually were only found in one village by the end of WWII. Then there was an outbreak of distemper, and all but 6 of the dogs died. Careful breeding has brought them back from near extinction, but they all are born with a syndrome which affects the digestion of certain nutrients.

The Lithuanian Hound is a sighthound that looks rather like a smallish Rottweiler. This breed also nearly disappeared when a number of dogs were killed in boar hunts in 1976-77. The government created a facility to restore the breed, which is rare even in its home country.

The Labrador Husky is a distinct husky breed, a bit larger than Siberians and Samoyeds but smaller than Malamutes. The Labrador Husky does not bark, but howls like a wolf, and indeed there is wolf in his more recent ancestry.

The Leonberger is a large, reddish brown to black dog with a heavy mask of black on his face and a thick mane (which gives him the "lion" in his name). Despite the ferocious look, he's a sweetheart with not a mean bone in his body.

Answer: Loarre

Loarre Castle occupies a site where building began in the early 11th century on land reclaimed from the Muslim occupiers of the Aragon region of Spain. Additional building took place over the next two centuries. The somewhat unique architecture has probably lent itself to generations of sand castles - it's a beautiful Romanesque structure with monastery and chapel included.

Lambert Castle is actually a stately home built in 1892 in Paterson, New Jersey. Its owner was Catholina Lambert, an English immigrant who went from bookkeeper to owner of a major silk manufacturer and member of the "Gilded" class, along with Vanderbilt, Rothschild and Carnegie. The Castle took a year to build, at an estimated cost of nearly a half million dollars. Later financial problems led to its sale to the city of Paterson, where it is now kept as a museum.

Leap Castle, near Roscrea in Ireland, was built in 1250 and has had a rather bloody history since. A 1532 rivalry between two brothers, one a priest, led to one rather nasty incident: the priest was holding mass when his brother broke into the chapel and murdered him at the altar. During the 1922 Irish Civil War it was gutted by fire, as it was then owned by an English family. Its current Irish owner has been restoring it, and during work discovered an oubliette (a rather nasty version of a dungeon, from which there was no return) with a lot of human bones - and a pocket watch from the 1840s. Needless to say, Leap Castle is haunted!

Linderhof Castle is a 19th century gothic pile built by Ludwig II in the style of Versailles, complete with over-the-top Rococo decor. One of its innovations was a dining table which sank through the dining room floor to the kitchen, so Ludwig and his guests could have their meals served without having to see the workers.

Answer: D. H. Lawrence

David Herbert Richards Lawrence, born in 1885, wrote extensively and with more openness than was considered proper in his day. His works included "Lady Chatterley's Lover", "Women in Love" and "Sons and Lovers". He died in 1930 in Venice, Italy.

Thomas Edward Lawrence, the man known to history as "Lawrence of Arabia", was born in Wales in 1888. At the age of 21 he undertook a walking tour of Crusader castles in Syria, then took up archaeology. He joined the British Army shortly after the outbreak of World War I, where his knowledge of the Middle East was invaluable in defeating the Ottoman Empire. During his life he authored two works, "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" and "The Mint" (his book "Revolt in the Desert" was an abridged version of "Seven Pillars of Wisdom") and translated two other works. He died at the age of 46 from injuries from a motorcycle accident.

Matthew Lewis was born in 1775 in London. His best known work was "The Monk", a gothic horror novel which caused such consternation that he had to reissue it with the worst bits removed. Other works included "Journal of a West Indian Proprietor", published after his death, some stage works and translations. He was the Member of Parliament for Hindon, but apparently was not particularly adept at politics; in his entire career as an MP, he did not once address the House of Commons! He died in 1818 of a fever acquired while in the tropics.

Harry Sinclair Lewis, born 1885 in Minnesota, was an American author and the first American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. His works include "Babbitt", "Main Street", "Elmer Gantry" and "Arrowsmith" (which won a Pulitzer Prize). An alcoholic, he died in 1951.

Answer: Limner

If you wanted a nice illuminated book, or something draughted, you would hire a limner.

Latten, a metal which was either extremely similar to brass or another name for brass, was worked by a latouner.

If you need a lock for your safe or home, you would call for a lokeer.

Every horse bridle includes a number of metal rings and fasteners, which were made by a lorimer.

Answer: Lawless

Kinsey just wanted to help her friend obtain the WWII military paperwork with which he could obtain Government help burying his grandfather. Okay, you may ask - where had granddad been stashed all this time? (answer: he just kicked the proverbial bucket). Why was it so hard to get the paperwork? For those who have had to do this, you'll know there is a slew of paperwork and layers of bureaucracy - but in this case, the bureaucrats were the least of her problems. Throw in a psychopath, a pregnant girl with a duffle bag, a seedy motel, a spare toothbrush... and make time to sit down for a good read. You won't want to put the book down until the very last sentence.

Answer: Charles de La Fosse

Charles de La Fosse was born in Paris somewhere in the 1636-1640 period. He studied under Charles le Brun in France, then spent several years in Italy studying the Italian masters. The cupola of the Church of Les Invalides in Paris is possibly his best known work, and there are several of his works in the Louvre. He died in 1716, in Paris.

Laurent de La Hire was born in 1606, also in Paris. He drew and painted in the classical Baroque style. His works were also held in great regard and his decorative work was found in many of the grander homes and palaces. He died in Paris in 1656.

Nicolas Lancret was born in 1690 in Paris. His preferred subject was congregations of people, including fairs and fêtes. He died in 1743 in Paris.

Alphonse Legros was much more modern, having been born in 1837, in Dijon, France. In 1863 he moved to London, where he taught at the South Kensington School of Art and later at the Slade. He died in 1911 in Watford, England.

Answer: Lesotho

Lesotho obtained independence from Britain in 1966. Approximately 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa; most of the remaining population works in subsistence agriculture. It has a very high infant mortality rate and a very low life expectancy, both greatly influenced by the extent of AIDS in the country. Some 80% of the population is Christian, the rest follow indigenous religions.

Liechtenstein is a principality located between Austria and Switzerland. At a total land area of 160 sq km, it is smaller than Washington DC, has a population of under 35,000, and 100% of its population over the age of 10 is literate.

Lithuania is not landlocked, but sits on the eastern edge of the Baltic Sea, nestled in between Latvia, Belarus, Poland and Russia. On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare its independence. It has a land area of 65,200 sq km, a population of over 3.5 million, a low infant mortality rate, a reasonable life expectancy, and a high literacy rate. Primarily a Roman Catholic country, it is now a parliamentary democracy with an economy heavily weighted towards manufacture.

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is another landlocked country, a constitutional monarchy, this time with an area of 2,586 sq km. Its population of some 480,000 are mostly Roman Catholic and 100% of those over the age of 15 are literate. Its per capita GDP ranks #2 in the world, so the standard of living is high.

Answer: Battle of Lawrence

The Battle of Lawrence, Kansas, was a bloodthirsty retaliation for a Union raid on Osceola, Missouri, and was precipitated by the collapse of a gaol where women were being held for having helped the guerrilla raiders under William Clark Quantrill. The area was already a tinderbox of tension between pro- and anti-slavery factions, and this final event was the match. Quantrill and his raiders descended upon Lawrence and killed 185-200 men and boys. In retaliation, Union General Thomas Ewing had the population of four Missouri counties evicted and all the buildings in them were burnt to the ground.

The Battle of Lewis's Farm was a one day event occurring on 29 March 1865 between Generals Gouvenor K. Warren and Bushrod Johnson. The battle occurred in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. It was the first skirmish of the campaign which ended with the surrender by the Confederates at Appomatox Courthouse.

The Battle of Liberty, also known as the Battle of Blue Mills Landing or the Battle of Blue Mills, occurred on 17 September 1861 in Clay County, Missouri. The objective of the Confederates was to cross the Missouri River at a point near Liberty, Missouri; the objective of the Union troops was to stop them. The Confederates prevailed, and inflicted heavy casualties on the Union troops.

The Battle of LaFourche Crossing took place on June 20-21, 1863. Confederate General Richard Taylor wanted to remove Union troops under General William H. Emory from their holding at Brashear City, Louisiana, and cut their supply lines. Local commander Lieutenant Colonel Albert Stickney led his troops out of Brashear and engaged the Confederates at LaFourche Crossing. The Union troops prevailed, and the Confederates withdrew to Thibodeaux.

Answer: Pierre de La Rue

Pierre de La Rue was born around 1452-1460, probably in Tournai (now part of Belgium) and clearly had an interesting life. His best known works are his masses and motets, and he was one of the most famous and influential composers in the Netherlands polyphonic style. He died on 20 November 1518, a wealthy man at a time when composer/singers did not usually accumulate much wealth. He left money for requiem masses to be sung every day for the month after his death, and a further 300 masses to be sung afterwards, and is believed to be buried on the left side of the altar of a church in Kortrijk (now in Belgium).

Jean Lheritier (1480-1551)was a native of the north of France. His travels took him to the Ferraran court and then to Rome, where he was maestro di cappella at St Louis-des-Français. He largely composed sacred music, in particular polyphonic liturgical motets.

Francesco Landini was born around 1325 in either Fiesole or Florence, Italy. A composer, organist, singer, poet and instrument maker, he was probably the most famous Italian musician of his times. The Squarcialupi Codex holds 146 pieces of his music (all secular, none of his sacred music has survived) and an illustration of him playing a miniature organ (a small keyed instrument with bellows). Interestingly, he was blinded by smallpox as a child, but overcame his handicap to become one of the greatest musicians of his time.

Ramon Llull was born around 1232, in Palma, Majorca. He was a philosopher, mystic, astrologer and a statesman, whose goal was to convert Muslims to Christianity. While he was not noted as a composer, Naxos lists him as the composer for "Cantaben els osells".

Answer: Leelau

Loo is another Nigerian language, used by the Fore (Kyilayo), Bene, Tamu, Bana, Talau, Tadam and Wawa clans.

Lalia is spoken by about 55000 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, near Yalosaka.

Only about 150 people still spoke Lahali in 1983. It is found on Ureparapara Island, Vanuatu and is probably still the main language in that sparsely-populated area.