"Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart" Quiz

Answer: Question mark

The first recorded example of irony punctuation appears to be in 1688 when the English writer, philosopher and clergyman, John Wilkins, used an inverted exclamation point in his famous work, "Essay Towards a Real Character and a Philosophical Language", to express same. By 1899 the French poet, Alcanter de Braham was utilising a reversed question mark instead to express this mood. Today, that reversed question mark is the favoured form of punctuation used when expressing sarcasm or irony, with some writers opting for an exclamation point in brackets or scare quotes as well. Scare quotes are just another name for quotation marks. What a "relaxing" term.

Answer: India

Zing, which used to be known as Zee Music or Music Asia, is an Indian television channel which is mostly devoted to broadcasting music clips either in the Hindi language or in other local dialects. Owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Zing occasionally broadcasts comedy, animation or lifestyle programs as well, but its main thrust is music. With a viewing audience that reaches as far as Europe, Zing's most popular segments are its "Chillax" mornings.

These feature non-stop music from various genres, including the colourful and vibrant musical production numbers from Bollywood films.

Answer: Barbershop quartet

The four women comprising the Zing quartet barbershop group were formed in Kansas, USA, in 2001 and were active until 2013 when the group decided to disband. Made up of Michelle Hungert as tenor, Susan Ives as lead, Mary Rhea as baritone and Melynnie Williams as bass, the pinnacle of Zing's achievements was winning the highly sought after Sweet Adelines International Quartet Championship in 2009.

The Adelines have members spread over five continents. Considered the world's largest singing organisation for woman, its membership by 2014 numbered 1,200 quartets. That's a lot of beautiful singing being heard all over the globe.

Answer: Business meetings

Business meetings are gatherings for various heads of the departments of any organisation to discuss matters relating to that organisation. Areas covered could include finance, forward planning, investments, staff reshuffles and so on. They're usually as boring as hell, quite frankly, with most of their attendees in a semi-comatose state at their conclusion. Zing Technologies produces software to make members of such meetings feel up to date and with it, with the aid of computerised devices that do exactly the same job as the original meeting formats, and probably achieve just as little.

Answer: Africa

"You lookin' fer trouble?" Zing is an area in the state of Nigeria in Africa. Jalingo is the capital of this state, Taraba is the rather huge local government area it covers, and Zing is where the headquarters for this government area can be found. Everybody sing now, "The thigh bone's connected to the hip bone...".

(In case you're wondering, the title of this quiz was set as part of a challenge for quiz writers - and it's proving rather a challenge to get zingy about zing)

Answer: Light aircraft

Pop's Props Zing is an open cockpit, single engine light aircraft that was designed and produced in Illinois in the US. It first took to the air in 1996. Wouldn't you just love to go for a flight in one of those - providing parachutes were provided? The company that produced this aircraft has since gone out of business, so one would think those parachutes were most definitely a requirement to be on board before taking off. That and a stiff gin.

As it comes in kit form, this little plane can be constructed by anyone. That's not at all reassuring, surprisingly so. It only has a wing span of four and a half feet and weighs but 115 kilograms. Good heavens, I'm actually six inches taller than its width. The idea of building a plane from kit form is not confidence inspiring at all. Almost everything that is purchased in this country in that condition usually has several important screws missing. Bartender, give me another before take-off - make it a double!

Answer: Drums and bass

That's his professional name of course. His birth name is Steven Paul Grecco and he was born in 1964 at - oh how helpful, it doesn't even say where he was born. A drummer of mystery apparently. Before joining the band Samhain, this person, who looks totally unappealing in all his photographs, played for such joyous groups as Implosion, Mourning Noise, Son of Sam and the Undead. How delightful. Just the sort of groups you'd take your mother-in-law along to see.

(In case you missed the photo clue, that part of the human anatomy has an ear drum, otherwise known as the tympanic membrane)

Answer: Crayola crayons

Created in the United States, Crayola crayons began to colour our lives in 1903. By 1998, the company that manufactures these lovely drawing and colouring tools had created 120 different colours. Only thirteen numbers have been retired since that early beginning more than 100 years ago, and others have been renamed. How does one retire a colour? What a quaint way of saying "We don't make it any longer, dearie".

The ones that were renamed were done so because it was thought the original names were politically incorrect. Everything today is politically incorrect. You can't sneeze without a tut-tut emerging from some political corner or another. I'm even afraid to say anything to my neighbours in case I offend their cat.

Its parentage is rather questionable.

Answer: Makeup and cosmetics

Zing, who was born in 1970 in Singapore, but who now lives and works in Hong Kong, is a very well known makeup artist. He has a creative and innovative approach to tizzying up the faces of the entertainment greats and others who are constantly in the public eye, and such is his fame, that any new look he designs immediately becomes the height of fashion.

His work is so valued that he has become the makeup spokesman for the cosmetic firm Max Factor, has his own weekly columns on makeup in various magazines, runs exhibitions of his work, has his own makeup school, and even, at one stage of his career, had his own television program about makeup. Sigh...it all used to be so easy. You'd trot down to Coles and buy a lippy worth a couple of bob. Now we're supposed to look like a cross between a Picasso painting at its worst and a croquembouche dessert.

Answer: Judy Garland

This song was written in 1934 by James F. Hanley. Never heard of him. It has been recorded by various artists over time, including a rendition by Barbra Streisand, but it was the interpretation by the lovely but tragic Judy Garland (1922-1969) in the 1938 musical comedy, "Listen Darling" that was its most popular rendition. That film is centred around a girl, Pinkie Wingate (played by Judy), trying to prevent her mother marrying whom she considers to be the wrong person for her. As it is a comedy, full of catchy musical numbers, it ends to the satisfaction of all concerned.

And zing! I'm outta here. Hope you enjoyed the quiz.