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Quiz about Archie Goodwin Nero Wolfes Amanuensis

Archie Goodwin, Nero Wolfe's Amanuensis Quiz

Sure, Wolfe was the genius, but Archie was no slouch. He once labeled himself Wolfe's amanuensis, which originally meant "slave with secretarial duties". He was a lot more than that! This quiz is a tribute to Archie Goodwin.

A multiple-choice quiz by austinnene. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
austinnene

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
275,898

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
10 / 15

Plays
610

Awards
Top 5% quiz!

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. Where did Archie grow up? Hint

Chicago, Illinois

Chillicothe, Ohio

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Cattaraugus County, New York

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Question 2 of 15

2. Archie was in the active military in World War II. What was the highest rank he achieved? Hint

Captain

Colonel

Lieutenant

Major

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Question 3 of 15

3. Archie had a steady lady friend for many years. What was her name? Hint

Lily Rowan

Rosa Bendini

Sue Dondero

Caroline Pratt

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Question 4 of 15

4. In one book, Archie actually left Wolfe's employment for several months and struck out on his own. How did he do as a one-man detective agency? Hint

He couldn't make ends meet and had to find work with the Del Bascom Agency.

He started off slow but before long was making more than Wolfe ever paid him.

He paid his bills, but just barely.

He had to take on mostly divorce work, and he didn't enjoy it much.

5. Archie was pretty satisfied with his looks overall, but a number of times he made reference to one feature that was maybe not quite up to snuff. What would he have liked to change about his appearance? Hint

He was only 5'8" tall.

His feet were size thirteens, and they tangled him up sometimes!

His nose was on the small side.

He was losing his hair.

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Question 6 of 15

6. Wolfe had strict rules about how one behaves during meals. What was the arrangement he and Archie had concerning breakfast? Hint

Breakfast was served at 8 am sharp, no matter when they got to bed the night before.

Breakfast was a light meal usually served cold--cereal and fruit generally.

No one could come to the breakfast table in a robe and slippers.

Archie ate in the kitchen, not at the dining room table.

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Question 7 of 15

7. Archie had a friend who was employed at the Gazette, a fictional New York newspaper that popped up in lots of Nero Wolfe books. They traded information and played poker together. Occasionally the friend was invited to Wolfe's table for a meal and some good brandy. What was his name, and what was his job title? Hint

Marko Vukcic, and he was the crime beat reporter.

Fred Durkin, and he was the city editor.

Lon Cohen, and we never learn his title.

Purley Stebbins, and he was the publisher.

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Question 8 of 15

8. Archie was quite the ladies' man--as long as the lady in question measured up in the looks and brains department. Despite his long term relationship with one woman, he managed to date quite a few lovelies over the years, often in the line of duty. What was one of his favorite ways to spend an evening with a date? Hint

Dancing. Archie was lightfooted and he appreciated a skilled dance partner.

Going to the movies. Archie loved the swashbuckling heroes of the big screen.

Archie loved opera and had season tickets to the Met.

After all the rich and exotic dishes served at Wolfe's, Archie liked to take his dates to a down-home diner where they could get some meat loaf and a good piece of pie.

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Question 9 of 15

9. In one book, the tables were turned and Wolfe ended up having to report conversations verbatim to Archie. Why? Hint

Archie was injured early in the story and Wolfe updated him while he was in the hospital.

They were overseas and Archie didn't speak the language.

Wolfe lost a bet and Archie had him pay up by doing the reporting for a change.

Circumstances forced Wolfe to go undercover and Archie had to man the office.

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Question 10 of 15

10. Archie loved to bait law enforcement officials. He had a love-hate relationship with most of the those he encounters, but he had a hate-hate relationship with one man. Who was it Archie couldn't stand? Hint

Lieutenant Rowcliff

Sergeant Stebbins

Westchester Detective Ben Dykes

Stahl, the FBI agent

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Question 11 of 15

11. Wolfe employed several independent operatives to assist him and Archie when there was more legwork than one man could manage. Archie, of course, wasn't shy about letting us know what he thought of each of them. One of them he characterized as dependable and hardworking, but perhaps not the brightest detective of the bunch. Who was it? Hint

Orrie Cather

Fred Durkin

Saul Panzer

Johnny Keems

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Question 12 of 15

12. Archie was known to take a drink now and again, but he rarely overindulged in the hard stuff. Much of the time, Archie's drink of choice was what? Hint

Orange juice-hold the vodka.

Coffee and keep it coming.

He was a wine connoisseur.

Milk, plain white milk

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Question 13 of 15

13. Archie and Inspector Cramer tangled more than once, but underneath, they had a grudging regard for each other. How did Archie know when Cramer was feeling particularly cordial toward him? Hint

Cramer would offer Archie a cigar.

Cramer would call Archie by his first name.

Cramer would invite Archie to look at the police files of a case they were both working on.

Cramer would suggest they meet for dinner to confer.

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Question 14 of 15

14. Besides doing the accounting for the business, virtually ALL the legwork, and writing reports of the more notable cases Wolfe solved, what was another routine duty Archie performed? Hint

He cleaned the office every day. Wolfe wouldn't enter a dusty room.

He did the grocery shopping, no small task with a chef like Fritz Brenner in the house.

He kept up the germination records of Wolfe's stock of orchids.

He ordered Wolfe's custom-made shirts and slacks and got the dry-cleaning done weekly.

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Question 15 of 15

15. Wolfe didn't drive and hated vehicles. What kind of car did Archie drive? Hint

Archie liked sports cars and drove a silver MG in several books.

Archie saved for several years and finally bought a maroon Lincoln Town Car, which he said he would never give up.

Archie was a New Yorker--he didn't drive a car, he took cabs.

Usually a Heron, black, owned by Wolfe.

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Where did Archie grow up?

Answer: Chillicothe, Ohio

Archie was reared by his mother in Chillicothe. We never heard anything about his father or any siblings, although he once invented a wife and a slew of children when a young lady began to show more interest in him than he was comfortable with!

2. Archie was in the active military in World War II. What was the highest rank he achieved?

Answer: Major

He'd been Major Goodwin three whole days when he suggested to the brass that they promote him to Colonel. He had a fair amount of brass of his own...

3. Archie had a steady lady friend for many years. What was her name?

Answer: Lily Rowan

Lily was the wealthy daughter of an immigrant who made a fortune building sewers. She and Archie met in the country in upstate New York--Archie was being chased by a bull and vaulted over a fence to safety, landing sprawled at Lily's feet. She christened him Escamillo on the spot. Sue and Rosa were ladies Archie dated casually while on a case.

He never dated Caroline, who was an acquaintance of Lily's.

4. In one book, Archie actually left Wolfe's employment for several months and struck out on his own. How did he do as a one-man detective agency?

Answer: He started off slow but before long was making more than Wolfe ever paid him.

Archie did just fine. He made enough in a few months to plan an extended vacation in Norway.

Answer: His nose was on the small side.

Archie had a high opinion of himself generally, but he mentioned in several books that his nose was a bit small for his face. It never stopped him from attracting the ladies, though!

6. Wolfe had strict rules about how one behaves during meals. What was the arrangement he and Archie had concerning breakfast?

Answer: Archie ate in the kitchen, not at the dining room table.

Wolfe ate breakfast in bed, and Archie ate in the kitchen with Fritz, Wolfe's personal chef, for company. He read at least two papers while he ate, the Times and the Gazette. And breakfast was most definitely NOT a cold meal! Fritz had his pride, after all.

Answer: Lon Cohen, and we never learn his title.

Lon had a corner office just down the hall from the publisher's, but there was no title on the door and Archie didn't know what Lon's official capacity was. Lon loved to come to Wolfe's for a big steak and good conversation.

Answer: Dancing. Archie was lightfooted and he appreciated a skilled dance partner.

Archie was quite vain of his ability as a dance partner. Most often he took his dates to the Flamingo Club. If a woman couldn't dance, Archie usually didn't take her out twice.

9. In one book, the tables were turned and Wolfe ended up having to report conversations verbatim to Archie. Why?

Answer: They were overseas and Archie didn't speak the language.

In one of the best of the Nero Wolfe series, "The Black Mountain", Archie and Wolfe headed to Montenegro to find the murderer of Wolfe's best friend. Wolfe was born in Montenegro and spoke the language fluently, but Archie was completely out of the loop. He made Wolfe report to him as often as possible because the reversal of their roles drove him crazy.

Answer: Lieutenant Rowcliff

Archie was able to irritate Rowcliff to such a degree that Rowcliff would begin to stutter in his presence. Archie made a game out of this pursuit, timing himself and trying to beat his own record for how long it took Rowcliff to begin stuttering.

Answer: Fred Durkin

Fred, a married guy with kids, was probably the second-best all around of the outside men Wolfe hired. Saul Panzer may have actually outshone Archie (although Archie never quite acknowledged that Saul was THAT good). Orrie Cather was sharp, but too conceited and intent on bumping Archie out of his job. Keems got killed off early in the series and we don't learn too much about him.

12. Archie was known to take a drink now and again, but he rarely overindulged in the hard stuff. Much of the time, Archie's drink of choice was what?

Answer: Milk, plain white milk

Archie drank a lot of milk. He'd probably have volunteered to be on a billboard with a white mustache if he'd been around when the Got Milk? campaign started.

13. Archie and Inspector Cramer tangled more than once, but underneath, they had a grudging regard for each other. How did Archie know when Cramer was feeling particularly cordial toward him?

Answer: Cramer would call Archie by his first name.

Cramer usually called Archie "Goodwin" in a growl, but when he used Archie's first name, Archie knew they were friends--for the moment, anyway.

14. Besides doing the accounting for the business, virtually ALL the legwork, and writing reports of the more notable cases Wolfe solved, what was another routine duty Archie performed?

Answer: He kept up the germination records of Wolfe's stock of orchids.

Archie spent considerable time updating the index cards Wolfe used to track the orchids he propagated in his greenhouse on the top floor of the brownstone. Although Archie was a man of action, he didn't seem to mind this chore too much.

15. Wolfe didn't drive and hated vehicles. What kind of car did Archie drive?

Answer: Usually a Heron, black, owned by Wolfe.

Wolfe bought the cars, and Archie drove them. No one BUT Archie drove them, because Wolfe trusted no one else at the wheel of these "infernal" machines.

Source: Author austinnene

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