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Quiz about Douglas Adams Dirk Gently Part One

Douglas Adams' "Dirk Gently" - Part One Quiz

The first of three quizzes about one of Douglas Adams' less-appreciated works - "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" - described by the author as "A thumping good detective-ghost-horror-whodunnit-time travel-romantic-musical-comedy epic".

A multiple-choice quiz by fasolt. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
fasolt

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
257,005

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
8 / 10

Plays
710

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. By what name was Dirk Gently known during his days as a student? Hint

Richard Gordon

Peter Gently

Svlad Cjelli

Dirk Prefect

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Question 2 of 10

2. As a student, Dirk tried to scam his classmates by making them believe he was psychic, then selling made-up exam answers. What went wrong with the plan? Hint

All the answers turned out to be wrong.

He was turned in by another student.

Nobody bought the papers.

All the answers turned out to be right.

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. As a "Holistic Detective", Dirk believes in solving cases by "the interconnectedness of all things". What does his ad in the phone book claim as a specialty? Hint

the supernatural

missing cats and messy divorces

the impossible

lost relatives

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. By what nickname is Urban Chronotis, Regius Professor of Chronology at St. Cedd's College, better known? Hint

Father Time

The Prof

Reg

Urbie

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Question 5 of 10

5. Richard MacDuff is a talented software designer. What makes his spreadsheet software "Anthem" different from others? Hint

It converts data into charts and graphs.

It is slightly cheaper.

It converts data into spoken words.

It converts data into music.

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. What item of furniture is irretrievably stuck in the stairway leading to Richard's apartment? Hint

a dining table

a recliner chair

a sofa

a bookcase

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. What futuristic household convenience from a distant planet goes haywire, and eventually enters a doorway that transports it to Earth? Hint

an electric monk

a digital watchdog

a robotic security guard

an android butler

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. How does Richard's boss, Gordon Way, pass along his ideas and instructions to his staff when out of the office? Hint

He sends e-mails from his laptop.

He constantly speaks into a hand-held voice recorder.

He leaves long, rambling messages on other people's answering machines.

He writes on the backs of envelopes.

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Richard's girlfriend is Susan Way, Gordon's sister. What instrument does she play professionally? Hint

cello

piano

flute

French horn

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Question 10 of 10

10. Name Dirk's long-suffering secretary, who is in the process of quitting her job just as Richard enters the office. Hint

Kate Schechter

Janice Pearce

Mrs. Sauskind

Trisha McMillan

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. By what name was Dirk Gently known during his days as a student?

Answer: Svlad Cjelli

It would be a stretch to say that Svlad Cjelli is Dirk's REAL name - we only know that it's the name he used when Richard knew him at St. Cedd's College.

2. As a student, Dirk tried to scam his classmates by making them believe he was psychic, then selling made-up exam answers. What went wrong with the plan?

Answer: All the answers turned out to be right.

By constantly denying that he was clairvoyant, Dirk only made his classmates believe it all the more. He was as shocked as anyone when his made-up answers turned out not only to be right, but to be 100% exact, word-for-word duplicates of the originals.

3. As a "Holistic Detective", Dirk believes in solving cases by "the interconnectedness of all things". What does his ad in the phone book claim as a specialty?

Answer: missing cats and messy divorces

Indeed, when we first encounter Dirk in his office, he's dealing with three missing cats, and turning down a divorce case ("Sorry, not THAT messy").

4. By what nickname is Urban Chronotis, Regius Professor of Chronology at St. Cedd's College, better known?

Answer: Reg

In describing Reg, author Douglas Adams says his age is "on the older side of completely indeterminate" - a wonderful example of Adams' wordplay.

5. Richard MacDuff is a talented software designer. What makes his spreadsheet software "Anthem" different from others?

Answer: It converts data into music.

Richard's employer had made his fortune by developing a software that would begin with any conclusion you liked and provide logical steps leading to it. That software was snapped up by the U.S. Pentagon. "Anthem" is the company's new major project.

6. What item of furniture is irretrievably stuck in the stairway leading to Richard's apartment?

Answer: a sofa

The sofa had become stuck while it was being delivered. Since then, Richard had run countless tests on his computer, entering exact positions and measurements. The results showed that the sofa not only could not be moved from its position, but that it was physically impossible for it to have gotten there in the first place.

7. What futuristic household convenience from a distant planet goes haywire, and eventually enters a doorway that transports it to Earth?

Answer: an electric monk

The electric monk was invented on a distant planet as a time-saver for the busy housewife who didn't have time to listen to every politician or religious group that rang her doorbell. She would simply tell them to "talk to the monk" - it was programmed to believe whatever it was told. This particular monk, however, found himself far from home, believing many new and strange things.

8. How does Richard's boss, Gordon Way, pass along his ideas and instructions to his staff when out of the office?

Answer: He leaves long, rambling messages on other people's answering machines.

Gordon employs a secretary whose sole job is to collect answering machine tapes from anyone he might have called, and transcribe them.

9. Richard's girlfriend is Susan Way, Gordon's sister. What instrument does she play professionally?

Answer: cello

Richard doesn't actually use the word "girlfriend"; he tells Professor Chronotis that he's not married and describes Susan as the "specific girl I'm not married to". Another wonderfully expressive phrase from Adams.

10. Name Dirk's long-suffering secretary, who is in the process of quitting her job just as Richard enters the office.

Answer: Janice Pearce

Richard meets Miss Pearce only briefly as she storms out, although Dirk later lures her back to work by giving her (shudder) an actual paycheck.

Source: Author fasolt

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