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Footnotes of the Discworld Trivia Quiz

Terry Pratchett makes good use of footnotes in his Discworld novels, but they're often overlooked. Do you pay attention to them?

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

Author
wilhelminakins

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
325,929

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
239

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The Seriph of Al-Ybi is cursed by an illiterate god, and everything he touches turns to _____. Which of the following belongs in the space? Hint

gold

glod

silver

sliver

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Question 2 of 10

2. What is the shortest time, according to general agreement amongst Discworld philosophers, in which everything can happen? Hint

one nano-second

one thousand billion years

one week

the time it takes Great A'Tuin to shake his leg

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Corporal Nobbs is human, but he has to carry something to prove it. What does he carry for this purpose? Hint

a baton

a shield

a badge

a certificate

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Which of the following statements about the Discworld's Hashishim in NOT true? Hint

they are inclined to giggle

they are the reincarnated spirits of desert lions

they like to watch the patterns of light on their knives

they tend to fall over easily

5. Genetic experiments on the Disc failed in the early stages because the wizards hadn't really understood the fundamentals. What was the result of their experimental crossing of sweet peas and fruit flies? Hint

a sort of green thing that buzzed

a pea that flew

a fly that shimmered green

a scorch mark in the table

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. People who derive a quiet pleasure from columns of numbers don't often go in for murder. "At least, until the day they suddenly pick up a _______ and carve their way out through Cost Accounting and into forensic history." What belongs in the space? Hint

calculator

scissors

paper knife

pencil

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. What is the shortest unit of time in the multiverse, according to a footnote in "Lords and Ladies"? Hint

The London Minute

The Ankh-Morpork Dry Season

The Lancre Winter

The New York Second

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. According to a note in "Thud!" who or what is Anoia? Hint

a device similar to our Blackberry

a demon that comes and has a headache at you

the Goddess of Things That Get Stuck in Drawers

the vampire spy from Uberwald

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Igneous Cutwell, DM (Unseen), makes an observation about the contents of domestic food stores. Regardless of their contents in daylight, they will contain only three items at night. Which of the following is NOT one of the three items? Hint

a half-eaten cucumber

a piece of very old cheese

half a jar of elderly mayonnaise

a tomato with white mould growing on it

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. Black Aliss was THE witch. The one in all the stories about comatose maidens and confectionery houses. She was good at being a witch, but their was something she wasn't good at. What was it? Hint

casting spells

growing warts

riding a broom

spelling

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The Seriph of Al-Ybi is cursed by an illiterate god, and everything he touches turns to _____. Which of the following belongs in the space?

Answer: glod

The Seriph of Al-Ybi is the Discworld equivalent of King Midas. His story is told in a footnote in "Witches Abroad" as a comment on bad spelling.

2. What is the shortest time, according to general agreement amongst Discworld philosophers, in which everything can happen?

Answer: one thousand billion years

In "Mort", the wizards of Unseen University perform the Rite of AshkEnte, which summons death. It takes a good deal of energy and suddenly "everything happens at once", leading to this comment.

3. Corporal Nobbs is human, but he has to carry something to prove it. What does he carry for this purpose?

Answer: a certificate

This is noted in "Thud!" when Vimes, Vetinari, and two representatives of the local mission of the Uberwald League of Temperance are discussing diversity in the Watch. As an officer of the Watch, Nobby probably does carry a baton, badge, and shield, but they're unlikely to be considered proof of his humanity.

4. Which of the following statements about the Discworld's Hashishim in NOT true?

Answer: they are the reincarnated spirits of desert lions

In "Sourcery", Conina talks to Creosote Junior about Creosote Senior's use of assassins, to which Junior replies that they were inefficient and were replaced with Thugs instead.

Answer: a sort of green thing that buzzed

Conina remarks, in "Sourcery", that she is doomed by genetics to have adventures, leading to this charming little note. Incidentally, the poor creature was eaten by a passing spider.

Answer: paper knife

In "Reaper Man", it is noted that the usual method of advancement for wizards is by killing a wizard higher-up and taking his spot. However the Bursar doesn't seem to be in any danger, as only Bursar-like people would want the position and they don't go in for murder.

7. What is the shortest unit of time in the multiverse, according to a footnote in "Lords and Ladies"?

Answer: The New York Second

The New York Second is defined as "the period of time between the traffic lights turning green and the cab behind you honking."

8. According to a note in "Thud!" who or what is Anoia?

Answer: the Goddess of Things That Get Stuck in Drawers

Anoia is the Goddess of Things That Get Stuck in Drawers, and was relatively unknown until Moist Von Lipwig (aka Albert Spangler) claimed she had helped him to find the money to restore the post office in "Going Postal". The Gooseberry is the Blackberry-like device found in "Thud!", Sally von Humpeding is the Low King's vampiric spy, and a demon that comes and has a headache at you is called a Neuralger - mentioned in "Eric".

Answer: a half-eaten cucumber

Another footnote from "Mort", which also points out that the pantry of the palace at Sto-Lat is normally stocked with an astonishing array of meat, poultry, and other appetising (or not, in the case of the stuffed elephant's leg) morsels.

10. Black Aliss was THE witch. The one in all the stories about comatose maidens and confectionery houses. She was good at being a witch, but their was something she wasn't good at. What was it?

Answer: spelling

This is a continuation of the Bear Mountain/Seriph of Al-Ybi joke mentioned in an earlier footnote in "Witches Abroad".

Source: Author wilhelminakins

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor LeoDaVinci before going online.
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