Good 'Evans! Quiz | Name Game

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Mary Ann Evans is one of the best known English writers - but under what name?

Answer: George Eliot

The author of "Middlemarch", "Silas Marner" and "The Mill on the Floss" among many other works, Mary Ann Evans adopted the name George Eliot in 1857 when she published her first work.

2. Sir Geraint Evans was well known in which branch of the arts?

Answer: Opera

Born in Cilfynydd in Wales in 1922, Sir Geraint Evans is noted particularly for the part of Falstaff in Verdi's opera. He died in 1992.

3. Sometimes known as "The Ginger Whinger", what is the first name of the Evans who presented such memorable programmes as "TFI Friday" and "Don't Forget Your Toothbrush"?

Answer: Chris

In a career which has seen many ups and downs, detailed with great candour in his autobiographies "It's Not What You Think" and "Memoirs of a Fruitcake", Chris Evans has held a variety of positions in the media. Taking over the much coveted Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 in January 2010, Evans successfully replaced the 'iconic' Terry Wogan and restablished himself as one of the UK's favourite presenters.

4. Sir Harold Evans was a Fleet Street (that is, London) editor before moving to the USA where he has held a number of positions in the media. But what was the name of the British newspaper he edited for 14 years from 1967?

Answer: The Sunday Times

Although he also edited "The Times" for a year before resigning from the Rupert Murdoch controlled newspaper in a dispute over editorial independence, Harold Evans' 14-year tenure as editor at the "Sunday Times" (1967-1981) saw him taking on the drug company which was responsible for the thalidomide scandal, which ultimately resulted in the families receiving compensation.

He also revealed the Kim Philby spy scandal, and published diaries by former cabinet minister Richard Crossman, risking prosecution under the Official Secrets Act.

5. Frank Evans, a former kitchen fitter from Greater Manchester became famous in Spain - as what?

Answer: Bullfighter

Frank Evans is Britain's only qualified bullfighter, however he is appreciated more in Spain for his cheerful attitude than his skill. One critic in Madrid described him as "very nice but without any talent". When at home during the winter he practises in his local park in Eccles using a shopping trolley loaded with a bale of hay.

6. Dame Edith Evans, the 'grande dame' of British theatre and films, was renowned for one particular line from a play by Oscar Wilde. The line was "A handbag?", but from which play does this famous line come?

Answer: The Importance of Being Earnest

Dame Edith's definitive portrayal of Lady Bracknell in the play proved to be the part for which she was best remembered during her long and illustrious career.

7. John Reginald Christie murdered the wife and baby of a man who was later wrongfully convicted and hanged for the crime. Who was it?

Answer: Timothy Evans

The execution of Timothy Evans is one of the most notorious miscarriages of justice in British legal history. The whole story is told by Ludovic Kennedy in his book "10 Rillington Place", named after the house in which the infamous crimes took place. Christie was later convicted and hanged himself for the murders of several other women, including his own wife, on 15th July 1953. (Rillington Place was renamed in 1953).

8. Barry Evans was a well known actor in the 1960s and 1970s in Britain. What was the name of the sitcom in which he starred as a teacher of English as a Foreign Language?

Answer: Mind Your Language

The comedy, now thought to be politically incorrect due to its portrayal of stereotypes, was very popular from 1977 to 1986. It was remade in America under the title "What a Country".
"Pardon the Expression" was a spin-off from "Coronation Street", starring "Dad's Army" star Arthur Lowe as Leonard Swindley.
"Love Thy Neighbour" was another sitcom which dealt with racial matters, and "The Magnificent Evans" was a not altogether successful vehicle for Ronnie Barker.

9. Edward Evans was the last victim of which notorious murderer(s)?

Answer: Ian Brady and Myra Hindley

Edward Evans, a 17 year old apprentice electrician, encountered Ian Brady and Myra Hindley at a Manchester railway station and they lured him back to their house. Brady had invited Hindley's brother-in-law, David Smith, to come for the evening, hoping to involve him in their murderous spree, but Smith was horrified by what he witnessed and turned his sister-in-law and her boyfriend in to the police the next day.

10. Dale Evans was the wife of which famous cowboy?

Answer: Roy Rogers

Dale Evans, named Lucille Wood Smith at birth, had many name changes during her life, not least as a result of her several marriages. She was a prolific songwriter, and acted in many films before she met and married Roy Rogers, who was actually her fourth husband.

They married in 1947 and although they only had one child together, a girl, who suffered complications from Down's Syndrome and died before she was two, they had four children between them from their previous relationships and they fostered and adopted others, mostly with special needs.

A fuller story of this interesting woman can be found on many websites.

Source: Author MaggieG

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Good 'Evans! Trivia Quiz

As well as being one of the most common surnames in Wales, Evans is a name shared by millions of people all over the world. Not all of them are as well known as the ones in this quiz are - but which of them do you remember?

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