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You Haven't Got a Prayer Trivia Quiz

This quiz looks at some of the many colorful expressions people have come up with to describe an eventuality they consider to be (extremely) unlikely.

A multiple-choice quiz by jon541. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
jon541

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
379,699

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
364

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. In 1989, before the crucial end-of-season soccer match between Liverpool and Arsenal, the "Daily Mirror" newspaper previewed the game with the headline "You Haven't Got a Prayer, Arsenal". Liverpool had dominated English football for 15 years winning an astonishing 10 titles between 1973 and 1988, during which time they were almost invincible at Anfield, their home ground and the venue for this game.
Of course, Arsenal upset the form book, won with a goal in the last minute, and with it took the title by the finest of margins. How many titles did Liverpool win in the 25 years following this unexpected challenge to their dominance? Hint

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Question 2 of 10

2. A very common way of expressing the unlikelihood of something happening is to compare its chances of success to those of a snowball in hell (e.g. "Hillary Clinton has as much chance of becoming president as a snowball in hell").

Which American alternative rock band recorded the track "Snowball in Hell" in 1988? (Hint: it could be quite a big band you're looking for). Hint

Texas Is The Reason

The White Stripes

They Might Be Giants

Emo

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Question 3 of 10

3. Actually Hell does exist and it gets pretty darn cold there. In which location might our snowball in Hell stand an excellent fighting chance and where might a similar expression, "until Hell freezes over", imply something more rather than less likely? Hint

Hell, Norway

Hell, California

Hell-Ville, Madagascar

Hell, Grand Cayman

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Question 4 of 10

4. "Pigs might fly" is a common response to something the listener considers unlikely. Which band are famous for using inflatable pigs in their concert appearances and on the cover of their 1977 album 'Animals'. Hint

Led Zeppelin

Rush

Lynryd Skynrd

Pink Floyd

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Question 5 of 10

5. The phrase "once in a blue moon", denoting something which happens with great infrequency, refers to which astronomical phenomenon? Hint

A second full moon occurring in a calendar month.

The transit of the Rodgers-Hart comet across the moon's orbit every 57th year.

The slight blue tinge imparted to the moon by the effect of moonlight on particulates in the atmosphere.

There is no such phenomenon - the expression is simply a figure of speech.

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Question 6 of 10

6. "I've done the calculation and your chances of winning the lottery are identical whether you play or not."

Fran Lebowitz provided this acerbic commentary on the extreme unlikelihood of winning the lottery. In the UK, the chances of scooping the top prize in the weekly National Lottery changed in 2015 from 1 in 14 million to what?
Hint

1 in 33 million

1 in 5 million

1 in 45 million

1 in 20 million

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Question 7 of 10

7. The legend of there being a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow is perpetuated by our Funtrivia Pot of Gold badge. Figuratively, the legend is used to refer to something unattainable or clearly impossible. What is the name of the diminutive figure from Irish folklore who is also said to sit at the end of the rainbow, waiting to reveal the pot's whereabouts? Hint

Leprechaun

Banshee

Grogoch

Pooka

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Question 8 of 10

8. The sitcom "The Big Bang Theory" contains more than one male character who might be expected (to put it kindly) "to have some difficulty finding a girlfriend" ... but who was responsible for rating Leonard's chances in that direction in the following scathing manner?

"I think that you have as much of a chance of having a sexual relationship with Penny as the Hubble telescope does of discovering at the center of every black hole is a little man with a flashlight searching for a circuit breaker." Hint

Sheldon

Howard

Penny

Rajesh

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Question 9 of 10

9. "I have as much chance of becoming Prime Minister as of being decapitated by a frisbee or of finding Elvis."

Which British politician rated thus the chances of ever attaining the highest office? Hint

Margaret Thatcher

Tony Blair

David Cameron

Boris Johnson

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Question 10 of 10

10. It is only fitting that the last word in a quiz on colorful use of the English language should go to that genius of comedic writing, Pelham Grenville Wodehouse.

Which of these expressions of improbability is his?

"Alf Todd," said Ukridge, soaring to an impressive burst of imagery, "has about as much chance as ..." Hint

his Holiness the Pope has of being invited to give the closing address at this year's Orange Brigade apprentice boys' march.

a politician declining to augment his income by accepting sweeteners from the Moreton-in-the-Marsh Industrial Development Committee.

a one-armed blind man in a dark room trying to shove a pound of melted butter into a wild cat's left ear with a red-hot needle.

wee Jock McBrain has of flooring Hamish "the Giant" McTavish in this year's Highland "Dwarf v. Giant" wrestling competition.

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In 1989, before the crucial end-of-season soccer match between Liverpool and Arsenal, the "Daily Mirror" newspaper previewed the game with the headline "You Haven't Got a Prayer, Arsenal". Liverpool had dominated English football for 15 years winning an astonishing 10 titles between 1973 and 1988, during which time they were almost invincible at Anfield, their home ground and the venue for this game. Of course, Arsenal upset the form book, won with a goal in the last minute, and with it took the title by the finest of margins. How many titles did Liverpool win in the 25 years following this unexpected challenge to their dominance?

Answer: 1

Liverpool recovered from this setback to win one further title in 1989-90 but have never finished champions since despite a couple of close calls, most notably in 2013/14 when a slip by their talismanic captain Steven Gerrard allowed Chelsea to win the crucial game which cost his team the championship.

2. A very common way of expressing the unlikelihood of something happening is to compare its chances of success to those of a snowball in hell (e.g. "Hillary Clinton has as much chance of becoming president as a snowball in hell"). Which American alternative rock band recorded the track "Snowball in Hell" in 1988? (Hint: it could be quite a big band you're looking for).

Answer: They Might Be Giants

"Avalanche or roadblock
I was a snowball in hell
Avalanche or roadblock
A jailor trapped in his cell."

The song appears on the album "Lincoln" (1988).

Answer: Hell, Norway

Hell, Norway, freezes over for about a third of the year most years (December through March). Many tourists head there just to be photographed in front of the town's name sign.

Answer: Pink Floyd

Roger Waters produced the initial designs for the original pig, "Algie", forty feet of helium-filled porcine, which was flown over Battersea Power Station for the iconic album cover shot. The pig broke free due to a strong gust of wind and was spotted by airline pilots at high altitude over South East England, leading to flight cancellations at Heathrow.

5. The phrase "once in a blue moon", denoting something which happens with great infrequency, refers to which astronomical phenomenon?

Answer: A second full moon occurring in a calendar month.

A "blue" moon occurs once every two or three years - so, rare but not *that* rare.

On rare occasions, particulates from, for example, forest fires can indeed cause a literal bluish tinge to the moon. After the explosion of Krakatoa in 1883, the moon appeared thus in some places on Earth for up to 2 years.

There is no such entity as the "Rodgers-Hart" comet but Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart wrote the classic song "Blue Moon" in 1934, since covered by such as Elvis Presley.

6. "I've done the calculation and your chances of winning the lottery are identical whether you play or not." Fran Lebowitz provided this acerbic commentary on the extreme unlikelihood of winning the lottery. In the UK, the chances of scooping the top prize in the weekly National Lottery changed in 2015 from 1 in 14 million to what?

Answer: 1 in 45 million

... or to be strictly accurate, an increase in odds from 1 in 13,983,816 to 1 in 45,057,474.

With odds like that, it feels good to be at least �1500 to the good by virtue of never having bought a lottery ticket (initially �1, now �2 per ticket per week).

Answer: Leprechaun

The Pooka's form varies depending on which part of Ireland you're from but is always capricious and malignant in character.

The Grogoch are half-human, half-fairy in form, not noted for personal hygiene, and can be either helpful and sociable or a nuisance as the mood takes them.

The Banshee appears in female form and famously forewarns of an impending death with a deep mournful call.

With thanks to http://www.irelandseye.com/ for the above paraphrased definitions.

8. The sitcom "The Big Bang Theory" contains more than one male character who might be expected (to put it kindly) "to have some difficulty finding a girlfriend" ... but who was responsible for rating Leonard's chances in that direction in the following scathing manner? "I think that you have as much of a chance of having a sexual relationship with Penny as the Hubble telescope does of discovering at the center of every black hole is a little man with a flashlight searching for a circuit breaker."

Answer: Sheldon

Sheldon says this in the episode "The Fuzzy Boots Corollary" (Series 1 Episode 3).

On the other hand, he does also hold out a little more hope for poor Leonard by going on to say: "There's always a chance that alcohol and poor judgment on her part may lead to a wonderful evening"!

9. "I have as much chance of becoming Prime Minister as of being decapitated by a frisbee or of finding Elvis." Which British politician rated thus the chances of ever attaining the highest office?

Answer: Boris Johnson

Much of Boris's popularity and quotability can be traced to the wit and originality of his language. Just a couple of examples:

"My speaking style was criticised by no less an authority than Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was a low moment, my friends, to have my rhetorical skills denounced by a monosyllabic Austrian cyborg."

"My policy on cake is pro having it and pro eating it."

"Voting Tory will cause your wife to have bigger breasts and increase your chances of owning a BMW M3."

10. It is only fitting that the last word in a quiz on colorful use of the English language should go to that genius of comedic writing, Pelham Grenville Wodehouse. Which of these expressions of improbability is his? "Alf Todd," said Ukridge, soaring to an impressive burst of imagery, "has about as much chance as ..."

Answer: a one-armed blind man in a dark room trying to shove a pound of melted butter into a wild cat's left ear with a red-hot needle.

The quotation is from "Ukridge" (1924).

Stanley Featherstonehaugh (pronounced "Fanshaw") Ukridge is one of P.G's lesser-known characters. As he is 6 foot 2 inches tall, possessed of jug ears, sports pince nez glasses which he holds in place with the wire from a ginger beer bottle, and wears a bright yellow mackintosh, he could not be judged a shrinking violet.

He is also both vocal and forthright in his opinions as evidenced by this judgement of Alf Todd's chances.

Source: Author jon541

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