What Did That Come From? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cricket

This originated in cricket, where player H H Stephenson took three wickets in three consecutive balls for the All-England XI in 1858. A collection was taken for his accomplishment and a hat purchased. In 1940s Toronto, a haberdasher gave a hat to any Maple Leaf player scoring three goals in an ice-hockey match and even today at ice hockey matches it is customary to throw hats on the ice to commemorate this feat.

A hat trick in marbles is to hit all marbles on a single turn and in soccer it is to score three goals in a match.

Answer: The origin is unknown

Although the USGA (United States Golf Association) asserts that it comes from the French word, dormir (to sleep), meaning that a player in that position can be relaxed enough to snooze, other sources suggest that it comes from lucky sightings of dormice or even has associations with Mary, Queen of Scots (a keen golfer). Whatever the origin, it would be wise not to sleep in this position, as Mark Calcaveccia found to his cost in the Ryder Cup in 1991. Dormie-four over Colin Montgomerie, he lost the last four holes and Monty halved the match, so being dormie is not an impregnable position.

Answer: Comic strip

Although the origin of the word is unknown, and may have its roots in the perjorative 'Polack', it was popularised in American Ham Fisher's comic strip, devised in 1921, that ran from 1930 for over half a century. The eponymous hero, Joe Palooka was, in the words of Ham Fisher, "...a big, good-natured prize fighter who didn't like to fight; a defender of little guys; a gentle knight." He was based on Pete Latzo, a world welterweight champion in the 1920s.

Answer: Haddock

Charlton is known as 'the Addicks'. Although some believe it comes from the south London pronounciation of 'addicts' or 'athletic', the more likely theory is that it came from a local fishmonger, Arthur Bryan, who rewarded the team with haddock ('addick). As far back as 1908, cartoons call the team 'The Haddocks'.

Answer: Ploughing

A furlong, still used today in horse racing, is one-eighth of a mile. Used before the Norman Conquest, it derives from the Old English fuhrlang, meaning the length a team of oxen could plough a furrow before needing a rest. A chain (the length of a cricket pitch) is 22 yards, and 10 chains make one furlong and eight furlongs make a mile.

The British resisted metrication for a long time, believing it to be complcated.

Answer: Limerick

The Garryowen, a high kick hoisted to enable the kicker to run onto the ball, thus putting his team mates back on side and allowing several players to compete for the ball as it comes down, was invented by the Garryowen club (founded 1884). Garryowen means 'the gardens of John'.

The great BBC Rugby commentator Bill McLaren used to love it when Tony Ward (a great Irish player) hoisted one of these, saying gleefully, "..and here's another Garryowen by the man from Garryowen".

Answer: *

Apprentice jockeys are listed with an asterisk against their name in the race card, which supposedly looks like a bug (perhaps a squashed one?), although nowadays I suppose they should be called bug persons.

Answer: Baseball

In Bridge it means to win all the 13 tricks and was noted by Charles Jones, in 'Hoyle's Games Improved', in 1814. In baseball, it means to hit a home run with the bases loaded, thus scoring the maximum of four runs with a single hit. The first one hit in the World Series was by Elmer Smith of Cleveland on 10 October 1920.

The unfortunate pitcher was Burleigh Grimes of Brooklyn. Golf was next to use the term, referring to Bobby Jones winning the 'Grand Slam' (The Masters, US Open, The Open and the PGA Championship) in 1930.

It did not appear in tennis until 1933, when American Jack Crawford failed to complete the 'Grand Slam' (Australian, British, French and US Championships) after being beaten by Britain's Fred Perry in the US. Donald Budge completed the first 'Grand Slam' in tennis in 1938.

The term 'Grand Slam' was not used in Rugby until 1957 when England won the Five Nations (beating Wales, France, Ireland and Wales). Please note in each case, I am referring to the use of the term and not the feat.

Answer: Brockton

Rocky Marciano, one of the all-time greats of boxing, was known as the 'Brockton Blockbuster' from his place of birth of Brockton, MA. All the other options relate to boxers nicknames taken from their places of birth, the 'Clones Cyclone' was Barry McGuigan, the 'Manassa Mauler' was Jack Dempsey, and the 'Louisville Lip' was one of Muhammad Ali's many nicknames.

Answer: Golf

In golf, a 'Mulligan' is basically saying "that one didn't count!" on the first shot off the first tee. Obviously, it can only be used in a relatively friendly game! (Although sometimes Mulligans are sold for charity, again not in Championships!) The origins are obscure, although most people seem to credit it to David Mulligan, a Canadian golfer of the 1920s, who (depending on which story you believe) took a second 'correction shot' after a poor drive, was awarded a free shot by his friends as he was the designated driver (in the car, rather than the golf, sense) or was awarded a free shot by his friends after he overslept and rushed to the tee, only to play a lousy shot. All of which are nicer reasons than the one given to the other candidate, an American called John A 'Buddy' Mulligan, a locker room attendant, who apparently had 'a propensity for playing free shots', or, more properly, cheating.