General Knowledge Quiz

[krus_aragon]

Well four weeks and one day ago was Pi day (3.14)

You're circling around the correct answer, but consider the other half of my question:

Why might the residents of Llanfihangel-tre'r-beirdd, Anglesey have had special cause for celebration?

 

[Calthrop]

I naughtily Googled Llanfihangel etc.; but remain, anyway, absolutely none the wiser re answers to your question !

 

[DaleCooper]

Llanfihangel-tre'r-beirdd

tre - 3 (letters)
' - decimal point
r - 1
beir - 4
dd - 2

 

[krus_aragon]

Llanfihangel-tre'r-beirdd

tre - 3 (letters)
' - decimal point
r - 1
beir - 4
dd - 2

This response prompted me to wonder if the name Llanfihangel-tre'r-beirdd has been rounded to three decimal places, and that the correct name is even longer than Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch!

There is a historical connection between the day and place. I'm looking for a name.

p.s. There's no shame in Googling if you end up learning something!

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I thought that it was something to do with Robert Recorde, who invented the = sign .... but he came from Tenby, so it can't be - or can it?

No, it's not, as this is what Google says about one of the village's famous inhabitants:

"Welsh mathematician William Jones (1675 - 3 July 1749) coined the symbol π ( 'pai' in Welsh; the Greek letter pi ) to represent the ratio between the circumference of a circle and its diameter.

He was born in the parish and was raised in Llanfihangel Tre'r Poets, on Anglesey before moving to Llanbabo, and was educated at Ysgol Llanfechell."

I'm not sure what the significance of the date of 14th March is, though - was it the date on which he made his discovery?

 

[RJ21]

14th March is sometimes referred to as Pi Day, write the month like an American it's 3.14

 

[krus_aragon]

EbbwJunction and RJ21 have it between them. As I said I was looking for the name, I'll give EbbwJunction first offer of the floor.

(For those beyond the border, the name Llanfihangel-tre'r-beirdd loosely translates to "St Michaels, town of the bards")

 

[Calthrop]

There is a historical connection between the day and place. I'm looking for a name.

p.s. There's no shame in Googling if you end up learning something!

Aar, gorbooger if'n Googling tell't Oi anything about thiccy William Jones feller, sure 'nuff. Maybe I could do with a course in effective search-engine use.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Thanks - but I'll pass on this as I don't have anything handy at the moment.

RJ121 ... it's your turn!

 

[DaleCooper]

Two days (almost) have elapsed so I'm going to set a question.

What is the length of the largest known beaver dam? I'll accept an answer within 5% of the figure I have.

 

[Cowley]

Something's ringing a bell in the back of my mind about this so I'm going to go something ridiculously long like half a mile?

 

[A Challenge]

Is it 1 km/1 mile?

 

[DaleCooper]

Is it 1 km/1 mile?

Either you don't know that 1km is quite different from 1 mile, which is worrying, or you're having two guesses which isn't allowed.

Something's ringing a bell in the back of my mind about this so I'm going to go something ridiculously long like half a mile?

I had the answer in feet and metres but after a complex calculation involving all my fingers and the toes of one foot I have converted your half mile into 2640ft or 804.7m which differs from my answer of 2790ft/850m by 5.4% which is greater than the 5% specified however as I doubt the dam's length is known with much precision I accept your answer and say "Your turn Cowley...".

https://www.seeker.com/largest-beaver-dam-seen-from-space-1765052359.html

 

[Cowley]

That dam is incredible.
Thanks Dale. My question is easily Googled so I hope that people just guess this (unless you actually know it of course) and I'll allow two years either way for the nearest answer.

What age did the oldest domestic cat ever recorded reach?

 

[theageofthetra]

I think it was just shy of 40 & lived in the States- it was on the news there when it died when I was there 10 or so years ago! 38/39 I think?.

 

[Cowley]

I think it was just shy of 40 & lived in the States- it was on the news there when it died when I was there 10 or so years ago! 38/39 I think?.

Absolutely spot on (a bit quicker than I was expecting actually).
He was called Creme Puff, was born in Texas in 1967 and finally died in 2005! Fed on bacon, broccoli, eggs, asparagus, coffee and heavy cream apparently (I'm not sure if that was all in one bowl).
Here is the little fella.

Mr Tra the scratch post is yours.

 

[theageofthetra]

Absolutely spot on (a bit quicker than I was expecting actually).
He was called Creme Puff, was born in Texas in 1967 and finally died in 2005! Fed on bacon, broccoli, eggs, asparagus, coffee and heavy cream apparently (I'm not sure if that was all in one bowl).
Here is the little fella.

Mr Tra the scratch post is yours.

I remember the story because the person I was staying with at the time had a cat that was 25!

Ok keeping a cat theme- why are cats scared of cucumbers?

 

[Cowley]

That sounds like the beginning of a joke.
I'm thinking of waving a cucumber at the cat now but I don't want to be cruel... Is it because they think they're snakes maybe? (our youngest thought of that).

 

[theageofthetra]

That sounds like the beginning of a joke.
I'm thinking of waving a cucumber at the cat now but I don't want to be cruel... Is it because they think they're snakes maybe? (our youngest thought of that).

A very clever youngster!- They are essentially a desert animal and their maumn enemy in the wild were snakes & large birds of prey. Put a cucumber behind a cat whilst its eating or otherwise occupied for some usually hilarious results! Your floor.

 

[Cowley]

A very clever youngster!- They are essentially a desert animal and their maumn enemy in the wild were snakes & large birds of prey. Put a cucumber behind a cat whilst its eating or otherwise occupied for some usually hilarious results! Your floor.

And I really honestly won't be trying that as soon as I get up in the morning.

Next question:
What are the top 5 best selling vans ever produced?
To clarify we are looking for the name/series number of the van and some vans have had many different generations a bit like the mk1 - mk6 VW Golf. So for instance the Mercedes Sprinter (1995 - present) counts at 2.9 million over the different generations but it doesn't make the top 5.

 

[GusB]

Do we seriously have to specify which generation? Good grief. Erm...

Ford Transit, Mk3
Renault Trafic
Renault Master
Mercedes 609D
Bedford CF

(you really are evil after 11pm)

 

[Cowley]

Do we seriously have to specify which generation? Good grief. Erm...

Ford Transit, Mk3
Renault Trafic
Renault Master
Mercedes 609D
Bedford CF

(you really are evil after 11pm)

No Gus , I was trying to explain (obviously not very well) that you don't have to say each generation. So you only need to say 'Ford Transit' - which makes the list at number 3 worldwide (and that includes all generations from 1965 until now).
Unfortunately none of the others make the list though and you've guessed one of the easiest ones.

The list as it stands:

1 -
2 -
3 - Ford Transit
4 -
5 -

 

[GusB]

My apologies, when you mentioned the Golf Mk1-6 thing, I... oh, never mind. So, Tranny is on the list.

 

[theageofthetra]

VW Transporter must be no.1 with the LT close behind.

One of the Japanese ones must also be in the running - Toyota Hiace?

The US pick up truck based ones like Ford Econoline/E-line or Dodge Ram must be in there too as they have been made for donkeys years..

The Iveco Daily has been around for years too and sold all over the world under different names so could be top 5.

The Sprinter is badged as a Dodge in the States & is one of the last vestiges of the disastrous Chrysler-Merc merger so not sure if that can be added to Merc Sprinter sales?- there are a lot in the US.

 

[GusB]

The size of the van wasn't specified, so I'm going to throw in the Mini.

 

[Cowley]

VW Transporter must be no.1 with the LT close behind.

One of the Japanese ones must also be in the running - Toyota Hiace?

The US pick up truck based ones like Ford Econoline/E-line or Dodge Ram must be in there too as they have been made for donkeys years..

The Iveco Daily has been around for years too and sold all over the world under different names so could be top 5.

You've got most of those right but have a go at getting them in an Alan Freeman style top 5 mates.
I'll probably end up giving it to you anyway because you got a couple of the ones I thought people would struggle with.
Iveco isn't in there and obviously the Transit's in at 3.
Not arf.

 

[Cowley]

The size of the van wasn't specified, so I'm going to throw in the Mini.

The Mini doesn't make the top 20 even Gus and the Merc Sprinter in its various forms comes in at 7th best seller overall which quite surprised me as they seem to be everywhere including on my drive

 

[GusB]

The Mini doesn't make the top 20 even Gus and the Merc Sprinter in its various forms comes in at 7th best seller overall which quite surprised me as they seem to be everywhere including on my drive

I'm not usually right, but I'm wrong again. Must try harder

 

[theageofthetra]

You've got most of those right but have a go at getting them in an Alan Freeman style top 5 mates.
I'll probably end up giving it to you anyway because you got a couple of the ones I thought people would struggle with.
Iveco isn't in there and obviously the Transit's in at 3.
Not arf.

Mainly because of how long they have been made-

1) VW Transporter
2) VW LT
3) Tranny
4) Hiace
5) Ford E line.

 

[Cowley]

I'll give it to you. You'd need to swap the LT with the Ford E line but the others were all correct, good work.
Your bank holiday weekend dump run.