General Knowledge Quiz

[Calthrop]

Michael Moorcock
Charles Coleman Finlay
Bruce Sterling

The fullest of marks for ingenuity -- but none of these are right, I'm afraid. (I would seem to be much less of a spec. fic. buff than I imagine: I'd never heard before now, of Charles Coleman Finlay or Bruce Sterling -- have Googled both.)

Bod no. 1: his bird is a renownedly gentle one, metaphorically associated with the tender passion; said bird's survival in Britain severely under threat nowadays.

Bod no. 2 has a first name often found in association with Charles, especially in English history.

Re bod no. 3: you're right with the British family -- but the guy I'm thinking of, spells his surname in exactly the same way as said family.

 

[martinsh]

Well no 1 would be Harry Turtledove. Haven't a clue about the others I'm afraid

 

[Calthrop]

No. 1 is indeed Harry Turtledove -- his "Videssos" a fictionalised version of real-world Byzantium, on which he is an expert. Two to go.

 

[Calthrop]

End of the road reached, I reckon; and inspiration for further hints, lacking.

No. 2 is James Branch Cabell; Poictesme being a generic fictitious medieval-oid realm featuring in many of his writings.

No. 3: S.M. Stirling; the Commonwealth of New Virginia is the setting for his stand-alone novel Conquistador (premise, a different historical time-line in which the Old World does not discover the New for some centuries beyond the taking-place of the same in "real history").

martinsh -- with you being the only person, to get any author featured: it's your alternative universe -- to do with, whatever you choose to.

 

[martinsh]

Open Floor

 

[steevp]

A group of fictional characters whose second names include Patrick, Robert, Clarence and Lazurus - who were they?

 

[TheEdge]

Not characters in the Airplane franchise is it?

 

[EbbwJunction1]

A group of fictional characters whose second names include Patrick, Robert, Clarence and Lazurus - who were they?

It might not help, but when you say "second names", do you mean their surnames or their second Christian names, please?

 

[DaleCooper]

Catch 22?

 

[steevp]

It might not help, but when you say "second names", do you mean their surnames or their second Christian names, please?

Sorry EbbwJunction, but I'm going to be a bit economical with the hints so as not to give too much away. The characters had only two names each, the ones quoted are the second of the two names that they might use when answering the question "what is your name" (e.g "my name is XXXX Patrick"). The characters are all female.

The Edge and Dale Cooper - no prize of a dictionary of names for you yet

 

[fowler9]

Are they in The Handmaids Tale?

 

[steevp]

Nope not the handmaids tale - although they have dedicated themselves to a life of service

 

[Calthrop]

Utterly wild guess -- are they characters in A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr. ?

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Utterly wild guess -- are they characters in A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr. ?

Well, I haven't a clue whether you're right (or, indeed, who the characters in the original question are), but having Googled the books you mention, they seem very bleak, don't they?? I don't think that they'll be on my "To Buy" list!

 

[Calthrop]

Well, I haven't a clue whether you're right (or, indeed, who the characters in the original question are), but having Googled the books you mention, they seem very bleak, don't they?? I don't think that they'll be on my "To Buy" list!

Depressing, maybe; but "A Canticle..." seems to be held in very high regard by many sci-fi / speculative fiction buffs. I can't share their enthusiasm; considered the book to be compete tripe, and abandoned it about a third of the way through. This was decades ago, and I don't remember the names of any of the characters.

 

[DaleCooper]

Were they the girls of Castle Anthrax in Monty Python and the Holy Grail?

 

[steevp]

Sorry no right answers so far. Another clue, they all have the same first name (as in the name that comes before the names quoted)

 

[steevp]

So time for another clue - their first name is Mary (so Mary Patrick, Mary Robert etc)

 

[GusB]

They were nuns in Sister Act.

 

[steevp]

They were nuns in Sister Aclt.

Hallelujah! There's nun better an answer your open hymn book GusB

 

[GusB]

Questions, I have nun, so open floor.

 

[Calthrop]

A vexillological one: please name five European countries which do not have the colour red, anywhere at all on on their national flags.

 

[A Challenge]

1. San Marino (not sure about the badge in the middle)
2. Greece
3. Bosnia and Hertzgovena
4. Ireland
5. Finland

And Scotland if that counts.

 

[Calthrop]

1. San Marino (not sure about the badge in the middle)
2. Greece
3. Bosnia and Hertzgovena
4. Ireland
5. Finland

And Scotland if that counts.

Fully correct ! I'd thought there were elements of red in the laurel wreath on the San Marino badge; but looking more closely, it definitely appears not. And I hadn't even been aware of the Bosnia & H. flag -- some flag-scholar I am !

Just for interest, I see also "red-less": Sweden, Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, and Cyprus if that is numbered-in with Europe (which I believe it customarily is). I wasn't counting Scotland -- no political axe to grind; was including just what are at the present time, fully-independent nation states.

It's your flag to fly over the field of triumph...

 

[A Challenge]

Cyprus is in Europe in my view! Does Latvia count as redless though?

OPEN FLOOR

 

[Calthrop]

Cyprus is in Europe in my view! Does Latvia count as redless though?

As I understand it, the Latvian flag is of three unadorned horizontal bars: purple / white / purple. Purple is rare in national flags; but "in my book" anyway, when it occurs it's indeed properly purple, not red.

 

[A Challenge]

According to the Wikipedia page on the Flag of Latvia it is a shade of red (see the box with the colour codes) though I'd call it maroon.

 

[Calthrop]

According to the Wikipedia page on the Flag of Latvia it is a shade of red (see the box with the colour codes) though I'd call it maroon.

Could be that "jury's out". martinsh is knowledgeable about Latvia -- maybe he'll offer an opinion?

 

[kevconnor]

Since open floor I shall take it:

What is the city of Manchester built on?

 

[fowler9]

Since open floor I shall take it:

What is the city of Manchester built on?

Sh*t, sh*t and more Sh*t. Oh Manchester is............... Only kidding. I'm a scouser and felt culturally encouraged to type rubbish. Is Manchester built on Cotton? I remember during my time in the Antipodes seeing shops saying they sold real Manchester meaning Cotton goods. I'm going with King Cotton.