• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

General Knowledge Quiz

E

EbbwJunction1

Established Member
Joined
25 Mar 2010
Messages
1,565
Here's an event, a birth, and a death for you to identify:

The Event: Who met on this day in 1943 to discuss what and where?

The Birth: A Canadian snooker player, born in 1947, who was noted for his capacity for alcohol.

The Death: An English Athlete, died in 1978, featured in "Chariots of Fire".

Over to you!
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

E

EbbwJunction1

Established Member
Joined
25 Mar 2010
Messages
1,565
DaleCooper said:
The Event - ?

The Birth - Bill Werbeniuk

The Death - Harold Abrahams
Click to expand...

Yes, both are right .... "Big Bill" was born on 14th January 1943 and Harold Abrahams died on 14th January 1078.

Peter Mugridge said:
1943 - was that the Yalta Conference?
Click to expand...

fowler9 said:
Nah, Yalta was at the death of the second world war. 1943 was before D day.
Click to expand...

No, it wasn't the Yalta Conference, but it was Churchill and Roosevelt meeting to discuss the war. To get the venue, think of a cynical Police Chief and his shock at discovering that gambling is taking place where he is!
 
E

EbbwJunction1

Established Member
Joined
25 Mar 2010
Messages
1,565
Here are the first lines to four well known novels:

"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen"

"Call me Ishmael"

"It was love at first sight. The first time (name deleted) saw the Chaplain, he fell madly in love with him."

"The Schoolmaster was leaving the village, and everybody seemed sad."

What are the titles, and who are the authors? For a bonus, what have they all got in common?
 
fowler9

fowler9

Established Member
Joined
29 Oct 2013
Messages
8,367
Location
Liverpool
i think i know the first, definitely know the second. Can't wait to see the answers and the connection.
 
Last edited:
C

Calthrop

Established Member
Joined
6 Dec 2015
Messages
3,305
I can offer (1), (2), and (4); but having no idea about (3), won't muscle in and maybe spoil things. "Whither now"?
 
fowler9

fowler9

Established Member
Joined
29 Oct 2013
Messages
8,367
Location
Liverpool
EbbwJunction1 said:
What do you think the first and second are, please?

A clue - the connection is that they were all made into films.
Click to expand...
I think the first is 1984, the second is definitely Moby Dick (Ishmael is the narrator). George Orwell and Herman Melville were the writers. Am really not sure on 3 & 4 or a connection.
 
Last edited:
E

EbbwJunction1

Established Member
Joined
25 Mar 2010
Messages
1,565
Both of those are correct, well done.

I'll give you the connection .. all four books were all made into films.
 
C

Calthrop

Established Member
Joined
6 Dec 2015
Messages
3,305
I was right on (1) and (2); (4) I believe is Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy (generally reckoned the most miserable of all his -- mostly depressing -- novels). As said, draw a blank on (3).
 
E

EbbwJunction1

Established Member
Joined
25 Mar 2010
Messages
1,565
Yes, you're right, so that leave one to go.

Another clue .... the book and the film are set during the Second World War.
 
C

Calthrop

Established Member
Joined
6 Dec 2015
Messages
3,305
Acting on a hunch, I found the answer to (3) via Google; but that debars me from submitting it !
 
E

EbbwJunction1

Established Member
Joined
25 Mar 2010
Messages
1,565
In that case, you therefore know that the title of the book is "Catch 22" by Joseph Heller!

The name of the character that's deleted in the question is Captain John Yossarian.

You and fowler9 can argue about who has ownership of the library, as you both got two right!
 
fowler9

fowler9

Established Member
Joined
29 Oct 2013
Messages
8,367
Location
Liverpool
EbbwJunction1 said:
In that case, you therefore know that the title of the book is "Catch 22" by Joseph Heller!

The name of the character that's deleted in the question is Captain John Yossarian.

You and fowler9 can argue about who has ownership of the library, as you both got two right!
Click to expand...
I'll let Calthrop have it because I have had a stinker of a day at work and can't think of a question. Good question by the way. Is Captain John Yossarian of Armenian heritage in the book? I can't remember. Weird question I know.
 
C

Calthrop

Established Member
Joined
6 Dec 2015
Messages
3,305
Thanks, fowler9. Re the book's hero: I seem to remember reading that though his name sounds Armenian; the author stated that he was a member of an "extinct" nationality, the Assyrians -- implication of his probable life-expectancy unless he manages to get out of his fix.

Question -- "something completely different". Which country has a national park dedicated to the preservation of the habitat of the Yeti or Abominable Snowman?
 
fowler9

fowler9

Established Member
Joined
29 Oct 2013
Messages
8,367
Location
Liverpool
Calthrop said:
Thanks, fowler9. Re the book's hero: I seem to remember reading that though his name sounds Armenian; the author stated that he was a member of an "extinct" nationality, the Assyrians -- implication of his probable life-expectancy unless he manages to get out of his fix.

Question -- "something completely different". Which country has a national park dedicated to the preservation of the habitat of the Yeti or Abominable Snowman?
Click to expand...
Re Armenia, one of my favourite bands are made up of American Armenians plus an Armenian, the guy who created the Chipmunks was Armeinian, footballer Mkhitaryan is Armenian, the Kardasians are Armemian. Not a fan of the Kardasians by the way! Ha ha. Just that the majority of Armenians I have come across have surnames ending ian or ryan. Regarding your question is the answer Nepal?
 
C

Calthrop

Established Member
Joined
6 Dec 2015
Messages
3,305
fowler9 said:
Re Armenia, one of my favourite bands are made up of American Armenians plus an Armenian, the guy who created the Chipmunks was Armeinian, footballer Mkhitaryan is Armenian, the Kardasians are Armemian. Not a fan of the Kardasians by the way! Ha ha. Just that the majority of Armenians I have come across have surnames ending ian or ryan. Regarding your question is the answer Nepal?
Click to expand...

It certainly would appear that the "ian / yan" surname ending is standard for "Our meanie 'uns" (from the popular notion -- probably libellous -- that the people of Armenia are highly avaricious, and drive a ferocious bargain).

On the "yeti" question: it isn't Nepal; but you're "warm".
 
E

EbbwJunction1

Established Member
Joined
25 Mar 2010
Messages
1,565
According to Mr W Pedia, this is the derivation of the name:

"In Catch-22 the author introduces Yossarian as a soldier in World War II with an Assyrian heritage. His first name appears to be "John", since late in the novel Colonel Korn says to him "Call me Blackie, John. We're pals now."

The exotic name "Yossarian" was chosen by Heller to emphasize his protagonist's detachment from the mainstream military culture. Yossarian's name is described as being "an odious, alien, distasteful name, that just did not inspire confidence." It was "...not at all like such clean, crisp, honest, American names as Cathcart, Peckem and Dreedle."

As to the origins of the name itself, "Heller admitted in later years that the name 'Yossarian' was derived from the name of one of his Air Force buddies, Francis Yohannan – an Assyrian – but that the character of Yossarian himself was 'the incarnation of a wish' (Now and Then 175-6)." "

It's all news to me, as I haven't read the book or seen the film!

To return to your latest question, is the answer Tibet?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Top