General Knowledge Quiz

[DaleCooper]

There was an old man with a beard...

 

[Calthrop]

You're there and no mistake, as regards Messrs. Carroll and Lear ! He's the one: who said , "it is just as I feared; Four owls and a hen, two larks and a wren, Have all made their nests in my beard."

Your pea-green boat to launch...

 

[DaleCooper]

Next question:

Platypus
King Caractacus
Two wooden horses
Three legs

What is the musical connection?

 

[krus_aragon]

The first musical association I make with Caractacus is Gilbert & Sullivan's Priates of Penzance, where our "very model of a moern Major-Gerneral" claims that he can "tell you every detail of Caractacus' uniform". I don't know if another of their songs referenced a platypus, though...

 

[Calthrop]

I'd figure: offerings from Rolf Harris -- whom I've always regarded with some affection, and would wish to believe him actually not in fact to be a wrong 'un. Respectively, from "Tie me kangaroo down, sport"; "The Ladies of the Harem"; "Two Little Boys"; and "Jake The Peg".

 

[Waldgrun]

Next question:

Platypus
King Caractacus
Two wooden horses
Three legs

What is the musical connection?

Songs by a disgraced down under artist!

 

[DaleCooper]

I'd figure: offerings from Rolf Harris -- whom I've always regarded with some affection, and would wish to believe him actually not in fact to be a wrong 'un. Respectively, from "Tie me kangaroo down, sport"; "The Ladies of the Harem"; "Two Little Boys"; and "Jake The Peg".

Songs by a disgraced down under artist!

In a photo finish it appears that Calthrop wins by a nose, your turn Calthrop...

 

[Calthrop]

Cheers, cobber.

Which author (the same one, for all) created the following characters?

Demosthenes Platterbaff
Mrs. Quabarl
King Herman the Irascible
Comus Bassington

 

[Calthrop]

Possible hint: this author -- somewhat above the obvious age for taking such action -- patriotically joined the Army in World War I, and was killed in that conflict.

 

[Calthrop]

Further hint: the author's pen-name -- which, re his works, he is pretty much universally known by -- is the same as that of a type of monkey (though its derivation is not thus zoology-related).

 

[DaleCooper]

Saki?

 

[Calthrop]

That's the guy -- real name H.H. Munro. I've loved his many short stories -- very funny, often evilly waspish and / or decidedly dark in tone. I find the names he thought up, pure genius.

Your floor.

 

[DaleCooper]

I have nothing so open floor...

 

[DerekC]

An easy one - what did the London Palladium once have in common with the Bank of England and Tower Bridge?

 

[EbbwJunction1]

The "buildings" were all floodlit?

 

[DaleCooper]

A revolving stage? (I like the idea of a chorus line high-kicking in The Bank of England's canteen at lunch time.)

 

[CarltonA]

I think they may all have been connected to the hydraulic mains supplied by the London Hydraulic Power Company.

 

[DerekC]

I think they may all have been connected to the hydraulic mains supplied by the London Hydraulic Power Company.

That's exactly right - the LHP supply drove the Palladium revolving stage, the Bank of England lifts and Tower Bridge's bascule raising mechanism and lifts, to be precise. (In the case of Tower Bridge the LHP supply was used as a backup in case of failure of the bridge's own steam pumps).

Your floor.

 

[CarltonA]

Which former regiment of the British Army had the motto "Celer et Audax", in which country were they formed and which modern day regiment is descended from them?

 

[Marton]

Green Howard’s
england
Yorkshire Regiment

 

[CarltonA]

Not what I had in mind. The regiment in question was formed abroad during the seven years war. I'm looking for the name they had for most of their two hundred year plus existence. They have been amalgamated twice since then but one modern day battalion is descended from them.

 

[DaleCooper]

We need a bit more help.

 

[CarltonA]

We need a bit more help.

One of Queen Victoria's grandsons was an officer in the regiment.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

One of Queen Victoria's grandsons was an officer in the regiment.

The trouble is, there were loads of them!! I've googled the motto, so now I know who they are (although not who the grandson was, though), but I won't say anything yet …. !

 

[EM2]

The only regiment that I know of with that motto was only formed in 1966, and that was as a merger of other regiments.

 

[DaleCooper]

As the motto translates as something like "swift and bold" it sounds like it might be a cavalry regiment.

 

[CarltonA]

The only regiment that I know of with that motto was only formed in 1966, and that was as a merger of other regiments.

So, you are barking up the right tree it seems. Think about why they would adopt that particular motto.

 

[krus_aragon]

So, you are barking up the right tree it seems. Think about why they would adopt that particular motto.

... because one regiment (or motto) was swift, and the other was bold?

(I won't know the name of either: regimental history is nowhere near my list of specialist subjects. Maybe CarltonA will...)

 

[DerekC]

I recall visiting the Royal Green Jackets museum in Winchester a while ago and they were formed by the merger of several regiments and for some reason I think it's one of those. The only problem is that I can't remember their names!

 

[CarltonA]

I recall visiting the Royal Green Jackets museum in Winchester a while ago and they were formed by the merger of several regiments and for some reason I think it's one of those. The only problem is that I can't remember their names!

I will award Derek the floor as he was getting close.

Answer: The King's Royal Rifle Corps who were originally formed in North America. They became 2nd Rifles when the Royal Green Jackets were amalgamated about twelve years ago. Prince Christian Victor was an officer in the KRRC, he died during the Boer war and was buried in Pretoria.