General Knowledge Quiz

[perryman]

Tel Aviv?

That didn't last long...

Well done, the floor is yours.

 

[Calthrop]

That didn't last long...

Well done, the floor is yours.

Thanks. Was a thing which I kind-of thought I'd read: it turned out that I thought right...

A battle took place in the year 9 A.D., in which Rome underwent a severe military defeat, with three legions of the Roman army being annihilated. This is generally considered to have prevented the Roman Empire from ever expanding into, and establishing its rule in, the country in which the battle was fought. Like most battles, this one is named after its geographical site. (Coincidentally, this particular site gave its name long afterward, to a privately-owned minor railway which was opened in the area.)

Please give the standard-ly accepted name of the site / battle: in English and / or the language of the country where the battle happened !

 

[martinsh]

I'll guess somewhere in Germany

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Teutoberger Forest

 

[Calthrop]

Teutoberger Forest

Super-pedantic nitpick -- it's Teutoburger Forest / Wald: but, that's the place all right: in Germany, around mutual boundary of Nordrhein-Westfalen and Niedersachsen.

(The private railway is the Teutoburger Wald Eisenbahn, standard gauge, running some 90 km. between Ibbenbueren and Hoevelhof. Lost regular passenger services in the 1960s / 70s, continued at least in part to carry freight; there's nowadays a steam heritage operation on one section.)

O D841 Roebuck, victor ludorum es: the floor is yours.

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Here we go then.

In which year did the first American play in the FA Cup final? The player concerned went on to have a career in the music business...

 

[MotCO]

Here we go then.

In which year did the first American play in the FA Cup final? The player concerned went on to have a career in the music business...

2000 - Brad Friedel, Liverpool?

 

[SteveM70]

2000 - Brad Friedel, Liverpool?

I think John Harkes playing for Sheffield Wednesday in the early 90s - no idea if he was the first though or if he dabbled in music. The only non-football trivia I know about him Is that he got dropped from a World Cup squad for having an affair with a team mate’s wife

 

[D841 Roebuck]

No-one anywhere near so far.

The musical connection is as the librettist for Sir Arthur Sullivan's opera Ivanhoe...

 

[341o2]

Julian Sturgis based on Sir Walter Scott. Sullivan always wanted to write Grand Opera for Britain, and had his only real success in his partnership with W S Gilbert and the series of Savoy comic operas. Even that was not the happiest of relationships. So, we are more late 19th centuary

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Julian Sturgis based on Sir Walter Scott. Sullivan always wanted to write Grand Opera for Britain, and had his only real success in his partnership with W S Gilbert and the series of Savoy comic operas. Even that was not the happiest of relationships. So, we are more late 19th centuary

That'll do. Sturgis was born in Boston, Massachusetts in approx 1850, brought to the UK as a small child by his wealthy parents, went to Eton and Oxford, was called to the bar, and in a diverse literary and musical career was responsible for the Ivanhoe libretto.

He became a UK citizen in 1877, but had previously appeared for The Wanderers in their successful retention of the FA Cup in the 1873 final as a Yank..

You have the first word of Louisiana's state capital...

 

[341o2]

Stephen Coulter was a friend of Ian Fleming, and their careers followed similar paths. He (Coulter) also wrote novels, some under his own name, others under a pseudonym. He wrote several novels under the pseudonym regarding his own secret agent, obviously inspired by James Bond.

What was the name of the agent, and Coulter's pseudonym?

 

[xotGD]

Harry Palmer / Len Deighton?

 

[341o2]

Not the right answer, I'm afraid

 

[341o2]

As there has been no further response, the answer is that the pseudonym is James Mayo. The idea was that some of the major players in British industry, such as banking, chemicals, auction houses, formed a private organisation called The Circle to protect their interests, although existence of this organisation was denied to the outside world. The need arose for a troubleshooter, so enter Charles Hood, their agent. In fact, Hood, like Bond, was a member of HM secret service, seconded to the Circle when required

In the second novel in the series Let Sleeping Girls Lie, ICC (International Chemicals Corporation) have attempts from overseas to access their data, on their staff are two monozygotic twins, who happen to be stunningly beautiful girls, one of whom is being indiscreet and putting herself in danger of abduction to gain information. Hood's assignment is to protect both of them.

Declaring open floor

 

[xotGD]

Sounds like you are a fan!

They this:

Where was Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson born?

 

[SteveM70]

New York

 

[xotGD]

New York

Correct! The Upper East Side of Manhattan, to be precise.

The ministerial limo awaits...

 

[SteveM70]

Leeds to Liverpool is 64 miles as the crow (or liver bird) flies, but how far is it by the Leeds and Liverpool canal?

 

[341o2]

With the terrain, must be significantly longer, double the distance?

 

[martinsh]

134 miles ?

 

[MotCO]

Correct! The Upper East Side of Manhattan, to be precise.

The ministerial limo awaits...

Intriguingly, Boris could also run for President of the USA; I believe the only requirement is to be born in America, live there for over 14 years and be over 35 years old.

 

[xotGD]

I'll go with 138 miles.

 

[MotCO]

100 miles?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

110 miles

 

[SteveM70]

With the terrain, must be significantly longer, double the distance?

Almost exactly right, it’s 127 miles so just a mile shy of being twice the distance

Your turn to take the tiller

 

[341o2]

Where is the lowest point on dry land in the world?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Where is the lowest point on dry land in the world?

Is that in California- Death Valley. I have been there a few times ?

 

[xotGD]

If not Death Valley, then on the shore of the Dead Sea in Israel?

 

[341o2]

If not Death Valley, then on the shore of the Dead Sea in Israel?

You are right, Death Valley is the lowest point in the USA, but at 279' is well above the lowest point on the shore of the Dead Sea, some 1400' below sea level. Dead sea salt contains minerals not to be found in ordinary sea salt and widely avaliable for skincare and relaxation.

The floor is yours