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General Knowledge Quiz

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Calthrop

Established Member
Joined
6 Dec 2015
Messages
3,315
Indeed, no Hells Angels; or blacksmiths, or Vikings. It concerns something trans-lingual (no Scandinavian language involved !).
 

Calthrop

Established Member
Joined
6 Dec 2015
Messages
3,315
Something like Pignon prounced peeenyyonn so I suppose French or Flemish Belgium.

The "foreign" connection is less complicated than that: this kind of hammer is supposedly called after its alleged inventor, a French metal-worker named Jacques Balpien. Wiki gives this derivation, alongside the stodgy-in-comparison everyday definition: a double-headed hammer with its smaller, rounded (hence "ball") head used for peening, i.e. bending, shaping, or flattening stuff. The "Jacques Balpien" thing strikes me as having a strong urban-legend-ish feel -- but as more fun than the straight, practical explanation.

Nobody came up with Monsieur Balpien; and @GRALISTAIR, you got the "called after the inventor" element; so, the floor is yours.
 

444045

Member
Joined
25 Apr 2020
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837
Location
Dorset
Didn't they lose their 1st match to Pakistan Railways by an innings and 851 runs and then didn't play a game for 20 years ?
 

MotCO

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Joined
25 Aug 2014
Messages
4,145
Were all players out for 0, and possibly the only runs scored were extras?
 

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