General Knowledge Quiz

[InterCity:125]

Deleted

 

[theageofthetra]

I think you are looking for Nigeria as that was still using LSD into the mid seventies? but I'm sure there are a couple who still use non decimal- Madagascar?

 

[Calthrop]

I think you are looking for Nigeria as that was still using LSD into the mid seventies? but I'm sure there are a couple who still use non decimal- Madagascar?

Nigeria it is -- w.e.f. the beginning of 1973, abolished its till-then used LSD, and went over to 100 kobo = 1 naira. It's your currency reform -- of any kind such as you might wish -- to implement...

According to Wiki, Nigeria was indeed the last country in the world to adopt decimal currency. Re Madagascar -- from stuff I've read, officially their currency is "100 whatevers = 1 whichever"; but the local people have various strange unofficial ways of money-dividing-up: shopping in Madagascar is a nightmare for a foreigner, unless they're a mathematical genius. If any place on earth is non-decimal nowadays, I suspect it would be somewhere extremely small and obscure and without truly proper nation status...?

 

[martinsh]

According to Wiki, Nigeria was indeed the last country in the world to adopt decimal currency.

MY version of Wikipedia says the Yemen Arab Republic didn't introduce decimal currency until 1974 (i.e. after Nigeria)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimalisation

 

[Calthrop]

MY version of Wikipedia says the Yemen Arab Republic didn't introduce decimal currency until 1974 (i.e. after Nigeria)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimalisation

Have re-checked things -- result, "egg on face" . I had it in mind that "Nigeria was it", and I suspect saw what I wanted to see, from Wiki. martinsh, per Wiki, North Yemen was indeed 1974; and also per Wiki, I find that Madagascar and Mauritania are, anyway, grey areas in this matter. Gentlemen, could you sort out between yourselves as regards who goes next; and I feel that perhaps I should lay off setting General Knowledge questions for a while !

 

[martinsh]

Think it's best to declare open floor ? Not only did nobody really get the correct answer (I cheated anyway), but there doesn't even appear to BE a correct answer !

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I'll take this if I may - with some more anniversaries:

1. The author of a famous book of traveller's tales died today in 1400.
2. It's the 603rd anniversary of a famous battle ... which one?
3. A famous Austrian composer, known as "xxxxxxx ... the Younger" was born today in 1825.
4. Which painter was born in Malaga on this day in 1881?
5. The first edition of a famous satirical magazine was published today in 1961.
6. Who invaded where on this day in 1983?

Best of luck.

 

[GusB]

I'm fairly sure of two of them:
3) Johann Strauss II
6) Grenada was invaded by the US

I'm guessing with:
4) Pablo Picasso?
5) Private Eye?

I haven't got a Scooby about 1) and 2)

 

[Calthrop]

2): the battle of Agincourt

 

[krus_aragon]

1) Chaucer (of Canterbury Tales) would be around the right time period

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I'm fairly sure of two of them:
3) Johann Strauss II
6) Grenada was invaded by the US

I'm guessing with:
4) Pablo Picasso?
5) Private Eye?

I haven't got a Scooby about 1) and 2)

2): the battle of Agincourt

1) Chaucer (of Canterbury Tales) would be around the right time period

Well done everyone - I reckon that you've all been looking at yesterday's Western Mail, which is where the dates came from, because you're all right!

The honours go to GusB, though, with four out of six, so it's your Red Letter Day, sir!

 

[Calthrop]

1) Chaucer (of Canterbury Tales) would be around the right time period

EbbwJunction1 -- question 1 involved a cunning bit of misdirection: I was totally focused on Marco Polo and the like, and none of them had the right date...

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I didn't mean any misdirection, honest!!

 

[GusB]

The honours go to GusB, though, with four out of six, so it's your Red Letter Day, sir!

Thanks I don't have time to set a question today, so I'll hand the battlefield to either @Calthrop or @krus_aragon

 

[Calthrop]

krus_aragon, please go ahead: I haven't done too well with question-setting lately !

 

[krus_aragon]

On a square-rig sailing ship, from front to back (or fore to aft) in which order would you find these sails:

1. Spanker
2. Maintopsail
3. Flying Jib
4. Mizzen Staysail
5. Foresail
6. Jib
7. Mainstaysail

 

[deltic1989]

1) Flying Jib
2) Jib
3) Foresail
4) Main Staysail
5) Main Topsail
6) Mizzen Staysail
7) Spanker

 

[krus_aragon]

1) Flying Jib
2) Jib
3) Foresail
4) Main Staysail
5) Main Topsail
6) Mizzen Staysail
7) Spanker

Ship shape and Bristol fashion.

Your course, sir.

 

[deltic1989]

I've got no questions at the moment. Open Floor.

 

[A Challenge]

I'll take it please, and I would like someone to tell me the start, end and length of the 5 shortest motorways in the UK.

Clarification: A motorway is a 'special road' with a number in the format AX(M) or MX [So A74(M) or M6, but they aren't in the shortest, of course]

 

[GusB]

The M876 is quite short (8 miles), linking the M9 and M80 (Denny - Kincardine)

 

[A Challenge]

All five are a lot shorter than 8 miles, and the M876 is not one of the answers.

 

[steevp]

Are the M275 and M271 on the list?

 

[A Challenge]

Both the M271 and M275 are 4 kilometres long, neither short enough for my list.

 

[martinsh]

A404(M), M181, M606, A66(M) M898

 

[A Challenge]

Close to one that is, but no (1.6km); no (4km); no (4.5km); no (3km); no (1.6km).
A hint: one is in Northern Ireland.

 

[deltic1989]

The M898 is pretty short, somewhere around 1/2 a mile.

 

[A Challenge]

I make it 1 mile (1.6 kilometres) - which is what roads.org.uk and Pathetic Motorways say, but Wikipedia does say 0.5 miles. I have measured it on google maps, and the M898 does seem to be closer to 1 mile than 0.5 miles, so I am taking that as the distance.

 

[deltic1989]

Ok. I'll have one more bash. The Northern Irish one from the clue has to be the M3, which is pretty much just a flyover connecting the A2 to the M2.

 

[A Challenge]

Indeed it is the M3 - at 1.3 kilometres.