General Knowledge Quiz

[MotCO]

They are/were all politicians but I assume you want a bit more than that?

They won (by)elections by margins in single figures?

I'd go along with that, as I know that Gwynoro Jones won Carmarthen in 1974 with a very small majority (in fact, it was three votes). Can I also suggest that, as in his case, they all then lost by a large margin in a subsequent election and that's the full answer?

You were all along the right lines, but @perryman was the first.

 

[perryman]

Thank you.

Open floor please, as I have no readily available question.

 

[Calthrop]

Great Britain is reckoned to have nine rivers which bear the name of "Avon" (old Brythonic word meaning "river"). Clocking-up the nine, involves perhaps a tiny bit of "cheating" -- in that one is in Wales: name spelt Welsh-fashion "Afan"; and of the five in England, one is often referred to as the "Little Avon". There are three Avons in Scotland.

It can be reckoned that more or less everyone is familiar with Shakespeare's Avon -- running through Stratford and finally flowing into the Severn; and with the Bath-and-Bristol Avon, of "gorge and bridge" fame. Please give the location of any three out of the remaining seven Avons -- extreme geographical / locational precision is not required; but something more specific than just the county, or main county, would be nice.

 

[SuspectUsual]

There’s the Wiltshire Avon - source near Bishops Cannings (where I lived for a year, lovely part of the world), then flows through Wiltshire and Hampshire to the south coast

 

[Calthrop]

There’s the Wiltshire Avon - source near Bishops Cannings (where I lived for a year, lovely part of the world), then flows through Wiltshire and Hampshire to the south coast

For sure -- that's one !

 

[D6130]

The three Scottish rivers:

(1) rises on the Northern flanks of Ben Avon in the Cairngorms and flows roughly Northwards to join the Spey near Bridge of Avon.

(2) rises on the moors between Cumbernauld and Longriggend, before flowing past Slamannan, Avonbridge and Linlithgow to enter the Firth of Forth between Bo'ness and Grangemouth.

(3) rises on the moors between Darvel and Muirkirk in Ayrshire, before flowing in an East/North-East direction into Lanarkshire past Drumclog, Strathaven, Stonehouse and Larkhall to enter the Clyde just South of Hamilton.

Meanwhile, South of the border:

(4) The 'Shakespeare' Avon - already mentioned.

(5) The Wiltshire/Hampshire Avon - already mentioned.

(6) The Bristol Avon - rising on the Northern edge of Salisbury Plain and flowing past Chippenham, Melksham, Bradford-on-Avon, Bath and Bristol, before flowing into the Severn Estuary/Bristol Channel at Avonmouth.

(7) The Devon Avon - rising on the Southern flank of Dartmoor, West of Buckfastleigh, and flowing roughly Southwards past South Brent, Avonwick, Kingsbridge and entering the English Channel at Salcombe.

(8) Where is it?....Can't find it!

Then, crossing the other border:

(9) The Glamorgan Avon/Afan, which rises in the Mountains between Aberdare and Neath, flowing through Glyncorrwg, Cymmer Afan and entering the sea at Aberavon/Aberafan just North of Port Talbot.

 

[Calthrop]

@D6130: wow ! Out of the seven "mystery" ones: three asked for -- six furnished (the Bristol Avon, your #6, I had mentioned in OP as one which "everybody knows"; and, as noted by you, @SteveM70 had already also supplied the Wilts / Hants Avon) -- anyway, impressive job . The "missing" English candidate, your #8, is the one often called the "Little Avon": yet another Severn tributary: in historical county of Gloucestershire -- rises near Horton north of Chipping Sodbury; passes near Wickwar, Charfield, Stone, and Berkeley; enters the River Severn via Berkeley Pill.

@D6130: the floor (or river-bed) is yours.

 

[D6130]

Thanks!

Following on from @calthorp's theme, what is the English translation of the following Gaelic place name elements (Anglicised version in brackets)?

(1) Gleann (Glen)

(2) Druim (Drum)

(3) Lochainn (Lochan)

(4) Creag (Craig)

(5) Aird (Ard)

(6) Dorainn (Doran)

(7) Glas

(8) Gorm

(9) Buidhe (Bouie/Bowie)

(10) Liath

(11) Ruadh (Rhu/Row)

(12) Caol (Kyle)

(13) Taigh (Ty)

(14) Achadh (Ach)

(15) Cille (Kil)

(16) Ceann (Ken or Kin)

(17) Beinn (Ben)

(18) Sgurr

(19) Inish (Inis)

(20) Inbhir (Inver)

 

[Calthrop]

With considerable uncertainty -- and hoping that I'm basically on the correct "wavelength" -- having a shot at eleven of them; re the rest, no idea !

(1) valley

(3) small lake

(5) cape or point, jutting out into sea

(7) green

(8) black

(10) grey

(11) red

(13) house

(17) mountain

(19) island

(20) river mouth

 

[Mcr Warrior]

A couple more...

9) Buidhe means yellow.
12) Caol means narrows.

Is that what you are looking for?

 

[D6130]

With considerable uncertainty -- and hoping that I'm basically on the correct "wavelength" -- having a shot at eleven of them; re the rest, no idea !

(1) valley

(3) small lake

(5) cape or point, jutting out into sea

(7) green

(8) black

(10) grey

(11) red

(13) house

(17) mountain

(19) island

(20) river mouth

You are correct with all of your entries except for (8) and (11). (5) Aird/Ard technically means 'height' or 'promontory' - which can be on dry land but, as many of them do stick out into the sea, I'll give you that. You are currently in the lead with nine correct answers.

 

[D6130]

A couple more...

9) Buidhe means yellow.
12) Caol means narrows.

Is that what you are looking for?

Both correct. We now need another nine correct answers.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

A handful more...

2) Druim is a ridge or high point such as is often located at the top of a long hill, as you pass over the summit.

4) Creag means a rocky cliff, or crag, or similar.

15) Cille means a churchyard/small chapel or similar.

18) Sgurr means (mountain) peak, usually a jaggedy, pointed one, of which there are quite a few on Skye.

 

[D6130]

All correct

A handful more...

2) Druim is a ridge or high point such as is often located at the top of a long hill, as you pass over the summit.

4) Creag means a rocky cliff, or crag, or similar.

15) Cille means a churchyard/small chapel or similar.

18) Sgurr means (mountain) peak, usually a jaggedy, pointed one, of which there are quite a few on Skye.

All correct again. Five to go!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@D6130. We might already effectively have a winner. No-one else is going to beat @Calthrop.

 

[D6130]

@D6130. We might already effectively have a winner. No-one else is going to beat @Calthrop.

Arithmetic was never my strongest subject but, having now amended the figures in my previous posts, there are still five correct answers outstanding (6, 8, 11, 14 & 16). Therefore, if you were able to find the answers to all of them - or even five of them - you could still be the winner.

 

[Caboose Class]

I thought that a few days ago we'd more or less all agreed to abandon the Twenty Questions format?

 

[D6130]

I thought that a few days ago we'd more or less all agreed to abandon the Twenty Questions format?

Sorry....I think I missed that. Happy to oblige from now onwards, if that's the consensus.

 

[Calthrop]

I thought that a few days ago we'd more or less all agreed to abandon the Twenty Questions format?

Sorry....I think I missed that. Happy to oblige from now onwards, if that's the consensus.

By my understanding, all the above was just "suggestions and discussion": no decisive fiat imposed, by any person or combination thereof.

(Should I be deemed Gaelic-nomenclature "winner": I stand down -- let whoever, take the floor.)

 

[TheEdge]

By my understanding, all the above was just "suggestions and discussion": no decisive fiat imposed, by any person or combination thereof.

(Should I be deemed Gaelic-nomenclature "winner": I stand down -- let whoever, take the floor.)

Between Saturday and Tuesday we managed 9 questions. We've been stuck on this question since Tuesday and its now Friday. Its rather illustrative of the issue

 

[DaleCooper]

By my understanding, all the above was just "suggestions and discussion": no decisive fiat imposed, by any person or combination thereof.

(Should I be deemed Gaelic-nomenclature "winner": I stand down -- let whoever, take the floor.)

It was never suggested that a small, Italian car was needed, just a bit of common sense and consideration. Personally I find the best and most entertaining questions are those where you can have a wild guess if you don't know the answer which isn't practical with massively multipart questions.

 

[D6130]

OK...point taken. The remaining answers are:

(6) Otter

(8) Blue

(11) A low-lying point or spit sticking out into the sea or a loch

(14) Meadow

(16) Head or end.

@Calthrop had the highest number of correct answers, but declared a wish not to set the next question. Therefore it's @Mcr Warrior 's turn to take the stage at An Mod Naiseanta.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

A single answer question...

Which football team has appeared most often in the FA Cup semi-finals without ever having then won the competition?

 

[TheEdge]

Norwich. My limited understanding of football is that it's illegal for them to ever win a thing.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Norwich.

No, not the Canaries. Three times FA Cup semi-finalists, in 1991-92, 1988-89 and 1958-59.

 

[Loppylugs]

Luton comes to mind.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Luton comes to mind.

No, not the Hatters. Once a losing finalist (1958-59) and three times losing semi-finalists (1993-94, 1987-88, 1984-85).

 

[MotCO]

Southampton?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Southampton?

Erm, no. The Saints famously won the FA Cup in season 1975-76.

 

[43172]

Crystal Palace?