General Knowledge Quiz

[Welshman]

OK - try this:-

Where, in England, is the grave of a 20c. American poet who died in tragic circumstances, and what was the connection with the area?

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Sylvia Plath, buried in Heptonstall. Presumably she and her husband, Ted Hughes, lived there (transcriptions of some of Hughes' drivel adorn certain local Calder Valley stations...)

 

[Welshman]

Yes - well done.
[Ted Hughes was born in Mytholmroyd].

 

[D841 Roebuck]

OK. Sticking with a literary theme - what are Messrs Shannon, Vlaminck, Dupree, Semmler and Langarotti collectively known as?

 

[Welshman]

Dogs of War?
Mercenaries in Frederick Forsyth's novel with the same title.

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Yep, they're the Dogs Of War.

 

[Welshman]

And remaining on a literary theme-

Name a poem [and it's author], which describes a journey from Hull to London.

 

[The Barlow Boy]

Well, ole misery guts Philip Larkin was a librarian at Hull so.............?

 

[Welshman]

So?.....
What's the name of the poem?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

If it is Philip Larkin, who was a Univerity librarian, would it be "Whitsun Weddings" ?

 

[Welshman]

Yes - its the "Whitsun Weddings"

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

What was the name of the empire that was prominent from the 8th century BC to the 2nd century AD that encompassed Central Asia, Eastern Europe and the northern part of the Caucasus.

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Assyrian Empire?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Not that one.... this particular empire went far more to the east than did the Assyrian Empire.

 

[deltic1989]

Stab in the dark here but, the Mongolian Empire (Ancient History isn't my strong point)

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

No...that particular empire extended even further east than the empire in question.

HINT : Look carefully at the dates covered in the conundrum.

 

[Seacook]

Could it be the Parthians?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

You are the nearest so far in terms of area, but the Parthians were not the empire concerned.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

If it's the Roman Empire, the mosaic underneath your sandals is open.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Not that well known empire either.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The Ottoman Empire then?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Not that one....The Ottoman Empire was from 1299AD to 1922AD.

Again I state.....look at the dates in the clue.

 

[Heinz57]

Is it the Scythian Empire?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Is it the Scythian Empire?

Totally correct...

You can set the next one

 

[Heinz57]

Totally correct...

Swish!


An easyish one from me...

Which American talk show host apeared as a judge on American Idol?

 

[Mvann]

David letterman?

 

[Heinz57]

Nope!

 

[Mvann]

Oprah winfrey?

 

[Heinz57]

Close, but still not right

 

[deltic1989]

Ellen DeGeneres?