General Knowledge Quiz

[Seacook]

I note that an auroch is featured in the crest under the eagle and being a philatelist in my younger days, I would associate this as being a symbol used in what is now Moldova.

Time for some pedantry:

Aurochs is both singular and plural; "auroch" is not a recorded form.

 

[Welshman]

post deleted

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Time for some pedantry:

Aurochs is both singular and plural; "auroch" is not a recorded form.

It is good to hear from a fellow pedant and you are of course totally correct in what you say. I will now add the missing "s" to the word in my posting.

To place my pedantic headwear in place, in my original posting, I made note of being a philatelist in my much younger days and the period 1858 to 1859 saw postage stamps issued for the territory of what is now Moldova. The symbolic crest was that of an aurochs head over that of a posthorn. The first issue was in a circular frame and the second and third issues were in an oval frame with rounded edges. It is interesting to note that my oldest archive Stanley Gibbons stamp "all-world" catalogue of 1927 refers to that area as Moldovia

 

[Welshman]

Next question:-

From where did the insensitive and cruel expression to describe the mentally-ill "round the bend" derive?

 

[Mvann]

Bedlam was an asylum around the corner?

 

[deltic1989]

Because Lunatic Asylums of old had bends in the driveways leading up to them to screen the inmates from view.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Anything to do with not thinking in a straightforward manner ?

 

[Welshman]

Because Lunatic Asylums of old had bends in the driveways leading up to them to screen the inmates from view.

This answer is spot-on, because it makes the point that the asylums were deliberately built with a curve in the drive so that anyone passing by would see the splendid drive but not the unfortunate patients at the end of it.

 

[deltic1989]

This answer is spot-on, because it makes the point that the asylums were deliberately built with a curve in the drive so that anyone passing by would see the splendid drive but not the unfortunate patients at the end of it.

looks like the research into the history of st johns asylum in Lincoln paid off .
The floor is open.

 

[Crossover]

What is the acronym "TWAIN" commonly said to stand for?

 

[Welshman]

"Technology without an interesting name"?

 

[Crossover]

I'll accept that

It isn't official and I have heard a few others

Technology/tool without an important/interesting name

I think it is quite funny anyway. Your go

 

[Welshman]

Where would you find a bronze artist sitting on a bench?

 

[Heinz57]

London?

 

[Old-School]

14th Street – Eighth Avenue, New York City Subway?

 

[Welshman]

Sorry - neither are what I had in mind.
I'll give a clue to narrow it down:-

This is in the North of England.

 

[Seacook]

Sorry - neither are what I had in mind.
I'll give a clue to narrow it down:-

This is in the North of England.

I have vague memories of this, but I really can't remember, so I'll guess: is it Salford?

 

[gordonthemoron]

I'd go with Salford too, artist being Lowry

 

[Meridian richard]

If it is the Lowry one it is in Mottram near Hyde

 

[Welshman]

Seacook & gordonthemoron are partly right - the artist is Lowry, and the Lowry exhibition is in Salford.

However, the actual statue is on Stalybridge Rd, Mottram-in-Longendale, where Lowry lived for the last 28 years of his life. So Meridian Richard is the winner.

 

[Meridian richard]

Malcolm Wainwright stitched a sample of something in 1966 which led to his company supplying 300 of them
Name both the product and company

 

[deltic1989]

Im going to hedge my bets here, 1966 is noteable for being the only time that England have won the world cup. Now you make reference to stitching, and if memory serves Footballs were hand stitched in those days, so I'm going to say that Footballs are the product. As for the company, the only two football manufacturers I know of (there are many more) are Mitre and Slazenger. so Im going to say its one of the two, leaning more towards Slazenger as it was a Slazenger 25 Challenge ball that was used in the 1966 World Cup Final.
But the line that represents the correct answer may be a dot from where I am.

 

[Meridian richard]

Just about spot on and well worked out

He worked for Slazenger who supplied 300 World cup balls after being chosen in tests

Wainwright made them because he was considered the companies best stitcher

 

[deltic1989]

I'm actually suprised I got that right as I was working purely on 'stitching' '1966' and a vague memory of my games teacher at school having a replica of a 1966 world cup ball in his office.

So as it seems to be my floor.
What is the origin of the phrase " Son of a Gun" ?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Because this sounds American, I will hazard a guess that the American constitution allows all citizens to bear arms and the historical linkage to the American Wars of Independence, where this was very useful.

 

[deltic1989]

Because this sounds American, I will hazard a guess that the American constitution allows all citizens to bear arms and the historical linkage to the American Wars of Independence, where this was very useful.

A very good answer Paul, but not the one that I was looking for.

 

[Meridian richard]

Is it something to do with children born on old naval vessels (On the gun deck / To a gunner)?

 

[deltic1989]

Is it something to do with children born on old naval vessels (On the gun deck / To a gunner)?

This is the correct answer. The phrase comes from the early days of the Royal Navy. In those days whilst not officially sanctioned, sailors used to take women away on voyages with them, inevitably this led to women becoming with child, and where the paternity of the child was in question, the Gunnery Officer (usually the most junior officer on the ship) got the blame, and the child was recorded in the ships log a 'a son of a gun'.

So with that its over to you sir.

 

[Meridian richard]

Who was Time Magazines Man of the Year in 1938

 

[Old-School]

Hitler