General Knowledge Quiz

[Golghar]

I'm going to say that there must be two differant dialects and they both spell it in a differant way?

I think I can take that as a correct answer. In fact there are two standard written forms of Norwegian, both in official use in Norway. Referring to the wikipedia article on Nynorsk, which in turn links to the article on Bokmål, gives one a fairly good picture. So this isn't a bilingual country in the sense that Belgium or Canada is. Even on trains and in other public places you might find notices in one, the other or both. I first noticed this while travelling by train in Norway. The signs for "non-smokers" were written slightly differently in two adjacent coaches.

Over to you now, Heinz!

And, by the way, Norge is Bokmål while Noreg is Nynorsk.

 

[Heinz57]

I can't think of any decent questions atm, so I'll go ahead and open the floor...

Are you deciding to enter into the sprit of the conundrum by using NORIGIAN instead of NORWEGIAN in your answer...

Sorry, can't spell

 

[Buttsy]

There are a pair of English brothers, one of who played in an FA Cup final and the other played in a World Cup final. Both events were in the 80s. Name both brothers.

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Mike Gatting (England Cricket WC final) and Steve Gatting (Brighton FA Cup final).

 

[Buttsy]

Correct!

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Who was the first continental European to win The Open Golf Championship?

 

[Meridian richard]

Arnaud Massy of france (1907) A regular question in quizzes at my golf club

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Monsieur Massy is the chap in question.

 

[Meridian richard]

In which film did Pele dismiss England's chances of winning the World Cup?

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Escape to Victory?

 

[Meridian richard]

No, wrong Pele film!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Mike Bassett, England Manager.

 

[Meridian richard]

Correct! Top Class Film!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Who were the 5th century people from what is now the Netherlands who invaded Eastern England ?

 

[Ivo]

The only group from Netherlands that I am aware of are the Frisians, but I would not suggest that they invaded England in the same way as the likes of the Romans or the Normans. I believe they merely "settled" here.

At roughly the same time however, the Saxons (Germany), Jutes (Denmark) and Angles (also Denmark) came along, so theoretically the answer you seek could be related to one of these suggestions instead.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Perhaps I could have phrased my question less obliquly. It was the Frisians, but it was those Frisians who came from the the border area of what now borders onto Germany.

Please set the next one.

 

[Ivo]

Not to worry. It was a good question.

Not including routes that do not come under TfL jurisdiction, such as the Seven Series routes around Heathrow Airport, what is the lowest positive number (just in case anyone suggests 0 or -x ) to not be used for a London Bus Route at present?

I will tell you that the answer "8" is not valid. There may be a non-TfL 8 in the London area, but there is also a TfL 8.

 

[Golghar]

84?

OK, I cheated, though I didn't google. I took out my Greater London Bus Map No.33 - 28th April 2012 and looked up the list of bus routes on the reverse. And to make sure no such route has been introduced since I checked with the TfL site.
I just realized I could have done it without the map too.

www.busmap.co.uk/timetables.html

 

[Ivo]

At least you're honest about it...

Technically there is an 84 in London, but it doesn't come under TfL jurisdiction (even though it is operated by TfL-regular Metroline). It runs between New Barnet and St Albans via Potters Bar, every 20 minutes. Its Sunday timetable is rather awkward; for the most part it is hourly, but there is one part of the timetable where an extra bus runs as a one-off allowing a journey every 45 minutes.

 

[Golghar]

So I presume you don't mind if I set the next one.

The following sentence is from Twelfth Night, Act III, Scene 2:

This was looked for at your hand, and this was balked: the double gilt of this opportunity you let time wash off, and you are now sailed into the north of my lady's opinion; where you will hang like an icicle on a Dutchman's beard, unless you do redeem it by some laudable attempt either of valour or policy.

Who, in the general opinion of scholars, is the "Dutchman" being referred to here. (There are two possible spellings of the name) For a extra point name a geographical feature called after this particular "Dutchman".

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Does the death in 1564 of Andries van Wesel have any connection to this?

 

[Golghar]

Does the death in 1564 of Andries van Wesel have any connection to this?

No, this Dutchman is an "explorer" in the traditional sense of the term, i.e. of the earth's surface and not of the human anatomy.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The Dutch cartographer, Willem Barentsz was on a Polar Expedition hoping to find a Northwest Passage into the Kara Sea where icebergs were studied. On this expedition, a polar bear was captured and brought on board, but it escaped from its bindings, caused terror and havoc and was killed.

This answer may not be the one you seek, but it certainly is interesting.

 

[Golghar]

Yes, Willem Barentsz, now more commonly spelt without the "z", is the "Dutchman" I was looking for. He died on his expedition in 1597, shortly before Twelfth Night was first performed. There are named after him a "Barents Sea", a "Barents Island" and the settlement of "Barentsburg" on the island of Spitzbergen.

Over to you now, Paul!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Not feeling well at present, so I will say OPEN FLOOR and give someone else a chance.

 

[deltic1989]

Not feeling well at present, so I will say OPEN FLOOR and give someone else a chance.

Sorry to hear that Paul, I hope you feel better soon.
In the meantime I shall step in and offer a question.

In what series of video games would you come across the re-occurring personality of Phil Cassidy?

 

[Ivo]

As much as I don't like the series, I believe the answer is Grand Theft Auto.

 

[deltic1989]

As much as I don't like the series, I believe the answer is Grand Theft Auto.

That is correct. He appeared in GTA III and GTA Vice City as drunken arms dealer with a thurst for 'boom shine'

 

[Ivo]

What was the Sweating Sickness, and when was it prevalent in England?

 

[Welshman]

Didn't it involve palpitations, aches and pains, hot and cold sweats and exhaustion? I think it was prevalent in England in the late 14c & 15c, and had all but died-out by 1600.