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General Knowledge Quiz

theageofthetra

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You're right with George W. Can anyone furnish the owners of the burnt towns, and the reason for the hostilities concerned? (Who sets the next question, could end up as a matter for negotiation !)

Think he (or his relative) burned some native American settlements?
 
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Calthrop

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Think he (or his relative) burned some native American settlements?

My first instinct was York (Toronto) but that was in the days of James Madison, and arguably revenge arson.

theageofthetra is the one on the right track here: it was Washington and his troops, acting as auxiliaries to the British Army in warfare in the 1750s -- part of the Seven Years' War -- against the French in North America and their Native American allies. Washington's methods were harshly thorough and destructive in denying to the natives by all possible means, the necessities of life: from which the affected tribes called him in their languages, The Burner of Towns.

Correct input from theageofthetra (majorly), and martinsh; would you gentlemen like to sort out, who's the next question-setter?
 

theageofthetra

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Thx.

In some countries the defacing or deliberate damage of bank notes is a serious offence-Thailand in particular.

However English banknotes (not sure Scotland/NI) still have a deliberate feature that was introduced centuries ago that allowed and encouraged damage to occur.

What was this feature and why did many people damage the notes?
 

GusB

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This seems too obvious, but the serial number appears twice, in diagonally opposite corners. I fail to see why it would encourage damage, though. :-/
 

theageofthetra

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This seems too obvious, but the serial number appears twice, in diagonally opposite corners. I fail to see why it would encourage damage, though. :-/

It is to do with the serial number being at different ends . Think back a couple of hundred years....
 

A Challenge

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People tried to make out that this was half of a note and so can I spend it, as well as spending the other half, same reason!
 

Peter Mugridge

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Ah.... is it a case that originally a note would be ripped into two, one half handed over as a deposit and the other half retained until the goods or services involved had been delivered?

Pretty much like how we use interim and final invoices these days?


Open floor if I'm right.
 

theageofthetra

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Ah.... is it a case that originally a note would be ripped into two, one half handed over as a deposit and the other half retained until the goods or services involved had been delivered?

Pretty much like how we use interim and final invoices these days?


Open floor if I'm right.

Getting warmer- it is to do with the note being ripped in two parts. Now think back a couple of hundred years and think why that would be useful.
 

Peter Mugridge

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Ah... I was actually thinking within one's house but the way you worded that suggests I should say: Highwaymen holding up stagecoaches.
 

theageofthetra

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Ah... I was actually thinking within one's house but the way you worded that suggests I should say: Highwaymen holding up stagecoaches.

Correct. Learned this at the excellent Postal Museum last week. Money would be sent in two halfs on different Royal Mail coaches in case they were robbed (or pilfered by dishonest guards or in on it Inn Keepers). This issue lead to the creation on postal orders.

Your dandy highwayman.
 

Peter Mugridge

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Thank you; now for a slightly more awkward one that will require a bit of lateral thought! Although... for some of the older members it might actually be a very easy one...


What does a Weirdstone have in common with an amphibian famed for bad driving?
 

steevp

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Thank you; now for a slightly more awkward one that will require a bit of lateral thought! Although... for some of the older members it might actually be a very easy one...


What does a Weirdstone have in common with an amphibian famed for bad driving?
Are they both supposed to cure warts? (The latter one being a toad (of toad hall in this case) not sure what a wierdstone is ) open floor if marginally correct
 

Calthrop

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I'd be inclined to say that -- while Toad of Toad Hall definitely features -- both occur respectively, in books which (published about half a century apart) are regarded as classics of children's fiction: The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner, and The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame (though TWITW has always been enjoyed by readers of all ages). The eponymous Weirdstone is a magical stone which takes the book's protagonists back in time to do battle with sorcerors.

If this answer is adjudged to be right, open floor: I've got no good questions at present.
 

theageofthetra

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Which huge 70's hit had the working title of 'F#@k off' when being developed and was inspired by the writers being booted out of a club.
 

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