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General Knowledge Quiz

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MotCO

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Oscar Wilde us often a good shout, but it doesn't sound like him. For some reason, I thinking someone Stateside
 
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Calthrop

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In the musical My Fair Lady -- adapted from Shaw's play Pygmalion -- the quote is from the character, the roguish dustman: Mr. Dolittle (I forget his Christian name, if we ever learn it) -- the father of Eliza the heroine.
 
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Calthrop

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DaleCooper said:
See below.

Alfred Doolittle (I'll forgive the misspelling) is correct, your turn.
Click to expand...

Thanks. (Spelling-wise, I reckon I was mixing things up with Hugh Lofting's creation Dr. Dolittle, the guy who can speak the languages of animals.)


There follow, three nations whose present-day respective capitals are for many people, not the better-known city which you tend to think is the capital (and was indeed the capital in bygone days); but places which come less readily to mind. The countries' names are given; please name the capital of each as at the present time. (Naming the, as above, one-time capitals too: will be welcome, but not obligatory.)

Cote d'Ivoire

Kazakhstan

Tanzania
 
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SuspectUsual

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Tanzania - Dodoma - was Dar Es Salaam. For some reason one of my kids learned that at primary school 15 years ago and it stuck in my mind too
 
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Calthrop

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SteveM70 said:
Tanzania - Dodoma - was Dar Es Salaam. For some reason one of my kids learned that at primary school 15 years ago and it stuck in my mind too
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Correct throughout. Dodoma does have the "upside" that it's nearer the centre of the country; plus its being on the east-west rail trunk line from Dar to Lake Tanganyika !
 
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Calthrop

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Couple of possible hints, maybe --

Cote d'Ivoire's former and better-known capital, is on the coast. The current capital lies some way inland.

Kazakhstan's current capital has in its quarter-century in the role, had its name changed to a fresh one, then changed back again to the one it started with.
 
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Calthrop

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yoyothehobo said:
Cote d-Ivoire was Abidjan, is now Yammoussokrou or similar spelling!
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That's right: ex-Abidjan, now Yamoussoukro. (Splendid name: I've thought of a memory-aid for it. In a hotel in that city, one is at breakfast: a component of which is yam; one would like some sugar on it, but can't see the sugar. Using French as is de rigueur in that country, but at which one is not very good; one says to the waiter, "ou sucre?" ["where is the sugar?"]; one then realises ["o !"] that one is after all looking directly at it.)

We have three correct answers, all from different posters. Gentlemen, might you be up for a tie-breaker? -- in same general ballpark, but not necessarily re present-weird-former-ordinary capitals.
 
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yoyothehobo

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Calthrop said:
That's right: ex-Abidjan, now Yamoussoukro. (Splendid name: I've thought of a memory-aid for it. In a hotel in that city, one is at breakfast: a component of which is yam; one would like some sugar on it, but can't see the sugar. Using French as is de rigueur in that country, but at which one is not very good; one says to the waiter, "ou sucre?" ["where is the sugar?"]; then realises ["o !"] that one is after all looking directly at it.)

We have three correct answers, all from different posters. Gentlemen, might you be up for a tie-breaker? -- in same general ballpark, but not necessarily re present-weird-former-ordinary capitals.
Click to expand...
Everyone loves a tiebreak
 
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