Themed Rounds

Themed #1 - Who said that?

1. Which of the Beatles is supposed to have used the phrase “a hard day’s night” which inspired the record and film title?

2. Which US president said “I think now would be a good time for a beer” in 1933?

3. Who said about whom - “Kissing her was like kissing Hitler” – Tony Curtis/Marilyn Monroe, Ronald Reagan/Margaret Thatcher, Ian Brady/Myra Hindley?

4. Whose slogan in the ‘60s was “Hell no, we won’t go”?

5. Which actor said “I have played 3 presidents, 3 saints and 2 geniuses, if that doesn’t create an ego problem, nothing does?

6. “I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars, the rest I just squandered”- words from which famous British sportsman? 

7. Who was Frank Sinatra talking about when he said “His kind of music is deplorable, a rancid smelling aphrodisiac”?

8. Who said, on being accused of being drunk “Yes madam, but you are ugly and I will be sober in the morning” – Winston Churchill, George Brown or Kenneth Clarke?

9. According to George Bernard Shaw, what is “wasted on the young”?

10. Who said “There were 3 of us in the marriage so it got a bit crowded”?

Themed #2 - Say it with flowers

1. Where were the Flowerpot Men going to in 1967?

2. Who wrote the classic song “My love is like a red, red rose”?

3. In a famous novel , what was Sir Percy Blakeney’s secret identity?

4. The chrysanthemum is which country’s national flower?

5. In a famous advert, what were said to “grow on you”?

6. In a wartime song, favoured by both armies, who used to stand “underneath the lamplight, by the barrack gate”?

7. Colin Chapman was the founder of which legendary sporting company?

8. In which county could you ride on the historic “Bluebell” railway – Kent, Sussex or Hampshire?

9. Which Coventry born singer followed up his No.2 hit of February1967 with a No.13 hit “Roses of Picardy” in November of the same year?

10. Which TV sitcom character has a son called Sheridan, a husband called Richard and a brother in law called Onslow?

Themed #3 - Do me a flavour!

1. How is the manoeuvre of kicking a football through an opponent’s legs better known?

2. On children’s TV, which title character has, amongst others, friends called Timmy the Tortoise and Polly Parrot?

3. Of what is sage derby a variety?

4. What was the name of the 1972 agreement between the USA and Russia to control the number of ballistic weapons on both sides?

5. Which Otis Redding song, recorded just days before his death in a ‘plane crash in 1967, was the first posthumous single to top the US charts? It reached No.3 in the UK. 

6. Galangal is a spice used in Russia to flavour what – beetroot soup, caviar or vodka?

7. Which ancient symbol features in the everyday business of both houses of Parliament?

8. In which 1967 film did Mia Farrow play the title character?

9. Dating back to the 12th century, the “Trial of the Pyx” is used to check the quality of product issued by which Government institution?

10. What is the name of Edina’s daughter in “Absolutely Fabulous”?

Themed #4 - First in, last out

1.  Who was Elizabeth II’s first Prime Minister?

2. In a famous book, Uncas was the last ...... ?

3. Who is credited with inventing the first “bagless” vacuum cleaner in 1983?

4. The Beatles last concert was at Candlestick Park, San Francisco on August 29th in which year – 1966, ’67 or ’68?

5. In which decade were wheel clamps first officially used in the UK?

6. Frank Wathernam was the last inmate to leave which infamous prison? 

7. Who was the first US President to resign from office?

8. Whose last publicly performed song was “Bridge over troubled waters” in a concert in Indianapolis in June 1977?

9. The last Olympic Games in which gold metals made completely from gold were given out was in which year – 1912, ’20 or ’24?

10. Who was appointed as the first woman journalist newsreader by the BBC in 1975?

 Themed #5 - In other words          

1. If you were a somniloquist, what would you do?

2. Which famous joint venture was based on the word for “agreement” used by both countries, with the French spelling finally used?

3. In which sport would you practice “toxopholy”?

4. Where would you be most likely to see a proscenium arch – on a viaduct, in your fingerprints or in a theatre?

5.  Which native Australian animal takes its name from the Aborigine for “no water”?

6.  What do the words defensive, hijack, canopy and student have in common?

7.  If your surname is Barker, would your ancestors have been involved in the leather trade, training animals or counting goods?

8.  Acetylsalcylic acid is one of the world’s widest used drugs, how is it better known?

9. The name of which form of transport translates from the Greek for “spiral wing”?

10. The Romans called this city Aquae Sulis, by what name do we know it?

Themed #6 - Animal, vegetable or mineral       

1.  Which long-running character was played on TV by June Brown?

2. Who wrote the Monkees No 1 hit “I’m a believer”?

3. Which seat would you associate with the Lord Chancellor of England?

4. “Stannary towns” were so called because of their close association with which industry?

5. On May 2nd 1863, one of the Confederate Army’s most famous Generals was accidentally shot by his own troops and died of pneumonia on the 10th. What was his nickname?

6. The site of an English palace, a cartoon bird and a famous ‘60s US event share the same name - what is it?

7. Which ex-Labour and UKIP representative was once a lecturer in politics at Liverpool University?

8. Which famous phrase was first used in a speech made in America on March 5th 1946?

9. Which actor starred as the scientist in The Fly and played Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park?

10. Which famous military training establishment was originally owned by Prime Minister William Pitt?

Themed #7 - Food and drink

1. What is the literal meaning of “crème brulee”?

2. Popular in Cajun cooking, what type of fruit are Muscadines and Scuppergongs?

3. Which spirit is used to make a traditional Mint Julep?

4. Which spice is said to be a cure for sea-sickness – Ginger, Mace or Cinnamon?

5. Which ingredient gives Worcester Sauce its unique flavour?

6. Which spirit is added to fortify red wine, turning it into Port?

7. Which herb is said to combine the flavours of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves?

8. How does Double Gloucester cheese differ from Single Gloucester – double the cream content, twice as big or matured longer?

9. Which popular cocktail consists of vodka, Galliano and orange juice?

10. Which fruit has the highest number of calories?

Themed #8 - Stranger than fiction         

1. R.L. Stephenson wrote “The strange case of ”- who?

2. “Strangers in the night” was one of how many No1 UK hit singles for Frank Sinatra - 2,3 or 4?

3. In which city is HMP Strangeways?

4. Which tragic figure did Miranda Richardson play in the film “Dance with a stranger”?

5. Which tune was the first British hit to top the US charts?

6. How many characters did Peter Sellers play in the film “Dr Strangelove”?

7. Where might you hear the call “I spy strangers”?

8. Which musical features the duet “Strangers in Paradise”?

9. Who directed the famous suspense movie “Strangers on a train”?

10.  Which duo had a No.11 hit in the UK in 1965 with the song “Love is strange"?

Themed #9 - A natural break        

1.  Crushed beetles are used to make which food colouring?

2. In Greek mythology, the 3-headed dog Cerberus guarded the entrance to where?

3. Fish was the nickname of the lead singer in which group?

4. The Beatles were the first British group to top the US charts, who were the second?

5. Which creature has teeth in its stomach – a lobster, snail or tortoise?

6. What is the name of the adult dog in Tom and Jerry?

7. In golf, what is an albatross?

8. How old must a sheep be before its meat is called mutton – 1, 3 or 5 years old?

9. What was the name of the old man who told the Brer Rabbit stories?

10. In a famous story, who rode a horse called Rosinante?

Themed #10 - Sport for all

1.  Before becoming Wimbledon Champion in 1936, in which other sport was Fred Perry world champion?

2. Which sporting legend features in the lyrics of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Mrs Robinson”?

3. Which footballer’s autobiography is entitled “The good, the bad and the bubbly”?

4. Staunton is the standard set for the manufacture of what – chess sets, playing cards or dominoes?

5. In 1994 Nemesis, Europe’s first inverted roller-coaster, began operating at which venue?

6. Which duo were at No.6 in the UK charts in 1986 with some help from the Matchroom Mob?

7. How many different colours are there on the circles on the mat used in the game of “Twister” – 4,5 or 6?

8. Who was light-heavyweight boxing champion of Uganda from 1951 to 1960?

9. In which part of the British Isles do dog owners need to have a license – Isle of Man, Northern Island or the Scilly Isles?

10. Which swimming stroke is the most recent to be introduced into official competitions?

Themed #11 - Peer pressure

1. Viscount Linley, son of Princess Margaret, is a well known maker of what?

2. What was the nickname of the entertainer Edward Kennedy Ellington?

3. Which British PM had a hot beverage named after him?

4. Which controversial French aristocrat wrote many of his works in prison?

5. What was the first programme to be shown on Channel 4?

6. How is Richard John Bingham better known?

7. Which foodstuff can be served “duchess-style”?

8. Who became Baroness Kesteven in 1992?

9. What was the name of the Thames pleasure-boat that sank in 1989 after colliding with a dredger?

10. Which Disney cartoon film featured the trouble-making twin cats called Si and Am?

Themed #12 - What's in a name?

1. Which one-piece skin-tight garment takes its name from a 19th century French acrobat?

2. Which deterrent, unpopular with motorists world-wide, is nick-named after a city nick-named “The Mile-high city”?

3. Founded in 1945, which manufacturing company based in Rocester in Staffordshire is known simply by the initials of its founder?

4. Which type of hat takes its name from the title character of a novel by George du Maurier, featuring the compelling Svengali – fedora, trilby or cloche?

5. Which fixing aid, invaluable to the DIY enthusiast, takes its name from the British man who invented it in 1911?

6. Which particular way of fastening a man’s fashion accessory takes its name from a king of England?

7. Which universally worn item of clothing, popular with both sexes, is named after Italy’s largest sea-port?

8. Which English cartoonist’s name came to be synonymous with any contraption that was cleverly made, over elaborate and of no practical use?

9. Which European country takes its name from a tribe who settled in its central, northern and eastern areas in the 5th century?

10. Arthur Wellesley, an Anglo-Irish aristocrat of the 19th century, gave his name to which item of footwear?

Themed #13 - It's not all black and white!

1. Who was crowned Queen of England on July 10th 1553?

2. According to the Rolling Stones, who “keeps everything in the farmyard upset in every way”? 

3. Who wrote the novels “Brighton Rock” and “Our man in Havana”? 

4. In the TV western mini-series “Lonesome Dove”, what was the name of the Comanche renegade who kidnapped Lorena?

5. Crowned in 1689, whose reign with his wife is the only example of a joint monarchy in modern British history? 

6. In the ‘30s, amongst others, Dorothy Lamour, Ginger Rogers and Mae West were considered for which screen role?

7. What does the name of the Texas town of Amarillo translate into in English?

8. Which WW II favourite tune was based on a drinking song written in 1869?

9. Which supergroup had hits in the mid to late 60s with “I feel free” and “Sunshine of your love”?

10. Who played Ena Sharples in the original “Coronation Street”?

Themed #14 - "Nick's" the name!

1. Which ex-British sportsman was nicknamed “Interesting” because of his dull public persona? 

2. In Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, who did Sitting Bull call “Little Sure Shot”? 

3. What is the nickname of the 3rd battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland? 

4. Which public figure became known in the press as “Lord Porn”?

5. Which rock ‘n’ roll legend called himself “The Killer”? 

6. Which sportsman earned the nickname “Superbrat”?

7. In history, who was nicknamed “The Little Corporal”? 

8. Who was nicknamed “Fluff”?

9. What was the nickname of George Walker Bush? 

10. Which European city is nicknamed “The Bride of the Sea”? 

Themed #15 - Alternate the "A"s

1. Which country has more coastline than any other?

2. Which company is the leading manufacturer of musical instruments?

3. “Shy boy”, “Cruel Summer” and “Love in the first degree” were Top 10 hits for which group?

4. Which word is derived from the Sanskrit for “great” or “high king”?

5. Which dish comprises a pink pate made mainly from cod roe?

6. What name is given to meat that has been butchered especially for Muslims?

7.  Which tropical tree produces a fruit resembling a melon with orange coloured flesh? 

8. In terms of rainfall, which is the driest desert on Earth?

9. What is the surname of the man who discovered an edible nut which was then named after him?

10. Which is the 22nd state of the USA?

Themed #16 - An "L" of a round

1. What is the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury?

2. Which is the world’s highest capital city? 

3. Which city was besieged for 880 days in WWII? 

4. What is the name for a group of moles – a labyrinth, lodge or labour? 

5. Whose second book, published in 1965, was called “A Spaniard in the works”? 

6. What is Pavarotti’s Christian name?

7. The Lusitania Express runs between 2 cities – Madrid and where?

8. Once part of a famous duo, which US comedian’s real name is Joseph Levitch ?

9. In which city is the Walker Art Gallery? 

10. Who was the German leader of Protestant reformation?

 Themed #17 - Face the Music

1. According to the song, what are “Hammersmith Palais, the Bolshoi Ballet, jump back in the alley and nanny goats”?

2. Which ‘80s band were named after a family friend of Star Trek’s Mr Spock?

3. In the ‘70s, which drink taught the world to sing?

4. Which singer claimed she lost her virginity as a career move – Madonna, Debbie Harry  or Chrissie Hynde? 

5. Which dance craze was originally devised to promote the song “Achy-breaky heart”?

6. US DJ Alan Freed is credited with introducing which descriptive term for music?

7. Who introduced the first edition of “Top of the pops” – Tony Blackburn, Alan Freeman or Jimmy Savile?

8. Who was the first music star to be screamed at by young fans?

9. The world’s first talking movie starred which singer?

10. What was unusual about the ‘80s pop group The Thompson Twins?

Themed #18 - Who said that? Part 2

1. Which star, famous for her many quotes said “It’s not the men in your life that matters, it’s the life in your men” ?

2. Who, in 1957, boldly stated “Let’s be frank about it, most of our people have never had it so good”? 

3. Whose last words were “That was a great game of golf fellas”?

4. Protesting his innocence, who stated categorically “I did not have sexual relations with that woman”? 

5. Which British monarch on his death bed uttered the immortal words “Bugger Bognor”? 

6. Which 19th century US marketing and sales genius is accredited with the phrase “There’s a sucker born every minute”? 

7. Which Victorian wit, shortly before his death in France in 1900 said, “My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. Either it goes or I do”? 

8. Having read his obituary in a major newspaper, which famous American reputedly said “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated”? 

9. Who, in a famous trial in the early ‘60s, when being told that a defendant denied having any involvement with her, replied “Well he would say that, wouldn’t he"?

10. Whose last words, facing his firing squad on 17th January 1977, were “Let’s do it”?

Themed #19 - AKA, commonly known as?

1. Which commonly used covering was originally called Chemgrass?

2. Which famous singer who died in 1977 was known as “The old Groaner”?

3. Which universally used food item was known by the Crusaders as “sweet-salt”?

4. If it was left up to the designer, which famous WWII aircraft would have been called the “Shrew”?

5. How was the 1930s US gangster Lester Gillis better known – “Pretty Boy” Floyd, “Baby-Face” Nelson or Jack “Legs” Diamond?

6. Which king of England was known as “Longshanks” or “The Hammer of the Scots”?

7. Which insect is nicknamed “The Devil’s darning-needle”?

8. What is the common name for the hedgerow plant “Belladonna”?

9. The ninth tallest building in the UK, how is the tower at London’s 30, St Mary Axe known locally?

10. Which MP is nicknamed “The Beast of Bolsover”?

Themed #20 - Crime and Punishment

1. Which criminal duo opened a night-club called “The Double R”?

2. Who, in 1981, survived an assassination attempt by John Hinckley? 

3. The high security hospital Broadmoor is in which county – Norfolk, Sussex or Berkshire?

4. The death-throes of convicted Nazi war criminals hanged in the late 1940s supposedly gave which UK pop group their name?

5. In 2009, which famous personality was convicted of the murder of actress Lana Clarkson? 

6. Josef Jakobs was the last person to be executed at the Tower of London, in which year – 1941, ’44 or ’47?

7. In 2003, a film was released based on the scams of real-life fraudster Frank Abagnale Jr - what was it called? 

8. Sentenced in 2016 to a 13 year term, Ralph Clarke became the UK’s oldest prisoner - within 5 years how old was he?

9. Which national hero was hanged, drawn and quartered at London’s Smithfield on 23rd August 1305?

10. In the TV series “Porridge”, who played the arch-criminal “Grouty”? 

Themed #21 - "Oh, to be in England"

1. Which famous comedian, actor and musician, one half of a famous duo, died in March, 2002? 

2. What is the name of the daughter of the 42nd President of the USA? 

3. Which ex-star of a current TV soap was once married to a British gangster and had a long running affair with the film and TV star Sid James? 

4. Which sportsman was sentenced to 3 years in prison in 1987 for tax evasion?

5. Which ‘30s movie-star, who died at the age of 26, was the original “Blonde Bombshell”? 

6. Which actor won an Academy Awards nomination for his part as convicted murderer Robert Stroud in the film “The Birdman of Alcatraz”?

7. Which singer, whose first UK hit was “Walk on by” in 1964, was the cousin of Whitney Houston?

8. Who played the part of Gaz in the film “The full Monty”? 

9. Which convicted murderer had starring roles in both “Eastenders” and “The Paradise Club”?

10. In 2002, which veteran radio/television personality became the first winner of "I'm a celebrity - get me out of here" ?

 Themed #22 - Take a card

1. Who played the part of Rooster Cogburn in the 2010 remake of the film “True Grit”?

2. Situated on the English Channel between Dover and Ramsgate, which town has two 16th century castles?

3. Which famous actor, known as “the King of cool”, died of cancer in Mexico on November 7th 1980 aged 50?

4. Which US president was born in New York on June 4th 1946?

5. Who was Governor of the Bank of England from 2003 to 2013?

6. What was Robert Vaughn’s character’s name in the ‘60s TV series “The man from U.N.C.L.E”?

7. What is the common name of the antirrhinum?

8. In the BBC TV comedy series “The Fast Show”, what was the catch-phrase used by the characters Ken and Kenneth? 

9. Which arcade game, one of the highest grossing video games ever, was released in Japan in 1980 and features four ghosts named Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde?

10. In the classic western “Shane” who played the part of the vicious gunman Wilson? 

Themed #23 - The "F" word!

1. Who wrote the book “Chitty-chitty bang bang”? 

2. What is the title of Beethoven’s only opera? 

3. In the book “Treasure Island”, what is the name of Long John Silver’s parrot ?

4. Which actress is the daughter of actress Debbie Reynolds?

5. What was Scott of the Antarctic’s second Christian name? 

6. Which organisation uses the slogan “Think globally, act locally”

7. Which footballer was the first to break the one-million pound transfer fee ?

8. What is the popular name for iron pyrites?

9. Which of the Mr Men drives a shoe-shaped car? 

10. Zorro is a fictional hero, what does the Spanish name translate to in English?

 Themed #24 - A shady deal!

1. Which private security guard and detective agency, established in Chicago in 1850, has the motto “We never sleep” ?

2. In the classic film “The Third Man”, what was the name of the character played by Orson Wells?

3. Which word can be applied to a young animal and also mean to seek favour by servile flattery?

4. Ecru is the colour of what – unbleached linen, sun-dried brick or newly-tanned leather?

5. Gelato is the Italian word for what ?

6. Produced in the digestive system of sperm whales, which substance was once used in the perfume industry to give the scent a longer life?

7. In a famous novel, first published in 1905, how is the English aristocrat Sir Percy Blakeney better known?

8. What is the state flower of Louisiana?

9. Known for its star-kicker logo, which BBC2 television music show aired from 1971 to 1988?

10. What name is given to an adult male mountain gorilla?

Themed #25 - The USA - Capital! 

Each answer is the name of a US capital city - give yourself an extra point if you can name the state of which it is the capital

1.  Who played Samantha, the female lead in the TV series “Bewitched”? 

2.  Which British athlete held the 110 metres men’s hurdles record for over a decade after he set it in 1993?

3. Which film gave Daniel Day-Lewis his third Best Actor Oscar? 

4. Opened in 1606, what is the name of the world’s busiest passenger port ?

5. Which singer died in October 1997 when his private ‘plane crashed into the ocean off the California coast?

6. Which famous British service operated from January 21st 1976 until 24th October 2003? 

7. Who played Commodus in the film “Gladiator”?

8. Which famous British aristocrat, soldier, spy and explorer was executed at the Palace of Westminster, London on 26th October 1618? 

9. In which film does Clint Eastwood play a photographer who falls in love with a character played by Meryl Streep?

10. Which car manufacturer produced, amongst others, models named Hampshire, Dorset, Cambridge, Somerset and Devon? 

Themed #26 - Bewitched, bothered and bewildered

1. In 1950s USA, Senator McCarthy instigated the infamous “Communist witch hunts”, what was his first name?

2. What was the name of the motorcycle gang in the film “Every which way but loose”?

3. The first edition of the consumer magazine “Which” was issued in what year, 1957, ’59 or ’61?

4. What was the title of Redbone’s No.2 UK hit of 1971?

5. At which London visitor’s site can you see a figure representing a witch holding a horse’s tail?

6. All 3 for the point, who played the 3 witches in the film “The witches of Eastwick”?

7. In which US state was the village of Salem, famous for a series of witch trials held in 1692?

8. In the film “The Wizard of Oz”, the wicked witch was from the west, where did the good witch come from?

9. In 1640s England, Matthew Hopkins travelled across East Anglia and caused the deaths of countless women. What was his self-assumed title?

10. In 11th century England, if a town’s name ended in “wich”, with what commodity would it be associated?

Themed #27 - Mother's Day

1. Which drink was known as “Mother’s ruin”?

2. What name is shared by Spock’s mother and a 1980s pop group?

3. Who was the mother of Elizabeth I?

4. What is the proper name for “mother of pearl”? 

5. What is the original title of the famous painting “Whistler’s mother “ -“Arrangement in grey and black”, “Sitter No.9” or “Monochrome”?

6. Who co-wrote the TV series “It ain’t ‘alf hot Mum”?

7. In which city did Mother Theresa found her missionary?

8. Once called the Royal Disease, which rare disorder mainly affecting male children is always passed on by the mother during birth? 

9. Which animal would be the mother of a shoat – a pig, sheep or goat?

10. Which comedian joked “I always knew when the mother in law was going to visit, the mice were throwing themselves on the traps”?

Themed # 28 - Alias Smith and Jones

1. Winston Smith is the main character in which famous 20th century novel? 

2. In which film did footballer Vinnie Jones make his acting debut? 

3. In which town is the headquarters of retailer WH Smith?

4. What is singer Tom Jones’ real name?

5. In which London area is Smithfield Market – Lambeth, Southwark or City? 

6. Griff Rhys-Jones starred in two TV series called “3 men in a boat” with which two other men? 

7. Which company is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the USA? 

8. Which Trades Union legend died in April 2009 aged 96?

9. Mandy Smith briefly married a star who was 34 years her senior in 1989 – who was he? 

10.  James Earl Jones provided the voice of which character in the Star Wars movies? 

Themed #29 - Jim-nastics!

1. Which of Batman’s arch-enemies was played by Jim Carrey in the 1995 film “Batman forever”?

2. Which legendary fighter was killed along with Davie Crockett at the siege of the Alamo?

3. In an episode of “Blackadder”, who or what was Speckled Jim? 

4. In which country did the cult leader Jim Jones establish Jonestown where over 900 of his followers committed suicide? 

5. In the book “Treasure Island”, what is the name of the son of the owners of the Admiral Benbow Inn?

6. What is the stage name of the surreal comedian and TV presenter Jim Moir?

7. Jimmy Wales is well-known for co-founding which web-site?

8. What is the name of the American puppeteer who created the Muppet Show?

9. Which US tennis player is one of only 5 men to have won a Grand Slam singles title on all surfaces? 

10.  Who did the Blue Fairy appoint as Pinocchio’s official conscience?

 Themed #30 - Crime and Punishment Part 2

1. Who was the victim of the gun-man James Earl Ray?

2. Marie Kelly was the final victim of which serial killer?

3. In which country was Osama Bin Laden born? 

4. How did the Great Train Robber Charlie Wilson die – natural causes, in a road accident or shot dead? 

5. In which month of 2005 did terrorists carry out separate attacks on London’s transport system?

6. On TV, what was the surname of “The Weatherfield One”?

7. Who apparently vanished from the face of the Earth on 7th November 1974? 

8. Guy Trebert was the first person to be apprehended using what – fingerprints, DNA or Identikit?

9. Which UK prison was the scene of a major riot in 1990? 

10. “Let him have it” was a film about which pardoned murderer? 

Themed #31 - Science and Nature

1. Which metal is named after a Mediterranean island?

2. Which family of birds is considered the most intelligent as far as having the power to reason?

3. Who is accredited with the invention of the lightning conductor and bifocal glasses – Samuel Pepys, Isaac Newton or Benjamin Franklin?

4. Which animal is the emblem of the USA’s Republican Party?

5. In which decade was the Hubble telescope launched into space?

6. Which is the shortest human digit?

7. The first microwave oven was introduced in which year – 1945, ’55 or ’65

8. Which gas makes up 90% of natural gas?

9. Which southern US state is nicknamed “The Pelican State”  - Louisiana, Alabama or Georgia? 

10. What valuable resource was discovered in South Africa’s Orange Free State in 1867?

 Themed #32 - Sport and games

1. In a series of films, who was trained by Mickey Goldmill? 

2. What is unusual about Brentford’s football ground – it has a pub on each corner, it has 13 turnstiles or it sells football-shaped pies?

3. At which sporting event would you have seen Wenlock and Mandeville?

4. What name links a Formula One driver and the sooth-sayer in TV’s “Up Pompeii”? 

5. In the UK, all cars classed as “vintage” were built before which year?

6. Which US President owned a dog named “Checkers” –Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton or Ronald Reagan? 

7. In Monopoly, what is the fine for being drunk in charge?

8. In which comic did footballer “Roy of the Rovers” first appear?

9. Which sport has provided the most winners of TV’s “Sports Personality of the Year” award? 

10. Which famous race is run at Churchill Downs? 

Themed #33 - It's elementary

1. Which film, starring Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor was based on the Pulitzer prize winning play by Tennessee Williams? 

2. According to the title of glam-rock band Sweet’s 1978 hit, “Love is like” – what? 

3. In a famous novel, who was the quartermaster on board the Hispaniola?

4. What was the title of Shirley Bassey’s second James Bond theme hit? 

5. Flourishing in the US from around 1905 to 1915, what was the name, based on the entrance fee, for the basic moving-picture theatres and later for the early form of juke-box?

6. Which Chicago based R&B/Funk band had No.3 and 4 hits in the UK in the late 70s with “September” and “Boogie wonderland”? 

7. Which show-biz legend and knight was billed as “The Mighty Atom” when he began his career aged 14 in 1942 with a song, dance and accordion act?

8. Which 1981 single by the Stranglers reached No.2 in the UK, their highest reaching hit?

9. Which Marvels comics super-hero’s real name is Tony Stark?

10. Which stage-name was adopted by the early UK rock-singer Thomas Hicks?

Themed # 34 - Golden Oldies

1. In 1957, the Gold Coast of Africa became known as what?

2. What is the name of the ancient art concerned with attempts to turn base metals into gold?

3. Re-started after WWII in 1946, what was the name of the Southern Railways luxury train that linked London to Paris in six hours?

4. The name of which fabled site translates literally as “The Gilded or Golden place”?

5. Which metal in its pure state is better than pure gold as an electrical conductor – copper, platinum or silver?

6. Harold Sokata played a villain in which 1964 film?

7. Which Gold Rush occurred first - Canada’s Klondike, California’s Sutter’s Mill or South Africa’s Witwatersrand? 

8. Which British Olympian has won the most Olympic Gold medals?

9. Scoring 10 points, what is the diameter, in inches, of the gold or bull on a standard archery target for 55 yard range – 2.25”, 3.00” or 3.5”? 

10. Which 1970 hit by Freda Payne shares it’s name with a 1995 TV series starring, amongst others, Barbara Dixon and Samantha Morton?

Themed #35 - The weather forecast

1. Who presented the famous TV show “That was the week that was”? 

2. Which blockbuster novel of the 1930s nearly had the title “Tomorrow is another day”? 

3. Who had a hit in 1999 with “Why does it always rain on me?”

4. In 1935, which British WW1 legend died following a motor-bike accident near his home of Cloud’s Hill in Dorset?

5. In 1952, Sam Phillips founded which famous recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee?

6. What was the name of the character played by Brian Wilde in TV’s “Last of the Summer wine”?

7. Which famous fighter ‘plane was designed by Sidney Camm?

8. What was the title of Thunderclap Newman’s 1969  No. 1 UK hit?

9.  What is the name of TV personality Peter Snow’s co-presenter son? 

10. ‘80s comedy duo Gareth and Norman used their surnames as their stage-name, what were their names? 

Themed #36 - I ain't got no body!

1. Which is the largest internal organ in the human body? 

2. In a famous speech, who said “I know I have the weak and feeble body of a woman but I have the heart and stomach of a king”?

3. Which part of your body is technically known as the hallux ?

4. In the game of Cluedo, how many rooms are there in which you could find the body?

5. Which gland produces insulin? 

6. Which supermodel is nicknamed “The Body”?

7. How much skin does the average male adult have – 10, 20 or 30 square feet?

8. Which legal phrase is the Latin for “You must have the body”?

9. Where would you find the home of the London taxi?

10. Who had a No.3 UK hit in August 1979 with “If I said you had a beautiful body would you hold it against me”? 

Themed #37 - A Rainbow round

1. “The green, green grass” was a spin-off from which TV comedy series?

2. In which country can you ride the super-luxurious “Blue Train”?

3. What was the Christian name of the German WWI hero nicknamed “The Red Baron” ?

4. What is the nickname of the New Zealand national football team?

5. Which of the Beatles’ albums originally featured the song “Yellow Submarine” – Revolver, Rubber Soul or Sgt Pepper ?

6. Natalie Bennett was elected leader of which UK organisation ?

7. How is the TV puppet character Paul Metcalfe better known?

8. Sir Francis Drake sailed around the world in which ship?

9. Which US president’s image appears on the Purple Heart medal – Washington, Lincoln or Grant?

10.  Biddy Baxter created which long-running TV show?

Themed #38 - What's new?

1. Which teenaged finalist in the talent show New Faces was knighted in the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours List? 

2. What links a large island with a big working dog with webbed feet ?

3. Which king of England was killed in the New Forest in a hunting accident on 2nd August 1100?

4. In 2025, Newcastle United FC will celebrate how many years of its history – 110, 120 or 130?

5. What is the capital of the US state of New Jersey?

6. Which TV drama featured ex-policemen re-investigating unsolved crimes? 

7. In which famous book are people forced to talk Newspeak as a form of thought control?

8. Which fighting force was formed by the Parliamentarians in 1645 and disbanded in 1660 following the Reformation?

9. Newmarket racecourse was home to which classic race in the war years 1915 to 1918 and 1940 to 1945?

10. Paul Newman won his only Oscar in which film, reprising a role he had played in another film?

Themed # 39 - Black or white?

1. Equal measures of champagne and stout make up which drink? 

2. Who beat Jimmy White to win his only World Snooker Championship title? 

3. Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward are members of which rock group?

4. Name one of the three English football teams nicknamed “the Lilywhites”, after their strip? 

5. What connects Valentine Dyall, Tommy Lee Jones, Johnny Cash and Will Smith? 

6. Walter White was the lead character in which long running TV dramatic series?   

7. Which reggae group took its name from the Arabic word for black?

8. In which Shakespeare play does the title character, on the eve of battle, give the order “Saddle White Surrey for the field tomorrow”?

9. On 22nd November 1718, which famous criminal, along with several of his crew, was shot dead by a team of sailors led by Lieutenant Robert Maynard? 

10.  In which sport would you use the term “to Whitechapel”?

Themed #40 - Over the Moon!

1. Which popular puppet character was a parody of the Who’s Keith Moon?

2. If two full moons occur in a calendar month, what familiar name is given to the second one?

3. The Moonies religious order was founded in which country? 

4. Which controversial ‘60s musician/bandleader named his daughter “Moon Unit”?

5. Which character was Jack Nicholson playing on film when he asked the question “Ever dance with the Devil in the pale moonlight?”?

6. Barring the hoax conspiracy theorists, how many men have walked on the moon – 8,10 or 12? 

7. In the song “Fly me to the Moon” where does the singer want to see what Spring is like?

8. In 1959, before they became internationally famous, who were called Johnny and the Moondogs?

9. What, according to superstition, will happen if, on a certain Wednesday or Friday you were to sleep outdoors with the light of the full moon on your face – you’ll marry within the year, become a werewolf or have twins?

10. Who wrote the poem in which the Owl and the Pussycat “hand in hand on the edge of the sand, danced by the light of the moon”?