Climb the Ladder

 A team's dream, the number of each question is its value in points!  Score 1 point for the first question, up to 10 for the last question with 55 points available in total. Expect the questions to get harder the further you climb the ladder....

Climb the Ladder #1

1. Which English football team shares its nickname with the wife of an ex-player? 

2.  Which sea separates Australia and New Zealand?

3. John Taylor and Co own the world’s largest Bell Foundry – is it in Leicester, Leominster or Loughborough? 

4. In the UK, “moke” is a slang term for which animal?

5.  What connects a car, a yoga position and a flower?

6. In 1932, the first UK train route to and from London scheduled to run at 70 mph featured a service nicknamed what – The Cheltenham Flyer, Cirencester Sprinter or the Gloucester Greyhound?

7. Two UK Boy Bands had the number 17 in their name – who were they?

8. In the film Forrest Gump, how many Presidents did Forrest meet? 

9. The Volvo logo is based on one of the oldest symbols for iron, adopted by the Romans as the symbol for which planet? 

10. In 1935, the “Golden Voice” competition was held to provide the voice for which service – the Speaking Clock, UK Shipping Forecast or London Underground’s “Mind the gap”

Climb the Ladder #2

1. How many suspects are there in the game of “Cluedo”? 

2. Traditionally, a bullfighter’s cape is red on one side and which colour on the other?

3. The first McDonalds opened in 1954 in which city – New York, Los Angeles or Chicago? 

4. In cookery, what does the term “al forno” mean? 

5. In 1992, Singapore banned the import of which foodstuff due to the mess it created? 

6. In a 2005 Harvey Nicholls poll, what was voted the favourite fashion creation ever – the mini-skirt, wonder-bra or tights? 

7. Which famous barrier has 10 gates?

8. Which company advertises itself as “never knowingly undersold”?

9. Which Australian animal’s name is taken from the Aborigine for “no drink”?

10. For how many seconds did the first powered flight by the Wright brothers last- 12, 22 or 32? 

Climb the Ladder #3

1. The Spaceship USCSS Nostromo is the setting for which famous film?

2. What is Canada’s national sport?

3. Due to a regular intake of sleeping tablets making him drowsy, which famous bandleader choked to death in his sleep on 26th November 1956 – Count Basie, Duke Ellington or Tommy Dorsey?

4. By what name is Barbara Millicent Roberts better known? 

5. What is the world’s fastest growing plant? 

6. During World War II, where were the US Declaration of Independence and the Constitution kept – The White House, Camp David or Fort Knox? 

7. The speed of which computer accessory is measured in Mickeys? 

8. In which year did the demolition of the Berlin Wall begin? 

9. What date is known as “Star Wars Day”?

10. If your surname is Lorimer, what would your ancestor have made for a living – belts, buckles or buttons? 

Climb the Ladder #4

1. Which non-animal/non-human disease left its mark across the UK in 1975? 

2. On an Ordnance Survey map, what is represented by a red triangle?

3. In the South Saharan area of Sudan, what is a “haboob” – a blinding sandstorm, a ceremonial tent or an ornamental curved knife? 

4. Which popular drink was named after its alleged ability to cure indigestion? 

5. What type of creature is a “devil’s coach-horse”? 

6. How many times did Sean Connery play James Bond on film – 5,7 or 9? 

7. What is the main purpose of the eyebrow?

8. Who was the victim of the assassin Sirhan Sirhan?

9. Which diet regime was dealt a body-blow when its creator died overweight from a heart attack in 2003? 

10. Which sport is controlled from the Hurlingham Club in London – croquet, polo or squash?

Climb the Ladder #5

1. The equivalent of the Roman Mars, who was the Greek god of war?

2. Which of the world’s mountain ranges is the longest?

3. Where was papier-mache first used – China, France or the USA?

4. What name is used for an infant hedgehog?

5. Andy Dufresne is the lead character in which film, based on a Stephen King novel? 

6. What name did John Gutzon, the man who sculpted the famous Mount Rushmore monument in the USA, give to his son, who finished the work – Jefferson, Lincoln or Washington?

7. Originally, Amazon only sold what?

8. Which world-wide favourite edible item takes its name from the Aztec word for “bitter water”?

9. Which is South Korea’s largest technology company?

10. Which of these originated in Ireland – Halloween, Mother’s Day or St Valentine’s Day?

Climb the Ladder #6

1. Who ended his nightly diary entries with “and so to bed”?

2. A tangerine and which other fruit are crossed to create an Ugli? 

3. Members of the New York Diners Club were the first to own what – a credit card, dinner jacket or wristwatch? 

4. Which US state is nicknamed “The last frontier”?

5. Which record was used as the main theme for the film “The Exorcist” and also launched Virgin’s new record label? 

6. In which country was Greenpeace founded – Australia, Canada or the UK?

7. The name of which musical instrument translates from the Greek for “wooden voice”?

8. Which famous musician owned the “Handmade Films” company?

9. Which river forms the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe? 

10. How old was Marilyn Monroe when she died – 36, 38 or 40?

Climb the Ladder #7

1. In Germany, what is “ein Handy”? 

2. TAP is which country’s national airline?

3. Starbucks coffee was named after a character in which book – The last of the Mohicans, Huckleberry Finn or Moby Dick?

4. Which phrase is associated with the doomed troops on board the sinking ship HMS Birkenhead?

5. On TV, what job does Patrick Clifton do?

6. What is the link between the female personification of the UK and the Greek god Poseidon? 

7. Swoosh is the name of the corporate trademark of which company – Nike, Pepsi-Cola or CNN?

8. Which one word can be a country’s pre-Euro monetary unit, a type of small river boat and the dimple in the bottom of a wine bottle? 

9. 2013 was the first year since 1987 to have no what? 

10. In the game of Monopoly, which property is the only one south of the River Thames - Old Kent Road, Vine Street or Bow Street?

Climb the Ladder #8

1. What was added to British coinage in 1986? 

2. In 2003, which road became the UK’s first toll-paying motorway?

3. The first winner of the Miss World contest came from which country – Spain,  Sweden or Switzerland?

4. The most famous fan of Wagner played his music at important political rallies – who was he?

5. In the famous “Owl and the Pussycat” poem, how much did the wedding-ring cost?

6. Who was the first British athlete to win an Olympic Gold Medal in a throwing event – Geoff Capes, Tessa Sanderson or Fatima Whitbread?

7. Who did Clement Freud describe as Attila the Hen?

8. What nationality was the pop group Double, who reached No, 8 in the UK charts in 1985 with the song "The Captain of her heart"? 

9. Which is the only UK county to have a stretch of coastline designated as a National Park? 

10. If a dish is termed “Lyonnaise”, what does it contain – chopped onion, spinach or carrot?

Climb the Ladder #9

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

2. Which UK city is covered by the postcode “S”?

3. The name of which bird is derived from the French for “William” – Widgeon, Mallard or Guillemot? 

4. Is a banana a fruit, vegetable or herb?

5. In a Punch and Judy show, what is the name of Punch’s dog? 

6. At the end of which ELO song does a robotic voice ask you to “Please turn me over” – Telephone Line, Strange Magic or Mr Blue Sky?

7. What is the main diet of the South African Secretary bird?

8. The names of how many US states begin with a vowel?

9. Who was the last British monarch from the House of Hanover? 

10. In Imperial measurement, which of these holds the most – a barrel, hogshead or kilderkin?

Climb the Ladder #10

1. Which toy takes its name from the Danish for “play well”?

2. What is the chemical symbol for Mercury? 

3. What is the maximum price you can pay in 20p coins for an item before the retailer can refuse your purchase - £5, £10 or £15? 

4. Which politician famously said ”A week is a long time in politics”?

5. Which fine porcelain is named after a city in the East Midlands?

6. In golf, a Condor is how many strokes under par on an individual hole?

7. In the 7th Century AD, which country was the first to use paper currency?

8. What name is given to a rich soup traditionally made with lobster?

9. Which alcoholic drink is made from the Blue Agave plant?

10. Which of these cities on the Danube is the largest – Belgrade, Bratislava or Budapest?

Climb the Ladder #11

1. Which Shakespeare play inspired the musical “Kiss me Kate”?

2. Which acid gives the sting in the bite from an ant? 

3. The Great Barrier Reef lies off the coast of which Australian state – Queensland, New South Wales or Victoria? 

4. In the UK, a census is held every how many years?

5. Who was the last monarch of the House of Tudor?

6. Which “Cheers” actor made a cameo appearance in “Saving Private Ryan? 

7. In the Morse code, a single dot represents which letter – A, E or I? 

8. Which is the UK’s longest motorway?

9. What is the common name for Nitrous Oxide?

10. Which cartoon character’s vital statistics, according to her gruff voiced boyfriend, are “A perfect 57 – 19.19.19”? 

Climb the Ladder #12

1. Which company manufactured the first waterproof watch?

2. Which commonly used items were originally called “Celluwipes” 

3. In the US, football is played on a gridiron and baseball on a diamond – on what is basketball played?

4. Scallions is an alternative name for what?

5. How many husbands did Elizabeth Taylor have?

6. In which state is the US Military Academy – New York, Virginia or Kentucky

7. What is the name of the van used by the Scooby-Doo gang?

8. What type of curry takes its name from the Portuguese for wine and garlic? 

9. Which legendary horror-film actor’s autobiography is entitled “Tall, dark and gruesome”?

10. The first stretch of motorway constructed in the UK was built to bypass what?

Climb the Ladder #13

1. Which English city has the same number of hills as Rome? 

2. Two famous British pop groups had drummers named Roger Taylor – name them

3. How many rooms are there in the game of Cluedo, 7,8 or 9? 

4. Before it was re-named by the English in 1664, what was New York called?

5. Which commonly used word is the Latin for “elsewhere”?

6. Film legend Gene Hackman celebrated his birthday on January 30th, how old was he – 87, 91 or 94?

7. What is the main ingredient of a “Molotov cocktail”? 

8. The name of which dice-based game is due to it being invented on the designer’s boat? 

9. Which popular food item was invented by French bakers to celebrate a victory over the Turks?

10. In the film “Ice cold in Alex”, which beer did John Mills look forward to drinking – Carlsberg, Stella or Hofmeister? 

Climb the Ladder #14

1. Which type of bread takes its name from the Italian for “slipper”? 

2. The Grand Union Canal links which two cities? 

3. In terms of sales, what is considered the world’s most successful toy – the yo-yo, the hula hoop or the Rubik’s cube? 

4. What are traditionally made by a “founder”? 

5. Excluding royalty, who was the first woman to appear on a British banknote?

6. What nationality were the fairy-tale writers the Brothers Grimm? 

7. Which daily paper started life as a newspaper for women – the Daily Mirror, The Sun or the Daily Mail? 

8. Japanese company YKK is the world’s largest manufacturer of what?

9. Why do icebergs float?

10. At $1300 per kilogram, “Pule” is the world’s most expensive cheese – from which animal is it made, a donkey, llama or goat? 

Climb the Ladder #15

1. Which creature has a fleshy growth called a “wattle” hanging from its neck?

2. First manufactured in the USA in 1891, the trademark name for which game translated means “Yes yes”?

3. What connects an English explorer, a US state capital and a bicycle manufacturer?

4. If you’re on a boat called “The Maid of the Mist”, which natural spectacle are you looking at?

5. Which of these is a month in the Jewish calendar – Lexus, Nissan or Mazda? 

6. On the original Levis jeans, for what was the pocket within a pocket made?

7. “The Society for the preservation of the real thing” was formed in protest at changes to what – HP sauce, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk or Coca Cola? 

8. Which international airport serves New Orleans?

9. Which bead-like starch, obtained from cassava root, is used in cooking as a thickening agent, especially in puddings?

10. In a standard crossword, what is the correct name for the squares where you write your answer – windows, lights or opens?

Climb the Ladder #16

1. Room 101 became a popular TV series, in which book did it feature heavily?

2. What was originally known as Van Diemen’s Land?

3. French Auto-engineer Louis Reard is credited with inventing what, the Beret, Bikini or Boxer Shorts?

4. From which fruit is the drink “Calvados” made?

5. Which actor died during the filming of Gladiator? 

6. In which decade was British Summer Time introduced?

7. In which London district would you find Carnaby Street? 

8. In which war were all 4 Victoria Crosses won awarded to Australian soldiers?

9. What is a “Tiddy-oggy”? 

10. What familiar name was given to a travelling worker who made a living repairing pots and pans?

Climb the Ladder #17

1. Which two metals combine to make bronze? 

2. What name is given to a second full moon in a month? 

3. In which town was the TV comedy series “The Office” set? 

4. In the South-West USA and Northern Mexico, what type of creature is a “Chuckwalla” – a gopher, bird or lizard? 

5. The Ishihara Test is used to determine what?

6. Which fictional detective often claimed to use his “little grey cells”?

7. Specifically, what connects these 19th century men -  Robert Ford, Jack McCall and Pat Garrett?

8. Which of these is the oldest – Robert de Niro or Al Pacino?

9. On a map, an “isohyet” connects places of equal what?

10. How many US states end in the letter “N”? 

Climb the Ladder #18

1. In which sport might you “catch a crab”?

2. The first McDonalds opened in 1954 in which city – New York, Los Angeles or Chicago?

3. In ‘Blackadder’, which character besides Blackadder is the only one to appear in every episode? 

4. Prior to becoming Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica, what did Henry Morgan do for a living?

5. Which region in the Pacific Ocean is also the name of a character in Dr. Doolittle?

6. The collective name for a group of which creatures is a “murder”?

7. “Kosher” is the Jewish word for what – clean, blessed or proper?

8. Which parts of your body would a reflexologist massage?

9. Which famous English sportsman’s real first name was “Norbert”?

10. Which flag is never flown at half-mast in Britain? 

Climb the Ladder #19

1. What was Bing Crosby’s real first name?

2. In which decade did Betting Shops become legal in the UK? 

3. In which sport would a Black Flag waved at a competitor mean almost certain disqualification?

4. Former model Patti Boyd was married to which two famous musicians?

5. What connects a make of car, a position in yoga and a flower?

6. A 2009 market research survey showed that which flavour of crisps was the most popular, by sales, in the UK? 

7. The name of which material, universally used for uniforms, refers to its colour, taken from the Persian and Urdu for “dust”?

8. What was the original name of the popular sweet from Derbyshire – Bakewell Pudding, Tart or Flan?

9. What is made by the liver, stored in the gall bladder and aids the digestion of food? 

10. The nickname for what sort of creature is a “Yaffle” – a bird, reptile or mammal? 

Climb the Ladder #20

1. Which French port is twinned with Dover?

2. Which mother and daughter have won BBC Sports Personality of the Year? 

3. What name is given to a crowned soft felt hat with a curled brim and a lengthways crease on the crown? 

4. Which dance craze was created to boost promotion for the song “Achy breaky heart”? 

5. What is the native name for Finland?

6. The world’s first pizzeria opened in 1830 in which city – Rome, Milan or Naples? 

7. Which silver-medallist at the 1984 Olympics, nicknamed “The Jarrow Arrow”, was the first man to run the 1500 metres in under 3 minutes 30 seconds?

8. Which word, taken from Sanskrit, is slang for a very heavy vehicle used in commercial transport? 

9. In which century was Izaak Walton’s “Compleat Angler” published?

10. The world’s deepest lake is in Siberia, what is its name?

Climb the Ladder #21

1. Lieutenant Commander Scott was the Chief Engineer aboard which famous vessel? 

2. Which meat is served in the dish “kleftiko”?

3. On which river does Warrington stand?

4. How many consonants are used in Roman numerals?

5. Which company launched the “Playstation” video console?

6. How many countries does the Andes mountain-range pass through, 7,8 or 9? 

7. First on sale in 1967, which Ford car replaced the Anglia model?

8. In which decade was the UK’s Football Premier League introduced?

9. Which is the UK’s longest river?

10. A “Supercentenarian” is a person who has reached what age? 

Climb the Ladder #22

1. What name is given to the period between 1603 to 1625, the reign of England’s first Scottish king? 

2. Which Law Enforcement organisation was founded in Vienna in 1923? 

3. Who is Loretta Lynn’s famous sister?

4. What is the more common name for “marsh gas”?

5. US railway executive Harold Vanderbilt created the scoring system for which popular card game?

6. What was the name given to a small room, usually at the rear of a house, used primarily for dish-washing? 

7. Which famous sportsman’s real first name is Eldrick? 

8. David Ben-Gurion became Israel’s first President when it was founded, in which year? 

9. How is Oil of Vitriol, commonly used in a major component in all modern cars, better known?

10. An album recorded in 1977 holds the record for the longest time spent in the UK charts, 1039 weeks! Who recorded it – ELO, Fleetwood Mac or The Rolling Stones?

Climb the Ladder #23

1. In the film “Pulp Fiction”, what was the name of the character played by John Travolta?

2. Which word describes the winding course of a river or road? 

3. Which globally influential song, featured in the film “Blackboard Jungle,”  was recorded on 12th April 1954?

4. Which football manager was known as “Ol’ Big Head”? 

5. Which birthday will California’s Disneyland celebrate in 2025 – 60th, 70th or 80th?

6. In which sport is the equipment used made from Lignum Vitae? 

7. Which creature is normally considered to live the longest? 

8. In which island group is the harbour of Scapa Flow located?

9. Which 1980s pop group took their name from a tin of paint?

10. Mobster Bugsy Siegel ordered the first casino to be built in Las Vegas, naming it after his nickname for his girlfriend. What was it called?

Climb the Ladder #24

1. Which singer’s only Bond theme tune was “Die another day”? 

2. On a window, the dividing strip between panes is called a mullion – does it run vertically or horizontally? 

3. Who was shot dead by US Navy Seals on May 1st 2012? 

4. Which two capital cities face each other over the River Plate estuary?

5. Which current daily newspaper’s original title was The Daily Herald?

6. Which future MP appeared in the Morecambe and Wise Show?

7. In British place names, what does the word “Chipping” mean – crossroads, market-place or wool-store? 

8. The word “Simian” refers to what?

9. In which decade was the Boy Scout movement founded? 

10. Niagara Falls lies between Lake Erie and which other Great Lake?

Climb the Ladder #25

1. Which form of transport takes its name from the Greek for “spiral wing”?

2. Which monarch was the last of the Plantagenet line to rule England?

3. Muslin is derived from the city of Mosul where it was first discovered by European traders. It is which country’s second most populated city – Iran, Iraq or Israel?

4. The bark of a willow tree provides the ingredients for which popular painkiller?

5. What is the state capital of Montana?

6. Which famous criminal was hanged in York on 7th April 1739?

7. Who, in 1988, became the UK’s first £2million footballer – Paul Gascoigne, David Platt or Gary Lineker? 

8. In the UK, how often does a census take place?

9. Which cartoon/comic character was described by her more famous sea-faring boyfriend as “a perfect 57”- her vital statistics being 19,19,19?

10. If you are “sinistral”, what are you?

Climb the Ladder #26

1. The name “Fifi”, now used in its own right, is a shortened version of which Christian name? 

2. In which US state is the Presidential retreat Camp David? 

3. The UK’s National Health Service was founded in which year?

4. Which retired sportsman is sometimes referred to as GLY - Greatest Living Yorkshireman?

5. Complete the poem written by war-poet Wilfrid Owen in 1917 – “Anthem for doomed ----”?

6. The saying “Up to scratch” originated in which sport – boxing, golf or rugby?

7. Who, in the 1970s, infamously dubbed himself “The last King of Scotland”?

8. Prior to 2024, in which year was the General Election in the UK last held in July – 1945, 1965 or 1985?

9. What is the world’s largest herb?

10. Which of the 4 US Presidents carved into Mount Rushmore is depicted as wearing glasses?

Climb the Ladder # 27

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

2. Where on your body is your “hallux”? 

3. Who was the first footballer to score a hat-trick in a World Cup Final? 

4. Where would an “Orcadian” call home?

5. In a famous film, where did Marion Crane die?

6. Probably the most famous manager in the world, what name did Dutchman Andreas van Huijk use when he met then represented his most famous client? 

7. Ophidiophobia is a paranoid fear of what – snakes, slugs or scorpions? 

8. Which famous lawman died in Los Angeles, California on January 13th 1929?

9. What total do you get when you add together the number of funnels on the Titanic, the targets in a pub skittle alley and the legs on a common tick? 

10. Which Russian revolutionary was assassinated in Mexico City on August 21st 1940?

Climb the Ladder #28

1. In a game of croquet, what is used to strike the ball? 

2. For his role in which film did Paul Newman win his only Oscar? 

3. On 4th July 2021, American Joey Chestnut broke his own World record by eating how many hotdogs in 10 minutes – 56, 66 or 76? 

4. Which is Europe’s largest seaport?

5. The phrase “the green-eyed monster” features in which Shakespeare play? 

6. In which year did the UK wartime rationing of sugar end - 1947, ’50 or ’53?

7. Which is the world’s oldest car rally?

8. In 1959, which British singer/actor, who died in 2003, recorded a song which, at 1 minute 35 seconds, still holds the UK record for the shortest No.1 hit?

9. Which physical distinction is shared by Lily Allen and Zac Efron – different coloured eyes, a missing toe or a 3rd nipple? 

10. What do you need to have done to become a member of the exclusive Caterpillar Club? 

Climb the Ladder #29

1. Which fictional alien race was the brainchild of screenwriter Terry Nation?

2. The liqueur Triple Sec is what flavour? 

3. Who was Prime Minister when Princess Diana died?

4. In which year was the UK’s first motorway opened – 1954, ’56 or ’58?

5. Alphabetically, which is the 20th state of the USA?  – hint, it’s the second one beginning with “M”! 

6. On August 2nd1876 in Deadwood, S. Dakota, which famous gunfighter, lawman and gambler broke his rule about not sitting with his back to a door and was shot dead by the gambler Jack McCall?

7. On a weather map, an “isohyet” connects points of equal what – temperature, wind speed or rainfall? 

8. In the Grand National, which is the highest fence that the horses and riders have to clear? 

9. If you were in a “Howdah”, what would you be doing? 

10. The actor Harold Sakata, “Oddjob” in Goldfinger, won an Olympic silver-medal in which sport – wrestling, judo or weight-lifting?

Climb the Ladder #30

1. A deficiency of what caused “scurvy” in British sailors? 

2. What is the name of the only place in the UK to appear in the title of a work by Shakespeare?

3. Which innovation in sound recording was invented in 1978? 

4. In 2003, Mervyn King replaced Eddie George as what? 

5. Irishman Arthur Wellesley gave his name to which type of footwear? 

6. Which food manufacturer resumed sponsorship of Norwich FC in 2023? 

7. In 1929, cowboy star Tom Mix was one of the pall-bearers at which famous real-life Western character’s funeral – Buffalo Bill, Frank James or Wyatt Earp? 

8. In London, what now stands on the site of the former Newgate Prison?

9. What links the female personification of the UK and the Greek god Poseidon?

10. How many Prime Ministers were there in the reign of Elizabeth II?