The All New All New Groundspeak UK Pub Quiz

May 30, 2012

DING!

It was indeed and very good he was too

May 30, 2012

OK, nice easy one (if you've been watching telly lately). Which country won the Eurovision Song Contest, last weekend?

May 30, 2012

OK, nice easy one (if you've been watching telly lately). Which country won the Eurovision Song Contest, last weekend?

Who Care's

6.2k · May 31, 2012

They care in Sweden!

May 31, 2012

They care in Sweden!

Thanks Paul! Yes, and I enjoyed watching it too (ironically of course!)

Have a DING and over to you.

6.2k · May 31, 2012

Since the spinning arrow of quizdom has landed on Sweden, one of my favourite actors is from there - Max von Sydow (1929-). In 1957 he played chess with Death in Ingmar Bergman's 'The Seventh Seal', but what was his biggest role of 1980?

1.4k · May 31, 2012

Mr F says it was Ming the Merciless in Flash Gordon (obligatory singing of 'FLASH AHHH-AHHH SAVIOUR OF THE UNIVERSE' in falsetto in my ear. Repeatedly.)

1.4k · May 31, 2012

Just looked it up and he's right, so his next question is...which Blue Peter presenter was in the same film? (And no, while Brian Blessed has done a lot, he hasn't presented Blue Peter.)

June 1, 2012

Just looked it up and he's right, so his next question is...which Blue Peter presenter was in the same film? (And no, while Brian Blessed has done a lot, he hasn't presented Blue Peter.)

That was (I believe) Peter Duncan

6.2k · June 1, 2012

That was (I believe) Peter Duncan

Let me Revenge-DING that for you. A future Bond and a slim Robbie Coltraine* are in it too, film-fact-fans

*It's very easy to win bets with this random fact. K-ching.

June 1, 2012

That was (I believe) Peter Duncan
Let me Revenge-DING that for you. A future Bond and a slim Robbie Coltraine* are in it too, film-fact-fans

*It's very easy to win bets with this random fact. K-ching.

Thanks Paul - not a film fact fan as such, only went to see the film for the theme music which was by......? Nah, too easy, so.....what was the name of the first dog to appear on Blue Peter?

Pete

1.4k · June 1, 2012

Yes, that was a ding, sorry I was slow...

Was the first dog Petra?

(My brother had the first Blue Peter annual for Christmas. He probably still has it somewhere! :laughing: )

Edited June 1, 2012 by Fianccetto

June 1, 2012

Yes, thay was a ding, sorry I was slow...

Was the first dog Petra?

(My brother had the first Blue Peter annual for Christmas. he probably still has it somewhere! )

That's a big QI-style 'no' I'm afraid

6.2k · June 1, 2012

Was it Noakesy's first dog? which I think was Patch.

June 1, 2012

Was it Noakesy's first dog? which I think was Patch.

Nope, sorry

June 1, 2012

This is a real QI special if memory serves me well, and not one that's easily answered. The question is worded so that any animal who appeared in a Blue Peter article prior to 1962 would count. If this is what the question seeks, I have no idea what that dog's name might be.

That said ... Petra was the first 'official' Blue Peter dog, but she only appeared because the first dog (who I suspect wasn't officially named) embarrassingly died after only an episode or two. ISTR the BBC had already asked its audience to name the dog and so they searched for a suitable doppelganger, then who got labelled with the name that the audience chose for the deceased dog - i.e. 'Petra'.

June 1, 2012

This is a real QI special if memory serves me well, and not one that's easily answered. The question is worded so that any animal who appeared in a Blue Peter article prior to 1962 would count. If this is what the question seeks, I have no idea what that dog's name might be.

That said ... Petra was the first 'official' Blue Peter dog, but she only appeared because the first dog (who I suspect wasn't officially named) embarrassingly died after only an episode or two. ISTR the BBC had already asked its audience to name the dog and so they searched for a suitable doppelganger, then who got labelled with the name that the audience chose for the deceased dog - i.e. 'Petra'.

DING - the answer I was after was indeed that the first BP puppy died before being named and a second puppy, destined to be named Petra, took its place. BBC didn't want to upset the children so didn't let on at the time

June 2, 2012

Thanks!

Now for something completely different -- science fiction/fantasy:

The 'Vulcan Salute', a hand gesture accompanied by the phrase 'Live long and prosper' often uttered by Vulcans in the 'Star Trek' series, has religious origins -- but from which religion did it come?

6.2k · June 2, 2012

Point of order! you asked:

...what was the name of the first dog to appear on Blue Peter?

but then said:

... the first BP puppy died before being named ...

So there is no answer to the question as asked.

Not looking for an independent inquiry by Lord Levinson, just being a pedant :rolleyes:

To get back on topic I'll have a guess at Hinduism.

Edited June 2, 2012 by MartyBartfast

June 2, 2012

@MartyBartfast: TBH, I originally wrote something along those lines and even that I'd give way to Fianccetto as the only name the dog could have had (AFAICT) was 'Petra' (the name that viewers chose and Fianccetto's answer) -- even if it was chosen posthumously. However, in the interests of continuity, I elected to just post a question!

BTW -- Sorry, not Hinduism.

6.2k · June 2, 2012

The 'Vulcan Hand Thing' is Jewish. They do it with both hands though. I know this because I should get out more

If I'm correct, we'll return to the 80s and films with a Queen soundtrack. Apart from Flash Gordon, name another. There probably is only one... :laughing:

Edited for speeling

Edited June 2, 2012 by Simply Paul

June 2, 2012

DING to Simply Paul.

As noted, the sign is one half of the gesture for the Hebrew letter 'shin' made when giving a Hebrew blessing that roughly transliterates to 'Live long and prosper'! Allegedly, it wasn't originally in the script, came about because Leonard Nimoy did it ad-lib, and 'stuck'.

June 3, 2012

The 'Vulcan Hand Thing' is Jewish. They do it with both hands though. I know this because I should get out more

If I'm correct, we'll return to the 80s and films with a Queen soundtrack. Apart from Flash Gordon, name another. There probably is only one...

Edited for speeling

I have a vision that this might be Highlander

6.2k · June 3, 2012

...we'll return to the 80s and films with a Queen soundtrack. Apart from Flash Gordon, name another. There probably is only one...
I have a vision that this might be Highlander

I guess there was a clue in my question. Ding! and over to you

June 3, 2012

...we'll return to the 80s and films with a Queen soundtrack. Apart from Flash Gordon, name another. There probably is only one...
I have a vision that this might be Highlander
I guess there was a clue in my question. Ding! and over to you

Thanks - as an erstwhile Queen fan, I didn't need the clue...

Came across this on the web today: In terms of passengers carried, which was the worlds largest International airline in 2011? In case clarification needed, this means counting only international flights.

June 3, 2012

I suspect that I know this as I flew with this airline to Australia for the birth of my first grand-child and only got back a week ago. The in-flight entertainment proudly claimed Emirates to be the largest carrier in terms of passenger-miles. However, since Air France and KLM are now the same company, I suspect that they might actually be bigger.

June 3, 2012

I suspect that I know this as I flew with this airline to Australia for the birth of my first grand-child and only got back a week ago. The in-flight entertainment proudly claimed Emirates to be the largest carrier in terms of passenger-miles. However, since Air France and KLM are now the same company, I suspect that they might actually be bigger.

Sorry, no, not Emirates (or combined Air France/KLM). Having just checked my source, Emirates were indeed the largest in terms of passenger-miles flown, but I'm looking simply for passenger numbers. Interestingly, the airline I'm looking for were only 8th in terms of passenger-miles flown...

June 3, 2012

Sorry, no, not Emirates (or combined Air France/KLM). Having just checked my source, Emirates were indeed the largest in terms of passenger-miles flown, but I'm looking simply for passenger numbers. Interestingly, the airline I'm looking for were only 8th in terms of passenger-miles flown...

That implies short-haul, and to be international it implies European. So I'll guess at one of the budget operators. Heads it's Easyjet; tails it's Ryanair. Quick flip ... tails ... so I'll guess Ryanair!

1.4k · June 3, 2012

I suspect that I know this as I flew with this airline to Australia for the birth of my first grand-child and only got back a week ago. The in-flight entertainment proudly claimed Emirates to be the largest carrier in terms of passenger-miles. However, since Air France and KLM are now the same company, I suspect that they might actually be bigger.

Congratulations!

1.4k · June 3, 2012

British Airways?

June 3, 2012

Sorry, no, not Emirates (or combined Air France/KLM). Having just checked my source, Emirates were indeed the largest in terms of passenger-miles flown, but I'm looking simply for passenger numbers. Interestingly, the airline I'm looking for were only 8th in terms of passenger-miles flown...

That implies short-haul, and to be international it implies European. So I'll guess at one of the budget operators. Heads it's Easyjet; tails it's Ryanair. Quick flip ... tails ... so I'll guess Ryanair!

Tails you win! Impeccable logic combined with slice of luck. Easyjet were 3rd.

Congratulations on becoming a grand-parent, and Ding!

June 3, 2012

Thanks to both Fianccetto and Sharpeset for the congratulations -- although it's my son and his partner who really deserve them!

Continuing in a similar theme, and injecting a little Geocaching into the mix: The placing of hidden containers within the confines of international airports is generally not permitted for security reasons. Yet there is at least one Geocache within the terminal of a major international airport. But which airport? (and a bonus point for the GC number of the cache!)

6.2k · June 3, 2012

I'd a feeling it's TB-Hotel Amsterdam Int. Airport (Schiphol) but I see that's been archived a while. Shame, it was on my To-Do list. Then I thought of Airport Berlin Schönefeld - Shortwork but that's gone too. At that point I gave up.

...but then an idea popped into my head and I checked the forums, and then on GC.com and found ORD Layover. Not sure a virtual counts though?

Edited June 3, 2012 by Simply Paul

June 3, 2012

Not what I was thinking of, but it is a cache and Chicago's O'Hare is one of the busiest international airports in the world; so I'll give you the DING!

The one I was thinking of is GC1HA96 "Butterfly Garden @ Changi Airport T3 Transit". FWIW I passed pretty close to that cache on the way back from Australia last week but the stopover in Singapore was just long enough for Emirates to turn the plane around. We only had enough time to get off the plane and get through security before it was time to go to the departure lounge. So I couldn't go seek

6.2k · June 4, 2012

Very nice. Thanks. Another question from the Geolympix pub quiz (venue to be announced soon), based on the five Geolympix Gs and the icons of cache types. This relates to virtuals: Name the ghost who terrorised viewers in the BBC’s 1992 ‘mocumentory’ Ghostwatch.

6.2k · June 4, 2012

Very nice. Thanks. Another question from the Geolympix pub quiz (venue to be announced soon), based on the five Geolympix Gs and the icons of cache types. This relates to virtuals: Name the ghost who terrorised viewers in the BBC’s 1992 ‘mocumentory’ Ghostwatch.

I think it was "Pipes" or something similar.

6.2k · June 4, 2012

I think it was "Pipes" or something similar.

Close enough MB. He was official 'Mr Pipes', but I think they called him just Pipes on the programme too. A jubilee DING for you. Edited June 4, 2012 by Simply Paul

6.2k · June 4, 2012

OK, going slightly topical.

I'm at this very minute watching Jools Holland and Ruby Turner doing their set at the Jubilee concert.

Question: What's the proper name of the item which the stage has been built on/around?

6.2k · June 4, 2012

The Victoria Monument? Or something close to that?

6.2k · June 5, 2012

The Victoria Monument? Or something close to that?

Close enough for a DING, it's actually the Victoria Memorial.

6.2k · June 5, 2012

The Victoria Monument? Or something close to that?
Close enough for a DING, it's actually the Victoria Memorial.

Of *course* it's memorial. I knew that

Thanks very much MB. A fresh question: There's a Transit of Venus going on as I type this. In which year was the last one, and in which year is the next? Ding for both so post with care! Hoping for clear skies in the morning. My alarm is set for 4am...

Edit. They look like this:

Edited June 5, 2012 by Simply Paul

June 6, 2012

The last one was 2004 - I remember watching it. Sadly the sky was overcast where I live so there was chance to see anything this time and I won't be around for the next one though as that's not until 2117.

mark

6.2k · June 6, 2012

An out of this world Ding

(It was overcast here too so I drove to the clearest bit of sky I could see and missed the transit finishing by about 10 minutes. Bah!)

Edited June 6, 2012 by Simply Paul

June 6, 2012

Keeping to the same theme.

Captain Cook sailed to Tahiti to record the transit of Venus in 1769, but what was was the scientific purpose of this?

June 6, 2012

Keeping to the same theme.

Captain Cook sailed to Tahiti to record the transit of Venus in 1769, but what was was the scientific purpose of this?

Was this the voyage to demonstrate/test/verify Harrison's clock/watch/chronometer submitted in an attempt to win the Longitude Prize?

June 6, 2012

Was this the voyage to demonstrate/test/verify Harrison's clock/watch/chronometer submitted in an attempt to win the Longitude Prize?

No.

June 6, 2012

To determine the correct distance of the astronomical unit (the distance between the Earth and the Sun).

Edited to add that this also allowed the scale of the Solar System to be determined.

Edited June 6, 2012 by Betelgeuse

June 6, 2012

To determine the correct distance of the astronomical unit (the distance between the Earth and the Sun).

DING

Measurements were taken from a number of locations with Tahiti probably being the furthest from Europe. They managed to come up with an answer within 1% of the correct distance which is a remarkable achievement for the day.

After observing the transit of Venus, Cook opned his secret orders which were to proceed South and attempt to find the vast Southern continent. This lead to Cook's "discovery" of Australia and New Zealand, claiming them for Britain. It might be argued this was the real purpose of his voyage.

June 6, 2012

The next transits will be in 2016 and 2019 but which planet will this be?

June 6, 2012

As Mercury is the only other planet between us and the Sun, I'll guess 'Mercury'!

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