Mastermind GK Set C Flashcards
Which King abdicated the British throne in December 1936?
Edward VIII
Like Rome, which city in Yorkshire is said to be built on seven hills?
Sheffiel
What is the better-known title of Franz Hals’ painting Portrait of a Gentleman, which can be seen in the Wallace Collection in London?
The Laughing Cavalier
Which country on the Arabian peninsular was formed in 1990 by the union of two neighbouring states, one of which was the former British colony of Aden?
Yemen
What name of Afrikaans origin is given to lean meat that is cut into strips and dried in the sun?
Biltong
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the earliest use of which acronym, describing local opposition to an undesirable development, occurs in an article about landfill sites that appeared in the Christian Science Monitor in 1980?
NIMBY
“Nobody’s Perfect” are the last words of which 1959 film, in which Joe E Brown’s character discovers that the “girl” he has proposed to is actually a man?
Some Like It Hot
On which plants did Gregor Mendel perform the experiments that laid the foundation of the science of genetics?
Peas
Which semi-autobiographical novel by Jack Kerouac describes the wandering across America of a writer named Sal Paradise and his friend Dean Moriarty?
On The Road
What in the capital on the Canadian Province of Ontario?
Toronto
Which member of England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning team was only the third player to have represented England at Rugby Union after having done so at Rugby League?
Jason Robinson
Which pig-like mammal, whose natural habitat ranges from the southern deserts of the USA to Patagonia has three species called “Collared”, “White-lipped” and “Chacoan”?
Peccary
Which 1970s soul singer provided the voice of Chef in the TV series South Park until 2006, when he resigned because an epidose satirised Scientology?
Isaac Hayes
Xanthippe, who was notorious for her bad temper, is believed to have been the wife of which Greek philosoper?
Socrates
The ballet Gayaneh, which includes the famous Sabre Dance, is by which composer?
Khatchaturian
Which disease, caused by the deficiency of vitamin C, was once common in sailors and characterised by swollen bleeding gums and bleeding into the skin and joints?
Scurvy
Part of the Biblical book of Daniel was originally written in which language that is closely related to Hebrew and is said to have been Jesus’s mother tongue?
Aramaic
The drink slivovitz is distilled from which fruit?
Plums
In grammar, which tense denotes an action that was completed before a past point in time and if formed in English by the use of the word “had” and the past participle of a verb?
Pluperfect
Susan Philipsz, the 2010 winner of the Turner Prize with works including Lowlands Away, was the first person to win using which medium?
Sound
What is the name of the pass that links Innsbruck in Austria with Bolzano in Italy?
Brenner
Paul Newman won a Best Actor Oscar for his role in which film that was the sequel to his earlier picture The Hustler?
The Colour of Money
From 1948 until 1967, the Mandelbaum Gate was the only border crossing point in which divided city?
Jerusalem
In the novel by Cervantes, what is thename of Don Quixote’s manservant?
Sancho Panza
In Hinduism and Buddhism, what term is used for the influence of a person’s past actions on their future lives and incarnations? In the West it has come to mean “destiny”
Kharma
Who played his last competitive tennis match in September 2007, when he partnered Jamie Murray to victory in a doubles match again Croatia in a Davis Cup tie?
Tim Henman
In mathematics, what name is given to the number system whose base is two; so only digits zero and one are needed to specify a number?
Binary
Which company was first incorporated in 1916 as the Pacific Aero Products Company, and was renamed after its founder in 1917?
Boeing
What name was given to the pouch-like addition to the crotch of men’s hose, which was first worn in the fifteenth century but was being derided as indecent by the 1580s?
Codpiece
Which 1970s pop group featured the Construction Worker, the Biker, the Cowboy, the Native American, the GI and the Cop?
Village People
Whose first fantasy novel, The Hobbit, was first published in 1937?
JRR Tolkien
Moths and butterflies belong to which order of insects?
Lepidoptera
In which opera by Verdi does the Duke of Mantua sing La Donna e Mobile?
Rigoletto
Which republic that declared its independence in June 2006 has borders with Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Albania?
Montenegro
In paintings using tempura, what is most commonly used to mix the powdered pigment instead of oil?
Egg yolk
Diego Colon, who eventually inherited the title of Viceroy of the Indies in 1511, was the eldest son of which explorer?
Christopher Columbus
“Kitten Kong”, “Planet of the Rabbits” and “Bun Fight At The OK Tea Rooms” were episodes of which 1970s television comedy series?
The Goodies
What name for a papal edict comes from the Latin word for the lead seal used on the document?
Bull
Which of Charles Dickens’ characters says that “every idiot who goes about with Merry Christmas on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart”?
Ebenezer Scrooge
What is the name of the American astronomer who proved, in the 1920s, that large star systems exist beyond the Milky Way? He also showed that the universe was expanding.
Edwin Hubble
In which Tuscan city are the Palio horse races that take place on 2 July and 16 August? They are part of a pageant dating back to the fifteenth century.
Siena
Who returned from his wanderings after the Trojan War but, at first, was only recognised by his dog Argos?
Odysseus
What is the name of the famous apple brandy that is a speciality of Normandy?
Calvados
Which airbase near Newbury became a centre for anti-nuclear protests in September 1981 after the intention to site cruise missles there was announced?
Greenham Common
The works of which composer of ragtime music include “Maple Leaf Rag” and “The Entertainer”?
Scott Joplin
Which palm tree is native to tropical Africa and Madagascar and gives its name to the fibre made from its leaves, which is used to make hats and baskets?
Raffie
In a novel by Anne Bronte, Helen Graham s the tenant of which hall?
Wildfell
Which resort in the Cairngorms is the major ski centre of the Scottish Highlands?
Aveimore
John Constable wrote of which of his fellow artists that “he seems to paint with tinted steam, so evanescent, so airy”?
Turner
In Islam, what name from the Arabic for “story” is given to the traditions and sayings of the prophet Muhammed?
Hadith
Which sauce that’s often served with fish consists chiefly of mayonnaise, with chopped gherkins, capers and herbs?
Tartare
Which word for a mental condition typically characterised by delusions of persecution comes from the Greeks for “beyond” or “beside” and “mind”?
Paranoia
Who starred with her real life husband, Michael Williams, in the TV comedy series A Fine Romance?
Judi Dench
In which city are New Street and Snow Hill railway stations?
Birmingham
In the US, RoSPA is the Royal Society for the Prevention of what?
Accidents
The Pharos, which was the most celebrated lighthouse in antiquity, stood in the harbour of which city?
Alexandria
Who was the lead singer and chief songwriter of The Kinks?
Ray Davies
Only two species of mammal hatch from an egg. The echidna, or spiny anteater, is one; what is the other?
Platypus
What is the literal meaning of the Latin expression “tempus fugit”?
Time Flies
In which 1979 film does Terry Jones character say the line “He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy”?
The Life Of Brian
Which film includes the lines “Close your eyes and tap your heels together three times. And think to yourself There’s No Place Like Home”?
The Wizard of Oz
Which desert occupies most of the country of Botswana, in southern Africa?
Kalahari
Glenn Miller co-wrote which piece of music that was recorded by his Orchestra in 1939, and was adopted as their signature tune?
Moonlight Serenade
Which sixteenth-century Flemish cartographer is famous for his map projection in which lines of latitude and longitude are represented by parallel lines?
Mercator
What generic name is commonly given to French aperitifs such as Pernod and Ricard that are flavoured with aniseed, and turn cloudy yellow when water is added?
Pastis
In a speech on nuclear disarmament in 1987, which Labour politician said, “I would die for my country … but I would not let my country die for me”?
Neil Kinnock
Which British architect designed the new Wembley stadium, which opened to the public in 2007?
Norman Foster
Which is the name given to the highest point on a horse’s back from where its height is measured?
Withers
In which Charles Dickens novel does the title character go to America to seek his fortune, accompanied by his servant Mark Tapley?
Martin Chuzzlewit
In Norse mythology, which god, who could change his shape and sex, was chained to a rock as punishment for slaying Balder?
Loki
The Leonids and Perseids are among the best known examples of which phenomenon, marked by a large number of “shooting stars” appearing over a relatively short period of time and seeming to come from the same place?
Metiorite showers
What is the name of the principal town on the island of Guernsey?
St Peter Port
What piece of sporting equipment has limbs, a belly and a nocking point?
Archery bow
The Scottish plant collector, David Douglas, has given his name to primrose, and also to a species of which coniferous tree?
Fir
Which singer was at the top of the UK charts for 10 consecutive weeks in 2007 with the song “Umbrella”?
Rihanna
In the Anglican church, the Sunday before Ascension Day is sometimes known by what name that is derived from the Latin for “to ask”?
Rogation
Cliff Barnes becomes President of the America in the last episode of which TV series?
Dallas
Endorphins, which are found naturally in the brain, have the ability to relieve .. what?
Pain
Which Renaissance artist had the surname of Sanzio, though he is sometimes referred to as Santi?
Raphael
The Battle of Navarino, which is believed to be the last major sea battle involving only wooden sailing ships, was fought in 1827 as part of which country’s war of independence?
Greece
What name is given to a large-scale musical work, typically on a religious subject, for solo voices, chorus and orchestra that is normally performed without scenery, costumes or acting?
Oratorio
At 1,072m above sea level, Landi Kotal, in Pakistan, is thehighest point on which pass?
Khyber
Who wrote the poem “Islanders” at the end of the Second Boer War, in which he refers to “Flannelled fools at the wicket” and “muddled oafs in the goals”
Kipling
What name for the group of mainly aquatic animals such as crabs, lobsters and shrimps comes from the Latin word for “shell”?
Crustaceans
Which boxer was voted the 2007 BBC Sports Personality of the Year? his father Enzo won the Best Trainer award at the same ceremony?
Joe Calzaghe
In September 490BC, at which battle did the Athenians, under Miltiades, win a decisive victory over the Persians?
Marathon
The Indian delicacy known as Bombay Duck is actually a dried form of … what?
Fish
Poison and Water are two deadly kinds of which herbaceous plant that’s a member of the parsley family?
Hemlock
Which city in Northern Ireland stands on the River Foyle?
Derry
Ken Russell described which of his films as “the story of the marriage between a homosexual and a nymphomaniac”?
The Music Makers
What name is given to the process by which sunlight is used by green plants to manufacture carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water?
Photosynthesis
Which small market town in Powys is famous for its annual literary festival and its many second hand book shops?
Hay On Wye
By what must the diameter of a circle be multiplies to calculate its circumference?
Pi
Lieutenant John Chard commanded the defence of which supply depot in 1879, during the Anglo-Zulu war?
Rourke’s Drift
In an early work by Van Gogh, which vegetables are being eaten by peasants in the light of an oil lamp? The painting is on view at the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam.
Potatoes
Members of which order of mammals are characterised by a single pair of continually growing incisors on each jaw?
Rodents
What is the original surname of the actor Nicolas Cage, whose uncle is a famous film director?
Coppola
Which European capital city stands on the River Tagus?
Lisbon
“Anitra’s Dance” and “Solveig’s Song” are part of Grieg’s incidental music to which play by Ibsen?
Peer Gynt
In Greek mythology, who gave Theseus the thread that enabled him to escape from the Labyrinth after he slew the Minotaur?
Ariadne
In Middle Eastern cookery, what type of seeds are crushed to make the oily paste known as Tahini?
Sesame
`The upper house of the Isle of Man’s Parliament is known as the Legislative Council; what is the name of the Lower House?
House of Keys
What is the title of the play by Sheridan, in which Captain Absolute and Bob Acres are both in love with Lydia Languish?
The Rivals
The Hindu festival Janmash-tami, meaning “birth on the Eighth day”, celebrates the birth of which god in the town of Mathura?
Krishna
Which TV character used to travel on crowded commuter trains that habitually arrived late for a variety of reasong, including “escaped puma at Chessington North”?
Reginald Perrin
The nineteenth century surgeon, Joseph Lister, pioneered the use of which acid as an antiseptic?
Carbolic
Which awards for urban music were established in 1996 by Kanya King, while she was working as a television researcher?
MOBO
Which Duke led the army that defeated the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden?
Cummberland
What term is used for a timber or stone beam over a doorway or window?
Lintel
Which Scottish city has three cathedrals - St Machar’s, St Mary’s and St Andrews - all of which are made of granite?
Granite
What was the name of Dante\s beloved, whom he immortalised first in The New Life and later in The Divine Comedy?
Beatrice
Which tropical Asian fig tree has aerial roots, which develop from its branches and descend to the ground to become new trunks?
Banyan
Which sport is played in three periods of twenty minutes, each of which starts with a face off?
Ice Hockey
In AD 313, who was to co-emperor of Rome with Licinius, when they issued the Edict of Milan that removed all obstacles to the practice of Christianity and other religions in the Roman Empire?
Constantine
Which fim musical was originally written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, and is set at Rydell High School is the 1950s?
Grease
The northernmost point of the continent of South America lies in which country?
Colombia
Which Liverpool pop group topped the charts for the first time in April 1963 with “How Do You Do It”?
Gerry and the Pacemakers
In zoology, what term is used for a limb or tail taht is capable of grasping or holding?
Prehensile
The tank-like casings of which famous TV aliens was created by the BBC designer Raymond Cusick?
Daleks
In 2003, what name for French Fries was adopted temporarily in the cafeterias serving the US House of Representatives, because of France’s opposition to the war in Iraq?
Freedom Fries.
In the words of a well-known saying, “It is a waste of time to carry coals to …” which city?
Newcastle
Which mammals belong to the order chiroptera, which literally means “hand wings”
Bats
What French name is given to the white sauce, made from seasoned milk and a roux of flour and butter, which can be used as the basis for other sauces such as Mornay?
Bechemel
Caracas is the capital city of which South American country?
Venezuela
The works of which twentieth century Amerilan realist painter include August in the City, Cape Cod Afternoon and Drugstore?
Hopper
In Acnient Greece, the common people were referred to as the “hoi polloi”; what was the equivalent in ancient Rome?
Plebs
What is the name of the nineteeth-century English philosopher who was a disciple of Jeremy Bentham’s Utilitarian movement? His works include the treatises On Liberty, and The Subjectation of Women
John Stuart Mill
What name is given to the visible surface of the sun, which emits most ofd the light that reaches the Earth
Photosphere
Who finally won an Oscar in 2–7 for directing The Departed, after seven previous unsuccessful nominations?
Scorcese
What is the name of the punctuation mark used to indicate possession, or the omission of letters?
Apostrophe
In which Puccini opera does Rodolfo sing the aria “Che gelida manina” or “Your tiny hand is frozen” to Mimi?
Le Boheme
In Chapter Three of the Book of Exodus, God promises to bring the Israelites to a land flowing with what two things?
Milk and honey
Argentina are the reigning Olympic champions in which field equestrian sport that last featured at the Summer Games in 1936?
Polo
Which American state was the first to cede from the Union, and was also the site of the first engagement in the Civl War, when Fort Sumter was surrendered to the Confederates?
South Carolina
In architecture, what name that is derived from the Greek for “arch” or “vault” is given to a semi-circular or polygonal recess in a church, typically at its Eastern end?
Apse
Osier, whose flexible twigs are used in basket making, is a shrubby member of what genus of trees?
Willow
In a musical score, which direction is used for playing notes on a stringed instrument by plucking the strings instead of using the bow?
Pizzicato
Which Irish seaport is situated near the mouth of the River Lea?
Cork
Which playwright’s autobiography Untold Stories begins with an account of his childhood in Leeds?
Alan Bennett
What name was given to the prefabricated harbours that were towed across the Channel for use in the 1944 Normandy landings?
Mulberry
In 1951, Kiki Haakonson became the first winner of which international contest?
Miss World
What collective name, meaning “knowledge”, is given to the sacred scriptures of Hinduism?
Vedas
Which former member of the Libertines later became the lead singer of Babyshambles?
Pete Docherty
Which British architect was jailed in 1974, having been found guilty of bribing public figures to win contracts?
Poulson
What name, taken from the German for “splash”, is given to a drink consisting of equal parts of white wine and soda water, or sparkling mineral water?
Spritzer
The Little, Great Crested and Black Necked are species of which water bird?
Grebe
Which style of trousers did the British Royal Navy replace with flares in 1977?
Bell bottoms
The Trans-Siberian Railway runs from Moscow to the port of Nakhodka, which lies around 100 miles east of which city?
Vladivostok
Which acid can build up in the muscles during strenuous exercise, causing cramp-like pains?
Lactic
In which film did Michael Palin slay the dragon that is menacing the medieval kingdom of King Bruno the Questionable, played by Max Wall?
Jabberwocky
Which Scots Gaelic word is used for a lake, or a narrow inlet of the sea in the Scottish Highlands?
Loch
Which future Prime Minister first entered Parliament in 1979, as the Conservative MP for Huntingdonshire?
John Major
Which word of Italian origin is used for a bell tower, particularly a free standing one?
Campaninile
During the period known as the Great Schism, between 1378 and 1417, there were a series of Popes based in Rome and another series, known as antipopes, who were based in which French city?
Avignon
What is the principle flavouring of the Greek drink ouzo?
Aniseed
What term, meaning an “entrance hall” in Latin, is used for the two upper cavities of the heart?
Atrium
The opening line of which nineteenth century Russian novel is “All happy families resemble each other; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”?
Anna Karenina
What is the name of Europe’s largest wading bird, which is noted for its distinctive bubbling call and long, downward-curving bill?
Curlew
According to tradition, a true cockney must be born within the sound of ƒ what?
Bow bells
Which term for an expert in a particular field, especially one called on to explain the subject to the general public, comes from the Sanskrit for “learned”?
Pundit
In the film Chariots of Fire, which Olympic Gold medallist is portrayed by Ben Cross?
Harold Abrahams
Which islands in the Atlantic take their name form the Portuguese for “goshawks”, althoug it is now believed that the early explorers who reached the islands misidentified buzzards instead?
Azores
Who wrote the music for the opera-oratorio Oedipus Rex, which was performed for the first time in Paris in 1927?
Stravinsky
The city of Ise contains an important shrine to Amaterusa, a sun goddess in which religion?
Shintoism
The sequel to the BBC drama series Life On Mars had what title that was also taken from a David Bowie song?
Ashes to Ashes
In the Roman calendar, the calends was the name given to which day of each month?
The first
Which band topped the UK singles chart for the first time in May 1995 with “Some Might Say”?
Oasis
Which shrub that’s noted for its attractive flower and handsome foliage has a name meaning “rose tree” in Greek?
Rhododendron
Which American born British sculptor created the “brutalist “ religious works Genesis and Ecce Homo in the 1930s?
Jacob Epstein
Which Earl, who died in 1731, gae his name to a mechanical model of the solar system that was designed to show the motions of the planets around the Sun?
Earl of Orrery
Which author of detective novels was thought to have dies in the car crash in 1926, but was later discovered staying in a Yorkshire hotel, where she had registered as Mrs Neele?
Agatha Christie
According to Islamic tradition, which angel dictated the Koran to the prophet Muhammed?
Gabriel
Which musician was known as the King of Skiffle and enjoyed hits including Rock Island Line and My Old Man’s A Dustman?
Lonnie Donegan
In which English county are the Quantock Hills?
Somerset Maughan
Which British cyclist won a Gold, a Silver and a Bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics?
Bradley Wiggins
Parlsey, Marsh, Common and Edible are European species of which amphibian?
Frog
How is the Spanish fashion designer Francisco Rabaneda y Cuervo better known; he is famed for his use of materials such as metal, paper and plastic, and also for his work on the film Barbarella?
Paco Rabanne
The god Mimir, who s renowned for his knowledge and wisdom, is part of which people’s mythology?
Norse
What is the name of the radio DJ from the Brixton Broadcasting Corporation, who was created and played by Lenny Henry?
Delbert Wilkins
What name is given to the seasoned, jellied loaf made from the boned meat of the head of a pig or calf?
Brawn
The name of which small breed of chicken is also used as a weight category in boxing?
Bantam
What is the proper name, derived from Latin, for the thick, colourless, opalescent fluid that is constantly in the mouths of humans and other vertebrates?
Saliva
Which sauce is known as Crme Anglaise in French?
Custard
What is the common name for trees of the genus Morus? The alba or white species is cultivated for the raising of silkworms, while the black and red species are raised for their fruits.
Mulberry
Which British sculptor’s works include the massive reclining figures outside the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris and the Lincoln Center in New York?
Henry Moore
What is the name of the British working class movement that was established in 1838, whole demands included votes for all men?
Chartists
The novels of which American science fiction writer have formed the basis of films including Blade Runner, Total Recall and Minority Report?
Philip K Dick
Which word, of Old Norse origin, is used in Scotland to refer to a narrow inlet of the sea, or a river estuary such as that of the Clyde?
Firth
What was the name of the all-star rock group, formed in 1988, which featured Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and George Harrison?
The Travelling Wilburys
What is the common name for the small striped squirrel of the genus Tamias, which is found mainly in North America?
Chipmunk
What is stored in a Leyden jar?
Electric charge
Which pressure group, formed by young conservatives, takes its name from the location in the East End of London where they held their first meeting in February 1951?
Bow Group
