01 There is an expression that means 'You cannot have it both ways'. What is it ? 'You cannot eat your cake and have it'. This is often misquoted as 'You cannot have your cake and eat it'. (The question-master should not accept the latter) 02 What is a 'syllepsis' ? A figure of speech in which a word is applied to two others in different senses e.g. He caught the train and a bad cold ( Do not confuse with 'zeugma') 03 The Air Force of which country failed to down a balloon in August 1998 ? Canada 04 A train crossing from France to Germany suffered a terrible accident exactly on the border. According to International Law, in which country should the survivors be buried ? You don't bury survivors 05 If a man lives in Glasgow, why can't he be buried in London ? He isn't dead 06 Who said "One can always be kind to people about whom one cares nothing" ? Oscar Wilde 07 If a cockney says 'That's a smart pair of daisies' what does he mean ? Boots (Daisy Roots) 08 If a cockney says 'I'm going up the frog' what does he mean ? Road (Frog and Toad) 09 Under what circumstances can the word "anticipate" be used to mean 'expect' ? None : Jack and Jill expected to marry ; if they anticipated marriage, only Jill might find herself expectant 10 Where were the Olympic Games held in 1972 ? Munich 11 What is the plural of 'potato' ? potatoes 12 What is the plural of 'phenomenum' ? Phenomena 13 What does 'prevaricate' mean ? Evade the truth. Procrastinate means put it off 14 What is the distance of Mercury from the sun, in millions of miles ? 36 15 What is the distance of Pluto from the sun, in millions of miles ? 3,670 16 How far in miles is 8 kilometres ? (to the nearest mile) Five 17 How many nautical miles is 8 statute miles ? (to the nearest nautical mile) Seven 18 What is the currency of Indonesia ? Rupiah 19 What is the currency of Vietnam ? Dong 20 What is the currency of Macau ? Pataca 21 What is the currency of Lesotho ? Maloti 22 Of which country, at the time of writing (1998), is Macau a colony ? Portugal 23 What happened in the Far East on 30th June 1997 ? Hong Kong ceased to be a British Colony, and reverted to the People's Republic of China 24 Which is correct "fine-tooth comb" or "fine tooth comb" ? In the usual sense "Fine-tooth comb". Not many people comb their teeth 25 What is "Pons Assinorum" ? The fifth proposition, book 1, of Euclid. Literally "bridge of asses", or barrier to the mathematical novice 26 What is the business in the USA of Pinkerton's ? Detective Agency 27 What is the Beaufort Scale ? The international measure of wind speed 28 Force 8 winds on the Beaufort Scale are described as "Gale Force". What is their range of speeds in mph ? 39 to 46 mph (34 to 40 knots) 29 Fred is a fishmonger. He is 6' 6" (two metres) tall, takes size XXL in clothes, and wears size 14 shoes. What do you think he weighs ? Fish 30 One month of the year, February, has 28 or 29 days. How many months have 30 days ? All the others 31 Thermos has become the generic name for a vacuum flask of any make. What is the origin of the name ? The Greek word for 'hot' 32 What is the name of the Mexican State where the peppers are derived, the ingredient of a hot sauce ? Tabasco 33 What has four legs and two arms ? An armchair 34 Who said "Full many a flower is born to blush unseen" ? Thomas Gray 35 .... and what is the next line ? "And waste its sweetness on the desert air" 36 What does a Spaniard mean when he says "hasta manana" ? 'Till tomorrow 37 What does the Latin word 'salve' mean ? Welcome ; hail ; greetings 38 What do the following have in common ? Snowdon, Vale of Rheidol, Talyllyn Narrow gauge railways in Wales 39 William Hartnell, Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee have all played which part on TV ? Dr. Who 40 What is deportment ? The way a person carries himself or herself 41 What is legerdemain ? Sleight of hand 42 Which kind of animal featured in the film 'Watership Down' ? Rabbits 43 In which year was the Battle of Agincourt ? 1415 44 Where is it possible to dine in a revolving restaurant at a height 50 metres greater than the top of the Eiffel Tower, and to see hills that are 75 miles away ? The CN Tower, Toronto, Canada 45 What is the word for the study of butterflies and moths ? Lepidoptery 46 Of whom was it said in the House of Commons "He is living proof that a pig's bladder on a stick can be elected to Parliament" ? Terry Dicks, by Tony Banks 47 Of whom was it said that criticising him was like "savaging a dead sheep" ? Geoffrey Howe MP 48 If you bred a sheep and a goat, what would you get ? A shoat 49 What is decollétage ? A woman's low neckline 50 What does 'eminent' mean ? Distinguished 51 What does 'imminent' mean ? About to happen 52 What is a hurricane called in another part of the world ? A typhoon 53 If a cockney said "I'll write you a goose's" what would he mean ? A cheque (Goose's neck) 54 If a cockney said "I'll pay you back when I get me greens" what would he mean ? Wages (Greengages) 55 Where and when was print first typeset by computer ? Germany 1965 56 Who founded the firm Intel ? Robert Noyce 57 In which year was the battle of Bosworth Field ? 1485 58 Which famous lexicographer was born at Lichfield ? Dr. Samuel Johnson 59 A famous English poet is buried at Grasmere in the Lake District. Who ? William Wordsworth 60 What is a full-stop in the Morse Code ? Dit Dah Dit Dah Dit Dah ( . - . - . -)