Alex Massie Alex Massie

Christmas Quiz! The Answers!

As promised, here are the answers to this year’s Christmas Quiz. It turns out that it was perhaps a little harder than I’d appreciated since no-one (or at least no-one who sent me their answers) came very close to getting it right. The most valiant efforts – and most efforts were most valiant now that I think of it –  scored some marks on a little more than half the questions but no-one scored points on more than 22 of the 30 questions. Still, many thanks for playing and better luck next year…

1.  What’s the connection between Dartford, St Pancras North, Beaconsfield and Edinburgh South?

These are parliamentary constituencies and the first seats fought, and lost, by our most recent Prime Ministers: Thatcher (Dartford), Major (St Pancras North), Blair (Beaconsfield) and Brown (Edinburgh South).

2. Can you identify a dog’s skipper, a military bridge, a fish and an oil field? Where might you find them together?

You’d find them on the Radio 4 Shipping Forecast. Fitzroy was captain of the Beagle, the military bridge is a Bailey Bridge, Sole is a fish and Forties a North Sea oil field.

3. My Man, Inimitable, Carry On, Thank You, Very Good. What comes next?

As many of you suggested, Jeeves is the next word in each of these titles. My fault for wording this imprecisely: the answer I was looking for is Right Ho Jeeves since this is a list of Jeeves books in order of (UK) publication.

4. 2 and 6 are as closely connected as 41 and 43. 9 and 23 are more distant but not nearly so removed as 26 and 32. Explain.
American Presidents:

2 is John Adams and 6 his son John Quincy Adams. George W Bush was the 43rd President and George HW Bush the 41st. 9 is Henry Harrison and 23 his grandson Benjamin Harrison.

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