Christmas Quiz 2020

Hello everyone, the usual mix of fiendish and impossible questions below, for a total of 150 points (I guess people might have a bit more free time than normal and so need a good long quiz). I will upload the answers here in the New Year. Good luck! Round 1: Link Round (10 points) A …

Advertisement

Fill in the blank (scientists): 21 questions

Fill in the blanks with the surnames of scientists, astronomers, mathematicians etc.

I was in a shop looking at a bicycle I was thinking of buying. I had taken up cycling after giving up gymnastics. I was very good on the rings, but useless on the pommel horse and a very poor (1).

I asked if it had a (2) but the assistant replied “Sorry, it’s got (3). Are you buying it for yourself?”.
“Yes, it’s (4)”.

Buildings and architecture (2): 10 questions

1. Which architect links the following buildings; The Pompidou Centre in Paris, Lloyds of London, and Century Tower, Tokyo?
2. Which architect was imprisoned for protesting against the banning of the Catalan language shortly before his death in 1926?

The Natural World: 10 questions

1. What is the only animal whose full Latin name (genus and species) is the same as its common English name?
2. Which dog, of the Spitz type, is named after a historic region of North-West Poland and North-East Germany?

Inventions and inventors: 10 questions

Match the inventor to the inventions below

1. Hovercraft                                               A. Benjamin Franklin
2. Barometer                                               B. Frank Whittle

Aeroplanes and flight: 10 Questions

1. Which Radio 4 comedy series, set in a small charter airline and starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Roger Allam, came to and end on Christmas Eve 2014?
2. Complete the quote from the film Airplane; “Surely you can’t be serious”