Quiz #65

What major general fought for American forces against the British during the American Revolutionary War, only to change sides, ultimately leading to his name becoming a synonym for a turncoat or traitor?

Question 2

From which region of Italy does the dish Bistecca alla fiorentina originate, the region’s largest city being referenced in the dish’s name?

Question 3

What plant was reportedly used in a historical form of torture in East Asia which involved a victim being strapped above the plant, which then grew up into the victim’s body?

Question 4

The financial year in the UK, the government financial year in Canada, India, and Japan, and the personal financial year in New Zealand all start in what month?

Question 5

In 2018 the Republic of Macedonia agreed to change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia to end a dispute with which neighbouring nation in which another region called Macedonia exists?

Question 6

What publishing company owns a collection of lifestyle magazines including Tatler, Vogue, and Epicurious, as well as publishing a well-known high-end travel magazine under its own name?

Question 7

Although there is much debate about species versus subspecies relating to the animal, and many scientists classify the Ethiopian wolf as a distinct species, the International Wolf Center recognises two species of wolf, named for which two colours?

Question 8

What four Renaissance painters inspired the names for the four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon characters?

Question 9

According to Law 4 of the Football Association’s Laws of the Game, what five items are ‘compulsory equipment’ for a football (soccer) player? 

Question 10

Make the longest word possible from the following letters: GHIILNTTW

Round 1 points
(Maximum: 26)

Round 2

Question 1

In an unusual sequence of results, all eight matches in the first round of the 2026 Masters snooker competition finished with an identical scoreline. While the winner in each best-of-11 frames match won six frames, how many frames did each loser win?

Question 2

Directed by Josh Safdie and starring Timothée Chalamet, the 2025 film Marty Supreme is loosely based on the life story of Marty Reisman, an American champion at what sport?

Question 3

What two-word alliterative phrase is given to both theatre plays that deal with contentious social issues, and plays by William Shakespeare that cannot be categorised as a comedy, tragedy, or history play?

Question 4

What type of insect is the agricultural pest known as the European corn borer, or European corn worm?

Question 5

Which new record label of the 1970s built a fashionable reputation for its signing of avant-garde, punk, and krautrock bands, many off the back of the taste of co-founder Simon Draper – albeit he had to be convinced of the merits of signing The Sex Pistols by the label’s more famous but non-music loving founder who has since built a business empire using the same branding?

Question 6

On Monday January 19 the court case Lawrence, Sussex and others v Associated Newspapers is due to begin in London and will see seven claimants – including Prince Harry, Elton John, and Liz Hurley – claim that the defendant unlawfully gathered information on them by illicit means. The biggest non-free newspaper in the UK, which one of Associated Newspapers’s titles – plus its connected Sunday edition and website – has been particularly accused of the alleged crimes?

Question 7

In 2019, Jennifer Lee became the first woman to have directed two films that had global box office takings of over $1bn. What were the two films – one an original and the second its sequel, and for both of which she was also a writer?

Question 8

On January 18, an NFL playoff game saw the Los Angeles Rams travel to play the Chicago Bears. To deal with the freezing conditions, the Rams brought around 1000kg of cold weather equipment, including what two hot liquids for players to drink on the sidelines, plus what spice that some players put in their socks?

Question 9

The 1704 Battle of Blenheim saw the Grand Alliance defeat the Franco-Bavarian army that was trying to invade Vienna. What four nations and empires comprised the Grand Alliance, with their heads of state at the time being Leopold I and Anne, who was the queen of two territories, while the fourth was in a time of contested leadership following the death of Anne’s brother-in-law?

Question 10

What are the six potential murder weapons in the game Cluedo, known as Clue in North America?

Round 2 points
(Maximum: 21)

Total points
(Maximum: 47)

Round 3

Question 1

In the hexidecimal colour codes used to programme text colours on websites, what colour is created using the code #000000?

Question 2

What name is given to the group 1 elements in the periodic table, all of which are soft, highly reactive metals?

Question 3

Complemented with decorative weights called fuchin, what type of Japanese home decoration is a 掛軸 (kakejiku)?

Question 4

Following a class of trainee cadets aboard the USS Athena, what is the name of the Star Trek series that started on the Paramount + channel on January 15, 2026?

Question 5

Starting with two in the shape of cars, what item of stationery was collected by Rev. Paul Johnson between 1989 and his death in 2010 as a way to fill his retirement, leading to a museum in Logan, Ohio opening to showcase his 3479 collected items?

Question 6

In 2025, the world’s largest biotechnology company, Tebrio, broke ground on the construction of the world’s largest insect farm in Spain, which will specialise in the Tenebrio molitor darkling beetle. What insect larva product, which is used in agriculture and aquaculture feed, bird food, and now some human food, is associated with the Tenebrio molitor beetle?

Question 7

Safety devices on guns can generally be classified into what two separate categories, with one category requiring the proactive movement of an external switch or button, and the other putting the gun in a default safe mode until pressure is placed on the trigger or grip, thus avoiding accidental discharge when dropped or picked up?

Question 8

In the 1940s, controversial American psychologist William Sheldon created his now-discredited somatotype theory in which he linked personality traits to three male body shapes named ectomorphic, endomorphic, and mesomorphic. What are the body shapes, noting that the personalities Sheldon ascribed to them can be generalised as introverted, intelligent, and calm; happy and friendly, but lazy and selfish; and competitive, extrovert, and tough?

Question 9

The Africa Cup of Nations men’s football tournament reached its conclusion on Sunday January 18 with a highly controversial final that included a team leaving the pitch in protest at perceived referee bias in favour of the host nation, while two of the final four games finished in penalty shoot-outs. Which four teams, with 12 previous tournament wins between them, were the last four teams left in the tournament, two of which are from North Africa and two in West Africa?

Question 10

In 2001 the Chinese city of Shanghai began its ‘one city, nine towns’ planning initiative in which it aimed to build nine themed suburban towns that included an eco-town, a traditional Chinese town, and seven further towns designed to replicate the architecture and style of what seven Western countries?

Round 3 points
(Maximum: 22)

Total points
(Maximum: 69)

Round 4

Question 1

What novelty tournament was held within the warm-up week for tennis’s Australian Open on January 14, and ended with amateur tennis coach Jordan Smith defeating world number 117 Joanna Garland to win the A$1m prize, the pair having come through a 48-strong field that included the likes of Jannick Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Świątek, and Coco Gauff, as well as amateurs and non-tennis celebrities?

Question 2

Which English dramatist wrote the 1613 play The Duchess of Malfi, in which the titular character has a relationship with a steward, leading to a tragedy renowned for its high and bloody death toll?

Question 3

In railway construction, what shape is a wye junction?

Question 4

The plant Atriplex tularensis, or Tulare Saltbush, is possibly extinct, having most recently only been found around Kern Lake in the San Joaquin Valley of California. What human activity of the 20^th century, which continues to be a political issue in the state, led to the plants possible extinction?

Question 5

In oceanography, what is a polynya, as seen in 2017 in the 80000 km² Maud Rise polynya, and in the 1970s Weddell polynya that was estimated to be the size of New Zealand?

Question 6

What European country was the world’s largest producer of mink fur until 2020 when a strain of coronavirus was discovered in the animal’s population, prompting the government to order the banning of mink farming until 2022 and the killing of the country’s entire captive population of 15-17 million mink?

Question 7

In boxing, what terms are given to the two stances in which a boxer either stands with their right foot and right hand forward – as preferred by left-handed boxers – or their left foot and left hand forward, as generally used by right-handed boxers?

Question 8

UK politician Robert Jenrick was sacked from Conservative Shadow Government and suspended from the party on January 15 after what two pieces of evidence of his plan to defect to the Reform Party were discovered and presented to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch?

Question 9

What four singles by The Rolling Stones, all released between 1965 and 1969, were number one in both the UK and US?

Question 10

Although the term ‘seven seas’ is now often associated with the world’s oceans, the initial term came from Ancient Greece and is generally believed to relate to which seven bodies of water in and around southern Europe, Eastern Europe, and Western Asia, including the Middle East?

Round 4 points
(Maximum: 21)

Total points
(Maximum: 90)

Round 5

In Round 5, there is only one answer. The less clues you need to get it, the more points you receive. If you need only one clue, you receive 10 points; if you require two clues, you will receive 9 points, and so on.

However, you may only answer once. If you answer incorrectly, you receive zero points for the round.

With spelling variations, the following people all share what surname?

Clue 1

Clue 2

Clue 3

Clue 4

Clue 5

Clue 6

Clue 7

Clue 8

Clue 9

Clue 10

Round 5 points
(Maximum: 10)

Total points
(Maximum: 100)