A Christmas Quiz
Mark Goodge
based on a quiz that I did a few years ago in ukrc, so regulars with a good
memory will find some of this very easy. The rest of you should just find
it moderately easy :-)
Unlike the housegroup party, where the winners got a box of chocolates,
there are no prizes here other than a feeling of smug satisfaction. See how
many of these you can answer without resorting either to Google or looking
at other people's answers....
Section 1: Books and Literature. Identify the Christmas-themed books from
which these lines are taken:
1. Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that.
2. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary
was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with
child of the Holy Ghost.
3. I had called upon my friend Sherlock Holmes upon the second morning
after Christmas, with the intention of wishing him the compliments of
the season.
4. Every Who down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot.
5. If music be the food of love, play on, Give me excess of it that,
surfeiting, The appetite may sicken and so die.
Section 2: Music. Identify these seasonal songs from the lyrics
6. Look to the future now, It's only just begun
7. May your days be merry and bright
8. Then let us all with one accord sing praises to our heavenly Lord
9. Sages, leave your contemplations
10. Then one foggy Christmas eve
11. Ransom captive Israel
12. A man under cover but you tore me apart
13. Wie oft hat nicht zur Winterszeit
14. Throw your arms around the world at Christmastime
15. The boys of the NYPD choir were singing Galway Bay
16. Children singing Christian rhyme
17. Bearing gifts we travel afar
18. In the meadow we can build a snowman
19. The rich and the poor one, the road is so long
20. For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth
Section 3: Movies and TV.
21. In "Home Alone", where did Kevin's family go for Christmas,
accidentally leaving him behind?
22. In which city is "Miracle on 34th Street" set?
23. In "the Muppet Christmas Carol", which role is played by Kermit?
24. Which classic film starred James Stewart as George Bailey?
25. "The Christmas Invasion" was a seasonal episode of which TV series?
26. Which long-running British TV comedy series has the record for the most
Christmas specials?
27. Which book by Raymond Briggs became a hit animation featuring the voice
of Aled Jones?
28. In which year was the Queen's Christmas Speech first shown on
television?
29. Who were the two lead actors in the film "White Christmas"?
30. In the film "The Polar Express", what was chosen as the first Christmas
gift?
Section 4: Christmas and the natural world
31. Which tree is traditionally used as a Christmas tree?
32. Which parasitic plant is commonly used as a location for osculation?
33. Rangifer tarandus is better known as what?
34. According to tradition, which tree bears the crown?
35. Which red flowering plant is a common Christmas decoration?
Section 5: Trivia and Miscellany
36. Name three of Santa's reindeer, other than Rudolph
37. Which Christmas tradition is John Calcott Horsley responsible for?
38. Where does the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square come from?
39. When does nothing stir, not even a mouse?
40. Whose annual Christmas address is titled "Urbi et Orbi"?
41. And what does "Urbi et Orbi" mean, in English?
42. What is frankincense made of?
43. Charles Dickens wrote three Christmas books, including "A Christmas
Carol". Name one of the other two.
44. Where is Christmas Island?
45. Where was it always winter, but never Christmas?
Section 6: Maths. If you actually received all of the gifts in the song
"The Twelve Days of Christmas", how many
46. Animals
47. Birds
48. Plants
49. Humans
50. Items of jewellery
Would you have?
I'll post a full set of answers after Christmas.
Mark
--
Blog: http://mark.goodge.co.uk
Stuff: http://www.good-stuff.co.uk
Gareth McCaughan
Mark Goodge wrote:
> Unlike the housegroup party, where the winners got a box of chocolates,
> there are no prizes here other than a feeling of smug satisfaction. See how
> many of these you can answer without resorting either to Google or looking
> at other people's answers....
[...SPOILERS BELOW...]
(I haven't looked anything up anywhere, except to check how many "n"s
there are in one foreign word.)
> Section 1: Books and Literature. Identify the Christmas-themed books from
> which these lines are taken:
>
> 1. Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that.
Dickens, A Christmas carol.
> 2. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary
> was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with
> child of the Holy Ghost.
The Bible.
> 3. I had called upon my friend Sherlock Holmes upon the second morning
> after Christmas, with the intention of wishing him the compliments of
> the season.
Er. I have all the Sherlock Holmes stories but I guess looking it up
would be cheating, and I happen not to have them all memorized.
> 4. Every Who down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot.
(But the Grinch, who lived just north of Who-ville, did not.)
"How the Grinch stole Christmas", by Theodore Seuss Geisel.
> 5. If music be the food of love, play on, Give me excess of it that,
> surfeiting, The appetite may sicken and so die.
Shakespeare, As you like it. (I think. I always get it mixed up
with Twelfth Night.)
> Section 2: Music. Identify these seasonal songs from the lyrics
>
> 6. Look to the future now, It's only just begun
Is that the Slade one? If so, I don't remember the title
but it might be something like "Merry Christmas".
> 7. May your days be merry and bright
"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas"?
> 8. Then let us all with one accord sing praises to our heavenly Lord
The first Nowell.
> 9. Sages, leave your contemplations
Angels from the realms of glory.
> 10. Then one foggy Christmas eve
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. (Which I have sung, in Latin,
in the Royal Albert Hall.)
> 11. Ransom captive Israel
O come, O come Emmanuel.
> 12. A man under cover but you tore me apart
Dunno, though I seem to remember seeing it in your .sig once.
> 13. Wie oft hat nicht zur Winterszeit
O Tannenbaum?
> 14. Throw your arms around the world at Christmastime
Dunno. I suppose it could be fit to the tune of "Do they
know it's Christmas", and I don't know more than a few
words of that, so that's my guess.
> 15. The boys of the NYPD choir were singing Galway Bay
Fairytale of New York, I assume.
> 16. Children singing Christian rhyme
Dunno.
> 17. Bearing gifts we travel afar
Kings of Orient ("We three kings...").
> 18. In the meadow we can build a snowman
Dunno.
> 19. The rich and the poor one, the road is so long
Dunno.
> 20. For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth
"Hallelujah" from Handel's "Messiah". (And probably a bunch
of other things; the words are actually from Revelation.)
> Section 3: Movies and TV.
>
> 21. In "Home Alone", where did Kevin's family go for Christmas,
> accidentally leaving him behind?
No inkling.
> 22. In which city is "Miracle on 34th Street" set?
Dunno, but obviously somewhere in the USA. I'll guess NYC but
expect to be wrong.
> 23. In "the Muppet Christmas Carol", which role is played by Kermit?
Dunno. Scrooge?
> 24. Which classic film starred James Stewart as George Bailey?
It's a wonderful life?
> 25. "The Christmas Invasion" was a seasonal episode of which TV series?
Doctor Who.
> 26. Which long-running British TV comedy series has the record for the most
> Christmas specials?
Dunno.
> 27. Which book by Raymond Briggs became a hit animation featuring the voice
> of Aled Jones?
None, but "The snowman" became a hit animation featuring the voice
of someone who wasn't Aled Jones and Aled Jones later recorded the
same song.
> 28. In which year was the Queen's Christmas Speech first shown on
> television?
Dunno.
> 29. Who were the two lead actors in the film "White Christmas"?
Dunno.
> 30. In the film "The Polar Express", what was chosen as the first Christmas
> gift?
Dunno.
> 31. Which tree is traditionally used as a Christmas tree?
Depends on how far back you want the tradition to go. I don't know
what's oldest. Spruce, perhaps.
> 32. Which parasitic plant is commonly used as a location for osculation?
Mistletoe.
> 33. Rangifer tarandus is better known as what?
Reindeer. (Omnes tarandi ceteri / Ridebant vocantes nomini ...)
> 34. According to tradition, which tree bears the crown?
The holly, although its position vis-a-vis trees not located
in the wood is left uncertain.
> 35. Which red flowering plant is a common Christmas decoration?
Probably several. We have quite a lot of poinsettias in our
living room at the moment. If that's what you have in mind,
then you chose your words either cleverly or luckily: the
red bits are not flowers.
> 36. Name three of Santa's reindeer, other than Rudolph
Donner. Blitzen. Er, Prancer?
> 37. Which Christmas tradition is John Calcott Horsley responsible for?
Dunno.
> 38. Where does the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square come from?
Dunno. Probably somewhere in Germany.
> 39. When does nothing stir, not even a mouse?
On the night before Christmas in "A visit from St Nicholas", but
there might be things stirring outside the house so far as the
sacred text informs us.
> 40. Whose annual Christmas address is titled "Urbi et Orbi"?
The pope's, I think.
> 41. And what does "Urbi et Orbi" mean, in English?
"To the city and the world" or something of the kind.
> 42. What is frankincense made of?
I'm surprised to find that I have no idea beyond a vague feeling
that it may be something rather nasty.
> 43. Charles Dickens wrote three Christmas books, including "A Christmas
> Carol". Name one of the other two.
No.
> 44. Where is Christmas Island?
Somewhere in the Pacific, I think.
> 45. Where was it always winter, but never Christmas?
Narnia, during the tenure of the White Witch or the Snow Queen
or whatever she was called. (A.k.a. the Empress Jadis; wanted in
several worlds on charges of Not Being Very Nice.)
> Section 6: Maths. If you actually received all of the gifts in the song
> "The Twelve Days of Christmas", how many
>
> 46. Animals
> 47. Birds
> 48. Plants
> 49. Humans
> 50. Items of jewellery
>
> Would you have?
There is a subtle question of interpretation here. I shall assume
that each day's tally, as listed in the song, represents a fresh set
of gifts for the day: in other words, on the second day the singer
receives another partridge in another pear tree, etc. (The other
view, which I have heard seriously espoused by intelligent people,
is that there was only one partridge in a pear tree, and its later
mentions are mere recaps, and likewise for all the other gifts.)
Having said that, my recollection of the actual words is hazy enough
that I'll probably get it all wrong anyway.
For the avoidance of doubt, I am assuming
- that birds and humans are not animals (even though I would
normally consider them so);
- that none of the humans is wearing any jewelry (though surely
some of them would);
- that there are no other plants or animals "along for the ride"
(worms in the pears, plants in buttonholes, etc.) and in particular
that the cows (or goats or sheep or whatever) being milked by
the maids are not themselves gifts.
In which case, I make it:
46. No animals other than the birds and humans.
47. 42+42+36+30+22+12 = 184 birds
48: 12 plants (the pear trees)
49. 12+22+30+36+40 = 140 humans
50. 40 items of jewelry (the rings)
If we assume, say, one cow per maid then we get 40 for Q46 (if I've
correctly remembered where the maids are in the list).
The total number of gifts, incidentally -- again assuming no cows
as freebies, etc. -- comes out as 364: not quite one per day of
the year.
--
Gareth McCaughan
sig under construc
michaeld
didn't know).
On Dec 19, 12:52 am, Gareth McCaughan <Gareth.McCaug...@pobox.com>
wrote:
> Mark Goodge wrote:
> > 6. Look to the future now, It's only just begun
>
> Is that the Slade one? If so, I don't remember the title
> but it might be something like "Merry Christmas".
Yes, "Merry Christmas Everybody". Aaagh, I was doing so well too; I'd
only heard this once all December so far, but now I'm going to have it
playing in my head for ages.
> > 15. The boys of the NYPD choir were singing Galway Bay
>
> Fairytale of New York, I assume.
Yes. This is definitely my favourite Christmas rock song.
> > 16. Children singing Christian rhyme
>
> Dunno.
I suspect you do really, but if you're like me you'll wish you
didn't. :)
> > 18. In the meadow we can build a snowman
>
> Dunno.
Winter Wonderland. (I don't know all the words, but a key change
occurs precisely here, so this line is memorable.)
> > 19. The rich and the poor one, the road is so long
>
> Dunno.
Lennon. (Well it had to be here somewhere...)
[etc]
Michael
Mark Goodge
and typed:
>I'm not entering as I already read Gareth's answers (many of which I
>didn't know).
>
>On Dec 19, 12:52 am, Gareth McCaughan <Gareth.McCaug...@pobox.com>
>wrote:
>> Mark Goodge wrote:
>
>> > 15. The boys of the NYPD choir were singing Galway Bay
>>
>> Fairytale of New York, I assume.
>
>Yes. This is definitely my favourite Christmas rock song.
People can be divided into two groups: those who think that Fairytale of
New York is the best Christmas song ever written and those who've never
heard it :-)
John R
<use...@listmail.good-stuff.co.uk> wrote:
>On Sat, 18 Dec 2010 18:15:26 -0800 (PST), michaeld put finger to keyboard
>and typed:
>
>>I'm not entering as I already read Gareth's answers (many of which I
>>didn't know).
>>
>>On Dec 19, 12:52 am, Gareth McCaughan <Gareth.McCaug...@pobox.com>
>>wrote:
>>> Mark Goodge wrote:
>>
>>> > 15. The boys of the NYPD choir were singing Galway Bay
>>>
>>> Fairytale of New York, I assume.
>>
>>Yes. This is definitely my favourite Christmas rock song.
>
>People can be divided into two groups: those who think that Fairytale of
>New York is the best Christmas song ever written and those who've never
>heard it :-)
No No No No No!!!!
Admittedly it's a classic, but Mariah Carey's "All I want for
Christmas" is (in my very humble opinion) the best Christmas song EVER
Alwyn
>
> 13. Wie oft hat nicht zur Winterszeit
There are different versions of this line, but most have
_Weihnachtszeit_, 'Christmastime'. _Winterzeit_ has no 's', cf.
_Sommerzeit_.
Alwyn
- .. -- Tim .-.
I like "Captain Santa Claus" by Bobby Helms. A wonderful piece of nonsense
where Santa's sleigh breaks down. Unable to fix it, instead Santa's helpers
build a 'Rocket Ship', enabling Santa to complete his rounds. So they
couldn't manage to fix a sleigh, but building a rocket ship, no problem!
Hmmm.
Totally silly!
Tim.
John R
Frederick Williams
>
> This is a quiz [...]
Excise me sir, may I borrow it to post elsewhere?
--
http://indology.info/papers/gombrich/uk-higher-education.pdf
Frederick Williams
> Admittedly it's a classic, but Mariah Carey's "All I want for
> Christmas" is (in my very humble opinion) the best Christmas song EVER
Is that the one that continues: "is my two front teeth"?
--
http://indology.info/papers/gombrich/uk-higher-education.pdf
Frederick Williams
>
> Mark Goodge wrote:
> >
> > This is a quiz [...]
>
> Excise me sir, may I borrow it to post elsewhere?
"Excuse" not "Excise".
--
http://indology.info/papers/gombrich/uk-higher-education.pdf
John R
<freddyw...@btinternet.com> wrote:
>John R wrote:
>
>> Admittedly it's a classic, but Mariah Carey's "All I want for
>> Christmas" is (in my very humble opinion) the best Christmas song EVER
>
>Is that the one that continues: "is my two front teeth"?
No, I should have typed the full title "All I Want for Christmas Is
You"
I don't know what your musical tastes are but have a listen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ymlnxMZkXA
Frederick Williams
I don't think it works well for dial-up connections :-(.
--
http://indology.info/papers/gombrich/uk-higher-education.pdf
Tony Gillam
> John R wrote:
>
>> Admittedly it's a classic, but Mariah Carey's "All I want for
>> Christmas" is (in my very humble opinion) the best Christmas song
>> EVER
>
> Is that the one that continues: "is my two front teeth"?
You're showing your age. Anyway may I with you a merwwy kwithmath.
--
Tony Gillam
tony....@lineone.net
http://www.BookOurVilla.co.uk/spain
Sun, sand and sangria
Tony Gillam
> Frederick Williams wrote:
>>
>> Mark Goodge wrote:
>>>
>>> This is a quiz [...]
>>
>> Excise me sir, may I borrow it to post elsewhere?
>
> "Excuse" not "Excise".
Looks like he's already "excised" it with his digital scissors.
Frederick Williams
>
> Frederick Williams wrote:
> > John R wrote:
> >
> >> Admittedly it's a classic, but Mariah Carey's "All I want for
> >> Christmas" is (in my very humble opinion) the best Christmas song
> >> EVER
> >
> > Is that the one that continues: "is my two front teeth"?
>
> You're showing your age. Anyway may I with you a merwwy kwithmath.
Thank you, and you thoo.
--
http://indology.info/papers/gombrich/uk-higher-education.pdf
Mark Goodge
keyboard and typed:
>Frederick Williams wrote:
>>
>> Mark Goodge wrote:
>> >
>> > This is a quiz [...]
>>
>> Excise me sir, may I borrow it to post elsewhere?
>
>"Excuse" not "Excise".
So long as that is indeed what you meant, then the answer is yes.
John R
<freddyw...@btinternet.com> wrote:
>John R wrote:
>>
>> On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 14:04:52 +0000, Frederick Williams
>> <freddyw...@btinternet.com> wrote:
>>
>> >John R wrote:
>> >
>> >> Admittedly it's a classic, but Mariah Carey's "All I want for
>> >> Christmas" is (in my very humble opinion) the best Christmas song EVER
>> >
>> >Is that the one that continues: "is my two front teeth"?
>>
>> No, I should have typed the full title "All I Want for Christmas Is
>> You"
>>
>> I don't know what your musical tastes are but have a listen.
>>
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ymlnxMZkXA
>
>I don't think it works well for dial-up connections :-(.
Ah, sorry, I didn't know you were on dial up.
Frederick Williams
> So long as that is indeed what you meant, then the answer is yes.
Thank you. It isn't _my_ fault that spell checkers don't know what I
mean. Huh.
I have attributed it to you.
[Clearly it also isn't my fault if I don't know what I mean.]
--
http://indology.info/papers/gombrich/uk-higher-education.pdf
chorl...@gmail.com
And if one considers the Gold Rings to be Gold Ringed Pheasants, that
messes up the results right and proper.
David
Prai Jei
continuum:
> 10. Then one foggy Christmas eve
Painful memories! On Christmas Eve 1992, I had to drive from Sussex where I
was working at the time, back home to South Wales, through a real
pea-souper. Took twice as long as usual, with traffic moving at no more
than 35mph on the usually fast roads (A27, M27, M3, A34, M4). At least
everybody I saw on the road was driving sensibly.
Rudolph would have been of no use. Headlights on full beam just set up a
white haze in front of me, blotting out the tail lights of the vehicle in
front. Back onto dip, and those tail lights showed up once more - a
vital "safe distance" reference in those conditions.
On arriving home I said "Don't ever sing about a foggy Christmas Eve again."
--
ξ:) Proud to be curly
Interchange the alphabetic letter groups to reply
Gareth McCaughan
I wrote:
> [...SPOILERS BELOW...]
Um. I do hope I haven't put everyone else off answering somehow.
Robert Marshall
>
> Mark Goodge wrote:
>
>> Unlike the housegroup party, where the winners got a box of
>> chocolates, there are no prizes here other than a feeling of smug
>> satisfaction. See how many of these you can answer without resorting
>> either to Google or looking at other people's answers....
>
>
>
>
> [...SPOILERS BELOW...]
>
>
>
>
>> 5. If music be the food of love, play on, Give me excess of it that,
>> surfeiting, The appetite may sicken and so die.
>
> Shakespeare, As you like it. (I think. I always get it mixed up
> with Twelfth Night.)
ditto - on both counts, but I'm pretty certain it's AYLI
>> 23. In "the Muppet Christmas Carol", which role is played by Kermit?
>
> Dunno. Scrooge?
No that's Michael Caine (I think) was it Tiny Tim?
>> 29. Who were the two lead actors in the film "White Christmas"?
>
> Dunno.
>
Bing Crosby and ummm
>> 38. Where does the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square come from?
>
> Dunno. Probably somewhere in Germany.
>
Norway
Robert
--
He is our homeliest home and endless dwelling - Julian of Norwich
Tony Gillam
> On Sun, 19 Dec 2010, Gareth McCaughan wrote:
>>> 29. Who were the two lead actors in the film "White Christmas"?
>>
>> Dunno.
>
> Bing Crosby and ummm
>
michaeld
wrote:
> On Sat, 18 Dec 2010 18:15:26 -0800 (PST), michaeld put finger to keyboard
> and typed:
>
> >I'm not entering as I already read Gareth's answers (many of which I
> >didn't know).
>
> >On Dec 19, 12:52 am, Gareth McCaughan <Gareth.McCaug...@pobox.com>
> >wrote:
> >> Mark Goodge wrote:
>
> >> > 15. The boys of the NYPD choir were singing Galway Bay
>
> >> Fairytale of New York, I assume.
>
> >Yes. This is definitely my favourite Christmas rock song.
>
> People can be divided into two groups: those who think that Fairytale of
> New York is the best Christmas song ever written and those who've never
> heard it :-)
And, though I missed it at the time, it should be mentioned that your
quiz was posted 10 years to the day after Kirsty MacColl was killed by
a speedboat in Mexico, which had illegally entered a restricted
swimming area.
Here is the original 1987 appearance of Fairytale on Top of the Pops,
still my favourite video version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgfXXbF66hY
Michael
Frederick Williams
>
> I'll post a full set of answers after Christmas.
When, when, when and when, my little Jacaranda mimosifolia blossom?
--
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by
this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him.
Jonathan Swift: Thoughts on Various Subjects, Moral and Diverting
- .. -- Tim .-.
> Mark Goodge wrote:
>
>>
>> I'll post a full set of answers after Christmas.
>
> When, when, when and when, my little Jacaranda mimosifolia blossom?
Be fair, he didn't say *which* Christmas! Also, we're still in Christmas
until Candlemas.
Tim.
Frederick Williams
When's that, Februhairy the 2nd?
- .. -- Tim .-.
> "- .. -- Tim .-." wrote:
>>
>> Frederick Williams wrote:
>>> Mark Goodge wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> I'll post a full set of answers after Christmas.
>>>
>>> When, when, when and when, my little Jacaranda mimosifolia blossom?
>>
>> Be fair, he didn't say *which* Christmas! Also, we're still in
>> Christmas until Candlemas.
>
> When's that, Februhairy the 2nd?
Yes. The candles that will be used in the church are blessed, and the crib
and any other Christmas decorations in church are removed.
At home, I leave the crib set out until then, but not Christmas cards and
things like that.
Tim.
Prai Jei
space-time continuum:
> "- .. -- Tim .-." wrote:
>>
>> Frederick Williams wrote:
>> > Mark Goodge wrote:
>> >
>> >>
>> >> I'll post a full set of answers after Christmas.
>> >
>> > When, when, when and when, my little Jacaranda mimosifolia blossom?
>>
>> Be fair, he didn't say *which* Christmas! Also, we're still in Christmas
>> until Candlemas.
>
> When's that, Februhairy the 2nd?
Yes, and no mention of the G-word (or does that only apply across the pond?)
Michael Carchrie Campbell
> Frederick Williams set the following eddies spiralling through the
> space-time continuum:
>
>> "- .. -- Tim .-." wrote:
>>>
>>> Frederick Williams wrote:
>>>> Mark Goodge wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I'll post a full set of answers after Christmas.
>>>>
>>>> When, when, when and when, my little Jacaranda mimosifolia blossom?
>>>
>>> Be fair, he didn't say *which* Christmas! Also, we're still in Christmas
>>> until Candlemas.
>>
>> When's that, Februhairy the 2nd?
>
> Yes, and no mention of the G-word (or does that only apply across the pond?)
What's the G-word? Is it like a G-string only for sentences?
--
MJPB Carchrie Campbell http://gyronny.wordpress.com/
℣ Laudétur Iesus et María. ℟ Hōdie et semper.
Go n-ithe an cat thú is go n-ithe an diabhal an cat.
Michael J Davis
>This is a quiz that I used at our housegroup Christmas party. It's partly
>based on a quiz that I did a few years ago in ukrc, so regulars with a good
>memory will find some of this very easy. The rest of you should just find
>it moderately easy :-)
...
>I'll post a full set of answers after Christmas.
Mike
--
Michael J Davis
<><
- .. -- Tim .-.
Tim.
Prai Jei
continuum: