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Brain of Britain Quiz


Questions that have appeared on the BBC Radio 4 quiz show Brain of Britain, hosted by Russell Davies.



Quiz


  1. Pesto, a staple sauce of Italian cooking, combines pine kernels, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil with which herb?
  2. A xiphoid is typically what shape?
  3. Brass is an alloy of which two metals?
  4. The Louvre Pyramid in Paris was designed by which Chinese-American architect?
  5. In October 2012, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced which new name for the Territorial Army?
  6. In heraldry, what is the term for the color blue?
  7. What name is given to the visible surface of the sun?
  8. In the term "angels on horseback," what is wrapped in a strip of bacon?
  9. In the Caribbean, what is a 'duppy'?
  10. What modern animal did the prehistoric mastodon resemble?
  11. Which soldier of the Second World War was nicknamed "Old Blood and Guts"?
  12. Which English king married Caroline of Brunswick?
  13. What is the chemical name for laughing gas?
  14. How do we better know potassium nitrate, the main ingredient of gunpowder?
  15. What is St. Jude the patron saint of?
  16. Barbara Millicent Roberts is the full name of which iconic figure of the 20th century, first introduced to the public by Ruth Handler in 1959?
  17. On the label of a bottle of wine, the letters 'DOCG' indicate that it has been granted a stamp of particular quality. In which country is it produced?
  18. In the world of antiques, the names of William Cookworthy, Samuel Gilbody, and Benjamin Lund are associated with high-quality 18th-century examples in what field of craftsmanship?
  19. 'Lackland' and 'Softsword' are among the nicknames given to which English king, the father of Henry III?
  20. A psychopathic killer named Michael Myers is the central villain of a celebrated horror movie from 1978 and its sequels. What is the title of the original movie?
  21. Famously celebrated in music, Fingal's Cave is a rock formation found on which uninhabited Hebridean island?
  22. Which country, first sighted in 1642, was originally named "Staten Landt"?
  23. The boundary of the continental shelf generally follows around what depth in fathoms?
  24. What is the capital and largest city of Mozambique?
  25. Which three countries border the Yellow Sea?
  26. Which colonel did Sherlock Holmes once describe as "the second most dangerous man in London"?
  27. What, in general terms, does a rheostat do?
  28. To the nearest minute, how long does it take light from the Sun to reach Earth?
  29. In American culinary terms, "à la mode" means served with what?
  30. What is the title of the only novel by American novelist and poet Sylvia Plath?
  31. What double-letter abbreviation is found at the bottom of business correspondence when signed by one person on behalf of another?
  32. Which organization has the motto Indocilis privata loqui, a Latin phrase that translates to "Not apt to disclose secrets"?


Answers



  1. Basil
  2. Sword-shaped
  3. Copper and zinc
  4. I. M. Pei
  5. Army Reserve
  6. Azure
  7. The photosphere
  8. Oysters
  9. A ghost or spirit
  10. Elephant
  11. General George S. Patton
  12. King George IV
  13. Nitrous oxide
  14. Saltpetre
  15. Lost causes and desperate situations
  16. Barbie
  17. Italy
  18. Porcelain manufacturing
  19. King John
  20. Halloween
  21. Staffa
  22. New Zealand
  23. 100 fathoms
  24. Maputo
  25. China, North Korea, South Korea
  26. Colonel Sebastian Moran
  27. Controls electrical resistance
  28. Eight minutes
  29. Ice cream
  30. The Bell Jar
  31. pp (per procurationem)
  32. The Magic Circle