Online Quiz League - Wednesday Report

 As I have mentioned several times on the blog, the Online Quiz League, currently in its second season, has been a huge highlight of the lockdown period. I know a few people have been in touch to ask about the league, the questions etc (all available HERE) and I have decided to do a little more to promote the league and give you a flavour of the games. I will post up some video links later in the week too as the league has a superb Youtube channel.

 

I play for Disparate Origins in Division 2. We were put together as a group of 6 players from across the UK who didn't have a team to enter the league. Last night we were up against Lockdown Latecomers, who were 2nd in the Division going into the night with Disparate Origins sitting in mid-table. (Division 2 has a free guess rule meaning no punishment for having a go and getting it wrong)

 

I was in seat 2a and my questions went like this...

 

Round 1 - Named after a fictional person, which luxury clothing retailer was founded in Glasgow in 1988 by Ray Kelvin?

I have a habit of getting off to a bad start and indeed this was the only question of the round not answered for 2 and it fell to me! I really should have known this as I set a question on this when Ray Kelvin was in the news last year but the "fictional person" element put me off. The team didn't pick it up and it was thrown over to the opposition for 1.

Answer: Ted Baker

 

Round 2 - When it was first performed at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1907, which play by J. M. Synge caused rioting in the streets because of objections to the portrayal of rural Irish Catholic immorality?

Bit of luck for me here as this was fresh in my mind from reading 'Planet Word' by JP Davdison. I had literally just finished the chapter on Ireland  the night before which mentioned this incident so was able to give a confident answer to score my first points of the night.

Answer: The Playboy of the Western World

 

Round 3 - Succeeded by Simon Rattle, which Italian served as Principal Conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra between 1989 and 2002?

Classical Music is a strong area for me, and I think in general if you put some effort into high brow subjects it pays off! I had worked my way through a Classical Music A-z some time ago and of this was pretty much the first entry. Much easier than the pair (which I didn’t get for a bonus) and a nice question to score 2 on.

Answer: Claudio Abbado

 

 

Round 4 - Named after the German bacteriologist who invented it, which cylindrical lidded dish is used by biologists to culture cells?

I am glad this wasn't recorded for the Youtube channel as game of the week, as I had a major moment of self-doubt on this. I think the word German totally threw me here, I did get the 2 points but took longer than I should have on a question I have answered correctly on many occasions!

Answer: Petri Dish

 

 

Round 5 - What sweet nickname was adopted by welterweight and middleweight boxing champions with the surnames Robinson and Leonard?

The easiest question in my seat. I was over the moon at this point as the team was ahead and I had the rare (for me) dear of getting 4 of my own questions in a row. I rarely get a (6)  or more so at this point was hopeful....

Answer: Sugar

 

 

Round 6 - Jengish Chokusu is the highest peak in which mountain range that lies to the north and west of the Taklamakan Desert?

These are the sort of questions where the free guess rule applies a bit more pressure as I always feel I SHOULD have a sensible guess for things like thus but I couldn't even bring a mountain range in that area to mind, passed over, as did everyone else in the game the question went for an X overall. 

Answer: TIAN SHAN or TENGRI TAGH 

 

Round 7 - In which TV sitcom did the actress Liz Smith play the parish council member Letitia Cropley?

The pair for this was asking in which sitcom did Liz Smith play Nanna, so I was quite hopeful at getting the pair as one of my own. But fell short here.....The correct answer didn't even cross my mind and I was saved by Captain Tom Mead who picked up the bonus. 

Answer: The Vicar of Dibley

 

 

Round 8 - Which nickname is commonly applied to the English king John because it was long thought unlikely that he would inherit any substantial territory?

My hopes of a (6) were now dashed but the main thing was the team were ahead! My own seat ended with a nice level 1 history which I picked up to score a (5) on my own seat.

Answer: Lackland

 

I do feel in hindsight, given the news story last year and that I had set a similar question Ted Baker was a bit of a bad personal miss and when the questions are about sitcoms I would have been hopeful of getting it so a (7) wasn't out of the question here but in the end the team won by 9 which is all that matters! Onwards and upwards and with 4 games to go against teams below bus....we are perhaps looking for a promotion push!

 

On the night I did manage to get two bonus questions (due to the high scoring 2 count on our team...very little was available in terms of bonuses)

 

Bonus - “The Burial of the Count of Orgaz” is usually considered amongst the finest paintings of which Mannerist artist?

Again goes back to my theory of high-brow research reaping rewards. I am not sure I can visualise this painting but El Greco rang a bell from the title and as soon as Mannerist was mentioned I was confident enough to put out a fist for this and take the bonus. (Putting out a fist for those not in know, means to show your teammates you are 100% sure of an answer so they can nominate you)

Answer: El Greco

 

Bonus - What is the name of the soldier tasked to lead a last-ditch effort to destroy the Locust Horde and save humanity who serves as the playable protagonist of the first three instalments of the 'Gears of War' video game series?

This is a bonus I didn't want to come over.....Team Captain Tom Mead was on fire and had answered all his own questions going into the final round and needed this for a Full House. I knew I knew it, but was hoping to see Tom score a full house but alas the question game over and all those hours of Uni time spent playing Gears of War 1 online finally paid off

Answer: Marcus Fenix

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In the end the team played superbly, and my score of 12 (5) which I was happy with, was the lowest on the team with two of our members making team of the week and everyone in the game scoring in double figures.

 

Roll on next week where we can hopefully build on our good form!