Latest Questions: 20 February 2012

In the theatre, what term is used to refer to a male part played by a female actor (or, if you prefer, an actress)?	Breeches role
Which famous instrumental duet, popularised in the 1972 film Deliverance (but with different performers), won the 1974 Grammy award for Best Country Instrumental Performance?	Dueling Banjos
Which 1992 film spawned the best-selling soundtrack album of all time?	The Bodyguard
Which multinational company sponsors the UK's annual Radio Academy Awards?	Sony
What was Britain's first pirate radio station, which began broadcasting from off the Suffolk coast in March 1964?	Radio Caroline
Which actor is this? Born in Warrington (then in Lancashire, now in Cheshire) in 1946; won an Oscar nomination for In the Name of the Father (in 1993); was described by Steven Spielberg as "probably the best actor in the world today"; died in 2011 aged 64?	Pete Postlethwaite
Which Scottish comedienne, famous for her impressions of Margaret Thatcher, died in 2011 aged 84?	Janet Brown
Which technological pioneer is this? Co–founder and CEO of Apple Inc.; left in 1986, then bought Pixar Animation Studios; rejoined Apple in 1997 when it bought his company NeXT; died from cancer in 2011, aged 56	Steve Jobs
Which famous British composer of film music, whose credits include Born Free, Midnight Cowboy, Out of Africa and Dances with Wolves, as well as 11 Bond movies, died in 2011 aged 77?	John Barry
Who is the artistic director of the opening ceremony for the 2012 Olympics?	Danny Boyle
The world's highest cable-stayed bridge (as opposed to suspension bridge) is the Baluarte Bridge, which opened in January 2012. In which country is it?	Mexico
The first jet-powered fighter aircraft to go into production was the Gloster Meteor. But which German aircraft, produced by Messerschmitt, beat it into operation by three months?	The Me 262 Schwalbe (Swallow)
What name was given to the forced evictions of Scottish highlanders carried out in the 18th and 19th centuries, to make way for more profitable use of the land?	The Highland Clearances
Which comedy actor made a novelty record called My Brother in 1962, and advertised Curly-Wurly dressed as a schoolboy?	Terry Scott
Which constituency has Ed Miliband represented at Westminster since 2005?	Doncaster North
What nationalities are the Premier League footballers Kolo Toure, Yaya Toure, Salomon Kalou, Didier Drogba, Cheick Tiote, and Gervinho?	Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire)
What was the surname of the twin brothers who were constant members of the Australian cricket team throughout the 1990s - scoring almost 19,000 Test runs between them?	Waugh (Steve & Mark)
What was the first name of Jesse James' elder brother and partner in crime?	Frank
Who was the oldest member of the Jackson 5?	Jackie
In the Dennis the Menace cartoon strip, what sort of creature is Dasher?	A spider
Which men's hair style is said to have originated amongst rowers at Yale University in the late 19th century?	The crew cut
Which UK handbag manufacturer, founded in 1988, is famous for its Scottish terrier logo?	Radley
Who married the 51-year-old American businesswoman Nancy Shevell, in October 2011?	Paul McCartney
Which Latin word, indicating the basic unit of weight in the Roman Empire and meaning a scale or balance, is represented by the pound sign (£)?	Libra
In which country are the Tugela Falls, the world's second highest waterfall?	South Africa
What is the longest river in the world that flows through only one country?	The Yangtze
La belle Iseult, in London's Tate Gallery - also inaccurately called Queen Guinevere - is the only surviving easel painting by which famous Victorian, better known as a writer and designer?	William Morris
The single Sundial, by a band called Scarlet Division, reached no. 42 when it was re-released in 2000 to cash in on the latter fame of their drummer. Who was he?	Jamie Oliver
Who played Mrs. Wilkinson, the dance teacher, in the 2000 film Billy Elliot?	Julie Walters
Since Have I Got News for You began using guest presenters in 2002, who has appeared in this role most often - with 19 appearances to December 2011? (Jack Dee is second with 10 appearances, Kirsty Young third with 9)	Alexander Armstrong
How many wives does the Koran (controversially) allow a man to have - in order "to deal justly with the orphans"?	Four
Which American actor played Milton Fanshaw, in a recent three-week "guest role" in Coronation Street?	Robert Vaughn
Who is the only Spice Girl not to have had a solo No. 1 hit single in the UK (to date)?	Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice)
Which range of hills form a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, and are famous for their spring water?	The Malverns
What name is given to the improvisational style of jazz singing, using nonsense words and syllables, whose celebrated exponents include Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Mel Torme and Cab Calloway?	Scat
Who plays the title role in the recent and ongoing BBC television series Sherlock?	Benedict Cumberbatch
Who wrote the novel Something Happened, which was first published in 1974 - thirteen years after his blockbuster of a first novel?	Joseph Heller
Which web search engine, launched in 1995 by Yahoo!, was probably the most popular tool of its kind until the arrival of Google, but was discontinued in 2011?	AltaVista
Which former star of Coronation Street and Waterloo Road, also more recently of Loose Women, won the 2012 series of Celebrity Big Brother?	Denise Welch
Who was UK National Hunt Champion Jockey three times (in 1965, 1966, 1969), and also trained John Hurt for his role as Bob Champion in the 1983 biopic Champions?	Terry Biddlecombe
Who is the mother of five children named Track (born 1989), Bristol Sheeran Marie (1990), Willow (1994), Piper (2001), and Trig Paxson Van (2008)?	Sarah Palin
Probably more famous as a poet, who wrote the classic children's novels The Midnight Folk (first published in 1927) and its sequel The Box of Delights (1930)?	John Masefield
Who was the resident singer on The Frost Report, broadcast on BBC television in 1966 and 1967?	Julie Felix
In which part of the body are the temporal bones?	The skull (or head)
In which country were Russell Crowe and Pamela Stephenson both born?	New Zealand
What is the name of the airport that opened in 2005 on the site of the former RAF Finningley, serving Doncaster and Sheffield?	Robin Hood Airport
Who proved that Tasmania was an island by sailing round it, was also the first to circumnavigate Australia, and encouraged the use of the name Australia for the continent?	Matthew Flinders
What is the only nation to have won at least one gold medal at every summer Olympiad?	Great Britain
Which game is said to be named after Venetian carnival masks (which were white with black spots), which in turn are named after the hoods worn in winter by French priests? The name comes ultimately from the Latin for "lord" or "master".	Dominoes
Which much-loved ballet tells the story of Odette, a princess who falls victim to the curse of an evil sorcerer?	Swan Lake
What is the occupation of Penrod Pooch, whose alter-ego is Hong Kong Phooey?	Police station janitor

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Latest Questions: 20 February 2012