Thematic Abstract Ideas Trivia

121. Who wrote a famous song with the oxymoronic name, "The Sound of Silence"?

From Quiz Oxymorons I have Known and Loved

Answer: Paul Simon

Simon wrote "The Sound of Silence" over the course of several months in 1963 and 1964. It was released in March 1964 on Simon and Garfunkel's debut album, "Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.". The album did not enjoy commercial success, and the two musicians actually split up and went their separate ways. However, "The Sound of Silence" began getting airtime and gaining in popularity in the following months, and was released as a single in September 1965. It rose to number one on the Billboard charts; Simon and Garfunkel reunited as a result of its success, and went on to music superstardom.

From Quiz Sounds We Make

Answer: Hiccups

Hiccups take place when our diaphragm suddenly contracts. This causes the vocal cords to momentarily close and that results in the familiar "hic" we've all endured from time to time. A single "hic" can be a little embarrassing, and a series of non-stop "hics" can be downright annoying when they go on a-hic-nd on an-hic-d on. Hiccups can be caused by swallowing too much air, spicy foods, intense emotions, soft drinks and eating too quickly. Oh my goodness, have a read of this: One of the many "cures" put forth for hiccups by the medical profession is a digital rectal massage! In a pig's eye. I'd rather have the hiccups. Then, reading on further, to add insult to injury, we are cheerfully informed that there really is no known solution for hiccups at all except time. Another suggested cure is to stick vinegar up your nose. Folk remedies, and there are a pile of them, include grabbing on to your tongue and holding it. Try it, and hiccup at the same time. It's very amusing. You'll look like a complete dill.

From Quiz An Understatement of Truth

Answer: No Aphrodisiac

Released in 1998 "No Aphrodisiac" was the single that took The Whitlams beyond their cult following into the laps of a mainstream audience. Written by Tim Freedman in partnership with Pinky Beecroft and Chit Chat Von Loopin Stab it was voted in as that year's #1 song by listeners on Triple J's Hottest 100 chart, won the ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) award for "Song of the Year" and lost out to Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn" for "Single of the Year". The song is an introspective piece that chronicles the strains of a long distance relationship and its movement toward a breakdown.

From Quiz The Wise Know They are But Fools

Answer: A fool and his money are soon parted

16th Century English poet, farmer and business advisor Thomas Tusser crafted the rhyming couplet about the propensity of the unwise to lose money as one of his "Five Hundreth Pointes of Good Husbandrie" a book of poems, advice and stories about rural Tudor England. In 1557, Tusser published a shorter series of ideas, "A Hundreth Good Pointes of Husbandrie" but the set was expanded in 1573. In Elizabethan England Tusser's pithy quotes and advice were well received and were widely read by peasant and noble alike. Tusser is also credited with quipping such popular advice as "sweet April showers do bring May flowers" and returning to words for the wise added "who goeth a borrowing goeth a sorrowing. Few lend (but fools) their working tools". Tusser died in 1580 and was remembered by British historian Thomas Fuller as a thinker who had limited success in business with this rhyme "he spread his bread with all sorts of butter, yet none would stick thereon".

From Quiz Martial and Other Arts

Answer: Chinese

In 1972, a well-preserved and nearly complete copy of "The Art of War" on bamboo strips was discovered by construction workers. These Yinqueshan Han Slips date to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). The work is attributed to Sun Tzu, and the literal translation of the title is "Master Sun's Military Rules". As a major theme in the book is how to win wars through strategy in order to avoid conflict, the book has many applications outside of warfare.

From Quiz Snores (Not to Be Confused with S'mores)

Answer: Hypnos

In Greek mythology, Hypnos was the god of sleep. He and his twin Thanatos (god of death) shared a mansion in the underworld surrounded by the river Lethe (forgetfulness) and fields of poppies. (Please see the beautiful "Sleep and His Half-Brother Death" painting by John William Waterhouse.) Hypnos' wife was Pasihea. One of the youngest of the Graces, she was the deity of hallucination, meditation and relaxation. Morpheus was the Greek god of dreams. (Please refer to Pierre-Narcisse Guerin's 1811 painting "Morpheus and Iris" for an amazing visual treat!)

From Quiz You Snooze, You Lose

Answer: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

'The Sleeping Beauty' ballet, based on the enduring fairytale by Charles Perrault, was written by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It is one of the world's most famous classical ballets and premiered in St Petersburg in 1890 before opening in Moscow in 1899. It has been produced by many of the world's foremost venues including London's Royal Opera House and Royal Festival Hall, and Milan's La Scala.

From Quiz A FunTrivia Endurance Race

Answer: Dakar Rally

The first Dakar Rally was run in 1978, with the start being in Paris. After political tensions cancelled the 2008 version, the race moved to South America. Unlike other car races, both amateur and professional teams race, in a variety of vehicles such as cars, motorcycles, trucks and quads. The race is almost all held off-road, and has caused many deaths and injuries.

From Quiz "The Truth" in Quotes

Answer: A Few Good Men

A large measure of the success of "A Few Good Men" (1992) is attributable to the screenplay written by Aaron Sorkin on which it is based. The confrontation between Colonel Jessup and Lt. Kaffee is, in a sense, the result of a Marine Corps evolving from a tradition of solving its own internal problems internally under an unwritten code and a modern military service accountable through the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

From Quiz Is it Code Enough for You?

Answer: the Uniform Code of Military Justice

Adopted by Congress in 1950, the Uniform Code of Military Justice replaced a hodgepodge of ancient statutes and service traditions which governed the discipline of members of the United States military. It applies not only to members of the US Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, but also to commissioned NOAA officers and commissioned Public Health Service officers, if they are attached to military activities.

From Quiz Chasing the Daydream

Answer: Barrier Range

Allen Sinclair (also found as Allan Sinclair and W. Sinclair) and Joe Meech were partnered in prospecting for new mining sites. Sinclair would later say that they had an agreement that each day they would head off in different directions and then share their findings. Sinclair found chlorides and duly reported it to his partner and they pegged a claim. However, Meech claimed what would be called Day Dream mine alone. This was eventually taken up in a Sydney court, but became moot when the Barrier Ranges Mining Association purchased the lion's share of the mine. Apparently Meech was resting under a tree and when he woke he saw a "blow" reflecting many colors. At first he dismissed this as a daydream, but upon further inspection of the site found many colored stones, and thus named it "The Day Dream". Today the mine is a tourist site and both under- and above-ground tours have been available.

From Quiz Quiz Makers Guild Makes a Quiz on Guilds

Answer: Preston

The Preston Guild goes right back to 1179 when Henry II gave the town its first royal charter. The street parties, festivals and concerts celebrating the guild are so boisterous that they're probably only held once every 20 years - as they have been since 1542 apart from a break for WWII - in order to give the locals time to recover! There's even a Lancashire saying, "Once every Preston Guild," meaning "not very often at all." (And the bus station - now a listed building - IS iconic. Do go and look up some photos of it. The motorway is...less exciting). This question was originally set by Oidioid32123

From Quiz A Leap of Faith

Answer: Anne of Cleves

Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were the two wives of King Henry VIII who were executed at the Tower of London. Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, was also executed there, again on the orders of Henry VIII. All of their ghosts are said to haunt various parts of the Tower of London. Anne of Cleves was his fourth wife, who he divorced. She lived out her natural life in England, referred to as Henry's "Beloved Sister", her reward for agreeing to a quick divorce. The Tower of London is said to have many ghosts. As well as Henry's executed Queens Guy Fawkes is said to haunt it. Walter Raleigh, King Henry VI and a grizzly bear are among other sightings reported.

From Quiz Can You Crack the Code?

Answer: Dashes

Samuel Morse sent the first ever Morse code message in 1844, which was: "What hath God wrought?". Interestingly, Morse had quite a successful painting career before turning to his interest in codes and telegraphs.

From Quiz Another Day In Paradise

Answer: Mount Rainier

All four parks are, no doubt, beautiful, but only one contains Paradise. Paradise is an area on the south side of Mount Rainier. It is said to have got its name when Martha, James Longmire's daughter-in-law, exclaimed upon the beauty of the area when she first saw it. James Longmire and his family were some of the earliest settlers from the east, arriving in Washington in the 1850s. Olympic National Park is on the Olympic peninsula. San Juan Island is a National Historic park in the Puget Sound. The North Cascades National Park is just south of the Canadian border.

From Quiz Statements: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Answer: Charles Ponzi

Charles Ponzi was an Italian-born con artist who operated in USA and Canada from 1903. A Ponzi scheme is where the initial investors in the scheme have their promised returns paid for out of the capital of new recruits. Money is fraudulently syphoned off by the person setting up the scheme. A Ponzi scheme differs from a pyramid scheme which typically has recruits recruiting more people. Ponzi had already spent time in jail for fraud before using this scheme. He was not the first to use such a scheme but the success of his 'get rich quick' scheme and his sudden wealth drew attention. In one scheme he promised investors a 50% return in 45 days. When it all unwound, it brought down six banks as well. After several more jail terms he was eventually deported to Italy before ending up in Brazil where he died in poverty.

From Quiz Degrees of Understanding

Answer: First

The terms and legal definitions for murder and its severity vary greatly from culture to culture, and within countries from state to state/province/area. In the U.S., first degree murder is considered to have been premeditated, willful and deliberate and, in some states, involves 'malice aforethought'. If you do not commit the act yourself, but have someone else do it (as in the film "Strangers on a Train") you are often just as culpable. Depending on the verdict and the state involved in the crime, you may receive a long or life sentence with or without parole, or you may receive the death penalty. Treason and kidnapping are also considered major crimes and subject to the same types of punishment. Second degree murder is a legal term that changes from state to state in the US, but is considered less severe than first degree. In the US, third degree murder can range from negligence to reckless endangerment or anything in between, as each case is different and there may be mitigating or unprovable circumstances. Homicide (killing of a human) may be proved to be completely unintentional or ascribed to the influence of some cause such as PTSD, 'diminished capacity', or 'temporary insanity'. Manslaughter is generally the accidental killing of another human by a human. In general, killing of a human is considered justified in self or family defense, safeguarding a home from invasion, protection of the innocent and sometimes in 'heat of passion' crimes. In some primitive and/or cannibalistic cultures, the killing of a man by the father of a boy-child is deemed necessary in order for the child to acquire the dead man's name. In Corsica, between 1683 and 1715, about one quarter of the population was killed because of vendettas (Italian = blood feud), traditional on the island. Felony murder is death resulting from the commitment of a felony, such as a bank robbery or home invasion. Each case that comes to trial is individual and is judged on its own circumstances.

From Quiz Peace for People

Answer: September 21

When the International Day of Peace was established the date for it was the date in September that was the regular opening day of the annual sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations, which was on the third Tuesday of each year. The date of September 21, which was the day of the first Peace Day in 1982, was later established in the year of 2001 as the fixed day to observe peace for all nations.

From Quiz Speech! Speech!

Answer: Mathematics

The Fields Medal is awarded for excellence in mathematics. It is given every four years to multiple mathematicians during the International Congress of Mathematicians.

From Quiz The Hazards Of Quiz Addiction

Answer: Punk

Black Flag formed in 1976 and is considered one of the first punk bands. In the ten years they were active they released six studio albums. Over the years the members of the band changed numerous times, with the best known band member Henry Rollins joining in 1981. After Black Flag was disbanded in 1986 Rollins continued as a spoken word artist or toured with the 'Henry Rollins Band'.

From Quiz I Knew You Were Trouble

Answer: Elvis Presley

Although all the singers listed also did some acting, it was Elvis who appeared in this film. The full title is 'The Trouble with Girls (and How to Get into It)' and the film is one of Presley's less memorable. There were no stand out songs on the soundtrack, with the only one that rings any bells being called 'Swing Down Sweet Chariot', a version of the traditional spiritual 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot'. It was Presley's penultimate acting role, with only 'Change of Habit', also from 1969, being later.

From Quiz Not Another Test!

Answer: Crash test

Carrying out rigorous crash tests for cars involves serious risks. So, the venerable crash test dummy was created to participate in these tests. The usage of these simulated people has provided invaluable information for the development of safe vehicles.

From Quiz Darwin Was The Fittest!

Answer: Resident Evil

The video game "Resident Evil" was created by Shinji Mikami, and released by Capcom in 1996. In response to the popularity of these games, a movie of the same name was released in 2002 which was written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, and starred Milla Jovovich. Both media have produced a number of sequels.

From Quiz She was Covered in Lace and Glory

Answer: Mamma Mia!

The film featured the songs of ABBA, and both the show and film took their title from one of them. The film version starred Meryl Streep as Donna, mother of the bride-to-be, who had invited the three men who were candidates to be her father to attend her wedding. Since they were played by Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan and Stellan Skarsgard, any one of them would have been a good choice. The irony is that Sophie and Sky decide not to get married after all, but that is not quite the end of the story. 'Flower Drum Song' (1961) brought the song 'I Enjoy Being a Girl' to public attention, and 'Pal Joey' (1957) starred Rita Hayworth and Frank Sinatra. 'Guys and Dolls' (1955) starred Marlon Brando as Sky Masterson, but I suspect my effort to confuse you was doomed to failure.

From Quiz They Broke Hearts and Promises

Answer: Helen van Ness

Louis "Merry" Merrilat was an army and college football star, and a decorated war hero. He had married Ethel Wynne in June 1915, and the case against him brought by Helen van Ness came to court in November of that year. She asked for damages of $20,000, but lost the case after Louis hired the famous lawyer Clarence Darrow to defend him.

From Quiz Less Filling! Tastes Great!

Answer: Joseph Heller

The catch-22 in Heller's novel refers to combat pilots who wish to be declared insane so that they will be grounded. To be found unfit to fly they need an evaluation by a doctor. They must request this evaluation themselves which automatically means that they are sane because only insane people would want to fly dangerous combat missions in which they are likely to die. These pilots want to fly so can never be declared insane because they will not request an evaluation. In short the catch-22 states that all combat pilots must fly whether they are insane or not as none of them can be grounded. The other three authors all wrote WWII novels dealing with human nature under combat conditions. Pynchon wrote "Gravity's Rainbow", Shaw authored "The Young Lions" and "Vessel of Sadness" was by Woodruff.

From Quiz Exodus

Answer: Otto Preminger

Based on the book, this 1960 film is credited with stimulating support for Israel in America. It is also noted for breaking the Hollywood blacklist in force from the McCarthy Era by employing Dalton Trumbo as the screenwriter. With an all-star cast headed by Paul Newman, and a memorable music score, which won the Academy Award, the film has remained a powerful piece of social commentary.

From Quiz More Power!

Answer: "corrupts absolutely"

The somewhat shortened version of this phrase "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" is attributed to various sources. However Lord John Edward Dalberg Acton, or Lord Acton for short was the originator of this powerful statement in 1887. He penned this thought in a letter he wrote to Bishop Creighton. It may be argued that his thought was derived from other sources, including a British Prime Minister (William Pitt) or to French poet Lamartine, but the phrase most commonly referred to today is attributed to Acton. The statement is often called "Machiavellian" in nature, because Lord Acton wrote the introduction for Niccolo Machiavelli's "The Prince" which explored the use of wealth, power and corruption.

From Quiz Less Tax, of Course

Answer: Science

Taxonomy is the science of sorting species of flora and fauna into any type of a classification scheme. Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus is considered the father of the science of taxonomy. All living things are classified in decending order into kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. Each classification is a more specific identifier of the life form.

From Quiz ...And It Was All A Dream

Answer: Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney quoted to the BBC that he woke up one morning with the tune in his head and wrote the song. Paul began his musical career when he joined John Lennon's band The Quarrymen in 1957. After The Beatles split up in 1970, Paul went on to more success with his new group Wings.

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