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Quiz about Drums of Autumn LOL Quiz
Quiz about Drums of Autumn LOL Quiz

"Drums of Autumn" LOL Quiz


This is my second quiz on "Drums of Autumn" by Diana Gabaldon. This quiz features questions inspired by passages in the book that still make me Laugh Out Loud, even having read the book a dozen times before. Please enjoy!

A multiple-choice quiz by LadyCaitriona. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
329,976
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
605
Awards
Top 10% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. The Minister's cat is a 'fraidycat! What word is missing from this quote by Roger Wakefield?

"The Minister's cat is scared stiff of that place. He wouldn't set foot up there if it were knee-deep in ______."
Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. "On the contrary. It's the way she looks tonight that makes me think I should maybe punch you in the nose, on her daddy's behalf."

Joe Abernathy said this to Roger the night after the Celtic festival. Why were Brianna and Roger visiting the Abernathys?
Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. "Oh, surely everyone is interested in taxes. ... Or don't you believe that taxes are what we pay for a civilized society? Though having heard Mr. Stanhope's story ... perhaps he would agree that the level of civilization isn't quite equal to the level of taxation?"

At whose dinner party did Claire make this witty remark?
Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. "Beggin' your pardon, Mrs. Fraser dear. ... But I really cannot allow ye to crack his head. It's not very ornamental, sure, but he needs it to hold up his hat."

True or false? Shortly after Stephen Bonnet made this statement, Claire's silver wedding ring was stolen.


Question 5 of 10
5. "Before I could go into the fascinating question of why Jocasta Cameron should wish to manage the British Navy, today or any other day, we were interrupted by a cry of alarm from the far side of the clearing."

What happened while Jamie was making contracts with the British Navy on his aunt's behalf?
Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. "I waved pleasantly after [Phillip Wylie], thinking how much I should enjoy sticking a fork into him, when the time came."

Who had asked Claire to create a diversion at Jocasta's dinner party?
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. As it happened, Claire had no need to resort to her premeditated diversion at the dinner party due to the auspicious arrival of whom? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. "Not bad. I extended my arms and jiggled my torso from side to side, testing. Yes, that would do. Though perhaps if I took one more turn around my chest before crossing the ends..."

The prospect of several days on horseback through rough terrain impelled Claire to fashion a brassiere for herself. Which of the following was NOT a reason for the upcoming mountain trek?
Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. "[Pollyanne] ... dipped up a handful of water and funneled it into her mouth. She chewed vigorously for a moment, cheeks puffed out. Then she motioned me aside and, lifting a surprised Jamie's arm, spat forcefully and profusely into his armpit."

Er... why did Pollyanne do this?
Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. "There was a snapping and crackling in the bushes, not far away. It was loud, and I stiffened. So did Jamie. He slid his hand out ..., reaching for his dirk, then relaxing, as the reassuring scent of _______ reached our nostrils."

What pungent forest denizen correctly fills the blank?

Answer: (One Word - Begins with S)

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The Minister's cat is a 'fraidycat! What word is missing from this quote by Roger Wakefield? "The Minister's cat is scared stiff of that place. He wouldn't set foot up there if it were knee-deep in ______."

Answer: sardines

Roger taught Brianna the Minister's Cat game on the car ride to the Celtic festival where he was performing. In "Drums" and later books Roger and Bree use the game to open communication between them when they are feeling emotionally stressed. In this particular instance, Bree was asking Roger if he had been back to Craigh na Dun since her mother, Claire, disappeared through the standing stones the previous year.
2. "On the contrary. It's the way she looks tonight that makes me think I should maybe punch you in the nose, on her daddy's behalf." Joe Abernathy said this to Roger the night after the Celtic festival. Why were Brianna and Roger visiting the Abernathys?

Answer: To watch the Apollo 11 moon landing

Roger and Brianna hadn't returned to Boston until well after midnight. Roger had brought her fast asleep up to his hotel room and had spent the night himself honourably upon the floor covered up with her sweater. The next evening Brianna looked disheveled, bleary-eyed and thoroughly happy, prompting Joe's remark to Roger.

While many of Lenny and Brianna's classmates were also present at the Abernathys' house that night ("We got half the doggone MIT College of Engineering here, ... and nobody can fix a doggone television?"), the lunar landing was in July of 1969 and Brianna didn't graduate until 1971 (in fact, she skipped the commencement ceremony so that she would have enough time to get to the standing stones for the feast of Beltane in early May).
3. "Oh, surely everyone is interested in taxes. ... Or don't you believe that taxes are what we pay for a civilized society? Though having heard Mr. Stanhope's story ... perhaps he would agree that the level of civilization isn't quite equal to the level of taxation?" At whose dinner party did Claire make this witty remark?

Answer: Mr. Lillington

Mr. Lillington (his first name is never given) was holding a dinner party in honour of North Carolina's governor, William Tryon, who was visiting from New Bern. Lloyd Stanhope and Philip Wylie were also guests at Lillington's party.

After a short discussion of the current tax rate (2% - "iniquitous!") Claire changed the subject to newspapers: "After all, speaking of taxes at the Governor's table is rather like talking of rope in the house of the hanged, isn't it?".
4. "Beggin' your pardon, Mrs. Fraser dear. ... But I really cannot allow ye to crack his head. It's not very ornamental, sure, but he needs it to hold up his hat." True or false? Shortly after Stephen Bonnet made this statement, Claire's silver wedding ring was stolen.

Answer: False

When the "Sally Ann" was boarded by pirates on its way from Wilmington to Cross Creek, Claire tried to save her wedding rings by swallowing them. She managed to save one, but the other--the gold wedding ring given to her by Frank Randall--was stolen.
5. "Before I could go into the fascinating question of why Jocasta Cameron should wish to manage the British Navy, today or any other day, we were interrupted by a cry of alarm from the far side of the clearing." What happened while Jamie was making contracts with the British Navy on his aunt's behalf?

Answer: A pot of boiling pitch exploded

Jocasta Cameron, a blind widow, was still capable of running most things at River Run with the help of an educated slave named Ulysses. She finds herself unequal to the task of dealing with the Navy, however, in part because she had spurned the advances of Lieutenant Wolff following the death of her husband some years before.

The other answers are all events that occur later in "Drums of Autumn".
6. "I waved pleasantly after [Phillip Wylie], thinking how much I should enjoy sticking a fork into him, when the time came." Who had asked Claire to create a diversion at Jocasta's dinner party?

Answer: Jamie Fraser

Jamie suspected that Jocasta was going to formally declare him as her heir, which he didn't want and would have trouble declining in the presence of his aunt's guests. He asked Claire to watch for his signal and then create a diversion, for example by swooning or "accidentally" sticking her dinner companion with a fork. Before the meal was served Mr. Wylie made a nuisance of himself to Claire, and she asked Ulysses to make sure that he was seated near her for dinner.
7. As it happened, Claire had no need to resort to her premeditated diversion at the dinner party due to the auspicious arrival of whom?

Answer: John Quincy Myers

When Myers first met Claire in Wilmington he told her of an unfortunate malady from which he had long been suffering. As the inguinal hernia could only be remedied surgically, and with no anaesthetics to hand, Claire told Myers that he would have to be very drunk before she would be able to operate. Myers showed up in the middle of Jocasta's dinner party--well intoxicated--and Claire performed the surgery in the salon, much to the amusement of the other guests.

Yi Tien Cho (alias Mr. Willoughby) was the Mandarin of Letters who fled from Imperial China when faced with a choice between eunuchism and death. He featured prominently in the previous book, "Voyager", but is only mentioned in "Drums".
8. "Not bad. I extended my arms and jiggled my torso from side to side, testing. Yes, that would do. Though perhaps if I took one more turn around my chest before crossing the ends..." The prospect of several days on horseback through rough terrain impelled Claire to fashion a brassiere for herself. Which of the following was NOT a reason for the upcoming mountain trek?

Answer: To sell Pollyanne to the Tuscarora

Pollyanne, one of Jocasta's slaves at River Run, had to flee the area when she was suspected of being involved in the murder of Lissa Garver. Myers agreed to take her to the Tuscarora, with the hope that they would adopt her into the tribe (she was not sold). In light of the bad blood between Sergeant Murchison and Jamie, renewed when Jamie presented the sergeant with the corpse of his murdered mistress, Claire noted "that it might be as well for HIM to be temporarily out of Sergeant Murchison's sphere of influence as well."

After a few days' travel into the North Carolina wilderness, Ian, Pollyanne and Myers continued north to the villages of the Tuscarora. Jamie and Claire turned south-east in search of land to claim for the grant offered to Jamie by Governor Tryon.
9. "[Pollyanne] ... dipped up a handful of water and funneled it into her mouth. She chewed vigorously for a moment, cheeks puffed out. Then she motioned me aside and, lifting a surprised Jamie's arm, spat forcefully and profusely into his armpit." Er... why did Pollyanne do this?

Answer: To remove a tick

The passage continues: "She reached into the dripping hollow, and with delicate fingers appeared to tickle the parasite. She certainly tickled Jamie, who was very sensitive in that particular region. He turned pink in the face and flinched at her touch, all the muscles in his torso quivering."

Pollyanne told Claire that she was chewing pawpaw seeds, which mustn't be swallowed because they are poisonous. According to the Wikipedia article on the North American pawpaw (not to be confused with the papaya, which is of a different family altogether) the seeds have insecticidal properties, and are sometimes used in specialty shampoos to help rid one of lice.
10. "There was a snapping and crackling in the bushes, not far away. It was loud, and I stiffened. So did Jamie. He slid his hand out ..., reaching for his dirk, then relaxing, as the reassuring scent of _______ reached our nostrils." What pungent forest denizen correctly fills the blank?

Answer: skunk

I suppose that when one is camped out in the wilderness, surrounded by bears, catamounts and goodness knows what else, the harbinger of an animal the general size and shape of a house cat would be reassuring.

Earlier in the book Ian and Rollo were more poignantly introduced to this beast, having been sprayed liberally with "eau de skunk" at River Run.
Source: Author LadyCaitriona

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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Related Quizzes
This quiz is part of series LadyC's "Outlander" Quizzes:

"Outlander" ("Cross Stitch" in the UK) is one of my favourite series of books. Here are the quizzes I've authored on Diana Gabaldon's popular historical fiction novels.

  1. "Outlander" and "Outlander" Series Quiz Average
  2. "Dragonfly in Amber" General Knowledge Average
  3. "Voyager" by Diana Gabaldon Tough
  4. "Drums of Autumn" by Diana Gabaldon Average
  5. "The Fiery Cross" Part I - "In Media Res" Average
  6. "The Fiery Cross" Part II Difficult
  7. "The Fiery Cross" Part III Average
  8. "The Fiery Cross" Part IV Difficult
  9. "The Fiery Cross" Part V Tough
  10. "The Fiery Cross" Part VI Tough
  11. "The Fiery Cross" Part VII Difficult
  12. "A Breath of Snow and Ashes" Prologue - Chapter 10 Average

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