For the Wheel's Still in Spin Trivia Quiz

Answer: Wheel

This refers to the fantasy novels called 'The Wheel of Time' series which Jordan created. There are fourteen novels in all, published between 1990 and 2013, although the final three are credited to Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. Jordan died in 2007 and his unfinished novel was split into three with Sanderson completing the tales.

The first novel was 'The Eye of the World' and created a world and characters which grew in the subsequent novels. The books inspired a television series based on them, role playing games and video games.

Answer: Wheel

'This Wheel's on Fire' was co-written by Dylan and Rick Danko, a member of The Band, who were Dylan's backing group. It appeared on Dylan's album 'The Basement Tapes' in 1975 and The Band recorded their own album version in 1968 - it also appeared on several other albums the group made.

In the UK it became a hit in 1968 with Julie Driscoll on vocals accompanied by Brian Auger and The Trinity. It reached number five on the UK Singles Chart. Driscoll re-recorded the song with Adrian Edmondson to be used as the theme music for the television series 'Absolutely Fabulous' which ran from 1992 to 2012.

Answer: Wheel

A wheel for rodents to exercise in is an important addition to any cage used by rats and hamsters, to name a couple. The wheel provided must be of an appropriate size to ensure the pet doesn't injure itself. As hamsters are nocturnal, finding one that doesn't squeak is recommended too.

Hamster wheel can also be used idiomatically, to describe someone who is frantically busy trying to keep their work up to date. It indicates non-stop pressure.

Answer: Wheel

'Wheel of Fortune' began appearing on television in the USA in 1975 when it was hosted by Chuck Woolery who was replaced by Pat Sajak in 1981. Contestants turn a wheel marked with cash amounts, or sections which can bankrupt them or make them lose a turn. They then have to solve a word puzzle, choosing letters to fill in gaps akin to the game called 'hangman'.

The show is still running in the 2020s, with Ryan Seacrest having hosted it since 2024. Long time co-host Vanna White still appears on the show with Seacrest. She originally started with Sajak in 1982. Versions of the game have appeared in other countries, including the UK.

Answer: Wheel

This refers to the flag of India which has a wheel, called the Ashoka Chakra, in the centre. The flag has three horizontal bands of orange, white and green from top to bottom. The wheel appears in the middle of the white band and is navy in colour. The flag was adopted in 1947 when India became an independent country.

The wheel is said to represent movement and progress.

Answer: Wheel

The wheel spider, also known as the golden wheel spider, lives in the Namib Desert, in the southern part of Africa. It's a hunting spider, looking for prey overnight. Although it is a small spider, measuring around 20mm (just over three-quarters of an inch), it digs burrows which can be as long as 50 cm, or nearly 20 inches. The name of wheel spider comes from its escape mechanism, which involves wrapping its legs round its body and rolling away from danger as fast as possible.

Although some spiders spin webs, huntsman spiders don't so I hope you weren't misled.

Answer: Spin

Dead or Alive were one of the many British bands to originate in Liverpool, and were formed in 1979. They eventually split up in 2016, with most of their success coming in the 1980s.

The song referenced in the clue was 'You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)', which reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and managed number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984. The most prominent member of the band was the singer, Pete Burns, who died in 2016 following a cardiac arrest.

Answer: Spin

'Spin City' starred Fox for the first four seasons but he had to leave when diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, with Charlie Sheen taking over as the main (different) character. The show ran from 1996 until 2002 and was set in New York City. It took place in the office of the mayor of the city and took a comedic, and satirical, view of the manoeuvrings behind the scenes.

The series was created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence.

Answer: Spin

The two main types of bowling in the game of cricket are fast bowling and spin bowling. Both have finer distinctions, such as swing bowling, used by pace bowlers to move the ball in the air, or outswing where the ball moves away from the batter at the last minute.

Spin bowing variations include the googly, turning the opposite way from the usual delivery, and the arm ball, which goes straight at the batter. Famous proponents of spin bowling include Bishen Bedi, from India, Englishman Jim Laker, who once took nineteen of the twenty wickets possible in one match, and maybe the best of all time, Shane Warne of Australia.

Answer: Spin

Those authorised to speak on behalf of the government, often with the intention of putting a gloss on the announcement, are called 'spin doctors'. The term became established in the USA during the 1980s, when it was used in a New York Times editorial.

The 'spin' part refers to the way the news is presented - the bias which can present a favourable interpretation. The opposition are more likely to present a negative spin. The 'doctor' part can be taken to mean 'fixing' or 'mending', or the more cynical interpretation of 'doctoring', i.e. 'falsifying'.

Answer: Spin

The game this clue refers to is 'Spin the Bottle'. Participants sit in a circle with a bottle in the middle. The bottle is put into a spin and the person to whom it points when it stops has to do something. Historically, it was to kiss the person who had spun the bottle, but it developed into other variations such as fulfilling a dare or truthfully answering a question.

The origins of the game appear to be in the 1920s and it was popular with teenagers in the later years of the twentieth century. Versions can still be bought in these modern times - I found apps on offer and online versions while researching.

Answer: Spin

The idiom referred to here is to 'spin a yarn', sometimes worded as 'spin a tale', referring usually to a long and convoluted story which often bears little resemblance to the truth. You may spin a yarn to get out of trouble or in an attempt to convince someone that you're not lying to them.

The expression is usually said to have derived from sailors who were repairing ropes, literally spinning a type of yarn, and who came up with stories to pass the time. The meaning of it referring to something untrue appears to date from the sixteenth century linking the actual creation of woollen yarns to the creation of a fanciful story.