Through the "Guild"ed Ages: Spring Quiz

Answer: Le muguet

"Le muguet" is the lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) and is characterized by its delicate little white bell-shaped flowers. The word "majalis" means blooms in May. In France, the custom still is kept up on the first of May during which you offer someone a sprig or a bouquet of them. It is also the "Fete du travail" or Labor Day in France so that's a bit different in terms of festivities. Many labor unions have big gatherings that day in parks.

"Le printemps" is the seasons spring in French of course. "L'hiver" is winter, "l'automne" is autumn and 'l'été' is summer as so many crossword fans know very well. "Le Printemps" was one of the early department stores established in Paris on Blvd Haussman in 1865.

"Le ressort" is one of the meanings of a spring in terms of coil. The saying, "avoir du ressort" means you have resilience. One of the closest English expressions is "to have spring in your step".

"La source" is a spring. Perhaps you recall the book/film by Pagnol "Manon des sources" in which water and a spring figured prominently?

This question was written by Bruyere.

Answer: Helen Herron Taft

An American diplomat named Eliza Scidmore began advocating for the planting of cherry blossoms along the Potomac as early as 1885. Scidmore was lucky to ask Helen Taft, who'd spent years traveling southeast Asia and knew the trees well. Taft envisioned going beyond Scidmore's pitch: she wanted an "avenue" of blossoms. Taft then mentioned the idea to Japanese consul Kokichu Midzuno, and *he* pitched the idea of giving the trees as a gift to Tokyo's mayor, Yukio Ozaki.

In the end, no less than 3,020 trees were donated in 1912. In 1915, the U.S. reciprocated by sending Japan some of its favorite blossom, the dogwood. Both countries have repeated the gift in the years since.

This question cultivated by blossom-loving player etymonlego.

Answer: Armed services

It refers to releasing tension on weapon springs by moving working parts forwards/passing wind (slang)/as a means of expressing sympathy after the passing of a service member or veteran (RIP).

This question was brought to you by SisterSeagull.

Answer: British Columbia

Liard River is on the historic Alaska Highway, about 140 kilometres (87 miles) from the Yukon border. It differs from most hot springs in Canadian parks in that there is no man-made pool - you sit in a natural pool with the water trickling through. The spring is accessed by a boardwalk through the surrounding muskeg (for non-Canadians, picture a bog) where you can often see moose dining on the aquatic plant life.

I visited this place forty years ago and have never forgotten it - such a dissimilar experience from other hot springs that, except for being warm, seem no different than any concrete swimming pool. It's a little off the beaten path for most tourists, but if you find yourself travelling the Alcan, it's worth stopping.

The incorrect options are all Canadian territories, not provinces.

This question was written by agony, who likes nothing better than being in the water outside.

Answer: an upheaval or revolutionary wave

Large revolutionary waves against monarchical rule in the mid-19th century rocked the continent of Europe, with various movements affecting France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Ireland, Poland, Denmark, and others. The movements largely failed, however, with monarchies across Europe re-establishing their dominance. Nevertheless, the hunger for republican rule had been firmly established, leading to historians labeling this period the "Springtime of the Peoples."

More recent "springs" include the Prague Spring in 1968, the Beijing Spring in the 1970s, and the Arab Spring of the early 2010s.

This question was written by trident.

Answer: Persephone

Persephone is Queen of the underworld. She was the wife of Hades (aka Haldes) who seized her while she was playing and carried her off to the underworld. She was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter and is sometimes depicted as a young goddess holding sheafs of grain and a flaming torch.

Other mythologies have their own goddesses of spring.

Question submitted by darksplash.

Answer: Visit Kakadu National Park

"And just then Alice Springs into action". This poetic play on words (and many others) is from a 1983 spoken-word comedy single, "Australiana", by an artist named Austen Tayshus.

Alice Springs acts as a gateway for those visiting Uluru (formerly Ayers Rock). You cannot climb Uluru anymore, access was restricted in 2019 with cultural significance, environmental erosion and safety concerns sighted for the decision.

Infamously, Uluru was the centre of attention in 1980, and for a long time thereafter, as being the site where baby Azaria Chamberlain was taken from her tent by a Dingo. The investigation was botched and as a result, her mother Lindy was jailed for murder. It wasn't until 2012 that the issue was finally decided. It is something that is burned into the Australian psyche; a lot of people debate the findings to this day. That said, you can visit there, and look at it, it's quite the sight (I'm told). It is a 5-hour drive (one way!) so leave early and don't gawk at the big rock for too long!

Now, you CAN also enjoy the regatta from the banks of the river...you could also enjoy it from the riverbed itself. The Todd River 'runs' through Alice Springs, that is, when it runs. This is why Alice Springs is so named: usually there is only a seasonal waterhole - it was originally thought to be a natural spring. Most of the time it is as dry as a saltine cracker in a sandstorm. The 'regatta' is a yearly festival whereby locals run along the riverbed holding hollowed out bathtubs or boats. One year, it rained so much that the river started flowing, and the regatta had to be cancelled because of water! So, yes, you can do this in a day if (1) you are there on the right day of the year, and (2) it isn't raining too much - which isn't much of a risk.

And you CAN travel to a secret CIA facility! Well, you can travel nearby, but if you don't have the right kind of invitation, some humourless military G.I. types may ensure that you quickly head in the right direction (back from whence you came). The facility is called Pine Gap - that's no secret. What goes on there is a secret though. Very American-y things. Vewwy hush-hush. Need to know basis. Aussies don't need to know, we are told. The official name is The Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap. General consensus is that it is used for interception and transmission of intelligence data, tracking of missile tests and rocket launches, and as a general early warning and therefore deterrence facility. Apart from the occasional anti-war protest, Aussies seem strangely apathetic to the whole deal. Possibly because, as Midnight Oil sang in 'Power and the Passion': "Flat chat, Pine Gap, in every home a Big Mac, and no-one goes outback, that's that".

What you CANNOT do in a day from Alice Springs is visit Kakadu National Park. Alice is down near the bottom of the Northern Territory, Kakadu is right up near the top. It is a 13 and a half hour drive, one way. Don't forget to fill your tank when you get the chance, because there aren't too many petrol stations out there. Kakadu National Park is a World Heritage listed park spanning almost 20000 square kilometres. The Park alternates between sandstone gorges and wetlands, featuring prehistoric Indigenous rock paintings, myriads of plant and animal species, and lovely billabongs which may not seem quite so lovely when a living prehistoric thing, a saltwater crocodile, chomps on you for a snack. So, stay on the dry land and all you then have to do is avoid three of the world's ten most venomous snakes: the Coastal Taipan, the Northern Death Adder and the King Brown (Mulga). The say that snakes are typically shy and will avoid humans. I care not to put that theory to the test. Put Kakadu on your must-do list today!

Question submitted by FussBudget.

Answer: Chapel of Love

The version of this song that is probably running through your head right now is the 1964 Dixie Cups hit - the one that pushed The Beatles off the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. That version has an interesting history.

The song had been written a year earlier by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, who were themselves a newly married couple. The original producer was meant to be Phil Spector, who recorded a few versions - with Darlene Love, and with The Ronettes. He wasn't completely happy with any of them, but while he was diddling around looking for perfection, the songwriters sold it to a brand new record label set up by the crack writing team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Red Bird Records. Phil Spector was reportedly extremely unhappy about this, but I guess he got over it, as The Ronettes included the song on their album (with the marvellous title of "Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica") later that year. Darlene Love's version was not released until decades later.

Elton John gave us a nice take on it for the soundtrack of "Four Weddings and a Funeral" in 1994.

agony has always had a soft spot for the girl groups of the sixties.

Answer: Springtime for Hitler

Featured in the 1967 Mel Brooks comedy "The Producers," the musical "Springtime for Hitler" was originally intended to be a failure for the main characters of the movie, as part of their scheme to defraud their investors. They meticulously set up a scenario in which every aspect of their fake musical would create a theatrical disaster: hiring a terrible director, casting a lead actor who had just walked into the theater, and writing a script that would offend every critic and member of the audience. It almost worked, as upset spectators began to walk out.

Unfortunately for the fraudsters, "Springtime for Hitler" turned into something so bad that the audience began to think it was a satire making fun of the Nazi Party. Seen through this new lens, the musical earned rave reviews, leading to the main characters' fraud being uncovered.

This question was written by trident.

Answer: St Louis

The song was written by the cloth-capped folkie Tom Paxton, a baseball fan. He was born in Chicago "a place where no serious baseball is played".

"My Favourite Spring" was his imagining of a young player who "once had a tryout with the Saint Louis Cards" but opted to volunteer to serve in the US Air Force during the Korean War. I won't spoil the rest of the song: look it up for yourselves.

The St Louis Cardinals are one of the oldest and most successful teams in US professional baseball. Founded in 1892, by the time this question was written they had won 11 World Series titles.

This question was written by darksplash, who finds baseball totally baffling.