An Ess-ential Assembly Trivia Quiz

Answer: Raymond Massey

Raymond Hart Massey (1896-1983) was born in Toronto, Canada, and saw military service in both the First and Second World Wars. After WW1 he attended university at Balliol College, Oxford, before returning to Canada to work in the family business - the Massey-Harris tractor company. His interest in the stage had been sparked by being ordered to organise entertainment for the troops in WW1, and he gravitated to acting, making his first appearance on the English stage in 1922.

His craggy face, commanding presence, and imposing height (1.91m or 6ft 3in) made him a natural for playing Abraham Lincoln, and he reprised the role several times on stage, in movies, and on television - reportedly joking that he was "the only actor ever typecast as a president".

Massey's film roles included playing Sherlock Holmes ("The Speckled Band", 1931), Citizen Chauvelin ("The Scarlet Pimpernel", 1934), Jonathan Brewster ("Arsenic and Old Lace", 1944), and John Brown ("Seven Angry Men", 1955), but older members of the television generation will perhaps best remember him as Richard Chamberlain's boss, Dr. Leonard Gillespie, in the medical drama series "Dr. Kildare" that originally ran from 1961-1966.

Answer: Jararacussu

Jararacussu is one of the many name variations given to the highly venomous pit viper Bothrops jararacussu which is found mainly in forest regions in parts of Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. These snakes can grow up to about 2m in length, have large fangs, can inject a lot of potent venom, and are quite aggressive.

The venom contains chemicals that cause generalised cell death (cytotoxins), affect blood coagulation (haemotoxins), and cause muscle paralysis (myotoxins). Severe muscle damage and necrosis (irreversible death of body tissues) are frequent in survivors of Jararacussu bites. Although an antivenom is available, studies have shown that it is not very effective at preventing necrosis.

Of the incorrect answers: Russell's viper is native to the Indian subcontinent; the non-venomous Glossy snake is found in the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico; the Grass snake (Natrix natrix) is widely distributed over Europe and the Middle East, and is also non-venomous.

Clue: The phrase "curse and swear" referenced part of the JararaCUSSu's name.

Answer: cuirass

The cuirass is a piece of armour that covers the front and back of the upper body, or just the front, and may be in one piece or two separate pieces. Early armour was made from leather, and it is probable that the name is derived from the Old French word for leather - "cuir". Cuirasses can be plain or decorated: the idealised chest and abdominal muscle decoration seen on classical armour is an example. Modern cuirasses - for example, those worn as ceremonial uniform by the British monarch's Household Cavalry (the Horse Guards) - are usually made from highly polished steel.

The incorrect answers are also pieces of armour: a bassinet (or bascinet) is what we think of as a knight's combat helmet; chausses are leggings, usually of chainmail; tassets protect the upper thighs, and may be flexibly attached to the front of the cuirass.

Answer: Assateague

Assateague is a barrier island just off the coast of the US states of Maryland and Virginia. It is about 37 miles long and ownership is split between the two states, with the southern third in Virginia and the rest in Maryland. It includes the Assateague Island National Seashore and is administered by various bodies, including the US National Parks Service.

Barrier islands are usually sandy, dune-based features, frequently found in long chains, and are very susceptible to wave and storm action: Assateague used to be connected to its northern neighbour, Fenwick Island, but a hurricane in 1933 created a channel between them which was then artificially enlarged to enable easier navigation through to the coast.

Assateague is particularly noted for its feral horse population. Although it was originally believed that these horses were descended from those owned by 17th century farmers on the mainland, recent DNA evidence suggests that the horses are the closest living descendants of Spanish horses brought to the Americas in the 16th century - adding weight to the legend that the original Assateague horses were survivors from a Spanish shipwreck.

The incorrect answers are all North American islands: Nonamesset is just off the coast of Massachusetts; Ossabaw is off the coast of Georgia; Princess Royal is off the coast of British Columbia in Canada.

Answer: Valeria Messalina

Valeria Messalina was born sometime between 17-20 CE, and was executed in 48 CE for conspiracy against her husband, the Roman Emperor Claudius. Claudius had gone to Ostia (the port of Rome) to inspect the construction of a new harbour: in his absence, Messalina went too far and "married" her current lover, the Senator Gaius Silius. There are conflicting explanations of this act - it may have been part of a Bacchic ritual, or Silius may have convinced her that Claudius' days were numbered and that he, Silius, would be the next Emperor. Whatever the reason, Claudius' household officials saw to it that this and other offences were reported to the Emperor, resulting in Messalina's death.

According to history, she also appears to have been implicated in the untimely deaths of several members of the Roman Imperial family, and of at least two prominent senators who had refused her advances. Her name has become a description for any sexually predatory, ruthless, evil, and politically manipulative woman, but it should be remembered that near-contemporaneous accounts of Roman history were frequently biased owing to the writers' somewhat negative general attitudes towards women, and a desire to discredit unpopular figures and please the current ruler. Later histories and art works that relied on these sources have perpetuated the negative perception of Messalina.

Of the incorrect answers: Julia Soaemias Bassiana (180-222 CE) was the mother of Roman Emperor Elagabalus; Rubellia Bassa (born sometime between 33-38 CE) was related by marriage to the Roman Emperor Nerva; Statilia Messalina (born about 35 CE) was the third wife of the Roman Emperor Nero.

Clues: "What a mess!" references MESSalina, while "ave et vale" (hail and farewell) clues into VALEria.

Answer: basso profondo

Basso profondo, or deep bass, is the lowest conventional voice range and typically covers the two octaves below middle C (C2 to C4). The 20th century opera singers Kurt Moll and Boris Christoff were noted bassi profondi, and popular music singers such as Barry White and Johnny Cash were also able to sing in this range.

The octavist voice is dark, heavy, and resonant, and is typically found as the lowest voice in Russian polyphonic church music - it can almost sound as though it is coming from the bowels of the earth. An octavist may reach the note F1 or lower - that's almost off the lower end of a standard piano keyboard!

Of the incorrect answers: the bass-baritone voice range overlaps with bass and tenor (Bryn Terfel is a noted bass-baritone); rock singers may be basses, but a rock bass (pronounced ba-ss rather than bay-ss) is a fish, as is a largemouth bass.

Answer: Nassau

The former Duchy of Nassau is located in south-western Germany, about midway between Bonn and Frankfurt. It existed for about 60 years in the 19th century CE, before being incorporated into the Kingdom of Prussia in 1866. The Dutch royal family styles itself as the House of Orange-Nassau, and is descended from a collateral ancestral line of the Dukes of Nassau.

Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, was originally names Charles Town in honour of the English king Charles II, but was burned to the ground in 1684. In 1695 it was rebuilt and renamed in honour of the English king William III who was formerly William of Orange-Nassau.

The name "Nassau" has the rough meaning of "wet meadow" or "wetland", referring to the proximity of the original German town of Nassau to the Lahn river.

Answer: giving a blessing

Making the sign of the cross can mean many things, but in this context it is performed as a gesture of blessing. It is an acknowledgement of belief in the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and represents spiritual protection from evil.

Historically the gesture is associated with the Catholic faith, and many Nonconformist Protestant Christians do not use it for this reason.

Answer: massage

If you had been riding, assiduously practising your dressage, after the passage of some time a massage might well assuage any muscle pains - in both you and your horse! In both humans and horses, properly executed massage techniques can relax tired muscles and improve general wellbeing.

There are many types of massage: for example, Swedish massage employs long, gentle strokes and is ideal for relaxation, as is aromatherapy massage which combines gentle massage techniques with essential oils to reduce stress.

Horse massage techniques can be as simple as the motions of the curry comb when rubbing down, or more complex techniques relating to specific muscle groups.

Answer: Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts belong to the cabbage family (along with cabbages, kale and cauliflower); they look like tiny round or oval cabbages tightly packed around a long, thick stalk and have been around since Roman times. They are easily cultivated and can be harvested either by picking a few at a time off the stalk, or by cutting the whole stalk complete with sprouts. In Medieval times they were extensively grown in and around Brussels in Belgium - hence the name.

The Brussels sprout is a vegetable that divides opinion - if you're wondering why many people can't stand to eat them, it's because about half the world's population has a genetic mutation that makes them much more sensitive to detecting bitter flavours. Sprouts contain bitter compounds called glucosinolates which break down on cooking and chewing into other more bitter compounds - these flavours are intensified by poor preparation such as overcooking. Those quizzers who remember the soggy grey-green boiled Brussels sprout mush served with UK school meals will understand why this vegetable isn't permitted in the Mistigris household!

Modern varieties of the Brussels sprout have had some of the bitterness bred out, and roasting them instead of boiling is also supposed to improve the flavour. I still can't bring myself to eat them, though!