Eclectically Yours, The Letter "E" Quiz

Answer: Cate Blanchett

Based on the early years of Queen Elizabeth I's life, "Elizabeth" was directed by Indian director Shehkar Kapur. The film was Cate Blanchett's international breakthrough: the Australian actress was selected for the title role after Emily Watson had turned it down. Premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September 1998, the film was criticized for taking quite a few liberties with historical fact. However, it also won a number of awards, many of which went to Blanchett for her riveting performance as the Virgin Queen: among them, the BAFTA and Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress, as well as an Academy Award nomination. A follow-up movie, "Elizabeth: The Golden Age", also directed by Kapur, was released in 2007, earning Blanchett another Oscar nomination. She eventually won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2014 for "Blue Jasmine".

All the actresses listed as wrong answers are Australian, and have also received Academy Award nominations.

Answer: Espoo

Part of the Finnish Capital Region, Espoo (Esbo in Swedish) is located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, directly west of Helsinki, the national capital. With a population of over 280,000, it is Finland's second-largest city and municipality after Helsinki. During the 20th century, Espoo grew from a small, rural municipality into a modern, industrial city. Unlike most European cities, Espoo does not have a true city centre, but is divided into seven major areas, completely surrounding the smaller town of Kauniainen. The internationally renowned company Nokia is headquartered in Espoo; another of the city's claims to fame is Aalto University, Finland's second-largest, named after great 20th-century architect and designer Alvar Aalto. Famous Formula One driver Kimi Räikkönen was born in Espoo in 1979.

Essen is in Germany, Exeter in England, and Eindhoven in the Netherlands.

Answer: Portugal

The escudo ("shield") was initially gold coinage with various denominations, introduced and minted in 18th-century Portugal. Replaced by the real for over a century, it was reintroduced in 1911 after the Republican revolution that, in October 1910, put an end to the Portuguese monarchy. The escudo was subdivided in 100 centavos, which by the end of 20th century had been rendered almost worthless by inflation. Like all the currencies of the countries that adopted the Euro, the escudo was removed from circulation on 28 February 2002. Angola and Mozambico also used the escudo as currency before they became independent from Portugal; Cape Verde still does, even though the island nation has been independent since 1975.

The currencies of the other three countries prior to the euro were the peseta (Spain) and the lira (Italy and Malta).

Answer: The Mill on the Floss

Mary Ann Evans (1819-1880) adopted the masculine-sounding pseudonym of George Eliot to avoid being stereotyped as a romance writer, as many women authors were in Victorian England, and also to protect her unconventional private life (she was in a long-term relationship with a married man). "The Mill on the Floss", first published in 1860, was Eliot's second full-length novel; it tells the story of Maggie and Tom Tulliver, two siblings who grow up at the titular mill in the English county of Lincolnshire. The novel contains several autobiographical references, especially in the author's portrayal of the sensitive, passionate Maggie.

"The Woman in White" was written by Wilkie Collins, "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" by Anne Bronte, and "The Mayor of Casterbridge" by Thomas Hardy.

Answer: Erebus

Besides the well-known Olympians, Greek mythology featured a number of primordial deities ("protogenoi") born out of Chaos, the primeval void. One of these is Erebus (Latinized form of Erebos, meaning "deep darkness" or "shadow"), the personification of the darkness surrounding the Earth, as well as the darkness of the Earth's underground. In Hesiod's "Theogony" (8th century BC), Erebus is mentioned as one of the first five beings: he married his sister, Nyx (goddess of night), and sired Aether (Brightness) and Hemera (Day). The name Erebus was also used as a synonym for the darkest region of Hades, the Underworld.

Mount Erebus, an active volcano in Antarctica, was named after HMS Erebus, a warship of the British Royal Navy that took part in the Ross expedition of 1839-1843.

Epimetheus was one of the Titans, brother of Prometheus, and Enceladus a giant believed to be buried under Mount Etna. According to some sources, Eros, the god of love, was also the offspring of Erebus and Nyx - rather than the son of Ares and Aphrodite, as in later myths.

Answer: USA

Based in the US, the Episcopal Church (TEC) is one of the 41 autonomous churches, or provinces, that make up the Anglican Communion. It was established in 1785, as a consequence of the American Revolution, which made it difficult for Anglicans in the United States to continue being affiliated to the Church of England (whose head is the British monarch). The Episcopal Church currently counts 111 dioceses and regional areas in 17 nations, most of them in the Americas. The dioceses and regional areas are organized into nine provinces, each of them governed by a synod.

Since the 1960s, the Episcopal Church has adopted a definitely progressive stance towards many issues. Women have been eligible for priesthood since 1976, and the first woman bishop, Barbara Harris (who was also the first woman bishop in the whole Anglican Communion) was elected in 1989. The Episcopal Church also accepts same-sex unions, and opposes the death penalty and any kind of discrimination. In 2015, Michael Bruce Curry was installed as the first African-American to serve as Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church. The seat of the Presiding Bishop is at the National Cathedral in Washington DC.

Answer: fungus-contaminated grain

The name "ergot" refers to a group of fungi belonging to the genus Claviceps, in particular Claviceps purpurea, also known as rye ergot. This fungus infects rye and other grains, producing a black, seed-like protrusion known as sclerotium; wet weather conditions are especially conducive to ergot infestations. Ergot sclerotia contain high concentrations of ergotamine, an alkaloid that causes very serious symptoms in those affected. In the Middle Ages, ergotism was also known as "Saint Anthony's Fire" because of the burning sensations in the limbs caused by vasoconstriction, which can lead to gangrene and tissue loss. Ergotism can also cause convulsions, spasms, hallucinations and other psychological symptoms - which have been connected with accusations of bewitchment. Epidemics of ergotism were quite common in Europe well into the 19th century, and still occur in less wealthy countries.

All the incorrect answers can be the source of foodborne illnesses or poisoning. In particular, poisoning caused by eating certain reef fish (such as barracuda or moray eel) is known as ciguatera, and unpasteurized milk products can cause brucellosis.

Answer: eland

The genus Taurotragus ("bull-goat") comprises two species, the common eland (Taurotragus oryx) and the giant eland (Taurotragus derbianus), which are the largest species of antelope. The giant eland lives in very limited areas of West and Central Africa, while the common eland is found in most of East and Southern Africa. These herbivores can be up to 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall at the shoulder, and weigh from 300 to 1,000 kg (660 to 2,200 lb); females are on average smaller than males. Both species have spiral-shaped horns, those of the giant eland being bigger (hence the name). Unlike smaller antelope species, elands are not fast runners: however, they can maintain a steady trot of 22 km (14 mi) per hour indefinitely. Elands live in large herds of up to 500 individuals; juveniles tend to be more vulnerable than adults to predators, which include lions, cheetahs and spotted hyenas.

The name "eland" comes from the Dutch word for "moose" or "elk" - a resemblance based not only on size, but also on the dewlap hanging from the throats of male elands.

The egret is a bird related to the heron, while ermine is the name given to the stoat's white winter coat, and the echidna is one of the surviving members of the order Monotremata (egg-laying mammals).

Answer: Ronnie James Dio

Founded in 1967 by the former members of Ronnie and the Prophets - Ronnie James Dio (vocals/bass), his cousin David Feinstein (guitar), Gary Driscoll (drums), Nick Pantas (guitar) and Doug Thaler (keyboards) - Elf was initially called The Electric Elves. The band, based in Cortland, in New York state, released three albums between 1972 and 1975; their self-titled debut was produced by Roger Glover and Ian Paice of Deep Purple. The English band's guitarist, Ritchie Blackmore, noticed Dio's voice when Elf was touring with Deep Purple as an opening act. Blackmore was looking for musicians to play on his first solo album, and decided to use Elf as a backing band. The ensemble was renamed Rainbow, and its debut, "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow", was released in 1975. However, on Rainbow's second album, "Rising" (1976), only Dio remained of the Elf lineup.

Ronnie James Dio passed away in 2010 from stomach cancer. All the singers mentioned as incorrect answers are English - and, at the time of writing, very much alive.

Answer: vegetables

Endive and escarole are leaf vegetables of the chicory family, characterized by their bitter-tasting leaves. They actually varieties of the same species, Chicorium endivia: escarole has broad, smooth leaves, while curly endive (also called chicory) has narrow, curly leaves. Both these greens can be eaten raw or cooked; after cooking, their slightly bitter taste becomes mild, almost sweet. Escarole is widely used in Italian cuisine, where it is an ingredient of soups, savoury pies (such as the Neapolitan "pizza di scarola"), and side dishes. Belgian endive, or witloof ("white leaf" in Dutch) belongs to a different species, Cichorium intybus, or common chicory; it gets its white colour from being grown underground.