FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Anatomy of a Song  The Hippopotamus Song
Quiz about Anatomy of a Song  The Hippopotamus Song

Anatomy of a Song: "The Hippopotamus Song" Quiz


Continuing my homage to FussBudget's great 'Anatomy of a Song' series, and for all the other Flanders & Swann fans out there, I present 'The Hippopotamus Song' (AKA 'Mud, Glorious Mud'). Enjoy!

A multiple-choice quiz by Quiz_Beagle. Estimated time: 3 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Music Trivia
  6. »
  7. Music D-G
  8. »
  9. Flanders and Swann

Author
Quiz_Beagle
Time
3 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
277,935
Updated
Jul 23 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
461
Awards
Top 10% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Where was our hippopotamus hero standing as the song starts? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. What time of day is the song set? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. What is our hippopotamus heroine doing when we meet her? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Did our hippopotamus heroine consult with her mother before running off to meet her beau?


Question 5 of 10
5. What did our hippopotamus heroine adjust as she joined him in song? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. What is there nothing quite like for cooling the blood? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Where are they going to get this wonderful cooling substance? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. What plural of hippopotamus is used in this song? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. When all the hippos dive into the river, what sort of splash is made? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. What is the group of hippos described as in this song? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Most Recent Scores
Mar 27 2024 : Guest 72: 9/10
Feb 17 2024 : PHILVV: 10/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Where was our hippopotamus hero standing as the song starts?

Answer: On the banks of the cool Shalimar

'A bold Hippopotamus was standing one day
On the banks of the cool Shalimar'
Interestingly, I could find no River Shalimar while Googling, and the only places I could find were in places like the Himalayas and India, which are noticeably hippo-free! As indeed, are the Liffey in Dublin and the Clyde in Glasgow. 'The great, grey-green greasy Limpopo river, all set about with fever trees' is the setting for the wonderful Kipling story 'How the Elephant got his trunk'.
2. What time of day is the song set?

Answer: Evening

'He gazed at the bottom as it peacefully lay
By the light of the evening star'
The evening star is in fact, the planet Venus. Venus is also, appropriately, the Roman Goddess of Love.
3. What is our hippopotamus heroine doing when we meet her?

Answer: Combing her hair

'Away on the hilltop sat combing her hair
His fair Hippopotamine maid'
Actually, hippos are almost hairless, but they do secrete a pink fluid, which may protect them from sunburn. She should really have been grazing, as hippos eat up to 40 kg of grass a night!
4. Did our hippopotamus heroine consult with her mother before running off to meet her beau?

Answer: No

'As she hadn't got a ma to give her advice,
Came tip-toeing down to her love'
Ma's advice would probably have been not to run off to meet a hippo she had not been introduced to - mothers are like that, but in the sequel to this song, 'Hippo Encore', they are married, so it worked out...sort of.
5. What did our hippopotamus heroine adjust as she joined him in song?

Answer: Her garter

'His inamorata adjusted her garter
And lifted her voice in duet'
The hussy! She was probably wearing lipstick too - see what happens when mother isn't around.
6. What is there nothing quite like for cooling the blood?

Answer: Mud

'Mud! Mud! Glorious mud!
Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood'
Though, I must admit, a chilled vodka and tonic does it for me everytime...
7. Where are they going to get this wonderful cooling substance?

Answer: The hollow

'So, follow me, follow, down to the hollow,
And there let us wallow in glorious mud'
Hippos live in the water by day, and come out to eat at night. They also congregate in wallows between these two places. Never get between a hippo and the water - they are very dangerous. The male spreads his dung around by twirling his tail.
8. What plural of hippopotamus is used in this song?

Answer: Hippopotami

'Now more Hippopotami began to convene'
Both hippopotamuses and hippopotami are acceptable plurals and are both used in English, but the correct Greek plural, hippopotamodes, is never used! I made hippopotamice (which I think is rather good!) up myself.
9. When all the hippos dive into the river, what sort of splash is made?

Answer: Ear-splitting

'They dived all at once with an ear-splitting splash,'
In the UK, the BBC had, at one time, an advert which had hippos swimming in a circle. Every time I saw it, I thought of this song!
10. What is the group of hippos described as in this song?

Answer: An army

'A regular army of Hippopotami
All singing this haunting refrain'
The correct collective noun for hippos is actually bloat (which I don't think is very flattering!) The wrong answers are collective nouns for foxes (skulk), rhinos (crush) and leopards (leap). I hope you enjoyed the quiz - and now, all together:
'Mud! Mud! Glorious mud!
Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood.
So, follow me, follow, down to the hollow,
And there let us wallow in glorious mud.'
Well sung!
Source: Author Quiz_Beagle

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ertrum before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
3/28/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us