'Dumb' Quotes Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mark Twain

Samuel Clemens, or Mark Twain as he was better known, was a proponent of the anti-vivisection movement. Indeed, he wrote numerous letters and novellas on the subject, including correspondence to the London Anti-Vivisection Society, and in publications called 'What Is Man' (1906) and 'Man's Place in the Animal World' (1896).

Answer: Quintilian

Born in Spain in 35 AD, Marcus Fabius Quintilianus was a rhetorician and educator, also known for providing advocacy in the Roman law courts where he lived for several periods of his life. Under Vespasian, he received a stipend for teaching Latin rhetoric, the first teacher to do so; he was also hired as educator to the sons of Domitian. His notable work was 'Institutio oratoria' in which he described his thoughts on childhood education and the art of oratory.

His sense of justice and logical thought led to many great quotes, such as the one here; he also stated "A liar should have a good memory", "Conscience is a thousand witnesses", and "We should not write so that it is possible for the reader to understand us, but so that it is impossible for him to misunderstand us."

Answer: Clint Eastwood

While Clint Eastwood is known for his career in movies, he is also known for having political views; but he's what might be called a 'swinging voter' as he is known to vote for who or what seems right at the time. He was against the war in Iraq, and was the non-partisan Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea in California.

Other quotes attributed to Clint Eastwood include: "Contrary to public opinion, I abhor violence", "Always keep your ego in check and not be afraid to listen. Listening is a great art form", and "I have a very strict gun control policy: if there's a gun around, I want to be in control of it".

Answer: Marilyn Monroe

An instantly recognisable icon, Marylin Monroe had a rocky upbringing, with her mother diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic and being ultimately committed to a mental institution. Monroe was fostered to a family and had some stability there. She was later taken in by a friend of her mother's who eventually put her into an orphanage. As a teenager, she preferred to marry a local friend than stay in the orphanage. Then came a marriage DiMaggio. Her third marriage as to Arthur Miller, and while she claimed in the quote that he saw more than a dumb blonde in her, he wrote a letter that claimed he was embarrassed and ashamed to be married to her.

After this, she claimed that John F Kennedy was going to leave Jackie to marry her - indeed, she called Jackie to tell her so. Monroe died in 1962 from acute barbiturate poisoning. Other quotes of Monroe include "The sky is not the limit. Your mind is", "It's better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone", and "Boys think girls are like books, If the cover doesn't catch their eye, they won't bother to read what's inside."

Answer: Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Lucius Annaeus Seneca was born in Cordoba, Spain about the same time of Christ and educated in Rome His specialty was rhetoric and philosophy.

Seneca had his philosophical bent properly tested in the court of Caligula, then later by Caligula's Uncle Claudius, and finally by Nero. He lived a torrid life, accused of adultery (for which he was exiled) and conspiracy to murder Nero, and was forced to commit 'suicide' in 65 A.D. Borne out of his experience, Seneca invited his readers to reflect on their own lives and to shape themselves, rather than succumbing to events. He emphasizes individual, rather than group, thinking. As a Stoic, he was also interested in ethics and developed a series of papers on actively adopting a philosophical and ethical attitude towards life. Excuse me while I go and polish up on my individual thinking skills, they might come in handy!

Answer: Iman

Born in 1955, Zara Mohamed Abdulmajid, also known as Iman, is an American model of Somalian extraction. She was married to David Bowie from 1992 until his death in 2016. She speaks five languages fluently. While studying politics at university, she was spotted by a photographer and was encouraged to move to the USA to pursue a modelling career.

She has worked for VOGUE and other magazines and has also worked for designers such as Gianni Versace, Calvin Klein, and Donna Karen. She shares her success in the form of being a mentor to aspiring talent, and by supporting various charities.

Answer: Frederic Chopin

In his relatively short life (he lived from 1810- 1849) Frederic Chopin wrote a significant body of work, mostly for solo piano. He was born in the Duchy of Warsaw (now Poland). His parents recognised his musical talents early and ensured he was given tutoring by professional musician Wojciech Zywny; Chopin was recognised as a child prodigy with his ability to both play the piano and compose tunes at just six years old. In his early 20s, he played all across Europe and finally settled in France, where he benefitted from his association with contemporaries Franz Liszt, Vincenzo Bellini and Felix Mendelssohn, among others.

His most well-known relationship was with George Sands (Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin). It was she who recognised that Chopin had contracted tuberculosis and took for treatment in Marseille. After this, they spent around 7 years together, during which time he composed some of this most feted works. The pair split up and sadly did not reconcile before Chopin's death.

Answer: Umberto Eco

Umberto Eco (who I was surprised to learn died as recently as 2016, of pancreatic cancer) was an Italian author, most famous for the works 'The Name of the Rose' and 'Foucault's Pendulum'. One of the traits of Eco's work is that he allows his readers to deduce for themselves the meaning of gaps in the narrative. In fact, he was criticised for not giving the reader enough information in attempt to appear mysterious. Among other literary prizes, he was awarded Italy's most prestigious literary award, the Strega prize in 1981.

Eco was a Professor of Visual Communications at the University of Florence but in 1975 became Professor of Semiotics at the University of Bologna.

Answer: Leon Spinks

Leon Spinks was a heavyweight boxer known for unexpectedly beating Muhammad Ali in 1978, in a split decision. He grew up in the slums of St Louis, Missouri, with 6 siblings. Throughout his life he suffered from periods of jaundice and yellow fever. As an amateur, he won the gold medal for the Light Heavyweight division in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, along with numerous other titles.

He also served in the United States Marine Corps before embarking on this professional boxing career.

Answer: Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton, born in 1946, grew up in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, the fourth of 12 children. Her career started in her early teens, with the encouragement of her uncle. She has had a long career with enormous success and awards across the entertainment spectrum.

The Living Legend Award was conferred in her in 2004. Dolly makes no secret that her life is grounded in her Christian faith and numerous of her songs and television specials have referenced that. She married her husband, Carl Thomas Dean, in 1966. Dollywood, a theme park of 160 acres in the Great Smoky Mountains, is named for her.