Some quizzes stick neatly to one subject, but this isn’t one of them.
These 20 questions bounce between films, football, music, history, science, geography, and a few bits of general knowledge that might be lurking somewhere at the back of your brain. See how many you can get right before checking the answers at the end.
1. Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 thriller The Birds is set primarily in which U.S. state?
A. Oregon
B. Florida
C. Maine
D. California
2. What might a numismatist collect?
A. Postcards
B. Coins
C. Stamps
D. Clocks
3. Which Premier League club is nicknamed The Eagles?
A. Newcastle United
B. Crystal Palace
C. Brighton & Hove Albion
D. Brentford
4. Who had a 1984 hit with Careless Whisper?
A. George Michael
B. Boy George
C. Michael Jackson
D. Andrew Ridgeley
5. Which bird is commonly associated with delivering babies in European folklore?
A. Heron
B. Swan
C. Crane
D. Stork
6. What is the capital city of Laos?
A. Phnom Penh
B. Vientiane
C. Hanoi
D. Siem Reap
7. Which guitarist was not a member of The Yardbirds?
A. David Gilmour
B. Jeff Beck
C. Jimmy Page
D. Eric Clapton
8. In which year did the Korean War begin?
A. 1955
B. 1950
C. 1960
D. 1965
9. Which bird was the standard carried by Roman legions into battle?
A. Raven
B. Eagle
C. Falcon
D. Hawk
10. J.R.R. Tolkien was an academic at which university?
A. Oxford
B. London
C. Edinburgh
D. Cambridge
11. Which bird is the fastest animal on Earth during a hunting dive?
A. Golden eagle
B. Peregrine falcon
C. Kestrel
D. Goshawk
12. Who directed the 2010 film The King’s Speech?
A. Mel Brooks
B. Terry Jones
C. Guy Ritchie
D. Tom Hooper
13. Which RAF fighter aircraft shares its name with a powerful tropical storm?
A. Tornado
B. Lightning
C. Tempest
D. Typhoon
14. William Gladstone served as British Prime Minister for which political party?
A. Labour
B. Nationalist
C. Liberal
D. Conservative
15. Which famous poem by Edgar Allan Poe features a talking bird repeatedly saying ‘Nevermore’?
A. Kubla Khan
B. The Raven
C. The Eagle
D. The Owl and the Pussycat
16. Which planet lies between Mars and Saturn?
A. Earth
B. Neptune
C. Jupiter
D. Venus
17. The kiwi is a flightless bird native to which country?
A. New Zealand
B. Chile
C. South Africa
D. Australia
18. What nationality was chemist Linus Pauling?
A. American
B. Canadian
C. Australian
D. British
19. Which of these birds cannot fly?
A. Penguin
B. Albatross
C. Buzzard
D. Swift
20. What is the name of the trumpet-playing band mentioned in Dire Straits’ Sultans of Swing?
A. Sheriffs of Swing
B. Stars of Swing
C. Soldiers of Swing
D. Sultans of Swing
Answers
1. D. California
2. B. Coins
3. B. Crystal Palace
4. A. George Michael
5. D. Stork
6. B. Vientiane
7. A. David Gilmour
8. B. 1950
9. B. Eagle
10. A. Oxford
11. B. Peregrine falcon
12. D. Tom Hooper
13. D. Typhoon
14. C. Liberal
15. B. The Raven
16. C. Jupiter
17. A. New Zealand
18. A. American
19. A. Penguin
20. D. Sultans of Swing
How did you get on? If you managed to keep up as the questions jumped from Hitchcock and Tolkien to birds, football and Dire Straits, tell us your score in the comments.
