I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: ‘Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed
And on the pedestal these word appear:
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.’
This year our Ten Things column each month is alternating between composers and artists a century at a time from pre-1500 to 20th century. As always, there’s no guarantee you will have heard of them all!
Each month we’re posing six pub quiz style questions, with a different subject each month. As always, they’re designed to be difficult, but it is unlikely everyone will know all the answers – so have a bit of fun.
Language
The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States, but in this context, bald doesn’t mean hairless. The bald part of the bird’s name comes from an Old English word meaning what?
What is the study of mushrooms called?
Where would you find together a verso and a recto?
In medieval times armies had a simple yet effective weapon to impede the advance of enemy cavalry or infantry. It was typically made of metal and had four sharp points arranged so that one point always faced upward when thrown on the ground. What was it called?
“Width”, “wagon”, “stand” and “leader” can all follow which word to make new words?
Which commonly used word in the English language originates from the religious saying, God be with ye?
Here are the answers to this month’s six quiz questions. If in doubt, all should be able to be easily verified online.
Medicine
What is dermatophobia the fear of? Skin disease
How many teeth do adult humans have? 32
In 2015, which country started thanking people via text message when their donated blood was used? Sweden
An absence of the SRY gene means what for a human being? It means the human is a female. The presence of the sex-determining region Y (SRY) gene is the specific factor which leads to maleness in mammals
In which part of the body would you find the atlas and axis bones? Neck
First developed by John Salk, the vaccine for which illness was first tested in 1952? Poliomyelitis
Answers were correct when questions were compiled in late 2024.
No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend’s
Or of thine own were:
Any man’s death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.
This year our Ten Things column each month is alternating between composers and artists a century at a time from pre-1500 to 20th century. As always, there’s no guarantee you will have heard of them all!
Ten Artists Born Before 1500
Albrecht Durer
Leonardo da Vinci
Fra Angelico
Jan van Eyck
Hieronymus Bosch
Hieronymus Bosch Detail from The Garden of Earthly Delights
Each month we’re posing six pub quiz style questions, with a different subject each month. As always, they’re designed to be difficult, but it is unlikely everyone will know all the answers – so have a bit of fun.
Medicine
What is dermatophobia the fear of?
How many teeth do adult humans have?
In 2015, which country started thanking people via text message when their donated blood was used?
An absence of the SRY gene means what for a human being?
In which part of the body would you find the atlas and axis bones?
First developed by John Salk, the vaccine for which illness was first tested in 1952?
Answers will be posted in 2 weeks time.
Eccentric looks at life through the thoughts of a retired working thinker
