This week sees the 127th anniversary of the first issue from America's largest circulated newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, known best in the UK from such classic film lines as "Vice President! Fetch me my Wall Street Journal!", "Hey buddy, I'm reading my Wall Street Journal here!" and "Why don't you come up and see me and bring a Wall Street Journal with you sometime?" But for me as a bit of a font nerd, the most interesting thing about the WSJ is this...
Do you see it? Go on, have another look. Yes, the Wall Street Journal is bizarrely the only newspaper of note to have a bloody full stop in the title! A small visual point that makes it instantly recognisable and beloved to its daily U.S. readers. But how well would you recognise British newspaper logos, especially when reduced to the smallest features. Sounds like a quiz to me...
Which thirteen UK newspapers are represented here?
Oh, did that spell some words? Completely accidental I assure you.
Have I got some of the answers for you (yes)...
In order: The Mirror, MEtro, The Daily Mail, FinancIAl Times, Morning Star (the star), The National (Nat Onal), The Sunday Sport, The Daily TelegrapH, The GuARDian, The StAR, The Sun, The ObsErver, The Times
Which famous TV programmes are being written about in these genuine letters from listings magazines from the 60s, 70s and 80s?
1. Not The Nine O'Clock News, 2. Doctor Who, 3. Knight Rider, 4. Tenko, 5. Match Of The Day, 6. The Cosby Show
7. Blake's Seven, 8. Roland Rat (The Series), 9. Cheers, 10. Spitting Image, 11. The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, 12. Coronation Street
If you have any Radio Times scans, particularly of the 70s to 90s, and would be willing to share them for more future quizzes like this, please send a message on Facebook, Twitter or to the email address taxiforbaker@hotmail.com And if you like it, share it! Have a great weekend everybody! Hope there's something good on the telly...
I try not to get too political on the quiz site, especially after last week's clusterfudge of events here in the UK but it can't have escaped many people's attention that a man called Jeremy Corbyn is the leader of the Labour Party. But maybe you didn't know that because you've not read the newspapers since Diana died or perhaps you have been busy watching all 37 seasons of "Those Americans Next Door!" on Netflix. But relax! Help is at hand with this very easy new quiz:
Jeremy Corbyn, Jeremy, Corr or Bin?
Are the following facts about a). the leader of the Labour Party (at time of writing), b). Jeremy from the Pearl Jam song "Jeremy", c). Caroline Corr or d). dustbins?
1. Worked on a pig farm in Jamaica.
2. Known to fans as the "Chick with Stick".
3. Takes pictures of manhole covers.
4. Bit the recess lady's breast.
5. Were first introduced to England in 1875.
6. Appointed honorary MBE in 2005.
7. Dislikes people who make a mess with the toothpaste.
8. Got two Es at A-level.
9. Won the Parliamentary "Beard of the Year Award" a record six times
10. Oscar The Grouch from Sesame Street lives in one of these.
How do you think you did? Lets find out, shall we?
1. That was Jeremy Corbyn, 2. That was Caroline Corr, 3. That was Jeremy Corbyn too, 4. That was Jeremy from Pearl Jam's awful song, 5. That was the first weekly dustbin collection, 6. That was Caroline Corr for services to charity and music, 7. That's also Caroline Corr!, 8. That was Jeremy Corbyn, 9. That was Carolin...oh ok, it was Jeremy Corbyn, 10. That was BINS.
Join me tomorrow for our new quiz "Michael Gove OR A Hole In My Arse?"
Not only were you one of the most beloved companions to The Doctor at one of the most successful periods in the show's history but you played Romana II, an actual Time Lord of your very own. Few people travelling in the TARDIS back in the day could take on the title character for intellect and pluck AND could regenerate when necessary.
But what if Romana regenerated again? But could only regenerate into the forms of people who shared the exact same birth date as Lalla Ward? And people had to name who it was that had taken over the companion roles to various Doctors. Well with the most advanced digital rendering technology, we can make that a possibility! Sounds like a quiz to me.
Who's new at helping Who?
1. Pat Morita (Mr Miyagi), 2. Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale), 3. Gilda Radner
4. Cyril Smith (MP and paedophile), 5. John Cusack, 6. John Inman, 7. Mel Brooks
8. Peter Baynham, 9. Clint Boon (Inspiral Carpets), 10. Henry The Eighth
As Doctor Who once said, "Hello, I am Doctor Who, may I use your toilet?" I think we can all believe in that. Clever Prime.
For children of the 1970s in Britain there were three certainties:
Getting into a Rolls-Royce in Stoke Mandeville was ill-advised.
Look-In magazine will feature an alarming hand-painted front cover of the biggest in vogue celebrity, musician or TV star (assuming that star is on an ITV programme only)
The Grimleys is on.
Moving back to number two and its always a source of joy to compile quizzes about old magazines as they really are the closest thing to a direct time tunnel with access to everything you could possibly need from that period in history. Or more likely with Look-In, a selection of baffled "WHO THE BLOODY HELL IS THAT?" (I was born in 1980, we didn't allow Skiboys.) pointing.
And I still haven't gotten over whatever this is...
So to help in my identification process, here are four front covers as its time to ask...
"Who the f**k ...in Look-In?"
Click here for the answers:
1. Paul McCartney, 2. Boney M, 3. Bjorn Borg, 4. David Essex
And as ever, if you like this quiz, please please share it! Thank you.
When most people think of Nod, the first thing in their heads in probably something akin to this:
It might even be this:
But only seemingly in my head does this turn up front and centre....
...a one-off strip from issue 48 of Viz Comic in 1991 featuring a youthful yet still fully mutton-chopped Holder who is soon to become obsessed with magic (the full strip will appear at the bottom of the quiz.) Such as my obsession and love of Viz that my brain regularly flicks to the many celebrity parodies that have appeared over the years whenever said star is in the news. Much of the time, the comic would place the star in a surreal, Beano-esque adventure although real life celebs would also show up in the long-running Roger Mellie, The Man On The Telly strip too.
Who are these sixteen celebs as interpreted by Viz?
1. Paul Daniels, 2. Stephen Fry, 3. Terry Wogan, 4. Jimi Hendrix, 5. Alan 'Fluff' Freeman, 6. Danny Baker
7. Ian Paisley, 8. Depeche Mode, 9. The Queen Mother, 10. The Queen
11. Morrissey, 12. Winston Churchill, 13. Jamie Oliver, 14. Jeremy Clarkson, 15. Jimmy Hill, 16. Shaky!
As ever, if you like this quiz, please share it! Follow me on Twitter and Facebook for more of the same. And as promised, the full Noddy strip (open it in a new window to make it bigger)...
An entire Viz quiz that was entirely safe for work! What were the chances?
No time for pleasantries today! We take you now live to Wikipedia where some facts are already in progress:"1829 – The first Boat Race between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge takes place on the Thames in London."
Well exciting stuff there, Brian. But what I want to know is - WHO WON? Come on, its one of those really obvious 'either / or' fifty-fifty questions that are perfect for pub quizzes. Two possibilities! and the best part? You already have the answer! Its just next to the wrong answer too! Time's ticking! Hurry and you could win a boat*!!!! (*you will not win a boat)
*inevitable Countdown theme to zero*
And the correct answer was...
OXFORD!
Did you get it right? Either way, there you go: a little bit of proper trivia ammo there for a future quiz night in the pub. More of those, you say? Well...alright then...
1. Personally I don't see colour but who has the first move first in chess: black or white?
White goes first.
2. What nationality was the first man to do a space-walk: American or Russian?
Russian (Alexei Leonov)
3. They both taste like cardboard and salt but which was founded first: McDonalds or Burger King?
McDonalds was started in 1940, Burger King in 1954. By Ian Burger King. Probably.
4. Assuming they aren't from [insert comedy backwards town of your choice], which has the most eyes: a human or a coconut?
A coconut has three eyes, a human should have less.
5. Pretend to care! Which is taller: The Shard or The Eiffel Tower?
The Shard is 19 feet taller. Swoon.
6. Go on then. Which point up: stalagmites or stalactites?
Stalagmites point up. Because you MITE trip over the bastards.
7. The brand name St. Michael is taken from the Christian name of one of the superstore's founders, but which one - Mr. Marks or Mr. Spencer?
Marks. I knew his brother Skid.
8. With which foot did Neil Armstrong first step onto the moon? His right or his left?
His left. MOON LEFT.
9. If I'm in Skipton, does the sun rise in the East or West?
East (The Sun appears to move from east to west. That's because the Earth is spinning towards to the east, so we see the Sun first appear there at the start of the day. The Sun 'rises' in the east and 'sets' in the west.)
10. Which was invented first: Monopoly or Hitler?
Adolf Hitler was born 1889, Monopoly invented in 1903. He preferred Hungry Hungry Hippos anyway.
Character 2: My long hours and insane workload are causing fatigue, depression and organ failure. I'll probably be dead in a month
Character 1: (thinks) When did people stop saying 'fine'?
HAHAHAAHAHAHA. Not my funny words there but those of birthday boy Scott Adams, creator of the always hysterical "Dilbert" comic strip about the funny nerd who is funny. You probably just didn't get it without the painstakingly hand drawn artwork to really push the funnies along. I mean look at this lot...
....how many of these hugely recognisable newspaper comic strips would you recognise if just reduced to their dialogue with no pictures? Sounds like a quiz to me...
Name the comic strip minus the comic strip part from these sample pieces of genuine dialogue....
COMIC STRIP ONE:
Character 1: Isn't this a beautiful valentine? I think i'll give it to the little red haired girl.
Character 2: She'll probably laugh right in your face.
Character 1: At least i'd be near her!
COMIC STRIP TWO:
[Characters both sigh]
Character 1: My life isn't turning out like I planned
Character 2: Mine either.
Character 1: I wanted to accomplish something.
Character 2: I wanted tuna.
COMIC STRIP THREE:
Character 1: Helga, would you get me a cold beer while you're up?
Character 2: Can't you see I have my hands full?
Character 1: That's okay...I'll wait till you put it down
COMIC STRIP FOUR:
Character 1: Hullloooooooo zeeba neighba....How you like try 'Box O' Funn'?
Character 2: Why would I step into a box of crocodiles?
Character 1: Is Box O' Funn! No can you see?
Character 2: Yeah I can see...but why would I believe it?
Character 1: Because it printed right dere in words. Dat make it true.
COMIC STRIP FIVE:
Character 1: It says here by the age of six most children have seen a million murders on television.
Character 2: I find that very disturbing! ...It means I've been watching all the wrong channels.
COMIC STRIP SIX:
Character 1: Here's the milk you wanted
Character 2: What took you so long?
Character 1: I noticed your mum in the street, struggling with some shopping bags
Character 2: So you had to take the long way home to avoid helping her?
Character 1: Exactly
COMIC STRIP SEVEN:
Character 1: Fred, what happened to the sausages?
Character 2: What a stupid question!
Sides suitably sore? Ready for the newsprint fingered answers?
1. Peanuts, 2. Garfield, 3. Hagar The Horrible, 4. Pearls Before Swine, 5. Calvin and Hobbes, 6. Andy Capp, 7. Fred Basset
And if you liked this quiz, please share it. Its hugely important to a tiny site like mine and makes all the difference getting the word out. Thank you!
