Tag: fun and games

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Weekly Quiz 2014-3

Results: This was a very interesting quiz with no true “right” answers. We have two sets of answers tied at 25/25 from Sheila Holtgrieve “Daisy” and Margie Deck “Gwen” and from Denny Dobry “Kirby.”  We will publish both answers and allow you to debate the merits of both responses. As far as Buttons is concerned, everybody did a superb job!

The “Daisy” and “Gwen” and “Kirby” responses are below for downloading.

This week’s quiz is interesting (I hope). It’s all about relativities. Please download your copy below and submit answers by 12 Noon, Wednesday, 22 January 2014 to: buttons@johnhwatsonsociety.com

Enjoy!
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Download Week 3 Questions.

 

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Download Daisy & Gwen’s Response.

 

file_download.png Download Kirby’s Response.

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Weekly Quiz 2014-1 Results

Week 1 of 2014 was contested by 8 members and one team group. Those taking the honours with perfect scores and five bonus points are:

Member Individual: Denny Dobry “Kirby” of Reading PA. Placing next was Elinor Hickey “Misty” of Baltimore MD and James O’Leary “Pippin” of Natick MA.

Member Team: Margie Deck “Gwen;”  Sheila Holtgrieve “Daisy;” of Sound of the Baskervilles, Seattle WA with 20/20 + 5 = 25 points.

Congratulations to these intrepid Quiz Masters!

Answers are posted below.

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Weekly Quiz 2014-01

The John H Watson Society Weekly Quiz:
Questions
A Tribute Quiz to Prof Don Yates “Pal”

Prof Yates offered a unique form of quiz to the members attending the recent 27 December 2013 Consultation at the home of Society members Andree and Chuck Youngson. This is a quiz of word association and is not as easy as it looks. Here is a poor rendition of Dr Yates’s diabolical quiz. Submissions should be sent to buttons@johnhwatsonsociety.com by 7 pm (Pacific) on Wednesday, 8 January 2014.

The questions are direct quotes or references from the canon, reduced to single letters. For example:

A quote: “Y. h. b. t. A., I. p.” = “You have been to Afghnistan, I perceive.” Holmes; SCAR.

A reference: the r-m’d M. W. = the red-moustached Mr Woodley. Violet Smith; SOLI.

For each question, complete the quote or reference and identify the speaker or the object and the book or story where it is found. Each question is 1 point with a 5 point bonus for total accuracy (25 total possible points).

  1. J. D. of B. C.
  2. The S. S. of J. S.
  3. “W. a. t. w.?”
  4. “The d. d. n. i. t. n.”
  5. “P. S. A. C.—“
  6. ‘S t. p. o. McC., P., a J. S. of St. A.
  7. Mr. H., t. w. t. f. o. a g. h!”
  8. E. W., D. D., P. of the T. C. of St. G’s.
  9. “ . . . I am the s. of the R t. o. C ‘V., and G. S. is my b.m.”
  10. ‘. . . R. F. of F. and M, t. b., of M. L., . . .’
  11. “That w. o. w. t. b. t., . . .”
  12. ‘ . . . the i. g. of N., . . .’
  13. “Some day the t. s. may b. t.”
  14. “S. w. m. h. u. t. t., . . .”
  15. ‘I. t. y. 1878 I t. m. d. of D of M of t. U. of L.,’
  16. “Shall the w., then, b. o. b. o.?”
  17. “Our b. are f. and the n. e.” Holmes; GREE.
  18. ‘ . . . I y. f. t. g. of the N. F., or t. s. of S.”
  19. ‘Must s. y. over C. W. C. at o. /s/ M.
  20. M. A. Upon S. H.

 

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Download Week 1 Questions

 

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Download Week 1 Questions and Answers

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Weekly Quizzes Resume 3 January 2014

Just a reminder to our intrepid Quiz Masters that the Weekly Quiz will resume on Friday, 3 January 2014 at 4 pm Pacific time.

With a new year beginning, we invite all of our members to participate in the quiz activities. It is a pleasant and fun diversion each week and we have many reports from long-time Sherlockians and Watsonians saying that they always learn many new things from the quizzes.

Please, do give it a go!

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How About Just a Tiny Quiz to Tide Us Over . . .?

AND THE RESULTS ARE . . . It would seem that this question could be the basis of a very interesting paper for The Watsonian. There are echoes in both solutions below to indicate the presence of myth, folklore, religion, and supernatural belief. And, there may well be additional names that fit the specter of the Hound.

Dean Turnbloom “Stoker” sends this interesting and historically pertinent solution to the question:

Cusith or Cù-Sìth was a Hellhound, harbinger of death (Scotland, the Hebrides, Ireland). According to Scottish folklore, the Cù-Sìth is said to be the size of a young bull with the appearance of a wolf. Its fur is shaggy, and usually cited as being dark green though sometimes white. Its tail is described as being long and either coiled up or plaited (braided). Its paws are described as being the width of a man’s hand. The Cù-Sìth is thought to make its home in the clefts of rocks in the Highlands, and also to roam the moors and highlands. The Cù-Sìth was feared as a harbinger of death and would appear to bear away the soul of a person to the afterlife, similar to the manner of the Grim Reaper. In this role the Cù-Sìth holds in Scottish folklore a function similar to that of the Bean Sidhe, or banshee, in Irish folklore.

According to legend, the creature was capable of hunting silently, but would occasionally let out three terrifying bays, and only three, that could be heard for miles by those listening for it, even far out at sea. Those who hear the baying of the Cù-Sìth must reach safety by the third bark or  be overcome with terror to the point of  death.

Congratulations to Mr Turnbloom who resides in Santee, California.

Kenneth Siarkiewicz sends his analysis and suggests “Lucifer” as the hellhound’s name, a name that seems eminently logical, fitting and in keeping with the supernatural speculation of the story.

“Cooper” also suggests the name might be ‘Black Shuck” from one of the English folk-legends. This legend bears quite a close resemblance to the Hound. It is spectral and foreboding and deserves to be read in its full description on Wikipedia (follow the link) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Shuck

Congratulations to “Cooper” who resides, reads and thinks in Tucson, Arizona. Kenneth joined the Society in August and we appreciate his contribution in helping us to think about this unique question.

Question

The hound in The Hound of the Baskervilles is not given a name in the text by Dr Watson. From the Canonical textual evidence and from inference, what is the likely name of the hound?

Submit answers to buttons@johnhwatsonsociety.com by 12 Noon (Pacific) Friday. The answers will be judged and the results will be posted here by Saturday.

Have fun . . .

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Weekly Quiz #9: 15-20 November 2013

Weekly Quiz #9
15 – 20 November 2013; 4 pm (Pacific)

RESULTS:  Weekly Quiz #9 produced the following Quiz Masters: Answers are posted below.

Member Individual Category:  Michele Lopez “Reggie” took the honours with a perfect score of 20/20 plus the 5 bonus points for 25 total. Michele was closely followed by a two-way tie between Denny Dobry “Kirby” and James O’Leary “Pippin” with 19/20.

Member Team Category:  Sheila Holtgrieve “Daisy” and Margie Deck “Gwen”
took the Team honours once again in a continuation of their unbroken run with 20/20 plus 5 bonus points for 25 total.

Congratulations to all!

This week’s quiz is a similar to the classic quizzes that were used in past years to qualify devotees as having the requisite knowledge of the Canon to be designated “Sherlockians.”  In this version, the questions are focused on Dr Watson, are worth 5 points each with an added 5 point bonus for accurate citations. Submit your answers by 4 pm Wednesday, 20 November to buttons@johnhwatsonsociety.com.

Questions:

  1. When and to whom did Dr Watson recommend large doses of a poison as a sedative? What was the poison? In which story? For whom?
  2. In what story was Dr Watson’s body in one chair and his legs upon another?
  3. In what story was Dr Watson settled into a well-worn, low armchair?
  4. To whom did Dr Watson ascend to a second time with a message?
  5. What time did Dr Watson sit down beside the fire to await Holmes’s return?
  6. Where was Dr Watson when asked to recall tracks?
  7. When was it sufficient for Dr Watson to share the sport and lend his humble help?
  8. What was the event that Dr Watson asked Holmes to give him the points about?
  9. What case was Dr Watson asked to add to his annals?
  10. When did Holmes and Watson ascend followed by a doctor?
  11. When Dr Watson turned up the time-table and found the last train gone, where had they wanted to go?
  12. When and where was the glare from the brickwork painful to Dr Watson?
  13. Holmes offers Dr Watson a cigar during a trip to where?
  14. What was the case that began with hot tea prior to the train on a winter morning?
  15. Whose father did Dr Watson have the pleasure of knowing?
  16. By what statement does Dr Watson paraphrase Descartes?
  17. What was another of Dr Watson’s bulls-eyes?
  18. To whom would the Dr’s bankers determine the worth of his guarantee?
  19. Dr Watson was with whom when he observed the faces in the diffused light from the shops?
  20. Dr Watson’s guest drank what at the first lunch where?

 

file_download.pngDownload Week 9 Questions

 

 

file_download.pngDownload Week 9 Questions and Answers

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Weekly Quiz #8; Monthly Quiz #2: 8 – 13 November 2013

Weekly Quiz  #8
Monthly Quiz #2
8 November 2013 to 13 November  2013

RESULTS: Congratulations to our members who successfully participated in the weekly and monthly quiz: Denny Dobry “Kirby” scored 22/25 to take the Weekly Quiz Master Member Individual honours, followed by James O’Leary “Pippin” and Michele Lopez “Reggie”.

Margie Deck “Gwen” and Sheila Holtgrieve “Daisy” retained the Member Team Category for the week with 25/25, as well as the Monthly Team Quiz Masters. They are invincible!

The Monthly Quiz Master goes to James O’Leary “Pippin” with 80/100 points. He was followed closely by Michele Lopez “Reggie” of Italy who is working without the benefit of most of the Sherlockian scholarship and reference books.

The answers are posted below.

The Weekly Quiz #8 is also our Monthly Quiz #2. The theme is Scholarship Easily Researched. One of the hallmarks of some Sherlockians and Watsonians is their knowledge of the scholarship of the past 80 years. The sources for the questions this week are from publications found in most enthusiasts’ libraries.

Each question (there are only five) is answered in a book of scholarship that is widely known or readily available. Identify the original scholarly writer, the book where the reference appears, the object where called for, and the story referenced. Each accurate answer is worth 5 points.

Questions:

  1. Who wrote “As for us, gentlemen, we wish to have our intelligence insulted. How did Holmes know about the snuff?”
  2. Who wrote that Mendelssohn’s Auf Flugen des Gesanges “might well have been [another] favourite with” Watson?
  3. Who wrote in what book that [name it] is located about one and one-half miles to the south-west of [name where] and has on it a logan stone that can be rocked by means of a natural handle? (give the author, book name, the story, the object and location described, and the source of the scholarship).
  4. Who scoffed at Holmes’s conclusion about a single dumb-bell and suggested Watson knew better but let Holmes have his fun? (The writer, the story, and where the reference is given)
  5. Who wrote, “I myself have stood in Baker Street and surveyed a suppositious upper story, wondering whether Sherlock Holmes was standing beside the dark hangings in the windows, looking up and down for a hansom-cab with a suspicious driver”? (Name the writer and the publication or book in which it appears; no story required).

 

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Download Week 8 Questions

 

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Download Week 8 Questions and Answers

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Weekly Quiz #7: 1 November to 6 November 2013

Weekly Quiz #7
1 November to 6 November 2013

RESULTS: Elinor Hickey “Misty” was second in with 16/20; Dean Turnbloom “Stoker” was third in and tied with 16/20; and James O’Leary “Pippin” was first in with 15/20. They go forward to the Monthly Quiz on 8 November 2013.

Watson used colour sparingly in his writing with only a few exceptions. Compared to imagist writers, however, he was not a “colourful” writer. “Colour in the Canon” would make a superb research paper for The Watsonian (any takers?).

This week’s quiz is concerned with those few colours. Identify the object being described by the colour and an associated word or two in the text, the story, and all the accurate page citations (5 point bonus) in the Doubleday one-volume edition of 1930 (the “W” edition).

Colour – – – – Object/Person – – – – Story – – – – Page

  1. Yellow (Nov. 1895)
  2. White (rustic)
  3. Amber (pile)
  4. White (curve)
  5. Red (bully)
  6. Green (mottled)
  7. Gray (jack-in-a-box)
  8. Gray (scraped)
  9. Green (dreaming)
  10. Brown (study)
  11. Black (insane)
  12. Glossy black (noble maybe)
  13. Purple (girt round)
  14. Red (wire)
  15. Brown (first usage)
  16. Black (smoke tree)
  17. Crimson (guilty)
  18. Gray (mist)
  19. Pink (curve)
  20. Lavender (aristocrat)

file_download.pngDownload Week 7 Questions and Answers

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Results: Weekly Quiz #6

The fun has produced Weekly Quiz Masters! The Answers are posted below.

Taking the Individual Member Category this week is our intrepid Quiz Master James O’Leary “Pippin”, who once again was first in with 20/20 correct answers plus the 5 bonus points for a total of 25 points. Denny Dobry “Kirby” was in with 19/20, and our new member from Italy, Michele Lopez “Reggie” and Dean Turnbloom “Stoker” tied with 18/20, and Elinor Hickey “Misty” was next.

The Team Member Category once again was captured by Margie Deck “Gwen” and Sheila Holtgrieve “Daisy”, who maintain their Team honours for the sixth week in a row.

Congratulations to all these Quiz Masters on what was a more difficult quiz than it first appeared.  On to Week #7!

Download Week 6 Questions and Answers

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This Will Be Fun!  Weekly Quiz #6

You have never seen one like this before! You will love this one!  A Numeric Quiz!  Yes . . . Maths!  We need as many members- and non-members – as possible to try this because it is fun!

Please submit your answers and solution by Wednesday, October 30, 2013 by 4 pm Pacific time.  Buttons is betting two rounds of meat pies and pints on this one stumping you!

Weekly Quiz  #6

This week’s quiz is on Canonical Numbers. Determine the number or numbers that are indicated by the textual clues. Each question is answered with a number. When you have answered all of the questions with their respective numeric answers, total all of the numbers and proceed to the final division and Solution. There will be a 5 point bonus for providing all of the accurate page citations from the Doubleday one-volume edition of The Complete Sherlock Holmes, 1930.

Questions:

  1. The enumeration in his mind for Anatomy.
  2. Number of years of the unit.
  3. The final three numerals.
  4. St Luke’s scout’s tenure in rooms.
  5. Beaten.
  6. Number of inclusive years Holmes was a very busy man.
  7. White sea’s distance away.
  8. Number of lads who had supper in the kitchen.
  9. Number of free citizens.
  10. Numeric address of machinery assessors.
  11. English governess’s age thereabouts.
  12. Convert to numbers the time Holmes will be pleased to dine.
  13. The object of the idiot’s love had been at boarding school ‘x’ years.
  14. Amount of the maiden aunt’s capital.
  15. At what hour on Monday was the office closed?
  16. Page number of account in the big ledger.
  17. Number of figures in only child’s marriage inter-vivos.
  18. Shade of the elm.
  19. Whistle ‘x’ minutes before the descent.
  20. Number of the day of the month of the intrusive vicar.

Total of all Numbers:  _____

Divide the Total by 28.66: _____

Final Number Answer: _____

Note:  The Final Answer Number is your “Check” answer. If it is Canonically logical, you have correctly provided accurate numbers for all 20 questions.  If it is not logical, you have one or more answers incorrect.  This is Way Cool!

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Weekly Quiz #5 Quiz Masters

The honours for Weekly Quiz #5 go to: (answers posted below)

Member Individual Category:  The first to submit with 20/20 correct answers plus 5 bonus points for textual citations is James O’Leary “Pippin”, who claims the honours this week.  He was followed by Denny Dobry “Kirby”, Dean Turnbloom “Stoker”, and Elinor Hickey “Misty”, who all came within two questions.

Member Team Category: Again (for the fifth week) our intrepid team of members from Seattle, Margie Deck “Gwen” and Sheila Holtgrieve “Daisy” took the team honours with 20/20, also plus the 5 bonus points.

Congratulations to these Quiz Masters and Quizzees who continue to be difficult to stump.  They will go forward to the Monthly Quiz #2.

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A Quick Visual Quiz

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Can you identify where this house that Arthur Conan Doyle occupied is located? The brass plaque commemorates his period in residence.And, if you can identify the location, can you shed any light on when and for what purpose Sir Arthur was in residence in this house?

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Weekly Quiz #5: The All Hallows Costume Quiz

Weekly Quiz #5 18 October – 23 October 2013

Theme: In observance of All Hallows Eve (early), a Quiz about Disguises

Identify who is in disguise, the nature of the disguise, and the story where it is found. Each clue is contained in the description of the disguise. There will be 5 Bonus Points added if all 20 questions are correct and the page number of the Doubleday single volume edition of 1930 is cited in each question. Total possible points:  20 + 5 = 25.  Submissions will be received until 4 pm (Pacific) Wednesday, 23 October 2013.  Submit via email to:  buttons@johnhwatsonsociety.com<.

Bon Chance!

Questions:

  1. Sam
  2. Baskets
  3. Blouse
  4. St Joseph’s Wort
  5. Tennis
  6. Detective
  7. Sunshade in a former Royal Peculiar
  8. Snarl
  9. They protrude and mumble
  10. Spud
  11. Rude meal in a seedy coat
  12. Crusts
  13. Doddering
  14. Peculiar tweed
  15. A price clerk
  16. Gossip with landlady
  17. Sneer
  18. Bearded hansom cab driver
  19. Workhouse cough
  20. 369

 

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Results: Weekly Quiz #4 and Monthly Quiz #1 with New Schedule (see below; also Answers below)

After grueling competition, the results are in!

Weekly Quiz #4:

Member Individual Category

Denny Dobry “Kirby” took the honors and James O’Leary “Pippin,” Elinor Hickey “Misty”, Ron Lies “Chips” were all close.

Team Member Category

Margie Deck  “Gwen” and Sheila Holtgrieve “Daisy” of Seattle continued their near-perfect streak for team honors.

Non-Member Category

Dean Turnbloom, in his final appearance as a non-member (he has joined the Society) took the honors.

Congratulations to these Weekly Quizzers and Weekly Quiz Masters. This was a difficult Weekly Quiz and required determining the best case of logic, textual evidence, and association or relationship to arrive at a string of connected answers that satisfied the clue design in both inductive and deductive directions (working form the beginning or working from the end). There are several possible sets of answers to the clues, but only one has the highest quotient of logic, evidence and association; however, alternatives that were supportable were considered and accepted when the proofs could be presented.  The best score in all categories was 8/10.

Monthly Quiz #1
This week’s quiz also was Monthly Quiz #1 among those who were successful in the prior Weekly Quizzes, which partly explains the somewhat diabolical nature of the quiz structure. The Monthly Quiz honors go to:

Member Individual Category

Denny Dobry “Kirby” is our first Monthly Quiz Master with a combined score on all quizzes this month of 47/60.

Team Member Category
Margie Deck “Gwen” and Sheila Holtgrieve “Daisy” are our first Monthly Quiz Masters with a combined score on all quizzes of 47/60.

Non-Member Individual Category

Dean Turnbloom is our first Monthly Quiz Master with a combined score on all quizzes of 47/60.

Congratulations to all of our Quiz Masters. You all now go forward to the Quarterly Quiz and on to the Annual Quiz.  As we all now see, participating in every quiz is how you boost your cumulative score towards the Annual Quiz Master honor, a reality shown by the equal scores of 47/60 by all three Quiz Masters. If one misses a week, it can mean a 10 to 20 point difference; of course, if one doesn’t miss a week, it can be a 10 to 20 point advantage . . . diabolique, n’est pas?

Responding to a participant’s excellent suggestion (Dean Turnbloom), Buttons will make it a bit easier for participants to have the time to work on the quizzes by changing the schedule a bit so that a weekend is available to you on every quiz. Therefore, the Weekly Quiz will now be posted on Friday by 4 pm (Pacific) and end on Wednesday at 4 pm (Pacific) when answers have to be received.  The next Weekly Quiz will be Friday, 17 October through Wednesday 23 October 2013.  Good luck to everyone, and for all of our members who have not participated, please join in the fun. A comment from one of our participants sums up what we gain when we work on the quizzes: ” . . . these [quizzes] are certainly broadening my Canonical knowledge.” Enjoy!

Here are the Weekly #4/Monthly #1 Quiz answers:

 
file_download.pngDownload Week 4 Questions and Answers

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Weekly Quiz #4: 7 October to 12 October 2013 and Monthly Quiz #1:  Follow The Clues

Weekly Quiz #4
Monthly Quiz #1

This week’s quiz is also the first Monthly Quiz to find out who will be the First Monthly Quiz Master. All Weekly Quiz Masters who mastered their category (Member Individual, Member Team, Non-Member Individual, Non-Member Team) may compete in the Monthly Quiz in order to move on in the Quarterly and the Annual Quizzes.

This week’s theme is: Follow The Clues. Each question takes you to the next question. You should be able to associate the question and the answer from the top down or from the bottom up. Each answer has something to do with, or is associated in some way with, or is textually associated with the one-word question.

The beginning and ending orientations are to check that you have made the correct starting and ending assumptions and associations. If you have the correct story for the first orientation at the beginning, then you will be on the right track for the rest; and if you have the correct orientation reference at the end, you have likely made the right decisions when solving the clues.

The first submission with the most correct answers will be: 1) the Weekly Quiz Master and/or 2) the Monthly Quiz Master. Good Luck!

Beginning Orientation:  Plate
Clue 1:  Pugilist.
Clue 2:  Boxer.
Clue 3:  County
Clue 4:  Coal
Clue 5:  Cigar
Clue 6:  Mutiny
Clue 7:  Doctor
Clue 8:  Hospital
Clue 9:  Tutor
Clue 10:  E.C.
Ending Orientation:  Gnomon

file_download.pngDownload Week 4 Questions

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Weekly Quiz #3 Results

The results are in! The Quiz Master for Week #3 is Denny Dobry, “Kirby”. He was followed by James O’Leary, “Pippin” in second place.

There were no submissions in the Member Team Category, or Non-Member categories.

Buttons learned that our Quizzees are not too sanguine about Word Scrambles. Next week’s quiz returns to Canonical references that are readable; in fact, it consists of single word clues. You’ll love this one!

Weekly Quiz #4 is also Monthly Quiz #1 for those who are competing in the Monthly Quiz Master challenge. The Monthly Quiz Master will be eligible for the Quarterly challenge as well as the Annual challenge. Monthly quizzes are:

Member Individual Category
Denny Dobry, “Kirby”
James O’Leary, “Pippin”
Elinor Hickey, “Misty”
Ron Lies, “Chips”

Member Team Category
Margie Deck, “Gwen”
Sheila Holtgrieve, “Daisy”

Non-Member Individual Category
Dean Turnbloom

Good luck to you all.  Anyone may participate in Weekly Quiz #4 and we look forward to an expanded roster of members, teams and non-members who wish to match wits with the slow boy who mostly lunches. The questions will be posted by 12 noon (Pacific) on Monday 7 October 2013 and will end at 12 Noon (Pacific) on 12 October 2013.

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Weekly Quiz #3: 30 September – 5 October 2013

Weekly Quiz 3:   September 30 – October 5, 2013

The Theme: Canon word scrambles. Rework the letter combinations in each question to discover a Canonical quote directly from the text and identify the story. The last question (#10) asks you to solve the scramble and then interpret the answer Canonically (just for fun).

Answers to be submitted by 12 Noon (Pacific), Saturday, October 5, 2013 via email to buttons@johnhwatsonsociety.com.

If you discover Buttons has left out a letter or added one too many, have pity and answer it anyway as they are fairly self-evident even with the odd error.  This one required an extra pint or two.

Questions:

  1. no, grinchly ate bed-clothes
  2. Hoop!
  3. sider licked the pour harp lands
  4. car near mill have alf sing main charge
  5. of systole aro nos dissem
  6. to nod nor gift the nil unsure mule cst
  7. the tor tears ran, you sat for my wimp el ceo
  8. if troops hint that nacunite ere fog dog whey
  9. reed mantel in carara hid t
  10. haut habsac

 

file_download.pngDownload Week 2 Questions