Gratuitous bonus post; last night we had neighbours round for a pre-New Year’s Eve event, and I was tasked with putting together a quiz. Having put in the work, I thought I might as well share it, in case anyone out there is desperately searching for precisely this sort of thing for this evening…
1. Words of the Year 2022
Which of the following was the Oxford Word of the Year: Metaverse, vax, Goblin Mode, #IStandWith?
And which one of those was NOT on the shortlist at all?
Which of the following was Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year: oligarch, codify, gaslighting, loamy, raid, Queen Consort?
Which of the following was Cambridge’s Word of the Year: homer, caulk, humor (spelt in the American way)?
Why were these the most searched-for words in Cambridge’s online dictionary?
2. How Long, Oh Lord, How Long?
How many days did Liz Truss last as Prime Minister?
What, according to the Daily Star, lasted longer than her?
Who served longest as Prime Minister: The Duke of Wellington, Neville Chamberlain, James Callaghan, Gordon Brown, Theresa May, Boris Johnson?
How many days passed between Suella Braverman resigning as Home Secretary under Liz Truss for breaching the ministerial code and being reappointed by Rishi Sunak?
What is the maximum period, in months, we still have to endure this lot before a general election has to be called?
3. Music Round: who died in 2022?
https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/quiz-of-the-year-2022/pl.u-XkD0vNZFZJXEg5
(obviously you need to listen to these without looking at the names of the artists… As quizmaster, it’s up to you how much of each song to play before moving onto the next one)
4. Interior Decoration and Homecraft
To the nearest £500, put a price on:
A double wingback chair by the firm Soane Britain.
A drinks trolley, inspired by a 1940s French drinks trolley owned by the ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev.
10 rolls of gold Lulu Lytle wallpaper.
A kitchen table cloth.
To the nearest £10,000, the total cost of the Johnsons’ 10 Downing Street flat redecoration.
5. Castle Cary Real News (okay, this is a bit specialised…)
What was the theme of the winner of the Best Overall Cart in this year’s Castle Cary Illuminated Carnival? Or what music did they use?
How many species of bat were detected in the CC Big Bat Count? Name as many as you can.
How many seats did the Green Party win in the Somerset Council election?
What new proposed building project has been described by critics as ‘“an ideal site for illegal signs”?
Who, in April, had “enormous amounts of defence”?
6. Picture Round
Quick-Fire Round: 1 minute each, starting with the person/team with the lowest score
What familiar song changed its words in September?
Who finally bought Twitter in October?
What classic modernist poem was published a hundred years ago?
How many Chancellors of the Exchequer have there been this year?
Which son of a celebrity couple married actress Nicola Peltz in April?
What football trophy did England win?
Who won the Best Actor Oscar?
Which country formally became an independent state a hundred years ago, on the 6th December 1922?
Who won both Artist of the Year and Album of the Year at the Brit Awards?
What month did Russia invade Ukraine?
The former Prime Minister of which country was assassinated in July?
Which Booker-winning English author died in September?
What was the new global health scare in May?
Who was investigated by Durham Police for drinking a beer?
A hundred years ago, a famous tomb was discovered. Whose?
Where did the COP27 climate conference take place?
What did Tory MP Neil Parish claim he was looking for on his mobile phone?
Which company sacked 800 employees by video call?
What film won the Golden Globe for Drama Motion Picture?
Who was appointed General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party in April 1922?
What album won the Mercury Music Prize?
Which country won the most medals at the Commonwealth Games?
Who is now the longest reigning monarch in history?
Who won the Nobel Prize for Literature?
What is the name of the movement in Germany whose leaders were arrested this month for allegedly plotting a coup?
Where were the 2022 Winter Olympics held?
Whom did the actor Ben Affleck marry in July?
Which tennis player was deported from Australia because of his vaccination status?
In April, a fossil dinosaur leg was found in North Dakota. What, supposedly, is so special about it?
How many fixed penalty notices were issued for parties in 10 Downing Street?
Of what were the Colston 4 acquitted in January?
Who directed the film Belfast, that won the BAFTA for Best British Film?
What revered institution was formed on 18th October 1922?
Who headlined the Pyramid Stage on Saturday?
Who was accused of distracting the PM by crossing and uncrossing her legs?
Who won the football Champions League final?
Which Bahamian-American film actor, born in 1927, died in January?
Whom did reality tv star Kim Kardashian finally divorce?
What happened to Milton Keynes on 7th June?
What did an England cricket team win in November?
What writer was attacked on stage in Chautauqua, New York, in August?
Where does the government propose sending refugees?
What won Best Scripted Comedy at the British Academy Television Awards?
Which artist came second in Eurovision?
Where did Queen Elizabeth die?
Which world statesman died in August?
The coalition led by which party won the Italian election in September?
Which British newsreader, now a presenter on Classic FM, received a CBE in the New Year’s honours?
Sphinx 
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