August 2017 Picture Puzzles
Each of the following seven puzzles decodes to a word, phrase, song title, book, or film.
August 2017 “Mixed Bag” Questions
1. When John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, was the period for each orbit closest to one, two or three hours?
2. By what nickname are followers of the Holy Spirit Association for Unification of World Christianity better known?
3. What word means the technique of representing three-dimensional space on a flat surface?
4. Which pop singer played a nasty, evil bad guy in the science-fiction film Dune?
5. If you owned a a pair of pince-nez (pronounced parnss – nay), on what part of your body would you wear them?
6. True or false: The actor who played the criminal “Mr Blue” in Reservoir Dogs was actually once an FBI investigator.
7. Which 1991 Disney movie is the only animated film ever to be nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Picture?
8. What appeared temporarily when Mark Twain was born and returned again when he died?
9. Who Am I? I supplied the singing voice for:
Natalie Wood in West Side Story,
Deborah Kerr in The King and I,
Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady,
Rosalind Russell in Gypsy
and more recently the character Grandmother Fa in the animated feature Mulan.
10. What percentage of Elvis Presley’s earnings were taken by his manager “Colonel” Tom Parker?
HARDER QUESTIONS:
11. In what year was CS Forester’s first Hornblower novel published?
12. Into which body of water does Port Darwin open?
13. According to the Pope who ranked them in the sixth century, which of the Seven Deadly Sins is worst?
14. S-shaped curve in architecture: O _ _ E
15. Which internationally famous Australian actress made her feature film debut in 1994 alongside Anthony Hopkins and Russell Crowe?
16. “Spaghetti” literally translates to English as what?
17. “Motel”, “brunch”, “smog” and “chortle” are examples of what group of words?
18. How is the performer Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O’Brien better known?
19. Name the six countries whose names end in “U”
20. In comics, Richie Rich’s mother’s given name also begins with “R”. What is it?
August 2017 Skeptical Crossword
Theme: “Telling the Future”
84 Aug 2017 Crossword (Telling the future) [pdf version]
August 2017 Skeptical Crossword [HTML version]
August 2017 Logic & Maths Problems
Logic and Maths Puzzles 61 August 2017 [pdf version]
AUGUST 2017 LOGIC & MATHS PROBLEMS [HTML version]
July 2017 Picture Puzzles
Each of the following seven puzzles decodes to a word, phrase, song title, book, or film.
July 2017 “Mixed Bag” Questions
1. If someone gave you petit – fours would you eat them, wear them or put them in your garden?
2. According to Noel Coward, what behaviour is shared by mad dogs and Englishmen?
3. Only one person has ever won all three major American director’s awards, and he did it in one year; 1973 –
– He won an Oscar for the film Cabaret,
– He won an Emmy for the TV special Liza with a Z
– and he won a Tony for the stage production of Pippin.
Who is he?
4. Bill Medley and Bobbie Hatfield are collectively known as what?
5. Who Am I?
• I was born on the 19th of March in 1947 in Connecticut USA.
• My film debut was in 1975.
• I have been nominated five times for an Academy Award.
• My films include Fatal Attraction, Hamlet and 101 Dalmations
6. What, in the US is a winnebago?
7. What is the name of the crime-solving medieval monk , invented by novelist Ellis Peters and portrayed on TV by Derek Jacobi?
8. In which European city would you find an ancient Egyptian obelisk, now called Cleopatra’s Needle?
9. In Shakespeare’s Richard The Third what does Clarence drown in?
10. What is the name of Sigourney Weaver’s character in The Alien series of films?
HARDER QUESTIONS:
11. Which American President was originally named Leslie King Junior?
12. In what decade was he guillotine last used in France?
13. A person who is suffering from abasia cannot do what?
14. How many children did Winston Churchill have?
15. How many strings does a balalaika typically have?
16. Astraphobia is a fear of what?
17. When measuring the weight of gemstones, a carat represents what weight in milligrams?
18. There are only five regular or Platonic solids: that is, 3D shapes that have identical faces. Name them.
19. What Central American country’s name means ‘many fish‘?
20. Which Pope, who died last century was the last of an continuous 450 year sequence of Italian Popes?
July 2017 Skeptical Crossword
Theme: “General Skeptical Issues”
83 July 2017 Xword general [pdf version]
July 2017 Skeptical Crossword Puzzle [HTML version]
July 2017 Logic & Maths Problems
60 Logic and Maths Puzzles July 2017[pdf version]
July 2017 Logic & Maths Problems [HTML version]
June 2017 Picture Puzzles
Each of the following seven puzzles decodes to a word, phrase, song title, book, or film.
June 2017 “Mixed Bag” Questions
1. According to the Bible, whose army did Goliath belong to?
2. In which two decades has Australia experienced its two worst economic depressions (so far)?
3. The opposite of stupid is: A. learned B. clever C. knowledgeable
4. The spiky formations which hang down from the roof and stick up from the floor in limestone caves are called what?
5. Which Italian city of over a million inhabitants is near the ruins of Pompeii?
6. Which three popes were in office during the 1970s?
7. A pastern is:
A. an Easter festival
B. Part of a horse’s foot
C. a cavalry manoeuvre
8. Why was Australia’s McDonald Island in the news in August 2005?
9. What icon of the history of Australian exploration is in Queensland but has its nearest access from Innamincka South Australia?
10. Which section of an orchestra should play if the score is marked “tutti”?
HARDER QUESTIONS:
11. What is the historical significance of info.cern.ch?
12. What was the former name of Captain Cook’s HMS Endeavour?
13. What is the densest naturally occurring non-metallic element?
14. Orpiment is a natural once-popular paint pigment no longer used because of its toxicity. What colour is it?
15. Each of Australia’s six states has a different official animal. Of these, five are marsupials. Which state is odd one out?
16. In what occupation is a Philadelphia Rod used?
17. Only one country’s time zone differs from Greenwich Mean Time by an amount which is not some multiple of 30 minutes. Which country is that?
18. What do all the residents of Hawthorne Avenue, Rookwood New South Wales have in common?
19. What was the former name of the ship Lord Sandwich?
20. Eddie Eagen is the only person so far to do what?
June 2017 Skeptical Crossword
Theme: “Religious Imagery”
June 2017 Skeptical Crossword Puzzle [HTML Version]
or
https://vicskeptics.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/82-june-2017-crossword-religious-imagery.pdf [pdf Version]
June 2017 Logic & Maths Problems
June 2017 Logic & Maths Problems [HTML Version]
or
https://vicskeptics.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/59-logic-and-maths-puzzles-june-2017.pdf [pdf Version]
May 2017 Picture Puzzles
Each of the following seven puzzles decodes to a word, phrase, song title, book, or film.
May 2017 “Mixed Bag” Questions
1. Name the 1985 comedy movie and its 1989 sequel that featured Chevy Chase as an investigative reporter.
2. Was the number of women who came to Australia in the First Fleet closest to 100, 200 or 300?
3. Who sang about “Sexy Sadie”, and who were they singing about?
4. Which three actresses portrayed The Golden Girls?
5. How many people in each team are permitted to take the field of play at any one time in Water Polo? Is it 5, 6 or 7?
6. Which two countries are separated by a straight line at 38 degrees North latitude?
7. Write an anagram for the word “roasting”
8. Do the Twelve Days of Christmas take place:
a. before Christmas day
b. before during and after Christmas Day
c. after Christmas Day?
9. What is Australia’s largest World Heritage listed site by area?
10. The Spratly Islands are in which body of water?
a. South Atlantic Ocean
b. Bay of Biscay
c. South China Sea
HARDER QUESTIONS:
11. In what country is Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport?
12. What is Riograndenser Hunsrückisch?
13. If Paddington Bear really is a native of “darkest Peru”, then what species of bear is he?
14. Canada’s DuMaurier Classic used to be a major Women’s PGA tournament until 2001 when it was both re-named and downgraded to a minor tournament. Why?
15. What is unusual about Cordovan Leather?
16. Who qualifies as a recipient of the Dickin Medal?
17. Who was the last Australian to win the Wyndham Championship?
18. 
This punctuation mark is called a Percontation Point.
It was briefly used in English writing in the late 1500s and early 1600s. What did it signify?
19. What links Susanna Hall with Judith Quiney?
20. What is a Barcoo Dog?
May 2017 Skeptical Crossword
“Conspiracy Theories”
May 2017 Skeptical Crossword Puzzle [HTML version]
or
81 May 2017 Crossword Conspiracy Theories [.pdf version]
May 2017 Logic & Maths Problems
May 2017 Logic & Maths Problems [HTML version]
or
58 Logic and Maths Puzzles May 2017 for pdf [.pdf version]
April 2017 Picture Puzzles
Each of the following seven puzzles decodes to a word, phrase, song title, book, or film.
April 2017 “Mixed Bag” Questions
1. Give the titles of the songs which contain the following lines.
a. “I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth…”
b. “Kick off your Sunday Shoes…”
c. “For my name was Eliza Dane…”
d. “I’d like to be under the sea…”
e. “You just talk about it, talk about it, talk about it, talk about it..”
2. Give an anagram for the word “CONTAINS”
3. How many paintings did Vincent van Gogh produce in the last 70 days of his life? A. 78 B. 243 C. 760
4. Herbert Khaury had an unusual one-hit-wonder in 1968 and built a cult following as a result. By what name is he better known?
5. Nullabor is a Latin word meaning what?
6. Which of these central American republics is largest? A. Honduras B. Panama C. Nicaragua
7. A pantechnicon (pan – TEK – nik – on) is:
A. a sideshow hall of mirrors
B. an exposition of technology
C. a furniture van
8. Which four cities starting with an “A” have hosted the summer Olympics?
9. We get the word “ombudsman” from the country which appointed the first ombudsman in 1810. Which country?
10. In what year?
• Computer Floppy Discs are introduced.
• Palestinian terrorists hijack and blow up 5 planes.
• The top-grossing movies are Airport and MASH.
• The Beatles release their last number one single.
• George Harrison is the first Beatle with a hit solo album.
HARDER QUESTIONS:
11. Australian Terence “Terry” Tao is well-known internationally. Why?
12. Frederick (or Friedrich) Frobel opened the first WHAT in 1837?
13. In which Australian state would you find Quaama, Quipolly, Quirindi and Quorrobolong?
14. Which country had the Kroon as its official currency from 1928–1940 and again from 1992–2011?
15. In terms of sporting events, who or what are Isis and Goldie, respectively?
16. Goyathlay was the real name of the historical figure better known as?
17. In what year was an elephant called Mary executed in Erwin, Tennessee by hanging?
18. What is Up Helly Aa?
19. Which country had a king called Eystein the Fart?
20. How many novels did Barbara Cartland write?
April 2017 Skeptical Crossword
“Paranormal Pastimes”
April 2017 Skeptical Crossword Puzzle (HTML)
OR
80 April 2017 Crossword Paranormal Pastimes (pdf)
April 2017 Logic & Maths Problems
April 2017 Logic & Maths Problems (HTML)
OR
57 Logic and Maths Puzzles April 2017 for pdf (pdf)
March 2017 Picture Puzzles
Each of the following seven puzzles decodes to a word, phrase, song title, book, or film.
March 2017 “Mixed Bag” Questions
1. What is Australia’s largest predatory bird?
2. An entrechat (pronounced on – trey – sha) is a kind of leap that ballet dancers do in which two parts of the body are brought together? Which two parts?
3. Which Australian state capital was first to install parking meters (in April 1955)?
4. By what nickname are members of the Unification Church known?
5. In what year did John Lennon & Yoko Ono release their first album “Two Virgins”?
6. What three word phrase, which means “we’re ready” is an anagram of GLOSSY METALS ?
7. In the movie, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, who or what is Priscilla?
8. Who were the opposing captains in the Bodyline series of tests between England and Australia?
9. To whom is Barbra Streisand married?
10. What musical posed the question: Why Can’t a Woman Be More Like a Man?
HARDER QUESTIONS:
11. How many Prime Ministers did Australia have during World War II?
12. In what year?
• The Space Shuttle Enterprise makes its first test flight atop a Boeing 747.
• Grammy Awards go to Starland Vocal Band.
• Doug Walters scores 250 vs New Zealand.
• Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” album is released.
• France performs nuclear tests at Mururoa Island.
13. Which five countries are bigger in area than Australia?
14. When Antonio could not repay his debt in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, what payment did Shylock demand instead?
15. Australia’s tallest building is currently in which city?
16. As at the end of 2016, how many films has Morgan Freeman appeared in?
17. What is special about Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve in WA?
18. In what year?
• Nadia Comaneci is Given Seven Perfect Tens.
• North and South Vietnam are officially joined.
• Howard Hughes dies.
19. In which state of Australia are the Ida Bay and Don River railways?
20. Tasmania’s only official emblem is a floral emblem. Name it.
March 2017 Skeptical Crossword
March 2017 Skeptical Crossword Puzzle (HTML format)
or
79-mar-2017-crossword-general (.pdf format)
March 2017 Logic & Maths Problems
March 2017 Logic & Maths Problems (HTML format)
or
56-logic-and-maths-puzzles-march-2017 (.pdf format)
February 2017 Picture Puzzles
Each of the following seven puzzles decodes to a word, phrase, song title, book, or film.
February 2017 “Mixed Bag” Questions
1. What is the total number of legs on the 12 signs of the zodiac?
2. What is the capital of New Zealand and on which of the two main islands is it situated?
3. What planet did Robin Williams’ TV character Mork come from?
4. Is the Olympic decathlon competed for over one, two, three or four days?
5. What is the alternative name for Sydney International Airport?
6. What did Philadelphia truck driver Alfred Cocozza change his name to when he took up singing professionally?
7. Who Am I?
• I was born in Melbourne on 27 June 1865 into a Prussian-Jewish family.
• By 1895 I had degrees in arts, engineering and law and had qualified as a municipal surveyor, an engineer of water supply and a patent attorney.
• My early engineering career was in bridge construction.
• Eventually I became a partner in a firm which built many of Melbourne’s bridges including Princes Bridge.
• My part-time military career began in 1884 with a Melbourne University company.
• By 1913 I was a Colonel. By the end of the war I was Australian Corps Commander in Europe.
8. Which came first? Roberta Flack’s record release of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face; or Clint Eastwood’s film Play Misty For Me in which her rendition of the song featured?
9. Which pets are more likely to be given ordinary human names by their owners; cats or dogs?
10. Which star of the TV series Absolutely Fabulous once played a crime fighter on British TV, and in what series?
HARDER QUESTIONS:
11. What is a neologism?
12. In descending order, who have been the three longest reigning kings or queens of The United Kingdom?
13. Purdey is a quality brand name for which category of goods?
14. Who was captain of Australia in the first ever one-day international cricket match?
15. In on-line bulletin boards and chat rooms many acronyms are in use..
One good one, probably not used enough is PEBCAK. What does it mean?
16. Which famous woman novelist was born on the 29th November in 1832 in Germantown Pennsylvania?
17. Picasso combined bicycle handlebars with a bicycle saddle to represent what?
18. What term is given to a sculpture technique in which the main features are just barely more prominent than the overall flat background?
19. List the three Baltic States North to South.
20. Which three Australian State capitals have a suburb of Cheltenham?
February 2017 Skeptical Crossword
February 2017 Skeptical Crossword
or
78-feb-2017-crossword-homeopathy [pdf format]
February 2017 Logic & Maths Problems
FEBRUARY 2017 LOGIC & MATHS PROBLEMS
or
55-logic-and-maths-puzzles-february-2017 [pdf format]
January 2017 Picture Puzzles
Each of the following seven puzzles decodes to a word, phrase, song title, book, or film.
January 2017 “Mixed Bag” Questions
1. Which country calls its cowboys “gauchos”?
2. Is the seating capacity of the Sydney Cricket Ground more than or less than half that of the Melbourne Cricket Ground?
3. Which green colour takes its name from a French liqueuer, originally made by monks?
4. True or false: The word “navvy”, meaning labourer, originally came from the word “navigator”.
5. Is the opposite of proponent: A. ally, B. antagonist or C. advocate?
6. What day-dreaming literary character invented by James Thurber was portrayed in a movie by Danny Kaye?
7. If you crossed over Cook Strait from the North Island of New Zealand to the South Island by the shortest route, you would be traveling:
A. North to South
B. East to West
C. West to East
8. What were the women in Britain’s Pankhurst family famous for early last century?
9. Who replaced who as swimming’s 1500m freestyle record holder on July 29th 2005?
10. Which annual sport has the greatest live audience?
HARDER QUESTIONS:
11. The name QANTAS is an acronym that originally stood for what?
12. According to Greek mythology, what did Prometheus give to man?
13. Who turned Dolorous Gard into Joyous Gard?
14. What colour is Cerulean?
15. Which city has La Gran Via as its main street?
16. How did Juan Sebastián del Cano make history?
17. How old was the youngest recipient of the Nobel Prize so far?
18. The salpinx was an ancient musical instrument. What type?
19. What is unusual about the public transport system of Tallinn, capital city of Estonia (population 420,000)?
20. Which city is served by Marco Polo International Airport?
January 2017 Skeptical Crossword
January 2017 Skeptical Crossword
77-january-2017-crossword-general-skeptical-issues (.pdf form)
January 2017 Logic & Maths Problems
January 2017 Logic & Maths Problems
54-logic-and-maths-puzzles-january-2017 (.pdf form)
December 2016 Picture Puzzles
Each of the following seven puzzles decodes to a word, phrase, song title, book, or film.
December 2016 “Mixed Bag” Questions
1. In which Scandinavian capital is the Tivoli Gardens, a major recreational area with a carnival atmosphere?
2. In which three Australian states is there a postcode for Brooklyn?
3. The Latin phrase Quo Vadis? means:
A. Where are you from? B. Where are you going? C. Who Are You?
4. Which singing cowboy had a horse called Champion?
5. Who is the Royal mother with a son who designs, makes and sells prestige furniture and a daughter who is a celebrated landscape artist?
6. Approximately what portion of Australia’s area is Tasmania’s contribution: 1%, 2% or 3%?
7. Which author wrote the book Kim, about a child growing up in India?
8. Where in the body are Red Blood Cells made?
9. What was the first recorded Beatles song in which Ringo sang lead?
10. How many summer Olympics have been held since the Second World War which were not held in a country’s capital city?
HARDER QUESTIONS:
11. This is The Prater, a historical amusement park in what European capital city?
12. This is Emilio Marco Parma. He was the first person to do what? 
13. What unusual accident involving a snowman befell Bob Bowling in 2002?
14. This is British actor Joe Sowerbutts. What part did he play in the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone? 
15. Which Victorian town has a Beatles Court and an Eagle Rock Parade?
16. This is Helmer Hanselm, Olav Bjaaland, Sverre Hassel and Oscar Wisting. How did they jointly help make history?
17. What did William Shakespeare’s father do for a living?
18. How did Phoebe Harris make history in 1786?
19. This is Adolphe Sax. He patented the saxophone on June 28 1846. How many versions of the saxophone did he patent at the same time?
20. This is talented painter and illustrator Ingahild Grathmer. She is better known by what other name?
December 2016 Skeptical Crossword
DECEMBER 2016 SKEPTICAL CROSSWORD
December 2016 Logic & Maths Problems
DECEMBER 2016 Logic & Maths Problems
November 2016 Picture Puzzles
Each of the following seven puzzles decodes to a word, phrase, song title, book, or film.
November 2016 “Mixed Bag” Questions
1. If in Australian parlance you described someone who had to run around in the shower to get wet, what would you be saying about them?
2. Who is the Catholic missionary that took Christianity to the Far East, gives his name to a Melbourne Catholic College and who was made a saint in 1622?
3. What is the name of the site of Kubla Khan’s pleasure dome, a 60s song by Dave Dee Dozy, Beaky Mick and Titch, and a 70s Olivia Newton-John movie?
4. What three-letter word of animal derivation is both a greedy person and slang for a large motorcycle?
5. Which British car maker in the 60s produced a model called The Herald?
6. What “X” word means hatred of foreigners?
7. What does a pedometer measure?
8. In what state of Australia is the Daintree Forest?
9. Which Australian ex-Prime Minister did commercials for Leggo Pasta Sauce?
10. Who are these people?
Married to each other since the year 2000, both having birthdays on the 25th September.
He was born in 1944 and is a movie and TV actor, and movie producer, and is the son of a famous actor.
She was born in 1969 and is an award-winning movie actress.
They have two children.
HARDER QUESTIONS:
11. For how long can you legally drive in the state of Victoria Australia on an international licence before you have to get a Victorian licence?
12. What is “degaussing” and why did they do it to ships in World War II?
13. Who created the fictional Chief Inspector Morse?
14. Who beat the Roman army at the battle of Cannae in 216 BC?
15. On which river is Washington DC situated?
16. What was the real name and occupation of author Lewis Carroll?
17. In internet parlance, what does the term URL stand for?
18. Who stabbed French Revolution Leader Jean-Paul Marat to death
in his bath on 13th July 1793?
19. What is the name of the shallow circular transparent dish with a flat lid, used for the culture of micro-organisms?
20. The Bushes, presidents of the USA were father and son. What was the surname of the only other father and son US Presidents?
November 2016 Skeptical Crossword
Theme: Selling the Pharm
NOVEMBER 2016 SKEPTICAL CROSSWORD PUZZLE
November 2016 Logic & Maths Problems
November 2016 Logic & Maths Problems
October 2016 Picture Puzzles
Each of the following seven puzzles decodes to a word, phrase, song title, book, or film.
October 2016 “Mixed Bag” Questions
1. In what Italian city is the La Scala opera house?
2. Of the following Aussies, which one was born in Australia?
Olivia Newton-John, Nicole Kidman, Kylie Minogue, Russell Crowe
3. What in Britain were Woodbines?
4. What is the Australian name for the article known as a pacifier in the USA?
5. In which African country was the Biafran war?
6. In which two TV series did Robert Reed star?
7. What musical keyboard instrument is named after the Greek word for wood?
8. What are the capital cities of: A. Spain, B. Zimbabwe and C. Thailand?
9. In what year?
• The Adventures of Barry Mackenzie is first screened
• Howard Hughes breaks years of silence to say that Clifford Irving’s biography about him is a fake.
• The first hand-held electronic calculator goes on the market.
• R.J (Dick) Hamer replaces Henry Bolte as Victorian Premier
10. On a chinese menu, what popular dish is chow farn in English?
HARDER QUESTIONS:
11. In Australia, what does “CSIRO” stand for?
12. In Australia, what does “ACCC” stand for?
13. Who created the fictional Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby?
14. Where does the perfume brand name “4711” originate?
15. What are the ingredients in a “Vicious Sid” Cocktail?
16. State whether each of these three sports has (or has not) ever been an Olympic event. (a) Tug of War, (b) Croquet, (c) Cricket
17. In what year was the British Mini motor car first sold?
18. Name King Lear’s three daughters.
19. Who was the third astronaut to walk on the moon?
20. What is the common name for food additive 901?
October 2016 Skeptical Crossword
Theme: Logical Fallacies #5
October 2016 Skeptical Crossword Puzzle
October 2016 Logic & Maths Problems
October 2016 Logic & Maths Problems
September 2016 Picture Puzzles
Each of the following seven puzzles decodes to a word, phrase, song title, book, or film.
September 2016 “Mixed Bag” Questions
1. What part of the body suffers from periodontitis?
2. Which country occupies about half of South America?
3. What was the publication Pravda and what does the name mean?
4. What kind of leisure-time activity is Canfield?
5. Who committed murder live on US national TV in 1963 and died in Jail in 1967?
6. What is the characteristic gemstone of New Zealand, often carved?
7. What feature is larger on a proboscis monkey than other monkeys?
8. Which country has the most Arabs living in it?
9. Who Am I?
– I was born in September, 1950.
– I am best known as a Motorcycle racer, winning my first of many World championships at age 20.
– My career was punctuated by several serious crashes and broken bones, and I retired in 1984.
– I moved to Australia and became a TV commentator.
– My quick wit and cockney accent made me a celebrity.
– I died of cancer in 2003.
10. In which country is the resort and entertainment centre “Sun City?”, and why was it frequently in international news in the 1990s?
HARDER QUESTIONS:
11. By which nickname was Albert de Salvo better known?
12. From which plant is the liqueur “Kummel” derived?
13. Who created the fictional detective Phillip Marlowe?
14. What is the map number of the map of Australia in the Melways Street Directory?
15. Who was at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party?
16. What is the post-code of Uluru?
17. (a) Which actors portrayed (brothers) Bart and Brett and (cousin) Beau Maverick in the original Maverick TV series?
(b) Which Studio produced the original series?
(c) Who portrayed Brett Maverick in the 1994 movie version?
18. The character Sir John Falstaff appears (or is mentioned) in four different Shakespearean plays. Name them.
19. In what year did the Boy Scout Movement commence?
20. In computer jargon, what does “RAM” stand for?
September 2016 Skeptical Crossword
Theme: General Skeptical Issues
September 2016 Skeptical Crossword Puzzle
September 2016 Logic & Maths Problems
September 2016 Logic & Maths Problems
August 2016 Picture Puzzles
Each of the following seven puzzles decodes to a word, phrase, song title, book, or film.
August 2016 “Mixed Bag” Questions
1. What in Australian slang is “laughing gear”?
2. Seminoles are people indigenous to which continent?
3. The 1968 Wimbledon men’s final was an All-Australian affair. Names the two contestants and the winner.
4. What is the equivalent rank to corporal in a British artillery unit?
5. In which year were the Olympics hit by terrorists who murdered Israeli athletes?
6. How many articles are in a brace?
7. From which country does the cartoon series Astro Boy come?
8. Which Australian state capital was founded in 1836?
9. Who Am I?
– I was born in 1949 in Kansas City, Missouri.
– I was a golfer.
– I’ve won two Masters, One US Open and five British Opens, the last in 1983.
– I won the Australian Open in 1984
10. How many consecutive Australian Liberal/Country Party Prime ministers were there before Labour took power in 1972?
HARDER QUESTIONS: (You may want to Google at least some of these)
11. What is the meaning of “FAVONIAN”?
12. Which British boat won both line honours and First on handicap at the inaugural 1945 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race?
13. In what year did Qantas use cooking oil to power a Sydney – Adelaide flight?
14. According to Chinese folklore, what caused Meng Jiang to cry?
15. Who plays pedal steel guitar on Crosby Stills Nash & Young’s “Teach Your Children”?
16. The Story Bridge Hotel in Brisbane has hosted which sporting event every Australia Day since 1982? (2016 was a World Championship)
17. In what year did Fiorello La Guardia, (Mayor of New York) declare the possession and sale of artichokes illegal?
18. Which actress played one of Dr Who’s companions and later became Barry Crocker’s companion for 20 years?
19. What new international record was set by Jack Sexty in 2015?
20. In what competition did Olav Bjortomt become World singles Champion in 2015?
August 2016 Skeptical Crossword
Theme: Chiropractic
August 2016 Skeptical Crossword Puzzle
August 2016 Logic & Maths Problems
August 2016 Logic & Maths Problems
July 2016 Picture Puzzles
Each of the following seven puzzles decodes to a word, phrase, song title, book, or film.
July 2016 “Mixed Bag” Questions
1. What kind of establishment is a ryokan in Japan?
2. What is the chemical name tri nitro toluene abbreviated to?
3. Which fictional TV family lived at Southfork?
4. What word means both “a piece of wood” and “to adhere”?
5. Who suggested that the Beatles wear suits without collars in their stage performances?
6. Who Am I?
– I am a British Knight of the Realm, born in India in 1940.
– I have had fourteen number one singles in the UK, making me third after Elvis Presley and The Beatles.
– I had number one records in each decade from 50s to 90s.
– I am a bachelor with a passion for tennis.
7. In the opera Madame Butterfly, does the heroine die due to murder, suicide, illness or accident?
8. Mount Aconcagua is the highest peak on which continent?
9. Who am I?
– I was born on 28th of August, 1921 in Pennsylvania, USA.
– After distinguished service as a Women’s Naval Officer in World War II, I became a character actress from 1951, in such movies as Shane, A Star is Born, and The Parent Trap.
– I played Miss Jane Hathaway in The Beverley Hillbillies.
– I died in 1991
10. Which Sydney-born author wrote The Sundowners, North from Thursday and High Road from China?
HARDER QUESTIONS: (You may want to consult Google on at least some of these)
11. Farinelli was an international celebrity of the 18th century. What was his occupation?
12. What feat was completed by the British airship R34 on July 6, 1919?
13. What caused Big Ben’s clock to stop in January 1945?
14. Whose career was brought to an end by Mantecore in 2003?
15. What unusual official position is occupied by Karin Vogel of Rostock, Germany?
16. What were the UK’s Red Snow and Red Beard?
17. Who has portrayed ‘Hope Springs’, ‘Goldie Locks’ and ‘Daphne Honeybutt’ in films?
18. Which ship was re-named Mediterranean, then Dong Fang Ocean, then Oriental Nicety before being retired in 2012?
19. On April 1st 1957 the normally serious BBC TV news programme Panorama convinced thousands of English viewers that what grew on trees?
20. Astana is the capital city of Kazakhstan. What does “Astana” mean in the Kazakh language?
NEW THIS MONTH!
July 2016 Skeptical Crossword
Theme: Famous Skeptics
July 2016 Logic & Maths Problems
July 2016 Logic & Maths Problems
June 2016 Picture Puzzles
This month, each of the following seven puzzles decodes to a film title.
June 2016 “Mixed Bag” Questions
1. Not counting Turkey, name four European countries whose names end in “Y”.
2. What Australian poem begins; I had written him a letter….
3. Of which country did Robert Muldoon become Prime Minister in 1975?
4. Which five-letter word is both “stooping of the posture” and “conjecture supported by minimal evidence”?
5. In Australian slang, what is colloquially known as “fish frighteners”?
6. What was the derivation of the word “Jeep” for the vehicle used in large quantities in World War II?
7. Who Shot Billy the Kid?
8. According to a song, how many times did Lizzie Borden hit her mother and her father with an axe, respectively?
9. The Film A Man For All Seasons won six Oscars in 1967.
(a) In which country was it set?
(b) Who was its central figure?
10. What world-famous fast food chain is contained in this anagram?
Foul skinny cocks enriched late redneck.
HARDER QUESTIONS:
11. What is the diameter, in millimetres, of a compact disc?
12. Apart from unconfirmed sightings, when and where was the last live Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacine) seen?
13. How many eyes do most spiders have?
14. What is the Australian code number for food additive monosodium glutamate (MSG)?
15. How many sheets of paper are there in a quire?
16. Which Nobel Prize did William Shockley win in 1956, and for what achievement did he win it?
17. Which three Olympic sports were introduced at Sydney in 2000?
18. What is the common name for Food Additive 150?
19. In what year, and in what fashion did King Zog of Albania’s reign come to an end?
20. Which planet of our Solar System has a moon called Metis?
NEW THIS MONTH!
“Crossword Clues” Word Quiz
Five sets of ten clues that might be encountered in a crossword. In each set, a certain pair of letters in a certain order is given in correct position in each word.
Example: _ _ B _ _ _ _R _ Month
June 2016 Skeptical Crossword
Theme: General Skeptical Issues
JUNE 2016 SKEPTICAL CROSSWORD PUZZLE
June 2016 Logic & Maths Problems
JUNE 2016 LOGIC & MATHS PUZZLES
May 2016 Picture Puzzles
Each of the following seven puzzles decodes to a word, phrase, song title, book, or film.
May 2016 “Mixed Bag” Questions
1. In the opera La Boheme does the heroine die of murder, suicide, illness or accident?
2. What does a cruciverbalist indulge in?
3. What kind of event is Womad, and where is it held?
4. In what part of your body would you suffer an enteric disease?
5. What is a styptic pencil used for?
6. What was the character Rapunzel most remarkable for?
7. In what year did War Rationing end in Britain? A. 1945 B. 1949 C. 1954
8. What five-letter “R” word is a natural polymer?
9. What is the predominant colour in an amethyst?
10. In what year did Bob Geldof promote the Live Aid concert to raise money for African famine relief?
HARDER QUESTIONS:
11. What is “degaussing” (dee–gow–sing) and why did they do it to ships in World War II?
12. Who beat the Roman army at the battle of Cannae in 216 BC?
13. On which river is Washington DC situated?
14. What was the real name and occupation of author Lewis Carroll?
15. In internet parlance, what does the term URL stand for?
16. Who stabbed French Revolution Leader Jean-Paul Marat to death in his bath on 13th July 1793?
17. How many possible opening moves are there in a game of chess?
18. a. When was the first Agatha Christie Mystery Novel published?
b. What was it called?
c. Which of her famous detective characters did it introduce?
19. There are four Guggenheim museums in the world currently operating as at April 2016. Where are they?
20. How many stars are on the Chinese flag?
May 2016 Skeptical Crossword
Theme: Religion and Superstition
May 2016 Logic & Maths Problems
MAY 2016 LOGIC & MATHS PROBLEMS
April 2016 Picture Puzzles
Each of the following seven puzzles decodes to a word, phrase, song title, book, or film.
April 2016 “Mixed Bag” Questions
1. In what industry is American Bert Rutan a modern-day pioneer?
2. Decode these so-called “letter equations”. Each represents a common phrase.
e.g. 2 = P in a P would be “two peas in a pod”
Example: “365 = D in a Y would be”
365 days in a year
Solve these:
a) 2 = W in a F
b) 4 = Y in an O
c) 5 = L in a L
d) 13 = B in a BD
3. What was the name of Josef Stalin’s daughter who defected to the west?
4. What instrument did Oscar Peterson play?
5. At what festival, and in what South American city do Samba Schools compete with each other annually?
6. Which 1960s film starred Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Katharine Houghton and Sidney Poitier?
7. Australia’s first speeding fine was imposed in what year?
A. 1897 B. 1902 C. 1904
8. What organ is inflamed when one has encephalitis?
9. “Judo” means
A. Self Defence B. Gentle way C. open hand
10. True or false? At 30 days, Pope John Paul 1 had the shortest reign of any pope
HARDER: (You may want to look these up)
11. In what year did the Boy Scout Movement commence?
12. CSIRO is Australia’s peak body of Applied Scientific research. What does “CSIRO” stand for?
13. Where does the perfume brand name “4711” originate?
14. What are the ingredients in a “Vicious Sid” Cocktail?
15. State whether each of these three sports has (or has not) ever been an Olympic event.
(a) Tug of War
(b) Croquet
(c) Cricket
16. In what year was the British Mini motor car first sold?
17. What are the names of King Lear’s three daughters in the Shakespearean tragedy King Lear?
18. Who was the third astronaut to walk on the moon?
19. What is the common name for food additive 901?
20. For how long can you legally drive in Victoria Australia on an international license before you have to get a Victorian license?
April 2016 Skeptical Crossword
Theme: Homeopathy
APRIL 2016 SKEPTICAL CROSSWORD
April 2016 Logic & Maths Problems
APRIL 2016 LOGIC & MATHS PROBLEMS
March 2016 Picture Puzzles
Each of the following seven puzzles decodes to a word, phrase, song title, book, or film.
March 2016 “Mixed Bag” Questions
1. For each of the following TV characters, give both the actor or actress best known for portraying that character and the name of the TV series which featured the character.
Fox Mulder
Jedd Clampett
Ethel Mertz
2. Smith is still the commonest surname in the UK. Name the next four most common.
3. For what man-made devices is Mount Palomar in the USA famous?
4. The Beatles song that goes:
“Sexy Sadie –what have you done? You made a fool of everyone”
is aimed at which cult figure of the 1960s?
5. Which plane’s frequent crashes in the 1950s prompted Melbourne chemist Dr David Warren to invent The Black Box?
A. Fokker Friendship; B. DeHavilland Comet; C. Douglas DC7
6. Of Which US state is Lansing the capital?
7. Who won the 1980 Best Actress Oscar for Coal Miner’s Daughter?
8. What nationality was Edvard Munch, painter of The Scream ?
9. In what year?
• The UK and Ireland both introduce decimal currency
• John Lennon records Imagine
• Films include A Clockwork Orange and Dirty Harry
• Astronauts take their first ride on the moon in the lunar rover
• Bangladesh achieves independence from Pakistan
10. What industry employs two-thirds of the labour force in the Bahamas?
A. Fishing
B. Fruit growing
C. Sugar production
D. Tourism
HARDER: (You may want to look these up)
11. Which three Olympic sports were introduced at Sydney in 2000?
12. What is the common name for Food Additive 150?
13. Who was the last King of Albania, and in what year, and in what fashion did his reign come to an end?
14. Which planet of our Solar System has a moon called Metis?
15. By which nickname was Albert de Salvo better known?
16. From which plant is the liqueur “Kummel” derived?
17. Who created the fictional detective Phillip Marlowe?
18. If the Governor-General of Australia is unable to proceed, which Office-bearer automatically becomes his / her stand-in?
19. (a) Which actors portrayed brothers Bart and Brett and cousin Beau Maverick in the original Maverick TV series?
(b) Which Studio produced the original series?
(c) Who portrayed Brett Maverick in the 1994 film version?
20. The character Sir John Falstaff appears in three Shakespearean plays and is mentioned in a fourth. Name them.
March 2016 Skeptical Crossword
Theme: General Skeptical Issues
MARCH 2016 Skeptical Crossword
March 2016 Logic & Maths Problems
MARCH 2016 LOGIC & MATHS PROBLEMS
February 2016 Picture Puzzles
Each of the following seven puzzles decodes to a word, phrase, song title, book, or film.
February 2016 “Mixed Bag” Questions
1. In which two sports did Australia’s first Olympic Gold Medallist Edwin Flack compete at the 1896 Olympics?
2. The Australian spider that America’s blackwidow is most closely related to is:
A. Red-back B. Funnel-web C. Hunstsman
3. Why did NATO move its headquarters from Paris to Brussels in 1966?
4. Which Australian State flag bears a picture of a white-backed piping shrike, (inaccurately sometimes called a magpie)
5. Was the Bauhaus a famous German school of Architecture, Cooking or Economics?
6. What country put the Yeti (or Abominable Snowman) on its 1958 list of protected species: Nepal, Tibet or China?
7. Who released Alice’s Restaurant in 1967?
8. Which 1960s film starred James Mason and featured Shelley Winters, Sue lyon and Peter Sellers?
9. What was The Wicked Witch of the West squashed by in The Wizard of Oz?
10. Who was president of the International Olympic Committee between 1980 and 2001?
HARDER: (You may want to look these up)
11. How many possible opening moves are there in a game of chess?
12. When was the first Agatha Christie Mystery novel published, what was it called and which of her famous detective characters did it introduce?
13. There are five Guggenheim museums in the world. Where are they?
14. How many stars are on the Chinese flag?
15. What is the diameter, in millimetres, of (a) a compact disc? (CD) and (b) the hole in the centre of a Compact Disc?
16. Apart from unconfirmed sightings, when and where was the last live Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacine) seen?
17. How many eyes do most spiders have?
18. What is the Australian code number for food additive monosodium glutamate (MSG)?
19. How many sheets of paper are there in a quire?
20. Who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1956?
February 2016 Skeptical Crossword
Theme: Frauds and Scams
FEBRUARY 2016 SKEPTICAL CROSSWORD
February 2016 Logic & Maths Problems
February 2016 Logic & Maths Problems
January 2016 Picture Puzzles
Each of the following seven puzzles decodes to a word, phrase, song title, book, or film.
January 2016 “Mixed Bag” Questions
1. For each of the following TV characters, give both the actor best known for portraying that character and the name of the TV series which featured the character.
a. Lovejoy
b. Arthur Daley
c. Captain Mainwaring
2. Decode these so-called “letter equations”. Each represents a common phrase.
e.g. 2 = P in a P would be “two peas in a pod”
a. 8 = T on an O
b. 12 = N on a CF
c. 12 = E in a D
d. 6 = W of HTE
e. 2 = W D M A R
3. With which medical breakthrough was the Australian Howard Florey associated?
4. Whose real name was Doris Kappelhoff?
5. Which Australian leader of the opposition was wounded in an assassination attempt in the 1960s?
6. Which American president’s father was once US ambassador to Great Britain?
7. Australia’s Royal National Park, established in 1879 is the world’s second oldest after Yellowstone in the USA. In what state is Royal National Park?
8. How is Australian musician Mark Lizotte better known?
9. Which is Australia’s most sunny State capital in terms of hours per day?
10. Which European cartoon hero has a dog called Snowy?
HARDER: (You may want to look these up)
11. What is polythelia?
12. Who was originally supposed to occupy the black sarcophagus in Admiral Nelson’s tomb?
13. In what state or territory of Australia is there an annual public holiday for Borroloola Show Day?
14. Mary Tamm and Lalla Ward portrayed Romana 1 & 2 respectively in Dr Who. What is “Romana” short for?
15. In which city is the Jackie Chan Science Centre located?
16. Which Prince of the United Kingdom fought in World War I on the German side?
17. Bill Howard is the only back – to – back winner of which event?
18. Where is Whoop Whoop Weather Station?
19. Which country has a flag whose obverse is different from its reverse?
20. Which fragrance was first made for the Russian Count Orloff in 1768?
January 2016 Skeptical Crossword
Theme: Job Titles and Descriptions
JANUARY 2016 SKEPTICAL CROSSWORD
January 2016 Logic & Maths Problems
JANUARY 2016 LOGIC & MATHS PROBLEMS
PUZZLES ARCHIVES
PUZZLES ARCHIVE 1 (AUGUST 2010 to APRIL 2011)
PUZZLES ARCHIVE 2 (MAY 2011 to SEPTEMBER 2011)
PUZZLES ARCHIVE 3 (OCTOBER 2011 to NOVEMBER 2012)
PUZZLES ARCHIVE 4 (December 2012 to June 2013)
PUZZLES ARCHIVE 5 (July 2013 to September 2014)
PUZZLES ARCHIVE 6 (October 2014 to December 2015)
