Do you know or can you guess who I was sketching here? Initial(s) and asterisks only and please no clues until later in the day to give everyone a chance.

I have identified 9 seven-letter words and 6 six-letter words ending in “ern” that might be reasonably likely to arise in ordinary conversation/discussion or in writing etc. Your challenge is to name as many of the 15 words as you can for one point each. I am aware that there are a number of valid words and you can list as many as you like - but only ones in my list of 15 of the commonest will count. Proper nouns/words that begin with a capital letter and hyphenated words or words containing apostrophes or slang words are not allowed. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.


REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries

Below are clues to a number of events that have taken place each day in August in years gone by. How many can you name or guess? One guess per question allowed. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.

PS. All the years are AD unless BC is stated.


REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries.


1. Aug 1 1834 This practice is abolished in the British Empire Slavery


2. Aug 2 216 BC This Carthaginian general defeats the Romans at the Battle of Cannae Hannibal

3. Aug 3 1778 Opera house "La Scala" opens in this city Milan

4. Aug 4 70 Romans destroy the temple in this city Jerusalem

5. Aug 5 1962 This actress is found dead at age 36, in a "probable suicide" Marilyn Monroe

6. Aug 6 1945 An atomic bomb is dropped on this city Hiroshima

7. Aug 7 1974 Philippe Petit walks between these two buildings on a tight rope World Trade Center

8. Aug 8 1974 This U.S. President resigns Richard Nixon

9. Aug 9 1965 This country gains independence unwillingly after beingexpelled from Malaysia Singapore


10. Aug 10 1921 Franklin D. Roosevelt first shows signs of this disease Polio

11. Aug 11 1919 The new constitution of this country is signed in the city of Weimar Germany

12. Aug 12 30 BC This Egyptian ruler commits suicide, possibly snake bite Cleopatra

13. Aug 13 1961 Borders are closed in this European city Berlin

14. Aug 14 1980 Lech Wałęsa leads labor strikes in this country Poland

15. Aug 15 1281 For the second time, a "divine wind" destroys the Mongol fleetattempting to invade this island nation Japan


16. Aug 16 1829 Chang and Eng, conjoined twins from this country, arrive in the U.S. Siam (Thailand)

17. Aug 17 1807 The world's first commercial steamboat service is started onthis river, connecting New York City and Albany Hudson River


18. Aug 18 1969 Jimi Hendrix plays the American national anthem at this music festival Woodstock

19. Aug 19 1991 A failed coup attempt is launched against this Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev

20. Aug 20 1882 This Tchaikovsky overture debuts in Moscow, using cannon shotsas part of the music 1812 Overture


21. Aug 21 1959 This state becomes the 50th to join the U.S.A. Hawaii

22. Aug 22 1642 This king declares Parliament to be traitors, sparking the English Civil War Charles I

23. Aug 23 1305 This Scottish rebel is executed in London William Wallace

24. Aug 24 2006 This Kuiper Belt object is demoted to "dwarf planet" status Pluto

25. Aug 25 1875 Matthew Webb becomes the first person to swim acrossthis body of water English Channel


26. Aug 26 1768 This explorer sets sail from England aboard the HMS Endeavour James Cook

27. Aug 27 1776 The British defeat the …….. in Battle of Long Island Americans


28. Aug 28 1879 In South Africa, the British capture Cetshwayo, the last king of this tribe Zulu

29. Aug 29 2005 This hurricane makes landfall in Louisiana Hurricane Katrina

30. Aug 30 1963 The so-called "red phone" is established, connecting this city and Moscow Washington D.C.

31. Aug 31 1422 ……… becomes King of England at the age of 9 months Henry VI

Each set of letters in the list below comprises all the letters that make up a capital city of a sovereign nation. Some of the city names are only 4 letters long – others are longer but don’t use any other letters. One guess per question allowed. Some easy - others not. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.


REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries.



1. E I K V Kiev
2. E M O R Rome
3. A B K U Baku
4. A G I R Riga
5. A R S W Warsaw
6. D L N O London
7. A B J U Abuja or Juba
8. B E N R Bern
9. A D K R Dakar
10. A S U V Suva
11. E L M O Lome
12. A I L M Lima
13. K O T Y Tokyo
14. A D H O Doha
15. A D H K Dhaka
16. A H N V Havana
17. A B R T Rabat
18. A K N R Ankara
19. A O T W Ottawa
20. A C R S Caracas

Without using the internet etc, do you know or can you guess what is being shown in this photograph in close up? Initial(s) and asterisks only and PLEASE no clues until later in the day

Your challenge today is to guess one word that contains each of the letter combinations in the list below. For the avoidance of doubt, the word I’m looking for must contain the specified letters in the order shown with no other letters inserted between them. As long as the word can be found on an internet dictionary search it will count – however, proper nouns/words that begin with a capital letter, hyphenated words, words containing apostrophes or slang words are not allowed. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.


REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries.


1.Contains XACE



2.Contains CST



3.Contains WKW



4.Contains NDTHR



5.Contains ESHOL



6.Contains GNAG



7.Contains NDTHS



8.Contains RWAT



9.Contains RTGA



10.Contains APK

Do you know or can you guess who I was sketching here? May be a difficult one so I'll offer a clue if no-one gets it. Initial(s) and asterisks only and please no clues until later in the day to give everyone a chance.

Without using the internet etc, do you know or can you guess what is being shown in this photograph in close up? Initial(s) and asterisks only and PLEASE no clues until later in the day

The following list gives clues to the names of 20 famous people whose first name begins with A. How many can you identify – both first names and surnames required for the point. One guess per question allowed. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.


REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries.


1.Tennis player whose main rival was Pete Sampras Andre Agassi

2.Second wife of Henry VIII Anne Boleyn

3.Gangster called "Scarface" Al Capone

4."The Three Musketeers" author Alexandre Dumas

5.E = mc2 theorist Albert Einstein

6."R-E-S-P-E-C-T", she sang Aretha Franklin

7.Paul Simon's partner Art Garfunkel

8.Notable führer Adolf Hitler

9.U.S. President who killed a man in a duel Andrew Jackson

10.The 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln

11.Canadian singer with a poor grasp of the word "irony" Alanis Morissette


12.Dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel

13.Second husband of Jackie Kennedy Aristotle Onassis

14."The Godfather" actor Al Pacino

15.Star of "Zorba the Greek" Anthony Quinn

16.Austria's most famousbodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger


17.Mapmaker and namesake of two continents Amerigo Vespucci

18.She didn't want to go to rehab, no no no Amy Winehouse

19.Lead singer of “Half as nice” hit group Andy Fairweather-Low

20.3rd in list of all-time Blackburn Rovers record goalscorers Alan Shearer

There are 14 elements in the periodic table that are represented by a single letter. Your challenge is to name them. Entries limited to 14 guesses. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.

REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries.

Do you know or can you guess who I was sketching here? Initial(s) and asterisks only and please no clues until later in the day to give everyone a chance.

Without using the internet etc, do you know or can you guess who this is pictured in younger days? Initial(s) and asterisks only and PLEASE no clues until later in the day

The list below has pairs of well-known cities and directions. Your task is to guess which sovereign country you would first encounter if you travelled from the city in the direction given. No use of reference material or the internet to ensure fair play. Good luck.

REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. Feel free to change your mind on an answer you may have already given. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries.


1. Beijing North


2. Miami South


3. London East


4. Glasgow West


5. Milan North


6. Tokyo East


7. Rome West


8. Dubai North


9. New York City East


10. Sydney East


11. Tunis North


12. Cairo North

Here is a list of pairs of events or people. Your task is simply to guess which one came first. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.

REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries.


1. The Telephone or the Telescope Telescope 1608


2. The French Revolution or the Russian Revolution French Revolution 1789

3. The Saxophone or the Violin Violin early 16th Century

4. Mexico City or Washington D.C. Mexico City 1521

5. Steel or Wine Wine 5400-5000 BC

6. Lenin or Marx Marx b 1818

7. Bill Haley or Elvis (re first UK hit single) Bill Haley 1954

8. Disneyland or Walt Disney World Disneyland 1955

9. Sharks or Whales Sharks 450m years ago

10. Marinara Sauce or Pasta Pasta 4th Century BC

11. Bach or Beethoven Bach 1685

12. Bicycles or University of Oxford University of Oxford 1096

13. Back to the Future or The Empire Strikes Back The Empire Strikes Back 1980

14. Buddha or Jesus Buddha 623 BC

15. The Mona Lisa or the Venus de Milo Venus de Milo 130 BC

16. The Roman Empire or the Roman Republic Roman Republic 510 BC

Without using the internet etc, do you know or can you guess what is being shown in this photograph in close up? Initial(s) and asterisks only and PLEASE no clues until later in the day

Do you know or can you guess who I was sketching here? Initial(s) and asterisks only and please no clues until later in the day to give everyone a chance.

I have identified 9 six-letter words and 6 five-letter words ending in “and” that might be reasonably likely to arise in ordinary conversation/discussion or in writing etc. Your challenge is to name as many of the 15 words as you can for one point each. I am aware that there are a number of valid words and you can list as many as you like - but only ones in my list of 15 of the commonest will count. Proper nouns/words that begin with a capital letter and hyphenated words or words containing apostrophes or slang words are not allowed. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.


REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries

Any regular darts players in the group? The challenge today is to place the numbers in their correct position on the board starting from 1 clockwise through 3 at the bottom to 20 at the top. How many of the other 17 numbers can you place correctly? No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.

REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries

1. 1

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10. 3
11.
12
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20. 20

I just saw this pic in a feature about the actor's latest part and thought it might be a bit of a challenge to identify who he is - without using the internet etc, of course? Initial(s) and asterisks only and PLEASE no clues until later in the day

Without using the internet etc, do you know or can you guess what is being shown in this photograph in close up? Initial(s) and asterisks only and PLEASE no clues until later in the day

Below is a random list of 10 well-known war films. Your challenge is to place them in the correct order as to when they were first shown on screen – starting with the earliest. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.


REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries.


Battle of Britain


The dam busters


Full metal jacket

The dirty dozen

The hurt locker

War horse

All quiet on the Western front

Bridge on the River Kwai

Apocalypse now

Saving Private Ryan

Without using the internet etc, do you know or can you guess who this is pictured in younger days? Initial(s) and asterisks only and PLEASE no clues until later in the day

Here’s a twist on the usual word game. Your challenge is to guess one word that satisfies each of the following attributes. As long as the word you choose can be found on an internet dictionary search it will count – however, proper nouns/words that begin with a capital letter, hyphenated words, words containing apostrophes or slang words are not allowed. Some are easier, some more difficult (I suspect). No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.


REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries.


1.Ends in GRY angry | hungry


2.Five letters, has 3 R's error | rarer

3.Is an animal, singular is the same as the plural buffalo | deer | fish | moose | sheep | ......

4.Four letters, starts with Z, ends with Y zany

5.Ends in AZ topaz | pizzaz | shiraz

6.Five letters, ends in EFT cleft | theft

7.Five letters, contains ZZ, isn't PIZZA dizzy | fizzy | jazzy | whizz | ......

8.Seven letters, starts with KEY keycard | keyhole | keynote | keyword | ......

9.Starts with WH, ends in F wharf | whiff | whereof

10.Seven letters, starts with O, ends with F oneself | ourself

11.Seven letters, starts with LEO leopard | leonine | leotard

12.Four letters, starts and ends with E ease | eave | edge | else | epee | ......

13.Five letters, starts with Q, ends with K quack | quark | quick | quirk

14.Five letters, starts with FJ fjord

15.Ends with LFTH twelfth

16.Four letters, is a palindrome deed | kook | noon | peep | sees | toot | ......

17.Six letters, starts with C, ends with W callow | cashew | curfew | curlew

18.Ends in AMT dreamt

19.Contains MBSTR dumbstruck

20.Contains CKKN jackknife | knickknack

Without using the internet etc, do you know or can you guess what is being shown in this photograph? Initial(s) and asterisks only and PLEASE no clues until later in the day

Here’s a quiz for Beatles fans. It’s in two parts. Firstly, I’m looking for the 5 top 40 hits from the 1960s with a title that has two or more words that begin with the same letter. Secondly, I’m looking for the 10 top 40 hits from the 1960s that have one or more words of at least 7 letters in their title (both sides will count separately in the case of double-sided hits). Where an EP or LP has made the top 40, only the name of the EP or LP applies. A small clue – two hits appears in both lists. You can make as many guesses as you want. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.

REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries.

Without using the internet etc, do you know or can you guess who this is pictured in younger days? Initial(s) and asterisks only and PLEASE no clues until later in the day

A homonym is a word that is spelled and pronounced the same but has different meanings. For each pair of words below, can you guess the homonym applying to them. Most are not difficult but a few may take more thought. As usual, you have to get the answer I'm looking for. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.

REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries.

1.Duck noise Unqualified doctor * Quack


2.Half of a half To billet * Quarter

3.Celestial body Celebrity * Star

4.Weighing device To climb to the top of * Scale

5.To enter an airplane Plank of wood * Board

6.Sheltered from the sun Untrustworthy * Shady

7.Container for arrows To tremble * Quiver

8.Card game Fire prodding stick * Poker

9.To hurry Fraternity recruitment period * Rush

10.Tall tale Knitting material * Yarn

11.To tussle Discarded metal * Scrap

12.Vessel for holding liquid Baseball position * Pitcher

13.Source of water or oil In good health * Well

14.Drinking vessel To rob * Mug

15.Folding makeup case Small car * Compact

16.Body part Keyboard instrument * Organ

17.Stem of a plant To pursue furtively * Stalk

18.Bathroom compartment To pause * Stall

19.Military level Malodorous * Rank

20.Timber To move clumsily * Lumber

Do you know or can you guess who I was sketching here? Initial(s) and asterisks only and please no clues until later in the day to give everyone a chance.

I have identified 8 six-letter words and 7 five-letter words ending in “ral” that might be reasonably likely to arise in ordinary conversation/discussion or in writing etc. Your challenge is to name as many of the 15 words as you can for one point each. I am aware that there are a number of valid words and you can list as many as you like - but only ones in my list of 15 of the commonest will count. Proper nouns/words that begin with a capital letter and hyphenated words or words containing apostrophes or slang words are not allowed. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.


REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries

Here’s a topical challenge as the Tokyo Games start today. How many of the last ten cities to host the summer Olympic Games can you name. One point for each correct city named and an extra point for each you place with the correct year. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.

REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries.


1. 2016

2. 2012

3. 2008

4. 2004

5. 2000

6. 1996

7. 1992

8. 1988

9. 1984

10. 1980

Without using the internet etc, do you know or can you guess who this is pictured in younger days? Initial(s) and asterisks only and PLEASE no clues until later in the day

Here’s a quiz for ABBA fans. It’s in two parts. Firstly, I’m looking for the 6 top 40 hits with a title that repeats one or more words. Secondly, I’m looking for the 7 top 40 hits that have a word of 7 letters or more in their title (not including words that appear only in brackets). A small clue – one hit appears in both lists. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.

REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries.

Without using the internet etc, do you know or can you guess who this is pictured in younger days? Initial(s) and asterisks only and PLEASE no clues until later in the day

The following is a list of things that can be applied to countries. Your challenge is to name one country to which each item in the list applies more than it does to the USA. In most cases there is more than one country that beats the USA but you only have to get one of them. To assist, I have put the number of countries that beat the USA in each respect in brackets. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.

REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries.

1 Population (2) China | India


2 Surface area (3) Russia | Canada | China

3 Most international tourists in 2019 (2) France | Spain

4 Northernmost point (3) Canada | Russia | Norway

5 Most wine production in 2018 (3) Italy | France | Spain

6 Most Spanish speakers (3) Mexico | Colombia | Argentina

7 Olympic medals in Alpine skiing (3) Austria | Switzerland | France

8 Most 7.5 earthquakes since 1900 (2) Indonesia | Chile

9 Most farmland (1) India

10 Fastest person in the 100 meter sprint (1) Jamaica

11 Highest obesity rate (9) Nauru | Palau | Marshall Islands | Tuvalu | Tonga | Samoa | Kiribati | F. S. Micronesia | Kuwait


12 Most nuclear warheads (1) Russia

13 Most languages spoken (4) Papua New Guinea | Indonesia | China | Nigeria

14 Most CO2 emissions per capita in 2019 (12) Palau | Qatar | Trinidad and Tobago | Kuwait | United Arab Emirates | Bahrain | Oman | Saudi Arabia |Australia | Brunei | Luxembourg | Canada


15 Olympic gold medals in baseball (1) Cuba

16 Most wolves (4) Canada | Kazakhstan | Russia | Mongolia

17 Beef consumption per capita (2) Argentina | Uruguay

18 Most active volcanoes (1) Indonesia

19 Most Winter Olympics medals (1) Norway


20 Most stripes on its flag (1) Malaysia

Following on from yesterday’s quiz, I have identified 13 seven-letter words ending in “kle” that might be reasonably likely to arise in ordinary conversation/discussion or in writing etc. Your challenge is to name as many of the 13 words as you can for one point each. I am aware that there are a number of valid words and you can list as many as you like - but only ones in my list of 13 of the commonest will count. Proper nouns/words that begin with a capital letter and hyphenated words or words containing apostrophes or slang words are not allowed. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.


REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries

Without using the internet etc, do you know or can you guess who this is pictured as a child in the 1960s? Initial(s) and asterisks only and PLEASE no clues until later in the day

I have identified 14 six-letter words ending in “kle” that might be reasonably likely to arise in ordinary conversation/discussion or in writing etc. Your challenge is to name as many of the 14 words as you can for one point each. I am aware that there are a number of valid words and you can list as many as you like - but only ones in my list of 14 of the commonest will count. Proper nouns/words that begin with a capital letter and hyphenated words or words containing apostrophes or slang words are not allowed. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.


REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries

Do you know or can you guess who I was sketching here? Initial(s) and asterisks only and please no clues until later in the day to give everyone a chance.

Carrying on the latin theme, here we have a number of clues to facts about Italy or Italian people or things. Each answer begins with the last letter of the previous question (including the answer to #1 which follows from #20). No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.


REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries.


1. 2006 Winter Olympics host - Turin

2. City near Mount Vesuvius - Naples

3. Italy's second largest island - Sardinia

4. Sea on Italy's east coast - Adriatic

5. Gladiatorial arena of ancient Rome - Colosseum

6. Italy's most populous metro area - Milan

7. Emperor during the great fire of ancient Rome - Nero

8. Musical style of Verdi and Puccini - Opera

9. Saint Francis of _____ - Assisi

10. Name of 13 popes - Innocent

11. Italian word for Earth - Terra

12. Fashion mogul Giorgio - Armani

13. Lampedusa or Elba, for example - Island

14. Italian term for a cathedral - Duomo

15. Ancient Roman poet who wrote "Metamorphoses" - Ovid

16. Michelangelo's most famous sculpture - David

17. Motorcycle manufacturer - Ducati

18. Team with 19 Serie A titles: ____ Milan - Inter


19. Country invaded by Italy in 1941 - Romania

20. Marco Polo or Fiumicino, for example – Airport

Without using the internet etc, do you know or can you guess who this is? Initial(s) and asterisks only and PLEASE no clues until later in the day

Today we test your knowledge of Latin words. There is a list of Latin words – of how many do you know or can you guess the English equivalent word. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.


REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries.


1. Sol

2. Mille

3. Rex
4. Mater
5. Contra

6. Lumen

7. Annus

8. Stella

9. Leo

10. Bellum

11. Emptor

12. Post

13. Nihil

14. Pax

15. Avis

16. Deus

17. Sanguis

18. Ovum

19. Lupus

20. Luna

21. Amicus
22. Ursus

23. Corpus

24. Caput

Your challenge today is to name the 7 English counties that have land borders with at least 7 other English counties. 7 Guesses maximum – a point each plus a bonus point if you can identify which one of those counties shares 8 such land borders. For these purposes I’m not including the City of London (the square mile) as a county. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.


REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries.

Do you know or can you guess who I was sketching here? Initial(s) and asterisks only and please no clues until later in the day to give everyone a chance.

Here’s a challenge for all of you who like these word quizzes. I have identified 10 six-letter words and 12 seven-letter words ending in “ite” that might be reasonably likely to arise in ordinary conversation/discussion or in writing etc. Your challenge is to name as many of the 22 words as you can for one point each. I am aware that there are a number of valid words and you can list as many as you like - but only ones in my list of 22 of the commonest will count. Proper nouns/words that begin with a capital letter and hyphenated words or words containing apostrophes or slang words are not allowed – neither are American versions of words we spell …ght. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.


REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries

Without using the internet etc, do you know or can you guess who this is? Initial(s) and asterisks only and PLEASE no clues until later in the day

Below is a random list of 10 British TV drama series. Your challenge is to place them in the correct order as to when they were first shown on British TV – starting with the earliest. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.


REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries.


Downton Abbey


Upstairs Downstairs


I Claudius


Armchair Theatre


Primeval


Quatermass and the pit


The prisoner


The human jungle


Heartbeat


Harry’s game

Without using the internet etc, do you know or can you guess who this is pictured in 1951? Initial(s) and asterisks only and PLEASE no clues until later in the day

The following list gives clues to the names of 22 famous people whose first name begins with a J. How many can you identify – both first names and surnames required. No use of reference material or the internet of course to ensure fair play. Good luck.


REMEMBER - NO POSTS instead you PM me with your guesses any time up to midnight tonight. If possible, please wait until you've completed all the guesses you want to make to avoid too many PMs and to make my job easier. So no hurry and it doesn't matter when you submit the answers because I'll be judging them solely on who has the most correct - and in the event of two or more being level it will be a tie. I hope this is clear and good luck. Tomorrow I’ll post the names of the top entries.


1. Director of "Titanic" James Cameron

2. English airport is named after him John Lennon

3. Sister of Michael and LaToya Janet Jackson

4. Are you experienced? This guitarist was Jimi Hendrix

5. Current P.M. of Canada Justin Trudeau

6. Star of "The Shining" Jack Nicholson

7. Author of "Pride and Prejudice" Jane Austen

8. Star of "The Wizard of Oz" Judy Garland

9. Actress who visited Hanoi and made workout tapes Jane Fonda

10. "Ich bin ein Berliner", he said John F. Kennedy

11. Spain's best-selling singer of all time Julio Iglesias

12. Obama's Veep Joe Biden

13. Won 4 gold medals in 1936 Jesse Owens

14. 4th U.S. President James Madison

15. Western actor known as "The Duke" John Wayne

16. Oil baron who was the world's first billionaire John D. Rockefeller

17. He was a rebel without a cause James Dean

18. Starred as the Joker, in 2019 Joaquin Phoenix

19. His jail cell death in 2019 raised many an eyebrow Jeffrey Epstein

20. French author of "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" Jules Verne

21. Discovered the polio vaccine Jonas Salk

22. President of South Africa, 2009–2018 Jacob Zuma

....was the ostrich running when it collided with the tree

Do you know or can you guess who or what this is emerging from the earth in this photo?