You knew this would happen sooner or later.

No brag, just facts – all of them weird. How many do you know?

1. What is Canadian Esther Cox famous for?
   
   1. Rowing an Olympic race backwards.
   2. Having a poltergeist.
   3. Teaching Julia Child how to be a spy.
   4. Inventing the Canadian flag.
2. What is a fish spa?
   
   1. A place where fish recover from environmental damage.
   2. A spa that serves fish as part of a special diet.
   3. A spa where you meditate in a large fish tank.
   4. A place where fish eat the dead skin from your feet.
3. Speaking of fish: what horrible fate oft befalls the red snapper?
   
   1. It gets caught by vegans and relocated to Scotland.
   2. A nasty parasite replaces its tongue.
   3. It mates, and gets stuck.
   4. It finds out how dangerous it is to urinate in the Amazon.
4. What is asatru?
   
   1. A religion.
   2. A form of yoga.
   3. An art discipline.
   4. A subgenre of manga.
5. Whose last words involved French Canadian Bean Soup?
   
   1. William MacKenzie King's.
   2. Conrad Hilton's.
   3. Dutch Schultz's.
   4. Abraham Lincoln's.
6. According to Roma tradition, what happens to pumpkins that are touched by the full moon?
   
   1. They make excellent jack o' lanterns.
   2. They turn into vampire squash.
   3. They cannot be eaten without being blessed by a priest.
   4. They grow especially large.
7. What advice do experienced hikers give about relieving yourself in the woods?
   
   1. Only use public conveniences. There may be fines.
   2. Always go in water, especially in the Amazon.
   3. Always pee downwind.
   4. Don't bother taking toilet paper on a hike. Use leaves.
8. Why didn't Victorians like 'Londonderry Air'?
   
   1. They preferred livelier tunes.
   2. They thought 'Londonderry' should be called 'Derry'.
   3. They were in revolt against Irish influence in music.
   4. They thought the title sounded naughty.
9. What is a gibbet?
   
   1. Something to cook at Thanksgiving.
   2. A form of behaviour to avoid in public.
   3. Where you could find Spence Broughton for a long time.
   4. A silly way of talking, invented by Monty Python.
10. What does the Edited Guide recommend you 'microwavify'?
    
    1. Your skin, after a bath.
    2. Your Christmas ornaments, for a pleasing effect.
    3. Your Westphalian cheese sandwich.
    4. Your Egyptian hummus.

How encyclopaedic is your knowledge of the weirdness of the Guide? Click on the picture for answers.

Dmitri Gheorgheni

19.11.12 Front Page

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