h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A quick quiz. Even though this has a correct answer, points will be awarded for other, more creative answers:

Who is the odd one out and why?

a) Nicolae Ceauşescu
b) Chiang Kai-shek
c) Robert Mugabe
d) Benito Mussolini

Icy

And sorry Nicolae Ceausescu's name got mangled there.

I think it is Mussolini. The other three were dictators. Mussolini was an elected leader. When the government became unhappy with his performance, they dismissed him.

You've reminded me of Robert Mugabe's 'election' results:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/robert-mugabes-zimbabwe-election-victory-was-a-masterclass-in-electoral-fraud-8744348.html

Mugabe could be the odd one out, because he's still alive and still in power?

That's true. Nico went before the firing squad, didn't he?

Yes, on Christmas Day.

Three of the leaders were in the Northern Hemisphere. Mugabe's Zimbabwe is in the Southern hemisphere.

Chiang Kai Shek was the only leader who left his original country to go somewhere else [Taiwan] and start new regime.

Chinese people would claim that Taiwan is not somewhere else. It was and still is just a part of China.

It was like a rogue American president going to Texas and starting his own little republic, claiming that he is in fact ruling the whole of the United State.

I phrased it as carefully as I could, Gnomon. I didn't say "another country." Both those who regarded Taiwan as separate from China and those who don't will accept it as another place. It's not Beijing. The U.S. State department has jumped through numerous hoops over the years to maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan without alienating Mainland China.

Benito Mussolini

... because he had the best moustache..

The correct answer is



They are ALL the odd man out

F S

Was Mussolini the only one who didn't in fact get the trains to run on time?

Some interesting suggestions.

ok, the answer I had is Chiang Kai Shek is the odd one out.

All four of these dictators were awarded honorary knighthoods by the British Government. His is the only one not be have been subsequently annulled:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_honorary_British_knights_and_dames


But I can't argue with any of your suggestions, especially Mussolini's moustache

It was a most lushous of moustaches.... I only hope one day I can attain such luxurient moustacheness

That's an interesting connection, Icy.

That just gave me an idea for the pun thread.