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Any Questions? #74

WAMC's Ian Pickus and resident quizzer Mike Nothnagel take a trip across the pond for a quiz about Scotland.

Last week's challenge
Start with the phrase TEA PARTY. Change one letter to an X and you can rearrange the result to spell a word that names a type of person involved in the Boston Tea Party. What word is it?
Answer: If you change one of the Ts to an X, you can spell TAXPAYER.

THIS WEEK'S CATEGORY: SCOTLAND
On-air questions: January 25 is the birthday of Scottish poet Robert Burns, who is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland. In honor of “Scotland's Favorite Son,” this week we'll see how much you and our listeners know about Scotland.
1. The famous Highland Games in Scotland feature may be the origin of what modern Olympic field event, in which competitors throw a 16-pound spherical steel weight?
2.The flag of Scotland features a diagonal white cross on a blue field. The cross is named for what saint, also the namesake of a famous golf course in Scotland?
3. Scotland has three officially recognized languages: English, Scots, and the Scottish dialect of what language, in which Scotland is known as Alba?
4. A statue carved by a Scottish sculptor in 1996 (and removed in 2008 because it was so disliked) features the word FREEDOM at its base, and was based on Mel Gibson's portrayal of what historical figure?
5. The name of the Scottish type of a particular liquor is never spelled with an E (and neither is the Canadian variety). The Irish variety, however, is always spelled with an E. What type of liquor is it?

Extra credit
1. Scotland's 790 islands are divided into four main groups: Orkney, the Inner Hebrides, the Outer Hebrides, and what fourth group, which lends its name to a breed of pony and a breed of sheepdog?
2. The 1603 accession of James IV of Scotland to the thrones of England and Ireland is known as the Union of the Crowns. The accession was a direct result of the death of which monarch, who was James' first cousin twice removed and the last monarch of the Tudor Dynasty?

This week's challenge
Start with the name of a famous Scottish actor (four letters in his first name, seven letters in his last name). Rearrange the eleven letters in his name to spell three words that can complete this sentence: “It doesn't matter if it's in a theater, at a drive-in, or at home in my TV room: I will watch my favorite actor ___ ___ ___.”

ANSWERS
On-air questions
1. Shot put
2. St. Andrew
3. Gaelic
4. William Wallace
5. Whisky

Extra credit
1. Shetland
2. Queen Elizabeth I
 

A lifelong resident of the Capital Region, Ian joined WAMC in late 2008 and became news director in 2013. He began working on Morning Edition and has produced The Capitol Connection, Congressional Corner, and several other WAMC programs. Ian can also be heard as the host of the WAMC News Podcast and on The Roundtable and various newscasts. Ian holds a BA in English and journalism and an MA in English, both from the University at Albany, where he has taught journalism since 2013.