Unutterably Silly Quiz

[Shayne Parkinson]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

The quote is about Einstein. But I don't know who said it. John F. Kennedy?

Surprisingly enough, it was said by Einstein about someone else.

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by Shayne Parkinson

Surprisingly enough, it was said by Einstein about someone else.

I love reading about physics from that era (Einstein, Bohr, Planck, Pauli etc..) but one name stands out when I take into consideration your location; Rutherford?

[Shayne Parkinson]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

I love reading about physics from that era (Einstein, Bohr, Planck, Pauli etc..) but one name stands out when I take into consideration your location; Rutherford?

Very well-reasoned, Bilbo! Yes, a fine comment on one of our best-loved sons, whom Einstein also called a "second Newton".

[Kumabjorn]

Originally Posted by Shayne Parkinson

Surprisingly enough, it was said by Einstein about someone else.

Once I started to think about it a little more I began to realize that it probably was something Einstein said about another physicist, but my guess would have been Niels Bohr (probably because my father grew up in the same house).

[Shayne Parkinson]

Some clues for the remaining questions:

Originally Posted by Shayne Parkinson

Quotes from famous people about other famous people. One point for the person or said (or wrote) it, and one point for the person it was said (or written) about.

1. Shakespeare — the nearest thing in incarnation to the eye of God. - Laurence Olivier on Shakespeare. Poohbear 1 point, Bilbo, 1 point.

2. Posterity will talk of Washington as the founder of a great empire, when my name shall be lost in the vortex of revolution.
- Napoleon on George Washington. Bookpossum, 2 points

3. We felt that the public, and especially the children, like animals that are cute and little. I think we are rather indebted to Charlie Chaplin for the idea. We wanted something appealing, and we thought of a tiny bit of a mouse that would have something of the wistfulness of Chaplin — a little fellow trying to do the best he could.
- Walt Disney on Charlie Chaplin. pdurrant, 2 points

4. Jane Austen's books, too, are absent from this library. Just that one omission alone would make a fairly good library out of a library that hadn't a book in it.
- Mark Twain on Jane Austen. Poohbear, 2 points

5. It is fun to be in the same decade with you.
(Two politicians, two different countries.)

6. My Princess of Parallelograms
- Byron on Annabella Milbanke (his future wife). Fat Abe, 2 points

7. He had a large loving mind and the strongest sympathy with the poorer classes. He felt sure a better feeling, and much greater union of classes, would take place in time. And I pray earnestly it may.
- Queen Victoria on Charles Dickens. Poohbear 1 point, Bookpossum, 1 point.

8. Lady writer on the TV
(This is the first line of a song.)

9. The man who tunnelled into the very material of God
- Einstein on Rutherford. Kumabjorn, 1 point; Bilbo, 1 point

10. She is magnificently ugly — deliciously hideous... in this vast ugliness resides a most powerful beauty which, in a very few minutes steals forth and charms the mind, so that you end as I ended, in falling in love with her.
- Henry James on George Eliot. Poohbear, 2 points

Scores so far:
Poohbear 6 points
Bookpossum 3 points
Bilbo, Fat Abe, pdurrant 2 points
Kumabjorn 1 point

[Bookpossum]

1. Is the person spoken of Sir Isaac Newton? I have no idea of the speaker though.

[Shayne Parkinson]

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

1. Is the person spoken of Sir Isaac Newton? I have no idea of the speaker though.

No, not Sir Isaac - famous in a field other than science.

[orlok]

8. is a line from the Dire Straights song of the same name, I think. No idea who it is about.

[orlok]

5. Ronald Regan about Margaret Thatcher?

[Shayne Parkinson]

Originally Posted by orlok

8. is a line from the Dire Straights song of the same name, I think. No idea who it is about.

You're correct. That should give you the speaker's name.

This is a tricky one, as the "lady writer" isn't hugely famous. But famous enough to have visited New Zealand for a writers and readers festival, where I heard her speak.

The next line of the song helps identify her.

[Shayne Parkinson]

Originally Posted by orlok

5. Ronald Regan about Margaret Thatcher?

No, but you do have the correct countries!

[Bookpossum]

1. Said about an artist? Guessing wildly: JMW Turner or John Constable?

[Shayne Parkinson]

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

1. Said about an artist? Guessing wildly: JMW Turner or John Constable?

Very good guesses! Not correct, though.

Literary arts, not visual. And think earlier.

[Bilbo1967]

1. Somebody speaking about Shakespeare?

[Shayne Parkinson]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

1. Somebody speaking about Shakespeare?

That's it! Now, think about the sort of person who might speak about him in such glowing terms.