Unutterably Silly Quiz

[Shayne Parkinson]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

He wouldn't take the time off required to get it fixed?

A good suggestion, but not the answer.

[orlok]

He sat on it by mistake, fell of his chair in pain, and broke his neck?

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Shayne Parkinson

IKiwi scientist Ernest Rutherford died in 1937, of a hernia. There's a non-medical reason for why a relatively minor condition killed a fairly healthy 66-year-old man. What is that reason?

Having done a bit of googling, I now know the answer you're looking for, but I think it's a modern myth.

[Bilbo1967]

Well, I thought I knew the answer to this, but I fear my answer may be the myth that Paul refers to.

Anyway, I believe that his hernia required an urgent operation, but that only a fellow member of the peerage was allowed to operate on a lord and one with the requisite skills could not be found in time to prevent his death.

If this was QI, I think klaxons may be sounding now!

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

Well, I thought I knew the answer to this, but I fear my answer may be the myth that Paul refers to.

Anyway, I believe that his hernia required an urgent operation, but that only a fellow member of the peerage was allowed to operate on a lord and one with the requisite skills could not be found in time to prevent his death.

If this was QI, I think klaxons may be sounding now!

I certainly think that's the answer being looked for (we'll find out from Shayne shortly) and I know it's appeared in at least one book.

But it's a load of tosh, IMO. I've never heard of any such rule, nor have I found any evidence of such a rule anywhere except in this story.

I'm pretty sure the facts are right: Strangulated hernia, waited for eminent surgeon, turned out to be the wrong decision. But I don't think it was anything to do with titles, just a decision that a really good surgeon should perform the operation.

[Bilbo1967]

Yes. I can't remember where I read this. Normally I garner trivia like this from Bill Bryson books, but he's normally pretty good at checking his facts, so maybe in this case it was somewhere else.

[Shayne Parkinson]

Well, Bilbo has the answer that I was after, but I'm disappointed to learn that it may be a myth! I heard it on Radio New Zealand, and have read it in a few places since, but I find that the official New Zealand biography doesn't include this detail, which suggests it's apocryphal.

My apologies for leading you down the garden path.

All yours, Bilbo.

[Bilbo1967]

Thanks Shayne.

In keeping with the last question, what was odd or notable about the following people's deaths?

1. Ruth Ellis
2. Aeschylus
3. Tycho Brahe
4. Tennessee Williams
5. Janet Parker
6. Georgi Markov
7. Taylor Mitchell

Good luck.

3. Tycho Brahe Something to do with his artificial nose. It became infected?

[pdurrant]

1. Last woman to be executed by hanging in the UK

[pdurrant]

2. Hit on the head by a tortoise?

[pdurrant]

3. Burst bladder.

[pdurrant]

6. I think he was the one poisoned by being stabbed with an umbrella

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

3. Tycho Brahe Something to do with his artificial nose. It became infected?

Afraid not, no.

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

1. Last woman to be executed by hanging in the UK

Originally Posted by pdurrant

2. Hit on the head by a tortoise?

Originally Posted by pdurrant

3. Burst bladder.

Originally Posted by pdurrant

6. I think he was the one poisoned by being stabbed with an umbrella

All correct. 4 points to pdurrant.