A lonely sheep, a long old queue, and lots of clowns – take the Thursday quiz

This is not the UK’s loneliest sheep – but can you remember her name? Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

“We dig repetition” sang Mark E Smith on the Fall’s 1978 debut EP, Bingo-Master’s Break-Out! We try to avoid repetition of the questions in the Thursday quiz, but you may spot some repetition that amuses you in today’s offering of 15 vaguely topical and newsworthy questions, plus a few historical general knowledge curveballs. There are no prizes, but we hope you enjoy it and let us know how you get on in the comments.

The Thursday quiz, No 133

1. 

   This is Willow, the official dog of the Guardian Thursday quiz. She was delighted to hear that Britain’s "loneliest sheep" had been rescued after two years stuck at the foot of cliff. But she can't remember the sheep's name. Can you help?

   1. The sheep is called Federica

   2. The sheep is called Fenella

   3. The sheep is called Fiona

   4. The sheep is called Flossy

2. 

   In which European country this week has the prime minister offered his resignation after prosecutors examining alleged corruption involving lithium (pictured somewhere inside this spodumene crystal) and hydrogen deals announced that he was under investigation?

   1. Portugal

   2. Netherlands

   3. Croatia

   4. Austria

3. 

   Fresh from conducting what looked like a job interview for Rishi Sunak, tech nerd Elon Musk has unveiled an AI chatbot with a "rebellious streak". What is it called?

   1. Pimpf

   2. Skronk

   3. Konk

   4. Grok

4. 

   Taylor Swift is about to start the South America leg of the Eras tour, and it is reported that fans set up a system of queuing up to five months before the opening date. Where is that opening date and queue?

   1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

   2. Montevideo, Uruguay

   3. Santiago, Chile

   4. Buenos Aires, Argentina

5. 

   Researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus last week revealed they had conducted an experiment which suggested that rats …

   1. Experience grief

   2. Are left- or right-handed (or front left- or front right-pawed if you want to be pedantic about it)

   3. May have the power of imagination

   4. Possess a secret collection of rare Pokémon cards

6. 

   It was the king's speech this week in the UK, where a man with a hat reads out in parliament a list of things the government is claiming it will do in the next 12 months. Which of these four bills was included?

   1. Pedicabs bill

   2. Dangerous dogs (American XL bully) bill

   3. Preventing tent cities bill

   4. Local authority low traffic neighbourhood (prevention) bill

7. 

   In November 1906, the first ever overseas visit by a sitting US president saw who make a 17-day trip to Panama and Puerto Rico, in part to inspect the construction of the Panama canal?

   1. William McKinley

   2. Theodore Roosevelt

   3. Grover Cleveland

   4. Woodrow Wilson

8. 

   Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews has made unwanted history after becoming the first player in international cricket to do what …

   1. Score three successive ducks in an ICC World Cup

   2. Be "timed out" for not being ready to face his opening ball

   3. Sent off for being caught swearing at a batter while fielding at slip

   4. Bowl a 12-ball over after managing to record no fewer than six no balls in the space of nine deliveries

9. 

   It is Roger McGough's birthday today. Happy birthday Roger! What was the name of the band he formed with Mike McGear and John Gorman who had a huge UK hit with Lily the Pink?

   1. The Stage

   2. The Support

   3. The Scaffold

   4. The 30-50 Feral Hogs

10. 

    The Battle of Havana, which was part of the War of Jenkins' Ear (not pictured), was fought between the British and which other colonial power?

    1. Spain

    2. Portugal

    3. France

    4. Netherlands

11. 

    The Conservative party deputy chairman, Lee Anderson, has agreed to pay £1,870 to the British Medical Association’s strike fund after he made a “misleading” social media post about a doctor. How many lots of 30p can you fit into £1,870?

    1. 6,133

    2. 6,233

    3. 6,333

    4. 6,433

12. 

    This week is the anniversary of the 1277 Treaty of Aberconwy between Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and which English king, who was in the process of trying to conquer Wales?

    1. Edward I

    2. Henry III

    3. William IV

    4. Richard II

13. 

    Which office letting agency has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in New Jersey, having once been worth – on paper – $47bn?

    1. Regus

    2. Savills

    3. WeWork

    4. Kerblam

14. 

    NFT enthusiasts complained of eye problems after attending a Bored Ape event that used UV lights – where?

    1. Hong Kong

    2. Singapore

    3. Australia

    4. Japan

15. 

    Kate Bush (not pictured) was inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame last week. Who sang Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) at the ceremony?

    1. St Vincent

    2. Annie Lennox

    3. Gwen Stefani

    4. Kate Bush

Solutions

1:C - The ewe was rescued by a group of farmers. She had been stranded at the foot of cliffs on the Cromarty Firth for at least two years, with an animal welfare charity having deemed rescue attempts “incredibly complex”., 2:A - Speaking on Tuesday afternoon after two emergency meetings with Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, António Costa said he had submitted his resignation, adding he had a “clear conscience” and “complete trust in justice” and how it worked., 3:D - "Grok is designed to answer questions with a bit of wit and has a rebellious streak, so please don’t use it if you hate humour," the team behind it said. As ever, when you announce that something is going to be amusing in advance, it usually isn't. Like the Thursday quiz, for example, 4:D - According to a Pitchfork report, there are four tents and hundreds of fans, with each member taking part in a meticulously planned schedule of rotations to ensure the spaces are occupied at all times. Most fans have secured general admission tickets to the show, so the aim is to get as close to the stage as possible when doors open. And you thought the Thursday quiz arriving at the venue three hours ahead of a Sparks concert was excessive., 5:C - Researchers employed a brain-machine interface in which electrodes were surgically implanted into the rats’ brains. The rats were then placed on a treadmill ball within a 360-degree immersive virtual reality (VR) arena, and actually, the Thursday quiz thinks this all sounds a bit of a weird way to earn a living., 6:A - All the other culture war push-button issues listed appear to have missed out, but a law to regulate and license pedicabs in London will be introduced as a headline bill. On the one hand it sounds unimportant, on the other hand, last time the Thursday quiz was hanging out at The Blue Posts in Soho is did seem like they appeared to be charging tourists about £1,057 for a ride of about 1,057 ancient Sumerian cubits down Berwick Street while playing ABBA's Voulez-Vous at 1,057 dB so the Thursday quiz isn't entirely unconvinced of the pressing need., 7:B - His trip to the construction site included the taking of a photo of the president using a steam shovel to help construct it himself., 8:B - Mathews appeared to have issues with the strap of his helmet when he reached the crease. Under the tournament’s playing conditions, a new batter should be ready to face the ball within two minutes, but Mathews was left still fiddling with the helmet and dismissed. He remonstrated with the umpires before leaving the pitch, rightly threw his helmet as soon as he crossed the boundary, and set off yet another debate about "the spirit of the game" vs "the actual written down laws of cricket"., 9:C - They also had a hit in the UK with Thank U Very Much, and originally performed as part of a revue called The Liverpool One Fat Lady All Electric Show which is either a reference to their postcode if you know your bingo lingo or looks a bit crass to modern eyes., 10:A - Having read a great deal on the topic, the war seems to the Thursday quiz to have its roots in arguments about colonial trade, how much contraband was allowed across the Atlantic, and the control of sea routes. Somewhere along the way, Jenkins got his ear cut off and gave his name to the whole sorry venture. They weren't, disappointingly, fighting over possession of his ear., 11:B - 6,233 lots of 30p will give you £1,869.90, enough to make 6,233 meals, according to Lee Anderson, who once told parliament that meals could be cooked from scratch "for about 30 pence a day". , 12:A - Edward I managed to have wars with Wales, Scotland and France, suggesting you would be right to feel a bit nervous if he moved in next door., 13:C - The beleaguered company, once valued at $47bn on the private market, endured a 98% decline in its share price this year, not helped by the working from home revolution during the pandemic. The Thursday quiz does not approve of working from home, and endeavours instead to do its best to be written working from the pub., 14:A - The ApeFest festival is held every year for members of the Bored Ape Yacht Club, AKA Bored Apes, who have "invested" actual real money in a collection of *checks notes* 10,000 jpegs. Amazing., 15:A - Kate Bush wasn't able to attend the ceremony, but sent a message that included her saying: "Music is at the core of who I am and, like all musicians, being on the journey of trying to create something musically interesting is rife with feelings of doubt and insecurity. I’m only five foot three, but today I feel a little taller."

Scores

1. 0 and above.

   We hope you had fun – let us know how you got on in the comments

If you really do think there has been an egregious error in one of the questions or answers – and can show your working – feel free to email martin.belam@theguardian.com, but remember the quiz master’s word is final and he didn’t even have the energy for a final quip this week.