Eileen Mulligan says coming up with questions for the weekly quiz isn’t always as easy as it seems. Photo: Mark Southcott.
I’ve been compiling Region Illawarra’s weekly quiz for a bit over a year now and it has been terrific fun.
Sometimes I stumble across delicious anomalies as I wander through my day. For example, I was delighted to learn the lovely French people of the Wollongong Pétanque Club are based at The German Club in Kembla Grange.
Speaking of Germany, Oktoberfest in Munich starts in September. I’m impressed by the early start.
When I was reading Anh Do’s autobiography The Happiest Refugee, I learned he has a half brother also called Anh Do.
I read in Region Illawarra that Daisy the Kiama Fire Station cow is made from the same material as bullet-proof vests. Amazing.
Recently I was listening to a radio interview with former NSW Liberal leader Kerry Chikarovski in response to Mark Speakman stepping down from the NSW Liberal leadership.
She also had been a Liberal leader and her advice for getting over a crushing setback was to find a new purpose in life. For her, that purpose was rugby.
I had no idea Kerry was so enthusiastic about rugby. I met her once and was impressed by her immaculate grooming and poise and could not imagine her thundering down a field, splattered with mud, or having her nose broken by a stray elbow. Or sculling a schooner of beer while standing on her head at an early opener. (Yes, I have been acquainted with members of Wollongong Vikings. I’m thinking of one in particular. You know who you are. And who taught him that party trick? His mum. True story.)
Well, getting back to Kerry Chikarovski. She actually is a director of NSW Rugby Union and a supporter of women’s rugby, a position which would, no doubt, keep her make-up intact and nose unbroken.
But back to the quiz and questions. There are those facts which prove slippery.
For example, I had wanted to include the question: which state or territory has Australia’s longest beach? But the more I googled and the more sources I checked, the more answers I found, the more confused I became. So I dug deep – and gave up.
It was far easier to ask: how long is Gerringong’s Seven Mile Beach? Yep, it’s seven miles (or whatever that is in kilometres. I can’t be bothered googling it.)
Then that leads me to those questions that have me puzzled but have no answers. Why does dropped toast land butter-side down? Where do odd socks go? If you can be disgruntled, can you be gruntled? Why do we think acronyms are an acceptable substitute for actual words? Why do stand-up comedians think swearing is a substitute for wit? “%*#@.” Stop laughing. “&%#*.” That’s so hilarious I can’t breathe.
Why shouldn’t we discuss religion and politics at dinner parties? Why do vegans tell you are they vegans within the first 10 minutes of meeting? Why is drawing eyebrows with eyebrow pencil considered naff but tattooing fake eyebrows doesn’t raise an eyebrow? Why aren’t fake tans racially insensitive? Why do atheists say, “Oh my god”? (Fun fact: 38.9 percent of Australians have no religious affiliation, according to the 2021 Census.) Why do Christians (43.9 per cent of Australians) say “oh my god” when the second of the 10 Commandments is, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain”?
I must say I prefer a Scottish friend’s expression, “Oh my giddy aunt”. I did not have a giddy aunt. All my aunts were sensible and my American aunt is feisty. No giddiness there. But I do like the expression and I would have quite liked a giddy aunt to lead me astray.
I reckon a terrific gift for most people – especially comedians – would be a thesaurus (or treasury of words, a book or electronic resource of synonyms). I hate to be smug, but I think a lot of people could benefit from a vocabulary like mine which is so …, like, whatever.
Anyway, that’s enough for now. Enough politics, religion, death and other topics best ignored in polite company.
Here’s one more question. Which comedian signs off with: “And may your god go with you?”
Answer: (atheist) Dave Allen. Definitely worth googling.
