Friday 14 January 2022

Famous First Lines - Another Quiz! by Lynne Benton

 Happy New Year to you all!  I must start with something I promised in my December blog – the answers to that Christmas Carol Quiz, which I hope kept a few of you mildly entertained over the Christmas holiday.  Here they are:

1 - n c f a bed  No Crib for a Bed   Away in a Manger  / 2 - t angel o t l c d  The Angel of the Lord Came Down  While Shepherds watched / 3 - s a l cattle s  Stood a Lowly Cattle Shed  Once in Royal David’s city / 4 - a i c a i bright  All is Calm, all is Bright  Silent Night / 5 - t g song o o  That Glorious Song of Old  It Came upon the Midnight Clear  / 6 - c y o c y t Bethlehem  Come ye, O Come ye to Bethlehem  O Come all ye Faithful  / 7 - w t c poor s i f a t l  Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay  The First Nowell  / 8 - s s a-s s g a-l  Seven Swans a-Swimming, Six Gees a-Laying  12 Days of Christmas  9 - i h m steps h t  In His Master’s steps he trod  Good King Wenceslas  / 10 - p o e a mercy m  Peace on Earth and Mercy Mild  Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

And now for this month’s blog.  I thought it might be interesting to have another quiz, to give you something different to think about during the general gloom of January (post-Christmas blues, Tax Returns, Omicron etc. etc.).

So, using the same format as before, I’ve come up with ten Famous First Lines for you to guess – first lines of (really) famous books for children, or books that are often read by children even if they weren’t originally written for them.  Only this time I will tell you the author's name as well as the initials of each word in the line, and one whole word in each line.  All you have to do is guess the line, and the title of the book from which it is taken.  (Note: one is a story poem – but you can probably guess that by the author!)

For example: i i a t u a t a s m i p o a g f must b i w o a w  (Jane Austen)

Answer: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.  (Pride and Prejudice)

Now it's your turn: 

1          M was d, t b w   (Charles Dickens)

2          C w b C without a p, g J, l o t r  (Louisa May Alcott)

3          A c e one g u   (J M Barrie)

4          O t w four c w n w P S E a L  (C S Lewis)

5          A m t a s through t d d w  (Julia Donaldson)

6          T w n r c t begin w  (E Nesbit)

7          I a h i t g t lived a h   (JRR Tolkein)

8          O u a t t w four l r, a t n w F M C a P  (Beatrix Potter)

9          I w t sitting i t k s   (Dodie Smith)

10        M t such d l / t m o g and s o e    (Hilaire Belloc)

 

Answers next time!  Have fun, and I hope it is a Happy New Year, for all of us.

website: www.lynnebenton.com

3 comments:

Abbeybufo said...

Thank you! The Christmas carols were well received in my knitting group, and I've now worked out all these First lines - another brain wake-up after my daily dose of Wordle!

Penny Dolan said...

Pleased to report that The Last Nowell was the only one that stumped me, Lynne! A great idea.

Wondering if brain and book knowledge will cope with today's quiz too, but thanks for the possibility.

Lynne Benton said...

Thank you, both! Hope the knitting group enjoy this quiz too, Abbeybufo, and Penny, I'm sure your brain and book knowledge will manage this one just as well.