The Quiz

It’s the day of the annual WernhamHogg quiz night with Dave and his friend Chris Finch, the perennial winners, teaming up yet again. Dave isn’t much help and Finchey, as Dave calls him, seems to like to make up his own rules.

It’s also Tim’s 30th birthday and he’s received and interesting gift from his mother. He also gets several off-color gifts and cards from his co-workers.

I’m 30 today,.
My mum got me up really early this morning togive me my present, Yeah, this is it, actually.
it’s nice.
I’m into I like ballet.
I love the novels of Proust.
I love the work of Alain Delon.
And that’s, I think, what influenced her into buying me Hat FM.
I like the radio too.
It’s all right.
I think it’s quite a sweet present.
I have to make sure Finchy gets here on time for the quiz tonight.
Seven o’clock on the dot.
Six Six years in a row.
Winners.
So er you know Finchy!! Brent.
All right? Don’t forget tonight.
Oh, here we go.
Straight away.
Go on.
What’s black and slides down Nelson’s Column? Dunno.
Winnie Mandela? Oh, yeah, that’s good.
No, it’s not racist.
I thought the column because he’s Yeah.
And she is black, and she’s married.
it’s not even low.
Seven.
Cheers.
Bye.
What you doing in so early? Shit the bed? No! I haven’t done that for weeks! No.
My mum got me up at quarter to seven to give me a birthday present.
Happy birthday.
– Thank you.
What did she get you? Something you can wear.
The hat? – The hat yes.
Well done.
Hiya.
All right? Happy birthday.
– Thank you very much.
Ta.
Right.
– nice hat.
Thanks.
Um Good.
That’s all in order.
What’s the difference between your wages and your penis? I can find lots of women who will blow your wages.
What’s that? – I don’t know.
Why does that happen? Lock up your daughters, as thay say.
Finch is on his way in for the quiz.
Chris Finch.
Innit, Gareth? You’ll only be able to use 20% of it when you get me and him together Gareth, innit? Hat.
it’s Tim’s birthday.
– Oh, yeah? To be honest, I think you’re mad to let me and Finchy on the bleedin’ telly We’re like Morecambe and Wise when we get together.
Not Morecambe and Wise, because there’s no straight man, there’s no dead wood.
So, um I’m more sort of character based, and he’s more of a gag man.
I do gags as well I mean, good together by now.
We sort of read each other’s minds when we’re doing a bit of stick.
We’re just cracking up, and people watching go, ‘Why is that funny?’ We tell them why and they go, ‘Yeah.
You are the best’ It’s their opinion.
Happy birthday, by the way.
– Thank you.
Which one is it? – it’s 30.
The big 3-0.
That’s the worst one, isn’t it? I know what you’re thinking – ‘My youth’s over.
‘ When I was 30, like you, I was going, ‘I’m in a rubbish job, nothing good ever happens to me.
When will it change?’ But, you know Things do change.
– Mmm.
And it could be worse.
There’s a neighbour of mine, Kelvin he’s 32 and he still lives with his parents.
I live with my parents.
– Cherish them.
You will miss them when they’re not around.
Both um Both of mine are dead.
Oh.
So er Dad isn’t dead.
He’s in a home.
So as good as.
Shot to bits.
He was Oh, God.
Called out the other night – three a.
m.
– by the nurses.
He was convinced there was a Japanese sniper on the roof of Debenhams.
Does that look into his room? The back of the roof looks into his room, yeah.
Good spot.
It’s a good spot, that’s where I’d be if I had to take someone out that lived there.
And I had to go up to the room with him, and go, ‘Look, Dad, there’s no Japanese sniper’ Who was up there? – no one was there.
it was his imagination.
There was no one there.
Lucky.
That’s lucky.
if there was a sniper, you wouldn’t see him.
You’d be like, ‘Oh oh no one there.
‘ Anyway, he is a vegetable now.
And that’s something we’ve all got to look forward to.
Happy birthday.
See you later.
Wotcher.
Got him over.
Tim? Got you a pressie.
Oh, thanks a lot.
Thank you.
– Happy birthday, mate.
Thanks, Lee.
You’re a good man.
This is exciting.
This is big.
Big and exciting.
It’s a big, exciting, huge inflatable cock.
God You can sit on that if you like.
– Yes.
It’s not just from me mate, it’s from Dawn as well.
You haven’t got one already, have you? Um, no.
You can naver have too many anyway.
And you do profer it to the money? Yes.
I’d only have spent it on a huge inflatable cock.
That is Stop playing with it! Did you get him that? Brilliant.
Oh, God, look at that.
Let’s have a look.
– Doing, doing.
Ex-sperminate.
Oh, no, no.
Hello, Austin Powers.
I’m the naked Mini Me.
I’ve got one.
Thomas the Tank Engine rolled into town! Dickhead.
Ringo Starr.
Whose Line is it Anyway? Don’t grab it unless you’ve got one ready, ‘cuz it slows it down.
Oh, that is brilliant.
Happy birthday.
– Thank you.
Remember, you’re only as old as the woman you feel.
I say that sometimes.
– I heard that the other day.
I thought ‘He’s using one of my catchphrases’ I don’t mind influencing a young comedian – you’re not a comedian – but I usually credit someone if I use their comedy.
What ones of yours do I use? – Same shit, different day.
That’s mine.
Ex-squeeze me, instead of excuse me.
Oh, wank you very much.
– Yeah.
I invented that one.
Say that to a waiter or something.
Wank you very much! And here’s one.
Witnesses that I started this one.
If someone’s unlucky, you go, ‘I’m not saying he’s unlucky, but if he fell in a barrelfull of tits, he’d come up sucking his own thumb!’ Suck tits? I thought you sucked knobs.
Do ya? Got you! They’re cracking up.
Oh, God Yeah.
There are limits to my comedy.
.
There are things I would never laugh at.
Um The handicapped because there’s nothing funny about them.
Or any deformity.
Yeah? Um It’s like when you see someone look at a little handicapped and go, ‘Oh, look at him.
He’s not able-bodied.
I am.
I’m prejudiced.
‘ Yeah? Well, at least the little handicapped fella is able-minded.
Unless he’s not.
It’s difficult to tell with the wheelchair ones.
So just give generously to all of them.
Guys? Don’t forget to say happy birthday to Tim – it’s today And, also, we’ll be going out for drinks later.
Not tonight.
Why?.
– Quiz.
Well, we can go out before.
When does it start? Seven.
Always.
– OK.
Drinks at six then.
Did you get him a gift? – No.
But it starts at seven.
I know.
Well, OK.
Drinks at six.
Shall I get him a card from you? – Whatever.
Finch is coming down, so gotta be ready to go at seven.
Drinks at six.
But it starts at seven.
Drinks at six.
Studying? Quiz.
Are you a team again? Just three of you, is it? Yeah.
You excited, for this big quiz? – Yeah, Looking forward to it.
it’s not the first though.
I err was on ‘Blockbusters’ What, on the telly? – Yeah.
Were you one of two or by yourself?.
If there’s two of you, it’s cheating.
Yeah.
Just one.
– Just one.
Did you win anything or? Yeah.
Two Gold Runs.
Camping equipment, Walkman.
I usually get five, to be honest.
– Five Gold Runs? But you know you have to answer loads of questions before? Yeah, I do.
– You’d get them all?.
Give me one of the ones you had.
Fingers on the buzzers.
Um OK.
Right.
Which Y was Which Y had a hit single with ‘The Only Way is Up’ and sang with Plastio Population? – Yazoo! Yazz.
– Yup.
You said Yazoo.
– I know.
What’s your cut-off point? Yazz.
But you said Yazoo first.
You would have got it wrong on Blockbusters.
I wouldn’t have said that on Blockbusters – You’d have been all right, then.
I’ll give you one.
Do you want a hand? – no, no.
Are you getting it?.
– Yeah.
it’s a tiny bit loud.
Sorry.
Can I have it when you’ve finished? Yeah.
– When will you be finished? I don’t know.
Maybe we could share it.
OK.
I’ll just have it on weekends – OK.
This is taking forever – no, it was going to be what D, and the answer was going to be Dostoyevsky.
I couldn’t think of the question.
– All right.
What D was a Russian dissident who wrote the novel ‘Crime and Punishment’? Would you have got that? – I’d have had a guess.
You don’t get prizes for guessing.
Unlucky.
See you later.
You can’t come in here.
Quiz offcials only.
What are you doing? – i’m doing the questions.
Got out or i’ll reprrt you.
– Are these the questions? Do not look at thosei Right.
You’re disqualified.
Gareth, we’re having an argument.
We need your help.
not interested.
– no.
You can help.
no.
i haven’t got time to help.
Right.
it’s about the army.
– Go on, then, quick.
i was wondering if a military man like you – a soldier – could you give a man a lethal blow?.
if i was forced to.
i could if it was absolutely necessary.
if he was attacking me.
if he was coming really hard.
Yeah.
if my life was in danger, yeah.
And do you always imagine doing it face to face with a bloke or could you take a man from behind? Either way is easy.
– Either way.
And so you could do a man from behind? Yeah.
– Yeah.
Lovely.
it’s got an error – an offline error 324.
So i’m going to have to take the paper out.
That comes out.
Hiya.
– Hiya.
Do you know anything about these? it’s got an offline 243 error.
no – i don’t really know what that is.
You know we were talking earlier about Dostoyevsky?.
Oh, yeah? – Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky.
Born 1821.
Died 1881.
– That’s right.
Just interested in him being exiled in Siberia for four years.
Well, i don’t know much about that.
i didn’t cover it, really.
All it is is that he was a member of a secret prlitical party, and thay put him in a Siberian labour camp for four years, so you know.
Hang on.
i read about it in er He wrote ‘House of the Dead’.
i think he put all his memoirs in that.
Didn’t he? Yup.
Oh, well So you’ve dug your foxhole, and you’ve pitched your tent thay’ve discovered your camp, and you’re lying there, thay’ve caught you with your trousers down, and thay’ve all entered your hole without you knowing.
no, because i’d be ready for them.
You’d be lying there waiting for it?.
Yeah.
Well, no.
it’s more likely that i wouldn’t be there if i knew thay knew where i was.
i’d be hiding, watching the hole, using it as a trap.
You’d be using your hole as bait?.
– Yeah.
You’re 30, and you’re getting off on pretending Gareth’s gay.
What?.
What?.
i i think she’s been on the waccy baccyi Oh what’s that?.
it’s very complicated.
Open that put that in there, put that down there, and you Hiya.
– .
.
push the grean button.
Were we talking about Dostoyevsky’s ‘House of the Dead’? Yeah.
i think we mentioned it.
– Which he wrote in 1862.
i was just going to say that it wasn’t his first major work.
Wasn’t it?.
no.
His first major work was ‘notes from the Underground,’ which he wrote in St Petersburg in 1859.
Really?.
– Yup.
Definitely.
Well, of course, my favourite is ‘The Raw Youth’.
it’s basically where Dostoyevsky goes on to explain how science can’t really find answers for the deeper human need.
He does.
it ain’t going to be a flashy wedding.
Heaven forbid.
– no.
it’lljust be a rogistry offce.
Save monay.
Then we’ll move in with my mum for a few months.
Save on rent.
– Yeah.
Let Dawn get a few kiddies under her belt.
Which’ll be nice because my mum can look after them.
Then you’ll probably get a part-time cleaning job or something.
Got to dream a dream.
What’s that?.
i was just laughing at what Dawn said.
As you’re such a big high flyer.
– no.
i was laughing at herjoke, that’s all When you get a life, you can take the mickay out of ours.
i’m not having a go.
– no, it doesn’t matter.
i don’t mean to have a go at you.
You’re fine.
no worries.
We’ve all had a coffee.
– no worries.
is it questions? is it an intro? What i’m saying is Oii Finchyi When’s it due? Here we go.
Fasten your seatbelts.
There’s not one big enoughi – All bought and paid for.
i’m not saying he’s fat but when he jumps in the air, he gats stuck.
i’m David Brent.
i’m David Brent.
Jim Carrey on acidi You know what thay say, there’s none so queer as folk.
Or David Brent.
– Oh, speak to yourself Spit it out – as your boyfriend said last nighti i was just going to say that.
– i don’t have a boyfriend.
Can’t get a word in edgewaysi – A what?.
Ooh, matroni – You can have that one, lad.
Oh, that one always Oh, God.
Finchy.
Come and chock out the opposition.
Ricky, this is Chris.
– Hello, mate.
Chris Finch.
i heard about ‘Blockbusters’.
You’ll need more than that tonight.
i heard about you and Dostoyevsky.
i read a book a week, so a question like that won’t catch me out.
While you’re down there, love i – Close, but harmless.
give me half hour with her, i’ll be up to my nuts in guts.
Sorry.
Exactly which books do you read avery week? Science Science and nature.
Everything on the Trivia board.
Allthose subjects.
in books.
This lot sound like thay haven’t read a book between themi College boys.
– Bloody students.
Waste of space.
‘Oh, i don’t do anything all day, but i need more monay to do it.
‘ Political.
Yeah.
i had a job when i was studying, so Yeah, righti And what was yourjob? Professorr in charge of watching ‘Countdown’ avery day?.
That’s clever and funny.
i bloody hate him.
That’s why we get on.
Similar.
cMiCROPHOnE FEEDBACK) Can i have averyone’s attention, please? Welcome to the SEVEnth annual Wernham Hogg quiz night.
Current champions are this team here – The Dead Parrots.
Fit enough to fly.
– He sleaps.
if you hadn’t nailed him to the perch, he’d be pushing up daisiesi Monty Python.
Question one.
All right – Hang on.
David, we haven’t Oh, yeah.
Tim’s birthday today.
He’s 30 years young – as i always say.
So what better way to celebrate than a battele of wits? Speechi OK.
Question one in the mid 1960s, the U.
S.
Army replaced all existing infantry guns with the M-16 rifle, and which fixed-rate, repeat-fire machine gun? You what?.
– Write the answer if you know it.
next.
We’ve been quiz champions forsixyears now.
We nearly lost it two years ago, unjustly.
Gareth was quizmaster then and the question was, what type of alien is Mr Spock? Everyone put Vulcan, which is incorrect.
Mr Spock is half Vulcan, half human, OK?.
And Gareth went, ‘Oh, averyone gats one print,’ but i said, ‘no, averyone does noti ‘Carpet Munchers don’t get a print, Dr Wankenstein doesn’t.
‘Steven Hawking’s Football Boots don’t.
i do.
‘ i had to go home to get a book to prove it.
Thay went, ‘Oh, yeah, you’re right.
Well done.
You’ve won.
Sorry’.
no aprlogies necessary.
Let’s get on with the quiz.
Remember.
Learn.
OK.
Question two.
in the song ’19’ hy Paul Hardcastle, he told us that the average age of a soldier in the Vietnam war was 19.
Hardcastle also told us the average age of a soldier in the Second World War.
What was it?.
Gareth, are allthese going to be about war?.
no.
i got loads of i got one on tennis, one on the Suez Canal.
Loads.
OK.
Question threa.
Which canal links the Mediterranean with the Red Sea? Oh, i don’t want to talk about Mr Spock.
That was sorted out then.
Questions were asked.
Certain parties weren’t happy.
The questions were solved.
End of discussion.
All right?.
Don’t rake up old graves.
i don’t want to go through allthat again – whether he’s a Vulcan or a human or vice versa.
All i will say is what i said at the time.
OK?.
Look at his ears.
How could you confuse Howard Jones with nick Kershaw?.
Shame on you.
nick Kershaw’s the little bloke – Howard Jones has the That round’s about old entertainment.
it’s about old entertainment.
it’s all about late ’60s, early 70s.
Which insect produces gossamer?.
– Sshhi Come on, man.
Which insect produces gossamer?.
– What?.
i want you to answer, Finchyi – What is it?.
it’s a spider.
A spider is an arachnid and not an insect.
Ha, yesi – Six legs or eight legs.
Thank you.
Am i right?.
– Two out.
Shame on you.
Hai Eight legs, six legs.
Eight legs, six legs.
You just need to spend a few a terms at the university of life.
A spider is not an insect offcially.
cRick) We’ll see, we’ll see.
We’ll see when this is over.
People go, ‘Why is it imprrtant, a question about Mr Spock?’ i go, ‘it’s like saying, i’ve got a new pedigrea dog breed.
‘it’s half Alsatian, half labrador’.
i go to Crufts, ‘Can i enter this dog in the labrador section?’ ‘no.
‘ ‘Why?.
‘ ‘Because it’s not a labrador.
‘ ‘Correct.
‘ ‘Can i enter it in the Alsatian section?’ ‘no.
‘ ‘Got that dog out of my sight.
‘ ‘Thanks, i will You’ve proved my print.
‘ And that’s Crufts.
Who had a hit single with ‘Don’t Speak’? no Doubt.
i thought it might be no Doubt.
Why did you say Four non Blondes, then? i got Hooty the Blowfish, so let’s move on.
East East Side.
Oi.
i didn’t know.
– You do know.
Didn’t know.
Missed.
– Did i? i said no Doubt.
it’s the first thing that came in.
Then you’re putting this thing in my mind.
Poison with your bloody Four non Blondes.
Eh? – Both good groups.
Just don’t guess.
Think logical.
Think.
There’s no logio to music, it’s art.
is this the first time you’ve lost?.
The right questions aren’t coming up.
isn’t it supposed to be random? Yeah.
Randomly awful.
i’ll choose the questions.
– Good quizmaster.
Choose a topic – Sprrt.
What’s the capital of iceland? – Raykjavik.
is that still a sprrt?.
– All right.
You.
Capital of Borneo? i don’t care.
– See? it doesn’t have one.
You didn’t get any of those.
cMOBiLE RinGS) And thay were random, yeah.
– it wasn’t really random.
cDAViD) Hello, Doctor.
He’s asking after me? no.
There’s no way i can get away now.
i’m snowed under at work.
Can’t you give him something to help him sleap? OK.
Yeah.
OK.
Thanks.
Oh You don’t know who sang ‘in the Summertime’ do you? Mungo Jerry.
OK.
Yup, yup.
Cheers.
Ha hai Very funny.
Do you want to hear the results or not?.
OK.
in position number four, Universally Challenged.
Third place goes to Malcolm and Dennisi Er, which means that Well.
.
it’s a dead heat between the Dead Parrots and The Tits.
So tie-breaker situation.
Send one member of each of your teams up for a tie-breaker.
All right.
Come and stand here.
Tie-breaker question.
Are you ready?.
First person to shout out the correct answer wins.
All right?.
So, if you’re ready.
Which Shakespeare play features a character called Caliban? ‘Macbeth.
‘ – no.
Ricky?.
‘Midsummer night’s Dream.
‘ ‘Hamlet.
‘ – You’ve had your go.
You said the first person to shout the answer.
You didn’t say you only had one chance.
‘The Tempest.
‘ – ‘The Tempest.
‘ He’s got it.
There it is.
Ladies and gentlemen, the winners.
That’s Blockbusters.
You didn’t say you only had one go.
You said the first person to shout out the answer wins.
First person.
That’s my print.
Here he is.
Chris Finch.
Or is it Hamlot? Is it Macbeth? I’ll write the questions next time and you can have this fat bastard.
Banter.
– no, it’s not banter.
not now.
– OK.
When we had the question, name the Cuban leader who’s been in power since 1959 Fidel Castro.
– You know it now.
What did you say?.
it’s in that situation – Tellthem.
What did you say then? What did you say then? Go on.
Who’s the Cuban leader?.
Fray Bentos.
no wonder this place is going down the pan.
You’re a waste of space.
Don’t get at him just ’cause thay beat you.
Thay beat me? – Yes.
i could list 50 things i could beat them at.
Like what?.
– Throwing.
Throwing.
no.
That’s good.
The landlord of the Lamb pub in Chichester challenges me to throw one of these copper kettles over his pub.
So i take off my tie, tie it to the handle Did it go over?.
Obviously.
That’s actually an offciaITerritoriaIArmy method if you’re in the jungle, except you’d use vines from the treas.
Or a kettle? – No, the equivalent.
Coconut.
i willthrow anything you choose over this building.
If i do it, we win the quiz.
– New challenge.
Double or quits.
– it’s a challenge.
So if he can throw it over, we’ve won the champagne, and that was the real quiz.
– Choose one thing.
You really are a couple of sad little men.
He’s thrown a kettle over a pub, what have you done? Do you want a challenge or not? If i do it, we win the quiz and the prize.
That’s the real quiz.
Choose something.
A chair? – No, not a chair.
Throw Gareth over.
– no, seriously How about birthday boy?.
Throw him over.
Throw his shoes over.
– His shoes.
No, no.
it’s just a challenge.
Tickle him.
Tickle him.
Using the tie method? – Oh, no.
The shoelaces.
He’s using the laces.
– Bastard, i knew he would.
That’ll work.
So, Finch Thank you very much – You’ll get it back.
How are we going to know if it goes over?.
Go and chock.
Sussed.
Go on.
Right.
Here we go.
Two and threa and four Hooray.
– Oh, yes.
Looking good.
Come on now.
– Did it go over?.
Did it go over?.
– Yeah.
it came right past me.
The Wonder Horsei Screw ‘Blockbusters’.
Screw Bob Holness and screw your Gold Run.
I’m a loser.
– You’re shit, you’re shiti That’s the boss.
– Yes, i am the boss.
Like Springsteen.
Born to run.
The Slough branch.
Your university education didn’t help you there.
Let that be a lessorn to you.
Respect your elders and do not fuck with the big boys.
Lifei Lifei – Chuck his hat over.
No, don’t.
It’s a radio as well What an offce.
What an office.
Do you want any? – Come on.
See you, Tim.
See you later.