Rule Britannia! Pakistan Was Part of Bulgaria Until 1947
Society | November 24, 2009, Tuesday
More hilarious gaffes from the (in)famous British TV quiz show, 'The Weakest Link'. Photo by BBC
It’s a British TV institution, fronted by a bouncy, red-haired, sharp-tongued presenter, Anne Robinson – "Awful Annie", as some call her.
"The Weakest Link", the quiz show with a difference – contestants need to survive by answering their own questions, but also by tactically trying to remove competitors – is famous for the hilarious gaffes generated by some contestants in reply to normal general-knowledge questions.
A new collection of these blunders and mis-statements has been published. Knowledge of geography can be... weak.
Q: Pakistan was part of which other state until it achieved independence in 1947?
A: Bulgaria.
Q: Which city was the capital of New Zealand until it was replaced by Wellington?
A: New Guinea.
Q: What is the capital of Iraq?
A: Iran.
Q: The equator divides the world into how many hemispheres?
A: Three.
Could this be anything to do with xenophobia, one wonders?
Q: What 'X' is the fear of foreigners or strangers?
A: The X-Factor
Or a lack of appreciation of history? One person was sure the Sistine Chapel had been painted by Leonardo DiCaprio. Another thought that Hitler’s first name was "Heil". And there are many failed mathematicians, including the person who was asked "What is one half as a decimal?" and who firmly replied "A quarter".
Finally:
Q: A person who is eccentric is often described as having what animals 'in the belfry'?
A: Pigs.
Maybe we should leave it there!
Tags: Anne Robinson, British TV, Bulgaria, quiz, gaffe, The Weakest Link'
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