Trivial mistakes creep into quiz
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.FOR WHICH club did Kevin Keegan first play professional football? According to the board game Trivial Pursuit, the answer is Cuba. Cuba? Or try this one. What was the Beatles' first hit record? The board game has it as Danny Blanchflower.
Families have fallen out over such answers, principally because the game is always right, however blatantly wrong its answers may be. But all that changed yesterday: the man who sets the questions and answers admitted that (very occasionally) he might just get the answer wrong.
Brian Highley has set more than 100,000 questions since 1984, and is proud of his record in getting things right. But mistakes do creep in, he acknowledges. Ask Kenneth Clarke.
A Tory minister's description of Third World countries as 'bongo bongo land' was attributed to the Home Secretary, who took exception to being confused with the real culprit, the former defence minister Alan Clark. Mr Highley had to apologise and make a donation to Oxfam, but he blames an inaccurate reference book.
The mistakes normally happen at the type-setting stage. Mr Highley writes the questions and answers on his computer, then the list goes to the head office in Barbados. 'Someone there will look at an answer and think it doesn't seem right and change it. If I don't spot something has been changed, it ends up wrong.'
For instance, players were asked where carpets would have been produced if made on the original Axmister looms. The answer is Wilton, because these looms were transferred there, but the typesetters omitted the word 'original'.
But did Mr Highley really think Keegan once played for Cuba? 'Sport is my weakest section,' he admitted. What's the difference between Havana and Scunthorpe between friends?
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments