Mr Lamont with all the answers

HERE are the answers to the quiz that I set you to tackle over Christmas.

1 Norman Lamont. All the rest are politicians.

2 In 1805. He was arrested on a charge of attempting to introduce the waltz into England. He was given a six-month suspended prison term and banned from dancing for two years.

3 It is the name given to a lawn which slopes both ways.

4 Wagtail, Wagner and Wagga Wagga.

5 Norman Lamont. All the rest are economists.

6 The record number of pins found stuck in a new shirt is 79.

7 'Queenie]' is the BBC code name given to the compilation tape of rejected takes from the Queen's Christmas message over the years. They show her cracking up with laughter, dropping the script, saying rude words, looking round in annoyance as Prince Andrew abseils past the window, etc, etc. Officially, it can only be shown in the presence of the Director-General, but there are thought to be anything up to 20 pirate versions in circulation.

8 In the middle of one of Basingstoke's larger roundabouts. There are several rooms concealed below. He has been living there for more than 10 years.

9 In their language, 'Rantzen' is the word for a suggestively shaped potato.

10 A Bulgarian weightlifter in the 1956 Olympics, who was disqualified after failing the sex test for both sexes.

11 Norman Lamont. All the others are popular members of the Cabinet.

12 It is thought to be the only word in English which can be spelt four different ways. If it is barber, it means a hair-cutter. As Babar, it is the king of the elephants. If Barbour, it is a tough outdoor coat, and a baba is a rum pudding. It is also the abbreviation for the Barbarian rugby team, but there is no commonly agreed spelling for that meaning.

13 It is the only word which rhymes with 'orange'.

14 An abortive attempt to train French dogs to find chocolate truffles.

15 It was discovered by Arsenal football team in 1925 and named after Queen Mary.

16 Because all submarines sink on their maiden voyage.

17 After 1994, all Christmas lights on trees will be illegal.

18 Norman Lamont. All the others shop at Oddbins.

19 Underwater hang-gliding is the only one which is not yet an Olympic sport.

20 a) The Duke of Wellington's gamekeeper; b) Anyone called Bonham-Carter; c) Ian Botham, as Buttons; d) Norman Lamont.

21 It is a reference to the remaining unsold stock of Lymeswold cheese, which is currently being driven non-stop round Britain on unmarked goods trains until it ceases to show signs of life.

22 To explain why no Sherpa has ever voluntarily climbed Mount Everest.

23 Norman Lamont. All the others have had roses named after them.

24 Raffles is thought to be the only brand of cigarette to have been named after a famous criminal.

25 An old Irish game in which, whenever a goal is scored, both sides get a point.

26 a) Henry Irving; b) Washington Irving; c) Clifford Irving; d) Irving Berlin; e) Norman Lamont.

27 An African tree which is a natural source of Semtex.

28 The chaplain at Wormwood Scrubs who was found to be smuggling drugs into the prison inside Bibles. He was only discovered when warders began to find roll-up cigarettes that had been made from pages of the New Testament.

29 Stupor. It is the only known anagram of Proust.

30 a) Caspar; b) Balthazar; c) Melchior; d) Norman Lamont.

31 Cats do not, in fact, like milk, which is an acquired taste for them - understandably, as they never encountered cow's milk in the wild.

32 Because 'persil' is the French for parsley.

33 Babylon Wanderers against Istanbul Rovers in 1922. After a crushing 5-1 home defeat, the newly restored stadium was destroyed by an angry crowd and never used again.

34 Yes, but only if everyone in the world held their breath for 20 seconds at exactly the same time.

35 Because Adrian's Wall would sound silly.

36 No.

37 No, never.

38 Hardly ever.

39 All the time.

40 Norman Lamont.