A New Year Brings Little Change: Quiz Time Returns, Despite the Same Old Nonsense.
As we bid farewell to 2025 and welcome the fresh start of 2026, a familiar sight greets us - the same old news stories, with little progress made on our collective understanding or improvement in judgment. Fifteen questions await you in this week's Thursday news quiz, covering various topics from pop culture to general knowledge.
Willow, the beloved canine companion and unofficial mascot of the Guardian's quiz, has had to take a temporary break due to health issues. No need for fans to worry; Willow is receiving the care she needs and remains one of the best miniature dachshunds around.
On to the questions! In this week's edition, expect to learn about bricks that illuminate and a story linked with a 1st-century British queen who was determined to change her circumstances. Get your answers ready and join us in commenting below on how you fared.
Here are your questions:
1. Which country is the world’s largest producer of beer?
2. Who was the first woman to be elected to the US Supreme Court?
3. What does the phrase “Bruton Sound” refer to?
4. A 2019 discovery found an ancient Roman settlement in what English city?
5. Which artist painted a portrait of William Blake as a child?
6. In which year did the Great Fire of London occur?
7. Who played Hamlet at The Globe Theatre, back in 1603?
8. What’s the world’s largest living organism?
9. At whose funeral was a famous poem read out, written by his friend Lord Byron?
10. A new species of ‘Bruton Sound’ has been discovered – what does it refer to now?
11. Who played Hamlet at The Globe Theatre, back in 1603?
12. In which year did the first iPhone come out for sale worldwide?
And more - keep an eye on our social media pages and find answers on your way to commenting on how you got on.
Watch 'Love Who You Love' by Romy if you need a break – or, you know, just enjoy some soothing music!
As we bid farewell to 2025 and welcome the fresh start of 2026, a familiar sight greets us - the same old news stories, with little progress made on our collective understanding or improvement in judgment. Fifteen questions await you in this week's Thursday news quiz, covering various topics from pop culture to general knowledge.
Willow, the beloved canine companion and unofficial mascot of the Guardian's quiz, has had to take a temporary break due to health issues. No need for fans to worry; Willow is receiving the care she needs and remains one of the best miniature dachshunds around.
On to the questions! In this week's edition, expect to learn about bricks that illuminate and a story linked with a 1st-century British queen who was determined to change her circumstances. Get your answers ready and join us in commenting below on how you fared.
Here are your questions:
1. Which country is the world’s largest producer of beer?
2. Who was the first woman to be elected to the US Supreme Court?
3. What does the phrase “Bruton Sound” refer to?
4. A 2019 discovery found an ancient Roman settlement in what English city?
5. Which artist painted a portrait of William Blake as a child?
6. In which year did the Great Fire of London occur?
7. Who played Hamlet at The Globe Theatre, back in 1603?
8. What’s the world’s largest living organism?
9. At whose funeral was a famous poem read out, written by his friend Lord Byron?
10. A new species of ‘Bruton Sound’ has been discovered – what does it refer to now?
11. Who played Hamlet at The Globe Theatre, back in 1603?
12. In which year did the first iPhone come out for sale worldwide?
And more - keep an eye on our social media pages and find answers on your way to commenting on how you got on.
Watch 'Love Who You Love' by Romy if you need a break – or, you know, just enjoy some soothing music!
and btw which country is it that produces the most beer lol dont even get me started on question 10 bruton sound what's next? another species of bruton sound? like wth r u guys outta ideas??
gotta say, it's been a bit of a meh year so far... same old news stories and not much progress. quizzes are always fun tho 
i mean who doesn't love trying to figure out if they're a true brit or not? willow the dachshund is on the mend tho, yay! 
hope she recovers soon
did a quick search and apparently it refers to some kinda underground rock formation in england? 
. But seriously, who's gonna start making progress on anything? On the bright side, Willow's okay, so that's a plus 
. Get ready to test your smarts and show off those pop culture chops!
can't they come up with something more challenging? 
It's like we're stuck in a never-ending loop. But here's the thing: maybe that's okay. Maybe it's time for us to focus on what's truly important - personal growth, learning from our mistakes, and finding joy in the simple things. Like watching soothing music videos or playing quizzes 
i mean seriously though who else remembers those Bruton Sound bricks lighting up london back in the 90s? 
like what a weird cool thing to be famous for lol anyway gotta give it to the quiz team for keeping us entertained, even if we are all just trying to solve the same problems over and over again 
. I was out of the loop for like, months 
. Another year, another quiz... it's like we're stuck in some kinda time loop 
. Can't help but wonder what's gonna change this time around 
. But at the same time, it's nice to see that there are still some fun facts out there to enjoy 
. it's like they think we'll magically remember everything from last year. seriously though, how hard is it to keep track of new info? 
anyway, glad to hear willow's doing alright - she's definitely one of the real stars around here 