The Christmas Quiz
It's multiple choice — I'm not a monster
Housekeeping:
This is the final Lines To Take of the year. Thank you so much for being part of the journey. The next edition should land in your inbox on 5 January. Until then, have a very merry Christmas, chag sameach and a happy new year.
Jack
Thems the rules
The questions below are based on this newsletter. In other words, it’s a test of who’s really been paying attention in class. I have remotely installed software on all your devices, and will receive instant notifications should any of you decide to cheat. Good luck!
Which individual has appeared the most in Lines To Take?
a. My mom b. My dad c. Tony Blair d. Stephen Kotkin
How much have successive fuel duty freezes cost the UK Exchequer since 2011?
a. £25bn b. £55bn c. £87bn d. £100bn+
Which Labour MP provided the ‘secret’ loan for Peter Mandelson to purchase a property in 1996?
a. Stephen Byers b. Geoffrey Robinson c. George Robertson d. Margaret Beckett
At last month’s Budget, Rachel Reeves raised her fiscal headroom from £9.9bn to £22bn. But what is the 15-year average for the buffer?
a. £8bn b. £17bn c. £30bn d. £42bn
In ‘Everything’s fine, except these 47 things’, which of these didn’t drive me mad?
a. Lift-only Tube stations b. Costume dramas c. Pret coffee d. Portable chargers
Which Australian politician famously said “I wanna do you slowly?”
a. John Howard b. Kevin Rudd c. Paul Keating d. Tony Abbott
In Labour’s 1981 deputy leadership election, Denis Healey defeated Tony Benn by what margin?
a. 60.5% to 39.5% b. 52% to 48% c. 50.4% to 49.6% d. 50.1% to 49.9%
In ‘Who gets to be Mr Big Shot?’, I re-tell the story the Friends episode in which Ross gets in trouble with Rachel’s father for secretly adding a tip. How much did he slip under the bill?
a. $10 b. $20 c. $50 d. $100
When did the United States end the convertibility of the dollar to gold?
a. 1971 b. 1975 c. 1979 d. 1980
What item did British Airways trial ditching in its latest cost-cutting exercise?
a. Life jackets b. Metal cutlery c. Flowers in the toilets d. Water bottles
What projection does this OBR graphic represent?
a. Productivity growth b. Fuel duty revenue c. Stamp duty d. inheritance tax
Who is the prime minister of Slovakia?
a. Viktor Orbán b. Robert Fico c. Eduard Heger d. Robert Golob
Who said, on the day of the Truss ‘mini-Budget’, that this was "the best Conservative budget since 1986’?
a. Kemi Badenoch b. Rishi Sunak c. Nigel Lawson d. Nigel Farage
What is the name of the major Brazilian aircraft manufacturer?
a. Embraer b. Bombardier c. Comac d. Gulfstream
When I went viral back in 2023 for saying what I thought were nice things about Australia, which former UK Big Brother contestant trolled me online?
a. Nasty Nick b. Alison Hammond c. Craig Phillips d. Nikki Graheme
When were the words “Under God” added to the US Pledge of Allegiance?
a. 1865 b. 1914 c. 1954 d. 1980
What is the name of Keir Starmer’s new Substack?
a. Notes from No.10 b. I wouldn’t have started from here c. Prime Lines d. Keir Starmer
Which Sex and the City character proclaimed that men are like cabs in that, “When they’re available, their light goes on”?
a. Charlotte b. Miranda c. Carrie d. Samantha
How many miles did I walk between January 2015 and June 2025 (clue: this is a brag)
a. 12,000 b. 23,000 c. 32,000 d. 38,000
How old do you have to be to purchase aerosol paint in England?
a. 15 b. 16. c. 18. d. 21
Answers below!
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