The World Quiz League

Where in the world is this?

Reykjavik, Iceland.

The moonlit skaters are skating at midday.

Why might Andrew Greig be found propping up the bar at the Glynne Arms?

Dadge

That's halfway there. Greig also wrote a novel called Electric Brae, named after a place in Ayrshire ( on the A719, between Dunure and Croy Bay) where a similar optical illusion leaves people swearing that cars with their brakes left off are rolling uphill.

What is this?

Who bought and paid for the swine that ran for president of the United States. Yip Yip Hooray!

Gavroche

Pigasus is seen here resisting arrest at the Chicago Democratic National Convention in 1968.

In a country with raving road reverends, a severe psychiatric condition, two-channel sounds and better-than-average hairy creatures, why am I not surprised to see a character from a 1749 satirical novel?

Owl

Why because It's not unusual to see Tom Jones (eponymous hero in History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding) returning to his Welsh home sometimes.

The clues refer to Welsh bands Manic Street Preachers, Catatonia, Stereophonis and Super Furry Animals.

Beverly Hills, apparently.

At one time or another, she made a living as a circus bare-back rider, a professional pianist, a
businesswoman, a sweatshop worker, and a spiritualist medium. She has been called the grandmother of the New Age movement. But if you don't know who she is, you will need a clue. Find the link between a Greek philosopher, a US senator, a famous psychic, and the space shuttle; that should help.

Richar09

On my US telephone, letters are assigned to the number keys as follows:
2 = ABC, 3 = DEF, 4 = GHI, 5 = JKL, 6 = MNO, 7 = PQRS, 8 = TUV, 9 = WXYZ

I called my friend Charles, the tennis pro, to book a lesson. His number is 424-3436, which I easily remember, because... why?

Apparently the only English words this spells out are GAG DIDO. An interesting thought.

awaldock

In my trusty old dictionary between out of date and appease I find an enthusiastic welcome or response; the ever-present danger of a ham; too elaborate; sheeplike; one of life's essentials; food of the poor (when they could afford them) and something very big and rather wet.

I also find the biggest secret ever kept. What was it?

outworn to pacify via ovation, overacting, overwrought, ovine, oxygen and Pacific (Ocean).

Operation Overlord was the largest military operation ever carried out (the planned invasions of Japan would have been bigger) and yet the Germans did not know where the invasion was to happen. The secret was kept because every single Nazi spy in Britain was either under arrest or converted to become a double agent to send back false information. The unprecedented and wholly remarkable success of this intelligence operation must have saved thousands of lives, on both sides.

In the run up to D Day the Daily Telegraph crossword featured the following clues

Big-Wig (8)

One of the USA (4)

and others which led to the arrest by MI5 of Leonard Dawe a 54 year old teacher and part time crossword compiler. Daily Telegraph's version of this amazing tale

A superhero acting dead, starring a hunter or a small headed individual who’s often heard on radio? Does a famous acting automobile require it to run? What am I talking about?

Disflippant

There was also a clue in the question number. Can anybody tell me what it was, for a smartarse bonus?

Which two are the odd ones out? In the following list all but one share one characteristic and all but a different one share a different characteristic.

They are all significant places within, but non capital cities of, countries whose flags consist solely of red and white. The exceptions being Monte Carlo which is the capital (and almost the entire country) of Monaco and Hamburg, as the German flag is not as chromatically challenged as those of the other countries represented. (Assuming you see the Hong Kong flag flying over Kowloon.)

I have also accepted, reluctantly, Istanbul as not wrong, as it is the only place name starting with a vowel.

It is the flags that decided the limited choice of places.