Fun Fact Friday #5: Women's History Month

March is Women's History Month... though it probably should be called Women's Herstory Month?

Here are a few questions from the quiz I did this week... you can google them if you want, but it'd be more upright and honest to guess if you don't know the answer...

1. Which was the first country in the world to grant women the right to vote in 1893?

A) Sweden

B) Austria

C) New Zealand

Betty Wright - Clean Up Woman

2. Which famous queen is recognised as the first woman golfer?

A) Mary, Queen of Scots

B) Queen Victoria

C) Queen Elizabeth I

Christine Kittrell - I'm A Woman

3. What is Wonder Woman's real name?

A) Princess Diana of Themyscira

B) Princess Grace of Monaco

C) Princess Victoria of Ithaca

Chaka Khan - I'm Every Woman

4. How did Annie Edson Taylor make history on October 24th, 1901?

A) She was the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel and live to tell the tale.

B) She was the first person ever to take a selfie.

C) She was the first person ever to drink a Coca Cola. 

Lucille Mathis - I'm Not Your Regular Woman

5. In 1958, Italian Maria Teresa de Filippis became the first woman to compete at world championship level in which sport?

A) Formula One

B) Darts

C) Wrestling

Sandy Posey - Born A Woman

6. On December 1, 2022, Stéphanie Frappart became the first woman to ever…

A) Abseil down the Eiffel Tower.

B) Win the Grand National.

C) Referee a men’s World Cup match.

Shocking Blue - I'm A Woman

7. In the 1840s, Ada Lovelace became the world’s first…

 A) Deep Sea Diver

 B) Computer Programmer

 C) Hypnotherapist

Barbara Lynn - I'm A Good Woman

8. Which Disney princess is the only one based on a real person? 

 A) Moana

 B) Pocahontas

 C) Mulan

Laura Nyro - A Woman Of The World

9. Scientist Stephanie Kwolek was responsible for which life-saving invention?

A)  Seatbelts

B) Inflatable life jackets

C) Bulletproof vests

Ruby Hunter - I Am A Woman

10. What is one of Adele’s most treasured possessions? 

A) A pair of sunglasses that once belonged to Princess Diana.

B) One of Marilyn Monroe’s false eyelashes.

C) A piece of gum that was once chewed by Celine Dion.

Saturday Snapshots #46 - The Answers

  

If you're Crazy In Love with Saturday Snapshots, time to see if we can Work It Out together. Check On It below... 

(As part of my Aretha Tribute Weekend... which continues tomorrow... it seemed the right time to include Beyoncé, who surely owes her entire career to Aretha paving the way for her.)

Anyway, a full scale scrum took place yesterday morning just after 8.30 with Charity Chic, Lynchie, C - and even George (welcome back, George) fighting to see who could type their answers fastest. No, sorry, FBCB, there are no marks for neatness in the game... although I'm pretty sure you clinched the victory this week anyway. Alyson deserves credit for working out this week's stinkers - number 9 - a song I doubt anyone remembered (even I'd forgotten it) and number 3 (Martin or The Swede might have got that, but I seriously doubt it's in Alyson's record collection). Well done to you all, and thanks for playing as always...

10. Clashing with the cops... even though one of them was a cop - completely!

Clashing with the cops would be fighting with the law. Clashing because the Clash covered this song.

I'm going to have to stop using the police clue for Bobby after today... but it made more sense here than most times I've used it.

The Bobby Fuller Four - I Fought The Law

9. Donald plants citrus seeds on the White House lawn. What will grow there?

President Trump is a fool. The White House lawn is his garden.

Citrus seeds may grow into a Lemon Tree.

Fool's Garden - Lemon Tree

8. Move the pan so the babies don't get singed.

A Jamaican cooking pot / pan is called a Dutchie. This song was originally about drugs, but when this bunch covered it, they changed the lyrics so that it was about food instead. (Ironically, Dutchie then came to be drugs slang as a result.)

Babies would represent youth. Singed is a bad pun for musical AND burned.

This generation... rules de nation... with version!

Musical Youth - Pass The Dutchie

7. Plan a social gathering with this luscious nomad.

The name Wanda actual means "wanderer"!

And then there was Luscious Jackson.

Wanda Jackson - Let's Have A Party

6. Will you go out with me? Yes? What do your friends call you? Like your heavenly body? (Slap!)

Will you go out with me?

Go on then.

Yes?

Yes. I Will Be Your Girlfriend.

What do your friends call you?

They dub me Star.

Like your heavenly body? (Slap!)

Dubstar - I Will Be Your Girlfriend

5. Throw the clairvoyant at that beauty spot.

Chuck the prophet at that freckle.

Chuck Prophet - Freckle Song

4. Char lady required for diminutive queen? You're not wrong!

The Queen is Elizabeth. A diminutive form of that is Betty.

If you're not wrong, you are right.

Char ladies clean up.

Betty Wright - Clean Up Woman

3. Hugh shares a sweet affection for the Go-Betweens' favourite actress.

Hugh Hefner.

The Go-Betweens' favourite actress would be Lee Remick. This is a completely different song though...

Hefner - Lee Remick

2. Why stand on the Big Bad when you could be going on David Copperfield's rug?

Why step on a big bad wolf when you could be riding on a magic carpet? (Originally I wanted to make that Paul Daniels' rug, because that would have been funnier, but I didn't know how well he'd be known internationally.)

Steppenwolf - Magic Carpet Ride

1. Stooping to pick up a Scouse bracelet.

Explains itself, surely?

Martin did a post recently about music videos that stop the music unexpectedly half way through. There's a great example here, courtesy of Mr. Leonard Nimoy...



If I Were A Boy... or even a Naughty Girl... I'd come back here next Saturday for some Déjà Vu. See you then.

My Top Ten Secretary Songs

Ten songs to help run your office...


10. Paul McCartney - Temporary Secretary

Many years ago, I remember reading an article arguing that this was the worst song Sir Thumbsaloft had ever recorded. Personally, I disagree - and not just because he's done much worse things over the last 30 years. Listening to it again now, I think he accidentally created the soundtrack to a lot of ZX Spectrum games in the 80s... and a fair bit of early 90s dance music obviously used this track as a template.

The lyrics are bollocks though.

9. The Raconteurs - Intimate Secretary

Not to be outdone by Lord Macca, here Jack White and Brendan Benson elevate bollocks lyrics to an artform. Almost.

I've got a rabbit, it likes to hop
I've got a girl and she likes to shop
The other foot looks like it won't drop
I had an uncle but he got shot

8. Betty Wright - Secretary

A rather old-fashioned warning to housewives... is your husband's secretary putting a little joy in your man's life?

7. Joy Rider & Avis Davis - Nasty Secretary

A lost punk gem from 1979 New York. Not really sure why Joy's got it in for this particular secretary, except the lady in question won't seem to put her calls through...

Get it straight, yer boss is a jerk
He pays you like a peon and he treats you like dirt
If you're good he'll send you away, down to Miami for a week with no pay...

The Hives did a pretty cool cover of this too.

Quick tip - don't google search 'Nasty Secretary' at work... or you might be looking for a new job by the end of the day. 

See also Stewart Copeland's Klark Kent - Office Girls. More secretary punk, this time from a UK Police-man.

6. Soft Cell - Facility Girls

Marc Almond's secretary may be a bright young thing with a promising career... but what is she at night?

She's got the ability
She's got the facilities...

5. Belle & Sebastian - Step Into My Office, Baby

A little gender equality: here Stuart Murdoch plays a male secretary who gets eaten alive by his new female boss. She's got an out tray full of guys...

4. Harry Chapin - Halfway to Heaven

Another classic story song from the late, great Harry C, one of the best midlife crisis records I've ever heard. A tragic tale of a middle aged man risking everything for a misguided fling with his secretary...

God damn, I'm one crazy mixed up mixture of a man...

3. Billie Jo Spears - Mr. Walker, It's All Over

Probably the best song purely about the perils of being a secretary... it should really be Number One, but I follow my own weird rules round these parts, which is why these lists are nothing more than internet detritus. Don't take them seriously...

In this building there's a crowd of guys with old familiar thoughts upon their minds
That's a lot of hands a reaching out to grab the things that I consider mine
And the president pursues me even though he's old and hair a turnin' white
Mr Walker it's all over I don't like the New York secretary's life!

2. Del Amitri - Nothing Ever Happens

Justin Currie's ode to mundane loneliness only features secretaries in its opening lines, but it remains one of the best singles of the 80s in my humble opinion... I'd feature it here every week if I could. 

Post office clerks put up signs saying 'Position Closed'
And secretaries turn off typewriters and put on their coats...

1. Dolly Parton - 9 To 5

Although the movie focused on rebellious secretaries, the song itself could be adopted by any working Jo (or Joe) who spends their life just putting money in the boss man's wallet...

They let you dream
Just a watch 'em shatter
You're just a step on the boss man's ladder
But you got dreams he'll never take away

In the same boat with a lot of your friends
Waitin' for the day your ship'll come in
And the tide's gonna turn
And it's all gonna roll you away

Which one is taking your calls?