# Botticelli - January 2013 **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [January 7, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391 "2013-01-07T20:36:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391/281 "2013-02-07T18:22:18Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I can’t think of any pre-1800 British MPs with a first name beginning with R who didn’t serve as Prime Minister. I yield my three earned DQs to whoever would like to ask them - one per customer. My most sincere apologies - I erred on that DQ !! revised list Letter is R 1. I am real. 2. I am male. 3. I am dead 4. I am not American. 5. I did not contribute to the “arts”. 6. My first Name starts with R 7. I am a political figure. 8. I am British. 9. I died before 1950 10. I would be considered a “good guy” 11. I did not die after 1800 12. I am not a member of a Royal Family. 13. I died a “natural” death. 14. I served as a member of the House of Commons 15. I did serve as Prime Minister 2 DQ owed to SCAdian 3 DQ owed to Elendil’s Heir ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391/282 "2013-02-07T18:26:37Z")
So the only change is that he _was_ Prime Minister? Still drawing a blank. DQ: A liberal, under the partisan alignments of the day? ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391/283 "2013-02-07T19:37:29Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > IQ1: Were you an English admiral whose brother was an English general? > IQ2: Are you a malfunctioning robot in a steampunk band? > IQ3: Were you Richie and Potsie’s buddy? > [@Labtrash](#): > > Not Richard Howe > Not Rabbit > Not Ralph Malph Correct on all three. (Drat - thought I’d get you with Rabbit!) I’m at a loss here, too - anybody want to use one of my DQs? ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391/284 "2013-02-07T20:03:28Z")
Letter is R 1. I am real. 2. I am male. 3. I am dead 4. I am not American. 5. I did not contribute to the “arts”. 6. My first Name starts with R 7. I am a political figure. 8. I am British. 9. I died before 1950 10. I would be considered a “good guy” 11. I did not die after 1800 12. I am not a member of a Royal Family. 13. I died a “natural” death. 14. I served as a member of the House of Commons 15. I did serve as Prime Minister 16. I am not a liberal 2 DQ owed to SCAdian 2 DQ owed to Elendil’s Heir ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391/285 "2013-02-07T20:38:26Z")
IQ: Were you Queen Elizabeth the First’s chief ‘spy’? ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391/286 "2013-02-07T21:03:44Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > IQ: Were you Queen Elizabeth the First’s chief ‘spy’? DQ for spy ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391/287 "2013-02-07T21:10:39Z")
Dang - I thought I might have got lucky with that shot in the dark. Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salsbury, was Secretary of State to both Elizabeth I and James I of England. ‘Spymaster’ would be a good description of how he viewed his portfolio; I wasn’t sure if he had ever served as Prime Minister or not. Apparently not. Hmm… I’ll be back with a DQ as soon as I can think of one. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391/288 "2013-02-07T23:55:44Z")
IQ: Was your son born prematurely in a coatroom? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391/289 "2013-02-08T01:44:10Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > Dang - I thought I might have got lucky with that shot in the dark. Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salsbury, was Secretary of State to both Elizabeth I and James I of England. ‘Spymaster’ would be a good description of how he viewed his portfolio; I wasn’t sure if he had ever served as Prime Minister or not. Apparently not… Walpole, who served IIRC George I, is usually considered the first Prime Minister, although he didn’t use the title - it was regarded almost as an insult at the time, since it implied either that the King couldn’t do his job without your help, or that you were usurping power. What was Walpole’s first name, though? Was it an “R”? Let me try: IQ: Were you a Walpole who is generally considered to be the first Prime Minister? ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391/290 "2013-02-08T01:49:36Z")
Elendil’s Heir is correct! ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391/291 "2013-02-08T01:59:21Z")
Sir Robert Walpole was the answer. Chosen because he’s the namesake of the town I grew up in (Massachusetts). Learned a lot about him in the past few days! Did you know he holds the record for an overdue (and subsequently returned) library book? 288 YEARS ! When the PM question came up, I first replied no because he didn’t use it. I then realized he served in that position for over twenty years, and popular opinion was more relevant. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391/292 "2013-02-08T02:01:53Z")
Well, I’ll be damned! That was a shot in the dark; I really had forgotten his first name: [Robert Walpole - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Walpole). Thanks, **Labtrash** , for a fun round. Very busy here; I’ll start the next round in the next day or two. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391/293 "2013-02-08T03:05:41Z")
Huh. I thought of Walpole, but I thought his name was Horace. Wiki shows that for some reason I’m thinking of Sir Robert’s son. Oh, well… ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391/294 "2013-02-09T05:01:52Z")
Let’s get back on the alphabetical track. The next letter is G. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391/295 "2013-02-09T05:37:40Z")
IQ1: Were you Austria’s top submarine captain in WW I? IQ2: Did you play a purser on a cruise liner? IQ3: Were you that purser? ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391/296 "2013-02-09T06:09:46Z")
IQ: Were you a monk who dabbled in genetics? ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391/297 "2013-02-09T15:17:18Z")
IQ1: Are you the title character of an Ibsen play? IQ2: Are you the title character of a different Ibsen play? IQ3: Are you the composer of famous incidental music to one of the two plays mentioned above? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391/298 "2013-02-10T01:31:15Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > IQ1: Were you Austria’s top submarine captain in WW I? > IQ2: Did you play a purser on a cruise liner? > IQ3: Were you that purser? Not Georg von Trapp, Fred Grandy or Gopher. > [@etv78](#): > > IQ: Were you a monk who dabbled in genetics? Not Gregor Mendel. > [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > IQ1: Are you the title character of an Ibsen play? > IQ2: Are you the title character of a different Ibsen play? > IQ3: Are you the composer of famous incidental music to one of the two plays mentioned above? Not Peer Gynt, dunno another, or Edvard Grieg. One DQ. **Ministre** , could I trouble you to single-space your questions henceforth? If you really prefer double-spacing, by all means, do so. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391/299 "2013-02-10T03:44:32Z")
If that is how you prefer, that is fine with me. It is easier for my failing eyes to read on my enlarged font screen, is all. You are, of course, quite right on Peer Gynt and Edvard Grieg. The missing Ibsen title character was **Hedda Gabler**. DQ: Are you a fictional character? ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391/300 "2013-02-10T03:47:15Z")
IQ1: Are you an eccentric Canadian pianist? IQ2: Are you the king of birds, for whom the Indonesian airline is named? IQ3: Are you the author of the original ‘Phantom of the Opera’? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-january-2013/646391.md?page=16)