British Quizzing FAQ
* What's in this FAQ?
Some very out-of-date answers to common questions about British quizzing, and pointers to more information on some topics. It remains here for now mainly because of the oft-quoted description of the game in Britain (in question 7) as an "anarchy of dictatorships". This may be updated in the future, but it is more likely to be scrapped sooner or later.
Contents
1. What is quizzing?
Pretty much anything that involves one person asking factual questions and other people competing by answering them. Some games test speed of recall, others demand speciality in certain areas. So long as knowledge is the key, it's a quiz. Usually :-)
2. Why do you bother?
Because it's fun. As well as the kudos, and sometimes cash, when you do well, any quizzer will tell you that they've made some great friends from quizzing, and got interested in areas they would never otherwise have thought about.
3. Who can do quizzing?
Absolutely anyone. Even you :-) Quizzing is a worldwide game, and everyone can bring some knowledge and experience that's useful. While the public stereotype of quizzers might be of sad old men in pubs, the game today is enjoyed by men and women of all ages and backgrounds.
4. What different types of quiz are there?
Loads - you can do a lot with questions and a bit of imagination. Here are some examples:
Academic buzzer quizzing: University Challenge is an example of this. Questions cover all areas of human knowledge, including popular culture. It is usually played in teams, although singles tournaments do take place.
"Trash" buzzer quizzing: Like academic buzzer quizzing, but with only popular culture and similar subjects covered in the questions.
Team quizzing: No buzzers are used for this, hence it is the format of many quiz leagues. Players take questions individually, but may defer to other team members.
Table quizzing: Most pub quiz nights use this format, in which teams work together on a written answer sheet.
Individual quizzing: Often heavily weighted towards exam-style written rounds, although spoken rounds are sometimes used.
Television and radio quizzes: These come in all shapes (of game) and sizes (of prize)!
5. Is quizzing a sport or a game?
This one's controversial. Quizzing is properly termed a "mind sport", but it's argued whether there is sufficient physical activity for it to be termed "sport". Buzzer quizzers in particular point to the reflex speed required by them as evidence of this, but the jury is still out. Just say "mind sport" and you won't go wrong.
6. I don't understand you! Is there a translation?
Quiz jargon is a pretty dense mess from both sides of the Atlantic, so I'm not surprised. There are several primers out there, all of which have the same basic content, but differing levels of silliness and humour. Three good places to start are:A Dictionary of Quizzing at the Oxford University Quiz Society site - the daddy of them all!
The BuzzerQuiz Quiz Glossary - this built upon the Oxford glossary, and is more comprehensive but slightly less humorous.
The Trivia Hall of Fame Lexicon - an international effort, containing terms from Britain, American, Canada and India.
7. Who runs British quizzing?
British quizzing for years was an "anarchy of dictatorships", as various leagues and organisations came and went. However, the 21st century has brought with it a greater level of national organisation, but also a greater depth of rifts between the various factions. At the more senior end of the spectrum, the British Quiz Association (www.bqa.org.uk) focuses on individual written competitions and media quizzes, and runs its "British Quiz Championship". However, some quiz leagues and clubs don't recognise the BQA's position; some of these rifts are ideological, especially over the BQA's favoured exam-style format, and some are personal.
BuzzerQuiz (www.buzzerquiz.com) does exactly what it says on the tin: runs buzzer quiz tournaments in the style of University Challenge. These are open to everyone, not just students, and require speed of recall as well as depth of knowledge. They organise the annual British Student Quiz Championship, and also the BuzzerQuiz Championship Circuit, which is an ongoing series of tournaments open to all quiz teams.
Team quizzing is informally headed by the Merseyside Quiz Leagues and the Quiz League of London (www.qll.org.uk). Each year, the two organise their Team Quiz Festival, which features the annual North v South match. They also each run a geographically more widespread senior competition, called the President's Trophy (north) or President's Cup (south).
A new kid on the block is Quizzing.co.uk. Starting from the premise that quiz is fun, they run online competitions and regular meetings to play quizzes at all levels of ability in all formats.
Elsewhere, anarchy still rules, particularly in the large number of utterly independent quiz leagues up and down the country.
8. I want to take part. What should I do?
This all depends where you are and what you want to do. Let's go through those types of quizzing again:
Academic & "Trash" buzzer quizzing: Most buzzer competitions are run by BuzzerQuiz, and their web site is the best place to start. If you are at university, find out if there is a quiz club or team already in existence; if not, find some similarly interested people and start one! If you are not at university, most competitions will include assistance in finding a team, if you haven't got one already.
Team quizzing: There are many local leagues that use one form of team quizzing or another.
Table quizzing: Ask around. Every town and city usually has at least one decent pub quiz using this format. Be warned: they can range from the fiercely competitive and tough to the laid back and often quite lowbrow, with a good number of downright stinkers out there for good measure. If you don't like one, go somewhere else. A second warning: every once in a while, there'll be a "local pub for local people" syndrome, where people who just turn up for the quiz are shunned; taking your custom elsewhere will be by mutual agreement and almost certainly at no loss to yourself.
Individual quizzing: Some quiz leagues organise annual individual competitions as well - for example, the Brain of London run by the Quiz League of London. Some of the Quizzing.co.uk events are also designed for individuals. The British Quiz Association also has their competitions.
Television and radio quizzes: Programmes are always looking for people to audition. The BBC usually has some contestant calls on Ceefax, while the UK Game Show Page and Quizzing.co.uk carry a lot more.