Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

When the Mark Made Way for the Euro

Germany's currency before the euro was the Deutsche Mark, introduced in 1948 during the post-war reconstruction of West Germany and later used across the reunified country. It became a symbol of the postwar economic miracle and one of Europe's strongest currencies. When euro notes and coins entered circulation in 2002, the Mark was retired after more than five decades. The Schilling, by contrast, belonged to Austria, while the Franc served France and several other countries.

A Dance Floor of Many Origins

The quickstep is not Latin American at all - it developed in the ballrooms of England and the United States in the 1920s, blending foxtrot steps with faster ragtime rhythms. Paso doble and rumba, by contrast, are staples of the Latin American programme in competitive dancing, with the paso doble evoking the drama of a Spanish bullfight. Grouping dances by origin is trickier than it looks, since many styles crossed oceans and were reshaped along the way.

The Short Story as a Sharp Little Knife

Guy de Maupassant is best known for tightly crafted short stories such as "Boule de Suif" and "The Necklace", which often end with an ironic twist. He wrote in the second half of the 19th century and was mentored for a time by Gustave Flaubert. His style favoured clear, unsentimental prose over elaborate description, and his output was enormous despite a relatively short life.

Rococo: Ornament, Playfulness and a Whiff of Scandal

Before Neoclassicism turned European taste towards stern, classical lines, the Rococo style dominated much of the 18th century. It grew out of the Baroque in France and spread through churches, palaces and salons, favouring pastel colours, asymmetry, shell motifs and abundant decoration. Gothic architecture belonged to the medieval period, while Art Nouveau arrived at the end of the 19th century, so both sit well outside the Rococo's moment.