The questions
1 The OED’s first citation for “video game” mentions which Atari product?
2 Which river has Damietta and Rosetta branches?
3 Who were bribed in the 1950s payola scandal?
4 Which poet was nicknamed the White Myth of Amherst?
5 What athletics world record has stood at 7291 since 1988?
6 Which PM was described by Caitlin Moran as a “C-3PO made of ham”?
7 Which philosopher had a brother who was a celebrated one-handed pianist?
8 What brand name was used by M&S from 1928 until 2000?
What links:
9 Bummalo; out first ball; Pacific burrowing clam; toilet cleaner?
10 John Deydras; Lambert Simnel; Perkin Warbeck; Mary Baynton?
11 Calderdale, West Yorkshire and Nova Scotia, Canada?
12 The Night Manager; Conversations with Friends; Notes on a Conditional Form?
13 Leda; Nut; Rebecca; Rhea Silvia?
14 Beaded; flush; keyed; recessed; tuck; V-grooved; weathered?
15 Relating to a city (8); devout (12); not guilty (13); merciful (14)?
The answers
1 Pong.
2 Nile.
3 DJs/radio stations.
4 Emily Dickinson.
5 Heptathlon (Jackie Joyner-Kersee).
6 David Cameron.
7 Ludwig Wittgenstein.
8 St Michael.
9 Ducks that aren’t ducks: bombay duck fish; golden duck in cricket; geoduck; Duck brand.
10 Royal pretenders: Edward II; Edward Plantagenet; Richard, Duke of York; Princess Mary.
11 Capital is Halifax.
12 Englishmen romantically linked to Taylor Swift: Tom Hiddleston (TV series); Joe Alwyn (TV series); Matty Healy (The 1975 album).
13 Mothers of twins in myth and religion: Castor and Pollux; Isis and Osiris; Jacob and Esau; Romulus and Remus.
14 Types of brick pointing.
15 Papal names: Urban; Pius; Innocent; Clement.