A few years ago I started collecting random bits of Common Lisp trivia to use for a "purity test" of sorts. Progress has stalled, and some of the bits have turned into lisptips. I don't think I'll ever finish it, so here is the unfinished work for your amusement and/or enlightenment.

======== backquote-comma-dot ==== Something about ,. vs. ,@ in backquotes. ======== binding-streams ==== Which standardized stream variable may not be bound or assigned? - *debug-io* - *terminal-io* - *query-io* - None of the above Ref: 21.1.2: "User programs may assign or bind any standardized stream variable except *terminal-io*." ======== boa-acronym ==== For a "BOA constructor", what does BOA stand for? - Beginning Of Array - By Order of Arguments - Bounded Operation Accessor - Bidirectional Open Atom Ref: defstruct ======== char-code ==== What value is acceptable as the return value of (char-int #\a)? - 32 - 97 - 10 - All of the above ======== cl-package-constraints-title ==== What is the title of section 11.1.2.1.2 in the CLHS? - Constraints on the COMMON-LISP Package for Conforming Programs - LOOP Value Accumulation Clauses - Examples of Suppressing Keyword Argument Checking - None of the above Ref: 11.1.2.1.2 ======== cl-user-default-packages ==== What packages are in the COMMON-LISP-USER package use list? - It is implementation-defined and no specific packages are specified - It is implementation-defined but must include the COMMON-LISP package - No packages - COMMON-LISP and one of EXT, SYS, or IMPL Ref: 11.1.2.2 ======== deftype-optional-default ==== What is the default value for optional and keyword arguments in DEFTYPE where no default is explicitly provided in the deftype lambda list? - T - NIL - * - None of the above Ref: deftype ======== digit-char-p ==== What function will return the integer 5 given the character #\5? - PARSE-INTEGER - CHAR-DIGIT-WEIGHT - DIGIT-CHAR-P - CHAR-CODE Ref: digit-char-p ======== dot-dot-dot-reading ==== 11:01 [tcr] There's possibly another one: "Why is '.. or '... not valid syntax to denote a symbol?" Answer: it's explicitly forbidden so READ will choke on the attempt to read print representations of forms where the printer introduced abbreviations due to *print-length*/*print-level* 11:04 [tcr] http://www.lispworks.com/documentation/HyperSpec/Body/02_di.htm ======== eql-is-default ==== What is the default test function for most operations? [be more precise, maybe per 17.2.1] - EQ - EQL - EQUALP - = Ref: 17.2.1 ======== file-position-designator ==== Which of the following is not a file position designator? - 42 - :start - :end - None of the above ======== format-empty-curlybrace ==== In a format string, what does "~{~}" mean? - Nothing, it is an error to have nothing between ~{ and ~} - Causes an infinite loop - Uses the next argument to FORMAT as the internal format control string - None of the above Ref: 22.3.7.4 ======== format-hash-arg ==== What does (format nil "~#,vD" #\8 0 0 0) return? - "8880" - "0008" - "0" - None of the above ======== get-first-element ==== Which of the following forms do NOT return the first element of LIST? - (first list) - (car list) - (nth 1 list) - None of the above Ref: nth ======== implicit-tagbody ==== Which of the following macros does NOT have an implicit PROGN? - DEFUN - WHEN - DOLIST - None of the above Ref: tagbody page ======== longest-function-name ==== What is the longest exported symbol name in the COMMON-LISP package? - UPDATE-INSTANCE-FOR-REDEFINED-CLASS - UPDATE-INSTANCE-FOR-DIFFERENT-CLASS ======== make-package-defaults ==== If you do not provide an explicit :USE argument to MAKE-PACKAGE, what can you say about the list of packages that the newly created package uses? - The list consists only of the COMMON-LISP package. - The list is implementation-dependent but always includes the COMMON-LISP pacakge. - The list might be empty. - None of the above. ======== not-a-function ==== Which of the following symbols does not name a Common Lisp function? - PAIRLIS - REVAPPEND - CONJUGATE - None of the above Other possibilities: SCHAR, PHASE, MAKE-INSTANCES-OBSOLETE, MAKE-LOAD-FORM-SAVING-SLOTS (from tcr) ======== not-a-string-designator ==== Which of the following is NOT a string designator? - :foo - #\x - #xBA5 - None of the above Ref: glossary for string designator, string function ======== odd-forms ==== Which form is illegal syntax? [not really syntax, but] - (defvar *foo*) - (aref array) - (*) - None of the above ======== sharpquote-let ==== 13:51 <stassats`> i like (let (#'1) (+ function 2)) => 3 13:51 <pjb> (let (#'1 '2) (+ function quote)) ======== zero-dimensional-arrays ==== Something about (aref thing) or (setf (aref thing) 42), and (make-array nil :initial-element 42), etc.