Mahesh Murthy

Quiz #1, dated August 2Quiz #11
Dated August 28, 1998

Mahesh Murthy
1. You know who Mae West is. Who or what is Mae East?
2. What was Russian ballerina Madame Simskys contribution to Indian cinema?
3. He started his career with a silent film "Star of the East". Then in 3 of the earliest
talkies: "Alam Ara" in Hindi, "Bhakta Prahalada" in Telugu & "Kalidasa" in Tamil in
1931. When asked why he made his latest creation, he said How can people see my films
if lhey dont have good eyesight"? Who is he?
4. Bosons, Mesons & Muons are all subatomic particles. What is a Koan?
5. The Oedipus Complex is where a mother is in love with her son. What are The Electra
Complex and the Phaedra Complex?
6. What is the key difference between cars for the American & Canadian markets?
7. Nike, apart from being the Greek goddess of victory is also the worlds largest sporting
apparel company. Well, what or who is an Ekin?
8. What is the similarity between Levi Strauss and Fevicol?
9. A British company called Wire & Plastic Products Ltd. is the world no. 1 in its field.
What field?
10.What is the dominant religion in Bali, practised by more than 80% of the population?
11. Whats common to Tarzan, Tiger, Ganesh, Sher and Bandar?
12. Whats common to Poland, Iberia, Kent State, Alaska and Texas?
13. Lord Vishnu is supposed to have survived at this place by eating "ber" or berries. Its
now named after the incident. Which place?
14. What is Dr. Arora of 28 Raigarpura, New Delhi famous for?
15. What is the contribution of Bengali mathematical genius R. Sircar to world

geography?
16. In the border areas, the Indian Army often has to make what it calls a 'dollar
payment'- for example a Lhasa Apso dog may cost 2 or 3 dollars. What is this so called
"dollar" ?
17.The British parliament has a guideline saying that all speeches should he relevant,
non-repetitive and short. What has evolved from this guideline?
18. In design terms, "identity" is a unique visual consistency over the years. What famous
brands have a yellow box or border and a red box or border respectively as their
identities?
19. Which publishing house has also published a guide to its readers on the formula they
should use in writing books for them?
20. Which entertainment icon - a fictional figure - has generated billions of dollars of
revenue for its creators by virtue of being a curious plumber?
21. Sir Ronald Ross got the Nobel Prize in 1906 for his work tracing malaria to the
Anopheles mosquito. Where did he actually start his research?
Answers to Quiz #11
1. Mae West & Mae East are network nodes on the Internet where all the phone
companies exchange packets. It is the hest place to place a server on the Internet or get
fast performance.
2. She choreographed and created the first ever dream-sequence in Indian cinema - for
Raj Kapoor's Awara.
3. L V Prasad
4. Zen Buddhism is taught or learned through a process of asking unanswerable questions

like "What is the sound of one hand clapping". These questions are called Koan.
5. Respectively, where Father & Daughter have a bond. And where step-parent & step-
child have a bond.
6. Dashboard in FPS system vs MKS system.
7. A type of Nike employee, what the company calls a sports evangelist - they do nothing
but spread the word about sports & the company - a sign of their loyalty is a 'swoosh'
tattooed on their ankles.
8. Their logos are similar: horses pulling apart jeans for Levi's, elephants pulling apart a
ball for Fevicol.
9. Advertising. It's the core of the WPP Group that owns O&M, JWT and other
companies.
10. Hinduism
11. All are brands of beedis.
12. All are James Michener novels.
13. Badrinath.
14. Matchmaking - you see his ads by the railroad tracks all the way from Agra to Delhi -
'zara mil to lein'.
15. He was the first to measure that a certain mountain was 29012 feet high and hence the
highest in the world. In true British style they went and named it after the nearest
Britisher, his boss - Sir George Everest.
16. A bottle of rum.
17. "Just A Minute" competitions.
18. National Geographic & Time respectively.
19. Mills & Boon.
20. Super Mario, for Nintendo.
21. Secunderabad - in Begumpet & at the Military Hospital in Trimulgherry
Special ! !
Sushil Chandani
1. Other than water, what is the only substance served in restaurants that has Zero calories
per 100 grams ?
Club Soda :with bicarbonate dissolved in water, it has no calorific value at all...
2. Originally called the 'Bag-E-Aam, what is it now called ?

The Public Gardens, Nampally.
3.What spices are, by tradition, only picked by women in India ? A hill range is named
after them, and they are never domestically farmed.
Cardamom
4. Fruity, Flowery, Resinous, Spicy, Foul and burned: together are ?

The seven basic odours
5. What luxury liner operates on the Calcutta-Port Blair-Madras route?

M V Harshavardhana
6. The Kempinski group of hotels has its headquarters at ?
Berlin
7 Nutritionally, what does jaggery have that sugar does not ?

Iron
8. Traditionally, the leaves of what tree are supposed to improve your singing voice ?
Tamarind
9. What is surrogate advertising all about ?

Specially in the case of liquor, where the normal sources of publicity - media - are not
available by law, you advertise a harmless product which bears the same name as your
alcohol. For example, Bagpiper Golf Sets etc.
10. What is a Wazwan ?

The traditional Kashmiri feast
11. What is the red companion of Toscano Bianco ?

Chianti
12. Where does a large part of the action in Home Alone 2 occur ?
At the Hotel Plaza, New York
13. For preparing jowar and bajra rotis, what special methodology do you need to adopt ?
Use hot water for kneading the dough with
14. Where would you find India's only dormant volcano ?

Barren Island, The Andamans
15 One way of making milk powder is through spray drying. The other ?
Drum or roller drying
16. Which hotel has the distinction of being the target of more take-over bids than any
other ?
The Ritz, Paris
17. More and more palaces get converted into hotels every year. But what organisation is
located at the Motibagh Palace, Patiala ?
National Institute of Sports
18. The much loved comic character who places food ahead of sleep, over his studies
and, alas, above love, is Jughead Jones. What is his dog called?
Hot Dog
19. According to legend, the sands of which places are coloured red, black and yellow
because the remains of an uneaten wedding feast were turned to sand here ?
Cape Camorin - Kanyakumari
20. What curious state emblem was found on the Nizam's flag ?
Seven Kulchas (some say, symbolizing the seven generations of Nizams)
21. What is common to the Royal Bhutan Airline and Welcomgroup's hotel in Thimphu?
DRUK
22. What was special about the Roman Emperor Caligula's vinegar ?
It had pearls dissolved in it
23. " Cholent", a dish made with meat, dumplings, legumes and vegatables - is put to
cook on a friday evening, left to simmer until eaten the next day. Whose speciality ?
The Jews: Kosher food
24. When doing Indian cooking in the west, what are coriander leaves often substituted
with ?
Parsley
25. This blind Benedictine monk, lived 1638-1715, has a very famous brand name, of a
drink that he invented, named after him.
Dom Pierre Perignon - Dom Perignon champagne
26. Beside being a soap, what is a Lux ?

It is the unit of illumination
27. What wine, by custom, goes with oysters and shellfish ?

Chablis
28. In 1879, an eccentric Berne aristocrat, Rudolph Lindt, invented a process called
"conching". What for ?
Placing chocolate in a heated trough while a roller moved, back and forth, over it for 72
hours - for creamy texture
29. Recipes such as Canard a la orange, Canard Braise au chou er Rouge, etc: What is
this Canard ?
Duck, in French
30. The Las Vegas-like place just outside New York city where Donald Trump and others
had some very opulent casinos ?
Atlantic City, New Jersey
31. What is the 'Smorgasbord' syndrome ?

Increase in appetite upon seeing good looking cooking
32. Koyyalagudam. Puttapaka. The third ?
Pochampalli. Nearby, Handicraft-steeped villages
33. What rarity did you find in Hotel Broadway (Abids) Menu card ?
A seperate section for diabetics
34. In corn and barley, the 'cobs' have a beard like outgrowth. Called ?
Awn
35. Why did the South African anthropologist Raymond Dart name one particular
ancestor of man as Australopethicus prometheus ?
He claimed he had found evidence that this was the earliest of the hominids to play with
fire: for cooking
36. What in business economics is called the 'Chicken burger- Barbecue shop'
syndrome ?
A succesful joint at one location inspires imitators up and down
the street - in good times everyone does fine; during economic downturns, all go broke
37. What airport was voted by the International Airline Passenger's Association as the
best ?
Schipol, Amsterdam
38. What dish is named in honour of the 19th century French actress, Suzanne
Rechenberg ?
Crepes Suzette - after her stage name, Suzette: thin pancakes, doused in orange sauce and
flambed
39. What was estimated by Babar to be worth two and a half day's food for the whole
world ?
The Kohinoor
40. Other than humans and the apes, the Robber Crab of the South Pacific is the only
animal which eats this fruit...
Cocoanut - this crab has powerful pincers
41. In the 3rd Century, B.C., when was it compulsary to have a clove in your mouth ?
While addressing the King
42. Casanova, and Madama Du Burry - two of history's most famed lovers - were
addicted to what substance ?
Chocolate. Hence, 'the food of the Gods'
43. Brandewijn - In Dutch meaning burnt wine - is better known by what name ?
Brandy
44. Early Arctic explorers frequently lived on a diet exclusively comprising of polar bear
and seal meat. What was the chief nutritional problem that they encountered ?
Hypervitaminosis. Polar bear and seal flesh / fat are extremely rich in vitamins.
45. Along which river is Jammu situated ?

The Tawi
46. The Bullock's Heart is better known to us by what name ?

Custard Apple
47. What is the brand name of Shaw Wallace's premium whiskey ?

Antiquity
48. Like macaroni and spaghetti, In India you have Vermicelli and...
Phirni (called Pheni in the south)
49. What is the World's Number one Gourmet ice-cream brand ?

Haagen-Dazs
50. What was the main complaint that consumers had with the early 'Mexican' varieties of
hybrid wheat when they were first grown in India in the sixties ?
Their red colour resulted in a dark flour that looked unappetising when cooked
51. After the hamburger, what is the most popular selling item in western fast food
joints ?
The cheeseburger
52. There are three types of sausages: Frankfurters, salamis &..

Chipolata
53. What is a Boston Crab ?

A sideways motion of the arm, with fists clenched, in boxing, is called the Boston Crab
54. What do certain species of bacteria contribute to in cheeses such as Gruyere and
Enmental ?
Both these Swiss cheese varieties have large holes..
55. What do you get when Galliano is added to vodka and orange juice ?
The Brits call it the Italian Screwdriver, the Americans the Harvey Wallbanger. This
American name originated in a New York watering hole.
56. What Indian town is famous for its potatoes ?

Kufri, near Simla: The Indian Potato Research Institute is located here
57. Which venerable London Gourmet food establishment, on Piccadilly Street, is famous
for its tea, among other things ?
Fortnum and Mason
58. In 1890, this British surgeon, alarmed at the hazards of drinking a particular alcohol
in the undiluted form, created a "healthy cocktail" that bears his name. What ?
Gimlet, after Sir T O Gimlette
59. The last word in most good table dictionaries is Zymurgy. What is Zymurgy?
The chemistry of wine making, brewing, distilling and fermentation
60. Outside India, which other country broadcasts in Sanskrit ?

Radio Deustche Welle (Germany)
61. Marriot, the Hotel chain, is the largest, in terms of sales, of its kind. In what field ?
Inflight Catering
62. Saint Cloud. Meissen. Bow. What is the 4th in the series ?
Dresden. In European chinaware
63. What, in contemporary American slang, is Epping ?

Futile movements of fingers and eyebrows, used when failing to attract the attention of
waiters and barmen, is Epping
64. This agricultural product bears its seeds on the outside, and more than 13 tonnes of it
are consumed at a celebrated annual event that has nothing to do with food or eating..
Strawberries (Wimbledon)
65. What is the "milk white" variety of rice from Bengal called ?
Doodhkamla
66. What was the name given to a style of sleeve, fashionable in the Victorian era, that
had a puffed shoulder followed by a close-fitting part from the elbow to the wrist ?
The Leg of Mutton
67. In cooking, what is water slightly cooler than simmering called ?

Shivering
68. What unique inconvenience do the inhabitants of the Kiribati Islands, in the Pacific,
live with ?
The International Date Line straddles this island, only land mass where this happens.
Travelling east to west or vice versa on this island is quite a chore
69. According to Islamic lore, two lumps of clay remained after God created the universe.
One was fashioned into the camel. What was the fate of the other ?
It became the Date Palm tree
70. In medium budget North Indian hotels, a particular class of customers, referred to as
KLAC customers, are very welcome, from the business point of view. What does KLAC
stan for ?
"Kambal Lapeta Aur Chala": They end up at hotels without prior reservations
71. In medieval Europe what quality of bread was used to distinguish the social status of
a person ?
Its Whiteness
72. Where would you find the Sajjan Nivas and Khush Mahal ?
They are the suites in the Lake Palace Hotel, Udaipur
73. Kwok's disease is not really a disease but an allergy. To what ?

To monosodium glutamate (Ajinomoto)
74. Painters in India during the British Raj whose style of painting was very much in the
Western style are collectively referred to as ?
The Company School
75. The noted writer George Orwell once published a pamphlet outlining the golden rules
of making tea. What was the final, and in his opinion, the major rule for having a good
cup of tea ?
No Sugar, please. In his view, tea with sugar was as good as any sweetened hot water
76. The common Latin saying, Sine Cerere et Libero, friget Venus, when translated to
English, means what ?
"Without wine and food, Love is cold"
77. Nobles in medieval times preferred silverware for what alleged practical reason ?
It was supposed to neutralise poisons
78. What invention of the confectioner George Smith was named after a famous race
horse of the early 20th century ?
The Lollipop
79. If you had bought stocks worth $15 in this company in 1964, it would be worth more
than $5000 in 25 years. This company's success is, more or less, based on a single
product.
Kentucky Fried Chicken
80. "Any Airline which has been in service since 1365...." is the beginning of an
advertisement for which airline ?
Saudia
82. In Russia the national product is called Soldatsky; in West Asia it is Pita; for the Jews
it is Challa. What are we talking of ?
Bread
83. What vegetables are known as "Black Diamonds" ?

Truffles
84. In an Asterix comic, there is a scene of gluttons gorging on large amounts of a

mixture of cheese and wine. Called ?
Fondue
85." To see all without looking, to hear all without listening, to be attentive without being
servile, to anticipate without being presumptuous". This quote on the hotel industry, is
attributed to which colourful personality ?
Cesar Ritz
86. Really pure vegetarians are called vegans. What are those who include milk, cheese
and other similar products in their diet called ?
Lactovegetarians
87. What is the source of the most commonly used meat tenderiser ?
Papaya (Papain)
88. If cornflour is used instead of arrowroot as a weakening agent for soft flour, what
low-fat, low-sugar bakery product do you obtain ?
Marie biscuits
89. In Airline slang, what is a 365 ?

Eggs and bacon: they are served everyday, all the time
90. 'Lamba Pau' i.e. long naan, is traditionally cut into little diamond shaped pieces. Why;
and hence what other name is it called by ?
The liitle pieces are supposed to be distributed to the destitute. Therefore
its other name - Fakiri Naan
91. Ra, Bha, Tha and Gan are some islands in which group ?
The Maldives
92. Caramel, Caffeine, phosphone, spices.. The list goes on. What is the fifteenth in this
list ?
The secret substance, 7X. Constituents of Coca Cola
93. Where was the Brahma Aswamedha sacrifice, to commemorate the recovery of the
lost Vedas, held ?
Prayag
94. This nobleman's addiction to gambling resulted in the creation of
which now common dish ?
Sandwich. The Earl of Sandwich preferred that one of his hands always be free to hold
his hand of cards.
95. Mediterranean liqours, whether Greek or Italian, invariably have this

flavour in them. What ?
Aniseed (vilayati saunf)
96. The small pointed beard of a famous Dutch painter gives its name to a decorative
garnishing of fruits, called ?
Van Dyking
97. After Arthur Hailey published his story, "Flight into Danger", what change was
brought about in airline operations ?
The pilot and the copilot began to be served food cooked in two different kitchens,
always
98. Novices in which profession are called tumblers, the experienced hands shiners ?
Window cleaning
99. The stigma of the crocus plant is well known by what name ?
Saffron
100. In olden days, the Arabs believed that the entrance to Hell was somewhere in or near
which geographical landmark ?
The Dead Sea
101. What kitchen implement is primarily associated with apples ?

The Corer
102. What first was acheived when The Monsanto Corporation of USA began marketing
the Flavr Savr tomato ?
The first genetically engineered eatable to be commercially available. The new property
bestowed in it ensures that the fruit ripens without softening
103. For what reason did explorers like Columbus readily receive royal patronage for
their voyages?
They were searching for new routes to spice producing lands
104. Deficiencies of what vitamin are the rarest ?

Vitamin K : Enough is usually produced by intestinal bacteria
105. What U.P. town is known for its potteries ?

Khurja
106. What green plant gets its name from the Greek word for bugs, because its seed looks
like a bug ?
Coriander (Gr. Koris)
107. What is the only significant nutritional advantage of chewing betel leaves, in the
form of paan ?
The leaves are smeared with slaked lime: Calcium
108. What was the distinguishing feature of the Mad Hatter's party in Lewis Carrol's
"Alice in Wonderland" ?
It is/was perpetual.
Quiz #13
Dated - September 1, 1998
A.P.Alagar Samy
1. In cricket, what does the term spectacles mean?
2. Which ancient African city, located on the southern edge of the Sahara desert, was the
last great goal of of 19th century European travellers searching for fabulous wealth and
splendour similar to El Dorado, was occupied by the French in 1894 and is now in the
Republic of Mali?
3. What was the moniker given to the Moroccan Football team in the France 1998 World
Cup ?
4. In theatre parlance, what does the term Papering the House, mean?
5. Who revolutionised fashion in the 60's with her fashion outlet called the Bazaar?
6. Which term was coined in the 1950's by Albert Sauvy to describe countries with
underdeveloped economic structures?
7. Which is the world's second largest French-speaking city?
8. Einstein said that the two most important events of his youth were the gift of a
magnetic compass when he was five and his study of a certain book, of which he said -
Anyone who was not transformed by this book in youth was not born to be a theoretical
researcher. Which book was he talking about ?
9. "The Italian navigator arrived on the shores of the new world and found the natives
were friendly. It is a smaller world than he believed". - This is the transcript of a cryptic
conversation between Arthur H.Compton, head of the Nuclear Fission project at the
University of Chicago, and James B. Conant, director of the National Defense Research
Commission. Given that the Italian Navigator was Enrico Fermi, what did Compton mean
by friendly natives and smaller world ?
10. What term do journalists apply to a reporter who seems preoccupied with happenings
in remote parts of the world, over and above events taking place at home?
Answers to Quiz #13
1. A duck in each innings
2. Timbuctoo
3. Atlas Lions
4. Giving away tickets for free
5. Mary Quant
6. Third World
7. Montreal
8. Euclid's Geometry
9. Friendly Natives - that the nuclear reaction was controllable

Smaller World - that the amount of uranium required was lesser than originally thought.
10.Afghanistan Syndrome
Quiz #14
Ravinder Rao
1. Indian cinema has a long trend of inspiring fashions. Three caps or types of headgear
have become fashionable, two in the 70's and one in the 90's. Which ones?
2. A scene from the movie "American Gigolo" (1980), shows Richard gere putting
together a wardrobe of shirts, ties, jackets and trousers in subtle shades of grey and beige
and admiring himself in the mirror afterwards. This scene is credited with changing
contemporary mens fashion at the time. The couturier for this scene is also credited with
the movie "The Untouchables". Who are we talking about?
3. What was Dev Anand's personal fashion statement when it came to apparel?
4. In 1931, Sam Goldwyn offered this person $1 million to design costumes for MGM.
This persons other notable works include costumes for films like "Palmy Days", "Tonight
or Never", and Renoir films like "La Marsellaise" and "La Regin Dujen". In "Palmy
Days", this person pioneered the technique of designing multiple copies of dresses, each
one fractionally different to take into account the movement of each frame. Who is this
internationally acclaimed designer?
5. Clark Gable made Chesterfield cigarettes one of the most popular brands in the U.S
after smoking them in "Gone With The Wind". What fashion trend did he create in the
movie "It Happened One Night"?
6. What is common to the movies "A Streetcar Named Desire" and Jean Luc Godard's
first movie, "A Bout De Soufflè" as far as fashion is concerned?
7. Madame Vionnet introduced the longer cut dress in 1929, which was to dominate
Hollywood visions of glamorous femininity through out the 30's. This was epitomised by
which actresses silver beaded negligee of 2 inch ostrich feathers in the movie, "Dinner at
Eight"?
8. In the 70's, the American fixation with aristocratic leisure wear was a result of the
movies, "The Great Gatsby" and "Annie Hall", especially Diane Keaton's masculine
shirts and baggy peg-tops, which became the definitive female look of the decade. These
were the creation of which designer whose early works include the immensely popular
polo shirts?
9. Whose strapless violet encrusted New Look gown for Elizabeth Taylor in "A Place in
the Sun" spawned a surge of mass produced imitations? This lady was also the chief
costume designer for Hitchcock for many years.
10. Which fashion innovations are credited to these Indian film stars:
 Mumtaz
Shammi Kapoor
Sharmila Tagore
11. What look was initiated by Jean Harlow in the 20's and wildly popularised by Faye
Dunaway in the 70's in "Bonnie and Clyde"?
12. Who made women's hats into works of art, designing the Shoe Hat with Salvador Dali
and later the Lamb Chop Hat? This person is most famous for her "what Hollywood
designs today, you will be wearing tomorrow" and her creations in Shocking Pink.
13. In an Edith Head project for Billy Wilder's "Sabrina", this person designed the famous
Sabrina dress with a square across the chest and held up by two bows on either shoulder.
His designs for "Roman Holiday" became part of his signature style. Who is he?
14. Robert Redford's film, "The Horse Whisperer", not only features apparel, but also a
whole range of home accessories from which famous fashion house?
15. In the 1987 film, "Wall Street", what fashion accessory did Michael Douglas help to
re- popularise?
Answers to Quiz #14
1. In the early 70's, it was the Nepali cap worn by Rajesh Khanna in "Aradhana" and later
it was the Knitted cap with matching mufflers popularised by Rishi Kapoor in "Bobby"
and "Khel Khel Mein".
2. Giorgio Armani
3. Loose Shirts buttoned at the collar and cuffs.
4. Coco Chanel
5. He caused a massive drop in the sale of mens undershirts by appearing bare-chested.
6. "A Streetcar Named Desire" popularised the T-shirt for men while "A Bout De Soufflé"
introduced it among women.
7. Jean Harlow
8. Ralph Lauren
9. Edith Head
10. The styles popularized by these artistes are :
 Mumtaz - Miniskirt (Designed by Mary Quant)

Shammi Kapoor - Cocks Comb hairstyle
Sharmila Tagore - Curly wigs, Swimsuits
11. The Bra-less look
12. Elsa Schiaparelli
13. Hubert de Givenchy
14. Calvin Klein
15. Suspenders
Quiz #15
Ravinder Rao
1. He ruled between 1863-1939. In an 1893 experiment, he made elementary education
compulsory. He was also an explorer, getting to within a few miles of the North Pole. He
was also a delegate to the Imperial Conference and also the 1st and 2nd Round Table
Conferences. One of his proteges, whom he educated and looked after when young
became one of the most famous Indians of this century. Identify this ruler.
2. Which director was inspired to make a film came from a poem about Homer.
According to this poem :
Seven cities claimed Homer dead,
while the living Homer begged his bread.
Which director and which film?
3. Born in 1905, he won the All India Chess Championship in 1928. He was brought to
England in 1929 and won that year's British championship. In 1931, in the International
Team Tournament in Prague, playing on the top board for the British Empire, he defeated
Rubinstien and F.Glöhr and drew with Alekhine on his way to scoring 11.5 points out of
17 games. His most famous victory was a 1930 win against Raoul Capablanca. He was a
servant of Col. Nawab Sir Umar Hayat Khan of Rampur. Identify this great Indian chess
master.
4. He was the official war photgrapher between 1939-45 attached to the Ministry of
Information. In 1945 he designed John Gielgud's production of Oscar Wilde's Lady
Windermere's Fan. His major films are Major Barbara, Anna Karenina, Gigi, An Ideal
Husband and My Fair Lady. His Glass of Fashion (1954) is one of the best accounts of
fashion and design in the first half of the century. Identify him.
5. What is the Mathematics equivalent of the Nobel Prize?
6. Born in 1893, this Soviet poet and dramatist was a leader of the Futurist movement. He
founded and edited the journal Left Front Magazine. His works, A Cloud in the Trousers,
150 Millions and plays like The Bedbug and The Bath-House have influnced Indian poets
like Faiz, Sahir, Kaifi Azmi and Ali Sardar Jafri. Identify him.
7. Not far from Humayun's tomb, is that of a nobleman named Abdur-rahim Khankhana,
built on the same lines. At a later date, the sandstone facing of this tomb was removed to
provide material for yet another garden tomb in Delhi. Whose tomb?
8. Palwankar Balu of Pune who took 114 wickets in major matches between 1905 and
1920 was the inspiration for another person to achieve great things. Whom did he inspire?
9. In 1975, who, referring to Betamax SL-7200 Home Video, predicted that The way we
watch TV will change and coined the phrase Time Shifting ?
10. The Battle of Hakata Bay in 1281 AD was whose first major victory ?
11. In what way did the Central Bank of Sweden celebrate its 300th anniversary in 1968?
12. On the Maharaja of Porbandar's Touring Party of 1921, the then president of the
M.C.C commented that "It was rather disappointing to see that there was not a single
player from Bengal". This was because he was also former Governor of Bengal. Name
him.
13. His grandfather invented the adding machine. He attended Harvard and later studied
medicine in Vienna. Later, on a GI grant, he investigated pre Colombian civilization in
Mexico, where he accidentally killed his wife with a revolver. He was discharged from
the US Army in 1942 on psychiatric grounds. He wrote his first book in 1959 which
changed the way media was percieved. Who is he?
14. Which raag did Tansen dedicate to Akbar and his court?
15. In 1955, at the New York Museum of Modern Art, a showcase of Indian culture which
featured performances by Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and a Bharatanatyam recital by Shanta
Rao also featured something which was shown for the first time. It ran for 22 weeks in
New York. What was it ?
Answers to Quiz #15
1. Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaekwad of Baroda, his protege was Dr.B.R.Ambedkar
2. Guru Dutt, Pyaasa
3. Sultan Khan
4. Sir Cecil Beaton
5. The Fields Medal
6. Vladimir Mayakovsky
7. Nawab Safdarjang
8. Dr.B.R.Ambedkar. Balu was the first Dalit Cricketer
9. Akio Morita of Sony
10.The Samurai, who defeated the Mongol invaders for the first time
11.They endowed the Nobel Prize for Economics, which is still called the Bank of
Sweden's medal
12.F.S.Jackson
13.William Burroughs, the book was The Naked Lunch
14.Raag Darbari Kanada
15.Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali
Quiz #16
Pratap Reddy
1. What did Carolus Linnaeus call food of the gods ?
2. Why was the 1631 Robert Banker's Bible fined 300 pounds ?
3. What are the following types of ?
 Garland
Arcade
Thread
Angular
4. Which European monarch ruled over the largest territory ?
5. What was called the lover's telegraph when first exhibited in Philadelphia in 1876 ?
6. In the Bhagavata Mela Temple Festival held every year in Melathoor (Tamil Nadu), the
opening play is always the same. Which one ?
7. The letters page of which magazine has a picture of a bomb in a mailbox ?
8. Which magazine was famous for Norman Rockwell's cover paintings ?
9. In which case did Perry Mason appear for the first time ?
10. In The Glass Teat by Harlan Ellison, what is the glass teat ?
11. Which event prompted Norman Mailer to write The Naked and the Dead ?
12. How is the term Cyborg derived ?
13. A Taste of Honey by Shelagh Delaney is an example of which school of realistic

theatre ?
14. Who married Thomas Mann's daughter Erika to help her escape from Nazi Germany ?
15. In which book would you come across a lingo called Nadsat?
16. In spy terminology, what are referred to as shoes ?
17. Why is Namchi Bazaar internationally famous ?
18. Who were the parents of Romulus and Remus ?
19. Who wrote The Old Man of Loch Nagar ?
20. The musical Something's Afoot is based on which English novel ?
Answers to Quiz #16
1. Chocolate
2. The 7th commandment was misprinted as Thou Shalt Commit Adultery. A real printer's
Devil ;->
3. Connecting strokes in handwriting
4. Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire
5. Telephone
6. Prahalada Charitam
7. MAD
8. The Saturday Evening Post
9. The Case of the Velvet Claws
10. Television (Freudian implications here ...)
11. Pearl Harbour
12. Cybernetic Organism
13. Kitchen Sink Drama
14. W.H Auden
15. A Clockwork Orange

16. Passports (like shoes, they give a person mobility. Hence, a forger of passports is
referred to as a Cobbler in spy jargon).
17. First base camp for Everest expeditions
18. Mars and Rhea Silvia
19. Prince Charles
20. Ten Little Niggers by Agatha Christie
Quiz #17
Nitin Bajaj
1. Recent research indicates that he may not exist; historians think that Wallace Rayburn
may have invented him in the book Flushed With Pride. Supposedly born in 1837, his
crowning achievement, attained after several dry runs, was his Valveless Water Waste
Preventer. Head of a London plumbing fixture company, this man is credited with
developing the toilet. Name him. Hint - part of his surname is still a word intimately
associated with toilets.
2. Identify these Charlie Chaplin movies from a description.
 This 1925 film features Chaplin travelling to Alaska to seek his fortune; it features
the classic gags of a house teetering on a precipice and Chaplin eating his shoe.
This 1952 movie featured a washed-up vaudeville performer on the decline.
Chaplin's last American film, its most memorable scene is his duet stage routine
with Buster Keaton.
This 1940 film features Chaplin in the dual role of a Jewish barber who is a World
War I hero and Adenoid Hynkel, the dictator of Tomania. This film is a send-up of
Nazi Germany.
3. Identify the book:
Prediction 1:
In the future, authors will take a long time to get to the point. That way the book looks
thicker.
The Immutable Laws of Human Nature:
Stupidity
Selfishness
Horniness
4. It was suggested in a memo by Lester Markel in 1941, to combat the deadly

seriousness of WWII, and while away the bleak blackout hours. Edited by Margaret
Farrar of Simon & Schuster, the first one appeared on February 15, 1942, in the Sunday
magazine section. Weekday ones were added in 1950. What is this ?
5. John Gardner has changed several staples of James Bond from Ian Fleming and the
original Bond movies. Answer these questions about Gardner's Bond.
Bond replaced his beloved Bentley with this type of car, much safer, faster and full of
gizmos.
The Armorer at MI6 used to be Q. However he has been supplemented by an attractive
young woman. Give her code name.
Bond now uses both a 9mm pistol and a retractable combat baton made by this firm.
6. Usually, when someone names a product, they choose a name that might make people
want it. This rule doesn't always apply to mixed drinks, though. Identify the following
less-than-appealingly titled mixed drinks.
 Peach schnapps and orange juice - The name actually refers to a feature of
peaches and a type of orange. This still doesn't make it sound appealing.
 A Hurricane and a Margarita mixed together, with Chambord and Midori added -
This drink of Louisiana origin was named for its physical similarity to a feature of
the bayous.
 Bailey's Irish Cream and lime juice, allowed to mix for 30 seconds - It gets its
name because the acidity in the lime juice curdles the cream in the Bailey's,
giving it a well... memorable... texture.
7. Producer of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Flatliners. Played Dr. Mark Bellows
in Coma, Inspector Steve Keller on The Streets of San Francisco, Gordon Gekko in Wall
Street. Name him.
8. Where do you find these morbid scenes ?
 Lightning strikes, destroying a tall building, and people plummet to their deaths.
A hand emerges from the clouds bearing an occult symbol.
An armored skeleton rides the land.
Standard versions of this include Rider, Rider-Waite etc. They are more
commonly known as The Tower, The Ace of Pentacles, and Death.
9. His nephew, Matt Franco, is a third baseman for the New York Mets. A baseball
prodigy in his own right, his career was cut short in the California Angels minor league
system by injuries. This setback prompted his return to acting, where he was previously a
Disney child star in The Barefoot Executive and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes.
Name this star of Captain Ron, Overboard and Breakdown.
10. When he was only 32, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of recoil-
free gamma-ray resonance absorption, which states that In certain cases, gamma-ray
energy may be emitted or absorbed by some excited nuclei without the nucleus exhibiting
a recoil. This effect has been used to verify the theory of relativity and to study solid
material properties, and today is usually referred to by his name. Name this German
physicist, who shared the Prize with Richard Hofstadter in 1961.
Answers to Quiz #17 -

1 Thomas Crapper.
2. The movies are :
(a) The Gold Rush ( b) Limelight (c) The Great Dictator
3. The Dilbert Future, consulted upon by Nostradogbert and written by Scott Adams.
4. The New York Times Crossword
5. (a) Saab 900 Turbo (b) QUTE (c) Armament Systems and Procedures (ASP).
6. (a) Fuzzy Navel (b) Swamp Water (c) Cement Mixer
7. Michael Douglas
8. Tarot cards
9. Kurt Russell
10.Rudolph Ludwig Mossbauer (the Mossbauer Effect)
Quiz #18
Vivek Reddy
1. What did Dr's Spence Silver and Art Fry create that is used everyday in our lives?
2. Karel Capek, the Czech playwright coined the term Robot in 1920. What does it mean
in Czech?
3. Who said "I was born to a city of brick and left a city of marble"?
4. At the Silver Jubilee celebrations of which Telugu film did Guru Dutt meet Waheeda
Rahman, who had played a small role in the film?
5. What Yiddish word now means a chronically clumsy person in American slang?
6. By what name is Badruddin Jamaluddin Kazi better known as?
7. S.D. Burman was born into which royal family?
8. Guru Dutt shared the story credit of Baazi with which other leading film personality?
9. The world refers to this portion of Israel as "the West Bank" or "Occupied Territories",
What do the Israelis call them? (Hint - Go back to the Old Testament)
10. The Argentinians after invading the Falkland Islands renamed them, what did they
rename the Islands?
Answers to Quiz #18
1. Post it Notes
2 Forced Labor
3. Augustus Caesar
4. Rojulu Marayi - 1955
5. Klutz
6. Johnny Walker
7. Comilla
8. Balraj Sahni
9. Judea and Samaria
10.The Malvinas
Quiz #19
Dated - October 2, 1998
Srinivas
1. Before Ringo Starr joined the Beatles, who was their drummer?
2. "Wait a minute, wait a minute. You ain't heard nothing yet." What is the significance of
these lines?
3. This dramatist was nicknamed the Attic Bee. Only seven of the over hundred plays he
wrote survive to this day. He was praised in Aristotle's Poetics as the greatest tragedian
ever. Name him.
4. The tune of the German national anthem Deutschland Uber Alles has been adapted
from the imperial anthem of Austria. Name the composer of this anthem. Some of his
over 104 symphonies include The Farewell (#40) and The Clock (#101).
5. An Italian mathematician called Leonardo of Pisa returned from the Orient in 1202 and
introduced the Hindu-Arabic system of numerals to Europe. His most famous work is
Liber Abaci. What is he better known as?
6. If the 4th is Tragic, the 6th is Little and the 9th is Great, what is the 8th?
7. Developed in 1887, it soon became so popular that a Universal Congress was

organized in 1905 to popularize it. This was attended by users from over sixty countries.
A resolution was passed in 1968 by the United Nations to award it official status. What?
8. At 9, he started writing a book about his family and his life. He later went to Yale and
finished the book, inspired by Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim. When this book was rejected by
several publishers including Simon & Schuster, he flung it into the East river and became
a soldier. He is now a famous scriptwriter, who has written the screenplay for movies like
Scarface. Name him.
9. Manikarnika Ghat is the main crematorium in Varanasi, with over 70,000 bodies
cremated annually. This crematorium is run by a clan which traces it's ancestry back to
the man who employed Raja Harishchandra as a crematorium attendant. What is this clan
called?
10.Born in Gujarat as Moolshankar, he ran away from home, disillusioned by the empty
rituals he found prevalent in Hinduism. He ultimately reached Mathura and studied the
scriptures. As Guru Dakshina, he promised his Guru that he would spread knowledge of
the Vedas all his life. He therefore founded a movement which rejuvenated and reformed
Hinduism. Name him. Also name the movement he founded.
11.To which gharana does the Sitar maestro Ustad Vilayat Khan belong? This gharana
was founded by Tansen.
12.The name of this style of music can be translated from Arabic as To talk to women or
The painful cry of a wounded deer. It originated from Tashbib, a Persian style of verse
which was part of a Qasida - a panegyric in praise of a ruler. What is it?
13. The 400 m Medley was first introduced in the Olympics in 1964. What, in order, are
the strokes in this event?
14. One of Satyajit Ray's films is officially banned in India. Name it.
15. Name the words which have passed into current English usage from the following
movies -
Pearl White's The Perils of Pauline
John Grierson's The Drifters
Michael Todd's Around the World in Eighty Days
Answers to Quiz #19

1. Pete Best
2. First lines spoken in a film - Al Jolson, The Jazz Singer
3. Sophocles
4. Franz Joseph Haydn
5. Fibonacci
6. Unfinished. Schubert symphonies
7. Esperanto
8. Oliver Stone
9. Doms
10. Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Arya Samaj
11. Etawah
12. Ghazal
13. Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Freestyle
14. Sikkim, which considerably differs from Indian policy in relating the merger of
Sikkim with India
15. a. Cliffhanger b. Documentary c. Cameo
Quiz #20
Suresh Ramasubramanian
1. In Hindu mythology, how will you associate a tiger, a snake and an evil dwarf?
2. When this premium Scotch Whisky was first introduced in free India, it fell afoul of
the authorities, who objected to it's brand name, claiming that it violated a certain law.
Name the brand and also say why it was banned.
3. In medieval English, this word actually meant Like a Knight, Noble. In modern
English, it means Uncommunicative and Rude. What is this word?
4. What began at Sutter's Mill, CA on January 24, 1848?
5. This writer was awarded a Ph.B from Hampton College, PA. This degree was specially
created for him by the college because of the exceptionally wide scope of his research.
His books include A lume sprente, Cathay, Lustra, The Cantos, ABC of Reading etc.
Name him.
6. This battle was the last armed encounter between Red Indians and the US Army, in
which over 140 Black Hills Sioux men, women and children were massacred. The site of
this battle has lent it's name to a famous book. Name the book (or the battle).
7. His first famous poem Howl was first publicly read in 1956 at the Six Gallery in San
Francisco. His poems, such as Kaddish are collected in an anthology called Planet News.
He was Professor of English at Brooklyn College in the 1960s. Name him.
8. William Randolph Hearst of the San Francisco Examiner (of Citizen Kane fame) and
Joseph Pulitzer of the New York World (after whom the Pulitzer prize is named)
quarrelled bitterly over the publishing rights of the world's first all color comic strip.
What English phrase comes from their quarrel?
9. She first appeared in a bit part in Scudda Hoo, Scudda Hay (1948). Over the years, she
has been a crooked lawyer's niece, a graduate of the Copacabana School of Art, etc.
Name her.
10. Which Wagnerian operas are:

a.Based on the love life of one of King Arthur's knights
b. Named after Norse / Celtic maidens dedicated at birth to Odin.
Answers to Quiz #20 -

1. Nataraja. The tiger skin symbolizes ascecticism, the Snake symbolizes subjugation of
desires and the dead dwarf on which He dances symbolizes the supremacy of good over
evil.
2. Teacher's. This brand name was objected to as Indian law prohibits naming liquors
after professions. The Indian Government was untimately convinced that the brand was
named after the distillery's founder, Hiram Teacher.
3. Surly.
4. The 1849 Calfornian Gold Rush.
5. Ezra Pound.
6. Wounded Knee, in the then Dakota Territory. The book is, obviously, Bury my heart at
Wounded Knee by Antoine deSaint Expuery.
7. Allen Ginsberg.
8. Yellow Journalism. The strip was The Yellow Kid by Richard Outcault.
9. Marilyn Monroe, in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve respectively.
10. Tristran und Isolde and Die Walküre respectively. For your information, a Walküre
(Valkyrie in English, from the Celtic Waercylige) was a warrior maiden dedicated at birth
to Odin, the god of War, instead of Freya, the goddess of Fertility, as was common. Such
maidens were treated with great respect in their tribes, but would be ritually raped and
then drowned (to send them back to Odin's realms) if they were captured in battle.
1, 1996.
By Ravikant Josyula
1 "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All play and no work makes him
a ..........". Fill in the blank.
2 Which is the only city (today), split in two by a wall (a la erstwhile Berlin)?
3 The Malayalam word meaning "nuisance" comes from a character in the Mahabharata.
Who is he and why?
4 How was Ptolemy XIV related to Cleopatra VII?
5 The name of this city literally means "City of Smoke" and is the capital of a country.
Name it.
6. Who flew close to the sun with wings of wax and as a result fell into the sea? If
possible, name his father who made him the wings of wax?
7. What is the origin of the saying " a Cat has nine lives"?
8. Why was the clockwise direction chosen for the clock? Why not the other direction?
9. "Jefferson Airplane" was a famous band. What exactly, is a Jefferson Airplane ?
10.What was invented when Nitroglycerin was accidentally spilled on a volcanic mud
called Keiselguhr ?
Answers to quiz #1
1 Mere Toy
2 Nicosia, Cyprus
3. Shalya, He was related to the Pandavas but circumstances forced him to fight for the
Kauravas. He, therfore, chose to drive Karna's chariot. On his job, he constantly ridiculed
Karna and tried to break his confidence.
4. Brother and later, husband.
5. Reykjavik, Iceland.
6. Icarus
7. Cats were considered sacred in Egypt and to kill them was unpardonable. This led to
long lives for cats and hence, the saying.
8. Sundials ran clockwise in the northern hemisphere and clocks were modeled after
them.
9. A forked stick used to hold a Marijuana cigarette.
10.Dynamite
Quiz #2
R.Suresh
(1) What is the 1873 Colt Model P Single Action Army Revolver better known as ?
(2) Name the curious girl in Greek mythology who let all the evils come into Earth by
opening a locked box.
(3) "Enquire" was a program written by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN, Geneva. What has it
grown into ?
(4) Since medieval times, English children have been playing a variant of Cricket called
"Rounders". What is this game better known as in the USA ?
(5) The actor Nicholas Cage is the nephew of which famous movie director ?
(6) Which famous inventor was called "The Wizard of Menlo Park" ? His lab was in
Menlo Park, NJ.
(7) Name the only movie which Alfred Hitchcock made twice.
(8) What term was coined by Don Hoeffler in 1971, writing in "Electronic News",
describing the area around Sunnyvale and San Jose in California ?
(9) This novelist's first names were John Huffam Charles. His last, unfinished novel was
"The Mystery of Edwin Drood". Name him.
(10)What was triggered off by a young student called Gavrilio Prinzep in Sarajevo in
1914 ?
(11) Which yesteryears actor was commonly called "The King of Hollywood" ?
(12) How does James Bond like his favorite Vodka Martinis ?
(13) Kit Fielding is one of novelist Dick Francis' most popular characters. What does the
Kit in his name stand for?
(14) Who was shot in the back of the head by Jack McCall while playing poker in the
Number 10 saloon in Deadwood, SD ? This took place in 1873.
(15) Hitler explained his barbaric genocide of the Jews by saying that the "pure blooded"
Aryans needed "Lebensraum". What does it mean ?
(16) Which pioneering filmmaker first used the "Close Up" ?
(17) This French humorist and philosopher's real name was François Marie Arouet. Name
him.
(18) Which famous scientist contemptuously said "God does not play dice" ? What was
he talking about ?
(19) In World War II, what was "Operation Market Garden" ? The story of this was made
into a famous movie.
(20) This two word phrase was popular among British soldiers during WWII, it was used
as a euphemism for "to die". It was also popular in South Africa in the early 1900s. It has
assumed a completely different meaning today, especially for Desis. What phrase is this ?
(21) Which geographical region is named after the Greek word for Bear, as the Great
Bear constellation is always overhead ?
(22) What is Vexillology the study of ?
(23) On the Net, what has been founded by David Filo and Jerry Yang ?
(24) In takeover jargon, what is a Poison Pill ?
(25) What is Iosif Vissarionovich Dzugashvili better known as ?
(26) This 1930s novelist, who pioneered the Jazz Age novels, was a copywriter for ads on
trams before he became famous. Who is he ?
(27)In movies and fiction, what is the Special Executive for Counter-intelligence,
Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion better known as ?
(28) In Chinese cooking, what is the significance of wolf's hearts and dog's lungs?
(29) What is unique about the frescoes at the Palazzo della Signorina at Florence in
Italy ?
(30) A book called "The Whole Woman" was purchased in February 1998 by Doubleday
for 500000 Pounds. Who wrote it ? Also, name the seminal book of which this is the
sequel.
(31) This was a sharp pointed staff used in ancient Rome to drive Cattle. What word in
English comes from this stick's name ?
(32) Abdul Al Haq "Majaaz" was a famous Urdu Shaayar of the 1930s and 40s. His
nephew is also a famous Shaayar. Name him.
(33) Connect - Velcro and the Jules Rimet Trophy.
(34) In business jargon, what are "Baby Flots" ? Hint - This came into vogue in the early
1990s.
(35) Name the Buddhist monk who is said to have imported Zen meditation and Karate
(our own Kalaripayattu) from India to China.
Answers to Quiz #2
(1) The Colt Peacemaker
(2) Pandora.
(3) The World Wide Web. Tim Berners-Lee is also the creator of HTML.
(4) Baseball.
(5) Francis Ford Coppola.
(6) Thomas Alva Edison
(7) The Man Who Knew Too Much
(8) Silicon Valley
(9) Charles Dickens
(10)World War I. Prinzep shot Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria.
(11) Clark Gable
(12) Shaken, but not stirred.
(13) Christmas
(14) James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok
(15) Living room.
(16) David Wark (D.W) Griffith. (famous movie : Birth of a Nation).
(17) Voltaire.
(18) Einstein, talking about the Quantum Theory.
(19) The battle for Arnhem. ("A Bridge Too Far")
(20) Gone West.
(21) The Arctic (Gk. Arctos, meaning Bear).
(22) Flags.
(23) Yahoo.
(24) Liabilities or losses deliberately assumed by a company, to make it a less attractive
candidate for takeovers.
(25) Stalin. This name means "Man of Steel" in Russian.
(26) F.Scott Fitzgerald
(27) SPECTRE (James Bond villains)
(28) Only items never used in Chinese cuisine
(29) Only frescoes designed by Michaelangelo and Da Vinci together
(30) Author - Germaine Greer. Sequel to "The Female Eunuch"
(31) Stimulus
(32) Javed Akhtar
(33) Dogs. Velcro's inventor George d'Mestral noticed thorns clinging to his dog's fur and
developed Velcro. The Jules Rimet Trophy was once stolen and then discovered by a dog
called Pickles
(34) Small airlines formed when Aeroflot broke up and it's fleet shared between the
breakaway ex Soviet republics. (cf. "Baby Bells" formed when Bell split).
(35) Bodhidhamma. Also said to have developed Tea, when he cut his eyelids off to stop
himself from going to sleep. These eyelids fell on the ground and the first Tea plant took
root.
Quiz #3, dated September 3rd 96
Chanderraju Varma
1. Put together Ken Kesey, Jack Nicholson, Milos Forman & Louise Fletcher and what do
you get?
2. He was the Greek god of fire and metal work. Son of Zeus and Hera. Lame and
awkward, he was married to Aphrodite. His work shop was believed to be under Mt.
Etna. Who?
3. This band has the most number of live shows to date but despite its tremendous
populartiy, just one top ten single, "Touch of Gray". Name the band
4. Eskimos have about 16 different words for this word. What word?
5. Who was the only US president to be a University professor?
Answers to quiz #3
1. "One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest", 5 Oscars
2. Hephaestus
3. Grateful Dead
4. Ice
5. Woodrow Wilson
Quiz #4
Dated October 11 1996
JK
(1) Where would you find "Patience" and "Fortitude" standing guard to a building? What
are they?
(2) The name of this mountain literally means "Stone Sentinel". Name it.
(3) Where would you find the Four Corners National Monument? What flags would you
find there?
(4) In Secret Service jargon, who are POTUS and FLOTUS ?
(5) The U.S Secret Service was founded before the Civil War by a man who later went on
to found a famous detective agency. Name him.
Answers to Quiz #4
(1) New York Public Library. They are Lions (statues)
(2) Mount Aconcogua
(3) The point of intersection of the states New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado. The
flags of these states, along with the American flag, are placed on the monument.
(4) POTUS = President of the United States. FLOTUS = First Lady of the United States.
(5) Allan Pinkerton, founder of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency.

These are part of the archives of quiz@cs.purdue.edu
courtesy Roopesh Mathur
at the University of Delaware
The full archives (over 90 kb of text) may be downloaded from his website at
http://www.me.udel.edu/~mathurr
1. Back down in these parts poor white farmers tolling in their fields were found to be
prone to a disease called pellagra which produced certain characteristic symptoms. What
was the most prominent of these symptoms??
2. The story of Leda and the swan(with zeus as the swan) is pretty well known. Read
Yeats for a tempered version. Anyway at that point of time, Leda was already in the
family way by her legal husband and with the Zeus encounter, she began to carry some
more... So the gist of all this is,
(i)who were the 4 children she bore??
(ii) Who were the legit ones and the bastards??
3.Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queeene" was an allegory that praised Elizabeth I.(He
however wrote it while in prison!!!). It also has some fundas on being the first poem that
has some kind of poetic sequence (someone elighten). Anyway, without digressing any
more, Elizabeth was naturally happy and ordered her treasurer,Lord Burghley to reward
our poet with 500 pounds. Our treasurer, however didnt like the poet and did something
which gave rise to a phrase. Which one? (No clues on this one cause it would be a dead
giveaway then)
Everyone please guess. All answers are most guessable. nothing hard core from some
obscure corner of an even obscure book. kid
Hi guys,
Well, here are 2 more from the dreaded one:
1. Which book is dedicated to "the faceless Indian voter who is not aware of the enormity
of the fraud committed in his name- for him, allegedly."? (Topical)
2. Who is Sterculius?
No more clues at present. Good luck!

With clues
1. On low sunday, the introit begins "_____ ______ geniti infantes..." (approx meaning -
as newborn babes..). So what are the first two words.
QUASI MODO (There is some funda that he was born on that day. I'm not too sure about
that, but he was named for this prayer)
2. Which movies title comes from a William Burroughs story about people who supply
medical instruments to outlawed doctors who can't obtain them legally. The movie had
nothing to do with this but the director liked the name and obtained permission to use it.
BLADE RUNNER (It was based on Phillip K Dicks' "Do Androids dream of electric
sheep" but Ridley Scott felt that this title would not do and searched around for another
title.
The Arnie. movie was "Total Recall" based on PKDs' "We can dream it for you
wholesale"
Quiz #6
Dated December 25, 1996
A.P.Alagar Samy
(1) Which famous group was originally known as Tom and Jerry ?
(2) Name the style of music whose name is derived from the Kannada word meaning
"Black Land".
(3) In Hollywood, who are known as Atmosphere people?
(4) In ancient Rome, one out of every ten Roman soldiers who were convicted of mutiny
were executed. What English word, meaning "Destroy" comes from this practice ?
(5) Which Indian musical instrument's name, translated into English, means "Royal
Flute" ?
Answers to Quiz #6
(1) Simon and Garfunkel.
(2) Carnatic (from Kannada Kari (black) and Nadu (Land)
(3) Extras.
(4) Decimate.
(5) Shehnai (Sheh means Royal and Nai is a wind instrument).
Quiz #7
R.Suresh
Wild West Special
(1) This chief of the Chiricahua Apaches was actually called Goyahkla or "One Who
Yawns". He once attacked some Mexicans who called out in Spanish to their patron saint
for aid. Goyahkla liked the good saint's name so much that he started calling himself after
the saint. After surrendering to Gen.Nelson A.Miles of the U.S. Cavalry, he went on to
appear in Buffalo Bill's wild west shows. He died aged 80 when he fell off his horse,
literally "dead drunk". What is he better known as ?
(2) In the 1870s, this eccentric judge was "the only law west of the Pecos". He ran his
courtroom at his saloon in Langtry, TX (named after Lilly Langtry, of whom he was a
great fan). He used a pistol instead of the conventional gavel. He is known for weird
judgements. For example, when he found a corpse with $40 and a pistol in it's pockets, he
confiscated the gun for the court's use and fined the dead man $40 for "carrying a
concealed weapon". Name him.
(3) Louis L'Amour has built an authentic wild west township at the Four Corners (where
the borders of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado intersect). This town has been
named after an eponymous novel he wrote. This novel was adapted into Sean Connery's
only western (co-starring Brigitte Bardot), a film which sank without a trace and was a
travesty of the original novel (one of L'Amour's best). Name the town.
(4) A common gunfighter's trick to fire single action revolvers like the Colt Peacemaker
at a faster rate was to remove the trigger and modify the firing mechanism so that just
pulling back and releasing the hammer would fire the bullet. What was this called ?
(5) This legendary service ran from St.Joseph, MO to Sacramento. CA for only eighteen
months. A venture of a stagecoach company called Russell, Majors and Waddell, it's
employees included expert horsemen of the calibre of Buffalo Bill Cody. What was this ?
Answers to Quiz #7
(1) Geronimo (from the Spanish name for St.Jerome)
(2) Judge Roy L.Bean - still a byword for his weird and whimsical judgements
(3) Shalako
(4) Slip Gun / Gun Thumbing
(5) The Pony Express
Quiz #8
Ravikant Josyula
(1) It was executed in colored worsteds on linen. It measures 70m x 51cm. Now housed
in France, it is attributed to Matilda and also to Odo. What is it?
(2) What word has the Bethlehem Royal Hospital lent to the English language? (Clue: It
was a mental hospital)
(3) What is the official name for the game "pool"?
(4) The 5 styles of this art are :
Formal Upright (Chokan)
Informal Upright (Moyogi)
Slanting (Shakan)
Semi Cascade (Han Kengai)
Cascade (Kengai)
His father Junius made his London debut in 1813 and played Richard III in 1817. His
brother Edwin became the finest American tragedian of the 19th century. His famous
words were Sic semper tyrannis! - "Thus Perishes Tyranny". Who was he?
Answers to Quiz #8
(1) The Bayeux Tapestry
(2) Bedlam
(3) Pocket Billiards
(4)Bonsai
(5) John Wilkes Booth
Quiz #9
Nitin Bajaj <Nitin_Bajaj@bigfoot.com>
1. In music, what is the Mel Tillis Syndrome?
2. Connect- Larry O'Brien, W.H. Stanley, J.W. Winston and Vince Lombardi.
3. Which Science Fiction author, according to an account, bet a friend that he could do as
well as Freud, invent a religion and make money out of it and so over night created the
cult of Scientology?
4. Which piece of music is considered by pianists to be one of the most difficult to play
and was the centre piece of the movie Shine where David Helfgott went crazy trying to
play it? It was deliberately composed so that only its composer, who was 6 feet 6 inches
tall could play it.
5. This 19th century German Naturalist revolutionised the concepts of zoo-keeping and is
called the father of modern Zoos. Who is he?
6. What is the sub-genre of ancient British Ballad where a human helps a ghost to find
peace, called?
7. The 1961 Mercedes 300SX has two firsts to its credit. What?
8. Bernard Philip Grosslier is considered to be the father of modern archaelogy. His most
famous work was when he had a network of canals and dams constructed over 30 square
k.m area to save a site from inundation. Which archaeological marvel did he thus rescue ?
9. During his recent illness, from whom did the Pope receive the following message:
"Dearest Karol Wojtyla, I am spiritually close to you. I am praying for you."?
10. What is the most common manifestation or symptom of Gilles de la Tourette's

Disease, a mental illness?
Answers to Quiz #9
1. When a person stutters whilst talking but not while singing.
2. The persons after whom some of the most coveted trophies in professional sport are
named. O'Brien for the NBA champs, Stanley for the NHL champs, Lombardi for the
NFL champs and Winston for the NASCAR champ.
3. L. Ron Hubbard
4. Sergei Rachmaninoff's 3rd Concerto
5. Karl Hagenbeck
6. Grateful Dead
7. It was the first car to have Gullwing Doors and also the first with fuel injection.
8. Angkor Wat
9. Mehmet Ali Agca, who tried to assassinate the Pope in 1981.
10.A compulsion to utter, in whichever language the patient is most fluent, a continuing
stream of profanities and obscenities.
Quiz #7
R.Suresh
1. Officialy the 18th Amendment to the U.S Constitution, also known as the Volstead Act
as it was sponsored by Rep. Andrew Volstead, this started the rapid spread of the Mafia in
the USA. What was this amendment against ?
2. This term is derived from the name and title of the last Emperor of Ethiopia . It is also
the name of a sect prevalent among negroes in Jamaica. What is it?
3. Lester Piggott is one of the world's most famous jockeys. Which famous novelist has
written his authorised biography?
4. What significance do these people or phrases have :
 Chester Carlson
 Otto Kornei
 Paul Selenyi
 10-22-38 ASTORIA
5. What connects the following :
 Bill Haley and the Comets

 The Wynona Ryders (1956 punk group)
 Green Day
 John Lennon
Answers to Quiz #10
1. Prohibition
2. Ras Tafari (Rastafarians). Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia was originally called Ras
(or Prince) Tafari Makkonnen.
3. Dick Francis
4. Xerox (Gk. xerography - dry writing). Carlson and Kornei found a paper by a
Hungarian physicist called Paul Selenyi, on which they based their invention. 10-22-38
ASTORIA was the first phrase reproduced (on a glass slide coated with lycopodium
powder) on October 22, 1938 in Astoria, NY. Carlson and Kornei just used the date and
the place for testing this invention.
5. J.D.Salinger's Catcher in the Rye
 Bill Haley and the Comets' song - Rockin' through the Rye
 The Wynona Ryders' song - J.D.Salinger
 Green Day's song - Who wrote Holden Caulfeld ?
 John Lennon - Shot by Mark Chapman, who, of course, was inspired by Salinger's
book.
Quiz #21
Nitin Bajaj
1. Though he has starred in such films as Memphis Belle, he is most famous for his non-
acting abilities, and recently, his public sevice announcements. Often accused of lacking
originality, this 25 year old crooner once glibly explained that he forgot he was carrying a
gun into John F Kennedy Airport. Name this performer, who scored a big hit with the
soundtrack to When Harry Met Sally.
2. This composer wrote his own vision of the dance La Valse in which he depicted the
birth, the heyday, and decline of the Viennese waltz, as if in fast motion. He is best
known for his left hand only works and the opera Bolero. Name him.
3. It's name comes from the Greek word for non-drunkenness. Associated with a number
of superstitions, including it's potency in improving sleep, this semi precious quartz is
found primarily in Brazil, Uruguay, Sri Lanka, and Siberia. It's rich purple color comes
from the Manganese it contains. Name this gem.
4. Which prize was first won by Ragnar Frisch of Norway and Jan Tinbergen of the
Netherlands?
5. In a Spanish legend of resistance, this northern city, which is now in ruins, once held
up for a number of years against the Roman Empire. The citizens all committed suicide
before the Romans could defeat them, thus denying Scipio Aemilianus the right to take
them as slaves in 135 B.C. Name this city, which is also the title of Miguel de Cervantes'
first dramatic work.
6. Born in 1599, he spent a year in England in 1620 at the request of James I. He then
went to Italy, where he made portraits of the Venetian and Genoese nobility. After this, he
returned to Antwerp and painted pictures such as The Vision of St. Augustine. Name this
contemporary of Rubens who was made court painter by Charles I of England in 1632.
7. An anarchist as well as a peacemaker, this Impressionist helped to establish the

revolutionary Impressionist exhibitions and exhibited at all eight of these exhibitions.
Born in the West Indies, he went to Paris in 1855 and studied with Corot. His works
include Lower Norwood, Snow Scene, Red Roofs and Bather in the Woods. Name him.
8. He believed that he could unseat Roosevelt in 1936, due to his strong support in the
South. He aided Nixon in the 1960 campaign by clandestinely feeding him sensitive
information about John F.Kennedy. He never arrested a single person in his 48 years at
the FBI. Name him.
9. Give someone enough beer and a lake, and they'll see a monster. Identify these cousins
of Nessie, which are said to infest
Lake Champlain, USA Lake Okanagan, Canada Various lakes and rivers in the Congo.
10. They've been chosen to compose and perform theme music for the Women's NBA,
which is appropriate since they're named after a former Philadelphia 76er. Name this
female quartet, peers and labelmates of the Beastie Boys, whose biggest hit to date has
been Naked Eye.
Answers to quiz #21
1. Harry Connick Jr.
2. Maurice Ravel.
3. Amethyst.
4. The Nobel Prize for Economics.
5. Numancia (or Numantia).

6. Sir Anthony van Dyck.
7. Camille Pissarro
8. J.Edgar Hoover.
9. (a) Champ (b) Ogopogo (c) Mokele Mkembe
10. Luscious Jackson
Quiz #22
Suresh
1. Dmitri Mendeleev predicted the existence of several elements with his periodic table,
several of which were discovered years after his death. What system did he follow to
name these elements?
2. When Buddhism first came to China, artists were commissioned to depict the history
of the Buddha in a series of pictures. They did not know what a lion looked like and
therefore exercised their imagination to a considerable extent. When these pictures were
completed, it was noticed that an animal bore an extraordinary resemblance to these
fancy lions. These animals were instantly placed under royal protection. In the past 200
or so years, they have become quite popular pets throughout the world. What am I talking
about?
3. Which popular TV series is dubbed in French as Aux Frontieres du Reel? If you

translate it, you can make a pretty accurate guess.
4. Complete the first line of this verse -
________________, ________________
His hands can't hit what his eyes can't see.
Hint - Sports
5. In Dylan Thomas' "Under the Milkwood", the Welsh fishing village was first called
Llareggub. Then it's name was abruptly changed to Llarregyb. Why ?
6. According to local legend, which famous actor's ghost is said to haunt a pub called the
Copper House in West Glamorgan, England?
7. This actor was spotted in a TV series western called Wanted Dead or Alive and given a
starring role in the movie which made him famous. Name him and also the movie.
8. Which trio originally called themselves The Rattlesnakes?
9. In medieval England, there was usually one old man in each town / village whose duty
it was to probe the body of suspected witches or sorcerers using red hot pincers and other
sharp instruments. What was the purpose of this? (just saying "Torture" won't do. Be
specific)
10. One of the most famous breeds of American horses, this horse was originally bred by
the Nez Perce Indians. It's characteristic feature is a pure white body with several
multicoloured spots on the flanks. Which breed is this?
11. There is a popular international brand of cosmetics called Oriflamme. In medieval

France, what was the Oriflamme?
12. Whose only entry in the UK charts (in 1990) was Rock and Roll, with a band called
The Full Metal Rackets? They are not regular musicians.
13. This crazed killer, along with his gang of hippie disciples, killed several Hollywood
personalities, including Roman Polanski's wife Sharon Tate, who was 8 months pregnant
at that time. He was convicted for murdering Gary Hinman in 1962. Name him.
14. Fill in the blank - _______, Euryale, Sthena.
15. To wind up, a sitter. Connect The Nice, King Crimson and Atomic Rooster.
Answers to quiz #22
1. He prefixed sanskrit numerals (eka, dvi, tri, chatur ....) to the known element they most
resembled (eg Eka-Silicon was later discovered to be Germanium).
2. Pekinese dogs (which are often called Lion Dogs for this reason).
3. The X-Files
4. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. - Muhammad Ali
5. It read "Bugger All" spelt backwards
6. Richard Burton
7. Steve McQueen, in The Magnificent Seven
8. Robin, Maurice and Barry Gibb (The BeeGees)

9. To probe for two things - either a 666 mark (the sign of the Devil, as mentioned in the
Book of Revelation) or a black spot which was immune to pain. Both these were regarded
as conclusive proof that the accused had sold his / her soul to the Devil.
10. Appaloosa.
11. The royal banner of France. It's very sight was reputed to strike terror in the hearts of
enemies. The traditional warcry of Montjoie St.Denis was always raised when this banner
was displayed.
12. John McEnroe and Pat Cash
13. Charles Manson
14. Medusa (the Gorgons)
15. Emerson, Lake and Palmer. These were the three bands they respectively split from,
to form EL&P.
Quiz #23
Raju Adke
1. During World War II, what was unique about the 222 Infantry Battalion of the US
nd
Army? It's motto was the Hawaaian pidgin phrase Mo Bettah
2. Which actor made his directorial debut with a film called In the Gloaming?
3. This famous entertainer was born Ehrich Weiss and took his stage name from a famous
19th century French pioneer in his field. Name him.
4. This famous explorer / adventurer served in the RAF under the pseudonym of Shaw.
Name him.
5. In showbiz, by what name is Munish Makhija better known as?
6. In literature, what is Cavorite?
7. What is unique about the Vespa 400?
8. What word in English is derived from a Greek word meaning "Long Haired"?
9. In medicine, what is an Anomaloscope used for?

10. What was composed in memory of two people who died in an accident at Badstone
Hill in Kilmersdon village, Somerset, England in the late 16th century?
11.Which term was first used in the June 17, 1942 issue of a magazine called Yank?
12. What happened when der Rattenfanger came to the German town of Hameln on July
22, 1376?
13. In WW II, what were Faith, Hope and Charity?
14. In WW I, which fighter ace was shot down by Capt.Brown of the RAF?
15. What is the Indian version of Barbie called?
Answers to Quiz #23
1. It was entirely composed of Japanese immigrants from the USA and Hawaai (which
was a separate country at that time).
2. Christopher Reeve.
3. Houdini, who took his name from the Frenchman Robert-Houdin, a pioneer of modern
magic.
4. T.E.Lawrence - Lawrence of Arabia.
5. Udham Singh - Mayhem from Meham.
6. The substance used to propel man to the moon, in Jules Verne's book.
7. Till date, it is the only car to be released by Piaggio.
8. Comet.
9. To test for color blindness.
10.Jack and Jill, the nursery rhyme.
11.GI Joe.
12.He disappeared into a mountain with the children of the town. This is the German
name for the Pied Piper of Hamelyn, meaning The Ratcatcher.
13. The three antiquated Gloster Gladiator fighters which doggedly defended Malta
against a vastly technically and numerically superior enemy force.
14. Baron Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron.
15. Monica.
Quiz #24
Dated - November 4, 1998
Sumit Dutta
1. In Indian cooking, what is composed of
 Bay Leaves
 Cumin Seeds
 Coriander Seeds
 Cardamom (green or black)
 Pepper Cloves
 Ground Mace
2. When he was directing Pather Panchali, Satyajit Ray was employed as a visualizer in a
prominent Calcutta ad agency. The ads he created for brands like ICI's Paludrine anti
malarial tablets were hugely popular all over Bengal. Just name the agency.
3. Which character in Hindu mythology was an asura called Dambodbhava in his earlier
birth?
4. This celebrated East German spymaster pulled off several espionage coups during his
long career, including planting a mole right in the office of former West German
Chancellor Willi Brandt. He was the model for John LeCarre's Karla. Name him.
5. Who was exchanged by the Americans for an East German spy called Col.Rudolf
Abel?
6. Name the jackal headed Egyptian god of funerals and mummification.
7. Which famous novel is set in Maycomb County, Alabama in 1935?
8. This strongly flavored condiment was so rare in ancient Rome that ancient Romans
would keep a chunk of the condiment in a jar of pine nuts. They would then crush the
pine nuts (which absorbed the flavor) and use the powdered nuts to flavor food. What is
this condiment? (Hint - It's name means Stinking in Latin).
9. Give me a single phrase for "Guitar based rock with amplified guitar and bass
reinforcing each other to create a thick, brutal wall of sound".
Also mention who popularized this term and where they derived it from.
10.Diamonds are judged by rating them on the four Cs - Cut, Carat, Color and Clarity.
What are the Four Ss of wine tasting?
11.Those who live by the sword more often than not die by it. How did Nadir Shah meet
his death?
12.What is used as the main flavoring ingredient in Gin?
13.Pink Floyd wanted to score the music for Stanley Kubrick's 2001 - A Space Odyssey.
When Kubrick refused, they went on to score the music for another movie. Name the
movie and the director.
14.The Israeli superspy Elie Cohen was publicly hanged in Damascus, Syria, in 1956.
How was he discovered?
15.The Andrew Lloyd Webber - Tim Rice hit Jesus Christ, Superstar was first composed
in 1970. Who lent his voice to the character of Jesus Christ?
Answers to Quiz #24
1. Garam Masala
2. D.J.Keymer & Co.
3. Karna
4. General Marcus Wolf
5. Gary Powers, the pilot of the U2 spyplane which was shot down over Russia. An
interesting sidelight - Yuri Gagarin, when he landed on Earth after his historic trip to
outer space, was mobbed by scared villagers, who mistook him at first for another U2
pilot before he pulled off his space helmet and spoke to them in Russian. (This was just
after Powers was shot down).
6. Anubis
7. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper S. Lee.
8. Asafoetida.
9. Heavy Metal - this term was first used in the 1968 Steppenwolf hit Born to be wild.
They were inspired by the phrase heavy metal thunder which occurs in William
Burrough's cult classic The Naked Lunch.
10.Scrutinize, Swirl, Sniff and Sip.

11.Suspecting his son of treachery, Nadir Shah flew into a mad rage and had him
executed. Later, too late, he realized his mistake and promptly turned his anger on the
nobles of his court, who did not prevent him from killing his son. They promptly staged a
coup d'etat and killed him.
12. Juniper Berries
13.Zhabriskoye Point, by Michaelangelo Antonini.
14.His radio transmission (an important message which helped the Israelis win the 1956
war) was intercepted by a radio operator in the adjacent Indian embassy. He promptly
informed the Syrians, who captured Cohen. Cohen was brutally tortured and publicly
hanged by the Syrians.
15.Ian Gillian of Deep Purple.
Quiz #25
Suresh Ramasubramanian
1. Give me a single word which connects the following -
 Cestus
 Dogs
 I ho chuan
2. Reading the vedas when in prison, this famous Indian came to the startling conclusion
that the Aryans were originally from the Arctic. He even wrote a book The Arctic Home
of the Vedas on this theory. Name him.
3. In Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator, what were Hitler's and Mussolini's parodies
called? Also, what country was the Hitler spoof overlord of?
4. Give me one word for
A heavy shotgun loaded with solid lead balls instead of pellets, commonly used in Mafia
killings.
5. This is an Italian word meaning Mask. In English, it has come to mean a grossly
distorted version. Give me the word.
6. The supporters of Vizzy (the Maharajkumar of Vizianagaram) were quite fond of this
scurrilious rhyme against another famous cricketer, whom you have to name -
Bahar se kaala, Andar se bhi Kaala, Bada badmaash hai yeh Indore waala
7. In fiction, who developed the science of Psychohistory?
8. Lester Piggott is one of the world's most famous jockeys. Name the famous novelist
who has written his authorized biography.
9. In fiction, what is Admiral Sir Miles Messervy, RN (Retd) better known as?
10.The word Christian is often abbreviated as Xian. What is the reason for this? The X
does NOT stand for the cross.
11.This is a pen picture of a fictional character. Identify him.
Born in 1924 in Glencoe, Scotland to a Scottish father and a French mother. Expelled at
Eton, completed his schooling at Fettes (his father's alma mater) and later went to the
University of Geneva. Married Teresa, daughter of Corsican gangster Marc-Ange Draco
in 1962. Served in the RNVR during World War II and rose to the rank of Commander.
Later became a manager for Universal Exports, London.
12.In Nazi Germany, what were Amt 3 and Amt 4 of the Reich Sicherheit Haupt Amt
(RSHA - Government Security High Command) better known as?
13.Again Nazi Germany - what is the significance of a book called Time of Struggle for
the Nation?
14.This organization's complete name can be roughly translated into English as

Organization for the Second Immigration. It is much more famous by the first part of it's
name, meaning Organization in the local language. What is this organization known as?
Hint - It features prominently in several novels and is acknowledged as one of the most
innovative and efficient in it's field.
15.Which African country's name means The Graveyard of Kings in the local language?
Answers to Quiz #25
1. Boxer. Cestus was a glove of leather studded with metal spikes, used by Roman
pugilists, Boxers are dogs and I ho chuan (or Fists of Righteous Harmony) was the
Chinese name for the Boxer Rebellion, in which the Chinese revolted against the high
handed foreign merchants who were milking China dry in the early 20th century.
2. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
3. In The Great Dictator,

Hitler - Adenoid Hynkel Mussolini - Benzino Napolini Hitler's (or rather Hynkel's)
country - Tomania 4. Lupare (Italian for Wolf)
5. Travesty
6. Colonel C.K.Nayudu (the Indore waala was a bit too easy a clue I feel!)
7. Hari Seldon (Asimov's Foundation series)
8. Dick Francis
9. M - James Bond's chief
10.The X is actually the greek letter  (chi), the first letter of Christ's name as written in
Greek.
11.James Bond.
12.In the RSHA,
Amt 3 - Schutz Staffel (S.S) and Sicherheit Dienst (S.D)
Amt 4 - Geheim Staats Polizie Amt (Gestapa, more commonly abbreviated as Gestapo)
13.It was the official song book of the SS. The most famous song in this book was Der
Horst Wessel, the SS marching song.
14.Mossad, from it's Hebrew name Mossad Aliyah Bet.
15.Zimbabwe.
Quiz #26
Jagannath Surampudi
1. In 1975, James A.Yorke published an article on an obscure mathematical concept

called Period III in which he first used a word which promptly gained acceptance in the
scientific vocabulary. What word is this?
2. Give me a word which connects Quarks, Unix and Ice Creams.
3. Why did Allen Hills 840001 recently hit the headlines the world over?
4. Shildon Glashow, Gerald Weinberg and Steven Feinberg are all Nobel laureates in
Physics. When they were schoolmates in the Bronx High School for Science, they
regularly wrote for a science fiction magazine called ETAOINSHRDLU. What is the
origin of this rather weird name?
5. Johannes George Bednorz and Kane Alexander Müller of IBM won the 1987 Physics
Nobel Prize for their discovery of high temperature superconductivity in oxide ceramic
materials. This was, however, not what Bednorz and Müller were actually searching for.
What were they actually trying to find?
6. The Arab alchemist who discovered Sulphuric Acid recorded his notes in an extremely
obscure and indecipherable code. What word in English comes from this person's action?
7. This now debunked scientific theory was all the rage in 19th century Europe. It
basically stated that a person's character could be determined by studying various bumps
and protrusions on the head. What was this pseudo science called?
8. Name the famous physicist who was head of the German nuclear program during the
Second World War.
9. In ancient China, this instrument was originally called a Saumpan and it can still be
found in some parts of China and Japan, where it is known as a Soraban. What am I
talking about?
10.In 1633, he was prosecuted for heresy by the Roman Catholic church, when he
muttered Epper si mouve - meaning And Yet It Moves. The catholic church only admitted
that he was right in the 1950s - over three hundred years later. Name him and also state
what he was referring to.
11.This mathematical technique was developed by an emigrant Russian engineer from

Odessa, who escaped to Germany after the Russian revolution, during his incarcenation
in a Nazi concentration camp. Name the person, and the eponymous mathematical
technique he developed.
12.This jovial scientist was known to his colleagues on the Manhattan Project as Nicola
Bear. Name him.
13.Discussing the quantum theory, Einstein once angrily told a famous scientist that "God
does not play dice". This scientist at once shot back with an equally famous reply. Name
him and also state what he told Einstein.
14.Michael Faraday was Humphrey Davy's lab assistant. Which famous scientist was
Robert Boyle's lab assistant?
15.Which chemical elements are respectively named after the earth and the moon?
Answers to Quiz #26
1. Chaos
2. Flavors. The various types of Quarks (top, up, down, charmed etc), Unix operating
systems (BSD, Linux, etc) and Ice Creams (Vanilla, Chocolate.... :->) are all called
Flavors.
3. A rock obtained by NASA, which supposedly contained Martian Life Forms.
4. It is composed of the most frequently used English alphabets in descending order. Read
"The Dancing Men" in which Sherlock Holmes cracks a code based on this fact.
5. A perfectly non conducting substance - a perfect insulator.
6. Gibberish - from Al-Geber, the alchemist's name.
7. Phrenology. More details can be found in a host of contemporary novels, such as Jane
Eyre.
8. Werner Heisenberg
9. Abacus
10.Galileo, who proved that all heavenly bodies do not rotate around the earth. The
church forced him to recant his views in the trial.
11.Jacow Trachtenberg, who developed the Trachtenberg System of Speed Mathematics.
12.Nils Bohr
13.Nils Bohr, who replied Don't teach God what to do.
14.Robert Hooke, of Hooke's Law fame.
15.Earth - Tellurium. Moon - Selenium
Quiz #27
A.P.Alagar Samy
1. This desert is the oldest in the world. It's name means A place where there is nothing in
Nama, the local language. An african country gets it's name from this desert. Name the
desert and the country.
2. Which popular magazine bills itself as Number one in a field of one?
3. What is Sildenafil Citrate better known as? Also, name the company which produces it.
4. Murray Spangler built this appliance using a tin can, a broomstick, a flour sack and an
electric motor. He sold the rights to this gadget to W.Hoover, a leather manufacturer who
introduced the first commercial model in 1908, priced at $75. This gadget became so
popular that hooving found it's way into dictionaries. What is this product?
5. After Paris, which city has the largest French speaking population in the world?
6. Which famous book was dedicated by it's author to his fellow prisoners at Ahmednagar
fort?
7. Which Indian political party is listed in the Guinness Book as the party to gain power
in the shortest time after it's formation?
8. In Bombay underworld slang, these items are known as kawwa (crow) and chidiya
(bird). What are they actually?
9. In an all time classic advertisement, this product billed itself as The only school that
encourages copying. Name the brand.
10.The Indian football team qualified for the 1952 Olympics but could not participate
because of two reasons - one was the lack of foreign exchange. The other reason was
quite weird. What?
11.E.C.Goode went to a chemist's shop, bought a pimpled mat and used it to

revolutionize a certain game. Which game?
12.In western countries, apples are generally wiped before eating. Why?
13.This famous company was founded by Marcus Samuel in 1897. He named it after
something his father used to avidly collect. Name the company.
14.During his school days, this famous industrialist was once thrashed by his teacher. He
angrily told the teacher something and stalked out of the class. He later made this phrase
a recurring theme in the advertisements for all his products. Name the industrialist and
tell me what he told his teacher.
15.What do the initials M.S. in the name of the famous Carnatic vocalist
M.S.Subbulakshmi stand for?
Answers to Quiz #27
1. Namib Desert
2. MAD
3. Viagra, produced by Pfizer
4. Vacuum Cleaner
5. Montreal, Canada
6. Discovery of India, by Jawaharlal Nehru
7. The Telugu Desam (TDP) of Andhra Pradesh
8. Kawwa is a Mobile Phone, Chidiya is a Pager
9. Xerox
10.The Indians were used to playing barefoot. They could not adjust to wearing shoes and
anyway could not afford to buy them, so they bowed out.
11.Table Tennis. He glued the mat to the faces of the table tennis paddle.
12.To erase the fingerprints of Satan, who handed the first apple to Eve.
13.Shell - his father collected sea shells.
14.Rahul Bajaj - "You just can't beat a Bajaj".
15.Madurai Shanmugavadivu
Quiz #28
M.Harish
1. What was the name of the character played by Bob Dylan in the Sam Peckinpah movie
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid ?
2. The 23rd amendment to the U.S.Constitution, enacted in 1961, gave the residents of a
certain region the right to vote in Presidential elections. Which region? Also, why?
3. The early prototypes of this were variously called Beeps, Peeps and Blitz Buggies.
What came next?
4. Akira Kurasowa has won two Oscars in the category Best Foreign Film. One was for
Rashomon (1951). For which movie, set in Siberia, did he get the other?
5. Name the world's first passive communications satellite (a satellite which merely
receives signals from the earth and bounces them back to distant regions). For your
information, the first active communications satellite was Telstar.
6. Only one asteroid orbits between the Sun and Mercury. What is it called? (Hint - it's
name is quite aptly derived from Greek mythology).
7. This Latin word actually means to sit down. It originally referred to legions of the
Roman army held in reserve for deployment in a crisis. It then came to mean support
granted by Parliament to the English kings. It is now a frequently used word in English.
What word is this?
8. Which Asian country's name is actually derived from a Sanskrit word meaning
Worthy?
9. According to Greek mythology, what was invented by Erichtholanus, King of Athens,

to conceal his feet, which were those of a dragon? Hint - He later became a constellation,
named after his invention.
10.What famous prize was instituted by Jacob von Vexhull and endowed with the money
obtained by selling his valuable stamp collection?
11.This famous doctor was honored by Queen Victoria for risking his life and sucking out
the poisonous fluid from a diphtheria patient's lungs without any protection.
His voice was permanently impaired due to this. He wrote the preface for Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle's A Study in Scarlet and is generally believed to have benefited more
monetarily than Conan Doyls, who sold the rights to the book for a mere £25 to the
publishing firm Ward & Lock.
12.Born Emilie Charlotte le Breton, this native of Jersey in the Channel Islands off the
English coast became a renowned actress of the 19th.century. She was also King Edward
VI's mistress for a time. Oscar Wilde wrote his play Lady Windermere's Fan for her.
Judge Roy L.Bean, the eccentric Only law west of the Pecos in the wild west, named the
town of Vinegaroon, Texas after her (by the way, Vinegaroons are ugly looking whip
scorpions indigenous to that part of Texas). By what stage name was she better known
as?
13.They used the aliases James Ryan and Mr. & Mrs. Harry Place when hurriedly leaving
the USA on board a steamer to Argentina on February 20, 1901. They later went to stay
on a ranch at Cholila on the Chilean border, from where they resumed their activities.
James Ryan and Mr.Harry Place were shot down by a party of armed policemen in San
Vicente, Bolivia. Name them.
14.His stated occupation was Manufacturer of Ladies Dresses. He hit international
headlines in 1963-64 when some footage he filmed on his ancient Bell & Howell video
camera was bought by Time - Life publications for $25,000. He donated the entire money
to a charitable fund for Firemen and Policemen. Name him and also say what he filmed.
15.Orson Welles originally meant to make a film on Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness
in 1940. He made Citizen Kane instead. It was only in 1979 that an extremely famous
movie based on this novel was made. Name the film and it's director.
Answers to Quiz #28
1. Alias
2. Washington D.C. Earlier, the U.S. Constitution gave the right to vote for president only
to citizens who resided in States - and D.C is the District of Columbia.
3. Jeep
4. Dersu Uzala (1995)
5. Echo - I
6. Icarus (Icarus in Greek myth flew too close to the sun).
7. Subsidy
8. Iran
9. The Chariot. The constellation Auriga (charioteer) is named after him.
10.The Right Livelihood Award (also known as the Alternative Nobel)
11.Dr.Joseph Bell of Edinburgh, on whom Doyle modelled Sherlock Holmes
12.Lilly Langtry (popularly called the Jersey Lilly)
13.Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
14.Abraham Zapruder, who filmed the Kennedy assasination.
15.Apocalypse Now, by Francis Ford Coppola
Quiz #29
Dated - December 7, 1998

Nikhil Chakrapani
1. Anthony West drew inspiration from his famous parents for his portrayal of Max Town
and Naomi Savage in his novel Heritage. Name his parents.
2. He was the first poet laureate of the USA. He won the Pulitzer prize for both fiction
and poetry. His most famous novel All the King's Men is based on the life of Henry Long,
a legendary governor of Louisiana. Name him.
3. E.M.Forster wrote a novel with a homosexual theme, which he only circulated

privately for fear of prosecution. This novel was published posthumously in 1971 and has
been made into a movie starring Hugh Grant. Name this novel.
4. The pioneering orientalist Sir William Jones ascribed the invention of chess to which
character from Hindu mythology?
5. Again on Chess - Prophet Muhammad objected to chess on the grounds that it violated
a certain tenet of Islam. What was his objection?
6. In the Beatles song I am the Walrus, who are described as Elementary Penguins?
7. In Homer's Iliad, Achilles initially retreats from the battlefield and returns to fight and
be killed by Hector. Why did he return?
8. Stoic philosophy had three branches - Logic, Physics and _______.
9. Who was "The allied airman with the highest price on his head"?
10.In medicine, what is common to Jim Havens, James Phipps and Joseph Meister?
11.In the concluding part of Ian Fleming's novel From Russia With Love, James Bond
receives a near fatal dose of a toxin derived from the Japanese Puffer fish. He recovers
from this poison just in time to go after Dr.No. Name this potent neurotoxin.
12.Till date, the Jonga, a rugged four wheel drive vehicle, is the only product
commercially marketed by the Indian army. Which popular 4WD vehicle is it based on?
13.What is the contribution to English of the traditional cry of Ya Hasan, Ya Hussain

which is raised during Muharram processions?
14.What are Toy Toons?
15.Complete the series - Kanka, Valala, ______, Dharmagranthi and Tantripala.
Answers to Quiz #29

1. H.G.Wells and Rebecca West
2. R.P.Warden
3. Maurice
4. Mandodari
5. Islam forbids representation of the human form, and chess pieces were then elaborately
carved human forms instead of the stylized representations commonly found today.
6. Followers of ISKCON - the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (or Hare
Krishnas as they are often known).
7. The death of his friend Patroclus
8. Ethics
9. Clark Gable
10.They are the first people to receive Insulin, Small Pox and Rabies vaccination
respectively.
11.Tetrodotoxin
12.Nissan Patrol
13.Hobson - Jobson, the popular dictionary of Anglo-Indian words.
14.Toys based on cartoon characters. For example, G.I. Joe / Mickey Mouse dolls).
15.Brihannala. These are the aliases adopted by the Pandavas during their exile in King
Virata's court.
Quiz #30
Dated - December 14, 1998
M.Harish
1. When Queen Mary's 80th birthday was approaching on the 26th of May 1947, the BBC
wanted to do a special radio broadcast as a tribute and made inquiries as to what she
would like. The reply was "An Agatha Christie play." Agatha Christie wrote the play
initially called Three Blind Mice, which was eventually enlarged into The Mousetrap.
When The Mousetrap first opened at the Ambassadors Theatre in London on 25th
November 1952, who played the role of Detective Sergeant Trotter ? (He later became a
famous movie personaliy in his own right).
2. Which classic in Latin begins with the following words
From my grandfather Verus I learned good morals and the government of my temper.
From the reputation and remembrance of my father, modesty and a manly character.
From my mother, piety and beneficence, and abstinence, not only from evil deeds, but
even from evil thoughts; and further, simplicity in my way of living, far removed from
the habits of the rich.
3. Popularly believed to be the person who inspired Alfred Nobel to institute a prize for
promoting peace, this Austrian aristocrat secured financial support from him for her
efforts to promote peace. She broke with the aristocratic traditions of her family, first by
earning her living as a governess and later by writing the anti-war novel, Die Waffen
Nieder (Lay Down Your Arms), which brought her into the peace movement. Identify this
remarkable lady who didn't win the Peace Prize until 1905, although Nobel clearly
expected her to be awarded it in 1901.
4. Which famous theatre personality owns The Really Useful Company ?
5. On 1st January 1956, what change did Chairman Mao introduce with respect to the
way Chinese newspapers were to be printed in an effort to make it easier for illiterate
people to learn to read and take an interest in the news. ?
6. Located at 231 East 47th Street New York, this 50 feet by 100 feet establishment was
run by Andy Warhol where he shot several of his movies. By what name was this loft ,
frequented by various artists, drop-outs and musical acts of the '60s like the Velvet
Underground popularly known?
7. The Turkish word for a person with an unkempt headdress, it was applied to non-
uniformed irregular soldiers who made up in plunder what they could not get in pay. The
word later gained prominence during the Crimean War and is now associated with a
colourful comic character, who frequently uses this invective.
8. He was a silversmith and engraver, designed the Massachusetts State seal and the first
official seal for the colonies, discovered a process for rolling sheet copper, designed and
printed the first continental currency. Identify this legendary personality.
9. In Greek myth, what was the home of the Muses?
Hint :
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing Drink deep, or taste not the ______ spring" -
Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism

10. Which word in the English language, meaning a complete failure comes from the
Italian word for "flask", is used by glassblowers in Venice to describe bad workmanship
and alludes to the breaking of a bottle?
11. In Television parlance, what is doughnutting ?
12. On the advice of Ian Fleming, a poultry breeding and health food company set up a
division called Authors to take advantage of a loophole in the British tax code. What
annual prize is awarded by this organisation?
13. James Earl Ray, the assassin of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., was arrested in Britain in
July 1968 by Detective Thomas Butler and extradited to the U.S where he was sentenced
to 99 years imprisonment. Thomas Butler had earlier shot into prominence when he was
in charge of the investigation into an incident that occurred in August 1963, involving the
Scotland - London Post Office express. What name was given to this incident by the
media?
14. What common English phrase was originally used to describe people who idly floated
down the Mississippi river on rafts steered by oars?
15. According to legend, why don't vampires have reflections?
Answers to Quiz #30
1. Sir Richard Attenborough
2. Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius
3. Baroness Bertha Von Suttner
4. Andrew Lloyd Webber
5. He directed newspapers to print characters horizontally from left to right instead of

vertically, as the script was written.
6. The Factory
7. Bashi-bazouk (Bashi = headdress, Bazouk = unkempt)
8. Paul Revere
9. Pieria (Pope referred to the Pierian Springs in the quote above.
10.Fiasco
11.Audience clustering around a politician (usually) to give the impression of his being
well supported.
12.The Booker Prize
13.The Great Train Robbery. Only two of the robbers escaped - Wilson and Biggs.
Wilson was recaptured on Canada in 1968.
14.Riffraff
15.They have no souls.

Mahesh Murthy

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Quiz #1, dated August 2Quiz #11

Dated August 28, 1998

2. What was Russian ballerina Madame Simskys contribution to Indian cinema?

8. What is the similarity between Levi Strauss and Fevicol?

11. Whats common to Tarzan, Tiger, Ganesh, Sher and Bandar?

14. What is Dr. Arora of 28 Raigarpura, New Delhi famous for?

15. What is the contribution of Bengali mathematical genius R. Sircar to world

Answers to Quiz #11

4. Zen Buddhism is taught or learned through a process of asking unanswerable questions

6. Dashboard in FPS system vs MKS system.

12. All are James Michener novels.

16. A bottle of rum.

17. "Just A Minute" competitions.

18. National Geographic & Time respectively.

19. Mills & Boon.

20. Super Mario, for Nintendo.

21. Secunderabad - in Begumpet & at the Military Hospital in Trimulgherry

2. Originally called the 'Bag-E-Aam, what is it now called ?

4. Fruity, Flowery, Resinous, Spicy, Foul and burned: together are ?

5. What luxury liner operates on the Calcutta-Port Blair-Madras route?

7 Nutritionally, what does jaggery have that sugar does not ?

9. What is surrogate advertising all about ?

10. What is a Wazwan ?

11. What is the red companion of Toscano Bianco ?

Use hot water for kneading the dough with

14. Where would you find India's only dormant volcano ?

26. Beside being a soap, what is a Lux ?

27. What wine, by custom, goes with oysters and shellfish ?

31. What is the 'Smorgasbord' syndrome ?

45. Along which river is Jammu situated ?

46. The Bullock's Heart is better known to us by what name ?

47. What is the brand name of Shaw Wallace's premium whiskey ?

49. What is the World's Number one Gourmet ice-cream brand ?

52. There are three types of sausages: Frankfurters, salamis &amp;..

53. What is a Boston Crab ?

56. What Indian town is famous for its potatoes ?

60. Outside India, which other country broadcasts in Sanskrit ?

63. What, in contemporary American slang, is Epping ?

67. In cooking, what is water slightly cooler than simmering called ?

73. Kwok's disease is not really a disease but an allergy. To what ?

83. What vegetables are known as "Black Diamonds" ?

84. In an Asterix comic, there is a scene of gluttons gorging on large amounts of a

89. In Airline slang, what is a 365 ?

95. Mediterranean liqours, whether Greek or Italian, invariably have this

101. What kitchen implement is primarily associated with apples ?

104. Deficiencies of what vitamin are the rarest ?

105. What U.P. town is known for its potteries ?

1. In cricket, what does the term spectacles mean?

7. Which is the world's second largest French-speaking city?

Answers to Quiz #13

1. A duck in each innings

4. Giving away tickets for free

9. Friendly Natives - that the nuclear reaction was controllable

Answers to Quiz #14

3. Loose Shirts buttoned at the collar and cuffs.

5. He caused a massive drop in the sale of mens undershirts by appearing bare-chested.

10. The styles popularized by these artistes are :

 Mumtaz - Miniskirt (Designed by Mary Quant)

11. The Bra-less look

12. Elsa Schiaparelli

13. Hubert de Givenchy

14. Calvin Klein

52. There are three types of sausages: Frankfurters, salamis &..