A list of puzzling questions
Editor’s note: Every Tuesday, we feature three questions from our quiz master Shantanu Sharma—who is a researcher-writer and has a side hustle as a professional quiz guru. He’d love to hear from you—so send your feedback/suggestions or just say ‘hi’ over at sharmashantanu312@gmail.com or @shantorasbox on Twitter.
How this works: Every correct answer is worth 10 points. If a question has multiple parts, each is worth 5 points. You have until Friday 12 pm to send in your answers to talktous@splainer.in or via DMs on Insta or Twitter. The correct answers will be published every Tuesday—as will the monthly leaderboard. The grand prize for the winner at the end of the month: a quarterly subscription for anyone of your choice—including the option of adding three months to your sub. That’s Rs 899 in value—so it’s pretty darn good:) Rule to note: this is all about who sends in the correct answers first.
The answers: to the previous week’s quiz are at the bottom.
One: Which two productions from the same network drew inspiration from the work of the two author-journalists shown below. The title names of the productions are nearly a decade apart. If you get one, you can’t miss the other. (5 points each)
Two: ‘Good Ol’’ & ‘Lost and Found’ were two of the rejected names for this product that does not merely quench thirst but also evokes childhood nostalgia—monsoon memories of those pre-internet days.
Three: Think laterally and connect these three very different images to arrive at one of the most beloved literary figures of our time.
A popular arcade game:
The object that triggered the space race between the US and USSR:
A 20th century author whose surreal work combined absurdism, fantasy and realism.
About last week’s quiz…
Here are the answers to the third edition of the splainer quiz:
One: The building (in image below) has overtaken another building of national importance—located in the US—to become the largest in its category. There are two parts to this question (5 points each):
- In which Indian city—known for cutting around 90% of a form of carbon globally—would you come across this building?
- Which building was surpassed to achieve this milestone? Note: It derives its name from a shape.
Answer: Surat, Gujarat and The Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia
Surat Diamond Bourse in Surat, Gujarat consists of a 15-storey complex, spanning 35 acres of land, exceeding the size of the Pentagon as the world’s largest office building. Designed as a comprehensive hub, it will cater to the needs of more than 65,000 diamond industry experts, encompassing cutters, polishers, and traders.
Two: Give a one-word connection between a symbol of purity in a popular fictional universe that has magical blood and the land of bagpipes and kilts.
Answer: Unicorn
In ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ JK Rowling writes, “That is because it is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn. Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price.”
The unicorn is the official national animal of Scotland, also known for its bagpipes, kilts, and tartan pattern. Wait there’s more, if you aren’t mind-blown enough, the Red Dragon is the national animal of Wales. Enjoy separating facts and fantasy!
Three: Jatin (in the photo below) had already tried his hand at publishing and television before he decided to embark on what started as a passion project. It has now evolved into a multi-city mega pop culture celebration. What did Jatin introduce to Indian fans for the first time in 2011? Arguably, the most popular and attended version of this takes place in California.
Answer: Comic Con India
Jatin Varma started Comic Con India as a small convention, with the first edition taking place at Dilli Haat in New Delhi on February 19 and 20. Since then, it has expanded in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. The first-ever edition in Chennai will take place in February 2024.
Comic Con and its different spelling variations are actually registered trademarks owned by the nonprofit company San Diego Comic Convention (SDCC).
And the super quizzer for November is…
Here is the leaderboard at the end of November. Congratulations to the top 5 for acing the splainer quiz! We will be emailing you soon with details of your prize—a quarterly splainer sub!
