A list of puzzling questions: Brands and business edition
Rule change alert: We’re putting this up top so everyone sees it. We’re going to tweak the way we pick our winners. The current system favours those who send in their answers first. That’s excellent, but not everyone has the time to read splainer first thing in the morning. So we will, instead, hold a lucky draw among those with the most correct answers to pick our monthly winners—involving this gentleman, if he cooperates:)
Editor’s note: Every week, 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. 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:)
The answers to the previous week’s quiz are at the bottom—and the weekly leaderboard.
One: The vessel below is part of a popular river bus service, which offers an alternative to the crowded subway, bus, taxi, or bike for your commute. Which company's not-on-land venture is this, and where is it located? (Both parts carry 5 points)
Two: Think laterally and connect the following elements:
(a) Your regular grooming joint
(b) A footwear brand owned by Relaxo
(c) You know what this is
Three: When Marshall opened his pasta restaurant, its name was a callback to one of his most famous creations. With a limited menu, it serves variations of the pasta type shown below. Don’t lose yourself in the details and guess the name of the restaurant and the owner. (Both parts carry 5 points.)
About last week’s quiz…
Here are the answers to the third edition of the splainer quiz:
One: The image below is from a high-profile annual event that is attended by the who’s who from the world of entertainment. Spot the Indian connection in the image below.
Answer: Red Carpet at the Met Gala 2023
The red (more like beige) carpet adorning the steps at the Met Gala 2023 exhibition was made by Neytt, a high-fashion rug brand from Kerala founded by Sivan Santhosh and Nimisha Srinivas. Neytt collaborated with architect Tadao Ando to create a red carpet inspired by the 2023 exhibition "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty." Made from Sisal fibre, they created 58 rolls of carpet, totaling 6950 square metres, in 60 days before sending it to New York for the final design touches. Renowned for its exclusive guest list, the gala exhibition is an annual fundraising event, to support the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan
Two: Think laterally and connect the following elements to a fashion choice.
(a) A field of maize
(b) The home of the creatures pictured below
(c) A tennis shot where the ball is lifted over the opponent
Answer: Hairstyles/Haircuts
The three elements are Cornrows, Beehive, and Lob. Maize is also known as corn in different regions of the world.
Cornrows, the hairstyle has its roots in the forced labour of slaves in sugar cane fields. It evolved into a method of secret communication. Slaves intricately braided their hair in diverse patterns, using it to convey messages discreetly among themselves. Margaret Vinci Heldt, a renowned hair stylist from Chicago, crafted the iconic beehive hairstyle in 1960. Inspired by a fez hat she adored, she aimed to design a hairstyle that could fit snugly beneath it. She achieved this by creating a voluminous, dome-shaped look, known as the beehive. The classic bob has undergone various transformations over time. From the structured look popularised by Vidal Sassoon in the 1960s to Anna Wintour's timeless auburn version. A lob is a long bob cut.
Three: These three influencers on the magazine cover are connected by a fashion element with a 250-year-old legacy—which recently made headlines in India. Nope, it’s not denim.
Answer: Birkenstock
The three content creator-fashion influencers can be seen here wearing Birkenstock footwear for the March 2024 edition of Elle India magazine. Birkenstock, the renowned German footwear brand, inaugurated its first flagship store in India last month. Located on Linking Road, Mumbai, the store covers 1,600 square feet, and combines modern design with elements of traditional Indian heritage. Founded in 1774, the brand is celebrating 250 years of its tradition in shoemaking in 2024.
And the winners are…
Here are the top five scorers for the second week of May. Congratulations!
