A list of puzzling questions
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—as is the weekly leaderboard.
One: Which two-word phrase connects a recent groundbreaking achievement of an Indian with the motorsport depicted below?
Two: Think laterally to find a furry connection among the elements below:
(a) Probable cause of a recent mid-flight incident
(b) Screengrab from an OTT series set in Punjab
(c) Nope, this is not a JCB
Three: How does this sartorial choice by a supermodel express solidarity with her heritage? (No points for recognizing her, alas!)
About last week’s quiz…
Here are the answers to the third edition of the splainer quiz:
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)
Answer: Uber and London
Uber partnered with Thames Clippers in 2020 to launch Uber Boat. Stopping at 24 piers along the Thames—from Barking Riverside Pier in the East to Putney Pier in the West—the river boats offer comfortable seating and spacious interiors. Larger boats have licensed bars with drinks and snacks, and all boats have toilet facilities, with some offering baby changing areas. Starting in 1999 with just one boat, the Thames Clippers fleet has grown to 20 high-speed riverboats. Last year, their fleet carried over four million passengers.
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
Answer: Podcasts by Indian entrepreneurs. The three elements are: Barbershop, Sparx, and WTF.
Many Indian entrepreneurs have started their podcast channels—video or audio shows in digital format. Barbershop with Shantanu is a podcast by Shantanu Deshpande, (Founder of Bombay Shaving Company), where he engages with industry leaders to explore business, entrepreneurship, and related philosophies. SparX, hosted by Mukesh Bansal (Founder of Myntra and Cult.fit), explores the multifaceted essence of India, covering topics such as economics, politics, history, science, and entrepreneurship. WTF is a podcast series hosted by Nikhil Kamath (Co-founder of Zerodha), where he covers a wide array of timely topics, including technology, social media, renewable energy, electric vehicles, philosophy, gaming, psychology, and more.
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.)
Answer: Eminem and Mom’s Spaghetti
Eminem’s (born as Marshall Bruce Mathers III) restaurant first opened as a pop-up shop in 2017, going on to become a staple at the rapper's numerous festival appearances. It takes its name from the iconic opening verse of ‘Lose Yourself’, Eminem's hit single from the movie ‘8 Mile’. The song—which sold over 10 million copies—became the first hip-hop song to win an Oscar for Best Original Song. You can check more details about the special sauce and other merchandise here.
And the winners are…
Here are the top five scorers for the third week of May. Congratulations!
