A list of puzzling questions
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 Monday. 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 499 in value—so it’s pretty darn good:)
Rule to note: We will pick winners each month using a lucky draw.
The answers: to the previous week’s quiz are at the bottom—as are the winners for the month of January.
One: Which champion athlete is posing here with their dedicated supporters? Also, take a good look and name the fan group. (5+5)
Two: Work out a proud annual connection.
a) the late-great actor
b) lawyer & social activist
c) Substitute one vowel for another and name the mythological character who turned traitor against his demon-king brother
Three: Which 20th-century modernist novel in English is humorously summarized by the Booker Prize winner?
About last week’s quiz…
Here are the answers to the previous edition of the splainer quiz:
One: These were two of the proposed flag designs for a country that's been making headlines recently. Name the country. How does its official flag differ from those of others in the region? (5+5)
Answer: Greenland and No Nordic Cross on the flag
Greenland, the world's largest island, remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark but governs most of its internal affairs. In 1973, the proposed flag (left visual) featured a green field with a white, blue-bordered Nordic cross. In 1984, a second flag (right visual) featuring a green field with a white Nordic cross was considered.
Designed by Thue Christiansen, the official flag is a red and white bicolor with an off-center disk, called ‘Erfalasorput’ by locals, meaning ‘our flag.’ This flag doesn’t feature a Nordic cross, signifying Greenland's political independence and its connection to other Inuit cultures. The recent discussions about the US potentially purchasing Greenland reflect historical Arctic tensions. However, like previous attempts, Trump's idea of buying Greenland may not be as simple as it seems.
Two: Connect the lateral hints to work out the connection.
a) Authors whose work has seen the light of OTT release
b) Breaking the shackles with the first public space store
c) Remember him or forgotten memory?
Answer: Tihar Jail
The Netflix series ‘Black Warrant’ with a rare glimpse into Tihar Jail (Asia’s largest prison complex) in the 1980s is based on the 2019 book of the same name by Sunil Gupta, the jailer at the time, and journalist Sunetra Choudhury. Tihar Jail runs a multi-product brand, TJ's with the tagline ‘A Tihar Jail Initiative,’ offering a range of items from bread to furniture. What makes the Masjid Moth petrol pump venture (middle visual) special is that it is the first public location (outside of government spaces), helping with the reintegration of inmates into society. Meanwhile, Umar Khalid, arrested in 2020 under UAPA for his alleged role in the 2020 Delhi riots, remains in jail without bail or trial, four years later.
Three: These special trains transported their passengers to specially constructed sustainable venues. Name them.
Answer: Goregaon and Nerul
For Coldplay’s ‘Music of the Spheres’ concerts in Mumbai, organizers arranged Full Tariff Rate (FTR) suburban trains for attendees, operating between Goregaon and Nerul stations. Sustainability is a key focus of the tour, with efforts to reduce carbon emissions and incorporate principles of reducing, reinventing, and restoring.
And the super quizzers for January are…
Editor’s note: We didn’t use a lucky draw for the monthly winners this time as the scores had a straightforward winner.
Here is the leaderboard at the end of January. Congratulations to the lucky three for acing the splainer quiz! We will be emailing you soon with details of your prize—a quarterly splainer sub!
