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 second week of February.
One: This artist has worked with a wide range of international clients. One of his recent artworks includes this lovely detail—a tiger in a Rajasthani shirt marching in a parade. Who is he and where did you see this work less than a month ago? (5+5)
Two: Look at these happy faces recreating iconic moments and visiting popular movie locations in a city. Identify the group of people and the city? (5+5)
Three: Identify the proud mother (blocked out) standing next to her son—celebrating the tenth anniversary of his bibliophilic venture. Name the venture. (5+5)
About last week’s quiz…
Here are the answers to the previous edition of the splainer quiz:
One: The two gentlemen below share the second spot in the number of awards to their name. Name the person at the coveted top position, winning for the fourth time this year.
Answer: Late Jimmy Carter
Former President Jimmy Carter won a posthumous Grammy in the audiobook, narration, and storytelling category for ‘Last Sundays in Plains’, featuring musicians Darius Rucker, Lee Ann Rimes, and Jon Batiste. The recordings are from his final Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church in Georgia. This marked Carter’s fourth Grammy, adding to his three earlier wins for spoken word albums. Had he won before his passing, he would have been the oldest Grammy winner ever. In comparison, former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton each have two Grammys.
Two: Piece together these lateral clues to work out the connection (the list has 5 more entries in this category).
a) a poker variant
b) I like my coffee concentrated and served in shots
c) Since these avian creatures are flocking together, they are…
Answer: Record of the Year nominations at the 2025 Grammy
The three elements are ‘Texas Hold 'Em’ by Beyoncé, ‘Espresso’ by Sabrina Carpenter, and ‘Birds of a Feather’ by Billie Eilish. Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ won big at the Grammys, including Record of the Year, you can check out the other nominees and the rest of the winners here.
Three: Who put up this cautionary note outside the door as some of the biggest names gathered under one roof four decades ago?
Answer: Quincy Jones
On January 28, 1985, 46 of the biggest music stars gathered in a Los Angeles studio to record ‘We Are the World’—all in one night, without the help of cell phones or email. The ambitious goal? To raise record-breaking funds for African famine relief and leave a lasting impact on pop culture. The late great record producer Quincy Jones “organized chaos” to pull off this unforgettable night, bringing together superstars like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Tina Turner at A&M Studio A, hence the sign outside the door.
Quincy Jones (who passed away in November 2024) received a “generation-spanning, genre-crossing tribute” featuring Herbie Hancock, Janelle Monáe, Stevie Wonder, and more. He has the third most (28) number of gold-plated gramophones.
And the winners are…
Here are the top five scorers for the second week of February. Congratulations!
