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 May.
One: Which recently concluded competition had this mascot greeting visitors on the streets? Name the host city? (5+5)
Two: Look carefully and work out the apocalyptic wordplay that connects these two media—a video game and a book.
Three: Which product from this company has been in the news lately? Name the home country of the company. (5+5)
About last week’s quiz…
Here are the answers to the previous edition of the splainer quiz:
One: What contentious bilateral agreement is taking place here? Which third party negotiated it? (5+5)
Answer: Indus Water Treaty and World Bank
The Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960 by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistani President Ayub Khan after nine years of negotiations led by the World Bank, which also signed the treaty. Initiated by former World Bank President Eugene Black, the treaty gave India control over the eastern rivers—Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej, while Pakistan received 80% of the waters of the western rivers—Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab.
Recently, India announced that the treaty will be put "in abeyance" until Pakistan ends its support for cross-border terrorism. According to former Indus Water Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Saxena, India, as the upper riparian, has several options.
Two: Piece together these elements to work out a sporting connection.
a) A multinational conglomerate
b) One of the iconic sponsors
c) The anthem comes from this production
Answer: Liverpool Football Club
Liverpool Football Club, owned by Fenway Sports Group (FSG) since 2010, is part of a portfolio that includes the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Penguins, and stadiums like Anfield and Fenway Park. In the 1980s, Crown Paints sponsored Liverpool’s shirts, a period marked by four league titles, a European Cup, an FA Cup, and two League Cups. The club anthem ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, originally from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical ‘Carousel’, resonated with Bill Shankly’s socialist vision of unity and strength during Liverpool’s rebuilding years. See it here.
Last month, Liverpool clinched their 20th league title with a 5-1 victory over Tottenham, equaling Manchester United’s 20 league crowns.
Three: Which innovation was born out of this entrepreneur’s pregnancy craving and has since taken social media by storm?
Answer: Dubai Chocolate
In 2022, Dubai-based FIX Dessert Chocolatier launched a unique chocolate bar called “Can’t Get Knafeh Of It”, created by founder Sarah Hamouda to satisfy her pregnancy cravings for knafeh and pistachios. The bar features milk chocolate filled with pistachio cream, tahini, and crunchy knafeh pastry. It went viral in December 2023 after TikTok influencer Maria Vehera posted a video of herself trying it, racking up over 125 million views and sparking global demand. Nicknamed “Dubai chocolate”, the bar’s popularity led to a surge in pistachio prices and widespread shortages. FIX is known for its inventive flavors and names, often inspired by Middle Eastern desserts and Dubai’s diverse population.
And the winners are…
Here are the top five scorers for the second week of May. Congratulations!
