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 third week of April.
One: Name this annual honour that is guaranteed to make you laugh. Which veteran host is its latest recipient? (5+5)
Two: Join these lateral hints to work out an ‘in-news’ Latin American connection.
a) Not old
b) Special means of transport
Three: Wordplay at work—combine a type of dismissal with a defining physical feature to name this podcast.
About last week’s quiz…
Here are the answers to the previous edition of the splainer quiz:
One: In the context of a recent controversial scientific achievement, name these twin brothers and their missing sibling.
Answer: Romulus & Remus and Khaleesi
Using ancient DNA and genetic engineering, the biotech startup Colossal Biosciences says it has bred three pups—Romulus, Remus, (founders of Rome) and Khaleesi—marking a world-first in de-extinction. However, experts aren’t convinced. Zoologist Philip Seddon describes them as “genetically modified grey wolves,” not true dire wolves. For more context, read our headline here.
Two: Connect these lateral hints to name the literary work that turned 100 years old earlier this month.
a) Iconic eyes floating above the night sky of New York
b) An American aristocrat from the Jazz Age
c) Scatterplot graph of countries with greater income inequality having lower intergenerational mobility
Answer: The Great Gatsby
F Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ marked its 100th anniversary earlier this month. Though now hailed as an American classic, the novel wasn’t a commercial hit when first published in 1925. The book’s iconic cover—an ethereal face floating over a glowing city—was painted by artist Francis Cugat. It remains one of the most famous in American literature. One of Fitzgerald’s early loves, Ginevra King, a wealthy debutante, is said to have inspired Daisy Buchanan. Her father reportedly told Fitzgerald: “Poor boys shouldn’t think of marrying rich girls”—a line that echoes in Gatsby’s tragic pursuit.
Three: Looking at the colors, identify the desi invention that inspired this homegrown brand’s collection. And fittingly, what’s hanging from the laces (blanked out by the purple square)? (5+5)
Answer: Ludo and dice
After years in the corporate world, Utkarsh and Dishant decided to return home, from Chicago and Boston, to do something they truly love: make sneakers that tell stories. They founded Comet as a homegrown lifestyle sneaker brand. One of their latest drops, Ludo, draws inspiration from a childhood favourite and Indian classic.
And the winners are…
Here are the top five scorers for the third week of April. Congratulations!
