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. We email the winner at the end of the month with details of the grand prize.
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 first week of July.
One: A connoisseur of flavour and finesse, what coveted distinction is she the only Indian recipient of?
Two: Assemble this constellation of clues to work out a literary connection.
a) Remember this looney?
b) Greek goddess
c) Pray to the Godmother
Three: Which new bride is the brains and guts behind this company? What cinematic production need does it fulfill? (5+5)
About last week’s quiz…
Here are the answers to the previous edition of the splainer quiz:
One: Who’s sneaking in a quick camera break while teaming up with a lab partner for some terrestrial experiments?
Answer: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian to reach the International Space Station and only the second Indian in space as the pilot for the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). Less known, however, is that he was already pushing the frontiers of space science. During his time as an MTech student at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, he co-authored two papers that looked at how we might build and survive on Mars, using microbes to turn Martian soil into bricks and exploring how to neutralise the toxic salts found on the planet’s surface. The image in question was posted on X by one of his labmates, Swati Dubey.
Two: Connect the elements below to work out a brief celebration of the written word.
a) The man behind the machine
b) Designers of the aluminium sculpture
c) First of the seven
Answer: JCB Prize for Literature
Joseph Cyril Bamford, a pioneering British industrialist and engineer, founded the construction equipment giant JCB in 1945. Today, JCB has entered the Oxford English Dictionary as a generic term for mechanical excavators, and its vivid JCB yellow. The JCB Prize for Literature was India’s most expensive literary award (2018–2024). The Rs 25-lakh annual prize celebrated excellence in Indian fiction and honoured the work of translators with an additional Rs 5 lakh.
Its distinctive trophy is called ‘Mirror Melting’—a twisting aluminium form by artist duo Thukral & Tagra. It symbolised the fluid, ever-shifting nature of storytelling. The inaugural award in 2018 went to ‘Jasmine Days’ by Benyamin, translated from Malayalam by Shahnaz Habib. The news of the prize shutting down last month comes after the cancellation of the JCB Literature Foundation’s licence “issued to it under section 8(5) of the Companies Act, 2013”.
Three: Who sported this cool vest on his unforgettable outing?
Answer: Ferris Bueller/Matthew Broderick
Ferris Bueller’s vest from ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ (1986), worn by Matthew Broderick was auctioned by Sotheby’s New York for $279,400, after receiving 11 bids. Costume designer Marilyn Vance originally bought the sweater for $28 from Marshall Field’s in Chicago and cut off the sleeves to give Ferris a mismatched, eccentric teen look. She completed the outfit with a Perry Ellis suit and a simple white T-shirt, creating a now-iconic ensemble. The vest was sold by Darren Rovell, former ESPN sports business reporter and founder of cllct, a site focused on the collectibles market. You can check out Sotheby’s bid announcement video here.
And the winners are…
Here are the top five scorers for the first week of July. Congratulations!
