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Solstice (19th Dec, 2009) by Navin Rajaram
Rounds• 12 Questions : Infinite Bounces• Stage II (written)• Ménage à trois • 12 Questions : Infinite Bounces
Round I – Infinite Bounces
Rules:– 16 Questions– +1 for every correct answer, no negatives– Question goes to the team sitting next in line to the team
that answered previous question
X was tinned and canned as part of emergency rations to US pilots in WWII who were working for espionage services.The idea was that pilots who were shot down or marooned on remote islands would eat X and eventually urinate into the sea. Since X contains mercaptans – powerful chemical attractants – fish would be drawn by the chemical passing through the urine into the sea, making it easier for the pilot to catch food. What is X?
Answer
Asparagus
Video: Event identify and significance
Video2
Answer
The election of the new speaker of the House of Commons is followed by the tradition called “Dragging the Speaker”. The tradition follows from times when the Speaker would communicate the whims of the Commons to the monarch. If the monarch did not like the idea, the Speaker would often be put to death instantly. Thus, the culture of literally ‘dragging’ an individual to assume the new Speaker’s position.
These awards are named a homosexual Welsh composer, singer, actor of the 20th century.The awards are the only ceremony in the musical calendar that are not influenced by publishers and record companies but judged and presented by the writing community.The award itself is a solid bronze sculpture of Euterpe, one of the Greek Muses.
Answer
The Ivor Novello Awards for songwriting awarded each year by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA) to British songwriters and composers as well as to an outstanding international music writer
Per mythology, Lord Siva came to Madurai to listen to Tamil poets and compete with them in a poetry contest. One Tamil poet confronted Shiva and argued with him that his poetry was not perfect. Shiva was angered and told this poet that he was not qualified to judge his poetry. The poet angrily retorted “Netrikannai thirappinum kutram kutrame” which means “Even if you open your third eye, mistake is a mistake”. This poet’s name came into public focus during a national crisis that unfolded in TN/Karnataka in 2000. Which poet?
Answer
The poet “Nakkeeran” and the magazine of the same name. Editor Gopal of the magazine became famous with his interviews of Veerappan during the Rajkumar kidnapping.
If Hawaii is the southern most state of the US, which states are the northern most, western most and eastern most states in the USA? [Think Longitude]
Answer
Alaska is the northern most, western most and since it crossesthe 180 degree longitude, it is also the eastern most
Pictured below – Capitol Records Building. Story goes that in 1943, Capitol Records was a fledgling record label and had the good fortune of signing a music star.Revenues from this star’s record sales fueled the Capitol business and is believed to have played a significant role in financing this building.The building is therefore known by another phrase, in honor of the star. What?
Answer
The House that “Nat” built in honor of Nat “King” Cole
In an indication of the ancient rivalry between the Aryan people that migrated to Iran and the ones that migrated to India, the supreme God of Zoroastrianism, Ahura Mazda, is transformed in Hinduism as?
Answer
The Asuras
When first introduced in Europe at the beginning of the 19th century, this allowed close physical contact between couples and provoked a moral panic. It evoked the strongest of emotions and provoked Lord Byron to compose a poem “The _____: An Apostrophic Hymn”, condemning it. A Tom and Jerry cartoon and a Johann Strauss composition in 2001:A Space Odyssey of the same name are the best examples of this. What?
Answer
Put Fundae and Two words to describe this:
Answer
Tic-Tac. The method of hand signs used by bookmakers to signal odds for certain horses. Currently still used in the UK.
“We have, to all, in the western world, think about this. You can actually let Christian symbols fall apart, but if you do this with an Arab symbol, you would have a fatwa , and that sounds a little bit like what the state of this world is. So it’s just something which I kind of didn’t think was an element, so I left it out of the script.Harald, my co-writer said - I will not have a fatwa on my head because of a film”
Who speaking about what?
Answer
Ronald Emmerich speaking about the decision to not have a scene of the Kaaba being destroyed in the movie “2012”
These cats get their name from the “Al-Attabiya” neighbourhood of Baghdad, which itself got its name from a prince of the Omayyad dynasty.The neighbourhood was famous for an exotic, rich, watered silk (originally striped) , which was exported to Europe during the Middle ages. The stripes on the silk being similar to the coat of these cats, lent its name. What cats?
Answer
Tabby Silk, Tabby Cats
The name of this piece of music derives from the French root “to jest”. As the tone of the piece conveys, it is meant to be a brief and lively dance-like character piece usually in 2/4 time. This term soon became common and was included as an integral part of every Baroque suite of music. Name the piece and the composer.
Answer
From the French root “badiner” comes the piece name “Badinerie” by Johann Sebastian Bach
Round II – Menage’ A Trois
Rules:– 18 Questions in all– Questions grouped in 6 triplets– Answer to one question in a triplet is linked to the next– Each team gets the first question in a triplet– Infinite Bounces apply for passing questions within a
triplet– +1 for correct, no negatives per question
Menage’ A Trois – SET I
_____-_____ is the popular British English name given to an amusement park ride with a built in spiral around a high tower. Users climb inside the tower and slide down the outside, usually on a mat. What?
Answer
Helter-Skelter
From amusement rides to crazy prophecies…Helter Skelter was an apocalyptic war predicted by X, in which he said that rising racial tensions between blacks and whites would lead to mass destruction. This vision, he insisted, was inspired by a certain musical album and the New Testament’s Book of Revelation.Who was X?
Answer
Charles Manson
From crazy men to unfortunate celebrities..One of Charles Manson’s victims was Sharon Tate, an American actress and Golden Globe nominee, who was almost 8 months pregnant when she was killed by the Manson family.However, her husband was even more famous in his own right in Hollywood. This man found himself in a tight spot when he went to attend an awards ceremony. Who was this high profile spouse of a Manson murder victim?
Answer
Roman Polanski
Menage’ A Trois – SET II
What is shown in the picture has been named by Trip Advisor as “The most unhygienic tourist attraction in the world”. Which attraction and why all this fuss?
Answer
The attraction is called “The Blarney Stone” in Ireland. Kissingit is supposed to give the kisser the gift of gab and publicspeaking. Certainly of use to Quiz masters
From dirty stones to great writers…The Blarney stone is reputed to have been presented to _____ ______, the Lord of Blarney castle in 1314 in recognition of his support in the Battle of Bannockburn. It is said that soon _____ _____ acquired the gift of gab.Born Charles _______ , this writer won a Pulitzer for one work while his other work was made into a recent Oscar winning movie. He is reputed to have changed his name to _____ ______, based on the legend described above. Who?
Answer
Charles Mccarthy, who is also known as Cormac Mccarthy andis the writer of No Country For Old Men.
From great writers to funny tributes…The ______ fest is an annual bowling festival begun in 2002 in Louisville, Kentucky celebrating something that first appeared in 1998 but soon became a cult.The festival’s main event is a night of unlimited bowling with various contests including Costume, Trivia, Hardest and Farthest Travelled contests.Jeff Bridges has been reported to have attend atleast one event. Which event is this?
Answer
The Lebowski fest in honor of “The Big Lebowski”
Menage’ A Trois – SET III
The Mallas, who ruled over Mallabhum, were bandits by profession would often loot any passing caravan and its cargoDuring one such loot, the bandits found that the cargo contained Vaishnava texts. The king consulted his priest and was told that they had committed a sin by looting this caravan and the only way to redeem it was by renaming their kingdom.How do we better know this region now?
Answer
Bishnupur in West Bengal
From Bishnupur to flowery conflictsThe flowers of this tree are used in the Telangana region for worship of Lord Siva on ocassion of Shivaratri. The tree itself is considered a form of Agni, God of Fire, who was punished by Goddess Parvati for disturbing her privacy with Siva.The tree is famous to have lent its name to what significant town?
Answer
Palashi -> Plassey, where Battle of Plassey was fought
From Bengali sweetness to sweet waters..Legend has it that this edible owes its uniquely rich taste to not just its special recipe but the blended sweetness of the renowned Thambarani riverA Marwadi family that settled in the region 300 years ago may have first made this item, but today many small and large businesses make and sell itWhat are we talking about?
Answer
Thirunelveli Halwa (Alwa)
Menage’ A Trois – SET IV
It was originally erected in Hyde Park, London in 1851, had an area of 990,000 sq feet and had no name until the magazine ‘Punch’ decided to name it so.It was later disassembled and moved to Sydenham Hill, was further enlarged and stood there from 1854 to 1936 until a fire destroyed it. An area of London and an English football club were later named after it. What?
Answer
Crystal Palace – The Grand structure constructed for the Great Exhibition of 1851.
From exhibition halls to architectural marvels..This building in the heart of London is sarcastically referred to as “Crystal Phallus” because of an obvious resemblance However, the more common name for the building comes from its resemblance to a fruit that is similar in form to the cucumber – both being members of species Cucumis Sativus. What is the building better known as?
Answer
Gherkin, also known as Swiss Re Building or 30 St Mary Axe
From pickled Gherkins to cultural suppression..When the US entered WWI, there was a concerted effort in the US to suppress Axis culture. Lutheran Churches dropped non-English services, musicians no longer played Bach/Beethoven, daschunds were renamed “liberty hounds” while pretzels were removed from free lunch countersOne food item was renamed “Liberty Cabbage” (albeit temporarily) in the process. One word for this item?
Answer
Sauerkraut (Pickled Cabbage)
Menage’ A Trois – SET V
Region in Turkey in the Nevshehir Province and a unique tourism spot characterized by fairy chimneys and underground citiesLegend has it that the underground cities developed because early Christians used these as hiding places to escape persecution from Roman soldiersThese cities are still used as residence and a tourism industry abounds
Answer
Cappadocia
From Turkish cities to Turkish finds…When the Ottoman army left Vienna in 1683, soldiers found bags full of X left behind with equipment. The contents of the bag were initially mistaken for horse/camel food but later found to be X, which bought a significant change to Vienna’s culture. What was X?
Answer
X: Coffee Beans, Vienna got its coffeehouse culture from theTurks
From Viennese charms to other pleasures..In Europe, the working middle class man would often miss his lunch/afternoon meal at home. On returning back from work in the early evening, he would sit on the main table of his house, rather than the parlor or the sitting room, which would be used during the afternoonsThe main tables of the house were much taller than the parlor or sitting room tables. How do we remember these apparently insignificant differences?
Answer
The afternoon tea was called low tea, since it would be consumedon lower tables, while the evening tea was called high tea due tothe taller tables
Menage’ A Trois – SET VI
It’s called:A “slipper” in RomaniaA “bakkie” in South Africa A “tender” in IsraelA “ute” in Australia/NZ
How do we know it in common terms?
Answer
A Pickup Truck
From pickup trucks to pickup songs…Story goes that in WW I, when French officers needed to get out of their barracks, they would need a weekend pass or more popularly a _____, so they could go to Paris and enjoy the favors of ladiesWhen such an opportunity materialized, bawdy French officers would sing a song “ ______ _____ ______” with the first word referring to the pass while the last 2 words (same word) referring to the favor itself The song title is famous today in a slightly different context. What was the song?
Answer
The weekend pass was a “chit”, hence the song “Chitty BangBang” from where came Count Zborowski’s racing car and IanFleming’s novel
From war to how wars are won..This piece of California architecture was under construction for almost 38 years and is reported to be haunted. It is said that the owner, deeply saddened by the deaths of her daughter and her husband in 1881 consulted a medium and was informed of a curse placed on her family by people who had died due to the family.The medium is reported to have said “You must build a home for yourself and… never stop building or you’ll die”What place is this?
Answer
The Winchester Mansion by Sarah Winchester of Winchesterrifles
Round III – Visual Written Theme
– 9 Questions , 3 sets each of 3 questions bound by a common theme
– Can guess the theme anytime (reveal only to QM)– Can guess theme only ONCE, Negatives for guessing theme
wrong– Points for theme:
• Set1: +5, -3• Set2: +3, -2• Set3: +2, -1
Wanderlust was what my life was,I was the first to see Her Majesty’s waterfalls,Traveler and philanthropist says my resume,Stanley asked me “ ______ _____, I presume?”
Baroque was where my music flowed,People sing my “Messiah” with heads bowed,Haydn, Mozart & Beethoven – I inspired,With Hallelujah & the UEFA theme, immortality I acquired.
English medium instruction was my causeI liked to frame criminal lawsMy children – they are Indians who behave like Brits,The IPC, Civil Procedure Code – these are my gifts
They called me the crocodile in jest,In chemistry, I infused great interest,The nucleus was split using gold,My model of the atom – Behold!
With an infamous running athlete, I share my name,Shakespeare my contemporary, yet I had my own fame,A playwright, murderer, poet and dramatist,My best works – The Isle of Dogs & The Alchemist
Arthur Hallam, my dear friend, I immortalized,Ulysses and his Odyssey I eulogized,Lord Cardigan and his brave brigade,O how can their glory fade?
The fall of the apple caused it allThat’s when I heard physics’ call,Inertia is not an unstoppable ‘force’,Remember the trinity of laws, or it gets worse.
Tabard Inn is where my pilgrims met,The stories they told are free to interpret,I mastered poetic tragedy with Troilus and Criseyde,A good story I told, I must confide.
The Stone of Scone or the Stone of Destiny is an oblong piece of red sandstone that is used for centuries in the coronation of monarchs of Scotland. Historically, the stone was kept in Scone Abbey, Scotland but Edward I captured it as a spoil of war and had it fitted on a chair called “Edward’s Chair”All British sovereigns are now crowned on this chair. Where does this chair reside?
Round III – Visual Written Theme Answers
Wanderlust was what my life was,I was the first to see Her Majesty’s waterfalls,Traveler and philanthropist says my resume,Stanley asked me “ ______ _____, I presume?”
David Livingstone
Baroque was where my music flowed,People sing my “Messiah” with heads bowed,Haydn, Mozart & Beethoven – I inspired,With Hallelujah & the UEFA theme, immortality I acquired.
Fredrich Handel
English medium instruction was my causeI liked to frame criminal lawsMy children – they are Indians who behave like Brits,The IPC, Civil Procedure Code – these are my gifts
Lord Macaulay
They called me the crocodile in jest,In chemistry, I infused great interest,The nucleus was split using gold,My model of the atom – Behold!
Ernest Rutherford
With an infamous running athlete, I share my name,Shakespeare my contemporary, yet I had my own fame,A playwright, murderer, poet and dramatist,My best works – The Isle of Dogs & The Alchemist
Ben Johnson
Arthur Hallam, my dear friend, I immortalized,Ulysses and his Odyssey I eulogized,Lord Cardigan and his brave brigade,O how can their glory fade?
Alfred Tennyson
The fall of the apple caused it allThat’s when I heard physics’ call,Inertia is not an unstoppable ‘force’,Remember the trinity of laws, or it gets worse.
Isaac Newton
Tabard Inn is where my pilgrims met,The stories they told are free to interpret,I mastered poetic tragedy with Troilus and Criseyde,A good story I told, I must confide.
Geoffrey Chaucer
The Stone of Scone or the Stone of Destiny is an oblong piece of red sandstone that is used for centuries in the coronation of monarchs of Scotland. Historically, the stone was kept in Scone Abbey, Scotland but Edward I captured it as a spoil of war and had it fitted on a chair called “Edward’s Chair”All British sovereigns are now crowned on this chair. Where does this chair reside?
Westminster Abbey
Theme: All of them were interred at Westminster Abbey
Round 4 – Infinite Bounces
Rules:– 16 Questions– +1 for every correct answer, no negatives– Question goes to the team sitting next in line to the team
that answered previous question
The movie below draws heavily from the biography of a classical music prodigy who probably was the first classical ‘pop star’.The movie title itself is a term coined by German romantic literary figure Heinrich Heine to describe the massive public response to the artist’s public performances – women swooning, dress/cosmetics printed with the artist’s name/face, etc.In a subtle tribute, Roger Daltrey from The Who plays the lead role, while Ringo Starr appears as the Pope. What movie/term?
Answer
Lisztomania after Franz Liszt, the pianist
This annual ritual begins with the Corporation of London presenting the Queen’s Remembrancer with 2 knives – one blunt and one sharpThe knives are tested by means of a hazel stick, a cubit in length and as thick as the Remembrancer's forefinger. The blunt knife has the hazel stick bent over it, leaving a mark. Then the sharp knife is used to slice the hazel stick in two.
What is the significance of this ritual?
Answer
The Quit Rent Ceremony between the Corporation of London and the Queen’s Office for use of a land called “The Moors” in Shropshire.This was the ritual used traditionally to record the fact that a tenant had paid all his/her due rent. Today, London (tenant) does not pay any rent but the ceremony is symbolical of rent being paid.
Because of its top-level domain name, this country has earned notoriety for being associated with the most number of phishing sites on the internet. Which country is it?
Answer
Cameroon. Its .cm top-level domain name is the favorite ofphishers trying to pose as the original website, because of itsproximity to .com
This simple blend of rum, fresh lime juice and sugar was reputedly invented around 1905 by an American mining engineer named Jennings Cox, working at an iron mine in the town of _____ near Santiago, Cuba. Legend has it that Cox came up with the idea when he ran out of gin while entertaining guests. It merits a mention in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book This Side of Paradise and was the favorite drink of Ernst Hemingway. What?
Answer
Daiquiri
Various terms exists for this pastime. In the UK, people indulging in this hobby may be called grizzers while in Australia the same people may be referred to as gunzels. In the US, the term ‘foamers’ refers to the same category of people in reference to the notion that the hobbyist foams at the mouth in his/her excitement. A more scientific term ‘ferroequinology’ has come to give some respectability to the pastime. What?
Answer
Trainspotting
The _____ bar was opened in this city somewhere in the stretch between Sukhumvit Road and 23rd Road.The bar was named after T.G. ____ Edwards, a retired African American airman who fancied himself to be in the Mid-West and was invariably found wearing a hat.Eventually, a lot of bars opened on the stretch but the stretch got its name from this first bar.What place are we talking about?
Answer
Soi Cowboy – Bangkok’s red light area
The confluence of the Blue Nile and the White Nile is shaped like an elephant’s trunk.The shape of this confluence is called “Ras Al _____” in local parlance, thereby giving its name to which city located on the confluence?
Answer
Khartoum, Sudan
A _____ is an automotive aerodynamic device, whose intended design function is to suppress unfavorable air movement across a vehicle body in motion. The device functions by disrupting or diffusing airflow passing over and around a vehicle and creating a downward pressure, enabling stability for the automobile.The term is now used differently, often associated with movie reviews. What?
Answer
Spoiler
In the early 1900s, this French manufacturer commissioned the artist Andre Galland to do a series of posters to promote various sports and one of its products X-Y which flowed freely during the game breaksThe name X was removed from the name of the product after a few years but the product itself did not changeHowever in 2006, the release of a movie renewed demand for the original product X-Y and the manufacturer was forced to educate the consumer that the product had never changedWhat product?
Answer
Kina Lillet, part of the famous James Bond martini
Fill the missing two in this list– Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer Conjecture– Hodge Conjecture– Navier-Stokes Equations– _______– Poincare Conjecture– _______– Yang Mills Theory
Answer
•P vs NP Problem•Reimann HypothesisAll of these are the Millenium Prize Problems
A prolific player, he represented Oxford at throwing hammer and billiards and was also captain of Oxford’s ice hockey team. He is said to have frequently worked on a game called “Twisti-Twosti” which involved bouncing a tennis ball on a table such that the other side would not be able to catch it. His later exploits led to his name being used in an abbreviated form in Australia to refer to his art. What?
Answer
Bernard Bosanquet, the guy who invented the googly
In Greek mythology, X is seduced by Zeus, but when Zeus’ wife finds out, she is turned into a heifer (young female cow) to escape detection.She is imprisoned, freed by Hermes and then roams the world after being stung by a gadflyWhen she crosses the path between Propontis and the Black Sea, her crossing of this stretch Y gave it its current nameShe finally escapes to Egypt by crossing the X sea which is now named in her honorX & Y?
Answer
X: Io, Ionian SeaY: Bosphorus – which means ox passage
