Question for August 31 - PS

What do the colors (in the legend on the left bottom of the image) represent?
Bonus: also identify what the small yellow square dot means.

(Click on the image to see a larger version.)

Question for Aug 30-Gaurav Kane

Make sense of the following events (not exhaustive)- (Also identify X, Y and Z)

# February 12, 1989: Six people are killed and 100 injured when 10,000 attack the American Cultural Center in Islamabad, Pakistan protesting X
# February 13, 1989: One person is killed and over 100 injured in anti-X riots in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
May 1989: Popular musician Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens) indicates his support for the Y and states during a British television documentary, according to the New York Times, that if X shows up at his door, he "might ring somebody who might do more damage to him than he would like... I'd try to phone the Z and tell him exactly where this man is." Yusuf Islam later denied giving support to the Y
July 1991: Hitoshi Igarashi is stabbed to death; and Ettore Capriolo is seriously wounded.
# July 2, 1993: Thirty-seven Turkish intellectuals and locals participating in the Pir Sultan Abdal Literary Festival, die when the conference hotel in Sivas, Turkey, is burnt down by a mob of 2000. Participating in the conference was Aziz Nesin, who the mob demanded be handed over for summary execution. The mob set the hotel alight when Nesin was not turned over. Ironically, Nesin escaped the fire and survived

Quiz question for August 29, 2009

The two pictures above (left and right parts of the lower picture form one whole) are connected to X. X is an event in the past whose monumental consequences are beyond debate. But, the motivations of the two parties (A and B) involved in X still evoke much passion along ideological lines. While A's actions have drawn near universal condemnation, B's has its share of passionate supporters and vehement opponents. Although the agreement reached at X was soon ignored unilaterally by A, it was B who eventually prevailed after heroic and unlikely efforts which turned the tide of events against A in a much wider sense too. Identify X, A and B and explain how the pictures relate to X.

Question for Aug 28, 2009

X is a genre of film or theater in Japan, which means period drama. Films in this genre are somtimes referred to as chambara, which means sword fight. However, chambara is only a subgroup of X. These films show the lives of samurai and other ordinary people, often culminating, not surprisingly, in a sword fight. Films made in this genre have often been remade in Hollywood as westerns. Y admitted to being inspired by the works of Kurosawa made in X, and many of the thematic elements of his movie, Z, bear the influence of chambara. It is also widely assumed that the word X gave rise to a similar sounding term used to describe certain people in Z.

Identify X, Y and Z. When you get one of the three, the other two are straightforward.

Edit: I realized the question can be a bit misleading, so I am adding another piece to it. The people in Z described by the term derived from X are the "heroes", if you may, of Z.

If you have already taken a guess, and think you want to change your guess based on this, feel free to go ahead and take another guess.

Question for August 27th 2009 - Hari

I tried the fancy "post at time" thing and maybe I got it wrong :( Sorry for the delay).

Connect the following:

1. Semtín, a suburb of Pardubice in the Czech Republic

2. "A boy was lying at the bottom of the steps on to the road. A young laddie with brown socks and blue trousers on. Later that evening my son-in-law asked for a blanket to cover him. I didn't know he was dead. I gave him a lamb's wool travelling rug thinking I'd keep him warm. Two more girls were lying dead across the road, one of them bent over garden railings. It was just as though they were sleeping. The boy lay at the bottom of my stairs for days. Every time I came back to my house for clothes he was still there. 'My boy is still there,' I used to tell the waiting policeman. Eventually on Saturday I couldn't take it no more. 'You got to get my boy lifted,' I told the policeman. That night he was moved." - a testimonial by a local resident, Bunty Galloway (Not a resident of Pardubice :) ofcourse)

3.

Reader Question

This question is courtesy Kavita.

The visuals (A-E) form an exhaustive list. Identify the list.

Hint: We’re long aware of the basic existence of (A), (B), (C) and (E). Although first described in 1908, (D) has been only recently been recognized as a _____ since the cloning of a specific amino acid detector in 2002.

Question for Aug. 26 - Dev

Connect the following pics:

1.
2.

3.

Question for August 25th, 2009 - Ishani

Find X,Y,Z.

X and Y, together planned most of the architecture in and around Z.
The location of two side buildings along Z were designed by Y,
whose gradient, X later realised, partially obscured the grand building designed by X.
This led to a bitter enmity with Y.
Even after pleading to the highest authority in his country, X
could not get the gradient modified. However, the critics till today are
unsure if the design of Z was indeed an grave architectural error or
a careless mistake that just adds to its aesthetics.

Hint: Think seats of power.

Question for August 24, 2009 - Anshul

Connect the first two visuals to the third and/or fourth visual.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Crime without a name.

The British prime minister Churchill had said "We are in the presence of a crime without a name".

Rapheal Lemkin named the crime and his efforts lead to a UN convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime. To Lemkin it was inconsistent with our concepts of civilization that a crime against an individual, for example selling drugs to the individual, was of worldly concern while the crime in question, though against millions, remained an internal affair of the state in question.

One may call the 20th century the age of the crime.

What name did Lemkin give the crime? Also, mention the latest occurrence of the crime.

Question for August 22 - Kiran Vyakaranam

How about some X, Y and Z :)

X has been most recognized for use by Y for well over a century. Over the years Y used a few other adaptions/variations of X in order to spread its influence and reach around parts of the world where X was not acceptable. Although Y obtained protection for use of X internationally in 1864, it was not until 1905 that the Unites States initiated the procedures to pass a law to that effect. Since at that time several other entities were already using X , the United States law made conditional accommodations to allow preexisting usage of X by entities other than Y to continue while prohibiting any new entities from adopting X post 1905. One of these conditions was that the other entities must be using X for 'the same purpose' and 'class of goods' as Y.

The most notable of these entities - using X prior 1905 - was Z. In 2007, Z took Y to court over 'alleged trademark infringements' and 'violation of a prior agreement' on usage of X. The lawsuit was dismissed by the court and was later settled out of court allowing both Y and Z to continue using X as a trademark. Identify X,Y and Z. No points for googling. No points for a part answer.

Question for Friday, August 21, 2009

There is a common theme to the images below. Identify the common link ..

{edit} if it's too tough, googling could be an option ..

Pratik

Question for Aug 20

Visuals 1 to 5 form a list (shown incomplete and unordered). Identify the list.

Question for Aug 19-Gaurav Kane

I was born Krishna Pandit Bhanji in Snainton, near Scarborough,
Yorkshire, England, the son of Annalyna Mary (née Goodman), an actress and model,
and Rahimtulla Harji Bhanji, a medical doctor in 1943. In my teens, I changed
my name from Krishna Bhanji to X, fearing that a foreign
name would hamper my career.I have since been recognozed as one of
Britain's most acclaimed and well-known performers, I am one of few
men to have won all four major motion picture acting awards, receiving
an Oscar (for my most notable performance in 1982), BAFTA,
Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards throughout my career. I
was knighted in 2001 and gained notoriety for insisting on being called
Sir X but after criticism by the bbc, I dropped my demand. Who am I?

Reader Question 3

Q: The boxes in the following pic are not in the right order. Can you rearrange the boxes to get the story right?

Clue: Boxes 7, 12 and 21 are in their correct position.

Credits: Abstruse Goose

Question for August 18th - PS

Connect the following:

1:

2:


3 (audio):
3.mp3

Question for August 17th - Nikhil

In the graphic above, different continents are shown in different colors, and the size of the circles is relative to some quantity. What quantity? (The circle for India exists, but is too small to get a label)

Quiz question for August 16

The Reconquista was a period of about 800 years in the middle ages in the Iberian peninsula, which began in the immediate aftermath of the Islamic conquest and culminated in 1492 when Muhammad XII, better known as Boabdil surrendered Granada to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castille. By then, moorish power was completely repulsed in modern day Spain and the resultant Christianisation prompted many Muslims and Jews to flee to North Africa.

In present times, the word Reconquista has been used in a different, contemporary context X. Although X is in no way a result of any grievances follwing the original Reconquista, they share many parallels in their causes and cultural significance. Proponents of viewing X as Reconquista point to the events surrounding and follwing "The treaty of Guadalope Hidalgo" in the 19th century as a cause for which "redress" is continuing to this day and even accelerating. Although the apparent motivation for X is different from that of the original Reconquista, proponents of this view, including aggressive nationalists on one side and doomsdayers on the other, see Reconquista as an ulterior motive of X.

Although phenomena like X are a concern in places as far flung as the Russian far east, Palestine, north-eastern India, western China etc.. X has a unique connection to the original Reconquista which, I think, will be quite apparent when you have X. So, I am looking specifically for X and why it is Reconquista, and not just the wider phenomenon. Good luck :)


Since internet aids will render this question rather trivial, they are not permitted. For those of you with the luxury of time this sunday, I can just offer some interesting puzzles at this link which does a good job of keeping me intrigued through the week!

Question for Aug 15, 2009

X was started on an experimental basis by the Telegraph Office, just three years after something similar was started in Europe. Edward Harper was the first person to actively promote X, and is widely considered to be the father of X. X played a small role in world war II, and rose to prominence after the war. At its peak, it was one of the best of its kind. Some of the people involved with X became household names, and Ameen Sayani and Vernon Corea, in particular, were at one point considered to be among the top five of their kind in the world. Salman Rushdie said of X, "I have to express my deep gratitude to X. It had a slightly more open attitude, so that's where I became familiar with all kinds of things that I could slightly regret, like the complete works of Ricky Nelson."

Identify X.

Question for Aug 14th 2009 - Hari

1. A quote by American Historian Stanley Wopert:

"Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state. X did all three".

Connect X with the following pictures. Half-points for getting X right and half for the connect :)

2.

3.

Question for August 13th - Dev

X is a term used to describe a tactic that has been employed in such diverse situations as central Indian farmers dealing with debt issues and the Green Card process backlog in the US. Chronologically, the first use of X was to tackle illegal eviction, but not in real life. What is X?

Question for August 12th - Ishani

Find a word that connects the following images -

Question for August 11, 2009 - Anshul

X is an adaptation of a coronation anthem composed using text from King James Bible. The original anthem was one of the four Coronation Anthems composed for the coronation of George II of Great Britain in 1727. This adaptation is used in a completely different context now and is sung in three languages; English, German and French the three official languages of the organization that uses it. Identify X.

Question for Aug 10, 2009 - Pinakin

Connect the following pictures:

1)








2)















3)

Question for August 9 - Sanjit

Both A and B wanted to produce a car for their respective countries. Both A and B are known for their notoriety in their respective countries.

A's wish/dream lead to Y. On the other hand B lead to controversy, leading B to contact the makers of Y to produce the peoples' car.

Name A, B and Y.

Reader Question 2

This question was submitted by Srihari over a couple of beers (ok, I am kidding, but he really did submit this question).

The word X comes from a word of similar name in the Venetian dialect. In the 14th century, ships and people, before entering the city of Dubrovnik in Croatia, were forced to do "Y" for a certain period of time. This act of Y is the present day meaning of X. The word in the Venetian dialect relates to the period of time of Y. The usage of X was popularized by the Persian scholar, Abu Ali Sina, also known by his Latin name, Avicenna. Identify X.

Question for August 8th - Kiran Vyakaranam

Since it's a Saturday and it's a sit at home quiz, I'm going to make it a bit long ;)

1)



2)





3)






Connect 1) , 2) and 3) to a famous phrase

* Being technically challenged, I couldn't figure out how to upload mp3 audio, so I just combined them with a random image and uploaded videos instead - the image has nothing to do with the questions, its my guitar amp :p

Question for Friday, August 7, 2009

Pratik here .. I think this 1 is easy enough :)

Connect the following pictures:

1)

2)

3)

Reader Question 1

This question was submitted by a reader, Nikhil Dhar.

Connect the following:

1)

2) Cribs

3) Bletchley Park

Question for Aug 6

What is comming up on Saturday Week (Saturday after next) ?

Question for Aug 5-Gaurav Kane

Connect the following-

Quiz question for Aug 4, 2009

Connect the following:

1 (audio):

1.mp3

2:

3:
























- PS

Quiz question for Aug 3, 2009

Hope you haven't seen this one before as it is a popular quiz question:


What do the different areas represent?

-Nikhil

Quiz question for Aug 2nd, 2009

That was interesting B, but far from easy for me :) Since I wont be online later, I am posting my question early. Enjoy!


The boundaries chosen for continents have always been unsettling to me. Were they meant to delineate changes in civilisational scope, of geographical or climatic changes or ethnicities and cultures of the people who inhabit them? Or perhaps they're just an exercise in eurocentrism? Asia being largest and most unwieldy of them all seems especially disjoint. Asians look as different from each other as from any of their extra-continental cousins. The cuisines, the climate, culture and language families are widely different in the middle east, north&central asia, south asia, northeast and southeast asia. Today's question draws on what I think would would be a basis of a pan-asian (well, at least a larger part of asia than other ideas I can think of) identity.

Today's answer (A) is a place that flourished in the past, but is in ruins today. It played host to two of the greatest thinkers of what Karl Jaspers called the axial age (800BCE -200BCE). Although it was established long before, A was thickly populated and received wide royal patronage only starting 5th century ACE, when it can be said to have entered its golden period. Although it was laid waste twice, first by the huns in the 5th century and again by a southern asault a century and half later, it was restored both times to its former glory. But, with time came inevitable decay which was precipitated in 1197ACE by turkic invaders who destroyed it a third, and to date, final time. It is said that the lack of a copy of the koran within its famed confines invited their special ire. Although there is a lack of much written records from A itself, a scholar from the Tang dynasty and a Persian historian later have documented the glory and destruction of A respectively. Although the ruins were re-discovered in the 19th century, it is only recently that there has been a serious proposal among a host of Asian countries led by Singapore and including Japan, China and India to revive A's traditions. Identify the location of A and its relevance.

Other ideas that can be a basis of asian solidarity are obviously welcome in comments!! Although I won't forbid googling explicitly, let's make that a last resort...

Quiz Question for Aug 1, 2009

Here's an easy question to start with. Connect the following:

• The Rede lecture at the University of Cambridge (Feb 2009)
  
• A students' demonstration at Amir Kabir university (Dec 2006)
  
• A press conference on the CBI investigation of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in New Delhi (Apr 2009)
  
• A shareholders meeting of Fortis in Ghent (Apr 2009)

This list is neither ordered nor exhaustive.

Quiz Guidelines

The quiz questions posted on this blog are for fun. It's not a race or competition. The only prize is the satisfaction of answering a question correctly.

Please follow the honour code when answering quiz questions. No googling, or binging, or using any aids to answer question. We cannot tell if you cheated, nor do we care if you did. But the satisfaction wouldn't be real if you did.

The only exception is when the questioner explicity allows googling.

Answers to questions will be posted the next day in the comments section by the questioner.

If you have a quiz question you would like to submit, you may send it to quizteasers [at] gmail [dot] com. Your tip will be acknowledged.