Friday, April 28, 2006

Wiki Treasures # 1

Learn well your grammar
And never stammer
Write well and neatly
And sing soft sweetly
Drink tea, not coffee;
Never eat toffy
Eat bread with butter
Once more don't stutter.


A poem written by Lewis Carroll when he was not allowed to become a priest, thanks to his stuttering. Source: Wikipedia.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Quick Trivia # 42

Seoul, the South Korean capital, just means "the capital" in the Korean language.

Thursday, April 20, 2006

The Curious Words Quiz

1. There’s a mistaken impression that the more you press the elevator button the faster it will arrive. Some intelligent soul coined a word to describe this phenomenon. Just name the word for me.

2. Aibophobia is the fear of mechanical dogs. What is Aibohphobia?

3. “A current or former marriage in which one partner is gay or has had a gay affair.” Gimme the term that fits this description.

4. I know you know what an eye candy is. Tell me what’s a thumb candy?

5. Tom Cruise wrongly referred to it as the Flugelbinder in the movie Cocktail. What is it actually called?

6. If I accuse you of being a Euclionist, what will I be accusing you of?

7. Zugzwang is a very curious Chess term It alludes to a situation when you have to make a move, you don’t want to. But sometimes by a stroke of luck a Zugzwang could work for you. What do you call a Zugzwang situation when both the players don’t wish to make a move because the first guy to do it will lose the game? (Clue – There’s a famous font by the same name.)

8. Abso-blooming-lutely and Inde-bloody-pently are examples of?

9. Two geologists IJ Bear and RG Thomas coined this evocative word in 1964. It’s a sweet coinage for the smell of wet earth after the first rain. What’s the good word?

10. Suppose a director doesn’t want to be associated with the film he has created, the Director’s Guild of America, expects him to use a certain pseudonym in the credits. What is the recommended pseudonym?

To view the answers, click on the comment link.

Friday, April 07, 2006

The Mandal Quiz

This quiz is dedicated to the Minister of Generosity - Shri Arjun Singh. For those who came in late, this quiz has been structured in such a way that 49.5% of the questions are really, really easy. To help the underprivileged quizzers I have even thrown in an acrostic hint. For the intellectually disadvantaged who do not know what's an acrostic hint, here's a chota primer:

The acrostic hint is a phrase constructed with the first letters of the answers. The acrostic hint for this quiz is BACKWARD THINKING. So if there are 16 questions, the first answer will start with the alphabet B, the second answer with A, the third with C, so on and so forth. So, once you know the first letter, you can work the answer backwards.


THE QUESTIONS (Acrostic Hint: Backward Thinking)

1. In Hindu Mythology, who rides a chariot named Taladwaja?

2. What word was coined by Paul Eugene Bleuler in the 1912 edition of American Journal of Insanity?

3. Which city opted for the name Kolkatta in 1999?

4. Potassium's chemical symbol is K. Just tell me what K stands for.

5. What was launched by Sony in the year 1979 under the name 'Soundabout'?

6. What was formed in 1972 by four Swedes named Agnetha Fältskog , Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad?

7. This company was called Wilsforf & Davis till 1915. Which one am I talking about?

8. Dumb and Dumberer was the sequel. Gimme the name of the original.

9. Thompson was one of the Thompson Twins. Who was the other?

10. Hugh Hefner is to Playboy is as to Larry Flint is to _________?
11. The band Bombalurina is remembered best for which song?

12. What's Japanese for 'concealed or in stealth'?

13. Which movie's tagline was 'Here comes the bride'?

14. Dubya has a black cat as pet. What is its name?

15. What is the real name of Kollywood star Mumtaj?

16. What was Priyanka Gandhi's surname before she became Priyanka Vadra?

SCORING SYSTEM:

If you answer less than 50% of these questions, consider yourself lucky. Arjun Singh may help you get to the stage (in quiz shows) with some reservations.

If you get more than 50%, you get nothing but the Forward Class tag.

To view the answers, click on the comment link.