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.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
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.
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.
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.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
TV Commercials Quiz
1. Guinness Beer's commercial 'noitulovE' is the most talked about spot in 2005. It tells the history of life in 50 seconds flat. All you have to do is to tell me what's 'noitulovE'?
2. Which former English cricketer gave the voiceover in the Vodafone 'Mayfly' commercial?
3. "The Way Things Go" a 30-minute film by F. Fischli & D. Weiss in 1987, was the inspiration for which award winning commercial?
4. Who's gonna direct an Amitabh & Tabu flick named 'Cheeni Kum'?
5. Pradeep Sarkar, the director of 'Parineeta' is a renowned ad filmmaker. Can you tell me the name of his ad film outfit?
6. American Express aired a 2-minute commercial for the first time during the recently concluded Oscars show with the theme 'My Life, My card". Who directed the film?
7. Carmichael Lynch, the ad agency behind the legendary Harley Davidson work, commissioned the services of an Indian director to shoot a commercial for Gibson guitars. The commercial was titled 'Empress'. Can you name the director?
8. Who croons the jingle 'Jee Lalchaye Raha Na Jaye' in the Alpenliebe commercials?
9. Who scored the music for the Fevicol Bus commercial that won the Cannes Silver Lion in 2002?
10. What's common to Krish Srikkanth & the Hutch Dog?
To view the answers, click on the comment link.
2. Which former English cricketer gave the voiceover in the Vodafone 'Mayfly' commercial?
3. "The Way Things Go" a 30-minute film by F. Fischli & D. Weiss in 1987, was the inspiration for which award winning commercial?
4. Who's gonna direct an Amitabh & Tabu flick named 'Cheeni Kum'?
5. Pradeep Sarkar, the director of 'Parineeta' is a renowned ad filmmaker. Can you tell me the name of his ad film outfit?
6. American Express aired a 2-minute commercial for the first time during the recently concluded Oscars show with the theme 'My Life, My card". Who directed the film?
7. Carmichael Lynch, the ad agency behind the legendary Harley Davidson work, commissioned the services of an Indian director to shoot a commercial for Gibson guitars. The commercial was titled 'Empress'. Can you name the director?
8. Who croons the jingle 'Jee Lalchaye Raha Na Jaye' in the Alpenliebe commercials?
9. Who scored the music for the Fevicol Bus commercial that won the Cannes Silver Lion in 2002?
10. What's common to Krish Srikkanth & the Hutch Dog?
To view the answers, click on the comment link.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Quick Trivia # 37
"A term often heard for high-quality coffee is degree coffee. Milk certified as pure with a lactometer was called degree milk owing to a mistaken association with the thermometer. Coffee prepared with degree milk became known as degree coffee."
Source: Wikipedia.
Source: Wikipedia.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Just One Question # 2
Which popular cleanser brand was originally named 'Liquor Cresolis Compositus'?
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Quick Trivia # 9
Herb Caen, a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist from San Fransisco, coined two words that defined a generation - 'Beatnik' and 'Hippie'.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Just One Question # 1
What's common to Ambush, Chosen, The Follow, Star, Powder Keg, Hostage, Beat the Devil and Ticker?
Friday, January 20, 2006
Monday, December 26, 2005
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Quick Trivia # 5
If you come across any website with the seemingly perverted dot co dot ck extension, then it means the site is from Cook Islands.
Monday, November 21, 2005
the question of the day # 1
which newspaper claims that one mr. t. herman zeibel has been its editor since 1901?
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Quick Trivia # 2
Hurricane Katrina will bear the names Kirk, Karen, Kyle, Kate & Karl in the years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010 respectively. And in the year 2011, it shall be called Katrina again. This is in keeping with the practice of rotating names every six years.
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Sunday, July 17, 2005
This & That Quiz
1. This band that was named after an adult toy mentioned in the William Burroughs novel "Naked Lunch." Just name the band.
Steely Dan
2. In Hindu Mythology, what is Agna Sandhani?
It’s the book that decides whether you go to hell or heaven. It’s a balance sheet of the sins and good deeds done by any individual. Maintained by Chitra Gupta in Yamalok.
3. Actress Kalpana Iyer’s hands have been immortalised as the logo of which Advertising Agency?
Mudra
4. She used the pen name Jane Mast for writing plays. Her first play was titled ‘Sex’. Who’s this person?
Mae West
5. In the world of sports what is Charles Bannerman’s claim to fame?
He played the first ball bowled in a test match.
6. What word did Mr. Henry Piddington, President of Marine Courts, Calcutta, coin in 1848 to differentiate between straight and curved types of his subject of study?
Cyclone.
7. For the movie Sangam, Raj Kapoor wanted Vyjayanti Mala as heroine. She took her time to decide. So Raj Kapoor sent her a final telegram. After which she said a definite yes. What was his message?
Bol radha bol sangam hoga ki nahin?
8. Born Susan Alexandra. An unusual name in the book The Great Gatsby attracted her attention. She changed her name. Name this celebrity.
Sigourney Weaver.
9. Complete the list Harichandan, Mandar, Surtaru, --------- & -----------? And tell me what’s special about these 5 names.
Parijaata and Kalpaka Vriksha. The only 5 trees in paradise, according to Hindu mythology.
10. Connect the book “Call me lucky” and Holiday Inn, the hotel?
Bing Crosby. His autobiography is “Call me lucky” and the hotel takes its name from a movie of his with the same name.
Steely Dan
2. In Hindu Mythology, what is Agna Sandhani?
It’s the book that decides whether you go to hell or heaven. It’s a balance sheet of the sins and good deeds done by any individual. Maintained by Chitra Gupta in Yamalok.
3. Actress Kalpana Iyer’s hands have been immortalised as the logo of which Advertising Agency?
Mudra
4. She used the pen name Jane Mast for writing plays. Her first play was titled ‘Sex’. Who’s this person?
Mae West
5. In the world of sports what is Charles Bannerman’s claim to fame?
He played the first ball bowled in a test match.
6. What word did Mr. Henry Piddington, President of Marine Courts, Calcutta, coin in 1848 to differentiate between straight and curved types of his subject of study?
Cyclone.
7. For the movie Sangam, Raj Kapoor wanted Vyjayanti Mala as heroine. She took her time to decide. So Raj Kapoor sent her a final telegram. After which she said a definite yes. What was his message?
Bol radha bol sangam hoga ki nahin?
8. Born Susan Alexandra. An unusual name in the book The Great Gatsby attracted her attention. She changed her name. Name this celebrity.
Sigourney Weaver.
9. Complete the list Harichandan, Mandar, Surtaru, --------- & -----------? And tell me what’s special about these 5 names.
Parijaata and Kalpaka Vriksha. The only 5 trees in paradise, according to Hindu mythology.
10. Connect the book “Call me lucky” and Holiday Inn, the hotel?
Bing Crosby. His autobiography is “Call me lucky” and the hotel takes its name from a movie of his with the same name.
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
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