kqa megawhats 2016 semifinals 2
TRANSCRIPT
MEGAWHATS 2016SEMI FINAL 2
Research By
Mitesh Agarwal and Venkatesh Srinivasan
1. Aardvarks – Mumbai
2. Delhi Rum – Delhi
3. Feni Vidi Vici Grouchy – Goa
4. Matunga Manram – Mumbai
5. Mega-WTF – Pune
6. QED – Chennai
7. Remembrance of Things Fast – Chennai
8. Tirupur Tughlaqs – Kovai
16 questions clock-wise on Infinite Pounce
Written Round with six questions
16 questions anti-clock-wise on Infinite Pounce
Top four teams qualify for the finals
16 questions
+10 on Infinite Bounce
+10/-5 on Infinite Pounce
No part pounces
MegaWhats 2016
The people of the Caucasus, after decades of Soviet blight, have a
reputation for dullness. In 1995, an American marketing firm associated
with a rebellious Caucasus region in the northwest of Georgia, used an
opportunity to be part of a flood of paper that former Soviet regions had
issued as "a way of demonstrating their independence."
What famous image or meme did they create?
1
MegaWhats 2016
Karl Marx and Lenin replaced by
Groucho Marx and John Lennon in the
Republic of Abkhazia stamps
MegaWhats 2016
This Hungarian’s accent and large-eyed face became a favourite target of comedians and
cartoonists. In particular, several Warner Bros. cartoons used a caricature of his face, as seen
below. Who?
2
MegaWhats 2016
Peter Lorre
MegaWhats 2016
This 1948 work took 28 attempts to have three cats flying, water thrown
from a bucket, an easel, a footstool and X – all seemingly suspended in
mid-air.
The title is a reference to X’s painting (see pic) which was added in the
final attempt to the work.
Id the work and the ‘artist’.
3
MegaWhats 2016
Dali Atomicus
Phillipe Halsman
MegaWhats 2016
Most of Venus’ surface is named after women. Craters that are over
20kms in diameter are named after famous women. Craters under
20kms use common first names of women.
Only one surface feature of Venus is named after a man.
Who and why?
4
MegaWhats 2016
James Clerk Maxwell
James Clerk Maxwell’s formulation of the laws that
relate electric and magnetic fields is the basis of
radar, and thus made the surface observations of Venus
possible.
MegaWhats 2016
This is a practical joke device involving flatulence humour, which
produces a noise resembling a "raspberry" or human flatulence.
Identify the device which gave a person his/her stage name.
5
MegaWhats 2016
Whoopee Device from where Whoopi Goldberg got
her name
MegaWhats 2016
This is the area at the corner of an ice rink where figure skaters wait for
their marks to be announced after their performances during a figure
skating competition. It is so named after the reaction that skaters and
coaches have after the scores are announced. What’s the name?
6
MegaWhats 2016
Kiss and Cry
MegaWhats 2016
The sound this musical instrument makes when scraped with a stick or a
comb is the origin of the name of a form of music. The same name is
given to a dance form that has its origin in the onomatopoeic sound the
performers make during the dance.
Identify the instrument and tell us the dance form/music.
7
MegaWhats 2016
Guiro
Cha-Cha-Cha
MegaWhats 2016
While linen is now the most popular natural fiber in clothing, in ancient
times, that position was held by Ramie (China Grass). Ramie fabric does
not shrink and it is resistant to bacteria and fungi. This was perhaps one
of the important reasons for what specific use for this fabric?
8
MegaWhats 2016
Fabric used to wrap mummies
MegaWhats 2016
According to a legend, Saraswati was once cursed by Brahma and the
result was she assumed 48 bodies. This later became the Tamil Sangams
in Madurai. The verbal duel between Nakkirar and Shiva is one of the
most famous debates.
What is the significance of the number 48?
9
MegaWhats 2016
The 48 letters of the Devanagari script
MegaWhats 2016
This is the predatory Californian plant – Darlingtonia californica.
What nickname does it have thanks to its tubular leaves?
10
MegaWhats 2016
Cobra Lily (or) Cobra Plant
MegaWhats 2016
In the film Kill Bill, the character of Hattori Hanzo is shown to have given
up his past life and running a restaurant in Okinawa. He wanted to get
away and sever all his past links, and lead an undisturbed life.
Given the type of restaurant he was running and that he wanted very
little disturbance, why was Okinawa an appropriate location choice in
the real world?
11
MegaWhats 2016
Okinawa is widely considered the
worst place in Japan to get Sushi
Hence, very few customers are likely to come!
MegaWhats 2016
This is _______ the Magpie, the mascot of the Adelaide 36ers Basketball
team, the only team from their state in the NBL.
After which (long) geographical feature is the mascot named?
Why are the 36ers named so? (unrelated to the mascot’s name)
12
MegaWhats 2016
Murray River
South Australia was formed in 1836
MegaWhats 2016
In April 2016, a photo feature in an Indian magazine captured the
desolation and emptiness in a tiny pacific island called Niue, and went
on to comment on how the new generation has been born into
nothingness, which they are trying to salvage.
What appropriate 4-word title, familiar to Indians and the cause of
much joy in 2006, does the article have?
13
MegaWhats 2016
The Inheritance of Loss
MegaWhats 2016
• 1968 British Hard Court Championships, Bournemouth –
Ken Rosewall
• 1979 Friends’ Provident Championships, Royal Albert Hall, London –
_____________
These are respective ‘firsts’ in two sports.
What is the distinction?
Who fills in the blank?
14
MegaWhats 2016
First ‘Open’ era tournaments
The winner was Prakash Padukone
MegaWhats 2016
This person was a heavy smoker and popularized the use of cigarettes.
His most popular and well-known ‘contribution’ led to a remark about
him, “He is not a great man, he is a great poster”.
Whose name, a person who made his countrymen feel wanted, is
blanked out in this cigarette ad from the early-1900s?
15
MegaWhats 2016
Lord Kitchener
MegaWhats 2016
This lantern is part of a festival in a neighbouring country that was
celebrated this year on May 21.
Name the festival and why was it celebrated on this date this year?
(3+3)
Why did this particular lantern gain a lot of attention? (4)
16
MegaWhats 2016
Vesak festival in Sri Lanka celebrating the birth,
enlightenment and death of Buddha
Celebrated on full moon day in May every year
The lantern is modelled on the Mahabodhi temple in
Gaya and its stupas
Score Check!
• Six visuals to identify
• +5 for each correct answer
• No negatives
• +3 for any part answers
MegaWhats 2016
Identify this sportsman who held the world
champion title for twelve years.
1
MegaWhats 2016
A painter, who painted sketches of a character played by his friend in a
film. Identify the painter and the subject.
2
MegaWhats 2016
Identify this guitarist who wrote a 12-issue dystopian science fiction
series called Orchid, which mixed zombies and monsters with the
messages of political and social justice typical of his music.
3
MegaWhats 2016
His father played basketball for a Latin
American club team, and he has a great
collection of basketball jerseys today.
He was/is himself a card-carrying fan and
paid member of the football team with the
same name, which he has been cheering
from childhood.
Who is this sports aficionado?
4
MegaWhats 2016
Who, explaining his expertise in beekeeping?
5
MegaWhats 2016
This is the logo of the largest news agency in Sweden.
Who spent time here as a graphic designer from 1977-99?
He went on to achieve global fame six years later.
6
Exchange Sheets…
MegaWhats 2016
Identify this sportsman who held the world
champion title for twelve years.
1
MegaWhats 2016
Joe Louis
He went on to play golf and campaigned for the rights of black people to be
allowed entry to and play golf
MegaWhats 2016
A painter, who painted sketches of a character played by his friend in a
film. Identify the painter and the subject.
2
MegaWhats 2016
Salman Khan’s sketches of Aamir Khan
For the film Ghajini
MegaWhats 2016
Identify this guitarist who wrote a 12-issue dystopian science fiction
series called Orchid, which mixed zombies and monsters with the
messages of political and social justice typical of his music.
3
MegaWhats 2016
Tom Morello
Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave
MegaWhats 2016
His father played basketball for a Latin
American club team, and he has a great
collection of basketball jerseys today.
He was/is himself a card-carrying fan and
paid member of the football team with the
same name, which he has been cheering
from childhood.
Who is this sports aficionado?
4
MegaWhats 2016
Pope Francis
The club is San Lorenzo
MegaWhats 2016
Who, explaining his expertise in beekeeping?
5
MegaWhats 2016
Sherlock Holmes
He takes up beekeeping once he retires
MegaWhats 2016
This is the logo of the largest news agency in Sweden.
Who spent time here as a graphic designer from 1977-99?
He went on to achieve global fame six years later.
6
MegaWhats 2016
Steig Larsson
The author of the Millennium Trilogy
Score Check…
16 questions
+10 on Infinite Bounce
+10/-5 on Infinite Pounce
No part pounces
MegaWhats 2016
Her father was a big fan of Roman history and nearly named her Flavia.
She was given the name Susan in honour of Susan Pretzlik, her mother’s
friend. She chose the name we know her by, from an exchange in
The Great Gatsby, where Jordan Baker asks Nick Carraway to contact her
under her aunt’s name _______.
Commenting on her reasons for choosing this name, she later said,
“It was the perfect stage name, long and curvy”.
Whose name?
1
MegaWhats 2016
Sigourney Weaver
MegaWhats 2016
While in recorded use since the 15th century, these were seen as a
statement of rebellion against the stuck-up and the conventional.
Their usage created controversies at upscale events like weddings and
award ceremonies, where it was deemed inappropriate and too casual.
The man who made them iconic for the current generation possibly saw
a commonality between these items and one particular attribute of
many of his company’s iconic products.
What are we talking about?
Who is the man and what is the commonality/rationale?
2
MegaWhats 2016
Turtlenecks / Polo-necks
Steve Jobs wanted to show-off the “no buttons” aspect of
the iPhones/iPads, and hence no-buttons Turtlenecks
MegaWhats 2016
This cave-like underground structure has a roof made up of multiple
interconnected domes, covered with a mosaic of tiles. It is named for its
architect and the artist whose works of art are displayed inside it.
Name both and the city where you will find it.
3
MegaWhats 2016
Hussain-Doshi Gufa in Ahmedabad
Architect B.V. Doshi and the artist M.F. Husain
MegaWhats 2016
This “measure” has been used to denote anything that is large or
oversized. The order of magnitude is approximately 50 meters length,
25 meters width, 3 meters depth and a volume of 1 Mega Liter.
What colloquial “unit” are we talking about?
4
MegaWhats 2016
Olympic-size Swimming Pools
MegaWhats 2016
This 18th century community enforced celibacy on its members. They
still had many members because they offered social security, equality of
the sexes and companionship. The restrictions they imposed included no
pets, no physical contact with the opposite sex and so on.
The one covert release they found was in dance. Identify the group.
5
MegaWhats 2016
Shakers
MegaWhats 2016
This phrase, though not original, was made famous by its repeated use
by US President Lyndon Johnson and his cabinet, when they were trying
to portray a victorious American campaign in Vietnam (as opposed to
the media’s sharp criticism of his handling of the affairs).
The cabinet used the pro-war journalist Joseph Alsop to propagate that
America would eventually defeat Ho-Chi-Minh’s troops.
It contained an allusion to the terrain of the battlefield, a factor which
many consider a contributing factor towards demoralizing the US forces.
Which phrase?
6
MegaWhats 2016
Light at the End of the Tunnel
MegaWhats 2016
These two Greek brothers (declared as co-patron saints of Europe by
John Paul II) were sent to convert the Bulgarians and Moravians in
850 AD, during which time they modified the Greek script in order to
translate the Bible into these languages.
Identify them and what was their contribution?
7
MegaWhats 2016
Saints Cyril and Methodius
Glagolitic alphabet
(Slavic alphabet is fine)
MegaWhats 2016
In one mode/type, there are thirteen recorded instances – five women
and eight men, the less famous ones being Goneril and Timon.
Another type has twelve recorded instances – eight women and four
men, which include names like Cordelia, Emilia, Tamora and Regan.
This is across a body of work spanning 37 Ps and 154 Ss.
What are we talking about and which are the two categories?
8
MegaWhats 2016
Suicides and Murders in Shakespeare’s works
MegaWhats 2016
These creatures get their name because of the multi-colored nature of
their appearance, referencing a character first popularized by Italian
actor Tristano Martinelli in Paris in the 16th century. Name please.
Also, which dog breed has a variety with the same name, given the
markings with varied tone on its body?
9
MegaWhats 2016
Harlequin; Great Dane
MegaWhats 2016
When Mike Brearley was the captain of his team, slow-left-arm bowler
Phil Edmonds would apparently walk backwards to his bowling mark at
the end of each delivery. Why would he do this?
10
MegaWhats 2016
To make sure Brearley did not change the field
behind his back!
MegaWhats 2016
Thirty years ago, this author wrote a suite of computer programs to
simulate his field of study. These artificial life programs were integral to
his work and resulted in some of his ground-breaking books.
In 2016, Penguin is re-launching these books to celebrate their 30th
anniversary of publication. In the true spirit of the field of study,
the re-launch has customized book covers with individual designs
created by consumers using the program.
Who is the author and which of his books is celebrating
its 30th anniversary?
11
MegaWhats 2016
Richard Dawkins
The Blind Watchmaker
MegaWhats 2016
Creme de Noyaux is an almond-flavored crème liqueur made from
apricot kernels. It is a key ingredient in many cocktails.
One of the recurrent and famous uses of this liqueur comes from the
fact that it has aromatic chemicals in the kernels that break down in the
presence of water.
An early instance featured a wine and spirits travelling salesman called
Montague Egg who solves a problem using this information in a
1939 story.
What is Crème de Noyaux used for?
12
MegaWhats 2016
A vehicle for Cyanide poisoning
It also has the smell of Bitter Almonds, which is the name of the short story as
well
MegaWhats 2016
One of the cocktails that Creme de Noyaux is a key ingredient in,
became popular in London in the 1920s.
It has Gin, Kina Lillet and Orange Bitters as well. It takes its name from a
particular institution whose alumni who popularized its consumption.
Name the cocktail (2-words). The tie is an additional clue.
13
MegaWhats 2016
Old Etonian
MegaWhats 2016
As the story goes, during a meeting about the 1948 film Ziddi’s casting,
Ashok Kumar stepped outside for a smoke and noticed a youngster
waiting, quite distressed. When he enquired, the boy said that his first
film Hum Ek Hain had tanked, and he was hoping for a better launch
with Bombay Talkies. Kumar decided on the young man as Ziddi’s hero,
despite objections by others.
The film went on to be a huge hit, and two new stars were born: this
actor, and another person who had debuted as an actor a couple of
years back, but debuted in a different way in Ziddi.
Name both people.
14
MegaWhats 2016
Dev Anand
Kishore Kumar debuted as a playback singer
MegaWhats 2016
The Nathdwara school of art originated in a town of the same name in
Rajasthan. One sub-genre of cloth embroidery and paintings (what you
see in the picture) are given their name, derived from fact that they
adorned the backdrops and walls of the temple, behind the deity.
Name this painting style.
15
MegaWhats 2016
Pichwai
Since they are on the walls behind the main idol/deity
Last question coming up…
MegaWhats 2016
People have often compared the central object in this country’s flag to a
tennis ball! Others have pointed out the striking similarity to the X-Box
logo. What it actually represents are the rays of the sun, along with a
stylized representation of the traditional homes/tents in this country.
Each of the forty rays also purportedly signifies the original forty tribes
who unified against the Mughals.
Which country?
16
MegaWhats 2016
Kyrgyzstan
The traditional home/tent is called a yurt.