Search your questions that power our play engine.
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The Vank Cathedral in Isfahan was dedicated by Shah Abbas I of Iran to a particular community. This community was displaced by the Ottoman campaigns of Shah Abbas and had resettled in his capital. Presaging one of the darkest events of the 20th century, the church depicts which community's torture at the hands of the Ottomans?
This character appears in The Boys as a shape-shifting spy for Vought. This supe can appear like an apparition or as a duplicate of any person he desires. Identify this character. (12)
To identify birdsongs, avid birdwatchers have created bird song mnemonics in order to easily recognize them in the wild. With a scientific name of Strix varia, which bird (6,3) is recognised with the birdsong mnemonic Who cooks for you, who cooks for you allll? We're looking for a two-word specific answer, part of which derives from the streaked plumage on its belly.
In 1957, what non-edible item made of bamboo did Harry Yee drop in a cocktail as an alternative to a swizzle stick? The drink aptly came to be known as a 'Tropical Itch' and created a local cottage industry for producing the item.
What type of tall ancient Greek or Roman jar with two handles and a narrow neck inspired the bottle design of J'adore by Christian Dior? These jars were primarily used to store wine.
An enslaved person who "boarded" the Underground Railroad to escape was appropriately referred to as a _________ (9), keeping in line with the railway metaphor. What term did they use? (9)
In an opera, what 4-letter term denotes the lowest male singing voice? In serious operas, they usually play authority figures such as fathers, monarchs or priests, but sometimes they portray incarnations of the devil. In comic opera, though, ths is often a buffoonish old man.
Upon hearing the opening of this Russian composition played by a solo instrument in an unrecognizably high register, French Romantic composer Camille Saint-Saens is said to have fumed: “if that is a bassoon then I am a baboon!” He then stormed out of the theater. Which controversial 1910s compsition is this?
Identify this Gujarati dish, popular around winter. It is made of vegetables like potatoes, yams, plantains, eggplants and green beans that are mixed with spices, chutney, sev, and fritters. These ingredients are cooked in an earthen pot that is placed upside down, leading to its name.
Which writer inspired this sock design by ChattyFeet, that may give one the feeling of being under constant surveillance? Reviews describe it as an appropriate gift for one's elder sibling.
In Middle Eastern culture, what term is used to refer to both the place and the practice of cleansing the body through the medium of water or steam? Inherited from the model of the Roman thermae, it is also known as a Turkish bath.
Identify this type of utilitarian pocket (5), designed by the British military after recognising the limitations of their uniforms to carry supplies. It later lent its name to pants that had such pockets.
Book math time! Solve this problem:
A steamy trilogy that began as Twilight fan fiction, that has this specific number in all three titles x (multiplied by) A volume of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, that has these many towers in the title.
What is the name (5) of this sour candy brand by Ferrara Candy Company? It shares its name with a term coined by Dr. Seuss that is today used for people with niche interests, like most quizzers.
Which Greek goddess is portrayed by Rakie Ayole in Kaos? In the show, this daughter of Zeus spends her time as the queen of the underworld, quashing any rumours about her abduction. A scene in the show also has her claim that she is allergic to pomegranates.
The [Blank] Index is a mock mathematical measure of how far people will, on average, read through a book before giving up. It was invented by American mathematician Jordan Ellenberg, who created it in a blog for The Wall Street Journal in 2014. The Index is named after WHICH physicist, whose book [blank] is often dubbed, "the most unread book of all time"?
S2E4 of House features a doctor who has self-diagnosed himself with Tuberculosis. The episode centres around the dilemma of whether the diagnosis is correct. What is the title of the episode, a play on a famous soliloquy?
The Ministry of Home Affairs was known as the Ministry of Home Affairs and [BLANK] in Nehru’s first cabinet. The blank referred to the new administrative divisions that had not been fully sorted at the time of independence. Sardar Patel was the minister in charge, and his efforts helped settle the issue, and contributed to his moniker of the Iron Man of India. Fill in the blank.
Grigori is the name of the titular threat from which video game set in Gransys, a world full of mythical beasts? The principles of Grigori's philosophy underlie the action-packed adventure of the Arisen and their Pawns in this cult classic that received a sequel in 2024.
What is the generic 2-word name of this North Indian dish, after the Hindi name of the vessel it is cooked in? It comes in variants like chicken, mutton, veg etc. The photo on the left is the more traditional vessel, the one on the right is a copper variant used often by restaurants.
Which alliteratively named team from Tamil Nadu (5,6) narrowly missed the play-offs, losing out to Chero Archers? Five-time Olympic medallist Brady Ellison (USA) and Former World #1 Deepika Kumari (IND) were the main "leaders" of this team.
NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) involved crashing a spacecraft into the moon of an asteroid in September 2022. This made it the first celestial body in cosmic history whose form was substantially changed as a result of human intervention. What official name was given to the moon following this successful mission? It means ‘having two forms’, hinting at its pre- and post-impact statuses.
Bruce Banner uses epigenetic switches to transform his DNA from its normal state to the gamma radiation affected chromothriptic stage, thus transforming back-and-forth as The Hulk. This transformation results in his body bruising green due to formation of biliverdin, a metabolite of which oxygen-transport metalloprotein present in RBCs?
The HBO series 'Winning Time' is based on a 2014 book by Jeff Pearlman, named after the flashy, fast-break style of basketball played by the 1980s LA Lakers. What was the name of this book, that HBO didn't use presumably to avoid confusion with another Amercian television network owned by Paramount media?
The building blocks in Froebel Gifts caught the interest of John Lloyd Wright, the son of Frank Lloyd Wright, and inspired him to create what two-word alliterative construction toy in 1916? The toys were made of wood and this choice of material worked in its favour, as all metal toys were later taken to be used in the war effort for World War I. The first half of the name is a tribute to a person who was famously born in a wooden cabin.
Named the "Booker of Bookers", Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie is a magic realist story consisting of hundreds of characters who are bound by their association to a 20th-century event which famously happened at midnight. What common trait gives the "midnight's children", including protagonist Saleem Sinai, various extraordinary powers?
Tautonym is the term for a word or name made up of two identical parts – such as the band Toto or the brand of noodles Wei Wei. Motorcycle taxis are very common in parts of Eastern Africa, and there is a history of people using them to ferry items across land borders between countries such as Kenya and Uganda. What is the tautonym for these motorbike taxis, which are affectionately named after this type of long journey, but with a hint of Swahili flair?
It's probably a lesser known fact about this player that he won the NBA Slam Dunk contest in his rookie year in 1997. I wish there was more I could tell you about it, but honestly it was one of the more dull editions, and it's memorable today only for being an unexpected extra achievement for this NBA superstar, in an era when superstars didn't regularly participate in the contest. Which player?
In 2010, Ai Weiwei exhibited a space-filling art installation at the Tate Modern that consisted of one hundred million individually hand-crafted sunflower seeds made of WHAT MATERIAL by 1,600 workers at Jingdezhen? In the 14th century, the Ming dynasty assumed control of all the kilns producing this material.
A Paan-Daan is incomplete without the presence of a type of chewing tobacco, wherein the tobacco leaves are boiled with lime and spices and then dried and coloured with vegetable dyes. It derives its name from the Persian word for yellow and is usually paired with Zaafran (Saffron). Which ingredient? [We're looking for the Persian-origin term here]
Which instrument measures fluid flow by creating a pressure drop in a constricted section of pipe? Although invented by Clemens Herschel in the 19th century, it was named after an 18th century Italian scientist who first described an eponymous fluid dynamics principle.
This Canadian ace became the first and thus far only person from his country to reach the finals of the World Snooker Championship in 1977. This 1980 champion is considered to be the first from outside the UK because Horace Lindrum's victory is often disregarded, owing to a dispute between the WPBSA and PBPA. Identify him.
Neemrana’s Tower House is a 17th century property located in which city? It faces the Chinese fishing nets in a neighbourhood that is named for Fort Immanuel, the first bastion by Europeans on Indian soil.
Another word in Asku Laska is "ahaava", the word for love in which language, the official language of a country formed in 1948? This Canaanite language is considered the most successful example of large-scale linguistic revival.
In 1654, which French mathematician carried out the first-ever rigorous probability calculation after Blaise Pascal reached out to him seeking help for solving the two gambling problems posed by Antoine Gombaud? He made lasting contributions to number theory, advanced the study of optics and laid the foundation for calculus.
India's first public art district established by the NGO St+art India is located in a Delhi neighbourhood. One of the last residential quarters established during the British Raj, it derives its name from which Delhi sultanate (4 or 5), because some of its members are buried in a city park nearby? The mural Impressions of _____ (5) (visual) gives an ode to the life of its residents.
At 71 m, the Leshan Giant Buddha at the confluence of the Min and Dadu rivers is the world's tallest pre-modern statue. It depicts which bodhisattva, who is prophesied to arrive during an era of decline when the teachings of Gautama Buddha have been disregarded or obliviated?
Identify the city in which one would find these minarets at the Selimiye Mosque. Located in the Turkish Thrace region, this city is named after the Roman emperor who founded it at the site of a settlement called Orestias, and was the seat of Ottoman power until 1453.
Known as the "Iron Lady" of Israeli politics, WHO was the first woman to become head of government in Israel? She was the Prime Minister during the Yom Kippur War of 1973 and resigned following questions from the public regarding Israel's lack of preparedness for the war.
Fort Macquarie constructed in 1798 at Bennelong Point in this country was demolished in 1901 to make way for a tram depot that in turn was demolished in 1958 to make way for which distinctive building whose exterior was inspired by a peeled orange (visual)? This UNESCO World Heritage Site was inaugurated in 1973 with a performance of Prokofiev’s War and Peace.
The Penguin Clothbound Classic cover of which 1868 novel features a network of scissors? The scissors represent a pivotal moment in the book when Jo [blank] cuts off her long hair as a selfless act to help her family.
Pictured here is the Leadenhall Building, a striking 225m tall skyscraper in London. What is the nickname this is known by, due to its distinctive wedge shape bearing similarity to a household item?
The liveries of Air India Express aircraft pay homage to the crafts of India. The tail of the Air India Express aircraft VT-BXG depicts what GI-tagged handloom weaving technique used for producing the namesake type of saree and textiles? Deriving its name from Persian for "flower" and "vase", this muslin textile native to Bengal is covered with artistic floral motifs.
Italian poet Dante's work, Inferno, follows him travelling through nine circles of hell, aided by the poet Virgil. When Dante gets to the third circle of hell, he is confronted by WHICH MYTHICAL 3-HEADED MONSTER? In Greek myth, the monster guarded the gates to the underworld on behalf of Hades, inspiring JK Rowling to pen the character Fluffy in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
Which island country in Oceania was named by an explorer after a Biblical king because it was likened to a port from which the king routinely received a cargo of precious metals and wildlife? One of its islands, Guadalcanal, was a major site of US-Japan conflict during World War II.
The third of Strugnell's Haiku is a description of a typical November evening in South London. Strugnell notes that the moon has risen and the birds have settled down and that a certain establishment is now open for business. What establishments are these, which tally to around 40,000 in UK and have seen a rapid fall of numbers in the past decade?
While many movies are adapted from the theatre, some are set in the world of theatre. In this Academy Award-winning 2014 film, Riggan Thompson mounts an intimate Broadway production of Raymond Carver’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. Constructed to look like a single two-hour take, which movie is this that also uses previous roles of its lead actor, Michael Keaton, to express its own opinion of superhero films?
Since operations started in 1948, Indians top the list of casualties suffered while serving as part of global missions in what pacifist role? Members of this group are known by an alliterative nickname which refers to their distinctive headgear that helps them stand out in conflict zones. The nickname is also acceptable.
Epic Rap Battles of History is a YouTube series that pits historical and pop culture figures against one another in a rap battle format. The battle in this clip is between Santa Claus and Moses. Identify the American rapper playing Moses. He has been active since 1992 but has never won a Grammy in spite of 17 nominations.
Nominated under the “Monsters” category, identify this villain, who set out to trade ivory. LitHub describes this tyrant who first appeared in an 1899 novel as "one of literature’s most indelible sociopaths."
Columbus set out on his voyage to discover the source of this commodity. Although his efforts failed, the samples he carried to the New World became a common seasoning later. Which crop is this, whose production is mostly governed by the IPC (visual)?
Kezan or the spiky frog, pictured here, consists of a heavy lead plate with erected brass needles that are used to fix certain items in the moribana-sub style of what Japanese art form? We're looking for a Japanese term.
In 1993, King Hussein of Jordan sold one of his houses in London to personally fund the high volume of precious metal required for the refurbishment of what structure in Jerusalem?
What is the name of The Economist's blog on science and technology, named after a 19th-century English polymath? This mathematician, philosopher, inventor, and mechanical engineer is best known for his invention of the 'Difference Engine', the world's first mechanical computer.
The interstellar space probe Voyager 2's interaction with the Uranian moons identified the Verona Rupes, a 20-kilometer-high scarp that is the highest cliff in the Solar System. Which moon, that is the smallest and innermost of Uranus's five round satellites, is this? It is named after Prospero's daughter from Shakespeare's The Tempest.
This desert is the 8th largest desert in the world by area. It derives its name from the geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. A retailer of outdoor clothing also shares the same name. Which desert?
For Abhishek Bensla, hip-hop had always served as a source of energy. Taking inspiration from physics lessons at school, he accordingly came up with a stage name - which also fell in line with a common naming convention in the field. What name?
These helmets made with flexible foam by brands such as Canterbury and Body Armour are worn by players of which sport? While they are not mandatory and do not prevent concussion risks arising from tackling or collisions, they are being widely adopted.
In April 2023, Forbes 30 under 30 entrepreneur Charlie Javice was charged with multiple counts of fraud for dramatically inflating the number of customers of her company (which helped students get financial aid) to get JPMorgan Chase to buy it for $175 Million in 2021. Ironically, for someone who lied, what is her company called (5)? It ain't truth
This is the aerial Google Earth view of which natural entity? To rule out a wrong guess, this is not in the Americas.
Although written almost two decades before Rushdie met his to-be wife Padma Lakshmi, 'Padma' is coincidentally the name of Saleem's wife in Midnight's Children. Padma is the 'listener' while Saleem narrates the tale. This is a gender-subversive take on which story, that also helped Rushdie decide the number of midnight's children?
Which type of paper is made by coating gritty materials like garnet, silicon carbide, or emery on a backing of regular paper? A common industrial technique uses static electricity to capture the roughened texture of these materials onto a resin applied to the backing paper.
Which contemporary Japanese artist (seen here) designed a line of clothing for Doraemon's partnership with Uniqlo? Seen here are his characteristic smiling flowers along with Doraemon and Nobita. He is also known for the character of Mr. DOB, his response to Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse.
Peyush Bansal co-founded which online portal in 2010 as a means to replicate Titan Company's business? This venture soon evolved into what the "shark" has referred to as providing "Vision to India".