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Possibly the most famous of quotations misattributed to Voltaire is that ever-popular freedom of speech chime: "I may disagree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." The phrase actually originates from a book titled The Friends of Voltaire, in which it was intended as an illustration of Voltaire's beliefs. It was written by which English writer, best known for her biography entitled Life of Voltaire?
In 2001, YSL released a collection inspired by which French artist who was a founding member of the group Les Nabis along with Maurice Denis and Félix Vallotton? Known for incorporating intense colours, he was famous for his domestic scenes and nudes.
On a shelf in S5E3 of BoJack Horseman is a miniature of the 1800s sculpture Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix, where the titular noble lady is shown holding an apple evoking Aphrodite's victory in the Judgement of Paris. Which Italian neoclassical sculptor, known for his marble figures, created it?
A series of extraordinary floods caused by the influence of the 4.2-kiloyear event in the lower Yangtze River area led to the wipeout of which Neolithic jade culture centred around present-day Zhejiang? Discovered following excavations by Shi Xingeng in 1936, the largest ancient walled city in China was part of this culture.
Liberia was founded and named as a haven for liberated American slaves. Its neighbour to the northwest was similarly founded by the British. What is the name of the neighbouring country's capital city, that also evokes liberation?
Which former country is described as a failed attempt of several countries wanting to amplify their impact by pooling together their resources under the leadership of Simon Bolivar, only to find out they couldn't agree on a unified strategy? He chose a pork-filled arepa to represent this "great" nation which existed from 1819-31.
Estonian-born American architect Louis Kahn was known for designing many institutional buildings across the world, such as the Salk intitute in America and the Bangladesh Parliament complex. The following quote by Kahn may seem repetitive, but that's also the point he was making:
"If you think of _____, you say to _____, 'What do you want, _____?' And _____ says to you, 'I like an Arch.' And if you say to _____, 'Look, arches are expensive, and I can use a concrete lintel over you. What do you think of that, _____?' _____ says, 'I like an Arch.'"
FITB with a 5-letter name of a building material. All blanks are the same.
What did Oxford Dictionary name as their 2024 word of the year? This two word phrase was defined as "the supposed deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as a result of overconsumption of material, particularly online content, considered to be trivial or unchallenging"
This photo of Briar Schwaller-Huerlimann altered using smudgy speed lines was compared to Unique Forms of Continuity in Space by which Italian painter and sculptor? Despite his short life, this painter of The City Rises (1910) influenced scores of artists to follow with his Futurist approach to the deconstruction of solid mass.
This jigsaw puzzle is based on which visual artist, known for his use of bold, expressive colour, fluid draughtsmanship, and later, for his innovative cut-paper collages ("cut-outs")?
This oil painting submitted by Daphne Chart for Football and the Fine Arts portrays a scene from a match being played at Clapham Common in South London. The artwork here shows the perspective visible to an observer situated at what specific viewpoint in a football stadium?
Which liquor brand, crafted with a blend of botanicals that include juniper, coriander, angelica root, and liquorice, uses this red seal on its bottles? This Diageo-owned brand was founded by Charles [blank] in 1830 in Bloomsbury, London.
In Maya culture, Camazotz was a deity who ruled the twilight realm. He is a personification of what creature that inhabited the caves around sacred cenotes, which the Mayans believed were portals to the underworld?
Huygens derived geometrically the now standard formulae in classical mechanics for a WHAT TYPE OF FORCE for uniform circular motion? This force is an inertial force (also called a 'pseudo' force) that appears to act on all objects when viewed in a rotating frame of reference. It is directed away from an axis which is parallel to the axis of rotation and passing through the coordinate system's origin.
The Border Roads Organisation created a world record in November 2021 by constructing the world's highest motorable road at the Umling La pass in Ladakh at an altitude of 19,024 feet. It overtook the road at which mountain pass at a height of 18,380 feet, essential to the supplies for the Siachen Glacier?
"De Madrugá" from Rosalía's Lux is based on Olga of [blank], a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church with the epithet "Equal to the Apostles". She was the regent from 945 to 962 for her son Sviatoslav, the ruler of which confederation established by Rurik and his son Oleg? This amalgamation of principalities was the first East Slavic state.
Milliways is the name of a restaurant from which sci-fi book series? It is better known by a spatially descriptive name and allows patrons to view a Gnab Gib before dessert.
The 2015 edition of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was notable for merging two different aesthetics. The first is recognised by its hippy, unconventional, free-spirited essence, while the second is the type of art that emerged from experimenting with a class of drugs that includes LSD and psilocybin. What was the theme? (4,11 or 8,11)
These are lines from the translation of Clair de Lune, the best-known work of which 19th century French poet? He is the subject of this Max Beerbohm illustration.
While it is also known as the Viking Helmet sign, the radiological appearance in Corpus Callosum Dysgenesis is also named _____ (5) Head appearance. Which animal (5), the only species in the genus Alces, is it named after? An alternate name of the animal (3) will also be accepted.
According to the Book of Deuteronomy, which prophet spent forty days and forty nights on Mount Sinai in order to learn the Torah from God?
Project ________ (8) is a trading card game that puts you in the shoes of a creator, putting together a work of art. The game includes object cards like cucumbers and vibrators; action cards like AIDS; and character cards with names like Ray Rammler, Krysti Fox and Rhonda Sweets (all in various stages of undress). Complete the alliterative title with the colloquial term for a performer in the industry this game is set in.
An esoteric programming language (or esolang) is designed to test the boundaries of computer programming. An unapproved dialect of Lisp created by Conor O'Brien, the esolang _______ ______ (7,6) is a joke built upon replacing the seemingly endless number of parentheses of the language with a vertical implementation (visual). What is this language called (7,6), named after an unethical business model?
Birla House was the family home of industrialist GD Birla that was located on Albuquerque Road in New Delhi. However, what was the road renamed to, to commemorate an unfortunate incident concerning one of the residents of Birla House in early 1948? Before you answer, thinking of the theme of the quad will be handy!
Which podcast (7) from ABC Audio reports on the younger "descendants" of the Royal Family? Its name is a pun on a 2016 tech accessory that led to the end of the 3.5 mm jack in smartphones. The answer is in singular form.
Dinah Fried is the author of Fictitious Dishes, subtitled "An Album of Literature’s Most Memorable Meals". A meal befitting an angsty teen who disses on people - this is a recreation from which 1951 classic?
The oil extracted from the leaves of which plant genus native to Australia is used to allievate conditions of nasal congestion and asthma? Although its leaves can be toxic in large quantities, several marsupial herbivores, notably koalas, are relatively tolerant of it.
S5E19 of The Simpsons sees this character build a new image for himself as a stand-up comedian who tells the truth and refuses to sell out to corporate America. He later finds himself lured by money and endorses an SUV. What is the title of this episode, a pun that incorporates the character's name in the title of a controversial Nikos Kazantzakis novel that was adapted into a 1988 film?
M. K. Gandhi carried a pocket watch, a gift from Jawaharlal Nehru, that was powered by George Favre-Jacot & Co.'s ______ (6) movement: once regarded as the 'peak' of precision timekeeping. Which model, that shares its name with the highest point reached by a celestial body?
This simile first appeared in print in 1829 in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine. One of the possible origins for the phrase is the cases of mercury poisoning induced erethism observed in English hat-makers in the 18th and 19th century. What phrase is this which also inspired a Lewis Carroll character played by on the big screen by Johnny Depp?
Many artists have pigments associated with them. For instance, "Turner Yellow" came about after J. M. W. Turner's repeated use of lead oxychloride.
This pigment made using hematite-rich earth from the Veneto region came to be associated with a 16th century Italian painter due to his extensive use of this tint for a striking physical attribute of women in his paintings. Identify this pigment. Please provide the painter name + colour.
Identify this running back who took home the Heisman in 1981. He holds the distinction of being the only player in history to have won the Heisman, an NCAA national championship, the Super Bowl, and be named NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP.
Pillows with these cut-out shapes are often recommended to people suffering from what chronic disorder, to accommodate specialised face-fitting equipment? This condition is broadly categorised as either "obstructive" or "central".
Identify the geographic feature depicted in this coat of arms, that lends its name to two countries in West Africa. The wavy white pall on the shield symbolises the confluence of this geographical feature and the Benue River at Lokoja.
"Asin sa buy-o" is an artisanal sea salt with a flaky form. This has led to it being nicknamed as the Filipino version of what highly sought after "flower of salt" (5,2,3) known for its delicate texture and used as a finishing salt in cooking?
Identify the staple missing ingredient in this recipe of Fattoush, a Middle-Eastern salad that forms a traditional part of a mezze.
Fried khubz (pita), pommagrenate molasses, mixed greens, vegetables, and [blank]. The missing ingredient is a dark red spice that is staple to mezzes in the Levant.
Although this was initially only eight stacks in number, reduced to seven after one collapsed, what name is given to this collection of limestone rocks along Australia's Great Ocean Road? The Biblical reference is not due to the number of such stacks, but for the fact that they follow the road and stand very close it.
Featuring under the category "Scale New Heights" in Smithsonian's list of '28 Places To See Before You Die', which is the highest single free-standing mountain in the world? This dormant volcano is also Africa's highest mountain, and its shrinking glaciers and ice fields have been at the centre of climate-change studies.
The intentionally ridiculous lyrics of Fevicol Se in Dabbang 2 are the brainchild of Sajid, Wajid and Ashraf Ali (yes, it took 3 people to write that song). Fill in the blank. Both blanks are the same English word.
*Log kehte hain mujhe main to hu namkin [BLANK],
Kaat doongi main dil ko meri jawani hai cutter.*
*People tell me I am salted [BLANK],
I will cut your heart, my youth is cutter*
What number is nicknamed "pick up sticks" in Housie, the Indian version of British Bingo, referencing the two digits that precede the same phrase in a popular English nursery rhyme?
In 2018, Royal Ascot made the headlines when its new style guide explicitly prohibited dresses with this kind of off-the-shoulder neckline, which had seen a surge in popularity thanks to the Duchess of Sussex. This style is named after which sex symbol of the 50s, once an aspiring ballerina nicknamed Bichette ('little doe')?
The [BLANK] effect is when the outcome of an election changes due to the presence of a minor candidate who (predictably) will lose. The minor candidate's ideologies, if similar to one of the existing candidates, will "split the vote", resulting in a significant advantage for a strong opponent of both candidates. The minor candidate causing this effect is then called a [BLANK]. What's the blank?
Which Amorite king is imagined as a member of TMBG's band? Known for bringing most of Mesopotamia together, his keen eye for lawmaking and codification of legal rights stabilised the Old Babylonian Empire.
Many retellings of the Ramayana have been published in the last few years. Vaishnavi Patel's debut novel is a reimagining of the life of which queen of Kosala who has long been vilified for her role in banishing her stepson Rama from Ayodhya?
The Kaihalulu Beach is one of the most popular beaches on which island, the second largest in its archipelago? Lahaina, a resort town on this island, was the site of a series of devastating wildfires in 2023.
Notably seen in members of the Monstera genus, these leaves bear holes that let air pass through, allow for more absorption of light, and expel excess water as the leaf expands - all in all, a great aid for good ventilation. This feature might also remind one about certain incidents which took place at Hradcany Castle and Prague Castle, sparking the Hussite Wars and Thirty Years' War respectively. What is the ten-letter name of this leaf shape?
What is the name (5) of this finishing move by Edge? He lances through his opponent's mid-section following a powerful charge from the corner.
Contrast-enhanced CT scans of Venous Thrombosis depict a thin rim of contrast material (in white) around a central filling defect (dark) due to the thrombus. This is called the ____ (4) sign after its resemblance to something reportedly named after two extreme regions on Earth (to symbolise the cool and fresh feeling it confers). What name?
In an upcoming Hollywood movie titled "Superfan", Kal Penn is set to play the role of a real-life superfan, Nav Bhatia. Having been at all of his home team's games for 26 years on the trot, his first miss came about in December 2021 from a COVID scare. Which team, the country's lone representative in a US league, does he support?
Eco-activists linked to Just Stop Oil vandalised which 19th century painting by an English landscape painter at the National Gallery, London? They pasted three panels over its canvas that reimagined the scene: replacing the river Stour with a road, placing smoke-spewing factories on the horizon, and loading the titular entity with a broken washing machine.
What liqueur made from star anise is used in versions of Italian desserts like zabaglione or panna cotta? An example of the ouzo effect, it gets its name from Latin for "elderberry" because of its original formula.
Which Dice Media show (4,3,5), featuring two sets of parents and a newly wed couple, is about breaking stereotypes, overcoming generational gaps, and dealing with differing family views? The show's title ____ ___ _____ (4,3,5) riffs on the expansion of the expletive "WTF".
In 2000, the president of WHICH country issued a national apology to the jews of his own country as well as those of the world due to his country's act of allowing fleeing Nazis to settle in this country after WW II? In fact, in 1960, Israeli agents abducted Adolf Eichmann, a chief architect of the Holocaust, from his hide-out in the capital of this country.
The promotional campaign between KFC and Stranger Things saw "Kentucky Fried Chicken" (KFC) being replaced with "[blank] Fried Chicken" (HFC) as a nod to the show's setting. What is HFC an abbreviation for?
Which Indian field hockey legend, known for practicing under moonlight, was top scorer at the 1928 Olympics with 14 goals?
Australian costume designer Lizzy Gardiner wore a dress made of 254 [BLANKs] to the 67th Academy Awards in March 1995, where she won an Oscar for Best Costume Design - widely regarded as one of the worst Oscar dresses of all time. All of the [BLANKs] were genuine, but had expired. The gown had originally been conceived for a film, but [BLANK] had forbidden it. What's the blank?
Which nut grows in grape-like clusters (visual) that dry out and start to split naturally to reveal the kernel? This drupe originated in the Middle East where it continues to be used widely in desserts.
Patty Duke was only 16-years old when she took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in the 1962 film The Miracle Worker. Which real-life character does she play in this movie, a student to her teacher played by Anne Bancroft, with the story based on this person's autobiography The Story of My Life?
Euphemisms for menstruation typically use themes of colour or visitors. One of the most commonly used terms refers to an emergency alert used for signalling danger. What two-word term (4,3) is this?
The 2002 final of Mastermind India was hosted at the Throne Room of which royal residence built by Nawab Viqar-ul-Umra in the 1880s after a visit to Europe? This "mirror of the sky" was sold in 1897 to Mir Mahboob Ali Khan (Asaf Jah VI) and was restored to its former glory by the Taj Group in 2010.
The technical name for this anatomical part in birds is furcula, which is formed by the fusion of the two clavicles. Over time, it got associated with a custom where two individuals would pull each half and the one who got the larger half would get what they desired for. What "lucky" entity is this?
Which Italian MotoGP racer died in an accident at the 2011 Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix? At the 2012 Formula 1 Malaysian Grand Prix, the Ferrari team paid tribute to him by posing for a group photo with a banner in remembrance at turn 11 where he died.
A 2021 study on the effects of technology on human bodies led to a 3-D designed model of a future human called Mindy. The study titled our post 3000 AD descendants as [BLANK] humans. What deformity fills in the blank, also seen in the titular character of a Victor Hugo novel and Disney movie?
Identify the punk rock singer that Jimmy Fallon is impersonating here.