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Which breed of dogs were originally butchers' dogs in a German town, since their main use was to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered meat to market? Getting their name from this town, they've been portrayed as vicious in many works of media - most famously in The Omen - although they're fairly calm dogs.
Which 1997 autobiographical novel by JM Coetzee has the subtitle ‘Scenes from Provincial Life’, and its name indicates his time as a kid? Set largely in Cape Town, the book shares its name with a 2014 Oscar-winning film.
Carried over to the Old World by Columbus on his return journey, its scarcity would lead hordes of people to the New World in the mid-19th century. Which crop is this, whose production is mostly governed by the CIP (visual) headquartered in Lima?
What name is shared by a northeastern province in Argentina and a short-lived republic that existed on the island of Taiwan before it was taken over by Japan? Both places received their names after being described as 'beautiful' by Spanish and Portuguese sailors respectively.
This made-to-order Louis Vuitton box crafted using Taiga leather is fitted with compartments for storing tins, a small glass dish, a plate for crushed ice, and four spoons made out of mother-of-pearl. What is this case customised to hold?
Lays chips in this skewered meat dish flavour are available in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries. The dish is similar to the Shish Kabab, and gets its name from what the Turkic word Shish became when it entered the Russian language. What flavour?
This is a 2Cellos cover of which 1990 song by an Australian hard rock band from their twelfth studio album?
In 2020, which software company led by Marc Benioff joined the 30-member list displacing oil giant ExxonMobil? This provider of customer resource management (CRM) software acquired Slack in December 2020.
In season 5 of Taskmaster, the contestants had to ask a group (visual) a series of questions and find out which of the five are of a particular Nordic nationality. After the contestants put in their guesses, the people of the nationality in question appropriately stepped over the _______ ____ (7,4). Fill in the blanks.
Gao Jun, Crystal Huang & Wang Chen secured the US's best in which sport at the 2008 Beijing Olympics? They had a successful run in their group but would suffer a loss to eventual silver medallists Singapore, losing 3-0 (11–5, 11–9, 11–7).
The Spring 2014 collection by Yasutoshi Ezumi was based on the concept of "prefab modular houses" proposed in the postwar period by which designer duo whose most famous furniture creation in the 1950s made use of the then-recent innovation of moulded plywood?
Built during the 9th century rule of Sailendra dynasty, which Buddhist temple - the largest in the world - is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues? A site of pilgrimage for Indonesians especially during Vesak day, the temple is built in a stacked form comprising nine layers.
In 1954, CIA executed Operation PBSuccess to overthrow which leader after he passed an agrarian reform law to redistribute unused land to poor peasants? The United Fruit Company had lobbied the U.S. government to topple his regime, which led Carlos Castillo Armas to assume power.
When the explorers arrived in the island pictured here, shared by multiple nations, they found the people living there to be similar in appearance to a region further West and named this isle after them. Which isle is this? The original region which inspired its name was itself named by the Portuguese meaning "black" since the people were distinct from the Moors who inhabited regions farther north.
This mauve pink shaded lipstick in SUGAR's Matte Crayon lipstick series is named after one of the five leads of a sitcom that ran for nine seasons, telling the story of a father talking to his children. The character and her husband are often referred to as the central force and 'parents' of the group, having been together right since the series beginning. Which fictional character? [First or last name will do]
Which chemical element is written out in toothpaste on the cover of Periodic Tales? It is a common ingredient in most toothpastes to strengthen enamel and prevent decay.
In 2022, exactly one year after she was named on Forbes' 30 under 30 list, Caroline Ellison pled guilty to charges carrying up to 110 years in prison. She is the former co-CEO of Alameda Research and colleague of which other 30 under 30 member from the cryptocurrency world, who described himself on the list as an "effective altruist" and is currently under house arrest?
Samanth Subramanian's work "Following Fish" features the author travelling across the Indian Coast in search of fish dishes and the communities/ stories behind it. In the very first essay, he dives into the importance of which fish to Bengali cuisine, 80% of whose production comes from Chandpur in Bangladesh? Associated with important festivals in Bengal, including a gift exchange at weddings, Samanth perfectly describes it with this line: "If Bengali cuisine were Wimbledon, the [blank] would always play on Centre Court."
Which deity of storms and fertility was said to be often found at the top of Jebel Aqra, a mountain on the border of Turkey and Syria? Commonly syncretised with the Ugaritic deity Hadad, the origin of this deity's name just means "lord" or "owner" in most Semitic languages.
Originally published in 2020 under a different name, this book was re-edited and published for an international audience in 2022. Designed by the author's brother Lalith, the original cover features elements pivotal to the book, like skulls, people bound by chains, ghosts, cameras etc. Which major award-winning book, a portion of whose initial cover and name can be seen here? (Need the CURRENT name)
This type of doughnut or fried bread is named so because it resembles certain large, flappy anatomical parts of an animal which is found in the wild only in Asia and Africa. What is it called? Two-word answer.
04 September: Patti pays tribute to which avant-garde figure whose work The Theatre and Its Double (1938) advocated for a visceral, non-verbal, and emotionally intense theatre experience aimed at shocking and immersing the audience, rather than simply entertaining them?
Which member of the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame was an inventor, electrical engineer, and innovator who demonstrated the world's first live working television system on 26 January 1926?
Apple Computer gained infamy in 2020 and incurred a $27mn fine when it intentionally slowed down older iPhones through a software update. This is part of a larger trend in the smartphone industry called _______ ____________ (7,12) where manufacturers deliberately design phones to fail after a certain time period to stimulate new sales. What is this trend known as?
Which Buddhist Siamese kingdom that existed from 1351 to 1767 is considered to be the precursor of modern Thailand? It reached its peak under Narai the Great and the restored ruins of his capital city, which literally means "invincible city" and shares its name with the kingdom, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site (visual).
Shea Moisture's curling gel is named after what baked egg-based dish served as a savoury main dish or sweetened as a dessert? A perfectly prepared version of this dish would probably leave one ‘breathless’!
The 2022 Grammy Award for the Best Musical Theater Album went to Barlow and Bear for a concept album that began with the question- "What if [Blank] was a musical?". The blank is a trending Netflix series, the cast of which saw Barlow and Bear's TikTok videos and gave them the signal to create an official album. Which show set in the Regency Era of England?
On August 15th 1989, India woke up to the melliflous strains of Baje Sargam har taraf se (Music plays from every direction) on Doordarshan. The video showcases the gamut of Indian classical music using a song aptly composed in Desh Raag. In this video, which foremost exponent of Hindustani classical music, a Bharat Ratna awardee, can be seen singing the opening lines? Please provide a full name.
Terence Tao is an Australian mathematician and 2006 Fields Medal winner. He was the youngest International Mathematics Olympiad participant at 10 and the youngest person to win the bronze, silver and gold medals. Widely regarded as the greatest mathematician living today, he has been nicknamed the "[BLANK] of Mathematics", referencing a child prodigy from another field. It's an apt choice, considering some of Tao's greatest contributions are in the field of Harmonic Analysis.
Identify this dish in a traditional Onam Sadhya, a variety of payasam made using milk, rice paste, sugar, cardamom powder, nuts and raisins - the perfect way to head off to a well-deserved siesta.
Which game, published by Mattel as a sequel to Uno, allows one to play two cards at a time, and the climactic moment is reached when the player is left with a pair of cards?
Orion’s second brightest star, after Rigel, is this red supergiant on the right shoulder of the hunter. Its name derives from the Arabic ‘Yad al-Jauza’, meaning ‘Hand of Orion’. Tim Burton punned on this word while naming the titular character in a 1988 film. Name the star.
In this episode of Binging with Babish, Babish remakes a recipe from one of his (and the question setter's) favourite movies, a 1996 comedy about a failing restaurant that decides to pour all of its resources into one incredible evening of fabulous, painstakingly-made food. The centrepiece of the feast (and the movie) is the timpano, a ridiculously complex pasta dish. Which movie are we talking about?
Which period is regarded as having produced some of the oldest pottery in the world, which was decorated by impressing cords into the surface of wet clay? With its name translating to "rope-patterned”, the period began with hunter-gatherers settling around 13,000 BCE as small communities around Shinonouchi in Nagano.
A ritual during the Hajj, the Tawaf involves walking seven times counterclockwise around the Kaaba, followed by two rakaats of prayers. After the prayers, pilgrims quench their thirst with water drawn from what source located within the Masjid al-Haram? It appeared spontaneously when Ishmael was left with his mother Hajar in the desert, thirsty and crying.
19th century German obstetrician Franz Naegele is best remembered for the Naegele’s Rule to determine the Expected Due Date (EDD) – the date when spontaneous onset of labour is expected to occur. This standard method estimates EDD by adding 280 days (9 months and 7 days) to the first day of the LMP - ____ _________ ______ (4,9,6). What do the letters LMP (4,9,6) stand for?
John Dryden, England's first ever poet laureate, called 1666 an "Annus Mirabilis" in his poem of the same name. This is because England repelled attacks from the Dutch, and also managed to rise from the ashes of which event (visual)?
In 1966, this mission faced problems when its maneuvering thruster refused to shut down, leading to an uncontrolled spin. It was only resolved after Neil Armstrong managed to regain control of the capsule. Which space program, named for its capsule’s ability to carry a pair of astronauts at a time, was it part of?
A centrepiece of (and an alternate title for) the 1559 painting Netherlandish Proverbs is 'The Blue Cloak'. This is a recurring theme in several Flemish artworks, always showing a woman who is pulling a blue cloak over her husband, literally "pulling the wool over his eyes". What is this a metaphor for?
When Jennifer Doudna - the American Biochemist - was in the sixth grade, her father gave her a copy of the 1968 book The Double Helix, which she considered highly influential in her decision to become a scientist. WHO WAS THE AUTHOR OF THIS BOOK, a famously outspoken and openly racist biologist, who has at various times asserted controversial beliefs such as dark-skinned people have stronger libidos?
What is the name given to this type of aircraft wing design? It comes from the Greek letter it resembles. And no, a famous airline company does not have anything to do with its creation or naming.
The Justice Friends are a group of superheroes who exist in the Dexter's Laboratory universe. _____ _____ (5,5) is a character from Justice Friends, a parody of Marvel's Black Panther. What is the name of this superhero? He shares his name with a Booker Prize-winning novel.
What type of coffee brewing device uses pressure to force coffee to the bottom of a container after brewing, capturing the concentrated flavours? We are looking for its two-word name arising from the country where it was patented and popularised.
What name (4) is given to this fungal disease, affecting a range of plants? It results in reddish-brown patches on leaves, as if they are covered in a metallic residue.
Another word in Asku Laska is "liebe", the word for love in which language? It is an official language in 6 countries and the Italian province of South Tyrol.
Which Drosophila gene is named after a historical personality because it is fatal to developing embryos containing the gene only when the embryos also have access to the acylation stimulating protein?
Which 1945 work from Aesop's Queer Library is about the complex friendship between Charles Ryder and Sebastian Flyte, and a nostalgic return to an aristocratic castle? Many queer readings of the novel explore themes of homoeroticism and repressed desire.
Which group of related RNA viruses cause respiratory tract infections in mammals and birds, ranging from mild to lethal? Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the common cold while more lethal varieties can cause SARS or MERS. They are named for the appearance of the characteristic club-shaped spikes that project from their surface.
What is the name of The Economist column dedicated to Europe? It is named after the eldest song of King Pepin the Short, who succeeded him on the throne in 768 AD.
Until the early 1970s, cannons would be fired three hours after sunset, and the main entrance to the city - Bab al Kabir - would be closed for the night. This practice stopped only after Sultan Qaboos bin Said came into power in 1970, ruling for 50 years. Which Middle-Eastern capital city, located close to the Strait of Hormuz, was this a practice in?
Ian is a surprisingly popular first name among British rock legends. Which band has been fronted by lead vocalist and flautist Ian Anderson for over half a century, starting in 1967?
E.M. Forster's A Passage to India takes its name from one of the many loosely connected poems from which poetry collection published in 1855?
Beyonce wore the Tiffany Yellow Diamond for an ad campaign for Tiffany & Co with Jay-Z. The campaign also featured a 1982 'Tiffany Blue' painting "Equals Pi" painted by which neo-expressionist artist and purchased by Tiffany & Co for around $15-20 million? The artist's collaborators were "horrified" by this appropriation of art. Jay-Z's hairdo is a clue.
This Wes Anderson character portrayed by both Tom Wilkinson and Jude Law is inspired by an Austrian author known for his style of nesting stories within stories. His autobiography The World of Yesterday, which informed several sequences in this film, was written as the Nazis rose to power. Which author known for works such as Beware of Pity?
It was the night my grandmother exploded is a line that often makes lists of famous first lines in literature. From which 1992 Iain Banks novel is it? The book gets its title from a street in Glasgow, which also serves as a metaphor for death.
Which annual event takes the five colours from the logo of a quadrennial event and twists one component around to form a symbol from its own field? The participants at this global event are usually high-school students.
This style of dress is based on what tight undergarment extending from below the chest to the hips, typically worn to shape the figure?
Which British luxury automobile brand, now owned by the Volkswagen Group, features wings with the first letter of the brand enclosed with a roundel? Flying Spur and Continental GT are models from this brand that became popular after multiple victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Which Hollywood icon included an imprint of his chin at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in 1962 only to find out it was wiped away by an unaware artist? In 2012, he recast his prints during the 55th anniversary re-release of the film Spartacus.
In Ancient Egypt, it was customary for a pharaoh to build a mortuary temple, a monument commemorating their reign. Which pharaoh constructed this mortuary temple a few km away from his tomb, which is located within the Valley of the Kings? Some parts of it are believed to have been completed by his son Ramesses the Great.
After his successful career as a professional wrestler, Hulk Hogan was a fairly regular guest on Howard Stern's radio show. He's been a popular guest since he comes up with fantastic claims that are perfect for Stern's shock jock show. One of his earliest claims was that which famous musician was a Hulkamaniac? This is impossible because said musician died in 1977 at the age of 42 before Hulk Hogan was a thing.
Which marginal sea of the Mediterranean Sea separates the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula? Countries on its coast include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Montenegro.
What two-word term is used to refer to football fans who provide energetic support, acting as an unofficial player on the field? In cricket, the same term is used for a reserve player who fills in for a teammate.
Which 1939 novel was in part inspired by Basil Zaharoff, a financier, spy and arms dealer? His use of doubles to avoid being photographed and an assassination attempt he planned against Bulgarian PM Aleksandar Stamboliyski served as direct plot references. The novel was adapted into a 1944 noir with Zachary Scott in the titular role.