Search your questions that power our play engine.
Search your questions that power our play engine.
What nickname (7/8) was given to a Special Investigations Unit established in 1971 allegedly based on a comment made by the mother of one of its early members David Young? His mother on learning that the unit worked on stopping leaks in the White House is said to have remarked that his grandfather, who had been a _______ (7), would've been proud of him.
For 7 surreal years for his subjects, Mohammad Bin Tughlaq transferred the capital of the Delhi Sultanate in 1327 to which city near Aurangabad, Maharashtra? This was done to strategically place himself at an arms length from the Deccan as well as Delhi. The city has faded into oblivion, and only the fort named after it remains as a tourist attraction.
A mid 80s ad in The Recycler magazine's classified ads section went: "Bass player needed for band influenced by Aerosmith, Alice Cooper. Contact Slash." A certain Duff McKagan responded, leading to the formation of which band in 1985?
Identify this TV show based on a literary paperback thriller series that began in the mid-1980s and continues to this day albeit not by its original author. It shows the titular character's CIA career, replacing the Cold War era with more contemporary settings.
A radical trachelectomy is a surgery performed on those with female reproductive organs, and involves the removal of what? It is most commonly performed for minor stage-1 cancers. This particular cancer, the only one currently preventable by a vaccine, is usually caused through sexual transmission of the HPV virus.
What is the subject of this Ogden Nash food poem?
______, raw
Develops the jaw,
But ______, stewed,
Is more quietly chewed.
This brand of re-usable bags, made of polethylene plastic, was originally developed by The Dow Chemical Company in 1968. Interestingly, the brand has no product bearing this name but instead have varieties of products like sandwich bags to low-plastic containers. WHICH BRAND IS THIS, whose name is used generically for all such products, even though it is trademarked? To get around this, most others add a 'k' to the end of the name.
Sclerocarya birrea is a deciduous tree indigenous to wood lands of Africa. Since elephants enjoy eating the fruit of this tree, the animal has become the symbol of WHAT LIQUEUR that is derived from this tree? Named directly for the tree itself, the cream liqueur is primarily produced in South Africa.
The Oba in Benin was frequently associated with the spirit of what creature that he tamed and let roam in his palace to signify his dominance over the forest? He also donned armour with coral inlays that resembled the spots of this predator.
What three-word phrase (3,4,4) is used for the concept of working based on the amount one is paid? It adds one letter to a phrase (3,4,3) one might say to an adult to stop behaving like a child.
Who achieved this Olympic medal set? Her first Olympic medal, the 2008 Silver, was confirmed much later in 2017 after competitors Lebedeva and Devetzi were both disqualified for doping.
Silver at 2008 Beijing (15.11m)
Gold at 2012 London (14.98m)
Bronze at 2016 Rio (14.74m)
Which Greek letter, in lowercase, is used for the following?
- A dihedral angle in the Ramachandran plot, in biology.
- The wave function of a quantum state, in physics.
- The water potential of a mixture relative to pure water, in chemistry.
This observatory in London came up in 1675 to aid the explorers out to navigate the globe, on the suggestion of Sir Christopher Wren. According to the observatory website, it is, "by international decree, the official starting point for every new day, year and millennium". Which location would you find this observatory?
Which city is the subject of this poem from Rudyard Kipling's collection The Song of the Cities? It will play host to the 2032 Summer Olympics.
In the 1988 film A Fish Called Wanda, Wanda, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, uses a series of insults to highlight how stupid Otto, played by Kevin Kline, is. "He is so stupid he thought the [blank] [blank] is where you might find Lincoln's House". Which famous speech fills in the blank?
Roger Ebert's love for the family behind which 1933 black comedy (4,4) is evident in his four-star review, which lauds their vaudeville anarchy and disrespect for convention? This movie is set in the fictional nation of Freedonia, and its title ____ ____ (4,4) refers not to any particular broth recipe, but to the urge to steer clear of a kind of dish at all costs.
Sad Inheritance by Joaquin Sorolla depicts a group of children bathing who suffer from what disease that damages motor neurons? Occurring naturally only in humans, this vaccine-preventable viral disease was first described by paediatrician Michael Underwood.
The three rules of this endurance motoring event are as follows: 1) Rally vehicles have a 1200cc engine limit, but ideally under 1000cc; 2) Rally teams are unsupported; 3) Rally teams need to raise at least £500 for charity. Starting typically in England, the race ends in a Russian town passing through Iran, Pamir Mountains, and more. Which race, whose name refers to one such land they pass through?
Identify this type of sausage that originated in the United Kingdom. The use of the herb pennyroyal gives it a distinguished colour. Its name is a corruption of "boudin" (blood sausage) and not a reference to any dessert.
This 7th century stone bas relief at Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu, India depicts the penance of King Bhagiratha. During the Pallava period, water from a specially constructed tank would cascade down the cleft of the bas relief to create the appearance of which river flowing from heaven to earth?
In The Wire, Senator Clay Davis holds in his hand a play (visual), which he describes as being about "a simple man who was punished by the powers that be for the simple crime of trying to bring light to the mankind". Which play by Aeschylus, whose two-word title describes what happened to the titular character at Mt. Scythia, is this?
Characters in the Assassin’s Creed universe can relive memories of assassins of the past. Giovanni, member of a Spanish-Aragonese noble family which rose to prominence during the Italian Renaissance, dreams of the memories of Brutus and almost stabs his uncle while sleepwalking, believing him to be Julius Caesar. Who is this uncle, also a major inspiration for The Prince by Machiavelli? Full name needed.
S4E5 of House revolves around a patient who is thought to be faking his symptoms. It is later revealed that he is incapable of asserting his own identity. Instead, he takes on the personality of the most dominant person in the room. What title, with the same word repeating and borrowed from a daily query by a character from a fairy tale, does the episode have?
In which country is the pachamanca, a dish of meat, tubers, and vegetables cooked in an earthen oven, an iconic national dish? It is usually had with chicha (a local Andean corn beer) and you are very likely to listen to joyful huayno music as you eat.
The Four Horsemen restaurant in Brooklyn, NYC, specialises in serving natural wines. It is probably named due to the influence of the natural wine producer group called the “__________ (10) Gang of Four”, comprising Marcel Lapierre, Jean Foillard, Jean-Paul Thévenet, and Guy Breton. Which variety of widely consumed red wine (10) does the Gang of Four produce?
What is the name of the comic character in the image here, who is shown to have a tattoo grow all over his skin as the evil inside him grows? The tattoo itself is reminiscent of a mythical creature, that he transforms into while fighting the anti-hero Morbius the Vampire.
With the Dawn of Ragnarok extension pack, Ubisoft's popular game series ditches the usual stealth and parkour and secret societies to follow the journey of Odin. Which series' Valhalla edition is this, with tracks like Dark Fields and Blade of Surtr getting it a nomination for the 2023 Grammy Award for Best Video Game Soundtrack?
In February 2023, Puffin Books announced revisions to which author's books for sensitivity and diversity, a move criticised by Rishi Sunak as "gobblefunk" and Salman Rushdie as absurd censorship? Working with the eponymous Story Company (acquired by Netflix in 2021), Puffin has culled words that include "fat", "ugly", "crazy" and "mad".
What type of sushi consists of a hand-pressed bed of rice that is typically topped with a single piece of seafood and sometimes an accoutrement, like a glaze or a little bit of fish roe?
The grey wolf had a few wrinkle-like folds on its body as a protective measure against other animal bites. Which breed, whose name comes from Chinese for 'sand skin', has a mutated version of this, leading to a body covered in wrinkly fur?
Which social movement/relgion originated in opposition to the teaching of intelligent design in public schools, as an alternative to evolution in public school science classes? According to adherents, the religion (whose name is a portmanteau of a food dish and an existing religious movement) is a "real, legitimate religion, as much as any other".
The canals of Hering are part of the outflow system for what dark-green to yellowish-brown fluid produced by the liver? It aids the digestion of lipids in the small intestine.
Identify this dish in a traditional Onam Sadhya, a semi-dry gravy said to have been invented by the Pandava warrior Bhima, who fed some unexpected guests by chopping up and boiling a large variety of vegetables and flavouring them with curry leaves and grated coconut.
The highest-ranked South African in the Guardian's list (at No. 8), he played through extra time in the 1995 final with a calf strain. He collected the trophy from Nelson Mandela in what is arguably the most enduring image in Rugby World Cup history. Who?
The Indonesian electoral system uses paper ballots where the voters indicate their choice of candidates by making a hole on the name and the photograph of the candidate. This system is a vestige of the sham elections held under Suharto where votes for any other candidate on the ballot were invalidated by making another hole for a different candidate. What small and pointy common object, an unusual thing to carry to a vote, do Indonesians still use to make a hole on the ballot paper?
This rock band formed in Ohio features Matt Berninger, alongside two pairs of brothers, Aaron and Bryce Dessner, and Scott and Bryan Devendorf. They have released critically acclaimed albums like Boxer, High Violet, and Sleep Well Beast, the latter winning them the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 2018. Which band is this?
WHICH former Pakistan fast bowler became the country's youngest ever Test captain in cricket at the age of 22? This Sultan of Swing picked up 373 wickets in Tests as well as 416 in ODIs, with a strike rate only next to Dale Steyn in history of the game. He has also subsequently coached many teams.
Pictured here is Rob Lewis, a superfan who waited in Sri Lanka for a whole year through the pandemic after the team's matches in Sri Lanka got cancelled. The next year, when the team travelled after restrictions were relaxed, he was the lone representative from which famous fan group with a rhyming name, waving his flag from the top of Galle Fort?
Quiz shows around the world have seen a change of guard in recent years with new hosts replacing long-standing ones. Which Indian-born British journalist was given the unenviable task of replacing Jeremy Paxman as the host of University Challenge after his almost three-decade long stint? According to the review by The Guardian he is "lighter, kinder and more passionate than Paxman".
Which circuit located in the namesake English town has hosted twenty-three 500cc/MotoGP races (1987-2009) and one F1 GP in 1993? While Valentino Rossi won 5 out of 6 races here at the start of the millennium, the solitary, rain-soaked F1 GP is remembered for Ayrton Senna’s lap one masterclass, eventually finishing one whole minute ahead of the field.
Name the companion painting of this 1889 work known as Olive Trees in a Mountainous Landscape. Both paintings depict the twirling skies and rolling hills of Saint Remy de Provence. In the painter's words, the companion pieces depict the "daylight complement to the nocturnal".
A particularly memorable story says that when Voltaire, a life-long critic of organized religion, was lying on his deathbed he was asked by a priest to repent for his sins and to renounce [BLANK]. Voltaire responded with, "This is no time to make new enemies." Like the other quotes in this quad, this story is hogwash too, but what goes in the blank?
The brothers Eddie and Crash (pictured), two characters in the Ice Age franchise, are what type of marsupial native to the Americas? The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, the phrase "playing [blank]" comes from their ability to feign death or act sick when threatened.
The Hail Mary accelerates at 1.5g for approximately 4 subjective years to reach Tau Ceti, 12 light-years away. This requires applying what relativistic rocket equation that governs the motion of vehicles that travel close enough to light speed? It is credited to a scientist whose legacy is primarily housed at the State Museum of Cosmonautics in Kaluga.
Most dog breeds can trace their origins back to the grey wolf. It had a curved fluffy tail that it used to cover its nose to remain warm in freezing temperatures. Which dog breed, that got its name from a corruption of the pejorative 'esquimaux', shares this feature?
Tirumalai Krishnamacharya is widely regarded as the pioneer of what form of hatha yoga where movement is coordinated with breath to move from one pose to another? The term "flow" is often used in conjuction with this term which translates to “to place in a special way” in Sanskrit.
Which circumpolar people inhabit regions of western and southern Alaska and as well as the Russian Far East? Related to the Inuit and Iñupiat, this group of Indigenous peoples form the largest community of Alaskan Natives.
In this episode of Between Two Ferns, Zach Galifianakis asks this TV star if his new Netflix talk show should have been titled "My Next Show Will Have No Viewers". Which 12-time Emmy Award winner is this?
Identify this type of translucent, gelatinous traditional Japanese noodles made from the konjac or elephant yam. Used popularly in salads or stir-fry dishes, it has gained popularity in the West due to its low-carb, gluten-free nature.
Which dynasty built desert castles, known as qasrs, in the 7th and 8th centuries? Located primarily in the province of Bilad ash-Sham, many were left incomplete and abandoned soon after their patrons fell from power and influence shifted eastward under a new Caliphate.
This photograph depicts Scottie Scheffler celebrating his win at the 86th edition of which annual sporting event? It has held a long standing contract with Hamilton Tailoring Co. to produce special pieces.
Funeral human sacrifice was widely practiced in Ancient China, where servants were buried alive along with a king or royal in their tomb. The practice was commonplace until Duke Xian of which dynasty abolished it in 384 BCE? This dynasty is credited with forming and ruling Imperial China's first unified state.
The World Sport Photography Awards, instituted in 2020 through a partnership between Twelfthman and Iconify, honours the best sports photographs of the year. The overall winner in the inaugural year was this photo by Richard Heathcote from the heavyweight professional boxing bout that resulted in an upset win by Andy Ruiz Jr over which undefeated and unified WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO champion?
Which company was founded by Rajeev Samant in the 1990s after he quit his tech job in California to return home and start a vineyard in the Nashik region? This venture, which was named after Samant’s mother, has now grown to become India’s largest and most awarded wine brand.
Which Australian athletic wear brand, focused exclusively on swim wear and related equipments, was born from Australian Army's need for socks during the First World War? The brand, which has the boomerang as its logo, has become synonymous with men's bathing suits, even though it accounts for only 2% of the company's revenue.
Most NBA teams have the city’s name written on their 2023 City Edition jerseys. Which team in the Atlantic Division is one of the exceptions, choosing instead to write the 4-word moniker popularly given to the city. It’s also the only NBA team whose name has numerals in it.
The Black Paintings is the name given to a group of 14 paintings by Francisco Goya from the later years of his life. This painting is Goya's version of which incident from the Book of [blank], in which the protagonist saves Israel from the assault of an Assyrian general?
Which brand and model of American automobile first went on sale in 1964 and is the namesake of the "pony car" automobile segment? Distinguished by "long hood, short deck" proportions, its success led to multiple competitors from other American manufacturers.
The skin-tight, gemstone-studded dress that Monroe wore during her "Happy Birthday Mr President" performance is now considered an iconic part of American fashion history. This explains the outrage provoked when it was lent out by its current owner to whom, for a 5-minute red carpet walk at the Met Gala? She reportedly lost 7kg in 3 weeks to fit into the dress!
What name did Sabrina use for the version of "Espresso" that has no instrumental accompaniments? It combined the term for a type of coffee that typically includes cocoa or chocolate and the term for a popular style of music that uses only the human voice to produce sounds.
What term is used for this cocktail technique to add a visual and flavour-enhancing effect to the drink? Mainly used on gin and whisky cocktails, it involves burning applewood or hickory under a cloche to impart a complex finish to the drink.
Which apsara is believed to have been born from the thighs of the sage Narayana? The mother of the sages Vasishtha and Agastya, she was married to the king Pururavas, whom she later abandons.
WHICH ACTOR's nomination for Worst Screen Combo at the 2022 Razzie Awards came with the blurb " _____ ____ & either his 17-pound latex face, his geeky clothes or his ridiculous accent"? He was nominated for his role in a film based on a 2001 book with the subtitle "A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed".
In S01E13 of Mad Men, Don Draper pitches a campaign for a Kodak photo projector. Originally named "The Wheel", he proposes it be renamed as "The ________ " (8) to relate the device's rotary wheel display mechanism with a child's joyride through their memories. What was it named? (8)