KQA MegaWhats 2016 semifinals 2

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.