The Friday Quiz

Quizmaster : Pankaj Rodey.

Whats connects:

The symbol for Zodiac sign Pisces

The logo of Bharat Petroleum

The flag of Mongolia

The Chinese Yin-Yang symbol

Arvind, Utpal, Kamal, Pankaj, Neeraj, Kunaal, Saroj – Sanskrit synonyms for Lotus flower.

What is Mapvertizing?

Putting up large advertisements on land or rooftops, such that internet maps like Google maps and Google earth show a distinct image of these advertisements when a map of the place is browsed on internet..

This ride, called Dumbo the flying elephant is one of the major attractions in the Disneyland in California. In 1957 president Harry Truman went on a tour of the Disneyland, but purposely avoided this ride. Why?

Because elephant is a republican symbol

One of the latest advertisements of GE in the Brilliant machines series, features a man seen in hospitals, vouching for how GE's medical equipment makes a difference to lives of people.This man is a Hollywood actor, dressed exactly like a very famous character played by himself in a 1999 movie. Which actor, character?

Agent Smith – Hugo Weaving

Miguel de Cervantes was buried on 23rd April. William Shakespeare also died on 23rd April.

In 1995, UNESCO decided to celebrate the anniversary of death of Crevantes and Shakespeare as what?

World Book Day

In mid 19th century, the speed of a ship was determined by an apparatus, consisting of a float attached to a knotted rope that was wound on a reel. The distance run out by the ship in a certain time was measured by counting the knots passed during that time and used as an estimate of the vessel’s speed. The record of speed was maintained in a book.

What ubiquitous phrase used in internet world owes its origin to this process?

Log, as in Log-in, Log-out

Most tickets for the Filmfare awards ceremony are given by the sponsors to the invitees free of cost. However, there was only one occasion in the 46th Filmware Awards where all tickets were sold. Why?

To raise money for Gujarat earthquake victims

It’s not surprising that the English spelling of the name of this Indian sportsperson appears in the word 'Champion'. However, being really serious about the talent and success of his child, the father of this sportsperson changed the English spelling of the name by replacing the 'i' with a 'y'. Who and what reason did the father cite for change of the spelling?

Koneru Hampi. The spelling was changed to be in tune with Russian names that usually end in ‘y’ because the game is dominated by Russian female players.

Video – Film (15 sec)

Video of General V K Singh in Prahaar

A few Nobel laureates are known to have been exhumed from their burials. While the Curie couple was exhumed to shift their remains to another place, two Nobel laureates have lately been exhumed to investigate their possible assassinations. One exhumation happened in October 2012 and the latest one happened in April 2013. Name both.

Yasser Arafat and Pablo Neruda

Shown here is a flap on the wing of an aircraft which can be projected in order to create drag and so reduce speed.The more popular usage of the term used for such flap is in the context of entertainment like a TV program, a book or a movie. What term?

Spoiler

Hawk eye technology has come to help make difficult decisions in many sports. Though most tennis formats have also adopted this, French Open has officially kept away from Hawk eye. What is the primary reason for this?

The ball produces distinct mark on clay

One of the statues destroyed during the early 2011 Telangana protests at Tank Bund was this one. Who and what was his most memorable contribution to the nation?

Pingali Venkaiah. Famous for proposing the first design of the Tricolour India flag.

What is the story behind this ‘film’?

Fred Ott’s Sneeze, America’s first copyrighted motion picture, copyrighted by Thomas Edison.Fred Ott was a lab assistant of Edison.

What is Plutocracy?

Some examples are the Roman republic, civilization of Carthage, Ancient government in Venice.

A government where only the wealthy people can rule.

In childhood, his sister mispronounced the word 'Brother' and that word became his most famous nickname. In 1988, he legally changed his name and adopted this nickname as the legal first name. Name him, recently seen wearing Google glasses here.

Buzz Aldrin (Buzzer Aldrin).

What metaphorical eponymous word is the subject of this Salvador Dali Painting?

Narcissism

Born as Chandramauli Chopra, what is the popular name of the director of the immensely popular DD serials like Vikram aur Vetal, Alif Laila?

Ramanad Sagar, (Ramayana)

Name this Indian scientist and Mathematician and name the prestigious institute he founded in Kolkata.

P C Mahalanobis, Indian Statistical Institute

P C Mahalanobis, Indian Statistical Institute

Polianthes tuberosa is a night blooming perennial plant, the flowers of which are used in perfumery. Which 1974 film directed by Basu Chaterjee is named after this flower?

Identify this logo of a brand that is used as a generic trademark (Metonymy).

In June-2013, an exhibition was organized in a building at Goshamahal in Hyderabad which featured literature, posters, photographs, regalia, stamps among other exhibits.

People who featured on the stamps include Vivekananda, Neil Armstrong, Mozart, Beethoven and Kishore Kumar.

The primary purpose of this exhibition was to counter the misconception about the 3000 years old organization that organized it. Which organization?

Freemasons

A 2 Rupee coin to commemorate 200 years of whose birth?

Louis Braille

This website is a unique encyclopedia for what?

Pokemon

Pokemon

This is the Wildebeest, most abundant in Eastern and Central African forests. Another 3-lettered word for this antelope is perhaps imitative of the sound made by the animal when alarmed.

This 3-ltettered word has been popularized in the computer programming world by Richard Stallman and his creation also has a logo of this animal in its product.

What word?

GNU

The national motto of Nepal is the second line of a Sanskrit shloka from Ramayana. The first line of the same Shloka (which is not in the motto) is a reference to another modern day country. Which country?

अपि� स्वर्ण�मयी� लङ्� का� न म लक्ष्मर्ण रो�चते

जनन� जन्मभू मिमश्च स्वर्गा��दपि� र्गारी�यसी�

Nepal and Sri Lanka

After which lawyer was the Kukatpally Y-junction named in March 2013?

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

Giovanni Maria Benzoni was an Italian neoclassical sculptor. One of his lifetime masterpieces is a biblical sculpture and is about a Jewish marriage tradition.Benzoni sculpted four more replicas of this, which are placed at,The Berkshire Museum, Berkshire, USAThe High Museum of Art, Atlanta, USA.What is this statue and where is the original one?

Salar Jung Museum. The veiled Rebecca.

Every year, lakhs of pilgrims, called 'Vaarkaris' throng to this place on special occasions, especially on the 11th day of Hindu month 'Ashadha'.

Name this place, which is the birthplace of painter M.F. Hussain.

Pandharpur.

The name of this national capital may sound like a reference to lord Hanuman. The name is a combination of 3 words:1) The Hindi word for 'Port' (and also for Monkey), 2) A corruption of a revered Sanskrit syllable for Goddess Lakshmi and 3) A corruption of Sanskrit word for 'God'.

Which national capital?

Capital of Brunei.Bandar Seri Begawaan (बन्दरो श्री� भगव�न?)

The Greek god of woods and fields, who was the source of mysterious sounds that caused contagious, groundless fear in herds and crowds, or in people in lonely spots - has contributed to a widely used English word for 'Fear'.

What word and which god?

Panic (From Greek God Pan)

Wimbledon 2013 final saw a jam packed stadium with biggies like Victoria Beckham, David Cameroon, Duke of Kent, Bradley Cooper seated in audience.

One of those present was this man, landing on Heathrow straight from Nikola Tesla airport. Who?

Tomislav Nikolic. President of Serbia.

This small town in Tamilnadu is known for the steel industry and most famous for manufacturing locks, which are also sold in international market. The Tamilnadu government has also initiated steps to get a GI status for the locks. Which town?

Dindigul.

Which animal is the Vahana of Goddess Ganga, God Varun, and appears in the insignia of Kamadev?

Makara

Identify this revolutionary who committed an act, considered to be the first act of revolution in the independence movement.Madan Lal Dhingra

Madan Lal Dhingra.

Which community follows 29 principles given by Guru Jambheshwar, is known as the first environment conservationist community in world and is named after the combination of Rajasthani words for 20 and 9?

Bishnoi (ब�स + नई)

A providential paradox : What is the Japanese word for "Island of Good Fortune"?

Fukushima

In medicinal and biological terms, the word 'Gut' is associated with the internals of the abdominal part of an animal. This is also the reason why 'Guts' are associated with tennis racquets. Explain.

Originally, the strings of Tennis racquet were made from animal intestine, owing to the enormous strength of the intestine.

UN foreign aid workers, especially those working for child vaccinations are soft targets of Taliban militants in Pakistan. Such attacks on aid workers and doctors has seen a steep rise since July 2011, thanks to the uncovering of an alleged plot of CIA that was executed through some of these aid workers.

What was this alleged plot?

The plot was to collect samples of blood of Osama’s children through fake vaccination campaign and locate him through these children.

Which country is the latest addition to European Union, since May-2013?

Croatia

What is this:

Welsh: "Celwyddoniadur"

Swedish: "Psyklopedin"

Danish: "Spademanns Leksikon"

Chinese: "wěijībaikē"

Thai: "rai sa:ra nukrom"

Uncyclopedia

The English word used for this particular situation in a particular sport comes from the French word for ‘two’.However, when this sport is played in France, the word used for this situation in the same sport, is the French word for ‘Equal’ and comes from the national motto of France.Give both, the English and the French terms.

Deuce and Egalite.

Phrases like these are examples of what? (9-lettered answer)

•East Timor

•South Australia (Cricket Association)

•(Maharaja) Sher Singh

•Sindhu River

•Sahara Desert

•United (Progressive) Alliance

Tautology

PHINIS!