1. On December 9, 1987, three Palestinian children
and at least 12 others were mercilessly slaughtered in the Gaza Strip in Israel. This event sparked the beginning of the Palestinian
Uprisings in the Occupied Territories. What is the name of this revolt?
2. In 1969, El Salvador and Honduras went to
war for four days. What was the immediate cause of the war?
3. What was used to signal advance into battle
in World War I for the East Surrey Regiment?
4. A polymer was invented by Dr. Roy Plunkett
and first used as an electric insulator. An earnest French angler tried it on his fishing line to prevent it from tangling.
His wife's suggestion led to its best known use today. What?
5. He was born on March 06, 1475 in the village
of Caprese and his surname was Buonarroti, but he is better known to us by his first name. What is his first name?
6. In Hindu mythology, who is the recorder of
Yama, who reads out the soul's account from the great register?
7. The Prince Philip would have become King
of a country if it still had a monarchy. Which country would he have become King of?
8. This word means the rod on which flax, wool,
or other materials are wound or spinning, and has been used to refer to traditional "women's work." Which word?
9. An obscure British physicist researching
at CERN came up with a new method of cross references in science articles. This was then used for all research articles at
CERN. The potential in this was spotted for other purposes as well and evolved into something very well known. What?
10. What industry gave rise to the terms cliche
and stereotype?
11. Where would you find an intrados?
12. According to legend, who is reputed to have
carried the Holy Grail to Britain?
13. What is common to Carrick, Sheet, Reef,
Wall Lark's Head and Cat's Paw?
14. How is the chemist Theophrastus Bombastus
von Hohenheim better known to us?
15. What did a Lictor (ancient Roman magistrate)
carry as a symbol of his office?
16. The Roman coins Librae, Sestertii and Denarii
gave rise to an abbreviation in modern use. What?
17. The Golf Grand Slam comprises 4 tournaments.
Three of these are PGA, US Masters and the British Open. Which is the fourth?
18. This famous astronomer helped Newton publish
the Principia when it had been rejected by publishers and Newton did not have funds to publish it privately. Newton later
repaid the favour by allowing him to make the mathematical calculations to prove a conjecture. Who was the astronomer?
19. Which city is the headquarters of the European
Court of Justice?
20. Who was the husband of Dusshala, the only
sister of the Kauravas?
21. Every one knows that the Constitution of
India came into force on January 26, 1950. When was it adopted by the Constituent Assembly? (Hint: This is the date given
in the Preamble)
22. What does the "Rugmark" or "Kaleen" mark
on carpets signify?
23. Who is now the Duke of Normandy?
24. What feat of Sequoia caused the great trees
to be named after him?
25. What revolutionary idea of Friedrich Froebel,
still not accepted widely is now very well known?
26. Mary Phelps Jacob wanted to have the freedom
to dance comfortably. What did she make to allow her to dance comfortably?
27. This famous writer took the name of a cup-bearer
in the Rubbaiyyat of Omar Khaiyyam. What and who?
28. "Man is born free, but everywhere he is
in chains" Who wrote this?
29. What is the name of the school of art formed
by the mixture of the Greco-Roman and Indian school of art in 2nd century to 4th century?
30. On June 15, 1215, what very important document
was signed leading to the modern concept of nobody being above the law ?
31.In Wimbledon, what is common to Coke, Rolex,
Slazenger and Robinsons Barley Water?
32. In Internet what is expansion of the search
engine YAHOO?
33. I am one half of one of the most succesful
songwriting teams and I am an absolute cricket nutsome even call me a cricket roadiewho am I?
34.By which name/title do we know Shivaputra
Siddharamaiyya Komkali better?
35. Name the test cricketer who has the highest
batting average with at least one completed test innings ( i.e he was out at least once)?
36.Which contemporary cricketers nickname is
Taiwan?
37. In Lion King name one of the two voices
of the two hyenas.
38. What breed is Richie Richs dog, Dollar?
39. Emperor Haileselassie of Ethiopia was believed
to have descended from two great historical figures. Who?
40. Why did Dizzy Gillespie play with a bent
trumpet?
41. Who is awarded the Purple Cross?
42.What is the origin of the name Hilary?
43. What is the opposite of Bolsheviki?
44. What is Dantes surname?
45. 5-6 ozs dry white wine, a strip of lemon
peel, and soda water to taste. Served in a tall glass with ice cubes. What cocktail?
46. The Kingfisher derby was won this year by
Star Supreme owned by MAM. What is the birthdate of Star Supreme?
47. Born at the age of 24 in 1917 still 24,
man about town, parents unknown. Education: Bramley-on-sea (also known as St Asaphs); Eton and Oxford(mostly Magdalen but
also sometimes apparently Christ Church) Who are we talking about?
48.In chess what is Jadoube?
49. Greek mythology: Cronus was the ruling Titan
who came to power by castrating his Father Uranus. His wife was Rhea. Their offspring were the first of the Olympians. To
insure his safety Cronus ate each of the children as they were born. This worked until Rhea, unhappy at the loss of her children,
tricked Cronus thus saving her next child Zeus. What was it?
50. You have all heard of seersucker jackets,
trousers et al. Where does the word seersucker come from?
51. Alexander Graham Bell brought a remarkable
invention to the bedside of dying president James A.Garfield. What was it and why did it fail?
52. Princess Diana is related to two famous
(now dead)Americans, one an actor and the other a President? (This q was asked before the untimely demise of Lady Diana. R.I.P)
53. In 1916, Henry Ford said " History is more
or less _____. It's tradition. We don't want tradition....The only history worth tinker's damn is the history we make today.""
54. After the treaty of San IlDefonso, King
Charles IV of Spain surrendered which territory to Napoleon?
55. Apart from Canadian PM Pierre Trudeau, this
scientist won the 1988 Albert Einstein Peace Prize. Who?
56. Name the five petaled flower is the symbol
of the new Hong Kong
57. In 1995, the US Justice department blocked
a proposed merger between a maker of financial software and Intuit. Name the company.
58. Which notorious pirate left behind as many
as 14 wives when he was killed off North Carolina in 1718
59. Who was Governor of Tennessee before he
became the first "President of the Republic of Texas"
60. It is believed that an Ivory Statuette is
the only preserved likeness of this builder of great pyramids. Who?
61. To hide what under a bushel means to be
overly modest about ones abilities
62. In 1858, to whom did Queen Victoria send
the first transatlantic cable to?
63. On becoming President, he said " My fellow
Americans, our national nightmare is over."Who?
64. The play " John Bowns Body" was performed
at a theatre when it was opened in he 1960s after being closed down for 100 years. Name the theatre"
65. Kundanlal Saigal sang the famous song "Babul
mora" in the movie "Street Singer". Who composed the lyrics of this song?
66. Ustad Alla Rakha Khan Saheb, the tabla maestro
used to compose film music under this pseudonym. What?
67. Which club does Jeeves belong to?
68. For what would one undergo the Barr test?
69. What is the difference between a bigamist
and a digamist?
70. What is the term for English words which
have become current usage in France?
71. What is a corduroy road?
72. What is significant about the geographical
location of Thumba, Kerala, used by the ISRO for launches?
73. According to a 1910 toast, in which city
do the Lowells talk to the Cabots and the Cabots talk only to God.?
74. What is the term for a measure added to
a bill that is not necessarily germane to the subject of the bill?
75. Which was the first Hindi movie to have
its dialogues completely in verse?
76. In august 1975 , this emperor of Judah died
in a state prison. Who?
77.In 1937 the newspapers headline the disappearance
of Fredrick Noonan and who else?
78. Give an American term for a fervent desire
to hang on to political power , which sounds like a disease and has the name of river in it.
79. What according to John Le Carre is " the
only real expression of a nations subconscious"?
80. What was the Rani of Jhansi, Lakshmibais
maiden name?
81. What are Kalpa and Pralaya in hindu mythology
in relation to Brahma?
82. It was founded in 1336 AD was a stronghold
of Hinduism when India was politically dominated by muslim rulers. Domingo Paes, the Portugese traveller described the capital
as "the best provided city in the world" and found it "as large as Rome and very beautiful to look at."
83. Name the brand brand of clothing whose logo
shows a question mark and a downpointing triangle.
84. The traditional garb on graduation day is
a gown and a square cap with a tassel. What is the cap called?
85. All of you would be familiar with the name
of Getafix the druid in Asterix comic books. But in some movies he goes by a different name. What?
86. You have heard of blue chips and potato
chips. What are Red Chips?
77.Which famous poets real name was Raghupati
Sahay?
78.. With which sport would you associate film
star Aamir Khan with?
79. In Hindi it is called Saunf what is it called
in English?
80. Which football club did Elton John own?
81. What does VSOP stand for in brandies?
82. He was known to all as Fred T., was born
in 1865 in Surrey, England, the son of a vicar and descendent of several prominent naval figures and world explorers.
As a youngster, Fred T. fought sea battles on
the village pond using a complex system of signals he devised that was later adopted by the Royal Navy. He had a keen interest
in chemistry, if only for its explosive potential. "He can be expected to go a long way, " observed one of his masters at
Exeter, drily, "in one direction or another."
As a teenager, Fred T. started a sketchbook
of warships, which he called "Ironclads of the World." Then, in 1889, he was commissioned by a magazine to cover the inspection
of the combined fleets at Spithead by Kaiser Wilhelm II and the ensuing war games. He sketched nearly 100 ships, paying his
mess bills by painting murals on the bulkheads of his host ships wardroom. His sketches and tireless interest in naval combat
were to become the seeds of an enduring enterprise. What?
83. What shape is a saggitated leaf?
84. In Archie comics what is Mr Weatherbees
first name?
85. What breed of dogs is Queen Elizabeth have?
86. The Ascot has given its name to a piece
of apparel what?
87. He believed sincerely in reincarnation and
thought himself to have been a soldier killed at the battle of Gettysburg. Narrowly defeated when he ran for a seat in the
U.S. Senate, he was a leading candidate for president in public-opinion polls for several years.
He was a shameful and vocal anti-Semite who
achieved the highly dubious distinction of becoming the only American mentioned by name in Adolf Hitler's book, Mein Kampf.
At the same time, he directed that jobs at his company be set aside for African-Americans, women, and the disabled.
He was mesmerized by the sound and sight of
falling water, and deeply impressed by the writing and philosophy of Ralph Waldo Emerson - or at least his understanding of
it. He also had a "voracious appetite for reading stories in the newspaper about himself," one biographer wrote.
88. Who did Syd Barrett name Pink Floyd after?
89. On becoming British PM in 1868, he said
" I have climbed on top of the greasy pole" Who?
90. General Anthony MacAuliffes one word reply
when asked by the Germans to surrender at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge?
91. This Hungarian who died in 1886 invented
the modern piano recital?
92. In automobile terms, what is a ragtop?
93. Which group took four towns on Jan 1, 1994
in Mexico the day NAFTA took efect?
94. Who formed a company in 1906 called Battle
Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company?
95. Which actors last line in the theatre was
" The South is avenged"?
96. This term for flattering talk comes from
a block of limestone found in County Cork, Ireland
97. This M*A*S*H serial actor had a hit role
in a 1955 movie. He was billed as "Jameel Farah". Which character did he play in the M*A*S*H series?
98. In 1993, a 51 day standoff at Waco, Texas
left 80 dead. Name the cult that was responsible.
99.What weapon does "Oscar" of the Academy Awards
fame hold?
100. Elizabeth Hurley is the "Face" of which
brand?
101. In which country is Waterloo where Napoleon
met his defeat?
102. Under existing laws Henry Kissinger can
never become the President of US, why?
103. A one-time Harvard University professor
who was cashiered for overindulging in his experiments with psychedelic drugs. He admitted to taking LSD more 500 times, and
coined the phrase "Tune in, turn on, drop out."
104. Isa Khan Effendi, a world famous architect
from Egypt is credited with the design of a famous struture, Which one?
105. Which modern day ground breaking invention
would you link Tim Berners Lee with?
106. The landing site of the Mars Pathfinder
probe has been named after a famous scientist. Name it.
107. What is term that means fraud or quack
that goes back to a name for person fron Correto, Italy?
108. His real name was Maheshdas. He wrote under
the pen name "Brahma" and a collection of his poems are preserved in Bharatpur Musuem. Who?
109. Which Sikh Guru compiled the Granth Sahib?
110. What kind of plane(make) is the one that
Snoopys alter ego the flying ace fly?
111. Established 1744, Nottingham, Englandwhat
are we talking about?
112. Apart from the former name of the airport
at Calcutta, who or what is a dum dum?
113. What is Jeeves first name?
114. He got admission in Lala Lajpatrai College
in Mumbai in the cricket quota. He was a right handed batsman and left arm spinner but never played for the college team.
He once told Sucheta Dalal that he wouldve played Ranji for MP if he had stayed on at Raipur and not migrated to Mumbai. His
first job was as a clerk for New India Assurance for Rs. 600?
115. George Soros is the founder of an institute
whose ideology was propounded by the philosopher Karl Popper in 1945. The concept of this is based on the recognition that
people act on imperfect knowledge and nobody is in possession of the ultimate truth. Two words to describe this concept (
or institute)
116. L. N. Jhunjunwala, Chairman of the Bhilwara
group wanted to protest against the usage of English. What did he do?
117. Time Magazine has called a lady called
Lara Croft, " One of the Top 50 shakers of the Digital World". Who is Lara Croft?
118. Gumpei Yokei, 56 died in 1997. He will
be remembered as a man who with an improbable stroke of genius in the late 1980s mesmerised more than 50 million people around
the world. What product did he build?
119. This years (1997) Booker prize was won
by Arundhati Roy. Who won it last year?
120. With which Bangalorean would you associate
the word " Kalizma"?
121. Why is Mahindra and Mahindra so oddly named?
122. Whose autobiography is called "Cactus and
Roses"?
123. The Pentagon building has five concentric
corridors. In the centre courtyard, there is a building called Ground Zero. What is the building used for?
124. "My dear Abdullah. I am here. The game
is up. I suggest you give yourself up to me and I'll look after you.". Who said this to whom OR what is the context?
125. What according to Scott Adams, is the "Bill
Gates Effect"?
126. What is common to Daytona, Chicago, Cairo
and Memphis?
127. "There's a little bit of the whore in everyone
of us, gentlemen; name your price." - Who is this quote attributed to?
128. Where does the word "trivia" come from?
129. What is the historical significance of
the words "John has a long moustache"?
130. How is the "red eye" phenomenon caused
in photographs?
131. What is the origin of the modern (army)
salute?
132. Physicist Murray Gell-Mann named subatomic
particles for a random line "Three Quarks for Muster Mark" in which poem?
133. How did the phrase "Back to square one"
originate?
134. How did the phrase " Its so cold it could
freeze the balls of a brass monkey" originate?
135. What did the ancient Greeks call the fear
of woods and forests?
136. There are rules associated with statues
of men on/with horses a.The man is seated on the horse which has all its feet
on the ground. A war hero who died of natural causes.
b.The man is seated on the horse and it has one foot off the ground.
Man died of wounds in battle c.The man is seated ................. it has two
feet off the ground. Man died in battle
d.What does it mean when the man is standing besides the horse ?
137. Shashi Tharoors Great Indian novel is an
allegory of Indias fight for independance with the Mahabharata. Each character of the Mahabharata is identified with Indias
leaders. Who is Jinnah compared to?
138.. British Armys official description of
someone was thus "``No. 230 873, Second Subaltern ... Age: 18, Eyes: blue. Hair: brown. Height: 5 ft. 3 ins. Assigned to/Needed
for car repair''. Who?
139. What was the British operation to defend
Gibraltar during WWII codenamed. One of the planners later became famous in another field and named his house after it.
140. Who in 1950, was nominated for the position
of the Chancellor of Cambridge University by E.M.Forster and Bertrand Russell and would have easily beaten his rival candidate
Lord Tedder had he not declined the offer ?
141. What is the largest island in the greater
Antilles?
142. Which is the only US state flag to contain
the Union Jack?
143. The IRA's political wing, "Sinn Fein",
means what when translated into English?
144. By what nickname were the forces who, under
Guiseppe Garibaldi, took over Sicily and Naples and helped establish the Italian State known?
145. What was the code name given to the allied
evacuation of forces from Dunkirk in 1940?
146. Who is known to his followers as "Brother
Number One"?
147. In Indian mythology who or what are Devadatta,
Paundra, Anantavijaya, Sughosa and Manipuspaka?
148. January 26, 1950 was the day when the constitution
of India came into force. When was the constitution of India officially adopted by the Constituent Assembly? (Hint : You will
find this date in the Preamble of the Constitution)
149. Where will you find this Persian quotation
( among many others) Its English meaning is: "This lofty emerald like building bears the inscription in gold, Nothing shall
last except the good deeds of the bountiful."
150. What was Operation Grand Slam?
151. He was born in Canada. Already wealthy
on arrival, he bought the Daily Express, Evening Standard, founded Sunday Express. He later organized munitions productions
in Churchills war cabinet.
152. This was the term applied to several British
authors of the 1950s including John Osborne, Kingsley Amis, John Braine whose work was characterized by resentment of establishment.
153. Name this extreme right wing American anti
communist organization founded in 1945 which was named after an intelligence office killed by Chinese communists in 1945.
154. He was a Spanish Dominican monk. In 1483
he was appointed Inquisitor General of Castille and Aragon. Responsible for expulsion of Jews from Spain (1492) and notorious
for his cruelty.
155. Sir Charles James Napier. quelled an uprising
in the Indian province of Sind in 1843 and announced his triumph via telegram to his commanders in London. All he wrote was
the one word. What?
156. Whose famous animals are Rocinante and
Dapple?
157. Mike Marquesses much acclaimed book on
the Cricket World Cup 96, takes its title from George Orwells description of sport.
158. This book from Nirad Chaudhari takes its
name from a place mentioned in Homers Odyssey where Ulyssess men are turned into swine.
159. This film made in 1915 was the film version
of a popular play called the "Clansmen" which told the story of the founding of the Ku Klux Klan. Not surprising since the
playwright Thomas Dixon and the filmmaker D. W. Griffith were Southerners. Which film?
159. Which legendary fictitious character (from
movies) was created by Dashiel Hammet?
160. This country became landlocked in 1993.
161. In terms of Presidential elections, what
was the unique achievement of Thomas Jefferson?
162. Besides the New York Marathon, an unusual
marathon is held annualy in New York. What is it called and where is it held?
163. John F. Kennedy made a famous faux pas
in his speech at Berlin in 1961. What was it?
164. If the codename for United Nations recapture
of Seoul, Korea, in March, 1951 was Ripper, Israeli invasion of Lebanon in June, 1982 was Peace for Galilee, Argentinian invasion
of the Falkland Islands in April, 1982 - Rosario. What was "Jonathan"?
165. Charles Manson was inspired by what he
thought were secret messages in this song to murder Sharon Tate and others in 1969.
166. What is a well known phrase credited to
Bill Miner - a stagecoach robber?
167. This US President was likely homosexual,
and nicknamed "Miss Nancy".
168. This actor used to be Maurice Micklewhite.
169. In is illegal in NBA but allowed in NCAA
basketball?
170. Connect these two film stars - Michael
Keaton and Michael Douglas
171. This orchid is used in both perfumes and
ice creams
172.You all use Xerox technology. What is the
meaning of the word "Xerox"?
173. 'I believe there are two ways of writing
novels. One is mine, making a sort of musical comedy without music and ignoring real life altogether; the other is going right
deep down into life and not caring a damn_' - Who said this?
174. He is the Harvey C. Fruehauf Professor
of Business Administration and Professor of Corporate Strategy & International business at the Graduate School of Business
Administration, University of Michigan. Who?
175. What is Cacofonix known in the Hindi versions
of Asterix comics?
176. He has launched his Naturence range of
herbal beauty products under the banner Naturence Research Labs (P) Ltd. The brand name for his lipsticks, nail enamel etc
is " Dawn to Dusk". Who are we talking about?
177. Who or what is Heavenly Hiraki Tiger Lily?
178. Who designs jewellery for a company called
Artex?
179. What is the name of Hardys Boys town?
180. When he was Commander in Chief of the British
Forces in the middle east during 1941-42, he was forced back by Rommel to the Egyptian frontier. He was later posted as Commander
in Chief of the British Indian Army from 1943-47. Who?
181. Fashion Cafe was started by Tomasso Buti.
One of the franchises in New York is run by Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell & Christy Turlington and this supermodel.
182. This High Court, in 1975, judged Indira
Gandhi guilty of electoral malpractises.
183. Dr. Feng Hsuing Hsu was in the news in
1997. For what?
184. Who was supposed to have withdrawn gold
bars from the Bank of England and stowed it aboard a ship called the "Doddington" before setting sail to India.?
185. Darius the Great, Persian king (521-486)
BC. Established authority by suppressing revolts of usurpers in early years of reign, then organized personal representatives
to administer the vast empire. What were these administrators called?
186.. What is the mascot for France98 World
Cup soccer called?
187. This is a type of Piano Jazz style popular
in the 1930s. The left hand keeps up a constant rhythmic phase while the right hand executes a series of simple variations
often improvised. ( Hint : Also the name of a dance programme on Cable TV)
188. When Dhirubhai Ambani was at Aden, where
was he employed?
189. Francis Xavier McNamara was in the tarpaulin
business in 1950. While entertaining clients at a New York restaurant, he realized he had forgotten his wallet. McNamara went
home and dreamed up something. What?
190. Which encyclopedia lavishes this praise
on Bill Gates, " Much of Gates success rests on his ability to translate technical visions into market strategy and to blend
creativity with technical acumen"?
191. Boris Karloff ( real name William Henry
Pratt) made his debut in the 1931 version of Frankenstein. How was he listed in the credits?
192. This member of the House of Commons in
the late 1800s was known as Mr. Narrow Majority Who?
193. An indirect result of his invasions was
the founding of Venice by refugees. By 432 his tribe had so much power that his uncle, Rugilas, received annual tribute from
Rome. In 436 he murdered his brother; in 451 he invaded Gaul in alliance with the Vandal king Gaiseric, but the Roman general
Flavius Aetius defeated him on the Catalaunian Plain.
194. A Bangalore born entrepreneur recently
sold of his company to Microsoft. Name the person and his company
195. Who is the father of the Russian Alphabet?
196. This was the name of Victor Hugos hunch
back of Notre Dame.
197. What is "Jewish penicillin"?
198. Contrary to what you learnt in school,
not all creatures can be classified as "nocturnal" and "diurnal". Some creatures prefer the dawn or dusk, often using their
superior vision in dim light to attack and kill their prey. What are such creatures called?
199. When NASA launched Voyager 1 and 2 in 1977,
astrophysicists carefully plotted the trip so that as the ships passed Jupiter, they would pick up a gravity boost and be
able to continue on to visit Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. What is the popular term for such an arrangement?
200. According to Usenet legend, an inmate of
Canberra zoo bit a visitor, inspiring him (the visitor!) to create a mascot for his new product based, of course, on the animal
that bit him. Name the product and the mascot?
201. Coined from Swahili for "First Fruits",
this African-American holiday is modeled after various African harvest festivals and was devised in 1966 by Maulana Karenga,
a black-studies professor at California State University at Long Beach. Name this festival, celebrated by over 5 million Americans
from December 26 to January 1?
202. You Probably know what an Orangutan is;
what or who is an Orang-Asli?
203. A small pair of olfactory sensors found
in most animal species, they are sensitive to a variety of chemicals that our other nasal receptors cannot detect, and are
wired to an entirely different portion of the brain. Until recently, most scientists believed that this organ either did not
exist in humans, or was merely vestigial. Recent research has shown otherwise. Which organ?
204. Which creature of the sea is known as "old
four legs" because of its extra fins and inhabits deep water caves and canyons, far from the prying eyes of most divers?
205. While on the net, which author's fans frequently
adopt an alias which they call a "Non de plum"?
206. This country has the most liberal drug
laws in the world, allowing, for example, marijuana to be purchased legally at licensed "coffee shops." Prostitution has long
been legal; this year brothels were legalized and made subject to government regulation and regular inspections. Last year,
they became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage. The country also voted to legalize euthanasia in November 2000.
Name this modern day (dys?)Utopia?
207. Which scene painter from the Paris opera
scene introduced a process in 1839 that reduced exposure time in photography from 20 minutes to one before he died in 1851?
208. Which Indian city literally means the city
of Banyan trees?
209. What' s common to the saancha, the bangla,
the kapoori, the malwa, and the banarasi?
210. A common joke among students of philosophy
- t his man goes into a bar and one of his pals greets him with "Bonjour, ___ how about a beer?" To which he replies, "I think
not," and promptly disappears. Who is the butt of this joke (maybe he would have accepted an apple)?
211. In 1988, John Fogerty was charged of plagiarism
in a lawsuit brought by Fantasy Records, who contended that one of his songs was lifted from a 1970 hit by which group?
212. Originally the firzan ("counselor"), he
had limited powers but in the course of time he was replaced by the fers who had little more powers and mobility. About 1475
a major revamp saw the fers transform into the king's consort and gain expanded powers. What am I talking about?
213. How are the employees of the Charles Townsend
Associates private detective agency, which first came to public eye in 1976, better known?
214. Which Heavyweight champion was convicted
of violating what is called the "White Slave Traffic Act" for "transporting a white woman (actually his wife) across a state
line." His actual crime was that he was black?
215. Why did "events" at a small town called
Grover's Mill in New Jersey, USA create a furor on October 30th, 1938?
216. Which two countries continue to squabble
over what are called the South Kurile Island are technically still at war as they have yet to sign the peace treaty ending
World War II?
217. Which product that made in debut at Andy
Capp's bar in Sunnyvale, California in 1972 had just one instruction "Avoid missing ball for high score"?
218. Which new rule/innovation in Fencing, which
is to be compulsory by the 2004 Athens Games is expected to rekindle spectator interest and make the sport more popular?
219. What gimmick did the Atlantic City chamber
of commerce come up with in 1921 in order to extend the resort town's summer season beyond Labor Day?
220. When India' s cricket team toured Pakistan
in 1978 after a 17-year gap, the rival captains were rather appropriately former Northamptonshire teammates. Name the two
captains?
221. Complete the blanks - "Every who Down in
Whoville Liked Christmas a lot. But the ____ Who lived just north of Whoville, Did NOT!"
222. Which meteorological phenomena means "a
curl of hair" in Latin"?
223. In 1935 Pramathesh Barua made the classic
movie "Devdas" in two languages. The cameraman for the film went on to become a director himself and e ven got to direct the
remake of this film in 1955. Just name the cameraman turned director?
224. For which team did Michael Schumacher win
the drivers' trophy in 1994 & 1995 and the constructor's crown (their only wins to date) in 1995?
226. He made his mark with his first film, Praying
with Anger, the story of an Indian exchange student who finds himself a stranger in his homeland which was named the Debut
Film of the Year at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles in 1993. After that he wrote & directed Wide Awake for
Miramax, which bombed at the box office. Along the way, he also the script for a "little" movie. Success came only with his
third major movie. Just name this writer-director?
227. The founder of MI6 Sir Mansfield Cumming
had an idiosyncratic way of signing his name on official documents. How is this relevant to popular fiction and films?
228. He was a successful British scientist and
the child of the unmarried first Duke of Northumberland and Elizabeth Keate Macie, a widow with royal blood and a huge inheritance
which he inherited in turn. Largely shunned in Britain due to his illegitimate birth, he decided to get back by bequeathing
his fortune to found an institution for the "increase and diffusion of knowledge" in the USA. Name this person?
229. In the 8th century, this accomplished general
called Tariq Ibn Zeyad led a combined force of Arabs and Berbers from Africa and conquered parts of Spain, the occupation
of which continued for several centuries after his death. How is this general remembered today?
230. Hallmark was named for its founder Joyce
C Hall. The company would have probably been an also-ran and the greeting-card industry itself would have been a fringe industry
but for an innovation that Hallmark brought to the industry. The innovation has to do with the way greeting cards are sold.
What is the innovation?
232. The Hindu prince Parameshwara was wandering
in Malaya on a hunt when he chanced to see an agile deer fight off a predator. Impressed by its bravery, he decided to found
a city on that spot, naming it for the gooseberry tree under whose shade the fight had taken place. The city still exists
and reflects the Sanskrit word for a gooseberry. Which city?
233. The National Geographic is renowned for
its attention to detail and the veracity of its maps and articles. However in its May 1977 issue, which featured the Celtic
world and its history, one of the maps was inaccurate on one small count. None of the readers complained though. Why?
234. When Pyotr Kapitsa, Soviet scientist and
an expert on low-temperature gases, arrested in 1946 and interned in Gulag, suddenly found himself transferred to a Soviet
research institute, inquiring minds at the CIA wanted to know why. Photos of hydrogen liquefaction plants taken by U-2 spy
plan es offered a frightening possibility: Kapitsa had been "rehabilitated" so that he could work on the powerplant for a
hydrogen-powered space plane. Lockheed' s skunk-works spent some 6 million USD before they realized that the H2 plane offered
no advantage a t all. It seems hydrogen-fuel expert Kapitsa had been freed to work on another project that had somehow escaped
the CIA's notice, one that was to be a major embarrassment to the USA until they redeemed themselves in the late 60's. What
was Kapitsa's brainchild, for which he won the Nobel Prize in 1978?
235. The "Goliards " were a bunch of wandering
religious students between the 10th to 13th century AD. Known more for their d runkenness and debauchery rather than their
piety, they nevertheless left a brilliant collection of poems and plays that made fun of church and the government. The collection
was lost for many years and finally found in 1803 at a Benedictine monastery in Bavaria and came to be called Lieder aus Beuren
(Songs of Bueren). How do we know this collection of poems?
236. Which venture was financed by the sale
of souvenir stamps and medals and the donation of money by a wealthy businessman called Georgios Averoff?
237. Nepal was ruled for centuries by two rival
branches of the Rana dynasty. In which way is this rivalry reflected today?
238. Mohammed Hashmi Khan Bangash, a horse trader
from Afghanistan settled in Rewa, Central India, in the eighteenth century. He brought with him a rustic instrument called
the rabab. His son Ghulam Bandegi Khan Bangash modified the rabab into a melodious instruments more suited to the Indian classical
tradition. Name the great-grandson's of Mohammed Hashmi Khan, thrice removed (mean the great-grandson's great-grandsons or
the 7th generation)?
239. Which Indian word used to denote a death
anniversary is taken from Arabic where it means a wedding?
240. This tiny island first came to European
attention due to its sandalwood trees. In the 16th & 17th centuries, it was the center of the sandalwood trade first under
the Portuguese & then under the Dutch. The trade in sandalwood made the Dutch East India co the (then) richest in the
world. Ironically this tiny island today ekes out a miserable existence exporting coffee and survives on foreign aid. Name?
241. In 1998, an autographed copy of Lennon's
Double Fantasy album sold for $1.8 million. What was special about the album?
242. Why is the Arabic head-scarf, the Kaffiyya,
worn amongst others by Arafat, today considered a political statement in the Israeli occupied territories?
243. In which form is T.S. Eliot's poem "Rhapsody
on a Windy Night" taken from his 1917 collection, Prufrock and Other Observations, familiar to us?
244. In a blatant case of sympathy voting, the
Academy overlooked performances by Deborah Kerr, Shirley MacLaine, and Melina Mercouri and gave this actress, who was recovering
from a near-fatal illness, an Oscar for a performance that was mediocre at best. The actress who received the award for playing
a disillusioned call girl, admitted that she made the film only to fulfill a contractual obligation to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
and claimed never to have seen the movie. The incident prompted Shirley MacLaine to quip, "I lost to a tracheotomy." Name
the actress and the movie.
245. In 1923, this word appeared in print and
meant "to criticize". In the early 1960s, civil rights activists rediscov ered the word and used it to denote sessions where
internal differences within the movement were aired and resolved. It then entered the slang of both hippies and African-Americans.
Which word?
246. What is common to Kama the God of Love,
a sister of Hiranyakashipu and a witch called Putana?
247. Which racing circuit is known as the BrickYard?
248. With reference to women' s clothing and
fashion what is the pencil test?
249. What is common to: A circle - to denote
eternity, A crow's foot - a symbol of death and depart in ancient history, The semaphore signals for N & D, The Christian
cross set in a circle.
250. Around the time of 2000 Sydney Olympics
what was the bay watch v/s stop watch controversy?
251. In an attempt to bring an end to the strife
and to protect travelers from thieves, the Roman Catholic Church prohibited fight ing from Saturday night until Monday morning.
The order was made in 1027 at the Synod of Elne. Within a few decades the order was expanded to include Thursday, Friday,
and Saturday, as well as holidays and festivals such as lent and was extended to almost all of Europe. The order was largely
ineffective as the church had no means to enforce but gave which word to the English language?
252. Sugar Ray Leonard was once asked on the
Johnny Carson show, "when do the wounds from the fight heal". What was his reply?
253. The banned Chinese sect Falung Gong practices
a system of exercises for exercise and relaxation. The system was developed by a monk called Chang Sen-Feng in the 13th century
and is actually a martial art which means " Grand Ultimate Fist" which is also how the boxers got their name. What is this
exercise system called?
254. The $500 prize in the national contest
for the design of the original White house went to Irish American James Hoban, who submitted his plans at the urging of Washington.
Another architect, who lost out, went on to design the University of Virginia which he also founded. Who is this other architect?
255. To the elite in Mathematics worldwide what
is the "Erdos number" system?
256. Hewlett and Packard came up with an audio
oscillator in 1938 that generated sound frequencies and could be used to test sound quality. Among its first customers was
Walt Disney productions, which ordered eight of these devices for its animated feature film "Fantasia". Each oscillator was
sold at USD 54.40. Why 54.40?
257. Alcuin was an English monk who was commissioned
by the Emperor Charlemagne to reform and standardize calligraphy in order to ensure the accuracy of the holy texts. Alcuin
came up with something that was far beyond his brief, something, which had far-far reaching consequences. What did he end
up creating?
258. Who boasted of his discovery "All the museums
of the world taken together do not have one-fifth as much"?
259. Orthodox Jewish beliefs frequently prevent
Israelis from doing any sort of work on Sabbath including pressing buttons on a lift. How is the problem overcome in this
instance?
260. The King of Cebu persuaded this visitor
to become his ally by feigning conversion to Christianity and urged him to lead his forces against the rival king of Mactan.
Putting aside his own mission he acceded to the request but on April 27, 1521 he was discovered dead lying face down in the
sands of the island of Mactan. Who?
261. Two children playing in a Dutch spectacle-maker's
shop is believed to have led to an invention, which was first appeared at the Frankfurt Fair in 1609. The invention was variously
called "Dutch trunks" or " perspectives" or even "cylinders". Which invention?
262. The Japanese attack on Pearl harbor might
have been militarily a success but str ategically speaking, the raid was off the target on which two counts?
263. She was born Esther Victoria Abraham to
a Jewish family in Calcutta in 1916 and worked as a while for her teacher before joining her sister Romila and cousin Rose
who were both by then recognized starlets in the Hindi film industry. With the screen name Pramila she rose to be one of Ardeshir
Irani's favorite actresses and starred in a 1938 version of Mother India before turning producer herself. Question - what
first, did she achieve in 1947?
264. His given names were Harry St.John Bridger
and he was for some time an official in the ICS. He converted to Islam and was personally given the Islamic name Abdullah
by the King Ibn Saud. He was instrumental in persuading the King to open the doors of his country to oil exploration. His
place in history is assured but his son was to achieve notoriety. Give me the family name of the duo?
265. The famous atom-smashing cyclotron in the
USA had its electron gun technology licensed out in 1962 to an electronics giant. Which brand, still very strong today and
arguably the leader in its field, resulted from this arrangement?
266. What is the Lockard' s exchange principle
in forensic science?
267. During the English civil war, Royalists
mounted a powerful cannon on top of St.Mary' s church tower in Colchester. In the summer of 1648, the enemy hit the church
and the top of the tower was blown off sending the cannon crashing down. The Royalists tried in vain to mend the cannon. According
to the East Anglia tourist board in England how is this incident commemorated?
268. Kapil Dev shares which "non-achievement"
with P.B.H. May of England?
269. Which popular character was inspired by
a gluttonous Japanese folk hero called Paku and the sight of a partly eaten pizza?
270. In 1884 Russian emperor Alexander III ordered
which special gift on the occasion of Easter for the Czarina Maria?
271. The young musician walked into London's
Indica art gallery to check out the avant-garde exhibition. One of the exhibits was a fresh apple on a stand. The young man
grabbed the apple & bit into it. The artist who happened to be right there joined in anger and he sheepishly grinned and
replaced the apple. Who met whom?
272. Known simply as the Maestro, he is the
only driver to have won 5 Formula-1 championships, 3 of them consecutively. His standards of excellence and his charisma is
supposed to have saved Formula-1 racing after a major tragedy in 1955 that killed 81 spectators. Name him.
273. Who or what are Taikonauts?
274. Hitchcock used to recount the story of
two Scotsmen on a train with a device called X for catching lions in the highlands. When one of the men points out that there
are no lions in the Highlands, the other remarks in that case the device is not a what?
275. In 1851, this self taught physicist found
that a pendulum which swings straight back and forth appeared to change it' s angle relative to the room in which it was swinging
over a long period of time. This experiment conclusively proved the rotation of the Earth. Name the physicist?
276. In 1962 when the producers of the show
The Flintstones decided that Fred and Wilma were to have a child they initially decided on a boy. Later however a girl Pebbles
was chosen. Why?
277. In 1941, the top box office hit was Sgt.
York. The movie also won a best actor Oscar for Gary Cooper. The same year saw two films from first time directors, both of
which had limited success at the box office and were largely ignored at Oscars. Sixty years later, Sgt. York is largely forgotten
while the two movies in question are considered classics. Name them.
278. Since both Beethoven and Bruckner had both
died after finishing their 9th symphonies, he preferred to call his 9th symphony as the 10th. The 10th however remained only
a sketch and when he actually began work on the 9th he said half-joking that the danger was now over as the 9th symphony was
actually the 10th. The gods weren't fooled though and he died soon after he completed this 9th symphony. Name this composer?
279. A Biblical injunction in the book of Leviticus
forbidding marriage with a brother's widow was drawn to attention in the 16th century and had major repercussions on religion
in the Western world. What was the incident in question?
280. A device invented as a primitive steam
engine by the Greek engineer Hero, about the time of the birth of Christ, is still used today in what form?
281. In June 2000, at the Tate Museum in London,
two Chinese artists walked into a room, went up to a sculpture, and urinated into it. Far from being shocked, the crowd applauded
thinking it was part of the show. Which was the exhibit in question?
282. Robert Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange
Land", a novel has been enormously popular with nerds introduced a verb that means "to completely observe and understand.".
What verb?
283. An inventor called Earl Bakken, also founder
of a medical products company called Medtronic saw a Frankenstein movie as a kid and became fascinated in the use of electricity
to reanimate people. What did he end up inventing?
284. The reverse of the V for Victory sign,
which is an obscene gesture, is believed to have its origin in which historical incident?
285. Which character in "The Merry wives of
Windsor" was introduced according to tradition at the instance of Queen Elizabeth I?
286. R.L. Stevenson's grave in Samoa bears which
inscription borrowed from his own works?
287. Here's another fine mess you've got me
into. Catch phrase of?
288.. Which phrase in the language comes from
the cliched way in which reunited couples were depicted in the silent film era?
289. As the Roman Empire collapsed in the 5th
century, Goths and Vandals drove many inhabitants to seek sanctuary on a group of islands on a swampy lagoon on the north-east.
The refugees believed that the islands were so unappealing that the invaders would simply pass by. The settlement eventually
grew into a major trading center and home to a powerful navy. Name the settlement?
290. In the 19th century, what was a Nantucket
Sleigh ride?
291. What is circumorbitalhematoba commonly
known as?
292. Connect 60/1 Coles Road Bangalore to Fictional
literature.
293. Pantaloon came out with an ad line which
went " Even the odds". What did it mean?
294. Whose last name is Zimprsquzzntwlfb?
295. In democracy what is the OMOV principle?
296. There is a music group called Ten CC. Why
Ten Cc?
297. Name the 4 children of Goddess Saraswati.
298. Which cartoon character was modelled after
Clark Gable?
299. Who said " All I can say is, I'm not a
Marxist"!
300. Which work of Satyajit Ray's is banned
in India?
301. Who said this to the UK Parliament " You've
done enough damage already, For God's sake go!"
302. Which company published the "God of Small
Things" in India?
303. This tycoon founded the DeBeers firm.
304. Name the comic in which a character called
Schizophrenix has a house on both sides of a ditch.
305. Who or what is Aleida March?
306. This term came from Fellini's movie " La
Dolce Vita" and has become part of the lexicon.
307. Polaroid company named one of its 1997
models are a song group. Name the group and the camera.
308. Fortune Magazine published a list of 10
philanthropists who had contributed the highest amounts to charity in 1997. However, it mentioned one name - and said that
he should have been there. Who?
309. Expand the business abbrev's a) NIH b)
IAKI
310. On Oct 15, 1932, J. R. D. Tata flew a Puss
Moth plane from Karachi to Mumbai. Other than making Indian aviation history, it also had some business significance. What?
311. Complete the foll series: Lexico, Crisscrosswords,
It and ________?
312. There is an institution called the Rutherford
Institute which claims to be an international non profit human rights organization established 15 years ago. Its been in the
news recently. For what?
313. Which state in the US is called the "Corporate
HQ of the US"?
314. Which was the only company allowed by Spielberg
to use E.T in their ads?
315. Connect Jack, John, William and Robert
to the entertainment industry.
316. Was featured on the BBC at the age of nine
due to his piano-playing histrionics, and is today the fastest piano player in the world. With albums like Abstract, Ecstasy,
Raag Time, Live in Karachi and Sargam he is one of the most popular Pakistani artists. Who?
317. This was a demonstration event at the 1992
Olympics, but it became a medalled event in Atlanta. Name it
318. In 1987 Ronald Reagan selected this man,
a protégé of Ayn Rand, to be the chairman of the United States Federal Reserve. Who?
319. This bestseller based on the American Civil
war went through a string of titles such as 'Milestones', 'Ba Ba Black Sheep', 'Tomorrow is another day' before the eventual
title was chosen. Name the book
320. What did Jonas E Salk develop?
321. Which is the only country to have its map
on the National flag?
322. This food item was patented in1830 and
called 'The Dr Miles Compound Extract of Tomato'. Name it.
323. In Hindu mythology whose son carried the
rather unfortunate name Adharma?
324. Name the board game that was invented in
1933 during the American Depression by an unemployed man by the name of Charles Darrow.
325. What is the Stockholm Syndrome?
326. Which Indian city was founded in 1519 by
Quli Qutub Shah?
327. What are the alloys of mercury collectively
called?
328. Which house of Hindustani music do the
descendants of Tansen, from his daughter's line, belong to?
329. Name the author of the book, "Who Moved
My Cheese?"?
330. Which animal was replaced by the tiger
in 1972 as India's national animal by the Indian Board of Wildlife?
331. Who has succeeded Juan Antonio Samaranch
as the President of the International Olympic Federation?
332. Who was the first space tourist?
333. Which president of Nasscom died in Sydney
recently?
334. Althea Gibson was the first African-American
woman to win a Grand Slam tournament. Who was the second?
335. Name the musical produced by Andrew Lloyd
Weber and Shekar Kapur for which A.R.Rahman has scored the music.
336. What word did Nobel peace prize winner
Elie Weasel coin to describe Hitler's massacre of the Jews?
337. Whose ships were the Sao Rafael, Sao Gabriel
and the Berrio?
338. Name the brothers whose first names were
James and William who made the first milk supplement using malted barley and wheat flour?
339. On the net what do the acronyms AFAIK and
IMHO mean?
340. Which company's tag-line is(was?): 'Natural
Gas, Electricity. Endless possibilities'?
341. "You have deliberately tasted two whole
worms and now you can leave Oxford on the town drain". Name the Warden of New College Oxford who said this?
342. What did N G Bhansai and Hancock design
based on the actress Kamini Kaushal?
343. Which creature from Homer's Illiad is composed
of parts from a lion, a goat and serpent?
344. At which famous London theatre built by
the brothers Richard and Cuthbert Burbage were the plays of William Shakespeare performed after 1599 with half the shares
going to Shakespeare and the company of actors who performed in the plays?
345. Which gangster responsible for bank robberies,
and killed by the FBI in 1935 was immortalised in a song by the pop group Boney M?
346. The Sanskrit for 'horn shaped' has given
which spice its name?
347. Which leading actress of yesteryear made
her debut in the Hindi film 'Hamari Beti?
348. Which state government has its secretariat
building named after the juniormost officers of the East India Company?
349. Name the sect of Shaivate sadhus who inhabit
graveyards and cremation grounds. They are known for their necrophilic activities designed to acquire mystic powers?
350. The medieval dynasty of Yelahanka Prabhus
is said to have founded which city in 1537?
351. Originally it was the name of the Aegean
Sea. It acquired the meaning 'large group of islands' since the 16th century. What is it?
352. He took over his father's billboard business
and in 1970 bought a TV station in Atlanta, Georgia. Also owns the Atlanta Hawks basketball team and the Atlanta Braves baseball
team, raises bison in Montana and has pledged a billion dollars of his money to the United Nations.Who?
353. Name the chief of the Indian business house
Reliance Industries who recently passed away.
354. Who discovered the antibiotic Penicillin?
355. Which comic character uses a machine called
the "transmogrifier"?
356. " He could do only one thing at a time.
If he held her, he could not kiss her. If he kissed her, he could not see her. If he saw her, he could not feel her. If he
touched her, he could not talk to her. If he loved her, he could not leave her. If he spoke he could not listen. If he fought,
he could not win." What is this?
357. He still holds the records in Eton for
the mile, half mile, quarter mile, 220 yards dash, hurdles and shot put which he set in 1924. He was also the only one to
be Victor Ludorum ( Champion of the Games) 2 years in succession in 1925 & 1926. Who?
358. Though the WW-II victory parade was planned
to be the first color telecast, something else turned out to be the first color telecast. What?
359. It gets its name from the personalization
of the technical name of the TV camera tube - the image Orthicon. What?
360. In medieval England, people believed that
the Devil was always wanting to steal the soul of a dead person as soon as he was buried. What practice arose from this?
361. Prof. U. R. Ananthakrishnamurthy directed
a film called " Avasthe" about the life of a veteran socialist leader S. Gopala Gowda. Who played the role of he Chief Minister
in this film?
362. What word was coined by anatomist Sir.
Richard Owen in 1841 during a meeting of the British Association for Advancement of Science, in Plymouth ( The 150th year
of the word's existence was commemorated by a U. K. Stamp)
363. This plant is named after Antonio Musa,
physician to Augustus Caeser and because it is supposed to have flourished in the Garden of Eden and its leaves were supposedly
used as garments for Adam and Eve. Name the plant.
364. A new cine chat show on Star Plus called
'Is duniya ke sitare' is produced by Dilip Kumar and directed by Saira Banu. Who has written the lyrics for the title track?
365. Fill in the first line of this nature poem
which is from "The Time Piece", the 2nd book of a 6-vol, epic 'The Task' written by William Cowper in 1785.
" .......................................
That gives it all its flavour"
366. His real name was Edward Teach and he was
a compulsive sadist, obsessed with violence. Said Daniel Defoe 'He frightened America more than any comet'. Killed by Maynard
of the Royal Navy on the James River, his last words after a swig of rum were 'Damnation take my soul, if I give it up or
take any quarter'. Who?
367. Hundred years ago a young Unani physician
by the name of Hameed Abdul Majeed set up a dawakhana where his sold his own formulations to help the people of his community.
Its name basically means 'One who offers his sympathy'. Name this company.
368. Nicholas -I of Russia remarked in 1853
" We have a sick man on our hands, a very sick man'. What resulted from this?
369. What did Sir. Walter Scott describe as
the "Corn Chest for Scotland where we poor gentry send our sons as we send our black cattle to the south"?
370. Although William Randolph Hearst failed
his junior year at Harvard, the owner of the 'New York World', impressed by his entrepreneurial skills gave him a job as a
reporter. Who?
371. What did Benjamin Burtt. Jr sound recordist,
create by electronically mixing the voices of a bear and a lion and re-recording it?
372. Who is buried in a chapel on the banks
of Lake Strogonoff in Romania, a monument he built to atone for his sins?
373. This area gets its name from the greek
word for 'bear' because the constellation of the Great Bear was supposedly hovering above this place. Which area?
374. Parsees have this tradition of taking their
surname from their heriditary profession. If a Parsee's surname was Dubash, what would his hereditary profession be?
375. How do we know the remnants of the temple
of King Solomon which was destroyed by Roman Emporer Titus in A.D.70 better?
376. A Bengali plays a Punjabi farmer formerly
in the Army. A Keralite plays a Bengali footballer. A Brahmin from Meerut plays a Harijan from Tamil Nadu. An Iranian Muslim
plays a Maharastrian tamasha artiste. A fluent Urdu speaking Muslim plays a Hindi pracharak Brahmin from Varanasi. A Muslim
plays a Christian girl of Portugese origin and finally a Brahmin plays a Muslim Urdu poet from Bihar. Basic criteria for a
movie. Which one?
377. Which place in Bangalore gets its name
from the temple in which Shivaji was married? Incidentally it was built by Venkoji, Shivaji's step brother.
378. Jane Austen, in 1798 in 'Northanger Abbey',
said about her protagonist Catherine. " It was not wonderful that Catherine, by nature had nothing heroic about her and should
prefer cricket, __________, riding on horseback and running about the country at the age of 14". Fill in the blank.
379. Another name of this festival is Epiphany
or the feast of 3 kings. It commemorates the showing of Infant jesus to the 3 Magi from the East. What is its common name?
380. After one of the matches in the French
Open, John McEnroe said " I am not being paranoid but I swear he knows who I am". Who was he talking about?
381. Beatrice Tanner was the star of the play
'The Second Mrs. Tanqueray' by A. W. Pinero and was also a famous stage actress of her day. She eloped and married a Mr. Patrick
Campbell in 1884 and this ruined her career. How is she immortalised?
382. She was a daughter of Surya and Chaya.
Her child was Kuru after whom the Kauravas are named. She has also given her name to a river. Who?
383. Archie as Pureheart the powerful, Jughead
as Captain Hero and Betty as Superteen consist of an organisation called P.O.P which has its HQ at Pop Tate's Choklit Shoppe.
What does P.O.P stand for?
384. Which cricketer was a huge fan of Bob Dylan.
In fact, he added 'Dylan' to his middle name. Hint : One of his books is called "Captain's Diary"
385. In 1974, the Los Angeles fire dept honoured
Steve McQueen in a ceremony at the city hall and he was named 'Honorary L.A. fire fighter'. Why?
386. Ferdinand Magellan and his Malay slave
are considered to be the first circumnavigators of the world. But how is this Malay slave's name immortalised?
387. In 1825, a young Northern Irish immigrant
A. T. Stewart arrived in New York and started a dry goods store. He shocked customers and competitors alike by introducing
a new concept in retailing. What did he do?
388. Who was the first man to chart an ocean
current (the Gulf Stream incidentally)?
389. Who is the "The Old Lady of Threadneedle
Street"?
390. Who is called the Black Pope?
391. Which brand name (a spirit) is named after
the nickname of a body of soldiers originally raised to protect King Henry VII on his coronation day?
392. A Roman queen was so oversexed that her
name has become a synonym for nymphomania. Name the queen?
393. What modern communications technology mimics
Polar bear fur?
394. Which planet is regarded as the best mapped
planet in the Solar system?
395. What can you make of " How I want a drink,
alcoholic of course, after the heavy lecture involving quantum mechanics?
396. In the Asterix series, what is Chief Vitalstatix's
nickname (only his wife seems to use it)?
397. A space craft called Discovery sent with
a three-man crew to locate the origin of an alien monolith found on the moon forms the setting for which classic tale?
398. Whose catch phrase is "What's up Doc "?
399. Which Bollywood star started a movie-company
called Ajanta Arts?
400. In Istanbul, what is called "the American
bird"?
401. Which is the world's single largest ice-cream
company with a 15 % market-share?
402. Which sportsman refused a Padmashri and
was awarded the Padma Bhushan the next year?
403. Tagore called it "Bharat Vidhata". What
do we call it?
404. The ancient game of Rathera was played
with chariots. In what form is the game played today?
405. Which is the only sport that still requires
its players to wear formal clothing?
406. Which two ingredients are necessary to
make a Chinese sweet-sour dish?
407. Which European country introduced in 1834,
voting rights for women, compulsory surnames and the metric system, years before other countries actually followed suit?
408. About which boxer did Mohammed Ali say,
"I've seen him shadow-boxing and the shadow won"?
409. Rodin's statue "The Thinker" is a tribute
to which man of letters?
410. Which popular flower actually means "Testicle'
in the original Greek?
411. Which English word retains its pronunciation
even if its last four words are removed?
412. Which animal did Chinese royalty consider
so sacred that they were often pampered with human wet nurses, eunuchs for protection and private palaces?
413. Which game was first called "Minonette"?
414. Which children's toy was originally a hunting
weapon in the Philippines?
415. They were known in their times as language
scholars who collected stories and codified them as an exercise in comparative German Philology and grammar. A famous law
in Philology is named after these brothers but they are remembered best for the stories they collected. Name the brothers?
416. What is common to - The Crescent of Gianuzz,
Canal of Gugier, Circle of Willis, Area of Cohnheim, Angle of Luwig & the spaces of Fontana?
417. During World War I what was "Winston's
Folly"?
418. In spy slang, if the "Firm" is the MI5/MI6,
what is the "Company"?
419. She was born in Belgium of Irish-Dutch
parentage. A role in "The Nun's story" fetched her an Oscar but her best remembered role was that of a character originally
created by George Bernard Shaw. Name this actress?
420. Which product was first launched on 5/5/1921?
421. In the movie Goldfinger, James Bond defuses
the bomb intended to blow up Fort Knox, just in the nick of time. How many seconds are left on the counter on the bomb?
422. He was born in 1889 and was admitted to
the California bar in 1911. He was famous in his time for defending poor Chinese & Mexicans. In the 1940's, he founded
the court of last resort, an organization to help the unjustly imprisoned. His experiences formed the basis for his works.
Name him?
423. What was Vladimir Zhirinovksy's proposed
solution to Russia's falling birth rate?
424. What sport is described as "Chess with
muscles"?
425. Douglas Jardine considered him the soundest
batsman in India. But he was not attractive to watch. When Abbas Ali Baig was kissed by a spectator during a 1960 Bombay test,
he asked " Where were the girls when I was batting?", to which A.F.S. Talyarkhan replied " Fast asleep". He refused to join
the 1932 team as many leaders had been arrested in Gandhi's non co-operation movement. Who?
426. It was said in Washington after the Japanese
surrendered that the Soviets couldn't put an atom bomb in a suitcase because....?
427. Monica Seles in 1997 signed a deal with
Nike. This agreement required her to sport the Nike logo in a unique place. Where?
428. This actress won a beauty contest in her
native country but was disqualified when it was discovered that she was underage. She was known for her outrageous comments.
When asked, " How many husbands have you had?". She said " You mean, apart from my own?" Who?
429. He believed that he was an incarnation
of Apollo and that he was a soldier during the Trojan war. His works include; ' The doctrine of the Transmigration of the
souls' and 'The harmony of the spheres'. However he is most famous for inventing a theorem named after him. Who?
430. Between 1955-62 when blacks were denied
air time, a white singer without remorse, ripped off black hits and achieved over 30 Top 20 hits. To many whites he gave them
their 1st taste of rock and roll. Little Richard hits like 'Tutti Fruti" and " Long tall Sally" were amongst his victims.
Which singer are we talking about?
431. If the Puritans had triplets who were all
girls, they would name them Faith, Hope and Charity. These names are not so popular now but one survives in a fashionable
form. Which modern name?
432. At the 1965 Chicago film festival, a movie
directed by a famous director and partly scripted by a Nobel prize winner won a best actress award for whom?
433. Why are toilets also called Johns?
434. Who is the only Indian to be featured in
Playboy as a bunny?
435. A winner of various trophies and aerial
derbies, he also won a trophy in 1914 for the best sea plane design. In WW I, his company supplied the RFC with thousands
of aircraft that helped the allies conquer the skies. Name?
436. Snoopy has many alter ego's like "The Flying
Ace" etc. However, his brother Spike has only one. Which?
437. Richard Attenborough and his wife Sheila
Sim were the first lead pair of which famous play?
438. The Louise Woodward trial ( Death of 8
month old Matthew Eapen) caused a sensation. But the manner in which the verdict was delivered is a first. Why?
439. What is a very bloody Mary?
440. What is common to the following: Discovery
of Machu Pichu, First treks to the North Pole, Jane Goodall's work among chimps, the Veakey family's fossil finds. Robert
Barnard's work?
441. What is a golden hello?
442. When it first appeared in 1957 with the
name Sinclair Executive, it weighed 130 kgs and cost about Rs. 80,000. Today it weighs 5-10 gms and costs anything from Rs.
200 to Rs. 2000/-. Which product?
443. What in financial circles are called Offshore
centres?
444. Who patented Copper Rivetting of stress
points which is still a distinctive trademark of one brand of clothing?
445. This new concept was sold by its inventors,
photo editor Chris Haney and sports writer Scott Abbott for $15/- a set although it cost $75 to manufacture. Fortunately,
the enterpreneurs caught on to the concept of profits quickly. What concept?
446. AIDS was coined in 1982. Previously the
disease was called GRID. What does GRID stand for?
447. On the evening of 3 June 1997, the British
library held a low key exhibition of the works of Enoch Soames. Both Soames and his work are fictional. Why was the exhibition
held?
448. June 28, 1932. " India took a major step
in international cricket at Lords today. Completing their first ever test match. Despite losing to England, they made the
host team work hard, dismissing Sutcliffe, Holmes and Wolley for a mere 19 runs in the first morning thanks to the hostile
pace bowling of .(who?) However, they in turn succumbed to the pace of Bill Voce and the young Yorkshireman Bill Bowes.
449. In Pentagon jargon, what is collateral
damage?
450. What is the origin of the Spanish word
'Ole'?
451. In medievil times, followers of a certain
dynasty or family would often cry out " pale, pale" which means " balls, balls". Whose followers?
452. The launch of the Concorde on Dec 11, 1967
was almost delayed due to a difference of opinion between French and British sides on what issue?
453. In 1965, a change in women's fashion caused
tax authorities in Britain major headaches. Why?
454. French Oscars are a compliment. to Marcel
Pagnol who wrote " The Marseilnes Trilogy" of Marius (1931), Fanny (1935), Cesar (1936). How?
455. Ideal Toy corporation makers of Rubik's
cube started in 1902 with a stuffed toy based on a famous cartoon. Which toy?
456. In American space history, what was the
Kaputnik?
457. Why did Zeus blind the God of riches Plutus?
458. Whose slogan was "One rupee and One brick"?
459. In history who were referred to as The
Baker and The Baker's Wife?
460. In the early 70's, a British home official
expressing surprise at a certain person's action said " We always thought that he was a decent chap. After all he served in
the British Army for more than 15 years. Who did he refer to?
461. In Greek Mythology, Hercules while asleep
was attacked by two whole armies. He simply rolled them up in his lions skin. This legend forms the basis of which classic
work?
462. Why is Israel's nominee to the Eurovision
song contest in 1998, Dana International considered a controversial choice?
463. Which agency's motto is " Dumb's the word"?
464. The title role of a 90's Oscar winning
movie was played by over 40 cast members. Which movie?
465. Acc to experts, what should be a maximum
of 2 1/2 inches of water?
466. This company's slogan. " Today something
we do will touch your life" which was used for many decades took an ironical twist sometime in the early 80's. Which co?
467. When Microsoft bought the Q-DOS firm in
1981, it quickly changed the name to MS-DOS. Why?
468. Granada fell to the Spaniards in Jan 1492
after a 10 month siege. Before leaving for exile, the defeated king of Granada, Boabdil had one last look at his beloved capital
from the top of a hill and wept. What is the hill called?
469. What is Samsons crown?
470. In war, what is termed as the " Morality
of Attitude"?
471. While ordering Turks out of Britain in
1867, Prime Minister Gladstone used a phrase to pepper his threat. It is widely used now. Which one
472.. With which phrase did pilot Mitsuo Fuchida
who was leading the Japanese assault on Pearl Harbour, signal the beginning of the attack?
473. Noble European widows used to wear caps
to cover their hair & veils to cover their faces. Only a small point of hair was visible. What was it called?
474. In collage he was voted " most likely to
find a potato that resembles himself". He made $10 million investing in stock options for a company called Zymed and spent
it all on buying a Cray supercomputer. Who?
475. Name the term given to Pinkerton's agents
who were brought in 1892 to break a strike in a Carnegie Steel mill?
476. Coaches warned .." Kids imitate champions,
but if they imitate _______ he will wipe out an entire generation of _______ _______, because they will have broken necks."
Fill in the blanks
477. Why is the Shiv Linga at Kedarnath in amorphous
state?
478. Whose last words were " Be sure to sing
'Precious Lord ' tonight and sing it well"?
479. His book ' Resistence of the air &
aviation' is still used in skyscraper design and to study the aerodynamics of high frames. Who?
480. He is considered his country's first patriot
and the father of a certain branch of learning. His masters used him for over 30 diplomatic missions and he moved so fast
that his letters were adddressed to " wherever the devil he may be". In fact the British believed that the synonym for the
devil comes from his 1st name. Who?
481. An Italian Director visiting India (1956-57)
dumped his wife and eloped with Sonali Dasgupta, wife of a film maker. The eventual scandal was called "The scandal of three
continents" and the Indian govt was so upset that it cancelled his visa. Who are we referring to and who was the wife he dumped?
482. What is common to the words scary, posh,
ginger and baby and give another word that fits the bill.
483. This person was USA's first millionaire.
He died in the last hour of the last day of the last week of the last month of the last year of the 18th century. Who?
484. What is the last word in the New Testament?
485. Who was the last prisoner in the Tower
of London?
486. What is the present name of Bedloe's Island,
America?
487. This work was translated by Emperor Jehangir
as "Ishq-e-Firang" Which one?
489. What is the name of the Under-19 Cricket
Cup in the UK?
490. What did Joseph Gayette invent in 1857
to prevent piles?
491. Who succeeded Robert Atwell as PM of Great
Britain?
492. If George Cantor devised set theory, Venn
designed Venn diagrams, then who devised the symbols we use for union, intersection etc.
493. He was given the honour of being the Knight
of the Papal Order of the Golden Spur in 1789. His epitaph reads " Lived as a philosopher, Died as a Christian. Who?"
494. Recently a play was staged in Bangalore
with the title "Keats was a tuber" What did the playwright mean?
495. From July 3rd to August 11th, the ancients
believed, were the hottest days because Sirius added heat to the sun. What phrase has entered the > English language as
a result?
496. How do we better know Rajeshwar Prasad,
Squadron leader, IAF?
497. Whose childhood snow sledge was Rosebud?
498. Who was the Soviet foreign minister in
1939?
499. What was banned in 393 AD because it was
deemed a pagan ritual?
500. What is the collective noun for locusts?
501. This person is a graduate of the School
of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi and has a publishing house called India, Inc. Who?
502. Who first met whom as a result of a trap
laid containing a tuna sandwich?
503. Whom did the Scots call Red Robert?
504. In the world of music, where would you
find hills and dales?
505. Which politician's daughter was a finalist
at the Femina Miss India 1998?
