General Quiz Questions

Two variants of the typefaces Roman and Bizarre are named after the
 man who created them. Who?
Satyajit Ray

Businessman of the year by Business India ? Parvinder Singh of Ranbaxy

Who wrote an autobiography about her rise to the position of first lady called "I Hope"?
 Nancy Reagen

Who wrote the book "Living for cricket" ?
 Clive Lloyd

After a long hard night of partying in New York in 1894, a socialite
asked the maitre'd at the Waldorf hotel to give him a piece of
buttered toast with poached egg, bacon and hollandaise as a recipe
for hangover. The Maitre'd substituted English muffin for toast and
 ham for bacon. The resultant dish was named after the socialite. Who?
 Samuel benedict - The dish is Eggs benedict

What was Arjuna's arguement questioning the vaidity of Yudhishtira's
actions in the game of dice?
Having lost himself to the Kauravas he could no longer continue
 playing

What is common to Abraham Lincoln , Lord Mountbatten , Jawaharlal Nehru
and Giani Zail Singh ?
They are special types of hybrid roses grown only in the gardens of
the Indian Parliament

Which famous writer in 1898,published a famous open letter "J'Accuse",
calling for the abovenamed person's case to be reopened?
Emile Zola - Referring to the case of Alfred Dreyfus.

At 18 she felt pickles and curry powder were not her future and left
home to go to the School of Architechture and Planning where graduated
with honours. She did drawings for Rs.4 an hour to earn pocket money
and lived in a hut in Squatters Colony to save money and sold empty beer bottles and cakes on the beaches of Goa.

Who?
Arundhati Roy

When the Kauravas tried to kill Bhima, during his childhood, by
drowning,his Naga great great grandfather saved him.Who was he?
Aryaka

Who coined the famous anti-drug slogan "Say No to Drugs"?
Nancy Reagan

Who was the disciple of Vyasa who first narrated the Mahabharata to
King Parikshit?
Vaishampayana

John Lamb , brother of Charles Lamb , once knocked down this person
who was impertinent to him ; and on those who were present interfering
and begging the latter to shake hands and forgive Lamb. He said,
'Well, I don't care if I do. I am a metaphysician, and do not mind a
blow; nothing but an idea hurts me.' Whom are we talking about ?
William Hazlitt

What gets its name from a rough calico cloth made in a district in
Bombay in the 17th century?
Dungarees

The L'Auto newspaper is the only non-business newspaper to be printed
on colour. What tradition did this give rise to?
The winner of the "Tour De France" wears Yellow - They are the official
sponsors of this event since the begining

TA Edison claimed that he was the inventor of the 35mm film and claimed a patent for it.Unfortunately another

inventor took him to court and it was proved that the idea was stolen from this inventor.Who was he ?
George Eastman - Edison had cut 70mm film into 2 and made 35mm film

During WW1 a soldier was sleeping in his tent when he dreamt that it
was being bombed. He woke up and ran outside just then a bomb fell on
his tent and everyone inside perished. Who was this fortunate soldier?
Adolf Hitler

In the early years of the century a St.Bernard dog called Duke was
advertised as the worlds only vegetarian dog. Who was it's owner?
William Kellog - This was done to encourage vegetarianism and promote
his cornflakes

Nobert Pearl Roth could read 13 languages. He read 350,000 books in a
span of two years for a particular purpose. What?
For bringing out Ripley's Believe it or Not

"This day relenting God Hath placed within my hand A wondrous thing;
and God Be praised.At his command Seeking his secret deeds with tears
and toiling breath I find thy consuming seeds O million-murdering
death" Who on what ?
Ronald Ross on the female Anopheles mosquito

Who is the author of this celebrated credo of the Stream of
Consciousness fiction ? " Life is not a series of gig lamps
symmetrically arranged ; life is a luminous halo , a semi- transparent
envelope surrounding us from the beginning of consciousness to the end ."
Virginia Woolf

The patent for the first metal racket in Lawn Tennis was taken in
1963 by which former player?
Rene Lacoste

Asterix comics, what award is given to the Druid of the Year at The
Annual Druid's Conference in the Forest of the Carnutes?
Golden Menhir Award

He has published the short story "Escape to Hell". His collection of
 short stories "Village Village Land Land and the astronaut's suicide"
and his green book on Do-It-yourself government have also been
published. Who?
Colonel Ghadaffi

397 of them were put into 23 wooden cases and the value was declared
to be Rs.3.A shipping bill No.3162 dated Dec.5 1998 was filed by
Messrs. Razziq International Private Limited.They were confiscated on
Dec. 9th. What are we talking about?
Antique tiles shipped by Jemima Khan

Simonetta has been immortalised in the world of art as Botticelli's
Venus is modelled on her. Who was her brother ?
Amerigo Vespucci - The Florentine merchant after the continent America
 is named

This place in the USA had an earlier name which in the local language
 meant "What gay clothes you wear?". Today it has a name derived from
a monarch's. Which place?
Virginia - It's earlier name was "Windgancon". It was named after
Queen Elizabeth I, The Virgin Queen.

When once preaching Charles II , he observed that the monarch and his
attendants began to nod , and as nobles are common men when they are
asleep , some of them soon after snored ; on which he broke off his
sermon and called , " Lord Lauderdale , let me entreate you to rouse
yourself ; you snore so loud that you will wake the King !"
Robert South

Which cocktail mixed at Prof. Moriarty's restaurant at Saratoga
Springs has the following ingredients --light and dark rum, banana
liqour, lemon juice, pineapple juice and grenadine topped with 151 rum?
Baskervilles

In 1978 he was arrested for purse snatching. Sent to Tyron school for
Boys. In 1988, he married Robin Givens who divorced him after 10 months
saying he was a "manic depressive". He was accused of man-handling a
parking attendant outside a LA night club. Who is the guy?
Mike Tyson

When first introduced in England it was described as "a versatile
 medicine which purgeth superflous phlegm and other gross humours,
 and openeth all the pores and passages of the body"?
Tobbacco

Which U.S. General was nicknamed "Unconditional Surrender"?
Ulysses Grant

Graham Greene was once on a two year contract with MGM , and wrote
for them a story in 1944 which lay in their archives , unused and
forgotten . It was recovered in 1983 , revised by Greene and
published in 1985.. Which is the novel ?
The Tenth Man

Which book has the epigraph "Only Connect"?
 Howard's End

This word is derived from Italian for 'foundry' as the first of it's
kind founded in Venice in 1516 was next to a foundry
Ghetto

He was 40 years old before he looked on Geometry ; which happened
accidentally. Being in a gentleman's library , Euclid's elements lay
open and 'twas the 47th El libri I . He read the proposition . " By
God !" , said he , " this is impossible !" . So he read the
demonstration of it , which referred him back to such a proposition ,
 which he read . This referred him back to another proposition , which
he also read . At last , he was demonstratively convinced of that
truth . This made him in ove with Geometry .. I have heard him say
 that he was want to draw lines on his thigh and on he sheets , abed
and also multiply and divide .
Thomas Hobbes - The comic character Hobbes , of Calvin and Hobbes
 is named after Thomas Hobbes

During three months in an Army Hospital as a recuperating soldier in
 WW I he read classics but threw away most of them due to lack of
patience. This inspired him to do something innovative. Who and What?
Dewitt Wallace and Reader's Digest - Readers Digest initially
contained abridged versions of classics

In the fall of 1979,the school children of Islington Green officially
 went on a "study tour"? What did they do?
Went to the studio to sing the chorus of "Another Brick in the wall
 Part 2" by Pink floyd.

The son of King Cadmus went out hunting with his friends . He came
 upon a place where he saw Diana in her toilet . On seeing him ,
she said " Now , go and tell , if you can that you have seen Diana
unapparelled ." Immediately , a pair of stag's horn grew out of his
 head and his neck gained in length , his ears grew sharp and pointed
 . His hands became feet , his arms long legs , his body covered with
 hairy spotted hide . When his dogs spotted him they tore him apart
till he died , only then was Diana's anger satisfied . Who was this
man ?
Actaeon

The now famous Eton vs. Harrow cricket match took place for the first
time in 1805. Which literary figure was the member of the first Harrow
 team?
Lord Byron

What notion was diproved by US astronaut Alan Bean in 1969?
That the Great Wall of China was the only visible man-made object
from the moon

In The Book of Daniel a king is mentioned who made an image of gold
and procalimed that who ever did not worship it would be thrown into
a furnace. Who is the king?
Nebuchadnezzar

This person recently was the chief guest at a fundraiseer for a
 planned B 29 memorial plaza a the municipal airport in Great Bent,
 Kansas. In his speech, he said, "The bomb was the biggest thing in
the world to save lives." Now eighty he lives the life of recluse. Who?
Robert Oppenheimer

If 'Buster' belonged to the Five-Find-Outers, who was the dog in the Secret Seven Stories?
Scamper

Who disguised himself as an insurance agent to hoodwink the British during the Indian independence movement?
Subhash Chandra Bose

Who in the Bible symbolises lying?
Ananias

Which fictional character was described by his creator as "The normal boy"?
Tom Sawyer

The description of which country's flag is : "Green, white, red (vertical). In the center is the nation's coat of

arms, showing a brown eagle perched on a green prickly pear with a green snake entwined in its beak, all

surrounded by a wreath of oak and laurel (green leaves and red berries)?
 Mexico

Whom did King George III call "the most dangerous man in America"?
Benjamin Franklin

Delightful short stories about small towns and villages , the adolescent experience , and the hills with which the

author has been in love with all his life only inadequately express the distinction of the author. His "Room on

the Roof", written at age 17 won a prestigious British Literary award . Which is his other book ?
 The Night Train of Deoli and other stories

This place gets it's name from the Arabic word for 'dust'?
Africa - Arabic for 'dust' is 'afar'

Who said of Everest that he liked to climb it because it was there?
 Eric Shipton

What is the US name for the Zebucattle derived from the Indian breed BOSINDICUS and used for crossing with beef

breeds to produce a type able to stand the humid climate of the gulf states?
 Brahmin

In 1908, Sir Alexander decided to incorporate the portrait of his grandfather in the firms of advertising. Tom

Brown a commercial artist was commisioned to draw the portrait, as the person would have looked in 1820. What

resulted?
 Johnny Walker logo

Who is the only woman to have been mentioned in the cricket magazine Wisden?
 Martha Grace - W.G.Grace's mother - she appeared in the births and seaths column of Wisden

Minutes before his death, he had his will testified in which he said, "My ashes may be sunk in the holy Sindhu

river, when she will flow again freeely under the aegis of the flag of a unified Hindustan. It hardly matters if

it takes a couple of generations for realising my wish. Preserve the ashes till then." Who?
Nathuram Godse

What is common to Dennis Amiss, Desmond Haynes and Andy Flower?
The only three players to have scored a century on debut in one day internationals

He signed a contract for scripting films with Mohan Bhawnan's of Ajanta Cinetone . He didn't like the film

industry and decide to pack up after a year . Himamshu Rai who had just come back fromm London approached him with

a lucrative offer which was politely refused by him. Who?
Premchand

He considered her a pinnacle of female beauty and was smitten by her braveness . In 1987 he sent emissaries with a

proposal of marriage , when refused , he made the proposal public through the local newspapers . But still his

feelings were not reciprocated . Identify both people .
Veerappan and Phoolan Devi

" Burned by the common hangman " is a phrase used often proscribed books . Which was the first such recorded

burning in England ?
1554 , The Historie of Italie

This son of a trapeze artist failed to qualify for a bus conductor's job because he was too tall and in 1965 he

decided to join Standard Chartered bank because he wanted to travel abroad. Who?
John Major

This woman was the first woman member of the Statistical Society. She designed prefabricated bridges with Isambard

Kingdom Brunel. Also the subject of H.W.Longfellow's poem "Santa Philomena". Who?
Florence Nightingale

How was Draupadi married to the Pandavas?
In descending order of seniority on five consecutive days - They were married by their family priest Dhaumya

What according to its creator, passed through the enormous body of Mr.Mckenzie, the Lt.Governor of Bengal, passed

through two close apartments and got into another room to create great confusion there, throwing away an iron

ball, firing a pistol and blowing up a heap of gunpowder?
The first synthesised Electro-Magnetic wave - JC Bose's innovation, E-M wave synthesizer

Name the daghter of the apsara Menaka and the Gandharva Vishvavasu who died of snakebite but revived hen her

fiance Ruru gave up half his lifespan for her?
Pramadvara

' Any man's death diminishes me , because I am involved in mankind , and therefore never send to know for whom the

bell tolls , it tolls for thee .' Who is he author of this epigraph to Hemingway's famous novel For Whom The Bell

Tolls ?
John Donne

An English painter , he distinguished himself by his depiction of high and low social life of his times . Fielding

and Smollet were influenced by him , while Dickens acknowledged his debt to this painter for his depiction of low

life . Who is the painter ?
William Hogarth

G.B.Shaw edited this person's book during which he got so irritated that he wrote to the author "Confound you and

your book, you are no more fit to be trusted with a pen than a achild with a torpedo. You have no rules and you

sometimes throw colons around with an unhinged mind...." Who?
T.E.Lawrence - For the book "Seven Pillars of Wisdom", the author is better known as Lawrence of Arabia

David Ogilvy was firmly convinced that celebrity advertising was a big mistake. This was after he burnt his

fingers once by advising a client to pay a certain celebrity $35000 to endorse his product, which subsequently

never took off. Who was the celebrity?
Eleanor Roosevelt

"Her's is a bed case, Mine is verse. Her's is a bad case, Mine is worse" Who on whom?
Salman Rushdie on Pamela Bordes - Referring to the Fatwa against him

What did Fidel Castro claim to have learnt from Ernest Hemingway's book "For Whom the Bell Tolls"?
Guerilla Warfare

He was the famed Murphy baby of the 60's murphy radio ad. Dalai Lama idenified him as the reincarnation of

KagyrerLama. He spent 20 years of his life studying Buddhism and renounced it 6 years ago. Who did he marry?
Mandakini.

Bacchus told him , " Go to the river Pactolus , trace the stream to it's fountainhead , there plunge your head and

body in and wash away your fault and it's punishment ." . He did so and scarcely had he touched the waters before

the gold creating power passed into them , and the river sands changed into gold . Who wanted to be divested of

his power ?
Procris

The poet himself told us that he was of a grave cast and did not much excel in sallies of humours. One of his bon

mots , however has been preserved . He does not seem to have lived on very amicable terms with his wife , Lady

Elizabeth , whom ,if we may believe the lampoons of the time , he was compelled by one of her brothers to marry .

Thinking herself neglected by the bard , and that he spent too much time in the study , she one day exclaimed , "

Lord , how can you always be poring over those musty books ? I wish I were a book , and then I should have more of

your company ." "Pray , my dear , if you do become a book , let it be an almanac , for then I shall change you

every year ."
John Dryden

The Devil's Dictionary defines a bore as " a person who talks to you when you wish him to listen " and patience as

" a minor form of despair , disguised as a virtue " . Peace in international affairs is " a period of cheating

between two periods of fighting ." .Who wrote this dictionary ?
Ambrose Bierce

What were the conditions when Arjuna wanted to marry Chitravahana,laid down by her father?
Chitravahana and her son must stay in Manipura - Aruna was in excile when he first saw Chitravahana

From which King did Nala learn to play dice to enable him to defeat his brother and win back his kingdom?
Rituparna

He is supposed to have written the king James version of the Bible. He was 46 yrs old then . The proof of it

according to modern research is that his name is the 46th word of psalm 46 and also the 46th word from the end of

the end of the 46th psalm. Who?
William Shakespeare - The words are 'shake' and 'spear' respectively

From his earliest infancy he was remarkable for his great fondness for reading , so that when any of his family

went to distant markets or fairs , he constantly importuned them to bring presents of books ; which , if they

returned home later than his usual hour of rest ,were always taken upto to bed to him ; and sometimes when they

had been forgotten , his mother had no means of alluring him to sleep but by wrapping a piece of wood in paper

like a book , which he would then hug to his pillow till morning when he would discover his deception . Who ?
William Shenstone

What is being published here in Prosper Alpinas , a Latin book published in 1580 : “Altero Modo .... ipsam in

parva frustra dissectum et verucillis ferreis accuum modo infixam , super crates ferreas igne suppsito positam

tarrefacicent quam succo linonum asperum avide esitant."
The method of making kababs

Martin Pinzon, ship mate of Columbus and captain of "Pinta" introduced something to Europe that made him instantly

unpopular?
Syphillis

What gets its name from a rough calico cloth made in a district in Bombay in the 17th century?
Dungarees

He is considered China's greatest poet,he died when he was on a boat and tried to kiss the reflection of the moon

and drowned..name him?
Li-Po

Who worked as a copywriter in his initial days and is famous for the slogan he coined for Teddy Talcum powder?
Adolf Hitler

Which king used to leave abnormally large helmets lying around in enemy camps in the hope that the enemy would

think his army was made of giants?
Alexander the Great - !!!!!!!!!!

Who once shot a cigarrete from Kaiser Wilhelm's mouth?
Annie Oakley

He organised a ship full of political diplomats and journalists to Norway to try and avert WW I . The name of the

ship was Oskar II . The mission was obviously a failure . He tried to rope in Edison to join but the latter

refused . He even had a son named Edsel . Who ?
Henry Ford

R.F.Outcault's The Yellow Kid appeared in the New York World and was the first newspaper Comic strip. Name the

newspaper baron who commisioned it.
William Randolph Hearst

It is known as "Tramlines" in tennis, what is called in Badminton?
Alley

What exactly does the term "Moonlight Flitting" mean"?
To vacate a house at night in order to avoid rent

Which Indian newspaper claims on its masthead along with the price "One paise goes to charity for every issue

sold"?
The Afternoon Despatch and Courier

Don Juan , the proverbial heartless seducer , has been celebrated by poets , dramatists and musicians like Byron ,

Browning , Pushkin , Shaw and Mozart among others . Don Juan , however had a much injured wife . What is her name

?
Elvira

Budhi Kunderan was a unique cricketer. He made his test debut before his first class debut.He justified his

selection , however, by scoring a double century on his Ranji debut when he did make it. Apart from these he

enjoys a very peculiar achievement. What?
Only wicket keeper to open batting and bowling

Sindonology is the study of which extremely specialised field?
The Shroud of Turin

This person lectured at Oxford and Sorbonne and read upto 3 books a day for most of his adult life and wrote more

than 18 million words . He is credited with having coined phrases like " clean as a hound's tooth " , " the right

stuff " , and " the lunatic fringe " . Who are we talking about ?
Franklin Roosevelt

Which book was written in the second half of the 19th century, mostly in the library of the British musuem in

London, which practically served as the home of its exiled author?
Das Capital

Who when asked why he did what he is famous for said "To betray, you must first belong. I never belonged"?
Kim Philby - The double-agent for Britain and Russia

What was started by Subramanya Aiyer and the Triplicane Six with a rupee and six paise?
The Hindu

The head of the Indian operations of an American multinational cut a sucesful album with Sony and later and went

on to score the music of a Telegu film "Primante Idera"
Ramana Gogula of Sybase - The movie star Venkatesh and Preity Zinta

Among the earliest feminist literature was- A Vindication Of The Rights Of The Woman , whose author was called by

someone , " a hyena in petticoats " ?
Mary Wollstonecraft - Mary Shelley's mother

He was the instructor of Hercules in music but having one day reproved of his pupil rather harshly , he roused the

anger of Hercules , who struck him with his lyre and killed him . Identify him .
Linus

This book was rejected by two editors. The first died of heart attack within a month, the second hanged homself

from a tree wearing only a bra and panties. The third editor T.S. Eliot passed the book and went on to win the

Nobel prize.Which book?
'The White Goddess' by Robert Graves

Annapurna Tharkad enjoyed a unique teacher - student relationship with Tagore. What did she teach him ?
English ettiquette

During World War 2 it was thought to "do anything but talk" .After WW2 it became a progenitor of the sport utility

vehicles favoured by urbanites.Which company marketed these vehicles?
 Willy's

What was popularised by Scotsman John Reid and his Apple Tree Gang in 1888 in America ?
Golf

Before setting off to fight th suicide squad of the samsaptakasat Kurukshetr whom did Arjuna appoint as the

special protecor of Yudhishthira?
Satyajit

Athena Noctua is the scientific name for which animal?
Owl

What is common to the following books? Satanic Verses, Show Business, Starry Nights?
The leading characters are based on Amitabh Bachhan

Warner Communications and American Express paid the Manhatan design company $1000 to design what logo?
MTV

One of the names by which this European city was known has become a synonym for intrigue and manipulation. Name

the city as it known today.
Istanbul - The word is byzantine from the earlier name Byzantium

Which is the official advertising agency of the government of India?
DAVP - Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity

If the doors of perception were cleansed ,everything would appear to
 man as it is , infinite " . Who wrote this ?
William Blake - It was from this quote that Aldous Huxley got the
title for his ground breaking work , the doors of perception ... and
 from here Jim Morrison got the name for his band , the Doors

What is common to the following sportsmen-Ille Nastaste,Jimmy White,
Denis Compton ?
All have won National Title of India

What is Latin for "the good thing"?
Bonus

The Northstar Quiz today seems to be as synonymous with Derek O'Brien
 as the Bournvita Quiz Contest .Who was the first quizmaster of the
 All India Northstar Quiz competition?
Sadan Banerji

Which rishi cursed Pandu to a life without children?
Kindama

From who did Krishna finally recover the Shyamantaka gem?
Akrura

He scripted, directed and acted as Valmiki in the much acclaimed
 play by the same name. For some time he used the pseudonym Bhanu
 Sinha. Who are we talking about?
Rabindranath Tagore

He began his career in advertising and was the designer of the ads
for Teddy Talcum Powder. The adline went "10,000 steps, a pleasure
with Teddy Talcum Powder". Who?
Adolf Hitler

From his earliest infancy he was remarkable for his great fondness
for reading , so that when any of his family went to distant markets
or fairs , he constantly importuned them to bring presents of books ;
which , if they returned home later than his usual hour of rest ,were
 always taken upto to bed to him ; and sometimes when they had been
 forgotten , his mother had no means of alluring him to sleep but
 by wrapping a piece of wood in paper like a book , which he would
then hug to his pillow till morning when he would discover his
deception . Who ?
William Shenstone

Going into the 1983 World Cup who was the person in the team who was considered as the best Indian One Day

batsman?
 Sandeep Patil

Who was the only person who could empty the divine food vessel of Yudhishthira?
Draupadi

R.K. Narayan's "Swami and Friends" was called what initially?
Swami the Tate

James Douglas, Earl of Morton and husband of the Queen of Scots was convicted for murder of Lord Darnley but he

left behind a famous invention. What?
The Iron Maiden - The Iron Maiden was a coffin shaped box with an iron spiked door which would be closed on the

victin placed in the enclosure

In 17th century France , a group of students in a cafe would raise their glasses and cry " let us drink" and

proceed to sing songs. These songs generally consisted of ribald jokes at someone's expense. An English word

derived from the French for "let us drink" has come to denote ridicule. What word?
 Lampoon - From French Lampon

It was decided that if Capt.Hawkins defeated Emperor Jehangir in this bet, he would get rights to establish

trading posts in Surat and Ahmedabad. What?
Drinking contest

This person edited a magazine called ‘Sama Samayik’ which had a short life of two issues. The first consisted of

an article by ‘Akela’ - a pseudonym of the editor himself. He inspired Satyajit Ray’s love for western music. Name

him?
Nirad C. Chaudry

In Elizabethan times a man usually knotted a napkin around his neck. This was a struggle since he was wearing a

ruff. What phrase originated from this problem?
To make two ends meet

She was born in 1861, the same year as Motilal Nehru and Rabindranath Tagore. She separated from her husband

because he did not support her joining politics. A tireless crusader, she was on of the first Indian women

journalists and addressed the seventh Intenational Socialist Congress in Sttutgart. Who are we discussing?
Madam Bhikaji Cama

Guisseppi Garibaldi adopted the Red Shirt from South Africa where the butchers wore it. What inspired him to adopt

this?
To hide blood stains

In the Vedas there are references to "Pathagahapueka" or 'one without a loin cloth'. Who are what are the

references to?
Langurs

The life of Peter Kuerten, the killer inspired which thriller of the 1930's?
M - Fritz Lang was the director,starred Peter Lorre ,said to be his ticket to Hollywood

Which religious observance did the English parliament ban in 1647 on the insistence of the Puritans?
Christmas

The Secret diary of Adrian Mole , aged 13 and three fourths published in 1982 , took childrens literature by storm

. Who wrote it ?
Sue Townshend

At the nuptials of Peleus and Thetis , all Gods were invited except one . Enraged at her exclusion she threw a

golden apple among the guests with the inscription "For the fairest", causing a competition between Juno, Minerva

and Venus. Who was the goddess who was not invited?
Eris

A famous German author recceived the following letter from his publisher :"Dear Herr Doktor ,you are already 18

months behind time with the manuscript of ________ which you have agreed to write for us .If we do not receive the

mauscript within six months , we shall be obliged to commision another author to do the work . " . Which

manuscript could it be
Karl Marx : Das Kapital

Who made his acting debut in a Bollywood movie called Umang?
Subash Ghai - He had a bit role in that film ,his acting career didn't take-off..He then switched to

Hitchcockesque cameos.

What term was coined in the early 40’s by the Indian sociologist M.N.Srinivasan to describe the on going process

of certain classes giving themselves a higher ritual status by borrowing the customs, manners and taboos of

traditionally superior classes?
Sanskritisation

In feudal times peasants were not allowed to climb trees or cut branches for firewood by the landlords. They could

use only branches lying on the ground or those that they could pull down. How do we remember this practise?
By hook or by crook - Depending on the methods used by them to obtain wood

Nmae the art work Italian origin used in marblework of the Taj
pietra dura

From who did Krishna finally recover the Shyamantaka gem?
Akrura

Whose autobiography was titled "The name above the title"
Frank Capra

1.  Who taught Bhima and Duryodhana the use of the mace?  Balarama 
2.  Who was Prime Minister when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated?  Chandrasekhar 
3.  In which fictional work would you come across the lion, scarecrow and tin man?  The Wizard of Oz 
4.  Of what nationality is the author Salman Rushdie?  British 
5.  What is the principal ingredient of raita?  Dahi/ yoghurt 
6.  Find the odd one out: Pascal, Newton, Basic, Cobol and ALGOL?  Newton 
7.  Who lit Indira Gandhi's pyre?  Rajiv Gandhi 
8.  In computer jargon, what does GIGO mean?  Garbage In, Garbage Out 
9.  In what way are the films 'Alam Ara' and Jazz Singer' the first?  They were the first talkies in English and

Hindi 
10.  Which continent would you visit to see a Masai warrior?  Africa 

1.  In which of his adventures does Tintin learn the language of the Elephants?  Cigars of the Pharoah 
2.  Name the series of albums which are Lata Mangeshkar's tribute to the music greats  Shraddhanjali 
3.  In India, which seafood is considered 'Pink Gold'?  Shrimps (prawns) 
4.  Which comic character has a personal valet named Alfred?  Batman 
5.  Whose portrait appears on an Indian 500 Rupee currency note?  Mahatma Gandhi 
6.  How did Alice enter Wonderland?  Through a rabbit hole 
7.  Which vitamin is nicknamed 'the sunshine vitamin'?  Vitamin D 
8.  Which city is often referred to as India's 'Silicon Valley'?  Bangalore 
9.  After the break-up of the USSR, which is currently the world's largest country?  Russia 
10.  What takes 8 minutes to reach the Earth from the Sun?  Light 

1. Which Indian businessman is the grandson of the Father of Pakistan?
 
Nusli Wadia 
2. Which Indian born actress and author was instrumental in bringing together the team of Ismail Merchant and

James Ivory?
 
Madhur Jaffrey
3. When Charles Dickens visited America for the second time he was invited to a banquet. At the banquet he sat

next to a banker and his wife. Now the banker's wife addressed her husband with a particular term of endearment

which sent Dickens into rolls of laughter ,so much so that he went under the table laughing and only his two feet

could be seen shaking vigorously above the table. Can u guess what the word was?
 
Darling

4. In biblical history God made woman from the _______?
Spare rib of man

5. In the Mahabharata which character was given the name "DEVAVRATA" at birth?
Bheeshma

6. In Bollywood which famous screen personality was/is known as "Hari Bhai"?
Sanjeev Kumar

7. What is the literal meaning of the phrase "Papier Mache"?
Chewed Paper

8. Which dynamic Korean corporate legend founded "DAEWOO"?
Kim Woo Chung

9. Named after its founder in 1891, it started off as a company manufacturing light bulbs. Now it is one of the

biggest corporate entities in the world. Can you name this "ELECTRONICS BEHEMOTH"?
Philips

10. When Neil Armstrong took the proverbial "small step for a man" he was wearing this famous brand. Big bad Bill

Clinton swears by it and it is the Mercedes Benz of Mens' "underworld". Can you guess what we are talking about?
Jockey Underwear 

One of the leaders of the French romantic movement ,he wrote Le genie du Christianme.His political career was one

of many vicissitudes,culminating in his appointment as ambassador to Great Britian.what did he lend his name to?
 A steak - Vincomte Francois Rene De Chateaubriand lent his name to the Chateaubriand steak-a grilled steak cut

from the thick end of the fillet

To whom did an ear specialist by name Dr Harvey prescribe a diet to?
William Banting - An undertaker by profession he dieted to the extent of lending his name to a noncarbohydrate

diet.

He was the son of a Sicilian nobleman.As a child he was martyred by his nurse,Crescentia and his tutor,Modestus,at

the time of the persecution of the the Christians by the Roman Emperor Diocletian. What was his name?
St.Vitus - The nervous condition of St.Vitus ' dance is named after him

This man was outstandingly gifted both as a scholar and an athelete ,he travelled widely and was considered one of

the world's greatest philosophers.An excellent swordsman he was a master of twelve languages.He was killed in a

brawl in Mantua .who?
James Crichton - The Admirable Crichton-He was immortalized by Sir Thomas Urquhart and inspired the play by the

same name by Sir James Barrie.
A Scottish prodigy he became eponymous with a person who excels in various arts

He was a French physician and botanist who gave his name to the genus of flowering trees and shrubs.He was a

professor of Botany at Montpellier and a favourite of Linnaeus who made him immortal.who?
Pierre Magnol - The Magnolia is named after him

Which term did Baron Richard von Kraft-Ebing, a neurologist introduce to English?
Masochism - after the novels of Sacher-Masoch

Who was the French Minister of Finance for 8 months in !759.He introduced a set of reforms which angered the

nobility.
Etienne de Silhoutte - He had a collection of cutouts showing his profile in his chateau,which gave us the word

silhouette

During his second term he resorted to the device of rearranging the electoral boundaries in favour of his own

party.This was by no means a new practise nor was it illegal:but on this occasion it caught the observant eye of

the painter Gilbert Charles Stuart,who was amused to notice that the outline of the district Massachusetts

resembled a n amphibian.He pointed this novelty to newspaper and a new word ensured this person a place in the

dictionary. Who?
Elbridge Gerry - The word Gerrymandering came into being

Apollo was passionately fond of a youth . One day when they played a game of quoits together , Apollo heaving

aloft the discus , sent it high and far . The youth ran to seize it , when the quoit bounded from the earth and

killed him . Apollo was miserable and said " Thou shalt become a flower inscribed with my regrets ." . Who is the

youth ?
Hyacinthus

In the Gaulish village of Asterix comics, who is the milkman?
Bucolix

What was Kunti's original name?
Pruta

In the Japanese animated version of the Ramayana being dubbed into Hindi who does Ravana's voice over?
Amrish Puri

It was 92.5% till 1919, 50 till 1946 and 0 hence after, What?
Percentage of silver in British coins

Mary, Queen of Scots used to eat only a particular dish of Oranges when she was ill. By what name is it known to

us today?
Marmalade - It was initially known as Mary's malady and then evolved to marmalade

Which is the only country not to have fire brigades ?
Bolivia - Bolivia is so high that the air there is very thin and the amount of oxygen is not enough for supporting

combustion .

According to legend , a maiden was sent in good faith by Jupiter to bless man ; that she was furnished with a box

containing her marriage presents , into which every god had put some blessing . She opened the box incautiously

and the blessings all escaped , except hope . Who is the maiden
Pandora

What was the name of the ship aboard which Edinburgh medical faculty Sir Charles Wyville Johnson sailed to collect

zoological specimen?
HMS CHALLENGER

Richmond Town is an area in the Staten Island part of New York City. The first white settlement in modern day

Richmond Town dates back to 1690. In 1939, the Staten island Historical society began a project called the

Richmondtown Restoration. It included restoration of old buildings from 1600s to 1800s. Why is this project so

special?
Here is where people still live as they did in the 1700s.

Why do Mercedes Benz have the three pointed star as their logo?
They manufacture vehicles that move on air, water and land

Which region greatly popularised in Indian fiction by an Anglo Indian gets its name from one of the avatars of

Vishnu?
 Kumoan - Kumoan from the Kurmanchal avatar
The Jim Corbett stories

Who won the Defence Department Public Service award , which is the top civilian medal that can be awarded by the

military at a ceremony in the Pentagon
Steven Spielberg

"Some day they will go down together, And they will bury them side by side. To a few it means grief, To the law

its relief, But it's death to _______ and ________" Fill in the blanks
Bonnie and Clyde - This verse was incidentally written by Bonnie Parker

What would you get out of a flapjack?
Face-powder - It's a VanityCase

A century ago, doctors removed the uvula as a cure for which common problem?
Cold

"Duae tabulae rasae inquibus mihil scriptun est" meaning . Two blank tablets on which nothing is written. This was

the motto created by Al Kilgore for what?
Sons of the desert. - They are the officiasl fan club for Laurel and Hardy

In 1797 , John Hutherington exhibited his invention on the streets of London. Women fainted , dogs barked and

crowds gathered. What did he invent?
 Top hat

Asterix in Belgium opens with a take-off on a painting called "The Peasant Wedding". Who is the original painter?
Peter Bruguel The Elder

Who before slitting his own throat uttered "Oh! What a fine artist this world is losing?" ?
Emperor Nero

The first wholly Indian made commercial was for Dalda Vanaspati made in 1952. Who sang the ad jingle?
Talat Mehmood

What was the secret code adopted by Nakula in case of emergency?
Jayatsena - This was in the court of Virata

The British Grand Prix is held at Silverstone every year. Donington Park has seen F1 races in the past. For which

track is Nicola Foulston challenging Silverstone's right to hold the British Grand Prix in the future ?
Brands Hatch

This company has an out and out racing pedigree. This company's team was the first to introduce "ground effects"

to F1. Every body followed thereafter. The Caterham Super Seven and the Indian Kari 65 sports cars are both

derived from this company's first offering in 1957.
 Lotus

Alain Prost was a World Champion driver. His nickname is "The Professor" He is still involved in F1 with his own

team. Which team did he take over and to form the "Prost" team ?
Ligier

He joked that he was going to have 4 wives- one to shine his shoes , one to feed him grapes , one to rub oil on

his muscles and one named peaches .. Who is this essential male chauvinist ?
Muhammad Ali

Whose autobiography was entitled "Steps in Time"?
Fred Astaire

The Japanese "Suroban" is divided into two parts - the upper region (Heaven)and the lower region (Hell). What is

the Suroban?
The abacus

In greek mythology a work called Theogony ranks among the most important , describing the origin of the Gods and

their history. According to this work the universe grew out of emptiness, from which Gaea arose and propagated the

gods. What was the name given to the state of emptiness from which everything arose?
Chaos

Which king, with the help of rishi Durvasa, conducted a monumental yagya to make Agni lose his brilliance, which

he could regain only after burning the Khandwa forest later (with the help of Krishna and Arjuna)?
Shwetaki.
The questions you got wrong:

What started originally as "Bull Tales" and was later renamed after it's principal character?
Doonesbury

A jolly , honest , plain dealing , hot tempered farmer . Today he is pictured as wearing a 'tile hat' and a

swallow tailed coat. His trousers are tucked into his riding boots and the British Flag sometimes appears on his

waistcoat . Who is this man ?
John Bull

Fagin was a well known character from Oliver Twist.He was an old Jew who made his money by training a host of 12-

13 year olds to pick pockets and cashing in on the booty. Dilip Singh once described Queen Victoria as Lady Fagin.

Why?
For having taken the Kohinoor - He believed that the Kohinoor belonged to him

What did Hercule Poirot wish to do after retirement?
Grow vegetable marrows

He was a youth of Abydos . On the opposite shore lived a maiden , a priestess of Venus . He loved her and used to

swim the strait every night to be with her , guided by a torch which she reared upon the temple for the purpose .

One night a tempest arose and the sea was rough , his strength failed and he was drowned . The waves bore his body

to the shore . When his beloved saw this , in despair , she cast herself down from the tower into the sea and

perished . Who was the pair ?
Cupid and Psyche

What is the modern term for a miscellaneous collection of formulae and incantations found inscribed on the Papyri,

which the ancient Egyptians buried along with their dead?
  Book of the Dead

What do Pandemonium Scareways, Try Walking Airways, Queer and Nice Types of Stewards, Can''t Promise Anything,

Sweet and Sexy have in common?
  Airline nicknames in the USA

How do we refer to an overlay of background noise,intended to have no specific character of it''s own, but to

drown out a selection of otherwise irritating sounds?
 
 Acoustic Perfume

What comes from the Greek word meaning "tear the flesh"?
 
 Sarcasm

Once, anxious to get rid of a few kittens, she put them on a shovel, carried them to the cellar, and dropped them

into the nearest jar, later discovered to be the pickle jar. Yet, she was in the habit of lowering from her

window, by a string, small fruit baskets for children. Who?
 
 Emily Dickinson

What is a nuclear weapon that fails to explode on target called?
 
 Absolute Dud

What style in architecture is named after the French word derived from the Portugese name for an irregularly

shaped pearl?
 
 Baroque

The Arabic words, " ilm al - jebr wa''l - muq - abalah" literally mean, " reuniting what is broken", and were

originally applied to bone-setting, even as late as the 17th century. The Italians took them and formed something.

What?
 
 Algebra

Which is the official advertising agency of the government of India?
 
 DAVP

Who bought the science of Archaeology to the public eye in the 19th century by announcing the much publicised

discovery of the ruins of Troy. (He had actually unearthed a much earlier city)?
 
 Heinrich Schielmann

I want to have the keys of my house so that I can open closed doors. What is the next famous line?
 
 Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it.

The Newgate Calendar, published in many editions, but the first such in 1773, recorded notorious crimes from 1700

up to date. Can you identify from the following list a novel which was indebted to it?
 
 Dickens's Oliver Twist

John Lamb , brother of Charles Lamb , once knocked down this person who was impertinent to him ; and to those who

were present, interfering and begging the latter to shake hands and forgive Lamb, he said, 'Well, I don't care if

I do. I am a metaphysician, and do not mind a blow; nothing but an idea hurts me.' Whom are we talking about ?
 
 William Hazlitt

This shock rocker's father was a priest. He had his pet boa constrictor bitten and killed by a rat. He came out

with his first album Pretties For You, followed by a total of 22 albums including Brutal Planet which is to come

out in March '00. And I heard that one of his albums was sold with an article of ladies' underwear and needless to

say there was a boom in sales.
 
 Alice Cooper

Which is the most common tune to which national anthems are sung?
 
 'The Marseillaise'

Who was the princess of Kosala whom Krishna won as a bride after taming seven bulls as stipulated by his father?
 
 Satya

In the James Bond series which villian is portrayed as being very deaf?
 
 Goldfinger

Her real name was Shirley Schrift. The secretary in the office of the Group Theatre in New York helped her coin

her screen name (first name = her favorite poet, last name = her Mother's maiden name). She once enrolled for

swimming classes to become a lifesaver and was coached by Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan himself. Who? She won Oscars

for The Diary of Anne Frank ('59) and A Patch of Blue ('65).
 
 Shelley Winters

This person lectured at Oxford and Sorbonne and read upto 3 books a day for most of his adult life and wrote more

than 18 million words . He is credited with having coined phrases like clean as a hound's tooth , the right stuff

, and the lunatic fringe . Who are we talking about ?
 
 Franklin Roosevelt

Expand RDX (used to describe explosives).
 
 Research Department Explosives

The Abhiras, a race described in the Mahabharat as Dasyus and Mlechhas were very uncouth.They were Nomadic and

when they camped at one particular place and caused a lot of abhorrence, something resulted. What?
 
 The Saraswati started flowing

Who disguised himself as an insurance agent to hoodwink the British during the Indian independence movement?
 
 Subhash Chandra Bose

During the sepoy mutiny, what was a Cawnpore Meal ?
 
 Beef or Pork

Which Tennis player was described as 'having the body of an animal and a name like a skin disease'?
 
 Vitas Gerulaites

Created by Jim Davis. Owned by Jon Arbuckle. His unlucky day is Monday the 13th. His designer scratching post is

Gucci made. Who?
 
 Garfield

Whose advice was, 'Gather ye rosebuds while ye may'?
 
 Robert Herrick

A Gun Company suffered huge losses after the Civil War.A person called Scholes revived it.How?
 
 Conceived the idea of a typewriter

Who owned Pushpak-the flying chariot before Ravana stole it from him?
 
 Kubera

One of the first donations of Rockefeller was made to an Indian. Who?
 
 Swami Vivekanada

An Indian doctor and his accomplice were arrested for protest. Ahmed Khalnada, the doctor, died in detention. Name

his accomplice.
 
 Nelson Mandela.

He was one, and Vladimir the other of Samuel Beckett's two attendant tramps in his seminal play.
 
 Estragon

This movie of the early eighties had its basic themes in Englishness and Christianity and takes its name from a

William Blake poem. Just complete this poem. Bring me my bow of burning gold, bring me my arrows of desire Bring

me my spear , oh, clouds untold Bring me my ------- ---- ------
 
 Chariots of Fear

Voltaire's major work was The Age of Louis XIV. However, he wrote two philosophical tales, one of which was

Candide. Which is the other?
 
 Zadig

Which were the dates dropped by Pope Gregory in 1582 to correct the Julian calendar?
 
 5th to 14th October

A certain tribe in Africa is named Wabenzis. Who are they?
 
They own Benz cars.

Autobiographies of people who think their lives may have some lessons for others abound in literature . Who wrote

: Only when one has lost all curiosity about the future has one reached the stage to write an autobiography ?
 
 Evelyn Waugh

On a trip from Folly Bridge to Gostow , three of them were given the nickname of Prima, Secunda and Tertia. They

also parodied as a Duck, a lorry, a dodo and an Eagle . Who was their companion on the boat trip ?
 
 Charles Lutwidge Dodgson

Who in the Bible symbolises wisdom?
 
 Solomon

What are Deschutes, Katmai, Klamath, McInley?
 
 Codenames of Intel micoprocessors

He was the toreador of Carmen's affection in Bizet's opera.
 
 Escamillo

Which editor left the front page of his newspaper blank on 16th August 1947 to protest against the Partition of

India?
 
 Nathuram Godse

On a visit to London he forgot his briefcase containing a work of his and the translation in an underground

railway carriage. He contacted the railway authorities and recovered it the next day. The work went on to win the

Nobel Prize. Who was the author?
 
 Rabindranath Tagore

Which athlete suffered third degree burns in a fire accident and consequently lost her child due to premature

pregnancy , came back to win the gold medal in the World Championship?
 
 Ann Quirot

Madeleine Carroll and Deborah Kerr portrayed her in 1937 and 1952 film versions of The Prisoner of Zenda.
 
 Princess Flavia

What started originally as Bull Tales and was later renamed after it's principal character?
 
 Doonesbury

He scripted , directed and acted as Valmiki in the much acclaimed play of the same name.For sometime he used the

pseudonym Bhanu Sinha.Who?
 
 Tagore

About which music group did the legendary Phil Spector remark The only difference between a pornographic movie and

them is that the pornographic movie has better music?
 
 Spice Girls

Who was the Secretary of War during the regime of Herbert Hoover, the US President?
 
 Dwight Davis

Which product gets it's name from the Hindi for eating a lime?
 
 Limca

A medical practitioner, his dilemma gives the title of a play by Bernard Shaw.
 
 Dr. Blenkinsop

Elephants pulling apart a ball is the logo used by Fevicol. Which company's logo shows horses pulling apart jeans?
 
 Levi

What is the name of the Inca sun God?
 
 Kon-Tiki

The description of which country's flag is : Green, white, red (vertical). In the center is the nation's coat of

arms, showing a brown eagle perched on a green prickly pear with a green snake entwined in its beak, all

surrounded by a wreath of oak and laurel (green leaves and red berries)?
 
 Mexico

What was the other name for Kurukshetra?
 
 Vatsabhumi

Adolf Hitler wrote Mein Kampf which translates to 'My Struggle'. Who wrote a book entitled Our Struggle many years

later?
 
 Saddam Hussein

It is beyond the power of the tongue to describe it and is ruled by Abraham . Each inhabitant is bigger than the

whole earth , and has 70000 months each month , 70000 tongues , and each tongue speaks 70000 languages , all

forever employed in chanting the praises of the Almighty. What?
 
 The 7th heaven

He has been portrayed by Henry Fonda on film and Anthony Hopkins on television. He loves Natasha Rostova.
 
 Pierre Bezukhov

Who co-founded a magazine called L'Espirit Nouveau with painter Amedee Osenfant and propagated purism. Among the

books he wrote were The Radiant City, The House of Men and When Cathedrals Were White?
 
 Le Corbusier

Which is the most tattooed product in the world?
 
 Harley Davidson bikes

G.B.Shaw edited this person's book during which he got so irritated that he wrote to the author Confound you and

your book, you are no more fit to be trusted with a pen than a achild with a torpedo. You have no rules and you

sometimes throw colons around with an unhinged mind.... Who?
 
 T.E.Lawrence

Marty Gilkmann and Sam Stadler were replaced by Jesse Owens and Ralph Metcalfe minutes before the 4x100 metres

relay. Why?
 
 They were Jews

What is the significance of the date 11 Pausa, saka samvat 1921 in the Hindu calendar?
 
 1st Jan,2000

Which king, with the help of rishi Durvasa, conducted a monumental yagya to make Agni lose his brilliance, which

he could regain only after burning the Khandwa forest later (with the help of Krishna and Arjuna)?
 
 Shwetaki.

Whose last words were, I shall hear in heaven?
 
 Beethoven

Who is this person? B.Tech.,Chemical Engineering ,Osmania University; MBA- IIM Ahmedabad; Member of the Rohinton

Baria award winning Osmania Univ. team; Biographer for Mohammed Azharuddin; Worked for sometime at the Clarion ad

agency; researcher for Sunil Gavaskar presents on Doordarshan.Now a scribe in his own right?
 
 Harsha Bhogle

The first Indian made commercial was for Dalda's Vanaspathy, made in 1952. Who sang the jingle?
 
 Talat Mehmood

In which novel does one of Anthony Burgess's characters say Bath twice a day to be really clean , once a day to be

passably clean , once a week to avoid being a public menace ?
 
 Inside Mr.Enderby

This euphemism was established during WW2. It has its origins in French for Mind the water dating from the days

when utensils were emptied into the streets.
 
 Loo

Who designed the house in Varnavata in which the Kauravas unsuccessfully tried to burn alive the Pandavas?
 
 Purochana

Who is known as the Father of the American Constitution?
 
 James Madison

One of the famous poems describing the Trojan War was Homer's Iliad . The word Iliad comes from the Greek Ilium .

What does Ilium mean ?
 
 Troy