1. We can date the Mahabharata rather accurately. How come? (accurate fundae please) The solar eclipse caused by Krishna to help Arjuna kill Jayadratha during the War. The funda being that it's accurately placed in the day (few minutes before sunset...) , was a total solar eclipse and occured over an area fairly well accepted as the site of the war. But, here's something interesting from Rajashri Gupta >During the Mahabharat - there are TWO solar eclipses within a very short >period. I think one has to do with Draupadi requiring two sunrises/sunsets >for some vrata and Krishna granting it to her. The other more famous one I have no idea about this and I believed that there was only one eclipse. If there's Anyone who can shed any light on this, please (ONLY) mail me and I will collect all the replies and post to Quiznet. Plus, any idea about the exact date? 2. Mini episodes of the Indian Epics are epics by themselves. Name the one in the Ramayana dealing with Hanuman's leap across to Lanka? Sundarakanda. Deals with the whole story from the jump across, to setting the place on fire and back... 3. Lord of the Rings finally. Gandalf Mithrandir also had a ring. Name his ring? (additional pts for the names of all the Elven ring bearers) Gandalf's ring was Narya the Great, the Ring of Fire. The original ring-bearers were Galadriel, Gil-galad and Cirdan the Shipwright. Gil-galad gave his ring (Vilya) to Elrond an the slopes of Orodruin, while Cirdan gave Narya to Gandalf when the latter first arrived an the shores of Middle Earth. Galadriel's ring was Nenya. Most complete and perfect answer from Abraham Thomas! Just an additional point. A crib (via Sankalpa B) was that the use of Gandalf Mithrandir is incorrect. I stand corrected. The wizard in question was known as "Gandalf the Greybeard" by Men in the North or Mithrandir by the Elves which in Eldar tongue was "The Grey Pilgrim". 4. Frodo Baggins get's to go to the Havens not just because he was a Ring bearer but due to a gift from whom? Arwen Undomiel, wife of Aragorn, daughter of Elrond. She chooses the Boon (or Doom) of Men, dies with Aragorn and gives her place to Bilbo. 5. This knight of the Riddermark is credited with killing(not just stabbing!) the Lord of the Nazgul. Who? I was looking for Dernhelm, not just Eowyn or daughter of Theoden. 6. John Clayton, aka Lord Greystoke made his fortune in his encounter with pirates in Africa. This epic was later converted into a comic series and serialized in most papers. Who? (sitter) Ha! The pirates red herring worked - it's not Phantom, but Tarzan, lord of the Apes. 7. Born in 1632, in York originally of Bremen his surname actually is Kreutznaer. He made his name in the annals of human survival and ingenuity. His famous story really begins with a perilous journey to Guinea in Africa. Who? (2 many clues?) Robinson Crusoe. The German = English conversion is workable. 8. This series is a naturalist's delight with tales from Corfu, Cameroons, Guiana, ... . Author was born in India in 1925. Who? (sitter - 2) Gerald Durrell, born in Jamshedpur in 1925. 9. This cool series (still in production...) has among other things, Blaine the Monorail as a loco computer. Whatzit? Bad pun ;-), this is the Dark Tower series from Stephen King, with Blaine being a crazy computer that actually is a train as well. 10. Born in 1982, obtained her degree in cybernetics from Columbia in 2003 and her Ph.D in 2008. Died at the age of 82 as the unquestioned supremo in her field. The series revolves around her. Who? Dr. Susan Calvin, from "I Robot" by Issac Asimov. 11. What is "God's Final Message to His Creation"? (additional pts for the "least interesting sight in the entire Universe") "WE APOLOGISE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE". The least interesting sight in the entire Universe is the night sky over Krikkit. There's another complete funda behind that, it'll wait for another Quiz! 12. Project Spaceguard (which has only recently been formally setup worldwide) leads to an epic series. Name the series and the funda behind the name of the series. "Rama" series by Arthur C Clarke. The logic is that all the names of the Greek and Roman panthean were exhausted and the 33 thousand Indian gods (blah blah) were pressed into service. Also note the book "Hammer of God", where Kali figures as an object from space. 13. This quote was in the initial manuscript at the start of the book. "The noble soul has reverence for itself" - Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil. Removed from the final published book, introduced back into the book 25 years after the book was first published. Which one? (very workable) I wonder if this was a bit of a bouncer. This is from Ayn Rand's "Fountainhead". I thought that the quote would give it away with the 25 year trivia. Most of the modern editions have a major preface where the author explains the whole funda among other things. 1. This all-time great bowler commented to his team mates during the 10-minute break between the 3rd and 4th innings, "This thing can be done." And it was done. The rest is history. The great bowler in question himself played a vital and stellar role in getting it done. Identify the bowler and the Test.If you have one part of the question, chances are that you'll have the second part as well. At the Oval, 1882. England, with WG in the team, required only 85 runs to win the match. Freddie Spofforth of Australia made his famous statement, and proceeded to take 7/46, to dismiss England for 77, Australia recording a sensational victory by 7 runs! Spofforth had match bowling figures of 14/90. The famous "Ashes" obituary appeared in the Sporting Times thereafter, and the rest, as they say, is history. 2. With reference to Indian cricket, what was the Beaumont Committee set up to investigate? The expulsion of Lala Amarnath from the touring Indian team to England in 1936. Amarnath was exonerated of all charges. 3. In what capacity did Gary Sobers make his Test debut in the 5th Test of the 1953-54 series between West Indies and England? As an orthodox specialist left arm spinner, replacing Alf Valentine.(The key point was that Sobers was selected as a specialist spinner, not as an all rounder, neither as a batsman, nor, for that matter as a opening/medium or fast medium pace bowler). I've given full credit to all those who have answered "spin bowler", orthodox or chinaman. 4. In which Test did as many as 3 Sikhs/Surds play for India? (India lost the Test, but that's another story!) Sorry, there was a glitch in the question, which nobody detected! There have been 2 instances (not 1!), of 3 surds representing India in a Test match. They are: - At Ahmedabad, against the West Indies, 19983/84-the Surds being Sidhu, Balwinder Singh Sandhu and Maninder Singh (many people answered this) - At Bangalore, against Australia, 1997/98--the Surds being Sidhu, Harbhajan and Harbinder (a "cut"/mona Surd). Surprisingly, only Gaurav Savris tried the 2nd alternative, which, I would think, was the easier option, being much more recent. India lost both the Tests, so perhaps it was a bit difficult to detect the flaw in the question. 5. Yet another "secular" question. During the 2nd to 4th Tests of the 1967-68 series between India and Australia, as many as 6 members of minority communities (Muslims, Christians, Parsees and, of course, Surds), played for India. Name them. (1 point for identifying 4, 0.5 point for each additional cricketer). Pataudi (Jr) and Abid Ali (Muslims), Farokh Engineer and Rusi Surti (Parsees), Chandu Borde (Christian), and last but certainly not least, Bedi (Surd) Many people attempted Salim Durrani, but Durrani was not even a member of the touring team. Even more surprisingly, many people missed Pataudi (Jr), who was captain of the Indian team. Pataudi did not play in the 1st Test becuse of injury, hence I specifically said, the 2nd to 4th Tests. 6. Which great batsman said, referring to the batting of an illustrious team mate, " Come and see it. You won't see the like of it again"? (The 2 cricketers and the Test please) Don Bradman about Stan McCabe at Nottingham, aginst England, in the 1st Test of the 1938 series. McCabe scored an epic 232 to take Australia out of the woods-an innings which will surely appear high up in any list of the 10 greatest Test innings of all time. 7. India's tied Test against Australia at Madras in 1986-87 is old hat, but can you tell me, in which Test did India figure in a 1st innings tie for the first time? India eventually lost the match by a big margin. Against the West Indies at Kanpur, in the 2nd Test of the 1958/59 series, both teams scoring 222 (a double Nelson!) in the 1st innings. West Indies went on to win the Test by 203 runs, Sobers scoring 198 in the 2nd innings, and Hall taking 11 wickets in the match. 8.Azhar was initially dropped from India's team for the 1st Test of the 1989-90 series against Pakistan due to poor form, but thanks to his incredible luck, the batsman who was selected to replace him dropped out at the last moment because of an injury, and Azhar got back his place in the India's team. Who was the unfortunate batsman? Raman Lamba. Just to make sure that Raman would not be reconsidered for another Test as replacement for himself, Azher scored a century in that Test! 9. The South African team which annihilated Australia 4-0 in 1969/70 included as many as 4 pace/medium pace bowlers in its team in the first 3 of the 4 Tests, without any changes. Who were these bowlers? (0.5 point for each correct name) Peter Pollock, Mike Proctor, Eddie Barlow and Trevor Goddard. Goddard was dropped from the 4th and final Test, when he announced after the 3rd Test that he would not be available for the forthcoming tour to England in 1970, and was replaced by Trimbone. (Tk you, B Sriram, for the last bit of info!) 10. This bowler's match bowling analysis of 12 for 99 helped his team to record their first- ever Test victory against England, in what was their 1st tour of England. Identify the bowler and the Test. Fazal Mahmood, at the Oval, in 1954 11. Who is the only Nobel Laureate to date to have played 1st class cricket? Samuel Beckett 12. Mike Brearley, the former English captain, collects something very unusual. What is it? Dreams! Brearley writes down whatever he remembers about his dreams upon waking up, and tries to analyse them later. 13. Whom did Bradman describe as the fastest bowler that he had seen in action in Test cricket in his lifetime? Frank Tyson Remember the 1954/55 Anglo Australian Test series? 14. A question on nicknames. Identify the following cricketers: A. The Governor General B. The Little Dog C The Wanderer D. Whispering Death E. The Croucher (The above cricketers represent the 5 cricket playing regions of South Asia, Southern Africa, UK, Oceania and the Caribbean, but not necessarily in that order.) Scoring-1 point for each correct answer A. Charlie Macartney B Graeme Pollock (his elder brother, Peter Pollock, was the Big Dog)- Arun Kumar and Ravikant Avva were the only ones to get this-even B Sriram missed it! C.Vijay Manjrekar- Manjrekar was one of the very few professional cricketers in India during the fifties and sixties, and would frequently shift his State allegiance, depending upon the terms. Probably the cricketing equivalent of a corporate job hopper.Nobody got this one. D. Michael Holding-most people got this one. E. Gilbert Jessop, the great all rounder of the 1st decade of the 20th century 15. In the Manchester Test of 1956, in which Laker took 19 wickets against Australia, which Australian batsman, by getting out to Tony Locke in the 1st innings, prevented Laker from possibly establishing an absolutely unbeatable record? Jim Burke 16. Which was the first time that India took a 1st innings lead against the West Indies in a Test match? At Kingston, Jamaica, in the 1st Test of the 1970/71 series. I have given 2 points to anyone who has identified the series correctly. 17. The former coloured English cricketer, Basil D'Oliviera, was not initially selected for the touring English team to South Africa in 1968/69, which led to a public uproar. Later, when a medium pace bowler, who was part of the team, dropped out because of injury, D'Oliviera was quickly included in the English squad, which then led to an equally massive uproar in South Africa, which ultimately resulted in the cancellation of the tour. Who was this English medium pacer who unwittingly started the controversy? Tom Cartwright 18. Which English team is generally regarded as being the strongest team to have ever played for England in Test history? The team played together in only 1 Test. If you are a cricket buff, you can try naming the full team, but that's a non-credit question. The team which played for England at Birmingham, in the 1st Test of the 1902 series against Australia. The team was: AC Maclaren (captain), CB Fry, JT Tyldesley, Ranji, FS Jackson, L Braund, Geoff Hurst, Gilbert Jessop, AA Lilley (wicketkeeper), Lockwood and Wilfred Rhodes (who would later open the innings for England with Hobbs). For the record, SF Barnes, arguably the greatest bowler of all time, was available but not selected! This just goes to demonstrate the depth of talent which England had in the golden age of cricket. Just to understand its significance, it's like saying that an Australian team of the thirties minus Bradman is the strongest team that Australia has ever fielded! B Sriram got 9 members of this team right. 19. Imran Khan is related to 2 former eminent Pakistani cricketers. One of them is Majid Khan. Who is the other? Javed Burki 20.3 cricketers scored more than 500 runs in Sunil Gavaskar's maiden Test series, against the West Indies in 1970-71. One of them was Gavaskar himself. Who were the other two? This was another glitch ridden question which nobody detected! Actually, 3 batsmen besides Gavaskar scored 500 or more runs during that series. They were Dilip Sardesai (642), Gary Sobers (597) and Colin Davis (529). SS Vishwanathan was the only respondent who got Colin Davis, but he too missed Gary Sobers. 1. Easy one to start with: Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera had cameo roles in this 1994 John Goodman film. Just name it. A: The Flintstones. Hanna & Barbera are the creators of Flintstones! 2. Long, but interesting: Well known for his outrageous personality, said he could receive messages from outer space thru the tips of his bicycle-bar shaped mustache. He wore wore bizzare clothing to attract attention and once gave a lecture in a diving suit with the helmet decorated with the radiator cap of an automobile. Obviously famous for something else.. who're we talking about? A: Salvador Dali. Best known for his Surrealistic painting -- Persistence of Memory (1931). 3. Geography: A species of mammal is named for this appropriate site of Russia's first American settlement. Name the place. A: Kodiak Island. After, the Kodiak bear of course. 4. Simple -- Hamburg:Burgers :: Frankfurt: ? A: Hotdogs or, Frankfurters (most of you got this one) 5. Know your history: Name the young Shoshoni guide, a native American woman whose presence was essential to the success of the Lewis and Clark expedition in early 19th century. A: Sacagawea.. NOT Pocahontas as most of you answered! Her contribution was substantial in helping the white man discover the Northwestern US (now, California). 6. Disney World: Apart from being the animation in which Mickey Mouse debuted, which other first did "Steamboat Willie" mark? A: First ever with Synchronized Sound. 7. What's common to: Lesotho, Swaziland, Morrocco (apart from belonging to the African continent !) A: Only existing African Kingdoms/Monarchies. 8. For oenophiles: You know what it's like when a geographical area is declared "Dry", but what's it when a place is declared "Damp"? A: A "damp" area allows the sale of Wine and Beer, but not liquor ! Surprisingly, all of you missed the clue in "oenophiles" ;-) 9. Landmark Giveaway: 10, 417 flags were hoisted on atop the US Capitol on this day. When? A: July 4th, 1976 (to mark the Bi-centennial Independence of course). Does anybody know the significance of that number? 10. Finally, my favorite: FDR called it the "sacred cow", Truman called it "Independence", Eisenhower called it "The Columbine", what did JFK and the rest of the US Presidents call it as? A: Air Force One. The Presidential airplane. 1. Connect the communities: Chechen, Ingush, Bantu ANS: The names of these communities are actually their word for people - I believe this to be another example of racism where the 'invaders' renamed the original communities. 2. In 'The Sign of the Four', there is a great pile of a well-known brand on Mordecai Smith's wharf. Name the brand. ANS: Actually there was a pile of 'coke' - I misread this to be Coke and hence framed the question thus - KVK Murthy has corrected me on this. Apologies 3. There is an English surname : Carfax What does Carfax mean? ANS: OE for crossroads, specifically the meeting place of four roads - trivium of course is the meeting place of three roads.(OED: PLACE WHERE (USUALLY FOUR) ROADS MEET.") 4. Connect William Harvey and Sherlock Holmes. (Couldn't resist another Holmes q.) ANS: William Harvey a physician at Bart's was the discoverer of the circulation of blood and his celebrated treatise on the findings was published in 1628. SHERLOCK HOLMES, A DAB HAND IN THE FIELD OF FORENSIC CHEMISTRY, IN THE EARLY EIGHTEEN-EIGHTIES FOUND A RE-AGENT WHICH IS PRECIPITATED BY HAEMOGLOBIN AND BY NOTHING ELSE (STUD). Also, Watson was House Physician/Surgeon at Bart's Karen R. felt that Harvey's assistant was also Watson - I have not been able to confirm this. 5. Give me the common meaning of the following word: Hirsutorufous ANS:Red-Headed (As in the Red-Headed League:-)) 6.How do we better know 'Amandine-Aurore-Lucile Dudevant'? (clue: Literary) ANS: The authoress George Sand - whose lover was Chopin 7. Complete this quote from Dostoievsky : "All Russian writers are descended from ______'s _______" ANS: GOGOL's Overcoat 1) We use the term " Once in a Blue Moon " regularly. What is a " Blue Moon " ? Ans : I had only asked for the definition of Blue Moon. The answer is 2 full moons in a month, which is a rare event. ( 14 Hits ). Comments : Aaman is of the opinion that this funda is wrong and should be 3 full moons which in my opinion would make this an impossible event. 2) The cricketer Rabindra Ramnarayan made his One Day debut in 1988 but his test debut was 10 years later in 1998. How is he better known as ? Ans : Robin Singh. Not too many one day specialists to choose from, I guess ( 35 Hits ). Mark Ramprakash figured in one of the answers. 3) Only two countries have participated in all the modern Olympic Games. One is Greece. Which is the other ? Ans : Australia ( 3 Hits ). The most common answer was England. 4) Who was the President of US for only one day ? Ans : David Rice Atchinson. None got this. 5) The phrase " Often a bridesmaid, but never a bride" originated in 1925 in an advertisement. Name the product ? Ans : Listerine Mouthwash ( 2 Hits - Movin & Lalitha ). 6) This name of this Country literally means two seas and refers to the natural springs of fresh water rising from beneath the Salt sea.Name the country. Ans : Bahrain ( 1 Hit - Manish Manke ). I guess I should have given a few more hints. 7) What is common to the following animals Goat, Monkey, Cock, Dog, Pig, Rat, Buffalo, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake & Horse. Ans : Animals in the Chinese Calendar ( 37 Hits ). 8) In Roman Courts men had to swear not on the Bible but on their _______. This lead to a very famous word used regularly in the legal context. Ans : Testicles which lead to the word Testify, Testimony. ( 21 Hits ) 9) Which is the only planet which is not named after a God ? Ans : Earth ( 38 Hits ) 10) Doris Day started her career as a dancer. Why did she switch to singing ? Ans : She broke her leg in an Accident. - an excellent story if ever there was one.. 1. This ancient Greek colony in Asia Minor was reputed for speaking an especially mangled dialect of Greek - something like Brooklyn English or Bihari Hindi. The Athenians, noted purists and orators all, lost no opportunity to sneer at this dialect - speakers of which were stereotyped as rustic boors. This colony has given birth to an English word meaning "Grossly incorrect grammatical usage, a mistake in the idiom of a language, any type of error including improper use of words or a deviation from logic". What is this word? a. Solecism (from the colony of Soli) 2. This word, in its original French, means "Step" or "Rung of a ladder". Figuratively, it has come to mean a steplike formation of troops / ships / aircraft or a subdivision of a military command. It is also used in the sense of a grade, rank, level or order of importance. What is this word? a. Echelon 3. In 1775, Charles Macklin claimed that he could repeat anything he had heard or read once. To test him, Samuel Foote cooked up this little bit of nonsense - "So he died, and she very imprudently married the barber and there were present the Picninnies, and the Joblillies, and the Garyulies, and the great _____ himself, with the little red button at top, and they all fell to playing the game of catch as catch can, till the gunpowder ran out at the heels of their boots". A pseudo Latin word Foote coined (yeah, the one I've left blank) has now come to be used to refer (humorously) to any exalted or powerful person. a. Panjandrum [some people have said that the quote is "Grand Panjandrum" - someone please check. My source (Nurnberg & Rosenblum) says "Great"] 4. A service sung on the first sunday after Easter begins thus -- "In the same way as new born babes ....". The first two words of the original Latin version of this service (meaning "In the manner of" or "Similar to") are the name of a famous literary character. Who? Hint: The pope of fools. a. Quasimodo (from Victor Hugo's ~The Hunchback of Notre Dame~). Hari P adds that the service was the "Introit" 5. This word comes from the Greek word for a "slice" or "a piece cut off". It originally referred to a book which formed part of a larger work. It is now humorously used to refer to any thick, heavy book. a. Tome 6. When all the non essential material is cut out of this "part of a book", we have only the essence left. The word for this "essence" is commonly used in the sense of "an embodiment of characteristic qualities" - for eg. "Rudolf Nureyev was the ______ of grace". Identify both words (question # 5 and #6), which are derived from the same Greek root. a. Epitome 7. This Latin word meaning "a set of ten" came from the ancient Roman practice of buying hides and skin from barbarian tribes in lots of ten. Naturally, a lot of bargaining took place, and this Latin word became English (or rather American) slang for "to bargain". What word? a. Dicker (this word is generally a bit outmoded, but is still current in small towns in the south and west USA (texas etc), In any case, anyone who reads Louis L'Amour / James Fenimore Cooper should be rather familiar with this word. 8. This is (basically) a Russian group of terrorist organizations, which became world famous when they were mentioned in Ivan Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons". They get their name from the Latin word for "Nothing" - meaning that their goal is to totally destroy Government and society, and rebuild a new society on the ruins. Identify them. a. Nihilists (latin Nihil becomes the word "Nil" for zero) 9. Her name meant "All Gifts", as she had been endowed with gifts by all the Greek gods and goddesses, in order to make her a perfect being. Zeus, being angry with mankind, sent her down to Earth. What she did on Earth is supposed to be the root cause of all the troubles faced by mankind, thanks to some heavenly luggage she carried. Name her. a. Pandora - generally cracked (even without the "gifts" clue) 10. This latin phrase means "when the crime is blazing" and is now used to describe someone caught red handed in an illegal or immoral act (say burgling your house or making love to your wife). Name it. a. In flagrante delicto 1. In what world do Tor, Tinidril and the Un-man correspond to Adam, Eve and the serpent ? A. PERELANDRA OR VENUS.(FROM THE "OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET" TRILOGY OF C.S.LEWIS) 2. How do we call Perelandra, Thulcandra and Malacandra ? A. VENUS, EARTH AND MARS RESPECTIVELY.(AGAIN FROM C.S.LEWIS.) 3. "My first surprise as I entered the temple and approached the Throne of Righteousness was to note the men who sat there as judges. There was Kulan Tith, Jeddak of Kaol, whom we had but just left within his own palace a few days since; there was Thuvan Dihn, Jeddak of Ptarth--how came he to Helium as soon as we? There was Tars Tarkas, Jeddak of Thark, and Xodar, Jeddak of the First Born; there was Talu, Jeddak of Jeddaks of the North, whom I could have sworn was still in his ice-bound hothouse city beyond the northern barrier, and among them sat Tardos Mors and Mors Kajak, with enough lesser jeds and jeddaks to make up the thirty-one who must sit in judgment upon their fellow-man. A right royal tribunal indeed, and such a one, I warrant, as never before sat together during all the history of ancient Mars.. ....... "Judges," he said, "there can be but one verdict. No longer may ___________ be Prince of Helium"--he paused--"but instead let him be Jeddak of Jeddaks, Warlord of ________!"' Fill in the two words. A. JOHN CARTER, BARSOOM. (THIS IS THE ENDING OF THE THIRD BOOK THAT EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS WROTE ABOUT JOHN CARTER.) 4. Which author wrote a series of comic fantasy books set in a world called Xanth ? A. PIERS ANTHONY. 5. Tolkien - The story of Beren and Luthien must be known to all who have read Tolkien. JRRT actually wrote a long poem describing the whole story. This poem was condensed into the story of Beren and Luthien available in "The Silmarillion" and "The Book of Lost Tales". The poem was much ridiculed initially because of the rather archaic scheme of rhyming couplets. What was the poem called ?i A. THE LAY OF LEITHIAN. 6. One more on the same theme- Luthien was called Luthien Tinuviel. What does Tinuviel mean ? (Think back to the first meeting of Beren and Luthien) A. NGHTINGALE. 7. What is common to Turin Turambar(one of JRRT's heroes) and Kullervo in Norse myth ? A. INCEST(WITH THEIR SISTERS) 8. In The Belgariad and other tales of Belgarath the Sorcerer, who is the Apostate ? A. ZEDAR(ONCE KNOWN AS BELZEDAR) AND THE SECOND DISCIPLE OF ALDUR. 9. Belgarath and daughter Polgara are two of the principal characters in both The Belgariad and The Malloreon. It is frequently mentioned that Polgara has a white lock of hair amidst her dark tresses. What is the funda behind this ? A. BELGARATH HAD TWO TWIN DAUGHTERS - POLGARA AND BELDARAN. WHEN HE FIRST TOUCHED POLGARA'S HAIR, ONE OF HER LOCKS BECAME WHITE - WHICH INDICATED THAT SHE ALSO POSSESSED THE POWER OF SORCERY. ALL THE SORCERERS HAD SOME SUCH MARK. GARION HAS A WHITE MARK ON HIS HAND AND IT IS THIS THAT MAKES ANHEG OF CHEREK REALIZE THAT HE MIGHT BE THE PERSON WHO'LL FINISH TORAK. 10. David Eddings again - Who is Bhelliom's opposite ? A. KLAEL.(SUMMONED BY CYRGON IN "THE HIDDEN CITY", THE LAST BOOK OF THE TAMULI) 11. Wotan extorts Alberich's treasure from him so that he can ransom Freia back. Fasolt and Fafnir, the giants who get the treasure, succumb to its curse and fight with Fafnir killing Fasolt. Which great work starts off with these events ? A. WAGNER'S "THE RING OF THE NIBELUNG" - THE ABOVE EVENTS OCCUR IN "DAS RHEINGOLD", THE FIRST PART OF THE RING CYCLE. 12. Arthurian legend - Who is spitefully christened Beaumains by Sir Kay because his fairness and boyish face make him look as if he had never done any work with his hands ? And who does Sir Kay call La Cote Male Taile(The Man with the torn coat) ? (One point for each.) A. BEAUMAINS - SIR GARETH(HE COMES TO KING ARTHUR'S COURT AT THE FEAST OF PENTECOST AND ASKS FOR 3 BOONS - THE FIRST BEING THAT HE SHOULD BE GIVEN FOOD AND DRINK FOR A YEAR AND THEN HE'LL ASK FOR THE NEXT TWO BOONS) LA COTE MALE TAILE - BREUNOR LE NOIRE(THE ONE WHO SAVES QUEEN GUINEVERE FROM A LION) - BREUNOR REFUSES TO TAKE HIS OWN NAME AGAIN AND CALLS HIMSELF SIR LA COTE MALE TAILE. 13. Arthurian legend once again - Of all the seats at the Round Table, Sir Galahad's place has a special name. What is it called and why ? A. THE SIEGE PERILOUS. THIS IS SO BECAUSE ONLY A KNIGHT WHO WAS PURE IN BODY AND SPIRIT COULD SIT IN IT WITHOUT BEING DESTROYED. 14. In which book do Merlin and Ransom work together ? A. "THAT HIDEOUS STRENGTH" - THE LAST OF THE RANSOM BOOKS WRITTEN BY C.S.LEWIS. 15. Greek myth - I guess we've all heard of the Golden Fleece. Well, the Golden Fleece actually belonged to a ram that rescued two children. Name the children. A. PHRIXUS AND HELLE. HELLE FELL OFF THE RAM INTO A BODY OF WATER - LATER CALLED THE HELLESPONT. 1 . How did S.Venkatraghavan first come to know that he had been replaced as Indian captain by Sunil Gavaskar after the tour of England in 1979? Answer 1 :The pilot made the announcement on the public address system on the plane bringing the team back home. The most common answer : From the newspaper. Sorry guys. ******************* 2. Richard Hadlee took nine wickets in an innings against Australia at Brisbane in 1985. Who took the catch that prevented him from claiming all ten? A: Richard Hadlee ********* 3. Which two batsmen were dismissed for 99 in Test matches in different parts of the world within a couple of minutes of each other? A: Saurav Ganguly and Greg Blewett *********** 4. Which Australian bowler once set a field with nine men in the slip cordon in a Test against New Zealand? A: Dennis Lillee T K Harsh asked me...... how do we know he is the only person to have done so in the history of test cricket? So I checked the www.cricket.org for details. Dennis Lillee is probably the first and the most famous one having done so. ************** 5. He played forty Tests for India as a batsman, and is about to be replaced as coach of the national team. (sitter) Answer: Anshuman Gaekwad 1.Which 1954 movie was based on Cornell Woolrich's story "It had to be Murder".( clue: it had James Stewart as an injured photographer confined to a wheel-chair ) ------> Alfred Hitchcock's `Rear Window'. GGrace Kelly added all her grace to this great film. 2.In Ramayana, who was the charioteer of Ravana's Pushpaka vimana ? -------> Matali. 3.The Origins of this instrument can be traced to the 'vedic Vana veena' which had 100 strings of spun grass. This was later called the 'Sata tantri veena' which gave rise to its modern name. What ? -------> Santoor. 4.Whose autobiography is dedicated to "the memory of the British empire in India" ? --------> Nirad.C.Chaudhri's `Autobiographyy of an unknown Indian' 5.What is Arabic for `Red Castle' or `red home' ? ---------> Alhambra. The palace at Grenada is called Alhambra.The palaces & courtyards built by the Moors are surrounded by red brick walls. 6.Connect the recent disney film `Tarzan' & `Yes Minister' ? ---------> Nigel Hawthorne of 'Yes Ministerr' fame has lent his voice to Prof.Porter ( Jane's Pop ) in 'Tarzan'. 7.Who set up practise as a consulting eye surgeon at 2,Devonshire place, off Harley street in 1891 ? ----------> Arthur Conan Doyle. 8.Ray made 2 films based on his own works featuring Feluda.Name both ? ----------> Sonar Kella & Joi Baba Felunathh. 9.A cricket question ! What's common to Percy Abhaya Shekara of Srilanka & Sufi Jamnal, a Dubai based businessman ? ----------> These guys are the loud cheer-lleaders of Srilankan & Paki team respectively. They were seen in '96 & '99 World cups & during many tournaments in Sharjah. Many batsmen including Azhar & Steve Waugh have officially protested that they distract opposition batsmen.Percy is supposedly funded by SL board to accompany their team on foreign tours! 10.Who is the only Jain Cricketer to have played Test Cricket for India ? -----------> Dilip Doshi. 1. Who was the first US President to leave US territory while in office > and where did he go ? (2 points) > > Answer - Theodore Roosevelt, he visited the construction of the Panama > Canal. Several people got the President correct, but not his destination. > Many people thought it was Wilson to sign the Treaty of Versailles. > > 2. When Superman was first introduced, which of his main powers we > associate with the character today, did he not posses ? (1 point) > > Answer - Most notably, in his original incarnation, Superman could not > fly. The most common correct answer was he did not posses X-Ray vision. > In his first appearance, Superman's powers were described as he could > "leap 1/8th of a mile; hurdle a twenty-story building... raise tremendous > weights... run faster than an express train... and that nothing less than > a bursting shell could penetrate his skin!" Any of Superman's powers > outside of this description is an acceptable answer. > > 3. What number(s) did Michael Jordan where during his NBA basketball > career ? (1 point each) > > Answer - Jordan wore three numbers during his NBA career: 23, 45, and 12. > Michael Jordan is most remembered for wearing number 23, as this is the > number he wore for almost his entire NBA career. In March of 1995 when > Jordan returned from his retirement, during which he played minor league > baseball, he opted not to wear his old number 23, and instead wore 45, the > same number he wore during his minor league baseball career. When Jordan > failed to put up the same phenomenal numbers as a basketball player prior > to his retirement, many critics said he was not the same player as before > his retirement and his skills had diminshed. Partly to squelch such talk, > after 17 regular season games and 5 play off games, Jordan returned to his > original number 23. While Jordan and the Bulls were stopped short of a > championship that year, Jordan quickly returned to his previous domination > of the game. So that explains 23 & 45, when did Jordan wear 12 ? On a > trip to Orlando in 1990, Jordan's jersey was stolen and for a single game, > he officially wore number 12. > > 4. Where did the restaurant chain "Hard Rock Cafe" take it's name ? (1 > point) > > Answer - Side two of the Door's album "Morrison Hotel" is called "Hard > Rock Cafe". Side one was simply titled "Morrison Hotel". No one got this > one correct. > > 5. In what cartoon did Mickey Mouse first appear ? (1 point) > > Answer - "Plane Crazy" or "Steamboat Willie". I thought I knew the > answer to this one when I wrote the question, and thought it was > "Steamboat Willie". Many of you answered as I did, but I got several > answers of "Plane Crazy". After doing some research it seems that Mickey > first appeared to the public in "Steamboat Willie", but this was not the > first Mickey cartoon. Previously, Walt Disney had created two other > cartoons with the character, "Plane Crazy" followed by "Gallopin' Gaucho". > So Plane Crazy was produced first, but Steamboat Willie was first to the > screen. I counted both as correct answers and consider the question > itself unclear. Check out > http://www.jps.net/xephyr/rich/dzone/hoozoo/mickey.html if you want more > information. > > 6. Who was the first cast member to leave the comedy show "Saturday Night > Live" and who was the replacement cast member ? Both went on to > successful movie careers. (1 point each) > > Answer - Chevy Chase left Saturday Night Live early in the second season > and was replaced by Bill Murray. > > 7. Who holds the record for the most points scored during a career in the > National Football (American Football) League ? (1 point) > > Answer - Kicker George Blanda holds the record at 2,002 points. During > a 26 year career (1949-1975) Blanda scored 2,002 points by scoring 9 > touchdowns (6 points each), 943 extra points (kick after a touchdown, 1 > point each), and 335 field goals (3 points each). Gary Anderson at 1,845 > and Morten Anderson at 1,761 are second and third. Most deserving > incorrect answer, it was not Mark MacGuire !! He may be re-writing the > baseball record book, but he's not made it to football yet. > > 8. The pilgrims came to the New World aboard the Mayflower. What was the > name of the Mayflower's less seaworthy sistership ? (1 point) > > Answer - The Speedwell. Many people correctly answered this one. > > 9. What is the home state of the fictional TV character, Captain James T. > Kirk ? (1 point) > > Answer - Iowa (Kirk mentions it in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home) > > 10. Paul Revere is remembered for his famous midnight ride to warn that > "the British are coming". Two other riders were also dispatched to spread > the news. Who were they ? (2 points) > > Answer - William Dawes and Samuel Prescott. From the comments it sounds > like many people aren't familiar with the story of Paul Revere. Briefly, > at the start of the American Revolution, Revere was dispatched to warn the > colonists of the British invading Massachussets. The colonists were > unsure if the British would be arriving by land or by sea. Revere was to > watch the steeple of the Old North Church for a signal lantern. The > signal was to be "one if by land, two if by sea". Two lanterns briefly > appeared and Revere road off through the night to warn the colonists. The > image most people have of Revere is a man riding at breakneck speed > through colonial America crying "The British are coming, the British are > coming". In the early 1800s, Henry Wadworth Longfellow wrote a very > famous poem called "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere". It begins > > Listen, my children, and you shall hear > Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, > On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five; > Hardly a man is now alive > Who remembers that famous day and year. > 1- "Though you would have. Would youlike some tea?" This was a reply given by the man to whom this famous man said something which has become one of the most famous quotes of all times. The man and the quote, both(tho if u get one, u will get the other too) ans- the quote is "We knocked the bastard off" This is what Edmund Hillary said after he returned to the base camp. The man whom he said this to offered him tea. no one got this one 2-During WW 2, 2 movies were made on the same book(as in part 1 and part 2)and released in Italy, though the book renounced dictatorship. Twisting the two titles of these 2 movies,the Italian people called themselves "Vio Norti" and Mussolini's economic policies as "Addio Lira". Which book? ans- the book is "We the Living" - the first book written by Ayn Rand who later went on to write Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. The 2 movies were Vio Vivere- we the living, and Addio Kira- farewell kira. no one got this either. 3- This is from the movie"That thing you do" What name did James MattinglyIII the lead singer think for the band before they were named 'The One-ders' and finally 'The Wonders'. After the group broke up, Mattingly did form a group by that name.Give me the name. almost all got this one- The Heardsmen 4-Mumbai's Shobha Gokul Vijaykar was the first woman to 'officially' try this job but gave it up in 5 days. Which job? ans- that of a coolie 5-The audio cassettes and cd's of the hindi movie "Sirf Tum" do not mention the music directors. Why not? The music directors are nadeem shravan as many poeple wrote but i wanted why their names were not there on the cover. The answer that nadeem is in trouble over the gulshan murder case is not completely correct since there have been many movies released after that which mentioned them,,infact 'Pardes' even got an award for best music. The complete answer is Sirf Tum was released under the T-series label and so Boney kapoor agreed not to have nadeem shravan mentioned in the movies since he had signed on tseries before this case broke out. so sorry, i havent given marks to any one. 6-sitter- Which novel spans 4 generations, is set in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, is written mostly in first person and is the story of a Kashmiri man? Ans- Midnight's Children 7- Sir Pelham Warner was the first. Sir _________________ is the latest. Fill in the blanks. Ans- Richard Hadlee,, Cricketers to be knights by the British Kingdom. 8-Ben Elton, Richard Curtis and ____________ co-wrote the original pilot episode of this hit TV show. The show and the co-writer(they are almost synonymous now) Ans- Rowan Atkinson- Mr. Bean, many got this one. 9-Which country's capital's name means Freetown and was ruled by Kings called Muskar, Muskar II, Baron Almaszout among many? clue-let your imagination fly to the moon Ans- Thats Syldavia from Tintin comics. Baron Almaszout later took the name 'Ottokar'. Funnily someone wrote Borduria, the neighbour of Syldavia. 10- This fictional character in a famous sequel of the famous prequel said- "Now I am back- in my next iteration you might say" Who?If you guess the sequel-prequel, that would be enough to tell you. Ans- Thats Ian Malcolm in Lost World- The sequel to Jurassic Park 11- James Moody, Henry Wilde, William Murdoch, Charles Lightoller, Edward J Smith....... Where have you heard of these names. clue- the answer can be summed up in one word. ans- Titanic; these are names from the crew of the Titanic 12- Connect Sir Mansfield Cummings, Queen Elizabeth and Esme Allen. ans- This one no one got. Esme Allen is the real name of Dame Judi Dench. Sir Mansfield Cummings was the first chielf of the MI 5, and its due to him that the post is called M in bond movies(due to mansfield) and C in real life(cummings). Judi Dench is the M in the last 3 bond movies, and got an oscar for playing Queen Elizabeth in 'Shakespeare in Love'. got the connection? 1. " We seek him here, we seek him there, Those Frenchies seek him everywhere, Is he in heaven? - Is he in hell? That demmed, elusive __________ ?" Complete the line. - Pimpernel From Baroness Orczy's ' The Scarlet Pimpernel' Maximum hits ! 2.Who did Jim Corbett describe as " a large-hearted gentleman with boundless courage" ? - The tiger 3.He was born Aleksei Maksimovich Peshkov in 1868, in Nizhni Novgorod, which is now named in his honour. He took a pen name meaning ' bitter' in Russian, to express his criticism of the political and social order in his country. What is his pen name? - Maxim Gorky Guesses included Pushkin and Chekov. 4. Elvira was the much-injured wife of which man, who has been celebrated by Moliere, Mozart, Byron and Shaw ? - Don Juan 5. Though few know it, this famous writer was responsible for the standard inscription to be found in most war cemeteries – ‘ Their names liveth for evermore.’ Name him. ( Hint: His only son was killed in the Battle of Loos, 1915.) - Rudyard Kipling Common answer was Arthur Conan Doyle. Tups had this to say - The line is actually from the Bible, Book of Ecclesiasticus, Chapter 44, verse 9, which goes : "... Their seed shall remain for ever, and their glory shall not be blotted out./Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth for evermore." 6.Which novel was the inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola's movie Apocalypse Now? - Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness 7. This novel tells the story of a poor Oklahoma farming family which migrates to California in search of a better life, during the Great Depression of the 1930's.It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1940. The movie version was advertised with the following line - ' The thousands who have read the book will know why WE WILL NOT SELL ANY CHILDREN TICKETS to see the movie.' ?Name the novel. - John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath I think this one was too easy ! 8. What was the 'modest proposal' made by Jonathan Swift in his satirical pamphlet A Modest Proposal published in 1729? - That it would make sound economic sense iif the offspring of the Irish poor were farmed as meat for the rich English. ( As with most of Swift's satire, the basic strategy is the literalization of an idea: since the greedy landlords are metaphorically devouring the profits of the country, they might as well literally eat up the inhabitants. The several advantages of this proposal, which it is suggested will benefit everyone , include the reduction of beggars, the year-round availability of tasty meat, profit to the mothers, and the certainty that husbands would look after their women for a change , as a source of their livelihood.) 9. " Just for a handful of silver he left us Just for a riband to stick in his coat." These lines are from Robert Browning's 'The Lost Leader'. Who is the ' he' referred to ? - William Wordsworth. Browning wrote these lines when Wordsworth accepted the post of Poet Laureate in 1843. Most said Judas Iscariot 10. Treasure Island: Hispaniola , Moby Dick:__________ ? - Pequod ( Names of the vessels in the two novels.) > 1. GREEK:SKHETLIOS :: INDIA : kshatriyas > > 2. What is the ball of thread that Theseus uses when he enters the > Minotaurs' cave called? Clue > > 3. What is the name of the only asteroid that is supposed to be orbitibng > the are betwwen Sun (Apollo) and Mercury? > Icarus > 4. We know that Pandora, by opening a box that contained several beings, > allowed them to escape. Now, what was the last being to come out of > Pandora's box? > Hope > 5. While Medusa's head was being carried across the oceans by Perseus, > a few drops of blood, fell into them. What was the result of this? > Pegasus > 6. Absolute sitter : > Byron on describing someone: > "Or like the thief of fire from someone, > Wilt thou withstand the shock? > And share with him the unforgiven - > His vulture and his rock ?" > Who is this ? > Prometheus > 7. Trivia : Link the following: > Parnassus, Deucalion, Pyrrha > The deluge funda : Deucalion, Pyrrha were the last remaining couple, and they were stranded on Parnaccus. (a mountain) > 8. Jupiter (Zeus) once called the Gods to a council. They obeyed the call > and took the road to the palace of Heaven. What is the road called? > (eminently guessable!) > Mily way > 9. Sitter :Who is the god of song and lyre? > Apollo > 10. Trivia: One of Jupiter's lover's had the privelege of becoming the > great bear along with her son the little bear. Who is she? > Callisto 1. Gustav Hasford wrote about his experiences as a war correspondent with the 1st Marine Division in Vietnam in a book called The Short Timers. It was made into a cult film by Stanley Kubrick. What movie? a. Full Metal Jacket 2. Two books made by James Jones have been made into movies. Name both movies and their directors. a. From Here to Eternity - Fred Zinneman (also directed High Noon) The Thin Red Line (Terence Malick) 3. They gifted necklaces of gold to Pandora, and are depicted dancing in Botticelli's Primavera. They were the daughters of Zeus and Eurynome, or of Helios and Aegle. The eldest of these sisters was promised by Hera to Hypnos as a bride if he would make Zeus fall asleep, and the youngest was a messenger of Aphrodite. Name them. a. The Graces (or the Charities) - Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia 4. Who started the genre of architecture known as the Bauhaus (or Town Hall) school, and in which German province did it originate? a. Walther Gropius and Paul Klee, in Weimar 5. She was an organizer of the French atomic energy commission until 1950, when she was kicked out for her Communist affiliations, and she served as undersecretary of state for scientific research. Name this Nobel Laureate, the wife and daughter of Nobel Laureates. a. Irene Joliot Curie, daughter of Marie Curie (Marya Sklowdoska) and wife of Frederic Joliot. No points for just saying "Curie". [The atomic energy official / communist was actually Frederic Joliot, not Irene Curie. My apologies for the confusion, but the question stands as lots of people cracked it] 6. From where did Aldous Huxley get the title of his book A brave new world? a. Miranda's speech in Shakespeare's "Tempest" "How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, that has such people in it" 7. Lines from a poem by John Donne - No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main ; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know ____________ Complete the quote - which is the title of a famous book. a. For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway. The complete quote is "and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." Hari P adds - This is not related, but "From here to eternity" (the answer to question 2 ) also picks it's name from a poem, this one by Kipling. The lines go "Gentlemen rankers out on a spree, damned from here to eternity" 8. Painted in 1907, it was inspired by and named after a famous prostitution case. It was not exhibited until the 1937 Paris Exposition, and purchased by the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1939-40. It is a still life of fruit in the foreground of a blue painted room, with a red curtain at the left, and five angular nudes with black-rimmed eyes and weirdly distorted faces. Identify this famous painting from the above description. a. Les demoiselles d'Avignon (I can't spell French, so excusez moi l'errors) 9. Ernest Breaux, working in his lab in Grasse, discovered that his mixture of aldehydes and coal tar had a distinctive jasmine-like smell. After four tries at mixing 128 ingredients in various proportions, the resultant was marketed in a distinctive plain grey box with a black and white label. Name this famous perfume, named after Breaux's employer. a. Chanel #5 Perfume. 10. Who is the playwright of The Garden Party and publisher of the anthology Letters of Olga, better known as a statesman? a. Vaclav Havel, first president of the Czech Republic 1. To start things off, here are the first lines of a well-known literary work: "In the year 1866, the whole maritime population of Europe and America was excited by a mysterious and inexplicable phenomenon. This excitement was not confined to merchants, common sailors, sea captains, shippers, and naval officers of all countries, but the governments of many states on the two continents were deeply interested." Name the book. ##ANS: "20,000 Leagues under the Sea" by Jules Verne ---- [16 hits] The passage refers to the mysterious marine object that was being sighted in several places in the world. 2. This natural fiber has proven itself in many ways superior to man-made Kevlar, the high tensile strength polymer. The former is now the subject of a lot of research, especially in the area of bulletproof clothing. What is the source of the natural fiber and the name by which it is commonly known? ##ANS: Dragline silk from spider webs. There are efforts under way to artificially synthesize this ---- [11 hits] No one got the term dragline silk. I've accepted any answer that mentions spiders or cobwebs. 3. Serena Williams got her first Grand Slam title this year. The last African-American woman to win a Grand Slam event was in 1958. Who was this woman? ##ANS: Althea Gibson wins Wimbledon ---- [23 hits] Turned out to be the most popular question. 4. At the time of the Spanish Inquisition in 1492, many Jews were forced to convert to Catholicism or face explulsion. Many of those who remained converted to Christianity, but secretly practised Judaism. Fearing their lives, they kept up the appearance of following Christianity. These Jews were known by a specific name, what is it? (either the English or Spanish name will do) ##ANS: Crypto-Jews a.k.a marranos or conversos ---- [2 hits: Sabyasachi, Anustup] As to the origin of "marrano", some sources say it is a derisive term meaning "swine", while others say it originated from the reddish color of the bishop's robes, since the converted Jews were usually put in the custody of a bishop. 5. Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby and Mrs. Bedonebyasyoudid are the primary characters in which famous literary work? ##ANS: "Water Babies" by Charles Kingsley - they were the leaders of the water babies ---- [12 hits] Debatable as to whether they are primary characters since Tom meets them much later after he becomes a water baby - (Anustup) 6. This results of this man's work were nothing less than a landmark in 20th-century science. However, towards the end of his life he became convinced that he was being poisoned and, refusing to eat to avoid being poisoned, starved himself to death. The main people who stood by him during this difficult time were his wife Adele and his friend Albert Einstein. Who was he? ##ANS: Kurt Gödel of the famous Gödel's Undecidability Theorem proofs. ---- [4 hits] Many good guesses for this one. Didn't mention that he was a mathematician as I thought it would be a giveaway. 7. What was the claim to fame of these folks: Ootah, Seegloo, Egingway, and Ooqueah? ##ANS: They were the Inuits (natives of the Arctic region) who accompanied Peary and Henson to the N. Pole. ---- [10 hits] 8. This country has a national flag nearly identical to the Indian tricolor, except that in place of the chakra, there is an orange spot of nearly the same size. Name the country. Bonus question: What are two (possibly the only two) other countries that use the same orange-white-green combination on their national flags? ##ANS: Republic of Niger. ---- [10 hits] BONUS: Ireland and Ivory Coast ---- [5 hits, 6 partial hits] Many said Italy and Hungary, likely mis-interpreting the the saffron-orange in the question for red. 9. What regular terrestrial phemomenon or event is attributed to comet Swift-Tuttle? ##ANS: The Perseid meteor showers that occur every year around August ---- [2 hits: Jawahar, Anustup] The showers result from the earth's orbit intersecting with some of the debris from the comet's tail and appear to originate from the region of the constellation Perseus, hence the name (shooting stars, showers not specific enough, sorry) 10. The Devil's tower in Wyoming and the Mt. St. Helens volcano are a couple of the well-known national monuments of the U.S. What is the only U.S national monument that moves? ##ANS: The San Francisco cable cars which are actually in use everyday. ---- [2 hits: Ujjwal, AHegde] As soon as the answers started coming in I felt I should have worded this as: "...moves from one physical location to another". Answers included Old Faithful, Niagra and Air Force One. I've verified that none of these are classified as monuments (whew!). However Anustup's answer White Sands, with the shifting dunes IS actually a monument. I am sticking by my answer since two people got it, but thanks for the eye-opener, folks. All goes to show one can never be too careful ... 11. The preferred drink of Montezuma II, the last Aztec emperor was introduced to Spanish explorer/conqueror Hernando Cortez in 1519. The primary ingredient of the drink was revered and worshipped by the Mayans. Criollo, Foresteros and Trinitario are all different varieties of this ingredient. Name it. ##ANS: The cocoa bean. The name of the drink was cacahuatt. ----[19 hits] The second most-answered question. 12. Originally from the south, this raga was considered the foremost raga in the repertoire of the Mughal and Deccani court musicians. The raga was formally named by the great Miyan Tansen. Points for Tansen's name for the raga or the original name. ##ANS: Darbari Kaanada as christened by Tansen meaning "Kaanada of the court"---- [7 hits] Many guessed Miyan ki Todi, Miyan ki Malhar...etc which are attributed to Tansen. 13. What or who are Powder, Copper and Coal? ##ANS: All mascots (yes, there are three) for the upcoming 2002 Winter Olympics ---- [2 hits: Pallab, Keerthi] Powder is a showshoe hare, Copper a coyote and Coal is a bear, all characters in native American mythology. 14. This Hollywood actress was less well known as a patent co-holder with George Antheilt for her work on the technique of "frequency hopping". This was designed (but never used) for Allied WW2 ships as a guidance system for armed torpedoes. (Incidentally, she turned down the lead role for "Casablanca"). Who is she? ##ANS: Hedy Lamarr, born Hedwig Eva Marie Kiesler ---- [18 hits] Films include "Samson and Delilah" and "My Favorite Spy". She is listed in the MIT inventors hall of fame. - (Suresh) 15. To wrap things up easy, these are the last lines of a well-known work of fiction: "He raised his hand over the desolate earth and he traced in space the sign of the dollar". What is the book? ##ANS: "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand...the person in the passage is the famed John Galt ----[5 hits] I was thinking the "dollar" and "desolate earth" would clue in most people to the answer.