A list of puzzling questions
Editor’s note: Every week, we feature three questions from our quiz master Shantanu Sharma—who is a researcher-writer, and has a side hustle as a professional quiz guru. He’d love to hear from you—so send your feedback/suggestions or just say ‘hi’ over at sharmashantanu312@gmail.com or @shantorasbox on Twitter.
How this works: Every correct answer is worth 10 points. If a question has multiple parts, each is worth 5 points. You have until Friday 12 pm to send in your answers to talktous@splainer.in or via DMs on Insta or Twitter. The correct answers will be published every Monday. The grand prize for the winner at the end of the month: a quarterly subscription for anyone of your choice—including the option of adding three months to your sub. That’s Rs 499 in value—so it’s pretty darn good:)
Rule to note: We will pick winners each month using a lucky draw.
The answers: to the previous week’s quiz are at the bottom—as are the winners for the first week of May.
One: What contentious bilateral agreement is taking place here? Which third party negotiated it? (5+5)
Two: Piece together these elements to work out a sporting connection.
a) A multinational conglomerate
b) One of the iconic sponsors
c) The anthem comes from this production
Three: Which innovation was born out of this entrepreneur’s pregnancy craving and has since taken social media by storm?
About last week’s quiz…
Here are the answers to the previous edition of the splainer quiz:
One: These real-life heroes inspired two recent on-screen adaptations. Name them. FYI: their stories are unrelated. (5+5)
Answer: The recent Bollywood movies: ‘The Diplomat’ and ‘Ground Zero’
‘The Diplomat’—which came out in March—stars John Abraham as JP Singh, a seasoned Indian Foreign Service officer who served as Deputy High Commissioner in Islamabad. The film follows his bold efforts in 2017 to rescue Uzma Ahmed, an Indian woman trapped in Pakistan after being forced into marriage at gunpoint.
‘Ground Zero’—which was released last month—stars Emraan Hashmi as the ex-BSF Commandant Narendra Nath Dhar Dubey. During an intense mission in Kashmir, Dubey tracked down and killed Baba Ghazi, the mastermind behind the Indian Parliament attack. You can watch the two trailers ‘The Diplomat’ here and ‘Ground Zero’ here.
Two: What phrase marking an annual event connects the merch below? Also name the manufacturer. (5+5)
Answer: “May the Fourth be with you” and LEGO
Every year on May 4th, fans celebrate Star Wars Day with the pun “May the 4th be with you”—a playful twist on the iconic Jedi phrase: “May the Force be with you.” First heard in the 1977 film ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’, the phrase is used like a good luck wish.
Interestingly, the pun may have first appeared in politics, not pop culture. On May 4, 1979, after Margaret Thatcher became Britain’s first female Prime Minister, a newspaper ad allegedly read: “May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations.” But the ad’s existence is debated. The LEGO Group celebrates Star Wars Day each year with exclusive product launches and special deals. From intricate droids to epic starships, you can check out the collection here.
Three: Identify this sporting legend proudly applauding as his long-held record is finally broken. Also name the record. (5+5)
Answer: Wayne Gretzky and Most goals in National Hockey League (NHL)
Alex Ovechkin made history by scoring his 895th NHL goal, surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s long-standing record of 894. The Washington Capitals’ captain hit the milestone on April 6, against the New York Islanders, beating goalie Ilya Sorokin on a power play. Once thought untouchable, Gretzky’s record fell despite Ovechkin missing 16 games earlier this season with a broken leg. He still managed to score over 40 goals for the 14th time, a new NHL record and two more than Gretzky. You can watch the goal and post-goal celebrations here.
And the winners are…
Here are the top five scorers for the first week of May. Congratulations!
