Potpourri

By Mohan Agrawal
Rules
1. + 10 for each question, if you get all parts right.
2. + 05 if you answer only one of the two parts correctly.
3. The score shall not be carried over to the next round.
4. Read carefully before you ask.
5. Some of the titles might be hints; you might not get it.
6. Please quiz peacefully.
1. Ouch!
The X Group began in the workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen, who began making
the wooden version of this toy in 1932. The name of this group was derived from a
Danish phrase that means “play well”.

In 1947, the company started exporting the toy, and switched to manufacturing it
from cellulose acetate rather than wood.
2. Who and what?

X in 2014 increases his net worth by a staggering $19 billion.

3. Who?
4. NatGeo 101
The extraordinary physical build of X is attributed to a ritual known as Y-ing, where
two males fight for reproduction rights by slamming their Y into one another.

The X’s with longest and strongest Y’s are often victorious, and get to reproduce,
passing the genes onto future generations.
5. R.I.P.

Y got all eight Round of 16 matches correct.

6. History
The photo in question, X, faced backlash from majority of the readers when it was
first published in the Time magazine.

This is what Time had to say on it:

“The true power of X, however, is less about who its subject was and more about
what he became: a makeshift unknown soldier in an often unknown and uncertain
war, suspended forever in history.”
7. World History
In the particular case of X, the way in which it obtained the title of Y was slightly
different from the usual protocol:

King Alfonso XIII granted X the permission to use the title, and in return X’s then
president (Pedro Parages) sent a note to the king showing gratitude and
appointing the king’s older son (13 at the time) as club’s honorary president.

During the Second Spanish Republic of 1931, the title as well as the related
symbols were dropped. Instead, a purple band was added to X’s crest,
symbolizing Castille -- Spain’s central region, where X belongs to. Purple was the
traditional colour of the Kingdom of Castille’s historic banner.

The title was restored in 1941, after the end of Spanish Civil War.
8. #Mandir_wahin_banaenge
X was originally built to replace an older temple dedicated to Y. However, it also
served the practical purpose of being used as a treasury.

In 6 A.D. X was converted into a Christian Church dedicated to Virgin Mary.

After the Ottoman conquest in the early 1460s, X was converted to a mosque, and
sustained severe structural damage as a result of the invasion.

There is an ongoing dispute over the marbles removed from X during the early
18th century, which are now on display in the British Museum. Several other
surviving sculptures from X can also be found in the Louvre Museum,
Copenhagen Museum, and the Acropolis Museum.
9. Hollywoo
Agra X is a species of carabid beetle named after the Hollywood actor X, in 2002.

Entomologist Terry Erwin named is so because of the beetle’s markedly

developed middle femora, reminiscent of the physique of X. Erwin’s students later
sent an image of Agra X to X himself, who signed and returned it with a note
saying, “Thanks for thinking of me.”

Other species of the genus named by Erwin include, A. liv named after Liv Tyler,
and A. katewinsletae named after Kate Winslet.
10. Connect the dots
The idea behind X was pretty much similar to that of using rubber hose limbs
(skipping bone joints in characters) in black and white cartoons of the 1930s -- to
save time & effort.

Walt Disney was probably the first person to put X into use in The Opry House,
starring Mickey, in 1929.

Other famous examples include Bugs Bunny, Tom, Woody Woodpecker.

Relatively modern cartoons/video-games like Mario and Sonic also used X as a
way of paying homage to the Golden Era of Cartoons.
11. GT/GPT types
The Explorers’ Grand Slam consists of having been to X, Y and Z. Till date only 17
people have achieved this feat.

Of this list, Z is often the centre of geopolitical debate as the definition of Z rests
on

(1) Where the boundary between the continents of Asia & Europe lies, and

(2) Whether one considers Australia or the entire Oceania as the continent.

Thus there are, in total, 4 versions of the Z list. Completing any one of them is
considered a challenge in itself.
12. Connect
USA: Hemispheres, Sunseeker, American Way

Europe: High Life, Holland Herald, Blue, Let’s Go!

Middle East: Gulf Life, Oryx, Al-Buraq, Alhan-Wasalhan, Portfolio

Asia: Silk route, Horizon, Dynasty, Discovery

13. Annals of time
When X quoted this -- now famous -- excerpt from Bhagvad Gita, he faced a lot of
flak from the Sanskrit and Gita scholars around the world. This is generally
attributed to the fact that Sanskrit grammar is tricky, and a phrase often has subtle
shades of meaning, which can be easily missed by a newbie.

The actual translation of the excerpt is: “Thou seest me as time who kills, time who
brings doom to all”.

However, X’s misinterpreted quote never alludes to any reference or symbolism of

Time, only of destruction.

Who is X, and when did he quote this excerpt?

14. Jai Ho!
The film which holds the unique status of being the first film to be _______ by X is,
surprisingly, contentious.

Some media outlets say, it is a film named “Toofan Singh” about a sikh terrorist
who goes on a rampage, killing cops and politicians. Others say it is “X-Zone”, a
romantic, supernatural horror film. Both the films were slated to be released in
2017.
15. Goth!

Who?
16. Futuristic
The term X was first coined by famous neurobiologist Manfred Clynes and
psychologist Nathan S. Clyne in 1960 to refer to a being who could survive in
extraterrestrial environments, different from a simple biorobot, android or a bionic
organism. More specifically -

“Exogenously extended organizational complex functioning as an integrated

homeostatic system unconsciously”

X’s are widely popular in comics and movies. This includes Doctor Who, Star
Wars, Star Trek, Terminator etc. to name a few.

There is even a field dedicated to the study of X, appropriately called X-ology

17. Hot waters
Investigative journalist Josy Joseph’s 2016 book “A Feast Of Vultures” unveiled
shocking information about the links between Dawood Ibrahim and X who served
as the CMD of Y -- the only one.

The book claimed that the D-company money was instrumental in the rise of Y,
with the initial investment in Y coming from shell companies from the Isle of Man,
heavily funded by the Indian underworld.

The book goes on to say that the many ministers in the government were implicit
in this act as “X had friends in all the right places” -- a statement which might
sound ironic today.
18. Da Bomb
X claims to have been born in Kuzcek, to Asimbala and Boltok. X attended Astana
University, where he studied English, journalism and plague research. X has also
worked as an ice maker, gypsy catcher, animal puller, and computer maintenance
engineer.

X later transitioned to being a full-time journalist, and went on to become a famous

T.V. personality.

While the exact number is unknown, it is said that X has at least 5 wives.
 19. Hot

Star of X speaking in a press conference on

the release of X’s season 3.

What is X, and what are the fans bidding for?

20. SOS
FIA introduced the _______ system in 2015, and made the feature mandatory for
all teams in 2018.

Although drivers Tadasuke Makino and Charles Leclerc have both credited
_______ for saving their lives, many long time passionate fans of F1 still refused
to accept this feature, citing that it is “F***ing ugly”.

Niki Lauda puts it in better terms, “it distorts the essence of racing”.
WRITTEN ROUND 1
गु गो बंद दोऊ खड़े...

1. Given are some teachers/mentors. Name their more

famous students/protege.
2. +05 for each correct answer
1. Ramakrishna Paramhansa
2. Ralph Waldo Emerson
When his protege X graduated from Harvard in 1837, X mentions that he was very
influenced by the older man’s views on the natural world.

This would later influence X’s writings, and is clearly reflected in X’s most famous
work about his experiences over 2 years, 2 months, and 2 days in a woodland
owned by Emerson.
3. Christian Dior
The founder of one the world’s top fashion houses hired X as his personal
assistant after he graduated from Chambre Syndicale de la couture in the 1950’s.
Dior taught him the ropes of running the company.

Later, X went on to start his own fashion label, which has become an
internationally recognized name as a synonym of haute couture and 20th century
design.
4. Stella Adler
Adler founded the Stella Adler studio of acting in 1949 in New York city. This
institute has produced many notable alumni over the years. However, X was one
of Adler’s first student, and is credited with bringing the technique of Stanislavski’s
method to Hollywood, and introducing mainstream audiences to method acting. X
went on to be nominated for Academy award 8 times, winning twice (the first one
in 1954). X has publicly credited Adler for teaching him the art.

X was ranked as the 4th greatest male movie star of all time by AFI, and was
included in the Top 10 icons of the century by Variety magazine.
5. Steven Spielberg
Spielberg has known X, often known as the “New Spielberg”, since he was 16
years old. And since then, Spielberg has constantly guided X on his way to
becoming the director of the highest grossing film of 2015.
Please exchange
1. Swami Vivekananda
2. Henry David Thoreau
3. Yves Saint-Laurent
4. Marlon Brando
5. J J Abrams
BOUNCE ROUND 1
+15/-05 on pounce
1. Rock ‘n roll biz
______ was a scandal that broke in the Rock ‘n Roll scene in the early 1960s, in
which the DJs were paid/bribed by the record labels to increase the airplay of their
songs. Later, this scandalous practice also infested the commercial radio market
where stations would not disclose the fact that a particular song had been paid-for
(sponsored). Since then, the term has broadly come to refer to any undisclosed
payment made to cast a product in positive light (e.g. paid positive reviews).

The term itself is a combination of two words. The first of which is an appropriate
term for this act, and the second is a commonly recurring suffix in many
1930-1960 company names (think gramophone, telecom, crayons, shoe polish).
Payola
2. Bien bien!
X is a painting by French surrealist painter Rene Magritte, also known by many
other names (an obscure one being “The Wind and the Song”).

This painting is a quintessential example of what some critics consider to be “meta

art” where, through the artwork, one raises questions on the subject of the artwork
itself. This is what Magritte had to say on the work:

“The famous _______. How people reproached me for it! And yet, could you stuff
my _______? No, it’s just a representation, is it not? So if I had written on my
picture ___________, I’d have been lying!”
3. YOLO
This T.V. series, which used to run on Cartoon Network’s late night programming
block, is famous for dabbling in philosophy.

A part of the inspiration that guides the storyline is derived from H.P. Lovecraft’s
philosophy of ‘cosmicism’ -- or cosmic horror -- which addresses the insignificance
of human existence as compared to the size of the Universe, with no divine
presence.

Similarly, the natures of the show’s characters have heavy tones of existentialism,
with the show featuring different takes on existentialism by Albert Camus and
Nietzsche in different episodes.
4. Rookie numbers
Following are the TOP 5 entries in a list. ID the list, and the entry ranked 1.

1) _________________ (12999)
2) Chicago (9323)
3) The Lion King (8929)
4) Cats (7485)
5) Les Miserables (6680)
Longest running broadway shows

1. Phantom of the opera

5. Death to the West
In February 1979, Ruhollah Khomeini returned to Iran after 14 years of exile,
lauded as “a charismatic, humble leader with immense popularity”. And on August
27, 1979, he ordered the execution of 11 men he deemed to be
“counterrevolutionary”. A few days later, a photo of the execution trumpeted in
newspapers around the world, which exposed the murderous nature of his brand
of religious government.

The next year’s Pulitzer Prize in Photography went to this photo, appropriately
named, “Firing Squad in Iran”. However, this also made the 1980’s Pulitzer in
Photography very unique, a status which it hold to this date.

What is so special about it?

The only anonymous pulitzer in history
6. Psyche!
Ron Stallworth is a retired American police officer from Colorado Springs, and also
the first African-American police officer in the Colorado Springs Police
Department. In 1979, he also became the first African-American to have --
officially -- become a member of the X organization. He decided to apply for it
when he saw an ad in a local newspaper, seeking members for X’s new Colorado
Springs chapter.

In 2014, Stallworth published a book by the name Y, recounting his experience as

X’s member, where he recounts that for a long time he hung X’s membership
certificate as a souvenir (of his achievements).

Y was also the subject of an Oscar nominated Hollywood film by the same name.
X = KKK
Y = Black Klansman (BlackKKlansman film)
7.
Charles Martinet is an American voice actor famous being the voice behind the
character of the baby as well as the adult X. In a 2005 interview, the creator of X
clarified that the age of X was 25-30 years, making Martinet, who was 35 years old
at the time X was released, an apt choice for voicing X.

Y is the central character of a manga series of the same name written and
illustrated by Hiroshi Fujimoto and Motoo Akibo, first published in 1969. Y is
considered a cultural icon by the government of Japan.

Shown in the next image is a frame of Shinzo Abe, at Tokyo’s Shibuya crossing,
from a video clip. He is running late for an event at Z, and finds it impossible to get
there. However, X and Y help him get there right on time! How?
Abe transforms to Mario, who uses the warp pipe
made by Doraemon
8. Racket/Racquet?
X is a former English art design group lead by Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey ‘Po’
Powell that specialized in creating cover art for the albums of rock musicians and
bands.

X’s first collaboration with Led Zeppelin was inspired by Arthur C. Clarke’s book
‘Childhood’s End’ where children climb off the edge of the world. X were able to
produce the final surreal, and iconic piece of art with the help of only two children.

Name X and the album in question.

X= Hipgnosis
WRITTEN ROUND 2
+05 for each correct

ID the self-portraits :)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Please exchange
1. Frida Kahlo
2. Claude Monet
3. Rembrandt
4. Raphael
5. Maqbool Fida Hussein
6. Pablo Picasso
9. Physik
X is a photograph taken by Hubble Space Telescope of the interstellar dust and
gas in the Eagle Nebula in 1995, around 6500-700 LY from Earth, and was named
among the Top 10 photographs from Hubble by Space.com

While naming the photograph ‘X’, NASA scientists were tapping a rich symbolic
tradition with centuries of meaning. X not only brings an image of the ancient
temples of Rome and Greece, but it also something that reverberates strongly with
the Christian culture. The phrase ‘X’ is adapted from a famous 1857 sermon about
the birth of Christ, which goes as:

“The infinite has become an infant; he, upon whose shoulders the Universe doth
hang, hangs at his mother’s breast -- he who created all things, and bears up the
X”
X = Pillars of creation
10. Drive-thru
Sunset Strip is a 1.5 KM stretch of the famous Sunset Boulevard, that passes
through the city of West Hollywood, connecting LA and Beverly Hills. It is famous
for its nightclubs, boutiques, rock clubs, restaurants, and also ___________.

X is a famous and controversial American rock band that derives its name from
Aldous Huxley’s famous 1954 book. When X released their debut album in 1967,
also named X, they became the first band to start a practice that was highly
unconventional of a rock band of the time.

Although X went on to become one of the most successful debut rock album, the
effect this practice had on its sales is debatable. Nevertheless, this practice was
adopted by almost every band/group that followed, including Beatles, Rolling
Stones, and many more.
X = The Doors
First band to advertise on billboards
11. Proletariat's fav
The last time France ran out of X, the nation revolted. Therefore, for the last 200
years, France has had a decree regulating the number of leaves Y’s can take
during summer holidays, to ensure that there is constant supply of X.

In 1993 another law was passed, which quite famously came to be known as the X
Law, which also regulated exactly how X is supposed to manufactured. X only has
4 specific ingredients, and cannot have preservatives. Further, apart from wheat
flour it may contain up 2% broad bean flour, upto 0.5% soya flour, and upto 0.3%
wheat malt flour. Any more or any less implies that Y’s lose their license to be an
authorized X manufacturer.
X = Baguette
Y = Boulangers
12. Connect (non-exhaustive)
Mera Piya Ghar Aaya

Ilmon Bas Kareen O Yaar

Kundalini

Chaiyya Chaiyya

Dama Dam Mast Qalandar

Khaki Banda

Kamlee
Baba Bulleh Shah
13. Did you not expect this
X was Monet’s close friend, and displayed his paintings at the Impressionists’
exhibitions. Although, Monet loved painting landscapes, and studying the various
effects of light, X loved painting pretty women, affluent people, and sunlit city
scenes. “Why shouldn’t art be pretty” X said. “There are enough unpleasant things
in life”.

Y was, interestingly, invented by an American painter John Rand, superseding pig

bladders and glass syringes. According to X, “Without Y, there would have been
no Impressionism”. He is correct because the very idea that defined
Impressionism -- vivid outdoor images with thick messy paints -- would have been
non-existent without Y.
X = Pierre Auguste Renoir
Y = Paint Tubes
14. Occult
“General Scholium” was an essay written by X and first appeared as an appendix
in the second (1713) edition of _________. X had already shot to fame after the
first edition which was published decades earlier. It is in this essay that X mentions
the famous phrase “Hypotheses non fingo” (I do not feign hypotheses), stating that
hypotheses have no place in experimental philosophy.

Another famous quote, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of
giants” was also made by X in a letter addressed to Robert Hooke. However,
contrary to the general perception, this was an oblique attack on a short &
hunchback Hooke rather than -- or in addition to -- an admission of modesty.

Where on the web would you see this quote as a tagline?

X = Issac Newton
15. Ahoy Mark!
X was the main antagonist of the commercials of Y, first introduced in 1971, along
with other characters like Grimace, Captain Crook etc. The hero was obviously
__________ __________, and the commercials were set in Y-land, a
(hypothetical) place where the characters had names and looks based upon Y’s
products.

The commercials, however, were discontinued in 2002. Marketing experts say it

was because there was a growing concern about the health effects of Y’s
products; and because these commercials were reminiscent of a time when cheap
mattered more than healthy, Y was in a serious need of rebranding.

The character of X was reintroduced in 2015, with fresh looks, shown in next slide.
X = Hamburglar
Y = McDonald’s
16.
X was an American publisher, author, promoter, and businessman. X had quick to
realize the immense potential of cashing in on the growing American obsession
with flight. In 1927, he had already published a blockbuster “We”, an
autobiography of the Time Magazine’s first person of the year.

Following the same formula he had established with “We”, his next publication was
called “20 Hrs. 40 Min.” and was the autobiographical account of Y, who had went
from being an unknown 30 year old social worker, to a blockbuster author and X’s
wife -- all in a span of 4 years.
X = George Putnam
Y = Amelia Earhart
17. Fish ‘n Chips
In 1946, in an abandoned farmhouse on the Scottish Island of Jura ______
______ _______ started working on his seminal work X. He finally completed the
manuscript in December 1948 over several visits to the dilapidated farmhouse.

X is also the name of an advertisement that introduced Y, a pioneering product in

its field by a company which was ranked as the most valued brand on the Forbes
2018 list. The ad has imagery which alludes to the themes of the book, and hence
the namesake. The Advertising Age placed it on top in its list of “50 Greatest Ads
of All Time”.

The images show (1) The Farmhouse (2) A frame from the Ad
X = 1984
Y = Macintosh
18.
____ ____ ____ ____ is a 1991 RHCP album that pole-vaulted them to fame. Given the kind
of themes the album was based on, including supernatural sex and drugs, the band thought
it would add to their creativity to record the album in an unconventional setting. The location
their producer Rick Rubin suggested was the mansion of X. The band agreed that they
would stay in the house for the entire duration of the recording. This freaked out Smith
because, according to Kiedis, Smith was convinced that the mansion was haunted, and thus,
he would always leave after the day’s work. Frusciante too thought that the mansion was
haunted. However, he thought that the ghosts were “warm, and friendly”.

X was a famous Austrian Jew, and was an active freemason. Although X is believed to have
died from a ruptured appendix as a result of physical trauma, many believe he might have
been murdered by, so called, ‘spiritualists’ of the day, who were debunked time and again by
X.
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
X = Harry Houdini
Connect 1 (+40/-30)
X was an American actress, model, and dancer. She achieved her fame during the
1940s, and was one of the era’s top female star, having appeared in more than 60
films over 35 years. She was known as the “Love Goddess” by the media, and is
still remembered as the most glamorous screen idol of the day.

Another thing that kept her on the front page of the news was her marriages. She
was married and divorced 5 times. More famously, she was the wife of Orson
Welles who she divorced after 4 years despite calling him “the greatest love of her
life”.

In August 1941, she shot an iconic photo for Life magazine, in a satin nightgown.
The gown sold for $26,888 in 2002.
Connect 2 (+30/-20)
A ____________ is a sweet dessert consisting of one or more layers. It may be
baked or unbaked, and is usually refrigerated. It is generally sweetened with white
sugar, and flavoured. Common flavours include pumpkin, chocolate, lemon, and
vanilla. An Indian variety of this dessert which originated in the town Odia town of
Nayagarh, is very popular in many states, and especially popular in coastal West
Bengal and Odisha.
Connect 3 (+20/-10)
The history of ___X___ is long and significant. The earliest occurrence can be
traced back to 17th and 18th century when the Persian cavalry utilised X to ensure
that their feet stayed in stirrups. When X came to europe in the 18th century, it
came to be associated with royalty. The elites, and royal classes demanding
longer X so as to differentiate them from the masses. During the time of Louis XIV,
the lengths of X were mandated by law. The popularity of X slowly died away in
the 19th century.

X, finally, saw a resurgence in the 20th century which brought with it two
devastating world war. WW I to some extent but majorly WW II was responsible
for the huge increase in the popularity of X in the post-war years.
Connect 4 (+15/-08)
X is a very outspoken vegan, and an activist for PETA. She most recently featured
in “Nicky Larson et le parfum de cupidon”, a french comedy. You might better
know her for her marriage with an American heavy metal band Motley Crue’s
drummer -- within 96 hours of having met him -- which resulted in Hepatitis C, and
a sex tape.
Connect 5 (+10/-05)
Audio
Connect 6 (+05)
PIN UP GIRLS