2. Question 1 The standard story is that this term was coined in 1949. Captain ________, a development engineer was assigned to Colonel J.P. Stapp's research on the rocket sleds that tested the limits of human endurance to acceleration and deceleration at Muroc Field, California (later renamed Edwards Air Force Base). The captain apparently was referring to a particular technician, whose name has been lost to history, who had wired a piece of equipment incorrectly. A few weeks later in a press conference, Stapp credited his program's safety record to planning for '___________ __'. What term?
5. Question 2 This term was coined by Milton in Paradise Lost. ____________ __ was originally hell. Literally, it means the place of all demons. By a century later (c. 1779) the term was in use as a reference to place that was like hell. And a century after that, it had come to mean a wild and lawless place--a rather natural progression. What word?
8. Question 3 This word is derived from the salt rations issued to the Roman soldiers and civil servants. When money began to be paid instead of the salt rations, the allowance kept the same name, what?
11. Question 4 "Hundreds of tribesman had come from afar to gather on the shores of a deep lake set in the crater of an extinct volcano some 9000 feet above sea level. A hush fell over the assembled crowd as the solemn ceremony got under way. Attendants slowly undressed the ruler, rubbed clay over his naked body and sprinkled him with gold dust until he became _________. They led him to a balsa wood raft where he was joined by 4 chieftains. Laden with gold and offerings, the raft was pushed into the lake, where the chieftains threw the offerings into the water and the ruler plunged in afterwards, emerging from the depths with his body cleansed of its gold sheath" This the first chronicled description of what?
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13. Answer 4 El Dorado- 'The Golden Man‘ (As described by Juan Rodriguez Freyl, a Spanish chronicler in 1636...though he'd never seen the ceremony himself!)
14. Question 5 Some historians believe that this gets its name from the following 18th century practice: “The first ____________ _ was actually a live captured runaway slave. Often times children playing where they shouldn't, would jam sharpened wooden sticks though the knotholes of the boxes in which they were kept. In reaction the slave inside would yelp and burst out through the top of the lid......”. What?
17. Question 6 This popular phrase is said to have been derived from British Prime Minister Robert ‘_ _ _’ Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquee of Salisbury who appointed his nephew Arthur Balfour to several important government posts. It was thus said of Balfour that preferment came easily if '______________'. Fill in the blank
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19. Answer 6 Robert 'Bob' Gascoyne-Cecil Bob's your uncle
20. Question 7 Easy if you have read Dan Brown’s books. In Spain, the church used to commission architects to make statues. The statues often carried mistakes by artists in the form of cracks, dents etc... the artists used to cover these mistakes up by using wax, or _____ as the Spaniards used to call it... now here comes the catch. the statues which were blemish less was not treated with wax. What was the name given to this class of statues? The name went on to English with similar implications.
23. Question 8 In medieval combats, the knights were encouraged by upper class ladies who used to watch the fights. They used to give small pieces of clothes etc to the knights to charge them up. What did they call such small gifts?
29. Question 10 He is considered to be the inventor of mountain golf. When he was lying on his deathbed, he did not have enough money to give his nurse and so he gave her his book and asked her to sell it to get some money. This book became a great hit. He also contributor of many words and phrases to the English language. Vamp being one of them. Who is he???
32. Question 11 From medieval times there were legal restrictions on building close to one's property line so that the water from the roof would not damage the neighbor's land. The word that they used borrowed itself into the English language and in today's context means, to listen to conversations to which one is not a party. What word?
35. Question 12 This dance form takes its name from competitions slaveholders sometimes held, in which they offered slices of hoecake as prizes for the best dancers. Invented as a satirical parody of the formal European ballroom dances preferred by white slave owners, this features exaggerated imitations of the dance ritual, combined with traditional African dance steps. What word/ phrase originated from this?
38. Question 13 What did Michael Hart at the University of Illinois do (and in the process started something) in 1971, because he had ample computer time on his hands and a mainframe computer? [Hint: National Treasure]
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40. Answer 11 He sat and typed the American Declaration Of Independence and thus started Project Gutenberg, the world's largest collection of free e-books.
41. Question 12 According to the Jahangir Nama, the emperor was impressed by the performance of certain performers. Their leader Krishna Chandra Dev was presented an entire village called Sutigram near Dhaka and the Dev family became the landlords of the village. Being landlords they were called ________ , a term that became their family name. Currently, the eighth generation of this family still continues the tradition of entertainment. Fill in the blank
44. Question 13 The term "_____________" is characterized by broad humour, absurd situations and vigorous chases, often violent in action. The phrase comes from the term battacchio called the '___________' in English. It is a club-like object composed of two wooden slats, and produces a loud smacking noise when struck, though little force is transferred to the person being struck. __________________ became popular in 19th-century music halls and Vaudeville theatres.
47. Question 14 X was an English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence during the Crimean War for her pioneering work in nursing, and was dubbed "~~A~~" after her habit of making rounds at night to tend injured soldiers. She was also described as a "~~B~~". It was the first time this term was used to describe someone. This term is used very liberally nowadays by the Indian press to describe cricket and movie personalities.
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49. Answer 14 X = Florence Nightingale A= Lady with the lamp B = Living Legend
50. Question 15 The traditional recorded celebration of ~~A~~ has long included giving money and other gifts to those who were needy and in service positions. The European tradition has been dated to the Middle Ages. ________ were placed outside churches used to collect special offerings tied to the Feast of Saint Stephen. In the United Kingdom it certainly became a custom of the nineteenth century Victorians for tradesmen to collect their gifts in return in _____ for good and reliable service throughout the year on the day after the holiday. In exchange for ensuring that wealthy landowners' holiday ran smoothly, their servants were allowed to take the next day off to visit their families. The employers gave each servant _______ having gifts and. Around the 1800s, churches opened their __________and distributed the contents to the poor.
53. Question 16 A ________, in Norse mythology, is a female warrior spirit who selects the most heroic of the battlefield dead and escorts them to eternal life in the warrior-paradise of Valhalla. The word comes from the Old Norse X , or the “the dead, slain,” and kjósa, “to choose.” So a _________ is literally a “chooser of the slain". Claim to fame: A 2008 thriller.
56. Question 17 This name for this place was originally a horse-racing slang that made its way into the vernacular. The metaphor is that this place is a succulent and sweet prize to be had for those who are successful in racing or any field of endeavor. ~~~B~~~ was commonly used in the late-19th century to refer to the winnings of a wager. This use appears as early as the August 1847 issue of The American Farmer: "Try it once and we’ll bet you a ~~~B~~~ that you do it every year thereafter for the balance of your life"
59. Question 18 The story goes that the more well-to-do passengers travelling to and from India used to have XXXX written against their bookings, standing for 'XXX YYY, Starboard ZZZ' (indicating the more desirable cabins, on the shady side of the ship). Now it is used as an adjective for people, localities and fashion among many things.
62. Question 19 Although it is thought to have originated from the abbreviation of four words, the original sense of ____ was 'new things'; this is long obsolete. Since the 15th century it has been used to mean 'tidings, the report of recent events, new occurrences as a subject or report or talk.'
65. Question 21 This famous brand of Scotch Whisky faced a stiff resistance before their launch in India. They were initially denied permission to launch because their brand name was thought to be against the Indian laws related to brand names. Ultimately they persuaded the Indian authorities and at this point of time it is one of the largest selling Scotch Whisky brands in India. Name it.
69. Question 22 A distinctive feature of the publishers of this series of books is the length of time their books are available to buy. They publish a set number of books each month which are sent to subscribers and displayed on stands in bookshops. At the end of the month, any unsold copies in the shops are withdrawn and pulped. Titles are available to buy direct from the official website for 3 months or until they are sold out, whichever is sooner. Again, any remaining books are disposed of. Fans looking for particular books after this time must find them second-hand.
72. Question 22 X was an overnight success from the debut of her act at the Musée Guimet on 13 March 1905. Following that success, she became the long-time mistress of the millionaire Lyon industrialist Emile Etienne Guimet who founded the Musée. She posed as a Java princess of priestly Hindu birth, pretending to have been immersed in the art of sacred Indian dance since childhood. She brought this carefree provocative style to the stage in her act, which garnered wide acclaim. The most celebrated segment of her act was her progressive shedding of clothing until she wore just a jeweled bra and some ornaments upon her arms and head. X?
75. The term was conceived by the company's founder, Dee Hock. He believed that the word was instantly recognizable in many languages in many countries, and that it also denoted universal acceptance. Nowadays, the term has become a recursive backronym. Which term?
78. Question 24 This was a trading company started on February 1st, 1851 at two places – Winterthur in Switzerland and Bombay. Salomon was in charge of the Winterthur setup while brother Johann Georg took care of the Bombay one. Over the years it established branches at Colombo, Cochin, Karachi, Madras etc (primarily ports because of the company’s shipping and trading activities). It continued to expand through out the world while slowly exiting India, starting off with a part-sale of itsEngineering and Imports division in 1954. Name the company.
81. Question 25 The origin of this phrase, meaning ‘to make up one’s mind to go through with an unpleasant situation or experience’, dates back to the days when the wounded had to be seen to without the benefit of anaesthetics or painkillers. The victim would be given an object that would help him brace himself against the coming pain. What phrase?
84. Question 26 This term originated in the US Navy as the description of a group of ships assembled for a specific operation or purpose. It is now applied to any group with a specific job or focus. What much abused two-word phrase?
87. Question 27 This Yogic Siddhi helps the sadhaka to see things or events happening at any place in all the three worlds. This power was used by Sanjay to explain the happenings at the Kurukshetra to Dhritarashtra. It is one of the reasons why we miss our childhoods so much. Name the siddhi.
90. Question 28 Complete the lyrics of the first stanza of this son I keep a close watch on this heart of mine I keep my eyes wide open all the time I keep the ends out for the tie that binds Because you're mine, I _____ ___ _____
93. Question 29 Enlisted in the British Navy at age 16. Nude model at age 19. Worked as a coffin poilsher and milk delivery man. Took dancing lessons for 11 years. Was third at Mr Universe, 1953. People Magazine's "Sexiest man Alive",1989. Who is he?
96. Question 30 The islands Baltra, Bartolomé, ________ , Española, Fernandina, Floreana, Genovesa, Isabela, Marchena, Pinta, Pinzón, Rábida, San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, Sa nta Fe, Santiago and Wolf are part of an archipelago . In 1959, the count ry that administers it declared that 97.5% of the area would become part of a new national park. Identify the archipelago.