IBQC's 2021 edition of the Open Quiz was conducted on the 4th and 5th of September, 2021. It was open to only community members from IISER Bhopal. Suthanth Srinivasan and Padmanav Baruah conducted the thoroughly enjoyable and competitive quiz. Congrats to all winners, and to all Googlers, you saksak.
3. Rules
“There is no offline quizzing really. Matter of
fact, it’s all online.”
-Unnamed Google-fu expert, avid online quizzer
That said, the QMs believe that quizzing should be done for
the joy of it and that cheating takes away exactly that. With
that out of the way here are the rules for the prelims.
1. 21 questions in the prelims. The questions will have
to be answered in the Google form shared with the
participants.
2. There is no negative marking and guessing is
encouraged. For each creative guess the QMs shall
enjoy a chocolate on the behalf of the team giving the
answer. Partials wherever applicable.
3. Top 6 teams/lone wolves go through to the
finals. Star marked questions to resolve ties.
4. Hints will usually be given unless there are a
considerable number of opposing teams. This
number is not fixed but is decided by the QMs
depending on their perceived difficulty of the
question.
5. After the set is run in its entirety once, it will
quickly be run in reverse order and then the QMs
will take requests for showing specific questions.
6. QMs’ decisions are final.
4.
5. Bhaiyaji
Q1.
The person depicted in the white loincloth was the first son of
Abraham, the first patriarch in many religions. The first line
of a very famous classic book uses his name. The same book
was inspired by an Albino entity encountered near a
Chilean Island in the 19th century. The island shares its
name with a type of coffee based drink.
Which book?
6. Magazine
Q2.
Which emoji/What are they replacing the emoji with? It is
associated with a Dutch inventor called Johann Waaler who
wanted to avoid hassle and probably enjoyed organised life.
(Bigger image follows)
8. Vancouver
Q3. ****
This practice had its origins from a time
when uniforms weren't formally a part of
the sport and it was needed to distinguish
between teammates and the opposition.
Even though the practice hasn't continued
to present day, it has lent its name to a
count of something. This term is used in
multiple sports. What are we talking about?
10. Q6.
A Right to Information query raised in 2013 was answered saying that over 450 schemes, building,
projects, institutions, etc were named after a group of people.
Recently one of these entities was notably renamed. This caused slight confusion because it is also
the name of another one of the same kind, coming under the purview of the same authority. What
are we talking about? It is related to a 20th century sepoy who (according to folklore) refused a
high ranking post in the Wehrmacht.
Meditate
11. Oh say
Q7.
Luciano Pavarotti was an opera singer of
the late 20th century. He was known for his
acute range of vocals, being a superb tenor.
He was hence dubbed in an honorific
manner as the “King of the ____ __”. What
nautical pun fills the blanks?
12. Q8.
This website is a spoof of an online scientific preprint repository which generates random paper
abstracts and titles. Its name combines (portmanteau) a word meaning making fun of something
sarcastically and the name of the original repository.
Another site has its name derived from the reverse of the original website’s name and was set up by
an independent Physicist as an alternative without any moderation of quality. That is, there are no
academic requirements imposed upon the submitters. As a result it has gained a reputation among
Physicists as hosting material of no interest and is often seen as a platform for ‘junk science’.
Identify these two websites.
Cranks
13. Dil
Q9.
The name given to baby platypuses is the same as the
portmanteau of a breed of dog associated with a British
multinational telecom company, and the breed of dog
Snoopy from Peanuts is. What name is given to baby
platypuses, derived from an Australian range of 1990s soft
toys?
14. Anokha Pyar
Q10. ****
Connect the images on the left and the right
(look for common element(s)) to guess what
has been blanked out in the headline.
15. A progressive alternative
Q12.
Tere____ (one word) is a brand of tequila that
began in March 2020. The first part of the name is
from Latin for Earth (Terra). The second part of
the name is a Polynesian word for “life force
energy”. This word is encountered in many card
and video games. What is the second part of the
name (hence name the brand)? Which celebrity
known for his recent “exploits” in a tropical
rainforest owns this brand?
16. AA
Q13.
A commodity associated with a particular country isn’t actually native to it. These were first
brought to that country from the garden of an Ottoman ruler in the end of the 16th century. The
17th century gave rise to the Tulpenmanie period in that country, with prices and demand soaring.
People started stealing that commodity and even using it as currency. What is the commodity that is
being talked about, which remains popular and famously associated with that country even
today?
17. The Iceman
Q14. ****
This poster was used in a campaign in a particular country.
The issue hits close to home for people from a southern
state of India.
What campaign was this poster used for?
18. No Balls ---> Yes Balls
Q15.
The author of this book won the Champion of
Change award for his contribution to the Swachh
Bharat Abhiyan. Who is the audacious author of
this book published in October 2013 ? It’s all
downhill from there ;-)
(Bigger image follows)
19.
20. A pain in the neck
Q16.
Something that a lot of us had to deal with as students
when we were younger, this is an item that connects three
very different things.
● The British royal house
● A Galactic Guardian
● A schoolboy
What is the common thread? Note that the list is not
exhaustive.
23. Psychosomatic
Q19. ****
1. A genre of music characterized by the use of existing musical samples to create new
tracks.
2. It is a compound word with the first component being a word synonymous with pillage and
the second being a word that can also refer to a system of language learning where people
are taught how letters or groups of letters in writing actually sound in the spoken language.
24. Toe
Q20.
This is the son of the Sun God in
the Japanese anime
Fate/Apocrypha. Using cues
from the image, identify him.
26. Bhaiyaji
Q1.
The person depicted in the white loincloth was the first son of
Abraham, the first patriarch in many religions. The first line
of a very famous classic book uses his name. The same book
was inspired by an Albino entity encountered near a
Chilean Island in the 19th century. The island shares its
name with a type of coffee based drink.
Which book?
28. Magazine
Q2.
Which emoji/What are they replacing the emoji with? It is
associated with a Dutch inventor called Johann Waaler who
wanted to avoid hassle and probably enjoyed organised life.
(Bigger image follows)
31. Vancouver
Q3. ****
This practice had its origins from a time
when uniforms weren't formally a part of
the sport and it was needed to distinguish
between teammates and the opposition.
Even though the practice hasn't continued
to present day, it has lent its name to a
count of something. This term is used in
multiple sports. What are we talking about?
35. Q6.
A Right to Information query raised in 2013 was answered saying that over 450 schemes, building,
projects, institutions, etc were named after a group of people.
Recently one of these entities was notably renamed. This caused slight confusion because it is also
the name of another one of the same kind, coming under the purview of the same authority. What
are we talking about? It is related to a 20th century sepoy who (according to folklore) refused a
high ranking post in the Wehrmacht.
Meditate
36. Renaming of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna
Award.
Meditate
37. Oh say
Q7.
Luciano Pavarotti was an opera singer of
the late 20th century. He was known for his
acute range of vocals, being a superb tenor.
He was hence dubbed in an honorific
manner as the “King of the ____ __”. What
nautical pun fills the blanks?
39. Q8.
This website is a spoof of an online scientific preprint repository which generates random paper
abstracts and titles. Its name combines (portmanteau) a word meaning making fun of something
sarcastically and the name of the original repository.
Another site has its name derived from the reverse of the original website’s name and was set up by
an independent Physicist as an alternative without any moderation of quality. That is, there are no
academic requirements imposed upon the submitters. As a result it has gained a reputation among
Physicists as hosting material of no interest and is often seen as a platform for ‘junk science’.
Identify these two websites.
Cranks
41. Dil
Q9.
The name given to baby platypuses is the same as the
portmanteau of a breed of dog associated with a British
multinational telecom company, and the breed of dog
Snoopy from Peanuts is. What name is given to baby
platypuses, derived from an Australian range of 1990s soft
toys?
43. Anokha Pyar
Q10. ****
Connect the images on the left and the right
(look for common element(s)) to guess what
has been blanked out in the headline.
45. A progressive alternative
Q12.
Tere____ (one word) is a brand of tequila that
began in March 2020. The first part of the name is
from Latin for Earth (Terra). The second part of
the name is a Polynesian word for “life force
energy”. This word is encountered in many card
and video games. What is the second part of the
name (hence name the brand)? Which celebrity
known for his recent “exploits” in a tropical
rainforest owns this brand?
47. AA
Q13.
A commodity associated with a particular country isn’t actually native to it. These were first
brought to that country from the garden of an Ottoman ruler in the end of the 16th century. The
17th century gave rise to the Tulpenmanie period in that country, with prices and demand soaring.
People started stealing that commodity and even using it as currency. What is the commodity that is
being talked about, which remains popular and famously associated with that country even
today?
49. The Iceman
Q14. ****
This poster was used in a campaign in a particular country.
The issue hits close to home for people from a southern
state of India.
What campaign was this poster used for?
51. No Balls ---> Yes Balls
Q15.
The author of this book won the Champion of
Change award for his contribution to the Swachh
Bharat Abhiyan. Who is the audacious author of
this book published in October 2013 ? It’s all
downhill from there ;-)
(Bigger image follows)
52.
53.
54. A pain in the neck
Q16.
Something that a lot of us had to deal with as students
when we were younger, this is an item that connects three
very different things.
● The British royal house
● A Galactic Guardian
● A schoolboy
What is the common thread? Note that the list is not
exhaustive.
59. Snowfall?
Basically these are printed intaglio on
the older set of Indian currency notes.
They can be felt by the blind, to
differentiate between notes.
60. Psychosomatic
Q19. ****
1. A genre of music characterized by the use of existing musical samples to create new
tracks.
2. It is a compound word with the first component being a word synonymous with ‘pillage’ and
the second being a word that can also refer to a system of language learning where people
are taught how letters or groups of letters in writing actually sound in the spoken language.
68. Rules:
“”
-Unnamed Google-fu expert, avid online quizzer
That said, the QMs believe that quizzing should be done
for the joy of it and that cheating takes away exactly that.
With that out of the way here are the rules for the finals-
1. 22 questions in the finals, followed by an LVC.
2. First Round: Clockwise round with infinite
bounce. 2 questions. +20/-10 on pounce and +10
with no negs on direct.
3. Then we have a bonus round of three questions
which will be pounce only for +20/-10. But,
getting two answers right in a row will fetch a
bonus 20 points and getting all three a bonus 30.
3. Then we will have an anticlockwise round
with the same format as that of the first
round.
4. Then we have another bonus pounce only
round with the same rules as that of the
second round.
5. We will cap off the quiz with a Long Visual
Connect.
6. Partials apply to positive and negative points
and the points distribution will be equal
unless otherwise stated.
70. The map marks Sutherland, a Scottish county. This map may
seem to be confusing if you consider the etymology of this
place. Why is it called Sutherland still?
1) Ice and Snow
71. It was named “Southern Land” by the Vikings who came
from Norway and settled in the Northern archipelago of
Orkney. It was still South to someone.
1) Ice and Snow
72. X theory is a subfield of Topology which deals with its eponym; a class of mathematical objects
inspired by something ubiquitous from everyday life. Everyone comes across these or create
these on almost a daily basis.
A Y polynomial is a X invariant. It was discovered by James Waddell Y II to become the first X
polynomial. Mathematical technicalities aside, Y is also the name of a person from the 4th century
B.C.E., who encountered an extremely frustrating X, and instead of trying to solve the puzzle,
literally brute forced it.
Identify X and Y.
2) Clover
74. 3) On the Beard
This is a comic strip titled The Truth by a British
writer named Glenn Bledsoe. It was published in
episodes in a British bimonthly magazine that
discusses Victorian era England (among other
things) in 2014. Set in 1888, what is this comic
strip all about/put funda?
(Bigger image follows)
75.
76. Gandhi being Jack the Ripper, as both were active in London, England at the same time.
3) On the Beard
77. 4) Git Gud
Pictured here is a badge one would get on
GitHub for a unique achievement. Taking cues
from the image, identify the achievement.
(Bigger image follows)
80. This is a photograph from a meeting
between Anas Haqqani, a member of
the Taliban leadership and some eminent
Afghan personalities. Haqqani said “The
Islamic Emirate laid the foundation of
X in Afghanistan, still fully supports it.”
What was this meeting about?
(Bigger image follows)
5) Young R.K.
83. It used hydrogen instead of the usual propane. Since hydrogen burns without colour, sulphur was added
to create a golden colour. A solar station in a region famous for a nuclear meltdown created this hydrogen
from electrolysis of water. What are we talking about, which was created by a design firm called Nendo?
In 1964, A certain Mr. Sakai metaphorically brought it to life, signifying postwar reconstruction and
peace. What date was he born on, which was a major factor in his selection for this process? Who similarly
brought it to life this year?
6) Brimstone
84. The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Flame. Naomi
Osaka lit it this year.
Yoshinori Sakai, who lit the flame in the
1964 Tokyo Olympics was born on 6th
August, 1945, in Hiroshima.
6) Brimstone
85. Jeremy Clarkson, on an episode in the second season of The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime, talked
about the Ford GT which he was testing, jokingly quipping that it had been developed by a small team
of around 20 people under the radar of Ford management, whose only requirement was that the car
must have a small glove box in front of the seat so that while they were testing the car in Detroit they
had something to store their X. Give me X, which will immediately strike you if you are aware of
Clarkson’s tendency to make fun of American culture whenever he gets the opportunity.
7) You infantile pillock!
86. X: Guns (“Glocks”)
He makes the joke in S2E2 The Falls Guys (timestamp 16:41)
7) You infantile pillock!
87. 8) Vada
X is a neighbourhood of South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. One of the first factories of a certain
kind was established here in 1934, by a company born in Austria-Hungary. The product
manufactured by this company primarily is also produced as a cottage industry in this town. This
company has an enormous footprint in India, being an industry leader worldwide.
This neighbourhood was founded by the half brother of the founder of the company. A similar
neighbourhood was founded in Canada by the founder's son in 1939. The latter was done to escape
Nazi atrocities which had been picking up pace for over a year in the country where the company
was originally based.
ID X.
89. Round 2: Pounce Only!
+20/-10
Streak Rules:
Bonus 20 for
two in a row
Bonus 30 for
all three
90. The oldest shop of its kind in the world, the building pictured here is a declared
Grade II* listed building.
Some famous customers include
1. Lord Nelson who used a product in the Battle of Trafalgar.
2. Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden, who were
responsible for one of their products becoming a signature accessory.
What does this establishment sell? As a hint, one may find the following device at
the shop.
(Bigger images follow).
1/3
92. An English phrase used to lightheartedly suggest that a person is suffering from
insanity, there are actually different, equally interesting theories about the origin
of this saying.
1. The prevalence of Mercury poisoning in workers employed in a particular
trade because of the use of Mercury products in manufacturing.
2. An adaptation of the Anglo-Saxon word X meaning poison which is closely
related to the word adder for a venomous snake found in Europe.
Identify the saying which inspired a character in an influential 19th century novel.
2/3
93. After X had been shot by Y, a famous stage actor, the 16th ___ ____ Cavalry
Regiment had been sent to apprehend Y who had taken refuge in a tobacco barn
on a farm in Virginia. Despite orders to take Y alive, Z, pictured here, shot him
dead.
It is believed that the trade Z had been employed in caused some mental
deterioration and this affected his decision-making. He was forgiven for the
insubordination but later left the army and went back to his former employment
and after a few years, was even more mad than people had earlier thought, and was
thrown in an asylum. Identify Y and the trade Z was employed in (no partial
points).
3/3
94. 1. The establishment is Lock & Co. Hatters . They
sell hats (company name not needed for points).
2. Mad as a hatter. The girl pictured is Alice
Liddell who inspired the titular character in
Alice in Wonderland (not needed for points).
3. Y: John Wilkes Booth; Z: Boston Corbett; He
was employed as a hatter (Z not needed for
points).
3/3
96. So the story goes like this. In 2009, a Brazilian artist called Jarbas Agnelli saw this
particular photograph of birds on a set of 5 wires. He was just curious as to what kind of
_____ the birds were making. What did he do next/put funda? A certain conversion of
sorts was involved.
1) Govt. Drone Recharge Point
98. 2) Candles
This is an 1849 illustration by British illustrator
Richard Doyle (Arthur Conan Doyle's uncle). It
portrays a hall containing the death masks of
famous personalities before that period,
including Robespierre, Marat, Louis XVI and
Marie Antoinette.
Who was the curator of this collection of death
masks and statues?
(Bigger image follows)
101. Plietesials are a class of plants which grow for a long period of time, then bloom in a synchronised
manner, set seed and die.
A famous plant in this category is the X which blossoms only once in 12 years. It has had a well
documented blooming history starting from 1838. In fact, the latest blooming was this year, before which
the last iteration was in 2018.
The colour of the flowers lends its name to a region in southern India, which is also a district with its
headquarters located in a famous retreat.
Identify the flower and the region (no partials). Also tell me how the flower is relevant in a peculiar way to
the Paliyan tribe of the region. The answer I am looking for has nothing to do with medicinal properties of
the plant.
3) Boarding School
102. Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) which is considered to be the origin of the name
Nilgiris.
The Paliyans use it to calculate their age.
3) Boarding School
103. 4) someBODY once told me
The man on the left used to work for the one on
the right and was responsible for reviving X's
standing as an animation company.
After the chairman died, he felt that he should
be given the role but his boss on the right denied
him the opportunity. As a result he left and
founded his own company.
In 2001 the company released a highly
successful animation feature and it is
commonly said that a villainous character in the
film was based upon the guy on the right.
Identify the character in question.
104. 4) someBODY once told me
Jeffrey Katzenberg, co-founder of Dreamworks SKG is the man on the left (not needed for
points).
It is a common theory that Mike Eisner (not needed) inspired Lord Farquaad from Shrek.
105. 5) Let’s Make Things Better
The BBC Radio 1 broadcast was awkwardly cut to announce the relevant newsbyte and a glorious
meme was born from it. The event in question was in the news in April this year. Given below
are snippets from an article talking about the complaints BBC received over perceived excessive
coverage of the same. What has been blanked?
107. This work is titled The View from a
Window at Le Gras. It was created
by Nicephore Niepce in the 1820s
using light sensitive Syrian asphalt,
oil of Lavender, white petroleum
and a pewter plate in a period of
about 8 hours. How is this work
important to a certain field?
6) What mine?
110. 7) Fu Go
This is part of a Fu Go. In 1944, the Fu Go
became the first intercontinental explosive
weapon. It was a cheap weapon with a
payload of bombs and incendiary devices.
Only 6 people were ever killed by it, all in
one single incident.
If a missile or rockets were not used to
deliver it, what was used to ensure it's
delivery from Japan to the USA?
(Bigger image follows)
112. 7) Fu Go
It was basically a balloon
that used the Pacific jet
stream to naturally carry the
bombs from Japan to the
USA.
113. Horacio Gaggioli is a Spanish agent who represents
notable players like Marco Asensio and Jordi Gomez,
among others. What item associated with dining (but
famous for something else) is kept in a safe under his
account in Credit Andorra, an Andorran bank?
8) Take it from outside
114. Lionel Messi’s first Barcelona contract
signed on a napkin.
8) Take it from outside
115. Round 4: Pounce Only!
+20/-10
Streak Rules:
Bonus 20 for
two in a row
Bonus 30 for
all three
116. 1/3
If you’ve noticed, X hasn’t been around much recently. This iconic mascot (of Y) has slowly been phased
out of advertising by the company and a competitor Z, saw an advertisement opportunity and grabbed it
with both hands. In 2020, they started the trend #LonelyNoMore and offered a product for free to
anyone who sent a picture of themselves posing with X.
One of the reasons for X’s disappearance is that the character was introduced targeting children and in
the early 2010s, the correlation between companies like Y and high rates of a major health issue in the
United States was made amply clear. The final nail in the coffin for X was a Great Panic in 2016,
which has been described by The Guardian as a volatile mix of fear and contagion.
Give me X.
117. 2/3
The Holy Trinity Church, Dalton, London is also called the X Church. It is home to a museum run by X
International. The members of this organisation come from USA, UK, Portugal and Denmark, among
other countries.
This museum has a collection of painted eggs. Whenever a new member (a new X) joins the organisation,
an egg is painted with the same markings as that of the make-up of the new member. Hence new members
have to send a photo of their made-up face and some fabrics from their costumes to the organisation.
Nowadays, ceramic versions of eggs are used, as they break easily otherwise. What is X (a profession) and
why does each member have their faces painted on these eggs/what purpose does this tradition serve?
118. 3/3
This Pokémon, X has been criticised in circles, mainly for its humanoid design incorporating the worst
design aspects of what it is based on. It has been called by one website as the lamest Pokémon to exist.
As younglings they are gifted with an art that is reflected in their name and as they grow up they gain
psychic barrier-creating powers. An editor at GameInformer claimed that X is the weirdest Pokémon, and
said it is the only Pokémon to date with a title, "I’m not entirely convinced X isn’t just a failed _____
trying to disembark from the human species."
In another unrelated media franchise, X is the evil alter ego of a children’s entertainer who turns black
and white and gains superpowers after a truck carrying bleach hits him. He has the powers to turn things
black and white by touch and render objects, people and animals mute.
Give me X.
119. Answers:
1. Ronald McDonald.
1. Clowns, Eggs are
painted not only to
serve as a register for
legacy, but also as an
unofficial indicator of
makeup copyright.
1. Mr Mime.
130. TB1
Queen Cleopatra purportedly used to follow a beauty regime that involved salt collected from a
particular location. She would rub the salt on her skin and use it as an exfoliating agent. The salt
mixture itself had high concentrations of calcium, iodides, sodium and bromides. It is also
speculated that she used black mud and herbs from the same location as well, in her beauty routine.
What location?
132. TB2
This is the Wat Pah Maha Chedi Kaew temple
in Thailand. It was completed in 1986, and has
been nicknamed the “Temple with a Million
______”. The China Daily once the structure
as an environment friendly way to attain
Nirvana.
What was this temple mainly constructed with?
(Bigger image follows)
135. TB3
TB3.
This is a form of counterfeit Xanax
popular in the streets of the UK and the
USA. It usually contains more than 5mg
of alprazolam, more than double the
usual amount in a regular white pill of
Xanax.
What street name has been colloquially
given to this pill, which is associated with
an English football club?
(Bigger image follows)
