TRIVIA II

Alyssa

1

It was founded in 2004 by former PayPal employees Russel Simmons and Jeremy Stoppelman. 

Stoppelman and Simmons conceived the initial idea as an email-based referral network, after Stoppelman caught the flu and had a difficult time finding an online recommendation for a local doctor. 

Stoppelman explained that they decided on the company's name because "it was short, memorable, easy to spell, and was familiar with 'the help' and 'yellow pages'". 

Which company?

Yelp

1

In a recent Euro 2024 match, Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrated with a pose inspired by a strategic card game popular within the England team. Known for roles like 'villagers' and involving deception and survival skills, this game is based on a concept similar to 'Mafia', originating from a Russian psychology student and resembling a hit BBC show.

 What animal's name, also the title of this game, inspired their gesture?

"Wolf Crew" / Werewolf

1

This character's iconic look was inspired by the Mexican revolutionary figure known as Clara de la Rocha. Renowned for her bravery and leadership in the fight against oppression, this character is also known for being the twin of a significant figure who has become a legendary hero. 

Who is this influential character famous for both her memorable hairstyle and her courageous actions?

Princess Leia

1

The author and illustrator based the character's appearance on that of a Dutch doll: tall and bony, with short black hair, arge blue eyes, a snub nose, and a prim, pursed mouth. The author originally objected to the casting of Julie Andrews, claiming that Andrews was too attractive for the role; however, upon meeting Andrews in person for the first time, Travers allegedly examined the actress for a few moments before conceding, "Well, you've the nose for it." Shown here is the character as imagined by the illustrator of the book series for the first volume. 

Which character?

Mary Poppins

1

In Internet culture, this refers to any Internet content deemed to be of low quality or value, or the supposed negative psychological and cognitive effects caused by it. The term also refers to excessive use of digital media, especially short-form entertainment, which may affect cognitive health. The term originated within the online cultures of Generation Alpha and Generation Z, but has since become mainstream. 

Which word is this that was named Oxford Word of the Year 2024?

Brain rot

Ben

1

This painting was sold at a Bonham's auction in Nov 2017 for USD 57,000. It was painted by X as part of the promotion of the science fiction film Fantastic Voyage (1966), starring Raquel Welch and Stephen Boyd. Twentieth Century-Fox hired Albert and David Maysles to film X painting Welch in his room at New York's St. Regis Hotel as part of a short promotional film, titled X's Fantastic Dream (1965). 

X's life and work have been an important influence on art and contemporary culture. He has been portrayed on film by Robert Pattinson in Little Ashes (2008), by Adrien Brody in Midnight in Paris (2011), and by Ben Kingsley in X-land. 

ID X.

Dali

1

Ricinus ____ is a species of chewing lice which parasitises the calandra lark (Melanocorypha calandra) in Azerbaijan. The species name is derived from ____ ____, a fictional character. According to Miroslav Valan, Oldrich Sychra, and Ivan Literak, the first author's fiancée noticed a similarity between the head of the R. ____ and character's helmet. 

Give me the iconic character after which this species is named.

Darth Vader (Ricinus vaderi)

1

XY washing involves exaggerating the capabilities of a product or service in order to make it look more sophisticated, innovative or intelligent than it actually is. It can be seen as a form of bandwagon jumping. 

For a specific example, Coca-Cola was accused of XY washing for a campaign claiming it had used XY to create a new drink. Although it stated that the Y3000 flavor had been 'co-created' with XY, there was no real explanation of how XY was involved in the process. Some critics pointed out that it seemed to be name dropping to make the product seem more innovative  than it actually was. 

ID XY.

AI Washing

1

A prominent tech company developed a new technology under the codename "Atlas," initially named with a nod to the Celtic tradition of storytelling. This technology was later introduced with a name signifying a leap in capability and creativity. Interestingly, the new name is also associated with the celestial twins in astrology, reflecting its dual capabilities.

ID what's being talked about

Bard to Gemini

1

This meme began to gain traction online in July 2023, around the time that a Tik-Toker made a popular video joking about the frustrating delay in something happening. This concept of expressing disbelief and frustration quickly took off and the meme was replicated countless times across social media. 

Which meme?

We got [X] before GTA 6

Darpan

1

Principal photography began in January 2020, with A24 announcing that it would finance and distribute the film. Around this time, the directors were invited by Marvel Studios to discuss the possibility of them developing the first season of the Disney+ series Loki, which also deals with a storyline involving the multiverse, but the duo, already not really interested in the project, declined as they were about to start shooting their own movie about the same concept. Shooting took 38 days, mostly in Simi Valley, California. 

Which 2022 movie am I discussing here?

Everything Everywhere All at Once

1

In the early 1900s, a Swiss chemist named Jacques E. Brandenberger was inspired by a simple restaurant incident: wine spilling on a tablecloth. He aimed to create a fabric that repelled liquids. Initially, his attempts resulted in a stiff material, but he discovered that the coating could be peeled off as a separate film. After a decade of refinement, including adding glycerin to soften the material, he perfected this innovative film and patented it in 1912. This material quickly gained popularity, especially for wrapping candies. Although it initially had issues with moisture permeability, advancements by chemist William Hale Charch improved its properties. This transparent film revolutionized packaging and self-service retailing of fresh meat. 

What is the name of this versatile material?

Cellophane

1

Bob the Builder is a British animated children's television series that follows the adventures of Bob, a general contractor along with his colleague Wendy, various neighbours, and friends, and equipment, and their gang of anthropomorphised work-vehicles. 

In the Japanese version, the characters of Bob the Builder have five fingers instead of the original four because of a certain practice among the X of Japan. 

The X are known for their strict codes of conduct, their organized fiefdom nature, and several unconventional ritual practices. Members are often portrayed as males with heavily tattooed bodies sometimes wearing a kimono or, in more recent years, a Western-style "sharp" suit. 

Id X (& the practice)

Yakuza; cut off their little fingers as a sign they can be trusted, have strength of character, and will stay through.

1

The ____ ___ theory is a speculative investing strategy that involves buying an overvalued asset and selling it for a profit. The theory is based on the idea that there will always be someone willing to pay more than you did for an asset. 

You can make money by buying an asset that's overpriced and selling it to someone else for an even higher price. 

This theory is most relevant when a stock's price is driven by the expectation that buyers will always be found, rather than the company's intrinsic value

What theory are we talking about?

Greater Fool Theory

1

In a notable deviation from its traditional course, the 111th edition of the Tour de France began in Florence, Italy, and concluded in Nice, France, in July 2024. This year's route marked a significant change, as the race's finale took place far from its usual grand destination. The race did not finish in (or near) X for the first time since its inception. 

ID X and the reason

Paris: Preparation for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris

Grace

1

This condition is occasionally referred to as trypanophobia. According to experts, it is likely that the form of this phobia that is genetic has some basis in evolution, given that thousands of years ago humans who meticulously avoided ___ wounds have a greater chance of survival. The phobia is characterized by panic attacks, nausea, sweats, heart palpitations, and fainting. It is made worse as the phobia can cause the sufferer to avoid medical care for any ailment.

Which phobia are we talking about?

Fear of Needles

1

In 1939, advertising executive Alex F. Osborn began developing methods for creative problem-solving. He was frustrated by employees' inability to develop creative ideas individually for ad campaigns. In response, he began hosting group-thinking sessions and discovered a significant improvement in the quality and quantity of ideas produced by employees. He first termed the process as organized ideation.

During the period when Osborn made his concept, he started writing on creative thinking, and the first notable book where he mentioned the term was How to Think Up. Which term did he popularise here?

Brainstorming

1

Ads for which brand?
 

Levi's low rise jeans

1

The word means "little donkey" in Spanish. The name as applied to the dish, possibly derives from the tendency for it to contain a lot of different things similar to how a donkey would be able to carry a large burden. 

An often repeated piece of folk history is the story of a man named Juan Méndez who sold tacos at a street stand in the Bella Vista, while using a donkey as a transport for himself and his food. To keep the food warm, he would do something which as the story tells gave rise to this food item. 

What item?

Burrito

1

Jeremy Silman was an American chess player, an International Master and a writer. He was also the chess consultant for X, but was uncredited for his work. For the project, he had multiple considerations to keep in mind. The penultimate move had to have a sacrifice, and the producer even asked that the first move be a capture, for a dynamic start. As the protagonists were playing Black, Silman turned the White Queen into the scene's villain, who would take the sacrifice offered by the protagonists, and would itself be finally killed by the last Black move. 

ID X.

Harry potter and the philosopher's stone

Nivedita

1

The first noted use of the word was by Horace Walpole on 28 January 1754. In a letter he wrote to his friend Horace Mann, Walpole explained an unexpected discovery he had made about a lost painting of Bianca Cappello by Giorgio Vasari by reference to a Persian fairy tale, The Three Princes of _____. The princes, he told his correspondent, were "always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of." 

Which word?

Serendipity

1

X is an economic theory that describes what happens when a shared resource is overused or destroyed by individuals acting in their own self-interest 

When many people have access to a finite resource, they may overuse it and destroy its value. This is because individuals tend to make decisions based on their own needs, without considering the negative impact on others. 

The term was first used in 1968 by Garrett Hardin in Science Magazine. However, the theory was conceptualized in 1833 by British writer William Forster Lloyd 

What theory are we talking about?

Tragedy of the Commons

1

The earliest known appearance of the phrase was in The Boston Journal. In an article titled "Current Notes" in an 1885 edition, the phrase is mentioned as an ideal candidate for something and went on to find a boost in popularity with the advent of typewriters. 

A 1908 edition of a magazine article mentions that a certain Arthur F. Curtis invented it because the then popular alternative "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the party" was less suitable for the intended task. 

Which phrase?

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog 

1

"For many years in popular culture, people associated the ____ _____ with the Vikings," Helle Vandkilde, an archaeologist at Aarhus University in Denmark, tells Live Science's Tom Metcalfe. "But actually, it's nonsense. The _____ ______ is from the Bronze Age and is traceable back to the ancient Near East." Essentially saying it existed 2000-3000 years ago before the Vikings. 

Viking society only developed in the 9th century C.E., and there is no sign of the myth. According to History.com, the legend likely originated with Scandinavian artists in the 1800s, who popularized it. Research told the objects connected with divine rulerships and warfare were similar to depictions of headgear found in western Iberia and the Mediterranean island of Sardinia. The motif likely reached Europe from the East thanks to Phoenician travelers from the eastern Mediterranean coastal area.

Which popular myth was thus broken?

The Horned Helmets Falsely Attributed to Vikings

1

In November 2024, Saraaf, a Pakistani commodity and mineral sourcing company, secured an investment of PKR 80 crore (subject to due diligence, approximately $2.7 million) for a 20% equity stake and an additional PKR 70 crore (around $2.3 million) as a line of credit, surpassed the previous $2.5 million investment in Zipz Wine, a company specializing in single-serve wine packaged in innovative, portable containers. 

Saraaf specializes in connecting Central Asian suppliers with international markets, dealing in premium onyx, cotton, and minerals. 

What record did the company manage to break through this investment?

The largest cumulative deal in the history of the Shark Tank Franchise globally

Sidney

1

Cécred (pronounced 'sacred') is a privately held American hair care brand founded in 2024. Who is the founder of Cécred?

Beyoncé

1

ID what's blanked out

Eras Tour

1

Meet the Dirty _____ the brand's latest menu addition. The sweet sipper is a refreshing cup of Dr. Pepper that's topped with vanilla shake mix and a sliced lime. The new beverage is the brand's take on Dirty Soda, a trending drink first popularized in the Mormon community. America's recent obsession with Dirty Soda (thanks in part to the reality show "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives") has been popping up at other fast food chains, too. 

Which brand started in 1964 in California specialised in American style Mexican cuisines, is behind this?

 

Del Taco

1

This has been a regular phenomenon since 2015 barring a few years. The first one consisted of: 

* "Tombstone Blues"
* "My Favorite Things"
* "So Much Trouble in the World"
* "Superpower"
* "Paradise"
* "The Best Is Yet to Come"
* "Green Light"
* "The Very Thought of You"
* "Gimme Shelter"  
* "Rock Steady"
* "Flamenco Sketches"

What are we talking about?

Barack Obama's Summer Playlist

 

1

What's blanked out from the tweet and google trend for last 5 years?

 

Ozempic

Shubham

1

He named the Pacific Ocean (which was sometimes referred to as the Sea of ______, in his honor, until the 18th century). 

You can see this statue of him in Lisbon, who are we discussing?

Ferdinand Magellan

1

Sales of dystopian novels surged dramatically in 2024, with some titles seeing a 30,000 percent increase. The Handmaid's Tale soared over 400 places to number three on the bestseller charts. Other works, including 1984 by George Orwell, also rose significantly, reflecting growing interest in themes of tyranny and societal control. 

What 2024 event triggered this rise in dystopian book sales?

Trump Win

1

Rectangular-shaped deep dish pizza is called _______ style pizza, as opposed to the round varieties seen in other American cities. This is due to the fact that pizzerias in ______ did not want to spend money on pizza pans; instead, they improvised and used industrial parts trays, which are meant to hold small mechanical parts in factories.

Fill in the Blank.

Detroit

1

This series began in late 2010 when its creator, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, pitched various projects to producer Steven A. Cohen at the Tornante Company. Although initially reluctant, illustrator Lisa Hanawalt eventually joined, helping to define the show's unique style. The story, originally envisioned differently, shifted to focus on a washed-up actor in Hollywood. After a successful pitch to Netflix in 2013, the series premiered in 2014. Known for its dark humor, the series ran for six seasons, concluding in 2020 with a split final season. 

Name this series that explored fame, mental health, and redemption through its troubled main character?

Bojack Horseman

1

Three theories have been suggested to account for this: 

First, that they were purely mythical, and the descriptions found in ancient Greek and Roman writings (including those of Strabo, Diodorus Siculus and Quintus Curtius Rufus) represented a romantic ideal of an eastern ______ 

Second, that they existed, but were destroyed sometime around the first century AD. 

And third, that the legend refers to a well-documented something that the Assyrian King Sennacherib built in his capital city of Nineveh on the River Tigris, near the modern city of Mosul. 

All of them are suggesting to the existence of what?

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Tram

1

Kublai Khan, also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder and first emperor of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty of China. He was the second son of Tolui by his chief wife Sorghaghtani Beki, and a grandson of Genghis Khan. Several Europeans visited the empire, notably X in the 1270s, who was appointed to serve as Khan's foreign emissary throughout the empire and lived in the emperor's lands for 17 years.

ID X

Marco Polo

1

They are found in the following countries: Austria (28.7%), Italy (27.2%), France (21.4%), Switzerland (13.2%), Germany (5.8 %), Slovenia (3.6%), Liechtenstein (0.08%) and Monaco (0.001%). 

The word could come from the adjective meaning "white", or could possibly come from another word meaning "white flour". 

What are we talking about?

Alps

1

X is a prized portion of the hindquarter of cattle immediately behind the ribs that is usually cut into steaks. In Modern French, the cut of meat is called aloyau or faux-filet. 

A fictitious etymology explains the name as being derived from an occasion when a king of England, delighted with its tenderness, knighted the steak. 

What is X?

Sirloin

1

Mark Zuckerberg once revealed a significant acquisition from The American Farm Bureau Federation for Facebook, costing $8.5 million. 

What was acquired by Facebook?

fb.com domain

1

In 1975, the United States passed an act that established a national policy to gradually increase the use of something. The law was voluntary and created a Board to coordinate the transition. However, the law was never successful. Some reasons include:

Voluntary law: The law was voluntary, so it never took off. 

Isolation: The US remains isolated in its US customary measures bubble. 

Americans weren't ready: Americans weren't ready to switch 

What was this Act about?

To convert to Metric System