Mindgames ed. 11

In which I scour OPEN and other news sources for questions based ONLY on recent events.

Q1. They exchanged their fins for more than 100 vertebrae. Who or what?

Q2. In which Indian state do trains halt for just one week every year?

Q3. What does the American Academy of Paediatrics want to do to ‘hot dogs’ and which breed of dog is the snack named after?

Q4. On 2 April 2011, almost everyone in India will be watching what?

Q5. Name the famous landmark.

Q6. Which Indian city was Raja Bhoj the founder of?

Q7. These awards, presented last week, are ‘vertically challenged.’ Name them.

Q8. The ‘one booker wonder’ is back in the news for offering to play ‘independent observer’ but not ‘mediator’ or ‘interlocutor’. Who?

Q9. It has taken him more than twenty years to score 93. Who and what am I hiding in the question?

Q10. Abyss, Near Dark, Strange Days, True Lies, ____________, Hurt Locker, Terminator. Q: Please fill in the blank that completes the sequence.

Your first task in this round is to identify the person/thing shown in the picture. Then, connect a, b and c to another well-known person, your final answer. All three ‘connections’ have to be explained for an entry to qualify as a ‘final answer’. Note: The picture clue a) is not the final solution.

a)

b) Gautama Buddha

c) Blue

Q: Who or what is connected to A, B and C?

Solutions to Mindgames 10 and the winner/s: The 10th edition of Mindgames was a story with a different ending. Different, that is, from the one we’ve had in the ten editions of Mindgames so far. Once again, many came close to a full house. Sadly, Q9 seemed to be the stumbling block. Anand Kadkol, our sole winner so far returned a score of 8/10. It wasn’t the highest. That honour this week goes to Sarvanan B, who managed one more than Anand. Congratulations, Sarvanan B. And thanks guys, for playing. Keep playing.

A1. Shilpa Shetty, “An acting phenomenon.” Really, now. Who spoke so highly of the shapely Indian non-actor? Clue: Brown-nosing. Answer: Gordon Brown, PM of Britain

A2. Who turned twenty just recently? Clue: The parent doesn’t get along with Steve Jobs’ baby. Answer: Adobe Photoshop

A3. This new leader is singing a different tune. Clue: Lord Brahma. Answer: Nitin Gadkari, President, BJP who can hold a tune pretty well and sang a different tune by advocating a relatively less aggressive stance on the Ram Temple-Babri Mosque issue in Ayodhya.

A4. Knight in shining armour stripped the innerwear off their backs in order not to hurt the sentiments of the people of Kolkata. Who and what am I alluding to? Answer: The severing of the contract Shah Rukh Khan’s KKR had with Lux Cozi, the brand of innerwear owned by the industrial house of the Todis.

A5. Coming soon: Sanath Jayasuriya and Arjuna Ranatunga representing opposing teams. Question: Where? Answer: In the political space.

A6. Name the sport. Answer: The back-breaking sport of Curling, which is most popular in Canada.

A7. This famous chap’s dog is named after a currency. Name him and his dog. Clue: No budget. Answer: Richie Rich and his dog Dollar, the ‘Dollarmatian’.

A8. 45 billion pairs of what exported annually from China are seriously depleting their forest reserves? Answer: Wooden chopsticks

A9. In the USA, it is estimated to be 8% of GDP. In China, 14%. In South Africa, 29%. In Sri Lanka, 45%. And in India, around 24% of GDP. What is? Answer: The Black Economy

A10. This version of Silas Marner was a real quack. Answer: Uncle Scrooge

Your first task in this round is to identify the person/thing shown in the picture. Then, connect a, b and c to another well-known person, your final answer. All three ‘connections’ have to be explained for an entry to qualify as a ‘final answer’. Note: The picture clue a) is not the final solution.

a)

b) Ashok Amritraj

c) George Clooney

Q: Who or what is connected to A, B and C?

Answer: Hollywood

The Open Round

In which I scour OPEN and other news sources for questions based ONLY on recent events.

Q1. They exchanged their fins for more than 100 vertebrae. Who or what?

Q2. In which Indian state do trains halt for just one week every year?

Q3. What does the American Academy of Paediatrics want to do to ‘hot dogs’ and which breed of dog is the snack named after?

Q4. On 2 April 2011, almost everyone in India will be watching what?

Q5. Name the famous landmark.

Q6. Which Indian city was Raja Bhoj the founder of?

Q7. These awards, presented last week, are ‘vertically challenged.’ Name them.

Q8. The ‘one booker wonder’ is back in the news for offering to play ‘independent observer’ but not ‘mediator’ or ‘interlocutor’. Who?

Q9. It has taken him more than twenty years to score 93. Who and what am I hiding in the question?

Q10. Abyss, Near Dark, Strange Days, True Lies, ____________, Hurt Locker, Terminator. Q: Please fill in the blank that completes the sequence.

Your first task in this round is to identify the person/thing shown in the picture. Then, connect a, b and c to another well-known person, your final answer. All three ‘connections’ have to be explained for an entry to qualify as a ‘final answer’. Note: The picture clue a) is not the final solution.

a)

b) Gautama Buddha

c) Blue

Q: Who or what is connected to A, B and C?

Solutions to Mindgames 10 and the winner/s: The 10th edition of Mindgames was a story with a different ending. Different, that is, from the one we’ve had in the ten editions of Mindgames so far. Once again, many came close to a full house. Sadly, Q9 seemed to be the stumbling block. Anand Kadkol, our sole winner so far returned a score of 8/10. It wasn’t the highest. That honour this week goes to Sarvanan B, who managed one more than Anand. Congratulations, Sarvanan B. And thanks guys, for playing. Keep playing.

A1. Shilpa Shetty, “An acting phenomenon.” Really, now. Who spoke so highly of the shapely Indian non-actor? Clue: Brown-nosing. Answer: Gordon Brown, PM of Britain

A2. Who turned twenty just recently? Clue: The parent doesn’t get along with Steve Jobs’ baby. Answer: Adobe Photoshop

A3. This new leader is singing a different tune. Clue: Lord Brahma. Answer: Nitin Gadkari, President, BJP who can hold a tune pretty well and sang a different tune by advocating a relatively less aggressive stance on the Ram Temple-Babri Mosque issue in Ayodhya.

A4. Knight in shining armour stripped the innerwear off their backs in order not to hurt the sentiments of the people of Kolkata. Who and what am I alluding to? Answer: The severing of the contract Shah Rukh Khan’s KKR had with Lux Cozi, the brand of innerwear owned by the industrial house of the Todis.

A5. Coming soon: Sanath Jayasuriya and Arjuna Ranatunga representing opposing teams. Question: Where? Answer: In the political space.

A6. Name the sport. Answer: The back-breaking sport of Curling, which is most popular in Canada.

A7. This famous chap’s dog is named after a currency. Name him and his dog. Clue: No budget. Answer: Richie Rich and his dog Dollar, the ‘Dollarmatian’.

A8. 45 billion pairs of what exported annually from China are seriously depleting their forest reserves? Answer: Wooden chopsticks

A9. In the USA, it is estimated to be 8% of GDP. In China, 14%. In South Africa, 29%. In Sri Lanka, 45%. And in India, around 24% of GDP. What is? Answer: The Black Economy

A10. This version of Silas Marner was a real quack. Answer: Uncle Scrooge

Your first task in this round is to identify the person/thing shown in the picture. Then, connect a, b and c to another well-known person, your final answer. All three ‘connections’ have to be explained for an entry to qualify as a ‘final answer’. Note: The picture clue a) is not the final solution.

a)

b) Ashok Amritraj

c) George Clooney

Q: Who or what is connected to A, B and C?

Answer: Hollywood

About The Author

Avinash Subramaniam