Season 1 - Week 1 Flashcards
Which fruit, native to South East Asia but also grown across the Carribbean, has the scientific name ‘Citrus Maxima’ to convey that it is the largest in the citrus family? The principal ancestor of the grapefruit, it is known by the name Shaddock in the Carribbean isles. It is most commonly consumed as a juice while also finding use in candying processes or as a preserve.
Pomelo
[Also accept Jabong, Bhogate,
and Jambola ; Alternate names]
“Ba” is a genus of land snail endemic to Fiji, named after the Ba District. When combined with the genus name ‘ba’, the name for its
sole species is a reference to WHICH CATCHPHRASE used by a character from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens?
“Bah! Humbug!”
(full scientific name is Ba
humbugi)
Which 1960 American heist film featured 5 members of the Hollywood Rat Pack (including Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin) masterminding a
series of Las Vegas casino robberies, and was named for the size of the heist crew? The film served as the primary inspiration for the 2001
Steven Soderbergh remake of the same name, as well as its sequels in 2004, 2007 and 2018
Ocean’s 11
[Accept anything that has
‘Ocean’s’ in it, the number
shouldn’t matter]
Hailed as “Africa’s Che Guevera” for his work in prioritising education as well as land reform, which head of state was assassinated during a
military coup in 1987? He became the first President of the Republic of Upper Volta at the young age of 33, and went on to rename the
country to something that translates to “Land of the Incorruptible People”.
Thomas Sankara
[The country is Burkina Faso]
One of the big winners of the ‘funeral games’ to succeed Alexander The Great went on to rule Asia Minor, Syria, and Mesopotamia. Which of
Alexander’s generals was this, founder of an eponymous empire, who lost an infamous battle with Chandragupta Maurya? After marrying
Maurya’s daughter, he received a consort of 500 elephants that proved decisive in his victory at Battle of Ipsus.
Seleucus I Nicator
[Selecuid Empire - A reference
to the empire’s name or his first
name is ACCEPTABLE; Prompt
on Nicator]
Kays of Scotland is the only company with exclusive rights to the Ailsa Craig granite, granted by the Marquess of Ailsa, whose family has owned the island since 1560. What sporting equipment does this company supply to the Winter Olympics and other major tournaments? The trefor granite secured from a quarry in Wales is the only other material that has been used to make this equipment.
Curling Stones
[Curling is the keyword here;
Give points for any appropriate
substitute for ‘stones’ as long as
curling is in the answer]
What is the good word that the Danes use to describe a mood of coziness and comfortable conviviality with feelings of wellness and
contentment? Deriving from Norwegian for “to comfort”, this lifestyle concept has become ubiquitous with the Danish identity which
explains why strangers often tip their hats in the country. The same root has given us an English word that describes a basic act of
comforting.
Hygge
[Pronounced hoo-ga, same root
that gives us ‘hug’]
Which Russian tennis player ascended to the top in 2009 without ever winning a Slam, joining her brother (a 2-time Slam champion) to become the first sister-brother world No. 1 pair? In total, she spent 26 weeks at the top and made back-to-back French Open finals, losing to Ana Ivanovic (2008) and Svetlana Kuznetsova (2009). She also lost the 2009 Australian Open final to Serena Williams.
Dinara Safina
What is the name given to large and often unfastened bags with parallel handles that emerge from the sides of its pouch? Getting its
name from a Lower German word meaning bag, these find their main use as re-usable shopping bags. Archetypal bags of this variety are
made from sturdy cloth, and they are increasingly being produced using low-cost ecological materials due to its high reusability.
Tote Bag
A Bornhardt is a dome-shaped, steep-sided, bald rock outcropping at least 30 metres in height and several hundred metres in width named
after the eponymous German naturalist. What is its common nickname however, deriving from such a mountain in Brazil, which in turn gets its
name because it resembled the molds in which refined [BLANK] was sold in 18th/19th centuries?
Sugarloaf
[In reference to the Sugarloaf
mountain Rio; Or how sugar
was once sold in molds of such
shape]
Members of which family of viruses insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell that they invade, thus changing the genome
of that cell? Once inside the host cell’s cytoplasm, the virus uses its own reverse transcriptase enzyme to produce DNA from its RNA genome, a ‘reversal of the usual pattern’ - giving it the name. In humans, viruses from this family cause diseases such as HIV and a type
of leukemia.
Retro-virus
Which Rajputana princely state was founded in 1465 when the eldest son of a neighbouring kingdom chose to build his own kingdom instead of inheriting his father’s? The Rathore family which ruled over the state for over 500 years prayed to Karni Mata, whose most famous temple known for its large population of rats is located here today. The last ruler ensured this was one of the first Indian states to join the union, even issuing a clarion call for other leaders to do the same.
Bikaner
Which group of related RNA viruses cause respiratory tract infections in mammals and birds, ranging from mild to lethal? Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the common cold while more lethal varieties can cause SARS or MERS. They are named for the appearance
of the characteristic club-shaped spikes that project from their surface.
Corona-virus
The shooting of which 1974 Toby Hailcki heist film famously wrecked and destroyed 93 cars in the shooting of a 40-minute car chase scene?
The remake, released in 2000, updates most of the list of 50 cars to be stolen by the protagonist, but the most valuable car is changed from a
1973 Ford Mustang to a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500.
Gone in 60 Seconds
What is the name given to bags with a strap, traditionally used for carrying books? The strap is often worn so that it diagonally crosses
the body, with the bag hanging on the opposite hip, rather than hanging directly down from the shoulder. In Shakespeare’s ‘All the world’s a stage’ monologue, he says “Then the whining schoolboy, with his [blank], And shining morning face, creeping like snail.”
Satchel
Which island and overseas department/region of France near the Comoros islands is believed to get its name from the Arabic for ‘island
of death’ (maybe due to the dangerous reefs circling the island) and corrupted to Portuguese and then French? However, the Arabic etymology is doubtful and its more likely that the name came from the biggest island Mahore.
Mayotte
Which British multinational confectionary company was established in 1824 by a Quaker, John [Blank], who sold tea, coffee, and drinking
chocolate? The company, named eponymously after the Quaker, used a high proportion of milk within its signature recipe that has been a key
contribution to the brand’s worldwide popularity.
Cadbury
What is the name of The Economist’s column on American politics, named after the town in Massachusetts where the first battle of the
American war of independence took place? The town shares its name with the second-largest city in Kentucky and is known as the “Horse
Capital of the World”.
Lexington
Which Serbian tennis player became the first woman to hit the #1 ranking without ever having reached a Grand Slam final in 2008? She
was ranked #1 for a combined period of 18 weeks. She did eventually reach a Grand Slam final, the US Open later that year, and also won a
mixed doubles Slam in 2015. Though she hasn’t officially announced her retirement yet, she has not played a game since 2017.
Jelena Jankovic
“Scaptia” is the genus name of a horse fly discovered in Queensland, Australia in 1981, but not scientifically described until 2011. The fly’s
most striking feature is the collection of golden hair at the very tip on its abdomen (which you might even call a ‘booty’), which caused
researchers to name it after WHICH POP FIGURE who was coincidentally also born in 1981?
Beyonce
(full scientific name is scaptia
beyonceae)
Which fruit, obtained from a tree from the ebony family, is the national fruit of Japan? 90% of its production happens in the Oriental nations of
China, Japan, and Korea where they are commonly served as dried fruits bearing names such as ‘gotgam’ and ‘hoshigaki’. Their name is
however not oriental in origin but from the Virginian Powahatan language meaning ‘dry fruit’.
Persimmon
[Also accept haluwabed,
Sharon Fruit, and kaki]
By what term do we refer to a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water by which they are otherwise
separated? Originating from Greek for ‘neck’, canals are typically built on these entities, as in Panama and Suez. In anatomy, the same term is
used to refer to a constriction between organs, the fallopian tube being a case in point.
Isthmus
The first war in the ‘funeral games’ to succeed Alexander The Great was triggered when one of his generals stole his body and moved it to
Egypt. In the battle that ensued, this general came out victorious establishing his namesake dynasty that ruled Egypt until Cleopatra’s
death three centuries later. Who is this ruler, who also commissioned the building of Library at Alexandria?
Ptolemy I Soter
[Accept just PTOLEMY; Prompt
on Soter]
By what term do we refer to a deep, narrow valley with steep sides getting its name from Spanish for ‘tube’ or ‘pipe’? We can also accept
an alternate term deriving from French for ‘throat’, even though this technically refers to a narrower & steeper version. Some famous
examples include the Fish River [Blank] in Namibia or Gandikota in India.
Canyon
[Also accept GORGE]
What is the good word that the Portuguese and Goans use to describe their relaxed, laid-back attitude towards life? Deriving from Portuguese
for “quiet”, this lifestyle concept is used by Goans to explain why shops remain closed after lunch for a siesta, something that even local
governments have attempted to mandate.
Susegad
[Accept Susegado, Sosegado]
Incorporating elements of basketball rather surprisingly, which noncontact Canadian winter sport is played by girls on the same rink as ice
hockey with a blue, rubber, pneumatic [BLANK]? The blanked out word is the key item used in the sport, instead of puck, which lends its name
to the sport itself. It does not feature at the Winter Olympics just yet, despite Canada’s attempts to do so
Ringette
