An Annual Quiz compiled by Aniruddha Dutta, Guest Quiz Master

• 23 questions from 2022 and 2023 to reflect on the year gone by and welcome the new year knocking on our doors
• All questions have the number of alphabets required in the answer mentioned.
• The quiz can be played interactively till 13^th January,2023 at https://quizizz.com/join?gc=52763115

Q1. For over 30 years ex BBC employee Ella Slack performed a “service” which she described as a “pleasure and an honor”. Broadcasters used her due to the similar size and stature she had as Queen Elizabeth. Due to this, she was often called into service before any official event.  Ella never accepted any payment for the service she provided.

What nickname did she acquire because of this service she was called out for? (9,5)

Q2. The Taxiing phase and the Take Off & Climb phase are part of an ambitious 5-year plan that Air India undertook in 2022 to establish itself again as a world class global airline with an Indian heart.

From the Sanskrit for “Dawn of a new era,” what is this plan named? (6)

Q3. The original name of this entity. which was in the news in 2022, for its acquisition by Microsoft was Silicon and Synapse with “silicon” representing the building block of a computer, while “synapse” the building block of the brain. However, the name underwent multiple changes finally settling on one which the founders picked up from the dictionary.

Which entity is this, which is also the name of a weather phenomenon in the winter season? (8 or 10,8)

Q4. When it started 100 years ago in 1922, it only published articles condensed from other publications. Only in 1933, did the first original article titled Insanity – the Modern Menace, by Henry Morton Robinson.

Which publication is this? (7,6)

Q5. An Indophile and a Padma awardee, whom we lost in 2022, he intended to undertake a journey to explore and understand India in a Rolls Royce. When the car salesperson refused to sell the Rolls Royce Corniche, he finally settled on a second-hand Rolls Royce Silver Cloud on Lord Mountbatten’s advice.

Who is this one-time international correspondent of the Paris Match? (9,8)

Q6. Advertising agency Banda, which has an office in Los Angeles and a European country was in the news in 2022. It likes to create brands that people want to talk about. Which famous campaign did they come up with in 2022 for its most important client, which in many ways is a first to be launched, when the client is in the midst of a very “critical activity”?

Who is the client?

(First word of the campaign will suffice for the first answer. Second word should be the name of the client) (7,7)

Q7. The Indian startup economy crossed a major milestone as it added the 100^th startup to the unicorn club in 2022. Which neo-banking platform backed by Google and Tiger Global, which has helped over 2.3 million small businesses and co-founded by Anish Achuthan, Mabel Chacko, Deena Jacob and Ajeesh Achuthan is this? (4)

Q8. 40 years ago in 1982, lawyer Martin Lipton coined this term as a response to the hostile takeovers in practice then, drawing from a practice that spies followed when they were discovered to eliminate the possibility of being interrogated by an enemy.

In 2022, Twitter, before being bought over by Elon Musk tried enacting a similar strategy but in vain.

Which term is this? (6,4)

Q9. Developed and co-founded by NBA legend, entrepreneurand advocate, Dwyane Wade, it was created with the athlete in mind and especially for those looking to maintain a balanced lifestyle. Wade also appeared in advertisements tied to this product.

In 2022, much out of compulsion during the FIFA World Cup, this product came into a lot of focus especially in the stadiums where matches were held.

Which product (brand name) was this? (9,4 or 3,4)

Q10. In 2022, when this “product” retired, it became the source for multiple memes. Even a dedicated graveyard was created in South Korea for it.The Fevicol twitter account tweeted – “Happy retirement to our biggest brand ambassador” #stuck Which product was this? (8,8 or 2)

Q11. During her early days, she started her career as a dentist.Her husband, a newsmaker himself in 2022, too started from humble beginnings working for a non-descript firm Mahendra Brothers in Mumbai.Today, she is the chairperson of a foundation which believes in “Growth with Goodness.” Who is the lady in question? (5,5)

Q12. In Spanish, the word means a public promenade bordered with trees. A firm by this name added “Research” to it in 2021 to avoid scrutiny, with its founder stating that everyone wants a Research Institute.It went bankrupt in 2022 when its sister concern went bankrupt too. Which Research firm is this? (7)

Q13. On January 1,2023 Croatia would be joining Europe’s Schengen zone and also adopt Euro as their currency. However, they recently engaged in a debate with Serbia over a historical figure whose image would adorn the freshly minted 50,20 and 10 cent coins. While the debate is on putting the image on “petty change,” who is this figure, whose 80^th death anniversary also falls in 2023? (6,5)

Q14. 2023 is also the year of the 75^th death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. While there have been fountain pens brought out in his honor, he had a personal disliking for them as he thought it would metamorphose villages to cities. While Montblanc brought out the Limited-edition Gandhi pens, which Indian business group among other products came out with the Eternal Gandhi fountain pens? (6,5)

Q15. Motley Flint was a executive and investment banker with the Security Bank of Los Angeles. In 1923, he lent money to a group of brothers for their business as he could see the deep love they held for their parents and that they were sincere and honest. Which group of brothers, thus set up their company 100 years ago? (6,8 or 6.4)

Q16. One of the most well-known associations between two entities in the world of gaming comes to an end in 2023 after a partnership of over 30 years. It held the Guinness record for the best-selling video game franchise in the world. One of the entities intends to enter a new partnership to produce the real game that has the ______ name.

Which are these 2 entities? (One of the blanks is the name of one of the entities)            (4,2 or 4,8)

Q17. This portmanteau term was introduced in the 1940s by Alcoa to describes its blending of skills related to engineering and design. Union Carbide used it in an inhouse magazine in 1957. The term however got taken over by another company, whose parent entity, will be celebrating its centenary in 2023. They filed for a trademark for the term in 1989, claiming first use of the term in 1962 and since then it is their registered trademark.Which term is this? (12) Name the parent entity (6)

Q18. In a bid to better manage visitors who often far outnumber residents in this historic city, the officials would  be charging day-trippers to make reservations and pay a fee to visit as against those who choose to stay overnight. Four-fifths of all tourists visit this city, known for clogging narrow streets and heavily trafficked foot bridges, just for the day.Which European city is this? (6)

Q19. Puma celebrates 75 years in 2023. In 1966, Portuguese striker Eusebio became the top scorer in the World Cup while wearing Puma football boots. Honoring this accomplishment, Puma introduced their legendary boots, which down the line had been endorsed and worn by greats like Pele, Maradona, Cruyff and Neymar Jr.What was the name of these football boots from Puma? (4)

Q20. Bulk of the tea that westerners consumed was common black tea known as Bohea. The tea was so popular, that the word Bohea became the slang term for tea. The superior form of Bohea is known as Congou. 240 chests of Bohea, 15 of Congou, 10 of Souchong , 60 of Singlo, and 15 of Hyson were all part of a famous consignment 250 years ago.

Which is this famous event from world history talked about? (6,3,5)

Q21. While Amitabh Kant holds it currently, Piyush Goyal, Suresh Prabhu, Shaktikanta Das, Arvind Panagariya and Montek Singh Ahluwalia have all held this position earlier. Derived from the name of an ethnic group in South Asia, it symbolizes someone who clears the way for the head at a major summit. Which position is this, one which will be in the news for most of 2023 in India? (6)

Q22. 75 years ago in June 1948, households in England received a leaflet which said – “Everyone — rich or poor, man, woman or child — can use it or any part of it. There are no charges, except for a few special items. There are no qualifications. But it is not a charity. You are all paying for it, mainly as taxpayers, and it will relieve your money worries in time of illness. “ The service which started, was probably first mentioned in 1910 by a physician Benjamin Moore. What started thus? (3 or 8,6,7)

Q23. Every year, around 20000 of them are brought out. They do not go on sale but are instead given as corporate gifts to celebrities and select customers. The annual cost to produce them in 2017 was USD 2 million. As per the company’s CEO, its main purpose is “to mark the passing of time” by recording the zeitgeist”. What item is this, which for 2023 has the theme – “Love Letters to the Muse” and came out in a large creamy white envelope delicately embossed with the image of a butterfly? (7,8)

Answers

1. Rehearsal Queen
2. Vihaan
3. Blizzard / Activision Blizzard
4. Readers Digest
5. Dominique Lapierre
6. Bravery, Ukraine
7. Open
8. Poison Pill
9. Budweiser Zero
10. Internet Explorer
11. Priti Adani
12. Alameda
13. Nikola Tesla
14. Aditya Birla
15. Warner Brothers
16. FIFA, EA Sports
17. Imagineering, Disney
18. Venice
19. King
20. Boston Tea Party
21. Sherpa
22. National Health Service (NHS)
23. Pirelli Calendar

• Compiled by Aniruddha Dutta