answer stringlengths 1 239 ⌀ | question stringlengths 1 25.7k |
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Cyclone | America's oldest and still-running wooden roller coaster that can be found at Coney Island has what 'stormy' name? |
Topkapi palace | The Spoonmaker's Diamond is a major attraction of a museum at what location that used to be the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for 400 years? |
Yoda | The planet Dagobah is the site of exile of which wise master voiced by Frank Oz throughout a seminal series? |
Talk like a pirate day | Two punsters who call themselves Ol' Chumbucket and Cap'n Slappy designated September 19 as the annual what day? Arrrrrrrrrrr! |
Vishnu | Mohini the enchantress is the only female manifestation of which male deity of the Hindu pantheon known for his avatars? |
Haiku poem | A Japanese painting in the simplistic style of haiga is also likely to contain what? |
Senicide | Lapot in Romania, Ubasute in Japan and Ättestupa in the Nordic world are all terms for what custom in difficult times that is commonly associated with the Inuit? |
Adele | If Lisa Gherardini the wife of Francesco del Giocondo is the subject of Da Vinci's masterpiece (Mona Lisa), who is the wife of Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer who was the subject of Klimt's record setting 1907 painting? |
Wall | What is the missing word in graffiti artist Banksy's 2005 compilation ___ and Piece? |
Spider | The trickster god Anansi who has a prominent place in African folklore is what type of creature? |
Songlines | In Aboriginal myth, if Dreamtime is the era when spirit beings created the world, what are the paths they traversed? |
Blood | In Greek mythology, if ambrosia is the food of the gods and nectar their drink, what is 'ichor'? |
Kanagawa | One of the most recognized pieces of Japanese art from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji by Hokusai that depicts a huge tidal wave is titled The Great Wave off what place? |
Voodoo | Spirits known as loa are appeased by the practitioners of what belief system? |
Camouflage | What is the main feature of Chinese artist Liu Bolin's work? |
Churning of the Ocean of Milk | Kamadhenu the wish-granting cow, Kaustubha the jewel, and Parijat the divine flowering tree are some of the items that emerged during what episode of Hindu mythology? |
Sweden | The distinctive wooden carved and bright red colored Dala horses are associated with which country? |
Death | A 1480s painting by Albertus Pictor in Täby Church located north of Stockholm that inspired a film director depicts a man playing chess with whom? |
Bacchanal | The Roman Empire themed Caesers Palace casino in Las Vegas features an indulgent buffet that has what appropriate 'festive' name? |
Kumbh Mela | What Hindu pilgrimage that takes place every twelve years in which people participate in ritual purification in rivers (mainly the Ganges) is said to be among the largest gatherings of humanity? |
Jackson Pollock | The artist Lee Krasner who used to cut her own paintings to create collages was married to which other artist? |
Golem | In folklore, what did the 16th century raabi Judah Loew ben Bezalel create to defend the Prague ghetto from antisemitic attacks? |
Oktoberfest | O'zapft is! What is the better known name of the annual celebration called by the locals as 'Wiesn' referring to the grounds where it is held? |
Shintoism | The myths contained in the texts Kojiki and Nihan Shoki are the inspiration behind the practices of what belief system? |
Ecdysiast | In response to a request by Gypsy Rose Lee, what term for a striptease performer was coined by the H. L. Mencken after he channeled his inner Greek and thought of invertebrate molting? |
Minotaur | Suzanne Collins said that the main theme in The Hunger Games was derived from a Greek myth in which King Minos has Athens send seven youths and seven maidens to what monster? |
Language | The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis explored in the award winning 1966 novel Babel-17 states that human thought is strongly influenced by what? |
Miniskirt | What invention of Mary Quant whose users were subject to raids by the moral police in the 60s was named after her favourite make of car? |
Postage stamps | Treskilling Yellow from Sweden, Bull's Eye from Brazil, Inverted Jenny from the United States, Basel Dove from Switzerland and Benjamin Franklin Z Grill from the United States are some of the famous specimens of what? |
"""To deep six""" | What phrase that means 'to discard, or dispose of' originates from the practice of burial at sea that requires a minimum depth of water to be carried out? |
Jinns | In Islamic mythology, what bottled-up creatures make up the three sentient creations of Allah along with humans and angels? |
Yoga | The most important text of what popular practice, varieties of which include hatha, mantra and raja is attributed to Patañjali? |
Bone china | What type of porcelain developed by Josiah Spode originated in a factory that was proximate to slaughterhouses (and thus had access to animal byproducts)? |
Frida Kahlo's | The 500 peso note issued by the Bank of Mexico in 2010 contains the image of the artist Diego Rivera on the obverse side. Whose image is on the reverse side? |
Karma | What concept of Hinduism is traditionally classified into three kinds - Sanchita (accumulated), Prarabdha (ripened) and Kriyamana (produced in the current life)? |
Popes | The sedia gestatoria, a portable throne that was in use till 1978 was used to carry whom? |
Noah | If Deucalion is to Greek mythology and Utnapishtim is to Mesopotamian mythology, who is the equivalent figure in Christianity? (hint: all saved themselves in a particular way) |
Australian Aborigines | A corroboree is a ceremonial meeting of what group of people? |
Proteus | In Greek mythology, while going back from the Trojan War, whom did Menelaus successfully capture despite that person taking the form of a lion, a serpent, a leopard, a pig, and even that of water and a tree? |
Wether | In times gone by, shepherds used to place a bell around the neck of a castrated ram that was leading a flock of sheep so that the movement of the flock could be noted. What was another term for the castrated ram? |
Papua New Guinea | The annual Mount Hagen Cultural Show that began in 1961 both as a celebration of tribal culture and as a forum for friendly competition (in place of tribal war) is one of the biggest draws of which large island nation? |
Kaaba in Mecca | The Kiswa, a 658 sq. m. silk cloth embroidered with gold threads drapes what religious object? |
Mad as a hatter | In 18th/19th century England, mercury was used in the production of felt, which was used in the manufacturing of hats. Some workers in these factories developed dementia because of mercury poisoning. What expression for insanity has this etymological origin? |
Hector | The Nine Worthies were personalities established in the Middle Ages who were said to represent the ideals of chivalry. Which 'tamer of horses' and heroic defender from Greek mythology is missing in the Pagans section? Pagans: ___, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar Old Testament Jews: Joshua, David, Judas Maccabeus Chivalric Christian Heroes: King Arthur, Charlemagne, Godfrey of Bouillon |
Whirling Dervishes | What is the better known name of the Mawlawi followers of Sufism who are known for their 'rotating' motion during a ceremony called Seema? |
Lobbying | K Street in Washington D.C. that is appropriately not far from government is home to several offices of what 'influential' industry? |
Kabbalah | The notion of God having two forms and ten Sefirot mediating between them is central to the belief system of which mystical tradition? |
"""Women and children first""" | Although never part of international maritime law, which phrase was popularised by its usage on the RMS Titanic as a consequence of which 74% of the women and 52% of the children were saved but only 20% of the men? |
Vaudeville | The etymology of what form of entertainment may come from the valley of 'Vau de Vire' in Normandy where satirical songs were common? |
Tamagotchi | The name of what toy is a portmanteau of the Japanese word for 'egg' and the English word 'watch'? |
Heath Robinson | During the Falklands War, because a British aircraft lacked a conventional 'chaff' dispensing mechanism (used as a radar countermeasure), engineers designed one using welding rods, split pins and string.This eccentric make do was given the name of which cartoonist? |
Achilles | In Greek mythology, a group of fierce fighters called the Myrmidons were commanded by which mighty warrior? |
Trickster | First used in the context of folklore in 1885, what term describes a god/spirit/animal who disobeys normal rules and tries to survive the dangers of the world using deceit? |
Tawdry | What word that means 'cheap' or 'gaudy' is derived from the practice of trinkets sold at St. Audrey's fair in England? |
Lethe | In Greek mythology, what river flowed around the cave of Hypnos in the Underworld and caused forgetfulness in all those who drank from it? |
Swan Lake | What classical ballet tells the story of Odette who is turned into a creature by an evil sorcerer's curse? |
Rembrandt | The 1633 painting The Storm on the Sea of Galilee that depicts the miracle of Jesus calming the waves was stolen in 1990 from a Boston museum in what is considered to be the biggest art theft in history. This painting is the only known seascape of which great artist? |
Pac-Man | Toru Iwatani, the creator of which popular video game admitted in a 1996 interview that the story of a pizza missing a slice being the inspiration of the game's main character was only half true? |
Printer's devil | What satanic name was used to describe an apprentice who performed a number of tasks such as mixing tubs of ink in a printing establishment? |
Limey | What derogatory name for the British has its origins in sailors eating something to avoid scurvy? |
Funeral procession | When is a riderless or caparisoned horse with boots reversed in the stirrups most commonly seen? |
Diego Rivera | In 1933, which Mexican artist commissioned by the Rockefeller family to create a mural caused controversy by including Lenin in it? |
Felt | What non-woven cloth that is produced by matting and pressing fibers is the oldest form of fabric known to humankind? |
White Nights Festival | The Scarlet Sails celebration is the culmination of what annual festival that takes place during the season of the midnight sun in St. Petersburg? |
Tuareg | The most famous symbol of what people of North Africa is the Tagelmust, an indigo blue-colored veil that gives them the name 'People of the Veil'? |
Cubism | Which major 20th century art movement is divided into two parts called Analytical and Synthetic? |
Craquelure | What is the term for the fine pattern of cracks formed on old paintings, which is sometimes used to detect forged art as it is a hard-to-forge signature of authenticity? |
Our Lady of Guadalupe | What cultural symbol of Mexico is said to represent both the Virgin Mary and the Aztec goddess Tonantzin? |
Pierian spring | Alluded to by Alexander Pope in his An Essay on Criticism, in Greek mythology it was believed that drinking from what body of water would bring you great inspiration? |
The Book of Kells | What is the illustrated manuscript produced by Celtic monks around 800 AD that has been described as the zenith of Western calligraphy and illumination? |
Bonsai | What is the Japanese equivalent of the Chinese art of penjing? |
Gold and silver | What valuable commodities were called as 'sweat of the sun' and 'tears of the moon' by the Incas? |
Pablo Picasso | "When this great artist was once criticized for creating unrealistic art, he asked his accuser ""Can you show me some realistic art?"" The man showed him a photograph of his wife. The artist observed: ""So your wife is two inches tall, two-dimensional, with no arms and no legs, and no colour but only shades of gray?"" Who is this artist who went through a 'Blue Period' and a 'Rose Period'?" |
Bishaa | What is the name of the ritual practiced by some Bedouin tribes for the purpose of lie detection in which the accused is asked to lick a hot object? |
Totem poles | Western Red Cedar trees are typically used by the indigenous cultures of the Pacific Northwest coast of North America to carve what distinctive artifacts? |
Qanat | What is the name of the water management system developed in ancient Persia that is used to provide a reliable supply of water in hot and arid climates? |
E ticket ride | Until the 80s, visitors to Disneyland would purchase books of coupons that were in different alphabetical denominations with the highest one being the most expensive and reserved for the most popular rides. What expression for a thrilling situation originates from this practice? |
Sri Lanka | The Temple of the Tooth which houses the only surviving relic of Buddha (a tooth) is located in the city of Kandy in which Asian country? |
Devil's advocate | During the canonization process of the Roman Catholic Church, what was the lawyer who argued against the canonization of a candidate called? |
Soles of the feet | Made famous by the movie Midnight Express, what is the punishment of 'falaka' or 'bastinado'? |
Juan Valdez | In a slogan that became popular in Costa Rica, it is claimed that which advertising character prefers that country's coffee implying his preference over Colombian coffee? |
Bhopal | The name of American businessman and ex-CEO of Union Carbide Warren Anderson who died in Sep, 2014 is associated with the industrial disaster of which city? |
Dell | In his 1999 book The Lexus and the Olive Tree, in what came to be known as the Golden Arches theory, Thomas L. Friedman wrote that no two nations with a McDonald's franchise had ever gone to war. He upgraded this theory in The World is Flat taking the name of what technology company to further underscore the link between strong economic ties and peace? |
Madison Avenue | The firm Sterling Cooper featured in the hit TV series Mad Men is located in what part of New York? |
"""Just Do It"" (Nike)" | What famous 3-word ad line of an apparel company was coined by Dan Wieden who got it from the final words of executed murderer Gary Gilmore? |
General Motors | US Secretary of Defense Charles Wilson is known for saying that what's good for which company is also good for his country? |
Austria | The Glock gun is a noted export of what country? |
Bitcoin | An unidentified Satoshi Nakamoto is credited with what concept that has taken the financial world by storm? |
First industrial robot | Unimate which worked in a General Motors assembly line in 1961 has what distinction in the world of business? |
Refrigerator | Structures called yakhchals in Persia may be called the ancient versions of what modern contraption? |
Microwave | When engineer Percy Spencer discovered that his chocolate bar became a mess when near a magnetron, it lead to the invention of what modern convenience? |
Spain | The automobile SEAT 600 made from 1957 to 1973 is associated with the economic boom of what country? |
Netflix | The idea for what company originated when Reed Hastings paid $40 in fine for returning Apollo 13 well past its due date? |
Davos | What municipality in Switzerland, also the highest city in Europe, is the annual host of the World Economic Forum (WEF) meet? |
Tulip bulb | In the year 1636 during the Dutch Golden Age, what unlikely item became the fourth leading export after gin, herring and cheese causing a journalist to write a book Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds? |
Six Flags | The name of what entertainment business has its origin in that Texas, in its roller-coaster history, was governed by half a dozen entities? |
Trajan | The ruins of a large complex of shops near the Colosseum that have been called the world's oldest shopping mall is named for what Roman emperor? |
Nestlé | What giant corporation headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland was listed as the world's most profitable in 2011 by Fortune? |
Twitter | The logo of what company has recently been named after the NBA legend Larry Bird? The answer is less than 140 characters! |
Second-highest bid | Created by a Canadian Nobel laureate, a Vickrey auction is one where bidders submit secret written bids and in which the highest bidder wins, but the price paid is that of what? |
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