[353]

According to “Housewife’s Corner” in an 1848 newspaper, the real recipe for “making Doncaster X is one pound of butter, one pound of sugar and a quarter of a pound of treacle, boiled together.” Food historians have several theories regarding the name and origin of this confectionery, but none is conclusive. One explanation is the meaning “to cut or score” for the word.
What is X?

Show Answer
Butterscotch
Yes, your favourite flavour is just butter & sugar.
Read More about it.

[352]

X was initially designed by John Socha for the original IBM PC. The purpose of X was to prevent phosphor burn-in on CRT and plasma computer monitors. The term X is named so because of this protection quality.
Identify X.

Show Answer
Screensaver
Though most modern monitors are not susceptible to this issue (with the notable exception of OLED technology, which has individual pixels vulnerable to burnout), screensaver programs are still used for other purposes.
Read More about the topic.

[351]

X is said to have been derived from the biretta, a similar-looking accessory worn by Roman Catholic clergy. This itself was a development of the Roman pileus quadratus, which consisted of a superimposed square with a tump (small mound). The red biretta symbolized royal power, and was generally worn in the 14th and 15th century by what was essentially the elite of the society.
What modern day accessory did the biretta lead to?

Show Answer
Square academic cap
Read More about its origins.

[350]

The first recorded signs of X are from the Chinese Han dynasty & are believed to have helped to finance projects like the Great Wall of China.
The first instance in Europe was in the Roman empire, and the funds accrued were used for city repairs.
The word X itself comes from the Dutch word for ‘fate’ and has been described as ‘a form of voluntary tax’.
What am I talking about?

Show Answer
Lottery
The word comes from the Dutch word 'lot', meaning fate. The Dutch state-owned Staatsloterij is the oldest running lottery (1726).
Learn More about the topic.

[349]

There are 11 which are known to exist, with 8 whose names are revealed.
What is the most famous entry of this list and therefore what is this a list of?
Mahoutokoro – located on a volcanic island
Uagadou – located in Africa
Castelobruxo – deep within forests of Brazil
Ilvermorny – in the American Midwest

Show Answer
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. These are the Wizarding Schools in the Harry Potter universe.
According to the lore - There were eleven long-established and prestigious wizarding schools throughout the world, all of which were registered with the International Confederation of Wizards. Smaller and less well-regulated institutions were rarely registered with the appropriate Ministry and were difficult to keep track of. However, most countries in the world did not have their own wizarding school. Magical children in these countries were typically homeschooled or educated via correspondence courses.
Read More.

[348]

This term has been in use in Greek since Herodotus (4th Century BCE). From there it entered English via Latin. It appeared in Old English as early as 9th Century and re-emerged in the 17th Century.
Tianzhu or Tenjiku was used in Chinese and Japanese to refer to the same thing.
What am I talking about?

Show Answer
India
The name derives ultimately from Sanskrit Sindhu, which was the name of the Indus River. The terms Indos for the Indus river as well as "an Indian" are found in Herodotus's Geography.

Read about all the old names of India

[347]

In the 1st-century Mediterranean world, extending _________ was one of many methods used to divert the ever-present threat of the evil eye. In Greek, the gesture was known as the katapugon. In Latin, it was called the digitus impudicus. The first documented appearance of __________in the United States was in 1886 when Old Hoss Radbourn, a baseball pitcher for the Boston Beaneaters, was photographed giving it to a member of the rival New York Giants.
What am I talking about?

Show Answer
The Middle Finger
The third digit of the human hand, located between the index finger and the ring finger.
Read more about flipping it.

[346]

The ____ hypothesis, proposes that organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings on Earth to form a self-regulating, complex system that contributes to maintaining the conditions for life on the planet. Topics of interest include how the biosphere and the evolution of life forms affect the stability of global temperature , ocean salinity, oxygen in the atmosphere and other environmental variables that affect the habitability of Earth.
Fill in the blank, which is also a figure from Greek mythology.

Show Answer
The Gaia Hypothesis, named after the Greek personification of Earth
The Gaia Hypothesis proposed by James Lovelock (1972) suggests that living organisms on the planet interact with their surrounding inorganic environment to form a synergetic and self-regulating system that created, and now maintains, the climate and biochemical conditions that make life on Earth possible.
Read More.

[345]

What popular diet gets name from the Greek word for “old Stone Age” as it is based on the foods presumed to be available during the Stone Age?

Show Answer
Paleo diet
A modern paleo diet includes fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds. These are foods that in the past people could get by hunting and gathering. It doesn't include foods that became more common when small-scale farming began about 10,000 years ago. These foods include grains, legumes and dairy products.
But do note there are no long-term clinical studies about the benefits and potential risks of the diet.
Read about the Paleo Diet in more detail.

[344]

The Aegean Sea was traditionally known as X, which in Greek means ‘chief sea’. In English, this word now refers to something else in the field of geography. This is derived from the way the Aegean Sea looks like.
What is X ?

Show Answer
Archipelago
An archipelago is a group of islands scattered in a body of water, such as a lake, river, or ocean.
Most archipelagos are formed by volcanoes erupting from the ocean floor. For example, the Hawaiian archipelago was formed by a series of volcanic eruptions that began over 80 million years ago.
Archipelagos can also be formed by tectonic displacement.
Read More.

[343]

This river in Milan gets its name from a Greek word that means “light, quick and nimble”.
A brand was launched from a factory next to the river, and named after the river, since the founder wanted his new product to have the same attributes as the name stood for.
Which now-defunct brand once hugely popular in India are we talking about?

Show Answer
Lambretta scooters
The name is derived from the word Lambrate, the suburb of Milan named after the river Lambro which flows through the area, and where the factory was located. Lambretta was the name of a mythical water-sprite associated with the river which runs adjacent to the former production site.In 1972, the Indian government bought the machinery of the Milanese factory, creating Scooters India Limited (SIL) in order to produce Lambretta scooters and also Lambro three-wheelers, the latter under the name Vikram for the domestic market.
lambo

[342]

X in music is a self contained piece of work that is episodic yet integrated, free-flowing in its structure.
The term X is derived from the Greek word rhaptein, which means ‘to sew’, as in to sew a song together.
However, most of us know X from a bombastic song released by a British rock band.
What am I talking about?

Show Answer
Rhapsody
The song in question is, of course, Bohemian Rhapsody.
A little music genre in itself, do give a listen to popular rhapsodies of the past.

[341]

Pierre de Coubertin, was a member of a French aristocratic family, an educator & a historian. He was influenced by the benefits of physical education & believed that men who received it would be better prepared to fight in wars. France had been humiliated in the Franco-Prussian War recently.
As a result of this belief, he championed a particular cause from the world of sports. What was his contribution?

Show Answer
He revived the modern Olympics movement
He is known as the father of the modern Olympic Games, for his work in the revival of the sports event, which culminated in the 1896 Summer Olympics in Greece.
Read More about his life.

[340]

X was the King of Paurava, an ancient state within the territory of modern day Punjab located between the Jhelum and the Chenab rivers. X fought Y in the Battle of the Jhelum River in 326 BC.
Who are X and Y?

Show Answer
X – King Porus or Purushottaman
Y – Alexander the Great
King Porus was captured by Alexander, and his forces eventually surrendered. Alexander displayed great respect for Porus's valor and allowed him to retain his kingdom as a vassal under Macedonian rule. The Battle of the Hydaspes (Jhelum) resulted in a victory for Alexander, securing his control over the region.
Read More.

[339]

The Roman/Greek versions: golden or lead tipped
The Hindu version: has five fragrant flowers from the Ashoka tree, white and blue lotus flowers, Jasmine and the flowers from the Mango trees.
What am I talking about?

Show Answer
Arrow of Cupid/Eros & Kamadeva, the respective Gods of Love & Desire
Read about the similarities of Indian & Greek mythologies.

[338]

Gilbert Baker, a designer & activist, was asked to create a symbol for a particular movement. Baker was inspired by the hippie movement & world peace movement of 1960s.
The designer also cited the Rolling Stones song “She’s a Rainbow” as a source of inspiration.
The design was released in 1978 & has been used widely ever since.
What did Baker design?

Show Answer
Pride/Rainbow Flag
The original flag had 8 stripes, with a meaning to each one of them. Over the years, number of stripes has been reduced to 6, and that's how we know it today.
Read More.
rainbowprogression

[337]

Kendrick Lamar’s album ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ very popular in 2015. But, Lamar almost ended up naming the album ‘To Pimp a Caterpillar’, before he went with the eventual title. For what reason of tribute did he want to name Caterpillar instead of Butterfly?

Show Answer
To pimp a caterpillar shortens to 2pac
Lamar changed the title to To Pimp a Butterfly to convey the brightness of life, and to represent his use of his celebrity for good.
Read why the album has been called the greatest ever.

[336]

In 1969, Dr. Karsanbhai Patel, a chemist at the Gujarat Government’s Department of Mining and Geology manufactured phosphate free synthetic X, and started selling it locally in and around Gujarat. He sold 15-20 packets of this a day through local dealers before his business boomed.
He named his product after his daughter Nirupama Patel.
How do we know this as ?

Show Answer
Nirma washing powder
At the time of launch, 1kg of Nirma powder cost Rs 3.5 as compared to HUL's Surf which cost Rs 13.
Today company is not just into detergents, but also building material & pharmaceuticals.
Read about Nirma's journey over the years.

[335]

Gregory Roberts was once a heroin addict and wanted criminal in Australia. He was caught and sentenced to a 19 year imprisonment. He escaped prison in 1980 becoming one of Australia’s most wanted criminal.
The story which follows is a mix of fiction and real life events, and become the plot for which book?

Show Answer
Shantaram
The book is based on the author's adventures in India. The novel is particularly commended by many for its vivid portrayal of life in Bombay in the early to late 1980s.
Read about the impact that the book has had.

[334]

X are a parody awards given to genuine scientists and researchers for their off beat inventions. The stated aim of the prizes are “first make people laugh, and then make them think”. Some of the recipients of the awards have been:
a bra that can be converted into a pair of gas masks
research on the “five-second rule”
converting old Russian ammunition into diamonds
discovery that chimpanzees can identify other chimpanzees individually from seeing photographs of their rear ends
Id X.

Show Answer
Ig Nobel Prize
The awards for 2024 just concluded. Go through the noteworthy studies of this year.