QC - 8

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Trivia
Q. The origin of X lies in the piece of cloth that labourers and farmers have worn since time immemorial to absorb perspiration and keep off the sun. This cloth gradually evolved into a decorative piece, called a cravat, which was worn around and knotted in the front by the Croatian mercenaries who served in the Army of King Louis XIV of France. Attracted by the dashing look that the Y gave to the wearers, the French aristocrats adopted the same. The industrial revolution created a need for a X that was easy to put on, comfortable and would last an entire working day. That is how the modern X was born. Name X.
A. Necktie(s).

Questions
1. Identify the person whose face has been greyed out. (Refer pic1)
A. Richard Branson

2. Name the brand of computers launched by AMD.
A. Business Class

3. What is the significance or rather, the newly discovered non-significance of this clipping? (Refer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2uIlRMj2T4)
A. These were the 1st words spoken by Thomas Alva Edison in the original phonograph. Recently, researchers have discovered that the oldest known recording was not that of Edison's, but that by a French inventor named Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville. The recording dates back to almost 17 years prior to Edison patenting the phonograph. To listen to the clipping, check this link - http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89148959. Surely takes one to a different era!

4. Pepsico recently announced an acquisition in UK to compete with Coca-Cola's acquisition of Glaceau Vitamin Water. Which company/brand did Pepsico acquire?
A. V Water

5. Google MentalPlex, Google Gulp, Google Romance, Google TiSP, etc. We all know what these are. But there was one among the many which was the odd one out. What was it and what was different about it?
A. Google announced the launch of GMail on Apr 1, 2004, which was actually a genuine announcement and not an April Fool's joke as many thought.

6. Google : Orkut :: AOL : ?
A. Bebe. AOL recently purchased this social networking site.

7. Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying and Nini. What is peculiar about the 5 words? No part points for giving the obvious fact.
A. Obvious fact - These are the names of the 5 mascots, which are Fuwa dolls, of the Beijing Olympics.
Peculiarity - When the first 5 syllables of each word are said together, the resulting phrase translates to 'Welcome to Beijing'.

8. William Wrigley Co. has been bought over by which company with the help from Warren Buffet?
A. Mars

9. Connect the 3 ‘laws’ –
a. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
b. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
c. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
A. Arthur C. Clarke. These are the 3 laws of prediction as formulated by him.

10. To end on a ‘lighter’ note, name the world’s largest privately-held spirits company.
A. Bacardi

Bonus Question
Q. This word was introduced in 1923 by a senior radio officer at Croydon Airport, London. It is derived from the French venez m’aider and seemed appropriate at that time, since much of the air traffic was between Croydon and Le Bourget Airport in Paris. What is the word?
A. Mayday. 'Venez M'aider' means 'come to my aid'.

QC - 7

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Trivia

Q. The word X is derived from the Arabic word al-kuhl. 'kuhl' is the name given to the very fine powder produced by the sublimation of the natural mineral stibnite to form antimony sulfide which was used as an antiseptic and eyeliner. X was introduced to European terminology in the 12th century and over the years the word came to refer to any fluid obtained by distillation. X was restricted to mean 'spirit of wine' in the 18th century. X?

A. Alcohol. The ‘kuhl’ or ‘kohl’, as the eyeliner is known in English, thus becomes a root for ‘Alcohol’.

Questions

1. X has rolled out its maiden retail venture 'newu', which is its wholly owned subsidiary. It plans to add 30 'newu' stores by 2008-09. Name X.

A. Dabur India

2. ‘We’re Greenpeace, and we want a fresh green _________. Right now, poison ________ full of chemicals (like toxic flame retardants, and polyvinyl chloride) are being sold worldwide. When they’re tossed, they usually end up at the fingertips of children in China, India and other developing-world countries. They dismantle them for parts, and are exposed to a dangerous toxic cocktail that threatens their health and the environment.’ Fill up the blank. (Both blanks are same)

A. Apple(s). This was a campaign launched by Greenpeace to force Apple to go the green-way. Greenpeace ranked Apple last out of 10 electronic companies in dealing with toxic substances in their products, mostly due to lack of relevant documentation and timelines. In reply, Steve Jobs released an open letter named 'A Greener Apple', responding to some of the allegations. The MacBook Pro product line was updated in June 2007 and Greenpeace has stated that the greener MacBook Air is a step in the right direction.

3. Identify the logo. (Refer pic1)

A. One Laptop Per Child (OLPC)

4. X is the lingerie brand from Sri Lanka-based MAS Holdings. MAS Holdings is the first Sri Lankan company to enter the Indian lingerie retail sector with its own brand name. X means lover in Italian. What is X?

A. Amante

5. This bank has launched 'Hello Money' — a service that enables some banking transactions using the mobile phone. Which bank?

A. Barclays Bank

6. Connect the 3 pics – (Refer pic2, pic3, pic4)

A. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

- 1st pic - This is the cover of the charity album 'No One's Gonna Change Our World' in which the song 'Across the Universe' was released. This song was beamed into space on the day the Maharishi passed away.

- 2nd pic - He was featured on the Oct 1975 issue of the Time Magazine.

- 3rd pic - This is the logo of the Art Of Living Foundation which was founded by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who was a former student of the Maharishi.

7. X provides satirically themed articles as a parody to Y. Its logo, a hollowed potato named Sophia, is a spoof of Y’s logo. X’s stated goal is ‘to provide the world’s misinformation in the least redeeming and most searingly sarcastic and humourous way possible, through satire”. It has developed two rules for users to base their writings on: ‘Be funny and not just stupid’ and ‘Don’t be a d***’. Y’s system of reviewing, called ‘Peer Review’, is parodied in X and is called the ‘Pee Review’. In Jan 2008, the Malaysian Internal Security Ministry issued a directive alerting newspaper editors not to trust X. Name X and Y.

A. X - Uncyclopaedia, Y - Wikipedia (Logo shown above)

8. A appeared as herself in B’s maiden directorial venture. She is the sister of a certain Vasanth Kumar Shivshankar Padukone, who was later renamed to C. A’s daughter, D, is a reputed film director and is known for her woman-oriented films. C had got a job of a telephone operator at a Lever Brothers factory in Kolkata but soon he left it and moved to Mumbai. If he had not done so, the Indian film industry would have lost a brilliant film-maker. Name A, B, C and D.

A. A - Lalita Lajmi, B - Aamir Khan, C - Guru Dutt, D - Kalpana Lajmi

9. Easy Connect – Environmental Pollution, Genetic manipulation, Accumulating excessive wealth, Inflicting poverty, Drug trafficking and consumption, Morally debatable experiments, Violation of Fundamental Rights of human nature.

A. These are the new 7 deadly sins as announced by the Vatican

10. X Group launched a new consumer PC brand 'Idea', which includes IdeaPad notebooks and IdeaCentre Desktops. The Company plans to roll-out its marketing campaign called 'Ideas Everywhere', featuring its brand ambassadors Saif Ali Khan and Soha Ali Khan, in April this year. Which group?

A. Lenovo

Bonus Question

Q. In an Organoleptic Test, a solution of X extract is diluted with sugar water until the Y is no longer detectable. The solution is tasted by a panel of tasters and the degree of dilution gives it measure on the Scoville scale. The Bhut Jolokia from North-East India has recorded the highest value of about 1 million on this scale. The Y is now measured by a process called the High Performance Liquid Chromatography. What are X and Y?

A. X - pepper/chilli, Y - heat/hotness. The degree of heat of any pepper/chilli is measured in Scoville Heat Unit, named after that scientist Wilbur Scoville.

QC - 6

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Trivia

Q. All the major sections are built in France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. Due to their size, they are brought to the assembly hall in Toulose in France by surface transportation. The components are provided by suppliers from across the world (Rolls-Royce, SAFRAN, Goodrich, General Electric, United Technologies to name a few). The front and rear sections are loaded on a Roll-on/Roll-off ship in Hamburg in northern Germany and shipped to the UK, where the wings are manufactured and added to the ship. In France, the ship adds larger assembled sections, including the nose and unloads in Bordeaux. The ship then picks up the belly and tail sections from Spain and delivers them to Bordeaux. From there, all the parts are transported by barge to Langon and then by road to the assembly hall in Toulose. The assembled unit is then sent to Hamburg where it is furnished and painted. It takes 3600 litres of paint to cover the 3100 sq.m exterior of the ______. The name of the assembled mammoth unit fills the blank!

A. Airbus A380

Questions

1. X studied at the La Martiniere Boys’ College in Lucknow and obtained his MS in Industrial Engineering, PhD in Industrial Engineering and a PhD in Economics from the North Carolina State University. He was on the Board of Directors of the Indian Oil Corporation, Board of Directors of GAIL, National Thermal Power Ltd, the Board of Governors of Shriram Scientific and Industrial Research Foundation, the Executive Committee of the India International Centre, New Delhi, the Governing Council of the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, and the Court of Governors, Administrative Staff College of India. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2001. Name X!

A. Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, chief of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shares the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore.

2. Connect – Macy’s, Mark Burnett, ImClone, Alderson Federal Prison.

A. Martha Stewart.
- Macy’s recently released a line of home related equipments designed by Martha Stewart.
- She collaborated with Mark Burnett for the Apprentice : Martha Stewart.
- ImClone was the company for which she was tried for insider trading.Alderson Federal Prison was where she served her prison time.

3. Made out of pure spring water, this is the first Asian vodka in the US market. This is said to be the only vodka infused with a polished rice spirit. The oval shaped bottle is designed by Dennis Mukai and the bottle has the insignia of a famous Asian dynasty. Which brand of vodka is this?

A. The Han. The bottle has the insignia of the Han Dynasty of China.

4. Connect – ‘Impotency drugs help hamsters recover from jet lag’, ‘A machine that catches bank robbers by dropping a net on them’, ‘Limits of the Human Appetite, by using a self-refilling “bottomless” bowl of soup’, ‘Health consequences of sword swallowing’, ‘How cloth sheets become wrinkled’, ‘Census of creatures that live in people’s beds’, ‘Method of extracting vanilla fragrance and flavouring from cow dung’, ‘Rats cannot tell the difference between Japanese and Dutch when spoken backwards’, ‘How the word “The” confuses people when they try to put things in alphabetical order’ and finally ‘Gay Bomb’.

A. The 2007 Ig Nobel Awards. These are the researches/discoveries in the various fields of Medicine, Physics, etc which have been awarded the 2007 Ig Nobel Awards!

5. Identify the logo. (Refer pic1)

A. NYSE

6. Connect the lady in pic2 with the below given quote –

‘The original _____ _____ was a series of brilliant accidents. It had a great smell, it had a funky name. It was positioned between two funeral parlours – that always caused controversy. It was incredibly sensuous. It was 1976, the year of the heatwave, so there was a lot of flesh around. We knew about storytelling then, so all the products had stories. We recycled everything, not because we were environmentally friendly but because we didn’t have enough bottles. It was a good idea. What was unique about it, with no intent at all, no marketing nous, was that it translated across cultures, across geographical barriers and social structures. It wasn’t a sophisticated plan, it just happened like that.’

(Hint: The blank is the connect)

A. Body Shop. The lady in the pic is Dame Anita Roddick, the founder of Body Shop, who passed away recently.

7. This character was loosely based on the arbitrageur Ivan Boesky and real life investor Carlos Icahn. The person who portrayed this character won an Oscar for it. This character is set to return to the screen in the as-yet embryonic film ‘Money Never Sleeps’. Who is this character who was rated as one of the Fifteen Richest Fictional Characters by Forbes in 2002?

A. Gordon Gecko from the movie ‘Wall Street’, played by Michael Douglas.

8. Yahoo! has created, what it calls, the world’s first branded knowledge video search. What was it for?

A. To launch Dove Haircare Products.

9. Which company is taking over Navteq, a maker of maps (like Google Maps) and navigation systems, for 8.1bn?

A. Nokia

10. Identify the building in pic3.

A. Burj Dubai. This skyscraper is currently under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It recently became the world’s tallest free standing structure, surpassing the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada. The construction of this massive structure began on Sept 21, 2004. It is expected to be completed in late 2008.

Bonus Question

Q. Connect ‘Spencerian Script’, ‘hobble skirt’ (refer pic4) and NYSE:KO.

A. Coca Cola.
- The cursive script used in the logo is called the Spencerian Script.
- The famous Coca Cola bottle is also known as the ‘hobble-skirt’ bottle.

- NYSE:KO is the ticker symbol of Coca Cola.

QC - 5

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Trivia
Q. This ancient city was developed in a lotus-like formation with a temple at the centre and the streets layered one after the other in a concentric manner. The streets were named after the months in the Tamil calendar. According to legend, on the day the city was to be named, Lord Shiva blessed the land and the people and divine nectar showered on the city from his matted locks. The city, thus, came to be named _________, meaning ‘The Land of Divine Nectar’. Often referred to as the ‘Athens of the East’, how we do know this city today?
A. Madurai. The blank is ‘Madhurapuri’.

Answers
1. What is the name of the new children's channel that was recently launched by Sun TV?
A. Chutti TV

2. X has become the first Indian bank to set up a branch in Qatar with a license from the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority (QFCRA). Name X.
A. ICICI Bank

3. Tata motors has launched the Tata Ace in a second international market after Sri Lanka. Where has it been launched?
A. Nepal

4. What is going to be unique about Spider-Man in comparison to other Marvel Comic book heroes?
A. Spider-Man will be the first Marvel comic book hero on whom a Broadway musical will be based. Bono and The Edge from U2 are to write the music and lyrics for this musical.

5. This service is the brainchild of 47-year-old entrepreneur Revathi Roy. She felt the growing female workforce in Mumbai was not being looked after well enough and decided to start her own service that appreciated the needs of the female gender - cabs driven by women, for women. What is the name of the service?
A. Forsche - Porsche spelt with an F, but pronounced 'For She', because it is for ladies only.

6. Identify the logo. (refer pic1)
A. Barclays Bank

7. TV 18 Group and Infosys BPO have announced the launch of a media outsourcing services company, X. it will provide a full spectrum of services including digital archiving and meta-tagging, repurposing content, work flow charting, ideation and re-editing to media and entertainment companies globally. It already has National Geographic Channel International as a client. While Infosys BPO will deliver the process and technological support, TV 18 will bring its domain knowledge and expertise in media to the initiative. Name X.
A. Source 18

8. March 2007, Mexico, in an attempt to lower the amount of weapons on the street, offered an X to anyone who turned in a weapon. Name X.
A. Microsoft XBOX

9. This company was founded by Milan Puskar & Don Panoz in White Sulphur Springs, WV and is now set to buy the generic drugs business from Merck. Name the company.
A. Mylan Pharmaceuticals, initially named Milan Pharmaceuticals

10. Connect: Disney, The Rolling Stones and Shantaram.
A. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
- Disney is the producer of Pirates of the Caribbean
- Keith Richards, the founding member of The Rolling Stones, will be making a cameo appearance as the father of Jack Sparrow in the movie
- Shantaram – of course, for Johnny Depp!

Bonus Question

Q. While in X, the human body's weight is temporarily reduced by about 1% when going eastwards and increased by about 0.3% while going westwards. The speed of X exceeded that of the solar terminator and it was able to overtake the spin of the earth. Name X. (Hint: 'Arrive before you leave')
A. X – Concorde. The weight of a human being is reduced while travelling east due to the centrifugal effects because the airspeed added to the speed of rotation of the Earth. Similarly, while travelling towards the west, it cancelled out the normal rotation.
Also, the Concorde was flown at such high altitudes that the weight of the passengers was reduced by an additional 0.6% because of the increased distance from the centre of the earth.The 'Arrive before you leave' slogan was used by British Airways to publicize the fact that the Concorde could overtake the spin of the earth. Hence, on westbound flights, it was possible to arrive at the destination at a local time earlier than the flight's departure time.

this week's quiz . Anwers will be posted in one week.

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Trivia
Q. X, also known as the ‘Anti-Fascist Protective Rampart’, was built in an effort to stop the drain of labour and economic output associated with the daily migration of huge numbers of professionals and skilled workers from either side. It was over 155 km long and work started on a second parallel one upto 91 meters and there was a no man’s land created between the two. This became known as the ‘death strip’, which was paved with raked gravel, making it easy to spot footprints left by escapees. It was booby-trapped with trip-wires and offered a clear field of fire to the watching guards. Name X.
A. X – The Berlin Wall

Questions

1. Oslo.zip. Why was it in the news recently?
A.

2. This company has decided to pull out its brand of San Frisco jeans from the market. Which company?
A.

3. Identify the gentleman. (Refer: pic1)
A.

4. Connect:
a) Belgium and Netherlands
b) Austria and Switzerland
c) Poland and Ukraine

A.

5. Easy one: Identify the lady sitting next to Ash. (Refer: pic2)
A.

6. Jaya Pradha, Sridevi, Juhi Chawla and Karisma Kapoor — who endorsed this product on silver screen since 1980, did not have the chance to grace the Dabur Amla bottles, which went with a picture of an unidentifiable young woman. But all that has changed as the brand ambassador X will now be reaching out to the 35 million strong customers of Dabur Amla hair oil with her picture on the bottles. Name X.
A.

7.
a. He is an award winning English architect famous for his initiativeson low-cost housing.b. He came to India in 1945 and has lived and worked in India since then.c. He was given the Indian citizenship in 1989 and lived inThiruvanathapuram, Kerala.d. He was awarded the Padma Shri by the Indian Government in 1990 and the UNO Habitat Award and Roll of Honour in 1992.
Who is he? (Refer: pic3)
A.

8. This US based company has acquired 51% stake in Godrej Beverages and Foods Ltd. Which company?
A.

9. This company has topped the list of world's most eco-friendly electronic firms, compiled by Greenpeace. Name the company.
A.

10. This company has launched a DVD player with a USB port and a multi-card reader on the faceplate, which further expands its playback capabilities. This enables the user to connect USB drives as well as SD/MMC/MC storage cards directly to the player and play music tracks stored in them. Name the company.
A.

Bonus Question (2 points)

Q. The shape of this product is modelled after a hyperbolic paraboloid. This design characteristic is beneficial as it helps keep the product from breaking during distribution by eliminating lines of stress along which a small crack may easily propagate. Further, it keeps a stack of the product tightly interlocked or nested during distribution. The name of the product came from a street in Cincinnati. The people that picked the name chose it simply for its sound and appeal. Name the product.
A.

QC posted on 02/27/2007

Trivia
Q. This Japanese company was established in 1933 as Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory. The original purpose was to research the development of quality X. In 1934, they released their first X called Kwanon, named after the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. The company name was changed to Y in the following year to reflect a more modern image and the current corporation was founded in 1937. Name X and Y.
Ans. X – camera(s); Y – Canon

Questions

1. X is Apollo’s brand of low cost, secondary care hospitals. Name X.
a. First Med

2. Who has recently launched a political party named Nagarik Shakti?
a. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus

3. X invented the wireless Y for a Z. His Y used sound to communicate with a Z instead of using light. It used aluminium rods struck by buttons on the device to produce high-frequency tones that would be interpreted to control functions by the Z. In the 1960s, X modified his invention to use ultrasonic signals. X, Y, Z? (Hint: We use it everyday! And no, it’s not a mouse.)
a. X – Robert Adler, Y – remote control, Z – television(s)

4. Identify the gentleman. (Refer: pic1)
a. David J. O’Reilly, the Chairman and Chief Executive of Chevron

5. The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to set up an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) named after X in Shillong. Name X.
a. Rajiv Gandhi

6. This company recently conducted a painting and cartoon competition based on an imaginary character named ‘Chulbuli’, representing the quintessential Indian girl. The competition revolved around mother-daughter relationships and was aimed at inculcating good habits in children. Which company?
a. HLL

7. Y has become the first living ex-Prime Minister to be honoured with a statue in the House of Commons in Britain. During the unveiling of the statue, Y said, ‘I might have preferred iron, but bronze will do. It won’t rust and this time I hope, the head will stay on’. Name Y.
a. Margaret Thatcher

8. A new Belgian carrier, Brussels Airlines, has been forced to change its logo (Pic attached). What was the reason for doing so?
a. There were 13 dots which make the ‘b’ of the logo. Passengers thought that it would bring bad luck. It has now altered the design to accommodate an additional dot.

9. Identify the gentleman. (Refer: pic2)
a. Arun Sarin, CEO of Vodafone.

10. Which famous Indian singer was hired by Microsoft to sing the ‘Wow is Now’ song for the launch of Windows Vista?
a. Sunidhi Chauhan


Bonus Question (2 points)
A. The early ones were heavy and bulky products composed of fluff pulp with a rayon topsheet and a polyethylene backsheet.
B. In 1984, the product changed to an hourglass shape. The first thin ones were made with absorbent gelling material, elastic leg gathers, tabs that could be refastened and a softer liner was released. This made the average weight of a typical medium sized one decrease by about 50%.
C. X paid $50,000 to be featured in the film ‘Three Men and a Baby’.
D. A mascot called ‘Pampa’, an elephant, was introduced in several markets in East Asia.
Name X.
Ans. Pampers

QC posted on 02/19/2007

Trivia
Q. In 1888, John Boyd _______’s small son was prescribed cycling as a cure for his heavy cold. He hit on the idea of making the boy’s tricycle more comfortable by fitting it with something. Fill in the blank and name the invention.
Ans. Dunlop and he invented the pneumatic tyre.


Questions

1. __________ recently acquired MTR Foods Ltd. Fill in the blank. (Hint: refer pic1)
a.Orkla

2. ___________, Exclusion, Stella. Complete.
a.‘Water’. ‘Exclusion’ and ‘Stella’ are the next movies by Deepa Mehta.

3.Identify the gentleman. (refer: pic2)
a.Sidney Sheldon, who passed away recently.

4.Who is the new brand ambassador for Mayur Suitings?
a.Salman Khan

5.Titan is to launch its Aviator collection of watches. Who has designed them?
a.Neil Foley

6.‘Hi’ to ‘How are you?’. What does it refer to?
a.Vodafone’s acquisition of Hutch-Essar. ‘Hi’ was Hutch’s successful ad campaign slogan. ‘How are you?’ is Vodafone’s slogan apart from their ‘Make the most of now’. In spite of this acquisition, Cheeka (the pug) will continue to be used in the ads. J

7.Who owns the restaurant brands – Khazana, Grain of Salt and The Yellow Chilli?
a.Sanjay Kapoor

8.This company has recently named one of its icecream flavours ‘Stephen Colbert’s American Dream’, in honour of the comedian. The icecream maker is known for naming its flavours after people such as Jerry Garcia, Wavy Gravy and the band Phish. Name the company.
a.Ben & Jerry

9.Under what brand name has Tata launched a national durable retain chain with Woolworth?
a.Croma

10.
a. X was born in 1937 in Mumbai and graduated from the Cornell University with a degree in Architecture and Structural Engineering.
b.He turned down a job offer from IBM and continued with the family business. In 1975, he completed the Advanced Management Program from the Harvard Business School.
c.He is a member of the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India and of the Prime Minister’s Council on Trade and Industry.
d.He is a member of the international advisory boards of the Mitsubishi Corporation, the American International Group, JP Morgan Chase and Booz-Allen Hamilton Inc.
e.He was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Bhushan on 26th January 2000, on the occasion of the 50th Republic Day of India.
Identify X. (Hint: Refer pic3)
a.Ratan Tata. The hint: This is the logo of Corus Steel.

Bonus Question (2 points)

Q. Sigma 6, The Megga Deaths, The Screaming Abdabs, The Architectural Abdabs, The Abdabs, Tea Set, ________. Fill in the blanks.
a. The Pink Floyd. The band was known by all these names before it finally got the name as we know it today.