Culture

Learn some culture – informative answers
Which famous 1930 painting by Grant Wood portrays a pitchfork-
holding farmer and his daughter in front of a house of Carpenter Gothic
style?
Answer
American Gothic
It is one of the most familiar images in 20th century American art. Wood
wanted to depict the traditional roles of men and women as the man is
holding a pitchfork symbolizing hand labor. Wood referenced late 19th
century photography and posed his sitters in a manner reminiscent of
early American portraiture.
What is a British English term for tailored clothing made at a
customer's behest, and exactly to the customer's specification?
Answer
Bespoke
Hence a tailor who makes clothes individually, to one's specific personal
requirements, is called "bespoke". This is unlike “made-to-measure”,
which simply uses a basic, pre-existing template pattern. Bespoke has
its roots in Savile Row, where a customer would speak for a measure of
cloth. A bolt chosen by one customer was not available for anyone else
until the entire suit had been cut out and assembled.
What was brought back to international attention by archaeologist
Hiram Bingham who rediscovered it in 1911?
Answer
Machu Picchu
Sometimes called the "Lost City of the Incas", it is a well-preserved pre-
Columbian Inca ruin located at 2,430 m (7,970 ft) on a mountain ridge.
Machu Picchu is located above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, about 70
km (44 mi) northwest of Cusco.
In mythology, how do we better know Castor and Pollux together?
Answer
The Gemini Twins
In Roman mythology they are the twin sons of Leda and the brothers of
Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. They are called the Dioscuri, meaning
the "youths of Zeus".
Which Arabic word literally translates to 'Submission'
or 'Surrender'?
Answer
Islam
It is the second-largest religion in the world today, with an estimated 1.4
billion adherents.
Similar to the fear of number 13 in the west, the usage of which
number is avoided in China, Japan and Korea?
Answer
Number Four
This is because the Chinese word for 4 sounds nearly the same as
the word for death. Mobile telephone numbers with 4 in them sell for
less and some buildings even skip level four, labeling it the 5th floor
instead. One of the Japanese words for 4, shi, is also homonymous
with the kanji in the word for death, shi of shinu. In Korea, number '4' is
pronounced as sa and is homonymous with the word for death. Some,
but not all, Korean buildings have the fourth floor written as 'F' floor.
Where are Panama hats made?
Answer
Equador
They are made from the plaited leaves of the panama-hat palm.
The Ecuadorian town of Cuenca is the main producer; however, the
town of Montecristi has the reputation of producing the finest quality
hats. Glorified during the 19th century, the panama has since been
considered the prince of straw hats.
In theatrical parlance, what is referred to as 'breaking the fourth
wall'?
Answer
When a character makes the actors "aware" that they are being
watched by an audience.
The term originated from Bertolt Brecht's theory of "epic theatre" that
he developed from (and in contrast to) Konstantin Stanislavski's drama
theory. Most often, the fourth wall is broken through a character directly
addressing the audience, although the same effect can be achieved by
breaking character, through dialogue, or by the characters interacting
with objects outside the context of the work (e.g. a character is handed
a prop by a stage hand).
Which philosophical position argues that the world, especially
past and current human existence, is without objective meaning,
purpose, comprehensible truth, or essential value?
Answer
Nihilism
Nihilism is often associated with Friedrich Nietzsche, though Nietzsche
explicitly repudiated it. Another prominent philosopher who has written
on the subject is Martin Heidegger who argued that "[the term] nihilism
has a very specific meaning. What remains unquestioned and forgotten
in metaphysics is being; and hence, it is nihilistic."
10.
What is a famous Russian doll(s) of decreasing sizes placed one
inside another called?
Answer
A matryoshka doll or a Russian nested doll
They are also called stacking dolls or Babushka dolls. "Matryoshka" is
a diminutive from the Russian female first name "Matryona", which is
traditionally associated with a corpulent, robust, rustic Russian woman.
Matroyoshkas are often designed to follow a particular theme, for
instance peasant girls in traditional dress, but the theme can be almost
anything, ranging from fairy tale characters to Soviet leaders.
11.
Which counterculture phrase was coined by Timothy Leary in the
1960s when Marshall McLuhan asked him to come up with "something
snappy" to promote the benefits of LSD?
Answer
"Turn on, tune in, drop out"
It is an excerpt from a prepared speech he delivered at the opening
of a press conference in New York City on September 19, 1966.
This phrase urged people to initiate cultural changes through the
use of psychedelics and by detaching themselves from the existing
conventions and hierarchies in society. A common misunderstanding of
the phrase, by people not familiar with the context in which it was first
said, is that 'turn on, tune in, drop out' refers to 'turn on to drugs, tune in
to the counterculture, and drop out of job/society/school.