This story is part of our new Puzzles & Games section. Sign up to start playing, and follow @iepuzzles for more brainy fun.
India’s quiz circuit is a bit of an unorganised wonderland, with various clubs, societies and quiz leagues vying for a newcomer’s attention. As a competitive hobby for adults, it’s gained steam due to the rise of virtual contests after the pandemic. But for anyone new, there are a few confusing questions that always come up. These are:
- Quizzing lingo: why does it exist? Which terms do I need to know?
- Which communities should I join to enjoy good questions/events?
- How do I get better at quizzing?
Not to worry though — after spending some time in the circuit, we’ve found most of these answers and compiled them into this handy guide. Read on, and tell us if we missed anything!
Quizzing lingo: why does it exist, and which terms do I need to know?
Indian quizzing has developed its own subculture over decades. As a result, many words have been introduced or co-opted by the community for specific contest situations. These are ones you’re likely to hear often:
Funda: In an open quiz, the quizmaster might show you a picture (or multiple pictures) and say ‘give funda’. It simply means ‘give context’, to explain what’s happening in the picture. It’s a sneaky way of asking an open-ended question without giving away clues. Funda also refers to trivia around a quiz question/topic.
Bounce: In a team-based quiz, ‘bounce’ is a format for scenarios where a question keeps getting passed from one team to another — if a team manages to finally answer, the next question will go (‘bounce’) to the team immediately seated after them, instead of following the original order of turns.
For example, suppose a quiz has eight teams. A question was directed to team 1, but it kept getting passed until team 6 answered it. The next question will then go to team 7, instead of team 2.
Pounce: This thrilling format allows teams to ‘pounce’ and steal a question when it’s not their turn, or without waiting for a pass. The question would originally go to a single team with a brief answering cutoff time. Once this is over, the other teams get a chance to guess the answer by writing it down and showing the quizmaster. If they’re right, they get points. If they’re wrong, there may be negative scoring.
MIMIR: Used in quiz leagues, it’s a British format where up to four quizzers are paired for a match with themed question sets. Each quizzer gets a few direct questions from each set — if they incorrectly answer or pass it, it becomes a ‘bonus’ for others to attempt. The more bonus attempts you make, the further down the guessing order you fall, which can impact your chances at making winning guesses later. Thus, apart from knowledge, the MIMIR format needs quizzers to get strategic about when to make a guess.
Reader: A reader is a person who moderates and runs an online quiz match. Their main role is to read out questions and decide which answers can be accepted/rejected. In traditional quizzes, this responsibility normally goes to the quizmaster, who also sets the questions. In online events, the question setter may not actually be present but the reader can still run the show.
Kolstylz: Short for ‘Kolkata style’, it refers to the old-school format of quizzes where direct trivia questions were posed to contestants. Kolstylz questions lack clues that would help a quizzer work out the answer, so they’re more a test of memory than guessing skill.
Which quiz communities should I join?
As a new quizzer, you’d likely want fun and diverse questions that are not in the kolstylz format. You’d also want a community that is supportive; one that encourages you to make guesses, pose your own questions, and attend live events. These are some well-known groups that can help you learn fast:
Facebook groups: Fundaesliga Quiz League, Otto von Besmirch, Bombay Quiz Club, Asian Quiz League Season 3, Quizonomics
Twitter accounts: @kqaquizzes (Karnataka Quiz Association), @quizfoundation (The Quiz Foundation of India, Chennai; they also have a WhatsApp group), @bcqc (Boat Club Quiz Club, Pune)
Instagram communities: @aherdofquizzers_ (A HERd of Quizzers), @aceofpub (Ace of Pubs), @quizarc (Quizarc)
How do I get better at quizzing?
According to five well-known quizmasters we asked, the best way to improve as a quizzer is to:
- Celebrate your ignorance
- Invest in the topics you truly care about
- Find connections across topics and turn them into questions
- Get low-stakes practice as motivation
- Sign up for a quiz league
Want more context? You can explore their advice in detail on our recent story about how to prepare for a quiz.
Quizzing, ultimately, is for those who enjoy the pursuit of knowledge–whether it be via books, movies, music or YouTube videos. As a hobby, it holds a lot of promise for one’s personal growth and networking with other smart solvers. We hope this guide will help you navigate things in the right direction!
Rodin's 'The Thinker', representing creative agency at work. Much like a good quizzer, his mind is never at rest! (Image: Eric Drost/CC BY 2.0/Wikimedia Commons) 
Share
