From Malaysia to Singapore Trivia Quiz

Answer: Rambutan

The rambutan (Nephellium lappaceum) is native to Southeast Asia, and is closely related to the lychee. The red, golf-ball sized fruit is covered in hair-like projections that gives it the resemblance of a sea urchin. The name rambutan comes from the Malay word rambut (hair) and in Vietnam they are called chom chom (messy hair). Once peeled the fruit has a translucent white flesh with central seed, similar to the lychee.

Player leith90 finds this fruit "a-peeling"

Answer: Tuba man

Drop the R and rearrange to get "tuba man".

Brian Keith "Herbie" Flowers was born in 1938. He has played with Blue Mink, T Rex and Sky. In addition to tuba, he is known as a bass player. Flowers has contributed to recordings by many artists including Elton John, David Bowie, and three of the Beatles' solo works (Paul, George and Ringo).

Player pusdoc gives a toot about this question

Answer: Bantam

Drop the U and rearrange to get bantam.

The word "bantam" comes from a port on Java, Indonesia - sailors restocking their ships found that the smaller fowl were easier to transport. The term refers to any smaller variety of fowl - ducks, geese or chickens - but the bantam chicken is a specific breed. The use of "bantam" to refer to a smaller size has extended to boxing, where a bantamweight fighter is above 115 but below 118 pounds - there are similar definitions for kickboxing and mixed martial arts.

Player pusdoc is in a class above bantamweight but she'll never tell

Answer: Manta

Drop the B from bantam and rearrange to get manta.

Manta rays are cold-blooded fish. Their bodies are flat and diamond-shaped, and they have a cephalic horn-shaped fin on each side of their large mouth. Unlike sting rays, mantas do not have the tail barb, or a small mouth on their underbelly. They live in warm, tropical waters. There are only two species of manta rays. They are so large, averaging 23 ft in width, that aquariums are typically not big enough to house them. Unfortunately, mantas have a long gestation period at 13 months, and the numbers are dwindling. In 2020, the giant manta was listed as endangered, and the reef manta was listed as vulnerable. Fishing nets, overfishing, and pollution are key threats. Mantas have the largest brain-to-body ratio of all fish and are considered 'gentle giants'. They will breach like whales and can be curious and playful.

Jaknginger has only seen one manta in captivity and that was at the Atlantis Resort in Nassau.

Answer: Anta

Drop the M and you are left with anta.

Also called parastas, an anta is a pier that thickens at its attachment - most commonly known as the post on either side of the entrance to a Greek temple.

Red Crew's player pusdoc has yet to cross the threshhold of a Greek temple.

Answer: Tan

Drop an 'A' and rearrange the remaining letters leaving tan.

'Tan' is a yellowish-brown color. It is also a process of skin darkening after sun exposure and a process of leather-making from animal skins.

Jaknginger lives in the sunshine state of Florida which is conducive to keeping a glowing tan.

Answer: At

Drop the N to get "at".

'At' is a word that indicates location, activity or cause in a sentence, such as "you puzzled at my clue for this word."

Player pusdoc has never contemplated the meaning of the word at before

Answer: A

Dropping the 'T' from at leaves you with 'A'.

The major C scale consists of 7 notes: C,D,E,F,G,A and B. It is considered one of the easiest scales to learn on the piano as it has no sharps or flats and is played on white keys only.

PR's jaknginger envies those that can play the piano.

Answer: Ra

Add an to the 'A' R to get to Ra.

Ra is the Egyptian sun deity, commonly associated with the noon sun. Although primarily depicted as the sun, he was also the ruler over the sky, the Earth and the underworld. He was also god of the Kings. As the ruler of the sky he shared characteristics of Horus, the sky-god, and images of Ra portrayed him as having the body of a man, head of a falcon and with the noon-day sun above.

Phoenix Rising's Red Crew member leith90 doesn't worship Ra or the sun, after living all her life in Brisbane, she worships the shade.

Answer: Far

Add an F and rearrange to get 'far.'

'Far' is the opposite of near and close. For example, I live on the east coast of the US therefore Australia is far from me. 'Far' can also indicate a long time, such as 'far into the future'. There's also the 'Far East' indicating regions east of Europe, such as China, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore.

Jaknginger loves to travel both near and far!

Answer: Farl

Add an L to result in "farl."

Farl is typically a quarter of a cake round. The cake, or bread, is flat and round, cut into quarters, and placed on a griddle or fry pan to cook. The flatbread is sometimes made of oat but can be soda bread or potato bread depending on the locale.

Jaknginger of PR's Red Crew would like a farl with some butter and honey please!

Answer: Feral

Add an E to your farl and rearrange to get to "feral."

Feral animals are those which have escaped a domestic situation and are living in the wild. It also includes the offspring of these animals. Some of the most common feral species include, but are not limited to, horses, rabbits and cats.
Plants too can become feral. A domestic plant that is allowed to grow unchecked or an introduced agricultural crop can become a noxious weed. An example of this is the lantana in Australia. Native to Central and South America it was introduced into Australia circa 1841 and since then has spread rapidly, choking native plants and encroaching on farmland.

Red Crew's leith90 is wild about cats, but not so much lantana.

Answer: Flares

Add an S and rearrange to get "flares."

A flare is a pyrotechnic device used as a signal, usually as an indicator of distress. The first use of flares is attributed to the Chinese while they were besieged by the Mongols in the 13th century - the flares were used to communicate position. Flares are universally understood as indicators of maritime distress when launched from ships. Stationary flares, also called fusees, can be used to mark highway breakdowns.

Player pusdoc used this question to signal her support for the Red Crew on Phoenix Rising's Global Tour 2022.

Answer: Raffles

Add an F and rearrange to get to Raffles.

The Raffles Hotel in Singapore is an iconic, colonial-style hotel that was and named for Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore. Before it was a hotel, the building was a private beach house, then Emerson's Hotel until Charles Emerson's death in 1883. The Sarkies Brothers turned it into a luxury hotel it is today. Many writers, from Maugham and Kipling, to Hemingway and Hitchcock have all stayed at the now heritage-listed hotel. The must-visit place in Raffles is the Long Bar, the birthplace of the Singapore Sling.

Red Crew's leith90 has been to Singapore several times, and while she hasn't actually stayed in the hotel, she has been to the bar, because one simply cannot visit Singapore and not sling a drink in the Long Bar.

Answer: Durian

The durian, or "king of fruit" is often named as the national fruit of Singapore, although I could not find evidence that this has been officially established. It is a large fruit (up to 30 cm) covered with thorns, and it is perceived as mildly sweet by some and as smelling of sewage to others.

The name comes from a Malay word for thorn. So we have taken you from a Malay word for hair to a Malay word for thorn!