Polly, But Not a Parrot In Sight! Quiz

Answer: primrose

Primula and polyanthus both belong to the family Primulaceae, which also includes the cowslip and auricula. Polyanthus is the name given to a hybrid between different species of primula and can result in a wide variety of stunning colours. A very popular garden favourite, all generally flower in early spring and are easy to grow.

Answer: Tenerife

Tonga, Tokelau and Tuvalu are all Polynesian islands. Tonga and Tuvalu are independent nations, and Tokelau is an overseas dependency of New Zealand. Tenerife, on the other hand, lies off the northwest coast of Africa; it belongs to the Canary Islands, one of Spain's autonomous communities, along with Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and others.

Answer: Dorothy Gilman

American author Dorothy Gilman's retired widow Mrs Pollifax found new adventures and a new lease of life when she became an agent for the CIA. 'The Unexpected Mrs Pollifax', published in 1966, was the first of her 14-book series, which ran until 2000 with the publication of 'Mrs Pollifax Unveiled'. Mrs Pollifax has been portrayed in film by Rosalind Russell, and in a television film by Angela Lansbury.

Agatha Christie, as every fan of detective fiction will know, brought us Miss Jane Marple of St Mary Mead, Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, and many other characters. Patricia Wentworth created the retired governess-turned private detective Miss Maud Silver. Roderick Alleyn was the detective protagonist in thirty-two novels by New Zealand author Dame Ngaio Marsh.

Answer: spouses

The prefix poly- comes from the Greek language, meaning many. The word polygamy literally translates as 'many married'. When applied to a man with more than one wife simultaneously it is known as polygyny, and where a woman is married to more than one husband at once the word is polyandry.

Although the legality of polygamy has been outlawed in many parts of the world, it is still legal in many others.

Answer: lie detector

A polygraph is a lie detector, a machine that measures the responses of a person undergoing questioning, normally a suspect in a criminal investigation, or sometimes for employment-related security clearance purposes. It measures blood pressure, breathing and sweating, all of which are bodily responses that are believed to alter when the interrogee is lying. It is not used in all countries, but is used in some, including some American states, although taking the test is not compulsory. The polygraph was invented by John Augustus Larson of California in 1921.

Answer: polyester

There are many types of polyester, both natural and synthetic, and they have several uses. Nowadays it is probably best known for its use in textiles such as household bedding and curtains as 'polycotton', a mixture of cotton and polyester fibres. Although natural materials for clothing such as cotton and linen are often favoured, polycotton is widely used in the clothing industry too, and popular because it tends to need less ironing!

Polystyrene is very lightweight and has many uses including packaging materials such as the ubiquitous 'packing peanuts'. Polydactyl is a condition where a person or animal has more fingers or toes than the norm, and polynomial is a term used in science and mathematics.

Answer: pollyanna

Pollyanna is the eternal optimist. In 'The Glad Game' which had been taught to her by her late father, she always looks on the bright side of life and takes many trials and tribulations in her stride. Teaching 'The Glad Game' to other residents of the town of Beldingsville she makes many friends and wins many hearts.

A film of this title was made in 1960 starring Hayley Mills in the title role. There have also been further films and a television series. The book was such a success that Eleanor H Porter followed it up with a sequel, 'Pollyanna Grows Up' in 1915. Since then there have been several more 'Glad Books' as they are known, written by different authors.

Answer: geometry

The word polygon is derived from the Greek language, meaning 'many angled'. It is a term used in geometry to describe a plane with many sides and angles. There are several different types of polygon, each with their own name. A four-sided figure is thus a quadrilateral, five sides is a pentagon, etc.

The term for a thirteen-sided polygon is triskaidecagon, from which we get the name of the phobia of the 'unlucky' number thirteen, triskaidekaphobia.

Answer: languages

A polyglot, translated as 'many tongues', is someone who is proficient in many languages. A synonym for polyglot is multilingual. The term can also apply to a book written in several languages, such as the Bible. Cleopatra and Pope John Paul II were both noted polyglots.

Answer: Long John Silver

Long John Silver is of course the pirate from the book 'Treasure Island' by Robert Louis Stevenson. His parrot was called Captain Flint, and was known for squawking 'Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!' at regular intervals. Long John Silver has been portrayed many times in films, one notable version being the 1954 film starring Robert Newton in the title role.