Rainbow Selection (3) Trivia Quiz

Answer: Gold

This 1997 novel of historical fiction was written by Arthur Golden, the 'gold' part of his name being the connection. The novel is the story of Sakamoto Chiyo who was sold by her father along with her sister into Kyoto's entertainment district in 1929.

It follows her life's ups and downs as she becomes a geisha in Japan through the war period and, more generally, the challenges to geisha society in the 20th century. The book was adapted in the multi-award-winning 2005 film of the same name. A geisha source for background material later produced her own autobiography which portrayed a very different picture of geisha society.

Answer: Red

This is a reference to the English-language title of the song. The German original "99 Luftballons" was released by West German band Nena from their 1983 album 'Nena'. The English language version, titled "99 Red Balloons" with lyrics by Kevin McAlea, was released in 1984.

The band did not much like the English lyrics. The German version did well in the US (reaching number two in the US Billboard Hot 100) and Australia whilst the English version topped the charts in Canada, the UK and Ireland.

Answer: Blue

Taking its name from the 10th century Danish king Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson, the short-range (up to 10m or 33ft) wireless technology standard was introduced in 1998. It is most commonly found on cellphones and other portable devices such as wireless speakers and is an alternative to using cables for a wired connection.

The Bluetooth logo is also a stylised rune combination of the king's initials.

Answer: White

The Swiss cross is actually a white Greek cross, a cross with arms of equal length. It is called a Swiss cross or the federal cross when used on the Swiss flag, which consists of a white cross on a red background. In the Greek and Tongan flags, it is a white cross and a red cross respectively.

The International Red Cross symbol reverses the colours of the Swiss flag to honour the Swiss Henry Dunant who was co-founder of the Red Cross organisation. He was awarded the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901 for his humanitarian work.

Answer: Green

American actress and comedienne Fannie Flagg is known for her appearances as a panelist on the game show "Match Game" from 1967 to 1968 and in the decade from 1973. She also wrote the 1987 novel "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" and the screenplay for the 1991 film version, "Fried Green Tomatoes". She makes an uncredited appearance as a teacher in the film. She has since published a sequel to the novel, "The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop" (2020).

Answer: Black

The black mamba here is a highly-venomous snake from Africa with a fearsome reputation. There are four species of mamba in the genus Dendroaspis (which means 'tree asp') with three of the species being arboreal (living in trees) and coloured green. The black mamba is actually grey or brown in colour and lives mostly on the ground, although it also is not adverse to a bit of tree climbing. It gets its name from the colour of the inside of its mouth which can be seen during its cobra-like threat display. It uses its speed to escape people rather than chase them down.

Answer: Orange

South Africa's longest river, the Orange River starts in Lesotho in the east and runs west for some 2,432 km (1,511 mi) through South Africa and Namibia before ending up in the Atlantic Ocean. It forms parts of the border between Lesotho and South Africa as well as between South Africa and Namibia. The river has various names, however the Dutch ruling family, the House of Orange-Nassau, is the source of the colourful name used here.

Answer: Silver

This is a reference to the expression 'every cloud has a silver lining'. It means that an element of good can be found in every difficult or unpleasant situation. Sometimes it is shortened to the metaphor 'silver linings'. It is also the name of Matthew Quick's 2008 debut novel "The Silver Linings Playbook", and the 2012 film based on the novel, with the title being reflected in the film's story. The English poet John Milton is credited with coining the idiom in a 1634 poem.

Answer: Yellow

If you put the colour 'yellow' in front of 'jacket', you get the North American name for several types of wasp, with the female wasp doing the stinging. The yellow jackets (or yellowjackets) include the invasive German wasp and common wasp from Europe, the names they are known by outside America. Hornets are a different species although the bald-face hornet is actually a yellowjacket.

The wasps eat mainly sugars and carbohydrates, however their larvae eat proteins. In later summer worker wasps will obtain proteins from dead insects, fish and animals, conditioning the food for and feeding it to the larvae who in exchange secrete a sugary substance for the worker wasps.

Answer: Brown

Gordon Brown was a Labour Party politician who, as Leader of the Labour Party, was also prime minister of the UK from 2007 to 2010. Previously he had a ten-year spell as Chancellor of the Exchequer under Tony Blair, taking over as prime minister after Blair resigned. With a Scottish electorate, he has spent most of his career as a politician, latterly serving as a UN Special Envoy and being appointed a World Health Organisation Ambassador.