Rainbow Selection Trivia Quiz

Answer: Silver

This is a reference to the 1969 song by the British band The Beatles. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" appears in their "Abbey Road" album with grim lyrics contrasting with the upbeat music. The song narrates the story of medical student Maxwell Edison who commits a series of murders with his silver hammer. Paul McCartney, who wrote most of it, likened it to life's sudden upsets.

It was not popular with the other band members, apparently.

Answer: Blue

Cambozola has been made since 1983 by the cheese-making German company Champignon-Hofmeister. It is a soft cheese combined with blue mould notes and made using cow's milk. Industrially produced, it is often marketed as blue brie in the English-speaking world. The name for the cheese is made up from Camembert and Gorgonzola after which it is styled. It also uses the two moulds characteristic of those two cheeses.

Answer: Red

Nicknamed the Red Baron by his British counterparts after he started painting his planes red, Richthofen was the German Air Force's top flying ace during the First World War. He was not technically a Baron but a Freiherr (or 'Free Lord'), although it is usually translated as Baron.

He was shot from the ground in 1918 when chasing a low-flying novice Canadian pilot. Flying so low was a risky practice he would normally have avoided. A recent head wound may have contributed to his misjudgement.

Answer: Gold

The beginning of the 19th century in France was Napoleon's time. The coin was issued in various denominations, initially 20 and 40-franc coins and known as the Franc Germinal, although they have become known as Napoléons. They were minted in various places including at one point in London in 1815. With various changes to portraits and logos, they became in effect a form of pre-World War I Euro under the Latin Monetary Union.

Answer: Yellow

The Yellow Brick Road appears in the children's novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" (1900) by L. Frank Baum and in several sequels. It is probably most recognisable as the road followed by Dorothy and her companions to Emerald City in the 1939 film version. Elton John's 1973 double album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is also a reference to the book (and film).

Answer: Brown

American author Dan Brown wrote the mystery thriller "The Da Vinci Code", which was published in 2003. It was turned into a film of the same name in 2006 and spawned a number of sequels. It was actually the second of his books to feature the character symbologist Robert Langdon, the first being "Angels & Demons" (2000). It attracted criticisms for its historical inaccuracies and from Christian communities. The controversy perhaps contributed to its success and to that of Dan Brown as an author.

Answer: White

The beluga whale is known for its white colour. It actually goes through various colour changes as it matures, starting with a brownish-grey colour as a newborn calf. As a juvenile its skin turns to a grey-blue before becoming predominantly white as an adult.

It lacks a dorsal fin which is thought to help it navigate the under-ice landscape more easily. Both the skin colour and lack of dorsal fin are adaptations for Arctic life.

Answer: Black

The two main codes of rugby are rugby league and rugby union with the union version probably being the best known. The NZ national union team is known as the All Blacks; the national league team is currently called the Kiwis. Many of New Zealand sports teams have the word 'black' in their name, for example the Black Caps (cricket), Tall Blacks (basketball), Black Sticks (hockey) and Black Ferns (women's rugby union team).

Answer: Green

Chlorophyll refers to several green pigments occurring in cyanobacteria, algae and in plants. These pigments absorb light strongly in the blue part of the spectrum as well as the red portion. The green portion is poorly absorbed and so is mostly reflected, resulting in the colour seen. Chlorophyll is an essential part of the photosynthesis process where light energy is converted to chemical energy in the form of sugars with the oxygen we breathe being a by-product.

Answer: Pink

"Wish You Were Here" was the ninth album of British rock band Pink Floyd, released in September 1975. It is considered a cornerstone of progressive rock with themes of alienation, loss and the commercialisation of music. Three of the better known tracks which touch on these are the titular track "Wish You Were Here", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" as a tribute to former band member Syd Barrett, and "Have a Cigar".