It's Not Easy Being Green ... Trivia Quiz

Answer: True

The German word for green is "grün", which can also be translated as meaning "to grow". The dual meanings of the word surely derive from the fact that so many plants are green. "Grün" gave rise to the Middle English word "grene", from which the modern-day "green" was eventually derived.

Answer: The Green Mile

"The Green Mile" was released in the US in 1999 and was nominated for four Oscars, although it did not win any. The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. The plot tells the story of John Coffey (Duncan) convicted of a crime it is later revealed he did not commit. Coffey is imprisoned on Death Row where Paul Edgecomb (Hanks) is a corrections officer.

The movie follows the two men as Edgecomb discovers that Coffey has an amazing healing power.

Answer: Absinthe

Absinthe, an aniseed-flavoured beverage, has an extremely high alcohol content (between 45 and 75%). It is prepared from herbs, including the flowers and leaves of the wormwood plant. After initial distillation, herbs are steeped in the liquid, giving it its traditional green colour. Midori, a melon-flavoured liqueur, is another green drink.

Answer: Magenta

Magenta is a bright pink colour. Olive, chartreuse and jade are all greens of varying shades. Olive is a mid- to dark green colour, taking its name from the fruit of the same name. Chartreuse is a bright yellowish green, while the colour jade is the same blue-green shade as the stone of the same name.

Answer: USA

All banknotes in the USA are traditionally printed with green ink (except for a small amount of red ink used for the Treasury Seal and the serial number of the note), giving rise to the slang term "greenback", used today to broadly describe all US paper notes.

However, the term "greenback" originally referred to United States Notes (which were not banknotes as we know them today) printed during the US Civil War. They were used to overcome a lack of gold and silver (then the only legal tender currency) at the time.

These notes ceased to be issued in 1966.

Answer: Chlorophyll

Most green plants usually contain more than one type of chlorophyll, although all chlorophylls are green. The structure of chlorophyll is such that it absorbs in the red region of the visible spectrum, meaning that it appears as the complementary colour to red, which is green. Carotenes are orange pigments found in carrots and the skins of ripe oranges. Xanthophylls and pheophytins are, respectively, yellow and grey pigments also found in plants.

Answer: Pistachio

The trees from which pistachio nuts are harvested are native to central Asian nations such as Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Pistachios are an important crop in Iran and are also harvested in California and Australia. While still on the tree, the shell of the pistachio splits partially open of its own accord during the ripening process to reveal the nut inside.

Answer: Emerald

The gemstone we know as emerald is a form of the mineral beryl, which is a mixed oxide of the elements beryllium, aluminium and silicon. The green colour of emerald is due to chromium(III) ions present as impurities within the mineral. Rubies and garnets are most commonly red gemstones and amethysts are purple.

Answer: Vertigo

The word "vertigo", describing a feeling of being dizzy, is derived from the Latin "vertere" (to turn). "Verdant", "verdure" and "verdurous" are all words used to describe or refer to an area that is rich in green, growing things. All three words have their root in the French and Latin words for the colour green.

Answer: Slightly ill

The idiom "to be green about (or around) the gills" has entered the English language to describe someone who is not looking entirely well, and perhaps like they might be sick. Other common phrases featuring the word green include "to have a green thumb", to describe someone who is good at getting plants to grow; "to be green with envy", describing someone who is extremely jealous of someone else (or something someone else has) and to give something "the green light" is to give it permission to proceed. I hope this quiz hasn't made you feel "green about the gills"; thanks for playing!