Three of a Kind, Part 20 Trivia Quiz

Answer: bolt

A lightning bolt is a visible discharge of electricity between the atmosphere and the ground, usually accompanied by a clap of thunder. Lightning may also occur between clouds but more often it starts in the sky and ends up to the ground itself or to an object connected to the ground.

Jeremy Bolt (b. 1965) produced "Resident Evil" in 2002, "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" in 2004, "Resident Evil: Extinction" in 2007, "Resident Evil: Afterlife" in 2010 and "Resident Evil: Retribution" in 2012.

In "Bolt," Francis (1920-2010) continues the story of jockey Kit Fielding's efforts to stop the killing of race horses (and attempted murder of some humans, as well). Writing as an insider to British horse racing, he brings great realism to his descriptions of the sport. The title is a reference to a "captive-bullet bolt gun" which is used to stun horses and cattle as part of their "humane" killing.

Answer: zigzag

The maker of Zig-Zag cigarette-rolling papers was founded in 1879 in Paris. The brand grew to be marketed in Europe, the United States and Japan. There are now varieties of papers which differ in size, flavour, and the rate at which they burn.

A zigzag stitch is produced by a sewing machine (or a special attachment to an older sewing machine) which alternates in a back-and-forth pattern. This is especially useful in reinforcing button holes and temporarily joining two pieces of fabric which will later be taken apart.

The village of Zigzag, in Clackamas County, Oregon, is located near the Zigzag River. The Zigzag River (together with the Little Zigzag River) drain the melt of the Zigzag Glacier on Mount Hood. The Zigzag Ranger Station was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935 and is still in use by the Forest Service.

Answer: white

The telekinetic teenager in Stephen King's first published novel "Carrie" (1974) is named Carrietta N. "Carrie" White. She was unforgettably portrayed by Sissy Spacek in the 1976 film. The novel has been further adapted by a musical stage version in 1988, a made-for-television version in 2002 and a theatrical remake in 2013.

The human iris is surrounded by the sclera -- a white fibrous, elastic layer of tissue. Unlike many other mammals, humans have a sclera which is fully visible around the iris. The order "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" was supposedly given by one of the American commanders at the Battle of Bunker Hill. As the colonists were running low on ammunition, their leaders wished them to conserve their fire until it would do the most good against the British.

The White Motor Company was founded in 1900 in the corner of a building where White Sewing Machines were manufactured. It went on to produce steam-powered automobiles (President Taft owned one), trucks and heavy equipment. It went out of business in 1980.

Answer: Bush

The African primitive primate galago is commonly known as the bush baby. They are also called nagapies, which is Afrikaans for "little night monkeys." This is appropriate to their nocturnal habits and huge eyes.

John Ellis Bush Sr. (b. 1953) is known as "Jeb" because of his initials. He is the second son of former US President George H.W. Bush. He was the governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. His older brother is George W. Bush, also a former president of the United States.

George Washington Bush (ca. 1779-1863) was born to an African father and Irish mother. He married a white woman and was forced to leave Missouri because the law forbade mixed-race marriage. He settled an area at the southern tip of Puget Sound, near modern Tumwater, which is named Bush Prairie. One of his sons served two terms in the state legislature and introduced the bill which established Washington State University -- a glorious institution of higher learning.

Answer: chestnut

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) wrote "The Village Blacksmith" as a paean to the self-reliant, self-supporting working man. It is less about the smithy's shop under the chestnut tree and more about the place of each person in a community of hard-working, honest, self-reliant people.

The colour "chestnut" is often heard in connection with the shade of a horse's coat. It was named for the colour of the outer shell of the fruit of a chestnut tree. "Badius" is the Latin word for the same colour, from which the English word "badious" derives.

Proof of the origin of the use of the term chestnut to describe a stale joke is dubious but one source puts it to 1885 in the United States where it was used (and explained) in an article in "Lippincott's Monthly Magazine" with reference to an 1816 melodrama by William Dimond.

Answer: hero

Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff were asked to write a theme song for the 1992 movie "Hero" starring Dustin Hoffman and Geena Davis. Instead, their song "Hero" became one of the Carey's signature ballads. She performed it at Barack Obama's inaugural ball in 2009.

Hero is the son of Senex and Domina in the 1962 Stephen Sondheim musical. His slave, Pseudolus, agrees to help him win the hand of Philia in return for his freedom. Humour ensues. All three of the actors (Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers, and Nathan Lane) who ever opened on Broadway as Pseudolus won the Tony for Best Leading Actor.

In "The Greatest American Hero", William Katt played a substitute special-ed teacher who is given a red suit by aliens. He loses the manual which explains how it confers super powers on the wearer. Robert Culp played an FBI agent who is constantly frustrated by the teacher's ineptitude. The wearer can fly but landing presents an ongoing problem. The theme song "Believe It or Not" was composed by Mike Post with lyrics by Stephen Geyer.

Answer: bean

The common bean is actually the plant's seed, growing in a pod. Beans are among the oldest known human food sources. The well-known flatulence caused by beans is the result of a sugar molecule found in beans which does not have a corresponding digestive enzyme in the human gut, leaving these sugars to be fermented by bacteria, which produces gas.

Phantly Roy Bean, Jr. (ca. 1825-1903) was as much a minor criminal as he was a jurist. He committed theft, assault, possibly murder, rustling and a variety of other petty crimes, as well. But he maintained a semblance of justice by holding court in his saloon The Jersey Lily.

Boston is sometimes referred to as "Beantown" for its association with Boston baked beans, which cognomen is sometimes shortened to "the Bean." "And this is good old Boston, the home of the bean and the cod, where the Lowells talk only to Cabots, and the Cabots talk only to God."

Answer: meatball

The meatball exists anywhere there is tough meat which is better consumed chopped, minced or ground. Sometimes mixed with extenders (bread crumbs, rice, minced potato) and/or binders (eggs), meatballs may be fried, baked, or braised.

The children's book "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" was published in 1978. It was adapted into a film of the same name in 2009. There are two sequels to the book and one sequel to the movie.

Richard Ellenger (b. 1970) is a 4 foot 6 inch tall "midget" wrestler, also known as "The World's Monster Midget" and "Meatball." He won the Micro Wrestling Championship twice.

Answer: Quaker

Quakers (or Friends) descend from an evangelical holiness movement within the Church of England. The original Friends were pacifist, abstained from alcohol, opposed slavery, refused to swear oaths, and dressed plainly. Because there is not much hierarchy and little regard for creeds, there is remarkable variety in modern Quakers worldwide.

The Quaker Oats Company was founded in 1877 to produce breakfast cereals. American actor Wilford Brimley became a spokesperson for Quaker Oats. The company owned Gatorade which is why PepsiCo bought it in 2001.

The athletic teams of the University of Pennsylvania carry the name Quakers or Penn Quakers. The teams are sometimes referred to as "the red and blue."

Answer: Scooter

"Scooter" Libby served as Chief of Staff to Vice President Chaney and as an Assistant to the President during the George W. Bush administration. He was charged with and convicted of federal crimes connected with the disclosure of Valerie Plame Wilson as a covert employee of the CIA.

Doctor Dorian, who was both the central character and the narrator of the first eight seasons of "Scrubs" was given many nicknames on the programme including J.D., Scooter, Q-Tip, Vanilla Bear and Bambi.

Phil Rizzuto (1917-2007) played his entire 13-year major league career in a New York Yankees uniform. His nickname was Scooter. He won AL MVP in 1950. During his tenure, the Yankees won ten AL pennants and seven World Series.