Three of a Kind, Part 30 Trivia Quiz

Answer: horse

Horses are ungulate one-toed mammals which have been domesticated for about six thousand years. Horses have the remarkable ability to sleep both standing up and lying down. The urine of pregnant mares is useful in producing female hormones for replacement therapy.

Horseradish is a plant cultivated for its root which is a member of the Brassicaceae family and therefor related to cabbages, broccoli and mustard. When freshly grated (or preserved in vinegar), it is a strong seasoning which causes the eyes and nose to run. Excellent in its own right, horseradish is used to counterfeit much more expensive wasabi in Japanese cuisine.

Michael Martin Murphey and Larry Cansler wrote the popular song "Wildfire" in 1968 based on a Native American legend told to Murphey by his grandfather. Murphey recorded it and it became his greatest hit.

Answer: neutron

A neutron is a subatomic particle with a mass a bit larger than that of a proton. Protons and neutrons are the blocks from which an atom's nucleus is built.

Jimmy Neutron played first in some animated shorts on Nickelodeon 1999-2001. From these, the feature-length animated movie "Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius" was made in 2001. From this, a television series spun off in 2002-2006 and another in 2010-2013.

The Pointer Sisters' recording of "The Neutron Dance" was featured on their album "Break Out" but raced up the charts due to its inclusion in the sound track of "Beverly Hills Cop." There were a lot of people singing "I'm so happy doin' the neutron dance. "

Answer: Twelve

Twelve is the natural number which is one more than eleven and one less than thirteen. One hundred forty four of anything is a "gross." 144 is the number for directory assistance in Israel.

The fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous practices 12 steps leading to sobriety, has 12 traditions to keep the organization strong and healthy and espouses 12 concepts for world service.

In 1960, the Rat Pack made the film "Ocean's Eleven." This film was remade in 2001 with George Clooney playing Frank Sinatra's part as Danny Ocean. A sequel entitled "Ocean's Twelve" was made in 2004 with Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Andy García, Julia Roberts, Don Cheadle, and Bernie Mac (God rest his soul).

Answer: skipper

The term "skipper" is used for any person (regardless of rank) who has command of a vessel afloat. The term entered English from the Scandinavian "schiffe" and the Dutch word "schipper" which means the master of a trading vessel.

Skipper Roberts is the 14-year-old younger sister of Barbara Millicent "Barbie" Roberts, the teenage fashion doll. Skipper was introduced in 1964 by Mattel. In her recent iteration, she was a brunette with a purple streak dyed into her hair.

Hesperiidae, commonly known as skippers, were classified apart from moths and butterflies but are now understood to be part of the Lepidoptera. The term "skipper" derives from their propensity to dart about in flight.

Answer: thunder

The noise produced by lightning is the result of the sudden expansion and heating of the air within a bolt. The sonic shock is called a peal, a clap or a boom of thunder.

The Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team began as the Seattle SuperSonics (1967-2008) when they moved to Oklahoma. Howard Schultz, the former CEO of Starbucks, sold the team (and the Seattle Storm of the WNBA) for $350-million.

Sgt. Breckinridge, code-named Thunder, was an artilleryman who specialized in self-propelled guns. He appeared in the action figure line, the comic books and the animated series. According to the Marvel Comics series, he was killed in action and buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Answer: gorilla

The 1988 film "Gorillas in the Mist" is the story of a naturalist, Dian Fossey, who sought to protect the mountain gorillas of Rwanda and was murdered for her efforts. Sigourney Weaver plays the lead.

The "Magilla Gorilla Show" was a Hanna-Barbera television cartoon which was programmed 1963-1967. Magilla lived in the front window of Melvin Peebles' pet shop and could not seem to "stay sold." His regular costume was shorts held up by suspenders topped with a Derby hat.

In "Cabaret", the Emcee (Joel Grey on Broadway) sings to and about his girlfriend who is a gorilla. The song is about anti-Semitism as the complete line is "If you could see her through my eyes, she wouldn't look Jewish at all." The line was so jarring that it was changed in some performances.

Answer: morning

In "Good Morning, Vietnam" (1987), Robin Williams plays Airman Second Class Adrian Cronauer, a disk jockey on the Armed Forces Radio Service during the war. Williams was awarded the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Comedy. One might well call the film a comedy but it touched soberly upon important moral issues about the war in Vietnam.

In "That Great Gettin' Up Morning" the image of Gabriel's horn stands for the trumpet blast on the Day of Judgment when slaves would be delivered. The song has been recorded by Mahalia Jackson, Harry Belafonte and The Gaither Vocal Band among many others.

Morning Glory, in many varieties, grows worldwide. The Chinese used its seeds as a laxative. The Japanese cultivated it as a decorative. Mesoamericans used it to make rubber. Aztecs used it for its hallucinogenic properties.

Answer: roll

A California roll is an "inside-out" sushi roll which originated in the United States, not Japan, and appealed to American tastes. At first, the avocado substituted for toro (tuna) during the off-season. Mayonnaise is often mixed with the crab.

Two different songs (one written by Shirely and Lee in 1956; the other written by Sam Theard and recorded by Louis Jordan in 1946) were titled "Let the Good Times Roll." The title was also used for a rock-and-roll documentary issued in 1973 which celebrated the hits of the 1950s.

Bob "Bobke" Roll (b. 1960) is an American bicycle racer who rode professionally and then became a commentator on NBC TV coverage of international cycling events. His nickname is a Dutch diminutive for Robert. His constant smile reveals a diastema for which he is well known.

Answer: guard

The modern shin guard derives from the medieval greave -- a piece of military armour which protected the front of a knight's lower leg. Modern shin guards are commonly made of fiberglass, polyurethane or plastic. They are worn in many contact sports, in cricket and by catchers in baseball.

Guard rails are designed to keep people from falling off elevated areas and to keep vehicles from crossing lanes and running into each other. There is a lot of physics which goes into the design of guard rails, e.g., the desirability of keeping vehicles which impact a guard rail from rolling over.

The Pontifical Swiss Guard protects the Pope and defends Vatican City, despite the Swiss government's prohibition of Swiss people from being mercenaries. At one time, the Swiss provided cohorts to protect many of the royal houses of Europe. In Shakespeare's "Hamlet," King Claudius cries out "Where are my Switzers? Let them guard the door".

Answer: captain

Gavin McLeod played Captain Merrill Stubing on "The Love Boat" (1977-1986). His earlier role as Murray Slaughter on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (1970-1977) set him up for the role as the captain of the romantic cruise ship.

The novels, radio plays, movies and television programmes which relate the career of Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. span over thirty years. His life begins as a seasick midshipman and concludes as Admiral of the Fleet. Hornblower is the creation of C. S. Forester.

The U.S. Navy rank O-6 is Captain, as it is in the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Public Health Service and N.O.A.A. This can be confused for two reasons. The rank of "captain" is a lower rank in the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps (O-3). A naval officer below the rank of O-6 who is in command of a commissioned vessel is respectfully called "captain."