Three of a Kind, Part 32 Trivia Quiz

Answer: shark

Sharks range the oceans of the world where they have been for over 400 million years. The smallest are around six inches in length; the largest (the whale shark) over forty feet. They are most commonly found in salt water. Shark Week occurs in the US in July or early August, observed by several television networks.

Sharkskin cloth has a soft feel and a two-toned appearance. Mohair, silk and wool were used extensively to make sharkskin although many modern versions are made entirely with artificial fibers.

Greg Norman was born in 1955 in Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia. He was the top-rated golfer in the world for much of the 80s and 90s. Beginning with the 1981 Masters, he earned the nickname "The Great White Shark" with reference to his blond hair, his style of play and the creature from his homeland. It was later shortened to "Shark."

Answer: February

February was named "Februarius" after the Latin "februum" meaning purification because the ritual of Februa was held in that month. It is the shortest month in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars, the only month with less than 30 days and the only month to expand in a Leap Year.

The February Revolution of 1917 occurred mostly in Petrograd where rebellious common people joined by rebellious Russian army units fought Tsarist police. This was a sort of last stand for the monarchy which led to the first provisional government.

The February Strike was prompted by a pogrom held in Amsterdam to identify and deport Dutch Jews. The Communist Party of the Netherlands called a general strike to protest, but the Nazi response was prompt, large and vicious, which brought the strike to an end within two days.

Answer: Bean

Mister Bean had his own British television programme (1990-1995), two feature films (1997, 2007) and an animated TV series (2002-2004, 2015). Rowan Atkinson also starred on television in "Blackadder" and "The Thin Blue Line."

Orson Bean appeared in radio, on television game shows, and as an actor on Broadway, on television and in movies. His run as a guest on the original "To Tell the Truth" extended from the 1950s until 1991.

The L.L. Bean Company began selling "the Maine Hunting Shoe" (with rubber bottoms and lightweight leather uppers) out of a one-room factory/store in 1912. It has since grown into a large retailer of outdoor clothing and gear with physical stores, mail-order and on-line locations.

Answer: indigo

Of the seven colours of the rainbow, indigo is the one between blue and violet. Its name comes from a dye made from Indigofera tinctoria (and its close relatives). It is the "I" in the mnemonic "Roy G. Biv".

Warner's 1992 novel "Indigo" uses the familiar characters in "The Tempest" but sets them in a modern story which spans three centuries. The resulting novel is complex, engaging and provocative of thought, especially about relationships across cultures.

According to psychic Nancy Ann Tappe, in a book she wrote in 1970, there are children who possess spiritual and psychic gifts which represent the next step in human evolution. These children are called "indigo children" because their auras are indigo. Some parents of children diagnosed with learning disabilities or psychiatric problems claim that their children are simply indigo children who are not well understood by traditional authorities.

Answer: meatball

Ivan Reitman directed Bill Murray's first motion picture role in "Meatballs." Their success led them to "Stripes" (1981) and "Ghostbusters" (1984). Murray is outstanding as a worldly head counselor in charge of the CITs (counselors in training) at Camp North Star.

A pitch thrown straight down the middle which is likely to be hit is called a meatball. This is sometimes shortened to "meat."

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was created in 1959, as was its original logo: a sphere representing a planet, white stars and an orbital path, a red airfoil and "NASA" in lettering. The logo was disrespectfully called "the meatball." It was replaced in 1975 but was restored in 1992.

Answer: ring

Each pope is invested with the Annulus Piscatoris (the Ring of the Fisherman) as a symbol of his office. The term "fisherman" is a reference to the worldly occupation of Saint Peter before he became chief among the Apostles. Roman Catholic theology states that the pope is the spiritual descendant of Saint Peter.

In order to properly seat a piston in its cylinder, one or more rings are placed around the piston head which minimize the loss of gases from combustion and maintains lubrication without allowing sump oil to pass into the chamber. Tolerances are measured in thousandths of inches.

A mob or gang of criminals may be referred to as a "crime ring" although this is a somewhat dated term. Criminal enterprises are sometimes organized on a business model with specialists in each part of the criminal business doing what they do best. In most jurisdictions, there is legislation designed to punish participation in organized crime generally, as well as the individual crimes committed.

Answer: planet

The definition of a planet is unsettled. The latest authoritative scientific definition is (according to the International Astronomical Union): (1) a body which orbits a star, (2) which has been made round by the forces of its own gravity and (3) has attracted to itself smaller objects in its orbit, adding them to its own mass.

In the "Superman" universe, Clark Kent worked for the Daily Planet. The newspaper is a daily in Metropolis. It employs not only Kent but also Perry White as editor in chief, Lois Lane as reporter and Jimmy Olson as photographer.

Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis and Leslie Nielsen starred in "Forbidden Planet" which is repeatedly mentioned as one of the great science fiction movies of the 1950s. They share the screen with Robby the Robot. The similarity of the story to "The Tempest" is patent.

Answer: drive

Synonyms for street include avenue, boulevard, court, highway, lane, place, road, route, parkway, terrace, way, alley ... and drive.

One meaning of the English transitive verb "to drive" is to move forward, to compel, to force. Using energy to strike a nail or twist a screw are examples of this sense. The etymology is from the Middle English driven which was derived, in turn, from the Old English drīfan meaning "to use physical force to move."

Larry Bird (b. 1956) wrote "Drive: The Story of My Life" in 1989 and retired as a player in 1992. He went on to coach the Indiana Pacers and then to serve the Pacers as President of Basketball Operations. He is the only man in NBA history to named Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.

Answer: Quaker

The colony of Pennsylvania was founded in 1681 by William Penn, a Quaker, under a charter issued by King Charles II. The name roughly translates from the Latin "Penn's Woods." Many Quakers were attracted to Penn's colony (which was broadly religiously tolerant) and that is how the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania earned the nickname "The Quaker State."

Whittier (1807-1892) was a poet whose writing was very New England, very Quaker and very abolitionist. He was nicknamed the Quaker Poet (as was Bernard Barton, which was a source of some confusion). He was one of the writers who contributed to the establishment of the "Atlantic Monthly".

Quaker State Oil built a name for itself as a maker of motor oil and sponsor of automobile races and cars. It was purchased and became the Pennzoil-Quaker State Company. This was purchased again and now is operated by Royal Dutch Shell, still using the name Quaker State.

Answer: India

The Republic of India is the seventh largest nation on the planet in terms of its area. It is the second most populous country and the most populous democracy. It has been the seat of civilisation since the Third Millennium BC. The word "India" derives from Indus; the citizenry could be described as "The people of the Indus River."

Among other pale ales (all of them rich in hop flavour), India Pale Ale (known as IPA) is distinct. The high hop content was original thought necessary to preserve the beer without refrigeration on the voyage from England to India. IPA no longer has to travel in the hold of ship but uses the name for historical continuity.

In both the novel (1936) and the movie (1939), India Wilkes is the sister of Honey Wilkes and Ashley Wilkes. She was courted by Stuart Tarleton but lost him to Scarlett O'Hara. Mitchell describes her as "plain."