Truth Be Told! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Green Card

In the United States the Permanent Resident Card is also known as a green card. It earned this name because it was indeed the color green between 1946 and 1964. The card became white for almost 46 years before reverting back to its green color on May 11, 2010.

While green remains a popular color for permanent resident cards throughout the world, many countries have used different colors. For instance, Canada and Australia have used multiple different color schemes on their green cards.

Answer: Golden Eagle

Golden eagles are one of the most majestic of all birds. Their range includes parts of Eurasia, North America, and Africa. One of the largest birds in North America, the golden eagle is an expert hunter. The golden eagle is mostly a dark brown color with what some consider a yellowish or golden sheen to its neck. Younger birds may have white patches in their wings or at the base of the tail.

In a dive the golden eagle can reach a startling 150-200mph.

Answer: Blue Moon

The blue moon is a term that is used to reflect an additional moon that appears in a year's calendar. It could be the second full moon in a month or the 3rd or 4th full moon in a season. The moon itself is not actually blue unless in the rare circumstance of a favorable atmospheric condition.

The term blue moon is thought to have been derived from the word "belewe" meaning to betray. Thus the betrayer moon was used to refer to a full moon of spring that would result in an extra month of required fasting to conform with the requirements of the season of Lent.

The rare event of viewing an actual blue moon has coincided with significant volcanic eruptions such as in 1980 with the eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington state.

Answer: Pink Slip

The proverbial pink slip is the term used to refer to notices of employment termination. The phrase is thought to have been coined at the start of the 20th century referring to canceled vaudeville shows. When an act was canceled the notice would traditionally be posted on a pink slip. Later as companies would use triplicate copies for hiring and firing, one of the colors in addition to white and yellow was usually pink.

Answer: Blackbird

The common blackbird is a garden mainstay in England and Europe. It is also found in North America, Asia, Europe and North Africa. Although the bird was introduced to Australia and New Zealand it is considered a nuisance in those countries. The male bird is all black with the exception of a yellow eye ring and yellow beak.

The female is traditionally dark brown. The bird is an omnivore and consumes worms, berries, fruits, and insects.

Answer: Yellow Fever

The history books look to 1647 Barbados for records of the first documented outbreak of yellow fever. The term yellow fever to describe symptoms of the disease was first used in 1744. Yellow fever is an acute viral disease spread through the bite of a female mosquito. Yellow fever accounts for almost a quarter of a million infections and over 30,000 deaths every year. Estimates suggest that over 90% of fatalities occur in Africa.

The name yellow fever is attributed to the jaundice coloration of the skin in advanced stages of the disease when liver damage occurs.

Answer: Red Tape

Although the exact etymology of the term red tape is not actually known, historical evidence suggests that the practice of sealing important government documents and correspondence with red wax or red tape was an accepted custom in pre-reformation Europe. In the early 16th century, King Henry VIII sent almost a hundred red-taped documents to Pope Clement VII appealing to the pope to grant him an annulment to his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Today the term has come to refer to any political practice or administrative scenario where decision-making is cumbersome and ineffective.

Answer: Green

The term green fingers or green thumb is a way of suggesting expert skills in gardening or horticulture. No one can truly agree on where this term comes from. Some people suggest that it is simply related to the fact that leaves, grass, and bushes have green colors.

Others suggest that working in the garden extensively with plants can occasionally leave a green tint on the fingers. Interestingly, in Great Britain the term green fingers is popular and in the United States more people seem to use the term having a green thumb.

Answer: Brown-nosing

Sycophancy or brown-nosing is flattery that is excessive to a servile degree.
The term brown-nosing is thought to refer to the metaphorical practice of literally putting one's nose to another's posterior with the unfortunate ramification of being covered in brown fecal material.

Answer: Blue Sea

The Red Sea is located between Africa and Asia and is sometimes known as the Erythraean Sea. The Yellow Sea is the northern part of the East China Sea located between China and the Korean Peninsula. Interestingly, sand storms from the Gobi Desert sometimes settle upon the ocean water to give it the appearance of gold or yellow. Finally, the Black Sea is in Southeastern Europe.

This body of water drains through the Mediterranean into the Atlantic Ocean via the Aegean Sea. The Black Sea separates Western Asia and Eastern Europe.