The Kitchen Sink -- "R" Trivia Quiz

Answer: roca

The most common type of roca is almond roca, though candy companies experiment with other coverings such as cashew, peanut, and candy cane. During WWII, the candy was readily available to American soldiers because it was safely sealed within tin containers and wasn't easily spoiled.

Answer: Rotterdam - Rhine

Situated on the river Nieuwe Maas (which flows from the Rhine), the city of Rotterdam has often claimed itself the busiest port in the world (in terms of cargo tonnage). Many of the rivers of the Netherlands are estuaries of the Rhine, Scheldt, or Meuse rivers.

Answer: roc

The Persian roc appears in the Sanskrit epics "Mahabharata" and "Ramayana". It is typically white and is large enough to carry off elephants or destroy sailing ships (such as Sinbad the Sailor's). Marco Polo wrote about the roc in the thirteenth century, describing the bird in detail and distinguishing it from the ancient griffin.

Answer: Rube Goldberg

Cartoons depicting complex machines performing tasks such as wiping a man's face were a specialty of Rube Goldberg. Rube Goldberg machines have the same properties, but are created with real objects. Several schools offer engineering competitions to create Rube Goldberg machines, fostering a value of creative thinking and engineering.

Answer: rhododendron

"Rhodos" meaning "rose" and "dendron" meaning "tree", the rhododendron is a diverse genus of flowering plants that include small trees and shrubs as well as azaleas. Rhododendrons are often used in landscaping, though in Nepal it is the national flower.

Answer: Rooster Cogburn

The character of Rooster Cogburn, played by John Wayne, was a drunken marshal who was given one last chance to redeem himself. He, along with Eula Goodnight (played by Katharine Hepburn), had to stop a group of thieves who had stolen nitroglycerin. Critics called the film formulaic and a revision of its precursor, "True Grit".

Answer: Renault

Created in 1899, the vehicle manufacturer Renault was a pioneer in car design and motor racing. During WWII, and the occupation of France, the company was forced to manufacture trucks for the Germans. Louis Renault, an original founder of the company, was arrested for industrial collaboration with the Germans and died in prison while awaiting trial.

Answer: Rummikub

Rummikub is similar to the rummy family of card games. A "run" is three cards in sequential order, all of the same color (or suit). A "group" is three of the same number.

Rummikub won the prestigious "Spiel des Jahres" (Game of the Year) from German game makers.

Answer: ritardando

Often abbreviated "rit." or "ritard.", the term "ritardando" means a slowing of the tempo in a piece of sheet music. Notes are gradually drawn out and the tempo slowed to create the effect of coming to an end.

Answer: rhombus

A quadrilateral is a four-sided polygon, therefore eliminating the triangles. A parallelogram has parallel sides, which both the rhombus and rectangle describe. However, the rectangle is not equilateral (or having equal sides), leaving the rhombus to be the only logical choice.

A rectangle is an equiangular parallelogram, which a rhombus is not. Interestingly, a square is a parallelogram that is both equilateral and equiangular.