Word Sandwiches 4 Trivia Quiz

Answer: red

Seeing red is a phrase describing a sudden surge of anger, usually triggered by something seen or heard. The "red" is a reference to the accompanying physiological response involving the release of stress hormones and increased blood flow when one is angry.

Red tape refers to a situation where excessive rules or conditions slow down or halt a particular procedure or process and/or make it more difficult to achieve. The expression originated from the historical practice of binding legal, government and official documents with red cloth tape or ribbons.

Answer: blue

If a person is described as "true blue", it means they are honest, sincere, loyal and trustworthy. The expression dates back to 17th century Britain and refers to a high-quality blue dye made in Coventry, England, which was renowned for never washing out or fading, staying true in colour. The dye, called Coventry blue, was made with woad and the expression was originally "as true as Coventry blue".

The second full moon in a single calendar month is called a "blue moon" (even though it really isn't blue). Since lunar cycles take about 29.5 days and 11 of the 12 calendar months are longer than that, this extra moon happens every 2 to 3 years. On rare occasions, the moon actually does appear blue due to the presence of dust, smoke or volcanic ash in the atmosphere. So the expression "once in a blue moon" refers to something that happens rarely.

Answer: green

Wintergreen is a group of aromatic evergreen plants belonging to the genus Gaultheria. The name derives from the fact that the plants stay green during the winter. The leaves have a distinct minty, root-beer-like flavour and natural anti-inflammatory properties. The leaves are steam-distilled to extract their essential oil, which is then used as a flavouring agent in items such as teas, chewing gum, candies, toothpaste, breath fresheners and topical pain relievers.

A grocer is a merchant who sells a wide variety of foods, fresh as well as non-perishable, and various household items, such as cleaning products and toiletries. A greengrocer, however, specialises in selling fresh fruit and vegetables.

Answer: yellow

The expression "mellow yellow" arose from the 1966 hit pop song of the same name by Donovan, a Scottish singer-songwriter. In drug culture, it was a known street name for the hallucinogen LSD (acid). It also refers to a citrus-flavoured soft drink, Mello Yello, introduced by the Coca-Cola company in 1979.

Yellowcake (also known as urania) is produced during the processing of uranium ore. It is a concentrated yellow powder of uranium oxides extracted from the ore. It is primarily used to create fuel for nuclear power plants.

Answer: gold

The idiom "solid gold" describes something or someone of the highest value or quality. Not surprisingly, the term arose in the jewellery industry, referring to high quality jewellery that is literally solid gold as opposed to being hollow, plated or gold-filled.

Goldfish are freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae that are popular and relatively inexpensive pets. Although the name implies they are orange or gold in colour, they come in a variety of other colours including black, white, red, silver, various shades of brown and multi-coloured, as well as the common orange variety.

Answer: black

Pitch is a thick, sticky, opaque substance that is a by-product of the distillation of petroleum and coal. Historically, it was used to waterproof things such as wooden ships and roofs. Pitch is black, so the expression "as black as pitch" or "pitch black" indicates something that is very black or devoid of light.

Globally there are a variety of birds that are described as blackbirds. Blackbirds belong to the sub-order Passeri (the passerines). They usually, but not always, have black plumage. Many are multi-coloured and colours vary according to whether the bird is an adult or a juvenile, or whether it is male or female. It is the male adults who tend to be black. One thing that blackbirds do have in common is that they are all songbirds.

Answer: white

Just as pitch black describes something very black, lily white refers to something that is very white, like many species of the lily flower. As an idiom, it has a variety of meanings. It can indicate that someone has unusually white skin. It can indicate a person is pure and innocent. It can also denote a group, organisation or geographical area that lacks racial diversity.

A white lie is a lie that is uttered to be polite and/or spare someone's feelings. For example, when a woman asks if you like her new dress and you think it looks hideous and doesn't suit her, but you tell her it looks lovely. It is a lie told with good intentions, not a lie told to be malicious or self-serving.

Answer: lime

Quicklime is an informal term for the compound calcium oxide, a caustic white powder, which is highly reactive. Lime is a broad term denoting all calcium compounds. Calcium oxide is called "quick" lime because it is reacts quickly and vigorously when it comes into contact with water.

"Limelight" is a word which also relates to calcium oxide. Historically limelight was a type of lighting used on the theatre stage in the 19th century. Calcium oxide was heated to around 2,400 deg.C. (4350 deg.F.), producing an intensely bright, white light which was focused on the actors on stage. Hence the term "in the limelight" came to refer to being the centre of attention.

Answer: pink

To be tickled pink means to be extremely pleased about something. The idiom dates back to early 20th century America. The "pink" part of the expression relates to the rosiness of blushing.

The meaning of pink slip varies. In America, it can refer to being fired or laid off from one's job because the form used to document the termination was pink, or it can mean a vehicle's registration document. In New South Wales (Australia) it is a safety inspection report indicating a vehicle's roadworthiness.

Answer: orange

"A Clockwork Orange" is a dystopian novel written by Anthony Burgess, published in 1962. In 1971 it was turned into a movie by Stanley Kubrick, who produced, directed and wrote the screenplay. Both the book and the movie were controversial.

Orange juice is literally the juice extracted from an orange, a popular drink. In Australian rhyming slang, it means a playing card with a value of two; as in, orange juice rhymes with deuce.