American rock band Green Day released protest song "American Idiot" as the first single from their 2004 album of the same name. In a call for individuality, the song points to the media's responsibility for orchestrating paranoia and idiocy in the listening public. The song is part of a concept album which reached the top of the US Billboard 200 and marked a comeback for the band.
2. Expensive but useless item
Answer: White
Sacred albino elephants kept by South-East Asian monarchs were used to symbolise the incumbent's justice and power. Anyone gifted with such an elephant by a monarch was expected to keep them in a state of opulence. As such they were both a blessing and a curse since they potentially lived a long life and could not be given away.
The 17th century was the beginning of the use of the term "white elephant" in the West with the clue being a short-form definition.
3. 1985 sword & sorcery film
Answer: Red
Based on the Marvel Comics character, the heroic fantasy film "Red Sonya" (1985) starred Brigitte Nielson as Red Sonya with Arnold Schwarzenegger as Lord Kalidor in a supporting role. In the same universe as Conan the Barbarian, the film did not emulate the success of the 1982 cult film "Conan the Barbarian" where Schwarzenegger played the titular role.
Indeed in the Golden Raspberry Awards, Nielson won in the Worst New Star category.
4. Family outlier
Answer: Black
The clue is a reference to the idiom 'black sheep', a member of a group who is different from the rest. It comes from flocks of sheep, typically white in colour, which produce the occasional black-fleeced sheep. A recessive gene causes the black fleece. Such fleeces were undesirable due to having wool that could not be dyed and so black sheep attracted negative connotations in the 18th and 19th centuries.
5. Powdered Uranium concentrate
Answer: Yellow
Yellowcake is the name typically used for the powdered form of uranium compounds extracted from ore by leaching. The name arose from the colour of the concentrate during early mining operations. These days the uranium may be extracted by pumping the leaching solution through the uranium-bearing rock without physically digging up the ore.
6. Alice Walker book
Answer: Purple
This is a reference to the Pulitzer Prize winning novel "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker. Published in 1982, it is written in the form of letters by two African American sisters and depicts their lives. As well as receiving critical acclaim, it has attracted attempts at censorship over the years for the violence, explicit language and sexual content that it contains.
7. Ghost car
Answer: Silver
Made by luxury car maker Rolls-Royce, originally there was just one vehicle (with the registration number AX201) which had the name "Silver Ghost". It became a model produced from 1908 although it was mainly the press which used the name. Rolls-Royce adopted the name to avoid confusion in 1925 when the Phantom was introduced. In 2009 the Ghost name was revived by Rolls-Royce, albeit without the colour.
8. Jason's fleece
Answer: Gold
In ancient Greek mythology, Jason was a hero and leader of the Argonauts. He undertook a quest to retrieve a golden fleece in order to win back a kingdom which was rightfully his. The fleece came from a golden-woolled winged ram called Chrysomallos. The ram rescued Phrixus and was sacrificed for his pains. Jason and his crew had many adventures and ultimately succeeded in their quest. Modern interpretations include a 1963 film adaptation and a 2000 miniseries.
9. Canine racer
Answer: Grey
The greyhound is a tall breed of dog bred for coursing and racing. Coursing is where a prey is caught through the speed of the hunting animals chasing it down. Greyhounds rely on sight rather than the scent of the prey. In more recent times they have been bred for racing, chasing an artificial lure around an oval track in what is a betting sport. Animal rights and animal welfare groups have raised concerns for years and, coupled with competing betting opportunities, most tracks in the US are now no longer operating.
10. 4-pointer ball
Answer: Brown
In the game of snooker, a cue sport played on a rectangular table with cushioned sides interrupted by six netted pockets, there are 22 balls of which 15 are red coloured, each worth one point. A white ball is used as the cue ball with the remaining coloured balls being worth between two and seven points. The brown ball is worth four points when correctly potted.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
