Roses Are Red? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Iris

The iris forms part of the eye, controlling the size of the pupil and hence the amount of light admitted to the eye. It consists of a thin, ring-like structure with two layers. The stroma at the front is pigmented. It contains two types of muscle working in opposition to each other and which control the size of the pupil.

Answer: Iris

American alternative rock band the Goo Goo Dolls wrote "Iris" for the soundtrack of the 1998 romantic fantasy film "City of Angels", starring Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan. The single was released from the band's album "Dizzy Up the Girl' in 1998 and is probably their best known and most successful song.

It also appears on the soundtrack for the 2024 film "Deadpool & Wolverine", leading to a reappearance of the song in the US Billboard Hot 100 charts.

Answer: Iris

The iris is a genus of flowering plants with just over 300 species recognised. Some of these flowers are known as flags while flowers of the Scorpiris subgenus are commonly referred to as Junos. There are around 60 Juno species of smooth-bulbed irises. Rhizomes from the German iris and sweet iris are sold as orris root, found in some perfumes and gins.

Answer: Iris

The 1976 American psychological drama "Taxi Driver" saw Jodie Foster taking on the role of the child prostitute Iris Steensma. The protagonist Travis Bickle (portrayed by Robert De Niro) tries to persuade her to give up prostitution. As a 12-year old, Foster's casting caused some controversy.

She underwent psychological testing to try and avoid any emotional damage from the role and her sister Connie (seven years older) stood in for her in some more adult scenes.

Answer: Rose

"The Name of the Rose" (1980) was the debut novel of the Italian author Umberto Eco. It follows a 14th century Franciscan friar William of Baskerville and his assistant (the narrator) who investigate a suspicious death at an Italian monastery. The best-selling book received many awards and there was a film adaptation in 1986 with Sean Connery portraying the friar.

Answer: Rose

This is a reference to the 15th century series of conflicts over a 32-year period known as the Wars of the Roses. It is also known as the Civil Wars or the Cousins' Wars and was a fight for control of the English throne between two branches of the royal House of Plantagenet.

The main belligerents, the House of York and the House of Lancaster, used a white rose and a red rose respectively to symbolise the branches, which gave rise to the name of the conflict.

Answer: Rose

The American sitcom "The Golden Girls" ran to 180 episodes between 1985 and 1992. The four main characters are older women sharing a home in Florida. One of these is Rose Nylund, portrayed by actress and comedienne Betty White. She comes across sweet and kind but competitive as well as naive at times.

Her character (and the actress) also starred in the sequel "The Golden Palace" (1992-1993).

Answer: Rose

William Bruce Rose Jr., to give him his birth name, is an American singer and songwriter better known as Axl Rose but at one time called Bill Bailey. Lead singer of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses since he co-founded it in 1985, he is the only member who has been continuously with the band.

The surname Bailey came from his step-father, the name Axl (according to the magazine "American Songwriter") came from the original name for the band Hollywood Rose, a precursor to Guns N' Roses. A change in his legal name followed.

Answer: Lily

French painter Claude Monet (1840 - 1926) was a founder of the Impressionism painting movement. In 1899 he started his water lilies series of paintings which was to last some 20 years during which he developed his style of painting. Latterly, his failing eyesight and changing colour perception would be reflected in his paintings. Ultimately he would produce over 250 water lily paintings.

Answer: Lily

The water lily is usually the birth flower associated with Pisces in the modern Western zodiac, water being the connection. The flower symbolises such things as purity, rebirth and spiritual growth. Other flowers are also associated with Pisces by some, including the iris. The planet Neptune, discovered only relatively recently, is another object connected with Pisces.

Answer: Lily

Peter Townshend of the British rock band The Who composed the 1967 single "Pictures of Lily". He has been quoted as saying the inspiration was a pin-up poster of a 1920s Vaudeville artist and, alternatively, Lillie Langtry, British music hall star and perhaps mistress of King Edward VII. Langtry's death in 1929 ties in with the lyrics of the song so is maybe more plausible.

Answer: Lily

To gild the lily is an expression meaning to embellish or improve unnecessarily something that is already beautiful. The word 'gild' means to cover with a thin layer of gold. The idiom is seen as a misquote from Act 4, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's play "King John". Salisbury speaks the lines "... to gild refined gold, to paint the lily; To throw perfume on the violet ..." "... Is wasteful and ridiculous excess."