It's Lawful
Going ’Round in Circles
Hodgepodge
Earth, Wind, and Fire
Trivial Pursuits
December Happenings
100

The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guards against these two things.

What are searches and seizures? Unless there are exigent circumstances, a warrant must be issued by a judge when proof of probable cause has been established

100

This instrument can draw a perfect circle.

What is a compass? It can also draw part of a circle, called an arc. Compasses often are used in high school geometry classes.

100

For many seniors, this is their sole source of income

What is Social Security? In some cases, the benefit is taxed; however, recipients do not pay FICA (Social Security and Medicare) taxes on their Social Security benefits.

100

A thunderstorm may also produce this frozen precipitation, even during summer months.

What is hail? A hailstone can be deadly. The largest confirmed hailstone fell in Vivian, South Dakota, in 2010, measuring approximately eight inches (20.3 cm) in diameter.

100

Of knitting and crochet, it’s the one that predominantly uses needles.

What is knitting? Knitting requires two needles, while a hook is used for crocheting. Sometimes, crocheters use a knitting needle to perform specific tasks. Both can use yarn, but crochet is often made with thread, and the stitches are different

100

Born December 1, 1935, this actor-director was once married to Mia Farrow and is often quoted as saying, “Eighty percent of life is showing up.”

Who is Woody Allen? Two of his romantic partners starred in his most memorable romantic comedies: Diane Keaton in Annie Hall and Mia Farrow in Manhattan

200

Twelve “peers” of the defendant, plus alternates, typically make up this deliberative body in a trial.

What is a jury? Both criminal and civil trials use juries, a practice that derives from English common law.

200

The measurement around the widest part of a ball or the outside boundary of a circle is called this.

What is the circumference? In school, we learned that pi multiplied by the diameter equals the circumference

200

This term applies to animals that eat mostly other animals (meat).

What is carnivore? Carnivores are predators, and their bodies are designed to aid them in hunting. This applies to insects and arachnids as well as reptiles, birds, and fish.

200

This planet is known as the third rock from the sun.

What is Earth? An easy way to remember the order of the planets’ positions in relation to the sun is to learn the sentence “My Very Easy Method Just Speeds Up Names”— Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

200

Of the games played on a checkerboard, this is generally considered the easiest.

What is checkers? The typical game is played on a board with 64 squares, and the object of the game is to capture your opponent’s pieces. Each player starts with 12 pieces, and the player who loses all their pieces loses the game.

200

 Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 17, 1936, Jorge Mario Bergoglio became the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, known by this name.

Who is Pope Francis? He lived in a two-room apartment rather than the lavish papal suite. No pope had done this in more than a century.

300

This is said to be nine-tenths of the law

What is possession? In other words, if you own something, it is easier for you to keep it. For example, the clothes on your back are usually presumed to be yours. This legal maxim was influenced by ancient Roman law.

300

This is the term for half the diameter

What is the radius? The radius is the distance from the midpoint of the circle to any point on the outside of the circle.

300

Overnight flights are often called this ophthalmologic nickname.

What is red eye? They’re also called all-nighters. Most flights from the East Coast to Europe are red-eye flights. Many transcontinental flights originating on the West Coast are also red eyes

300

o smother a fire, you must remove this gas from it.

What is oxygen? Fires need a fuel source, oxygen, and heat. Never attempt to put out an electrical fire with water. The easiest and quickest way to put out a small fire, such as a kitchen fire, is with a fire blanket. If you use one, you do not have to clean up the mess created by halogen fire extinguishers. It’s best to review the instructions before you need to use the blanket.

300

Before recreational drones were invented, children and their parents would head to the nearest park to fly these miniature flying machines.

What are model, remote-controlled, or radio-controlled airplanes? The basics of “flying” the two are similar. However, drones, also known as quadcopters, are easier to control, more stable, and sturdier. They take off and land vertically, limiting the chance of a crash landin

300

Born December 1, 1913, she will always be remembered for her role as Peter Pan, for which she won a Tony Award.

Who is Mary Martin? She also played the role of Nellie Forbush in South Pacific.

400

If someone lives on your property for an extended period, they may be able to claim this even if you didn’t grant them permission or know they were living there

What are squatters’ rights? These rights vary by state. Adverse possession is the act of claiming ownership of a property through continuous use—that is, if the owner has not directed you to leave. This also varies by state

400

When Earth turns on its axis, we call it this.

What is rotation? It makes one complete rotation every 24 hours

400

The American Lung Association was founded to fight this disease.

What is tuberculosis? It was founded in 1904 as the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis, and it issued the first Christmas Seal in 1907. Its focus today is on lung health and diseases as well as ending tobacco use

400

severe storm occurring inland is often accompanied by this wind event.

What is a tornado? The costliest tornadoes have shifted away in recent years from the traditional area known as Tornado Alley (Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas) and toward the Southeast

400

) This two-person, alliterative, three-word children’s game begins with the letter T.

What is tic-tac-toe? One player’s pieces are X’s, and the other player’s pieces are O’s. The playing board is divided into nine squares in a three-by-three layout. The object of the game is to get three of your pieces in a row, vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.

400

Born December 25, 1949, this actress plays the title role in the 1976 film Carrie

Who is Sissy Spacek? She also portrays Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner’s Daughter and narrates Stephen King’s blockbuster audiobook Carrie.

500

When either side in a trial fails to show up, the judge can enter this type of judgment.

What is a default judgement? This type of judgment is handed down without jury deliberation. A different kind of judgment is used for pretrial motions. The judge can hand down a summary judgment in favor of either party. Rulings on pretrial motions often affect the outcome of the trial.

500

When Earth makes a complete trip around the sun, we call it this.

What is revolution? It takes roughly 365 days for Earth to travel in an elliptical path around the sun

500

When the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA; DOW) was inaugurated, it contained this number of stocks.

What is 12? The DJIA was launched in 1896, and none of the original companies are still on the list. Today, the DOW comprises 30 stocks, and the composition of stocks is a radical departure from the original one.

500

Cold and hot deserts share the lack of this.

What is humidity/moisture? The driest non-polar desert is the Atacama Desert, located in South America along the Pacific Ocean coastline. The continent of Antarctica is the largest desert

500

Of soft and hard cheeses, amateur cheese artisans usually make this type of cheese at home

What is soft? Hard cheeses must age at specific temperatures and humidity levels in a cave-like environment, and most people do not have access to such a space

500

On Christmas Night 1776, George Washington crossed this river with his bedraggled army to make a surprise attack on the Hessians

What is the Delaware River? The attack was successful because the Hessians were not in fighting condition after their Christmas feast, and they didn’t expect an attack from Patriot forces in the early hours of the morning on the day after Christmas.

600

This is the most authoritative and widely used dictionary of law terms

What is Black’s Law Dictionary?

600

The perpetual cycle of birth, life, and death is known as this.

What is circle of life? It refers to the interconnectivity of life and its progression from birth to death.

600

Campanology is the study of this.

What are bells? It includes the history of church bell ringing, the construction of the bells, and ringing techniques. Church bells have been in use since the fifth century.

600

Author Ray Bradbury wrote this dystopian novel, titled with the approximate temperature at which paper ignites.

What is Fahrenheit 451? Modern studies suggest paper ignites between 424ºF and 475ºF, depending on type and conditions.

600

Hobby numismatists collect these.

What are coins? Numismatists are also called coin collectors, and they spend a lot of time searching for rare coins. In the professional world, numismatists also study the history of currency and its impact on culture, among other things.

600

On December 4, 1872, this American ghost ship was discovered near the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean by the captain of the Dei Gratia, a small British brig

What is the Mary Celeste? The ship was found in working order, with its full complement of cargo, but no one was found aboard it. The cause of the disappearance of the captain, his family, and the crew of eight has never been determined.

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