And We're Off!
Greener Pastures
Clocks & Calendars
Facts & The City
December Happenings
100
This expression means a person takes after one of their parents.
What is a chip off the old block? This typically refers to a child having the same personality traits or work ethic as a parent, rather than necessarily sharing the same physical build or appearance.
100
Even before she performed the final concert with the Supremes in 1970, she was recording her first solo album.
Who is Diana Ross? She and Mary Wilson, fellow former Supreme, had a spat on stage at the Motown reunion years after the Supremes had disbanded. It ended with Ross shoving Wilson, and Smokey Robinson took the stage to defuse the scene.
100
The popular saying “a month of Sundays” is flawed because you can have a maximum of only this number of Sundays in a month.
What is five? Months have only four or five of each day, depending on what day of the week the first of the month falls.
100
Baltic Avenue, Park Place, St. James Place, Atlantic Avenue, and Boardwalk are all street names in this city.
What is Atlantic City? If you have ever played classic Monopoly, you are familiar with the names of some Atlantic City streets.
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
You do this when you complete an item on your to-do list.
What is cross it off (or tick it off)? It’s helpful to prioritize tasks before creating a to-do list, and it’s beneficial to maintain both a long-term and a short-term task list.
200
He left his band of five family members in 1979 and struck out on his own with two consecutive hit albums, Off the Wall and Thriller, right out of the gate.
Who is Michael Jackson? The Jackson 5, as the family band was known, consisted of Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael.
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200
This bell rings inside the giant grandfather-style clock that is one of the dominating features of the London skyline.
What is Big Ben? The clock’s proper name is the Great Clock of the Elizabeth Tower.
200
Juan Valdez’s coffee hails from Colombia, whose capital city is this.
What is Bogotá? The fictional character Juan Valdez was created in 1959 as the spokesman for the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia. The federation paid $1.5 million for product placement in the film Bruce Almighty, and the Juan Valdez character also made an appearance in the movie, too.
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
Ready-made clothes are also called this.
What is off the rack? Men’s custom suits are available in three categories: standard, premium, and luxury. In 2024, the minimum prices for men’s custom suits were $699 for standard, $1,200 for premium, and $1,400 for luxury
300
In 1971, this Beatle started a band known as Wings.
Who is Paul McCartney? His wife Linda played the keyboard. The band disbanded in 1981. Its most popular album is Band on the Run, which features two Top 10 singles, including the title song.
300
This refers to a calendar that businesses or governments use when their calendars do not start on January 1.
What is a fiscal year? For example, the U.S. government’s calendar year runs from October 1 through September 30 of the following year.
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300
This capital city of a Pacific Rim country has the largest population in the world.
That is Tokyo? Its population exceeds 37 million. Delhi, India, is in the No. 2 spot, with more than 34 million. There is no North American city in the top 20.
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
Take this to exit the interstate highway system.
What is an off-ramp? Before the interstate was inaugurated, it could take more than two months to travel by car from coast to coast.
400
This popular duo, consisting of Paul and Art, who each went on to successful solo careers
Who are Simon and Garfunkel? They have since performed reunion tours together. “The Sound of Silence,” released in 1965, is the tune that catapulted their duo career.
400
When someone at a speech or presentation holds up their arm and taps their watch so the speaker can see it, it means this.
What is your time is up (or similar)? If there is no watch, it still means the same thing. Organizers use two signals—one to indicate time is short, and one to indicate time is up.
400
One of the world’s most expensive places to live, this lavish European city is located on the Mediterranean Sea.
What is Monaco? Fun fact: Monaco is both a city and a state, known as a city-state.
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
To take the blush off this flower is to find something mundane that was once exciting..
What is rose? The alternate expression is to take the bloom off the rose.
500
This performer was a member of the New Christy Minstrels and the First Edition before he left to pursue a solo career.
Who is Kenny Rogers? According to the bio on his website, “Rogers sold over 120 million albums worldwide, making him one of the best-selling male artists of all-time according to the RIAA, with one Diamond album, 20 Platinum albums, and 11 Gold albums.”
500
This is the official name of the prevalent calendar in use today, particularly in the West.
What is the Gregorian calendar? In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced the calendar because the Julian calendar made it difficult to calculate when Easter should fall
500
This European city is infamous for its red-light district.
What is Amsterdam? De Wallen, Amsterdam’s oldest neighborhood, is the best-known modern red-light district.
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.