Dead to Me
This street sign could say “No outlet.”
What is dead end? Cul-de-sacs are considered dead-end streets. The longest dead-end street in Britain is 22 miles (35 km) long and a single-lane road.
This was given as a gift of liberty to the United States from France.
What is the Statue of Liberty? It stands in the New York Harbor and welcomes immigrants. It’s also a welcoming sight to visitors flying into New York City airports.
This is the term for a physical issue that is rooted in the mind.
What is psychosomatic? The word derives from the Greek words psyche, meaning “mind,” and soma, meaning “body.”
Similar to a pushpin, but with a flat head
What is thumbtack? Pushpins are easier to handle, and especially to remove, given their design, while thumbtacks are a bit harder to lift.
This red wagon brand is the standard for kids.
What is Radio Flyer (or Red Flyer)? On the market for more than 100 years now, the wagon was designed by an Italian immigrant from a family of Venetian cabinet makers. The design of the wagon has withstood the test of time.
Every kid’s favorite fall holiday falls on this date.
What is October 31? It’s Halloween, and little ones wear their costumes and collect sweet loot from family, friends, and neighbors.
This lock has no spring and is often a secondary lock.
What is deadbolt? The lock forces a bolt into a hardened doorframe. It cannot be picked by using a credit card to force it open, and it requires tools and knowledge to open it without a key. Some models lock and unlock only from the inside.
This national park spans Tennessee and North Carolina.
What is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park? It’s the most visited national park and welcomes more than 11 million visitors each year.
This slip of the tongue is said to reveal a person’s secret thoughts.
What is a Freudian slip? Freud believed that these slips revealed a person’s repressed thoughts or unconscious desires.
The name for each little corn segment
What is kernel? In most countries, corn is called maize. Each ear of corn has approximately 800 kernels.
A vehicle that “drinks” a lot of gas is often called this.
What is gas guzzler? The term originated in 1973 during the oil embargo, when prices skyrocketed. In 1973, we kissed goodbye forever the 30-cent price for a gallon and headed into the 50-cent range. By the end of the 1970s, the price had reached 89 cents per gallon, and by 1980 had broken $1 for a gallon of gas and continues to climb.
On October 17, 1973, this organization enacted an oil embargo.
What is OPEC? The embargo ended in 1974, but the skyrocketing prices persisted. The embargo left a generation with unforgettable memories of the effect on the economy, the long lines at the gas stations on designated even or odd days, and the implementation of the nationwide 55 mph speed limit to conserve fuel.
A do-nothing, lazy person or one who fails to pay debts is known as this.
What is deadbeat? The term can easily apply to cats, as any cat owner knows. Adult cats sleep 18 hours a day and make it known when they want something, most likely treats.
This national park in Arizona is known for its monumental depths and its towering, multicolored topography.
What is Grand Canyon National Park? It’s also one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
This “therapy” involves shopping for the thrill of it, out of boredom, due to an addiction, or as a reward.
What is retail therapy? The term retail therapy is often used as an excuse for shopping.
A beach’s tiny grains
What is sand? Sand is the byproduct of broken-down organic and inorganic things such as rocks, dead coral, and skeletal remains of marine life.
his popular “sport” vehicle looks like a cross between a station wagon and a van.
What is an SUV, or sport utility vehicle? It‘s also known as a crossover vehicle. Crossovers are the most popular type of vehicle today.
Born October 1, 1924, this former U.S. president was a peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia.
Who is President Jimmy Carter? He was the first U.S. president born in a hospital. The previous 38 presidents were born in their parents’ homes.
This is the term for mail the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) cannot deliver.
What is dead mail? In 2022, the USPS had around 270 million pieces of dead mail.
In the 18th century, Franciscan missionaries built a complex of frontier missions in this Texas city.
What is San Antonio? They are known as the San Antonio Missions. The intricate architectures of the missions combine Catholic and Indigenous cultural features.
“Just because you’re [this] doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.”
What is paranoid? This quote is by author Joseph Heller, from his book Catch-22.
Tiny, bright red insects that leave red, inflamed areas around the bite
What are chiggers? It’s hard to see them because of their size—1/150th of an inch. At most, you might see a tiny, red dot. Chiggers are related to arachnids (spiders), and adults have eight legs. They are known to climb up plants and wait to jump onto their prey.
This lightweight boat was originally used for hunting, is human-powered by a single, double-ended paddle, and is used for sport or leisure.
What is a kayak? For those new to kayaking, many lakeside rental offices stock two-seater models.
On October 1, 1908, the first production model of this game-changing car rolled off Henry Ford’s assembly line, with an ad campaign that claimed, “No car under $2,000 offers more.”
What is the Model T? It revolutionized the auto industry and brought cars within the reach of ordinary people.
Fans of the Grateful Dead band are called this.
What are Deadheads? The band allowed their fans to record their live performances and distribute them.
Monticello and an academic village were designed by this former president.
Who is Thomas Jefferson? The UNESCO World Heritage Site is known as Monticello and the University of Virginia. Jefferson’s architecture features neoclassical designs, and his academic village is now the heart of the UVA campus.
These inkblot tests are used to assess personality.
What are Rorschach tests? The inkblots are symmetrical, in black-and-white or in color, and resemble watercolor paintings.
One-billionth of a second
What is a nanosecond? Its practical application is found in technology.
The presidential state car goes by this nickname.
What is the Beast? The Beast is also called Cadillac One. There are two identical Beasts, and one is used as a decoy. Sometimes, the president rides in a fully armored bus while both Beasts serve as decoys. The cars have no keyholes; only the Secret Service officers know how to open the doors.
October’s full moon is commonly known by this name.
What is the hunter’s moon? Hunting season is in full swing in October. In Anglo-Saxon regions, it was the historical beginning of fox hunting season.
Comedians who have mastered this expressionless style include Bea Arthur, Jack Benny, Harvey Korman, and Tim Conway
What is deadpan? Tim Conway and the other actor-comedians on The Carol Burnett Show often took it upon themselves to improvise. Conway’s masterful deadpan often broke his fellow stars to the point they couldn’t contain their laughter.
A combined eight of his properties, designed in the first half of the 20th century, were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019.
Who is Frank Lloyd Wright? The eight sites include two of his best-known designs: the Guggenheim Museum in New York City and Fallingwater in Mill Run, Pennsylvania.
This is the term for conflict between belief and actions
What is cognitive dissonance? When you get an unsettled feeling from doing something that does not align with your values and beliefs, that feeling is cognitive dissonance. If you rationalize a decision and later regret it, that could be a result of cognitive dissonance.
The ant known to deliver the worst sting
What is the bullet ant? The blast of pain from a bullet ant’s sting lasts between 12 and 36 hours. Ouch!
This popular political term for the northeast corridor of the country gets its name from the Amtrak train that services the route, from Washington, D.C., through New York City to Boston.
What is the Acela corridor? The Acela Express train features luxury seats, Wi-Fi, and upgraded dining among its many amenities enjoyed by politicians utilizing the corridor. The Acela Express is the fastest train in the United States, reaching a top speed of 150 mph on a few segments of the trip.
The U.S. Supreme Court reconvenes after its summer break on this day of the week in October.
What is the first Monday? Emergency hearings can be conducted during the summer, but the court is technically on hiatus from the end of June until its new term in October.