IN THE NEWS (SEPT 13–20)
Keeping up with modern language, this famous American dictionary publisher made headlines on September 17th when it added over 1,400 new words to its pages.
What is Merriam-Webster?
An impossibly optimistic American college football coach is hired to manage an English Premier League soccer team, despite knowing absolutely nothing about the sport.
What is Ted Lasso?
If you accidentally reveal the secret about a surprise party, you are said to do this messy action involving knocking over legumes.
What is spill the beans?
Securing the No. 1 ranking this September, this burnt-orange SEC powerhouse made an early statement by taking down Ohio State in Week 2.
What is the University of Texas (or the Texas Longhorns)?
Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux teamed up to design this iconic 843-acre green expanse right in the middle of Manhattan.
What is Central Park?
Federal scientists warned this week that this Pacific Ocean warming phenomenon, known by a Spanish name, could trigger massive winter flooding in California.
What is El Niño?
When a young boy vanishes in a small Indiana town, his friends team up with a mysterious girl possessing telekinetic powers and an obsession with Eggo waffles.
What is Stranger Things?
When a student is feeling sick and needs to stay home for the day, they might describe themselves as feeling "under" this meteorological term.
What is the weather?
Led by former Oregon offensive coordinator turned head coach Will Stein, this unranked SEC program marched into Kyle Field on September 19th of this year and stunned 9th-ranked Texas A&M.
What is the University of Kentucky (or the Wildcats)?
Before being renamed by the British in 1664 in honor of the Duke of York, the original Dutch settlement on Manhattan was known by this name.
What is New Amsterdam?
A landmark study released this week linked a hidden risk of dementia in older adults to high bone levels of this heavy metal, atomic symbol Pb.
What is lead?
A regional paper company manager hosts an annual awards banquet at a local Chili's, handing out questionable superlative trophies known as the Dundies.
What is The Office?
If you are accusing the wrong person or pursuing a false lead in an investigation, you are doing this canine action "up the wrong" piece of nature.
What is barking up the wrong tree?
Bringing a top-10 national defense to Ann Arbor on September 26th, this black-and-gold squad is aiming to pull off a massive road upset against Michigan.
Who are the Iowa Hawkeyes?
While Brooklyn has the most people, this borough located on western Long Island covers the largest geographic land area at roughly 109 square miles.
What is Queens?
Skywatchers looked up on the night of September 17th to catch a glimpse of this creatively named full moon, traditionally associated with farmers gathering their late-summer crops.
What is the Harvest Moon?
A dedicated second-grade teacher at an underfunded Philadelphia public school attempts to fix a flickering hallway light, only to accidentally knock out the power for the entire building.
What is Abbott Elementary?
Meaning to avoid the main topic and not speak directly, this phrase originates from medieval bird hunters who would literally strike foliage to flush out game.
What is beat around the bush?
Despite entering the matchup having lost 21 of their last 25 games, this Big 12 squad shocked the nation in Week 2 of this year by upsetting the No. 2 ranked Oregon Ducks.
What is Oklahoma State University (or the Cowboys)?
In a 1929 race to become the world's tallest building, this iconic Art Deco skyscraper secretly assembled a 185-foot steel spire inside its unfinished crown to suddenly surpass its rival at 40 Wall Street.
What is the Chrysler Building?
Moving beyond New Delhi, the 72nd National Film Awards were hosted this week in Kevadia, a city in this western Indian state known for the towering Statue of Unity.
What is Gujarat?
After dying in a freak shopping cart accident, a morally questionable woman realizes she was mistakenly admitted to a utopian afterlife and must secretly learn moral philosophy to stay.
What is The Good Place?
In a debate, if you argue against a popular view just to test the strength of the argument, you are said to be "playing" this two-word role on behalf of the ruler of the underworld.
What is the devil's advocate?
Factoring in the latest 2026 standings, this powerhouse program recently cemented its legacy by becoming the first and only school in history to be ranked in over 1,000 Associated Press Top 25 polls since the system debuted in 1936.
What is Ohio State University (or the Buckeyes)?
Often considered the most isolated of the five boroughs, it boasts the highest natural elevation on the entire Atlantic coastal plain south of Maine—the 401-foot peak known as Todt Hill.
What is Staten Island?