“Eye” Suppose
It’s a Small World
Signs of Autumn
Fictional Halloween Favorites
Mischief, Magic, & Mayhem
October Fun Facts
100

This is often said to be in the eye of the beholder.

What is beauty? It means that beauty is a subjective term. You can find beauty in most everything if you look closely enough.

100

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.

100

The days can be hot during the fall, but you’ll feel the chill during these two times of day.

What are morning and night? Fall and spring are transitional seasons that feature incremental but major changes in temperature during their three-month spans.

100

In the 1960s television series The Addams Family, what is the name of the daughter who embraces the grim and often causes chaos?

Wednesday Addams. Her most cherished toy is a headless doll.

100

What is the term for the act of magically summoning an object into existence?

Conjuring. A supernatural horror film called The Conjuring was released in 2013 and stars Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, and Ron Livingston.

100

This American fast-food giant opened its doors in the United Kingdom on October 1, 1974.

What is McDonald’s? It opened in the south of London, and the location is still open today.

200

Frank Sinatra’s eyes were famously this color.

What is (deep) blue? One of his nicknames is “Ol’ Blue Eyes.” Another favorite is “Chairman of the Board.”

200

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.

200

This full moon happens during the fall, either in September or October.

What is the harvest moon? It’s the brightest of all the full moons, giving off an orange glow like a big pumpkin in the sky.

200

Who wrote the classic horror novel Frankenstein?

Mary Shelley. She penned the tale after an evening huddled around the fireplace with friends telling ghost stories.

200

What is the name of the legendary magician and escape artist who died on Halloween in 1926?

Harry Houdini. He initially gained a reputation as the “King of Handcuffs.”

200

Born September 1, 1939, this comedian was a regular on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, and she starred in the 1980 film 9 to 5 with Dolly Parton and Jane Fonda.

Who is Lily Tomlin? Her most popular role on Laugh-In was telephone operator Ernestine.

300

The eye of a hurricane is located here.

What is the center of the storm? It’s the calmest part of the storm and typically covers an area between 20 to 40 miles (32 to 64 kilometers) in size.

300

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.

300

This fruit grown in Washington state is in season and a sign of fall.

What are apples? Experts recommend isolating apples so their ethylene won’t

ripen other fruit prematurely. Did you know the world produces more than 7,500 varieties of

apples?

300

What were the magic words used to gain access to a locked room in the 1944 film Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves?

“Open sesame.” The movie’s captivating storyline helped solidify the expression “open sesame” as a reference for unlocking secrets or hidden realms.

300

What magic word is often associated with granting wishes and comes from the Hebrew words meaning “I will create as I speak”?

Abracadabra. Abracadabra is a term that English showmen picked up after seeing rabbis perform healings. They used the word as a sort of incantation.

300

Every year, the U.S. Supreme Court convenes its new session on this Monday in October.

What is the first Monday? The start date is set by statute. Did you know that the term sitting refers to hearing cases? Alternatively, the court is in recess when it considers cases, writes briefs, and issues decisions and orders.

400

In Van Morrison’s 1967 hit, he sings about a girl with this eye color.

What is brown? The song is “Brown Eyed Girl.”

400

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.

400

Trees, shrubs, and vines that lose their leaves fall into this category.

What is deciduous? Those that keep their leaves and pine needles are known as evergreen.

400

In what 1993 movie do the three Sanderson sisters cause mischief and mayhem as witches on a quest for eternal youth?

Hocus Pocus. The sisters are Winifred, Sarah, and Mary, and they are played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy.

400

What is the name of the ghostly holiday celebrated in Mexico that coincides with Halloween?

Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos. It’s a day when people pay tribute to departed ancestors and to the souls of loved ones who have passed.

400

Born October 20, 1882, this Hungarian actor is renowned for his portrayal of Dracula on stage and screen.

Who is Bela Lugosi? When Lugosi first appeared on Broadway in 1922, he knew little English. When he passed in 1956, he was buried in his Dracula cape.

500

This is the official term for farsightedness.

What is hyperopia? People who are farsighted have trouble focusing on objects close to them but can see distant objects in focus. If you squint when reading, it’s time to get your eyes checked.

500

One-billionth of a second.

What is a nanosecond? Its practical application is found in technology.

500

The waning sunlight in the fall leads to a reduced production of this in plants.

What is chlorophyll? Chlorophyll is required for photosynthesis. This process feeds the plants and gives them their color during the spring and summer. The lack of sunlight causes the leaves to have brilliant fall colors.

500

What is the name of the Peanuts character who every year spends Halloween night waiting for the Great Pumpkin in a pumpkin patch?

A. Charlie Brown
B. Linus
C. Snoopy 

B. Linus van Pelt

500

What types of cards date back to the 1400s and are commonly used in fortune-telling to gain insights into a person’s future?

Tarot. The cards are said to be steered by spiritual forces, and although each card has several meanings, a person’s meaning is decided by which would apply to the situation or question being asked.

500

Octo-, the first part of the word October, gives a hint that October was originally in this numerical position on the calendar.

What is the eighth month? Octo- means “eight” in Latin and Greek. Under the ancient Roman lunar calendar, there were 12 months, but only 10 had names. The named months began in March. With the switch to the solar Julian calendar, all 12 months were named. The original 10 months retained their names but not their numerical positions when January and February were added to the calendar.