Four-Letter Words
This is the contraction for will not.
What is won’t? Wonnot is the 16th-century form of the word from which we get the contraction won’t
This Sound of Music star played Eliza Doolittle in the 1956 Broadway production of My Fair Lady.
Who is Julie Andrews? Her role in My Fair Lady launched her career into the stratosphere.
This romantic city in Italy, with its gondola-filled canals, is one of Europe’s most popular port cities.
What is Venice? The city comprises more than 100 islands connected by canals
President Barack Obama served as a U.S. senator from this state.
What is Illinois? Before he was elected to the U.S. Senate, he was an Illinois state legislator
September’s common name for the full moon characterizes what happens in agriculture in the fall
What is harvest? The harvest moon is the full moon that falls closest to the first day of fall. Occasionally, the October full moon lands closest to the first day of fall, and it becomes the harvest moon for that year, while the September moon is then known as the corn moon.
This F-word is a synonym for finance, as in to finance a venture.
What is fund? It can also be a noun; for example, a college fund.
Before her long run portraying a mystery author and sleuth from the fictional town of Cabot Cove, this dame first appeared in the 1940s films Gaslight and The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Who is Angela Lansbury? Her acting career spanned eight decades. Fun fact: Her first performance in a Broadway musical was in 1964 when she appeared in Sondheim’s Anyone Can Whistle.
One of the oldest marine ports in North America is in the capital city of this French province in Canada
What is Québec? The Québec City port sits on the St. Lawrence River.
Lack of vitamin C can lead to this disease.
What is scurvy? If you eat fruits and vegetables, you’re not in any danger. It takes at least three months without these foods or supplementation to develop scurvy
The first day of fall is also known as this
What is the (fall or autumn/autumnal) equinox? It always falls in late September. It’s one of two days when the days and nights are approximately equal in duration. The other day is the spring equinox, the first day of spring.
Before electronics went digital, we changed stations and volume on radios with this D word.
What is dial? Sometimes the dials were referred to as knobs.
Cabaret immediately brings this actress and singer to mind.
Who is Liza Minnelli? She starred in the Broadway and screen productions, and no one else comes close to singing the title song with the life and passion she brings to it.
This U.S. East Coast port city is a hub for cruise ships with Caribbean itineraries.
What is Miami? It’s known as the “Cruise Capital of the World.”
She was Germany’s first female chancellor.
Who is Angela Merkel? She was chancellor from 2005–2021 and was an architect and ardent supporter of the European Union.
This is September’s blue birthstone
What is sapphire? It is associated with royalty, among other things. Princess Diana’s engagement ring was a large sapphire surrounded by diamonds. Some in the royal family were displeased with this choice because the ring was also available to commoners.
This is a British word for apartment.
What is flat? It comes from the Old English word flett, meaning “a residence on one floor.”
She’s best known for hosting her long-running comedy-variety show, but she made her career-launching debut in 1959 on Broadway in Once upon a Mattress.
Who is Carol Burnett? She was nominated for a Tony for her performance in Once upon a Mattress.
This port city on the outskirts of Athens, Greece, is the setting for the 1960 film Never on Sunday.
What is Piraeus? The country’s largest port dates to the fifth century BC.
This blood type is the rarest.
What is AB negative? O-negative blood is considered the “universal donor”; if your blood type is not available, you can still receive O-negative blood.
The Scales and the Virgin represent these two zodiac signs that fall in September.
What are Libra and Virgo? Those born in the earlier part of the month are born under Virgo, and those born late in the month are born under Libra.
This is the company Wile E. Coyote orders his mail-order gadgets from.
What is Acme? Did you know that acme means “something or someone that represents perfection of the thing expressed”? Only the best dynamite will do to get that Road Runner once and for all!
Nicknamed the “Divine Miss M,” she appeared in the Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof.
Who is Bette Midler? She also has a string of hit tunes, including “Do You Want to Dance,” “From a Distance,” and “The Rose.”
Egypt’s second-largest city is also Egypt’s largest port city.
What is Alexandria? The world’s oldest lighthouse is in Alexandria.
Turkey belonged to this empire during World War I.
What is Ottoman? For 600 years, the Ottoman Empire encompassed large swaths of the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and North Africa. The empire ended in 1922, and Turkey became a republic the next year.
September 17 is the day Americans celebrate this U.S. government document.
What is the Constitution? Constitution Day commemorates the signing of the United States Constitution, which occurred in 1787.
This is a word for raw facts and figures that can be processed.
What is data? It was originally the plural of datum but is used as a singular verb in all but academic circles in North America now.
She starred in the 1966 Broadway revival of Annie Get Your Gun and is known for her rendition of “There’s No Business Like Show Business.”
Who is Ethel Merman? She also stars in the 1967 TV movie version of Annie.
This port city is the third-largest city in Israel. It’s also the only city in Israel with a subway system.
What is Haifa? Called the Carmelit, the subway system travels on an incline from sea level up Mount Carmel.
Apple’s iPhone was released this year.
What is 2007? The first true Android device was introduced the following year, and it was called the HTC Dream (G1).
The word September means this, which is why it is inaptly named.
What is “the seventh month”? On the Roman calendar, September was the seventh month, but today, it’s the ninth month. Under the Roman calendar, it had 29 days. Then, Julius Caesar gave it one more day under the Julian calendar, and it remains at 30 days today