THE PUZZLE CORNER: FEBRUARY 18, 2017

FUN FACT
The Infinity Sign is also known as a lemniscate.

With Presidents Day this Monday here in the United States, we present our annual Presidents Day Famous Firsts Quiz, with a couple of NEW questions in the mix. Ready?

Do you know who was the first President of the United States…?
01. To have previously served as Vice President?
02. To serve without a Vice President?
03. To hold the office as an Independent? (And yes, it has been done.)

04. To hold the office as a Democrat?
05. To hold the office as a Republican?
06. To be born in the United States after it became an independent country?
07. To not be born within the continental United States?
08. To be born in a hospital?
09. To physically live in the White House?
10. To work in the Oval Office? (The West Wing, where it resides, was a later addition.)
11. To marry while in office?
12. To remarry while in office?
13. To ever have his photograph taken?
14. To ever use a telephone?
15. To ever speak on radio?
16. To fly in an airplane?
17. To ever appear on television?
18. To ever make a coast to coast TV broadcast?
19. To not deliver the annual State of the Union address on time?

We’ll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the February 11, 2017 Puzzle Corner.

FAMOUS FIRSTS
Who was the first woman to ever be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Aretha Franklin.

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
Considering what February 14th is, how many new words can you spell from the letters in VALENTINE?
A, alien, alive, an, ant, at, ate
Eat, eave, even, evil
I, in, inn, inane, it
Lane, late, Latin, lean, leave, lei, lenient, lent, lie, line, lint, live
Neat, nine, nit
Tan, tea, ten, teen, tile, tin, tine
Veil, vein, vent, vial, vile

More than the 43 words listed above might be possible.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: FEBRUARY 14, 2015

FUN FACT
Women can alter their voices to be more alluring, attractive, seductive, etc.; but men can't!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE.

TODAY'S PUZZLE CORNER IS CELEBRATING THAT, AND THE FACT THAT MONDAY IS PRESIDENTS DAY HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
The heart seeks love, but how many new words can you make from the letters in the word VALENTINE?

PRESIDENTIAL FAMOUS FIRST QUIZ
Can you name the first United States President...
01. To physically live in the White House?
02. To work in the Oval Office? (The West Wing, where it resides, was a later addition to the structure.)
03. To marry while in office?
04. To remarry while in office?
05. To see their child actually born in the White House?

We'll reveal all next weekend.

But for now, let's open up THE ANSWERS BOX and reveal the results of the February 7, 2015 Puzzle Corner.

TRIVIA TIME
Last week's Fun Fact revealed that George Washington never actually had any wooden teeth. In that case, what were his false teeth made of?
Considering dental science wasn't as advanced back then as it is today, he had sets of false teeth made from gold, ivory, and lead.
We're not sure about the practicality of that last set though.

REBUS
A common phrase is represented by the image below.
Do you know what it is?

PLAY

WORDS

A play on words, the standard definition for a pun.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: MARCH 1, 2014

After some of our longer games the last couple of weeks, we turn to more "simpler" fare this time.

TRIVIA TIME
By what more common names do we know the team of Rogers, Jones, and Blake?
Hint: There are two more members, but posting their surnames would give away the answer.

REBUS
Something we are all hoping for is pictured in the image below.
Do you know what it is?

We'll reveal all next weekend. But for now, let's look inside THE ANSWERS BOX and reveal the results from our February 22, 2014 Puzzle Corner that featured our FAMOUS FIRSTS: PRESIDENTS' DAY QUIZ.

Who was the first President of the United States...

01. To have previously served as Vice President?

John Adams, during the George Washington administration.

02. To serve without a Vice President?

James Madison, from April 10, 1812 to March 4, 1813.

George Washington

03. To hold the office as an Independent? (And yes, it has been done.)

George Washington, for he never declared any political alliance, except to the fledgling United States of America itself. John Tyler has been the only other independent President (to date), resigning from the Whig party after disagreeing with their policies while in office.

04. To hold the office as a Democrat?

Andrew Jackson.

05. To hold the office as a Republican?

Abraham Lincoln.

06. To be born in the United States after it became an independent country?

Martin Van Buren. While everyone before him was automatically considered a citizen, he was the first born on American soil after the United States won its independence from Great Britain.

07. To not be born within the continental United States?

President Obama

Our current President, Barack Obama, hails from Hawaii, although the Republican Party tries to convince people otherwise.

08. To be born in a hospital?

Jimmy Carter, because his mother Rosalyn was on duty working in one when she went into labor with the future President. Otherwise, Richard Nixon would have been the first.

09. To physically live in the White House?

This unfortunately is a trick question. While technically this honor might be considered John Adams’, for he and his family took occupancy while the White House was still under construction, officially Thomas Jefferson was the first to occupy the structure during his entire administration.

10. To work in the Oval Office? (The West Wing, where it resides, was a later addition.)

William Howard Taft.

Adams photo, 1843

11. To remarry while in office?

John Tyler

12. To ever have his photograph taken?

This is another trick question. John Quincy Adams was the very first, but it was as a former President. James Buchanan is the first to be photographed IN office.

13. To ever use a telephone in office?

Rutherford B. Hayes. But Calvin Coolidge was the first to actually have a phone at his desk. Hayes made and received his calls at the White House switchboard, before direct lines were established.

F.D. Roosevelt

14. To ever speak on radio?

Woodrow Wilson, predating Franklin Delano Roosevelt's famous weekly "fireside chats".

15. To ever appear on television?

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, during a demonstration of the device during the 1939 World's Fair.

16. To make a coast to coast television broadcast?

Harry S. Truman, on September 4, 1953.

17. To delay delivering the annual State of the Union Address?

Ronald Reagan, because of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: FEBRUARY 22, 2014

Hello Everybody. Lots of ground to cover today, starting with the fact that because of our Memorial Edition of Trivia Time last weekend, (February 15), we didn't get to run our annual PRESIDENTS DAY FAMOUS FIRSTS QUIZ.
Regards of your political views or beliefs, do you know....

Who was the first President of the United States…?

01. To have previously served as Vice President?

02. To serve without a Vice President?

03. To hold the office as an Independent? (And yes, it has been done.)

04. To hold the office as a Democrat?

05. To hold the office as a Republican?

06. To be born in the United States after it became an independent country?

07. To not be born within the continental United States?

08. To be born in a hospital?

09. To physically live in the White House?

10. To work in the Oval Office? (The West Wing, where it resides, was a later addition.)

11. To remarry while in office?

12. To ever have his photograph taken?

13. To ever use a telephone?

14. To ever speak on radio?

15. To ever appear on television?

16. To ever make a coast to coast TV broadcast?

17. To delay delivery of the annual State of the Union address?

NOTE: EACH ANSWER IS JUST ONE PRESIDENT.

As usual, we'll reveal all next weekend. But for now, let's open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results of that aforementioned MEMORIAL TRIVIA TIME QUIZ.

Johnson in "Black Saddle", 1960

TRIVIA TIME: RUSSELL JOHNSON
Although he performed other roles before and after, Johnson will probably be best remembered as The Professor on Gilligan's Island, but what was the character's actual name? Roy Hinkley.

Madden, circa 1970s

TRIVIA TIME: DAVE MADDEN
While perhaps best known as Ruben Kincaid on The Partridge Family, what was Madden's first job in show business? Stand up comic.

Seeger, circa June 2007

TRIVIA TIME: PETE SEEGER
While there are many accomplishments within his legendary career both on and off the musical stage, what musical instrument is Seeger accredited with introducing to American audiences?
The Steel Pan Drum.

The Steel Pan Drum

Schell, circa 1970s

TRIVIA TIME: MAXIMILIAN SCHELL
What movie role within his long acting career won Schell an Oscar?
Hans Wolfe in Judgement In Nuremberg, 1961.

Temple the Ambassador

TRIVIA TIME: SHIRLEY TEMPLE-BLACK
While the world will remember her fabled acting career as a child star during The Great Depression, she later distinguished herself as an American ambassador to what countries? Ghana (1975-1976) and Czechoslovakia (1989-1992).

Caesar, circa 1961

TRIVIA TIME: SID CAESAR
There is no way to sum up this man's illustrious comedic career in just a few words, but what was his FIRST television show? The Admiral Broadway Revue (1949). True story: the show was cancelled after 26 weeks NOT because of poor ratings, but because Admiral couldn't keep up with the consumer demand for television sets!

Waite, circa 2012

TRIVIA TIME: RALPH WAITE
In what is perhaps his most remembered role, what was the full name of his character on The Waltons? Many e-mailed saying John Walton, but because Richard Thomas played "John Boy", aka: John Walton, Junior; that made Waite's character John Walton SENIOR!

THE PUZZLE CORNER: FEBRUARY 16, 2013

"I'm honored to be amongst the answers."

Monday is President's Day here in the United States of America. In their honor, The Free Choice E-zine presents our FAMOUS FIRSTS: PRESIDENTIAL QUIZ.

Do you know who was the first President of the United States...

01. To have previously served as Vice President?

02. To serve without a Vice President?

03. To hold the office as an Independent? (And yes, it has been done.)

04. To hold the office as a Democrat?

05. To hold the office as a Republican?

06. To be born in the United States? (After it became an independent country.)

07. To not be born within the continental United States?

08. To be born in a hospital?

09. To physically live in the White House?

10. To work in the Oval Office? (The West Wing, where it resides, was a later addition.)

11. To remarry while in office?

12. To ever have his photograph taken?

13. To ever use a telephone?

14. To ever speak on radio?

15. To ever appear on television?

We'll reveal all next weekend. But for now, let's peek inside THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results of the February 9, 2013 Puzzle Corner.

EXTREMESThe same term is great in one sport, but bad news in another. What is it?
STRIKE. Great in bowling, lousy in baseball, especially if you get three of them. Then you're out!
THE LETTER SHUFFLE
Filling in the blanks, using the same 5 letters to form 3 different words, the statement about the record blizzard snow fall last week should read:

I would REACT more calmly to just a TRACE of snow than the amount that has fallen. Wish I could CRATE it all up and ship it away!