THE PUZZLE CORNER: DECEMBER 9, 2023

 😎FUN FACT

Having just finished filming Goodfellas, actor Joe Pesci allegedly had to watch his language while filming Home Alone 1 afterwards.

🥇FAMOUS FIRS5TS: THE CHRISTMAS CAROL EDITION

Just about everyone has sang every song, to date, for the holiday season. But do you know who the first to perform each tune listed was?

01. Frosty the Snowman⛄

02. Have A Holly Jolly Christmas

03. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

04. Here Comes Santa Claus🎅

05. I’ll Be Home For Christmas

06. Jingle Bell Rock

07. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!❄❅❆

08. Rocking Around The Christmas Tree🎄

09. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer🦌

10. Santa Baby

11. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

12. Silver Bells🕭🕭

13. Sleigh Ride (as an instrumental)

14. Sleigh Ride (with lyrics)

15. White Christmas

16. Wonderful Christmas Time

17. You’re A Mean One, Mister Grinch

We’ll reveal all next weekend but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX🎁 and discover the results from the December 2, 2023 Puzzle Corner.

REBUS

We’ve decorated The Free Choice E-zine office for the holidays and something familiar is represented by our Christmas Tree.

Do you know what it is?

Noel. (No L)

RHYME TIME

The clue to something is below, but no matter how long your answer is, each word within it must rhyme. Ready?

Why we have a specific holiday. = Season’s Reasons.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: JANUARY 2, 2021

😎FUN FACT

2021 is the first numerically consecutive year since 1920! The next is obviously 2122, a long way off no matter how you examine the situation.

NUMBER PLEASE

Get ready! We ask the question, but the answer is just a number.

What was the first numerically consecutive year?

THE LETTER SHUFFLE

How many new words can you make out of the letters in NEW YEAR?

We’ll reveal all next weekend but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX📦 and discover the results from the December 26, 2020 Puzzle Corner’s

FAMOUS FIRSTS🥇: THE CHRISTMAS🎄 CAROL♫ EDITION

Having been inundated with Christmas music by some radio stations since before Veterans Day this year, let’s see if you know who sang which song first?

01. Frosty the Snowman⛄ was first sung by Gene Autry in a 1950 recording.

02. Have A Holly Jolly Christmas was actually first performed by The Quinto Sisters in 1962, although Burl Ives’ rendition is the most famous and popular.

03. Judy Garland was the first to sing Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas during the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me In Saint Louis.

04. Here Comes Santa Claus🎅 was first sung by its co-writer Gene Autry in 1947, although the classic radio version is actually of a later recording.

05. I’ll Be Home For Christmas was first sung by Bing Crosby in 1943 as a World War 2 morale booster but has since taken on a life of its own.

06. Jingle Bell Rock was first performed by Bobby Helms in 1957.

07. Vaughn Monroe first pleaded Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow in 1946.

08. Then 13 year old Brenda Lee first sang Rocking Around The Christmas Tree in 1958.

09. Believe it or not, there are two possible answers for this one!

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer🦌 first shined in 1948 when Harry Brannon sang it live on various New York City radio programs, but Gene Autry was the first to actually record the song the following year.

10. Eartha Kitt first purred Santa Baby in 1953. Madonna’s version isn’t bad, but wouldn’t you like to see Harley Quinn take a whack at it?😉

11. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town is actually the oldest song on our list. Eddie Cantor was the first to sing it in a 1934 recording, although I personally like the rendition by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

12. Silver Bells was first performed in the 1951 Paramount Picture The Lemon Drop Kid by its star Bob Hope, who continued to perform it on every TV Christmas special he did until his passing.

13. Sleigh Ride, as an instrumental, was first performed by The Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by Arthur Fiedler in 1949, although the popular radio version is actually one of their later performances.

14. The Andrews Sisters were the first to sing Sleigh Ride's lyrics in a 1950 recording, although Peggy Lee’s I Like To Sleigh Ride version from 1960 is pretty cool.

15. You're right to say Bing Crosby was the first to ever perform White Christmas, but he did so during his radio show on Christmas Day 1941. The movie Holiday Inn was released in 1942, and the remake movie White Christmas in 1954. Between his radio and TV shows, he sang it every year until his passing.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: DECEMBER 26, 2020

😎FUN FACT

While a popular novelty song, 1953’s I Want A Hippopotamus🦛 For Christmas by then 10 year old Gayla Peevey was never planned as a fund raiser for an Oklahoma City zoo.

FAMOUS FIRSTS: THE CHRISTMAS CAROL EDITION🥇

Having been inundated with Christmas🎄 music by some radio stations since before Veterans Day this year, let’s see if you know who sang which song first?

01. Frosty the Snowman⛄

02. Have A Holly Jolly Christmas

03. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

04. Here Comes Santa Claus🎅

05. I’ll Be Home For Christmas

06. Jingle Bell Rock

07. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

08. Rocking Around The Christmas Tree🎄

09. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

10. Santa Baby

11. Santa Claus🎅 Is Coming To Town

12. Silver Bells

13. Sleigh Ride (as an instrumental)

14. Sleigh Ride (with lyrics)

15. White Christmas

We’ll reveal all next weekend but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX🎁 and discover the results from the December 19, 2020 Puzzle Corner.

NUMBER PLEASE

Get ready! We ask the question, but the answer is just a number.

How many presents can Santa Claus🎅 put into an empty sack?

1. Then it wouldn’t be empty any more.😉

THE LETTER SHUFFLE

How many new words can you spell out of the letters in CHRISTMAS?

A, act(s), ah(s), aim(s), air(s), am, amiss, arc(s), arch, arm(s), art(s), as, ash, ass, at

Cam(s), car(s), cart(s), cash, cast(s) cat(s), char(s), chair(s), charm(s), chart(s), chasm(s), chat(s), cram(s)

Ha, hair, ham(s), harm(s), has, hat(s), hi, him, his, hiss, hit(s)

I, I’m, is, it, its, it’s, itch

Ma, mach, march, mart(s), mash, mass, mast(s), mat(s), match, math, mint(s),mirth, miss, mist(s)

Racism, racist(s), ram(s), rash, rat(s), rich, rim(s)

Sash, sat, scam(s), scar(s), scat, sham(s), shirt(s), Sir, sis, sit(s), smash, smart(s), stair(s), star(s), starch, stash, stir(s)

Tar(s), this, Tis, trash, tram(s), trim(s), Tsar

Besides the 135 words listed above, Chris, Christ, and Sam might be eligible, depending upon your position of counting proper names in a game like this. Other words might also be possible.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: DECEMBER 28, 2019

😎FUN FACT
If there is a “war” on Christmas, it’s only to stress the fact that the holiday should be a LOT more than just the giant retail event businesses are trying to turn it into.

🥇FAMOUS FIRSTS: THE CHRISTMAS CAROL EDITION
There were radio stations playing Christmas music 24/7 WEEKS before Thanksgiving!
But now that all the ultra-commercialized hype is over, for now, do you know who the FIRST performer(s) of each song listed below were?
01. Frosty the Snowman⛄
02. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas🎄
03. Here Comes Santa Claus🎅
04. Jingle Bell🔔 Rock
05. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!❆❄❅
06. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer🦌
07. Santa🎅 Baby
08. Santa Claus🎅 Is Coming To Town
09. Silver Bells🕭🕭
10. White Christmas🎄
11. Sleigh🛷 Ride (as an instrumental)
12. Sleigh Ride🛷 (with lyrics)

We’ll reveal all next weekend but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX📦 and discover the results from the December 21, 2019 Puzzle Corner.

REBUS
Something familiar is represented in the picture on the left.
Do you know what it is?
It’s a (Keith) ♫partridge in a pear tree.♫

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
How many new words can you spell out of the letters in the word CHRISTMAS?
A, act(s), ah(s), aim(s), air(s), am, amiss, arc(s), arch, arm(s), art(s), as, ash, ass, at
Cam(s), car(s), cart(s), cash, cast(s) cat(s), char(s), chair(s), charm(s), chart(s), chasm(s), chat(s), cram(s)
Ha, hair, ham(s), harm(s), has, hat(s), hi, him, his, hiss, hit(s)
I, I’m, is, it, its, it’s, itch
Ma, mach, march, mart(s), mash, mass, mast(s), mat(s), match, math, mint(s),mirth, miss, mist(s)
Racism, racist(s), ram(s), rash, rat(s), rich, rim(s)
Sash, sat, scam(s), scar(s), scat, sham(s), shirt(s), Sir, sis, sit(s), smash, smart(s), stair(s), star(s), starch, stash, stir(s)
Tar(s), this, Tis, trash, tram(s), trim(s), Tsar

Besides the 135 words listed above, Chris, Christ, and Sam might be eligible, depending upon your position of counting proper names in a game like this. Other words might also be possible.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: DECEMBER 10, 2016

FUN FACT
While they didn't start gaining popularity until the early 1800s, the Christmas Tree can trace its roots (no pun intended) back to the 15th Century.

FAMOUS FIRSTS: ♫THE CAROL EDITION♫
While who recorded the best rendition of a beloved Christmas classic is debatable, some Christmas tunes date back a lot farther than you think.
Can you name the very first performer to record the following songs?

01. Frosty the Snowman
02. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
03. Here Comes Santa Claus
04. Jingle Bell Rock
05. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!
06. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
07. Santa Baby
08. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
09. Silver Bells
10. White Christmas
11. Sleigh Ride (as an instrumental)
12. Sleigh Ride (with lyrics)

We’ll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the December 3, 2016 Puzzle Corner.

TRIVIA TIME
Where are the Peanuts characters based? In other words, where do they live?
Creator Charles M. Schulz always considered them in Minnesota, where he grew up.

REBUS
We're putting up our Christmas tree, but something's wrong.
Do you know what it is?
There is NO L (Noel).

THE PUZZLE CORNER: DECEMBER 26, 2015

FUN FACT
John Lloyd Wright, son of the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, invented Lincoln Logs in 1916.

FAMOUS FIRSTS: THE CAROL EDITION
Many holiday songs, and multiple renditions of specific tunes, exist. But can you name the FIRST performer for each classic listed below?

01. Frosty the Snowman
02. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
03. Here Comes Santa Claus
04. Jingle Bell Rock
05. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!
06. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
07. Santa Baby
08. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
09. Silver Bells
10. White Christmas
11. Sleigh Ride (as an instrumental)
12. Sleigh Ride (with lyrics)

We'll reveal all next weekend. But for now, let's open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results of the December 19, 2015 Puzzle Corner.

REBUS
A line from a famous Christmas carol is represented in the image on the right.
Do you know what it is?

A (Keith) Partridge in a pear tree!

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
How many new words can you spell, using the letters within the word CHRISTMAS?

A, act(s), ah(s), aim(s), air(s), am, arc(s), arch, arm(s), art(s), as, ash, ass, at
Cam(s), car(s), cart(s), cash, cast(s) cat(s), char(s), chair(s), charm(s), chart(s), chasm(s), chat(s), cram(s)
Ha, hair, ham(s), harm(s), has, hat(s), hi, him, his, hiss, hit(s)
I, I’m, is, it, its, itch
Ma, mach, march, mart(s), mash, mass, mast(s), mat(s), match, math, mint(s),mirth, miss, mist(s)
Racism, racist(s), ram(s), rash, rat(s), rich, rim(s)
Sash, sat, scam(s), scar(s), scat, sham(s), shirt(s), Sir, sis, sit(s), smash, smart(s), stair(s), star(s), starch, stash, stir(s)
Tar(s), this, trash, tram(s), trim(s), Tsar

Besides the 132 words listed above, Chris, Christ, and Sam might be eligible, depending upon your position of counting names in a game like this. Other words might also be possible.