According to the U.S. Golf Association, circa 1890 "bogey" meant what "par" means today -- the ideal score on a hole for a skilled golfer. The word was derived from "bogey man," originally a British term for an elusive individual. Around 1910, "par" began to be used instead, and "bogey" was relegated to "one over par." We'll discuss "birdie" some other time.

What's the world's largest desert? Sorry, it's not the Sahara, which is the world's largest sandy desert. Based on the strict definition as a region that gets little rainfall, the world's largest desert is the entire continent of Antarctica, which gets an average of only two inches of precipitation each year. By the way, Antarctica is the world's highest continent, with an average elevation of about 7,000 feet.

Where do the feathers on the costume of "Sesame Street" character Big Bird come from?
A) Swans
B) Turkeys
C) Ostriches
D) They're man-made

Previous answer: Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast aired on his weekly Mercury Theatre program on Oct. 30, 1938, the day before Halloween.

TRIVIA FANS: Send the trivia questions you've always wanted answered, or original TriviaBits ideas of your own, with your full name and hometown, to Stan Newman at StanTrivia@aol.com or on a postcard to P.O. Box 69, Massapequa Park, NY 11762.

Stanley Newman is the editor of the Newsday Crossword and author/editor of more than 125 books on crosswords, word games and trivia, including "15,003 Answers: The Ultimate Trivia Encyclopedia" (Random House). To find out more about Stanley Newman visit StanXwords.com, or e-mail him at StanTrivia@aol.com.
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