# All things Halloween

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-things-halloween/325119>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [October 7, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-things-halloween/325119 "2005-10-07T00:00:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 12\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-things-halloween/325119/41 "2005-10-12T05:09:02Z")

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> [@Tamarin](#):
>
> I’ve decided to be a box of cereal with a knife sticking out of it…killed by a cereal killer. I haven’t decided what brand of cereal to be yet, and I haven’t started the obituary. Anyone have any good ideas?

Life cereal has been suggested, but you could go the other direction and be [Boo Berry](http://www.i-mockery.com/booberry/boxes.htm). Not only will you be a ghost, you’ll be dead and “berried”. Suspects can be the nefarious [Count Chocula](http://www.derok.net/derok/countchocula.html) and your oafish cousin [Frankenberry](http://people2.clarityconnect.com/webpages5/ewk/frankenberry.htm). Perhaps you’ll even find a way to involve [Fruit Brute](http://members.aol.com/pseisen/fruitbrute/) and [(Fruity) Yummy Mummy](http://www.lavasurfer.com/boxtop/cereal-news.html) in your demise. Since cereal is made of grain, you should also be able to work a “Grim Reaper” pun or two into the obit!

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**Author:** ![Pixiesnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Pixiesnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixiesnix)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-things-halloween/325119/42 "2005-10-12T06:27:48Z")

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Wow, all these great costume ideas…when I was a kid, all we had were those vinyl sheaths with the plastic masks. The masks had eye holes, nose holes, and oddly, a slit for the mouth. Does anyone else remember those?

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**Author:** ![MackoUr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@MackoUr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MackoUr)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-things-halloween/325119/43 "2005-10-12T06:42:48Z")

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> [@Sternvogel](#):
>
> Life cereal has been suggested, but you could go the other direction and be [Boo Berry](http://www.i-mockery.com/booberry/boxes.htm).

Just a minor hijack, I give you [Something Positive](http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp09252005.shtml)’s nostalgia for the monster-themed cereals.

That aside, this is the first year I’m taking my son trick-or-treating! He’s three and a half and I’ve already got him worked up over getting candy from strangers! He’s got his leapord costume already, we’ve got a few of his daycare friends joining us. And we are going to have a pumpkin roll in the backyard afterwards (inspired by the last line of _Five Little Pumpkins_: “And five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.”

I can’t wait for him to be old enough to join me in a Bela Lugosi film festival, or play a bit of _Call of Cthulhu_.

Most of my formative halloweens took place in Cheyenne, Wyoming, which meant they coincided with the first snow. We’d put on our costumes, parkas, boots, and brave the elements with hundreds of other kids. When we got home, my dental hygenist mother confiscated the candy, threw out all the bubblegum, and doled out the rest in small lots until Christmas (making sure we always brushed our teeth after each treat.)

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**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-things-halloween/325119/44 "2005-10-12T07:48:04Z")

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Normally I don’t celebrate Halloween much in my neighborhood. For the past few years I worked and missed it. Even then, I hear the kids don’t come around much (not that I buy less candy - more for me!) anymore. There aren’t that many children of trick-or-treating age in the area.

But in case I do get invited to a party, here’s what I’m thinking:  
toga + small wreath + [King mask](http://www.bkmasks.com/) = Burger King of the Jews.  
Maybe that’s too religious to get a laugh. King something… It’s too late to think of anything.

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**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-things-halloween/325119/45 "2005-10-12T13:31:16Z")

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Dart! I don’t think I can do either of my ideas (and I waqs really looking forward to saying “what a scoop!”)

I might have to go as a 70’s porn star. All I need are some mirror aviator shades, a tacky shirt, some polyester pants, and (fake) gold chains. All of those are in plentiful supply at any Goodwill store. 😛

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**Author:** ![gandalflute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@gandalflute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gandalflute)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-things-halloween/325119/46 "2005-10-12T17:12:53Z")

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This year I’ll be wearing my scrubs. I was thinking of carrying a cauliflower in a glass jar with some blue and red food coloring. Any other medical ideas?

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**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-things-halloween/325119/47 "2005-10-12T21:40:11Z")

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> [@Queen Tonya](#):
>
> Since it’s for the boss, who lays down the law, how about a lawsuit? Normal jacket and pants/skirt with button down blouse, with a bunch of ‘Thou shalt not…’ things printed out and attached to the jacket?

Not a bad idea, except that most of the employees in my quad (including my supervisor) are lawyers. Non-practicing lawyers, but lawyers just the same. Halloween is the one day when we can act as unlawyerly as we want. Those who dress up like to take advantage of that. 🙂

Actually, my supervisor liked **Clothahump** ’s happy camper idea. At least, she’s considering it, which for her is a good sign. I even offered to help her with the smiley face mask (she claims she has no artistic ability whatsoever, and I knew that making a mask would be a dealbreaker).

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-things-halloween/325119/48 "2005-10-16T22:23:29Z")

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**Halloween** is the greatest of all holidays (and I was born on Dec. 25!). I’ve been in a holiday mood since October 1.

Some of the best Halloween-related websites:

Two all-purpose portals:  
• [Halloween Online](http://www.halloween-online.com/)  
• [Halloween Central](http://rats2u.com/halloween/halloween_index.htm)

[Extreme Pumpkins](http://www.extremepumpkins.com/index.html)  
[Halloween Clip Art](http://www.halloween-clipart.com/)  
[Halloween Sounds](http://www.geocities.com/dustybeanbagg/index.html)  
[Fontenstein: Free Halloween Fonts](http://www.halloweenfonts.com/)  
[Antique Halloween Postcards](http://www.shaktiweb.com/postcards/)  
[Doombuggies.com: An Unofficial Tribute to Disney’s Haunted Mansion](http://doombuggies.com/)  
[Fright films on U.S. cable TV, October 2005](http://p075.ezboard.com/fmonsterkidclassichorrorforumfrm52.showMessage?topicID=104.topic)  
[13th Track Halloween Radio](http://www.13thtrack.com/)  
[Halloween Radio.com](http://halloweenradio.com/)  
[Martha Stewart’s Halloween](http://www.marthastewart.com/halloween)  
[The Haunted Studio](http://www.hauntedstudio.com/)  
[Autumn: Quotes, Poems](http://www.egreenway.com/months/autumn.htm)  
[Anniversarium: The Autumn Poems](http://www.thepoetspress.org/anniv.htm)  
Two great Halloween stories:  
• [_Young Goodman Brown_](http://www.online-literature.com/hawthorne/158/) by Nathaniel Hawthorne  
• [_The Legend of Sleepy Hollow_](http://www.online-literature.com/irving/geoffrey_crayon/32/) by Washington Irving

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-things-halloween/325119/49 "2005-10-17T00:07:19Z")

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> [@BraheSilver](#):
>
> Normally I don’t celebrate Halloween much in my neighborhood. For the past few years I worked and missed it. Even then, I hear the kids don’t come around much (not that I buy less candy - more for me!) anymore. There aren’t that many children of trick-or-treating age in the area.
> 
> But in case I do get invited to a party, here’s what I’m thinking:  
> toga + small wreath + [King mask](http://www.bkmasks.com/) = Burger King of the Jews.  
> Maybe that’s too religious to get a laugh. King something… It’s too late to think of anything.

Well, you could make a fish body costume and wear the mask and be a Burger Kingfish.

Or wear a rhinestoned jumpsuit and cape with the mask and be The (Burger) King.

How about an Egyptian outfit with the mask and go as Burger King Tut?

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**Author:** ![Amaranta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Amaranta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amaranta)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2005, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-things-halloween/325119/50 "2005-10-18T23:06:33Z")

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Okay, I just. cannot. think. of. a. costume.

No creativity here, whatsoever. I was thinking of going as the Paper Bag Princess, which I thought was a brilliant idea, but it might get cold. And I don’t have a copy of the book handy, so I can’t quite recall what her crown looks like - was it made of paper bag, too?

Anyways, if anyone has ideas for a girl who wants to look cute but not run the skanky route this year (and if I see one more naughty schoolgirl uniform I’ll punch the wearer)? Skanky is easy, I want something fun and funny and original. Thanks for the help.

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**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-things-halloween/325119/51 "2005-10-19T01:09:52Z")

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I’ve decided to be “the Angry American” (shout out to the Toby Keith song! :)). I am going to take an old pair of jeans that have a freakishly high rise, rip some holes in them, wear my “Don’t Mess With Texas” shirt, tease my hair, get a cammo hat from the suprlus store (and pay $10 to get “The Angry American” embroidered), and wear some bright blue eye shadow.

Pretty easy and funny (if you’ll be around people who will get it).

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**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-things-halloween/325119/52 "2005-10-19T01:40:22Z")

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I tested the Scarecrow’s legs today. I used the drawstring of the Scarecrow’s sweat pants to attac the legs to me. The first people to see me was a group of highschool students. They thought I had a parasitic twin. They were some problems with legs as the day went on. But, overall they did very well.

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