XWord Muggles Forum

ReB wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:26 pm

Kris Zacharias wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 4:19 pm The meta made me laugh. I wish I had had essay tests with two-word answers while in college.

Perhaps you never heard of the apocryphal final exam for a philosophy course that consisted of a single word: WHY?

While all the students in the class were sweating bricks, one student with a big grin turned in his exam sheet after a few minutes and left. The professor, curious, snuck a peek and read: WHY NOT?

The student reportedly received an A...

SReh26 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 9:13 pm and the winner is?

If you need help spelling my name it’s R-e-h…

MikeMillerwsj wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 4:38 pm The contest answer is ESSAY TEST (whose parts are found at 1-Down and 67-Across). Each of the answers to the theme questions has the initials S.A. (as does the title “Seeking Answers”), suggesting the contest answer.

After some unusually challenging contests, this one was a blockbuster. We had 2,746 entries, about 74% correct, right in line with our usual success rate. A lot of solvers came close, with a big turnout (108) for ESSAY SET. ("Essay test" is certainly a more common and apt phrase, and our randomly drawn winner got it right so we didn't need to ponder whether SET was also acceptable.). Also MENSA TEST (60), ESSAY SEeR (27), ESSAY A LOT (24), SEER APP (12) and sundry others.

Congrats to this week's winner: Rick Feinleib of Reston, Va.!

Kris Zacharias wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 9:15 pm

ReB wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:26 pm

Kris Zacharias wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 4:19 pm The meta made me laugh. I wish I had had essay tests with two-word answers while in college.

Perhaps you never heard of the apocryphal final exam for a philosophy course that consisted of a single word: WHY?

While all the students in the class were sweating bricks, one student with a big grin turned in his exam sheet after a few minutes and left. The professor, curious, snuck a peek and read: WHY NOT?

The student reportedly received an A...

There you go: a two word answer. I actually was a philosophy professor.

JennyByrd wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 9:23 pm

Kris Zacharias wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 9:15 pm

ReB wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:26 pm

Perhaps you never heard of the apocryphal final exam for a philosophy course that consisted of a single word: WHY?

While all the students in the class were sweating bricks, one student with a big grin turned in his exam sheet after a few minutes and left. The professor, curious, snuck a peek and read: WHY NOT?

The student reportedly received an A...

There you go: a two word answer. I actually was a philosophy professor.

I’ve actually heard that story a few times, but in the Texas version, the correct answer is BECAUSE.

Kris Zacharias wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 10:29 pm

JennyByrd wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 9:23 pm

Kris Zacharias wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 9:15 pm

In either case, brevity is the source of wit!

So glad that this made me go googling. Hadn't realized that Polonius was a fool.

MikeMillerwsj wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 4:38 pm
Congrats to this week's winner: Rick Feinleib of Reston, Va.!

MikeMillerwsj wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 4:38 pm ("Essay test" is certainly a more common and apt phrase, and our randomly drawn winner got it right so we didn't need to ponder whether SET was also acceptable.)

ship4u wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 12:34 pm

kfahey714 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 12:04 pm Curious as to whether anyone ever actually gets a mug.

I have wondered the same thing, as I am sceptical that anyone actually wins the Publisher's Clearinghouse mega check. Oh, wait a minute, the mug is only worth $4. I suppose the WSJ can afford it.......

EVJ wrote: ↑Tue Oct 12, 2021 6:27 pm

ship4u wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 12:34 pm

kfahey714 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 12:04 pm Curious as to whether anyone ever actually gets a mug.

I have wondered the same thing, as I am sceptical that anyone actually wins the Publisher's Clearinghouse mega check. Oh, wait a minute, the mug is only worth $4. I suppose the WSJ can afford it.......

I wonder about the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Sweepstakes, too. My 92 year old mother plays and is convinced she is close to winning. She tells me the letters from Publisher’s say she is “moving up”. I’m visiting her this week and we had to drive to the post office to mail 2 letters to Publisher’s. Very important letters. She doesn’t trust the mailman to pick them up out of her mailbox. Gotta drive them to the post office. When we pulled into the post office I asked if she’d like me to run them in for her? No way! She doesn’t trust me to mail them correctly!!
It makes me mad because I feel like she’s being duped by this scam. But every time she says she thinks she’s going to win soon I say “I hope you do!”. Got to look on the bright side, I think this gives her something to think about and look forward to.
BTW….I’ve won a WSJ mug. Just got lucky.

EVJ wrote: ↑Tue Oct 12, 2021 6:27 pm

ship4u wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 12:34 pm

kfahey714 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 12:04 pm Curious as to whether anyone ever actually gets a mug.

I have wondered the same thing, as I am sceptical that anyone actually wins the Publisher's Clearinghouse mega check. Oh, wait a minute, the mug is only worth $4. I suppose the WSJ can afford it.......

I wonder about the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Sweepstakes, too. My 92 year old mother plays and is convinced she is close to winning. She tells me the letters from Publisher’s say she is “moving up”. I’m visiting her this week and we had to drive to the post office to mail 2 letters to Publisher’s. Very important letters. She doesn’t trust the mailman to pick them up out of her mailbox. Gotta drive them to the post office. When we pulled into the post office I asked if she’d like me to run them in for her? No way! She doesn’t trust me to mail them correctly!!
It makes me mad because I feel like she’s being duped by this scam. But every time she says she thinks she’s going to win soon I say “I hope you do!”. Got to look on the bright side, I think this gives her something to think about and look forward to.
BTW….I’ve won a WSJ mug. Just got lucky.

MikeMillerwsj wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 4:38 pm The contest answer is ESSAY TEST (whose parts are found at 1-Down and 67-Across). Each of the answers to the theme questions has the initials S.A. (as does the title “Seeking Answers”), suggesting the contest answer.

After some unusually challenging contests, this one was a blockbuster. We had 2,746 entries, about 74% correct, right in line with our usual success rate. A lot of solvers came close, with a big turnout (108) for ESSAY SET. ("Essay test" is certainly a more common and apt phrase, and our randomly drawn winner got it right so we didn't need to ponder whether SET was also acceptable.). Also MENSA TEST (60), ESSAY SEeR (27), ESSAY A LOT (24), SEER APP (12) and sundry others.

Congrats to this week's winner: Rick Feinleib of Reston, Va.!

boharr wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:06 pm

DannyWalter wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:05 pm

joequavis wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:45 pm

Why not?

I don't know, he's on third, and I don't give a darn!

Who's on third? Nah.

DrTom wrote: ↑Tue Oct 12, 2021 11:27 pm

boharr wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:06 pm

DannyWalter wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:05 pm

I don't know, he's on third, and I don't give a darn!

Who's on third? Nah.

WHAT! What is on third. Nah is with his group of like named friends calling out to their movie star acquaintance Jude Law.

DrTom wrote: ↑Tue Oct 12, 2021 11:21 pm

MikeMillerwsj wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 4:38 pm The contest answer is ESSAY TEST (whose parts are found at 1-Down and 67-Across). Each of the answers to the theme questions has the initials S.A. (as does the title “Seeking Answers”), suggesting the contest answer.

After some unusually challenging contests, this one was a blockbuster. We had 2,746 entries, about 74% correct, right in line with our usual success rate. A lot of solvers came close, with a big turnout (108) for ESSAY SET. ("Essay test" is certainly a more common and apt phrase, and our randomly drawn winner got it right so we didn't need to ponder whether SET was also acceptable.). Also MENSA TEST (60), ESSAY SEeR (27), ESSAY A LOT (24), SEER APP (12) and sundry others.

Congrats to this week's winner: Rick Feinleib of Reston, Va.!

Hmm, by my calculations that is a full 5% of people who got the much more elegant ESSAY SET answer. I mean anyone could have come up with ESSAY TEST (and I'll describe how in 200 words or less if you wish) but ESSAY SET, well you certainly cannot ignore that many people! I think the only fair thing to do is toss the ESSAY SET answers in a bowl and pick mine. oops sorry, pick one out for an alternate prize. That IS A SET of events I could be happy about. Sure it could make a MESSY SET of explanations but I GUESS A SET of explanatory e-mails could solve it. Gosh isn't it uncanny how often something that reminds you of ESSAY SET comes up in normal conversation....