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The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: arrowood20 on November 25, 2008, 07:04:11 PM

Title: $100,000 Pyramid Question
Post by: arrowood20 on November 25, 2008, 07:04:11 PM
Going through some old "Pyramid" shows last night, I came across one with Melody Thomas-Scott & Stuart Damon. Melody was in the Winner's Circle, and the category "Things You Have For Lunch" came up. Her clue was "a sandwich with a pickle and some chips". I would have figured that was a descriptive clue, and been buzzed. However, they let it go. She even seemed like she was nervous about using that clue right after she said it. Is that one of those times that the judges missed a buzz, or is that actually a legal clue?

Ryan :)
Title: $100,000 Pyramid Question
Post by: BrandonFG on November 25, 2008, 07:12:48 PM
It sounds like a lot, but I don't see where she's necessarily giving away the answer. I say "ding".
Title: $100,000 Pyramid Question
Post by: pyramid100 on November 25, 2008, 07:21:28 PM
I'd buzz it, it's a prepositional phrase
Title: $100,000 Pyramid Question
Post by: clemon79 on November 25, 2008, 07:26:36 PM
It screams "buzz!" to me at first glance, but then, when you think about it, it is in fact "a list of items that describe the category," right?

I don't think they let it slide because it was too descriptive. I think they let it slide because it was in fact three clues.
Title: $100,000 Pyramid Question
Post by: Robert Hutchinson on November 25, 2008, 07:54:36 PM
I always got the impression that the judge held off on the buzzer a lot of the time when it appeared that the clue-giver had A) interpreted the category as allowing for "broader" clues and B) was not obviously wrong.

That said, I have a hard time interpreting this particular category as allowing for that.
Title: $100,000 Pyramid Question
Post by: Kevin Prather on November 25, 2008, 08:03:30 PM
"A sandwich, a pickle, some chips" would be okay without question, so the question is if the difference is trivial enough to let it go. I say sure.
Title: $100,000 Pyramid Question
Post by: joker316 on November 25, 2008, 09:12:00 PM
Since many sandwich shops sell the three as one combo platter, I say "ding"
Title: $100,000 Pyramid Question
Post by: Chief-O on November 25, 2008, 09:40:36 PM
I agree with Kevin on the listing of each item being legal. Otherwise, as stated, it sounds too descriptive to me. I'd buzz it.
Title: $100,000 Pyramid Question
Post by: parliboy on November 25, 2008, 11:05:32 PM
[quote name=\'arrowood20\' post=\'202378\' date=\'Nov 25 2008, 06:04 PM\'] Going through some old "Pyramid" shows last night, I came across one with Melody Thomas-Scott & Stuart Damon. Melody was in the Winner's Circle, and the category "Things You Have For Lunch" came up. Her clue was "a sandwich with a pickle and some chips". I would have figured that was a descriptive clue, and been buzzed. However, they let it go. She even seemed like she was nervous about using that clue right after she said it. Is that one of those times that the judges missed a buzz, or is that actually a legal clue?

Ryan :) [/quote]

Let's narrow this down a bit.

"And some chips" is extraneous to the argument.   "And" indicates a separator for a list, and the rules say to give a list of things that fit the subject.  I have had all three of the items on the list for lunch at times.

Personally, I'm stuck on "with".  But I guess the reason this got away is because the clue didn't explicitly describe the sandwich via the prepositional phrase.  So "A sandwich with turkey" would be a problem.  For that matter, "A sandwich with pickles" might be bad, since the pickles are in the sandwich.  But since it's "a pickle", and people don't generally put a whole pickle on a sandwich (though I have put a pickle spear on a Chicago hot dog before), it's okay.  It basically turns "with" into a conjunction for purposes of the clue.

I know it sounds like a lot to reason through -- but judging during this era of the show was often that reasoned.