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The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: whewfan on May 24, 2012, 06:19:22 PM

Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: whewfan on May 24, 2012, 06:19:22 PM
I could've sworn there was a Megaword puzzle, I think it started with A... The guy that solved the puzzle of course had to use the word in a sentence, but instead of using the word properly, he made a pun of the word in the sentence... and I THINK they still gave it to him (I don't think they DIDN'T accept a sentence... a lot of leeway, which I am sure was one of the many reasons Pat obviously disliked the category)

Does anyone happen to remember what the word was and how he used it in a sentence?
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: Kevin Prather on May 24, 2012, 06:22:43 PM
Not sure about a pun, but The WoF Wiki (http://"http://wheeloffortunehistory.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_categories") mentions one time a sentence wasn't accepted. The sentence was "None of us knew what 'proliferation' meant."
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: Twentington on May 24, 2012, 09:08:45 PM
I still can't believe anyone on the staff thought that Megaword was a good idea. Particularly when the answer was OXIDIZED.

I wonder how many other puzzles in the main game haven't had T, N, S, H or R? Only other one I know of is PAYDAY as a Speed-Up in 1999. (I think this round may have been cut for time, too, since I can't imagine contestants going for H, D, P, M, etc. without having first taken care of the more common consonants.)
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: Jay Temple on May 25, 2012, 12:30:21 AM
I remember a puzzle in the "clue" category: OZ DOG. It was the first or second puzzle of the game, long before they had toss-ups.
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: WilliamPorygon on May 25, 2012, 02:47:44 AM
I remember a puzzle in the "clue" category: OZ DOG. It was the first or second puzzle of the game, long before they had toss-ups.

And if Clue was still around today, the same basic puzzle would probably now look like this (http://atom.smasher.org/wof/?l1=THE+NAME+OF&l2=+DOROTHY%27S+DOG&l3=+FROM+THE+++++&l4=WIZARD+OF+OZ&c=CLUE).
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: Twentington on May 25, 2012, 05:26:40 AM
I remember a puzzle in the "clue" category: OZ DOG. It was the first or second puzzle of the game, long before they had toss-ups.

I am convinced that someone on Wheel's puzzle-writing staff at the time had a cruel sense of humor.
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: Jay Temple on May 25, 2012, 09:56:18 AM
I got the impression that Pat thought the same thing.
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: TLEberle on May 25, 2012, 12:08:46 PM
Funny, when I saw that puzzle, I went for "dingo."
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: MyronMMeyer on May 25, 2012, 12:13:19 PM
Funny, when I saw that puzzle, I went for "dingo."

"Maybe the dingo ate your munchkin."
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: wdm1219inpenna on May 26, 2012, 09:12:14 AM
Sadly I don't remember the "A" word for Megaword.  I do remember hating this category, and I also hated the "Use it in a sentence" idea.  Had I solved it, my sentence would have been "Tonight's Megaword solution on Wheel of Fortune was antidisestablishmentarianism."
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: dmota104 on May 26, 2012, 01:27:30 PM
Had I solved it, my sentence would have been "Tonight's Megaword solution on Wheel of Fortune was antidisestablishmentarianism."

Sure that wouldn't fall in the category of Really Long Word?  :)

Oddly enough, I would've done something similar.  "I'm using the word 'hornswoggle' in a sentence."

Only way I could see Megaword justified: Instead of using it in a sentence, offer three different definitions and have the player pick the correct one (a la "Wordplay", "Oh My Word!").
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: Bobby B. on May 26, 2012, 02:52:28 PM
Giving the definition would have made much more sense.  As evidenced by the examples given above, it's very easy to put a word in a sentence without knowing the meaning of it (though I'd do the same if I was a contestant).
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: Twentington on May 26, 2012, 03:22:16 PM
Only way I could see Megaword justified: Instead of using it in a sentence, offer three different definitions and have the player pick the correct one (a la "Wordplay", "Oh My Word!").

I had suggested that before, actually. It's not entirely out of the question, since I've seen them use multiple-choice before with the "extra" questions they used to put after some puzzles. I even saw them do that with a Slogan puzzle once.
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: wdm1219inpenna on May 26, 2012, 04:40:32 PM
Had I solved it, my sentence would have been "Tonight's Megaword solution on Wheel of Fortune was antidisestablishmentarianism."

Sure that wouldn't fall in the category of Really Long Word?  :)

Oddly enough, I would've done something similar.  "I'm using the word 'hornswoggle' in a sentence."

Only way I could see Megaword justified: Instead of using it in a sentence, offer three different definitions and have the player pick the correct one (a la "Wordplay", "Oh My Word!").


"Oh My Word!"...That is a VERY clever category for Megaword!  Brilliant!  The idea of the 3 definitions too is an outstanding idea!  I really enjoyed Wordplay too, miss it.  Hard to believe that was Tom Kennedy's final show, and that was a quarter century ago :(
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: Jimmy Owen on May 26, 2012, 06:01:22 PM
That was gonna be the format for my adaptation of "Words Have Meanings" if I could have wrested the rights from Matt Ottinger Productions.
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: Steve Gavazzi on May 26, 2012, 08:11:46 PM
I still can't believe anyone on the staff thought that Megaword was a good idea. Particularly when the answer was OXIDIZED.
"I used a special cleaning agent that oxidized my laundry detergent."
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: clemon79 on May 26, 2012, 08:34:09 PM
"I used a special cleaning agent that oxidized my laundry detergent."
I think he's pointing out that the uncommon letters in that puzzle would make it very difficult, before you even got to the "use it in a sentence" part.

That said, it was also yet another example of "hey, look how many puzzles I have memorized, aren't I cool! Like me? Please?" so I suggest letting it go and moving on.
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: Twentington on May 26, 2012, 10:13:08 PM
"I used a special cleaning agent that oxidized my laundry detergent."
I think he's pointing out that the uncommon letters in that puzzle would make it very difficult, before you even got to the "use it in a sentence" part.

That is indeed what I'm pointing out.

The thought of a puzzle taking 11 turns to reveal any letters is certainly amusing now — if it goes around the horn without a score change or any additions to the puzzle, they usually edit it out (e.g., nothing but wrong letters/Lose a Turn/Bankrupt at $0).
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: Twentington on June 26, 2012, 11:27:57 PM
Not sure about a pun, but The WoF Wiki (http://"http://wheeloffortunehistory.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_categories") mentions one time a sentence wasn't accepted. The sentence was "None of us knew what 'proliferation' meant."

Bumping to provide video proof (it's in Round 4): http://rutube.ru/tracks/4858442.html
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: J.R. on June 26, 2012, 11:57:43 PM
Bumping to provide video proof (it's in Round 4): http://rutube.ru/tracks/4858442.html
That link redirected me to a mail order bride offer.

/Seriously? A Russian site for an American game show?
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: clemon79 on June 27, 2012, 12:13:08 AM
Yeah, I think .ru was your clue there that there might be some malicious content in there. There's no way in hell I would click a "rutube.ru" (are you friggin' kidding me?) link.

I shudder to think what sorts of payloads are kicking around on Bobby's computer. Paris Hilton is prolly less diseased.
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: PYLdude on June 27, 2012, 12:19:11 AM
I don't know what malicious content you think you clicked on but the link is as advertised. It's the entire episode, mind you, but it's not some spam site.
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: WarioBarker on June 27, 2012, 12:52:43 AM
That link redirected me to a mail order bride offer.
Yeah, I think .ru was your clue there that there might be some malicious content in there. There's no way in hell I would click a "rutube.ru" (are you friggin' kidding me?) link.
You guys might want to scan your computers -- I can personally attest to not receiving any sort of malicious crap or redirects in my many visits to RuTube. In fact, I just checked the link -- sent me right to the December 9, 1994 episode, as intended (also the debut of Next Line Please, for what that's worth).

RuTube is basically a Russian YouTube, and I've never had any problems with it except the rare times a video fails to load. That's it.
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: Twentington on June 27, 2012, 07:29:34 AM
Yeah, I think .ru was your clue there that there might be some malicious content in there. There's no way in hell I would click a "rutube.ru" (are you friggin' kidding me?) link.

Don't know where you're coming from, but SiteAdvisor says it's clean. I think J.R.'s "mail order bride" comment was obviously a joke.

I shudder to think what sorts of payloads are kicking around on Bobby's computer. Paris Hilton is prolly less diseased.

See above. (Also, I'm on a Mac, which are known for being less susceptible.)
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: clemon79 on June 27, 2012, 01:13:53 PM
(Also, I'm on a Mac, which are known for being less susceptible.)
You keep going on thinking that, pal.
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: GrandGame1440 on June 27, 2012, 01:29:17 PM
That link redirected me to a mail order bride offer.

/Seriously? A Russian site for an American game show?

Yeah, I think .ru was your clue there that there might be some malicious content in there. There's no way in hell I would click a "rutube.ru" (are you friggin' kidding me?) link.

A few of the major WoF uploaders from YouTube took their videos over there after Sony purged the site of a lot of classic content last year.
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: clemon79 on June 27, 2012, 02:03:31 PM
A few of the major WoF uploaders from YouTube took their videos over there after Sony purged the site of a lot of classic content last year.
I'm sure they did.
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: TLEberle on June 27, 2012, 02:04:49 PM
See above. (Also, I'm on a Mac, which are known for being less susceptible.)
That's exactly what they want you to think, so you won't have the various programs installed on your computer that will block that sort of thing at the moat. Then they laugh because they got something onto your hard drive while you're smugly thinking "I have a Mac, I'm bulletproof."
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: Matt Ottinger on June 27, 2012, 02:17:45 PM
while you're smugly thinking "I have a Mac, I'm bulletproof."
"And I pay more for my hotel rooms!"
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: Twentington on June 27, 2012, 03:43:26 PM
See above. (Also, I'm on a Mac, which are known for being less susceptible.)
That's exactly what they want you to think, so you won't have the various programs installed on your computer that will block that sort of thing at the moat. Then they laugh because they got something onto your hard drive while you're smugly thinking "I have a Mac, I'm bulletproof."

"Less susceptible" ≠ "bulletproof". I'm well aware that Macs can still get viruses, spyware, etc. I'm just saying that in 15 years of having at least one Mac with an Internet connection and no antivirus software, I have never gotten one.
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: Mr. Armadillo on June 27, 2012, 03:45:48 PM
But if I pay more for my hotel rooms, doesn't that mean I won't have any bedbugs?
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: J.R. on June 27, 2012, 04:13:23 PM
It always amuses me whenever someone uploads a video to a place that's not YouTube. Do they honestly think they're more "safe" because it isn't as popular? Do they think they're fostering some sort of "underground/subversive" movement?
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: Matt Ottinger on June 27, 2012, 07:32:02 PM
It always amuses me whenever someone uploads a video to a place that's not YouTube. Do they honestly think they're more "safe" because it isn't as popular? Do they think they're fostering some sort of "underground/subversive" movement?
Honestly, there might be more to that line of thought than you believe.  At least the "safe because it isn't as popular" part.  I routinely see things on Dailymotion that wouldn't last an hour on YouTube.  Aggressive copyright defenders are going to go looking in those places too, but not everybody is equally aggressive, and it's simply true that YouTube's standards are more restrictive than other sites.
Title: Wheel of Fortune Megaword question
Post by: PYLdude on June 27, 2012, 08:09:08 PM
It always amuses me whenever someone uploads a video to a place that's not YouTube. Do they honestly think they're more "safe" because it isn't as popular? Do they think they're fostering some sort of "underground/subversive" movement?
Honestly, there might be more to that line of thought than you believe.  At least the "safe because it isn't as popular" part.  I routinely see things on Dailymotion that wouldn't last an hour on YouTube.  Aggressive copyright defenders are going to go looking in those places too, but not everybody is equally aggressive, and it's simply true that YouTube's standards are more restrictive than other sites.

Dailymotion, Veoh, and Vimeo apparently are the three biggest video sharing sites for people who get dinged for copyright on YouTube- at least if my observations have told me anything. Although I think at least Veoh is starting to get a little more vigilant with stuff like that (or is it Vimeo? not sure).