Initial Game of Things Starting With Two Letters

Just in case the guy on KFAN has got his intellectual property ducks in a row with his Kickstarter thing, I will not refer to this game by the same name he has given his version. Instead, this will be the initial time I "host" a game on this platform with the following rules:

1. I will give you two letters (for example, "K.P"). All the items that week will be a two-word answer in which each word begins with letter in the appropriate spot. The answer can be a person, place, thing, or other two-word phrase. For example, if "K.P." are the letters, then one answer might be Kirby Puckett. Another answer might be "Krakow, Poland." And so on.

2. I will provide six clues for each answer. The clues will be provided one-at-a-time.

3. If you believe you know the answer, make a Spoilered guess in the thread. The point will go to whomever correctly identifies the answer first. If you submit an incorrect response, then you can no longer submit for that particular answer.

4. The participant with the most correct answers at the end of the week wins. (If there is a tie, then I will have tiebreakers for only the participants in the tie.)

5. You're going to be on the honor system, but you should not be using the internet or other resources.

My plan will be to start on Tuesday morning (to give the people who somehow had better things to do on Mother's Day than hang out in this basement a chance to play). Logistically, I see two alternatives.

Option A: I can just have a posts for each answer in this thread (and guesses can be responses to the LTE with the clues). I would give a rough notice as to when clues will be shared.

Option B: You can sign-up in the thread, and then I can send a mass email to all participants with each clue. You can then email me your guesses as to the answer, and I'll let everyone know when someone has guesses correctly. The downside is that hearing other people's incorrect guesses can help someone figure out the answer, so doing it privately can be a little tricky. I guess I prefer Option A, but I'm open to thoughts.

For the first week, there will be ten answers. Going forward, I will try to have twelve per week.

    Results

Phrase One: Gluten Free (Algonad, 2 clues)
Phrase Two: Guy Fieri (Philosofer, 4 clues)
Phrase Three: Grand Forks (Zee German, 3 clues)
Phrase Four: Gopher Football (freealonzo, 4 clues)
Phrase Five: Good Friday (MagUidhir, 1 clue)

191 thoughts on “Initial Game of Things Starting With Two Letters”

  1. I'm in.

    Is there an advantage to guessing before all the clues are given? If there isn't, why not wait until all six clues are given?

        1. This might be a good time for you to drag adobery over to the basement

    1. That's what I've been thinking.
      The letters and first clue for the first answer will be posted in a new LTE to this thread tomorrow at 9:00.

      1. I would've said Option A as well. Makes it more of a group activity rather than another random e-mail based activity.

        You could probably revive the old "The Nation Has Problems" category for this.

  2. The letters for all answers will be G.F..

    Please guess with a spoiler under the clue.

    First phrase clue number one:
    1. Yields no specific benefit to most people

    Clue two will be at 9:10

  3. First phrase clues:
    1. Yields no specific benefit to most people
    2. Requires fewer than 20 parts per million

    Clue Three at 9:20

  4. Algonad gets the first point. I have a meeting coming up, so I'll start the next one at 1:00pm

    1. Hmm... actually being around is going to be required, I see. Normally that won't be a problem. But I was totally going to snarkily answer with the right answer in response to the first clue, before reading further...

      1. Yup, that's why I'm trying to share when clues will be posted. First in time; first in rights!

  5. Second phrase clues (still G.F)
    1. Famously murdered in 2012

    Clue Two at 1:10

  6. Second phrase clues
    1. Famously murdered in 2012
    2. Likely recently dyed

    Next clue at 1:20

  7. Second phrase clues
    1. Famously murdered in 2012
    2. Likely recently dyed
    3. Changed last name to honor grandfather

    Next clue at 1:30

  8. Second phrase clues
    1. Famously murdered in 2012
    2. Likely recently dyed
    3. Changed last name to honor grandfather
    4. Will be preparing nachos for Shaq shortly

    Next clue at 1:40

          1. Maybe this?

            His first New York City restaurant, Guy's American Kitchen and Bar, opened in 2012 to scathing New York Times coverage by Pete Wells that Larry Olmsted of Forbes called "the most scathing review in the history of the New York Times", and "likely the most widely read restaurant review ever."

      1. That was in my head, but the first clue threw me way off.

        What's the history of that one?

        1. Once there was "dyed recently" I just decided the first one had to be a trick clue, metaphorically accurate, or something like that.

          DPWY - I actually really that approach. It keeps things lighter, but also more challenging.

          1. When I read through, I was getting ready to call it after that one, but was too late by a couple clues.

  9. Third phrase clues:
    1. Associated with red
    2. Found in a lake

    Next clue at 3:50

  10. Third phrase clues:
    1. Associated with red
    2. Found in a lake
    3. Acquired in 1818

    Next clue at 4:00

  11. Algonad, Philosofer, and Zee German get today's points.

    What do y'all think? Should I continue, or let it go? If continued, any ways I can improve the process?

    1. I like it. But, I'm not getting the clues for the last one other than the first one.

          1. They got some Manitoba and Saskatchewan in return, maybe. The whole 49th parallel, NW angle thing?

            1. Yep. They thought the Mississippi ended further north so this treaty fixed the border when they found Itasca. Though, it seems the exact border in this area wasn't known for several more years.

    2. I think it's fun. Unfortunately, I was in meetings each time it started and did not have time to check and respond before someone else got it. Not sure how to get around it, though.

      1. Yeah, I missed the first one, and was working during the third one. But I enjoyed playing along with them all the same. I suppose if we don't care too much about outcomes, it's a worthy enterprise.

    3. I enjoyed it as well, even though didn't come close to winning either of the two I was awake for.

  12. Is ten minutes too long between clues? I want to give a chance to people who aren't furiously tapping F5. Should I switch to five minutes?

    Also, I'll start another one at 8:30am tomorrow (Central) because this feedback suggests it was fun (enough).

        1. I'm thinking I'll do ten minutes before clues 2-4, and then five before clues 5-6 (because the clues should be getting progressively easier, so it's more likely to be solved after 5 than after 2, for example).

  13. Still G.F. for one more day.

    Fourth phrase clues:
    1. Associated with the Music City

    Next clue at 8:40

  14. Fourth phrase clues:
    1. Associated with the Music City
    2. Associated with a bank

    Next clue at 8:50

      1. Actually, I have two clues so far. I'm not *clueless*, I'm just unable to decipher.

          1. I'll probably wander away and get distracted, only to remember this is going on in about a half hour though.

            So, "present" might be overstating it.

  15. Fourth phrase clues:
    1. Associated with the Music City
    2. Associated with a bank
    3. Associated with a boat

    Next clue at 9:00

  16. Fourth phrase clues:
    1. Associated with the Music City
    2. Associated with a bank
    3. Associated with a boat
    4. Associated with an ax

    Next clue at 9:10

        1. Failing that, the comment ID will always be in order of submission. free's comment ID ('373) is ahead of Zee's ('374).

        1. The only way I'm getting this one is if you had said "1904". Then I would have had it.

        1. Couple of us might have picked up on that one.
          I'm still not connecting the dots on the agreement, however.

            1. Yep, the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) was signed in 1998 and largely brought peace to Northern Ireland.

              Not that there aren't large, deep-rooted structural issues there still, but there is much much MUCH less killing/terrorism.

  17. Sixth phrase clues:
    1. Sometimes is first
    2. Sometimes isn't first

    Next clue at 12:20

  18. Sixth phrase clues:
    1. Sometimes is first
    2. Sometimes isn't first
    3. A sitcom

    Next clue at 12:30

  19. Sixth phrase clues:
    1. Sometimes is first
    2. Sometimes isn't first
    3. A sitcom
    4. Less commercial in the Twin Cities than elsewhere

    Next clue at 12:40

  20. Sixth phrase clues:
    1. Sometimes is first
    2. Sometimes isn't first
    3. A sitcom
    4. Less commercial in the Twin Cities than elsewhere
    5. A place for early participants given a privileged opportunity

    Final clue at 12:45

  21. Sixth phrase clues:
    1. Sometimes is first
    2. Sometimes isn't first
    3. A sitcom
    4. Less commercial in the Twin Cities than elsewhere
    5. A place for early participants given a privileged opportunity
    6. Often also the lobby

  22. I know I'm not eligible but what the heck

    Spoiler SelectShow
  23. Seventh phrase clues:
    1. Colors represent fire
    2. Scarlet and gold

    Next clue at 2:20

      1. Mike may no longer answer; Zee German may still answer because he was too late with his incorrect answer

  24. Seventh phrase clues:
    1. Colors represent fire
    2. Scarlet and gold
    3. Features a lion

    Next clue at 2:30

          1. You should have used the topical Liberian Flag emoji rather than the shrug!

          1. Take it up with Mags!

            Also, by timestamp the fourth clue was technically posted first

            1. But they were also at the same time. So unless you posted at 2:30:01 and Rhu posted at 2:30:59, I'm inclined to think he got it on #3

              1. 14:30:27 for Rhu_Ru
                14:30:13 for DPWY.

                Unless Rhu_ru can figure it out, start an LTE upthread, write it, and hit send in 14 seconds, I'll give him Clue 3

  25. Seventh phrase clues:
    1. Colors represent fire
    2. Scarlet and gold
    3. Features a lion
    4. Associated with Minerva

    Next clue at 2:40

  26. My apologies, unexpected phone call

    Eighth phrase clues:
    1. A Joe Pesci movie

    Next clue 9:10

  27. Eighth phrase clues:
    1. A Joe Pesci movie
    2. A Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong duet

    Next clue 9:20

  28. Phrase nine clues:
    1. Spawned knockoffs
    2. Not for floors

    Next clue: 10:50

  29. Phrase nine clues:
    1. Spawned knockoffs
    2. Not for floors
    3. Can rumble

    Next clue: 11:00

        1. Aw man, I had to step away for a phone call!

          And also, I still wouldn't have gotten it.

  30. Tenth and final phrase clues
    1. Typically found inside

    Next clue at 310

  31. Tenth and final phrase clues
    1. Typically found inside
    2. Requires no raking

    Next clue at 320

  32. Tenth and final phrase clues
    1. Typically found inside
    2. Requires no raking
    3. Uses a switch or remote

    Next clue at 330

  33. Tenth and final phrase clues
    1. Typically found inside
    2. Requires no raking
    3. Uses a switch or remote
    4. Involves direct vent technology

    Next clue at 340

  34. Thus concludes the initial week of phrases beginning with the same two letters. Please let me know any suggestions you may have for improvements. I hope it was fun!

  35. Nibbs, are you ever on the Zoom call? I suppose we could have tiebreaker between you and RhuRu Sunday night if the logistics work.

  36. Final GF round standings. Tie-breaker, which I just made up is who got their answer the fastest (fastest average for those with more than 1 correct answer)

    Place Player Points (Clue #)
    1 nibbish 2 (Avg 3)
    2 Rhu_Ru 2 (Avg 4.5)
    3 MagUidhir 1 (1)
    4 Algonad 1 (2)
    T5 Zee German 1 (3)
    T5 Mike 1 (3)
    T7 Philo 1 (4)
    T7 Freealonzo 1 (4)

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