5. A ostentatious and inappropriate display of learning

Your answer: pedantry

Probably should be "An ostentatious".

Happy Word Wizard Trivia!

Aren't you being pedantic, JME?

Nah! It DEFINITELY should be "An ostentatious..." would have been pedantic.


Happy Word Wizard Trivia!

I'm surprised that nobody picked up on one from yesterday - 'O.D.'. I didn't have a clue where that was heading when I saw the first clue was 'O.'.

Wasn't that from Crystal Ball, not the Word Wizard day of yester? There was a whole thread on it.
Forum - Feedback - Crystal Ball error? - (mike32768)

14. Gnaw_at

Your answer: consume

consume is the definition for "partake"

The correct answer was become ground down or deteriorate

Perhaps it is not as close as I think, but 'gnaw at' & 'consume' are both synonyms of 'eat'.

Happy Word Wizard Trivia!

I agree - because I just got that one wrong as well, JME.

I got that one wrong as well

I do not believe animals that gnaw at things actually consume what they gnaw. It is just an exercise to keep teeth down to size.
edit: to say that is an unresearched input. It was to the recollection I had from Wildlife management courses.

8. Captain

Your answer: the pilot ins charge of an airship

Obviously "ins charge" should be "in charge".

Happy Word Wizard Trivia!

10. Adhereing to the concrete construal of something
Your answer: literalness


A wee typo in a rather verbose question- Adhering

Verbosity is not a major crime, only a minor felony.

2. The state of being held in high esteem and honor
Your answer: adulation

adulation means "servile flattery"

The correct answer was reputation
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Sometimes this game can be very frustrating:

From the World English Dictionary
adulation

— n
obsequious flattery or praise; [b]extreme admiration [/b]
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Reputation usually means good, but in practical use, it also can be used like this: "Sam has a bad reputation in our town"

I love Word Wizard but at times, it can be frustrating! Just saying!

~~Tiny

Today WW has the definition of a "waterspout" as "a heavy rain". This is a pretty poor definition. It is certainly MUCH more than a heavy rain in most any part of the world. It always involves a revolving spout of air that carries water with it, or even water that rises into the air above the water surface as a revolving phenomenom. Rising in the air does not make it a heavy rain. On dry land they are called tornadoes. The definition should include something about revolving or circling or something to that effect, in my humble opinion.

~~Tiny

"3. Buffet
Your answer: cause to be confused emotionally

cause to be confused emotionally is the definition for "throw"

The correct answer was usually inexpensive bar"

Ok, so my answer was stretching it a bit, but I'm sure its more accurate than the 'correct' answer.

I can't find any reference to a buffet being an inexpensive bar, but one site gave the following definitions:

buf·fet 1 (b-f, b-)
n.
1. A large sideboard with drawers and cupboards.
2.
a. A counter or table from which meals or refreshments are served.
b. A restaurant having such a counter.
3. A meal at which guests serve themselves from various dishes displayed on a table or sideboard.
adj.
Informally served: a buffet luncheon.

buf·fet 2 (bft)
n.
A blow or cuff with or as if with the hand.
v. buf·fet·ed, buf·fet·ing, buf·fets
v.tr.
1. To hit or beat, especially repeatedly.
2. To strike against forcefully; batter: winds that buffeted the tent. See Synonyms at beat.
3. To drive or force with or as if with repeated blows: was buffeted about from job to job by the vagaries of the economy.
4. To force (one's way) with difficulty.
v.intr.
To force one's way with difficulty: a ship buffeting against the wind.

(1) Refers to a meal or a piece of furniture. The reference to 'refreshments' is the only link to a bar, and it is very tenuous.

Not a complaint as such but more for interest sake:

12. Celibacy
Your answer: an unmarried status

(my answer was correct by the way)

I would have thought that celibacy had more to do with marriage than not being married!

I think there is a word missing in that answer. An inexpensive FOOD bar, in the US, would be a buffet. They're not always inexpensive (a Mother's Day brunch buffet we go to is nearly $40 per person, and includes Mimosas, crab legs, made-to-order omelettes, carved lamb/salmon/prime rib etc. etc....), but many are $10-15, and are, unfortunately, quite popular.

Sounds great. I'd pay $40 for that. Right now, in fact, if New York wasn't a bit far ... (There's no smilie for hungry, so this one with the mouth open will have to do!)

14. Caught along the Atlantic coast of the United States

Your answer: striper

Another incomplete definition. Mention of 'fish' would help here.

Happy Word Wizard Trivia!

But that would givce the answer away. I think the point is not to make it too easy!

15. A statement that represents something in words

Your answer: literary composition

literary composition means "imaginative or creative writing"

The correct answer was verbal description

These seem to both match the definition.

Happy Word Wizard Trivia!

This pairing seems a little too close...

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Stepping_down

Your answer: changing to a lower state (a less respected state)

changing to a lower state (a less respected state) is the definition for "degradation"

The correct answer was the act of abdicating

6. A member of the House of Commons who is not a party leader

Your answer: backbencher



A backbencher is an MP who is not part of the ministerial team. It applies to both the party in power and opposition. It does not apply to anyone that is not a party leader. In UK politics a minister is not regarded as being a party leader.

My complaint is regarding the Fun Trivia Dictionary used in the minigame-- the word "olio" was rejected. This certainly is a word found in most dictionairies, and is known to anyone who does crossword puzzles.

The 'dictionary' is quite unexpected at times. It does not contain some very common words (actinium, a fairly normal chemical element if not in everyday household use, was not there when I tried to submit it), almost no plurals or verb forms ending in -ed, not many ending in -ing, etc.), but it does contain some incredibly obscure words. It's all part of the challenge - you have to guess a word it knows, not just one you know!

Play_a_joke_on
Your answer: subject to a palyful hoax or joke

Spelling error - playful

Snake_oil - communication (writen or spoken) intended to deceive

correction - spelling of written

13. The act of committing a crime

Your answer: hold up

hold up means "rob at gunpoint or by means of some other threat"

The correct answer was perpetration

"Hold up" would seem to also fit the definition.

Happy Word Wizard Trivia!

There's a ton of items I didn't mention, and it's awesome! We only go on Mother's Day. You wouldn't be hungry after, believe me! :0)

And a new complaint... This one seems 100% unfair, as my answer is also correct. I'll admit I didn't know "abreact", but it shouldn't be paired with "bluster":

1. Discharge bad feelings or tension through verbalization

Your answer: bluster

bluster means "a violent gusty wind"

The correct answer was abreact

Here's another that seems a little too close:

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Stop or halt

Your answer: abatement

abatement means "an interruption in the intensity or amount of something"

The correct answer was detain

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In retrospect, a clue to "detain" would be the fact that "detain", "stop", and "halt" are all verb forms, as opposed to "abatement", which is a noun form. Nevertheless, I don't think WW is an appropriate place for options which turn mainly on the part of speech of a word -- there's much more of an emphasis on speed, which isn't particularly conducive to an in-depth evaluation of parts of speech.

That issue aside, I think a closer definition for "detain" is "hold back". The connotation of the word implies a temporary state; "abatement" has more of a connotation of stopping or halting than "detain".