Secret Spot · Puzzle #34 · Monday, November 2
Secret Spot: the answers
Seven prompts, one answer each, and the fewer surfers who said yours, the more it scored. Here are the prompts with the answers we expected to be most common, and the rarest. Play today's Secret Spot, or play this day as practice (never counted).
1. Name a cake
Each cake counts once, by any of its names (lava cake is molten chocolate cake, pineapple upside-down is upside-down cake). A flavor or frosting counts as its cake, but a named regional cake counts on its own (Basque cheesecake). Cupcakes, cheesecakes and snack cakes count; pancakes and rice cakes don't.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 250 different answers. The usual answers are Carrot cake, Cheesecake and Chocolate cake, the party waves, worth 1.0 each. Watch out for Tres leches cake and Black Forest gateau: however original those picks seem, the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth 1.5. The big scores sit further out: Tokyo Banana, Frog cake and Depression cake are rated Locals only on the sheet, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: Tokyo Banana, a banana-shaped sponge cake, is sold across Tokyo and at major Japanese airports.
Most common
- Carrot cake
- Cheesecake
- Chocolate cake
Rarest
- Watergate cake: Watergate cake, a pistachio cake, came before Watergate salad, a dessert made with pistachio pudding. Source: Wikipedia, “Watergate cake” (CC BY-SA)
- Kvæfjord cake: Norway's Kvæfjord cake is also called Verdens beste: the world's best. Source: Wikipedia, “Kvæfjord cake” (CC BY-SA)
- Doberge cake: New Orleans' Doberge cake was adapted by local baker Beulah Ledner from the Hungarian Dobos torte. Source: Wikipedia, “Doberge cake” (CC BY-SA)
Before the crowd came in: the answers we expected to be most and least common, from how well known each one is.
2. Name a piece of jewelry
Each kind of jewelry counts once. Special rings and bracelets (engagement ring, mood ring, charm bracelet) count on their own; a plain ring is a ring. Watches, crowns and tiaras count.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 117 different answers. The obvious picks are Bracelet, Earring and Necklace: party waves on the sheet, worth 1.0 each. Brooch and Anklet look like clever picks, but the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth only 1.5. For a big score you need something like Posie ring, Slap bracelet and Chatelaine, which the sheet rates Locals only, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: Posie rings carried short love messages, usually engraved on the inside of the band.
Most common
- Bracelet
- Earring
- Necklace
Rarest
- Gimmal ring: A gimmal ring comes apart into linked hoops: an engaged couple each wore one, then joined them as a wedding ring. Source: Wikipedia, “Gimmal ring” (CC BY-SA)
- Namejs Ring: Latvia's Namejs ring stands for the unity of three ancient Latvian lands. Source: Wikipedia, “Namejs Ring” (CC BY-SA)
- Puzzle ring: A puzzle ring is jewelry and a brain teaser at once: several interlocking bands you must fit back together. Source: Wikipedia, “Puzzle ring” (CC BY-SA)
Before the crowd came in: the answers we expected to be most and least common, from how well known each one is.
3. Name a Greek god or goddess
Each deity counts once, by any spelling (Heracles or Hercules). Titans, primordial gods, Muses and personified spirits count; Roman gods like Jupiter don't, and nor do mortal heroes or monsters.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 289 different answers. The usual answers are Athena, Aphrodite and Hades, the party waves, worth 1.0 each. Watch out for Gaia and Nike: however original those picks seem, the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth 1.5. The big scores sit further out: Terpsichore, Maia and Clio are rated Locals only or Secret spot on the sheet, worth up to 10.0. One deep cut: Terpsichore, the Muse of dance, gives us the word "terpsichorean": having to do with dancing.
Most common
- Athena
- Aphrodite
- Hades
Rarest
- Caerus: Caerus, the god of opportunity, was shown with just one lock of hair. Source: Wikipedia, “Caerus” (CC BY-SA)
- Momus: Momus, the spirit of satire and mockery, is still celebrated at New Year's festivals in northern Greece. Source: Wikipedia, “Momus” (CC BY-SA)
- Hygieia: Hygieia, goddess of health and cleanliness, gave her name to the word "hygiene." Source: Wikipedia, “Hygieia” (CC BY-SA)
Before the crowd came in: the answers we expected to be most and least common, from how well known each one is.
4. Name a NASCAR driver
Each driver counts once, by full name, or by surname when only one driver here has it. Fathers and sons count apart (Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are two).
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 214 different answers. The usual answers are Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon, the party waves, worth 1.0 each. Watch out for Danica Patrick: however original that pick seems, the sheet marks it a kook move, worth 1.5. The big scores sit further out: Morgan Shepherd, Wendell Scott and Harry Gant are rated Locals only or Secret spot on the sheet, worth up to 10.0. One deep cut: Morgan Shepherd holds the record as the oldest driver to start a race in NASCAR's top three series, at 77.
Most common
- Dale Earnhardt
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Jeff Gordon
Rarest
- Bill Rexford: Bill Rexford won the 1950 title at only 23, and he's still NASCAR's youngest Cup champion. Source: Wikipedia, “Bill Rexford” (CC BY-SA)
- Red Byron: Red Byron was NASCAR's very first champion in any division, in 1948. Source: Wikipedia, “Red Byron” (CC BY-SA)
- Marcos Ambrose: Marcos Ambrose was the first Australian to win at NASCAR's top level. Source: Wikipedia, “Marcos Ambrose” (CC BY-SA)
Before the crowd came in: the answers we expected to be most and least common, from how well known each one is.
5. Name a car brand
Each brand counts once, and a carmaker counts as its brand (Ford Motor Company is Ford). Sub-brands like Lexus, Mini or Ram count on their own.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 602 different answers. The obvious picks are Chevrolet, Ford and Honda: party waves on the sheet, worth 1.0 each. Bugatti and DeLorean look like clever picks, but the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth only 1.5. For a big score you need something like Morgan, Edsel and Pagani, which the sheet rates Locals only, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: Morgan still builds parts of its cars from ash wood, as it has for a century.
Most common
- Chevrolet
- Ford
- Honda
Rarest
- Spyker: Spyker's motto is Latin for 'For the tenacious, no road is impassable.' Source: Wikipedia, “Spyker Cars” (CC BY-SA)
- Hispano-Suiza: Hispano-Suiza means Spanish-Swiss. Source: Wikipedia, “Hispano-Suiza” (CC BY-SA)
- Duesenberg: A Duesenberg was the first American car to win a Grand Prix race, in France in 1921. Source: Wikipedia, “Duesenberg” (CC BY-SA)
Before the crowd came in: the answers we expected to be most and least common, from how well known each one is.
6. Name a constellation
The 88 official constellations count. A famous asterism or star cluster counts as its constellation: the Big Dipper is Ursa Major, Orion's Belt is Orion, the Pleiades are Taurus.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 88 different answers. The obvious picks are Orion and Ursa Major: party waves on the sheet, worth 1.0 each. Cassiopeia looks like a clever pick, but the sheet marks it as a kook move, worth only 1.5. For a big score you need something like Lepus, Delphinus and Coma Berenices, which the sheet rates Locals only, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: Lepus, the little constellation just south of Orion, is Latin for hare.
Most common
- Orion
- Ursa Major
- Taurus
Rarest
- Mensa: Mensa is Latin for table: it first honored Table Mountain. Source: Wikipedia, “Mensa (constellation)” (CC BY-SA)
- Musca: Musca, the fly, was called Apis, the bee, for 200 years. Source: Wikipedia, “Musca” (CC BY-SA)
- Monoceros: Monoceros is the unicorn, a faint constellation on the celestial equator. Source: Wikipedia, “Monoceros” (CC BY-SA)
Before the crowd came in: the answers we expected to be most and least common, from how well known each one is.
7. Name an NBA player in the Hall of Fame
Each player counts once, by full name, nickname (Shaq, Magic) or a surname only one Hall of Famer has (Jordan, Bird). Players inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame who played in the NBA count.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 154 different answers. The obvious picks are Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant: party waves on the sheet, worth 1.0 each. Yao Ming looks like a clever pick, but the sheet marks it as a kook move, worth only 1.5. For a big score you need something like Ralph Sampson, George Mikan and Bill Bradley, which the sheet rates Locals only, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: Ralph Sampson, a 7-foot-4 phenom, was the first overall pick in the 1983 NBA draft.
Most common
- Michael Jordan
- Shaquille O'Neal
- Kobe Bryant
Rarest
- Šarūnas Marčiulionis: Šarūnas Marčiulionis is linked with the Euro step, the move Manu Ginóbili later made famous. Source: Wikipedia, “Šarūnas Marčiulionis” (CC BY-SA)
- Walt Frazier: Walt 'Clyde' Frazier, who led the Knicks to two titles, now calls Knicks games on TV. Source: Wikipedia, “Walt Frazier” (CC BY-SA)
- Wes Unseld: Wes Unseld was MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season; only Wilt Chamberlain had done that before. Source: Wikipedia, “Wes Unseld” (CC BY-SA)
Before the crowd came in: the answers we expected to be most and least common, from how well known each one is.