Secret Spot · Puzzle #37 · Thursday, November 5
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 kind of noodle
Each noodle or noodle dish counts once, by any of its names; instant noodle brands count on their own. Italian pasta is its own prompt and doesn't count here.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 187 different answers. The usual answers are Ramen, Lo mein and Udon, the party waves, worth 1.0 each. Watch out for Soba: however original that pick seems, the sheet marks it a kook move, worth 1.5. The big scores sit further out: Misua, Liangpi and Alkaline noodles are rated Locals only on the sheet, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: Misua noodles are so thin they cook in under two minutes.
Most common
- Ramen
- Lo mein
- Udon
Rarest
- Knife-cut noodles: Knife-cut noodles are shaved off a block of dough straight into boiling water. Source: Wikipedia, “Knife-cut noodles” (CC BY-SA)
- Champon: Nagasaki champon boils its noodles right in the soup, so it needs only one pan. Source: Wikipedia, “Champon” (CC BY-SA)
- Hokkien mee: Hokkien mee means 'Fujian noodles' in Southern Min. Source: Wikipedia, “Hokkien mee” (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 toy
Each toy or toy line counts once, by its name or brand; a version or theme counts as its toy (Lego Duplo is Lego, Barbie Dreamhouse is Barbie). Kinds of toy count too (yo-yo, kite, teddy bear). Board games, card games and video games don't count.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 544 different answers. The usual answers are Lego, Barbie and Hot Wheels, the party waves, worth 1.0 each. Watch out for Etch A Sketch and Slinky: however original those picks seem, the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth 1.5. The big scores sit further out: Chatter Telephone, Billy Possum and Ultra Hand are rated Locals only or Secret spot on the sheet, worth up to 10.0. One deep cut: Fisher-Price's Chatter Telephone was made to teach toddlers how to dial a phone.
Most common
- Lego
- Barbie
- Hot Wheels
Rarest
- Love Tester: Nintendo's 1969 Love Tester claimed to measure how much two people love each other. Source: Wikipedia, “Love Tester” (CC BY-SA)
- Ithaca Kitty: The Ithaca Kitty, from 1892, started America's craze for plush toys. Source: Wikipedia, “Ithaca Kitty” (CC BY-SA)
- Buzzy Bee: The Buzzy Bee, a clicking pull-along bee, is one of the best-known pieces of Kiwiana in New Zealand. Source: Wikipedia, “Buzzy Bee” (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 playground or party game
Each game counts once, by any of its names (Tag is Tig or It; Telephone is Chinese whispers). Versions of tag count as tag (freeze tag is tag), and sardines counts as hide-and-seek.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 177 different answers. The usual answers are Duck, duck, goose, Hide-and-seek and Musical chairs, the party waves, worth 1.0 each. Watch out for Pin the tail on the donkey and Red Rover: however original those picks seem, the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth 1.5. The big scores sit further out: Ringolevio, Kim's Game and What's the time, Mr Wolf? are rated Locals only on the sheet, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: Ringolevio, a tag game from the streets of New York City, has been played since at least the late 1800s.
Most common
- Duck, duck, goose
- Hide-and-seek
- Musical chairs
Rarest
- Lolly scramble: In a lolly scramble, an adult throws handfuls of sweets into the air and the kids scramble to grab them. Source: Wikipedia, “Lolly scramble” (CC BY-SA)
- Hunt the thimble: In Hunt the thimble, whoever finds the hidden thimble first wins and gets to hide it next. Source: Wikipedia, “Hunt the thimble” (CC BY-SA)
- Elefun: Elefun's toy elephant blows paper butterflies out of its trunk for players to catch with nets. Source: Wikipedia, “Elefun” (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 castle
Any real castle or fortress, typed with or without "Castle" (Windsor is Windsor Castle; Chambord is Château de Chambord). Disney's park castles count. Castles that share a name count once.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 4,737 different answers. The usual answers are Neuschwanstein Castle, Cinderella Castle and Edinburgh Castle, the party waves, worth 1.0 each. Watch out for Bran Castle and Himeji Castle: however original those picks seem, the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth 1.5. The big scores sit further out: Frankenstein Castle, Guédelon Castle and Kronborg are rated Locals only on the sheet, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: Germany's Frankenstein Castle may have inspired Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein.
Most common
- Neuschwanstein Castle
- Cinderella Castle
- Edinburgh Castle
Rarest
- Castle Stalker: Scotland's Castle Stalker takes its name from the Gaelic for a hunter or falconer. Source: Wikipedia, “Castle Stalker” (CC BY-SA)
- Lindisfarne Castle: Lindisfarne Castle sits on Holy Island, which you can reach from the mainland only at low tide, by a causeway. Source: Wikipedia, “Lindisfarne Castle” (CC BY-SA)
- Hohenschwangau Castle: Bavaria's Hohenschwangau Castle was the childhood home of King Ludwig II. Source: Wikipedia, “Hohenschwangau Castle” (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 an item of clothing
Each kind of garment counts once; other names and spellings are the same (pants are trousers, a jumper is a sweater). Hats, shoes and traditional dress count.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 905 different answers. The usual answers are Jeans, Shirt and Sock, the party waves, worth 1.0 each. Watch out for Kilt and Poncho: however original those picks seem, the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth 1.5. The big scores sit further out: Deerstalker, Dirndl and Zoot suit are rated Locals only on the sheet, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: the deerstalker cap is the classic detective hat, thanks to Sherlock Holmes.
Most common
- Jeans
- Shirt
- Sock
Rarest
- Duffel coat: The duffel coat is named after Duffel, a town in Belgium, and so is the duffel bag's cloth. Source: Wikipedia, “Duffel coat” (CC BY-SA)
- Pea coat: The pea coat was first worn by sailors, and newspapers mentioned it as early as the 1720s. Source: Wikipedia, “Pea coat” (CC BY-SA)
- Espadrille: Espadrilles are casual shoes with soles made of esparto rope. Source: Wikipedia, “Espadrille” (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 tennis Grand Slam singles champion
Each player counts once, by full name or by surname when only one champion has it (Federer, Nadal). Serena and Venus Williams count separately, so give a first name. Only singles champions of the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon or US Open count, from any era.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 287 different answers. The usual answers are Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, the party waves, worth 1.0 each. Watch out for John McEnroe and Billie Jean King: however original those picks seem, the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth 1.5. The big scores sit further out: Goran Ivanišević, Li Na and Ashleigh Barty are rated Locals only or Secret spot on the sheet, worth up to 10.0. One deep cut: Goran Ivanišević is the only player to win Wimbledon singles as a wild card, while ranked world No. 125.
Most common
- Novak Djokovic
- Rafael Nadal
- Roger Federer
Rarest
- Fred Perry: Before his tennis titles, Fred Perry was the table tennis World Champion in 1929. Source: Wikipedia, “Fred Perry” (CC BY-SA)
- Althea Gibson: In 1956, Althea Gibson became the first Black player to win a Grand Slam event. Source: Wikipedia, “Althea Gibson” (CC BY-SA)
- Stan Smith: Outside tennis, Stan Smith is best known as the name on a line of Adidas tennis shoes. Source: Wikipedia, “Stan Smith” (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 a kind of shark
Species count as their kind: a great hammerhead is a hammerhead, a shortfin mako is a mako. Extinct sharks like the megalodon count.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 142 different answers. The usual answers are Great white shark, Whale shark and Hammerhead shark, the party waves, worth 1.0 each. Watch out for Megalodon and Goblin shark: however original those picks seem, the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth 1.5. The big scores sit further out: Pocket shark, Pyjama shark and Nervous shark are rated Locals only or Secret spot on the sheet, worth up to 10.0. One deep cut: Pocket sharks stand out from other sharks with two little pockets next to their front fins.
Most common
- Great white shark
- Whale shark
- Hammerhead shark
Rarest
- Draughtsboard shark: The draughtsboard shark is named for its checkerboard pattern of dark blotches. Source: Wikipedia, “Draughtsboard shark” (CC BY-SA)
- Puffadder shyshark: South Africa's puffadder shyshark goes by a cheerful nickname: the Happy Eddie. Source: Wikipedia, “Puffadder shyshark” (CC BY-SA)
- Swell shark: To protect itself, the swell shark can puff up to about twice its size by gulping water. Source: Wikipedia, “Swell shark” (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.