Secret Spot · Puzzle #38 · Friday, November 6
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 an Indian dish
Any dish, bread, snack or sweet from Indian cooking, by any of its names (golgappa is pani puri). Indo-British and Indo-Chinese dishes count (chicken tikka masala, gobi manchurian). A version counts as its dish: masala dosa is dosa, chicken curry is curry. Drinks, spices and plain ingredients do not count.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 164 different answers. The obvious picks are Chicken tikka masala, Curry and Butter chicken: party waves on the sheet, worth 1.0 each. Korma and Vindaloo look like clever picks, but the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth only 1.5. For a big score you need something like Double ka meetha, Avial and Bebinca, which the sheet rates Locals only, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: Hyderabad's double ka meetha is a bread pudding whose name means "sweet of the double bread".
Most common
- Chicken tikka masala
- Curry
- Butter chicken
Rarest
- Undhiyu: Undhiyu's name means "upside-down": the vegetables were cooked in upturned clay pots buried underground. Source: Wikipedia, “Undhiyu” (CC BY-SA)
- Galouti kebab: Lucknow's galouti kebab is said to be made with 160 different spices. Source: Wikipedia, “Tunde ke kabab” (CC BY-SA)
- Chhena poda: Odisha's chhena poda means "burnt cheese": it's baked for hours until the sugar caramelises. Source: Wikipedia, “Chhena poda” (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 Broadway musical
Each musical counts once, by its title, with or without a leading "The". Revivals and new versions count as the musical; musicals that share a title count as one answer.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 1,247 different answers. The obvious picks are Hamilton, Les Misérables and The Lion King: party waves on the sheet, worth 1.0 each. Cats and Fiddler on the Roof look like clever picks, but the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth only 1.5. For a big score you need something like The Fantasticks, Brigadoon and Something Rotten!, which the sheet rates Locals only, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: the Fantasticks’ first off-Broadway run lasted 42 years, with 17,162 performances.
Most common
- Hamilton
- Les Misérables
- The Lion King
Rarest
- Once Upon a Mattress: Once Upon a Mattress is a comic take on the fairy tale The Princess and the Pea. Source: Wikipedia, “Once Upon a Mattress” (CC BY-SA)
- You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown: This musical brings Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts gang to the stage. Source: Wikipedia, “You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown” (CC BY-SA)
- Starlight Express: In Starlight Express, the cast plays racing trains, and the actors perform on roller skates. Source: Wikipedia, “Starlight Express” (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 city that has hosted the Olympics
Each city counts once, for the Summer or Winter Games, however many times it hosted. Only the official host cities of Games already held count.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 44 different answers. The usual answers are London, Los Angeles and Paris, the party waves, worth 1.0 each. Watch out for Lake Placid, New York: however original that pick seems, the sheet marks it a kook move, worth 1.5. The big scores sit further out: St. Moritz, Chamonix and Grenoble are rated Locals only on the sheet, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: the Swiss resort of St. Moritz has hosted the Winter Olympics twice, in 1928 and 1948.
Most common
- London
- Los Angeles
- Paris
Rarest
- Albertville: The French Alpine town of Albertville is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Source: Wikipedia, “Albertville” (CC BY-SA)
- Olympic Valley, California: Olympic Valley, near Lake Tahoe, is the smallest resort area ever to host the Winter Olympics. Source: Wikipedia, “Olympic Valley, California” (CC BY-SA)
- Garmisch-Partenkirchen: Garmisch-Partenkirchen's 1936 Winter Games were the first Olympics to include alpine skiing. Source: Wikipedia, “Garmisch-Partenkirchen” (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 shoe brand
Each brand counts once, however it's written (Chucks are Converse, Docs are Dr. Martens). A shoe line counts as its brand, except Air Jordan and Yeezy, which count on their own. Sportswear and fashion labels known for shoes count; shoe stores don't.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 222 different answers. The usual answers are Nike, Inc., Adidas and Converse, the party waves, worth 1.0 each. Watch out for Crocs and Dr. Martens: however original those picks seem, the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth 1.5. The big scores sit further out: Red Wing Shoes, Heelys and Havaianas are rated Locals only on the sheet, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: Red Wing Shoes was founded in Red Wing, Minnesota, by Charles H. Beckman in 1905.
Most common
- Nike, Inc.
- Adidas
- Converse
Rarest
- Moon Boot: Moon Boot snow boots were first made as après-ski wear in Italy in the early 1970s. Source: Wikipedia, “Moon Boot” (CC BY-SA)
- Feiyue: Feiyue sneakers were first made in Shanghai in the 1920s. Source: Wikipedia, “Feiyue” (CC BY-SA)
- Hunter Boot Ltd: Hunter, famous for its rubber Wellington boots, holds several Royal Warrants for waterproof footwear. Source: Wikipedia, “Hunter Boot Ltd” (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 children's author
Each author counts once, by full name, pen name or by surname when only one famous children's author has it (Seuss, Dahl). Writers of picture books, children's novels and young-adult books count, and so do adult authors who wrote for children. Lemony Snicket is Daniel Handler.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 734 different answers. The usual answers are J. K. Rowling, Dr. Seuss and Judy Blume, the party waves, worth 1.0 each. Watch out for Hans Christian Andersen and Maurice Sendak: however original those picks seem, the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth 1.5. The big scores sit further out: Laura Numeroff, Ludwig Bemelmans and Peggy Parish are rated Locals only on the sheet, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: Laura Numeroff is best known as the author of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
Most common
- J. K. Rowling
- Dr. Seuss
- Judy Blume
Rarest
- Crockett Johnson: Crockett Johnson is best known for Harold and the Purple Crayon and the comic strip Barnaby. Source: Wikipedia, “Crockett Johnson” (CC BY-SA)
- Dodie Smith: Dodie Smith wrote the children's novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians. Source: Wikipedia, “Dodie Smith” (CC BY-SA)
- H. A. Rey: H. A. Rey and his wife Margret created the Curious George picture books. Source: Wikipedia, “H. A. Rey” (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 duck, goose or swan
Each kind counts once, with or without "duck", "goose" or "swan" (Canada is the Canada goose). Species join their kind: any teal is a teal, any eider an eider, any merganser a merganser, and likewise any scoter, wigeon, scaup, goldeneye, pochard, shelduck or whistling duck. Every other species, and each farm breed (Pekin, Indian Runner, Toulouse), counts on its own.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 149 different answers. The usual answers are Canada goose, Mallard and Black swan, the party waves, worth 1.0 each. Watch out for Muscovy duck and Mandarin duck: however original those picks seem, the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth 1.5. The big scores sit further out: Musk duck, Hawaiian duck and Coscoroba swan are rated Locals only on the sheet, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: Australia's musk duck is named for the musky smell it gives off in the breeding season.
Most common
- Canada goose
- Mallard
- Black swan
Rarest
- Torrent duck: The torrent duck lives on fast Andean rivers and swims and dives easily, even in white water. Source: Wikipedia, “Torrent duck” (CC BY-SA)
- Emperor goose: The emperor goose of Alaska is also known as the beach goose or the painted goose. Source: Wikipedia, “Emperor goose” (CC BY-SA)
- Ross's goose: Ross's goose looks like a snow goose, only about 40% smaller. Source: Wikipedia, “Ross's goose” (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 island in the Caribbean
Any island, island country or territory in the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos included. Haiti and the Dominican Republic count as Hispaniola, a two-island country counts as its main island (Trinidad and Tobago is Trinidad), and Sint Maarten is Saint Martin. Islands that share a name count once.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 362 different answers. The usual answers are Puerto Rico, Cuba and Jamaica, the party waves, worth 1.0 each. Watch out for Hispaniola: however original that pick seems, the sheet marks it a kook move, worth 1.5. The big scores sit further out: Mustique, Sint Eustatius and Saba are rated Locals only on the sheet, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: Mustique, in the Grenadines, is a private island.
Most common
- Puerto Rico
- Cuba
- Jamaica
Rarest
- Bequia: Bequia's name is said to mean 'island of the clouds' in the old Arawak language. Source: Wikipedia, “Bequia” (CC BY-SA)
- Isla de la Juventud: Cuba's Isle of Youth was called the Isle of Pines until 1978. Source: Wikipedia, “Isla de la Juventud” (CC BY-SA)
- Isla Holbox: Mexico's Holbox island sits across a shallow lagoon that's home to flamingos and pelicans. Source: Wikipedia, “Isla Holbox” (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.