Secret Spot · Puzzle #40 · Sunday, November 8
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 bread
Each kind of bread counts once, by any of its names (chapati is roti, wheat bread is whole wheat). Flatbreads, rolls and buns count; pancakes and crackers don't.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 192 different answers. The obvious picks are Sourdough, Rye bread and White bread: party waves on the sheet, worth 1.0 each. Challah and Pumpernickel look like clever picks, but the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth only 1.5. For a big score you need something like Melonpan, Pão de queijo and Pineapple bun, which the sheet rates Locals only, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: Japan's melonpan is named for its melon-like look, not its flavor.
Most common
- Sourdough
- Rye bread
- White bread
Rarest
- Bara brith: Bara brith is a Welsh tea bread flavored with tea, dried fruit and spices. Source: Wikipedia, “Bara brith” (CC BY-SA)
- Johnnycake: Johnnycake, a cornmeal flatbread, is also called journey cake or hoecake. Source: Wikipedia, “Johnnycake” (CC BY-SA)
- Khachapuri: Georgian economists track prices with a 'khachapuri index' based on this cheese bread. Source: Wikipedia, “Khachapuri” (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 Christmas song
Each song counts once, by its title, with or without a leading "The". Carols and hymns count. Different songs that share a title count as one answer.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 356 different answers. The obvious picks are The Twelve Days of Christmas, All I Want for Christmas Is You and Jingle Bells: party waves on the sheet, worth 1.0 each. Carol of the Bells and Feliz Navidad look like clever picks, but the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth only 1.5. For a big score you need something like In dulci jubilo, Dominick the Donkey and I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, which the sheet rates Locals only, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: in dulci jubilo, Latin for in sweet rejoicing, is a traditional Christmas carol.
Most common
- The Twelve Days of Christmas
- All I Want for Christmas Is You
- Jingle Bells
Rarest
- Christmas Time Is Here: Christmas Time Is Here was written for the 1965 TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas. Source: Wikipedia, “Christmas Time Is Here” (CC BY-SA)
- Here We Come A-wassailing: Here We Come A-wassailing is an English carol sung door to door, wishing good health and swapping gifts. Source: Wikipedia, “Here We Come A-wassailing” (CC BY-SA)
- Huron Carol: The Huron Carol, probably written in 1642, is Canada’s oldest Christmas song. Source: Wikipedia, “Huron Carol” (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 kitchen utensil
Each utensil counts once; other names are the same (a turner is a spatula, a skillet is a frying pan). Pots and pans count; appliances like blenders and toasters do not.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 146 different answers. The usual answers are Knife, Fork and Spatula, the party waves, worth 1.0 each. Watch out for Mortar and pestle and Garlic press: however original those picks seem, the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth 1.5. The big scores sit further out: Spider, Chinois and Honey dipper are rated Locals only on the sheet, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: the spider skimmer is named for its wire mesh, which looks like a spider's web.
Most common
- Knife
- Fork
- Spatula
Rarest
- Milk watcher: A milk watcher sits in the pot and stops milk from boiling over. Source: Wikipedia, “Milk watcher” (CC BY-SA)
- Pie bird: A pie bird props up and vents a pie, and some even whistle when steam escapes. Source: Wikipedia, “Pie bird” (CC BY-SA)
- Spurtle: The spurtle is a Scottish wooden stick for stirring porridge, dating from the 15th century. Source: Wikipedia, “Spurtle” (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 wild cat
Each species counts once, and its kinds count as it: a Bengal tiger is a tiger, a Florida panther is a cougar, any lynx but the bobcat is a lynx. Hybrids like the liger and extinct cats count.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 47 different answers. The usual answers are Tiger, Lion and Leopard, the party waves, worth 1.0 each. Watch out for Snow leopard and Liger: however original those picks seem, the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth 1.5. The big scores sit further out: Fishing cat, Geoffroy's cat and Kodkod are rated Locals only on the sheet, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: the fishing cat is a strong swimmer, and can even swim underwater.
Most common
- Tiger
- Lion
- Leopard
Rarest
- Miracinonyx: Miracinonyx, a prehistoric cat of North America, is nicknamed the American cheetah. Source: Wikipedia, “Miracinonyx” (CC BY-SA)
- Tigon: A tigon's father is a tiger and its mother a lion, so it can have both spots and stripes. Source: Wikipedia, “Tigon” (CC BY-SA)
- American lion: The prehistoric American lion was about 25% bigger than today's lion. Source: Wikipedia, “American lion” (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 surf spot
A surf break, or a beach or town famous for its waves. Each break counts once, by any of its names (Jaws is Peʻahi). River waves and tidal bores count; wave pools don't. Spots that share a name count once (Ocean Beach is Ocean Beach).
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 234 different answers. The usual answers are Malibu, California, Banzai Pipeline and Huntington Beach, California, the party waves, worth 1.0 each. Watch out for Nazaré and Mavericks: however original those picks seem, the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth 1.5. The big scores sit further out: Isla Todos Santos, Swami's and Thurso East are rated Locals only on the sheet, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: the waves off Isla Todos Santos, 12 miles from Ensenada, are among the biggest in North America.
Most common
- Malibu, California
- Banzai Pipeline
- Huntington Beach, California
Rarest
- Belharra: France's Belharra reef breaks so rarely that most winters it doesn't break at all. Source: Wikipedia, “Belharra” (CC BY-SA)
- Chicama: Peru's Chicama is the world's longest left-breaking wave, and the first wave anywhere protected by law. Source: Wikipedia, “Malabrigo (Peru)” (CC BY-SA)
- Hoʻokipa: Maui's Hoʻokipa is one of the world's best windsurfing spots, and its name means "hospitality" in Hawaiian. Source: Wikipedia, “Hoʻokipa” (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 famous historical document
Each document counts once, by any of its names (the US Constitution is the Constitution of the United States). Charters, declarations, treaties, proclamations, famous letters, speeches written down, maps and manuscripts count; the US Bill of Rights and the English Bill of Rights 1689 count apart.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 216 different answers. The usual answers are Magna Carta, United States Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States, the party waves, worth 1.0 each. Watch out for Dead Sea Scrolls and Rosetta Stone: however original those picks seem, the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth 1.5. The big scores sit further out: Golden Bull of 1356, Tabula Peutingeriana and Hunminjeongeum are rated Locals only or Secret spot on the sheet, worth up to 10.0. One deep cut: the Golden Bull of 1356 got its name from the golden seal it carried.
Most common
- Magna Carta
- United States Declaration of Independence
- Constitution of the United States
Rarest
- Missal of Silos: The Missal of Silos, from before 1080, is the oldest known document on paper made in Europe. Source: Wikipedia, “Missal of Silos” (CC BY-SA)
- Codex Manesse: The Codex Manesse, a medieval German songbook, has 137 painted portraits of its poets. Source: Wikipedia, “Codex Manesse” (CC BY-SA)
- Codex Argenteus: The Codex Argenteus, Latin for 'Silver Book', is a 6th-century gospel book in the Gothic language. Source: Wikipedia, “Codex Argenteus” (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 novelist
Each novelist counts once, by full name, pen name or by surname when only one famous novelist has it (Hemingway, Austen). Writers count when they have published at least one novel.
The answer sheet for this prompt accepts 984 different answers. The usual answers are Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway and J. K. Rowling, the party waves, worth 1.0 each. Watch out for James Patterson and Leo Tolstoy: however original those picks seem, the sheet marks them as kook moves, worth 1.5. The big scores sit further out: L. Frank Baum, A. A. Milne and R. L. Stine are rated Locals only on the sheet, worth up to 8.5. One deep cut: L. Frank Baum's stories imagined laptops and wireless phones long before they existed.
Most common
- Charles Dickens
- Ernest Hemingway
- J. K. Rowling
Rarest
- S. E. Hinton: S. E. Hinton wrote The Outsiders while she was still in high school. Source: Wikipedia, “S. E. Hinton” (CC BY-SA)
- Edgar Rice Burroughs: Edgar Rice Burroughs's ranch became Tarzana, a Los Angeles neighborhood named after his Tarzan. Source: Wikipedia, “Edgar Rice Burroughs” (CC BY-SA)
- Barbara Cartland: Barbara Cartland wrote some 723 novels over her career. Source: Wikipedia, “Barbara Cartland” (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.