Yet another problem with "Crosswords"

[Neumms]

Has anyone else noticed that "Merv Griffin's Crosswords" is a misnomer considering they only play/do one crossword per episode? Looking at it this way might have even lead to a better name.

[jmangin]

I think you're splitting hairs.

[TLEberle]

[quote name=\'jmangin\' post=\'164685\' date=\'Sep 24 2007, 01:19 PM\']I think you're splitting hairs.
[/quote]QFT.

For what it's worth, I was listening to the AM radio last night, and the 9p-1a guy happens to be both a five-time winner on The Challengers and a game show fan in general. And he was going on about Crosswords for a full segment, about the money, the host, the Spoiler Snipe, and (I kid you not) about how Ty refers to the lecterns as "podiums", giving all 200 or so of his listeners a quickie Latin lesson about the prefix pod-, and so forth.

If I wasn't actually trying to get to sleep, I would have called him up, but then, how interesting is talk radio when both sides agree?

/I don't remember which ratings book it was, but the poor shlub only managed an AQH of 200. No wonder they went with Midnight Trucking Radio for those three boring months.

[TimK2003]

[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'164683\' date=\'Sep 24 2007, 04:04 PM\']
Has anyone else noticed that "Merv Griffin's Crosswords" is a misnomer considering they only play/do one crossword per episode? Looking at it this way might have even lead to a better name.
[/quote]


No, the real misnomer is that most of the words on the show they use are not words you would either use or say when you *are* cross, or pissed off!

Then again, these are *Merv Griffin's* Crosswords!  Maybe when Merv was upset he'd scream words like "COLUMBUS" or "MATCH" !

[clemon79]

Oddly enough, I'm thinking of a few of those words right now.

[tomobrien]

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'164723\' date=\'Sep 24 2007, 11:29 PM\']
For what it's worth, I was listening to the AM radio last night, and the 9p-1a guy happens to be both a five-time winner on The Challengers and a game show fan in general. And he was going on about Crosswords for a full segment, about the money, the host, the Spoiler Snipe, and (I kid you not) about how Ty refers to the lecterns as "podiums", giving all 200 or so of his listeners a quickie Latin lesson about the prefix pod-, and so forth. [/quote]
Tell him to check his dictionaries.  Even my 20-year-old Webster's Ninth New Collegiate lists "podiums" as an acceptable plural (in fact, it's listed first).  You don't hear many people using "stadia" these days, either...and we won't even get into "scrota," so to speak.

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'tomobrien\' post=\'164750\' date=\'Sep 25 2007, 11:14 AM\']
and we won't even get into "scrota," so to speak.
[/quote]
Nice.

[fishbulb]

[quote name=\'tomobrien\' post=\'164750\' date=\'Sep 25 2007, 09:14 AM\']
[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'164723\' date=\'Sep 24 2007, 11:29 PM\']
For what it's worth, I was listening to the AM radio last night, and the 9p-1a guy happens to be both a five-time winner on The Challengers and a game show fan in general. And he was going on about Crosswords for a full segment, about the money, the host, the Spoiler Snipe, and (I kid you not) about how Ty refers to the lecterns as "podiums", giving all 200 or so of his listeners a quickie Latin lesson about the prefix pod-, and so forth. [/quote]
Tell him to check his dictionaries.  Even my 20-year-old Webster's Ninth New Collegiate lists "podiums" as an acceptable plural (in fact, it's listed first).  You don't hear many people using "stadia" these days, either...and we won't even get into "scrota," so to speak.
[/quote]

No, the problem isn't the plural.  It's that a podium is something you stand on.  The things you stand behind are lecterns.
Where's Edwin Newman when you need him?

[dzinkin]

[quote name=\'fishbulb\' post=\'164753\' date=\'Sep 25 2007, 01:25 PM\']
No, the problem isn't the plural.  It's that a podium is something you stand on.  The things you stand behind are lecterns.
Where's Edwin Newman when you need him?
[/quote]
This may be a losing battle.  Even Merriam-Webster lists "lectern" as a definition of "podium."

[fishbulb]

[quote name=\'dzinkin\' post=\'164754\' date=\'Sep 25 2007, 10:31 AM\']
[quote name=\'fishbulb\' post=\'164753\' date=\'Sep 25 2007, 01:25 PM\']
No, the problem isn't the plural.  It's that a podium is something you stand on.  The things you stand behind are lecterns.
Where's Edwin Newman when you need him?
[/quote]
This may be a losing battle.  Even Merriam-Webster lists "lectern" as a definition of "podium."
[/quote]

Yes, but that's only because people have been confusing the two for so long.  I think you're right that it's a losing battle.

[tpirfan28]

[quote name=\'dzinkin\' post=\'164754\' date=\'Sep 25 2007, 01:31 PM\']
This may be a losing battle.  Even Merriam-Webster lists "lectern" as a definition of "podium."
[/quote]
On Jeopardy!, they are lecterns.
On Crosswords, they are podiums.
On Wheel of Fortune, they are "things".
On The Price is Right, they are $1290.
On Temptation, they are T$15.

/Millionaire doesn't have them.
//Interesting thing about M-W's definition.

[HYHYBT]

Words mean what people use them to mean; why shouldn't the dictionary update accordingly?

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'HYHYBT\' post=\'164765\' date=\'Sep 25 2007, 12:03 PM\']
Words mean what people use them to mean;
[/quote]
This is the most depressing thing I have read in a very long time.

[Neumms]

Given that Merv's show requires contestants to spell their answers, answers which include such corkers as "etui," one might expect proper usage of "podium" vis a vis "lecturn."

[Gus]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'164768\' date=\'Sep 25 2007, 03:21 PM\']
[quote name=\'HYHYBT\' post=\'164765\' date=\'Sep 25 2007, 12:03 PM\']
Words mean what people use them to mean;
[/quote]
This is the most depressing thing I have read in a very long time.
[/quote]
Depressing, but absolutely true. That's how it's been for as long as there's been language.

/Still doesn't make it right, IMO.