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Author Topic: Millionaire Questions...  (Read 123645 times)

Speedy G

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« Reply #285 on: June 02, 2004, 11:23:55 AM »
[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jun 1 2004, 10:45 AM\']Awful easy question to Google, though..."world series championships" turned up a complete list as the third hit. But it redeems itself by having an answer you wouldn't expect. I didn't, anyhow.[/quote]
I thought about that when I came up with the question.  "World series titles" doesn't give any quick hit, and the player/PAF would more likely use "titles" as given in the question.  "World series champions" gets hits related to poker more often than baseball.  Throwing "baseball" in front of both of those doesn't help; the closest thing I ever see is a list of all World Series results, and it would be pretty difficult to count far enough in 30 seconds to be helpful.
Solar-powered flashlight, hour 4 of the Today show, the Purple Parrots.  *rips open envelope, blows into it*

clemon79

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« Reply #286 on: June 02, 2004, 11:48:18 AM »
[quote name=\'Speedy G\' date=\'Jun 2 2004, 08:23 AM\'] I thought about that when I came up with the question.  "World series titles" doesn't give any quick hit, and the player/PAF would more likely use "titles" as given in the question.  "World series champions" gets hits related to poker more often than baseball. [/quote]
We agree to disagree, then. Half of using Google effectively (and I hope that colleges are teaching this stuff these days as part of their journalism programs - I got out of school right before graphical browsing hit it big, so I had to learn it myself) is knowing the search terms (or synonyms thereof) to use to acheive the result you want. I would NEVER use "titles" in that search, whether or not it was in the question, because that is such a broad word with so many different meanings that there's no questions it's going to offer up false positives.

Similarly, like you said, "champions" is more likely to turn up a list of results by year. Closer, but also useless in a time-constrained situation, we agree on that.

No, I knew I needed a list of WORLD SERIES teams, ranked in order of number of CHAMPIONSHIPS. That's why I chose the search terms I did, and all of that reasoning was done pretty much instantly. If I had to compile a PAF list to appear on the show, I would make sure that whoever I chose to be my Google expert was just that, a search-term expert, and capable of performing similar reasoning when the chips were down.
« Last Edit: June 02, 2004, 11:48:52 AM by clemon79 »
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Kevin Prather

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« Reply #287 on: June 08, 2004, 06:14:58 PM »
This question would render the Phone a Friend virtually useless, but I came up with this one a few years ago, and pitched it to my friends as a $500,000 question. They liked it, so lemme see what you think...

On February 23, 1935, Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis suceeded what word as the longest in the English language?

A: Antidisestablishmentarianism
B: Formaldehydetetramethylamidofluorimum
C: Electrophotomicrographically
D: Floccinaucinihilipilification


AFAIK, some logic can knock it down to a 50:50 crapshoot.

clemon79

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« Reply #288 on: June 08, 2004, 07:13:04 PM »
[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Jun 8 2004, 03:14 PM\'] AFAIK, some logic can knock it down to a 50:50 crapshoot. [/quote]
 Yeah, and some COUNTING could make it a sure thing. I just BET your friends liked it at 500K. I'd LOVE to get this question.
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Brandon Brooks

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« Reply #289 on: June 08, 2004, 07:18:33 PM »
[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jun 8 2004, 06:13 PM\'] Yeah, and some COUNTING could make it a sure thing. I just BET your friends liked it at 500K. I'd LOVE to get this question. [/quote]
Forgive my aloofness, but I don't get your point.  I personally thought the answer was antidisestablishmentarianism... the other words don't seem real, and I know that that  is in fact a real one.

Brandon Brooks
« Last Edit: June 08, 2004, 07:18:54 PM by Brandon Brooks »

clemon79

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« Reply #290 on: June 08, 2004, 07:30:17 PM »
[quote name=\'Brandon Brooks\' date=\'Jun 8 2004, 04:18 PM\'] [quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jun 8 2004, 06:13 PM\'] Yeah, and some COUNTING could make it a sure thing. I just BET your friends liked it at 500K. I'd LOVE to get this question. [/quote]
Forgive my aloofness, but I don't get your point.  I personally thought the answer was antidisestablishmentarianism... the other words don't seem real, and I know that that  is in fact a real one.
 [/quote]
 Ah. Right, point made. Didn't even think to occur to me that two of the strings weren't actually words, which was Who's point. Please chalk it up to too little sleep last night.
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Kevin Prather

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« Reply #291 on: June 08, 2004, 08:47:29 PM »
Not my point at all. They are all words. The hitch is some of the words did not exist until after 2/23/1935.

Allow me to be even more precise...

On February 23, 1935, Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis was added to the Oxford English Dictionary, and suceeded what word as the longest in the English language?

A: Antidisestablishmentarianism
B: Formaldehydetetramethylamidofluorimum
C: Electrophotomicrographically
D: Floccinaucinihilipilification

The hitch is only one of these words was in the OED prior to that date, and that is the right answer.
« Last Edit: June 08, 2004, 08:59:41 PM by whoserman »

clemon79

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« Reply #292 on: June 08, 2004, 09:53:51 PM »
[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Jun 8 2004, 05:47 PM\'] The hitch is only one of these words was in the OED prior to that date, and that is the right answer. [/quote]
 Then my original criticism stands.

They're still all WORDS. Just because the OED chooses not to recognize it, does not make it any less a word. There are quite a few words I use that aren't in the OED. But they're still words.

Now, replace "in the English language" with "recognized by that reference" and you have something.
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Brandon Brooks

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« Reply #293 on: June 08, 2004, 10:18:52 PM »
[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Jun 8 2004, 07:47 PM\'] Not my point at all. They are all words. The hitch is some of the words did not exist until after 2/23/1935.

Allow me to be even more precise... [/quote]
 Oops.... take my defense back.  Poor question.

Brandon Brooks

Kevin Prather

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« Reply #294 on: June 09, 2004, 06:19:25 PM »
[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jun 8 2004, 06:53 PM\'] [quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Jun 8 2004, 05:47 PM\'] The hitch is only one of these words was in the OED prior to that date, and that is the right answer. [/quote]

Now, replace "in the English language" with "recognized by that reference" and you have something. [/quote]
 Okay, how is this?

On February 23, 1935, Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis was added to the Oxford English Dictionary, and officially replaced what word as the longest in that dictionary?

A: Antidisestablishmentarianism
B: Formaldehydetetramethylamidofluorimum
C: Electrophotomicrographically
D: Floccinaucinihilipilification


This question is obviously very difficult to phrase properly.

Here's one for somewhere around $125K. (Please don't harp on me about how it may be easy to Google, because most questions are.)

Which of the following states does not offer a five cent refund for recycled aluminum cans and plastic bottles?

A: New York
B: Texas
C: Delaware
D: Iowa

Steve McClellan

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« Reply #295 on: June 09, 2004, 06:37:48 PM »
[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Jun 9 2004, 03:19 PM\'] Here's one for somewhere around $125K. (Please don't harp on me about how it may be easy to Google, because most questions are.)

Which of the following states does not offer a five cent refund for recycled aluminum cans and plastic bottles?

A: New York
B: Texas
C: Delaware
D: Iowa [/quote]
 Not necessarily easy to *Google*, but if you or your PaF is smart enough to think of having him look at the top of just about any soda can...

On second thought, only two of your choices are listed there. Hmmm...

clemon79

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« Reply #296 on: June 09, 2004, 07:36:21 PM »
[quote name=\'gameshowsteve\' date=\'Jun 9 2004, 03:37 PM\'] Not necessarily easy to *Google*, but if you or your PaF is smart enough to think of having him look at the top of just about any soda can...

On second thought, only two of your choices are listed there. Hmmm...
 [/quote]
 Right, the listed states depend on the location of the bottler that the can came from...if a certain plant knows they only serve 8 states or so with deposits, then those 8 are the ones that are gonna be on the can.

Regarding the Google thing, it's not a matter of a question being easy to Google in and of itself that makes it bad, but the ability to do so easily and definitively in 30 seconds. That dictionary one would be good to that end if it were worded in a way to make people care about it.
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CarShark

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« Reply #297 on: June 09, 2004, 09:24:31 PM »
[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jun 9 2004, 06:36 PM\'] [quote name=\'gameshowsteve\' date=\'Jun 9 2004, 03:37 PM\'] Not necessarily easy to *Google*, but if you or your PaF is smart enough to think of having him look at the top of just about any soda can...

On second thought, only two of your choices are listed there. Hmmm...
 [/quote]
Right, the listed states depend on the location of the bottler that the can came from...if a certain plant knows they only serve 8 states or so with deposits, then those 8 are the ones that are gonna be on the can.

Regarding the Google thing, it's not a matter of a question being easy to Google in and of itself that makes it bad, but the ability to do so easily and definitively in 30 seconds. That dictionary one would be good to that end if it were worded in a way to make people care about it. [/quote]
 No offense, Mr. Lemon, but why does the Googlability of a question suddenly make it bad?

Millionaire76

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« Reply #298 on: June 28, 2004, 09:05:41 PM »
Long-gang Chicken, a type of Chinese chicken used in top Chinese resturants, is best prepared what way?

A: Fried (Whole Chicken)
B: Stir-Fried
C: Steamed (Whole Chicken)
D: Oven-Roasted (Whole Chicken)

TLEberle

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« Reply #299 on: June 28, 2004, 09:17:06 PM »
The problem with the chicken preparation question, is, again, ambiguity.  Who says what's the 'best' way to prepare anything?  I certainly don't always prepare food the best way possible, but it still comes out edible.

The changes you would have to make for the question still make it too complex for Millionaire.

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