[quote name=\'Thunder\' post=\'221150\' date=\'Jul 26 2009, 12:08 PM\']"BARREL OF MONKEYS" is a rather clear example, sir.[/quote]
Except if you think "BARREL ON MONKEYS" is a familiar phrase, sir, you deserve every ounce of fail you receive.
[quote name=\'Kevin Prather\' post=\'221155\' date=\'Jul 26 2009, 01:02 PM\']"She sells seashells (by/on) the seashore". Just throwing it out as an example, not perpetuating either side of the argument.[/quote]
Nope. You call the "O." You know it's in "seashore" (and in fact this is the fatal error the contestant made when they blew it originally; the O in "seashore" was showing and therefore they should have known it wasn't "on")) and that will answer the question of "by" vs. "on" in a hurry.
[quote name=\'WilliamPorygon\' post=\'221157\' date=\'Jul 26 2009, 01:42 PM\'](Granted, I would have just spun one more time and called one of those letters, seeing as I'm taking a 50/50 risk if I try to solve right away and have less than a 50% chance of hitting a bad space if I spin.)[/quote]
Precisely so. And even that isn't necessary in the cited case because you're already on the Free Letter space, and therefore can call the "M" or the "J" with complete confidence, see where it is, and then solve the puzzle with $500 more in your coffers.
HYHYBT cited an "on / of" situation, and I would like to see some examples of those where the insertion of both words creates a familiar phrase that would reasonably used as a WOF puzzle before I'm willing to consider that as anything but an EXTREME fringe case.
(EDIT: In the aforementioned "Seashell" example, it might have been the A showing and therefore "at" was known to be incorrect. But you get the idea.)