Excellent point, and you can't come up with too many never-before-used categories without going into Pyramid 2003 territory.
I would think that the better answer (especially for our purposes if we're running an evening of fun to raise money for Extra Life) is that we all accept that the people who are going to sign up to play Pyramid is self-selecting is to introduce challenge levels by volunteering to knock increments of seconds off the clock.
As to Tim's issue with the front game: 1) the front game is the qualifier and is just talking so who cares as long as the material doesn't go into the ditch and 2) make it clear that we're not booking people who jump the turnstile and start guessing before clues are forthcoming. Or allow it because see (1).
I do not recall ever not seeing 7-11 when I was a youth on $25,000 Pyramid so the show has been part of my life for either 87% or 90% whether on or off the air. That coincides with gaining confidence and vocabulary. Unless we want to start throwing weeder topics in the 300 box (Things you expurgate, anyone?) I think we need to accept that everyone has taken Pyramid as a 401 class and lean into that if we're going to run it.
/real truth I would find "What Ben Franklin's false teeth" less crapitudinous than Expurgte.
