# Did this Wheel of Fortune lady get hosed or not? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 22, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845 "2012-12-22T16:38:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845/61 "2012-12-27T16:25:29Z")
_Ha!_ I’m glad I clicked on that link, because it takes me to [this hilarious YouTube clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU8AnvPPbLk&) of some guy not correctly enunciating a word, then they go on to play it over and over in slow motion. Awesome. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845/62 "2012-12-27T16:26:24Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Here’s [CNN.com](http://CNN.com)’s Marquee entertainment blog on the controversy: [http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2012/12/24/wheel-of-fortune-pronunciation-gaffe-costs-contestant-angers-fans/?iref=obnetwork](http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2012/12/24/wheel-of-fortune-pronunciation-gaffe-costs-contestant-angers-fans/?iref=obnetwork) The contestant in the clip clearly answering “…smoke” when the word is “smoked” definitely got a pass. And that happened on the show right after the “swimmin’” call? Hosed for sure. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845/63 "2012-12-27T16:34:25Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > The contestant in the clip clearly answering “…smoke” when the word is “smoked” definitely got a pass. And that happened on the show right after the “swimmin’” call? Hosed for sure. Yeah, there’s no question in that one the there’s no “d” in it. That one is clear to me. If he got credit for that, the “swimming” woman should, too, as I’m not convinced she didn’t say “ng” at the end there. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845/64 "2012-12-27T16:38:10Z")
Pointless pedanticism that’s not even wrong because a true [g] sound would be just as wrong, if not more so. Wheel of Fortune is too imbecilic to be require this level of specificity, especially when it’s not linguistically accurate. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845/65 "2012-12-27T16:41:45Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Pointless pedanticism that’s not even wrong because a true [g] sound would be just as wrong, if not more so. Yep, yep, yep!! ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845/66 "2012-12-27T16:58:21Z")
They reveal the apostrohe in contractions before the first letter is guessed, so if the judges were looking for _swimmin’_, there would have been a revealed apostrophe. Since they were looking for _swimming_, she was wrong. The accent excuse is a lame attempt to justify her mistake. Sucks for her, sure, but pronounce the G next time. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845/67 "2012-12-27T17:05:08Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > They reveal the apostrohe in contractions before the first letter is guessed, so if the judges were looking for _swimmin’_, there would have been a revealed apostrophe. Since they were looking for _swimming_, she was wrong. The accent excuse is a lame attempt to justify her mistake. Sucks for her, sure, but pronounce the G next time. Do people not read this thread. There is no pronounced “g” in “swimming”! There is an “ng,” which is a single consonant sound. It’s not the same as an “n,” but neither is it an “n” followed by a “g.” ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845/68 "2012-12-27T17:07:49Z")
I’m thinkin’ she got a screwin’ ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845/69 "2012-12-27T17:09:28Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Screwing over a person serving our country is just wrong. > [@randwill](#): > > The contestant in the clip clearly answering “…smoke” when the word is “smoked” definitely got a pass. And that happened on the show right after the “swimmin’” call? Hosed for sure. Clearly another example of the commie-lefties in Hollywood hating on the military. 😛 To me it sounded like a hard “n” and not an “ng”. The next lady barely pronounces the “ng” but it’s there. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845/70 "2012-12-27T17:14:28Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Do people not read this thread. There is no pronounced “g” in “swimming”! There is an “ng,” which is a single consonant sound. It’s not the same as an “n,” but neither is it an “n” followed by a “g.” Then pronounce the _ng_ sound instead of _n_ and add a question mark to inquiries if one wishes to nitpick. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845/71 "2012-12-27T17:21:33Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > Then pronounce the _ng_ sound instead of _n_ and add a question mark to inquiries if one wishes to nitpick. I personally do think she pronounced an “ng” there, albeit softly, and I’m not the only one in this thread that thinks so. If it requires that level of audio forensics to decide whether it’s an “n” or “ng,” give her the benefit of a doubt. I’m not being deliberately contrarian. I think she says “ng.” Some people apparently think there’s supposed to be a clearly enunciated “g” there. There isn’t. And apologies for missing the question mark or any other typos I may have. I’m typing from a phone and missed it. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845/72 "2012-12-27T17:35:15Z")
I hear no ng. If the phrases were “gin and tonic” would you accept gin ‘n’ tonic? ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845/73 "2012-12-27T17:36:42Z")
I seem to remember another instance, in a Gone with the Wind themed puzzle where the answer was Tara or O’Hara. The contestant pronounced the syllable as “Are,” rather than “Air,” and was dinged for it. I think I was a teenager then, and thought it was asinine. It’s not like she didn’t know what it meant. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845/74 "2012-12-27T17:42:22Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > Then pronounce the _ng_ sound instead of _n_ and add a question mark to inquiries if one wishes to nitpick. She did, as far as I’m concerned and one does not. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845/75 "2012-12-27T17:43:43Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > I hear no ng. If the phrases were “gin and tonic” would you accept gin ‘n’ tonic? I probably would, yes, since it’s pretty difficult to hear where the “d” ends and the “t” begins, and would also give the contestant the benefit of a doubt, unless there are full stops between the words, which is not the way people normally talk. It doesn’t really matter, as to my ears I do hear “ng,” but reasonable people can disagree on what they hear. In ambiguous cases, I think the benefit of a doubt should be given. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845/76 "2012-12-27T17:58:50Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > I hear no ng. If the phrases were “gin and tonic” would you accept gin ‘n’ tonic? I would because I’m not a goddamn consonant martinet like Wheel of Fortune. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845/77 "2012-12-27T18:01:15Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I would because I’m not a goddamn consonant martinet like Wheel of Fortune. Worst post-user name combination? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845/78 "2012-12-27T18:02:24Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I had a friend whose Dad goes on the show and they are told to pronounce things clearly, especially things like this. > > She did not get hosed. Who gives a shit? This isn’t about weather or the not the rules were followed correctly; it’s about what’s right in this circumstance. She was fucked over. As Bob Crandall used to say (former president/ceo of American Airlines): "Rules are to guide, not constrain. In this case, the G was already guessed and displayed, you can’t make the argument that she said “swimminn” because she didn’t think there was a G there. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845/79 "2012-12-27T18:16:22Z")
Yeah, but the argument is that it has to be pronounced “correctly.” See the “buttinsky” example linked to before, or the “Tara or O’Hara” example which is not linked to, but recalled (so may not be a 100% reliable account, but I’ll accept it as given.) That said, that’s not my argument for why it should be accepted anyway. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845/80 "2012-12-27T21:11:22Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I would imagine, as it’s “Crosby, Stills, and Nash.” Although I am getting a chuckle imagining Bill Cosby in a folk rock supergroup. There was that old SNL Weekend Update item about Bill Cosby, Beverly Sills, Johnny Cash, and Connie Chung putting together a group and asking for suggestions for a name. Viewers were asked to send their suggestions in care of Cosby, Sills, Cash, and Chung. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-wheel-of-fortune-lady-get-hosed-or-not/644845.md?page=5)