# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 3) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 29, 2026, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157 "2026-01-29T18:21:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/341 "2026-02-18T22:28:42Z")
“Aim for trees!” ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/342 "2026-02-19T00:39:26Z")
I suppose “20 points for the little old lady!” would be right out? 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/343 "2026-02-19T01:06:31Z")
“Drive safe. If you can’t drive safe, drive fast, you’ll get home sooner.” ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/344 "2026-02-19T03:27:28Z")
Yeah, they’re not worth more than 10 points; old & slow isn’t that much of a challenge 😯 ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/345 "2026-02-19T04:48:12Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > > [@Wheelz](#): > > > > > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > > > > > It lacked an accurate option for me. > > > > Also not sure the point of declaring whether I like or dislike a person who is currently experiencing a nightmarish and traumatic crisis. > > It’s not asking if you like her as a human being, but as a celebrity. And i don’t think she’s likely to see or care about those poll results. Yes, it’s rude to criticize people in the midst of a crisis, but “rude” only matters if it affects the person. Thank you @puzzlegal! That was what I meant. Sorry if I sounded indifferent to the Guthrie family’s current nightmare. Since I know next to nothing about Savannah, I was curious as to how people see her, including whether she comes across as likeable or not. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/346 "2026-02-19T16:40:11Z")
I call that day the first day of the month of Adar, meaning Purim is just around the corner! When I’ve referred to the other celebration, I’ve always said “Chinese New Year”, because until this thread I hadn’t been aware that some other cultures also celebrate New Year on that day and might feel marginalized. But I don’t think it makes sense to call it “the lunar new year”, any more than it makes sense to call January 1 the “solar new year”. Lunar and solar calendars are both based on astronomical cycles, but the designation of a “New Year’s Day” is completely arbitrary. And there are cultures – Jews and Muslims for two – who follow lunar calendars but don’t celebrate New Year’s at this season. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/347 "2026-02-19T16:49:04Z")
We have a (very) small historic Chinatown in our town and the celebration this evening is being referred to as the Lunar New Year celebration by the participants. A few weeks ago, there was another celebration involving a lion dance but I’m not sure what that was called. For the Chinese community, I think Chinese New Year is mostly a holiday season rather than a particular day. I’m not sure though. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/348 "2026-02-19T18:39:31Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > Lunar and solar calendars are both based on astronomical cycles, but the designation of a “New Year’s Day” is completely arbitrary. And there are cultures – Jews and Muslims for two – who follow lunar calendars but don’t celebrate New Year’s at this season. That’s all true, but despite celebrating Rosh Hashanah every fall, on the appropriate new moon, i call it Lunar New Year. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/349 "2026-02-19T18:49:21Z")
I am currently on a diet and would decline a paczki if it were offered. I am in Chicago, so although nobody spontaneously offered me a paczki this year, I’m sure it wouldn’t be hard to find one. (Paczki are a traditional Polish pastry that is traditionally served on this day. IMO they are basically indistinguishable from what we call “jelly donuts” every other day of the year) ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/350 "2026-02-19T19:24:39Z")
The ones you buy from the bakery department of a typical U.S. grocery store, unfortunately, are almost indistinguishable from an ordinary jelly doughnut, except maybe they’re a little bigger. Find yourself a good Polish-American bakery to get the real deal. They are made with a richer dough containing eggs and butter and a little vodka or grain neutral spirits. They’re yeast-raised and are so puffy that less than half their volume is submerged in the lard they’re fried in. This leaves a distinctive pale ring or belt around the outside where the dough gets cooked but not deeply browned. I’m not sure how well it really works, but the vodka in the dough is supposed to boil off and create a barrier preventing excessive absorption of grease. The most traditional filling is rose-petal jam, but you have to search far and wide to find any of those outside Poland. In Poland, they’re more associated with Fat Thursday (six days before Ash Wednesday), but in the U.S., they’re associated with Fat Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday). Sadly, I wasn’t able to eat any this year because of various health concerns. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/351 "2026-02-19T22:11:09Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > I am currently on a diet and would decline a paczki if it were offered. I am in Chicago, so although nobody spontaneously offered me a paczki this year, I’m sure it wouldn’t be hard to find one. I have never even heard the term. I would give one a try. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/352 "2026-02-19T22:49:29Z")
In Italian, they say “vvv” for “www,” pronounced “vu vu vu.” I nominate “vu” as the new double-you name. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2026, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/353 "2026-02-20T00:21:11Z")
I will give only lukewarm support for the name change, but if it is to be changed it should be changed to something starting with a “w” sound. Which “w” sound I don’t care; but every other letter has a name sounding at least somewhat like one of its pronunciations and if we’re going to go to the trouble of changing it then W should too. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2026, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/354 "2026-02-20T00:38:12Z")
Maybe it should be named “Aw”. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2026, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/355 "2026-02-20T01:04:51Z")
I don’t stammer a lot these days, but the sound I have the most trouble with when I do is the initial /w/. As a result, part of me would like to deep-six not just the letter but the sound. With the sound being the most important to eliminate. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2026, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/356 "2026-02-20T01:25:02Z")
As president, I would want to both raise taxes & cut spending in an effort to get our deficit under control; neither side would go for that, so while I’d be right I would probably not be very effective, especially because I would not want to be around the class of slimy sub-reptialians called “politicians” ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2026, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/357 "2026-02-20T01:27:22Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > every other letter has a name sounding at least somewhat like one of its pronunciations H. Q. Y. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2026, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/358 "2026-02-20T01:50:30Z")
For climatologists and physical geographers, “Aw” evokes tropical areas with wet summers and dry winters, like the Yucatán (much of Mexico, really), or Brazil between the Amazon and the Atlantic. (We’re talking the Köppen classification system). ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2026, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/359 "2026-02-20T03:46:48Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > > > every other letter has a name sounding at least somewhat like one of its pronunciations > > H. Q. Y. Hitch, hay, etc. The end of the letter H doesn’t match but the beginning does . Queue is pretty much exact. Y is maybe stretching it a bit but consider why and Wyoming, ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2026, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/360 "2026-02-20T03:49:50Z")
Maybe we should call “w” “why”, and call “y” “yeh”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157.md?page=19)