# Great Wheel of Fortune Screwups **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 18, 2006, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321 "2006-05-18T21:30:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321/1 "2006-05-18T21:30:08Z")
Last night on “Wheelof Fortune,” a contestant had made about a gazillion dollars with some lucky spins and had whittled the puzzle down to this: THE E\_CE\_TION THAT \_RO\_ES THE RULE She declared her intent to solve the puzzle, and burst out, triumphantly, **“The Exception That Brokes The Rule!”** The audience, in unison, gasped in horror. Sorry, no, dear. It occurred to me that I’d seen similarly hilarious wrong guesses before. I can’t remember any of them, though. What was the worst “Wheel of Fortune” guess you an remember? (And how in the name of Christ does some guess “The exception that brokes the rule?” I can understand if you don’t know the phrase, but “brokes”?) ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321/2 "2006-05-18T21:42:55Z")
ALL THE NEWS THAT’S \_IT TO PRINT Do you know what a “yit” is? ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321/3 "2006-05-18T21:57:31Z")
Two that stand out for me: M\_MBO J\_MBO–and the contestant trimphantly guessed “Mambo Jambo” And the topper of all time: GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DE\_TH When the word “derth” came out of the contestant’s mouth, it was all I could do to keep from hurling my plate through the screen! There was a particularly stupid one last week, but I can’t remember it. Anyone see it? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321/4 "2006-05-18T22:55:44Z")
I’ve never seen one as egregious as that, but I did once see a contestant who had the wheel absolutely mastered. Every single spin, he landed exactly on the $10,000 space. You know, the one that only takes up 1/3 of a normal space, bracketed by a couple of bankrupts? He was hitting it Every. Single. Spin. But it didn’t actually do him any good, since he never actually got any letter correct. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321/5 "2006-05-18T23:02:26Z")
This was a long time ago, but I swear it happened. (I’ve probably posted it before somewhere, but it’s been awhile.) D \_ N N \_ S T H \_ M \_ N \_ \_ \_ The contestant guessedDENNIS THE MONKEY ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321/6 "2006-05-18T23:06:44Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > THE E\_CE\_TION THAT \_RO\_ES THE RULE The Erection That Probes The Rule? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321/7 "2006-05-18T23:11:16Z")
“Three **L** oins in the fountain!” ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321/8 "2006-05-18T23:11:34Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > The Erection That Probes The Rule? This board seriously needs a spit-take smilie! ---
**Author:** ![NailBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@NailBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NailBunny)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321/9 "2006-05-18T23:24:49Z")
Oh, I have a good one. One night when Mr. Bunny and I were watching, the puzzle was, quite obviously, “Tell Me Where It Hurts”. Only, the first word did not have the last three letters filled in yet, so it looked like this: T— ME WHERE IT HURTS One of the contestants was like “I want to solve the puzzle! TAKE ME WHERE IT HURTS!” 😃 That poor guy. ---
**Author:** ![NailBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@NailBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NailBunny)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321/10 "2006-05-18T23:26:17Z")
Now that I think about it, I guess it would have had to have been T— M- WH-R- IT HURTS Still pretty funny. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321/11 "2006-05-18T23:34:38Z")
Joey: This guy is so stupid. It’s _Count Rushmore!_ … Chandler: Oh, and by the way–there is no Count Rushmore! Joey: Yeah? Then who’s the guy that painted the faces on the mountain? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321/12 "2006-05-18T23:44:43Z")
> [@](#): > > The Erection That Probes The Rule? Can’t be, there’s already an “R” in “\_RO\_ES”. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321/13 "2006-05-18T23:56:16Z")
Well, just tonight the board read: E\_CLUSI\_E NIGHTCLUB …and the contestant (with over $10K on the line) yelled, “Gimme a **K**!” ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321/14 "2006-05-19T00:26:06Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > “Three **L** oins in the fountain!” That’s what I was thinking of, along with… “I’d like to solve the puzzle- ‘Go tuck yourself in.’” “You were close, Dad.” “I still can’t believe he missed ‘Kiss my hairy aunt.’” ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321/15 "2006-05-19T00:35:07Z")
> [@mobo85](#): > > That’s what I was thinking of, along with… > > “I’d like to solve the puzzle- ‘Go tuck yourself in.’” > “You were close, Dad.” > “I still can’t believe he missed ‘Kiss my hairy aunt.’” I repeat: SPIT-TAKE SMILIE! Is that from something, or did you make it up? ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321/16 "2006-05-19T00:47:28Z")
> [@want2know](#): > > I repeat: SPIT-TAKE SMILIE! > > Is that from something, or did you make it up? It’s from an episode of _Family Guy_. “Three loins in the fountain” came from _The Simpsons_. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321/17 "2006-05-19T01:07:35Z")
> [@NailBunny](#): > > One of the contestants was like “I want to solve the puzzle! TAKE ME WHERE IT HURTS!” 😃 That would be in the butt, Bob. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321/18 "2006-05-19T03:13:01Z")
I forget how it was on the board but the words SCENE STEALER were pretty obvious to me and my friends watching. I think it only lacked the vowel “E.” The contestant solved with something that sounded like SKANE STAYLER. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321/19 "2006-05-19T03:24:02Z")
Years ago (late 80s, perhaps), someone had the entire puzzle revealed, except for one consonant and some vowels. The puzzle was: STAR LIGHT STAR BRIGHT FIRST STAR I SEE TONIGHT. She had racked up over $60,000 by hitting the $5,000 space several times. When she read the puzzle the “I” at the end of the third line had not been revealed. She inadvertently (I presume) overlooked it and said, “STAR LIGHT STAR BRIGHT FIRST STAR SEE TONIGHT”. A moment of silence fell over the audience as Pat had to inform the contestant, “Sorry, that is NOT it.” At this point the mortified contestant realized her mistake but it was too late. Meanwhile, the next contestant solves the puzzle, winning a paltry $200 or $300 or whatever the house minimum was at the time. In any case it was very anticlimactic. ---
**Author:** ![Black\_Train\_Song](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Black\_Train\_Song](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Black_Train_Song)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321/20 "2006-05-19T03:31:07Z")
One time the clue to the final puzzle was \_ \_ LL \_ \_SHER the real answer was WELL WISHER but the contestant guessed PILL PUSHER. That was unbeatable in my mind. He should’ve won something for that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wheel-of-fortune-screwups/357321.md?page=2)