# Hi, Opal! **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 1, 2009, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243 "2009-10-01T16:43:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243/1 "2009-10-01T16:43:34Z")
Today’s entry from my Mensa Puzzle-a-Day calendar – not difficult, but definitely Doperriffic. This month’s birthstone is the opal. Use the clues to fill in the blanks to form three common, uncapitalized, unpluralized English words containing the letters O-P-A-L in that order. Like a juggernaut: \_\_ \_\_ \_\_ \_\_ O P \_\_ A \_\_ L \_\_ Clipper ship part: \_\_ O P \_\_ A \_\_ L Office jargon: \_\_ \_\_ O P \_\_ A L \_\_ ---
**Author:** ![Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243/2 "2009-10-01T17:21:51Z")
First two were pretty easy UNSTOPPABLE TOPSAIL ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243/3 "2009-10-01T17:29:11Z")
Pretty cool. Do you suppose it was a deliberate shout out? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243/4 "2009-10-01T17:32:13Z")
Probably not – as she says, it is the October birthstone. I did smile, though. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243/5 "2009-10-01T17:33:06Z")
#3: shoptalk ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243/6 "2009-10-01T17:34:42Z")
Dead deer ocular organ: \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243/7 "2009-10-01T17:38:45Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Probably not – as she says, it is the October birthstone. > > I did smile, though. Ah yes, had I read more closely, you made that clear… ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243/8 "2009-10-01T17:41:12Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > Dead deer ocular organ: \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Using this as another opportunity to take a dig at a particular poster isn’t appropriate. twickster, who’s not just the OP, she’s a moderator ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243/9 "2009-10-01T17:42:05Z")
You’re a moderator? Where’s your proof? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243/10 "2009-10-01T17:49:59Z")
Right under my username. Or would you prefer that I issue a warning so you’re really sure? ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243/11 "2009-10-01T18:08:35Z")
Twickster practically: \_ \_ O P \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ A L \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ CHOPPED MY BALLS OFF ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243/12 "2009-10-01T18:20:38Z")
And she will complete the job if you don’t knock it off. Now. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243/13 "2009-10-01T20:40:37Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Using this as another opportunity to take a dig at a particular poster isn’t appropriate. > > twickster, who’s not just the OP, she’s a moderator Who’s being dug at, and how? Seriously - you posted a thread of word puzzles that use Opal’s name. How is coming up with other word puzzles with Opal’s name ANY different? WTF? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243/14 "2009-10-01T20:53:22Z")
I posted a word puzzle using the _word_ opal, which is part of a long-running SDMB joke that has pretty much become disconnected from a particular person. Further, the puzzle involved not the word _per se,_ but the letters that make up that word appearing in the answer, independent of any meaning of the word “opal,” let alone the poster who has the username shortened to “Opal.” The post in question referred to that person – more specifically, it referred to a pretty heated pitting of that person. And it referred to that person in the clue, not as a collection of letters in the answer. They seem pretty distinctly different to me. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243/15 "2009-10-02T00:08:29Z")
I gotta agree with twickster on this one, I suck at those clues and I immediately knew what the other reference was to though instead… And humorous as it may be- it belongs in the pit and not outside as per the rules of that whole pitting. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243/16 "2009-10-02T01:57:39Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Like a juggernaut: \_\_ \_\_ \_\_ \_\_ O P \_\_ A \_\_ L \_\_ > Clipper ship part: \_\_ O P \_\_ A \_\_ L > Office jargon: \_\_ \_\_ O P \_\_ A L \_\_ 1. Unstoppable 2. Topsail 3. Shoptalk ---
**Author:** ![cucuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7feea3/32.png) [@cucuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cucuy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243/17 "2009-10-02T05:36:05Z")
Like a juggernaut: _u_ _n_ _s_ _t_ O P _p_ A _b_ L _e_ Clipper ship part: _t_ O P _s_ A _i_ L Office jargon: _s_ _h_ O P _t_ A L _k_ ---
**Author:** ![cucuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7feea3/32.png) [@cucuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cucuy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243/18 "2009-10-02T05:38:37Z")
That was fun! I have a 3-words quiz fermenting in my Inbox. I’ll post it in here. ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243/19 "2009-10-07T02:16:22Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > Dead deer ocular organ: \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ Does it have to be dead to be considered a buck? Or did you just add “dead” for the alliteration? ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243/20 "2009-10-07T08:35:31Z")
Dead deer ocular organ: D O E E Y E D That was the first thing I thought of. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-opal/512243.md?page=2)