# I am a genie, and you have been granted 1 wish. You have 5 seconds to make it. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 27, 2003, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-genie-and-you-have-been-granted-1-wish-you-have-5-seconds-to-make-it/191321 "2003-07-27T22:19:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![hebesphenomegacorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@hebesphenomegacorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hebesphenomegacorona)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-genie-and-you-have-been-granted-1-wish-you-have-5-seconds-to-make-it/191321/61 "2003-07-28T21:01:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phatlewt \* > \*\*The evil genie is fun to play. > > You get to do things like: > > Give **Rapunzel** ’s friend a non-refundable 1st class ticket to Omaha, Nebraska > > My wish would be: “I wish for the immediate and permanent termination of your existence, genie.” I think that’s the best I could do, given that the genie is evil… Who can twist that one? \*\* Actually, for rapunzel, I’d have the ticket get abducted by aliens. I’ll twist yours. the genie is directly connected to you, a friend, etc. If the genie dies, he/she dies. Since the genie is purely and irrevocably evil, he’ll do it. The only way to win is to wish for the genie’s power and knowledge. otherwise, you’re screwed. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-genie-and-you-have-been-granted-1-wish-you-have-5-seconds-to-make-it/191321/62 "2003-07-28T22:22:41Z")
I wish for 5 minutes more to make my wish. ---
**Author:** ![cmosdes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cmosdes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmosdes)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-genie-and-you-have-been-granted-1-wish-you-have-5-seconds-to-make-it/191321/63 "2003-07-28T22:58:35Z")
Not to take away from the new genies around here, but the responses aren’t exactly in the theme I intended from a malevolent genie. My intention was not to grant more than requested, but exactly what was requested. In the case of **Zyada** , they did not request for themselves to be moved, so causing them to move is a bit out of line with my thoughts. In this case, I’d grant the wish but the visa isn’t due to arrive for another 10 years. Zyada simply requested the fiancee get one, not when. For **nitek** , they did not request that everyone’s wish was granted as intended, but simply “people’s”, which implies more than 1 person. I’d simply say “done” but not specify which two people’s wishes I’d grant as intended. Sending **Rapunzel** ’s friend a ticket to Nebraska is perfect. Having it abducted by aliens? I don’t know. That seems a bit extreme. It would seem for _any_ wish you can simply tell the person, “Granted, but now you are on Mars.” From a genie perspective, the idea would be to interpret the request differently than intended, although 100% accurate. From a requester perspective, the idea is to ask for something which cannot be misinterpreted. Of course, I was told I’m obnoxious (or the game is) and I have bad breath… so carry on. ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-genie-and-you-have-been-granted-1-wish-you-have-5-seconds-to-make-it/191321/64 "2003-07-29T02:02:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cmosdes \* > **Buckleberry - You can say that in 5 seconds?** Yes, I can. Why don’t I get my wish? Is it because you can’t twist it to be eeeeeeeevil? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-genie-and-you-have-been-granted-1-wish-you-have-5-seconds-to-make-it/191321/65 "2003-07-29T04:08:27Z")
Dang! I was thinking “peace on earth” then I had a fleeting “wish my ex would be happy and healthy” then I had a blur of “even better – may Sniffs\_Markers have the sucess she desires” and then my head exploded. 5 seconds? Unfair! Oh, and my wish would be the last one. Goooo Markers! ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-genie-and-you-have-been-granted-1-wish-you-have-5-seconds-to-make-it/191321/66 "2003-07-29T05:51:04Z")
Kirsten Dunst. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-genie-and-you-have-been-granted-1-wish-you-have-5-seconds-to-make-it/191321/67 "2003-07-29T12:44:18Z")
I want to go back in time to July 1999 and remember everything that happened. I could not make a couple of big mistakes, and I would definitely phone in a bomb scare to the World Trade Center on 9/11/01. ---
**Author:** ![welby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@welby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/welby)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-genie-and-you-have-been-granted-1-wish-you-have-5-seconds-to-make-it/191321/68 "2003-07-29T12:49:27Z")
I want the ability to build any machine I can conceive of. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-genie-and-you-have-been-granted-1-wish-you-have-5-seconds-to-make-it/191321/69 "2003-07-29T13:33:13Z")
I wish for a better genie. Regards, Shodan [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-genie-and-you-have-been-granted-1-wish-you-have-5-seconds-to-make-it/191321.md?page=3)