# "No, I said M (mmm), not N!" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 12, 2009, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-said-m-mmm-not-n/517367 "2009-11-12T22:11:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-said-m-mmm-not-n/517367/1 "2009-11-12T22:11:34Z")
The subject line refers to an old, old double-shot cheat that kids would try to pull when playing Hangman: they’d guess the letter “N”, and if it came up blank, immediately protest, “No, not N (_nnnnn_), I said M (_mmmm_)!” This might work the first time, but that’s about it. Still, when this old gag crossed my path for the first time after many, many years while playing Hangman with my kids a few days ago\*, it occurred to me to wonder if anybody has ever tried this gag on a game show like _Wheel of Fortune_. Does anybody know? \*Full disclosure: Actually _I_ introduced _them_ to this old, old double-shot cheat by attempting it myself when my head was in the gallows. And it worked, too! ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-said-m-mmm-not-n/517367/2 "2009-11-12T22:28:07Z")
A fairly obvious work-around is employed on some game shows – I can vouch that Australian Wheel of Fortune does this, don’t know about others. But when a contestant names a letter, they also give a word in which it is the first letter, for example, “D for Dog.” Sometimes contestants are imaginative, I vaguely recall a paleontological person using some long and complicated jargon – “V for Velociraptor, John.” ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-said-m-mmm-not-n/517367/3 "2009-11-12T22:44:06Z")
I’ve heard Pat Sajak ask for clarification if there’s any question what letter is being requested. ---
**Author:** ![Silophant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Silophant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silophant)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-said-m-mmm-not-n/517367/4 "2009-11-12T22:58:09Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > “V for Velociraptor, John.” “That’s ‘P’, as in ‘pterodactyl’.” ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-said-m-mmm-not-n/517367/5 "2009-11-12T23:26:58Z")
“I didn’t say M as in Murphy, I said N as in Nerfy. You know, spongy and easily deflected.” ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-said-m-mmm-not-n/517367/6 "2009-11-13T02:11:27Z")
[“O for Awesome”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaIZF8uUTtk), David Tua - legend. Get the [T-shirt](http://retrokiwi.spreadshirt.co.uk/o-for-awesome-mens-t-shirt-A3441064)! It was never clarified if he really wanted the O or the A - he’d been asked for a _consonant._ Damned nice try though. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-said-m-mmm-not-n/517367/7 "2009-11-13T04:38:06Z")
Not exactly related, but Alex Trebek today failed to spell the Greek Letter Mu in the Spelling category today…or maybe it was Nu. ---
**Author:** ![Vorpal\_Blade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/9de0a6/32.png) [@Vorpal\_Blade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vorpal_Blade)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-said-m-mmm-not-n/517367/8 "2009-11-13T19:22:14Z")
> [@Silophant](#): > > “That’s ‘P’, as in ‘pterodactyl’.” “M” as in mnemonic “O” as in Oedipus ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-said-m-mmm-not-n/517367/9 "2009-11-13T19:29:54Z")
> [@bikebloke](#): > > “M” as in mnemonic > > “O” as in Oedipus Sounds like the Barenaked Ladies’ “Crazy ABC’s” (apostrophe theirs, not mine!) - 26 examples of this kind of stuff! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-said-m-mmm-not-n/517367/10 "2009-11-14T05:05:46Z")
I do know it wouldn’t work on Wheel of Fortune. What the judges say is final. It always seems that the contestants are supposed to know which letters have been called. (as they make a big deal out of that if you mess up.) It makes me wonder if there is a list in front of them or something. It’d be pretty easy to see which letter you meant from that. Heck, give every player a keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-said-m-mmm-not-n/517367/11 "2009-11-15T04:09:49Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > It always seems that the contestants are supposed to know which letters have been called. (as they make a big deal out of that if you mess up.) It makes me wonder if there is a list in front of them or something. From the [_Wheel of Fortune_](http://www.wheeloffortune.com/contestantsandtickets/contestantfaqs/) FAQ: > [@](#): > > 1. Why do contestants often glance to the side when playing the game? > > They are looking at the “used letter board” to see which letters have already been called. ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-said-m-mmm-not-n/517367/12 "2009-11-17T22:50:27Z")
> [@Silophant](#): > > “That’s ‘P’, as in ‘pterodactyl’.” The **P** is silent, as in **bath.**