# Odd Man Out **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [June 13, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277 "2016-06-13T18:58:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277/1 "2016-06-13T18:58:50Z")
Name 4 or 5 words, of which one of them does not have a characteristic of the others in common. In your turn, name the previous “odd man out”, state how it is diffeent from the others, and submit a new group which has an odd man out… Example: Argon, Kryton, Boron, Neon, Xenon, . The odd man out is _ **Boron** _, an element which is not a Noble gas. The respondent doesn’t necessarily have to name the characteristic the poser has in mind, nor even choose the poser’s intended man out, but does need to justify the selection. (If for any reason Ive overlooked a glaring defect in this layout, someone please amend the rules as necessary.) To start: Sofiya, Odessa, Riga, Minsk, Bratislava, ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277/2 "2016-06-13T22:09:42Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Sofiya, Odessa, Riga, Minsk, Bratislava, Odessa is the only one that’s not the capital city of its country. iron rumor cloud fish For future questions, do they have to be just a single word? I have some questions of this form where the clues are people. And it would be nice to have to poster come in and confirm whether an answer is correct; you can usually justify any answer in some way (‘iron’ is the only one that starts with a vowel) that’s obviously trivial to what the question is about. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277/3 "2016-06-13T23:09:50Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > iron > rumor > cloud > fish Rumor is not both a noun and a verb. Beijing Boston Llasa Manchester Naples Vancouver Weimer ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277/4 "2016-06-14T00:17:45Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Rumor is not both a noun and a verb. Not what I had in mind, but it works.[spoiler]cloud The others can all be followed by “monger”.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277/5 "2016-06-14T00:57:43Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Not what I had in mind, but it works.[spoiler]cloud > > The others can all be followed by “monger”.[/spoiler] Mine is very specific, which is why I gave lots of examples, so I’ll be impressed if someone comes up with an an alternate. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277/6 "2016-06-14T01:00:22Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > For future questions, do they have to be just a single word? I have some questions of this form where the clues are people. And it would be nice to have to poster come in and confirm whether an answer is correct; you can usually justify any answer in some way (‘iron’ is the only one that starts with a vowel) that’s obviously trivial to what the question is about. Whatever works that doesn’t disrupt the spirit of the thing. Things, people,ideas, places, symbols, numbers,words, phrases, anything you can fit on a short line. “Rumor” is rumored to be a verb, conjugated as a verb… ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277/7 "2016-06-14T01:03:13Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Whatever works that doesn’t disrupt the spirit of the thing. Things, people,ideas, places, symbols, numbers,words, phrases, anything you can fit on a short line. > > “Rumor” is rumored to be a verb, conjugated as a verb… OK, a transitive verb. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277/8 "2016-06-14T06:17:51Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Beijing > Boston > Llasa > Manchester > Naples > Vancouver > Weimer **Vancouver** is the only one that doesn’t name a city in Eurasia. Aluminum, Iron, Oxygen, Silicon, Tin. [Lists of seven or so may work better than shorter lists. Are they OK?] ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277/9 "2016-06-14T06:30:12Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Aluminum, Iron, Oxygen, Silicon, Tin. Aluminum is the only one whose atomic number is prime. (Only one that’s an odd number, in fact, but I’d be a bit surprised if either of those is the answer you were looking for.) George Lazenby Pope Pius XII Conan O’Brien Benjamin Harrison ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277/10 "2016-06-14T07:15:54Z")
I was going to say Harrison was the only one whose lifetime didn’t overlap the 20th century, but, no, he managed 2 and a half months. Hmm… Pius is the only one most famous under a name other than the one he was christened with? This will be either blatantly easy, or stupidly hard… Batman: Arkham Asylum Final Fantasy Life is Strange Tomb Raider Saints Row ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277/11 "2016-06-14T07:55:05Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > This will be either blatantly easy, or stupidly hard… > > Batman: Arkham Asylum > Final Fantasy > Life is Strange > Tomb Raider > Saints Row _Life is Strange_ is the only video game without a sequel. Jethro Tull Metallica Nine Inch Nails Queensrÿche Soundgarden ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277/12 "2016-06-14T07:55:25Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > I was going to say Harrison was the only one whose lifetime didn’t overlap the 20th century, but, no, he managed 2 and a half months. > > Hmm… Pius is the only one most famous under a name other than the one he was christened with? > > This will be either blatantly easy, or stupidly hard… Probably stupidly hard, my trivia questions usually are. I can offer one hint; the odd man out could be just about anybody, I could have pulled that name out of a hat. The other three share something unusual; so unusual that there aren’t many other names I could have used. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277/13 "2016-06-14T08:56:36Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Beijing > **Boston** :dubious: > Llasa > Manchester > Naples > Vancouver > Weimer [emp. added] > [@septimus](#): > > **Vancouver** is the only one that doesn’t name a city in Eurasia. So, no, actually, that answer was wrong. If there’s a Boston in Eurasia, it wasn’t the one I intended. I’ll hold back the answer so I can play it again, though. Although, FWIW, Vancouver\* is \*the correct answer, so there’s a hint for you. * * * Jethro Tull Metallica Nine Inch Nails Queensrÿche Soundgarden Queensrÿche is the only one that used to be known by another name. * * * George Lazenby Pope Pius XII Conan O’Brien Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison is the odd man out. The others, just when it seemed they were finding success, suddenly hit the bottoms of their careers, but mostly serendipitously, got back on their feet, and ended up doing really, really well. * * * Beijing Boston Llasa Manchester Naples Vancouver Weimer HINTS: Boston is the city in Massachusetts; Vancouver is the correct answer; Beijing used to go by a variant name among English speakers. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277/14 "2016-06-14T09:19:32Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > So, no, actually, that answer was wrong > Beijing > Boston > Llasa > Manchester > Naples > Vancouver > Weimer More polite is to say it wasn’t the\* intended\* answer. 🙂 Let me try again: Pekingese, Boston Terrier, Lhasa Apso, Manchester Terrier, Neapolitan Mastiff, Weimaraner are breeds of dog but _ **Vancouver doesn’t relate to any dog breed name.** _ Similarly the response to my > [@](#): > > Aluminum, Iron, Oxygen, Silicon, Tin. wasn’t my intended answer. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277/15 "2016-06-14T09:39:05Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > More polite is to say it wasn’t the\* intended\* answer. 🙂 Let me try again: > > Pekingese, Boston Terrier, Lhasa Apso, Manchester Terrier, Neapolitan Mastiff, Weimaraner are breeds of dog but _ **Vancouver doesn’t relate to any dog breed name.** _ > > Similarly the response to my > > wasn’t my intended answer. It wasn’t intended if it was otherwise correct. It was wrong if it contained an error, like placing Boston in Eurasia. Anyway, you got it. I hope my other answers were right-- or\* intended\*. I don’t believe I committed any factual error, like leaving out the word “transitive” my first time around (I’m also having trouble coming up with a non passive voice construction for “rumored,” but that’s probably my failing). Quick, post another. I like this game. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277/16 "2016-06-14T09:42:38Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > George Lazenby > Pope Pius XII > Conan O’Brien > Benjamin Harrison > > Benjamin Harrison is the odd man out. The others, just when it seemed they were finding success, suddenly hit the bottoms of their careers, but mostly serendipitously, got back on their feet, and ended up doing really, really well. No, but it does, in some sense, have to do with the arcs of their careers. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277/17 "2016-06-14T10:01:45Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Jethro Tull > Metallica > Nine Inch Nails > Queensrÿche > Soundgarden > > Queensrÿche is the only one that used to be known by another name. Nope, though I didn’t even know that about Queensryche. Jethro Tull went by several names in the early days, because they were so bad, the only way they could get re-booked was by changing their name. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277/18 "2016-06-14T10:19:34Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Nope, though I didn’t even know that about Queensryche. > > Jethro Tull went by several names in the early days, because they were so bad, the only way they could get re-booked was by changing their name. Ah. I confess to Googling that one. It didn’t mention that Jethro Tull went under another name. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277/19 "2016-06-14T11:10:58Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > It wasn’t intended if it was otherwise correct. It was wrong if it contained an error, like placing Boston in Eurasia. [Wikipedia is your friend.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston,_Lincolnshire) 🙂 I hope OP doesn’t object to lists longer than 4 or 5. Here’s one: Albert Camus Albert Einstein Franklin D. Roosevelt George C. Marshall Theodore Roosevelt Winston Churchill Woodrow Wilson ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277/20 "2016-06-14T13:13:52Z")
I think they all won the Nobel Peace Prize, except Camus, who won the prize for Literature. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-man-out/757277.md?page=2)