# snopes boards the "-gry" bandwagon **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 11, 2003, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-boards-the-gry-bandwagon/174492 "2003-05-11T13:53:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-boards-the-gry-bandwagon/174492/1 "2003-05-11T13:53:28Z")
One of Cecil’s more obscure columns, hardly ever mentioned here at the SDMB, is [What are the three English words ending in -gry?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_251.html)\* That other bastion of fighting disinformation, the [Urban Legends Reference Pages](http://www.snopes.com/) at [snopes.com](http://snopes.com), just got into the act with a new article, [Three common words in the English language end with ‘-gry.’](http://www.snopes.com/language/puzzlers/gry.asp) The snopes article lists a dozen _-gry_ words besides _angry_ and _hungry_. The article makes no mention, though, of the [“G or Y”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=109963) theory :rolleyes: or the [1975 radio program](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=125917) (or any other supposed origin). Or Cecil. :mad: \*I’m posting in MPSIMS instead of CCC because (1) it doesn’t get much more mundane and pointless than this, and (2) most other threads on this subject have appeared here, including one [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23894) by **Coldfire**. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-boards-the-gry-bandwagon/174492/2 "2003-05-11T15:26:43Z")
At least they say the “original wording theory” is just a guess, unlike others (Cecil included) who accept it as fact. It might be true, but at this time there’s absolutely no corroboration. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-boards-the-gry-bandwagon/174492/3 "2003-05-11T18:18:32Z")
Jesse Sheidlower, of the OED, posted this to the ADS-List: > [@](#): > > As for words that end in -gry, there are a whole bunch, none of the common, including puggry, maugry, iggry, aggry, gry, and others, but the best is _nugry,_ coined on rec.games.puzzles to mean ‘the sort of person who will ask the words ending in -gry question without checking to see if five billion people have already asked it here before’. One assumes that the word is pronounced _new-gry_, in the style of _newbie_. Very fitting. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-boards-the-gry-bandwagon/174492/4 "2003-05-11T20:57:01Z")
Snopes’ explanation for the wording of the riddle left me more confused than anything. I had always assumed the “if you listened very carefully, I’ve already told you” bit refered to the part where you say “ending in -gry”-- with “gry” being the accepted answer to the puzzle. Meh. Peace, ~mixie ---
**Author:** ![Caesar\_s\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/73ab20/32.png) [@Caesar\_s\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caesar_s_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-boards-the-gry-bandwagon/174492/5 "2003-05-11T22:42:32Z")
Why would Snopes be required to mention Cecil? They don’t quote him, and basically the only thing connecting them is that Cecil wrote a column, and so did the Mikkelsons. There’s really no reason to mention him. Mixie, the original wording says “There are three words in the English language.” The first word would be ‘the,’ the second word would be ‘English,’ and the third word would be ‘language.’ ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-boards-the-gry-bandwagon/174492/6 "2003-05-11T23:10:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Caesar’s Ghost \* > \*\*Mixie, the original wording says “There are three words in the English language.” The first word would be ‘the,’ the second word would be ‘English,’ and the third word would be ‘language.’ \*\* I get it. I just didn’t think that was the most obvious conclusion to be drawn. ~mixie ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-boards-the-gry-bandwagon/174492/7 "2003-05-12T00:12:12Z")
**Caesar** said > [@](#): > > Mixie, the original wording says “There are three words in the English language.” But that’s the real stumper. How do you know they were the “original” wording? ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-boards-the-gry-bandwagon/174492/8 "2003-05-12T00:58:12Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by brianmelendez \* \*\*One of Cecil’s more obscure columns, hardly ever mentioned here at the SDMB, is [What are the three English words ending in -gry?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_251.html) I believe it is one of the most frequently asked questions here on the SDMB. Repeatedly asked in GQ. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-boards-the-gry-bandwagon/174492/9 "2003-05-12T01:05:59Z")
Xash, you’ve been whooshed. (No sense of verbal irony, I take it) ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-boards-the-gry-bandwagon/174492/10 "2003-05-12T01:27:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Governor Quinn \* > \*\*Xash, you’ve been whooshed. (No sense of verbal irony, I take it) \*\* Oh, sorry Gov. Pardon me. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-boards-the-gry-bandwagon/174492/11 "2003-05-15T16:18:12Z")
Gaaaaah! I was hit with a chain letter variant yesterday! > [@](#): > > \>Send this to 5 People and the answer will pop up on the screen > \>automatically. Yeah, right, sure…:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![malaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@malaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malaka)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-boards-the-gry-bandwagon/174492/12 "2003-05-15T17:31:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by brianmelendez \* > \*\*The article makes no mention, though, of the [“G or Y”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=109963) theory :rolleyes: \*\* From the article: > [@](#): > > The catch here is that by offering the examples of “hungry” and “angry,” the teller misleads the listener into thinking he’s asking for a word ending in “GRY” when he’s really asking for a word ending in “G or Y.” The correct answer in this case is “say,” a short word ending in “y” which the teller had pronounced three times in the course of presenting the riddle. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-boards-the-gry-bandwagon/174492/13 "2003-05-15T17:50:26Z")
Cecil wasn’t the first guy to write about this either, you know. I imagine there are other topics common to both sites - I happen to be a big fan of snopes as well. After I check my e-mail in the morning, I immediately check for new material on Snopes and the Straight Dope. ---
**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-boards-the-gry-bandwagon/174492/14 "2003-05-16T11:00:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by malaka \* > \*\*From the article: \*\* :smack: Thanks for the catch, **malaka**. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-boards-the-gry-bandwagon/174492/15 "2003-05-16T12:56:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by brianmelendez \* > \*\*The article makes no mention, though, of the [“G or Y”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=109963) theory :rolleyes: or the [1975 radio program](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=125917) (or any other supposed origin). Or Cecil. :mad: > \*I’m posting in MPSIMS instead of CCC because (1) it doesn’t get much more mundane and pointless than this, and (2) most other threads on this subject have appeared here, including one [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23894) by **Coldfire**. \*\* They sure do mention the ‘g’ or ‘y’ theory when relating how the riddle could have been succesful as being delivered orally: below from Snopes… “…The catch here is that by offering the examples of “hungry” and “angry,” the teller misleads the listener into thinking he’s asking for a word ending in “GRY” when he’s really asking for a word ending in “G or Y.” The correct answer in this case is “say,” a short word ending in “y” which the teller had pronounced three times in the course of presenting the riddle…” ---
**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-boards-the-gry-bandwagon/174492/16 "2003-05-16T13:00:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Philster \* > **They sure do mention the ‘g’ or ‘y’ theory when relating how the riddle could have been succesful as being delivered orally:** ::deja vu:: ---
**Author:** ![malaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@malaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malaka)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-boards-the-gry-bandwagon/174492/17 "2003-05-16T15:53:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by brianmelendez \* > \*\*::deja vu:: \*\* LOL! Proves my theory that people open threads, read the OP and then post…without reading any other messages. ---
**Author:** ![av8rmike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@av8rmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/av8rmike)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-boards-the-gry-bandwagon/174492/18 "2003-05-16T17:03:40Z")
Before reading that article, I posted in jest to a similar thread here that an answer was “puggry,” thinking I’d made up the word. Turns out there actually _is_ such a word, though not in English. Looks like I got whooshed in this one. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-boards-the-gry-bandwagon/174492/19 "2003-05-16T21:21:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeff Olsen \* > \*\*Gaaaaah! I was hit with a chain letter variant yesterday! > > > [@](#): > > > > \>Send this to 5 People and the answer will pop up on the screen > > \>automatically. > > Yeah, right, sure…:rolleyes: \*\* Actually, it’s possible that at least one out of five recipients will be a reader of either the Dope or Snopes and will respond with a short-tempered, “NOT THIS STUPID THING AGAIN, READ THIS LINK GODDAMMIT!” So the answer may very well “pop up on the screen automatically.” From a certain point of view. 😉