# The Amazing Race, 11/29 \[spoilers, not all of them boxed\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 30, 2009, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401 "2009-11-30T00:04:08Z")\ **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:** [November 30, 2009, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401/1 "2009-11-30T00:04:08Z")
Football delay? Only about five minutes’ worth. ---
**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:** [November 30, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401/2 "2009-11-30T02:01:46Z")
Best. Roadblock. Ever. Unfortunately, it led to one of the worst results ever. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401/3 "2009-11-30T02:13:48Z")
The show has aired on the East Coast. Fucking A. The 'Trotters have always sucked at the puzzle stuff, and they got one at the exact wrong moment. Damn! I’m sorry to see them go. It’s official – I hate the brothers. Hate hate hate them. No, wait, I hate hate hate the big lunkhead brother. Hate hate hate. Whiny bitch. ETA – it was, however, the best roadblock ever, fer sher. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401/4 "2009-11-30T02:14:37Z")
Such a shame such a well-traveled guy had never heard the phrase Kafkaesque or the name “Franz” (forget Kafka, how about Liszt, Shubert, or even the band Franz Ferdinand). And there’s no excuse for Dan not to have heard it either, but then again he though Prague was in Spain. I’ll miss Herb and Nate, they had such a sense of fun and had an infinite capacity to forgive each other. I would liked to have seen them roll the Golem of Prague through the streets as easy as an empty suitcase. Man, Ericka is still whiny. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401/5 "2009-11-30T02:15:23Z")
I would NEVER have taken the penalty. There were only 25 possible combinations of those letters. Even if it took you 5 minutes to complete a form, that’s only like 5 minutes over two hours to hand in EVERY combination. Versus over an hour trying in the first place then taking 4 hours for a penalty. That’s not unfortunate circumstances, that’s Killer Fatigue Stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401/6 "2009-11-30T02:16:33Z")
> [@Mehitabel](#): > > And there’s no excuse for Dan not to have heard it either, but then again he though Prague was in Spain. This, seriously. How do you even GET through college in the USA without apparently having ever encountered Kafka? ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401/7 "2009-11-30T02:16:46Z")
Can we add “spoilers” to the topic title just so everyone’s clear? ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401/8 "2009-11-30T02:17:47Z")
Does anyone remember if the clue for the roadblock mentioned Kafka? If it did, we’ve got three dumb teams. If it didn’t, I’d say we’ve got at least two and possibly a new rule for the race. ---
**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:** [November 30, 2009, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401/9 "2009-11-30T02:23:11Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > The show has aired on the East Coast. > > Fucking A. The 'Trotters have always sucked at the puzzle stuff, and they got one at the exact wrong moment. Damn! I’m sorry to see them go. > > It’s official – I hate the brothers. Hate hate hate them. No, wait, I hate hate hate the big lunkhead brother. I still don’t even bother to tell them apart. That was a dick move at the Roadblock, and the rabbis shouldn’t have accepted a golem with one arm hanging loose.[sup]\*[/sup] How far apart were the bars for the Lager Detour; three trips back and forth took all night? - That’s a phrase I never thought I’d hear myself say. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401/10 "2009-11-30T02:24:50Z")
I hope to god Megan and Chayne win, because I can’t stand the other two teams. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401/11 "2009-11-30T02:26:13Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I would NEVER have taken the penalty. There were only 25 possible combinations of those letters. Even if it took you 5 minutes to complete a form, that’s only like 5 minutes over two hours to hand in EVERY combination. Versus over an hour trying in the first place then taking 4 hours for a penalty. > > That’s not unfortunate circumstances, that’s Killer Fatigue Stupidity. Actually, it’s 120 combinations, but still it would have taken me a lot less than 4 hours to run through all 120 combinations, even if I were working purely at random. I can’t stand Erika either, and I’m amazed her family thinks she married beneath her. Right now, they may be the only ones. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401/12 "2009-11-30T02:29:30Z")
> [@Siege](#): > > Actually, it’s 120 combinations I’ll defer to you on that. I never was any good at figuring out that kind of number. I see five spaces and five letters and my brain says “That’s 25 possibilities”. It wouldn’t be the first time math has kicked my butt. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401/13 "2009-11-30T02:30:30Z")
It actually drops down to only 24 combinations once you know the first letter. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401/14 "2009-11-30T02:35:26Z")
It’s 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1. And c’mon, once you know the first letter is F … what’s the next letter gonna be, an R or an A, right? probably an R, and after that, hm, maybe the A? Keep going. Sheesh! ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401/15 "2009-11-30T02:37:06Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > It’s 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1. > > And c’mon, once you know the first letter is F … what’s the next letter gonna be, an R or an A, right? probably an A. Keep going. > > Sheesh! People get so frazzled when they think it’s a foreign word. Why of course Fnzra is a word in Czech! Same thing happened when they had to figure out “Chekov” ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401/16 "2009-11-30T02:39:42Z")
Yeah, but the asshole told him it was an F. Regardless of what language it might be, wouldn’t you start with letter combinations you’ve seen before? Argh, I’m so frustrated that they got eliminated over their inability to solve the damn puzzle. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401/17 "2009-11-30T02:42:56Z")
While I hate to perpetuate gay stereotypes (especially ones that definitely do not appy to me), Sam getting all upset over the dirt on the golem (“I’m covering up the dirt! We can’t give the rabbi a dirty golem!”) was hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401/18 "2009-11-30T02:51:25Z")
I have to think there was some kind of minimum time you had to wait between entries, there’s no other way that taking a 4 hour penalty makes sense. Sorry to see the Trotters go. We were really hoping the broken golem would mean the brothers had to start over. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401/19 "2009-11-30T02:54:21Z")
I’m upset. This isn’t who I wanted to see at the end. **jayjay** - If it makes you feel any better, it’s Sam (or Dan, I never did bother to tell one from the other) who perpetuated the stereotype. StG ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401/20 "2009-11-30T03:03:13Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > I have to think there was some kind of minimum time you had to wait between entries, there’s no other way that taking a 4 hour penalty makes sense. Sorry to see the Trotters go. We were really hoping the broken golem would mean the brothers had to start over. Yeah, when that one rabbi said, “Lets check this out” I was praying that it was no good. Or that the arm would fall off every time they hit a bump. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-11-29-spoilers-not-all-of-them-boxed/519401.md?page=2)