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Last week on the Wheel of Fortune game show, yet another contestant had a slight slip-up, which resulted in missed winnings.
This happened during the Crossword Puzzle round, in which the contestants are expected to guess the words presented in the puzzle—nothing else.
Per usual, Pat Sajak instructed:
"Say everything. Don't add anything."
One contestant, David, gave his answer to "Catch of the Day" as:
"Sole, Flounder, Cod, and Catfish."
The next contestant, Danielle, then said:
"Sole, Cod, Catfish, Flounder."
When Sajak said this response was correct, Danielle said laughingly:
"I thought that's what you (David) said!"
To this, Sajak replied:
"I know it's always confusing. David did that thing that's so easy to do. You added the 'and'."
You can watch the segment here:
Wheel of Fortune does not need to be like this #WheelOfFortune https://t.co/EQ9E2R00dE— break up with your car, i'm bored (@break up with your car, i'm bored) 1617233697.0
This incident spurred a conversation on Twitter.
By using the word "and," David used a very natural part of speech. Some viewers felt that should be overlooked and demanded the rule be changed.
There were others, however, that understood how this was a technicality but still a simple rule at the same time. Answer the question in the correct format, no matter how strange it feels to your natural tongue, and you win the prize.
Simple, right?
Nonetheless, opinions were divided on this one.
Some called for a rule change.
@andymarabella @slashkevin Yeah. I think this is one of those rules that a little too easy for anyone to overlook and mess up.— Fedora The Explorer (@Fedora The Explorer) 1617315189.0
@slashkevin If he has to tell ppl every single time and in so many words not to say “and” then it’s a clunker rule.… https://t.co/BXF7i733Dj— Barbara Berendt (@Barbara Berendt) 1617353854.0
@slashkevin @PRguitarman This hurt to watch. There's no spectacle, just unfairness.— Nuvie Kitty (@Nuvie Kitty) 1617358204.0
@ChuckS659 If I have a shopping list that is written: -Milk -Egg -Bread -Toilet Paper But I read it as "Milk, Egg,… https://t.co/ltcitQsRy1— break up with your car, i'm bored (@break up with your car, i'm bored) 1617394333.0
Others simply said "rules are rules" in response.
@slashkevin Rules are rules— Rob Phillips (@Rob Phillips) 1617295999.0
@slashkevin If there is no "and" spaces on the board, read what it says and not what you think it should say. Simp… https://t.co/1XyPu6XM1X— Suja Anders (@Suja Anders) 1617290873.0
@slashkevin “And” was not part of the puzzle. Deeming it incorrect was correct. He was even told don’t add anything.— Karen Rubin (@Karen Rubin) 1617357270.0
A few pointed out Pat Sajak made winning quite simple.
@slashkevin @phillyrj There is no "and" in the puzzle. Solving it by adding words is not solving it correctly. Pa… https://t.co/zqL1HHRyJP— Olida Arnoe (@Olida Arnoe) 1617301743.0
@slashkevin @SujaAndersen I would only read the 4 things if explicitly told to only read the 4 things....It's really not that complicated.— MCS (@MCS) 1617301339.0
@slashkevin I get it, yes....I wanted him to win it, of course, BUT Pat DID say don't add anything! Pat knew people… https://t.co/Opp7CPv1C4— Todd Karashinski (@Todd Karashinski) 1617318580.0
@slashkevin Pat specifically and quite literally says don't add anything. If you can't follow clear instructions pe… https://t.co/XUfVmuBgLa— santo (@santo) 1617302706.0
It seems as many people were arguing for the preservation of the rules as those who wanted to see them changed, so there's no telling whether or not changes will be made.
But it's important to note that what David did was incredibly natural, and perhaps impulsive, to our speech patterns. Is that something that should be considered on a game show? Or should we push ourselves to follow an unnatural structure?
But then again, at the same time, people know to answer Jeopardy questions in the form of the question. Maybe answering in a somewhat unnatural way is all part of playing the game.