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tod
08-04-2003, 08:48 AM
This weekend I noticed that some questions on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire -- Play It! were based on the periodic table and there was a question about what a "neon apatite" was and a whole row of compulsive Millionaire players picked "tropical fish" over "rock" and we were all surprised to see that it was a rock.

So a quick pass by the science section may be in order if you want to do well at Millionaire.

--T
============
Million point winner February 7, 2003, but I'll never admit it within 100 feet of Stage 17

millionairegirl
08-04-2003, 01:12 PM
I've also had two questions about anniversaries (i.e. the 50th anniversary is your golden anniversary). I didn't know that the 55th is your Emerald! Who knew!:mad:

tod
08-04-2003, 01:41 PM
Originally posted by millionairegirl
I've also had two questions about anniversaries (i.e. the 50th anniversary is your golden anniversary). I didn't know that the 55th is your Emerald! Who knew!:mad:

Nobody knows that. It's not standardized. A magazine recently called its 20th anniversary the "platinum" anniversary. Platinum. Then you go DOWN to silver at 25 and gold at 50.

I hate these nonspecific BS questions. Give me FACTS any day.

--T
:fez:

millionairegirl
08-04-2003, 02:45 PM
Originally posted by tod
Nobody knows that. It's not standardized. A magazine recently called its 20th anniversary the "platinum" anniversary. Platinum. Then you go DOWN to silver at 25 and gold at 50.

I hate these nonspecific BS questions. Give me FACTS any day.

--T
:fez:

I just looked it up, and I guess there are now two lists for this. The modern list and the traditional list. Platinum isn't on the traditional list. I presume that WWTBAMPI will only ask questions about the years that are the same on both lists (like 50th, 55th, and 60th). I mean if they asked about the 20th; how would you know if it's China or Platinum??

tod
08-11-2003, 03:56 PM
Made the Hot Seat again Sunday.

Got messed up at 500,000 with a question about whose love interest Sophie Western was: Tom Jones, Sherlock Holmes, Horatio Hornblower, or David Copperfield.

I know Sherlock Holmes' love interest was Irene Adler, so there goes that. David Copperfield? "Sophie Western" doesn't sound like a Dickens name. This leaves Horatio Hornblower and Tom Jones. I guessed "Horatio Hornblower." I was wrong. I have never seen the movie Tom Jones or read the book, which my great-aunt had given me at age 14. Darn it anyway.

Wait till next month.

--T
:fez:

DJ_MENTOS
08-11-2003, 05:18 PM
Thats too bad. I almost made the hot seat last Thursday on the Fastest Fingert Question. I took about 1 sec to look at the answers, and I knew the correct order. I was #2. How disappointing!!! Oh well, maybe next time.

rexfarms
08-11-2003, 09:45 PM
Originally posted by DJ_MENTOS
Thats too bad. I almost made the hot seat last Thursday on the Fastest Fingert Question. I took about 1 sec to look at the answers, and I knew the correct order. I was #2. How disappointing!!! Oh well, maybe next time.
And the person who was number one had to be a 4 year old kid just pressing buttons right? :p

hbquikcomjamesl
08-12-2003, 10:12 AM
So far as I know, the only big standard anniversaries are
1. Paper
25. Silver
50. Gold
75. Diamond
100. The Congressional Medal of Honor.

Hmm. Would 52 be playing cards?

tod
08-12-2003, 11:22 AM
First show Sunday the question was "Put these Arthur Miller plays in the order they were produced." Good luck. The winner was a seven year old girl (I think she was seven, she was certainly around there) and emcee Ellen, very surprised, said:

"Obviously, a big Arthur Miller fan."

--T
:fez:

DJ_MENTOS
08-12-2003, 11:36 AM
Originally posted by rexfarms
And the person who was number one had to be a 4 year old kid just pressing buttons right? :p
I had a little more dignity, it was a 14 or 16 year old girl, but she lost at the 1000 point question:mad:
Oh well, maybe I should start going over there more.

millionairegirl
08-12-2003, 12:09 PM
Originally posted by hbquikcomjamesl
So far as I know, the only big standard anniversaries are
1. Paper
25. Silver
50. Gold
75. Diamond
100. The Congressional Medal of Honor.

Hmm. Would 52 be playing cards?

For wedding anniversaries I've only heard of it going up to 65 (Diamond). But I do know that the 75th anniversaries of other entities (organizations, bridges, cities, states, etc) is the diamond.

I think Ellen (or is it Elyce, I like the woman with the shorter hair, not the one with the high squeaky voice) is my favorite host. She cracks me up. I could have sworn I saw one of the male hosts working the parking lot tram, but I didn't want to say hi. I'm not that big of a freak. Can anyone verify this?

I wish I had time to go more often. I don't like to play by myself either because I'm afraid I'll end up in the hotseat, and then have to admit that yes I am a freak.

tod
08-12-2003, 12:56 PM
Originally posted by millionairegirl
For wedding anniversaries I've only heard of it going up to 65 (Diamond). But I do know that the 75th anniversaries of other entities (organizations, bridges, cities, states, etc) is the diamond.

Like I said, it isn't standardized. I keep telling Mrs. tod our next anniversary is the "Great Big Tinker Bell With Her Butt Stuck In The Keyhole Statue" (http://cgi.ebay.com/disney/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2943867523&category=10160) Anniversary, but she doesn't seem to be buying it.


I think Ellen (or is it Elyce, I like the woman with the shorter hair, not the one with the high squeaky voice) is my favorite host. She cracks me up.

Elyce (sp?) has the short hair and she is great with contestants. Mrs. tod and my son have both said she's easy to work with, and I agree, but I'm gun-shy now because I mis-spoke with her and now I'm afraid to work with her again.

Ellen (shoulder-length hair, glasses) is very good. She was host when I got up to 500,000 on Sunday. She made points with me by shaking my hand on the way in to the Hot Seat, and remembering my son's name -- he had played on the previous show.


I wish I had time to go more often. I don't like to play by myself either because I'm afraid I'll end up in the hotseat, and then have to admit that yes I am a freak.

Don't worry about it. My family made a rule that you can't go unless you're eligible, so that regulates things nicely. May I suggest you follow the same rule. Anybody who plays to win when they aren't eligible -- THAT is a FREAK!!

--T
:fez:

millionairegirl
08-12-2003, 01:08 PM
Oh no, I would never even try to get in the hotseat if I were ineligible (I hate when they waste time trying to get someone in the hotseat and they say they're ineligible). I meant I don't want to play by myself and then end up in the hotseat without a family member or friend in the audience.

Polar33
08-12-2003, 01:48 PM
Originally posted by millionairegirl
(I hate when they waste time trying to get someone in the hotseat and they say they're ineligible).

Hey now...being top on the leaderboard and turning down the Hot Seat may be the closest some people (such as myself) ever get to actually playing the game. Unless they change that pesky "CMs are ineligible to play in the Hot Seat" rule.

I'm glad to hear that there are other hosts other than Mark that still appear. The past dozen or so times I've gone I've always ended up with Mark. Not that he's bad...I just could use a little variety.

tod
08-12-2003, 02:00 PM
Originally posted by Polar33
Hey now...being top on the leaderboard and turning down the Hot Seat may be the closest some people (such as myself) ever get to actually playing the game. Unless they change that pesky "CMs are ineligible to play in the Hot Seat" rule.[QUOTE]

A cast member who still plays? I'm willing to give you an exemption.

[QUOTE]I'm glad to hear that there are other hosts other than Mark that still appear. The past dozen or so times I've gone I've always ended up with Mark. Not that he's bad...I just could use a little variety. [/B]

I won the million with Mark. I'm okay with him. ;)

--T
:fez:

timl33
08-12-2003, 02:17 PM
Originally posted by rexfarms
And the person who was number one had to be a 4 year old kid just pressing buttons right? :p

Happened to me. 10 year old kid made it at #1. I was #2 in a packed house. The other worse thing is that when the 2nd hot seat person got out, I was #1, but we ran out of time. Arrrrgh. I'll get in the hotseat one of these days.

dingdong2U
08-12-2003, 07:41 PM
Lately, there have been alot of Elements/Atomic Number, Anniversaries, and quotes by famous people questions played on the shows I've sat in on.

There was a high up question "Which of these is not a Wallace and Gromit film?". The answer was "Steamboat Wally" (doing a search on Google came up with nothing). This to me should have been a 16,000 point question but I think it was at something like 250,000 or so. But, I guess it really depends on your area of knowledge that determines how hard the question is.

The Fastest Fingers have me looking crosseyed because I'll put them in the right order really quickly and I'll end up being #2 or lower just because someone else guessed the combination. One time I did a Fastest Finger in 2.79 seconds and was denied the hot seat because someone else put it in 0.67 seconds. Grrrrr... :-(

This past weekend the hosts were Elyse, Ellen and Ken Parks (the Pioneer Bellhop in Innoventions). One show was really cute though. A 9 year old girl made it into the hot seat via the Fastest Finger and instead of asking for assistance from her mother, she asked her 11 year old sister to come down.

I do sympathize with the "declining people" thing though. If you were #3 and then 2 people decline because of being ineligible or "cold feet" (I usually have the latter), you're gonna end up in the hot seat anyway.

There have been a few times where I've been eligible to get into the hot seat and end up declining because of getting cold feet. I've always had a problem with being in the middle of crowds and it's really disconcerting sometimes with regards to the hot seat. It's no problem for most people being in the audience and watching the person perform in the hot seat. But, when the tables are turned and all the eyes are on YOU, that's a completely different ballgame.

Changing the topic slightly on here: What is the weirdest or most difficult Fastest Finger you have seen while watching a show of Millionaire-Play It?

Mine would probably have to be "Place these commands given to Gort by Klaatu in 'The Day The Earth Stood Still' in order starting with the first."

--- Mike

tod
08-13-2003, 09:07 AM
Originally posted by dingdong2U
This past weekend... One show was really cute though. A 9 year old girl made it into the hot seat via the Fastest Finger and instead of asking for assistance from her mother, she asked her 11 year old sister to come down.

My son played after her.

--T
proud dad
:fez:

KarenW2
08-13-2003, 09:33 AM
The last time we went to DCA for Play It! was a real hoot. We were there the day of the Pirates event in July and went to spend a little time in the parks, while we waited for our room to be ready.

I was able to get a ticket for a ring of fire seat (my favorite place to sit, my DH prefers regular seats) and my DH sat behind me. In the first game, a kid got into the hot seat by hitting the buttons the fastest and had no knowledge of the question asked. He lost pretty quickly.

When they went to the board, the guy in the #1 spot was a "regular" we've seen there a lot and he declined. #2 was my DH, so when they went back to the board, he was now #1! They asked him who he was with and he said his "lovely wife of over 24 years" (aw shucks!) and they shot to me. He was playing quite well, using no lifelines, until he misidentified gruyere cheese as a FRENCH cheese, instead of a Swiss cheese. I groaned when he said it, as I knew it was Swiss, since it's usually in cheese fondue.

They went to the board for the next player, and the guy who was #1 and declined was there again! Cleared the board and guess who was now #1?? It was ME!! :D The CM who was walking my DH off to get his prizes told him to wait a second by the stage, since they'd already noticed where I was on the list.

It was the most fun we had playing Millionaire! I got all the way up to the 64,000 level, but missed the question asking what sort of creature a hooded something like "pitton" was. I thought it was a snake, but it turns out it was a bird!

Our host was Christy, the one we used to think must be related to Ellen, since they look alike and have similar mannerisms. We asked a CM one day, and she said THEY used to think they were related too, but found out they weren't!!

Christy was really cute when she was saying good-bye to me, after I missed my question. She went over the prizes I'd won (pins, hat, shirt, etc.), and then said, "But most importantly of all, you did better than your husband!!"

That was a first for me, since it was only my second time in the hotseat and my DH has been there several times, the highest level being the 250,000 level.

We agree with the "don't play again til you're elligible" rule too! It's so frustrating to watch them have to go thru several people (especially on the weekends) before they can find somebody who can go into the hotseat.

geo1bar2
08-13-2003, 05:10 PM
tod...
I was in attendance on Sunday also. Was your son the one who claimed that the Tortilla attraction was his favorite...that was unique! :D

tod
08-13-2003, 07:37 PM
Originally posted by geo1bar2
tod...
I was in attendance on Sunday also. Was your son the one who claimed that the Tortilla attraction was his favorite...that was unique! :D

Yep.

The answer was so good I used it myself when I got in the Hot Seat the next show.

This is tod's son. Thank you for remembering, it was a real morale-booster. When I'm up there (not very often) I try to point out things that are fun and interesting, but not at the center of attention, like Soarin' or Grizzly River. Incidentally, the time I went before that I used the line, and I was told that the person right before me in the previous show said the exact same thing. I wasn't too thrilled about this, but I got to 64,000. I didn't care much after that.

--T (senior and junior)
:fez: :fez:

TerryTiger
08-18-2003, 11:58 PM
Originally posted by dingdong2U
Changing the topic slightly on here: What is the weirdest or most difficult Fastest Finger you have seen while watching a show of Millionaire-Play It?

Quite a while back, the question asked to put these female African-American authors in order starting with the oldest. Maya Angelou, Alice Walker and 2 others I never heard of. When they went to the board, it flashed "ALL WRONG" and they had to throw the question out and ask a new Fastest Finger question.

Oddly enough, a few months later the same question was asked. This time tho, about 5 correct answers showed on the board. And of course it was a kid who got into the hot seat by just pressing buttons.

rexfarms
08-19-2003, 07:25 AM
Originally posted by TerryTiger
Quite a while back, the question asked to put these female African-American authors in order starting with the oldest. Maya Angelou, Alice Walker and 2 others I never heard of. When they went to the board, it flashed "ALL WRONG" and they had to throw the question out and ask a new Fastest Finger question.

Oddly enough, a few months later the same question was asked. This time tho, about 5 correct answers showed on the board. And of course it was a kid who got into the hot seat by just pressing buttons.

That is really amazing. Honestly, c'mon you guy. Who runs the Millionarie thing anyway? What dept? Who is in charge of what during the show. Does the the stage manager really do anything, or is he/she just for show?

tod
08-19-2003, 09:23 AM
Originally posted by dingdong2U
Changing the topic slightly on here: What is the weirdest or most difficult Fastest Finger you have seen while watching a show of Millionaire-Play It?

"Put these elements in order of Atomic Weight."

No, really. Made put-these-Arthur-Miller-plays-in-chronological-order look like a cakewalk.

--T
Eligible again on September 9
:fez:

Captain Josh
08-19-2003, 04:27 PM
About that eligibility thing, does it apply ONLY to CMs? Or their families as well?