Clue Word Quiz

You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it. I’m Grant Barrett.

And I’m Martha Barnette, and joining us on the line from New York City is our quiz guy, John Chaneski.

Hi, John.

Hey, John.

Hi, Martha. Hi, Grant.

What is up?

Well, I thought I’d talk today about something. You guys know about that I collect board games. Is that right? You know that?

No, I didn’t know that.

I’m a game guy, I also collect board games.

I have several editions of the classic board game Clue, which is known outside of North America as Cluedo.

Always an interesting thing to know.

It comes from the word clue and the word ludo.

Which is the Latin word meaning play, I play.

Now along with fun gameplay, Clue has a lot of really wonderful parts to it that I really like, the characters, the weapons, and all those really cool rooms.

And when you play it you feel like you’re in a mansion.

So I’ve decided to write a clue quiz.

But I have one more reason for it, and I’ll tell you about it after the quiz.

Okay?

Okay, let’s hear it.

First, let’s add a few more rooms to the mansion. I’m going to give you some clues to some murders, tell you who did it, tell you what weapon they used, but you have to guess where the murder took place.

Now, all of these are rooms in a house, usually a fancy house, but not any of the ones in the board game Clue.

Okay.

For example, Miss Scarlet with a lead pipe in the place used for developing photographs. The dark room?

Yes, Miss Scarlet with a lead pipe in the dark room. That’s a good example.

Okay.

Here we go.

Mr. Green with the rope in the area where you leave your boots so the rest of the house stays clean.

The mudroom.

Yes, the mudroom. Very good.

Mrs. White with the candlestick in the place where you clean the clothes that got dirty in the mudroom.

The laundry?

In the laundry room, yes.

Colonel Mustard with the wrench in the spot where you run if someone dangerous enters the house.

The panic room.

Panic room.

Right, panic room or safe room. Ironic, though, that you’d be killed in the panic room. This would be the one place you would think you’d be safe.

Professor Plum with the revolver in the place where you store your Chateau Neuf-de-Bap.

It’s 1978.

Nice.

In the wine cellar?

In the wine cellar, yes.

Mrs. White with the candlestick, again, in the spot where you keep your trouble, your sorry, your operation, your clue.

In the game room.

Yes, in the game room.

Now, the reason I wanted to do a quiz about Clue is this.

You both know that sometimes a single word can be very important and influential.

Is that right?

Yes.

Sure.

Well, have you ever noticed that every character in the game of Clue has their own color, scarlet, mustard, green, but they don’t all have their own title?

The men are Mr., Professor, and Colonel, but the women are only Miss, Mrs., and another Mrs.

So I think this is unfair and not representative.

So in that spirit, I’ve created an online petition to ask Hasbro, the maker of Clue, to change the title of Mrs. White to Dr. White.

Oh, nice.

Yeah.

Bravo.

It’s 2016.

Thank you.

I think it’s about time Mrs. White earned her M.D. or her Ph.D.

Anything other than sharing a title with Mrs. Peacock.

I wholly support it.

It’s a great endeavor.

Thanks, John.

Where would we go to find that petition?

Well, we’ll add it on to the A Way with Words Facebook page.

How’s that?

Outstanding.

That’s a great place for it.

Sounds good.

John, thank you for another lovely quiz.

Thank you, guys.

Thanks, Grant.

Thanks, Martha.

All right.

Take care now.

Okay.

Bye, John.

Best to the family.

Thanks.

You too.

Bye.

Well, what do you know?

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