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NOTE: This weekend challenge has been completed. If you’d like to guess the clues just for fun, go ahead, then see here for the answers and the name of this weekend’s winner.
This weekend, we’re doing things a little differently with some Skewed Clues. Below are 13 clues to the names of U.S. states. The object is simple: Guess which state is being referred to in each clue. We’ll start you off by giving you the answer to #1, one of the easier ones… “lbs. of laundry” would be “Washington.” Get it? Good.
1. lbs. of laundry?
2. pirate of know return?
3. Ritter’s posterior?
4. OILLIS?
5. no more mining?
6. Harry, for 3/4 yr.
7. graphite in the blood?
8. dirty player’s need?
9. Flash’s plea?
10. put to bed by Barb’s beau?
11. remember it?
12. a shade about nothing?
When you’ve figured them all out (or think you have), leave a comment to this post with your 12 numbered answers. You only get one shot, so be careful. The first with all correct will win a T-shirt!
FOUR IMPORTANT NOTES:
- One entry per player.
- At the end of your post, write which T-shirt you want from the store (you can browse all of our punny shirts by clicking the link above!)
- Comments are moderated, so they won’t show up until we release them. The correct answers (and the winner’s name) will be revealed first thing Monday morning.
- Due to the “esoteric” nature of this puzzle, your answers must match ours to win the prize, even if you have an alternate answer you think is valid. That said, if you’ve got a really hilarious and plausible answer that doesn’t match ours, you just might get a shirt out of that too.
Good luck!
Comments (34)
Comment
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1. Washington
2. Kansas
3. Texas
4. Illinois
5. Oregon
6. Indiana
7. Pennsylvania
8. New Jersey
9. Wyoming
10. Kentucky
11. Missouri
12. Colorado
Mental_Floss Logo T-Shirt size: L
posted by dagfinn on 10-20-2007 at 9:33 am
1. Washington
2.
3. Texas
4.
5. Oregon
6.
7. Pennsylvania
8. New Jersey
9. Wyoming
10. Kentucky
11.
12.
Looks like someone else beat me unless some of those are wrong. Honestly, I deserve to lose. I don’t understand the ones I didn’t get.
Oh, wait. #6, I just got. Cheeky. And #12. Still don’t get #2.
posted by Trevor on 10-20-2007 at 9:39 am
a joke i heard from the CUTEST old man i have ever met (you have to say it out loud to get it):
Why did Miss ‘Ssipi take Miss Ouri’s New Jersey? I-da-ho, Al-aska!
posted by mri on 10-20-2007 at 10:03 am
1 Washington
2 Delaware
3 Texas
4 Illinois
5 Oregon
6 Indiana
7 Pennsylvania
8 New Jersey
9 Wyoming
10 Kentucky
straight-up mental floss shirt, women’s mediun
11 Idaho
12 Colorado
posted by mri on 10-20-2007 at 10:14 am
1. Washington
2. Deleware
3. Texas
4. Illinois
5. Oregon
6. Indiana
7. Pennsylvania
8. New Jersey
9. Wyoming
10. Kentucky
11. Missouri
12. Colorado
Surprise me XL t-shirt with MF logo.
posted by John Brown on 10-20-2007 at 10:30 am
I’ll throw in my guesses. Pretty sure they’re not all right but I don’t think I can keep focusing on all day.
1. Washington
2. Arkansas
3. Texas
4. Illinois
5. Oregon
6. Indiana
7. Pennsylvania
8. New Jersey
9. Alaska
10. Kentucky
11. Maine
12. Colorado
Pavlov tshirt is my preference
posted by Ben on 10-20-2007 at 10:53 am
1. Washington
2. Delaware
3. Texas
4. Illinois
5. Oregon
6. Indiana
7. Pennsylvania
8. New Jersey
9. Wyoming
10. Kentucky
11. Maine
12. Colorado
Rhesus, please.
posted by John on 10-20-2007 at 11:00 am
1.Washington
2.Delaware
3.Texas
4.Illinois
5.Oregon
6.Indiana
7.Pennsylvania
8.New Jersey
9. Wyoming
10. Missouri
11. Colorado
posted by jzimm on 10-20-2007 at 11:13 am
oh, that was for a Idioms T size M
posted by jzimm on 10-20-2007 at 11:14 am
1. Washington
2. Delaware
3. Texas
4. Illinois
5. Oregon
6. Indiana
7. Pennsylvania
8. New Jersey
9. Wyoming
10. Kentucky
11. Maine
12. Colorado
Nice puzzle! I’m too late this week, but don’t forget the XL Macbeth Soap from last week!
posted by Mike Jackson on 10-20-2007 at 11:33 am
1. Washington
2. Arkansas
3. Texas
4. Illinois
5. Oregon
6. Indiana
7. Pennsylvania
8. New Jersey
9. Wyoming
10. Kentucky
11. Maine
12. Colorado
Freud (XXL)
posted by Andrew on 10-20-2007 at 12:02 pm
1. Washington
2. Delaware
3. Texas
4. Illinois
5. Oregon
6. Indiana
7. Pennsylvania
8. Tennessee
9. Wisconsin
10. Kentucky
11. Alaska
12. Colorado
Pythagoras Math Team, size Small.
posted by Stephanie on 10-20-2007 at 12:08 pm
I’m certain that someone has these already, but here’s what I came up with.
1. lbs. of laundry? Washington
2. pirate of know return? Arkansas Arr (pirate) – Kansas (Band with song Ponit of know return)
3. Ritter’s posterior? Texas
4. OILLIS? Illinois
5. no more mining? Oregon
6. Harry, for 3/4 yr. Indiana
7. graphite in the blood? Pennsylvania
8. dirty player’s need? New Jersey
9. Flash’s plea? Wyoming
10. put to bed by Barb’s beau? Kentucky
11. remember it? Missouri (know your missery and remember it)
12. a shade about nothing? Colorado
Menedl Large
posted by Olson on 10-20-2007 at 1:12 pm
I’ll learn how to type some day.
That was a Mendel T-shirt. Sorry.
posted by Olson on 10-20-2007 at 1:14 pm
1. Washington (washing=laundry, ton=pounds)
2. Arkansas (Argh=pirate, Kansas=band with song and album “Point of Know Return”)
3. Texas (Tex=Tex Ritter, as “ass”=posterior)
4. Illinois (”ill” in “ois”)
5. Oregon (ore=something that is mined, gon “gone”=no more)
6. Indiana (Harry, son of Princess “Diana” was “in” her for 3/4 of a year for a gestation of 9 months)
7. Pennsylvania (Pennsyl=pencil with graphite, vania=veins or blood vessels)
8. New Jersey (soccer or football players wear jerseys that get dirty as they play)
9. Wyoming (”Why, O Ming”=Ming the Merciless from Flash Gordon)
10. Kentucky (Ken=Barbie’s beau, tuck=tuck into bed)
11. Maine (Remember the Maine!)
12. Colorado (color=shade, much “ado” about nothing=Shakespeare comedy title)
Small “Simple as Pi”
posted by Karen Hansen-Smith on 10-20-2007 at 1:31 pm
1. washington
2.delaware
3. texas
4. illinois
5. oregon
6. indiana
7. pennsylvania
8. new jersey
9. wyoming
10. Kentucky
11. connecticut
12. colorado
idioms, women’s medium
posted by Amanda on 10-20-2007 at 2:49 pm
1 Washington
2 Arkansas
3 Texas
4 Illinois
5 Oregon
6 Indiana
7 Pennsylvania
8 New Jersey
9 Wyoming
10 Kentucky
11 Maine
12 Colorado
posted by dmflax on 10-20-2007 at 4:10 pm
1. Washington
2. Arkansas
3. Texas
4. Illinois
5. Oregon
6. Indiana
7. Pennsylvania
8. New Jersey
9. Wyoming
10. Kentucky
11. Maine
12. Colorado
Pluto Shirt, Large. Ta!
posted by Pat on 10-20-2007 at 4:45 pm
1.Washington
2.Arkansas
3.Texas
4.Illinois
5.Oregon
6.Indiana
7.Pennsylvania
8.New Jersey
9.Wyoming
10.Kentucky
11.Connecticut
12.Colorado
posted by Vodka Irish on 10-20-2007 at 4:53 pm
1.Washington
2.Arkansas
3.Texas
4.Illinois
5.Oregon
6.Indiana
7.Pennsylvania
8.New Jersey
9.Wyoming
10.Kentucky
11.Connecticut
12.Colorado
Small Pavlov
posted by Vodka Irish on 10-20-2007 at 4:54 pm
Whoops. Should have looked at the others before posting. Obviously not first.
ok, here’s one:
13. Scholar’s retreat.
posted by Pat on 10-20-2007 at 4:54 pm
14. True Democratic Decision
posted by Vodka Irish on 10-20-2007 at 5:06 pm
13. Rhode Island
14. Massachusettes
posted by Jill on 10-20-2007 at 10:30 pm
Hope I’m not too lame, I mean late:
1. Washington
2. Arkansas
3. Kansas
4. Illinois
5. Oregon
6. Indiana
7. Pennsylvania
8. New Jersey
9. Wyoming
10. Kentucky
11. Maine
12. Colorado
Women’s Pi Shirt
posted by aTribe on 10-20-2007 at 11:56 pm
I feel real lame, I only got Tex’s Ass. Perhaps because I lived in San Antonio and worked at the Alamo.
How about a contest of who has the coolest job?
posted by gus on 10-21-2007 at 4:27 am
1. washington
2. arkansas
3. texas
4. illinois
5. oregon
6. indiana
7. pennsylvania
8. wisconsin
9. wyoming
10. kentucky
11. maine
12. colorado
fun – took 90 minutes!
probably wrong or too late, but the scurvy or karl marx xxl are cool.
posted by gary vaness on 10-21-2007 at 5:08 am
Explanation for answer nr. 8, wisconsin: Wisk ( the laundry detergent ) on sin ( dirty player = sinner ). The answer is new jersey, but who knows how the poser posed this one?
posted by gary vaness on 10-21-2007 at 5:15 am
1. lbs. of laundry?–Washington
2. pirate of know return? Arkansas
3. Ritter’s posterior? Texas
4. OILLIS? Illinois
5. no more mining? Oregon
6. Harry, for 3/4 yr.–Indiana
7. graphite in the blood? Pennsylvania
8. dirty player’s need? New Jersey
9. Flash’s plea? Wyoming
10. put to bed by Barb’s beau? Kentucky
11. remember it? Maine (too easy)Alaska (I’ll ask her),Idaho–(I don’t know)
12. a shade about nothing? Colorado
posted by Alice on 10-21-2007 at 2:06 pm
Let’s try again and post the T shirt–duh!
1. lbs. of laundry?–Washington
2. pirate of know return? Arkansas
3. Ritter’s posterior? Texas
4. OILLIS? Illinois
5. no more mining? Oregon
6. Harry, for 3/4 yr.–Indiana
7. graphite in the blood? Pennsylvania
8. dirty player’s need? New Jersey
9. Flash’s plea? Wyoming
10. put to bed by Barb’s beau? Kentucky
11. remember it? Maine (too easy), Alaska (I’ll ask her),Idaho (I dunno)
12. a shade about nothing? Colorado
Scurvy XL T shirt
posted by Alice on 10-21-2007 at 2:10 pm
Am I too late to play?
1. Washington
2. Delaware
3. Texas
4. Illinois
5. Oregon
6.
7. Pennsylvania
8. New Jersey
9.
10. Kentucky
11. Alaska
12. Colorado
posted by Florence Miles on 10-21-2007 at 3:22 pm
1. Washington
2. Arkansas
3. Texas
4. Illinois
5. Oregon
6. Indiana
7. Pennsylvania
8. New Jersey
9. Wyoming
10. Kentucky
11. Nebraska
12. Colorado
I guess my answer to #11 was different. I thought it was “Remember it – ‘never ask.’”
In case I get lucky – Pi XL
posted by Susan on 10-21-2007 at 6:26 pm
1. Washington
2. Arkansas
3. Texas
4. Hawaii
5. Oregon
6. Indiana
7. Pennsylvania
8. New Jersey
9. Wyoming
10. Kentucky
11. Maine
12. Colorado
Pluto R.I.P (small)
posted by Joan on 10-21-2007 at 7:11 pm
I thought I was too late for sure, but it looks like I have one different idea…
1. Washington
2. Arkansas
3. Texas
4. Illinois
5. Oregon
6. Indiana
7. Pennsylvania
8. New Jersey
9. Wyoming
10. Kentucky
11. Delaware
12. Colorado
Scurvy – Women’s Small
posted by Tracy on 10-21-2007 at 11:32 pm
Not bothered to look through the list of answers to see if I was first or not, but here I go:
1. Washington
2. Arkansas
3. Texas
4. Illinois
5. Oregon
6. Indiana
7. Pennsylvania
8. New Jersey
9. Wyoming
10. Kentucky
11. Maine
12. Colorado
And a few others…
13. AI?
14. democratic presidential ticket?
15. Sport played in the water?
16. Ina
17. ladies coughing in unison?
18. Why aeou is sad?
Just in case, world physics society XL
posted by Ellen on 10-22-2007 at 8:37 am