mental_floss magazine
SUBSCRIBE >
GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS >
DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS >
subscriber services >
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 past weekend’s winners.
Players seemed to enjoy last weekend’s Skewed Clues, so we’ve brought them back for a new edition. Instead of the U.S. states offered in the last Genius Challenge, we’ve headed overseas this time around. Below are 15 Skewed Clues to the names of foreign nations. The object is simple: Guess which country is being referred to in each clue. We’ll start you off by giving you the answer to #1, one of the easier ones… “No one wins or loses” would be “Thailand.” Get it? Tie-land? Good. Here we go:
1. No one wins or loses?
2. Sick of ladies’ undergarments?
3. Where the dead live?
4. Land of carry-outs?
5. Where you can hold your head up?
6. It’s not easy being here?
7. It’s the word?
8. “e,” but without the “L”?
9. Home of Alfalfa?
10. Al’s not Down Under?
11. A great place to hang?
12. With or without the Sun God?
13. We are the Third Power?
14. Three Strikes?
15. Sheep, laughs, and mothers?
When you’ve figured them all out (or think you have), leave a comment to this post with your 15 numbered answers. You only get one shot, so be careful. The first with all correct (or the one with the most correct by Monday) 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 (60)
Comment
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Haiti
4. Hungary
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. El Salvador
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad (Election Ballots)
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
Achilles Small
posted by Terry on 10-26-2007 at 9:22 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Haiti
4. Hungary
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. El Salvador
9. Malta
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
posted by jenny on 10-26-2007 at 9:29 pm
Eh, in case that’s right (har har), just give me the biggest shirt you have.
posted by jenny on 10-26-2007 at 9:30 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Zambia
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Estonia
7. Greece
8. El Salvador
9. Malta
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
and in the off chance that that is right, I would like the Rhesus in a women’s small.
posted by MathFreak on 10-26-2007 at 9:44 pm
1 Thailand
2 Brazil
3 Netherlands
4 Togo
5 Ukraine
6 Greenland
7 Greece
8 El Salvador
9 Switzerland
10 Austria
11 Chad
12 Andorra
13 Cuba
14 Turkey
15 Bahamas
rhesus medium, in the unlikely event of that being right
posted by joe on 10-26-2007 at 9:45 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Barbados
4. Hungary
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. El Salvador
9. Iran
10. Austria
11. Somalia
12. Antartic
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
posted by Thomasina on 10-26-2007 at 9:47 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Zambia
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. El Salvador
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
posted by Song on 10-26-2007 at 9:50 pm
Oops Pythagorean size med.
posted by Song on 10-26-2007 at 9:51 pm
1 Thailand
2 Brazil
3 The Netherlands
4 Togo
5 Ukraine
6 Greenland
7 Greece
8 El Salvador
9 Switzerland
10 Austria
11 Chad
12 Andorra
13 Cuba
14 Turkey
15 Bahamas
I’d like the Pluto xl if I’m right
posted by Eli on 10-26-2007 at 9:53 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Haiti
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. El Salvador
9. SWitzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
posted by shawna on 10-26-2007 at 9:53 pm
and pavlov, women’s lg.
xo
posted by shawna on 10-26-2007 at 9:54 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Haiti
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. El Salvador
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
posted by Thomasina on 10-26-2007 at 9:54 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Haiti
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. El Salvador
9. Iran
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
posted by Megan on 10-26-2007 at 9:57 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Netherlands
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. Christmas Islands (No ‘L’)
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
I’ll go for the Scurvy women’s small
posted by Susan P on 10-26-2007 at 10:05 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Zambia (yay zombies!)
4. Togo
5. Argentina
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. Syria (e, as a mathematical number, is the sum of an infinite series, and thus is “serial”. Serial - L = Syria! If I’m lucky.)
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
Medium Pavlov, if only for the Eddie Izzard reference.
posted by Jaymeson on 10-26-2007 at 10:11 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. The Netherlands
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. Antilles
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
Pi shirt XXL (men’s)
posted by Kimberly on 10-26-2007 at 10:16 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Haiti
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. El Salvador
9. Malta
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
posted by paige on 10-26-2007 at 10:24 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Haiti
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. El Salvador
9. Malta
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
pluto
posted by paige on 10-26-2007 at 10:26 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Haiti
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. El Salvador
9. Malta
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
Pluto.
posted by Paige on 10-26-2007 at 10:26 pm
1 Thailand
2 Brazil
3 Netherlands
4 Togo
5 Ukraine
6 Hungary
7 Gabon
8 El Salvador
9 Switzerland
10 New Zealand
11 Poland
12 Sierra Leone
13 Cuba
14 Turkey
15 The Bahamas
Easter Island
posted by Tom Mullowney on 10-26-2007 at 10:28 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Haiti
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. El Salvador
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
Pluto t-shirt, XXL
posted by Andrew on 10-26-2007 at 11:57 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Zambia
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. Iran
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
Probably wrong, but oh well.
Pavlov (blue, M)
posted by Ryan on 10-27-2007 at 12:16 am
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Zambia
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. El Salvador
9. Iran
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
Pluto Womens Small.
posted by V on 10-27-2007 at 12:47 am
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Haiti
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. Iran
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
posted by Lee on 10-27-2007 at 1:03 am
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Zambia (alt. Finland)
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland (alt. ‘Spain)
7. Italy
8. Egypt
9. Malta
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Poland
13. Cuba
14. Tripoli
15. Bahamas
posted by Matt on 10-27-2007 at 1:37 am
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Zambia
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. El Salvador
9. Switzerland
10.Austria
11. Hungary
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
posted by NaechsteHaltestelle on 10-27-2007 at 3:01 am
1. No one wins or loses?
Thailand
2. Sick of ladies’ undergarments?
Brazil
3. Where the dead live?
Zambia
4. Land of carry-outs?
Togo
5. Where you can hold your head up?
Argentina
6. It’s not easy being here?
Cape Verde
7. It’s the word?
Greece
8. “e,” but without the “L”?
Salvador
9. Home of Alfalfa?
Switzerland
10. Al’s not Down Under?
Austria
11. A great place to hang?
Chad
12. With or without the Sun God?
Andorra
13. We are the Third Power?
Cuba
14. Three Strikes?
Turkey
15. Sheep, laughs, and mothers?
Bahamas
XL Pavlov if I get lucky — the Macbeth Hand Soap was so good I’m trying again.
posted by Mike Jackson on 10-27-2007 at 6:32 am
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Zambia
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. El Salvador
9. Switzerland
10.Austria
11. Hungary
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
posted by Lisa M on 10-27-2007 at 7:13 am
1 Thailand
2 Brazil
3 Netherlands
4 Togo
5 Ukraine
6 Greenland
7 Greece
8 Italy
9 Switzerland
10 Austria
11 Chad
12 Andorra
13 Cuba
14 Turkey
15 Bahamas
posted by Bo on 10-27-2007 at 8:21 am
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Zambia (yay zombies!)
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. Syria
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
posted by SongLee on 10-27-2007 at 8:21 am
Dang, forgot to add: idioms t-shirt
posted by Bo on 10-27-2007 at 8:22 am
1. No one wins or loses? - Thailand
2. Sick of ladies’ undergarments? Brazil
3. Where the dead live? Netherlands
4. Land of carry-outs? Togo
5. Where you can hold your head up? Ukraine
6. It’s not easy being here? - Greenland
7. It’s the word? Greece
8. “e,” but without the “L”? East Timor (Timor-Leste)
9. Home of Alfalfa? Switzerland
10. Al’s not Down Under? - Austria
11. A great place to hang? - Chad
12. With or without the Sun God? - Andora
13. We are the Third Power? Cuba
14. Three Strikes? Turkey
15. Sheep, laughs, and mothers? - Bahamas
Mental_Floss shirt, men’s small.
posted by Stephanie on 10-27-2007 at 8:45 am
1. Thailand 2. Brazil 3. Netherlands 4. Togo 5. Ukraine 6. Greenland 7. Greece 8. Syria 9. Switzerland 10. Austria 11. Chad 12. Andorra 13. Cuba 14. Turkey 15. Bahamas
Mental_Floss Mens xl
posted by dmflax on 10-27-2007 at 12:36 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Netherlands
4. Togo
5. Argentina
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. El Salvador
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
idioms, M
posted by jzimm on 10-27-2007 at 12:41 pm
though clue number 2 should be the Virgin Islands. haha
posted by jzimm on 10-27-2007 at 12:43 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Haiti (tough choice, but zombies are technically undead)
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. Syria (with a shout out to Euler!!)
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
Women’s Pi M
posted by aTribe on 10-27-2007 at 1:15 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Zambia
4. Togo
5. Palau
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. Somalia
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
Freud XXL if applicable.
posted by Ed on 10-27-2007 at 3:37 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Netherlands
4. Togo (I’d like that “to go.”)
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. El Salvador
9. Aruba (He’s “a rube”!)
10. Austria
11. Poland
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
In case I’m the first to get it right (I haven’t looked through the entries), the Marx “Sharing is Caring” in a medium.
posted by Tim on 10-27-2007 at 4:07 pm
1.Thailand
2.Brazil
3.Haiti
4.Togo
5.Ukraine
6.Greenland
7.Greece
8.Italy
9.Switzerland
10.Austria
11.Chad
12.Andorra
13.Cuba
14.Turkey
15.Bahamas
posted by Tracy on 10-27-2007 at 4:15 pm
Sorry T-shirt
Womens “Pie”
or “Lady Macbeth”
posted by tracy on 10-27-2007 at 4:16 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Netherlands
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland!
7. Greece
8. Syria
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Singapore (Sling)
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
XL
posted by Matty Hammers on 10-27-2007 at 4:45 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. The Netherlands
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Iran
7. Greece
8. El Salvador
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
Pi shirt XL (men’s)
posted by Jack Ray on 10-27-2007 at 4:48 pm
1. No one wins or loses?
Thailand
2. Sick of ladies’ undergarments?
Brazil
3. Where the dead live?
Netherlands
4. Land of carry-outs?
Togo
5. Where you can hold your head up? Ukraine
6. It’s not easy being here?
Greenland
7. It’s the word?
Greece
8. “e,” but without the “L”?
Syria
9. Home of Alfalfa?
Switzerland
10. Al’s not Down Under?
Austria
11. A great place to hang?
Singapore (Sling)
12. With or without the Sun God?
Andorra
13. We are the Third Power?
Cuba
14. Three Strikes?
Turkey
15. Sheep, laughs, and mothers?
Bahamas
XL
posted by Matty Hammers on 10-27-2007 at 4:57 pm
1.Thailand
2.Brazil
3.Netherlands
4.Togo
5.Ukraine
6.Greenland
7.Greece
8.El Salvador
9.Switzerland
10.Austria
11.Sweden
12.Andorra
13.Cuba
14.Turkey
15.Bahamas
Idioms M
posted by Anthony on 10-27-2007 at 6:13 pm
Thailand
Brazil
Netherlands
Togo
Germany
Greenland
Greece
Italy
Iran
Austria
Chile
Andorra
Cuba
Turkey
Bahamas
any
posted by Erin on 10-27-2007 at 10:00 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Netherlands
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. Israel
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
posted by Jaclyn on 10-27-2007 at 10:42 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
posted by Allan on 10-28-2007 at 12:43 am
3. Netherlands
4. Togo
5. China
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. Italy
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12.Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
large Freud shirt
posted by Allan on 10-28-2007 at 12:47 am
Accidentally hit return…I had all of them ready to submit at once… Honest!
posted by Allan on 10-28-2007 at 12:49 am
3) Delaware.
posted by BB on 10-28-2007 at 3:16 am
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Netherlands
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. El Salvador
9. Iran
10. Austria
11. Poland
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
xl scurvy
posted by Kelley on 10-28-2007 at 6:17 am
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Netherlands
4. Togo
5. Germany (hold that beer up!)
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. Italy (little e - L)
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad (of the hanging sort)
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15.Bahamas
L easy as 3.14…
posted by Chett on 10-28-2007 at 9:17 am
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. The Netherlands
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. Syria
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
idoms women’s L
posted by Moxy on 10-28-2007 at 9:50 am
1.Thailand
2.Brazil
3.Netherlands
4.Togo
5.Ukraine
6.Iran
7.Greece
8.Chile
9.Switzerland
10.Austria
11.Chad
12.Andorra
13.Cuba
14.Turkey
15.Bahamas
pluto men’s M
posted by Reza on 10-28-2007 at 11:34 am
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Zambia
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. Syria
9. France (Little Rascal’s Alfalfa’s from Paris)
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
posted by Sherri J on 10-28-2007 at 5:46 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. The Netherlands
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. Italy
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
14. Bahamas
I’d like the Pluto shirt men’s L, please.
posted by stellalunatik on 10-28-2007 at 8:42 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Netherlands
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
Missing two. Oh well.
Pluto large.
posted by Six on 10-28-2007 at 10:10 pm
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. The Netherlands
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. Italy
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
Any
posted by Ellen on 10-29-2007 at 8:36 am
I don’t know if it’s too late to submit, but I didn’t look at the other comments!
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Netherlands
4. Togo
5. Argentina
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. Italy
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. the Bahamas
Women’s Pluto XL
posted by Lisa on 10-29-2007 at 8:59 am
1. Thailand
2. Brazil
3. Netherlands
4. Togo
5. Ukraine
6. Greenland
7. Greece
8. Haiti
9. Switzerland
10. Austria
11. Chad
12. Andorra
13. Cuba
14. Turkey
15. Bahamas
Rhesus- Medium
posted by aeamathis on 10-29-2007 at 9:52 am