Contest winners

Last week’s contest about “Lucy translations”:/news/2008/contest-big-brain-two-year-old-tongue/ garnered lots of interest — and outstanding entries. Do we have some winners? As Lucy herself would say (as of late), “Yes!”

p{color:gray}. Photo: Lucy Boyd — getting smarter every day!

First, some observations:

* Two questions received no correct answers: “why-gee” and “box.” (For the complete answers, see below.)

* That final extra-credit question, “why-gee,” we expected was nearly impossible; “wedgie” and “Rosie” were our two favorite guesses.

* Three questions were translated correctly by every entrant: “brella,” “grilla,” and “amiwall.”

* At least one Mozart opera, _The Marriage of Figaro,_ was referenced, as were one spiritual (“Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”) and every toddler’s favorite indie band, They Might Be Giants.

* One anonymous entrant <cough> (Grandpa Boyd) <cough> littered his submission with allusions to America’s rail transport system.

* Some of you should schedule a trip to the physician, with all the references to hernias, Flonase, Botox, Tums, and flatulence.

* Our favorite wrong answer: “German for backside” for #16.

But with no further ado, here are the winners:

bq.. Bronze medalist (with a score of 10): *Sara S.*

Silver medalists (tied at 11): *Toni R.* and *Keri M.*

Gold medalist (12 correct): *Allie B.*

p. “Congratulations”:/news/2008/congratulations/ to all! Even the lamest entry <cough> (Grandpa Boyd) <cough> wasn’t far behind, with 6 correct — so three cheers to all. The winners will receive a special set of Lucy photo stickers, an autographed glossy of the Birthday Girl, and for Allie, a bag of Lucy’s favorite delicacy: M&Ms (the answer to question #11, which she was the only one to get right).

Here are the questions and the correct answers:

# penders = suspenders
# buff-uh-lye = butterfly
# effalunt = elephant
# mitz-itz-itz = Ritz Bitz
# upperdance = “underpants”:/news/2008/words-we-might-regret-teaching-lucy/
# brella = umbrella
# grilla = gorilla
# may-moe-noe = tomato
# flowcake = snowflake (and the word that inspired this contest)
# punj = sponge
# nums = M&Ms
# checkup = ketchup
# amiwall = animal
# box = fox (as in “Will you eat them with a fox? Will you eat them in a box?”)
# nilk = milk
# high-nee-uh = hyena
# fing-uh-low = flamingo
# blow-lit = blow on it
# extra credit: why-gee = raisin

Finally, it must be admitted that even Mama thinks she might have gotten one or two of these wrong herself!