Old rhyme:
Eenie meenie miney mo
Catch a tiger by the toe
If he hollers, let him go
My mother said to pick the very best one
And out goes Y-O-U.
New rhyme:
Bibbity-bobbity-bet
Perverts on the Internet.
Sting 'em, bring 'em
To their knees
And out goes Mis-ter Sleaze.
Illustration by Bob Staake for The Washington Post
This week's contest was proposed by Elden Carnahan of Laurel, who wins a
tub of Camo-Off, moistened towelettes to remove camouflage paint. Elden
says kids need an updated version of those old children's selecting
rhymes so they can have a hipper, more relevant way to mindlessly narrow
their options by substituting pure chance for rational, critical
thought. (By the way, a friend who grew up on the South Side of Chicago
recalls a far better rhyme: "Acka backa soda cracka / Acka backa boo. /
Acka backa soda cracka / Out goes Y-O-U.") Your rhyme must (1) rhyme and
(2) must conform, at least loosely, to a point-and-shoot cadence that
permits the elimination of one item from a group. First-prize winner
receives a rare and valuable relic, an "In Gus We Trust" Washington
Redskins T-shirt, featuring a likeness of the quarterback who was the
glorious future of the franchise for an entire half-season. It is worth
$40.
First runner-up gets the tacky but estimable Style Invitational Loser
Pen. Other runners-up receive the coveted Style Invitational Loser
T-Shirt. Honorable Mentions get the mildly sought-after Style
Invitational bumper sticker. Winners will be selected on the basis of
humor and originality. Mail your entries to the Style Invitational, Week
308, c/o The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071;
fax them to 202-334-4312; or submit them via Internet to this address:
losers@washpost.com. Internet users: Please indicate the week number in
the "subject" field. Also, please do not append "attachments," which
tend not to be read. Entries must be received on or before Monday, Feb.
15. Important: Please include your postal address and phone number.
Winners will be announced three weeks from today. Editors reserve the
right to alter entries for taste, humor or appropriateness. No purchase
necessary. Today's Eye Chart No One Reads was written by Ned Bent of
Herndon. Employees of The Washington Post and members of their immediate
families are not eligible for prizes.
Report from Week 305, in which we gave you "Jeopardy!" answers and
invited you to supply the questions. Two excellent responses were too
popular to reward with prizes: Answer: "Jupiter, Venus, Mars and
Gaithersburg." Question: "Name four places with almost no atmosphere."
And: Answer: "Congratulations! It's a Goy!" Question: "What were the
first words spoken by the Three Wise Men upon the birth of Jesus?"
Sixth Runner-Up – Answer: Gold, Frankincense and ChicletsQuestion: What
do you give when you you've given all you can and there just ain't no
myrrh?
(George Murray, Vienna; Dave Ferry, Leesburg)
Fifth Runner-Up – Answer: Gold, Frankincense and ChicletsQuestion: What gifts were bestowed upon the King of the Chews?
(Jonathan Paul, Garrett Park; Jennifer Hart, Arlington)
Fourth Runner-Up – Answer: Cogito Ergo Something or OtherQuestion: What is the Descartes-Heisenberg principle?
(Paul Kocak, Syracuse, N.Y.)
Third Runner-Up – Answer: Cogito Ergo Something or OtherQuestion: What is a Cartesian "well?"?
(David Genser, Arlington)
Second Runner-Up – Answer: Congratulations! It's a Goy! Question: How
did the obstetrician break the news to the parents of the hermaphrodite?
(J. Larry Schott, Gainesville, Fla.)
First Runner-Up – Answer: A Llama, a Thermometer but not Elizabeth
DoleQuestion: What are some things that can climb with a man sitting on
them?
(Susan Reese, Arlington)
And the winner of the gas mask from Tel Aviv:
Answer:
Question: What is the only way to get the president's pants back up to his waist?
(Stephen Dudzik, Silver Spring)
Honorable Mentions:
Confucius, John Donne, and That Wascawy Wabbit
What are three things that Barbara Walters can actually pronounce correctly?
(Matt Michalak, Charles Town, W.Va.)
Cogito Ergo Something or Other
What is another way to say, "I think, therefore I am, I think." (Elden Carnahan, Laurel)
What is the subtitle of the book "Rene Descartes: The Early Years"? (Dave Pickering, Bowie)
Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and Gaithersburg
What are four places where real estate values are not likely to go up until teleportation is invented? (Mike Genz, La Plata)
What are three places with gravitational pulls and one place with tractor pulls?
(Jennifer Hart, Arlington)
Name four places where they seldom discuss Monet. (Bill Crandell, Silver Spring)
What final list of possible sites implies that Gaithersburg bribed
organizers of the 2008 Olympic Games? (Brian Broadus, Charlottesville)
Congratulations! It's a Goy!
What is a potentially actionable slip of the tongue in a Tel Aviv hospital?
(Stephen Dudzik, Silver Spring)
With what words did Ken Starr notify Monica Lewinsky of the results of the DNA test on her dress? (Joseph Romm, Washington)
What would be a clever graphic representation of the White House not appreciating the gravity of the situation?
(Chuck Smith, Woodbridge)
1)
2)
3)
Who do the Bulls have lined up to replace Michael Jordan? (Nancy McWhorter, Washington)
What has more counts, but less substance, than the impeachment charges?
(Russ Beland, Springfield)
What is: 4) None of the above?
(Dave Zarrow, Herndon)
What does Monica's dance card look like lately? (Amy Smitherman, McGaheysville)
Nipples on Men
What product name did not work out and was changed to Raisinets? (Jennifer Hart, Arlington)
In the Fire Island production of "The Sound of Music," what lyrics replaced "whiskers on kittens"? (Sandra Hull, Arlington)
What did women get after asking God for help with the kids? (Kelly Price, Severn)
What is sexier than nipples on a hagfish, but just barely? (Barry Blyveis, Columbia)
What would be a bad title for a newspaper column about men, by staff writer Al Nipples? (Tom Witte, Gaithersburg)
What are never, ever described as "perky"? (Chuck Smith, Woodbridge)
What is right on the tip of my tongue? Oh, wait, sorry, That's the
answer for Cogito Ergo Something or Other. (Jennifer Hart, Arlington)
What is the proof that God is a woman, and she has a sense of humor? (Sandra Hull, Arlington)
Gold, Frankincense and Chiclets
What were the gifts brought by the Two Wise Men and the Idiot? (Jim Sample, Alexandria)
What are the ingredients of gum arabic?
(Mark Eckenwiler, Washington)
Name three items found in the glove compartment of the Popemobile?
(Michael Jahr, Washington)
How did Matt Drudge report the Wise Men's gifts? (Chuck Smith, Woodbridge)
A llama, a thermometer, but not Elizabeth Dole
What items do you need to obtain the rectal temperature of a llama? (Barry Blyveis, Columbia)
Name two things associated with warmth. (Sandra Hull, Arlington)
President William Jefferson Hernandez
Who failed to discover the Fountain of Truth? (Jonathan Paul, Garrett Park)
Next Week: Youngian Therapy