WoF Retro Recap: November 6, 1998

EPISODE #2970: ULTIMATE ADVENTURES

Zack Hughes: account executive at a professional employment organization in Dallas who’s fan of the Cowboys from Grand Prairie, TX

Patricia Grant: retired officer and computer programmer who worked in a non-profit ministry with homeless people and a mom of identical twins from San Antonio, TX

Heather Wilder: sales representative for a major chocolate manufacturing company and recent graduate of the University of Georgia (she’s a fan of the Bulldogs) who had two fox terriers named Daisy and Georgia from Peachtree City, GA

Round 1: PHRASE

Zack: $1,800 T pair, $400 H, three E’s, R for rats

Patricia: S for sorry

Heather: $1,200 N trio, $300 D, A for awful

Zack: two I’s, $250 G, one O (NMV), C for CRITICAL DUD

Patricia: $1,800 M pair, one F for Free SPIN (complete board)

T H E / D E F I N I N G
M O M E N T

She read the answer for $1,800.

FEATURED PRIZE: SONY home entertainment system including a 35″ Trinitron stereo TV, hi-fi stereo VCR, and a max TV surround sound audio system worth $4,814 (ENTERTAINMENT)

Round 2: PROPER NAME (PUZZLER)

Patricia: one T for ENTERTAINMENT, $600 R pair, $2,500 S, four E’s, $1,200 N pair, $1K L pair, three A’s, $1,100 C pair, $1,800 M pair, PAINFUL BANKRUPT near $250 ($12,514 and ENTERTAINMENT lost) and used FS, $500 H pair, STRUCK OUT w/ D for dud

Heather: $1,200 K pair, solve…

C H A M _ _ _ N
_ _ _ _ R E / S K A T E R
M _ C H E L L E / K _ A N

She IDed CHAMPION FIGURE SKATER MICHELLE KWAN for $1,200 and tried to turn that 1 into a 4 by solving this PLACE…

I _ _
R I _ _

With a second to spare, she realized Michelle was a former champion on the ICE RINK.

Zack: ZERO/Patricia: $1,800/Heather: $4,200

---

FEATURED PRIZE #2: river rafting vacation in Idaho on the Snake River through Hell’s Canyon worth $7,300 (RAFTING

Jackpot Round: THING

Heather: $300 T, no R on JACKPOT

Zack: $1,200 S pair, no N

Patricia: BANKRUPT near JACKPOT

Heather: D for dud

Zack: $1,200 L pair, two E’s, sole dud vowel of A

Patricia: M for mistake

Heather: $250 W, $300 K, solve…

W _ _ T E
S _ L K / _ L _ _ S E

Heather solved the WAYW? item of WHITE SILK BLOUSE for $850.

JACKPOT ENDED AT: $8,650

Zack: ZILCH/Patricia: $1,800/Heather: $5,050

---

Speed-Up: PEOPLE

We fell short of the big one, so $300 per consonant here.

Zack: S
Patricia: 3 T’s
Heather: 3 H’s
Zack: R
Patricia: N
Heather: M
Zack: Y
Patricia: D (DUD)
Heather: 2 E’s
Zack: L (DUD)
Patricia: A (DUD)
Heather: C (NMC)

T H E / R H Y T H M
S E C T _ _ N

Heather solved THE RHYTHM SECTION for $1,500.

PENALTY BOX	DUDS	LaTs	BANKRUPTS	DQs
Round 1	R (Zack), S (Patricia), A (Heather), C (Zack)
Round 2	D (Patricia)		Patricia
Round 3	R (Heather), N (Zack), D (Heather), A (Zack), E (Patricia)		Patricia
Round 4	D (Patricia), L (Zack), A (Patricia)

FINAL SCORES
Zack: PARTING GIFTS/Patricia: $1,800/Heather: $6,550

GT: an underwhelming $8,350
BANKRUPT TRASH (all by Patricia): $12,514 cash & entertaiment

---

Bonus Round

Heather chose the W from W-EE-.

Category: THING

It’s a part of your body…

R _ _
_ _ _ E

DCMA gave her…

R _ _
C A _ E

Jim from the previous night did cost us a PBRW, but this lady got RIB CAGE and won the outdoor adventure prize package (Coleman camping and canoeing gear, trip to Falcon’s Ledge in Utah, and Mitsubishi Montero 2WD SUV) worth $38,250, giving her a final total of $44,800 cash & prizes. She was greeted by her mom.

MY RATING: 6

WoF Retro Recap: November 5, 1998

EPISODE #2969: ULTIMATE ADVENTURES

Jim Czarnota: fireman in the town of Libertyville married w/ three kids from Mundelein, IL

Ryan Orfe: student attending the Air Force academy who hoped to go to pilot training after he’s done (and he has never had a cavity in his life) from Delran, NJ

Tiffany Buckins: visual merchandise manager married to her husband Monte (they have 2 cats named Honey and Baby) from Allison Park, PA

Round 1: LANDMARK

Jim: $600 R, $600 T pair, three E’s, $300 H, $300 F, $600 W, two O’s, $700 L, solve…

T H E / L E _ _ _ _ _
T O W E R / O F
_ _ _ _

He IDed THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA for a $2,600 PR, though he paused before and after the word OF.

FEATURED PRIZE: water and fog-proof binoculars from Bushnell and an Olympus DLX quartz date camera worth $2,420 (CAMERA)

Round 2: THE 60’s (PUZZLER)

Ryan: $800 N, LaT

Tiffany: $1K T pair, $1,800 S pair, $450 H, three A’s and four E’s, $500 R pair, $250 D, $300 M, three O’s, solve…

T H E S E / _ O O T S
A R E / M A D E
_ O R / _ A _ _ _ N ‘

…but she’s DQed for adding a G at the very end of the puzzle.

Jim: one W for Free SPIN, $250 K, $500 F, $600 B, solve…

T H E S E / B O O T S
A R E / M A D E
F O R / W A _ K _ N ‘

He’s right w/ “THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKIN'” for $1,350. Now he needed to ID the PROPER NAME of the singer who made that song famous…

_ A _ _ Y
_ _ _ A T _ A

He only got the last name of NANCY SINATRA.

Jim: $3,950 FS/Others: $0 each

---

FEATURED PRIZE #2: 1wk trip to the Chateau Lake Louise Resort in the Canadian Rockies worth $7,590 (CANADA)

Jackpot Round: BEFORE & AFTER

Tiffany: $1,200 T pair, S for strikeout

Jim: BANKRUPT near JACKPOT

Ryan: NULL CYCLE?, M for mistake

Tiffany: two H’s for CAMERA, N for negative

Jim: four R’s for $2,400, six E’s, $14K C quartet, CRITICAL PURCHASES OF BOTH DUD VOWELS OF I and U ($15,650 at risk)

Ryan: $300 V, $300 D, $300 Y, $300 L (NMC), solve…

C H _ C _ L _ T E –
C _ V E R E D
C H E R R Y
T R E E

He solved CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHERRY TREE for $1,200.

JACKPOT ENDED AT: $11,950

Jim: $3,950/Ryan: $1,200/Tiffany: BUPKIS

---

Speed-Up: PHRASE

Consonants were worth $300 apiece.

Jim: R
Ryan: 3 T’s
Tiffany: 2 S’s
Jim: J (WHA?!)
Ryan: F (DUD)
Tiffany: P
Jim: H (DUD)
Ryan: C (DUD)
Tiffany: D (DUD)
Jim: L (DUD)
Ryan: M
Tiffany: 2 N’s
Jim: W

_ _ _ / M _ S T
_ _ / P R _ S _ N T
T _ / W _ N

YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN, Jim, and he did for $600.

PENALTY BOX	DUDS	LaTs	BANKRUPTS	DQs
Round 1	PERFECT ROUND
Round 2		Ryan		Tiffany‘s G addition in solve
Round 3 (aired)	S (Tiffany), M (Ryan), N (Tiffany), I, U (both by Jim)		Jim
Round 4	J, H, L (Jim) F, C (Ryan) D (Tiffany)

FINAL SCORES
Jim: $4,550/Ryan: $1,200/Tiffany: PARTING GIFTS

GT: a dismal $5,750
NO BANKRUPT TRASH

---

Bonus Round

After those bad blunders by Jim, I’m not so confident about his chances here after he picked the first E from W-EE-.

Category: THING

Complete this idiom: “everything but the…”…

_ _ T _ _ E N
S _ N _

He WIPED OUT w/ an interesting combo of GJMO and was way off w/ LISTEN SONG and GETTING SONG; it was KITCHEN SINK and he lost the biking adventure.

MY RATING: 3

WoF Retro Recap: November 4, 1998

EPISODE #2968: ULTIMATE ADVENTURES

Jerrold Greenwood: Army recruiter for 9 years married for 3 years (and he was the fastest man at Fort Bragg and was clocked at 9.9 seconds) from Jackson, MS

Ashish Vakharia: 3rd year dental student at University of Pittsburgh from Pittsburgh, PA

Belinda Brown: paralegal and big NASCAR racing fan married to Dwayne for 12 years and has a six-month-old puppy from Tampa, FL

Round 1: FICTIONAL CHARACTER (PUZZLER)

Jerrold: one R for Free SPIN, BANKRUPT just as quick

Ashish: LaT

Belinda: $300 T, $300 L, one E, S for sorry

Jerrold: $900 C, bad U buy and used FS, $1,100 K pair, solve…

C L _ R K
K E _ T

He IDed Superman’s alter ego of CLARK KENT for $1,750. The THING puzzle for him to solve…

K _ _ _ T _ _ _ T E

He knew Superman’s weakness of KRYPTONITE.

FEATURED PRIZE: pair of cowboy boots from R.J.’s Boot Company and Stelzing country wear worth $5K (WESTERN WEAR) 

Round 2: WHERE ARE WE?

Ashish: $900 N trio, one E, $1,800 S trio, four A’s, T for terrible on $2,500

Belinda: R for rats

Jerrold: C for crud

Ashish: two I’s, $600 G, $700 L, one O, one M for WESTERN WEAR, two U’s (NMV), CRITICAL DUD of P ($7,750 cash & clothing at risk)

Belinda: $600 F, $900 H, $300 J, $1,200 K pair, solve…

J U N E A U
K A _ A K S
S A L M O N / F I S H I N G 

She solved for $3K and knew that JUNEAU, KAYAKS, SALMON FISHING are associated w/ Alaska.

Jerrold: $4,750/Ashish: ZIP/Belinda: $5K

---

FEATURED PRIZE #2: trip to The Ranch At Ucross in Wyoming worth $3,890 (DUDE RANCH)

Jackpot Round: CLASSIC TV

Belinda: $600 T pair, N for negative

Jerrold: four S’s for $1,800, D for dud

Ashish: $1,050 R trio, three A’s, $700 Y, $300 H, buys of E and U, $900 L trio, last consonant of G on JACKPOT…

S A L L Y
S T R U T H E R S
A S / G L _ R _ A

He IDed SALLY STRUTHERS AS GLORIA (from “All In the Family”) for $2,200 and the $7,950 pot!

Jerrold: $4,750/Ashish: $10,150/Belinda: $5K

---

Speed-Up: SAME NAME

Consonants were worth $600 apiece.

Jerrold: S (DUD)
Ashish: N (DUD)
Belinda: 2 R’s
Jerrold: T (DUD)
Ashish: P
Belinda: L
Jerrold: A
Ashish: D
Belinda: Y (HUH?!)
Jerrold: E
Ashish: K (HUH?!)
Belinda: G
Jerold: O
Ashish: U (DUD)
Belinda: M (DUD)
Jerrold: F (DUD)
Ashish: 4 I’s

P R A I R I E / &
_ _ I L I
D O G

It took a while, but Ashish solved PRAIRIE & CHILI DOG for $1,200 more.

PENALTY BOX	DUDS	LaTs	BANKRUPTS	DQs
Round 1	S (Belinda), U (Jerrold)	Ashish	Jerrold
Round 2	T (Ashish), R (Belinda), C (Jerrold), P (Ashish)
Round 3	N (Belinda), D (Jerrold)
Round 4	S, T, F (Jerrold) N, K, U (Ashish) Y, M (Belinda)

FINAL SCORES
Jerrold: $4,750/Ashish: $11,350/Belinda: $5K

GT: $21,100
NO BANKRUPT TRASH

---

Bonus Round

Ashish chose the L from W-EEL.

Category: THING

Stingy RSTLNE help…

_ _ _ / T _ _

BWKO’s an interesting combo…

B O _ / T O _

…but it’s good enough for him to solve BOX TOP for the extreme sports adventure (he’ll go to Las Vegas for a week of tandem skydiving and Grand Canyon explorations, Copper Mountain, CO for private snowboarding lessons, and New Zealand for bungee jumping and kayaking) from RPMC worth $23,424; he ended his night w/ a total of $34,774 cash & prizes. He was greeted by his parents Pravin and Dina.

MY RATING: 6

WoF Retro Recap: November 3, 1998

EPISODE #2967: ULTIMATE ADVENTURES

Katrina Walasek: bank officer married w/ three kids who practices Taekwondo from Houston, TX

Maggie Palomo: actor/interpreter for Spanish who likes seeing Latin jazz bands from Santa Monica

David Hughes: morning talk show radio host who got married three days ago (it was supposed to be two, but because of this show, their honeymoon was moved to two days) from McComb, MS

Round 1: PLACE (PUZZLER)

Katrina: insta-dud of T

Maggie: $400 R, $1,200 N pair, one E, S for sorry

David: $900 G, $600 M pair, $700 C, solve…

M _ N _ C _
G E R M _ N _

David located MUNICH, GERMANY for $2,200 and tried to earn more by solving this THING…

S _ U _ R _ R _ U T

He knew this city makes SAUERKRAUT.

FEATURED PRIZE: Hang Ten surfing package worth $3,050 (SPORTS)

Round 2: SLOGAN

Maggie: $600 R (her voice was cracking because of that close call), two E’s, $500 T pair, $450 H, two O’s, F for flunk

David: $900 N, $300 L, one I (NMV), $800 D, solve…

T H E / _ O R L D
O N / T I _ E

He IDed “THE WORLD ON TIME” for $1,750, but incorrectly said Seiko for the bonus answer. The actual answer wasn’t really a watch co. — it’s FedEx.

David: $6,950/Ladies: $0 each

---

FEATURED PRIZE #2: 12d Collette Tour of Italy worth $7,900 (ITALY)

Jackpot Round: HEADLINE

David: LaT right off

Katrina: two N’s for $900, $550 T, five E’s, two W’s for ITALY, $3,500 H, one A and I, CRITICAL DUD of L ($12,100 cash & trip at risk)

Maggie: $1,400 S pair, two O’s, $1,650 M trio, $2K R quintet, solve…

M A R _ / M _ _ W I R E
S E T S / N E W
H O M E / R _ N
R E _ O R _

She solved “MARK MCGWIRE SETS NEW HOME RUN RECORD” for $4,800.

JACKPOT ENDED AT: $12,050

Katrina: ZERO/Maggie: $4,800/Mark: $6,950

---

Round 4: BEFORE & AFTER

Katrina: $750 T trio, $750 S trio, two I’s, $600 N pair, three E’s, $600 D pair, $1,600 R pair, solve…

D E N T I S T ‘ S
D R I _ _
S E R _ E _ N T

She solved DENTIST’S DRILL SERGEANT for a $3,800 PR. And I thought she left out the S at the end first word, but she got away with it.

Katrina: $3,800/Maggie: $4,800/Mark: $6,950

Speed-Up: THING

Uh oh, it’s a $5K Final Spin!

Maggie: R
David: S (DUD)
Katrina: D
Maggie: C
David: 2 A’s

A _ _
C A R D

David, it’s not ACE CARD or ART CARD.

Katrina: S (DUPE)
Maggie: N (DUD)
David: H (DUD)
Katrina: L (DUD)
Maggie: T

A T _
C A R D

Maggie would use an ATM CARD to withdraw $15K.

PENALTY BOX	DUDS	LaTs	BANKRUPTS	DQs
Round 1	T (Katrina), S (Maggie)
Round 2	F (Maggie)
Round 3	L (Katrina)	David
Round 4	PERFECT ROUND
Round 5	S, H (David) L (Katrina) N (Maggie)			3 (David‘s botched solves, Katrina’s S repeat)

FINAL SCORES
Katrina: $3,800/Maggie: $19,800/David: $6,950

GT: $30,550
NO BANKRUPTS!

---

Bonus Round

Maggie chose the first E from W-EEL.

Category: THING

Just an R to start…

_ R _ _ _ _

CDHA gave her two more and this is a day of the week…

_ R _ D A _

This episode didn’t air on a FRIDAY, but she got the answer and won the cash for a final all-cash total of $44,800. Oh, and she kissed her lucky amulet she brought w/ her to the show.

MY RATING: 7

WoF Retro Recap: November 2, 1998

All shows of October 1998 have been covered and now we jump into the beginning of November 1998 for Ultimate Adventures.

EPISODE #2966: ULTIMATE ADVENTURES

Vera Morris: the reigning Miss North Carolina USA aka Miss Congeniality who volunteered for Special Olympics and did public speaking from Nashville, NC

Eileen Clements: retired postmaster and big Beanie baby collector who had two children, 5 stepchildren, and 19 grand children from Burlington, WI

Jeff Powell: a recently married worker at Nellis Air Force base in the munitions area who was voted Airman of the Year for the munitions bombed at Nellis and was rec from Las Vegas

Round 1: SHOW BIZ

Vera: $300 R, $400 T, four E’s, LaT

Eileen: $550 L, one A, $300 H, N for negative

Jeff: $250 K, $550 G, solve…

R E G _ _ / &
K A T H _ E / L E E

He IDed the talk show hosts at the time as REGIS & KATHIE LEE for $800.

FEATURED PRIZE: $2,500 Foot Locker shopping spree (SPORTS)

Round 2: QUOTATION (PUZZLER) 

Eileen: $500 N pair, $1,600 R pair, two E’s, $2,200 T quartet, two O’s, three H’s for SPORTS, $250 F, two A’s, LaT ($3,800 + SPORTS at risk)

Jeff: $700 D pair, $1,400 S pair, solve…

A N D / T O / T H E
R E _ _ _ _ _ _
F O R / _ H _ _ H
_ T / S T A N D S

He recited “AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS” for $2,100. Did he know where these words come from in this PUZZLER under THING?…

_ L E _ _ E

He knew it came from the “PLEDGE of Allegiance”.

Jeff: $5,900/Ladies: $0 each

---

FEATURED PRIZE #2: Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club in Florida worth $4,150 (FLORIDA)

Jackpot Round: PLACE

Jeff: $1,600 R pair, E for end of turn

Vera: $600 T pair, L for loss of turn

Eileen: $600 S, G for goof

Jeff: one C for FLORIDA, $800 N, two O’s, $450 D, THROWAWAY DUD of J (huh?!)

Vera: $600 H, $1,800 K pair, D repeat

Eileen: $300 B, solve…

B _ S _ _ R C K
N O R T H / D _ K O T _

She located BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA for $900.

JACKPOT ENDED AT: $10,900

Vera: ZERO/Eileen: $900/Jeff: $5,900

---

Round 4: THING

Vera: insta-dud of T

Eileen: $700 S, H for halt

Jeff: BANKRUPT near $250

Vera: $800 R

SPEED-UP

R _ S _ _
_ _ _ _ _

Consonants were worth $300 a pop.

Vera: L (DUD)
Eileen: I
Jeff: C (he said that in Eileen’s time)
Vera: N (DUD)
Eileen: K (UGH!)
Jeff: P
Vera: Y
Eileen: V (NMC)

R _ S P Y
V _ I C _

Some people may have a RASPY VOICE, and Eileen solved for $1K.

PENALTY BOX	DUDS	LaTs	BANKRUPTS	DQs
Round 1	N (Eileen)	Vera
Round 2		Eileen
Round 3	E (Jeff), L (Vera), G (Eileen), J (Jeff)			Vera‘s D repeat
Round 4	T, L, N (Vera) H, K (Eileen)		Jeff

FINAL SCORES
Vera: PARTING GIFTS/Eileen: $1,900/Jeff: $5,900

GT: a dismal $7,800
NO BANKRUPT TRASH

---

Bonus Round

The non-$25K prizes on this first week of November 1998…

• Jeep Wrangler + bike ($28K+)
• Falcon’s Ledge in Utah plus camping gear and Mitsubishi Montero ($38K+)
• golf adventure
• extreme sports package (skydiving, snowboarding, bungee jumping and more) ($23K+)

Jeff chose the H.

Category: THING

It’s the yellow substance after you crack its shell…

E _ _
_ _ L _

CKFO gave him most of the second word…

E _ _
_ O L K

He quickly ate the EGG YOLK and won the golf adventure (Pebble Beach for a week plus 1 hr. golf lessons every day during his trip, Fila golf clubs, and Dynamis remote control golf caddy) worth $17,680, giving him a final total of $23,580 cash & prizes. He was greeted by his wife Tegan and little sister Hillary.

MY RATING: 5

WoF Retro Recap: October 2, 1998

EPISODE #2945: FRENCH & ITALIAN RIVIERA

Jamie Rohn: recent graduate of the Air Force Academy who’s marred and celebrating his honeymoon w/ Laverne as well as heading to Randolph AFB for contracting from San Antonio, CA

Jennifer Miller: livestock trader and goat trainer from Warrensville, NC

Shirley Bricker: a twice retired and married lady of 35+ years to Frank w/ two sons and four grandkids from Whittier, CA

Round 1: SHOW BIZ

Jamie: $400 T, $750 H trio, three E’s, G for goof

Jennifer: R for rats

Shirley: $600 S, BANKRUPT

Jamie: P for phooey

Jennifer: $500 W pair, LaT

Shirley: $250 L, $250 M, solve…

T H E / H _ W _ E
M _ _ _ E L / S H _ W

She IDed “THE HOWIE MANDEL SHOW” for $500.

FEATURED PRIZE: Italjet motorscooter worth $3,149 (SCOOTER)

Round 2: EVENT

Jennifer: $900 R trio, $1,200 L trio, no G on Free SPIN

Shirley: $600 S, $2,500 M, $900 P, one I, $2,100 T trio, four A’s, $500 C pair, four E’s, solve…

A
C A T E R P I L L A R
_ E C _ M E S / A
_ _ T T E R _ L _

She solved A CATERPILLAR BECOMES A BUTTERFLY for $5,850 and a chance at more from this PUZZLER under THING…

_ O _ O O _

She knew the butterfly emerged from a COCOON.

Shirley: $9,350/Others: $0 each

---

FEATURED PRIZE #2: trip to Israel via El Al airlines worth $7,992 (ISRAEL)

Jackpot Round: BEFORE & AFTER

Shirley: insta-dud of T

Jamie: $600 S pair, F for flunk

Jennifer: $800 R, $1,200 N pair, two U’s, $900 Y, $250 D, one I, $700 P, two E’s…

S U N N Y –
S I D E / U P / E _ _
R _ _ _

She next landed on JACKPOT…but BOMBED OUT w/ M — no way, ma’am. -__-

Shirley: 2 G’s for ISRAEL, solve…

S U N N Y –
S I D E / U P / E G G
R _ _ _

I doubt she would have a SUNNY-SIDE UP EGG ROLL in Israel, but she won that trip.

JACKPOT ENDED AT: $9,450

Shirley: $17,342 cash & Israel/Others: ZERO a head

---

Round 4: PLACE

Jamie: $500 S pair, no M again

Jennifer: LaT

Shirley: $500 N pair, $800 C pair, bad I buy

SPEED-UP

_ _ C _ _ N S _ C _
N _ _ / _ _ _ S _ _

Consonants were worth $900 each.

Jamie: W
Jennifer: L (DUD)
Shirley: J

_ _ C _ _ N S _ C _
N _ W / J _ _ S _ _

She IDed HACKENSACK, NEW JERSEY for $1,950 and the maingame sweep!

PENALTY BOX	DUDS	LaTs	BANKRUPTS	DQs
Round 1	G, P (both by Jamie), R (Jennifer)	Jennifer	Shirley
Round 2	G (Jennifer)
Round 3	T (Shirley), F (Jamie), M (Jennifer)
Round 4	M (Jamie), I (Shirley), L (Jennifer)	Jennifer

FINAL SCORES
Shirley: $19,292 cash & Israel/Others: DOUBLE PARTING GIFTS

BANKRUPT TRASH: just $600

---

Bonus Round

Shirley chose the first E (she accidentally tried to take the letter) from W-EE-.

Category: PLACE

It’s an island in the South Pacific…

T _ _ _ T _

PHMA gave her…

T A H _ T _

She pinpointed TAHITI for the TOTAL CLEAN SWEEP and the cash, giving her a final total of $44,292 cash & Israel! Frank the hubby and granddaughters Katie and Rhiannon greeted her.

MY RATING: 7 (too many duds)

WoF Retro Recap: October 1, 1998

EPISODE #2944: FRENCH & ITALIAN RIVIERA

Roger Delacruz: retail mgmt. worker who taught aerobics for a number of a years but is a “self-professed couch potato” from West Hollywood, CA

Judy Ries: 8th grade PE and health teacher married w/ two kids from Champlin, MN

Katie McSherry: Univ. of Illinois student studying business and majoring in marketing who’s a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority from Naperville, IL

Round 1: PROPER NAME

Roger: $800 S, $700 T, one E, $1,800 R trio, two A’s, $900 L trio, D for dud

Judy: $300 W, BANKRUPT

Katie: $600 C, $550 H (NMC), solve…

A _ T H _ R
L E W _ S
C A R R _ L L

She IDed AUTHOR LEWIS CARROLL for $1,150. And here’s a PUZZLER under FICTIONAL CHARACTER…

_ A _
_ A _ _ E R

She blanked on MAD HATTER of “Alice in Wonderland” fame.

FEATURED PRIZE: Windjammer Barefoot Cruise to the Caribbean worth $4,870 (CARIBBEAN)

Round 2: WHERE ARE WE?

Judy: $700 T, $600 H (just missed $2,500), two E’s, $1,200 S quartet, $10K’s left side (lost $2,250)

Katie: $500 R pair, $700 N, two I’s, $500 M pair, five O’s, regular BANKRUPT (lost $1,200)

Roger: $250 Z, same BANKRUPT Katie got

Judy: $800 F, $450 W, $600 L, $1,200 D pair, three A’s, $500 P, C for CRITICAL DUD

Katie: $800 B, solve…

T H E / P A D R E S
M I S S I O N / B A _
W O R L D – F A M O _ S
Z O O

She solved for the $800, but did she know what THE PADRES, MISSION BAY, WORLD-FAMOUS ZOO all have in common? After saying the generic of California, she said the right one of San Diego too late.

Katie: $1,950/Others: $0 each

---

FEATURED PRIZE #2: Yamaha Waverunner GP1200 worth $8,599 (WAVERUNNER)

Jackpot Round: PEOPLE

Katie: $1,200 R pair (just missed $3,500), T for turnover

Roger: $800 S pair, $900 D, two A’s, $2,700 L trio, $250 M, one O, $500 F pair, solve…

A / S M A L L
_ _ R _ L _ / O F
F R _ _ _ D S

Roger had A SMALL CIRCLE OF FRIENDS cheering him on that night, and he’s on the board w/ $4,650.

UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $8,600

Roger: $4,650/Judy: ZIP/Katie: $1,950

---

Round 4: PHRASE

Roger: $700 M, three I’s, no D

Ladies: back-to-back BANKRUPTS (Judy near $500, Katie near $250)

SPEED-UP

I ‘ M / _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ I _ _ / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ / _ _ / I _

Consonants were worth $300 a pop.

Roger: 2 N’s (only said I’M DOING…)
Judy: 3 G’s
Katie: R
Roger: 2 L’s (missolved w/ I’M REALLY GOING…)
Judy: 4 T’s

I ‘ M / R _ _ L L _
G _ T T I N G / T _ _
_ _ N G / _ _ / I T

Judy was right to say “I’M REALLY GETTING THE HANG OF IT”, because she finally earned her only $2,100 of the night.

PENALTY BOX	DUDS	LaTs	BANKRUPTS	DQs
Round 1	D (Roger)		Judy
Round 2	C (Judy)		3 (whole panel)
Round 3	T (Katie)
Round 4	D (Roger)		2 (ladies)	Roger‘s two incomplete missolves

FINAL SCORES
Roger: $4,650/Judy: $2,100/Katie: $1,950

GT: a dismal $8,700
BANKRUPT TRASH: $4K

---

Bonus Round

Roger picked the W from W-EE-.

Category: THING

It’s the part of your face over your eyebrows…

_ _ R E _ E _ _

CGLDO gave him a couple more…

_ O R E _ E _ D

He was all around it on the first half w/ BORE, MORE, DORE, and FORE, but he didn’t get FOREHEAD and lost the cash.

MY RATING: 3

WoF Retro Recap: September 29, 1998

EPISODE #2942: FRENCH & ITALIAN RIVIERA

Mary Axelrod: married lady of 18 yrs. w/ two kids and five grandkids and a big Barbie collector (she has over 200 of them) from Hayward, CA

John Sylvester: procurement business worker for an engineering and construction company married to Michelle (they met when they were driving school buses) for two kids from Houston, TX

Kristi Keller: a lady who likes the outdoors from San Diego (orig. from FL)

Round 1: PLACE

Mary: two R’s for $600, $350 T, two E’s, $300 S, one A, $1,200 N pair, $300 P, two O’s and I (NMV), solve…

N E _ P O R T
R _ O _ E / I S _ A N _

She located NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND for $1,750 — PR. Now for her PUZZLER under EVENT…

_ E _ T _ V A _

There is a jazz FESTIVAL in that city, and she knew it.

FEATURED PRIZE: $2,500 Giorgio Armani shopping spree (FASHION)

Round 2: FILL IN THE NUMBER

John: $250 T, $900 H, eight E’s, $750 S trio, $1,200 N pair, baffling dud of K on FASHION

Kristi: $600 G, $550 D, regular BANKRUPT (lost $1,150)

Mary: two R’s for Free SPIN, used right away after picking F for flunk, $500 L pair, solve…

# # , # # #
L E _ G _ E S / _ N D E R
T H E / S E _ / _ _
_ _ L E S / _ E R N E

She solved ##,### LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA BY JULES VERNE, but incorrectly said 10,000 instead of the right one of 20,000.

Mary: $5,250/Others: $0 each

---

FEATURED PRIZE #2: trip to Hotel Punta Islita in Costa Rica via Continental Airlines worth $4,984 (COSTA RICA)

Jackpot Round: SAME NAME

Kristi: $700 R, BANKRUPT near JACKPOT

Mary: $7K N pair, two A’s, F failed her again

John: $1,200 T pair, one O and two I’s, one G for FASHION, one E, $500 C pair, solve…

C _ A I N / &
G _ T
R E A C T I O N

His CHAIN & GUT REACTION won him $3,450 cash & fashion spree.

JACKPOT ENDED AT: $10,350

Mary: $5,250/John: $3,450 cash & spree/Kristi: BAD LUCK

---

Round 4: PHRASE

Mary: $10K T pair, three A’s and two I’s, N for nothing

John: $2,100 S trio, four E’s, $600 M pair, $1,800 C pair, one O, $600 R pair, solve…

I T / C A M E / A S
A / C O M _ _ E T E
S _ R _ R I S E

IT CAME AS A COMPLETE SURPRISE to some people that John won $4,600 and became the big winner this game.

PENALTY BOX	DUDS	LaTs	BANKRUPTS	DQs
Round 1	PERFECT ROUND
Round 2	K (John), F (Mary)		Kristi
Round 3	F (Mary)		Kristi
Round 4	N (Mary)

FINAL SCORES
Mary: $5,250/John: $8,050 cash & fashion/Kristi: PARTING GIFTS

GT: $13,300
BANKRUPT TRASH: $1,850

---

Bonus Round

John chose the H.

Category: PLACE

A lady in S26 would pull off a miraculous solve on this puzzle despite no help…

_ _ L _ _ N _

CHGA gave him…

_ A L C _ N _

He didn’t say it right away, but he got BALCONY w/ a second to spare and won the trips to Portofino (Hotel Splendido) and private yacht to Monte Carlo (Hotel de Paris) from Distinctive Destinations worth $23,100, giving him a final total of $31,150 cash & prizes. Greeting him were his two aunts (Kay and Doris).

MY RATING: 6

Wed.

WoF Retro Recap: September 28, 1998

EPISODE #2941: FRENCH & ITALIAN RIVIERA

Taylor Cash: U.S. Air Force controller married to Tracey w/ two kids (Richard and Kierstyn) from Las Vegas

Douglas Tai: medical physicist specializing in radiation oncology physics for treatment of cancer, a software developer developing 3D radiation therapy planning system, and a surface consultant for a couple of hospitals married w/ two kids (one with medicine, other with law) from Germantown, TN

Karen Miller: recent graduate from University of Alabama w/ a degree in fine arts and store manager who sells her paints (she calls herself a starving artist) from Jackson, MS (orig. from Anguilla)

Round 1: BEFORE & AFTER

Taylor: two N’s for $600, two S’s to double up, three E’s, R for rats

Douglas: $900 T pair, two A’s, $400 L, $800 P pair, $1K D, one O and I (NMV), $250 W, solve…

P L E A S E
S I T / D O W N
P A _ _ E N T

Douglas solved PLEASE SIT DOWN PAYMENT for $2,600.

PRIZE ON WHEEL: his/her Jaguar 18-karat gold and steel sports watches worth $2,790 (WATCHES)

Round 2: WHO IS IT?

Douglas: $10K’s left side (he thought he landed on $2,500)

Karen: regular BANKRUPT

Taylor: $550 N, $10K’s right side

Douglas: $400 T, $7,500 R trio, one O and five E’s, $1,800 F pair, LaT ($9,200 at risk)

Karen: $1K S pair, $2,700 H trio, two A’s, $1,350 L trio, solve…

A N _ / H E
_ A L L E _ / F O R
H _ S / F _ _ _ L E R S
T H R E E

She solved “AND HE CALLED FOR HIS FIDDLERS THREE” for $4,800 and correctly said Old King Cole as the person.

Taylor: ZIP/Douglas: $2,600/Karen: $6,800

---

FEATURED PRIZE #2: Aston Wailea Resort in Maui, HI worth $5,586 (MAUI)

Jackpot Round: PLACE

Karen: insta-dud of R on $3,500

Taylor: three S’s for $1,350, $1,600 T pair, E for end of turn

Douglas: $550 N, M for mistake on MAUI

Karen: $600 L, E repeat

Taylor: $300 C, one O, three H’s for WATCHES, solve…

S C O T T _ S H
H _ _ H L _ N _ S

He solved SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS for $2,750 and the watches. Now for $3K more under the PUZZLER of THING…

_ _ _ T S

KILTS is the right one.

JACKPOT ENDED AT: $11,200

Taylor: $8,540 cash & watches/Douglas: $2,600/Karen: $6,800

---

Round 4: CLASSIC TV

Taylor: $1,400 R pair, $450 T, one A

SPEED-UP

_ _ _ _ _ / &
_ A R R _ _ T
_ _ _ _ _ _

Consonants were worth $5K apiece!

Taylor: S
Douglas: 2 N’s (but he called an H after that)
Karen: L
Taylor: 2 Z’s

_ Z Z _ _ / &
_ A R R _ _ T
N _ L S _ N

Taylor IDed OZZIE & HARRIET NELSON for $16,600!

PENALTY BOX	DUDS	LaTs	BANKRUPTS	DQs
Round 1	R (Taylor)
Round 2		Douglas	3 (whole panel)
Round 3	R (Karen), E (Taylor), M (Douglas)			Karen‘s E repeat
Round 4	NONE

FINAL SCORES
Taylor: $25,140 cash & watches/Douglas: $2,600/Karen: $6,800

GT: $34,540
BANKRUPT TRASH: $550

---

Bonus Round

This week’s non-$25K prizes…

• SAAB 9-5 sedan ($32K+)
• trip to Portofino and private yacht to Monte Carolo ($23K+)
• Volkswagen Passat wagon
• trip to Cannes, France in the French Riviera plus private car and guide ($23K+)

Taylor chose the W.

Category: PHRASE

Here’s a trio up top…

_ N / T _ E
_ _ _ _

DMAC triggered a WIPEOUT and after saying ON THE ROAD, he only got IN THE late. The answer to this means you’re naked — IN THE BUFF. As a result, he lost the trips to Portofino & Monte Carlo.

MY RATING: 7

WoF Retro Recap: Groundhog Day 2006

EPISODE #4394: VIVA LAS VEGAS

We start with the animated family.

$1K Toss-Up: EVENT

_ E _ T I _ G / A
T _ X E _ O

This is quite ironic- Rico, the sole man of the panel, blanked out while Theresa solved RENTING A TUXEDO. Anyway, here is the lowdown of Thursday’s contestants…

Theresa Bivaletz: works for a non-profit domestic violence agency who loves the NJ Devils hockey team and has four tattoos from Clifton, NJ

Tara Gentry: CU Boulder senior studying International Affairs (she plans to join the Peace Corps and go to Africa after graduation) and speaks Spanish and French from Northglenn, CO

Rico McClinton: professional trainer who’s married with two daughters and a boy and has also raised roller pigeons (they originate from England and do stunts) from Los Angeles, CA

$2K Toss-Up: PERSON

E _ G _ E
S _ _ _ _

Rico got it this time with EAGLE SCOUT.

FEATURED VEGAS BIRD TRIP: Palms Casino Resort via vegas.com worth $4K

Round 1: SAME NAME

Rico: 2 S’s ($300), R ($500), 2 A’s, 2 T’s ($600), I, M ($300), E (NMV), N ($900)
Theresa: P (FS), LaT
Tara: 2 L’s ($2,500– no reaction, though), $10K’s right side ($5K lost)
Rico: just solved for $1,850…

M A T T R E S S
& / L I L _
P A _

He solved MATTRESS & LILY PAD.

---

Jackpot Round: ON THE MENU

Theresa: R (JACKPOT), 2 N’s ($900), E, BANKRUPT near $600 ($1,550 lost), used FS, D ($800)
Tara: 2 S’s ($600), other BANKRUPT ($1,200 lost)
Rico: B ($800), C ($550), 4 A’s, solve for $1,100…

A _ A S _ A N
_ _ N _ / C R A B
_ E _ S

He had some ALASKAN KING CRAB LEGS for only that much, since he left out the THREE remaining consonant pairs.

UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $8,650

Theresa: $1K | Tara: NIL | Rico: $4,950

---

Mystery Round: PHRASE (PRIZE PUZZLE)

Tara: 2 T’s (MW near $800- the reverse was shown before she called that letter), flipped… nothing there
Rico: S (VEGAS.COM), J?! ($800)
Theresa: L ($500), 3 N’s ($400), 3 A’s, same BANKRUPT she hit last round ($1,450 lost)
Tara: 3 D’s ($350), O, 5 E’s, BANKRUPT near $3,500 ($550 lost)
Rico: 2 R’s ($900), X (ticketsnow.com- he placed it on his wedge ledge), I, M ($400), solve for $1,950, VEGAS.COM, & ticketsnow.com…

M _ _ _ – N E E D E D
R E S T / A N D
R E L A X A T I O N

He could take a MUCH-NEEDED REST AND RELAXATION on his trip to BARBADOS (Almond Resorts, airJamaica) worth $6,300. That round totaled $13,250.

Theresa: $1K | Tara: BAD LUCK | Rico: $18,200 cash & prizes

He and Pat arm-wrestled going into commercial.

---

$3K Toss-Up: OCCUPATION

O P _ _ _ _ T _ _ S T

Rico solved OPTOMETRIST without any confidence.

Round 4: RHYME TIME

Rico: 2 N’s ($300), 2 D’s ($350), A, SPEED-UP

N _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ / A N D
D _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Consonants were worth the $1,300 minimum.

Rico: R
Theresa: 2 S’s
Tara: 2 T’s
Rico: L

N _ T R _ T _ _ _ S / A N D
D _ L _ _ _ _ _ S

Rico won the NUTRITIOUS AND DELICIOUS amount of $2,600.

PENALTY BOX	DUDS	LaTs	BANKRUPTS
Round 1	N (Rico)	Theresa	Tara
Jackpot Round	D (Theresa)		2 (ladies)
Mystery Round	J (Rico)		3 (ladies; Tara x2)
Round 4	NONE
10 TOTAL	3	1	6

FINAL SCORES
Rico: $24,850 | Ladies: $1K each (Tara was GOOSEEGGED)

GRAND TOTAL: $26,850
BANKRUPT TRASH (excluding MW gamble): $9,750

---

Bonus Round

Rico admitted that he had never been to Barbados before, but he has been to Las Vegas. Nobody with him, but he spun BONUS.

Category: THING

Decent RSTLNE start…

_ N _ _ L E _ _ E

PVSTCI… triggered a WIPEOUT. He flubbed with ANTELOPE (that would fit under Living Thing), so he didn’t have the KNOWLEDGE to win the Jeep Commander.

MY RATING: 6

Fri.

With that, the months of January and February of this season are now complete!