WaPo Style Invitational
 

Registration (free) is required for the link to work, but our own Bob Schechter and Melissa Balmain scored - what, was it four each? in the Devil's Dictionary contest at the Washington Post Style Invititational, with some hilarious entries. Bob placed with:

Grammar: The rules of language as spoken by the generation immediately preceding one’s own.

Congrats, Bob and Melissa

Thanks, Frank. Melissa took top prize, the "Inker." I was #3. Melissa also had four printed hm's (including one that was actually three of her entries combined, so her total was actually 6) and I had 2 hm's.

I'm not sure what link Frank is giving, but you don't have to register to have a look here.

This is definitely a fun contest that I'm surprised more people around here haven't had a go at.

Sorry for missing that, Melissa. As you can tell, I looked rather hurriedly. Great showing by you both.

I'll be chuckling the rest of the day. Congratulations to you both.

Thanks, Frank, Roger and Janice... and I agree with Roger: it's a fun contest that seems tailor-made for Spherians. (Or is that Sphereans?) I know you've had at least a winner or two there yourself, Frank, right?

Coming up in January, I understand they always have a contest to write little obit poems for people who died during the past year. Need I say more?

By the way, for all contests it's okay to send in up to 25 entries. All in one email is fine, though you can break it up if you like into more than one email. It's quite possible and typical for the same person to have more than one entry get "ink" in the paper or online.

I don't know why, but it's harder for me to get into the rhythm of the WaPo - and my mind balks at coming up with 25 'a is to b, as x is to y's. The Editor did take a couple of my Lear limericks a while ago - they are a very welcoming bunch. Obits sounds interesting. Surprised we haven't seen Chris there - or have we?

No, Chris probably finds it too gratifying to pocket cash prizes in Britain than to waste his time earning gag gifts in America.

Frank, you don't have to come up with 25 entries. That's just the maximum, imposed not long ago (I'm told) because some people were sending a hundred or more entries at a time. And some challenges will be more intriguing than others, of course, but on the whole I find it lots of fun, especially since many of the winners (or "Losers" as they call themselves) hang out on a Facebook group where the banter can be amusing.