TEN!, Vacation Bonus Round

[Pastor Fireball]

As promised, we're switching up the rules while I'm on vacation. There will still be ten questions, but it won't be straight trivia. Let's play...

SCRABBLE SPRINT

We're doing a condensed version of the classic TV game show "Scrabble" during this break. If you saw Chuck Woolery host this show on NBC in the 1980s and 1990s, you're already halfway to knowing the rules. You will be given clues, much like the clues seen in New York Times crossword puzzles. The clues are often misleading, so you'll have to think a different way than the clue is presented. You will also be told how many letters are in the word or name that needs to be guessed.

A sample clue would be: "They have a well-known liberal bias -- _ _ _ _ _"

The obvious answer would be TRUTH or FACTS. On "Scrabble", however, the intended answer would be RAMPS because the "liberal bias" would refer to a mathematical angle rather than a political angle.

Below are two words of each length between five letters and nine letters, inclusive. I've given one letter in each word as a starter. If you can get a correct answer off of just one letter, it's 15 points per correct answer. If any of your guesses are wrong, no problem. You will get a second chance to answer starting on Friday night, when I reveal additional letters to each answer. The second chance will net you 10 points per correct answer. If you strike out on the second go, you will get a third and final chance around the 4th of July. More letters will be revealed, and each word will be worth 5 points. The prompt deadline for the third chance is Saturday July 8 at noon Eastern.

1. It's a small part of the movie industry -- _ A _ _ _

2. A lot of times, he gets the run-around -- _ _ _ I _

3. The older you get, the longer and harder it gets -- _ O _ _ _ _

4. It puts a lot of people six feet under -- C _ _ _ _ _

5. Cutting-edge technology -- _ _ N _ _ _ _

6. Miley Cyrus definitely isn't getting it anymore -- _ _ _ _ _ E _

7. Teenagers don't need an I.D. to get into them -- _ _ _ _ _ _ L _

8. Thieves have sometimes broken into it in the middle of the night -- _ _ _ _ _ _ _ R

9. It requires a lot of class -- _ _ U _ _ _ _ _ _

10. It's a problem that many people just seem to throw money at -- _ _ _ _ _ _ _ T _

[Pastor Fireball]

My 2,000-mile journey ended at around 7:30 last night. Pigeon Forge, Atlanta (twice), Warner Robins, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Sarasota. My county map at mob-rule.com will be updated before the end of this weekend. Additional pictures will go up on my Facebook page within the next week.

Right now, here are some more letters to the ten clues below.

1. It's a small part of the movie industry -- _ A _ E _

2. A lot of times, he gets the run-around -- _ _ A I _

3. The older you get, the longer and harder it gets -- _ O _ _ O _

4. It puts a lot of people six feet under -- C _ _ _ _ R

5. Cutting-edge technology -- _ A N _ _ _ _

6. Miley Cyrus definitely isn't getting it anymore -- _ O _ _ _ E _

7. Teenagers don't need an I.D. to get into them -- _ _ _ _ _ L L _

8. Thieves have sometimes broken into it in the middle of the night -- _ _ _ _ _ _ E R

9. It requires a lot of class -- _ _ U _ A _ _ _ N

10. It's a problem that many people just seem to throw money at -- _ O _ _ _ _ O T _

[Pastor Fireball]

Final letters going up on the board.

1. It's a small part of the movie industry -- _ A M E _

2. A lot of times, he gets the run-around -- _ _ A I N

3. The older you get, the longer and harder it gets -- _ O _ _ O N

4. It puts a lot of people six feet under -- C _ _ _ A R

5. Cutting-edge technology -- _ A N _ S A _

6. Miley Cyrus definitely isn't getting it anymore -- _ O _ N _ E R

7. Teenagers don't need an I.D. to get into them -- _ _ E _ A L L _

8. Thieves have sometimes broken into it in the middle of the night -- _ A _ _ _ T E R

9. It requires a lot of class -- _ _ U _ A T I _ N

10. It's a problem that many people just seem to throw money at -- _ O L _ _ O O T _

[Pastor Fireball]

Normal play resumes on Monday. New sponsor goes into effect tomorrow.

1. It's a small part of the movie industry -- CAMEO

Not part as in "area", but part as in "role".

2. A lot of times, he gets the run-around -- USAIN

As in Usain Bolt, of course.

3. The older you get, the longer and harder it gets -- MOTION

There were so many directions that I could have gone with this clue, but I stuck with the moving around that gets longer and harder.

4. It puts a lot of people six feet under -- CELLAR

The obvious answers were CASKET and COFFIN, but that's not where this clue was going.

5. Cutting-edge technology -- BANDSAW

6. Miley Cyrus definitely isn't getting it anymore -- YOUNGER

Which means her movements are getting longer and harder.

7. Teenagers don't need an I.D. to get into them -- OVERALLS

This was a really tricky clue, as I guarantee that nobody thought about "getting into" an article of clothing. This was certainly a lot trickier than the clue that the actual game show used for OVERALLS in the 1980s: "Farmers sometimes hitch them up in the morning."

8. Thieves have sometimes broken into it in the middle of the night -- LAUGHTER

A slight modification from another clue used on the actual game show in the 1980s. Their clue was "Thieves rarely break into them in the middle of the night", with their answer being SONGS.

9. It requires a lot of class -- EDUCATION

10. It's a problem that many people just seem to throw money at -- TOLLBOOTH