Rare Entries MSB42: Contest Begins

Given the precision of the answer, it is still correct. the extra twelve millimeters rounds down to zero additional inches. If the answer had been 42.194988 km you wouuld have had a point, but there's no significant difference between 42.195 km and 1,661,220 inches.

A bit is a specific amount of money, 12.5 cents. I didn't realize we still had any pieces that had that value, but I don't see it as ambiguous.

As Jeffery pointed out, a bit is a specific value and I'd add I'm not sure it passes the 'ordinary meaning' part of the test (at least in my mind). Similarly Cartwheel, Commemorative, Flimsy and Piece all (again, to me) fail the 'ordinary meaning' test.

Mark Brader:

Jeffrey Turner:

It's a definition, not a measurement. The values are exact.

Mark Brader:

Jeffrey Turner:

That's a different sense of 'bit'.

: value. 'Money' here means cash as normally used today, and : 'piece' refers to a single physical object.

: WRONG:

: 1 Continental (not in use today)

Excuse me, but the question did not state 'cash used today,' but 'cash *as normally used today.' A 'continental' was a type of banknote that is used just as cash is normally used today, to purchase goods and services. I assumed that you meant 'cash as normally used today' to exclude other items of symbolic value such as checks or bonds, that is, something that can be exchanged directly for something else of value.

While researching this question, I came across the interesting reason why the EU flag has only 12 stars:

[Non-Conspiracy Version]

In 1953, the Council of Europe had 15 members and the flag was intended to have one star for each member.

Germany objected to 15 because one of the members of the Council was Saarland, and 15 stars might imply sovereignty for Saarland.

France objected to 14 because that might imply German sovereignty over Saarland.

13 was bad luck.

12 stars.

[Conspiracy Version]

It's a Catholic plot. Revelation, Chapter 12, verse 1:

'And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars'

Thanks for a fun contest Mark! (if that IS your real name)

Dan Tilque:

Oh, *now* he tells me.

They're valid if Baarle is used alone as a short form, and I found web pages where this was done. It's possible I was misled, but I gave the entrant the benefit of the doubt.

I recall that my first choice was Lithuania, but I got the feeling that the new countries could be more popular, so I picked the grey and dull Belgium. Oh well.

And Pello, both of them sitting on each side of the Muonio river. There are a few more such examples along the Swedish-Finnish border (but none that qualifies for Mark's question). Sometimes a slight different in spelling: Karesuando on the Swedish side, Karesuanto on the Finnish side. In one these cases, the place that was split is actually a town and not just a village/hamlet. But in this case, one of new towns got a new name, so it's Haparanda on the Swedish side and Tornio on the Finnish side.

There are of course plenty of such cases around the world.

Great contest!

Unfortunately, I didn't get past thinking about some of those questions, but as usual, I can't refrain from adding my 2 cents:

Mark Brader schrieb:

If Luxembourg isn't far from the edge, no country in the EU is.

If the length had been given as 42195m, would that have been scored with 42.195 km?

When thinking about the contest, I had considered 'entertainment' or 'event', but wasn't sure whether I should put you through judging that, or simply avoid entertainment and events in my answer (I'd have given an 'admittance' type answer, thinking of a cave).

Congratulations to Dan!