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The Threeve Game

by pileofrogs (Priest)
on Feb 09, 2010 at 22:23 UTC ( [id://822299]=perlmeditation: print w/replies, xml ) Need Help??

Not sure if this is exactly the right place for this, but I was watching the CB and thought the monks might like this game.

Basically, you try to come up with a three word phrase where the 1st and 2nd word are commonly found togeather and the 2nd and 3rd go togeather but the 1st, 2nd and 3rd all togeather sound silly.

I'm sure this game has been invented by a thousand other folks before, but we call it threeve because "threeve" was how a mock-Sean Connery pronounced the number 3 on an SNL sketch.

Here's a few not-particularly-good examples:

  • retirement home wrecker
  • schoolyard bully pulpit
  • power steering committee

See if you can come up with some better ones!

--Pileofrogs

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: The Threeve Game
by planetscape (Chancellor) on Feb 10, 2010 at 01:19 UTC

    I like "Christmas tree frogs", which I combined ~10 years ago when making a holiday card for a friend, and which came true last Christmas!

    HTH,

    planetscape
Multi-token word chains (was The Threeve Game)
by Limbic~Region (Chancellor) on Feb 10, 2010 at 01:40 UTC
    pileofrogs,
    This really isn't on topic, so let me suggest turning it into a challenge that is.

    Assume we have a list of multi-token words. In fact, assume that it is obtained using the following code:

    #!/usr/bin/perl use strict; use warnings; use WWW::Mechanize; my $mech = WWW::Mechanize->new(autocheck => 1); for ('a' .. 'z') { my $url = "http://wordlist.com/index-$_.htm"; eval { $mech->get($url) }; if ($@) { warn "Unable to get link for letter '$_': $@\n"; next; } for my $link ($mech->links) { my $word = $link->text; next if ! $word || index($word, ' ') == -1; print "$word\n"; } }

    The challenge is to make the longest chain of multi-token words where the end of one word overlaps the beginning of the next word by at least one token. Each word may only be used once in the chain. Here is an example:

    area code code of ethics ethics committee

    Here are some (likely not all) edge cases that I thought of.
    • Overlapping tokens must match exactly - for instance, 'area code' can't be followed by 'coded message' because 'code' ne 'coded'
    • Each new word must increase the chain length by at least 1 token. For instance, you can't claim 'bloody murder' follows 'yell bloody murder' because 'bloody murder' is completely within the preceding word

    I realize that this particular list stinks but I couldn't find a better one. If you use an alternate source, please link to it so that others may compete using the same list. Oh, I am pretty sure there is a fairly well known computer science problem hidden within so heuristics solutions are likely necessary.

    It should be fairly obvious, but here is a hint if you are having a hard time dealing with such a large list:

    Cheers - L~R

      I realize that this particular list stinks but I couldn't find a better one. If you use an alternate source, please link to it

      In the past I've found googling for compound words to be helpful, particularly in turning up puzzle-related sites, such as:

      HTH,

      planetscape
      FYI: The problem of finding the longest "chain" is NP-complete, even in the case of just 2-word phrases, as can be seen from a reduction from the longest path problem in directed graphs.

      Each single word is a vertex, and there is an edge from word A to word B if "A B" is a valid 2-word phrase. A path in the graph corresponds to a "chain" of valid 2-word phrases in this game, and we want to find the longest one.

      blokhead

        blokhead,
        FYI: The problem of finding the longest "chain" is NP-complete

        Yes, I know which is why I said "Oh, I am pretty sure there is a fairly well known computer science problem hidden within so heuristics solutions are likely necessary." See for instance, Not Quite Longest Path Problem. I am really not interested in someone finding the longest path but someone who can find a long path that is longer than everyone else and examine their heuristic solution.

        Cheers - L~R

      Add one more level to this by creating the largest loop that you can.

      The basic framework above, but also have the last token of the last set overlap with the first token of the first set.

      Not thinking of any right off the bat. Perhaps after my coffee I will update this node. Oh wait - "implementation is left as an exercise for the reader." ;-)

      It is said that "only perl can parse Perl." I don't even come close until my 3rd cup of coffee. --MidLifeXis

Re: The Threeve Game
by zentara (Archbishop) on Feb 10, 2010 at 10:51 UTC
    I'm sure this game has been invented by a thousand other folks before

    A recent tv commercial, is reminiscent of your game...it uses chars in words rather than words in phrases. Google for Scrabble Slam if you are interested.

    Can you imagine if programmers were in charge of common word usage? :-) We would have words like choc_ic. The underscore chars in the game are like wild cards. ;-)


    I'm not really a human, but I play one on earth.
    Old Perl Programmer Haiku
      Can you imagine if programmers were in charge of common word usage?
      ...
      <truth>programmers are in charge of everything.</truth>

      $,=qq.\n.;print q.\/\/____\/.,q./\ \ / / \\.,q.    /_/__.,q..
      Happy, sober, smart: pick two.
Re: The Threeve Game
by wabewalker (Initiate) on Feb 15, 2010 at 12:57 UTC
    Here in the UK, a common variant is to display words 1 and 3 and let you guess word 2. For example, Chris Maslanka's puzzles (known as "Missing Links") in last Saturday's Guardian has "crying hound", the solution being "wolf" (crying wolf and wolf hound.) More cunningly, the standard example "bat man" has the solution "he" for "bathe" and "he-man" so he allows concatenations.

    I love puzzles and often I find more pleasure coding Perl snippets to solve them than I would solving the puzzle directly, particularly if they involve anything tedious :-). I am sure many fellow monks feel likewise.

Re: The Threeve Game
by jdporter (Paladin) on Feb 12, 2010 at 16:14 UTC

    They use this device on the tv game show "Wheel Of Fortune" fairly often; they call it "Before And After".

Re: The Threeve Game
by Lady_Aleena (Priest) on Feb 25, 2010 at 20:54 UTC

    Just adding a few to the list, though some actually make sense.

    • broken heart throb
    • cell phone book
    • evil eye doctor
    • fool's gold mine
    • glass ceiling fan
    • land mine shaft
    • stock market place
    • style sheet music
    • tabbed browsing habits
    • tire iron ore

    I need a life.

    Have a nice day!
    Lady Aleena

      Nice! I like glass ceiling fan and tire iron ore the best.

        Here are a few more, pileofrogs.

        • baby shower curtain
        • boxed lunch date
        • curling iron ore (more iron ore)
        • down payment options
        • dryer sheet music (more sheet music)
        • hair dryer sheet (more dryer sheet)
        • online auction house
        • pool table tennis
        • race track ball
        • thermal curtain rod

        I have another one, but it is a bit risque. Guh! I am a dork tonight. So, how is the database of these coming? :)

        Have a nice day!
        Lady Aleena
Re: The Threeve Game
by McDarren (Abbot) on Feb 27, 2010 at 06:04 UTC
    heh... this is quite fun :)

    • slap stick insect
    • bachelors party animal
    • light house warming
    • fast car sick
    • golf ball bearing
    • dining chair person
    • hair cut corners

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