Every month, the Premium subscribers get a "Tagline Challenge", one of the several "extra" features that are found only in the Premium issues. And every month, even though I note you just have to "reply with your best effort", I get people sending in their entries with a note saying "I wasn't sure where to send this, but...."

I'm not sure what the misunderstanding is: simply hit reply in your e-mailer! Failing that, my address is in every issue. The address shown in the Premium edition (the one in the mail's "Reply-to" header and at the bottom) is a special address for Premium subscribers -- it gets a bit higher priority than my regular "arcie" address. Free edition subscribers can't hit reply; you can.

I do prefer you don't send back the entire issue when you reply, either with the tagline challenge or in general -- I've already read the stories!

Hints and Tips for the Challenge:

A Challenge Example

From the February 2005 Challenge. The story -- and the resulting tags -- are a bit rude on a couple of levels, but that is what helps make it all quite funny. I believe the response represents a record: there were 190 entries with an ending to this story:

As usual, there were plenty of duplicates. Many suggested what the "judges" put up as her "score", many mentioning that the lowest score was put up by the Romanian/Russian/East German judge. And there were quite a few who pointed out she "fell head over heels for him" (which is strangely appropriate for Valentine's Day!) Gail in California was the first of several with "...Pride cometh before the fall."

Several cued on the "still" part of her last words. Mary Frances in Pennsylvania was the first of several to utter: "...Bet she can't still do it any more." Paul in Pennsylvania: "...'Watch to see what I can still do.' Obey gravity? Not impressed." Lauren in California: "...Yup, that's pretty much what happened last time, too."

Harvey in New York: "...Fortunately they did not have the opportunity to pass this on to their children." Harvey in Colorado: "...Wait! I wasn't ready! Do it again." Nathan in Missouri: "...Fools check in, but they don't check out." Chris in Queensland, Australia: "...Good folly Miss Molly!" (Chris also sent "...At least for the few seconds she was on the railing, the TV reception was marginally improved.")

Taktuk in Alaska offered a limerick:
"...There once was a woman named Molly
Who committed a most grievous folly
Her date was impressed
But she made such a mess
That come clean-up he wasn't so jolly."

Lillian in New York: "...'Ten thousand dollars' worth of plastic surgery out with window...' he muttered." David in Idaho: "...Yeah, that's what I would've told the cops happened." Rene in Austria: "...Look! Now I really can fly -- I have wings!" Tim in Indiana: "...Men never listen. She said 'can't'."

Several quite naturally speculated about why the young man and young woman were checking into a motel together. Anthony in Alabama: "...Not exactly the type of 'Motel Gymnastics' that Todd had envisioned when they checked in." Charles in Texas: "...Todd was just upset that *he* was not her last trick." L.D. in Ohio: "...That wasn't exactly the 'heels up' position he had anticipated." Jim in California: "...Just another one-night handstand." Cathy in Texas: "...Not tonight: I've REALLY got a headache."

And, in that same vein is the Winner -- one that made me not only made me laugh out loud, but also the several people who were in the room with me when it came in. It's from Shawn in Pennsylvania: "...Proving that K-Y Jelly is no substitute for chalk."