+
Sign up for
The Upworthiest
Our top stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox.
upworthy

france

Pop Culture

Fans are in stitches after woman's wildly incorrect, whimsical 'Wheel of Fortune' guess

The show took a turn for the bizarre.

@Rick_Life_Coach/X

Can you solve this "Wheel of Fortune" puzzle?

Is there any game show that allows contestants to royally embarrass themselves on national TV quite like “Wheel of Fortune”? There’s always someone going viral for taking a big swing and missing on a phrase that seemed pretty apparent to the casual viewer.

And when you take a big loss on a “Wheel of Fortune'' word puzzle, there are a lot of folks shaking their heads at home. More than 8 million people watch the game show every night.

The latest victim of the wheel is Gishma Tabari from Encino, California, whose fantasy-inspired whiff of a common phrase earned her a lot of groans and some support from those who thought her imagination was inspiring.

The 3-word puzzle read: “TH _ _ RITI _ S _ GR _ E,” and Tabari offered the answer, “The British Ogre.” The guess surprised host Pat Sajak, who responded, "Uh, no.” Tabari must have missed that there was a space between the R and the E in the puzzle, so ogre would have had to be spelled with 2 Rs.

She also probably wasn’t aware that England isn’t a place known for its ogres.

The correct answer was: “The Critics Agree.”

The answer inspired a lot of activity on X, where people couldn’t believe someone could come up with such a fanciful answer to a puzzle with such a straightforward solution.

Michael created a lovely Photoshop image of what could be the British Ogre.

Not everyone had a problem with the guess.

The incorrect guess is an opportunity for the world to learn that ogres aren’t a significant part of English folklore. Sure, there are characters in English myths and legends that have ogre-like qualities, such as Grendel from "Beowulf," the monstrous creature that terrorizes the mead hall of King Hrothgar. There’s also the Boggart, a mischievous spirit much like a hobgoblin and trolls, which appear in some English tales although they originate in Scandinavia.

If you’re looking for ogres in Europe, France is the best place to go.

The word ogre is of French descent and comes from the name of the Etruscan god of the underworld, Orcus. Orcus is a large, ugly, bearded giant who enjoys consuming human flesh. Ogres are primarily known for eating children, which they believe will give them eternal life.

As for “Wheel of Fortune,” the show will undergo significant changes over the next few years. The show’s host, Pat Sajak, 76, has announced that he is stepping down from the show at the end of the 2024 season after hosting it for 41 years. In September 2024, radio host and “American Idol” emcee Ryan Seacrest will take over the hosting spot.

Seacrest says that changes to the show will be minimal once he takes over.

“With this game show, it’s such a success and has been for generations,” Seacrest said in a new interview with People. “You don’t mess with it, just don’t mess with it. Just get out of the way, say ‘good evening,’ and let’s play.”

From Your Site Articles
game shows
Planet

France has started forcing supermarkets to donate food instead of throwing it away.

via EarthFix / Flickr

What will future generations never believe that we tolerated in 2019?

Dolphin and orca captivity, for sure. They'll probably shake their heads at how people died because they couldn't afford healthcare. And, they'll be completely mystified at the amount of food some people waste while others go starving.

According to Biological Diversity, "An estimated 40 percent of the food produced in the United States is wasted every year, costing households, businesses and farms about $218 billion annually."

There are so many things wrong with this.

First of all it's a waste of money for the households who throw out good food. Second, it's a waste of all of the resources that went into growing the food, including the animals who gave their lives for the meal. Third, there's something very wrong with throwing out food when one in eight Americans struggle with hunger.

Supermarkets are just as guilty of this unnecessary waste as consumers. About 10% of all food waste are supermarket products thrown out before they've reached their expiration date.

Three years ago, France took big steps to combat food waste by making a law that bans grocery stores from throwing away edible food.According to the new ordinance, stores can be fined for up to $4,500 for each infraction.

Previously, the French threw out 7.1 million tons of food. Sixty-seven percent of which was tossed by consumers, 15% by restaurants, and 11% by grocery stores.

This has created a network of over 5,000 charities that accept the food from supermarkets and donate them to charity. The law also struck down agreements between supermarkets and manufacturers that prohibited the stores from donating food to charities.

"There was one food manufacturer that was not authorized to donate the sandwiches it made for a particular supermarket brand. But now, we get 30,000 sandwiches a month from them — sandwiches that used to be thrown away," Jacques Bailet, head of the French network of food banks known as Banques Alimentaires, told NPR.

It's expected that similar laws may spread through Europe, but people are a lot less confident at it happening in the United States. The USDA believes that the biggest barrier to such a program would be cost to the charities and or supermarkets.

"The logistics of getting safe, wholesome, edible food from anywhere to people that can use it is really difficult," the organization said according to Gizmodo. "If you're having to set up a really expensive system to recover marginal amounts of food, that's not good for anybody."

Plus, the idea may seem a little too "socialist" for the average American's appetite.

"The French version is quite socialist, but I would say in a great way because you're providing a way where they [supermarkets] have to do the beneficial things not only for the environment, but from an ethical standpoint of getting healthy food to those who need it and minimizing some of the harmful greenhouse gas emissions that come when food ends up in a landfill," Jonathan Bloom, the author of American Wasteland, told NPR.

However, just because something may be socialist doesn't mean it's wrong. The greater wrong is the insane waste of money, damage to the environment, and devastation caused by hunger that can easily be avoided.

From Your Site Articles
Culture

French woman reunites with the American boyfriend she hasn't seen in the 75 years since they fell in love during WWII.

Truly beautiful. If only we could all be so loved.

France 24/YouTube


75 years later, D-Day veteran meets long-lost French lovewww.youtube.com


There are millions of love stories in the world, but occasionally one stands out—like this one.

Falling in love is a universal human phenomenon without a universal definition. It can be a slow-building fire or a flash in the pan. It can happen over years, or over a single cup of coffee. Sometimes it fizzles and fades, and sometimes it lingers for a lifetime.

We all love a good love story. With so much pain and sadness in the world, stories of the enduring power of love lift us up and remind us of the beauty of real human connection.

We also love stories of people living well into old age and having significant experiences in their later years. Such stories give us hope and remind us that anything is possible.

This story of an American man and a French woman who met during the WWII is both, and it will make you believe in the mystery of love and the enduring power it can have.

K.T. Robbins and Jeannine Ganaye fell in love when Robbins was stationed in France 75 years ago, but their relationship would be short-lived.

He was 24. She was 18. He was serving in the U.S. army, stationed in her village in northeastern France. They were both caught up in the trials of war and the triumphs of new-found love.

According to TODAY, when Robbins was transferred to the Eastern Front, he had to say a quick goodbye to Ganaye. They talked of the possibility of him coming back for her. He took a photograph of her with him.

They wouldn't see one another again after that.

Robbins was sent back to America after the war, where he eventually got married and started a hardware store. Ganaye moved on, too, marrying and having five kids of her own in France.

They'd both left WWII with thoughts of reunion. Ganaye had even started to learn English in the hopes that Robbins would return. But life happened, and those hopes had to be abandoned. "You know, when you get married, after that you can't do it anymore,'' Robbins said.

Neither forgot about the other, however. And neither could have predicted that they'd get another chance 75 years later.

Robbins and Ganeye—now Pierson—recently reunited for the first time since the war, and it's seriously the sweetest thing.

He is 97. She is 92. His wife of 70 years has passed way, and her husband has passed as well.

Robbins was interviewed by French a television station for a D-Day anniversary segment, and he shared the photo he still had of Pierson.

He thought maybe they could track down his former sweetheart's family, never imagining that she would still be alive herself—or that she would live within 40 miles of the village of Briey, where they had met more than seven decades before.

In a video shared by France 24, a reporter informs Robbins that Pierson is alive and well, and that she is waiting for him to meet with her. His surprise and joy is palpable as he laughs and kisses the reporter on the forehead.

The video then cuts to the former couple's reunion, and their chemistry is instantaneous. "Jeanine Ganaye," Robbins says, as he walks up to her. The two embrace, and she kisses his face over and over. There are smiles and tears as they sit side by side, holding onto one another's hands.

"I always loved you," Robbins tells her. "You never got out of my heart."

Pierson told the television station, "I always thought about him, thinking maybe he was out there, that maybe he'd come." The two spent several hours together before they had to part once again—but this time with plans for another meeting.

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Heroes

The designs for Notre Dame's new roof are eco-friendly and cool AF.

On April 15th, France lost part of one of its most iconic buildings — Notre Dame Cathedral. However, fundraising efforts for the rebuild began quickly, and now there are several design firms competing for the job.

France also opened the bidding up to international designers, and that really fanned the flame of the competition. Within the past month, grand design plans have been pouring in, and some of the most interesting ones go beyond historical restoration to directly address one of the world's greatest challenges — climate change.

Hey, the Paris Agreement doesn't have to be the only innovative green initiative in France, right?

One particularly cool, eco-friendly design is from French design firm Vincent Callebaut. Their "Palingenesis" design is not only a beautiful glass structure, it would also be a light-absorbing greenhouse that's meant to provide the Cathedral with 100% clean energy.

“The new wooden frame is covered with a three-dimensional crystal glass dress subdivided into faceted diamond-shaped elements," the firm noted in a press release. "These crystals consist of an organic, active layer made of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen, which absorbs light and transforms it into power. This energy, stored in hydrogen fuel cells, will be directly redistributed throughout the cathedral.”

The firm also plans to build an urban garden inside the structure that would be fertilized by aquaponics (natural fish-made fertilizer). The sizable-sounding crops would mostly go to underserved communities in Paris, making the entire design beautiful, environmentally sustainable, and socially responsible.

But I'll just shut up and let you look at some more pictures of the awesome thing.

[rebelmouse-image 19561923 dam="1" original_size="1196x1116" caption="Photo via Vincent Callebaut/Instagram" expand=1]Photo via Vincent Callebaut/Instagram

Vincent Callebaut isn't alone in their idea to create a green space on top of Notre Dame. Another French firm also wants to create a greenhouse, but one that's only accessible to birds and insects.

“[The] Notre Dame tragedy should serve the cause of the environment, the greatest struggle of humanness, by being a new world symbol for the present and future generations," studio director Abel Guillaume told Fast Company. people would still be able to enjoy them and the space, but they'll have to do it from behind glass.

View this post on Instagram

NOTRE DAME - Proposal Une proposition de @summumarchi , donner l’accès aux combles de notre dame pour en faire un parc commémoratif, aux couleurs pourpres en mémoire de l’incendie, tout en profitant de cet énorme élan de générosité à travers les dons pour en faire un sanctuaire pour les animaux et insectes toujours plus menacés dans les villes. Que cette reconstruction serve l’environnement, et démontre au reste du monde le savoir faire de nos compagnons français à travers une architecture magnifiée, technique, intemporelle, au plus haut niveau de ce que l’on sait faire. Un symbole pour les générations futures. #summumarchi #summum #architecture #archi #architects #archidaily #light #dwellspire #house #home #office #villa #lifestyle #archilovers #architecturelovers #architecture_hunter #render #art #design #luxe #paris #notredame #notredamedeparis #god #dieu #church #ecology #environment #nddp

A post shared by 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐦 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 (@summumarchi) on

Studio Nab also wants to provide a refuge for insects, but a specific kind of insect that's already native to Notre Dame — bees. 180,000 bees have resided on the Cathedral since 2013, and thankfully survived the fire. Studio Nab's greenhouse structure would provide them with a safe space that's open to the public so people can learn about the importance of bees and how to properly maintain urban agriculture.

Photo via Studio NAB

One idea that's somewhat speculative is Studio Drift's plan to use recycled plastic found in the ocean to create a new roof for the cathedral. They claim redoing the roof in wood would require cutting down lots of trees whereas upcycling plastic waste is sustainable, and whatever they save in cost they plan to put back into the efforts to clean up the oceans.

It sounds nice in theory, but since the other firms above are using glass and adding more sustainable elements, this idea trails a bit behind theirs.

That said, it's great to see so many designers attempting to incorporate the planet's future into a design for a relic from the past. It'll be exciting to see which one of these ambitious projects wins out in the end.

Trending Stories