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This puzzle is part of the Monthly Topic Challenge #1: Restricted Title: xkcd 1xxx


Emmy prefers when you are formal.

  • Tua’s fathseir
    ▢▢▢◯▢ ◯▢◯▢▢

  • They jotú in cheress
    ▢▢◯▢▢▢◯

  • Duge where some were Bistarin
    ▢▢▢▢▢ ◯▢▢◯▢▢

  • Home of NJ's Irrace and Ity clubs
    ▢▢▢◯◯▢▢▢▢

  • Nertuness of athles and actors
    ▢◯▢▢▢ ▢▢◯▢▢▢

  • Tutin Gatlin, Ares, Ihena, e.g.
    ◯▢▢▢▢▢▢◯

Please describe Emmy.

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1 Answer 1

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We are being too informal -

in six different languages, in fact!

Each of these clues contains a second-person pronoun in some language; it needs to be changed to the formal version of that pronoun. (So French "tu" becomes "vous"; Spanish "tú" becomes "usted"...)

Additionally, each clue also has a second-person conjugation of the word for "to be" in that language - we need to change that to the formal form as well.

The full list is:

[Italian: "tu sei" → "Lei è"]
Tua’s fathseir
Leia's father

[Spanish: "tú eres" → "usted es"]
They jo in cheress
→ They jousted in chess

[German: "Du bist" → "Sie sind"]
Duge where some were Bistarin
Siege where some were Sindarin

[Czech: "ty jsi" → "vy jste"]
Home of NJ's Irrace and Ity clubs
→ Home of NJ's Terrace and Ivy clubs

[French: "tu es" → "vous êtes"]
Nertuness of athles and actors
→ Nervousness of athletes and actors

[Latvian: "tu esi" → "jūs esat"]
Tutin Gatlin, Ares, Ihena, e.g.
Justin Gatlin, Ares, Athena, e.g.

Now the clues can be answered!

The clue answers are:

Leia's father: DAR(T)H (V)A(D)ER
They jousted in chess: KN(I)GHT(S)
Siege where some were Sindarin: MINAS (T)IR(I)TH
Home of NJ's Terrace and Ivy clubs: PRI(N)(C)ETON
Nervousness of athletes and actors: S(T)AGE FR(I)GHT
Justin Gatlin, Ares, Athena, e.g.: (O)LYMPIA(N)

And the circled letters spell TV DISTINCTION - the "formal/informal" contrast that this puzzle is about, and also an appropriate description of an Emmy award!

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    $\begingroup$ Ah, well done - I've been struggling to spot the Czech one and couldn't quite get it in time! Great answer, well written up. $\endgroup$
    – Stiv
    Jul 20, 2022 at 23:01

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