We received 146 entries correctly identifying last month’s Fake Ad for a plumbers’ discussion group on page 74 of the November issue. Evalyn Yanna’s entry was chosen as our winner. She’s taking her gift certificate to the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase.
As always, the entries came from both far and wide, including one from Wayne Becker of Waupaca, Wisconsin, that allows us to clear up a common misunderstanding. “As I checked out all the ads in the November edition of the Ann Arbor Observer,” Becker wrote, “the ‘plumbers ad’ jumped out at me, mainly because it seemed like a very improbably ‘unplumberish’ ad–but also because it included no address, no web site ID and not even a complete phone number (i.e., including an area code). What really puzzled me at first, though, was the absence of ‘arborweb’ anywhere in the article. Then I decided to check out what ‘arborweb’ looks like as a phone number and found it would be ‘spelled’ 27267932, which, with the exception of the initial ‘2,’ is the phone number for ‘Chris’ given in the ad. So I identify this ad as the fake ad for November–though I’m puzzled by the absence of the initial ‘A’ (or ‘2’) in the phone number, which reads ‘rborweb’ as it stands.”
Thank you, Mr. Becker. Now, allow us to explain: The ‘R’ in ‘rborweb’ serves as both the ‘A’ and the ‘R’. Say it out loud. You might find it useful to put a parrot on your shoulder and pretend you have a peg leg. “Aaaarrrrrr” is what we’re going for.
To enter this month’s contest, find the Fake Ad in the December Ann Arbor Observer. All entries must be received by noon on Dec. 10.
