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PUZZLE POTLUCK 3

Solution – Captain America
ANSWER – ICANDOTHISALLDAY
by Lindsey Shi

Each poem describes a fictional captain and follows the rhyme scheme aabba, similar to a limerick (but without a strict meter requirement, à la Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me!). In each case, the b rhyme is given, the a rhyme is withheld, and a major identifier within the last line is also withheld.

Use the limericks’ rhyme scheme, the context provided, and the alphabetical order of the captains to fill in the limericks as follows:

CaptainLimerick
Captain America
(Marvel Comics; Marvel Cinematic Universe)
Steve Rogers is given great deference
He’s many Americans’ preference
He doesn’t get lots of quotes
But when he knows one, he notes:
“I understood that reference”
Captain Barbossa
(Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl)
This captain’s black sails did unfurl
At Port Royal - he abducted a girl
She made a request
He was disinclined to acquiesce
And said “Welcome aboard the Black Pearl”
Cap’n Crunch
(Quaker Oats Company)
With him around, breakfast can happen
His textures are (slangily) slappin’
Though if we’re speaking with candor
He may be a commander
So it’s actually wrong to say “Crunch-a-tize me, Cap’n!”
Captain Falcon
(F-Zero series; Super Smash Bros. series)
Just by looking at him, I’ve got a hunch
That his abs have done many a crunch
His “brothers” might cower
At the incredible power
Of his signature move “Falcon Punch”
Captain Hook
(Peter Pan)
This captain, who’s missing a hand
Seeks revenge on a boy and his band
He sports a red frock
(Chewed off by a croc!)
That duplicitous scourge of Neverland
Captain Kirk
(Star Trek: The Original Series)
His crew is a small diverse roster
But his evil clone was an impostor (imposter)
He blends his brains with his brawn
To go where no man has gone,
And as his friend says “live long and prosper”
Captain Nemo
(Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and series)
His traits may seem rather bizarre
And his submarine fought un calmar
Which is French for a “squid”
For a long tie, he hid
His real name, which is Prince Dakkar
Captain Planet
(Captain Planet and the Planeteers)
If you’ve got conservation in mind
This captain you might get behind
He’s red, blue, and green
And can only be seen,
How? “By your powers combined”

Once you’ve identified all the indicated letters (or enough of them, as the case may be), assemble them in the order provided to arrive at your answer: “I CAN DO THIS ALL DAY” – something Steve Rogers and I have in common.

The final limerick, in its original form, reads:

Writing limericks may seem très passé
They bring lots of people dismay
My friends have been snobby –
“You need a new hobby”
But really, I can do this all day!

Author's Notes

  • Compared to the rest of the round, Captain America’s puzzle is pretty straightforward. Consider it a breather from the big behemoths like Iron Man and Black Widow!
  • The first limerick I wrote was actually for Abraham Lincoln (think O Captain! My Captain!), though I ended up taking him out. He would have been the only non-fictional character in the mix, and it was kind of weird to call him “Captain Lincoln.” Unless you’re a huge fan of Codename S.T.E.A.M.
  • All of our test-solvers had “Jack Sparrow” in the second position instead of “Captain Barbossa.” Can’t be helped, I suppose.
  • We were slightly worried that people would just guess the answer “I CAN DO THIS ALL DAY” from the association with Captain America alone. Let us know if you did that!
  • Check out the hints!
  • Best Wrong Answers:
    Wrong AnswerSubmitted by:
    I CAN DO THIS OLD MANNovel Hub
    I FAILED ENGLISH WHAT IS A POEMNo Gnus Is Good Gnus
    SEASON THE BULLDOGSNPH
    JEAN-LOUIS LODAYRock Lobsters
    I CAN BEAT IT ALL DAYMumu

Stats

  • 379 solves
  • 90 incorrect guesses
  • Most common incorrect guess: STAMINA (guessed 3 times)
  • First solve: hoME AT last in 1 hour, 10 minutes, and 52 seconds

PUZZLE POTLUCK 3