In a pub quiz, how strict are you when marking other peoples answers?
Posted by MoonRoover@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 48 comments
Just got home from a pub quiz and I had to ask this question.
I've never done a written pub quiz before, only the speedquizzing mobile ones which I enjoy.
At the end of the quiz, all the teams swapped papers to mark the answers and I'm curious how strict people are when marking.
One of the questions played a segment of the song "Layla - Derek & the dominos" and asked what song it was. The team I was marking wrote "Lola". Would you mark this right or wrong? Initially I marked it incorrect, however the team I was marking knew I had their paper and tried kicking off at me.
Another one was what song contains the lyrics "Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world", to which they had written "Don't Stop". Same again, I marked it incorrect (its a fleetwood mac song) however they tried kicking off again.
There was probably at least 10 questions with similar spelling issues which I marked correct to avoid any hassle. I asked the quizmaster about a couple of them but I didn't get a definitive answer.
Just curious how other people mark quizzes
ShadowBannedSkyRu1e@reddit
What fleetwood mac song contains “just a small town girl, living in a lonely world”
cause i would’ve guess Dont stop believin by journey
MoonRoover@reddit (OP)
I meant Don't Stop is a fleetwood mac song which is why I hadn't marked it correct, ill edit my post
WetDogDeodourant@reddit
I think the fleetwood mac song thing is confusing people. There’s no chance from the question that the team meant the fleetwood mac song, it’s irrelevant. It’s whether you give the team credit for knowing the song or not, I wouldn’t give that on the grounds it’s not right, except in the circumstances that the team I’m marking are blatantly losing and being generous won’t cost anyone else prizes.
batteryforlife@reddit
Its being petty. They know what song they meant, just give it to them. Its like when song titles have a bit on the end in brackets (Kate Bush - Running Up that Hill (A Deal with God)). Do you not get the point if you miss the last bit? Come on, let it go.
phoeniks@reddit
We have the rule "mark as you would wish to be marked". Spelling mistakes are not penalised. "Lola" is clearly not "Layla", but "Leila" would be accepted.
"Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world" is the opening of "Don't Stop Believing". It's not Fleetwood Mac. I would have given them 1/2 for half of the title.
Scarred_fish@reddit
This has to be the stupidest thing ever posted on reddit!
Lol - no way can it be serious. Good laugh tho random redditor.
ImitationDemiGod@reddit
You don't spend much time on Reddit, huh?
MoonRoover@reddit (OP)
I meant Don't Stop is a fleetwood mac song which is why I was weary of marking it correct, I know the actual song is by Journey
swungover264@reddit
In the spirit of your question being about spelling etc, just so you know, "weary" means tired. "Wary" means nervous or unsure. The more you know! 🙂
MoonRoover@reddit (OP)
never even noticed that is indeed very fitting of the post 😂
shenaniganrogue@reddit
It’s also a Rolling Stones song. So that doubles the chances of them referring to an incorrect song!
Valuable-Wallaby-167@reddit
"Don't Stop" by itself is a Fleetwood Mac song.
phoeniks@reddit
I see
bonkerz1888@reddit
I love winning pub quizzes (on the very rare occasion that I do) but I'm pretty lax with other people (within reason). No gonna do them for a wrong spelling or pronunciation, or if they have 3/4 of the answer (the name of a place for example) then I'm inclined to give them it as I know they knew the answer but just couldn't communicate it properly.
A pub quiz should be fun at the end of the day.
Valuable-Wallaby-167@reddit
Nah, they're close enough that I'd be kicking myself if I'd put them down but they're still wrong.
Also, who kicks off at someone over a pub quiz?
RealLongwayround@reddit
I get quite uppity when a correct answer is marked wrong. When a wrong answer is marked wrong, that’s my problem.
OP, I agree with many others here that your marking was appropriate.
thesimpsonsthemetune@reddit
I've seen more aggro at pub quizzes than early hours kebab shops.
MoonRoover@reddit (OP)
borderline smackheads
diond09@reddit
"Yaz, Yazoo. What's your cut off point?"
SignificantIsopod797@reddit
Lola is a different song, so would be marked incorrect.
Don’t stop believing is missing 50% of letters if written as Don’t stop, so I would mark also incorrect. (FWIW if someone wrote Chain instead of The Chain for the Fleetwood Mac song, I’d accept as the definite article isn’t that important).
ballsosteele@reddit
If the answer is wrong, it's wrong. Both of your examples are correctly marked as wrong. Lola's the Kinks and Don't Stop is Fleetwood. If they didn't write that, fuck 'em.
If it's spelled in a way that is excusable but phonetically correct - like a moron might call it the "Park de Princes" - that gets a pass.
Kirstemis@reddit
Several years ago at a pub quiz I couldn't remember the name of Wilson Phillips, so wrote "American women, one of them is a Beach Boy's daughter and one of them is a daugher of one of the Mamas and the Papas." The quizmaster accepted that we knew the answer, just couldn't think of the name and gave us the point.
I would have allowed Lola for Layla if there wasn't already a song called Lola.
PM_THE_REAPER@reddit
It's a pub quiz, not 'Who wants To Be A Millionaire'. Everyone chill out. Close enough is good enough.
If it's that big of a deal, then give half marks for close, but no cigar.
TheAncientGeek@reddit
Depends on how well they are doing overall.
The_Blip@reddit
Zero points for a completely incorrect name. Lola and Layla aren't the same name spelled differently, they're completely different names which both happen to have two Ls in them.
I would have given them half a point for "Don't stop", if they weren't pricks prior. I'd give u/phoeniks full marks, even though the correct title is, "Don't Stop Believin'". What is essentially the same word but with a minor variation in spelling is acceptable.
I'd probably give full points even if they spelt the word entirely wrong, but were clearly trying to spell the correct phonics. "Laelar" would be an awful yet acceptable answer. Lola is Bugs Bunny's romantic partner.
Kirstemis@reddit
Lola hangs about in a club down in old Soho, where they drink champagne and it tastes just like cherry cola.
ElectricTomatoMan@reddit
Lola is a completely different song. They expected credit? That's ridiculous.
PenguinDetective@reddit
If it’s me I normally put a big question mark next to it so that when the quiz master takes it back in to check the marking and scores they can decide for themselves, that way the decision wasn’t mine and no one can have a go at me 🤣
So if they scored 50 and then one maybe question, I’d put a question mark directly next to the question and then at the end put their total as 50/51?
Nine_Eye_Ron@reddit
Mark them as incorrect and say take it up with the quizmaster. You are there to save a bit of time, not make big decisions.
Small spelling errors are acceptable but a song title missing a key word is marked as wrong.
Stand your ground, tell them it’s not your decision.
pothelswaite@reddit
Very.
BrightEyeCameDown@reddit
I'll say what I said at the time...
look at his ears.
thesimpsonsthemetune@reddit
If they're getting those two wrong, probably fair to say they're having a mare. I'd probably give then charity points cause they're coming bottom anyway.
LondonCycling@reddit
I take my own QI klaxon.
Not very serious.
Harrry-Otter@reddit
Generally it depends how well they’re doing. If they’ve got almost everything right, I’m a fairly harsh marker, but spelling errors are fine. If they’re in the running for a wooden spoon, I’d probably let “Lola” slide.
MoonRoover@reddit (OP)
they beat us in the end which im fuming about cos of my lenient marking
Jefoss75@reddit
All these answers giving the benefit of the doubt, no mate, if it’s not right it’s wrong, they’d mark you the same way so why give the benefit of the doubt?
CranberryCheese1997@reddit
I've always tried to be kind when they've made a spelling mistake, but clearly knee the correct answer.
The 1st one I'd have marked incorrect as it was substantially wrong. It sounds more like an educated guess than just a spelling mistake.
The second one I'd have marked as correct through gritted teeth, but I think a half mark would've also been reasonable.
I haven't been to a quiz since I spelt gangnam style as gangman style, and the team marking our answers harshly marked it as incorrect. I didn't kick up a fuss as we wouldn't have been in the top 3 anyway, but I would've if it had made a substantial difference.
MoonRoover@reddit (OP)
one of the questions was what is a punt on a wine bottle, I wrote "dent in bottom of bottle" and the answer given was "dent in bottle" and they marked it wrong. I corrected it myself
CranberryCheese1997@reddit
That's so harsh. Marking you as incorrect for being too detailed in your answer. You clearly knew the answer.
jamesmowry@reddit
I'd be lenient with spelling mistakes if it was obvious they did know the answer, but "Lola" is a completely different song by a completely different group. Half a mark for "Don't Stop" if you're feeling generous.
GhostPantherNiall@reddit
Not strict, it’s meant to be fun. Spelling mistakes don’t matter unless you’re playing Countdown or the question is explicitly asking about spelling. Grammar doesn’t matter with the same caveats. In your examples; “Lola” is objectively wrong- close but no cigar. “Don’t Stop” is technically wrong but basically right so I’d give it the point.
Fellattio_Nelson@reddit
Its a bit of fun to pass an hour in a pub, it's not millionaire. Those answers Id have marked correct, I know what they mean as do they, but they've had a brainfart.
AccidentalSirens@reddit
If it was just a spelling mistake I'd mark it right, but neither of these examples is just a spelling mistake. Layla and Lola are different songs, and so are Don't Stop and Don't Stop Believing.
Personal-Listen-4941@reddit
I’ve run a few charity quiz nights. My rule is that if it’s simply a spelling issue, then mark it correct. But if the answer is close but wrong mark it wrong.
So in your example Layla -Derek & the domino’s. If they had written Layla -Derek & the domminoes then I’d mark it correct, but Lola is clearly a different answer.
spongey1865@reddit
Normally you give them the benefit of the doubt, but those are tricky ones and probably would be up to the quiz master.
Lola is a famous song in its own right and just a different name. I think you were right to mark that wrong.
Don't stop is a bit trickier, I'd probably lean to marking it wrong but that I think they've clearly recognised the song. But it's also such a famous song the bar is gonna be high.
If it's just bad spelling they should get given it unless it's hilariously bad
Don't think you're in the wrong with either but if a quizmaster went "ah I'll give them that" I think thats fine too.
intangible-tangerine@reddit
Red pen
Must do better comments
Threaten to call parents if I think they didn't revise
ShampooandCondition@reddit
Both those answers were wrong so I’d have marked them as wrong,
If it’s spelt wrong say “laila” I’d give them it as it’s clear they knew it but not how to spell it.
The journey answer is way wrong,
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