A failure to enunciate to Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak's liking cost a contestant a bundle of money earlier this week along with the rest of the game.
Renee Durette, a Navy Intel Specialist from Merritt Island, Florida, thought she had the puzzle in the bag.
In fact, she did: Durette correctly answered "seven swans a-swimming" with seven missing letters. Except that, in her twang, swimming became "swimmin'," a pronunciation Sajak found unacceptable.
Durette subsequently lost her turn as well as $3,850, and the puzzle was turned over to the next contestant, Amy Vincenti, who promptly solved it.
Vincenti went on to win the whole game with a final score of $11,400 — $3,200 more than Durette.
In the episode's aftermath, many wondered if Durette hadn't just been straight-up robbed of money that was rightfully hers.
Some claimed the existence of a "pronunciation rule" but have been unable to cite it, while others noted that, even if such a rule did exist, the disproportionate disadvantage to foreign-born contestants or those with a heavy accent makes it a particularly bad one.
Durette did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
[video via WXERFM]