As we approach the 11-year anniversary of the launching of my site on Wednesday, here’s another theme week we haven’t seen since S38 (and we were SKUNKED the last time around) — Home for the Holidays. And to make things interesting, we’ve got family teams playing.

EPISODE #7861: 🧑‍🎄HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS🧑‍🎄

$1K Toss-Up: PLACE

G O U R _ E _
R _ _ T _ U _ A _ T

Karen & Kay won some money towards dining at a GOURMET RESTAURANT. Here are the first three teams this season…

Karen Felker & Kay Wiens (identical twin sisters): Karen from Wheaton, IL is married to Dave w/ twin college daughters while Kay from Maple Grove, MN is married to Scott w/ three boys; both ladies like to play tricks on the guys when they were growing up

Linda & Kaneshia Jenkins (mom/daughter; last names not mentioned): both from Beaumont, TX; Kaneshia the daughter has two daughters and a son and is a prosecutor in a small town; both ladies like to fish and cruise together

Kaylen & Spenser Hunt (cousins): he’s from Baton Rouge, LA; they love the holidays and spend time with their grandmother, which is their opportunity to compete on the show and be their grandma’s favorite people

$2K Toss-Up: PHRASE

S _ A N N I N G
T _ E / G L O _ E

This show has been SPANNING THE GLOBE for a long time, and the K’s have tripled up.

FEATURED PRIZE: trips to ST. KITTS worth $11K

Round 1: SAME LETTER

K & K: $1,500 T trio, triple E’s, SL Bonus of SIX S’s for $4,600, buys of I and O, one R for ST. KITTS, SOLE CRITICAL PURCHASE of U ($5,600 plus the trip at risk)

Jenkinses: $600 N (close call), L for loss of turn

Hunts: one G for MDW, $800 C, two A’s (NMV), solve…

S _ A T E S
S _ E A T E R S / &
S T O C _ I N G S

They solve SKATES, SWEATERS, & STOCKINGS for the $2K house minimum and control of that sparkly green wedge.

Mystery Round: WAYD?

Jenkinses: five T’s for $3,250, S for sorry

Hunts: $1,950 N trio, buys all five vowels in one fell swoop (triple I’s, A, three E’s, three O’s, and U), solve…

_ E T T I N _ / A
_ U _ _ / O N / T _ E
_ O _ _ E T I T I O N

The Hunts have been GETTING A JUMP ON THE COMPETITION, but it’s for another $2K house minimum.

Hunts: $4K MDW/K & K: $3K/Jenkinses: ZIP

I can understand the Hunts wanting to keep their MDW intact w/ their conservative playing, but the scores going into the next round should NOT be like this. -__-

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PP/Express Round: LIVING THINGS

Hunts: $600 S (not quite to EXPRESS), three E’s, $2,200 T quartet, A for awful

K & K: $1K L pair, two F’s for WC, two U’s, solve…

F L U T T E _ _ _ _
_ U T T E _ F L _ E S

The K’s solved for $1,750 and will see some FLUTTERING BUTTERFLIES on their trips to the Peace Lodge & La Paz Waterfall Gardens in COSTA RICA worth a whopping $18,400.

Hunts: $4K MDW/K & K: $23,150 & Costa Rica WC/Jenkinses: ZILCH

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Triple Toss-Up: THINGS

1.

_ _ H O _ L
_ E L L _

All “bells”, and the Hunts ring the SCHOOL BELLS.

2.

_ H _ _ _ H
_ _ _ _ _

K & K hear CHURCH BELLS.

3.

_ _ _ _ _ E
_ _ _ _ S

The K’s solve the holiday song “JINGLE BELLS”.

Round 4: SHOW BIZ

K & K: $1K T pair, three E’s, $850 L, two O’s, H for halt

SPEED-UP

T E L E _ _ _ _ O _
_ _ _ E _ T O _

Linda has spun $1,600 per consonant, so the Hunts can kiss their MDW goodbye.

Jenkinses: N
Hunts: S
K & K: V (TELEVISION CREATOR is too short to fit)
Jenkinses: 3 I’s (NMV) (but Kaneisha goes overboard w/ TELEVISION CINEMATON)
Hunts: 2 R’s

T E L E V I S I O N
_ I R E _ T O R

Spenser finally gets TELEVISION DIRECTOR for $4,800.

PENALTY BOX	DUDS	LaTs	BANKRUPTS	DQs
Round 1	U (K & K), L (Jenkinses)
Round 2	S (Jenkinses)
Round 3	A (Hunts)
Round 4	H (K & K)			2 botched solves (K & K, Jenkinses)

FINAL SCORES
Hunts: $10,800 MDW/K & K: $27,150 & Costa Rica WC/Jenkinses: $2K GOOSEEGG

GT: $39,950
NO PENALTY SPINS

Ugh, K & K are stuck w/ that DREADED list…

• PHRASE
• WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
• THING

And oh no, Kay’s picking WAYD?. -___-

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$100K Bonus Round

It appears they no longer offer cars for family week teams (except for the married couples). Anyway, K & K don’t have anybody, but Karen spins the & for the team. These are what couples do before they get married…

E _ _ _ _ N _ _ N _
_ _ _ S

MDTCA and H pretty much give them the first word…

E _ C H A N _ _ N _
_ _ _ S

…and they botch the bottom w/ PENS, CARDS, and KEYS. Since they don’t remember EXCHANGING VOWS, they lose $40K.

MY RATING: 5