Bonus
In many language families, the word for “bear” has undergone this concept’s namesake “deformation,” being replaced with euphemisms like the proto-Germanic for “brown one.” For 10 points each:
[10m] A Sigmund Freud essay on “Totem” and what concept claims its only universal kinds relate to incest and patricide?
ANSWER: taboo [or tapu; or kapu; accept taboo deformation; accept “Totem and Taboo”]
[10e] To avoid a taboo on these words, many varieties of English substitute them with kinder varieties like “gosh” and “darn.”
ANSWER: swear words [or synonyms like curse words or expletives; prompt on interjections]
[10h] Social media platforms encourage this type of taboo avoidance, which replaces words like “kill” with “unalive.” Taylor Lorenz popularized the name of this type of self-censorship, which titles a 2025 book by Adam Aleksic.
ANSWER: algospeak
<Editors, Social Science>
| Editions | Heard | PPB | Easy % | Medium % | Hard % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 39 | 17.69 | 90% | 49% | 39% |
Conversion
Summary
| Tournament | Edition | Exact Match? | Heard | PPB | Easy % | Medium % | Hard % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK (North) | UK | Y | 1 | 10.00 | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| UK (South) | UK | Y | 1 | 10.00 | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Eastern Canada (2) | US | Y | 1 | 30.00 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Upper Mid-Atlantic | US | Y | 12 | 13.33 | 83% | 25% | 25% |
| Midwest | US | Y | 1 | 20.00 | 100% | 0% | 100% |
| Northeast | US | Y | 12 | 20.00 | 92% | 67% | 42% |
| Pacific | US | Y | 9 | 20.00 | 89% | 67% | 44% |
| Southeast | US | Y | 1 | 20.00 | 100% | 100% | 0% |
| Upstate NY | US | Y | 1 | 20.00 | 100% | 0% | 100% |