There's this game in the local newspaper here called Cashword. It's like a crossword, sort of, but most of the letters are already filled out and you get a list of words and clues. You have to pick the word that best fits the clue. Usually more than one word will work; but one is correct because it's less vague or takes outside factors into account. Anyway, if you get all the answers correct, you win money, and the jackpot this week is up to $1,500. Which I could really use... I doubt I'll get them all right, but I have answers for all but three clues, and am enlisting some help. Here are the clues and possible words I'm stuck on...

1. An indifferent actor's --- of impatience will not be very convincing.
sigh or sign

2. It's hardly fair for Army private to be --- by sergeant when he's rushing to join girlfriend.
detailed or detained

3. Too much --- may well result in stiffness.
rest or rust


I know there are some word afficionados (sp?) here in Obner who can help me out. Thanks!

sigh
detained
rest

sigh

detained

rest

Yeah, I'd agree with those suggested answers that have already been given, but I can see why you're having trouble.

why did you guys choose the ones you did?

To me, they seemed to fit the criteria better. An actor's sigh is less vague than a sign, and a soldier would no doubt be more upset if he were detained while on his way to visit his girlfriend. The third one is a little trickier, but my gut says it's the right choice.

just seemd like the best fit

Trust me on this one, cus I am a sergeant. The soldier would be upset if he was DETAILED. Being detailed is phrase used in the military which basically means that you have been "Volunteered" to perform a task or mission. Although detained may seem like the obvious choice, generally soldiers are not detained by a sergeant unless that sergeant is a MP. Detaining is used, especially here in IRAQ, in the sense of holding insurgents or forgien nationals for questioning and or searching. Privates are Detailed not detained.

Good luck with that contest.
If you win, I'm expect a cut.

I can find where you live if I need to collect a "involuntary donation"

Yeah, you don't want to get detailed in prison, either.

I had to turn it in this morning. I went with 'detained' (though I knew about 'detailed' meaning 'assigned a task' and that was why I was hung on that one...) because 'detained' also means 'delayed'. Oh well. Don't know results yet. And there's always next week.

Rust would only apply to robots. Rest to humans. Humans >> robots.

But the stiffness example is not human-specific.

Yeah, but there are more humans than robots, so probabilistically, it's more likely the correct answer.

You can believe that if you want to, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Yeah, but rust doesn't really stiffen anything. It will make joints and bolts stick. But for stand-alone metal, it makes it brittle and weak--less stiff than un-corroded metal.