We'd like to buy a do-over, Pat.
There's no nice way to say it: A "Wheel of Fortune" contestant got royally screwed on Wednesday's show, losing thousands of dollars because she failed to enunciate the "g" at the end of "swimming."
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Presented with the puzzle "SE_EN S_ _NS A-S_ _MM _NG" under the clue "Living Things," the contestant, Renee, correctly guessed "Seven Swans A-Swimming." Only problem? She pronounced it "Seven Swans A-Swimmin'," causing host Pat Sajak to tell her she was incorrect and move on to the next contestant.
"Yeah ... can't accept that," Sajak tells her, over the applause of audience members who clearly think Renee has solved the puzzle. "Amy, it's your turn."
Amy, the next contestant, then chooses a V and a W before she's forced to solve the puzzle because all of the remaining letters are vowels. She offers the same response as Renee did seconds earler, but makes sure to emphasize the "G" sound.
After congratulating Amy, Sajak asks, "Do you know what happened there?"
"No, I thought she did it," a baffled Amy responds.
Sajak goes on to explain to Amy (and a pursed-lipped Renee) that Renee incorrectly used "the vernacular" in her guess.
Watch the video below. Do you think the ruling was fair?
View original Did a Wheel of Fortune Contestant Lose Unfairly? at TVGuide.com