Few TV moments are as satisfying as a Wheel of Fortune blunder. They usually go viral because of a wildly goofy answer, like the 2024 classic "Treat Yourself A Round of Sausage." But every once in a while, it's hard to figure out who made the mistake: the contestant or the show's producers, who green-lit a puzzle that may have been…well, too puzzling. Which brings us back to 1993, with one of the most bizarre moments in Wheel of Fortune history. The category was "Slang," and three contestants were presented with one nine-letter word. It took them more than three minutes to solve as the studio filled with awkward laughter, and it's fair to debate whether they really got it. - YouTube www.youtube.com "There, you said it! You said it the second time!"It's a slow reveal: a pair of "T"s, an "S," a "B," an "N"—all with no guesses. Finally, upon the reveal of a "K," someone takes the first stab: "Buttinsky" (pronounced like "butt in sky"). Nope. Then comes a "Y." Another "Butt in sky." Even when we get the full word, "BUTTINSKY," no one can pronounce it to the producers' liking. Finally, one contestant runs through a handful of variations, and host Pat Sajak, seemingly eager to move on, jumps in: "There, you said it! You said it the second time!" It's a close call. You be the judge. It appears none of the contestants had ever heard the word "buttinsky," which, according to Merriam-Webster, is a noun meaning "a person given to butting in" or "a troublesome meddler." "We cannot say who was the first wit to add the common last element of some Slavic surnames to the term butt in," the dictionary company wrote, "but we can tell you that the word has been in common use since the beginning of the 20th century." - YouTube www.youtube.com "I actually saw this when it aired. I've never forgotten it."So what does the general public think about this puzzle? Here are some notable YouTube comments: "Pat: 'Yeah, what do we have there?' Contestant: 'Buttinsky, jack—'""Producer was like, I don't even know how to pronounce that.""Weirdest puzzle in WoF history""Nope...that is clearly "Butt in sky'""This was pretty much the final nail in the coffin for the Slang category--it offered one of the most difficult puzzles on the show, much like how Megaword had ones that had mostly uncommon letters and were very hard to pronounce.""I actually saw this when it aired. I've never forgotten it. I'd hate to have my butt in sky :P""The producers were needling WAY too much on the pronunciation here. Wow, that was excruciating to watch lol""After something like that, they should have invited all three of those guys back or did a do-over puzzle and thrown it out.""Buttonsky, Battensky, Buttansky, Bittensky, Bettinsky, Bottinsky, until we get to Buttinsky. Very funny." "No wonder that category was retired."On the latter note: According to the Wheel of Fortune Fandom site, "Slang" was introduced on September 7, 1992, and retired on June 19, 1995. - YouTube www.youtube.com