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old hand
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OP
old hand
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Today's the first (onya bingley) Tuesday in November. The day that the race that stops a nation (The Melbourne Cup) is run.
Like millions of other Aussies, today's the only day of the year that stales and his family put money on the outcome of a horse race. And, all across the nation, people are buying tickets in a sweepstake at their place of work.
I presume that the term sweepstake is in global use but just in case, it refers to a kind of lottery in which you contribute a small fee (generally $2 or $5 per ticket) to receive a horse's name drawn out of a hat. There are as many tickets as there are horses in the race and, if yours is scratched before the race, too bad. There's generally 4 prizes, first, second and third as well as a "donkey prize" of your money back for the last place getter.
Anyway - can anybody tell about the term "sweepstake" - origins, geographic usage etc.
stales
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Can't say that I know much about the origins of sweepstakes, but what you are describing here sounds like what we Michiganians call an office pool. I have never personally participated in an office pool, but I'm sure that some other 'Merkin can elucidate better than I on this subject. Yoohoo! Office poolers! Come out come out where ever you are!
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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old hand
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OP
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Joined: Nov 2000
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More information than I could ever have hoped for! Don't worry, I don't believe a word of it!!
stales
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Today is the first Tuesday in November, so has the race been moved?
Bingley
Bingley
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Have a cuppa', sweetie. That's what Stales said!
Today's the first (onya bingley) Tuesday in November. The day that the race that stops a nation (The Melbourne Cup) is run.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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And this is probably the first Melbourne Cup in twenty years for which I haven't had a ticket in a sweepstake. Like stales, our household doesn't typically bet. But a sweepstake isn't betting - it's pure and utter chance!  Almost makes me feel homesick, stales. On yer, mate!
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
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old hand
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old hand
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Office pools exist here as well. Usually for sports events. The only thing I can recall is buying Grey Cup tickets (these are the Canadian football finals). They each have a random score printed on them (Something along the lines of East 30 West 17, for example) and if your ticket is right you win money. Well, theoretically. I've never actually won anything that way. There are also hockey pools. These involved choosing a team of players...I have NO IDEA how they work. Can anyone elucidate?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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this reminds me, more than anything, of those rare times when the (quasi)national lottery gets upwards of 100 gazillion dollars (american) and *everyone* buys a ticket, even those who never bet (hi CK), and folks at the office pool (a different sort of office pool) their moneys to buy blocks of tickets. and then someone in Kahootie, WI wins and everyone else says "man, that could have been me!". but this isn't a special day, but a random one. which seems appropriate somehow.
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Carpal Tunnel
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