Killer $25K Scrabble® question on today's show [spoiler]

[slam]

What were the choices??

Question:

Spoiler

What are the only U.S. State names that can't be spelled from a standard set of 98 Scrabble tiles, not including the blanks?

Choices:

Spoiler

A: Mississippi & Hawaii B: Arkansas & Pennsylvania
C: Connecticut & Kentucky D: Massachusetts & Colorado

This wouldn't be as hard as it might seem if you had the presence of mind to approach it logically and efficiently in the limited time allowed. All you have to do is eliminate three states that seem spellable with a standard Scrabble set. For example,
A: (H + 2A + W + 2I) = not a problem
B: (3A + R + K + N + 2S) = not a problem
D: (C + 3O + L + R + A + D) = not a problem
but
C: (2K + E + N + T + U + C + Y) = maybe a problem with the 2Ks
or (3C + O + 2N + E + 2T + I + U) = maybe a problem with the 2Cs

Of course, this is easier to see at home, without a clock ticking.

I agree with The Confessor and plasticene that this problem isn't as hard as it initially seems if one stays calm and reasons it out. I'm a very casual Scrabble player (having last played with my kids a year or so ago) and I was able to come up with Kentucky without the multiple choice possibilities (but then couldn't think of CT). Given the multiple choice possibilities, you can either approach it with The Confessor's method (looking for states that are possible) or plasticene's approach (looking for state's that aren't possible).
If using the second approach, there are two ways that a state wouldn't be spellable: 1) need for a 2nd or 3rd letter of a relatively uncommon letter, or 2) need for a whole bunch of a relatively common letter. For the 1st, the only relatively uncommon letters which have more than one in the states above are the p's in Mississippi, the k's in Kentucky and the c's in Connecticut. If you aren't sure whether there are 1 or 2 p's available, you can realize that Mississippi's companion of Hawaii has to be doable (there have to be at least 2 a's and 2 i's). That only leaves the Kentucky/Connecticut combo.

Of course, I agree with others above that this is a lot easier to do at home than in the Hot Seat. But, I also do think it would be doable for me or for others who are naturally inclined to this sort of reasoning and take Douglas Adams' advice and "Don't Panic".

[ghostjmf]

I hit the pause button. I thunk about it awhile. Longer than 30 s e c s. I got it right, but in real life I would have at the very least double dipped. About the only chance of not ripping through lifelines on a Q-that-requires-time, like this one, is to ATE if the E is actually an E, not a good-time-Charlie (or Charline). Because the E apparently does not have a time limit.