Solving the puzzle with no letters on the board

I have been able to solve puzzles with no letters revealed, such as my favorite instance, Pinocchio. It's one thing if you're able to solve it like Caitlin did, but remember, she had help with a punctuation mark, one L, and the fact that there were no R's in the puzzle. However, it's another to start the round by ending it, meaning you start the round by saying, "Pat, I'd like to solve the puzzle," and then correctly solving it. It has never been done, and I dream of being the first to do it. You just need that lucky puzzle.

Now, almost everyone's under the impression that the large puzzles are harder to solve with only so many letters revealed, but through experience, I learned it's actually the smaller puzzles that can get you.

Even so, I have a funny story regarding that.

My junior high year, some people in my division class were playing Hangman just to pass the time. I didn't play, but I still watched with much enthusiasm. The gentleman making the puzzle put six lines on the chalkboard, one of the players asked, "What's the category?" The gentleman says, "Place." Immediately, the player said, "Mexico," and through some interjection by the gentleman, I knew that was the answer. I still laugh when I think about it to this day.

I remember solving a puzzle with a lot more letters than the BABY BOY example (3 rows, in fact). The giveaway: The category was NICKNAME, and it is a very common state nickname, THE SUNSHINE STATE.

I also remember in December 1993 I solved a bonus round puzzle with no letters - DUCK. It's almost like I knew from miles away it was coming.

As for Caitlin's amazing feat back in November (which re-aired recently), I don't think it was that impressive. Seeing that Caitlin's "L" was actually the second letter called that round ("R" was the first, not existing in the puzzle). If you want to talk about an even more incredible one-letter puzzle solve, CHRISTMAS WREATH from December 23, 1994 is a good example (I did download that episode long before the Sony removal, in fact). The contestant guessed a "C" out of hunch that the first word was to be "Christmas". Using elimination method, she solved the puzzle out of randomness, and won herself a small bit of change ($300, I think?) for her incredible but very impressive feat.

I wouldn't be so sure. There are still a lot of gaps in just the American franchise's history, and I'm pretty sure TPH wouldn't make sub-Wikis for the various worldwide iterations of Wheel.* It's entirely possible that a no-spin puzzle solve on the first turn of the round has happened, but the moment has simply been lost to time (or the wiping process, depending on the era).

* If some foreign researchers (i.e., "specialists") want to do a sister History Wiki on Wikia about their respective country's versions, then I fully support the idea and will be happy to chip in where possible. Until then, sub-Wikis just aren't likely.

ZOO, of all puzzles, was solved blank in the bonus round. I think it was the 10th season premiere, but that needs a double-check.

Don't mean to drift too far off topic, but I SWEAR there was another non-BR one-letter solve (or two-letter) in the late '90s/early 00's. Anyone else remember it?

Depending on how you define "late 90s", there was a one-letter solve that led to the first Jackpot win in October 1996 (GREEN EGGS AND HAM BY DR. SEUSS with only the G's). A lady in December 2002 solved KELSEY GRAMMER AS DR. FRASIER CRANE with only the R's and S's, and I know that clip's been around the block a few times. Those are the only ones I've found from that era, although given the many gaps in my info I'm sure there're more.

Well I don't think it's entirely impossible for anyone to do it. I don't mean to toot my own horn but I've solved 35 puzzles with no lettersin the past 3 seasons (including this one). I only have 5 this season but I haven't been watching as frequently either.