[WiZ] Article 2

[WiZ]

A woman runs into a store she visits regularly. She has brought with her a sample of the product she needs. The store sells plenty of this product, and it is sitting well within reach on the shelves. There are no other customers in the shop, but it takes about an hour for the woman, with assistance, to get what she is after. Why?

ROIMBT. Caveat Earlispoilor.

[GalFisk]

Article 2, article 2, doing the things that articles do ♫

Relevant that she runs? Is she assisted by one or more employees? Is the sample in its original container? Is the product a substance? WAG: did she accidentally mix more than one product, creating a pleasing result that she now want to recreate? WAG 2: does the product she wants have a particular odor, but everyone has lost their sense of smell due to covid? Is covid relevant at all?

[LemonCurry]

Is the product a prescription drug? Otherwise restricted?

Does the woman have a disability? Doesn't speak the local language?

Has the product changed its packaging, and she is unfamiliar with the new one?

[Sundowner]

Was the product custom-made for her? or need to be customized?
Did she finally get one of the products from the shelf?
Did she try different products?
Is the product: clothing? shoes? food? household stuff? cosmetics? a tool? electrical equipment? sports equipment? furniture?
or, rather, an intangible product? like a train ticket? or an insurance?
Did she buy anything? take it with her when she left the store?

[WiZ]

GalFisk

Relevant that she runs? yes Is she assisted by one or more employees? irrel; assume one Is the sample in its original container? no Is the product a substance? yes WAG: did she accidentally mix more than one product, creating a pleasing result that she now want to recreate? no WAG 2: does the product she wants have a particular odor, but everyone has lost their sense of smell due to covid? no Is covid relevant at all? not to this puzzle

LemonCurry

Is the product a prescription drug? no Otherwise restricted? no

Does the woman have a disability? no Doesn't speak the local language? she does speak it

Has the product changed its packaging, and she is unfamiliar with the new one? no

GalFisk

Was the product custom-made for her? yope or need to be customized? yes, but this isn't the cause of the delay
Did she finally get one of the products from the shelf? yes
Did she try different products? yope; define 'try'
Is the product: clothing? shoes? food? no to these household stuff? noish cosmetics? no with a smaller ish a tool? noish electrical equipment? sports equipment? furniture? no to rest
or, rather, an intangible product? no like a train ticket? for an intangible product, these things take up a lot of room in my wallet or an insurance?
Did she buy anything? take it with her when she left the store? yes to both

[LemonCurry]

The reason why she runs: Is she exercising? Escaping from someone? In a hurry? Is the store about to close?
Has the store already prepared for closing, and they now can't serve her without difficulties?

Is she buying wall paint?

[Earnest]

Did she run in a pharmacy? Clothing shop? Barber shop? Wigs shop? Shoe shop? Eye glass shop? Technology shop?

Blood involved? Health status of the woman (current? Possible if she did not reach the shop?)?
Did the employee have to call someone by phone?

Did she run in the shop because she was in an emergency? Because she was chased by someone? Because she need a specific product? A product sold exclusively by that shop?

[wolfier]

Is it something related to her hair, e.g. a comb? Her skin, e.g. moisturiser?

[WiZ]

LemonCurry

The reason why she runs: Is she exercising? no Escaping from someone? no In a hurry? yes Is the store about to close? but no
Has the store already prepared for closing, and they now can't serve her without difficulties? no

Is she buying wall paint? yes, very good

Earnest

Did she run in a pharmacy? Clothing shop? Barber shop? Wigs shop? Shoe shop? Eye glass shop? no to all Technology shop? Yes, strictly speaking, although a lot of the technology is less modern than you probably meant

Blood involved? no Health status of the woman no (current? Possible if she did not reach the shop?)? n/a
Did the employee have to call someone by phone? no

Did she run in the shop because she was in an emergency? yes Because she was chased by someone? no Because she need a specific product? yes (although this wasn't her primary motivating factor))A product sold exclusively by that shop? no

Wolfier

Is it something related to her hair, e.g. a comb? no Her skin, e.g. moisturiser? no

[LemonCurry]

Is she buying the paint in her professional capacity? Is she a professional painter? Or buying on behalf of a painting company? Is she renovating her house? Has she run out of paint in the middle of a job? Is she in a hurry because the other paint will dry? Because she has to pay by the hour? Because she has to keep deadlines?

Does she need a specific color? Has she brought a sample of the paint because of the color? Is the current shop assistant colorblind and cant't help her?

[JenBurdoo]

Has the paint color had its name changed?

[Mimino]

Did she need to finish her painting work before someone arrives in the house?
Did she want to paint over a stain on the wall?
Is the nature of the sample she brought with her relevant? did she break off a small part of the wall?

[WiZ]

LemonCurry

Is she buying the paint in her professional capacity? yes Is she a professional painter? Or buying on behalf of a painting company? irrelevant - either is quite possible Is she renovating her house? irrel Has she run out of paint in the middle of a job? yes Is she in a hurry because the other paint will dry? the paint not currently in the sample? no Because she has to pay by the hour? Because she has to keep deadlines? no to these

Does she need a specific color? yes Has she brought a sample of the paint because of the color? yes - as in, she needs the specific colour held in the sample Is the current shop assistant colorblind and cant't help her? no

JenBurdoo

Has the paint color had its name changed? no

Very reasonable question, though - I used to work in the paint department of a hardware store and would occasionally have to deliver lines like 'Ah, Dignity. That's called Simone Weil now'.

Mimino

Did she need to finish her painting work before someone arrives in the house? irrel
Did she want to paint over a stain on the wall? irrel
Is the nature of the sample she brought with her relevant? very did she break off a small part of the wall? no

[AlbatrossLover]

Was the sample an empty container of the paint she wanted? Something that got stained while she was painting? Was the paint in the sample blending in with something else, making it hard to tell the color she wanted?

[WiZ]

Was the sample an empty container of the paint she wanted? no Something that got stained while she was painting? yes Was the paint in the sample blending in with something else, making it hard to tell the color she wanted? no

[AlbatrossLover]

Was the thing that got stained an item of clothing? Part of her body? Something she was using to protect the floor from staining ie a newspaper? Something removable that was on the wall? Like a lightswitch?

[WiZ]

Was the thing that got stained an item of clothing? Part of her body? yes to both Something she was using to protect the floor from staining ie a newspaper? Something removable that was on the wall? Like a lightswitch? no to rest

[trebor]

Does the colour of the paint closely match her skin tone? Is it difficult to tell what colour of paint she actually needs? Is any makeup she's wearing relevant? Is it relevant what clothing she's wearing?

Is she worried about damaging her skin? Her clothing?

[WiZ]

Does the colour of the paint closely match her skin tone? not relevantly Is it difficult to tell what colour of paint she actually needs? yes Is any makeup she's wearing relevant? Is it relevant what clothing she's wearing? no to both

Is she worried about damaging her skin? Her clothing? no to both

***** SPOILER *****

The woman was a painter/decorator, and a colleague had spilled a large quantity of the paint over her, and needed more. The colour identification chart had somehow become lost, so she waited patiently (and paintedly) for over an hour to get the match.

Congratulations, Trebor (and AlbatrossLover for the assist) on the solution, and thank you all for playing!