"contest" news and stories

Photo: Flickr / Roadsidepictures

Her name is Butterworth. Mrs. Butterworth. And after 40 years of mystery, she's ready to reveal her first name to the world.

Slashfood reported in June that Mrs. Butterworth's had launched a contest asking participants what they think the company's iconic spoke-bottle's first name might be, accompanied by a short statement as to why. The co-winners, 15-year-old Shayla Doty, of Logansport, Ind., and Cynthia Harmon, 44, of Champaign, Ill., each independently found their way to "Joy" -- as well as $500 and a year's supply of syrup.

Said Miss Doty, "The father-to-be, Mr. Butterworth, was in favor of the name Yvonne, while the mother-to-be felt she was more deserving of a name that would remind them of what a precious jewel she would be -- Opal. Having not settled on a decision the day their giggling baby girl arrived, the doctor suggested "Jocelyn," meaning "the merry one." A light bulb lit above Daddy Butterworth's head, and he suggested combining the first letter from all three names, J-O-Y."

Ms. Harmon contended that, "Growing up, Mrs. Butterworth was teased by classmates who called her 'Joy Buzzerworth' in reference to a popular practical joke item called a joy buzzer that shocked people when they shook hands. When Mrs. Butterworth's introduced her syrup to the world, she didn't want anybody to think about Joy Buzzers, and just wanted them to love her thick and rich and buttery syrup, and so she decided to leave out her first name."

Still, Slashfood wonders -- did she meet a Mr. Butterworth and tie the knot, or is Missus just a nickname? Share your best guesses in the comments below.

Contest results will be posted at mrsbutterworthssyrup.

Photo: miskan/flickr

To celebrate the auspicious date of Sept. 9, 2009 (09/09/09), Domino's is offering free food on Sept. 9, but there is a catch.

Domino's is offering 99 $25 coupons to those who can prove they'll turn 9 or 99 on Sept. 9.

Meryl Streep as Julia Child. Photo: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Slashfood got a "Julia and Julia" sneak peak earlier this month, and now a few lucky fans can watch the film nearly a week before its general release.

Just shoot us a comment about how Julia Child influences your cooking. Ten lucky readers will win a pair of passes to a screening on Aug. 3, 2009, in New York City. (Winners must make their own arrangements to get to the theater and should plan to arrive to the theater early because passes do NOT guarantee admittance to the screening. Admittance will be on a first come, first served basis.)

CONTEST RULES

• To enter, leave a confirmed comment below telling us how Julia Child influenced you.
  
• The comment must be left before 2 p.m. ET on Friday, July 31, 2009.
  
• You may enter only once.
  
• Ten winners will be selected in a random drawing.
  
• Each winner will receive a pair of passes to see "Julie and Julia" on Aug. 3, 2009 in New York City. Winners should plan to arrive to the theater early because passes do NOT guarantee admittance to the screening. Admittance will be on a first come, first served basis. Winners must arrange their own transportation to New York.
  
• Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
  
• Click here for complete Official Rules. Winners will be notified by e-mail, so be sure to provide a valid address!

America is about to be on a first-name basis with Mrs. Butterworth.

Since her television debut in 1961, Mrs. Butterworth's® syrup has been a sweet addition to breakfast tables everywhere; the rich, buttery syrup is to pancakes as Hershey's chocolate syrup is to ice cream.

Call us old-fashioned but after a 40-year relationship, it's about time we knew the mysterious bottled woman's first name. Lucky for Slashfood, the one secret Mrs. Butterworth has kept is about to be revealed -- but not without your guesses first.

If you think you're a superstar at the name game, simply visit mrsbutterworthsyrup.com to submit your "Hi, my name is Mrs. _____ Butterworth" guess along with an explanation of 100 words or less.

The person who divines the first name of the foodie pop culture icon -- and has the best reason why -- will be rewarded with $500 cash money, a year's supply of Mrs. Butterworth's syrup (shocker!) and will be featured on the web site.

The contest ends next Friday, July 17, so don't get stuck without an entry.

Do you have what it takes to be the next Colonel Sanders?

KFC is searching for a new face for its Kentucky Grilled Chicken (KGC) food line. The fast-food chain is calling for video submissions on its MySpace page through July 7, 2009, in an "Ultimate KGC Fan" contest.

The chicken chain wants entrants to make submissions saying why they should be the new face of the grilled chicken product, which was unveiled in April.

At stake is a lifetime supply of Kentucky Grilled Chicken, which company officials value at $13,000. Semifinalists will be selected on July 25 and the public will have the chance to weigh in on Aug. 1.

The contest comes after KFC came under fire for a botched free Kentucky Grilled Chicken giveaway. Stores ran out of the chicken and diners had to settle for a rain check in May after Oprah Winfrey gave away coupons for a free sample of the new grilled chicken.

But company officials said it was still a win. "The critical thing for us was to get people to eat the chicken, whatever it took," KFC President Roger Eaton told the Associated Press.