Smush is an American game show which aired on the USA Network on December 3, 2001, to June 21, 2002. Hosted by Ken Ober and Lisa Dergan, the show features contestants competing to form a portmanteau given clues. Gameplay The show, set in a basement party atmosphere, featured four contestants trying to "smush" the answers to clues together to create a portmanteau. For example, the clue "A New England state + 'Flying Circus' man" would result in an answer of "Vermonty Python," formed by combining "Vermont" and "Monty Python". Smushes did not have to use the exact spelling of both words. For example, "Belly Lafghanistan" could be a combination of "belly laugh" and "Afghanistan". Rounds 1 and 2 The host read toss-up sets of clues whose answers had to be smushed together. A correct buzz-in answer scored points, while a miss gave the opponents a chance to steal. Round 1 used pairs of clues worth one point each; the clues were read aloud during the first part of the round, then both read and presented visually near its end. Questions in Round 2 were worth two points each. Most of these were asked as "Smush Tri's," with three answers to be smushed together, but some involved participation by stage crew members and had only two clues. The final question was a "Smush Quad," requiring four answers and awarding three points. The lowest scorer at the end of each round was eliminated from the game. Round 3 (Smush Chain) The host read seven toss-up clues, one at a time; after each one, a contestant had to buzz in and smush together the answers to all clues up to that point in order to score. The answer to the first clue was always a standalone word or phrase and was not smushed with anything else. An example of a completed chain might be "Leap Yeardrum Major Tommy Thompson Twin Cities," by combining "Leap Year," "Ear Drum," "Drum Major," "Major Tom," "Tommy Thompson," "Thompson Twins," and "twin cities." The first clue was worth one point, the second clue was worth two points, and so on up to seven for the las clue. The high scorer at the end of this round won the game and advanced to the Money Round. Money Round The hostess wrote a word or phrase on a mirror with lipstick, which served as one half of five smushes that