I recently entered a graduate student short-story contest. First prize, $1500. (I could really use that!) Today I got an email thanking me for entering, which immediately let me know I didn't win.

However, it did list me as being one of the four finalists, of which the winner had already been notified. And that the finalists would also be "recognized" at some kind of ceremony Thursday night. (My cynical guess is that the four "finalists" were in fact the only four people who entered at all.)

I wonder what "recognize" means?

"Hey, look [points], there's Liz."