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Animal-Vegetable-Mineral-Abstract: The Pants Memorial Game
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The chairperson selects an object/idea/whatever and announces whether it's animal, vegetable, mineral, and/or abstract. The others have to ask questions to figure out what it is. Whomever guesses the object correctly is given the chair for the next round; repeat ad nauseam.
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Sunday golf
Will be away for a few hours so I fully expect this to be nailed by then:)
Conversation?
Meeting and greeting?
V random guess as my mind is now going 'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh...'
Surfing the web?
I think I meant ....Surfing the 'net?
Wot about mine?
See above -- a greeting?
rab, close, very close, but its bigger than that. Conversation is a form of this.
ZK, as for rab.
Chalky, getting cooler.
Raak, sorry must have been a simulpost, you weren't there before. A greeting is part of this but it's the bigger picture I'm after.
Simply 'talking'?
Socializing?
rab, talking is certainly a form of this, but expand the idea.
Raak, socialising is again only a small part.
A conference?
Brain still v much in the argh department, but it's worth a try.
celebrating Christmas/
getting increasingly random
Society?
ZK, not a conference. People actually do this at a conference.
ZK, nothing to do with Christmas per se.
Raak, the 'conversation' tack was closer.
Communication?
aaah
sounds good to me rab!
Victorious rab
Crowd goes wild!.well done rab. Communication was precisely the word I was looking for.
Well done rab :-)
Intercourse!
Well, I wasn't that far wrong then, was I? Nice one, Rab.
Back in the chair.
Ok, to complete the set, this one's ANIMAL.
Colymbosathon ecplecticos?
Is that the dead fish with a big cock? Well, a humourist might make a connection.... but no.
Human animal?
Is it a reptile?
[Bob and Inkspot] Human.
Living?
Is it a specific person?
Female?
[Chalky] Probably.
[Raak] No.
[Dazed5] Not gender specific.
A group of humans?
[Bob] Ting! (That means 'yes' by the way).
A geographic grouping?
A group/crowd at a specific celebration?
[Bob] Yes.
[Inkspot] No.
English as first language?
Name given to people from a particluar city or town?
eg Londoners/Mancunians
I think either Bob or Inkspot's going to get this one :)...

[Bob] Straight answer: yes.
[Inkspot] No, but there are some murmerings in the audience.

From a particular country?
A particular group of musicians?
[Chalky] Yes, but Inkspot was closer with the previous question.
[Inkspot] No.
Glaswegians?
A group of NIMBY's? ;)
[Raak, Inkspot] No.

Maybe I should clarify - it's not a name given to people from a particular city or town, but they are associated with a particular city or town.

Pearly Kings and Queens?
Pie-eaters?
Manchester United fans?
[Inkspot, Chalky, Bob the dog] No.
Is the city or town in the U.K.?
[Raak] Yes.
Is the 'association' of an academic nature?
[Chalky] No.
Is it anything to do with sport?
Nope.
Isit in Southern England (south of Brum)?
*audience laughs* No.
Does the answer contain a number?
Yorkshiremen?
[Dazed5] No... but the audience likes the way you're thinking.
[ZK] No.
Is it a midlands city?
Is it in England?
[Dazed5] Yes, so...
[Raak] yes.
Are they a group of workers?
*Geography of England never was my strong point, (now if it was Wales!) off to find out where Strattford and potteries are, see you at work tommorrow!*
[Inkspot] They were.
The West Bromwich Seven?
The [some place] [some number]?
No, can't be, given the answer to Dazed5 a moment ago.
The [some place] [some collective concept that is not a number]?
Is it a Guild?
Someone in my office said Coventry was once a thiving wool town with a Cappers Guild - nothing to do with checking the tyre pressure at Longbridge then!
Anything to do with Stoke on Trent?
[Chalky] Does that exist? There might be a connection to something along these lines.
[Raak, 2nd question] Yes.
[Inkspot] Nope.
[Lib] Maybe, but not primarily.
Is there a connection to the Longbridge car plant?
Feels generally very close...
[Dazed5] No, you're getting colder.
Would it be The Birmingham Six, by any chance?
Like moths to the flame....
Duuuuh!
Retraction, given the answer to Dazed5's question some while ago.
Are any of them still alive?
Is it a collective name for a group of towns associated with pottery ?
Is it anything to do with the armed forces?
Staffordshire?
[Kim] You shouldn't retract, because you're getting warmer.
[Raak] I should think so.
[Inkspot] No.
[Ibid] Not the armed forces.
[Lib] No.
Is this a group it is possible to join?
A particular part of the police?
[Raak] Not any more, I think.
[Inkspot] Yes! I think we're nearly there...
The West Midlands ... er .... sommat?
[Chalky] Half-way there. I'll accept one of two possible completions.
[Chalky: West Midlands] [Kim: Constabulary]?
The West Midlands Serious Crime Squad?
Kim was soooo close, but it was Raak wot won it.

*shakes Raak by the hand*

*counts fingers*
The next object is ABSTRACT.
Could it exist if there were no humans?
Is it a recent invention, or an age-old concept?
Is it a function of time?
[Riff] No.
[Tuj] Not recent.
[Kim] Yes.
Is it a measure of time?
[Kim] No.
Does it have to do with the process of ageing?
Is it anything to do with religion?
Is it scientific in nature?
[Kim] No. (BTW, I took "a function of time" to mean "having something to do with time".)
[Chalky] (ripple of laughter from the audience) To some people it is. (More laughter.) No, not really.
[Riff] No.
Last orders at the bar?
Yesterday?
Is it an action carried out by humans?
[Chalky] No.
[Software] No.
[Inkspot] People doing things is an essential part of it, but that's not actually the thing itself.
ISIHaC?
Does it take place in all cultures?
[Chalky] No.
[Inkspot] No.
Bar Mitzvah?
er ... back to the chuckle-inducing 'religious' question .... is it an addiction of some kind?
[Inkspot] No.
[Chalky] (more chuckles from the audience) No, not in itself.
Is it anything to do with sport?
[Inkspot] No.
So far, Software's question sniffed closest to the Snark's bum.
Is it an historic event?
[rab] No.
Memories?
[Software] The Snark is nowhere in sight.
Is it being early/late?
Is it the Karma Sutra?
[Chalky,penelope] The Snark is in the vicinity of the Antipodes.
Is it the Rugby World Cup tournament (or part therof) ?
sorry - two questions in close succession, but I can sense myself sniffing quite close to the Snark's Bottom now.
[penelope] The Snark is nowhere to be seen (or sniffed).
Is it connected with literature?
[Chalky] No.
Keeping a diary or appointments?
[Inkspot] No.
Everyone is barking up entirely the wrong ocean.
Might this be the study of some academic discipline?
[rab] No, wrong planet now.
Time. It has to do with time.
Christmas?
Going back to Cultures, anything to do with western work ethic?
Pushing the lilo out into the pool a bit further to see if it floats.
[rab] (applause from the audience) No.
[Inkspot] sssss...glug glug glug
Easter?
Actually, remove that, it's something to do with religion only for some people. So...
Is it some sort of festival?
[rab] Yes! (But not Easter.) The footprints of the Snark have been found.
Is it celebrated in the UK?
(And can I sneak in Bonfire Night to get the obvious festival out of the way)?
Is it the Summer Solstice?
[rab] Yes. At least, in a part of the UK. But not Bonfire Night.
[Kim] No.
Burns night?
Up Helly Aa?
[Lib] No.
[Inkspot] No.
The hunters are circling around the Snark's lair...
Is it celebrated in Scotland?
Glastonbury Festival?
Hogmany?
Jools Holland New Years Eve Hootenanny?
Pushing out a flotilla of rubber ducks!
Beltane?
[rab] The Snark's tail has been grasped.
[Inkspot] The Snark gulps them down and burps.
[Chalky,Penelope] The Snark flings two of its hunters into the top of a tree.
[Software] Wielding the Sword of Truth and the Shield of Fair Play, Software has captured the Snark! (Hogmanay, actually, rather than the festival of stocktaking at the piggery, but I'll give you that.)

Audience presents Software with the mounted head of a Snark.

The longboat is nearly ready for Hogmany or a some call it Up Helly Aa .
[Shetlander] Alas, the audience were insufficiently knowledgeable to give the necessary applause for the near miss.
A pre-emptitive guess. Is it man made?
*muttering from top of tree* ... pesky Snark ...
Is it alive?
Hey! There's a whole new game here. We ask a whole load of questions (say, 20) and then, only when 20 questions have been asked, the winner of the previous round thinks of something that fits some of the questions, but not all of them. On second thoughts.....where is Software, anyway?
A most unexpected surprise! * Takes Bow *. Now What?
Ah a little complex I think but Animal and Vegetable with Abstract connexions.
The Abominable Snowman?
Is it a place?
Is it customarily eaten?
Is it something someone would normaly wear?
Is it alive (in real or fictional terms)?
Hello everyone, welcome to the first batch of answers.
Chalks: No
Raak: No
Inky: No (although slight fidgeting in audience)
Lib: Yes (mostly)
Is the animal human?
Is the Vegetable part a vegetable product?
Raak - I nearly simulposted exactly the same question as you. I have adapted.
I will be away from a PC for the weekend, so no hair tearing, please. My last dip into MC will be about 1700 hours tonight.
Raak: Yes.
Chalks: No.
Is it anyone or a particular person?
Does the answer have to do with the forthcoming holiday season?
Is the vegetable part a fruit?
One more go:
Inky: No
Raak: Yes (slight ripple of clapping and murmering from audience)
Chalks: No, well not exactly, oh, all right, technically yes. (one lonely individual in audience claps a loud, embarassing single clap).
Anything to do with the story of the Nativity?
Is it a party game?
Is it the fat guy who dressses in red?
Sorry, his name escapes me right now. Father something?
Sneaking in a quick visit to MC
Chalks: No
Raak: No (Slight titter from audience)
Tuj: No. No transvestites, please.
Is the fruit mistletoe berries?
Does it involve alcohol?
Sneaking in to MC away from the entertaining.
Inkspot: Yes (Audience: ripple of applause)
Raak: Err.. yes and no (audience titters)
Kissing under the mistletoe? (or involving doing so?)
Quite abstract though in the main, I grant you...
Amazing! ZK has it.! (Audience, goes wild, stamping feet and cheering.)
Shock and surprise
Ooh! Goodness! *stands up and takes a brief bow, blushing furiously* I apologise for keeping you waiting so long, have been out doing the Christmas necessaries with the relatives. Okay, the next one is ABSTRACT.
Is it to do with Christmas?
Are you a bloke?
Is it an activity?
[Software]Yes (clapping from audience)
[Chalky] Not last time I checked. Why?
[Raak](audience mumbling) Settling eventually on no.
Is it a carol?
Is it connected with religion?
[ZK] Well - mainly because it makes a difference to the sort of questions I would ask :-)
[Breadmaster] No. [Chalky] Yes, technically. Generally, probably not. *wonders what kind of questions you'd be asking otherwise* :)
Is it a Christmas tale or story?
Is it connected with the giving of presents?
[Chalky] *Echoes ZK's thoughts* Explain! Explain!
[Inkspot]No.
[Kim]Hmmm...that depends...possibly. I'll say: for me, personally, no.
Is it festivities?
[Software] No. It generally involves them but is not festivities themselves. The usual questions seem to be missing from this round; they might help.
Is it fictional?
[Raak] No.
Is it an emotion?
[ZK, Kim] ahem ... like Ann Elk - I have a theory. However, it would be unfair to hijack this game in order to expound it. I'll mention it in Banter one day, I'm sure :-)
Is it an expression or saying?
Is is a measure of time?
[Chalks] I'll look forward to that. P.S. I think it's Anne, not Ann.
Seasons Greetings?
Is it Christmas?
Is it a 'sin'?
[Chalky] No.
[Inkspot] No.
[Kim] In a way.
[Software] No. [Raak] (excited murmurs from audience)OOOoooh....no.
[Chalky] It depends what you do with it :)
Is it the season of goodwill?
ZK] Not a bloke? That means we males are outnumbered.
[BtD] No.
Was everyone assuming up to this point that I was? Ah well.
It might help to follow Kim's lead. Or Raak's.
Boxing Day?
[Raak].........no.
Is it the Twelve Days of Christmas?
Is it a film?
[Kim] No. [Inkspot] Not to the best of my knowledge. I daresay it has featured in many.
Christmas Eve?
New Year?
is it an event like the Queens Christmas Address to the Commonwalth?
[Chalky, Inkspot] No.
[Kim] Yes!
*whooping, cheering, goes generally wild for Kim*
Gosh!
Thank you one and all and especially to ZK for a festive and entertaining go. Right: this one is.....*flattened trumped makes ham-fisted attempt at fanfare*....ABSTRACT!
New Years Day?
Can we discard the seasonal theme now?
Is it a fictional character?
Is it an action? (oblig.)
I had assumed that ZK was male, on the basis of my theory that the more strange the nickname, the more likely the person is to be male. But I really want to hear Chalky's theory now.
Is it a measure of time?
I want to hear Chalky's theory too! My name is filched from "Insurance - the White Man's Burden", if anyone ever wondered...
Is there only one?
isn't my nickname strange?
Is it alive?
Is it related to ISIHAC?
Sorry I'm late!
Sorry, everyone, but I had no chance to get to a computer today. Right, let's see..
[Raak] No.
[Software] Y..y..y..y..y...just about.
[Inkspot] No.
[Breadmaster] No.
[ZK] No. That's my favourite opener!
[snorgle] Strictly, yes. And Yes.
[Lib] No.
[Tuj] Not in any conventional sense.
Would all adults recognise this concept?
[snorgle] Yes, a bit. It's not a hard and fast rule. But your name is less silly than, say, "DrQu+xum", "I Say! Porter!" or indeed my own. What is the origin of "Snorgle"? Or do I not want to know?
[Breadmaster] Almost certainly not all adults. P.S. Wan't to know why I call myself Kim?
Is it connected with the arts?
OK, why do u call yourself kim?
Is it a scientific concept?
I too would be interested to hear the origins of 'snorgle'
Would all of us recognise this concept?
This is all getting very intriguing, isn't it?
Would all children recognise it?
Snorgling is a noise my dog makes - it sounds like a snore and a gargle - usually when he wants some food or attention. It's quiet but effective at getting your attention, although it can be quite annoying! (I also saw the name in a comic book letters page once, and fancied it...)
Is it connected with religion?
View Halloo!
[Chalky] No.
[Fridge] Sorry, you have to post a question or a guess as well.
[LotUS] No. I'd be interested to hear the origins of a lot of these names. Perhaps we could turn it into a game.
[Breadmaster] No.
[snorgle] No.
[Raak] Yes. *The Snark is sighted in the distance. Raak rallies the hounds with a clarion call on his bugle and sets off in hot pursuit.*
Is it connceted to Judaism?
Picky, picky
It is connected to Judaism.
Chanukkah ?
So why Kim? The origin or Lib is rather underwheling, but i still and quite fond of it!
Ok, that makes no sense. I meant to say.... The origin of Lib is rather underwhemling, but I'm still quite ford of it. (I've got a cold and my head isn't working!)
Innocence?
Passover?
Is it a particular event?
[Lib] No.
[snorgle] No.
[LotUS] No.
[Raak] Nnnnnnnn...no.
Is it a ceremony particular to this faith?
[Inkspot] No.
The Exodus?
Is it a place?
Is it unique to Judaisim?
[Raak] No.
[Inkspot] No.
[LotUS] I cannot answer that definitively, without researching other faiths, which I am not in a position to do. I *think* that it is uniquely associated with Judaism.
Is it a name for a collection of things?
Is it a Bat Mitzvah?
the girl's version..
Yom kipur?
Circumcision?
[Inkspot] No.
[snorgle] No.
[Software] No.
[Raak] No.
Is it conected to language or speech?
Is it an action?
A historical event?
[Inkspot] Yes. *One of the hounds has picked up the scent of The Snark. "If he turns down that way, shouts Inkspot, we can run him to ground!"*
[Raak] No.
[Tuj] In the sense that it was something that supposedly happened a long time ago and got written about, yes.
Was it written about in the Old Testament of the Bible?
Is there an interesting reason why you call yourself Kim? Also, if we had a game about the origins of all our screen names, how long would it last? *schizophrenic voice chips in* I suppose it would depend on what you made the rules...
the 10 commandments?
Snark at bay
[ZK] Yes!
Well, I had this idea that it could be played within the general boundaries of Animal-Vegetable-Mineral-Abstract. People ask yes/no questions and from the answers given slowly uncover the truth.
[snorgle] No.
Was it written in Genesis?
Ooh, good plan!
Was it written in Exodus?
Was it written in Leviticus?
Was it written in Numbers?
Is it something Man built or tried to build?
No idea what I'm babbling on about, but my name is not very well disguised, I keep posting the latest Celebrity MC tables on an of and on weekly ad hoc basis, so players would have to diliberatley not get it right;)
Was it written in Deuteronomy?
*leaves it for now*
The plagues of Egypt?
[ZK] No, no, no, no and no.
[Inkspot] No.
[Raak] No.
I'm tempted to post a clue, but Inkspot is perilously close to a breakthrough with his last two postings and ZK may get there by a process of elimination. I'll provide a clue, if asked.
If it's not in the Pentateuch, that cuts out most of the OT events I can think of...
The walls of Jericho falling down?
Is it in any of the prophets?
By which I mean, of course, Isaiah onwards, and including Lamentations and Jonah because they're nice and short.
The Snark is running out of breath
[Raak] No.
[Breadmaster] Yes.
Are they from the second section of the Tanakh (one of the books of Neviim)?
The 10 commandmants?
The
[Inkspot] No. Go back to your question before last.
[Software] No. I think we've already eliminated the Torah.
One more go, then I think we'll put up a clue.
The tower of babel(fish)?
Something made by the big man upstairs ?
Is it a prophecy?
Belshazzar's Feast?
Jonah preaching to Nineveh?
Crikey, I haven't guessed one yet, and if I don't get this one at least I will have to retire ashamed.
Clue time
[Software] No. Isn't that what Inkspot was *babbling* on about before?
[Inkspot] Yyyy...yes. In the sense that it is something that He caused to happen. Now, go back again to your question about language and your question about the Tanakh and put them together. If you don't get this one, I will be disappointed.
[Ibid] Not as such.
[Raak] Not as such.
[Breadmaster] No.
*But the Snark is utterly trapped between several of the hounds and cannot move one way or another. Surely one of them will now deliver the fatal blow...*
Is it the valley of dry bones?
I'm clutching at straws here, at least until I get home and can start listing every event from the start of Isaiah onwards...
[Breadmaster] No.
"Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin"?
Hagiographa?
Have I backed up too far and overshot the mark
Bang!!
[Raak] Yes! The exact words I was looking for were "Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin", although I would, at this point, have accepted "The Writing on the Wall". I was sure that Inkspot would succeed. It is from the Ketuvim, the third section of the Tanakh, it had everything to do with language, it was not a prophesy as such, although it did tell the king what would happen to his kingdom and it was not Balshazzars feast, as such, although it did occur at the same time. Many contestants came within a gnats, but Raak hits the spot once again. Congratulations, Raak! The chair is yours, but with an honourable mention to Inkspot for incisive questioning.
A fiery hand writes: ANIMAL and VEGETABLE.
Meat and two veg?
A sparse dinner, at Christmas.
Is the animal living?
[Zk] No to both.
Is the vegetable, a vegetable.
drat and double drat
Does it have anything to do with Christmas?
[Inkspot] Partly.
[Kim] No.
Is it a single thing?
Goddammit! That was going to be my next question. I had forgotten that the book of Daniel is traditionally considered one of the prophets, although today it is always classified as an apocalyptic work. Arrrgh!
Is it edible?
[Bm] Yes. Commiserations on the last one -- sounds like you knew too much!
[Lib] (amusement in the audience) Yes. Definitely.
Is it a combination of animal and vegetable ingredients known by a specific name (eg "Duck á L'orange")?
[Kim] Yes!
Is it a work of art?
Is it toad-in-the-hole?
Is is a dish usually associated with a particular country?
Is the 'animal' part poultry?
Is a sauce involved?
[Bm] No.
[ZK] No.
[Kim] Yes!
[Inkspot] No.
[rab] No.
Paella?
Is it a dish usually associated with France?
Is it a dish usually associated with Italy?
Is it a dish usually associated with China?
Is it a dish usually associated with the USA?
Is it a dish usually associated with Britain?
I'm liking this new annoying habit of mine :)
*Farkle*
Biding my time and letting ZK do all the hard work.....
:)
[Inkspot] No.
[ZK] No, no, no, no, and er um sort of but no not actually.
[Kim] *fring*
Is is a dish associated with one particular country in Great Britain?
[Kim] Yes.
Is it Scotland?
Haggis, Neeps and Tatties?
(seeing as Kim simul'ed the same question as I)
Is it Haggis?
[rab] Thief! That was to be my next question!
Actually I just dismissed 'haggis' on account of not being veggy, but then I remembered the oats. And here we learn the importance, finally, of checking our oats.
[Kim] Yes.
[rab] You have, alas, overshot the mark.
[Kim] It is indeed HAGGIS.
The audience carries the triumphant Kim on their shoulders round the room, to the accompaniment of massed pipers.
Impressively swift, but is that really a single thing?
[Bm] Well, pick up a haggis. Do you have a single thing in your hand? Or is it two things, the skin and the contents? Or is it a trinity of skin, animal edibles, and vegetable edibles? If three, is it simultaneously one? Does the process of combining the ingredients to make a haggis subsume their three natures into a single nature, or do they retain three separate natures which in the cooking process become like, but still separate? Will you be hunted through every glen in Scotland for confusing homoousion with homoiousion?
A wacky idea....
How about the next one...whose turn is it?
As the last winner, Kim has first refusal on the chair.
[Raak] Ha! Very good. You and your sneaky iota. When I said "single thing" I meant a particular, unique individual, but I should probably have phrased it better. I shall retire to a monastery in the Thebaid and secretly write self-vindicating books to be discovered 1500 years in the future.
Errr....right....
OK. This next one is.....MINERAL and VEGETABLE
Whisky?
Is it liquid?
Is it something manufactured from mineral and vegetable materials?
*doi* actually that kind of goes without saying, but you know what I mean... as opposed to "a rock and a couple of carrots" :)
Is it edible?
Is is something that is normally worn?
Petrified wood?
And....they're off!!
[raak] No.
[ZK] No.
[ZK] Yes.
[ZK] Err...yes. It could have been a snowman (which would fit the "carrot and a couple of rock" idea (but isn't).
[Breadmaster] No.
[Inkspot] No.
[Toby] No.
[All] P.S. I will have limited playing time today. My wife is on call (she's a midwife) and so I shall have to keep our telephone line free (we only have one, which does double duty as land line and internet line) from 9 O'clock this evening. I'll try to get back to this game at least once between then and now.
Is the vegetable part wood?
Is the mineral a metal?
Is it normally found in the home?
Triple whammy!
[Raak] Yes!
[Inkspot] Yes!
[plump] Yes!
Is it a particular piece of furniture?
A door?
[Inkspot] Not furniture in the conventional sense.
[Raak] No.
A house built of wood, with metal fixings?
Is it made for a particular use?
[Raak] No.
[Inkspot] Yes.
Is it possible to pick it up with one hand?
A door knob?
[Raak] No.
[plump] No.
A window?
Does the wood form more of the structure than the metal?
Is it most likely to be used in one particular room more than any other?
Is it a fixture?
Is it just as likely to be found NOT in the home?
[Toby] ooh, i like that....
[Good news] No.
[Good news] Hmmm....difficult. Let me say that the thing could not exist without both, but the wood holds the whole thing together.
[Inkspot] Yyyyyyyes.....most likely to be used in certain rooms rather than others...
[Raak] No.
[Toby] Yes!
[ZK] I see you've been lurking....(!)
Is it a container of any sort?
Is it made to be sat on?
Is it a desk? (of office style)
[Raak] No.
[Inkspot] *Clue* Not on.
[Lib] No.
I have been looking at plump's first question, which, I think, is capable of more than one interpretation. Comments, supplementary questions invited.
Is it a support for something?
Is it powered by electricity?
A coffin?
A child's swing?
An Analytical Engine executed in Victorian walnut and brass?
Is it meant to be sat under?
[ZK] Ta.
Prepositions, prepositions.....
[Raak] No.
[Inkspot] *Clue* Mine isn't, but there are some varieties you can get that are.
[Software] No.
[Dazed5] No.
[Raak] Nice, but no. (*Thinks*) "Hmmmm, walnut and brass......"
[Toby] No. Try again.
Fine. Sat between beyond above for to - oh, there's one. Sat in?
Is every home likely to have one?
Sat at - is it a piano?
A early Victorian jacuzzi, with hand bellows attachments?
I only use it to tinkle on.....
[Toby] Oh, bad luck. None of the above. And not every home is likely to have one, although I think that every home should.
[ZK] Bingo! *sings*"Sitting at my pi-a-no the other day...".
[Inkspot] I would love to visit your home one day....
Congratulations, and the antique birthing stool with bronze attachments goes to Zoological Keeper with compliments. Lurking clearly works.....
*lurk lurk lurk*
Hurrah! [Kim] Gratefully received and sitting next to my medieval teak espressomatic. Right, I shall endeavour to offer another one for all to get their metaphorical teeth into. And it shall be ABSTRACT. How do you get colour tags?
[ZK] <font color=red>Like this</font> for standard colours, <font color="#80FF28">or like this</font> to roll your own.
Can it be seen?
Is it a fictional character?
Messing around with colours!
Is it an activity?
Colour me baaaaaaaaaad!
A good start to the day
Righto.
[Inkspot] mmmmmmmmm...for now, I'll go with no.
[snorgle] Not mainly but has featured as such in at least one book I know of.
[Kim] No.
Is it anything to do with time?
[Raak] *ripples of applause in the back row of the audience] Yes.
Is it a date or event on the calender?
Is it the shortness in duration of an eclair?
[Inkspot] Yes and no.
[Raak :)] Same answer.
The winter solstice?
Tea-time?
Does it occur once every four years and will it, in fact, occur next year?
Is it a unit of measurement?
[Inkspot, Raak] It includes both.
[Kim]Um, no.
[Breadmaster]No.
Is it the title of a book?
Is it connected with religion?
Does it have a duration?
much checking needed
*trolling back from amazon* [Inkspot] I've found it included in a few, but it is not the title of a book in itself. [Inkspot once more] Not to the best of my knowledge. [Raak] Possibly.
Does it occur on a regular schedule?
Is it one of the seasons?
Is it an anthropomorphisation?
Like Jack Frost.
*waiting for Breadmaster to pounce*
[Raak] Er, not as such....no.
[Dazed5] Technically, no.
[Breadmaster] Umm, I think so.
But it's not Jack Frost. :)
crimbo
I can't promise to be back before the end of today; I need to clean my room, wrap presents, help around the house and attend midnight mass and this may involve arranging with my friend for her to come stay with us for crimble so Merry Christmas all if I don't see you again soon, and I hope some brilliant period of enlightenment visits you and tells you the answer - I suspect Breadmaster's onto a winner anyway, if someone else doesn't filch it first. christmas blessings all! xx
*breathes*
(going for the obvious:) Santa Claus?
popping back long enough to be a spoilsport
[Raak] Sorry, but no.
The Wings of Time?
Or should that be 'the Sands'?
and again
[Toby] Exceedingly sorry, but no.
Chronos- a personification of time?
Merry Christmass all!!
[snorgle] Oh, so excruciatingly sorry!!! But, specifically, no. If no-one else gets it before the 27th I may have to concede.
Old Father Time?
And with the dawn of Boxing Day, we usher in a new age of guessing as Kim rides home with the victory and an extra glass of egg-nog. It was indeed Father Time. :)
I would have got away with it if it weren't for these pesky kids!
Oh damn yer eyes, why do I always unwittingly nearly get it and then not return to the computer for 48 hours? Curses!!
Ho Ho Ho!
They say revenge is a dish best served cold. This much it does not have in common with turkey.
OK, folks, this one's ABSTRACT
Is it FICTIONAL?
You'll be eating increasingly tough revenge sandwiches for months, if I have my way!
[Breadmaster] In the broadest sense, yes. (...and of course there's always a nice warming cup of revenge soup on day three.)
Would it be comprehensible to the average 10-year-old?
I'll get this. By hook or by crook.
Is it related to the present festive seeason?
Is it a philosophical conceit?
Kim - are you planning to appear soon?
Sorry I'm late!
[Breadmaster] I would say the average 10 year-old would not know about this.
[Raak] In the broadest sense, yes.
[Toby] Please clarify, or give an example.
[Chalky] Yes. Sorry, I was out of commission yesterday.
Is it closely related to ISIHAC, in anything less than the broadest sense?
Ah. A meta-abstraction, really, such as: "Das Ding an sich", existential Angst, Jeffersonian democracy...
Is it, in your opinion, a positive thing?
[Toby] Das Ding an sich was of course Kant's attempt to write a Christmas carol - not sure why it never caught on.
[Raak] No.
[Toby] Ahhh, I see. No.
[Breadmaster] In my opinion it can only either be both positive and negative, or neither.
Is it Occam's Razor?
Which is of course related to the current festive season in that the introduction of the assumption of the existence of Father Christmas is a necessary premise; and is also of course pure fiction.
[Breadmaster] I thought it did - Ding, an sich, Dingalingaling - which was subsequently corrupted by the uncomprehending rabble.
[Toby] No.
[All] *Clue* It may help to think along the lines of Raak's first question, omitting the word "festive".
The 28th of December?
Is it a calender event ? eg winter solstice?
Toby] I liked Chuck Berry's version!
Is it weather-related?
[Inkspot] I think you're the only person who did!
A white 28th of December?
[Inkspot] *Sporadic applause from the audience.* Strong calendar association, but not a solstice, nor an equinox.
[Breadmaster] No.
[Raak] No.
Is it a Bank Holiday?
The Eve of the New Year?
Your birthday?
Back to work!
[Chalky] No.
[Toby] *More applause*. No. It is not a calendar event as such, but something that has an association with that particular calendar event.
[Inkspot] No, but thank you for thinking of me.
A resolution?
[Breadmaster] No.
A Burns Supper?
[Raak] No.
Sylvester? Hogmanay? A kiss at midnight?
Or would that last one be 'animal'?
[Toby] None of the above.
[All] I'm getting concerned that if we get too far into this month, my choice will cease to be aposite. There is one very popular question arising out of "abstract" that has not yet been asked.
Is it an action?
And if so, is it first-footing?
[Breadmaster] No, not an action.
Is it a human concept?
Is it getting to second base on first date?
Obviously very important during the winter and broadly fictional though more mythical to some.
First footing?
Hogwatch?
Is it an anthropomorphisation?
[Chalks] No.
[Raak] No.
[Toby] Yes! *Applause*
Jack Frost?
So I guess that's a yes to mine too!
The old guy with the '2003' banner stumbling out on his cane while the little '2004'-bannered baby crawls in?
Is there a name for that?
[snorgle] No. But yes to your previous. Apologies for missing it.
[Toby] No, and I have no idea what that is called, but you are getting closer.
[Inkspot] Apologies for missing your earlier post. Nice, but no.
Janus?
Is it a tall dark man carrying coal?
Or some such thing.
Hallelujia!
[Raak] Yes! The answer is the god JANUS. The kissing stool to Raak with compliments.
[Dazed5] Sorry, we have gas.
A blind guess, after having been sure snorgle must have had it with Jack Frost.

The next object is ANIMAL, with ABSTRACT connections.

A brontosaurus?
HE-HE-HEM. I have a theory...
[Toby] No.
Is it an actual animal, known to exist or to have existed in the past?
That's an "A-N" not "A-N-N-E" animal.
[Kim] An actual entity classed as ANIMAL, yes.
Is it a person?
I'll up my number of guesses once I'm back at work tomorrow;)
Is it extinct?
[Inkspot] Yes.
[Tuj] Not applicable, given that it's a person.
Is the person living?
[Bm] No.
Is it Mark Rothko, or another abstract artist?
Is it Mark Rothko, or another abstract artist?
[momus] Neither Mark Rothko, not any other abstract artist.
s/not/nor/
Is it a real person who has been 'fictionalised'?
"fictionalised" is almost the word I mean, someone who lived but their life has been 'embroidered' like Robin Hood or King Arthur, but not mythical.
Is it a scientist?
[Inkspot] No.
[Toby] Ah. Um. There is room for multiple opinions and flame-wars on that topic.
Was he Italian?
Nostradamus?
Von Danniken? (sp?)
that was a triple simulpost
Urrgh
He's still alive. I think ... please ignore. (More elbow jogging, Chalky! Sorry.)
Sigmund Freud?
And is he, in fact, a he?
Paracelsus?
Leonard of Quirm?
[Inkspot] No.
[Chalky] No.
[Dujon] No. (And he isn't still alive, according to a previous answer.)
[Toby] No, yes.
[Bm] No.
[Kim] No.
Was he' alive' before 1800 BC
... perhaps we should nail the time of this slightly abstracted chappie.
L. Ron Hubbard
I've no idea if he's dead yet, but there ya go.
Has he given name to theory/principle/law?
Has he given name to theory/principle/law?
oops!
half ten...phew...time for a cuppa tea
[Chalky] Yes.
[Thrax] No.
[Inkspot] No.
Was he alive before 1000AD?
The late and, IMHO, not enormously great L. Ron Hubbard died in 1986. His spirit is probably floating around near us as we speak.
Was he an astronomer?
back refreshed and ready for more of the same till lunchtime
[Bm] Yes.
[Inkspot] No.
Was he recognised as a philosopher?
[Dazed5] Yes!
Plato?
Aristotle?
[Inkspot] No.
[Chalky] Bullseye!
My toast lands on the floor jam side down aswell!

[Irkspot] Er, right
And cats always land on their feet. So if you strap a piece of toast and jam to the back of a cat....
Goddammit! I'm curious why it would be considered controversial to call Aristotle a scientist. He did, after all, pretty much invent biology.
Freakout
He didn't invent my biology. I'm fairly certain that two sexually-inclined Yorkshirepersons were responsible for my spawning. I believe they were doing their service to the nation, in an attempt to prevent us from being outnumbered by the Germans, as is the time-honoured custom in this fair land of ours.
[Bm] A scientist by the standards of the time, maybe.
getting a word in edgeways ...
Ooh - that was lucky. It's ages since I had a turn in the chair. I'm office based for the next few days, so will try to keep it simple:
M I N E R A L with 'vegetable' connections . . .
Yukon gold potatoes?
And I see the boys are at it again ;-) Maybe we need a Jesting Pilate game for the what is art/what value philosophy/science to whom/why a duck? discussions?
Is it art?
[Toby] Great idea - in the unlikely event of my starting a band, our first album will now be called Jesting Pilate.
Is it "The Potato Eaters?"
I forget which artist painted it. I like the sound of a band though. I always wanted to be in a band when I were a lad. Unfortunately I have no musical talent whatsoever. (Cries) I can't read write or play music to save me life, though I'd be at home on the mic, butchering Pink Floyd tracks and pretending I was doing them justice.
Toby - No
Breadmaster - No, not really
Thrax - No
Is it something I could go and see today?
[Thrax] When I was a student I had a burning ambition to start a band called Asymmetrically Repulsive and release an album entitled Messianic Duck. Like you, I was hampered by an actively negative musical ability, being semi-tone deaf. One day, though...
Is it made of stone?
I was a drummer in a rock band for a while. We were originally going to call ourselves Thundering Imbeciles but settled, in the end, on Barok. Well, it was 25 years ago...
Is it unique?
Is it made from metal?
Is it an article of cutlery?
apologies for delay
Breadmaster - Yes
Kim - No
Dazed - No
Inkspot - Metal, yes, and other stuff
Raak - No
[I may not be able to get back here before 6pm. Keep piling on the guesses - it's quite straightforward].
Is it a kitchen device like a breadmaker or kettle?
Is it a kitchen non-device like a baking tray or a pan?
Would it commonly be considered a household item?
Is it larger than a microwave oven?
Inkspot - No
Raak - No
B'master - Yes [and could be found in a kitchen]
Software - No
Is it a tool, in the conventional sense, that is?
Is it for gardening?
Is it a Garlic Crusher?
Software - No
Raak - No [although I suppose it could be found in a garden]
momus - if I'm not mistaken, a garlic crusher is a kitchen device [but of course, you may use one for entirely different purposes :-)
Is it for woodworking?
Raak - No
Would it be connected to a particular household area?
Is it powered by either batteries or mains electricity?
Tuj - Not really
Inkspot - YES!
Is it an electric pencil-sharpener?
Raak - No :-)
whilst this sounds cheap I can assure you that some are rather pricey..is it a lazy cucumber styled dildo?
Is the vegetable connection wood?
B'master - Yes, on most occasions [from what I can ascertain]
A paper shredder
Is it usually always switched on?
eg a radio could be but is not usually
Is it used for entertainment?
Would most homes in this country probably have one?
sorrysorrysorry
Eek - I thought I'd replied to the first 3 questions above at about 3pm... I'm so sorry, I must have left it on preview. To repeat:
Raak - No
Inkspot - Not always ... and a *'hearty cheer* for a superb example. SO close!
Dazed - YES!
Breadmasterly person - Not yet ;-)
A digital radio?
Grow-lights for growing pot?
A five-speed walking stick?
Digital wallpaper?
An intelligent door?
He may be Dazed [& Confused] but he's SPOT ON!
Well done Dazed - DAB it is - and very much on my mind as the grateful recipient of such a wondrous beast this Christmas [Pure Evoke 1]. I think Bob's got the same toy :-)
Inkspot - commiserations ...
... and apologies to all for being so busy just at the wrong time - which rather lost the momentum of the game.
What were the wooden vegetable connections?
Garden path's come to mind, Chalks.
Amazement
Here we go...next one is Abstract with Animal connections.
Is it a fictional character from a book?
Is it an action?
Standard secondary opener number 3.
Is it an animal of legend?
Is it evolution?
Is it a feeling/emotion?
Inkspot, no.
Breadmaster, no.
Kim,no.
Raak,no.
Bigsmith,no.
Is it a metaphorical or similitudinous concept?
E.g. wily as a fox, the owl of wisdom, etc.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAZED :-)
Backtracking ...
[Raak] Digital radios - most of the popular new models [including mine] are in a nice wooden casing. I dare say there are some that are NOT, which is why I qualified my reply to B'master. It was there for all to read.
[Software] Erm ... don't understand your comment. Surely you're not implying I led you up the garden path? And why the apostrophe?
Can it be seen?
Thanks Chalky...although I am only a day older than I was yesterday...:)
Raak, no.
Inkspot, not in the form that I am thinking.
Can it be experienced directly by any of the sense?
Ibid, yes it certainly can.
Can it be heard?
Is it something experienced by only an individual?
[Chalks] it is a grocer's apostrophe (see Eats, Shoots and Leaves).
Inkspot, yes.
Softers, it is experienced by everyone
Is it a fart?
The sound of a cheetah breathing noisily through its nose while tucking into the antelope it ha just run down?
Bigsmith, no.
Raak, good guess but no.
Is it connected with the weather?
It's raining here again, well more like indecisive drizzle really.
Inkspot, nothing to do with weather.
Can it also be seen, touched, tasted and smelled?
... collectively or severally
Is the animal connection human?
Chalky, none of those, it can only be heard (in this form).
Raak, yes.
Is it a song?
Kim - YES
Does the Animal connection form part of the title/subject?
Is it a pop song?
Or possibly from an opera?
Chalky, no. The animal connection is purely because it is written and performed by humans.
Toby, no and no
Does it date from before the last century?
What I mean is, there are 'original' recordings by the Beatles but not 'original' recordings of say Handel.
Is there an 'original ' recording?
Tuj, yes it does.
Inkspot, I do not think there is an original recording of this.
Is it from before the 19th century?
Raak, no. I believe it was written late 19th century.
Does it have a patriotic flavour?
Chalks, no.
Is it a hymn?
Inkspot, no.
Is it a song everybody knows?
Like Happy Birthday or Auld Lang Syne.
Is it written in, or usually sung in English?
"The Last Rose of Summer"?
Toby YES...it is the song..Happy Birthday to You..and with that..over to you
Ah, gosh. Gee. I'm overwhelmed.

OK, here we go. Common-or-garden ABSTRACT, she says.
Is it fictional?
Is Toby a woman too? Goodness, I'm getting confused now.
Would this be a purely human trait?
Me too, BM. I'm fairly sure that I was the one who treated nights as a lady in the MCiOS chat room - mind you, no-one bothered to disillusion me.
Is it capable of being experienced through one or more of the senses?
[Breadmaster] No. And yes. No confusion intended ;-)
[Dujon] No.
[Kim] No.
Is it a depiction of a person?
No.
Is it something mathematical?
[Raak] Yes.
Is it some kind of law?
[Breadmaster] Not so much. No one ever talks about 'the law of this-particular-thing' in the way they would refer to 'the law of gravity.' But it is a reflection of a truth.
Is it pi?
Is it zero?
Is it logic?
Is it a theorem?
Is it a saying or experssion? ie stitch in time saves nine
Yes, Bigsmith, it is indeed &pi!
And with that, over to you.
Oh Bugger
I'm not really going to be around enough to take the chair here (those ex-Pants-o-Philes may remember I was in the chair when Pants MC went belly-up, and I was annoying every one then with my slow responses). May I suggest Inkspot takes up the challenge as he/she was so close with Chalky's radio.
A Welshman in exile
Bigsmith, thank you, I am honoured indeed by your invitation, and I'm sure that despite the rumours, the demise of Pants MC wasn't totally your fault. ;)

mmmmm by 'ere I'd say Mineral .

Is the mineral metalic?
Sotware; No
Is it a specific item made of this mineral?
Is it plastic?
Kim] Yes
Raak]No
Is it an item made of stone or rock?
Earthenware?
Kim]Yes
Raak]No
Is it a geographical feature?
Is it a gnomon?
Worth a throw;)
Breadmaster] *a slight murmur from the audience* No
Tuj]No, an interesting guess, I'll tell you why later.Stonehenge came from quarries near here
Does this thing stay in one place?
Is it man-made?
Is there more than one of these things?
Breadnaster]Yes, definitely.
Toby]Yes
sorry simulpost there
plump]Yes and No
Stonehenge?
Would this be a monument?
Is it a building?
Toby]No
Dujon]Yes
Breadmaster}No
Is it Cleopatra's Needle?
Come to that, is it in Britain?
Breadmaster]1.No 2.Yes
Is it the Cenotaph?
In England?
Bigsmith] No
Software] No, and I'll be sending a raiding party for your sheep later.
Is it in South Wales?
snorgle]*excited clapping* yes
Is it a prehistoric monument?
Cardiff Docks?
Swansea Docks?
Milford Haven Docks?
Raak]YES *almost there*
Bigsmith]No
Bigsmith]No
Bigsmith]No, my bedroom widow used to look out over Milford docks, towards the BP and Texaco refineries.
Crick Barrow?
There's quite a few prehistoric monuments in South Wales.
[Inkspot] Why, did she enjoy the view?
To the hills!
Raak]No. There is a hidden clue in my reply to Tuj which may help with the location.
Raak]...curses foiled again!
Harolds Stones?
If you're wondering why - look here.
snorgle]No, not a stone circle, try further west.
clue: This early Neolithic ancient monument was built for a purpose which we kmow for certain, and is one of the best examples of its kind in the U.K.
Was it built as a tomb?
Was it built to make astronomical observations?
Given the earlier mention of gnomons...
Is it on the Gower Peninsula?
Raak]Yes; Burial tomb or cromlech
Raak] No; Stonehenge being the tenuous link, the stones came from the Preseli hills 200 miles away *hint*? extra points will be awarded for guessing how they got them there, and we all know what points mean.
Bigsmith]No; further west
Pembrokshire blue stone?
stoking up the Aga
Software]Yes; It is in the Preseli Hills, Pembrokeshire and made from blue stone
Pentre Ifan?
Just google-guessing...
Cooking with gas
Raak] Yeeeeeeessssssssss, on the button, well done Raak, an excellent guess.

that was educational to me as to what not to chose or almost risk killing the game

The next item is MINERAL.
Are we moving away from stone?
....and towards metal?
Plastic, anyone?
Is it a gnomon?
Maybe some day this'll be a standard opening question for Mineral.
Is it heterogeneous?
i.e., metal and plastic?
Is it a(n) household item?
[Software] Yes.
[Kim] Yes, almost entirely.
[Breadmaster] Not to any significant degree.
[Tuj] No.
[Toby] Somewhat, but primarily metal.
[Dujon] No.
Is it manufactured?
[Dujon] Yes.
Does it use either battery or electrical mains power?
refreshed by sleep and with my morning cup of tea at the ready
[Inkspot] Ah...yes, it does actually. (This is a Misleading Answer.)
Is it a battery?
[Software] No.
Am I likely to possess one?
Is it made for a specific purpose?
Despite not being a(n) household item (per Dujon), is it nonetheless most likely to be found in the home?
[Bm] It's unlikely, but not impossible.
[Inkspot] Yes.
[Kim] No. It will never be found in the home.
Does it use solar panels to collect energy to move around?
[Inkspot] No.
A particle accelerator?
Just a wild guess that popped into my head.. :-)
[snorgle] No.
Will it never be found in the home because it's too big to fit?
Or maybe because it has to be outside?
Does it need to be switched on to perform its function?
Toby stole my question :)!
Would it be used by a mechanic in a garage?
[Toby] Yes.
[Toby] It usually is.
[Tuj] Yes.
[Inkspot] No.
A searchlight?
All right, it's a wild guess. Well, a bit big for the home - usually uses its own generator (with batteries) - and so on.
[Dujon] No.
Do we want a hint yet?
Does it make something else?
Is it some sort of vehicle?
This seems unlikely, as Raak said Breadmaster was unlikely to have one, but I suppose it could be atank or something.
Would it be likely to be too expensive for the average household?
[Tuj] Actually I'm highly unlikely to own any kind of vehicle!
[Inkspot] No.
[Tuj] YES!
[Bm] Probably. Depends how wealthy the average household is.
Does it have wheels?
[Chalky] Some do.
That's assuming you mean, does it travel on wheels.
One of the Mars rovers?
[Toby] Good one, but no.
Could it legally go on the roads?
[Bm] Yes.
Is it a military vehicle?
Would the alternative to wheels be tracks?
[Inkspot] No.
[Dujon] Yes.
I'm not sure what you call them, but a 'bobcat' - i.e. a machine - often with a loader/digger in the front and often a hoe or similar on the back.
Bulldozer?
[plump] Close...
[Dujon] Yes! The word I had in mind was "backhoe", but you have the article.
Cheering audience lifts Dujon onto their shoulders and carries him around the room.
I've never heard either of those words. Do you mean a JCB?
[Bm] Well, JCB isn't the only firm that makes them, but yes.
*Takes embarrassed bow.*
I really had no intention of selecting the correct answer. I've done this before (when the Pants site was alive) - because I'm in a significantly different time zone to most participants it makes it awkward for everyone if I take the chair.
Accordingly I invite someone else to volunteer for the position ... perhaps, as Tuj got us on the right track (sorry) and Chalky the wheels/track, one of them might care to break the champagne and launch the next subject? Please!
Thanks Duj. Nice thought, but I don't feel I made a significant contribution. Perhaps Tuj would like a crack at the next one? If not - perhaps someone else is burning for a turn?
Noted
Fine, Chalky. I am unsure as to when Tuj normally posts but perhaps we could all wait until, say, 11;00 GMT on Monday (It's around 01:50 as I type) to allow time for a response. After that time I suggest the 'first in, best dressed' option be invoked.
Filling in space
[Breadmaster/Raak] On the 'bobcat' term: Yes, 'backhoe' is also used here. I suspect that 'bobcat' (well, I'm 90% sure) is a trade name - something like 'Biro' for a ballpoint pen, although the latter term does seem now to be fading somewhat.
Marking time
Well, neither Tuj nor anyone else has posted. I haven't had a go in the driving seat yet, because I'm not very good at guessing, but unless anyone objects I could have a go, if that's OK with Dujon et al...?
Yes
[BM] I was thinking that if Tuj wasn't available - you might take the chair - I say go for it :-)
Excellent. OK. This one is ABSTRACT, but it arguably has both mineral and animal overtones.
Is it connected with religion?
Raak - not notably.
Is it a fictional, mythical or legendary being of some kind?
Is it connected with science?
Kim - Nope.
Toby - Again, not notably.
Is it connected to a famous saying or cliche?
Ibid - It is not.
Is it made of words?
Raak - It is not.
Very negative so far, isn't it?
Does it involve fish in any way?
Sorry about my absence - this has happened before. Really I'm far too sporadic for this, the fastest paced game on MC5, so I've carefully avoided the chair so far.
Can it be seen or heard?
Tuj - Once more, not notably. But never mind about being absent, I'm enjoying this bit of negativity...
Inkspot - Tricky one - I would say yes, it can - both directly and, very much, indirectly.
Is it an emotion?
The Giant Rat of Sumatra?
Would this be dream like?
Only attempting to narrow the field.
Just a thank you!
Tuj, sorry you missed out - although it seems you are not too disappointed with that.
Breadmaster, I thank you for taking up the reins.
Is it something negative, like silence or emptiness?
Is it an event?
Chalky - No.
Toby - No. Not fictional, remember.
Dujon - No.
Raak - No.
Inkspot - No.
I thought this would be fairly easy, but no-one's made the breakthrough yet.
Is it a piece of music?
Is it a period of time?
Inkspot - No.
Raak - No.
Is it the sound of silence?
Is it a reflection?
Software - No.
Inkspot - No.
I'll give you a clue. It did not exist before the twentieth century.
Is it the artistic merit of a dead cow in formaldehyde?
RECAPPING
IT IS NOT:
notably connected with religion
fictional, mythical or legendary
connected with science
connected to a famous saying or cliche
made of words
notably involved with fish
an emotion
The Giant Rat of Sumatra
dream-like
something negative like silence or emptiness
an event
a piece of music
a period of time
the sound of silence
a reflection.

IT IS:
something that can be seen or heard, both directly, and very much, indirectly.
CLUE: It did not exist before the twentieth century.

Could this be seen/heard anywhere on this earth?
Is it television?
Raak - Yyyyyyyyy - no.
Chalky - If it is possible to see or hear this thing directly, then there are places on this earth where one can do so, although not many. In theory, one could see or hear it indirectly anywhere.
Kim - No. But getting a little closer...
Is it related to mass communication?
Whalesong?
Request for clarification: What category does something like a soundwave fall in? It's not technically abstract - it can be measured, heard, and felt. Does it retain the property of its creator, as its quality and existence depend on it - i.e. the bark of a dog is animal and the whirring of gears mineral? Or does "abstract" really just mean none-of-the-above?
Wireless?
Tuj - It is indeed.
Raak - No.
Toby - Gosh, I don't know. Fortunately it's not a problem that affects this round, because that's not it.
Software - No.
It might help if I told you that this a particular individual thing.
Can it be seen AND heard?
The 'or' is confusing me.
the World Wide Web?
Is it the Internet?
Cyberspace?
Toby - Yes.
Kim - No.
Toby - No.
Is it the tile of a programme?
Inkspot - Nope.
Is it a language?
Chalky - It is not.
News broadcasting?
A broadcasting corporations channel?
The War On Terror?
Chalky - No.
Inkspot - Not quite, but very close!
Raak - No (not mythical, remember...?)
Is it the view through the Jennicam?
Raak - Alas, no.
The BBC?
Rounds of applause
Chalky - YES! It is indeed the BBC.
Looks like it's the turn of the Chalky one!
"Ooh, ta Sir!" *curtsies*
Have only just remembered to look in here ... was rather busy playing Thwack the Penguin [see MCiOS Hyperlynx].
As there have been a string of Abstracts lately - I'll choose A N I M A L . . .
Is it human?
Nice one, Chalks, picking the Bah Beh Seh!
aw shucks
Kim - it is indeed human :-)
Is it a politician?
Are they living?
Tony Blair, Anne Widecombe? hope not.
Is it a living person?
Are they well known in the UK?
Clearly I have gone blind.
Is it male?
Obvious, but useful ...
[Brendan] You might as well have asked "Is it female? (ornamental, but useless)" ;-)
... some answers
Toby - No
Inkspot - No
Software - No
snorgle [2nd question] er .. tricky to reply to - I guess one asked 100 people in the UK [random] if they'de heard of this person, 50% might reply in the affirmative - but I'm assuming that the players of this game would all be aware of her.
Brendan - No
JLE - *thwack*

*BONUS ANNOUNCEMENT* .. and well done all, because you have succeeded in narrowing this down to a single being without asking the question directly

Was she born before 1900?
Was she famous in field of entertainment?
Mrs. Trellis?
Inkspot - No
snorgle - ah, that depends on how you define 'entertainment'. A cautious 'yes' but don't be misled by that.
Raak - No :-)
Was she British?
Is she an occasional ISIHAC pannelist?
Was she famous in a sports-related way?
Mae West?
That covers sport and entertainment, possibly.. ;-)
Mary Whitehouse?
Inkspot - er ... yes [although not born on UK shores, she was certainly perceived as British]
Kim - Not as far as I know
Breadmaster - No
snorgle - No :-)
Software - No :-)
Was she famous for writing-related activities?
Breadmaster - Oh yes indeedy! *cheers from studio audience*
Is she best known as a columnist?
Kim - No
A novelist?
Agatha Christie?
Iris Murdoch?
Breadmaster - YES!
Well done - is this a first? :-)
*cheers, applause, goes generally and then specifically wild for Breadmaster*
Crikey
Huzzah! Yes, it is indeed a first. At last. I feel I can take my place among you as an equal.
OK then, I think this is slightly harder than the last one, which probably means it will be guessed in two goes. MINERAL
Metallic?
Stone?
Software - No.
Kim - No.
Plastic?
Glass?
Raak - No.
Inkspot - No.
Magma or lava?
is it in liquid form?
Is it from the element table?
Brendan - No. That would sort of be stone, I think.
snorgle - No. At least, it would be misleading to say otherwise.
Inkspot - No.
Is it gaseous?
(which would be "mineral" by the eccentric definition thereof that AMV uses) [Bm] Thought you might say that, but I wanted to check. [Chalky] I'm curious why you thought we'd narrowed Iris Murdoch down to a "single being" so early on ...
Brendan - No.
Is it a man-made material?
Is it a geographical feature?
[Brendan] Groups of people [or even whole races] qualify as 'Animal' [we've had them in the past] so the gender question has always been tricky to reply to without giving the game away. In Iris's case, the questions were asked in such a way that I had to respond in the singular.
(per Inkspot) Does it have a known chemical composition?
The empty plinth in Trafalgar Square?
Is it fictional?
[Chalky] Ooooooooooh. I thought you meant that the answers to our questions uniquely identified her as being her, if you see what I mean ...
Inkspot - No.
Chalky - No.
Kim - Yes, pretty much.
Raak - Ooh, where do you get these ideas? No.
Brendan - No.
On reflection
My answer to Chalky's last might be a bit controversial or debatable. I will stand by it, though.
Is it made largely of solid water?
Is it located in one particular part of the world?
Raak - A breakthrough! Yes.
Inkspot - It is not fixed to one spot, if that is what you mean.
Obviously ice is involved?
[Brendan] I see what you mean, yes :-)
Chalky - Very involved indeed.
Jakobshavn Glacier?
Inkspot - No.
Going for simplicity, an iceberg?
My bloody Mrs?
Software - Yes. But be more specific...
Bigsmith - Ha, probably not.
The North Polar ice cap?
The iceberg that sank the Titanic?
And put all the crew in a panic?
Oh, sorry, wrong game.
What a waste! Such a shame!
Does it live in the northern Atlan[t]ic?
I foresee a new twist to the rules
Does it like sex games that are tantric?
Sorry for brief absence
[Raak] Yes! It is indeed The iceberg that sank the Titanic, for lack of charms talismanic. Well done all round.
The next is both MINERAL and VEGETABLE.
Is it edible?
Splendid - a different category mix :-)
Is it man-made?
Is it found in the home?
Is the vegetable, wood?
Does the vegetable grow on the mineral?
[Toby] Nice idea. Let's keep the limerick lines within the "apropos" postings.
The answer to Chalky is yes.
Bm also makes a good guess.
Dazed5 is quite right
Inkspot's not -- what a fright!
And Kim's wrong, I have to confess.
Is't a recipe that I could make?
Breadmaster a black mark must take.
Would one eat it by choice?
Is it a sauce?
With something warm and moist
Like a recipe for devilled snake?
The audience slightly amused
Toby's wrong, but the laughter's a clue
Inkspot's further away
In ev-e-ry way
Kim's a country mile out of our view.
Is it medicinal?
More laughter from the audience.
It can be.
Is it made to be eaten?
[Inkspot] No.
Does it contain alcohol?
Is it a drink?
...and there was me ready to suggest a slice of burnt toast
[Kim] Yes.
[Inkspot] Yes.
Bushmills Whiskey?
Well, it covers most bases including medicinal;)
Is the vegetable constituent grapes?
[Kim] No. [Inkspot] Well, I had any type of whisk(e)y in mind, but I reckon you're close enough. Inkspot wins!
...and a small nip for everyone, seeing as it's a bit parkey out there today.

Let's kick this one off then, ANIMAL

Is this human?
Well done Inky. Cheers for the wee nip. I understand that we are about to be subjected to extreme parkyness this week. *wondering how that word originated*
Is it alive?
Maybe parky is from parka jackets? Googling for it, I haven't had any luck with the etymology other than the fact it seems to have been around since before WWII.
Chalky] Yes
snorgle]Yes
Some in the office are claiming that its probably too cold to snow. In this part of Wiltshire I've only been able to build two snowmen in the last 14 years, so my wife is looking forward to a couple of inches.
Is it Michael "Parky" Parkinson?
Too cold to snow?! Never could understand that one. It's bloody cold at the South Pole but it still snows there!
Is it male?
Bigsmith]Definitely too cold to snow, No
Breadmaster]Yes
If this keeps up we may have snowdrifts by tea time.
Is he a sporty type person?
Snowdrifts, really. I was amused watching the weather the other day to see big red patches on the map as the weather person talked urgently of the chances of each part of the country having snow. All this for what would be perhaps a centimetre of the stuff. If this were America no-one would get worked up over anything less than six feet. When I grow up I shall move to Canada, just you wait.
Is he well known in the UK?
re:couple of inches - fnarr fnarr!

I lived in Canada and it snowed however damn cold it was! Besides, it's not that cold, you wimps.

Breadmaster]Yes
snorgle]Yes
But was it proper snow? I suppose your going to say in Canada you you had several inches every night! Not like the stuff that we get roundabout here that turns to slush by lunchtime!
Has he been involved in any scandals?
Still too warm for snow here; should get some tomorrow, though (they say). Better not affect my getting to other half's graduation.
Is he a footballer?
With any luck, tomorrow or Wednesday, I shall have the perfect excuse to stay away from work - the wrong type of snow.
Is he still playing whatever sport he's famous for professionally?
I only wish I had several inches every night. *Ho-hum* Snow finds it difficult to go slushy in Ottawa, at least, until about, oooh, end of March?
I'll probably be on strike on Thursday and Friday. And definitely not on any picket lines. Far too cold for that! (all the standing around, see..)
Does his sport involve ball play?
[Inks] Are you in North Wilts? The forecast says we're unlikely to get any here in mid south
Is he famous primarily for playing sport (as opposed to managing, punditing, etc)?
Brendan]No
Kim] No
snorgle]No
Chalky] Yes
Breadmaster]Yes, like many has been pundit briefly and even was a team captain on a well known sprots quiz between, 1979 - 1982. But he will be best remembered as a player.
A two day strike, a perfect way to catch up on Trisha.
Yes' I'm in North Wilts, and don't mention Swindon, folks here are very touchy about that metropolis.
Is he a cricketer?
I don't know why I'm asking, the only sports people I have ever heard of are those I am forced to subtitle at work, so I won't know any retired ones. Especially cricketers.
Bill Beaumont?
Hurricane Higgins?
Emlyn Hughes?
Gareth Edwards?
Breadmaster]No
Chalky]No
Raak]No
Kim]1 No
Kim]2 YES
The crowd at the Arms Park stand and cheer and burst into song.

Who?
Raak] Very, very thin ice ;P
[Raak] You may well ask. Rugby player, I think. Which just goes to show that it's not always a question of who you know.....
[All] Righty-ho, then, eyes down for a full house. This next one's........ABSTRACT/VEGETABLE.
The grapes of wrath?
A tree falling in an emptyt forest?
Is the vegetable bit wood?
Is it the title of a book?
This one's going to be over quickly, methinks.
[Raak] No.
[ZK] 1. No. 2. Yes.
[Inkspot] Yes.
A tree grows in Brooklyn?
The Grapes of Wrath?
The Camomile Lawn?
Wind in the Willows?
The Tree Musketeers?
Under Milk Wood?
Twiggy's autobiography?
The Wood Beyond the World?
[Raak] I've never heard of Gareth Edwards either. See? I was right!
The Ringing, Singing Tree?
Eats Shoots & Leaves?
Pinocchio
Plankenstein
[snorgle] No.
[Bigsmith] No x 6.
[Breadmaster] No.
[Raak] No.
[Chalky] Lol, no. Have you read it? I put it down after the first chapter. She is clearly just trying to take all of the fun for folk like us out of pointing out the grammatical and syntactical errors of others. Publish, crap and make lots of money.
[Inkspot] Nice, but no. I think that would have to have been Abstract/Animal/Vegetable.
[Bigsmith] No.
Like I said at the start, its not just a question of who you know....
Is the author still alive?
The Faraway Tree?
The Name of the Rose?
The Man Who Wood Be Queen: The Science of Gender-Bending and Transsexualism?
The Readers' Digest Book of Carpentry?
Would the wood part be the book itself or is does the wood part form part of the title?
well... someone had to ask.
[Kim] Eats Shoots and Laughs All The Way To The Bank ... noooo - have not and shall not read it [see Advice Game MCiOS about 2 weeks ago]
[Inkspot] Apparently, yes.
[Breadmaster] No.
[Raak] No.
[Inkspot] No.
[Bigsmith] I used it to put up the shelf on which it now sits, but No.
[Chalky] Yes.
[All] When I thought of this, I was not aware of the existence of a book of the same name. Like I said, it's not just a question of who you know.
Is it a list book of people?
bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!
[Kim] Sorry to be picky, but you have answered yes to an "either /or" question from Chalky, at what I feel may be a crucial turn of the game! So for clarification I'll re-ask the first part of the question and deduce accordingly: would the wood part be the book itself?
Errrr......
[Inkspot] No.
[Bigsmith] I always thought that one of the key rules of this game was that you have to ask questions that have a yes or no answer. It has already been established that the answer is the title of a book. Would the wood be part of the book itself? If you mean "is the book made of wood?", the answer is I expect so, as most books are. If you mean "is it a book about wood" then the answer is I don't know, as I have never read it.
Is it more commonly a phrase or saying, that just happens to be the title of a book?
Is it a work of fiction?
Is it a book of spot facts?
....or even sport facts?
[Toby] Yes. Pursue this line.
[Chalky] The book that happens to bear the phrase as its title is not a work of fiction. According to my research, it is a series of lectures by the co-authors.
[Inksport] No, no.
Was the book first published before 1980?
Would the authors be well-known celebrities?
This is wide open - well-known phrases/sayings are invariably used for book titles, particularly non-fiction and biographies.
[Inkspot] I don't think so, but I can't tell from Amazon when the book was first published. I think it was in the early 1990's.
[Chalky] They may be well known in their field, but are not celebrities in the general sense.
Are they scientists?
[Raak] Yes, I think so.
Was the subject of the book the worlds environment?
Was the subject matter to do with the joy, or otherwise, of sex?
The green, green grass of home?
[Inkspot] No.
[Chalky] No.
[Raak] No.
Is it an anthropomorphisation?
It doesn't sound like it's a book we'll ever have heard of, certainly not all of us.
Is it about DIY in space?
If its not who you know, but what you know, all I know so far is its a factual book about lectures by people that may be scientists, and the title is a commonly used phrase. Perhaps Raak is holding back 'cause I haven't the foggiest; time to bow out.
Is the book by Jack Cohen and Ian Stewart?
I haven't the foggiest either.
Newton's Apple?
[Toby] No.
[Inkspot] No. Please persist.
[Raak] No and no.
[All] I've been trying to think of a clue that won't give the game away, but it's hard. Inkspot is closest so far. Think of something that is abstract and vegetable and has something to do with what you know.
is it one of those interminably dull books about parenting?
The tree of knowledge in the garden of Eden?
Actually, there are 3 books at Amazon, first listed is The Tree of Knowledge: Biological Roots of Human Understanding, which seems to match the one so far described - essays by scientists that no one's ever heard of. (I'll leave it to you if that's the book, the scientists, or both.)
Would this book (apart from the phrase/saying which constitutes its title) be known to the man-in-the-street? That is, as opposed to those interested in the particular field involved.
The Observer Book of Trees?
Do I remember Kim saying something about this one going quickly?
Whew!
[Chalky] No. What's that got to do with Abstract and Vegeta....oh, I see.
[Toby] YES! The answer I was looking for was the Tree of Knowledge. Congratulations (and the Chair) to Toby after a rather tortuous struggle.
[Dujon] Probably not. It's certainly of no interest to me.
[Bigsmith] I did, didn't I? That's called "tempting fate".
back patting
That was a good 'un, Kim, and well deduced, Tobes. We [in UK] will wait until you wake - time difference GMT -8 on the Pacific coast??
Thanks Chalky, and also Kim. Oddly enough, it looks like something I'll be interested in reading. And yes, that's the time difference, so you've got my attention from more or less 4pm through 2 in the morning. Let's try ANIMAL .
Is it human?
This game's equivalent of e4.
[Kim] Yup.
Alive now?
1. ... e4.
Male (oblig.)?
[Raak] No. [Dazed5] No.
A monarch?
[Raak] No.
English?
[plump] No.
Actress?
Brevity round, then?
Did it die after 1960?
[Brendan] No.
[Inkspot] No.
Is she American?
[Inkspot] Also not.
Was she born in Europe?
G'evening Toby, just a couple more before cocoa and bed.
[Inkspot] Yes,she was.
Was she born after 1800?
Drink is ready, last one then, see you roundabout tea time tommorrow
[Inkspot] Nope. Sleep well.
Does this mean I have to pay attention to my work now?
Famous for discovering something?
[Toby} No.
[Tuj] Nope. phew.
Hypatia of Alexandria?
French?
[Raak]No.
[Chalky] Also no.
Was she around prior to AD years?
[Dujon] No.
Was this lady known for her literary endeavours?
[Duj] Possibly somewhat during her lifetime. Not particularly so today.
Would this person perhaps be the wife of a monarch?
Well, it appears that there are no others with questions at this time.
[Duj] Ooo, tricky. There is a sense in which the answer is yes, but for most intents and purposes, no. Good question.
Did she live between 500AD and 1500AD?
Was she a religious figure?
Would her maiden name have been Tascher?
Should I be right I shall leave it for the coup de grâs to be delivered by someone else. If I am wrong I shall retire anyway.
Not tonight......
[Dujon] Guess we'll have to wait until later to get the answer to that one...
Was she a Kings mistress?
Come now Dujon you can't slip away from the chair that easily.
[Bm] Yes.
[Raak] Yes!
[Dujon] No.
[Inkspot] No.
Hot potato!
Was she an Emperor's wife?
Hildegard of Bingen?
[Raak] Indeed, yes! Woo-hoo. We have a winner!
As for the "married to a monarch" - nuns are, I believe, considered to be married to God, who is considered to be the King of Heaven...

Is the time difference a huge problem? I've had the fun of chairing now, and am happy to yield in future if it works better that way. (But I'm still going to guess.)
understands all in a blinding flash of inspiration, but then has a migraine and has to lie down.....
The next object is MINERAL
Is it man made?
Re: previous. In retrospect that was somewhat presumptious of me - I was feeling confident. :-( ... *chuckles at self* ... Hildegard and Josephine, as people, couldn't be much further apart!
Is it stone?
Is it metal?
Ah yes, Hildegard of Bingen - interesting fact: she wrote the first known description of the female orgasm. Only thing I know about her, except that she suffered from migraines and invented an imaginary language.
[Dujon] No.
[Toby] No.
[Breadmaster] Um...no.
Is it solid?
[Brendan] No.
Is it a liquid?
[Inkspot] No, at least, not as customarily understood.
Is it a plasma?
[Brendan] Yes.
Would it still be in a plasma state when its temperature is 20deg C?
What I mean is blood plasma would still be but volcanic plasma would have changed state to solid at 20degC.
[Inkspot] No. But I do not think that word means what you think it means.
lightning?
Out of depth stab in the dark.
ball lightning?
The Aurora Borealis?
Is it more than 20% Helium?
(erm, by mass)
[plump] No.
[snorgle] No.
[Toby] No.
[Brendan] Yes!
I expect to see the answer by tomorrow morning...
Just after the Big Bang?
Raak]yes you are right, an electrically neutral, highly ionized gas composed of ions, electrons, and neutral particles was not the first thing sprung to mind. If only the word plasma had only one definition. Next time it will be a translucent to opaque chalcedony and I'll still off in the long grass and in the wrong garden...again ;)
the Sun?
Or a new thin-panel television screen...
[Inkspot] No.
[Toby] YES!
Gosh, that would make it me again.

Stumbling in from a night of debauchery where I never actually *spoke* to John Adams.... I kept wanting to say to the people who wouldn't leave me alone in the loo, "Yes, I'm going to a party with the conductor/composer..." And so I did. And there was lots of lovely red wine... Right. But of consequence: ABSTRACT
Can it be perceived by one or more of the senses?
[Kim] Yes.
Is it an event on the calender?
[Inkspot] no.
Can it be percieved by the sense of smell?
Is it a wave of some kind?
Is it an action?
Can it be seen?
[Inkspot] No.
[Brendan] Technically I suppose it is, but I'm not sure that's very helpful.
[Breadmaster] No.
[Raak] The thing itself, no. The creation of the thing, yes.
Software?
Is it a sound?
[Software] No. [Brendan] Sure.
Can it be felt?
not touch, but you can feel the sun and wind.
[Inkspot] Again, I'm not sure how helpful this is, but yes, some parts more than others may generate a kinaesthetic response.
Music?
[Dujon] Yes!
Is it a drum beat?
[Inkspot]Some of it.
Is this a particular piece of music?
[Dujon] Yes!
The 1812 Overture?
Wild guess and retiring.
[Dujon] It is not.
Was it written before 1950?
The national Anthem
That'll be "Hen Wlad fy Nhadau"
Is it pop music?
The Hen who laid Ralph Nader? (my welsh isn't that good) ;-)
Ravel's Bolero?
Was it written by (an) American(s)?
Would it generally be considered "classical" as opposed to "pop" or "folk"?
Interesting fact: there is no official British national anthem. "God save the Queen" has never been made such, either by royal proclamation or parliamentary vote.
[Brendan] Yes.
[Inkspot] No.
[snorgle] No.
[Raak] No.
[Kim] No.
[Breadmaster] Yes.
Was the composer Italian?
[Inkspot] Nope.
German?
Russian?
Was it written before 1850?
Was it written for full orchestra?
[Chalky] Yes!
[Kim] So no.
[Kim] Yes.
[Inkspot] Yes.
Something by Beethoven?
[Chalky] Yes!
1812 Overture?
Scratch that, it's by Tschaikovsky.
Wellington's Victory
His fifth symphony?
The fourth movement of his ninth symphony?
(aka Ode to Joy) (aaka the EU anthem [where's JLE when you want to raise his blood pressure? ;) ])
[Raak] Scratched.
[Inkspot] No.
[Breadmaster] No.
[Brendan] Well, I'm tempted to say "No" and make you all discover that I intended the whole thing; but I think that's close enough. Chair to you, sir!
Ooh, wow, my first time! Thank you for being so flexible, Toby. Let's have an ANIMAL/ABSTRACT.
Mythical?
arrow_circle_down
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