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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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Huzzah!
Give me a few moments to thing of something sufficiently fiendish.
ABSTRACT
OK, let's see how this plays out.
Is it an emotion?
[ZK] Nope.
Is it a human concept?
[ZK] No - although some may be involved.
Can it be detected with any of the senses?
[Brendan] An interesting question. I would say technically no, but your senses might well alert you to its presence.
Is it a natural event or happening?
Is it a naturally occurring phenomenon?
Dooo-dooo do-doodoo...
The monster under the bed?
[Inkspot] No.
[Tuj] No.
[Raak] No, that's very much ANIMAL.
I should warn you all that I'm not at work today and tomorrow and my internet access is currently a little erratic, so many apologies if there are gaps between my answers... I shall do my best though!
Is it existence?
straight in with a random guess
Is it a phrase or expression?
Does it have to do with the passage of time?
Is it connected with the supernatural
(Brendan: All footballers get covered in mud, Vegetables grow in the soil (ok not all so sue me!), therefore all footballers............. eat vegetables and you are what you eat. And Forest are neither Super nor Natural before you ask - C'mon you R's)
Is it electricity?
[Snodgrass] Your mastery of syllogism is unmatched!
[all] No.
[Inkspot] No.
[Kim] No.
[Snodgrass] Aha! Yes.
[Brendan] No.
A ghost?
Banquo's Ghost?
An Orb?
To those of you without Living TV you have been spared the antics of Derek Acorah and Yvette Fielding chasing ghosts and flying balls of light around the country and having theatrical panic attacks as they go. What a rich cultural medium digital TV can be!
A poltergeist?
[Raak] No.
[GL] No.
[Snodgrass] No, and I thank you for that terrifying vignette. Yvette Fielding?!
[all] No.
Possession of some sort [by the devil or his disciples]?
[Chalky] No.
Is it related to some sort of concept of the afterlife?
A magic spell?
ah...Raak may have pre-empted my next line of questioning ... is it Black Magic?
I don't have a suggestion
[Snodgrass] I happen to like that programme!
backtracking in realisation
Not that believe it all, you understand!
Voodoo ?
[ZK] Sorry, no offence intended. I quite enjoy it too, in small measure, but the histrionics do rather detract from what might, otherwise, be a serious attempt to uncover something we understand little about. Did you watch the celebrity version last weekend?
[Brendan] Yes.
[Raak] Nope.
[Chalky] Not that either.
[Snodgrass] Nope. How do you have a celebrity ghost-chasing programme? Were they hunting Elvis, James Dean, Buddy Holly etc?
Is it re-incarnation ?
[Breadmaster] The celebs were doing the hunting - or more accurately staying 2 nights in a spooky castle and having the willies put up them so to speak (but thats one for a different channel I expect). You know, I'm a Celebrity - Get 8 shades of wos'name out of me!
I despair of modernity...
[Snodgrass] Nope.
[Snodgrass] Sadly not, as I only have Sky when I'm living at home.
Transubstantiation?
is it Hell?
Valhala?
The Holy Spirit?
Is the afterlife in question the Christian one?
Nirvana?
Purgatory?
Would a river be pertinent?
[Raak] No.
[all] No.
[GL] No.
[Brendan] No.
[Kim] No.
[Raak] No.
[Dujon] It wouldn't.
Don't get too hung up on the afterlife thing - it's only related to it.
Is it a Philosophy?
[GL] It might be, depending on how you define "philosophy".
Is it a fear?
[Inkspot] No.
Is it a religion?
[all] A breakthrough! Yes.
Catholicism?
blimey - I thought we'd eliminated the 'religion' thing ages ago - perhaps I just imagined it!
[Chalky] No. No, I was surprised no-one tried that earlier, but they didn't...
Buddism?
Islam?
I meant buddhism, obviously
A religion is a philosophy, unless your a fanatic.
[GL] No. There's more to religion than philosophy, though - it is a sociological phenomenon which may include a philosophy, but also other things such as liturgy. I think.
[all] Nope.
theophobia?
[Inkspot] No, but I'd love to know more about the Theophobic Church...
Does it profess to be some variety of the Christian religion?
[Raak] It does not.
Scientology?
[BM]The basis of all religion is a philosophy, which is also the most important part of the religion. It's easy to quote (for example) the Bible but very few of those that do make any effort to love their fellow man.
[GL] Of course, it depends on what you mean by "philosophy". But if you mean ethics, I still say that's only one element of religion, and not necessarily the most important part: for example, Jesus taught ethics, but he seems to have been more interested in eschatology. One should always be very wary of saying things like "the essence of all religions is X" because religions are rather complex things that vary greatly.
Oh yes. No.
Is it monotheistic?
[Raak] Largely, but it's a matter of some debate.
Is it Hindu?
[BM] Philosophy generally means an outlook or set of beliefs that underpin your thinking. An ethical philosophy is only one example of this cynical philosophies have more appeal but are less used by religions. But all religions are in essence telling people how they should think (not what they should think, just how).
Eschatology is part of the philosophy of most religions
[GL] It is not.
I take your point, although I think you're defining "philosophy" a little loosely.
Was it founded in the last 200 years?
[Brendan] Nope.
Sikhism?
Philosophy
noun: any personal belief about how to live or how to deal with a situation (Example: "Self-indulgence was his only philosophy")
noun: the rational investigation of questions about existence and knowledge and ethics
noun: a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school
[GL] Still so.
By which I meant, of course, still no.
Is it a brand of islam?
Judaism?
[all] No.
[GL] No.
Is it extant?
It it a associated with the far east?
Is it Zen?
[Raak] It is.
[Inkspot] Not the far east, no.
[GL] It is not.
Just confirm it's from the middle east? but not connected with Islam?
[GL] Two questions shock! Yes, it is from the Middle East, and there may be connections with Islam, but if so I think they're likely to be pretty indirect.
It can only be a matter of time now.
Was it founded by a swordsman called Zoro his adventures later being made into numerous films?
[Inksopt] No, but it should have been, hence...
Is it Sufism? -Apologies for joining in so abruptly
[Phahad] Feel free to join in, but no - it's not Islam, remember.
Is it popular outside the middle east?
[Gusset] If this religion is defined a little broadly, I believe that today it does have more adherents outside the Middle East than it has within it.
Taoism?
[all] No.
You know, I really think Inkspot will get it...
Zoroastrianism?
(I may have spelt that wrong)
Zoroism?
simulpost....and Brendam beat me to it *laughs*
I meant BrendaN of course *laughs again*
[Brendan] YES! And I believe you spelt it entirely correctly.
Having recently had a go, I'm entirely happy to cede in favour of either Inkspot, who clearly had it and was just messing around, or Chalks, who I simulposted. That said, I do have a particularly silly idea for a round ... I'll leave it a few hours and if neither of those two starts one I will.
Pah! I'd have won it if it hadn't been for those pesky kids!
applause and cheers
A good win and well set by the Breadmaster.
Silly idea
OK, then, my silly idea: bifurcated AMVA. I've got two separate "objects" in mind which can be referred to by the same word(s). Hence, for each question I'll give two answers, one for the first object and one for the second, eg "Is it made of wood?" "Yes/No" Hope that makes sense.
So, the objects are ANIMAL/ANIMAL.
Is it a quagga?
Leaf?   OK, just a mad guess.   :-(
However, is that the idea, Brendan?
Is either human?
An interesting conceit!
A mammal?
Bigger than a Coconut?
[Raak] No/no.
[Dujon] No/no.
[Bm] Yes/Yes.
[Inkspot] Yes/Yes (see above).
[Snodgrass] Yes/Yes. (Unless it's a giant mutant coconut you have in mind)
Are they particular humans (as opposed to a type, job, class etc)?
Interesting - looks like we have two people with the same name, or perhaps similar titles?
Is the name for either an occupation?
[Breadmaster] Yes/Yes
[snorgle]No/No
Are they male?
Are they still alive?
Englebert Humperdinck?
Are they British?
[Breadmaster] Yes/Yes.
[Raak] Yes/No.
[Bigsmith] No. (Good guess though!)
[Inkspot] Yes/No.
Male?
[Brendan] Thanks, I thought it an apt guess after his/their appearance in an earlier game!
Jerry Hall?
One's an American model, the other an Irish guy I used to work with.
Obviously not as neither are British, and both are still alive - sorry, somehow transposed the answers in my tiny mind...
Are they nobility?
[Bigsmith] Er, yes and the male I already answered to Breadmaster's last Q.
[Breadmaster] Ooh, excellent question! No/Yes
Winston Churchill?
Is the Dead one the Noble one?
[Brendan] I can assure you that my coconuts are not mutant or deformed in any way!
(Bod No2) Is he an American?
Are they actors?
Assuming that Brendan always refers to them in the same order, it looks like one is alive, British, and not noble, while the other is dead, not British, and noble. I think.
[Raak] No.
[Snodgrass] Yes. (FWIW, I'm maintaining consistency -- ie there is a distinct Left-Hand-Side object and a distinct Right-Hand-Side object.)
[Inkspot] No/No.
[Breadmaster] No/No. Your summary is spot on.
Is he a singer?
Are they remembered as a duo, ie. were they 'connected' before one of them died?
Are we talking 'leaders of nations' here?
[Brendan] Quite how someone can be Noble without being British is quite difficult to comprehend - Xenophobia Rules OK!
Supp to above:. Leader in a Sporting field?
Political?
Writer?
Royalty?
[GL] Yes, but not just that/No (see below though)
[Chalky] No.
[Snodgrass] Not remotely/Not quite
[Snodgrass] No/No
[Snodgrass] No/No
[Breadmaser] It would be misleading to say Yes, but Yes, in a manner of speaking/No
[Raak] No/Yes
Observation/Hint: There seems to be an implicit assumption in some of these questions that the sum total of people involved is two. This is not the case.
Are either of the subjects a single person (ie a solo subject not just unmarried)
Did they die before 1900?
Obviously this only applies to the dead one
[Snodgrass] No/Yes
[Gusset] No/No
Were either of the named Rasputin?
Did they die before 1950?
[Gusset] No/No
[Breadmaster] No/Yes
Is the currently alive one a pop group?
[Raak] Yup.
Has the pop group been around for more than twenty years?
...otherwise I'll never have heard of it.
Do they have a song in the current UK Top 40?
Austrian Archduke?
[Raak] No.
[GL] Not at this precise moment in time, but they have relatively recently.
[Inkspot] No/Yes! (You've got it, haven't you?)
Franz Ferdinand?
[Gusset] Correct. It was indeed Franz Ferdinand (current flavour of the millisecond with the NME) on the LHS, who are named after Franz Ferdinand (Austrian Archduke and famous casue of WWI) on the RHS. Congratulations, and over to you!
I didn't know it was a pop group
Anyway, hmm... ANIMAL (with ABSTRACT connections)
Fictional?
[BM] Yes.
Of human form?
[Chalky] I assume you mean is it human? No
Is it a person?
[BM] That depends how you define person. I know someone who considers there pet cat to be a person.
I mean "their pet cat"
Is it an animal that talks?
Pesky line-managers!
[Inkspot] It talks after a fashion, but the term animal may be misleading.
Does it communicate telepathically?
[Brendan] No.
Is it known from appearing in a particular story?
[Inkspot] Yes, but it also appeared in the sequel(s)
Aslan?
[Bren] No
Is it a kind of animal that really exists?
[BM] No.
Is the author still alive?
Is it a dragon?
[Inky] Author may be the wrong word, but... Yes
[Bren] No
Is the work of fiction a film?
[Brendan] Yes.
Is it a character from Star Wars?
[Inkspot] Yes.
is it a cartoon character?
drat - simulpost. I've just wasted a question
Is it Jar Jar Binks?
In which case, may God have mercy on your soul for reminding us of that execrescence!
Chewbacca?
that ChewBacca thingy?
another bleedin' simulpost...sorry Inks!
[Chalky] no
[BM] Thankfully not
[Inkspot] Yes
[Chalky] Rwwwar!
Well Done Inkspot
Thank you Gusset Login for a great AMV for a Friday Afternoon.

eyes down looking ... MINERAL

Is it man-made?
I have released any of my AMVs to the public, or do you mean AVMA? 8)
A household implement?
Some day I'll get Broadband, then I can devote more attention to quicker-fire games like this... But it's so nice just to read the pages that happen in between and how an idea is pursued and grasped betwixt-times!
Gusset Login] No ....must remember, less haste more speed ;)
Tuj]No
Is it a geographical feature?
Raak]Yes
Is it in the UK?
[Raak] nice one!
Chalky] Yes
England?
Somerset?
Not thinking of anything in particular
Scotland?
Chalky]No
Tuj]No
Breadmaster]No
...and hence it is in...
The Channel Islands?
Raak]No ;)
The Giants Causeway?
Just a stab in the dark. Well its sunny now but you know what I mean!
Snodgrass]No ...sunny? not here its high winds and showers.
Snowdon?
Raak] YES .... Mount Snowdon it is ... and in just ten guesses!

Huge round of applause

The next object is MINERAL, with ABSTRACT connections.
"There is no spoon?"
I think that last one would've been less than 10 if it wasn't for me, but hey, let's make a mess while we can!
[Tuj] No, there is no spoon.
Does it contain metal?
[Bm] No.
Is it larger than a coconut?
No I don't know why that is my yardstick either!
Is it fictional?
[Snodgrass] Yes.
[Bm] The abstract connection is its appearance in fiction, but it also exists in reality.
Man-made?
[Brendan] No.
Does it contain rock or stone?
[Bm] No.
Metal?
[Snodgrass] No.
Is it a solid state object?
[Inkspot] No.
Is it on the Earth?
Is it a liquid?
[Brendan] Yes, and no doubt on some other planets as well, but there's no-one around to see it.
[Inkspot] Partly.
Does it contain water?
[Bm] Yes.
Does it contain ice?
Does it contain more than trace amounts of anything other than water?
[Gusset L] It could, but the typical one doesn't.
[Brendan] Yes.
Does it have a use?
Is mud involved?
Is it an atmospheric phenomenon?
[Chalky] No.
[Gusset Login] No, although it might be a side-effect.
[Bm] YES! A breakthrough!
Is it rain?
cloud?
[Kim] Rain is a major part of it.
[snorgle] Cloud, too.
A hurricane?
Is the fictional connection one specific work?
[snorgle] No.
[Brendan] It includes one specific work.
A tornado?
Twister?
A thunderbolt?
Is the significant part of it that isn't water, made of dead vegitation?
Since both clouds and rain are made of water
Is it the tornado that took Dorothy Gale to Oz?
[GL] No.
[Chalky] No.
[Software] No.
[all] No.
[Bm] No.
Can you confirm this summary?
It's an atmospheric phenomenon
Contains more than a trace of something that isn't water
Contains nothing man-made
Does not contain any metal, rock, stone or wood
Is used in fiction
Is found on earth, but may exist elsewhere
[GL] Spot on.
The Northern Lights?
A Rainbow?
[Chalky] No.
[GL] No.
Is it the title of a play?
[Inkspot] Not that I know of.
Is it likely to be dangerous?
An interesting conundrum from Raak here... Good stuff!
[Bm] Can easily be.
Does it occur all over the world?
[Inkspot] I believe it can happen in most places. More in some than in others.
Is the specific fictional work a film?
Is it a thunderstorm?
Is it a snowstorm?
A whirlpool? El Niño?
well, the sea contains more than trace elements of something other than water...
[Brendan] No.
[Chalky] applause from audience That could be part of it.
[Darren] silence from audience That could be part of it as well, but it's probably not what you would first think of.
[ZK] No.
Is it a monsoon?
Is it a name for an extreme weather condition?
[Brendan] No.
[Inkspot] Not a name, and not all that extreme.

A hint about the fictional connection: there are actually two fictional connections: one a specific work which mentions it, and the other a body of fictional work in which it recurs from time to time.

The Jet Stream?
Acid rain?
[S] No.
[GL] No.
Thinking some more about the "more than trace amounts of something that isn't water," is this something Fortean like a shower of fish?
Is it about seeing clearly now that the rain has gone?
Weather [aka Climate]??
Singing in the Rain?
[Darren] No.
[GL] Quite the reverse.
[S] No.
[all] No.
The Calm before the storm?
Does it contain anything else apart from water and air?
(assuming that air is at least part of the non-water content)
The eye of the storm?
[GL] No.
[Brendan] No. Air is indeed the non-water part.
[Bm] No.

Ok, so it's established that storm is a significant part of it.

The Perfect Storm
[Snodgrass] No.
St Elmo's Fire?
Not really to do with air and water so much as electricity, but frankly, my flum is utterly moxed at this point.
[Brendan] No.
Trust me, you'll all know exactly what it is, and recognise its fictional appearances, when the answer is revealed.
The / A Tempest?
I don't know about flummoxed I haven't got a Clooney hence the frantic straw clutching with a perfect storm.
The specific fictional work was it written before 1940?
see if this will clear the fog a little.
Is a property of the general class of fictional works that they're set at sea?
[Snodgrass] No.
[Inkspot] Yes.
[Brendan] No.
April Showers?
Bermuda Triangle?
The fictional work referred to previously - is this a song?
[GL] No.
[Chalky] No.
[Darren] No.

Time for a hint?

Does the answer appear in the title of the work?
Raak]How about a one or two more questions on the source of the work, followed by a hint.
Is the fictional work pre-1850?
Is the fictional work by a man?
Fog?
[Inkspot] No.
[Brendan] Yes.
[Darren] Yes.
[snorgle] No.
The answers to Brendan and Daniel refer to the specific fictional work, not the body of fictional work, for which the answers would be No and Yes.
Daniel?!
Is the fictional work/body of work pre-1500?
I must admit I'm running out of questions here. Fiendish problem-setting from Raak and a good puzzle.
Is the fictional work European in origin?
[Darren[ Oops, sorry.
[Bm] No/No.
[Darren] Yes (but the fictional body of work isn't).

Hint: The fictional work is a novel, and the fictional body of work is a cartoon strip.

(novel)Was it written after 1900?(cartoon) did it appear in a comic?
Is it a dark and stormy night?
(in which case, I'm assuming the cartoon strip is Peanuts ...)
[Inkspot] No/No.
[Brendan] YES, it is a dark and stormy night!
Excellent puzzle, Raak!
OK, let's have an ANIMAL.
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