mc5 - AVMA Take 2

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AVMA Take 2

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Yes, it's another round of that classic guessing game - Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, Abstract [or any combination thereof]. This effort - '03/'04 should address any queries, but then again, may just serve to confuse and baffle which some might say is the point of the game. Patience, integrity and a decent search engine may be useful ....

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Was he involved with building things?

Was he known for his thinking/beliefs?

Is there a medical connection?

[Raak] NO, not involved in building.
[INJ] NO, not known for his beliefs.
[CdM] NO, no medical connection.

Summary

OK, we're looking for a British man, born in the 17th century, became famous and died in the 18th. He died violently, but not unlawfully (subsequent research suggests there might have been some doubt about the legality of the circumstances leading to his death, but that's probably misleading; he certainly wasn't murdered) although he was not executed, nor killed in a war or a duel, nor did he commit suicide or die in an accident. He is not mainly known for his death (although the manner of his dying is at least somewhat celebrated).
He spent a lot of time in boats, but was not a noted navigator or explorer. Nor was he a politician, scientist, writer, aristocrat or inventor, and he was not involved in the arts, construction, geography or medicine.
He is believed to have been involved in a war in some capacity closely connected with the way he became famous. He has nothing notable named after him.

Would his death be classed as justifiable homicide?

Was he known for breaking the law?

[jim] Ta for the summary, though it makes frustrating reading! Don't forget that his name doesn't begin with P.

A breakthrough

[Raak] YES, I should say justifiable homicide.
[Tuj] YES, he was an infamous lawbreaker.

Blackbeard?

We have a winnARRRR!

[Tuj] YES! Our mystery man was in fact the notorious pirate Edward Teach (or Thatch, or any of a variety of other creative 18th century spellings), aka Blackbeard.
He probably acted as a privateer during Queen Anne's War and subsequently turned pirate. Killed in battle in 1718; his Wikipedia article suggests that the governor of Virginia overstepped his authority by sending troops into North Carolina to attack the pirates, hence the doubtful legality.
One baton in the shape of a yard-arm with a severed head hanging from it goes to Tuj.

Time to draw a line under this

[jim] It was your answer to "begins with P", hinting at a pseudonym, wot dun it.
So! let's have a bit of

MINERAL

.

A famous jewel?

An relatively unknown jewel?

A shining example

NO and NO =)

It might as well be me who asks

Tell me, Master Tuj, this mineral object that you have chosen, would it happen to commence with the 16th letter of the standard English alphabet?

[CdM] INDEED 'TIS SO! And yea surely with such insightful queries from the outset ye are halfway there!

Is it radioacitve?

plutonium?

Praseodymium?

Does this mineral also have a number?

Pluto?

Radioactive? NO
Pu? NO
Pr? NO
Is this unknown item/items numbered? NO, not that I know of
Pluto? NO

Stone of some form?

Found in one particular location?

A unique object?

Man made?

Monday morning, straight down to business!

Stone? NO, though it surely contains some
In a particular place? YES *couple of disparate claps from the audience, and some talking*
Unique? YES ("object", maybe)
Man made? NO

Is it on, or part of, the Earth?

Is it wholly contained within a single country?

A geographical feature?

Be it Pluto?

Originality reaps reward

On or part of Earth? YES
In a single country? YES
Geographical feature? YES
Pluto? NO (again)

Larger than a supertanker?

Does it move around within the particular place that it is in?

Interesting questions!

Larger than? We always have trouble with these questions, don't we? I'm pretty happy to give a YES, though not uniformly
Moving around? EUGH um... in the sense you probably mean, NOT MUCH, though in a different sense the answer would be YES

Is water involved?

Are you sure it isn't Pluto?

A river - or part of one?

Watery? YES *audience applauds*
Pluto? ...still NO I'm afraid *audience all sit down looking disgruntled*
River or part of? YES! *standing ovation*

The Platte river?

In Europe?

Platte? NO
European? YES

Po?

Ding ding!

Po? YES!

Congrats GL, the baton is yours!

Ying tong tiddle i

Nice one GL - I was convinced enough you were correct not to bother with another guess.

[INJ] You could've asked if it was Pluto again ;)

[Tuj] Funny thing is, when I first read your answer to my question, I wondered if you were hinting at a two-letter answer. But then I forgot that idea...

Oh! I was right. Darn, now I have to think of something...

ABSTRACT with ANIMAL/MINERAL connection(s).
And I apologise in advance for the delays giving answers.

Is it from a work of fiction?

A Human Construct?

Connected to sport?

[CdM] Mua. Ha. Ha.

Is it 'asking if the answer is Pluto'?

Is it Pluto (the cartoon character)?

[INJ] Fictional? Yes
[FGZs] Conceptual? No
[Tuj] Sporting? Not known for it certainly.
[INJ2] Repeated Question? No
[CdM] Pluto the dog? I almost wish I'd thought of that. No.

An entity of some religion?

From a book?

[Raak] Close to God? No
[Tuj] Book? Not originally although books do exist that feature him/her/it/them.

A sentient being?

(Within the fictional construct, of course)

Post 1900?

[INJ] A sentient being? No. Although at least one, fictional, sentient being forms part of the answer.
[Softie] Post 1900? I assume you mean was the work of fiction first published/released/broadcast/exhibited/performed after 1900. In which case YES.

Originally from a TV series?

Is it now, or has it ever been, animated?

[Tuj] From the world of TV? Yes
[CdM] Animated at some point? Yes

From children's fiction?

Songebob's Square Pants?

Is the answer on the card the title of a programme?

[Raak] For the kids? Yes
[INJ] Spudgebob? No
[Tuj TV Title? Yes

Originating in the UK?

Does the title take the form "X and [the] Y", where X is the named sentient being?

James and the Giant Peach, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, that sort of thing.

[Tuj] British? No.
[jim] Sentient and the Other Stuff? No.

Sargeant Bilko?

A cartoon network production?

[Software] Bilko? No
[FGZstar] Carton Newtwork? No

Earth-based?

[Knobbly] Set on Earth? Effectively, although if you saw anything remotely like the main characters on the street you'd be a bit puzzled. With that in mind, I'll say Yes.

The Munsters?

The Addams Family?

Tele-tubbies?

[Soft] Munsters? No
[Chalk] Mr + Mrs Addams? No
[cfm] Eh-Oh? No

The Muppets?

Sesame Street?

The Magic Roundabout?

Only exists as animation?

[Software] Muppets? [Audience clap and cheer madly] No [Audience mutter restively]
[FGZstar] Open Sesame? No
[Raak] Magic Roundabout? No
[INJ] Only as animation? I was only aware of it as an animation but as I have already stated there are apparently books. So, primarily Yes.

Fraggle Rock?

Muppet character?

[INJ] Fraggle Rock? No.
[Software] Muppet character?
If you mean "Is the answer a character from the Muppets?" then No.
If you mean "Does a character from the Muppets appear in the show?" the Yes.

Bear in the Big Blue House?

Saturday Night Live?

Must admit to Googling

[FGZstar] Blue Bear's House? Nope.
[Software] Saturday Night Live? No
Summary: So far you know... The answer is the title of an animated TV series created outside the UK after 1900 by someone other than Cartoon Network. A connection to the muppets has been hinted at (although the muppets are not animated).

Any connection to Jim Henson (above and beyond the Muppets connection)?

[CdM] Connection to Jim Henson? Yes. (Whether it was more than the Muppet connection is hard to say, but he got a mention in the credits of every episode)

Muppet Babies?

[FGZstar] Jim Henson's Muppet Babies? YES Have a youthful baton

Right then, after very little deliberation, the next one is...
ABSTRACT with ANIMAL connections

British, damn it?

Fictional Human(s)?

[SW] British? - NO
[GL] Fictional? - No, Human? - Yes.

MC-related?

[Tuj] MC Related? - NO

Alive?

European?

A specific individual?

[Raak] Alive? - Somewhat
[SW] European? - NO
[GL] Specific? - NO

Begins with P?

[Tuj] Begins with P? NO

Any supernatural connotations?

[INJ] Supernatural? NO
Also, I would like to say that, to avoid ambiguity in my answer to GL's last question, whilst this is not related to one specific individual, it is related to a specific group.

The Illuminati?

A 'terrorist' organisation?

[GL] Illuminati? - NO
[Dujon] Terrorist? - NO

A political group?

[cfm] Political? - NO

A group of Entertainers?

[GL] The Entertainers? NO

Is this particular group of somewhat alive humans a class/caste?

An attempt at 2 questions in 1, methinks...

[Dujon] Somewhat alive? - YES and NO
Class/Caste - NO.

It is an organisation?

[Raak] Organsation? - NO

Is it a symbol?

[Raak] Symbol? - NO

Relating to a particular profession?

[irach] Professional? - NO

Is there a link with education?

[GL] Educationally linked? - Only insofar as I came across this during my studies at uni, but otherwise NO.

Is it a group of humans, some of whom are alive, and some dead?

Clarification needed! To "alive?" you answer "somewhat", then when Duj says "somewhat alive?" you say "yes and no"!

Is this abstract thing, a property that people can have or not?

[Tuj] Yes, it is indeed a group of humans, some of whom are alive, and some of whom are dead.
[Raak] Abstract? No.

Are they from a particular location?

[Tuj] Particular Location? YES

For clarification purposes

My reference to 'somewhat alive' came from the Chair's response to Raak's much earlier question.

Please ignore my previous.

Thanks Tuj.

Is that particular location a town/city?

[Duj] My pleasure =)

Do they share an occupation?

Were they all involved in some event?

Clarification Required

This is an Abstract with Animal connections but not an Abstract?

Does the answer on the card describe a race of people?

[INJ] Shared occupation? NO
[Raak] All involved in some event? NO
[GL] Not Abstract? I apologise, but I seem to have been mistaken in my answer. Upon further thought, this is indeed a property which a group of people can have, although I would class it more of a description than a property.

A Nationality?

Nationality? Not quite, but similar.

Ethnic group?

Ethnic Group? - According to dictionary.com's definition of an ethnic group, YES.

Are they found in Europe?

[FGZ*] When answering INJ, Raak and GL above you missed one from me and one from Dujon.

Native North Americans?

Is there any dispute about whether this group of people exists?

Typically referred to as a tribe?

Kurds?

And/or whey

[Tuj] Town/city? Not a specific one.
[Dujon] Race of people? They are all generally of one race, but not a race in themselves.
[Tuj] Found in Europe? No
[SW] Native americans? No
[Raak] Disputed existence? Nope, they exist.
[CdM] Tribe? Not according to wikipedia
[Muffet Login] Kurds and/or whey? No
Well I think that's all.

Mormons?

Are they found in Africa?

Australian Abolrigenes?

(That should be" Aborigenes"...)

[SW] Mormons? -NO
[Raak] Africans? - NO
[irach] Aborigines? No, and it's not Abolrginies or Aborigenes, either.

In the Americas?

American? NO

Ainu?

Ainu? NO

Do they share a religion or religious tradition?

[irach] Shared Religion? - YES

On the Indian subcontinent?

Is the ABSTRACT thing we are looking for, a religion?

Indian Subcontinent? NO
Religion? NO

So! Are they in Asia?

Anything to do with shamanism?

[Tuj] Asia? - Yes!
[Raak} Shamanic? - No

Tibetan?

Shias or Shiites?

[Raak] Tibetan? - NO
[irach] Shias or Shiites? - NO

Bhutanese?

Do these people have some key identifying characteristic that we have not yet isolated?

[irach] Bhutanese? - NO [CdM] Key characteristics? - NO, but there are probably some minor ones that would narrow down the search.

From the Far East in Asia?

Far East? According to wikipedia, YES

Mainly or totally within China?

Japan?

China? Japan? NO

South-East Aisa?

that is, S.E. Asia?

Southeast Asia? YES

To do with Myanmar?

On an island?

Rather than continental SE Asia

Myanmar? NO On an island? YES and NO.

Pertaining to Malaysia?

Malaysia? YES and NO

Babas and Nyonyas?

Is the abstract a behaviour shared by these people?

[CdM] Babas and Nyonyas? NO
[INJ] No, the abstract is related to architecture.
(Although a clue isn't called for, I didn't want you to all start questioning about the abstract when you are so close already)

Is the architecture in question religious, e.g. a pagoda or stupa?

The architecture can be religious, but not exclusively.

Stilt-house dwellers

Although that's not restricted to parts of SE Asia

Stilts do feature in the architecture, but are not the most distinctive part, and as you said stilts are not restricted to SE Asia.

Hidden text

Actually, they are used throughout hot, humid climates, where ventilation is the only effective cooling method

A kampong?

A kampong? No.

A kelong?

Gotong royong?

Neither of these.You must surely be close. Would it help if I told you that there's one word on the card?

Rukun?

Runkun (as in pillars}? Nope, although pillars do feature. I am looking for the people which give the name of the architecture, not the architecture themselves.

[FGZstar] Rukun as in the Indonesian concept of "mutual adjustment". Presumably not, nor will it be tolong-menolong, adat, bayanihan, or العرف.

[Raak] You presume correctly.

We seem to have run to a halt. Time for a clue?

Okay, Clue time. The word on the card is also the name of an international air port. The word is the name of a 'people' with a distinctive style of architecture which responds passively to the microclimate of the area.

Is the airport in Indonesia?

Minangkabau?

OK, I assume that's going to put this question out of it's misery (if it's not right you won't hear from me again on this one). Frankly, without the clue it could have gone on for several more weeks.

Minangkabau? YES! - Have a saddleback shaped baton.

Thank goodness for that!

OK, let's have something that shouldn't need Google, Wikipedia and several empty hours.

This one is VEGETABLE, possibly also ANIMAL and with ABSTRACT connections

Is the vegetable component a potato?

Animal =Human?

Mr. Potato Head?

Edible?

[FGZ*] Yeah, I'm afraid that one makes even me channel Rosie a little bit. It was pretty arcane; I lived in that part of the world for several years and had never heard of them. That could still have been OK if you had been a bit more helpful with your definition and answers, mind you. Part of the problem was that you told us we were looking for an ABSTRACT, but your answer was the people themselves; that had me confused for a while. And there were a few places where you could certainly have had the audience be more helpful. Finally, Raak was definitely on track when he mentioned Indonesia and adat, but you gave no hint at all that he was getting close. I don't mind obscure topics as such, but I think you have got to be willing to let the audience help out more in those cases.

[irach] Earth Apple? - NO
[FGZstar] human? - NO
[Raak] Kartoffelkopf? - NO
[CdM]Edible? - YES

Manufactured?

[Software] Manufactured? - YES or 'Can be', depending on your definition of the question. Shall we say it's 'made'.

A dumpling?

Does the "making" involve a physical cooking process involving heat, such as baking or frying?

This won't take long

[Raak] My leetle dumpling? - NO
[irach] Cooked? - YES

Is it associated with a fesetive occasion?

(festive)

[Raak] Festiveive? - YES *audience chants of 'Easy, Easy*

Mince Pies?

Christmas pudding?

There, that wasn't hard, was it?

[GL] MINCE PIES it is!
Of course, on reflection it's quite hard to get away without some animal (milk in the pastry), but much less so than for pudding or cake, when you're dealing with eggs and butter as well. I was thinking about the presence or absence of suet in the mincemeat.
Now, would you just like to pull one end of this baton?

OK. Keeping it simple. MINERAL

Metal?

Unique?

[INJ] Metal? Partly.
[Tuj] Unique? No.

plastic?

A household object?

[Raak] plastic? No.
[CdM] Household object No.

On reflection I think the answer to INJ question should have been "Mostly" rather than "Partly".

Valuable?

Decorative?

Manufactured?

[CdM] Valuable? Depends on your definition of Valuable.
[cfm?] Decorative? Not originally.
[INJ] Manufactured? Yes.

Heavier than a car?

Antique?

Begins with P?

[Raak] Heavier than a car? Uncertain, but probably not.
[Software] Antique? Yes.
[Tuj] Begins with P? Not on the card, but a less formal description might.

A piece of sculpture?

Is the metal wrought iron?

Ironbridge?

Contains moving parts?

[irach] A piece of sculpture? No.
[Raak] Is the metal wrought iron? Iron, Yes. Wrought, No.
[Software] Ironbridge? No.
[Rosie] Contains moving parts? Y...yes I guess.

Is this a "Heritage" contraption such as pit-gear, steam engine, guillotine etc?

[Rosie] "Heritage" contraption? I'm not sure I'd call it a contraption, but heritage is not an unfair adjective.

Is it a weapon?

[Tuj] Weapon? No.

Is there a large number of these things in the UK?

[Rosie] Are there a large number of these in the UK? Yes.

A skip? (dumpster for our friends across the pond)

Would you be surprised to find one of these indoors?

[Software] A skip? No.
[Tuj] Would you be surprised to find one indoors? Normally I would, Yes (except in a museum), but after the evening I've just had...

A suit of armor?

Is this in the form of a wheel?

[GL] 'A large number' is no different from 'A number' and thus is singular.
G'day, Rosie, and welcome back.

Are these found throughout the world?

[Rosie, GL, Dujon] I was going to agree with Rosie and Dujon here, until I looked it up. Certainly, in my writing to date, I have always treated "a number" as a singular object. But, to my surprise, Merriam-Webster's Concise Dictionary of English Usage has this to say (after noting that "all commentators agree" on essentially this idea):

The rule of thumb for this construction is stated succinctly by Bernstein 1977:
In general, a number takes a plural verb and the number a singular.
Evidence in the Merriam-Webster files shows that the rule of thumb is generally observed. Even when the sentence begins with there, a number of commands the plural verb. {example] An adjective like increasing or growing tends to emphasise the word number in its singularity, and results in rather more mixed usage. [examples] But even in these constructions, the plural verb is the more common.

My inclination would still be to treat Rosie's phrase as contained within standard English usage, but GL is certainly not incorrect; to the contrary, the usage he favours is apparently more standard.

So I learned something today.

Anything to do with transport?

(CdM) French avoids the problem, it seems. Many people would say "Are there large numbers of....." which strictly is rather illogical but I'd probably use it colloquially.
(Dujon) *snarls back* G'day. :-)

[irach] A suit of armor? No.
[Dujon] In the form of a wheel? No.
[CdM] Are these found throughout the world? No. But in more than one country.
[Rosie] Anything to do with transport? No.

Related to a certain religion?

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