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AVMA Take 2
help
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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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 textActually, 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?
Does it have a picture on it?
Used in construction?
[FGZstar] Religious? No.
[Raak] Does it have a picture on it? No.
[ImNotJohn] Used in construction? No.
Related to communications?
[INJ] Related to communications? YES.
Does it contain a power source?
A phone box?
[Raak] Does it contain a power source? No or not one you'd notice
[Tuj] A phone box? Yes A K6 Red Telephone Box (Mint Condition) to be exact.

Have a baton.
Whoops!
Let's try an ABSTRACT
Does it begin with B?
Is it from a work of fiction?
[CdM] Begins with B? NO!
[INJ] From a work of fiction? NO (though its precise origin is likely unknown)
Is it a well known phrase or saying?
[GL] Phrase or saying? YES!
Related to health?
Bless you?
[Tuj] K6, eh? Sounds very anorak and THG to me
Is it one question per player? Hope not...
[Rosie] Related to health? NO
[Softers] Bless you? THANKS. I mean NO
If not health, then wealth?
Does it contain a number or a numerical connotation?
[Rosie] Wealth? NO
[irach] Numerical? NO
An English saying?
A proverb or adage?
[Softers] English YES, saying NO (depends how you define these words, I suppose. It's certainly more of a phrase, though there are more appropriate terms for it as yet undiscovered)
[INJ] The proverbial? NO
Well, go-blimey?
An epithet?
A euphemism?
A metaphor?
Good guesses! But...
[Softers] Cockney stereotype? NO
[cfm] Epithet? NO
[FGZ*] Euphemism? NO
[GL] Metaphor? NO
A catchphrase?
A cliché?
[Knobbly] Catchphrase? NO
[Raak] Cliché? NO - BUT arguably it is becoming so through notoriety
Business-speak?
Has it been notably used in public life recently?
Is it a sound bite?
"This is no time for sound bites. I feel the hand of history upon me"
Related to information technology?
The audience awakes
[INJ] Business-speak? NO *some audience laughter, followed by a pause and a second bout of laughter which rapidly turns into "shh"-ing*
[Raak] Notably used? NO - not one use anyway, more a groundswell of ubiquity
[GL] Soundbite? NO
[cfm] IT-related? YES *audience applause; a few sounds of dissatisfaction*
Related to "social media"?
is it an acronym?
Penny dropping!
[irach] YES, I suppose so! *audience begins to clap*
[cfm] An acronym? YES *standing ovation*
LOL?
Ding ding ding!
[cfm] lol? YES!

Hope I didn't give too many clues, I'd got worried it'd be too hard... Congrats and good luck cfm!
[Tuj] Thank you. If my previous effort at twirling the baton is any indication, I will need it.
This one is animal, vegetable and mineral. And it has heavy abstract associations.
Begins with P?
[cfm] Don't worry, it gets easier the more you do it. It's taken me a very long time to find that out and take the plunge myself ;)
A form of paint?
[The hot seat] I try very hard not to win. My one and only stint in the seat which you now occupy was back in the days of yore. It was hard work. Good luck.
[Tuj] 'Fraid NOt. Try another letter.
[Dujon]Interesting! But NO.
The natural world?
Trying for a hole in one.
[Rosie] Naturally, NO.
The game of AVMA itself?
Unique?
The Universe?
Well, if you really want me to...
Begins with M?
Is the animal component human?
Is any of it edible?
[irach] Self-referential? NO
[INJ] One of a kind? NO
[Tuj] Twenty four more to go. NO
[CDM] We, the people? Hmmm. *audience collectively leans forward in seats* A qualified YES to that. Most frequently but not always. And never entirely.
[Raak] Culinarily significant? I suppose it is not beyond the realm of possibility. But it would definitely be frowned upon. (See animal component above.)
Anything to do with farming?
Family?
Geography?
[Rosie] Reaping and sowing? NO
{FGZsar]Family? *applause ripple ensues* YES as it relates to the abstract element.
[GL] A particular place? NO.
Chimpanzees involved?
Evolution?
[Rosie] Too much monkey business? MAYBE. I've no first hand knowledge that chimps are involved. But it is not out of the realm of possibility.
[FGZstar]More monkey business? NO
Is the vegetable component largely wood?
[CdM] Vegetable recipe? Typically some wood is involved. But not largely wood, NO.
Seasonal significance?
Connected to entertainment?
[Raak] Changes like the weather? NO
[CdM] Applause worthy? NO
One man and his dog, who went to mow a meadow?
Connected to a specific country or culture?
We are not getting very far here ...
Would you be surprised to find one of these indoors?
A zoo?
[Raak] *audience is surprised and sounds delighted* YES, there is an association with mowing.
[CdM] NO. Consider asking the opposite question.
[Tuj] NO, I would not be surprised. Some of these or parts of these may be found indoors.
[Rosie] NO.
Connected with sport?
*considered asking the opposite question -- but decided against it*
[CdM] Do you also eschew maps when you are lost? :-) NO.
Is the connection with mowing a figurative one?
[Raak] NO. It is literal.
Is the mowing connection due to some use of the product obtained (grass, straw, or something similar)?
[CdM] NO. The mowing is an end, not a means.
Are other activities equally connected?
Just a reminder to other players that while this is apparently linked to mowing it is not linked to geography or farming. (So the mowing is not on the ground and the mown items are not collected for sale or agriculture).
A haircut?
[Gusset Login] YES. Other activities are equally connected.
But perhaps I need to clarify my answer to the geography inquiry -- or at least your explanation of my answer, which may be misleading. It is not necessarily connected with a particular place (country, city, etc.) nor with a specific geographic feature (mountain, river, border.) I hope that helps.
[FGZStar] Tonsorial connection? NO.
A level playing field?
Would you advise us to keep pursuing the mowing link (or is it too peripheral)?
[Raak] *audience, which this evening appreciates irony, laughs* Metaphorically speaking I suppose, YES. But this thing is not a metaphor.
[CdM] YES, I do so advise.
A cricket pitch?
[Raak] NO. Not connected to sports.
A garden of some kind?
Was this thing invented?
[Rosie] Flowers & stuff? YES at times.
[Tuj] Conceived and executed? YES
A maze?
A tourist attraction?
[Raak] Amazingly, NO
[Rosie] Some are, YES
A park?
Is there a lawn involved?
[Software] NO, not recreational.
[Raak] YES, see mowing above.
Ok then, is it a lawn, and nothing but a lawn?
Is the word "garden" on the card?
A botanical garden?
[Raak] NO, the lawn is not the point.
[Tuj] NO, that word is not on the card.
[FGZstar]NO, the garden is not the point.
A monument?
[Software] A qualified YES. "Monument" is a related concept.
A cemetery?
Is it typically owned by one person?
[CdM] Cracking guess!
[CdM] DEAD right.
I believe this belongs to you?
*hands baton*
*inspects baton cautiously*
Um. Are batons usually this white? And, um, do they usually have these strange shaped bulges at each end?
This next one is MINERAL
Is the mineral metallic?
Begins with P?
[CdM] Told you it was a good guess!
Is the thing composed a single chemical element?
A manufactured object?
Metallic? No.
Begins with P? Of course it does.
Unielementary? No.
Manufactured object? That would be an odd phrase to use (neither word is really quite right), but Yes is certainly a better answer than No.
Oh, it is actually possible that this also has a minor vegetable component (I don't know for sure), but that is more likely to confuse you than help you. So forget I said it, OK?
Stone?
Stone? *smattering of applause* In part, Yes.
Does this not-exactly-an-object commonly exist/occur in the present day?
Unique?
A plinth?
A Pilaster?
A residue of a mining activity?
Does it commonly exist today? It exists today, but you can't say that it exists "commonly" because...
Unique? Yes.
Result of kissing flogth? No.
Pilaster? No.
Slag heap? No.
The result of human labours?
Men at Work? Yes.
A work of art?
A building?
Is it in Europe?
Is it in Asia?
Work of Art? *hollow laughter from the more cynical members of the audience*. No.
A building? No.
In Europe? Yes.
In Asia? No.
Another technical clarification and minor clue. The answer on the card is a single word beginning with P (usually preceded by a definite article). However, a slightly more formal/precise answer is two words, of which the second is the word on the card. I can also think of a more informal answer that I would accept; this coincidentally begins with P but does not include the word on the card.
A work of civil engineering?
Civilly engineered? Yes.
Generally regarded as an eyesore?
Site for sore eyes? That's probably a bit too strong. But you'd have to hunt pretty hard to find someone who would call it beautiful.
Portsmouth?
I must have my little joke. Please ignore.
Is it in the UK?
A work of engineered traffic circulation?
I'd say "Magic Roundabout" but I can't get a P into that.
Porstsmouth? No.
In the UK? No.
Traffic circulation? Yes. *applause*
The Périphérique or Boulevard Périphérique in Paris?
*standing ovation* Yes! It is indeed the Périphérique. An impressive leap, there.


So, irach, here is the baton ... now you just have to run around the BP once, and then you can set your next clue.
Merci beaucoup, mon ami!. Carrying the baton is a welcome change from my having to carry around le plume de ma tante all this time. I was helped, perhaps, by having browsed through a coolection of pictures of my 2008 trip to Paris just two days ago.

Anyhow, the next one is ANIMAL wth a strong VEGETABLE connection/connotation.
Sylvan ursine defaecation?
Is the animal component human?
[Rosie] No bear scat - sylvan or rural or urban.
[cfm] Yes, the animal component is human.
Alan Titchmarsh?
Is the human currently alive?
Begins with P?
Panda?
Single human or a group of humans?
[Cdm] Not Titchmarch.
[INJ]Does not refer to a single human.
[Tuj] Nope. No "P" at the beginning.
[Software] Not a panda.
[cfm] Pertains to a large group of humans.
Vegitarians?
Are these people all found in one country?
Connected with agriculture?
Are these people defined by their job?
[Software] Good guess, but no. The persons in question could be vegetarians, vegans, carnivores, omnivorous.
[Tuj] The words on the card pertain to some people ubiquitously distributed among the human race worldwide.
[INJ] Not connected to agriculture.
[Rosie] Not connected to agriculture.
[Rosie] (sorry) No, the persons in question are not defined by their job. [Clue] The words on the card pertain to a common characteristic of the persons involved.
People who can't stand Brussels Sprouts?
I believe there is a genetic component to this.
[INJ] Nothing to do with Brussels Sprouts or any other Brassica species.
Florists?
[Software] Not florists.
Anything to do with an allergy?
Okay--so there are two or more words on the card. Are all of the words required to identify the group?
Is the vegetable connection to a particular vegetable?
People who use walking sticks?
[Raak] Not an allergy.
[cfm] There are two words on the card. The answer is not an identifier of the group itself, but a particular characteristic possessed by all members of that group.
[CdM] Yes, the vegetable reference is to a particular species in the vegetable kingdom.
[Chalky] Not users of walking sticks, (or users of wooden crutches, or members of the Long John Silver Admiration Society with wood peg legs, or of the Geoorge Washington Emulation Society with wooden false teeth for that matter either).
Cauliflower ears?
You know how it is, you get an idea and either ask it directly or give it away for someone else
[INJ] Ruled out by the Brassica comment, I fear.
[INJ] Nope, due to to the Brassica comment as CdM indicates. However, the audience sits up in rapt attention at the nature of the response, and a few of them even applaud at the turn of events.
Is the characteristic acquired as the result of some activity on the part of such people?
Do people acquire the characteristic bty choice?
{Rosie] No. It is not acquired as a result of any activity on the parts of such people.
[cfm] No. Not that I know of.
Does the answer relate to an association of a body part to a vegetable?
Is the vegetable part a metaphor?
[INJ] Yes, it does relate to a body part with a vegetable kingdom association
[Raak] I guess one could refer to the association as metaphoric.
Is the vegetable a fruit?
That question just feels wrong.
Is the body part above the neck?
[GLogin] Yes, the vegetable is a fruit. (The audience goes bananas)
[CdM] Yes, the body part is in the general vicinity above the neckline.
Apple cheeks?
[Rosie] Very close, but no.
In additional clarification to my answer to CdM's last question, the body part is located above a typical or conventional garment neckline (perhaps not a turtleneck), and may therefore be inclusive of the neck itself.
Is the answer, in part, related to a particular tuber ?
The Adam's apple?
Well I don't think there's any point in guessing further.
[Dujon} Not a tuber.
{Raak}An Adam's apple its is! A banana in lieu of a baton is duly handed over.
The next is MINERAL.
Stone?
Unique?
Begins with P?
Suit of armour ?
[INJ] Not stone.
[GL] Not unique.
[Tuj] Not P-initial.
[irach] Not a suit of armour.
Nutritionally significant?
Would it fit in a postbox?
Consists of an alloy?
[cfm] Not nutritive.
[Tuj] Not puttable into a postbox.
[Dujon] The first yes! It consists of an alloy. [INJ] And on Googling to check that, I see that it can also be partly of stone, but is never wholly.
Brass?
Bronze
[Rosie] Not brass.
[irach] Not bronze.
Invar?
Stainless steel?
[GL] Not invar.
[Rosie] *pause fo google* Sometimes made from stainless steel.
BTW, "Alloy" is metallurgically correct, as far as I can see from Wikipedia etc., but possibly just a little misleading to anyone who isn't a metallurgist or industrial chemist (ret'd).
Is it utilitarian?
[cfm] Yes, utilitarian.
Is the 'alloy' naturally occuring (even though it might also be manufactured)?
[Dujon] Not naturally occurring.
A utensil?
A saucepan?
(Raak) I'm not a metallurgist but I'd say an alloy is any metallic mixture in which the minor component is metallic and deliberately added or not removed. So ordinary steel, minor component carbon, no, railway lines, 1% manganese, yes, and saucepans, duralumin (aluminium + a few percent copper) yes.
is the useful object commonly used in the present day?
[irach] Not a utensil.
[Rosie] Not a saucepan. According to the web, despite its elemental name, iron in all its engineering uses is an alloy with carbon and possibly other components. So that's what I went with.
[cfm] Used in the present day.
Does it sometimes have non-metallic parts as well?
[irach] Yes, see earlier answer "partly of stone".
Bigger than a toaster?
Used indoors?
(irach) It probably is a toaster.
[irach] Bigger than a toaster.
[Rosie] Not used indoors.
Agricultural connection?
[cfm] Not agricultural.
Connected with transport?
[INJ] Not connected with transport.
Connected with recreation?
[cfm] Not connected with recreation.
Currently batting 16 no to 4 yes and 2 partly.
Connected to telecommunications?
[irach] Not connected to telecoms.
Static?
Once it has been placed in its functional position, that is.
[INJ] Um...mostly static.
A piece of road "furniture"?
Static until someone drives into it.
Lamp post?
[Rosie] *applause* Yes, it is road furniture.
[irach] Not a lamp post.
Is this normally shaped in the form of a lens?
A lamp-post?
A Lamp Post?
Oh-Oh, Have we hit a 'lamp-post' loop?


Hang on, I think I can see the problem.
Pass me that Birmingham screwdriver.
*Clannggg!*

A post box?
There, that's better.
[Dujon] Not lenticular.
[Rosie,INJ] Not a lamp post, a lamp-post, or a Lamp Post. Nor even a lamppost.
[INJ] Not a post box.
a fire hydrant?
[cfm] Not a fire hydrant.
Garbage dumpster?
Bollards?
[irach] Not a dumpster.
[GL] Not a bollard.
A Bus Stop pole?
[irach] Not a bus stop pole.

More general questions might be more helpful.

Related to the energy industry?
If not a lamp-post, then a lamp-post?
Oh dear me, more haste less speed.
On the pavement, as opposed to in the road?
[Rosie] Could be in the pavement or the road.
[cfm] Not related to the energy industry.
[Rosie] Not related to lighting fixtures.
Manhole cover?
[irach] **CLANGGGGG** It's a manhole cover. *Peers down hole in ground* irach? irach?
Phew... Glad to ge out of that hole.... The next one is ABSTRACT with VEGETABLE AND MINERAL AND (STRONG).
Begins with P?
(STRONG) as in Strong Animal Connections?
Fictional?
[Tuj] Does does not begin with "P". Don't know what happened...Should have read ABSTRACT with VEGETABLE AND MINERAL AND (STRONG) ANIMAL CONNECTIONS.
[GLogin] Yes, fictional, I guess.
Connected with food?
[INJ] Parts (but not all) of the vegetable and animal connections are related to food.
Is it festive?
[Tuj] Yes, festive.
Connected with Christmas?
[Raak] Yes, connected to Christmas.
Related to snowmen?
Anything to do with stables?
[GLogin] No snowmen.
[Dujon] No, not really. Maybe a very peripheral connection to stables, but the best answer is no.
Santa's sleigh?
Twelve Days of Christmas?
[Raak] Not the Santa sleigh.
[cfm] The "Twelve Days of Christmas" it is! Not only is a baton handed off to you, but because my true love and I have split up, and I have no need for them, I will also hand over Twelve drummers drumming, Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree!
[irach] Oh my my, thank you. I am overwhelmed by your generosity. Curiously, was the tangential connection to stables related to the maids-a-milking? Next we have something

ANIMAL with ABSTRACT CONNECTIONS

[cfm] Yes, the very periperally, tangential possible connection to stables was the "maids-a-milking".
"Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer"?
Is the animal human?
[irach] NO, not poor Rudolph.
[INJ] YES, the animal connection is human.
Christmassy?
Human fictional?
[Raak] NO, nothing particularly festive about it.
[Rosie] NO, not fictional.
A specific, named individual, or a type/class of person such as a "Member of Parliament"?
Linked to a particular country or culture?
[irach] Two questions posed there, I think. NO, not one named individual. YES membership is a relevant idea.
[CdM] Hmmmmm. Very challenging to answer that one. But I think the best answer is YES, originally.
Anything to do with sport?
An ethnic group?
Connected with an occupation?
Are there more than a million members of this group alive today?
Related to religion?
[Rosie]NO, unrelated to sport.
[Raak] NO, ethincity is unimportant
[INJ] YES, related to an occupation! *audience re-engages, claps*
[CdM] NO, no million alive today.
[Tuj] NO, secular in nature.
Did more people practise this occupation in the past than nowadays?
[Raak] NO, the related occupation is more common now.
Did the occupation exist 100 years ago?
Are there more than a hundred members of this group alive today?
Tattoo artists?
[Raak] YES, the related occupation existed.
[CdM] NO, there are not 100 members alive.
Are members of this group generally viewed favourably?
Repeating my above question....Tattoo artists?
[Rosie] YES, they are well regarded.
[irach] So sorry to have overlooked your question. NO, not tattoo artists.
Are they involved in any of the fine arts?
The Beatles?
[irach] YES. They are.
[CdM] NO. More than four in the group--I'll throw that in for free. :-)
Are these people members of an elite group of award winners?
[Dujon] NO, award-winning is not what defines this group.
Performers of music?
[Rosie] NO, they are not musicians.
Actors and/or actresses?
Monarchs?
[Rosie] NO, neither on stage nor screen.
[INJ] NO, they are commoners.
Dancers?
[irach] NO, but you are narrowing the field!
Acrobats?
[irach] NO. *re-directs you to the YES answer to your question about fine arts*
In the graphic arts?
[Raak] YES. Related to the graphic arts.
Do they form an organisation?
[Raak] YES. They organized.
Young British Artists?
As depicted in Private Eye.
[Rosie]NO. Not YBAs.
Was this organisation founded before 1800?
Members of the Royal Academy?
[Raak]NO. More recent than1800.
[INJ] NO. Not the Royal Academy.
The Impressionists?
[irach] NO. Not The Impressionists.
Did the group organise after 1900?
[irach] YES. After 1900.
Cubists?
TO DO WITH MOVING PICTURES?
Er, excuse the caps lock there.
[irach] NO. Cubism did not define the group. *audience claps anyway* (which is to say there might just be a connection of some kind...)
[Raak] NO. Not moving pictures. *audience claps anyway again*
To do with cartoons/comic books?
[irach] NO. Not particularly funny.
Hint: Raak's questions about the related occupation were significant.
Does the name of this group itself contain a name?
[Rosie] NO. The name contains no name.
Was this group more important in the past than it is in the present day?
Is this primarily a European grouping?
[CDM] Hard to say about importance. The group's influence is still significant but is pretty much taken for granted today.
[INJ] No, not primarily European.
Anything to do with photography?
[Rosie] YES. Proceed. :-)
Any connection to Alfred Stieglitz?
So (I presume) the related profession is photography, and we are looking for a group of individuals, fewer than 100 but greater than 4 in number, who had a significant influence on the profession in the past but whose influence is now taken for granted. We don't know if any of this group are alive today, but we do know that the group organized after 1900. It's possibly linked to a particular country/culture which is not primarily European.
[CdM] YES. And well summarized. :-)
Begins with P?
[CdM] Ta.
Was Ansel Adams a leading light in the original group?
[Tuj] Was waiting for you. YES. Begins with P.
[Dujon] NO. Adams' group began with F. :-)
The Photo-Secessionists?
I left a decent interval, but no one is stepping in...
Click!
[CdM] YES. Steiglitz was among the first to argue that the camera could be an instrument of fine art--an idea we rather take for granted these days.
[Iraak] The connection to cubism is Steiglitz'a gallery 291, where many avant garde European artists, including the cubists, first exhibited in the U.S.
*Hands CdM the baton, again.*
This one is ANIMAL and VEGETABLE with a minor MINERAL component.
Is it a food item with salt being the minor mineral component?
Salted food item? Yes. *audience applauds the bright start*
Begins with P?
*sigh*
[Tuj] Are you feeling typecast?
Begins with P? Yes.
Is it festive?
I've only got myself to blame!
Ham and bean soup?
Ooops. guess that doesn't begin with P. how about pea soup with ham? :-)
Pork pie?
Festive? No.
Pam and bean soup? No.
Pork pie? No.
Is the animal portion meat (rather than dairy)?
A "snack" food or something more substantial?
Meaty? Yes.
Snacky? More substantial than a snack food. *a little murmured discussion in the audience*
Would this be a food which most people are likely to have purchased in a 'take-away' form rather than in a restaurant (e.g. a kebab)?
Take-away vs Restaurant? No simple answer to that. It could be purchased for consumption on the premises; it could be purchased in a take-away form for eating elsewhere; it could be purchased for consumption at home. All three are perfectly normal for this particular foodstuff.
A sandwich of some kind?
Sandwich? No, but *considerable applause* nonetheless.
Some form of dough stuffed with meat?
Does the 'meaty' bit come from a fowl?
Meatfilled dough? No. *smattering of applause from the more generous audience members*
Fowl? Not usually, but it can.
Something with dumplings in it?
Pizza?
Pepperoni Pizza?
Pepperoni, pork and papaya pizza, with a side order of peanuts?
Dumplinged? No.
Pizza (with pepperoni, pork, papaya, peanuts, pumpkin, and peas)? No.
(On reflection, the audience should not have applauded cfm's last question; the applause for his/her sandwich question was sufficient.)
Pasty (or pastie)?
Pasty? No.
Edible pastie? Definitely no. This is a family game.
Are the words on the card English?
e.g. Pasty rather than pasta.
Pilaf?
Pastrami?
Porchetta panini?
Ding! Ding! Ding!
English? Yes-ish. Fortunately I don't have to think too hard about this one because...
Pilaf? No, but...
Pastrami? Yes! [From Wikipedia] It is cured in brine, coated with a mix of spices such as garlic, coriander, black pepper, paprika, cloves, allspice, and mustard seed, and then smoked. Finally, the meat is steamed..." and "...although beef navels are the traditional cut of meat for making pastrami, it is now common to see pastrami made from beef brisket, beef round and turkey."
*hands GL one thinly sliced baton on rye*
Oh, darn um... OK MINERAL with ABSTRACT connections
Is it festive?
Is the mineral metal?
That's annoying - I'd thought of pastrami, but rejected it because I thought it had to be beef. YLSNED.
The star that the Three Wise Men followed?
[Tuj] festive? No.
[ImNotJohn] metal? Yes.
[Raak] the comet? No.
A musical instrument?
Unique?
[INJ] I like how that looks like a past participle.
[Raak] musical instrument? No
[Tuj] unique? Yes
Fictional?
The Angel of the North?
[cfm] fictional? It depends who you ask, I would say on balance - No.
[INJ] the angel? No.
A work of art?
Is the abstract connected with literature?
[Raak] work of art? *Some tittering from the audience* No.
[INJ] abstract connected with literature? No.
Bigger than a two-up-two-down?
Is the sometimes-considered-fictional element of the thing its abstract connection??
To do with the Yuletide season?
[Raak] bigger than a house? Yes, more so if you include the concrete part I'd forgotten about.
[cfm] sometimes-considered-fictional element; the abstract connection? The abstract connection is not universally considered factual... But is abstract either way
[irach] to do with yuletide? Still not Festive
Is it a monument?
[Raak] monument? No
Is the abstract-connection-not-universally-considered-factual religious in nature?
[cfm] is the abstract religious? No.
Is it in Europe?
[Tuj] in Europe? Yes
In the UK?
[Tuj] UK? If the abstract is fictional it's in the UK.
Is it more than 100 years old?
[Raak] created before 1st Jan 1912? No.
Is its whereabouts known and constant?
Hmm!
[Tuj] fixed location? Yes
Is it a building?
Sealand?
Is the abstract component related to government/politics?
[Raak] building? Yes
[cfm] government related or political? Yes
[Tuj] Principality of Sealand? YES. Have a semi-autonomous baton.
Well, shiver me timbers!
So! Let's have a nice bit of

ABSTRACT

Related to the current season?
Funny how that's become a default question this month
Raak] Festive? NO
A title? (Such as of a book, song, movie?)
irach] A title? Do you know what, the word(s) on the card do form the title of one of those things, so YES, though as far as my setting is concerned that's coincidental.
Seeing as you cannot pose the quetion, Tuj, does the answer begin with a 'P'?
Sorry. My ring finger had a brief holiday. 'question' not 'quetion'.
An emotion?
An imaginary character?
A well known phrase or saying?
Dujon] I could hardly resist ;) YES!
Rosie] An emotion? NO
Raak] Imaginary character? *audience gives a brief burst of laughter, applause* NO. There are elements of truth in what you ask, like with irach's happy happenstance, but it's certainly not imaginary.
GL] Phrase or saying? NO
Is it the name of a role?
An activity?
Raak] Name of a role? NO
Rosie] Activity? NO
Does this have anything to do with Ovid and sculpture?
Is the coincidental link a title of a movie?
MC to all MCers
Dujon] Ovid and sculpture? Not that I know of
irach] A film title? YES
A human construct?
CdM] Human construct? NO
A film made in the last twenty years?
Will be asking the Internet all about this film
Rosie] Was the film the answer on the card coincidentally shares its name with made after 1992? YES
Is the answer to do with the 'arts'?
Could animals be aware of this abstract quality?
Penelope?
Did the film the answer on the card coincidentally shares its name with star that guy, name's on the tip of my tongue, you know, was in the movie with whatshername, you know, who got the oscar nomination for that movie about the guy and the other guy, played by that really tall bloke, and the girl who had the problem with whaddyacallit?
Good questions all!
Dujon] Arts? NO
Rosie] Animal awareness? NO, I doubt it. Though I could imagine some bored scientist making a case about bees or something, like they do.
Chalky] pen? NO =)
CdM] ...? This was particularly hard to research, but I'm pretty sure the answer is NO
Related to biology?
Can it be measured?
cfm] Biological? NO
Rosie] Measured? YES (though that may not quite be the right word) *some appreciative audience noise*
Something to do with the weather?
We're stalling. Time for a summary?
Rosie] Your favourite subject? NO
To do with magic?
A purely physical effect?
Favourite subject? Well one of them. :-)
Keep fishing
irach] Magical? NO
Physical? NO
Do do with something monetary?
Related to mathematics?
irach] Monetary? NO
jim] Mathematical? YES! *standing ovation*
Pi?
Eureka!
INJ] Pi? YES *audience fire party poppers*

Here, have this cylindrical baton, and I won't even ask you to calculate its volume.
Lurker? Me?
OK, this one is MINERAL
Metal?
Manufactured?
Unique?
[Raak] Metallic? - NO
[GL] Manufactured? YES (in the broadest sense)
[Tuj] Unique? - YES is probably the most helpful answer *some muttering in the audience*
Assuming a unique instance
Was it made in the last 20 years?
Concrete (in the concrete sense)?
[Merlyn] Naughty nineties? - NO
[Raak] Concretion? - NO
A reservoir?
Could it be seen from space?
[Rosie] The big reservoy? - NO
[Tuj] Spatial visibility? - Well, space is a big place - did you have any particular bit of it in mind? How big a pair of binoculars have you got with you?
Anyway, the sensible and useful answer is NO
Is the mineral water?
Is the mineral water what?
[Rosie] Perrier? - NO
Is the 'manufacture' of this mineral natural, in the sense, say, of granite or pumice?
[Dujon] Naturally manufactured? - I think I see what you mean and the answer is NO. I probably should have said 'In a broad sense' for manufactured, just as a clue that you shouldn't interpret it too narrowly. This is the product of a human process.
Is the mineral a by-product of another process?
Is it in a specific fixed location?
[Dujon] Mineral a by-product? - NO
[CdM] In one place? - YES *a few appreciative murmurs in the audience*
Located in Europe?
[cfm] European? - NO
On Earth?
Has this thing necessitated the shifting of large quantities of rock, soil etc?
Begins with P?
[Chalky] Terrestrial? - YES
[Rosie] Moving rock/soil - YES *some applause*
[Tuj] THE QUESTION? - NO
Fracking?
[Raak] Fracking? - Frack NO!
If it's not fricking fracking - is it in aNY WAYconnected to fuel extraction
Cold
[Chalky] Drilling/mining/etc? - NO
Is it linked to death?
[GL] Morbid? - To some extent but not exclusively or even chiefly *whispered discussions in the audience*
Connected with transport?
[Rosie] Transport-related? - NO
Is this an individual object?
[Raak] Individual object? - NO (this explains the hesitation over Unique). Strictly speaking it's a group, but the words on the card card refer to the whole group.
Current hours of business
I will respond as quickly as I can between 8am & 6pm UK time, but I'm not carrying my laptop the 2 mile walk to my hotel.
Is this collection to be found in China?
The Pyramids?
[Dujon] Sinitic? - NO (but it so easily could have been since I was in Xi'an in October)
[Rosie] Pyramids? - NO, but *some applause*
Does it end with P?
[CdM] Pending? - NO
Stonehenge?
[Raak] Stonehenge? - NO (it was still in Europe last time I looked)
Does it contain a P?
[GL] Pinternal? - NO
Should the fact that you were in Xi'an in October (or at all) influence our search?
[Rosie] China etc? No, not in any obvious way and if at all, then probably only after the fact. Certainly thinking along lines suggested by China and terracotta armies isn't likely to help. My comment was only because I thought that was what Dujon was thinking of.
The statues of Easter Island?
In the Americas?
[Raak] That looks a good guess.
You were correct in your thoughts, ImNotJohn.
*Awaits response to Raak's query before losing any more podumes*
In the Middle East?
[Raak] Moai? - NO
[Tuj] American? - NO
[Dujon] There you are, you could have had a go
[irach] Mediaorientalist? - NO (but tying this down geographically is a good approach)
Australasian?
Manufactured/constructed/whatever within the last 100 years?
[Tuj] Built upside-down? - NO
[CdM] - Less than 100 years old? - NO
In Africa?
A bit warmer
[Chalky] Africa? - YES *applause*
Taller than a double-decker bus?
Resisting guessing "the twin peaks of Mt. Kilimanjaro"
[Tuj] The routemaster measurement? - In one sense, YES, in another, NO *audience nods knowingly*
Is it in a single country?
[Tuj] In 1 country? - YES
BTW - with an arm up my back I'd plump for 'taller than a bus' but you'll understand why I answered as I did when you get the answer, or very shortly before.
Do people live in it?
The Kimberley Mine (aka The Big Hole)?
(Although I now see you answered the earlier fuel-extraction question with a general negative comment about mining, so I suspect my guess is not right.)
[Tuj] Inhabited? - NO
[CdM] Big 'ole? - NO
*audience applauds both questions*
Re mining/drilling - if it had been a diamond mine, even if open-cast, I wouldn't have replied as I did, but you have got the right idea as to the bus answer, so don't read too much into it - and don't forget Rosie's early question.
Is this conglomeration situated in Ethiopia?
Celle-ci n'est pas une question
So, if I am inferring correctly from the answers, we are looking for something underground or below ground level, but not linked to mining, not inhabited, created by humans more than a century ago and not containing water. Man-made caves? Tunnels? Tombs?
[Dujon] Abyssinian? - YES! *loud and prolonged applause*
Why didn't you just have a guess at it?
[CdM] Fairly accurate, but Dujon has leap-frogged you.
The Sof Omar Caves?
[Raak] Sof Omar caves? - NO, but they look fascinating - however they're too natural.
Royal Tombs of Aksum?
Isn't that in Earthsea?
[CdM] Axum tombs - NO (my reading is that they are megalithic, which I would take as being above ground)
Come on, someone must get it soon!
The pyramids of Meroe?
I didn't think there were so many possibilities
[Raak] Pyramids of Meroe? - NO
Basically below ground level, remember
Lalibela churches?
That has to be it! :-)
At Last!
YES
It is the rock-cut (or monolithic) churches of Lalibela, where I hope to be in about a week's time.
Here's a mountain and a chisel - carve your own baton.
(INJ) Could you and CdM conduct your nerdy little game in private and give the rest of us a chance? It seems pointless and time-wasting to ask questions when one has no chance whatever of guessing the answer, and this is not for the first time, either.
[INJ] Exceedingly cool.
[Rosie] Really? I had no idea you felt that way. In future you should make sure we all know if you are unhappy about how the game is played.
MINERAL
In Ethiopia? Unique?
Man made?
Unique? Yes.
Man-made? No.
(CdM) Fuck off, Cunt de Melbourne. What a pair of irritating nerdish selfish twats you and your brother are.
Terrestial?
[Rosie] Behave! :)
[Tuj] Behave! ;)
[INJ] Because I have no desire to 'win'. ;)
Terrestrial? No.
[Rosie] Your recurring temper tantrums really are getting a little tiresome. Perhaps it's time for you to take your ball and go home again for a couple of weeks. I don't think you've done that yet this month.
Oops
Sorry. YES to Terrestrial
Is the mineral water?
Water? No.
A geological feature?
Geological feature? Yes.
A mountain?
Well, whilst I feel a little guilty in banging in consecutive questions no one else has bothered for a day or so.
A mountain? Yes. *applause* [Dujon] Better be careful. You might end up winning. :-)
In Africa?
Yes it does! Er. Oops. I mean
Under African skies? No.
Surely it's more obscure than...Kilimanjaro?
Begins with P?
In Europe?
Ooops :-)
Under African skies? Still no.
Begins with P? Yes. (That was what I meant with my last answer.)
In Europe? No.
Pinatubo?
Does this edifice have an attraction for motor sport?
Pinatubo? No.
Motor sport? No.
Popocatepetl?
Popocatepetl? No. (I can't help feeling that there are a lot of non-European, non-African mountains beginning with P.)
In the Americas?
[CdM] Ahh, I wondered what that answer meant!
Puncak Jaya?
Pike's Peak?
In the Americas? Yes
More random mountains beginning with P? No.
In the US?
In the US? Yes.
This mountain does have a claim to fame, by the way, so it is certainly possible to approach the questioning by routes other than the purely geographic.
Mount Palomar, with its additional claim to fame in astronomy circles?
Famous for a specific event?
Palomar Mountain? Yes! *hands irach hollowed baton with lenses in each end*
Dizzied with my success I see stars....!!!! The next one is ABSTRACT WITH A STRONG ANIMAL CONNECTION
Is the animal connection human?
Is it a single-word answer?
[CdM] The animal connection is not human.
[Tuj] The answer is multiple-worded.
A symbolic animal?
Begins with P?
a well-known phrase or metaphor?
A phrase containing the name of an animal (e.g. lion's share, dog's breakfast etc)?
Is it a fictional part of a real animal? (eg hen's teeth, horse feathers etc)
[Raak] The animal in qustion is not exactly symbolic or iconic, except in one limited way.
[Tuj] Does not begin with "P".
[cfm] YES, a well-known phrase.
[jim] Yes, the phrase contains the name of the animal.
[GLogin] No, not a fictional part of a real animal.
Is the answer a title (e.g., of a book, play, film, TV show, work of art by Tracey Emin...)?
Is the animal a mammal?
Is it the Bee's Knees? (with or without an arrow through them)
[CdM] Not the title of anything, as far as I am aware.
[cfm] The animal in question is not a mammal.
[GLogin] Not the bee's (or any other arthropod's) knees.
Is the animal a reptile?
Is the animal a fish?
Is the fish a reptile?
Does it fly?
Is it a metaphor?
[cfm] Yes, the animal is a reptile.
[Tuj] A reptile, therefore not a fish.
[CdM] ibid.The fish is no reptile.
[Raak] Does not fly.
[Chalky] Not a metaphor.
Leaping lizards?
Is the animal a kind of snake?
[cfm] Not leaping lizards.
[CdM] Not a snake (in the grass or otherwise).
(I had stated that this phrase was not the title of anything, as far as i was aware. Googling it now shows that it also happens to be the title of an obscure something, but the words on the card are much more well known to the public when used as the phrase itself).
Crocodile tears?
[Software] Not crocodile tears; yet the audience is now all agog.
See you later, alligator?
YES, it is the phrase "See you later, alligator". In lieu of a conventional baton, a long stick, to keep the 'gator at bay while saying fond goodbyes to it, is duly handed over to cfm.
Er...thank you. What? Hey! Oh dear...down boy!
This one is VEGETABLE AND MINERAL WITH A STRONG ABSTRACT CONNECTION.
Salt and pepper?
Chalk and cheese?
Vegan cheese, obviously.
Edible?
[irach] Bill Haley and 'See You Later, Alligator' is obscure? Shame on you, sir, shame. ;)
Darn it, I forgot, cfm. Short term memory?
[irach] Well seasoned: NO
[raak] Cuisine du pica: NO
[CdM] Cuisine at all: NO
[Dujon] Was there a question in there somewhere? :-)
Begins with P?
Is the vegetable wood?
Is the mineral metal?
Unique?
[Tuj] NO, not this time.
[G] YES, there is wood involved.
[CdM] NO, not unique.
And my apologies, players: as I reviewed the composition of the word on the card in my mind's eye, I realized there is sometimes a minor ANIMAL component as well.
[Jim] YES, there is metal involved.
Is the wood component processed?
Is the Animal component more minor than the Vegetable and Mineral-iness, which in themselves aren't as major as the obviously strong Abstractiness of this thingy?
Alternatively - is this game quite difficult to play 'from the chair'?
Just say yes.
[Chalky} LOL! er....YES!
[CdM] YES. The wood is subject to human/mechanical intervention.
Is the wood in the form of paper?
[CdM] NO. There is no paper involved.
*back to basics* Is this the name of a place?
[Chalky] NO. Not a place.
Are there other significant vegetable and mineral components other than wood and metal?
Is this a well-known phrase or saying?
Is the animal component leather?
[CdM] Complicated question. How do you define signifcant? Here is what I think will be a helpful answer. Plastic/resin elements may be involved. Plastics/resins may have both vegetable and mineral components.
[Chalky] NO. Not a well-known phrase or saying.
[irach] NO. The animal component is not leather.
Would the wooden element likely be found indoors?
[irach] You might encounter the word on the card indoors or outdoors. The wooden element is integrated with the other elements.
Do you think a typical morniverser would own one of these?
[CdM] MAYBE Not knowing any morniversers, I can not say what is typical.
Fine, whatever... :-) Do YOU own one?
[CdM] That's a pretty personal question. Can someone consult the rules? Is that allowed?
[CdM] Well, alright. Since no one appears to be troubled by the nature of your inquiry... :-)
YES. I own one.
Is the wooden element a piece of furniture?
[irach] NO. Not a piece of furniture.
Are you male or female?
If it's not a personal question: Are you a virgin?
OK - I'll re-phrase that. Given your reply to CdM - is this more likely to be owned by a male?
... and there's no need to be rude. Trolling isn't tolerated here.
Is it portable?
[Chalky] I believe "Fakename"'s question is inadmissible anyway, since it doesn't refer to the item we're trying to guess.
[Chalky] YES, is my best guess, men own more of these. But I have no statistics and Google isn't helping.
The personal question comment was a joke, you know. :-)
[jim] YES. It is portable.
[Fakename] Fake off.
Is it functional?
(and that's not a personal question)
[CdM] YES, it is functional as opposed to decorative.
An object often carried in a wallet or purse?
Bigger than a toaster?
[Tuj] Between bills and baby pictures? NO.
[CdM] YES. Even a DeLonghi 6-slice.
Is it powered?
A microwave ready meal?
[CdM] YES. Some of these are powered. But some are not.
[Software] NO. See above, it is bigger than a 6-slice toaster.
Is it connected with agriculture or gardening?
Is it propelled on the ground?
A barbeque?
[jim] Seedy reputation? NO. No agricultural connection.
[irach] Moving right along...? NO. Neither the ground nor propulsion are relevant.
[Software] Toss it on the grill... NO. Fire hazard indoors, too. :-)
Would it typically be described as a tool?
[CdM] NO. It would not be described as a tool.
Is it used for recreational purposes?
Is it stationary whilst in use?
[irach] YES. Sometimes. But not in the sports sense of word recreational and it may also be used, in a professional context.
[Gusset Login] YES. Sometimes. But it's never completely immobile.
Does it contain electronic components?
[CdM] NO. Not necessarily. But electronic components may be added to increase its functionality.
A rabbit hutch with optional built-in clock radio and microwave?
[CdM] NO. I think that would constitute a major animal component.
[cfm] I didn't say anything about it containing a rabbit.
Is the wooden bit a handle?
[irach] NO. The object has no handle.
Any musical connection?
[INJ] YES. There is a musical connection.
Is the musical connection a guitar?
Is it a musical instrument?
[INJ] The audience probably should have made a bigger fuss over your last question...but they were really sleepy that night. :-)
[irach] YES. Bingo. *hands irach a rosewood baton with mother-of-pearl inlay*
(Strumming the newly acquired baton while contemplating the next puzzle should be, still wondering what the 'abstract" element in a guitar is)...ah, here goes, the next one is ABSTRACT
A human construct?
[irach] Not presuming to speak for cfm, but s/he specified an abstract connection, which I take to be music/songs.
[irach] What he said. [CdM] What you said.
[cfm] Yes, a human construct.
Connected to geography?
Connected to the arts?
Bigger than a virtual toaster?
Anarcho-syndicalism?
Mark my words, one day it's going to be right.
[Tuj] Tangentially, yes, related to a "geographical" location.
[Raak] Not connected to the arts.
[Software] In the abstract world, if bigger is better, it is better known than any virtual toaster.
{INJ} Drat, not this time around.
Topical?
[irach] I like the toaster answer very much.
Related to a specific belief system?
An organisation?
[INJ] Not related to a belief system.
[Raak] Not an organisation.
Topical?
Does that include the flying toasters that were once ubiquitous on Windows PCs?
[GLogin] Not particularly topical. It would not come up in normal everyday conversations, except perhaps in very select limited circles.
[CdM] Perhaps not, in retrospect.
To do with science?
[Raak] No scientific connection, but perhaps a tangential link to scientific method.
A phrase or saying?
[Software] Not a phrase in the true sense of the word, or a saying.
A sensation?
Related to sport?
[cfm] Not a sensation.
[Tuj] Not sport-related.
A state of mind or emotion?
[cfm] Not a state of mind or emotion.
An activity?
[cfm] Not an activity, but rather a hub of "activity".
A location?
[cfm] Yes, a location.
A unique location or a common location?
Related to economic activity?
[cfm] A unique location.
[CdM] Not related to econmoic activity.
A location in Europe?
[cfm] A location in Europe - "Yes", and no.
Does this location move?
[Raak] The location does not move, it is fixed, but remember, it is in essence ABSTRACT.
Is it defined by its position in relation to other things?
Such as 'the pole of inaccessibility' or 'the centre of the UK'
[ImNotJohn] It is a much more specifically pinpoint-able locale than a place defined by its relationships to other things; yet it is abstract in that it is in fact not a "real" locale. Therefore my earlier answer "Yes" and no about it being located in Europe.
Does it appear in a work of fiction?
Like the Reichenbach Falls
[ImNotJohn] Yes, it does appear in a work of fiction. It is not Reichenbach Falls, but quite a few in the audience clap and nod appreciatively at its mention.
221b Baker Street?
YES, 221b Baker Street it is. See, 'twas elementary, my dear Watsons. It's through sleuthing with proper questioning, not by sheer luck one homes in to the right answer. A calabash pipe, in place of a baton, is handed over to Raak.
The next is VEGETABLE, ANIMAL, and MINERAL.
Does it begin with a P?
Does not begin with a P.
- oh
Is it unique?
Is it edible?
Is it a domestic article?
Is it Groucho Marx (the animal) smoking a cigar (vegetable) an dropping the ashes (mineral)?
[Tuj] Not unique.
[CdM] Inedible.
[INJ] Not really a domestic article.
[irach] Grouchy marks? No.
Is the vegetable paper?
Is the vegetable component wood?
[GL] Not paper.
[irach] The vegetable is wood.
Is the animal component leather?
Bigger than a toaster?
[cfm] Yes, leather.
[Tuj] Bigger than a toaster.
A lacrosse stick?
[cfm] Jolly lacrosse sticks? No.
Is the mineral metal?
[irach] Yes, metal.
What can you make with wood, leather, and metal? Actually, technically I think the animal part is not "leather", but it is skin processed in some way.
An old steamer sea trunk?
"skin processed in some way"? Whoa. Weirdness.
Just sayin....
Related to interment, memorialization?
[irach] Not a trunk.
[cfm] Not six feet under.
Bigger than a phone box?
[CdM] Not bigger than a phone box.
Would one normally find it indoors?
Is it musical?
[jim] Can be indoors or outdoors.
[Tuj] *applause* It is musical.
A concertina?
Oh, hang on, you said it was musical.
[INJ] It is both musical, and not a concertina.
A drum?
A tambourine?
[Tuj] *more applause* It is a drum.
[INJ] But not a tambourine.
Bongo drums?
[irach] Not bongos.
Associated with a particular people or location?
[INJ] Yes, associated with etc.
Bongo druums?
A djembe?
[cfm] Not a djembe.
A Taiko drum?
Is this a drum which is struck with an implement - as opposed to the hand?
A tabla?
[Dujon] Yes, [irach] No, [CdM] su-ku-DON!! YES, a taiko. Have this pair of bachi.
Baci? Yum! *unwraps and eats*
That was not a lucky guess; I just have a long memory :-)
All right, this next one is probably best thought of as ABSTRACT with ANIMAL and VEGETABLE connections, although you might be able to make a case for ANIMAL with ABSTRACT and VEGETABLE connections
Begins with P?
Is it Malcolm's army approaching Dunsinane under cover of foliage cut from Birnam wood?
P-begun? Yes.
Branches of the military? No.
Phrase or saying?
A work of art?
A title of a movie or work of fiction?
A particular recipe?
Phrase or saying? No, or at least only if you adopt a very broad definition of that term.
A work of art? I realise now that I should really say that, as well as being abstract, this has abstract connections. The answer, as I am interpreting it, is not a work of art. The abstract connections include a work of art, although that is unlikely to be helpful.
Title of a movie/work of fiction? Both, as it happens, although that is also unlikely to be helpful. *some applause, but for the question rather than for the answer*
Recipe? No.
Was this invented by a specific person?
A branch of study or learning?
Invented by a specific person? No.
Branch of study? No.
Mythical / legendary?
Mythical/legendary? No.
Appears in a work of fiction?
Is the animal in question human?
Appears in a work of fiction? Undoubtedly in many. The principal abstract connection is also certainly referred to in works of fiction, though I know no specific examples.
Animal in question human? Yes.

As so often seems to happen, I'm finding it hard to give answers that don't mislead, so let me attempt to clarify. The words on the card have a fairly generic sense, and I am taking that as the main definition. However, the words on the card are more notable in reference to a particular abstract connection. Googling reveals that the words on the card have been used as a title for a book, a movie, and a painting, but none of these is the significant abstract connection.
A werewolf?
Werewolf? No.
Does the word "man" appear on the card?
Word "man"on the card? No. *tiny smattering of applause*
Do the words on the card describe a human condition?
Human condition? Not a human condition, but in their generic non-abstract sense, they do describe (an exemplar of) a class of humans.
Is the class of humans distiguished by some physical characteristic?
Physical characteristic? No.
Would this be more applicable to the female of the species?
Reference to angels?
Do the words on the card convey the vegetable element?
More applicable to women? I don't know any statistics but there is no obvious reason to think so.
Angelic? No.
Vegetable element on the card? Yes.
Does the vegetable element begin with P?
A Paper Tiger?
Does vegetable begin with P? Yes.
Paper Tiger? No. *some applause*
Is it only a paper moon?
Is the vegetable element paper?
Is the vegetable element papyrus?
Paper Chase?
Paper Moon? No.
Vegetable = paper? Yes
Papyrus? No.
Paper Chase? No.
Two clues, because I am feeling generous. First, the words on the card describe something less abstract than your guesses. Remember I said that this could also be described as Animal with Abstract/Vegetable connections. Second, the string of letters "paper" does appear on the card, but strictly speaking the word "paper" does not.
pDoes a word beginning with "paper" appear on the card?
pWord beginning with Paper? pYes.
Paperback Writer?
Dear INJ, that baton you took
It took me years to make, won't you take a look
Looks at baton, sees 'Lear' crossed out and 'CdM' written in its place
OK, we'll go for Mineral
Is there only one?
[Phil] Unique? - YES
A monument?
[Software] Monumental? - NO
Does it belong to one person?
[Tuj] Mine, all mine!? - NO
Earthly, terrestrial, or otherwise on this planet?
[irach] Third rockish? - YES
Is there metal involved?
A human artifact?
[cfm] Metal involved - NO, well, only sort of... *audience chuckles*
[Raak] Man-made? - NO
A disputed territory?
[Dujon] Disputed territory? - NO
Uluru?
[GL] Uluru? - NO
Watery?
Is it of substantial scientific interest?
Moving on a bit now
[CdM] Watery? YES - *applause*
[Raak] Scientifically interesting? - NO (IMO)
A lake?
[jim] mere, pond, tarn, inland sea? - NO
A geographical entity?
Begins with P?
[Phil] Geographical entity? - NO (by any reasonable sense of that term)
[Tuj] P......? *audience sits up as one* - NO *audience collapses, deflated*
Is it underground?
[Raak] Underground? - NO
As is traditional at about this point can I suggest you examine your assumptions.
Is the water actually what it is made of?
As opposed to "watery" just being taken to mean wet.
[jim] Made of water? - YES
Is it potable?
A glacier?
Is it located in a specific continent?
A Snowflake?
[Chalky] Drinkable? - NO
[Software] Glacier? - NO but *considerable audience applause*
[Tuj] - In a specific continent? - NO
[GL] Snowflake? - Nice idea, but NO
The Arctic ice cap?
The ice hotel?
The iceberg struck by the Titanic?
Any old iceberg?
An avalanche?
That's the way to do it!
Well - without beating about the bush - CdM is right.
It's the iceberg struck by the Titanic.
The point that people were missing and that I hoped to catch you on was that it no longer exists.
Take this baton before it melts.
MINERAL AND VEGETABLE (and also, by my best guess, ANIMAL, as well as having ANIMAL connections)
A manufactured thing?
Manufactured? Yes.
Begins with P?
Larger than the toaster size standard ?
Begins with P? Need you ask? Yes.
Bigger than a toaster? Yes.
Unique?
Partly made of wood?
Unique? No.
Partly wooden? Yes.
Is the mineral metal?
Is it a weapon?
Is it a vehicle?
Is it a tool?
Is it musical?
Metal? In part, yes
A weapon? No.
A vehicle? Yes *applause*
A tool? No.
Musical? No.
Is this 'vehicle' something that travels on water?
Aquatic? No.
Does it fly?
Is it more than 50 years old?
Aeronautic? No. (A few audience members, who chuckled quietly at the notion of this being aquatic, find this question even more amusing.)
More than 50 years old? Yes (although there are modern versions).
Is is restricted to a track?
A rickshaw?
Does it run on animal power?
A Phaeton?
On rails? No.
Rickshaw? No.
Animal powered? Yes (though not the more modern versions)
Phaeton? No. *smattering of applause* (but only a smattering; don't get too carried away)
Plough?
Plough? No.
Is the answer a form of public transport?
On the buses? No.
Is it a vehicle primarily for carrying goods?
Primarily for goods? Yes. *applause*
Ox-cart type of thingy?
Pantechnicon?
A milk float?
A Pantechnicon (or more precisely, a Pantechnicon van, which is what the original horse-drawn vehicles of the Pantechnicon company were called) is the correct answer. Would you like us to store this baton for you, or should we deliver it?
When do you want me to email you the answer?
Well, this is getting a bit embarrassing. But, since I had already thought of pantechnicon when I asked my penultimate question, I don't feel sufficiently awkward about setting another one.
So, the next one is MINERAL, with some Abstract connections
Unique?
Metal?
Whitney Houston's coffin?
Begins with P?
[Raak] Only one? - NO
[Phil] Metallic? - YES
[Dujon] The last resting place...? - NO (one of these days the pin in the encyclopedia method is going to work, but not today)
[Tuj] Pfirst? - Why, YES
A phone box?
[jim] The oeuvre of G G Scott? - NO
A ubiquitous object?
Bigger than a phone box?
Which was what I was going to ask first, but I thought I'd cut to the chase :)
[cfm] Can't get away from it? - NO
[jim] - Dimensionally excessive K2-wise? - NO
A toaster?
[Software] The other toaster question - NO
Naturally occurring?
A tool of some kind?
[Raak] Naturally Occurring? - NO
[jim] A tool? - NO
A decorative object?
[cfm] Ooh, innit pretty? - NO (though it/they may be found attractive by some)
Associated with a particular country?
Mass-produced?
Does it have moving parts?
[Tuj] One country? - YES
[CdM] Mass-produced? - YES
[Raak] moving bits? - NO
Is it a model of something?
[Raak] A model? - NO
A bell?
[Raak] Belly? - NO
As a help, I can expand on my particular country answer to Tuj. They are/were associated with and produced in one country, but have/had a wider presence.
Still mass-produced?
[Phil] Still in production? - NO (Thank you - that'll make it easier for me to write comments and clues)
Does the answer contain a brand or company name?
[jim] Branded? - NO (Well, actually, I wouldn't be at all surprised to discover that it has been used as a brand name at some point somewhere, but that won't help you)
Smaller than a toaster?
[Phil] The first toaster question? - YES, smaller
In looking up the answer to jim's question I discovered this had been used as the name of an album, a book and a shop amongst other things but I can't see that helping much.
Associated with a European country?
[jim] Associated with European country? - YES * a few murmurs, but no dissent, among the audience*
Entirely metal?
[Phil] All metal? - YES *the audience are beginning to show some interest*
Is the abstract connection closely related to the country of origin?
Turkish?
Russian?
[Raak] We're thinking along the same lines, I think.
[cfm] Abstract connection related to country of origin? - Not especially, though there is some link
[Raak] Turkish? NO (I don't count that as European, despite Istanbul)
[jim] Russian? - NO (I see how your minds are working, but that's not the reason for the (very minor) audience reaction - The country of origin is fully and completely European)
A coin?
A peseta?
Here we go
[Raak] A coin? - YES *applause and even a couple of 'Huzzah's from the audience*
[Phil] Peseta? - NO *some more applause*
An Irish pound?
A currency in common usage today?
Can't take much longer
[jim] Taking a punt at a punt? - NO
[GL] In common use? - NO
Rendered obsolete by the Euro?
The pfennig?
Arrgh, I think I know the answer, but I can't bring myself to double-guess :(
[jim] The Belgian Drachma? - NO
[Phil] I bet you're right, so it's not the pfennig. I admire your restraint.
Ahem, the peso?
Well, that's a let-down
[Phil] Peso? - NO, that word is not on the card, but.....
LMAO - back to the drawing board!
A piece of eight?
Which amounts to almost the same thing ...
Oh sugar, beaten to it. Just what I was about to type
We have a winner!
[Phil]Well, it's always easier when you know the answer, but I think we're now at the cryptic crossword clue stage so that when you think of the answer, you know it's right.(simulposted)
[jim] You have just proved me right - The words on the card are Pieces of Eight (aka Peso de Ocho, aka Spanish Dollar)
Polly, take this baton over to Jim lad.
I'm actually kind of tempted to concede the win to Phil, since "peso" is so nearly there and we practically simul'd it. If you've got a clue lined up, Phil, you can take it if you want, otherwise I've got one I can do.
No, I haven't got one ready, so do go ahead, jim.
"Apres vous!" "Non, apres vous!"
OK, I am thinking of a ABSTRACT, with ANIMAL and MINERAL connections.
A kobold?
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