Mineral

[CdM] Human volition? YES
[Spangle] Medical? NO
[Raak] Something folks do? YES

Do non-humans also do this?

Could it be discussed on Sesame Street?

Without unprecedented numbers of complaints, obviously.

Might one reasonably do this in the middle of Trafalgar Square?

Cleaning?

[CdM] Non-human activity? NO
[GL] Sesame Street? UNLIKELY (altho complaints would be highly unlikely if it were)
[Raak] Do-able under Nelson's gaze? YES, but in practice unlikely.
[FGZstar] Cleaning? NO

Does it involve talking?

[Raak] Discursible? NOT OF NECESSITY.

(But in practice, highly likely)

Does it involve more than one person?

Is it culture-specific?

Googling?

[FGZstar] More than one person? YES, almost inevitably
[CdM] Culture-specific? NO
[Spangle] Googling? NO

Science-related?

Does this involve the lack of one of the accepted five senses?

[CdM] Sciencey? NO
[Dujon] Sensory deprivation? NO

Is it possible to do this alone?

A sing-along?

[FGZstar] I doubt this is a helpful answer, but YES, strictly this is possible.
[Software] Singalonga? NO

a game?

[Spangle] A game? NO

Arty?

Is this one of the seven deadly sins?

Is this all of the seven deadly sins?

Is this original sin?

Is this seven original sins?

[CdM] Arty? *hollow laughter from audience* NO
[CdM et al] Sin City? NO, none of the above.

So, so far we have that it's a common human activity that is not particularly taboo. More than one person typically does it. For free I will volunteer that there are two words on the card.

Is this - ahem - enjoyable?

Group hug?

[Spangle] Pleasurable? I would say NO for those directly involved.
[Software] Group hug? *much audience laughter* NO.

Slagging off?

Does it involve physical contact?

[Software] Slagging off? NO
[Spangle] Physical Contact? NO

Public Execution?

Does it entail embarrassment or humiliation?

Does it involve barking up the wrong tree?

[FGZstar] Tyburn Jig etc.? NO
[CdM] Humiliation? NOT OF NECESSITY, tho it might.
[Spangle] Barking up the wrong tree? NO

Does this activity typically have a (non-participating) audience?

[CdM] Has an audience? NO, if you mean it's done in one go with the audience in the same room, or if it's broadcast in one go to people who give this their attention for a specific fixed amount of time. In a much broader sense it can have a non-participating audience, tho this is not necessarily entailed in the concept.

Is the descritpion on the card one of a ploy which many television productions use?

Do all, or almost all, humans do this?

Getting divorced?

[Dujon] ploy by TV producers? ARGUABLY, altho I doubt the word "ploy" would be the right one in that case, and it's certainly not something exclusive to TV producers.
[CdM] All/Vast majority of humans do it? I honestly don't know and am not sure how one would find this out. That's a surprisingly hard question. I suspect there are defensible YES and NO answers, and I would expect you to have a better idea than me.
[all] Sorry these answers are so messy. It's just that we don't quite seem to have hit on the perfect line of questioning so far!

[Spangle, simulposted] Nisi to not see you? NO

Does this interplay constitute some form of contract?

[Spangle] NO, not a contract.

Would this constitute news if a famous person was involved?

[FGZstar] News/famous? It MIGHT BE news if a famous person were involved, depending on the circs. Equally, it might be news if no famous person were involved.

Is it related to communication?

Keep on trying these "is it related to..." questions and you'll probably hit on it.

[INJ] Comms? NO, except in the very broad ways suggested above.

Does it involve conflict?

Hey, I'm just trying to catch up here.

[INJ] Involves conflict? IT CERTAINLY CAN DO, and often does, but not of necessity.

Student Protest?

Or any form of protest?

[FGZstar] Student Protest? NO *a sudden enthusiastic burst of applause from the audience*

Cutting spending?

Related to industrial disputes?

From 0-60 in 4 hours

[INJ] CAN BE related to industrial disputes.
[Spangle] Congratulations on that logical leap, since YES, the words on the card are "budget cutting"! For a while there I thought that I'd made a silly choice, but then in you stormed. I'm afraid that the resource situation means there isn't a baton to pass over, so have this bread roll instead.

(I'm still not sure what would have been an appropriate answer to CdM's "does almost everyone do this?" question. In terms of personal budgeting, I guess that most of us do do it, but it's hard to say whether the degree of formality/prior planning involved means that sort of thing counts more as belt-tightening rather than budget cutting. Still puzzled!)

This is unexpected. I am unable to visit here on a regular basis. Would somebody else like to step in? Please.

I nominate FGZstar or INJ, who did most of the heavy lifting there.

Oh, all right then

Well, since I was away for almost all of that, I think Projoy is overly kind, but in the interests of keeping the game going:
This is ABSTRACT or ANIMAL with VEGETABLE connections. It doesn't matter much how you parse that, it still works.

Anything to do with the human race?

Bugger it! Why must I always arrive late!

Is the tractor animal a mule?

[FGZstar] Oh, the humanity? - YES
[CdM] Ass

[CdM] Oh, I suppose you want a formal answer - Mule-related? - NO

Fictional?

[Projoy] Made-up? - NO

Pork barrel politics?

[irach] Normal politics? - NO (but I could make it 'Yes' for a small fee)

Is the vegetable connection wood?

[Projoy] Woody? - NO

Is the vegetable connection edible?

[CdM] edible vegetable? - YES

The carrot and stick approach?

Is the vegetable connection a vegetable?

[FGZstar] Carrot & Stick? Nice guess, but, NO
[Projoy] Really vegetably vegetable? - YES

Does it begin with pea?

[CdM] pea? - NO, but one of the words on the card begins with a 'p'

One specific type of vegetable?

Mr Potato Head?

[Projoy] Specific veg? - YES
[FGZstar] Mr Potato Head? - NO *some audience applause*

A root vegetable?

A cauliflower ear?

Mrs Potato Head?

[Projoy] Hmm - not sure what you're asking, so I'll answer both possibilities
Is the subject on the card 'A Root Vegetable'? - NO
Is the vegetable connection specifically to a root vegetable? - YES
[Raak] Cauli lug? - NO
[FGZstar] Distaff potato? - NO (there wasn't that much applause)

Knowing your onions?

A thingy-shaped turnip?

Or a turnip-shaped thingy?

Do the words Swedish and Potato appear on the card?

[Raak] Alliology? - NO
[Projoy] Mr Turnip......? - NO
[Dujon] Potatis? - NO and YES (*about the same amount of applause as FGZstar got*)

A chip on the shoulder?

Go back and check previous answers

[Software] messy eater? - NO

Something to do with potatoes?

[Projoy] Potatoist? - YES
(I thought it was clear enough, but my reply to Dujon meant that the word 'potato' does appear on the card - so that's the word that begins with 'p')

Is it related to a particular country?

A couch potato?

(I was just double-checking)

Well, that was relatively painless

We have a winner! The answer is A Couch Potato

[Projoy] I'm not going to get up and hand you the baton, you can come over here and get it.

VEGETABLE or MINERAL or ABSTRACT

A "thing-a-ma-bob", or a related "doo-hickey" or a " thing-a-ma-jig"?

Whatever you may call it...

[irach] None of those.

An award of some kind?

[INJ] Award? NO *applause* (there are cases, tho, where it might be thought of as an award).

Beginning with "pea"?

Booby Prize?

[Software] P or pea-headed? NO
[FGZstar] Blue-Footed Bird Recognition? NO

When it's vegetable, is it a specific vegetable?

When it's vegetable, is it a flower?

[Raak] Specific veg? NOT REALLY
[INJ] Florid? NO.

Does it have to do with things underground?

[Raak] ...but to bury him? NO, nor things Underground, for that matter.

A (or the) wooden spoon?

*Please ignore that attempt* You've answered it already.

Is the mineral precious?

[FGZstar] Precious? NO

Is it related to entertainment or the arts?

[INJ] Entertainment/Arts? NO

Oh, well, actually, there is an arts/ents link, but not intrinsic.

A saying?

Is the category mutually exclusive?

So when vegetable, is it then neither animal nor mineral, and when animal, is it neither vegetable nor mineral, and when mineral, is it neither animal nor vegetable?

Is the mineral metal?

On FGZstar's query - ignoring the 'animal' (since that's not in the definition) may I rephrase as 'When it is regarded as physical, is it exclusively either vegetable or mineral?'
[FGZstar] Does that capture the essence?

[FGZstar via INJ] I have just applied that question to about five cases of The Answer that I can think of, and the answer for all of them was YES, so, I guess, TYPICALLY YES, based on a random sample.

Is the word "heart" on the card?

points North

A vegetarian menu?

[Raak] Heart of...? NO
[INJ] Nanook etc.? NO
[Spangle] Vege Diet? NO (I think someone set that once before).

Is the mineral metal?

Since subtlety isn't working...

Did you answer my last question?

[Software] Not a saying.
[INJ] Metal? NO (and nothing to do with magnetism. I thought you meant as in "[location x, and] points north")

Bugger

Sorry, Metal? YES, often!

Is the vegetable wood?

An award?

[Raak] Wood? YES, usually.
[Raak] Award? I refer the hon. gent. to my second answer in this round, or, to put it another way, NO.

Functional?

[CdM] Functional? YES

A spoon?

As in Wooden Spoon, Metal Spoon and in Spooning?

A domestic implement?

[FGZstar] THERE IS NO SPOON.
[INJ] Domestic? NO, in most cases.

When physical, is its primary function to be a symbol?

[Raak] Symbolic? I would have to say YES and NO, but YES for the case I immediately thought of, and probably more YES than NO overall. Probably. I think.

Anything to do with music?

[Raak] Music? In one case, YES, in others NO.

Is the wood in the form of paper?

[CdM] Papery? NO.

Would citizens of the morniverse be likely to own one?

[CdM] Not more likely to own one than the population at large. Perhaps most helpful to say that most cases of this can be owned by an individual.

string?

[FGZstar] String? NO

Could it be used in the preparation or consumption of food?

[FGZstar] Foody? NO (there is an edible case of this, but it it's not the one a person would first think of)

Is this a syndrome or medical condition?

[Spangle] Medical? NO.

The toaster dimensional question

[INJ] Typically smaller than a toaster by volume, and usually by dimension.

Is it used in the kitchen?

[Raak] Kitchen? NO (the only exception being the edible case, I guess).

Clue or summary required?

Is it tangible?

[FGZstar] Most cases of this are tangible, fewer are abstract.

Here's a roundup and a bit of extra info: This is something that can be vegetable (usually wood) or mineral (usually metal) or abstract. Two cases of this that I can think of have a music connection. Two different cases that I can think of are edible. There is one case, a different one again, where this might be thought of as an award. In that case, and another one again, it acts as a symbol. Nearly all non-abstract cases of this that I can think of are smaller than a toaster.

As you can see, different cases of this have different properties. Feel free to pick on a specific case to help you unfold the whole answer.

Does it have any moving parts?

This feels like we are having a category problem and once someone asks the right question it will go quite quickly - but I'm stuck.

As I say, maybe focus on one case rather than all.

[INJ] Moving Parts? NO - I can't think of a case of this that has moving parts! Hooray for straight answers. :)

Are there less than three words on the card?

[FGZstar] Fewer than 3 words? YES.

(PS. the edible cases are vegetable but not wooden!)

A one word answer?

Do you have a (physical) one of these?

[FGZstar] One word? YES, plus the indefinite article
[INJ] Do I have one? *checks* Hm. Apparently not any more. Wonder where it went?

Does one wear this?

Is it some form of protection?

[Spangle] Worn? NO
[INJ] Protection? NEARLY NO. One case of this is arguably for protection.

A charm?

[Charm] NO.

Is there writing on it?

Does an individual viewpoint contribute to the definition?

In other words could 2 different people look at the same object and disagree as to whether it was one of these?
I'm trying to think how I can follow your exhortation to focus on one case, I can't actually identify one case well enough to ask about it!

Is this a form of label or tag?

A container of some sort?

[Raak] Is there writing on it? NO.
[INJ] Could two people disagree? PROBABLY NOT, which is not to say that there aren't alternative words for this.
Well, you could ask me about the metal one, for instance, or the abstract one, or one of the wooden ones.
[Spangle] A label or tag? NO * a sprinkle of applause from a few audients*
[INJ] Container? NO

Does it serve a symbolic function?

[Raak] A Load of Symbolics? As above, two cases of this that I can think of have a symbolic function.

A grade?

Such as a grade of wood, gradings of fruit and vegetables, geades in class and grades of metal?

You Tak The Low Road

[FGZstar] A grade? NO.

A chip?

Please tell me if I'm completely up the wrong tree.

[FGZstar] An inspired guess, but NO (but you're by no means up the wrong tree).

Could it be used to hold information?

[FGZstar] Holds information? NO. * a pedantic throat clearing from one audience member, who is thinking of one specific case *

Following from FGZ*, is this a set of completely disparate things that happen to be referred to be the same word?

Are these for sale on Amazon?

[CdM] Disparate Things? YES *applause*, altho they do share a couple more properties than just the name.
[Raak] *checks* YES, you can buy at at least two types of this on Amazon.

Would one use this in the workplace?

Are they sometimes made of plastic?

[Spangle] YES and NO, depending. You could probably argue it either way for quite a few cases. Unlikely to help!
[Raak] Sometimes plastic? YEEES. I did google an example up of a plastic one, but certainly wouldn't have known that if I hadn't.

Can you find these in hardware stores?

[Raak] Hardware? I don't recall seeing one in a hardware store. Then again, I can't say I frequent hardware stores.

The wooden one - solid wood or a by-product of wood?

[Spangle] I'll pick one of the wooden ones, for which the answer is YES, solid wood.

Do people who have one usually make it themselves?

[Raak] Self-made? NO.

A wedge?

[FGzstar] A wedge? NO, but you are absolutely at the right level of generality.

A plinth?

This message will self-destruct in 36 hours

[Raak] Some day my...? NO, but again, the right level of generality

I'm going to be without net access for a week as of late Thurs evening, so perhaps I can do a summary + hints in case it jogs your thoughts. We are looking for the one-word name for a set of mainly functional objects, (at the same level of generality as "chip" or "wedge"). They can be metal or wood. There are a couple other "vegetable" types which are not wood. All of these are typically smaller than a toaster by volume. There is an abstract type too. You could put The Answer into an Amazon search and be offered a couple of types of this. One of the wooden types of this is all wood and has a musical connection. The metal type has a symbolic function.

Does the word begin with a vowel?

... apart from the indefinite article, naturally

[Spangle] Vowelish? NO.

A figurehead?

[Raak] Figurehead? NO. Think smaller.

(I have found fibreglass and plastic examples of this on further research)

A bookend?

WRT the wooden/musical one - do you hit it?

A Wh

A Whistle?

You're totally gonna kick yourselves and everything.

[Raak] And the murderer was...? NO
[INJ] Do you hit it? NO
[FGZstar] Just purse your lips? NO

A pipe?

[FGZstar] A pipe? NO *applause*

Is this a model or miniature of something?

Is it basically cylindrical in shape?

A drum?

Do most people have one of these?

[Spangle] Model/miniature? NO
[INJ] Basically cylindrical? YES *applause*, most cases are cylindrical, if you're not too Platonic about it.
[FGZstar] A drum? NO
[Raak] Do most people have one? NO.

A recorder? or a flute?

[FGZstar] Recorder? Flute? NO (not a musical instrument per se, in fact).

I realise this is probably a slightly annoying one (altho you will kick yourselves) but can I just say how gratified I am by the ingenuity of the guesses? Thank you.

A stick?

[FGZstar] Stick? OF SORTS! *tumultuous applause, and stirrings of anticipation for the endgame*

A crutch?

A drumstick?

[INJ] Item best used in pairs? NO
[FGZstar] Drumstick? NO (there's no animal type of this)

Well, about five more hours before I might have to hand this over.

Does the letter string 'stick' appear on the card?

Well, the only wooden, sticky, musical things that aren't instruments that I can think of are a baton (disqualified because they come in animal types and aren't obviously abstract) and the pole that some C18 & 19 conductors would use to beat time.

Oh and I'm quite glad my previous guess was wrong, now I start to think of the 'edible' case.

[INJ] In that case, as we might disagree on the definition and you might have guessed it otherwise, I think it only fair to hand over the BATON to you, hoping to be enlightened about the animal case! The cases of which I was thinking are the wooden (or sometimes, apparently, fibreglass) conductor's baton, the military baton, the metal relay baton, the well-known small loaf, carrot batons and police batons, plus of course the abstract Baton Sinister from heraldry. Challenging subject, but I enjoyed attempting something a bit more hard to get hold of, as it were. Apols to anyone else who had foregone that guess on non-animal grounds, too.

They make them in bone and ivory
Anyway, moving on - Let's have a nice simple ANIMAL

An amoeba?

They don't come much simpler than that.

A duck-billed platypus?

[Raak] amoebic? - NO (not quite that simple)
[irach] monotremic? - NO (but I had been thinking about that, so you were close to the quickest ever win)

Reptilian?

[ImNotJohn] Great minds think alike; what more can I say?

Extinct?

Human?

[Raak] Gone forever - NO *some audience reaction*
[GL] Human? - NO

Coelacanth?

[jim] Latimeria chalumnae? - NO
Actually, I think I set that a few years ago.

Mammal?

[Software] Mammalian? - NO

*coughs and gestures towards irach's last question*

Endangered?

Ah yes, sorry

[irach] Reptilian? - YES
[Raak] Endangered? - YES *applause*
the audience were rather helpful earlier on, but they're a fair-minded lot
Software is hereby awarded one free guess.

A sea turtle?

Said this was going to be simple

[FGZstar] Chelonioidiac? - NO *further applause*

A tuatara?

[Raak] Tuatara? - Happy to admit I had to look that one up, from which I assume you can guess that the answer is NO

A Komodo Dragon?

[irach] Varanidaeic? - NO

Did Darwin likely see them during his voyages?

Would one fit in a toaster (perhaps coiled up)?

[irach] Darwinian? - YES! - (to all intents and purposes)*applause*
[Raak] Pop-uppable? - NO *some audience laughter*

Galápagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra), which ironically is genus Chelonoidis, but not in Family Chelonidae?

Nearly there

[irach] Galapagos Giant Tortoise? - YES - but curiously enough, none of those words are on the card (*the audience are shuffling towards the exit*)

"Harriet of Australia Zoo" fame?

[irach] Hattie? - Sorry, never heard of her, so NO

Lonesome George?

There, that wasn't so hard

We have a winner! The words on the card are: 'Lonesome George': probably the last Pinta Island giant tortoise.
I'll send him over with the baton.

This is gonna be a tricky one

Abstract, with Animal connections.

Sorry, forgot to include Mineral connections also

A saying or phrase?

[irach] adage? NO

Connected with a work of fiction?

Fictitious? NO

A human concept?

A human concept? Erm, not sure how to answer this one. The animal connection is human, and so I would say YES.

Connected to science?

Is the mineral connection metal?

[CdM] Science-y? There is definitely a major connection, but you need to look further than just the thought of science.

[INJ] Metallic? YES, but not exclusively

LOOK AT THIS! Erm.. okay, minor f*** up, realised that vegetable also comes into this. To make up for this, I shall give you a clue. This whole thing is related to heat and oxygen produced by one reaction.

Internal Combuxtion?

That is combustion...

Photosynthesis?

Combustion? YES, but this is not the only rection involved, and there is another, seperate reaction
Photosynthesis? NO
You need to back up a bit, as my clue was maybe a bit too close up for now. It will help you when you are closer to the answer.

Is the (human) animal a specific human?

Not a specific human, but a specific group.

Pertaining to only one of the sexes?

Are dams involved?

[irach] Single-sex? No.
[Dujon] Dammit!? No.

Is the combustion reference figurative?

Does this relate to a visible phenomenon?

A specific nation?

[Rosie] Figurative Combustion? NO, literal
[INJ] Visible phenomenon? If you are thinking northern lights, then no.
[SW] Specific Nation? No, even smaller than that.

Artistic?

(also, could you actually answer INJ's question? :-) )

[CdM] Artistic? No
Well, I wouldn't define it as a visible phenomenon.

Anything to do with ozone?

[irach] Ozone? NO

Anything involving Guy Fawkes?

Burn it all down? NO

Is the mineral connection a fossil fuel or derivative thereof?

Is this an industrial process?

[irach] Fossil Fuels? Yes, but this is not the only mineral connection.
[Raak] Industrial? NO

Smelting?

Is another mineral connection one of the states of water?

Human connection artisanal?

[Rosie] Smelty, smelty? NO, but metals are involved.
[irach] Water? YES, and in its liquid state
[Software] Artisanal? I'm not quite sure how you mean, but I can say that one artist that I know of is connected, but others are also connected. Please note that people are both directly and indirectly connected to this, but it will be easier if I refer to the people directly connected, because those are the ones I am able to confidently answer about.

Firing a steam engine?

Forgive me.

[Rosie] Light the Rocket? No. But you are close on one aspect...

Are the metals in direct contact with the water or an aqueous solution?

[irach] Not initially, although most of them end up in direct contact with water or an aqueous solution.

Is the water or aqueous solution saline?

Rocket science?

[irach] under the sea? NO
[SW] It's NOT rocket science.

Is one of the metals lead?

[irach] Lead balloon? NO

Does the metal ionise during the reaction that produces oxgen and heat?

The electrolysis of water?

You did say oxygen was produced.

[irach] I am not sure of the answer to that question, but I cna tell you that no radiation is involved.
[Rosie] Electrolysis? I like your thinking, but no.

Is this a means of propulsion?

[Raak] The combustion reaction is a means of propulsion, but the Oxygen-producing reaction has a self-explanatory purpose.

Propulsion of manned spacecraft?

Is the metal component a part of an actual chemical reaction that produces oxygen and heat, or merely a receptacle?

Anything to do with fireworks?

I'm thinking KNO₃.

[Raak] To infinity... NO
[irach] The metal is certainly a reaction vessel, but I am not sure if it is present in the reaction, but I think it is.
[Rosie] Sparks will fly? NO

To do with projectile weapons?

[Raak] Fire? NO

Is / are the metal(s) in question found in Group III of Dmitri Mendeleev's Periodic Table?

[irach] Group III? I would presume some would be.

Are the objects propelled routine means of transport, eg. bus, train, car, plane?

[Rosie] Tranport? YES *Audience awakens from its slumber*

Propulsion of the mode of transport through a fluid (liquid or gaseous) matrix?

Fuel cells?

[irach] You've lost me completely. If that includes air, then yes.
[Raak] Eco-cell? NO

Hot air balloon?

A balloon of some other type?

A blimp or dirigible airship?

[SW,Raak,irach] Ballons, airships, etc... NO

"Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines"?

[irach] An aeroplane is involved, yes.

Parachute jump?

[SW] Jumper? NO

Hmm. This clearly hasn't captured our collective imagination, hence no questions for 12 days.
(FGZstar) How's about a summary of the conclusions to date and then the final flourish - offering up a tasty clue?

A ram-jet?

Let's see if I can re-capture your imaginations...

Abstract, with animal, vegetable and mineral connections,

This is NOT *deep breath*: A saying or phrase, fictitious, photosynthesis, connected to a specific sex or nation, involving dams, a visible phenomenon, artistic, related to ozone, anything to do with guy fawkes, an industrial process, smelting, firing a steam engine, involving salt water, rocket science, involving lead, electrolysis, the propulsion of manned spacecraft, fireworks, projectile weaponry, fuel cells, any type of balloon or a parachute jump.

However, it IS: A human concept, sort-of connected to science, involving metal, related to oxygen and heat produced by one reaction, including (but not exclusively) internal combustion, pertaining to a specific group of humans (at least one of which has artistic connections), resulting in the aforementioned metals being in contact with water, involving an oxygen-producing reaction which does not provide propulsion (and this reaction has a metal reaction vessel and does involve metals, which may be in group III of the periodic table) and importantly, this pertains to a propelled means of transport, more specifically an aeroplane.

Right, got all that? Good., because now you can have a clue:
Firstly, the cause of the second reaction (which is the main one in this case) is present in every airline safety demonstration. Secondly, there is only one specific airline and aircraft involved.

Blimey - OK, someone performing an electrolysis experiment onboard a BA Boeing 737, causing a fire to break out, the oxygen masks to drop and the 'plane to crash on the sea (don't worry, everyone got out fine)?

Well, strike a light!

*audience sits up, expectantly*

[Knobbly] You are actually quite close. this is a plane crash, however no electrolysis and not into the sea. Sadly no-one got out fine, or at all. I am looking for the name by which the plane crash is referred to. Oh, and no 737. There was fire, and oxygen masks did not drop, but the oxygen generator (for the masks) is the 'other' reaction.

Ah, ValuJet Flight 592

*Audience goes wild*
YES! I hand over this slightly charred baton.

Doh

Didn't think of the fact that I'd have to think of one...
I would like a go, though. It's very quiet here over the weekend, so I'll think of one before the end of tomorrow *subsides into thoughtful silence*

Ok, this is hopefully not a 4 week one...

Animal

Go!

Human?

[Raak] No.

A single individual?

[Raak] Yes.

Recently deceased?

Female?

Knut?

European?

In captivity?

Mammal?

Forget my last question - I hadn't read back carefully enough.

So much for my AVMA debut

[Dujon]Yes.
[GL] No.
[irach] Yes.
[INJ,CdM,INJ]Moot.
*Sporadic audience applause for irach for being too clever*
Actually, when I thought of it it wasn't very easy as he hadn't been news for years. How was I to know he'd go and die and make the papers again?

Thanks, Knobbly, but someone else will need to start the next one in my place. I am going to be away at a conference the next five days, and may not be able to log into mc5 as frequently as would be necessary to keep the game progressing.

I think Knobbly should have another go!
I wonder whether the choice of Knut was a massive coincidence, or whether Knobbly actually saw/heard some reference to Knut's death without being consciously aware of the fact.

To be honest, I also think knobbly should have another go, although I will admit that my original categorising of my one was flawed, but I was having trouble fitting it successfully into one main box.

Well, ok. This may not be very difficult, but it probably won't be in the news tomorrow.

This is an Animal. Let the guessing commence.

Human?

[INJ] No.

4 legs?

[Software]Yes, one in each corner.

A single individual?

[GL] An individual? No. Although there's only one in the picture in my head it could be any of them.

A deer of some kind?

Normally regarded as edible by humans?

Mammal?

Found wild in the UK?

[Dujon] Deer me, no.
[Rosie] Not normally considered edible.
[INJ] Mammal? Yes. *small ripple of applause*
[Raak] In UK? No.

A bear of any sort?

[Raak] No. I cant bear the tension. Oh dear. I apologise profusely and will hence just answer simply.

Bigger than a toaster?

[Raak]Larger than a toaster? Yes.

Kept as a pet? (By normal people)

[Rosie] No.

Extant?

Hoofed?

A Shetland Pony?

Thelwell cartoons come to mind.

[Raak] Extant - NO. Shouldn't be long now. *More sustained applause*
[INJ] Hooves, yes.
[Software] Not a pony.

An extinct species of horse?

A woolly Mammoth?

[Raak] Not a horse. Although distantly related I think there are closer extant relatives.
[FGZ] No, not a woolly mammoth.

Of the genus Bos, like an aurochs or wisent?

[irach] Bos? No.

Pyrenean Ibex ?

A litoptern?

[irach] Ibex? No
[Raak]Litoptern - No

An extinct camel or llama relative?

A brontothere?

[irach] Not a camelid.
[Raak]Nor a member of the Brontotheriidae, neither.

Rhinoceros-like?

[irach] Well, as you asked a subjective question I was going to say no, because I don't think it is; but I asked an impartial observer and they said it was, so - Rhinoceros-like? YES. *applause*

Stegosaurus?

An Irish Elk?

Unicorn?

[Rosie, INJ, Software] Thrice no.

A dinosaur of some kind?

Died out in the last hundred thousand years?

[GL, Rosie] Hoofed mammal!

[INJ] Less than 0.1 Mya? NO

Coelodonta or Stephanorhinus?

ImNtJohn

split hooves?

According to wikipedia we're down to a choice of about 220 possibles now ;-)

[FGZ] Neither of them.
[INJ] Is it a member of the order Artiodactyla? - No.

Does it have an ordinary English name?

Unlike "liptotern", "brontothere", or "madeupopodeaceae".

[Raak] It does not, to my knowledge, have a common name. Maybe we can give it one once it has been guessed.

Borissiakia?

Just cos I like the name

Just to confirm - you have answered that this is hoofed and does not have split hooves - I have to assume that means it has a single hoof like a horse, not claws or any other multi-part foot like a deer or elephant.
I notice that I automatically write 'hoofed', but 'hooves' - I'll have to follow that up, though I expect both will be acceptable.

[INJ] Not Borissiakia.
[INJ again] Yes, it does; although I'm getting a bit lost in hoof types. For one thing a deer is a hoofed mammal.

Of the family Brontotheriidae?

[FGZ] No, it still isn't.

Of the family Artiodactyls?

Does it have the letter string 'hipp' in its name?

(re deer: Yes, but a deer, like a cow, has split hooves.)

If you could still eat one, would it be kosher?

I don't think the answer will be particularly edifying, I just want to see you try to work it out :)

[GL] Artiodactyla? NO. Keep going, we're almost out of incorrect orders...
[INJ] No, the syllable 'hipp' appears nowhere in the binomial name, nor in the rest of its taxonomic classification.
[Jim] No, because it doesn't have cloven hooves (see above). That wasn't too complicated.

Of the order Perissodactyla?

[INJ] YES. Indeed an odd-toed ungulate.

One of the "rhino-like" amynodonts such as Gigantamynodon, Metamynodon , or Cadurcodon ?

[irach] Not Amynodontidae.
And when I searched for it the Popular Search Engine tried to change it to 'Amy - no, don't!' (Punctuation mine, three words its.)

*wishes you lot would speak English*

Are you all googling like crazy in order to ask questions with words that no-one uses in daily parlance? Or are you actually *experts* in this field? Whatever - clearly this game is not for me.

(Spangle) I agree. For some time this game has irritated the poo out of me and although I may contribute early on I usually drop out if it becomes clear the answer is some arcane piece of knowledge that very few people have. If it's not at the fingertips of a well-educated person (and all of us are that) then it's inappropriate. In the '50's this game was played live and the answers were always things that anyone would know of. This gives much scope for ingenuity without getting anorakky.
In the past I have threatened to retaliate (in the unlikely event that I would ever win) with a Steam Engine. Just a Steam Engine? Dear me, no - a big one. A Big Steam Engine? Come on - be serious, this one is Quite Big but not Very Big. So it's a 4-6-0, then? Yes. Not just any old 4-6-0; there were loads of them, but a Great Western 4-6-0. A Great Western 4-6-0, then? Oh, get a grip; there were several different classes. This one is a "Hall Class". OK, a Great Western "Hall Class" 4-6-0, then? Yes. Now guess which one. It's no. 7921,

Hidden text

which is my current desktop, having taken a picture of it myself in 1959

, and one of 330.
Isn't that clever? This game is for 8 - 12 year olds and a complete f****** timewaster.

A quagga?

[Spangle, Rosie if they look in here again] I chose what I thought was a moderately well known extinct mammal after my living mammal was guessed in less than a day. It does say in the instructions that a search engine is useful, but I notice that further up the page, the items are a lot more general knowledge. Maybe a return to things most people have heard of wouldn't be a bad idea.
[Raak] Not a quagga.

I am sorry, I think I may have started this with my more specific topic. It happened to be an old episode of air crash investigation which I was watching at the time.

[spangle, knobbly, FGZ*] This is not a new debate. Rosie has voiced his views on this numerous times, and I don't think it's worth rehashing. But one thought did occur to me, which is that the existence of google might lead us to approach the guessing completely differently. In other words, even if the answer is not really obscure (as perhaps this one isn't; we don't know yet), we might approach it in obscure ways.

[CdM] Ah well, I'm a new player. Relatively. To this game anyway.
Volunteers to return us to our regularly scheduled game?

The reason I object to some of the extreme arcane subjects is that it denies the players the opportunity for general intelligence, which I take to be the ability to put two and two together and see connections, quite independent of any database. Digging around in Google may suit some but it doesn't exactly lift the spirits.

[Rosie] Yes, we know. You are given to saying so pretty much every few weeks.

A type of tapir?

[irach] No type of tapir.

A Chalicothere?

On the grounds that I know I've come across that one.

[INJ]Chalicothere? No.
Free advice - maybe ask another question instead of guess?

I give up

Frankly, although I've quite enjoyed some of the digging, I can't spare the effort to do more. I also have a problem in that I believe your answers have said that this animal has a single hoof (hoofed , not split). My sources state specifically that the only animals with a single hoof are related to horses, but you have said that is not the case.

Raak asked if it was an extinct species of horse. I said it wasn't an extinct species of horse, but distantly related, i.e. it belongs in the order Perissodactyl, like horses do.
There is a very important piece of identifying information that no-one has really tried to ascertain.

[All who haven't drifted off] Here is a roundup of all helpful facts so far known:
A non-human, extinct, quadrupedal mammal, of the order Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates). Died out more than 100,000 years ago, rhinoceros-like and larger than a toaster.

With two horn like protuberances?

[irach] Not with two horns.

Baluchitherium?

You said that you had a particular exemplar in mind. Would it help us to try to find out which one? (e.g., skeleton in a museum, illustration in a book...)

Has this creature evre been featured in a film?

[Projoy] YES Baluchitherium.
A prehistoric relative of the rhinoceros, featured in an episode of Walking With Beasts and the largest mammal ever to have existed. I would also have accepted Paraceratherium or Indricotherium. And I honestly thought it was fairly well known.

Is that the answer?

Is this a question?

[Spangle] Yes that is the answer.
Should I have added *Audience go wild, not untinged with relief* for avoidance of doubt?
[GL] Is this a rhetorical question?

Come to think of it, there's a talking baluchitherium in Brian Aldiss' short story "Old Hundreth".

It will not suprise onlookers to know that that was a triumph for Google rather than my prior general knowledge, but I for one am glad to know it now. Getting it to stick in memory will be the challenge...

The next is MINERAL (there might be odd bits of the other two in there, I'm not sure).

A structure?

Unique?

Primarily metal?

manufactured?

A flying start...

[Rosie] A Structure? STRICTLY, YES
[CdM] Unique? YES
[INJ] Primarily metal? YES
[Software] Manufactured? YES

Used in transportation?

Do people go inside it?

Artistic connections?

Found inside Earth's atmosphere?

Gathering speed...

[irach] Transportation? YES *applause*
[Knobbly] People inside? YES
[INJ] Artistic? NOT REALLY
[GL] Earthly? YES

Airborne?

Vickers VC-10 aircraft?

Currently in use?

The London Eye?

Making progress...

[Raak] Airy? NO
[irach] Holy plane? NO
[Rosie] In use? YES [Dujon] Sauron on the South Bank? NO

Great Western 'Hall Class' 4-6-0 number 7921?

Related to te Railways?

[FGZstar] Don't be silly, that's not still in use, it was scrapped in 1963.

[FGZ*] GWHC4607921? NO
[GL] Rail-ated? YES! *applause*

The Chunnel train?

[irach] Pancras to Paris? NON

Is it a 'named' engine or train?

[Duj] Named engine or train? YES

Is it a preserved steam locomotive?

The Flying Scotsman?

Puffing Billy?

[Rosie] A righted steamer? YES
[Raak] The Airborne Jock? NO
[Spangle] Drug-addled William? NO

Stephenson's Rocket?

Is it likely that I am the only Morniverser who has heard of this machine?

I don't know quite why I'm going along with this monumental piss-take. Must be the nice weather.

Union of South Africa?

Is it British?

[Spangle] Stockton to Darlington Express? NO
[Rosie] Something only you'd know? NO (I've heard of it too).
[FGZstar] Union of South Africa? NO *applause*
[GL] British? YES

Sir Nigel Gresley?

Chifferty-chafferty chifferty-chafferty

Does (or did) this locomotive hold the record (steam engines) for rapidity?

Mallard?

(Pursuing the Gresley link (thank you Wikipedia) and going with an engine that I had also heard of.)

[CdM] Not the Mallard, as that is no longer operational
[Dujon] Speed record? YES, this locomotive holds the postwar steam speed record, which means that Rosie, like The Answer, is entirely on track with...
[Rosie] LNER Class A4 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley? YES! *appreciative whistles*.
Please take this single-tracked-section token.

Winner's gracious comments

(I probably should have awarded a couple of claps for Flying Scotsman since the other still-operational Class A4, LNER Class A4 4464 Bittern, used to pull that train).

I hate three-cylinder engines; they don't puff properly.

Right; nothing whatsoever to do with railways in any way, shape or form, nevertheless MINERAL

Metallic?

Made of stone/rock?

Found on Earth?

(irach) Metallic? Almost entirely not.
(INJ) Stone or rock? YES, very largely.
(Gusset Login) Found on Earth? YES.

A rock formation?

(Knobbly) - Not a rock formation.

[Rosie] Manufactured or processed in some way?

(Projoy) Manufactured or processed? - YES. *some mild applause*

Related to Transport?

FGZstar - Train and boats and planes - alas, NO

A man-made wall?

(irach) - NO, not a wall.

Unique?

A building?

Artistic connections?

A Welsh slag heap?

;0)

A structure?

(CdM) - Unique? - By no means
(INJ) - Aberfan? Nothing so sad
(Projoy) - A structure? - YES.

Bigger than a washing machine?

You answered Software instead of me

(INJ) - Whoops, sorry about that - a bit early in the "morning". NO artistic connections.
Bigger than a washing machine? NO, at least in two out of three dimensions.
(Raak) A building? NO (though a structure).

Is it hollow?

A monument?

A utilitarian object?

(Projoy) Hollow? NO (very probably).
(Raak) A monument? NO. *a few laughs and a little quickly stifled applause*
(irach) - A utilitarian object? YES, very much so.

Found outdoors rather than indoors?

A Welsh slag heap?

trying again

(Softers) I replied to INJ (qv) instead of to you. Not a slag heap of any nationality.
(irach) Outdoors? YES. *some applause*

Is there just one of this?

(Pj) Unique? NO, not at all. (see reply to CdM)

Do humans typically need to touch this object with their hands and/or feet in the course of its normal use?

An electricity pylon?

Is it typically a part of something bigger?

(irach) - Need to touch the object? NO, but they probably would anyway.
(FGZstar) - An electricity pylon? NO.
(Projoy) - Part of something bigger? - NO, not in a physical sense.

Do all of its type have a specific geometric shape?

Would a typical morniverser own one?

A lighting fixture?

A dry stone wall?

Good to 'see' you in the chair, Rosie ;-)

You say it's a "structure", but does that mean it is made up of separate stone parts?

(irach) - All the same shape? YES, probably; maybe a few exceptions.
(CdM) - Ownership by typical morniverser? Good heavens, NO - we don't nick things, do we?
(Raak) - Lamp-post etc? NO.
(Chalky) - Dry-stone wall? Alas, NO.

Hidden text

They're very kind to the oldies here.

(Projoy) - Built up from stone blocks? - YES. *applause*

Found on/along a roadway?

Is it taller than a washing machine?

A pyramid?

(irach) - On a road? - Almost entirely NO, but theoretically could be at the side of one.
(Projoy) - Taller than a washing machine? - YES, but only a little.
(Softers) Square geezer? NO, nor pyramidal geometrically.

A triangulation pillar?

YESSS! Projoy wins. The actual "words on the card" were Trig Point, but that's the same thing. *Returns the single-line token*. Carry on.

There used to be a couple just down the road from my house where I grew up. OK, that's enough mineral, here's an ABSTRACT, with strong ANIMAL connections

Is the animal connection human?

[irach] Animal connection human? Only at the less significant end.

Animal instinct?

Husbandry?

Worth a punt from 75 yds.

Wayne Rooney?

Does it relate to an individual animal?

There was a trig point in the central strip of a stretch of dual carriageway in Leeds. (Scott Hall Road - may have been displaced by the guided bus route)

[irach] Instinct? NO
[Dujon] Spudhead? NO
[INJ] Individual animal? As in unique or an individual type? NO, if the former.

[Rosie] Husbandry? NO

Does this result in a specific action on the part of the animal?

Is this a song?

Human concept?

[Rosie] Action on the part of the animal? *some laughter* NOT EXACTLY
[Chalky] A song? NO
[Software] Human concept? YES

Related to a work of fiction?

[INJ] Fiction-work-related? NO, not particularly. Might be mentioned in a few.

A disease largely confined to animals?

Is this a phrase (e.g. "he had the strength of a lion")?

[Rosie] Disease? NO
[Dujon] A phrase? YES! *applause*

A pig's ear?

Is the animal domesticated?

A pig in a poke?

Dead as the dodo?

[Software] Porcine Aural Apparatus? NO
[CdM] Domesticated? NO
[irach] Hog in a holdall? NO
[Rosie] Dodo? NO.

Is it a proverb?

Is the referenced animal larger than a badger?

[FGZstar] Proverb? NO
[INJ] >Badger? NO

Is the animal in the phrase a rodent? As in "I smell a rat"?

[irach] Rodent? NO

Is the animal a mammal?

[irach] A mammal? NO

Is the animal dangerous?

Does the animal drink like a fish?

(Guessing) A snake in the grass?

A bird, such as one in the hand or two in the bush?

Playing possum?

[CdM] Dangerous? *laughter* NO
[Gusset Login] Drinking like a fish? NO *applause*
[Dujon] Grass Snake? NO
[irach] Birdies? NO
[Rosie] Marsupial? NO

Memory like a goldfish?

Or have I already asked that?

"Sleeping with the fishes"?

The one that got away?

Fishing for answers...

[INJ] What was that you said seven seconds ago? NO
[irach] Unfortunate Mafioso? NO
[Knobbly] Escapee? NO

Is a particular kind of fish named on the card?

[CdM] Particular fish? NO

Something's fishy here

[irach] Not sure if that's a question, but NO, that's not the phrase on the card.

"A Fish called Wanda"?

Always a bigger fish?

Many more fish in the sea?

A fish out of water?

Who knew there was so much to say about fish?

[irach] Cleese and Curtis? NO
[FGZstarfish] Bigger fish? NO
[Knobbly] A Fish in Sea? NO
[GL] Landed and Gasping? NO

A big fish in small pond?

Does the word 'fish' appear on the card?

[FGZstar] Parish Council Chair? NO
[Dujon] Does the word "fish" appear on the card? I thought you'd never ask... YES.

Fish face?

Begins with P(iscine)?

Fish for compliments?

Now , what fish is it that doesn't drink like a fish, I wonder.

[Software] Fish face? How dare you? Oh, I mean, NO.
[CdM] Pfish? NO
[INJ] Am I answering these questions OK, cos I do worry? (NO)
*the audience applaud INJ's other remark*

Kettle of fish?

Is there a culinary connection?

[irach] Kettle? NO
[INJ] Food? NO, not really.

Shooting fish in a barrel?

[irach] Barrel? NO, but I imagine we'll be scraping the bottom soon...

A Flying fish?

Does the referenced fish have to be dead?

[FGZstar] Flying fish? NO
[INJ] Dead fish? I think most people on hearing this expression would assume a dead fish, so YES. *applause*

(Strictly, its live/dead status isn't actually referenced, so it doesn't have to be)

A slap around the face with a wet fish?

Even better!

[Software] The Answer is, indeed, A slap in the face with a wet fish. Please accept this wet fish as your reward.

D*mn You, Software, you bounder!

I've just logged on with the intention of guessing that exact phrase.

[INJ] Yes, but it could be worse.

What a surprise, such a slippery baton!

Right, this one is Abstract with Animal, Vegetable and Mineral connections.

The anarcho-syndicalist world view?

Making a welcome(?) return.

The Internet?

This game?

Life, the universe, and everything?

The price of food?

[INJ] Back to barter? - NO welcome back BTW
[irach] www? - NO
[Projoy] Infinite loop? - NO
[Raak] Quo vadis? - NO
[Rosie] RPI? - NO

A Human Concept?

[FGZ] Conceptualized? - YES

Cuisine?

Is the Animal reference purely to humans?

Artistic connections?

[irach] Celebrity chefs - NO
[Rosie] Homo Sapiens - YES (almost entirely)
[INJ] Arty-Farty - YES

Related to music?

A straightforward question that requires a Yes or No answer?

[irach] Musical? - No not directly
[Spangle] Michael Miles? - NO

An artistic style, whatever the form of art?

Related to a performance art?

Funny?

[Rosie] Impressionist? - NO
[INJ] Acting? - NO though some say that could be the case
[Pro] Humour? - NO

The mona lisa?

Is this an organisation?

[FGZ] Enigmatic? - NO
[Rosie] Corp? - NO

A title of an artistic work?

[irach] Famous name? - NO

a piece of architecture?

[FGZ] bricks & mortar? - NO

To do with literature?

CGFC?

[Pro] Property boom?- NO
[Spangle] CGFC? - NO probably

[Pro] Sorry wrong answer
literate? - mostly NO

Is the vegetable connection floral?

WTF's CGFC cos im FIIK.

Related to painting?

[irach] petal based? - YES * a good portion of the audience claps *
[Pro] Decoration? (As this question was answered previously I assume you refer to the industrial kind) - NO
[Rosie] me too, in the absence of knowledge the safest answer is always NO

Ikebana or other type of Flower Arrangement?

CGFC

[Rosie] I made it up because I wanted to find a question that wouldn't be changed when SW was giving an answer. The changes are sometimes inaccurate and misleading. They cause a double look-back to ascertain the response to a reasonable question. I really give up. I actually HATE the way that this game is played.

Therefore - I am not going to play it any more. :)

A bridal bouquet?

The Guernsey Battle of Flowers?

(Softers) Yes, I know it's The Donkeys, but it's all I can think of ATM. I like Guernsey, BTW.
(Spangle) Yes, can be a bit annoying, especially if the meaning of the question appears to have been changed. I think one should always assume that it has not, and that the quizmaster is merely indulging himself a little.

The Chelsea flower show?

[Spangle] Sorry, old mate, just doing as Rosie says.
[FGZ] Blushing bridal flowers? - NO audience claps and talks among themselves enthusiastically
[Rosie] Donkey Derby? - NO [Rosie, how could you?]
[Duj] Annual display? - NO

Are the petals confetti?

A buttonhole?

(Could you answer my last question? You seem to have missed answering it)

[Knobby] Confetti - NO not on the card but the audience applauds appreciatively.
[FGZ] Carnation? - NO more loud applause
[irach] Floral display? - NO audience murmurs appreciatively

Horticulture?

[irach] Farmer Giles? - NO

Boutonnière or corsage?

[irach] Formal floral decoration? - NO (see above, not what is on the card) audience claps again

a fleur-de-lis?

Wedding arbour?

A wedding?

[FGZ] FdL? - NO
[irach] Underneath the arches? - NO audience claps hard
[FGZ] Nuptials? - YES! audience wild with anticipation

The royal wedding between Prince William and Catherine Middleton?

Hurrah!

[FGZ] Well done mate, exactly the words on the card!

* passes over the bouquet shaped baton *

Funny that, I had that about 3 turns ago, and dismissed it as too obvious. Anyway, my turn, ABSTRACT, with strong ANIMAL connections, as well as VEGETABLE and MINERAL connections.

A sport?

Animal human?

Sport? No, but will have minor sporting connections
Human? Yes, but will have minor connections to other animals.

A recipe ?

Recipe? No

Butchery?

Butchery? A definite no.

A single specific human?

Specific Human? No

Quadruped ?

Quadruped? As I have said before, the main focus is human, but non-specific. There are minor links to other animals which are quadruped, but it probably won't help with the answer to go into detail on them.

Falls within the remit of the 'fashion' industry?

Fashion? Nope.

Is it an activity?

Connected to the arts?

Activity? No.
Artistic Connections? Yes, but only minor ones.

A phrase or saying?

Phrase or Saying? No

Sporty?

As before, not particularly sporty, but with sporting connections

Is it something everyone does?

Is it an award of some sort?

Related to food or the culinary arts?

Something everyone does? No
An award? No
Food related? Yes, but not in the fine dining sense, and not exclusively involved in food.

Something done with or to meat and/or vegetables?

A licence to do something?

Done to meats or Veg? No (the food connection is not that strong)
Licence to...? No.

A type of behaviour?

Type of behaviour? No

Related to science?

Science Related? No.

Does the answer relate to a 'medical' condition?

Related to a severe medical condition? Not completely, but I'm sure there is some small relation

Related to games?

Related to games? No.

A ritual?

A ritual? No

A dictionary?

A dictionary? No.

Is it an activity?

Does this have a small relation to everything?

Activity? No, but it has activities
Small relationship to everything? Not quite, but is related to a lot of things.

Is this a human creation?

Human Creation? Yes

One particular country/nation

One Country/Nation? No.

So to summarise...

Not: a sport, a recipe, butchery, a specific human, a quadruped, fashion, an activity, a phrase or saying, something everyone does, an award, something done with meat/veg, a licence, a type of behaviour, science-related, games, a ritual, a dictionary, an activity (but it has them), a country.
Connections to: humans, food.
Minor connections to: non-human animals, the arts, sports, severe medical conditions, a lot of things.
Is: a human creation.

We haven't got very far, have we?

Related to a belief system?

Always the problem with Abstract - You need to get a category or a link to something physical before you can begin to make proper progress. I generally try to avoid setting Abstracts for those reasons.

Related to a belief system? This is NOT linked to a belief system in any way.

Time for a hint, methinks...

This is multinational, and part of a major convention.

To do with climate change?

Carbon trading?

Global warming? No
Carbon Trading? No

To do with military matters?

An international banking connection?

Military? Not connected to the military, but may become involved in military matters.
International Banking? No

To do with medicine?

Medicine? Has something to do with medicine, but not solely with medicine.

Is the answer based on a televison/film series?

TV/Film? No

Anything to do with the law?

To do with the Law? Sort of. it is specifically protected by it.

A human right or rights?

Human right? No, but it does help to protect them.

Does this have a specific United Nations connection?

Specific UN connection? Not really, but I'm sure there will be some connections... It's sort of a grey area. Sorry I can't be more helpful on that one.

OK then ... does this have a specific connection to some other international organisation (e.g., World Bank, World Trade Organisation, World Health Organisation, International Monetary Fund, etc....)?

Connected to a big international organisation? YES
*Audience Awakens*

Does it have to do with the law?

Oops, was just asked.

Does it have to do with humanitarian action?

Humanitarian? Yes.
*Audience look expectant*

The Red Cross?

Red Cross? Yes
*Audience Screams and goes wild*
It was indeed the Red Cross. I therefore hand you over a red, cross-shaped baton.

Phew. Ok, here's a concrete ANIMAL and VEGETABLE. Oh, and ABSTRACT as well.

A statue of a gorilla eating a banana?

Human animal?

[Projoy] Like this?
[FGZ*] Odd that it took us so long to get something eminently guessable. As INJ said, abstracts can just be very hard to get a handle on. As a minor quibble, if it was "NOT linked to a belief system in any way", we probably wouldn't also have the Red Crescent.

Can it be found in Milton Keynes?

Can anything be found in Milton Keynes? Sorry to be so flippant.

[Projoy] Oooh, close, but...no, nothing like.
[Rosie] Surely, if one waits in Milton Keynes, all the world shall eventually pass by one's front door. Yes! This can be found in Milton Keynes!

[CdM] Not a human animal.

Should the word "concrete" be taken literally?

(Raak) Is MK the new Crewe Station?

No, concrete would be MINERAL.

Musical?

[CdM] I suppose, but as a symbol it is not related to any religion, although there was some speculation by other religions which caused the red crescent and red crystal to come into existence.

[FGZ*] Not musical.

Begins with a P?

[Rosie] ...what do they say about Crewe Station?

[Tuj] Does not begin with a P.

Connected with agriculture?

[Tuj] Dunno. Perhaps they pronounce its name as if it began with a P.

[jim] Agro? Not really.

Connected to Architecture?

Is it man-made?

(Tuj) It is said that if you stand on Crewe Station you will see, either on the platform or through the window of a train, and within a reasonable length of time, the entire population of Britain, not to say the whole world.

[F] No connection to architecture.
[R] Is man-made.

Is it unique?

[Rosie] Thanks! Would've been nice to know when I went there every few weeks a few years ago... but at least that proves I could have been seen there, I guess

[Tuj] Not unique.

Vegetable wood?

[Rosie] Not wood.

Edible?

[CdM} Yes, edible.

Commonly eaten?

[CdM] Commonly eaten.

Eaten raw?

[Software] Not eaten raw.

A confectionary item of some sort?

[jim] I don't think this is classed as confectionary. Or confectionery.

Does it taste sweet?

[CdM re: gorilla] "the recipient will simply love it to pieces." Are they using "love" as a euphemism for "smash"?

A dish?

(I mean as in 'Fish and Chips', not as in a nice piece of Samian Ware)

[Projoy] * a ripple of polite applause* It is sweet.
[INJ] Not a dish.

Honey?

A raspberry ripple of polite applause?

[jim] Not honey (being neither cooked, nor -- apart from the occasional stray bee leg -- animal).
[CdM] Not a raspberry ripple.

Is suet involved?

[INJ] As near as I can judge from Google, this does not generally contain suet.

Jelly on a plate?

[FGZ*] Not jelly on a plate.

Can it be bought in a supermarket as a single item?

[Rosie] That sounds like two questions. Can it be bought in a supermarket? Yes. Does one buy them individually there? No.

Sold ready to eat?

[FGZ*] Ready to eat.

Rice pudding?

[FGZ*] Not rice pudding.

Generally found in the chiller cabinet?

[INJ] Brrrr? No.

Marshmallows?

[Software] Not marshmallows. (I'd class those with confectionery.)

Sweet and sour pork?

(Raak) Wasn't meant to be two questions but whether you could buy a packet of "it" in a supermarket, or anywhere.

Typically sold in a bottle, jar or can?

[Rosie] You can buy a packet of it.
[CdM] ...but not a bottle, jar, or can.

It might be profitable at this point to consider the Abstract part of this.

[Rosie] That was slightly misleading -- you can buy a packet of them.

Involves chocolate in any way? Such as a packet of "Smarties" or "M&Ms" ?

[irach] It can involve chocolate.

A cookie?

Crunchy frog?

[Rosie] Only if it's a crunchy frog cookie, as...
[CdM] ...a cookie it is. nom nom nom.

[Raak] Um, where's the baton? There seems to be just a pile of crumbs here.

This one is MINERAL and VEGETABLE.

Vegetable wood?

Wood? In part, yes.

mineral = metal?

A building?

A garden?

Metal? No.
A building? No.
A garden? No.

Significant amounts of water?

Significant amounts of water? It is going to come down a bit to the definition of "significant", but I think the best answer is No. Despite this, the audience *applauds*.

mineral = stone?

A natural feature?

A desert?

Stone? In large part, Yes
Natural feature? Yes.
Desert? No.

The Grand Canyon?

Grand Canyon? No. (Besides, someone already did that, iirc)

Near the sea?

Near the sea? Yes. *applause*

In Europe?

European? No.

Do rock climbers climb it?

A headland?

The hole in the rock, near Paihia, New Zealand?

Climbing? Yes (parts of it).
Headland? No. *tiny smattering of applause*
Incredibly long-shot guess? No.

A mountain, possibly Everest?

In the Americas?

Is it an island?

Mountain? No.
In the Americas? No.
Island? Yes. *applause*

Rockall?

Long shot.

Rockall? No. (That's in Europe, last I heard)

In Australasia?

Inhabited?

Hawaii?

Java?

Australasian? No.
Inhabited? Yes.
Hawai'i? No.
Java? No.

Has it been in the news recently?

Volcanic?

Bigger than an Arran?

Tristan de Cuhna?

Newsworthy? Not that I am aware of.
Volcanic? No.
Arranometricity? Smaller than an Arran.
Tristan de Cunha? No.

Tropical?

Fernando Po

?

Tropical? Yes.
Fernando Po
? No
.

Isolated, i.e. not part of an archipelago?

Isolated? No.

A British Overseas Territory?

BOT? No.

In the Indian Ocean?

Bikini Atoll?

In the Indian Ocean? As so often happens, seemingly easy questions end up being harder than I expect. But, based on my reading of Wikipedia, the best answer is Yes. Not to be cryptic about it, it is in a body of water with a separate name, but which is usually considered to be part of the Indian Ocean.
Bikini? No.

Bay of Bengal?

Bay of Bengal? No.

Is it an independent country?

South China Sea?

Al Hallaniyah?

One of the Maldives?

Independent country? No.
South China Sea? No. (That's part of the Pacific.)
Al Hallaniyah? No.
One of the Maldives? No.
I'll just clarify one thing: this island is part of an archipelago by the standard definition, which is pretty broad -- that is, it is part of a group of islands. But focusing on well-known archipelagos is unlikely to be helpful. (My first reaction when I read Rosie's archipelago was that this island is not part of an archipelago, and it was only when I checked the definition of the word that I decided that it in fact is.)

In the Arabian Sea?

Réunion?

Part of Africa?

Arabian? No.
Réunion? No.
African? No.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Andaman and Nicobar Islands? No (Wikipedia tells me they are in the Bay of Bengal).

Sentosa?

Interestingly, Wikipedia shows the Indian Ocean going as far as the Malay peninsula and therefore including my guess. However that does also mean that several hundred Indonesian islands are also possibles.

Sentosa? No.
My reading of wikipedia is, roughly speaking, that there is one pretty broad definition of ocean, whereby pretty much all salt water is included in one ocean or another. Within these oceans there are then various pieces of water that have their own names -- example, the Bay of Bengal is part of the Indian Ocean. But there is also a narrower definition, in which the oceans are basically all the unnamed left over bits.

In the East Indies?

Excuse me for having 2 goes in a row - but at least it's not a guess at the answer.
That was my understanding as well, but I hadn't really thought about the implications in that part of the world, if you're going to say that you go directly from the Indian to the Pacific ocean.

East Indian? No.

Part of Australia?

Komodo?

Australian? No.
Komodo? No.
Not sure why it is proving so hard to narrow this down, other than the fact that people are doing a fair amount of guessing of places that have already been ruled out, and people are jumping perhaps too soon to guessing particular places.

What you know: This is an inhabited non-volcanic tropical island, one of a group, smaller than the Isle of Arran, not recently in the news. Rock climbing occurs there, and it does not have significant amounts of water on it.

It is located in a named body of water that is typically understood to be in the Indian Ocean. (As long as we are taking the broad definition of ocean there is no ambiguity about which ocean it is in.)

It is not Sentosa, Réunion, Al Hallaniyah, Komodo, Java, one of the Maldives, or one of the Andaman and Nicobar islands. It is not in the Arabian Sea or the Bay of Bengal. It is not African or Australasian, or in the East Indies. It is not a British Overseas Territory.

I will tell you for free that I think you are unlikely simply to guess it without more information. I don't expect everyone here to have heard of it (it may fail the Rosie test) but I would expect some or several people to have done so. It does have a couple of claims to fame. And there was a reason why I chose it as a subject; it's not just some random small island.

Is this island inhabited by natives of the territory (as opposed to resident scientists)?

Does it have a name in English?

Phuket Island?

Was it affected by a tsunami a few years ago?

Inhabited by natives? I'd guess that most of the inhabitants are natives of the country of which this island is part, but very few would have been born on the island itself. There are also certainly some foreign residents, but I doubt if there are many scientists.
Name in English? Not exactly sure what you mean, but I think the best answer is No. (It can certainly be referred to using the English language, and in that sense the answer is yes, but I presume you mean something more than that.)
Phuket? No. *applause* (As an example to clarify my previous answer, I would say that "Phuket" is not a name in English as I understand the term; it is simply an English phonetic representation of the island's name in Thai.)
Tsunami-affected? Yes. *applause*

In the Andaman Sea?

Though if the answer is yes then we may need a clarification on the meaning of 'East Indies'.

Andaman Sea? Yes. My bad, sorry. I thought I knew the meaning of East Indies and didn't even bother to check. Turns out there's been a gap in my geographical knowledge all my life.

Yes, wikipedia's definition was wider than I expected, but since you'd already quoted wikipedia I assumed you were going with it. BTW I think I have a very good candidate for the answer, but I'll wait a couple of hours or until someone else has had a go.

OK, I'm feeling a bit less stupid now

According to Britannica online's entry on East Indies:

"Historically, the term East Indies is loosely applied to any of three contexts. The most restrictive and best-known use is as a synonym for the islands that now constitute the Republic of Indonesia (formerly known as the Netherlands Indies, or Dutch East Indies); these include the Greater Sunda Islands (Borneo, Celebes, Java, and Sumatra), the Lesser Sunda Islands (stretching eastward from Bali to Timor), the Moluccas, and New Guinea (including Papua New Guinea on the eastern half of the island). In a second, larger sense, East Indies refers to the Malay Archipelago (including the Philippines), which now is more commonly called insular (or archipelagic) Southeast Asia. Finally, in its broadest context, the term East Indies encompasses the foregoing plus all of mainland Southeast Asia and India."

By this account, islands in the Andaman sea would be included in the second definition or the third, depending in turn on the exact meaning of "Malay Archipelago", but not in the first.

On the other hand, that discussion also suggests that perhaps I should not have had reservations about including this island in an archipelago.

Were you there, either during or shortly after the tsunami?

Was I there? No. I have never been there.

Koh Phi Phi?

No, it begins with ผ

เกาะ ผีผี (pronounced Pee Pee) is indeed the correct answer. Somehow, Tuj never shows up when he is really needed. (Phi Phi actually refers to a small group of islands, but when answering I had in mind the largest, Phi Phi Don.)

One บะถน handed over.

kob kun krab. I couldn't remember the name, but I searched for 'beach movie location' as I remembered about the fuss over bringing in palm trees etc.

This next one is ANIMAL with Abstract connections

Human Animal?

[GL] Human? - YES

Alive?

[Rosie] Still with us? - NO

English-speaking? (Back when he or she was still alive enough to speak, of course)

[CdM] Anglophone? - NO

Male?

[irach] The stronger sex? - YES

Infamous?

European?

[FGZstar] Infamy, infamy? - NO
[CdM] European? - NO

Real person based on whom a movie was made?

Alive at any time during the 20th century?

[irach] Movie subject? - NO
[CdM] Around in C20? - NO

Biblical figure?

A national leader?

A single individual?

(We've been assuming that, but haven't confirmed it)

[irach] Biblical? - NO
[Rosie] National Leader? - Not as easy to answer as you'd think, as it depends on the definition of both words. I'll say NO(ish)
[CdM] individual? - YES

A state governor?

Begins with P?

[CdM] For shame! Mea culpa

Of African racial descent?

(Within the last three hundred years, I mean, since I believe we all are in another sense).

[FGZstar] gubernatorial? - NO
[Tuj] Pstarting? - NO
[Projoy] Out of Africa? - NO

From the East Indies?

(proudly flaunting my new-found knowledge)

[CdM] East Indiaman? - NO (by any definition)

Alive in the C19th?

Sonam Gyatso?

[Projoy] 19th century? - YES
[CdM] Dalai Lama(III)? - NO

From North America?

Does the abstract part of the answer on the card result from this gentleman lending his name to something or somewhere?

Spanish-speaking?

[Projoy] Unlikely (though not impossible) given that he was not an Anglophone. We're probably down to S. America, Russia or China.
[INJ] The first or the third, depending on which Wikipedia page you go to...

[Projoy] N America? - NO
[Dujon] Eponym? - NO (but don't give up on the abstract element - I reckon you need it as well)
[CdM] Hispanophone? - NO
BTW There was a slight murmur of appreciation in the audience at CdM's previous question. Also, to clarify, I don't know that the male in question spoke no English or Spanish, but it's unlikely and they certainly weren't his first language.

Hannibal?

Have you read any of the previous answers?

[FGZstar] Hannibal? - NO (of course there could be a Hannibal who didn't come from Africa and was alive in the 19th Century)

Associated with a specific religion?

[CdM] Mm. Lots of non-Anglophones in Mexico, I'd've thought, in the C19th, not to mention now, and I daresay some indigenous North American people in the C19th might not have spoken English...

[Projoy] A specific religion? - YES *applause*

From Asia?

[Projoy] Asian? - YES

[CdM et al] An apology is in order from me this time. I have had another look at Wikipedia and by the longest stretch of the definition with the longest stretch he could be described as from the East Indies - just not by any use of the term I've ever come across. Can we agree going forward that we'll only use the term for the Malay/Indonesia/Borneo/Phillipines etc. archipelagos?

From China (C19 borders)?

[Projoy] Chinese? - NO

Do you know the name of this individual?

[Projoy] I didn't mean unlikely in the sense that it was unlikely you'd be able to find a non-Anglophone in N. America. I meant unlikely that the solution to this AVMA would be North American and non-Anglopohone. If you see what I mean.

[CdM] Do I know his name? - YES, and I would accept that - but that's not what's on the card.

from Asia Minor?

[Projoy] Little Asia? - NO

From the Middle East?

[Projoy] Middle Eastern? - NO (Between you & CdM you've straddled the target very well)

From India?

[FGZstar] From India? - Depends - Not from somewhere that is currently in India.

From what is now Pakistan?

Well, that was a bit painful

[Projoy] Land of the Pure? - YES *relieved applause*

Gotama Siddhattha?

[GL] Sid Arthur? - NO (wrong country and 2400 years too early)

Dalip Singh Sukerchakia (aka The Last Maharajah)?

(yes, I looked him up)

Actually, he probably spoke English, didn't he? Hm...

Ranjit Singh, Lion of the Punjab?

(aka "Napoleon of the East", to boot)

[Projoy] Last Maharajah? - NO
Lion of the Punjab? - NO
You're right, it's quite plausible that the person in question had some English given where and when he lived, but I don't know that and it wouldn't be helpful to know in any way I can think of.
P.S. Don't forget the Abstract - there's more to it than just a nickname.

Is this person popularly supposed to be divine in some way?

And I'm not talking about a fabulous hairdo.

[Projoy] Divinity? - NO but *some applause*

Imran Khan?

Is The Answer the title of a person or an office they would hold?

Hm. I must admit I'm even drawing a blank with Wikipedia on this one.

Does the abstract element link to some present-day phrase or saying?

[Software] Imran Khan - NO
[Projoy] Titular? - YES *another small ripple of applause*
[CdM] Phrase or saying? - NO
I think you're only a couple of questions away - in fact, if you came up with the answer I think you would have a pretty good idea that it was correct. The religious element was important, but I had no idea it existed when I chose the subject and I expect it's not really going to help much except as confirmation. The abstract link is probably the key.

Does the title take the form "The X of X"?

(Or rather, the X of Y, I suppose)

[Projoy] 'X of Y'? - YES *the audience starts getting coats and bags together*

Is the "Y" a specific city, such as Lahore?

[Projoy] Why a city? - NO, not a city

Not the Nawab of Pataudi, shurely?

[Rosie] The Noob? - NO (Assuming you mean Iftikir or Mansoor Ali Khan, the cricketers, then it's wrong century & country again)

Is the "Y" the name of a "nation" - e.g. a body of people even if not necessarily a recognised state?

[Projoy] Nation/people - Let me put it this way. It's the name of a geographical area and, by extension, the people who inhabit it. Whether they constituted a 'nation' or 'people' at the time is less clear.

Is the area Punjab?

[Projoy] - Punjab? NO
BTW it would be a bit of a blow if someone else were to jump in and get it now, wouldn't it? (This the last time I'll say it, but - Abstract?)

OK - the abstract connection... to do with a published work of fiction?

[Projoy] Printed Page? - YES *audience perk up again*
Fiction? - Category Error (If forced, I would say Yes, but that's misleading)

Is this person mentioned in a religious work?

The Akond of Swat, as in Edward Lear's "Who or which or why or what, Is the Akond of Swat"...?

Well, there you go

After all Projoy's hard work!!!
It is The Akond of Swat (or Akhund, if you prefer) - Muslim Saint and key regional figure on the NW frontier of the late C18 and first half of C19, but much better known these days because of Mr Lear.
The baton passes to irach.

Not kicking myself

It's OK. I hadn't actually heard of the AoS, so probably would have taken me several days more working solo!

Profanity restraint.

Two in succession I haven't heard of. This is so-ooo boring.

[Rosie, all] Constructive suggestion: perhaps when a player sets a new answer, they could email it to Rosie first, and he can confirm he's heard of it before the round commences. That way, there'll be a more level playing field.

This one is ANIMAL.

Human?

Alive?

[Glogin] Yes, human.
[Projoy] Dead as a doornail.

Unique individual?

Female?

[CdM] ? . . . ;)

[Dujon] As opposed to a collection of humans. And also, perhaps, as opposed to an individual defined by his or her role (e.g., 'The British Prime Minister'), so at any moment the answer is an individual, but that individual is not the only person to have held that role. But yes, "specific" rather than "unique" might have been a bit less of a tautological repetition of the same thing.

From a country which has English as one of its official languages?

Died in C20?

[CdM] Yes, a unique named individual.
[Dujon] No, not female.
[FGZ*] No, no English speak.
[Pro :)] Did not die in C20.

Died in C21?

Died in C19?

A political figure?

A deeply religious chap?

[CdM] My aplogies, but I couldn't resist. Your response had me chuckling out loud. Thanks.

European?

[Rosie] Sorry you feel that way about it, but I don't consider one of Edward Lear's best-known poems to be obscure and the Swat valley has been in the news quite a lot in the last few years. The other information about him was new to me.

A renowned thinker?

[Gusset Login] Did not die in C21.
[Projoy] Did not die in C19.
[CdM] A political figure... yes, in a manner of speaking.
[Dujon] As far as I know nothing is really known if or whether the individual was a deeply religious chap or not.
[ImNotJohn] Not European.
[FGZStar] He certainly had a following, but was not specifically known as a philosopher-type renowned thinker.

Primarily known as a warrior?

[ImNotJohn] In some biographical accounts, he is known as a warrrior.

Died after CE1500?

From the Indian subcontinent?

[Projoy] Yes, he died after CE 1500.
[Raak} Not from the Indian subcontinent.

Died before CE1700?

[Projoy] Yes, died before CE 1700

Chinese?

Was he an artist of some sort?

[INJ] Well, the poem was about the fact he knew nothing about him... ;)

[Raak] Not Chinese.
[Tuj] Not an artist.

South American?

So far this man seems to have been singularly unimpressive. Was he Russian?

[Projoy] Not South American.
[Dujon] Not Russian.

The leader of a group of people?

From North America?

(by which I mean everything from the Panama isthmus to Alert)

Begins with P?

From the territory that would later be the USSR?

[ImNotJohn] Yes! The leader of a group of people.
[Projoy} Yes, from North America (the audience sits up, roused from slumber induced by apathy, and now bristles with anticipation).
[Tuj] Does not begin with "P".
[Raak] See the last response to Projoy. Therefore, "Nyet".

Of European ethnicity?

From Mexico?

[Rosie] Not of European ancestry.
[Projoy] Yes. Si, si! Méxicano.

Moctezuma II?

Moctezuma II it is. A baton shaped like an Aztec battle mace, decorated with quetzal feathers is handed over to Projoy!

Koh Phi Phi (potassium hydroxide, half of one plus root five, half of one plus root five), The Akond of Swat, as opposed to the Akond of Chemical Insect Repellant, and Moctezuma II, presumably related to the Retributively Laxative One. You children are all far too clever for me.

[Rosie] Yep, Moctezuma II is better known to many (including me up to a few moments before I made my guess) simply as Montezuma. I daresay irach would have accepted that answer too...

OK, the next is ABSTRACT

The unbearable lightness of being?

The set of things Rosie knows?

Dismay?

Abstractness?

[jim] Lightness? *some audience laughter* NO
[INJ] What Rosie Knew? NO, altho I considered very seriously setting that!
[Phil] Dismay or Datmay? NO
[Raak] A study in abstraction? NO, altho I wish I had thought to set that.

A way of life?

Related to the arts?

Begins with P?

[Knobbly] A way of life? NO
[INJ] Related to the arts? YEAH, SOMEWHAT
[Tuj] Begins with P? YES
(Hypothesis: the discovery of the initial letter always encourages players to start making random guesses much earlier than they otherwise would, resulting in slower actual progress toward the answer. However, drawing players' attention to this hypothetical phenomenon might counteract the effect by nudging them toward persistence with deductive questioning instead of randomly guessing words beginning with P for three days.)

Does it consist of words?

A condition that affects people?

Is it you?

[Raak] Not quite sure how to interpret the question. The Answer obviously consists of [the] words [on the card] but the words making up The Answer don't refer to something that consists of words (e.g. "a phrase") How'd I do?
[!John] A condition? NO
[Tuj] I'm so vain, you bet I think this clue is about me? NO (I've already been an answer in this game, in fact).

Paulo Picasso?

Musical connection?

(I figure I'm allowed a serious question as well.)

Tangible?

[CdM] PP the Painter? NO
[CdM] Music? NO.
[FGZstar] Can be tanged? NO

Related to religion?

Is it a human invention?

Persistence?

[Phil] Religious? NO
[Tuj] A human invention? I WOULD SAY NOT, altho there are arguments either way.
[GL] Persistence? NO :)

Related to mathematics?

Is the answer on the card a single word?

[CdM] Numbery? BARELY
[Tuj] alloneword? There are three words on the card, but there's definitely a one word answer I'd accept.

So, so far, we have tenuous connections to both the arts and mathematics.

Did the Ancient Greeks know about this?

[INJ] Greeks knew? I EXPECT SO, altho I know of no evidence they did.

(Having googled the topic of The Ancient Greeks and The Answer, and discovered it to be an extremely subtle matter, I'd put it another way: The Answer was certainly manifest in Ancient Greece and its existence was unlikely to have been overlooked, but for reasons that will become clear, a straight yes would be a significant oversimplification.)

Would yer average Guardian-reading Surrey pensioner be aware of this?

[Rosie] If you've never heard of this, I simply won't know how much lower it's possible to set the bar in future :P

Related to physics?

[irach] Physics-related? YES, SOMEWHAT

Something to do with light?

[Rosie] Light-related? YES.

Is the word 'rainbow' relevant?

The summer solstice?

[Duj] Rainbow-relevant? YES, to an extent.
[Rosie] Wicker Man weather? NO.

Prism-related?

Polarization of light?

Lightning?

Maxwell's equations?

[CdM] Prism sentence? NOT REALLY
[irach] Pole dancing? NO
[Rosie] Stormy weather? NO
[Raak] Maxwell? NO

Colour-blindness?

Photosynthesis?

Does a particular colour appear on the card? (Pink, purple, puce...)

[Rosie] Color-blindness? *audience applause and cheering* NO
[Knobbly] Sunshine into cells? NO
[CdM] YES!! You have landed right on it. The words on the card are The Color Puce, all of which appear in your question, so I think you win. *hands over a purplish-brown sort of baton*

Well! That was unexpected!
This one is ABSTRACT, with various ANIMAL connections (and more tenuous MINERAL and VEGETABLE connections)

Barbeque?

An activity?

Just in case anyone wondered about the Ancient Greek stuff, the name for the color puce dates back to C18 France, and there's no extant evidence that the Ancient Greeks had a word for it. In fact there seems to be considerable doubt that Ancient Greek words for colors even really map to current concepts of color, with the color words not necessarily describing a shade, but physical properties instead or as well as.

Barbequan? No
Acting Town? No. I doubt that I will be able to keep this theme up for long :-)

A Human Construct?

Made-up Vale? Yes.

Animal sacrifice?

Anything to do with the tube?

(May as well be obvious if no-one else will)

Killingdone? No.
Tubish? Interesting question. The simple answer is No. Nevertheless, there is one connection, highly tangential yet perhaps still significant.

Is the animal connection entirely human?

Human animals? Yes. There are different kinds of animal connections, to various different humans.

To any particular human is there just one type of animal connection?

Types of connection? Let me try to clarify. There are, I would say, three distinct animal connections, each of a rather different kind. Each is a connection to a particular individual or group of individuals. (So I'm not sure I understand the question, but I think the answer is yes.)

Begins with P?

[CdM] Phew! Can't wait for that answer to become clear at the end of this round!

Dujjon

Is this a form of commendation bestowed upon an individual, group of individuals or posthumously?

If that makes sense.

Begins with P? No.
Commmmendation? No.

Is the Tube connection to do with the name of a particular station?

Is it artistic?

Tangential tube connection to particular station? Yes *applause*
Artistic? Um, yes. I suppose. *laughter*
Sorry, I'm traveling right now so internet connection is a bit interrupted

Is the human connection to specific individuals, alive or dead?

The Butcher, the Baker and the Candlestick maker? With Baker Street being the tangential Tube connection and representing three different groups of individuals...

Connected with the world of work?

Specific individuals alive or dead? As I said, I am thinking of three connections. One is to a group of specific individuals, all alive to the best of my knowledge. The second is to a single specific individual, alive. The third is to a specific individual who is fictional.
BBC? No. (The tube connection is very specifically to an individual station. It is tangential in the sense that the link between that station and the answer is somewhat indirect. Pursuing that connection might not be the easiest way to the answer, but it is one possible route.)
Work-related? No.

Is it associated with a particular location?

Associated with a particular location? Difficult to answer. In one sense, yes. But in the sense that you probably intend, I think the best answer is No.

Invented within the last 100 years?

Cor, right. Let's muck in.

Invented in last hundred years? Yes (though "invented" is not the usual word).

[Tuj] In response to your prior question, I'll add for free that the reason that it's difficult to answer is that the particular location is -- to the best of my knowledge -- fictional.

Is it associated with television?

[CdM] Very sporting of you, and very conscientiously answered =)

I'm glad someone's still playing!

TV-related? No.

Harry Potter related?

Do any of these people have something in common besides The Answer?

Pottery? No.
Things in common? The group of individuals have in common the fact that they are part of this group of individuals. The specific fictional individual is linked to this group. The specific real individual is, as far as I know, completely unconnected except through The Answer.

Any religious connection?

Science-related?

Is the group of individuals a popular beat combo?

Any connection to sport?

Religious connection? No.
Science-related? No.
Popular beat combo? Yes! *loud applause*
Sporting connection? No.

Is the answer a song title?

Song title? Yes. *applause*

The Diary of Horace Wimp?

Is the fictional human a character named in the song?

Horace Wimp? No.
Fictional human named in the song? Yes. *applause*

Eleanor Rigby?

The rise and fall of someone or other?

The unmourned Ms Rigby? No.
Rise and fall? No.

Incidentally, I seem to have beaten Wikipedia with this one. None the less, I am confident that many people here will know the answer. I am even tentatively confident that Rosie is one of them. :-)

Also incidentally, it occurs to me that, for completeness, I should note that there are a large number of other animal connections, but these are uninteresting and unhelpful in terms of getting to the answer.

My Old Man (who's a dustman)

Tentatively confident that this is not the answer, but may help.

Gorblimey trousers? No. You were warmer with Eleanor Rigby (though not warm enough to get applause, remember)

Mr Postman (please)

Another pot-shot before I start asking serious questions.

Is the fictional person, who is named in the song, male?

Is the character named in the title?

Postman Pat? No.
Fictional person male? No.
Eponymity? Yes.

Mr Tambourine Man?

[Rosie] That would have to be Ms Tambourine Man, so No.

Is the real person named in the song?

Real person named in the song? The name of the real person appears in the song, but not as a reference to the real person.

A song from before 1960?

The Girl from Ipanema?

re - Tambourine Person. It was getting late, even for me.

Mrs Robinson?

Pre-1960? No.
Ipanemanian? No.
Anne Bancroft? No.

A British song?

Let me summarise/recapitulate and answer Rosie's question as I do so.

You are looking for a song, written since 1960. performed by a popular* beat combo. The title of the song includes (or perhaps is) the name of a female fictional person. The song also has a connection to a real person (actually, many real people, but only one is of interest); to clarify my earlier response to INJ, the real person shares a name with the fictional person named in the song.

Now here is some more information for free: Wikipedia informed/reminded me that there are actually quite a few songs with the same or related titles. Some of these songs are better known than the one I have in mind (which is, remember, sufficiently obscure that it is not mentioned in Wikipedia). Of course, finding one of these other songs would be a possible route to the answer. The song that I have in mind is British. The song that I have in mind also has a tangential connection to a particular LU station. A fictional location is named in the song, but I don't think that's helpful.

You are not likely to guess it outright (although that's not impossible). Your best route might be to focus on the real person at this point. Or, if you like, on the LU link. You are also welcome to ask questions about the other songs that share the same title, but I warn you that most of them are not songs that I know.

*It's fair to say it was popular at the time. It's also fair to say it is largely forgotten now, I think.

Nonetheless, is the song from the sixties?

Is the real person still alive?

Taking the suggested route

Song from the sixties? Yes.
Real person still alive? Yes.

(Oh, and two other LU stations are tangentially linked to the LU station that is tangentially linked to the song.)

Is the character referred to by their given name (with or without surname)?

Caroline by the Fortunes?

A Beatles song?

Referred to by given name? Yes.
Caroline? No.
Beatles? No. I remind you that I said that this particular group is largely forgotten.

Does the song title consist of the person's given name and family name and nothing else?

as in 'Eleanor Rigby' or 'Jennifer Eccles'

Is the surname mentioned in the title?

[INJ, Projoy] The song title consists of a given name (which might or might not be a nickname) and nothing else.

A propos of not much, I'm amused that there is a connection (via a rather better known performer) that I can draw between Software's guess and the answer. But that on its own is unlikely to be of help to you. If you need a clue later I might elaborate on that.

Softwareq

Lola?

Lola? No. (I really do think it is unlikely you will just guess it)

Was the real person an adult when the song was released?

Real person an adult? Good question. I'm almost certain that the answer is yes.

Is the real person British?

British? Yes.

The real person: renowned as a great beauty at the time of the song?

Great beauty? *audience laughter* Whether the person was a great beauty I have no idea. I'm confident that the person was not widely renowned for the fact.

Was she known mainly for her profession?

Is the person known simply by their first/given name?

Real person known mainly for profession? No. (But the fictional person, perhaps yes.)
Real person known simply by first/given name? The least misleading answer is Yes, though the strict answer is probably No.

Is the real person most famous for being married to or in a relationship with someone substantively famous?

Real person famous for relationship? No. Check your assumptions.

Is the real person the same for every questioner?

So (trying to summarise it for myself). The answer is a song title from the sixties released by a group who are not particularly well-known now (I'm thinking of the stature of The Honeycombs). The title is a woman's given name/nickname . That name is also the name of a real individual also identifiable solely by that single given name (or perhaps more likely, nickname). The real individual is still alive and was probably? an adult when the song was released.

Real person the same for every questioner? Yes. But if you had asked the question a bit differently I might have had to give a very different answer.

And I think your summary is accurate. Don't think I know/remember the Honeycombs (but then I had forgotten the name of the band that sang the answer before I looked it up, even though I remembered several of their songs).

Was the real person we've been talking about famous at all?

Was the real person famous? No. *applause* Now question your other assumptions. :-)

Having googled The Honeycombs, I think INJ has it about right. The group that sang the answer is perhaps a bit better known (although its Wikipedia entry is shorter), but certainly roughly equivalent in stature.

Speaking of The Honeycombs, the first second of this video is worth seeing.

Is the real person only identified by a relationship?

Like 'Grandma'

BTW - Can't look at Youtube from work. This is getting to be more and more of a restriction.

Is this non-famous real person also female?

Real person identified by relationship? No.
Non-famous real person female? No! *applause*
(I'm reasonably confident, by the way, that INJ will know/remember the answer, and I think most Morniversers of my age or older will also know it. I'm less sure about Young Master Projoy and his contemporaries -- they may need to use the google -- although I think there is a good chance that he (they) would at least know another song by the group.)

Rosie?

I can think of 2 60's songs with that title. The one by a group would be The New Vaudeville Band IIRC (not googled)

INJ has it! Rosie by the New Vaudeville Band is the answer on the card. The timeless lyrics, for those of you who have forgotten, began
There's a pub in town called the Rose and Crown
And one day I met Rosie there.
(dadada)
She served my drink with a knowing wink
I knew that I would get somewhere
(dadada)
I heard her whisper she was mine
So we left before closing time

Rosie was on the B-side of Finchley Central. Timeless lyrics:
Finchley Central is two and sixpence from Golders Green on the Northern Line
And on the platform, by the kiosk, that's where you said you'd be mine
There we made a date
For hours I waited
But I'm blowed, you never showed.

However, the NVB were most famous for Winchester Cathedral, a top ten hit in the UK, and number one in the US. I won't bother to reproduce the timeless lyrics. Part of my reason for choosing this answer was the discussion of music over at mcios, where INJ observed that a lot of that 60s music we thought was so great doesn't actually hold up all that well. And yet, and yet...

The link to Software's Caroline guess was through Neil Diamond (Sweet Caroline and Cracklin' Rosie). I will leave it to Rosie himself to tell us if he was a (a) an adult and (b) a great beauty in 1967.

*takes baton made of polyvinylchloride, drills very narrow hole through the center along its entire length, compresses the ends of the cylinder until it is a flat disc of about 17.8 cm diameter, and gives it to INJ*

Rosie, oh Rosie. It's raining when you look the other way.

And again Projoy asks the key question and someone else does a Cavendish on him. I feel almost embarrassed (but not enough to give up my turn).

OK, this one is VEGETABLE

Is it a pea?

Welp, I'm glad the cavalry arrived for that one =)

Edible?

[Tuj] Begins with a 'P' (followed by an 'e' and an 'a')? - NO
[CdM] Comestible? - NO

Is it classed as a tree?

Is it Alive?

Is it unique?

[Knobbly] Tree-y? - YES *applause*
[GLogin] Alive? - YES
[Tuj] Oneique? - YES

Is it notable for its dimension?

Tane Mahoute?

Notable for other than physical reasons?

(CdM et al) (a) Adult in 1967? I have never been an adult except where it matters. (b) A great beauty? Only two Morniversers, Software and Chalky, know what I really look like. Ask them, while I quietly yet viciously twist their arms. I was a little prettier in 1967 but not much, time having been kind to me.
(INJ) That's the only Rosie I can remember. (Don Partidge). I started work at a perfume factory as a chemist in Jan 67 and immediately got called Rosie by the lads in the factory, from my first name, and hence the monicker. That having been established, when the song came out in 1968 they started singing it at me. All quite aimiable, despite my white coat and their boiler suits since I was quite young (25). I don't remember Rosie by the New Vaudeville Band BTW.

A form of grass?

The Royal Oak at Boscobel?

This is going quickly

[Tuj] - monster bonsai? - NO
[FGZStar] Lord of the Forest? - NO
[Rosie] Other than Physically famous? - Hmmm, I could argue that either way depending on what you mean by physical reasons. Let's go for NOish.
[Dujon] Bamboo-ey? - NO
[CdM] The original Royal Oak? - NO

Famous due to location?

In Europe?

Would Robin Hood have strong connections?

[FGZstar] Famous for site? - NO
[CdM] European? - NO
[Dujon] Majorly Hoodie? - NO (though that's where I started before deciding on the actual answer)

Superlative in any respect?

(physically, I mean)

Is this a specific tree-y object (as opposed to a unique family or grouping)?

[Projoy] x-est? - YES *prolonged applause*
[Dujon] Specific tree? - YES

Apologies for infrequent responses - heavy decorating weekend, and discovered the wireless router only works properly when it's in the room we've stripped out.

Is it notable for its age?

"Methuselah" the bristlecone pine from California?

We have a winner

Projoy has it - it is Methuselah - the current oldest known living tree (I would have accepted that as an answer). After his efforts in the last few, I regard that as well-deserved.
One slightly bristly baton passed on

Timber!

Phew. Glad to have finally felled one after so long (altho as with Akond of Swat, I wouldn't have gotten "Rosie" very quickly, if at all, using the deductive method. Still enjoyed both tho).

This one is VEGETABLE and/or ABSTRACT (and topical). Probably a bit of mineral involved too, but unlikely to help.

The Great Pumpkin?

Is it largely paper?

The Sunny Sun on Sunday?

[Raak] Pumpkin? NO
[Tuj] Largely paper? YES, typically.
[CdM] The Even Newers of the World? NO

Does it have words on it?

A book?

[Raak] Has words on? YES *applause*
[INJ] A book? NO

A printed apology?

:o)

Related to the phone hacking scandal?

[Software] Desperate PR exercise? NO
[Raak] Phone-hacking related? YES

A letter of resignation?

[Raak] YES! and please accept mine from the chairmanship. *hands over envelope*

MINERAL.

Unique?

Stone?

[jim] Unique.
[Projoy] Not stone.

Man made?

[K] Man made.

An alloy?

The Eiffel Tower?

Unique?

Oops. Already answered. Located in Europe?

The Golden Gate bridge?

[D] Not an alloy.
[GL] Not the Eiffel Tower.
[P] Mmm...slightly tricky. No, not in Europe.
[i] Not the Golden Gate.

Has it ever been in Europe?

[P] (nerdish nit-picking mode) tricky... (common sense mode) No, it's never been in Europe.

Bigger than a house by volume?

In the Middle East?

[P] Bigger than a small house, maybe not bigger than a large one.
[CdM] (common sense mode) Not in the Middle East.

Is it a single, discrete structure (that has been made up of mostly the same molecules for the length of its existence)?

On the surface of the earth?

Begins with P?

[P] Roughly, yes, a single discrete structure.
[INJ] *applause!* Not at the moment.
[Tuj] Does not begin with P.

Space shuttle Atlantis?

A non-geostationary manmade satellite?

[P] no, because...
[CdM] Atlantis it is. Have this space alloy baton carved out of the scrap metal of our space dreams.

Standing on the shoulders of others' coattails there.

This one should be easier than my last couple, I think. It is VEGETABLE (and I suppose technically MINERAL as well).

Salted potato crisp or chip?

edible?

Smaller than a toaster?

Crispchip? No.
Edible? Yes
Smaller than toaster? Not really a well defined question.

Smaller than a standard two slice toaster?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wahl-Slice-Toaster-Touch-ZX515/dp/B000SZ085Y/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1311252738&sr=8-11

Larger than a toaster in some dimension(s) but smaller in others?

Is it unique?

Does it consist of a single vegetable ingredient?

e.g. Mashed Potato rather than sliced bread

Mineral salt?

Solid?

A single, discrete item?

Is its main purpose to be eaten?

Or is its edibility merely because of material choice?

Liquidy or pureed?

Toaster questions? Still not well-defined.
Unique? No.
Single ingredient? No.
Salty? No (I can't definitively say there is no salt, but it's not what I was thinking of and I have found no mention of it).
Solid? No.
Discrete item? No.
Meant to be eaten? Yes.
Liquid? Yes.

Does it come in different flavours?

Does it come in a variety of sizes?

Different flavours? Yes, at least sort of.
Different sizes? Again, it's a liquid so the question is not really very well-defined. That said, Yes is a reasonable answer.

Could I buy it in a British supermarket?

A glass of something?

Astescbury? Perhaps not every supermarket, but I'm sure you could find it easily.
Glass of something? That's how you'd often encounter it, Yes. <*applause*

Is it (gasp) intoxicating?

Intoxicating? Yes. (No applause because the audience, knowing me, was taking that for granted.)

Old Rosie?

The brand of alcoholic beverage not the (relatively youthful) player of this game.

distilled?

Old Rosie? No.
Distilled? Yes.

A whisky?

Whisky? No. And for free, I'll tell you it is also not a whiskey.

A particular brand of distilled beverage?

Tequila?

Tequila? No. (I think I did that once before, years ago)

A brandy?

amaretto?

A particular brand?

Brandy? No.
Amaretto? Yeeeuuuuch. No.
Particular brand? Oops, sorry, missed that. No.

Invented in Europe?

European? Yes.

Akvavit?

Akvavit/aquavit? No.

Associated with a particular country?

Distilled from a fruit?

Distilled from a grain?

Absinthe?

Rock & Rye?

Associated with a particular country? Yes.
Distilled from fruit? Yes.
Distilled from grain? No.
Absinthe? No. *loud applause*
Sex and drugs and fruit-flavored whiskey? No.

I have a feeling that INJ is going to hit me with a few technical fouls on this one, revolving around certain definitions.

Ouzo?

Ouzo? No. *more applause*

Anis?

Sambuca?

Actually, no, not distilled from a fruit per se. How 'bout pastis?

And it is indeed the one that begins with P -- pastis. The technicalities that I had trouble with were (a) do liqueurs such as pastis (which is technically a liqueur because it has sugar added) that have as their basis a distilled alcohol themselves count as distilled?; and should I have at least given some applause to brandy, given that the broad definition of brandy is alcohol distilled from fruit? It was actually surprisingly hard to find what kind of alcohol typically forms the basis for a pastis, since it is the added herbs etc rather the alcohol that are its defining feature.

One provencale baton handed to Projoy

Gosh, I never knew of such subtleties. I thought they chucked fruit in a bucket, waited till it went off then poured off the juice into bottles...

These last few have gone refreshingly quickly. Here's an attempt at another swift one (famous last words) ABSTRACT

Human construct?

[CdM] HuCo? YEAH, I guess so.

Topical?

[INJ] Topical? NO

Begins with P?

One of the cardinal sins?

[Tuj] P? NO
[cfm] Se7en? NO

Related to current events?

An emotion?

[FGZstar] Currency? NO
[GL] Emotion? NOT REALLY, altho there are connections to emotion.

One word on the card?

A medical condition?

[Tuj] Monolog? NO
[FGZstar] A medical condition? NO *a few laughs*

(PS. While I was unwell a little while ago I passed the time by listing all the answers in this game. This is the 439th clue. When we get to 500, I might post up the details).

Something debunked?

Experienced by the typical morniverser?

Related to the arts?

[cfm] Debunked? NO
[CdM] Experienced by us? HM. Not sure I can give a meaningful answer, and certainly not a helpful one.
[INJ] Arts? YES, there is an arts connection.

Related to a particular colour?

[Proj] I did once list all the outcomes of the Begins-with-P question - so it'd be interesting to see what percentage of subjects actually have begun with P. Also, did you note how many questions it took to determine each answer?

Primarily the performing arts?

[Tuj] Color? NO
[INJ] Performing? NO
[Tuj] I'm quite sad, but not quite that sad! I did take a note of how many days each one took, tho, so that's a rough and ready guide.

Generally positive?

[CdM] +ve? *much audience laughter and some applause* YES, DEFINITELY.

Connected to music?

An award?

[Tuj] Music-y? NO
[INJ] An award? NO *some matey laughter*

A board game?

[Duj] Board Game? NO

Specific to a particular culture?

Primarily confined to electronic media?

[CdM] Culture-specific? NO (altho the artistic connection is)
[INJ] Electronic media? NO

Related to, um, reproduction?

Figuring that the audience is easily amused.

[CdM] Sexy? *audience laughter* NO (only in the most tangential manner, via the artistic connection)

Related to the visual arts?

Painting, photography, etc. as opposed to performing or literary.

[INJ] Visual arts? NO (but it's one of the others you named)

Related to the literary arts?

Oblig.

A particular type of writing?

[Tuj] Yes, that was the next question

[Tuj] Related to literature? YES
[INJ] Particular kind thereof? YES

A specific literary work?

[FGZstar] Related to a specific work? YES

A novel?

[INJ] Related to a novel? YES

Is it the title of said novel?

[Tuj] Eponymous? NO

Comedic?

[Chalky] Is the novel with which The Answer is connected comedic? NO

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?

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?

RAAK

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*

Merlyn

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?

Fakename

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?

Is this a question?

Is Beauty Truth?

One day, someone will get a hole in one ... but ...

[Raak] NO, not a kobold.
[Tuj] If this is an answer ...
[GL] Only if the truth in question is particularly beautiful.

Human construct?

Associated with a particular country?

[CdM] YES, a human construct.
[Tuj] NO, not associated with a particular country.

Related to the arts?

[cfm] Depends how you define "the arts", but in a broad sense, YES, related to the arts.

A rock carving?

Ancient cave paintings?

Something that no longer exists?

[Dujon] NO, not a rock carving.
[Raak] NO, not ancient cave paintings neither
[Tuj] NO, it still exists.

Are the animal connection human?

Associated with a craft?

Is the mineral connection metal?

Begins with P?

Ach sorry, low on willpower.

[INJ] YES, human.
[cfm] I have heard it described as a craft, but if you mean handicraft, NO.
[CdM] YES, metal. some applause from the audience
[Tuj] NO, alas, does not begin with P.

A memorial?

A ritual?

Blacksmithing?

Body Piercing?

[Software] NO, not a memorial.
[Raak] NO, not a ritual.
[irach] NO, not blacksmithing.
NO, not body piercing.

Religious significance?

An Action?

A Statue?

[Raak] It can have, but not in any sense that I think is going to help you.
[INJ] In a certain sense yes, but as generally understood NO.
[GL] A statue would be mineral with abstract/animal connections, so NO.

A figurative expression?

Connected with communication?

Connected with personal relationships?

[Raak] YES, in that the words on the card denote the answer in a figurative rather than a literal sense, although the expression is not the answer.
[INJ] YES, again in a broad sense, connected with communication.
[Tuj] It frequently is, but need not be.

A speech act of some sort?

Is the metal connection a specific metal item?

An advertising sign?

[Raak] NO, not speech as such (although it can be involved, but generally isn't).
[Tuj] NO, not a specific item.
[Software] NO, not an advertising sign.

Does it have a dircect connection with computers?

Involves the written word?

[Dujon] NO, no direct connection with computers.
[INJ] NO, does not (directly) involve the written word.

Is the metal in question as single metallic element found in the Periodic Table of Elements (such as iron or copper or lead), as opposed to a combination or alloy (e.g. brass, bronze, gunmetal)?

An astronomical constellation?

[irach] NO, not a specific metal, elemental or alloyed.
[Raak] NO, not an astronomical constellation.

An emotion or state of mind?

Associated with a particular place?

[CdM] NO, not an emotion or a state of mind.
[Tuj] Certain kinds of it are associated with certain regions, but not exclusively, and I shouldn't say the answer as a whole was associated with a given place.

An organisation?

[Raak] NO, not an organisation, although it involves a large number of small organisations.

Freemasonry?

Connected to commerce, business, or economics?

[Raak] NO, not freemasonry.
When I said "large number of small organisations" they wouldn't normally be referred to in those words, I should point out.
[CdM] YES, but the business side isn't generally considered the important bit.

A form of badge denoting membership of an organisation/club and their ilk?

Heavy metal music?

I like that guess!

Makes the sign of the horns

[Dujon] NO, not a badge, because ...
YES! The words on the card are Heavy Metal. At the end of the game, I fling my baton out into the crowd, where it is caught by irach.

I found it quite difficult answering all the "connected with X" questions without being misleading, since of course it can be connected with just about anything, if somebody writes a song about it. Relationships and (in one form or another) religion are frequent themes. The "small organisations" I referred to above would, of course, normally be called "bands" :)

Okay then.... The next one is ABSTRACT with STRONG ANIMAL CONNECTIONS

A unicorn?

Are the animal connections human?

Anarcho-Syndicalism?

Surely, this time.

[Tuj] Not a unicorn.
[CdM] The animal connections are not human.
[ImNotJohn] Rats! Doggone it! No, not this time, either.

Is it more abstract than a rhetorical question?

[Phil] About as abstract, I would expect, although it is not a rhetorical question.

Begins with P?

[Tuj} No "P" in the beginning.

Is it from fiction?

That's the formalities out of the way then.

Are the animal connections rats and dogs?

[Tuj] Not from fdction.
[CdM] One of the animal connections is a dog.

Is it an event?

[Phil] The words on the card do describe an action, if that can be called an "event".

A well-known phrase or saying?

Related to something dogs do?

[ImNotJohn] Yes, a well known phrase.
[cfm] Yes, related to what a dog does (or should I say doesn't do).

Is the word 'bite' on the card?

The dog that didn't bark in the night?

Hair of the dog?

[Dujon] The word "bite" is not on the card
[ImNotJohn] See above, therefore, no.
[Software] Not the hair of the dog.
It may behoove one to consider my earlier response that one of the animal connections is a dog.

Raining cats and dogs?

[Chalky] No, no felines involved.

Is/are the other animal connection/s mammals?

Yes, the other animal connection is mammalian.

Let the dog see the rabbit?

Is the other animal a cat?

[ImNotJohn] No, no rabbits involved.
[Tuj] As indicated in my response to Chalky, above, there are no felines (including domesticated cats) involved.

"That dog won't hunt"?

"dog eat dog"

Maybe the other connection is a dog as well.

[cfm] Not "That dog won't hunt".
[Raak] Not "dog eat dog"; the other animal connection is not the dog, Canis lupus familiaris. Nevertheless, some dogged audience members do sit up and take notice.

Proverbs 26:11?

[Raak] No, not Biblically proverbial.

A wolf in sheep's clothing?

Does the word "dog" appear on the card?

Does it involve the idea of hunting?

A dog's dinner?

The dog's bollocks?

Well someone had to say it ...

[Phil] Not a wolf in sheep's clothing... (yet a few audience members give faint nods of appreciation)
[CdM} The word "dog" does indeed appear on the card.
[ImNotJohn] No, the words on the card do not involve the idea of hunting, yet there is a tangential connection.
[Raak] Not a dog's dinner.
[Chalky] No bollocks involved.

dog and pony show?

Time for a recap, perhaps - The answer is a well-known phrase that contains the word "dog'; does not refer to cannibalistic dogs; there is at least one other mammalian animal connection, non-human, which is not the domesticated dog Canis lupus familiaris or rabbits, or any Felidae; the phrase is non-Biblical; perhaps tangentially connected to hunting, and that the phrase "wolf in sheep's clothing" evoked a couple of faint nods of appreciation, as though tracking in the right direction.

[cfm]Not a dog and pony show.

A dog in the manger?

[Raak] Not a dog in the manger. (Remember, the phrase has another mammalian non-human animal connection in addition to "dog").

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog?

Related to Sheepdogs/shepherding?

[ImNotJohn] Not related to sheepdogs/shepherding.
[cfm] The pangram, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" it is! A baton long enough to pole vault over the said lazy dog is duly handed off to cfm.

*lands, none too gracefully*
So let's try this:
MINERAL WITH ABSTRACT AND HUMAN CONNECTIONS

A diamond in the rough?

[irach] No hole in one, sorry. :-)

Hmmmm. None too gracefully indeed. Let's make that abstract with animal connections, which we now know are human. :-)

The Anarcho-syndicalist Society's crazy golf runners-up cup?

[cfm] Can you just clarify - is it still Mineral (with A & A) or is it just Abstract with Animal.

Begins with P?

I had to ask it this time, as it's one of those questions that works regardless of the confusion being cleared up.

Is the human connection animal?

A single individual?

Meaning, the mineral thing, rather than its connections.

[INJ] ASS cup? Nope. But Abstract and Animal, yes.
[Tuj] Next time, I Promise.
[CdM] *laughs*
[Raak] Yes. One individual.

Mineral = metal?

Owned by a specific person?

Is it extremely valuable?

[Software] To the best of my knowledge, sometimes yes, sometimes no.
[Tuj] Multiple owners. *Audience raises a collective eyebrow*
[Raak] Valuable, yes. Extremely? Depends on how much you have in your checking account, I suppose. But it ain't cheap.

I'm still not clear on your answer to INJ. This is MINERAL with ABSTRACT and ANIMAL connections; is that right?

An item of jewellery?

[CdM] So sorry. That is correct. Mineral with abstract and animal connections.
[Raak] To the best of my knowledge, no. *A few murmurs from the audience* *

Some sort of regalia?

Are computer/'phone screens pertinent to the answer?

Smaller than a toaster?

[Raak] No, nothing royal about it
[Dujon] [No, not at all.
[CdM] i am guessing yes, once in a rare while. But not usually.

I need another clarification. Raak asked if the mineral thing was a single individual, which I took to mean he was asking if it was unique, with only one instance in the world. You replied Yes. Am I misunderstanding your answer to Raak's question?

Invented in the last 200 years?

I would love to see video footage of the audience's response to my previous.

Related to arms or militaria?

[CdM] Sorry for the confusion. No, the mineral thing is not a single item. The animal connection is to a single individual. And thank you for clarifying.
[Tuj] Yes, invented in the last 200 years.
[INJ] No, not related to militaria.

Is the "single individual" the inventor of the item?

[Jim] Yes, the single individual invented the words on the card.

A communication device?

[Raak] No, not a communication device.

Is the inventor still alive?

Is the name of the inventor on the card?

[jim] No, the inventor is dead.
[INJ] Yes, the inventor's name is on the card.

Related to medicine?

Associated with a particular country?

[Raak] No, nothing medicinal. Though it might make you feel good to encounter it. :-)
[Tuj] Yes -- but not strongly so. I would guess that many people know the thing on the card but don't make that association.

Do you think that the typical morniverser owns one of these?

A household article?

[CdM] No, the average morniverser probably does not have one stashed out back.
[Raak]Yes, often but not always.

Functional as opposed to decorative?

[CdM] No, not functional as opposed to decorative.
You may wish to rephrase your question(s).

Is the first of these reputed to have been made for Tsar Alexander III?

[Dujon] No. We're not making omelettes. :-) Fun guess, though.

A timepiece of some sort?

[INJ] Yes, sometimes. I know of at least one instance.

Tiffany glass/window?

[irach] Yes! The words on the card are indeed Tiffany glass. *very carefully hands off a fabulous opalescent baton (signed!) to irach Don't drop it. :-)

Ooofff! It's tough lugging that glass baton all the way from 57th and Fifth Avenue after a heavy breakfast at Tiffany's ... so let me pause and consider the next puzzle... ah, yes...ABSTRACT with a MINERAL connection.

A Tiffany design?

[Raak] Not a Tiffany design.

The title of somthing?

Fictional object(s)?

Is the mineral natural?

[cfm] Not a title per se, but has been used as a title on occasion.
[GLogin] Not fictional object(s).
[Dujon] The mineral component is made up of natural elements.
...Upon capitulation, there is also an element/aspect of "Animal", without which the overall abstract element would be incomplete.

A human invention?

[Tuj] I guess the words on the card qualify as "a human invention".

Begins with P?

...more straightforwardly.

[Tuj] If you ignore an indefinite article in the beginning, yes it does in fact begin with "P".

Related to the arts?

[ImNotJohn] Unrelated to the arts.

Paperweight?

A geographical feature?

Does the mineral connection appear as one or more of the words on the card?

[Software] Not a paperweight.
[Raak] Not a geographic feature.
[cfm] The mineral connection is one of the words on the card.

Is the mineral metal?

Picking up on the answer to Dujon

[ImNotJohn] Yes, the mineral component is metallic.

Is it gold?

[Raak] Not gold.

A precious metal?

[ImNotJohn] Not a precious metal.

Is the metal connection the word on the card that begins with P?

Any reference to a weapon?

Connected to a particular person or group of people?

Kim

Is it an article described in a work of fiction?

[cfm] It is the metal connection word on the card that begins with "P".
[ImNotJohn] Not weaponry related.
[Tuj] Connected to all people.
[Kim] The metallic article itself is often mentioned in numerous works of fiction; yet the words on the cards are not directly related to a work of fiction.

[Hint- A standard question often asked for "abstract" categories has not as yet been asked in this case].

Is it bigger than the concept of a toaster?

Was that the one you meant?

Is it smaller than a hypothetical phonebox?

Related to a state of mind or emotion?

Fictional?

A human concept?

[ImNotJohn] Not the question I was thinking of...nevertheless, the metallic object in question is (considerably) smaller than a toaster.
{GLogin] See response above.
[cfm} Yes, related to a state of mind or emotion! (The snoozing audience awakes!)
[Raak] Not fictional.
[imNotJohn] Yes, a human concept.

Angels dancing on the head of a pin?

[ImNotJohn] No celestials or pins (or needles) involved.

A metaphorical expression?

[Raak] Not quite metaphorical, but yes, a relatively commonly used expression (with a metallic connection,related to a state of mind or emotion).

A penny for your thoughts?

[cfm] The expression, "A penny for your thoughts", it is! A newly minted penny is handed over to cfm to reward this mental acuity.

Oh. Er...thank you, Irach. I will try not to spend it all in one place.
So this one is ANIMAL with ANIMAL and ABSTRACT connections

Human?

[CdM] No, not human.

Also, upon further reflection, I think I must revise to say this one is ANIMAL and VEGETABLE with ANIMAL and ABSTRACT connections.

Toad-in-the-hole?

[Raak] No, no sausages involved.

Is at least one of the animal connections canine?

Begins with P?

[irach] No, no pups involved in either case.
[Tuj] No. And now I recall that I did promise. Ooops. :-(

Are either of the animals mammals?

Yes. Both are mammmals

Are either of the mammals ruminants?

Are either of the animals commonly eaten by humans?

*audience applauds politely*
[irach] Yes, one of the mammals is frequently ruminant.
[CdM] Yes, one of the mammals is commonly eaten by humans.

Is this the name of a dish?

Hamburger?

[Raak] No, no culinary connection
[Software] No, see above.

Is the abstract connection religious?

[Raak] No, not religious.

Does the word 'Cow', 'Cattle' 'Beef' or 'Steak' appear on the card?

[INJ] No, none of those words appear on the card.

Counting sheep jumping over a wooden stile/fence?

Is the animal alive, at least when it's being the thing on the card?

[irach] No (sheepishly).
[Raak] Depends which animal. No, the primary animal element is not alive when it's being the thing on the card. Yes, the animal connection is alive.

Is the non-ruminant mammal in question typically a predator of the ruminant one?

[irach] Yes, the non-ruminant animal often eats the ruminant animal.

Is the "non-ruminant" mammal that eats the ruminant mammal human?

Flogging a dead horse?

[irach] Yes! That non-ruminant mammal is human.
[Raak] No, not that common expression. Nor (hint) any other common expression.

Is the vegetable wood?

Is the human component a specific individual, or a class/group of person? [cfm] There is a little confusion here, because in the very start, in response to the first question you indicated the animal was not human. Did you change the original "words on the card" after capitulation?

[Raak] Yes. There is often a wood component.
[irach] The words on the card have not changed. The thing named on the card is not human. The animal connection noted from the beginning is human. Does that clarify?
No, not a specific individual nor a specific class or group of humans. However, in the sense that the humans are connected to the thing named on the card, they are involved in the same activity.

Is the vegetable paper?

[Raak]No. Paper is not involved. When there is a vegetable component, I believe it is safe to assume the vegetable is wood.

Is the the "primary animal element which is not alive when it's being the thing on the card" leather?

[irach] Yes, the element is leather. Simply stated :-)

A drum?

[Raak] No, not a drum. *a few rhythmic claps from the audience*

Some other sound-making instrument?

Tamborine?

[Raak] No. Not a sound making instrument.
[Software] No. Not a tambourine. *more claps and murmurs from the audience*

Is the leather stretched over a wooden frame?

Connected with dancing?

[Raak] No, the leather is not framed.
[Dujon] Yes, connected with dancing. *there is some dancing in the aisles*

Dancing shoes?

[Raak] No, that is not the answer. But yes, the thing named on the card could be characterized as a dancing shoe.

Surely not a leather clog, eee by gum?

[Software] No, not a leather clog.

Leather spats?

[irach] No, not spats. But you and Software and Raak might want to....er...you know....put your feet...wait...i mean...heads together.

Dancing spats?

Does the answer have another meaning which relates, for instance, to the movement of water?

Drum mallets?

[GL] No, not dancing spats.
[Dujon] No, there is no other meaning to the words on the card.
[Software] No, not drum mallets.
Here's what we know for sure -- that the words on the card represent an item made of leather and wood. The animal connection is human. The item(s) are connected with dancing and could even be characterized as dancing shoes. Drums and tambourines drew appreciative reactions from the audience. Do you think it might be helpful to explore some of the abstract connections?

Tap shoes?

Does the abstract term refer to a particular form of dancing, e.g. tap, flamenco, calypso?

[GL] No, not tap shoes.
[irach] Yes--although I am having a little bit of trouble with the word "refer" in your question. The abstract connection(s) call to mind a particular form of dancing, without naming it directly. The words on the card do so, as well.

Blue suede shoes?

[Raak] No. Not blue suede shoes. *audience applauds encouragingly*

Are the words on the card connected with a specific performance piece?

[Raak] No, they are not connected with a specific performance piece. However, they are connected with a specific style of performance piece.

Wooden heeled stiletto shoes for dancing tango?

Is the style specifically associated with one country?

Soft-shoe shuffle?

Reel shoes?

[irach] No, not that kind of shoe. But shoes for dancing is still a valid general concept.
I am not sure if this will be helpful but I think I should add a note that the words on the card name something that may also be constructed from synthetic materials.
[INJ] Yes. Originally, the style of performance piece was strongly associated with one country. Then performers in a second country made a very strong contribution and a second strong association was created.
[Chalky] No, not a soft shoe shuffle.
[Raak] No, not reel shoes.

Ballet shoes?

Bluegrass clog dancing?

[Chalky] No, not ballet shoes.
[irach] No, not bluegrass clog dancing or bluegrass clog dancing shoes. But you are getting warm geographically. :-)

South American?

[Raak] No, not South American.

Is the type of shoe in question generally (or exclusively) worn by a female dancer rather than a male one?

[irach] Yes, this particular style of footwear was far more likely to be worn by female dancers. I wouldn't swear to exclusively, though.

A form of dancing in the United States?

[irach] Yes, though not exclusively, the foremost association of the words on the card (and associated abstract concepts) is with the U.S.

Square dancing?

[Raak] No, not square dancing.

Can-can?

[irach] No-no, not the can-can (or can-can footwear.)

Flamenco dancing shoes?

Line Dancing?

[Software] No, not Flamenco dancing shoes. I think we covered that earlier.
[GL] No, not line dancing per se, though I believe there have been instances of this type of dance which involved lining up for a set of choreographed steps.
Here's a recap of what we presently know: the words on the card represent a type of footwear worn all but exclusively by women, while dancing in a particular way that is associated with another particular type of performance that is most closely associated with the United States but which also became associated with another country when performers from that country made a very strong contribution. Drums and tambourines drew favorable responses from the audience, which could suggest that what distinguishes the style of performance or dance is its rhythm or beat. You may also wish to consider that the kind of clothing worn on the foot is not always called a shoe. :-)

Footwear connected to belly dancing with drums and tambourines?

[irach] No, not related to belly-dancing.

Connected to salsa/mambo?

[irach] No, not connected to salsa, mambo, cha cha, tango or any other Latin-identified style.
(I'm getting the feeling that the words on the card never made it too far outside of the U.S.)

Related to any sort of African dancing?

[Raak] Yes. There is a strong African American influence/connection and I expect that influence traces back to Africa. *question engenders exuberant applause*

But definitely not clogs or taps?

I've googled this, and that's all I can find.

[Raak] No, not clogs or taps.
*Wonders, should I offer a few suggestions to the players? Is that how this works?*

Is the vegetable (often wood) connection previously referred to part of the footwear, or is it an entirely separate entity related to the words on the card?

[irach] The wood is not a separate thing; it is what the heel of the footwear often is or appears to made from.

I'll try "jazz dancing shoes" although the tambourine connection is rathe remote.

[irach] No, not jazz dancing shoes. The word "shoes" does not appear on the card at all.

pattens?

[Raak] No, not pattens. I had to look that one up; like the words on the card, they are not so much in fashion these days. Come to think, it might help to keep in mind that dancing, music and fashion all change with the times.

sabots?

Running out of synonyms for "clog"...

[Raak] No, not sabots. (Uhmmmm, did I say they were clogs?)

A type of sandal?

[Raak] No, not a sandal. *audience applauds this line of inquiry nonetheless*

A boot?

Stilts or something similar that raises the participant a distance off the ground?

I'm pretty certain this is going to be a subject that would annoy Rosie;-)

[CdM] Yes. A boot. *audience cheers as if its team has just won the world cup*
[INJ] No, not stilts. But yes, I have been expecting the hand of Rosie to come and smite me any moment now. :-)

Buskins?

[Raak] No, not buskins.

Gumboots?

[Chalky] No, not gumboots. *a minor hullabaloo, however, arises from the audience*

Related to Mariachi/zapateado?

Related to cheerleading?

[INJ] No, not related to Mariachi/zapataedo.
[Raak] Yes, I can think of at least one professional cheer leading squad I associate with this footwear. (However, the footwear was originally more connected with the runway than with running backs.) *Texans in the audience nod, approvingly*

Gaucho boots?

[Chalky] No, not gaucho boots.

Sequined cowgirl boots ( a la Dallas Cowboys' cheerleaders? thigh-high, or otherwise?)

Ballet shoes?

[irach] No, not sequined cowboy boots. (but the DCC connection is a good one...)
[software] No, not ballet shoes.

Were these boots in fashion in the second half of the twentieth century?

(picking up on your fashion comment earlier)

[CdM] Yes, originiated in the mid-20th century. *audience members rock in their seats! roll in the aisles!*

Go-go boots?

Not sure why I keep guessing - I have no desire to be in the chair next time round. Guess I'm intrigued ... and if the solution turns out to be ridiculously obscure ... I can then 'do a Rosie' [sans swearage] :-D

[Calky] Hallelujah, yes! *gratefully passes one white patent leather baton to Chalky (while doing the Froog)*

None the wiser

Can't find any reference to these as either dance-specific or made of leather and wood (wikipedia refers to them in purely fashion terms and often/mostly made of plastic - which is what I would have guessed). Can someone point me at a helpful reference. Not annoyed, you understand, I just stopped guessing because I'd explored everything I could given the information available and I'd like to know how I could have got there.
Oh, and:

[INJ] Alas, I didn't check wikipedia before I chose the words on the card. My bad--I will remember to do so should I ever be handed the baton again. I relied on my memory of my first pair of go go boots: they where white patent leather and had a stacked wooden heel. I believe I answered the question about dancing shoes early on by saying the the item on the card could be characterized as a dancing shoe without saying it was a dancing shoe directly; I thought I was giving the best answer possible. Later when I realized that it was limiting everyone's thinking, I tried to draw attention to the fashion connection. I was surprised how few questions focused on the style of music connected with the dancing (particularly after some pretty direct hits and/or hints e.g. American-originated, distinguished by its beat, African American influence, etc.) or (until CdM) inquired whether the shoes were currently or historically popular. Anyway--while I am very glad you are not annoyed, INJ--still I am apologetic. This was a round of Painfully Difficult AVMA. Sorry.

Oh...and

Ah ... Ooo-Kaaaaay

Thanks cfm - don't feel you have to apologise. It's tough in the chair.

I'll have a go ...

ANIMAL, MINERAL & VEGETABLE

Is it unique?

I could have sworn I posted this helpful reference for INJ yesterday, but I guess I must have hit preview instead of stand, or something.

Noah's Ark?

[irach] Surely that would be ANIMAL, ANIMAL, MINERAL, and VEGETABLE?

[CdM] Is it unique? YES
[irach] Noah's Ark? NO :)

Is it extant?

[cfm] I've genuinely learnt a couple of things¹ from your question, so no need to apologise.

1. Although it's at least partly my era I didn't know that go-go was actually a style and I didn't know the boots had any descriptive name.

[CdM] Not that helpful a reference to look up in an open office!

Begins with P?

Bad news, I'm back...

[INJ] Extant? YES
[Tuj] P-word? NO

Salty bacon crisps?

Edible?

Would one wear it?

Unique?

Primarily a decorative object (vs. ulititarian)?

Unique?

Hang on that's been asked twice already. Make that... Man made?

[Raak] Salty bacon crisps? NO :)
[irach] Edible? NO
[Software] Wearable? NO
[cfm] Primarily decorative as opposed to utilitarian? NO - mostly utilitarian
[GL] Man made? In the main - YES.

Made of leather, wood, and metal fixings?

*cough* Unique?

A piece of furniture or home furnishing?

Is the vegetable wood?

[Tuj] It was unique when CdM asked I doubt that has changed.

Fictional?

[Raak] Made of leather, wood, and metal fixings? The wording of your question requires a NO answer, even though leather, wood and metal are all components of this.
[Tuj] YES - still unique :)
[irach] Furniture/home furnishing - NO, not alone [although your question prompts a murmur from the very sleepy audience]
[GL] Wood? YES - wood is one of the vegetably bits of this
[cfm] Fictional? NO

Would it be used in an office?

[Raak] Used in an office? NO. Definitely not used. It might be contemplated when in an office, but then I expect most things are ..

Does it move - i.e. change location?

[INJ] Move/change location? NO *audience nods approval for question*

Uniq-... Is it for entertainment?

Do any of the elements operate upon or effect the other elements in some way?

Does it have moving parts?

Bigger than a phone box?

[Tuj] Entertainment? NO not really ... aw, maybe in some respects but - my reply really won't help.
[cfm] Elements effecting/affecting each other? Oh YES - absolutely.
[Raak] Moving parts? YES
[GL] Bigger than a phone box? YES - massively so.

*is wondering if the word ABSTRACT should have been part of the opening clue*

A manufacturing facility of some kind?

[cfm] Manufacturing facility? Forms part of this - yes.

Located in Europe?

Is leather the only animal element?

Life, the Universe and Everything?

Do some of the various moving parts (particularly the mineral components) need periodic lubrication for their proper functioning?

Is it a factory?

[CdM] Located in Europe? NO *audience vociferous in their approval of a CdM question*
[cfm] Leather only animal element? NO
[INJ] LtUaE? Life and Most things might be found within this :)
[irach] Lubrication? I expect so - but knowing this isn't particularly useful.
[Raak] Factory? The answer on the card is NOT a factory, although factories are part of the answer [as are moving parts and lubrication] ;-)

Does it have to do with extracting resources from the ground?

Is it in North America?

Is it a country?

Is the other animal element human? *wonders why CdM warrants cheering and if the rest of us are chopped liver*

... sorry for absence - holiday time, etc.

[Raak] Extracting resources? Not really NO
[Tuj] N America? NO *audience applauds this line of questioning*
[GL] A country? NO ... but *audience sees no need to hold back ...*
[cfm] Human? YES! *... claps, cheers and wild excitement accompany the reply to cfm's question*

Is it located in a single continent?

Is it at sea?

Is it a planet?

[CdM] Located in a single continent? YES
[Raak] At sea? NO - assuming I have grasped your gist .. ahem
[GL] A planet? NO

Is just one type of item produced at the manufacturing facility or are there many?

[cfm] I think the phrase 're-examine your assumptions' has been used in this game when it's fairly clear that a player is not moving in the right direction. Apologies if, by inaccurate replies, I have misled you. Having said that - I owe you an answer:

[cfm] Many types of items are likely to be produced at the manufacturing facilities which are likely to be a part of the answer. :-)

Is it a city?

[Chalky] You can grasp my gist any time. :-)

So, bearing in mind that the item is unique and yet is only _likely_ to encompass a manufacturing facility/factory, does that mean that the composition of thing on the card changes over time? It evolves?

Allelulia!

[Raak] A City? A City! YES - yes - it's a city *audience collectively faints with relief*
[cfm] Sort of YES to everything you said - and now you know what you're looking for ... name that city :-)

Does it have more than 5 million inhabitants*

*defining the city in terms that would be generally understood -- i.e., including a surrounding metropolitan area if appropriate.

Is it in Japan?

[CdM] 5m +? YES indeed
[Raak] In Japan? NO

In Asia?

Carrying on the process of elimination

[CdM] correction to above ... Just under 5 million incl surround but still classified as a Metropolitan City.

Sydney?

[INJ] In Asia? YES
[GL]. Sydney? NO

In China?

Singapore?

In East Asia?

[cfm] In China? NO
[Raak] Singapore? NO
[INJ] East Asia? YES! *thunderous applause from audience*

South-East Asia?

Keeping going on this line.

[INJ] SE Asia? NO - which should narrow things down .. :-)

In Korea (either half)?

[Raak] In Korea? YES :-)

Pyongyang?

Busan?

[Raak] Not Pyongyang oop north because ...
[CdM]... BUSAN it is! [my eldest has just returned from a wonderful year there teaching primary school age kids]

*hands the shiny clean and impeccably-mannered baton to CdM*

Oops, sorry, busy day.

MINERAL and VEGETABLE with various ANIMAL connections. Or possibly ABSTRACT with MINERAL, VEGETABLE and ANIMAL connections

A zoological park?

A tool?

?

A song?

A zoo? No
A tool? No
?? !!
A song? No.

Human construct?

Human construct? Very definitely.

A phrase or saying?

Would it fit inside a kitchen drawer?

A book?

To do with music?

A sporting activity?

A building?

Phrase or saying? No.
Kitchen drawer? No. *laughter*
Book? No.
Music? No.
Sport? No.
Building? Yes. *applause*

In UK?

Built before 1900?

In UK? and Built before 1900? Here is where I need to remind you that I equivocated about defining this as abstract. Neither question really makes sense. (However, I can say that it has its origins in the UK before 1900.)
I should also perhaps add that there are certainly connections to books and music. I wouldn't have found them helpful, but some here might, I suppose. This is the kind of thing where Wikipedia has a long list of references in popular culture/examples in modern society.

A type of building?

A museum?

Does (or did) the thing on the card have an actual physical presence?

Is this a fictional building?

Did a specific person (or people) live there?

Type of building? Yes *applause*
Museum? No (although there are some connections).
Actual physical presence? *audience applause for the question* The answer is debatable. I'm going to go with a qualified Yes.
Fictional? No (although there are certainly fictional connections).
Specific person or people live there? No, not exactly. Depends what you mean by "specific", I suppose.

A palace?.

An industrial type of building?

Palace? No. *ironic laughter from audience*
Industrial? No. (Or at least only if you were to take a very broad definition of the term.)

Related to the area known as St. George's Fields?

Related to St George's Fields? No.

Related to farming?

Agricultural? No.

Are there several of these?

Are there several of these? Well, as my earlier answer to cfm suggests, it is debatable whether there is (or was) even one of these. But I will again answer with a qualified Yes.

Does this maybe building have religious significance?

Is it mythical?

BC?

Does it have a metaphorical meaning?

(as for 'Skid Row')

Religious significance? No.
Mythical? No.
BC? No.
Metaphorical? Interesting question. I think it's more concrete and not as obviously metaphorical as your example. As against that, the Wikipedia article on this does include a section entitled "The P__________ as Metaphor", so the answer is clearly Yes. (I was/am more aware of the literal meaning, but it is possible that others here are more aware of metaphorical senses; I don't know.)

A Panopticon?

The Poorhouse?

Yes! Following on my pantechnicon when I was last in the chair, this was Jeremy Bentham's revolutionary prison design that allows a single guard to observe all the prisoners. (It's still not clear what the single guard does when he observes all the prisoners rioting, mind you.)

*hands Raak a baton that, rather curiously, can be seen on all sides at once from a single vantage point*

MINERAL, with ANIMAL and ABSTRACT connections.

The Bastille?

Not the Bastille.

larger that the toaster unit?

Larger than a toaster.

Begins with a P?

Does not begin with P.

Is the mineral component largely or entirely metal?

[irach] Yes, mostly metal.

A precious metal?

Not precious.

Bigger than a phone box?

Unique?

Unique?

Er. Sorry. That was not a unique question.

A statue?

[GL] Smaller than a phone box.
[Twins] Unique.
[INJ] Not a statue.

A sculpture?

[CdM] Not a sculpture.

Does it have moving parts?

[INJ] No moving parts.

Man-made?

Found in a domestic environment?

Is the associated animal human?

[jim] Man-made.
[Chalky] Not found at home.
[INJ] The animal is human.

Associated with a single, specific individual?

[CdM] Not associated with a specific individual.

In Europe?

[Tuj] In Europe.

Of scientific significance?

[CdM] No scientific significance.

A pillar box?

[Software] Not a pillar box.
BTW, I've complained in the past that "ABSTRACT" is over-used, and I may have been guilty of that myself here. Pretty much everything has "abstract connections", and I don't think this is especially connected to the abstract. Just a unique object of non-precious metal, somewhere in Europe, with animal connections.

Smaller than a toaster?

[irach] (Still) bigger than a toaster.

Is the non-metal mineral part made of stone?

I'll include stony stuff like brick & concrete in that.

[INJ] Not stony.

In the UK?

[Tuj] In the UK!

A fountain?

Not a fountain.

Is this of historical importance?

In England?

It's Friday afternoon, I'm not up to thinking of original questions.

Is it partly constructed of wrought iron?

Is the non-metal mineral part glassy or crystalline?

Anything from a pane of glass to the Cullinan

[INJ] History has not yet spoken, but I expect the actual object will not be of historical significance.
[jim] In England at the moment.
[CdM] No wrought iron.
[INJ] No glass or crystals.

Olympic torch?

*riotous cheering as Software crosses the finishing line* To be precise, the "London 2012 Olympic Torch", but I doubt that anyone cares where the 2011 torch is now (see last but one answer to INJ). Have this gold medal embossed with the Tube map and stand on the podium, please, while the band plays the ISIHAC theme.

[Raak] Yeah. I can hardly remember a thing about the 2011 Olympics. (Excellent choice of subject, btw.)

How Many?

Just to clarify the 'unique' question - there will in fact be over 8000 olympic torches used in the torch relay - each bearer will have their own (which they can then buy). On the other hand, there is only one in the stadium. Mind you, I only found all that out today.

[INJ] I was going from this official page, which suggests there's just one.

[Raak] Yes - philosophically there's only one. However, to be mischievous, there's a picture on that page with 4 torches being held up. I also believe that on the route at any one time there will be 5 torches - one being carried and 4 in the support vehicles in case of malfunction, theft, vandalism, etc.
I think, however, that saying YES to the 'Unique?' question was probably the right answer, or the least confusing one, since at any one time only the torch being carried by a bearer is the Olympic Torch.
[Software] Come on in and stop this discussion - it's not really going anywhere;-)

Who? Me?

Well, then let's go for: ANIMAL with VEGETABLE and MINERAL connections.

A draft animal?

Mammal?

Begins with K?

A Human?

Unique?

or unique-ish

The head of Eric Morecambe - Pipe Smoker of the Year 1970?

[Raak] No
[cfm] Yes
[Tuj] No
[GL] Yes
[INJ] Yes
[Chalks] Excellent attempt at a unique human, but No.

Is the unique human still alive?

A sportsperson?

Associated with the arts?

Are the connections associated with food?

Chalks

Is this a two-word answer?

Thanks Softers - but I did not know it was either 'Unique' or 'Human' when I asked the question ...
... while I'm here, may I humble suggest that you reference the question itself when replying. I'm having to do a double look to see which 'yes' or 'no' applies to which question and I have little enough time to come in here and play as it is. Thanks.

[cfm] living homo sap - NO (BTW, your moniker reminds me of a long defunct IT company)
[Duj] sporty - NO
[INJ] arty farty - Best answer is probably YES
[Raak] nosh - NO
[Chalky] two wordy -YES (your wish is my command)

A male human?

Alive in the 20th century?

Related to the performing arts?

Involved with music?

Died before 1950?

Thanks.

[cfm] Male - YES
[INJ] Performer - YES
[jim] Musical - YES
[Chalks] 20th Century death - NO

But was he alive in the 20th century??

[CdM] Post Victorian - YES

Was he a member of a popular beat combo?

Michael Jackson?

Are the vegetable and mineral connections the instrument he played?

[INJ] Group member - NO
[cfm] Jacko - NO
[Raak] veg/min - YES

In the Western classical tradition?

Plays a wind instrument?

[INJ] Classical - NO
[cfm] windy - NO

Ray Charles?

Was he also a vocalist?

USian?

Guitar?

Died in the 70s?

[GL] Ray - NO
[CdM] Singer - NO slight murmuring from audience
[ING] Yank - NO
[Raak] Guitar - YES audience claps
[Tuj] Life on Mars departure - NO

Died in the last 5 years?

A classical guitarist?

Andrés Segovia?

Bert Weedon?

Author of 'Play MC in a Day'

Chalks

You OK Softers?

Sorry for the delay, for some reason yesterday's answers disappeared into the ether

[GL] Recent deceased - YES
[Chalks] - Classical - NO audience stirs
[irach] Segovia - NO (see above)
[INJ] is on the money - YES! The late great Bert of the "learn in a day" fame. Even I tried that but never got past strumming.
[Chalks] - yes, thank you.

* Hands plectrum shaped baton over to INJ *

Why, thank you.
Moving on to ANIMAL and MINERAL or, for some points of view ABSTRACT, with ANIMAL and MINERAL connections

A human construct beginning with P that is bigger than a toaster but smaller than a phonebox and that has anarchosyndicalist connections?

The drinking horn of Sigismund of Luxemburg?

Associated with religion?

[CdM] - NO (apart from the bits that are YES)
[Raak] Horny Letzeburger? - NO
[cfm] Religious connection? - NO

Chalkeeeeee

Two word answer?

A human construct beginning with P?

(OK, OK, I'll break it down)

Bigger than a phone box?

[Chalky] Gimme 2? - NO.
[CdM]Pconstruct? - pNO
[GL] Exceeds phone box? - YES. *audience laughter*

A human construct that has no anarchosyndicalist connections?

Triangulating.

[CdM] A human construct that has no anarchosyndicalist connections? - NO (though I suppose that depends on your definition of 'a human construct')
Obfuscating

Is it descriptive of a group of people

Unique?

[Chalky] Describes a group of people? - NO, *a few murmurs in the audience*
[Tuj] Unique? - YES

Does the physical thing have a symbolic function?

[Raak] Physical/Symbolic - OK, the simple answer to your question is NO, but actually I probably need to clarify what I meant when setting this.
You can regard the words on the card as being purely physical with an animal element plus a mineral element (and I think that's the best way to approach it). However, within the constraints of the game I could quite reasonably say that this is an abstract thing, though still related to exactly the same animal and mineral elements - in either case if you get them, you have the answer. Hope that helps.

Bigger than your typical two-up-two-down?

[Raak] Exceeds a house? - Oh YES

Bigger than a city?

Is the animal human?

Is it in a specific country?

Some assumptions building up...

[GL] Exceeds a city? - YES
[Raak] Human animal? - YES and NO (more YES than NO)
[Tuj] Specific Country? - NO

Is this a well-known phrase or saying?

Bigger than Wales?

[Chalky] Saying? - NO
[Raak] Exceeds Wales? - YESish. - One of the elements of the answer is bigger than Wales - the answer itself is hard to put a size to.

BTW I should have mentioned that the audience perked up a bit at Tuj's last question.

Is the mineral element water?

Is the human element the entire population of the world including those with anarchosyndicalist tendencies?

[Chalky] Watery mineral? - NO
[CdM] Globality? - NO (can't answer for the anarchosyndicalism, but unlikely to be significant)

Related to mining?

Is it associated with a particular country?

[Raak] Mining-related? - NO
[Tuj] Related to specific country? - NO, not to one particular country *some applause for the line of questioning*

Is this one thing distributed over more than one continent?

[Raak] Is this one thing distributed over more than one continent? - NO (or more precisely: NO, not really and NO)

European?

On Earth?

[Raak] European? - YES
[Chalky] On Earth - Unsurprisingly, YES

Is the mineral element metal?

[Chalky] Metal? - Almost entirely NO

Is the mineral element rock?

The entire population of Europe?

(er, and the land beneath their feet)

[Chalky] Rocky? - YES *some relieved applause*
[CdM] All Europe? (& Europeans) - NO *audience subsides*

A mountain range?

At last

[GL] - Mountain range? - YES, a mountain range is part of the answer *considerable applause*

Is the human part alive?

*is wondering why no Vegetable element was part of the original poser - -given that mountain ranges would usually have vegetation about their person - *

making some progress

[Raak] Living human - NO
[Chalky] I did consider it, but thought it wouldn't really be very helpful. A bit like saying a person is animal and mineral because they have mercury amalgam fillings in their teeth.

Are prehistoric fossils involved?

[Raak] Fossils? - NO

Do you need a leg-up?

I think you're closer to it than it feels.

War graves?

Are the Alps part of the answer?

Well, there's only a finite number of mountain ranges in Europe...

[Raak] War Graves? - NO *a slight stirring in the audience*
[jim] Alps? - YES - the Alps are the mineral part of the answer *applause*

Dead mountaineers?

[Raak] Ex-climbers? Well, YES and YESish, but NO, not as it applies to the answer.

Otzi The Iceman?

Does it begin with P?

[Chalky] The Iceman Cometh? - NO (But you do need to start sorting out the animal bit now)
[CdM] P.......? - NO

Hannibal crossing the Alps with his elephants?

It randomly popped into my head ...

I didn't think it was THAT hard

We have a winner!
It is exactly as jim said: Hannibal's crossing of the Alps
The abstract side of it being that it is an action or event rather than a thing.
Have an ivory baton, sir.

I say, well done.

Damn. I thought of that before my previous move, but then dismissed it because I thought we had established the animal element as (fully) human. I should read more carefully.

Takes ivory baton quickly and hides it before the animal rights people get wind of it.

Thanks! Hmm. Now I have to think of a clue, don't I? OK, have an ABSTRACT with ANIMAL connections.

Is the animal connection human?

Is the animal connection elephant?

[INJ] YES, human.
[Tuj] NO, non-pachydermic.

A particular human?

Is there any connection with the arts?

Begins with P?

A fictional human?

A dead human?

[Raak] A qualified YES--there is more than one human associated with the answer, but one in particular stands out.
[INJ] YES, in a more or less broad sense of "the arts".
[Tuj] YES, give or take a definite article, begins with P.
[GL] YES, there is a particular fictional human association (although again not unique).
[Chalky] YES, in that the human alluded to in my answer to Raak is dead.

Is the abstract portion of the question a field of endeavour?

Is there a musical connection?

A phrase or saying?

[Dujon] NO, not a field of endeavour
[INJ] NO, no musical connection (or one too tenuous to be useful)
[Software] NO, not a phrase or saying.

Related to a particular work (or works) of fiction?

The Piltdown Man?

[Tuj] YES, related to a work of fiction.
[Chalky] NO, not Piltdown Man.

The Penguin (from Batman)?

The Patrician?

[Software] NO, not the Penguin
[GL] NO, not the Patrician either.

Is the answer the title of a book?

[INJ] YES, in that the words on the card form the title of several books; NO, in that none of the books with this title is the answer (although at least one is directly related).

science fiction genre?

... then I can butt out if the answer is yes ..

[Chalky] That's quite difficult to say. There are certainly science-fictional elements, but I wouldn't place the answer as a whole within the science fiction genre. I'm sure some would disagree, though.

The name of a series of books?

(e.g. The Alexandria Quartet)

[INJ] Again, YES, but the book series is not the answer.

First half of 20th Century?

[Software] NO, not first half of 20th Century.

Please can you confirm that there is NO connection with the Harry Potter series?

Is the author still alive?

[Chalky] NO, I cannot categorically deny any connection with Harry Potter. I mean, the HP franchise runs to getting on for a million words[1] and eight movies, it's quite likely that she slipped a reference in there somewhere. But if there is a connection, a) it's pretty tenuous and b) I'm not aware of it.
[INJ] NO, in so far as the AOTC can be said to have "an author", not alive.
[1]Wild-assed estimate.

is Religion relevant?

[Chalky] With such a broad question I think we have to begin by defining our terms carefully: we need to decide, for one thing, whether our discussion is restricted to organised religions, or whether we are willing to adopt a more all-encompassing definition that includes notions of personal spirituality (as a side issue, we might also ask whether there is a difference between religion and, as you chose to express it, Religion with a capital R); for another, we need to think about whether we mean merely relevant to certain individuals (surely not the meaning we want to adopt, for otherwise the question must be trivially answered in the affirmative), or whether we mean relevant to society, history, the body politic, the social order, or something else; and if any of the latter, then precisely which aspects of society, and what criteria for "relevance" are appropriate? If we take as a starting point the notion that --

Oh wait. Never mind. As you were.

[CdM/Chalky] I was just going to say "NO", but whatever ... :)

Stony silence

Do we need a clue, or is everyone still thinking?

Is the human connection "who stands out" known as a leader of some kind?

Is the word that begins with P a title?

[CdM] NO, the principal (real, dead) human connection is not a leader.
[Raak] NO, not a title (or at least, not an "official" title e.g. "The Prince", although it does describe a person without being a name).

Was the AOTC known of in the year 1900?

[Boolbar] NO, not known of in the year 1900.

Is it a TV series?

Just trying to eliminate some thoughts in my head.

[Boolbar] YES, it is a TV series! Audience applause

The Prisoner?

Winner!

[Chalky] YES! It is The Prisoner (the original TV series, of course). The "outstanding" real-life human being of course Patrick McGoohan; the principal fictional connection the Prisoner himself. I don't think JK Rowling slipped a Prisoner reference into the Harry Potter series anywhere, but I wouldn't put it past her.
One baton with the number 6 engraved on it goes to Chalky.

Well done Chalky!

Yes, we should have done better with that - nothing wrong with the subject or the answers.

What a surprise - thank you :)

Dipping into my special box of Answers On Cards - this found its way into my hand ..

ANIMAL & MINERAL & VEGETABLE with a strong ABSTRACT element

- just to keep it simple

Begins with P?

If we were playing this game in 1900, would this have been in your special box then?

Is it a location?

[Tuj] Begins with P? Ha - YES partly
[Boolbar] 1900 - the year not the hour? YES
[ImNotJohn] Location? NO .. but *audience mumbles a bit*

Is the audience mumbling because this thing is at a specific location associated with it?

Such as Nelson's Column not being a location, as such.

[Raak] Reasons for mumbling? NO 'fraid not

Is the animal element human?

... or at least partly human.

[Boolbar] Human? YES

Is it associated with a series of locations?

Is it a historical event?

Is the animal, mineral, vegetable part the planet Earth?

A specific individual thing?

[Tuj] Associated with a series of locations? NO
[ImNotJohn] An historical event? NO
[Boolbar] AVM planet earth? NO
[Raak] Specific individual thing? It's specific but only in the way that most AOTC are. Do you mean a one-off? If so - NO

Naturally occurring?

In the 19th Century?

Is this something I can experience today?

Is it something that can be visited?

[Tuj] Naturally occurring? NO
[Software] In the 19th century??? I think NO may be the answer to whatever it is you meant :)
[Boolbar] Experience today? YES
[ImNotJohn] Visitorable? NO

Does it involve eating food?

I am hungry.

[Boolbar] NO - it does not involve eating food

Does it involve a crowd?

Is it associated with entertainment?

[Rosie] Involve a crowd? YES - it can do. Good question :)
[Tuj] Associated with entertainment? YES - very much so
*audience applauds progress made from last two questions*

Is there any singing involved?

Associated with a particular country or region?

Does it involve a sporting activity?

[Boolbar] Singing involved? NO
[ImNotJohn] Country or regional associations? YES - absolutely - particularly in its origin
[Raak] Sporting activity? No - well ... NO *wry chuckles from audience*

A form of dancing?

Sorry I'm late.

Morris dancing?

[Dujon] Dancing? NO
... therefore [Raak] Not even Morris Dancing

A foxhunt?

[Rosie] Foxhunt? NO

Essentially rural?

[Rosie] Rural? NO - whatever gave you that idea? ;-)

Is it a play?

Is it associated with somewhere in Europe?

[Boolbar] A play? NO
[Tuj] Europe? Originally ... NO
*audience snoozes*

... again

I would like to adjust one of my replies to ImNotJohn who asked "Visitorable?" and I replied unequivocally in the negative.
On reflection, the AOTC, if not exactly visitorable, is certainly - spectatorable.
This may help.

Is it originally associated with somewhere in Asia?

Outdoors?

(Chalks) I was hoping to confirm that the answer was Cheese Rolling.

[Boolbar] Asia? NO
[Rosie] Outdoors? NO - not usually. However ..
*audience wakes up with an anticipatory start*
[Rosie] Cheese rolling? NO - but closer than some of the guesses so far :-)

Is it originally associated with somewhere in the Americas?

I've eliminated having a picnic, Punch & Judy and panda breeding so far.

A Pastime?

[Boolbar] Americas? YES!
[ImNotJohn] Pastime? Yes - mainly .. YES [rather a quaint word - pastime. I had to check on the meaning]
*Audience ready to shout and scream and generally go wild for the winner*

Poker?

Does it involve a ball?

If it doesn't then I'm going on strike.

Is food involved?

[ImNotJohn] Boolbar asked that question way back up there ^^^ and I said NO then :)
[Boolbar] Balls? NO
[Raak] YES - and the rest of the AOTC is .... ? [3 or 4 words]

No-one else will be allowed to nick this one - it's got Raak's name all over it ..
*Audience on their feet ready to jump about quite a lot ...*

Five-cadr Draw Poker? Stud Poker? Texas Hold-em? Red Dog?

Strip? Pai gow? Mexican Stud? Seven-card Razz? High Chicago?

The Poker World Series?

Chips All Round!

Well played Raak - t'would've been churlish indeed to allow someone else to slip in there with the precise AOTC Texas Hold Em Poker [currently and universally the most popular form of the game - which handily explains that location reference the audience got a bit mumbly about]

No-one picked up on my CLUE when introducing this one and I quote:
"Dipping into my special box of Answers On Cards - this found its way into my hand ..."
But then - a clue is only a clue if one knows it's there.
*hands over a baton made of 50 x stuck together $1000 chips*

Nice one Raak! I was thinking of ten-pin bowling but couldn't really tie it in with the location hint.

The next is MINERAL.

Unique?

[Tuj] Unique!

Metal?

[GL] Mainly metal.

Located in the Eastern hemisphere?

[CdM] *murmuring in the audience* Not in the Eastern hemisphere.

Is it in London?

[Boolbar] Not in London.

Is it on Earth?

Is it larger than the Airbus A380?

Is it human-made?

Well, that narrows it down.

[Tuj] *applause* Not on Earth.
[Chalky] Smaller than an Airbus.
[Boolbar] Human-made.

Is it less than 2 AU from the Sun?

[Boolbar] Less than 2 AU from the Sun.

On the moon?

In orbit around the Earth?

[INJ] Not on the moon.
[BB] Not in orbit around the Earth.

A spacecraft that has crashed into either Mars or Venus?

An asteroid?

[Rosie] *applause* Not a spacecraft that has crashed into either Mars or Venus.
[Software] Not an asteroid.

On or orbiting Mars?

[jim] Yes! On or orbiting Mars!

I confidently expect to see the right answer tomorrow morning.

The Mars Odyssey craft?

Or one of the other handful.

Spirit or Opportunity?

[Rosie] Nor the Odyssey.
[CdM} Yes! Spirit or Opportunity. But which one?

Count me out

I'll be incommunicado for the full 4 days of the weekend so I refuse to guess.

Actually, one of the earlier answers is enough to decide the matter, with a bit of research.

Opportunity?

I think that's right.

[CdM] Yes! Mars does have a meridian defined, according to which Spirit is in the Eastern Hemisphere, Opportunity in the Western. *passes CdM a spare robot arm*

[Raak] So if I had asked, "Located in the Western hemisphere?", you would have answered yes, and we would have been chasing wild geese for a long time.

ANIMAL with VEGETABLE connections

A boar's head with an apple in its mouth?

Roast kid goat with anchovies, rosemary and lemon?

oh, so close

Sundry banquet items? No. (Also, both of those include vegetables, rather than simply having vegetable connections.)

Is the animal human?

Well someone has to ask a boring question.

Jasper Carrott?

Unique?

Percy Thrower?

Woodworm?

Human? No.
Jasper Carrott? No.
Unique? No.
Percy Thrower? No.
Woodworm? No. *smattering of applause*

Does the vegetable connection refer to the animal's diet?

Is the animal a mammal?

Death Watch beetle?

Stick insect?

Vegetable = diet? Yes. *applause*
Mammal? No.
Death watch beetle? No.
Stick insect? No.

Is it a bird?

A woodpecker?

Bird? No.
Woodpecker? The answer to this question is left as an exercise for the reader.

The Reader

Woody Woodpecker?

*ignores The Reader*

Is the Animal portion an insect?

Just for clarification purposes, like. :)

Animal = insect? Yes.

A locust?

Locust? No.

Is it an insect with a vegetable in its name?

A fruit fly?

Among the lepidoptera?

Veg in name? No.
Fruit fly? No. *brief smattering of applause*
Butterfly? No.

Does this insect have a particular liking for cellulose?

Taste for cellulose? No. (If anything, perhaps the opposite, although I may be over-interpreting what I have read.)
As usual, there are other ways of approaching this AVMA rather than just guessing at insects.

Is any part of this insect used as a foodstuff?

Insect used as foodstuff? No.

Begins with P?

Is the vegetable connection to its diet?

Does the insect have wings?

Begins with P? It most certainly does.
Vegetable = diet? Still Yes.
Insect have wings? Yes.

Actually...

The "does it have wings?" question really deserves a more detailed answer. This particular insect has a rather complicated life-cycle which includes several different stages; in one of these stages it may have wings.

Does the answer on the card live out all its life cycles on land? (as opposed to, say, a mosquito.)

Live on land? Yes. (Except for when it is flying, obviously.)

Clarification/correction: I answered "No" to the question about whether the insect has a vegetable in its name. The technical term for this insect does in fact include a reference to a vegetable item. Non-technical references to this insect can also include a vegetable item, but more usually do not.

Is it a beetle?

John Peul George or Ringo? No.

Is it a social insect?

Is the insect destructive to vegetable gardens/crops?

Social insect? You mean, like ants or bees? No.
Destructive to gardens/crops? Yes. *applause*

Plant lice?

Aphids? No (although I have seen this described as a "louse", and there is also *prolonged applause*).

The leaf-cutter ant?

Leaf-cutter ant? No. *audience subsides back into their seats*

Potato moth?

Potato moth? No.

Passion vine bug?

Phylloxera?

Enthusiasm brings reward...

Dactylosphaera vitifoliae (Phylloxera) is the correct answer! I think cfm deserved that, since she (?) did most of the heavy lifting and got very close earlier with aphid (correct phylum, class, order, and suborder...)
*hands cfm baton that has been grafted onto resistant N. American rootstock*

*examines baton carefully for signs of infestation* Thank you.
This next one is ABSTRACT WITH ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE CONNECTIONS

Any artistic connection?

[INJ] A qualified yes to that, employing a somewhat broad definition of art.

Related to food?

Musical connections?

[Tuj] Delicious and nutricious? NO -- or, at best, only in a fairly obscure and not-very-helpful way.
[CdM] Give it a 9 and dance to it? NO.

Is the animal human?

A human invention?

Is it something I can experience now?

Does it begin with U X A R P?

[INJ] YES, the strongest animal connection is human, though I can think of other animal connections.
[Tuj] YES, hence the strong human connection.
[Boolbar] YES, it is a contemporary concept.
[CdM] YES, it does indeed begin with P.
*loud applause...several audience members faint, overcome by the excitement of so many yes-es in a row*

Is it an essentially technological invention?

Was it known of in the year 1900?

A culinary invention?

[INJ] NO, not tech-y.
[Boolbar] YES, it was known in 1900.
[Raak]NO, still unrelated to food, except in an obscure, symbolic way.

Related to architecture?

[Raak] Architectural? NO. That would be Frank Lloyd Wrong :)

Is the strongest animal connection to a particular individual?

[CdM] NO. Not to an individual.

Fictional?

*proffers smelling salts to remaining audience members yet to come round*

Is this a group of people with something in common?

Is it a method of creating something?

An area of knowledge?

[Tuj] NO, the thing is quite real.
[Chalky] NO, the thing is abstract with animal and vegetable connections, not in and of itself animal.
[Boolbar] Tough one. But I think the best answer is NO, not a method. But creating is a relevant concept.
[INJ, NO, not an area of knowledge.

Related to a craft?

[INJ] YES, related to a craft. *enthusiastic applause ensues*

Does it involve writing?

Does it involve painting?

Does it end in "ism"?

[Raak] NO, not made with words.
[Boolbar] NO, no paint required.
[Tuj] NO, not a P-ism. :-)

Is it a particular method or style of creating something?

[Tuj] See my answer to Boolbar's earlier question. NO. It is not a method. But style is a relevant concept as well.

Does religion have any relevance to this?

Some sort of weaving?

Fashion?

[Chalky] YES, there is an ancient religious connection--though ti seems that's the case with everything. :-) .
[Raak]YES, the item can be related to weaving.
[Tuj] YES, there is a fashion association.*audience swoons once again*

Is there a connection to clothing?

Fancy dress?

Is it just the one word beginning with P on the card?

[Boolbar] YES. Connected to clothing.
[Raak] YES. And NO. By that I mean not necessarily and not always associated with fanciness.
[Chalky] YES. There is single word on the card.

Pattern?

Pinstripe?

[CdM] NO. Pattern is not the word on the card. But it is a relevant concept. *enthusiastic applause from the audience*
[GL] NO. Not pinstripe. *lingering applause nonetheless*

IS the AOTC a name of a pattern often found on clothing?

[Boolbar] YES! It is a pattern found on clothing! *audience knows it's just a matter of time now until the other shoe drops and relapses into its regularly scheduled apathy

Plaid?

Houndstooth?

[GL] NO. Not plaid.
[Raak] NO, not houndstooth. Or poundstooth, for that matter. :-)

Corduroy?

[Raak] NO. Not corduroy. (See previous questions; the answer begins with P.)

Paisley?

Patchwork?

[Raak] YES! Love it or hate it -- paisley is the word on the card. *turns up the Grateful Dead and extends a psychedelic baton to Raak*

pointing out a simple error

Well played Gusset Login - for t'was you, was it not, that gusseted the correct AOTC?

*embarrassed* Sorry, GL.

*turns up the Grateful Dead and extends a psychedelic baton to Gusset Login*

Either way is fine, but could you turn the music down a bit? I've got a headache... Now I feel old.

Anyway new AOTC is MINERAL

Occuring naturally?

Does it begin with a P?

[Dujon] Natural? - No
[Boolbar] P...? - No

Metal?

Rock?

Unique?

Was it first created after 1900?

[ImNotJohn] Metal? At least partly, often mostly
[Chalky] Rock? No, at least not that I've seen
[cfm] Unique? No *Audience laughs*
[Boolbar] Created after 1900? Yes

Is it used as currency?

A feature of urban architecture?

[Boolbar] Currency? No
[ImNotJohn] feature of urban architecture? No

I have done some more research and discovered that in fact the AOTC was created *before* 1900. Please ignore my previous answer.

Mobile?

[jim] Mobile? Depends on how you define mobile. It can be moved, but it isn't usually used while doing so.

A tool of some kind?

Bigger than a phone box?

Are there currently more than a million of these?

Is it used in communication?

[cfm] A tool of some kind? I wouldn't say it was, but I've heard it both ways.
[jim] Bigger than the Tardis? No.
[Raak] 1,000,000+ extant? Yes.
[Boolbar] Is it used in communication? Not to my knowledge.

Does it have moving parts?

Exactly the same size, shape and function as a toaster?

[Boolbar] Moving Parts? Yes
[ImNotJohn] Effectively a toaster? No.

Do parts of it get hot?

Is it an item of stationery?

[Tuj] Do parts of it get hot? They do generate heat but they are not well known for it.
[Raak] Is it an item of stationery? No.

A houshold utensil?

[Dujon] utensil? Never sure about that word, but it is used for a purpose so I guess, Yes... household? I tend to expect the AOTC more in offices, but I have one at home and items similar to the AOTC are not uncommon in houses...
So:
[Dujon] A houshold utensil? Yes

Does it do things to sheets of paper?

[Boolbar] Does it do things to sheets of paper? It depends what you do with it/them. Personally I try to avoid letting mine do anything to sheets of paper but not always successfully.

It is electrically powered?

Is it used to control temperature?

[Raak] Electric? Yes
[Boolbar] Used to control temperature? Yes

An air conditioner?

A fan?

[CdM] Air conditioner? No
[Raak] A fan? The AOTC is Electric Desk Fan but you are close enough.
Have an air cooled baton

The next is VEGETABLE.

Wooden?

[INJ] Mainly wooden.

Unique?

Alive?

The Larch?

Smaller than a toaster?

[Tuj] Not unique.
[jim] Not alive.
[Boolbar] Not the Larch.
[Chalky] Usually smaller than a toaster.

Is the bit that's not wooden - paper?

Begins with P?

Mass-produced?

[Chalky] I was a bit misleading there -- the paper is what's mainly wooden.
[Tuj] Yes! Yes, it does begin with P!
[CdM] I couldn't swear that no-one has ever set up a factory to make these, but no, not mass produced as far as I know.

Of value?

[Tuj] No particular value.

Is origami involved?

[Boolbar] *applause and cheering* Yes, the craft of paper-folding is involved.

A paper aeroplane?

*the audience launch a hail of paper darts* Yes, a paper aeroplane.

Crikey. We're damn good at this game.

Oh, is it me?

Most of the hard work was done for me ... I just supplied the answer. But then, it's always a communal effort.
Let's try a MINERAL, with ANIMAL and ABSTRACT connections.

Unique?

Metal?

Bigger than a toaster?

Human-made?

A fairly good start

[GL] YES, unique.
[CdM] NO, not metal.
[Tuj] YES, bigger than a toaster.
[Boolbar]YES, human made.

Functional?

In Europe?

[CdM] NO, not functional. A few giggles from the audience
[Tuj] YES, in Europe.

Is it inside a building?

Is it a statue?

Michelangelo's David?

Is it a city?

[Boolbar] NO, not inside a building.
[Raak] NO, not a statue, and hence not Michelangelo's David. Some audience approval of this line of questioning
[GL] NO, not a city.

But is it art?

Or architecture?

Made since 1900?

In the UK?

Does it involve water in any way?

[Tuj] YES, it is art.
[INJ] NO, it is not architecture.
[Raak] NO, not made since 1900.
[CdM] YES, in the UK.
[Chalky] NO, does not involve water any more than anything else in the UK not enclosed in some sort of building :)

Is it a sculpture?

Is it made of stone?

Is it in London?

[CdM] NO, it is not a sculpture. (You could make a case for its being one, but on the whole I'd say no.)
[Chalky] YES, it is made of stone. Some murmurs from the audience but no outright dissent.
[Tuj] NO, it is not in London.

The Stone of Scone?

That looks *so* wrong when typed out

[Chalky] NO, not the Stone of Scone.

A monument?

Does it have some religious significance?

Begins with P?

[Raak] NO, not a monument.
[cfm] POSSIBLY, but nobody knows for sure.
[Tuj] NO, alas, does not begin with P.

An ancient stone circle?'

Is it in England?

The Cerne Abbas Giant?

A very impressive guess

Might as well cut to the chase ...
[INJ] YES! It is the Cerne Abbas Giant, aka the Rude Man of Cerne, for reasons that should be obvious.
It may be an Iron Age depiction of a god or a fertility symbol, or it may be a giant 17th-century satirical drawing. But it is quite rude.
Over to ImNotJohn goes one baton in the shape of ... well, probably best not to go into that.

The giggles gave it away!

Ah well, thinking cap on again.
OK We'll go for ABSTRACT with MINERAL connections

A well-known phrase or saying?

Does it involve singing?

Fictional?

A quick start

[cfm] I say, I say? - YES
[Boolbar] musical/vocal? - NO
[Tuj] Fictional? - YES
On the bike today, so leaving the laptop at work - normal service will resume in the morning

The title of a written work?

Are the mineral connections metal?

Good Morning again

[cfm] Literary? - YES (but I didn't think of that when I set it)
[Tuj] Metallic? - NO

Begins with P?

Is a place name in the AOTC?

Are mineral connections liquid?

[Tuj] A P? - PNO
[Boolbar] Locational? - NO
[Chalky] Liquidity? - NO

Is it getting blood from a stone?

[Boolbar] Petric exsanguination? - NO

Does it come from the Bible?

[Raak] Biblical? - YES

Rock of Ages?

[cfm] Old Rock? - NO (is that biblical or just from the hymn? I shall check.)
Back again. The exact phrase seems to relate to the hymn although there are close biblical links turned up in my swift googling. BTW the rock that is referred to is on the Isle of Wight, but I've not been there myself.

The salt of the earth?

[INJ] Impulsive, misguided guess. Especially as you'd already said there was no connection to singing. But it's the name of a film playing in theaters now. So I thought it might be top of mind.

[Raak] Terrestrial salinity? - NO *the audience are fidgeting and getting their things together in preparation for an early getaway*

[cfm] - Always worth a try. I did know the story of the writing of the hymn, but I didn't (and don't) know if the phrase came to mind because it was biblical.

The widow's mite?

[Raak] The potentially willing widow? - NO

From the Old Testament?

[Raak] OT? - Y

A column of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night?

A pillaf of salt?

Don't forget the first answer

[Raak] Where there's smoke...? - NO
[GL] Salty? - NO

The stone tablets of the law?

Dust to dust - [ashes to ashes]?

[Raak] Mosaic tablets? - NO
[Chalky] Funereal soil? - NO

Is it from the Pentateuch?

[Raak] GenExoLevNumDeu? - NO
You may not know this as biblical - I chose it first and then checked the origin, so picking biblical quotes that fit might take a long time.

Is this a three word answer?

[Chalky] I'll name that in 3? - YES

Is the first word "the"?

[Raak] Starts with 'The'? - NO (and for a bonus, neither the second nor the third word are 'the')

Does the word "Stone" appear?

*more lateral fishing* .. Would yer average young adult have heard this well-known phrase or saying in general conversation?

Is the middle word "and"?

A stone's throw?

[Boolbar] Includes 'stone'? - NO
[Chalky] Well-known in young adult conversation etc? - I think the average young adult would have come across the phrase, but not in general conversation. I'm sure everyone here will know it as a phrase and most also as the book title.
[Raak] --- and ---? - NO
[cfm] Glass House No-no? - NO

Is it from the Book of Daniel?

Is the middle word "of"?

Aha!

[Boolbar] Daniel-y? - YES *considerable applause*
[GL] --- of ---? - YES *some members of the audience have put their coats on*

Feet of clay?

And the winner is....

cfm - Feet of Clay is the phrase on the card

Just make sure you keep the baton out of the rain.

Thank you, INJ. Won't be difficult. It has been blazing hot and sunny for days with more of the same on the way.
Let's try MINERAL with ANIMAL and VEGETABLE ASSOCIATIONS

Unique?

Is the animal connection human?

Made of Stone?

[Tuj] NO, there are many to be found.
[INJ] YES, among other animal connections.
[GL] NO, not made of stone.

Metal?

[Raak] YES. Metal. *audience applauds politely*

A household implement?

Larger than a 4-slice toaster?

Does it have a pointy bit?

Does it have any moving parts?

A watering can?

Do you own more than one?

[CdM] YES, the item is used by householders among other people. *a smattering of applause from the audience*
INJ YES, larger than a 4-slice. *another smattering, plus a snicker or two*
[Tuj] NOT NECESSARILY, but in some cases there are.
[Software] NO, not a watering can.

[GL] NO. I do not own more than one.

[BB] NO, nothing pointy -- on mine at least. But come to think, the ones with moving parts might have some pointy bits.

A sofa?

This either inspired or silly, I'm too tired to tell

Is it used in gardening?

[GL] NO, not a sofa. But YES! Totally silly. :)
[Rakk] NO, not used for gardening.

Ornamental?

[Raak] NO, not ornamental.

Used in cooking?

[GL] YES. Related to cooking. *a round of hearty applause*

An Aga?

A barbecue?

Or grill if you're american

[Raak] NO, not an Aga. (But I want of one those--one of the minty-turquoise green ones. :-) )
[GL] NO, not a barbecue/grill. *audience applauds nonetheless*

A refrigerator?

A smoker?

Some other sort of oven?

Cutting to the chase...
[CdM] YES! The word on the card is indeed "smoker." (I recently inherited one from a relocating neighbor and have been having a fine time experimenting with it. One can only hope someone will leave me that Aga next.) *even as it is quickly handed off to CdM, the baton begins to vanish...*

Italy is a wonderful country but they don't quite seem to have mastered this whole Internet thing yet. Two hotels in a row, now, where the wifi has worked hardly at all. So I think it best if I leave this baton here for someone else to pick up.

If the baton is just sitting around I'll grab it.

ABSTRACT with VEGETABLE or MINERAL connections

Begins with P?

Was it known of in 1900?

Does the AOTC ever have both vegetable and mineral connections simultaneously?

Connected to the arts?

[Tuj] P...? No
[Boolbar] Known in 1900? Yes, but not in the context I thought of it.
[cfm] Both vegetable and mineral together? The AOTC is abstract but were it not it may be vegetable, mineral or both depending on context and cultural preference
[Software] The arts? The arts is too vague a term, no answer I give can be both accurate and helpful

Are the vegetable and mineral connections the things it can be made of?

[Raak] Made of vegetable/mineral? As I said to cfm, if it were not abstract, it would be.

Fictional?

A well-known phrase or saying?

[Tuj] Fictional? If you mean "from a work of fiction", then No
[cfm] Phrase or Saying? Yes

Does the AOTC refer to some kind of building?

Is it the title of a work of fiction?

[cfm] Some kind of building? No
[Tuj] A work of fiction? Not that I've heard of or can find searching Amazon.

Is it computer related (nowadays) ?

Is it a phrase originating from a work of fiction?

Strange furrow to be ploughing.

[Boolbar] Computer related? I've seen it used on the internet but beyond that, No, I'm not aware of a computer connection.
[Tuj] From fiction? No, it is not fictional, from fiction, the name of a work of fiction, nor is it noatably associated with a fictional character, place or organisation.

Is it a proverb?

Does it include the word "of"?

[GL] Your comprehensive answering is appreciated =)

[Chalky] Proverb? No
[Tuj] Includes "of"? No.

[Tuj] Your welcome I didn't want you worrying the wrong end of the stick for too long. It is safe to say if it is at all fictional it did not start out that way.

Is it associated with a particular place?

When the AOTC is made of vegetable, is the vegetable wood?

[Boolbar] A singular geographical association? No
[cfm] Is the vegetable connection wood? Yes

When the AOTC is mineral, is it metal?

[cfm] Is the mineral connection metal? Usually.

Is the vegetable/mineral connection a household item?

[Boolbar] Linked to a household item? No.

Does the AOTC have a nautical connection?

As no one else is guessing, I thought I'd get things moving again.

[Boolbar] Boating Connection? Not that I'm aware of

To summarise: The AOTC is a physical object that has, through association with a phrase or saying, become not fictional but certainly metaphorical to the extent that it can appear on the internet (and not just as a picture). The original object may be/have been made of wood, metal or a combination of both. It is/was not a household object or related to boats and does not begin with P. Both the object and it's usage in the phrase date to before 1900, but it was not used on the internet until sometime later.

If any of the above appears to contradict anything I've said before, then assume my previous answers were accidentally wrong and use the new information.

Is there any connection to fire?

[Tuj] On fire? No

Is the "physical object" larger than a toaster?

[Boolbar] Originally larger than a toaster? No, in at least two dimensions, often all three.

When used as a phrase or saying, does the AOTC generally have negative connotations?

[cfm] Is it generally negative? No.

Is the "physical object" a weapon?

[Boolbar] A weapon? No, or not as such (depending on context)

Does the letter "b" occur in the AOTC ?

Trying a different approach.

[Boolbar] Can I have a B please? Yes

Does it have a sporting connection?

[INJ] Sports? At least two of the contexts I can think of are sporting. Others are not.

Does the saying refer to something worn on one's body?

Are there one or more websites specifically devoted to the AOTC?

[cfm] Worn? No
[CdM] Website(s)? Yes

Is the physical object essentially flat?

Just want to verify something from the last sentence of your excellent summary: are you sure it wasn't used on the internet before 1900?

[CdM] Is it flat? No
[CdM] Are you sure it wasn't used on the internet before 1900? I have found no websites using it with creation dates earlier than 1900, but they may exist.

Does the physical object have a sporting connection?

[Boolbar] Sports? At least two of the contexts I can think of are sporting. Others are not.

Are the sports team sports?

Does the AOTC contain the word "ball"?

Either as a whole word or part of a word.

[cfm] Teaming with sports? Yes
[Boolbar] Pass the ball? No, no "ball"s.

Jolly Hockey Sticks! ?

Does the AOTC refer to a particular piece of sporting equipment?

[INJ] Hockey Sticks? No
[CdM] A piece of equipment? Yes, but that's not the only definition of the AOTC

Is the word "bowl" contained within the AOTC?

[Boolbar] You got a bowl in it? No

Do the sports use a ball?

[INJ] Use a ball? No and not at the same time as the AOTC

Does the letter "k" occur in the AOTC ?

[Boolbar] Does the letter "k" occur in the AOTC? In English? No. In Esperanto, Dutch or Slovak? Yes

Are the sports connected with the AOTC occuring at the 2012 Olympics?

Topical!

[Boolbar] Are the sports in the Summer Olympics 2012? The obvious one is. The other one isn't and if it had been, the AOTC part would likely be omitted.

If no one gets this by Monday morning (BST) I intend to quit and let the first person to say "baton" start a new one.

Does the AOTC have something to do with a Baton?

[Boolbar] A Baton? YES the AOTC is "The Baton" please take this thing off me.

I wasn't expecting that!

Onwards :
ANIMAL

Human?

Unique?

Alive today?.

A flying start.

[cfm] Human? Oh yes.
[CdM] Only one? Oh yes.
[irach] Unkicked bucket? Oh yes.

Did they win a medal at the London 2012 Olympics?

Female?

Bradley Wiggins?

[Gusset Login] Gong? No. *Slight murmur from the audience*
[cfm] Femella? Yes!
[Raak] Ginger sideburns? No.

Disqualified from a medal at the London 2012 Olympics?

[Raak] Gong gone? No.

A competitor at the London 2012 Olympics?

Or failing that an asian badminton player

A medalist at some past Olympics?

[Gusset Login] Going for gold in 2012? No. *A few sniggers from the audience*
[cfm] Old Olympian? No.

Any connection with the 2012 Olympics

[ImNotJohn] 2012 Olympics Yes!

A politician?

Lord Coe?

[Raak] I think you must mean Lady Coe.

[cfm] Politician No.
[Raak] Coe/Coette No.

British?

[ImNotJohn] No. Not British.

A journalist?

Asian?

[cfm] Journalist? No.
[Gusset Login] Asian? Yes! *Audience applause*

Were they disqualified from the 2012 Olympics?

[Gusset Login] Disqualified No. "Not applicable" is a more accurate answer.

A member of the IOC?

[ImNotJohn] IOCilver Lining? No.

Associated with any particular sport?

[Raak] Sporty? No.

Chinese?

[Tuj] Chinese? No.

A busy weekend looming

I have to admit, I don't know why this particular person popped into my head when I picked up the baton. She really shouldn't have been there.

Connected to the Opening Ceremony in London?

[CdM] Yes! *Audience applause*

Madhura Nagendra, the "gatecrasher" with the Indian contingent marchers?

[irach] Yes! She is the answer on my card. I pass you these two batons. I'm not sure where the second one came from.

A lurker's victory this....the next one is ABSTRACT with a main ANIMAL connection, plus another somewhat more remote ANIMAL connection.

Is the main animal connection human?

Fictional?

Connected with a particular country?

[INJ] The main animal connection is human.
[Raak] Yes, fictional.
[Tuj] Yes, originated in one particular country.

Is the secondary animal connection human?

[cfm] The secondary animal connection is not human.

St. George?

[Raak] Not St. George (or a dragon as the secondary animal connection, I might add).

Calvin & Hobbes?

[GLogin] Not Calvin and Hobbes.

Created in the last century?

Is the particular country in Europe?

[Tuj] Not created in the last century.
[cfm] The country in question is European.

Sport-related?

[Tuj] Not sport-related

Is the country fictional but based on real one?

Literary?

Connected with religion?

Begins with P?

[Dujon] The country where the abstract entity stems from is not fictional.
[INJ] Yes, could presumbably be construed as "literary".
[jim] Not connected to religion.
[Tuj] Does not begin with "P".

Created in the last millennium?

[jim] Created within the last millenium.

Is the country Britain or a sub country thereof?

[gil] Yes, British.

From film or television programme?

Is the main human connection to an individual (fictional) human?

[Tuj] Not from TV or film.
[jim] Yes, the fioctional human connection is a single individual.

Would this fictional human be described as a hero or heroine?

[CdM] Not a hero or heroine per se, but well known to man, woman and child alike.

Well known internationally?

[cfm] I'd say yes, at least in primarily English-speaking nations.

Are we talking Bow Bells here?

(Dick Whittington and Cat)

[gil] Not Dicky and his feline companion (Dick was not fictional), but you're certainly on the right track vis a vis a specific human and animal association.

Greyfriar's Bobby?

[Software] Nae, laddy. Right animalspecies, wrong guess. I believe Greyfrirs Bobby was not fictional.

A well-known English phrase or saying?

[cfm] Not a "phrase" or "saying" specifically but is universally known, widely read, read aloud or otherwise spoken in the English-speaking world.

Is the remote animal connection sheep?

[Boolbar] No, as noted above, the non-human animal species in question is the same as Greyfriars Bobby; i.e. canine.

When you say "not from TV or film", does that mean that these fictional creations have not been portrayed in these media?

(All the famous fictional dogs I can think of have also been portrayed in film/TV)

Created after 1999?

Just to be completely sure what we mean by "not created in the last century".

[jim] The fictional characters most likely have been portrayed in an ancillary manner in some film or TV show, but were never the stars or central characters of a specific TV show or movie to my knowledge.
[jim] Created (considerably) before 1999.

John Bull?

and his British Bulldog, of course.

Old Mother Hubbard?

[INJ] Not John Bull or his bulldog.
[jim} YES!!! The rhyme "Old Mother Hubbard" it is! A long bone purloined from the infamous cupboard, laying it bare and depriving that lady's poor dog, is handed over to jim in lieu of a baton.

Oh sorry, is it my turn?

OK, let's have an ABSTRACT.

Related to literature?

Life?

[INJ] YES, related to literature, although not exclusively so.
[GL] Related to life, certainly, for without life there would be no (this thing). But if you mean is "life" the AOTC, then NO.

Related to creativity?

[cfm] YES, similarly to "literature" above.

A character in a fictional work?

Related to inspiration?

Imagination?

[INJ] NO, not a character in a fictional work (or if so, it's a very strange work).
[cfm] Borderline, but pretty tenuous in either case.
[gil] NO, not imagination.

Do the words on the card refer to an intellectual process?

Is this something which might be described as a 'skill'?

[cfm] NO, not an intellectual process.
[Dujon] It MIGHT be, but any such description would be VERY tongue-in-cheek.

A human invention?

Does it begin with P?

[Tuj] YES, in so far as it can be termed an invention. A human concept, certainly.
[CdM] NO, does not begin with P.

Is it useful?

[gil] I would have to say YES, it is useful in a sense, although some would disagree.

Was it known about in 1900?

[Boolbar] YES, it was known about in 1900.

Flair?

[Softers] NO, not flair.

Luck?

Was it known 3000 years ago?

[Phil] Alas, no luck.
[CdM] NO, it was not known 3000 years ago.
I think we need to further narrow things down before guessing. All the guesses so far have been pretty wide of the mark. Oh, and re cfm's question above, it is certainly related to an intellectual process, but I couldn't say that it was one.

Is it related to religion?

[Phil] NO, it is not related to religion. (I could make a facetious comment here, but I shall refrain.)

Do we do this every day?

[Software] I expect that very few, if any, people make/do this every single day. Some do more than others. Some pride themselves on never doing it at all.

Could I type this (using both hands) while making/doing it?

Good question

[Boolbar] You can certainly make/do/perpetrate this while typing (with any number of hands); it's possible that you did so while typing your last question, but I think it very unlikely.

Is this typically viewed negatively?

[CdM] I don't know about "typically". It is viewed negatively by many; I suspect most people are actually neutral on the subject.

an entertainment of some sort?

[INJ] NO, not an entertainment of any sort.

A distraction?

Giertrud

Wild guesses are hyperbole and exaggeration...

[Software] It can be distracting, if you encounter one and you are the sort of person who notices such things.
[Giertrud] I'm sure they are; are they YOUR guesses? In which case, NO, not hyperbole or exaggeration, but you are sort of on the right lines.

Giertrud

Rhetoric

Could it be rhetoric?

A figure of speech?

A clue?

Do some people find it offensive?

Is it something to do with punctuation?

Wild guess.

As jim hasn't posted for 5 weeks, do we think someone else should perhaps take up the baton?

Yes. I nominate Phil.

Or will take it up myself if Phil prefers.

Well, I am phenomenally bored at work, so I certainly have the time.
Any objections?
*waits a minute*
Oh well, OK then.

Let's start a new game with

Animal

Is it a panda?

Is it a live animal?

Is it human?

Begins with P?

[Boolbar] Panda? NO
[cfm] Live animal? NO
[Raak] Human? YES!
[Tuj] P? NO

Is he female?

Did this person run a pub not so long ago?

[GL] Female? NO
[Raak] Ex-publican? No, not even a little bit.

Was this now dead person still alive in 1950?

[Boolbar] Now dead confirmation? YES; Alive in 1950? YES

An artist of some kind?

[cfm] An artist? NO

A sporting figure?

Did this gentleman die in April 1955?

European?

Was this now dead person still alive in 2000?

[Raak] Sporting? NO
[Dujon] d. 04/1955? NO
[CdM] European? NO
[GL] Alive in 2000? YES

American?

[Raak] Americano? NO

A politician?

[cfm] Politician? YES *some applause*

A president, prime minister, or other similar leader?

Did they die this year?

[CdM] Leader? YES
[Raak] d. 2012? NO

Oh, and a bit of *applause* for CdM, I would imagine.

Kim Il Sung?

Yassar Arafat?

[Raak] The man that looked at things? NO
[cfm] Yasser-al-briefly-exhumed-Arafat? YES - spot on.
Here, cfm, take this baton that looks rather like a sandy femur.

[Phil] Er...don't you think we should put it back?
Okay, let's try this:

ABSTRACT WITH ANIMAL CONNECTIONS

Connected to a specific human animal?

[CDM] Somebody not anybody? NO

A well known phrase or saying?

Is the animal human?

Did it originate in the Bible?

A human invention?

A work of fiction?

[GL] Just sayin'... NO
[Phil] Only human? YES *Audience applauds in an early-in-the-game sort of way*
[Boolbar] Word of God? NO *A smattering of snickers*
[Tuj] Man/woman-made? YES *Audience applauds again*
[Raak] No resemblance to persons living or dead? NO

Connected with the arts?

[CdM] Art in part? YES. *more applause*

A song?

A book?

Was this invented/created in the last 100 years?

[CdM] Can I hum a few bars? NO
[Phil] Can I turn a few pages? NO *A sustained murmur from the audience*
* [Boolbar] A modern invention? YES *applause*

Is the spoken word involved?

[Raak] Speaking parts? YES *more applause*

A speech made on some occasion?

[Raak] Special occasion? NO

A connection to motion pictures?

[GL] You oughtta be in pictures? NO.

Is it a joke?

Is it a catch-phrase?

[Phil] Is this a joke? NO
[Raak] Here--catch? NO but I am fairly certain the words on the card are well-known among this group.
[Raak] One further comment on your SPECIAL OCCASION question: I still think the best answer to the precise words and spirit of your question is NO. But it bears repeating that there is speech involved with the thing on the card.

Does it originate from a Radio or TV program?

ISIHAC?

[Boolbar] Broadcast first? NO
[Raak] Clueless? NO

To do with a game?

[Raak] Game on? NO

An eaves-dropping?

[Phil] Rain on the roof? NO
[Raak] Another revision. Related to a game, still NO. But the audience *applauds a bit* anyway.

A word?

Does the AOTC have a connection with a particular location?

[Phil] The idea of word? A single word? NO *a ripple of applause nonetheless*
[Boolbar] Here not there? NO

An answer?

[GL] The idea of answer? NO

Was this invented/created in the last 10 years?

[Boolbar] Past decade? NO

Was this invented/created in the last 50 years?

Is the letter W in the AOTC ?

[CdM] Past 50? YES *polite applause*
[Boolbar] Can I have a W? There are two common ways of describing the abstract thing on the card and one of them does include a W, YES. *more applause*

Connected in some specific way with the internet?

So this is connected to the arts, but not to movies, songs, radio, or TV, and is not a book or a work of fiction. (Though the book question elicited a response...)

[CdM] As much as everything is on the internet (including some things one fervently wishes were not), this is connected to the internet. But in a more specifc way, NO.
By the same token, it is also possible that there are movies related to the thing on the card -- just as there are movies about cooking or zombies or Watergate. But I think that is an overly broad interpretation of the question, so my answer stands.
Please refer back to the form of the question on TV. The answer is still NO.

Is there or has there been a TV program with a title that is the AOTC?

[Boolbar] I am aware of one TV program devoted to the thing on the card. I don't know how widely known it is. But the actual title of the show is not comprised of the words on the card. So I guess that is still a NO. Nonetheless *audience applauds encouragingly*

To do with theatre?

[Raak] Take a bow? YES, there is a connection to theater. *applause*

A play?

I am pretty sure the answer is no, but I just want to check.

[CdM] The play's the thing? NO. But you already knew that. :-)

A libretto?

[Phil] Operatic? NO.

A soliloquy?

[Raak] Soliloquy is not the word on the card, NO. But the concept is related. *vigorous applause*

Connected with comedy?

A monologue?

[Boolbar] Stand up and be counted? YES. I would say that there is some connection to comedy. (Though I would add that, like the internet, comedy can be connected to many things.) *more applause*
[Phil] Monologue is not the AOTC, NO. But the concept is again strongly connected. *audience is highly engaged*

*racking my brain*

Does the thing on the card usually involve one person speaking to an audience?

[Boolbar] One and many? Splendid. YES.

[Boolbar] *belated and extended applause*

A TED talk? (or whatever the correct term is for them)?

[Phil] TED-ed? YES, there has been a TED talk on this subject. It is available online. (Also, while TED is not the AOTC, one might argue there is some kinship between the two abstract concepts.) *applause*

Something to do with the giving of awards?

Something to do with the receiving of an award?

[Boolbar] Giving and [Raak] Receiving? In practice, there is frequently a competitive connection. But this is not a necessary component of the abstract concept. *encouraging applause*

A poetry slam?

No, wait a minute -- just one person.
A poetry reading?

[CdM] *considers*
Hmmmm. I can't think of a way to say "no" without seriously misleading the players. So while I actually had in mind the entire genre and not a specific event -- congratulations, YES! The AOTC is Slam Poetry a.k.a. Spoken Word Poetry. *invites CdM up to the mike to say a few very personal words about receiving the baton* :-)

Blimey! I was miles away. Perhaps I will win another day. To CdM I will say well done, and thanks to cfm for so much fun.

That was a surprise; it was a bit of a shot in the dark. OK.
ANIMAL and VEGETABLE

Is the animal element human?

Steak and chips?

Human? No.
Steak and chips? No.

Is the animal element canine?

Doggy? No.

Edible -- at least in the normal course of things?

Is it strongly associated with a particular time of year?

Progress

Edible? Yes.
Associated with a time of year? Yes. *applause*

Associated with summer?

Connected with Christmas?

More specifically...drinkable?

This won't take long

Summer? Perhaps in the Southern Hemisphere
Connected with Christmas? Yes. *applause*
Drinkable? Yes. *sustained applause*

Is there nutmeg involved?

Now you are just toying with me

Nutmeg? Typically, yes.

Is the drinkable thing associated with Christmas potentially intoxicating? :-)

Egg-nog?

Intoxicating? My version certainly is.
Eggnog? YES! One baton with rum and grated nutmeg goes to Gusset Login.

Oh, how unexpected.
The next item is MINERAL

A snowman?

Metal?

Naturally occurring?

Such as, for example, a naturally occurring metal snowman

Gold?

[Raak] snowman? No.
[cfm] Metal? Yes.
[CdM] Natural? No. naturally occurring metal snowman? No.
[Boolbar] Gold? Yes.

One of a kind?

[cfm] Unique? No.

Is the gold object symbolic in some way?

Gold cast or moulded into a quintet of tori?

[cfm] Symbolic? Yes, or at least probably.
[CdM] FIVE GOLD RINGS!? YES

Have a baton made of pear wood tied with partridge feathers

Me again? Oh dear.

I'm travelling for much of the next two days, and not 100% sure of the internet connection when I reach my next destination. So if anyone wants to take over the baton, feel free. If nothing has been set when I am fully internetted again, then I will get back in the saddle.

Very well then

Since no one has picked up the baton... This is best described as
ABSTRACT with VEGETABLE and ANIMAL connections,
but it could also be described as VEGETABLE with ANIMAL and ABSTRACT connections.

Is it a fictional object?

Is the animal connection a human?

Fictional object? I think the best answer is Yes. But, in some sense, real versions do or can exist, hence the two ways of describing it.
Animal connection human? No.

A metaphor?

Metaphor? Yes. *applause*

Is the animal connection bovine?

Is the vegetable part wood?

Bullish? No.
Wood? Yes.

Is the animal a tiny creature that burrows through the wood?

Begins with P?

Does the abstract concept involve an object fashioned from wood?

Carpenter termite worm? No.
Begins with P? Yes.
Object fashioned from wood? A cautious Yes, provided you take a broad interpretation of "fashioned".

Is the animal connection a domesticated beast?

Is a horse involved?

Domestic beast? No.
Wild horse? No.

Is it in the Bible?

Biblical? No.

Is the vegetable element paper?

Paper? Yes. *applause*

Paper Tiger?

Paper tiger? Yes! An inspired leap by Phil, there. *hands over illusory baton*

Oh crikey - bit of a lurker's win, but "hey ho" all's fair in love and AVMA.
So our next puzzle will be:

Mineral, Vegetable and Animal

Fish and chips?

[Raak] Cod n spud? NO

France?

[GL] La Belle France? NON

Is it edible?

Does the mineral portion of the MV&A constitute the majority component of the answer?

Does the vegetable portion of the MV&A constitute the plurality component of the answer?

Does the animal portion of the MV&A constitute the primary component of the answer?

Does the conjunction portion of the MV&A constitute the primary component of the answer?

[Dujon] Mineral > Veg + Animal? YES
[CdM] Veg > Animal AND Veg > Mineral? NO
[GL] Animal is "primary component"? Not entirely sure what that means precisely, but I'm confident with a NO
[Boolbar] "Conjunction portion"? As an Austrian friend of mine used to say in French lessons, "My friend, I am completely lost"

Great answers but is it edible?

Is there just one of it?

And is it edible?

Is the mineral part a liquid?

[Conjunction] As mineral, animal and vegetable had already been taken, I was left with the "and" ;)

My sincerest apologies:
[Raak] Edible? NO
[Raak] Unique? YES
[Boolbar] Liquid mineral? NO {Re: conjunction - ah, very good :-)}

Was it man-made?

[Primary Component] Either the initial component or that from which the majority is made.
If that doesn't make sense, I apologise. English is my first language, so I tend to play with it until I break it.

Is it in a building?

[GL] Man-made? YES
[Boolbar] In a building? NO *applause and hubbub*

A landmark of the type that a tourist would visit?

[cfm] Tourist-magnet? YES *applause*

I've forgetten my next question

CdM, Gusset Login & Boolbar: Thanks, it's not often I get a chuckle out of MV&A.

[Dujon] Imaginary next question? I've forgotten the answer ;-)

Is it in Europe?

Is the vegetable portion in Canada?

Is the animal part alive?

Is the animal part human in whole or in part?

[Boolbar] In Europe? YES
[CdM] Veg portion in Canada? NO
[Raak] Animal part alive? NO
[cfm] Animal part human? NO!

Is it more than 300 years old?

[Boolbar] > 300 years old? YES and NO. You might wish to pick another number *a little applause and much chattering amongst the audience*

Is the animal part bone?

Is it in England?

[cfm] bone? NO
[Boolbar] In England? YES *some applause*

Hidden text

I confess, I had to use the Whoops! button earlier, as I said NO to Europe, forgetting temporarily that the UK is a part thereof. How 70s of me!

Stonehenge?

[Software] Stonehenge? NO

Is the animal part leather?

[Raak] Leather? YES

Is it larger than an adult Old English Sheepdog?

Is it smaller than the New York Stock Exchange?

Is it a vehicle?

Is it a building?

[Boolbar] Bigger than the Dulux dog? YES
[Tuj] Smaller than NYSE? NO

Hidden text

Being unfamiliar with NY, that took some research!

*some applause*
[Raak] A vehicle? NO
[cfm] A building? YES *more applause*

Is the mineral element stone?

[cfm] Mineral = Stone? YES *a bit more applause*

Is it in London?

[Chalky] In that London? NO

A famous library?

A Museum?

[cfm] Library? NO
[Boolbar] Museum? NO

A tannery?

[Raak] Tannery? NO - I would just add that the leather is very much a minor component

Is the vegetable element wood?

A religious building?

[cfm] Wood? YES
[Raak] Religious? NO

A commercial location?

[CdM] Commercial location? NO, using UPS's definition of a "commercial address".
If you meant "has it been used in an advertisement?" then the answer is YES

Is it less than 50 miles away from Cambridge?

The Cambridge in England that is. The one where half the boat race comes from.

[Boolbar] <50 miles to Cambridge? NO

Associated with an academic institution?

[cfm] Academic? NO

Is it a National Trust property?

[Boolbar] NT? NO

Does anyone live in it?

[Raak] Inhabited? YES *some applause*

Is the leather component, though minor, essential in some sense?

[CdM] Essential leather? NO - not worth focussing on, IMHO.

Is its latitude less than 52° N?

[Boolbar] Lat < 52^oC? YES *much glowing of smartphones as audience members check the veracity of Phil's reply, followed by knowing smiles and a slow spread of applause*

Buckingham Palace?

[Software] Buckingham Palace? NO *applause and eager anticipation of a victory*

The Royal Pavilion at Brighton?

[Raak] Brighton Pavilion? NO

Tower of London?

[Software] Tower of London? NO

Is it in a county that ends with "shire" ?

It is associated with royalty?

Windsor Castle?

[Boolbar] In a shire? YES
[Raak] Associated with royalty? NO, not closely in the sense I think you mean.
[Software] Windsor Castle? NO

I think a couple of questions could be useful to revisit the answers to (and the audience's reactions). "Latitude" and "Older than 300 years" would be of interest, from memory.

Would longitude be of particular importance?

The Royal Observatory in Greenwich?

[Dujon] Longitude particularly important? NO, other than its importance for any building
[CdM] Greenwich Observatory? NO

I would also remind you that someone lives in it.

Clarence House?

[Clarence House] NO - it's in a "-shire" county

Blenheim Palace?

[Raak] Blenheim Palace - YES. In retrospect, I might have left the leather element out altogether. The latitude at 51.84^oN is just less than 52, and the palace was being built 300 years ago.
So, I pass on the baton to Raak with Churchillian gravitas.

The next is ANIMAL.

Audience chuckles as the answer goes up on the laser display board.

Human?

Not human

More chuckling.

Alive?

A single animal?

Mythological?

Not alive.
Not a single animal.
Not mythological.
The audience derives some merriment from all these questions.

Is it manufactured from part or parts of a dead animal?

A dead parrot?

[GL] *applause* Yes, manufactured from dead animals.
[Phil] Not that dead animal.

Glue?

A Tesco economy beefburger?

Leatherwear?

[CdM] Not glue.
[INJ] Not leatherwear.
[Phil] I think that's close enough to the words on the card, "a horsemeat burger". Have this rod of horse, um, jerky.

The laughter was fun :-)
So, next we'll have,

ABSTRACT - with Animal associations

Is the animal connection human?

[Boolbar] Human animal connection? YES

A fictional human?

[GL] Fictional human? NO

The regulations that prohibit horsemeat from human consumption?

[Raak] Anti-equivoreal Regulations? NO

A unique human?

Is it found in the Bible?

Begins with P?

Culture-specific?

[cfm] Unique human? NO
[Boolbar] Found in The Bible? YES *a few chuckles*
[Tuj] Begins with P? YES Applause, cheers, whoops and laughter
[CdM] Culture-specific? YES

Are there other animal associations as well as human?

Philistine?

Question, not insult (well, probably).

[Boolbar] Other animals? NO
[CdM] Me-istine? NO

Pornographic?

:o)

Paternalism?

[Software] Rudey bits? NO!
[cfm] Daddyness? NO

Pilates exercises?

[Raak] Pilates? NO

Paganism?

[cfm] Paganism? NO

Does the answer on the card have more than one word?

[Boolbar] AOC has > 1 word? YES

NB, on reflection for Tuj's "Does it begin with P?" question, I should add that the most important part of the answer on the card starts with "P".

A painted sepulchre?

Is the important P-thing you?

Related to a particular belief system?

Is it related to prayer?

[Raak] Painted sepulchre? NO
[Tuj] Me? NO
[cfm] Related to a particular belief system? NO
[GL] Prayer? NO

A plague of something?

[Raak] Plague? NO

Is there a person's name in the answer?

Related to food?

[Boolbar] A name? NO
[cfm] Foody? NO

A prophesy?

[Raak] Prophesy? NO

Is the specific culture geographically defined/distinct?

[cfm] Geographically defined specific culture? NO - plus I have not strictly said it's one culture.

[Phil] Indeed, I should have asked is/are the specific culture(s) geographically defined/distinct? Thanks for the conscientious clarification, though. :)

Related to language?

[cfm] Related to language? YES *Audience wakes up and applauds*

A parable?

Is it related to many other written works as well as the bible?

[Raak] A parable? NO
[INJ] Related to many other works? YES *enthusiastic applause*

Page number?

[GL] Page number? NO

A catch phrase?

[cfm] A catch phrase? NO

Related to language?

[INJ] Related to language? YES *more enthusiastic applause*

Is the P-word someone's name?

[Raak] A P-name? NO

Does it start with "Ph"?

A Proper Noun?

Has anyone done or used this in this game?

Anything to do with preaching?

[GL] Ph- ? NO
[INJ] A proper noun? NO
[Boolbar] Has it been used in this game? YES, many, many times. *Applause, cheers and a few knowing chuckles*
[Raak] To do with preaching? NO

To do with playing?

A pun?

[Raak] To do with playing? NO
[CdM] A pun? NO.

Some clarification

While I have said no to playing, puns, preaching, proper nouns, philistines, page numbers, catch phrases and others, the answer on the card is related to all these things in a way.

Printed words?

[GL] Printed words? NO (but again, related as above).

The letter P?

[Boolbar] The letter P? YES - plaudits, pleasantries, praise and power be thine. Passing this practically perfect pole of power from person-to-person in the pursuit of pedantic pleasure is a project of prime privilege. Phew!

[Phil] Bravo!

Blimey! Funny enough, I needed a p after all that.

Let's do this ...
ABSTRACT (WITH ANIMAL, MINERAL & VEGETABLE ASSOCIATIONS)

An activity

A cracking start.

[NotJohn] Being active? - YES *Audience look keen*

Creation?

Peeing?

[Gusset Login] Creation? Did you mean The Creation or the act of creation in general? Either way, NO.
However, the AOTC was created, if your meaning was "is it a creation?"
[Phil] Micturate? NO.

A game?

this is going well.

[Raak] Game-on! YES *applause*

Normally takes place outdoors?

[NotJohn] Normally done outside? YES

Does the game involve a ball?

Is it widely played in England?

[cfm] Ball Game? NO.
[Phil] Widely played in England?
Hmmm. I suspect NO. It is played in England (as well as other countries), but not widely (as in often *and* all over the country, e.g. cricket or chess).

Does the game require forming teams?

Ultimate frisbee?

A spectator sport?

[cfm] Teams? NO. I'm sure it can be played with teams, but it isn't usually.
[CdM] Ultimate frisbee? NO.
[Raak] Spectator sport? I think the best answer is NO. But there is nothing to stop people watching!

Are there organised competitions?

Is it normally associated with one culture

e.g. Kabbadi (sp?)

Does the game involve equipment of some kind?

Do the players typically get muddy?

[Phil] Competitions? YES. I know of at least one.
[ImNotJohn] One culture? NO. I think.
[cfm] Equipment? YES-ish. Players need an item to play the game, but calling it equipment is perhaps misleading. Would the pies in a pie-eating contest be called equipment?
[Raak] Mud glorious mud? NO. But the opportunity is there.

Cheese-rolling?

Does the 'equipment' constitute the vegetable and mineral part of the definition?

[Phil] Chasing Cheese? NO.
[NotJohn] 'Equipment' vegetable/mineral? YES for vegetable traditionally. Some mineral items can also be used. *Audience applause and murmur*

Is it a game in which two people play against each other?

Is there a non-human animal connection?

Does this involve the throwing/tossing of an object?

Does it involve climbing?

Is the vegetal matter wood?

[Raak] One-against-one? YES. Or more than two. At least two.
[cfm] Non-human animal? In an abstract way, there is a connection, so YES. *Audience mutter*
[Dujon] Tossing? YES *A ripple of applause* Or at least using gravity.
[NotJohn] Climbing? NO.
[Phil] Vegetable wood? YES! *A wave of applause* The vegetable part could also be a mineral to play, but in the origins of the game, it was vegetable (wood).

Poohsticks?

Golf?

Winner!

[Raak] A hole in one? NO.
[NotJohn] Poohsticks? YES!! Your stick has passed under the bridge first.
Hands NotJohn a somewhat moist twig.

It's the little flick of the wrist as you drop it that makes all the difference.

OK, this one is VEGETABLE or (ANIMAL with ABSTRACT connections)

Wooden Horse?

[Phil] Sylvan equine? - NO

A vegetable?

As in, "a vegetable" being the answer, metaphorical for someone irreversibly brain-dead.

Some great guesses here

[Raak] Vegetable vegetable? - NO

Trojan Horse?

Is this a homograph?

A wooden sculpture?

A swede?

[GL] Trojan Horse? - NO
[Chalky] Homograph? - Tricky, I think it could be argued either way, but I'd go for - NO
[Raak] Wooden Sculpture? - NO
[Dujon] Swede? - NO

Is the Animal a human?

Is it usually eaten?

[Chalky] - Human animal? - YES
[Boolbar] Usually eaten? - NO

Made of paper?

[CdM] Papery? - NO, but * a few suppressed chuckles in the audience*

Is it unique?

Made of wood?

Some progress

[Boolbar] Only 1? - YES for the Animal
[Phil] Woody? - YES for the vegetable

Fictitional Animal?

[Chalky] Fictional Animal? - NO

Is it a tree?

Aha!

[Boolbar] A Tree? - YES *prolonged applause*

Family tree?

[Software] Genealogical? - NO

A specific kind of tree?

Warm

[CdM] Specific kind of tree? - YES *further applause*

Rowan?

Tree of Life?

[Phil] - Rowan? - NO? (So not ROWAN Atkinson, nor ASHley Cole, nor Gabriel OAK, etc)
[cfm] Tree of Life? - NO

Joshua Tree?

[cfm] U2 Tree? - NO (I wondered if someone would guess that)

There is no cheating or discrepancy going on here - the answer, exactly as stated on the card, is both a kind of tree and a unique human animal. Attacking either part is possible. Perhaps inevitably some people will find one alternative easier than the other.

Sequoyah?

[Raak] Sequoia? - NO (I'll look up your spelling - mine is that required to make it the equal shortest word containing all vowels once only)

{Raak] Isn't that fascinating - thank you. It's also a very good guess. Just happens to be incorrect.

Is the tree an evergreen?

Is the unique human male?

[Boolbar] Evergreen - YES
[cfm] - male? - YES

Did he die before 1900?

Died pre-1900? - NO *the audience is hushed*

Courtney Pine?

[Chalky] Courtney Pine? - NO

Stan Laurel?

[Phil} - A laurel called Stan? - NO
Just a a gentle prod, the person is probably the harder element to get for most of you.

Is it a pine tree?

[Boolbar] A pine? - Technically NO, but commonly YES *applause*

Scots pine?

A fir?

[cfm] McPine? - NO
[Raak] Firry? - NO

The monkey puzzle?

I thank my dear late father for one of his useless facts.

Araucaria

We have a winner AND we have a winner

The answer on the card is Araucaria, aka the Monkey Puzzle tree or the Chilean Pine.
Araucaria is also the pseudonym of the Rev. John Galbraith Graham, the doyen of British cryptic crossword compilers, who recently announced that he is suffering from terminal cancer using the answers to clues in one of his puzzles to do so. (Araucaria is suffering from 18 down of the 19, where the clue to 18 down was 'Sign of growth (6)')
Well then, now what do I do - Phil is exactly right, but he set the last one and in the absence of his answer I would have allowed Software's, so I will.
One 'Stick to continue the innings (5)' passed on to Software.

Department of Corrections

That's 'last but one'

Indeed, I meant to add that if I got that right, I would give the baton to Software, as I would not have got it without him. I remember the day (probably early 1990s) that I discovered what the crossword compiler's name meant. I hadn't heard about his illness though. Anyway, onwards and upwards (or downwards and acrosswards)

Department of useless facts

John Graham also sets puzzles under the pseudonym 'Cinephile', which is an anagram of 'Chile Pine'.

Ah, that'll be me then accepting the prickly baton.

Right, ANIMAL with ABSTRACT connections.

Red rum?

Human?

Fictional?

Animal the Muppet drummer?

[GL] Horse meat? NO
[cfm] One of us? YES!
[NJ] Virtual? NO
[Bool] Don't be a Muppet. NO

A unique human?

Currently alive?

[cfm] One-off? YES!
[NJ] Living? YES!

A male?

[Phil] Manly? YES!

The creative type? (writer, visual artist, performer, etc.)

Does this person have some language other than English as his mother tongue?

British?

Is or was involved in politics?

[cfm] arty farty? NO
[CdM] Bilingual? NO
[Raak] True Brit? YES!
[NJ] political animal? NO *some muttering among the audience*

Involved in government?

A member of the Royal Family?

[cfm] Elected? NO *more mutterings in audience*
[Phil] Royalty?NO

A scientist?

Has this person received an honour from the Queen?

A non-elected government employee?

A journalist?

[Phil] Boffin? NO *guffaws from some of the audience*
{Raak} Dubbed? YES! *mutterings among some of the audience*
[cfm] Quangoish? NO *some of the audience have views on this it would seem*
[NJ] Hack? NO

Sebastian Newbold Coe, Baron Coe CH KBE?

David Beckham?

[Raak] Superman? NO
[Phil] Becks? NO

Involved in the Justice system?

[NJ] Judiciary? NO

Involved in the sporting world?

A broadcaster?

[Raak] Sporty?: NO
[Phil] Pundit?: NO (not in the normal sense anyway)

Under 50 years old?

Over 70 years old?

[Phil] <50 years?: NO
[Bool] >70 years?: NO

A businessman?

[Raak] Something in the city?: NO

Does he begin with P?

Involved with education?

An Entrepreneur?

A celebrity chef?

[CdM] P?: NO
[NJ] Tutor?: NO * mutterings among some of the audience *
[Chalks] Wheeler Dealer?: NO
[Raak] Cooking fat?: NO

Summary

A living British man between 50 and 70 with a gong, but not any of: a creative, a non-native English speaker, a politician, a politician in power, employed by the government, a journalist, in the legal profession, a sportsman, a broadcaster, a businessman, a P_____, an educator, an entrepreneur, or a chef.

Was he formerly in any of those professions but is now retired?

[Raak] Retiree?: NO

Has he published written works?

*focusing on the abstract* Do we know about him because of a song or piece of music?

Do we know about him because of something that happened to him?

continuing the thought

Does he work in PR?

[CdM] Author?: NO not in the strictest interpretation, that is
[Chalks] Musical?: NO
[NJ] Events?: YES!
[Phil] Spinner?: NO * chuckles from some of the audience *

Is he known for inventing something?

Was he the victim of a crime?

Did the "something that happened to him" happen outside the United Kingdom?

[Bool] Inventor? NO
[NJ] Mugged? NO
[CdM]Overseas? NO

Did he mount or inspire some kind of protest?

Does he have a Wikipedia entry?

Is he a 'Sir .....'?

[cfm] Protester? NO * some heated discussion among part of the audience +
[Phil] Wikied? YES!
[Chalks] Knighted? NO * spontaneous sporadic claps from audience *

Has this person been stripped of his honour from the Queen?

[Bool] Demoted? NO

Has he received the Order of the British Empire?

Does he have an employer?

[GL] OBE etc? NO
[Phil] Employer? YES! * chuckles from some of the audience *

Is he a 'Lord ...'?

Is he a Duke?

[Chalks] Peer of the Realm? YES!
[GL] Duke? NO

A life peer?

[GL] Lifer? YES!

A man of the cloth?

The Lord Williams of Oystermouth?

(simulposted with Phil)

[Phil] Sky pilot? YES!
[CdM] Lord Who? NO.

Justin Portal Welby?

[NJ] The Lord Archbishop? YES!

Well done! Please accept this Shepherd's Crook shaped baton!

pedantry rears my ugly head

He's not, technically, a life peer, is he? I know ex-Arch B's of C generally are given life peerages, but not until they're ex. I think. I could well be wrong, though :-)

But no applause for my guess? That audience was harsh! Also, not to cavil, but saying "we know about him because of something that happened to him" seems to be dissing someone who rose to the highest possible point on his career path. A bit like saying we know David Cameron or Jack Welch because of something that happened to them (being elected, being appointed by a Board of Directors).

Hmmm.

Yes, I think Sir Alec would have had a few things to say about the ref in that round - I didn't guess earlier because I was sure CdM was right.

Moving on we'll have primarily VEGETABLE with major ANIMAL connections - In fact technically, there are also significant Mineral and Abstract associations as well, but that's not going to help at this stage

Can I eat it?

Can I eat it if Boolbar doesn't?

[Boolbar/CdM] Edible? - NO?

Bigger than a breadbox?

[cfm] > breadbox? - YES

Is the Vegetable part the Animal connection's habitat?

[Raak] Is the Vegetable part the Animal connection's habitat? - YES, you could put it like that (a little ripple)

Is the animal a bird?

Is the animal human?

Is the animal a fish?

Going OK so far

[cfm] avian? - NO
[Raak] Human? - YES
GLogin] Piscine? - NO

A log cabin?

[GL] Log Cabin? - NO *audience is stirring, some applausse heard*

Unique?

A famous home?

Warm

[CdM] just the 1? - YES
[cfm] Famous home? - YES *sustained applause*

Located in Europe?

In the USA?

[GL] Bravo

Well, this is very efficient

[cfm] European? - NO
[Tuj] USian? - YES

Built in the 20th century?

[cfm] C20? - NO

George Washington's home at Mount Vernon?

Is it famous because someone famous lived there?

Does it begin with the initial letter of Pennsylvania?

And the winner is

[Raak] Mount Vernon it is!!
I've just been reading a biography. Interesting that his greatness is as much about when he gave up power as when he wielded it.
Here, have this branch of a cherry tree I've just cut down as a baton.

Ah, so this is why my memory failed to conjure up a vision of a wooden house.

Q: Is the mansion at Mount Vernon built of wood or stone?
A: Mount Vernon is of frame construction, and the sheathing is beveled and covered with a mixture of paint and sand to give the appearance of stone.

Never actually been there, so I just went straight to Wikipedia, which just says 'The mansion is built of wood in neoclassical Georgian architectural style'.

The next is ANIMAL.

Is it unique?

Human?

[Notboolbarjohn] A unique human.

Is the unique human male?

Is this human still alive?

[cfm] Male.
[Boolbar] Alive.

Begins with P?

The odds aren't good on our 4-0 start continuing...

[Tuj] **applause** Yes, I think it would be fair to say so.

Is this unique living male human beginning with P European?

[CdM] Almost certainly European.

Is the answer a title rather than a name?

The next pope?

[NotJohn] Yes!
[CdM] The exact words on the card! Habemus papam! *a puff of white smoke emerges from a cottage in north Wales*

Fastest ever?

Well, yes, that was what I was hinting at, but I didn't want to hog it.
We got that one with 8 guesses, all answered 'Yes'. That must be a record.

[NJ] Well, except for this. And, yes, I knew that you had probably guessed the answer, but I didn't want to let the streak be broken.

All right. A nice easy MINERAL .

Unique?

Cor.

Primarily Rock/stone?

Of course, if the Ghanaian or Canadian cardinal is appointed then we will have to come back and rewrite one of the YESs as a NO)

On/in the Earth?

Unique? Yes. But, oddly enough, also No.
Primarily Rock/stone? Yes. *applause*
On/in the earth? Yes.
Incidentally, there is also an animal connection, but I was unaware of it until I started reading Wikipedia, and I suspect it won't be useful.

Is it smaller than Kylie Minogue?

Begin with 'P' ?

A human construction?

The remains of the Chelyabinsk meteor?

Smaller than Kylie? No.
Begins with P? Yes?
Human construction? No. (*a few members of the audience whisper among themselves about some technicalities, but agree with the conclusion*)
Meteoric remains? No. ( *a few members of the audience applaud the insight of the question*)

A natural geographic feature?

Pyramid of Cheops?

Natural geographic feature? Well, yes and no. The spirit of the question points to Yes, but I am not sure it really qualifies as a geographic feature, and there is some potential quibbling about natural (see "Human construction?").
Pyramid of Cheops? No.

The parallel roads?

You know how it is - you have a thought and just have to throw the guess in even though there's plenty more digging to be done.

Is it south of the Tropic of Cancer?

Parallel roads? No.
South of Tropic of Cancer? No.

In one single geographical location?

The North Pole?

In one location? Strictly speaking, No.
North Pole? No.

Geographic location modified by man?

Geographic location modified by man? I am really having trouble knowing how to answer this. The answer does not refer to a geographic location as such, though it does refer to something associated with a particular geographic location.

I think you just asked this that so you can get revenge on my quibbling about your previous one. :-)

Does it move?

Is this a jewel?

Does it move? Not in general, no.
A jewel? No.
This is one of those topics that i thought would be relatively straightforward when I thought of it, but was a bit more complicated once I did a bit of research. You might find the best route is to think in terms of the geographic location.

Is the associated geographic location in Europe?

In Europe? No.

Is the associated geographic location in Asia?

In Asia? No.

You might also want to revisit the audience applause.

Is the associated geographic location in N America?

Welcome back, Chalky

North America? Yes.

Is the answer on the card the name of the rock/stone?

Thanks CdM.

Is it connected with mining/drilling?

Answer on card name of rock/stone? Yes. *applause*
Connected to mining? No.

Is the geographical bit a mountain?

Yellowstone Park?

Mountain? No. *some laughter*
Yellowstone? No.

Does it have a superficies of less than 1 square mile?

Superficial superficies? Yes.

Is the word begining with P the location of the AOTC?

P-word = location? Yes. *applause* (Technically, actually, the answer is Yes and No, but that would mislead much more than it would help.)

Roxbury Puddingstone?

Roxbury Puddingstone? *googles* No.

In the USA?

In the USA? Yes. I think this is eminently guessable now.

Plymouth Rock?

And I was right!

Plymouth Rock is correct!

Never having been there, I had always assumed it was just this place on the coastline. But no. Turns out it is a smallish rock (though bigger than Kylie!) that has been split into two (not to mention having lots of smaller pieces chipped off it), and both pieces have been moved. One is still in Plymouth, and one is in Brooklyn.

*chips off baton-sized piece and hands it to cfm*

[CdM] *declines contraband baton* You can get arrested for that, you know. :-) Okay, let's try this:
ABSTRACT with animal assocations

Is the animal association a single human?

NotJohn's retired "Im"?

A piece of music?

[INJ] Singularly human? NO. There are multiple associations.
[Tuj] Nominal amputations? NO but *laughs*
[CdM] Hum a few bars? NO

Are the animals referred to by association human?

Is it a well-known saying?

Is there a religious or spiritual connection?

But is it art?

[Phil Human association? YES and NO. There are multiple animal associations and at least one of them is human.
[Boolbar] Just sayin'? NO.
[NJ] Prayer and stuff? NO
[Tuj] Artful? YES *applause*

The visual arts?

A story?

Is the answer on the card a single word?

[NJ] Eyes have it? YES *applause*
[Phi] Tell me a story? YES *fair and equal applause*
[Tuj] One word answer? NO

Related to a TV series?

[Tuj] TV-related? NO

Film/movie related?

[NJ] Wide screen? YES *applause*

Was it nominated for an Academy Award?

[GL] Nods from the Academy? YES *three thundrous claps*

Was it a winner of the Best Picture award?

Came out since 1/1/2000?

[Cdm] Top honor? NO
[NJ] Post-2000? NO

Begins with P?

Is Meryl Streep in the film?

[Tuj] I'll have the usual? NO
[Boolbar] Meryl-y on our way? NO

Did it win an Academy Award?

[GL] Oscar winner? YES

Was it filmed in color?

Does the answer on the card include the word 'king'?

[CdM] Full spectrum? NO
[Dujon] Royal treatment? NO

Did it star Jimmy Stewart?

[CdM] That leading man? NO *audience perks up a smidge*

Was it a musical?

[NJ] Musical? NO.

Passport to Pimlico?

[Software] P-to-P? NO (I don't think that won any Oscars.)
(Players may want to revisit unresolved questions around animal associations?)

Was the Oscar won in the 1950s?

[Phil] 50s vintage? NO *a little twitter from the audience*

earlier?

[NJ] Pre-1950? NO

The Poseidon Adventure?

Is it an English language film?

[Software] Fish story? NO
[Boolbar] English language? YES
To recap, The AOTC is both an English language story and a non-musical, black-and-white film made between 1959 and 1999. It has won 3 Academy Awards, but none of those were for Best Picture. There is at least one human association (hard to imagine a story or film without one) but there may be other animal associations, as well. Oddly, the audience perked up at the mention of a leading man not connected to the film--perhaps because the players were getting warm in some way. It could also point to another productive line of questioning. :-)

Did it win the Academy Award for Best Actor?

Is this black-and-white movie from the 60s?

Psycho?

[Boolbar] Leading leading man? YES *vigorous applause*
[Chalky 1] Product of the 60s? YES *applause continues*
[Chalky 2] Shower scene? NO

To Kill A Mockingbird?

Has to be, surely...

[CdM] TKAM, surely? YES. A favorite film. I came perilously close to naming a kid Atticus.
*hands CdM the severed leg of a busted up chiffarobe* Careful now, don't get yourself a splinter.

Well, once we know we were looking for a multiple-oscar-winning B&W movie post 1960, it was pretty easy, even without the answer to Boolbar's question.

MINERAL with ANIMAL and VEGETABLE connections

Unique?

metallic?

Bigger than Dame Judi Dench?

Unique? Yes.
Metallic? No.
Bigger than Judi? *audience laughter* Bigger than Dame Judi and Dame Maggie combined!

A statue?

A statue? No.

A building?

A building? No.

Human-made?

Human-made? Most definitely not.

Mountainous?

Is it in Europe?

Begins with P?

Mountainous? No.
In Europe? No.
Begins with P? Yes.

Does it have a border?

Is it a desert?

Does it have a border? Depends what you mean by a border. In a sense it does, yes, but you might want to clarify what you mean.
Is it a desert? No.

Of this earth?

Of this earth? Yes. *a little muttering in the audience*

Is there a connection to the earth's atmosphere?

Is it underground?

Connection to atmosphere? Well, yes, for a fairly broad definition of "connection"
Underground? No.

Is it less than 65 million years old?

Is it wet?

Now we are getting somewhere

Less than 65 million years old? No. *applause*
Wet? Yes. *applause*

Might this be an expanse of water?

Is it likely to be a source of preciptation?

Might this be an expanse of water? Yes it might.
Source of precipitation? Only in the sense that an expanse of water is an indirect source of precipitation.

Is it a pacific ocean?

Pacific Ocean. No. *some more muttering in the audience*

(I think that my No is the best answer, but the mutterers do have a point.)

The Philippine Sea?

Phil's sea? No.

Is it contained within the Pacific Ocean?

Contained within the Pacific Ocean? No.

Patagonian fjords?

Patagonian crinkly bits? No.

Panama Canal?

Is it bigger than Wales?

(clarifying) ...in surface area?

In the possession of a single country?

*pondering the audience applause for the age question*

Is it a glacier? *trying to imagine how a body of water gets classified as mineral*

Panama Canal? No.
Bigger than Wales? Yes.
In the possession of a single country? No. *some laughter*
A glacier? No. (And, yes, that is I guess a legitimate question/complaint. I think that in this game we generally take a broad definition of "mineral". For example:
4 : something neither animal nor vegetable.
The answer on the card certainly wouldn't fit the more narrow definition of mineral, which includes the word "solid". I am not sure how else I should classify a body of water, though. In any case, you (the group) have correctly figured out that this is a body of water, bigger than Wales, more than 65 million years old, with some muttering about whether or not it is a Pacific Ocean.)

Is it under the Antarctic ice cap?

Under Antarctica? No.

*Stands corrected and clearly uninitiated* Does the P stand for Pacific?

P for Pacific? No. (And I don't think you should stand corrected at all. Your definition is more standard than the one I was (unthinkingly) using.)

Panthalassa?

Panthalassa is correct! Three hundred million years ago (give or take a decade), our current continents were joined in the single landmass of Pangaea. Panthalassa was the ocean surrounding that continent. Or, if you prefer, the giant salt lake in the middle of it. It can be thought of as the precursor of the current Pacific Ocean. I had originally planned to make Pangaea the word on the card, but when I checked some sources (ok, ok, wikipedia) I learned about Panthalassa, and thought that sounded more fun.

*passes NJ some empty space with a baton-shaped hole in the middle*

Oops - Sorry for the lurker's victory

Let's try ABSTRACT with significant Animal connections (Mrs NJ thinks it should actually be Animal)

Is it fictional?

Is it a taxonomic class?

Does it refer to a group of animals (more broadly than in the sense of Raak's question)?

Unique?

[CdM] That's my one new thing for the day, ta!

[GL] Unreal? - NO
[Raak] Group of creatures? - NO
[CdM] Group of creatures? - NO
[Tuj] Just the one? - YES (though not a very meaningful question or answer)

Is it a characteristic or feature of an animal?

A human invention?

Onomatopoeia?

Cold

[CdM] Animalish thing? - NO
[Tuj] Man-made-up? - NO
[cfm] Sounds like? - NO

Phrase of saying?

[Software] I say, I say? - NO

Begins with P?

Are the animal connections human?

[Tuj] P-ness? - One of the words on the card begins with a P
[CdM] Oh, the Humanity? - YES

Is the AOTC a post/job/position held by a person?

Connected with a particular geographic location?

[Chalky] Gissa job? - NO
[Tuj] In one place? - YES *for the first time the audience shows some interest*

Is the particular geographic location in Africa?

[Boolbar] African? - NO

Geo = Europe?

Is the association a particular country?

[Software] EU? - NO
[Tuj] Is the association a particular country? - NO (but I'm not quite sure what the question is asking)
(*the audience is still attentive at this line of questioning*)

Is this a race or tribe of peoples?

[Chalky] Race/tribe? - NO (Remember, it's abstract)

A language?

A belief system of some kind?

[Chalky] Lingo? - NO
[cfm] Belief system? - NO

A disease?

Is the particular geographic location a body of water?

[Chalky] Poorly? - NO
[Boolbar] Watery? - NO

Connected with religion?

Is the particular geographic location in the Southern Hemisphere?

Back to basics: Is the AOTC the name of a place?

[Tuj] God-bothery? - NO
[CdM] Meridional? NO
[Chalky] Place Name? - Not as such but *considerable applause*

Do the animal connections involve more than 10 humans?

[CdM] >10 people? - YES (quite a lot more, but I won't be able to give you an exact figure)

Related to a trade or skill?

To do with a nation or race?

[cfm] Artisanry? - NO
[Software] Nation/Race? - NO (or only vaguely)

To do with a religion?

[Phil] Religion? - Well, it wasn't when Tuj asked, but He does move in mysterious ways *checks* - Still NO

Clarification

I should probably have been slightly less dismissive of Software's question wrt a nation. There is a bit of a link there, but I'm afraid it might lead you astray. The answer is still NO.

To do with politics?

If it does suddenly become to do with religion, you will let me know, right?

[Phil] Political? - NO (or only obliquely)

Is it something that people do at a particular location?

Is it related to light?

A website?

We apologise for the short break in service

[Boolbar] Let's do the show right here? - NO - not 'do'
[Tuj] Et lux erat? - NO
[Chalky] Where the spiders are? - NO

Is this a custom or tradition linked with a particular location?

Race rather than nation related?

[Chalky] Custom/tradition - I certainly hope not
[Software] Race v Nation - a bit of both (depends on your pov), but I'd still answer NO to either.

An area which covers part/all of more than one country?

Would you characterize this as a negative phenomenon or experience?

Is this connected with death?

Progress of a sort

[Dujon] >1 country? - NO
[cfm] Negative? YES (phenomenon or experience? - NO)
[Chalky] Connected with death - YES

Does it involve deliberate killing of humans?

[CdM] You have deaded me? - YES *applause*

Is it a method of killing humans?

[cfm] Method of Killing? - NO

The Black Plague?

(I seem to have mashed up "Black Death" and "bubonic plague." Abomination!)

The death penalty?

[Quendalon] Bubonic Death? - NO
[CdM] Judicial killing? - NO
(Remember - associated with a specific location) - let me re-answer Tuj's earlier question - the association is not a specific country, but is in a specific country. Also, I should probably have answered Phil's question about Politics a bit more positively - there is a link, but that's not the essence of the answer.

Is this a mass graveyard?

Is the geographic region (in) North America?

[Chalky] Mass Grave? - NO *a little ripple*
[Quendalon] Norteamericano? - NO

Associated with a specific historical event?

[Quendalon] Specific historical event? - YES *some relieved applause*

Did it take place in Asia?

Did the historical event occur before 1800?

A WW1 Cemetary?

Named after a person?

[Phil] Asian? - YES *more relieved applause*
[Boolbar] pre-1800? - NO
[Chalky] Rows of crosses?- NO
[Quendalon] eponymous? - NO

Did the killings involve firearms?

A shot in the dark.

Getting warm

[Quendalon] Shots in the dark and light? - YES

The My Lai (Pinkville) Massacre?

I was briefly sure that the answer had to be the My Lai massacre because INJ started this AVMA on its 45th anniversary. Then I was convinced that was wrong because of the lack of a P-word. Then googling revealed that My Lai was codenamed "Pinkville", which I hadn't known. So now I am convinced I am right again. :-)

Ha! I was waiting for that.

[CdM] My Lai? - NO but *considerable applause*

The Panjiayu Tragedy?

Going off to look it up

[Phil] Panjiayu? - NO

How about the Pingdingshan one then?

(good old wikipedia)

Let me follow you through wikipedia

[Phil] Pingpong? - NO (IMO it's less obscure - I didn't look it up)

Did this event take place in China?

[Phil] Sinitic? - NO

Phong Nhi and/or Phong Nhat massacres?

Yet more wikipedia for me

[cfm] Phong Not? - NO
(Bonus answer 'Massacre? - NO')

Did the historical event occur before 1920?

Did more than one person perform the actual killing?

[Boolbar] Pre 1920? - NO
[Quendalon] >1 killers? - YES *a few chuckles in the audience*

The 38th Parallel?

[Chalky] Korean? - NO

Was this a key event in a war?

In Asia. Which has been established. I think.

Aha!

[Chalky] Key event in a war? - YES *considerable applause* (and yes, Asia (not China or Korea) has been established)

So .. are we talking Vietnam then?

Which was NOT established by previous line of questioning.

or Japan?

The audience is beginning to pack bags.

[Chalky] Vietnam? - YES
[Phil] Therefore Japan? - NO

Dien Bien Phu?

Has Raak scored a lurker's victory?

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu?

... as you specifically stated earlier that this was not the name of a place.

There, that wasn't so hard, was it?

[Chalky] It is indeed The battle of Dien Bien Phu where a small French force held out for weeks against overwhelming Viet Minh forces before being comprehensively defeated. The French inability to relieve or effectively resupply the garrison spelt the end of French colonial ambitions in Indo-China.
Since I got this round as a bit of a lurker I feel disinclined to step into this quarrel, but the answer is specifically the battle, not the place.

Throws a baton in the air to see who will catch it.

Me!

Thank you NotJohn for a splendid AVMA - spookily not dissimilar to a subject that'd crossed my mind a few weeks ago - should the chair beckon.
So this is not that one, NotJohn - it's this one ..

ABSTRACT

Related to mathematics?

The #1 question on the board.

Begins with P?

Surely #2.
[NJ] And well done for not getting impatient as the team worked at getting there! Bit worried about those black-humoured audience members chuckling near the end...

Pi?

In case the previous two were both correct.

Related to the arts?

Some answers

(Quendalon) Mathematics? - NO only obliquely
(Tuj) P? - YES :)
(Gusset Login) Pi? - NO
(NotJohn) Arts? NO

Is the AOTC just one word?

Science-related?

A human invention?

Good questions

(Phil) One word answer - YES
(NotJohn) Science-related? - NO only obliquely
(Tuj) Human invention? - YES although I'd question the word 'invention'

Perfection?

[Phil] Perfection? NO *audience begins to pay attention*

Does the AOTC describe a state of being or quality?

Would the answer on the card exist in a world without humans?

(No, I don't think this question is rendered moot by Tuj's question...)

Apologies for absence -

(cfm) State of being or quality? - YES
(CdM) Exist in a world without humans? - NO :)

Is the word on the card an adjective?

Clever questioning ...

(Quendo) Adjective? - NO, not in this instance.

Is the word used in reference to animals (as opposed to homo sapiens solely)?

(Dujon) In reference to animals? - NO

Is it normally considered positive?

Is the AOTC a state of mind?

Is the word used in reference to humans?

(NotJohn) Positive? To some YES; to most, I suspect NO.
(cfm) State of mind? YES
(Quendalon) Humans? - still YES

Is the word used in reference to one gender significantly more than the other?

(Quendalon) Gender specific? - NO

any more for any more?

Linked to a particular culture?

Is it a recognised medical condition or syndrome?

Pleasure?

Associated with a particular geographic location?

Does the word on the card start with a prefix?

Pedantry

(CdM) Linked to a particular culture? - Erm ... N0 - well maybe a small 'yes' but am not sure if that's helpful. Am struggling with the culture word to be honest.
(NotJohn) Medical condition/syndrome? - NO
(Software) Pleasure? - NO.
(Tuj) Location location? - NO
(Quendalon) Prefixed word? - NO
(Phil) Pedantry? - NO but *appreciative sounds can be heard in the audience*

Related to religion?

(Quendalon) Religion-related? Could be - but not necessarily.

An attitude?

Related to philosophy?

Related to language?

(Dujon) An attitude? - YES it is. And more. *audience has perked up* .
(Quendalon) Philosophical? - if you scratch the surface, the AOTC might be ascribed to various philosophies - so I'd say more Yes than No. However, this could apply to most attitudes so my answer may not be too helpful.
(NotJohn) Language? - NO

*contemplating an earlier question by Quendalon regarding mathematics - perhaps I should have replied 'Yes, but only obliquely'*

Perfectionism?

(NotJohn) Perfectionism? - NO *audience remains perky*

Does the AOTC end with "ism" ?

Aha!

(Phil) -ism? - NO - although all three letters are contained within but not necessarily in the same order :)

Promise?

Is the word on the card a noun (in this instance)?

.. back in business

(Tuj) Promise? - NO
(Quendalon) A noun? YES indeed it is.

Perfect?

(Software) Perfect? - NO more than when Phil asked the same on 28th March :)

I chose this 'P' word because it has a succinct definition. A human trait, which we have established, which can easily be arrived at given some judicious questioning.
However, this word has another use which necessitates a change to a couple of my replies. Mathematical/Scientific/Philosophical links are rather stronger if this path to the solution is chosen.

... and what's more

... a little research tells me that this alternative use of my P word is the crux of a Subject for guessing in this very game back in 2005.

Related to anger?

Proof?

Is the 'P' silent?

(cfm) Related to anger? - NO
(Gusset Login) Proof? - NO (see my last reply to Phil)
(NotJohn) Silent P? - NO. A noisy one :)

Does the word on the card end with a suffix?

Flailing around in the dark, because frankly I'm stumped.

(Quendalon) Suffix? NO - nor an 'ology' or 'ism'

--- begins with a P and also contains the letters m, s and i within. One word. A human trait which is neither gender nor geographically related. Desirable to some but probably rather annoying for others.
This particular word has another use and is key to a scientific/mathematical/philosophical principle which was the subject for an AVMA in 2005.

Parsimony?

While I try to think of another way in.

Result!

Thank you and well played NotJohn - was hoping for an early solution today as I am in need of rescue ...
For me - Parsimony is frugality or excessive economy which was my starting point all those days ago. As for the secondary meaning - Occam's Razor was the subject of the AVMA (with the principle of parsimony at its technical core).

And I used the word 'rescue' advisedly. My daughter has just gone into early labour and I may needed at the hospital ...
*swiftly hands over baton to NotJohn on way out*

Calling Raak

[Chalky] Hope it all goes well
Yes, the mathematical and philosophical connotations did come to me after I'd thought of the word.
Now maybe I can remedy the unsatisfactory end to the previous game by suggesting that Raak gets his belated turn.

Who, me?

Er, ok then. The next is ABSTRACT with ANIMAL connections.
[Chalky] Best wishes for all three of you.

Is the animal connection human?

Any artistic connection?

[cfm] Human
[NJ] Not artistic.

Is it the act of giving birth?

[Chalky] More best wishes winging their way to you.

Is there more than one word on the card?

[Chalky] Best wishes and congratulations! Remember that "Mornington Crescent" is a lovely name for a girl or a boy.

Is the answer a phrase or saying?

[Chalky, Ms Chalky] All the best!

An intellectual process?
[Chalky] How lovely! Also you look far too young to be a grandmother. :-)]

[B] Topical waaaah!!!? No.
[Q] More than one word.
[Tuj] Not a saying?
[cfm] Not intellectual.

(Chalky

we are not a grandmother .. yet

Thanks for all the good wishes! Bad News - daughter poorly. Good News - 32 wk foetus staying where it is for the time being.)
Sorry to interrupt your game Raak. I have a question .. coming up shortly

More than one human being?

Is it unique?

Is it an event?

[Chalky] More than one.
[Q] Not unique.
[NJ] Not an event.

Fictional?

[Chalky] Not fictional.

A group?

[GL] Not an organised group, although the people associated with this have something in common.

Do any of the words on the card start with 'P'?

[Q] No Ps anywhere.

[Raak] To be clear, is this simply a flamboyant way of saying no to the question that was asked, or are you providing additional information to the effect that the letter 'P' does not appear anywhere on the card?

[Q] The letter P does not occur anywhere on the card.

[Raak] Excellent, thank you!

This thing in common - medical/health connections?

Any political connections?

[Chalky] No medical/health connections.
[NJ] Yes, political connections.

The Iron Lady?

[S] Ding-dong? No.

A recognized voting block that is not formally organized?

Is it associated with a specific geographical area?

[cfm] Not a voting block.
[NJ] Not really. The thing on the card is found in many places.

Anarcho-syndicalism?

[Chalky] (laughter) Absolutely not anarcho-syndicalism.

The humans involved, are they politicians?

[Q] Not politicians.

Is it a political or economic philosophy?

[NJ] Not a philosophy, although it could be said to be connected with one.

A trade agreement?

[GL] Not a trade agreement.

Is there a fiscal or financial connection?

[NJ] *applause from those members of the audience who haven't been holding their breath so long they've expired* To do with money! Yes!

Does each instance of the phrase on the card relate to more than one human?

[Q] Er....no. Each instance involves one human.

A member of the audience

How about playing Hangman for it! Is there a Ⱙ?

(hastily withdrawing his hand from the ventriloquist's dummy) No Ⱙ.

Is there a 'V'?

Hmm. Related to both politics and money. Each instance involves one human, and the people associated with this have something in common. Could be said to be connected with a philosophy.

[Q] No V.

Connected with individual wealth?

[NJ] **applause** Yes! Very much connected with individual wealth!

Income tax?

[CdM] Not income tax.

Connected with an increase in individual wealth?

Shareholder?

Unearned Income?

[GL] *more applause* Yes, an increase in individual wealth.
[S] Not shareholders.
[NJ] *laughter* Legally speaking, it is not classified as unearned income.

Union strike benefits?

[Q] Not strike benefits.

Expenses of some sort?

[NJ] Duck houses? No.

Associated with gambling?

Connected with Banker's Bonuses?

[NJ] Not gambling.
[GL] Not merely connected, but the very words on the card! Have this fat brown envelope.

Oh, um er... right

thanks

ANIMAL and VEGETABLE

Is the animal element human?

Is the vegetable edible?

[NJ] Oh the humanity? (animal) No.
[Chalky] Just eat it? (veg) Yes

Is the AOTC food?

[NJ] Glorious food? Yes, I believe most people would classify it as food.

Marmite?

Associated with a particular culture?

[Quenda] Yeeeach? No
[CdM] regional speciality? I would say, no, but some people disagree.

Savoury - as opposed to sweet?

Is it cooked?

[Chalky] Savoury? Yes
[Quenda] Heated? Yes

Containing multiple distinct (as opposed to mixed or blended) ingredients?

Is the animal part - meat?

[CdM] Clumps o'stuff? Yes
[Chalky] meat? (animal) Yes

Is the AOTC in the form 'A and B'?

As in 'Bangers and Mash'

Is there a liquid component?

Is it a sandwich?

Is it like a proper meal - Sunday Roast or suchlike?

Is the vegetable part potatoes cut into strips and deep fried?

Sorry for the delay, I was at a friend's funeral and couldn't get to the net.
[NJ] A + B? No
[cfm] liquid? There shouldn't be, No.
[Tuj] The Earl of foods? Yes
[Chalky] A meal in itself? No, its a sandwich, see Tuj's question above.
[Raak] Do you want fries with that? No.

A hero/hoagie/submarine sandwich?

A BLT?

[cfm] One of those types? It can be
[Chalky] BLT? Yes. Have a delicious baton.

<mode=ultrapedant>So the bread was made without salt? Yuk.</mode> Sorry, once I thought of it, I couldn't keep it to myself. Sorry again.

Gosh

Thanks GL - that was a swift conclusion - probably due the early airing of the 'edible' question.

Aiming for another quickie with:

MINERAL and VEGETABLE with a pedant-sized trace of ANIMAL

Is it a tool?

[NotJohn] Tool? NO

Something made of wood held together with metal?

[Raak] Wood held with metal? NO

A geographical feature?

Is it a sandwich?

Is the vegetable part potatoes cut into strips and deep fried?

[NotJohn] Geographical feature? YES
[Tuj] Sandwich? NO :)
[Gusset Login] Stripped fried spuds? NO :)

... furthermore - it doesn't begin with P.

Is its name something-or-other forest?

[Rosie - hello:)] Something-or-other forest? NO *audience perks up*

Is its name Mount something-or-other?

[GL] Mount ...? NO

Is it in a single country?

[Chalky] Oh, you answered a question I didn't ask! Perhaps "Is it a sandwich?" should become my default question...

Is it unique?

[GL] Unique? YES

[Tuj] In a single country? YES

In Europe?

[Tuj] Europe? Oh YES indeedy

In the British Isles?

[Rosie] British Isles? YES

Is it on a hill?

Is it a range of hills?

[Raak] ON a hill? There is some undulation but contour lines indicate the AOTC isn't actually ON a hill. *audience applauds the question*
[Rosie] A range of hills? NO

A site of archaeological significance?

... nearly there

{Raak] Archaeological significance? YES! *huge cheer erupts from audience*

A henge?

A stone circle but not technically a henge?

Is it about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Amesbury and 8 miles (13 km) north of Salisbury?

Stonehenge?

I may be wrong but I'm not proud.

*audience on edge of their seats*

[NotJohn] A Henge? YES!
[Gusset Login] A stone circle/not technically a henge? NO - the AOTC is both
[Raak] NO ... therefore
[Quendalon] NO - not Stonehenge.

Avebury Stone Circle?

The Ring of Brodgar?

It's a win!

[NotJohn] Brodgar? Not in Scotland .. staying with my county of residence - Wiltshire - and
Phil scores a stunning lurker's victory with the correct [more-or-less] AOTC - Avebury Ring.
*gently passes neolithic baton to Phil*

,

Apols for the lurk, but every time I thought of a question, someone else had asked it. I'll make this one quick (I hope).

Mineral

Metal?

A good start...

[NJ] Metal? YES

Iron?

[GL] Iron? YES or NO, depending on the specific meaning of the question.

A manufactured item?

Stainless steel?

Unique?

But is it art?

An iron--like the kind with which one presses one's shirts?

Smaller than a telephone kiosk?

A bridge?

[NJ] Manufactured? YES
[Raak] Stainless Steel? YES, that's what it's made of *a ripple of applause*
[Quendalon] Unique? NO
[Tuj] Art? NO
[cfm] An iron? NO
[Chalky] < phone box? YES
[GL] Bridge? NO

Medical connections?

Is it smaller than a breadbox / bread bin?

Inverting the classic question.

[Raak] Medical? NO (well, a small connection, but it won't help)
[Quendalon] Smaller than breadbox? YES

Does it have any moving parts?

[NJ] Moving parts? YES

Is there one in your kitchen?

[Tuj] In my kitchen? NO. Well, there might be, but I'd move it if I were tidying up.

A tool?

[NJ] Tool? YES

Calipers?

[Software] Calipers? NO *Most of audience look slightly bemused by the handful that clapped, briefly*

A Leatherman?

(On the grounds that a Swiss Army Knife has plastic as well)

A hole punch?

[NJ] Leatherman? NO *some audience members explain to others what a Leatherman is, after which some of them make appreciative noises*
[Raak] Hole punch? NO

Does it cut?

[cfm] A cutter? YES *Applause*

A tin-opener?

Garden shears?

A kitchen tool?

End game appears to have commenced

[Rosie] Tin opener? NO (I wouldn't move that out of the kitchen when tidying)
[Raak] Garden Shears? NO (I'd call them bigger than a breadbin) *appreciative applause*
[NJ] A kitchen tool? NO (again, I'd keep that in the kitchen).

Secateurs?

[Software] Secateurs? NO *more applause*

Scissors?

D'oh - I meant to ask 'garden', for that reason and then turned the question round without thinking.

Wire cutters?

[NJ] Scissors? YES, but more detail required. *Lots of applause*
[Raak] Wire cutters? NO, see above.

Pinking shears?

Nail clippers?

[Quendalon] Pinkers? NO *some applause*
[Raak] Nail clippers? NO *Thunderous applause, oohs, aaahs, gasps and winces*

Nail scissors?

Hair scissors?

[Raak] Nail scissors? YES INDEED! *Deafening roars*
Congrats! Here, have this toenail as a makeshift baton.

VEGETABLE, with ABSTRACT connections.

An object made from vegetable matter?

[Rosie] Yes, made from vegetable matter.

Is wood involved?

Is it edible?

Unique?

Is it smaller than a toaster?

[GL] Would be wood.
[NotJohn] Edible wood? No.
[Tuj] Not unique.
[Phil] Bigger than a toaster.

Is it bigger than a cross-channel ferry?

[GL] Smaller than a cross-channel ferry.

Found domestically?

Does it have writing on it?

Naturally occurring?

[S] Domestic? Not really, at least nowadays.
[Q] Probably not written on.
[T] Not naturally occurring.

A piece of furniture?

Would one find it in a pub?

[R] Not furniture.
[C] *a ripple of applause* Yes, one might find it in a pub.

Does it have a picture or pictures on it?

Is it a container of some sort?

Is it used for a leisure activity?

[Q] No picture.
[NJ] *applause* A container.
[P] A witty thought goes up on the laser display board. Laughter in the audience. Not used for a leisure activity.

Normally holds liquid?

[NJ] Can normally hold liquid.

A barrel?

Might be my turn in it, innit?

[Rosie] *cheering* A barrel is involved. I suggest the abstract connection would repay attention.

Is it a well-known phrase or saying .. like Roll Out The Barrel?

[Chalky] Yes! A well known phrase or saying.

"Over a barrel"?

[Q] Not over a barrel.

So it's a colloquial phrase along the lines of "a can of worms"?

Scraping the barrel?

Barrel of laughs?

[D] Yes.
[R] *oooooh!!* Not quite.
[Q] Not a barrel of laughs.

The bottom of the barrel?

Attempted lurker victories R us

[CdM] Yes! Rosie was nearly there, but you have nailed the exact answer! Have this recycled wooden planter. Ignore the rotten apple juice seeping out of it. And it can now be revealed that the Witty Comment on the laser display board was about the undemanding leisure activity of shooting fish in one.

hmmm ...

.. thought it might be that - was rather hoping that Rosie might get a turn 'in the chair'.
May I respectfully suggest a slight change to the non-rules of this game, ie. you need to have asked at least one question before guessing the AOTC? Or is that altogether too regimentatious? < made up word alert >

I am more than happy for Rosie to take the chair if he wishes. He definitely got 98.2 percent of the way to the AOTC. Mind you, I think this game has had its share of lurker victories, and I'm not exactly a lurker in the grand scheme of things. :-)

Is flattered

(Chalky, CdM) Generous, but let's play by the rules. In any case, if a lurker wins, their "punishment" will be to host the next one. That'll teach 'em not to just jump in and out.

(CdM) Couldn't you have made it 98.4 - body temperature, the percentage of H₂SO₄ in conc. sulphuric, the number of feet in 30 metres . . . . I could go on.

While you're all being polite, I'll get the first question in: Would you find it in your kitchen?

Is it a sandwich?

Anarcho-syndicalism?

Convectively Available Potential Energy (CAPE)?

Where's CdM? Give us a category, man.

This is ANIMAL and VEGETABLE with a trace of MINERAL. I had decided on this before I saw any of your questions, so I am going to go with it. Oh god, I hope Rosie has heard of it :-)

In your kitchen? You could, but it's probably unlikely. I'm pretty sure I have never had one in my kitchen.
A sandwich? Yes! *applause*
Anarchosyndicalism? No.
CAPE? No.

Is egg an ingredient?

Explicitly not counting any egg(s) that are part of the bread-baking process.

A horseburger in a bun?

Eggy? Interesting question. Not necessarily, and not in its own right. But there are versions of this that would include egg as an ingredient, I think.
Shergarburger? No.

Unique?

[Chalky] You have taken the very wind from my sails!

Unique? No. (A unique sandwich??)

Edible?

That Masked Man

Is saurkraut involved?

Contains fish?

A Croque Monsieur?

Edible? I certainly hope so. It's a sandwich!
Sauerkrauty? It's possible (I can find examples online), but it is certainly not an essential or even a standard ingredient.
Fishy? It sometimes contains fish, yes, but need not. For free, I will tell you that it is quite common for it to contain other seafood, however.
Croque monsieur? Non, madame.
Clarification on the egg: my reply was meant to imply that it would be very unusual to see egg listed explicitly as an ingredient, and I stand by that. But googling reveals that it is not unheard of.

A po' boy?

Chip butty with mayo?

could have been a knuckle sandwich :o)

Served hot?

Smörgåsbord?

Slicing to the chase

A po'boy? Yes! (It was the only sandwich beginning with P that came to mind.) Have this foot-long baton stuffed with fried oysters. [Software] Touché, even if I'm not sure what the vegetable component of a knuckle sandwich would be. :-)

Never heard of it ;-)

Yes, well...

[Chalky] I'd bet big money that the number of people who have heard of a po'boy is at least an order of magnitude larger than the number who have heard of the Avebury Stone Circle. :-)

Ah .. but

.. we'll never find out so you may as well bet your big money on the 4.45 at Redcar :-)
For the record - yet another Lurker Victory ...

[CdM] But which is Rosie more likely to know? ;)

[Chalky] I wasn't lurking! It was just my first question of the round. And your first question plus the mention of fish made it easy. :-)
However, I am glad to hand this yummy but calorie-laden baton to someone who would like a turn. Speak up if you'd like to give it a whirl.

[Tuj] Hehe!
[cfm] Only teasing ... as you well know ;-) My mind's eye is seeing badly disguised AVMA players in the shadowy fringes of the game poised to pounce on the AOTC and it's given me an idea for a very silly game along the lines of Spot the Ostrich.
By the way, I shall decline a turn/whirl as I'm a bit too busy this coming week.

[cfm] I'm always glad to take a turn with the baton, assuming that no better candidate presents themselves.

Take it away, Q. :-)

Very well then! This one is unequivocally Vegetable.

Unique?

Well stepped into the breach, that Quenders!
[Chalky] A game idea! Sounds good!

[Tuj] Not unique. *laughter from the crowd*

Peas in a pod?

Is it a sandwich?

leaping in so if i win will not be a lurking victory :)

It is some species of wood?

Victory goes to the swift

The word on the card is "pea," for which Raak's guess is more than sufficiently accurate. Passing a small, round green baton...

Drawing the line

Wow! Ok, the next is ANIMAL.

Human?

I chose it largely so that I could giggle inanely if Tuj asked if it began with the letter 'P'.

Is it unique?

[Q] Human.
[GL] In a sense, it is unique. But one could quibble interminably about it.

Male?

[Q] Apologies for letting you down! I do worry my poor history of questioning has skewed the game somewhat...

Currently alive?

[Quendalon] For your giggling motive alone, you're my hero!

[Q] OOPS! I meant to say "Not human".
[Tuj] Male.
[Phil] Quite likely to be currently alive.

Quadruped?

Is it unique by virtue of something it has done?

[S] Not a quadruped. [NJ] *applause* It is indeed unique by virtue of something it has done.

Is the thing that he has done a physical (versus an abstract) act?

Is this bloke animal larger than the average domestic toaster?

[cfm] A physical act.
[Chalky] Smaller than a toaster.

Is it a bird?

[Phil] Is it a plane? Is it Superman? No, it's a bird!

Cock Robin?

.. avoiding the lurker label

Nah - that was a daft question. It's still alive, you say? And 'sort of' unique?

[Chalky] Not Cock Robin. To clarify the uniqueness thing a little: the answer is a singular noun phrase beginning with "The".

The Early Bird?

[Chalky] Not the early bird, but you're thinking along the right lines.

The First Cuckoo of Spring?

[Phil] The very thing!

Woohoo! (or something that sounds remarkably like that). And not a lurk in sight.
Pressing on rapidly with

Animal (or Abstract, depending on your point of view)

Unique?

Fictional?

Is it an archosyndicalistic sandwich?

... and a 'woohoo' and 'wahay' [sounding exactly like they're spelled] for Phil's victoreee.

Human?

The bee's knees?

Is it edible?

[Quendalon] Unique? YES
[Software] Fictional? YES
[Chalky] A wossname sarnie? NO
[Tuj] Human? YES
[Rosie] Apiarian patellae? NO
[GL] Edible? NO. Technically yes, but I really don't think you should eat it.

Abstract solely because it's fictional?

An eponymous character?

[Quendalon] Solely fictionally abstract? YES
[NJ] Eponymous character? NO

A male character?

[cfm] Male? YES

I don't have a question; this is just a place-marker to avoid accusations of lurker victory later.

[CdM] This is not an answer, merely an acknowledgement of your statement.

A detective?

This is a question and also an acknowledgement of CdM's non-lurker status.

[GL] Detective? NO

C20 Literature?

This is a question but also a quibble as to whether a non-interrogatory interjection is sufficient to remove lurker status.

[NJ] 20th Century Literature? YES

Is the animal one of the big cats?

[Rosie] A big cat? NO, he's human (see Tuj's question)

Originally written in English?

[NJ] English lit? YES

Fantasy genre?

Harry Potter?

Does an interrogatory interjection remove lurker status if the question is unrelated to the AVMA AOTC?

[Quendalon] Fantasy? NO
[Software] Harry Potter? NO, not eponymous
[CdM] Questionable lurker? NO, you're not getting out of it that easily.

Appears in a series of books?

Why is CdM so convinced he is going to score a lurker's victory? Is he in league with Phil? </ratsmelling>

[NJ] In a series of books? YES *some applause*
[NJ] Am I in cahoots with CdM? One question at a time, please.

James Herriot?

[Software] Herriot? NO
I should add that when I said yes to '20th century Literature' I simply meant that there were books, not necessarily great works of literature.
Also, although I have described the character as not eponymous, I have found that he is mentioned in the title of at least one book.

A detective series?

Is CdM in league with Phil?

Is this person a restorer of antique sewing-machines who keeps an Afghan hound and lives within earshot of St. Paul's in an apartment that appears to be beyond his modest means?

Does asking an apparently relevant question remove lurker status if the question was asked solely for the purpose of removing lurker status?

[cfm] Detectives? NO
[GL] Conspirateur de Moi? NO
[Raak] Your main question? Oh so close! Actually, I lied. NO, not any part of it is correct, and a meaningless note has been made of your completely legal, yet immoral, lurk avoidance (as opposed to lurk evasion, which is strictly illegal).

Is there a connection to espionage?

Any day now we'll be getting phone calls asking 'Do you believe you have ever suffered unfairly at the hands of a lurker?' and offering their services on a 'No Win No Fee' basis (once you've paid the £300 administration charge)

[NJ] Espionage? NO *a couple of giggles from the audience*

Are they books for adults?

Which is worse - lurking or taking successive turns?

[NJ] Books for adults? NO *applause*

Are they comic books?

Did the character first appear before 1960?

[GL] COmic books? NO
[Quendalon] Pre-1960? YES

Tin-Tin?

[Tin-Tin] NO, not eponymous.

Do they share the books with an eponymous character?

[GL] Is there an eponym? Well, only about a fifth of the book titles feature one character's name, but most people would automatically answer YES. It's a definite YES for other media. *applause for a very good question*

Does this character have a "sidekick"?

Violet Elizabeth Bott?

If that isn't right I'll thcweam and thcweam until I'm thick.

[GL] Has a sidekick? NO
[NJ] Violet? NO, thcweam away.

Christopher Robin?

[cfm] Christopher Robin? NO

The Fat Controller?

[Gusset Login] YES, dagnammit, YES !! It was indeed Sir Topham Hatt 1st Bt, of "The Railway Series", often referred to as the "Thomas the Tank Engine" books, although Thomas' name is only in the title of 9 of the 42 books. The Fat Controller is named in only one title, "Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines".
Nice to get that one finished off for the weekend. And not a hint of a lurk in sight. Please take this green flag in lieu of a baton.

Cool. I never expected having a three year old nephew would help me win anything.

This next one is:

Mineral.

Unique?

[Phil, GL] Excellent =)

Begins with 'P'?

[Tuj] I see you have well and truly nicked my signature question! So I must claim yours in turn.

[Tuj] A one off? Yes
[Quenda] P...? No.

Made of iron?

[cfm] iron? Depending on how loosely you define the terms 'made of' and 'iron' the answer could be either Yes or No.
It is more than 5% steel (which is an alloy of iron).

A building?

*lurks*

[Quenda] Building? No
[CdM] Good to see you, feel free to stop lurking and join in.

Is it larger than a standard kitchen-size refrigerator?

[cfm] > average fridge? No.

A work of art?

Made before 1900?

I'm assuming man-made because it incorporates steel rather than iron.

[Phil] Work of art? No. Although, as always with that question, some people might call it such.
[Quenda] Made before 1900? Yes.

Unique?

A scientific instrument?

Is it in a fixed location?

[Quenders] Apologies, but a change is a good as a rest!

[Rosie] Unique? Yes, still unique.
[Raak] Scientific instrument? No.
[Tuj] Unmoving? Yes.

Military in nature?

[Tuj] A fair cop. Perhaps I will advance to asking whether a thing starts with 'Q'...

Outdoors?

Shaped like a human?

*unlurks*

In the USA?

Located in a museum?

[Quenda] Military in nature? Yes, although perhaps not in nurture. :)
[Rosie] Outside? No
[Chalky] Humanoid? No
[Tuj] 'Merk'n? No
[cfm] In a museum? That's a tough question. Personally, I wouldn't count it as a museum, as such but others might see it differently.

I seem to be very much in the minority. Yes, it's in a museum.

Does it have moving parts?

Even though I have now asked a question, I would like to declare that I am immediately going to revert to lurker status.

[CdM] Moving Prats? (If you're lurking again, I don't have to answer.) No.

Does it have royal associations?

[Tuj] Royal inclinations? *Drowned out by audience aplause and has to repeat* Yes

A sword?

A suit of armour?

Moving Prats? Sounds fun.

CHALurKerY

A crown?

[cfm] Sword? *More applause* Yes
[Rosie] Suit a'more? No
[Chalurkery] Crown? No

Sword of Mercy?

Military in nature, although not in nurture.

Is this a sword used only for ceremonial purposes?

Pops out of the shrubbery hoping that no one will notice.

The Great Sword of State

Lurker? Me? No! Just a slow starter.

"The Wallace Sword" (William Wallace's Claymore) ?

[Phil] The Gromit Sword? No
[NJ] Greatsword of State? Nope
[Dujon] Ceremonial? Yes
[Quendo] Sword of Mercy? Is the AOTC.

Have a baton with an inch broken off of one end.

[GL] I accept! And with this baton, I dub thee Sir Gusset of Login.

*ahem* This next one is MINERAL.

Is it unique?

[Phil] One of a kind? NO.

Man-made?

[Raak] Man-made? YES.

Begins with Q?

[Tuj] Q-ish? NO.

Made of metal?

Bigger than an average household microwave oven?

Electronic?

[NJ] Metallic? NO.
[Phil] Bigger than a microwave oven? NO.
[Raak] Electronical? NO.

Made of stone?

[cfm] Rocky? NO.

Found indoors?

Ornamental?

Solid?

[Rosie] Can be found indoors? YES.
[Softers] An ornament? Tricky, but I'll go with NO.
[Phil] Solid? PARTLY. *polite applause*

A thermometer?

[cfm] Temperature measurer? NO.

A barometer?

Is water part of this?

Is the AOTC related to light?

[Raak] Atmospheric pressure measurer? NO.
[Chalky] Partly water? My research suggests NO. *audience murmurs*
[Dujon] Light source? NO.

Contains a liquid?

Can I eat it?

Is it used for cleaning?

Contains alcohol?

A Cartesian diver?

Lava Lamp?

[NJ] Contains liquid? YES. *applause*
[Bools] Edible? NO.
[Chalks] Cleaning device? NO.
[Raak] Contains alcohol? My research suggests YES, but that may mislead you.
[Rosie] Cartesian devil? NO.
[GL] Lava lamp? NO. *audience murmurs*

Is the solid part glass?

[Rosie] Glass? According to my research, NO, although glass may have been involved at one point.

Is the solid part plastic?

An insatiable birdie?

(Drinking bird, dipping bird, nodding duck...)

[CdM] Plastic? YES.
[Raak] Unappeasable avian? NO.

A de-icing squirt bottle?

[Rosie] Anti-icy squirty bottly thingy? NO. *audience yawns*

Does it measure anything?

Is it a common household object?

[NJ] Measuring device? NO. *scattered laughter from the audience*
[cfm] Common household object? NO, although a household is one of the most likely places to find it.

Medicinal use in any way?

[Rosie] Curative? NO.

Is this usually dome shaped?

[Dujon] Hemispherical? NO. *laughter from the audience*

Does it have medicinal purposes?

Is it a saftey device?

[NJ] Medicinal use? Still NO.
[GL] Makes you safer? NO.

Does it contain ONLY liquid?

[Phil] Contains only liquid? NO. *applause*

Does it have moving parts?

[Raak] Parts that move? YES, though my answer may mislead you.

A glow stick?

[Phil] Radiant rod? NO.

Was it invented in the last 50 years?

[Tuj] Invented after 1963? NO.

Is the plastic Bakelite?

[Phil] Bakelite? Embarrassingly, I DON'T KNOW; my research doesn't say what kind of plastic(s) are involved.

Is its purpose amusement?

[Rosie] For amusement? YES. *applause, laughter*

Shurely it's not a replica mannequin pis?

[Rosie] Little peeing statue? NO.

A tip-up, clothed/naked lady pen?

[Phil] Pen with lady floating inside? NO. *solitary golf clap from audience*

One of those snow storm globe thingys?

[Softy] Snow globe? NO. *audience murmurs*

Is the mysterious plastic transparent?

[Rosie] Transparent plastic? PARTLY. *applause*

A Sand Sculpture?

Does it have a screen?

[Chalks] Sand sculpture? NO, not sand, nor exactly a sculpture.
[NJ] Has a screen? YES, of a sort, though this answer may mislead you. *nodding and murmuring from audience*

A magic 8 ball?

[CdM] Magic 8-Ball? SIGNS POINT TO YES.
*much applause, throwing of batons, etc*

Hmmm. Maybe I'll use the eight-ball to answer all the questions for this round. That might make it more interesting.
This one is ANIMAL with ABSTRACT connections.

Animal = Human?

Human? It is decidedly so.

Fictional?

Fictional? My reply is no.

Is this person in the arts and entertainment professions?

Arts and Entertainment? My reply is no.

Is the human a politician?

Politician? Yes definitely.

American?

Female?

[Quenders, CdM] Well persevered! I think most, like me, wanted to know the answer but didn't have a clue how to attack it.

American? Don't count on it.
Female? Outlook not so good.

Turns out magic 8-balls don't have many good ways of saying No.

British?

British? My reply is no.

European?

Currently alive?

Never heard of the Magic 8-ball - even after looking it up to check.

European? You may rely on it.
Currently alive? My sources say no.

Begins with a P?

Begins with a P? Very doubtful.

Known for military achievements?

Well known in UK?

Is the AOTC a dead male European politician whose name doesn't begin with a P?

Known for military leadership? Very doubtful
Well known in UK? Reply hazy try again
Dead male non-P European politician? Signs point to yes.

Did this person die after 1900?

Died after 1900? Without a doubt.

Did this person die after 2000?

Was he a francophone?

Well known in UK?

All right. Reluctantly I think I need to abandon the 8-ball, or I risk confusing and infuriating you all.
Die after 2000? No.
Francophone? I can't tell from the sources I have checked. French was not his mother tongue, but there are some reasons to believe he may at least have had a working knowledge of the language.
Well-known in the UK? Concentrate and ask again. Oh, sorry. I do not think that, at the present time, you would say that. But the abstract connection is at least somewhat well-known.

Quisling?

Quisling? It is decidedly so! An impressive leap there. The answer is indeed Vidkun Quisling, leader of the Norwegian collaborationist government from 1942-45. Tuj asked the wrong question. One baton inscribed "with best wishes, Adolf" handed over.

...

Yes, well, sometimes an answer just jumps into your head and you have to take a guess.
This next one is ABSTRACT with ANIMAL connections

Animal = Human?

[Software] human animal? - YES is probably the most helpful answer

Fictional?

(The next question is: "Is this person in the arts and entertainment professions?")

[CdM] Fictional - YES
The next answer is NO

Actually, the best answer to Software would have been YESish and NO

Gollum?

[Chalky] 'well, sometimes an answer just jumps into your head and you have to take a guess' - this one happens to be wrong

is the animal a deity?

assumption alert

[Phil] Godlike animal? - NO *a couple of audience members exchange significant glances*

Begins with... um... R?

Proverbial?

Is the animal unique?

Is the animal mythical?

Aslan?

[Tuj] R-start? - NO
[Quen] Proverb? - Not as such but *some applause*
[CdM] Just the one? YES and NO
[Phil] Mythical? - YES and NO
[Raak] Aslan? - NO

Guardian Angel?

Mass assumption alert

[Software] Grauniad Angle? - NO

A character from a book (or books)?

[Phil] Character in book? - The human animal appears in at least one literary work.

A well known phrase or saying?

Is the AOTC more than one creature?

[Chalky] I say, I say, I say? - NO
[Tuj] >1 creature? - YES! *relieved applause*

All the creatures on Noah's Ark?

[Raak] The animals went in seven by seven? - NO

Devilish connection?

Does this human animal have any connection to nonhuman animals?

Is the abstract part the occupation of a human?

Yes, don't forget the abstract

[Software] Devilish? - NO
[Quen] human/nonhuman connection (until they caught him at it)? NO, not particularly, except in the context of the AOTC
[Dujon] Abstract = Occupation? - NO

Is the AOTC the title of a book?

[Tuj] Book title? - NO (at least not one I've heard of)

Bigfoot?

[Software] Size 17? - NO

Are these creatures different species - apart from the human?

First literary appearance before 1900?

[Chalky] multi-species? NO - (There's a misapprehension behind your question - I assume based on my answer to Tuj. I counted the human as a creature) So to be clear, the AOTC includes a human and another creature.
[Quen] First written about pre 1900? - YES *some chuckles in the audience*

Alice in Wonderland?

Is Software's question a 'book title' which Tuj asked and to which you have replied NO?

Thanks for clarification on the creature issue :)

Is the human named ie. Jonah and The Whale?

[Software] Miss Liddell and the Magic Mushrooms? - NO (I would consider that a 'Book Title'
[Chalky] Named Human? - YES *appreciative murmurs*

BTW - I've done some research and can't find a book title that matches the AOTC - though there are several which incorporate most of it, at least one of which is by a well-known writer. I don't think it's a useful approach for you.

Is the non-human a mythical creature?

Beginning to get somewhere

[Tuj] Non-human mythical? - NO

Is the human from the Mediterranean?

[Tuj] One of those 'Mediterranean' types? - YES

Silvio Berlusconi?

Shurely he is mythical by now.

Perseus?

Can I still pretend I'm lurking after making a guess?

First literary appearance BC?

[Software] Super Silvio? - NO
[GLogin] Perseus? - NO *some applause* (and NO)
[Raak] BCE initially? - YES

Jason and the Golden Fleece?

Is this from the Old Testament?

[Quen] Jason &c? - NO
[Chalky] OT? - NO

Is the non-human creature named?

Was this fellow an early aviator?

[Quendalon] e.g. Mrs Tiggywinkle? - NO
[Dujon] Icarine? - NO

Is the named human known to us by just a single (i.e., one word) name?

[CdM] Single name? - YES

Plato's man (i.e. a plucked chicken)?

Greek mythology?

[Raak] Plato's Man? - NO
[Quen] Greek Mythology? - YES (the human is from Greek mythology)

Theseus and The Minataur?

Pasiphaë and the Bull?

[Chalky] Theseus etc.? - NO
[Quen] Pasiphaë etc.? - NO
I said the human is from Greek mythology

Do the human and the non-human appear in combination in Greek mythology?

Does the Human's name begin with 'H'?

[Quen] Do the human and the non-human appear in combination in Greek mythology? - NO (and a good question)

Ahem *coughs*

Does the creature *belong* to the human from mythology

Looking for the link ...
Not a well known phrase or saying
Not a book title
Not a Greek myth as such
Not a proverb

[Chalky] H.....? - NO - didn't forget - just got interrupted.
All your statements are correct
You can derive from what I have told you that we have a mythical greek human and a non-mythical animal. If you get these you will not quite have the AOTC, but that will be obvious.

Is there a constellation named after either of them?

[GLogin] Constellation? - NO (at least not in the European tradition and the current standard list)

Actually, there has been a constellation proposed as the animal, but it never caught on and is not in current use. (Thank You Wikipedia)

Is it the name of a band?

Is the non-human a bird?

[NJ] Chalky's list had a question above it, note.

Is the AOTC formatted as " someone AND THE something "?

[Chalky] Creature 'owned' by human? - NO
[Phil] Band Name? - YES (or at least the name of a band is included in the AOTC, but I'd never heard of it - thank you Google)
[Tuj] Birdy creature? - NO
[Chalky] Someone & the Something? - YES *audience perks up* But that's not the entire AOTC

Is the animal a mammal?

Clutching at straws for anything that might trigger some inspiration.

Is it the name of a song?

Is the non-human aquatic?

[Phil] Mammal? - NO
[Quen] A song? - NO (I'm not going to bother to google that, so I may be wrong!!)
[Tuj] Watery? - NO
I'll see if I can think of a clue.

Is it a title of any sort?

I'm currently stumped.

Are either of them a reptile?

Quite a big nudge

[Quen] A title? - NO
[GLogin] A reptile? - Technically NO, but in common parlance some people may consider the non-human animal to be at least reptilian in some characteristics.

A couple of clues:
1. The format of the answer is actually 'THE something abstract OF someone AND THE something
2. Consider what else has come down to us from the Greeks apart from their myths and legends

Does the 'something abstract' begin with P?

Even more stumped than before.

The Ballad of John and Yoko?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Quen] P-abstract? - YES
[Phil] Christ, you know it ain't easy? - NO

The Paradox of Achilles and the Tortoise?

See, it wasn't that hard!

[Phil] YES!! It is Zeno's Paradox of Achilles and the Tortoise which gets most of a chapter to itself in 'Gödel Escher, Bach'

Here, have half a baton and a quarter of a baton and an eighth of a baton, and ........

The "reptilian in some characteristics" was the giveaway, once I spotted it. I am a herpetophobe, and once ran away from a girlfriend's pet tortoise, which she was holding to try and show to me. It was rather embarrassing, and gave me nightmares, but up to that point I'd thought my phobia only stretched to snakes.

Hidden text

Just typing that has made me curl my legs up under my chair, rather than under the desk where I can't see.

So, our next offering is

Mineral

The plane from "Snakes on a Plane" after all the snakes have been removed?

[NJ] Ah. I'd forgotten all about the whole "Achilles and the tortoise" bit; I always just think of it as Zeno's paradox.

[CdM] The plane from the film I deliberately haven't even seen the trailer for? NO

Made of metal?

[CdM] Yes but Zeno had 9 paradoxes including the one I quoted in handing over the baton, which is related to, but not identical to 'Achilles..'

Unique?

[CdM] Good guess - after all, simply "the absence of snakes" would've been abstract, right?

Man made?

[NJ] Tortoises are reptiles in the order Testudines. What technicality are you thinking of that that cancels out?

[NJ] Made of metal? Partially
[Tuj] Unique? YES
[GL] Man-made? YES
[NJ] Have a toffee for being the only person so far not to have mentioned snakes/reptiles.

Sculptural?

[GLogin] I plead stupidity. For some reason I'd always thought that chelonians were a separate class and I didn't bother to check.

A bridge?

[NJ] Sculptural? NO
[Raak] A bridge? YES *Applause*

London Bridge?

[NJ] I always get that one confused with the Fable of the Tortoise and the Hare.

[Quendalon] London Bridge? NO

The Golden Gate?

In the USA?

The Sydney Harbour Bridge?

[NJ] I just checked Wikipedia; I hadn't ever heard of (or perhaps had forgotten; I read GEB two-thirds of my lifetime ago) several of Zeno's paradoxes. But the ones you were referring to I simply classify together in my mind as the "Zeno didn't understand infinite sequences paradox".

In UK?

In Asia?

[Raak] Golden Gate? NO
[NJ] USA? YES *Applause*
[CdM] Sydney Harbour? NO
[Chalky] UK? NO
[Quendalon] Asia? NO

In New York New York?

[NJ] NY NY? NO

Chappaquiddick bridge?

In a state on the Eastern Seaboard

[Software] Chupa Chups Bridge? NO
[NJ] Right-hand side state? YES *some more applause*

The Talmadge Memorial Bridge?

Is it well known because of an incident that happened there?

[Chalky] Talmadge? NO
[NJ] Well known because of an incident? NO

The Seven Mile Bridge?

(on the route down through the FL keys)

[CdM] 7 Mile Bridge? YES - dang, you're good! Have this baton made of recycled railway line, and well done!

Well, that was unexpected!

It was in my head because Geoguessr deposited me there a week or so ago.

VEGETABLE and possibly ANIMAL

Is the vegetable wood?

Is the animal leather?

Is it bigger than the 7 mile bridge?

Is there one in your [CdM's] home?

Begins with a P?

A vegetarian meal of some sort?

Wood? No.
Leather? No.
Bigger than 7-mile bridge? Not really a well-defined question, but the answer would have to be No if anything.
One in my home? I am pretty sure (not 100% certain) the answer is currently no, although I have had the AOTC in my home at various times.
Begins with P? One of the words on the card begins with a P.
Vegetarian meal? No. *some applause, nonetheless*

Is it a sandwich?

Sandwich? No. :-)

Potable/Edible?

Is it liquid at room temperature?

Potable/edible? Yes.
Liquid at room temperature? Yes.

Carbonated?

Is the AOTC a brand name?

Is it a condiment?

Carbonated? No.
Brand name? No.
Condiment? No.

Is it a type of tea?

Tea? No.

Alcoholic?

Is it normally consumed cold?

Alcoholic? No.
Normally consumed cold? No. [SuzieR] Welcome!

Contains coffee?

Contains coffee? No.

A type of soup?

Tea?

Sometimes served with milk, don't you know.

Is the animal element dairy produce?

That's ten noes in a row

Soup? No.
Tea? Still No.
Dairy? No.

Is it a beverage?

Is it medicinal?

A beverage? No.
Medicinal? No.

Is it sold in an average supermarket?

Is its normal use as a foodstuff

Just 'cos it's edible doesn't mean that's its primary purpose.

Sold in an average supermarket? Hmmm. Good question. It can be. I have certainly seen it for sale in regular supermarkets in the US (and perhaps in other countries, though I am not sure). But would I expect to find it if I wandered into an average supermarket here in Australia, or in the UK? Probably not. So I will go with No.
Normal use as a foodstuff? Yes. (But a good assumption-checking question!)

Argan Oil?

Still with bits of goat mixed in.

Argan oil? No.

Is it consumed by itself?

Is the P-word on the card paste?

Consumed by itself? No. *applause*
P = paste? No.

Is it a sauce for a dish?

A sauce? Yes. *applause*

More likely to be consumed in USA?

As per

Pasta sauce?

More likely to be consumed in USA? Um. Than where? It is more likely to be consumed in the USA than in some other places, and less likely to be consumed in the USA than in other other places. It is almost certainly more likely to be consumed in the USA than in the UK, if that is what you mean. :-)
Pasta sauce? No.

Does it normally contain chili?

Contains chill? Yes. *applause*

Tabasco Pepper Sauce?

Tabasco? No. (I think I would have classified that as a condiment.)

Originates in Asia?

Asian? No.

*ouch*

CdM - ooops. Thought I'd typed 'than in the UK' but didn't check preview. Thanks for clarification. I have a hunch this may be a foodstuff I haven't heard of so will withdraw from the chase ..

Pico de gallo?

Pico de gallo? No. *some applause*

*changes mind* Might this be classed as a Mexican sauce?

Piri-piri

aka peri-peri or pili-pili

Mole poblano?

Mexican sauce? Yes.
Piri-peri-pili? No.
Mole Poblano? Yes! It is indeed the Mexican sauce (or class of sauces, really) made from spices, peppers, nuts, and chocolate. And if you have never tasted a good Pollo con Mole Poblano, put that on your bucket list right now. The "animal" is because the sauce can be made with (typically chicken) stock or just with water.
[Q] Here. There's a baton on this plate somewhere.

[CdM] I will eat my way through the entire dish until I find the baton - and then keep on going! A good mole sauce dish is delicious indeed. Now I'm hungry...

Anyway, I'm currently busy in town. I will post a new AVMA item when I get home in a few hours.

By my decree, this one is MINERAL.

Unique?

[Chalky] Well? Had you heard of it?

it is solid?

[Cdm] I'd heard of "mole", but not the "poblano" bit.

Begins with a P?

(Presumably it's not a sandwich)

Begins with a Q?

[Phil] I had decided that I would accept "mole" as close enough. In most people's minds, I think mole = mole poblano.

Made of stone?

I knew 'Mole mole' but not 'Mole Poblano'

Is it metal?

[CdM] Not only knew it but have made it - and also thought it might be the answer which is why I asked the 'mexican' question. I have always believed '.. mole' to be '.. sauce' ie. Guacamole. Be that as it may, and it may not - Quendo slipped in there before me which is probably for the best given my schedule over the next few days :)

Sorry for the delay

[CdM] Unique? NO.
[Phil] Solid? YES. *applause*
[Tuj] Begins with 'P'? NO, not this time.
[CdM] Begins with 'Q'? NOPE.
[NJ] Rock? Technically YES.
[Chalks] Metal? NO.

Made of glass?

[Phil] Glass? YES. *audience murmurs*

Ornamental?

Man-made?

[Softers] Ornamental? SOMETIMES. *audience murmurs*
[Raak] Man-made? NO.

Smaller than a toaster?

Is it made of obsidian?

[Tuj] Smaller than a toaster? N/A.
[GL] Obsidian? YES, that's the word on the card!

Passing a black, glassy baton...

*says gosh*

*is impressed*

Oh. I'd expected something more specific.

OK, this one is ABSTRACT/ANIMAL.

Fictional?

[Tuj] Fictional? Yes

Fictional human?

[GL] I figured that I might want to try something obscure next time I have the baton, so I thought I'd build up some compensatory karma in advance.

In literature?

Male?

Begins with a P?

[Quenda] Fictional Human? No
[NJ] Literature? Yes
[Phul] Male? Assumed to be but I don't remember it being confirmed. I'm saying Yes.
[Tuj] Begins with P? No.

Fictional Animal?

[Chalky] Fictional aminal? Yes

Talking animal?

Is/was the author of this fictional animal female?

[Quendo] Talking? Yes.
[CdM] From the mind of a woman? No.

An animal native to asia?

[NJ] Lives in asia? No. *Some mutters of disagreement from the audience*

First written of before 1950?

Mammal?

[CdM] pre-1950? Yes
[Quando] Mammalian? No.

Ignore me, I accidentally posted twice in a row.

[Quenda] I'm sorry, did you say something?

Begins with Q?

Cheshire cat?

Cats are native to Asia, but the Cheshire cat is native to Cheshire.

[CdM] Q...? No.
[Quen Dalon] Grinning Cat? No. Also cat's are mammals.

A single individual animal?

Is it a bird?

First written of before 1900?

[GL] I thought that when you said "No" you meant "Yes."

[NJ] Singular? Yes.
[Suzierocket] bird? No.
[Quendal On] Pre-1900? No.

Does this animal also exist in the real world?

[Suzierocket] Is it a real animal? If you mean is this fictional talking animal also a real talking animal... No.
If you mean is it a member of a species that also exists in the real world... Also, no.

Smaug?

[CdM] Smaug? The very worm. Have a golden baton filtched from the dragon's horde.

All right. It has been a while since I have done an ABSTRACT. This also has ANIMAL connections.

Fictional character?

Fictional character? No.

The Origin of Species?

If this is right the cries of 'Fix!' will be deafening.

A human invention?

An emblem?

Bestiality?

Not that sort of animal connection? I'll get my coat.

TOoS? No
Human invention? No.
Emblem? No.
Animal Husbandry? No.

A metaphorical animal?

Metaphorical animal? No.

Is the AOTC a single word?

Single word? Yes.

Unique?

Unique? No.

Related to the Arts?

Related to the Arts? The best answer is No. There are connections—probably a lot of them; for example the AOTC certainly shows up in book titles and song titles—but I don't think they will be useful to you.

Is the animal connection human?

Animal connection human? Yes, but not exclusively so.

Is it an emotion or feeling?

Does it start with an S?

Does it start with a silent 'P'?

Does it end in Y?

Is the word on the card a noun?

Emotion or feeling? Yes. *applause*
Start with S? No.
Start with silent P? No.
End in Y? No.
Noun? Yes. (It is also a verb, but I am treating the AOTC as referring to the noun.)

Hunger?

Is it normally considered negative?

Attributed more commonly to one sex--reasonably or otherwise?

Hunger? No.
Normally considered negative? Yes.
Attributed more to one sex? I don't think so. I'm unaware of either an objective difference or a pervasive stereotype.

OK, I have done a little research now, and discovered that at least one aspect of the AOTC is—objectively—associated more with women than men.

Does it begin with a Q?

Begin with Q? No.

A pedantic clarification. I answered Yes to "Emotion or feeling?", and that is clearly the best answer. But we might be hesitant about applying those terms to non-human animals, so I should note that there are also senses of the AOTC that go beyond emotion/feeling.

Does this involve killing?

Sorry I'm late, it's the darned traffic.

Involve killing? Not usually. Occasionally, yes.

Would this type of behaviour be classified as a syndrome or even illness?

Syndrome? Well, first, it isn't a "type of behaviour" as such, though it certainly can be associated with certain behaviours. And although it can sometimes be associated with a syndrome/illness, it isn't in itself one.

Is it normally considered rational in reasonably common circumstances?

Do you know of an emoticon which expresses this?

Does it start with a non-silent 'P'?

Is it drepressing?

Normally considered rational? *audience applauds the question* No. In some circumstances quite the contrary. Although it is not always considered irrational, either.
Emoticonned? I was not aware of one, but the google does give me examples. Mind you, if you had just shown me these examples, I would not have identified them as the AOTC.
Begin with non-silent P? Yes. Of course.
Depressing or drepressing? No, not in general. Maybe in some specific circumstances.

Paranoia?

Paranoia? No. (I did actually think about making that the AOTC when setting this AVMA.)

Panic?

Panic? Yes! *throws the baton in Quendalon's general direction and runs away screaming*

Eeek! Er, I mean, yes! Of course! Success!

Our next selection is obscurely ANIMAL.

Unique?

[Tuj] Unique? YES.

Human?

[Tuj] Possesses personhood? YES.

alive now?

Male?

[NJ] Among the living? YES.
[GL] Male? NO.

A member of the Morniverse?

Does she begin with a Queen?

[Tuj] Player of Mornington Crescent? UNLIKELY, but since I don't know your real names there's no way to be sure...
[CdM] Name prefaced with female monarchical title? NO.

European?

In the entertainment business?

A sportswoman?

[Q] The best answers are often the scrupulously accurate ones =)

Has she received an honour from the Queen?

Over thrity?

[CdM] From Europe? YES.
[NJ] In the business of providing entertainment? YES.
[Tuj] Famed athlete? NO.
[Raak] Received award from female monarch? NO.

A thespian?

[NJ] Dramaturge? NO.

Does she begin with P?

Also, you forgot to answer GL's question: is she over thrity? Enquiring midns wnat to konw.

[CdM] Do any words on the card begin with 'P'? NO.
[GL] Is this personage over thrity years old? YSE.

A singer?

[Tuj] Vocalist? NO.

Is she a broadcaster?

[Chalks] Casts broadly? NO.

OK. Does she begin with Q, then?

Is she a writer?

[CdM] Starts with 'Q'? NO.
[Chalks] Writes? YES. *applause*

Does she write for television?

Has she published a novel within the last year?

[nights] Writes for the telly? NO. (In the interests of full disclosure, she has done a bit of TV writing but is not known for it.)
[CdM] Novel with publication date after June 16, 2012? NO.

Has she published a novel within the last ten years?

Is she aged over fifty?

Is she married?

British?

[GL] Published a novel since 2003? YES.
[Chalko] Over fifty years old? YES.
[Phil] Wedded? YES.
[Tuj] Brit? YES.

Tanith Lee?

[GL] Tanith Lee? YES. *wild applause*

I guess that wasn't so obscure after all?

*tosses Gusset Login the baton through a gate of agate, a gate of blue steel and a terrible gate of black flame*

...

*googles Tanith Lee*

Well Guessed Guss!

I've only heard of Tanith Lee because my local sci-fi/fantasy book group are meant to be reading some of her stuff next month. The guess was meant to rule her out and confirm my own sanity... which clearly worked well.

Time for an ABSTRACT, I think

The letter P?

Anarcho-Syndicalism?

[Tuj] P...? No.
[Chalky] Anarcho-Syndicalism? No.

Human construct?

Fictional?

[CdM] Human construct? I'm going to say No.
[Tuj] Fictional? I've not seen evidence of it for a while but No, not fictional.

Connected with the natural world?

Related to perception?

[GL] Do you know which of Lee's books you'll be reading? Her 70s sci-fi/fantasy is excellent, but I gather her style shifted over time and I'm not sure what the more recent stuff is like. But if you're reading her Tales of the Flat Earth stories or The Birthgrave, you're in for a treat.

[Chalky] From nature? Unclear, much like the human construct thing. I'm saying Yes, with reservations
[Quendalon] Perception? Not closely related, but possibly yes.

[Quendalon] I'll find out on Saturday which one I get but the whole gammet of her work is being covered as far as I can tell.

One of the seven deadly sins?

[Chaky] A sin? No. *Laughter*

Generally considered to be pleasing?

[Quend] Positive? Yes.

Is it an emotion or feeling?

[Tuj] Emothing or feeling? Yes.

Is there more than one word on the card?

[Quendalon] Multi-word? No.

Does it begin with either P or Q?

[CdM] P... or Q...? No.

Related to attachment?

[cfm] Attachment? It can be but not always, depending on your definition of attachment.

Is it some form of familial bond?

[Dujon] Bond, Familial Bond? No.

Is it an '.. ism'?

[Chalky] ...ism? No.

Felt only by humans?

Does it end in "-ness"?

[Quendalon] Only human? I have seen it ascribed to other animals but who can tell? (Hence my earlier answers regarding human constructs and nature)
[Phil] ...ness? Not on the card but a reasonable synonym does.

Does it begin with a letter from the first half of the alphabet [incl M]?

Joy?

Empathy?

[Chakly] A-M...? Yes.
[Phil] Joy? No.
[cfm] Empathy? No.

Is it directed at someone or something outside oneself?

[Quendalon] Targetted? Yes.

Generosity?

Love?

[Chalky] Generosity? No. *Much applause*
[Phil] Love? No.

Does the word begin with a vowel?

[Chalky] A... E... or I...? No.

Does it end -ion?

[Tuj] ...ion? No.

Is it an '.. ity'?

[Chalky] ...ity? No.
The word on the card does have a fair number of acceptable synonyms, many of which would elicit different response to some recent questions. I'm not sure this is your best line of attack.

Summary/Clarification/Hints
This is a single word describing a felling or emotion directed by humans (and possibly other animals) towards something. Generally it is considered positive for at least one of the people involved.
It starts with a consonant between B and M (G) and doesn't end with 'ity', 'ion', 'ism' or 'ness'. Although synonyms ending with at least two of those option and beginning with completely different letters may be acceptable answers.

Is it a noun?

[Quend] Noun? Yes.

Can it be used as a name?

I think the fact we've dropped to this poor line of attack is no-one's had a good idea how to approach it!

Friendship?

Is it typically directed at a single person (in any given instance) or at multiple people at once?

[Tuj] Can it be used as a name? Not traditionally but I wouldn't put it past some people.
[Quendalon] Friendship? No.
[CdM] Directed at a single person? In the last year, I have directed it at individuals, couples, groups, inanimate objects and the results of blind chance.

Gratitude?

[cfm] Gratitude? Yes. Have mine and a baton.

[GL] Similar sentiments to you, dear. Let's try VEGETABLE AND MINERAL

Is it a geographical location?

Is the vegetable wood?

[NJ] Here or there? NO.
[GL] Wooden? NO.

Unique?

[Q] Unique? NO

Edible?

Is the mineral metal?

Is it a sandwich?

Would it normally be found in a sandwich?

Is it bigger than a breadbox?

[Raak] Edible? YES
[CdM] Metallic? NO
[Tuj] Two slices plus? NO
[Q] Big as a loaf or two? NO
[GL] Sandwichable? NO

Wet?

Is the mineral salt?

Tea?

Is it a foodstuff?

[Chalky] Watery? I think the best answer is YES, but in practice, it would be to varying degrees.
[Raak] Salty? The best answer to your question is NO, that is not the primary mineral ingredient. But I know of at least one instance where salt is involved.
[GL] Cuppa? NO, that is not the AOTC. But YES, tea may be involved.
[CdM] Foodstuff? NO. *audience interest increases*

Is it found in a typical Western home?

Is it generally considered valuable?

Is it medicinal?

[Q] Western staple? YES---though not as common as say, a carton of milk or a pair of scissors.
[GL] Pricey? NO.
[Chalky] Medicinal? I think the best answer is NO. *murmurs from the audience*

Is alcohol involved?

[Phil] Alcoholic? NO, the AOTC does not involve alcohol. But there is a peripheral connection.
[Chalky] By the same token, I guess that's true for your question, too.

Is the AOTC the name of a meal?

Is it always both vegetable and mineral, or is it sometimes just vegetable or just mineral?

[Chalky] Name that meal? NO.
[Q] One not both? YES. While the vast majority of the AOTC is both mineral and vegetable, sometimes the answer is just one of those things. *applause*

Begins with a P?

Hmm.

Is its primary function to be ingested?

Energy drinks?

Would it normally be consumed towards the end of a meal?

[Tuj] Having the usual? NO, not this time.
[Q] Primarily ingestible? NO.
[Chalky] Energy drink? NO.
[Phil] Finishing touch? NO.

Intended for topical application?

[Q] A dab here or there? YES. *generous applause from the audience*

suncream?

Lube?

How naughty!

[Chalky] SPF-something? NO.
[Q] Slippery stuff? NO. But I like the way you think. :-)

Moisturiser?

Condoms?

[Raak] Day or night cream? NO. *audience applauds nonetheless*
[Chalky] Barrier method? NO.

Cleanser?

[Chalky] Good clean fun? NO.

Lipsalve?

Toothpaste?

[Q] Good clean teeth? NO.
[Chalky] Lip salve? Well, not exactly -- hence my equivocating on the question of whether the thing was medicinal. The AOTC is actually the purely decorative (and much more fun) relative of lip salve --lip gloss-- but I think you are due the baton. Here, take this miniature one from my handbag! I hope Plum Passion is your shade.

A Chalk Line

for the win

[cfm] Mighty generous of you - in my mind lip balm, lip gloss and lip stick were also queuing for the limelight .. it was just a matter of timing.

Now - dare I unleash this ABSTRACT with ANIMAL connections?

Fictional?

Animal = human?

a work of art?

A philosophy?

The bee's knees?

round up

[Gusset Login] Fictional? NO
[CdM] Animal = Human? YES
[NotJohn] Work Of Art? NO
[Phil] A philosophy? Erm .. NO
[Tuj] Knees of bees? NO

A human invention?

Associated with governance?

[Tuj] Human invention? YES
[Quendalon] Associated with governance? YES *audience stirs*

Surely it's anarcho-syndicalism then?

[Tuj] *fingers crossed*

[Tuj, Phil] Anarcho-syndicalism? Shurely NOT I'm afraid *audience murmuration*

Begins with a P?

Phew!

Related to the making of laws?

Associated with a specific individual?

A specific style of governance?

[Tuj] P? NO
[cfm] Related to law-making? YES
[CdM] Specific individual? YES
[nights] Specific style of governance? YES

Marxism?

[Gusset Login] Marxism? NO

Is the specific individual a politician?

Summat like democracy and all people being equal and all that sort of malarky?

[CdM] A politician? NO
[Dujon] Democracy equality malarky? NO

Named for the individal it's associated with?

[Quendalon] Named for the individual it's associated with? Am not clear what your "it's" is referencing (the AOTC?) - however I will respond with a cautious YES.

Does the individual's name appear as part of the AOTC?

[CdM] Name on AOTC? Not exactly .. *audience applauds question*

Is it Thatcherism?

Is the individual an ancient historic figure?

[nights] Thatcherism? NO
[cfm] Ancient historic figure? Could be.

Does the identity of the specific individual change over time?

That is, at any moment there is just one such individual, but it is not always the same person.

[CdM] Changing identity? YES *more applause*

A dictatorship?

Associated with a particular country?

Is there a religious connection in addition to the connection to governance?

[Phil] Dictatorship? NO
[Raak] Associated with a particular country? YES
[cfm] Also a religious connection? YES

Connected with Christianity?

A monarch?

Pope Francis?

[Quendalon] Christianity connection? Yes-ish
[Raak] A monarch? YES!!!! Yesyesyes!!!
[cfm] NO - not the Popey.

The King or Queen of England, Defender of the Faith

[Raak] The King or Queen of England, Defender of the Faith? Absolutely YES. That's the ANIMAL bit - now guess the ABSTRACT *audience senses a dénouement*

The British monarchy?

[Raak] The British monarchy certainly relates to the AOTC but you are travelling away from the solution. Most questions so far have centred on the Animal connection - the Abstract is yet to be resolved.

Order of Succession to the UK Throne?

Hair apparent?

[Phil] Order of Succession? NO
[GL] Hirsuteness? NO

The Supreme Governor of the Church of England?

Thought I'd answered this earlier ..

.. sorry to keep you. Now ..
[Raak] The Supreme Governor of the Church of England? If that's what she also is then I am bound to say YES.
However, that is not the AOTC. Having established some guesses back that Her Maj is the 'animal' perhaps some lateral thinking is required to find the 'abstract'.

In Her Majesty's case is this an event of some sixty years ago?

[Hi Dujon] An event? NO

.. can't reply if no-one asks :(

Am shortly away from the 'net until approx 2200 BST

Summary

We are looking for the name of a specific style of government. It was named after the current Queen of England and other people but only one at a time. It isn't Monarchy and doesn't begin with P.

Have I missed anything?

Divine Right?

Ends with -ism?

[Gusset Login] Thanks for your brave attempt at a summary ..
.. however - we are actually looking for an ABSTRACT which has the Queen of England as its ANIMAL connection ( and it still feels somewhat treasonable typing that ...)

As you were ;-)

continuum

NOT a style of government ... NOT a title. It certainly has the Queen of GB, Ireland, Dominions blah be blah etc. as its core but if you guessed a memorial ceramic plate with her face on it .. well that would be mineral obviously ... but you'd be closer than you have been thus far :-)

The clever brigade

Elizabethanism?

It is I, Rosie.

[Tcb] Elizabethanism? NO.
My bad - didn't reply to [Raak] and [Quendalon] NO not divine right nor an -ism.

Is it a doctrine?

[Rosie] Thanks for joining in - but NO - it's not a doctrine or a philosophy etc.

Most of questions along these lines related purely to the Animal connection - very few have asked what type of Abstract this is. 'Is it a work of art' came the closest. For those that can be bothered I would suggest forget all that has gone before - concentrate on standard Abstract questioning ..

Coinage?

[gil] Coinage? NO - but *audience applauds this line of questioning*

The Divine Right of Kings?

Given that "to do with religion" was established.

[Phil] The Divine Right of Kings? Still NO. Religious connection was established to confirm the Animal, ie. Her Maj.
Having said that - one of the words in the AOTC is 'God'. < < < clue!

"Dieu et Mon Droit"?

straw-clutching

"God Save The King/Queen/Other"?

[Phil] Mon Dieu! Drat! NON
[Raak] God Save The King/Queen/Other? - that well-known phrase or saying [another standard Abstract question that wasn't asked] is about as close as it gets without being the AOTC
*audience cheering in desperation willing Raak, or anyone really, even a lurker, to make the leap .. *

Who are you, the Queen of England?

The National Anthem?

Is this an alternative title for the monarch?

Honi soit qui mal y pense?

[Phil] Pass us a straw, mate.

Allelulia Phil!

The Abstract is a SONG - the SONG is the AOTC which was 'The British National Anthem - God Save Our Gracious Queen' [who was the Animal connection all the way through]
Thank you Phil - here's a victorious, happy and glorious baton ...

Golly, thanks Chalky. Long did you reign over us with that one - chortle chortle!
Next up is

Mineral

Liquid?

Metal?

Commonly found in the household?

[Rosie] Liquid? NO
[CHalky] Metal? NO
[Quendalon] Household object? NO

Is it a mineral [ a naturally occurring inorganic solid etc] ?

[Chalky] A (well-defined) mineral? YES

Perovskite?

[Raak] Perovskite? NO
Clarification: I meant that it is composed of a mineral.

Man made?

[GL] Man made? Ummm, YES is the best answer, I believe as it would not be recognisable as what it is without mankind.

Asbestos?

Is it unique?

Does it naturally occur in nature?

[Raak] Asbestos? NO
[Quendalon] Unique? YES
[nights] Naturally in nature? Speaking strictly about the AOTC, NO.

Is it used as a building material?

Is the metal extracted from an ore (e.g. Aluminium from Bauxite)?

Does it move?

Is it a landmark?

[Rosie] Building material? The AOTC is not, but the substance of which it is composed is.
[Dujon] metal from an ore? NO
[Tuj] Does it move? NO
[GL] Landmark? NO

A cairn?

A wahoo from 60 yards.

Made from stone/rock?

Is it in Europe?

[Rosie] A cairn? NO
[Chalky] Made from stone/rock? YES. *some applause*
[Tuj] In Europe? YES

Made of diamond?

A natural geographical feature?

A mine?

[GL] Diamond? NO
[Rosie] Natural feature? NO
[Raak] Mine? NO

In the UK?

Smaller than a Range Rover?

[Tuj] In the UK? NO
[Chalky] Smaller than Range Rover? YES

A monument?

The Blarney Stone?

[Software] A monument? NO *audience stirs*
[Chalky] De Blarney Stone? NO

Begins with a P?

A statue?

[Tuj] P word? NO
[Chalky] A statue? YES *much applause*

In Italy?

[Software] In Italy? NO

The statue of liberty?

The one in France, obviously.

In Denmark?

[GL] Liberté? NON
[Chalky] .dk? NEJ

Is this a creation of Claude Michel?

[Dujon] Claude Michel? ~~who?~~ NO

This statue - a female human?

[Chalky] Female human statue? YES *Applause*

Venus de Milo?

[Chalky] VdM (any relation to CdM, I've often wondered?) - YES.
Congratulations, may I pass on this severed-arm-shaped baton to you.

*curtseys*

Thanks Phil. Not sure why I chased that one - given my absence from the internets, therefore this game, for the next week. I guess I enjoyed it :)

* tosses severed-arm-shaped baton into the air hoping someone will catch it before it lands and shatters into a thousand pieces*

*reaches for the baton, but not too aggressively on account of having held it twice recently*

Shall I grab it? Oh, all right then.

It is Abstract with Animal and Mineral connections.

Animals human?

Begins with a P?

*jumps*

The title of some work?

[Rosie] Human? Mostly, I would say
[Tuj] Pish? No P anywhere
[cfm] Title of some work? Googling actually says YES, not sure that it is helpful though.

A human invention?

Do the humans have a common purpose?

Is a horse likely to be associated with this person?

Supernatural?

[Tuj] Homogeneous? NO
[Rosie] Common purpose? Mmmm, maybe but largely NO
[Duj] Horsey? Perhaps figuratively but mainly NO
[Quen] Eerie? NO

A well knwon phrase or saying?

Is the mineral aspect metal?

[GL] Adage? YESish
[Phil] Metalic? NO not exclusively.

Whoops!

I must also rap my own wrist for just noticing that I omitted Vegetable from the definition.

Is the vegetable element wood?

Does the abstract result from human activity? (eg urbanisation)

Are any of the aspects a geographical location?

*taking an interest ..*

Wow - a whole week away and not a lot has happened.
So we have an Abstract with Animal Vegetable Mineral connections and have ascertained that it's a sort of well-known phrase or saying?

Is it a place?

[Phil] Wood? NO not exclusively
[Rosie] Global Warming? Mmmm, interesting but probably NO
[GL] Geographic? NO non specific but much rarer in some locations
[Chalky] Place? NO specific location.

A naturally occurring phenomenon?

A mental process?

[Chalks] Natural? YES
[cfm] Think? NO

Is agriculture part of this?

rm? in a way YES

A weather condition?

[Chalks] Meteo? YES

Raining cats and dogs?

Datsun cogs, old ladies and sticks etc.

[Rosie] Precipitation? - NO but chuckles and random clapping from audience

Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey?

[Phil] Chilly NO * audience chuckles and talks among themselves and some spontaneous clapping *

Something to do with climate change?

[Duj] Global warming? - NO * chattering and sporadic clapping in audience *

A Weather Forecast?

[Phil] Wet seaweed? - NO * audience murmuring and sporadic clapping *

Is the weather condition adverse?

[Rosie] Adverse? - YES. * audience getting excited *

The Shipping Forecast?

Does H2O (or lack of same) feature?

[Chalks] Forth, Tyne etc? NO
[Duj] Wet n'dry? - YES! * audience getting excited *

The Biblical Flood?

Would Rosie's last comment be the antithesis of the AOTC?

Does the AOTC take the format, "X as a Y"?

Does the AOTC relate to measuring weather?

[Rosie] Noah? - NO
[Duj] Oposite? - in a way but probably NO< br> [Quen] Logic? - NO but close
[Chalks] Meteo? - NO
Clue time: 4 words 2 the same relating to weather.

As right as rain?

[Chalks] Wet, wet , wet? - NO * gasps of anticipation and clapping from audience *

As dry as dust?

Are the two identical words "the"?

Hot as hell?

[Raak] Dusty - NO
[Rosie] Definite article?NO
[cfm] Bong! Right on the money!

As hot as hell is on the card. Well it felt that way when I kicked this one off! I hand over the iced baton to cfm.

Now that's a surprise. I was pretty much lost during all of that that round.
Well then, let's try ANIMAL WITH ANIMAL AND ABSTRACT CONNECTIONS

Is the primary animal human?

[Chalky] I suppose that I should have asked "Does it have any supernatural associations?" rather than the vaguer "Supernatural?"

[Q] Human first and foremost? YES.

Richard the Lionheart?

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

I'll behave next time ;)

Is the secondary animal canine?

Begins with P?

Me And You And A Dog Named Boo - Lobo?

[Quendalon] *confused face*?

[GL] Dickheart? NO
[Dujon] The end of the world as we know it? NO
[CdM] Woof? YES *audience is too awed to applaud*
[Tuj] Having the usual, I see? NO
[Chalky] That 70s sound? NO

Is the canine a specific, identified dog?

[CdM] Name that dog? After a bit of research (and also technically speaking), NO. But YES would not have been a bad answer. :-)

One man and his dog?

(Went to mow a meadow.)

Would Julius Caesar be pertinent to the AOTC?

Anubis?

[Chalky] Oops! That should have been aimed at Software.

fictional?

[GL] One plus one? NO
[Dujon] Roman rule? NO--at least not as far as I know or could identify from a Wikipedia search.
[Q] I want my mummy? NO
[Chalky] Storytime? NO

Is the human a specific, identified person?

Is this a well-known phrase or saying?

[CdM] Can I see some ID, please? YES
[Chalky] "It's like they say..."? NO

Is this person alive?

[Tuj] Still among us? YES

Showbiz connection?

[Software] You oughtta be in pictures? YES, but I fear this may lead you astray. *nods among the audience*

Famous for doing something rather than who he/she is?

[GL] Real life action hero? YES.

Human=male?

[Chalky] Dude? YES

Has this man been depicted in film(s) but not appeared there?

[Dujon] I don't have sufficient knowledge answer your question. But I will answer another. YES, this man has appeared in films.

The abstract connection? Is that the 'films' bit? Documentaries?

I don't think I have sufficient knowledge of man with dog appearing in films .. so may withdraw my participation. Hope others demonstrate a little more curiosity ...

[Chalky] That's a big [YES] Don't drop out. :-( You've made an important connection!

Steve Irwin?

[Software] Mass market wildlife expert? NO
Hint: It might help to probe a little more on the abstract connection...

One Man And His Dog?

[Raak] Sheepdog drama? NO But one man and his dogs? YES :-)

Actaeon, torn apart by his own hounds?

[Raak] Bloody mess? NO. Was there a film about that? :-)

Are these multiple dogs all presented as if they were the same fictional dog (e.g. like when Lassie was periodically re-cast)

Has Timmy fallen down the well, again?

Is this USA-centric?

[Projoy, GL] Lass-a-likes? NO
[Chalky] Red, white and blue? YES and NO. The human is American. The dogs, I believe, are ethnically German.

Is he an explorer?

Are the dogs Dalmatians?

[cfm] Film? I don't know, but I'd watch it if there was.

Christopher Plummer and the Hounds of Munich?

I am completely stumped!

[Chalky] Explorer? NO, not unless you are speaking metaphorically.
[Raak] Spot the AOTC? NO *audience applauds enthusiastically at this line of questioning*
[Phil] Von Trapped? NO. (hint: the human is not an actor, although he has appeared on TV and in film.)

Is there a succession of dogs, rather than a number of dogs at one time?

If that makes sense. I'm remembering when I chose the MGM lion and discovered there had been (I think) four of them.

[CdM] YES and NO. There was at least one well-known succession but there have also been multiple simultaneous dogs. (Is it just me, or does that sound kinda dirty?)

Are the dogs Alsations/German Shepherds?

Just for my own clarification purposes.

Is the abstract connection musical?

[Dujon] A/GSs? NO *audience still approves of this line of questioning*

(Also, it's just you.)

[CdM] Rhythm and rhyme and harmony? NO *audience applauds nonetheless*

cartoon/cgi dachshunds?

Clearly I haven't the foggiest what this is .. don't know why I'm bothering.

Or even dancing dogs?

Is the abstract connection artistic?

You did say we should pursue it...

Turner and Hooch?

[Chalky] Dancing cartoon dachshunds? NO *audience claps encouragingly*
[CdM] But is it art? YES *loud cheering*
[Phil] Tom Hanks? NO The AOTC only has a tangential connection to show biz.

To summarize, we are talking about a contemporary American artist (male) working with multiple dogs of a German breed that is not the shepherd or Dachsund. He has appeared on at least two famous American TV shows and in his own films. I will add that those appearances may not be the only connection to film. And I will apologize for choosing what appears to be an extremely obscure AOTC. My guess, however, is that many of you would recognize this man's (iconic, really) work, which is held in the permanent collections of major museums including the the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Smithsonian. A quick scan of his biography informs me that his work has also been exhibited in London, Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam, Munich, Seoul and Singapore.

Pinschers?

[Projoy] Police pup? NO
And I think it's time I put an end to the misery of this round. Sorry I picked such tough one. The furry baton goes to the first person who grabs it. And for those who are interested, the AOTC is revealed here.

It's good to learn new stuff

[cfm] I feel sure the AOTC would have been solved at some point. We are also missing some of our more, shall we say - forensic? gameplayers.

Chalky I'll take the fresh baton, thanks. I did give up a turn a few weeks back.
And now for a puzzler that everyone will have heard of .. A N I M A L

Human?

[cfm] You are too hard on yourself! I had certainly heard of the AOTC and know the photographs. I think I ended up getting stuck on the film angle, even though you did warn us that it might be a red herring.

An individual, unique animal?

[cfm] I'd never heard of him, but one man's obvious being another man's obscure is part of the fun of life.

[Phil] An individual, unique animal? NO

*points quietly at CdM's question*

[CdM] Human? NO

A pet?

Alive?

[Dujon] A Pet? NO
[CdM] Alive? YES

Found in UK?

A mammal?

[Softers] In UK ? YES
[CFM] Mammal? NO

An arachnid?

An insect?

A duck?

[Dujon] Arachnid? Technically NO .. *applause*
[Rosie] ... Insect? YES *enthusiastic applause*
[Sir Bedevere] Duck? NO

Can it sting?

Does one generally enounter them as a swarm or infestation -- as opposed to a lone bug?

[Rosie] Sting? Not 'sting' exactly ...
[cfm] Swarm or infestation? YES *audience getting excited*

*chances it* Mosquitos?

Midges?

Does it belong to the order of Hymenoptera?

Please ignore that, Chalky. From personal experience I know only too well that some of them can indeed sting.

[cfm] Mosquitos? NO
[Rosie] Midges? NO
*ignores Dujon's question*

Locusts?

Do they fly?

ladybirds?

[Raak] Locusts? NO
[CdM] Do they fly? NO
[Softers] Ladybirds? NO

This can be solved within 20 questions if you look back to where the audience got a bit excited ...

Ants?

They're made of Formica.

[Rosie] Formica Ants? NO

Do they attack vegetation?

Fleas?

Is this a common parasite found on humans?

[Rosie] Attackers of veg? NO
[cfm] fleas? NO
[Dujon] Common parasite found on humans? YES - three quarters of your question is correct, the other quarter half correct! *audience senses a result*

Lice?

As soon as I typed the word I started scratching...

Bed bugs?

Tapeworms?

Being in humans rather than on them.

[CdM] Lice? NO
[Raak] Tapeworms? NO

But Software has it on the 21st question - the AOTC being Bed bugs.
*gingerly hands over an insecticide-sprayed baton*

Well I'm Blowed!

* Carefully accepts baton from Chalky wearing surgical gloves *

Twice in quick succession. Well, well!

Now what do we have here? Another ABSTRACT with ANIMAL, VEGETABLE and MINERAL connections.

* Scantily clad girl parades the answer card in front of the audience *

Pornography?

[Phil] *laughs*

A human idea or concept?

A fictional place?

Unique?

[Phil] DIY passtime? - NO
[Rosie] Man made? - YES
[GL] Fairy story? - NO
[Duj] Only one? - depends on pedantic interpretation but generally NO

Humans with a common purpose?

[Rosie] Mass conciseness? - NO (although may be disputed when the AOTC is revealed, perhaps)

Are there animal connections other than human?

Is this an idea, political or social, say?

[cfm] Bestial - NO (although some may dispute this)
[Rosie] Conceptual? - YES

Anarcho-syndicalism?

[GL] Direct Action - NO (I had to look that up so no chance of it being the AOTC!)

Anything to do with economics?

Does it begin with P?

Is it a sandwich?

[Rosie] Money, money money? - NO * a few claps from the audience and some chattering *
[CdM] P-ish - NO
[Chalks] Cheese and tomato on brown? - NO

Virgin Trains?

[Rosie] West coast delays? - NO I suppose they could be described as abstract * chuckles from audience *

Is this a symbol of something (e.g. a coat of arms or a flag)?

[Duj] Symbolic? - NO

Is it a place?

A whole week and very little interest in this one ..

Is it a well-known phrase or saying?

Is it connected to the arts?

Multi-Chalks: Place? - NO; Saw? - NO * stiring in audience * ; Arty-farty? - NO (only indirectly but that could be misleading)

A political theory?

[Rosie]Dogma? - NO

A personal philosophy or way of living?

[cfm] karma? - NO

Something to do with language?

[cfm] Chatter? - NO

Conneted to religion?

[GL] Belief? - NO

A scientific theory or hypethesis?

[Rosie] Good science? - NO

Is this a physical 'thing'?

[Duj] Physical? - NO this is an abstract concept that like many such has a physical side effect but the AOTC (3 words by the way) will make this clear

Bored to death?

Anything to do with fear?

[Chalks] Ennui? - NO maybe the participants are becoming that
[Rosie] Scary? - NO

Is this a relatively modern idea?

[Rosie] Newish? - YES end of 19 Century apparently

Anything to do with health matters?

Modern? Newish? End of 19th Century - that's 18 hundred and something! Did you just say YES so that it doesn't look as though everyone except Rosie has had a NO for the last fortnight? :-)

Anything to do with Trade Unionism?

(Chalky) 1899 is only yesterday. My Dad was alive.

[Chalks] Healthy? - NO not directly anyway- recent well not BC is it?
[Rosie] All out? - NO * some stirring in the audience *

Modern Olympic Games?

Health and Safety?

Is this a form of revolution?

Chalks

[Chalks] 5 rings - NO
[Rosie] H&S Gestapo? - NO
[Duj] Uprising? - NO you are all drifting away from ABSTRACT.

CLUE: there is more than one of these

The real Chalky

Is it a Lifestyle Choice?

Softers - please can you do a summary to say what it's NOT. Ta :-)

[Chalks] My way? - NO anyone can do it, most do.

SUMMARY - Concentrate on the ABSTRACT. It is not: a fairy story, a life choice, a saying, a game, a passtime, scientific, religious or other social theory, nothing to do with language, politics philosophy or art. ANIMAL connection is strong the others less so. Good luck, it ain't that hard!

Is it culture-specific?

[CdM] Foible? - YES - well to qualify, the AOTC is AFIK but the principle isn't

Associated primarily with the UK?

[CdM] Blighty? - YES, primarily, the AOTC is anyway.

Is it an activity, i.e. something that one does?

[Phil] Out and about? - YES and NO, perhaps is the best answer.

Is the AOTC a present participle?

as "yes and no" isn't a very useful answer :)

[Phil] Grammatical? NO The AOTC has 3 words none of which are the definite or indefinite article. Hint: When the question was set it was in the future, now it is in the past.

Does the AOTC define/describe a period of time?

The August Bank Holiday Weekend?

[Phil] Time slot? - YES
[GL] August Bank Holiday - YES!

Hurrah! * hands over Brighton rock shaped sticky baton to GL at last *

Well, that took a pointlessly long time. So, a simple ANIMAL this time.

Is it human?

[Software] were the mineral and vegetable connections the bank?

[Phil] - Human? YES have a baton. (I said it was easy)

Hahaha! Why thank you, GL!
OK, so the next one is

ANIMAL & VEGETABLE

Is the vegetable wood?

Food or drink?

[GL] Wood? NO
[Raak] Food/Drink? YES *Some early applause*

A falling out between you and Rosie?

[Dujon] Me and the old geezer coming to blows? NO!

Hidden text

I'd love to know who's the vegetable...actually, maybe I wouldn't :-)

Meat and two veg?

Is it a sandwich?

[Raak] Meat+2Veg? NO
[Chalky] Sarnie? NO

Pork scratchings?

Does it need to be cooked?

[Software] Scratchings? NO
[Rosie] Need to be cooked? NO (although a perverse minuscule part of me wants to say YES)

Is the vegetable to be found in a greengrocer's?

I decline to answer your previous question (hidden) on the ground that ... ;)

[Dujon] Greengrocer's vegetable? NO

Is it an animal product?

Is the animal fish?

[Chalky] Animal product? YES *a little applause*
[GL] Fish? NO

A traditional British sausage (50% breadcrumbs)?

Is dairy produce involved?

[Raak] A banger? NO
[GL] Dairy involved? YES *some more applause*

A pizza?

Does the AOTC include a reference to a U.K. country?

Is cheese the animal element?

[Rosie] Pizza? NO
[Dujon] UK reference? NO
[Chalky] and cheesey? NO

Is it sweet rather than savoury?

[CdM] Sweet? The AOTC is not sweet.

Is yoghurt involved?

[GL] Yoghurt? NO

Is the vegetable element made from grain?

[cfm] Grain? NO

Milk?

[Software] Milk? YES, milk is involved *applause*

Are cookies also involved?

[Raak] Cookie? NO

Is it in anyway responsible for bringing boys to the yard?

[GL/Kelis] Your milkshake? NO

Ambrosia Creamed Rice?

[Chalky] Devon knows how they make it so creamy? NO

Is it casein?

[Software] Casein? NO

A comment

Rosie's question "Does it need to be cooked?" continues to weigh on my mind. No Anglophone would say that they cook the Answer on the Card, but cooking of some sort or other is involved in the process of turning naturally occurring ingredients into the AOTC.

Is it a salad of some sort?

Weirdly enough .. the cooking thing .. was the one reply which has completely thrown my train of thought ...

A biscuit of some kind?

[Chalky] Salady? NO
[Rosie] Biscuity? NO

Butter?

Custard?

[Chalky] Butter? NO
[GL] Custard? NO

OH NO !!!!!

I've just reviewed my answers and noticed that when Chalky asked "Is it an animal product", I said "YES". I should specify that only the animal part is an animal product, the vegetable part isn't. Hope that helps ! :-)

PANIC OVER!!!

[Phil] Fret ye not - that's what I meant.
In summary: The AOTC is 'Animal Product' plus a 'Vegetable' (but not a vegetable to be found in a greengrocer) somehow linked together. Edible/Potable. Doesn't need to be cooked. Milk is involved.
I'll now ask a question, if I may ...

Is there an alcoholic content to this?

[Chalky] Alcoholic? NO

A bit more summary

One would not "cook" the AOTC but some form of "cooking" is involved at some point in creating the AOTC from naturally occurring ingredients.

Is yeast involved?

[Phil] Thanks - I was thinking fermentation - hence the alcohol question.

[Chalky] Yeast? NO

Sour cream and chive flavoured crisps?

A hint...

A follow-up to the 2nd question asked (Rosie's first) would be useful.

Drink?

[Chalky] Drink? YES *relieved applause*

A skinny latte or somesuchlike?

[Chalky] A latte? CORRECT. Congratulations! Now does my dithering over "cooked" make sense? Anyway, have this tax-avoiding baton...

Thanks Phil - we managed to sort that one out between ourselves :)
*raises a tasse of full fatte latte*

Staying with the Keep It Simple agenda - here's a lively little A N I M A L

Human?

[Rosie] Human? YES

Is/was this person short in stature?

[Dujon] Is/was this person short in stature? YES

Napoleon?

[Software] Napoleon? NO

Is this person alive?

[Software] Napoleon wasn't short, apparently, he was just portrayed as short for propaganda purposes. A bit of googling, and my suspicions are confirmed. He was about 5'7" (1.70m), over 2 inches taller than average for France at the time, and just about exactly average for the UK. Reference here

[Phil] Is this person alive? YES
re. Boney - grossly misrepresented ... poor sod.

An entertainer?

Does this person have a name consisting of two identical syllables?

[Rosie] An entertainer? NO
[Dujon] A name consisting of two identical syllables? NO

Nicolas Sarkozy?

keeping with the French theme ...

There's a French theme..???

[Software] Nicolas Sarkozy? NON

Sandy Toksvig?

(Appolgies for the spelling I don't have time to check it.)

[GL] Sandy Toksvig? NO

John Bercow?

[Rosie] John Bercow? NO

This is supposed to be a nice easy quick one - random guesses of allegedly vertically-challenged individuals will lead nowhere .. and I'm already bored

Male?

British?

Under 35?

3 yesses!

[Rosie] Male? YES
[Software] British? YES
[Gusset Login] Under 35? YES

Is he a 'child prodigy'?

[Dujon] Child prodigy? Not exactly a prodigy ..*huge cheer from audience*

George, prince of cambridge?

YES - the very chap! HRH George, Prince of Cambridge.
*Hands silver-spoon shaped baton to Gusset Login*

Thank you. I guess he is a little short for a stormtrooper.

OK. This one is a MINERAL with possible abstract and animal connections.

Is this a unique object?

Metallic?

Manufactured?

[Phil] Unique? YES
[Software] Metal? NO
[Rosie] Manufactured? Um... it is man-made, if that's what you mean, but not mass produced, obviously.

A monument or statue?

[Software] Monument or Statue? YES. *Applause*

In England?

[Rosie] England? NO.

A well known male sans fig leaf?

[Dujon] A well known male without a fig leaf? As written, the answer has to be 'partly'. As intended, the answer would be very much NO. Take your pick.

Rodin's The Thinker?

[Software] The thinker? NO.

To clarify my answer to Dujon, the AOTC involves the image of a man who is not wearing a fig leaf but does not involve naked men in any way that I know of.

Is it a statue of just one person?

A political figure?

In Europe?

[Phil] A statue of just one person? The statue part of it is of one person.
[Rosie] A political figure? YES.
[Software] In Europe? NO.

In America?

[Gravy] 'Mer'ca? Yes

The Lincoln Monument?

Does the word Washington appear on the card?

[Dujon] Does Washington feature? NO
[Phil] Lincoln Monument/Memorial? YES. Have a baton purchased from the John Wilkes booth.

I have to give credit to the film "Night at the Museum 2" for raising my awareness of the Lincoln Monument, and more recently the 50th anniversary of the "I have a dream" speech, without which I would never have guessed that.
Anyway, onwards and upwards....our next AVMA is

Abstract with Animal

Is it a sandwich?

[Chalky] A sandwich? Alas, NO

Phrase or saying?

[Software] Phrase or saying? NO

One of the Seven Deadly Sins?

... or all of them?

[Chalky] A sin or seven? NO

A fictional person?

Grand Theft Auto V?

[GL] A fictional person? On this occasion I'll be generous and allow you the two questions in one - YES and NO
[Chalky] GTA V? NO

A fictional animal?

[Chalky] Fictional animal? YES *some applause*

A mermaid?

skippy?

A named individual fictional animal?

[Software] Mermaid? NO
[GL] Skippy? NO
[Raak] Named individual fictional animal? YES *a little more applause*

Created by A.A.Milne?

Has this named fictional animal appeared in more than one of the following media: book, film, TV, radio, grand opera?

[Dujon] A.A.Milne? NO
[CdM] In more than one of: book. film, TV, radio, grand opera? YES

A Disney character?

[Lovely Gravy] Disney? NO

Human?

Nobody has checked this yet.

Dog?

[Software] Actually, I did.

Was the creator male?

[Software] Human? NO (yes to fictional animal, no to fictional person, hence not a person. You are correct that nobody asked that question directly though)
[GL] Dog? YES *more applause*
[Dujon] Male creator? YES

Any connection with the Simpsons?

[Lovely G] Connection with the Simpsons? YES, but not an important connection, IMHO.

Greyfriar's Bobby?

Did this character first appear in print?

Did they first appear on TV?

[Software] Greyfriar's Bobby? NO
[Dujon] First appearance in print? YES
[GL] First appearance on TV? NO (see above)

Softeware

Lassie?

[Ye Olde Softeware] Lassie? NO

Was s/he introduced in a childrens' story?

[Dujon] In a children's story? NO

Astonised of Berkshire

Ooops, not sure what happened there, but I thought I'd add a summary, just to help out, as I thought this would be simple. Not that there's much to summarize.
This is a fictional dog; created by a man; has appeared in multiple media (from the list: book, film, tv, radio, Grand Opera), but first appeared in print; has a slight link to The Simpsons (which is unlikely to be useful).
The AOTC was not created by A.A.Milne; is not a Disney character; is neither Greyfriars Bobby nor Lassie; was not introduced in a children's story.

The hound of the baskervilles?

[GL] HotB? NO

Toto

[Chalky] Toto? NONO

Created by Homer?

[Dujon] A Homeric character? NO

A clue

An assumption appears to have been made.

Is it a cartoon dog?

.. such as Scooby Doo?

[Chalky] A cartoon dog? YES *Much applause*
[Ibid.] Scooby Doo? NO *oohs, aahs and groans of disappointment*

Snoopy?

and the Red Baron

[Software] Snoopy? YES!
My childhood hero. I still drink out of a Snoopy mug at work, which even has a Snoopy stand to sit on. Such is my fondness for the special beagle, that when I tried this AVMA on family members, and as soon as I said "fictional dog", they guessed it. The assumption, of course, was that "print" referred to books. Also, The Simpsons makes several nods in the direction of Peanuts and Snoopy - e.g. "Hungry, Hungry Homer" which was on C4 last week finds Homer asleep on top of the kennel, and Bart says "Good grief!" more here.
Here, Software, take this flying helmet, goggles and scarf set - may it serve you well!

Well, well. I'm getting too good at this.

Can I think of something that won't cause as much trouble as last time?

Let's try this, then:

MINERAL with ANIMAL and Vegetable connections.

Sorry Software - too complicated - only kidding.
But whilst we're about it, PLEASE answer the questions in a straightforward manner ... takes bloody ages to work out what you're trying to reply to usually! ;-)

:o(

Sorry, sorry, sorry ...

A building?

Margarine?

A planet?

Man-made?

[Raak] A building? - NO (not as such)
[Phil] Margarine? - NO can tell talk from mutter
[GL] A planet - NO * some discussion and shuffling among the andience *
[Rosie] Man made? - YES

A satellite?

An international project?

[Phil] Satellite? - YES
[Duj] International? - YES

The ISS?

[Raak} ISS? - YES!

Please accept this SpaceX shaped baton

The next is, nowdays, mostly MINERAL.

man made?

Yes, man made

Is it something that was previously made from wood?

Ex-wood? No.

Concrete?

[Software] *amusement in the audience* Not concrete.

Made of plastic?

< Toaster < ?

[Rosie] Not really made of plastic, as ordinary people use the word, but an industrial chemist might disagree.
[Software} Bigger than a toaster.

Does it have moving parts?

[LG] *more amusement* It certainly does.

Is it elastic?

Something to support or suspend a human?

[Phil] Not elastic.
[Dujon] Yes! It supports or suspends a human. That might give slightly the wrong idea, but it definitely does that.

Might this be found in a fairground?

[LG] Not in a fairground.

Float on water?

[Software] About as well as a dog walks on its hind legs.

Is it primarily a form of transportation?

Some form of seating?

[LG] *applause* It is a form of transportation.
[Rosie] Not a form of seating.

Is it a form of footwear?

[Phil] Not footwear.

Does it have two wheels?

Swing bridge?

[LG] Does not have two wheels.
[Software] Not a swing bridge.

Is it "traditional" such as a rickshaw?

[Rosie] Not traditional.

Does it have wheels?

[Phil] No wheels at all.

Is the 'transportation' generally vertical?

[Dujon] Exclusively vertical, as in a lift? No.

Bobsleigh?

[GL] Not a bobsleigh.

Does on stand on it?

Might this be found at an airport?

[Phil] Interpreting the preposition strictly, one does not stand on this.
[LG] Not primarily found at airports.

Hang glider?

Is it a form of airborne transport?

[GL] Not a hang glider.
[Phil] *applause* Yes! A form of airborne transport.

Parachute?

Is heated air an important part of its propulsion?

[GL] Not a parachute.
[Dujon] *cheering* Yes! Heated air! Therefore it is...?

a political campain?

A hot-air balloon?

(GL) I can see your point, but it's Mineral. :-)

[GL] Not a political campaign.
[Rosie] A hot air balloon! Hold this mooring cable for a moment, will you? Oops...don't let go!

Oh shoot!

I was thinking hot-air balloon when I asked my last question, but didn't want to make the leap of faith. Congrats, Rosie.

Moving parts? Where exactly?

Also, did not get the 'dog on hind legs' reference to its ability to float on water. Surely an inflated balloon would float very well.

[LG] The whole thing moves! The gondola wouldn't float very well, and once the water puts the fire out, neither will the balloon.

Yay! Let's hear it for Charles' Law.

OK, this next one is

ABSTRACT with ANIMAL CONNECTIONS

Are the animal connections of a human nature?

(Phil) Human? Just about, i.e. YES

Phrase or saying?

(Softers) Not a phrase or saying.

Is the abstract a human behaviour?

(Duj) Not a human beviour.

Is there a connection to football?

Or is there a connection to the Tory Party?

Is it an institution or organisation type thing?

(CdM) It would take a conspiracy theorist of a high order to connect this with either of your suggestions.
(Phil) Strictly no, but possibly in a figurative sense.

Fictional?

Is there a misical connection?

Sorry, musical

(LG) Essentially no musical connection.

Fictional human(ish)?

(Softers) No. Real humans.

Is it a system of government?

(GL) Not a form of government. *slight amusement in the audience*

If not strictly an organisation, is it an informal collective of individuals?

(LG) Rather the opposite of informal.

OK then, a formal collective of individuals?

(Phil) Not a collective.
A different tack is needed.

Related to media?

(cfm) Media-related? YES.

A business cabal of some kind?

(Dujon) Not a business cabal.

Related to the news?

(GL) Not connected with the news.

Related to entertainment?

A spin doctor?

(cfm) Related to entertainment? YES.
(Softers) Spin doctors? The very last thing need by the AOTC. So, er, NO.

Are sattelites involved?

(Dujon) No satellites, natural or otherwise.

Related to prestidigitation?

Specifically related to television?

(Softers) No sleight of hand involved.
(cfm) Telly? YES. *applause*

An announcer?

(Softers) No, not an announcer, not even the mellifluous Charlotte Green. :-(

"Reality" television?

(cfm) Not "reality" television.

Is it the name of a TV programme?

(Lovely Gravy) The name of a TV programme? YES. *audience animation*

Surely not Paxman?

(Software) Paxman? He is certainly involved.

University Challenge?

(CdM) Morniverse - JOHN! Of course it is. Well done. I hand you the furry animal. And it's goodnightfrommegoodnight.

Yes, well, that wasn't quite a lurker's victory, since I did ask questions earlier on, but I clearly stood on the shoulders of slightly-taller-than-average people, there.

This isVEGETABLE with ABSTRACT and ANIMAL connections.

A leek?

Edible?

Leek? No.
Edible? No.

The True Cross?

Paxman?

True Cross? No. *tiny smattering of applause*
Paxman? No.

An artefact?

Is it a cauliflower with aspirations to become a moose?

Is it made of wood?

Artifact? No.
Upwardly-mobile cauliflower? No.
Wooden? Yes.

Is the abstract a religious matter?

Abstract = religious? Yes. *applause*

Is the religion Christianity?

A crucifix?

Christianity? No.
Crucifix? No.

Native American?

Native American? No.

In a round about way could the animal portion involve bats?

Bats? Er. As far as I know it would have to be very roundabout.

Used in the course of prayer?

The use-mention distinction

Used in prayer? No (though I am not sure if it is ever mentioned in the course of prayer; I suppose it might be).

Is the animal connection human?

Just to prevent misplaced assumptions

Is the religion Roman Catholic?

Roman Catholic? No. (We already knew it is not Christianity)

Is it made in the form of the animal connection?

Oops, missed Phil's question.
Animal connection = human? The main animal connection is human, yes. (There are also many other less direct animal connections, both human and nonhuman.)
Made in the form of the animal connection? No.

Would this be most likely to have been constructed in Russia?

Could this be lifted by a person of average proportions?

Sorry, missed the Christianity bit.

Constructed in Russia? No.
Liftable? No.

Does it relate to a specific religion?

Specific religion? Yes.

Is the religion Buddhism?

Let's home in a bit

Buddhism? Yes. *applause*

A temple?

The Bodhi Tree?

Is it carved?

Getting right to the point

The Bodhi tree? Yes! *takes chainsaw, fells tree, and fashions baton for Chalky*

Oooops

A genuine Lurker's Victory - thanks to all who set up my re-entry to this game.

A N I M A L

Dame Shirley Williams?

[Gusset Login] Dame Shirley Williams? Inspired - but NO.

Well, Dame Shirley bleed'n Porter, then?

Sorry for not taking this too seriously at the moment. Things will improve.

Basics

Is the animal human?

[Rosie] Well, Dame Shirley bleed'n Porter, then? Eff'n NO.
[Basics] Is the animal human? YES

Is the human alive?

[Phil] Is the human alive? YES

Is this a female?

A politician?

Is this person's native language English?

.. thought I'd replied already

And again ..
[LG] Female? Might be.
[Rosie] Politician? Might be.
[CdM] Native language English? Might be.

Is this one specific person?

Is it a group of people with a common goal (e.g. a choir or a football team)?

[Phil] One specific person? Most likely - so YES.
[Dujon] Group of people? Most unlikely - so NO.

Culture specific?

[CdM] Culture specific? Not sure what you mean - culture is a big word. I'd say NO.

A particular role or post?

[Software] Particular role/post? This person certainly has a role/part to play so a tentative Yes.

At the moment you are reading this, is the AOTC a single identifiable individual?

[CdM] Single identifiable individual? Well spotted - NO.
.. but I still think the additional word ABSTRACT would have been misleading. You may disagree .. :)

Does the person who represents the AOTC know that they are the AOTC?

Sorry - been out and about and away from t'interwebs ...

[Phil] Does the person who represents the AOTC know that they are the AOTC? Not a scooby doo - NO

Is the person a creation of one's imagination?

Is the AOTC a different person for each one of us?

[Rosie] Is the person a creation of ones imagination? NO
[CdM] Is the AOTC a different person for each one of us? NO

An actor?

Does this person perform a service?

[Software] An actor? Unlikely but can't say for sure.
[Rosie] Perform a service? Insomuch as they are the subject of this puzzle - I have to say yes.

Have you met someone who is an AOTC?

[CdM] Have I met someone who is an AOTC? This particular someone is the only one who *could* be the AOTC. Whether or not I've met them already is irrelevant.

Will the AOTC be selected at birth?

[GL] Will the AOTC be selected at birth? NO .. what an odd question!

Is the AOTC the person who is the AOTC?

If so, it's Not Fair.

[Rosie] Is the AOTC the person who is the AOTC? NO - but I like your thinking! *Audience senses a breakthrough*

CdM?*

*(being the winner of this round)

I think that counts as a win, Monsieur C de M.
The actual Words On The Card are The Person Who Guesses That They Are The Winner Of This Round.
I toyed with the notion of adding ABSTRACT to the description but really couldn't be bothered with the standard questioning that might've come my way ;-)

Besides - you ARE a real person, aren't you?

*baton fashions itself into CdM-shape and flies to Daddy*

Interestingly, though Rosie's answer was not the answer on the card, it was a correct answer.
ANIMAL

Indeed it was.

Human?

[Chalky] Congrats on your delightfully bewildering round - that was fun!

Dame Shirley Williams?

Human?

(CdM) I'm flattered, despite the logical impasse. Not to worry - all statements made by ethnic-Welsh Londoners are false anyway.

Human? Yes. *some audience murmuring, which abates when they read the footnotes on the card*
Shirley Williams? No.
Human? Yes. *no murmuring, because the audience members have read the footnotes on the card*

Human with footnotes?

An armless pianist?

Human with footnotes? Yes. Your point? (OK. I think the most useful answer is yes. But it is possible to claim that a simple Yes is misleading.)
Handicapped pianist? No.

Is this a named human?

Is this more than one human?

Is this less than one human?

Good questions

Named human? No.
More than one human? The AOTC is not more than one human. *smattering of applause, nonetheless*
Less than one human? Yes. *some applause, and some discussion among the more pedantic audience members*

A severed head?

Severed head? No.

A diminutive human?

Small person? No. ("Less than a human", Software??)

blood?

Only human?

pre-birth?

Part of a specific human?

Blood? No.
Only human? This is where the footnotes come in. I am thinking of the AOTC in a sense specific to humans, but it can apply to other animals as well. You will almost certainly find it more helpful just to think about humans, though.
Pre-birth? No.
Part of a human? Yes. Part of a specific human? No.

A limb?

Limb? No.

An organ?

I nearly asked "Nigel Farage?" given the "Less than a human" answer :-)

Alive?

An organ? No.
Alive? No. *a little audience muttering*

Anything to do with medical research (stem cells etc)?

A cadaver?

Fingernails?

A beard or whiskers?

Medical research? No.
Cadaver? No.
Fingernails? No.
Beard/whiskers? Not the AOTC, but *massive applause*

A mustache?

A moustache? Yes! I am currently growing one as part of Movember (one of the founders of which is an alumni of the school where I now teach). I haven't had a moustache (without beard) since I was about 18, I think—and, if I do say so myself, I think it looks absolutely hideous. So if you feel like throwing support towards my Movember team, you can click here. It is a worthwhile cause.
*plucks out hairs one by one* and weaves them into a baton for cfm*

*ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!

Sorrysorrysorry

Alumnus. As you were.

*clicks*
*is positively crushed to find no photo of moustachioed CdM*
*donates*
Okay, this next one is ABSTRACT WITH ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS

The idea of CdM with a moustache?

[Raak] *laughs* but NO :-)

A dog's life?

[cfm] Thank you. For a sufficiently large donation I will send you a photograph of someone with a moustache that, for all you know, could be me.

A fictional human?

[CdM] Er...not that crushed. :-)
Familiar phrase featuring pups? NO.
[GL] NO. The AOTC is abstract. I think that is the proper answer to your question...

Would many people consider the abstract to be a form of art?

Is the abstract associated with animal behaviour?

A well-known phrase or saying?

[Dujon] Art for the masses? NO
[Rosie] Oh, behave!? YES
[Chalky] Famous expression? NO

Is this behaviour regarded as a good thing?

[Rosie] Well-behaved? YES and NO. There a number of animal behaviors associated with the AOTC. Some are good, some are not.

The mating season?

[Rosie] Fun and games? NO. *a few murmurs from the audience*

A form of 'showing off'?

[Dujon] Theatricality? YES. There is an element of theatricality associated with the behavior that is associated with the AOTC. (Reminding everyone that the behavior is not the AOTC.)

Acting the fool?

[Software] Fool me once? NO

Is fear involved?

A song?

[Rosie] Scary stuff? YES, in some instances. But many other emotions might also be associated.
[Chalky] A musical solution? NO. But come to think, there is a movie title closely related to the AOTC...FWIW. :-)

A board contest?

[Dujon] Board contest? Not sure what you mean. A board game like Monopoly? NO. A skate boarding contest? NO. Opposition to someone's nomination to a Board of Directors? NO. Or did you mean something else?

Is the AOTC a result or consequence of the associated behaviors we've been discussing?

[Chalky] A result of the behaviors? YES *audience applauds vigorously*

Is the AOTC a performance?

[Phil] Showtime? NO. Not in the traditional sense. But metaphorically speaking, one could relate it to a finale. *audience applauds encouragingly*

Is there a connection to sleep?

[GL]Perchance to dream? NO

Is this an abstract 'thing' awarded as a result of a result?

Sorry for the earlier rather broad question.

[Dujon] An award? I think the best answer is NO, not in the traditional sense of honoring or gifting someone. But but but...*audience encourages this line of thinking with hoots and hollers*

Is this an accolade?

Peer pressure?

[Phil] Highest praise? NO.
[Rosie] Everybody's doing it? NO, that is not the AOTC. However, since peer pressure is frequently one of the behaviors that results in the AOTC...*audience continues to applaud*

Posting to Youtube?

The herd instinct?

[GL] YouPost? NO
[Rosie] Bovine behavior? NO

Dieting?

[Chalky] Losing it? NO.
Let's have a look at where we are.
The AOTC is not a behavior in and of itself. It is the result of more than one behavior. Though no one asked specifically, the AOTC is the result of human behavior. One of behaviors associated with the AOTC has an element of performance about it though it is not a performance in the traditional fine art or entertainment sense. If the behavior were a performance, however, the AOTC could be likened to the finale of same. Peer pressure is often involved. Though not an award per se, one or more of the behaviors associated with giving an an award are also associated with the AOTC. I will throw in for free that the AOTC is a noun.

Are the people engaging in these behaviours part of a specific profession?

[CdM] On the job? YES. Professional behavior is involved.*approving applause*

A degree?

[Chalky] It's academic? NO. But *applause* because that's a noun and the final result of a series of behaviors.

a job promotion?

[Chalky] Climbing the ladder? NO.

An ASBO?

Anything to do with sport?

[GL] An acronym I had to look up? NO.
[Rosie] Sportsman-like? NO. But there are winners and losers associated. *applause*

Is it generally a negative acheivement?

By which I mean, for example, the 'wooden spoon' in a sporting tournament.

[Lovely Gravy] Unhappy face? MAYBE. (See "there are winners and losers associated" above.)

Does the noun relate to marriage?

Does the abstract noun relate to death?

[Dujon] Love or marriage? NO.
[Chalky] Mortality? NO.

Does this occur in a particular geographical location?

Twenty-nine questions over twenty days might indicate scant interest in this little puzzler - even my curiousity meter is twitching around 'indifferent'.
So it's not connected to love, marriage, birth, death, academia, job development, sport or the performing arts - is not a well-known phrase or saying or an an 'award', per se?

Does it involve a voting procedure?

Is it connected to the medical profession?

Would this have been possible 30 years ago?

[Chalky] Particular geographical location? NO, it happens in many locations.
[Chalky 2] Involves voting? YES, often.
[Chalky 3] Medical connection? YES and NO. It is not a critical connection but some of the most famous examples include a medical connection.
[Chalky 4] Possible 30 years ago? YES. And also 300 years ago.
*vigorous applause for the somewhat indifferent player*

Is this a leadership matter?

I've given up.

I apologize. I guess I am really bad at this game. Next time i get the baton, I will just pass it on.
The AOTC is "verdict" -- in the legal sense, the finale of a trial, which involves some degree of performance on the part of both attorneys and witnesses...and which also involves voting, at least in my experience as a juror.

[cfm] Sorry you feel the need to apologise - there was nothing wrong with your choice really.
Something I've said before on more than one occasion ... I think it helps to reply to a question without changing the questioner's original wordage. Spinning a question forces a 'double read' which can get tiresome. It can also mislead, eg. your reply to CdM's key question regarding a specific profession didn't inspire a rigorous follow-up and perhaps should have?

[Chalky] Thank you for the advice.
*raises, then lets the baton fall once on the desk and leaves it for whomever*

[cfm] I've only been in the chair once. It can be quite difficult to respond to questions in a manner relative. Some people are quite adept at it. I wasn't. Don't dwell on it, regardless of the somewhat snide comments you might receive.

..

If no one else is taking it.

[cfm] Don't worry about it. I've made the same mistakes before, we all have.

To hurry things along I will pick up this discarded baton and offer an ABSTRACT with MINERAL & ANIMAL connections.

A work of art?

[cfm] Work of art? I would say Yes, but not everyone would agree.

A singular work (versus a category of same?)

20/21 century?

[cfm] A thing, not a type of thing? Yes.
[Software] After 1900? Yes.

A piece of visual art?

[cfm] Visual Art? I said before, not everyone would agree it was even art. That said, if it is art, it probably qualifies as visual art. (I am guided solely by Wikipedia in this matter, however).

Could it be regarded as a style?

A monument?

Made of metal?

[Rosie] A style? No.
[Dujon] Monumental? No. *Audience Mirth*
[cfm] Metalic? No.

Was the AOTC intended as a work of art?

[cfm] Intended as art? No, at least I doubt its creator(s) would have used that word at the time.

Oh dear. Should have asked, is the mineral association with something metallic?

[cfm] Metallic association? No.

Is it man-made?

Is it the name of a place?

[Phil] man-made? Yes.
[Chalky] name of a place? *Audience Applaudes* Part of the AOTC is the name of a place.

Is the mineral connection water?

Can I go to a specific place to see it?

[Chalky] Wet Stuff? No.
[Phil] Can you see it in a specific place? Yes, I have seen it in several specific places.

Could it fit inside a microwave oven?

If it can be 'seen' is it Abstract?

[cfm] Could it fit inside a microwave oven? Yes, it's an abstract.
[Chalky] Is it really an Abstract? Yes.

To clarify the point, the contents/title of a book, film or TV programme would all be examples of abstracts that can be seen. (I'm not saying it's one of those but they still exist).

Well then, is it a film or TV program? (I don't know why I keep losing sight of the fact that this is an abstract!) :-)

[cfm] Film or TV? No.

Is it a logo?

An illusion of some kind?

[Chalky] logo? No.
[Rosie] A kind of magic? No.

Is there a musical connection?

Camelot?

[Chalky] Musical connection? Yes, music is involved to soem extent.
[Software] It's only a model? No.

Is it a play?

I said: IS IT A PLAY!?

Typical example of my stupidity - Software asks "Camelot?"
The reply comes back " It's only a model - No "
Result: I spend more time worrying about my failure to make a connection between these two posts than I do about the actual resolution of this puzzle. Thus confirming why I shouldn't be playing this game.

[Chalky] A Play? No.
Sorry, I've been preoccupied, my redundancy notice came through on Friday.

[GL] So sorry to hear that. I hope that another, better opportunity is just around the corner for you. (((((hug)))))

[cfm] Thanks, so do I. But now I've got my CV up to date etc. I'd welcome the distraction of getting the game back up and running.

So, in summary The AOTC is the name of a work for the second half of the twentieth century that contains both visual elements and music. It is not a play, film, or TV programme but more than one copy exists. The title itself contains the name of a place, which is the mineral connection. The animal connection remains unexplored.

Is the animal connection human?

[GL] Eek. Just spotted your redundancy posting. Been there, done that. Hope something turns up pronto.
[Chalky] I don't understand the Camelot/only a model connection either.

[Phil] Human connection? Yes, but not exclusively.
[Chalky/Phil] I'm sorry for the Camalot/Model thing, it was a reference to Monty Python's Holy Grail. Clearly I have seen it too recently. It was not a clue.

It's been two weeks

Is there anyone else still playing this?

A novel?

[Software] A novel? No

OK. Either I, Christmas, or a combination of the two seem to have killed this round/game. Whatever the reason, it would seem wise for me to step down and offer the baton to someone else.
The AOTC was The Secret of Monkey Island.

I will place this baton here for anyone to take.

I know I haven't played for ages, but I have an idea for a very straightforward and unsubtle one... MINERAL.

man made?

[GL] Manmade? YES

Made of metal?

[GL] I thought many times about your AVMA, but never thought of a video game. Not that I've heard of Monkey Island, though :)

Metallic? NO.

Wood?

Is it edible/potable?

Bigger than a bread box?

[Phil] I don't think anyone else thought of video games either. Also, you should play Monkey Island.

Found in the home?

[Rosie] Wood? NO
[Chalky] Edible? NO
[GL] Smaller than a breadbox
[Software] Found in the home? YES is the best answer, albeit disputable.

Plastic?

Stone?

[Dujon] Plastic? NO
[GL] Stone? NO, I think.

Chalk?

[Chalky] u-y=aotc? NO.

Oil?

Liquid at room temperature?

A ceramic material?

[Rosie] Oil? NO
[GL] Liquid? NO
[Chalky] Ceramic? YES

Some form of crockery?

[Rosie] Plates etc.? NO

Something deliberately artistic?

A Garden Gnome?

[Phil] Very seldom considered art
[GL] GG? NO

A gentlemen's urinal?

Associated with a particular culture?

Is it used as an insulator?

[Rosie] Fountain? NO (but you are on the right track - that is if you really know your contemporary art very well!)
[CdM] Culturally specific? NO
[Dujon] Insulator? YES, I think you could say that.

Any connection with Le Mannequin Pis?

Long shot. Yes, it's bronze and older even than me, but my knowledge of contemporary art is not so much like the back of my hand as the sole of my foot.

[Rosie] P-boy? NO (getting colder)

Does water run through it?

[Rosie] Google "Duchamp's Fountain", of which I've been aware for about a week, by pure chance.

[Phil] Water through it? *audience guffaws* Hopefully not!

(Advice to most: don't bother with the contemporary art angle unless you've been paying very close attention since the end of Duchamp's era)

Is it functional, i.e. was it created to serve a particular purpose?

A swimming pool?

[Fil] Phunctional? YES
[Rosie] Pool? NO.

Is it designed to prevent water flow in some way?

[Phil] Prevents water flow? YES

Is it made of Bakelite?

A ceramic tap valve?

A ceramic bath plug?

A bottle stopper (with or without rubber washer)?

(Phil) Yeah, ceramic Bakelite - good stuff.

[Phil] Not Bakelite
[Software] Tap valve? NO
[GL] Plug it? NO
[Rosie] Bottlestopper? NO

Is it bigger than a toaster?

[Rosie] You know, something felt wrong as I typed it. What was I thinking!?

A brick?

A roof tile?

*lobs baton through Raak's window, wrapped in a note reading: "Essential component of Carl Andre's Equivalent VIII? YES!"

I think that’s my first lurker’s victory. Next is MINERAL and ABSTRACT.

The atmosphere?

The oncoming storm?

[Rosie] No atmosphere, as Neil Armstrong said.
[GL] Outlook for Viking, Fisher, German Bight? No.

Phrase or saying involved?

Mineral in its natural state?

[Software] Not a phrase or saying.
[Rosie] Unnatural.

A man-made object with a significance beyond its immediate use?

[Rosie] Can you unpack that? The words on the card refer to a man-made object. They also refer to something abstract.

The Sword of Damocles?

Having carefully unpacked it from its vagina.

[Rosie] Not the Sword of Damocles, wherever it's been.

Is the object made mainly of paper?

[Rosie] Not paper.

Is this larger than a 'phone box?

[Dujon] Smaller than a phone box.

Is it smaller than an iron atom?

[GL] Bigger than an iron atom.

Is it metallic?

but is it art?

[Rosie] Not metallic.
[Phil] Not art.

Plastic?

Stone?

[Rosie] Not plastic.
[Software] *mutters of "At last!" from the audience* Um, stone, sort of.

a diamond in the rough?

[GL] Not a diamond.

Is this a grave matter?

Depiction of a human?

[Dujon] Not grave.
[Rosie] Not a graven image.

Concrete?

Used in building?

[Phil] Not concrete.
[Rosie] *some applause* Is used in building!

A pseudo-stone like Corian, for example?

[Software] Not a pseudo-stone. (I suspect a retired industrial chemist might inform us that the thing on the card isn't stone at all.)

A brick?

Glass?

I suspect GL has it.

[GL] *applause* GL very nearly has it, but it would be bad form for me to have just reused the previously set object. No, this is not a brick.
[Rosie] Not glass.

A breeze block?

[GL] Not a breeze block.

Mortar?

[Phil] Not mortar.

Another Brick In The Wall?

A chip off the old block?

[Chalky] Not Pink Floyd.
[Software] *murmurs in the audience* Not a chip.

A buttress?

female butter

[Rosie] Not a buttress.

Writer's block?

[Software] Not writer's block. *the audience drift off to sleep as the team wander into the fog*

The foundations?

[Rosie] Not foundations. Smaller than a phone box, folks.

Pebble-dashing?

With the abstract being the chundering euphemism.

[Phil] Projectile vomiting? No.

Some attention to the mineral aspect, and to the audience reactions, might be more fruitful.

Stone the crows?

[Software] Not corvicide.

Ceramic?

[Rosie] Yes, ceramic. *the audience open their eyes a crack, for hope springs eternal*

Down the toilet?

on the tiles?

[Software] Not a toilet.
[GL] Not a tile.

The Keystone?

[Chalky] Not a keystone.

Does the AOTC include the word 'stone' - compounded or otherwise?

[Dujon] No occurrence of "stone". A hint: it does have an occurrence of a significant word that has been guessed already.

Does the AOTC include the word 'brick'?

[GL] *applause* It does contain the work “brick”!

Drop a brick?

[Software] Not a dropped brick.

A brick ****house?

I love my brick!

A Few Bricks Short Of A Load?

[Projoy] Not a brick house.
[GL] Not a sex toy.
[Chalky] Not a few bricks short.
Hint: neither of the words on the card is "brick".

Decorative Brickwork?

Clutching at straws as I've ground to a mental block

[Phil] Not decorative brickwork.

Bricklayer's Arms?

[Projoy] Huge hands with no fingerprints? No.

Bricking It?

[Chalky] Not bricking it.
Hint: the words on the card are an indefinite article followed by a noun.

A brickbat?

[Projoy] At last! A brickbat! Have this bouquet tied to a hurled half-brick.

OK, this one is ABSTRACT (with mineral and vegetable connections)

A phrase or saying?

Bouquets and brickbats?

Anything to do with bricks?

[Raak] We've taught each other a new word each in the last 5 days :-)

[GL] Phrase/saying? NO
[Raak] Florid critiques? NO
[Phil] Brick-related? YES.

Does the AOTC contain 'brick'?

[Phil] =*"brick"*? NO

Does the Abstract convey a sense of strength?

[Rosie] Abstrong? NO

What about permanence, then?

Any building related terms in the AOTC?

[Rosie] Permanence? NO
[Software] Building-related? YES

Is there a music connection?

[Chalky] Music? NO.

Vegetable wood?

[Rosie] Wood could be involved but I had something else in mind as the veg connection.

Is there a "wall" connection?

[Phil] Walls? A connection, but not a crucial one.

Is it a place?

[Chalky] A place? NO

Is the mineral/vegetable connection paint?

Is it a building?

Is it related to roofs?

[Dujon] Paint? NO
[Chalky] Building? NO *applause*
[GL] Roofesque? YES, related.

Is it a collection of constructions?

[Chalky] Collection? NO

A Monument?

Remains of a building?

A Map?

[Chalky] Monumental? NO
[Phil] Ruin? NO
[Chalky] Cartograph? NO

A house of cards?

[Sw] House of cards? *some cynical laughter from audience* NO.

Is it a well-known phrase or idiom?

Just remembered it's Abstract!

Is a human construct?

[Phil] Gusset asked that question ^^^ up there. Apparently it's not.

[Chalky] So (s)he did. Oops!

[Chalky] Human Construct? YES.

The concept of being indoors?

[GL] Withinness? NO

To do with religion?

[Rosie] Secular.

Is the AOTC generally regarded as a good thing?

[Chalky] A Good Thing^TM? Probably more YES than NO, but it would depend on whom you asked and when you asked them.

Connected with the weather?

[Chalky] Weathery? NO.

Is it related to architecture?

[Phil] Architecture? YES, basically.

Is it a recognisable 'style' of architecture

Is it a blueprint?

[Chalky] Style? NO
[GL] Blueprint? NO

An Englishman's home?

[Software] Well known phrase or saying? NO :)

Is it linked to a specific individual building?

[CdM] An exclusive address? NO.

Is the mineral stone?

[Phil] Mineral stone? INTER ALIA.

Does this relate to a piece of literature?

[Chalky] Literary? Most likely mentioned in literature but not specifically famous for that.

Is it the name of a room?

[Chalky] Not the name of a room.

CLUE: A lot of people reading will have direct personal experience of this, and for those that do they will have spent a lot of time thinking about it.

Is it an activity?

A game?

[Phil] Activity? SORT OF, not exactly
[Chalky] A game? *audience laughter* NO.

Conveyancing?

A profession or occupation?

[Phil] Conveyancing? NO *some applause*
[Chalky] Not a profession.

Buying a house?

[Raak] Housebuying? NO *audience look pleased*

Selling a house?

Moving House?

still in the right area

[Raak] Selling? NO
[Chalky] Moving? NO.

Gazumping?

House-hunting?

is renting a house involved?

[Chalky] Gazumping? What a wonderful word. NO
[Chalky] Hunting? NO
[Raak] Renting involved? NO *applause* NO, not in the sense you probably mean.

Is 'demolition' part of this?

[Dujon] Demolish? NO! Well, hopefully not.

Speculative development?

still in the right area

[Raak] Build it and they will come? NO.

Does a word in the AOTC end with "-ing"

Does it involve building a building?

[Phil] Gerund? NO
[Raak] Involves building? NO. (Involves a building? YES).

A mortgage?

A survey?

A valuation?

Home Insurance?

the default option

[Rosie, Chalky] Not those, since...
[Raak] YES! A MORTGAGE. The mineral connection is bricks and mortar and the vegetable connections are paperwork and cash. * hands over the baton in exchange for Raak's promise to pay him for it once a month for the next thirty years *

Don't worry, the government will bail you out.

The next is MINERAL, with ABSTRACT connections.

Does it involve bricks?

[GL] No bricks.

A man-made structure?

[Rosie] Man-made.

Metallic?

[Software] Nonmetallic.

Made of stone?

[Rosie] Made of stone.

Stonehenge?

A building?

[irach] Not Stonehenge
[Projoy] Not a building.

Unique?

[Tuj] Unique.

Rosetta Stone?

In Britain?

Larger than a telephone box?

(Damn. I actually thought of mortgage when Projoy gave us his clue, but then rejected it for some really compelling reason that I can't remember.) :-)

[Rosie, CdM] Smaller than a telephone box in Britain, because...
[GL] The Rosetta Stone!

Hmmmm...

Let's go with an ABSTRACT with Animal connections.

Human animal?

[Software] human? - No.

Is the animal a type of animal (as opposed to an animal product, such as leather)?

A well-known phrase or saying?

[Phil] animal? - Not an animal product.
[Chalky] phrase or saying? - No.

Some sort of organisation?

A book/story?

the Animal connection - a living organism?

[Rosie] organisation? - No.
[Dujon] book/story? - Yes.
[Chalky] a living creature? - Yes.

A children's story?

Moby Dick?

Long shot.

[Phil] kids' tale? - Yes.
[Rosie] The great white whale? - No.

Does this animal have a tendency to sound like a clock?

[Dujon] Sounds like a clock? - No.

Is the typical/target readership under 8 years old?

[CdM] target readership<8? Why do you assume a story needs to be read?

Tom and Jerry?

Winnie the Pooh?

[Rosie] T&J? - No.
[Raa] A bear of very little brains? - No.

Has the story been filmed?

[Raak] on film? - Yes.

Babe?

Bambi?

[Chalky] Good Pig? - No.
[Software] Bambi? - No. *Some applause*

Did this involve some number of brooms?

Cartoon?

[Dujon] brooms? - I don't remember any.
[Chalky] cartoon? - No.

Disney?

[Chalky] Sidney? - No.

Peter Rabbit?

has the film been on release for longer than 10 years?

[Software] Peter Rabbit? - No.
[Chalky] film age>10 years? - Yes.

Old Yeller?

[cfm] Old Yeller? - No.

A dog?

[Chalky] Dog? - No.

a horse ... or maybe a kangaroo?

[Chalky] Horse/Kangaroo? - Not a horse. Not a kangaroo. Not some freaky cross-breed of the two.

You leave my black velvet coated skippy alone, Chalky. ;)

Does this film involve hunters?

[Dujon] hunters? - No, not that I recall anyway.

Mickey Mouse?

Bambi/Disney?

[Software] Mickey Mouse? - No.

Summary: The AOTC is a living, fictional, non-human character and the title of a live action film from more than ten years ago. The character is not a dog, horse, kangaroo or any traditional game animal (no hunters). It is not a book (I couldn't even find a novelisation) and the film was not made by Disney.

Why did Bambi get some applause from the audience?

King Kong?

Trigger, the Wonder Horse?

[Chalky] Bambi got the clap? - First time someone guessed a film with a title character.
[Chalky] King Kong? - No.
[Raak] Trigger? - Not a horse, not even Trigger.

Babe?

Racing Stripes?

[Software] Babe? - Still not Babe.
[Phil] Racing Stripes? - No.

A member of the cat family?

Is the AOTC humanoid?

[Raak] Feline? - No.
[Phil] Humanoid? - Yes.

a Martian?

[Raak] Martian? - *Audience applaudes loudly* No, or at least probably not.

Is the central character a being stranded on Earth?

Paul?

[Dujon] Stranded on Earth? - Yes.
[Phil] Paul? - No.

ET?

Superman?

[Phil] Kal-El? - No.
[Chalky] Phone home? - YES it was ET The Extraterrestrial. Have a baton with one glowing end.

Splendid! Thank you GL.

Keeping it simple with A N I M A L and V E G E T A B L E and even a hint of M I N E R A L

Meat and two veg with a sprinkling of salt?

[Raak] Meat and two veg with a sprinkling of salt? NO *audience applause*

Is it edible?

Smokey bacon crisps?

[Phil] Edible? YES
[Raak] Smokey bacon crisps? NO - but *a huge roar of approval from an already excited audience*

A full english breakfast?

Oh, I say ...

Thanks to some incisive questioning Projoy has it!
Full English Breakfast is indeed the AOTC.

Here you are, dear chap, please accept this amusingly-shaped sausage baton ... phnarr phnarr

How eggs-citing. Hopefully I won't make a hash of the next one.

MINERAL

Is it man made?

[GL] Human-made? YES.

Metal, mostly?

[Rosie] More metal than not? NO, but there is metal in it.

Intended to be digested?

Bricklike?

[Dj] Gustible? NO.
[Chalky] Bricky? NO.

[Rosie, addendum re: metal] I guess that by mass the metal makes up less than 50% but now I think about it more, I'm not completely sure.

Electrical?

A device, gadget, tool etc?

Yes or No to any - I'm not trying it on.

[Software] Electrical? I'd say NO * a murmur in the audience*
[Rosie] "Device" is probably the best out of those options.

A piece of equipment designed for the reception of radio signals?

[Dj] PoEDftRoRS? NO. *much audience applause*

battery operated?

A router?

A CD?

[Chalkeroonie] Battery? NO
[Rosie] Router? NO
[GL] CD? NO *tumultuous applause*

A cassette tape?

A DVD?

[rab] A cassette? YES!
* hands over a biro so you can rewind to the start of a new round*

Bollocks

I should know better than to post before buffering off to the pub for six hours.

Mine is ABSTRACT, potentially with connections to all three other categories.

The colour red?

[Chalky] Whence "phnarr phnarr", I wonder?

Reality?

Imagination?

music?

[Tuj] I first encountered it in the 80s via "Finbarr Saunders and his Double Entendres" in Viz magazine (once the 3rd most popular magazine in the UK!)

Colours - not even close.
Reality - only in the sense that this does have a physical manifestation.
Imagination - components might transpire as a figment of the same.
Music - no. But the general level of tangibility is not far off.

A human invention?

An artform?

As opposed to a specific piece of art.

Is this an emotion of some kind?

A performance of some kind?

(Tuj, Phil) I'm sure it was "Fnarr, fnarr".

April Fool?

Sorry for asking two questions but this one had to be asked.

Human? - very much so yes.
Artform? - to say yes would be deliberately obtuse, but the level of specificity is spot on.
Performance? - of some kind, I suppose so.
Ha ha bonk? - no

Is this an emotion of some kind?

On behalf of Dujon the Whisperer ;-)

Sorrow.

Emotional? No. Not that human.

Academia?

Lackademicals

No, but I like the cut of your jib.

Teaching?

A theory?

Teaching - no, but keep thinking about performances in the broader sense
A theory - no

Might this involve 'letters after ones name'?

Legal connection?

A medical connection?

Postnomials? Probably, but not necessarily.
Legal link? *applause* Yes, keep going
Medical? Possibly, but not necessarily.

Being called to the bar?

Mine's a small americano

Nope.

Evidence?

*ooh ahh* part of the performance certainly.

Cross-examination?

Making a statement?

A trial?

Prosecution?

Grumpy looks? No, but this is definitely involved.
Statement? Likewise
Inspiration for Kafka? audience oohs, aahs and generally inhales in a "that'll costya" kind of way no
Perspiration? No.

A tribunal?

Advocacy?

Tribunal? Not long, now.
Advocacy? Less abstract.

A court case?

Luggage? Nope. Keep going though.

Legal Aid?

The Supreme Court?

Unexciting fizzy drink? No
Cooked in stock and cream and served with rice to make an unfulfilling dish? Nein.
You were closest with the tribunal-style performance.

A Judgement?

A judicial review?

Public Inquiry?

A Royal Commission?

A verdict?

Got there in the end

Yay, Chalky. It was a public inquiry. Well done.

Yay. Nice one. Good to see you, rab.
As is my custom - a quickie ...
A N I M A L

Human?

[Raak] Human? YES - ish.

Politician?

Maria Miller?

An extinct hominid?

Sajid Javid?

Alive now?

[Gusset Login] - Politician? NO
[Software]- Maria Miller? NO
[Raak] - An extinct hominid? NO
[Projoy]- Sajid Javid? NO
[Rosie] - Alive now? n/a

A group of people?

A post or position?

To do with the military?

[Raak] A group of people? NO *a smattering of applause*
[Rosie] A post or position? NO
[Dujon] To do with the military? As much as 'it' is to do with any person or group of people.

*clarification* Without the indefinite article I assumed the one-word opening question was an adjective as opposed to a noun - hence my vague-ish reply.

Humanity? I.e. everyone?

[Raak] Humanity? NO - however, this relates to 'everyone'

A specific individual?

Part of a human?

The human genome?

[Projoy] Specific? NO
[Gusset Login] Part of a human? YES! *audience whooop whoops*
[Raak] The human genome? NO - although given my reply to GL above - more relevant than earlier guesses ;-)

An internal organ?

An organ?

Oops. I meant, a bone?

The bridge of the nose.

hehe

[GL] An internal organ? Arguably - YES, this is classified as an organ in most places [that classify such things].
[Projoy] YES an organ, still ... but definitely not a bone.
[rab] The bridge of the nose? NO - but *audience seems to like all the last few questions*

Is this (or these) particular 'empty' spaces within the human body?

The skin?

[Dujon] Empty spaces? NO
[Raak] The skin? NO

The blood?

Is it found at one specific location in the body?

The appendix?

[Raak] The blood? YES! Need a little more for the AOTC .. *roars of approval from a very excited audience*
[rab] Specific location? As confirmed above - several locations throughout the body.
[Phil] Appendix? Nah :)

The circulatory system?

[GL] Circulatory system? NO

The corpuscles?

[Raak] Corpuscles - NO - although they are relevant ..

Anything to do with the process of healing?

Red blood cells?

The immune system?

No to all - it's about Blood!

Blood BLOOD

Blood vessels?

A blood donation?

Seeing the word so often on the page, the voice in my head is now making it rhyme with "mood". mood ... blood ... food ... blood ... hood ... blood ... wood .. blood ...

Black pudding, then. So there.

[Software] I think Chalky said yes to "human?", so that would be quite some black pudding if it is right.

[Projoy] Not blood vessels
[Raak] Not a blood donation
[Software] Not a human black pudding.

Remember ... it's all about the blood.

blood plasma?

An armful (very nearly)?

Haemoglobin?

Is this a type of blood cell which has various types?

[Raak] Plasma? Not the AOTC
[Projoy] Not an armful
[Rosie] Haemoglobin? Not the AOTC
[Dujon] 'Various types' is a phrase which should lead to the AOTC ... *audience wakes up*

A rhesus negative?

What took you so long ..?

[Projoy] 'A rhesus negative' is about as close as anyone has come to the AOTC, with the exception of Raak who guessed the 'blood' word. As the AOTC is Rhesus Negative Blood I am thrilled to hand over this gargantuan syringe-shaped baton to do with as you wish ..

It may be just a smear to you, mate, but that's life or death to some poor blighter.

OK, here's another.

ANIMAL

Human?

[Rosie] Human? YES.

Alive?

A particular human?

[GL] Not alive.
[Phil] A particular human.

Died this year?

[GL] Mort MMXIV? NO

A pianist?

An actor?

Died this decade?

Involved in "the arts"?

... or even "the sciences"?

[Dujon] Pianist? NO.
[rab] Actor? YES.
[GL] Mort -10? NO.
[Phil] Arts? YES.
[Chalky] Science? NO.

Male?

British?

[Phil, Rosie] British and Male.

Has he starred in a major science fiction movie?

Died post 1990?

[Raak] SF movie? Pretty sure that's a NO.
[Chalky] Died after the Thatcher era? NO.

Died before 1970?

Died before the Heath era? YES.

Shakespearean roles?

Garrick?

Died before 1960?

#obsessingonthedeaththing

[Raak, Rosie] Not known for Shakespeare
[Chalky] Died since 1960.

Kenneth Horne?

Stan Laurel?

Vocalist?

[GL] Stiff Horne? NO.
[Phil] Resting Laurel? Another fine mess: NO.
[Software] If you mean singer, then NO.

Tony Hancock?

The lad himself

[Rosie] It IS Tony Hancock. Please take this radio aerial (and send a tray of bread pudding to Kuala Lumpur).

Part of my early teenage years. On the Home Service, no less, or was it the Light Programme? Can't remember. Now, what shall I do with this thing? Ah, yes -

ABSTRACT and MINERAL.

The Philosopher's Stone?

The last train?

Sonic Screwdriver?

A legendary object?

(Phil) Nothing so concrete.
(Projoy) Nice try, but alas....
(GL) No, not a latter-day Swiss Army penknife.
(Raak) YES, at least in the Abstract sense.

A particular vision?

(Dujon) YES, something specific.

Hidden text

I am now going to bed

Human-made?

(Projoy) NO, not a human creation though the Abstract indirectly involves humans.

Something that might be studied by scientists?

(Projoy) They might, as an incidental, but it's not the flavour of the AOTC.

Anything to do with steam engines?

(Raak) Vocal traction? Not a scintilla, not a smithereen, not e'een a wisp of steam from a leaky cylinder gland.

Is a lake often associated with this?

(Dujon) NO, nothing to do with lakes.

To do with "The Arts"?

A corno da tirarsi?

A brass instrument that Bach specifies in four of his cantatas, but no-one knows exactly what instrument he meant.

(Phil) Nothing to do with The Arts.
(Raak) Not a little trumpet.

Hidden text

(Welsh) corn bach

Metallic?

(Software) NO, not at all metallic.

A natural feature?

(GL) YES, a natural feature.

Giant's Causeway?

(GL) NO, nothing so hexagonal.

In the UK?

(Raak) Mineral - NO, Abstract - Mainly NO but could be.

Is the AOTC a mountain?

(Dujon) NO, not a mountain.

Are the abstract and mineral two distinct (essentially unconnected) meanings of the AOTC?

(CdM) The two are connected, one literal, one figurative.

Is this a weather feature?

(Chalky) Weather? Broadly, YES. *audience stops texting and looks up*

Does the word 'global' appear on the card?

(Dujon) "Global"? NO.

Is this a weather formation that was given a name?

Confused as always.

(Dujon) YES, it has a specific name but this is not normally regarded as a meteorological term.

Is this a form of wind pattern?

I know that I shouldn't but everyone else seems to have knocked off for the weekend.

(Dujon) NO, not a wind pattern.

Is it associated with deserts?

A dust storm?

(GL) Maybe a stronger asssociation with deserts than other places but a long way from exclusively so.
(Softers) Not a dust storm.

Is this 'object' a form of visual 'trickery'?

(Dujon) Visual trickery? NO, very real.

Associated with water or lack of?

(Chalky) Nothing to do with water, most certainly not.

Solar power?

(Chalky) YES, very much so. *audience goes positively orgasmic*

So is that the AOTC ...?

If it isn't I'm not quite sure where to go from here ..

Ra, the Sun God?

Apollo?

The sun?

(Chalky) NO, not the AOTC, but it's about the sun.
(Phil) NO, not Ra, not a God.
(Projoy) NO, not Apollo.
(Gusset Login) Yes, but specifically....?

halo?

Sunshine?

(Software) Not a halo.
(Projoy) The AOTC is much more specific.

A little ray of sunshine?

(Projoy) Rather more than that, it would seem.

A supernova?

A solar flare?

Solar winds?

(Raak, CdM, Projoy) Nothing as technical as these. An earthbound phenomenon, not a scientific term.

A sunbeam?

(Projoy) Not a sunbeam. This is probably more Art than Science.

Is this something like the sight of a huge cumulonimbus lit up by the setting sun?

(Dujon) A nice image that conjures up but alas NO. HINT: The AOTC is the name of a pub.

The Rising Sun?

(Chalky) NO, but very close. Move on a bit. *audience now hyperventilating dangerously*

The Midday Sun?

Thanks to Google

The Sun and Ferret Droppings?

The Setting Sun?

The Sun and Heir?

(Chalky, Projoy,Raak) Not the Sun and Trouserpress, either, for

Phil has it. The midday sun. Well done. Stay indoors.

As soon as I saw it was in Surrey, it had to be right.

Next, for your amusement and intellectual delight, we shall have:

Vegetable & Animal

Edible?

Well, that's a nice easy start :)

[Raak] Edible? YES

A chicken salad sandwich?

[Projoy] Chix Salad Butty? NO

Pub grub?

[Software] Is the AOTC "Pub grub"? NO, but it could be classified as such

Is the animal red meat?

Scampi and chips in the basket ?

very 70s

Is the vegetable potatoes?

A 'lunch' of some kind?

Scotch Broth?

[Rosie] Red meat? According to the USDA, YES, but in my personal opinion, NO.
[Software] Scampi? NO
[Raak] Potatoes? NO
[Dujon] some kind of 'lunch'? YES, it can be.
[Chalky] Scotch Broth? NO *some encouraging applause*

Some form of burger?

[Rosie] Burger? NO

soup?

Does it contain sausage?

Is bacon involved?

[Raak] Soup? YES *more applause*
[Rosie] Inc. sausage? NO
[GL] Bacon involved? NO * A smattering of applause*

Does this involve ham and peas?

[Dujon] Ham & Peas? YES *Considerable applause*

Pea and ham soup?

Does it begin with a...

Ahem.

[Tuj] But 3 hours too late :)
[Raak] Pea and ham soup? YES
Officially, as far as I could find, pork counts as red meat in the USA, and appears to be undefined here. But in my opinion, 3 categories of meat exist :red, white and processed, hence my awkward answer earlier.
*passes a breadstick to Raak*

The next is ANIMAL.

Is bacon involved?

Does this animal consume bacon?

[GL] Bacon is not involved.
[CdM] Does not normally consume bacon.

Is it human?

Alive?

[Gusset Login] Not human.
[Rosie] Alive.

One particular animal?

[Rosie] Um...yes and no.

An animal foetus perhaps?

[Dujon] Not a foetus.

A swarm of bees attacking Topshop?

Is it a parasite?

[GL] Not a swarm of bees.
[Dujon] Yes! It is a parasite.

A louse?

[Software] Not a louse.

Does it begin with P?

Does not begin with P.

Is this an internal parasite (as opposed to a tick or its ilk)?

[Dujon] Not an internal parasite.

Is it a Benefit Scrounger?

[Chalky] * laughter and applause* Yes, I suppose it is in a way.

A mosquito?

[Rosie] Not a mosquito.

Was this once used by doctors as a remedy for various ills?

[Dujon] Not a cureall.

Tick?

[GL] Not a tick.

Does it have a relationship with bats?

[Dujon] Not below the phylum level.

A bedbug?

Flea?

[CdM,Software] Not a bedbug or a flea.

Does the average Morniverser harbour this creature?

[Rosie] The average Morniverser probably does not harbour this creature.
Hint: think bigger.

Is this more likely to be found on something other than a human?

[Dujon] Yes, does not parasitise humans.

Some sort of worm?

[Projoy] Not a worm.
Hint: bigger!

Do the parasite and its host live in water?

[Dujon] Not in water.

A vampire bat?

Dracula? No.

Cuckoo?

[Software] **riotous applause!!** Yes, a cuckoo! But which one?

The first cuckoo of spring?

[Projoy] Precisely so!

My mind went straight to Delius as soon as cuckoos came up.

The next is MINERAL.

Well it would wouldn't it? Dear old Fred.

Is the mineral natural?

Sorry, I forgot I was supposed to ask a question.

Is it metal?

Is it edible/potable?

[Duj] Natural? NO
[GL] Metal? NO
[Chalky] Edible? NO * a reflective chuckle from an audient*

Stony?

So close, oh so close :(

[Software] Stony? NO, this falls on stony ground.
Sorry I pipped you. The late worm catches the bird, I guess.

Plastic?

[GL] YES, a form of plastic.

Decorative?

A form of packaging?

[Sw] Decorative? YES, mainly
[Rosie] Packaging? NO

Lycra?

[GL] Lycra? NO *scattered applause*

A clothing fabric?

Ladies clothing oriented?

Latex?

Spray-on jeans of the sort that have lately become fashionable?

[Phil] Clothing? YES
[Software] Ladies'? NO
[GL] Rubber? NO
[Raak] Sprayon? NO

Is this pants/trouser support?

[Duj] Keeps your panties on? NO.

Is it a codpiece?

Though I suppose that could arguably be described as "packaging"...

[blame] Codpiece? NO *audience applause*

Is it used in the undergarment department?

[Phil] Undies? NO

Cricket box?

Not sure if that's undies or overies. Now I'm working on a pun involving overs... Meantime I'm emboldened to guess by the applause, if not by the html, but also aware they'll applaud anything remotely saucy that lot...

[blame] Overies unlikely to be found in a cricket box, shurely? NO.

Rubber?

[Raak] Rubber? NO, definitely synthetic.

*googles* Oh, there is such a thing as synthetic rubber. Anyway, it's not that.

Is the item visible on a normally-clothed person?

a hat of some sort?

[Rosie] I don't know about "normally clothed", but YES, it would be visible on a person wearing it.
[Chalky] Hat? NO.

A condom?

A wet suit?

A superhero's cape?

[Chalky] Une lettre? NON
[Phil] Wet suit? NO *an audient smiles, teasingly*
[Raak] Cape? NO

Hi-Vis jacket?

Is it work-related apparel?

[Software] Jobsworth uniform? NO
[Raak] Job uniform? NO

An umbrella hat?

[Raak] If you want to get ahead? NO.

Is this designed to keep the wearer dry?

Mainly decorative you say ... ?

[Duj] For dryness? NO
[Chalky] Decorative? YES.

Is it made of neoprene?

A substantial fascinator?

[Phil] Neoprene? NO
[Raak] Fascinator? NO

Does this item have any lascivious connections?

Comedy apron?

Is this normally worn above the waist?

[Rosie] Naughty? NO
[Chalky] Apron? NO
[Dujon] Above the waist? YES.

below the neck?

[Chalky] Below neck? YES AND NO.

Scarf?

[Soft] Scarf? NO.

Is it a form of necklace?

... or necktie maybe?

[Dujon] Necklace? NO
[Chalky] Necktie? YES, a form of... *applause*

A noose?

[Raak] Synthetic noose? NO.

Bow Ties are cool

Is it? A dickie bow?

[blame] Not a dickybird from the audience for that, I'm afraid.

Cravat?

[Software] Cravat? NO.

PVC collar for the BDSM community?

,[Phil] Of Human Bondage? NO. As per Chalky's answer, the AotC is a form of necktie, or 'tie', as we Brits call it.

A policeman's clip-on tie?

In that case...

[Phil] Clip-on tie? NO.

A clerical collar?

Not female wear. .. and mainly decorative?

Just so's we're all on the same hymn sheet ...

[Rosie] Dog collar? NO
[Chalky] YES, a form of male (by convention), decorative necktie.

"Bolo" tie?

[Phil] Bolo? X.

One of those hideous things Texans wear?

[Soft] A "bolo" tie, as I believe they're called? NO

A kipper tie?

Is that why they applauded codpiece? For the cod, rather than - as it were - the piece...

[blame] YES! the words on the card are "a nylon kipper tie", and the fish connection was indeed the reason for the applause. *turns the baton around itself twice, folds the end through the gap, passes it through the loop, tightens, and hands it over to blamelewis*

I was fishing from the shoulders of giants...

Yay, whee, oh cripes do I have to do one now?

Errrrr... ANIMAL

A human?

A Duck?

The Duck-Man of Oswestry?

[Projoy] Oh I do hope that's right - we did a project on him at school.

No to all above sadly...

The Ocelot-Man of Oswestry?

The Owl-Man of Oswestry?

Part of a dead animal?

I fear Owestry has no part in it... And it's less part of a dead animal than the whole of a living one.

Mammal?

Fish?

Neither Fish nor Mammal.

Is it a bird?

dingdingding

[Rosie] Yes!

The Duck-Pigeon of Wrexham?

A penguin?

Associated with NE Wales?

The chick of Chirk. I know this part of the world rather well.

[Projoy] We need to have a talk.
[Gusset] Not a penguin.
[Rosie] Not to my knowledge.

Mythical avian?

A well-known phrase or saying?

So much for the Albatross of Acrefair, then.

A species of bird?

[Software] I have reasonably good reason to believe it's a real species
[Rosie] None that I've come across
[Phil] Yes, exactly that.

Does this bird fly?

Likely to be seen in a British back garden?

[Dujon] Shrewd. No it doesn't.
[Rosie] Alas no.

Is it a penguin?

Is it a Kiwi?

[Phil] Still not a penguin :)
[Gusset] Neither a Kiwi

An ostrich?

But not the Oswestry Ostrich, obviously.

Emu?

A dodo?

I know you said living but all the good answers were gone.

[Rosie] Obviously. Also, no.
[Software] U me? (no...)
[Gusset] I can promise you that just fewer than two good answers remain.

Is it extinct?

A bird that is to be found in northern Australia?

Grebe?

A cassowary?

(since Dujon never actually comes out with the guess) :-)

A gold star to CdM. What a morniverse-analytic person you are. :)

[Raak] Nope
[Dujon] Nope
[Gusset] Nope
[CdM] Nope

Rhea?

A caracara?

[Software] Not a Rhea, but Rare! (Not a Ratite, but a rarity)
[Phil] it is not, but thanks for introducing me to a new bird name...

A steamer duck?

Ostrich?

A recap

It's a non-mythical species of bird, flightless and rare.
It is none of the following:
Penguin, Penguin, Kiwi, Ostrich, Emu, Grebe, Cassowary, Rhea, Caracara, Steamer Duck, Ostrich.
A cryptic clue follows

Hidden text

Filthy Teletubby!

The Kakapo of Ludlow?

The Po Bird?!

Is it someting along the lines of the Oomegoolybird?

This was posted via Eh-Oh L.

"Something". I have not gone Jamaican.

Penguin?

Projoy has it!

Apart from the Ludlow bit, as far as I'm aware...
[Gusset] A droll lol...
It is indeed the endearingly hopeless Kakapo, which I learned about from Douglas Adams' wonderful Last Chance To See and the later TV series with Stephen Fry and Mark Carwardine revisiting the species from the book years later.

[Rosie] I remember that joke, is it from Clue? "very short legs..."

OK, here's an ANIMAL, VEGETABLE and MINERAL

France?

Some form of food and drink?

[GL] France? NO
[blamelewis] Edible/Imbibable? NO

Can you wear it?

A gold embossed, leather bound book?

Arty?

Does the animal part relate to humans?

Is this an object once used in war and hunting?

[GL] Book? NO
[Raak] Art-related? NO
[Phil] Animal human? PARTLY/MAINLY, I suppose.
[Dujon] An object? NO. Used in war? ARGUABLY (but probably not that helpful an angle).

[Softers] Wearable? NO.

Is/was there just one of it?

[Raak] Just one? YES is the best answer.

The Earth, and all that is upon it?

A man-made environment?

[Raak] The cloud-capp’d towers, the gorgeous palaces, the solemn temples, the great globe itself, yea, all which it inherit? NO
[Rosie] A man-made environment? YES, I GUESS YOU COULD CALL IT THAT.

The Anthropocene Age?

[Raak] Humantime? NO

Is/was it in space?

[blame] In space? NO (except in the sense that everything is).

Blamelewis

A theatre?

Can you see all of it at once?

[blame] Not a theatre.
[Rosie] Can you see it all at once? NO, not from most angles.

(I guess it depends how strict your definition of 'it all' is).

Bigger than a phonebox?

[Software] Much bigger than a phonebox.

Bigger than Ireland?

[GL] Smaller than Ireland.

About the size of Wales?

1 standard unit.

[Rosie] Smaller than a Wales.

Bigger than Kent?

[GL] Smaller than Kent.

A man-made island?

Bigger than Central London?

Within the M25

[Software] Not an island
[GL] Smaller than London, both in M25 and 1965 and 1899 boundaries terms.

er, 1889, I meant.

Bigger than the London Eye?

[GL] Yes, bigger than the biggest ferris wheel.

Is it an organisation?

[blamelewis] Organised? No, not as such.

A specific urban area?

[Rosie] A specific urban area? YES.

Slough?

In the UK?

[Software] Come, friendly bombs? NO
[GL] In UK? YES!

Is this an area which might be loosely termed as an 'entertainment' district?

[Duj] Entertainment? NO.

Is it a City?

Is it in Wales?

Is it a distinctive part of some large city?

[blame] City? NO
[GL] Wales? NO. *audience cries of 'bad luck, old chap'*
[Rosie] Distinctive part? NO.

Is it in England?

Shropshire?

[GL] England? YES!
[Software] Shropshire? YES!

Gotta be Oswestry.

[Rosie] Oswestry, home of the famous duck-man? YES! Please take this very short section of the England-Wales border.

Well, well, I've been Offa'd a Dyke. Oswestry was "town" to my Dad's family from Glynceiriog.

Enough of this rambling - the next object is

ABSTRACT with ANIMAL and MINERAL connections.

A human construct?

(Pj) A human construct? - YES.

Particularly linked to a specific human?

(CdM) Linked to a specific human? - NO.

Is there a religious theme to the answer?

(Phil) Religious theme - NO.

Clarification/Correction: The "human construct" applies to the wording rather than the idea itself.

Phrase or saying?

(Software) Phrase or saying? - YES.

Wales-related?

Is the animal element specifically human?

(Projoy) Nothing to do with Wales, or its border towns.
(Phil) Animal element human? - YES.

Is there anybody there?

(Rosie) Not a soul.

A fool and his money are soon parted?

I am

(Softers) So true, but not this time.

Hint: The AOTC contains no verb - it's a description.

So that'd be along the lines of a 'Man Mountain' then?

(Dujon) Possibly along those lines, YES.

Duck Face?

(Gusset Login) Not "Duck Face". *some aduience murmurings of approval*

Selfie?

(Gusset Login) Not a selfie.

Is the mineral naturally occurring?

(Dujon) Naturally occurring mineral? NO.

A photo bomb?

atomic or otherwise

Is this something related to some thing people wear?

(GL) Er, not sure what that is, but it ain't the answer.
(Dujon) No relation to anything worn.

Related to "The Arts"?

Something somebody does?

(Phil) The Arts and How They Was Done? NO.
(Software) Not a thing anybody does.

A type of person?

(Raak) Strictly, NO, but we may be getting somewhere. *audience, previously somnolent, now considerably animated*

A fictional character?

A role that someone plays?

(Phil) Fictional? NO. This is about real people.
(Raak) NO, not a role.

A job title?

(Phil) Job title? NO.
Raak's penultimate: The AOTC is not a type of person but describes a type of person.

A Fat Bastard?

A jobsworth?

(Software) Not a Fat Bastard.
(Raak) Not a jobsworth.
It's figurative - see the original definition.

Is this something one would be pleased to be described as?

(Raak) A nice description? Someone described thus may well say yes, but the vast majority, no.

Is the mineral metal?

Trying different line of attack...

(Phil) Is the mineral metal? YES.

Man of iron?

(Software) Not Man of Iron, nor Thatcher. Try just a little further up the Periodic Table.

Is it related to Polonium?

(Gusset Login) Polonium? NO. Not that far up the Periodic Table, nothing like it.

copper?

(Phil) Copper? YES, but not solely.

Bronze Age Man?

(Phil) Bronze Age Man? NO.

Brass neck?

(Software) Damn cheek, but the right answer! A Brass Neck it is. I hand you the brazen stick.

Gosh, I must get out the Brasso.

Now what have we here? The laser display board is showing the audience and the players are getting the clues:

This time it is ANIMAL

An individual?

A human?

Living?

Multi-YES!

In the entertainment industry?

Female?

[Raak] NO, would be the right answer
[GL] NO

Involved in politics?

[GL] In a way, YES.

Seen on TV?

Billy Bragg?

[Chalky] oh YES
[Pro} NO

In charge of a programme?

A presenter on current affairs?

[Rosie] NO
[Raak] NO

A comedian?

Anything to do with sport?

[Rosie] NO
[Raak] NO

An actor?

A peer?

[Phil] Not as such, NO
[Raak] NO

Something to do with 'reality TV'?

[GL] Big Brotherism? NO

Someone's side-kick?

[Rosie] Subordinate? NO very much his own man

Jeremy Clarkson?

Host of a TV programme?

[Raak] Wheel Spheel? absolutely NO
[Phil] Still not a TV presenter NO

known primarily for tv work?

Host of tv programme is not necessarily the same as in charge of one, or a news presenter.

[Phil] forget tv as a main issue NO

Involved in "the Arts"?

A scientist?

[Phil] arty farty? NO
[Rosie] Boffin? NO

Part of the financial world?

A doctor?

[Rosie] Wheeler dealer? NO
[cfm] Dr Whom? NO

Is the TV presence of primary importance?

[Rosie] NO not really but it is of some interest

Well-known primarily in the (still) United Kingdom?

[cfm] NO, pretty well known worldwide I'd say

Recap:
male, well known, not especially TV oriented, not an actor or a presenter but (clue) newsworthy.

[cfm] NO, pretty well known worldwide I'd say

Recap:
male, well known, not especially TV oriented, not an actor or a presenter but (clue) newsworthy.

A tycoon?

[Rosie] NO.

A musician?

[cfm] NO

Journalist?

You forgot to mention 'vague link to politics' in the recap.

[GL] Horrah! YES

Works for the BBC?

Mainly journalises for newspapers?

Piers Morgan?

[Rosie] NO
[Projoy] YES
[GL] Smarmy? NO

Would he be an ex-pat Australian?

[Duj] wizard of Oz? YES now we are cooking with gas!

Clive James?

[Phil] That Oz? NO

Not Rupert sodding Murdoch?

[Rosie] Absolutely NOT! - NO

John Pilger?

[Rosie] Not him either, but stick with the Oz theme. NO

Does this chap have a surname which is also a common given name?

[Duj] Daily Telegraph top 10 boys names? NO

Peter Greste?

Mark Austin?

[Phil] PG? NO
[Chalks] MA NO stick with the Oz theme

Aged over 50?

Leftish tendencies?

Regularly published in a UK Newspaper?

[Phil] > 50? NO
[Rosie] Red under the bed? YESish
[GL] Regular contributor? NO

Given your emphasis on OZ: Was this person involved with the OZ magazines?

Clarification: Oz = Australian. Anyway, the AOTC is under 50

Is this ex-pat Australian now based in the UK?

Richard Flanagan?

[Phil] In the UK? Well, technically, NO (but ponder on that)
[GL] had to Google him NO

Oh, it'll be that moron Julian Assange then, is it?

[Phil] That moron? - YES!

I didn't think that this would have taken so long, never mind, I now hand over the leaky baton to Phil!

Ithangyew, Software! Indeed, I think we could have got there earlier with the right questions. So lets be pressing on with

Animal

Human?

[Software] Human? YES

Alive?

[GL] Alive? NO

Died this century?

Begins with P?

Male?

Western?

Entertainer?

[Raak] 21st century death? NO
[Tuj] P-prefix? NO
[Rosie] Male? YES
[pen] Western? YES (unless you mean in the John Wayne sense)
[GL] ENtertainer? NO

Died before 1950?

[GL] Dead pre 1950? YES

Died before 1850?

Political connection?

[GL] Dead pre 1850? NO
[Software] Political connection? YES-ish

A scientist?

[Raak] Scientist? YES-ish, again

Was he an American inventor?

[Dujon] US Inventor? NO

A non-American Inventor?

Just to cover all bases.

Pre WWII?

German?

[GL] Any other inventor? NO
[Software] pre WWII? Yes
[Raak] German? NO

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?

[Software] Sir A C Doyle? NO

Lewis Carroll?

[Rosie] Lewis Carroll? NO

72 hours without a question.

Time for a quick summary: A non-German western man who died between 1850 and 1939. Minor scientific and political connections. Neither an inventor nor an entertainer. Neither Arthur C Doyle nor Lewis Carroll. In addition, neither his Christian name nor surname begins with P.
On reflection I may have understated his scientific side, but would not call him a scientist.

Was he famous for something other than science and politics?

[GL] Famous outside of Science and Politics? YES *audience awakens from a short snooze*

Known as a philosopher?

Was he a neurologist?

[Raak] Known as a philosopher? NO
[Dujon] Do. neurologist? NO

A strong connection to medicine?

[GL] Strong connection to medicine? YES *some applause*

Louis Pasteur?

[Rosie] Pasteur? NON

Writer?

Was he a native English speaker?

(Yes, Americans and Australians count in this category don't be mean)

[gil] Writer? YES (be careful)
[GL] Native Anglophone? YES

Fiction?

[gil] Fiction writer? NO

British cinematic connection?

[Software] British cinema connection? YES, but only rather tenuously

A week since the last summary

So, all the previous summary plus: he has a strong connection to medicine and is a native English speaker who has written non-fiction works, has a rather tenuous connection to British cinema, is a native English speaker, and not Louis Pasteur, a philosopher or a neurologist. Other than "Western" we still don't know what nationality he is!

Canadian?

[GL] Canadian? NO

Scottish?

[GL] Scottish? YES *More Applause*

Dr Livingstone, I presume...

[gil] Correct. And have a bonus point for the question I was hoping to be asked.

A, V, M, a combination of these, or A

Begins with P?

Smörgåsbord?

[tuj] Doesn't begin with P
[Raak] not sm... what you said

A Scottish 'dish'?

[dujon] not a Scottish dish

Edible?

A collective noun?

Edible? While some varieties of this object are edible, the majority are not. It would mislead you to follow that line.
A collective noun? No. A noun? Yes.

Is the animal part a reptile?

[Dujon] The object on the card may be constituted from one or a number of components, one of which might conceivably be reptilian, though it's unlikely. Equally, another meaning of the above-mentioned object may be abstract. You may therefore assume that the object on the card is general rather than specific. Hope that helps. Actually, I once heard a team on the radio deduce this object in 20 questions to which the answers were restricted to Yes or No.

A work of art?

[Phil] Not a work of art, though I suppose someone could construe a particular example of this object as one. But the general run of objects like this have relatively mundane purposes.

An elephant's foot umbrella stand?

A Ball?

[Software] .... Almost...
[Gusset Login] You Win! Well done.

[Software] .... Almost...
[Gusset Login] You Win! Well done.

Double keypress glitch... Sorry

Next is MINERAL

Metallic?

[gil] Metallic? - No.

Solid?

[Raak] Solid? - No. (Assuming room temperature)

Liquid?

[Phil] Liquid? - No. (Assuming room temperature)

Would the liquid form of this element be rather nippy?

Part of the atmosphere?

[Dujon] Melting point more than 10 degrees Celsius lower than water? - Yes
[Rosie] In the atmosphere? - Yes, but probably not naturally to any great extent.

One of the rare gases?

[Raak] Rare/Noble gas? - No

CFCs?

Methane?

Flatulo ergo sum.

[Software] CFCs? *A smattering of applause* - No
[Rosie] Methane? - No

ozone?

Carbon dioxide?

[gil] ozone? - No
[Raaak] CO2? - No

helium?

Does it have a smell?

[gil] He? - No.
[Rosie] Smelly? - Yes.

Butane?

Hydrogen sulphide?

[Software] Butane? - No.
[Rosie] Hydrogen sulphide? - No.

Is this an NH compound commonly used in fertiliser and cleaning products?

[Dujon] NH? - No. Compound? - No. Commonly used in fertiliser and cleaning products? - Yes and No.

Chlorine?

[gil] Cl? - Yes. Have a baton made of purest chlorine. (Best hold your breath for a bit).

Abstract

Phrase or saying?

An emotion?

Begins with P?

Phrase? No
Emotion? Yes
Begins with P? Yes

Do some people suffer attacks of this for no obvious reason?

Panic?

Anything to do with fear?

Rosie wins. Raak a close second.

(Forgot to mention that Dujon was third. That was more like an attack of mass telepathy than an AVMA round)

Right then, it's ABSTRACT

Justice?

Is this usually a good thing?

(GL) Justice? NO
(gil) To most, YES, but in moderation.

Christmas Cheer?

(GL) Christmas cheer? NO.

Connected with the current season?

An emotion?

(Raak) Advent? NO. (nor any other season)
(Phil) An emotion? NO.

A condition, like peace?

(gil) A condition, such as peace. NO

An attribute, such as speed?

(gil) An attribute? YES, I'd say it is.

A skill?

Is the attribute associated with human beings?

(cfm) A skill? Not as such, but you may need it to bring this about.
(gil) A human attribute? NO.

Existence?

rpm?

(gil) Existence? Rather less all-encompassing, so NO
(GL) The angular velocity of Resale Price Maintemamce? Sorry, but NO.

... stumped.

A sense?

(Phil) A sense? NO, but you need one of the senses to appreciate this.

A sound?

(Phil) A sound? YES.

The sound of one hand clapping?

Anything to do with steam engines?

(GL) Monochiral applause? NO.
(Phil) Steam engines? NO, although this has been mistakenly attributed to some of them by some writers. Hint I have another great interest.

AOTC is one word, a noun.

Thunder?

The sound of a trombone?

Music?

(Phil) Good guess, but alas WRONG.
(Raak) NO, not the 'bone.
(GL) Music? Well, actually, NO *audience now hyperventilating*

A whistle?

(Phil) A whistle? NO. (nothing to do with steam locos)

"Music" is not the AOTC, but.....

A Fanfare?

(GL) NOT a fanfare.

Muzak?

Melody?

(GL) Muzak? NO.
(gil) Melody? NO.

Jazz?

(Phil) NOT jazz, but heavily related.

Does this noun also describe animal droppings?

Sorry I'm late. The train was delayed.

(Duj) Can't quite see what you're getting at, but NO. molto con cowpat.

Blues?

A particular chord?

(GL) - NO, not the Blues.
(Raak) NO, not as particular.

Improvisation?

Is it a specific piece of music?

(Phil) Not improvisation.
(GL) Not a specific piece of music.

A musical form?

(Raak) A musical form? Strictly speaking NO, but that is in some ways misleading. Call it a feature.

A glissando?

(Phil) A glissandOOOOOoooooo? NO, but you're in the right area.

A trill?

crescendo?

(Raak) NOT a trill.
(gil) NOT a crescendo.

AOTC is one word.

Rhythm?

(Raak) Rhythm? You're getting very close.

Pitch?

Tempo?

(Phil) NOT pitch.
(GL) NOT tempo.
Not all music has the AOTC.

Swing?

(Raak) NOT swing, but swing often has this.

Syncopation?

(Phil) YES! Sin-coper-shone it is. Take this rather confused conductor's baton and proceed strictly alla marcia to The Next Object.

Ooh, a magical music stick

OK, for today's new guess-target, I am going to opt for:

Abstract and Animal

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer?

Human?

Santa?

[GL] Rudoplh? NO. Although I wish I had done that now.
[Rosie] Human? YES
[Raak] St Nick? NO

Currently topical?

[Rosie] Topical? NO ... apols for the delay. And happy Christmas

Female?

[GL] Female? YES

Holder of an office?

[Rosie] Office-holder? NO

Alive at this moment?

Fictional?

A witch?

[Rosie] Alive at this moment? NO (although see below)
[GL] Fictional? YES
[Raak] A witch? NO

Did she have a few friends who were small in stature?

Did she once throw a metal bar torn off a street light at a talking lion?

Did she die in the work of fiction for which she is best known?

[Dujon] Friend of little people? NO, at least no more or less than anyone else, on average, I would surmise.
[Raak] Talking-lion-abuser? NO (I'm pretty sure that would have been mentioned, if she had)
[GL] Dead in fiction? NO

Is she best known for appearing in a film?

[GL] Best known as a film role? The answer would be different depending on whom you asked. For me it's a NO

Did she first appear in a book?

Was she created before July 12th 1956?

Raak - first in a book? YES
GL - Pre 12/7/56? YES

A child?

A children's book?

[Rosie] A child? NO
[Raak] Children's book? NO

Is she the title character of the book?

[GL] Title character? NO

A literary character?

[Rosie] Literary? YES

Nineteenth century?

A correction

[Rosie] On reflection "literary" can be taken by some people to mean "from great works of 'Literature'", although I don't know how one would define them. The AotC is a character from fiction, and I have seen her mentioned as a "literary character", although I wouldn't rate the "literature" as "Literature", but some probably would. In all, she's a character from a book or books.

[gil] C19? YES, but not exclusively.

Was the book in English?

Mrs Hudson?

[Raak] In English? YES
[GL] Mrs Hudson? When one has eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, is indeed Mrs Hudson. CORRECT. Congratulations!

Hmm... OK, next up is: ABSTRACT with ANIMAL connections.

Is the animal connection human?

[Phil] Human? - No.

Is it a characteristic of a particular animal?

A fictional animal?

[Rosie] A characteristic of a particular animal? No, but there is a connection.
[Phil] Fictional animal(s)? Yes

Mammalian?

[Knobbly] Mammals? Not primarily but some.

Do they talk?

Is it the cast of a particular childrens' book?

[Raak] Talking animals? Thankfully, No.
[Dujon] Cast of a particular children's book? No.

Do such animals also exist (or have they) in the real world?

[Raak] Real animals? Yes. (Or at least something similar in most cases)

Native to UK?

[Software] Native to UK? Some might be, others certainly aren't.

The story so far...

Fictional animals of multiple species almost all of which are non-mammalian and in as far as they can be identified, are probably based on real animals but not UK natives (probably). They are not from a children's book and they don't talk. The character of the animals is important but is not likely to be guessed in a "____ as a [Name of animal]" sense.

Taking a backward step: Did they originally appear in a book?

[Dujon] originally from a book? No but apparently books have been made since (including children's books)

Mythical?

[Raak] Mythical? No.

Bunnyish?

[Software] Non-mammalian bunnies? No.

Earth-based?

[Phil] Earth-based? Yes, but not earth-based versions exist.

Unicellular?

[Raak] Mono-celled? No

Clues

I think everyone is as bored of this as I am. Here are some hints to push the game forward to less boring, more finishing moves.

1. The AOTC is two words. One of these describes the non-mammalian animals and the other is an attribute that sets them apart from the majority of their real world counterparts. The whole is the name of a 21st century abstract that was not originally literature but has since spread to various other media.

2. The mammalian animals are a less well known aspect of the AOTC and except with regard to colour, clearly represent an animal that is common in the UK, US and several other places. The primary animals are less easily identified.

Desert Rats?

Rak

Cat girls?

An alarmingly intelligent species of ostrich

[Phil] Dessert Rats? No (Rats are mammals)
[Rak] Cat Girls? No (Cats and Girls are both mammals)

lizards?

[Raak] lizards? No

Fish?

[Raak] Fish No

Birds?

[Raak] Birds? Yes

Angry Birds?

[Raak] Angry Birds? YES Let me fire this avian baton at you.

**>>PECK<<**

Next: MINERAL

Manufactured?

Metal?

[Rosie] Manufactured.
[GL] Partly metal.

Can you (or I) lift it?

Can we lift it? No, yes, or no, from various points of view.

Unique?

[GL] Unique.

Does it belong to a single person?

[Tuj] Does not belong to one person.

Is it a pyramid?

[Dujon] Not a pyramid.

In UK?

(amusement in the audience) Not in the UK.

Bigger than a phone box?

[GL] Smaller than a phone box.

Could it be called art?

Smaller than a breadbox?

[Rosie] Not art. [GL] Larger than a breadbox.

Is it assembled bit by discrete bit?

[Dujon] Assembled piece by piece.

A triangulation point at some particular place?

[Rosie] Not a trig point.

Does it have a technical application?

[Rosie] Yes, it has a technical application.

A light?

[Rosie] Not a light.

Does it begin with P?

[Tuj] Yes! Yes, it DOES begin with a P!

Kim

Was it manufactured in the twentieth century?

Is it associated with a particular type of geographical feature?

[Kim] Made in the 20th century.
[Rosie] Not associated with a type of geographical feature.

Would it be a product of WWII?

[Dujon] Not a product of WWII.

Oops, my answer to Kim was wrong. On searching out the date of its completion, I find it was not in the 20th century.

A telescope?

[Rosie] Not a telescope.

Philae lander?

And Knobbly scores a hole in one! Have this genuine Rosetta stone. My answer to the weightlifting question is explained by the fact that on Earth, it would weigh about 100 kg, which is more than I've ever bench pressed, but sitting on the comet it's estimated to weigh about 1 gram -- but you can't get there to lift it.

Sorry Tuj, was that where you were heading?
Next up is Vegetable

Is it edible?

Well, someone has to kick it off.

Alive?

Wooden?

Is it unique?

[Knobbly] One letter at a time? No =)

Does it have a practical use?

[Raak]

Hidden text

Measuring weight in g/kg rather than N?

Some catching up to do...

[Dujon] No, not edible (is the least misleading answer, although everything is edible once)
[GL] Yes, alive
[Phil] Yes, wooden *ripple of applause*
[Tuj] Yes, unique (or at least specific)
[Raak] No practical use

Does it live in Sherwood Forest?

Is it unusually old?

Is it a fruit tree?

[Dujon] Not in Sherwood Forest
[Raak] (Back from checking something I probably should have before starting) No, not unusually old
[GL] Not a fruit tree

Is it in the UK?

[Rosie] Yes it is in the UK

A specific sycamore?

[Dujon] Not a sycamore, no

Royal?

Is it a specific tree?

I thought I'd ask in case we were heading in the wrong direction.

Oak?

Why did the internet eat my post twice?

[Raak] Royal connection, yes indeed
[Dujon] A specific tree, yes
[GL] Yes, an oak!
*Audience beside themselves with mild interest*

Oak Apple Day?

[Software] Not the 29th of May... A custom worthy of revival but not really a specific tree

Is it a son/daughter of a famous oak?

That Royal Oak wherein King Charles II hid from the Roundheads?

[Dujon] Do you know, I can't find out if there was any genetic continuity, but I'd be surprised if there wasn't... I'm going to unilaterally change your question and say yes it is a successor to a famous oak
[Raak] Not that Royal Oak, no

Merlin's Oak?

[Phil] Not Merlin's Oak

One of the Tree Council (UK)'s "Great British Trees" in 2002?

[Phil] Not a Great British Tree

In Kent?

[Phil] Not in Kent

An extant oak tree?

Does the royal aspect of the answer arise from a royal planting the acorn?

[Phil] Yes, an extant oak tree
[Dujon] Hmm... Well, the extant oak tree which is the AOTC was royally planted, but the royal connection was already there. I realise that wasn't a yes/no answer

(Although I rather expect the 'planting' was a photo opp holding a spade next to a sapling rather than heeling in an acorn)

Did the planting happen after the invention of photography?

[GL] Yes, photography had been invented. Can't find a photo though...

It's gone a bit quiet, shall I re-cap?
This Vegetable is a living oak tree, which is not itself unusually old, nor is it one of the Great British Trees. It was royally planted (although a royal connection already existed) and is neither the Royal Oak in which King Charles mk.2 hid, Merlin's Oak or in Kent.

Is it in England?

Being an ex-pat for nigh on sixty years this is becoming something of a guessing game to me. It's time to narrow the focus.

[Dujon] Yes, in jolly old England

Is it north of Watford?

[Raak] Yes, north of Watford.

South of Hadrian's Wall?

Mmm,

That was otiose, reading above.

In Yorkshire?

[Software] Yes, south of Hadrian's damp-course, and not in Yorkshire

North of London (Charing Cross, just in case)

[Phil] Yes, north of London (as implied by being north of Watford)

The Midland Oak?

[Raak] Not the Midland Oak
I'm trying to think of a clue that isn't just giving away the answer...

Selly Oak?

[Phil] Not the Selly Oak

The Clue Monster

Hidden text

Try and find out who the royal is

Is the royal Queen Victoria?

[Raak] Not Queen Vic

Is the royal female?

[Phil] She is a female royal

Queen Anne?

Our current Head of State?

A British royal?

[Raak] Not Queen Anne
[GL] Yes, a British Royal
[Dujon] Yes, the oak you could visit now was planted by our current Head of State but I'm not sure how helpful that is, she must have attended many tree plantings in her time... Keep finding out who the original connection was - I reiterate, she is a female British royal who is neither Queens Victoria nor Anne.

The good old late Queen Mum?

[Software] Not the Queen Mother

QE 1?

[Raak] Yes, Queen Liz the 1th

Is there also a direct connection to QE1's sister Mary?

I think the answer must be what you find if you google "Queen Elizabeth I" and "oak", but I'm going to be away a lot in the next few weeks, so I'll leave it to someone else.

[Dujon] Yes, a connection to Queen Mary also
[Raak] You can find the answer that way, yes... Who will do so?

Queen Elizabeth Oak, at Hatfield House?

Absolutely right... you even chose the right Queen Elizabeth Oak (not the one in Cowdray Park). The current tree was planted by QE2 in 1985 on the site of the original tree, beneath which Elizabeth was sat when told that Queen Mary had died and she was now the queen.
I really didn't think I'd chosen a hard one...
I pass Phil the baton, made of exquisitely turned english oak.

Re - hard ones

[Knobbly] It happens. I remember setting Jeffrey Dahmer a few years ago, and was astonished to find no-one knew who he was. He's a household name in our family. But, thanks to Google, and Raak, I've know heard of Hatfield, its house, and its trees.

Mineral, Animal and Vegetable

Human construct?

A town or city?

Does it begin with P?

[Knobbly] Well lasted =)

[Software] Human Construct? Ummm, no, I don't think so (although I've always been rather vague about what "human construct" means).
[GL] Town or city? NEITHER
[Tuj] Pstarted? NO

Bigger than a K6 telephone box?

Is there just one?

Is either the Animal or Vegetable human?

[Software] Bigger than telephone box? YES
[Raak] Unique? YES
[GL} Human? NO

Is it in Britain?

[Raak] In Britain? YES. most definitely

A building?

[Software] A building? NO, although it includes a building or buildings

Is it a region of some description?

Some form of animal sanctuary?

[Knobbly] a region? NO
[Rosie] an animal sanctuary? NO *much laughter*

A farm, then?

[Rosie] Farm? YES, slightly surprisingly

Chalk Farm?

[GL] Chalk Farm? NO

On reflection, my answer to Is the Animal or Vegetable human? could be YES - with a little chuckle from the audience.

A non-fictional real-life farm? (...which we've heard of?)

[Knobbly] YES-ish. You will have heard of it, I expect, but you may not be aware that it functions as a farm.

A royal estate?

Belonging to the Prince of Wales?

[Dujon] Royal estate? NO *audience wakes up*
[Raak] PoW-owned? NO

Belonging to a religious institution?

[Raak] Religious? NO

Is it a tourist destination?

[Raak] Tourist destination? NO, or if it is I'd be surprised

Is this farm maintained by people detained at Her Majesty's pleasure?

[Dujon] HMP-farm? NO

Is it in England?

[Raak] In England? YES

Does anyone live there except the farmers?

[Raak] Non-farming inhabitants? YES

Privately owned?

[Raak] Privately owned? NO *some applause*

Porton Down?

[Rosie] Porton Down? NO

Is it in a National Park?

[Raak] in a National Park? NO, but it is in an AONB

Stonehenge?

[Software] Stonehenge? NO

A similar monument?

A research establishment?

[Software] Stonehengey-type-monument? NO
[Rosie] Research establishment? NO

Some clues from answers already given

"Royal estate" woke the audience up, but it's not privately owned, and not owned by Prince Charles. It includes buildings and farmland, and is in an Area of Outstanding National Beauty in England.

Longleat?

Ah ... just spotted the 'not privately owned' bit. Scrub that attempt please.

The New Forest?

[Chalky] New Forest? NO (and not Longleat either, of course)

In Cornwall?

[Rosie] Cornwall? NO

Another clue

In the Home Counties

Legoland?

Hampton Court?

Aha! NOT a tourist destination eh?

Um, the estate surrounding Hampton Court containing the piggeries and grouse shooting, where tourists never go?

[Software & Raak] Neither Legoland, nor Hampton Court. Nor the estate surrounding it.

The Chilterns?

[Chalky] The Chilterns? NO *huge applause from audience who thought it was all over, for a moment*

The Chiltern Hundreds?

Phli

[Raak] Chiltern 100s? NO *Audience apologises for over-reacting earlier, leading to the thought that "chiltern" is in the answer*

One of the nuclear places near the Kennett valley?.

Is it an SSSI?

[Rosie] One of those nuclear type things? NO
[Chalky] An SSSI? NO, but I think it includes part of one, but I can't be 100% sure.

The Ridgeway?

[Chalky] Ridgeway? NO, but the Ridgeway does pass through it. *Applause, from me for remembering where I've been recently, and from the audience too

Salisbury Plain?

So-called. Actually the very opposite.

Chequers?

... piecing together the clues

Uffington White Horse?

[Rosie] Salisbury Plain? NO
[Software] Uffington White Horse? NO (although I was there the day before I was at the AOTC, in Feb this year)
[Chalky] Chequers? YES - the estate, that is, rather than just the house that lies within. And what splendid timing for me to hand over the leadership of this fine game to you, given that we don't yet know who'll be spending their weekends there for the next five years.

We do now.

Time for an ANIMAL

Human?

A politician?

[Software] Human? NO
[Raak] A politician? NO

Is there just one?

Is it a dog?

A mammal?

Begins with P?

[Raak] Just one? NO
[GL] A dog? NO
[Rosie] A mammal? Yes
[Tuj] Begins with a P? Yes! The latin name.

Is it feline?

[GL] Feline? NO

Orang-utan?

[GL] Orang-utan? NO

Carnivoran?

Generally considered edible in Europe?

Bandicoot?

[Knobbly] Carnivoran? NO
[Phil] edible in Europe? Doubt it .. No
[GL] Bandicoot? NO

Bigger than a toaster?

Chimp?

Regarded as a pest?

Thank you for your patience ..

[Raak] Bigger than a toaster? About the same ... except for the sticky out bits
[GL] Chimp? NO
[Rosie] Regarded as a pest? I don't believe so.

Kept as a pet?

[Raak] Kept as a pet? Not usually but no reason why not ..

Nocturnal?

[Rosie] Nocturnal? YES!

Racoon?

Sloth?

[ GL] Racoon? NO
[Softers] Sloth? No ... but quite a good guess.

A badger?

A pangolin?

[Rosie] Badger? NO
[Raak] Pangolin? NO

Found in the wild in Britain?

Is it arboreal?

[Rosie] ... wild in Britain? NO
[Dujon] Arborial? YES! *audience cheers*

Is it a bird?

Civet?

[Phil] Bird? NO
[GL] Civet? NO

Is its native continent South America?

[Dujon] native of S America? NO

A Primate?

[GL] A primate? NO

Koala?

[GL] Koala? NO. Are they nocturnal?
clue: nocturnal ... arborial... nocturnal ... arborial

Is it native to China?

African Native?

[Knobbly] native to China? NO
[GL] ... or Africa? NO

A chimpanzee?

[Raak] chimpanzee? I refer the honourable gentleman to my reply above ...
nocturnal ... mammal ... nocturnal ... arborial

Hmm... does it fly? - either actually or 'falling in style'

Some lizardy thing like a chameleon?

Phalangeriforme?

[Knobbly] YesYesYesYes! Now just name it.
[Rosie] Not lizardy

[GL] phalangeriforme? Apparently no

I think it's too soon to be my turn again... *I turn my back and feign great interest in that thingummy over there*

Please please release me from this Knobbly! #thoughtitwasgoingtobeaquickie

Pteromyini?

more googling ...

[GL] Pteromyini? Veryvery close - but I believe they are omnivorous.

If somebody doesn't guess this before 0700 BST 27 May 2015 ...

Known for its winged fingers?

[Raak] winged fingers? Yes
... further investigation reveals it can be found in China, although it didn't originate there. (Apologies Knobbly)

answer

It was the Indian Flying Fox (pteropus giganteus) aka Greater Indian Fruit Bat in the Pteropodidae family.

A certain degree of exasperation

Who could possibly have guessed that? In any case all fruit bats are called Eric and come from Guildford.

[Rosie] Not me obviously, though I had a good try at guessing it.

If no one objects, I guess I'll pick up the dropped baton. You have until 10am (BST) 29th May to object

Fire away, GL.

Line

OK. Hopefully a slightly harder one. VEGETABLE

Stevie

A hard vegetable. Is it a turnip?

[Stevie] A turnip (for the books)? - No. *Someone claps briefly*

Celeriac?