mc5 - AVMA Take 2

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AVMA Take 2

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

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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?

Cat girls?

[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.

An alarmingly intelligent species of ostrich

**>>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!

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?

[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.

OK. Hopefully a slightly harder one. VEGETABLE

A hard vegetable. Is it a turnip?

[Stevie] A turnip (for the books)? - No. *Someone claps briefly*

Celeriac?

Grown for consumption?

Begins with P?

[Raak] Celeriac? - No
[Rosie] Grown to be eaten? - Yes
[Tuj] Begins with P? - Yes

A parsnip?

[Rosie] Parsnip? - Yes.

Good heavens, it's me. In that case it's

ABSTRACT

An Emotion?

(GL) I am disconsolately sad to tell you that it is not.

Weather-related?

Begins with P?

(Raak) Nothing to do with the weather
(Tuj) Begins with P? NO (but it could do).

Phrase or saying?

Is the answer on the card a single word?

(Sofware) Not a phrase or saying.
(Tuj) Single word? YES (plus the indefinite article).

Would it exist without humans?

(Knobbly) Exist without humans? YES.

Is it an action?

(Tuj) Not an action.

Is the indefinite article "an"?

A phenomenon ?

(GL) The indefinite article? NOT "An".
(Software) A phenomenon? NO, not really.

Would it exist without lifeforms?

(Tuj) Exist without lifeforms? YES, it could.

A sound?

(GL) A sound? YES. *audience erupts*

Is it onomatopoeic?

Is this a useful question?

(Knobbly) Unlike a cat, does not on a mat appear. (Shurely all questions are useful).

Whispering?

to kick start this one again

(Software) NO, not whispering.

Is it geological?

A tree falling in the forest?

(Knobbly) Geological? NO.
(Softers) The unseen and unheard tree? NO.

In a desperate bid to do something about the terrifying speed of this one I could mention that the AOTC is connected with an interest of mine, but not steam locos.

Lost for words

Not weather or locos? What does that leave, then? Sex? Beer?

Flattered

(Software) We have met, haven't we?

The sound made by the opening of a can of London Pride?

Oh, yes.

<mode="Lady Bracknell"> A CAN? </mode>. Not the sound suggested.

Oh, all right - a bottle then?

(Software) Not a bottle. Nothing to do with booze.

Astronomy related?

Just popping by.

(Boolbar) Stargazing? NO.

Is it associated with music?

(Robin) Music? YESSSSS! *audience, previously comatose, now resembles a football crowd whose side has just scored.*

A Flat?

(GL) Not A flat, not G sharp either.

F Natural?

(GL) Not F. (Not a Key).

A wind chime?

(Softers) NO, not a wind chime.

a rhythm?

(Knobbly) NO - not a rhythm. A different aspect of music.

If I may sum up, some

So, an aspect of music which, moreover, would exist without life-forms... Beginning with a consonant which isn't P (but confusingly could be)

Molto adagio

(Knobbly) Orl krekt.

The blistering pace of this one

It's a musical term, found also in ordinary speech.

Is the AOTC an italian term?

Is there anybody else out there?

(Knobbly) Italian? YES, it certainly is.

Piano?

(Softers) Piano? NO.

Fortisomo?

(Softers) ff? NO, but you're getting there.

Allegro?

Not the Leyalnd version - oh, no.

(Softers) Allegro? NO. The AOTC is not an adjective.

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