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 ....
[Superman] Scattered applause... M's law is often invoked, but on reflection it indicates the opposite of the AOTC. [The Mighty Tuj] NO, unless you consider Forteana spooky [Boolbar of Asgard] NO, even if you're lucky. BTW it's none of the other five dwarves either.
ROSIE, it's your lucky day, you have selected the six winning letters in the correct order! Come down into the arena and take this baton, as well as your cheque for sixpence, redeemable at any branch of the Midland bank.
(Raak) Not the Berlin Wall. (Boolbar) YES, most of it. (Superman) Obviously not; he was a king FFS. For some reason or other his name is always associated with it.
I think we can say Superman has won, so well done you, aye. Take this baton, run with it and try not to fall into a ditch or make jokes about lesbians.
[Bismarck] A clarification is needed. *clears throat* Mystery Voice:The Yes was for "human", the No was for "a". [Tuj] YES. [Boolbar] NO, although one comes into it.
[Raak] NO, genetics doesn't come into it. [Bismarck] YES. This will come back and bite me. [Boolbar] NO, thank goodness, there has to be some respite somewhere.
[Rosie] YES, on the grounds they must have or they wouldn't be doing what they're doing. [gil] NO. At least that was an easy one. [Boolbar] NO, not yet, although traditionally being there involves winning something.
[Raak]'Ot, innit... Since you didn't win the contest outright for saying "rugby team", it is logical that we are looking for a specific rugby team. Orrigh'?
[Rosie] The massed ranks break into male-voiced harmony. NO, but only because that's not their full name, which will spell trouble in the green community of it ever gets out. However, it's closer than I came to winning last time out, so you'd better catch this pass from the bottom of the ruck and power onwards, leaving kiwis scattered in your wake like Barry John reincarnated. The British and Irish Lions it is.
This sounds so much like the entrants for the Eurovision or the ruling party in a country or the footie team that it's annoying me that that has all been ruled out. It seems that a national interest group with no link to politics, sport or music is required. Even family connections are tenuous. The heads of the Commonwealth?
(Superman) NOT those worthies. Try not to explode. The AOTC is an instantly recognisable entity but has few if any definite characteristics except one which is of course the AOTC itself.
(Boolbar) Anything to do with an astronomical event? NO, not a thing. (Superman) NOT those intrepid worthies, nor those of Cefn Druids, Stenhousemuir or Warlingham and Whyteleafe Rovers. (Bismarcke) Shareholders at an AGM? NO.
(Superman) Booze? - NO (Bismark) Shopping? - NO. (Boolbar) A member of the group simply by being born? YES. *audience senses some insight into this utterly banal subject*
The AOTC is a group of living humans (less than the population of Earth; could be just the one person but not likely, and could be unisex but not likely) who have been around a long time in some form or other; who share a common country (which could be the UK but not necessarily; they could be found in Pittsburgh, PA); who could be a family but not necessarily so; who share a common goal but a rather undefinable one, and could be said to gather in one place from time to time (but this would be a very strange way to describe it). You could become a member of this group just by being born. The people in this group do not change from day to day, and they are not mythical, the staff of a business, a group of musicians (though this isn't excluded by the answer), the Tories, the Mafia, the heads of the Commonwealth, people who observe something, MCers, an orchestra, travelling football supporters, shareholders at an AGM or people who share a birthday, and are not connected with politics, a game, railways, food, an astronomical event, booze, shopping, queueing or royalty (well, could be, but extremely unlikely), and who are not intended to be rats or prats but could be.
(Bismarck) Age? NO, not relevant. (Boolbar) Not everyone but in a lot of countries nearly everyone. So in essence YES. (drquuxum) NO, no hospitals involved. The pronunciation fits the old spelling, yes? In England with the new spelling it would be Pittsbra, approximately.
(Dr Q) A noble act and a winning one. The actual AOTC is "next-door neighbours" but this is near enough if we're not to be here until the sun goes supergiant. I declare drquuxum the winner.
(Dr Q) The mellifluous Ms Green? Alas NO. Did you know she now reads the football results on Five Live? Such a relief from the routine snarly sports types. (Boolbar) Alive? YES. (Tuj) Just the one person? YES.