Although edible, is this not normally eaten?
A flower?
[not normally eaten, flower] No and no.
Medication?
Are the components uncooked?
[Medicinal, uncooked] No and no
Does it begin with P?
Does it include peas?
[Ps and peas] No and no.
Muesli?
Contains legumes?
[Legumes, muesli] No and no.
Is this normally eaten?
Not unclarifying the double negative
[Normally eaten] Yes. :-)
Eaten raw?
Is it drinkable?
[raw, drinkable] Nope and nuh-uh.
Does it include potato?
Cooked but among many "no"s, not a dish, nor customarily part of a meal... hmm.
Any nuts in it?
[Spuds, nuts] Nay and no.
Is it used to feed animals?
[Animal food] A clever twist, but no.
A biscuit?
Is there fish in it?
[Biscuits, fish] No twice more.
Does it contain sugar?
[Sugar] Oh yes.
Is it ornamental?
Cake like?
Fried?
[Ornamental, cake-like, fried] Nay, no, and nuh-uh.
Are oats in it?
Primarily eaten by animals?
[Oats, animals] No and no again
Does it contain cocoa butter?
Any rice in it?
Is it pulp for paper?
I cooked lots of that for my fourth grade science project.
[Cocoa, rice, pulp] A full set of nopes.
Does it come in a variety of colours?
Is it usually eaten cold?
[Colours] Yes
[Cold] Yes
Salad?
[Salad] Back to no again. Your processes of elimination are being super thorough this time.
Is it associated with a particular location?
Is yeast needed?
Locational, yeasty] Nuh-uh and nope.
Gaspacho?
Would most of us be able to find it for sale in our local supermarket?
[Gazpacho, supermarket] No and no.
Candy floss?
Can you drink it?
Is it mainly composed of sugar?
[Floss, drinkable] No and no
[Sugar] Yes. Audience applauds in relief
Rock?
[Rock] No. We did that one, not too long ago.
Might you buy this at a funfair?
[funfair] No, I don't think so. I'm not sure though. On balance let's play safe and stick with 'No.'
Recap
Edible, cooked, ingredient, not to be found in a supermarket or funfair, mostly composed of sugar, and not anything else you can think of.
Sugar cane?
Sugar Beet?
A sugar basket?
[Sugar*] All no, but Bismark's summary gets a weak smattering. Although I'm not sure what you mean by 'and not anything else you think of'. I can't relate that to any of the questions or my answers.
Soda syrup? I don't know the culture of these games well enough yet to say whether you'd say no to drinkable in this case. I don't think you can drink the syrups for cola, etc. by themselves.
[Soda syrup] No. 'Drinkable' was asked earlier and I don't think I'd have answered yes for that. It's like, shampoo. Technically you could gulp it down, but it's still a no. TBH I shudder to think what the concentrated syrups would taste like.
Mint flavoured?
[Minty] Yes. I had to check, but it seems that's a rarer option.
The filling of liqueur chocolates?
[Liqueur filling] No, getting that specific would have been unsporting. :-)
Corn syrup?
As used in almost everything :(.
[Corn syrup] No, not used in this, apparently.
Was this invented since 1900?
[Post 1900] No, a bit older, I think. I thought it was a firm no, but I'm struggling to confirm.
Can for sure say 'invented more than a century ago'.
A boiled sweet?
[Boiled sweet] No. Audience stirs, and there's some claps
Is it a viscous substance, like honey or treacle?
Sherbet?
[vicious sherbert] No and no, but the audience remains alert
Mat Mystery
[Mat] BTW, your surname's not Lambert is it? I knew a 'Matt' who preferred to be 'Mat' and it stuck in my head these many years
A sugar loaf?
[Sugar loaf] No. Cool idea, but no. You know, I knew about the mountain, never once thought about where it got its name.
Are these normally bought in packets containing different colours and flavours?
The problem with all this is I can't see what in this line is not available in a supermarket. I can get sweets and molasses and Mars bars for deep-frying in my local supermarket. So: is it a sugar chair, like those used in the movies to shatter over someone's head?
[Packets] No...? Yees...? I suspect that's too close to call nowadays. Nevertheless, solid clappage occurs
[Sugar chair] No.
[Supermarkets] Supermarkets may be pretty comprehensive, but they don't sell everything. I'd only expect this to show up in the biggest supermarkets (and the right specialist shops), so when asked about 'normal' supermarkets I said no. I don't think Twickenham Waitrose has 'em, for example, and that's a good-sized shop. But for Kingston Waitrose, which is quite a bit larger, I reckon the balance tips. You all need to tell me the precise square footage of your nearest supermarket, then I'll redo the calculations. :-)
[SM's Mat Mystery] No, not Lambert. Besides, my government name is neither Mat nor Matt.
Are they mostly used for commercial purposes? The supermarket thing had me believing it was some industrial ingredient only used in factories, so let's tease that one out if we can.
Are they mostly used for commercial purposes? The supermarket thing had me believing it was some industrial ingredient only used in factories, so let's tease that one out if we can.
Would some type of restaurant use this?
Some type of pastille?
Opal fruits?
My favourite...
Is it medicinal?
I thought of Fisherman's Friends a while ago, but the dating doesn't fit.
[Commercial] Yes. At least in the sense I think you mean. They're things people can buy, but unusual enough that only a larger-than average supermarket would stock 'em.
[Restaurants] No.
[Pastilles] No.
[They're starburst now, bah] No.
[Medicinal] No.
[Restaurants] No.
[Pastilles] No.
[They're starburst now, bah] No.
[Medicinal] No.
Used to decorate cakes?
Correction
Sorry, rereading Mat's query, I think I ought to change that to a No. Overlooked the word 'purposes'. This isn't, e.g. catering supplies, it's an ordinary thing bought for or by its end-user.
Dragees?
[Cake decor, dragees] No and no.
Do they typically come individually wrapped?
[Individually wrapped] No.
Are they spherical?
[Spherical] Yes! Strong applause
Are they more than 1cm in diameter?
[Diametrics] Yes! More applauses, possibly even whoops
More than 2 inches?
Gobstoppers?
standing on the shoulders of giants
A winner at last
[Gobstoppers] Yes! Gobstoppers is the AOTC. Audience collapses in relief, and they're probably not alone By Jove you had to work hard for that one. I was genuinely surprised that no-one thought to ask 'Sweets' weeks ago.
I think a lot of us were focused in on sweets for a long time, even if we never asked the question specifically. (That was my focus of attention ever since your reply when I asked if sugar was an ingredient.) The "no" to boiled sweets, though undoubtedly a correct answer, may have ended up taking us away from the right line of thinking.
MINERAL
Marbles?
Unique?
Metallic?
Marbles? No.
Unique? Yes.
Metallic? Yes. *some muttering and head-shaking in the audience*
Hidden text
''Unlike the ones from the book and the films, where Willy Wonka says you would break your teeth if you tried to chew a gobstopper, the Nestle produced gobstoppers are chewable once sucked long enough, and unlike their fictional counterparts they are not everlasting.'' Remarkably, that does not have a [citation needed].Unique? Yes.
Metallic? Yes. *some muttering and head-shaking in the audience*
Is it found on planet Earth?
Does it weigh more than a million tons?
Is it smaller than a toaster?
Is it a small blob of neutron star matter?
(Just on the off chance that the answers to the previous two are both yes.)
Neutron Blob. The latest addition to the Mornington Crescent Cinematic Universe
On Earth? Yes.
> 1012g? Yes.
< toaster? No.
Neutron Blob? No.
> 1012g? Yes.
< toaster? No.
Neutron Blob? No.
The totality of British steam locomotives in 1960?
About 1.2 million tons give or take.
Ancient locomass? I know you'll find this hard to believe, Rosie, but No.
The Earth's core?
Human made?
Does it begin with P?
Earth's core? No. *some applause*
Human made? No.
Begin with P? No.
Human made? No.
Begin with P? No.
Is it the reserves of something?
Is it visible at the surface of the Earth?
Reserves? No.
Visible at the surface of the Earth? Yes.
Visible at the surface of the Earth? Yes.
Man-made?
Iron ore?
A specialised building?
Man-made? No.
Iron ore? No.
Specialised building? No.
Iron ore? No.
Specialised building? No.
A mountain?
Is it thinly spread all over the planet?
All the uranium in the oceans?
Is the metal in elemental form?
Mountain? Yes.
Thinly spread? No.
Damp and salty U? No.
Metal in elemental form? I am pretty sure the answer is Yes, though I know Rosie is a chemistry expert, while chemistry has never been my strong suit, so apologies in advance if I got this wrong.
Thinly spread? No.
Damp and salty U? No.
Metal in elemental form? I am pretty sure the answer is Yes, though I know Rosie is a chemistry expert, while chemistry has never been my strong suit, so apologies in advance if I got this wrong.
(CdM) I meant metal as metal rather than chemically combined as in an ore, or rust even.
Does it begin with an E?
[Rosie] *nods* You can tell me at the end of the round whether I was right or not. :)
Begins with an E? No.
Begins with an E? No.
Is it plated?
Is the metal metaphorical?
Is it in a single nation?
Plated? No.
Metaphorical? No.
In a single nation? Yes.
Metaphorical? No.
In a single nation? Yes.
Is it in Europe?
Is the metal copper?
In Europe? Yes.
Copper? No.
Copper? No.
Does the metal end in 'um'?
As so many of them do
Does the name of this mountain include the name of a metal?
End in um? Yes. And also No. Check your assumptions.
Name include name of a metal? No.
Name include name of a metal? No.
A little more research also suggests to me that the correct answer to Rosie's last question (elemental form) might be Yes and No. But I am honestly not sure what the best answer is.
Is just one metal involved?
Is it West of Prague?
I should ask this more often.
Just one metal involved? No.
West of Prague? Yes.
Hidden text
In a nerdy linguistic way, I find it interesting that the phrase 'the metal', which showed up in four questions, spanned meanings that I reasonably interpreted as potentially including multiple metals (elemental, metaphorical), to a meaning that definitely required a single metal (ending in -um). 'Is the metal copper?' kinda sits in the middle; I perhaps should have suggested assumption checking at that point. As you were.West of Prague? Yes.
Hidden text
Of course, it's also East of Prague, if you go far enough.Does the mountain actually have Mount or Mountain in its name?
Is this mountain named on Google Maps?
The EU Butter Mountain it isn't, but it's too good not to play it
Mount or mountain in the name? There are in fact two acceptable answers on the card. The answer is Yes for one and No for the other. *a little muttering from some of the more literal-minded audience members*
Named on Google Maps? Yes. (Both answers on the card appear on Google Maps.)
Butter Mountain? No. (Interestingly, the second one of those would clearly have been only a marginal Yes in response to Tuj's last question.)
(This one is proving harder than I expected. I hope I haven't been misleading with any of my answers.)
Named on Google Maps? Yes. (Both answers on the card appear on Google Maps.)
Butter Mountain? No. (Interestingly, the second one of those would clearly have been only a marginal Yes in response to Tuj's last question.)
(This one is proving harder than I expected. I hope I haven't been misleading with any of my answers.)
Is it in Wales?
Is it South of Lyon?
In Wales? No.
South of Lyon? No.
South of Lyon? No.
What I would like it to be is the enormous yellow sulphur dumps you get at the end of some oil pipelines where they de-sulphurise the stuff. Is it that?
Enormous yellow sulphur dumps you get at the end of some oil pipelines where they de-sulphurise the stuff? No.
Is it in the Alps?
In the Alps? No.
In the UK?
Does mining come into it?
In the UK? No.
Mining-related? No.
Mining-related? No.
(And, as I keep reading, I now think that my answer to Rosie probably should have been No. But I'm still not sure. Did I mention that chemistry is not my strong suit?)
Is it south of Loen?
You know, the village in Stryn Municipality in Vestland county in Norway.
Is it an island?
Oh, _that_ Loen
South of Loen? No. Which means it is also north of every Loon, Lyon, Leon, Léon, and León listed in Wikipedia.
An island? No.
An island? No.
Does water play a part?
Is it in Iceland?
Watery? No.
In Iceland? Yes! *applause*
In Iceland? Yes! *applause*
Eyjafjallajökull?
Strike that suggestion - begins with an E
Is it a chocolate pavlova mountain?
You can find them in Iceland. :)
Does either form of the name end with "-jökull"?
Eyjafjallajökull? No. *some applause*
Chocolate pavlova mountain? No.
Jökullsuffixed? No.
Chocolate pavlova mountain? No.
Hidden text
Only after googling did I understand the joke -- no Iceland where I currently live or have previously lived. :)Jökullsuffixed? No.
North Atlantic Ridge?
North Atlantic Ridge? No. *some applause*
Surtsey?
Surtsey? No. (Not an island) *applause*
Is it only in Iceland?
Only in Iceland? Yes.
Does it begin with a K (in Icelandic)?
Begins with a K? No.
I'm surprised this is taking so long; I would have thought it was easy to guess by this point.
I'm surprised this is taking so long; I would have thought it was easy to guess by this point.
The amount of lava erupted from a volcano?
I'll have you know I spent at least one microlife yesterday looking up the geology and geography of Iceland on Wikipedia, and I've still no idea what it is.
Quantity of lava? No.
Now I'm feeling guilty! The audience applauds at the word "volcano".
Now I'm feeling guilty! The audience applauds at the word "volcano".
Hidden text
At this point I will tell you for free that all my confusion/ignorance with regard to Rosie's question does indeed concern lava. I have never thought much about lava beyond the fact that it's a, well, hot mess. What exactly is going on chemically, I have no idea. Maybe, with Rosie's help, I'll end this AVMA better informed than I was when I started. :)Fagradalsfjall!
Hekla, with lots of shouting
Hekla? Hekno, because...
...Fagradsfjall, which commenced eruptions in March of this year and is still erupting (at least as of yesterday) is indeed the answer on the card. "Fjall" is Icelandic for mountain. The other acceptable answer on the card was Geldingadalir which is the more precise location of the eruption.
...Fagradsfjall, which commenced eruptions in March of this year and is still erupting (at least as of yesterday) is indeed the answer on the card. "Fjall" is Icelandic for mountain. The other acceptable answer on the card was Geldingadalir which is the more precise location of the eruption.
Hidden text
Full disclosure. The original AOTC was just Geldingadalir, but when I was asked whether the AOTC was a mountain, I felt it would have been badly misleading to have answered No, so I hurriedly grabbed my Sharpie and wrote in Fagradalsfjall as well. Also, to clarify one other piece of my answers, I went with the fact that one dictionary definition of 'metallic' is simply 'containing a metal'; I was a little worried that answer might mislead and tried to convey as much with the audience reaction; in the end it didn't seem to lead you astray too much!Hidden text
I clearly overthink this, don't I? :)(Careful with this baton, Raak. It's still a bit hot.)
The next is VEGETABLE and sometimes ANIMAL, with ABSTRACT connections; or vice versa.
An anorak?
A wahoo from the centre circle.
Is it edible?
[Rosie] Not an anorak.
[CdM] Not edible, is the simplest answer.
[CdM] Not edible, is the simplest answer.
Rethinking the rubric, it might be better if more long-windedly expressed as VEGETABLE and MINERAL, with ABSTRACT, VEGETABLE and sometimes ANIMAL connections.
Human Made?
A musical instrument?
Would a Morniverser typically own one of these?
[B] Yes, human made.
[SM] Not a musical instrument.
[R] I think a Morniverser would not typically own one of these, although they very well might.
[SM] Not a musical instrument.
[R] I think a Morniverser would not typically own one of these, although they very well might.
A fossil?
A weapon?
Is the vegetable wood? Is the mineral stone?
[RtG] Not a fossil.
[R] Not a weapon.
[SM] There can be wood, peripherally. (murmur of amusement in the audience)
[SM2] (Confers with Mycroft. Mycroft gives a definite nod.) Yes, the mineral is stone.
[R] Not a weapon.
[SM] There can be wood, peripherally. (murmur of amusement in the audience)
[SM2] (Confers with Mycroft. Mycroft gives a definite nod.) Yes, the mineral is stone.
Are the animal connections just because it is human-made (and perhaps human-used?), or do they go beyond that?
[CdM] The animal connections go beyond human make or use.
Is it a weapon? Is it a tool?
[B1] Not a weapon.
[B2] Not a tool.
[B2] Not a tool.
Is it art?
Is the item fire- or heat-related?
[B] *applause!* It is art.
[SM] Not fire- or heat-related.
[SM] Not fire- or heat-related.
Is it commonly sited indoors?
[SM] Yes, indoors.
Is it smaller than a toaster?
A painting?
Is Mycroft the Highland version of Myspace?
[C] Can be smaller than a toaster.
[B] *rapturous applause* It is a painting!
[C] Mycroft declines to say.
[B] *rapturous applause* It is a painting!
[C] Mycroft declines to say.
All done by one artist?
[B] Not by one artist.
In the previous, I should add that it is not a specific painting.
In the previous, I should add that it is not a specific painting.
Impressionist?
A still life?
A pet portrait?
Trying to think of something arty that a Crescenter might have rather than probably has is a narrow area to work in.
[SM] The exact phrase was “very well might”, which is even narrower. I mean, a Crescenter might own an original Chagall, but I wouldn’t stick a “very well” in front.
Hidden text
I choose this example because I did know a perfectly ordinary not-rich person who owned a (small!) Chagall.[S] Could be.
[SM] Not unless it's dead, because...
[C] Yes. A still life. Have this tasteful basket of flowers, fruits, and roadkill.
Everyone can now boast of their collection of still lives that every Crescenter should own.
[SM] Not unless it's dead, because...
[C] Yes. A still life. Have this tasteful basket of flowers, fruits, and roadkill.
Everyone can now boast of their collection of still lives that every Crescenter should own.
Mmmmmmm ... roadkill
Me again? OK. I'm about to head into a horrendously busy period, so here is a nice easy ANIMAL and MINERAL that we can hopefully despatch in a few days. *some immediate muttering and discussion in the audience*
An item of clothing?
Item of clothing? No.
Is the animal Human?
Is this weapon?
Human? *some more animated discussion in the audience* Given what was posted on the board, No.
Weapon? *laughter* No. Although, for a sufficiently broad definition, and in some circumstances, Yes.
Weapon? *laughter* No. Although, for a sufficiently broad definition, and in some circumstances, Yes.
Is it unique?
Unique? No.
A handbag?
It is I, Rosie
Does it begin with P?
A statue?
Sports-related?
A haaaaaaaaaaandbaaaag? No.
Begin with P? No.
Statue? No.
Sports-related? No.
Begin with P? No.
Statue? No.
Sports-related? No.
Hidden text
I can think of a very very very minor way to relate the AOTC to sports, but it's not worth exploring. So forget I said anything.Can you lift it easily with one hand?
Part of an animal's anatomy?
Is the mineral salt?
Lift easily with one haaaaaaaaaaaaand...
Sorry. <mode "Edith Evans" = off>
Lift easily with one hand? Yes, I can.
Part of animal's anatomy? I think No is the best answer, but *some audience discussion*
Salt? No. *a sprinkling of audience laughter*
Sorry. <mode "Edith Evans" = off>
Lift easily with one hand? Yes, I can.
Part of animal's anatomy? I think No is the best answer, but *some audience discussion*
Salt? No. *a sprinkling of audience laughter*
Are the connected animals domesticated?
A paint brush?
Is it edible?
Connected animal domestic? Sometimes.
Paintbrush? No.
Edible? The best answer, though not actually 100% accurate, is Yes. *some applause*
Paintbrush? No.
Edible? The best answer, though not actually 100% accurate, is Yes. *some applause*
Is it not merely edible, but eaten?
Eaten? Yes. *more applause*
Hidden text
This is a lively audienceI'm going to clarify the "anatomy" response: I think that No is probably the right answer, though there could be some room for some debate, and I'm quite sure that No is the least misleading answer.
Are eggs involved?
Eggs involved? Well, an egg is, because that is the AOTC. One ovoid baton tossed carelessly in Boolbar’s direction.
The yolks on me.
Oh! I didn't think it would be eggactly that. We can let CdM go and be very busy and begin once more with another nice easy one: ANIMAL with some MINERAL. And no it isn't an egg again.
Is it human?
A chicken (with a tinfoil hat)?
Salted cod?
Human? No.
Chicken? No. Not even with a bit of foil. *Some of the audience are licking their lips*
Salted Cod? No. *'Oooh' comes from the audience*
Chicken? No. Not even with a bit of foil. *Some of the audience are licking their lips*
Salted Cod? No. *'Oooh' comes from the audience*
Dead animal?
Is it unique?
Does it live in the ocean?
tl;dr Being in the AVMA chair is surprisingly hard:
Hidden text
Reflections on an egg. First, I set the last AVMA forgetting to check whether we had had 'egg' as an answer before. To my surprise, even though the word has come up over 50 times, it has never been a subject before (though both Faberge egg and Easter egg have been). Second, it's amazing how you think you've set a nice easy AVMA, and then the questions come in and you realise there are many more subtleties than you considered. In my head, I was thinking of a simple chicken egg sitting on a table. But I immediately had to worry about whether people understand 'mineral' as a geological term, or as including biominerals, such as eggshell? (I decided eggshell should be classified as mineral, but does that mean we should actually classify almost all animals as 'animal and mineral' because of bones and teeth??) Of course, having made that decision, I immediately ran into trouble with human eggs. And then there was the anatomy question. We'd classify ova within an animal as anatomical, but I had already assumed the existence of eggshell. But, then, what about, say, a developing chicken egg before it has been laid? Oh, and finally, it turns out some eggs are poisonous. Still, at least I was confident that one could lift an egg with one hand and that they could be weaponised. :)Dead? I do hope so.
Unique? No.
Ocean dwelling? No.
Unique? No.
Ocean dwelling? No.
Hidden text
Although taking into account what you said in your hidden part, I would suspect there will be at least one example of the AOTC bobbing around in an ocean somewhere. This would be almost certainly accidental and should be ignored. It would not be 'living' anyway! Also, I haven't gone back through the entire history of this game to see if my AOTC has been used before. Sorry if it has.Is it a preserved creature?
The worm in a bottle of Tequila?
Preserved? Well, yes. *A ripple of applause* This might send people down the wrong path.
Wormy tequila? No. But I guess that was worth a shot...
Wormy tequila? No. But I guess that was worth a shot...
But is it art?
Is the animal dangerous when alive?
...to people, that is.
Art? Isn't everything? In this case, NO. Although thinking about it, there is a connection between the word on the card and art...
DANGER! DANGER? NO. Well, usually not. Some close relatives might be.
DANGER! DANGER? NO. Well, usually not. Some close relatives might be.
Is the animal a ruminant?
Moo & Co.? NO.
Edible?
Stuffed?
Edible? YES! Stuffed? NO.
Escargot?
A tortoise?
Pickled?
I remembered the line break this time...
Snails? NO
Tortoise? NO
Pickled? Not usually, but apparently it can be found pickled (I did not know until I Googled it.)
Tortoise? NO
Pickled? Not usually, but apparently it can be found pickled (I did not know until I Googled it.)
Note: There are some tiny grey areas here. For instance it is possible that the AOTC could be associated with a ruminant, but it is then described as such and not just the single word on the card. Best ignored.
Is the mineral part a shell?
Shell? NO
Extinct?
Is the mineral salt?
Does it begin with P?
Extinct? NO.
Salt? YES! There is salt in there.
P? NO. But a P beginning word is associated with the AOTC.
Salt? YES! There is salt in there.
P? NO. But a P beginning word is associated with the AOTC.
Ham!
Overacts
Ham? NO *Audience applause*
Bacon?
*Audience goes wild*
Yes! Bacon it is. The first thing I thought of after the previous "egg". It is wise not to play this game while feeling a tad peckish.
Yes! Bacon it is. The first thing I thought of after the previous "egg". It is wise not to play this game while feeling a tad peckish.
Back to me? OK—another one that I hope will be reasonably easy. ANIMAL and VEGETABLE
FIsh and chips?
Fish and Chips? No and No.
Bangers and mash?
Is it food?
Bangers and Mash? No and No.
Food? Yes.
Food? Yes.
Sushi?
Liver & Onions
Soup?
Does it require much preparation?
Burger and fries?
Meat and two veg?
Sushi? No.
Liver and Onions? No and No.
Soup? No.
Does it require much preparation? I'll go with No. It does require some preparation, but it is straightforward.
Burger and fries? No and No.
Meat and two veg? No and No and No.
Liver and Onions? No and No.
Soup? No.
Does it require much preparation? I'll go with No. It does require some preparation, but it is straightforward.
Burger and fries? No and No.
Meat and two veg? No and No and No.
Is the animal part, milk?
Animal part milk? Yes, in part. (Technically, No is possible, but anything other than a Yes would be misleading.)
Is the mineral part the container?
Mineral container? Is this a fiendish trick to make me admit there is a mineral component even though that was not specified on the board? If so, your dastardly plan has succeeded. It is very probable that there is a small amount of mineral. Is that useful? Almost certainly not. Is it anything to do with a container? Definitely not.
Oops.
Milk and cookies?
A cereal?
Milk and cookies? No and No.
A cereal? No. *a smattering of applause*
A cereal? No. *a smattering of applause*
Porridge?
Porridge? No. *a smattering of applause by the same smatterers who smattered in response to the previous question*
Does it taste sweet?
Is it baked?
OK, now it is starting to get tricky. There are actually two acceptable answers on the card. I'd always thought of them as being essentially equivalent, but some perusal of the internet suggests some subtle differences. One of the two answers is probably more familiar to most people. With that in mind...
Sweet? For the more well known answer, I would say Sometimes But Mostly No, although it can be—and an even more complicated answer might depend on how we think of the flavour profile of a common but not essential ingredient. For the less common answer, the answer seems to be Mostly Yes.
Baked? Mostly No, but sometimes—and more likely in the case of the less common answer.
Sweet? For the more well known answer, I would say Sometimes But Mostly No, although it can be—and an even more complicated answer might depend on how we think of the flavour profile of a common but not essential ingredient. For the less common answer, the answer seems to be Mostly Yes.
Baked? Mostly No, but sometimes—and more likely in the case of the less common answer.
All of that makes sense to me, but perhaps not to you. So, to keep things simple, if we stick to the more familiar AOTC:
Sweet? Sometimes.
Baked? Usually No.
Sweet? Sometimes.
Baked? Usually No.
Sausages?
Sausages? No. *the serial smatterers smatter*
Are eggs used to prepare this food?
Hamburger?
Eggs used in preparation? Yes. *applause*
Hamburger? No.
Hamburger? No.
A breakfast aliment?
Poached eggs?
A coddled egg?
Breakfasty? Yes, my dear Watson. *applause*
Poached eggs? No.
Coddled egg? No.
Poached eggs? No.
Coddled egg? No.
An English breakfast?
Is toast involved?
I think we are just about done here
English breakfast? No. *laughter*
Toast involved? *loud applause* Toast is one of the words on the card. (Oddly, however, it is at least arguable that the best answer to the question might be No.)
Toast involved? *loud applause* Toast is one of the words on the card. (Oddly, however, it is at least arguable that the best answer to the question might be No.)
Soldiers?
Soldiers? No.
French Toast?
Scrambled egg on toast?
Yum-yum
Eggy bread?
And Chalky has it! The AOTC is indeed French Toast (which, of course, is not toast as the word is usually understood, hence my answer to Bismarck's earlier question). The alternative AOTC was Pain Perdu, which is, er, the French version of French toast. Unfortunately, I never got the P question. While the egg mixture for French toast is typically not sweetened (even though of course it may typically be served with very sweet things like maple syrup), my casual googling suggests that it is more common to include sugar in the making of pain perdu, so I think there may be a subtle difference. I don't think I've ever actually heard the term "Eggy Bread" before, but I would have awarded it the win had Chalky not got there first; as far as I can tell from very quick googling it is equivalent to French toast.
I have here one soaked and fried baton for Chal—hang on, where did I put it...?
I have here one soaked and fried baton for Chal—hang on, where did I put it...?
Thought I might have nailed it in a moment of weakness ;^)
To quote our friend and all-round gamestar CdM "Being in the AVMA chair is surprisingly hard .." I can but do my best although it may be helpful to set an alarm as a reminder to pop in at least once a day.
Next up ANIMAL
If you translate the answer into French, does it begin with P?
CdM, I let you down :(
Is it human?
Alive?
Catgut?
Translates into a French P? NON
Human? - YES
Alive? - YES
Catgut? - NO
Involved in the world of entertainment?
A sportsperson?
British?
A single identified individual?
Involved in the world of entertainment? YES
A sportsperson? YES
British? NO
A single identified individual? YES
Female?
Plays in a team sport?
Female? NO
Plays in a team sport? NO
Roger Federer?
A cricketer?
Lately in the news?
Roger Federer? NO
A cricketer? NO
Lately in the news? NO
Have they won an Olympic medal?
European?
Retired?
Have they won an Olympic medal? NO
European? NO
Retired? YES
* rethink *
Retired? YES and NO
Retired? YES and NO
Retired from the sporting activity for which they are known?
Is this a footballer?
Retired from the sporting activity for which they are known? YES
Is this a footballer? NO
A lone yachtsman?
A lone yachtsman? NO
A commentator?
A commentator? NO
Not female. Trans?
American?
Trans? NO
American? YES
A golfer?
A F1 driver?
They are regularly retired.
Are we looking for the name of the person?
A golfer? NO
A F1 driver? NO
Are we looking for the name of the person? YES (as confirmed to CdM above as 'a single identified individual')
A tennis player?
A tennis player? NO
Has this person competed at a Summer Olympic Games?
Has this person competed at a Summer Olympic Games? Supportive of ... but NO - never competed
Has this person competed at a Winter Olympic Games?
Original questions R Us
Has this person competed at a Winter Olympic Games? NO [unoriginal answers R Us]
Is being a sportsperson the main thing for which this person is mémorable?
Is being a sportsperson the main thing for which this person is mémorable? NO *audience stirs*
Under the age of 60?
Is what they are mainly remembered for their post-retirement involvement in the sports world?
Under the age of 60? YES
Is what they are mainly remembered for (in) their post-retirement ... ? YES
... involvement in the sports world? NO
*hint* the 5th question asked on this subject is an avenue worth exploring
Have they been in a few movies?
Schwarzenegger?
Recap
We are to name an American man, still alive and under 60 though currently retired, who had some sporting links earlier in life, who has been involved in the entertainment industry and is known for this.
That looks like less useful info than there should be...
That looks like less useful info than there should be...
Have they been in a few movies? YES! *sighs and murmurs of relief from the audience *
Schwarzenegger? NO but a fine guess
Recap? A somewhat timorous description of this character's previous sporting prowess and current status in the entertainment industry although, by and large, correct.
O J Simpson?
*sighs*
A Schwarzenegger & O J Simpson are both 74 years young ... this chap is under 60 years of age
Does this person typically play himself in his movie appearances?
Does this person typically play himself in his movie appearances? NO
Keanu Reeves?
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson?
*audience claps and cheers and generally goes wild for Tuj*
So not all-round-good-guy Keanu.
Dwayne Johnson it is! Not as Fast and Furious as some, I believe.
Here Tuj - have this baton hewn from Rock
What a gory baton!
Thanks Chalks! Let's head over now to something VEGETABLE.
A record-breaking prize vegetable?
Is it alive?
Raak] YES and NO. I think in the sense you mean, NO ;)
Supe] YES.
Supe] YES.
Does it span many acres?
A well-known forested area?
Does it begin with pea?
SM] No.
Rosie] No. (A couple of audience members confusedly unmute themselves briefly)
Bool] No
Rosie] No. (A couple of audience members confusedly unmute themselves briefly)
Bool] No
A particular tree?
Is it edible to humans?
Rosie] YES. (applause)
Supe] NO
Supe] NO
A fruit tree?
Raak] NO
Is it of great age?
In the United States?
A bristlecone pine?
SM] YES.
Rosie] YES (applause)
Raak] NO
Rosie] YES (applause)
Raak] NO
The General Sherman?
Rosie] NO. (gasps)
A creosote Bush?
Over 3000 years old?
Methuselah, the bristlecone pine?
Don't you dare make any ageist jokes.
Giant sequoia
RTG] NO.
Bool] NO.
Rosie] NO
Softers] YES. (clapping, then an expectant hush)
Bool] NO.
Rosie] NO
Softers] YES. (clapping, then an expectant hush)
That redwood with the road going through it?
Supe] NO.
Gerneral Sherman?
Note to self: 4/4/4/1/3/2/
Sorfters] NO.
In California?
Bool] YES
General Grant?
Are we looking for the colloquial name of this sequoia
I had to look this up and there's quite a few named trees.
Softers] NO (appreciative 'ooh' from some audience members)
Bism] YES (if I'm understanding your question to be whether the AOTC is the name of a specific tree)
Bism] YES (if I'm understanding your question to be whether the AOTC is the name of a specific tree)
Does the tree have a military rank?
SM] NO
The President Tree?
Softers] NO.
Is it in the Giant Forest national park?
I thought I'd give this game a nudge.
Bool] NO!
A tree specific to the US of A DC and Christmas?
Duj] NO
Is it named after someone?
Raak] YES (some audience dissent, discussion and ooh-ing)
Is it named after some individual person by their name?
Does the name have seasonal connections?
Raak] YES (well, depending on your definition of the word 'person')
SM] NO (I began this 5 weeks ago :( )
SM] NO (I began this 5 weeks ago :( )
Is it in the Mountain Home Grove?
Bool] NO
Cmon everyone, let's get this done this year!
Cmon everyone, let's get this done this year!
Is it in the Sierra Nevada?
Hyperion?
I'll be very surprised if that's not right. :)
Raak] NO...
CdM] YES!
General Sherman popped into my head as a potential AOTC, but on research I found that this coast redwood, named after a mythical titan, is feted as the world's tallest known living tree. A very long wooden baton to you!
CdM] YES!
General Sherman popped into my head as a potential AOTC, but on research I found that this coast redwood, named after a mythical titan, is feted as the world's tallest known living tree. A very long wooden baton to you!
OK. A nice easy VEGETABLE.
An antivaxxer?
Is it a tree or made of something from a tree?
Edible?
Antivaxxer? No.
Tree or made from tree? Yes. *applause*
Edible? No.
Tree or made from tree? Yes. *applause*
Edible? No.
Mainly paper?
A piece of furniture?
Paper? No.
Furniture? No.
Furniture? No.
A tool?
A work of art, or part of one?
Are there more than one?
Tool? No.
Art? No.
>1? Yes.
Art? No.
>1? Yes.
Christmas-related?
Christmassy? No.
Would you typically find one of these in someone's house?
Does it begin with P?
Found in someone's house? No. * audience laughter*
Begin with P? Regrettably, no. There is one P-adjacency that I can think of, but it does not appear on the card.
Begin with P? Regrettably, no. There is one P-adjacency that I can think of, but it does not appear on the card.
Is it too big/heavy to be lifted by one person
Is it something made of wood?
Alive?
Is it something revered?
Too big to be lifted by one person? No. *audience laughter, and considerable muttering*
Made of wood? Yes.
Alive? No.
Revered? No.
Made of wood? Yes.
Alive? No.
Revered? No.
Wood-chip mulch?
Is it normally carried on one's person?
Mulch? No.
Normally carried on one's person? No. *considerable laughter*
Normally carried on one's person? No. *considerable laughter*
Sawdust?
The stump of a tree?
Sawdust? No.
Tree stump? No.
Tree stump? No.
Is it a man-made object?
Man-made? Yes. *audience mutter a little, but are generally in agreement*
A cricket bat?
Long shot (over silly point)
Cricket bat? No.
Is it pointy?
A stack of wood for burning?
Some sort of container?
Pointy? No.
Proto-bonfire? No.
Container? No.
Proto-bonfire? No.
Container? No.
Is it made of fossilised wood?
Fossilised? No.
Is it functional?
A hedge?
Functional? Yes. (Perhaps not a word that would naturally come to mind for the AOTC, but that has to be the best answer.)
Hedge? No (not alive, remember).
I'll also slightly qualify my answer to the "Pointy?" question to add a parenthetical "well, sometimes, sort of". Probably not helpful, though; just trying to pre-empt appeals at the end of the round.
Hedge? No (not alive, remember).
I'll also slightly qualify my answer to the "Pointy?" question to add a parenthetical "well, sometimes, sort of". Probably not helpful, though; just trying to pre-empt appeals at the end of the round.
Used for a game?
A weapon?
Is it edible for human consumption?
Used for game? Yes. *applause*
Weapon? No.
Edible? No.
Weapon? No.
Edible? No.
A Pooh-stick?
A caber?
Pooh stick? No *laughter*
A caber? Yes! *applause*
I now have this image of highlanders playing poohsticks with cabers tossed over the side of the Forth Bridge.
I was handed a very long wooden baton, and I now hand on a shorter—but still very long!—wooden baton to Bismarck.
A caber? Yes! *applause*
I now have this image of highlanders playing poohsticks with cabers tossed over the side of the Forth Bridge.
I was handed a very long wooden baton, and I now hand on a shorter—but still very long!—wooden baton to Bismarck.
This thing could do with some handles, you know. Also its swishability is lacking somewhat. But on we go!
This is VEGETABLE with a bit of ANIMAL and MINERAL thrown in as accessories.
This is VEGETABLE with a bit of ANIMAL and MINERAL thrown in as accessories.
Is it an area of woodland?
Just in case trees are the current trend.
Smokey bacon crisps?
A Trifid?
A manufactured item?
Worcestershire sauce?
A recipe book?
Does it begin with S?
Is it portable by an average human?
Lights out - round 1!
[Boolbar] No.
[Raak] No.
[Software] No.
[Rosie] Yes.
[nights] No.
[Simons] No.
[Tuj] No.
[Superman] Yes.
A pleasing symmetry in those answers.
[Raak] No.
[Software] No.
[Rosie] Yes.
[nights] No.
[Simons] No.
[Tuj] No.
[Superman] Yes.
A pleasing symmetry in those answers.
Is it found in a typical household?
Is it made to be eaten?
It is mainly made of wood?
They keep a-comin'
[Rosie] Not uncommonly.
[Boolbar] No.
[Raak] Yes.
[Boolbar] No.
[Raak] Yes.
Is it used for a game or sport?
Is it a tool, or part of a tool?
Is it piece of furniture?
The Noes have it
[Tuj] No.
[Raak] No.
[Radox] No.
[Raak] No.
[Radox] No.
Foldable?
It is a human artefact?
Oops, that ws effectively answered yes already.
Is it ornamental?
Is it functional?
Ducks redux
[Simons] No.
[Raak] Yes, and then No.
[Chalky] Ain't everything... Yes.
[Raak] Yes, and then No.
[Chalky] Ain't everything... Yes.
A hatstand?
A walking stick?
Generally of a stick-like form?
Is it (intentionally) combustible?
Does it belong in the garden?
Owed to joy
[Rosie] No.
[Software] No.
[Rak] No.
[nights] No.
[Radox] No.
[Software] No.
[Rak] No.
[nights] No.
[Radox] No.
Is the animal part leather?
A kitchen item?
Generally of a ball-like form?
Uncanny unanimity
[Software] No.
[Boolbar] No.
[Raak] No.
[Boolbar] No.
[Raak] No.
Is the animal part hair?
Is it smaller than a house brick?
The burden of the animals
[Raak] No.
[Boolbar] No.
[Boolbar] No.
A musical instrument?
A footstool?
An applau
[Simons] YES. The audience claps and sways.
[Software] No.
[Software] No.
A stringed instrument?
Woodwind?
A guitar?
Violin?
A ton of applause
[Raak] Yes.
[Boolbar] No.
[Rosie] Yes! But there are two words on the card.
[Software] No.
[Boolbar] No.
[Rosie] Yes! But there are two words on the card.
[Software] No.
Flying V?
A bass guitar?
[Raak] No.
[Rosie] Possibly a version.
[Rosie] Possibly a version.
Is one of the words "guitar"?
A Fender?
Is one of the words 'dusty', 'forgotten' or similar?
speaking as part of the non-musical contingent
Does the first word on the card begin with 'A'?
And now the end is near
[Raak] Yes.
[Rosie] No.
[Simons] No.
[Dujon] No.
[Rosie] No.
[Simons] No.
[Dujon] No.
Acoustic guitar?
Spanish guitar?
Lo hiciste a tu manera
[Software] Yes, but not the answer on the card.
[Rosie] Si! Si! The audience stamps and claps, Rosie has won.
[Rosie] Si! Si! The audience stamps and claps, Rosie has won.
With a rose between your teeth, take this baton and lead us in an impromptu paso doble.
Arglwydd Mawr, dw'i wedi ennill. Be' sy'n ddigwydd?
.
Hidden text
Good Lord, I won. Woss going on?And the next object is
ABSTRACT
.
Is it Welsh?
(R the G) Welsh? NO. Looks more Latin-based to me.
Did Kant refer to it in any of his works?
(Superman) Not having read all of Kant (or any of it, actually) I can't say but the answer is very likely NO.
Does it have more syllables than 'breadbin'?
Is it owt do wi' art?
Did it originate in the bible or Shakespeare?
(SM) YES, it certainly does.
(Dujon) You cannot be serious. NO.
(Boolbar) I very much doubt it so let's just say NO.
(Dujon) You cannot be serious. NO.
(Boolbar) I very much doubt it so let's just say NO.
Is it the steam that's on a winter's morning gently rises from the chimney of a steam engine which has just started to heat up for its first run up to York?
A well known phrase or saying?
A load of bollocks?
From Wales?
(R the G) Alas, NO. That's smoke BTW. Lighting up a steam loco is a dirty job.
(Boolbar) NOT a well-known phrase or saying.
(Softers) Generally, though not always, YES.
(Raak) NO. Not location-specific.
(Boolbar) NOT a well-known phrase or saying.
(Softers) Generally, though not always, YES.
(Raak) NO. Not location-specific.
To do with current affairs?
(Raak) Current affairs? YES. *audience gets rather animated*
Democracy?
(Dujon) NO, not democracy.
Political rhetoric?
Social Media related?
(Softers) Political? YES. Rhetoric? NO.
(Boolbar) NO. Predates social media by quite a lot.
(Boolbar) NO. Predates social media by quite a lot.
So nowt to do with Boris "not a complete clown" Johnson then.
(Raak) Not a thing. Nice link, BTW.
Does it involve death?
Does it have royal connections?
(Superman) - NO link with death.
(SM) - NO royal connections.
(SM) - NO royal connections.
A Political Ideal?
Was this linked to a specific event?
Something to do with voters?
(Chalky) A political ideal? Very often, YES. *audience sit up and take notice*
(Bismarck) A specific event? NO.
(Boolbar) YES, quite a lot to do with voters. *even more buzz from the audience.*
(Bismarck) A specific event? NO.
(Boolbar) YES, quite a lot to do with voters. *even more buzz from the audience.*
Votes for women?
A ballot of some sort?
Universal suffrage?
Brexit Opportunities?
We do have a new smarmy incumbent, after all.
(Superman) Votes for women? NO.
(Duj) NOT a ballot.
(Raak) NOT universal suffrage.
(Softers) Brexit Opportunities? I think they'd keep quiet about it, so NO.
(Duj) NOT a ballot.
(Raak) NOT universal suffrage.
(Softers) Brexit Opportunities? I think they'd keep quiet about it, so NO.