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AVMA Take 2
help
Yes, it's another round of that classic guessing game - Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, Abstract [or any combination thereof]. This effort - '03/'04 should address any queries, but then again, may just serve to confuse and baffle which some might say is the point of the game. Patience, integrity and a decent search engine may be useful ....
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{Iroul] Yes (a few murmurs from the audience)
Is it acoustic?
[Raak] No
[GL]No
(That's better, I'm back in my stride now - you know where you are with 'No')
Is it found on other planets or the moon?
Can it be perceived without instruments?
[Inkspot] 1. Not as such. 2. No
[Iroul]No (scattered applause)
Is it a current news topic, even if not high up the agenda?
[Rosie] No
Is it an atmospheric layer?
Inks] No
Is it related to mainstream science?
[Darren] Yes
Is it related to subatomic particles?
[GL] No (I could probably find a reason for answering 'Yes', but that would be much less helpful)
Is it to do with biology?
Is it to do with geology?
Sorry for the double move, but I just had that thought.
[Darren]1. No,
2. Yes (broadly)
Is it something that can be perceived by examining rocks with instruments?
[Darren] No (further audience reaction)
Does it have something to do with time?
{raak} No
Is the word "instrument" causing the audience reactions?
[Darren] I don't know, you'll have to ask them ;-)

(No - not as such - more just a general sense that the question could lead in the right sort of direction)

Volcanic activity?
[Iroul] No
(won't be responding for a few hours now)
Plate tectonics?
[Inks] No
(I did debate with myself whether or not to answer Yes to the geology question)
Is it something to do with chemistry?
[Darren] No
Is it an event?
Is it something to do with oil?
is the word 'earth' part of the answer?
[Inks] No
[CdM] No
[Iroul] No
This is fun, isn't it?
Can it be measured?
[Flerdle] No, not as such, but that's not a bad line of thought to pursue
I'll be available to answer questions until for about another 4 hours - after that I will probably be offline until Monday evening or Tuesday, so I'll start putting clues out in a couple of hours if no-one's got it by then
Is it the name of a group of people or a tribe?
Is it a job?
[Chalky] No
[Darren] No
Is it something to do with weather?
Is it a particular type of or name for wind?
[Flerdle] No
[Iroul] No
OK - to summarise those things which might help:
It is found on earth (though earth is not part of the answer - which is more than one word), it is broadly to do with geology, it is part of mainstream science, it cannot be perceived without instruments, it doesn't exist on the moon and not as such on other planets, it is not an event nor anything to do with weather (though that might have got the audience murmuring as well).
You've been concentrating a lot on what - there may be other productive lines of enquiry.
Is there more than one of it?
[Flerdle] No (but that's partly because of the specific description)
The Earth's magnetic field?
[Rosie] No - not quite (but loud and prolonged applause from the audience)
The north pole?
[Flerdle] No (the audience are on the edge of their seats)
The aurora?
Oh actually you can perceive that without instruments so ignore that one.
The South Pole?
Being a bit less clever, this time! Heh.
the north magnetic pole?
(since Darren took the other pole, and the tendency here is to be pedantic, I take it)
[Darren] No
Flerdle YES (Thunderous applause, with maybe just a slight tinge of relief, from the audience)
I might have given it to you anyway if Rosie hadn't already said 'the magnetic field'.

So, it's over to Flerdle

whoah
Oh. Ah. umm... M I N E R A L
Is it an object?
Is there more than one of it?
[Rosie] Yes
[Darren] Yes
Is it man made?
let's set a speed record
[Dujon] Yes
A household item?
Do you own one?
[Rosie] Yes
[Irouléguy] Yes and no.
Is it a natural feature?
[Raak] No
Does it have a practical use?
[flerdle] I doubt a speed record is possible any more. If memory serves, someone once managed to guess one of these on Pants MC in the first move.
ah.
[Darren] Yes
Is it one word?
Darren] Genuinely? And if so is there evidence?
Do you own more than one?
[Tuj] How can there be evidence since Pants came down? All that remains is a memory of what was inside when we were last able to have a look. I still miss having Pants.
Is this essentially an electronic device? (meaning it's construction rather than its use)
'its construction' - *slinks off*
[Tuj] No
[Darren] Yes and No; to clarify my answer to your and Irouléguy's questions I have it, but number, as such, is not an issue
[Dujon] No
Double glazing?
what, here??
[Raak] No
Is it powered?
[Raak] No.
Is it (or are they) used at mealtimes?
Is it a container of some sort?
[Irouléguy] No
[Rosie] No
Is it used in the construction of a house, rather than being brought in afterwards?
[Darren] No
Is it decorative?
(This isn't mutually exclusive with "practical" of course.)
[Darren] No, but it could be, if you were creative.
Artexed ceilings?
[Raak] No
Is it of mainly man made materials?
Mainly metallic?
Something to do with interior decoration?
[Inkspot] Yes
[Rosie] No
[Raak] No
It's too early in the morning, so some clarifications:
[Inkspot] Is it of mainly man made materials? Yes, as it is known now.
[Raak] Something to do with interior decoration? You could probably use it somehow in interior decoration, but to be fair, no, that's not the usual reason for having it.
Would this have something to do with reading?
[Dujon] No
Would people have used this a thousand years ago?
[Raak] Yes, there is apparently evidence for it having been used well before then, but of course not in its modern form which is what I really want, so strictly, no.

I'm having some network problems here, so sorry for some delay over the next day or two.

Is it to do with cosmetics?
Summary
It is - a man-made object, a household item, with a practical use.
It is not - one word, a natural feature, double-glazing, powered, a container, used at mealtimes, used in the construction of a house, aertexed ceilings, mainly metallic, decorative, something to do with interior decoration, something to do with reading.
flerdle owns more than one of it, and something like it was in use over a thousand years ago, but its modern form is the answer.
A question about cosmetics is outstanding.
Is it some form of clothing?
[Irouléguy] I suspect that "flerdle owns more than one of it" may be a misunderstanding. I interpreted flerdle's response to mean that it's a thing which doesn't usually have number, such as wallpaper (although interior decoration has been ruled out).
[Darren] hmmm... No.
[Irouléguy] No.
[Darren] Your interpretation is correct. And no, it's not wallpaper.
A comb?
[Rosie] No.
Is it a liquid?
[Tuj] No.
Air conditioning?
[Raak] No.
Is it portable?
is it an aid to personal hygiene?
[Raak] Yes
[CdM] Yes
Toothpaste?
ghhnnnn
[INJ] No
Soap?
I'd call soap vegetable (possibly veg/animal) but that's me. Still worth asking.
Toothbrush?
Razor?
Shaving foam/gel?
Dental floss?
Darren] Thanks - well spotted.
ker-ching!
[Darren] No.
[Darren] Still No.
[Raak] No.
[Kim] No.
[Irouléguy] YES it is indeed dental floss; remember, you don't have to floss all of your teeth, just the ones you want to keep.
I was hoping more of its qualities would come out but it was a race through the bathroom that got it in the end, thanks to CdM's astute observation. hmmm...

Over to Irouléguy

ah, just too slow... I thought of toothpaste first, but realized it suffered from the one-word problem, and so went for my general question instead.
Is it a Higgs boson?
Is it something you'd want to show your friends?
Sorry for the delay, y'all - I'm off work so only switching the computer on intermittently. So, our answer is ABSTRACT. No colour clues, but with a connection to tomorrow's elections.
CdM] Is it a Higgs boson? No
Darren] Is it something you'd want to show your friends? Possibly
Opinion Poll(s)?
Is it a vote?
A broken promise?
A political party?
Gusset Login] Opinion Poll(s)? No
Darren] Is it a vote? OOH - close *audience breaks into prolonged applause*
all] A broken promise? No
Kim] A political party? No
A tactical vote
A protest vote?
ImNotJohn] A tactical vote?
flerdle] A protest vote?
Both equally close, but not exactly right
A wasted vote?
a transferable vote?
postal vote?
An informal vote?
A donkey vote?
(mind you, i don't expect either of these two to be it, because the terms are probably confined to Aus, because of the preferential voting system; see here and here. Just think of the fun you'd have if you got preferential voting in the UK. woot.)
A spoiled vote?
Darren] A wasted vote? Close, but no cigar
CdM] a transferable vote? Almost certainly not
all] postal vote? As close as the other close guesses
flerdle] An informal vote? Possibly
flerdle] A donkey vote? No
So that's what a donkey vote is. I always thought it was the loyal vote for a long-standing member - because healw-healw-healways gets elected sorrysorrysorry
Raak - A spoiled vote? Almost certainly not
[Irouléguy] That deserves a thwap. *thwap*
A casting vote?
goodness, how many are there?
flerdle] *thwap* Ouch
flerdle] A casting vote? Almost certainly not.
goodness, how many are there? GOOD question
A vote for a specific party?
A majority?
Does the answer contain the word 'vote'?
A proxy vote?
An illegal vote?
A Pop Idol vote?
Tuj] A vote for a specific party? As close as anyone else has got, but no
Raak] A majority? No
Chalky] Does the answer contain the word 'vote'? GOOD question - No
Gusset Login] A proxy vote? Close, but no
Gusset Login] An illegal vote? Almost certainly not
Gusset Login] A Pop Idol vote? Definitely not
One of the guesses above contains the answer
Protest?
flerdle - Protest? No
Normal service may be interrupted for some time, as I'm off out canvassing, knocking up, etc and I'm not quite sure when I'll be back. Clues
1) The answer could be in number 10
2) The answer is in the next government
Brown?
An invitation from the Queen to form the next government?
Pop?
Is it a political post?
Is it marginal?
A mandate?
An exit poll?
A proxy?
...and then there was drinking. Apologies for the delay.
all] Brown? No
Raak] An invitation from the Queen to form the next government? No
ImNotJohn] Pop? No
Darren] Is it a political post? No
Kim] Is it marginal? No
CdM] A mandate? No
Raak] An exit poll? No, but partly correct
ImNotJohn] A proxy? No, but partly correct
The result of the election?
Does the word 'proxy' appear in the answer
A swingometer?
I'm too old to stay up all night...
Raak - The result of the election? No
ImNotJohn] Does the word 'proxy' appear in the answer? No, but if you rearranged the sentence, the answer would be YES and the audience would go Whooooooo!
Darren] A swingometer? No
Does the answer appear in the word 'proxy'?
Is it an X?
In fact, reading back, I am quite sure it is ... and also that the credit really goes to Raak.
WACK-WACK-WACK-WACK We have a winner!
Raak] Does the answer appear in the word 'proxy'? YES!!
CdM] Is it an X? YES!!
Thnaks, everyone - that was fun. And now over to over to CdM in the studio...
All right. This is ABSTRACT, with animal and mineral connections.
Is it a geographical feature?
Is it a fictional thing?
geographical feature? No.
fictional thing? No.
Is it a human construction?
Is it an activity of any kind?
human construction? Depends what you mean by construction, but I would say no (except under a very broad definition of the term)
an activity? Not really an activity as we would usually use the term (although, again, maybe yes under a very broad definition of the term).
In both cases I think that the most helpful answer is probably no.
service announcement
I am going to Thailand for a week tomorrow (for those who don't know, the reason why is here). We are staying somewhere new, and so I do not know if I will have easy connection to the internets. If I fail to respond to questions here within 24 hours, someone else should take over.
urging all to follow that link
[CdM] Thank you. Hope the trip goes well for you all.
having followed link, seconds Chalky's urging
[Chalky, Iroul] Thanks. Of course, if nobody posts any questions, it will be a non-issue. :-)
Is it an emotion?
Is it located in a particular place?
Is it a saying or proverb?
Is it fun?
Is it generally regarded as positive?
Looks like CdM is in an internet-free zone - anyone want to do a quick interim one to see us through until he returns?
not so fast...
Having just found the internets again...
an emotion? no
located in a particular place? yes, it was.
saying or proverb? no.
fun? no. (except, just possibly, for one person, but probably not even for him)
generally regarded as positive? definitely not.
Anything to do with a tsunami?
Was it a single event?
Sorry for trying to kill you off prematurely.
The crucifixion?
Did this event occur pre 1900?
[Irouléguy] That's a fine guess you've made there and I was going to ask the same question, but then - He died to 'save' us all - so that might be constrooooood as a positive result :-)
Was it a natural disaster?
Generalising Raak's question.
Was the place in Europe?
tsunami-related? no.
single event? yes. (and it wasn't premature -- I had passed my own 24 hour deadline, after all)
crucifixion? no. (but a slight smattering of applause perhaps)
pre-1900? no.
natural disaster? no.
in Europe? no.
Did this event occur pre 2000?
pre-2000? yes.
A political event?
was the event connected to religion in any way?
Did it involve death?
Was it a trial or legal process?
Chalky] I can never hear 'Jesus saves' without thinking 'but Keegan scores on the rebound'.
political event? no.
connected to religion? no.
involve death? yes. (*applause*)
trial or legal process? no.
Was it the first occurrence of something?
first occurrence of something? it was a unique event, so in that sense yes, but it is not noteworthy for being a first occurrence.
So is the answer something along the lines of "The Death of ........"?
"the death of..."? yes. *applause* (although if I were to insist on the exact answer I have in mind, that would not be the phrase)
Was it the death/demise of a human being?
Or perhaps the death/demise of an animal?
Or maybe the death/demise of a concept?
Excuse my exuberance - just trying to narrow it down a bit.
death/demise of a human being? yes.
of an animal? no (except in the AVMA sense, of course)
of a concept? no
...of a male?
The assassination of John F Kennedy?
a male? yes.
JFK? no. (but some applause)
...Martin Luther King?
...or Robert Kennedy?
John Lennon?
Does the answer contain a specific person's name?
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand?
Sorry for the multipost, but I suddenly thought "if not 'death' then ...."
The death of Lee Harvey Oswald?
cutting to the chase...
Raak WINS -- it was the murder/assassination of John Lennon.
Best wishes for your Thailand trip, CdM. Next!
ABSTRACT with ANIMAL connections.
Do the animal connections refer to a person?
[Raak] Thanks!
A cultural artefact?
[CdM] No.
[I] Yes.
White Elephant?
Is it a mythological creature?
Does it involve a gathering of individuals?
[all] No.
[Darren] No.
[Rosie] Yes.
A fictional creature?
[Kim] No.
Does it involve sport?
Is it the Rugby pilg?
[Rosie] No.
[Darren] No.
I'll be away most of Saturday.
A musical ensemble of some sort?
A science-fiction convention?
Does it usually involve money changing hands?
[Rosie] Yes.
[Irouléguy] No.
[Darren] Yes.
A gig?
Is this a series of gatherings?
[Rosie] Yes. Although I think that only a musician would call it that.
[Dujon] (applause from the audience) No.
The Last Night of the Proms?
More generally, is this one of a series of gatherings?
[CdM] YES! It is The Last Night of the Proms.
*decides against "The Death of George Harrison"*
All right... This is ABSTRACT
A decision?
An event?
decision? no.
event? I think the least misleading answer is no.
Is it generally regarded as positive?
Is it a colour?
Is more than one person involved?
generally regarded as positive? no, nor is it generally regarded as negative.
colour? no.
more than one person involved? no.
Is ANY person involved?
any person involved? no. (More precisely, it is perhaps possible that people could be involved, or affected, but that is in no way a defining characteristic. I don't think it is a helpful line of enquiry.)
Is it something that happens/exists/manifests itself everywhere in the world?
happens/exists/manifests everywhere in world? If it h/e/m anywhere, then I suppose it could h/e/m anywhere, and I suppose it could therefore h/e/m everywhere in the world. Whether it does is quite another matter.
Does it have an existence independent of human perception?
existence independent of human perception? Well, if it has an existence, then that existence is independent of human perception. But it probably doesn't have an existence, in which case its existence is not independent of human perception.
Is it fictional?
is it fictional? *applause* It exists in fiction. Maybe it also exists in fact. Probably not, though.
The philosophers' stone?
philosophers' stone? no.
The Holy Grail?
Does it exist in a single work of fiction?
holy grail? no
single work of fiction? It is strongly associated with a single work of fiction, although it might exist in others that I am unaware of.
The Da Vinci Code?
da vinci code? no. (you are up late, Chalky...)
Is it associated with religion?
Is it associated with magic?
[CdM] Yes, I am rather - have been painting and I tend to forget the time. Best be off now :-)
associated with religion? No.
associated with magic? No.
I forgot to mention that the audience applauded Irouléguy's question.
Is it the Title of a work of fiction?
title of a work of fiction? no.
Was the work written before 1970?
Shelley's 'Ode to the West wind'?
written before 1970? no.
ode to west wind? no.
Is it part of a larger work like an aria?
The magic flute?
Is the specific work of fiction a book?
OK so, to sum up.
We have an abstract something that is associated with, but is not the title of, a single work of fiction written since 1970. It is not associated with magic or religion. It does not necessarily have any actual existence, but if it did it would not be restricted to a single location, nor does it necessarily involve any participation by a person. It is neither a decision nor an event. It is neither positive or negative, nor is it a colour. In addition there are a number of specific things it isn't.
So, it seems to be some sort of concept or idea.
Was the work published before 2000?
part of a larger work like an aria? It is part of the work of fiction, but not really like an aria.
magic flute? no.
specific work of fiction a book? among other things, yes.
published before 2000? yes.
[INJ] I think your summary is accurate. I go back and forth a bit still on whether it is an event: I suppose it could be an event, although I still feel that no is the best answer to the question.
Is the book science fiction?
Any connection with Douglas Adams?
Any connection to television?
science fiction? yes.
Douglas Adams? yes *applause*
television? no.
The meaning of life, the universe and everything?
42? No. (but that would have been a good subject to have chosen, now you come to mention it)
The 'someone else's problem' field?
SEP? No. This kind of guessing could go on for a long time. :-)
I know it's unlikely, but - the improbability drive?
improbability drive? An extremely plausible answer, and therefore wrong. Although it wouldn't surprise me if operation of the ID were to lead to it.
A pain in all the diodes down Marvin's left side?
Interesting - the 'no' to television, from which I am tempted to assume that it did not appear/occur in the television series.
The shoe event horizon?
Did it appear only in the first series?
pain in diodes? no.
[I believe I am correct in saying that it did not appear in the TV series, although I don't really remember the TV version very well]
shoe event horizon? no.
only in first series? no.
Was it seen by Arthur or was it an entry from "the Guide"?
seen by arthur/entry from guide? It was not seen by Arthur as such, although it had consequences for him (and he saw several of those consequences). As far as I recall the guide didn't say anything about it, although my memory may be letting me down there.
Does it involve hyperspace?
involve hyperspace? I suppose it very well might.
A brain the size of a planet?
planet-sized brain? No.
A bowl of petunias?
The total perspective vortex?
petunias? No. [Raak] Reminder: it is abstract. Reminder no 2: not in the TV series.
TPV? No.
Did it happen on a spaceship rather than a planet?
spaceship rather than planet? It is hard to say where it happened. It is not even clear that is a meaningful question. However, in the radio series and book, it had implications on a planet and -- if I recall correctly -- on a spaceship as well.
The artistic necessity that holds a gigantic paper cup made of marble suspended in midair?
The birth of Zaphod Beeblebrox
(Which allegedly caused comets to streak across the sky and civilisations to rise and fall)
artistic necessity? no.
birth of ZB? no.
Did I mention that this could go on for a very long time with this kind of guessing? :-)
Is it a characteristic (or quality of something, as opposed to a thing)?
sorry, I didn't word that too well, but anyway...
Were any of the main characters involved?
My question may seem meaningless to someone who knows the answer and when it is finally I will probably think "what a duff question That was!". Have no fear, I shall ask you no more of this type of question.
characteristic of something? No, not really?
main characters involved? two main characters were very significantly affected.
Does this appear/occur in the first book?
Inkspot] No - it produced a definite answer, which makes it a very good question for this round.
first book? No. (*some applause*) [Clarification: to be honest, it is many years since I read the books, and I always knew the radio series better anyway. It definitely did not appear in the first radio series, and I am pretty certain that it therefore did not appear in the first book.]
The act of falling on the floor and missing?
how to fly? no.
Bistromathics?
bistromath? no.
The Golgafrinchan exodus?
Most of the way through The restaurant at the end of the universe, and no nearer the answer, but re-confirmed in the view that the radio series was better than the books.
Golgafrinchan exodus? no. I need to start thinking of some clues...
Day 9
[CdM] hmm - doubt if any clues will help me, not being over-familiar with Adams's work. But please slap a couple of mighty ones in. Then someone can guess this soon. Very soon.
eeeeek
[Chalky] Day 9? Really?? In some ways I think that the focus on Douglas Adams may not be the best way to go. And if you have hung around the morniverse, you will also have seen many references to it.
teleportation?
*suddenly wonders if that's a word or not* I think I need a language transplant.
teleportation? no.
The problem that no-one who wants to be President can be trusted with the job?
Anything to do with sport?
George Bush? no.
krikkit? no.
Procrastination?
More seriously - is it something to do with the destruction of the earth?
procrastination? I'll tell you tomorrow.
destruction of earth? No.
Is it an abstract concept for the book's characters?
Does it have visible/tangible effects
(OK, I know that's two questions in one)
Although we associate it with HHGTTG, could it actually occur/exist in real life?
abstract for book's characters? Yes. (Good question)
visible/tangible effects? Yes. Though, in the context of the book/series, more easily visible than tangible.
exist in real life? I answered that somewhat cryptically earlier on. As far as I know, the concept is entirely fictional. But then I'm not a physicist, so I could be wrong. Or the physicists could be wrong. And while I think all of us here associate it with HHGTTG, something similar almost certainly existed in prior works of fiction, and I think it now has acquired something of a life of its own, in that I suspect people refer to it without knowing about HHGTTG. I could be wrong about that too, though.
The end of the universe?
milliways? No.
Are ghosts involved?
Anything to do with wormholes?
Are the two main characters very significantly affected Arthur and Ford?
ghosts? No.
wormholes? No, or at least not exactly, or perhaps yes. *applause from audience*
Arthur and Ford affected? Yes. *more applause*
Can't think of the name of the damm effect, but is it how Arthur and Ford got from Magrathea to the Golgafrinchan exodus?
extensive time travel in both directions interrupted by a good meal? No.
Hmmmm
Another clue, perhaps...?
Nonono. The way I look at it, you should all keep guessing, and at sometime in the way distant future someone will get the correct answer, and then it will show up here tomorrow.
eddies in the space time continuum?
                            -
is he...?
eddy's? YES! Well, strictly speaking, only one eddy, but I am certainly not going to drag this out any longer.
*exhaustedly hands the baton to flerdle*
eek!
ok, quick and dirty... M I N E R A L
Is it a specific object?
[Darren] Yes?
[flerdle] Was that a question, or Australian intonation?
you've been watching too much Neighbours...
heh heh :-)
Darren's question was somewhat ambiguous, hence my uncertainty.
Are there many of these?
[Rosie] Yes.
Are they largely metallic objects?
woohoo
[Rosie] Yes!
Is it a Brass Monkey?
Is it mass produced or manufactured?
Are they machines of some sort?
[Gusset Login] Brass Monkey? No.
[Inkspot] mass produced/manufactured? Yes.
[Raak] machines of some sort? No.
Are they tools?
Do they nedd electrcal power to be used?
An item of cutlery?
[Raak] Hmmm. Yes, I think.
[Inkspot] nedd electrical power? No.
[Rosie] item of cutlery? No.
Shovels?
Are they used with one hand?
[Irouleguy] Shovels? no.
[Raak] used with one hand? Hmmmm. Yes.
Are they used together with other tools?
[Nea] Used together with other tools? No. That is, one of these can do its job by itself.
Do they have any connection to IKEA?
heh
[CdM] No. Sorry. But good guess :-)
Pliers?
Just so this doesn't last forever, I don't think that working your way through the contents of your toolbox is the way to go here...
[Irouleguy] Pliers? No.
Are they flexible or pliant?
Are they normally found in the home rather than a workplace?
[gabrielized] flexible/pliant? Somewhat.
[Inkspot] found in home rather than workplace? No, i.e. found in both, depending on home and workplace.
Paper Clips?
Drawing pins?
[gabrielized] Just a quick btw: it makes it easier when we're putting summaries together if you put the questions in "Apropos," because it makes them obviously different from comments (like this one).
Anything to do with gardening?
[gabrielized] Paper clips? YES. Well done. Over to you.
  • WOW i got it? A N I M A L
    • Human?
    A particular instance of an animal/human?
    Dead?
    Furry?
    Does it have legs?
    Are you still there?
    Is it a fish?
    Fictional?
    # Rosie - Human? Yes # Darren - A particular instance of an animal/human? Yes # Tuj - Dead? Not exactly # irach - Furry? Not particularly # Kim - Does it have legs? Yes # Rosie - Are you still there?yes, sorry, this is a weighty responsibility! sorry! # Gusset Login - Is it a fish? No # Raak - Fictional? In a way, yes.
    (new at this and not doing well with the formatting...) A Hint - it is mentioned in a popular novel.
    Is this a character loosely based on a real person?
    Male?
    [Dujon - Is this a character loosely based on a real person?] Not a character but yes, based on reality. [Rosie - Male?] Yes.
    Is the novel more than 50 years old?
    [Rosie - Is the novel more than 50 years old?] No.
    Anything to do with the Harry Potter stories
    [Rosie - Anything to do with the Harry Potter stories] No.
    Not something from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, then?
    Is this a real person who makes an appearance in a work of fiction?
    No, not HGTTG.
    [CdM - Is this a real person who makes an appearance in a work of fiction?] This is a representation of a man that makes an appearance in a work of fiction; and figures prominently in that work of fiction.
    A physical representation, like a portrait or a statue?
    Raak! YES........................which one?
    Is the person represented alive?
    tough question. I suppose not, in a way, yes. Sorry, that's a matter of interpretation. The exact person dead, but could probably find others like that one now alive.
    Is there just one of the physical representation?
    Is the person the holder of some official position?
    Any religious connotations?
    Raak - there is just one original of this representation. Rosie - No indication that the person is the holder of any official position. Darren - There are no religious connotations to the person or the representation - apparently.
    Is this best known as a painting?
    Is it some sort of "modern art"?
    Is the person anonymous?
    It is a painting or more likely, a pencil drawing by someone very famous for art. Not modern art at all. The person, the subject of the sketch, is rather anonymous.
    Is the novel in question the Da Vinci Code?
    Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man?
    Yes, in DaVinci Code, the Vitruvian MAN!!! YOU WIN!!
    (ImNotJohn) Are you there?
    Is it the ordnance survey symbol for a cairn?
    Is it the ordinance survey symbol for CdM?
    That's "ordnance" of course. Even having the word right in front of me didn't stop me misspelling it.
    If ImNotJohn doesn't materialise perhaps Néa should start one. She got closest.
    Sorry
    Had to take a little bit of time off to work.
    This one is MINERAL

    CdM - Y....No.
    Darren - No

    Is it man-made?
    Is the Eiffel Tower?
    Is it a specific object?
    It just occurred to me that CdM might have an unfair advantage here.
    [GL] - No is the answer that helps most
    [all] - No
    [Darren] - Yes
    (Or alternatively CdM might have an unfair disadvantage.)
    Is it on the Earth?
    [Raak] Yes
    The white cliffs of Dover?
    Is it bigger than a house?
    Mount Rushmore?
    Basically watery?
    Cold
    [all] - No
    [Raak] - No
    [GL] - No
    [Rosie] - No
    In Europe?
    Is it usually found inside a building?
    Is it a notable precious stone?
    Does it belong to someone well-known?
    How did you do that?
    [Néa] - Yes
    [Kim] - Yes
    [Raak] - Yes (startled pause followed by prolonged applause)
    [Tuj] - Yes
    The Crown Jewels?
    The Hope Diamond?
    (er, except that fails the Europe test. And possibly the belonging to someone well-known test...)
    [Rosie] - No, but Yes, but No, but Yes, but NO
    [CdM] - No
    The Koh i Noor?
    (trying to decide if that's a really stupid question or not, and leaning towards "yes", so asking it anyway)
    The Star of Africa?
    Well that wasn't that hard, was it?
    [Néa] - No
    [all] - YES
    Cullinan 1 or 'The Star of Africa' (if you'd been struggling I would probably have accepted 'The Cullinan Diamond', but thanks to Raak's astounding intuitive leap it all went rather quickly)
    So, over to all
    drawing a line under it
    That was unexpected
    um...

    MINERAL

    Is it man-made?
    Is there just one of it?
    Is it on earth?
    Is it a notable precious stone?
    [ImNotJohn] - Yes
    [Raak] - Yes
    [CdM] - Yes
    [Néa] - Nope
    An engineering structure?
    [Rosie] - I'll say, Yes, pending a clarification of the term "engineering structure"
    Is it a building?
    Is it bigger than a phone box?
    Is it made entirely of metal?
    Is it a sculpture?
    Does it carry a means of transport?
    Does it have a practical use?
    Is it in Britain?
    The Angel of the North?
    [CdM] - No
    [Raak] - Yes (Audience, titters)
    [Tuj] - No
    [Dazed5] No
    [Rosie] - Yes (applause)
    [Darren] - Yes
    [Inkspot] - Yes
    [ImNotJohn] No
    Is it either the London Underground in general, or Mornington Crescent in particular?
    Obvious, I know, but someone has to ask.
    The inside of the Tardis?
    Or rather, just the Tardis?
    [CdM] - (Much Applause) No and No.
    [Raak] - No
    [Raak] - No
    Is it the Northern Line?
    [CdM] - YES! Well done. Over to you
    And once again I sneak in on someone else's coattails, as it were. OK, this one is
    ABSTRACT
    Is it in a fictional work?
    Is it an emotion?
    In fictional work? No.
    Emotion? No.
    A religion?
    Religion? No.
    A human construct?
    Human construct? Yes.
    Is it a form of entertainment?
    Form of entertainment? smattering of applause. No, but it has a connection to a form of entertainment.
    Is it audible?
    Audible? No.
    Samantha?
    Samantha? No.
    Is it connected to something competitive?
    Connected to something competitive? Yes. The competitive aspect is perhaps not hugely important, though.
    Is it a game of Mornington Crescent?
    The Laser Display Board?
    A bifurcation?
    Points?
    Ignore my last effort, which is not even abstract were it to actually exist.
    Game of MC? No. substantial applause from audience
    Abstract Display Board? No. (actually, I would have thought the LDB was very definitely abstract)
    Bifurcation? 1. No. 2. Yes. Congratulations! You won on the second strand! Unfortunately you still need to get the answer on the original strand.
    Points? No.
    The rules of Mornington Crescent?
    Rules of MC? No.
    Is it a technical term in MC (such as knip)?
    Knip (or some such)? Kno. (The audience is now concerned that it applauded too hard after Botherer's question.)
    Is it game other than MC played in the Morniverse?
    Morniverse game other than MC? No. loud applause from audience
    Is it the Morniverse?
    ISIHAC?
    ISIHAC? No.
    Morniverse? No.
    Mornington Crescent?
    MC? No. (a rather confused response from the audience; a few people applauding enthusiastically but most remaining silent)
    Connected with a pastime or form of entertainment not in the Morniverse?
    (Three questions for the price of one!)
    Connected with Non-morniverse entertainment? Yes (but I doubt if that is particularly helpful).
    A Tim-Tam slam?
    Tim-tam slam? No. I'd keep focusing on the morniverse, if I were you.
    mc5?
    mc^5? No. (some applause)
    Orange?
    Orange? No. (stony silence from the audience)
    A winning move?
    A pilgrimage?
    A winning move? Yes, but that is not sufficient. (loud and sustained applause from audience)
    A pilgrimage? No.
    *The* winning move?
    A lurker's victory in a game of MC?
    The final move of the MC^5 long game?
    The winning move? No.
    Lurker's victory? No.
    End of the long game? No.
    hmmmmmm...
    actually, you might be very very close with *the* winning move, but I need a clarification...
    A cry of "Mornington Crescent"?
    The final move of a game of MC?
    The first move of a game of Reverse MC?
    No, no, and no ... you weren't quite as close as I thought you might be. :-)
    That's lucky, it's time someone else got a chance to set one.
    The winner?
    Do eeither of the words 'mornington' or 'crescent' appear in the answer?
    The winner? No.
    M or C? No.
    Is the answer the winning move of a game?
    Is the answer the winning move of a game? Yes. (ushers are moving among the audience to try to get them to be quiet, and the riot police are starting to look nervous)
    Baker Street?
    (cconnection to another form of entertainment - but then again it wasn't supposed to appear in a fictional work)
    Baker Street? No. (I said that the other form of entertainment might not be helpful. I simply meant that the form of entertainment in question exists outside the morniverse as well as inside it.)
    is it theMC5 Audience when it *shouts, screams and generally goes wild for someone*?
    Stora Mossen?
    I never met a winning move I didn't like
    MC5 audience? No.
    Stora Mossen? No.
    You're running out of time today, folks; it's gone 11pm here...
    Is the answer the name of a station?
    name of a station? No.
    Boardo!?
    sorry CdM - are we keeping you up? :-)
    Boardo? No. And no you are not -- I have been working up to now. But you are probably going to have to wait until tomorrow, now...
    The Last Line Of A Limerick?
    Checkmate?
    Limerick?
    Said Gertrude, that master of prose
    "A rose is a rose is a rose"
    There's wisdom, you see
    In tautology:
    An answer's an answer, I s'pose.

    Checkmate? No.
    The end of this game?
    Is it a punchline?
    [Raak] I think that is close enough!
    The answer to this round of AVMA is "the answer to this round of AVMA". Over to you
    After that rarefied flight of circular fancy, a very down to earth MINERAL.
    Is it man-made?
    Is it found on Earth?
    [GL] Yes.
    [all] Yes.
    Is it a building?
    [Néa] No.
    Are there many of these?
    Is it bigger than a bread box?
    [Rosie] No. (But there are more than one.)
    [all] Yes. (All of them are. Each of them is.)
    Does it move?
    [INJ] No. At least, they're not supposed to.
    Are it made of stone?
    Are they to be found in Britain?
    [all] Um...no.
    [GL] Yes.
    That's all for today, I'm off shortly to a concert at the Aldeburgh Festival.
    Were they all made after 1900?
    I hope you enjoyed your evening the programme, not that I am in the least bit jealous.
    Are these objects identical, more or less?
    Would these consist of a soft, earthy substance, of a white, grayish, or yellowish white color, consisting of calcium carbonate, and having the same composition as common limestone?
    [Inkspot] Yes. (The Orlando Consort, giving a concert of Baroque recreational depression -- Tallis, Purcell, Tomkins, etc. There was a BBC OB van there, so it might get broadcast at some point, but of course, that's nothing like being there.)
    [Rosie] They're similar.
    [Dujon] Soft? No.
    Are they composed entirely of a single substance?
    [INJ] They are known for it!
    Is the substance liquid?
    [INJ] No.
    Does the name of the substance appear in the answer?
    [GL] Yes.
    Is the substance iron?
    Is it made to be decorative?
    Are they all in the same city or town?
    A brick outhouse?
    [GL] No.
    [Inkspot] Yes.
    [Darren] Yes.
    [INJ] No.
    The Crown Jewels?
    Concrete cows?
    [Rosie] No.
    [GL] YES! The Concrete Cows of Milton Keynes.
    (Gusset Login) Coo-oo!
    [Gusset Login) Coo-ee!
    Sorry, I was away for a few days
    I assumed I had it wrong. um...

    Vegetable

    A potato?
    [Raak] - No
    Is it edible?
    [Darren] - Yes, or part of it is
    Is it processed?
    Can you buy it in a typical U.K. supermarket?
    [Darren] - No.
    [Raak] - No
    Does it grow wild in the U.K.?
    [Raak] - Yes
    Is the edible part of it a fruit?
    Is it a nettle?
    Is it later processed into a product?
    Is it a magic mushroom?
    [Kim] - No
    [CdM] - No
    [Rosie] - Yes
    [rab] - No.
    Is it rhubarb?
    Is it nicer with custard?
    Is it a type of grain?
    Is the edible bit green?
    Dandelion and Burdoch?
    Is it a mustard seed?
    [Darren] - No
    [Irouléguy] - No
    [Raak] - No
    [Tuj] - The websites I've checked are undecided about the green bit being edible.
    [Dujon] - No
    [CdM] - No
    Hops?
    Would you (well, not necessarily you personally) ever eat the edible bit in its unprocessed form?
    [Chalky] - No
    [CdM] - Yes
    It might be worth clarifying that most products produced from it are not intended to be edible
    Are those products flowers?
    Oil See Rape?
    or perhaps Linseed?
    [Irouléguy] - No
    [Chalky] - No (nor Oilseed Rape)
    [Chalky] - No
    Are the products produced from it mostly liquid?
    Is it a tree?
    [Darren] - No
    [Rosie] - Yes
    Is the edible part a nut?
    [Darren] - No
    Is the product produced from it decorative?
    Is the non-edible product timber?
    [Darren] - That depends, can you think of any decorative uses for wood?
    [Raak] - Yes
    Is the answer a particular tree (such as a maple tree, for example)?
    Are we looking for the final product?
    [CdM] - Yes
    [Darren] - No, it's a tree
    So we are looking for a tree that grows wild in Britain and which has an edible part that is not a leaf or a fruit or a nut or a blossom...
    A pine tree?
    Licorice?
    If I'm right, someone else needs to carry the torch...
    The mighty oak?
    My "other" computer is an Acorn but I've never eaten one.
    Is the edible bit a vegetable?
    [CdM] - Good summary, But you forgot to mention that the edible part can be eaten raw and it is mainly used for non-edible products.

    [Raak] - No
    [Botherer] - No
    [Rosie] - No
    [Irouléguy] - No, the whole thing is a tree.

    Willow
    The bark is edible in small quantities but is mostly used for medicinal ones
    [ImNotJohn] - No, but you're thinking along the right lines
    Is the edible part the sap?
    Alder?
    [Raak] - Yes, but also the bark.
    [Inkspot] - No
    Is it from the salicaceae family of trees?
    [Inkspot] - No
    Family Fagaceae?
    Jesuit's bark aka cinchona?
    [Darren] - No
    [Irouléguy] - I've never heard quinine bark called that before... No

    Would a clue be useful at this point?

    WE will ask the questions, Mr Login. Er, yes please. :-)
    Very well.

    It's a conifer and easy to recognise from a distance.

    The Larch?
    [Darren] - YES! Well done, it would have been easier if no one had asked about it being edible, which it is, apparently.
    Ah, but it's the unexpected questions that can produce misleading answers which are so much fun!

    So, this one is primarily VEGETABLE but I wouldn't be surprised if MINERAL or indeed ANIMAL could be involved in some cases.

    Stovold's Mornington Crescent Almanac 2002 ?
    Is the vegetable still alive?
    [Chalky] I can see your reasoning, but no.
    [Gusset Login] No.
    Is it man-made?
    Austrian wine?
    GL] I know the name from the Patrick O'Brian 'Master and commander' books.
    [ImNotJohn] Yes.
    [Irouléguy] Not typically, but some of them may well be.
    [Irouléguy] Whoops, I thought you said "Austrian made?". It's not Austrian wine.
    Is it monochromatic or multi-coloured?
    [irach] Normally multi-coloured.
    Is it largely wooden?
    [Rosie] Sometimes it can be.
    A set of children's building blocks?
    [Raak] No.
    A work of art?
    Are you using, eating or viewing one now?
    Does one normally use it at home?
    Is it a book?
    [Rosie] Could be, I suppose, but not normally.
    [irach] (1) No, no and no. (2) Yes.
    [Irouléguy] No.
    Can it be read?
    [Raak] No.
    A chopping board?
    [all] No.
    Is it an item of furniture?
    A cupboard of some kind?
    [Raak] No.
    [Rosie] No.
    Is it generally found in the kitchen? In the living room? In the bedroom?
    [irach] (1) No. (2) I suppose if anywhere, you might find it there. (3) No. Well... depends on whose bedroom, I suppose!
    Were you being sneakily literal in your earlier response to the question "is it man-made?"?
    *slinks off to hide in the corner*
    Eeeek... I didn't mean to post that question; it was prompted by a stupid misreading on my part. Sorry. Please carry on.
    [CdM] It's not the product of a bodily function, if that's what you mean. It's a manufactured product.
    Can one curl up on or in it if one is larger than an average-sized domestic cat?
    Does it generally have a glass component to it, in addition to sometimes being wooden?
    Is it elongated, and sometimes made of metal?
    A coaster?
    Is it a bookshelf?
    [irach] (1) No.
    [RedSnapper] No.
    [irach] (2) Yes (elongated), but as far as I know, no (not metal).
    [Raak] No.
    [all] No.
    In its normal use or state of being, is it found above eye-level when one (of usual adult height of say, five to seven feet) is standing and looking straight ahead in its direction ?
    [irach] No.
    Is it an implement of some kind?
    [Rosie] Not really.
    Would most players of this game be likely to have one in their homes?
    [Darren] er, no, I didn't mean that at all. I simply had misread, and thought you had said it was not man-made. Then I realized my mistake, but posted instead of editing my question. In other words I was confused, which is a not unusual state-of-being for me.
    [CdM] I would say no. As for your other unquestion, well, just look on it as getting an extra answer for free.
    Is it smaller than a breadbin?
    [Raak] Yes.
    Is it connected with a hobby or interest?
    Summary (is it just me, or are we having these more often?)

    It is: man-made (as in constructed by humans); possibly, but not typically, Austrian; multi-coloured; possibly wooden; possibly, but not normally, a work of art; used at home, most likely in the living-room; elongated; smaller than a bread-bin; normally found below the eye-line of the average-height person.

    It is (or was) not: Austrian wine; a set of children's building blocks; being used, eaten or viewed by Darren at 09.38 BST on Friday; a book; readable; a chopping-board; furniture; a cupboard; generally found in the kitchen or the bedroom; something you can curl up on or in (if larger than a cat); containing glass or metal; a coaster; a bookshelf; really an implement; something that most players of this game would have in their houses.

    Who was it who said 'knowledge is power'?

    Is it culturally specific?
    [Rosie] Almost anything could be!
    [Irouléguy] Hmmm... its name would suggest so.
    [Irouléguy] So as not to be too misleading, though, it's not something I'd say is culturally specific.
    bric-a-brac?
    [Raak] No.
    A walking-stick?
    [Rosie] No.
    A ouija board?
    [Raak] No.
    Is the vegetable part solely wood?
    A pencil-case?
    [Irouléguy] As I implied above, no. There doesn't have to be any wood involved, although there sometimes is.
    [Raak] No.
    If no wood, then necessarily plastic?
    a ruler?
    [Rosie] Not necessarily.
    [all] No.
    Is the vegetable part some form of dried grass (straw, hay, etc)?
    A window box?
    [Irouléguy] The funny thing is, it can be, but that's such an incredibly misleading answer!
    [Raak] No.

    Does anyone want a clue?

    (Darren) Yes please. Most of the answers seem to be a Pythonesque "could be". I detect widespread bafflement, of which I'm part. :-)
    "Could be" is partly because I'm a vague person, and partly because I don't like leading people up too many dark alleys. Anyway, a clue: it's a kind of puzzle.
    Is it generally placed on the floor, or is it in fact part of the floor?
    Can one place umbrellas in it? As part of its normal usage, that is?
    [irach] No and no.
    [RedSnapper] No.
    puzzled
    Does this have any physical manifestation at all? Or is it purely conceptual?
    confused
    (Ansering my own questions) we're looking for the physical object. Is it essential to the game or puzzle? That is, can one play without the thing?
    Dominoes?
    [Effable] No, one cannot do this puzzle without the thing.
    [Gusset Login] No.
    Can it be turned off, or easily hidden away when house guests arrive?
    Would you allow house guests to use yours? Even if they were only casual acquaintances ?
    [irach] Turned off? No. Hidden away? Yes.
    [RedSnapper] House guests? Yes. Casual acquaintances? Yes.
    Is it typically held in one's hand when in use?
    A Rubik Cube?
    [irach] Yes... and yet no.
    [Rosie] No.
    A "Fifteen" puzzle?
    Is the 'puzzle' a word game?
    Su doku?
    I hope I'm wrong.
    pick-a-stix [that game with long pointy things]
    [Rosie] No.
    [Dujon] No.
    [all] No.
    [Chalky] No.
    irach's question about holding it is a potentially rewarding line of enquiry.
    Scoubi-dou? (spelling?)
    A Magic Wand?
    One of those stick-like things that will spin one way but not the other?
    Spinning plates?
    Is it some form of writing implement?
    Playing cards?
    [Irouléguy] No.
    [ImNotJohn] No.
    [Raak] No.
    [Kim] No.
    [irach] No.
    [all] No.
    A computer mouse?
    A crossword puzzle?
    paddle ball?
    [irach] No.
    [Rosie] No.
    [all] No.
    Could you take it on a camping trip with you without having to lug an electrical generator? Can you leave home without it?
    Is the vegetable part of it part of its name?
    [irach] (1) Yes. (2) Yes.
    [Irouléguy] No.
    Is it used in a recreation involving more than one person?
    pooh-sticks?
    Was this puzzle around in 1950?
    Jigsaw puzzle?
    [Raak] As far as I know, no.
    [Chalky] No.
    [Rosie] Yes.
    [irach] No.
    Solitaire?
    A piece of juggling apparatus?
    [Rosie] No.
    [Raak] No, unless you were a very unusual juggler.

    Another clue, anyone?

    (Darren) Go on.
    Is it normal to have more than one?
    Does the puzzle/game involve trying to catch something?
    Is it rectangular with specific places where one's fingers go?
    [all] (1) Neither normal nor abnormal. (2) No.
    [RedSnapper] Rectangular? Depends which way you look at it. Specific places for fingers? Yes.
    It is hollow?
    [Raak] Yes.
    Does it have moving parts?
    Does it have keys or buttons to place one's fingers on?
    Does it rhyme with "cord"?
    [Effable] No. It's got flexible parts though.
    [irach] (1) No. (2) No.
    Is is a folded paper puzzle?
    [Dazed5] No.
    Does the puzzle involve getting things into or out of this thing?
    Are you going to give us the clue Rosie asked for?
    Are building blocks involved in any way?
    Is it for children as well as adults?
    Can you easily bend it? (assuming you have average, and not Herculean strength)
    [Raak] Yes.
    [all] I was going to but you seem to be getting pretty close now.
    [Irouléguy] No.
    [Chalky] Yes.
    [irach] Yes.
    Cat's Cradle?
    A Chinese finger-trap?
    [Rosie] No.
    [Raak] YES! Well done!

    So, it goes over to Raak for the next round.

    A finger-trap made of wood?

    The next one is MINERAL

    [Raak] Yep, they can be made of wood.
    Is it metallic?
    is it solid?
    Is it larger than a teacup? (An average one, not the spinning kind in Disneyland)
    Is it man-made?
    Is it a geological feature?
    Is it on this planet?
    Metallic? Yes.
    Solid? Yes.
    Larger than teacup? Yes.
    Man-made? Yes.
    Geological? No.
    On Earth? Yes.
    Is there only one of this?
    [finger-trap] After googling and finding a picture I can now state certainly that I have never seen nor heard of it - is it me, or generational, or geographical?
    [INJ] More than one.
    [INJ] (fingertraps) I saw them as a child in Edinburgh, erm, later middle C20.
    Do they come in different sizes?
    Is this used in the home?
    Chinese Finger Trap - I've never heard of this either. T'was rather an anticlimax really :-(
    Different sizes: Yes.
    In the home: No.
    Do you typically see it when driving on the street?
    [IMJ, Chalky - Type www.ebay.com and put in "Chinese Finger trap" in the Search box. You'll see pictures of this infernal device]
    Could you lift it?
    A poll of 7 friends in The Greyhound, Carshalton revealed only one who had ever heard of Chinese Finger Traps. I think The Object should always be well known, so no characters from cult novels etc, or obscure asteroids. The game is difficult enough.
    Is it used in cooking?
    Is it / are they used in industry?
    Is it mobile?
    Is it a construction of multiple parts?
    [Darren et al] Sorry, didn't mean to complain - what is well-known to one person may be obscure to others. It did explain why we found it so difficult though.
    Typically see while driving: No.
    Lift it: Yes.
    Cooking: No.
    Industry: No.
    Mobile: Yes (but not under its own power).
    Construction of parts: Yes.
    Is it bigger than a breadbox?
    [Finger traps] I've heard of them, but didn't think they were made of wood. Normally it's straw or leather.
    Bigger than breadbox: Yes.
    Is it closer to being rectangular or circular when viewed head-on ?
    Er...no.
    Is one likely to encounter it/them in everyday life ?
    [fingertraps] They can be (and are) made of all sorts of things, which is why I had to be so vague about it. I would have thought everyone would have heard of them. The thing is, it's hard for one person to tell what everyone else has heard of without asking explicitly beforehand. Still, someone got it in the end which is what counts.
    [irach] Most people won't.
    Meteorites?
    Meteorites? No.
    Powered by electricity?
    No.
    A container of some sort?
    Yes. (amusement in the audience)
    Is it associated with substances not normally mentioned in polite company?
    No.
    (The audience's amusement was due to the fact that "a container" is so precisely accurate a description that only a child would spontaneously think of calling it one.)
    A chastity belt?
    A pair of handcuffs?
    No, and no.
    Are they normally found above ground?
    Yes.
    Does it have any moving parts?
    Let's see.. Metallic... Man made... On earth...Not used in cooking...Not used in industry...Made of multiple parts...Not typically seen when driving... Can be lifted...Not likely to be encountered by most people in everyday life...Not powered by elecctricity... Normally found above ground... Container of a sort (likely to induce chuckles)... Hmm .. sure sounds like a metallic bra by Jean-Paul Gaultier as worn by Madonna, but probably isn't.
    Moving parts? Yes.
    Metallic bra? No.
    Industrial use, in a broad sense?
    A waste paper bin?
    Industrial? No.
    Waste bin? No.
    Clue yet?
    Clue? Go on.
    Try and find out its size.
    OK - what size is it?
    only kidding. Is it smaller than the Malaysian Peninsula?
    Is it larger than the New Forest?
    Smaller than both.
    Is it larger than a thimble?
    The Tardis?
    *waves at CdM*
    Have just taken the trouble to read back and it seems that it's BIGGER than a breadbox but you can LIFT it - the plot thickens
    Bigger than a thimble.
    Not the Tardis. And smaller than the outside of the Tardis.
    [Chalky] Lots of things bigger than a breadbox that you can lift...or does breadbox not mean what I think it means?
    Is it powered by human effort (like a bicycle)?
    A suit of armour?
    [INJ] Yes.
    [Chalky] YES! Over to you.
    Oo-er! That was rather unexpected. OK - as I'm here ...

    A N I M A L / A B S T R A C T

    Is it a fictional human?
    Are they male?
    The Cheshire Cat?
    [I] Fictional Human? Yes
    [GL] Male? Yes
    [R] The Cheshire Cat? No
    Are they best known for being a character in a film?
    Is he an adult fictional human?
    Appears in Victorian-era literature?
    Is he a comic book or cartoon character?
    Is he a character in a novel?
    Is it a specific single individual?
    [GL] character in film? Arguable, but I'd say No
    [i] Adult? No
    [RS] Victorian era? No
    [i] comic/cartoon? No
    [I] novel? Yes
    [INJ] specific individual? Yes
    Does the name of the novel include the name of the answer?
    Does this non-adult fictional male character that appears in a novel hail from the British Isles?
    was the novel written in English?
    Harry Potter?
    Going for the obvious...
    Adrian Mole?
    Going for very nearly as obvious...
    sorry for the long wait - I went out tonight
    [INJ] name including name? No
    [i] British Isles? Yes
    [E] English? Yes
    [Ra] Harry boy? Nah - 'though going for the obvious may not be a bad move - this is a relatively well-known child character in a novel which, I think, most of us will have, or been forced to have, read at some point in our lives.
    [Ro] Adrian? No
    was Dickens the author of the novel?
    Was this young fellow involved with pirates?
    William Brown?
    Is the child the main protagonist of the novel?
    Does he appear in one novel, as opposed to a series?
    [E] Dickens? No
    [D] Pirates? If you're thinking R L Stephenson, then No
    [R] William? No
    [I] main protagonist? certainly one of them, Yes
    [Néa] one novel? Yes

    [I'll be away until lunchtime]

    Piggy (from Lord of the Flies)?
    I'm reasoning along the lines that it's 20th Century (although we only know that it's not Victorian) and that Chalky said we may have been forced to read it, which suggests something slightly more serious than HP or the Famous Five.
    Was the novel written in the 20th century?
    Just to confirm.
    Wart?
    Peter from 'The railway children'?
    A Result
    [I'm Not John] Your reasoning is exemplary - Piggy it is!

    Well played - here's the baton ....

    Well, what do you know?
    Thank you, though you might have given the baton a bit of a wipe down before passing it on. The next one is
    ANIMAL & VEGETABLE
    Sausages and mash?
    [Raak] No (but think how good you'll feel when one of your stabs in the dark does work)
    A partridge in a pear tree?
    The New Forest?
    Is the vegetable part still attached and growing ton the plant or is it detached, and parts now combined with the animal product in question?
    Hamburger and French Fries?
    Irish stew?
    [GL] No
    [Chalky] No
    [Irach] No ;-)......Oh, all right then - No and Yes(ish), but you've made a lot of assumptions
    [RS] No
    [Irach] No
    Is this something you eat?
    I was wondering when someone would ask that
    [Raak] Yes
    Would this be served as a meal on a plate?
    2 questions
    [Chalky] No, but the answers you probably want are - No and Yes
    [INJ] ah yes - was meaning: 'meal on a plate' as opposed to 'lolly on a stick' type of thing. But as you have vair kindly given me a precise answer ....
    Would this be considered British food?
    [Chalky] Yes
    That's it until tomorrow morning now
    Fish and chips?
    Is the animal part meat?
    Haggis?
    is this an accompaniment to a meal?
    [RS] No
    [Raak] No
    [Iroul] No
    [Chalky] No
    Is cheese involved?
    Is it savoury [as opposed to sweet]?
    [Chalky] No (small ripple from the audience)
    Meetings until lunchtime now.
    Cheesecake?
    Is cheese involved?
    I know I asked before, but you didn't answer
    Jaffa cakes?
    Pastry?
    ice-cream?
    Buttered toast?
    Is the animal part eggs?
    Cookies and milk?
    Back online
    [Raak] cheesecake - NO
    [GL] cheese - NO (sorry)
    [Iroul] Jaffas - NO
    [Chalky]Pastry - NO
    [GL] Ice cream - NO
    [irach] toast - NO
    [RS] animal part eggs - YES (Partly)
    [irach] Cookies & Milk - NO
    Some kind of cake?
    An omelette?
    Yorkshire pudding?
    French Toast?
    Is is a McDonalds Egg McMuffin?
    pancake?
    [Chalky] cake - NO (applause at the question and a bit of tutting and shaking of heads at the answer)
    [Raak] omelette - NO
    [Iroul] Yorkshire pud - NO
    [GL] French Toast - NO
    [Kim] Egg McMuffin - NO
    [Chalky] Pancake - NO
    Is the vegetable part a fruit?
    Is a cow in any way involved with its origins?
    [irach] a fruit? - Mostly NO
    [RS] Is a cow involved? - YES
    .The audience sits in stony silence through those questions and answers
    Is it a well-loved traditional British pudding?
    Custard?
    Spam, sausage, spam, spam, bacon, spam, tomato and spam?
    [Chalky] - YES (applause)
    [all] custard? - Each to his own taste, but for me the answer is NO
    Oh, you meant, 'is it custard?' - NO.
    [Néa] - NO (I think most people would regard that as a touch savoury - unless you ignore the Spam, Sausage, Bacon and Spam)
    Pineapple upside-down pudding?
    Spotted Dick?
    [Raak] - NO
    [Chalky] - NO (avoiding all the obvious comments)
    Is it bread and butter pudding?
    Can't be long now
    [all] - NO
    Jam roly-poly?
    Yorkshire Pudding?
    Is it typically eaten at Christmas?
    Rice Pudding?
    [Raak] Jam roly-poly? - NO (but on the right lines)
    [irach] still NO
    [Néa] xmas - NO
    [Chalky] Rice Pud? - NO
    How many words "on the card"?
    I think this is a legitimate question, traditionally.
    [Rosie] - it depends which version of the game you're thinking of, but I'm happy to answer. 3 (though there is a two-word answer which I might consider close enough).
    Caramel pudding?
    Dumplings?
    lemon meringue pie?
    [irach] Caramel pudding? - NO but sooooo close
    [Raak] - NO
    Sticky Toffee Pudding
    (not sure if that is any different from caramel pudding, mind you...)
    Death By Chocolate?
    Sussex Pond Pudding?
    Sorry for the previous guess, didnt see it had 3 words.
    And the winner is
    [CdM] - YES - Sticky Toffee Pudding it is
    I did have a little debate with myself over caramel pudding - I'd already decided to accept syrup/treacle sponge. I just wasn't quite sure what was meant by it exactly (for example is 'Crème Caramel' a caramel pudding. So, butter, eggs & milk for the animal and the fruit was because traditionally, it should be made with date sponge. So it's over to CdM.
    [Dazed5] I wish I'd thought of that - I would have used it if I had.
    All right -- I think this should be an easy one, actually.
    ABSTRACT
    anarcho-syndicalism?
    Can I buy a vowel please?
    anarcho-syndicalism? Oooh, very close, in the sense that "anarcho-syndicalism" contains all but one of the letters in both acceptable versions of the actual answer.
    Monday morning? (or mornings?)
    Is it a book?
    Mondays? No.
    Book? No.
    Is the missing letter in "anarcho-syndicalism" an 'e'?
    e-missing? No. And to clarify: it is a different letter that is missing for each of the acceptable answers. But in neither case is the missing letter an "e" (and in only one of the two cases is the missing letter a vowel).
    Is the missing letter a "y"? As in anarchy?
    Is it, in the broadest sense, a philosophy?
    Is it a human concept?
    missing y? No, in neither case.
    philosoph_? No.
    human concept? yes.
    Is it a munificent human concept? Or the contrary?
    Munificent or the contrary? Er. I think I would say No and No.
    Is it a work of art?
    Work of art? No.
    Does it primarily or largely appear in a book?
    Primarily or largely appear in a book? *considerable applause from audience* No.
    Is it popular?
    Is it to do with books or reading?
    Is there a religious connection?
    Is a book part of it?
    Would Socrates have found use for it?
    Is it fiction?
    Popular? Somewhat, depending on what you mean by "popular".
    Books or reading? It need not have anything to do with books or reading, but having said that, there is a definite connection.
    Religious? No.
    Book part of it? No, although there is a connection to some books.
    Socrates? No.
    Fiction? No.
    A cataloguing scheme?
    Cataloguing scheme? No.
    Is it anything to do with colour?
    Is it a general human concept, or specific to a particular culture or cultures?
    Is there only one / one manifestation of this?
    Colour? No.
    General human concept? *applause from the audience* It is a specific cultural example of a general human concept.
    One / one manifestation? Yes. (See above: the answer is one specific manifestation of something more general.)
    Is it generally considered a positive attribute?
    Is it generally considered a negative attribute?
    Anything to do with, ahem, desire?
    Is it a thing called Love?
    Anything to do with religion?
    Positive? It is not an attribute. People would probably view it neutrally. Some people might view it positively (I know some people in the Morniverse do.) I see no reason why it would be viewed negatively in general.
    Negative? See above.
    Desire? No.
    Love? No.
    Religion? Still no.
    Scansion?
    Philology?
    Is, it: Punctuation?
    Rhythm?
    Language?
    Scansion: No.
    Philology: *some applause from the audience* No.
    Punctuation: *tiny smattering of applause* No.
    Rhythm: No.
    Language? *applause from audience* No.
    Is it a particular language?
    Particular language: *major applause from audience* Yes!
    Finnish / Suomi?
    (though isn't the language actually Suomen?)
    The Queen's English?
    Chinese/Mandarin?
    European?
    Do (does?) more than a tiny minority of the Morniverse understand it?
    Is it a computer language?
    html?
    Is it the language of luuuurve?
    Japanese?
    Kyllä!
    Finnish? YES! *throws baton at Néa* I never quite worked out all those Finnish cases, but I think "suomen" is the indirect passive fifth person ablative.
    [CdM]I think you left out non-neuter
    ooooooh
    Wow, this is quite a responsibility. *catches baton deftly and drops it on her foot*

    [CdM] I believe you'll find that all those cases is a reason that some people do, in fact, view it negatively :-) (I don't!)

    ABSTRACT
    Anarcho-syndicalism?
    It's got to be right some day.
    This is not that day
    [INJ] No. Some people would probably say that there is a connection, but that's not a very helpful clue.
    The long dark night of the soul?
    Summer?
    Sarcastic anachronisms? (Why not?)
    Political?
    [Raak] No. *a few people in the audience clap, though*
    [Iroulé] No.
    [RS] No. (Cos it isn't.)
    [Rosie] No.
    A Finnish winter?
    [Raak] No.
    FYI
    My Internet access will be patchy the next few days, but I should be able to log in at least once or twice a day.
    Does darkness have something to do with it?
    Hmmmmmm
    [Raak] I would say that darkness is implied but not necessary.
    Does it have anything to do with the weather?
    The long dark teatime of the soul?
    Hello Néa :-) Is this an emotion?
    Does the connection between the answer and anarcho-syndicalism have anything to do with Spain?
    [Irouléguy] No.
    [all] Hmmm. No.
    [Chalky] Hello. No. (*applause*)
    [Irouléguy] No.
    gothdom?
    Is it a state of mind?
    Is it anything physical?
    Is it a human construct?
    [Raak] No.
    [Chalky] No. *some applause*
    [Rosie] Yes but no but yes but no.
    [INJ] It is not a construct.
    Gloom? Despair? Dyspepsia?
    Fannishness?
    No, no, no and no. You are not really on the right track at the moment.
    Is it some sort of game?
    Hoping the points have been set right.
    Sleep?
    [Rosie] Not a game.
    [Raak] No, but now you are most definitely on the right track. *audience claps and cheers*
    A dream?
    I think he's getting it...
    Yes, but that's not specific enough.
    A nightmare?
    A dream of a better world?
    A Midsummer Night's Dream?
    Boo!
    [Rosie] YES! *hands over baton with a flourish*
    ABSTRACT, with MINERAL CONNECTIONS
    Should have added ANIMAL CONNECTIONS also.
    Anything to do with Harry Potter?
    Raak - Absolutely nothing. :-)
    Are the animal connections human?
    Irouléguy - Yes
    Anything to do with King Arthur?
    Raak - No, not a thing.
    Is the mineral connection metal?
    Is the human connection to a non-fictional human
    (ImNotJohn) - Both yes.
    Camilla's new coat of arms?
    Is it a human construct?
    (That was original, wasn't it?)
    Raak - No.
    CdM - Yes. It has to be asked, and you are a couple of inches nearer the Holy Grail. :-)
    The Sword of Truth and the Shield of British Fair Play?
    Is the non-fictional human alive?
    Raak - No
    Irouléguy - No
    Is the mineral connection a weapon?
    Is the mineral connection a precious metal?
    [CdM] Wot you doin' aksin my question?
    The Holy Grail?
    Raak - No, but it can be used as one.
    ImNotJohn - No.
    all - No.
    Lord Byron's bicycle?
    Raak - No, but the format of your answer is getting warm.
    X's Y for some animate X and inanimate Y?
    Davy Jones' Locker?
    Pandora's Box?
    Midas' Golden Touch?
    Raak - That's right
    Dazed5 - No
    irach - No
    RedSnapper - No

    Don't forget the meaning is essentially Abstract.

    Any political connection?
    Dazed5 - No
    Newton's three laws of motion?
    Is there a musical connection?
    Irouléguy - No

    Dazed5 - No (Surprised that hasn't been asked earlier).

    Is transport involved?
    determined to narrow it down
    Foucault's pendulum?
    Dazed5 - No.
    Raak - No. Don't forget the answer has an essentially abstract meaning.
    Although the answer could be classed as a little arcane or academic it should be known here, and has 172,000 Google hits worldwide.
    [Rosie] So does F's P, a certain novel...
    The King's shilling?
    Raak - No (Yeah, it means bugger all really. :-) )
    Is there a scientific connection?
    Is there a religious connection?
    Irouléguy - Yes, this could be used in science.
    Dazed5 - No.
    Did the person live before the 20th century?
    Was the person male?
    Raak - Yes.
    Dazed5 - Yes.
    Was he English?
    Raak - He was.
    So, although this was a real person and a real metal thingy [that could be used as a weapon, or in science] essentially this is an abstract notion? Is it a 2-word answer?
    Was the person involved a 19th century Englishman, or did he live (and die) prior to that?
    Was the 'weapon' a pen?
    Morton's Fork?
    Chalky - Yes and yes. The whole thing could be used in science, among other things. The metal thing is part of the abstract idea but as an actual object could be used as a weapon.
    irach - Died before 1800.
    Dazed5 - No, but some appreciative murmurs from the audience.
    ImNotJohn - No.
    Chalky - (PS) See my answer to Raak's Lord Byron's bicycle query.
    Anything to do with Newton?
    Is there a literary connection?
    Is the metal thing a hammer?
    irach - No. Pre-dates Newton.
    Dazed5 - No.
    Raak - No.
    Predates Stonehenge?
    irach - No, not by a long chalk.
    Anything to do with Freemasonry?
    Any connection to medicine?
    Occam's Razor?
    Funny you should ask that [Raak] because Occam's Razor attracts exactly 172,000 Google hits worldwide. I reckon you've got it. I've never heard of it mesself :-)
    Raak - YES! Well done. A rather obscure one which I thought might just get by, particularly in a place like this. It's meaning is this: If someone says those lights in the sky are UFOs then the application of Occam's Razor makes one ask "couldn't they be aeroplanes, or unusual reflections in the glass, or were you just a bit pissed?", i.e always think of the simple explanation first. Do not elaborate unnecessarily, etc. etc.

    Carry on, Raak

    VEGETABLE, with ANIMAL and ABSTRACT connections.
    Is it edible (or drinkable?)
    Is it a constructed object?
    Could this be held in your hand?
    Is the animal connection a human one?
    Edible/drinkable: No.
    Constructed: Yes.
    Held in the hand: Some could be.
    Human connection: Yes.
    Is the vegetable wood?
    Any religious connection?
    Is it purely decorative?
    A Water Diviner?
    Wood? No.
    Religious? Yes.
    Purely decorative? Nothing to stop anyone from having one as an ornament.
    Water diviner? No.
    Correction of my previous answer about being small enough to hold in the hand: as far as I can tell from Google, none of them ever are, when called by the words on the card. The hand-sized ones have a completely different name, so should be excluded.
    OK - re. the human connection - does this thing have to be in contact with a human in some way in order to fulfil its function?
    Re: religious connection: Eastern religion?
    (and I don't mean "originating in the Middle-East")
    [Chalky] Not nowadays.
    [Néa] No.
    A crucifix?
    Is the religious connection christian?
    Crucifix? No.
    Christian? No.
    An item of clothing?
    Pagan?
    Clothing? No.
    Pagan? Yes. (applause)
    A wicker man?
    [Dazed5] Yes!
    Here we go with....
    MINERAL
    Jumping the gun...
    Should read MINERAL with the possibility of some VEGETABLE in it also.
    A carrot encased in a slab of crystal?
    [Nea] That's even better than mine, but sadly, no.
    A long shot - coal?
    Something to do with fossils?
    Is the mineral pure or a mixture?
    Rosie. Not coal.
    Raak. Nothing to do with fossils.
    Irouleguy.Yes, a mixture.
    (Apologies to Nea and Irouleguy, I do not know how to do an 'e' with an accent over).
    A pearl?
    Is the mineral (semi-)precious?
    Dazed5 - re. the acute accent - just type [(the ampersand symbol)eacute;] - when you would normally type the 'e' - the semicolon is important.
    As for a question ... I expect I'll think of one soon
    Another frivolous long shot - Soil?
    If I'm right it's my question, otherwise it's Chalky's. Another way to do e-acute is Alt+0233. Look, é.
    Does this occur naturally, or is it a human artefact?
    A cute accent
    INJ. Not a pearl.
    INJ(2). Not precious, nor semi-precious, although some older versions may be of considerable value.
    Rosie/Chalky. It is not soil (thanks for the pointers).
    Irouléguy. Yes, a human artefact.
    Is the vegetable part wod?
    Or wood?
    Raak. Yes it would be, but on the whole, it is quite insignificant.
    Is it a toy?
    Chalky. It is not a toy.Very slight murmers from the audience.
    Is it a weapon?
    Made of metal?
    Chalky. Not a weapon.
    Raak. The relevant bits are metallic, certain bits may probably be wood or even perhaps plastic, but this is not significant.
    Is it small enough to hold easily?
    A musical instrument?
    Is it normally a particular colour or colours?
    INJ. No.
    Chalky, yes. Major applause from audience.
    Iroulegéguy; I don't think so.
    A saxophone?
    Harmonica?
    Rosie, irach. Both no. See INJ question above.
    A church organ?
    A barrel organ?
    A drum kit?
    irach. No
    Raak. No
    Rosie. No
    Trinidad steel drums?
    Tubular bells?
    To produce sound from this musical instrument does one ( a) Bang it (b)Blow on it ? (c)Hit on some keys (d)both b and c (e) Turn a handle (f) Turn on a switch (g) None of the above?
    Church bells?
    [RedSnapper] While you are waiting for Dazed5 to get back, I can tell you that the answer to your question is "yes".
    irach. No
    Raak. No
    Red Snapper. a)No. b)No. c)No. d)Therefore, no. e)no. f)Not in isolation. g)see f)
    irach, No.
    Does it require electrical power?
    Can it be strummed?
    Oversized Karaoke machine?
    A mechanical carillon?
    A choir of metallic singing robots?
    Raak. Yes
    irach. No
    RedSnapper. No
    Raak. No (had to look that one up)
    irach, lovely idea but wrong.
    Jukebox?
    Update
    irach, it is not a jukebox.
    Whilst doing further research, I have learned that some modern instances of these can be held in the hands, but not the type I was thinking of. Apologies if this has mislead anyone but size is quite irrelevant, or so the females in my life would have me believe.
    It's a
    I think I know what this is - but I'll leave it for someone else
    A Moog synthesiser?
    Irouléguy. Not a Moog - Murmers of appreciation from the audience
    A Yamaha Synthesizer
    irach. It is not a Yamaha synthesizer.
    Is it an electronic musical instrument?
    Raak. Yes -More excited murmers and much shuffling in seats
    Trying not to awaken anyone
    I would have thought the musicians in here would have killed this long before now. I will give a further clue if requested.
    207,000 Google hits worldwide
    Chalky, I get 368,000, but who knows?
    Go on, have a guess.
    Is it known by its brand name?
    Rosie, not a brand name as such, it is named after it's inventor.
    The Hammond organ? (171,000 hits)
    Irouléguy. It is not a Hammond organ. (Clue: if you find out how it is played you will get there)
    A theremin?
    BINGO!
    Well done CdM, it was a theremin.
    Wow, something of a lurker's victory there.
    This next one is NONE OF THE ABOVE.
    The instant of the Big Bang?
    BANG No.
    Another fungus?
    an emotion?
    fungus? No.
    emotion? No.
    Something Infinite?
    Is it connected to the game of MC and/or the Morniverse?
    Is it alive?
    a vacuum?
    <gloat>I hope I'm wrong as I probably won't be logging on more than a couple of times in the next 16 days</gloat>
    A sound?
    The number zero?
    Not a very auspicious start
    infinite? No.
    connected to MC? No.
    alive? No.
    a vacuum? No.
    A sound? No.
    Zero? No.
    Is it Animal, Vegetable, Mineral or Abstract?
    AVMA? No. Hence my introduction.
    The spatio-temporal continuum?
    Nothing?
    spatio-temporal continuum? No.
    Nothing? No.
    Might I respectfully suggest that if you just guess without gathering more information this is likely to take you a long time...
    Has it ever been alive?
    ever alive? No.
    Has it ever existed?
    Can it be seen?
    An elementary particle?
    (CdM) Sorry for being a bit thick. :-(
    Has it been theorised but not proven?
    Could it be better described as real or virtual?
    Is there a religious connection?
    Is it something one might aspire to?
    Why isn't this abstract?
    I assumed that all four categories [or any combination thereof] covered everything - are we in danger of becoming über-pedantic?
    ever existed? It often exists.
    can it be seen? Yes. *applause*
    elementary particle? No. *some applause*
    !proven? No.
    real or virtual? Yes. Oh, all right then, real.
    religious connection? Hmmmmm... There were once several religious connections, but nowadays the best answer is No.
    aspire to? No. At least, it does not make sense to aspire to the answer on the card, although one might have an aspiration connected to it. Sorry if that sounds cryptic; it is meant to be straightforward.
    AVMA Redux? Let me say the following. It is definitely not animal, vegetable, or abstract. If it is anything, it is mineral, but I thought is was misleading to describe it as such. (Apologies in advance if people end up disagreeing!)
    The aurora?
    The Northern Lights?
    A rainbow?
    A solar eclipse?
    Light?
    getting right to the point...
    The words on the card were either "aurora borealis" or "northern lights". Thus, although Rosie's answer got massive applause, it did not exclude the possibility of the aurora australis. Thus the judges award victory to Chalky!
    taking a bow
    Aww shucks - thanks CdM.
    Hand on heart, I wasn't influenced by Rosie's guess possibly because I recall this very subject cropping up in the original Pants game a few years ago - I think we labelled it Abstract/Mineral, although I'm sure someone who was there will correct me if I'm wrong ...

    And now for something completely tangible ...

    A N I M A L

    Is this one specific individual?
    [Raak] Specific? No. [good question]
    Human?
    Vertebrate?
    Ungulate?
    Homo Florensis?
    [Rosie] Human - Yes
    [Irach] Vertebrate - Yes
    [RedSnapper] Ungulate? No
    [Raak] Homo Florensis? No, probably not :-)
    A group with a common purpose? Eg, The Cabinet, Crystal Palace Football Club. No, scrap that last one.
    Is this a species of man?
    Meaning Cro-Magnon or its ilk.
    Genus Homo?
    Are all members of this group of the same gender?
    [Chalky] I have to say, I don't see how the aurora would be abstract, since it certainly has a physical existence...
    Is this group culturally specific?
    [Rosie] Common purpose? They certainly have something in common
    [Dujon] species of Man? Yes
    [irach] Genus homo? Of course - as previous answer
    [CdM] Same gender - No
    [Irouléguy] Culturally specific? If I said yes, that might be misleading. Can you be more culturally specific? :-)

    [CdM - Abstract as an adjective. Yes, agree in principle. The word should mean something that only exists as a mental concept, but I have noticed is often used in this game to suggest a wider/popular interpretation of the merely physical. I chose not to tag it on to the ANIMAL label in this round, because I felt sure that this 'group of people with something in common' would be established fairly early on.]

    Us?
    [Raak] Us? As in Us? No.
    Is this group linked by a common language, religious or cultural practice?
    A musical ensemble?
    The ISIHAC teams?
    Homo-sapiens?
    Person(s) specifically known to carry outd certain particular actions or follow particular professions?
    [Irouléguy] Linked? As I've already stated that they have something in common, the answer must be Yes - sort of
    [Rosie] Musical ensemble? No
    [Gusset Login] ISIHaC teams - No
    [all] Homo Sapiens? I think that's been established
    [RedSnapper] particular actions or professions? Yes *discernible muttering in audience*
    The thing that links these people, is it what they do for a living?
    Person(s) of a particular profession?
    Persons with a particular hobby or penchant?
    A Greek chorus?
    Chalky] My question was about how they were linked.
    [Raak] making a living? No
    [irach] particular profession? No
    [Redsnapper] Hobby or Penchant? No and Yes
    [Irouléguy] Greek Chorus? No
    [it would probably be safer to say that there is no cultural link in the way that you mean]
    Are these people fans of something?
    Anything to do with sports?
    Commuters?
    [Raak] Fans of something? Mmmm - I have to say Yes. *polite applause*
    [irach] Sports? No
    [Dazed] Commuters? No
    Does this 'group' number in millions?
    [Dazed] Millions? Probably not in the UK
    Is this group then specific to the UK?
    This thing that they are, one might have to say, fans of, are they practitioners of it?
    Do these people go out of the house to indulge their interest?
    Would you expect many of the Morniverse's inhabitants to be among these people?
    Would many of them gather together in one place to experience this thing for which they have a penchant?
    ... sorry - been busy
    [Dazed] specific to UK? No
    [Raak]practitioners? In a manner of speaking, Yes.
    [Rosie] Out of house indulgence? No - not necessarily
    [Irouléguy] Crescenters? Can't say I know them all well enough, but No *chuckles*
    [Kim] Gathering? Some may, some may not.
    When somebody gets the right answer, will this site become NSFW?
    *laughs out loud*
    [CdM] I only practise safe chairwomanship
    Would this shared interest be considered risqué in a polite society?
    Does it involve any aspect of procreation?
    [Dazed] Risqué? No
    [irach] Procreation? No

    ... so that's eliminated any saucy shenanegans :-)
    However, both questions are the type of questions that need to be asked.

    Are particular types of clothing involved?
    [Irouléguy] Clothing? No
    Would most people say these people are anoraks?
    [Rosie] Anoraks? No
    Does this shared interest require any specialist equipment?
    Does the shared interest require ambulation of any kind?
    Are there roughly equal numbers of both sexes involved?
    Does it involve the playing of a game?
    [Dazed] specialist equipment? Equipment isn't really the right word, but it certainly requires a certain something to belong to this group
    [irach] ambulation? Not really [see Rosie previous question]
    [Rosie] equal numbers? I should think so
    [Raak] game playing? No

    CLUE: The word 'hobby' got a thumbs down, if you read back. This isn't an 'interest' either. It is something that a certain group of people have in common. 'Fan' [as in fanatical] and 'penchant' have both been given a cursory nod ..

    Is it connected with either eating or drinking?
    [Dazed] Yes! At last :-) * audience wakes up and overcompensates by whooping and hollering *
    Wine connoisseurs?
    Are they linked by food from a particular part of the world?
    [Raak] Wine Connoisseurs? They may well be [but that's not the word on the card]
    [Irouléguy] Linked? Food? Part of World? No, No and Thrice No
    Alcoholics?
    Gourmands of any kind?
    Is the "certain something" that is required inherent in the individual?
    Vegetarians?
    Four very good questions, but only one is correct:

    Well done Raak - Alcoholics is the right answer. Over to you ...

    I'm off to the Worldcon on Wednesday, but I'm sure you'll get this before then.

    MINERAL

    Something made by humans?
    A natural phenomenon?
    [I] Yes.
    [K] No.
    Uses electricity?
    [Rosie] Yes.
    Used in the preparation of food?
    [nights] No.
    Used for recreation?
    Normally used in the home?
    [irach] Can be.
    [Rosie] No.
    Is it noisy when in operation?
    Can it be used to get from one place to another?
    Bigger than one metre cubed?
    Ever used in the office?
    [irach] No.
    [RS] Yes.
    [Chalky] No.
    [irach] Yes.
    Can it be used for communications?
    [irach] No.
    Is its primary use as a means of transport?
    [I] Yes! (applause)
    A mode of transportation that's used in the office? (you said above it WAS used in the office). Or primarily to get you to work at the office?
    [irach] You asked "Ever used in the office?" so the answer was yes, because I've heard of it happening. But that's an unusual use.
    An electric scooter?
    An electric wheelchair?
    [I] Erm...not entirely sure whether "scooter" would cover this or not.
    [R] No.
    A Segway?
    I was going to post this guess on Friday, but thought that RS's comment would have earned applause if it was right... however, it seems to fit with some of the later Q and A...
    [CdM] Yes, a Segway.
    OK, an easy one: MINERAL
    The new planet 'Xena'?
    not that easy
    warrior princess? No.
    Man-made?
    Is it a specific object?
    Man-made? No.
    Specific object? No.
    A type of rock?
    A present from Brighton? No.
    Is it a solid in its normal state?
    Solid in normal state? No. *applause*
    Is it bigger than a phone box?
    Given that it is not a specific object, the question does not really make sense. However, in the individual instances in which it is normally encountered, it is smaller than a phone box.
    Is it mobilel?
    A snowman?
    mobile? If you mean can it be easily moved, the answer is yes.
    snowman? No.
    A snowflake?
    Is it fluid?
    Does "not a specific object" mean "not a named object", so it could be "a mountain" but not "The Matterhorn" even though a mountain could be classed as a specific object?
    Is this a type of metal (e.g. mercury)
    ?
    snowflake? No.
    fluid? Yes.
    clarification of 'not a specific object'? The words on the card are a fairly generic term that refer to a category or class (using those terms loosely) of which there are many different instances, some of which are named. In terms of your example, it is more like the answer being "mountains". Which isn't the answer.
    metal? No. silence? No.
    A spring?
    boingggg? No. *substantial applause from audience, together with stamping of feet and a chant of  "Ro-SIE! Ro-SIE! Ro-SIE!"*
    Is the answer the container of a fluid?
    Water?
    container? No, although the 'specific instances' that I referred to above do involve containers.
    water? *applause* Water is one of the words on the card. It is not a sufficient answer, however.
    Would the water in question be considered potable?
    potable? Yes. *some applause*
    Bottled water?
    God knows what the audience will do if this is right. I'm a quiet sort of bloke really, you know. :-)
    Mineral water?
    Soda water?
    Water-ed down drinks?
    and the winner is...
    ...Irouléguy. MINERAL WATER it is. I just wanted to be sure there were no disputes about the AVMA classification this time.
    Wahay! Nice team-work there, everyone. I'm away after Friday lunchtime for the weekend, so another easy one:
    MINERAL
    Man-made?
    Solid?
    Man-made? No
    Solid? No is the most useful answer, though there could be some discussion about this
    Is it a terrestrial object?
    Terrestrial? Yes Object? Yes, but see qualification above
    The earth's crust?
    *the audience cheers, hoots, stamps and lets off fireworks, and several shouts of "RO-sie, RO-sie" are heard from the balcony* No
    Atmospheric particles?
    The earth's mantle?
    Atmospheric particles? No
    The earth's mantle *the audience pull shawls round their shoulders, button up cardigans and tighten scarves* No
    A tectonic plate?
    Let's see what this volatile lot will do with this one.
    Molten lava? (It is not solid, but does solidify soon after emergence from the nether regions, so there could be some discusion regarding its physical form.)
    Mineral-laden hot springs?
    A tectonic plate? *a low approving approving murmur rises from the audience* No
    Molten lava? *the audience passes around Damart catalogues as the ushers attempt to turn up the radiators* No
    Mineral-laden hot springs *"We could use some of those here", think the audience* No
    A continental shelf?
    À la Lara Croft, he muses, with a silly grin.
    Magma?
    Tsunami?
    An Earthquake?
    A Glacier?
    An Iceberg?
    A continental shelf? *the audience muses on the fact that there are about 21,500 Google hits for "Lara Croft" and "the answer"* No
    Magma? No
    Tsunami? *the audience seeks diversion in a spirited discussion of the correct plural of 'tsunami'* No
    An earthquake? No
    A glacier? No
    An iceberg *the audience nods knowingly at the ironic appropriateness of Chalky and irach's moves*

    Looking back, I may have mis-directed people with the answer to the solid question. Perhaps a better answer would be "Yes, partly."
    Do we want a clue?
    Antarctica?
    Antarctica? *the audience sits up straight, puts away their papers, Sudoku puzzles and knitting* No, but in some ways the closest answer yet
    The ocean?
    The North or South Pole ?
    The Arctic Ocean?
    [irach] that's TWO guesses - very naughty!
    Well then, North Pole?
    The South Pole?
    [Chalky] Nothing wrong with irach's question -- it has a yes-or-no answer, and if the answer were yes, then it would simply be all fingers on the buzzers to guess which one!
    Oh, and if I am right, I hereby transfer my win to irach.
    The ocean? No
    The North or South Pole? *the audience giggle quietly* No
    The Arctic Ocean? No

    I'm with CdM on irach's question - people do bend the one-question rule (me included), and a single question can anyway turn into a mutiple answer (see "terrestial object" above).

    Chalky has now got the geographically closest answer, but in other, more important ways, irach is still closest.

    I am going away this afternoon, and work means I'm unlikely to be able to play more than once again before I go. Any volunteers to take over as quizmaster/mistress? Email me at pubsalesatbaafdotorgdotuk .
    No e-mails, so...for your safety and convenience, this game will not contain any further replies from me until Monday (maybe) or Tuesday (more likely. Have a good weekend, everyone

    Parting thought - the speed of this game is somehow appropriate.

    Parting clue - there's a coincidental connection with both Bob Dylan and organised religion.
    Glacier?
    The North Magnetic Pole?
    Well, of course a b&b in St Austell will have a broadband connection - silly of me to assume otherwise

    Glacier? No
    The North magnetic pole? *the audience breaks into small groups to find any connection between Bob Dylan, organised religion and the north pole, magnetic or otherwise, but fails to reach any conclusions, rejecting the theory of the small group arguing for a metaphysical interpretation of "Quinn the mighty Eskimo".* No
    The Greenland Icecap?
    Does this have a direct relationship to air movement?
    The Greenland icecap? *the audience wonders if their earlier tumultuous reaction to one of Rosie's moves has perhaps been overlooked* No. Direct relationship to air movement? Hmm...perhaps Rosie can shed more light on that once the answer's been revealed. Locally, yes, almost certainly; more generally, don't know.
    Anything to do with drifts?
    Drifts? (snow or continental?) Either way, no.
    Auroro australis?
    A volcano?
    Aurora australis? No.
    A volcano? *considerable applause* No.
    fergawdssakeRosie - guess the damn thing!
    Well, I'm FIIK, m'dear. The quizmaster has turned it into his own show and the audience are pissed.
    The Arctic ice sheet?
    Not being clever when it comes to Bob Dylan and religious sects I'm probably well adrift.
    The Canadian Archipelago?
    The Arctic ice sheet? No
    The Canadian archipelago? No.

    On present progress, it doesn't look like pure guesswork is going to get there - time for more general questions, perhaps? And another clue?
    Is it an oilfield?
    Geysers?
    An oilfield? No
    Geysers? No
    Is the liquid water?
    Deep-sea volcanic (hydrothermal) vents?
    *yawns*
    Liquid water? What liquid? There is some liquid present, but it's not really the defining characteristic. And yes, it's water.
    Deep-sea volcanic vents? No
    *yawns* *some applause* An apt description (of both game and answer)
    By the way - what IS the 'earth's crust?'
    [Irouléguy] I'm usually pretty hopeless at these geographical minerally ones so I leave them to more worthy participants, which I guess doesn't help much. Trouble is, if these posers are not guessed within 3 days, the game tends to lose its momentum. It is now Day 8 of this one so perhaps a chairman's summary of the positives might help? Then a clue?
    It is Iceland?
    Is it specifically in either the north or southern hemispere?
    Chalky] Fair points all, though I have been trying to steer people away from the more detailed minerally answers (and I was away for most of three days). It's really not obscure - I feel sure that everyone will have heard of it.

    Summary - it's terrestial, partly solid, sort of an object. (Those are the answers which I think have caused people to go astray, but it's problematic because of what exactly "it" is. Let's say that "the answer" is defined by solid objects.
    There's a strong connection to the earth's crust (which is just the top bit of the earth itself -between 5 and 65km thick), and specific geographical features have got strong applause. It's NOT - man-made, either of the Poles, Antarctica, a tectonic plate, an oilfield, a continental shelf, a volcano, the Canadian archipelago, the Greenland icecap (or any other form of ice).
    Clues 1) It's very aptly named; 2) it has a university named after it; 3) over four million people went there last year.

    Iceland? No
    Is it specifically in either the north or southern hemisphere? Yes, the northern.
    Is the name metaphorical? eg "The roof of the world", "The home of the blizzard" etc, etc.
    Is its location in Northern Europe?
    Is the suffix or word "land" part of its name/identity?
    Metaphorical name? No, if anything the reverse
    Northern Europe? No
    Is the suffix or word "land" part of its name/identity? *cheering, the audience all put their hands to their ears as through participating in charades* No
    Is it in Nothh America?
    ...that should read "North America"
    North America? *the orchestra strikes up "My country, 'tis of thee" as the audience jump up and down in anticipation* YES!
    A part of the U.S.?
    A National Park or part thereof?
    The Grand Canyon ? ( It is in North America, there IS a Grand Canyon University, there is a lot of earth's crust to see there, there is some liquid-the Colorado among other forms found there, it sure does fit the bill).
    [If the above IS the answer I would argue its classification as purely "Mineral" though, as the flora and fauna are also an integral part of the Grand Canyon as a whole].
    *exhausted, the audiience can do nothing but sigh in pleasure* We have a winner - it is THE GRAND CANYON! Purely mineral? Not sure about irach's argument, but I'll think about it.
    Anyway, the baton finally gets passed on - take it away, irach!
    [Irouleguy] Thanks.! What was the Organized religion connection though? Bob Dylan I think I know.
    Here goes. Well, its MINERAL once again.
    [irach] hmmmm - hope it's snappier than the last one :-)
    [Iroulé] GCanyon - classification, perhaps Mineral with Vegetable [and possibly Animal] connections?
    Is it man made?
    I have never seen a more self-indulgent and comprehensively misleading set of comments as in the last AVMA. The Grand Canyon has no more to do with the earth's crust than has the Vale of Evesham. It's a surface feature FFS. So why did the audience wet themselves, generally an indication that one has very nearly hit the bull?
    [Chalky] Not man made.
    Sorry.. [Inkspot] Not man made.
    It is a geographical feature?
    Call me pedantic, but I would argue that the Grand Canyon is composed entirely of air.
    Chalky] Possibly - but then you'd have to apply that to practically every place or geological formation. Would that definition help you to get Everest, for instance?

    Rosie] I may have misunderstood what I Googled - I'm no scientist. But this is from the GC National Park's website: The Canyon’s mile-high walls display a largely undisturbed cross section of the Earth’s crust extending back some two billion years.
    from http://www.nps.gov/grca/pphtml/subnaturalfeatures14.html
    and lots of sites talk about the GC being made by upheavals in the earth's crust, so that was the basis of my reaction. I'm sorry if it was misleading, and you're right about the self-indulgent bit - sorry again.

    Kim] Well, that was why I was unsure about the answers to "solid" and "object". But it can't be all air - what about the floor or the sides of the canyon?

    move] Is there just one of it?
    [Kim} No. Not a geographical feature. [Irouleguy] There are more than one of these.
    Is it a weather phenomenon?
    (Irouléguy) Talk of the earth's crust made me think the answer was something to do with the material of the earth well below the surface whereas the Grand Canyon (and Cheddar Gorge) were gouged out by running water, i.e. surface erosion. Not to worry. :-)
    [Rosie] No.
    Is it metal?
    [Irouléguy] Yes!
    [Chalky] Not metallic per se, though there may sometimes be metal salts or ions embedded within it.
    A precious stone?
    {Rosie] No.
    Is an individual one of these bigger than an elephant?
    Chalky] OK2
    A component of a man-made object such as Stonehenge?
    [Irouleguy] Generally it is considerably larger than an elephant.
    [Rosie] No, it's not possible to make any man-made object from it/them using any known contemporary technology.
    An asteroid?
    Or, more specifically, a meteor (or even more specifically, one or more Perseid meteors)
    FWIW, I'll come to Irouléguy's defence here: (i) I think the categorization of the GC as mineral is entirely reasonable, since the flora and fauna are not an essential part of the Canyon; (ii) I think the positive response to the earth's crust was also reasonable (although I agree that the audience went a bit over the top), since a "no" would have been a more misleading answer; (iii) "self-indulgent" is an unfairly harsh term, given that he was just injecting some humor.
    (CdM) Agree on (i), not on (ii); (iii) is more a matter of taste. BTW a meteor the size of an elephant would fall to earth and cause a lot of damage and would then be classed as a meteorite. Can't be that, but we'll see.
    [Rosie] Not an asteroid or meteorite [CdM] Not a meteor, Perseid or otherwise. (However, the audience sits up in rapt attention, biting its nails in great anticipation of the next guess. Not quite cigar yet, but close).
    A comet?
    [Rosie] You are absolutely right about the elephant, of course.
    [CdM} A Comet ? YES!!! Congratulations! How spatial! What a brilliant win! The tail end of this guessing game was great! Here's to many more, the sky is the limit! The baton is passed, so take it away...
    [CdM} A Comet ? YES!!! Congratulations! How spatial! What a brilliant win! The tail end of this guessing game was great! Here's to many more wins, the sky is the limit! The baton is passed, so take it away...
    [Irouleguy] Wouldn't that be like saying that a hole in the ground comprises not only the hole but also the ground around the hole? I think the GC is just a big hole.
    All right, let's get back into the ethereal world of the ABSTRACT.
    (with ANIMAL connections)
    The bee's knees?
    (or should I move that apostrophe?)
    Nope. Nor the cat's pyjamas, or a dog's dinner. However, the audience applauds for the fact that the answer is indeed of the form: Definite article + 2 words.
    Is the answer of the form "The + animal's + part of animal"?
    No. But since I am feeling generous, I will tell you that the answer is of the form: "The + part of animal + something that is not an animal at all".
    The skin of one's teeth? ...and thank you, though even I think I was being self-indulgent.
    Kim] Yes. If the GC's just a great big hole, what defines where the hole ends?
    The heart's desire?
    (CdM) Useful generosity. :-)
    The heart of the matter?
    The foot of the stairs?
    The brains of the operation?
    Is the something that is not an animal at all an abstract noun?
    [CdM] So what if there's more than one bee?
    Or rather, why is it just one bee? I suppose I'm just hoping someone round here happens to know a lot about the phrase...
    The Lion's share?
    [Tuj] I've always thought it came from a colloquial bastardisation of business - in the sense of "he's the beeesneees" - meaning suited.
    Ingnore that post. It's part of an animal. Go back to sleep, Duj.
    skin of teeth? No. Some applause from audience, though.
    heart's desire? No.
    heart of matter, foot of stairs, brains of operation; No, no, no. The + two words, remember.
    third word abstract noun? Yes.
    lion's share? No.
    Is the animal human?
    The tooth fairy?
    We have a winner! The tooth fairy it is. *places baton under pillow for Rosie to find*
    (CdM) It's gone. But I'm richer by 25 pesetas. What joy!

    Right, this is MINERAL and ABSTRACT

    Does it appear in a particular work of fiction?
    Is it man-made?
    (Inkspot) - No
    (Irouléguy) - No
    Does the abstract have something to do with measurement?
    (Dujon) Not a thing, I'm afraid. I'm going to bed now - it's 3 a.m. :-(
    Cassiopeia?
    Is the mineral metal?
    (CdM) - No
    (ImNotJohn) - No
    Is the abstract because it's fictional?
    Is it one particular thing?
    (Gusset Login) - No, certainly not. Abstract is a valid part-classification but don't concentrate too much on it.
    (Irouléguy) No, there are lots of these.
    A lodestone?
    Is it a human construct?
    (Software) - No
    (ImNotJohn) No. The abstract nature is not an idea.
    The Philosopher's Stone?
    (irach) - No.
    The Giant's Causeway?
    Rock of Ages?
    Is it found in a particular place?
    Is the mineral solid?
    (Kim) - No
    (pper) - No
    (Tuj) There are lots of them (see above) and there are certainly preferred places.
    (Irouléguy) A small amount of it is in some cases, otherwise no.
    Ocean currents?
    (ImNotJohn) - No
    Clouds?
    (Irouléguy) - No, but *some applause*
    Precipitation?
    Can you drink it?
    (CdM) - Not the answer, but always involved *more applause*
    (Tuj) - You can, and ultimately you do, in some cases.
    Rain?
    April Showers?
    Singing in the Rain?
    (irach) - See the answer to CdM's question
    (ImNotJohn) - No
    (RedSnapper)- No
    Tornados?
    A meteorological phenomenon?
    (Irouléguy) - No - but *some polite applauase*
    (Tuj) - Yes *rather more fulsome applause*
    The monsoon?
    (Raak) - No
    Floods?
    (irach) - No, but a strong connection.
    A spring thaw?
    (Dujon) - No, not quite that strong a connection.
    Does this involve significant air pressure differences?
    A hurricane?
    The hydrological cycle?
    Is it a one-word answer?
    well waddya know - I return after a few days away and here's Rosie - doing a weather one!
    (Dujon) - Can do, but that is possibly misleading
    (CdM) - No
    (Raak) - No
    (Chalky) - One word preceded by the indefinite article.
    A tsunami?
    A thunderstorm?
    A cloudburst?
    A shower?
    (Chalky, ImNotJohn, all) - No, but
    *Thunderous applause* for Irouléguy with his bolt from the cumulonmimbus. It it indeed a thunderstorm. Carry on, squire.
    Squire tat work this afternoon. A lightning-quick round there - let's hope this one is as quick. I promise to keep the audience sober this time. It is ABSTRACT, involving ANIMAL, VEGETABLE and MINERAL.
    An Anarcho-syndicalist protest march?
    [Rosie] Is the existence of precipitation what makes it a thunderstorm rather than an electrical storm (c.f. your reply to CdM)?
    INJ] One of these days, but not today.
    An organisation?
    (INJ) Technically, and probably in popular parlance too, a thunderstorm is defined by the electrical phenomena but there has to be precipitation for this to happen, but it need not be at the point of observation and a there's a specific meteorological code number for this (17, for the anoraks, of which I am one). There is no code figure for "freak storm" BTW. Top whack is 99, "heavy thunderstorm with hail", the "heavy" referring to the precipitation rather than the lightning and thunder. Also, I've noticed that "anarcho" is an anagram of "arachno". What have spiders got to moan about? There are 1014 of them, apparently.
    An organisation? No.
    Is the animal component human?
    Is the vegetable part paper?
    Does it move?
    Is it a country?
    irach] Human? *sustained applause* Yes
    Raak] Paper? No
    Kim] Does it move? *cries of "OOOH!"* More accurate to say that it involves movement
    Chalky] A country? No
    Is it a sport?
    Is it geographical?
    Relocation?
    Does it involve dancing?
    Rosie] Is it a sport? *cheering and loud applause* Not a sport, exactly, but close...
    Tuj] Is it geographical? No.
    Chalky] Relocation? No
    Dujon] Does it involve dancing? No
    tai chi?
    [Rosie] I lived in Africa for a year and for a few weeks before the start of the rains there were repeated electrical storms but no rain reached the ground. Would the precipitation have been contained within the cloud structure? (feel free to transfer to the banter page if there's a long explanation - or tell me to go and look it up for myself!)
    INJ] Tai chi? No
    Extreme Ironing?
    If not a sport, then a performance of some kind?
    (ImNotJohn) OK - See Banter Page.
    Does it involve a group of people doing something?
    ImNotJohn] Extreme Ironing? No
    Rosie] A performance of some kind? Yes, in the sense of Raak's answer below, but not more than that.
    Raak] Does it involve a group of people doing something? *a mighty cheers rises from the audience* A perfect definition.
    After-work drinks now, so no more for a few hours.
    Does this collective activity require a fair amount of skill and practice?
    Don't get too pissed; we need answers. :-)
    A beer festival?
    Rosie] Does this collective activity require a fair amount of skill and practice? No, neither (you can do it pissed, though there is an attendant danger).
    Raak] A beer festival? No, but it is a mild form of exercise.
    A Mexican Wave?
    An orgy?
    well - someone had to say it
    Are the Vegetable and Mineral components essential equipment for this activity?
    Is it a type of dancing?
    Rosie] A Mexican Wave? No
    Chalky] An orgy? No - this is perfectly SFW
    CdM] Are the Vegetable and Mineral components essential equipment for this activity? *sustained applause* Yes - one of them is part of the name (though equipment isn't quite the mot juste for most of them)
    Raak] Is it a type of dancing? No
    Is it a traditional activity?
    ImNotJohn] Is it a traditional activity? Depends on the definition. The name of this activity dates from the last century, but people almost certainly did it before then.
    Is the mineral liquid?
    ImNotJohn] Is the mineral liquid? *cheering and stamping of feet* Yes, liquid is one of the necessary components, though other minerals may also be involved in another component.
    Ye Olde Timme-Tamme Sucke?
    CdM] Ye Olde Timme-Tamme Sucke? Ouch - I wondered how long it would be before that came up. No, and not remotely close. Hint - finding the vegetable would help.
    Is the vegetable edible (by which I mean normally eaten, not just that it won't actually kill you7)?
    Is it that game where you have to dunk your head into a bucket of water and grab an apple with your teeth?
    [I feel sure there must be a simpler name for it]
    Is the liquid water?
    [Chalky] I know it as 'Bobbing for Apples' or 'Apple Bobbing'.
    Is it normally carried out indoors?
    ImNotJohn] Is the vegetable edible (by which I mean normally eaten, not just that it won't actually kill you)? No
    Chalky] Is it that game where you have to dunk your head into a bucket of water and grab an apple with your teeth? No
    ImNotJohn] Is the liquid water? Yes
    Rosie] Is it normally carried out indoors? No
    Is the vegetable wood?
    Water Divining?
    CdM - Is the vegetable wood? *cheers and whooping from the audience* Yes. There are four necessary components of the answer - three you've got, the fourth is either vegetable, mineral or a combination of both.
    Could this be descibed as an outdoor leisure pursuit?
    Messing about in boats?
    Chalky] Could this be described as an outdoor leisure pursuit? Yes
    Raak] Messing about in boats? No
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