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AVMA Take 2
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Yes, it's another round of that classic guessing game - Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, Abstract [or any combination thereof]. This effort - '03/'04 should address any queries, but then again, may just serve to confuse and baffle which some might say is the point of the game. Patience, integrity and a decent search engine may be useful ....
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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
Angling?
Rosie] Angling? No
Poohsticks?
Croquet?
sorry - strike that. It doesn't involve water.
Water Polo?
We have a winner! Raak takes the baton - yes, it's Poohsticks. Good game, everyone.
ABSTRACT
Tiddly pom...
A drunken Brit in Australia?
A human construct?
[Rosie] No; yes.
A property of the physical world?
[Rosie] No.
A philosophical concept?
A single noun?
The sound of one hand clapping?
[irach] No.
[Tuj] A noun phrase.
[CdM] No.
A description of some human endeavour?
Is it specific to some particular historical period?
[i] Yes.
[I] No.
Is this endeavour in any way heroic, such as climbing Everest, or Leith Hill, come to that?
[Rosie] Only by humorous hyperbole.
Is it specific to a geographical location/area?
[INJ] No.
Is it a sport or recreational activity?
[CdM] No. Quite the opposite, really.
Bone idle?
[I] No, a different opposite.
Are the endeavouring individuals typically in receipt of renumeration for their participation in this abstract human construct? Does it pay?
[CdM] Yes. *murmurs from the audience of "oooh, they're getting warm!"*
Is it being in/on Big Brother?
[bl] No.
The working day?
Is it a routine administrative task?
Bringing home the Bacon?
[INJ] No (but you're getting warmer).
[R] No.
[Rs] No (also warmer).
Working up a sweat?
[i] No.
Working nine to five?
Is the answer a figurative phrase?
Putting one's nose to the grindstone?
[irach] Close...
[Rosie] No.
[ResSnapper] Also close...
Does it apply to a particular trade or profession?
[INJ] No.
Working all hours?
Overtime?
[I] No.
[R] No.
The players are hot on the track...
the day job?
[INJ] No.
Working like a dog?
A Hard Day's Night
?
(ahem...)
Burning the midnight oil?
[All] No. These could all be involved, but there's a crucial component no-one's mentioned yet.
A hint: the words on the card do not make any explicit reference to work.
Does the "crucial xcomp
Does the "crucial component" occur in all types of work?
Stuttering.
All work and no play?
[Rosie] No.
[irach] Inching closer...
Whistle while you work?
Does the answer contain an explicit reference to time or a period of time?
Working day and night?
[i] No.
[INJ] Yes.
[RS] No.
Working until you drop dead?
[irach] No.
Working overtime?
Is the referenced time a season?
Does this only occur in/refer to manual work?
The night shift?
Remember guys - there is no specific reference to work
[irach] No.
[Dujon] It can be called one, but not one of the canonical four.
[I] No.
[INJ] No.
Is the referenced time a holiday period?
Does the answer relate to the licensing laws?
[CdM] *riotous applause* Yes!
[CdM] No.
Is the referenced time period Christmas?
[CdM] No.
Wakes week?
[I] No.
A Bank holiday?
Begins with an M?
[I] No.
[Tuj] Er, no.
Summary of what has been established: it's connected with holidays, and connected with work, while not being either.
A working vacation?
[irach] No.
Days of wine and roses?
[I] No.
Anything to do with preparation for a holiday?
Labo(u)r Day?
[Rosie] Absolutely not.
[irach] No.
Leisure Time?
[Chalky] No.
Anything to do with the aftermath of a holiday?
[CdM] *riotous applause* Yes!
Boxing Day?
Something to do with the holiday you need after having been on holiday?
[irach] No.
[Rosie] No. Think simpler.
A tan?
How simple is that?
[Rosie] No.
Holiday Pay?
[Chalky] No.
Monday morning?
Er, except it doesn't begin with an M. OK,
is the holiday the weekend?
[CdM] No; no.
Your earlier guess that drew the applause was the closest yet, and I might just give it to you if no-one comes up with something closer by the end of today.
Post - holiday blues
and if I'm correct - I shall say thank you to CdM
[Chalky] No.
...although it could be involved.
Jet Lag?
[GL] That can also happen when this happens.
Is it to do with the aftermath of the holiday as experienced by the holidaymaker (as opposed to, say, those who have to clean up after the revelries)?
[CdM] Yes.
Back to work after the holidays?
[RS] YES!
Well, well... The next one is ABSTRACT WITH VEGETABLE CONNECTIONS
Is it a fictional piece of vegitation?
[GL] No.
With apologies, I'd like to amend the first clue to ABSTRACT WITH VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL CONNECTIONS for indeed there is one of each.
Is the animal connection human?
Anything to do with heraldry?
[Rosie] Yes, but not exclusively.
[Raak] No.
An anarcho-syndicalist picnic?
a piece of literature?
[INJ] No. However, one might well consider taking the vegetable part to picnic, anarcho-syndicalist or otherwise. [Rosie] No.
Is either the vegetable or the animal part figurative? (eg a carrot as enticement)
(RedSnapper) No to what? Should I have bothered with this question? :-)
[Chalky] Not a piece of literature.
[Rosie] Yes. The vegetable part is used figuratively. (I had answered Chalky's question with a No, and mistakenly used your moniker in parentheses. Apologies to Chalky too. Nominative dyslexia!)
Is it associated with a particular country?
Does the animal part refer to the whole "animal"?
(RedS) The nominative dyslexia explains all. I wasn't trying to be accusative. :-)
[Tuj] No. [Rosie] No. A part of the animal. Reiterating an earlier answer to you, I remind you that the animal part could be human.
Would this be a phrase such as an adage, old wives' tale ... ?
Is the vegetable part wood?
Is it a work of art?
[Dujon] Yes. It is a phrase. [Inkspot] No. [Raak] No.
A long shot - The apple of one's eye?
[Rosie] Yes!!! You're right!! The baton is all yours
Well, that's nice - I don't often score with a long one these days.

This next one is simply ABSTRACT.

Is it a title something?
Is it a philosophy?
(Inkspot) - No
(Raak) - No
Is it a type of human behaviour?
well guessed Rosie!
(Chalky) - No It works every now and again. :-)
Is it a mental phenomenon?
(Raak) - No
A saying or phrase?
(irach) - No. Despite all the No's so far this is not obscure or difficult.
Is it anything to do with time?
(Inkspot) Yes - *hesitant but approving noises from audience*
Is this a scentific theory?
(Dujon) - No, nothing so abstruse.:-)
Daylight Saving/Summer Time?
(Dujon) - No. The connection with Time is very general, hence the audience's reaction to Inkspot.
any connection with meteorology? *ducks*
(Chalky) Yes, but you don't need to be a weather nut to have put up this subject, far from it.
The shipping forecast?
(Raak) - No (too particular)
A weather forecast?
(Raak) - No The answer is not only about meterology, and is ONE WORD.
Aeromancy?
(Divination by cloud shapes.)
(Raak) - No Nothing as fancy as aeromancy.
Sunrise? (in the general sense)
(Dujon) - No
Summer?
(Raak) - No - but a lot of audience applause.
I'll let someone else guess another season...
Summer Solstice?
oh dear - sorry - forgot it was just the one word.
Solstice?
Narrowing ayes or extending noes: Is it one of the 'four seasons'?
heatwave?
Autumn?
(Chalky) - No
Dujon - Yes - nearly there...
(ImNotJohn) - No
(Lurker Kim) - No - even nearlier there...
OK, I'll try Spring
Winter
Tough luck, INJ, but all is the winner. Well done, sir/madam. Your go.
Thank you
OK people this one is VEGETABLE/ANIMAL
Is the animal human?
[INJ] No (at least I hope not)
Is it man made?
Is it a type of food?
Mmm, beef and vegetable stew.
[Inkspot] Yes
[Raak] Yes, but not beef and vegetable stew
Is it a associated with a particular country?
Is it a well-known food recipe (eg. Shepherds Pie)?
[Inkspot] Yes, possibly two particular countries
[Kim] Yes
Does it involve noodles?
[Raak] No.
Is/are the particular country/ies European?
[INJ] The main one is, but the optional one isn't.
Chicken Tikka Marsala?
An 89, a 34, and an egg fried rice, please.
[INJ] No
[Raak] It'll be about 20 minutes, cash only please.
Pizza?
[irach] Yes.
This one is VEGETABLE WITH AN OCCASIONAL ANIMAL CONNECTION
This one is VEGETABLE WITH AN OCCASIONAL ANIMAL CONNECTION.
Waiter, there's a fly in my vegetable soup!
[Raak] Good and amusing try, but no.
Edible, in the normal sense?
Is it related to the generally accepted term 'The Arts'?
[Rosie] Yes. Very edible.
[Dujon] No, not really.
Welsh rabbit?
Caesar Salad (optional chicken)?
Is it a created dish, as opposed to just a particular fruit/vegetable?
apple (optional maggot)?
[Raak] [Kim] No.
[CdM] Yes, a created food. No, not an apple, and neither is an arthropod of any kind involved.
Fly cemetery? (a currant tart or slice)
[Raak] Not a currant tart, but inching ever so closer.
A kind of pudding?
[Néa] No.
Is the vegetable part fruit?
[Irouléguy] No.
A pie of some kind?
[CdM] No. (Getting warmer, but not quite toasty yet).
Something stuffed with something?
[Raak] Not generally.
Does this include raisins?
Please ignore that, irach. Not a fruit; sorry.
Is pastry part of its make up?
(egg) fried rice?
Is it a vegetarian imitation of meat?
[Dujon] It is a bakery item.
[IMJ]{Raak] No. No.
An angel cake?
[Raak} No.
Sweet, rather than savoury?
Generally savoury, in its most common incarnation.
oooh, Cornish pasty? (although, given the suet in the pastry, I'd question the occasionalness of the animal ...)
[Wol] No.
A type of bread?
[Raak] Yes, of sorts.
A sausage roll?
[I-guy] No.
Sandwich?
Toast?
[all][Chalky] No.
are we to die of boredom?
[Trotterman] Not if you go to France and think French.
A baguette?
I might add, in defense of my following of Bolton Wanderers and general insanity as a result thereof (which might lead some to think that I had adopted a nom de plume), I was and am not 'Trotterman'. :-)
Pizza?
Pitta?
[Dujon] There's no defence for following Bolton Wanderers ;-)
A gallette?
Croque Monsieur?
Is it French then?
INJ's view is seconded, soundly.
[Dujon] [Raak] [INJ] [Inkspot] [CdM] No.
[Tuj] Yes it's as French as Au Claire del la luna, and that's a clue.
Croissant?
(although I wouldn't say that was generally savoury...)
Yes. A (butter) croissant.
Me again?
OK, this is ANIMAL and VEGETABLE
Is the animal human?
Human? No.
Is this edible?
I don't think of croissants as being savoury, either
Edible? Yes. (*some applause* )
Is it savoury?
savoury? Yes
Is it a drink?
A drink? No (*smatterings of applause, however* )
Soup?
Soup? No.
Is it French?
French? In part, yes. (*some applause* )
Is it liquid?
Liquid? In part, yes.
A banana milk shake?
Banana milk shake? No. In fact, impressively far from the correct answer.
Is this meat in a sauce, say Coq Au Vin?
Meat in a Sauce? *tumultuous applause* At least by the usual definitions, the answer is almost yes, but not exactly.
Cod in parsley sauce?
Is pasta involved?
Cod in parsley sauce? *further sustained applause*   No.
Pasta? *sudden dead silence*. No.
Is it a type of soup?
Pickled herring?
Soup? *tut-tutting noises from the audience, together with mutterings of "young people today have no attention span, that's the problem"*
Pickled herring? No.
Moules Marinière?
Popeye? No, but inching closer.
Is the animal bit seafood (crustacea, etc) rather than fish?
Crustacea? No, the animal bit is fish.
Grilled red snapper with rougaille sauce?
Fish and chips?
Oops, no attention span, liquid involved...
[Raak] ... drenched in vinegar?
Caviar?
How about Oysters dripping in Oystery thingy ... ?
sorry, I was out for dinner...
Red snapper with rougaille sauce? *ecstatic applause and much fainting in the aisles*. The fish is indeed red snapper. Now you just have to figure out the key ingredient of the sauce.
Fish and chips and vinegar and caviar and oysters? No.
Is the key ingredient alcoholic?
Way back there was a little ripple at the mention of a drink...
Alcoholic? Yes. (*applause* ) And, as a reminder, just for free, the key ingredient is also French.
Is the name of the sauce the name of the alcoholic beverage?
If anyone comes in and steals this one, I'll throw a wobbly :-)
Red Snapper Provencale?
The thing is, I don't eat fish as a rule so I'm just taking a culinary flyer ....
A poached fish with mushrooms in a white wine sauce?
The French supermarkets I saw on hols had a wonderful wide selection of fresh seafood that beat Sainsbury's regimented display of mackerel, salmon and kippers into a cocked hat.
Refusing to name my sauces
Name of sauce = alcohol? Yes. Though, to be precise, the sauce doesn't have a name as such. I simply want a key French alcoholic liquid ingredient.
Provencale? No.
poached with mushrooms in white wine? It could be.
Red Snapper Chasseur?
.. which is loosely connected to mushroom and white wine, which on reading the above has been indicated as a possibility. This may be my last guess. I simply don't know of any other sauce one might serve with Red S. And if someone else guesses the right sauce I WON'T throw any wobblies because I'm busy from now on and so don't really care :-)
Pernod or Ricard? [the sauce that is]
He MADE me type this :-)
Who made who type it? You're both pissed. Disgraceful.
Red Snapper in Bouillabaise Sauce?
Chasseur? No.
Pastis? No.
Bouillabaisse? No.
I say again, the words on the card are not so much a particular sauce as a particular ingredient (French, alcoholic, liquid). In that sense (although only in that sense), the guesses of Pernod/Ricard are on the right track. And although the RedSnapper could be poached in mushrooms in white wine, the mushrooms are irrelevant, and there is a sense in which that particular recipe is unlikely, given what is on the card.
You might make more progress at this point if you stop thinking of this as a culinary puzzle...
Champagne?
Champagne? No.
Is the other element of the dish also the name of an MCer (like RedSnapper)?
In a Rich sauce? In an Orange sauce? In a (Prof) Plum sauce? In a Chalky sauce?! Can't think of anyone who posts as Campari, but....
another MCer? Yes! *audience rises to their feet as one and cheers*. OK, now just how hard can this be...?
Rosé? ;-)
Brown Sauce
Or maybe not
Krug?
I'd thought of Sauce à l'anglaïs, but decided against it
Red snapper in Ros(i)é wine?
[Iroul] I think I've guessed that already :-)
Chalky *blushes deeply* I don't even have the excuse of being pissed...
Brown, Rosie, Krug? No. This is evidently more obscure than I thought. I am particularly surprised that neither INJ nor Irouléguy have got the answer.
(Or even if they haven't got the answer, I'm surprised they haven't gotten it.)
Red Snapper in Bernaise Sauce made with wine vinegar?
OK, The weekend is coming up
Béarnaise sauce? No.
The missing ingredient is French and alcoholic, and would be suitable as a basis for a sauce. There have been suggestions that this ingredient might be a wine of some kind, and I have done nothing to discourage those suggestions. It is also the name of an MC player who plays regularly in this game. And, no, it isn't Chateau Flerdle.
RedSnapper with Iroulëguy Wine sauce
Finally...
*hands over the baton* (although you might want to microwave it before you eat it)
Just returning from lunch, dining not on Red Snapper but a rather measly soggy tuna sandwich unaccompanied by any fine wine, Iroulëguy or otherwise... This one is ABSTRACT BUT WITH A NECESSARY ANIMAL CONNECTION
Is it Narnia?
[Kim] No.
A constellation?
Is it a saying, proverb, or figure of speech?
[Raak] [Nea] No.
Fictional?
Double identity?
A cartoon character?
Is the animal human?
CdM] Never heard of it - I'll have to try making it, if I can find a bottle of me in this country.
[Raak] Not fictional. [Chalky] No. [Dujon] No. [Irouléguy] Yes.
Is the human alive?
[Irouléguy] The first time I ever heard of Irouléguy was in the context of the wine. Do you not take your name from the region, then? Or did you just not know they made wine there?
*is neither French nor alcoholic*
Is the abstract bit a place?
CdM] No, I did take my name from the wine, I meant I'd never come across the particular dish. Do you just poach the fish in the wine, or is there more of a recipe?
[CdM] The human component has to be alive. [Irouleguy] The abstract bit is not a place, but a specific place is required for the abstract thing in question to take place.
Fishing?
Does it have a connection to religion?
[Irouléguy] No, not fishing. [Néa] No. Yet some of the human component may be said to pursue the abstract thing with almost religious fervour.
Something to do with a game?
Is it a solo pastime?
[Raak] Not a game per se, but people do compete at it
[Inkspot] Generally carried out in a group setting, although some enthusiasts may do it solo in private.
Bullshitting?
[Raak] No.
Playing air guitar?
Getting drunk?
Running?
Animal breeding?
Is is associated with a particular culture or country?
[
[Irouléguy] No, but getting closer.
[Inkspot]1. Not running. 2. It was originally associated with a particular country but is now universal.
[Raak] No, and no.
Was the particular country a European one?
[Raak] No.
Is there a musical connection?
Or a connection to martial arts?
[Irouléguy] Yes. Very much so.
[Néa] No, not that I know of.
Did it originate in Amrerica?
Does it involve strenuous physical exertion?
[Inkspot] No.
[Raak] Only if the participants so desire, but strenuous exercise is not a required activity.
Karaoke?
[Irouleguy] Yes!! Congratulations!
*waves arms wildly, attempts to twirl microphone*
If I was being pedantic, I'd object that the definition should really have read "necessary animal and mineral connection" - you have to have the equipment for it to be karaoke as opposed to just singing while drunk. Anyway, our next is MINERAL .
Is it found on earth?
([Iroul] Re fish and wine -- no, I had no particular recipe in mind; it was just intended as a culinary marriage of two MCers. (The internets reveal plenty of recipes for red snapper in wine sauces, and plenty of recipes for various fish in Irouléguy sauces, but I couldn't find a specific example of my chosen combination.) I still say that by the time it was clear that the missing component from the answer was the name of an MCer that was also the name of a French alcoholic drink, you might have been expected to make a guess!)
Is it man made?
Is it bigger than a telephone box?
Is it a telephone box?
Is the mineral metal?
Related to Cassini?
Cdm] Found on earth? Yes (and yes, I should have tried the guess - I'm too literal about this sometimes)
Inkspot] Is it man made? Yes
Kim] Is it bigger than a telephone box? In the volume sense of bigger, no
all] Is it a telephone box? No
ImNotJohn] Is the mineral metal? Some of it is.
Does it have moving parts?
Used in the home?
ImNotJohn] Does it have moving parts? Yes
Rosie] Used in the home? No
Raak] Related to Cassini? No (sorry I missed you out above - you must have simmed me).
Is the part that's not metal composed of plastics or synthetic polymers?
Would it fit inside a telephone box?
irach] Is the part that's not metal composed of plastics or synthetic polymers? Yes (some of it, anyway - there may also be other bits)
Raak] Would it fit inside a telephone box? Normally, no
An aerial of some sort?
Is it associated with the dissemination of sound?
A fishing rod?
Raak] An aerial of some sort? No
irach] - Is it associated with the dissemination of sound? Not really - some of these do make sounds, but most don't
Rosie] A fishing rod? No
Does it run on electrical power?
Is it anything to do with transport?
Inkspot] Does it run on electrical power? *applause* Yes
Rosie] Is it anything to do with transport? *louder applause* Yes
Is it wheeled?
A Segway?
ImNotJohn] Is it wheeled? No
Raak] A Segway? No
Is it something you would attach to a vehicle?
Is it flexible?
Raak] Is it something you would attach to a vehicle? No
CdM] Is it flexible? No
Is it anything like one of these?
Is it used for public transportation?
An elevator?
Does the electrical power typically come from a battery or batteries?
Raak] Scary! There is a colour connection, but otherwise, no.
irach] Is it used for public transportation? No An elevator? No
CdM] Does the electrical power typically come from a battery or batteries? No
A Belisha beacon?
Is it used in or on the ocean?
A speed camera?
Traffic lights?
We have a winner! Traffic lights it is. Take it away, irach.
What? Me again? This one is just VEGETABLE.
Is it edible?
[Rosie] Yes. A part of it is edible.
Is the part that is edible a fruit or seed?
Does it have to be cooked before being eaten?
The Nasturtium?
[irach] - re: "What? Me again?" Who dares wins ;-)
Is it a herb?
IDoes it have a shell?
[CdM] I guess it can be construed as part of the seed.
[Raak] No. But it is used in parts of the world for cooking purposes too.
[Inkspot] No. [Kim] Yes.
A coconut?
[Raak] Yes, you got it! Take it away...
This one is ANIMAL, MINERAL, and VEGETABLE.
Man-made?
You must be psychic, or brilliant. Take your pick.
Contents of a pet store?
[Rosie] Yes.
[irach] No. (slight murmuration from the audience)
Is it a meal, rather than one item?
The Notlob parrot?
Just checking to see if my psychic powers have reappeared. [Raak] A terrific deduction.
[Rosie] Not a meal.
[Dujon] No.
A pie of some kind?
[Rosie] No. (snoring from the audience)
Is the mineral part metal?
[Inkspot] Some of it is.
Would the animal part be found in a pet store?
Is the vegetable part eaten by the animal?
[CdM] Yes, but that's a very misleading answer.
[I] Yes, partly.
Are there many of the thing as a whole, or just one?
[Tuj] Many.
Is this a geographical feature [loosely speaking]?
[Chalky] No.
A Zoo or Wildlife Park?
[C] No.
Might one find this in the home?
Looks as though I'm the only one playing today ....
[C] No.
I'm here too...
Is the animal part a living animal or a product from a dead one?
Is the animal part a living animal or a product from a dead one?
eliminating more possibilities ... found in the workplace?
[R] ... but you know the answer
Is the animal part human?
[irach] Primarily living. Dead animals, if any, are only peripherally involved.
][C] Ah....no.
[i] The living animal part is human.
Is this a person undertaking an activity?
[C] That is a deep philosophical question, but for present purposes we can say that the answer isn't, but people undertaking an activity is a big part of what it is. (Several members of the audience attain enlightenment.)
Any link to transport?
[INJ] No.
Are any of the mineral or vegetable parts clothing?
[I] No. That is, the people involved are usually wearing clothes, but that isn't a part of the answer.
Do these people have to pay to do this?
A religious or spiritual activity (in a broad sense)?
[C] Yes. (a sprinkling of applause.)
[INJ] Only in a sense broad enough to be jocular.
For clarification, the activity itself is not the answer, but a definite activity takes place there.
Is this a building designed for a specific purpose?
[C] Yes. (APPLAUSE!)
A shop?
[C] Yes! (Several members of the audience ascend into heaven.)
Harrods?
[INJ] No.
Is it a 'well-known High Street store'?
[C] No.
Is it a generic shop type (as in 'a grocer's shop')?
[INJ] Yes.
A cheese shop?
[INJ] No.
A shoe shop?
[C] No.
A butcher shop?
[irach] Not many vegetables in a butcher's shop.
A supermarket?
A wholefood shop?
A greengrocery?
[i,I,C] No.
A healthfood shop?
A Florists?
[all] I think that's what a 'wholefood shop' is?
[all] No.
[everyone] Don't get too hung up on narrow definitions of "vegetable" and "shop".
A coffee house or café?
A newsagent?
A public house?
[CdM] No, and no.
[Chalky] Yes! Over to you.
Thanks :-)

A B S T R A C T with mainly A N I M A L connections

Would the animal be feline, by any chance?
A 'wholefood' shop is organic stuff (veg, beans, pulses, sometimes baking). I'd think of a healthfood shop as being more vitamins and minerals, like Holland and Barrett.
[I Rule A Cute Guy] healthy/whole food - yeah, it's a fine line. The ones we have here do both and are known as health food shops.

Feline? No

Is the animal connection human?
[Rosers] Human? erm - Yes
Is the, erm, human a fictional human?
Chalkers, Rosers, I Rule A Cute Guy - there's a game in this, somewhere!
[The Kimster] Fictional? Yes!
King Arthur?
[Raak] No ... but * cheers from audience*
The Arthurian Legend?
Going for the bleed'n' obvious. How's that, O Calciferous One?
Female?
Camelot?
Chalky] Yes, they mostly do both round here too (though Stoke Newington Church Street still has an organic baker). I think 'wholefood' may have been a seventies thing, and I might be showing my age.
good morning all :-)

[Rosers] Arthurian Legend? No
[Raaaaaak] Female? No
[Iroulé] Camelot? No

A fictional king?
[INJ] Yes
King Lear?
[CdeM] Lear? No
Shakespearean?
Was there some significance to your "erm" in response to the 'human?' question?
[INJ] Nay
[CdeM] significance? Well spotted
King Kong?
A man in a suit but probably not human enough to count.
[all] King Kong? No
King Louie?
Granted, he wasn't a man at all, but he wanted to...
A cartoon?
The king of the hill?
English King?
[Néa] King Louie? No
[CdeM] cartoon? No
[Iroulé] hill? No
[irachsnap] English King? No
Prester John?
[Raaak] Prester John? No
The Sun King?
Thrashing about in the dark. Hmm, chance would be a fine thing.
Neptune?
Is this pseudo-king from a nursery rhyme?
Was he European?
[Rosie] Sun King? No
[CdM] Neptune? No
[Duj] Nursery? No
[Iroul] European? No ... although trying to find out a little more about this fictional king may well be the way forward
*takes off 'stating the bleedin' obvious hat'*
Is the answer in the form "King ......."?
And while we're in thrashing about mode - King Rat?
[INJ] Form/Rat? No & No ['though the word 'King' IS on the card]
Is it a king of myth or legend that only approximated to human (The Fairy King, for example)?
Does he feature in a specific novel or set of novels?
As opposed to someone like Arthur (or the Fairy King).
Is he originally from religion or mythology?
we have a breakthrough
[Kim] myth/legend approximate human? Would be misleading to say yes because ...

...[Néa] set of novels? YES!!!! *hoorays from audience*

[Iroul] religion/mythology? see Kim's answer

The Return of the King?
[INJ] YES! Nice and easy does it. Over to you ...
After a weekend away
OK - sorry for the delay. The next one is
ANIMAL
Human?
Rudolf Rocker?
Human - Yes
Mr Rocker - any relation to Mr Hucker? - No in any case.
Alive?
[Néa] No
Female?
[CdM]Female? - No
Alive in the last century?
Dead White Male?
(I still think Rudolf Rocker was a good guess, btw.)
A religious personage?
Died before 1998?
[Iroul] Alive in last century - No
[CdM] Dead White Male? - No
[Néa] Religious? - No
[all] Died before 1998? - Yes
Alive after 1 AD?
Any connection with anarcho-syndicalism?
Anticipating a negative, here we go again...
Asian?
Big place, Asia, alas.
[Raak] Alive after 1 AD? - Yes
[Rosie] anarcho-syndicalism? - No (though I was tempted)
Asian? - Yes (several of the audience wake up and applaud)
Chinggis (aka Ghengis) Khan?
Well, that didn't take long
YES - that's the guy.
Well done and over to you.
Sweeping across the steppe...our next is ABSTRACT, necessarily involving ANIMAL (and almost certainly VEGETABLE and MINERAL as well, but they won't help).
An anarcho-syndicalist hog-roast?
Related to a work of fiction?
Is the animal human?
Armageddon?
Trying to think big here.
The extinction of the dinosaurs?
The Black Death?
ImNotJohn] An anarcho-syndicalist hog-roast? It could be a feature of this, but it's pretty unlikely.
Related to a work of fiction? This does occur in works of fiction, but it's not related to any particular one.
CdM] Is the animal human? *scattered applause* Yes
Néa] Armageddon? No
Raak]The extinction of the dinosaurs? No
Rosie] The Black Death? No

Advance apologies - because of work I won't be near a computer tomorrow till about 5pm.
A swarm or herd of any kind?
Is the human a single particular individual?
Does it happen in real life as well as works of fiction?
Is this a historic one-off event?
Ignore my previous question - I didn't see CdM's Q & A.
Is war involved?
The King of the Gypsies?
Rosie] A swarm or herd of any kind? No
ImNotJohn] Is the human a single particular individual? No
all] Does it happen in real life as well as works of fiction? Yes
Rosie] Is this a historic one-off event? *the audience giggle* Possibly.
Gusset Login - Is war involved? Quite the reverse.
Raak] The King of the Gypsies? No
Sex?
A love-in?
Néa] Sex? *cries of "phwooar" from the audience* Yes, but more specifically...
Raak] A love-in? Is that what the young people are calling it these days? Again, more specifically...

The words on the card should be safe for work, unless your manager is exceptionally straitlaced.
An orgy?
An orgasm?
(Chalky) Works both in English and French; humps, humps, humps etc. Sorry to be so flippant.
Somebody's first time?
Rosie] An orgy? No
Chalky - An orgasm? No
Raak] Somebody's first time? Possibly, but not specifically.
Procreation?
At this point would you still say that the vegetable and mineral components are not helpful?
Raak] Procreation? Definitely not the point of this.
CdM] At this point would you still say that the vegetable and mineral components are not helpful? Yes - while vegetable and mineral will almost certainly be involved in this, the possible range is so wide that focussing on them wouldn't help.

There's an indirect topical political connection.
A kiss?
foreplay?
The cigarette afterwards?
Invoking Ken Clarke.
The rhythm method?
Anything to do with contraception?
Raak] A kiss? No
all] foreplay? No
Rosie] The cigarette afterwards? No
CdM] The rhythm method? The jazz-lover's preference? No
Tuj] Anything to do with contraception? Contraception would almost certainly be part of this.

The first two of these, and the last, would almost certainly be involved in the answer. The other two might well be involved (and the likelihood of this would be greater in the past).
Safe sex?
Non-procreative sex?
Anal sex?
Bugger it; it's worth a try.
CdM] Safe sex?
Raak] Non-procreative sex?
Rosie] Anal sex?

All of these could well be involved - think circumstances rather than activity.
This game was completed in MCiOS ' Truth Game' along with the other puzzles that followed - shall we steal it back? Yes? Yes?
Yes!
Might be nice to shift Gary Glitter off the top of the page.

Please don't paste in the intervening moves, though.

The Summer of Love?
In the midst of which I was born
Anyone bothered enough to transfer a summary?
Shazam!
And the mystery object is an ABSTRACT object that can be physically realised in MINERAL form, and has nothing to do with almost every guess so far, be it of concrete, water sports, transport, weather, crocodiles, pagodas, or Contango Day.
Is it connected with the Internet?
[Tuj] No.
Does the mineral form take the form of writing of some sort?
[Tuj] No.
How much will it help if we find out what sort of mineral it is?
[I] Possibly, a bit. It might help more to find out what sort of abstract object it is.
Something to do with computers and the internet?
[I] No.
Is this something that people would pay to see?
[Chalky] No, but they can pay to buy one, at prices from $30 to $12000.
Is it an event?
[I] No.
Is this a piece of "abstract" art?
A Klein Bottle?
[Rosie] Yes!
[CdM] (the audience die of heart failure and are taken up bodily into heaven) YES! A Klein bottle!
All right. I will once again turn to the WRAVMASG...
...and this is either ABSTRACT or MINERAL/VEGETABLE with ANIMAL connections. I should perhaps warn you that it is very possible that no-one here has heard of this, but it should still be solvable with judicious questioning and googling.
Is it a physical construction?
Does it originate from a particular culture?
Physical construction? No.
Originate from a particular culture? Not exactly, but *some applause*.
Would it be found in a specific country?
Found in a specific country? Yes. *substantial applause*
Is the Animal connection human?
An English-speaking country?
A European country?
Is it a place?
Is the mineral metal?
Is the vegetable edible?
Is the associated country in Asia?
Rare audience appreciation!
Human? Yes. the animal connection is not particularly useful, though.
English-speaking? No.
European country? Yes
A place? Yes. *applause*
Metal? Some. Since you have now identified that we are looking for a place, I would say that the mineral/vegetable/animal connections are not that helpful.
Edible? Some. See above.
Asia? No.*dead silence from audience*
Is the place best known for an event that happened there?
Is it found in one of the EU member states?
Is the answer the name of a town (hamlet/city etc.)?
It is a place where one might go to contemplate the beauty of nature??
Actually, on second thoughts, given the ABSTRACT primary definition, I wonder - Is the answer the name of a geographical area in some sense?
best known for event? Um, I am not sure if it is known for anything
in EU? Yes.
Name of town (hamlet/city, etc.)? No, unless "etc." is very broadly defined.
beauty of nature? Er, I have no idea, really. I'll hazard a guess at yes, though I don't think it is particularly known for its natural beauty.
****
Ah ... good thing I previewed before posting. Name of a geographical area? Yes. *applause*
Is it in France?
France? No. 24 to go.
In current EU?
Oops - forget that one - how about In a country with a Mediterranean coastline?
In current EU? Er, yes. Didn't I already answer that?
*****
Ah, you are saved by the preview again.
Mediterranean coastline? No.
And, for free, here is an addendum to a previous answer. The name of a town/hamlet/city is one of the words on the card, although the answer is not the name of a town/hamlet/city.
Does the area have a coastline?
Is the answer an administrative area?
In Scandinavia - including the Baltic States?
Coastline? I am pretty certain that the answer is no.
Administrative area? Yes. *applause*
Scandinavia including Baltics? Yes.
(Make that 99.9% certain that it does not have a coastline)
Is it in Finland?
Finland? No.
The province of Jönköping?
Does the name itself consist of more than word? (Or, contrariwise, is the phrase on the card 'the province/region/whatever of ...' plus just one word?)
In Germany?
Oops, missed that it's Scandinavia.
In Denmark?
The Tivoli Gardens?
In one of Baltic states?
Remember guys - the initial setting said that we've probably never heard of this.
Does it have connections to Norse legends and myths?
Is it in Sweden?
Jonkoping? No.
Form of answer? The answer is two words: Place Name + Administrative Area Designation.
Part of the Third Reich? No.
Denmark? No.
Tivoli Gardens? Never heard of them
In Baltic States? Yes.
Connection to Norse legends? Not as far as I am aware.
Sweden? No.
Something like "Latvian Borough of Riga"?
LBoR? Well, something like that, although see my previous response on the form of the answer.
Estonia?
For the sake of brevity assume I've asked the other 2 in turn if each preceding one is wrong.
Oh, it would have been briefer to ask the 3 questions separately, wouldn't it?
Estonia? Yes.
One of the 15 counties?
One of the 15 counties? Sadly, no. :-)
A municipality?
Municipality? Yes, although that is not the word on the card.
Is the word on the card 'township'?
OK so we're down to one of the 208 municipalities (aka townships) or possibly one of the 47 towns. Shouldn't take long now.
Is the second word "commune"?
Township/Commune? The word on the card is "Commune" but I think that is just an equivalent term for "township". As you say, shouldn't take too long.
Does the county it is in begin with a letter in the first half of the alphabet?
I can do binary chop searches
Disappearing into meetings now, but I'm using Wikipedia's 'list of municipalities in Estonia'
County in first half of alphabet? Yes, most definitely. :-) I'm leaving in 15 minutes; think we can get it worked out by then?
If it has not been figured out before I leave, I might hand the baton to INJ (*cries of "nepotism!" from the audience*) given that he has done most of the heavy lifting on this one.
Hiiu county?
In the hope of a quick win
Is it in the County of Harju?
[agree re: INJ so I'm just helpin to move things along - not aiming for a lurker's victory}
Harju it is
So, there are 19 communes, of which seven have coastline, so just 12 left to choose from
Saku Commune?
Nope. The answer was Kernu Commune. And as I am now going out for the evening, I am going to declare INJ the winner. Sorry it was so obscure, but that's what the Wikipedia Random AVMA Subject Generator gave me...
[CdM] An interesting technique for subject generation, but not very satisfying once we get down to the 'find the one from the list' bit. BTW I should also like to deny categorically that I am CdM's nephew.
Anyway, the next one is ABSTRACT with ANIMAL connections
Is the animal part a person?
[Ink] - Is the animal part a person? The animal part is human.
Is there a musical connection?
[Iroul] - musical connection? - NO
Is the animal part some number of specific humans?. [INJ] Agreed. If I use it again I will throw in a bit of my own discretion about the suitability of the subject.
[CdM]some specific humans - NO
A crowd or gathering of some kind?
[Rosie] gathering - NO
Is it a role?
[Raak] Role? - NO
Is it male?
[Inks] Male? - Not defined
[forgetting the animal part for the time being] - Is this an activity of some sort?
[Chalky] an activity - NO
Normal service (i.e. slow) will be resumed shortly - in about 20 mins - when I pack up to go home.
A belief system?
[Iroul] Belief system - NO
Human construct? (oblig.)
Does this involve the senses?
[CdM] Human construct? - YES (though that may not help a lot)
[Chalky] involve the senses? - NO
Is this an intellectual creation?
[CdM] an intellectual creation? - YES (some shaking of heads in the audience)
Is it a field of study?
[Hux] a field of study? - NO (some laughter in the audience)
Entertainment (or intended to be entertainment)?
[Iroul] entertainment? - NO
Hmm, I didn't think it would be this hard to get - I'm in meetings all afternoon, so I may have to start thinking of clues.
Is it an abstract noun?
Is this a medical condition?
[Tuj] abstract noun? - NO
[Chalky]a medical condition? - NO
I'm not very convinced by my own answer to the Intellectual creation question - I'm not completely sure what CdM meant by it. However the answer is a product of human minds, so I stand by it. I also refer you to my answer to the very first question from Inkspot.
Is the human a specific human?
Is this historically specific?
[Tuj] a specific human? - NO
[Iroul] historically specific? - NO (though its abstract existence does not span all of human history)
Clarifications on the last 2.
Not a specific human, but a specific subset of humankind.
Its existence spans about the last couple of hundred years.
An organisation?
[Raak] An organisation? - NO
Is it connected to the USA?
(I'm not sure what my 'intellectual creation' question meant either; I simply threw it out there in the hope that it would generate some response other than 'NO'.)
Or is it connected to some particular technological invention or innovation?
[CdM] connected to the USA? - Not particularly (nor originally)
technological invention or innovation? - NO (some laughter in the audience)
Religious?
[Tuj] Religious? - NO (but definitely no laughter)
Is the "specific subset of humankind" either 'men' or 'women'?
[CdM] either 'men' or 'women'? - NO
Trekkies?
To do with science fiction?
Is this represented by an acronym?
[Iroul] Trekkies - NO
[Raak] SciFi - NO
[Tuj] Acronym - NO
Time for a little help here. The human connection is with a specific subset of humankind which is neither men nor women.
Hallowe'en?
[Rosie] Hallowe'en? - NO
Children?
(i.e., is that the human connection?)
[CdM] Children? - YES; the human connection is with children (substantial applause from the audience)
Is it a game of some kind?
(I presume not, since you said it wasn't an activity, but just in case...)
[CdM] a game? NO (you presumed correctly)
Spelling bees?
Connected with a work of fiction?
[Raak] Spelling bees? - NO
[CdM Connected with a work of fiction? - This has appeared in a number of works of fiction, but that is not the normal context for it; so NO is probably the most useful answer
It's that point in the day where I go to my hotel and my laptop gets locked in a drawer at work. I have every confidence that it won't take long now - you just need to pin down what sort of thing this is.
The tooth fairy?
Child labour laws?
[Inkspot] I hope not. I did that one not so long ago...
Is it related to childcare?
Compulsory schooling?
OK - an apology. I've done a bit of looking up and I now think that I should have answered YES to the Connected with a work of fiction? question, in that the majority of the references were in the context of a single work. Anyway, we're nearly there.
[Inkspot] The tooth fairy? - NO (but substantial and prolonged applause)
[CdM] Child labour laws? - NO
[Raak] Compulsory schooling? - NO
Is this a make-believe character?
The sandman?
[Chalky] make-believe character? - YES
[Iroul] The sandman? - NO
The audience is surreptitiously putting on coats etc. ready for an early exit
Jack Frost?
Fairy Godmother?
We have a winner!!
THE FAIRY GODMOTHER it is. Back to CdM
Although the character appears in many stories and predates Perrault, Cinderella now appears to have a working majority.
Credit where credit is due...
...it was actually Ms CdM who figured this one out.

Anyway, back to the Wikipedia Random AVMA Subject Generator one more time...

... and this one will be easy, I think. It is ABSTRACT (possibly with VEGETABLE and and/or MINERAL connections, but I don't think those are very helpful).
Atlantis?
Is this another place?
A human construct?
(trad)
It an event in the natural world?
Sorry for the delay
Atlantis? No.
A place? No (thankfully).
Human Construct? Very definitely.
Event in natural world? Not quite sure what you mean, but I think the answer is no.
Is this a building perhaps?
An organisation?
The Daytona 500?
(that's what I got when I followed the link...)
Building? No.
Organisation? No.
Daytona 500? No.
An idea?
A work of fiction?
A work of non-fiction? [thanks Kim]
A proverb or saying?
A belief-system or philosophy?
Connected with a belief-system or philosophy?
Is it connected with anything connectable-with?
sorry - ignore that - I was being unecessarily facetious
An idea? Only in a very vague sense.
work of fiction or nonfiction? No.
proverb or saying? No.
Belief system or philosophy, or connected thereto? No.
Connected to anything? Yes. :-)
A state of mind?
Is it of recent origin?
state of mind? No.
Recent origin? No. (Googling suggests that the first instance of the answer was in the early 16th century, but it is probably less misleading to suggest that it has been around since the mid 19th century.)
An artistic endeavour, or connected thereto?
Artistic endeavor? No. (Nevertheless, a smattering of applause.)
Anything to do with Music?
A style of doing something?
Music? No.
Style of doing something? No, except in a very very general sense. However, it is a specific abstract thing that exists in the context or a more general abstract thing.
Is it an academic study of any kind?
A form of dance?
Academic study? No. (But again, a slight smattering of applause.)
Dance? No.
Science fiction?
A particular style of architecture?
Science fiction? No.
Style of architecture? No.
Something "alternative" such as homeopathy, dowsing, etc?
A scientific theory?
Something alternative? No.
Scientific theory? No.
Hmmm... so much for my belief that this would be easy. It seems to me that you have still missed a key broad class of abstract things.
Mathematical?
Mathematical? No. (*significant applause greets the question and some "oooohs" greet the answer*)
Linguistic?
Linguistic? No. (also, perhaps the applause for "mathematical?" should not have been quite so significant)
Geometrical?
Geometrical? No. (the applause was less significant than that)
To clarify
It is not mathematical. It could however be said that there is a mathematical connection. I am not sure that is a fruitful line of enquiry, however. I would still look for the 'key broad class of abstract things' that has not yet been mentioned.
Numerology?
Numerology? No.
Is this a type of game?
Something imaginary?
Something to do with computers/worldwideweb?
topological - in ythe sense of connected with shapes etc?
Something to do with time?
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