Hint: Music is not how he makes his living.
[Clarification for Rosie] Broadcaster - if a broadcaster is someone like David Dimbleby, Jeremy Paxman, David Frost, then the answer is No
Congrats, Rosie, we await your teaser with baited breath. Meanwhile, I'd be curious to know how many people knew what Hugh Laurie's sporting background is?
Summary so far: Human, Male, Architect, Died between 1906 and 2006, born prior to 1901, European, not a film maker.
I'd hoped that would take longer to guess, well done Projoy
Summary: A living male Australian politician who has retired.
(A ghostly hand with the word "CLUE" tattooed on it points at CdM's last question.)
Anyway, off we go again with ABSTRACT with ANIMAL connections
Anyhoo into the weekend with MINERAL
Apparently, in Illinois, it is illegal to offer a lit cigar to a pet.
Perhaps there is a game in that...
ABSTRACT with Animal, Vegetable and Mineral connections.
To clarify: Religion, or things to do with religion, can be related in a particular way to The Answer On The Card, but is The Answer to do with religion (or its things) more than to do with other things? NO. This is what I meant in my answer to "to do with art" and "to do with mathematics". Keep going, though.
[Dandalf] is it the environment? -- NO.
This abstract with animal, vegetable and mineral connections is more common in some places than others but is not primarily connected to geography. It involves a human element in some way, more specifically some activity of the brain and even more specifically thought, but is not actually any of these. There is some relationship with a group of people. Only humans construct it (although this may be debated).
Religion, mathematics, art, and non-human animals can have something to do with it but only in a certain sense, and it can be found in at least one fictional work (but not only there) and some people may involve it in a hobby or pastime. It is not in itself an action, process or activity but a certain amount of skill is related to its existance.
It is not: this game, a genie, a degree in woodland conservation, from fiction, an activity, a process, agriculture, evolution, a settlement, the environment, an emotion, a hobby, something you can do or be, science, thought, something spiritual, a family (or group of people), ethics, a skill, a plant, water, to do with death or to do with humour.
I could also say that it should probably be considered to have abstract connections as well, but although strictly accurate, that may not be helpful. I think this summary should be very helpful indeed.
Oh, and apologies for spelling "existence" wrong. Oops.
The yesnoyesno is because
(b) there are things to which the answer/words on the card can be to do with, because of the nature of the answer/words on the card. Thus I have problems saying "no" to "to do with xyz" because yes, it can have something to do with xyz.
[Projoy] to do with money -- NO. (I am giving up on the broader meaning of "to do with" from here on, since it's causing too much trouble.)
How about some good old questions like many of the ones from the first topic in this game, which was also an abstract? Start with "did it exist in ...".
The answer has to do with language, more so written than spoken.
Two places definitely had examples of it before 20CE.
It is an invention, in that it is something made up by people. It is not just a concept.
It has something to do with instructions (although perhaps not directly as much as I first thought).
It is often but not necessarily connected to translation and can be very useful in this.
It has something to do with a book or books.
It can often be found in a public library.
It is most often printed.
It often has different versions.
Spelling is an issue.
Transliteration is sometimes involved.
It is a group of words (kind of) but not a particular class of word.
Many instances of the answer start with the letter P.
It is not "a dictionary" and is not "something to do with an encyclopedia". It did not first appear in the Middle East and is not to do with one particular language.
The audience or some of the audience were impressed when the law, grammar or language schools were mentioned, although it is none of these things.
Oh, and the answer has more than one word (plus an indefinite article), not starting with the letter "P", and it does not have its own wikipedia entry.
(I mis-read "it" amongst the flurry of posting; you can have elephants in lots of books, of course, as well as elsewhere.)
[Projoy] sorry, that got lost in the flurry of posts and a random backspace. NO. The number of words can vary wildly depending on where The Answer is found and The Answer itself. A random sampling just now gave the number of words as 24, 10, 65, 30 and 352.
*retires*
It is not:
A dictionary or a drink. Nor is it a tree, bush, fungus, berry, tuber, fruit, spice, tea, cassava, brassica, nettle, carrot, yam, chives, taro, arrowroot, jerusalem artichoke, spice, sugar beet or swede. It is not typically processed before eating (other than cooking or, say, slicing), and is not typically found in British supermarkets or local garden centres.
Here we go then, with ABSTRACT with animal connections
As Inkspot and I are the only ones to have got a YES in the last one and he's not here just now I'll start a fairly easy one.
It's MINERAL
The "word on the card" is a brand name but the generic term will do.
Not too challenging, MINERAL
The next is MINERAL with ABSTRACT connections.
Is it in the vicinity of Kilimanjaro?
So, have a good weekend and over to irach.
ps if yes, a great clue would be the coutry of origin.
OK, short and simple: VEGETABLE
Chutney it is. Over to you Irouléguy
Nothing whatsoever to do with steam engines, but nevertheless MINERAL.
OK, this time I'll go for VEGETABLE & MINERAL
What it's not: crisps; anything to do with booze; bigger than a phonebox; a tool; a container; anything to do with weather-forecasting (including barometers); involving sea water; a drink; starting with P; used as a cleaning fluid; a measurement device; linked to vegetal fluid; to do with sport or cooking; alive; something to wear (conventionally); a means of separation; a newspaper; printed paper; involving paper; to do with the arts; medicinal; a fixative or glue; model aeroplane; wood glue; wallpaper paste; polyfilla; playdoh; size; papier maché; plastic laminated card
Next item for your illation is ANIMAL
So a Abstract with Animal and Vegetable connections
It contains two words. One begins with P. Neither word is simply "a," or "portable."
It's a man-made mass produced electronic device, and there is more than one of it. It does not occur in nature. It has parts which move. Its construction involves metal (among other things), but no liquids. It is not a component of a larger object. It does not involve superconductivity. It was invented (as a whole item) some time after 1980, although the basic principles it uses were known long before that (that's a new hint). It usually includes a clock of some sort, and would contain a computer program within it.
It is not primarily for entertainment, nor is it connected with writing. It's nothing to do with hygiene.
It is connected with travel, but not flying or vehicles. You would take it on certain travels. It is not required for travelling abroad, nor is it specific to road travel.
It is not a frisbee, a buzzer, a pylon, a parking meter, a mobile phone, a container, a GPS navigation system, a digital camera, a data projector, a conduit, fancy car keys, a biometric passport, or a credit card.
The next is MINERAL or VEGETABLE, with ABSTRACT connections.
Ready for a clue yet?
That's better. This is ABSTRACT with ANIMAL connections. Only very tangentially associated with steam engines, and then only a few types. Hope that narrows the field a bit.
The answer is A something Accent.
Could I nudge people gently away from the particular.
The next is ABSTRACT, VEGETABLE and MINERAL.
[K] That day too is yet far off.
I think we should look back to the last positive audience reaction.
The next is MINERAL and ABSTRACT.
Right, here we go with a fairly simple one that's ABSTRACT with MINERAL connections.
(tutti) Don't forget it's fundamentally abstract.
The rainbow itself. So the winner is the extraordinarily sober rab! Well done.
ABSTRACT.
Does it exist?
The next is ABSTRACT with ANIMAL connections
Further reading suggests a possible mineral component.
[Irouléguy] No.
[Inkspot] YES!
[Raak] Maybe, not sure.
[irach] "The atmosphere" are not the words that appear on the card.
[Irouléguy] No.
[irach] No.
[irach] No.
[Raak, irach, CdM, Rosie] No.
[Rosie] I wouldn't be that pedantic (see CdM's last guess).
[Ir] Nope.
[irach] No.
I think I should add that the subject also has an ABSTRACT quality, which maybe ought to have been in the original definition, otherwise this may take ages.
You have all wandered into the outer regions of darkness where it is very cold. Look at the answer to Lib's second question. This is man-made.
But we have a winner, and it's RAAK, with the Severn Tunnel. Your go.
Grows on a tree? (rather than a bush/on the ground etc)
Does it have a stone?
Canteloupe?
Clarification. Sorry to confuse you, I've confused myself too. so...
Fictional? (ie 1. the class of literature comprising works of imaginative narration, esp. in prose form. 2. works of this class, as novels or short stories: detective fiction. 3. something feigned, invented, or imagined. 4. the act of feigning, inventing, or imagining. 5. an imaginary thing or event, postulated for the purposes of argument or explanation.) NO
Fictitious? Having looked at many definitions, NO to most but YES to "imaginatively produced or set forth".
Sorry to get in a twist, hope this helps a little. (The dictionary definitions are to help my easily overwhelmed mind, as I know you are all far more eloquent than me!)
One slightly damp baton handed on.
The next one is MINERAL, VEGETABLE, and ABSTRACT.
To recap and give a nudge into a more fruitful path: it's a container of things made of wood and metal, which features in a well-known simile, and which could be found in various places, including the home.
There are four words, including the indefinite article.
The next is A B S T R A C T.
*BUT clarification (as always): Whilst I say there are no moving parts, one element of the object will move if the item is utilised...
Your next AVMA for consideration and interrogation is ABSTRACT
Right, earwig-o with ABSTRACT and MINERAL or ABSTRACT..
Nothing whatsoever to do with steam engines.
This is not a technical term but possibly used to be.
Now, this time it's MINERAL