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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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Sly like a fox?
Jump over a lazy brown fox
[irach] Sly like a fox - NO
[inks]Jump over a lazy brown fox - NO (anyway it's 'dog' as any fan of Nevin Nollop knows)
Crazy as a loon?
Dog-tired?
Cat-nap?
Is it a phrase?
[irach] Crazy as a loon? - NO
[PJ] Dog-tired - NO
[irach] Cat-nap - NO
[all] a phrase - NO (except in the sense that it consists of more than one word in a meaningful grammatical relationship)
includes a verb?
Bovine anarcho-syndicalism?
A disease?
Is the animal connection human?
Bird flu?
Is it a fictional animal?
An anthropomorphism?
slow going
[Projoy] includes a verb? - NO
[Rosie] Bovine anarcho-syndicalism? - Y...NO
[ Rosie ] disease - NO
[CdM ] Is the animal connection human? - Partly
[ Iroul ] Bird flu? - NO
[ Kim ] a fictional animal? - NO
[ Inks ] anthropomorphism? - NO
Is the animal connection human and one other animal?
A collective name for a group of animals?
Is it a particular place where one might find animals/humans?
[Iroul] human and one other animal? - NO
[Inks] A collective name for a group of animals? - NO
[Chalky] a particular place - NO
Is it a property or characteristic of either an animal or a human?
[Iroul] looking at your previous question I believe my answer is correct, but it may depend on what you actually meant by it. So - to clarify (and help):
as well as the human connection there is only one other type of animal, but more than 1 of them.
[Rosie] property or characteristic of either an animal or a human? - NO
Is the answer along the lines of: ......... and the ......... ?
[Chalky] Is the answer along the lines of: ......... and the ......... ? - NO
The Vicar and Flock?
Sounds like the name of pub, dunnit?
The audience send out for flasks and sleeping bags
[Projoy] Vicar and Flock - NO
A piece of music?
Is the human connection a particular human?
[Inks] music - NO
[CdM] a particular human - NO (audience nod their heads sagely)
Is the other type of animal a mammal?
INJ] Thanks - that was what I meant.
One Man and His Dog?
The boy who cried wolf?
Man and Beast?
Of Mice And Men?
[Iroul] mammal - YES
[Phil] OMAHD - NO
[Dandalf] boy who cried wolf? - NO
[irach] Man and Beast? - NO
[irach] Of Mice And Men? - NO
The Queen's Corgis?
All the King's horses?
Is the mammal native to a particular part of the world?
[Phil] Queen's Corgis? - NO
[irach] King's horses? - NO
[Inks] native to a particular part of the world? - NO
(The audience has split up into card schools and choirs)
Is the human part gender specific?
Does the human element relate to the possessor of the mammal?
[Inks] Is the human part gender specific? - Hmmm. Strictly speaking NO, but in practice, YES
[Phil] Does the human element relate to the possessor of the mammal? - YES
Check your assumptions.
Henry's Cat?
Is the human element a role/title or something similar (with a single incumbent at any given time)?
[all] Henry's Cat - NO (who he?)
[CdM] role/title/something similar - YES(ish) - but I suspect that may mislead as much as help
single incumbent - NO
A game?
[Inks] a game - NO
Are the non-human animals domesticated?
Is the abstract part a human construct?
[INJ] How could you not know of Henry's Cat? Drawn by genius animator Bob Godfrey (last of the great painted-cell animators, none of your computerised rubbish) who was also the creator of "Rhubarb and Custard" and "Noah and Nellie" ("all aboard the skylark!"). Shame on you. How old are you, anyway?
[CdM] domesticated - YES
[Kim] a human construct - NO is the most useful answer
How old? Old enought not to have had a TV at the age when I would have watched such programs
Is it the title of something?
Is the non-human animal canine?
[PJ] title of something? - NO, although it has been used as such
[Iroul] canine - NO
murine?
[PJ] - Not one of Mickey's relatives
feline?
oscine?
[Inks] - feline - NO
[PJ] oscine - I refer my learned friend to my earlier answer about mammals
Rabbit
With a "?"
Do you need a clue yet?
[Inks] Rabbit - NO (with or without ?)
The name of a pub?
A farm animal?
The sum of human knowledge
So far we know this:
It's an abstract that has to do with human and mammal (just one type of mammal? Just one human? We know this not.)

The human part may be a role, but this may be unhelpful. The human part is, in practice but not in principle, gender-specifc

The aforesaid mammal(s) is/are domesticated (so presumably not farm animals?). Is not: dog, cat, mouse, rat, rabbit. I think that's all we know.
equine?
slightly stretching the "domesticated" category...
Smaller than a cat?
But I would say cow is "domesticated" animal, the term should not be assumed to mean "household pet".
[Projoy] Actually only one type of animal but more than 1 of them according to answer to Irouleguy.
The PG Tips Chimps?
A little progress
[Raak] a pub name - NO
[Inks] farm animal - YES
[PJ] equine - YES (some of the audience emerge from their stupor)
[Inks/Chalky] - see above
The summary is reasonable except that,as Dandalf says - you have been told that there is only one type of mammal, but more than one of them.
I've never taken 'domesticated' to mean the same as 'domestic'.
Why didn't the audience wake up at "King's horses" earlier on?
Anything to do with horse racing?
"If wishes were horses, beggars would ride"?
The four horse men of the Apocalypse?
Sorry, horsemen!
A herd of wild horses?
[Dandalf] - Good question - in retrospect, I think they should have.
[Chalky] horse racing? - NO
[PJ] If wishes were horses,... - NO
[Dandalf] Four hoarse men - NO
[Raak] herd of wild horses? - NO
Shortly going away for the long weekend - and yet I feel this one could fall quickly if someone makes the right lateral jump. I'm surprised how hard it is proving.
In retrospect the 'kings horses' should have got some applause.
a work horse?
Hobby Horse
Wild horses wouldn't drag me...?
Sagittarii?
Is the word "horses" on the card?
Can I have two guesses? Horsetrader? Charge of the light brigade?
P.S. Also going away for long weekend
Charge of the light brigade is a very good guess, I think. But I am not sure why the audience would have 'nodded sagely' at my 'particular human?' question, and I would have thought that it was gender-specific in principle. Also, if it is right, then 'King's horses' definitely should have won applause!
Anything to do with show-jumping?
In case 'Charge of the Light Brigade' is wrong.
Yankee Doodle and Pony?
We have a winner
Dandalf was right 'Charge of the Light Brigade' it is.
As I later admitted - King's Horses should have won applause. I can only say that I didn't have a lot of time when I posted that and I also didn't anticipate that it would prove as difficult as it did. Particular human - NO, but 600 particular humans. Gender-specific not now, but yes, then. All arguable.
Anyway, sorry to have kept you waiting, but I've had a very nice weekend away in Mid-Wales and my laptop was not going to come with me.
Over to Dandalf
Well back from my long weekend to find I'd guessed right. Actually I was hesitant about C of the L.B. because of the gender thing - but then thought that the equines probably included both stallions and mares! : ) Whatever - here goes with ABSTRACT with no connections whatsoever. (Oh dear, what have I let myself in for?!?)
Is it a force?
Is it a state of mind?
Can it exist without the perception of a sentient being?
To do with mathematics?
[Inkspot] Force? NO
[Phil] State of mind? Er...YES. Audience stops groaning.
[Rosie] NO. Half-hearted ripple of applause.
[Raak] Maths? NO
Applies only to humans/human minds?
A mystical vision?
Melancholy?
An agreeable state of mind?
[INJ] H/H minds only? YES (...or NO?)
[Raak] M.V. NO
[Irouleguy] Melancholy? NO
[Rosie] YES (but paradoxically could be NO!)
indecisiveness?
Connected with a physical activity?
Lust?
[INJ] Definitely NOT indecisiveness :)
[Raak] NOT connected with physical activity
[Projoy]NOT Lust
Sleep?
Success?
Hope?
[Phil] NOT sleep (which is what audience is settling down to!)
[Raak] NOT Success (which is what is not being achieved!)
[Rosie] NOT Hope (which you shouldn't lose!).
Single-mindedness?
Is it visible on a brain scan?
Does it have anything to do with perception of the future?
Love?
Does the word end with .... ness?
[Raak] Singlemindedness NO
[CdM] NOT visible on brain scan
[Kim] NOT connected to prediction
[Phil] NOT love
[Chalky] One of the words on the card does end with ..ness. (Audience stirs).
Is this a two-word answer?
[Chalky] Five words on the card incl. 1 article and 1 preposition.
A piece of my mind?
As in, giving someone ___.
A piece of my mindness? A pieceness of my mind?
The Unbearable Lightness of Being?
*applauds*
(If that isn't right, it should be)
Spot On!! Wild applause. Well done INJ.
Ooh - me again!

OK, this is ANIMAL with ABSTRACT connections
All the King's Horses?
One of the King's Horses?
[Chalky / Dandalf] King's Horses - NO to both,
Is the animal human?
[all] human - NO
One particular animal?
Alive (when it's at home)?
A domesticated animal?
[Iroul] One particular animal? - NO
[PJ] alive? - YES
[Iroul] domesticated? - NO
Sorry. The last one was the answer to Rosie, of course - Ah, the joys of copy and paste.
A herd of wild horses?
[Raak] herd of wild horses - NO
Is the answer on the card a well-known phrase or saying?
Is the beastie timorous? (eg not a lion)
One particular species?
Are they insects?
Associated with a work of fiction?
[CdM] a well-known phrase or saying? - NO - not fair to call it well-known
[Rosie] timorous - NO - that isn't an adjective you'd normally expect to use (but neither is 'fierce')
[[CdM] One particular species? - YES - (smattering of applause)
[Raak] insects? - NO
[Inks] Associated with a work of fiction? - NO
[Iroul] There are 2 ways of reading your penultimate question (one particular animal?).
A horde of wild hearses?
[Raak] - NO
Might They Be Giants?
[Raak] - NO
Is the animal bigger than a domestic cat?
Is the answer on the card the title of something?
[PJ] Bigger than a cat - NO
[CdM] title of something - NO
Is the answer on the card a quotation from something?
A bird?
An insect?
[CdM] a quotation? - NO
[Inks] a bird - YES (some applause)
[PJ] - NO
A Flock of Seagulls?
getting warmer
[Chalky] A Flock of Seagulls? - NO (hearty applause)
The multitude of swallows that *does* make a Summer
Getting your ducks in a row?
INJ] True - I meant one specific animal, as in Lassie, Trigger, Skippy...God, I'm old.
audience settles down a bit again
[PJ] The multitude of swallows that *does* make a Summer - NO
[Iroul] ducks in a row? - NO
[Iroul] That's what I assumed in my response - (BTW I nearly chose 'Champion the Wonder Horse')
Some sort of sea bird?
An emblem or icon of some sort?
[PJ] sea bird - NO (that's not why they applauded)
[Rosie] emblem/icon - NO
Are there four and twenty of them?
[Raak] Are there four and twenty of them? - NO (but a few wry grins amongst the audience)
Game bird?
[Projoy] Game Bird? - NO
[PJ] Well, not in this country. ;o)
Found in this country?
[Projoy] Found in this country? - YES
Do the words on the card include a collective noun?
[Chalky] collective noun - YES (prolonged applause)
A murder of crows?
Soooooooo Close
[Projoy] A murder of crows? - NO (but it's hard to see how you could get closer without getting it)
A murder of ravens?
[Projoy] - A murder of ravens? - NO (but I'm tempted to give it to you anyway - right bird, wrong venereal term - so it was possible to get closer!)
An unkindness?
Nicely Timed
We have a winner - An Unkindness of Ravens it is. A bit tough on Projoy, plus an honourable mention for Chalky, but there you go. Over to CdM just before I have to think about logging out and going home.
I went for (and stuck with) "murder" because of the wry grins at four and twenty blackbirds (who were violently killed, of course), and you do often hear "a murder of ravens" even tho "unkindness" is the more standard term. Nemmind. CdM has it.
[PJ] The 'wry grins' were because they were 'black birds'.
Yes, I stood on the shoulders of giants there. Still, as the saying goes, 'he who larks last, shall be exalted'.
ABSTRACT, with ANIMAL connections
Live animal(s)?
Live? The least misleading answer is YES, although I could add also NO.
Fictional animals?
Time related?
A single type of animal?
Is this a place?
Fictional animals? No.
Time related? The answer doesn't have anything to do with time. (There is a particular sense in which I could say it is time-related but I don't think that is helpful.)
Single type of animal? Yes.
A place? No.
A single named animal?
Single named animal? If I understand the question correctly, the answer is NO.
Is the animal connection human?
Human? YES.
A theatrical connection?
Theatrical Connection? None that I am aware of.
Is it a saying?
(Not the seven ages of man, then)
The present king of France?
Is there one at the moment?
A saying? NO.
Louis XXIV? NO.
One at the moment? YES. (By which I mean that the answer on the card currently exists. As a minor clue/clarification, my previous answer re "time-related" was because the answer on the card did not always exist and probably will not always exist in the future. I was probably overthinking my answers...)
Is it sport-related?
The Monarchy?
Sport-related? NO.
Monarchy? NO. (some laughter)
Democracy?
Democracy? NO.
The Goons?
I'm trying to think of constructive questions, rather than guesses, but the laughter has me intrigued.
Punk (the supposed form of music)?
Is it the name of a job?
Anything to do with anarcho-syndicalism?
The Goons. NO. more laughter
Punk? NO.
Name of a job? NO. smattering of applause
To do with anarcho-syndicalism? YES! loud applause
The Durutti Column?
The International Workers Association?
Durutti Column? NO. (some applause)
IWA? NO. (some applause)
Does it have a specifically British connection?
British connection? NO. (a pin drops noisily)
Is it a political organisation?
Political organisation? YES. (applause)
The Spanish FAI (Federacion Anarquista Iberica)?
FAI? NO. (loud applause) (this is a very helpful audience)
Confederación Nacional del Trabajo?
CNT? YES! *refuses to pass the baton as it is a symbol of bourgeois oppression*
Courtesy of the wiki random article feature, here is a VEGETABLE.
edible?
manufactured/processed?
Is it *A* vegetable?
[INJ] NO.
[CdM] NO.
[Rosie] YES.
Is it a tree?
Tropical?
[Raak] NO.
[CdM] YES.
a flower?
(in the normal sense of the term - not just an angiosperm)
[INJ] YES.
Lotus?
[CdM] NO.
Hibiscus?
Rafflesia?
Available in European florists? (on a reasonably regular basis)
[irach] NO (but at this and the previous question, the audience is starting to pay attention)
[Raak] NO (but ditto)
[INJ] YES -- at least, I am fairly sure about the "reasonably regular" part.
Orchid?
Incidentally, Néa, I'm still bemused as to where your "anarcho-syndicalism" question came from?
[Phil] NO. (Audience loses a degree of interest.)
Anarcho-syndicalism -- it was the laughter at "monarchy" that put the idea into my head :-)
Native to Africa?
(If you like, you can assume I'll ask the other questions until I get a YES)
Good idea
[INJ] Africa? NO.
South America? NO.
Central America? NO.
Australia? NO.
Asia? YES.
(Needless to say, it was the last one you asked about. 'Tis ever so.)
Hyacinth?
Native only to Asia restricts things a bit.
[Néa] I'd never even heard of it myself, hence my utter bemusement.
Asian Almond (sterculia foetida)?
...which, by any other name, would smell as foul.
I meant Indian almond.
[Phil] NO (audience interest remains on same level as before). Re: an-synd -- that has been something of a running gag in this game, which made it a more obvious thing to guess. (Mr Néa is active in the Swedish anarcho syndicalists. I don't sympathise with them myself, though.)
[Projoy] NO (audience pricks up ears slightly)
There seems to be some confusion as to the Latin name of the Indian almond
Neither Sterculia Foetida (which I have down as Java olive) nor Terminalia Catappa is correct.
Is usually a particular colour?
[Inkspot] YES.
Jasmine?
Sakura Cherry blossoms?
Indian Lilac?
A member of the rhododendron genus?
[flerdle, irach, Dandalf, Irouléguy] NO. (The audience, having become a little restless, regains some order at flerdle's guess -- but quickly loses it again.)
noted for fragrance?
[INJ] NO.
Himalayan Poppy?
Peony?
Remember: Tropical
[INJ] NO.
[Inkspot] NO.
(There is a distinct lack of order among the audience.)
A bromeliad?
An orchid?
Saffron?
(sources disagree about its nativity)
Tea?
(curses - sources agree that it's not a flower, and that it's not tropical!)
Leptospermum?
[Inkspot] NO.
[Raak] Still NO.
[Projoy] NO.
[Irouléguy] Yes please! Black, no sugar. Oh, sorry. NO.
[Projoy] NO.
OK... I think Néa is giving us a hint with "order" in reference to flerdle's guess of Jasmine. The internets tell me that Jasmine is in the order Lamiales, and also tell me that there are about 11,000 species in this order. So -- now to take a leaf out of INJ's book...
Chinese violet?
(If you like, you can assume I'll ask the other 10,999 questions until I get a YES)
[CdM] NO. (The audience cheers when hearing the reasoning behind the guess.)
I'm sorry, I don't think I'll assume that :-)
Is the colour usually yellow?
[Inkspot] NO.
Clarification please...
You answered earlier that it is not edible. Is it actually poisonous, or just not usually eaten?
Is the colour usually red/pink?
An Iris?
Is its colour part of its name?
Is a country or area part of its name?
[CdM] The information I've found on the subject says "not poisonous".
[INJ] YES.
[Inkspot] NO.
[Raak] NO.
[Irouléguy] NO.
Is it grown here as a house rather than garden plant?
[Inkspot] YES.
Is it grown here as a house rather than garden plant?
Grown for foliage rather than flower?
Er...
I was assuming an omitted "plant" in Inkspot's question, whereas I'm assuming that CdM is just being silly (often a safe assumption to make!)
[INJ] NO -- at least, I wouldn't think so.
No, I was simply pointing out that "here" has many meanings in the morniverse. You haven't answered my question.
[CdM] I'm sorry, that was too subtle for me. In that case, NO.
Acanthus?
(Was gonna say Buddlea (sp?) but realised I have one out in the back garden, then realised that Acanthus is also grown outdoors in Europe and isn't native to Asia. I think I'd better retire from this round :) )
Is it carnivorous?
(BTW, while floundering about on google for possible answers, I came across this rather fetching description of an Asian houseplant: "Coral Berry - Ardisia Crenata, from southeast Asia. Very slow growing plant. Has shiny green leaves and very small pink or shite flowers followed by brilliant red berries.")
[Projoy] NO. (An elderly gentleman in the back row starts clapping, but his neighbour shushes him). Some Acanthus species are native to Asia, though -- Acanthus ilicifolius for instance.

Incidentally, I may need to make a clarification. When I say "garden plant" I mean something that actually grows in the garden and is outdoors all year round, rather than plants like olive trees for instance, which can be taken outside (in this here climate) in summer but must come in when the snow arrives.
[CdM] NO.
What You Know
You're looking for a plant of the order Lamiales, with (usually) red or pink flowers, which is native to a tropical part of Asia and doesn't grow very well in British (or Swedish) gardens. It will not eat your pets or children. It's not usually eaten but probably not poisonous, its colour or homeland cannot be divulged from its name -- oh, and it has a Wikipedia entry (since that's how I found it in the first place).
I think we also know that the colour is red/pink. Could it be the red-flowered Campsis grandiflora, the Trumpet Vine, of which I have an uncontrollable specimen in my garden (not UK!)? I believe it's of Asian origin.
Yes, I think you know that, too.
[Dandalf] NO.
The Bignoniaceae family?
[Irouléguy] NO.
coleus (solenostemon)?
Although it's better known for its leaves than its flowers, and is also from Africa. Worth mentioning and eliminating, though...
Strobilanthes?
I think we also know that it is probably readily available in European florists.
lipstick plant?
From the Lamiaceae family?
[flerdle] NO.
[Phil] NO.
[INJ] Those are not the words on the card. (audience goes wild!)
[Inkspot] NO.
Aeschynanthus radicans?
(assuming we're talking about the actual plant rather than the genus Aeschynanthus)
Aeschynanthus radicans?
INJ just beat me to this: (Really just to finish things off -- if this is correct, INJ gets the baton.)
That's the epiphyte!
[INJ, CdM] YES!! Well guessed, both of you -- but INJ was first. One lipstick-shaped baton for you, sir.
er, and if you want to know why I posted anyway after the simulpost, rather than just deleting my post, well, that's a really good question.
You can tell work's a bit slack - can't you?
[Néa] - Nice clue on Acanthus. You must know better florists than me - though I do admit to knowing the plant very vaguely.

Anyway, off we go again with ABSTRACT with ANIMAL connections

A mythical animal?
[Raak] mythical - NO
Animal = human?
[INJ] Thank you - I was hoping somebody would get the clue! I didn't know the plant very well myself, but now I've read up on it rather a lot. Very educational game, this.
[Néa] human - YES
An activity of some kind?
A political movement?
[Néa] An activity - NO
[Raak] political movement? - NO
Is it found in all cultures?
A symbol?
[Néa] I skipped that plant due to mis-reading the colour :( Ah, well - well done INJ
To do with language?
[Phil] Happens to the best of us. (Obviously.)
[Iroul] found in all cultures? - NO (but be careful about your assumptions)
[Raak] symbol - NO
[Néa] To do with language? - NO (or only in a vague sense)
found in at least one non-European culture?
[Projoy] found in at least one non-European culture? - YES
A public position, in the broadest sense?
[Rosie] public position - NO (no matter how broadly drawn)
Related to an Asian culture?
If you like, you can assume I will ask all the related questions. :)
[Projoy] Related to an Asian culture? - NO not as such, but not unknown in much (most?) of Asia
African - see Asian
South American - see Asian
North American - YES
European - see N American (though some people might disagree)
The audience heckles this display of generosity
Related to entertainment?
[CdM] Related to entertainment? - YES (some applause)
Some form of music?
Now we're getting somewhere
[Iroul] Some form of music? - YES (further applause)
Jazz?
religious music?
Country?
[Phil/Projoy/Rosie] - NO
(to clarify my response to Irouléguy - I didn't take it to mean ' do the words on the card define a form of music?' - just 'is the area of entertainment some form of music?'
The name of a piece?
An organised group of people?
[PJ] name of a piece? - YES
[Raak] group of people? - NO
Was it around before 1900?
Does it have a known composer (or composers)?
Was it around before 1950
Actually, I'll take a guess... Fanfare for the Common Man?
[Inks & Projoy] Pre 1950 - NO
[CdM] known composer - YES
[Projoy] Fanfare for the Common Man? - NO
Is the compser also associated as the performer of the piece?
Inks composer = performer - NO not normally associated as such
Minor correction I think the '(though some people might disagree)' is misleading, so Related to a European Culture = YES
Pop music? (broadly understood as "the sort of stuff that young people like")
Is the animal connection something more than "written by a human"?
[Raak] Pop Music - YES and NO
[CdM] animal connection something more than "written by a human"? - YES (but not a lot)
Sorry, that was me, of course. And as an apology: the Yes & No is partly caused by the definition given.
Is a human referred to in the title?
Would most people here know the composer if they heard the piece?
Does the piece have lyrics?
(sorry for double question, but I thought of this question, which I like a lot better, only after I hit the "stand" button)
Homing in on it steadily
[Rosie] human referred to in the title? - NO
[CdM] Would most people here know the composer? - NO (though I think some would)
[CdM] lyrics - YES (some applause)
Written in the 1960s?
[CdM] 60s - YES
A stand-alone piece of music, or part of a larger work?
INJ] Thanks, that's what I meant (many moons ago)
folk music?
Rock Opera?
Is an orchestra involved in the perfornance of it?
[Iroul] A stand-alone piece of music, or part of a larger work? - YES (oh, all right - stand-alone)
[Projoy] folk - NO
[Dandalf] Rock Opera - NO
[Phil] orchestra involved - Frequently
Was it a hit in the UK?
[Iroul] UK hit - YES
Are the words on the card the title of a song?
(just checking assumptions here)
pop?
[Projoy] Pop? - As I said when this question was last asked, the problem is the definition of terms here. Popular = YES
Was it a hit for a popular beat combo?
Half Man Half Biscuit
[Inks] a hit for a popular beat combo? - NO (or for greater precision - 'YES, but not primarily')
Are you going to answer my question?
A theme tune?
[CdM] Are you going to answer my question? - YES
[Inks] Theme Tune - NO
[CdM] Are the words on the card the title of a song? - YES
A solo artist, then?
American composer and British singer?
I now have Dusty Springfield on a loop singing "I just don't know wat to do with myself" but then it is Friday.
[Projoy] Solo Artist? - YES (most famously)
[Inks] American composer? - NO
[Inks] British singer? - NO
Where appropriate the expression '(most famously)' should be considered as inserted.
British composer?
American singer?
[Projoy] British composer? - NO
[Dandalf] American Singer - YES (audience doesn't actually clap, but is definitely perking up)
European composer?
[Projoy] European composer? - YES
Do one or more colours feature in either the title or the words?
[Flerdle] colours? - NO (title nor words)
A French song rejigged by a Canadian?
(Most famously) a female singer?
Does a non-human animal feature in either words or title?
Strike that (animal=human). A (m. f.)male singer?
Is the composer Jaques Brel?
A Bob Dylan song?
[Inks] French Song - YES (many of the audience look bemused)
rejigged by Canadian - NO
[Iroul/Dandalf] - A male singer (m.f.)
[Inks] Jacques Brel - NO
[Raak] Zimmerman - NO
There's an unchallenged assumption in some of these questions - not yet crucial, but....
OOOOOPS
[Inks] SORRY the rejigged by Canadian was YES (and had I said so at the time there would have been a lot of applause
anything to do with a movie?
[Projoy] to do with a movie - NO - (I reckon Inkspot knows the answer)
Is it most famous for instrumental versions of it?
Perhaps I really meant "are the versions most commonly heard now instrumental versions".
My Way?
HUZZAH
We have a winner MY WAY it is (Originally 'Comme d'habitude', written by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, English language version by Paul Anka - who is of course, Canadian, as I really did know)
Passing the microphone to Inkspot
yay!
Thank you INJ, a bit tricky at the end there as I was torn between Sinatra and Scott Walker and goes back to the "Related to Asian ....Europe" reply.

Anyhoo into the weekend with MINERAL

Is it usually brown?
manufactured?
Congrats - The culture question was a bit tricky as I reckon it's known at least everywhere that knows of Sinatra or karaoke. The unchallenged assumption was the single 'composer'.
Metal?
[flerdle] Is it usually brown - No
[ImNotJohn] manufactured - No
[Dandalf] Metal - No (it is in such very low qunatities that a Yes could be misleading)
A physical geographical feature?
Essentially water?
[ImNotJohn] A physical geographical feature - No
[Rosie] Essentially water - No (a few chuckles from the audience)
solid?
An astronomical object?
To do with petrochemicals?
A geographical feature?
[ImNotJohn] solid - No
[Tuj] An astronomical object - Yes (loud applause from the audience)
[Raak] To do with petrochemicals - No
[Projoy] A geographical feature - No
(as the applause dies down, on or two mutter about solid but are shhhushed and elbowed)
A planet?
A comet?
[Raak] Not essentially water. Or are some comets made of something else?
[Projoy] A planet - No (some of the audience mutter and start to pay atttention)
[Raak] A comet - No
A meteorite?
A moon?
A star?
[Dandalf] A meteorite - No
[Néa] A moon - No (there is some uncalled for throwing of solid objects around)
[Phil] A star - Yes (There is an oooooohhhh as everyone settles down again)
The sun?
A well-known star?
[irach] The sun - YES it was our very own G2 star
[Raak] A well-known star - yes but...
irach well done over to you the throne is yours

Thanks... Here goes
This one is mostly ANIMAL with a little bit of MINERAL.
A woman in a chainmail bikini?
Is the animal part human?
A belt?
[Nea] I wish it were, but No
[Phil] No
[Tuj] No
A leather jacket?
[Rosie] No
Is the animal part alive?
Is the animal a mammal?
[Raak] No
[Nea]Yes. A mammalian source. (The audience stifles its collective yawn mid-yawn at this disclosure)
An item of clothing?
Is the animal part edible?
Is the finished item mass produced?
Some sort of dairy product?
A trumpet made from a yak femur with a metal mouthpiece?
Custard pie in a tin plate?
[Rosie] No.
[Phil} Yes. (the audience sits up, taking notice)
[Inkspot] Yes. In certain climes.
[Irouleguy] Yes! (The audience now cheers)[Raak] No femurs or any skeletal remains involved, nor any Tibetan bovine connection
[flerdle] No, unfortuntely.
Is the animal part ivory?
Egg?
Lassi?
[Danfdalf] No, not ivory, since it's edible... (see response to Phil above. I don't believe ivory is edible,in any culture, or even compatible with human digestion.)
[Projoy]No. (Not an egg, since it it comes from an aforementioned mammalian source. No, not even a platypus or echidna egg)
[Raak] No, but continue to think various ethnic (the audience nudges one another in anticipation as it holds its collective breath).
Yoghurt?
Is the mineral salt?
Raita?
Is the mineral part metal?
Blue Cheese?
[Irouleguy] No, not yoghurt.
[Raak] Yes. The mineral is indeed salt
Raita. No. Think a diffrent ethnicity from Lassi and raita, yet a moo-vable feast.
[Phil] No, but oh, so close- (The audience stomps its feet in apreciation)
Haloumi?
Feta?
French?
Italian?
Stilton?
Hm. Added salt - mozzarella?
[irach] Clearly you've never enjoyed "Oreilles d'elephant au gratin d'ivoire!" :)
The name of a specific cheese?
(I take the 'moo-vable feast' to mean that this ios a cows milk cheese)
Labneh?
Some sort of dressing?
[flerdle] Not haloumi
[Phil] Not feta
[INJ] Oui! The audience rises to its collective feet, kiss one another on both cheeks, and begin a raucous rendition of "Le Marseillase".
[Inkspot] No
[Projoy] No.
[INJ] Yes, name of a specific cheese.
[Irouleguy] Not labneh
[Projoy]Not a dressing.
[INJ] (Wikipedia confirms that it is a cow's milk product)
[Dandalf] While I have eaten fried alligator, and even braved a possum stew once, I have never had the opportunity of partaking of "Oreilles d'elephant au gratin d'ivoire". Do they serve it at L'Pergolese in Paris? Dined there last Wednesday, and it wasn't on the menu that day.
A soft cheese?
(brie/camembert type rather than say Tomme)
Munster?
[INJ] I am guessing not. The salt is probably a brine wash.
oops
[INJ] Sorry, I was wrong. Googling confirms that brie is salted as well. I didn't know that.
Roquefort?
[irach] Not at L'Pergolese, it is a speciality of the Cote d'Ivoire. No longer served in Paris because of CITES restrictions on the export of ivory. Sadly also being phased out in C d'I as source of main ingredients considered endangered, but is being replaced by col de giraffe tranché au Roquefort (q.v.)
[INJ] Yes! It was Brie. (While Brie doesn't have as high a salt content as Cheddar for example, it does have a moderate salt content, as CdM determined by his Googling).
[CdM] Not Munster
[Dandolf] Good guess, but Non
Take it away, ImNotJohn!
Useless trivia "R" us
Roquefort is a sheep's milk cheese...
Well, technically, I didn't actually guess it; still, here goes with MINERAL and VEGETABLE
The Stone Roses?
Edible?
A geographical feature?
[INJ] Not only did you not get it, we still don't even know what kind of brie we were talking about. Brie de Meaux? Brie de Melun? Brie de Nangis? Brie de Reactor?
A manufactured item?
[Phil] Stone Roses - NO
[Rosie] Edible - NO
[CdM] geographical feature? - NO (ish)
[Inks] A manufactured item? - YES (ish)
(depending on definitions of feature and item)
A building?
Is there just one of these?
Is the mineral salt?
[Chalky] building - YES (applause)
[CdM] Just one - YES
[Raak] Is the mineral salt? - NO
An ancient building?
In Asia?
[Kim] ancient - depends on definition, but I would say NO (and in one sense at least - NO)
[Tuj] Asia - NO
Europe?
Heehee
[Tuj] Asia - NO (keep going.........)
Sorry - that's Europe - NO
The Americas?
Keep going? If you insist!
[Tuj] Americas? - NO (You see, Néa was right)
Austrailia?
[Inks] Austrailia? - NO (nor is it Australia?;o))
Africa?
[Projoy] - Africa - YES - now are we going to go through the countries?
Sub-Saharan?
Let's narrow it down.
[Néa] Sub-Saharan? - NO (a little ripple of interest in the audience)
A public building?
[Inks] Public building - YES
The New Alexandria Library?
[Projoy] The New Alexandria Library? - NO
Built after 1900?
In Egypt?
A wooden building?
B & Q, Benghazi?
I don't think I'm going to get this one.
Famous for something?
The Sphinx? (As far as I know straw and reeds were used in its and the pyramids' construction l in addition to stone and mud).
[Inks] Built after 1900? - YES (and NO and YES)
[Tuj] Egypt? - NO
[Raak] A wooden building? - mostly NO, but partly
[Rosie] B & Q, Benghazi? - NO (it's a Focus in Benghazi)
[CdM] Famous for something? - not really sure what you mean - it is famous in its own right
[irach] Sphinx? - NO
In Morocco?
[CdM] Morocco - NO
Tunisia?
*sigh*
Is it in a former French colony?
Great Mosque of Djenné?
Maybe not strictly sub-Saharan, but...
Colonel Gadaffi's Tent?
The Knesset?
YAY!
And the winner is NÉA. It is the Great Mosque of Djenné, the largest mud building in the world, originally built in the 1240, knocked down definitively in 1897, rebuilt in 1907, but also partly rebuilt twice a year - hence my answer about post 1900.
I did hesitate about the 'sub-saharan' question but decided NO was the more informative answer.
(that's not just any old 1240, you understand)

Oooh!!
That's one of those places I've dreamt of seeing in the flesh some time. Or in the mud, rather.

The next one is ANIMAL.
Human?
First things first.
Living?
[Tuj] Human - YES.
[irach] Living - NO.
European?
Lived before Christ?
Male?
Involved in the arts?
Gutenberg?
Writer?
[ImNotJohn] European - YES.
[irach] BC - NO.
[Tuj] Male - YES.
[Raak] Arts? - NO. (There is a connection, but none of his own doing.)
[CdM] Gutenberg? - NO.
[Snodgrass] Writer? - NO.
A politician?
Connected to sports?
Swedish?
British?
A scientist?
[Inkspot] Politician - YES.
[Tuj] Sportsman - NO.
[Raak] Swede - NO.
[Tuj] Brit - NO.
[Rosie] Scientist - NO.
Born in the 18th century?
A former President of a country?
Connected with World War II?
[INJ] Born in the 1700s - NO.
[Inkspot] Former president - NO.
[Tuj] WW2 - NO.
German?
Born before 1850?
[Tuj] German - NO.
[Inkspot] Born before 1850 - YES.
Italiano?
[Projoy] Italian - NO.
ok then...
French?
I do pick obscure subjects, don't I...
[Tuj] Frenchman - NO.
Someone from ancient Greece?
[Inkspot] Ancient, Greece? - NO, and NO.
Born before 1700?
Now we're getting somewhere.
[ImNotJohn] NO.
Does the country he comes from have a Mediterranean coastline?
OK, so he is a European politician born between 1800 & 1850. He is not from Greece, France, Italy, UK, Sweden, Germany. He was not a president. Vague relationship to Arts, but not of his own making (maybe subject of painting or sculpture?).
Born in some part of Prussia which is not part of modern Germany?
[INJ] Mediterranean coastline - *checks map* NO.
At least one of those facts may be slightly misleading, but they are all quite correct.
[Let's assume the last bracketed clause was a question] Subject of painting or sculpture? - Well... NO. (Audience clap!)
[Proj] Prussia - NO.
A monarch?
[Projoy] Monarch - NO (some applause)
Would he have been a monarch, had not other events intervened?
Subject of a performance piece (play, etc)?
[Raak] Would have been - NO. (Audience looks sheepish at having conveyed wrong impression by clapping)
[CdM] Performance piece - NO -- and also (since I'm feeling generous) Subject - not as such, NO.
Jan Paderewski?
Does the country have a coastline?
[Rosie] Paderewski - NO.
[Inkspot] Coastline - Oh YES.
Russian?
An aristocrat or oligarch?
Portuguese?
[flerdle] YES!
[Projoy] Hmmm. NO and YES, in some senses of the term.
[Dandalf] Portuguese - nice guess, but NO.
Alexei Alexandrovich?
Rasputin?
No, can't be -- born 1869.
Prince Vladimir Odoevsky
[flerdle, Raak, Dandalf] NO to all three.
Mikhail Bakunin?
A Prime Minister?
say, Nikolai Golitsyn?
Trotsky?
Oops! Born 1879.
Or perhaps Boris Stürmer
Should I give you a hint?
[flerdle] Бакунин - NO.
[Projoy] Prime Minister - NO, Голицын - NO.
[Dandalf] Троцкий - NO.
[Проюй] Штюрмер - NO.
Grigori Alexandrovich Potyomkin (Potemkin)?
Oh bugger, I got the wrong century!
Was his poltical success in Russia?
or, political, even
Pyotr Valuev?
[Phil] Potemkin - NO.
[Projoy] Political success in Russia - NO! (audience applaud and cheer, but two dissenting groups can be heard arguing)
Was his political success in Greece, France, Italy, UK, Sweden or Germany?
ooops
[flerdle] Valuev - NO.
That wasn't the misleading part
[CdM] G,F,I,UK,S,G - NO.
Clarification
I could have responded to Projoy's question with a YES but that would have led you in the wrong direction, I think.
Karl Marx?
Wrong country
[Dandalf] Marx - NO.
aaaargh!
Mikhail Bakunin?
Did he have anything to do with (an organised) religion?
[Irouléguy] I already arksed that one.
[Irouléguy] Still no.
[flerdle] Religion? - NO.
Political success in USA?
[Dandalf] USA - NO. (See my clarification above).
Did he have a significant influence outside Russia?
Was he alive in 1905?
Did he live in exile from Russia?
[Raak] Influence outside Russian Empire - NO. [flerdle] Alive in 1905 - NO. (murmurs of "oooh, so close")
[Inkspot] Exiled - NO, anything but.
Murdered in Russia?
[Projoy] Murdered in the Russian Empire - YES! (Audience goes wild)
Dmitry Karakozov?
Not really a politician, was he?
[Projoy] Karakozov - NO.
(well, it was a poltical act, but I guess he doesn't count as an oligarch. :)
Served in an Imperial government?
[Projoy] In an Imperial government - YES!
Nikolai Ivanovich Bobrikov?
Sorry, rather hogging this game. That's my last question for a while.
Was he titled?
I mean a Count or some such title?
Bobrikov is also the name of a cat I know.
[Projoy] Major General Nikolai Ivanovich Bobrikov, much-loathed Governor-General of Finland - YES!!
[Inkspot] Titled - No, he wasn't as a matter of fact -- a soldier, not a nobleman.

That was more difficult than I'd expected it to be. The arts connection is via Ulysseus, which mentions the assassination of Bobrikov -- it happened on the day the novel takes place. Also, I think I committed a couple of mistakes by answering too literally sometimes and not sufficiently literally at other times. Feel free to issue edicts and threaten me with years of oppression. Baton goes to Projoy...
Oops. Well, I think I got that one more by carpet-bombing tactics than anything else. Still, here's a (hopefully less wikipedia-heavy) VEGETABLE. (Annoyingly, I thought of a really good one to set the other day, but can I bring it to mind now? Tch.)
wooden?
[Phil] Wooden - NO
Edible?
A textile?
[Dandalf] Edible - NO
[Raak] Textile - NO
(just as a totem against pedantry, I should probably mention there is probably a very small MINERAL element to this, but not in any way that need detain us here.)
Manufactured?
Cooked?
Néa, flerdle] oops, soory - though I had read all the moves.
Darn. I go out and the game runs away...
[Né] Manufactured - YES
[a] YES to your question also.
[Ig] Cooked? Um, NOT REALLY
cardboard box?
though that might be "wood"
[flerdle] Cardboard box? NO
colourful?
Would I normally have one in my house?
[Lib] Colourful - NO
[flerdle] would you have one in your house? NO, you wouldn't.
Carpet?
Haven't thought that through very far but may as well make a guess.
[Tuj] Carpet? NO.
Would I normally have one in my house?
A plant of some kind?
(Tuj) The implication of your guess is that flerdle's house doesn't have carpets. I await the storm. -:)
Is it heated as part of the manufacturing process?
[CdM] In your house? Hm. I DOUBT IT (although I couldn't actually say for certain in your case or flerdle's. Incidentally, I don't have one in my house either.)
[Rosie] A plant of some kind - YES (but that's nigh-on inevitable in this category)
[CdM] Heated in manufacture? YES! *applause*
Hm. At the risk of complicating things the more correct answer to the "would I have one in my house" question, for anyone who might ask it is strictly NO.
Is it edible?
[Rosie] Told you I didn't think it through... (sorry flerdle)
Some kind of tool?
[Tuj] That's already been asked, unfortunately. Incidentally, carpeting is a culture-bound phenomenon. Soft wall-to-wall carpets are unusual here, for instance.
[Tuj] edible, NO *there are some titters in the audience, as some new significance to this question dawns on them*
[Néa] tool, NO
* after a moment, one or two more titters from more lowbrow members of the audience *
Paper?
Sorry, that was a really stupid guess, and it was Blob who made me make it.
[Néa] Paper - NO :)
Is this an artifact manufactured for sexual purposes?
Is it smokable?
[whoever] Carpet in two rooms out of approximately 12. House was built by Italians, who seem to like ceramic tiles. I prefer no carpets; it's cleaner, or at least easier to clean.
[Raak] manufactured for sexual purposes, NO
[flerdle] smokable? YES! *applause*
A joint?
what I meant to say was mari.. maroug... argh... *googles* marijuana/pot/cannibis
Tobacco?
Cigarettes or joints would seem to involve paper (a cigar would not, though). However, tobacco would also explain the cryptic response to "would I have one in my house?" That said, it doesn't seem to explain the tittering response to "edible?" unless I am just insufficiently lowbrow to get it...
[CdM] You just need to hang out with the right people.
A cigar?
[CdM] Yeh, I bet you're so out of touch you have carpet in most of your rooms :P
[flerdle] A joint, NO
[CdM] tobacco, YES
[Tuj] A cigar, YES, but that's not the whole answer...
*applause for CdM, Tuj*
Cuban cigar?
... going for the bleedingly obvious, and probably wrong.

Apparently, in Illinois, it is illegal to offer a lit cigar to a pet.

Cigar-ette?
[flerdle] Cuban cigar, DON'T KNOW
[Tuj] Cigarette, NO
A cigarillo?
A particular cigar?
A Hamlet cigar?
(flerdle) Illinois very nearly passed a law in 1897 declaring that pi was de jure 3.2 exactly. Strange place.
A... err... cigar from the White House? *blushes*
[Rosie] Indeed. Apparently it is also illegal to take a french poodle to the opera (at least in Chicago).

Perhaps there is a game in that...

[Ig] Cigarillo, NO
[Tuj] particular cigar, YES *audience applaud, some start to sneak out to avoid the rush on the car park*
[Rosie] Hamlet, NO
[flerdle] Cigar from the White House? YES *thunderous applause, calls of encore etc.*
Specifically, the cigar that Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky... erm... well, you know.... So over to flerdle.
(as you'll gather, my confusion over the "would I have one in my house" was because you could answer it as if it referred to cigars generically or this particular cigar. I started out with the former assumption).
ooerr
Ok, here we go...

ABSTRACT with Animal, Vegetable and Mineral connections.

this game?
[Projoy] Heh. NO.
A genie in an oil lamp?
nice idea...
[Phil] NO.
A degree in woodland conservation?
An activity?
ahhhh
[Phil] NO.
[Néa] NO.
Necessarily involving humans?
Something from fiction?
the least misleading answers are...
(sorry, should recap for clarity)
[Projoy] This game -- NO
[Phil] A genie in an oil lamp/degree in woodland conservation -- NO.
[Néa] An activity -- NO.
[Rosie] Necessarily involving humans -- Depends what you mean. Probably YES (although it could be argued, from another angle, NO).
[Projoy] Something from fiction -- NO.
To do with mathematics?
Is the animal part just one species?
[Raak] To do with mathematics -- can be, but primarily NO.
[Irouléguy] Animal just one species -- YES in one way and NO otherwise (see answer to Rosie's question).
A process?
A long shot - Agriculture?
[Projoy]A process -- NO.
[Rosie] Agriculture -- NO.
Human evolution?
[Dandalf] human evolution -- NO.
a human construct?
thought you'd never ask
[Projoy] human construct -- YES? *audience wakes up and starts arguing*
Is it something that only humans construct?
To do with art?
[Irouléguy] something only humans construct -- YES would be the least misleading answer at the moment. *a small minority of the audience starts arguing again*
[Raak] to do with art -- can be, but primarily NO.
A settlement of some kind?
Is it an activity?
Sorry, already asked.
Is it group of people?
Is there a geographic connection?
[Rosie] a settlement -- (as in 'place where people live'?) NO
[Raak] a group of people -- NO, although there is a relationship between a group of people and the answer.
[Dandalf] Geographic connection -- NO, depending on what you mean by that. The answer is more common in some places than others, but it would be too misleading to answer 'yes'.
Anything to do with death?
[Rosie] to do with death -- NO.
To do with religion?
The environment?
[Raak] to do with religion -- NO

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.

Is this an emotion?
[Chalky] an emotion -- NO.
Is it a hobby or pastime?
[Chalky] a hobby or pastime -- NO.
Is a human element required?
If it's not something you can do, is it something you can be?
Science?
[Inkspot] a human element required -- fundamentally YES
[Projoy] if it's not something you can do, is it something you can be -- NO... *audience wakes up and makes encouraging murmurs*
[Dandalf] Science -- NO.
Thought?
[Raak] Thought -- NO... thought is more closely related to this than most of the previous answers, but it's still a fair way off.
Two further clarifications: I have come across this in a work of fiction, but it is not really from fiction. And some people may involve this in a hobby or pastime, but I wouldn't classify the words on the card as a hobby or pastime. I'm not being intentionally vague, honest...
Is this something spiritual?
[Tuj] something spiritual -- NO
A family?
(beats me what the mineral connection would be, in that case, but since we're floundering, it's probably worth a shot or two in the dark!)
[Projoy] a family -- NO.
Wanna hint?
It's definitely not something you do?
(i.e. one does)
[Projoy] It is definitely not something one does, in the way that one does not "do" a door, or one does not "knitting" or "biology textbook". The answer is still abstract, however.
Ethics?
Would this be considered a skill?
Looking at it, knitting, even if in the sense of a noun, is not a great example. Apologies if I've been too pedantic. I hope you get the idea.
[Tuj] Ethics - NO
[Chalky] a skill - NO, although a measure of skill is certainly related to its existance.
(a measure of = an amount of some kind of)
Is it something the brain can do?
Is the vegetable a plant?
Is this anything to do with being funny/having a sense of humour?
Is the mineral water?
[Tuj] something the brain can do -- NOt strictly, although activity of the brain is usually required. *a smattering of claps from the audience*
[Inkspot] is the vegetable a plant -- NO would be least misleading.
[Chalky] to with being funny/a sense of humour -- NO. Hmmm, there is a humour component in the work of fiction I mentioned earlier. But in the main, NO.
[Irouléguy] is the mineral water -- NO would be most helpful here.
hoookay...
To summarise:

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.

Is it something to do with the visual sense?
more questions, less explanation!
[CdM] something to do with the visual sense -- YES and NO. *several "ooooh"s from the audience, quickly shushed*
Something to do with imagination?
[Raak] something to do with imagination -- NO (except where in agreement with details in paragraph 2, above ("Religion, mathematics...")).

Oh, and apologies for spelling "existence" wrong. Oops.

Something to do with hearing, taste, touch, or smell?
[CdM] to do with hearing, taste, touch or smell -- NO.
Does it have an entry in wikipedia?
Is the answer more than one word [apart from the in/definite article]?
[Phil] Does it have an entry in wikipedia -- NO... *audience starts to take more notice*
[Chalky] more than one word -- YES!
Is it a concept?
[Phil] a concept? YES and NO. *more oooooohs*
Do all of these "YES and NO" answers reflect distinct different meanings of the words on the card?
To do with money?
I think I've chosen a stupid topic.
[CdM] NO. If I understand your meaning correctly, then the words on the card are together a whole entity, and I am not looking at each word in isolation, and the answer does not have two different meanings (so, for example, it is not like the expression "knock off").

The yesnoyesno is because

    (a) there are the properties of the thing on the card -- the "thing" that the words on the card are about, and the way(s) in which it can exist.

    (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.


To say much more without other questions to answer would be to give it away completely.

[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 ...".

Was this an invention?
Is this some type of human relationship?
OK, did it exist in 1800?
(actually, slight rephrase: "Did it exist by 1800)
[Tuj] an invention -- YES if you mean something made up by people
[Irouléguy] a type of human relationship -- NO
[Projoy] did it exist by 1800 -- YES!
Did it exist by 1000?
[CdM] did it exist by 1000 -- YES
did it exist almost since the dawn of mankind?
[irach] did it exist almost since the dawn of mankind -- NO!
Did it exist by 1CE?
(at least we can get into the right millennium)
Is it a social system?
*feels very old* I had to look up "CE".
To do with language?
[Projoy] Did it exist by 1CE -- YES. One place definitely had examples of this before 1CE, and another had examples of it by 20CE but I can't be more exact than that.
[Tuj] a social system -- NO.
[Raak] To do with language -- YES! *audience bursts into loud and sustained applause*
to do with codes/cyphers?
Did it first appear in the Middle East?
[Phil] to do with codes/cyphers -- NO
[Projoy] first appear in the Middle East -- NO
To do with one particular language?
[Raak] to do with one particular language -- NO.
Is it to do with an aspect of written language?
Is it to do with an aspect of spoken language?
A book or books?
[Juxtapose] to do with an aspect of written language -- YES *audience claps enthusiastically*
[Tuj] to do with an aspect of spoken language -- YES *clapping subsides somewhat*
[Phil] A book or books -- NO *gasps and oooohs from the audience*
law?
[Phil] law -- NO *audience start arguing*
+s
something to do with instructions?
[Phil] something to do with instructions -- YES but not only or always so. *more gasps and oooohs*
Cookery books?
[Raak] cookery books -- NO
Rules?
Card games?
[Projoy] Rules -- NO.
[Raak] Card games -- NO.
In a particular script/alphabet?
The invention of the bound codex, superceding scrolls?
Language schools?
Some sort of command?
[Projoy] in a particular script/alphabet -- NO
[Raak] the invention of the bound codex -- NO
[Dandalf] language schools - NO *someone starts clapping, but is quickly hushed*
[Tuj] some sort of command -- NO.
Grammar?
Connected to translation?
[Rosie] Grammar -- NO *a few claps from more excitable members of the audience*
[CdM] connected to translation -- often YES but not necessarily *cheering starts*
Dictionaries?
It is the lack of wikipedia entry that still has me stumped...
[Raak] dictionaries -- NO! *audience cheers loudly with enthusiastic applause*
[CdM] not everything in the wikipedia has its own entry.
A chrestomathy?
wait a moment while I look that up...
[Raak] a chrestomathy -- NO. (it's in wikipedia, anyway).
Anything to do with books?
[Tuj] Anything to do with books -- YES, some.
Back in a few hours... do carry on.
Diaglossia?
Some sort of system of translation?
(except that would be a process, I guess)
A verse form?
Spelling tests?
A public library?
Something to do with the word "version"?
Printing?
bucket-o-hints
[Raak] diaglossia -- NO (had to check that one too)
[Projoy] some sort of system of translation -- NO, but it can be very useful in this.
[Projoy] a verse form -- NO.
[Phil] spelling tests -- NO, but spelling is an issue.
[Dandalf] a public library -- NO, but it can often be found there.
[Tuj] something to do with the word "version" -- NO, but it often has different versions.
[Irouléguy] printing -- NO, but it is most often printed.
Transliteration?
(except I guess there must be examples of that way into the BCE dates).
(and it's an activity and a process, curses!)
A testimony?
...which isn't right but I'm hoping I might guess something which could point us the right way. Not likely, eh?
Roadsigns?
By, which I of course mean "signage" in general, since you can find it in libraries...
[Projoy] Transliteration -- NO, but transliteration is sometimes involved.
[Tuj] A testimony -- NO.
[Projoy] roadsigns/signage -- NO.
Taking notes?
A text book?
[Tuj] Taking notes -- NO.
[Phil] A text book -- NO.
Begins with a P?
Pheww
[Tuj] Begins with a P -- many of them do. But the answer doesn't. So I have to say NO.
Mmmhwwhhwa? I think I give up.

at least for now.
A group of words?
who am i kidding
[Tuj] A group of words -- *audience gasps* YES it is but that's not The Answer, so NO.
A particular class of word such as noun, verb etc.?
[Projoy] a particular class of word -- *audience gasps again* NO!
Something to do with an encyclopedia?
[CdM] something to do with an encyclopedia -- NO...
Home stretch?
OK, this is getting very long, so here's another summary where the other one left off.

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.

An Index?
Forget that; it has a wikipedia entry...
And it is only one word. On the bright side, it doesn't begin with the letter P.
a particular way of organising a group of words?
(it's not a concordance either, as that's in Wikipedia, too)
:-)
[CdM] an index -- NO
Don't think of an elephant!!
I now keep wanting to say anything beginning with P, such as paragraph, page and punctuation.
[Projoy] a particular way of organising words -- NO.
[Projoy] *ROFL*
Is there a typical number of words in this group (or can it vary wildly from a few words to hundreds)?
I know it's not my go, but....
It's not a particular type of morpheme, is it?
Is it an elephant? If not, does its physical manifestation (as a group of words) typically occur only in a particular type (or types) of book?
had to look that one up too.
[Projoy] a particular form of morpheme -- NO
old-world charm...
[CdM] an elephant - that is not the answer.
[CdM] YES! *wild cheering*. the physical manifestation of elephant as a group of words typically only occurs in a particular type of book. I think.
[Projoy] I meant a particular type of morpheme (still NO) Blame too many simulposts.
many apologies
[CdM] and I meant the physical manifestation of The Answer (as a group of words) typically only occurs in a particular type (or types) of books -- YES but, note, The Answer can also occur elsewhere.

(I mis-read "it" amongst the flurry of posting; you can have elephants in lots of books, of course, as well as elsewhere.)

woohoo, quintuple post
Of course, my mistake illustrates my difficulty with aspects of this topic all along. Note to self: don't win again.
[flerdle] Hey, I said don't think of an elephant! :)
PS. Is there a typical number of words in this group (or can it vary wildly from a few words to hundreds)?
[Projoy, elephants] AAAARRRRRGGGHHHHH

[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.

Did you perform that random sampling with books that you had to hand?
Can I just say that this AVMA is (a) very good and (ii) very annoying?
[CdM] Did I perform that random sampling with books that I had to hand -- I would answer NO if I was to be evil because I used only one book. YES otherwise.
Is it a subclause (which often appears parenthetically)?
(I know it isn't really, since that appears in all kinds of books, but you have to get this stuff out of your head sometimes)
Wait a second... footnotes?
please excuse my badly mangled second-last sentence up there...
[Projoy] a subclause -- NO :-)
[Projoy] footnotes -- NO.
[Projoy] I have gone through footnotes and other similar ideas in my head, but then I get stuck on the fact that there are also very early instances of the elephant.
Is it some kind of definition or explanation?
[CdM] some kind of definition or explanation -- YES! *audience cheers enthusiastically*
a citation or quotation?
Scrub that, is it a definition in law, i.e. appearing in a contract or piece of legislation?
A dictionary definition?
[Projoy] citation/quotation -- NO, but it can be a very important part of some elephants
[Projoy] a definition in law/contract/legislation -- NO... *audience holds its collective breath*
[Phil] a dictionary definition -- CLOSE ENOUGH!
So, what were the words on the card?
The words on the card are actually "a dictionary entry". You can check the history of the dictionary in the wikipedia. Everything else can be seen above. *audience claps for everyone, especially CdM and Raak, with special cheers for Projoy's perseverence*

*retires*


I suddenly spotted the quotes in It is not "a dictionary" and realised there must be some significance.
Dunno how to follow that epic, but I'll try.

Vegetable

A dictionary?
Blimey, what a struggle!
A drink?
A live plant?
In hindsight, another clue(whether intentional or not)was the answer "not everything in the wikipedia has its own entry" right after the answer to Raak's guess "dictionaries". That was a very good AVMA. Nice one, Flerdle.
[Tuj] Dictionary? Not this time, matey :-)
[Inkspot] A drink? No, although I could do with one.
[Dandalf] A live plant? YES
A tree?
(On the last one I got totally sidetracked by the letter-P-elephant. I assumed there was something special about P.)
Native to a particular country?
Edible?
Typically sold at the local garden centre?
[Projoy] Tree? No
[Dandalf] Edible? YES
[Raak] Typically sold at local garden centre? No
A fungus?
[Projoy] That'd be my fault then :(
A bush?
[Tuj] Fungus? No
[Projoy] Bush? No
A berry?
Coughs politely
A root vegetable?
Does it grow in the wild?
nettle?
[Dandalf] Definitely intentional. [Projoy] many apologies.
A brassica?
flerdle] Do win again - that was one of the best for a long time.
A fruit ?(In the culinary not botanical sense)
Sweet, rather than savoury?
[Tuj, flerdle] No apols necessary. The whole fun of the game is trying to avoid being taken for a ride by your assumptions, and all the questions asked and answers given were completely correct.
Green in colour?
Typically found in the vegetables section of a British supermarket?
[Inkspot] Berry? No
[Rosie] Root vegetable? YES
[Chalky] grow in the wild? No, not as far as I know.
[flerdle] nettle? No
[Irouléguy] Brassica? No
[Dandalf] Fruit? No
[Projoy] Sweet, not savoury? Ummm, no. ( Some hushed comments amongst audience members)
[Tuj] Green? Partly
[Raak] Typically in UK supermarket? No
Carrot?
Yam?
(as opposed to sweet potatoes, which I think are to be found in British supermarkets these days. Aren't they?)
[\tuj] Carrot? No
[CdM] Yam? No (Yes, sweet potatoes are generally to be found in British supermarkets these days)
Chives?
Native to a particular country?
Just ask this one again as it has been over looked
Cassava? which unlike chives is a root vegetable ; -)
[Rosie] Chives? No
[Inkspot] Native to a particular country? (Sorry, didn't spot that earlier) No, as it does not grow in the wild, as far as I know.
[Dandalf] Cassava? No
Taro?
In order to get the last of the obvious ones out of the way.
[CdM] Taro? No - and if that's obvious, I'd hate to see obscure ;-)
Arrowroot?
Jerusalem artichoke?
Don't all cultivated plants have a wild form? Unless only the cultivars have survived and the original wild form is now extinct.
[flerdle] Arrowroot? No
[Dandalf] Jerusalem Artichoke? No - Yes, I presume all cultivated plants do derive from a wild form, but not all specific plants can be found in the wild.
A spice?
[Inkspot] Spice? No
A tuber?
[Inkspot] A tuber? No
A particular plant (rather than a vegetable/plant type)?
[flerdle] A particular plant? YES
Is it grown for human consumption?
[Inkspot] Grown for human consumption? YES - A ripple of applause from the slighly somnolent audience
sugar beet?
[flerdle] Sugar beet? No
Tea?
[Chalky] Tea? No
A swede?
Possibly not called Sven.
Is it grown in the Americas?
Is it typically processed (other than simply by cooking) before being eaten?
[Rosie] Swede? No
[Raak] Grown in the Americas? YES
[CdM] Typically processed before eating (other than cooking)? No, unless you count something like slicing as processing.
Time for a Summary
It is:
A specific, live, edible root vegetable, which is not (to my knowledge) found growing in the wild, and is not native to a particular country. It is grown in the Americas, and is grown for human consumption. It is partly green.

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.

Peanuts, or if more "specific" is required Jimmy Carter's peanuts.
[Dandalf] Jimmy Carter's peanuts, or anyone else's for that matter? No
To clarify how specific I meant, the answer is something like "Savoy Cabbage", rather than "Cabbage" (to use a brassica-based example, which we know it isn't).
Is it medicinal?
[Inkspot] Is it medicinal? There are claims to its medicinal properties, so I think I'll have to say YES - Appreciative applause again for Inskspot
Well then ... is it typically consumed primarily for its medicainal properties?
[CdM] Typically consumed for medicinal purposes? No
Jicama?
It seems to me that it has to be more obscure than taro...
[CdM] Jicama? No - there is at least one non-obscure family of root vegetable plants that has not been mentioned at all.
Well, there are bulbs -- garlic, etc. -- but it seems to me that all the non-obscure ones would also be in U.K. supermarkets. So I am very confused...
daikon radish?
[flerdle] daikon radish? No - Audience gets rather agitated at CdM's musings.
Lotus roots?
Vidalia Onion?
[Raak] Lotus roots? No
[CdM] Vidalia Onion? No Disappointed mumblings from audience
Some kind of Allium?
[Néa] Some kind of Allium? YES - Cheers from the audience
Ramps?
[Raak] Ramps? No The audience leans forward in anticipation
Elephant Garlic?
Vidalia?
Is it known by different names in different countries (eg UK/USA)?
[Projoy] Elephant Garlic? YES Tumultuous applause
[Dandalf and flerdle] See above.
What with everyone not thinking about elephants for a day or two, and 30 seconds of Chris Beardshaw at a garlic farm that I saw on TV last week, it seemed the obvious option.
Well, whaddya know? I spend hours on flerdle's one patiently exploring every angle, and about 10 minutes making a random guess on this one, and win...

Anyway, here's an ANIMAL/ABSTRACT...
One word answer?
Human animal?
Does it begin with elephant?
Wildebeest migration?
[Tuj] One word answer, NO
[Dandalf] human? NO
[CdM] elephants involved in any form? NO
[flerdle] Herds of Wildebeeste sweeping majestically...? NO
Mammalian animal?
[Dandalf] Mammal? YES
A feline?
You didn't tee a puddy tat
[Tuj] feline? NO
On further consideration, the best answer to the Human Animal question is YES and NO.
Homo florensis hobbitus?
Fictional?
[Raak] Hobbitses? NO, we hates hobbitses
[Tuj] Fictional? YES
A specific fictional character?
Vampire?
[Tuj] specific fictional character - YES
[Ig] vampire? NO
From a book?
[Tuj] From a book, YEEES *notable lack of applause from audience*
Has it appeared in other media other than books?
[Ink] Other media? YES
Begins with a P?
Different tack ;)
Mr Spock?
[Tuj] Begins with a P? NO
[Phil] Mr Spock? ILLOGICAL! er, I mean NO
Cartoon character?
Captain Haddock?
Extra-terrestrial?
[Dandalf] Cartoon character... least misleading is NO
[CdM] Capn. Haddock? NO
[Tuj] Extra-terrestrial? NO
PS. I'm not especially well today, so I may end up disappearing for sleeps.
A computer-animated character?
Is the other media that of film?
Get well soon Projoy!
[Raak] Computer animated, NO
[Tuj] Film? NO
Television?
A primate? (in zoological rather than religious sense!)
Does the character originate in oral story-telling?
[Tuj] TV? NO
[Dandalf] Primate? YES AND NO (see human above)
[Raak] Oral story telling? FUNDAMENTALLY NO
Comic Books?
[CdM] Comix? NO
Radio?
Male?
[Néa] Radio? NO
[Tuj] Male? YES!
A horse?
A horse, NO *an undercurrent of "oooh!" from the audience*
Does it appear in a song?
Someone who is known for riding a horse?
"An undercurrent of oooh", lovely.
A centaur?
Is it a talking character rather than an animal?
What I mean is Wind in the Willows and Watership Down have talking characters while Tarka the Otter is an animal (hopefully that made sense).
[Rosie] In a song? NO
[Tuj] Horse Rider? NO
[Raak] Centaur, NO
[Ink] Talking character, YES!
Donkey?
Balaam's donkey?
[Né] Donkey, NO *an encouraging burst of applause from the audience (and the sounds of some members animatedly disputing the answer)*
[Raak] Balaam's D? NO
* a kind audience member comes to the front and drops the "a" back into Néa's name.*
Incidentally, these answers about media types are coming up as NO because that's the least misleading answer. In fact this character has almost certainly appeared (but not originated) in all of the above mentioned.
Muffin the Mule?
[Phil] Muffin, NO
A quick summary:
This ANIMAL/ABSTRACT is both human and not. There is a donkey connection. It is a specific male mammalian fictional character that talks. It has almost certainly appeared in, but was not originated in, the following media: TV, cartoons, song, radio, comics, computer animation, oral storytelling, books.
It is not a hobbit, a vampire, a centaur, Mr Spock or Balaam's Donkey.
Bottom?
*cheers*
[Raak] And the same to you! YES. The words on the card are "Nick Bottom, the weaver, while possessed of the head of an ass". Technically, or so I understand, asses and donkeys are not quite the same thing (the latter being the domesticated variety).
[Projoy] As it happens, I've just been reading a book on biological nomenclature and popular imagination in 18th and 19th century Britain, which I must post of elsewhere.
The next item is MINERAL, VEGETABLE, and possibly also ANIMAL.
Does it occur naturally?
[Projoy] Does not occur naturally.
Bigger than an armchair?
An item of furniture?
[Tuj] Not bigger than an armchair.
[I] Not furniture
An item of clothing?
Electronic?
Defined by its function?
[Rosie] Not clothing.
[Tuj] Not electronic.
[Projoy] Not defined by its function.
Does it have a function?
[Projoy] Yes, it has a function.
Metallic?
Is the vegetable part processed like rubber or natural wood?
Is it something that can be made of different materials?
[Tuj] Not usually.
[Inkspot] On the whole, I would say no.
[Projoy] The mineral part can be.
Smaller than a toaster?
[Projoy] Smaller than a toaster.
Smaller than a pack of cards
Did it (or they) exist in 1938?
Even I didn't
[Projoy] Bigger than a pack of cards.
[Rosie] Existed in 1938.
Would it be found in the home?
Existed by 1900?
Stationery?
Is it a single unique item?
Anything to do with writing?
[Chalky] Yes, found in the home.
[Projoy] Yes, existed by 1900.
[Tuj] Not stationery.
[Inkspot] Not unique.
[Rosie] Nothing to do with writing.
Existed by 1800?
[Projoy] Yes, by 1800.
Is it generic item?
I would say a generic item (if that's the right term) is something like the wheel, a cup or a crown rather than an attributable invention?
[Inkspot] Yes, a generic item.
Does it have moving parts?
A container of some kind?
Spectacles?
[Projoy] No moving parts.
[Rosie] YES, partly.(Applause!)
[Chalky] Not spectacles.
Begins with a P?
[Tuj] (laughter from the audience at the double entendre) Does not begin with a pee.
Not a toliet is it?
Cuh!
[Tuj] Neither a toliet nor a toilet.
A handbag?
It is I, Rosie.
Usually made of plastic?
Was about to guess "pencil case", then looked at my last-but-one question.
[Rosie in drag] A HANDBAG???? No.
[Tuj] Can be plastic.
Saturday is the last day to get this, as I'm off for a week in the south of France Sunday morning.
Is there a food connection?
Is the mineral part glass?
Back in normal clothing.
[Projoy] Yes, a food connection.
[Rosie] (A sharp intake of breath) Not among civilised people. One has heard that they may do such things on the Continent.
Is the mineral china?
A gravy boat?
An appropriately snooty term.
[Inkspot] YES! (Almost always.)
[Rosie] No.
A cup of tea?
Oops - possibly also animal! (beef tea perhaps?)
A saucer?
[Tuj] A saucer is part of it.
[Dandalf] YES: a cup of tea. Actually, the words on the card are "a nice cup of tea", but that's close enough. (The possible animal part is the milk.)
Oh! just found out I'd won as I was away for weekend. (Kicks himself re milk, but no use crying etc.). Next is ABSTRACT with ANIMAL connections.
Begins with a P?
Hah!
Three-ring circus?
Is the animal human?
Human construct?
[Tuj]- P....? NO
[flerdle]- 0-0-0 circus? NO
[Rosie]- Human? Both human and non-human.
[CdM] HC? hmmmmm...I think YES.
Is it an action?
To do with the body?
[Inkspot]Not an action, but implies activity.
[Projoy]Only remotely to do with the body.
A condition?
A thought process?
Small pox?
[Projoy] Condition? Could be.
[Rosie] Thought Process? NO.
[Lib] Smallpox? Not a pox, whatever the size.
To do with emotion?
A person?
[Projoy] Emotion? NO
[Tuj]A person? NO
Bird flu?
Horse racing?
50-1
Any religious connection?
A bodily function?
Does it require human involvement?
Could someone define "human construct" please, I find these the marmite on toast of the game.
[Inkspot] Quick definition off the top of my head: something that could not exist without a conscious human mind. Others can now refine it: think of this as a wikidefinition.
[Lib] bird flu? NO
[Rosie]Horse Racing? NO (but audience breaks into applause)
[Tuj] NO religious connection
[INJ] Bodily function? NO
[Inkspot]Human involvement? YES
Is the word "horse" in the answer?
Is it a sporting activity?
Hunting?
[Tuj] No horse.
[Kim] Not a sporting activity, though one of the words on the card could be related to sports.
[Rosie] Not hunting.
Is the word 'race' on the card?
[CdM] YES (tumultous applause! Some murmuring that Dandalf gave the game away.)
A Caucus Race?
A one-man race?
Three legged race?
(The) Rat Race?
The human race?
A game face?
[Rosie] The Rat Race YES Well done! [Others} See above.
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