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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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Is at least one of the animals human?
Is the answer two individual animals?
Following on: The Walrus and the Carpenter?
Mammals?
The Lion and the Unicorn?
The Horse and his Boy?
Simon and his Dancing Bear?
Lady and the Tramp?
One Man and his Dog?
Ther Owl and the Pussycat?
[Rosie] No.
[CdM] Yes.
[Dandalf] No.
[Inkspot] One of them is.
[Raak] No.
[Kim} No.
[CdM} No.
[Projoy] No.
[CdM] No.
[INJ] YES!!! Bravo!
Well, it had to be one of those
OK then folks, the next one is ABSTRACT with ANIMAL connections
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.
Right. Earwig-o. An easy one. Nothing whatever to do with the World Cup, or trombones, or steam engines, but nevertheless MINERAL
Non-metal?
(Dandalf) Sometimes non-metallic - not usually.
Begins with P?
A household object?
wahay - a Rosie one! Is it manufactured?
(Tuj) Does not begin with a P
(irach) Found in all households, I'd say
(Chalky) Manufactured - yes.
Does it require electric power?
Found primarily in the kitchen?
(Inkspot) Does not require electric power. *some audience amusement is discernible*
(Tuj) Not usually in the kitchen.
Does "all households" include those in mid- and/or low-income countries?
Is it found usually in the bathroom?
Larger than a toaster?
A mirror?
(CdM) "Households" really means those of the Western world.
(Kim) Unlikely in the bathroom, but possible.
(Dandalf) Larger than a toaster? Certainly in one dimension.
(Tuj) Not a mirror.
Is part of it made from glass?
(Inkspot) Contains no glass.
A piece of cutlery?
(irach) Not cutlery.
Functional (as opposed to primarily decorative)?
Longer than 1 metre?
To do with draperies?
(CdM) Very functional
(Dandalf) Not longer than 1 metre
(irach) Drapery-related? Yes. *considerable applause*
Towel-rail?
Curtain rod?
(Dandalf) Not a towel rail
(irach) Not a curtain rod. I have misled you with the previous answer. It's correct by a strict dictionary definition but misleading. So substitute "Not really". The audience are also dictionary pedants. Ignore them - at least this time.
Coat-hanger?
A COAT HANGER it is! How boring! That was too easy. Next time it will be something to do with steam engines, and not just any bloody steam engine, either. I jest, of course. Well done Dandalf, and over to you.
Well, well! Looks like its time for a hard nut to crack. Try this one - ANIMAL.
Human?
European?
alive?
Anything whatsoever to do with that Fußball Weltmeisterschaft caper?
Human? NO
European? NO
Alive? YES
WC caper connection? NO
Just realised I'll be away until Monday, so if you don't want to wait,we can suspend this and someone can start another in the meantime. Apologies
I'm back and in a position to respond!
A single specific animal?
A mamal?
[INJ] YES [Inkspot] NO
Or rather:
[INJ] YES
[Inkspot] NO
A reptile?
African?
In the news recently?
[Raak]Repile? NO
[Inkspot] African? YES but not exclusively.
[Rosie] In the news recently? Not that I know of.
A migratory bird?
Domesticated?
Dead?
An unladen African swallow?
(since you mentioned hard nuts to crack)
[Inkspot] Not a bird.
[Tuj] Not domesticated.
[Projoy] See above. Don't read anything into my nutty comment.
A fish?
[irach] A fish? YES. Applause, (a few murmurs of nothing much more left was there?)
Saltwater fish?
[irach]saltwater? YES
Shark?
*ahem* *indicates an unanswered question above*
Is a single specific animal someting like the horse called Orca or a specific species eg the lesser spotted Orca?
[irach] NOT a shark
[Raak] Oops. Sorry. Can be dead or alive.
[Inkspot] Not e.g. a fish called Wanda, not a spcific species but a particular genus.
A coelocanth?
Err...
Sorry, I'm a little confused. Is the answer a specific individual animal, per your answer to INJ, above, or a genus of animal? Isn't genus an abstract?
Fished for food?
[INJ] YES!!! Wow. Well done. Coelacanth (or coelocanth) Genus Latimeria which contains two species: the African L. chalumnae and L. menadoensis from Indonesia. Hope that clears up Kim's confusion. [Raak] The coelacanths is not considered a prime food fish but finds its way to fishmarkets, which is where the Indonesian species was discovered. (Thanks Wikipedia)
Well, what do you know?
I don't usually guess that early.

Here we go then, with ABSTRACT with animal connections

A character from a book?
The World Cup?
A particular species or genus of animal?
A living fossil?
[Inks] character from a book? - NO
[Iroul] World Cup? - NO
[Kim] particular species or genus of animal? - NO (but not every species)
[Dandalf] living fossil? - NO
Some subclass of the animal kingdom?
[Raak] Some subclass of the animal kingdom? - NO
Is the animal connection primate?
Is it related to time?
[irach] animal connection primate? - could be
[Inks] related to time? - YES (to some extent) small ripple of applause
To do with the Flood?
Chinese Calendar?
Anarcho-syndicalism?
I only put this up because the words appear in a letter in today's Grauniad relating to the Spanish Civil War and I know the subject fascinates you.
Anarcho-syndicalism, that is.
sorry - wall-to-wall meetings today
[Raak] the flood - NO
[Dandalf] Chinese Calendar? - NO
[Rosie] Anarcho-syndicalism? - NO (nor the Spanish Civil War FWIW)
An event?
[Inks] an event - NO (not a single event, which is my assumption of what you mean)
Evolution?
re - meetings. Thank You For Not Saying Back-To-Back.
Anything to do with huntin' and fishin'?
Are the animals all from one particular area of the world?
[Rosie] evolution - NO
[Dandalf] huntin' and fishin'? - NO (nor shootin')
[Iroul] Are the animals all from one particular area of the world? - NO (they may be, but don't have to be)
Associated with religion?
Does it have to do with generations?
Carbon dating?
Hibernation?
still cold
[Inks] Associated with religion? - NO
[Kim] Nothing to do with generations
[Raak] Carbon dating? - NO
[Dandalf] Hibernation? - NO
To do with agriculture?
Mating season?
Is this something animals do?
Is this particular to humans?
Are te animal featured in works of art (in the widest sense)?
[Raak] To do with agriculture? - NO
[Dandalf] To Mating season? - NO
[Rosie] Is this something animals do? - YES (animals are involved, but it's not an activity as such)
[Inks] Is this particular to humans? - NO
[Iroul] featured in works of art ? - NO
Sorry
I'm going to struggle to get online much for the next week or so.
I'm starting on a new client site, but won't get an internet connection until I've got a desk/workstation/signon sorted out, and then I don't know what I'll be able to access. Also you're nowhere near getting this, so it may be better to suspend it and go for another.
That's The Linesman BTW, and a leek-flavoured podume to anyone who can say it properly.

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

Manmade?
Ball rolling.
Metal?
Made of one material?
[Rosie] I can say it, but probably not properly.
(Tuj) - Manmade, yes
(Chalky) Not metal
(Inkspot) Yes, more than one material You have obviously survived the attempt. :-)
Smaller than a toaster?
Solid?
(Tuj) As encountered, yes, but not necessarily
(Raak) Solid? Not always.
A household article?
Edible or Drinkable?
(Raak) Yes, but not really an article
(Chalky) Edible or drinkable? Yes, but don't try it..
Would this be a cleaning compound?
Usually found in a kitchen?
(Dujon) Not a cleaning compound *some just perceptible murmurs from the audience*
(Tuj) Probably not in a kitchen, but not impossible.
Bathroom?
Is it used as a spray?
Solid at room temperature?
(Tuj) Bathroom? Not usually.
(Inkspot) Not a spray
(Dandalf) Solid @ R.T.? Yes and no.
Some sort of fat or grease?
Is it for lubrication?
Does it do exactly what it says on the tin?
Train oil?
(Dandalf) Fat or grease? No
(Raak) Not for lubrication
(Irouléguy) It doesn't say what it does
(Projoy) Not train oil. (Haven't got a model railway. Honestly)
A detergent?
Ink?
Is part of it a container?
(Projoy) Not a detergent
(Raak) Not ink
(Inkspot) Not part of a container.
Polish?
(Raak) Not polish.
Does it begin with P?
[Rosie] You may have missed a capitalisation there.
(Tuj) Does not begin with a P.
Is it something solid that is disolved in a liquid before use?
An alcohol based concoction?
(Inkspot) No.
(Dujon) No alcohol, industrial, medicinal or recreational.
Is this usually produced from distillates of wood, coal, petroleum and their ilk? (That's it for today 'cos everyone else is in the land of nod).
Plant-related?
[Dujon] 'Fraid not.
(Dujon) YES, it's "chemical"
(Tuj) Not plant-related.
Silly putty?
(Raak) Not silly putty. Much more mainstream.
Sensible putty?
(Raak) Not putty of any kind, but a "sensible" substance nevertheless.
A polymeric material?
Is it something used as a filler or adhesive?
Candle wax?
(irach) YES *applause from knowledgable members of audience*
(Raak) YES *more applause*
(Dujon) Not candle wax.
Blu-tack?
Cyanoacrylate super glue?
Starch?
Silicone rubber?
Just a reminder to all that it's edible or drinkable, but not recommended!
[Dandalf] That doesn't rule out very much really...
(Tuj) Not Blu-tak
(irach) Not cyanoacrylate superglue
(Dandalf) Not starch
(Raak) Not silicone rubber
Polyfilla?
[Rosie] But... blu-tack... I'm in a blu-tack daze as I've just removed 325 bits of the stuff from the walls of my room at uni.
Caulk?
(Tuj) Not polyfilla
(irach) Not caulk.

The "word on the card" is a brand name but the generic term will do.

Bostik?
(Raak) Not Bostik
KY Jelly?
(irach) Not KY jelly. (See the YES's above)
Is it both a glue and a filler?
Sorry Rosie but seeking a clarification to the "or" question by Raak.
(Inkspot) Not both a glue and a filler. I'll tell you it's a glue. :-)
An edible or drinkable (though not recommended) mineral glue? I give up, unless "e or d" means physically capable of being ingested.
(Dandalf) I think you can take it that "not recommended" means it's not intended for ingestion. It was a joke. Sorry if you were misled. This stuff is pretty famous.
UHU Glue?
(Dandalf) Not UHU.
Araldite?
YES! Araldite it is. Everything I possess has got a dab of it somewhere. Well done, Raak. Over to you, squire.
ABSTRACT, with ANIMAL connections. This may be a difficult one, but it's in Wikipedia. Two words, no articles.
Birthday party?
[Tuj] (some applause from the audience) No.
connected to time in some way?
[CdM] Not really. It would be misleading to say "no", but not helpful to say "yes".
Is the animal connection human?
[I] Yes.
An organisation?
[Rosie] No.
Connected to celebration in some way?
A characteristic?
[CdM] Yes!
[Rosie] No.
Connected to marriage in some way?
Connected to a religion?
[Irouéguy] Er....yes, it is. (Laughter.)
[Inkspot] Yes.
Is the religion Christianity?
[Néa] No.
Is the religion Buddhism?
[Irouéguy] No.
Islam?
...why not keep going?
Zoroastrianism?
(Tuj) why not...?
[Tuj] No.
[irach] No.
Did the religion start in Asia?
Judaism?
[I] Yes.
[D] No.
A vow taken by a monk?
[I] No.
Summary: a celebration relating to humans, marriage, and a religion originating in Asia, excluding Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Zorro, or Judaism. Sort-of-ish-like connected with time. Not a birthday party, an organisation, a characteristic, or a vow.
Part of the Hindu ceremony?
Is the marriage element a real marriage (one person to another)?
[Inkspot] Not Hindu.
[Kim] No. Not a marriage, just a connection with marriage in general.
Is the religion Chinese?
[I] Not Chinese.
Is this some kind of Japanese ritual?
[Rosie](APPLAUSE!) Yes.
Does it happen annually?
Japanese Tea Ceremony?
[Tuj] Yes, annually.
[Projoy] Not the tea ceremony.
Rambling over Mount Fuji ?
[Inkspot] Not Mount Fuji.
Star festival (Tanabata)?
[I] Not Tanabata.
Shogatsu?
[R] Not Shogatsu.
Two words, remember, and some sort of connection to marriage.
Are the two words Japanese?
Is it a celebrated as national holiday?
[Ir] Both words are Japanese.
[In] Not a national holiday.
Hounen Matsuri?
*clutches at straws*
[Irouéguy] The ceremonial straw hat is yours! It is indeed Hounen Matsuri, the Penis Festival.
The what now? On the Wiki article I looked at, it was the harvest festival. Still, the article was just a stub…

Last minute change of plan - my original idea has unfortunate connotations, so our next is ANIMAL, VEGETABLE and MINERAL.
[I] I had in mind the specific one held at Komaki. I hadn't noticed the more general harvest festival significance. See the usual nine syllables dot thoeny.com/peter/tagata/tagata1.html.
The Earth and all that treads upon it?
Salty bacon crisps?
A geographical feature?
irach] The Earth and all that treads upon it? No
Raak - Salty bacon crisps? Mmmmm...salty bacon crisps, but no
Chalky - A geographical feature? No :)

Raak] For fuck's saké! Imagine explaining a set of those to Customs.
Smaller than a toaster?
Animal human?
Is it one specific object?
[Irouéguy] Be sure to click onto the following pages to see the three-metre phallus processed through the streeets.
Tuj] Smaller than a toaster? Yes
Rosie] Animal human? No
Raak] Is it one specific object?No

I hadn't noticed there were more pages - I'll check them out when I'm home again.

Just in case there's any ambiguity, Raak's link is definitely NSFW, for almost all values of 'work'.
Is the animal part - part of an animal?
Can you buy it in the shops?
Chalky] Is the animal part - part of an animal? No
Raak] Can you buy it in the shops? In some shops (though mostly a shop isn't the first place you'd go for this).
Is it ornamental?
Is it used in the house?
Raak] Is it ornamental? No
Rosie] Is it used in the house? Hmmm...it can be, but mostly isn't (hesitation becaused 'use' isn't the verb you'd most associate with it).
If not "used", then eaten?
(Thanks for hint)
Rosie] If not "used", then eaten? *applause* Close - some people eat some of it, but 'eat' isn't the most juste either.
Is the mineral part a container?
A cocktail of some kind?
Raak] Is the mineral part a container? No
Rosie] A cocktail of some kind? Yes, but only in the sense of a mixture of different ingredients.
A medication of some kind?
Would it be on the menu of a restaurant?
A drink?
CdM - A medication of some kind? Some people use it for that, but strictly, no.
Inkspot - Would it be on the menu of a restaurant? Quite likely
Chalky - A drink? How kind - large G&T, please
*cheers* YES! It's a drink
An alcoholic drink?
A drink served hot?
Chalky] An alcoholic drink? No
Inkspot] A drink served hot? Yes
Capuccino?
A Meat and vegetable salted soup?
Minestrone? (with or without added croutons)
Bovril?
KA-CHING! Chalky wins! It's capuccino. One chocolate-sprinked low-fat baton handed over.
ooh thanks!
Sorry - haven't been around this weekend so have only just found out I'd won.
Moving swiftly on with ...
A N I M A L
Human?
[Raak] Human? YES
Female?
Alive?
David Beckham?
Currently in the news?
[Inkspot] Female? NO
[Tuj] Alive? YES
[Iroule] DB? NO
[Rosie] Currently in news? Not that I've noticed
A public figure?
[Raak] A public figure? Not sure what you mean.
British?
[Inks] British? YES
Well, a household name, then.
[Raak] Household name? I should imagine so. [I don't do wikiobscurity in this particular game]
A writer?
Sportsman?
Born after 1966?
[Rosie] A writer? NO
[Tuj] Sportsman? NO
[Inks] Born after 1966? YES
Musician?
Actor?
[Néa] Musician? No
[Raak] Actor? YES!!
Forgive me - I've been called into office to work today, so internet access may be sporadic ..
Has he played Doctor Who?
In a current TV series?
Daleks V Cybermen on Saturday for the series finale...brilliant!!
[Raak] Doctor Who? YES!
[Inkspot] Current? YES!!
Now I wonder who will get there first ...?
[..just as well this was so easy because I'm going to be too busy for the next couple of days to pay much attention]
David Tennant?
That's the man! Well played Inks. Timing is all. Over to you for something perhaps a little more challenging?
Yay!! Thank you Chalky

Not too challenging, MINERAL

Metallic?
Man-made?
[irach]Metallic - No is the literal answer (slight giggling from some of the audience)
[Tuj]Man-made - YES
Polymeric?
A household object/substance?
"Instant Nails"?
[irach] - Polymeric? NO
[Rosie] - A household object/substance? NO
[Raak] - "Instant Nails"? NO
Made from a single substance?
[ImNotJohn]Made from a single substance? No
A single object?
To do with transport?
[CdM ] A single object? No (some unhappy audience murmmering)
[Raak] To do with transport? Yes (applause)
Begins with a P?
Tarmac?
[Tuj] Begins with a P? No
[Raak] Tarmac? Yes (more applause)
A road?
[Raak]A road? Yes (applause, the audience excited but are still sat down)
The motorway network?
A specific road?
A dual carriageway?
The Golden Mile?
A runway?
Silver Street?
[Rosie] The motorway network? No (and the audience go ohhhhhh!)
irach - A specific road? Yes (audience cheer)
Raak - A dual carriageway?No
Projoy - The Golden Mile?No
Kim - A runway? No
Projoy - Silver Street?No
The M25?
[Raak] The M25? No (There's a sharp in take of breath as the audience lean forward)
The M1?
M62?
[Dandalf]The M1?No
[Tuj] M62? No
Does it begin with an M?
The Channel Tunnel?
Is it, at least mostly, in the south of England?
The M2?
The M11?
[Raak]Does it begin with an M? Yes
[Lurking Chalky]The Channel Tunnel? No
[Rosie]Is it, at least mostly, in the south of England? Yes and partly (seven of the audience get up for a leek)
[Phil] The M2? No
[Irouléguy] The M11? No
Is the rest of it a number?
[Raak] Is the rest of it a number? Yes (audience are restless)
The M4?
YES, well done Cdm it is the M4. The baton is yours.


That was a lurker's victory if ever there was one. All right, this next one is
ABSTRACT
Anarcho-syndicalism?
Linguistics?
AS? No.
Linguistics? No (but a smattering of applause).
A particular language?
Particular language? No.
About the written word?
A saying or phrase?
About written word? Yes.
Saying or phrase? No (some muttering in the audience).
something that appears in the vast majority of known languages?
In vast majority of known languages? Yes.
A figure of speech?
Figure of speech? No.
jinnan tonyx?
An alphabet or other system of writing?
Universal beverage? No.
ABCs? No.
related to grammar?
Grammar-related? No.
Punctuation?
Is the answer on the card one word?
Diacritical characters?
Punctuation? No.
One word? One word plus an indefinite article.
Diacriticals? No.
some sort of metadata?
Related to pronunciation?
An idiom?
metadata? No.
pronunciation-related? Noo.
idiom? No.
a particular word?
Particular word? No.
A diary?
Long shot.
Diary? No.
Is this a property of a single word (not necessarily a particular one)?
Property of a single word? It could be.
A cliché?
clich&eacuate;? No, no, a thousand times, no.
*sigh*
Is it a metaphor?
Is it to do only with the written word (and not at all with the spoken)?
metaphor? No.
written rather than spoken word? Yes. *applause*
A misspelling?
Misspelling? Non.
An alphabet?
*points at earlier question from Sweden*
An abbreviation?
abbreviation? N.
A heading (eg chapter or paragraph)?
Heading? No.
cursivity (or whatever its called)?
Cursives? Foiled again.
Calligraphy?
To do with computer-mediated communication?
Single-minded? Me?
calligraphy? No.
CMC? No. *after a moment, there are some chuckles in the audience*
One clarification: When asked if this was a property of a single word, I replied "it could be". However, I should probably have made it clear that it need not be, and is not usually so. Also it is not so much the "property" of a word or phrase as a definition of a kind of word or phrase.
An abbreviation?
*paeqfI*
A font?
Most frequently seen in a public space?
font? No.
Most frequently seen in a public space? No, although certainly sometimes seen in a public space.
An inscription of some sort?
inscription? No. (although the aforementioned instances in public spaces would typically be)
An epitaph?
A mobile phone text message?
epitaph? RIP.
txt msg? :-( !! LOL!!!!!
Clarification of my clarification: the words on the card are not a "property" as such but they do imply a property. If you see what I mean. I have probably said too much.
A rebus?
A foreignism?
Rebus, foreignism? 9!
a neologism?
Actually, forget that, not limited to written language.
Something to do with law?
Did it exist in the nineteenth century?
A label?
To do with law? No.
Did it exist in 19th Century? Yes.
Label? No.
A signature?
signature? No.
To summarize what you know so far.

There are two words on the card, of which one is an indefinite article. The answer on the card concerns the written, not the spoken, word. It appears in the vast majority of known languages, it existed in the 19th century, and it is sometimes, though not most frequently, seen in a public space. It could, though need not, be the property of a particular word (subject to the caveat that the words on the card define a property but are not a 'property' as such).

It is not: anarcho-syndicalism, linguistics, a particular language, a saying or phrase, a figure of speech, a G&T (in any language), an alphabet or writing system, related to grammar, punctuation, diacritical characters, metadata, related to pronunciation, an idiom, a diary, a particular word, a cliché, a metaphor, a misspelling, an abbreviation, a heading, cursivity, calligraphy, to do with computer-mediated-communication, a font, an epitaph, a text message, a rebus, a foreignism, a neologism, to do with the law, a label, or a signature.

Reading that through, the only thing that is perhaps misleading is the 'phrase or saying' answer. Just as the answer could (but need not) be a word, so it could also (but need not) be a phrase.
A sentence?
Sentence? No. But see "word" and "phrase" above. (Oh, and missing from my summary: it is also not an inscription.)
A quotation?
a caption?
quotation? "No."
caption? No.
A majuscule?
majuscule? no.
Does it have anything to do with religion?
Does it have to do with literature?
religion? No.
literature? No, except very tangentially.
Is there a particular subject matter for the writing?
Was it around in the 1500s?
Particular subject matter? Definitely not.
Around in 1500s? Yes.
Does this exist in ideographic languages (eg Chinese, Japanese)?
Does it rely on the existence of printing?
A letter? (Communication, not alphabet.)
Does this exist in ideographic languages? Yes, although it is arguably somewhat different in those languages. *audience applauds the question*
Rely on printing? No.
A letter? Dear Raak. No. Love, CdM.
Does it have anything to do with alphabetical order?
deorr? No. (nevertheless, a smattering of applause)
A word square?
WO
R  D       ? No. (the audience, which had been looking anxiously at the door waiting for Tuj, begins to sit up and take notice)
A crossword?
Crossword? F*ck No! (oblig.)
A palindrome?
Anagram?
Begins with a P?
Who, me?
A smiley?
Not a bad draw, all. I'll award da baton.
The correct answer is indeed A PALINDROME.
...and double drat.
Phew. The next item is M I N E R A L
Sorry, I keep on thinking that FFFFFF is the black end of the color space. The next word is M I N E R A L. (No significance in the charcoal grey colour.)
Is it an invention?
[Inkspot] Yes, an invention.
Invented prior to 1700?
(Btw, I am glad Raak got that last one; he put in most of the heavy lifting, and got closest. I thought it would fall much more quickly, particularly since written word was identified so quickly.)
[CdM] Not invented prior to 1700. (Discontented murmuring from some of the audience who think they know the history of this thing. The laser display board explains the ruling to them.)
Was it invented in Britain?
CdM] Thanks - one of the most enjoyable for a long time
[I] Not invented in Britain. (It's not clear from Google exactly who invented it or exactly when, but I'm going with the most likely suspect.)
A battery?
Long shot.
Invented in the 20th Century?
[R] Not a battery.
[K] Not invented in the 20th Century.
Does it require electric power?
[I] Does not require electric power.
Used in the home?
[Projoy] Not normally used in the home.
Metallic?
Used on a ship?
Am I likely to own one? or want to own one if I don't already?
[Projoy] Could be used on a ship.
[Lib] You likely to own one? I think not. You want to own one? Not that I know of, at least, not in the capacity of a nurse or a singer.
*ahem* Or doctor.
[Projoy] Apols to Lib. A doctor, qua doctor, would not be likely to have one of these either.
Begins with a P?
[Raak] You appear to have missed irach.
[irach] Not normally metallic.
[Tuj] Does not begin with a P.
Is it used in retailing?
[I] Not used in retailing.
Made of glass?
[Inkspot] Not made of glass.
Related to travel?
Used by a particular profession or trade?
[Projoy] Unrelated to travel.
[I] Yes! Used by a particular profession or trade.
Is it smaller than a toaster?
A tool of some kind?
Made of plastic?
A musical instrument?
Part of it a liquid?
[C] Smaller than a toaster.
[R] Yes, broadly speaking.
[C] Can be made of plastic.
[I] Musical instrument? Er. Yes and no.
[I] No liquids involved.
Is it a tool used in the arts?
Bigger than a pack of cards?
[irach] Used in the arts. applause
[Projoy] Difficult to compare them.
Paintbrush?
[irach] Not a paintbrush.
A comb?
Used in the performing arts, as in dance?
[Rosie] Not a comb.
[irach] Used in the performing arts.
A dance acessory?
[irach] Not a dance accessory.
A drumstick?
[Rosie] Not a drumstick.
Is it used onstage during a performance?
A Swanee Whistle?
[Inkspot] Yes, used onstage.
[INJ] Oo ooooo-oooo OOOO-oo? Nooo.
Conductor's baton
(actually, probably not, cos they tend to have a cork end)
With or without cork, Projoy is correct: a conductor's baton. (Invented, or at least popularised, by Louis Spohr in the 1820's.)
Oh, right-oh, then. MINERAL (maybe the odd trace of the other two, but MINERAL is by far the most sensible category)
Actually MINERAL/ABSTRACT.
A work of art?
Involves gold?
[Raak] Work of art, NO (*the merest momentary demurring murmur from just one audience member*)
[irach] Involves gold? NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE
A coin?
Metallic?
[Raak] A coin? NO
[irach] Metallic? YES, PARTIALLY
Manufactured?
[Rosie] Manufactured? YES
Does it have moving parts?
Invented since 1900?
[Inkspot] Moving Parts - YES
[INJ] Since 1900? YES
[INJ] There are two possible answers to that question, although as it happens they are both YES.
A computer?
[irach] A computer? YES *significant applause from audience*
Designed by Babbage?
[Raak] Babbage? NO (except inasmuch as all computers are)
Invented since the 2900?
I've worked on programs written for International Computers and Tabulators machines
Hmm..
[INJ] Invented since the 2900. This time the two answers bifurcate: YES and NO.
The computer HAL in 2001:A Space Odyssey?
Fictional?
[Tuj] Yes, fictional, and
[irach, who is clearly on the same astral wavelength as me today] HAL 9000? YES *audience applause*
*looks suspiciously at the monolith behind irach*
Coincidentally, I was listening to the theme music of the movie on the radio when I made my guess...Even more psychic!
The next one is very simply ANIMAL.
A person?
Alive?
A specific individual?
[Inkspot] No.
[Rosie] Yes or No.
[Raak] No.
Native to a region of the world?
[Inkspot] Fairly widespread globally.
Four-legged?
[Raak] No.
Three-legged
It's a process of deduction.
[Projoy] No.
A mammal?
[Inkspot] No.
Any legs at all?
A virus?
[Raak] No legs at all.
[Inkspot] Not a virus. Quite macroscopic.
Part of an animal?
[Rosie] No, the whole animal.
A fish?
A reptile?
A snake?
[Irouleguy] Yes ! A Fish!
[Inkspot] By deduction from comment to Irouleguy, NO.
[Tuj] ibid.
A freshwater fish?
Can a fully-grown one exceed 1 metre in length?
Cod?
A shellfish?
[Inkspot] No.
[ImNotJohn] Quite possibly.
[Irouleguy] No, not cod.
[Chalky] Not shellfish.
A deep sea fish?
[Inkspot] According to Wikipedia, not necessarily exclusively a deep sea fish.
Do we routinely catch it and eat it?
[Rosie] While I have never caught one (and I kind of doubt you have), it IS routinely caught and eaten.
Shark?
[Raak] No, not shark.
Squid?
[Projoy] Not a squid (No legs, remember? Not even a multiple-amputee squid). Think Phylum Pisces.
Squid have tentacles! :P
[Projoy] Squid are in the order Decapodiformes which literally means ten-legged, although you are correct in that the tentacles do not function really efficiently as legs. Neither do the legs on a two-legged stool. : )
Tuna?
[Inkspot] Not tuna.
Some sort of ray?
[irach] Just cos the Greeks got it wrong is no reason to perpetuate the error. :) Interestingly, Wikipedia refers to them as "arms".
A skate?
Not a skate.
Would I be likely to find it at the fish counter in the supermarket?
[Raak] Very likely to find it at the fish counter.
Some sort of ray?
[Projoy] Not a ray.
A ray-finned fish?
[Inkpot] Yes, a ray-finned fish (Class Actinopterygii).
A Salmon?
[Inkspot] Not salmon.
Haddock?
Cod?
[Irouleguy] Not haddock.
[inkspot] Not cod.
Herring?
Mullet
[Phil] Not herring.
[Inkspot] Not mullet, either.
Is this normally found in the waters around Britain?
Of the super order Acanthopterygii form the class Actinopterygii ?
Of the super order Paracanthopterygii form the class Actinopterygii?
While it is quiet ....
Of the super order Protacanthopterygii form the class Actinopterygii?
Of the super order Ostariophysi form the class Actinopterygii?
[Irouleguy] Certainly found in the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea.
[Inkspot] Actinopterygii, yes, but not any of the orders mentioned.
(Time for a clue?)
[Inkspot] I retract my former comment to you. It should have been a "Yes" to Superorder Acanthopterygii.
Plaice?
[Irouleguy] Getting much warmer, but no. [The audience is on tenterhooks].
Swordfish?
That was me.
Sole?
[Chalky] No.
[Inkspot] Very warm, but not quite there. [the audience's sole response is to stand in plaice, and some begin applauding the fact that the net is finally cast in the right direction to bring in the big fish].
Gosh - the anticipation is killing me ...
Flounder?
[CdM]. Yes, flounder it is. Actually the word on the card I was looking for was "Halibut", but "flounder" is close enough for a win, since halibut are a class of flounder. Take it away, CdM....
Looks like I just lurked my way to another victory. All right.
VEGETABLE and MINERAL
A building?
Building? No.
Edible?
A mass produced manufactured item?
Edible? No.
Mass-produced manufactured item? Yes.
Made of wood and metal?
Made of plastic?
Can it be held in one's hand?
Does it use electricity?
Wood and metal? No.
Plastic? In part.
Held in one's hand? Um. Yes and No.
Use electricity? No.
Clarification: As it happens, I have held this in my hand. But under normal circumstances you would not think of it as being something you can or would hold in the hand.
Has it working parts?
Working parts? No.
Always the same size?
(not meaning to within a fraction of an inch, but roughly the same)
Always the same size? The words on the card imply no necessary specific size at all. There is considerable variation in most actual instances as well, although you might still say that most actual instances are (very) roughly the same size. (Audience applauds the question, even as they try to make sense of the answer.)
And to clarify (!) I should say that many actual instances are indeed roughly (as opposed to (very) roughly) the same size.
Is it bigger than a shoebox?
Is it used in entertainment?
Bigger than a matchbox?
Is it used in industry?
Bigger than shoebox/matchbox? In the actual instances that I referred to, it would be bigger than a shoebox (and it would pretty much always have to be bigger than a matchbox).
Used in entertainment? Broadly speaking, yes.
Used in industry? No.
Used for a recreational activity?
To do with audio reproduction?
Recreational activity? Yes. (Perhaps not always, but yes is the best answer).
audio reproduction? No.
(nothing from me for the next 18 hours or so -- about to get on a plane)
Used in sports?
[CdM] Look out for snakes.
Could it be found in a home?
Used in sports? Yes. applause
Could it be found in a home? Highly unlikely.
Used in one particular sport?
One particular sport? No, although largely confined to a small number of sports.
A ball?
Some form of protection?
Is it too big for one person to carry?
A goal?
Ball? No.
Protection? No.
Too big for one person to carry? Yes, in usual circumstances (but see earlier responses)
Goal? No.
Is the vegetable cotton?
A scoreboard?
cotton? No.
scoreboard? No.
Astroturf?
Astroturf? Not quite, but massive applause
A piece of Wembley Stadium turf?
A running track?
getting colder
Wembley? No.
Running track? No.
Astroturf was really very close indeed, but not exactly right.
A pitch?
Some form of matting, eg for high-jumpers to land on?
Actually, upon reflection, I think I should just award the victory to Raak. I was actually looking for Fieldturf, which is sort of a new generation astroturf (made of rubber, sand, and plastic, and much more like real grass). (Fieldturf, like astroturf, is a brand name, but I think there are several manufacturers of similar products.)
Number 2, I guess, at least in popular consciousness.

The next is MINERAL with ABSTRACT connections.

A sculpture?
Iron hand?
A natural feature?
[C] Not a sculpture.
[i] Not an iron hand.
[R] Not a natural feature.
Does it have religious connections?
[I] No religious connections.
Is it in a particular country?
[I] Not specific to any country.
Is it a mass-produced object?
[I] Yes, mass-produced.
Is it edible?
Is it actually an object, as opposed to a substance?
[C] Not edible.
[R] An object.
Is it made of glass?
[C] Partly made of glass.
Larger than a telephone kiosk?
[C] Smaller than a telephone book.
Was it invented?
[C] Oops, misread your question. Well, it's smaller than a telephone book.
[I] Invented. Actually, one might question whether there was an "inventive step" in first making these, or if it was an obvious application of existing inventions, but patents have been granted on slighter grounds.
A microscope?
Taking a pot shot from the halfway line.
[R] Not a microscope.
Is it a product of a particular company?
Would it have a use in a particular part of one's house?
[I] Not a particular company.
[T] Yes (although it could be used anywhere in the house).
A stationery connection?
Connected to lighting?
Connected to lighting?
[P] Not conneted to stationery.
[C] Connected to lighting? Sort of.
Anything to do with time?
[C] Nothing to do with time.
Does it have an optical function?
Is it used on its own, or is it a component of some larger entity?
A window?
[P] Yes! It has an optical function. Applause!
[C] Neither.
[P] Not a window.
Eyeglasses?
Small picture frame?
[i] Not eyeglasses.
[P] Not a picture frame.
Is a lens involved?
[P] Yes! More applause.
A camera?
[T] Yes, a camera. But that's not the whole answer.
A digital camera?
[I] Yes, but that's still not quite the whole answer.
A camera phone?
[Tuj] Not a camera phone.
A webcam?
A disposable digital camera?
[I] No.
[CdM] Yes, a webcam. Back to you.
Wow. I am on a roll again. OK
MINERAL with ABSTRACT connections.
Related to computers?
computer-related? No.
A geographical feature?
geographical feature? At least part of the answer is a geographical feature, and the whole answer is arguably also a geographical feature, at least for a broad definition of geography. applause
I'm seeing some sort of man-made structure on an island or rock - am I WAY off the mark?
Is the abstract connection in any way spiritual?
Lunar crater?
after such a good start...
manmade structure on rock? Way off the mark.    :-)
spiritual connection? No.
lunar crater? No.
A country or territory of some sort?
Country or territory? No.
Man-made?
An ocean or sea?
Man-made? No.
Ocean? No.
The face on Mars?
Is water involved?
Face on Mars? No.
Water involved? Yes. applause
A lake?
Lake? No.
Flowing water?
Is there just one of these?
Flowing water? No.
Just one of these? Yes is the least misleading answer.
Is it underground?
Underground? No.
A reservoir?
Yhough it probably counts as a lake.
Preview, dear boy. That should be, "though".
A Glacier?
Reservoir? No.
Glacier? No. smattering of applause
The Arctic ice cap?
A comet?
Arctic ice cap? No.
Comet? No.

Correction and apology: I should have answered "yes" to "a glacier?". (The technically correct answer is perhaps "no", but this is very misleading.)
In the southern hemisphere?
Southern hemisphere? Yes.
In South America?
South America? No.
An ice-shelf?
The Ross Ice Shelf?
Ice shelf? No.
Ross ice shelf? No, a fortiori
In Africa?
Yay, the Internets are back!
Africa? Yes.
A glacier in Africa? Google...

Is it in the vicinity of Kilimanjaro?

The Snows of Kilimanjaro, as in Hemingway?
YES! The words on the card are "The Snows of Kilimanjaro", with the abstract connection being the Hemingway short story and the subsequent film. *hands icicle to irach*
Thanks, CdM (he says, as the icicle begins melting and dripping)... this one is ANIMAL.
Human?
No.
A mammal?
[Irouleguy] Not a mammal.
Extinct?
Does it have legs?
Something made out of an animal?
Native to a particular continent?
Large enough to see?
Part of an animal?
[Kim] Not extinct.
[Phil] Yes, it does have legs.
[Tuj] No.
[Inkspot] Not native to any one continent.
[Raak] Yes, plainly visible and macroscopic.
[Rosie] No, not a part of an animal.
An insect?
[CdM] Not an insect.
A bird?
Amphibian?
[Raak] Yes, a bird.
[Kim] No, not amhibian.
Any emblematic significance?
A seabird?
Emu?
[Rosie] None that I'm aware of.
[Phil] Yes, a coastal bird, but not exclusively so.
[Tuj] Not an emu.
A cormorant?
Grey Gull?
A hawk of some kind?
[Irouleguy] Not a cormorant.
[Kim} Not a grey (or otherwise coloured) gull.
[Chalky] No, not a hawk of any kind.
Tern?
[Kim] Not a tern.
Native to the UK?
[Kim] Not native to the UK, according to the British Ornithologists' Union list of British birds.
[Rosie] In researching your earlier question, Yes, it is of emblematic and/or symbolic significance.
A puffin?
[Irouleguy] Not a puffin.
Waterfowl of some nature?
A vulture?
(irach) Thanks for doing that. :-)
[INJ] A waterbird that frequents water, yes.
[Rosie] No, not a vulture.
A loon?
[CdM] Not a loon.
Endangered?
[CdM] The loon is on the British list, only it's called 'Great Northern Diver'
[Irach] By waterfowl I meant a bird in the duck, coot, rail group, to distinguish it from say Fish Eagle or heron.
[CdM] Not a duck, loon, goose, swan, coot, rail or gallinule. Not Anidae.
[CdM] That should read Anatidae, of course.
[INJ] Not endangered. At least one species of this bird was endangered earlier, but has made a good recovery and is no longer considered so.
[INJ] Actually, I did a little more digging on the web, and the species in question is still considered endangered in parts of its range, while it has been removed from the list in those zones where it has made a very good comeback.
Pelican?
*waits for INJ to explain that the pelican is exclusively coastal, or some such other objection*
[CdM] Yes, Pelican, it is! Bravo! Take it away...
I actually thought of pelican much earlier, but then misread a Q&A and thought it had been ruled out. Anyway.

ABSTRACT (perhaps with VEGETABLE and MINERAL connections)
An activity?
An activity? No.
An organisation?
An organisation? No.
A human construct?
(oblig.)
Human construct? Yes.
Is this found in all cultures?
Begins with a P?
Found in all cultures. No, but it is widespread.
Begins with a P? No.
An academic study?
Academic study? No.
The audience, very belatedly, decides it should offer some applause in response to Inkspot's question.
Is the vegetable connection edible?
An anarcho-syndicalist flag?
Edible vegetable? No.
A-s flag? No. Some laughter in the audience
To do with politics?
Politics? No.
Any religious connections?
A connection with music?
A philosophy, in the broadest sense?
Religious? No.
Music? No.
Philosophy? No, unless you want to be very broad.
Is it fictional?
Fictional? No.
Anything to do with clothing?
To do with clothing? Yes, though not exclusively. applause
Appearance?
Appearance? No.
The Shield of British Fair Play?
To do with a particular item of clothing?
shield of British fair play? No.
particular item of clothing? No. some applause
Is the answer on the card one word?
The Emperor's New Clothes?
An insignia?
one word? Two words plus a definite article.
Emperor's new clothes? No.
An insignia? Yes, broadly defined. applause
The Union Flag (Union Jack)?
Union Flag? No.
Is it normally attached to clothing?
A designer label?
Normally attached to clothing? Most often, yes. applause
Designer label? Yes, broadly defined (though not exactly). applause
a care label?
A logo?
Care label? No.
A logo? Yes. applause
The Nike Symbol?
Nike? Yes! The words on the card are actually "The Nike Swoosh", but that's close enough. *hands branded baton to Projoy*
Oh dear, that was a bit of a lurker's victory. Nevermind...
VEGETABLE/MINERAL/ABSTRACT
A natural product?
Whaddya meeeen Never mind? I'm furious, as always.
Begins with a P?
[Rosie] There, there. Mine usually don't take long to get... A natural product? NO.
[Tuj] Begins with a P? YES
Yes!!
(no question)
Smaller than a phone box?
Oh alright then.
[Tuj] Smaller than a phone box? YES
A Mr. Potato Head?
[Raak] Kartoffelkopf? NEIN
Is the vegetable wood?
Is it mass produced?
The peck of pickled peppers that Peter Piper picked?
[Ig] Wood? PROBABLY
[Ink] Mass-produced? I DOUBT IT
[CdM] The sum of stewed squash stolen by some silly sod? NO
Primarily produced for artistic, rather than practical, reasons?
[INJ] I'm not sure there's anything other than a misleading answer to that other than IT DEPENDS.
Is it found in the home?
[Raak] Found in the home? NOT NORMALLY
Does music come into this?
[Chalky] Music connection? NO
Smaller than a shoe-box?
[Ig] Smaller than a shoe-box? NO
Found on a ship?
[Raak] On a ship? NO
Is it street furniture?
[Rosie] Street Furniture, YES *applause, although there are some dissenting voices*
[INJ] On further reflection, there are two separate answers to the "artistic, rather than practical" question. One is an unequivocal YES, the other is a tentative NO.
Festive ornamentation of some sort?
[Raak] Festive Ornamentation? NO
Parking meters?
[Ig] Parking meters? NO (but a sensitive ear can make out the sound of one hand clapping)
A shelter of some kind?
[Rosie] A shelter? YEAH, I GUESS
Bus stop?
[ir] Bus stop, NOPE
A bench?
[ir] Bench, NOPE
Parking garage?
[ir] Parking garage, NOPE (don't forget - is smaller than a phone box)
parasol?
[INJ] Parasol, NO * a slight chill breeze wafts from the audience *
A Parking/No parking sign
(no) parking sign, NOPE
A pissoir?
[Rosie] Pissoir? NOPE
[all] I know it seems like it's been narrowed down quite a bit, but critical information about the answer has yet to be unearthed, hence most of these guesses missing.
A café umbrella?
[Raak] Café Umbrella? NOPE
Specific to one culture/country?
Is the shelter for people?
Park bench?
And it begins with P!
Is the vegetable wood?
[INJ] Specific to one culture/country? NO, NOT REALLY
[Ig] Shelter for people? SORT OF (it's not for any other species either)
[Tuj] Park bench, NOPE
[Raak] Wood? PROBABLY, BUT MIGHT NOT BE
Is it put there by the local authority?
[Rosie] Local Authority, NO
(put where, btw?)
Would it normally be found on the UK pavement as opposed to the US pavement?
[INJ] UK/US? NO. Wouldn't normally be found in either place.
Is it found in a particular type of location?
Some kind of fencing?
A pier?
[Rosie] Particular type of location? YES and NO. The most helpful answer is NO.
[Tuj] Fencing? NO
[Ig] Pier? NO
[Rosie] Actually, it could be that the most helpful answer is YES, come to think of it. Sorry, not wishing to be perverse, but there's still something you don't yet know about this thing that, one you have found it out, would enable me to give much less equivocal answers.
A pier?
I am so blind - apols for such blatant repitition
Is it fictional?
Pillarbox?
[Phil] apology accepted :)
[Tuj] Fictional? YES *relieved applause and cheering*
[Phil] Pillarbox? NO, although the notion of taking shelter in a pillarbox is amusing me as I type.
From a book?
Pfff blimey. Can't believe we hadn't questioned the abstract sooner.
[Tuj] From a book? YES
One specific, individual thing?
[Raak] Specific, individual? YES
[Projoy] It's only "sort of" a shelter for people, so I thought it might be a shelter for things, that people use. But, you could shelter one hand at a time in one :-)
Is the book science fiction?
[Raak] SF? NO.
A porch?
[Raak] Porch, NO.
A Priesthole?
(only they have them in non-fiction too, but it's all I can think of)
[Phil] Priesthole? NOPE
Is it a 20th century book?
[Ig] C20th book? YES
Is the book set, broadly speaking, in the present day (as opposed to being obviously historical fiction or obviously set in the future)?
[CdM] Broadly present-day, YES
(there is a case for a NO answer, but that would be a bit obnoxious)
Are there multiple instances of this one specific thing? (I'm trying to reconcile "specific individual thing" with "not specific to one culture")
[CdM] Multiple instances? NO (there's no especial reason there couldn't be, but only one is mentioned - there's nothing about the one instance encountered that is (particularly) specific to one culture)
Is the book set in a recognisable real location or locations?
(I'm making up for all the questions I didn't ask earlier.)
[CdM] Real/recognisable location? NO (and YES, but mostly NO)
Would the book be considered as basically for children?
[CdMaddendum] Which is to say in terms of "recognisable", the answer is definitely NO, and in terms of "real", it's MOSTLY NO.
[INJ] Basically for children? YES *applause*
In a Harry Potter book?
[INJ] Harry Potter? NO.
In a Narnian chronicle?
[CdM] I'm not that far back in the closet. NO. ;-)
In a Philip Pullman book?
[Ig] Philip Pullman? NOPE (even though he begins with P twice!)
Book from the last 50 years?
[Tuj] From the last 50 Years, YES
A Tolkien book?
Is the writer British?
Pub sign?
Pinocchio?
Just one book, or a series?
[Phil] Tolkien? NO
[Inkspot] British? NO
[Tuj] Pub sign? NO
[ir] Pinocchio, NO
[Ig] Just one book? YES
Da Recap
So, it's a fictional, single, individual object which is smaller than a phone-box, larger than a shoe-box and appears in a one-off C20th children's novel by a non-British author, which is mostly set in unreal locations, published some time in the last fifty years. It may be described as "street furniture" (with some potential for controversy) and The Answer begins with a 'P'. More dubious are the details of what it's made of (probably wood), where it is most likely to be found, and whether it is likely to be mass-produced (unlikely, IMO). I won't go thru all the things it's not, but will note that some people will have heard of it, others will probably require google.
French?
[INJ] French? NO
European?
OK, let's be systematic about this.
Phantom Tollboth?
And can I just say that, if that isn't right, then it ought to be.
[INJ] European, NO...
[CdM] Phantom Tollbooth? YES!! *collects checkpoint fee and hands baton back to CdM*
Never heard of it, nor will many others, thus excluding them from the game. Google it? What do you type into Google? "Something I have never heard of". Go! This is by no means the worst example of an inappropriate subject, there being many of them so arcane that you just give up, bored, knowing that eventually some clever clogs will winkle out the answer. I could retaliate, of course, if I ever win again. It will be a steam engine. Not just any old steam engine. Oh dear me no. A particular type and not only that, a particular class. And not just any old loco of that class but a particular engine. And will it be notable in any way? Not necessarily. Wouldn't that be clever? The point I am making is that this game has departed a long way from the original concept, which was conducted live and necessarily needed maybe unusual but universally-known subjects. It needs to stop being a research project or a showcase for clever boys and return to its more modest origins.
Ditto, never heard of it :-(
[Rosie] Oh, rubbish. If we stuck to obvious stuff, this game would have run out of steam much earlier. I enjoyed finding out about, for example, Bobrikov, set by Néa earlier in the game. I'd never heard of him, but that hardly excluded me from the game (in fact it was me who dug up the answer after about 20 minutes' research).
Besides, anyone who hasn't heard of the Phantom Tollbooth has just had the good fortune to discover it. It is one of the classics of literature and they should read it at once (preferably in an edition with the original Jules Feiffer cartoons).
Bobrikov, and Bluebeard (which I found through Google) were good - difficult, and involved learning something new, but they were relatively "googlable". Luckily, the Phantom Bluetooth appears to be well enough known for someone to get it, it's just us grumpy old men that have never heard of it ;-)
Lets move on and work the next one out :-)
(Projoy) There is an absolutely huge number of subjects that are universally known. The skill is in picking one that is a little off-beat and needs a little imagination to guess. That's what the original Animal, Vegetable and Mineral was about. Turning it into a research project is a negation of the original idea. I have no interest whatever in which particular species of South American lizard, or which character from some science fiction novel the questioner is thinking of. That is just so nerdy. And boring! It's meant to be a game. Time for another extended absence from this one, I feel.
[Rosie] Please don't deprive us of your presence from this game. Surely now your opinions have been aired and taken into account by the rest of us there should be less of a problem? I'm in the "never heard of it" camp for the last one, but that happens every now and then - and I'm sure it does for everyone. Trying to come up with subjects every single time that every member of a multi-national group of people from a fair age range have heard of wouldn't be too easy. Yes, if there happens to be another subject soon that the majority of people consider inappropriate we can have this kind of discussion, but shall we just get on with things for now?
[CdM] By the way, no pressure on choosing the next topic ;)
(Tuj) That's very kind, and I actually enjoy the game, yes really, but only up to the point where I reckon the answer must be something I've never heard of, at which I just switch off and hope for something better next time. OK, I'll put in some questions then, if you insist. :-)
[Tuj] Well, I was thinking about picking a particular steam engine...
[Rosie] I understand where you are coming from -- halfway through the last AVMA I remember thinking "well, if this is from a Philip Pullman book I might as well give up now." At the same time this game, like so many that we play, is different from its antecedent, and I think this is a good thing, not a bad thing. This online version is played using google from time to time, and that does open us up to more obscure topics. As to whether Projoy's particular choice was too obscure, I am inclined to think not (but then, I did know the answer). The answer was the title to the book, not something from within the book, and I do think the book is acknowledged as at least a minor classic of children's literature -- maybe not in the A.A. Milne or Lewis Carroll or C.S. Lewis league, but comparable to perhaps the works of Roald Dahl or Arthur Ransome. Like Tuj, though, I would urge you to keep playing. On which note,
ABSTRACT
A human construct?
Human construct? Yes is the least misleading answer.
Does it have religious connotations?
fictional?
To do with language?
Religious connotations? No.
Fictional? No.
To do with language? No.
To do with computers?
To do with emotions?
Computers? No, except in a very tangential sense.
Emotions? No.
To do with numbers?
Reality TV?
Is there just one of these?
Begins with a P?
Stephenson's Rocket?
No forget that - it's got to be Mallard.
A space of some kind?
To do with numbers? Hmmmmm... Not as such, yet numbers do play an important role in practice.
Reality TV? No.
Just one of these? No.
Begins with P? No.
Stephenson's Rocket? Not even close. :-)
A space of some kind? That is also a tricky one. I would say Yes, but I worry that that answer will mislead.
To do with mathematics?
Is it a game of some kind?
Connected with Physics?
[Rosie] Since it's abstract, it would have to be the Mallard Imaginaire.
"Something I've never heard of"?
A relationship of some sort between humans?
Moebius loop?
To do with mathematics? No.
Game of some kind? No.
Connected with physics? No.(There are very vague connections to physics and math, but I think they are unhelpful)
Something Projoy has never heard of? :-) No.
Relationship between humans? No. (Except in a very vague sense!)
Moebius loop? No.

Not to be discouraging, but nothing is hitting anywhere near the mark yet...
Anything to do with environmental issues?
To do with the arts?
To do with perception?
To do with environmental issues? No. (Again, I suppose there is a very vague connection.)
To do with the arts? No.
To do with perception? No.
To do with the internets?
To do with the internets? No. Although, as a clue, I might point out that it had absolultely nothing to do with the internets at all until relatively recently, and now it does have something to do with the internets, as in fact I proved when I originally set this AVMA.
AVMA?
To do with music?
To do with motion?
"Mallard" did 125 mph, you know.
To do with randomness?
Music? No.
Motion? Yes. *some applause*
Randomness? *tosses coin, checks* No.
*ahem*
To do with holidays?
The diesel land speed record?
Journey? Ticket?
The speed of light?
Some sort of delivery?
Would it have been known about/understood pre 1700?
Does it refer to the absence, rather than the presence of something?
Forget the speed of light, it's obviously not that.
oops
A clearing of the throat? No.
AVMA? No.
Holidays? No.
Diesel land speed record? No.
Speed of light? *forgets* Delivery? No.
Understood pre 1700? No. *ripple of applause*
Absence vs presence? Presence rather than absence.
Some sort of taxon?
The Hubble constant?
Technology-related?
A force?
The Poincare Conjecture?
Gravity?
Is it associated with/a product of a particular branch of science?
Kinetic energy?
taxon? No.
Hubble constant? No.
Technology-related? Yes, in the sense that it that would not be meaningful without a particular technology.
Poincaré Conjecture? No.
Gravity? No. *some laughter in the audience mixed with a smattering of applause*
Associated with particular branch of science? Yes, if "science" includes applied sciences.
Kinetic energy? No, although there is a vague connection.
Anything to do with planes?
Is the technology computing?
Flight?
Railway timetable?
To do with planes? Yes. *applause*
To with computing? Well, the primary technology I was thinking of was aeronautics. There need not be a connection with computing, but in practice there usually is.
Flight? No. *significant applause*
Railway timetable? No. *sudden silence*
The simulated absence of gravity on a plane flying a parabolic path?
Bernoulli's Principle?
Lift?
Which could be correct, as Tuj's "A Force?" was not answered.
oooops again
zero g? No.
Bernouilli Principle? *tosses coin, checks* No.
Lift (or other force?)? No.
*surreptitiously removes "i" from Bernoodle*
To do also with money?
Jet lag?
Forget last question
jet lag?
...
...
...
...
No.
The gyroscopic effect?
OK, to do also with money?
gyroscopic effect? No.
to do with money? No.
Satellite Navigation?
satellite navigation? No. *more applause*
Altitude?
Elliptical orbit?
altitude is one of the two words on the card. *sustained applause*
elliptical orbit? No.
Cruising Altitude?
If that doesn't work I'll let others have a go.
Density Altitude?
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