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 ....
And it’s a lurker’s victory for irach – the Aral Sea it is. The singular/plural question is because the evaporation has continued to such an extent that there are at least 3 unconnected bodies of water.
[Projoy] Generally not larger than a shoebox, and definitely not in two of the three dimensions. [Rosie] May occasionally be used in the household, but is also frequently utilized in other locales.
[Raak]. Not an umbrella. (begins with "p", remember? Not a parasol either, however. As a clarification, one does not "carry" it so much as "handle" it in its use).
[Projoy] I presume one can make marks with it. [INJ] Not a picture (but the audience sits up, taking notice, and a few nod knowingly) [Raak] Yes. Connected with paint... (oooh, so close). [Tuj] By Jove, you got it! YES - a paintbrush it is.
[Raak] Nope, that's been asked before (Rosie) and we've also established that it's iffy whether a single one would be visible to the naked eye (INJ). As far as your previous question goes, it is "eaten" as such, although I just don't think that's the right word.
I'm going away tomorrow for a few days so this may get abandoned.
[Tuj] YES, it does begin with a P! [Rosie] YES, a human construct. Hm. Are moulds animal or vegetable or taxonomically in an "ancestor-to-both" category?
[Rosie] Yes, I realised I'd plunged in and labelled it animal without considering vegetable, but never mind. Thankfully my mess was cleared up by Inkspot & Projoy.
(Pj) Moulds are a type of fungi, apparently. I can't see how there can be any connection with animals. Animal can turn into Vegetable eg manure (there's polite for you) but surely not the other way round?
[Raak] Definition of planets? NO [Rosie] Scientific/Technical? YES (for the most part) *audience applause, although one or two pedants get into fistfights*
Also - it isn't predestination, plutocracy or parsimony. *is somewhat bemused by the pedants who have to resort to fisticuffs and tells them it's not THAT important - fer gawd's sake*
OK, strictly it's not to do with any particular craft, but it is relevant to craft in general, so long as you take a very broad definition of craft (i.e. not corn dollies and marquetry). In principle it need not be to do with science and/or technology, but in practice it usually is. The Answer is not a verb, gerund or adjective, nor is it any kind of "ism".
We'll be right back after this message from our sponsor....
PS. Having just looked up fungi in Wikipedia (nothing to do with the answer to mine), I read this: "Fungi were originally classified as plants, however have since been separated as they are heterotrophs. This means they do not fix their own carbon through photosynthesis, but use carbon fixed by other organisms for metabolism. Fungi are now thought to be more closely related to animals than to plants, and are placed with animals in the monophyletic group of opisthokonts." The article classifies them as "Kingdom: Fungi", so maybe this game should become AVFM?
(after further research) Hm. Possibly the game should even be Animal, Plant, Fungi, Protista, Archaebacteria, Eubacteria, Non-Organic, Abstract. Might take the fun out of it, tho.
[Projoy] What about objects that refuse to define themselves in terms of an oppressive system of categories that makes no allowance for their unique viewpoint?
[all] Sorry for finding out it began with P... [all again] But far more sorry for my momentary lapse in forgetting the "vegetable" category - luckily I've been away over the weekend and my embarassment has cooled. And to me (and most I guess) mould would certainly be vegetable, whatever dratted Wikipedia thinks.
One last thing before I give up, as this thing is an abstract human construction is it a thought process or something like that goes on in someone's head.
[Tuj] Invented in the last thousand years. YES. Some accounts say that this was around a long time before its "official" invention date in the last thousand years, but I'll go with the account that gives a specific date. [Inkspot] Thought process? NOT EXCLUSIVELY, this thing (rather than process) is abstract (i.e. non-tangible), but it is also translated into tangible form and because of that it has a definite effect on people's behaviour in the real world. [flerdle] Proof? NO, although proof (in the informal sense) is often involved.
To the question by Tuj "Linked with a particular culture or country?" you replied "NOT ANY MORE". Does that mean that it began in one country but it is now world wide.
ps if yes, a great clue would be the coutry of origin.
[Inkspot] OK, for nothing I shall reveal that this thing first appeared (according to the account I am following) in Venice first (when Venice was a country). [Phil] Associated with a particular way of life? NOT REALLY (unless you mean particular professions?)
[Projoy] Ayurvedic cuisine? vaguely. [Darren] Curry? NO but ever so close [Raak] found in Indian restaurants outside India? YES [irach] contains mango? YES and no. Depends. [Irouléguy] a chutney or pickle? YES!! *audience cheers wildly, orders takeaway*
Chalky] Is it an activity? *applause* YES Rosie] A game? *louder applause, quite possibly beer-fuelled* YES ImNotJohn] Is the animal connection human? YES Inkspot] Connected to religion? *some sardonic chuckling* NO Raak] Is more than one sort of animal involved? YE-ES, though I don't think that's helpful.
Raak - Football? NO Projoy - Game hunting? NO - the other animals are red herrings Phil - Fuzzy Duck? *the audience break into teams to play* Nice idea, but no. Rosie - Cricket? NO *polite applause* Assuming the ball contains leather - that assumption contains two unasked questions. Darren] Golf? NO