There is a show on british radio (the name of which I will omit to discourage cheating) and it asks a panel a series of general knowledge questions masked as a riddle. It's a great show and this week they had a great question which I will now put to you, the AGS Forum.
You are allowed to ask for confirmation that you're on the right lines and for hints but every time I help you you will lose some points!! OH NO NOT POINTS!
All the questions take the same form and its something like "guess all these things and then make a connection or do something with the answers to get the final answer"
Here is the question:
Taken in order, how can an 1864 conflagration; one of Lear's dukes; a formidable relative of Henry Pulling or Jack Worthing; and a cinque port, produce a mythical cupbearer?
Jesus! that seems hard.
;)
It's actually not if you approach it in pieces and try and work out each individual piece. Then, even if you can't get a part, you might be able to piece it together with the parts you do know.
Are we allowed to Google the individual bits of information?
The only one I know anything about is the Cinque Ports (having been born in Hastings).
I think Jack Worthing was in The Importance of Being Earnest but I can't remember the aunt's name! (I think it was Aunt something... the "A HAAAAAAAAAAAAANCBAG?!" woman...) ???
Well the other Cinque Ports other than Hastings are New Romney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich.
Spoiler
If Captain D says the formidable relative is an 'aunt' and we combine it with a Cinque Port then perhaps we get something like AuntDover or Andover.
Is this along the right lines?
P.S. You say we drop points for asking if we're on the right lines (sorry everyone). But how many points do we start with?
In the game you start with 6 points but I won't penalise you for just asking if youre on the right lines.
So I will say this,
CaptainD is onto something.
Stupot picked the right port.
A good start!
I can't stop you googling stuff but it might be nicer if you didn't and tried to pool your knowledge as a community i guess.
I propose two scoring systems:
Old-School - you start with 3 points, lose 1 point for every incorrect guess / request for help, and it's GAME OVER when you lose all 3.
Casual - you start with 100 points, lose 1 when you get stuff wrong, intermittently get bonus points for no apparent reason, and even if you do somehow manage to lose all your points, the game just keeps going anyway.
Ah... not an aunt... is the formidable relative
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Lady Augusta Bracknell
? (Sorry I had to cheat - it was driving me mad!)
Yep, 2 down.
As for scoring it's usually done by ear. You start with 6 and the host gives you a proportion of that depending on how much help you had.
So far you have a full 6 as far as i can see. [EDIT: oh now wait you cheated, MINUS 1 POINT!]
Also, put your answers in hide tags so others can try and guess the answer if they are late to the party.
Spoiler
Conflagration's a big fire, and judging by the year, I figured Atlanta, Georgia due to Gone with the Wind. I admit I ended up Googling the movie to check which year it was set.
The only Lear I know is Shakespeare's king, and I don't have a clue who was in it.
I have no clue what to do with that, at all. Not even remotely.
Spoiler
That is indeed the conflagration in question and Lear does refer to shakespeares king lear.
I think you have enough information now to start thinking about connections.
Spoiler
Well we have Atlanta, (Duke) [...?...], (Lady) Bracknell and Dover.
All place names (assuming the Duke is a Duke of somewhere. My Shakespeare is terrible though. Anybody?).
I've no idea how to relate any of this to a mythical cupbearer.
Spoiler
If it's the duke of Cornwall, we have place names that could be arranged alphabetically a,b,c,d. No idea if that means anything. No idea yet about the riddle at all, really :)
Mythical characters and tales should really be my table, but when it comes to cup bearers I'm drawing a total blank, sorry.
I've had a brainwave. Atlanta is in Georgia, whose code thing is GA, which sounds like a good lead.
I thought maybe the postcodes of the other places would be involved (I had to Google them I'm afraid).
Cornwall has several (EX, PL, TR) - [If it is Cornwall]
Bracknell's Postcode is RG (Reading) [If it is Bracknell]
Dover's is CT (Canterbury)
There's a distinct lack of vowels in that lot, so unless GAEXRGCT is a word, I'm probably barking up the wrong tree.
Hmm... if "GA" is correct for the first two letters I do have an idea... 8 letters beginning with those two... but none of the other letters you've put fit and I have no idea what the connection is if my guess is right.
Unless...
Cornwall, Bracknell and Dover are in England, but... are they also in the States? So they would have a 2-letter code for the state they're in if so?
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Especially if there's a Cornwall in New York, a Bracknell in New England and ... Dover in..... um, DElaware maybe?)
I think this post might contain the right answer, so careful with opening the tabs if you still want to guess along.
According to my copy of King Lear there's also a
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Duke of Albany
So we have:
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Atlanta, Georgia
Albany, New York
Augusta, Maine
Dover, Delaware
All US state capitals...
And that would leave us with:
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GA, NY, ME, DE = Ganymede. No idea who that is, but I think I heard the name before.
Oh, yes, absolutely. Solved.
That was pretty tricky but fun. It was funny that we couldn't just google the answer, and it took the combined thinking of several members. One more please! These shouldn't be too hard to construct.
Ahh nice. I fell into the trap of assuming the last three were referring to English places.
Otherwise I'd totally have got it :P
That was fun :)
I was leaning to the using the first name of the relative, but all I was coming up with was some sort of golf references. >_<
Oh hey, you got it.
Well done. Yes
Spoiler
Ganymede is the cup bearer of olympus!
Ok second round:
You're going to need a film buff for this one.
In which Affair might Deborah Kerr be envious of a fruit coming down, a Wallace creation going up, and Tom Hanks taking the lift?
I think 'a Wallace creation going up' is referring to the orange spaceship from A Grand Day Out.
Quote from: Calin Leafshade on Tue 15/10/2013 20:55:13
Oh hey, you got it.
Well done. Yes Spoiler
Ganymede is the cup bearer of olympus!
Ok second round:
You're going to need a film buff for this one.
In which Affair might Deborah Kerr be envious of a fruit coming down, a Wallace creation going up, and Tom Hanks taking the lift?
Deboarh Kerr was in
Spoiler
An Affair to Remember
- Tom Hanks was in a similar film - not a remake but has the same end scene - in
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Sleepless in Seattle
, my mother-in-law's all-time favourite film!!
I think Atelier is right with his guess.
But as for the connection... I'm struggling.
Atelier is not correct. Wrong Wallace I'm afraid.
Quote from: Calin Leafshade on Tue 15/10/2013 21:46:49
Atelier is not correct. Wrong Wallace I'm afraid.
OH!
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Barnes Wallace - so bouncing bomb?
Also... "envious of a fruit coming down" -
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Apple? As in Isaac Newton?
Sorry if I lost you guys a point! (?) Was thrown by the film buff thing.
Both wrong, CaptainD.
All three are film/book references.
Tom Hanks in an elevator got me thinking about how prominent the Empire State Building is in an Affair to Remember. Is this some sort of skyscraper structure puzzle? Does "Wallace going up" or "fruit coming down" ring anyone's bell in terms of famous buildings or landmarks? Fruit coming down reminds me a bit of the ball drop at Time's Square, but that's a bit of a stretch. Anybody?
EDIT:Spoiler
Quote from: Calin Leafshade on Tue 15/10/2013 20:55:13
In which Affair might Deborah Kerr be envious of a fruit coming down, a Wallace creation going up, and Tom Hanks taking the lift?
A bit of Wikipedia surfing to fill in the blanks in cultural blindspots reveals:
An Affair to Remember: guy waits for girl who never shows up on the observation deck of the Empire State Building
James and the Giant Peach: peach lands directly on top of Empire State Building
Edgar Wallace: wrote the screenplay for King Kong, who climbs the Empire State Building
Sleepless in Seattle: Tom Hanks is actually in a lift in the
Empire State Building!So my answer is.... the Empire State Building? :-\
All correct but you didnt answer the question.
Why would Deborah Kerr be envious?
EDIT: Also you lose points for blatant wikipedia use! You're supposed to pool your cultural knowledge damnit!
Judging from the wiki info above, I'd suspect that she's jealous because
Spoiler
she didn't show up at the Empire State Building (the top of it, even), whilst the others did. That or some green reference.
Cary Grant will take her up the wheelchair-accessible way. Don't be sad, Deborah!
This quiz is a bit too hard for me. I think I would stand a better chance if I were 50+ and British.
Really fun concept, though! Wish it was made slightly easier, less anglocentric and a bit more contemporary.
Are they particularly anglocentric?
So far we've had American movies, American buildings, American state capitols, Greek mythology, an Irish play and Shakespeare
There was also the Dover, which was then transposed to the US. That said, I'm supposedly British and it didn't help me at all on that, I'd have guessed a Cinque port would've been French. Sleepless in Seattle's is fairly contemporary, and I didn't know that one, either. I like how people are pooling knowledge together to come up with an answer, so I approve of the difficulty level so far.
So Calin - was the last one answered correctly?
If so, we will attempt to pool our cultural knowledge for the next one! :-D
Yes that was correct.
I will whip up another one shortly.
Ok yeah I guess it was only Deborah Kerr and the Cinque ports that I hadn't heard of, both distinctly British.
Zucchini! I know it reads like this round is over, but I'm still guessing zucchini.
I can't help but hope you're just delayed in adding the next round and not spending ages trying to dumb this down for us, only to have us solve it in minutes.
Here's one I've made up (probably quite easy, but sod it).
Which car is a Korean river on its own, a US state with a common name and a green bean with a sharp edge?
A Han Solo is a Ford (Harrison).
EDIT: Still trying to puzzle this one out. Common state names might be Washington (a common last name), Virginia (a common first name), the Carolinas or Dakotas (along with Virginia, the states who share part of a name with other states).
We could be looking at abbreviations for these, so WA, VA, NC, SC, ND, SD.
The only little bit of cheating I've done is to see where Stupot+ is from, as I know the models have different names. His profile says East Sussex. The only British Fords I know are Vauxhall and Prefect. Could be Vauxhall, but I don't know of a bean called an Uxhall.
###
As we work on Stu's more difficult work, here's a riddle wrapped in a poem of my own creation. Should be pretty easy:
A philosophy by which we all should live,
Taking from others as long as we give:
The dampness of morning,
The countries together,
Shortstop for the Yankees,
Kidnappers of Sawyer,
The U.S. Samoa,
A ram's likely mate,
The yield of a dead oak,
Make four out of eight,
Ants are invading!
First note as it's spelled,
Uranium nitride,
Also, or, as well,
And the last word, here's the trick...do you get it? It's you who knows of the letter that accompanies 'Q.'
British Ford models of cars I can think of:
Capri, Cortina, Escort, Fiesta, Mondeo, Ka, Granada, Orion (?), Galaxy (short lived), Focus, Sierra, (XR2, XR3, XR3i, XR4 Cosworth - boy racer types). I'm not sure about the Prefect era, I think there was also a Poplar in that area.
Vauxhall was a brand/make, that made the Astra, Nova and others. It was the British version of the Opal.
For Korean cars, I'd assume Kia, Hyundai, Proton and Prius? Daihatsu, maybe?
I'm entirely lost on US states (despite knowing them all, I don't know what would be popular) and the only bean I can thing of is an Legume (LilGryphMaster?)
Oh, wait.
Spoiler
Pinto? I can see that being a car and a bean, but am lost on the river.
And for Eric's:
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Dew EU something something something ewe something (conker?) two something C UN2..? something U.
So,
Do you --- --- --- you --- conquer to --- see --- you?
..Caesar?
EDIT AGAIN, I think I have it this time:
Spoiler
Dew UN to? others? As? ewe wood halve.. ??? C.. UN2 Yourself?..
Do unto others, as you would have done onto* yourself?
EDIT:
done onto yourself -> them do unto you:
THEM! ..? Do(h) from Sound of Music?
Quote from: Renal Shutdown on Fri 25/10/2013 08:16:31For Korean cars, I'd assume Kia, Hyundai, Proton and Prius? Daihatsu, maybe?
I'm pretty sure the Korean part was taken care of by the "Han" (the Korean river) part of Harrison "Han Solo" Ford.
More than likely, aye. I was trying to channel Jeremy Clarkson, badly. I should probably wait for him to die first.
Hehe, there is only one car and youve already guessed it, Ford, but you haven't seen how it fits intothe rest of the clue.
'Han solo' is indeed the 'korean river on its own'
Keep thinking about the rest of it. Its more straighforward than you think. :-)
Quote from: Stupot+ on Fri 25/10/2013 00:35:44
...a US state with a common name...
Indiana Jones presumably?
Quote from: Intense Degree on Fri 25/10/2013 14:01:55
Indiana Jones presumably?
Aha! I think you're onto something here! Could the third clue be Bob (Al)Falfa, his character in American Graffiti? Alfafa's a green bean, and to bob means to cut....
Indiana Jones is correct, but not Bob Falfa :-)
You're close, and you will kick yourselves.
Haha.
Spoiler
It's a runner bean, isn't it!
Sharp edge, like a blade?
Yeah, I think that's it. ;)
Yep Well done dactylopus and team ;)
Harrison FORD is Han Solo, Indiana Jones and a Blade Runner (Rick Deckard).
Ah! I don't even know what a runner bean is! Are they delicious? Good one, Stu!
Quote from: Renal Shutdown on Fri 25/10/2013 08:20:26
Dew UN to? others? As? ewe wood halve.. ??? C.. UN2 Yourself?..
Do unto others, as you would have done onto* yourself?
EDIT:
done onto yourself -> them do unto you:
THEM! ..? Do(h) from Sound of Music?
EDIT: Actually, with Renal's edit, he has it!: Dew UN 2 Others AS ewe wood halve Them! do UN too U. Or, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. The good ol' golden rule. Well done!
I'm still confused over the shortstop and the U.S. Samoa.
Quote from: Renal Shutdown on Fri 25/10/2013 21:01:09
I'm still confused over the shortstop and the U.S. Samoa.
Derek Jeter, Yankee shortstop, is #2. The postal code for American Samoa is AS.
I'm still confused about the invading ants! (roll)
THEM! (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047573/)
Tune into Turner Classic Movies at 6 EST today to find out, Baron!
Okay, so I tried my hand at one of those last night. Not sure I'm happy with the result, but let's just throw it out there and see what happens...
Either a shoe salesman or a fitter of concrete shoes; not the most likely thing to run through your veins by far, but not the most unlikely either; part of a prince's famous lament; the recipient of a Canadian decoration; a two-faced marshal's further alias; and the unit of a conductor's property.
The answer might just stop you in your tracks.
Edit: First clue slightly reworded (used to be "Something a shoe salesman and a fitter of concrete shoes have in common".)
Thinking aloud for possible answers:
1. Shoe salesman & (mobster?) - They both make their living via lost soles/souls?
2. Veins - Gold? Ore? Alcohol?
3. A word or two of "To Be or Not To Be"
4. Do Canadians get the George Cross and Victorian Cross too?
5. Resistance = ohms?
1. Mobster is on the right track
2. No
3. Yes
4. They do, but it still isn't the answer
5. (which is actually number 6) No
Quote from: Tibatonk on Wed 20/11/2013 14:30:59a two-faced marshal's further alias;
Could the answer to this part be 'slim'? Marshall Mathers / Eminem's further alias being 'slim shady'.
Bump :-)
Sorry, missed your post. Thanks for the bump.
Nice answer, but I'm afraid it's not the right one. We're talking about a marshal, not a Marshall.
Edit: I somewhat changed the first clue to make it easier to understand. It is now "Either a shoe salesman or a fitter of concrete shoes". (Used to be "Something a shoe salesman and a fitter of concrete shoes have in common".)
The two-faced marshal, I'm guessing it's Tommy Lee Jones?
He played both Two-Face and a US Marshal.
I'm starting to think that these are all (or mostly) acronyms or abbreviation:
Either a shoe salesman or a fitter of concrete shoes;
AL (I typed 'show salesman' into google and it came up with Al Bundy from Married with Children, which reminded me of the famous mobster Al Capone)
not the most likely thing to run through your veins by far, but not the most unlikely either;
(probably a susbtance's chemical symbol, but I don't know which one fits the clue. At a guess, Iron (Fe)?)
part of a prince's famous lament; (to be = two Bs = BB)
the recipient of a Canadian decoration;
(I guess there are a lot of different ones and they probably all have abbreviations)
a two-faced marshal's further alias;
(Tommy Lee Jones was also agent K in Men in Black)
and the unit of a conductor's property.
Again, I don't know this but it is probably the SI unit of something, but I don't really know much about electrical stuff?
So is any of this on the right track?
AL (fe) BB __ K __
What's it all about, AL (fe)?
Al & K are correct, Fe and BB are incorrect.
The two remaining ones are on the right track (and also happen to be my least favorite clues).
Just going out on a limb here, but "unit of a conductor's property" might be, say, a "Unit train?" I know conductors don't own their trains but you said "the answer might stop you in your tracks" so, you never know.
Poison? Alice Cooper? Copper? Cu?
I'll better stop...
Okay, some more hints:
-The answers to the clues do not spell out the final answer. There will be one more step necessary. They are in the right order, though.
-The second clue is not about a type of chemical element running through your veins.
-The "recipient of a Canadian decoration" could also be the "recipient of an Australian decoration", in case there are more Australians around.
Is it possible that all the answers will be chemical element symbols? Al for aluminium, K for potassium? And so the final step will be naming the chemical compund they form?
Could the decoration be the OM, or the Order of Merit?