Every Friday at 1300 hours, Tally-Ho Corner’s cleverest clogs come together to solve a ‘foxer’ handcrafted by my sadistic chum and colleague, Roman. A complete ‘defoxing’ sometimes takes several days and usually involves the little grey cells of many readers. Don’t be shy. All are welcome to participate.
The honeycomb below is a fancy form of wordsearch in which every cell is used, and words can curl and zigzag but never overlap. Each hive foxer has a theme (some past ones: owls, rugby, Egypt, UFOs…). Identifying the theme is a vital part of the defoxing process. Today’s puzzle is composed of 18 answers, one of which is an acronym.
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SOLUTIONS
Last week’s ‘33 things wot you might find on someone’s head or shoulders’ missing vowels foxer:
1. CM BVR – comb over (Viscount)
2. TFLLN – tefillin (Viscount)
3. BNDL – bindle (alison)
4. SND – snood (AbyssUK)
5. R LBL NDCD – rl-83 blindicide
6. CP TNFLNT – captain flint (Viscount)
7. PLTT – epaulette (Zwack23)
8. MKRTL – mokorotlo (Viscount)
9. THW GH TFT HWR LD – the weight of the world (Viscount)
10. BSSDR N – bass drone (ylla)
11. KNG HTNGSWRD – knighting sword (Zwack23)
12. CBN – caubeen (Viscount)
13. DL YBBBR – deely bobber (ylla)
14. DGHNT – doughnut (Viscount, ylla)
15. VN GRNDBR WNPP R – vinegar and brown paper (Viscount)
16. CPRT – capirote (Electric Dragon)
17. BP LYH XHDPHNS – beoplay hx headphones (Colonel_K)
18. PDCLCD – pediculicide (Electric Dragon)
19. VL – veil (AbyssUK) or viola
20. PLDRN – pauldron (Electric Dragon, Colonel_K)
21. ST CHLSTRP – satchel strap (Zwack23)
22. SGT TLSTR – sagittal suture (Electric Dragon)
23. PTK – patka (alison)
24. BN DTR – bandeau tiara
25. CRLGS TFRC LLS SRFL – carl gustaf recoilless rifle (Zwack23)
26. LLKLL – lliklla (Colonel_K)
27. LR LLVVDR MLNGT HSW NDRWT R – l’oreal elvive dream lengths wonder water (ylla)
28. RMR DHDCRB – armored headcrab (Electric Dragon)
29. TRCTNLPC – traction alopecia (Colonel_K)
30. THF TFC ST LL R – the feet of a casteller (captaincabinets)
31. G PRHR – gopro hero (ylla)
32. TNC RP – eton crop (alison)
33. LCTRNC PHLGRPHYLCTRD – electroencephalography electrode (AbyssUK)
E4: STOTTIE? (Types of cake? :p)
J10 has TARIQ which is the only thing I can see using that Q at the moment.
J10: TARIQ (Trying to use the Q with no U next to it)
A1: MUGWORT, although it looks too obvious to be real
Collides with A7: CRYPT (Dunno if either are right)
D7 BARROW would go with CRYPT.
Then maybe C4 PYRE, although that locks it up a bit.
G5 POTTERS FIELD
Isn’t that part of the title of a Cadfael mystery? (The medieval sleuthing monk played by Derek Jacobi in the TV adaptations)
The Potter’s Field was bought as a burial ground with the 30 pieces of silver Judas received for betraying Jesus. Definitely fits with the burial theme.
B4 – HYPOGEUM – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypogeum
D3 – CIST
H4. SIX FEET UNDER
F1. The ole STONE SHIP (?), presumably
Although people have been buried under stones and in ships, STONE SHIP is a better answer!
I saw STONE SHIP and didn’t bother mentioning it… 🙁
D1 – SHIP. Might have been overthinking that corner. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_burial
F1 – STONE
E7. FOSSOR – early Christian gravedigger (in Roman catacombs)
J8: JAR (In about 6 different directions)
M2 KOFUN
J3. LARA CROFT
whatever’s in the centre is only getting more horrendous
J10 – TAJ MAHAL – but only if you remove the lara from lara croft… I think CROFT still fits the theme
D8 – MINGQI – Vessel for ghosts… spooky
H12 – KNOWN UNTO GOD – takes up all of the side right of Mingqi.
J.10 TRANSI – aka cadaver monument or memento mori monument: a church monument to deceased persons featuring a sculpted skeleton or even a decomposing dead body.
Getting proper Halloween now, though it is more monument and less tomb.
(Obviously conflicts with Taj Mahal)
M5: PLEURANT
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleurants (in French, there is no “s” in the end of that word)
J7: MORTSAFE
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortsafe
I4: KV – Acronym standing for Kings’ Valley to designate tombs located in the Valley of the Kings-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_burials_in_the_Valley_of_the_Kings
I5: SHINGO – Location of what is purported to be the resting place of Jesus, the “Tomb of Christ” (Kirisuto no haka)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shing%C5%8D,_Aomori
All 18 words:
A7 – CRYPT
B4 – HYPOGEUM
D3 – CIST
D7 – BARROW
D8 – MINGQI
E7 – FOSSOR
F1 – STONESHIP
G5 – POTTER’S FIELD
H4 – SIX FEET UNDER
H12 – KNOWN UNTO GOD
I4 – KV
I5 – SHINGO
J3 – LARA CROFT
J7 – MORTSAFE
J8 – JAR
J10 – TRANSI
M2 – KOFUN
M5 – PLEURANT