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.
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 14 answers.
*❄*❄*❄* Bonus Geofoxer *❄*❄*❄*
(Roman might not get round to crafting a foxer next week)
* * *
SOLUTIONS
Last week’s ‘33 Things Wot Are On Tim’s Desk At The Moment’ missing vowels foxer
1. GR GVPN NY – george v penny (Nutfield, ylla, Colonel_K, Phlebas)
2. TWN SDRS TRPPLS TRS – two unused airstrip plasters (Colonel_K, Nutfield)
3. BR TNSDT LSRCN – britains deetail saracen (Nutfield)
4. P H TFB RS TLL GBS – photo of a Bristol L5G bus (Nutfield, Colonel_K)
5. STLB STSDN GL – steel beasts dongle (Nutfield)
6. BN CT HRHNB YCHR LSWHT NG – bounce the rhine by charles whiting (Colonel_K, ylla)
7. TCKRM VR – tick remover (Colonel_K, Nutfield)
8. R LPR THHL LGNT – ral partha hill giant (Nutfield)
9. NV RST YFK NTSC HLFH ST RYPN – university of kent school of history pen (ylla)
10. Z XMPP LYR – zooaoxo mp3 player ()
11. PCPLSSP RDSC – pcplus superdisc (Colonel_K)
12. F RG RNPS HPNS – four green push pins (Nutfield)
13. CHR STM SCRDFR MRTH – christmas card from ruth (ylla)
14. N VLPCNT NNGF FT YT WSDLLRS – envelope containing fifty two us dollars (Nutfield)
15. PHL LPSSCR WDR VRWTHMGN TCTP – phillips screwdriver with magnetic tip (Nutfield)
16. JYFT HR -jay feather (ylla, Colonel_K)
17. FRDFFT YCL BRBL LT – fired fifty calibre bullet (Colonel_K)
18. H STRC LTNKST PTRMPS – historical tanks top trumps (Nutfield)
19. NT WSTCRDR DR – natwest card reader (ylla)
20. PSTC RDF RMTR MNNS CLY – postcard from taormina in sicily (Nutfield)
21. B GFC NT RSF RNBN DNDBR DG MPRJ CT – bag of counters for an abandoned board game project (Nutfield, Colonel_K)
22. SMNW RPTSHR D – samian ware potsherd (Colonel_K)
23. STR PLSSPRMWR STWTCH – strapless prim wristwatch (Colonel_K)
24. CNCLL DPSSPRT – cancelled passport (Colonel_K)
25. F RTCKC RMBS – fruit cake crumbs (Nutfield)
26. WDNC LT HSPG – wooden clothes peg (Nutfield)
27. FLT YG GBYTMS – faulty gigabyte mouse (Colonel_K)
28. D STYCLGR PHYST – dusty caligraphy set (Nutfield)
29. LDD TNFC LS SCMLT RYV HCLM GZN – old edition of classic military vehicle magazine (Colonel_K)
30. FX RMG – foxer mug (Nutfield)
31. STDTL RT RDT NPNC LNN DFSH RPNNG – staedler tradition pencil in need of sharpening (Colonel_K, ylla)
32. STRB LZ RNMB RTWH NDR DNDG HTPL N TFT HDD – starblazer number two hundred and eight planet of the dead (Phlebas)
33. BRT HDYCR DSHW NGBLP LLM NMRGN GF RMTW RTNTN NL – birthday card showing a blue pullman emerging from twerton tunnel (ylla, Nutfield, Colonel_K)
Season’s Greetings to Roman and Tim and fellow de-Foxer-ers.
Best Wishes for a productive 2024 to All.
Geofoxer H. is the concourse at Waterloo Station, London
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.5036139,-0.1136848,2a,90y,27.13h,101.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1slpIOWWjLsuB_g5lj5gTdcA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en&entry=ttu
There’s some FUDGE at h1…
F3: CANNONBALL
If you use B2 and C3 you can get LEECH in the corner…
John Leech did the illustrations for A Christmas Carol, apparently, so maybe my shot in the dark was right!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Leech_(caricaturist)
Geofoxer D. Hyde Street Pier, San Francisco
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.8078531,-122.4208049,3a,75y,20.75h,89.59t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s6sAOUA4plvjbcwNIRpA81g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en&entry=ttu
ETA: It’s the sternwheel from the Petaluma; not sure about the engine.
Steam DONKEY Engine
Geofoxer I: The Victor Emmanuel II National Monument (Italian: Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II), also known as the Vittoriano or Altare della Patria (“Altar of the Fatherland”).
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8957594,12.4821221,3a,75y,138.87h,84.49t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sP9gFTduL5dOmcEOllc6lfA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu
aka. The Wedding Cake
E11. GHOST, maybe also SIGN
B7. SOUTH
Many con-somethings of the same letter.
Christmas Carol ghosts? I don’t see any Scrooges or Marleys, though
D9 NIGHTCAP
Geofoxer G: West Street in Covent Garden, London, facing the Ambassadors theatre. The theatre on the right is St Martin’s.
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.5127083,-0.1277637,3a,57.5y,338h,111.07t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s7fAMRz5Hfu5hDjCb9ogqCw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
The hostelry on the left is named the IVY
Geofoxer J. The OLD FAITHFUL INN, Yellowstone Park by the geyser
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.4598311,-110.8311959,3a,75y,87.71h,117.03t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPlM9cwOx6vOWYNvRehfi4TXWlw6TmbwXxsoAU4!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPlM9cwOx6vOWYNvRehfi4TXWlw6TmbwXxsoAU4%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi0-ya338.6581-ro-0-fo100!7i8704!8i4352?hl=en&entry=ttu
(not the perfectly correct photo but close enough)
I believe following the stairs all the way up leads to the Crows’ Nest.
Geofoxer A: Kings Island Oaklahoma.
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.3446235,-84.2682805,3a,75y,167.34h,97.24t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sa-jZHme5cr8MP2kOA28TJg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu
I reckon some of the Geofoxer answers point to Christmas Carols:-
A. We three KINGS
D. Little DONKEY
G. The Holly and THE IVY
J. O come all ye FAITHFUL
H. Waterloo and i. Victor Emanuel/Wedding Cake are minor problems
Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel?
There’s another carol that mentions Emmanuel, not currently springing to mind…
That’d be it.
I guess I just find the concept of a spirit-soaked Christmas Cake more meaningful.
The blued out square in Waterloo is covering the word ‘Gentlemen’, presumably to be merry and rested 😀
H1. Albert FINNEY – played Scrooge in one film adaptation
I have only now realised that the two themes are the same 😀
J10 KNOCK?
KNOCKER – Scrooge has a vision of Marley (might be his first)
A6 COUNTING HOUSE
J3. Sentiment with which Colonel K concurs: BAH HUMBUG !
Starting at K4, leaving the B at J3 for BLOT OF MUSTARD
Ah well, I had a LOT OF RUM.
L7. NORFOLK BIFFIN (variety of apple) back at ya.
E seems to be St Wenceslas Cathedral, although I haven’t found a picture with the other buildings yet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Wenceslas_Cathedral#/media/File:Olomouc_Katedrala_Sv._Vaclava.jpg
Hereabouts in April 2014
https://www.google.com/maps/@49.5975416,17.2612029,3a,75y,45.75h,103.54t/data=!3m5!1e1!3m3!1sdom-0d5b7XCNutXuxlzn0w!2e0!5s20140401T000000?hl=en&entry=ttu
It is a cannonball, but it’s C5. SPECKLED, referring to the Christmas Pudding.
J9 BELLE
Geofoxer C. Abercromby Square, Liverpool
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.4032798,-2.9657989,3a,75y,185.52h,81.06t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sT3ZJJM0Eo4fMqahR-AthiA!2e0!5s20210401T000000!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en&entry=ttu
Statue of NOEL Godfrey Chavasse, twice awarded the VC – The First Noel
G9 SURPLUS POPULATION
That took a bit of untangling.
And two Scrooges to finish, CAINE at H9 and SIM at G11
Geofoxer F. is the USS Midway
https://www.google.com/maps/@32.7138061,-117.1740635,3a,65y,256.58h,83.73t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sFISiqrixTiXBzPfCgVLdcw!2e0!5s20120501T000000!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en&entry=ttu
Needless effort tracking it down since I suspect the answer is ‘DECK the Halls with Boughs of Holly’.
Geofoxer K. ‘This is the Place Heritage Park’ for Mormon settlers, Utah
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7527864,-111.8163807,3a,90y,342.58h,89.06t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPLrRy5jjNHQ6T1pPUMIR2QeG1PtfU19fJhx9YE!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPLrRy5jjNHQ6T1pPUMIR2QeG1PtfU19fJhx9YE%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi0-ya320.64734-ro-0-fo100!7i9050!8i4525?hl=en&entry=ttu
Pioneers HARK Lay Wales and his brother Oscar Smith – Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
(It’s as though a certain squiffy someone is feeding rum truffles to the server).
Let Roman enjoy his Linecké sušenky in peace, tell me what comes next:
https://imgur.com/a/vvcDYvn
Thanks! Roman reckons a photo of a Cornish detective comes next.
That doesn’t work !
(At least not in a way I can see).
It’s not the answer I took from my source, but a case could be made for a couple of forenames though they would be very uncommon.
(It wasn’t my intention, but the colour of the first image is a clue to solving that single element).
So Roman is barking up the wrong tree with ‘consecutive feast days in late December’? (stephen = 26, john = 27, holy innocents = 28, becket = 29, wycliffe = 30)
Wikipedia and other sources have John Wycliffe being commemorated by Anglicans today, December 31st ! *
Colonel K kisses his knuckles and biceps before pumping his arms in the air for an adoring crowd.
*Apart from America where it seems to be October 30th.
PS. A Happy New Year to Roman, Tim and everyone else who has bothered a Foxer over the past 12 months.
And please tell Roman not to worry; I’m sure he’ll do better during the next circum-whatsit of the sun.
(Whoop!)
Roman is suitably vermilion-visaged. Hopefully, this isn’t a sign my long-in-the-tooth Chief Foxer Setter is losing his faculties/marbles!
OK. So I’ve done a bit more reading, and Wycliffe is commemorated by the Anglican Church of Canada on December 30th {Oh Canada, you special little place /s}.
Therefore, Roman can reclaim _some_ impugned honour.
ETA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSTN3mHEAOA