Every Friday, 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. All are welcome to participate.
Below is a list of ‘24 words and phrases plucked from a book my vacationing Chief Foxer Setter is reading at present’ (The book in question is a training manual published by the War Office in the late Twenties). Entries have been stripped of vowels and have had any inter-word spaces repositioned*. For example, if Centurion’s Copse was present it might appear as CNT RNSCPS. Map would be MP.
* Apostrophes are ignored and hyphens are treated as spaces
1. PRFP RS MS
2. VDFNC YWR TNG
3. B RDSHLLS
4. NC HSFMRC RY
5. LB BRLN
6. KN DHRBLCK LDPNCL
7. MCD MZDRDS
8. TRNCHMRT RS
9. HCHRS
10. V NFPP LRTR S
11. LNS TCLQDCM PSS
12. BSLT SMP LCTYSSS NT LNM LT RYPN RM
13. BRMTRC
14. MSCFR M
15. PCKTSTR SCP
16. DRNLVR TN
17. ND CTVFSLP RS
18. SQRMBT TL DTWR
19. PRF CTLYS MTHSRFC
20. BDN MBRN GFCNT RS
21. THCH S SMNRFR SHRTND
22. NDNCLN MTR
23. CNSD RTHM NWTRC RS
24. THSC LLDN NJ CKM T HD
* * *
SOLUTIONS
Last week’s hive foxer theme: nicknames of British PMs (defoxed by Colonel_K)
bambi (Nutfield)
bojo the clown (Colonel_K, Nutfield)
coroner (Nutfield)
gom Nutfield
incredible sulk (Zwack23)
iron lady (Nutfield, Colonel_K)
little p (Nutfield)
orange peel (Nutfield)
royal oak (Colonel_K)
sir bluestring (Nutfield, Colonel_K)
squiffy (Nutfield)
sunny jim (Zwack23)
supermac (Phlebas)
welsh wizard (Nutfield)
winnie (Nutfield)
8. TRENCH MORTARS
18. SQUARE EMBATTLED TOWER
19. PERFECTLY SMOOTH SURFACE
13. BAROMETRIC?
22. INDIAN CLINOMETER
https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co53175/india-pattern-clinometer-british-1924-clinometer
6. KANDAHAR BLACK LEAD PENCIL
10. AVENUE OF POPLAR TREES
17. INDICATIVE OF SLEEPERS?
21. THE CHESSMEN ARE FORESHORTENED
which suggests that Roman’s reading matter is “Air Photography
Part 1. Organization and Training” (1929)
https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Air_Photography/3Z8QAQAAMAAJ
15. POCKET STEREOSCOPE
11. LENSATIC LIQUID COMPASS
02. AVOID FANCY WRITING
04. INCHES OF MERCURY
2. AVOID FANCY WRITING
4. INCHES OF MERCURY
eta – snap!
Actually I think the book is Manual of Map Reading, Photo Reading, and Field Sketching, which seems to use some of the same material as the Air Photography one. https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Manual_of_Map_Reading_Photo_Reading_and/ZOG4AAAAIAAJ
3. BURIED SHELLS
12. ABSOLUTE SIMPLICITY IS ESSENTIAL IN A MILITARY PANORAMA
24. THE SO-CALLED UNION JACK METHOD
20. BAD NUMBERING OF COUNTERS?
23. CONSIDER THE MAIN WATER COURSE
CONTOURS!
7. MACADAMIZED ROADS
7. MACADAMIZED ROADS
1. PAIR OF PRISMS
5. LUBBER LINE
14. MOSAIC FORM
9. HACHURES
16. DIURNAL VARIATION
I think we’re done!
Since the answer to last weeks’ Foxer is missing parenthesis, is Nutfield officially a Grand Old Man now?
I reckon everyone in this comments section qualifies as a THC GOM (Or GOW if that’s more apt). According to Roman’s personnel files, many of you have been defoxing for over a decade!
Well, ironically, i had a 3 day 50th birthday party at my house at the weekend, so i’d say yes, i am.
(Hence why I missed this Foxer. I did end up running a 6 round quiz with a sort of Foxer and a snake answer round included.)
(Also, being an old man, i have failed to reply to the correct thread)