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 ‘33 Things Wot You Might Find In Or Close To A Fire or Flame’ (‘things’ is used in its broadest possible sense). Entries have been stripped of vowels and, where possible, have had any inter-word spaces repositioned*. For example, if ‘birthday cake’ was present it might appear as BRT HDYCK. Poker would be PKR.
* Apostrophes are ignored and hyphens are treated as spaces
In an attempt to ensure as many people as possible get a chance to participate, Roman requests individual defoxers offer no more than six answers on Day 1. (After 24 hours have elapsed, fill your boots!). If your initial six answers are correct and consecutive, give yourself a pat on the back.
1. MP
2. WXVS T
3. TWTH RDSFCN STN TNPL
4. D LGGN
5. GDFW KSFFG Y
6. NGRD SR SMT RT
7. TH RFR TYTHR
8. TL LYHRL L NGPPR
9. HPHSTS
10. THBT TRSCLD RN
11. T HRHN DRDFXS
12. J NHS
13. STR RPPMP
14. CHRCLT H
15. MSSHV SHM
16. HTS HTCRW
17. RSNST
18. CHBK
19. MLVSMG RNS
20. HWMR S
21. TH MSFR RNRSBKRY
22. SL MNRS HD STHSTN CVRSS
23. SH
24. CPTNBT TY
25. NRTM D
26. MRSHMLLW
27. BSN
28. MG RSDT ZMN
29. PTBLL WS
30. BR THMSN
31. LVNSLRGG LLRYF LMP RJ CTR
32. BF FLCHP
33. MXTRFH NT TNDHY DRMG NST
* * *
SOLUTIONS
a1. wooden tserkvas of the carpathian region (Zwack23)
a2. working class (Colonel_K, copperbottom)
a3. withdrawal of joe biden from the 2024 US presidential election (Aergistal)
a4. wiper (a_monk)
a5. wham paymaster robbery (Colonel_K)
b1. war of the currents (copperbottom)
b2. walmer castle (Phlebas)
b3. watchkeeping (Colonel_K)
b4. water caltrop (Froggster)
b5. western wall (Colonel_K)
c1. wild atlantic way (Zwack23, copperbottom)
c2. wanda gág (Phlebas)
c3. whale fall (Aergistal)
c4. wallachia (Zwack23, Aergistal)
c5. wand (Colonel_K)
d1. walkers (Phlebas)
d2. white elephant (a_monk)
d3. watermelon (Phlebas) or wife
d4. white-headed marmoset (Zwack23)
d5. worshipful society of apothecaries (Colonel_K)
e1. witch hunt (Phlebas)
e2. wespe (Aergistal)
e3. weaving (Aergistal)
e4. waste-to-energy (Phlebas)
e5. wuchang uprising (Colonel_K)
24 – CAPTAIN BEATTY, from Fahrenheit 451.
5. GUIDO FAWKES EFFIGY
7. THREE FORTY THREE – NY Fire Dept fireboat
ETA: 8. TALLY-HO ROLLING PAPER
9. HEPHAESTUS – Greek god of the forge
10. THE BATTERSEA CAULDRON – among the largest metal objects of its day, capacity approx. 70 litres
(I regret trying to start at 5. now)
Guess I have to play it cynical
16. HOTSHOT CREW – wildland fire management team
11 THREE HUNDRED FOXES
15 MISS HAVISHAM
13 STIRRUP PUMP
33 MIXTURE OF HUNTITE AND HYDROMAGNESITE
31. Livens Large Gallery Flame Projector
29. POT BELLOWS
26 MARSHMALLOW
30. BERTHA MASON (Jane Eyre)
Giving up 6 in a row 🙂
4. DELUGE GUN
3. TWO THIRDS OF CONSTANTINOPLE
17. ARSONIST
20. HUW MORUS?
21. THOMAS FARRINER’S BAKERY
22. SALMAN RUSHDIE’S THE SATANIC VERSES
(Still stumped by bloody 6.)
12. JAN HUS – reformist martyr
32. BUFFALO CHIP – dried dung used as fuel
2 WAX VESTA
14 CHAR CLOTH
23 ASH