Friday Foxer #240

This week’s handmade co-op puzzle won’t defox itself. If you’re a dab hand at quizzes, lateral thinking, and search engine sleuthing, why not help out.

The ‘cluster foxer’ is regarded by some as the most demanding form. Solving one involves identifying 25 pictures and five hidden themes. The enlargeable mosaic below consists of five interlocked picture clusters (some possible cluster arrangements are shown above) each with its own theme. Themes have nothing in common with each other. Don’t be surprised to find, for example, “Crocodiles”, “Tulip mania”, “Words beginning with “ter””, “1948” and “Fictional policemen” sharing a puzzle. A picture’s connection to a particular theme won’t always be literal. An image of the Brandenburg Gate is just as likely to be part of a “Bach” cluster as a “Berlin” one.

In an attempt to ensure as many people as possible get a chance to participate, Roman requests defoxers solve no more than five squares per person on Day 1, and guess no more than one cluster theme. (After 24 hours have elapsed, fill your boots!). Use your ration to complete an entire horizontal or vertical line before anyone else to win ‘Connect 5’ bragging rights.

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SOLUTIONS

Last week’s geofoxer theme: waterbirds (defoxed by captaincabinets)

a. bittern (Colonel_K)
b. coot (a_monk)
c. crane (Colonel_K)
d. goose (Colonel_K)
e. loon (Zwack23, a_monk)
f. flamingo (Hydrogene)
g. widgeon (Colonel_K, captaincabinets)
h. mallard (captaincabinets)
i. heron (captaincabinets, a_monk)
j. duck (Colonel_K)

40 Comments

  1. C1. Friend of the Foxer, Protected Cruiser Aurora
    https://www.google.com/maps/place/59%C2%B057'19.0%22N+30%C2%B020'17.0%22E/@59.9549713,30.3382749,3a,90y,280.08h,101.63t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sCIHM0ogKEICAgIC41eWvZA!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh3.googleusercontent.com%2Fgpms-cs-s%2FAB8u6HYiKh1mNN00opXV7N2PBBl-eSVv_K3OYmQEzg-dwdGn5zwZ0RpdIKTxLrmLFB8_fP4YFMuy4dizZ3mX9dWAK4D0eFVBO58r4JIDdfX_oj20tuAdVVx918DH25Otp1savKHvFRkj%3Dw900-h600-k-no-pi-11.625390846094547-ya353.08438109785783-ro0-fo100!7i8704!8i4352!4m4!3m3!8m2!3d59.955278!4d30.338056?hl=en&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDgwNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

  2. A couple of partials:

    B1. could be Kniphofia aka Red-Hot Poker, but I haven’t found ones with that background

    A2. is a coin from Knossos, Minoan Crete with a labyrinth on it

    • That section of the painting is also used on the KNUCKLEBONES page
      aka. scatter jacks, snobs, astragaloi, tali, dibs, fivestones, jacks, jackstones, or jinks, among many other names

  3. (Last Words in Titles of) James Ellroy Novels:
    D2. American TABLOID (1995)
    E2. The Black DAHLIA (1987) – first in the LA Quartet
    D3. White JAZZ (1992) – last of the LA Quartet

    E3. L.A. CONFIDENTIAL – third in the LA Quartet
    Confidential magazine, November 1962 edition with Jayne Mansfield on the cover

  4. B5. Wild Bill Bar, Main Street, Deadwood, South Dakota – formerly Saloon No. 10, where Will Bill was killed
    https://www.google.com/maps/place/Main+St,+Deadwood,+SD+57732,+USA/@44.3780857,-103.7290577,3a,58.7y,345.6h,95.8t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s6wQFoUpWaJ12IukoE0l42g!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-5.795065376335941%26panoid%3D6wQFoUpWaJ12IukoE0l42g%26yaw%3D345.59983034494314!7i16384!8i8192!4m6!3m5!1s0x5332a6a47413fca5:0x92752885b10096ce!8m2!3d44.3750395!4d-103.7321882!16s%2Fg%2F1tfw2pr4!5m1!1e1?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDgxMC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

    Given some of the residents of 10 Downing Street, it doesn’t disprove the Crooked hypothesis

  5. The last mystery group seems to run:

    C1. Protected Cruiser AURORA

    D1. Protesters against the Fascist Monument to Italo Balbo, Chicago

    B2. Challenger 2 tank / Combat ID panel

    C2. Stone Mountain Confederate Memorial

    then, most likely,
    B3. Barking Creek Barrier / Creekmouth

  6. Other mystery group:
    D4. Illegally demolished pub The Crooked House

    E4. ???

    C5. Corky Buchon / Al Fink / Burning Man 2011

    D5. ???

    E5. Punchbowl / National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
    – – – – – – –

    Re: E4.
    The closest I’ve got would be Double Freecell.
    There are more than 52 cards shown (and some appear twice), so it must be played with 2 decks, ie. Double.
    All the cards in the tableau (the cascade-y bit) are face up.

  7. To sum up:

    Starts with KN:
    A1. Pieter Bruegel’s Children’s Games – KNUCKLEBONES
    A2. Coin from KNOSSOS
    A3. KNEE Deep in Hexes
    A4. The red knot or just KNOT
    B1. KNIPHOFIA aka Red-Hot Poker

    CROOKED:
    A5. CROOKED House, Agatha Christie Novel
    B5. Wild Bill Bar, where Wild Bill was killed by “CROOKED Nose”.
    B4. Chesterfield F.C. crest. CROOKED spire on its church.
    C4. Lord Leven, Covenanter Lord General. Nursery rhyme “There Was a CROOKED Man”.
    C3. Table of Tales: The CROOKED Crown.

    Friendly-Fire Incidents:
    C1. Protected Cruiser AURORA – DOGGER BANK INCIDENT
    D1. Protesters against the Fascist Monument, Chicago – ITALO BALBO DEATH
    B2. Challenger 2 tank – COMBAT ID PANEL
    C2. Stone Mountain Confederate Memorial – STONEWALL JACKSON
    B3. Barking Creek Barrier / Creekmouth – BATTLE FOR BARKING CREEK

    Demolished Pub that must be rebuilt:
    D4. Illegally demolished pub The Crooked House / THE CROOKED HOUSE PUB
    E4. Blacksreds.com patience Carlton / CARLTON TAVERN
    C5. Corky Buchon / Cork Man / Burning Man 2011 / Carlton Inn aka THE CORKMAN IRISH PUB
    D5. Alchemist on ZX-Spectrum / THE ALCHEMIST
    E5. Punchbowl / National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific / THE PUNCH BOWL INN

    Last Words in Titles of James ELLROY Novels:
    D2. American TABLOID (1995)
    E2. The Black DAHLIA (1987)
    D3. White JAZZ (1992)
    E3. L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (1990)
    E1. Brown’s REQUIEM (1981)

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