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 the English County of Hampshire’ (‘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 ‘birthplace of the Spitfire’ was present it might appear as BR THPLCFT HSP TFR. Aldershot would be LDRSHT.
* 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. PMPY
2. CHL KSTRM
3. P PPPGWR LD
4. VRWL LP
5. SHNWR N
6. RM YRCR PSP CH
7. WTRC RSSBD
8. BNKNTP PR
9. SCLX TRCFCTRY
10. VN TBLGRM
11. THWR LDSF RSTRM RPLT DRNH LL DWRS HP
12. RFSS TN
13. C MMNFM ST
14. CSS NDRSTN
15. NTLPGRN D
16. THC PPRBCH S
17. DW NTNB BYFNS
18. RB BTCL LDCWS LP
19. P LSTNNDG YPT
20. THW R TRFT RBLW THLC HN
21. THLS TRM NN GSN DRSRN TCLF R
22. THCT YMS TF FCT DBYT HTT NCDS STR
23. CR PCRCL
24. PNYDRF T
25. DN GSTRB
26. VRG NCRWN
27. RCRF TMNSHW
28. LC RCFWNC HSTR
29. GLSS HYSDV LSQRS
30. T HLRG STPM P KNNT HWRLD
31. T HLR GSTLR FNR YNT HN TDKN GDM
32. MM R LBN CHTWL LHYMRM RRT TNDGR HMM FFT T
33. BR DCSTB YVR LLNRP RSN TT VFTHSH TRGLC TCCM MND
* * *
SOLUTIONS
1914 (defoxed by Colonel_K)
a1. angel of mons (Phlebas)
a2. komagata maru incident (Colonel_K)
a3. animals in a landscape by franz marc (Phlebas)
a4. passenger pigeon (Colonel_K)
a5. howth gun running (Phlebas)
20th century italian novelists (defoxed by Phlebas)
b1. levi (Phlebas)
b2. calvino (Phlebas)
c1. pavese (Nutfield, Phlebas)
d1. eco (Phlebas)
d2. moravia (Colonel_K)
origins of the ordnance survey (defoxed by Colonel_K)
b3. greta theodolite komagata maru incident
c2. 32-pounder cannon (Phlebas)
c3. european garden spider (Colonel_K)
c4. roy (Phlebas)
d3. os benchmark (Colonel_K)
palaces
b4. gin (Colonel_K)
b5. doge’s (Phlebas)
c5. caesar’s (Aergistal)
d4. crystal (Phlebas)
d5. winter (Phlebas)
last words in the titles of john ford movies (defoxed by Phlebas)
e1. valance (Colonel_K)
e2. mohawk (Colonel_K)
e3. wrath (Colonel_K)
e4. winkie (Colonel_K)
e5. autumn (Colonel_K)
1. Pompey
2. Chalk stream
3. Pepper Pig World
8. Bank note paper
9. Scalextric factory
30. The largest pumpkin in the world
22 – THE COUNTY MOST AFFECTED BY THE TITANIC DISASTER
23 – CROP CIRCLE
24 – PONY DRIFT
26 – VIRGIN CROWN
16 – THE COPPER BEECHES (Always has to be a Holmes reference 🙂 )
31 – THE LARGEST OIL REFINERY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
And that’s me done for the day.
Re: 22.
No ‘N’ so I think it’s CITY most affected… (Southampton presumably)
10 – VENTA BELGARUM
11 – THE WORLD’S FIRST ARMOUR PLATED IRON HULLED WARSHIP.
HMS Warrior, in case you wondered.
19 – PALESTINE AND EGYPT
33. BROADCAST BY VRILLON, A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ASHTAR GALACTIC COMMAND
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Television_broadcast_interruption
21. THE LAST REMAINING SAUNDERS-ROE NAUTICAL FOUR = hovercraft SR.N4
12. RUFUS STONE (presumably no relation)
13. COMMON OF MAST
14. CASSANDRA AUSTEN
15. ANTELOPE GROUND
17. DOWNTON ABBEY FANS
18. A RABBIT CALLED COWSLIP
Connected answers:
4. OVER WALLOP – by Middle Wallop Flying Station
6. ARMY AIR CORPS APACHE – solving the Apache part was surprisingly hard going
27. AIRCRAFTMAN [T. E.] SHAW – pseudonym used by T. E. Lawrence
He originally snuck into the RAF as John Hume Ross on August 28, 1922, but was outed by the Daily Express after Christmas. The next spring he joined the Royal Tank Corps as T.E. Shaw. He transferred to the RAF in 1925 with the intervention of George Bernard Shaw, John Buchan and prime minister Stanley Baldwin!
It was seemingly the earlier period as Ross that provided material for The Mint
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mint_(book)
He was in British India/North-west Frontier until rumours started that he was spying/plotting against the Soviets, so he was returned to England in 1929. Forbidden from flying (he broke his wrist at RAF Cranwell in 1926), he looked after seaplanes and seagoing tenders on the South Coast and North Sea.
20. THE WRITER OF “TROUBLE WITH LICHEN” (John Wyndham)
28. LICORICIA OF WINCHESTER
32. MEMORIAL BENCH TO WILL HAY, MOORE MARRIOTT AND GRAHAM MOFFATT
7. WATERCRESS BED ? – fed by 2. Chalk stream
“New Alresford in Hampshire is considered to be the nation’s watercress capital, and its railway, the Watercress Line, was named after this cargo.”
Remaining (e&oe):
5. SHNWR
25. DN GSTRB – doesn’t half look like Dingus tribe, but I suspect it’s genus + species
29. GLSS HYSDV LSQRS
29. GLASSHAYES DEVIL SQUARES – more spooky than chocolatey I’m afraid
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasshayes
New Forest Country House turned Grand Hotel.
Remaining (e&oe):
5. SHNWR N – recovered the missing N
25. DN GSTRB
5. SHANE WARNE