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: dancing (defoxed by Phlebas)
a. foxtrot (Aergistal)
b. barn dance, swan lake, and anna pavlova (Mrs Nutfield, Phlebas)
c. dancing house aka fred and ginger (Colonel_K)
d. sword dance (Mrs Nutfield, Phlebas)
e. reel (Nutfield)
f. dance steps (Nutfield, Colonel_K)
g. tango (Phlebas)
h. degas (Nutfield, Aergistal)
i. borrowdale (Phlebas)
j. polka (Nutfield and Mrs Nutfield)
k. danse macabre (Colonel_K)
l. jig and mulberry branch dance (Aergistal)
E5. AUTUMN (1900 version) by Alphonse Mucha from set of The {Four} Seasons
C1 – AntiFascist sign on Bridge in Corvetto (I think), suburb of Milan. translates as Corvette, maybe types of ships or Chryslers.
D3. Ordnance Survey BENCHMARK
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benchmark_(surveying)
E1. BED SKIRT / Dust Ruffle (N. America) or VALANCE (Britain) ?
D2. MORAVIA – shown against current regions of the Czech Republic
B5 – Kabosu the Shiba Inu, aka DOGE
D4 – BIC Cristal Original pens, box of 150
D1 – ECO: a game of survival (Amiga)
B2 – CALVINO Noir
Maybe a cluster of Italian novelists with Eco and Moravia?
B1 – LEVI Eshkol on a 5000 shekel banknote.
Looks like we need C1 to be a modern Italian novelist.