Roman came up with theme for the following vowel-free brainteaser while eating a bowl of venison bolognese in front of the Winter Olympics. One of these bits of background information is irrelevant, the other – as you’re about to discover – is not.
Below is a list of ‘33 Things Wot are Spherical or Almost Spherical’. Entries have been stripped of vowels and, where possible, have had any inter-word spaces repositioned*. For example, if Death Star was present it might appear as DT HSTR. Ballcock would be BLLCCK.
* 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. SL
2. RP
3. MLTSR
4. CCHNNT
5. SPBB BL
6. BDNGBL L
7. SPCH PPR
8. RB BTDRPPNG
9. VS TKDS CNTMDL
10. BL CKPR LFT HBR GS
11. SWN GSMS TMPRS SVTRSTTT RCTN
12. BHLDR
13. RBCLM
14. BK NGBN
15. NS DBLL
16. FRRRR CHR
17. GNNSWD GT
18. THR TNDRMDLL
19. FR TFT HL NDNP LN
20. LFT LDG CKG G
21. TRSTBS RVTNGN DL
22. STR GCNTN RFRV NYLCH LRD
23. FLC NRYBLL
24. PNLMN TL
25. BL SHBCN
26. CHN PSFLWR
27. VRLSTNGGBS TPPR
28. NHN DRDS D DDC
29. THFY LNGDLR DMS
30. THC LV RB TFB R
31. THBS NS SN DFMR NN GST R
32. THVN TRLTR RTFT HMM PHSB LL
33. THR S NBM BSS DNT HL CBM BNG
* * *
SOLUTIONS
Friday Foxer #261 theme: Toms, Tommies, and Thomases (defoxed by Phlebas and Colonel_K)
a. thomas telford, pontcysyllte (Colonel_K, Phlebas)
b. long tom, fort klapperkop (Phlebas)
c. tom tower, oxford (Phlebas)
d. tom tits experiment, södertälje (Phlebas)
e. tom mccall waterfront park, portland (Colonel_K, Phlebas)
f. tom mathias museum (Nutfield)
g. st.thomas cathedral, chennai (Phlebas)
h. tom thumb, baltimore (Colonel_K, Phlebas)
i. tommy, seaham (Colonel_K, Phlebas)
j. tottenham hale station aka TOM (Viscount)
k. tom mboya, nairobi (Phlebas, Colonel_K)
l. thomas hart benson, smithsonian (Nutfield)
18. THREATENED ARMADILLO
26. ECHINOPS FLOWER – globe thistle
27. EVERLASTING GOBSTOPPER
28. ONE-HUNDRED-SIDED DICE
29. THE FYLINGDALE RADOMES
Roman may have made a slight mistake. Isn’t it Fylindales, not Fylingdale?
I was going to comment originally that I was glad Roman took care of the consonants for that answer.
It should have a G and an S; it’s the S that’s missing – RAF FylinGdaleS
Yes, the lack of a G was me, doing a typo in a comment about someone else’s typo. Sod’s Law at work there.
3 – MALTESER
5 – SOAP BUBBLE
7 – SPACE HOPPER
8 – RABBIT DROPPING
23 – FALCONRY BELL
31 – THE BUSINESS END OF A MORNINGSTAR
32 – THE VENTRAL TURRET OF THE MEMPHIS BELLE
Another missing S
17. GUINNESs WIDGET – British Patent No 1266351, filed 27 January 1969
Quote: “Development work on a can system under Project ACORN (Advanced Cans Of Rich Nectar)…”
I’ve still got quite a bit of Guinness merchandise acquired with their ring-pulls: umbrella, duffel bag…
… the sweatshirt with darned elbows used for gardening is still somewhere. The wristwatch had a reasonably long life as well.
There’s also a table blow football set.
1. SLOE?
16. FERRERO ROCHER
1. SOL ? = the Sun
Couple of partials:
11. {SWN GS – one word} MOST IMPRESSIVE TOURIST ATTRACTION
33. {THR S N – two words} BOMBS USED IN THE {L C} BOMBING [7 spaces = 8 words]
Barnes Wallis’ prototype bouncing bombs, ie. Highball, were spherical, but that didn’t get used operationally.
11. SWANAGE’S ! – take that Grand Kugel of Richmond, Virginia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Globe
33. THE ORSINI BOMBS USED IN THE LICEU BOMBING
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orsini_bomb
15. ANISEED BALL – I did view Roman as dubious for eating Bolognese from a bowl, but he’s redeemed himself with that one
20. LEAF-TAILED GECKO EGG
12. BEHOLDER (as in “Eye of the Beholder”?)
19. FRUIT OF THE LONDON PLANE (tree)
22. STORAGE CONTAINER FOR VINYL CHLORIDE
9. VOSTOK DESCENT MODULE
10. BLACK PEARL OF THE BORGIAS
25. BELISHA BEACON.
13. ORBUCULUM (crystal ball)
Still chipping away…
24. PAIN ELEMENTAL (from Doom)
21. (Bathyscaphe) TRIESTE OBSERVATION GONDOLA
Remaining (e&oe):
2. RP – one of Roman’s pet answers
4. CCHNNT
6. BDNGBL L
14. BK NGBN – GBBO
30. THC LV RB TFB R – {actually six words}
Bonus mystery: the spherical objects Roman saw (presumably at the Winter Olympics) that prompted this Foxer.