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 Netherlands’ (‘things’ is used in its broadest possible sense). Entries have been stripped of vowels and numbers and have had any inter-word spaces repositioned*. For example, if Anne Frank was present she might appear as NNFR NK. Polder would be PLDR.
* Apostrophes are ignored and hyphens are treated as spaces
1. BR RLRGN
2. DMNTBWRKR
3. ZRKLSTMPT
4. WM NRD NGLT TR
5. KRPLP
6. BSTVR
7. DFDF FDL
8. W GHHS
9. THWR LDSLD STDSTL LDSP RTSCM PNY
10. BLMNCRS
11. GH DGL S
12. KBTR
13. FSLTDJK
14. T HVNG GH
15. DT CHMNT NTRL
16. JHNF RSTBRG
17. BRG NSSPKR
18. WB BCKLS
19. KNNGSDG
20. SJL BKPCK
21. B BLBLT
22. FR STH DFST TSS SSNTDB YH NDGN
23. NTR
24. HLLBRNR
25. WLTNFJ NRDPNT SRWGN
26. PR NCS PNHD
27. PCPL C
28. THFR STTL SCP
29. GZNM DL
30. TMT MSHDQRTRS
31. MSSRSS KLL
32. DRSRP HGN
33. T HWR LDSB GGS TCL GCR VDF RMSN GLP CFW D
* * *
SOLUTIONS
last week’s cluster foxer:
abdications (defoxed by ylla)
a1. pedro i of brazil (Colonel_K)
b1. duke and duchess of windsor (Colonel_K)
c1. queen christina of sweden (Zwack23)
d1. queen margrethe ii of denmark (Electric Dragon)
a2. kaiser bill (ylla, Colonel_K)
nicknames of top 5 snooker players (defoxed by Colonel_K)
e1. jester (unacom)
b2. belgian bullet (unacom)
c2. ace
d2. rocket (Colonel_K)
e2. pistol
carnivorous plants (defoxed by ylla)
a3. sundew (Electric Dragon)
a4. triffid (Electric Dragon)
a5. cobra lily (Colonel_K, ylla)
b5. albany pitcher plant (Zwack23, Viscount)
c5. venus fly trap (Electric Dragon)
lunar landers (defoxed by Aergistal)
b3. slim (Aergistal, Colonel_K)
b4. yutu (Aergistal)
c4. luna (Aergistal)
d4. surveyor (Colonel_K)
d5. vikram (Colonel_K)
red books (defoxed by Colonel_K)
c3. chivalry & sorcery (Colonel_K)
d3. carl jung’s red book (Colonel_K)
e3. eamonn andrews (Colonel_K)
e4. mao’s little red book
e5. little red schoolbook (Colonel_K)
22. FIRST HEAD OF STATE ASSASSINATED BY HANDGUN
(William the Silent, 1584 – I think we had the bullet-hole some Foxers back)
I thought that the first happened in Scotland, but wikipedia appears to believe that regents don’t count.
http://sommervillehistory.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-first-assassination-with-firearm.html
33. THE WORLD’S BIGGEST CLOG CARVED FROM A SINGLE PIECE OF WOOD
14. THEO VAN GOGH
28. THE FIRST TELESCOPE
21. BIBLE BELT
“The Bible Belt of the Netherlands (Dutch: Bijbelgordel) stretches from Zeeland, through the West-Betuwe and Veluwe, to the northern parts of the province Overijssel. In this region, orthodox Calvinists prevail.”
8. WEIGH HOUSE
24. HELLBURNER
30. TAM-TAMS HEADQUARTERS ?
ETA: NO, The Tam Tam I found is a defunct digital creative company in Amsterdam, so probably not that. Still confident on Headquarters, though.
9. THE WORLDS LARGEST DISTILLED SPIRITS COMPANY
I think OLDEST not LARGEST?
15. DUTCH MOUNTAIN TRAIL
11 – GO AHEAD EAGLES
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_Ahead_Eagles
10. BLOEMENCORSO
Colonel_K was close:
30 TOMTOM’S HEADQUARTERS (the GPS/mapping company)
25. WILTON-FIJENOORD PANTSERWAGEN
24 – HELLBURNER
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellburners
I was sure I’d checked the previous answers but it appears I did not do so very well!
4. WOMAN READING A LETTER by Vermeer
1. BARREL ORGAN
https://dutchreview.com/culture/history/dutch-barrel-organ-culture-in-the-netherlands/
13. AFSLUITDIJK – proposed middle row on Dutch keyboards
5. KRAPLAP – woman’s traditional (decorative) chest covering
31. MOSASAURUS SKULL – “lizard of the Meuse River” found near Maastricht
ETA: 27. PEACE PALACE – international law administrative building in The Hague housing the ICJ among others. I imagine it’s very busy right now.
3. ZUURKOOLSTAMPPOT
https://ohmydish.com/recipe/zuurkoolstamppot-dutch-sauerkraut-potato-mash
26. PRINCE SPIN HEAD
https://www.worldoftales.com/European_folktales/Dutch_folktale_5.html#gsc.tab=0
A couple of inklings:
2. could start DIAMANT… for the historic trade of Amsterdam
17. might end SPEAKER, but I couldn’t find a suitable dialect – not Brabantian; Burger-Zeeuws was the closest
2. DIAMANTBEWERKER – just means “diamond worker”
17. BARGOENS SPEAKER – underground slang rather than a dialect
16. JOHN FROSTBRUG
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Frost_Bridge
12. KABOUTER https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabouter
19. KONINGSDAG
7. DAF DAFFODIL
Remaining (e&oe):
6. BSTVR
18. WB BCKLS
20. SJL BKPCK
23. NTR
29. GZNM DL
32. DRSRP HGN
20. SJOELBAK PUCK
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_shuffleboard#Sjoelen
BESTUIVER is Dutch for a pollinator, which I’m sure they do have, but…
Three of the remaining ‘Dutch things’ are Dutchmen.
a) is that Yeay or Nay on 6. Bestuiver ?
b) are all the remaining consonants correct ?
I found a silent film from 1911 called Ontrouw, but that might be too obscure.
Strike one Dutchman:
32. DRIES RIPHAGEN – gangster and Jew-hunter for the Nazis, escaped justice dying in Switzerland in 1973
Nay, I think – it could just as well be listed in English. It was just such a very Dutch-looking word!
Bas is a possible first name, but I can’t find one who fits.
Scratch another Dutchman:
18. WUBBO OCKELS – first Dutch citizen, and possibly the greatest ‘stache, in space
That’s got to be a candidate for the greatest name in space, too!
So I think we’re at:
6. BSTVR
23. NTR
29. GZNM DL
one of which is a man’s name.
My nose for Tim’s tricksie pronouncements suggests the third of the ‘Dutchmen’ is not a specific person by name.
Particularly as it’s
29. GEUZEN MEDAL
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geuzen
Oh, and added to the bucket list: Pisang Ambon – a bright green liqueur, principally banana, with added Dutch East Indies spices
V DN CFTHL NGW KN DNFW HCHRM NH SNR CL L C TN?
Today,
I have been mostly looking at
Dutch naturism.