Friday Foxer #195

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, vertical, or diagonal line before anyone else to win ‘Connect 5’ bragging rights.

 

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SOLUTIONS

Last week’s wikifoxer:

1. ambazonia (Aergistal, a_monk)
2. avia S-199 (a_monk)
3. avocado (a_monk)
4. aldabra giant tortoise (a_monk)
5. axiom space (a_monk)
6. atmospheric railway (a_monk)
7. anubis/afterlife/ancient egyptian religion/ammit (Aergistal, a_monk)
8. annette kellerman (aergistal)
9. archer artillery system (a_monk)
10. artwork damaged or destroyed in the september 11 attacks (Colonel_K, a_monk)
11. asteroid mining (Phlebas, a_monk)
12. akonting (Colonel_K, a_monk)
13. action man (Aergistal)
14. abyssinian cat (a_monk, Phlebas)
15. alms (Colonel_K)
16. ammunition boot (Froggster)
17. alan partridge (Phlebas)
18. adze (Colonel_K)
19. ampoule (Aergistal)
20. asymmetric warfare (a_monk)
21. arctic roll (Phlebas, a_monk)
22. aegean art (Colonel_K, a_monk)
23. agrivoltaics (a_monk, Colonel_K)
24. american museum of natural history/achelosaurus (Phlebas, a_monk)
25. autopsy of john f. kennedy (Aergistal, a_monk)

40 Comments

  18. I worked out a connection…

    Caribbean Premier League Teams:

    D5 – Trinbago KNIGHT RIDERS
    E2 – St Kitts & Nevis PATRIOTS
    E3 – Guyana Amazon WARRIORS or/and Saint Lucia KINGS
    E5 – Barbados ROYALS (Reading)

    Leaving E4 as FALCONS

  19. Maybe 1904 St Louis World Fair had:

    A4 – OTA BENGA
    A5 – Statue of VULCAN
    B5 – There was a Anglo-Boer War Concession with re-enacted battles from the Boer war of which the Battle of Ladysmith was part of?

    • which is written in the style of an orally recounted tale, like A1. Arabian Nights
      narrated by protagonist B2. Saleem Sinai
      to his wife-to-be C2. Padma
      Also, criticises A2. Indira Gandhi’s declared Emergency when Saleem becomes a political prisoner

  25. SYNDROMES:
    B4. RAGE – rare seizure disorder in dogs characterized by explosive aggression
    C4. BOGART-BACALL – voice disorder caused by abuse or overuse of the vocal cords
    C5. GULF WAR
    D4. STOCKHOLM
    D3. MARIE ANTOINETTE – hair turning white overnight

    Assuming Midnight’s Children is as stated, it leaves an unknown group:
    B1. Painted Lady / (some region) / Cynthia / Vanessa
    C1. B52D Stratofortress / Reaper drone
    D1.
    D2. Death in the Afternoon / Ernest Hemingway
    E1. ‘Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge’ (1919) / El Lissitzky / Constructivism

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