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)