Acrophilia #21 - Connections - Round 3

[Castellan]

3 hours ago, Jez Bell said:

Visitors.  I miss visitors.  Also, vegetables.

it is a bit of a shock when you have them. have become unused to it...

 

 

[Castellan]

oh dear. I haven't noticed any visual links. back I go

[Julia H.]

8 minutes ago, honeyed chicken said:

I've been meaning to ask you guys as a group what word games do you enjoy outside of this forum? My sis taught me a fast and furious game with Scrabble tiles. Forget the board, just put the tiles near the middle of the group. Any player - doesn't matter who turns the tiles over one a ta time and players shout out words and take them as soon as they see one. That player places the word in fron t of themselves, but anyone can take those letters to make a longer word. So "id" can become "did" can become "diddle" or "at" becomes "date" becomes "inundate" for example. When the tiles are all revealed, you add up the scores using the regular scrabble letter score on each tile (no triple word scores ).

On the radio, my wife and I have been in the habit for years of listening to NPR's  says you.   Some of their segments are pretty silly and make your eyes roll with the way they torture the language to come up with clues, but on the whole it is fun.

And of course, there's always Boticelli - a name game I've played enthusiastically for decades.

 

I like word games, and I love Scrabble, but I rarely get to play it nowadays.  A long time ago I also used to play word bridge with a certain group of friends. That is also a good game. 

What is the Boticelli game? 

 

 

[Julia H.]

20 minutes ago, Castellan said:

it is a bit of a shock when you have them. have become unused to it...

And that's about visitors, not vegetables, right? 

Sorry, I couldn't resist. But I think it will be kind of strange when we can again have visitors, go to places like theatres or concerts, travel, work from the workplace, not from home, socialize and do other normal things. I can hardly wait though... 

17 minutes ago, Castellan said:

oh dear. I haven't noticed any visual links. back I go

Well, well... They are all over the place.

[a free shadow]

6 hours ago, Castellan said:

Just when I have got the hang of it, I have goy visitors and haven't been able to do much.

it is going as planned 

[Julia H.]

One more thing to make the present round even easier:

You don't have to guess all the mini-themes at the same time, you can guess them separately, and I will give you separate answers. 

[Castellan]

1 hour ago, a free shadow said:

it is going as planned 

sometimes I feel someone is planning such things

 

[Jez Bell]

Mood:  

[honeyed chicken]

On 4/25/2020 at 8:10 AM, Julia H. said:

I like word games, and I love Scrabble, but I rarely get to play it nowadays.  A long time ago I also used to play word bridge with a certain group of friends. That is also a good game. 

What is the Boticelli game? 

 

 

Ah! I love explaining Boticelli. Great car/long trip game.

An "it" player is chosen and they pick the name of a well known character (it can be real or imaginary so long as it's someone all the other players know/should know). The only hint is the first letter of the last name. Then the other players get to ask yes/no questions  - BUT - they must earn them. To earn a yes/no question about the x character you must first stump the it player with a "trick" question. Usually the only trick is that the question involves an obscure factoid about the character, though sometimes a question can be phrased in a tricky, unclear way. The requires for the character in a trick question are, #1. same first letter of the last name; #2. well known, but not necessarily to all. For example, I know baseball & politics. My friend had studied photography and was also into modern American literature. So he'd hit me with authors and photographers and I'd strike back with baseball players and politicians. These were all famous people in their own fields, but not well known enough to be the main character. The distinction between what qualifies for the x character that the it player chooses and the character in a trick question throws some novice players. We've taught people the game and had them asking us trick questions that turned out to be about their neighbors.

Here's an example of how a game might go. You are the it player and choose Boris Johnson, UK PM.

You, "I have a J".

Me, "Are you a dead American president of the same name?"

You: "No, I'm not Lyndon Johnson". (if your character had, in fact, been LBJ, I would have won then and there and become the it player)

Me, "Rats!" (no yes/no question earned)

Me, "Are you a soldier who turned bandit."

You, "grumble, grumble. I give up, who."

Me, "Are you Jesse James?"

You, "No I am not. You get a trick question."

Me, "OK, are you a live, American, male in the arts*?

You, "NO!" (triumphant)

Me, "Double rats!!" ( I got greedy there and tried to cram too many questions into one. Safest to start very basic: "Are you real" is a good one.)

*we always broadened the definition of "arts" to include all visual arts plus literature and music  - basically everything from the Who to Warhol to Wharton to Winkler (who played da Fonz on TV). It can get iffy. For example, Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger were actors before becoming politicians.  A compassionate it player when asked the arts question about these two, or others that could give a misleading answer, will say, "Yes, but that's not what they're best known for." That's the compassionate response - but not required.

 

That was a much longer answer than what you were looking for, but  there it is.

 

[Julia H.]

19 minutes ago, honeyed chicken said:

Ah! I love explaining Boticelli. Great car/long trip game.

An "it" player is chosen and they pick the name of a well known character (it can be real or imaginary so long as it's someone all the other players know/should know). The only hint is the first letter of the last name. Then the other players get to ask yes/no questions  - BUT - they must earn them. To earn a yes/no question about the x character you must first stump the it player with a "trick" question. Usually the only trick is that the question involves an obscure factoid about the character, though sometimes a question can be phrased in a tricky, unclear way. The requires for the character in a trick question are, #1. same first letter of the last name; #2. well known, but not necessarily to all. For example, I know baseball & politics. My friend had studied photography and was also into modern American literature. So he'd hit me with authors and photographers and I'd strike back with baseball players and politicians. These were all famous people in their own fields, but not well known enough to be the main character. The distinction between what qualifies for the x character that the it player chooses and the character in a trick question throws some novice players. We've taught people the game and had them asking us trick questions that turned out to be about their neighbors.

Here's an example of how a game might go. You are the it player and choose Boris Johnson, UK PM.

You, "I have a J".

Me, "Are you a dead American president of the same name?"

You: "No, I'm not Lyndon Johnson". (if your character had, in fact, been LBJ, I would have won then and there and become the it player)

Me, "Rats!" (no yes/no question earned)

Me, "Are you a soldier who turned bandit."

You, "grumble, grumble. I give up, who."

Me, "Are you Jesse James?"

You, "No I am not. You get a trick question."

Me, "OK, are you a live, American, male in the arts*?

You, "NO!" (triumphant)

Me, "Double rats!!" ( I got greedy there and tried to cram too many questions into one. Safest to start very basic: "Are you real" is a good one.)

*we always broadened the definition of "arts" to include all visual arts plus literature and music  - basically everything from the Who to Warhol to Wharton to Winkler (who played da Fonz on TV). It can get iffy. For example, Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger were actors before becoming politicians.  A compassionate it player when asked the arts question about these two, or others that could give a misleading answer, will say, "Yes, but that's not what they're best known for." That's the compassionate response - but not required.

 

That was a much longer answer than what you were looking for, but  there it is.

 

Thank you, and no, not longer at all. I've realized that I know this game, but we call it "Mr X". Everything else is the same. It's a great game, and it could actually be played with ASOIAF characters on this forum, I think.   

[honeyed chicken]

47 minutes ago, Julia H. said:

Thank you, and no, not longer at all. I've realized that I know this game, but we call it "Mr X". Everything else is the same. It's a great game, and it could actually be played with ASOIAF characters on this forum, I think.   

It could, and I've tried to start games of it here on at least one occasion. It didn't go far.

 

[Julia H.]

On 4/26/2020 at 8:05 PM, honeyed chicken said:

It could, and I've tried to start games of it here on at least one occasion. It didn't go far.

 

 Another time it could still be more successful.

 

[Julia H.]

You have about an hour till the deadline. If you want to make or modify guesses,then  please, do it as soon as possible - via new messages to me. 

[Julia H.]

ROUND 2 ANSWERS

Group 1

1. Graceful, orgasmic deceiver eventually attacked Queen's victor! Oberyn Martell

Description and reference to his last fight.

2. Oft second-hand. Eddard Stark

Second son, who inherited bride and title, Robert’ s second hand…

3. Good overseas deed earns at-home (quarantinable!!!!) virus. Jon Connington

Reference to how he became infected.

Mini-theme 1: Men who danced with Ashara Dayne in Harrenhal.

Group 2

4. Guarded overlord dutifully. Enthusiastically admired quirky visual. Dacey Mormont

This clue is not eligible for votes.

She was one of Robb Stark’s battle guard.

"There's a carving on our gate," said Dacey. "A woman in a bearskin, with a child in one arm suckling at her breast. In the other hand she holds a battleaxe. She's no proper lady, that one, but I always loved her."

(My hints to this clue included various quirky visuals, such as a carved bear as a welcome sign, the image of a viking berserker in bearskin, wielding a battleaxe, and images of breastfeeding women.) 

5. Weighed as heft lent advantage.  Fat Walda

Her dowry was her weight in silver.

6. Wept. Astucious house's lure, activated.   Roslin Frey

She wept during her wedding, where she was used to lure Robb and his army into a trap.

Mini-theme 2: Women who danced with Robb Stark during the Red Wedding.

Group 3

7. Oathkeeper. Standard-holder. Brienne of Tarth

She takes her oaths very seriously. (Also happens to have a sword of that name.) She was Renly’s standard-bearer. She also upholds the standards of true knightly morals.

8. Glimpsed on diverging exits, apparition quickly vanished.  Renly Baratheon

At the Crossroads, Brienne thinks she glimpses the dead Renly. The apparition quickly vanishes. (Gendry remains.)

Mini-theme 3: Characters who danced together.

Group 4:

9. Grieving old dad eliminated - arachnid's quarrel victimized.  Kevan Lannister

He had plenty of reason to grieve. Reference to how he died.

10. Offering "shade", heroically! Ser Garlan Tyrell

He impersonated “Renly’s shade” in battle.

11. Good old death: Elaborate asphyxiation. Quite violent.  Joffrey Baratheon

Reference to how he was poisoned with the strangler as a result of an elaborate plot.

Mini-theme 4: Men who danced with Sansa Stark at Sansa’s wedding.

Theme: Dancing / dancers / a dance of ice and fire / dance with me … and so on.

Also: “A Dance with the Hungarian Folk Dancers” – if you have found my hidden hint, which is in my signature, you know that it is a link to a video showing various people dancing in different parts of the world, each dancing the same Hungarian folk dance, at home. (The video is dedicated to healthcare professionals and other frontline workers, who work for us during the pandemic.)

Dancing is one of GRRM’s big themes, but he usually means a different kind of dance.

Please, vote for you favourite clue as soon as possible, and send me your new clue if you haven’t already done so.

 

[rocksniffer]

 

[honeyed chicken]

Well done, Julia!

I like all the themes and mini themes. It all makes sense now.

[Eternally_Theirs]

So when will the next round start?

[Julia H.]

13 minutes ago, Eternally_His said:

So when will the next round start?

Soon. But it takes some time to count your yes-no questions. 

[Julia H.]

ROUND 2 AUTHORS

1. Graceful, orgasmic deceiver eventually attacked Queen's victor! ROCKSNIFFER

2. Oft second-hand. JEZ BELL

3. Good overseas deed earns at-home (quarantinable!!!!) virus. CASTELLAN

4. Guarded overlord dutifully. Enthusiastically admired quirky visual. JULIA H.

5. Weighed as heft lent advantage. DOLOROUS GABE

6. Wept. Astucious house's lure, activated. FRAGILE BIRD

7. Oathkeeper. Standard-holder. ETERNALLY_HIS

8. Glimpsed on diverging exits, apparition quickly vanished. A FREE SHADOW

9. Grieving old dad eliminated - arachnid's quarrel victimized. HONEYED CHICKEN

10. Offering "shade", heroically! SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED

11. Good old death: Elaborate asphyxiation. Quite violent. SER NOT APPEARING

[Julia H.]

ROUND 2 SCORES

Players	Character guessing points	Mini-theme points	Theme points	Favourite clue points	Points spent	TOTAL
SWMBO	20	4	4	FB, DG=2	0	30
Fragile Bird	20	4	4	EH RS=2	0	30
a free shadow	20	4	4	0	0	28
Castellan	20	4	4	0	0	28
rocksniffer	20	4	4	HCh =1	-2	27
Jez Bell	16	3	4	AFS, C, SWMBO =3	0	26
Dolorous Gabe	8	0	0	JB =1	0	9
Honeyed Chicken	8	0	0	0	0	8
Ser Not Appearing	4	0	0	0	0	4
Eternally_His	0	0	3	0	-3	0

 

STANDINGS

1. a free shadow: 26+28=54

2. SWMBO / Fragile Bird: 23+30=53

3. Castellan: 23+28=51

4. rocksniffer: 23+27=50

5. Jez Bell: 15+26=41

6. Eternally_His: 21+0=21

7. Dolorous Gabe: 11+9=20

8. Honeyed Chicken: 6+8=14

9. Ser Not Appearing: 4+4=8

 

Fragile Bird and SWMBO share the first place this round after submitting a perfect set of answers and each of them winning 2 favourite clue votes. Castellan and a free shadow also found all the answers (and more!), and so did rocksniffer, although he also spent two points - but won a favourite clue point, too. Jez Bell discovered almost everything there was to discover, and she owns the most popular clue of the round. Four of our players sat back early this round and (hopefully) enjoyed watching the host showering hints on everyone (none of which was in invisible ink ). Dolorous Gabe won a favourite clue vote, Honeyed Chicken had a conversation with the host on the topic of proper nouns versus common nouns, Ser Not Appearing was the first to submit a clue for next round but failed to appear for voting, and Eternally_His asked a record number of questions. In the overall competition, a free shadow is still in the lead, closely followed by a strong and determined chasing pack.