| Author |
Message |
Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira
Post Number: 403 Registered: 2-2009
| | Posted on Thursday, October 28, 2010 - 9:45 pm: |      |
A Jew, an African, and some bird-lovers walked into the hall... Let's hope this one's a little tougher than I originally thought it would be... Oh, and I promise, nothing non-PC :-) |
Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin
Post Number: 7653 Registered: 4-2010
| | Posted on Thursday, October 28, 2010 - 9:47 pm: |      |
A specific Jew? A specific African? Are the bird-lovers a group? Is the specific hall relevant? The hall in the board game Clue? Deck the Halls? Bruise your hand? |
Woodworm (Woodworm)
New member Username: Woodworm
Post Number: 2286 Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, October 28, 2010 - 9:52 pm: |      |
... and the Jew said: "Is this some kinda joke?"
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Woodworm (Woodworm)
New member Username: Woodworm
Post Number: 2290 Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, October 28, 2010 - 10:04 pm: |      |
Is there a wordplay going on? Would it work in a library? Or a museum? Do they love a particular kind of bird? If so, does it belong to the Passeriformes? |
Gregoryuconn (Gregoryuconn)
New member Username: Gregoryuconn
Post Number: 305 Registered: 9-2010
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2010 - 12:54 am: |      |
Are the Jew, the African, and the bird lovers all separate people (ie it isn't an African Jew who loves birds?) |
Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira
Post Number: 408 Registered: 2-2009
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2010 - 2:50 pm: |      |
Balin A specific Jew? no, possible FA A specific African? no, possible FA Are the bird-lovers a group? yes, with a slight FA cleared up below Is the specific hall relevant? to them, yes; for our purposes, not so much The hall in the board game Clue? no Deck the Halls? no, small ish Bruise your hand? er, whuh? Woodworm ... and the Jew said: "Is this some kinda joke?" which might have ended up helping him in this situation ;-) Is there a wordplay going on? not that I know of Would it work in a library? in theory, yes, but very unlikely Or a museum? ditto Do they love a particular kind of bird? several, in fact If so, does it belong to the Passeriformes? only one Gregoryuconn Are the Jew, the African, and the bird lovers all separate people (ie it isn't an African Jew who loves birds?) no, the Jew and the African are also members of the bird lovers group... and that clears up the slight FA in Balin's question above |
Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin
Post Number: 7706 Registered: 4-2010
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2010 - 4:23 pm: |      |
The group of bird lovers - does it consist of only the Jew and African? Of one other person? Of two? Of quite a few more? Is the exact number relevant? |
Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira
Post Number: 409 Registered: 2-2009
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2010 - 4:30 pm: |      |
Balin The group of bird lovers - does it consist of only the Jew and African? Of one other person? Of two? Of quite a few more? this Is the exact number relevant? there are ten total in the group, though it's not essential for you to know this to solve the puzzle |
Rbruma (Rbruma)
New member Username: Rbruma
Post Number: 866 Registered: 9-2009
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2010 - 4:49 pm: |      |
Is it relevant that one is Jew and one is African? Are the rest Jews? Africans? Both? Something else? Is it relevant where this happens (where the hall is situated)? Does the group enter at the same time, or is there a time gap between different members' entry time? Like, e.g., the Jew enters in the 80s, the African in the 90s and a few years afterwards some other(s) enter.? Is this a true story? Do we have to establish the identity of the Jew and of the African? Or what kind of hall that is? Something else? |
Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira
Post Number: 412 Registered: 2-2009
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2010 - 8:31 pm: |      |
Rbruma Is it relevant that one is Jew and one is African? yes Are the rest Jews? Africans? Both? Something else? the rest appear to be white and Christian, and there is still an FA floating about re: the Jew and African -- may take a little while to clear it up Is it relevant where this happens (where the hall is situated)? no Does the group enter at the same time, or is there a time gap between different members' entry time? all at the same time Like, e.g., the Jew enters in the 80s, the African in the 90s and a few years afterwards some other(s) enter.? so not this Is this a true story? yep Do we have to establish the identity of the Jew and of the African? no, you need to know what the group as a whole is doing Or what kind of hall that is? this would help Something else? |
Rbruma (Rbruma)
New member Username: Rbruma
Post Number: 878 Registered: 9-2009
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2010 - 8:40 pm: |      |
Is the profession of the people relevant? Their skin colour? Their religion? Their citizenship? Their place of residence? The language they speak? Are they politicians? Famous persons? War relevant? Planes? Is the Jew a HAM? Of Jewish origin? A resident of Israel? The African - HAM? Of black colour? Resident of one African country? |
Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin
Post Number: 7724 Registered: 4-2010
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2010 - 8:40 pm: |      |
Jew: H? A? M? African: H? A? M? Is the hall an actual physical hall? Is it a hallway (corridor)? |
Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira
Post Number: 417 Registered: 2-2009
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2010 - 9:02 pm: |      |
Rbruma Is the profession of the people relevant? yesish Their skin colour? no Their religion? no Their citizenship? no Their place of residence? no The language they speak? no Are they politicians? no Famous persons? difficult to say... at least middling famous in the US, in large part because of the event in question War relevant? Planes? no and no Is the Jew a HAM? yes Of Jewish origin? no A resident of Israel? no The African - HAM? yes Of black colour? yes Resident of one African country? no -- and good strides toward clearing the FA :-) Balin Jew: H? A? M? yes African: H? A? M? yes Is the hall an actual physical hall? yes Is it a hallway (corridor)? no |
Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin
Post Number: 7736 Registered: 4-2010
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2010 - 9:07 pm: |      |
The Jew - one who has converted to Judaism? Is the African of African descent? |
Rbruma (Rbruma)
New member Username: Rbruma
Post Number: 881 Registered: 9-2009
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2010 - 9:07 pm: |      |
Is 'the Jew' some sort of a nickname? The same for 'the African'? Is some illegal activity relevant? Were they scientists? Working in the entertainment? |
Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira
Post Number: 420 Registered: 2-2009
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2010 - 9:19 pm: |      |
Balin The Jew - one who has converted to Judaism? no Is the African of African descent? I'll just tell you he's African-American so you won't have to parse whatever ridiculous answer I write for this Rbruma Is 'the Jew' some sort of a nickname? The same for 'the African'? no and no, at least that I know of Is some illegal activity relevant? no Were they scientists? no Working in the entertainment? yes |
Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin
Post Number: 7744 Registered: 4-2010
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2010 - 9:22 pm: |      |
Is this from a film? Is the Jew someone portraying a Jewish person? |
Woodworm (Woodworm)
New member Username: Woodworm
Post Number: 2329 Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2010 - 10:52 pm: |      |
Is it fair to rephrase like this: Ten bird-lovers enter the hall. One is Jewish; one is African; eight are white Christians? Would the puzzle scenario still work if it were three Sufi Muslims, six Hindus and a Sikh? You say that they like several birds, yes? Do they love a finite number of species? [If so, insert list of integers between 1 and 3451.]? Do they love some specimens more than others? Are the birds stuffed? Are they birds in the literal sense (members of the class Aves)? Not dolly birds, birds of a feather, people from Turkey, people who were just having a lark, golfers, New Zealanders, or any such linguistic jiggery-pokery? Hmmm ... any albatrosses in there? You said that the Jew might have fared better if he'd cracked a joke? So did something unpleasant befall the Jew? How about the African? How about the eight Christians? Did the eight Christians eat the Jew? Or do something unpleasant to him? |
Potato (Potato)
New member Username: Potato
Post Number: 156 Registered: 7-2010
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2010 - 11:03 pm: |      |
Working in the entertainment... So, are they three actors who are playing a Jew, an African and a bird lover respectively? Or are they a Jew, an African and a bird lover in real life? Is the scene from a comedy sketch? |
Potato (Potato)
New member Username: Potato
Post Number: 157 Registered: 7-2010
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2010 - 11:08 pm: |      |
Oh, and are any birds with them? Are birds relevant? Did the Jew say or do anything unpleasant? Or anything that was interpreted as such? Are other people around, apart from the bird lovers? |
Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira
Post Number: 425 Registered: 2-2009
| | Posted on Thursday, November 04, 2010 - 1:10 pm: |      |
Sorry for the delay, folks... I haven't forgotten you; I have been mostly caught up with being stressed at work. Blech. Balin Is this from a film? yope Is the Jew someone portraying a Jewish person? yes, essentially Woodworm Is it fair to rephrase like this: Ten bird-lovers enter the hall. One is Jewish; one is African; eight are white Christians? I see no problem with that Would the puzzle scenario still work if it were three Sufi Muslims, six Hindus and a Sikh? actually, no You say that they like several birds, yes? yes Do they love a finite number of species? [If so, insert list of integers between 1 and 3451.]? the number you're looking for is 6 Do they love some specimens more than others? it appears that way Are the birds stuffed? no Are they birds in the literal sense (members of the class Aves)? yes Not dolly birds, birds of a feather, people from Turkey, people who were just having a lark, golfers, New Zealanders, or any such linguistic jiggery-pokery? Hmmm ... any albatrosses in there? no, sadly, and no dead men or elevators either You said that the Jew might have fared better if he'd cracked a joke? So did something unpleasant befall the Jew? How about the African? How about the eight Christians? Did the eight Christians eat the Jew? Or do something unpleasant to him? no to all... my comment above was my badly worded hint that there is a fair amount of tongue-in-cheekness about the situation in question and the puzzle itself Potato Working in the entertainment... So, are they three actors who are playing a Jew, an African and a bird lover respectively? well there are actually ten, and I wouldn't call them "actors," but they are in a sense portraying roles Or are they a Jew, an African and a bird lover in real life? Is the scene from a comedy sketch? yope Oh, and are any birds with them? no birds are present Are birds relevant? Did the Jew say or do anything unpleasant? well, he DID interrupt the others while they were doing something Or anything that was interpreted as such? Are other people around, apart from the bird lovers? quite definitely HINT (in white): Figuring out the hall will go a long way toward helping you solve. |
Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin
Post Number: 8060 Registered: 4-2010
| | Posted on Thursday, November 04, 2010 - 2:02 pm: |      |
Deck the Halls? Do they love seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree? |
Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin
Post Number: 8061 Registered: 4-2010
| | Posted on Thursday, November 04, 2010 - 2:03 pm: |      |
And of course I just confused and combined 12 Days of Christmas and Deck the Halls. Whoops. |
Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin
Post Number: 8063 Registered: 4-2010
| | Posted on Thursday, November 04, 2010 - 2:06 pm: |      |
Is Christmahannukwanzaakah relevant? (With the Jew, the African, and the 12 Days of Christmas...) |
Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira
Post Number: 428 Registered: 2-2009
| | Posted on Friday, November 05, 2010 - 5:32 pm: |      |
Balin Deck the Halls? yope (previous question involving this should have the same answer -- that's a BLOOPER) Do they love seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree? yep, although not as much as they should have... And of course I just confused and combined 12 Days of Christmas and Deck the Halls. Whoops. "12 Days..." is mostly correct, but "Deck the Halls" is also involved, and this is not the full solution... see below Is Christmahannukwanzaakah relevant? (With the Jew, the African, and the 12 Days of Christmas...) not specifically, although the situation in question might have been appropriate for such a celebration On a personal note, I always though my brother and I were the only ones who used that term, but now I see it popping up more and more... I don't know if that makes me happy or depressed. You're close, but you still need to figure out something more about the significance of the Jew and the African. |
Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin
Post Number: 8133 Registered: 4-2010
| | Posted on Friday, November 05, 2010 - 6:11 pm: |      |
Well, at Christmastime, Jews celebrate Hannukah, and Africans celebrate Kwanzaa...relevant? |
Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira
Post Number: 432 Registered: 2-2009
| | Posted on Monday, November 08, 2010 - 4:01 pm: |      |
Balin Well, at Christmastime, Jews celebrate Hannukah, and Africans celebrate Kwanzaa...relevant? Hannukah, yes; Kwanzaa, no... keep in mind what you have found out about the bird lovers, and you still might want to clarify the kind of hall involved |
Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin
Post Number: 8256 Registered: 4-2010
| | Posted on Monday, November 08, 2010 - 4:13 pm: |      |
The hall - is it related to Christmas? Hannukah? Kwanzaa? Is it a hall, as in "foyer"? A hallway? |
Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira
Post Number: 435 Registered: 2-2009
| | Posted on Monday, November 08, 2010 - 6:53 pm: |      |
Balin The hall - is it related to Christmas? Hannukah? Kwanzaa? Is it a hall, as in "foyer"? A hallway? no to all |
Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin
Post Number: 8273 Registered: 4-2010
| | Posted on Monday, November 08, 2010 - 9:37 pm: |      |
Is the hall indoors? Outdoors? Is it in a relevant location? |
Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira
Post Number: 437 Registered: 2-2009
| | Posted on Monday, November 08, 2010 - 9:56 pm: |      |
Balin Is the hall indoors? yes Outdoors? Is it in a relevant location? it's in the United States, but specific location is not relevant |
Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin
Post Number: 8285 Registered: 4-2010
| | Posted on Monday, November 08, 2010 - 9:59 pm: |      |
Is it a hall in a mansion? A hall where there are birds? |
Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira
Post Number: 440 Registered: 2-2009
| | Posted on Monday, November 08, 2010 - 10:07 pm: |      |
Balin Is it a hall in a mansion? A hall where there are birds? no and no |
Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin
Post Number: 8289 Registered: 4-2010
| | Posted on Monday, November 08, 2010 - 10:11 pm: |      |
Town hall? City hall? |
Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira
Post Number: 443 Registered: 2-2009
| | Posted on Monday, November 08, 2010 - 10:16 pm: |      |
Balin Town hall? City hall? no to both -- though it is usually spoken of in those terms (that is, "a _____ hall" |
Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin
Post Number: 8293 Registered: 4-2010
| | Posted on Monday, November 08, 2010 - 10:20 pm: |      |
Recital hall? Dance hall? Piano hall? |
Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira
Post Number: 446 Registered: 2-2009
| | Posted on Monday, November 08, 2010 - 10:25 pm: |      |
Balin Recital hall? Dance hall? Piano hall? close enough on all fronts that I'll give you "concert hall" :-) And now I have to go home... be back on in a few hours |
Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin
Post Number: 8299 Registered: 4-2010
| | Posted on Monday, November 08, 2010 - 10:29 pm: |      |
Is a concert going on? |
Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira
Post Number: 448 Registered: 2-2009
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2010 - 4:44 am: |      |
Balin Is a concert going on? yep |
Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin
Post Number: 8301 Registered: 4-2010
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2010 - 12:11 pm: |      |
A Christmas concert? Singing? With instruments? Is a band playing? A real band? Or one that is FYOI? Wild guess: TSO? |
Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira
Post Number: 450 Registered: 2-2009
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2010 - 5:06 pm: |      |
Balin A Christmas concert? assume yes, or at the very least a "holiday" concert, I don't know how PC it had to be Singing? yes With instruments? no, relevantly Is a band playing? yope -- DOYD of band and playing A real band? a real group, yes Or one that is FYOI? Wild guess: TSO? nyet |
Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin
Post Number: 8327 Registered: 4-2010
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2010 - 9:57 pm: |      |
Is the group a choir? A professional choir? Mormon Tabernacle Choir? |
Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira
Post Number: 457 Registered: 2-2009
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - 6:18 pm: |      |
Balin Is the group a choir? I suppose you could call them that, but they're more often known as a (type of music they sing) group A professional choir? at the time, no Mormon Tabernacle Choir? no to this |
Woodworm (Woodworm)
New member Username: Woodworm
Post Number: 2365 Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - 8:10 pm: |      |
Opera? Barbershop? Male voice choir? Light operetta? A rock group? A pop group? An a capella consort? Madrigal group? Gospel choir? Are they singing spirituals? Rugby songs? Weird transliterations of the Welsh anthem involving cruelty to domestic fowl? (oops ... wrong puzzle) |
Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira
Post Number: 461 Registered: 2-2009
| | Posted on Thursday, November 11, 2010 - 5:20 pm: |      |
Woodworm Opera? Barbershop? Male voice choir? Light operetta? A rock group? A pop group? An a capella consort? that's the one, though I've never heard a capella groups called consorts before Madrigal group? Gospel choir? Are they singing spirituals? if you consider holiday songs spirituals, yes with an ish; for the traditional definition of spiritual, no Rugby songs? no Weird transliterations of the Welsh anthem involving cruelty to domestic fowl? uhhh... no ::backs away slowly:: (oops ... wrong puzzle) ;-) |
Woodworm (Woodworm)
New member Username: Woodworm
Post Number: 2372 Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, November 11, 2010 - 5:47 pm: |      |
So they are a group of carol singers, yes? And is this puzzle connected to pluralism/ multiculturalism/ political correctness in some way? Quotas? Does it matter what carols are being sung? Do they sing them without reference to Jesus? Is the Jew Bob Dylan, whose Christmas album was an unlikely hit in 2009? Are the Jew and African also singing? Are they being recorded? Anything to do with Alan Partridge? |
Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin
Post Number: 8422 Registered: 4-2010
| | Posted on Friday, November 12, 2010 - 1:24 am: |      |
A cappella group - Straight No Chaser? |
Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin
Post Number: 8423 Registered: 4-2010
| | Posted on Friday, November 12, 2010 - 1:25 am: |      |
a-HA!!! I've got it... This must be in reference to their version of "Twelve Days of Christmas", which mixes in a bunch of other Christmas carols, then sneaks in a bit of "I Have a Little Dreidel" before heading off into Toto's "Africa" - this it? |
Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira
Post Number: 463 Registered: 2-2009
| | Posted on Thursday, November 18, 2010 - 9:54 pm: |      |
Woodworm So they are a group of carol singers, yes? not in the traditional sense -- going door to door, demanding figgy pudding, etc. And is this puzzle connected to pluralism/ multiculturalism/ political correctness in some way? yes Quotas? no Does it matter what carols are being sung? some of them, yes -- help is below Do they sing them without reference to Jesus? yes, but not relevant Is the Jew Bob Dylan, whose Christmas album was an unlikely hit in 2009? no Are the Jew and African also singing? yes Are they being recorded? yes Anything to do with Alan Partridge? not that I'm aware Balin A cappella group - Straight No Chaser? that's the one! a-HA!!! I've got it... This must be in reference to their version of "Twelve Days of Christmas", which mixes in a bunch of other Christmas carols, then sneaks in a bit of "I Have a Little Dreidel" before heading off into Toto's "Africa" - this it? either inspiration or Google has struck! You're entirely correct. *******SPOILER******** Straight No Chaser was a group of ten a capella singers who attended Indiana University together in the late 1990s. In 2008, long after they all went their separate ways, one of the members posted a video of a performance they did ten years prior (while still in college) of a comedic riff on "Twelve Days..." It mixed in a number of different carols, but two of the most memorable moments occurred when one member interrupted all the others to break out in "I Have a Little Dreidel" and the final portion of the video, which brings in Toto's famous song "Africa" (and draws attention to the group's sole African American member). Originally, the video was posted to YouTube only for the former members to watch and laugh at, but it then went viral. The group was offered a recording contract by a major label, ten years after their first hit was recorded! Watch the video here Oh, and the title was a reference to the fact that Christmas carols could be considered spiritual songs, depending on the content, but more to the fact that the group's name is a way of ordering your alcohol (or spirits) ;-) Congrats to Balin, who worked on most of it by himself, to Woodworm for making some major steps, and to everyone else who helped! |
Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin
Post Number: 8658 Registered: 4-2010
| | Posted on Friday, November 19, 2010 - 1:48 am: |      |
either inspiration or Google has struck! It was part inspiration and part iPod - Straight No Chaser was the only a cappella Christmas group I could think of, and then I just jumped straight to the song (which is TOTALLY AWESOME!!) Awesome puzzle! |