[Hobbsicle] Letter of the Law [PUZZEL OF THE YEAR 2020]

[Hobbsicle]

A man walks through a crowd, going up to strangers and extending his open hand towards them, but they don't shake his hand; instead, they merely look at him with clenched fists before walking away. Finally, someone approaches him and holds out a letter. The man looks at it briefly and stops.

OAATP Rules apply

[WiZ]

Is the man expecting someone to hand him a letter?

[Earnest]

crowd = HA mixed?

WAG: is he a street performer in search of a volunteer?

[LemonCurry]

Is the man a politician? A businessman?

[Hobbsicle]

WiZ

Is the man expecting someone to hand him a letter? He isn't surprised when he sees it

Earnest

crowd = HA mixed? Yes

WAG: is he a street performer in search of a volunteer? No

LemonCurry

Is the man a politician? A businessman? Not relevantly

[Earnest]

extending his open hand towards them --> did he extend: left hand/right hand palm down? palm up? palm toward the person in front of him?

[Hobbsicle]

extending his open hand towards them --> did he extend: left hand/right hand palm down? palm up? palm toward the person in front of him? Irrel for the most part, assume right hand, palm most likely sideways, the way a handshake offer would look

[Balin]

Are the "clenched fists" holding objects?

[Hobbsicle]

Are the "clenched fists" holding objects? No

[LemonCurry]

Are the clenched fists coronavirus-induced handshaking alternatives?

[Doriana]

Do they look at him with an angry expression? sad? disappointed? neutral? friendly? surprised? sympathetic? disgusted?

[Hobbsicle]

LemonCurry

Are the clenched fists coronavirus-induced handshaking alternatives? No

Doriana

Do they look at him with an angry expression? sad? disappointed? Slightly this neutral? friendly? Likely some of this, too surprised? sympathetic? disgusted?

[GalFisk]

Does the man expect the response he's getting from: most people? The final person?

[trebor]

Is the letter a letter of the alphabet?

[Hobbsicle]

GalFisk

Does the man expect the response he's getting from: most people? The final person? Generally, yes to both, though he isn't certain of the response

trebor

Is the letter a letter of the alphabet? YES, and to save you all from the next obvious question, the letter is "V"

[JenBurdoo]

Does anyone profit from this activity? Is he playing a game? Is any deception going on? Something secretive? A giveaway?

Does he expect to collect a letter? This one? WIll he continue this activity in the hope of collecting other letters?

Sports related? ("Gimme a 'V'!")

Is the letter 'V' physical, like a cardboard cutout or other model? Is it a sign? Is it spoken?

[Earnest]

is a game/show being played?

[Balin]

Are the gestures symbols or letters in sign language?

[Hobbsicle]

JenBurdoo

This is an OOATP, but I'll let it slide for this round, good to see you Jen

Does anyone profit from this activity? Not relevantly, beyond... Is he playing a game? ...Yes, this Is any deception going on? Something secretive? A giveaway? No to rest, unless there's a prize for winning the game, but not relevant

Does he expect to collect a letter? This one? WIll he continue this activity in the hope of collecting other letters? No to these

Sports related? ("Gimme a 'V'!") No

Is the letter 'V' physical, like a cardboard cutout or other model? Is it a sign? Of sorts...see below Is it spoken?

Earnest

is a game/show being played? A game, yes

Balin

Are the gestures symbols or letters in sign language? Yes, the V is a sign language V, but the gestures as a whole are not about sign language

[wunderland]

Is the intended significance of the V sign: peace? victory? the letter V? the number 2? a meaning defined by the rules of the game? a meaning previously agreed between those two people in particular? something else?

[Hobbsicle]

Is the intended significance of the V sign: peace? victory? the letter V? the number 2? a meaning defined by the rules of the game? This a meaning previously agreed between those two people in particular? something else?

[trebor]

Are they playing: a version of tag? A party game?

[Balin]

Charades?

[Doriana]

Are they playing rock paper scissors?

[Balin]

Pretty sure Doriana's got it but I've already asked my one question for the round...

[Hobbsicle]

Thanks to trebor and Balin for the questions, but I'll cut to the chase with Doriana's question...

Are they playing rock paper scissors? Yep

***************SPOILER******************

They are playing a rock-paper-scissors tournament, and the man is only playing paper. The "clenched fists" are people playing rock, which means that they have lost. Eventually, his streak is broken when someone shows him the sign-language letter V, aka scissors.

[Doriana]

Good one! There's a fun version of rock-paper-scissors for large groups where the person that loses has to follow the other person for the rest of the tournament and cheer them on, until there are only two players with huge followings left for the final battle.

[GalFisk]

Clever!

[Hobbsicle]

Thanks! And yes, Doriana, I've played that version. It was fun. Also very loud. That would have been a funny variation to the puzzle: "instead, they merely look at him with clenched fists before shouting at him and following him around."

[JenBurdoo]

Whoops, sorry for forgetting the rule! This is an excellent puzzle, very lateral sounding.