[Balin] Never any convenient time (an homage)

[Balin]

This is Balin’s ‘woubit’s Christmas puzzle’ for 2019. Proceed.

Instructions & background: For several years in the 2000s, forum member ‘woubit’ would run an annual Christmas puzzle. This is my third homage.

This Christmas puzzle operates the same way as his did - the title provides a clue to what the actual puzzle is, and that puzzle has some sort of Christmas theme. (For example: the 2009 puzzle was called “There’s an old piano”; puzzlers first reasoned the continued lyric - “and they’re playing it hot behind the green door” - then deduced the green door was on an advent calendar.) To get an idea of how this will run, check out his puzzles: 2005’s, 2007’s, 2008’s, and 2009’s. They are very long (2007's is the shortest).

All forms of reference (and Internet searching) are acceptable.

At present, all you have to go on is the title. Good luck.

[trebor]

Is Never Any Good by Martin Simpson relevant? Or the same title by Leonard Cohen? Does the title refer to a carol? Another holiday song? Auld Lang Syne? “No time like the present” relevant? Getting a clock as a gift?

[Balin]

Is Never Any Good by Martin Simpson relevant? Or the same title by Leonard Cohen? Does the title refer to a carol? Another holiday song? Auld Lang Syne? “No time like the present” relevant? Getting a clock as a gift? No to all

[Zanreo]

Does something happen at an inconvenient time? Are we looking for a sentence that follows this? Searching the title, does it refer to this quote by Margaret Mitchell: "Death, taxes and childbirth! There's never any convenient time for any of them"? If so, Gone With the Wind relevant? Synonyms/related words for any words in the title relevant?

[Balin]

Does something happen at an inconvenient time? See following Are we looking for a sentence that follows this? See following Searching the title, does it refer to this quote by Margaret Mitchell: "Death, taxes and childbirth! There's never any convenient time for any of them"? Yes indeed! If so, Gone With the Wind relevant? No Synonyms/related words for any words in the title relevant? Yes, I'd say so

[trebor]

Is there a relevant synonym/related word for time? Thyme, possibly? Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, or rosemary?

Are the gifts of the magi relevant? Something else to do with Jesus' birth? Or the birth of a prophet from any religion, for that matter? Benjamin Franklin relevant? Or his quote about death and taxes?

Also, assuming we have a physical form, are we able to examine our surroundings? Or, will we be able to as we figure things out?

[Zanreo]

Anything else about that quote relevant?

Synonym/related words:
Never - not, no, doesn't happen?
Convenient - useful, appropiate, suitable?
Never (any) convenient - inconvenient, inappropiate, unsuitable?
Time - a certain measurement of time? Seconds/minutes/hours/days/weeks/months/years?

[Balin]

Anything else about that quote relevant? No

Synonym/related words:
Never - not, no, doesn't happen?
Convenient - useful, appropiate, suitable?
Never (any) convenient - inconvenient, inappropiate, unsuitable?
Time - a certain measurement of time? Seconds/minutes/hours/days/weeks/months/years? No to these

Is there a relevant synonym/related word for time? Thyme, possibly? Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, or rosemary? No to these

Are the gifts of the magi relevant? Something else to do with Jesus' birth? A lot of things to do with that. See below/b] Or the birth of a prophet from any religion, for that matter? Benjamin Franklin relevant? [b]No Or his quote about death and taxes? No

Also, assuming we have a physical form, are we able to examine our surroundings? Or, will we be able to as we figure things out? No worry, as you have just done so.

This is the LTPF Nativity Scene.

If you haven't seen one of these, a nativity scene consists of several pieces and figures set up in the traditional pose representing the birth of Jesus. Aside from Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, you'll usually see the shepherds and wise men with their animals crowded into the stable - again, the traditional depiction.

While some nativity scenes are incredibly large and some even use living performers, this is a small set, the kind that would fit on a coffee table. Or at least it will fit as soon as you can sort out which piece is which.

Whoever used this set last put the pieces back into their boxes, but didn't label them, instead wrapping them with unusual wrapping paper they must only have found on this forum. You'll figure out which box contains which figure before opening them.

The boxes are in a pile - maybe a dozen to fifteen of them - and since today is December 2, you grab two of them to start.

The first box is decorated with all the letters of the alphabet, each Z and A separated by a block of cheese.

The second shows pictures of a metallic figure of a person wearing a striped shirt.

[Zanreo]

First box: Are the letters of the alphabet in alphabetical order? Type of cheese relevant?

Second box: Is the metallic figure a specific character/person? Fictional character? Real person? Relevant how many stripes on the shirt?

[Balin]

First box: Are the letters of the alphabet in alphabetical order? They are Type of cheese relevant? Yes

Second box: Is the metallic figure a specific character/person? Yes Fictional character? Yes Real person? Ergo, no Relevant how many stripes on the shirt? No

[Zanreo]

Cheese: Parmesan? Mozzarella? Cheddar? Gouda? Swiss? Camembert? Brie? Gorgonzola?Blue cheese? Goat cheese? Puns/wordplay relevant? Relevant that the cheese is between Z and A specifically (for other reasons than dividing the A-Z rows?)? Something like Z[cheese name]A? Any specific letters relevant? Or is the fact that it's the entire alphabet relevant?

Metallic figure: a character who's usually metallic? A robot? Someone wearing metal armor? Do they usually wear a striped shirt?

[Balin]

Cheese: Parmesan? Mozzarella? Cheddar? Gouda? Swiss? Camembert? Brie? Gorgonzola? Blue cheese? Goat cheese? I see one block that's cheddar, another parmesan... going through, there are a lot of cheese blocks and wheels on the paper, but I cannot see any Swiss cheese. Puns/wordplay relevant? Not right now Relevant that the cheese is between Z and A specifically (for other reasons than dividing the A-Z rows?)? No Something like Z[cheese name]A? No Any specific letters relevant? Or is the fact that it's the entire alphabet relevant? This

Metallic figure: a character who's usually metallic? Yes A robot? No Someone wearing metal armor? No Do they usually wear a striped shirt? No

[trebor]

Is any of the alphabets missing an L? Specifically, the first one? Any other letters missing from any of the alphabets?

The metallic character. Magneto? Joseph, Magneto's clone? Lin Beifong? Toph Beifong? Crystal from the Marvel Universe? Jerom? Korra? Kovira? Lucario? Meltan/Melmetal? Sailor Venus? Strange Visitor? Wenlock and Mandeville? (Thanks, Wikipedia!) What colours are the stripes on the shirt? Relevant? Relevant the pattern of the stripes? (Horizontal, vertical, diagonal?)

[Zanreo]

Relevant that there are several different types of cheese? Are all the cheeses different? Relevant that there isn't any Swiss cheese?

Metallic character: A cyborg? Someone with a metallic-looking skin/surface? Since you called them a "person", are they human? Humanoid?
Is the character from a movie? TV series? Live-action? Cartoon? Comic? Video game? Anime? Book?

[Balin]

Is any of the alphabets missing an L? Specifically, the first one? Any other letters missing from any of the alphabets? No to all

The metallic character. Magneto? Joseph, Magneto's clone? Lin Beifong? Toph Beifong? Crystal from the Marvel Universe? Jerom? Korra? Kovira? Lucario? Meltan/Melmetal? Sailor Venus? Strange Visitor? Wenlock and Mandeville? (Thanks, Wikipedia!) None of these
What colours are the stripes on the shirt? They appear to be navy blue, but they're very thin so it's hard to tell Relevant? Yes Relevant the pattern of the stripes? Yes (Horizontal, vertical, diagonal?) They are vertical

Relevant that there are several different types of cheese? Not so much as... Are all the cheeses different? Relevant that there isn't any Swiss cheese? ...this is quite relevant.

Metallic character: A cyborg? No Someone with a metallic-looking skin/surface? Not just "metallic-looking..." Since you called them a "person", are they human? Humanoid? Yes
Is the character from a movie? This, most notably TV series? Live-action? Cartoon? Comic? Video game? Anime? Book?

[Zanreo]

Something that Switzerland didn't do/join/participate in ect. relevant? Something about Switzerland relevant?

So a humanoid character with metal skin? And not "yes" to cartoon or live-action... CGI effects relevant? Stop motion? Puppet?

[trebor]

To piggyback on Zanreo’s question, WWll? Is the NATO alphabet going to be helpful here? Or perhaps taking out the letters in “Swiss” or “Switzerland” and rearranging either them or the remaining letters in some yet-to-be determined way?

Did the character originate with a movie? Are they known from a movie from the 1900s? 10s? 20s? Etc.? Are they male? Female? Non-binary? Non-gendered? Are they the protagonist? Antagonist? A supporting character? Is it a sci-fi? Fantasy? Comedy? Action/adventure? Horror? Thriller? Drama? Is their shirt only two colours? If not, three? More? What colours other than the nigh-invisible navy is it?

[peter365]

Thanks for running this Balin , great to keep this wonderful tradition going.

Is the fact that Swiss Cheese has holes in it relevant? Any play on the word Holy? I'm trying to avoid the old Cheeses of Nazareth pun?

[Balin]

Something that Switzerland didn't do/join/participate in ect. relevant? No Something about Switzerland relevant? No

So a humanoid character with metal skin? Yes And not "yes" to cartoon or live-action My bad! It is live-action... CGI effects relevant? Stop motion? Puppet?

To piggyback on Zanreo’s question, WWll? No Is the NATO alphabet going to be helpful here? No Or perhaps taking out the letters in “Swiss” or “Switzerland” and rearranging either them or the remaining letters in some yet-to-be determined way? No

Did the character originate with a movie? Yes Are they known from a movie from the 1900s? 10s? 20s? Etc.? 1930s Are they male? This Female? Non-binary? Non-gendered? Are they the protagonist? Antagonist? A supporting character? This Is it a sci-fi? Fantasy? This Comedy? Action/adventure? Horror? Thriller? Drama? Is their shirt only two colours? Yes If not, three? More? What colours other than the nigh-invisible navy is it? White

Thanks for running this Balin , great to keep this wonderful tradition going. Thanks!

Is the fact that Swiss Cheese has holes in it relevant? Yes Any play on the word Holy? No I'm trying to avoid the old Cheeses of Nazareth pun? Surprisingly, I have never heard that particular variant of the cheeses/Jesus pun before. But you can leave that pun aside

[Balin]

You reach in and pull out a third box - if this is the LTPF, where one person can run three puzzles at a time, three boxes should be enough to work on at once. This one has blank wrapping paper but is held together with, not tape, but a sticker of a woman.

[Zanreo]

Cheese: Is another word for "hole" relevant here? Pit? Cavity? Gap?

Relevant what kind of metal the character is made of? Relevant that the stripes are referred to as "navy"? Or would it still work if the color was referred to as dark blue? Does the shirt have long sleeves? Short sleeves? Relevant?

Is the woman on the sticker also a specific character/person? Fictional character? Real person? Relevant what she's doing? Wearing? Something else about her appearance?

[peter365]

Is the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz relevant? Hickory?

[Balin]

Cheese: Is another word for "hole" relevant here? No Pit? Cavity? Gap? None of these

Relevant what kind of metal the character is made of? See below Relevant that the stripes are referred to as "navy"? Only to help identify the shirt Or would it still work if the color was referred to as dark blue? Yes, see previous Does the shirt have long sleeves? Short sleeves? This Relevant? Yes, see earlier

Is the woman on the sticker also a specific character/person? No Fictional character? Not a specific person Real person? Not a specific person Relevant what she's doing? She's carrying a tray of glasses Wearing? She's wearing an apron Something else about her appearance? That's all that's notable about her

Is the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz relevant? Yes! Hickory? No

[Zanreo]

Some kind of play on hole/whole relevant? Or other wordplay related to "hole(s)"?

Is the shirt (part of) an uniform of some kind? Work uniform? Sports?

Is the woman's job relevant? Is she a waitress? Would it still work if she was carrying plates? Glasses - drinking glasses? Eyeglasses? Relevant what type of glasses? Do they contain drinks? Relevant how many glasses? Are all the glasses the same?

[Acridian9]

I'm pretty sure in the metal man box there is a comet star (Tin Man --> Jack Haley --> Halley comet) .... but I still don't get the (baseball?) jersey clue.

Is the woman a waitress? the musical Waitress relevant?

[peter365]

Is the shirt a Yankees jersey? If so is a particular yankee relevant? Babe Ruth - Baby Jesus? Di Maggio - Magi?

Is getting a new heart relevant? Did somebody called Newhart play for the yankees?

[Balin]

Some kind of play on hole/whole relevant? No Or other wordplay related to "hole(s)"? No wordplay in this clue

Is the shirt (part of) an uniform of some kind? Yes Work uniform? Sports? This, see below

Is the woman's job relevant? Yes Is she a waitress? Yes Would it still work if she was carrying plates? No Glasses - drinking glasses? This Eyeglasses? Relevant what type of glasses? Yes Do they contain drinks? Yes Relevant how many glasses? Looks like there are five, but I doubt the exact number is important Are all the glasses the same? No

I'm pretty sure in the metal man box there is a comet star (Tin Man --> Jack Haley --> Halley comet) .... but I still don't get the (baseball?) jersey clue. Star? No. Baseball jersey? Yes (see below)

Is the woman a waitress? Yes the musical Waitress relevant? No

Is the shirt a Yankees jersey? Yes If so is a particular yankee relevant? Yes Babe Ruth - Baby Jesus? Di Maggio - Magi? But not them and not these

Is getting a new heart relevant? OTRT, but not "getting a new heart" Did somebody called Newhart play for the yankees? Not according to Baseball Reference

[gregoryuconn]

Derek Jeter = Cheater? Can I cheat to find the answer? Lou Gehrig = The Iron Horse = a horse?

[Zanreo]

Type of glasses: Any of them usually used for a specific type of drink? Do they include: Wine glass? Cocktail glass? Shot glass? Pint glass? Highball glass? Tall? Short? Wide? Thin? Are they all different from each other? Or are some of them the same?

Type of drink(s) relevant? Wine? Cocktail? Beer? Soda? Water? Juice? Milk? Smoothie? Milkshake? (Ice) tea? (Ice) coffee? Do all glasses contain the same drink? Are they all different?

Is the Yankees player someone currently on the team?

[Balin]

Derek Jeter = Cheater? No Can I cheat to find the answer? I don't know how that's possible, as all forms of reference (including and especially the Internet) are allowed Lou Gehrig = The Iron Horse = a horse? No

Type of glasses: Any of them usually used for a specific type of drink? Do they include: Wine glass? Cocktail glass? This Shot glass? Pint glass? Highball glass? Tall? Short? Wide? Thin? Are they all different from each other? Or are some of them the same? They all look like normal cocktail glasses

Type of drink(s) relevant? Yes Wine? Cocktail? They appear to be various cocktails Beer? Soda? Water? Juice? Milk? Smoothie? Milkshake? (Ice) tea? (Ice) coffee? Do all glasses contain the same drink? No Are they all different? They look different

Is the Yankees player someone currently on the team? No, FA

[trebor]

Getty Images has a photo of a different (I think) Jack Haley in a Yankees uniform? Relevant? Just so I’m clear, is it the Tin Man figure who’s wearing the uniform here? Is the FA that the man in the jersey denotes a player? Does it refer to a coach? Manager? Steinbrenner? Stengel? Casey At The Bat relevant? Is there a relevant Yankee who had heart issues? Or a pacemaker?

Is Buddy Ebsen relevant? Bill Skowron?

[Balin]

Getty Images has a photo of a different (I think) Jack Haley in a Yankees uniform? Relevant?No, I haven't seen that photo Just so I’m clear, is it the Tin Man figure who’s wearing the uniform here? Yes Is the FA that the man in the jersey denotes a player? Yes Does it refer to a coach? Manager? This - and actually you've skipped a step, as the jersey was of Joe Torre (if you'd asked about the number, I'd have said it has a 6 on it) but the important thing is that he was a manager Steinbrenner? Stengel? NeitherCasey At The Bat relevant? No Is there a relevant Yankee who had heart issues? No Or a pacemaker? No

Is Buddy Ebsen relevant? Bill Skowron? Neither

[peter365]

Ok so a Manager without a heart is a manger . So the first element of the nativity scene we've uncovered is the manger that served as a crib for the baby Jesus.

Very clever clue Balin .

[Balin]

Ok so a Manager without a heart is a manger . So the first element of the nativity scene we've uncovered is the manger that served as a crib for the baby Jesus. Indeed, opening this package reveals a small sculpted manger, and we can begin setting the scene.

Grabbing another package from the pile, your hand snatches one up that is wrapped in clear paper with red and green spots. The paper appears to be fixed in place with a pin.

Very clever clue Balin . Thanks!

[trebor]

Is it relevant what type of cocktails the waitress is carrying? Bloody Mary? Or a Virgin Mary? Martini? Manhattan? Margarita? Old Fashioned? Mojito? Daiquiri? Gin and tonic? Or what bar/restaurant she works for? Is she meant to be a Playboy Bunny?

Are the cheeses on the other parcel in alphabetical order? Does this parcel reference a movie? Song? Sport? Sports figure? Biblical figure? Christmas figure? An animal?

[Balin]

Is it relevant what type of cocktails the waitress is carrying? Nope Bloody Mary? Or a Virgin Mary? Martini? Manhattan? Margarita? Old Fashioned? Mojito? Daiquiri? Gin and tonic? IrrelOr what bar/restaurant she works for? No Is she meant to be a Playboy Bunny? No

Are the cheeses on the other parcel in alphabetical order? No Does this parcel reference a movie? This, actually, but only as a step on the LTPF-logic path to a Nativity figure Song? Sport? Sports figure? Biblical figure? See prev Christmas figure? An animal?

[gregoryuconn]

Are the Cheeses Jesus? Or would that be too easy?

[Zanreo]

Clear spotted paper: relevant that the colors green and red are associated with Christmas?

[Balin]

Are the Cheeses Jesus? Or would that be too easy? The cheeses are not meant to signify Jesus - not saying Jesus isn't in this box, but the clue is not cheeses = Jesus

Clear spotted paper: relevant that the colors green and red are associated with Christmas? No, but it's very convenient for the clue

[Acridian9]

For the cheeses:
Is the frase "no holes" or "without holes" relevant? "no/without eyes"? bindness? Braille Alphabet?

[Balin]

For the cheeses:
Is the frase "no holes" This or "without holes" relevant? "no/without eyes"? But not this bindness? Braille Alphabet? And not these

[trebor]

Is it relevant what the letters are made of? Is each alphabet one connected piece? (Paper that the letters are on, for example?) Are all the alphabets connected? Are the letters each separate? Like on toy wooden blocks for toddlers? 3D some other way? Are the letters typed? Handwritten? Printed? Cut out from a magazine? Made of magnets?Relevant the font? Size? Colour? Are they capitalised?

[peter365]

Is the idea that some letters have holes that can be filled in relevant e.g p q d etc. are we looking for letters that have no hole such as l k m ?

[Balin]

Is it relevant what the letters are made of? No Is each alphabet one connected piece? (Paper that the letters are on, for example?) The alphabets are printed on the wrapping paper, if that's what you're asking Are all the alphabets connected? No Are the letters each separate? Yes Like on toy wooden blocks for toddlers? No 3D some other way? No Are the letters typed? Handwritten? Printed? This Cut out from a magazine? Made of magnets?
Relevant the font? Size? Colour? No to all Are they capitalised? Yes but irrel

Is the idea that some letters have holes that can be filled in relevant e.g p q d etc. are we looking for letters that have no hole such as l k m ? No, this isn't it

[peter365]

Just to recap the alphabet cheese clue .

So we have a series of Alphabets with no letters missing that are printed on wrapping paper that also depicts a number of cheeses. The font , size and colour of the printing is irrelevant. The notable cheese absentee is swiss cheese to depict the key phrase 'no holes'. There's no wordplay happening so puns like Cheeses for Jesus are on the wrong track even though Jesus maybe the character in the parcel.

Is the nunber of alphabets relevant? Is it the standard A to Z alphabet? It's not the greek one is it?

A bit gruesome but are the holes in Jesus' hands and feet after his crucifixtion relevant? Are the holes that are not there found on the human body? on an object?

[Balin]

Just to recap the alphabet cheese clue .

So we have a series of Alphabets with no letters missing that are printed on wrapping paper that also depicts a number of cheeses. The font , size and colour of the printing is irrelevant. The notable cheese absentee is swiss cheese to depict the key phrase 'no holes'. There's no wordplay happening so puns like Cheeses for Jesus are on the wrong track even though Jesus maybe the character in the parcel. Oll korrect

Is the nunber of alphabets relevant? No Is it the standard A to Z alphabet? Yes It's not the greek one is it? No

A bit gruesome but are the holes in Jesus' hands and feet after his crucifixtion relevant? No Are the holes that are not there found on the human body? on an object? This

[peter365]

Is the object one which we would expect to find at a nativity scene? or is it just another step in the chain of the clue .

Is it a musical instrument perhaps? something that's worn? played with? used in the home?

[Balin]

Is the object one which we would expect to find at a nativity scene? or is it just another step in the chain of the clue . A step in the chain

Is it a musical instrument perhaps? something that's worn? played with? Not these used in the home? For svv of "used"

[Zanreo]

Is the alphabet cheese object something that usually/often has holes, but one specific type of it doesn't? Or is it the lack of this object that is relevant? Anything like a scene from something missing the object when you'd expect it to be there? A piece of furniture? Something that's usually indoors? Does the object have one hole? Several?

Spotted paper: Are the spots circular dots? Or more irregular shapes? Small? Big? Varying sizes? Any of this relevant? Do the red and/or green dots form a specific pattern or image? Pin = safety pin? If so, something like a "safe spot" relevant?

[Balin]

Is the alphabet cheese object something that usually/often has holes, but one specific type of it doesn't? Yes Or is it the lack of this object that is relevant? No Anything like a scene from something missing the object when you'd expect it to be there? No A piece of furniture? No Something that's usually indoors? Yes Does the object have one hole? Several? This

Spotted paper: Are the spots circular dots? Yes Or more irregular shapes? Small? Big? Not small, but not oversized either. There aren't many Varying sizes? No, they're the same size Any of this relevant? It may help Do the red and/or green dots form a specific pattern or image? No
Pin = safety pin? No If so, something like a "safe spot" relevant? No

[trebor]

Is the object something that is larger than a baseball? Is its shape a defined geometric one? Square? Rectangle? Triangle? Circle? Sphere? Is it a decorative object? An ornament? Is it usually found in the kitchen? Family room/living room? Bathroom? Bedroom? Garage? Front entrance? Laundry area? Is it an object used in cleaning? Organizing things? Keeping things in place? Is it furniture? Something for people to look at? Is it edible? Is it something that is associated with a certain time of year? If so, Christmas? Winter? Summer? Spring? Fall?

Is the movie this parcel references a Christmas movie? It's A Wonderful Life? Die Hard? (At a pub trivia night last night we, as the whole pub, decided that Die Hard without question is a Christmas movie.) Home Alone? A Christmas Carol? A Christmas Story? National Lampoon's Xmas Vacaction? Jingle All the Way? Is the movie from the 1910s? 20s? etc.? Is it a comedy? Drama? Musical? Romance? Horror? Mystery/suspense? Sci-fi? Thriller? Documentary?

[Balin]

Is the object something that is larger than a baseball? Yes Is its shape a defined geometric one? Close to it Square? Rectangle? "Rectangular prism"-ish Triangle? Circle? Sphere?
Is it a decorative object? An ornament? Neither
Is it usually found in the kitchen? This Family room/living room? Bathroom? Bedroom? Garage? Front entrance? Laundry area?
Is it an object used in cleaning? Organizing things? Keeping things in place? Is it furniture? Something for people to look at? No to these
Is it edible? Yes
Is it something that is associated with a certain time of year? No If so, Christmas? Winter? Summer? Spring? Fall?

Is the movie this parcel references a Christmas movie? No It's A Wonderful Life? Die Hard? (At a pub trivia night last night we, as the whole pub, decided that Die Hard without question is a Christmas movie.) I generally subscribe to the theory that setting a movie at Christmas does not automatically make it a Christmas movie, but I make an exception for Die Hard. It's too good. Home Alone? A Christmas Carol? A Christmas Story? National Lampoon's Xmas Vacaction? Jingle All the Way? Thus none of these
Is the movie from the 1910s? 20s? etc.? 2000s Is it a comedy? This Drama? Musical? Romance? Horror? Mystery/suspense? Sci-fi? Thriller? Documentary?

[trebor]

Is the object a Toblerone bar? Relevant that Toblerone recently increased the gap between the triangles on the bar? Are we meant to remove the “o”s? Relevant that the bar is manufactured in Bern? Bear in the logo relevant?

[Balin]

Is the object a Toblerone bar? Relevant that Toblerone recently increased the gap between the triangles on the bar? Are we meant to remove the “o”s? Relevant that the bar is manufactured in Bern? Bear in the logo relevant? Nice logic... but it's a No to all.

[trebor]

Damnit, I was so sure that was an edible rectangular prism with a nice Swiss tie-in!

Is it a slice of something? Like a piece of pie? Or cake?

[peter365]

Does the lack of holes reference the letter O at all? Is the item itself edible or does it contain or support something edible e.g a cheese board? Is the specific phrase 'no holes' relevant? Is there any 'soundslike' links going on ? Is the expression No Holds Barred relevant?

[Balin]

Is it a slice of something? No, but it's a food that is or comes sliced Like a piece of pie? Or cake? Not these

Does the lack of holes reference the letter O at all? No Is the item itself edible or does it contain or support something edible e.g a cheese board? It is edible Is the specific phrase 'no holes' relevant? Yes Is there any 'soundslike' links going on? No Is the expression No Holds Barred relevant? No

[Acridian9]

Is the food bread?

For the red-green spots: color blindness test relevant? other vision test?

[Balin]

Is the food bread? Yes, more specifically...

For the red-green spots: color blindness test relevant? other vision test? Not these

[trebor]

Is it bread pudding? A sandwich? Just a loaf of bread? A slice? A communion wafer? A cracker? Manna? Naan? Pita? Relevant what type of bread? Ciabatta? Rye? Whole wheat? White? Pumpernickel? Baguette? French bread? A croissant?

Is minimizing holes in bread relevant? When making bread, to prevent tunneling (holes) you can use a more balanced water-to-flour ratio, use less yeast, knead the dough well, or bake it at a lower temperature. Any of this factor in here?

[Balin]

Is it bread pudding? A sandwich? Neither Just a loaf of bread? It's a loaf of bread, but more than just that... A slice? A communion wafer? A cracker? Manna? Naan? Pita? No to these
Relevant what type of bread? Yes Ciabatta? Rye? Whole wheat? White? Pumpernickel? Baguette? French bread? A croissant? No to all - wrong meaning of "type of bread"

Is minimizing holes in bread relevant? When making bread, to prevent tunneling (holes) you can use a more balanced water-to-flour ratio, use less yeast, knead the dough well, or bake it at a lower temperature. Any of this factor in here? No, but as my dad makes bread as a hobby, that's great to know!

[trebor]

More than one loaf of bread? Is the band Band relevant? Or bread as in money? Many loaves of bread? Jesus feeding the people with bread and fish, whatever that story’s called? Or maybe a single thing of bread bigger than a loaf? A bun?

[Acridian9]

A Matter of Loaf and Death? Wallace and Gromit?

[peter365]

Is the cockney rhyming slang Loaf of Bread - Head relevant? The phrase using your loaf?

[trebor]

So the waitress clue. Is it relevant whether she’s dressed like a cocktail waitress or just a regular server serving cocktails? Is she actually relevant? Is it only the cocktails that matter? Is the movie Cocktail relevant? Tips relevant? Casinos? Is it the glasses that are important, vs the actual drink? Highball? Collins glass? Lowball? Chimney/zombie glass? Martini? Fishbowl? Rocks glass? Cocktail as in rooster tail feathers? Is the tray she’s carrying relevant? Anything notable about it? Stickers relevant? Glue? Can you remind me of the paper she’s stuck on, please? The pattern, colours, etc.?

[Balin]

More than one loaf of bread? Is the band Band relevant? Or bread as in money? Many loaves of bread? Jesus feeding the people with bread and fish, whatever that story’s called? Or maybe a single thing of bread bigger than a loaf? A bun? No to all

A Matter of Loaf and Death? Wallace and Gromit? Not these

Is the cockney rhyming slang Loaf of Bread - Head relevant? The phrase using your loaf? Not these

So the waitress clue. Is it relevant whether she’s dressed like a cocktail waitress or just a regular server serving cocktails? It's important that she is a waitress serving cocktails Is she actually relevant? Yes Is it only the cocktails that matter? The cocktails also matter (but not the specific drinks) Is the movie Cocktail relevant? Tips relevant? Casinos? Not these Is it the glasses that are important, vs the actual drink? Neither Highball? Collins glass? Lowball? Chimney/zombie glass? Martini? Fishbowl? Rocks glass? None of these are specifically relevant Cocktail as in rooster tail feathers? Is the tray she’s carrying relevant? Anything notable about it? Stickers relevant? Glue? These are irrel Can you remind me of the paper she’s stuck on, please? The pattern, colours, etc.? it's just plain white paper, which is irrelevant

As it's Christmas Eve, here's a significant bump.

With Christmas just on the horizon, you quickly dump all the pieces out of the boxes to set up the scene. It isn't until after the scene is set up that you realize you're still not sure which came out of which box. But now you know all the boxes and all the pieces.

The only one you're certain of is the one with pictures of the Tin Man wearing a Yankees jersey, which held the manger.

The three boxes you're been considering already are wrapped in:
-paper with various cheeses and the alphabet
-blank paper fixed with a sticker of a woman carrying a tray of drinks
-and clear wrapping paper with red and green spots, fixed with a pin.

There are tenn more boxes, and their wrapping is as follows:
-three designs of different men on it; a man with a staff, a man emptying his pockets in front of a sign saying “Mayfair," and a man wearing a hat with his hands on his hips
-figures of a sock puppet, two women who appear to be rapping, and a man dancing
-repeated pictures of a pair of pants with "John 4.18" written on it
-red paper with a sewn-on picture of two women under a night sky
-one box was wrapped in leaves, and there's a bird that flew in the window pecking at it
-one set of wrapping paper is decorated with scenes from the Ace Attorney video games
-pictures of a pie in a gurney
-a castle with small triangular flags pointing right
-small pictures of a woman wearing a white dress and crown
-and the last one is wrapped in aluminum foil.

Of course, you also know what all the pieces of the Nativity scene are. Besides the manger, the scene contains:
-Mary, Joseph, and Jesus (all of whom had their own box)
-some animals - a donkey, a sheep, and a camel (each had their own box)
-the stable
-the angel Gabriel
-a star
-the three Wise Men; each had their own box and was labeled with their traditional names (Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar)
-a shepherd

You figure you'll leave the Nativity scene up through the Epiphany, so there's still quite a bit of time to match piece to box.

Merry Christmas - I hope you have a joyful holiday. I probably won't be on tomorrow, so I'll get back to answering on the 26th.

[Zanreo]

Sock puppet, rapping women and dancing man: Any of them meant to be specific characters/people? "Sockpuppeting" as in making extra accounts/false identities relevant? Are the women having a rap battle? They "appear to" be rapping - are they actually doing so? Relevant what kind of dance the man is dancing?

Bird and leaves: Actual leaves? Relevant what kind? Relevant what kind of bird?

John 4.18 pants: The bible verse with "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear"? Love or fear relevant? Someone named John?
Type of pants relevant? Long pants? Shorts? Jeans? Dress pants? Sweatpants? Cargo pants?

Ace Attorney paper (I approve x3): Any of these relevant: "Objection!"? Lawyers? Cross-examinations? Courtrooms? Investigation? Mystery stories/games? Any specific characters from the game relevant: Phoenix Wright? (if so, relevant that the phoenix rises from the ashes to come back to life, rising from the dead, and Jesus also rose from the dead - Jesus?) Miles Edgeworth? Maya Fey? Mia Fey? Dick Gumshoe? Ema Skye? Manfred von Karma? Franziska von Karma? Apollo Justice? Klavier Gavin? Athena Cykes? Simon Blackquill? Others?

Pie in gurney: Relevant what kind of pie? Fruit pie? Meat pie?

Aluminum foil: Relevant that the symbol for aluminum is Al? Someone named Al relevant? Or the atomic number 13? That 13 is considered an unlucky number?

[Balin]

Sock puppet, rapping women and dancing man: Any of them meant to be specific characters/people? Yes, the sock puppet and the rapping women "Sockpuppeting" as in making extra accounts/false identities relevant? No Are the women having a rap battle? No They "appear to" be rapping - are they actually doing so? Yes Relevant what kind of dance the man is dancing? Yes

Bird and leaves: Actual leaves? Yes Relevant what kind? No Relevant what kind of bird? Yes

John 4.18 pants: The bible verse with "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear"? That's 1 John 4:18, not John 4:18 - not a mistake you'd want to make on a wedding card Love or fear relevant? No Someone named John? No
Type of pants relevant? Yes Long pants? For svv of "long" Shorts? Jeans? Dress pants? Sweatpants? Cargo pants? Not these

Ace Attorney paper (I approve x3): Glad you do - despite not having played, I love the series Any of these relevant: "Objection!"? Lawyers? Cross-examinations? Courtrooms? Investigation? Mystery stories/games? None of these specifically
Any specific characters from the game relevant: No, thus No to all - but that is a very impressive list Phoenix Wright? (if so, relevant that the phoenix rises from the ashes to come back to life, rising from the dead, and Jesus also rose from the dead - Jesus?) Miles Edgeworth? Maya Fey? Mia Fey? Dick Gumshoe? Ema Skye? Manfred von Karma? Franziska von Karma? Apollo Justice? Klavier Gavin? Athena Cykes? Simon Blackquill? Others?

Pie in gurney: Relevant what kind of pie? Yes, though a quick Google search tells me that it is "svv of pie" Fruit pie? Usually Meat pie?

Aluminum foil: Relevant that the symbol for aluminum is Al? Someone named Al relevant? Or the atomic number 13? That 13 is considered an unlucky number? No to these

[trebor]

Does the John 4.18 refer to the Bible verse? Are the pants capris? Capriciousness relevant?

Is the bird pecking at the leaves a partridge? A dove? Pigeon? Robin? Large bird? Bird of prey?

For the waitress, is the phrase “eat, drink, and be merry” relevant?

[Acridian9]

For the John 4.18 verse: someone with 5 husbands relevant? The vodka brand? Other Bible verses relevant? John 4.17/19?

[Balin]

Does the John 4.18 refer to the Bible verse? Yes Are the pants capris? No Capriciousness relevant? No

Is the bird pecking at the leaves a partridge? A dove? Pigeon? Robin? None of these Large bird? Yes, DOYD of "large." It's not huge but for birds it's big Bird of prey? No

For the waitress, is the phrase “eat, drink, and be merry” relevant? No

For the John 4.18 verse: someone with 5 husbands relevant? Not just five! The vodka brand? Np Other Bible verses relevant? No John 4.17/19? No

As the Epiphany is nearing, I'm going to give hints on all unsolved boxes.

-paper with various cheeses and the alphabet: You know that the cheeses exclude Swiss and the phrase "no holes" is relevant, pointing to some form of bread. You're looking for a brand of bread. And something simple about the alphabet is also relevant.
-blank paper fixed with a sticker of a woman carrying a tray of drinks: The woman is a waitress in a cocktail bar. Go from there.
-clear wrapping paper with red and green spots, fixed with a pin: I made an error here - the spots should be red and black, not red and green; the paper is designed to mimic a card in the game Gloom.
-three designs of different men on it; a man with a staff, a man emptying his pockets in front of a sign saying “Mayfair," and a man wearing a hat with his hands on his hips: This leads to a Bible verse. The man with a staff gives the book, the man emptying his pockets gives the chapter, and the man with the hat gives the verse.
-figures of a sock puppet, two women who appear to be rapping, and a man dancing: You know the rapping women are indeed rapping, and the man's exact dance is important. The name of the sock puppet, a song rapped by the two women, and the name of the dance, when combined, lead to the answer.
-repeated pictures of a pair of pants with "John 4.18" written on it: The verse mentions a woman having five husbands. From the pants, you need to find a woman with more than five husbands.
-red paper with a sewn-on picture of two women under a night sky: The wrapping paper suggests four actresses.
-one box was wrapped in leaves, and there's a bird that flew in the window pecking at it: The type of bird is relevant, but the type of leaves are not, though it's relevant that there are leaves.
-one set of wrapping paper is decorated with scenes from the Ace Attorney video games: The Ace Attorney series includes a running gag about whether a stepladder should be referred to as a "stepladder" or just a "ladder." Proceed from there.
-pictures of a pie in a gurney: It would be more accurate to refer to the pie as a cobbler.
-a castle with small triangular flags pointing right: The castle is a certain logo... but something is off about it.
-small pictures of a woman wearing a white dress and crown: The woman is Glinda, the Good Witch.
-wrapped in aluminum foil: The brand of aluminum foil is relevant.

[Acridian9]

>-blank paper fixed with a sticker of a woman carrying a tray of drinks: The woman is a waitress in a cocktail bar. Go from there.
So The Human League's Don't You Want Me (that was the first thing I thought...for some reason I dropped the idea.)
Some other verse of the song relevant? Something about the band? Another song from them? Album?

[Acridian9]

Woman with more than five husbands: Elizabeth Taylor?

[Acridian9]

> -a castle with small triangular flags pointing right:
Disney's logo?

[Balin]

>-blank paper fixed with a sticker of a woman carrying a tray of drinks: The woman is a waitress in a cocktail bar. Go from there.
So The Human League's Don't You Want Me (that was the first thing I thought...for some reason I dropped the idea.) Yes indeed
Some other verse of the song relevant? Something about the band? Another song from them? Album? No to these

Woman with more than five husbands: Elizabeth Taylor? Not her in this clue

> -a castle with small triangular flags pointing right:
Disney's logo? Yes, but again, something is off about it

[trebor]

The Human League was (is?) with Virgin Records. Does this point to the Virgin Mary? Or maybe the nativity figure here is Gabriel, since God didn't want him? Or Joseph, who I would imagine at some point got sick of Jesus saying "The Lord is my father", and must've, in a fit of parental exasperation, at some point yelled the Hebrew equivalent of "Don't you want me??!!" (I doubt it's that last one, but I'm quite sure it would've pissed Joseph off still.)

Is the large bird an albatross? Swan? Condor? Pelican? Flamingo? Kori Bustard? Rhea? Penguin? Emu? Cassowary? Ostrich? Eagle? Falcon? Magpie? Jay? "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window" relevant? Gregory Peck? Fall/autumn relevant?

The bread/alphabet box: Holsum Bread? Allinson? Alvarado? Bost's? Boudin? Dave's Killer Bread? Davidovich Bagels? Flowers Foods? King's Hawaiian? Lender's Bagels? Merita? Mother's Pride? Nature's Pride? Pan Desuyo? Pepperidge Farm? Polarbrod? Rudi's Organic? Schmidt? Schwebel's? Sunbeam Soldiers Bread? VitBe? Warburton's? Wonder Bread?

The cobbler in the gurney. Are we meant to think of someone who makes shoes? Is a shoe stretcher relevant? Or a foot doctor? Dr. Scholl's? "The Shoemaker and the Elves" relevant? If it's not a word clue in this way, relevant what type of cobbler (pie) it is? Peach? Apple?

As for Glinda: is she the star? Witch of the East, Star of the East? Apparently Judy Garland also recorded of version of The Star of the East in 1941.

[Acridian9]

Woman with more than five husbands: Zsa Zsa Gabor (9)? Jennifer O’Neill (9)? Lana Turner (8)? Rue McClanahan (6)? Hedy Lamarr (6)?

[Acridian9]

> -a castle with small triangular flags pointing right
So Disney's logo is seen reflected in a mirror? or is wind relevant?

[Balin]

The Human League was (is?) with Virgin Records. Does this point to the Virgin Mary? Correct and correct, and this box is done.
Or maybe the nativity figure here is Gabriel, since God didn't want him? Or Joseph, who I would imagine at some point got sick of Jesus saying "The Lord is my father", and must've, in a fit of parental exasperation, at some point yelled the Hebrew equivalent of "Don't you want me??!!" (I doubt it's that last one, but I'm quite sure it would've pissed Joseph off still.) (so not these)

Is the large bird an albatross? Swan? Condor? Pelican? Flamingo? Kori Bustard? Rhea? Penguin? Emu? Cassowary? Ostrich? Eagle? Falcon? Magpie? Jay? None of these; the Wikipedia page for the bird uses "large" in its description, but it's not this large "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window" relevant? Gregory Peck? Fall/autumn relevant? No to these

The bread/alphabet box: Holsum Bread? Allinson? Alvarado? Bost's? Boudin? Dave's Killer Bread? Davidovich Bagels? Flowers Foods? King's Hawaiian? Lender's Bagels? Merita? Mother's Pride? Nature's Pride? Pan Desuyo? Pepperidge Farm? Polarbrod? Rudi's Organic? Schmidt? Schwebel's? Sunbeam Soldiers Bread? VitBe? Warburton's? Wonder Bread? This; Wonder Bread has used the phrase "No holes" in their advertising

The cobbler in the gurney. Are we meant to think of someone who makes shoes? Yes Is a shoe stretcher relevant? Or a foot doctor? Dr. Scholl's? "The Shoemaker and the Elves" relevant? No to these If it's not a word clue in this way, relevant what type of cobbler (pie) it is? Peach? Apple? It is a word clue, so No

As for Glinda: is she the star? Witch of the East, Star of the East? Apparently Judy Garland also recorded of version of The Star of the East in 1941. No, but a nice guess

Woman with more than five husbands: Zsa Zsa Gabor (9)? Her; the pants are plus-fours, and five husbands plus four is nine husbands Jennifer O’Neill (9)? Lana Turner (8)? Rue McClanahan (6)? Hedy Lamarr (6)?

> -a castle with small triangular flags pointing right
So Disney's logo is seen reflected in a mirror? Well, Disney's logo backwards, not necessarily in a mirror or is wind relevant?

[peter365]

Does Zsa Zsa Gabor lead us to ZZ Top as she tops the list of marriages? The drummer of ZZ Top didn't have a beard and his surname was actually Beard so did one of the three wise men not have a beard and he's the one? Damned If I know which one though.

[Zanreo]

The Ace Attorney (step)ladder(aw man, why didn't I think of that?): The fact that the "step" is sometimes added and sometimes not relevant? Something like "it's the same whether this is added or not"? Ladders relevant? Something about steps? Steps as in walking? Taking steps towards something?

Disney logo backwards: Something reverse? Something that's the "opposite" of Disney? Disney backwards - Yensid - Yen Sid from Fantasia?

Aluninum foil - I'm assuming the kind used for cooking? If so, Reynolds? Ryan Reynolds? The Reynolds number?

[Balin]

Does Zsa Zsa Gabor lead us to ZZ Top as she tops the list of marriages? The drummer of ZZ Top didn't have a beard and his surname was actually Beard so did one of the three wise men not have a beard and he's the one? Damned If I know which one though. Very good line of thinking, but not the right one. (No idea about the bearded or clean-shaven wise men.)

The Ace Attorney (step)ladder(aw man, why didn't I think of that?): The fact that the "step" is sometimes added and sometimes not relevant? No Something like "it's the same whether this is added or not"? Ladders relevant? See next Something about steps? Yes, and see previous Steps as in walking? Taking steps towards something? But not these

Disney logo backwards: Something reverse? Something that's the "opposite" of Disney? See next Disney backwards - Yensid - Yen Sid from Fantasia? This

Aluninum foil - I'm assuming the kind used for cooking? Yes If so, Reynolds? Yes Ryan Reynolds? But not him The Reynolds number? Nor this

[Balin]

The Epiphany has passed, meaning it's time to pack up the Nativity in the boxes listed below.

****SPOILER****

*All the letters of the alphabet, each Z and A separated by a block of cheese: The cheeses lack Swiss, so none of the cheese has holes. Wonder Bread used the phrase "No holes" in their advertising. The alphabet has 26 letters. In the movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Ricky drives the No. 26 Wonder Bread car. That movie also features a scene featuring a prayer to "dear eight pounds, six ounces, newborn baby Jesus."
*A metallic figure of a person wearing a striped shirt: The striped shirt is a New York Yankees jersey featuring manager Joe Torre's number 6. The metal person is the Tin Man, who is missing a heart. Taking the heart out of the word "manager" leaves "manger."
*A sticker of a woman carrying a tray of drinks: The woman is a waitress in a cocktail bar, like the first lyric of The Human League's "Don't You Want Me." The song was released by Virgin Records, and of course Jesus' mother was the virgin Mary.
*Clear paper with red and black spots, held in place with a pin: The paper mimics a card in the game "Gloom." Eeyore, the donkey from Winnie the Pooh, is gloomy and has a tail held in place with a pin.
*Three designs of different men on it; a man with a staff, a man emptying his pockets in front of a sign saying “Mayfair," and a man wearing a hat with his hands on his hips: The man with a staff is Moses, as shown in the book of Exodus. The man emptying his pockets is the Monopoly Man, but since the sign says "Mayfair," this is the British edition of the game. Mr. Monopoly has gone bankrupt, and in the UK, bankruptcy is filed under Chapter 15. The man with a hat is Henry VIII; the song "I'm Henery the Eighth, I Am" includes the line, "Second verse, same as the first." Combining these, we get the book of Exodus, Chapter 15, and the second verse, which starts with the statement "The Lord is my strength." The name of Gabriel, the angel who spoke to Mary, means "God is my strength."
*Figures of a sock puppet, two rapping women, and a dancing man: The sock puppet is Lamb Chop. The women are Salt-N-Pepa; another band with "Salt" in the name, Salt the Wound, performed a song called "Peas and Carrots." The man is dancing the mashed potato. Lamb, peas, carrots, and mashed potatoes are the primary ingredients in shepherd's pie.
*Pictures of a pair of pants with "John 4.18" written on it: John 4:18 starts with the phrase "for you have had five husbands." The pants are plus fours. Five husbands plus four makes nine husbands, the number of marital partners of Zsa Zsa Gabor. She shares a surname with Melchior Gabor, the lead in Spring Awakening.
*Red paper with a sewn-on picture of two women under a night sky: The paper is scarlet; Vivien Leight played Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind. The picture is sewn on, and a tailor sews, pointing to Elizabeth Taylor. The picture features two women under a night sky; Sophia Loren starred in Two Women, and Claudette Colbert was the female lead in It Happened One Night. All four of those actresses played Cleopatra, thereby making them, in a way, pharaohs. Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs performed "Wooly Bully," and wool comes from sheep.
*Wrapped in leaves, with a bird pecking at it: Leaves rustle. The bird is a crow. Russell Crowe played Javert in Les Miserables and sang the song "Stars."
*Decorated in scenes from the Ace Attorney video games: The Ace Attorney series features a running joke about whether to call a stepladder a "stepladder" or just a "ladder." Another stepladder joke goes, "This is my stepladder. I never knew my real ladder." The joke plays on "stepfather," which Joseph technically was to Jesus, not being the biological father.
*A pie in a gurney: The pie is cobbler. A cobbler is a shoemaker. Willie Shoemaker was a jockey. Gurneys are found in hospitals. Another joke tells of a jockey in a hospital whose condition is stable.
*A castle with small triangular flags pointing right: The castle is the Disney Pictures logo, but facing backwards. "Disney" backwards is "Yen Sid," the sorcerer in Fantastia. The film The Sorcerer's Apprentice, based on the gag in Fantasia, starred Nicolas Cage as a wizard named Balthazar Blake.
*Small pictures of a woman wearing a white dress and crown: The woman is Glinda the Good Witch, but the pictures are little. Wendy the Good Little Witch was the friend of Casper the Friendly Ghost, and Casper is a variant of the name often traditionally used for the wise man Caspar.
*Wrapped in aluminum foil: Aluminum foil is made by Reynolds Group Holdings. A different company with "Reynolds" in the name, R. J. Reynolds, makes Camel cigarettes.

I'll have something new next year - or rather, this year. I hope you all had a very happy holiday season.

[peter365]

Wow some fiendish clues in there Balin, reckon I might have needed until next Christmas to solve them.

Shame we didn't get through this but I hope it doesn't discourage you from running another.

[Zanreo]

Yeah, some of these were really tricky... but this was fun! Hoping to join another one of these next December!