Daily puzzles/problems.

[MarkBastable]

16. Twas brillig and the slithy toves....


Man, I'm embarrassed that wasn't the first one I got.

[prendrelemick]

Ahh. 16. Twas brilling and the slithey toves/ did gire and gimble in the wabe.



A day off work today (callooh callay.)


Edit: Sorry, too late.

[prendrelemick]

I really want to raise an objection about the lack of U.S. poetry in this puzzle. HOWEVER, I only know the beginning of maybe three U.S. poems, and I don't really have too many at all memorized from whatever country, and for all I know half of this puzzle does actually consist of U.S. poems.

No, you're quite right billl, this is the kind of stuff we brits took in with our mother's milk.

[MarkBastable]

So we're left with the eighteenth century teaser...

8 T C T T K O P D

..which apparently my mother failed to supply. She was always more of a post-modernist neo-expressionist breastfeeder.

[kasie]

I really want to raise an objection about the lack of U.S. poetry in this puzzle. HOWEVER, I only know the beginning of maybe three U.S. poems, and I don't really have too many at all memorized from whatever country, and for all I know half of this puzzle does actually consist of U.S. poems.

I did realise that this was a rather anglo-centric selection, billl, and I almost apologised to you in advance but the only American verses I could think of were 'Captain, my captain!' (Thank you 'Dead Poets Society'....), something about Annabelle Lee, a raven quothing 'Nevermore', something vague from Hiawatha and 'The woods are lovely, dark and deep/ But I have promises to keep/ and miles to go before I sleep' and I couldn't remember the opening lines. I know, I could have gone on line to fiind them but I'm a sweetly old-fashioned sort of gal who likes her poetry from a book she can reach down from the shelf and I'm ashamed to say I have no book of American verse. (It didn't find much of a place in Eng Lit courses in my day....) I did squeeze in a Scot, an Irishman and a Welshman - and I was a bit doubtful about Dylan but I can see his 'Lovely, ugly city' from my window so he sort of insisted on being in there somewhere - so it wasn't entirely English. And Mick's right - we grow up with these verses, even if we only remember the opening lines.

5 It is an ancient Mariner, /And he stoppeth one of three.

Only one to go - well done.

[prendrelemick]

The curfew tolls the knell of parting day


That was lucky, it's about the only C18 poem I know.

[MarkBastable]

Phew. That last one's a weight off my mind. I was becoming obsessed.

Okay - animal idioms. To give you something to go on, the animals are given in a separate list, but the initial letter is asterisked in the phrase initials. I think that a few solve themselves, simply because - given the animal - there's only one idiom it can possibly be, which'll make the rest easier to get. But we'll see how it goes.

1. ABFO*
   
2. A*NF
   
3. T*WLDWTL
   
4. E*HID
   
5. APAAC*
   
6. A*ISC
   
7. FLA*SLAB
   
8. *ITG
   
9. YCLA*TW
   
10. A*CCIS
    
11. T*TGTC
    
12. APAA*
    
13. LA*TTS
    
14. A*IYB
    
15. O*DMAS
    
16. UT*CH
    
17. *IYP
    
18. STSFT*
    
19. DCY*BTH
    
20. A*WASH

ants
bear
bee
butterfly
cat
chickens
cows
dog
elephant
goats
horse
lamb
leopard
lion
monkeys
mouse
peacock
snake
swallow
wolf

[prendrelemick]

Phew. That last one's a weight off my mind. I was becoming obsessed.

Okay - animal idioms. To give you something to go on, the animals are given in a separate list, but the initial letter is asterisked in the phrase initials. I think that a few solve themselves, simply because - given the animal - there's only one idiom it can possibly be, which'll make the rest easier to get. But we'll see how it goes.

1. ABFO*
   
2. A*NFAn elephant never forgets
   
3. T*WLDWTLThe lion will lie down with the lamb
   
4. E*HID
   
5. APAAC*
   
6. A*ISC
   
7. FLA*SLABFloats like a butterfly stings like a bee
   
8. *ITGSnake in the grass
   
9. YCLA*TW
   
10. A*CCISA leopard cannot change its spots
    
11. T*TGTC
    
12. APAA*
    
13. LA*TTS
    
14. A*IYB
    
15. O*DMASOne swallow doesn't make a summer
    
16. UT*CH
    
17. *IYPAnts in your pants
    
18. STSFT*
    
19. DCY*BTH
    
20. A*WASH

ants
bear
bee
butterfly
cat
chickens
cows
dog
elephant
goats
horse
lamb
leopard
lion
monkeys
mouse
peacock
snake
swallow
wolf

Thats a start anyway.

[jajdude]

4. Every dog has its day.
6. A wolf in sheep's clothing
9. You can lead a horse to water...
19. Don't count your chickens before they're hatched.

14. A bee in your bonnet.

[prendrelemick]

Hmm, Cat got your tongue, Cat's whiskers, Cat o nine tails, No room to swing a Cat, Cat's cradle, Like a Cat with the cream.

Ahh, No. 11 The cat that got the cream!

Brainstorming works!


What's left.

Monkeys
Peacock
Bear
Cows
Lamb
Mouse
Goats.

18. Sort the sheep from the goats
1. A barrell full of monkeys
16. Until the cows come home

[kasie]

The curfew tolls the knell of parting day


That was lucky, it's about the only C18 poem I know.

Me, too, Mick! (I think).

[MarkBastable]

Update.....



ABFO* A barrell full of monkeys

A*NF An elephant never forgets

T*WLDWTL The lion will lie down with the lamb

E*HID Every dog has its day

APAAC*

A*ISC A wolf in sheep's clothing

FLA*SLAB Floats like a butterfly stings like a bee

*ITG Snake in the grass

YCLA*TW You can lead a horse to water...

A*CCIS A leopard cannot change its spots

T*TGTC The cat that got the cream

APAA*

LA*TTS

A*IYB A bee in your bonnet

O*DMAS One swallow doesn't make a summer

UT*CH Until the cows come home

*IYP Ants in your pants

STSFT* Sort the sheep from the goats

DCY*BTH Don't count your chickens before they're hatched

A*WASH


.....which leaves

bear
lamb
mouse
peacock

[kasie]

5 As poor as a church mouse

12 As proud as a peacock

13 Like a lamb to the slaughter

20 A bear with a sore head

Good game, Mark - Mick's turn, I think?

[prendrelemick]

A traditional riddle.

As I was going through Bramble hall,
A proud old man gave me a call;
His beard was flesh, his mouth was horn,
And this old man was never born.



Hang on a minute! I bet kasie knew them all - all along, but didn't want to set a question.

[kasie]

Ummm - not quite, Mick and anyway, you beat me to it, I was out on Thursday evening so didn't pick up the puzzle until Friday morning.

But as you've sussed me, I won't try an answer to your puzzle.....