Daily puzzles/problems.

[prendrelemick]

I 've heard of soviet tanks having "reflective" armour that exploded outwards when hit by a shell.

That would tie in with a reflective surface of water, (just noticed quotation marks - more research needed there.)

The table football has me stumped (or should that be sick as a parrot) at the moment.

[MarkBastable]

I'm sorry, I just have to check (because the nearly redundant/repetitive "calm water on a breezeless day" opens up a vaguely tantalizing prospect, albeit one exposed as pretty much hopeless in the light of the straight-forward "table football") if there really is supposed to be two "anti's" in there.

Yes, there is.

[billl]

All right--and while I have you, would it also be the case that "weapon" would indicate something that strikes back/against (rather than some defensive equipment, like armor or camoflauge)?

[MarkBastable]

All right--and while I have you, would it also be the case that "weapon" would indicate something that strikes back/against (rather than some defensive equipment, like armor or camoflauge)?

Yes, it would.

This is quite a difficult problem, and might require a bit of research - but the connection's not very contrived. If there's no progress by tomorrow, I'll give clues.

[MarkBastable]

Practically giving it away, here are the clues...

[prendrelemick]

I recognise the Thrush and the Kingfisher, and am willing to bet the other is a Falco Subbuteo because that was a line of enquiry I rejected last week.

So, table football = Subbuteo = Hobby

Still water = Halcyon =Kingfisher

That leaves the Thrush and its connection to auntie's anti tank weapon.

[billl]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drozd

[prendrelemick]

Thanks billl, that means its your turn, eh?

[billl]

I suppose. A bittersweet victory, caught on the tails of doubly-grand-accomplishment and give-away-clues.

[MarkBastable]

The guy who invented the game tried to patent it as 'The Hobby' but was told that wasn't allowed. So he used the Latin for the bird of the same name - Subbuteo.

I find it oddly satisfying that the Russian 'drozd' is so obviously cognate with 'throstle'.

[billl]

I might be shaking my fist with a little too much indignant frustration here, because I wasn't even close, but the internet was directing me to Foosball when I checked "Table Soccer".

I actually had a friend who had the complete Subbuteo thing with the pitch and everything in the 70's, and I was totally thinking that might be what "Table Soccer" was until my Google steered me wrong.

But, to reiterate, it isn't like that was the one element that ultimately stumped me. And thanks for the memories!

[billl]

Yuae iuei otoh vfgr dtu!

[prendrelemick]

I might be shaking my fist with a little too much indignant frustration here, because I wasn't even close, but the internet was directing me to Foosball when I checked "Table Soccer".

I actually had a friend who had the complete Subbuteo thing with the pitch and everything in the 70's, and I was totally thinking that might be what "Table Soccer" was until my Google steered me wrong.

But, to reiterate, it isn't like that was the one element that ultimately stumped me. And thanks for the memories!

Yeah, Google did that to me too, turned me from the right path early on.

[billl]

Yuae iuei otoh vfgr dtu!

(It would be cruel to do a "typical" cryptogram as short as this one. It's a different kind of cipher, and pretty difficult I would think, if you are unfamiliar with it. Maybe a clue tomorrow, if needed...)

[prendrelemick]

It's got me stumped.