The answer to this clue is a British bird.

'Distorted part of the body'.

Any ideas gratefully received?! thanks bc

The closest I can get is that 'torso' could become 'roost'.
Even thinking of a "British bird" as a girl or lady, etc., goes nowhere. Do you know how many letters?

Thanks for your suggestions - it's a particularly annoying puzzle as the word lengths are not given. This is the last of 30 such clues and the other answers are all of the feathered variety. Thanks again for your interest, Barbara.

Is Thick-knee any good? I suppose "thick" could be considered as somewhat distorted. Nothing else comes to mind.

wryneck

Bingley

How did you dig up this thread, dating back to Genesis?

Yes, darn it: I was all set to tease her about only coming here when she needs help with a puzzle--then I find it was one of her originals!
"Genesis"--

After we all get done ragging on Bingley for resuscitating this old thread, might someone lead a brief cheer for his coming up with what appears to be the right answer? A short "huzzah" might suffice.

hzzh (short enough for you? )

No, really, Fr Steve, I wasn't ragging, I'm just curious how one goes about bringing up a really old thread.

or, if not just discovered, how one *remembers it.

-joe (what day is it?) friday

I was thinking it must be about the fifth anniversary of my joining the board, and was trying to find my first post. One of the possibilities in Display Preferences is to show posts in ascending date order, so I went back to the beginning.

Bingley

I plumb forgot that, at the bottom of one's personal data page, there is a little line which tells one when one "registered" with this zany crew of verboterrorists. Prompted to look, I note that I will celebrate by fifth anniversary with you all on 6 September 2005. No need to send presents; a simple remembrance will suffice.

>a simple remembrance will suffice.

okay; but I assume that all indulgences will be strictly unofficial.

-joe (mine was April 3, but no one noticed) pecksniff

mine was April 3, but no one noticed

Well, of course no one noticed ... because April third was Low Sunday and everyone was busy not going to church that day.

I will nonetheless think up an appropriate penance for my failure to salute tsuwm on his special day and impose it upon myself.

> because April third was Low Sunday and everyone was busy not going to church that day.

arghhhhh, mea culpa on both counts - not only did I omit to remember tsuwm on that fine day but I was also dilatory in being busy not going to church. For the former I can make no restitution save a craven apology, but the latter I will seek to ammend by a double dose this Sunday.