..stranger things have happened.

Imagine my surprise (not) that there was no clear winner this round. Consider:
BranShea was the only responder who twigged the Official Medieval and Non-razor-like Answer, but her own definition got ventilated. t.milum garnered three votes but benefited much from the musickal bandwagon effect; and it cannot pass without noting that he failed to make good on his bet (which BranShea originally accepted and then, inexplicably, backed out on). max also belatedly, and to our surprise, picked up a third vote whilst I was composing these very results -- on reflection, those three(3) votes probably came from those attempting to apply the arudshield. Faldo collected two bloody, vampiric votes, but then cast a severely barren vote of his own. musick also secured two votes, but led the strut of the lemmings over the precipice into Void Space. ÅΓª╥┐↕§ ªl§o Γece↕ved two vote§. Two other entries managed a single vote (Hi, Jackie). Also, note that option L was disincluded, but I suspect it might have scored well, given the lack of conviction for the other options.

a) an elegant, logical, theoretical technique for cutting through cant to truth, celebrating the simplest explanation among a panoply of complexities or obfuscations, and resembling Ockham’s razor (Madeleine Cosman’s Medieval Wordbook (1996)) BranShea

b) micro fiber screen used for tent ventilation against aruds or 'knutten' - tiny mosquitos that normal screens will not hold; imperative for summer tent camping in Nordic countries (BranShea)

c) an early computer security program designed to detect and prevent attempts to access files and the information stored within (musick) ASp, themilum

d) the element of heraldic blazonry centering the MacDuff clan coat-of-arms (ASp)

e) a tentlike shelter made from animal skins (Jackie) sjmaxq

f) a face covering protecting against windburn (olly)

g) a medieval precursor of the velvet rope, used to hold back the masses when royalty was present (tsuwm) wofa

h) a barren hillock (sjmaxq) Faldage, ÅΓª╥┐↕§, E Creith

i) one of three ceramic covers (a-b-c) on the external fuel tank of the newly fitted space shuttle that protect three titanium struts (which serve as rudders) from any tile or ice damage that might occur before separation (themilum) musick, F’babe, shanks

j) a crucifix used for protection against vampires (Faldage) etaoin, Fr Steve

k) disingenuous posturing, as feigning indifference (ÅΓª╥┐↕§) olly, Jackie

l) none of the above, it’s a nonce-word coined esp. for this round (hogmaster) vetoed by tsuwm

..and now this exceedingly neglected word has a presence on the web other than some silly gaming site.

addendum: yes, A, B and I were all long, but only B and I , in the event, were *too long.

edit: oh, lest I forget, thanx for playing along, everyone!

Well! I never would have figured such a windy def. would be the real one; and trust Branshea to pick the elegant one!

Dear Hogmaster,
This is a passage I do not understand:

I backed out on what, I wonder.

Def.a was my straightforward choice from the beginning; for the elegance of its construction and the interesting words. I thought however that it was a clever washerman or woman who had made that up.

Yes, I changed my contribution from a better, but duller one to a less good but more amusing one. (BTW. knutten do exist. Knutten are the the most ferocious teeny weeny biters on wings, stinging every single micro inch of one's body round sunset,the covered as well as uncovered parts.Get them in your tent they keep coming at you till dawn.

Obviously it was a fake story and as AnnaS said in short:too long.And the bit of ventilating did no harm.
My first one was:

arudshield: a coating for very small space probes, named after one of the elements of its compound.
I knew it was better, but....
I tossed a coin when I could not choose and you can't cheat on that.

Thanks for the long and very suspenseful game, but what can it be I backed out on?

oh ye of little memory.

Oh! Right. Nothing to do with the Defs. Mind spooks. The illegal was nonsense. I'm sure Anu's got the requested licence.

>Nothing to do with the Defs.

well, not exactly.. (and thanks for the opportunity to fully document this.)



and then..



okay, devil his due, he did peg yours, BranShea.

-joe (just the facts) friday

Yeh, but I'd rather catch the Hog than win the points.
(don't take it personal )

I dunno, BranShea, that's one Hog best left uncaught.

But legal or not, you won our Hogwash bet fair and squarely, so - ever the gentleman - I am faxing you a crisp new $10 bill US.

You got a color printer?

I am faxing you a crisp new $10 bill US

You'd be better off emailing it as an attachment for downloading!
Good game, time told, gongrats mister hogmaster, Hogwash was the winner on the day.

The offer is charming but don't reduce yourself to bankruptcy over a hogwash bet.
- - - checking out.

Is it too late to gloat? Not about uncanny consistency in a mediocre score [fifth time?] but rather having a definition again attributed to one of the more clever of the consonant-heavy. Well, perhaps best not to jinx it. No gloating this time.

>No gloating this time.

now there's a fine bit of apophasis.

-joe (I won't mention another worthless word) friday

A. was sort of thinking that but decided to feign indifference.