..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!

Last edited by hogmaster; 08/22/07 02:46 AM.
the hogmaster™