Well, we have a number of very similar definitions this time. Are they on the right track, or do many of your great minds merely bluff alike? The answer will be revealed on Monday, October 22, so vote before then. Will you be flipping me the bird or sitting in the catbird seat? Or are all these nesty definitions sending you off on a wild goose chase? Choose wisely!
A. A nestling hawk or falcon.
B. The name of a land believed by some to be in the Earth's interior and accessible through the poles.
C. A small loft, sometimes referred to as a "birdsnest" high up (usually in the rear, sometimes in a transept or over the roodscreen) of a large church or cathedral, usually for an antiphonal organ.
D. A French coin that is an alloy of nickel and gold, with a limit of 50 percent on the amount of nickel that can be in the alloy.
E. A hinged wooden box with several carved openings, used for storing and burning incense.
F. Dutch device used for holding threads and yarn while weaving.
G. A birdnester - someone who collects eggs from nests in the wild as a profession and sells them for eating.
H. The scent of cooked meat or other food.
I. Type of animal that forms a nest in which to deposit its eggs.
J. Nidor is of Old French origin. The beds of royalty were covered in the finest of linens; often decorated with gold thread embroidery. The common people used to describe these as nids d’or – beds of gold. Over time it became the one word, nidor, and came to mean any residence that was overly ostentatious. It is rarely heard today – and usually used in a derogatory fashion.
K. In a stepped pyramid, the bottom and largest tier which contains the serdab (statue chamber) and burial chamber of a deceased Egyptian pharaoh.
L. In microbiology, a solution used as the base for the stain that secures bacteria onto a slide for study.
M. This is the land of eternal youth. It is an old Maya myth which (very roughly) equates to the Freudian "back to the womb" idea. The word itself is a Spanish version of the original Mayan.
And I think I know this one, as well - I remember doing a study of Mayan culture, some ten or twelve years ago, which mentioned the land of eternal childhood - I think it was where the victims of infant mortality ended up - a bit like limbo.
"It is I, it is I." I said excitedly and correctly. Then I added with reflection, " You know, that Jazzo and TEd with the little "d" are a couple of pretty smart birds."
I vote J. I remember when Céline Dion built her house (read 'castle') in Laval (bout 12 minutes from my not-so-castle new home) the press had a field day with how much money she spent and the castle was often referred to as nidor. I think she has some 60 rooms in there. I don't even have enough family to fill 60 rooms.
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) E for me.
