this is arfname.. choose one:
a) a name given to a foundling; after the place or region where it was found
b) a short vertical support member in a dome joining the pin to the floorboard
c) a strong smelling plant resin used as a spice in Eastern cookery
d) Cockney rhyming slang meaning fame
e) an artform in which coffee-stained pieces of paper are glued together to form a pattern
f) a thought that is on the tip of your tongue but eludes definition
g) the eldest son (from Old West Low Franconian arf, eldest + name, masc. namesake)
h) a temporary name of affection given to an unborn child until a permanent name is decided upon (from French oeuf, egg)
i) /arf-nà-may/ an Indian dish consisting of a mixture of rice and lentils with seasonings
j) jocular: a Registered Kennel Name, as sanctioned by the Registered Kennel Name Program
k) exceptional, extraordinary
l) the love of mountain climbing
m) one who inherits, an heir (from ON arfr, inheritance + OE numa, taker)
___
these entries have been extracted from the growleries of ASp, BranShea, consuelo, Faldage, Fr Steve, inselpeter, Jackie, olly, Owlbow, The Pook, tsuwm, twosleepy, and (perforce) a well-known dictionary. [This has been a public service announcement.]
just to beat the analyzers to the punch: you guys is good.
-joe (but I have no vote) friday
H, by all means, please, H. What the H?
That is one of the best lot of definitions I've seen in a dictionary game ever! There is only two or three that I can definitely exclude at first glance, and even those are witty. How long have we got? I'll have to think about this, it's not easy.
>How long have we got?
at least a sennight, or until all of the entrants have had a chance to vote, one. [but all observers may vote.]
Gosh, they are all good! But Jackie will vote for J. I like jocularity. [shades of Fa. Mulcahy.]
I was going to go with M but I'll choose A, hoping that arf may have morphed from the German ort, for place. What the ARF!
I have no idea what I'm doing here.
My final answer is A
Congratulations to everyone who participated.
It's a difficult choice between the names-based answers and the culinary ones. I can't decide between those two groups, let alone the right one within each group! Every answer seems to have (or lack) some little detail indicating it could be fake. Aaargh.
This whole thing just has dada written all over it. I'll go with E.
>dada
marked by nonsense, travesty, and incongruity
heh.
-joe (dada 'Я us) friday
This whole thing just has dada written all over it. I'll go with E.
It does sound like Dada or Expressionism, you're right! ...but I don't remember that name being associated with it.
"When the impossible has been eliminated, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truth." (Sherlock Holmes)
Hmm. I don't think Conan Doyle is of any help here, they all sound impossible!
I will have to choose a) as (probably) the least impossible.
Yes, A for me please. The foundling.
I find no reason not to vote for any of these, save one.
I had a very light breakfast and I'm still hungry, so for lack of a better rationale, I'll choose C .
I find no reason not to vote for any of these, save one.
I had a very light breakfast and I'm still hungry, so for lack of a better rationale, I'll choose C .
Yes, C and I both sound delicious don't they? But I'll stick with A.
Ooh, Pookie, you certainly do sound delicious! HA!
c or i, and probably neither, so I'll say i.
Gee they all sound possible. Good job, folks!
I for i too.
This definitely must be the famous 'Welsh' Mandan Indian recipe.
When they ran out of corn and buffalo was scarse.
They often combined it with Welsh rabbit.
and with *that, all the entrants have voted -- and on the fifth day! let's leave 'em open for another day for anyone else as wants to cast their pallor; then I'll give the hogmaster* a nudzh to git 'er done.
-joe *('e's me arfbrother) friday
Me too!
I for i too.
This definitely must be the famous 'Welsh' Mandan Indian recipe.
When they ran out of corn and buffalo was scarse.
They often combined it with Welsh rabbit.
I think you mean Welsh rarebit?
Welsh Rabbit -
joe (and your point is?) friday
My solid paper Collins (1872 pages ed. 2007 ) gives:
Welsh rabbit n a savoury dish consisting of melted cheese sometimes mixed with milk, seasonings, etc., on hot buttered toast. Also called:
Welsh rarebit, rarebit [ C-18th a fancyful coinage; rarebit is a later folk-etymological variant ]
This is just fun:
Windsor McCay Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend
Welsh Rarebit sprinkled with pepper mmm mmm. We used to have it with toast or chunks of fresh white bread from an uncut loaf which I would swirl around the edges of my plate, yummy. Ya cant go past a good fresh loaf of bread and cheese.
The original joke was that the Welsh were so poor they couldn't even afford rabbit so they had to substitute an egg/cheese mixture. The reason this was a joke is that the standard method of getting rabbit was to
poach it. Later, people not understanding the joke and seeing no rabbit in the dish came up with the folk etymology.
That's probably a folk story of its own but I'm sticking with it till I'm proven wrong.
poach¹ from F. pochier, to poach eggs; and poach² from F. pocher, to poke - add to homonyms file
>>That's probably a folk story of its own but I'm sticking with it till I'm proven wrong.
You're proven right. I've heard that story before, but have forgotten when and where. Among folks I guess.