"a) pertaining to or connected with fermentation" was the correct answer and tied for most votes with five(5); rodward, alex, mav, rapunzel and bingley all score two points. squid submitted the following definition: relating to the enzymotic process of fermentation, and then had the unmitigated gall to vote for a) as well.. my, my, how will the scoring tsar treat that?! WO'N garnered five(5) votes for his chewing gum entry (but one was his own) -- what's up with that?? hyla got two(2) votes for his geological transition zone (well written, indeed) and bingley got two(2) votes for bee-stings (eeew). oh, and jazzo gets one(1) for caramelized sugar (hi spart-ann).

william o'neill              4
bingley                      4
hyla                           2
rodward                      1
alex williams              1
maverick                    2
rapunzel                    1
jazzo                         1
squid  3... no... 2... no... -5 -- oh, Kinara's a newbie, make it 3 

scores to date:
                  Bingley.................... 12+4=16
                  tsuwm......................14
                  Geoff........................13
                  Sparteye...................11
                  paulb........................10
                  rodward.................... 9+1=10
                  wordcrazy.................8
                  Flatlander..................6
                  maverick....................5+2=7
                  WhitmanO’Neill...........2+4=6
                  jimthedog...................4
                  Rapunzel...................4+1=5
                  Bridget96...................4
                  Jazzoctopus..............4+1=5
                  Hyla...........................1+2=3
                  squid..........................1+3=4
                  wwh..........................3
                  fiberbabe....................3
                  RhubarbCommando.....3
                  Jackie........................2
                  Faldage......................2
                  freckled_snout............1
                  Alex Williams..............+1=1 

so, Bingley... as the new leader, I'm passing the baton to you -- unless you want to quit while we're ahead.

Pertaining to your truly excellent stint, thank you batonmeister!

I hate to confuse the issue, but...shouldn't I have gotten only one point since I didn't submit a definition?

>only one point

too right. also true for Alex and rodward. oops.

Pardon the whining sound that must accompany this post, but I had scored one entire point in a previous round, for a correct guess on maffle, so my total should be 3.

While I'm whining - could a little more time be given to each round? I missed the vote by virtue of being out of the office on Friday, and could have failed to guess correctly if given more time (but at least I would have given someone else a point).

On a non-whining note: zymurgy, typically the last entry in the dictionary, is "a branch of applied chemistry that deals with fermentation processes." I used to work in a microbrewery, and the brewer had a master's degree in zymurgy, and a masterful touch as well. But what's up with zumic and zymurgy? They look pretty similar and have very similar meanings, but why the u/y switch, and the i/u switch? Any info on etymological relationships on these two wonders of the world?

>my total should be 3.
yes. I think i copied the wrong scoresheet for basing my update. oops.

>could a little more time be given to each round?
the polls were open from Th evening until M morning at 10, but the only rush was me wanting to get the thing off my plate.

as to the etymology, you're definitely on to something. I'll post the OED entry when I can copy it, but essentially it relates to some folks back in the mists of recorded usage getting it wrong.

zymic - In actual use zumic ("zju;mIk). [f. Gr. ? leaven + -ic.]
Pertaining to or connected with fermentation; formerly applied to a supposed acid (afterwards shown to be impure lactic acid) obtained by fermentation of starchy substances.
1817 T. Thomson Syst. Chem. (ed. 5) II. 189 Of Zumic Acid. I give this name to an acid recently discovered by M. Braconnot. 1826 Henry Elem. Chem. II. 241.

one vote for himself...what's up with that?

Well, tsuwm, when I looked over the entries I found myself in the ironic position of actually liking mine, bluff that it was, the best! So rather than throw a vote away to the wind, and since I already had the venerable Max on board and it was early in the vote, I thought I'd add a plug for my definition in hopes of, perhaps, instigating a trend.
And since I captured the 3 points I might have won with a wild guess, maybe it worked!

not believing (my definition)

And, mav, actually the second part of my bluff def is absolutely true...children in the 19th Century would pluck nodules of sap from spruce and balsam trees, pop them into their mouth until they softened up, and chew them as the first 'chewing gum.' Today's gums, of course, are just artificial concoctions based on that practice!
As William Blake once said,
A truth that's told with bad intent
Beats all the lies you can invent!

But why am I giving all my "trade" secrets away?

one vote for himself...what's up with that?

let me explain myself through more proper use of ellipsis...
garnered five(5) votes for his chewing gum entry (...) -- what's up with that??

but you mostly answered the question when you addressed mav, I guess. <shrug>

the second part of my bluff def is absolutely true

as an interesting aside, while we're talking gamesmanship, I almost left this second part out, as it didn't seem to add anything definition-wise, and looked out-of-place to me. but I figured, "nah, he put it in -- who am I to try to make his bluff read better."

I think I should get some points for some reason.
(How about consistent non scoring?)

what's up with that?...and...it didn't seem to add anything definition-wise, etc.

So, tsuwm, are we alluding to the dubiosity of my definition after I pulled the second highest talley of votes?...are the grapes getting sour?
And you almost muffed my bluff there, huh? No,no,no!...it's not nice to be a bluff muffer!

it's not nice to be a bluff muffer!
But it's nicer than being a muff bluffer...[shrug]

>are the grapes getting sour?

could be. or maybe you coulda conned ten and been a contender....

...coulda been a contender

...I coulda been somebody!

Well, that's my best Brando, take it or leave it! Hmmm...that's my best Brando...we could make that into a new phrase, couldn't we? And unlike the anonymous origin of the full monty the dictionaries of the future will always say...Origin: AWADtalk discussion board, from the famous Wordsmith.org website at the turn of the 21st Century! See, Anu! AWAD and Wordsmith could ultimately become shapers of the language! Or a part of it even! They'll be offering college courses about this site! (delete all my posts, please!)
So, you see, tsuwm...maybe we can all still be contenduhs...no matter how many Hogwash votes we brilliantly maneuver our way ('con," indeed! ) And, now, for the next round, lemme make you an offer you can't refuse!

[edit] Actually, Anu already has added a word to the lexicon, linguaphile! Origin: Wordsmith.org is a reality, folks! So posterity is already destined to take note of all that happens here!

muff bluffer

Jackie, my dear...I believe you just coined the long-sought antonym for bleep teaser! Ladies be warned!
Skedaddle!...here come the GP's!

it's nicer than being a muff bluffer...

Oh no, not ANOTHER merkin thread!
Rod

Oh no, not ANOTHER merkin thread!

Well, Rod and W. O., if there is a college course developed about AWADtalk, I think it might be appropriate if it were taught by Sparteye's prof. Harry Mirken...!

::tweeeeeeeeet:: what's all this then??
I'm going to have to deduct a point from each of you for lewd and lascivious behavior in a gaming zone.
-joe friday, Prefect of the GP and Adjunct Scoring Tsar (PoGAST)

I just wanted to have all bases covered since I wasn't sure if my defenition was close enough!