Just a bit of Downs history: Form's wife's nick is a sister to Mandos. I thought it was an exceedingly clever answer at the time. :rolleyes: But now I can't think of anything that would click nearly as much as that did. :rolleyes: This clue is really bugging me. :confused:

We were all thinking about the wrong Gap. *facepalm*

5. Himring.

Just to get it onto this page:

Should have guessed it, then. "Sister" was not the answer. :p

1. Nienna My wife to Mandos
2. Esgaroth Dwarves' alternative fumes
3. Isengard Oh, to be a lawn of Fangorn!
4. The "oh, leg!" of grinding.
5. Himring Men's jewelry of the Gap
6. Brethil Sounds like coughing in Menegroth
7. Ost-in-Edhil Lost in [elvish translation] by the West Gate
8. Umbar The "uh, it's blocked" of Pelargir
9. Rohan Scooby greets Star Wars, thanks to Stu

Yes to Himring--I was quite pleased with my Gap diversion. And I have obviously credited Nienna, despite SISTER being G88's actual guess. It would be too coy even for me to remain silent.

Oh, I thought it wasn't Nienna because you told Hs to look again at just one of his 3 guesses .. and Isengard was correct, which I thought was one of the three.

...

Where is the 'Neighbour' bit of Rohan, though? Did Scooby Doo's ancestors live near the border? :D

4. Groin? (Sounds like groaning?)

I actually had both Nienna and Isengard in mind when I suggested revisiting those guesses--I did try to keep it indeterminate which ones or how many.

The "thanks to Stu" was, in fact, a reference to Steward Cirion: i.e. Rohan was a neighbour thanks to him.



How are we doing on "Oh, leg!"? Cause it's not Groin.

Well. I was convinced that Nienna was specifically rejected at one point, but I guess I didn't remember properly. I thiught we went through all of the Valar whose names started with N and discarded everything. :confused: I should pay more attention.


There was something about Sandyman's mill being a good line of thought for the leg clue. I couldn't find anything imteresting on the hobbiton map. Could it be one of the -foot families? I don't think they start with G though.

No, there's Proudfoot, and I think there might be Puddifoot, but can't think of any others offhand.

Grubbs or Goodbodies could be neighbours to Sandyman, though.

A leg is a body part ....

Or GALPSI has G (Gee!) for 'oh,' and LAP for 'leg.' The 'real' version of the name Gamgee.

Or G plus LAPIS (stone, used in grinding). But leg?

No to Grubbs, no to Galpsi, no to Goodbodies.

You ARE on the right track with looking for neighbours to the Sandymans (Sandymen?).

Gamgees? 'Oh leg!' due to a game/gammy leg?

1. Nienna My wife to Mandos
2. Esgaroth Dwarves' alternative fumes
3. Isengard Oh, to be a lawn of Fangorn!
4. Gamgee The "oh, leg!" of grinding.
5. Himring Men's jewelry of the Gap
6. Brethil Sounds like coughing in Menegroth
7. Ost-in-Edhil Lost in [elvish translation] by the West Gate
8. Umbar The "uh, it's blocked" of Pelargir
9. Rohan Scooby greets Star Wars, thanks to Stu

And that's the set! "Gam, gee!" = "oh, leg!" Gam, and I don't remember anymore why I know this, is slang for leg. E.g. "my gams are aching."

Gams? Haven't heard it before, although there's 'most weak hams' in 'Hamlet' (from when Hamlet is making rude remarks about old men to Polonius). I think it means legs. I will add 'gams' to my knowledge bank.

A great choice of password; we have had so many themes now that we have to put our thinking caps on to think of new ones.

I was in a mood for writing passwords and clues the other week, and wrote another four. :D


I cast *this* one into verse, as I hope you observe:

1. Gwaihir soars above, while little Elanor runs free –
2. The branch is on the water, (the river, not the sea).
3. Alone, this one is mournful; it’s desolate and old;
4. The stork delivers cargo, (traditionally told).
5. Here’s Christmas in abundance, or so the flora says!
6. In Lorien, a songbird even here may write her lays.
7. If Smaug were filled with envy, here he’d frighten all the mutts!
8. But here the plosives flourish, and the little horse struts.

5. looks like it might be either EREGION or HOLLIN.

Right logic, but wrong answer.

3. Erui

No.

I've edited clue 2 back to the first way I wrote it, which I think sounds prettier. I only changed it because I thought it made the clue too easy.

2. Stock-brook?

No, but geographically quite close.

Thistle-brook

It isn't a brook of any kind.

Withywindle then?

Urwen, given the meaning of 'withy,' that was actually a really good guess. But not the answer.

I might give hints later on, but if I do, all the clues could tumble at once, and I want to give everyone a shot at them first.

Can 1 be Eagle&Child (or Bird & Baby)?

8. Prancing Pony?

Given that both "branch" and "bark" point at trees, and given that the Water points us to central parts of the Shire, we seem to be looking for a tree-name near the Stockbrook. But, without the map of the Shire to hand, I'm blanking on an obvious candidate.

7. Green Dragon?


Is it all things made up of 2 words? Or maybe 3, if you put "the" in front.

THE EAGLE AND CHILD: Gwaihir soars above, while little Elanor runs free –
2. The branch is on the water, (the river, not the sea).
3. Alone, this one is mournful; it’s desolate and old;
4. The stork delivers cargo, (traditionally told).
5. Here’s Christmas in abundance, or so the flora says!
6. In Lorien, a songbird even here may write her lays.
THE GREEN DRAGON: If Smaug were filled with envy, here he’d frighten all the mutts!
THE PRANCING PONY: But here the plosives flourish, and the little horse struts.

3. The Lonely Mountain? :confused:

No. ;)

Is 3. the Forsaken Inn?

Ah. 2 = The Floating Log.

It's all taverns and pubs and inns and such, eh? Dunno what can start with G though for the password.

Is 4. Bird and Baby?

6. The Golden Perch

The password is 'Inn', I think.

THE EAGLE AND CHILD: Gwaihir soars above, while little Elanor runs free –
THE FLOATING LOG: The branch is on the water, (the river, not the sea).
THE FORSAKEN INN: Alone, this one is mournful; it’s desolate and old;
THE BIRD AND BABY: The stork delivers cargo, (traditionally told).
5. Here’s Christmas in abundance, or so the flora says!
THE GOLDEN PERCH: In Lorien, a songbird even here may write her lays.
THE GREEN DRAGON: If Smaug were filled with envy, here he’d frighten all the mutts!
THE PRANCING PONY: But here the plosives flourish, and the little horse struts.

THEME: INNS, PUBS & TAVERNS

5. Ivy Bush

Good Beer? ;)

And 'Good Beer' as the password?

:(

THE EAGLE AND CHILD: Gwaihir soars above, while little Elanor runs free –
THE FLOATING LOG: The branch is on the water, (the river, not the sea).
THE FORSAKEN INN: Alone, this one is mournful; it’s desolate and old;
THE BIRD AND BABY: The stork delivers cargo, (traditionally told).
THE IVY BUSH: Here’s Christmas in abundance, or so the flora says!
THE GOLDEN PERCH: In Lorien, a songbird even here may write her lays.
THE GREEN DRAGON: If Smaug were filled with envy, here he’d frighten all the mutts!
THE PRANCING PONY: But here the plosives flourish, and the little horse struts.

THEME: INNS, PUBS & TAVERNS

It seems that G55 and Urwen posted simultaneously.