Right, Dabblers, time to get your thinking caps on, as Nige sets another fiendish Round Blogworld Quiz (see the first one here and its solution here).
Ripped off from Based on Radio 4’s long-running Round Britain Quiz, the idea is to find the link between these cryptic clues. A point for each item you get, and a cream bun if you get them all. (Brit would like to point out that he got all but one, but only after a clue…)
Here’s the question then:
Can you link a theologian and a political philosopher with a singer called Harry, a poetically named DCI, and Updike’s doughty legumes?
Clues will be given if nobody gets it, and the solution will appear tomorrow afternoon.
erk, tricky!!!
Could the singer called Harry be Debbie/ Deborah? Or it could even be Harry Secombe I suppose
You’re on the right track Worm…
It’s at times like this that I realise that I’m just not bright enough for this blog.
You’ll kick yourself when the answers come up, Stan – there’s only one part of it that’s really really tough…
OK, time for a clue – the theologian’s French…
Thanks Nige. That makes a huge difference. This has something to do with Harry Belafonte and coconuts, doesn’t it?
I fear I’d be misleading you if I said yes, Stan…
And Worm’s right about Debbie Harry…
Ah, I have it! So easy, I’m surprised I’m the first.
The answer is ‘John’.
The French theologian was John of la Rochelle and the political philosopher was obviously John Locke.
John is not just the name of John Updike (which was a red herring) but the name of John Bianchi who was the business partner of Daniel Berkeley Updike, the famous printer. The ‘doughty legumes’ are his ‘strong peas’ or his famous habit of printing a bold letter ‘p’.
John is also the name of John “Jellybean” Benitez who produced Debbie Harry’s single ‘Feel the Spin’.
As for the poetically named DCI, you mean Tom Barnaby in Midsomer Murders who was played by another John, John Nettles. The name of the character is poetic because it features in the title of ‘Drunken Barnaby’s Four Journeys to the North of England’ which were poems by Richard Braithwaite.
Now, what do I win?
Stan, your answers are far better – and certainly far funnier – than the correct ones!
Nige, you have such a rich variety of gentle ways of telling me that I’m wrong that I feel like I’m a winner every time.
And you seem to be the only one trying, Stan.
Time for another clue then – the political philosopher is English. Anyone?
Is the DCI Jane Tennyson?
The poetically named DCI is Jane Tennison aka Helen Mirren??
Jonathan and Philip – yes! And the first name’s the one you need…
Well I will hazard a guess that the legumes are peas…
Bloody know-it-alls.
And I already said ‘peas’. You’re standing on the shoulders of giants, Worm.
And not peas – but that’s close – a little more…
The singer called Harry, the poetically named DCI and a political philosopher are all linked by a certain colour of hair but where this fits in I have no idea. On the other hand, a French theologian and Jane Tennison meet in Jansenism. But then … Tennison’s creator and Updike’s legumes meet in plant. Oh no, my brain hurts.
Beans.
Indeed, dare I say: Debbie Harricot beans?
Okay, one final batch of clues…
The theologian’s associated with Geneva.
The political philosopher wrote a whale of a book.
Harry is Debbie Harry, aka…
Jane Tennison’s first name.
Legumes not peas, but a bit more – pea…
Is it to do with cartoon strips? Calvin and Hobbes, Blondie Bumstead, Jane Jetson and Peabody?
aha! well done Adelephant!!! newspaper cartoon strips! Jane is just WW2 strip Jane? and the legumes are Peanuts?
Fiendish Nige!!!
Ah – I couldn’t get the Jane one, but I should have realised Peanuts instead of Mr Peabody. Of course.
Yes well done you two – you’ve got it. Don’t fight over the cream bun!
The groundnut, or peanut (not a nut but a legume), is described as ‘the doughty legume’ in Updike’s African novel The Coup. Why that should have stuck in my mind I don’t know…
So: Calvin and Hobbes,
Blondie,
Jane,
Peanuts.
All comic strips.
Well done Adelephant, there’s genius in those genes…
no fight here! I give full credit to Adelephant!
Credit where credit is due – I’m more than happy to post your half of the bun on to you, Worm.
I am a bit irritated that Brit got one more than me though. Always one step ahead!