I know we haven't had the results of the last one yet but I have to go out in a few minutes and might not get another chance today or tomorrow to post so I'm sure you'll all forgive the overlap.

My word is

howff.

Suggestions by PM or email to robertjhale@gmail.com please.

You've got mine, Bob.

I have four so far, all of them very good.
Thinking caps on now for the rest of you.

Kalleh, caterwauller,jo, arnie jerry

so far.

I think we need a few more before I post them.

6 now plus mine and the real one

anyone else playing?

I'll post them tomorrow or Friday

Last call.
Selections will be posted tomorrow.

And up on offer this week we have

1. A place of resort. A refuge.
2. A barking cough.
3. The device that holds the work in place on a metal-working lathe. Also called "lathe center."
4. slang. A sarcastic response when someone states the obvious.
5. A tab on the heel of a shoe that helps you pull it on.
6. Lint or fluff discarded when carding wool in preparation for spinning.
7. To claim a free move in Checkers (Brit. Draughts)
8. A dark aromatic Arabic coffee.
9. (Welsh) cows, pigs; livestock in general
10. The hole into which a spoke is placed in the hub of a wooden wagon wheel.

The word looks so strange that it must be a direct import from some exotic language, so I'll vote for Number Eight.

Wow! I thought I knew the answer to this one... Hm...

I think I will take #1. No particular reason, since what I thought it was isn't there. Just sort of sounds reasonable.

Again I find myself thinking "sheesh, could be any of them." I'll take a wild guess for number 6.

6, please.

I'm completely stumped. If Jo doesn't know it what chance has a mere mortal like me got!

I can't decide (I'm hopeless with decisions) so I've asked my eldest boy Zak who's 12 and he thinks it's number 8 so I'll go with that.

It rings a faint bell with me; I have an idea it might be a Scottish word. With that in mind, 8, 9 and 10 are definitely out. Out of the rest... I go for 1.

I think it's the hole in the hub of a spinning wheel full of lint. Uhhh, no, I think I'll go along with the crowd and guess 6.

Ahem. I'll take 2; they're small.

I'll take guesses for the rest of today and post the answers tomorrow night.

Erm... 10.

As you can all see now even when they profess no knowledge of the answer the smart money goes with arnie and jo.


1. A place of resort. A refuge.
The real definition. Guessed by jo, arnie (so nothing new there then)

2. A barking cough.
Offered by Cat, fooled haberdasher

3. The device that holds the work in place on a metal-working lathe. Also called "lathe center."
Offered by jerry, fooled no-one

4. slang. A sarcastic response when someone states the obvious
Offered by Kalleh, fooled no-one

5. A tab on the heel of a shoe that helps you pull it on.
Offered by caterwauller, fooled no-one

6. Lint or fluff discarded when carding wool in preparation for spinning.
Offered by jo, fooled caterwauller, Kalleh, Asa

7. To claim a free move in Checkers (Brit. Draughts)
Offered by arnie, fooled no-one

8. A dark aromatic Arabic coffee.
Offered by me, fooled Jerry, Doad

9. (Welsh) cows, pigs; livestock in general
Offered by haberdasher, fooled no-one

10. The hole into which a spoke is placed in the hub of a wooden wagon wheel.
Offered by Asa, fooled cat.

I was familiar with the word as another name for a pub. I believe I first encountered it in a mystery novel (whose title is lost in the misty murk of the past) set in Scotland. Believing that a pub is of course another sort of refuge, if not the best sort, I made my best guess.

quote:

Believing that a pub is of course another sort of refuge, if not the best sort

Huh? Where is there a better?

Good grief, Jo and arnie again!

Who would like next?

I have a cool word. I'll do it.