A slight twist on this old schooldays word guessing game to gently tickle your grey cells. Here, the guessers start off by creating a nonsense anagram of the answer, because the setter will simply enter each correctly guessed letter (including any duplicates) into the first available space(s) in the outline, except for the first letter of each word which will be correctly placed. At some point, there will be enough letters to create scope for a guess at the answer by unscrambling them, or at least that is the general idea...

Please read the instructions carefully as these are not the usual rules of the traditional game. Hopefully everything is reasonably clear, but please do not hesitate to ask for help or clarification.

The rules

(i) The setter puts up the outline of a word or a short reasonably well-known expression in blank (so that all the other players know are the numbers of words and of letters in each word) together with an indication of the nature or category of the word/expression. An expression might be for example a book, play, film or music title or the name of a famous person or character, or perhaps a proverb or saying: it is entirely up to the setter, but please give enough of a hint to narrow the category.

(ii) Someone else posts at least two letters which he/she thinks might be in the word/expression.

(iii) The setter enters into the outline any correctly guessed letter, but only in its correct position if it is the first letter of a word: otherwise the letter and any repetition of it will simply be placed in the first available empty space (which might entirely coincidentally be its correct position). The space for the first letter of each word is therefore left blank until that letter is correctly guessed.

(iv) Meanwhile the setter also starts to add the hanged person to the gallows with one step for each incorrectly guessed letter or position of letter. Seven steps are needed to complete the victim (head, body, right leg, left leg, right arm, left arm, face).

(v) Someone posts another two (or more) letter guesses and/or a guess at the correct position in the outline of at least one of the already posted letters, and so on. There is nothing to prevent the same person from posting consecutive guesses, or even hogging an entire game.

(vi) Players are allowed to try to guess individual words of an answer consisting of more than one word. However, such a guess will be treated as separate letter or position guesses for each blank space in the word (which could therefore prove expensive if the guess is wrong).

(vii) At any stage anyone can try to guess the whole word/expression, and a wrong word/expression guess results in two steps towards the completion of the picture, but without any indication of whether any of the individual letters or words guessed are correct.

(viii) Any letter appearing in its correct position (whether coincidentally or as a result of a correct position guess, or because it is the first letter of a word) will be shown in bold italic.

(ix) Apostrophes will not be shown, and any s following an apostrophe will be counted as part of the word which it follows (so that for instance Wayne's World would be two words 6,5).

(x) The setter wins if the picture of the hanged person is completed: otherwise the person to correctly guess the word/expression is the winner, and hopefully then sets the next word/expression. Don't be afraid to have a go: there is plenty of help available if you have any difficulty, and you can always edit your way out of any errors.

Note for setters on creating the picture of the gallows and hanged person

The picture steps (kindly contributed by Pandora) are in a photobucket album on the internet which are accessed by using one of the urls (web addresses) below, and here's how you do it:

In the full reply screen one of the option buttons across the top is "enter an image" which then offers you a choice of various image positions to insert followed by a dialogue box for a url.

You just copy and paste the url you need, deleting and replacing (using the edit process) as you go through the game and want to change the picture.

[I have been using the position "non-floating image"]

The urls

The gallows, in place at the start of the game
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/PandoraSD/Hangman/G4.gif

Step one, the head of the condemned person
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/PandoraSD/Hangman/H1.gif

Step two, the body
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/PandoraSD/Hangman/H2.gif

Step three, the right leg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/PandoraSD/Hangman/H3.gif

Step four, the left leg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/PandoraSD/Hangman/H4.gif

Step five, the right arm
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/PandoraSD/Hangman/H5.gif

Step six, the left arm
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/PandoraSD/Hangman/H6.gif

Step seven, the face of death http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/PandoraSD/Hangman/H10.gif


Go on, release your inner child and make a fool of yourself!


BobH is up next...

A big thanks to Manxman for dropping that last one in my lap.

This is a 20th century author - 5, 6


I S A A C * A S I M O V - guessed by manxman


wrong guesses: E R T D N
steps left: 2

E and R.

Two misses Lex.

You're very welcome BobH

A, T

You got A manxman, times 3 and two in the right spot.

How about D and N?

Sorry Lex, no D or N

I and S.

Both good Lex!

Isaac Asimov

You got it manxman, and apologies to Lex for leaving out one of the I's after his guess. This game calls for more diligence by the setter.

Thanks BobH. Yes diligence is needed. I once told Lex that one of his letters was wrong and it wasn't. That really prolonged the puzzle

_ I N N * O _ * _ _ _ _ _ _ (three-word TV series 4,2,6)

wrong guesses:
steps left: 7

I and O.

Just got beat by Lex.

Hmm...maybe you took mine too...

It was I and N

Lex two good choices
BobH two good choices (one same as Lex)

Sorry, I got confused. I think it is right now

King of Queens

That's it BobH

Thank you manxman, we did get lucky with our first letters.

This is another author, this time contemporary - 4, 9


T O N Y * H I L L E R M A N - guessed by manxman


wrong guesses: D
steps left: 6

O and N.

BTW if you find yourself posting letters already just posted by someone else, it is okay to change you guess.

E, R

Off to a great start guys. All four are good.

T and Y.

Good again Lex.

A and D.

H, L

Impressive! Only one wrong guess and it looks like you are closing in on it.

Tony Hillerman

That's the one manxman. It's all yours.

Thanks BobH

YOGI BEAR (guessed by Lex ) (2 word name of a cartoon character 4,4 )

incorrect guesses:
steps left 7

O and R

Both good.

B and E.

Two good ones.

So it's Yogi Bear!

Hey Hey BooBoo, you win the pic-a-nic basket

This time it's a single word, a noun which also happens to be a film title - 11 letters:

PERFORMANCE - guessed by Manxman

Wrong guesses: IST
Steps left: 4

Please allow me to introduce myself...

I and S

E, T

E is good!

O, N

Both good Bob, and I should have previously (and now have) shown one E as being in the correct position.

R, A

Both on target!

P, M

Yes to both, anyone might think that you know the answer!

Performance

Oh my .. that is a blast from the past

Thanks Lex

HIGH ANXIETY guessed by Cue

incorrect guesses: D, O, R, L, S, M, C
steps left: 0

A and N.

Both good.

D and E.

E is good

O, R

Sorry, neither is good BobH

I and L.

I is good

G and S.

G is good

T and M

T is good

C and H

H is very good

High Anxiety

Well done Cue Would you like to do the honours for the next puzzle?

Thanks, manxman. I'll give 'er a go.

B I L L I E / H O L I D A Y (singer) Solved by manxman

WRONG GUESSES: N R C
STEPS REMAINING: 4

E, R

A and N.

One apiece for each of you.

C,L

One yes, one no

B, I

Two hits, manxman

Billie Holiday

I figured you had it based on you letter selections. Good solve, manxman

Thanks Cue

D E A A R S S S * F _ _ _ _ (2 word movie title 8,5)

incorrect guesses: T, O
steps left: 5

E T (phone home)

E is good

A and R.

both good Lex

O and S

S is very good

D and F.

Excellent.

Darkness Falls

That's it Lex Watch out for the tooth fairy

This one's the title of a book (a thriller) also made into a film - two words 5,6 :


B A A N _ * S _ _ _ _ _


Wrong guesses: TE
Steps remaining: 5


Just waitin' and hopin'....

T, E

Nary a one!

Well, that eliminates a lot of possibles

How about A, N

Both good.

B, S

Two too good!

Black Sunday

That's the one! Thomas Harris is still probably my favourite author: not only great stories but wonderfully well crafted writing.

Agreed Lex, I enjoyed his series on Hannibal Lecter

VALKYRIE guessed by Lex (one word movie title)

incorrect guesses: O, S, T, D, N, C, M, B, F
steps left: 0

A and O.

A is a very good choice

R and E.

Two for two

I and L.

One would think that you have it

Lex, you were cruising along

Thanks for the bump manxman, this slipped off my radar.

S and T

Good to see you back BobH. Unfortunately neither guess is good tho. The bump post was intended to be helpful

D, N

Sorry BobH

Let's go back one... C, M

No, sorry BobH

I've been otherwise engaged for a couple of days and I see that meanwhile Bob has been hanged! I don't know what the answer is yet, but will guess guess B and F from beyond the grave...

I will be away myself for a couple weeks while I get outa Dodge and regain some sanity.

Hopefully we will have this word by the time I get back.

Sorry Lex. Think WWII

Not one with which I was familiar, but by a process of elimination and google - Valkyrie!