Greetings fellow addicts! This game is a slight twist on the old schooldays word guessing game to gently tickle your grey cells. Here, the guessers start off by building 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...

Rather than being limited to a single word the puzzle will often be a title or character, adding a flavour of the game of charades.

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). [If having to do this deters you from playing, feel free not to bother.]

(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; on the other hand, do not hesitate to steal a game from under someone else's nose!

(vi) The setter keeps score by posting a list of wrong guesses and the number of steps remaining.

(vii) Once only two steps remain, single letter guesses are permitted.

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

(ix) 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.

(x) Apostrophes will not be shown, and any letter 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). Any other punctuation will usually be omitted (including hyphens).

(xi) 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 head - game over!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/PandoraSD/Hangman/H10.gif

:holidays: :reindeer:


The next puzzle will shortly be set by shroeder.

Sorry for the delay. Was traveling all day to the in laws for the start of our holiday.

Another movie (6,2)

_ T O O O R / _ _

Incorrect Guesses: E
Steps remaining: 6

T, E

T is good

O and R.

Both very good

Doctor No.

(Doctor) yes!

Another film title (even older than Dr No) in two words 5,9:

_ T T E A * _ R S S I I M _ _

White Christmas unwrapped by manxman

Wrong guesses: N
Steps remaining: 6

:christmas:

T, E

BTW I thought the movie's title was Dr. No

Both correct and I also think that strictly speaking you are right about Dr No, but it seems like a pardonable smoke screen to expand the contraction!

I hope that you and the tribe have a great day.

Thanks Lex. Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas

A, N

A but no N.

R, S

Both on target.

I, M

And again.

About now shroeder will come by and post the answer...

White Christmas

Bing-o!

Thanks Lex A video game title this time

S A A N R _ _ _ _ _ (10) one word

Sanitarium guessed by Lex

incorrect guesses: E, O
steps remaining: 5

A and N.

good choices

E and R.

R is good

O and S.

S is good

Sanitarium, methinks.

Youthinks correctly

This is another video game, one word 11 letters:

_ A N E O R R L S D D

Borderlands unscrambled by manxman.

Wrong guesses: TI
Steps remaining: 5

A, N

Lex, we hope you and yours had a great start to 2015

Both good.

And New Year Wishes warmly reciprocated!

Let's try the usual T, E

E but no T.

O, R

Both good.

L, S (completely stumped on this one)

Well those are two more correct guesses in any event!

I, D

D (twice) but no I.

Borderlands
I haven't heard of this game till now

Correct: it's a FPS which I think is having a bit of a boost because of a sequel and/or prequel.

thanks Lex A book title (7 letters)

R E A L I _ _

incorrect guesses: N, T, C
steps remaining: 4

E and R.

Now that was a fortunate choice of letters

It certainly bodes well, but I still have no idea of the title...!

A and N.

A is good

L and T.

L is good

I and C.

I is good

Revival.

You survived that one Lex.

Another book title, in two words 4,8:

G T A A * M N N O R I U _

Gray Mountain decoded by manxman.


Wrong guesses: ELD
Steps remaining: 4

T, E

T but no E.

Hmmmmm A, N

Both doubly good!

O, R

Both good.

I, L

I but no L.

D, G

G but not D.

M, U

Both good.

Gray Mountain

Correct: I knew that you must be toying with me, but I still kept checking again whether i had the letters right!

Thanks Lex. For some reason, that was a toughie. Lucky on the guesses

A movie title this time. (10) letters. _ A I O N N T G D D

incorrect guesses: E
steps remaining: 6

A and E.

A is correct

I and O.

2 more good ones

N and T.

G and D.

Methinks you are toying with me now

Just wanted to check my bearings...must be Paddington! (not yet seen but on the list)

Aok

This one is a current author of fiction in two words 6,9:

R A A E R R * G T T B B _ _ _ _

Robert Galbraith all too easily solved by manxman.

Wrong guesses:
Steps remaining: 7

I'll try A and E

Two good guesses.

T, R

Another two good ones.

G, B

And again.

Robert Galbraith

Certainly is: I have just finished reading the second of the books and had debated on using the title which might have taken you and Cue a little longer to unscramble.

An author: _ E A R N S * C H O O P D (6,6)

incorrect guesses: L,T,I,G
steps remaining: 3

E and A.

both good

R and N.

Both good

L and T.

two rare misses

I and S.

S is good

C and G

C is good

Hmmmm....H and O

Well done Cue

P and D.

Joseph Conrad

right you are

Another author of fiction (late 20th century) 6,9:

L A R R E E * _ E I I L S S T _

Wrong guesses: N
Steps remaining: 6

A, R

Both good.

E, I

And again.

N, L

L but not N.

S, T

Anyone might think that you know the answer!