Latest from the Department of Unwanted Puzzles
17 November, 2011
(If you are called Matt and are folk of the Dales, mathematically speaking, then I guess I should disqualify both of you from leaving answers to this.)
In each of the following, identify the phrase being loosely paraphrased or indicated. What’s the connection, and which one is the odd one out?
- Smooth guy
- Entrance to place of rest
- Lux aeterna
- When does the present arrive?
- Honestly, Bill
- Erratically circle waterspout
- Petty thieves band together
- Hurry and heave to claim ground
- Transvestite clergyman
- Laterally pierced youth
- Violently vibrate
- Principal ceremony
- Couldn’t complete it
- Isn’t it all the same?
- Humour has worn off
Update 18/11/11: answered in comments.
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Lovely post. I think I’ve got them all. But maybe you had something else in mind for some of them.
Smooth guy – Charming Man
Entrance to place of rest – Cemetery gates
Lux aeterna – a light that never goes out
When does the present arrive? – How soon is now?
Honestly, Bill – Frankly, Mr. Shankly
Erratically circle waterspout – Reel around the fountain
Petty thieves band together – Shoplifters of the world unite!
Hurry and heave to claim ground – Rush and a push and the land that we stand on is ours
Transvestite clergyman – Vicar in a tutu
Laterally pierced youth – Boy with a thorn in his side
Violently vibrate – oscillate wildly
Principal ceremony – Headmaster’s ritual
Couldn’t complete it – I started something I couldn’t finish
Isn’t it all the same? – What difference does it make?
Humour has worn off – Joke isn’t funny anymore
…and the odd one out is: Oscillate Wildly, because our favourite floppy-haired Mancunian doesn’t sing on that song.
Hi Adam. Spot on, in every respect. Out of interest, which ones were the initial give-away for you?
I actually tried this puzzle out on my Linear Algebra class (emailing them a link to the list on my website) but it seems like they neither know nor care.
The transvestite clergyman tipped me off that these were songs. Then I got Honestly, Bill (a nice one) and it wasn’t too difficult after that, once I was sure what I was looking for.