November 2023 Newsletter

Welcome to November's edition of Philosopher's Tone! I'm your host, Professor Rebus, and I'm delighted to have you aboard the Pitcherwits™ Express. What can you expect? A monthly dose of bonus puzzles, wisdom and snippets about the English language! I hope you enjoy this month's publication.

A quick reminder that the puzzle PDF downloads are now fillable, meaning you can fill them out on your computer instead of having to print them. Before you try to fill them in, save the file to your desktop first instead of opening the file in your internet browser, otherwise they won't work properly.

Onwards!

  • Standing up for what is right is good, but it doesn’t guarantee you popularity. But shouldn’t you still do it?

  • Climbing up the ladder of success? Great, but is it leaning up against the right building?

  • Problems in life can be real hurdles. But can’t hurdles be climbed?

  • You cannot just sit your way to success. (Unless you are a hen?)

  • Many little people, in many little places, doing many little things, can change the world.

  1. Colubrid (1) slimy (2) snake (3) poisonous mushroom

  2. Machicolation (1) fortress feature (2) chewing (3) colour grading

  3. Inosculate (1) lengthy kissing (2) unwavering (3) fit together

  4. Scalenus (1) small tendon (2) chest muscle (3) skin problem

  5. Geniculate (1) having a knee joint (2) sharply bent (3) bowing position

From the initials and the clue, what’s the phrase?

  1. D.N.T.T.A.H. Mustn’t be attempted domestically

  2. W.A.T.W.? Have you forgotten those actually doing the job?

  3. L.H.I.U.A.D. Everyone has good and bad times.

  4. T.M.C.S.T.B. An excess of contributors ruins the end product.

  5. R.C.A.D. Throwing it down.

What are the rhyming phrases suggested by these clues?

  1. P.C. Pop for Antarctica?

  2. B.D. Earth mover of greater proportions

  3. B.F. Superior cheese?

  4. S.D. Drenched hound

  5. S.C. Brilliant barrel man

Chuckle Lines

  • “A sure cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree.” - Spike Milligan

  • “I regard golf as an expensive way of playing marbles.” - A part of G. K. Chesterton’s view of sport

  • “If you resolve to give up smoking, drinking and loving, you don’t actually live longer; it just feels like it.” - Clement Freud (before the development of food science!)

  • “My favourite drink is a cocktail of carrot juice and whisky. I am always drunk, but I can see for miles.” - Roy Brown

  • “The first time Adam had the chance, he put the blame on a woman.” - Nancy Astor

  • “Bloke on TV who goes on about how bl**dy great animals are all the time. He forgets that it wasn’t an animal who invented the TV or the safari suit.” - David Baddiel on David Attenborough

 

Signing off until next time...

Professor Rebus

Solve clues with us on Instagram at @pitcherwits

Answers:

What’s the meaning?
1. b
2. a
3. c
4. b
5. b

What’s that phrase?
1. Do not try this at home
2. What about the workers?
3. Life has its ups and downs
4. Too many cooks spoil the broth
5. Raining cats and dogs

Rhyme time
1. Polar cola
2. Bigger digger
3. Better feta
4. Soggy doggy
5. Super cooper

Professor Rebus