Mystery Hunt 2012 Recast: COMPLETE!!!

[Scurra]

How about BBQ [QRS] Sauce?
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New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[Scurra]

Reposted for new page with additions:

Player [RQP] piano
Tesla [ABC] coil
Steffi [IHG] Graf
BBQ [QRS] Sauce
Soup [PON] Nazi
?
Deko [UTS] Scrub
Maximum [MNO] Overdrive
Sam [MLK] Kinnison
Adolf [FGH] Hitler
Drum [MLK] kit
Electric [CDE] Eel
Hemp [PON] Necklace
?
Ice [EDC] cream
Stud [DEF] finder
Benito [ONM] Mussolini
Mother [RST] Teresa
Sub [BAZ] zero
Water [RST] tower
Ivan [NML] Lendl
Old [DEF] Faithful
French [HGF] Fries
Graphic [CDE] Equaliser
Dennis [SRQ] Quaid
Kurt [TUV] Vonnegut
Puff [FED] Daddy
?
?
_________________
_{still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[Scurra]

Reading the added middle letters of the triplets in alternate patterns, going forwards then backwards (as the clues work) gives:

BR(I)NG D(R)ESSED U(P) (B?)ERGMAN DOLL TO HQ
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New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[Suspence]

Which goes along with this:
http://www.mit.edu/~puzzle/12/william_s_bergman/

So we must bring that doll to puzzle HQ, and they give us our final solution to this puzzle?
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[LordKinbote]

You bring a dressed up doll to HQ, and they say "Hey! Looks pretty good! But I have something that would look even better."

They then hand you a new piece of clothing that has its name written on the back: CRUSHED VELVET TUX.

Annnnnnd.....scene.

Next puzzle: How Hard Can It Be? by Francis Heaney and Skuld

[Scurra]

And I have to excuse myself from this one because it was one I did a large amount of work on (mostly without research!), but completely failed to get to the final step (possibly due to not needing to do the research!), so I looked at the answer some time ago.
_________________
_{still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[Suspence]

I'm assuming the pictures are in alpha order:

?
Airline pilot
?
Arms
Arrest
?
?
Bat
Botle
Brake lights
?
Brown
Butt
Car
Catch
Cats
?
?
?
Chips
?
?
?
?
Dolphins
?
Dung
Ducks
?
Explosives
Eyes
Falling
Fish
?
Goat
Goose
?
Headbutt
Heart
?
Lady Gaga
?
?
?
Microwave
Moisture
Monster?
?
Nipples
North
Open

Gotta run....
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[gftt]

Row 1: ?
Airline pilot
Animals
Arms
Arrest
Autumn
Banned
Bat
Bottle

Row 2: Brake lights
Breath
Brown
Butt
Car
Catch
Cats
Chelsea Flower Show
Chest

Row 3: Crack cocaine
Crisps
Custard
Daydream
?
Documentary [Channel]
Dolphins
?
Droppings

Row 4: Ducks
Earwax
Explosives
Eyes
Falling
Fish
Fluorescence?
Goat
Goose

Row 5: Ham?
Headbutt
Heart
?
Lady Gaga
Legs
Magnesium
Mark Webber
Microwave

Row 6: Moisture
Monster?
Night
Nipples
North
Open
Pop
potted plants
Records

Row 7: Releasing
Roam
Rubens Barrichello
Russell Brand
skin
sleep
Slow
Star Wars
Steve

Row 8: Sucks
Teeth
Testes
Testicle (again!?)
The Da Vinci Code
Ticks
Tongue
?
Tramp

Row 9: Tree
Turkish delight
upside-down??
Voice
Watch
Wolves
Wood
York

[Suspence]

The island between Tongue and Tramp is Bougainville Island, PNG. Not sure where the T comes in yet.

#19 Crack cocaine
#53 Potted plants
#55 Releasing
#60 Sleep - http://www.answers.com/topic/slow-wave-sleep
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[novice]

Square wave: Digital
Bottles: Drawer?
Steamship: Ironclad?

[Suspence]

[Suspence]

It seems to relate to this:
http://www.sporcle.com/games/mswlhljtp/thestig

His droppings have been found as far north as York.
The drinks cabinet in his car contains fourteen different types of custard
If he could be bothered, he could crack the Da Vinci code in 43 seconds.
His skin has the texture of dolphins
He thought Star Wars was a documentary.
His earwax tastes like Turkish Delight

http://topgear.wikia.com/wiki/The_Stig/Introductions
http://www.topgearbox.com/stig-quotes/
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[Suspence]

* All his legs are hydraulic (The steamship = HYDRAULIC?)
* All his potted plants are called Steve
* He can catch fish with his tongue
* He can open a beer bottle with his testes
* He could crack the Da Vinci code in 43 seconds
* He has a digital face
* He lives in a tree
* He once threw a microwave oven at a tramp
* He once tore a goat in half
* He roams around the woods at night foraging for wolves
* He sleeps upside down like a bat
* He spent all week daydreaming about what Rubens Barrichello would look like in a ham slicer
* He sucks the moisture from ducks
* He thinks crisps are animals
* He thought Star Wars was a documentary
* He was arrested for goosing Russell Brand
* He’s been banned from the Chelsea Flower Show
* He’s recently been releasing pop records under the pseudonym of Lady Gaga
* His breath smells of magnesium
* His droppings have been found as far north as York
* His earwax tastes like Turkish Delight
* His favorite airline pilot is Mark Webber
* His heart ticks like a watch
* His nipples are explosive
* His skin has the texture of a dolphin’s
* His teeth glow in the dark
* His voice can only be heard by cats
* If you insult his mother, he will headbutt you in the chest. (I don't see MOTHER on the picture list)
* In the autumn all his arms go brown and fall off
* One of his eyes is a teste
* The drinks cabinet in his car contains fourteen different types of custard
* When he slows down break lights come on in his buttocks
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[novice]

Monster? is Mother.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_(energy_drink)

[Suspence]

Every word is used once. It appears these gems are offered once during each episode of a show called Top Gear. Perhaps the fill-in crossword needs the episode names?
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[novice]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Hydraulic_(SP-2584)

I don't think the episodes have names. Maybe use the first car tested in each episode.

[gftt*]

Unless I've miscounted, there are 32 clues yet 38 words in the crossword...?

[novice]

[Suspence]

Aston Martin DBR9 * All his legs are hydraulic
Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 / Roush Mustang * All his potted plants are called Steve
Wiesmann MF 3 / TVR Tuscan* He can catch fish with his tongue
Gumpert Apollo * He can open a beer bottle with his testes
Lotus Exige S * He could crack the Da Vinci code in 43 seconds
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 * He has a digital face
TVR Sagaris * He lives in a tree
Jaguar XKR * He once threw a microwave oven at a tramp
Cosworth Impreza STI CS400 / Ford Focus RS500 * He once tore a goat in half
Mercedes-Benz CLS55 AMG * He roams around the woods at night foraging for wolves
Maserati MC12 * He sleeps upside down like a bat
Audi R8 V10 Spyder / Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet * He spent all week daydreaming about what Rubens Barrichello would look like in a ham slicer
Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 * He sucks the moisture from ducks
Mercedes AMG SL65 Black * He thinks crisps are animals
Honda Civic Type-R * He thought Star Wars was a documentary
Brabus S Biturbo roadster * He was arrested for goosing Russell Brand
BMW Z4 M * He’s been banned from the Chelsea Flower Show
Ferrari 458 Italia * He’s recently been releasing pop records under the pseudonym of Lady Gaga
Aston Martin DB5 / Jaguar E-Type * His breath smells of magnesium
Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione * His droppings have been found as far north as York
Porsche Cayman * His earwax tastes like Turkish Delight
Porsche Boxster Spyder * His favorite airline pilot is Mark Webber
Ferrari F430 / Ferrari F430 Spider * His heart ticks like a watch
Pagani Zonda R * His nipples are explosive
Ascari KZ1 * His skin has the texture of a dolphin’s
Volkswagen Golf R32 / BMW 130i * His teeth glow in the dark
Vauxhall Astra VXR / BMW M5 * His voice can only be heard by cats
Ford Mondeo ST220 / Mazda 6 MPS / Vauxhall Vectra VX-R * If you insult his mother, he will headbutt you in the chest.
BMW 760Li / Mercedes S63 * In the autumn all his arms go brown and fall off
BMW M3 Saloon / Lexus ISF * One of his eyes is a teste
BMW X5 M / Audi Q7 V12 * The drinks cabinet in his car contains fourteen different types of custard
Vauxhall VXR8 * When he slows down break lights come on in his buttocks

Too many cars this way (44)...maybe just the makers? Though it seems like some clues would be unnecessary if this were the case. There are mutliple clues where Porsche is by itself. Actually, only 25 different makers appear...
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[MNOWAX]

wow i stumbled on this on the right time!

Did someone say anything about Top Gear?

Check the stars in a reasonable priced car, there are 32 episodes
mentioned, but there was a certain time where they had two guests on each time.

that might give you your extra six.
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MNOWAX

[Suspence]

That gets us 4 extra, taking us to 36, unless I've somehow missed some

David Dimbleby
Billie Piper
Christopher Eccleston
Jay Kay
Philip Glenister
Gordon Ramsay / The Stig
Justin Hawkins
Jamie Oliver
Jonathan Ross
James Nesbitt
Jack Dee
Andy Garcia
Kristin Scott Thomas
Michael McIntyre
Lawrence Dallaglio
Simon Pegg
Ewan McGregor
Jeff Goldblum
Damon Hill
Fiona Bruce / Kate Silverton
Ian Wright
Alastair Campbell
Tim Rice
Simon Pegg / Nick Frost
Trevor Eve
David Walliams
Chris Evans
Brian Cox
Eric Bana
Kevin McCloud
Guy Ritchie
James Blunt / Lewis Hamilton
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[gftt*]

Maybe something to think about - whatever is used to fill in the grid, it runs from 3 letters long to 18 and 19 letters long. Anybody with a 19-letter last name? Or is there a car model that goes by such a long name?

3 letters: 1
4: 1
5: 1
6: 8
7: 6
8: 2
9: 1
10: 3
11: 3
12: 4
13: 3
14: 1
15: 1
16: 1
18: 1
19: 1

It's a bimodal distribution, strangely.

[novice]

Aha.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Gear_challenges#How_hard_can_it_be.3F

[novice]

Sorted by episode:

06x01
Mercedes-Benz CLS55 AMG * He roams around the woods at night foraging for wolves 

06x02
Maserati MC12 * He sleeps upside down like a bat 

06x03
Wiesmann MF 3 / TVR Tuscan* He can catch fish with his tongue 

06x05
Aston Martin DB5 / Jaguar E-Type * His breath smells of magnesium  

06x06
Aston Martin DBR9 * All his legs are hydraulic 

06x07
TVR Sagaris * He lives in a tree 

06x08
Ferrari F430 / Ferrari F430 Spider * His heart ticks like a watch 

06x09
Vauxhall Astra VXR / BMW M5 * His voice can only be heard by cats 

07x01
Ascari KZ1 * His skin has the texture of a dolphin’s 

07x02
Porsche Cayman * His earwax tastes like Turkish Delight 

07x06
Volkswagen Golf R32 / BMW 130i * His teeth glow in the dark 

08x02
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 * He has a digital face 

08x03
Lotus Exige S * He could crack the Da Vinci code in 43 seconds 

08x04
BMW Z4 M * He’s been banned from the Chelsea Flower Show 

08x06
Ford Mondeo ST220 / Mazda 6 MPS / Vauxhall Vectra VX-R * If you insult his mother, he will headbutt you in the chest. 

09x01
Jaguar XKR * He once threw a microwave oven at a tramp 

09x04
Brabus S Biturbo roadster * He was arrested for goosing Russell Brand 

09x05
Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 * He sucks the moisture from ducks 

09x06
Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 / Roush Mustang * All his potted plants are called Steve 

10x06
Honda Civic Type-R * He thought Star Wars was a documentary 

10x08
Vauxhall VXR8 * When he slows down break lights come on in his buttocks 

11x04
Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione * His droppings have been found as far north as York

11x06
Gumpert Apollo * He can open a beer bottle with his testes 

12x05
BMW M3 Saloon / Lexus ISF * One of his eyes is a teste 

13x03
Mercedes AMG SL65 Black * He thinks crisps are animals 

14x01
BMW 760Li / Mercedes S63 * In the autumn all his arms go brown and fall off 

14x04
BMW X5 M / Audi Q7 V12 * The drinks cabinet in his car contains fourteen different types of custard 

15x02
Porsche Boxster Spyder * His favorite airline pilot is Mark Webber 

15x04
Audi R8 V10 Spyder / Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet * He spent all week daydreaming about what Rubens Barrichello would look like in a ham slicer 

15x06
Ferrari 458 Italia * He’s recently been releasing pop records under the pseudonym of Lady Gaga 

16x05
Cosworth Impreza STI CS400 / Ford Focus RS500 * He once tore a goat in half 

16x06
Pagani Zonda R * His nipples are explosive 

[novice]

I thought the "How hard can it be" pointed us to that specific recurring feature, but it doesn't map to the episode numbers. So the puzzle title was probably just meant to point us to the Top Gear show.

[MNOWAX]

[Suspence]

Sorry for misusing this thread, but gftt seems to live here. gftt, could you check in with me on the status of your puzzle for the meta we are planning. I've PMd you, but I know you usually don't log in. Thanks!

As for what to do next on this Top Gear puzzle, I've no clue.
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[novice]

[MNOWAX]

I'm at a total roadblock on this.
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MNOWAX

[gftt*]

I'm certainly ready to move on. Unless someone can find three more celebs (Simon Pegg is listed twice) or figure out a good way to delete 6 cars there's not much we can do here.

[Suspence]

Is the Stig always the one who test drives the cars? Maybe on certain episodes someone else drove one of the listed cars. That could be a way to eliminate them. But still, do they fit into the spaces provided?
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[LordKinbote]

I'll post another puzzle tonight, but a hint for you:

1) Some of you have had the right idea for what needs to go in the grid (though I think there are 39 things, not 38).

2) If you watch the episodes, the information that needs to be entered into the grid is presented in a non-ambiguous way.

[Scurra]

Yes, it was that second point which I had missed, but it resolves everything quite neatly.

(As I said, my problem was that I recognised the title reference and knew it was the Stig straight away, so got pretty much all the phrases without needing to look any of them up. But that meant that I didn't take the next logical step, even though it was really obvious.)
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_{still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[gftt*]

[gftt*]

As penance for miscounting, I'll contribute this:

3 letters: 0 horizontal-1 vertical
4: 1-0
5: 0-1
6: 2-6
7: 6-0
8: 2-0
9: 1-0
10: 2-2
11: 3-0
12: 1-3
13: 0-3
14: 0-1
15: 0-1
16: 0-1
18: 1-0
19: 1-0

Watch me be wrong again.

[Suspence]

[LordKinbote]

[Suspence]

So, I watched a bit of an episode. It seems like they keep track of the best Power Laps times with a magnetic board. Each time they record has the car's name handwritten. Like so:

Maybe we are looking for the name they use on that board?
http://www.topgearbox.com/power-lapboard/
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[Suspence]

Here's an image of the board on the show:


So it seems that this is trying to be an exact replica:
http://www.topgearbox.com/power-lapboard/

Unfortunately, I don't see any cars listed as just 3 letters, so maybe that is out the window.
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[MNOWAX]

I have every single Top Gear episode from 2002-2012.

I'm still looking for anything that is particular. There are only a handful of times that the Stig ( as in White Stig) didn't drive the power lap. the most notable was with the newest FXX, where they had Michael Shumacher drive around the track because Ferrari didn't trust the show's Stig to not damage the car.

Also interesting to note, other than the 16X05 and 16X06, all of the other episodes mentioned had Ben Collins portray"the Stig" and did the laps.

I have them all queued up and i'll watch them one after another again tonight.
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MNOWAX