41 Replies to “Treasure Hunt Questions: Ask Here”

  4. Please clarify: #94. Ninth word should be three spaces, not four? ; also, #99: letter list is missing three letters– E S R?

    1. Oh Rats!

      Question #99 should read:

      ynx lom pcn fobe edc aos uit hour esr bed

      Question #94 is correct as it stands. The ninth word has four letters.

      1. Buttons had triple-checked the quote and finds he was in his cups. Question #94: the ninth word has three letters.

        Buttons extends apologies.

  5. Please clarify if enclosing single quote marks are missing around the first seven words of #91?

    1. Properly, the quote should be in single quotes ‘ – – – – – – – ‘ as per the text.

      The answer is: yes.

  6. Please confirm the word ‘third’ is correct in question #12? Please confirm the word ‘second’ is correct in question #13? They appear to contradict one another?

    1. 08/07/2014 4:57am

      “third” is correct in question #12.

      “second” is a typo in question #13 and should read “third”

      I do apologize. I worked the questions and answers over four times, but with complexities of this type, they still occur. Good catch. Thank you.

  8. These questions are not necessarily connected nor do they refer; however, #102 asks for a similar shape as the answer to #101. Question #103 has no connection to #s 101 or 102.

  9. Hi, Buttons,
    Please send your definition of a proper noun in #8. We are assuming you mean capitalized nouns and does this mean people’s names? If so, does the whole name count as one proper noun or does each part of the name count? For example, James Damery. Please define and confirm.
    Cheers, Daisy

  10. In the text referenced, proper nouns are capitalized and are geographic or national origin or place names. The personal name example you cite with one or two words counting would not apply to this instance.

  11. Hi Buttons! May you please clarify for me? The definition of a proper noun is “a name used for an individual person, place, or organization, spelled with initial capital letters.” However, in the case of this question, personal names are not considered proper nouns?

  12. Let me try to be a bit more helpful with this obviously vexing question since I am the one who is not crystal clear:

    The text you seek contains a word which is the answer to Question #7. That word is one of the “half-dozens” in the Canon and is then changed to the singular tense usage in arriving at the answer to Question #8.

    When you have located that word, go backward to the third proper noun appearing before it. Each of these will be geographic, national origin or place names. The third one back is the answer to question #8. Then, in question #9, you must define that proper noun (what is it?) and cite the stories where that definition appears.

  13. As many, many, work hours were expended in searching proper nouns before we were made aware that proper names were not to be considered as proper nouns in this instance, I would like to get clarification on another definition before any more time is expended. Regarding question #25: please define ‘referred to’? Is ‘referred to’ meaning, in this instance, referred to between parties in conversation within the text, or used in the canon anywhere? We believe the correct answer is referred to in conversation between Holmes and two others on one page, and then two pages later, Watson’s text mentions the one word description of the place again. Please clarify if ‘referred to’ means in conversation, or mentioned in the text anywhere at all?

    1. First, “Gwen,” a clarification. The question never mentions personal names, only proper nouns. My first answer to the question about names was ” the personal name . . . would not apply.” There has never been personal names mentioned, only proper nouns. And, in the correct textual citation (if the answer to #7 was accurate) there are no personal names as one backs up in the text (although there is a personal pronoun); therefore, you may have been looking at the wrong textual reference for the answer to #7 or the answer to #8.

      I know: it’s complex and difficult, but that is the objective. This is an historical event. The Musgrave Ritual was not clear or absolute either, unless you had all the right elements.

      In response to the second part of your question: There is no “referred to” in question #25. Is it another question possibly?

        1. Thanks. Yes, the answer is found in the text only once and is a shortened version of the full and official description. It is not directly spoken in dialogue. The closest definition of “referred to” in this question would be “named.”

  14. #26. Is this question worded properly? Unless I answered it completely wrong, an ‘uprising’ is not part of the answer to #25 (although I could relate an uprising to part of that answer). The word ‘sure’ in #26 doesn’t make sense to me.

    Thanks

    1. Dear “Kirby”

      Yes, ‘uprising’ is a fair alternative word associated with the answer to Question #26. As for the word “sure,” you may want to listen for the echo of a brogue.

  15. the sections on The Adventures and SIGN: I have been assuming that all the answers can only be in SIGN or one of the stories in the Adventures. Or are we to go ahead and range through the canon for the answers?

    1. Thanks “Daisy” . . . The SIGN section has answers all from SIGN. The Adventures section has answers from the Adventures and one (Question #112) from The Adventures and also one of the books.

  16. Please confirm the numbers (three/four) are typed correctly in question #36: Name three of these that are cited in four books/stories. Thanks.

    1. Thanks “Daisy” . . . Yes. One way to read this might be:

      After finding the last word in the previous story: that word is a thing and that thing is cited four times in the Canon thing. Name all four citations.

      For instance: let’s say the last word is “carriage.” If ‘carriage’ was used 4 times in the Canon, you would have to find each usage and name them: 4-wheel carriage (SPEC and GOLD), pony carriage (3STU), and a cabriolet carriage (HOUN). There are three carriages cited in four books.

  17. Please define an “indirect reference” to a country? [Trying to determine how these are to be counted in 1122 pages of text; I assume assumptions will have to be made.]

    1. Whoops…sorry: question #11. I’ve asked you so many questions, I guess I thought you were reading my mind by now… 😉

      1. Thank you. An example:

        Direct Reference: France

        Indirect Reference: French, Gallic, Paris, Gaul, Provence, croissant

        Indirect reference is associated with France.

  19. Please double-check and confirm the answers to #111 and #113 can only be found in The Adventures?

  20. Is it correct that the first letter in #86 is “k”? And that only one letter must be removed?

    1. Yes. It is correct as written. You add an “a” and “k” and then remove one letter from that word to arrive at another word which is part of the answer.

  21. Thank you.
    Can you please clarify for us non-native English speakers if it’s correct to assume that the term “recycles” in #112 means that Watson uses this port more than once in the Canon?

  22. Thank you, “Reggie”:

    That is correct. It means to “use again” or to “repeat”.

  23. One last question, to be sure:
    #16 by “primary” reference you mean just the name of the country or a “direct or indirect reference or allusion” as in #11? thanks.

  24. I must point out a mistake in answer #36. There is also the Spanish Embassy in WIST. So we have four embassies in four stories, if we consider the German Embassy. I didn’t include the German Embassy because it is taken for granted, but not expressely mentioned (both Von Bork and the text simply say “the embassy”). So the correct question would have been “the FOUR of these that are cited in FIVE books…”

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