A puzzle for old time's sake

QuikSand · 04-20-2010, 10:08 AM

Back in the day, I/we used to do quite a lot of these around here. In the modern internet world, it's harder and harder to post a puzzle that someone can't just search-engine through... so this is an original. As usual, the caveat applies: I think this is challenging but get-able, but I may well be misjudging its difficulty, in either direction.

As many of you know, I am something of a birdwatcher. A while back, we put up a new thistle seed feeder outside our house. As birds started to discover it, we (in keeping with our household) gave nicknames to the birds we started to see.

The Puzzle: What nickname did we give to the second, larger, bird that became a regular at our new feeder?

No, I don't intend to answer questions or anything... in theory, you have enough to noodle this one out.

cartman · 04-20-2010, 10:11 AM

KWhit · 04-20-2010, 10:15 AM

Good guess.

KWhit · 04-20-2010, 10:15 AM

Lenny?

MikeVic · 04-20-2010, 10:15 AM

Cartman

albionmoonlight · 04-20-2010, 10:17 AM

Daddy

dacman · 04-20-2010, 10:18 AM

Big Bird

spleen1015 · 04-20-2010, 10:19 AM

Big Norm

MikeVic · 04-20-2010, 10:19 AM

Wait can I change my answer to 2/3?

cartman · 04-20-2010, 10:20 AM

If not Norm, then Tiny

spleen1015 · 04-20-2010, 10:20 AM

Peewee

spleen1015 · 04-20-2010, 10:20 AM

Moose

Swaggs · 04-20-2010, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cartman

Norm

I can't top that. Good guess.

Dr. Sak · 04-20-2010, 10:23 AM

heybrad

QuikSand · 04-20-2010, 10:25 AM

Nothing wrong with these guesses, but nothing in the right neck of the woods yet. I'll offer this... the correct answer would not be reachable just out of thin air, but only by taking and using some of the information that I have given you in the setup, and using it along with some degree of common sense.

Dr. Sak · 04-20-2010, 10:27 AM

albionmoonlight · 04-20-2010, 10:29 AM

According to the interwebs, thistle seed seems to attract finches.

So, I still got nothin', but maybe that's a clue.

albionmoonlight · 04-20-2010, 10:30 AM

Bully

MikeVic · 04-20-2010, 10:31 AM

Atticus

albionmoonlight · 04-20-2010, 10:34 AM

Good one, Mike.

I'll guess Jem along those lines.

rjolley · 04-20-2010, 10:41 AM

Number Two or Will Riker

JPhillips · 04-20-2010, 10:43 AM

Clark

Celeval · 04-20-2010, 10:46 AM

Sidd?

Passacaglia · 04-20-2010, 10:48 AM

Two-can

dwardzala · 04-20-2010, 10:52 AM

Junior

MrBug708 · 04-20-2010, 10:53 AM

Dean Houston

cartman · 04-20-2010, 10:56 AM

W.C. Fields (from My Little Chickadee)

Butter · 04-20-2010, 10:56 AM

Big Blue

chesapeake · 04-20-2010, 11:06 AM

Chicken Little

QuikSand · 04-20-2010, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Good one, Mike.

I'll guess Jem along those lines.

Okay, Mike made leap #2 in the chain. And this is the closest answer so far, at least in spirit. Wrong answer, but you have 2/3 of the logical steps on the way to the right answer.

albionmoonlight · 04-20-2010, 11:16 AM

Boo?
Scout?

tyketime · 04-20-2010, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Clark

Toddzilla · 04-20-2010, 11:38 AM

Operation Shutdown?

cartman · 04-20-2010, 11:39 AM

Lennie Small

MIJB#19 · 04-20-2010, 11:49 AM

Because of the household hint, it probably is something -issy or such, or a link to the color of the bird, or even a hint of the tweeting dialect of the bird. And there's another hint on the size of the bird. Usually the first birds to appear are the more assertive ones.

I'm not too familiar with the 'birdopedia' of Maryland, but something like "big bird" or something else from Sesame Street? "Oscar", maybe?

QuikSand · 04-20-2010, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Good one, Mike.

I'll guess Jem along those lines.

Okay, I will elaborate.

Clue #1 was to figure out that the bird is a finch... check

Clue #2 was to figure out that the first finch we start seeing is going to get nicknamed Atticus... check

Clue #3 gets you home.

MIJB#19 · 04-20-2010, 11:56 AM

Spartacus?

MIJB#19 · 04-20-2010, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

Spartacus?

Already regret this reply after finding out what a 'finch' is. Not to mention who 'Atticus' is...

Pumpy Tudors · 04-20-2010, 11:59 AM

David Spade

albionmoonlight · 04-20-2010, 12:02 PM

Gregory Peck

QuikSand · 04-20-2010, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Gregory Peck

That's actually better than what we came up with.

Ours is more childish, and based on a clue embedded in the puzzle above.

Celeval · 04-20-2010, 12:05 PM

Scout, then?

Edit: Sorry, didn't see that as a guess above.

What about Rufus?

Ronnie Dobbs2 · 04-20-2010, 12:06 PM

Howard Beale

TurnerONU22 · 04-20-2010, 12:09 PM

Childish and in the puzzle..

Fatticus?

cartman · 04-20-2010, 12:12 PM

Jenny

QuikSand · 04-20-2010, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TurnerONU22

Childish and in the puzzle..

Fatticus?

Winnar.

dacman · 04-20-2010, 12:12 PM

Luigi

cartman · 04-20-2010, 12:13 PM

Jim Crow?

QuikSand · 04-20-2010, 12:14 PM

The second finch started showing up a day or two after the first one, who we predictably has started calling Atticus. He was noticeably larger, looked sort of puffed-up (might have been feathers as much as anything) but in short order he was styled "Fatticus." *shurg*

All told, nice work, I think. I underestimated the number of more legitimate highbrow directions to go with the nicknames, but I don't think the clues were really untoward to get you there.

molson · 04-20-2010, 12:30 PM

All I know is that I want to start a bird sanctuary with every bird taking a name from this thread.

04-20-2010, 10:18 AM	#7
dacman College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: speak to the trout	Big Bird __________________ No signatures allowed.

04-20-2010, 10:19 AM	#8
spleen1015 Coordinator Join Date: Sep 2003	Big Norm __________________ Why choose failure when success is an option?

04-20-2010, 10:20 AM	#10
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	If not Norm, then Tiny __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint

04-20-2010, 10:20 AM	#11
spleen1015 Coordinator Join Date: Sep 2003	Peewee __________________ Why choose failure when success is an option?

04-20-2010, 10:20 AM	#12
spleen1015 Coordinator Join Date: Sep 2003	Moose __________________ Why choose failure when success is an option?

04-20-2010, 10:11 AM	#2
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	Norm __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint

04-20-2010, 10:15 AM	#3
KWhit Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Conyers GA	Good guess.

04-20-2010, 10:15 AM	#5
MikeVic Head Coach Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hometown of Canada	Cartman

04-20-2010, 10:17 AM	#6
albionmoonlight Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: North Carolina	Daddy

04-20-2010, 10:23 AM	#14
Dr. Sak Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Stuck in Yinzerville, PA	heybrad

04-20-2010, 10:25 AM	#15
QuikSand lolzcat Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Annapolis, Md	Nothing wrong with these guesses, but nothing in the right neck of the woods yet. I'll offer this... the correct answer would not be reachable just out of thin air, but only by taking and using some of the information that I have given you in the setup, and using it along with some degree of common sense.

04-20-2010, 10:27 AM	#16
Dr. Sak Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Stuck in Yinzerville, PA	Tex

04-20-2010, 10:29 AM	#17
albionmoonlight Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: North Carolina	According to the interwebs, thistle seed seems to attract finches. So, I still got nothin', but maybe that's a clue.

04-20-2010, 10:30 AM	#18
albionmoonlight Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: North Carolina	Bully

04-20-2010, 10:31 AM	#19
MikeVic Head Coach Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hometown of Canada	Atticus

04-20-2010, 10:34 AM	#20
albionmoonlight Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: North Carolina	Good one, Mike. I'll guess Jem along those lines.

04-20-2010, 10:41 AM	#21
rjolley College Starter Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Roseville, CA	Number Two or Will Riker

04-20-2010, 10:43 AM	#22
JPhillips Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Newburgh, NY	Clark __________________ To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.. - Mr. Rogers

04-20-2010, 10:46 AM	#23
Celeval Pro Starter Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Cary, NC, USA	Sidd?

04-20-2010, 10:48 AM	#24
Passacaglia Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Big Ten Country	Two-can

04-20-2010, 10:52 AM	#25
dwardzala H.S. Freshman Team Join Date: Nov 2004	Junior

04-20-2010, 10:53 AM	#26
MrBug708 Head Coach Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Whittier	Dean Houston

04-20-2010, 10:56 AM	#27
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	W.C. Fields (from My Little Chickadee) __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint Last edited by cartman : 04-20-2010 at 10:57 AM.

04-20-2010, 10:56 AM	#28
Butter Coordinator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Dayton, OH	Big Blue __________________ My listening habits

04-20-2010, 11:06 AM	#29
chesapeake College Starter Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Arlington, VA	Chicken Little

04-20-2010, 11:16 AM	#31
albionmoonlight Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: North Carolina	Boo? Scout?

04-20-2010, 11:38 AM	#33
Toddzilla Pro Starter Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Burke, VA	Operation Shutdown?

04-20-2010, 11:39 AM	#34
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	Lennie Small __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint

04-20-2010, 11:49 AM	#35
MIJB#19 Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Maassluis, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands	Because of the household hint, it probably is something -issy or such, or a link to the color of the bird, or even a hint of the tweeting dialect of the bird. And there's another hint on the size of the bird. Usually the first birds to appear are the more assertive ones. I'm not too familiar with the 'birdopedia' of Maryland, but something like "big bird" or something else from Sesame Street? "Oscar", maybe? __________________ * 2005 Golden Scribe winner for best FOF Dynasty about IHOF's Maassluis Merchantmen * Former GM of GEFL's Houston Oilers and WOOF's Curacao Cocktail

04-20-2010, 11:56 AM	#37
MIJB#19 Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Maassluis, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands	Spartacus? __________________ * 2005 Golden Scribe winner for best FOF Dynasty about IHOF's Maassluis Merchantmen * Former GM of GEFL's Houston Oilers and WOOF's Curacao Cocktail

04-20-2010, 11:59 AM	#39
Pumpy Tudors Bounty Hunter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Pittsburgh, PA	David Spade __________________ No, I am not Batman, and I will not repair your food processor.

04-20-2010, 12:02 PM	#40
albionmoonlight Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: North Carolina	Gregory Peck

04-20-2010, 12:05 PM	#42
Celeval Pro Starter Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Cary, NC, USA	Scout, then? Edit: Sorry, didn't see that as a guess above. What about Rufus? Last edited by Celeval : 04-20-2010 at 12:08 PM.

04-20-2010, 12:06 PM	#43
Ronnie Dobbs2 Pro Rookie Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Bahston Mass	Howard Beale __________________ There's no I in Teamocil, at least not where you'd think

04-20-2010, 12:09 PM	#44
TurnerONU22 High School Varsity Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Ashville, OH	Childish and in the puzzle.. Fatticus?