Brain Teasers
Was It Something I Said?
"Nora Shekrie, your reputation precedes you." Her second cousin once added, Sir Loine of Boef met her at the rail depot near his home in Northumberland, UK.
"I'll sue the Mirror," she grinned; he returned the smile.
"Truly, Ralph Pennies thinks quite highly of you, and we think highly of his recommendations on this side of the pond."
"I'll admit, it came as quite a surprise."
"Quite. I understand that this is your first murder case?"
"It's the first time anyone has ever hired me to consult."
"Really! An auspicious beginning, I must say. Reads like one of those trade paperbacks, I suppose." He gestured at the bookseller's across the street.
"Perhaps; I wouldn't know. Now that I'm here, please tell me the facts as you know them. Ralph was hardly lucid, especially over that wretched trans-Atlantic linkage."
"Of course, the important thing is that you're here, and can view the situation with a clear eye -- or ear, as the case may be."
"That might be important?"
"It's one of our signal clues."
"The facts, please, your Lordship."
"Certainly, if you'll admit to being family and call me Harold from now on."
"Thank you, your ... Haroldship." She chuckled.
"The inn in town was hosting the town meeting to consider redistricting. Tempers flared a bit, and we recessed to let the hotheads find a draught and cool off. When we reconvened fifteen minutes later, we found one of the council in his room, dead. Struck with a blunt object, loss of blood, but dead from the impact."
"So you think it's a matter of hot heads?"
"Yes; the new village boundaries would exchange the old way of life for the new. The close-knit village would become a center for growth. Some can't abide it, and others say they must have it to survive."
"So there were deep feelings under the hot heads."
"This has been brewing for longer than the ale, I'm afraid."
"So what are the clues?"
"The victim was for keeping the old ways, so we suspect the supporters of the new. Too many to haul them all off to the gaol for the night, even if the constable could make the excuse of disturbing the general peace."
"Not to mention bad politics when his position is up for review."
"You do understand some. All to the good. They have the weapon, a simple club, but no prints. Some fibers on the club, perhaps from gloves, perhaps from the victim's own shirt, when the murderer wiped it clean and tossed it in the basement laundry tub."
"Rum go!"
"You know a little of the language?"
"Even Yankees pick up some, here and there."
"On to the next, then. One of the staff heard an argument in the room, perhaps a minute before a noise he thought might have been the fatal blow. He doesn't know placements, but said that the one voice sounded like Bugs Bunny, but angry. He couldn't say why."
"A Brooklyn accent!"
"Pardon?"
"Brooklyn is part of New York City. That's the accent they used for Bugs Bunny's voice."
"I see. We thought it was probably from the States, and Ralph had mentioned you were in the area, just in the line of family news, you know, and now you're here."
"Of course. So how many Yanks are there in this meeting?"
"None that we know of. Several new residents, all on the side of growth, but none from out of the country, or so we thought."
"So someone is hiding their background?"
"That's what the constable thinks. He's no village idiot, and I agree that someone from the States might want to keep it quiet, just to fit in for a while. The last person from the States who bought a place here, left after eleven months, still without finding his balance. The locals don't take to foreigners readily."
"Or change, I gather."
"Quite."
"Well, can you see that I get seated near the newcomers? Maybe I can detect a little of the accent, or see a sign that looks like an American covering a murder instead of a local upset about stagnation and a by-election."
Ten minutes later, Nora was in the middle of the "new" group, taking and making good jabs at American life, and near the bottom of her first glass of the local. She listened hard, but had trouble separating the characteristics of local speech from any hint of Brooklynese.
"To the Queen!" someone proposed. Nora turned toward LeBlanc and made eye contact. He returned her friendly glance and clinked her glass, as if sharing some minor intimacy.
"To Her Majesty!" he intoned heartily, downing his half-pint in one long pull.
The others were staring at him. Nora looked around, caught Harold's eye, and the constable frog-marched LeBlanc down to the lock-up for questioning.
What gave him away?
"I'll sue the Mirror," she grinned; he returned the smile.
"Truly, Ralph Pennies thinks quite highly of you, and we think highly of his recommendations on this side of the pond."
"I'll admit, it came as quite a surprise."
"Quite. I understand that this is your first murder case?"
"It's the first time anyone has ever hired me to consult."
"Really! An auspicious beginning, I must say. Reads like one of those trade paperbacks, I suppose." He gestured at the bookseller's across the street.
"Perhaps; I wouldn't know. Now that I'm here, please tell me the facts as you know them. Ralph was hardly lucid, especially over that wretched trans-Atlantic linkage."
"Of course, the important thing is that you're here, and can view the situation with a clear eye -- or ear, as the case may be."
"That might be important?"
"It's one of our signal clues."
"The facts, please, your Lordship."
"Certainly, if you'll admit to being family and call me Harold from now on."
"Thank you, your ... Haroldship." She chuckled.
"The inn in town was hosting the town meeting to consider redistricting. Tempers flared a bit, and we recessed to let the hotheads find a draught and cool off. When we reconvened fifteen minutes later, we found one of the council in his room, dead. Struck with a blunt object, loss of blood, but dead from the impact."
"So you think it's a matter of hot heads?"
"Yes; the new village boundaries would exchange the old way of life for the new. The close-knit village would become a center for growth. Some can't abide it, and others say they must have it to survive."
"So there were deep feelings under the hot heads."
"This has been brewing for longer than the ale, I'm afraid."
"So what are the clues?"
"The victim was for keeping the old ways, so we suspect the supporters of the new. Too many to haul them all off to the gaol for the night, even if the constable could make the excuse of disturbing the general peace."
"Not to mention bad politics when his position is up for review."
"You do understand some. All to the good. They have the weapon, a simple club, but no prints. Some fibers on the club, perhaps from gloves, perhaps from the victim's own shirt, when the murderer wiped it clean and tossed it in the basement laundry tub."
"Rum go!"
"You know a little of the language?"
"Even Yankees pick up some, here and there."
"On to the next, then. One of the staff heard an argument in the room, perhaps a minute before a noise he thought might have been the fatal blow. He doesn't know placements, but said that the one voice sounded like Bugs Bunny, but angry. He couldn't say why."
"A Brooklyn accent!"
"Pardon?"
"Brooklyn is part of New York City. That's the accent they used for Bugs Bunny's voice."
"I see. We thought it was probably from the States, and Ralph had mentioned you were in the area, just in the line of family news, you know, and now you're here."
"Of course. So how many Yanks are there in this meeting?"
"None that we know of. Several new residents, all on the side of growth, but none from out of the country, or so we thought."
"So someone is hiding their background?"
"That's what the constable thinks. He's no village idiot, and I agree that someone from the States might want to keep it quiet, just to fit in for a while. The last person from the States who bought a place here, left after eleven months, still without finding his balance. The locals don't take to foreigners readily."
"Or change, I gather."
"Quite."
"Well, can you see that I get seated near the newcomers? Maybe I can detect a little of the accent, or see a sign that looks like an American covering a murder instead of a local upset about stagnation and a by-election."
Ten minutes later, Nora was in the middle of the "new" group, taking and making good jabs at American life, and near the bottom of her first glass of the local. She listened hard, but had trouble separating the characteristics of local speech from any hint of Brooklynese.
"To the Queen!" someone proposed. Nora turned toward LeBlanc and made eye contact. He returned her friendly glance and clinked her glass, as if sharing some minor intimacy.
"To Her Majesty!" he intoned heartily, downing his half-pint in one long pull.
The others were staring at him. Nora looked around, caught Harold's eye, and the constable frog-marched LeBlanc down to the lock-up for questioning.
What gave him away?
Hint
It wasn't his accent this time.Answer
You don't clink glasses during a toast to the Queen: legend has it that each clink heralds the death of a seaman in the Royal Navy. A life-long resident of the Commonwealth would know this.Hide Hint Show Hint Hide Answer Show Answer
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Comments
Great teaser, alot of reading, but almost had it
Cool!!.... Another bit of trivia to file away!!! Good job Norcekri!! Seems like we have another Agatha Christie or Arthur Conan Doyle in our midst!!
You did indeed say it all! Good job Norcekri!
too much irrelevant stuff, it could have been about 10 lines long, but I understand your motive. You want to utilize your vocabulary would be my guess, or you just enjoy that. (no insult is implied), just a guess. other than that good. How did you know about clinking glasses?
Interesting. I enjoyed it.
that was great!
it was too hard to follow. all those quotes with no introduction. i had no idea how many people were talking.
wow...wow
That was a very interesting teaser... however it was rather difficult for anyone from the states that doesn't know much about English culture
Really enjoyed the story line and learned something too!
The Teaser itself was good. The Writing was good, but some things written were unnecessary to the Storyline, I felt, but I also enjoyed the Story. You give Hope. Yes, I did understand the Clicking of the Glasses. Actually, Toasting is a Mascline gesture. sShhh, don't tell Americans. They Too are Hot Heads....... Goood Teaser...
Excuse me I am 100% American! Unless u were just kidding... but still that's not very nice! Who agrees with me?
Wait.... no never mind I am Itallian and French and Irish too..... but still!
I think it was good, but I was too bored to read it.
Cool teaser! Long but cool!
I like your teasers cause I learn something new everday!
Keep up the great work!
I like your teasers cause I learn something new everday!
Keep up the great work!
I agree that it was a good teaser but it gets hard to read something so long at 10:30 at night!
Feb 07, 2006
I now live in America but was born in England. Neither I nor any member of my family (most still in England) have ever herd of this superstition. Anyone know where it is from?
that was alot of reading
TOO MANY WORDS!
huh!... oh well theres always next time!
no offense or anything, but after a few lines i got bored i have the attention span of a flea. i can say that the names of the characters were pretty wicked though
I had a difficult time following who was saying what during most of the long story.
The mystery plot surrounding the toast was good though! Learned something new.
The mystery plot surrounding the toast was good though! Learned something new.
All of your teasers are interesting....just a little hard to follow, though. Still, once you make it through all the reading you almost always learn something.
The wording was good, and I was able to follow it, But like others have said, it has irrelevant information, and we "yankees" don't know about clinking glasses.
as a life long member of the common wealth and also a direct royal subject of Mrs Queen I did not know that about the clinking of glasses.
I learned the clinking at a wedding in Saskatoon (Canada), from the groom's father, formerly of the Royal Navy. However, Mad-Ade is a pretty good reference for such things -- if he hasn't heard of it in whatever his span of years may be, I consider it a pretty good indication that this teaser is fatally flawed.
I'd need another clue, such as LeBlanc claiming to have been *in* the Royal Navy, where he should have known of the clinking legend.
I'd need another clue, such as LeBlanc claiming to have been *in* the Royal Navy, where he should have known of the clinking legend.
lol thats kool. i learned something today. yay! xD
huh--never heard of that tradition, and my mom's family all still lives in England. Interesting and rather obscure teaser. The dialogue was a bit unnecessary, though a good red herring.
A long-life member of the Commonwealth would know that... I wouldn't!
This is a Trivia teaser.
1) This puzzle has way too many irrelevant details. 2) Several comments here indicate that the "fact" this puzzle depends on isn't true, or at least isn't as common knowledge in the UK as the writer thinks it is. 3) Even if it is true, it's still trivia that only a very small part of the world would know, which means this isn't a mystery puzzle, but a trivia puzzle.
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