[QUOTE=Uncwilly;238003]
[QUOTE=science_man_88;238003]
26) Is it cowhide ? [/QUOTE]
[B]Yes[/B]. [/QUOTE]
Could be one those secret places where [SPOILER]cows hide[/SPOILER].

_____
[SIZE="1"]-- Could be someone's missing, maybe.
-- That's what I'm thinking. /Mullholland Dr./[/SIZE]

29) Is this something (or is this at least partly made from something) that is typically removed from an a cow hide before it is made into leather?

[QUOTE=Flatlander;238102]29) Is this something (or is this at least partly made from something) that is typically removed from an a cow hide before it is made into leather?[/QUOTE][B][COLOR="Red"]No.[/COLOR][/B]
Finally a question.

30) Is it used in a sport?

[QUOTE=Mini-Geek;238025]27) (Is it) OR (is it at least partly made from) leather?[/QUOTE][QUOTE=Uncwilly;238031][B][COLOR="Red"]No.[/COLOR][/B][/QUOTE]



[QUOTE=gjmccrac;238111]30) Is it used in a sport?[/QUOTE][B][COLOR="Red"]No.[/COLOR][/B]

31) Is its normal function, or one of its normal functions, to act as a physical barrier or physical containment?

Regardless of the answer, the next question is for someone else.

[QUOTE=Brian-E;238233]31) Is its normal function, or one of its normal functions, to act as a physical barrier or physical containment?[/QUOTE][B][COLOR="Red"]No.[/COLOR][/B]

32) Is it intended, if only partly, for entertainment purposes (this can be for the entertainment of humans, animals or both)?

[QUOTE=lavalamp;238265]32) Is it intended, if only partly, for entertainment purposes (this can be for the entertainment of humans, animals or both)?[/QUOTE][B][COLOR="Red"]No.[/COLOR][/B]
I do like the question though. I see that at least one person is thinking more broadly than before.

*crickets*

33) Does it normally have cow hair attached to it (e.g. something like a rug, imagine a bear rug with the fur on, would qualify, something like leather or otherwise made with removing the hair would not; if it never had hair attached to this part, answer no; if hair is not the correct technical word for that fur-ish stuff that covers cows, answer as if I used the proper term)?

[QUOTE=Mini-Geek;238447]33) Does it normally have cow hair attached to it?[/QUOTE]I assume that you mean at the time that it is the 'product' 'ready for use'. [B][COLOR="Red"]No.[/COLOR][/B]

34) Is this mostly or completely made from the animal's hide? ( >=80% hide.)

[QUOTE=Flatlander;238461]34) Is this mostly or completely made from the animal's hide? ( >=80% hide.)[/QUOTE][B]Yes![/B]

Yielding. (I can't think of a sensible question.)

35) Is the physical tension of animal hide an important aspect of at least one of its normal uses?

[QUOTE=Brian-E;238477]35) Is the physical tension of animal hide an important aspect of at least one of its normal uses?[/QUOTE][B][COLOR="Red"]No.[/COLOR][/B]
I could have said yes, but I think that you mean 'when it is being used'.

36) Is it something that is usually worn by humans when it is being used and/or is performing whatever role or function it has? (Note that question 9 only ruled it out as [B]clothing[/B], but there are other reasons to wear things.)

[QUOTE=lavalamp;238551]36) Is it something that is usually worn by humans when it is being used and/or is performing whatever role or function it has? (Note that question 9 only ruled it out as [B]clothing[/B], but there are other reasons to wear things.)[/QUOTE]
You have a malformed assumption. It is neither carried around (such as a wallet or purse) nor worn. (This is a freebie, cause y'all still are only part way there.)

What was the assumption?

The "malformed assumption" comment implies, I suppose, that what we are trying to find is not used and has no role or function. Strange for something that is man-made!

And was this posting some kind of clue?
[QUOTE=Uncwilly;238439]*crickets*[/QUOTE]

It's all very mysterious.

I think *crickets* just means nothing much happening; just the sound of crickets. :confused:

[QUOTE=Flatlander;238563]I think *crickets* just means nothing much happening; just the sound of crickets. :confused:[/QUOTE]
Ahh, the type of crickets that go BUMP in the night you mean?
Thanks for the translation.

[QUOTE=lavalamp;238554]What was the assumption?[/QUOTE]

That 9 ruled out only clothing.

Number 9 asked if it was worn as clothing. I asked if it was worn for any purpose, not merely clothing.

Number 9 did also rule out anything that is carried around, but that was irrelevant for my question.

[QUOTE=Uncwilly;238489][B][COLOR="Red"]No.[/COLOR][/B]
I could have said yes, but I think that you mean 'when it is being used'.[/QUOTE][QUOTE=Uncwilly;238553]You have a malformed assumption. It is neither carried around (such as a wallet or purse) nor worn. (This is a freebie, cause y'all still are only part way there.)[/QUOTE][QUOTE=Uncwilly;238572]That 9 ruled out only clothing.[/QUOTE]Giving clues now? I guess the original 40Q's worked out to be too hard then. I was kind of hoping that it would encourage people to formulate their questions more precisely but I can see now that that is a lost cause on some people. :ermm:

[QUOTE=retina;238579]Giving clues now? I guess the original 40Q's worked out to be too hard then. I was kind of hoping that it would encourage people to formulate their questions more precisely but I can see now that that is a lost cause on some people. :ermm:[/QUOTE]They are at 36 and not even 2/3's the way there. I was hoping that they would at least get a part and I could anoint a winner.

Uncwilly and Retina, I respectfully suggest that you are being a bit unreasonable with the critical undertones in your postings.

It is extremely difficult to ask a question in English about something whose nature is unknown without any possibility of ambiguity, imprecision or false assumptions. I hope this game is not just for people with a Masters degree in the English language.

Question 9, which I asked originally, is actually a good example of the types of difficulty which we can expect to encounter on an international forum. The Dutch word for "carry" is exactly the same as the Dutch word for "wear". Therefore if you want to make it clear that you are talking about the wearing of clothing rather than the carrying of a bag for example, you have to mention the clothing. Which - if you are unlucky - can lead to problems in this game, as we have just seen. I should have been more careful, true, but we cannot function perfectly under the blind conditions under which we are operating.

These difficulties can add to the fun of course. I think we should celebrate that fun and avoid being too critical and smug when people fall into these problems.:smile:

[QUOTE=lavalamp;238551]36) Is it something that is usually worn by humans when it is being used and/or is performing whatever role or function it has? [/QUOTE][B][COLOR="Red"]No.[/COLOR][/B]

37) Is it typically used for any of the following: cleaning, polishing, absorbing liquids?

[QUOTE=Brian-E;238676]37) Is it typically used for any of the following: cleaning, polishing, absorbing liquids?[/QUOTE][B][COLOR="Red"]No.[/COLOR][/B]

Perhaps after a few more rounds of 40, we'll get better at it, from seeing where we went astray.

[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7zYyTotwfE&feature=related"]Bueller?[/URL]

38) Is it mentioned [URL="http://www.ehow.com/about_5502472_primary-use-cowhide.html"]here[/URL]?

[QUOTE=axn;238901]38) Is it mentioned [URL="http://www.ehow.com/about_5502472_primary-use-cowhide.html"]here[/URL]?[/QUOTE][B][COLOR="Red"]No,[/COLOR][/B] [U][COLOR="Blue"]not there[/COLOR][/U][URL="http://library.thinkquest.org/20922/what_not.htm"].[/URL]

39) Is less than one tenth of the animal's hide used to make "this" or "one item/unit of this"?

Regardless of the answer, the next question is for someone else.

[QUOTE=Brian-E;239019]39) Is less than one tenth of the animal's hide used to make "this" or "one item/unit of this"?[/QUOTE]In researching the answer to this, I was able to find a more authoritative source than before. It changes an answer from a previous question.

[QUOTE=Mini-Geek;237392]6) Is it usually made from either a cow or sheep? (if yes, I cede the next question to the next poster)[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Uncwilly;237394][B]Yes.[/B][/QUOTE] Still true.
[QUOTE=lavalamp;237591]12) Is it usually made from cows?[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Uncwilly;237592][B]Yes[/B][/QUOTE] My more authoritative source says that this [U]specific case[/U] is made from sheep not cow, general case can be either. [U]All other answers are correct though.[/U]

To answer the current question:
39) Is less than one tenth of the animal's hide used to make "this" or "one item/unit of this"? [COLOR="Red"][B]No.[/B][/COLOR]

... so we get to ask 13 to 39 again. :grin: :wink:

[QUOTE=Flatlander;239030]... so we get to ask 13 to 39 again. :grin: :wink:[/QUOTE]... with all of those 27 questions unchanged, regardless of different answers, and only one free question left. :-(

[QUOTE=cheesehead;239065]... with all of those 27 questions unchanged, regardless of different answers, and only one free question left. :-([/QUOTE]There is only one way to skin a sheep/cow.:smile:

[QUOTE=Uncwilly;239090]There is only one way to skin a sheep/cow.:smile:[/QUOTE]

[url]http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/dirty-jobs-skinning-a-cow.html[/url] heres a tutorial lol.

Someone put us out of our collective misery.

40) Is it something that would typically be hung on a wall or put on a bed?

[QUOTE=Flatlander;239217]40) Is it something that would typically be hung on a wall or put on a bed?[/QUOTE][B][COLOR="Red"]No.[/COLOR][/B]

[QUOTE=Uncwilly;239090]There is only one way to skin a sheep/cow.:smile:[/QUOTE]If you want to uncover some tasteless jokes, Google for the many way one can skin a cat. I won't post specific examples for fear of offending the easily offended.

Paul

ROT13:
Gur Zntan Pnegn bs Ehaalzrqr, Gjryir Svsgrra NQ. Gur culfvpny qbphzrag.
Guvf yvax cbvagf gb gur pbcl jr ersrerapr:
uggc://jjj.oy.hx/gernfherf/zntanpnegn/onfvpf/onfvpf.ugzy
Bevtvanyyl srrq vagb gur unfu: Gur Zntan Pnegn, gur npghny culfvpny qbphzrag.

Wow. I never came close to thinking of that.

Wow. I would never have got that. Good choice. :smile:

edit:
Just noticed how close my post is to only_human's.

At the end I was just hoping that you all would get the material.

what language is that in?

[QUOTE=Flatlander;239240]Wow. I would never have got that.[/quote]Agreed.

[QUOTE=Flatlander;239240]Good choice.[/quote]Incredibly specific choice anyway.

[QUOTE=lavalamp;239260]Incredibly specific choice anyway.[/QUOTE]But, not obscure.

[QUOTE=science_man_88;239259]what language is that in?[/QUOTE]

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROT13[/url]

I think the main problem here was that it was never determined that this is a singular item, and that it is not mass produced or sold in stores. By reading the questions here it seems to me that everyone was assuming that it was a modern consumer product.

I think in general that this has shown that the 40 questions is too hard without the guiding hints. And I agree with Brian-E that English is too ambiguous as a language to successfully complete one of these puzzles without some extreme stroke of luck to strike the right line of questioning.

[QUOTE=Mini-Geek;239265][url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROT13[/url][/QUOTE]

sounds tricky for a substitution cipher but it's better than bringing every letter forward one lol.

[QUOTE=retina;239270]I think the main problem here was that it was never determined that this is a singular item, and that it is not mass produced or sold in stores. By reading the questions here it seems to me that everyone was assuming that it was a modern consumer product.

I think in general that this has shown that the 40 questions is too hard without the guiding hints. And I agree with Brian-E that English is too ambiguous as a language to successfully complete one of these puzzles without some extreme stroke of luck to strike the right line of questioning.[/QUOTE]

Maybe we should have suggested questions that are reviewed and adjusted before final agreement as being worth asking? (That doesn't sound right but I think you know what I mean.)

If someone else want to run the next round, that is fine with me.

[QUOTE=science_man_88;239259]what language is that in?[/QUOTE]Latin, I believe.

Paul

[QUOTE=Flatlander;239274]Maybe we should have suggested questions that are reviewed and adjusted before final agreement as being worth asking? (That doesn't sound right but I think you know what I mean.)[/QUOTE]
I guess you mean reviewed and adjusted by the team of questioners (as opposed to the answerer)? It's an interesting idea but I wonder if it would lead to too much disagreement, people feeling that their ideas aren't being taken seriously, some people being shut out perhaps? Not through any malicious intent, I don't see that with anyone here, but I still think it might happen inadvertently. Plus the game might progress too slowly while the questions are discussed, and for 40 questions that could take far too long.

My own preference for an adjustment in the rules is the addition of a third possible response of "no answer", to be used if neither "yes" nor "no" is appropriate. I understand that this is a big help to the questioners compared with the current rules, though in the case of this game by Uncwilly it probably wouldn't have changed anything because we were simply unable to guess the right line of questioning. I also appreciate the strategy that [URL="http://www.mersenneforum.org/showpost.php?p=237047&postcount=137"]you yourself suggested[/URL] whereby we ask if any of (certain) previous questions had a misleading answer or were significantly irrelevant: but I feel that it's difficult to know when we should be asking that and I really dislike being mislead in general by random answers to inappropriate questions.

Is there any support here for my preference for 3 answers: "yes", "no", or "no answer"?

[QUOTE=Brian-E;239456]Is there any support here for my preference for 3 answers: "yes", "no", or "no answer"?[/QUOTE]Aye.

[QUOTE=Brian-E;239456]Is there any support here for my preference for 3 answers: "yes", "no", or "no answer"?[/QUOTE]Yay.

What he said.

"[No answer]"

If you all laugh at me I'm not playing anymore
:glare:

[QUOTE=Brian-E;240187]If you all laugh at me I'm not playing anymore
:glare:[/QUOTE]Apologies if you mis-interpreted me. To dispel any ambiguity: I whole-heartedly support your suggestion.

Paul

I can't rmember mine delete the round 3 I accidently started when you said yes lol.

[QUOTE=xilman;240190]Apologies if you mis-interpreted me. To dispel any ambiguity: I whole-heartedly support your suggestion.

Paul[/QUOTE]
Ditto

[QUOTE=xilman;240190]Apologies if you mis-interpreted me. To dispel any ambiguity: I whole-heartedly support your suggestion.

Paul[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Uncwilly;240230]Ditto[/QUOTE]
It's OK I was just putting my petulant child act on. :smile:
Does anyone else want to start a new 40Q? (Not to mention a new 20Q.)
I might start one if no-one else does, but sometimes I'm not around for 24 hours or more so it could be a bit slow. If anyone else is keen, that would be great.

[QUOTE=Brian-E;240246]Does anyone else want to start a new 40Q? (Not to mention a new 20Q.)[/QUOTE]

Now that you mention it, [URL="http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=14302"]I do (40Q)[/URL]. Since there seems to be a general consensus that your suggestion of a no answer option is good, (I agree) I've added that to the rules. Happy guessing! :smile: