May 23 2011

Word of the Week: Phlogiston

PHLOGISTON [fler-JIST-en] – hypothetical substance once thought by ancients, prior to the discovery of oxygen, to exist in all combustible material [Greek: inflammable thing, from phlox, flame.] Due to its flammable nature, wood was deemed the mother lode of phlogiston.

Comments

DC — 23 May at 12:23AM

Greek character took wood and stone axe to make fire, he thought

SK — 23 May at 07:43AM

Pyre starter discovered in hot logs?!

Rupert — 23 May at 09:03AM

Did Priestley initially long to include his mistake?!

DA — 23 May at 09:07AM

So close to perfect, SK, but I'm having trouble with the anagram signpost in your draft. Do you intend for pyre or discovered to signal the mixing? Coz neither quite fire, I reckon.

Maybe closer:

Pyre starter implicated in hot logs?!

Still not there. Stumble on is a great phrase - meaning both to find and to jolt. But this would see two prepositions collide.

The beautiful fluke of LOG in a word about combustibility is tough to ignore. Shades of OMAN in DRAGOMAN two weeks ago. Though will the best clue transcend this gift?

anax — 23 May at 09:18AM

Welcome to the world of tortured wordplay:

Fire is not put out after pub landlord’s initial gaffe? (10)

BTW According to SOED phlogiston is also defined simply as 'fire' as an element.

SK — 23 May at 09:28AM

You're right DA. I fired it off quickly but didn't feel it was a winner. Based on Anax's broader def, how about-

Leading pyromaniac chucks hot logs in fire

....still working on the &lit solution...

RK — 23 May at 09:48AM

Points out restricted entry after hospital fire

Nib — 23 May at 10:17AM

Acidity combusted logs into flame.

Anthony Douglas — 23 May at 10:22AM

Do you get points for having known the word already? ;-)

SK — 23 May at 10:27AM

@Anthony- No, but you might attract police attention if you have a habit of hanging around public buildings with a box of matches in your hand....

DC — 23 May at 10:45AM

There is an old Dungeons and Dragons campaign setting, Spelljammer, in which all the worlds are embedded in crystal spheres floating in a sea of phlogiston, on which magical ships sail.

It's odd.

RK — 23 May at 11:04AM

Nephologist: clouds (not energy or fire)

RK — 23 May at 11:08AM

Or maybe this is better:

Nephologist: clouds (not earth or fire)

Rupert — 23 May at 12:11PM

@Anthony, you and I will have to share that point. You probably also know that Joseph Priestley discovered oxygen, without which bit of general knowledge my clue doesn't make much sense (in addition to its other failings).

Boniface — 23 May at 04:07PM

Philologist drops oil on fire

SK — 23 May at 05:09PM

Another go at the &lit...not sure whether it's any better-

Primordial origin of stuff in hot logs?!

Anyway, here's a couple of other ideas. Still stuck in anagramland-

Pool things destroyed by fire

Fire agent for posting holiday snaps and taking one day off

SK — 23 May at 05:21PM

Or how about-

Original premise for stuff in hot logs?!

I reckon we maybe getting close. But then again, maybe (like the original Phlogistoners) the burning issue will remain elusive.

SK — 23 May at 07:09PM

A tweak-

Fire agent for posting holiday snaps after taking a day off

DA — 23 May at 07:17PM

Been wonderful watching your tweakage in action, SK. As soon as Anax blessed all players with the 'fire' option, you've been ignited.

Making my own stuff for Fairfax, I might redraft a single clue as often as five times before I'm happy with the balance, the story, the misdirection. Not every one will be gold, but the aim is to boost the yay:meh ratio.

RK — 23 May at 07:34PM

Fire up PC. Type first - entering user name and password

Nib — 23 May at 07:36PM

"The aim is to boost the yay:meh ratio."
I have that slogan etched in Latin on my bedhead.

JPR — 23 May at 09:11PM

Plight soon fixed with fiery essence

JPR — 23 May at 09:47PM

Alchemists' fire furphy -- hoping lots go crazy

Boniface — 23 May at 11:28PM

Once considered elementary to fire crank driver holding drug record

Boniface — 23 May at 11:32PM

Or, even better:

Considered essential to fire crank driver holding drug record

DC — 23 May at 11:43PM

Mine might become

Old character takes wood and stone axe to make fire

Would read better with 'uses' instead of 'takes', but I'm not sure that works for the wordplay. As to whether 'axe' means 'ax-e' or just 'chop off the end', I should probably leave ambiguous.

Rupert — 24 May at 07:38AM

@Boniface: I was trying to work in piston, too, but I didn't get anything as neat as crank driver. Well done.

Boniface — 24 May at 08:47AM

@Rupert, cheers! Love a sly def when I find one.

JPR — 24 May at 06:49PM

Fiery substance appears when naff ceremony (no egg-head) splits acid test and heavyweight.

JPR — 24 May at 07:04PM

Spooner's elf-light (losing 'erself) mixes it and lights up when freed

One Wheel — 24 May at 08:27PM

New phonologist lost start of Greek substance

JPR — 24 May at 08:42PM

Light spoon mixture for mystic fiery substance

Nib, pH is a measure of acid *or* alkali or indeed neutral 7 depending on lo or hi (somethg about proportion of H ions i think) prob cant define ph by 'acid' -- imho

JPR — 24 May at 08:45PM

Bingle photos begone! Mix it for hot stuff!

Peta — 27 May at 05:29PM

Long-hop is smashed over the top. Firey stuff!