Round 3612: SPONK results
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Tim Bourne
Jan 8, 2026, 6:06:31 AM (yesterday) Jan 8
to dixo...@googlegroups.com
In round 3612 definition number 5 'The internal organs of slaughtered animals; usu., what is left
behind when butchers prepare offal for sale. ' from Nancy Shepherdson is the clear winner with 5
points. Paul Keating earned 4 points, and is the ‘real’ winner.
The real definition was number 10, “a match, or anything dipped in sulphur that takes fire.
[Edinburgh]”, which only Johnny guessed; no-one was DQ. The idea for the word came from Samuel
Johnson's Dictionary of 1755, in a shorter version published by Levenger Press in the USA in 2002,
and by Atlantic Books in the UK in 2004; the definition is also in Dictionaries of the Scots
language (www.dsl.ac.uk). Several dictiionaries give SPONK or SPOUNK as an alternative spelling of
SPUNK, with various definitions.
1 Obs. A clasp for a cloak or hood; a knops..
Submitted by Paul Keating, who voted for 10* and 11 and scored 4.
Vote from Abell and Barrs.
2 ecclesiastical gaiters
Submitted by Johnny Barrs, who voted for 1 and 8 and scored 2.
Vote from Shefler and Widdis.
3 [Beer brewing] off flavours introduced into the wort, usually caused by aeration at elevated
temperatures.
Submitted by Mike Shefler, who voted for 2 and 12 and scored 2.
Vote from Embler and Mallach.
4 One who cultivates an anti-fashion identity.
Submitted by Eric Boxer, who voted for 5 and 7 and scored 0.
No votes.
5 The internal organs of slaughtered animals; usu., what is left behind when butchers prepare offal
for sale.
Submitted by Nancy Shepherdson, who did not vote and scored 5.
Votes from Boxer, Lodge, Madnick, Mallach and Naylor.
6 Of a lamb or other young animal, to jump vertically.
Submitted by Efrem Mallach, who voted for 3 & 5 and scored 2
Votes from Lodge and Naylor.
7 A failure (of equipment, a device, or machinery)
Submitted by Tim Lodge, who voted for 5 & 6 and scored 1.
Vote from Boxer.
8 a short, hollow wooden peg used in early coastal weaving looms to maintain tension on the outer
threads.
Submitted by Judy Madnick, who voted for 5 and 12 and scored 3.
Votes from Abell, Barrs and Embler.
9 Damage to the retina of the eye caused by exposure to intense solar radiation, resulting in
blurred vision, a central blind spot (scotoma), or permanent vision loss. The condition was a common
occupational hazard among 17th-century sailors who frequently stared directly at the sun (often
using instruments like astrolabes or early quadrants without proper filters) to measure its altitude
and calculate their ship's latitude.
Submitted by Dan Widdis, who voted for 2 & 12 and scored 0.
No votes.
10 a match, or anything dipped in sulphur that takes fire. [Edinburgh]
Submitted by the Dictionary which did not vote and scored D1.
Vote from Keating.
11 Of a potato: having a hollow in the heart.
Submitted by Shani Naylor, who voted for 5 & 6 and scored 1.
Vote from Keating.
12 Whale spit.
Submitted by Debbie Embler, who voted for 3 and 8 and scored 3.
Votes from Madnick, Shefler and Widdis.
Tony Abell did not submit a definition. He voted for 1 & 8 and scored 0.
So the next deal is yours, Nancy!
Best wishes,
Tim Bourne.
behind when butchers prepare offal for sale. ' from Nancy Shepherdson is the clear winner with 5
points. Paul Keating earned 4 points, and is the ‘real’ winner.
The real definition was number 10, “a match, or anything dipped in sulphur that takes fire.
[Edinburgh]”, which only Johnny guessed; no-one was DQ. The idea for the word came from Samuel
Johnson's Dictionary of 1755, in a shorter version published by Levenger Press in the USA in 2002,
and by Atlantic Books in the UK in 2004; the definition is also in Dictionaries of the Scots
language (www.dsl.ac.uk). Several dictiionaries give SPONK or SPOUNK as an alternative spelling of
SPUNK, with various definitions.
1 Obs. A clasp for a cloak or hood; a knops..
Submitted by Paul Keating, who voted for 10* and 11 and scored 4.
Vote from Abell and Barrs.
2 ecclesiastical gaiters
Submitted by Johnny Barrs, who voted for 1 and 8 and scored 2.
Vote from Shefler and Widdis.
3 [Beer brewing] off flavours introduced into the wort, usually caused by aeration at elevated
temperatures.
Submitted by Mike Shefler, who voted for 2 and 12 and scored 2.
Vote from Embler and Mallach.
4 One who cultivates an anti-fashion identity.
Submitted by Eric Boxer, who voted for 5 and 7 and scored 0.
No votes.
5 The internal organs of slaughtered animals; usu., what is left behind when butchers prepare offal
for sale.
Submitted by Nancy Shepherdson, who did not vote and scored 5.
Votes from Boxer, Lodge, Madnick, Mallach and Naylor.
6 Of a lamb or other young animal, to jump vertically.
Submitted by Efrem Mallach, who voted for 3 & 5 and scored 2
Votes from Lodge and Naylor.
7 A failure (of equipment, a device, or machinery)
Submitted by Tim Lodge, who voted for 5 & 6 and scored 1.
Vote from Boxer.
8 a short, hollow wooden peg used in early coastal weaving looms to maintain tension on the outer
threads.
Submitted by Judy Madnick, who voted for 5 and 12 and scored 3.
Votes from Abell, Barrs and Embler.
9 Damage to the retina of the eye caused by exposure to intense solar radiation, resulting in
blurred vision, a central blind spot (scotoma), or permanent vision loss. The condition was a common
occupational hazard among 17th-century sailors who frequently stared directly at the sun (often
using instruments like astrolabes or early quadrants without proper filters) to measure its altitude
and calculate their ship's latitude.
Submitted by Dan Widdis, who voted for 2 & 12 and scored 0.
No votes.
10 a match, or anything dipped in sulphur that takes fire. [Edinburgh]
Submitted by the Dictionary which did not vote and scored D1.
Vote from Keating.
11 Of a potato: having a hollow in the heart.
Submitted by Shani Naylor, who voted for 5 & 6 and scored 1.
Vote from Keating.
12 Whale spit.
Submitted by Debbie Embler, who voted for 3 and 8 and scored 3.
Votes from Madnick, Shefler and Widdis.
Tony Abell did not submit a definition. He voted for 1 & 8 and scored 0.
So the next deal is yours, Nancy!
Best wishes,
Tim Bourne.
Paul Keating
Jan 8, 2026, 8:08:38 AM (yesterday) Jan 8
to Google Group
I was surprised to see #1 get two votes, even though it defined sponk as its anadrome knops. I thought I might get raspberries, with maybe even one vote, as a reward for cheek. Did nobody notice, or was the joke so feeble that the only thing to do was to politely ignore it?
The word is real: it is the plural of knop, which, depending on the shape, might have been used for a clasp.
--
Paul KeatingSoustons, Nouvelle Aquitaine, France
On 2026-01-08 12:06:35, Tim Bourne <timbo...@gmail.com> wrote:
Paul Keating earned 4 points, and is the ‘real’ winner.
nancy shepherdson
Jan 8, 2026, 10:30:10 AM (yesterday) Jan 8
to Tim Bourne, dixo...@googlegroups.com
Oh yikes. I dont score much for round after round and then this. I was afraid of that. Seemed like a good fake one. New work soon.
Nancy
Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
-------- Original message --------
From: Tim Bourne <timbo...@gmail.com>
Date: 1/8/26 5:06 AM (GMT-06:00)
Subject: Round 3612: SPONK results
In round 3612 definition number 5 'The internal organs of slaughtered animals; usu., what is left
behind when butchers prepare offal for sale. ' from Nancy Shepherdson is the clear winner with 5
points. Paul Keating earned 4 points, and is the ‘real’ winner.
The real definition was number 10, “a match, or anything dipped in sulphur that takes fire.
[Edinburgh]”, which only Johnny guessed; no-one was DQ. The idea for the word came from Samuel
Johnson's Dictionary of 1755, in a shorter version published by Levenger Press in the USA in 2002,
and by Atlantic Books in the UK in 2004; the definition is also in Dictionaries of the Scots
behind when butchers prepare offal for sale. ' from Nancy Shepherdson is the clear winner with 5
points. Paul Keating earned 4 points, and is the ‘real’ winner.
The real definition was number 10, “a match, or anything dipped in sulphur that takes fire.
[Edinburgh]”, which only Johnny guessed; no-one was DQ. The idea for the word came from Samuel
Johnson's Dictionary of 1755, in a shorter version published by Levenger Press in the USA in 2002,
and by Atlantic Books in the UK in 2004; the definition is also in Dictionaries of the Scots
language (https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dsl.ac.uk%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cd783db930dc24b3a651608de4ea5f7fd%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639034671891161062%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=AOFbYOQoykdovO76ss31mDOnCIlT0TgEF7coptwXtOQ%3D&reserved=0).
Several dictiionaries give SPONK or SPOUNK as an alternative spelling of
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