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[russetmantle]

[tanner]

[russetmantle]

Och, there's no need for that, young Tanner me lad.

I mean, obviously the rules are much more complicated if you're playing the 1826 Duke of Marlborough's Lunch version. But this is only a blue card, after all.

[theholyllama]

Right.

From what I've managed to unearth about Mornington Crescent, there seem to be an horrendous number of rulesets (for an idea of how many there see this: http://www.dunx.org/white-rose/mc_em.html). However, the ruleset used on the radio show I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (ISIHAC) seems to be pretty much the one in which there are no rules, and it's just a case of being the first person to say 'Mornington Crescent'.

Nevertheless, there does seem to be an original set of definitive rules based on the 1953 edition of the London A-Z, in which moves are based on moving from page to page to reach the page with Mornington Crescent on it. Quite what these rules are I have been unable to find out, but let's imagine that they're akin to some kind of chess, with the pages of the A-Z, laid out as they would appear in the frontispiece, representing the squares on the board.

This leaves us with two possibilities. First, we have to construct a full map of Perplex City from the backs of the puzzle cards and then use the chess-like rules to play the game, using the puzzles cards as squares. If this is the case, we'd need to find out exactly what the rules are / were, and I can't see how we're going to do that when people who run Mornington Crescent fan sites can't agree on them. We'd also need to find out which station is the Perplex City equivalent of Mornington Crescent.

Alternatively, we simply name any station on the Perplex City network. The point of the game on ISIHAC is that it's a game with no rules, which is what causes the humour in the radio show for audience and panellists alike. Perhaps the PMs are having a similar laugh watching players try and figure something out for which there are no rules? As Benny H points out, the Perplex City subway map references Humphrey Lyttleton and Mrs Trellis. Maybe this is the PMs telling us to use the ISIHAC rules (ie none at all)?

The only problem with this second theory is that the card tells us that when Scarlett played her move (ie the one we're looking for), the other people in the carriage broke into spontaneous applause. If the game is indeed entirely random, on what basis would the other passengers be applauding? They're not to know what Scarlett's opponent is going to say next, or that Scarlett is going to say Mornington Crescent (or equivalent) on her next go. The card also says that the move we're looking for was 'inspired' and 'guaranteed her safe passage to Mornington Crescent on the very next move'. How could this necessarily be if the game is entirely random?

So now I'm thinking of Down Street (on Von's T-Shirt), as suggested by Geofortean, as the answer. Maybe the case is that we don't know what rules we're playing by but that doesn't matter; Down Street was just the right move, which explains why the other passengers applauded, and the reason that the move was 'inspired' was because Scarlett simply saw it written on her opponent's clothes!

[theholyllama]

How about this? Scarlett's opening move is described as the Swaze Gambit, a 'swashbuckling' move. A Google search for Swaze + swashbuckling brings up 5 hits. A couple relate to this card, but three are websites about the actor Patrick Swayze which have spelt his name incorrectly. One of these, http://www.gggg.com/best/video/WYBQ88DP8HL8.html, lists a number of films for sale, the first of which is called Say Anything...

[DogsHead]

Dun Dun Duhhhhhhhhh. (evil music for the evil Patrick Swayze)

[GWing_02]

[Cold_Fire]

After browsing the PPC forums i noticed a link to a website about Mornington Crescent: http://www.dunx.org/mc/webmc.html

There is a picture on this website of a black bar with an orange circle around it. The guy in this puzzle card has the same picture on his shirt. I wonder if this means anything?

[tanner]

thats the tube icon

if youre looking at same pic

[Wowbagger]

Hi guys

Was interested in the Down Street comment posted earlier by GeoFortean; seeing as Down Street was a station on the Piccadilly Line that closed in 1932, it's a somewhat strange tourist-type T-shirt to be wearing.

So possibly Down Street reminded Scarlett of a Subway Station that had closed down?

Wondered if this might be a station we just haven't heard of yet, or possibly Foreman Station? http://www.perplexcitysentinel.com/archives/

[tanner]

aaah --- didnt think of that

hmmmmm

[Cold_Fire]

What's the tube icon?

[Wowbagger]

It's the standard logo for the London Underground system, and also all its stations (eg Mornington Crescent).

See (for example) http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/

[FreeMorpheme]

Hmm

[kraed]

having successfully just entered my answer in and got it right on the pxc site, i can let you all know the answer! woot GO KRAED