gauffer revealed

[Jean-Joseph Cote]

Well, unless I misplaced some emails (and I don't think I did), there 
were no so many ballots cast in this round, and the race was very close. 
   But the chad has settled, and the winner, for the first time in her 
nearly ten years of intermittent participation is... Nora!  Woohoo! Take 
it away, Nora!
____________________________________

General comments:
Nora: An excellent round!  most seem plausible to me and none stand out 
as the best one!  well, here goes!
Fran: Wow, these are hilarious!
Judith: Can I give each .3 point?  Well, not my own (which I 
recognize!), but the math gets tricky...I'd have to give each 
.3333333...... point. They are *all* totally ridiculous. 
Congratulations on finding the word!
Hutch: Good quality round! Definitions all over the place.
____________________________________

gauffer - n. - The last pin scored in hedge-pedge.
by Eric.  Ranjit 1, Pierre 1, correct guess 1 = 3 points
Ranjit: Ah, the murnival gambit.  Hedge-pedge!!  1 pt.
Fran: I never believe the obscure-game definitions, and then they turn 
out to be true.  But I am not voting for it anyway.
Hutch: An imaginary special term of a made-up game, but I like it. Give 
this one my imaginary tie-breaker point.
Pierre: One point and the sonica/murnival award.
[Jean-Joseph: As far as I can tell, hedge-pedge does not exist, which 
means that Eric is going to have to make up rules for it.]

gauffer - n. - A heated press which simultaneously molds and vulcanizes
rubber.
by Ranjit.  Fran 2 = 2 points
Fran: I really like this one!  2 points.
Hutch: Boring, so probably true. ... Or someone trying to get votes by
creating a believably boring definition.

gauffer - n. - An isolated leaf which has changed color on an otherwise
green tree.
by Jim.  Nora 1 = 1 point
Nora: two votes!  if this isn't the term, it needs to have one!
Fran: Nobody would have a name for this!

gauffer - n. - The crew member of a whaling ship who throws the lance
into the whale.
by Judith.  Pierre 2 = 2 points
Fran: No, gauffer is too much like gofer or gaffer--on the whaling ship, 
the gauffer would be in charge of pulling the chunks of whale onboard 
and getting them packed into the hold properly, not spearing the whale.
Hutch: "gaffer"
Pierre: Two points for homeocetacity.

gauffer - v. - [variant of GOFFER] To press ridges or narrow pleats into
(a frill, for example); to flute; crimp.
by dictionary.  Nora 1, Fran 1, Eric 1 = 3 points
Nora: the only verb...  hmmm...  one point for being contrary.
Fran: I like this one for being kindof like the other one I voted for! 
1 point.
Eric: One point for not so implausible.

gauffer - n. - A speech, sermon, poem, etc. which is suitable for a wide
range of occasions; an all-purpose declamation.
by Elliott.  Ranjit 2 = 2 points
Ranjit: That's a good one.  I don't believe it, but 2 pts.
Fran: Yeah, I've heard that one.  But maybe it's better than simply 
speaking WITHOUT a planned speech!

gauffer - n. - A person whose job it is to stuff the turducken with one
of three stuffings: Cajun, plain bread, or crabmeat/bread.
by Linda.  No points.
Ranjit: I wanted chestnut-apple stuffing.  I'm never hiring a gauffer to 
cater MY thanksgiving again.
Nora: this gets my silly vote!
Fran: Julia Child always did this herself!  No need for extra people in 
the kitchen!
Hutch: Somebody's hungry!
Pierre: Ghost point for using the word "turducken", which sounds funny.

gauffer - n. - (med. and ear. mod. French) - 1) A pickpocket disguised
as a pilgrim. 2) A term of abuse directed toward a Spaniard.
by David.  Judith 2, Hutch 1 = 3 points
Fran: ????
Hutch: I like it! Terms of abuse are always good choices: 1 point.

gauffer - n. - [Old French gualfourt, from Frankish walfurdu, whale
passage] A strait which is dangerous to cross unless guided by a whale
or porpoise.
by Pierre.  Eric 2 = 2 points
Ranjit: That's why the dock inspectors always ask you before you depart 
what your porpoise is in making this crossing.
Fran: I really don't think this would happen enough for there to be a 
name for it. It sounds like some fantasy novel.
Hutch: Guided by a whale or dolphin???? No way this is it, but a great 
concept!!
Eric: Two points for being CUTE!

gauffer - n. - A machine used to extract small trees from the ground. It
can be hand-held or attached to a tractor or other engine for extracting 
larger trees.
by Nora.  Judith 1, Hutch 2, correct guess 1 = 4 points
Fran: If the tree is small enough to require only a hand-held machine, 
you might as well just pull with your hands.
Hutch: I've seen this device (whether this is its name or not). A big 
metal ring, about 2-3 m across, from which depend four (on the ones I've
seen) large, triangular teeth. (No other way to describe them; think of 
a shark tooth a meter to a meter and a half on a side.) The operator 
opens the ring, placed it around the trunk of the tree, and then closes 
the ring again. The whole device is lowered so the tips of the teeth 
touch the ground. Then, the whole ring is revolved (with the trunk of 
the tree being the center of rotation) and lowered still further. The 
teeth dig into the gound, down and in, cutting through roots as 
necessary, until they meet. The whole thing is locked into place and 
lifted from the hole, carrying with it the tree and a root ball of 
appropriate size. I've never seen one that could possibly be called 
"hand-held", but it's easy to imagine one. 2 points.