Laura (and Calvin and Hobbes): China to Scotland

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 - A puzzle: what is this 'S' for? If you already know, please don't tell




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Thursday, December 11, 2008 - <em>Untitled Comment</em>

Posted by Patricia in Wa

Is that where the squires lived????

I know I am way off....

Patricia
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Think less romantically and more practically.

Laura

Edited by laurainchina on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 11:43 AM

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Thursday, December 11, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous

haven't a clue what the s is for. But the tall building looks neat. Looks like it has two eyes and nose, shadow of a mouth. Good picture.

Robin of mytwoblessings

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Thursday, December 11, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Patricia in Wa

Now you've really stumped me!!!

Jenny? Oh Jenny!!! Where are you??

Patricia

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Thursday, December 11, 2008 - <em>Untitled Comment</em>

Posted by Anonymous

The smith (metal smith)?

Jenny in Atl (who has metal on her mind way too much these days)
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It would have been made by a smith, but that's not his mark. Keep guessing and think about practicalities. It actually didn't have to be an 'S'.

Laura

Edited by laurainchina on Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 8:15 AM

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Thursday, December 11, 2008 - I think I know what it is

Posted by Lorna

and it is a very pretty one for its purpose.
What a great tower too!

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Friday, December 12, 2008 - <em>Untitled Comment</em>

Posted by Patricia in WA

I thought school house next, but then you said it didn't have to be an S, and Lorna said it was pretty for its kind.

Public Toilet?

Any other hints...that are dummy proof?? :-)
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It's a construction feature - the 's' shape could be any wide, flat shape. Have a look at where the 's' shapes are placed on the side of the building. I'll call in reinforcements to help you with guessing.

Laura

Edited by laurainchina on Friday, December 12, 2008 at 3:36 AM

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Friday, December 12, 2008 - Too funny...

Posted by Lorna

You should be a writer of crossword clues Laura!

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Friday, December 12, 2008 - <em>Untitled Comment</em>

Posted by Rhonda (in TX at WTM)

Are they hooks? Maybe to hang something like a banner?
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It's a nice idea, and much more romantic than the actual purpose.

Laura

Edited by laurainchina on Friday, December 12, 2008 at 7:16 AM

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Friday, December 12, 2008 - <em>Untitled Comment</em>

Posted by Anonymous

This may be way off, but does the S act like a washer on a bolt, to give it more stability. It looks like the S's are where the structural beams would be???

Paige
www.elementalscience.blogspot.com
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Close! Very close! The 's' probably wasn't installed when the building was built...... So why might a 'bolt' and 'washer' be needed?

Laura

Edited by laurainchina on Friday, December 12, 2008 at 7:16 AM

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Friday, December 12, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by JenneinAZ

South?

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Saturday, December 13, 2008 - <em>Untitled Comment</em>

Posted by Anonymous

I think I know? Are they to use with shutters? They look like shutter closures, but the shutters have been removed.

Paula (elegantlion)

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Shutters are often used on buildings in the town, but the 's' isn't for shutters. Paige's guess is very close.

Laura

Edited by laurainchina on Friday, December 12, 2008 at 11:16 AM

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Saturday, December 13, 2008 - <em>Untitled Comment</em>

Posted by Anonymous

To hang you're unwanted garbage??? Ok, I know that's way off, but if you could give us another hint????

shell in sc
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It's to do with the structure of the building - look at where the 'S' sits on the frontage, then look at the other 'S' markers in the picture of the whole building. Paige (above) was very close.

Laura

Edited by laurainchina on Friday, December 12, 2008 at 1:40 PM

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Saturday, December 13, 2008 - <em>Untitled Comment</em>

Posted by Anonymous

Is it for a trellis for climbing plants?
My other thought was that maybe it's for some sort of clothesline but I can't figure out how that would work vertically....

hornblower
http://hmsindefatigable.blogspot.com
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It's more crucial than that. Without this 'S' and the others, the building might no longer be there.

Laura

Edited by laurainchina on Friday, December 12, 2008 at 1:41 PM

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Saturday, December 13, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by 2cents

I think it is a structural thing. I'm thinking it is maybe for securing or strapping the roof or reinforcing the structure. It looks like some supporting structures I saw on a tour of old Savannah buildings.

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Saturday, December 13, 2008 - <em>Untitled Comment</em>

Posted by Anonymous

I'm going to guess that the rock walls on either side of the house started to fall in opposite directions and that there are S's on the other side of the house directly across from these S's. I think there is something inbetween, maybe a beam of some sort, that runs the width of the house and pulls the walls back together?
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2Cents and you have got it. I don't know the history of this particular building, but usually what has happened when you see these is that the stone walls started to bow outwards. A metal bar was put all the way through the house, running between the ceiling of one storey and the floorboards of the next, with these 's' ties on the outside walls to secure it.

I checked the back of this building, and it actually abuts the next one directly, so unless the other building was built later, with its own four exterior walls, someone has these lovely 's' shapes on their interior walls.

Well done!

Laura

Edited by laurainchina on Saturday, December 13, 2008 at 2:07 AM

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Saturday, December 13, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Patricia in WA

Not even close to what I was thinking. I need to get out more! :-) Good way to fix a big problem. Thanks for the lesson.

Patricia

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