As far as WW is concerned there is nothing that I can see. I think it's simpler than that even. One could be so general as to say they came from Mr. B-W's head but I don't think that would work. :rolleyes:

I bet all of those come from Mad Libs. Either that, or Malbeth the Seer...

Could they be really old things from Crazy Captions or Create You're Own Crazy Scene with Pics? Those threads have been around for a long time, and are apt to produce such odd phrases.

If that is true, will there be a point at which someone will get the title, " ____ has seen Gandalf the grey, uncloaked"?

The Barrow Wight invented them at random to torment us. :D

EDIT: I searched all the threads on the Downs... no references. They're not from the fora.

I'm pretty much convinced that it's from "The Hobbit" - hmm, they aren't references to when Bilbo was thinking of his teakettle, are they? ;)

On the assumption that you're talking about the three highest (descended from groveling stone-trolls; was misplaced by a forgetful maia; being stalked by pretty dwarves) I have three guesses...since Oddwen's mention of The Hobbit brought them to my mind...

being stalked by pretty dwarves -- In Chapter 2 ("Roast Mutton") when Bilbo was captured by the trolls "The dwarves ... started off one by one to creep towards the light as quietly as they could." I don't quite get where the 'pretty' comes from, but the 'stalked' would be because the dwarves followed Bilbo stealthily and without trying to draw attention to themselves.

was misplaced by a forgetful maia -- Between Chapters 4 and 6 ("Over Hill and Under Hill" and "Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire") when Dori drops Bilbo while they're escaping from the goblins and Gandalf, by dint of not checking that everybody had followed, looses Bilbo in the mountains. "'If we can only find him again...'" ~Gandalf

descended from groveling stone-trolls -- the sketchiest of them all -- Between the very end of Chapter 12 and the begining of Chapter 13 ("The Clouds Burst" and "The Return Journey") When Bilbo is hit on the head with "a stone hurtling from above". This is kinda based on the theory that trolls, esp. stone-trolls, would have very thick skulls and that 'groveling' could be no more than a reference to hight (ie: shorter, or just plain little)...working from that Bilbo does say "'A nasty knock on the head, I think ... But I have a helm and a hard skull."

It's the best I can do...esp. given it's now almost 11 at night...as for a binding thread between them, well, they're all things that happened to Bilbo...In The Hobbit ...I don't know...I can't even think straight, but maybe it'll help someone else...

Well...I missed the lists people had so kindly made before and then couldn't get to sleep 'cause this was bugging me...however, I can add those levels now...

steals taters from gaffers--no idea...unless by "taters" you mean "tots" as in all the youngsters who liked to listen to his stories...but that doesn't make sense even to me...
wonders what happened to the system--after Bilbo had to clean up for the dwarfs and he doesn't dust like always, when Gandalf says "You are not at all yourself this morning --you have never dusted the mantelpiece"
is stalked by petty dwarves--I still think it's the bit with the trolls...though I do realize now that it says "petty" not "pretty"
is terrorizing the wood elves--While Bilbo is living, invisible, in the Elven-kings palace, or (and this could fit 'terrorizing' better) when he sneaks out with the Arkenstone and while fording the stream some elves take him as a spy

In anycase with the exception of the tater's one they all still fit as things which happen to Bilbo in The Hobbit

The brink of stupidity.
 

They're all related to the Downs?

The books of J. R. R. Tolkien, of course. ;) :p

Blast you, The Barrow-Wight! I don't think you really know where these came from. They are just out of your demented(no offense) head to cause us grief and turmoil. I am sick of trying to get this figured out. I'll probably still think on it, which doesn't make me the slight bit happier! :mad: ;)

Well, Lal currently "looks like a muddy-booted Baggins," so it is looking more and more like Bilbo does have something to do with it after all. Not sure what this refers to, though, as Hobbits don't usually wear boots.

Lal now looks like a muddy-booted Baggins!!!! Curiouser and Curiouser.......

Actually, she is now "dating a horrible Dunlending". Cangrats! :p :D ;)

Yeah, Wilwa, that's how I read it too. How did she get up another level that quickly, that we didn't even notice her at the other level?

I think BW has completely cracked. :p

I honestly can't find much of a way to make all of these crazy titles fit together. If they have any kind of connection, it escapes me.

Davem is a horrible Dunlending!? :eek: ;)

That's weird - I didn't get that many points as far as I can remember? Maybe B-W is amusing himself with this? ;)

No, davem is not a horrible Dunlending. He might be a nice Dunlending, but is only horrible when he blows his pipe smoke at me in a morning. :eek: :)

Perhaps it has something to do with PJ's roles in the movies. I've heard he played a Dunlending in TTT, and I know he was a hobbit standing in the street in the Fellowship. I don't really know where the others fit in, but if this is true, I would gues the next level is:

[BD's name] is a drowned sea rat.

Since PJ was a captain of one of the corsairs.

I think Encai figured it out.

steals taters from gaffers
wonders what happened to the system
is stalked by petty dwarves
is terrorizing the wood elves
was once misplaced by forgetful maia
descended from groveling stone-trolls
looks like a muddy-booted Baggins
dating a horrible Dunlending

At first I was convinced that there was some sort of fascinating connexion or parallel to the books that we were just over-looking. But people just don't date Dunlendings. Except Lal, of course. ;)

Now I'm convinced that there are two options: these phrases are plays on words... or The Barrow-Wight made stuff up and is sitting in his Barrow-Chair laughing maniacally at the power he so obviously has over all of our minds.

I forgot what letter this particular plan should be named after
 

Whatever

Continuing along the line of Middle-Earth magnets (and Madlibs and Malbeth as suggested by Esty), let me put forward a supposition the titles are somehow generated in Middle Earth Name Generator.

I've tried to model some of the previous titles and got quite funny results (nothing close to actual titles, but still):

According to the Red Book of Westmarch, In Middle-earth...

member started path to adventure was a Staggering Valar

member is getting the hang of it was a Wicked Ghost

member is no fool of a Took was a Overweight Neekerbreeker

member is faithfull as Samwise was a Overgrown Ringwraith

member has shown the wisdom of Gandalf was a Loved Gamgee

member has the fame of Frodo was a Creepy Bird-tamer

member would be welcome at Aragorn's court was a Loathsome Black Rider

member has a place at Elrond's council was a Angry Nazgûl

member is bound for the Straight Road was a Talkative Hobbit

member sits on high Taniquetil was a Powerful Wizard

Perhaps...

I've noticed that when you plug in the names of certain members, interesting results come back.

Give "estelyn telcontar" and "mister underhill" a try...

So... the new titles refer to Administrators and Moderators' names shoved into the generator.

TP, the only consolation is that I beat you to Taniquetil.

This was posted in the Future of the Downs thread. Pretty good prediction...

Good tip, TP. Forum leaders?
 

Two matches so far...

Is it an amazing coincidence, or have we begun to solve the puzzle?

Start plugging things into the generator- personal titles, birthdays, names, join dates, sigs... everything you can think of. We'll see where it leads. If you get a positive result on anything, toss it up here on the thread.

(btw, if you plug in "Amanaduial the archer" and "the phantom", you get the same thing- strange, eh?)

We've got it, darlings, or the phantom has... the jerk.

Eomer of the Rohirrim is a Frightened Wood-Elf
Boromir88 is a Confused Gaffer
Hookbill the Goomba is a Muddy-Booted Baggins
the phantom is a Grovelling Hill-Troll (or was that stone?)
Lhunardawen is a Horrible Dunlending.

What is the criterion, we wonders-s-ss...
 

Doing it :D

That's three so far

Edit:

Cross-posted here, it seems we have six matches:

Not forum leaders, obviously. Hm-mm...

So...is it the Ranks sorted by reputation on the Member's List?

It can't be, Oddy, because there seems no particular pattern by way of rank. Unless... *Fea runs off*

Heren, we're up to more than that.

Esty
Underhillo
'Mer
B88
Hookbill
Lhuna
maybe-phantom

Edit: I'm thinking maybe the latest Reps are named after the "Top" Reputation Givers? Only it doesn't seem to match up... but then again, that list hasn't been updated in about a month.

criterion
 

I've modified the post above to reflect 6 matches, Fea :)

Now let us find the criterion:

It is not Barrow-Benefactors, not Top Reputation Givers/Receivers, not people with highest repute or highest post count... m-mm, not members picked by year of joining the forum (eomer 2002, boromir 2004, Underhill 2000, Estelyn 2002, Lhunardawen 2003, Hookbil 2003, we lack 2001 and 2005), not by the first letter of their screennames...

May it be BW stuck names at random, just as we now do, and has chosen funniest titles returned at random?

The top ten Downers with highest Rep as of... two minuets ago. and what they are in the Name generator.

#1 Lalwendë = Crying Vanyar

#2 davem = Frightened Wood-Elf *

#3 The Saucepan Man = Friendly Istari

#4 Bêthberry = Sword-swinging Haradrim

#5 HerenIstarion = Stuttering Rohirrim

#6 Eomer of the Rohirrim = Frightened Wood-Elf *

#7 Fordim Hedgethistle = Fearless Nazgûl

#8 Mithalwen = Handsome Kin-slayer

#9 Boromir88 = Confused Gaffer*

#10 Hookbill the Goomba = Muddy-booted Baggins*

*Titles that have been spotted.

Perhaps someone can find a thread all of these people have posted on- even in order maybe?

Or a list that they all appear on?

But I just entered 'Bethberry' into the Name Generator now and this is what I got:

Although 'Beth Berry' produces:

:D

They've all posted on here at least once.

Yeah... this one. :p

PS: Did you guys know we have a member named "Petty Dwarf"?

Impressive, Fea. That is quite an astounding find.

The value of your input cannot even begin to be measured.

;)

Try again with Bêthberry. ;)

Any chance it would go somehow alphabetically?

Boromir88 = Confused Gaffer
...
Davem = Frightened Wood-Elf
Estelyn Telcontar = Forgetful Maiar
...
Hookbill = Muddy-booted Baggins

Try using the metric system.

Perhaps we're over-thinking it again. He said that it was absurdly easy. We figured out that he used the name generator. Maybe he just picked the funniest names, like Heren said.