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The following items all have something in common.

  • A Scandinavian country.
  • A manual consisting of aphorisms.
  • A famous former English professional footballer.
  • Beef or mutton fat.
  • A genus of evergreen trees.
  • A former chemical symbol.

Moreover, with the addition of one more item they would form a complete set, which I call a pointer set.

Can you determine what the items above have in common?
Can you give an example of an item which would complete the set?

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A Scandinavian country. (credit @Weathervane)

Sweden - adding day anagrams to Wednesday

A manual consisting of aphorisms. (credit @Weathervane)

sutra - adding day anagrams to Saturday

A famous former English professional footballer.

Hurst → Thursday

Beef or mutton fat. (credit @Weathervane)

suet - Tuesday

A genus of evergreen trees.

fir - Friday

A former chemical symbol.

Uns (Unnilseptium [107] the temporary name given to bohrium) → Sunday

Can you determine what the items above have in common?

Adding day, they anagram to the days of the week. Credit to AHKieran here, as originally just had the answers contain the three letter day abbreviations.

Can you give an example of an item which would complete the set?

Vietnamese salad → Nom and day anagram to Monday.

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  • $\begingroup$ Good spot: my second attempt was trying to make rot13(pbzcnff cbvagf) but there aren't enough options. $\endgroup$ – Weather Vane Nov 1 at 14:37
  • $\begingroup$ I think the final answer should be: rot13(Gurl ner nyy nantenzf bs gur Qnl fhssvkrf (r.t. Fjrqra => Jrqarf+qnl) Naq gur svany cneg bs gur frg jbhyq or ZBA, jvgu na nccebcevngr pyhr orvat "Babzngbcbrvp fbhaq sbe rngvat") $\endgroup$ – AHKieran Nov 1 at 14:37
  • $\begingroup$ whoops chose the wrong box to copy in rot13 xD $\endgroup$ – AHKieran Nov 1 at 14:39
  • $\begingroup$ @AHKieran - you're right - that's more specific, you could answer. $\endgroup$ – Tom Nov 1 at 14:45
  • $\begingroup$ Nicely done Tom and yes, AHKieran's suggestion is correct. $\endgroup$ – hexomino Nov 1 at 15:35
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Here is my attempt to answer the first part, not quite right, maybe not at all right!

A Scandinavian country.

Sweden

A manual consisting of aphorisms.

Sutra

A famous former English professional footballer.

Sulzeer Jeremiah Campbell

Beef or mutton fat.

Suet

A genus of evergreen trees.

Tsuga

A former chemical symbol.

Su for sulphur or sulfur. It is now S and I can't find anything to support the idea that it changed.

The common theme of these is

A syllable spelled or pronounced su.

I don't know why another example could complete the set.

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  • $\begingroup$ Some of your guesses are correct but the pattern is not (although it's interesting that you found such a connection). Have a look at your answers again and see if you can see anything that could link some of them. $\endgroup$ – hexomino Nov 1 at 13:38
  • $\begingroup$ I've been struggling with research to justify the last one, or something very similar like rot13(fhycungr vba). Should I give up on that avenue? $\endgroup$ – Weather Vane Nov 1 at 13:41
  • $\begingroup$ Yes, it's not something that is very obscure. $\endgroup$ – hexomino Nov 1 at 13:45
  • $\begingroup$ I believe the beef or mutton fat is rot13(gnyybj). $\endgroup$ – Alexander Geldhof Nov 1 at 14:18
  • $\begingroup$ I think the aphorisms manual could also be rot13(nyznanp) $\endgroup$ – Nahmid Nov 1 at 14:24

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