Perplexity

Trebles all round:

Allowable hockey rod fossil pricks mare wrap fuss scene.

Group those nine words into three triples, then rearrange the letters within each group to find this week's three thematically connected answers, each of three words.

A copy of the new Chambers-Larousse Desktop Encyclopedia will be awarded to the first correct answer opened on 13 December. Entries to: Saturday Pastimes, the Independent, 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5DL.

18 November answer:

The question was: "How many squares are there on a chessboard if you include those of every size?" The answer is 204. Winner: Richard Heighton