The official bored-at-work cryptic crossword pass it on thread.

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Okay yeah! Solve the current one, post your answer and new one.

Alan, in the afternoon, is a tree (4)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 8 December 2005 16:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

Palm

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 8 December 2005 16:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

palm

xpost

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 8 December 2005 16:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

yew

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 8 December 2005 16:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

Okay Huk and Onimo new clue please!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 8 December 2005 16:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

Almost create a fib, perhaps, or tell one (9)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 8 December 2005 16:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

fabricate

― k/l (Ken L), Thursday, 8 December 2005 16:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yes, your turn!

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 8 December 2005 16:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

Maybe we should have some sort of rule whereby if someone gets one and then doesn't put up a new clue after ten minutes, it defaults to whoever wants it?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 8 December 2005 17:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

(if only because I am here until bloody seven today)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 8 December 2005 17:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

OK, here's a classic

City stylish in the past (7)

― k/l (Ken L), Thursday, 8 December 2005 17:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

Chicago! Nice.

Ok here's one: Unsuccessful rock promoter (8)

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 8 December 2005 17:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

Thread of my dreams :)

Can't do the one above though :(

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 8 December 2005 17:26 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh well - I'm off now, feel free to post a new one if no-one gets it.

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 8 December 2005 17:27 (7 years ago) Permalink

It's a hard one!

Later TL!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 8 December 2005 17:29 (7 years ago) Permalink

I don't know what this is- poorterm? That's not a word.

The Chicago clue is not original- I've seen it and its variants in puzzles many times.

― k/l (Ken L), Thursday, 8 December 2005 17:31 (7 years ago) Permalink

Damn, I have to go now too. Later!

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 8 December 2005 17:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

This is just the thread I need to get me through the day - and I killed it!

S_S_P_U_

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 9 December 2005 08:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

Aw, man, that is the greatest clue EVER (once I'd worked out the answer, which took about 2 seconds once you'd put the letters in!)

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 08:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

Answer being Sisyphus, btw.

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 09:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

Correctamundo - and thanks! - your turn then.

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 9 December 2005 09:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

Wow, that's genius.

New clue! Ailsa you there?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 09:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

Okay, well, I'll post an easy one to get us rolling again:

Heats sacks (5)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 09:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

Fires.

Id's involved in painful, er, mistake. (8, 4)

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Friday, 9 December 2005 09:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

Freudian Slip!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 09:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

Even my hired lady must submit (5)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 09:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

Well done!

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Friday, 9 December 2005 09:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yield

― Sam (chirombo), Friday, 9 December 2005 09:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh, sorry, went off to have some breakfast. New clue:

Country with its capital in Czechoslovakia (6)

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 09:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

I don't have a paper on me, so here's a classic:
GSEG (9, 4)

― Sam (chirombo), Friday, 9 December 2005 09:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

sorry, xpost

― Sam (chirombo), Friday, 9 December 2005 09:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

Norway

― Sam (chirombo), Friday, 9 December 2005 09:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

Scrambled eggs!

(xpost, yes correct)

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 09:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

Not posting the answer to ailsa's but it's my favourite clue ever :)

x-post :)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 09:51 (7 years ago) Permalink

Haha I meant's Sam's! Ailsa's is good too though obv.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 09:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

Gambler mixes rent up (6)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

(I know I didn't win the last one but I thought of that on the train this morning and didn't want to forget)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

punter!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

Punter. (xpost, bah)

I can't think of any more just now - will go trawling through my newspaper recycling box and come back later.

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:07 (7 years ago) Permalink

S is very hush hush (3,9)

― Tag (Tag), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

(3,6) I mean. Spanner.

― Tag (Tag), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

(ailsa or sam do you want this one, or shall I pick one?)

(this thread has saved work)

x-post okay: 'I have recognized my son!' he said proudly (5,2,3)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

Tag's is top secret, this one has me stumped...

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

I can't work out top secret! :(

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

"s" is the first (top) letter of secret, innit?

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

Harsh!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

What's harsh is not having any other letters to at least get a starting point for these...

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

I might need to check the 'quickie' clue for that last one :-(

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:31 (7 years ago) Permalink

That's my boy!

― Sam (chirombo), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

That's my boy.
xpost

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

Here's one I made up.

For a cooking pot brandname, the French put America in a mixed up Greek island. (2, 7)

― Sam (chirombo), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

La Creuset.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

Le, rather.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

Too easy!

― Sam (chirombo), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

Too middle-class!

― Sam (chirombo), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

Italy's the spot for a bunch of mentalists. (3)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

Are cryptics more of a working class thing?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

haha

― Sam (chirombo), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

xpost

― Sam (chirombo), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

ILX

― beanz (beanz), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

haha

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

Chris, is it not three in the morning over there?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

Madchen's "overworked postman" joke to thread!

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

beanz new clue! (I thinka ailsa and Sam still have one saved up too)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

Put back strength about advance (8)

Warning: I read this the other day and thought it was a crap clue, but it lodged itself in my head which is why I'm reproducing it now.

― beanz (beanz), Friday, 9 December 2005 11:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

Do they have cryptic crosswords (in this sense) in America?

― Sam (chirombo), Friday, 9 December 2005 11:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

Put back? Advance? Too generic! Millions of synonyms! Letters please...

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 9 December 2005 11:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

R _ _ H _ _ _ E

― beanz (beanz), Friday, 9 December 2005 11:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

recharge

― Ste (Fuzzy), Friday, 9 December 2005 11:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

bingo

― beanz (beanz), Friday, 9 December 2005 11:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

sorry i've got to go for dinner now and don't have any new clues, someone will have to take my go

― Ste (Fuzzy), Friday, 9 December 2005 11:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

Aw crap, I thought about = re, then discarded it.

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 9 December 2005 11:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh, I don't have any old guardians lying about any more = no decent crossword clues to dispense to you. I'll just keep reading and solving if that's alright with you lot.

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 12:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

I discarded re too :(

Okay supereasy one but I really like the clue: French boulevards of broken dreams (4)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 12:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

Rues

(too easy, I know)

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 12:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm gonna jump in with an old fave:
Love will tear us apart, causing grief (3)

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 9 December 2005 12:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

woe! NICE

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 12:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

Gonna get lunch, I'll try and think of one while I'm out. Feel free to post any you think of...

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 12:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

OK, another old classic:

H.I.J.K.L.M.N.O (5)

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 12:30 (7 years ago) Permalink

Water

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Friday, 9 December 2005 12:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

A ship that nobody caes about (7)

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Friday, 9 December 2005 12:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

cares about

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Friday, 9 December 2005 12:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

(to be honest, I stole this one from I'm Sorry I Havn't a Clue, so it's less of a strong cryptic clue, more of a weak pun)

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Friday, 9 December 2005 12:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, I was going to say that's "frigate" - I read it in one of those made-up-definitions-for-words things in the newspaper not that long ago.

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 12:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

Back from LUNCH mm sandwich. Quite proud of this one:

Point at vase, a codename for orgies (11)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 12:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm pretty sure that's going to be "bacchanalia" due to alias and and the orgy thing, but I can't quite work out why.

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 12:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

not quite!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 12:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

Do people want some letters?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 14:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ooh, yes please.

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 14:30 (7 years ago) Permalink

S------L--S

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 14:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

saturnalias

― beanz (beanz), Friday, 9 December 2005 14:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

doh

― beanz (beanz), Friday, 9 December 2005 14:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

New clue!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 14:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

Rat you hit corrupted power (9)

Too easy for letter hints

― beanz (beanz), Friday, 9 December 2005 14:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

Authority

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 14:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

Authority - xposted AGAIN!!! goddamnit!

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 9 December 2005 14:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

Next!

― beanz (beanz), Friday, 9 December 2005 14:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

Flaky apple crisp holders (5,5)

― Ste (Fuzzy), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

not tarte tatin is it?

― beanz (beanz), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

Nah, it's paper clips. (anagram)

― Amity Wong (noodle vague), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

Paper clips!
xpost!

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

And I was gonna say
caper pails

― k/l (Ken L), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

I was gazing at 'space plirp' thinking 'hmm, maybe not anagram after all...'

― beanz (beanz), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

And yes, they have cryptics in the US, but they're rarer and you have to know where to look for them. And yes, it was probably 3 in the morning. I have been weirdly sick and my sleep schedule is totally kerscrewed.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

Noodle! Entertain us!
(that's an exhortation not a clue)

― beanz (beanz), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

Bugger, I didn't realise it was my turn. Do I have to provide a clue now?

― Amity Wong (noodle vague), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

Show us whatcha got, NV.

― k/l (Ken L), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

Noodle! Write one, skip none! (5)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

Penne!

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

(Very good)

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

NICE!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

Stupid - having none of these? (8)

― Sam (chirombo), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

(Yeah NV it's basically pass-it-on but if there hasn't been an unsolved clue for a while anyone can post one. I don't think anyone is too fussy about any of it unless we have to do some work or something) (I have spent the last six hours entering printed-out spreadsheets back into excel in a different format, any requests for the actual original spreadsheets has been greeted with blank incomprehension)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

clueless!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

When to eat out after the end of the world (4)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

date?

― k/l (Ken L), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

Coyote's Peak? (4)

― Amity Wong (noodle vague), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:51 (7 years ago) Permalink

yup k/l! sorry, that's probably not a very good one.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

I have the death lurgey flu brought on by people manfully struggling into work all full of germs all week, and I don't feel well, and we are watching the world's worst TV movie ("Supernova" starring Luke Perry as an astrophysicist who accidentally predicts that the sun will go supernova by putting a minus sign rather than a plus sign in one of his calculations, whilst rushing to save his wife from a serial killer), so the distraction of crossword clues is excellent.

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 15:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

Errrm, I'm buggering off to play Total War in a minute, I'll post a answer later if you need one.

― Amity Wong (noodle vague), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

Nah, you're OK. Acme, innit?

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

Lol. Yep.

― Amity Wong (noodle vague), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ho ho! Very lateral, nice.

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

OK, I just cooked this up for you:

Woman's notes stuck to hair (8)

― k/l (Ken L), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:15 (7 years ago) Permalink

Mind if I do one out of turn?

Transmitters in rhymed iambics (5)

oh xpost... come back to it

― beanz (beanz), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

media

― k/l (Ken L), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ok do it now then!

― beanz (beanz), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

I don't get the Coyote's Peak one.

― Sam (chirombo), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:26 (7 years ago) Permalink

[Insert picture of Roadrunner here]

― k/l (Ken L), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:27 (7 years ago) Permalink

― Sam (chirombo), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

Doesn't fit but: Actresses

― Sam (chirombo), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

Mistress?

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

yup. your turn

― k/l (Ken L), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

someone want to explain that last one to me ?

― Ste (Fuzzy), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

of of of of of of of of of of (10)

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

oftentimes

― Sam (chirombo), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

Frequently

― beanz (beanz), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

um yes

― beanz (beanz), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:51 (7 years ago) Permalink

What beanz said, but probably the other answer is correct.

― k/l (Ken L), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:51 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, frequently.

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ste:
Mi's + tress

You don't like it, you get what you pay for.

― k/l (Ken L), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

Is oftentimes a word?

Lover asks non-commissioned officer to a dance (8)

― Sam (chirombo), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

haha oftentimes is awesome!

I think the explanation is notes = (mi)s, hair=tresses, woman could be mistress, Ste? So stuck to would just be "next to".

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

yes oftentimes is a word, and would make more sense to me

― Ste (Fuzzy), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

FOUR MINUTES TILL FREEDOM

I don't even get "frequently"!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

me neither

― Sam (chirombo), Friday, 9 December 2005 16:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

I just got carried away with of-ten

― beanz (beanz), Friday, 9 December 2005 17:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

The clue is of x 10 = often = frequently. According to the place where I saw it before.

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 17:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

oh right, i'm dumb, i couldn't see the hair/tress part. i was looking for musical note references for some stupid stupid reason.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Friday, 9 December 2005 17:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

and great thread, but gotta go home. g'night!

― Ste (Fuzzy), Friday, 9 December 2005 17:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

Though oftentimes will do, since no letters were specified. Fight amongst yourselves.

(night)

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 17:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oftentimes is clearly awesomer.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 9 December 2005 17:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yes, it is. I liked that it went a stage further, as oftentimes is a bit too literal for my liking, but it's still a great word.

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 17:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

A great cryptic clue should make it hard for you to see the word again without thinking of the clue, which that clue very much does for "oftentimes" but not so much for "frequently".

I wish I could remember exactly how my favorite clue goes, but I think I mentioned it the last time we did this thread anyway.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 9 December 2005 17:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

I can ship from Spain. (8)

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 9 December 2005 17:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

Hispanic.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 9 December 2005 17:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

Though shouldn't there be a word telling you it's an anagram clue?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 9 December 2005 17:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

That was in my National Post cryptic today. Possibly "I can ship OUT OF Spain"

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 9 December 2005 18:00 (7 years ago) Permalink

Hispanic (gah, xpost, casuistry OTM though)

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 18:00 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm the crossword police.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 9 December 2005 18:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm with Chris - I reckon one of the real strengths of cryptics is that when you get it, you *know* you can fill it in because there's only one word that could be right (mostly because you've gotten the same answer twice). It's no good doing all the fancy stuff and still having to guess at a normal clue and worry about same-lettered synonyms!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 9 December 2005 18:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

Useless gasps. (5)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 9 December 2005 18:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

Nobody bored yet this week then?

Um, pants?

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 13:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

I will doubtless continue to be bored all this week. Only here today for another hour though.

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 15:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

Well, I don't think 'pants' can be right but here's a new clue anyway:

Couple to hire band (8)

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 15:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

Hmm. It's not a musical band is it?

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 15:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

No, think other sense of band.

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 15:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ring, hoop... today I am stupid.

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 15:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

Bracelet!

― k/l (Ken L), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 15:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh Gooooooodddd...

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 15:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yup! It took me ages too (and I needed the l and t filled in first, doh).

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 15:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

Get a seat on a plane with diddley? You can! (4)

― k/l (Ken L), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 15:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

Book?

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 16:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yup. I just made that clue up, so I'm glad you were able to get it.

― k/l (Ken L), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 16:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

Here's an easy one from today's Independent: Get off vehicle on fire (6)

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 16:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

alight

― k/l (Ken L), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 16:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

alight

xpost

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 16:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

You're on, Huk.

― k/l (Ken L), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 16:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

Pay no more attention when apathetic (8)

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 16:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

Couple to hire band (8)

ha, that was out of theguardian today, and I didn't get it at all. D'oh! (and thanks)

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 18:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

(It was pants. I didn't think it would take so long for people to get, though.)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 21:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

I thought I'd said "pants" before I went off to get my tea that night, but apparently I didn't. Oh well.

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 21:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm stumped on Huk's.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 21:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

And we were counting on you, Chris.

― k/l (Ken L), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 21:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

And we were counting on you, Chris.

― k/l (Ken L), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 22:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

Counting up to 2, even.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 22:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

Is it listless? Only that's not a usage of 'list' I'm familiar with.

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 09:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh no that's rubbish, forget I spoke...

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 10:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

Wait a minute is it careless?

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 10:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

Or mindless... I'll shutup now.

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 10:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

Somethingless anyway!

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 14:27 (7 years ago) Permalink

I think we should have a new clue until Huk can give us a hint.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 14:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

LISTLESS IT IS!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 14:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

Explain the list bit?

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 14:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

Pay no more attention = keep no more lists!

I'm sorry, I stole it from yesterday's Nat'l Post.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 14:51 (7 years ago) Permalink

HMMMMM...

New clue then, this was in the Times today and it tickled my fancy:
Setting for end of term production (9,4)

I can supply the letters we had in it before we got it...

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 14:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh dear, letters please! I'm thinking it doesn't mean school term?

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 14:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

M-------Y ----

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 15:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

okay, I was offtrack.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 15:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

Maternity Ward?

― Sam (chirombo), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 15:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

Bingo!

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 15:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

Maternity Ward?

(Xpost)

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 15:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ooh I like it.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 15:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

One from Private Eye (the only one I can do this week):

Taken by piss-artist to be how to position two entries in a sudoku grid? (3,4,3,5)

― Sam (chirombo), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 15:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

One over the eight!

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 15:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

Curses, I've been staring at that for half an hour!

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 15:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ok this one should be easy:
Dairy product made by EEC she-goat etc curdled (7,6)

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 15:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

cottage cheese

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 15:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

(But I still don't get the sudoku one)

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 15:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

Recieved lush wisdom: Eight drinks is okay, any more makes you drunk.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 15:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

So if you've had "one over the eight" you're a piss-artist.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 15:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

Pay no more attention = keep no more lists!

Is that some weird Canuck slang?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 17:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

Awfully sad picture of slapstick (7, 3)

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 17:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

Custard pie.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 17:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

But, um, someone else can feel free to post a new clue, I got nothing right now.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 17:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

(I made this up, it's shit, but...)

Fred's lead in race is an absurdity (5)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 19:27 (7 years ago) Permalink

FARCE

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 19:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

correct

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 19:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

Cross hog ill, disturbed by these female students (11)

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 19:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

You need something in the clue to indicate that "race" is an anagram, also the f's not "in", it's "at the start of".

(xpost) schoolgirls

― crossword pedant (ailsa), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 19:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

easiest one from today's guardian: MP teased about mad rush (8)

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 19:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

(my clues are all shitty anagrams--FEEL MY CRYPTIC SHAME!)

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 19:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

stampede

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 19:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

You need something in the clue to indicate that "race" is an anagram, also the f's not "in", it's "at the start of".

Did you see where I said "it's shit"?

Oh and I'm assuming you don't have an 'a' in your name...

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 19:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

He'd be incredible if he weren't so fucked up. (3-1)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 22:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

Huk-L (excellent clue, Casuistry)

Onimo, I was being helpful, or so I thought. I have never made a crossword clue up in my life, and wouldn't even attempt to due to my woeful lack of imagination - I'm just jealous of those who can do so and put me to shame, and doing my usual crappy thing of pointing out the speck of dust in another's eye before removing the plank in my own :)

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 15 December 2005 00:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

A cryptic pedant is snaking through Alabama. (5)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 15 December 2005 00:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

hahaha :)

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 15 December 2005 00:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

I don't know why I can only come up with clues for people (or the board at large).

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 15 December 2005 00:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

Shrink turns wife into mountain (8)

― k/l (Ken L), Thursday, 15 December 2005 02:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

Please explain the huk-l clue to my tired and rusty brain.

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 15 December 2005 09:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

Anagram of 'hulk'. Who is incredible.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 15 December 2005 09:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

Sweet.

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 15 December 2005 10:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

Jungfrau?

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 15 December 2005 10:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh my god. Is it Jungfrau?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 15 December 2005 11:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

Pending that adjudication:
Blair goes around and about in church, that is, for festive treat (5,3)

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 15 December 2005 11:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

Mince pie!

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 15 December 2005 11:26 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yup!

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 15 December 2005 11:30 (7 years ago) Permalink

Can this be a joint effort, because I haven't worked it out either yet:

Erif (8)

(From today's Araucaria)

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 15 December 2005 12:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ok I know it now. Carry on!

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 15 December 2005 12:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

Surely backfire or fireback or something - at least one of those may be a word. xpost obv.

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 15 December 2005 12:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yeah I thought fireback. Though it could equally be backfire. Shit.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 15 December 2005 12:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

Reminds me of a variation on an old chestnut that was posted earlier:
ONMLKJIH (9)

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 15 December 2005 12:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

backwater

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 15 December 2005 12:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ok, I don't get that and I didn't get HIJKLMNO either :(

Oh wait yes I do. H to O. H2O. Right.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 15 December 2005 12:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, it was Jungfrau. That was a homebrew clue.

― k/l (Ken L), Thursday, 15 December 2005 13:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

Why the "turns"?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 15 December 2005 14:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

So... who's up? Onimo?

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 15 December 2005 15:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

Messed up time for the short generation to get together (7)

(man that's bad, sorry again ailsa)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 15 December 2005 15:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

meeting?

― k/l (Ken L), Thursday, 15 December 2005 15:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

I GOT IT. but I don't have the brain power to come up with a clue. So I'll keep quiet.

xpost

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 15 December 2005 15:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

meeting, yes.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 15 December 2005 15:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

I can't come up with my own clues either. But if Huk doesn't want to go I'll just keeping ripping off Araucaria. Is there copyright on clues? Oh well:

Appeal to teacher as to existence of deity? (6)

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 15 December 2005 16:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

I think it is Osiris...

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 15 December 2005 16:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yep :)

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 15 December 2005 16:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

Not bad, although O for out for appeal is a bit of a stretch. As is this:

(His) specious argument for confused, pointless cause is trouble (9)

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 15 December 2005 17:00 (7 years ago) Permalink

I was more bothered by the "sir" part, of course.

If that clue is for what I think it is, then it might be a stretch, because I can't quite put it together. An "e" too many, maybe?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 15 December 2005 17:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

My addled brain can't work that out at all, but would "pointless" mean that a compass point i.e. "E" isn't there, solving the mystery of Casuistry's extra "e"? Apologies if this is way off the mark.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 15 December 2005 18:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

Then where does the Y come in?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 15 December 2005 19:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

I don't even know what the answer is! I was just randomly dissecting bits of clue.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 15 December 2005 19:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

I just worked it out! Can't quite do why either though :(

NO HINT PLZ

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 15 December 2005 19:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

That's about as far is I got, too.

― k/l (Ken L), Thursday, 15 December 2005 19:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

could trouble just mean "try"?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 15 December 2005 19:07 (7 years ago) Permalink

My last was an xpost, I get it now. I think the clue is fine, except for the "(His)" maybe.

― k/l (Ken L), Thursday, 15 December 2005 19:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

God, I am teh dumb. Yes, clue seems OK to me as well (now that brain has caught up with normality after being stuck at work all day)

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 15 December 2005 19:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh ah, "try". Like "trying times". Ah!

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 15 December 2005 23:00 (7 years ago) Permalink

Does this mean I get the next clue? Sweet.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 15 December 2005 23:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

Lack a swarthy heart, sticking with Windows (4)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 15 December 2005 23:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

(also how do I explain cryptic crosswords in a letter to an american school I am recommending a kid to? "british-style cryptic riddles" sounds daft.)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 16 December 2005 00:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

They're called "cryptic crosswords" here. If the person doesn't know what that term means, however, good luck trying to explain it to them!

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 16 December 2005 00:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

"Cryptic crosswords" doesn't mean like Will Shortz right?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 16 December 2005 00:26 (7 years ago) Permalink

No.

― k/l (Ken L), Friday, 16 December 2005 03:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

Except when the Times runs them, of course. Just, you know, to be pedantic.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 16 December 2005 07:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

Have I killed this thread? :(

--N-

― Gravel Worklesworth, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 13:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

Not a scooby.

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm baffled.

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm baffled too. Want to give one more letter, with the proviso that whoever gets it has to explain HOW the clue works?

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

Sure! -AN-

― Gravel Worklesworth, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

Is it pane?

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

See I thought pane, just because of the window thing, but I have NO IDEA WHY!!! Please help us in the right direction, GP...

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

You're at the wrong end!

"Windows" is maybe not very good :(

― Gravel Worklesworth, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ooh, I get it!!

WANT (wa = heart of swarthy, NT = Windows!) = lack

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

Shit, I have to think of a new one now. Bear with me a minute...

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

I always think "heart" (or similar) should mean the middle letters precisely...

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

So do I, but I am a pedant, and anyway I got it right and you're just jealous *thumbs nose*

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

YES IT SHOULD. Pah.

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

Did anyone get the Grauniad today with the answers to the clues from Colin Dexter's column yesterday?

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:29 (7 years ago) Permalink

No, as I haven't actually been out of the house for two days (hurrah for days off!)

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:29 (7 years ago) Permalink

Anyway, from a Guardian last week

Short ball dismissing opener, South American caught at close of play (7,4)

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

Curtain call! That's a gorgeous clue.

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

I always think "heart" (or similar) should mean the middle letters precisely...

I always thought it was exactly the middle OR slightly on the left because it's a left do you see? You're probably right though :(

― Gravel Worklesworth, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

waitwait "because it's a heart" obv

― GW, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yes, ledge, it's a brilliant clue isn't it?

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

This might be my favourite clue ever, from The Times:

An unusual ring, essentially of light, encircling heads (7)

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

Aureole!

― GW, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

So gorgeous!

In that curtain call clue, why is ainc a south american?

― GW, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

it isn't, it's Inca.

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

inca

xpost

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

Short = curt. ball dismissing opener = all. therefore that is curtall, and you can put (catch) "inca" in the middle of that.

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ohhh, *a* South American! I totally missed that ever though I did it in my own one with a swarthy.

Wait a minute, I am accompanied by Pooh (4,4,2)

― Gravel Worklesworth, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

Bear with me (cute, I like it)

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

Wouldn't curtall catching "a inca" be "curtain caall"?

(also if this thread ever gets to a second edition we are so calling it 'HOW DO MARKET FORCES AFFECT OUR INDUSTRY' or something, open plan office + facing the wall = teh fear)

― Gravel Worklesworth, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

It's just Inca, no indefinite article.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:51 (7 years ago) Permalink

the A in Curtain is from the headless Ball.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ohhhhhh, I'm dense today! Thanks Huck.

― GW, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 17:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

Hey, I explained it already :(

From same crossword as it's the only one I have handy just now:

Loosened shoe - and clue too? (7)

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 17:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

Extremely cold place in which a Christian has a spasm. (6)

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 17:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

Can this be a joint effort, because I haven't worked it out either yet:

Erif (8)

This is the ONLY one I've got straight away in the whole thread. But it's fascinating watching all your thought processes!

So here's one from me:

Risking a punt might result in this good fortune (4,2,3,5)

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 17:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

Kick in the pants?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 17:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

Huk's is Arctic.

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 17:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ooh, Markelby, is it "luck of the Irish"? That's great!

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 17:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

Haha excellent!

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 18:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

I have to say that mine's not an original - it's an award-winning crossword clue I found on the information superhighway. But it is good :)

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 18:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

It's also out of date, due to the introduction of the Euro, but hey, it's still good :)

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 18:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

I like easy ones. Like this:

Ape can hide this nut (5)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 23:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

pecan! go to bed man.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 23:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

another easy one: sheep with wonky nose, the first punk band (3-7)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 00:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ailsa's one above is unlaced. And the punk one - sex pistols? I have no idea why.

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 08:31 (7 years ago) Permalink

The Ramones

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 09:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

Gah, I just got it!

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 09:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

Surely that's "(3, 7)", not "(3-7)".

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 09:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

yeah :(

could someone explain 'unlaced'? I get the shoe bit obv.

new clue!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 11:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

Anag of "and clue", "loosened" is the anag indicator.

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 11:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

Far from perfect but the best I could manage:

Guess ABBA will break up now they've lost a member? (9)

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 12:15 (7 years ago) Permalink

doh! cheers for the explanation.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 12:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

i'm stumped.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 16:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

Well it is kinda lacking a definition - it only works 'cause it's topical (or popical, hint hint).

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 17:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

sugababes!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 17:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

that's really nice actually.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 17:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

writer of novels, essay and verse (6)

(not mine for once)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 17:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

poetry

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 17:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

new blood!

new clue!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 17:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

Meet the new blood, same as the old blood.

Here's a clue I just made up:

Jerry-built, backwards, note: in hell, almost. (8)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 23:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

Here's another one I made up:

Call them for replacing a doorknob and piercing a veil! (8)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 22 December 2005 02:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

Please have a go at my crummily crafted clues when you wake up, cryptic AU/UK peeps.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 22 December 2005 07:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

Of course, Chris can try too if he comes home late.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 22 December 2005 07:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

I have stared at them with little to no comprehension.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 22 December 2005 08:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

Sorry. You know the "turns" I put in the other clue a while back? That was there as a false reversal indicator, to throw you off the trail and to make the surface reading seem more like a dream, which I hope I can get to sleep and get to have one of.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 22 December 2005 09:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

A false reversal indicator? That's hardly fair!

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 22 December 2005 09:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

Homemade

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 22 December 2005 10:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

Bloody hell ledge! I don't think I could have got that in a month.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 22 December 2005 10:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

Argh, I even got as far as thinking h----ade, but nothing came to mind after. Doh.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 22 December 2005 10:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

I thought it had to be h---made, then I just needed to get a four letter word for note beginning with m. Am stumped by the other one though.

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 22 December 2005 10:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

I sort of want it to be 'handlers' but why?

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 22 December 2005 10:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh well, here's an article to read while we try to figure it out:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,1672293,00.html

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 22 December 2005 11:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

Girrus letters Ken!

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 22 December 2005 12:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

H------n

A false reversal indicator?
This was perhaps an exaggeration. You want I should have said "shrink wife mountain"? What am I, Tarzan?

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 22 December 2005 12:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

Here's another one

My bird for a kingdom! (3)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 22 December 2005 12:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

handymen?

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 22 December 2005 13:07 (7 years ago) Permalink

DING DING DING!

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 22 December 2005 13:27 (7 years ago) Permalink

oh! BRILLIANT

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 22 December 2005 13:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

Shrink leads wife into mountain maybe?

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 22 December 2005 14:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

This bird clue is hard!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 22 December 2005 15:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

Wait, no it isn't. Auk!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 22 December 2005 15:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

Is it my clue now or onimo's or ledge's or all three?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 22 December 2005 15:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

Auk! D'oh.

Well, whoever comes up with one first I guess.

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 22 December 2005 15:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

ok, my brain is dead so newspaper one:

pub arranged to have meals in every bar (6)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 22 December 2005 16:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

upbeat

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 22 December 2005 18:30 (7 years ago) Permalink

While I was away, I came up with this

Mad scientist's fearless leader worked to recognize his large mug (12)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 22 December 2005 18:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

frankenstein, but still working on why...

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 22 December 2005 18:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

oh, recognise is ken? right, gotcha.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 22 December 2005 18:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

Cry of a cockney bird (3)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 22 December 2005 18:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

(I kept thinking it was going to be H----eck, with possibly a -bn- in the middle, and was trying to see if there were any famous Jerry H--bnecks or something.)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 22 December 2005 20:15 (7 years ago) Permalink

owl.

― isadora (isadora), Thursday, 22 December 2005 20:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

new blood!

new clue!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 22 December 2005 23:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

While we're waiting for isadora, here's some more:

Push back pariah in disgust (5)

Savage morning in New York (6)

Ego-less holding back holding Aussie eatery (10)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 23 December 2005 00:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

Virgin to provide experience to freshmen (3,5)

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Friday, 23 December 2005 00:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

Restaurant.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 23 December 2005 08:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

Repel.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 23 December 2005 08:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

What's still unsolved? Savage morning?

(VL's is new blood right?)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

Right.

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

(I feel a bit daft calling everyone by screennames on a thread like this - should we do some introducing while we're waiting for Ndawny to mean savage? I'm Greg)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

Hi dere I'm Ole!

Mocking God's mother and ourselves (5)

(if it proves too hard, substitute FPBGGVFUNEGVFG for ZBPXVATTBQ (encoded in ROT13)

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Friday, 23 December 2005 14:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

Momus!

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 23 December 2005 14:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

Indeed! Did you get it without applying the hint? (It does involve some semi-obscure mythology...)

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Friday, 23 December 2005 14:51 (7 years ago) Permalink

The original pass-it-on rules seem to be ignored; fine by me.

Request the first of the fold (5)

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Friday, 23 December 2005 14:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

(BTW that was *not* directed towards ailsa for not immediately coming up with another clue)

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Friday, 23 December 2005 15:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

Sorry, I am rubbish at making up clues, have none to hand and had buggered off to the shops to collect my turkey. No offence taken :)

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 23 December 2005 16:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

pleat

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 23 December 2005 17:07 (7 years ago) Permalink

Pigged out in NYC (6)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 23 December 2005 18:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

Hint: it has the same answer as the other one you haven't solved.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 23 December 2005 19:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

Gotham.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 23 December 2005 19:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

I don't see how "blood" works in "new blood", which is what I otherwise thought that clue was.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 23 December 2005 19:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

The "to provide experience" is a clue for "to blood" - football managers often talk of blooding young players into a team, as in giving them a game to get them more experienced (is that the bit you didn't get?).

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 23 December 2005 19:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

This one is too easy:

Santa saw "Heck on drugs!" in part of Canada. (11)

(xpost, oh, I've never heard that term.)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 23 December 2005 19:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

The "to provide experience" is a clue for "to blood"

Correct in essence, though the equation "provide experience to" = "blood" was the precise intention. Transitive verb and all that.

Redd H's "pleat" is right, as if s/he or anyone else needed telling.

This one is not mine; I proposed the answer @ web somewhere and person came up with a stroke of at least near genius going something like

Starting in one country, Roman spouse replaces myself, changes, and ends up in a neighbouring country (10)

Argh now I feel I cannot do any justice bcz cannot remember properly...

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Saturday, 24 December 2005 01:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

(It's a bit unfair due to my misremembering; please do not let it hold up flow of thread bcz I = drunqX0r)

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Saturday, 24 December 2005 01:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

It sounds perhaps clever but I can't get a toe in.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 24 December 2005 01:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

Azerbadjian?

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 24 December 2005 02:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

Saskatchewan!

― reclusive hero (reclusive hero), Saturday, 24 December 2005 04:15 (7 years ago) Permalink

But of course. Your turn!

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 24 December 2005 07:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

(The near-impossible country one was yhkrzobhet (rot13) by the way.

Orytvhz -> "V" ercynprq ol "hkbe" ("jvsr" va Yngva) -> orythkbehz -> punatrq -> yhkrzobhet)

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Saturday, 24 December 2005 10:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yowza.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 24 December 2005 11:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

Mixed-up muppet sauce (4)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 24 December 2005 15:07 (7 years ago) Permalink

I think, in a crossword, that would be gettable, in that you would have some letters and you'd get the answer and then slowly work out exactly where it came from with regard to the clue. But as a standalone, yikes, it's nasty!

(xpost - mole?)

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 24 December 2005 15:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

(Yup)

I almost wish I hadn't read/decoded the clue, as I think it is almost gettable in that the two countries ARE usually mentioned in the same breath.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 24 December 2005 15:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

by the clue I meant the hint

State nothing country (6)

French peak chills famous lover's family (8)

Superman's booty? (4-2-5)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 24 December 2005 15:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

Estimate sounds like somebody telling you a sob story (7)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 24 December 2005 16:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

Superman's booty? (4-2-5)

Buns of steel?

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Saturday, 24 December 2005 16:30 (7 years ago) Permalink

French peak chills famous lover's family

Montague

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 24 December 2005 16:31 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yes and yes!

It's smelly around labor leader's stooge (6)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 24 December 2005 16:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

In translation, German song sounds like it's about Louisiana musician (4-4)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 24 December 2005 16:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

And:

The sound of top German songs (6)

Hillbilly leader and first knight (4)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 24 December 2005 17:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

(4-4) means it's hyphenated, (4, 4) means separate words.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 24 December 2005 18:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

Lieder.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 24 December 2005 18:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

State nothing country (6)

State no country without me. (6)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 24 December 2005 18:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

OK, then (4,4)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 24 December 2005 19:27 (7 years ago) Permalink

Narnia?

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 24 December 2005 19:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

No.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 24 December 2005 19:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

Dang! I was thinking N+Ar(me)nia

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 24 December 2005 20:00 (7 years ago) Permalink

Hm. OK, I'll allow it, but it wasn't what I was thinking of.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 24 December 2005 20:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oregon

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Sunday, 25 December 2005 09:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

No trains for Christmas? (4)

Trap drum (5)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Sunday, 25 December 2005 15:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

That's the one.

Noel. Snare.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Sunday, 25 December 2005 18:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

Nobody here but us chickens, Chris.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Sunday, 25 December 2005 20:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

Someone has to leave a light on.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Sunday, 25 December 2005 22:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

I wanted you "state nothing country" to be "Borneo" but I don't think it is.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Sunday, 25 December 2005 22:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

No, but there does seem to be a good clue to be made there.

Royal drink: bottom's up! (5)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Sunday, 25 December 2005 23:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

You calling me a muppet, Redd?

(kidding)

― OleM aka The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Sunday, 25 December 2005 23:26 (7 years ago) Permalink

Regal! Good one.

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Sunday, 25 December 2005 23:27 (7 years ago) Permalink

French-German dance? (9)

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Sunday, 25 December 2005 23:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

Give gin up on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. (4-4)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Monday, 26 December 2005 03:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

Song sounds like it's about Ukranian waterway? (3,2,1,5)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Monday, 26 December 2005 13:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

Fleece artist hides out during five straight months, tops. (5)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Monday, 26 December 2005 13:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

Almost a king among gods at home is manipulator of drones. (9)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Monday, 26 December 2005 18:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

The fleece artist is Jason.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Monday, 26 December 2005 18:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yes.

OleM's is allemande.

Look both ways. (4)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Monday, 26 December 2005 21:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

Look both ways = peep?

Can somehow fit a bottomless hole that may cover a madman's scalp(7,3)

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Tuesday, 27 December 2005 11:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yup.

A little backwards information (4)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 18:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

data

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 18:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

Uncertain value of small stones (6,11)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 18:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

No idea about that one... give us some letters? While I'm here:

Spooner's arctic spirits indicate the target (4,5)

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 29 December 2005 13:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

Goal posts!

Mini-hint on my "can somehow fit" one: (3-4,3) is also a frequently used spelling (and possibly even (3,4,3)?).

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Thursday, 29 December 2005 14:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

Drawing a blank...

This from today's Araucaria, didn't get it but thought "wow" when I found out the answer.

A "Y" is one also (4)

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 29 December 2005 15:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

Letters for "can somehow fit...":

Letter no 3 of the answer is the first letter in the title of this thread.
Letter no 5 is the first letter in the title of this thread.
Letter no 10 (ie the last one) is the first letter in the title of this thread.

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Thursday, 29 December 2005 20:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

Uncertain value of small stones (6,11)

g----l p---------h

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 29 December 2005 21:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

Haha I get it now! (The definition part is kinda missing, though.)

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Thursday, 29 December 2005 21:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

Can somehow fit a bottomless hole that may cover a madman's scalp(7,3)

OK, after much struggling, and thanks to the letters, this is "tinfoil hat".

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 30 December 2005 10:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

Well done! Sorry about your struggle.

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Friday, 30 December 2005 10:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

Tin? TIN?!? I was trying to make an anagram out of CANfiol! Damn you all to hell!

The Araucaria one: A "Y" is one also (4)
A-I-

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 30 December 2005 10:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh my God, that's BRILLIANT!! (I'll not spoil it for anyone else, but, really, that is BRILLIANT!!!!)

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 30 December 2005 10:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

OK. This is one of these British ones, right? Involving names of UK rivers, right? So it's Aire, right?

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 30 December 2005 14:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

Nope (and Aire wouldn't fit anyway)

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 30 December 2005 14:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

OK, I see what it is.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 30 December 2005 14:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

It's good, isn't it?

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 30 December 2005 15:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

For the new year, here's some letters for various unsolved ones:

State nothing country (6)
-a-----

It's smelly around labor leader's stooge (6)
f-----

In translation, German song sounds like it's about Louisiana musician (4,4)

-a-- -i--

Give gin up on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. (4-4)

-a-- t---

Hillbilly leader and first knight (4)
-e--

And a new one:

Unstable, new, sexy, around the bend! (8)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 30 December 2005 18:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

One more:

Supple iron wire (6)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 30 December 2005 19:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

I am happy to contribute to the long slow death of this thread.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 30 December 2005 20:31 (7 years ago) Permalink

What is the "Y" one? I give up.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 30 December 2005 23:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ayin

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Saturday, 31 December 2005 00:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

the "y" one is axis. i don't think i'm in a fit state to look at all these new ones.

― ledge (ledge), Saturday, 31 December 2005 00:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh. I even thought of that. But it's "an x", so... bleh!

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 31 December 2005 01:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

In in bed with the French sauce (8)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

Woah there! Although I've pretty much given up on your earlier ones. Flunky? And even more uncertainly, feline?

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, those are right.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

Can we slow down a bit? I find all the outstanding clues a bit demoralizing.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

I think most of them are from me (as a way of dealing with holiday stress!). But I don't think anybody's going to get around to solving them, so I think you all should feel free to contribute clues while I lay off.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

Shall we call year zero (or year 2006), and go back to solver-setting with your 'In in bed with the French sauce (8)' as the current one? Do people like this idea?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

That sounds good, but if we give up on them please can the original posters give the answers? (I've been lurking here; it's good practice, thanks! I can do easier cryptics but rarely a full newspaper crossword, so I'm in awe of you guys on this thread.)

Oh yeah,
Give gin up on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. (4-4)
must be "part time" (= "emit trap", upwards). But that's my lot, from the ones left. And you will get no fresh clue-blood out of this stone, I'm afraid.

― Rebecca (reb), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yup.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 21:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

I've thought of all the sauces I can and am getting nowhere. Letters please...

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 10:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

This thread is beginning to give me the fear! But not as much as my Ximenes 'On The Art of the Crossword' book which I got for Christmas. Hard core.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 11:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

I didn't know that was in print - superb! Will have to get meself a copy.

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 11:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yeah Chambers just reisssued it with a new intro by Colin Dexter :)

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 11:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

That looks good. Of course it's not in print in the US yet, but perhaps a few copies will be smuggled over...

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 12:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

-h--o---

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 14:51 (7 years ago) Permalink

Here's some more letters:

State nothing country (6)
-a---a

Hillbilly leader and first knight (4)
-ed-

Unstable, new, sexy, around the bend! (8)
N---o---

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

Unstable, new, sexy, around the bend! (8)
Neurotic?

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:29 (7 years ago) Permalink

First one is Canada.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yup and yup.

Here's some more letters:

In translation, German song sounds like it's about Louisiana musician (4,4)

-a-- -i-g

I think maybe it would have been better if I had made the answer

(3-4)

--- -i-g

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

E(a)rl King, but I've never heard of either.

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

Even Ximenes is easier than those!

Passing round the low-down (not compromising). (12)

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 16:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

Intransigent

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 16:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

Fine.

More letters:

Almost a king among gods at home is manipulator of drones. (9)

-o-e----e

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 16:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

(Again probably harder then Ximenes if not Torquemada)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 16:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

Correct, ledge.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 16:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

(I'm hoping Gerry Nemo will come through for me again)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 16:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm manipulating 'drones' here and the only thing I can come up with that fits with the letters you've given is 'modernise' but I'm not even sure I'm looking at the clue the right way round. So if I'm right you'll have to explain it to me :-P

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 16:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

It's not honey- something, is it?

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 16:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

No and no. This one is really kind of hard. Maybe I should have put a question mark at the end.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 17:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

YES I got Canada!

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 17:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

In in bed with the French sauce (8)

chipotle! What do I win? ("hip" in "cot" with "le" on the end)

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 18:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

You win my undying admiration and, perhaps more importantly, the chance to give us a new clue.

More letters:

Almost a king among gods at home is manipulator of drones. (9)

-o-e-o--e

Maybe I should have said "Northern gods"

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 18:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

I don't have any clues handy, and I certainly don't have the skills necessary to make one up. Sorry!

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 19:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

Maybe I should have said "manager of drones club"

Another hint:

Hillbilly leader and first knight (4)
-ed-

The missing letters are one apart alphabetically.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 19:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

Answer to one in title of this thread

Answer to other in title of this one

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 20:29 (7 years ago) Permalink

Finally, The Erl-King is a very scary poem by Goethe about a child riding with his father while being pursued by a bogeyman called the Erl-King, visible only to the child. It was turned into a Lied by Schubert. Earl King was a guitar player known for his song "Trick Bag" and another song "Come On" aka "Let The Good Times Roll," which was covered by Jimi Hendrix. Yeah, I know it was a stretch.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 20:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

I can't believe I couldn't get Wodehouse :(

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 5 January 2006 09:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

Finally, The Erl-King is a very scary poem by Goethe

Well, Die Erlkönig [if I did that right] is, which can either be translated as Elf King or Alder King (although I was able to google up some Erl Kings, even though I'd never come across that half-translation before).

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 5 January 2006 09:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

Also, those grapes were assuredly sour.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 5 January 2006 09:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'd come across it as Erl-King but I'd never heard of Earl King, so I was still scuppered.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 5 January 2006 09:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

is there a current (possible) clue? 10.42 work despair :(

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 5 January 2006 10:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

Since no-one else is:

My real life leader is female (4)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 5 January 2006 10:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

There's still the French sauce one, or much easier:

Dead tired? (3,2,6)

xpost, sorry

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 5 January 2006 10:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ailsa got "chipotle" for the French sauce one.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 5 January 2006 10:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

‘girl’? (your real life leader being g for gerry and irl = in real life?)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 5 January 2006 10:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh yes, sorry ailsa.

Girl!

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 5 January 2006 10:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yes :-)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 5 January 2006 11:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

I like making clues up but they're always easy ones.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 5 January 2006 11:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

I like easy ones!

Still working on archel's...

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 5 January 2006 11:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm out of turn now, but it's actually one of my own this time:

Twisted tighter South-East, and untwisted (12)

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 5 January 2006 11:30 (7 years ago) Permalink

Archel's isn't "out of breath", is it?

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 5 January 2006 11:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

nice mark!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 5 January 2006 11:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yep. (I think it was from the Times, that one.)

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 5 January 2006 11:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

disentangled? but why?

(I can't make the anagram work grr)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 5 January 2006 11:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

Nope.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 5 January 2006 11:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

Straightened...

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 5 January 2006 12:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

Composed in a hurry:

Airborne vermin? This will never fly before a long time (6)

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 5 January 2006 12:07 (7 years ago) Permalink

pigeon :)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 5 January 2006 12:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

fiddle with crop grower before gym class (5)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 5 January 2006 12:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

Grope. You perv.

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 5 January 2006 12:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

Anyone feel free to jump in with another clue...

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 5 January 2006 12:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

For every green there's a deviant (7)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 5 January 2006 12:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

Heh, pervert...

Morning measure in a small amount is encompassing (7)

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 5 January 2006 13:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

Minimal?

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 5 January 2006 14:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

No. Some letters:

_ _ _ i _ n _

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 5 January 2006 15:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

ambient?

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 5 January 2006 15:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yes.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 5 January 2006 15:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

OK.

Cleaned up messed up dude on the street (6)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 5 January 2006 15:31 (7 years ago) Permalink

I don't really understand ambient as encompassing?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 5 January 2006 15:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

Really, Greg? It's the, um, dictionary definition.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 5 January 2006 15:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

am·bi·ent
adj.

Surrounding; encircling: ambient sound; ambient air.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 5 January 2006 15:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

For Ken's: dusted? If so, I think "on the" is a bit misleading.

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 5 January 2006 15:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

I know what you mean though Greg, it's hardly the most common usage any more - ideal for clue composers then really bwahaha :)

Yeah it's not 'on the' it's 'around', surely? But I'm no expert.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 5 January 2006 15:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

It's a good surface reading though... I'd maybe have clued it

Cleaned up messed up dude found hanging around the street

although even then I've stuck in an arguably redundant "hanging" to make it read better.

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 5 January 2006 15:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

From the Shorter OED

adj. 1 Surrounding, encircling, encompassing; enveloping.

From Merriam Webster's Tenth:
existing or present on all sides: ENCOMPASSING

But yeah, I know what you mean: encompassing seems to imply it's in the foreground, ambient the background.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 5 January 2006 16:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

All right, Tom, give us a clue.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 5 January 2006 16:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

Exhausted, Ailsa crosses teh finish line (4)

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Thursday, 5 January 2006 16:07 (7 years ago) Permalink

Shot?

(What are you saying about Ailsa, Ole?)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 5 January 2006 16:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

Drinking with fellow ILXers (note: quietly, gin-addled) (7)

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 5 January 2006 16:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

Er, should be "very quietly"...

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 5 January 2006 16:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

fapping

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 5 January 2006 16:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

Not shot.

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Thursday, 5 January 2006 16:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

Beat? Is it "teh" or "the"?

I need to make my clues harder...

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 5 January 2006 16:26 (7 years ago) Permalink

Not beat.

Is it "teh" or "the"?

;)

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Thursday, 5 January 2006 16:26 (7 years ago) Permalink

Needle singer around club (7)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 5 January 2006 16:30 (7 years ago) Permalink

Last?

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 5 January 2006 16:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

Not last. (It'll probably be obviously correct when you get it.)

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Thursday, 5 January 2006 17:07 (7 years ago) Permalink

dash

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 5 January 2006 19:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh, I would have got that, had I seen it! Kudos for clever use of "teh" as well.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 5 January 2006 20:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

He eats, shoots and leaves and is found in Pennsylvania! (5)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 6 January 2006 01:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

ailsa: Kudos for clever use of "teh" as well.

Haha, more "WTF ENDS WITH A H?" desperate than clever actually.

Redd: Shot? (What are you saying about Ailsa, Ole?)

Still not sure whether you thought I was calling her a st. or a ho :)

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Friday, 6 January 2006 01:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

AMISH ? though I am not sure why. Sorry I cannot remember any great clues and making them up seems impossible. There is one something like: heart racing for a gamble (7)

― isadora (isadora), Friday, 6 January 2006 01:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

Fuck I am a complete looney obviously panda. how embarassing.

― isadora (isadora), Friday, 6 January 2006 01:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ponder Alien Fish

― AJ Gerritson, Saturday, 7 January 2006 16:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

Check out my dad's book of cryptics..self published.. http://www.norwayhillbooks.com

― AJ Gerritson, Saturday, 7 January 2006 16:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

Mullet

Beers in ears cause damage (6)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 7 January 2006 19:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

A certain poster is in the doghouse, I hear. (3 1)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 7 January 2006 19:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

That'll be "Ken L" then.

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 7 January 2006 20:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

B-b-but Chris, where's the wordplay?

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 7 January 2006 21:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

Chris and Huk,
I just bought a book of cryptics that originally appeared in the Canadian National Post. First clue of second puzzle contains the word Saskachewan.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Tuesday, 10 January 2006 05:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

hint!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 12 January 2006 13:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

-r----

And for an old one:
Song sounds like it's about Ukranian waterway? (3,2,1,5)
-r- -- - ----r

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 12 January 2006 14:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

cry me a river!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 12 January 2006 14:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

Cry Me A River!

shit xpost greg you jammy thing

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 12 January 2006 14:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

Well I'm going to pretend I got that first...

Unusual marriage of witch and a twitch (10)

(Either really difficult/badly clued or really easy, I can't tell any more.)

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 12 January 2006 15:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

Morganatic!

And one more letter for the other one
-r---e

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 12 January 2006 15:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

Lax tool forged salamander (7)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 12 January 2006 15:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

Is special Canadian knowledge needed for this one? xpost

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 12 January 2006 15:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

That would be axolotl.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 12 January 2006 15:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

Where is everyone?

OK:
Driver has almost all of tablet, then occupational therapy (5)

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 12 January 2006 15:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

Pilot

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 12 January 2006 15:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

I think you are too good at this to remain on the thread, ken.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 12 January 2006 16:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

OK. Sorry, Archel. Before I go, in answer to your last question I will say: no it is not from the Canadian puzzle book and was not intentionally Canadian, but thinking about the Mackenzie Brothers will not hurt you in solving it.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 12 January 2006 16:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

No idea. Oh well. (Don't really go, by the way!)

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 12 January 2006 16:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

Can I do one while I think over the beer ear one? (bruise? crease?)

Apologies in advance, as this is as bad as my other efforts.

Going past Oor Wullie's seat sounds unacceptable (6,3,4)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 12 January 2006 16:26 (7 years ago) Permalink

Beyond the pale?

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 12 January 2006 16:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yes :-)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 12 January 2006 16:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

Hehe. No more from me today I don't think - I'm burned out!

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 12 January 2006 16:51 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, it was BRUISE (="brews"). Looks like you got the thread to yourself, Gerry.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 12 January 2006 17:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

(not sure if this quite works)

Victoria leads you all around the ravine (6)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 12 January 2006 17:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

Valley

Writer monkeys with simian tram (6,4)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 12 January 2006 18:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

martin amis!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 12 January 2006 18:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

I got that as I stepped off the train but I knew someone would answer it before I got online again.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 12 January 2006 20:07 (7 years ago) Permalink

I don't think it's my turn but it's dead so

Gel the wrong way for Indian pattern (4)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 12 January 2006 22:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

Here's one more, then I'm out:
Quickly taking turn to get to German doctor (5)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 12 January 2006 22:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh yeah, nobody tried this one
Needle singer around club (7)
S------

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 12 January 2006 22:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm thinking syringe, but I don't get the "y" thing?

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 12 January 2006 22:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

Y, like the YMCA. I've seen it in puzzles before.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 12 January 2006 22:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

Quickly taking turn to get to German doctor (5) = FAUST?

I cant think of a clue sorry. But there are some unsolved ones still above.

― isadora (isadora), Thursday, 12 January 2006 22:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh, I think "Y" as "YMCA" is an American thing, I've seen it used on ILX now you mention it, but it's never really registered with me.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 12 January 2006 22:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

Gel the wrong way for Indian pattern (4)
---a

And try this one too:

Achy breaky hearth? (6)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 14 January 2006 23:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

-a-a

-a----

It breathes, inhaling oxygen and energy to relax (6)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 19:26 (7 years ago) Permalink

lounge?
I did a crossowrd the other night and thought "I must remember that clue" now I can remember the damn answer but not the clue. Sorry. Back to the indian pattern. Which might be like agar backwards. Is Raga a word?

― isadora (isadora), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 20:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

raja

― crossy, Tuesday, 17 January 2006 20:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

unwind?

― crossy, Tuesday, 17 January 2006 20:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

LOUNGE = l(o)ung+e
and
RAGA = agar backwards
are correct

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 21:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

I should work on this one a bit more:

80s film's unstable drip. (5, 2)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 01:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

No idea about achy breaky hearth - and 80s film? Talk about a vague definition!

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 19 January 2006 09:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

haha

Rocky IV!

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 19 January 2006 10:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

IV! Jesus, I'd even recently been thinking about using IV for drip in a clue of my own :-(

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 19 January 2006 10:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

Haha nice.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 19 January 2006 10:26 (7 years ago) Permalink

Noo cloo!

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 19 January 2006 10:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh alright then, even if I haven't answered any recently... here's a cumbersome monstrosity of my own.

"Clown to the left of me, joker to the right, here I am, stuck in the the middle", says Spooner, "being neither one nor the other" (7,7,3,6)

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 19 January 2006 11:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

-a---y

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 19 January 2006 12:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

-a-e-y

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 19 January 2006 14:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

Bakery?

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 19 January 2006 14:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yup.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 19 January 2006 14:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

Two in a day, I'm on a roll, and I only needed half of the letters :-)

I'll go make a clue up.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 19 January 2006 14:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

Chaotic sex recoils without end, you think that's funny? (9)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 19 January 2006 14:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

Excelsior.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 19 January 2006 14:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 19 January 2006 14:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

I just wanted someone to say it to one of my posts.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 19 January 2006 14:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

― RoxyMuzak½ (roxymuzak), Thursday, 19 January 2006 14:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

I am intrigued by ledge's but no joy yet...

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 19 January 2006 15:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

Falling between two stools?

― Sam (chirombo), Thursday, 19 January 2006 15:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

Or stalling between two fools?

― Sam (chirombo), Thursday, 19 January 2006 15:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

oh sorry, must be the first one.

― Sam (chirombo), Thursday, 19 January 2006 15:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yep indeed. Maybe should have lost the quotes from the 2nd bit of the clue.

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 19 January 2006 15:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

I have nothing to contribute. Sorry. That last one was excellent, by the way.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 19 January 2006 15:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

Just missed out on a Cuban (5,3,2,5)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 19 January 2006 15:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

Close but no cigar

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 19 January 2006 15:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

I need to make these harder don't I?

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 19 January 2006 15:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

No. That one was nice.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 19 January 2006 15:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

More loopy than variable bit rate (7)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 19 January 2006 15:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

Battier.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 19 January 2006 15:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

This may be my worst yet. I think they may be more fun to put together than to solve.

Sung? Lean lady remixed the song of the year (4,4,4)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 19 January 2006 15:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

Auld Lang Syne

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 19 January 2006 16:00 (7 years ago) Permalink

Auld lang syne.

Did we have another clue for that upthread, or was that in an actual crossword I did recently?

Dent setter's iron (7)

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 19 January 2006 16:00 (7 years ago) Permalink

This may be my worst yet. I think they may be more fun to put together than to solve.
This is certainly my approach to clue construction

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 19 January 2006 16:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

Want to say "impress," but don't know how the IM works.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 19 January 2006 16:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yes. Setter's = setter is = I am = im

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 19 January 2006 16:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

IM = I'm = the setter (of the clue)

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 19 January 2006 16:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

Fix broken plates (6)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 19 January 2006 18:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

Here's another:

Closet saint or leave in a vat (7)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 19 January 2006 18:31 (7 years ago) Permalink

First one is staple

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 19 January 2006 18:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yup. Other is
--o----

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 19 January 2006 21:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

Storage?

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 20 January 2006 00:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yup.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 20 January 2006 02:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

Elvis didn't want to go to this church beside the Spanish Main (7)

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 20 January 2006 09:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

Aaargh - you know when you get an answer in yourhead which you don't think is right but every time you look at the clue it's there in your head?

Seville, for no other reason than it has Elvis in it and is Spanish.

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 20 January 2006 10:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm a frayed knot.

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 20 January 2006 11:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

how many letters?

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 20 January 2006 11:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

I kill myself,, I really do.

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 20 January 2006 11:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

Anyway, I got storage, so here's one I just amde up!

Something mystifying's going down at church, I see. (7)

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 20 January 2006 11:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

You've heard the overworked postman gag I trust...

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 20 January 2006 11:29 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yes, yes I have :)

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 20 January 2006 11:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

Cryptic...

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 20 January 2006 12:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

That wasn't too hard I guess.

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 20 January 2006 12:29 (7 years ago) Permalink

I see = IC though? Bit cheeky!

The Elvis one: c------

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 20 January 2006 12:31 (7 years ago) Permalink

costello?

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 20 January 2006 12:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

no too many letters

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 20 January 2006 12:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

Cheeky? I thought it was quite clever, a nod to the "I hear" convention but actually forming part of the word!

TELL ME IT WAS A GOOD CLUE DAMMIT I NEED REASSURANCE

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 20 January 2006 12:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

IT WAS A GOOD CLUE DAMMIT

(but then I'm no judge, look at the crap I've posted)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Friday, 20 January 2006 12:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

It was good, kid; keep it up, you'll go far [Tousles Markelby's hair in patronising fashion]

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 20 January 2006 12:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

Mark's head in a mixed short blade (4)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Friday, 20 January 2006 12:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

(sorry, couldn't resist)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Friday, 20 January 2006 12:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

Chelsea!

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 20 January 2006 12:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

Nice one.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Friday, 20 January 2006 12:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

BALD

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 20 January 2006 12:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

:-)

Just to even it up:

Gerry's belly makes Welshman go back (3)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Friday, 20 January 2006 13:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

Here's another one for Mark:

Shook up Elvis gets the French a Cadillac (7)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 20 January 2006 14:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

FAT xpost

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 20 January 2006 14:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

(Please explain the Welshman part)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 20 January 2006 14:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

Taf/Taff/Taffy - stereotypical Welsh name, cf. Jock, Paddy, etc.

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 20 January 2006 14:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

Seville.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 20 January 2006 23:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

Aerial mix-up victim's harem at aerial mix-up. (6, 7)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 21 January 2006 04:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

It's not that hard!

― Casuistry (Chris P), Sunday, 22 January 2006 00:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

Amelia Earhart!

― ledge (ledge), Monday, 23 January 2006 09:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

Old King tried to hold back the tide - he was a confused cunt (4)

Sorry - came up with the idea of filthy x-word clues at the w/end. I was pissed though. And Private Eye pretty much do it already.

― ledge (ledge), Monday, 23 January 2006 11:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

I don't think PE have ever used cunt or fuck though, sadly.

Cnut.

Do I have to make up a dirty one now? I will have a think...

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 23 January 2006 11:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

Fuck art: international relations reformed merry man (5,4)

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 23 January 2006 11:30 (7 years ago) Permalink

Friar Tuck. Continuing with the theme:

Cockney chum takes other key, the cad (12)

― ledge (ledge), Monday, 23 January 2006 12:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

motherfucker! nice!

― Sam (chirombo), Monday, 23 January 2006 13:00 (7 years ago) Permalink

This may be a bit tenuous:

Synagogue confused with learner wearing bit -- nonsense! (8)

― Sam (chirombo), Monday, 23 January 2006 13:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

bullshit.

― MrArchel (Archel), Monday, 23 January 2006 16:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

Easy tiger.

What's the synagogue bit about?

― ledge (ledge), Monday, 23 January 2006 16:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

shul is yiddish for synagogue (from the same root as school). anagrammed along with 'bit' and 'l' for learner.

― MrArchel (Archel), Monday, 23 January 2006 16:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

Blimey. I'm going to get shown up by my own husband aren't I (if that's really you).

Your turn then!

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 23 January 2006 16:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

problem at start getting milk jug, cups and pot to balance on tray, i hear. (8,7)

― MrArchel (Archel), Monday, 23 January 2006 16:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

i'm stumped :(

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 23 January 2006 17:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

It must be teething something... but teething trouble doesn't seem to work.

― ledge (ledge), Monday, 23 January 2006 17:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

no it is teething trouble
at least it was supposed to be!

― MrArchel (Archel), Monday, 23 January 2006 17:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

as in sounds like (i hear) 'tea thing' trouble.

― MrArchel (Archel), Monday, 23 January 2006 17:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

I thought it had something to do with wobbly service.

Amelia Earhart!
And I was trying to Saint-Exupery work!

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Monday, 23 January 2006 17:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

Is the tray just one of the tea things then?

― ledge (ledge), Monday, 23 January 2006 17:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

yes

― MrArchel (Archel), Monday, 23 January 2006 17:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

Righty-ho. Good clue, I like!

― ledge (ledge), Monday, 23 January 2006 17:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

ta. your go

― MrArchel (what?), Monday, 23 January 2006 17:27 (7 years ago) Permalink

Writer Roland Barthes inspired sound adjustment of scrotum. (6)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Monday, 23 January 2006 19:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

(Just wanted to get a dirty one in before that fad was forgotten.)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Monday, 23 January 2006 19:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

Even when I wake up early, it's after the British kids are tuckered out.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Monday, 23 January 2006 20:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

The Cherwell crossword used to be like 80% dirty clues at one point - "X taken from behind", "X gives head to", "X slips into"...

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Monday, 23 January 2006 21:26 (7 years ago) Permalink

Like garlic (or verse), it's taken internally (5)

― lurker #2421, Monday, 23 January 2006 21:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

(Oh, and the one before is "Balzac", isn't it?)

― lurker #2421, Tuesday, 24 January 2006 03:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

Mais oui.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 06:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

hmmm... well, i don't know. any chance of a little clue? maybe a letter?
i thought it might be 'stake' as it's like garlic in that it kills vampires and it's in the clue (it'*s take*n), but i don't think that's right as i can't work out the 'verse' bit. any other ideas anyone?

― art vandelay (what?), Wednesday, 25 January 2006 19:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

maybe its like a vampire-ish accent "I vant to suck your blood" "its even verse than I feared"?

I am now going to shamelessly gatecrash with my first even clue I thought up. A nail tangled up in the jungle (5)

― isadora (isadora), Wednesday, 25 January 2006 20:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

maybe its like a vampire-ish accent "I vant to suck your blood" "its even verse than I feared"?

Right, you've got it: a stake is "verse" than garlic, because it kills 'em, natch.

Isadora's is "liana".

― lurker #2421, Thursday, 26 January 2006 00:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

How about:

I am not a headless pterodactyl. (4)

― lurker #2421, Thursday, 26 January 2006 00:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ever since I came down with this cold I haven't gotten a single one!

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 26 January 2006 02:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ever since I thought up some clues to try out I havent gotten a single one. What's a letter in the headless pterodactyl?

― isadora (isadora), Thursday, 26 January 2006 02:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

Hmmm, that'd give it away, I think...

Let's say it starts with a vowel. And that the word has no letters from the second half of the alphabet.

― lurker #2421, Thursday, 26 January 2006 02:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

Tell me it's not iamb.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 26 January 2006 07:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

That's like, triple riddle, no clue!

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 26 January 2006 07:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

I like it.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 26 January 2006 11:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ajax isn't cross with infernal writer. Here be penguins! (3,5)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 26 January 2006 11:31 (7 years ago) Permalink

Aja/Dante.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 26 January 2006 11:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

Not that that means much to me...

Two blokes and a dead python (7)

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 26 January 2006 11:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

... (8)

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 26 January 2006 12:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ellipsis?

Incidentally, I couldn't get ONE SINGLE CLUE in the Graun today :(

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 26 January 2006 13:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

That'd be straight! Nah, it's clueless - with ref. to yours...

Was it Araucaria?

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 26 January 2006 13:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

chapman!

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 26 January 2006 14:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

Haha, that's great.

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 26 January 2006 14:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

Thanks :)

Um, the Gaurdian one was Auster today I think.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 26 January 2006 14:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

From abroad I'm the opposite of too much (8)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 26 January 2006 14:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

Imported! ("I'm" + "de trop") Wow, that's a nasty one.

How about:

Missing digits? Some folks can't tolerate it. (7)

― lurker #2421, Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

lactose

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

haha.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

nice!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:31 (7 years ago) Permalink

I really like this one from the times:

"What a young man wears in clubs, perhaps" (5,4)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:31 (7 years ago) Permalink

I don't understand ledge's :(

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

Black suit? Something suit.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

Which one of ledge's?

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

The "..." one!

(nearly there chel)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

Short suit?

... (8)
That one? I thought it might be Anaconda, but I can't put it all together.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

Sin safari group? (5)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

I thought he said it was 'clueless'?

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh yeah? When he said in reference to yours, I thought he meant a different answer for your clue, with one more letter. Never mind.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

Pride, that one is.

(I've got another one, but should I post it with two open clues?)

― lurker #2421, Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

Which clues are open right now?

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

(though I think it is "black suit", so I guess just one)

xpost: isn't "..." open? Because if not:

Look at the meter, glance it over, then avoid it, I'd say. (8)

― lurker #2421, Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

scansion!

U a poet,#2421?

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh dear, I hope not!

Here's one more, then I should adjourn for a while:

"Flipped over!", the boy cries, but it's a false alarm: some would say it's a nice delivery! (4)

― lurker #2421, Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:51 (7 years ago) Permalink

Blood type I gave halfway to the end (5)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

Flow

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

Excellent.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh dear, I hope not!
Good, there's already too many on this thread ;)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 26 January 2006 16:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

Someone should research the phenomenon.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 26 January 2006 17:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

Er that's not a clue by the way, just a remark.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 26 January 2006 17:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

A poet, a rainbow- almost hell! (6)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 26 January 2006 17:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

me :)

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 26 January 2006 17:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

(short suit and black suit are both nearly but not quite right)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 26 January 2006 19:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

minor suit?

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 26 January 2006 19:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

That's gotta be it. Thanks, ailsa.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 26 January 2006 19:26 (7 years ago) Permalink

Nicked from yesterday's Guardian:

What's offered with litre in hacienda, possibly? (9)

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 26 January 2006 19:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

OK I know what that is, but I cheated a little bit

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 26 January 2006 19:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yup ailsa!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

I have been trying to make anagrams out of Hacienda+l for the last hour with no success.

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 27 January 2006 12:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

Haha I used the anagram server in desperation when doing that crossword. And as is always the way when you cheat, the anagram immediately looked like the most obvious one ever...

― Archel (Archel), Friday, 27 January 2006 13:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ok I cheated too... I dunno, I don't feel so bad for not getting it, it's not a word which is at the forefront of my vocabulary (oh if only there were more good Mexican restaurants in London).

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 27 January 2006 13:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

Haha Archel, that is exactly right.

Blood type I gave halfway to the end (5)
--e--

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 27 January 2006 14:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

omega

― Archel (Archel), Friday, 27 January 2006 14:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

Mongrels upset over small examination (8)

― Archel (Archel), Friday, 27 January 2006 14:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

cursoral

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 27 January 2006 15:00 (7 years ago) Permalink

No, there's no such word

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 27 January 2006 15:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

-c------

― Archel (Archel), Friday, 27 January 2006 15:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

scrutiny

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 27 January 2006 15:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

Beer acidity causes kind of infinity (5)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 27 January 2006 15:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

Aleph

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 27 January 2006 15:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

Musical I am in, a heavyweight work (9)

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 27 January 2006 16:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ledge, I'm ... (8). In the meantime,

Loser among posers doesn't show up (6)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 27 January 2006 21:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

Is ledge's "animation"?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 28 January 2006 00:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

Probably

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 28 January 2006 01:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

Is yours "flakes", for pete's sake?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 28 January 2006 08:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

Not animation, but you're close. Ish. Begins with O.

― ledge (ledge), Saturday, 28 January 2006 10:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

Operation.

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 28 January 2006 10:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

nice

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Saturday, 28 January 2006 13:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

Sorry, Chris.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 28 January 2006 16:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

Sorry, but you are correct.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 28 January 2006 16:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh, OK, that answer is much better, ledge.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 28 January 2006 17:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

Holds liscence for upside-down sumo? (4)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Tuesday, 31 January 2006 10:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

er, licence.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Tuesday, 31 January 2006 10:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

owns

― Ross G. (scatter), Tuesday, 31 January 2006 10:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

Upside down! That's a nice, er, twist.

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 31 January 2006 10:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

I should have used "dominates" for the standard clue actually! I forgot I was on ilx.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Tuesday, 31 January 2006 11:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

New clue!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Tuesday, 31 January 2006 11:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

I should have used "dominates" for the standard clue actually! I forgot I was on ilx.

You'd have had to change sumo to sumd.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Tuesday, 31 January 2006 11:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

horny setter gets mixed up in porno - it makes no logical sense! (8,8)

― MrArchel (Archel), Tuesday, 31 January 2006 22:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

and if anyone gets that one without recourse to at least a dictionary I will crown you the official winner of this thread in perpetuity...

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 16:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ooh now there's a challenge.

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 16:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

I needed help.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 17:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

Help is what I needed.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 17:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yep, I think it's a challenge I'm not up to.

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 17:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'll urge M to provide some letters.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 17:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

-y------- p-------

― MrArchel, Wednesday, 1 February 2006 18:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

sorry that didn't work quite as i expected. try this -

.y...... p.......

this is one for all you latin lovers out there...

― mrArchel, Wednesday, 1 February 2006 18:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

Hydrogen peroxide?

No wait, I already cheated and it wasn't that.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 19:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh I know this! It's Hyperton Something, hang on.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 2 February 2006 10:30 (7 years ago) Permalink

I can't remember :( I USED TO KNOW THIS

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 2 February 2006 10:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

How did you cheat, Ken?

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 2 February 2006 11:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

Anagrammer.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 2 February 2006 14:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

Quite a handy site, I normally use Chambers word wizards.

Anyway I've tried anagarms of hornysetterporno and hornyarchelporno with no luck. I GIVE UP.

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 2 February 2006 14:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

Is that a web site? I used the anagrammer that came with my SOED.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 2 February 2006 14:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, I just googled it and it came up! It's scrabble oriented, gives you a list of words you can make out of the letters, in length or score order.

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 2 February 2006 15:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

hy------ p--t----

― art vandelay (what?), Thursday, 2 February 2006 19:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

it's a rhetorical question, or at least a question of rhetoric

― art vandelay (what?), Thursday, 2 February 2006 19:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

hysteron-proteron?

― frankiemachine, Thursday, 2 February 2006 19:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

A drum roll, please. I think we have a winner, one who probably knew the term without recourse to dictionaries or other reference materials.

Can we have a new clue, too?

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 2 February 2006 19:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

OK an easier one, I think:

O (8,6)

― frankiemachine, Thursday, 2 February 2006 19:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

not orginal btw - I would need a bit of time to think one up - I haven't read the whole thread and didn't realise I was meant to post a clue.

― frankiemachine, Thursday, 2 February 2006 20:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

Now that could be just about anything. I think this is a case where letter clues would make it harder to come up with an answer.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 2 February 2006 21:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

Circular letter?

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 2 February 2006 21:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

I wanted it to be

O (9,5)

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 2 February 2006 21:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yes, circular letter is right. Well done. Could be anything before you get it but once you twig I think there's a certain inevitability to it.

― frankiemachine, Thursday, 2 February 2006 21:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

One of my favourite posters on one of my favourite threads!

is the 9-5 the current clue then?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 3 February 2006 10:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

Circular letter was what I had in mind as well, but I felt like there had to be even cleverer answers. Although 9, 5 is not coming to mind right now, so that might be cleverer.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 3 February 2006 11:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

hornyarchelporno

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 3 February 2006 11:27 (7 years ago) Permalink

9,5 is not coming to mind because it's not that clever. I don't even think it's a full-(f)ledged clue. Here are some letters.

-n------- -o---

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 3 February 2006 12:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

(Something) round?

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 3 February 2006 13:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

-n-----a- -o---

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 3 February 2006 14:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

-n--e--a- -o---

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 3 February 2006 16:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

Universal donut

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 3 February 2006 16:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 3 February 2006 16:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

Well it's either that or unisexual torus.

Nah I'm just yankin' yer chain. Really I have no idea.

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 3 February 2006 16:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

-n--e--a- -o--o-

But I like the Ledge's answers better. Remember, it's not a real clue and was not even presented as such.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 3 February 2006 17:00 (7 years ago) Permalink

it seems to have grown an extra letter?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 3 February 2006 17:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

-o-o-

Can somebody come up with a new clue please?

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 3 February 2006 17:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

And no, it's not unisexual robot, either.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 3 February 2006 17:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

Choose one mother to be the best (7)

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 3 February 2006 18:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

optimum

― frankiemachine, Friday, 3 February 2006 19:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

Universal donor.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 3 February 2006 20:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

If it's my turn to post a clue:

Queen of Hearts? Hear a nation's bitter denunciations! (9)

― frankiemachine, Saturday, 4 February 2006 10:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

Is it diatribes?

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 6 February 2006 11:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yes, diatribes is right Archel.

― frankiemachine, Monday, 6 February 2006 12:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

Production deriving from controlled allocation of DNA? (10)

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 6 February 2006 13:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

Too hard! Need letters. Lots of 'em.

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 14:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

-e---a----

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 14:07 (7 years ago) Permalink

Generation!

I'm not sure whether this one is really nasty, or really easy:

"All of us complained crassly", said Spooner, "about Elizabeth's character, and Dick's too" (9)

― lurker #2421, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 15:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

(P.S. How was the "dia" in "diatribes" derived? Was it like a New England/New York "deah", or is it something Latin or Spanish?)

― lurker #2421, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 15:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

It was 'di' as in Princess Diana also known as the 'queen of hearts' (possibly a bit UK-centric?) The 'a' came from 'a nation's'.

I like your clue but cannot get it, yet.

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 15:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

(Princess) Di = Queen of Hearts

A tribe's = a nation's

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 15:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

I did wonder if it was a bit UK-centric but hard for me to tell - I thought there would have been a bit of fuss about the Bashir interview in the US too - I assumed he got the Jacko one on the back of it? But I was guessing - apologies if too obscure a reference for non-Brits.

― frankiemachine, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 15:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

Bewitched?

― MrArchel (Archel), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 16:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ha, I had thought of the Di thing, but forgot it! But then, what function does "Hear" serve?

(Don't worry, though, it wasn't too UK-centric -- I'd be a hypocrite if I were to complain about that.)

xpost: Ha, you got it! Not too US-centric, then!

― lurker #2421, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 16:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

"Hear" was me being pedantic. It means "sounds like". I would have left it out if I could have written nation's without the possessive apostrophe but that would have looked wrong. As written, nation's doesn't correspond to tribes. Said aloud it does.

― frankiemachine, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 18:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

I woudn't sweat it, Frankie. What's the current clue?

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 18:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ah, I follow now -- thanks for explaining.

― lurker #2421, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 19:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

If Mr. Archel doesn't have one handy:

Scantily-clad woman reportedly gave birth to baby horse in wake of recent accident (10)

― lurker #2421, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 19:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

Centrefold?

― frankiemachine, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 20:31 (7 years ago) Permalink

You've got it!

― lurker #2421, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 20:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

Uh. I see "colt" in that but...? "fender"?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 21:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

reportedly gave birth = fold

Still Archel's turn to post a clue, I think

― frankiemachine, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 21:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

(as in foaled)

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 21:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ohhh. Ah.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 10:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

It's *Mr* Archel's turn, not mine, I think.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 10:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

Now I'm confused.

To be going along with:

Batting record before tea, we're told, is useless (5)

― frankiemachine, Wednesday, 8 February 2006 10:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

Inept!

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 11:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

I think cricket themed clues are my favourite kind.

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 11:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm the opposite :(

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 11:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yes, inept is of course korrect.

― frankiemachine, Wednesday, 8 February 2006 12:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

This one cheats a little bit:

Root beer, frozen (9)

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 15:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

And just 'cause it works the same way:

Female's punishing triathlon (7)

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 15:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

liquorice?

― mrArchel, Wednesday, 8 February 2006 18:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

never odd or even (10)

― ArtVandelay (Archel), Thursday, 9 February 2006 08:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

well, maybe it should be

never odd or even? (10)

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 9 February 2006 08:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

oops sorry archel's still logged in on this computer. that clue was me though, not her. Confusing or what?

― ArtVandelay (Archel), Thursday, 9 February 2006 08:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

Liquorice is correct.

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 9 February 2006 09:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

-a----r---

― art vandelay (what?), Saturday, 11 February 2006 11:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

Still don't know what that is.

Dancer's brain scattered around cut-off backstreet (9)

― Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Thursday, 9 March 2006 17:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ballerina.

I was missing this thread!

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 9 March 2006 18:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

oooh!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 9 March 2006 18:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

Old book? (6,5)

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 9 March 2006 18:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

This one's still open and it ain't hard really...

Female's punishing triathlon (7) - or (4-3) if you prefer

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 10 March 2006 14:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

Did this die again already? Ok, mine is I---M-- ... c'mon, I'm giving it away!

― ledge (ledge), Monday, 13 March 2006 09:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

I don't want the thread to die but I really am baffled ledge!

Clue to mine:

--l--- ---e-

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 13 March 2006 16:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

Iron Man?

― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 13 March 2006 16:26 (7 years ago) Permalink

I think I knew Ledge's before he gave the hint, but I couldn't figure out why exactly.

Are you sure that 'l' shouldn't be in fourth position, Archel?

(xpost)

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Monday, 13 March 2006 16:30 (7 years ago) Permalink

That *particular* l is where I wanted to put it...

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 13 March 2006 16:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

OK, I cheated. Now I know what it is.

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Monday, 13 March 2006 16:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

Iron Man or Ironman is right: fe=iron, male=man, whole is a punishing triathlon... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironman_Triathlon

Ah that extra 'l' hint gave it away... Yellow Pages!

― ledge (ledge), Monday, 13 March 2006 17:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yes!

I guess if I'd done a bit of elementary triathlon research I would have got yours...

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 13 March 2006 17:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

I thought it was fairly well known but like all trivia I guess it's just a case of 'easy if you know it' :^)

― ledge (ledge), Monday, 13 March 2006 17:30 (7 years ago) Permalink

Okay, so I explained the "iron man" thing to myself as "a man who does ironing i.e. a WOman"

I am not very good at cryptic crosswords. Though I did manage to half-complete two real crossword puzzles recently, which made me prouder than almost anything else.

― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 13 March 2006 18:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

I knew what the Iron Man was and after ledge gave the hint and I was sure, I could figure out how the cryptic part worked, but maybe there should have been an extra hint that "female" was supposed to be broken into two pieces?
"Female in two parts of punishing triathlon"?

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Monday, 13 March 2006 18:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

"Female gets broken in punishing triathlon."

― Casuistry (Chris P), Monday, 13 March 2006 19:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

I've been seeing a lot of clues here where the clue includes a possessive ('s) that isn't actually functional: "Female's", "Dancer's", etc.

Do published cryptic crosswords do this? I have to admit it totally throws me off, I'd always assumed that every part of the clue had to be functional.

― lurker #2421, Monday, 13 March 2006 23:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

I've been seeing a lot of clues here where the clue includes a possessive ('s) that isn't actually functional: "Female's", "Dancer's", etc. Do published cryptic crosswords do this?

(I have to admit it totally throws me off, I'd always assumed that every part of the clue had to be incorporated in the answer, with nothing extra left over.)

― lurker #2421, Monday, 13 March 2006 23:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

Hey, I reloaded the page to check that my first post hadn't gone through! Boo to you, lyin' cheatin' ILX server.

― lurker #2421, Monday, 13 March 2006 23:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

's could also mean "is," couldn't it?

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Monday, 13 March 2006 23:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yes, "'s" often secretly means "is" in cryptics. The "Female" clue is fair.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Monday, 13 March 2006 23:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, I really like 's for is! I'm always kinda appalled by how many published newspaper crossword have some minor pronoun fluff going on, do people really not mind?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Monday, 13 March 2006 23:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

minor pronoun fluff
??

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Monday, 13 March 2006 23:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

I MIND.

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 11:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

New clue! I'll have a think over lunch...

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 12:27 (7 years ago) Permalink

I also mind when setters use [example of a thing] instead of [thing itself] in clues, wihout alluding to the fact. But that might be too much Ximenes.

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 13:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

You mean like "monet" as a clue for "painter" instead of vice versa? Yeah that's bad and wrong. I like when the definition is just an attribute of the answer though, e.g. (ropey example off top of head):

"painted waterlilies make bizarre memento, not me" (5)

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 13:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

minor pronoun fluff

Redd - I mean when instead of '[clue 1] [clue 2]' or '[clue 1] for [clue 2]' or '[clue 1] to [clue 2]' all of which are lovely you get something like '[clue 1] of [clue 2]' (unpleasant but bearable} or '[clue 1] his [clue 2]' (horrible)...

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 15:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

Is there a current clue?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 04:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

I would try to come up with one, but my brain is really really boring tonight.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 04:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

Did this one ever get answered?

never odd or even? (10)

― lurker #2421, Wednesday, 15 March 2006 05:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

Palindrome?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 05:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

yes. palindrome is right... well done!

― art vandelay (what?), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 10:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

These can be raw and red inside when lucky number comes up (6)

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 14:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

That would be 'nerves'?

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 14:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yes it would be.

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 14:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

Tube station overhaul, get related transport (5,8,6)

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 16 March 2006 10:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

Great Portland Street.

I didn't so much cheat as did research for that one.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 16 March 2006 11:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

Well, I was inspired by this:
http://www.bikereader.com/forum/pics/undergroundanagram.gif

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 16 March 2006 11:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

omg, fantastic.

Chris owes us two clues...

I was admiring Bunthorne in the Guardian yesterday - even though I can never finish his puzzles his clues are always witty and elegant. Unlike this one:

Party about mushroom, spinning on it (9)

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 16 March 2006 12:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

Phlegm issues, I hear? (5)

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 16 March 2006 12:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

sputa?

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Thursday, 16 March 2006 15:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

Archel's one is "reception". I still don't have the confidence to make any up myself though, so fire in, anyone who wants to.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 16 March 2006 19:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

I think I was running on a clue defecit. But if my brain kicks in I'll post it.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 16 March 2006 19:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

I quite liked this one from today's paper: Fish given low score? (4)

You could probably fill a whole book with fish-themed crosswords.

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 17:51 (7 years ago) Permalink

Inject heroin into depressed fish. (4)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 17:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

Faux fish? (3)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 18:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

Archel's is "bass", which is a nice clue.

Casuistry's first one is "shad". I didn't actually know that was a type of fish, I just guessed from the clue.

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 18:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

cod

A Spanish hello upon rising is hello, goodbye (5)

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 17:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

Fictional don's utterance of surprise before spaghetti chef (8)

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 18:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

Aloha

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 18:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

Book 'em, ailsa!

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 18:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

Corleone. But who is Leone?

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 20:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

Some spaghetti chef, perhaps?

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 20:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

Sergio

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 20:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh yeah. Chef?

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 20:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

Spaghetti maker, perhaps.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 20:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

or like chef d’école.

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 20:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

I like spaghetti chef - a good cryptic definition.

Many headed monster you beat shortly is water-powered (9)

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 30 March 2006 09:00 (7 years ago) Permalink

I don't understand Archel's :(

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 30 March 2006 10:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

hyraulic

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 30 March 2006 10:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

er, hyDraulic, even.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 30 March 2006 10:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

(near impossible, I'll post an easier one in a sec)

Putting something on top of 0.01? Part of lung follows. (8)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 30 March 2006 10:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh wait! Ignore that!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 30 March 2006 10:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

Field position for getting a percentage? (5)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 30 March 2006 10:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

Point

― scotstvo (scotstvo), Thursday, 30 March 2006 10:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

No-Man's-Land taken over by Napoleon (6,4)

― scotstvo (scotstvo), Thursday, 30 March 2006 10:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

Haha I meant cover! But point seems totally fine.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 30 March 2006 11:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

Was it 'reception' you didn't understand G?

'Party' is the definition. Then it's re ('about') + cep (type of mushroom) + tion (anag. of 'on it' indicated by 'spinning').

Ooh that napoleon one was in the paper and I couldn't get it then either :(

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 30 March 2006 11:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

It was the bass one, chel!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 30 March 2006 11:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh right! 'Low score' is used in a musical sense ie the bass voice would sing the low notes.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 30 March 2006 11:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

scotsvo's one reminded me - does anyone know if there's an online thing that lets you jumble up the letters from an anagram into a series of random orders - ie not a thing that finds actual words only (which doesn't help you cheat when proper nouns are involved)?

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 30 March 2006 11:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

scotstvo's one isn't an anagram though, is it? It's Animal Farm (I hope)

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 30 March 2006 15:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ailsa is on fire

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Thursday, 30 March 2006 16:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

She must be extinguished!

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 30 March 2006 16:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

:-(

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 30 March 2006 16:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

Crab time in monastery (9)
Yell about everything softly in stadium (8)

― In The Court Of The Redd King Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 18:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ballpark. Every time this thread dies I half-heartedly try and come up with a clue for Revive! but I never get much further than mumbling to myself about IV drips.

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 19:00 (7 years ago) Permalink

I can't decide what I think about this one, but I'm giving it to you anyway.

Soft drinks or beer? (4,3)

― In The Court Of The Redd King Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 19:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

Hit the gas! I have to wake up! (6!)

― scotstvo (scotstvo), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 20:30 (7 years ago) Permalink

Soft drinks or beer? (4,3)

Pale ale!

― ledge (ledge), Monday, 17 April 2006 08:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

Or, the thread where Greg repost clues from The Oxford Times that he has now seen seen the answers too but still doesn't get, wtf?

King leaves to shorten meeting(7) = CONTACT, apparently!?

Either way you can play it(5) = DARTS (okay I have just googled, are they abbreviating 'Stradivarius'? What a bunch of nobbers.)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 18:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

King = regis = R. Take R out of "contract" (as in opposite of expand, i.e. shorten) and you get "CONTACT" which is a meeting.

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 18:29 (7 years ago) Permalink

(the R thing might not be Regis, but it's the R that you see on postboxes with a monarch's initials on it, whatever the male equivalent of Regina is anyway)

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 18:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

Rex, isn't it?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 18:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

That's the chap! Or is it, I don't know. It's what's on the postboxes anyway. (sorry, I'm useless)

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 18:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh right! That's quite clever, actually. Nice one ailsa.

How do people feel about that 'to' there? Is that kind of fluff a necessary evil for readable clues?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 19:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

Maybe it's to drop a hint that it's a verb you're looking for (specifying that the "contract" is the verb meaning to shorten, and not the noun version of the same word)? Or maybe I am just waffling, as without knowing the answer, you wouldn't actually have that distinction to make. (I don't think that makes as much sense written down as it does in my head)

To be fair, I don't think I'd have got that from the clue, but it made sense and was relatively easy to work back when I have the answer in front of me.

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 19:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

Bonanza note about opened pack (7)

Art deco rules! (4)

― Sons Of The Redd Desert (Ken L), Wednesday, 10 May 2006 14:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

This one is even worse:

Young girls spill guinness and rotate a point (8)

― Sons Of The Redd Desert (Ken L), Wednesday, 10 May 2006 15:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

Code.

I'm not sure about the others though.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 10 May 2006 15:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yup. and ledge was right upthread.

― Sons Of The Redd Desert (Ken L), Wednesday, 10 May 2006 15:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

Crocodile mad at gorilla (9)

― Sons Of The Redd Desert (Ken L), Friday, 26 May 2006 15:23 (6 years ago) Permalink

Young girls spill guinness and rotate a point (8)

Ingenues

(I didn't see this thread when it was revived)

Crocodile mad at gorilla (9)

Alligator

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 26 May 2006 15:30 (6 years ago) Permalink

Crocodiles and alligators are completely different animals!

― theantmustdance (theantmustdance), Friday, 26 May 2006 16:04 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yes, how did she ever work it out?

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Friday, 26 May 2006 16:08 (6 years ago) Permalink

Maybe they never worked it out, maybe she'll stay mad forever!

― Sons Of The Redd Desert (Ken L), Friday, 26 May 2006 16:24 (6 years ago) Permalink

Thanks for solving the guiness one, ailsa!

― Sons Of The Redd Desert (Ken L), Friday, 26 May 2006 16:27 (6 years ago) Permalink

Bonanza note about opened pack (7)
-a----t

― Sons Of The Redd Desert (Ken L), Friday, 26 May 2006 16:27 (6 years ago) Permalink

islanders who end in rebellion...?

― autovac (autovac), Friday, 26 May 2006 16:37 (6 years ago) Permalink

(8)

― autovac (autovac), Friday, 26 May 2006 16:38 (6 years ago) Permalink

More pedantic version of disputed clue:
Crocodilian mad at gorilla (9)

― Sons Of The Redd Desert (Ken L), Friday, 26 May 2006 17:17 (6 years ago) Permalink

Bonanza note about opened pack (7)
-ac---t

― Sons Of The Redd Desert (Ken L), Saturday, 27 May 2006 00:00 (6 years ago) Permalink

Bonanza note about opened pack (7)

Jackpot

― theantmustdance (theantmustdance), Saturday, 27 May 2006 07:38 (6 years ago) Permalink

Bingo!

― Sons Of The Redd Desert (Ken L), Saturday, 27 May 2006 11:20 (6 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

I don't know if this really works but

Blade Runner? (4)

Still don't know who the islanders are.

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Saturday, 22 July 2006 20:42 (6 years ago) Permalink

Here's a related clue:

Sounds like a Scandinavian blade? (4)

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Saturday, 22 July 2006 20:48 (6 years ago) Permalink

(I'm hoping OleM will straighten this out)

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Saturday, 22 July 2006 20:50 (6 years ago) Permalink

islanders who end in rebellion...?

Cypriots? Can't see where the CYP would come from, though...

― lurker #2421, inc. (lurker-2421), Saturday, 22 July 2006 20:52 (6 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

I change that old clue to

Leaf Runner? (4)

and add

Place for poor people to sleep relocates from Florida to Switzerland, where one can eat steak (9) (Or 4-5)

White in Nubian company (6)

Chant "Moorehead," bug sun-god (6)

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Thursday, 10 August 2006 16:45 (6 years ago) Permalink

White in Nubian company (6)

Bianco

I'll get back to you on the rest of them :-)

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 10 August 2006 17:01 (6 years ago) Permalink

Flophouse?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 10 August 2006 18:00 (6 years ago) Permalink

Place for poor people to sleep relocates from Florida to Switzerland, where one can eat steak (9) (Or 4-5)

Flophouse, innit?

dammit x-post!

― Matt (Matt), Thursday, 10 August 2006 18:01 (6 years ago) Permalink

Chant "Moorehead," bug sun-god (6)

Mantra

― Matt (Matt), Thursday, 10 August 2006 18:04 (6 years ago) Permalink

Seduce a group of finches (5)

― Matt (Matt), Thursday, 10 August 2006 18:09 (6 years ago) Permalink

(pls to explain flophouse)

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 10 August 2006 18:19 (6 years ago) Permalink

flophouse is not quite right, actually.

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Thursday, 10 August 2006 18:23 (6 years ago) Permalink

swophouse?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 10 August 2006 18:24 (6 years ago) Permalink

Closer

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Thursday, 10 August 2006 18:25 (6 years ago) Permalink

SLophouse!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 10 August 2006 18:27 (6 years ago) Permalink

I cheated on Matt's.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 10 August 2006 18:33 (6 years ago) Permalink

Seduce a group of finches (5)

Charm.

Useless pub quiz trivia comes in useful at last!

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 10 August 2006 18:34 (6 years ago) Permalink

I cheated too.

You're not there yet, Huk.

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Thursday, 10 August 2006 18:41 (6 years ago) Permalink

beef slops?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 10 August 2006 18:51 (6 years ago) Permalink

How does Switzerland = CH?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 10 August 2006 18:52 (6 years ago) Permalink

Now you've driven the car off the Alpine road.
(xpost!)

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Thursday, 10 August 2006 18:53 (6 years ago) Permalink

I'll let a European explain.

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Thursday, 10 August 2006 18:54 (6 years ago) Permalink

Chalets?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 10 August 2006 18:55 (6 years ago) Permalink

How does Switzerland = CH?

Switzerland = Confoederatio Helvetica. See also internet addresses, nationality stickers for cars etc.

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Thursday, 10 August 2006 19:00 (6 years ago) Permalink

Switzerland = Confederation Helvetica in Latin, except it's not spelt like that, but that's the general gist of it. It's named in Latin because it's got a zillion official languages and they didn't want to offend any of them by giving them the rights to the name.

(xpost)

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 10 August 2006 19:00 (6 years ago) Permalink

(like you could offend the Swiss, being how they're the most neutral country in the world and everything)

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 10 August 2006 19:01 (6 years ago) Permalink

Canadian with lots makes out (9)

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Thursday, 10 August 2006 19:20 (6 years ago) Permalink

Tool takes off head of snake in shack (5)

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Thursday, 10 August 2006 19:31 (6 years ago) Permalink

Bite silver neon bubbles (9)

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Thursday, 10 August 2006 20:39 (6 years ago) Permalink

Champagne

(can't get the other two at all right now - I have ideas *how* to get them, just can't formulate an answer from it)

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 10 August 2006 20:46 (6 years ago) Permalink

Write and run away with a long suffering wife (8)

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Friday, 11 August 2006 10:59 (6 years ago) Permalink

Canoodles! Is the first one.

The last one = Penelope.

― Archel (Archel), Friday, 11 August 2006 11:30 (6 years ago) Permalink

Nice work, ladies!

Admirer takes right, family member takes left to get to Benjamin (7)

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Saturday, 12 August 2006 04:36 (6 years ago) Permalink

Franklin

― ledge (ledge), Saturday, 12 August 2006 07:46 (6 years ago) Permalink

Two constants, e.g. steak and kidney (3)

― ledge (ledge), Saturday, 12 August 2006 08:04 (6 years ago) Permalink

Belgium was always producing lager (4)

― ledge (ledge), Saturday, 12 August 2006 08:10 (6 years ago) Permalink

Seafood, uncooked - some hate it, initially (5)

― ledge (ledge), Saturday, 12 August 2006 08:12 (6 years ago) Permalink

Pie
Beer
Sushi

Mm!

― Archel (Archel), Saturday, 12 August 2006 09:42 (6 years ago) Permalink

Spain defeated, grew (8)

― Archel (Archel), Saturday, 12 August 2006 09:47 (6 years ago) Permalink

sprouted

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Saturday, 12 August 2006 11:31 (6 years ago) Permalink

latest directions? (6)

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Saturday, 12 August 2006 12:26 (6 years ago) Permalink

Camper entwined with camper? They say it's great! (5)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 12 August 2006 15:41 (6 years ago) Permalink

newest

― 100% CHAMPS with a Yes! Attitude. (Austin, Still), Saturday, 12 August 2006 16:05 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yes. I'm dying to know what Chris's is.

Mistakes take me right to animals that eat leaves (8)

Rotten guitar player rocks with first lady and Jughead (5,5)

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Saturday, 12 August 2006 22:52 (6 years ago) Permalink

Keys Scotsman found in river (5)

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Sunday, 13 August 2006 00:33 (6 years ago) Permalink

Mine is, I think, impossible to get, but I got really kinda pleased with the clue.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Sunday, 13 August 2006 00:42 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, I kinda figured it was like that.

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Sunday, 13 August 2006 00:55 (6 years ago) Permalink

I had higher hopes for this clue:

Peanut, almond, black and orange bird -- all heard of the head of the state. (12)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 07:43 (6 years ago) Permalink

Letters, need letterrrzzzz...

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 09:52 (6 years ago) Permalink

Presidential? But I don't really get it

One poet is slowly played (7)

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 13:03 (6 years ago) Permalink

Not "Presidential".

Andante.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 13:09 (6 years ago) Permalink

Keys found by Scotsman in river in Italy (5)

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 13:38 (6 years ago) Permalink

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Rivers_of_Italy proves surprisingly unhelpful.

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 13:42 (6 years ago) Permalink

Really?

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 13:48 (6 years ago) Permalink

Piano :)

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 13:50 (6 years ago) Permalink

Party needs a hat from the start (2,4)

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 13:54 (6 years ago) Permalink

Keys = piano? Bah! Totally forgot Ian for Scotsman though :-(

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 13:55 (6 years ago) Permalink

Fake one ending (4)

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 14:10 (6 years ago) Permalink

Tool takes off head of snake in shack (5)
---e-

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 14:14 (6 years ago) Permalink

Hovel. Although I think, tense-wise, that clue might be fishy. "Special head removed from tool in shack", maybe?

The third letter of my 12 letter clue is "b".

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 18:11 (6 years ago) Permalink

change "takes" to "taking" then.

Gubernatorial!

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 18:12 (6 years ago) Permalink

but i still don't get it, apart from "goober"

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 18:15 (6 years ago) Permalink

Goober. Nut. Oriole.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 19:02 (6 years ago) Permalink

Very nice. Sorry my brane doesn't work properly.

Ace of Spades artist Agnes loses energy, buys time (9)

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Thursday, 17 August 2006 02:52 (6 years ago) Permalink

Motorhead

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 17 August 2006 08:07 (6 years ago) Permalink

Endless trouble about an endless mistake with iron (7)

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 17 August 2006 08:21 (6 years ago) Permalink

Ferrous.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 17 August 2006 08:36 (6 years ago) Permalink

Confused attire showed the way. (7)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 17 August 2006 08:44 (6 years ago) Permalink

dudsled?

Mother nurses eleven, tops (6)

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Thursday, 17 August 2006 13:43 (6 years ago) Permalink

American uncle has degree in dance (5)

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Thursday, 17 August 2006 18:19 (6 years ago) Permalink

Samba

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 17 August 2006 18:20 (6 years ago) Permalink

ya bamba

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 17 August 2006 18:30 (6 years ago) Permalink

Dudsled is close-ish.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 17 August 2006 20:09 (6 years ago) Permalink

No-one got mine and I'm VERY proud of it:

Phlegm issues, I hear (5)

― Earwig oh! (Mark C), Thursday, 17 August 2006 20:39 (6 years ago) Permalink

Garbled!

Mucus?

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 17 August 2006 21:00 (6 years ago) Permalink

War chief of East tangled in mooring (8)

― My Little Ruud Book (Ken L), Friday, 18 August 2006 22:05 (6 years ago) Permalink

I think Onimo should get this one...

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 18 August 2006 22:39 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, I should have saved it for his birthday.

― My Little Ruud Book (Ken L), Friday, 18 August 2006 22:57 (6 years ago) Permalink

ha! Geronimo! (sorry gerry)

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 18 August 2006 23:06 (6 years ago) Permalink

After I am in the middle of mantra, I am kind of red (7)

― My Little Ruud Book (Ken L), Friday, 18 August 2006 23:24 (6 years ago) Permalink

Belly taking away third from Sign Of The Four at the beginning (7)

― My Little Ruud Book (Ken L), Friday, 18 August 2006 23:46 (6 years ago) Permalink

First one is Chianti.

Many unwell - in short, it is from throat infection (10)

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 24 August 2006 07:42 (6 years ago) Permalink

tonsillitis

― My Little Ruud Book (Ken L), Friday, 25 August 2006 18:37 (6 years ago) Permalink

Leaf Runner? (4)
-a--

Mistakes take me right to animals that eat leaves (8)

---a----

Rotten guitar player rocks with first lady and Jughead (5,5)

--e-- -----

Party needs a hat from the start (2,4)

-a ----

Fake one ending (4)

---a

― My Little Ruud Book (Ken L), Saturday, 26 August 2006 05:43 (6 years ago) Permalink

Rotten guitar player rocks with first lady and Jughead (5,5)

Steve Jones

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 26 August 2006 16:30 (6 years ago) Permalink

Leaf Runner? (4)

Page?

Mistakes take me right to animals that eat leaves (8)

Giraffes

Party needs a hat from the start (2,4)

Da capo (Do + a cap)

Fake one ending (4)

I want this to be "coda", but I can't make it work.

― lurker #2421, inc. (lurker-2421), Saturday, 26 August 2006 17:40 (6 years ago) Permalink

Sexually satisfied women are said to be three things: unrefined, malodorous, and Irish (8)

― lurker #2421, inc. (lurker-2421), Saturday, 26 August 2006 17:51 (6 years ago) Permalink

Coda = cod [as in "fake"] + a.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 26 August 2006 18:48 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yes to everything.

Mother nurses eleven, tops (6)
-a----
Belly taking away third from Sign Of The Four at the beginning (7)
a------

― My Little Ruud Book (Ken L), Saturday, 26 August 2006 21:30 (6 years ago) Permalink

Maxima

Abdomen

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 26 August 2006 21:34 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yeah. Thanks, ailsa.

― My Little Ruud Book (Ken L), Saturday, 26 August 2006 21:49 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, she's good, ain't she?

― scotstvo (scotstvo), Saturday, 26 August 2006 21:50 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, I'm great :-)

Unfortunately I couldn't make up a clue to save my life, and I haven't actually bought a paper with a proper crossword in it for ages to steal clues from.

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 26 August 2006 21:53 (6 years ago) Permalink

Off the top of my head then: Red Rum down without Her Majesty- beat that!

― scotstvo (scotstvo), Saturday, 26 August 2006 21:58 (6 years ago) Permalink

Drum. And you didn't even tell us how many letters.

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 26 August 2006 22:01 (6 years ago) Permalink

God you're good. My head's full of gin though, I can't count letters. Off-topic, but how was KenFAP?

― scotstvo (scotstvo), Saturday, 26 August 2006 22:03 (6 years ago) Permalink

It was quiet. I was very drunk. We went to NPL and there was no bar queue, it was most odd. You weren't there, I notice. Other people were (me, the mister, stet, madchen, grimly fiendish, ward fowler at Mono, then dahlin, ally c, stew, probably some other people but I was pished and can't remember really). Part two in Edinburgh tomorrow, hurrah.

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 26 August 2006 22:05 (6 years ago) Permalink

A burning bed almost covered in disgusting fluid and kind of sheet (7)

― My Little Ruud Book (Ken L), Tuesday, 29 August 2006 16:09 (6 years ago) Permalink

Promise witches worker (8)

― My Little Ruud Book (Ken L), Tuesday, 29 August 2006 16:11 (6 years ago) Permalink

Room with medal inside to burn (7)

― My Little Ruud Book (Ken L), Tuesday, 29 August 2006 16:11 (6 years ago) Permalink

Want letters?

― My Little Ruud Book (Ken L), Tuesday, 29 August 2006 21:16 (6 years ago) Permalink

Promise witches worker (8)

Covenant. I'll get back to you on the others.

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 29 August 2006 22:29 (6 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

I think those were solved over on nu-ILX.

Biology question: horse flies or man? (4,2,4)

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 01:06 (6 years ago) Permalink

---- o- ----

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 11:27 (6 years ago) Permalink

DNA search for the Guv (4,4)

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 15:49 (6 years ago) Permalink

French father gets two notes for a starter (8)

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Thursday, 14 September 2006 11:55 (6 years ago) Permalink

Premiere.

Maybe you should make a grid.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 14 September 2006 16:03 (6 years ago) Permalink

Maybe, but I've only got time right now for one clue at a time.

I'm into Yoko, Dad! (5)

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Thursday, 14 September 2006 22:26 (6 years ago) Permalink

Cute.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 15 September 2006 04:39 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, nice! I really wish I could make clues up. I've tried, I'm rotten at it. My brain just works the other way round.

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 15 September 2006 14:15 (6 years ago) Permalink

Biology question: horse flies or man? (4,2,4)

---- o- -a--

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Friday, 15 September 2006 14:47 (6 years ago) Permalink

Life on Mars

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 15 September 2006 14:49 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yes. What about the other one?

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Friday, 15 September 2006 14:51 (6 years ago) Permalink

DNA search for the Guv (4,4)
-e-- ----

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Friday, 15 September 2006 14:53 (6 years ago) Permalink

-e-- --n-

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Friday, 15 September 2006 16:02 (6 years ago) Permalink

Ha, you've been watching Life on Mars, haven't you, silly me, not linking the clues together with other threads! All is clear!!!

(er, that'd be Gene Hunt then)

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 15 September 2006 16:35 (6 years ago) Permalink

I guess I should have just put that on teh Life On Mars thread.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Friday, 15 September 2006 16:50 (6 years ago) Permalink

"Sam, wake up! You're on the other thread!"

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Friday, 15 September 2006 16:57 (6 years ago) Permalink

Big Apple with rotten maggot goes to hell! (6)

Fuzzy five chill (5)

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:07 (6 years ago) Permalink

Vague?

Not sure on the first one yet though.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:12 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yup.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:15 (6 years ago) Permalink

-o----

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Thursday, 21 September 2006 18:58 (6 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

New Atlantic puzzle is pretty good, I gotta say. Which would be of interest to who, Chris and Huk, maybe?

― Ruud Comes to Haarvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 23:20 (6 years ago) Permalink

It's not in the magazine anymore!

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 12 October 2006 03:12 (6 years ago) Permalink

Note at the bottom of Times xword yesterday: "This puzzle, used in the Preliminary A round of the 2006 Times Crossword Championship, was solved within the time limit (THREE PUZZLES IN ONE HOUR) by 38% of the competitors."

Emphasis added. Between three of us we couldn't manage to finish this one puzzle in one hour.

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 12 October 2006 07:43 (6 years ago) Permalink

Big Apple with rotten maggot goes to hell! (6)

did anyone know this?

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 12 October 2006 08:47 (6 years ago) Permalink

-o--a-

― Ruud Comes to Haarvest (Ken L), Thursday, 12 October 2006 09:37 (6 years ago) Permalink

Gotham... can't quite work it out though.

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 12 October 2006 10:03 (6 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

goes to hhell

Guess about where to sleep and eat and drink (8)

― The Redd 47 Ronin (Ken L), Friday, 27 October 2006 02:53 (6 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

Buck naked thanks to Germans (5)

― The Redd And The Blecch (Ken L), Monday, 22 January 2007 20:10 (6 years ago) Permalink

Danke

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 22 January 2007 20:32 (6 years ago) Permalink

elegant!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Monday, 22 January 2007 23:57 (6 years ago) Permalink

Did you come up with that one? If so, it's your best yet!

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 02:22 (6 years ago) Permalink

It is, lovely surface reading.

Eli provides the answer to Nine Inch Nails song (8,3)

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 12:56 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, that was mine. thanks.

Guess about where to sleep and eat and drink (8)
G-------

― The Redd And The Blecch (Ken L), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 13:54 (6 years ago) Permalink

Maybe I should have left out the "and eat"

― The Redd And The Blecch (Ken L), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 13:56 (6 years ago) Permalink

Guinness.

Hooray! (I hope nobody expects me to come up with one of my own now.)

― Rebecca (reb), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 14:08 (6 years ago) Permalink

Also while I'm here I will add to the chorus admiring the "buck naked" clue. Nice one.

― Rebecca (reb), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 14:10 (6 years ago) Permalink

In trouble at herbarium? Hide! (7)

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 14:37 (6 years ago) Permalink

leather

― The Redd And The Blecch (Ken L), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 14:53 (6 years ago) Permalink

yup.

Strong? The U.N.? Given where they're based, that's amusing. (5)

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 15:01 (6 years ago) Permalink

funny

― The Redd And The Blecch (Ken L), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 15:15 (6 years ago) Permalink

Eli provides the answer to Nine Inch Nails song (8,3)

Terrible Lie.

Nice clue, though!

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 23 January 2007 20:04 (6 years ago) Permalink

fifth avenue provides shelter (5)

― The Redd And The Blecch (Ken L), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 14:07 (6 years ago) Permalink

haven

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 14:10 (6 years ago) Permalink

fur throw (4)

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 14:11 (6 years ago) Permalink

pelt

― Matt (Matt), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 14:12 (6 years ago) Permalink

(not cryptic, really, sorry)

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 14:13 (6 years ago) Permalink

That's a fine clue, nothing wrong with double definitions!

broth can be very positive (4)

I wish I could make my clues wordier

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 14:24 (6 years ago) Permalink

soup

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 14:25 (6 years ago) Permalink

"A lopping of sweaters", for example. (10)

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 14:26 (6 years ago) Permalink

Spoonerism.

(Can't believe that was in the CONCISE crossword yesterday - very mean.)

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 19:54 (6 years ago) Permalink

I was wondering what was up with that.

― Matt (Matt), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 20:05 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yes, it's a bit easier if you know that it's supposed to be a cryptic, I spent some time wondering what the term for 'plural noun' is (I realise this makes me a mental).

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 22:03 (6 years ago) Permalink

Weapon rejected by a conservative is worthless (8)

"inspired" by a Times clue today.

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 14:51 (6 years ago) Permalink

Nugatory

― onimo (onimo), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 14:53 (6 years ago) Permalink

cool, maybe you can help me with the Times one...

Weapon rejected by a politician in control (10)

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 14:56 (6 years ago) Permalink

Ref rants about player sale (8)

― onimo (onimo), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 14:57 (6 years ago) Permalink

Transfer

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 14:58 (6 years ago) Permalink

(stuck at your Times one btw)

― onimo (onimo), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 14:59 (6 years ago) Permalink

well bizarrely it has (so far) the same letter pattern as nugatory, ---U-A-O--

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:02 (6 years ago) Permalink

regulatory!

― onimo (onimo), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:04 (6 years ago) Permalink

Excellent! Little bit disappointed at "politician" for "tory".

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:06 (6 years ago) Permalink

regulatory - a luger is a kind of gun

(xpost, STOP DOING THAT)

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:08 (6 years ago) Permalink

a friend and original lover (7)

― The Redd And The Blecch (Ken L), Thursday, 1 February 2007 05:45 (6 years ago) Permalink

amateur?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 1 February 2007 08:52 (6 years ago) Permalink

yes

― The Redd And The Blecch (Ken L), Thursday, 1 February 2007 12:16 (6 years ago) Permalink

I get it now.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 1 February 2007 12:32 (6 years ago) Permalink

Does "concise" = "American-style"? That spoonerism clue would be fair game in a latter-part-of-the-week NYTimes xword.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 1 February 2007 14:34 (6 years ago) Permalink

It means 'quick', the other clues are eg "household insect pest" "Salad vegetable" "horizontal bar - bird - complain"

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 1 February 2007 14:40 (6 years ago) Permalink

In honour of Ruth Crisp ('Crispa'), RIP:
The more people have of these, the more they want (5)

Excitement in my letterbox this morning: two newly published crossword books. (Should keep us going for quite a while what with the seven week old baby significantly cutting into solving time and all...)

― Archel (Archel), Friday, 2 February 2007 16:43 (6 years ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

nobody tried these on the other board, so:

crummy kids are Superman's cousins? (6,3,6)

contest failure results in argument (4)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Saturday, 24 February 2007 17:17 (6 years ago) Permalink

Onimo's fee for soul festival (8)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Monday, 26 February 2007 04:04 (6 years ago) Permalink

I dunno, archel- needs?

bone mask (6)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Monday, 26 February 2007 21:41 (6 years ago) Permalink

My brain has atrophied - can you give us some letters for these?

― ailsa, Monday, 26 February 2007 23:22 (6 years ago) Permalink

crummy kids are Superman's cousins? (6,3,6)
contest failure results in argument (4)
Onimo's fee for soul festival (8)
bone mask (6)
-a---- --- ----e-
--e-
--t-----
----n-

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Monday, 26 February 2007 23:31 (6 years ago) Permalink

contest failure results in argument (4)

beef

― ailsa, Monday, 26 February 2007 23:42 (6 years ago) Permalink

yes

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Monday, 26 February 2007 23:50 (6 years ago) Permalink

Onimo's fee for soul festival (8)

Wattstax

― jaymc, Monday, 26 February 2007 23:51 (6 years ago) Permalink

yes

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Monday, 26 February 2007 23:57 (6 years ago) Permalink

point coldly to island (6)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 18:37 (6 years ago) Permalink

Sicily

― ailsa, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 18:49 (6 years ago) Permalink

No one ever got this one from the sandbox:

Bag lady complains about her naughty bits (7)

----a--

― jaymc, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 18:54 (6 years ago) Permalink

I wanna say versace, but I don't quite get it.

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 19:58 (6 years ago) Permalink

Nope...

----a-t

― jaymc, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 20:00 (6 years ago) Permalink

stewart?

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 20:11 (6 years ago) Permalink

lol vagrant

― onimo, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 20:45 (6 years ago) Permalink

Onimo's right. :)

― jaymc, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 20:46 (6 years ago) Permalink

dang! I thought of that but couldn't see how it worked until now

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 20:50 (6 years ago) Permalink

i'm in on nothing, gerry! (5)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 20:56 (6 years ago) Permalink

crummy kids are Superman's cousins? (6,3,6)
bone mask (6)
-a---- --- -r--e-
-o--n-

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 21:01 (6 years ago) Permalink

The second one's domino

(also, yeah, lol at vagrant - I was trying to make other rude words fit in there)

― ailsa, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 21:06 (6 years ago) Permalink

yup. more letters for first one:
-a---l --- -r--e-

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 04:35 (6 years ago) Permalink

(I think this is gonna be the one that finally gets me kicked off the thread)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 04:37 (6 years ago) Permalink

OK, it's Hansel and Gretel, I think, but I'm only part-way to working out why - please explain properly?

― ailsa, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 09:05 (6 years ago) Permalink

oh god. awful! ;)

― Archel, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 09:06 (6 years ago) Permalink

it has to do with Superman's name back on planet Krypton

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 12:08 (6 years ago) Permalink

Oh good Lord, that is horrible! I got it from the crummy kids bit after playing around with what would fit in the spaces for a while.

― ailsa, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 12:25 (6 years ago) Permalink

Good thing I am hiding behind this mysterious screenname ;)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:29 (6 years ago) Permalink

HA KEN-EL WE CAN SEE YOU IN THERE!

― ailsa, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:39 (6 years ago) Permalink

I think you lot are all staggering genuises! I've never done cryptic crosswords, just never encountered them really but I'd like to try and give them a go. Can any of you recommend any of those "cracking cryptic crosswords" books? There's a whole load on Amazon if you follow the link below:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0550100539/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_cart_f/026-2542814-1547635

― Sarah, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:39 (6 years ago) Permalink

I've never read a book about it ever, it's just something I've picked up over the years. This thread's probably not a bad way to start, since a lot of the answers are explained by the solver.

― ailsa, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:43 (6 years ago) Permalink

Might have a punt on this one

― Sarah, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:44 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, most people learn by doing - but I got a few puzzles from a book and spent two weeks staring at them in utter confusion so I think I need some help... because I am SINGLE you see and thus have NO-ONE to PORE over CROSSWORDS with in the MORNING haha :) The book above says it comes with lots of examples and explained answers.

i got a grant total of TWO CLUES throughout that fortnight! Admittedly when I got them it was the best feeling ever!

― Sarah, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:46 (6 years ago) Permalink

I am MARRIED to a chump that can't (or rather, can't be bothered to) do crosswords! This is WHY I HAVE ILE! AND FRIENDS! A WINNER IS ME!

― ailsa, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:51 (6 years ago) Permalink

OK! I'm definitely going to get the book. Now I need stuff to qualify for super saver delivery! Of course I do. Suggest something for me! I have crosswords and "new york tendaberry" so far!

― Sarah, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 14:01 (6 years ago) Permalink

Ha, the way I started was I bought earlier versions of the how-to Chambers and Telegraph books at Heathrow on the way back to States and started doing the Telegraph puzzles while we were delayed on the tarmac.

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 14:08 (6 years ago) Permalink

which means that book and its puzzles must have been pretty easy if a Septic like me could get it right away

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 14:20 (6 years ago) Permalink

Because, as I may have said before, I''ve really gotta struggle to do the puzzles in the FT or the Times of London, and pretty much stick to the slim pickings of puzzles in American English.

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 14:24 (6 years ago) Permalink

Anyway, somebody give us a clue, please!

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 14:27 (6 years ago) Permalink

and not a crummy one

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 14:44 (6 years ago) Permalink

Witty banter becomes stale in time (8)

― ledge, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 15:42 (6 years ago) Permalink

badinage!

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 15:48 (6 years ago) Permalink

HOW did you get that! Explain for a thicko please :(

I was thinking ok, so you put the word "stale" inside the word "time" and get something like "witty banter"?!

― Sarah, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 15:49 (6 years ago) Permalink

"stale in time" = "bad in age".

There's a great book by Henry Ravthon and Emily Cox that explains the idea to American types and has a bunch of their puzzles, easier ones and harder ones. They make some of the best puzzles in the US (regular style as well -- actually they made my favorite regular crossword evah!).

― Casuistry, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 16:10 (6 years ago) Permalink

Sarah, that's why it's a good clue, because there's a couple of ways to approach it and it's not immediately obvious - your approach is also a good one, and one that's used a lot.

― ailsa, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 16:14 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, I got that Cox and Rathvon book and the Games Magazine cryptic book (I wonder if this still exist?) too.

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 16:22 (6 years ago) Permalink

What a nerd, scraping away at them books, when I should have been out parading!

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 16:26 (6 years ago) Permalink

I was going to get one from Amazon but have decided I will just go to WH Smiths tomorrow instead and get something to try and tackle the Gruan. HOWEVER, there's another book on Amazon which says that the Gruan is especially distinctive so perhaps I'll start getting the Telegraph instead...

― Sarah, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 16:26 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, I had seen cryptic crosswords a couple of times, but they seemed so baffling that I never bothered until this thread made me curious.

― jaymc, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 16:46 (6 years ago) Permalink

jaymc, you are exactly the person the Cox/Rathvon book is for

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 17:33 (6 years ago) Permalink

They mention you on pages 7-9 and in a footnote on page 68.

― Casuistry, Thursday, 1 March 2007 15:16 (6 years ago) Permalink

Awesome!

― jaymc, Thursday, 1 March 2007 15:50 (6 years ago) Permalink

page 68- it reminded me of you!

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Friday, 2 March 2007 14:05 (6 years ago) Permalink

People who spend a lot of time in pubs vomit untruths (8)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Friday, 2 March 2007 14:06 (6 years ago) Permalink

I don't know - but yesterday i bought "how to solve cryptic crosswords" by Kevin Skinner so WISH ME LUCK.

Drunkzzz?

― Sarah, Friday, 2 March 2007 14:08 (6 years ago) Permalink

Barflies

― jaymc, Friday, 2 March 2007 14:11 (6 years ago) Permalink

Oooooohhhh so easy when you know the answer!

― ledge, Friday, 2 March 2007 14:31 (6 years ago) Permalink

(not sure this works but)

Sounds like Dad's scared of Spanish rice (6)

― onimo, Friday, 2 March 2007 14:57 (6 years ago) Permalink

Melmac grows twice the sprouts, and then some (7)

― jaymc, Friday, 2 March 2007 16:28 (6 years ago) Permalink

paella?

― Archel, Friday, 2 March 2007 16:29 (6 years ago) Permalink

― Archel, Friday, 2 March 2007 16:31 (6 years ago) Permalink

paella is right

(was going for "pa yella" sound)

― onimo, Friday, 2 March 2007 16:37 (6 years ago) Permalink

Ooh! I got paella, but only because I knew it was a Spanish dish involving rice and then I got the "pa" bit - but it didn't involve me doing any cryptic thinking, that was fairly "straight",right? Oh, a DOUBLE STRAIGHT! I have read the first page of the book, you see. getting to grips with terminology.

I have cut out the Gruan cryptic for today. I can't get a single clue. Looking at the answers to the previous puzzle no wonder - "stolon", "GELSENKIRCHEN"? Argh! I think I will be taking up Archel's Telegraph recommendation.

― Sarah, Friday, 2 March 2007 16:42 (6 years ago) Permalink

Disgusting cheese pies (hold the mayo) set back clever schemes (10)

― lurker #2421, Friday, 2 March 2007 16:43 (6 years ago) Permalink

Sarah, in terms of newspaper crosswords, I think the Telegraph is 'easiest' - though still satisfying. It's the one I started on anyway. Some of the Guardian setters are really tricky, whereas the Times and the Independent are fairly consistent.

I bought a book of Independent crosswords and breezed through #1 so I felt like super genius until I looked at #2 and it took me an hour to scrape together two answers.

I think the Telegraph is a bit odd (lately? it seemed OK when my granny did it every day). Pubs round here get the Telegraph so I look at it occasionally and either it's full of stuff where I keep thinking "that would be a really awful clue so I hope this isn't the answer, but it fits, so..." and they keep fitting, or it's full of clues I can't work out at all but the ones I can get don't seem like any other paper.

Maybe I should get a book too! I picked it up probably from doing some with my mother and just piecing the rest together myself, so there might well be patterns I don't know. I'm not very good at them. Except the ones in puzzle magazines and the Radio Times, which are easier (and about half anagrams) except for expecting you to remember the cast of terrible never-repeated 70s sitcoms. So, er, let us know what the book's like.

Anyway, be prepared to stare at it not getting any for a while, then get one or two, then more might fall into place if you've got some letters, but I spent ages only being able to get maybe 2-3 answers on any crossword. Still do for most newspapers, to be honest.

(Though I did win a PRIZE from - woo! - a student paper for my crossword skills! And they never gave me it. Bastards.)

― a passing spacecadet, Friday, 2 March 2007 18:35 (6 years ago) Permalink

I am relieved to see that as yet that hasn't posted 3 times; it went kind of weird when I couldn't remember which email address I signed up with, by the time I actually logged in it had forgotten I wanted to post something, then messing around with the back button resulted in some error messages. Apologies if more copies turn up.

― a passing spacecadet, Friday, 2 March 2007 18:37 (6 years ago) Permalink

Upon further inspection, I don't like my clue.

― jaymc, Friday, 2 March 2007 18:41 (6 years ago) Permalink

(was going for "pa yella" sound)

Totally screwing over those of us who pronounce it "pah-ey-a".

― Casuistry, Friday, 2 March 2007 22:50 (6 years ago) Permalink

I think it still sort of works, because I pronounce it like you do and I was imagining someone screaming "AY-YAH!"

― jaymc, Friday, 2 March 2007 22:52 (6 years ago) Permalink

Totally screwing over those of us who pronounce it "pah-ey-a".

yeah the differences in pronunciation were what made me think it was rub but I decided to go for it anyway.

― onimo, Saturday, 3 March 2007 01:17 (6 years ago) Permalink

Jaymc's is "alfalfa", I fear.

― Casuistry, Saturday, 3 March 2007 08:46 (6 years ago) Permalink

I have WAY too many books of crosswords (though none about solving them). But getting books full of the things is one of the best ways to practise really because if you get stuck you can a) try another one straight away and b) look at the answers. Reverse engineering from the solution is very educational.

― Archel, Saturday, 3 March 2007 13:30 (6 years ago) Permalink

Right, I am going to think until I come up with a good clue. Let's see how long it takes me.

― Mark C, Saturday, 3 March 2007 14:44 (6 years ago) Permalink

Cord used to be taut (9)

― Mark C, Saturday, 3 March 2007 14:53 (6 years ago) Permalink

Jaymc's is "alfalfa", I fear.

Yeah. I should get that book, though, because I think there are some rules for how clues are given that I haven't quite internalized yet.

― jaymc, Saturday, 3 March 2007 17:17 (6 years ago) Permalink

The previous guy starts just a century after my return. (5)

― Casuistry, Sunday, 4 March 2007 07:51 (6 years ago) Permalink

heh.

Poster's church religion is Ned's number and Ethan's ex (5,5)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Sunday, 4 March 2007 16:42 (6 years ago) Permalink

saxophone makes something curiously strong (7)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Sunday, 4 March 2007 18:58 (6 years ago) Permalink

Altoids, I think? Though I'm not sure how the "-ids" part works.

Should I give a hint on mine?

― lurker #2421, Sunday, 4 March 2007 19:13 (6 years ago) Permalink

Poster's church religion is Ned's number and Ethan's ex (5,5)

Me? I harp music, silly! (5, 5)

― Casuistry, Monday, 5 March 2007 03:23 (6 years ago) Permalink

you

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Monday, 5 March 2007 14:23 (6 years ago) Permalink

I spent about ten minutes coming up with a really good cryptic clue on Sunday whilst I was drunk, and have since forgotten about it.

I'm now working my way through the level 1 cryptic crosswords in my book and can get quite a few clues which is really heartening! Although there are a couple which call for abbreviations for something that I've never heard of - "Flying Bomb" = "VI" how precisely?!

― Sarah, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 11:29 (6 years ago) Permalink

German V-1 bombs were better known as flying bombs, buzzbombs or doodlebugs.

― onimo, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 11:31 (6 years ago) Permalink

Ha - I had no idea! I was working myself into knots thinking "Flying" = "flying v guitar" (as I already had 'v' as the starting letter), and then "bomb" = "A-bomb" and then finally did the sensible thing and looked at the answer - I wouldn't have got it otherwise!

― Sarah, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 11:37 (6 years ago) Permalink

WON'T SOMEBODY ANSWER MY CLUE?

― Mark C, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 11:43 (6 years ago) Permalink

something with 'flex' in it? Or even reflex? I can't get anything to fit.

― onimo, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 11:48 (6 years ago) Permalink

Gizza clue (and then I still won't answer it)...

― Sarah, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 11:49 (6 years ago) Permalink

Mark - I am stuck with yours. Got as far as thinking 'ex' something and then...

― Archel, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 13:38 (6 years ago) Permalink

Cord used to be taut (9)

--t------

― Mark C, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 15:10 (6 years ago) Permalink

extension!

― onimo, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 15:13 (6 years ago) Permalink

Elevated reed around greeting (2,4)

― onimo, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 16:18 (6 years ago) Permalink

Go onimo! Now I'd like feedback on my clue plz :)

― Mark C, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 16:51 (6 years ago) Permalink

HI DERE!

― Sarah, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 16:53 (6 years ago) Permalink

Here is a clue! It is pretty bad!

Sounds like tanning method insults men only sauna! (1,1,3)

― Sarah, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 16:57 (6 years ago) Permalink

I liked your clue Mark, it had the ambiguity of either cord or taut being the clue to the word and the other being the clue to building the word (i.e. it was hard).

HI DERE is right :) I can only make easy ones up.

― onimo, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 17:14 (6 years ago) Permalink

Sarah's should be UV something. Bed? Ray? I can't make a plausible insult - let alone anything to do with a men only sauna!

― ledge, Thursday, 8 March 2007 00:28 (6 years ago) Permalink

Hehe - think SOUNDS LIKE, and then think in ILx speak!

― Sarah, Thursday, 8 March 2007 13:00 (6 years ago) Permalink

UR GAY :-)

― Richard Jones, Friday, 9 March 2007 10:42 (6 years ago) Permalink

Well done! I didn't kill the thread! Yay! Your turn :)

― Sarah, Friday, 9 March 2007 10:45 (6 years ago) Permalink

Another meaning in diet info (10)

― Richard Jones, Friday, 9 March 2007 11:04 (6 years ago) Permalink

definition

― onimo, Friday, 9 March 2007 11:05 (6 years ago) Permalink

Informed about tide info (8)

― onimo, Friday, 9 March 2007 11:07 (6 years ago) Permalink

notified

― ledge, Friday, 9 March 2007 11:48 (6 years ago) Permalink

Crazy! A hydrogen powered vehicle! For an African island! (10)

― ledge, Friday, 9 March 2007 12:11 (6 years ago) Permalink

Madagascar!

― Matt, Friday, 9 March 2007 12:13 (6 years ago) Permalink

\(^o^)/

― ledge, Friday, 9 March 2007 12:14 (6 years ago) Permalink

OK, I'll give a hint on mine:

Disgusting cheese pies (hold the mayo) set back clever schemes (10)

-t-----e-s

― lurker #2421, Friday, 9 March 2007 14:16 (6 years ago) Permalink

Stratagems?

― Richard Jones, Friday, 9 March 2007 17:06 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yes it's SMEGMA TARTS backwards, sans one M. Charming!

― ledge, Friday, 9 March 2007 17:10 (6 years ago) Permalink

Wow.

― Casuistry, Friday, 9 March 2007 18:53 (6 years ago) Permalink

I guess I could've gone with

"A million prostitutes on their backs is a clever scheme indeed (9)"

But it wouldn't have enriched the world quite as much, I don't think.

― lurker #2421, Sunday, 11 March 2007 21:59 (6 years ago) Permalink

Cowardly policeman starts greeting in middle of paddywagon (6)

― ledge, Sunday, 11 March 2007 23:01 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yellow?

― lurker #2421, Sunday, 11 March 2007 23:45 (6 years ago) Permalink

Messed-up, vile, super-revolting (9)

― lurker #2421, Sunday, 11 March 2007 23:46 (6 years ago) Permalink

yup. xp.

repulsive.

― ledge, Sunday, 11 March 2007 23:48 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yup!

Skinny girl's imaginary friend adds to my body image? (7)

― lurker #2421, Monday, 12 March 2007 15:09 (6 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

Sophisticated poster gets fork, followed by pen, another fork and shortened key for Song of Tomorrow (2,5,7)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 01:21 (6 years ago) Permalink

-- --i-- -i-----

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 15:56 (6 years ago) Permalink

-- --i-- -i----e

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 18:12 (6 years ago) Permalink

Skinny girl's imaginary friend adds to my body image? (7)

Are you sure this is 7?

― jaymc, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 18:48 (6 years ago) Permalink

(I was thinking "gamine.")

― jaymc, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 21:13 (6 years ago) Permalink

I always enjoy the solutions to lurker #2421's clues, but I don't even try to solve them.

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 21:22 (6 years ago) Permalink

Ha, I'll take that as a compliment! :)

jaymc, it's definitely 7. "Gamine" is a nice thought, though.

The dashes thing would give it away, I think, so here's a hint: the solution doesn't involve any anagramming.

― lurker #2421, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 22:45 (6 years ago) Permalink

waifish?

― jaymc, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 22:55 (6 years ago) Permalink

Nope....you're, er, coming at it from the wrong angle.

Aw, hell:

--a----

― lurker #2421, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 22:59 (6 years ago) Permalink

sparish?

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 11:09 (6 years ago) Permalink

Nope!

--a-o--

― lurker #2421, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 15:47 (6 years ago) Permalink

How about, as a means of achieving both closure and continuity on this thread, setters post one extra letter a day until the clue is answered?

― ledge, Thursday, 29 March 2007 13:48 (6 years ago) Permalink

ok, here's mine:
-- --i-e -i----e

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Thursday, 29 March 2007 14:02 (6 years ago) Permalink

I thought it might be "anatomy" but wasn't happy enough with why to post. Now there's another letter I'll throw that out there and hope someone can explain how it fits together. (Probably being stupid here, sorry)

― a passing spacecadet, Thursday, 29 March 2007 14:03 (6 years ago) Permalink

you're probably right:
ana+to+my

but i dunno why skinny girl's imaginary friend = ana

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Thursday, 29 March 2007 14:05 (6 years ago) Permalink

Ana = shortened "anorexia" (there are "pro-ana" internet communities which are all "thinspiration" pictures of corpses etc).

― Sarah, Thursday, 29 March 2007 14:08 (6 years ago) Permalink

I am stuck on my stupid 'how to do cryptic crosswords' book by the way. It has suddenly got harder or I have got stupiderder.

― Sarah, Thursday, 29 March 2007 14:09 (6 years ago) Permalink

ana = from anorexia
mia = bulima

It's a way that girls with EDs refer to their diseases.

― ENBB, Thursday, 29 March 2007 14:11 (6 years ago) Permalink

so wherefore the "imaginary friend"?

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Thursday, 29 March 2007 14:24 (6 years ago) Permalink

They are personifications of the diseases, I presume.

― ledge, Thursday, 29 March 2007 14:26 (6 years ago) Permalink

Anatomy is right! And yeah, anorexics/bulimics are known to refer to their friends "Ana" and "Mia" as codewords/personifications.

― lurker #2421, Thursday, 29 March 2007 16:12 (6 years ago) Permalink

And ya see, it's clever because it uses "to my", and the apostrophe and the bebop and the...

</cosby>

― lurker #2421, Thursday, 29 March 2007 16:13 (6 years ago) Permalink

haha I was thinking of 'Ana' as a skinny Anna and 'Tom' as imaginary friend because he's everyone's fake pal on myspace :)

― onimo, Thursday, 29 March 2007 16:15 (6 years ago) Permalink

(this was in reverse engineering the puzzle of course)

― onimo, Thursday, 29 March 2007 16:16 (6 years ago) Permalink

anorexics/bulimics

that should read "certain a/bs within certain online communities", obv

― lurker #2421, Thursday, 29 March 2007 16:16 (6 years ago) Permalink

Nordic bird gets the flatbed treatment, as it were (12)

― lurker #2421, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 04:01 (6 years ago) Permalink

Scandinavian. Cute!

― Casuistry, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 05:21 (6 years ago) Permalink

Memo in re: ammo (8)

― jaymc, Thursday, 12 April 2007 16:20 (6 years ago) Permalink

bulletin?

army hq costs nothing but heroin addiction ensues (8)

― Will M., Thursday, 12 April 2007 16:26 (6 years ago) Permalink

yep :)

― jaymc, Thursday, 12 April 2007 16:26 (6 years ago) Permalink

freebase?

― ailsa, Thursday, 12 April 2007 16:26 (6 years ago) Permalink

Lodging has nothing but slabs of ribs (8)

― jaymc, Thursday, 12 April 2007 16:33 (6 years ago) Permalink

barracks.

I really REALLY wish I could make these up as well as I could solve them.

― ailsa, Thursday, 12 April 2007 16:38 (6 years ago) Permalink

French blame in the Italian bath (7)

― jaymc, Thursday, 12 April 2007 16:52 (6 years ago) Permalink

Dad picks up the tab for fruit. (6)

― jaymc, Thursday, 12 April 2007 17:05 (6 years ago) Permalink

The second one's "papaya", right? Though I don't see where the third A comes from.

In tennis, endlessly out-of-practice serving gets failing grade upfront, causes vexation (11)

― lurker #2421, Thursday, 12 April 2007 18:24 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, it's "papaya." I'm taking luxuries: do all the letters have to be accounted for? I still don't really know the rules here.

― jaymc, Thursday, 12 April 2007 21:17 (6 years ago) Permalink

The one before "papaya" doesn't really obey the rules, either. :(

― jaymc, Thursday, 12 April 2007 21:27 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yes, all the letters have to be accounted for. Every word in the clue has to be reflected in the answer, as well.

― Casuistry, Thursday, 12 April 2007 21:40 (6 years ago) Permalink

Go get that Rathvon/Cox book I linked to. It's worth it! Especially if you find it remaindered like I did.

― Casuistry, Thursday, 12 April 2007 21:40 (6 years ago) Permalink

This would work:

Dad, pick up the tab for a fruit! (6)

― lurker #2421, Thursday, 12 April 2007 22:51 (6 years ago) Permalink

("Dad" = pa, "pick up the tab for" = pay, "a" = a, so everything is accounted for)

― lurker #2421, Thursday, 12 April 2007 22:52 (6 years ago) Permalink

In tennis, endlessly out-of-practice serving gets failing grade upfront, causes vexation (11)

I'm a novice. Is this 'frustrating' or something similar? I'm not 100% sure how though, if it is.

― Not the real Village People, Friday, 13 April 2007 08:13 (6 years ago) Permalink

Oh, Jaymc's other one is "jacuzzi".

― Casuistry, Friday, 13 April 2007 08:29 (6 years ago) Permalink

"Frustration" almost works - "F" = failing grade up front, "rust" = endlessly out of practice (rusty), and "ration" = serving. Don't see where the tennis comes from though.

― ledge, Friday, 13 April 2007 09:09 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yeah I just realised it was probably 'frustration' while I was in the kitchen. Don't get the tennis either.

― Not the real Village People, Friday, 13 April 2007 09:21 (6 years ago) Permalink

in tennis = intense ?

― StanM, Friday, 13 April 2007 09:24 (6 years ago) Permalink

Stare at own goal mix up to search (6)

― onimo, Friday, 13 April 2007 10:38 (6 years ago) Permalink

Sorry, "in tennis" was a bit lame -- I was basically saying "the tennis word for out-of-practice, without its end". Probably should've just left that off; "frustration" is correct.

― lurker #2421, Friday, 13 April 2007 15:15 (6 years ago) Permalink

Stare at own goal mix up to search

Google

Am I meant to make one up if I post an answer...?

― Not the real Village People, Friday, 13 April 2007 15:23 (6 years ago) Permalink

Oh, Jaymc's other one is "jacuzzi".

You are correct, sir.

― jaymc, Friday, 13 April 2007 15:23 (6 years ago) Permalink

xpost - if you like. Or you could just throw one in at any time. Like so:

Crowd on internet forum criticise company providing travelling terpsichorean entertainment (6,5)

― ledge, Friday, 13 April 2007 15:29 (6 years ago) Permalink

Newspaperman is red faced, loud and drunk (5)

― Mark C, Friday, 13 April 2007 15:49 (6 years ago) Permalink

Copy chief sleeps around with gentleman caller (9)

― jaymc, Friday, 13 April 2007 16:02 (6 years ago) Permalink

Nonsense from an aging idiot (8)

― jaymc, Friday, 13 April 2007 16:05 (6 years ago) Permalink

Question: If you're using words backwards, anagrammed, or embedded within other words, do you need to give some indicator in the clue that that's what you've done? Like with words like "return," or "mix," or "between"?

― jaymc, Friday, 13 April 2007 16:16 (6 years ago) Permalink

In my experience there's usually an indicator of some sort.

― onimo, Friday, 13 April 2007 16:24 (6 years ago) Permalink

yes, you do. Otherwise, how will you know that that's what you're to do?

xpost

― ailsa, Friday, 13 April 2007 16:25 (6 years ago) Permalink

OK, let's change my most recent one to...

Nonsense from an idiot who's aging inside (8)

― jaymc, Friday, 13 April 2007 16:28 (6 years ago) Permalink

folderol

Except that doesn't work.

― ailsa, Friday, 13 April 2007 16:30 (6 years ago) Permalink

Why not, because the O is shared?

― jaymc, Friday, 13 April 2007 16:34 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yep, you have to give some clue to the process, and the clue has to divide very strictly between definition/synonym and wordplay. Here are some simple examples --

Party | hides in Tonga lake (4)
Mixed-up kids | lose control on the ice (4)
Lana reversed | neatnik tendencies? (4)
Stan lost his head | looking like a beach bum? (3)
Belafonte is | hirsute, they say (5)

(xpost)

― lurker #2421, Friday, 13 April 2007 16:38 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yeah. You'd have to have something that discounted one of the "o"s attached to one of the parts of the clue - in this case it could be the "o" at the start of older or one of the "o"s in fool so either part of the clue could be modified.

xpost

― ailsa, Friday, 13 April 2007 16:39 (6 years ago) Permalink

Why not, because the O is shared?

Right. You could do something about "starved for oxygen" (minus one O) but that gets very fussy.

― lurker #2421, Friday, 13 April 2007 16:42 (6 years ago) Permalink

Added Ecstasy to mixed drink for German kids (6)

― lurker #2421, Friday, 13 April 2007 16:44 (6 years ago) Permalink

kinder

― ailsa, Friday, 13 April 2007 16:44 (6 years ago) Permalink

Wow, nice one.

― jaymc, Friday, 13 April 2007 16:45 (6 years ago) Permalink

Sorry, I'm changing my clue again:

Copy chief interrupts gentleman caller to sleep with him (9)

― jaymc, Friday, 13 April 2007 16:51 (6 years ago) Permalink

I want the hardcore xword dudes to tell me if my clue is flawed (i think it may be, in terms of where the words come)

Newspaperman is red faced, loud and drunk (5)

― Mark C, Friday, 13 April 2007 17:02 (6 years ago) Permalink

hahahaha I am teh idiot

Newspaperman is red faced, loud and drunk (7)

― Mark C, Friday, 13 April 2007 17:03 (6 years ago) Permalink

man am I red faced myself now.

― Mark C, Friday, 13 April 2007 17:03 (6 years ago) Permalink

The basic idea is tht clues come in two halves. One half is the "definition" part, and the other half is the "wordplay" part. And the wordplay part needs to literally describe the word. Notice how in "added ecstasy to mixed drink" is a recipe for putting "e" in "kindr" and getting "kinder", and notice how all of "kinder" is accounted for and how there are no extraneous words to the recipe.

― Casuistry, Friday, 13 April 2007 20:37 (6 years ago) Permalink

Bad girls got rough start (5)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 19:02 (6 years ago) Permalink

Tarts.

Wayward girl got ahead? (5)

― Casuistry, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 20:23 (6 years ago) Permalink

is it holed?

― Will M., Wednesday, 25 April 2007 22:11 (6 years ago) Permalink

Pointlessly pine for this thread (4)

― ledge, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 13:52 (6 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

Wake up to Romanesque foreign-sounding French dream? (6)

― Casuistry, Wednesday, 25 July 2007 18:41 (5 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

Hand toilet in intensive care covered in dung (8)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Saturday, 17 November 2007 03:48 (5 years ago) Permalink

I was thinking about reviving this!

Manicure.

Exalt when one hears an elderly relative passes away (10)

― ledge, Saturday, 17 November 2007 09:41 (5 years ago) Permalink

(pretty yuckily constructed, that one)

― ledge, Saturday, 17 November 2007 09:43 (5 years ago) Permalink

Oh for shame, ledge. ;-)

Aggrandize.

Do another one.

― Casuistry, Saturday, 17 November 2007 09:55 (5 years ago) Permalink

More grammatical liberties taken:

Fewer than a thousand in turn become a child prodigy (10)

I've just signed up with the Times online xword, that might help me buck my ideas up.

― ledge, Saturday, 17 November 2007 10:27 (5 years ago) Permalink

Newspaperman is red faced, loud and drunk (7)

-- Mark C, Friday, 13 April 2007 18:03 (7 months ago)

Um, chaps, can you have another go at this one because now *I* can't remember what it means (though I will if someone gets it)

― Mark C, Saturday, 17 November 2007 10:37 (5 years ago) Permalink

I'm struggling. Murdoch, Maxwell... Loud = f? Drunk = anag?

― ledge, Saturday, 17 November 2007 10:58 (5 years ago) Permalink

Should we even bother to try on this side of the pond?

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Saturday, 17 November 2007 14:36 (5 years ago) Permalink

Violently slain around point for free babysitting (6)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Tuesday, 20 November 2007 20:56 (5 years ago) Permalink

inlaws

― ledge, Tuesday, 20 November 2007 21:56 (5 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

dress wounded organs (6)
needle point heart (7)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Thursday, 3 January 2008 14:00 (5 years ago) Permalink

Sarong

― onimo, Thursday, 3 January 2008 14:01 (5 years ago) Permalink

Yes. What about the other one?

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Thursday, 3 January 2008 14:05 (5 years ago) Permalink

Scotsman's game inside null and void (5)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Thursday, 3 January 2008 14:06 (5 years ago) Permalink

needle point heart (7)

Sticker?

― ailsa, Thursday, 3 January 2008 14:17 (5 years ago) Permalink

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Thursday, 3 January 2008 14:24 (5 years ago) Permalink

I don't get it.

― onimo, Thursday, 3 January 2008 14:26 (5 years ago) Permalink

you stick needles in things. S = south = a point. Ticker = heart.

― ailsa, Thursday, 3 January 2008 14:29 (5 years ago) Permalink

(i went with the point/heart thing first, then tried to convince myself that needle and sticker meant the same, hence question mark as I wasn't entirely convinced myself)

― ailsa, Thursday, 3 January 2008 14:31 (5 years ago) Permalink

I struggle to think of a needle being a sticker. I might have got it if it was 'pin point heart', but probably not.

― onimo, Thursday, 3 January 2008 14:32 (5 years ago) Permalink

OK, yours is probably a better version of the clue. That usage of sticker is not very common.

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Thursday, 3 January 2008 14:35 (5 years ago) Permalink

Towers are inside places to make money (8)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Friday, 4 January 2008 00:49 (5 years ago) Permalink

letters for scottish one plz! this thread always become overwhelmed with unanswered clues and then dies.

― ledge, Friday, 4 January 2008 10:19 (5 years ago) Permalink

-n---

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Friday, 4 January 2008 14:06 (5 years ago) Permalink

Angus. I had to look at a list of scottish names. "G" for game? I don't really hold with arbitrary initialisms. And I get the void, but what about null?

― ledge, Friday, 4 January 2008 14:33 (5 years ago) Permalink

minarets

― darraghmac, Friday, 4 January 2008 14:35 (5 years ago) Permalink

not convinced by angus, seems a bit of a reach.

― darraghmac, Friday, 4 January 2008 14:36 (5 years ago) Permalink

-n--o

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Friday, 4 January 2008 14:37 (5 years ago) Permalink

ha ha ONIMO?

― darraghmac, Friday, 4 January 2008 14:43 (5 years ago) Permalink

I take it all back! Funny that it nearly worked for my answer. Nearly.

― ledge, Friday, 4 January 2008 14:45 (5 years ago) Permalink

Overturn due to limit on capacity (7)

― ledge, Friday, 4 January 2008 15:09 (5 years ago) Permalink

capsize

― darraghmac, Friday, 4 January 2008 15:14 (5 years ago) Permalink

um, new clue please?

― I know, right?, Friday, 4 January 2008 15:15 (5 years ago) Permalink

who, me?

― darraghmac, Friday, 4 January 2008 15:30 (5 years ago) Permalink

I'm pretty sure that's how it's meant to work and if I'm wrong whateveriwantanewclueNOW!!!

― I know, right?, Friday, 4 January 2008 15:32 (5 years ago) Permalink

It ain't my turn but here's one anyway

With gas in vehicle, stick around as the engine starts (10)

― ledge, Friday, 4 January 2008 15:36 (5 years ago) Permalink

become, but don't go straight there. (4,4)

sorry, am kinda flustered. this was jumped on me somewhat. i am copying from crosaire in the irish times, if that's cheating go suck eggs.

― darraghmac, Friday, 4 January 2008 15:36 (5 years ago) Permalink

crankshaft?

― darraghmac, Friday, 4 January 2008 15:38 (5 years ago) Permalink

turn into?

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Friday, 4 January 2008 15:39 (5 years ago) Permalink

Ugh, too late

― I know, right?, Friday, 4 January 2008 15:40 (5 years ago) Permalink

I hate you all.

― I know, right?, Friday, 4 January 2008 15:40 (5 years ago) Permalink

no to crankshaft

― ledge, Friday, 4 January 2008 15:40 (5 years ago) Permalink

ah well, i gave it a shot and that's important, hey?

― darraghmac, Friday, 4 January 2008 15:51 (5 years ago) Permalink

Sure, have a cookie.

― ledge, Friday, 4 January 2008 15:54 (5 years ago) Permalink

"carbonated", I reckon.

Oh, but I can't make them, sorry. I'll have a think but I can only come up with one a year and I don't think 2008's is due yet.

― a passing spacecadet, Friday, 4 January 2008 16:00 (5 years ago) Permalink

correct - have a gateau.

― ledge, Friday, 4 January 2008 16:03 (5 years ago) Permalink

damn no-one mentioned gateaux for winners

― darraghmac, Friday, 4 January 2008 16:11 (5 years ago) Permalink

This thread rolls like a dead moose.

Gent will wear this in city, take it off in wood (8)

― ledge, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 11:34 (5 years ago) Permalink

Still don't know what that is.

Salamander rose on circle in front of patch of land (7)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 01:28 (5 years ago) Permalink

Axolotl! axoLOLing at "rose" etc

As I said I can't do these, but I ought to try to earn my gateaux somehow, so...

One can stray endlessly next to insect wanderer (9)

There, that's pretty shoddily constructed. Just so you're warned.

― a passing spacecadet, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 12:17 (5 years ago) Permalink

mine: P--------

d'oh! it's (9) not (8) ;_;

― ledge, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 12:32 (5 years ago) Permalink

Itinerant

― ledge, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 12:33 (5 years ago) Permalink

Correct! Have a blancmange while I consider this new information.

― a passing spacecadet, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 12:45 (5 years ago) Permalink

Sophisticated poster gets fork, followed by pen, another fork and shortened key for Song of Tomorrow (2,5,7)

-- James Redd and the Blecchs, Monday, March 26, 2007 9:21 PM (9 months ago)
The answer to this was

My White Bicycle

if anyone was wondering.

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 22:35 (5 years ago) Permalink

I know I was.

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 22:35 (5 years ago) Permalink

You need to work on your surface readings

― ledge, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 22:40 (5 years ago) Permalink

Thanks for the advice.

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 22:41 (5 years ago) Permalink

Here to help!

― ledge, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 22:43 (5 years ago) Permalink

How about helping with another letter for yours?

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 22:44 (5 years ago) Permalink

P-N------ !

― ledge, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 22:46 (5 years ago) Permalink

pinstripe

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 22:50 (5 years ago) Permalink

yay

― ledge, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 22:51 (5 years ago) Permalink

To summarize one point before crazy aunt's torment (2,1,8)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Monday, 28 January 2008 21:23 (5 years ago) Permalink

In a nutshell. You might be able to make that clue less awkward, though.

― Casuistry, Tuesday, 29 January 2008 02:25 (5 years ago) Permalink

My flow is not glowing like phosphorus these days. But you gets wanna criticize, you provide an improved version of the clue.

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Tuesday, 29 January 2008 02:31 (5 years ago) Permalink

Well, the best I've gotten with it so far is:

To make a long story short, crazy aunt's between Gary's home and the underworld.

Which is maybe better, but not there yet.

― Casuistry, Tuesday, 29 January 2008 02:40 (5 years ago) Permalink

Short story beginning in crazy aunt's place in New York with kitchen

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Tuesday, 29 January 2008 16:53 (5 years ago) Permalink

To cut a long story short, at home, crazy aunt's torment

doesn't work cause it needs to be crazy aunt is torment, not torment of crazy aunt.

To cut a long story short, it's awful inside a cashew :)

― ledge, Tuesday, 29 January 2008 17:06 (5 years ago) Permalink

Wilson accepts genuine German theatre style. (9)

― Casuistry, Wednesday, 30 January 2008 08:17 (5 years ago) Permalink

Brechtian

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 30 January 2008 08:34 (5 years ago) Permalink

Nodding Colonel, we hear, leads soldier (6)

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 30 January 2008 20:41 (5 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

Dunno.

Fat man getting one hot wind (7)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Friday, 23 May 2008 04:43 (4 years ago) Permalink

4 months pass...

Chronicles about saga of cheese (7)

― Retrato Em Redd E Blecch (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 17 October 2008 17:35 (4 years ago) Permalink

i miss this thread. but unsolved clues should get an extra letter a day, or it just dies.

i remember looking at a list of named winds for that one four months ago. just tried again, still no joy.

― allez, allons-y, on y va (ledge), Friday, 17 October 2008 17:58 (4 years ago) Permalink

-a-----

(Although, now that I look, apparently this spelling is not considered correct by many)

― Retrato Em Redd E Blecch (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 17 October 2008 18:11 (4 years ago) Permalink

is that the cheese chronicle or the fat wind?

― allez, allons-y, on y va (ledge), Friday, 17 October 2008 18:16 (4 years ago) Permalink

Taleggio?

― jaymc, Friday, 17 October 2008 18:17 (4 years ago) Permalink

Nope. The fat wind.

― Retrato Em Redd E Blecch (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 17 October 2008 18:35 (4 years ago) Permalink

Fat man getting one hot wind in Baja California (7)

-a---n-

(note again that this now seems to be considered a variant spelling)

Chronicles about saga of cheese (7)
c------

― Retrato Em Redd E Blecch (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 20 October 2008 12:59 (4 years ago) Permalink

Please to solve these clues before snarky remarks from Casuistry.

― Retrato Em Redd E Blecch (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 20 October 2008 14:40 (4 years ago) Permalink

cheddar

― allez, allons-y, on y va (ledge), Monday, 20 October 2008 15:22 (4 years ago) Permalink

Please to explain reasoning?

― ailsa, Monday, 20 October 2008 15:24 (4 years ago) Permalink

edda is a norse mythology (saga), chr for chronicles (common abbrev. used for the book of the bible).

santana, santa + an ('santa ana' the more common rendering)

― allez, allons-y, on y va (ledge), Monday, 20 October 2008 15:26 (4 years ago) Permalink

Yes and yes, thanks.

― Retrato Em Redd E Blecch (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 20 October 2008 15:28 (4 years ago) Permalink

Small houses for too much, in pounds (8)

― allez, allons-y, on y va (ledge), Monday, 20 October 2008 15:42 (4 years ago) Permalink

Ah, thanks. Had been trying to fit "IH" into santa (for one, and hot)unsuccessfully there. Did not know the edda thing, though had considered cheddar as a possible answer.

I do like this thread, and I'm glad it's back.

― ailsa, Monday, 20 October 2008 15:48 (4 years ago) Permalink

-----g--

― allez, allons-y, on y va (ledge), Tuesday, 21 October 2008 07:39 (4 years ago) Permalink

cottages?

― Retrato Em Redd E Blecch (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 21 October 2008 13:28 (4 years ago) Permalink

Yes! OTT in cages. I hate when you stare at these for ages and can't get them, then someone else does and it's really really obvious.

― ailsa, Tuesday, 21 October 2008 13:30 (4 years ago) Permalink

I thought about cottages yesterday, but I could see how it worked. I still didn't understand the OTT until you just capitalized it.

― Retrato Em Redd E Blecch (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 21 October 2008 13:33 (4 years ago) Permalink

go teamwork! *high fives*

― ailsa, Tuesday, 21 October 2008 13:44 (4 years ago) Permalink

Stir tuna around, hesitate to season (6)

― Don't juggle with the words, let's know about our sexuality flash boy (ledge), Tuesday, 4 November 2008 12:13 (4 years ago) Permalink

Nature.

― Nothing has transpired (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 4 November 2008 12:15 (4 years ago) Permalink

Sorry, I mean Autumn don't I?

― Nothing has transpired (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 4 November 2008 12:15 (4 years ago) Permalink

yup!

Mass protest raised about pork - could this bring the ire of Muslims? (8)

― Don't juggle with the words, let's know about our sexuality flash boy (ledge), Tuesday, 4 November 2008 12:30 (4 years ago) Permalink

-O------

strictly speaking this should be a down clue.

― ledge, Wednesday, 5 November 2008 12:58 (4 years ago) Permalink

-O---M--

― ledge, Thursday, 6 November 2008 18:45 (4 years ago) Permalink

Mohammed.

― Charlie Rose Nylund, Thursday, 6 November 2008 21:53 (4 years ago) Permalink

This is how you see and hear deceptive art; this is how you feel when a feather attacks. (9)

― Charlie Rose Nylund, Thursday, 6 November 2008 22:09 (4 years ago) Permalink

Optically. Rad clue, very poetic.

― ledge, Friday, 7 November 2008 10:01 (4 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

Turnaround at end of modern Odyssey? (3)
Pair of Five-0s impound fifty Scandinavian wheels (5)

― Ruudside Picnic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 8 December 2008 15:33 (4 years ago) Permalink

Yes.
Volvo.

― Casuistry, Monday, 8 December 2008 15:35 (4 years ago) Permalink

missed this thread.

― darraghmac, Monday, 8 December 2008 15:36 (4 years ago) Permalink

OK Chris, your turn.

― Ruudside Picnic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 8 December 2008 15:37 (4 years ago) Permalink

Cryptic snaps:

Your mom is like some Oklahoma city after a tornado has hit! (1, 4)
Your mom is like taffy that's been pulled too much! (5)
Your mom tried to eat Switzerland! (5)

― Casuistry, Monday, 8 December 2008 15:57 (4 years ago) Permalink

Oh jeez, I screwed up the second one! Don't try to come up with these things before coffee.

― Casuistry, Monday, 8 December 2008 15:58 (4 years ago) Permalink

Your mom is like taffy that was pulled so much it broke! (3)

― Casuistry, Monday, 8 December 2008 15:59 (4 years ago) Permalink

Your mom tried to eat Switzerland! (5)
This is very sophisticated., Chris.

― Ruudside Picnic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 8 December 2008 16:23 (4 years ago) Permalink

Your mom is all about a fish, I see? (8)

― Casuistry, Monday, 8 December 2008 22:14 (4 years ago) Permalink

I think there's a Jim Thompson novel about that one.

― Ruudside Picnic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 8 December 2008 22:15 (4 years ago) Permalink

Your mom fills the world with these ladylike skills! (5)

― Casuistry, Monday, 8 December 2008 22:53 (4 years ago) Permalink

^ can only get two of those

Rash appearance leads some young medical practitioner to opine 'Measles!' (7)

― ledge, Wednesday, 10 December 2008 17:06 (4 years ago) Permalink

Which ones can't you get? Some are tricky (and some could use more work (and there is some overlap)).

― Casuistry, Thursday, 11 December 2008 03:02 (4 years ago) Permalink

Symptom. Cute!

― Casuistry, Thursday, 11 December 2008 03:29 (4 years ago) Permalink

i've got 'a slut' and 'fat' (i think?)

aha, and 'bitch'!

― ledge, Thursday, 11 December 2008 13:31 (4 years ago) Permalink

I got what ledge got

― Ruudside Picnic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 11 December 2008 14:51 (4 years ago) Permalink

--c------

I'm not sure the other one is really that hard!

― Casuistry, Thursday, 11 December 2008 16:19 (4 years ago) Permalink

Oh, yeah I had got that one too.

― Ruudside Picnic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 11 December 2008 16:34 (4 years ago) Permalink

Upchucking stale chew-it in burger joint (5,6)

― Ruudside Picnic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 14 December 2008 02:52 (4 years ago) Permalink

White Castle.

― Casuistry, Sunday, 14 December 2008 03:06 (4 years ago) Permalink

Yes.

Come as you are essay by grad student (9)

― Ruudside Picnic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 14 December 2008 03:11 (4 years ago) Permalink

Oh, ~~grad~~

― Ruudside Picnic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 14 December 2008 03:13 (4 years ago) Permalink

or maybe "returning student"

hot Spanish cold (5)

― Ruudside Picnic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 15 December 2008 00:01 (4 years ago) Permalink

re: your mom - alcoholic. can only think of whore for t'other one bit can't figure it out.

― sister s (ledge), Monday, 15 December 2008 00:06 (4 years ago) Permalink

Alsatian painter, for example, greeting American soldier with embrace and delineating FACE, for example (8)

Maybe that other one is "warts"?

― Ruudside Picnic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 15 December 2008 19:38 (4 years ago) Permalink

So close!

― Casuistry, Tuesday, 16 December 2008 05:38 (4 years ago) Permalink

tell a student 'come as you are' (8)

sorry, couldn't help it. am i thinking along the right lines? can't come up with any synonyms that would fit...

― sister s (ledge), Tuesday, 16 December 2008 11:19 (4 years ago) Permalink

wiles?

Alsatian artist, for example, greeting American soldier with embrace delineated FACE, for example (8)
---e----
hot Spanish cold (5)
This is pretty easy. No letters today.

― Ruudside Picnic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 16 December 2008 14:32 (4 years ago) Permalink

OK, maybe I'll give some letters soon.

― Ruudside Picnic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 16 December 2008 18:58 (4 years ago) Permalink

Alsatian artist, for example, greeting American soldier with embrace delineated FACE, for example (8)
---e--i-

hot Spanish cold (5)
--i--

― Ruudside Picnic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 18 December 2008 15:43 (4 years ago) Permalink

What candy reveals if floating (4,5)

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 31 December 2008 21:22 (4 years ago) Permalink

Smelly and amusing state (5)

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 2 January 2009 15:48 (4 years ago) Permalink

chili for hot/cold. clueless on rest.

― Redknapp out (darraghmac), Friday, 2 January 2009 15:52 (4 years ago) Permalink

Not chili. Try again.

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 2 January 2009 16:02 (4 years ago) Permalink

ah whaddaya mean it's not chili!

― Redknapp out (darraghmac), Friday, 2 January 2009 16:03 (4 years ago) Permalink

chili is noun, hot is adjective

s-i--

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 2 January 2009 16:08 (4 years ago) Permalink

i'm up to my eyelids with flu, so tbh i'm cutting my losses. so gutted about chili.

― Redknapp out (darraghmac), Friday, 2 January 2009 16:20 (4 years ago) Permalink

Alsatian artist, for example, greeting American soldier with embrace delineated FACE, for example (8)
-r-e--i-

What candy reveals if floating (4,5)

---- ---e-

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 2 January 2009 16:26 (4 years ago) Permalink

"Hot Spanish cold" is "spicy" and I am too braindead to offer a new one, sorry. Happy new year to the cryptic thread massive, though.

― britisher ringpulls (a passing spacecadet), Friday, 2 January 2009 17:04 (4 years ago) Permalink

Yes.

Something illogical after Norway and Sweden get point and give up original (3,8)

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 2 January 2009 17:34 (4 years ago) Permalink

non sequitur

― ledge, Saturday, 3 January 2009 07:56 (4 years ago) Permalink

Odd steps around rapper's girl's footwear (5)

― ledge, Saturday, 3 January 2009 08:04 (4 years ago) Permalink

__O__

― ledge, Sunday, 4 January 2009 15:46 (4 years ago) Permalink

shoes? though I don't get the steps bit, rapper's girl = ho.

― ailsa, Sunday, 4 January 2009 16:27 (4 years ago) Permalink

odd steps = the odd letters, s e s.

― ledge, Sunday, 4 January 2009 16:32 (4 years ago) Permalink

Healthy, sick or broke (6)
Five-0 almost got rapper to talk (5)

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 5 January 2009 20:14 (4 years ago) Permalink

The second one's voice

― ailsa, Monday, 5 January 2009 20:21 (4 years ago) Permalink

Yes.

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 5 January 2009 20:22 (4 years ago) Permalink

What's the first one, ailsa?

Also still have these two
Alsatian artist, for example, greeting American soldier with embrace delineated FACE, for example (8)
-r-e--i-

What candy reveals if floating (4,5)

---- ---e-

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 5 January 2009 20:23 (4 years ago) Permalink

And this
Smelly and amusing state (5)
(might be easier for someone in the US)

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 5 January 2009 20:24 (4 years ago) Permalink

arpeggio (figured out '--eggi-' and then cheated)

― ledge, Monday, 5 January 2009 20:39 (4 years ago) Permalink

Great, thanks for getting that over with.

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 5 January 2009 20:52 (4 years ago) Permalink

Healthy, sick or broke (6)
-----t

What candy reveals if floating (4,5)
---e ---e-

Smelly and amusing state (5)
---n-

Dies outside icu, sadly (6)
Top monkey times (4)
Mobile man around tree (6)

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 6 January 2009 14:07 (4 years ago) Permalink

tell a student 'come as you are' (8)
no idea

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 6 January 2009 16:30 (4 years ago) Permalink

informal.

What candy reveals if floating (4,5)
life saver?

― ledge, Wednesday, 7 January 2009 14:24 (4 years ago) Permalink

Yes.

Who is Al?

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 7 January 2009 14:37 (4 years ago) Permalink

A L, a learner. (Common over here, 'L' plates on cars indicate learner driver.)

― ledge, Wednesday, 7 January 2009 14:38 (4 years ago) Permalink

Healthy, sick or broke (6)
-o---t

Smelly and amusing state (5)
--n-- (Previous hint was messed up)

Dies outside icu, sadly (7) (previous numbering was messed up)
--i----

Top monkey times (4)
--e-

Mobile man around tree (6)
----e-

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 8 January 2009 15:12 (4 years ago) Permalink

Apex. A pedant writes: ape is not monkey!

― ledge, Thursday, 8 January 2009 16:28 (4 years ago) Permalink

I know, but I wanted to use "Monkey Time(s)"

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 8 January 2009 16:31 (4 years ago) Permalink

Oh, I wondered if the N was in the wrong place. "Funky"

― britisher ringpulls (a passing spacecadet), Thursday, 8 January 2009 16:31 (4 years ago) Permalink

Suicide

― ledge, Thursday, 8 January 2009 16:32 (4 years ago) Permalink

Yes and yes.

Did I ever ask you this one?

Ape aches inside for beauty (5)

No I don't think so.

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 8 January 2009 16:33 (4 years ago) Permalink

A propos of nothing at all, my work did a Christmas prize crossword, with some winter festival themed clues, and I can see that one of them must be Diwali but I can't figure the clue out at all, which means I don't know whether they want the W spelling or the V spelling (non-intersecting square). Bah!

Anyway, it'd be unsporting to ask you guys, but still, I thought I'd complain here where people might understand my annoyance.

― britisher ringpulls (a passing spacecadet), Thursday, 8 January 2009 16:36 (4 years ago) Permalink

Why don't you post clue?

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 8 January 2009 17:12 (4 years ago) Permalink

Healthy, sick or broke (6)
ro---t

Mobile man around tree (6)
-a--e-

Ape aches inside for beauty (5)
--a--

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 9 January 2009 19:37 (4 years ago) Permalink

robust!

― ledge, Friday, 9 January 2009 19:39 (4 years ago) Permalink

Yes!

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 9 January 2009 19:49 (4 years ago) Permalink

peach

― ailsa, Friday, 9 January 2009 20:08 (4 years ago) Permalink

Yup.

Mobile man around tree (6)
-a--er

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 9 January 2009 20:33 (4 years ago) Permalink

Hanger?

― Beloved lightbulb (Neil S), Friday, 9 January 2009 20:37 (4 years ago) Permalink

Esoteric electronic duo confuse posh teacher (8)

― ledge, Friday, 9 January 2009 20:49 (4 years ago) Permalink

Nope.

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 9 January 2009 21:02 (4 years ago) Permalink

-al-er

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 9 January 2009 21:17 (4 years ago) Permalink

A kiss, hugs, a wave lead to something to get down to (8)

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 12 January 2009 15:26 (4 years ago) Permalink

^Greeting?

― throwbookatface (skygreenleopard), Monday, 12 January 2009 16:55 (4 years ago) Permalink

Nope.

---i----

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 12 January 2009 17:00 (4 years ago) Permalink

Business? sine= wave but don't get buss = kiss.

Esoteric electronic duo confuse posh teacher (8)

--t-----

― ledge, Monday, 12 January 2009 17:04 (4 years ago) Permalink

Yes. "Buss" is old word, used to be slang over here, you guys probably lost it earlier. Here's what OED says

buss /bVs/ n.2 & v.t. & i. Now arch., dial., & N. Amer. colloq.L16. [Prob. alt. of BASS n.3, v.1] (A) kiss.

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 12 January 2009 17:09 (4 years ago) Permalink

Still can't get yours, sorry.

Kind of engine school gets an earful (6)

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 12 January 2009 17:15 (4 years ago) Permalink

Autechre!

― anatol_merklich, Monday, 12 January 2009 21:43 (4 years ago) Permalink

yup!

― ledge, Monday, 12 January 2009 21:54 (4 years ago) Permalink

Damn. For some reason I kept trying to work "Pole" in their. I still don't see how it works.

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 12 January 2009 21:57 (4 years ago) Permalink

Mobile man around tree (6)
-alder

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 12 January 2009 21:58 (4 years ago) Permalink

anag, teacher + u (posh)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_and_non-U_English

calder! d'oh, i even thought of his sculptures, but his name didn't spring to mind.

― ledge, Monday, 12 January 2009 22:00 (4 years ago) Permalink

Kind of engine school gets an earful (6)
--a---

Races around a dictator (6)

Something following a queen and a metal-plated sun-god (5)

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 13 January 2009 14:50 (4 years ago) Permalink

Races around a dictator (6)
Ceasar

― Francisco Javier Sánchez Brot (onimo), Tuesday, 13 January 2009 15:00 (4 years ago) Permalink

yes

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 13 January 2009 15:11 (4 years ago) Permalink

Something following a queen and a metal-plated sun-god (5)

Okay, I'm sure this is wrong, but I've been trying to get into cryptic crosswords for a while with limited success. Any tips on why I'm an idiot and going about it all the wrong way would be gratefully received. The only answer that I got for this that seemed vaguely plausible was 'carat'. First off, I started with the thing that seems obvious, that sun-god refers to 'ra'. I wasn't sure about the metal-plated, I thought maybe it should be a single letter, but we can relate 'carat' to gold, and gold to metal-plating, so that's where the final answer came in. The queen could be Catherine, hence 'cat' surrounding 'ra'... but the 'something following' is a mystery to me.

― emil.y, Tuesday, 13 January 2009 15:25 (4 years ago) Permalink

That's a good try emil.y, but not quite there yet. Don't feel bad about "going about it all the wrong way" - a lot of times the wrong way is the right way. I mean to say that's the kind of thinking that eventually gives you the right answer.

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 13 January 2009 15:29 (4 years ago) Permalink

Train

The key to cryptic clues is that they normally consist of two parts, the definition, and a description of how to build up the word. So because there are only two parts, the definition either has to come first, i.e. at the start of the clue, or second, at the end. In this case it's the start, 'Something following a queen'. Then we get the word-play bit: sun-god is indeed 'ra', which is plated, or covered by, or inside, 'tin'.

― ledge, Tuesday, 13 January 2009 17:17 (4 years ago) Permalink

Company member is allowed to be involved in illegal activity (9)

― ledge, Tuesday, 13 January 2009 17:37 (4 years ago) Permalink

Actually I guess it should really be

Company member allowed to be involved in illegal activity (9)

― ledge, Tuesday, 13 January 2009 17:38 (4 years ago) Permalink

Ah, yep, that makes much more sense. The reason why I knew my answer must be wrong is that I thought 'metal-plated' was in too strange a position to be the definition part (aside from the fact that it's not a true definition of the word I gave), but completely overlooked the fact that it could be 'something following a queen' rather than 'something following' (which made no sense to me), 'a queen', etc etc...

― emil.y, Tuesday, 13 January 2009 17:59 (4 years ago) Permalink

Yes, ledge is correct. Thing is, sometimes you can see what the answer is without fully breaking the clue down into its components. And sometimes by adjusting wrong guess you make your way to the right one. So don't get hung up about getting it wrong.

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 13 January 2009 18:03 (4 years ago) Permalink

Races around a dictator (6)
Ceasar

Think this should be 'races madly around...', fwiw. Otherwise either the anagram isn't indicated, or 'around' is doing double service.

― ledge, Tuesday, 13 January 2009 18:15 (4 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, that's better.

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 13 January 2009 18:22 (4 years ago) Permalink

Also, it's spelled Caesar :-)

Am part of the way there to ledge's, but not enough to actually get an answer...

― ailsa, Tuesday, 13 January 2009 20:44 (4 years ago) Permalink

complicit

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 13 January 2009 20:52 (4 years ago) Permalink

yup

― ledge, Tuesday, 13 January 2009 20:53 (4 years ago) Permalink

Well done. I'd got comp, but was trying to work in "let" for "allowed" which was throwing me a bit.

― ailsa, Tuesday, 13 January 2009 20:54 (4 years ago) Permalink

Yes, I kept trying to get "let" in there too.

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 13 January 2009 20:55 (4 years ago) Permalink

Ha, I thought it might be something to do with 'licit' straight away, but couldn't get the 'comp', kept on trying to go with 'CEO' or similar... feel a bit dumb for not automatically thinking licit -> complicit.

― emil.y, Tuesday, 13 January 2009 21:00 (4 years ago) Permalink

Nobody's gonna try this one?

Kind of engine school gets an earful (6)
--a---

― ilx chilton (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 13 January 2009 21:06 (4 years ago) Permalink

I think I know how it works but can't think of any words to fit.

― ledge, Tuesday, 13 January 2009 21:28 (4 years ago) Permalink

I managed to cheat my way into the answer, so I won't give it here, but I'm pleased I was on the right track with one of the parts.

― emil.y, Tuesday, 13 January 2009 21:42 (4 years ago) Permalink

King of the mouth getting me a lesson (8)

― lemmy tristano (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 January 2009 02:17 (4 years ago) Permalink

Tutorial

― Francisco Javier Sánchez Brot (onimo), Friday, 16 January 2009 11:05 (4 years ago) Permalink

Kind of engine school gets an earful (6)
--a---

― "Two Ears" Laybelle (Noodle Vague), Friday, 16 January 2009 11:06 (4 years ago) Permalink

ugh (at self)

― ledge, Friday, 16 January 2009 11:25 (4 years ago) Permalink

I'm still a novice at cryptics...
I was doing one today where the clue was "County dressing informally" (4 letters)
I was sure it would be 'Down' as in County Down, dressing down=informally.
The correct answer was mayo.
I see why but is there a reason why 'down' wouldn't work?

― Not the real Village People, Saturday, 17 January 2009 00:43 (4 years ago) Permalink

If we are being purist, it wouldn't work because "down" =/= "dressing informally". I wouldn't be surprised at it actually occurring though, maybe with a question mark at the end to indicate a less stringent cryptic. (NB I am not an A+ expert at this.)

(Another thing is that the surface of that clue isn't all that, imo -- counties rarely dress.)

― anatol_merklich, Saturday, 17 January 2009 15:36 (4 years ago) Permalink

get on with a dash and a shout (6)

― ledge, Saturday, 17 January 2009 17:34 (4 years ago) Permalink

OK, I hope I don't derail the thread by this, but I really am inordinately pleased with myself for having made my first full 15x15, and would like to share.

NB I'm a beginner at this, so some of the clues may of course be a bit off, at least if you're a hardcore Ximenean or similar. In fact, I know that a couple are really pushing it, and probably outside what's deemed acceptable... ;)

Across
1. Disturbed niece hid son from Vietnam, possibly (11)
9. Monster returns, consequently (4)
10. Wave of popular sentiment is reason to run (11)
11. Deflated, essentially (4)
14. Some heard rumbling membrane (7)
16. Force of about 50,000 "Fat Men" (7)
17. Travels to finish "Peru for Dummies" (5)
18. Was sorry for rude disturbance (4)
19. Second-rate gear for two-master (4)
20. They're in command of their faculties (5)
22. Possible source of biofuel – no diesel around (7)
23. Percussion instrument with broken amp in it (7)
24. The smallest heirloom? (4)
28. Latin boy twisting a citron from a Caribbean island (6, 5)
29. The fifth letter from the right margin ruler (4)
30. You smooth more than half of the small, small parts (11)

Down
2. Single-minded enthusiast rendered half crazy (4)
3. Burden is carried by you and me (4)
4. Cover skin in front of public (7)
5. Amphibian that is both east and west in a part of the Bible (4)
6. Sausages fought over in 480 BC? (7)
7. Working class is in favour of permit allowing song after opening time (11)
8. My French translation of Genet, first rushed in from the Balkans somewhere (11)
12. Drinking-glasses gone next morning? (4, 7)
13. I charge after fresh soil from an Arctic island (11)
15. Motorcycle was blue (5)
16. Dole for President! (5)
20. Orgy revealed by a bed upturned at University church (7)
21. Italian wife's soaring medley (7)
25. Einundzwanzig! (4)
26. Told an untruth by Schubert, for example? (4)
27. Every tea chest contains it (4)

― anatol_merklich, Saturday, 17 January 2009 20:37 (4 years ago) Permalink

brilliant! have been meaning to do the same myself for quite some time. will give yours a go.

― ledge, Saturday, 17 January 2009 20:42 (4 years ago) Permalink

Am stuck on a couple - 19 and 25. Overall I thought it was pretty good! No major probs with the clues, although not really sold on 10 and 11 (if I understand them). Good contructions, and mostly good surface readings. 16 and 24 I liked! Although the latter was the last to get. Oh, and an interesting theme, caught me out more than once!

― ledge, Sunday, 18 January 2009 13:18 (4 years ago) Permalink

I think I got 25.

― lemmy tristano (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 18 January 2009 17:21 (4 years ago) Permalink

That's a pretty good crossword, well done!

― ailsa, Sunday, 18 January 2009 17:27 (4 years ago) Permalink

Wow thanks ppl you are too kind! :D

Re 25: haha sorry, that clue is pretty much inexcusable. What is "einundzwanzig"?

― anatol_merklich, Sunday, 18 January 2009 22:13 (4 years ago) Permalink

Also agree 10 is weakish (singular-plural thing possibly not on) and 11 could probably be improved (I like the premise though). Do you mean 16 A or D btw? I was very pleased with D, while I thought A was perhaps a bit unfair.

― anatol_merklich, Sunday, 18 January 2009 22:17 (4 years ago) Permalink

Frau.

― lemmy tristano (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 18 January 2009 22:17 (4 years ago) Permalink

three times seven

― lemmy tristano (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 18 January 2009 22:18 (4 years ago) Permalink

I liked 16 A!

einundzwanzig, google tells me, is twenty-one, or one and twenty... o i get it! that's probably just on the fair side of cheeky :) (xp)

― ledge, Sunday, 18 January 2009 22:20 (4 years ago) Permalink

I don't get it. I knew it was 21 in German, what am I missing from there?

― ailsa, Sunday, 18 January 2009 22:24 (4 years ago) Permalink

Oh, I do get it! ha! nice one!

― ailsa, Sunday, 18 January 2009 22:25 (4 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

Did you use any software to compile the grid, Anatol?

important old city fellow (6)

― talk me down off the (ledge), Monday, 2 February 2009 17:17 (4 years ago) Permalink

Nah, just resized the rows and columns in Excel to give a square grid, and copied the design out of a book using black fill + borders. :)

― anatol_merklich, Monday, 2 February 2009 17:55 (4 years ago) Permalink

(Then Alt + PrintScreen and pasting it into MS Paint...)

― anatol_merklich, Monday, 2 February 2009 17:56 (4 years ago) Permalink

Mixed review doesn't blind Morris (6,6)

A continent's mad for pious emperor (11)

― Charlie Rose Nylund, Monday, 2 February 2009 19:17 (4 years ago) Permalink

Constantine

― talk me down off the (ledge), Monday, 2 February 2009 19:26 (4 years ago) Permalink

Yes indeed.

― Charlie Rose Nylund, Monday, 2 February 2009 23:54 (4 years ago) Permalink

important old city fellow (6)

--g---

― talk me down off the (ledge), Tuesday, 3 February 2009 23:15 (4 years ago) Permalink

urgent

― lemmy tristano (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 4 February 2009 01:59 (4 years ago) Permalink

aye

carried around too much (2, 4)

― talk me down off the (ledge), Wednesday, 4 February 2009 09:34 (4 years ago) Permalink