pronounce a county with a strong lisp?
― what makes a man start polls? (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 23 July 2013 13:12 (ten years ago) link
i realised as soon as i posted my last post. aaaaghhhhhh
― lex pretend, Tuesday, 23 July 2013 13:13 (ten years ago) link
hah yeah either you get it or not I suppose
― Neil S, Tuesday, 23 July 2013 13:15 (ten years ago) link
Doesn't stand up imo as she'd lisp on the X too.
― Kind regards, (onimo), Tuesday, 23 July 2013 15:12 (ten years ago) link
you don't lisp on an x/ck sound do you?
― Neil S, Tuesday, 23 July 2013 15:14 (ten years ago) link
I think lispers would have trouble with both sibilants and pronounce it ethicth.
― Kind regards, (onimo), Tuesday, 23 July 2013 15:32 (ten years ago) link
Mr. Botts's was an Earthworm (7)
I am absolutely astounded I got this one. Just seeing if anyone else knows the obscure reference.
― Byron E. Coli (Dan Peterson), Friday, 26 July 2013 15:47 (ten years ago) link
no.
http://www.farmcollector.com/Farm-life/The-Natural-Born-Salesman.aspx
clue a bit lacking imo.
― koogs, Friday, 26 July 2013 15:56 (ten years ago) link
Agree. Frank W. Lewis (The Nation has a lot of those purely cryptic clues that aren't anagrams or other wordplay, they're just arcane references to things. I guessed this one only because I had spotted the movie title Earthworm Tractors in Leonard Maltin's guide. (Joe E. Brown, 1936. I've never seen it.)
― Byron E. Coli (Dan Peterson), Friday, 26 July 2013 17:07 (ten years ago) link
Took my own stab at it. Don't know if this exactly works, but I think so?
Model T, cart or farm vehicle. (7)
― Byron E. Coli (Dan Peterson), Friday, 26 July 2013 17:35 (ten years ago) link
Flurry of penetrating rain washed away camping equipment (4,3)
― lex pretend, Friday, 2 August 2013 12:54 (ten years ago) link
you got it?
― phasmid beetle types (Noodle Vague), Friday, 2 August 2013 12:59 (ten years ago) link
yeah
arachne is vg today
― lex pretend, Friday, 2 August 2013 13:01 (ten years ago) link
i did yesterday's online and it took less than 10 mins. arachne is pretty good as i remember
― phasmid beetle types (Noodle Vague), Friday, 2 August 2013 13:01 (ten years ago) link
One for the lex from today's grauniad:
Going further shaking bottom, extremely cute singer (7)
And I wouldn't have got this if I didn't watch Family Guy:
Clam — 50p with a pig? (6)
― click here to start exploding (ledge), Thursday, 15 August 2013 13:33 (ten years ago) link
And this neologism:
One following chatter incessantly, partial to rubbish, their characters limited (10)
― click here to start exploding (ledge), Thursday, 15 August 2013 13:35 (ten years ago) link
Ha nice!
I liked this one from today as well:
14d Like this clue: "Bowel disorder" — its location? (4,5)
― Neil S, Thursday, 15 August 2013 13:36 (ten years ago) link
i liked the beyoncé one obv but this was my favourite clue in that crossword:
Change of heart in a little Australian prayer (5)
yesterday's enigmatist prize crossword was actually impossible beyond three obvious ones. completely stumped otherwise.
― lex pretend, Sunday, 18 August 2013 10:08 (ten years ago) link
Today's Guardian:
Coldplay's latest hit (newer compilation) (3,7,4)
― Neil S, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 12:19 (ten years ago) link
Beware of misleading David Essex influences.
― click here to start exploding (ledge), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 13:08 (ten years ago) link
This is driving me crazy:
Mathematicians tables (8)
--B-T-RS
There are only 6 words in my online Crossword Solver that fit those letters, and none of them seem to fit the definitions.
― Low down bad refrigerator (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 19 September 2013 19:29 (ten years ago) link
Gah, finally solved it myself. Mathematicians and tables are both counters, which was my initial inclination. That makes the B incorrect, because the down clue was:
Johnny Reb's counterpart?
...and I had BILLY YANK, because according to wiki:
Johnny Reb or Johnny Rebel is the national personification of the Southern states of the United States.[1] The latter part of his name is derived from Rebellion. Patriots used Johnny Reb and his Union counterpart Billy Yank to symbolize the common soldiers in the American Civil War of the 1860s.
The actual answer was UNION JACK, and it's effing horrible.
― Low down bad refrigerator (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 1 October 2013 13:53 (ten years ago) link
Not particularly hard but a nice clue from today's Guardian:
Anne McGregor is, perhaps, being alarmist (14)
― Neil S, Tuesday, 15 October 2013 12:11 (ten years ago) link
ha
― koogs, Tuesday, 15 October 2013 12:40 (ten years ago) link
good but was slightly more impressed by
Those leading clubs ruffed Omar Sharif's spade in new game of bridge (8)
― as a chocolate salesperson (ledge), Tuesday, 15 October 2013 13:42 (ten years ago) link
Another nice one from today's Grauniad:
10 Liam Brady played like this (9)
― I like to think I have learnt a thing or two about music (Neil S), Friday, 25 October 2013 11:22 (ten years ago) link
Setter obv an Arsenal fan.
― my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Friday, 25 October 2013 13:52 (ten years ago) link
thought about posting here, one of the wotd things (nice words today at both dictionary.reference.com and merriam-webster) but didn't bother. had a look at previous words of the day on the one site out of boredom, first time in a month or so.
i go back to observer crossword and realise one of the answers is one of the previous words of the day i've just looked at. thanks dictionary.reference.com
14A Unhappy keeping scholarly woman (12)
this crossword also contains 'plighting' and 'omerty' and i'm struggling a bit...
― koogs, Tuesday, 29 October 2013 17:01 (ten years ago) link
just plugging my friend's book about cryptics, which is funny and informative and full of good clues and well-produced. The ideal Christmas present etc.
(it cited ilx in one draft, but I think that changed in the final version)
― woof, Thursday, 21 November 2013 10:15 (ten years ago) link
John Graham (AKA Araucaria, Cinephile etc) RIP
― mahb, Tuesday, 26 November 2013 11:24 (ten years ago) link
my favourite. RIP
― i like the jabberwock and it likes me (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 26 November 2013 11:24 (ten years ago) link
RIP :(
― lex pretend, Tuesday, 26 November 2013 11:30 (ten years ago) link
Damn. RIP.
― woof, Tuesday, 26 November 2013 11:41 (ten years ago) link
aw RIP, will miss his insane Xmas crossword, though maybe he did one more before passing on for old time's sake
― I like to think I have learnt a thing or two about music (Neil S), Tuesday, 26 November 2013 11:54 (ten years ago) link
yeah i was selfishly hoping for a few unreleased puzzles, but tbh maybe they could just rerun v. old ones
― i like the jabberwock and it likes me (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 26 November 2013 12:33 (ten years ago) link
When d crozier passed a few years back they released a book of crosaire so maybe something similar to be hoped for
― 30 ch'lopping days left to umas (darraghmac), Tuesday, 26 November 2013 13:45 (ten years ago) link
RIP. Heavy bummer. He was also 1/4 of Biggles with three other complilers, all called John, or we Johns ie W.E. Johns. A lovely little bit of wordplay that I've done a horrendous job of describing.
― as a chocolate salesperson (ledge), Tuesday, 26 November 2013 14:03 (ten years ago) link
RIP
expecting to see a lot of tribute xwords/clues in the coming days
― malapopism (wins), Tuesday, 26 November 2013 14:04 (ten years ago) link
Aw RIP.
I think I said something somewhat uncharitable on this thread previously. I came around in the end.
― not a player-hater i just hate a lot (a passing spacecadet), Tuesday, 26 November 2013 14:28 (ten years ago) link
Begin to take drugs regularly for that dreamy feeling (8)
from today's Graun. i have the answer but i am a little peeved about the work "regularly" is doing there, unless my reasoning is off
― Noodle of the Vague family (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 27 November 2013 13:06 (ten years ago) link
btw if anybody else has done it today i need 23 down and the first word of 1 down, had enough tbh
― Noodle of the Vague family (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 27 November 2013 13:29 (ten years ago) link
think i have 23 down but the logic is a little iffy
― Noodle of the Vague family (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 27 November 2013 13:35 (ten years ago) link
never mind, finished
― Noodle of the Vague family (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 27 November 2013 13:39 (ten years ago) link
Less than pleased with the two main clues having no definition except each other. Throw us a freaking bone.
― as a chocolate salesperson (ledge), Wednesday, 27 November 2013 13:47 (ten years ago) link
i liked the two big ones, they get easy enough once you've enough letters in
― Noodle of the Vague family (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 27 November 2013 13:50 (ten years ago) link
I couldn't see 'em. Have come across that line in an xword before but hadn't internalized it. Mea culpa.
― as a chocolate salesperson (ledge), Wednesday, 27 November 2013 13:53 (ten years ago) link
Araucaria clues galorehttp://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/crossword-blog/2013/nov/27/crossword-blog-araucaria-john-graham
― I like to think I have learnt a thing or two about music (Neil S), Thursday, 28 November 2013 13:21 (ten years ago) link
Today's Guardian. I like Boatman, tricky but not too devious!
’70s rock instrument used in Wales (9)
― I like to think I have learnt a thing or two about music (Neil S), Thursday, 12 December 2013 13:21 (ten years ago) link
hmm, not sure what work "used" is doing there
― my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Thursday, 12 December 2013 14:04 (ten years ago) link
yeah, it doesn't break the clue though?
― I like to think I have learnt a thing or two about music (Neil S), Thursday, 12 December 2013 14:18 (ten years ago) link