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

"Special instructions: Unfortunately the answer to clue 21 across is a misspelling. We said that the flying machine made from canes was a CESNA. This should have been CESSNA. Our apologies."

" Results 1 - 10 of about 182,000 for cesna. (0.37 seconds) "

i do not think 'with age' or 'age' reasonably define NO SPRING CHICKEN. you can sort of see what they were going for but no. TUMMY BUTTON is just awful. today's looks better.

i think the weak-cryptic is just a tic for Rufus and Rover and one other.

Glanced at today's Guardian but didn't get anywhere.

It's ok. Bit dull tbh. Pasquale is a nice clear setter, but a bit square.

does 1d refer to a particular person or is it a o_O ref to 'boss' in an SA accent?

(black SA that is, not afrikaans)

Having a look at it every ten minutes or so, done about half. Nothing massively inspiring. But that may just be because I haven't got the hard ones.

baas is afrikaans iirc?

does 1d refer to a particular person or is it a o_O ref to 'boss' in an SA accent?

The latter, but it's a dictionary word (so it's double definition).

I had slow start on it, then it fell p quickly

thomp is correct.

Managed about half tho was severely pressed for time today, so I'm letting myself off (I'm always finding reasons to let myself off - I'd forgotten this until I started them again recently.)

REALLY didn't get 16, even when it was clear what the answer was. Quite a good one tho... (I realised once I'd gone on to 15 squared)

'Maybe disco gate's sealed off at ten' (DANCE)

And, oh the shame, didn't get the ice poetry one, which rather hobbled me for the whole thing.

After struggling pathetically and making no headway at all with the Araucaria yesterday (even tho, looking at the answers today, it clearly wasn't him at his hardest), did 90% today's occasionally barely cryptic, Telegraph-style Logodaedalus in 15 minutes, in my head, while having a muffin and a cup of tea.

Example of level of clue - Chief criminal makes dog turn on priest (9)

Goodfellas?

Father Ted?

godfather

didn't have the pleasure of doing it on my own, or it might have been a record for me too. it's nice to not have to try too hard (and still get nowhere) from time to time.

Really hard to work out clues like this -

20 Independent state entertained by Jagger? (8)

You just think lol, ilx.

finished it today, that was one of the last ones we got.

love this in in the grauniad today:

Throw shoe! Bugger invaded Iraq! (6,4)

george bush?

yup

Steal the Spanish coin (6)

nickel

too easy innit

No, had to think a bit. Couldn't think of nick for a while since it's not used over here, and if I hadn't watched an old Life On Mars last night might have taken a while longer.

hmph got stuck on peseta and just couldn't get past it.

pact for lib and cons in coital fix with nothing to gain (8)

I want to say coalition but that's (9)

crosswords are about verbal not numerical skill ok

you are right.

Been thinking of asking jaymc about what construction software to use and making a little grid, but haven't got round to it yet.

do it do it

something i've been meaning to get round to for ages too.

Sail close to the coast, says Spooner, and don't check in any baggage (4,7,4)

hand luggage only

^

So removed from the Mona Lisa's enigmatic rendering as to appear beastly (6)

easy

a clue from last week's guardian went something like this:
Old Ted and new Ted get together. It's the end of things. (4, 5)

that should've been 'a new ted' as the above is missing an 'a'

was 'heat death', btw.

would not have gotten that!
one from my bumper book:
Given the gear, the Cockney said wittily (8)

equipped

yup

Base desires in the secret will threaten. (10)

intimidate

Silent hero remix anthem (5,5)

three loins

Dally round the poster with all the answers, so it's rumoured (10)

allegedly + d

heh i should write shit down first i guess

haha i half-heartedly tried to work nabisco in there then gave up.

Measures mother takes to welcome the British lady in India (8)