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

i'm doing better than usual at today's guardian

Blend or brew or fictional small family member? (8)

Borrower :)

v good

(wasn't mine. is Brummie from today's guardian)

need 2 from today's guardian:

12A Powdered bottom (6) _ R _ U _ _

3D One unknown to get into firm danger (6) _ A _ A _ _

(the last letters are the same, the rest are unches)

ground

hazard?

ah, with a-z to do with unknown somehow?

that's what I was thinking. it's how I get most clues tbh, vague hand-waving.

yes and yes, thanks (and so obvious when you know)

i suck at dual definition clues.

z often used in algebra to denote an unknown variable. (or x or y)

on a very bad day i resort to vague handwriting, just so onlookers think i've solved it

One = A (ie singular)

x would have been the obvious algebra substitution but ok

you're so one-dimensional 8)

on a very bad day i resort to vague handwriting, just so onlookers think i've solved it

a little flourish before and after I find helps with that.

mr beanism

Puzzle by Pasquale/Quixote/Don Manley in the New York Times this weekend.

Just did it. It was enjoyable, pretty easy.

Finally did puzzle that won The Nation contest. Very nice. Those guys edited a book of insanely hard variety cryptics, National Puzzler's League Cryptic Crosswords, which is now out of print, but can be found on the web for free.

And NON-U was an answer in last Saturday's NY Times puzzle to the clue "Bourgeois, to a Brit."

We have so much to learn from each other, as a wise man recently said.

i've never properly understood the U and non-U thing, it's something to do with some bollocks snobbery from some snidey middle class git in the 1930s or something i think

Nancy Mitford word list of social shibboleths was it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_and_non-U_English

"U and non-U English usage, with U standing for upper class, and non-U representing the aspiring middle classes, were part of the terminology of popular discourse of social dialects (sociolects) in 1950s Britain and New England. The debate did not concern itself with the speech of the working classes, which in many instances used the same words as the upper class."

(ie what fizzles said)

lol at today's guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/crosswords/cryptic/25326

nood vague, it's part of a whole contrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroversy that's summarised in a book 'noblesse oblige' with contributions from a mitford and a waugh and a linguist/sociology wonk. the l/s/w. wrote some lazy half-serious piece about 'u' and 'non-u' usage - like for a roast or something - and mitford wrote a piece about how these were important and serious things and the last bastion of the genteel and waugh wrote a piece going 'tch' and shaking his head but basically agreeing. if you read it you will want to kill everyone involved

which is why i've not read it :D

spoilers (aforementioned crossword was based on ivor novello awards. 'scouting for girls', 'kylie minogue', 'plan b' etc. trendy vicar...)

did pretty badly at that, considering. colleague got scouting and plan b but none of us got the kylie anag. got everything everything by deduction but i'm not sure i've ever heard of them, certainly never heard them.

i'd always imagined the ivor novello as some kind of poncey 'high culture' awards, seems like they're just another brits.

kind of like a Geir-ified Brits iirc

criteria for winning = melody, whiteness

tinie and dizzee are white?

They didn't win the Ivor Novello award though did they?

Tinie Tempah won Best Contemporary Song, Dizzee Rascal won the Inspiration Award.

wtf get out get out get out

i only knew that because i was googling for crossword answers - i am old.

never been so outraged at a thread hijack you savages

Cross word (8)

outraged

crucifix

Crucifix is right. Outraged works as well I suppose.

better, tbh

incorrect word (all caps) (5)

:P

sorry guys :-(

WRONG

thought that myself, but couldn't work out why?

just a rejoinder to me, i think. All caps for common ilx emphasis

Tho i'd of gone wiv RONG myself

^ TWA indicating correctness (3)

otm

this was neat (observer, sunday)

Flat in which Frenchman entertains girlfriend? (4-1-4)