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

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Have I killed this thread? :(

--N-

― Gravel Worklesworth, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 13:40 (eighteen years ago) link

Not a scooby.

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:11 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm baffled.

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:53 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

Sure! -AN-

― Gravel Worklesworth, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:55 (eighteen years ago) link

Is it pane?

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:59 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

You're at the wrong end!

"Windows" is maybe not very good :(

― Gravel Worklesworth, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:04 (eighteen years ago) link

Ooh, I get it!!

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

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:18 (eighteen years ago) link

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

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:19 (eighteen years ago) link

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

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:22 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

YES IT SHOULD. Pah.

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:23 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

Curtain call! That's a gorgeous clue.

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:03 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

waitwait "because it's a heart" obv

― GW, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:05 (eighteen years ago) link

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

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:12 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

Aureole!

― GW, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:34 (eighteen years ago) link

So gorgeous!

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

― GW, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:35 (eighteen years ago) link

it isn't, it's Inca.

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:36 (eighteen years ago) link

inca

xpost

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

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 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

Bear with me (cute, I like it)

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:43 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

It's just Inca, no indefinite article.

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

the A in Curtain is from the headless Ball.

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

Ohhhhhh, I'm dense today! Thanks Huck.

― GW, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 17:05 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

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

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

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 (eighteen years ago) link

Kick in the pants?

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

Huk's is Arctic.

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 17:58 (eighteen years ago) link

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

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 17:59 (eighteen years ago) link

Haha excellent!

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

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 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

I like easy ones. Like this:

Ape can hide this nut (5)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 23:49 (eighteen years ago) link

pecan! go to bed man.

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

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

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

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 (eighteen years ago) link

The Ramones

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 09:55 (eighteen years ago) link

Gah, I just got it!

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 09:55 (eighteen years ago) link

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

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

yeah :(

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

new clue!

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

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

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 11:47 (eighteen years ago) link

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