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

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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 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

Uncertain value of small stones (6,11)

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

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 29 December 2005 21:20 (eighteen years ago) link

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

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

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 (eighteen years ago) link

Well done! Sorry about your struggle.

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

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 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

Nope (and Aire wouldn't fit anyway)

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 30 December 2005 14:33 (eighteen years ago) link

OK, I see what it is.

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

It's good, isn't it?

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 30 December 2005 15:01 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

One more:

Supple iron wire (6)

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

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

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

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

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

Ayin

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Saturday, 31 December 2005 00:42 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

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

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

In in bed with the French sauce (8)

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

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 (eighteen years ago) link

Yeah, those are right.

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

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 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

Yup.

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

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

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 10:43 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

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

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 11:14 (eighteen years ago) link

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

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 11:24 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

-h--o---

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

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 (eighteen years ago) link

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

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:29 (eighteen years ago) link

First one is Canada.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:35 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

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

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:46 (eighteen years ago) link

Even Ximenes is easier than those!

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

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 16:01 (eighteen years ago) link

Intransigent

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 16:12 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

(Again probably harder then Ximenes if not Torquemada)

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

Correct, ledge.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 16:25 (eighteen years ago) link

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

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

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 (eighteen years ago) link

It's not honey- something, is it?

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 16:40 (eighteen years ago) link

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 (eighteen years ago) link

YES I got Canada!

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

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 (eighteen years ago) link

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