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

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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

You win my undying admiration and, perhaps more importantly, the chance to give us a new clue.

More letters:

Almost a king among gods at home is manipulator of drones. (9)

-o-e-o--e

Maybe I should have said "Northern gods"

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 18:54 (eighteen years ago) link

I don't have any clues handy, and I certainly don't have the skills necessary to make one up. Sorry!

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 19:01 (eighteen years ago) link

Maybe I should have said "manager of drones club"

Another hint:

Hillbilly leader and first knight (4)
-ed-

The missing letters are one apart alphabetically.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 19:44 (eighteen years ago) link

Answer to one in title of this thread

Answer to other in title of this one

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 20:29 (eighteen years ago) link

Finally, The Erl-King is a very scary poem by Goethe about a child riding with his father while being pursued by a bogeyman called the Erl-King, visible only to the child. It was turned into a Lied by Schubert. Earl King was a guitar player known for his song "Trick Bag" and another song "Come On" aka "Let The Good Times Roll," which was covered by Jimi Hendrix. Yeah, I know it was a stretch.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 20:43 (eighteen years ago) link

I can't believe I couldn't get Wodehouse :(

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 5 January 2006 09:02 (eighteen years ago) link

Finally, The Erl-King is a very scary poem by Goethe

Well, Die Erlkönig [if I did that right] is, which can either be translated as Elf King or Alder King (although I was able to google up some Erl Kings, even though I'd never come across that half-translation before).

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 5 January 2006 09:32 (eighteen years ago) link

Also, those grapes were assuredly sour.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 5 January 2006 09:33 (eighteen years ago) link

I'd come across it as Erl-King but I'd never heard of Earl King, so I was still scuppered.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 5 January 2006 09:37 (eighteen years ago) link

is there a current (possible) clue? 10.42 work despair :(

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 5 January 2006 10:48 (eighteen years ago) link

Since no-one else is:

My real life leader is female (4)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 5 January 2006 10:52 (eighteen years ago) link

There's still the French sauce one, or much easier:

Dead tired? (3,2,6)

xpost, sorry

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 5 January 2006 10:57 (eighteen years ago) link

Ailsa got "chipotle" for the French sauce one.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 5 January 2006 10:57 (eighteen years ago) link

‘girl’? (your real life leader being g for gerry and irl = in real life?)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 5 January 2006 10:58 (eighteen years ago) link

Oh yes, sorry ailsa.

Girl!

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 5 January 2006 10:59 (eighteen years ago) link

Yes :-)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 5 January 2006 11:04 (eighteen years ago) link

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