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

ok, got the spike one now.

Xps I can't right now. Forgot to say (2,4,3,3) if anyone's still to get it

Wow, I got the spike one instantaneously, and I'm not British.

Also, new to me in a puzzle I'm working on: screw as in wages.

last week's everyman? i think that was my worst attempt at a crossword in years.

Yep, I'm about 75% finished.

i didn't know this (well, i got the answer because i had the 1st and 3rd letter, but i didn't know the word the clue alludes to)

Crucifix over entrance (4)

Got the basic idea quickly, but the way the clue is written I had the answer wrong way round. Was it just me, or was this overall a pretty poorly written puzzle?

Touch brass instrument in retreat (4)

(is there an unwritten rule that the definition comes first in such clues?)

AFAIK the only rule is that the definition must come either at the beginning or at the end. This applies to all types of clue.

i guess the second one is a bit more obvious (the 'in retreat' at the end implies the brass instrument is the cryptic bit, meaning the first bit is the definition). but the crucifix one could be either way around.

although, thinking about it, the 'over' makes more sense attached to the first bit leaving the last bit as the definition. ROOD / DOOR btw.

^^^ the more I thought about my initial comment, yes, this.

the only "rule" afaic is that the clue leads grammatically to the solution

did ppl get my poem

I appreciated it. Haven't got it yet though.

Hint: ilx

Stumped.

--/-a--/--n/-a-

we want hen fap

pls to dissect, thy bardy bacon sandwich

whew\and then\fap

I used "small" as an indicator for initial letter, I'm not sure if that's allowed but I feel like I've seen it in the less rigorous puzzles

"ye ejaculation", nice. thought that archaism must indicate something. i'm not down with 'small' but overall a+ v creative, love to see more along these lines.

Make drunk supply a beer in it (9)

If "supply" is doing what I think it does in this, I've never seen that before and it's clever.

that anagram jumps out at you (me) anyway

Yeah, wasn't hard at all (Everyman), I just liked supply.

I've seen supply before & was impressed, yeah. Enjoy stuff like that

sorry for British, today's Guardian

According to Spooner, Rooney's scandal is to put on a few pounds (4,6)

Ha, I figured it out without even knowing who Rooney is.

American version: Gretzky, Kramer, Knight

I went for Mickey at first, before I just looked at the length of the two words and went 'duh.'

Re: supply as an anagrind, I had resort yesterday, another good double usage. I'd seen that used several times before, but it still catches me and gets me trying to fit 'spa' in there somewhere.

Apprehensive when a vote is taken about your vitals (7)

I'm all done cooking piece of meat (9)

an easy one from chifonie, except the fifth letter is i. guardian reading ukippers will be up in arms.

(and the seventh letter is L)

Not gonna lie, that confused me for a sec

finished the everyman this week, first time in a while. the two hardest bits:

Recent plays by key dramatist (7)

Elephant keeper, married with a husband no longer in the game (6)

the one i can't explain is:

Man on board heard in the dark (5) (NIGHT. is that a homophone for KNIGHT? ah, yes. chess board.)

Rattigan? Nope. The ur-terence.

Comprehensive schooling not big on Roman playwrights, it seems.

me neither

I looked up a list of playwrights and it was obvious enough, especially as i had half the letters. Anagram of RECENT with an extra E (the 'key' part of the clue).

Apprehensive when a vote is taken about your vitals (7)

c'mon, this is rufus level. also:

Take part in march against rogues' gallery holding the ultimate banner (11)

Got the 1st one now, vg

Can't remember if rufus-level is good or bad

Rufus is super easy level, and some of his cluing is a bit suspect ime. I don't mind his puzzles though.

Rufus is super easy level, and some of his cluing is a bit suspect ime

yep, that's about my level.

What paper is he in? Istr he made easy xwords that were nonetheless fun cause lots of themes &c, or am I thinking of someone else? Did a Simpsons themed one once eg

Rufus is in the Guardian. Ledge, you always seem (to a newbie like myself) like a cryptic go to guy in this thread?!

rufus is good entry level stuff but even as a relative beginner i don't enjoy him - either the answer leaps out at you or if it doesn't the clue's rarely written in such a way that i'm motivated to think about it for long

arachne is easily my favourite i think

xp i meant my own clues - super easy and often a bit suspect. really need to go have a go at doing a full puzzle instead of the odd "ooh that'd make a good clue" moment of inspiration.

Rufus appears under that name in the Guardian and does the easy Monday puzzles, but has done stuff under other names for most other papers too (particularly the Telegraph iirc, although they don't name their setters)

I quite like his Monday Graun puzzles or at least think they're unfairly maligned but then they are, to quote ledge, "about my level"

(haven't finished a cryptic in so long I'm not sure I even have a level any more. got ledge's second, not the first)