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

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (5780 of them)

Yeah, I got that Cox and Rathvon book and the Games Magazine cryptic book (I wonder if this still exist?) too.

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 16:22 (nineteen years ago)

What a nerd, scraping away at them books, when I should have been out parading!

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 16:26 (nineteen years ago)

I was going to get one from Amazon but have decided I will just go to WH Smiths tomorrow instead and get something to try and tackle the Gruan. HOWEVER, there's another book on Amazon which says that the Gruan is especially distinctive so perhaps I'll start getting the Telegraph instead...

― Sarah, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 16:26 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, I had seen cryptic crosswords a couple of times, but they seemed so baffling that I never bothered until this thread made me curious.

― jaymc, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 16:46 (nineteen years ago)

jaymc, you are exactly the person the Cox/Rathvon book is for

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 17:33 (nineteen years ago)

They mention you on pages 7-9 and in a footnote on page 68.

― Casuistry, Thursday, 1 March 2007 15:16 (nineteen years ago)

Awesome!

― jaymc, Thursday, 1 March 2007 15:50 (nineteen years ago)

page 68- it reminded me of you!

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Friday, 2 March 2007 14:05 (nineteen years ago)

People who spend a lot of time in pubs vomit untruths (8)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Friday, 2 March 2007 14:06 (nineteen years ago)

I don't know - but yesterday i bought "how to solve cryptic crosswords" by Kevin Skinner so WISH ME LUCK.

Drunkzzz?

― Sarah, Friday, 2 March 2007 14:08 (nineteen years ago)

Barflies

― jaymc, Friday, 2 March 2007 14:11 (nineteen years ago)

Oooooohhhh so easy when you know the answer!

― ledge, Friday, 2 March 2007 14:31 (nineteen years ago)

(not sure this works but)

Sounds like Dad's scared of Spanish rice (6)

― onimo, Friday, 2 March 2007 14:57 (nineteen years ago)

Melmac grows twice the sprouts, and then some (7)

― jaymc, Friday, 2 March 2007 16:28 (nineteen years ago)

paella?

― Archel, Friday, 2 March 2007 16:29 (nineteen years ago)

― Archel, Friday, 2 March 2007 16:31 (nineteen years ago)

paella is right

(was going for "pa yella" sound)

― onimo, Friday, 2 March 2007 16:37 (nineteen years ago)

Ooh! I got paella, but only because I knew it was a Spanish dish involving rice and then I got the "pa" bit - but it didn't involve me doing any cryptic thinking, that was fairly "straight",right? Oh, a DOUBLE STRAIGHT! I have read the first page of the book, you see. getting to grips with terminology.

I have cut out the Gruan cryptic for today. I can't get a single clue. Looking at the answers to the previous puzzle no wonder - "stolon", "GELSENKIRCHEN"? Argh! I think I will be taking up Archel's Telegraph recommendation.

― Sarah, Friday, 2 March 2007 16:42 (nineteen years ago)

Disgusting cheese pies (hold the mayo) set back clever schemes (10)

― lurker #2421, Friday, 2 March 2007 16:43 (nineteen years ago)

Sarah, in terms of newspaper crosswords, I think the Telegraph is 'easiest' - though still satisfying. It's the one I started on anyway. Some of the Guardian setters are really tricky, whereas the Times and the Independent are fairly consistent.

I bought a book of Independent crosswords and breezed through #1 so I felt like super genius until I looked at #2 and it took me an hour to scrape together two answers.

I think the Telegraph is a bit odd (lately? it seemed OK when my granny did it every day). Pubs round here get the Telegraph so I look at it occasionally and either it's full of stuff where I keep thinking "that would be a really awful clue so I hope this isn't the answer, but it fits, so..." and they keep fitting, or it's full of clues I can't work out at all but the ones I can get don't seem like any other paper.

Maybe I should get a book too! I picked it up probably from doing some with my mother and just piecing the rest together myself, so there might well be patterns I don't know. I'm not very good at them. Except the ones in puzzle magazines and the Radio Times, which are easier (and about half anagrams) except for expecting you to remember the cast of terrible never-repeated 70s sitcoms. So, er, let us know what the book's like.

Anyway, be prepared to stare at it not getting any for a while, then get one or two, then more might fall into place if you've got some letters, but I spent ages only being able to get maybe 2-3 answers on any crossword. Still do for most newspapers, to be honest.

(Though I did win a PRIZE from - woo! - a student paper for my crossword skills! And they never gave me it. Bastards.)

― a passing spacecadet, Friday, 2 March 2007 18:35 (nineteen years ago)

I am relieved to see that as yet that hasn't posted 3 times; it went kind of weird when I couldn't remember which email address I signed up with, by the time I actually logged in it had forgotten I wanted to post something, then messing around with the back button resulted in some error messages. Apologies if more copies turn up.

― a passing spacecadet, Friday, 2 March 2007 18:37 (nineteen years ago)

Upon further inspection, I don't like my clue.

― jaymc, Friday, 2 March 2007 18:41 (nineteen years ago)

(was going for "pa yella" sound)

Totally screwing over those of us who pronounce it "pah-ey-a".

― Casuistry, Friday, 2 March 2007 22:50 (nineteen years ago)

I think it still sort of works, because I pronounce it like you do and I was imagining someone screaming "AY-YAH!"

― jaymc, Friday, 2 March 2007 22:52 (nineteen years ago)

Totally screwing over those of us who pronounce it "pah-ey-a".

yeah the differences in pronunciation were what made me think it was rub but I decided to go for it anyway.

― onimo, Saturday, 3 March 2007 01:17 (nineteen years ago)

Jaymc's is "alfalfa", I fear.

― Casuistry, Saturday, 3 March 2007 08:46 (nineteen years ago)

I have WAY too many books of crosswords (though none about solving them). But getting books full of the things is one of the best ways to practise really because if you get stuck you can a) try another one straight away and b) look at the answers. Reverse engineering from the solution is very educational.

― Archel, Saturday, 3 March 2007 13:30 (nineteen years ago)

Right, I am going to think until I come up with a good clue. Let's see how long it takes me.

― Mark C, Saturday, 3 March 2007 14:44 (nineteen years ago)

Cord used to be taut (9)

― Mark C, Saturday, 3 March 2007 14:53 (nineteen years ago)

Jaymc's is "alfalfa", I fear.

Yeah. I should get that book, though, because I think there are some rules for how clues are given that I haven't quite internalized yet.

― jaymc, Saturday, 3 March 2007 17:17 (nineteen years ago)

The previous guy starts just a century after my return. (5)

― Casuistry, Sunday, 4 March 2007 07:51 (nineteen years ago)

heh.

Poster's church religion is Ned's number and Ethan's ex (5,5)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Sunday, 4 March 2007 16:42 (nineteen years ago)

saxophone makes something curiously strong (7)

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Sunday, 4 March 2007 18:58 (nineteen years ago)

Altoids, I think? Though I'm not sure how the "-ids" part works.

Should I give a hint on mine?

― lurker #2421, Sunday, 4 March 2007 19:13 (nineteen years ago)

Poster's church religion is Ned's number and Ethan's ex (5,5)

Me? I harp music, silly! (5, 5)

― Casuistry, Monday, 5 March 2007 03:23 (nineteen years ago)

you

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Monday, 5 March 2007 14:23 (nineteen years ago)

I spent about ten minutes coming up with a really good cryptic clue on Sunday whilst I was drunk, and have since forgotten about it.

I'm now working my way through the level 1 cryptic crosswords in my book and can get quite a few clues which is really heartening! Although there are a couple which call for abbreviations for something that I've never heard of - "Flying Bomb" = "VI" how precisely?!

― Sarah, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 11:29 (nineteen years ago)

German V-1 bombs were better known as flying bombs, buzzbombs or doodlebugs.

― onimo, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 11:31 (nineteen years ago)

Ha - I had no idea! I was working myself into knots thinking "Flying" = "flying v guitar" (as I already had 'v' as the starting letter), and then "bomb" = "A-bomb" and then finally did the sensible thing and looked at the answer - I wouldn't have got it otherwise!

― Sarah, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 11:37 (nineteen years ago)

WON'T SOMEBODY ANSWER MY CLUE?

― Mark C, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 11:43 (nineteen years ago)

something with 'flex' in it? Or even reflex? I can't get anything to fit.

― onimo, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 11:48 (nineteen years ago)

Gizza clue (and then I still won't answer it)...

― Sarah, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 11:49 (nineteen years ago)

Mark - I am stuck with yours. Got as far as thinking 'ex' something and then...

― Archel, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 13:38 (nineteen years ago)

Cord used to be taut (9)

--t------

― Mark C, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 15:10 (nineteen years ago)

extension!

― onimo, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 15:13 (nineteen years ago)

Elevated reed around greeting (2,4)

― onimo, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 16:18 (nineteen years ago)

Go onimo! Now I'd like feedback on my clue plz :)

― Mark C, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 16:51 (nineteen years ago)

HI DERE!

― Sarah, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 16:53 (nineteen years ago)

Here is a clue! It is pretty bad!

Sounds like tanning method insults men only sauna! (1,1,3)

― Sarah, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 16:57 (nineteen years ago)

I liked your clue Mark, it had the ambiguity of either cord or taut being the clue to the word and the other being the clue to building the word (i.e. it was hard).

HI DERE is right :) I can only make easy ones up.

― onimo, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 17:14 (nineteen years ago)

Skipping 5680 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.