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

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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)

Sarah's should be UV something. Bed? Ray? I can't make a plausible insult - let alone anything to do with a men only sauna!

― ledge, Thursday, 8 March 2007 00:28 (nineteen years ago)

Hehe - think SOUNDS LIKE, and then think in ILx speak!

― Sarah, Thursday, 8 March 2007 13:00 (nineteen years ago)

UR GAY :-)

― Richard Jones, Friday, 9 March 2007 10:42 (nineteen years ago)

Well done! I didn't kill the thread! Yay! Your turn :)

― Sarah, Friday, 9 March 2007 10:45 (nineteen years ago)

Another meaning in diet info (10)

― Richard Jones, Friday, 9 March 2007 11:04 (nineteen years ago)

definition

― onimo, Friday, 9 March 2007 11:05 (nineteen years ago)

Informed about tide info (8)

― onimo, Friday, 9 March 2007 11:07 (nineteen years ago)

notified

― ledge, Friday, 9 March 2007 11:48 (nineteen years ago)

Crazy! A hydrogen powered vehicle! For an African island! (10)

― ledge, Friday, 9 March 2007 12:11 (nineteen years ago)

Madagascar!

― Matt, Friday, 9 March 2007 12:13 (nineteen years ago)

\(^o^)/

― ledge, Friday, 9 March 2007 12:14 (nineteen years ago)

OK, I'll give a hint on mine:

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

-t-----e-s

― lurker #2421, Friday, 9 March 2007 14:16 (nineteen years ago)

Stratagems?

― Richard Jones, Friday, 9 March 2007 17:06 (nineteen years ago)

Yes it's SMEGMA TARTS backwards, sans one M. Charming!

― ledge, Friday, 9 March 2007 17:10 (nineteen years ago)

Wow.

― Casuistry, Friday, 9 March 2007 18:53 (nineteen years ago)

I guess I could've gone with

"A million prostitutes on their backs is a clever scheme indeed (9)"

But it wouldn't have enriched the world quite as much, I don't think.

― lurker #2421, Sunday, 11 March 2007 21:59 (nineteen years ago)

Cowardly policeman starts greeting in middle of paddywagon (6)

― ledge, Sunday, 11 March 2007 23:01 (nineteen years ago)

Yellow?

― lurker #2421, Sunday, 11 March 2007 23:45 (nineteen years ago)

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