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

also worth pointing out that the setter of that clue was Enigmatist whose puzzles are always some of the hardest to solve

Yup that too.

Last ever Araucaria today, finished by Philistine. Might have enjoyed it (or been hugely frustrated) if I hadn't spoiled the key clue by skimming the article about it, just like it warned me not to.

Puzzle:
http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/26427
Article:
http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/crossword-blog/2014/nov/25/unexpected-treat-fans-araucaria-guardian-crossword-setter

I suppose enough time has passed for revelation

ledge mine upthread is The Red Shoes

enjoyed that posthumous Araucaria, thanks ledge. Liked the theme a lot though it took me a while to get it.

I didn't understand how some of the ones at the bottom worked, even after I filled them in according to what fitted or the magic of the Cheat button, so I went to fifteensquared to look. The one I was particularly puzzled by was 2 alternative definitions and 4 wordplays in one clue! Completely didn't notice that, I had no idea what any of the clue except the theme indicator/first def and final wordplay were doing in the clue. (smacks forehead)

Also for ILXy lols I got the last letter of 23D wrong (still fitting the def) and tried to convince myself it might be a reference to Manda Rin of Glaswegian 90s indie combo being a bit annoying.

Porcine life form found in craft trapped in white hole at first, then zero gravity (7)

nice

i liked these from the everyman this week

Rim around gold dish (5)

'Stub' - no clue for it, cryptically (11)

xp But not taxing, clearly. I'm destined to be a Rufus.

the zero gravity bit at the end gave it away

^^^ yeah I worked backwards too. Here's an easy one I made up:

Singer staples most of map and half of visa. (5)

Ah, crap, make that 'most of map and most of visa.'

nice def. 'most' tends to be frowned upon, too vague (not really a problem in this case but...) - you could go for last letter deletion instead, incomplete visa or something.

I was happy to work this one out in today's Grauniad

Weapon offering promise of American woman? (10)

Not 100% sure this works, but I wrote one for Merriam-Webster's 2014 word of the year:

Huge rut luckily consumes backward social group and its beliefs. (7)

^ Culture, yeah that works fine.

Little bleeder's reported break in to Electronic Arts' outpost in Devon (8,3)

No idea!

Is there a prize xword in today's guardian? It isn't on their (increasingly shit & buggy) iPhone app.

yes, it's two grids so the app wouldn't be able to handle it.

Ah ok, worth getting the paper for or no? I have a train journey later but ample reading...

it looks a bit convoluted "however, one letter must be added to one of each pair of solutions before entry into the grid"...

Oh I hate those ftmp

"Forge the mine path". Primarily used in Minecraft when building a path into a mine.

It's tough but I'm enjoying it, clues are pretty straightforward and the instructions are clear and not a huge stumbling block.

I mean I'm like less than a quarter done.

Director of films to include head of penis? Almost - pianist

(4,4)

nope... gonna add an extra hint to mine.

Little bleeder's reported break in to Electronic Arts' south Devon seaside office? (8,3)

--d--t--/---

I'm stumped

Got it. (not sure why it's office though?)

Oh, 'outpost in Devon' makes sense though.

I threw a question mark in there to indicate something fishy but I think it's ok, if EA had an office in T------ you'd just call it EA T------. Like errrrrr DKNY?

r-d--t--/k--

Guardian prize now the usual war of attrition, was hoping the parents would help but they'd completed less than me.

Omg just got it

radiator key!

:)

That kind of cryptic definition would normally have me decrying the compiler as a scoundrel.

It gets by because we like "little bleeder"

Did you get mine?

Nope, give us letters!

Given up on the guardian in a huff, if anyone can explain how "comrade - stan's" is at all cryptic for "oliver" - well it probably won't change my mind.

http://previous.presstv.ir/photo/20131210/339246_Laurel-%20Hardy-%20biographical%20film.jpg

yeah but like

idgi

btw

--n-/-a--

those chuckleheads were the first thing I thought of, that still ain't no cryptic clue.

Yeah unless "Oliver" is another word for "comrade" or sth

sth to do with the Song of Roland or...?

(don't even know if I'm overreaching here; did not attempt said crossword as the gimmick was beyond me, by which I don't even mean adding letters but the whole not knowing where to split the clues thing)

Cromwellian perhaps, but that kind of "guess which Stan this refers to" isn't unheard of in cryptics

not especially hard but i always appreciate arachne and her politics:

Ends of Rice, Brown and Garner? Time for anger (6)

nice

(talking of hard, i don't think i've ever been as irritated with a crossword as that maskarade prize one from the other week)