Wow, I got the spike one instantaneously, and I'm not British.
― Losing swag by the second (Dan Peterson), Monday, 16 February 2015 16:10 (nine years ago) link
Also, new to me in a puzzle I'm working on: screw as in wages.
― Losing swag by the second (Dan Peterson), Monday, 16 February 2015 16:37 (nine years ago) link
last week's everyman? i think that was my worst attempt at a crossword in years.
― koogs, Monday, 16 February 2015 16:39 (nine years ago) link
Yep, I'm about 75% finished.
― Losing swag by the second (Dan Peterson), Monday, 16 February 2015 16:45 (nine years ago) link
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)
― koogs, Tuesday, 24 February 2015 13:27 (nine years ago) link
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?
― Losing swag by the second (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 24 February 2015 14:49 (nine years ago) link
Touch brass instrument in retreat (4)
― koogs, Monday, 2 March 2015 14:51 (nine years ago) link
(is there an unwritten rule that the definition comes first in such clues?)
― koogs, Monday, 2 March 2015 14:52 (nine years ago) link
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.
― anthony braxton diamond geezer (anagram), Monday, 2 March 2015 14:58 (nine years ago) link
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.
― koogs, Monday, 2 March 2015 15:04 (nine years ago) link
although, thinking about it, the 'over' makes more sense attached to the first bit leaving the last bit as the definition. ROOD / DOOR btw.
― koogs, Monday, 2 March 2015 15:05 (nine years ago) link
^^^ the more I thought about my initial comment, yes, this.
― Losing swag by the second (Dan Peterson), Monday, 2 March 2015 15:49 (nine years ago) link
the only "rule" afaic is that the clue leads grammatically to the solution
― daed bod (Noodle Vague), Monday, 2 March 2015 22:36 (nine years ago) link
did ppl get my poem
― Luis Brañuel - Bell de Jour (wins), Tuesday, 3 March 2015 17:56 (nine years ago) link
I appreciated it. Haven't got it yet though.
― ledge, Tuesday, 3 March 2015 20:02 (nine years ago) link
Hint: ilx
― Luis Brañuel - Bell de Jour (wins), Tuesday, 3 March 2015 20:14 (nine years ago) link
Stumped.
― ledge, Wednesday, 4 March 2015 22:36 (nine years ago) link
--/-a--/--n/-a-
― Luis Brañuel - Bell de Jour (wins), Wednesday, 4 March 2015 22:54 (nine years ago) link
we want hen fap
pls to dissect, thy bardy bacon sandwich
― ladies goatse to the queen (qiqing), Thursday, 5 March 2015 00:53 (nine years ago) link
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
― Luis Brañuel - Bell de Jour (wins), Thursday, 5 March 2015 00:59 (nine years ago) link
"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.
― ledge, Thursday, 5 March 2015 09:39 (nine years ago) link
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.
― Losing swag by the second (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 12 March 2015 14:56 (nine years ago) link
that anagram jumps out at you (me) anyway
― koogs, Thursday, 12 March 2015 15:05 (nine years ago) link
Yeah, wasn't hard at all (Everyman), I just liked supply.
― Losing swag by the second (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 12 March 2015 15:22 (nine years ago) link
I've seen supply before & was impressed, yeah. Enjoy stuff like that
― prole, you'll be a yeoman soon (wins), Thursday, 12 March 2015 16:08 (nine years ago) link
sorry for British, today's Guardian
According to Spooner, Rooney's scandal is to put on a few pounds (4,6)
― Keith Moom (Neil S), Friday, 13 March 2015 13:06 (nine years ago) link
Ha, I figured it out without even knowing who Rooney is.
― Losing swag by the second (Dan Peterson), Friday, 13 March 2015 13:46 (nine years ago) link
American version: Gretzky, Kramer, Knight
― Keith Moom (Neil S), Friday, 13 March 2015 13:51 (nine years ago) link
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.
― Losing swag by the second (Dan Peterson), Friday, 13 March 2015 14:05 (nine years ago) link
Apprehensive when a vote is taken about your vitals (7)
― ledge, Monday, 16 March 2015 13:12 (nine years ago) link
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.
― ledge, Monday, 16 March 2015 13:29 (nine years ago) link
(and the seventh letter is L)
― ledge, Monday, 16 March 2015 13:31 (nine years ago) link
Not gonna lie, that confused me for a sec
― sexpost TMIing! (wins), Monday, 16 March 2015 13:33 (nine years ago) link
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.)
― koogs, Tuesday, 17 March 2015 18:30 (nine years ago) link
Rattigan? Nope. The ur-terence.
― ledge, Tuesday, 17 March 2015 20:56 (nine years ago) link
Comprehensive schooling not big on Roman playwrights, it seems.
― koogs, Tuesday, 17 March 2015 21:52 (nine years ago) link
me neither
― Keith Moom (Neil S), Tuesday, 17 March 2015 21:55 (nine years ago) link
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).
― koogs, Wednesday, 18 March 2015 03:04 (nine years ago) link
c'mon, this is rufus level. also:
Take part in march against rogues' gallery holding the ultimate banner (11)
― ledge, Wednesday, 18 March 2015 13:56 (nine years ago) link
Got the 1st one now, vg
― sexpost TMIing! (wins), Wednesday, 18 March 2015 14:04 (nine years ago) link
Can't remember if rufus-level is good or bad
― sexpost TMIing! (wins), Wednesday, 18 March 2015 14:05 (nine years ago) link
Rufus is super easy level, and some of his cluing is a bit suspect ime. I don't mind his puzzles though.
― Losing swag by the second (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 18 March 2015 14:13 (nine years ago) link
Rufus is super easy level, and some of his cluing is a bit suspect ime
yep, that's about my level.
― ledge, Wednesday, 18 March 2015 19:09 (nine years ago) link
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
― sexpost TMIing! (wins), Wednesday, 18 March 2015 19:11 (nine years ago) link
Rufus is in the Guardian. Ledge, you always seem (to a newbie like myself) like a cryptic go to guy in this thread?!
― Losing swag by the second (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 18 March 2015 19:14 (nine years ago) link
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
― lex pretend, Wednesday, 18 March 2015 19:26 (nine years ago) link
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.
― ledge, Wednesday, 18 March 2015 19:58 (nine years ago) link
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)
― undergraduate dance (a passing spacecadet), Wednesday, 18 March 2015 21:44 (nine years ago) link
I just this second got the second - actually brilliant imo
I like Paul, s/he seems to be quite consciously aiming for some kind of nu-auracaria upstart status, tho I'm a xword dilettante & can't really remember who is who
I seem to either complete grids or get no clues at all, & couldn't tell you why. Completed the guardian in hardly any time whilst on MDMA once
― sexpost TMIing! (wins), Wednesday, 18 March 2015 21:52 (nine years ago) link
I was thinking of a different person before I think, not rufus
― sexpost TMIing! (wins), Wednesday, 18 March 2015 21:54 (nine years ago) link