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

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Yes, circular letter is right. Well done. Could be anything before you get it but once you twig I think there's a certain inevitability to it.

― frankiemachine, Thursday, 2 February 2006 21:23 (twenty years ago)

One of my favourite posters on one of my favourite threads!

is the 9-5 the current clue then?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 3 February 2006 10:25 (twenty years ago)

Circular letter was what I had in mind as well, but I felt like there had to be even cleverer answers. Although 9, 5 is not coming to mind right now, so that might be cleverer.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 3 February 2006 11:01 (twenty years ago)

hornyarchelporno

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 3 February 2006 11:27 (twenty years ago)

9,5 is not coming to mind because it's not that clever. I don't even think it's a full-(f)ledged clue. Here are some letters.

-n------- -o---

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 3 February 2006 12:52 (twenty years ago)

(Something) round?

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 3 February 2006 13:59 (twenty years ago)

-n-----a- -o---

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 3 February 2006 14:25 (twenty years ago)

-n--e--a- -o---

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 3 February 2006 16:35 (twenty years ago)

Universal donut

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 3 February 2006 16:40 (twenty years ago)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 3 February 2006 16:47 (twenty years ago)

Well it's either that or unisexual torus.

Nah I'm just yankin' yer chain. Really I have no idea.

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 3 February 2006 16:49 (twenty years ago)

-n--e--a- -o--o-

But I like the Ledge's answers better. Remember, it's not a real clue and was not even presented as such.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 3 February 2006 17:00 (twenty years ago)

it seems to have grown an extra letter?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 3 February 2006 17:16 (twenty years ago)

-o-o-

Can somebody come up with a new clue please?

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 3 February 2006 17:22 (twenty years ago)

And no, it's not unisexual robot, either.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 3 February 2006 17:23 (twenty years ago)

Choose one mother to be the best (7)

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 3 February 2006 18:13 (twenty years ago)

optimum

― frankiemachine, Friday, 3 February 2006 19:06 (twenty years ago)

Universal donor.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 3 February 2006 20:48 (twenty years ago)

If it's my turn to post a clue:

Queen of Hearts? Hear a nation's bitter denunciations! (9)

― frankiemachine, Saturday, 4 February 2006 10:55 (twenty years ago)

Is it diatribes?

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 6 February 2006 11:47 (twenty years ago)

Yes, diatribes is right Archel.

― frankiemachine, Monday, 6 February 2006 12:24 (twenty years ago)

Production deriving from controlled allocation of DNA? (10)

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 6 February 2006 13:10 (twenty years ago)

Too hard! Need letters. Lots of 'em.

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 14:01 (twenty years ago)

-e---a----

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 14:07 (twenty years ago)

Generation!

I'm not sure whether this one is really nasty, or really easy:

"All of us complained crassly", said Spooner, "about Elizabeth's character, and Dick's too" (9)

― lurker #2421, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 15:25 (twenty years ago)

(P.S. How was the "dia" in "diatribes" derived? Was it like a New England/New York "deah", or is it something Latin or Spanish?)

― lurker #2421, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 15:33 (twenty years ago)

It was 'di' as in Princess Diana also known as the 'queen of hearts' (possibly a bit UK-centric?) The 'a' came from 'a nation's'.

I like your clue but cannot get it, yet.

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 15:36 (twenty years ago)

(Princess) Di = Queen of Hearts

A tribe's = a nation's

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 15:37 (twenty years ago)

I did wonder if it was a bit UK-centric but hard for me to tell - I thought there would have been a bit of fuss about the Bashir interview in the US too - I assumed he got the Jacko one on the back of it? But I was guessing - apologies if too obscure a reference for non-Brits.

― frankiemachine, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 15:58 (twenty years ago)

Bewitched?

― MrArchel (Archel), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 16:54 (twenty years ago)

Ha, I had thought of the Di thing, but forgot it! But then, what function does "Hear" serve?

(Don't worry, though, it wasn't too UK-centric -- I'd be a hypocrite if I were to complain about that.)

xpost: Ha, you got it! Not too US-centric, then!

― lurker #2421, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 16:55 (twenty years ago)

"Hear" was me being pedantic. It means "sounds like". I would have left it out if I could have written nation's without the possessive apostrophe but that would have looked wrong. As written, nation's doesn't correspond to tribes. Said aloud it does.

― frankiemachine, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 18:12 (twenty years ago)

I woudn't sweat it, Frankie. What's the current clue?

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 18:38 (twenty years ago)

Ah, I follow now -- thanks for explaining.

― lurker #2421, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 19:23 (twenty years ago)

If Mr. Archel doesn't have one handy:

Scantily-clad woman reportedly gave birth to baby horse in wake of recent accident (10)

― lurker #2421, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 19:33 (twenty years ago)

Centrefold?

― frankiemachine, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 20:31 (twenty years ago)

You've got it!

― lurker #2421, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 20:33 (twenty years ago)

Uh. I see "colt" in that but...? "fender"?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 21:03 (twenty years ago)

reportedly gave birth = fold

Still Archel's turn to post a clue, I think

― frankiemachine, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 21:08 (twenty years ago)

(as in foaled)

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 21:10 (twenty years ago)

Ohhh. Ah.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 10:18 (twenty years ago)

It's *Mr* Archel's turn, not mine, I think.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 10:25 (twenty years ago)

Now I'm confused.

To be going along with:

Batting record before tea, we're told, is useless (5)

― frankiemachine, Wednesday, 8 February 2006 10:52 (twenty years ago)

Inept!

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 11:19 (twenty years ago)

I think cricket themed clues are my favourite kind.

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 11:19 (twenty years ago)

I'm the opposite :(

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 11:24 (twenty years ago)

Yes, inept is of course korrect.

― frankiemachine, Wednesday, 8 February 2006 12:39 (twenty years ago)

This one cheats a little bit:

Root beer, frozen (9)

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 15:37 (twenty years ago)

And just 'cause it works the same way:

Female's punishing triathlon (7)

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 15:45 (twenty years ago)

liquorice?

― mrArchel, Wednesday, 8 February 2006 18:41 (twenty years ago)

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