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

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I've been seeing a lot of clues here where the clue includes a possessive ('s) that isn't actually functional: "Female's", "Dancer's", etc.

Do published cryptic crosswords do this? I have to admit it totally throws me off, I'd always assumed that every part of the clue had to be functional.

― lurker #2421, Monday, 13 March 2006 23:17 (twenty years ago)

I've been seeing a lot of clues here where the clue includes a possessive ('s) that isn't actually functional: "Female's", "Dancer's", etc. Do published cryptic crosswords do this?

(I have to admit it totally throws me off, I'd always assumed that every part of the clue had to be incorporated in the answer, with nothing extra left over.)

― lurker #2421, Monday, 13 March 2006 23:19 (twenty years ago)

Hey, I reloaded the page to check that my first post hadn't gone through! Boo to you, lyin' cheatin' ILX server.

― lurker #2421, Monday, 13 March 2006 23:22 (twenty years ago)

's could also mean "is," couldn't it?

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Monday, 13 March 2006 23:24 (twenty years ago)

Yes, "'s" often secretly means "is" in cryptics. The "Female" clue is fair.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Monday, 13 March 2006 23:25 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I really like 's for is! I'm always kinda appalled by how many published newspaper crossword have some minor pronoun fluff going on, do people really not mind?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Monday, 13 March 2006 23:50 (twenty years ago)

minor pronoun fluff
??

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Monday, 13 March 2006 23:54 (twenty years ago)

I MIND.

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 11:55 (twenty years ago)

New clue! I'll have a think over lunch...

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 12:27 (twenty years ago)

I also mind when setters use [example of a thing] instead of [thing itself] in clues, wihout alluding to the fact. But that might be too much Ximenes.

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 13:10 (twenty years ago)

You mean like "monet" as a clue for "painter" instead of vice versa? Yeah that's bad and wrong. I like when the definition is just an attribute of the answer though, e.g. (ropey example off top of head):

"painted waterlilies make bizarre memento, not me" (5)

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 13:34 (twenty years ago)

minor pronoun fluff

Redd - I mean when instead of '[clue 1] [clue 2]' or '[clue 1] for [clue 2]' or '[clue 1] to [clue 2]' all of which are lovely you get something like '[clue 1] of [clue 2]' (unpleasant but bearable} or '[clue 1] his [clue 2]' (horrible)...

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 15:32 (twenty years ago)

Is there a current clue?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 04:33 (twenty years ago)

I would try to come up with one, but my brain is really really boring tonight.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 04:35 (twenty years ago)

Did this one ever get answered?

never odd or even? (10)

― lurker #2421, Wednesday, 15 March 2006 05:37 (twenty years ago)

Palindrome?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 05:40 (twenty years ago)

yes. palindrome is right... well done!

― art vandelay (what?), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 10:01 (twenty years ago)

These can be raw and red inside when lucky number comes up (6)

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 14:46 (twenty years ago)

That would be 'nerves'?

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 14:48 (twenty years ago)

Yes it would be.

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 14:58 (twenty years ago)

Tube station overhaul, get related transport (5,8,6)

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 16 March 2006 10:44 (twenty years ago)

Great Portland Street.

I didn't so much cheat as did research for that one.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 16 March 2006 11:01 (twenty years ago)

Well, I was inspired by this:
http://www.bikereader.com/forum/pics/undergroundanagram.gif

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 16 March 2006 11:04 (twenty years ago)

omg, fantastic.

Chris owes us two clues...

I was admiring Bunthorne in the Guardian yesterday - even though I can never finish his puzzles his clues are always witty and elegant. Unlike this one:

Party about mushroom, spinning on it (9)

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 16 March 2006 12:38 (twenty years ago)

Phlegm issues, I hear? (5)

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 16 March 2006 12:40 (twenty years ago)

sputa?

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Thursday, 16 March 2006 15:35 (twenty years ago)

Archel's one is "reception". I still don't have the confidence to make any up myself though, so fire in, anyone who wants to.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 16 March 2006 19:05 (twenty years ago)

I think I was running on a clue defecit. But if my brain kicks in I'll post it.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 16 March 2006 19:39 (twenty years ago)

I quite liked this one from today's paper: Fish given low score? (4)

You could probably fill a whole book with fish-themed crosswords.

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 17:51 (twenty years ago)

Inject heroin into depressed fish. (4)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 17:58 (twenty years ago)

Faux fish? (3)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 18:01 (twenty years ago)

Archel's is "bass", which is a nice clue.

Casuistry's first one is "shad". I didn't actually know that was a type of fish, I just guessed from the clue.

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 18:47 (twenty years ago)

cod

A Spanish hello upon rising is hello, goodbye (5)

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 17:57 (twenty years ago)

Fictional don's utterance of surprise before spaghetti chef (8)

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 18:01 (twenty years ago)

Aloha

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 18:03 (twenty years ago)

Book 'em, ailsa!

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 18:09 (twenty years ago)

Corleone. But who is Leone?

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 20:19 (twenty years ago)

Some spaghetti chef, perhaps?

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 20:20 (twenty years ago)

Sergio

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 20:22 (twenty years ago)

Oh yeah. Chef?

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 20:22 (twenty years ago)

Spaghetti maker, perhaps.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 20:25 (twenty years ago)

or like chef d’école.

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 20:25 (twenty years ago)

I like spaghetti chef - a good cryptic definition.

Many headed monster you beat shortly is water-powered (9)

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 30 March 2006 09:00 (twenty years ago)

I don't understand Archel's :(

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 30 March 2006 10:02 (twenty years ago)

hyraulic

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 30 March 2006 10:02 (twenty years ago)

er, hyDraulic, even.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 30 March 2006 10:02 (twenty years ago)

(near impossible, I'll post an easier one in a sec)

Putting something on top of 0.01? Part of lung follows. (8)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 30 March 2006 10:09 (twenty years ago)

Oh wait! Ignore that!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 30 March 2006 10:10 (twenty years ago)

Field position for getting a percentage? (5)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 30 March 2006 10:12 (twenty years ago)

Point

― scotstvo (scotstvo), Thursday, 30 March 2006 10:33 (twenty years ago)

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