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

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Ok, I don't get that and I didn't get HIJKLMNO either :(

Oh wait yes I do. H to O. H2O. Right.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 15 December 2005 12:19 (eighteen years ago) link

Yeah, it was Jungfrau. That was a homebrew clue.

― k/l (Ken L), Thursday, 15 December 2005 13:01 (eighteen years ago) link

Why the "turns"?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 15 December 2005 14:09 (eighteen years ago) link

So... who's up? Onimo?

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 15 December 2005 15:39 (eighteen years ago) link

Messed up time for the short generation to get together (7)

(man that's bad, sorry again ailsa)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 15 December 2005 15:47 (eighteen years ago) link

meeting?

― k/l (Ken L), Thursday, 15 December 2005 15:48 (eighteen years ago) link

I GOT IT. but I don't have the brain power to come up with a clue. So I'll keep quiet.

xpost

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 15 December 2005 15:49 (eighteen years ago) link

meeting, yes.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 15 December 2005 15:50 (eighteen years ago) link

I can't come up with my own clues either. But if Huk doesn't want to go I'll just keeping ripping off Araucaria. Is there copyright on clues? Oh well:

Appeal to teacher as to existence of deity? (6)

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 15 December 2005 16:03 (eighteen years ago) link

I think it is Osiris...

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 15 December 2005 16:52 (eighteen years ago) link

Yep :)

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 15 December 2005 16:55 (eighteen years ago) link

Not bad, although O for out for appeal is a bit of a stretch. As is this:

(His) specious argument for confused, pointless cause is trouble (9)

― ledge (ledge), Thursday, 15 December 2005 17:00 (eighteen years ago) link

I was more bothered by the "sir" part, of course.

If that clue is for what I think it is, then it might be a stretch, because I can't quite put it together. An "e" too many, maybe?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 15 December 2005 17:52 (eighteen years ago) link

My addled brain can't work that out at all, but would "pointless" mean that a compass point i.e. "E" isn't there, solving the mystery of Casuistry's extra "e"? Apologies if this is way off the mark.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 15 December 2005 18:38 (eighteen years ago) link

Then where does the Y come in?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 15 December 2005 19:03 (eighteen years ago) link

I don't even know what the answer is! I was just randomly dissecting bits of clue.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 15 December 2005 19:04 (eighteen years ago) link

I just worked it out! Can't quite do why either though :(

NO HINT PLZ

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 15 December 2005 19:06 (eighteen years ago) link

That's about as far is I got, too.

― k/l (Ken L), Thursday, 15 December 2005 19:06 (eighteen years ago) link

could trouble just mean "try"?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 15 December 2005 19:07 (eighteen years ago) link

My last was an xpost, I get it now. I think the clue is fine, except for the "(His)" maybe.

― k/l (Ken L), Thursday, 15 December 2005 19:12 (eighteen years ago) link

God, I am teh dumb. Yes, clue seems OK to me as well (now that brain has caught up with normality after being stuck at work all day)

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 15 December 2005 19:14 (eighteen years ago) link

Oh ah, "try". Like "trying times". Ah!

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 15 December 2005 23:00 (eighteen years ago) link

Does this mean I get the next clue? Sweet.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 15 December 2005 23:12 (eighteen years ago) link

Lack a swarthy heart, sticking with Windows (4)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 15 December 2005 23:20 (eighteen years ago) link

(also how do I explain cryptic crosswords in a letter to an american school I am recommending a kid to? "british-style cryptic riddles" sounds daft.)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 16 December 2005 00:01 (eighteen years ago) link

They're called "cryptic crosswords" here. If the person doesn't know what that term means, however, good luck trying to explain it to them!

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 16 December 2005 00:06 (eighteen years ago) link

"Cryptic crosswords" doesn't mean like Will Shortz right?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 16 December 2005 00:26 (eighteen years ago) link

No.

― k/l (Ken L), Friday, 16 December 2005 03:48 (eighteen years ago) link

Except when the Times runs them, of course. Just, you know, to be pedantic.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 16 December 2005 07:46 (eighteen years ago) link

Have I killed this thread? :(

--N-

― Gravel Worklesworth, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 13:40 (eighteen years ago) link

Not a scooby.

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:11 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm baffled.

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:53 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm baffled too. Want to give one more letter, with the proviso that whoever gets it has to explain HOW the clue works?

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:54 (eighteen years ago) link

Sure! -AN-

― Gravel Worklesworth, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:55 (eighteen years ago) link

Is it pane?

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:59 (eighteen years ago) link

See I thought pane, just because of the window thing, but I have NO IDEA WHY!!! Please help us in the right direction, GP...

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:01 (eighteen years ago) link

You're at the wrong end!

"Windows" is maybe not very good :(

― Gravel Worklesworth, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:04 (eighteen years ago) link

Ooh, I get it!!

WANT (wa = heart of swarthy, NT = Windows!) = lack

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:18 (eighteen years ago) link

Shit, I have to think of a new one now. Bear with me a minute...

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:19 (eighteen years ago) link

I always think "heart" (or similar) should mean the middle letters precisely...

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:22 (eighteen years ago) link

So do I, but I am a pedant, and anyway I got it right and you're just jealous *thumbs nose*

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:23 (eighteen years ago) link

YES IT SHOULD. Pah.

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:23 (eighteen years ago) link

Did anyone get the Grauniad today with the answers to the clues from Colin Dexter's column yesterday?

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:29 (eighteen years ago) link

No, as I haven't actually been out of the house for two days (hurrah for days off!)

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:29 (eighteen years ago) link

Anyway, from a Guardian last week

Short ball dismissing opener, South American caught at close of play (7,4)

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:34 (eighteen years ago) link

Curtain call! That's a gorgeous clue.

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:03 (eighteen years ago) link

I always think "heart" (or similar) should mean the middle letters precisely...

I always thought it was exactly the middle OR slightly on the left because it's a left do you see? You're probably right though :(

― Gravel Worklesworth, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:04 (eighteen years ago) link

waitwait "because it's a heart" obv

― GW, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:05 (eighteen years ago) link

Yes, ledge, it's a brilliant clue isn't it?

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:12 (eighteen years ago) link

This might be my favourite clue ever, from The Times:

An unusual ring, essentially of light, encircling heads (7)

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:14 (eighteen years ago) link

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