and by way of a remix:
Silent soldier heard freak (6)
― a SB-in' artist that been in the game for a minute (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 31 March 2011 21:30 (thirteen years ago) link
not a clue
― the salmon of procrastination (darraghmac), Friday, 1 April 2011 21:43 (thirteen years ago) link
eh, that's not actually a criticism of the clue, which realise it looks like
― the salmon of procrastination (darraghmac), Friday, 1 April 2011 21:44 (thirteen years ago) link
first one begins with a n, second one begins with a m
― a SB-in' artist that been in the game for a minute (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 2 April 2011 05:49 (thirteen years ago) link
2nd one: mutant
― Not the real Village People, Saturday, 2 April 2011 05:56 (thirteen years ago) link
correct
― a SB-in' artist that been in the game for a minute (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 2 April 2011 05:57 (thirteen years ago) link
yay!
― Not the real Village People, Saturday, 2 April 2011 05:58 (thirteen years ago) link
sure the other one is something to do with nut but i just can't get it.
finished (well more or less) the next two of those nation crosswords. they're getting harder, but not much better. some good clues, some bad, pretty average over all. *spoiler* '44' as a definition for 'barack obama' is a real teeth-grinder.
― and the hint of parp (ledge), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 13:46 (thirteen years ago) link
u are on the right track and the other clue shd help and a dictionary also
― cockroach shakespeare (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 14:22 (thirteen years ago) link
nutant (hurray for dictionaries!)
― ailsa, Wednesday, 6 April 2011 14:34 (thirteen years ago) link
:) CORRECT love that word
― cockroach shakespeare (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 14:36 (thirteen years ago) link
kinda horrible but fed up staring at it. also easy i daresay.
For jellyfish stew: puree with gusto and serve with turnover slice raw on a muffin (10, 3-1-3)
― and the hint of parp (ledge), Friday, 15 April 2011 10:16 (thirteen years ago) link
Portuguese man'o'war.
Haven't looked at the cryptic bit yet, but feeling pretty solid on jellyfish... (10, 3-1-3)
― portrait of velleity (woof), Friday, 15 April 2011 10:25 (thirteen years ago) link
clue starts well, but 'turnover slice raw on a muffin' is fugly, in sense and for wordplay.
― portrait of velleity (woof), Friday, 15 April 2011 10:31 (thirteen years ago) link
Wait did you write that? Sorry if I was rude I thought it was from a newspaper.
― portrait of velleity (woof), Friday, 15 April 2011 10:35 (thirteen years ago) link
struggles over the line imo
― the salmon of procrastination (darraghmac), Friday, 15 April 2011 10:36 (thirteen years ago) link
nah i wrote it and yeah it's fugly :( what would you suggest?
― and the hint of parp (ledge), Friday, 15 April 2011 10:36 (thirteen years ago) link
jellyfish- 10, 3'1 3
― the salmon of procrastination (darraghmac), Friday, 15 April 2011 10:37 (thirteen years ago) link
doesnt lend itself to cryptic tbh, as it's so recognisable
― the salmon of procrastination (darraghmac), Friday, 15 April 2011 10:39 (thirteen years ago) link
but if the clue were a thing of beauty...
― and the hint of parp (ledge), Friday, 15 April 2011 10:40 (thirteen years ago) link
Things aren't simple beyond the grave, I see. (7)
― the salmon of procrastination (darraghmac), Friday, 15 April 2011 10:42 (thirteen years ago) link
ok so yes it looks a lot better when I actually have to come up with something
For jellyfish stew: puree with gusto and serve to an American heavy metal band from Auburn, New York formed in 1980, noted for such albums as Into Glory Ride (10, 3-1-3)
― portrait of velleity (woof), Friday, 15 April 2011 10:50 (thirteen years ago) link
print it!
― and the hint of parp (ledge), Friday, 15 April 2011 10:52 (thirteen years ago) link
No wait something to do with the cooking instructions and 'warm on a' to supply the rest of the anagram letters.
― portrait of velleity (woof), Friday, 15 April 2011 10:54 (thirteen years ago) link
i'm still keen on 'raw on a muffin' tbh, that's where i started from.
― and the hint of parp (ledge), Friday, 15 April 2011 10:58 (thirteen years ago) link
i'd start with
'o'
Could have a lot of fun with that
― the salmon of procrastination (darraghmac), Friday, 15 April 2011 11:06 (thirteen years ago) link
Oh, I like the puree + gusto anag. 'raw on a m' -> manowar is nice, it's just that turnover slice that feels awkward.... umm 'add muffin top, serve raw on a turnover'?
― portrait of velleity (woof), Friday, 15 April 2011 11:13 (thirteen years ago) link
not getting muffin ref tbh
― the salmon of procrastination (darraghmac), Friday, 15 April 2011 11:19 (thirteen years ago) link
muffinmarmalademacaroni minestronemilkmeringue mustardmarzipan mayonnaisem&msmilky waymoussemintsmeatmarshmallowsmaplemarinademolassesmargarine
― and the hint of parp (ledge), Friday, 15 April 2011 11:22 (thirteen years ago) link
dash of Martini. dash of mead. dash of metheglin.
― portrait of velleity (woof), Friday, 15 April 2011 11:31 (thirteen years ago) link
i dunno what that's the ingredient list for but would i fuck be eating it
― the salmon of procrastination (darraghmac), Friday, 15 April 2011 11:34 (thirteen years ago) link
but it's got jellyfish
― portrait of velleity (woof), Friday, 15 April 2011 11:37 (thirteen years ago) link
there's not always room for jellyfish
― the salmon of procrastination (darraghmac), Friday, 15 April 2011 11:47 (thirteen years ago) link
From The Nation again. I'm gonna spoil it and just post the answer too, 'cause I'm new and still trying to figure out if some of the cluing is typical or just wtf:
What shows up repeatedly in this puzzle: frequently, that guy with long, low, backwards underwear. (5,2,3,4)
It was a fruit themed puzzle, so once I got that (5) was Fruit, the rest led me to "Of The Loom."
Okay, so:
frequently = oft that guy = helow backwards = oom (groan!)underwear = fruit of the loom
But what the hell is he doing with "long?" Is there a standard abbreviation that leads me to just include an L? I have no idea...
― Hardcore Bangage (Dan Peterson), Monday, 18 April 2011 15:57 (thirteen years ago) link
yeah I think he's using "l" as an abbreviation for long. I've seen it done, but I find it a bit cheap when setters overdo the one letter abbreviations
― A Zed and Two Nults (Noodle Vague), Monday, 18 April 2011 15:59 (thirteen years ago) link
i think so, tho you'd nearly want to have solved it first before working it out.
Ps a lot of cryptic clues are like this
― i've got blingees on my fisters (darraghmac), Monday, 18 April 2011 16:00 (thirteen years ago) link
I suppose you could cite e.g. LP. He (or she) had my fave clue in all the five, fwiw:
Swinger's unsightly nude lump (8)
― standing on the shoulders of pissants (ledge), Monday, 18 April 2011 16:00 (thirteen years ago) link
pendulum
― A Zed and Two Nults (Noodle Vague), Monday, 18 April 2011 16:01 (thirteen years ago) link
actually that was in the next one.
― standing on the shoulders of pissants (ledge), Monday, 18 April 2011 16:01 (thirteen years ago) link
yeah not hard but it raised a grin.
xxxxp
a lot of bad cryptic clues are like this. imo an abbreviation is only legit if it's a common usage eg SI units
― A Zed and Two Nults (Noodle Vague), Monday, 18 April 2011 16:02 (thirteen years ago) link
Took l-for-long as being trouser-sizing-derived. But yeah, NV otm, too many single letter abbrevs cheap - make for unsatisfying, fiddly clues (see also things like the Doctor collection – dr, md, dd, gp, mo, mb etc etc)
― portrait of velleity (woof), Monday, 18 April 2011 16:13 (thirteen years ago) link
Good, so we're basically in agreement that L for long is a cheap shot? I just kinda think if I manage to solve the line and STILL don't know what the setter was thinking, it's pretty vague. That Cosima Coinpott puzzle had a few groaners; overall I didn't care for it.
― Hardcore Bangage (Dan Peterson), Monday, 18 April 2011 16:32 (thirteen years ago) link
Here's another one I didn't quite understand:
Exclude upper-class sign in groove. (4,3)
― Hardcore Bangage (Dan Peterson), Monday, 18 April 2011 17:37 (thirteen years ago) link
RULE OUT = R((U+LEO)UT
― under the pollcano (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 18 April 2011 17:44 (thirteen years ago) link
I'm dense, I'm still not understanding U+LEO.
― Hardcore Bangage (Dan Peterson), Monday, 18 April 2011 17:49 (thirteen years ago) link
U=upper-class, LEO=astrological sign of the lion
― under the pollcano (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 18 April 2011 17:51 (thirteen years ago) link
Again the single-letter thing. U = upper-class? Is this a British-ism, a cryptic-ism, or...?
― Hardcore Bangage (Dan Peterson), Monday, 18 April 2011 17:54 (thirteen years ago) link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_and_non-U_English
― emil.y, Monday, 18 April 2011 17:57 (thirteen years ago) link
Pretty standard. Some might prefer it to be clued like "University head," or "Urban chief" or something, although "University" is commonly abbreviated U, so "University" is a legitimate stand alone clue for "U."
― under the pollcano (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 18 April 2011 17:58 (thirteen years ago) link