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

Ha, I just got that one. Here's one I made up today:

Steed and partner never sag in galloping. (8)

Dammit I screwed that up:

Steed and partner never sag, galloping. (8)

Ah, OK. I was on the right line but then still struggled with the anagram, somehow.

Avengers!

today's Graun

Ketamine for breakfast? (7,1)

edgy

That is so fuckin lame

i gave up the crossword after that one, there were a few dodgy clues already but that was like "fuck you"

it's barely even cryptic

so two thumbs up for that clue then

Creator of Pluto — with money being spun! (6)

if this works how i think it's sloppy clueing imo

Idgi, is "being" being used for "person" ie proper name?

i think he's using Pluto for the clue and as part of the definition, which, yeah okay but not elegant imo

Head gets most important lead, showing cunning (8)

The answer was ARCHNESS, and I don't understand it at all.

Ness = promentary or headland innit?

Okay, thanks. And then I also wasn't getting arch being from Greek "arkhos" meaning "most important."

And is archness actually a synonym for cunning?

Seems a bit dicey to me, I guess archness is a kind of conversational cunning, if you squint at it in a certain way.

I wasn't necessarily thinking of the Greek for "arch", btw, more archbishop or arch-enemy.

archangel etc.

Yeah, I just wasn't getting any of those from "most important," and not having "ness' either I was lost.

that while grid was a bit rubbish if I'm remembering right

Yeah, since I'm relatively new to Guardian cryptics I've discovered the Monday setter, Rufus, is mostly easy-ish but some of his cluing is crap. Some of the tougher ones later in the week are incomprehensible to me, though...

sunday's observer everyman is just about my level and is quite consistent in its cluing.

Thanks, I'll check that out. Going on a 2-week road trip and I need plenty of puzzles for entertainment.

the everyman archives go back to 2003

http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/2965

i have the first 30 in various stages of completion in the desk at work

^^^ this was a great tip, thanks again. Pitched pretty much at my level of expertise, fairly easy, with the requisite sailor = AB and member = MP type stuff, and a few answers I had never heard of: London tube train stations, plants called Aarons Rod and Pheasants Eye, Scapa Flow...)

you'll find it too easy soon enough!

Some of them already are! Like, Emphasized editor is under pressure = stressed!

"Chillax" in today's grauniad, but also this gem: Carroll had on record this laugh's etymological origins (7)

jesus no wonder i hadn't got chillax

sounds like you need to... take a chill pill.

i got just over halfway thru at 3 this morning, still got about 8 to go

anyone had any success with the Guardian's Bank Holiday puzzle? I got some of the clues but am nowhere near being them able to slot them into the grid...

Managed to finish it with copious help from thesaurus, google, parents. I started putting words in the grid before I was absolutely certain the positions were correct. Have you got the theme?

no, any hints appreciated, that might give me a helping hand!

yeah, 9ac took a lot of getting but once i had it things cleared up a little, bottom half has some wicked words in it tho i suspect

the theme is (rot13) cynagf naq sybjref

and here are the more obscure themed answers my folks helped me with (also rot 13): puevfg cynag, rybqrn, znzzrr, nenyvn, arahcune (jngre yvyl), enzfba, hqb, dhvgpu tenff

xp, 9ac definition seems unfair or wrong, unless i'm misunderstanding. 13d a bit off as well, 8d a cheap trick, if fairly common. still got four to go.

i think 9ac works properly: the def is a little vague until you realise what it refers to but fine then i think?

still missing: 15, 21, 22, 25 across, 13, 16, 19 down, tho i think i know that last one, just can't parse the clue

6d is a 9ac is all i can think. but it ain't? stuck on 16, 21, 15, yeah i couldn't (be bothered to) figure out 19d.

oh i've got it. last three words of the clue are the key instruction.

think of the definition as a quantity rather than a clue number

ohmygod 19d yes, nasty!

21 across is lol, slightly unfair

ok i looked at fifteensquared to figure out 9ac, *that's* nasty!

i'm right about quantity, yeah?

just 15 and 25 to go

finished

xxp yep. finished too, lol at 21.

good crossword tbf, some of the clues on the edge of unfair

13d especially, as you said, is not a good clue