http://www.arcade-museum.com/images/105/1058094102.jpg
― meh ๐ (wins), Tuesday, 20 September 2016 16:03 (seven years ago) link
I think "TT Races" is a general term for the event, it's always been held on the Isle of Man afaik
And yes, he = man's name
― heaven parker (anagram), Tuesday, 20 September 2016 17:26 (seven years ago) link
Another one I don't get: At university or to university be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letters UP.
Why up?
― Their all losers and I like associating with loser (Dan Peterson), Friday, 14 October 2016 15:16 (seven years ago) link
"Up" is a snobbish British archaism meaning to be attending a university, as in "he's gone up to Oxford"
― Neil S, Friday, 14 October 2016 15:25 (seven years ago) link
Thanks. I learned that and "stump up" in one clue.
― Their all losers and I like associating with loser (Dan Peterson), Friday, 14 October 2016 15:35 (seven years ago) link
that was the Guardian from the other day wasn't it? Seem to remember nearly finishing that one...
― Neil S, Friday, 14 October 2016 15:37 (seven years ago) link
Yeah, the most recent Rufus. I can generally do him and the Everyman, the other days not so much.
― Their all losers and I like associating with loser (Dan Peterson), Friday, 14 October 2016 15:41 (seven years ago) link
I learn new slang every day: TROT = RED, really?
― Their all losers and I like associating with loser (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 3 November 2016 21:41 (seven years ago) link
Er, yeah? Is it that you're reading as the verb 'to trot' rather than Trot qua Trotskyite?
― emil.y, Thursday, 3 November 2016 21:51 (seven years ago) link
No, I get that, but I'm American. I've just never heard anyone called a Trot. Commie, more likely.
― Their all losers and I like associating with loser (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 3 November 2016 21:55 (seven years ago) link
As in "he declared that the Corporation was a โnest of long-haired Trots.'" I've never seen this.
― Their all losers and I like associating with loser (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 3 November 2016 22:00 (seven years ago) link
Ah, it's really common over here. We do specific left-wing bickering more than fearing a general Red Menace.
― emil.y, Thursday, 3 November 2016 22:09 (seven years ago) link
Removal of Bush or Blair, unfortunately associated with Nazi (9)
I laughed so hard at this one.
― Snorting and all (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 7 December 2016 16:20 (seven years ago) link
ha
― banfred bann (wins), Wednesday, 7 December 2016 16:21 (seven years ago) link
Ha, that's excellent. Was that in the Guardian? Sounds like one for Private Eye.
― heaven parker (anagram), Wednesday, 7 December 2016 16:25 (seven years ago) link
Yes, Guardian.
― Snorting and all (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 7 December 2016 16:28 (seven years ago) link
Lol accepted. And yeah, v Private Eye
― woke cop, boo! (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 7 December 2016 17:21 (seven years ago) link
very good
― Neil S, Wednesday, 7 December 2016 19:16 (seven years ago) link
Guardian seasonal bumper prize xword has a theme of interest to those of this parish, or the adjacent one.
― the year of diving languorously (ledge), Sunday, 25 December 2016 16:12 (seven years ago) link
I've got all but two of the theme clues, can't explain two of them, never heard of one of them.
― the year of diving languorously (ledge), Sunday, 25 December 2016 17:54 (seven years ago) link
> I've got all but two of the theme clues, can't explain two of them, never heard of one of them
Xenia???
i liked this:
V Leading vocalist with a poor single (8)
have about 15 answers, have filled in exactly 1.
― koogs, Tuesday, 27 December 2016 18:46 (seven years ago) link
Yeah we got almost all of them before putting any in, but it came together fairly quickly after that. Forgot about xenia, is probably like the G, not famous but the only thing the setter could fit in the grid by that point. The F is the more well known one that I'd never heard of.
― the year of diving languorously (ledge), Tuesday, 27 December 2016 18:58 (seven years ago) link
are all the theme answers from the '80s? i haven't had a chance to really properly pore over it but I expected a few more to leap out at me...
I actually looked up Xenia and dismissed it on the grounds of being too obscure even for cryptic crosswords, haha
― lex pretend, Wednesday, 28 December 2016 08:43 (seven years ago) link
They're mostly eighties but not all.
― the year of diving languorously (ledge), Wednesday, 28 December 2016 10:30 (seven years ago) link
is F a fictional [theme] from a film? i don't understand the porridge bit.
i liked B, bit of dickens in there...
― koogs, Wednesday, 28 December 2016 12:29 (seven years ago) link
This has been quite enjoyable - have about three-quarters done, about ready to start fitting them in to see if that helps reveal the rest. E (non-theme) seems a bit cruel for the time of year
xp F is irl afaict, I think I figured out the porridge part with a bit of googling but not 100% sure
― forgive me fader for I have sinned (wins), Wednesday, 28 December 2016 14:49 (seven years ago) link
they do that thing that I hate tho (and complain about every bank holiday) of unnecessarily throwing in definitions to the "undefined" thematic clues, which makes a mockery of the whole conceit ๐ก
― forgive me fader for I have sinned (wins), Wednesday, 28 December 2016 17:08 (seven years ago) link
It's the setter showing off innit, doubly insufferably in the case of 'savoyard castle'. What was the porridge then, I couldn't get that even with googling.
― the year of diving languorously (ledge), Wednesday, 28 December 2016 17:43 (seven years ago) link
the w clue annoyed me so much too
re porridge, I'm not confident - the explanation I landed on doesn't really explain the king part, for one - but I'll go into it more in a day or so when ppl are ready for spoilers
― forgive me fader for I have sinned (wins), Wednesday, 28 December 2016 18:09 (seven years ago) link
i had one too many for F. n is a proper [theme] n + 1 is a fictional [theme]
― koogs, Wednesday, 28 December 2016 19:04 (seven years ago) link
I'm intrigued! I had an irl one that didn't fit any part of the clue and an irl one that kinda maybe sorta in parts
― forgive me fader for I have sinned (wins), Wednesday, 28 December 2016 19:15 (seven years ago) link
spoiler: this is wrong - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052809/
― koogs, Wednesday, 28 December 2016 19:39 (seven years ago) link
disappointed i didn't get the king part (have googled and it makes sense). but there's a bit of overlap with the rest of the clue so it didn't really matter (but it did).
― koogs, Wednesday, 28 December 2016 19:47 (seven years ago) link
thoroughly disliked this crossword, both extremely difficult and unsatisfying. the quarter of it i've managed to do, anyway. i think i'm actually getting progressively worse at cryptics though, and my patience for reference points only pensioners understand has worn thin
― lex pretend, Sunday, 1 January 2017 19:24 (seven years ago) link
the second V is maybe the worst cryptic crossword clue i've ever seen. both Ws are annoying for separate reasons. have no idea how to parse the first I. if what I have for the first T is correct it's a term that literally only exists on the internet in relation to this crossword. 90% of the theme answers are shit.
― lex pretend, Sunday, 1 January 2017 19:28 (seven years ago) link
also i have literally no ideas on how to get the second F, none at all
Oh yeah I never returned to that - looking now I haven't got the second V or either T, and my reasoning for F is shaky as F
― wins, Sunday, 1 January 2017 20:33 (seven years ago) link
ok I started fearlessly filling in answers and now I'm coming along pretty well, but yeah wtf at that second T I'd be interested to know if anyone has ever seen or heard that used
― wins, Sunday, 1 January 2017 21:06 (seven years ago) link
*first, rather
― wins, Sunday, 1 January 2017 21:07 (seven years ago) link
A box containing tar, carried by shepherds for anointing sores on sheep.
took some tracking down, have never come across this word in the wild as far as i remember
― Rock Wokeman (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 1 January 2017 21:31 (seven years ago) link
https://www.wordnik.com/words/tar-box
sources and a 19th century usage linked here
― Rock Wokeman (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 1 January 2017 21:33 (seven years ago) link
Yes but it doesn't mean 'shepherd', unless it's through even more obscure and unsourced synecdoche.
90% of the theme answers are shit
Is this a musical judgement?
― brekekekexit collapse collapse (ledge), Sunday, 1 January 2017 21:45 (seven years ago) link
The Cs annoyed me w/their references to sportsmen of decades ago
(admittedly the 80s = my era of pretending to be interested in sport for playground conversation, so I got that one, but still, 50 year old cricket references, grr)
― a passing spacecadet, Sunday, 1 January 2017 21:53 (seven years ago) link
I've got all but two clues now, I think I ultimately agree with lex but there is something very satisfying about fucking storming through it once you start chucking answers into the grid. Some horrible clues here tho yeah
― wins, Sunday, 1 January 2017 21:55 (seven years ago) link
a lot of what you'd loosely term general knowledge in this lot, which is a foul imo
― Rock Wokeman (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 1 January 2017 21:56 (seven years ago) link
and altho i've grown up taking it for granted i pretty much agree with lex and spacecadet, the cricket stuff is actively exclusionary in 2016
― Rock Wokeman (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 1 January 2017 22:00 (seven years ago) link
oh fuck that shit for sure, although I can imagine people saying the same thing about the "expressions I know cause I've heard granny say them" eg "never-never" as a synonym no one uses anymore for a term no one uses anymore, but I quite like them (and it's not like the centenarian retired civil servants who set these are capable of speaking any other language)
― wins, Sunday, 1 January 2017 22:07 (seven years ago) link
it's where the fresh blood comes in on from that puzzles me
― Rock Wokeman (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 1 January 2017 22:11 (seven years ago) link
I liked this puzzle, and I think some of the shoe-horned clues are inevitable when setting an A-Z jigsaw
― Neil S, Sunday, 1 January 2017 22:21 (seven years ago) link
that is fair enough I SUPPOSE but they should still be executed for putting definitions in the undefined clues
― wins, Sunday, 1 January 2017 22:30 (seven years ago) link