Anyone like cryptic crosswords? (Read 281046 times)

aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB · February 14, 2011, 07:19:25 pm

Quote from: tlr on February 14, 2011, 07:06:27 pm

The fact that the word camelid has 7 letters is close to an answer as I got.

If you have another clue let's hear it, the 24 hour deadline is nearly up anyway.

ditto.

aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB · February 14, 2011, 07:22:18 pm

Did anyone else know - which I didn't until today - that Private Eye uses "corporation" as a synonym for stomach, belly, tummy/tum etc?

aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB · February 14, 2011, 07:23:37 pm

Metal camelid loses nearly a length of cloth, worries and hesitates? [7]

Oh.

And a very, very cryptic clue, think when this was written...

http://bit.ly/Bzue

And one fewer than these people...

http://bit.ly/himCpB

tlr · February 14, 2011, 07:32:46 pm

Telegraph has used corporation too. I had to get my dad to explain.

aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB · February 14, 2011, 07:35:43 pm

And I'm all agog.

Pray continue.

nik at work · February 14, 2011, 07:36:22 pm

Scholar removes doubt from cadmium and gets mixed up with a european conformity. (8 )

Probably wrong and shit but at least I'm trying....

Edited to improve clue, I think??

aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB · February 14, 2011, 07:49:30 pm

Quote from: nik at work on February 14, 2011, 07:36:22 pm

Scholar removes doubt from cadmium and gets mixed up with a european conformity. (8 )

Probably wrong and shit but at least I'm trying....

Edited to improve clue, I think??

Fash thyself not. The answer is correct.

mr__j5 · February 14, 2011, 07:54:59 pm

Quote from: nik at work on February 14, 2011, 07:36:22 pm

Scholar removes doubt from cadmium and gets mixed up with a european conformity. (8 )

organism lives in academic robes [7]

tlr · February 14, 2011, 08:23:11 pm

Good clue.

nik at work · February 14, 2011, 08:26:15 pm

microbe goes one over par (6,3,8)

aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB · February 14, 2011, 08:59:47 pm

aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB · February 14, 2011, 09:01:54 pm

Quote from: tlr on February 14, 2011, 08:23:11 pm

Good clue.

ditto. You beat me to that.

(Can I suggest, while I'm here, we agree to refrain from wad/puntering people for the quality of the clues on this thread, as it could become ridiculously self-referential?)

tlr · February 14, 2011, 09:37:11 pm

Quote from: aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB on February 14, 2011, 09:01:54 pm

(Can I suggest, while I'm here, we agree to refrain from wad/puntering people for the quality of the clues on this thread, as it could become ridiculously self-referential?)

What, you mean like the football thread....?

Let's just agree that we are all jolly smart fellows.

nik at work · February 14, 2011, 09:40:19 pm

microbe goes one over par. (6,3,8)

Is that what you meant arfk? Does it make a big difference? Sorry if I've done it wrong... Thinking about it maybe ? would be more appropriate

sorry if I'm clouding the waters.

aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB · February 14, 2011, 10:34:37 pm

Quote from: aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB on February 14, 2011, 08:59:47 pm

gorrrocks

(To quote Keith Harris. Wrong reply.)

JamieG · February 14, 2011, 10:44:59 pm

Quote from: nik at work on February 14, 2011, 09:40:19 pm

microbe goes one over par. (6,3,8)

Is that what you meant arfk? Does it make a big difference? Sorry if I've done it wrong... Thinking about it maybe ? would be more appropriate sorry if I'm clouding the waters.

An award show fungus the bogeyman starts but messes up (6)

I apologise if this breaks any cryptic rules. Hopefully someone gets it quickly.

Duma · February 15, 2011, 12:23:10 am

Quote from: tlr on February 14, 2011, 07:11:22 pm

We don't, but you are nearly always looking for a synonym of the first or last word or phrase. It's never in the middle of the clue. Sometimes it's the whole clue that indicates the answer, sometimes both halves (like my clue).

Occasionally it's more complicated, but looking for a synonym is a good start.

Apologies for the delay - been at the wall this evening...

I think I messed this up. Not really aware of the rules/conventions etc.

Llama leads Darwin to witness the fitness (7)

The answer was FitzRoy (Captain of the Beagle, Darwin's leader), also a Mountain in Patagonia (3rd ascent by Chouinard and origin of the name of his company) that's right next to Cerro Torre, that(David) L(l)ama is currently controversially attempting (see front page of UKB)

Sorry, again.

grumpycrumpy · February 15, 2011, 07:32:53 am

Quote from: Duma on February 15, 2011, 12:23:10 am

Quote from: tlr on February 14, 2011, 07:11:22 pm
We don't, but you are nearly always looking for a synonym of the first or last word or phrase. It's never in the middle of the clue. Sometimes it's the whole clue that indicates the answer, sometimes both halves (like my clue).

Occasionally it's more complicated, but looking for a synonym is a good start.
Apologies for the delay - been at the wall this evening...

I think I messed this up. Not really aware of the rules/conventions etc.

Llama leads Darwin to witness the fitness (7)

The answer was FitzRoy (Captain of the Beagle, Darwin's leader), also a Mountain in Patagonia (3rd ascent by Chouinard and origin of the name of his company) that's right next to Cerro Torre, that(David) L(l)ama is currently controversially attempting (see front page of UKB)

Sorry, again.

Why are you apologising Duma ? ....... Damned fine clue that .......

nik at work · February 15, 2011, 08:05:48 am

What do we do now? Go back for Duma to devise another clue? Or carry on with the current clue. In which case:

Benefits regarding missing the start of the Baftas for example. (7)

edited for improved clue.

tlr · February 15, 2011, 08:40:38 am

Where does the a, a, and s in Baftas come from? I don't get it.

nik at work · February 15, 2011, 09:13:31 am

Quote from: JamieG on February 14, 2011, 10:44:59 pm

An award show fungus the bogeyman starts but messes up (6)

To give A A S F T B

messed up:
BAFTAS

Is what I thought....

JamieG · February 15, 2011, 09:21:27 am

Quote from: nik at work on February 15, 2011, 09:13:31 am

Quote from: JamieG on February 14, 2011, 10:44:59 pm

An award show fungus the bogeyman starts but messes up (6)

To give A A S F T B

messed up:
BAFTAS

Is what I thought....

That was the idea. Phew, someone got it, i'm off the hook.

tlr · February 15, 2011, 09:42:12 am

nik at work · February 15, 2011, 11:48:40 am

Quote from: Duma on February 13, 2011, 03:54:53 pm

Llama leads Darwin to witness the fitness (7)

Once its solved, comments on possible improvements welcome!

Well it hasn't been solved, but the answer has been revealed so I'll comment away...

I think it's a good clue (after explanation, I was lost before that) but one thing I would say is that the climbing reference is a tad obscure. I don't know about the others here but I would have discouted a Lama reference straight off as it would require pretty specialist knowledge which I'd assume Mr Average crossworder wouldn't have, especially as it was mis-spelt. But then I'm pretty new to all this so tra-la-la...

Lama leads Darwin to witness the fitness (7)

would perhaps have been better (if that's the right word?) to make the reference a bit clearer and avoid lots of blind-alleying down the alpaca/gnu/camel etc route.

Your further clue helped me not a jot, but that says more about my level of knowledge than anything else.

But overall I liked it, despite it completely bamboozling me. In fact I'm impressed with the clues from all parties thus far.

If you (or anyone else?) would like to return the favour and critique my clues that would be most welcome.

john horscroft · February 15, 2011, 11:56:37 am

Rewards messed up ladies underwear (7)

More of a Rufus clue methinks, ie, easy!