[johnx2]

As a first clue that was a good effort. Sorry if that sounds a bit patronising ('patronising' means when you talk down to people.) Anyway...

"Swimming pro takes a dip in French waterway and strangely ends up feeling worse for it! (7)"

Swimming pro bit is fine, as is French waterway (river might have been fairer), unfortunately you has to mix up the letters to make a word,hence the second anag signifier 'strangely' (the 'and' is redundant). This is a step further than most setters would go, given there are a few possible french waterways. But it's the "for it" on the end that made it difficult for me. The definition must always be at the very start or end of the clue (or run right through it exceptionally) "worse for it" doesn't mean "poorlier". Leaving "for it" off makes for a more gettable clue.

Anyway, what happens now? Is this thread at the end of its natural life? In which case I shall return to outer darkness.   

[tommytwotone]

Aha - cheers for the feedback.

Am happy for someone else to pick up the baton with "Poorlier"...Mr x2?

[johnx2]

er okay, missed this. How about:

I was known once in the car trade as a poor lier (6,4) 

[SA Chris]

I may be miles off, but;

An honest john makes for an emotional sick, unhappy employee (


(apologies in advance if this clue is bollocks)

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

letters?

[SA Chris]

Cock has it done that again meant to be an eight in brackets, not an emoticon.

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Use square brackets.

And, as you don't also have to hold the "shift" key down - in the wise words of Homer - you double your efficiency!

[SA Chris]

y
y
f
y

[SA Chris]

No takers? A clue?

[johnx2]

No takers? A clue?

okay let's have a go...

An honest john makes for an emotional sick, unhappy employee ( 8 )

If it's by the rules the answer has to be either 'an honest john', 'employee', 'unhappy employee', or 'sick, unhappy employee'.

I can't think of eight-letter one-word synonyms for anything other than 'employee' - domestic, operator, probably lots of '-er' words I can't think of right now.

Not many of the words give off crosswordy signals to me, but trying hard here...

honest john = a missile? (The MGR-1, google if you don't believe me)
john = punter? Mark? Rejected boyfriend? Toilet? (Oh it's a great name.)
emotional = possible anag signifier? Or to be synonymed?
sick = possible anag signifier? Or to be synonymed? If latter then to 'ill'?
unhappy = possible anag signifier? Or to be synonymed? If latter then to 'sad'?

...but evidently not hard enough. So yes, clue please.



 

[SA Chris]

Umm, i may have broken the rules then.

How about an honest john makes a sick, complaining employee emotional?


John in this case being definition no 3.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=john

[grumpycrumpy]

I was going to say 'hormone ' ( it's an old joke , but still ....... ) but then I remembered it's meant to be eight letters .......

[SA Chris]

you are very close. Haven't accounted for the "sick" bit.

And yes it's an old joke.

[Duma]

Feel a bit like I'm stealing gc's slot here, but still:
Hormonal teenager becomes ancient rebel [8]

[grumpycrumpy]

Hormonal ..... Doh ........

[Duma]

Forgot I'd posted this - thought it would be easy enough without a clue, but it's been a while...

synonym's at the end
ancient could be replaced with archaic

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Forgot I'd posted this - thought it would be easy enough without a clue, but it's been a while...

synonym's at the end
ancient could be replaced with archaic

letters?

[Duma]

_ e _ e _ _ _ e

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

So. Zonal realm produced "Renegade"? [7,5]

[Duma]

no.
but nearly.
it's an archaic form - the first half of the clue should get you there.

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Not brilliant, but the best I can come up with.


Crossword setter "nobody expects" feared by heretikes? [7]


(The "nobody expects" is redundant in the clue, btw. It's just that I'm trying to push this along a bit.)

[johnx2]

okay then in a similar vein of speeding things up:


Poor Ximines has no fornication,  it’s small… (4)

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Understanding bewildered chap in lament - unlike Idi Amin - is a genuine former King of Scotland* [sic] [7,8]


* The correct title is, of course, “King of Scots”

[johnx2]

Chosen by a subject of Kenneth MacAlpin, one hears (6)