Anyone like cryptic crosswords? (Read 304595 times)

Lund · March 18, 2011, 12:01:12 pm

Quote from: johnx2 on March 18, 2011, 11:52:40 am

Quote from: Lund on March 18, 2011, 10:15:49 am
Quote from: nik at work on March 17, 2011, 10:04:21 pm
Reading crazy page turner once without regarding Seb is offensive (10)

Er... should that be NINE letters?

Sorry, am new at this game. Might be on crack.

actually I may be on the seven gram rocks myself. Page turner once = anag pool? Regarding = re; seb = coe, so without regarding seb = take recoe out of the pool, leaving repugnant which is 9 letters. Erm...? Shouldn't do this in a hurry.

This is exactly what I was thinking. Then I managed to convince myself i was wrong. I wish I'd just gone with it as on re-reading it is blatantly right.

johnx2 · March 18, 2011, 12:12:50 pm

Quote

Pregnant Hon? You must contain Cleo's Beau! (7)

Anthony and Declan's old hangout sounds like Hell's Angel wood! (5,5)

tlr · March 18, 2011, 12:32:04 pm

Velocipede for old biker? Grovel after exercising once. (3-2-3-3).

Can someone explain how the U is dropped from repugnant to give pregnant please?

johnx2 · March 18, 2011, 12:37:07 pm

common = non-U

A fifties posho thing I think: toilet = non-U, infra dig etc; lavatory/shitter = U

here we go:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_and_non-U_English

tlr · March 18, 2011, 12:44:47 pm

Cheers, I'd never heard of that before.

john horscroft · March 18, 2011, 12:50:41 pm

Quote from: johnx2 on March 18, 2011, 11:32:07 am

Common, repugnant, expecting?

Numberless or not, nice clue John.....

johnx2 · March 18, 2011, 01:16:27 pm

...thanks (not that keen on it myself by hey) and yeah sorry no number. Should be doing two other things so my last for now (underlining to show answer to the last one as it's a bit hidden otherwise):

Blows it up and begins over again to perfect world. (6)

(edited to make my comments vaguely english, and the clue a bit harder/funnier but changed my mind. But it was really good, honest.)

tlr · March 18, 2011, 01:41:44 pm

Utopian, a great price for an apple? 5

nik at work · March 18, 2011, 11:38:40 pm

Endless apologies Lund, I am an idiot who can't even count to nine (or ten). Sorry, Johnx2's explanation was spot on.

Sorry again.

grumpycrumpy · March 19, 2011, 07:50:23 am

Ideal shot with craft on course ( 9 )

Lund · March 19, 2011, 04:59:08 pm

Quote from: nik at work on March 18, 2011, 11:38:40 pm

Endless apologies Lund, I am an idiot who can't even count to nine (or ten). Sorry, Johnx2's explanation was spot on.

Sorry again.

No worries! It's just a game innit.

grumpycrumpy · March 20, 2011, 06:59:28 am

Right , well , I'm off for a few days , so if anyone does need a clue you might have to wait until thursday

tommytwotone · March 20, 2011, 08:13:51 pm

So...in stark contrast to normal weekends I've had a stormer on a) the Saturday Guardian Prize Cryptic that b) is set by Araucaria - a setter I'd normally never bother even trying!

I've got a good few to go - but don't want to just be told...can you anyone hint me towards, say, 13 Across? I've got

Y-R-----K

For "...doctor is possible criterion"

Duma · March 20, 2011, 11:32:01 pm

do you want a letter? or the synonym? Another possible synonym?

johnx2 · March 21, 2011, 10:37:28 am

Y-R-----K

For "...doctor is possible criterion"

You can get that just from the slightly unusual letter combo and the definition (criterion). In this situation I'd normally ask my wife for help as she's just got a faster computer between the ears. (I mainly do crosswords in bed. That's probably enough personal disclosure.)

tommytwotone · March 21, 2011, 08:00:25 pm

Got it - think I was having a bit of a moment, had gone down the unusual combination of letters route but couldn't think of anything that fitted!

grumpycrumpy · March 24, 2011, 07:32:14 am

I'm back in sunny Sheffield if anyone needs a clue .......

Duma · March 24, 2011, 10:41:03 am

please.

john horscroft · March 24, 2011, 01:27:49 pm

Quote from: grumpycrumpy on March 24, 2011, 07:32:14 am

I'm back in sunny Sheffield if anyone needs a clue .......

Is it an anagram of ideal shot??

Duma · March 24, 2011, 01:35:54 pm

...or one of with craft? shot or craft are the only possible indicators I can see in there.
an ideal shot could be a hit?
craft could be vessel?
but I'm pretty sure the answer isn't shelviest...
shame bullseye is only 8
come on gc, we clearly haven't the foggiest!

johnx2 · March 24, 2011, 01:48:37 pm

I wanted it to be bullshit at one stage (bullshite?) but I'm not certain shit is a synonym for craft (that was a crafty thing to do...), though it's conceivable you could spread it 'on course'. None of the horseracing/golf venues I can think of fit. Yep I'm clutching at straws but give me another fortnight or so and I'll get it.

aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB · March 24, 2011, 04:19:16 pm

Seeing as I know the answer…

johnx2 · March 24, 2011, 04:48:12 pm

blimey, that was a very excellent clue

unlike this which is getting in quick:

Apache, albatross and green onions were helpful (11)

Duma · March 24, 2011, 04:53:16 pm

?
with craft on course = albatross how?

johnx2 · March 24, 2011, 04:58:54 pm

In golf an albatross is another term for 'hole in one', and I vaguely recall it's also some sort of US navy boat. But I put this together backwards from the pics. That's the sort of clue I like.