Author Topic: Crossword help (Read 3654 times)

aglet · « **on:** 10 April, 2008, 10:22:07 pm »

It's driving me crackers. Four solid hours on trains today and I still can't finish the thing. Guardian #24359

11: ?A?D?R - Butcher's a simpleton - no ideas at all
23: M?A?? - Capital manners, we hear! - I wanted mores in here, but calabash must be right. Some city or other?
29: leArNeR - He studies last letter from Menzies Campbell, perhaps - not happy with this

francisbarton · « **Reply #1 on:** 10 April, 2008, 10:59:11 pm »

Hmm, I'm on it. I'm starting the crossword from scratch though, cause I don't like the look of your letters above.
I am probably wrong.

simonali · « **Reply #2 on:** 10 April, 2008, 11:12:27 pm »

The city one - all I can fit in there is Miami, but that's not even the capital of Florida? (not that I'm any good at cryptic clues, mind!)

francisbarton · « **Reply #3 on:** 10 April, 2008, 11:31:13 pm »

No, it's not Miami.

These are hard. I can normally do the Grauniad crossword, although I have been "on a break" since New Year.

By the way, the last letter of 23 is the same as the first letter of 29. So possibly 'L', if learner is correct.

francisbarton · « **Reply #4 on:** 10 April, 2008, 11:59:31 pm »

(click to show/hide)

edit hmm seems spoiler isn't supported yet. Sorry folks.

francisbarton · « **Reply #5 on:** 11 April, 2008, 12:03:12 am »

If we still can't get 11 we can go over to the Fifteen Squared blog.

pcolbeck · « **Reply #6 on:** 11 April, 2008, 12:04:27 am »

OK I admit to being rubbish at cryptic crosswords but how the hell do you get from "captol manners, we think" to MEANS ?

francisbarton · « **Reply #7 on:** 11 April, 2008, 12:09:39 am »

"capital" and "means" can both refer to money.
the manner in which you do something is also the means by which you do it.

That's my story anyway!

edit: i wasn't totally satisfied with the above, because there was no role for the "we hear".
ilan caron at fifteensquared says that the "manners" are "miens", which sounds like "means". This is much more satisfying.

francisbarton · « **Reply #8 on:** 11 April, 2008, 12:10:09 am »

I can also explain 29 if anyone wants me to

Noodley · « **Reply #9 on:** 11 April, 2008, 12:11:34 am »

crosswords are for freaks

simonali · « **Reply #10 on:** 11 April, 2008, 12:12:30 am »

Campbells are canner(s) of soup plus the last letter of Menzies?

francisbarton · « **Reply #11 on:** 11 April, 2008, 12:15:30 am »

spot on simon

simonali · « **Reply #12 on:** 11 April, 2008, 12:17:33 am »

I can work it all out when I see the answer!

francisbarton · « **Reply #13 on:** 11 April, 2008, 12:20:42 am »

None of the _A_D_R words listed here mean butcher or simpleton.
So we need a more lateral approach.

francisbarton · « **Reply #14 on:** 11 April, 2008, 01:01:55 am »

Oh well, I gave up and cheated (using my subscription to the Guardian crossword site).

You'll kick yourselves. The word does mean simpleton (I hadn't checked the list as thoroughly as I thought), although it's a pretty obscure usage AFAIK. The first half of the clue is more straightforward, if you make the right lateral move first

I'll tell you in the morning.

simonali · « **Reply #15 on:** 11 April, 2008, 01:03:29 am »

Gander

Butcher's (hook) sl.
or OED definition 2a

francisbarton · « **Reply #16 on:** 11 April, 2008, 01:08:44 am »

Hooray!

I never knew a gander was a simpleton.

Shall we start a yacf crossword corner?

simonali · « **Reply #17 on:** 11 April, 2008, 01:10:21 am »

I have access to the OED website and that lets you use ? as a wildcard letter.

2. fig. a. A dull or stupid person; a fool, simpleton.

francisbarton · « **Reply #18 on:** 11 April, 2008, 01:13:02 am »

I use Chris Johnson's wordfinder site that i linked to earlier; it uses . as the wildcard. It can be very useful

simonali · « **Reply #19 on:** 11 April, 2008, 01:17:12 am »

I must've been using it wrongly as it kept suggesting words of 8 letters or more?

clarion · « **Reply #20 on:** 11 April, 2008, 08:17:53 am »

Damn! I got MEANS last night, but I thought it must be wrong because of the letters...

Wasn't getting anywhere with the other two.

Would like a regular crossword solver's spot, but I find the question marks distracting. Could we type them 'hangman' style, like this: H_N_M_N?

Author Topic: Crossword help (Read 3654 times)

aglet

simonali

simonali

simonali

simonali

simonali

simonali