Author Topic: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread  (Read 111258 times)

slope

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #550 on: 13 January, 2022, 02:26:24 pm »
Perhaps more accurately (as well as suggesting more than one person in the country knows), plus 20th May 2020 was not the only 'gathering' -

Voters knew about Johnson's parties! (4,6)


citoyen

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #551 on: 13 January, 2022, 03:48:03 pm »
Perhaps more accurately (as well as suggesting more than one person in the country knows), plus 20th May 2020 was not the only one -

Voters knew about Johnson's parties! (4,6)

Yes, that is even better.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

citoyen

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #552 on: 15 January, 2022, 07:10:47 pm »
Fantasist, fake hair in fact. Be calm (7,9)

https://twitter.com/paulsinha/status/1482311442334367746?s=20
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Mr Larrington

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #553 on: 15 January, 2022, 07:59:29 pm »
 ;D
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Pingu

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #554 on: 15 January, 2022, 10:56:15 pm »
 :thumbsup:

Wowbagger

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #555 on: 16 January, 2022, 02:33:17 pm »
An utterly appalling error in today’s Observer “speedy” crossword.

US WWII General, later president. (8 )

The answer they wanted: ISENHOUR.
Quote from: Dez
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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #556 on: 16 January, 2022, 02:59:34 pm »
WHAT ??
Rust never sleeps

citoyen

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #557 on: 30 January, 2022, 10:47:17 am »
It’s bloody everywhere, even in crosswords now…

Six tries to get five? It's wonderful (surprisingly) but no fun (curiously)! (6)


http://twitter.com/7upislemonade/status/1487556010336260096
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

citoyen

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #558 on: 30 January, 2022, 10:49:43 am »
An utterly appalling error in today’s Observer “speedy” crossword.

US WWII General, later president. (8 )

The answer they wanted: ISENHOUR.

The online meltdown over that was hilarious. If you go to the offending article on the G’s website, you can see they’ve fixed it now. Kind of…

https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/speedy/1372
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Wowbagger

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #559 on: 31 January, 2022, 07:58:22 pm »
I've just revisited that crossword. That edit is Orwellian.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Wowbagger

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #560 on: 13 February, 2022, 12:22:11 pm »
Fucking Grauniad! Three or four clues in today’s “speedy” crossword required specialist USAnian knowledge.

(click to show/hide)
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Mr Larrington

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #561 on: 13 February, 2022, 02:46:26 pm »
Wikinaccurate claims that carom billiards originated in 18th century France.  Carambolage nowadays also has the meaning “multi-car pile-up”, as any fule kno ;)
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
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citoyen

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #562 on: 13 February, 2022, 07:40:58 pm »
How odd - I've come across CAROM twice in other crosswords recently. Once in a daily Guardian cryptic just before Christmas, and once in an Azed. Not a new term to me, but not one I see very often outside crosswords either, and certainly strange that it should crop up on three separate occasions so close together.

Is it an Americanism? I wasn't aware of that.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Wowbagger

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #563 on: 13 February, 2022, 09:03:54 pm »
How odd - I've come across CAROM twice in other crosswords recently. Once in a daily Guardian cryptic just before Christmas, and once in an Azed. Not a new term to me, but not one I see very often outside crosswords either, and certainly strange that it should crop up on three separate occasions so close together.

Is it an Americanism? I wasn't aware of that.

According to dictionary.com, it's an Americanism. Mr. L's source indicates a different etymology.
Quote from: Dez
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citoyen

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #564 on: 14 February, 2022, 02:22:12 pm »
I just looked it up in Chambers (the dictionary most favoured by UK crossword setters) and that does say it's an Americanism. Funny, I've never questioned it before, simply because it's one of those words that crops up in crosswords often enough to have stuck in my head, even if I never use it in real life.

Would have got the horse racing one (the one US horse race I have heard of).

I would never have got the California farming one though.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Mr Larrington

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #565 on: 14 February, 2022, 02:52:32 pm »
Ezra Pound used it in a radio broadcast from Mussoliniland in 1942:

Quote from: A Daft Old Fascist
You are in black darkness and confusion
You have been hugger-muggered and carom-shotted into a war
And you know nothing about it
You know nothing about the forces that caused it
Or you know next to nothing
You ought not to be in this war
You cannot win this war

Though I only know this coz it was quoted in “F.I.A.T” by Slovenian scallywags Laibach.  Stuff like that earned ol' Ezra a swift arrest once the USAnian Army liberated Rome, a trial for treason and twelve years in a psychiatric hospital.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

citoyen

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #566 on: 10 March, 2022, 03:16:03 pm »
Loved this from Crucible in today's Guardian:

Our mum's spiking another mum's whiskey (4,4)

And this is also most amusing:

My first drink supplier leaves on time (4)
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

citoyen

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #567 on: 10 March, 2022, 03:17:50 pm »
Also very much enjoyed this one from a crossword by someone called Hex at mycrossword.co.uk:

Greengrocer's used it, perhaps too freely (10)

- although perhaps I should post this one in the grammar thread.

https://mycrossword.co.uk/cryptic/358
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Wowbagger

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #568 on: 19 March, 2022, 06:12:32 am »
I like to try the Guardian’s Weekend crossword. It’s really a general knowledge quiz and I normally fail on those questions relating to popular culture, of which there are usually quite a few. Today their weren’t and I solved everything but the 4-letter Colombian city, although I got that when I had a quick look at a map. Very pleased to have worked out the two lengthy political quotes in there.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

citoyen

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #569 on: 29 March, 2022, 08:38:44 am »
Seen on twitter yesterday:

Wife: "I'm still angry with husband - he's a violent man" (4,5)
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

citoyen

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The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #570 on: 08 April, 2022, 11:17:07 pm »
Someone I know who sets crosswords as Bottom has shared this with me - probably the filthiest, funniest, most unpublishable crossword clue I have ever seen…

I’d wank horses furiously for money (7,5)
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Pingu

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #571 on: 09 April, 2022, 12:00:45 am »
 :thumbsup:

Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #572 on: 09 April, 2022, 12:02:10 am »
It's too late to work that out, and I'm a couple of whiskies under. Please put me out of my misery.
Rust never sleeps

Pingu

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Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #573 on: 09 April, 2022, 12:03:43 am »

Re: The Cryptic Crossword Clue Thread
« Reply #574 on: 09 April, 2022, 12:04:28 am »
Eyethangyuuuuuu.
Rust never sleeps