INFORMATION

This website uses cookies to store information on your computer. Some of these cookies are essential to make our site work and others help us to improve by giving us some insight into how the site is being used.

For further information, see our Privacy Policy.

Continuing to use this website is acceptance of these cookies.

We are not accepting any new registrations.

Cryptic clues

Otherwise known as the Games Room, think of this as a subforum of the social club reserved just for sociable icebreaker games. Beware - they can be addictive!
Post Reply
Message
Author
petemster
Posts: 233
Joined: July 10th, 2007, 7:02 pm

Re: Cryptic clues

#441 Post by petemster » May 3rd, 2011, 2:51 am

Latest post of the previous page:

petemster wrote:.
Ok - here's one I think should be better.

Small recess required before queen is game to be seen on television (7)
Well, what I was thinking about is -

----- Small - recess - (before ) queen - is - "game to be seen on television" which gives us :

----- S - - - - NOOK - - - - - - ER - which is a "game to be seen on television" = SNOOKER

User avatar
animist
Posts: 6522
Joined: July 30th, 2010, 11:36 pm

Re: Cryptic clues

#442 Post by animist » May 3rd, 2011, 8:45 am

well, I got as far as "ER"! Trouble is that I forget the conventions about small and "S" (and I need to check a thesaurus for synonyms to eg "recess"). Anyway:

part of Bible ends with Lawrence to make a mineral (9)

petemster
Posts: 233
Joined: July 10th, 2007, 7:02 pm

Re: Cryptic clues

#443 Post by petemster » May 3rd, 2011, 11:04 am

.

Could be : malachite - The book Malachi plus T E (Lawrence).

User avatar
animist
Posts: 6522
Joined: July 30th, 2010, 11:36 pm

Re: Cryptic clues

#444 Post by animist » May 3rd, 2011, 11:40 am

yes, of course! Want to do another? - really easy this time!

petemster
Posts: 233
Joined: July 10th, 2007, 7:02 pm

Re: Cryptic clues

#445 Post by petemster » May 3rd, 2011, 12:15 pm

.
O.K. How about this - Tin girl from the country (6)

Nick
Posts: 11027
Joined: July 4th, 2007, 10:10 am

Re: Cryptic clues

#446 Post by Nick » May 3rd, 2011, 2:17 pm

Can-Ada + Canada :D

They don't succeed in getting to the other place. (4,5)

petemster
Posts: 233
Joined: July 10th, 2007, 7:02 pm

Re: Cryptic clues

#447 Post by petemster » May 3rd, 2011, 3:06 pm

Nick wrote:Can-Ada + Canada :D

They don't succeed in getting to the other place. (4,5)
Life Peers

User avatar
animist
Posts: 6522
Joined: July 30th, 2010, 11:36 pm

Re: Cryptic clues

#448 Post by animist » May 24th, 2011, 11:02 pm

restarting this with another easy one:

suddenly expose oneself, but luckily only to the loo (5,2,3,3)

thundril
Posts: 3607
Joined: July 4th, 2008, 5:02 pm

Re: Cryptic clues

#449 Post by thundril » May 24th, 2011, 11:12 pm

Flash in the pan?

User avatar
animist
Posts: 6522
Joined: July 30th, 2010, 11:36 pm

Re: Cryptic clues

#450 Post by animist » May 24th, 2011, 11:25 pm

oui!

stevenw888
Posts: 694
Joined: July 16th, 2010, 12:48 pm

Re: Cryptic clues

#451 Post by stevenw888 » May 23rd, 2017, 2:59 pm

Could I be a nuisance and revive this thread? I'm interested in 'getting to grips' with cryptic crosswords and I have a small book issued by The Independent a few years ago, which, together with Nick's excellent tips earlier in this thread should help me to solve cryptic crossword questions.
The problem is - I understand the theory and concept of how to unravel and decrypt a cryptic crossword question. What I never seem to be able to do is actually answer one! Is it possible that it's a skill that is actually beyond me and that I should give it up as a bad job?
"There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots." - From the film "Top Gun"

petemster
Posts: 233
Joined: July 10th, 2007, 7:02 pm

Re: Cryptic clues

#452 Post by petemster » May 23rd, 2017, 11:23 pm

Hi there.

Is it Steven?

It looks like it has been six years since anybody here took part in this thread.
Maybe that's because we never considered ourselves to be 'experts' in any way.
However . . . Let's see if we can answer your question.

If you are keen to have a go at cryptic crosswords, then before you conclude that
you have to give it up as a bad job, maybe you could start with something easier than
The Independent - which is aimed at the more experienced enthusiast.
Is there a word for crossword puzzling? Some kind of . . ology? I don't know.

Anyway, you may be right: that a person may, or may not, have a particular aptitude
for doing crosswords. Who knows?
So there are one or two things you could do here.
1 - Give us a clue that you have made up yourself and see if we can get the answer.
2 - Give us a clue from your book - one that you understand yourself.
3 - Give us a clue from your book - one that you don't understand - and be prepared
to find that you have to give us the answer because it's too hard for us too.

Basically, we used to do this thread as a non-serious game, just for fun.
If that appeals to you, go ahead and let's see if it's something you might enjoy.

Pete M.

User avatar
animist
Posts: 6522
Joined: July 30th, 2010, 11:36 pm

Re: Cryptic clues

#453 Post by animist » May 24th, 2017, 9:42 am

jeez, my last post here was six years ago today, and I had forgotten this thread. In the unlikely event that you both have missed the new Descramble thread, this is much the same as Cryptic clues.

Petemster's advice is very sensible IMO, Steven. I am now off to try finding a posh word for crossword solving

stevenw888
Posts: 694
Joined: July 16th, 2010, 12:48 pm

Re: Cryptic clues

#454 Post by stevenw888 » May 24th, 2017, 11:19 am

Hi, Animist, yes, it was the "Descrambler" thread that reminded me of my desperate need to unencrypt the meaning of cryptic crosswords.
And Petemster, here is an example from my book "How to Solve Crosswords" by Don Manley. This is an example where he gives the answer.

You won't necessarily see anyone till after this meal (10,5).
"There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots." - From the film "Top Gun"

petemster
Posts: 233
Joined: July 10th, 2007, 7:02 pm

Re: Cryptic clues

#455 Post by petemster » May 24th, 2017, 12:26 pm

Hi Steven.

The best I can think of is : Engagement Lunch

Pete.

User avatar
animist
Posts: 6522
Joined: July 30th, 2010, 11:36 pm

Re: Cryptic clues

#456 Post by animist » May 24th, 2017, 12:57 pm

petemster wrote:Hi Steven.

The best I can think of is : Engagement Lunch

Pete.
I don't have an answer at present, but if this is not right, please don't tell us the correct one, Steven. BTW, Pete M is totally wiz at these puzzles

stevenw888
Posts: 694
Joined: July 16th, 2010, 12:48 pm

Re: Cryptic clues

#457 Post by stevenw888 » May 24th, 2017, 1:03 pm

Petemster was not right, but very close. I'll hold off putting up the correct answer for a while.
"There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots." - From the film "Top Gun"

petemster
Posts: 233
Joined: July 10th, 2007, 7:02 pm

Re: Cryptic clues

#458 Post by petemster » May 24th, 2017, 2:11 pm

Now I'm just guessing. It's not likely to be 'Engagement Party' That wouldn't be very good, would it?

So I will guess : Engagement Feast

stevenw888
Posts: 694
Joined: July 16th, 2010, 12:48 pm

Re: Cryptic clues

#459 Post by stevenw888 » May 24th, 2017, 5:25 pm

Going the wrong way here! "Lunch" is the correct word in your original attempt. It's the first word you need to find.
"There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots." - From the film "Top Gun"

User avatar
animist
Posts: 6522
Joined: July 30th, 2010, 11:36 pm

Re: Cryptic clues

#460 Post by animist » May 25th, 2017, 10:36 am

stevenw888 wrote:Going the wrong way here! "Lunch" is the correct word in your original attempt. It's the first word you need to find.
something like Prescients lunch? or Previewing lunch? or Prenuptial lunch?

stevenw888
Posts: 694
Joined: July 16th, 2010, 12:48 pm

Re: Cryptic clues

#461 Post by stevenw888 » May 25th, 2017, 1:48 pm

You're kinda on the right lines. The first word does start with a "P".
"There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots." - From the film "Top Gun"

Post Reply