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Favourite crossword clues.

2

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  • Leroy Ambrose
    Leroy Ambrose Posts: 14,435
    Mad poet mugged by banjo player sees red when eating pickles
  • MrOneLung
    MrOneLung Posts: 26,827
    Leroy Ambrose said:
    Mad poet mugged by banjo player sees red when eating pickles
    I don’t believe it. 

    I was going to post that clue. 
  • Leroy Ambrose
    Leroy Ambrose Posts: 14,435
    MrOneLung said:
    Leroy Ambrose said:
    Mad poet mugged by banjo player sees red when eating pickles
    I don’t believe it. 

    I was going to post that clue. 
    Absolutely love that scene. One of the most underrated TV shows of all time
  • rina
    rina Posts: 2,334
    Sark99 said:
    I learnt the basics of cryptic crosswords from doing the ones in the Metro  and The Standard everyday and checking against the answers the following day. Now have a good base knowledge, which I have used to teach my other half the basics.
    these are great puzzles but it's important to know that the standard puzzle gets much harder as the week goes on. monday's puzzle is pretty easy and a great one to learn with, friday's is pretty hard and I've rarely totally completed it
  • McBobbin
    McBobbin Posts: 12,051
    Leroy Ambrose said:
    MrOneLung said:
    Leroy Ambrose said:
    Mad poet mugged by banjo player sees red when eating pickles
    I don’t believe it. 

    I was going to post that clue. 
    Absolutely love that scene. One of the most underrated TV shows of all time


    Is that when he got covered in Biro ink?
  • Leroy Ambrose
    Leroy Ambrose Posts: 14,435
    McBobbin said:
    Leroy Ambrose said:
    MrOneLung said:
    Leroy Ambrose said:
    Mad poet mugged by banjo player sees red when eating pickles
    I don’t believe it. 

    I was going to post that clue. 
    Absolutely love that scene. One of the most underrated TV shows of all time


    Is that when he got covered in Biro ink?
    Yes - genius
  • stackitsteve
    stackitsteve Posts: 12,102
    McBobbin said:
    Leroy Ambrose said:
    MrOneLung said:
    Leroy Ambrose said:
    Mad poet mugged by banjo player sees red when eating pickles
    I don’t believe it. 

    I was going to post that clue. 
    Absolutely love that scene. One of the most underrated TV shows of all time


    Is that when he got covered in Biro ink?
    Episode called “the trial” (available on YouTube) a solo performance by Richard Wilson as the only person in the whole episode 
  • McBobbin
    McBobbin Posts: 12,051
    stackitsteve said:
    McBobbin said:
    Leroy Ambrose said:
    MrOneLung said:
    Leroy Ambrose said:
    Mad poet mugged by banjo player sees red when eating pickles
    I don’t believe it. 

    I was going to post that clue. 
    Absolutely love that scene. One of the most underrated TV shows of all time


    Is that when he got covered in Biro ink?
    Episode called “the trial” (available on YouTube) a solo performance by Richard Wilson as the only person in the whole episode 
    That episode, and the one in the traffic jam, used to crack me up. Especially the traffic jam one when he plays a cassette and the car mechanics has put an insulting song over it
  • Leroy Ambrose
    Leroy Ambrose Posts: 14,435
    McBobbin said:
    stackitsteve said:
    McBobbin said:
    Leroy Ambrose said:
    MrOneLung said:
    Leroy Ambrose said:
    Mad poet mugged by banjo player sees red when eating pickles
    I don’t believe it. 

    I was going to post that clue. 
    Absolutely love that scene. One of the most underrated TV shows of all time


    Is that when he got covered in Biro ink?
    Episode called “the trial” (available on YouTube) a solo performance by Richard Wilson as the only person in the whole episode 
    That episode, and the one in the traffic jam, used to crack me up. Especially the traffic jam one when he plays a cassette and the car mechanics has put an insulting song over it
    https://youtu.be/W4icMkZkAeQ

    Sung by the incomparable Eric Idle (along with the theme song, obviously) 
  • Stig
    Stig Posts: 29,018
    Welsh head of staff goes AWOL (4)
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  • IdleHans
    IdleHans Posts: 10,956
    Stig said:
    Welsh head of staff goes AWOL (4)
    Taff
  • LawrieAbrahams
    LawrieAbrahams Posts: 3,779
    Private Eye crossword has some great clues. Here's one example:
    Preview of a setter's bollocks (9).
  • happyvalley
    happyvalley Posts: 8,996
    LawrieAbrahams said:
    Private Eye crossword has some great clues. Here's one example:
    Preview of a setter's bollocks (9).
    Foretaste?
  • LawrieAbrahams
    LawrieAbrahams Posts: 3,779
    Correct
  • Salad
    Salad Posts: 10,189
    edited February 2020
    I tried my hand at the Guardian cryptic crossword on Saturday, got a few fully, a few more without fully understanding and cheated on a few more not always understanding, so if anyone wants to help explain some of these (they are the correct answers) , feel free :-)
    I understand that cricket and chess references are often used.

    First of all there is some sort of over all clue, "Wordplay in 15 clues lacks something crucial in one form or another'.
    A few of the answers contain the word "CROSS" and some contain the letter "X", so I think that is what that one is referring to, as in crossing something off a list because it is lacking something ... perhaps.

    5a One article carried by climbers primarily?
    ICE-AXE - fits the whole clue but don't get the cryptic nature of it. Maybe One is "I" and article is "A", climbers primarily could be the "C" - doesn't get me far though!

    9a Such a tyre goes soft? Extremely likely.
    CROSS-PLY is type of tyre, but I don't understand the clue.

    12a Castrate last of brood - Siamese not seeing Thailand once
    DESEX - full cheat this one, obviously means castrate, don't get the rest, perhaps the "S" is something to do with "Siamese" and maybe "not" means "X"?

    4d Musical's essential element
    SILICON - got it purely because an element, no idea of the cryptic meaning.

    15d B___ sick as a parrot? No, a finch.
    CROSSBILL - this is a finch and Cross could be sick as a parrot, but don't get how "B__" means bill.

    17d Returning at first reluctantly, almost becomes part of the woodwork.
    CROSSBAR - is part of the woodwork, don't get the rest

    I'd better not go on!
    In keeping with the thread, here is a good one I heard - Some job at hand? We'll soon see (4,3,5)
  • LawrieAbrahams
    LawrieAbrahams Posts: 3,779
    edited February 2020
    Salad said:
    I tried my hand at the Guardian cryptic crossword on Saturday, got a few fully, a few more without fully understanding and cheated on a few more not always understanding, so if anyone wants to help explain some of these (they are the correct answers) , feel free :-)
    I understand that cricket and chess references are often used.

    First of all there is some sort of over all clue, "Wordplay in 15 clues lacks something crucial in one form or another'.
    A few of the answers contain the word "CROSS" and some contain the letter "X", so I think that is what that one is referring to, as in crossing something off a list because it is lacking something ... perhaps.

    5a One article carried by climbers primarily?
    ICE-AXE - fits the whole clue but don't get the cryptic nature of it. Maybe One is "I" and article is "A", climbers primarily could be the "C" - doesn't get me far though!

    9a Such a tyre goes soft? Extremely likely.
    CROSS-PLY is type of tyre, but I don't understand the clue.

    12a Castrate last of brood - Siamese not seeing Thailand once
    DESEX - full cheat this one, obviously means castrate, don't get the rest, perhaps the "S" is something to do with "Siamese" and maybe "not" means "X"?

    4d Musical's essential element
    SILICON - got it purely because an element, no idea of the cryptic meaning.

    15d B___ sick as a parrot? No, a finch.
    CROSSBILL - this is a finch and Cross could be sick as a parrot, but don't get how "B__" means bill.

    17d Returning at first reluctantly, almost becomes part of the woodwork.
    CROSSBAR - is part of the woodwork, don't get the rest

    I'd better not go on!
    In keeping with the thread, here is a good one I heard - Some job at hand? We'll soon see (4,3,5)
    I think that the theme that you mentioned, X and CROSS is key because it appears to me that the wordplay only refers to the answer without the X or CROSS. For example 15d - B - is B and sick as a parrot is ILL, so the wordplay gives BILL. A CROSSBILL is a finch.
    17d - The first letters of Reluctantly Almost Becomes (RAB) are returned to give BAR. CROSSBAR = part of the woodwork.

    I hope that makes some sense.

    Bath and Wells
  • LawrieAbrahams
    LawrieAbrahams Posts: 3,779
    4d - Musical essential = Si - which is the symbol for Silicon
    12a - Last of brood is D, Siamese without Siam (the old name of Thailand)= ESE and the X is unclued.
    9a P = soft, The extremes of likely are L and Y
    5a - Climbers primarily is C but they have used that to clue CEE. I and A are as yous aid, and the X is unclued.
  • SoundAsa£
    SoundAsa£ Posts: 22,471
    Clue in Irish crossword.

    To egg on......5 letters.

    Answer......Toast.
  • Salad
    Salad Posts: 10,189
    LawrieAbrahams said:
    4d - Musical essential = Si - which is the symbol for Silicon
    12a - Last of brood is D, Siamese without Siam (the old name of Thailand)= ESE and the X is unclued.
    9a P = soft, The extremes of likely are L and Y
    5a - Climbers primarily is C but they have used that to clue CEE. I and A are as yous aid, and the X is unclued.
    Thanks, no wonder I didn't get those! Si = musical essential - as in do re mi keys etc. ? 
  • LawrieAbrahams
    LawrieAbrahams Posts: 3,779
    Salad said:
    LawrieAbrahams said:
    4d - Musical essential = Si - which is the symbol for Silicon
    12a - Last of brood is D, Siamese without Siam (the old name of Thailand)= ESE and the X is unclued.
    9a P = soft, The extremes of likely are L and Y
    5a - Climbers primarily is C but they have used that to clue CEE. I and A are as yous aid, and the X is unclued.
    Thanks, no wonder I didn't get those! Si = musical essential - as in do re mi keys etc. ? 
    No, just the middle of the word musical.
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  • Holdkneebomb
    Holdkneebomb Posts: 1,262
    Gegs (9,4)
  • happyvalley
    happyvalley Posts: 8,996
    Holdkneebomb said:
    Gegs (9,4)
    Scrambled eggs.
  • Salad
    Salad Posts: 10,189
    Bust down reason? (9)
  • Sarrf_London
    Sarrf_London Posts: 523
    sillav nitram said:
    I’ve never known where to begin with cryptic crosswords!

    Is there a formula to solving the clues?
    1st rule that I'm not sure anyone posted is that the answer means the same as the first or last word(s) of the clue, and you need to use the rest to construct the answer.
  • Chizz
    Chizz Posts: 28,329
    Leroy Ambrose said:
    Mad poet mugged by banjo player sees red when eating pickles
    (Alfred Jules) Ayer
  • 3blokes
    3blokes Posts: 4,610
    Home to a special collection of mugs. (8 letters)
    M...w..l
    Tricky one.


  • cherryorchard
    cherryorchard Posts: 1,721
    Number of people in theatre (12)
    Two girls, one on each knee (7)

    Hint: think medically for each one.
  • Salad
    Salad Posts: 10,189
    Two girls, one on each knee (7) PATELLA
  • LawrieAbrahams
    LawrieAbrahams Posts: 3,779
    Anaesthetist
  • Salad
    Salad Posts: 10,189
    edited February 2020
    one who numbs, nice!

    will repeat this as it's a good one:
    Bust down reason? (9)

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