Collaborative crossword writing

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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Michael Wallace »

Awesome clue (from last Saturday's Times):

It broadcasts notorious voting scenes (10,4,7)

Spoilers: (further investigation suggests this is a fairly well known anagram, but since I was not aware of it I thought I would share it)
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Dinos Sfyris »

Ah cute. I saw a similarly styled clue a while back, can't remember the exact wording but it was something like:

Best seller, he devastates saloons with abandon (4,6,3,6)

Sproiler: Again this might be a well-known anagram but I hadn't heard it.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Jon O'Neill »

Gonna post the answer to these for the thickos?
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Kai Laddiman »

Burn milk, making animal garment (4)
16/10/2007 - Episode 4460
Dinos Sfyris 76 - 78 Dorian Lidell
Proof that even idiots can get well and truly mainwheeled.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Michael Wallace »

Jon O'Neill wrote:Gonna post the answer to these for the thickos?
Mine was EUROVISION SONG CONTEST
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Kirk Bevins »

Kai Laddiman wrote:Burn milk, making animal garment (4)
SPOILER:

TOGA? Not sure why there is a comma there but a milk making animal is a GOAT, burning it means make an anagram, so TOGA, which is a garment.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by David O'Donnell »

Kirk Bevins wrote:
Kai Laddiman wrote:Burn milk, making animal garment (4)
SPOILER:

TOGA? Not sure why there is a comma there but a milk making animal is a GOAT, burning it means make an anagram, so TOGA, which is a garment.
Punctuation is used deliberately to put you off. It's an anagram of a synonym though which is generally frowned upon.

Destroy goat garment (4) is fine but not some substitute for goat.

The rationale behind this is that you are actually destroying the letters but once you use the synonym you are burning the animal.

In short, good spot Kirk!!
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Kai Laddiman »

Kirk Bevins wrote:
Kai Laddiman wrote:Burn milk, making animal garment (4)
SPOILER:

TOGA? Not sure why there is a comma there but a milk making animal is a GOAT, burning it means make an anagram, so TOGA, which is a garment.
Yeh nice one, it was a false comma. Sorry for the synonymic anagram.

Timbers where you should find sheep? (7)
16/10/2007 - Episode 4460
Dinos Sfyris 76 - 78 Dorian Lidell
Proof that even idiots can get well and truly mainwheeled.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Ryan Taylor »

Congress in Minsk may produce early indication of growth. (7,8)

Last clue that I haven't got ad it's annoyed me. Will come back to it later if still unsolved.

Letters in place are: M _ R _ I _ _ / _ I _ _ _ E _ S
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Michael Wallace »

Ryan Taylor wrote:Congress in Minsk may produce early indication of growth. (7,8)

Last clue that I haven't got ad it's annoyed me. Will come back to it later if still unsolved.

Letters in place are: M _ R _ I _ _ / _ I _ _ _ E _ S
Anagram innit - MORNING SICKNESS.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Karen Pearson »

I agree with Michael. Nice clue that!
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Ryan Taylor »

Michael Wallace wrote:
Ryan Taylor wrote:Congress in Minsk may produce early indication of growth. (7,8)

Last clue that I haven't got ad it's annoyed me. Will come back to it later if still unsolved.

Letters in place are: M _ R _ I _ _ / _ I _ _ _ E _ S
Anagram innit - MORNING SICKNESS.
Thank you! :D Could not see that for the life of me!
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Dinos Sfyris »

I scar Tim horrifically with this (8)

And one for MWM

Some one thank an inside advisor to President Taylor (5,5)
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Karen Pearson »

[quote="Dinos Sfyris"]I scar Tim horrifically with this (8)



SCIMITAR
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Matt Morrison »

Dinos Sfyris wrote:Some one thank an inside advisor to President Taylor (5,5)
Haha. Nice one Dean! Ethan Kanin! I never actually knew how to spell that before til I checked it :)
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Matt Morrison »

I really liked these two from Sunday's Observer:

Freedom to act for actress leaving on the wagon? That's about right. (5,7)

One way shopper could get you a tiny jumper? (4,6)
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Dinos Sfyris »

Matt Morrison wrote:One way shopper could get you a tiny jumper? (4,6)
FLEA MARKET

Nice!
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Matt Morrison »

Dinos Sfyris wrote:
Matt Morrison wrote:One way shopper could get you a tiny jumper? (4,6)
FLEA MARKET

Nice!
NOPE! At least - that's not the answer we got, and ours fit in to the rest of the crossword! It's a good'un, if I processed it right. :)
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Dinos Sfyris »

Oh :cry:
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Matt Morrison »

I know DoD likes these things, so will give it a while for him to take notice before revealing the answer (and to the other one too).
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Jon O'Neill »

Matt Morrison wrote:I know DoD likes these things, so will give it a while for him to take notice before revealing the answer (and to the other one too).
I thought flea market was really clever.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Matt Morrison »

Jon O'Neill wrote:
Matt Morrison wrote:I know DoD likes these things, so will give it a while for him to take notice before revealing the answer (and to the other one too).
I thought flea market was really clever.
You guys have really tapped into my sense of paranoia, so I checked the crossword.
Using 'flea market', the intersections with other clues occur at the capital letters:
f L e A m A r K e T
Not one of those letters is the same as the answer I got, so I'm sure mine must be right.

Looking at the clue, I don't see how FLEA MARKET could fit neither. Can see references that would mean FLEA and MARKET, but not together.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Jon O'Neill »

Matt Morrison wrote:
Jon O'Neill wrote:
Matt Morrison wrote:I know DoD likes these things, so will give it a while for him to take notice before revealing the answer (and to the other one too).
I thought flea market was really clever.
You guys have really tapped into my sense of paranoia, so I checked the crossword.
Using 'flea market', the intersections with other clues occur at the capital letters:
f L e A m A r K e T
Not one of those letters is the same as the answer I got, so I'm sure mine must be right.

Looking at the clue, I don't see how FLEA MARKET could fit neither. Can see references that would mean FLEA and MARKET, but not together.
Haha, I'm just sayin', it's a coincidence that both flea and market were in there.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by David O'Donnell »

Matt Morrison wrote:I really liked these two from Sunday's Observer:

Freedom to act for actress leaving on the wagon? That's about right. (5,7)

One way shopper could get you a tiny jumper? (4,6)
I reckon the first one is:

CARTE BLANCHE - Cate Blanchett being the actress - on the wagon is teetotal (TT which leaves) and it's about right (R).

Will have to have a little think about the other one.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Matt Morrison »

David O'Donnell wrote:
Matt Morrison wrote:Freedom to act for actress leaving on the wagon? That's about right. (5,7)
CARTE BLANCHE - Cate Blanchett being the actress - on the wagon is teetotal (TT which leaves) and it's about right (R).

Will have to have a little think about the other one.
Bang on, nice one DoD. Do you rate that as a "yeah that's cool" clue? I thought it had a good amount of subtractions, additions, and cryptic codes (the TT and R).
Though I thought I'd worked it out with 'wagon' referring to an Audi TT until Heather pointed out teetotal could be reduced to TT :)
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Matt Morrison »

Will post answer to the other one through the day tomorrow. I only really got it based on letters I already had I think, it's rather cryptic (if I'm working it out right).
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Michael Wallace »

Matt Morrison wrote:
David O'Donnell wrote:
Matt Morrison wrote:Freedom to act for actress leaving on the wagon? That's about right. (5,7)
CARTE BLANCHE - Cate Blanchett being the actress - on the wagon is teetotal (TT which leaves) and it's about right (R).

Will have to have a little think about the other one.
Bang on, nice one DoD. Do you rate that as a "yeah that's cool" clue? I thought it had a good amount of subtractions, additions, and cryptic codes (the TT and R).
Though I thought I'd worked it out with 'wagon' referring to an Audi TT until Heather pointed out teetotal could be reduced to TT :)
I'm not really a fan of the complicated construction clues - it's much harder to make a short clue than a long "take away a T, then add ER, then put it all inside BAG" one, and they just don't seem that elegant (and often the clue itself doesn't really scan that well, like this one). Although that said, they are quite satisfying to work out.

There's quite a cute one in today's Grauniad, which is a bit pointless to pose to see if people will get, so I'll just describe it. The clue was "Split evenly here" (4,3,6), and from intersections I worked out DOWN THE MIDDLE, which didn't seem at all cryptic, until I realised that the clue itself was being entered down the middle of the grid, which was pretty neat.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Ryan Taylor »

US animal dashed round county in Colorado. (7)

That one was in the Mail today and it made me think of you Michael. (If I was right with the answer). Yeah that's right, I read the Mail and none of these intellectual papers that you weirdos read.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

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Ryan Taylor wrote:US animal dashed round county in Colorado. (7)

That one was in the Mail today and it made me think of you Michael. (If I was right with the answer). Yeah that's right, I read the Mail and none of these intellectual papers that you weirdos read.
That makes an unusual degree of sense for the Mail crossword, maybe they have new staff.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

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David O'Donnell wrote:
Matt Morrison wrote:I really liked these two from Sunday's Observer:

Freedom to act for actress leaving on the wagon? That's about right. (5,7)

One way shopper could get you a tiny jumper? (4,6)
I reckon the first one is:

CARTE BLANCHE - Cate Blanchett being the actress - on the wagon is teetotal (TT which leaves) and it's about right (R).

Will have to have a little think about the other one.
That's brilliant. I've had a think about both of these, and have drawn a blank (I went down Dinos' FLEA MARKET route too, but discounted it for making no sense).
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Bob De Caux »

Matt Morrison wrote:I really liked these two from Sunday's Observer:

Freedom to act for actress leaving on the wagon? That's about right. (5,7)

One way shopper could get you a tiny jumper? (4,6)
Not a big fan of the second clue, but I think the answer must be SAND HOPPER - as in S and HOPPER. First one is very good though - great solve by DoD.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by David O'Donnell »

Matt Morrison wrote:
David O'Donnell wrote:
Matt Morrison wrote:Freedom to act for actress leaving on the wagon? That's about right. (5,7)
CARTE BLANCHE - Cate Blanchett being the actress - on the wagon is teetotal (TT which leaves) and it's about right (R).

Will have to have a little think about the other one.
Bang on, nice one DoD. Do you rate that as a "yeah that's cool" clue? I thought it had a good amount of subtractions, additions, and cryptic codes (the TT and R).
Though I thought I'd worked it out with 'wagon' referring to an Audi TT until Heather pointed out teetotal could be reduced to TT :)
Yeah, really enjoyed that one. If Bob's answer if right for the second one, though, I'd be disappointed.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by David O'Donnell »

Michael Wallace wrote:

I'm not really a fan of the complicated construction clues - it's much harder to make a short clue than a long "take away a T, then add ER, then put it all inside BAG" one, and they just don't seem that elegant (and often the clue itself doesn't really scan that well, like this one). Although that said, they are quite satisfying to work out.
They have their place if the setter phrases it in such a way that disguises its crudeness. I enjoy clues that sound like a benign phrase/sentence but conceal something that's obvious when read a different way.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Matt Morrison »

Glad you all enjoyed the CARTE BLANCHE one.

Second one is indeed SAND HOPPER. Sad that you guys are disappointed in that, but fair play, I'm so new to this that it just pleased me because I've never seen anything which referred so explicitly to the words itself like that, so it was quite pleasing, and made total sense reading back the clue once I had worked out what went in there. Each to their own I guess though! One out of two ain't bad and all that.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Dinos Sfyris »

I had a few simple clue ideas saved in draft on my phone to put towards my next crossword whenever I get round to it, but I lost them when I got my new phone. Bummer :(

I can remember these two though:

Traditionally where drugs are taken? (7)

Allah permitted (5)

Also this lovely clue from Dorian's latest crossword: Gross Domestic Product? (9,5)
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Charlie Reams »

Dinos Sfyris wrote: Allah permitted (5)
Nice one, surprised I'd never noticed this before.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Matt Morrison »

Cryptic Love II

Ok, silly this. Today whilst H was at work I made her a cryptic crossword. (The II in the title refers to the one she first made me.)
I found it surprisingly easy to make the clues, and fucking loved it. Really enjoyed it.
After only doing a couple of clues she definitely thought I should post it on C4C to let you guys do a little enjoy on it.

This is my first attempt at writing any sort of cryptic crossword clues, and there are some serious disclaimers:
  • This was not written for you, the public. It was written for Heather. All the answers are something that mean something to her, or to us. This obviously makes writing clues a bit harder as in many cases she'd be able to just look at the 'definition' part of the clue, and instantly go "ok, it's xxxx" without even needing to look at the cryptic make up. Therefore, in some cases I have had to make the clues a bit more cryptic than I would have if I was only operating under "the answer could be anything" criteria as opposed to "the answer must mean something to Heather" criteria. The following clues therefore involve a part that is over-cryptic and/or personal to us in a way that you are likely to not be able to work out without some extra clue. By revealing an extra hint I'm often destroying part of the cryptic nature of the clue, sadly, but I have at least left them still solvable, albeit sometimes needing a little research on your parts:
    • 7A - The "Morrison child" referred to is the name of one of my siblings. The definition part is also not accurate enough as would be required if it wasn't Badcockcentric.
    • 9A - The definition part of the clue is our slang name for the answer, not its official name. (But this clue is not hard anyway.)
    • 12A - The answer is the colloquial name Heather gives her department colleagues at school.
    • 13A - Like 9A, the crypticness of the clue still stands (though is overcrypticated) but the answer is personal to Heather's situation.
    • 2A - The answer is the name of a song, Heather's favouritest ever. Also, see below - sadly a mistake inthe clue.
    • 7D - The answer is a place in Cambridgeshire where Heather comes from, which is separated into Great xxx and Little xxx.
    • 10D - The definition part, "exhibition", is not strictly accurate.
    • 11D - Yup, that's the Kirk you're thinking of, but the answer will only make sense to Me, H, Kirk, Rich Priest, Kai, and anyone else he whinged to at Co:Lon.
  • Additionally, I unfortunately made two mistakes with the distribution of letters:
    • 2D - The clue takes into account an R when it actually should have been an E.
    • 11D - A misspelling of the answer, using a Z instead of an S - so of course the clue fits the Z.
So, bearing all that in mind - Cryptic Love II - for Heather by Matt.pdf - 0.20MB. Download hosted at zShare which is totally safe, trust.
I hope if you take the plunge then you find some enjoyment in one or two of the clues.

Constructive criticism OBVIOUSLY accepted graciously.
"Euuurghh you're so gay" messages not accepted. I'm getting laid with another wordmonger. Deal with it, bitches.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Michael Wallace »

That has got to be the gayest thing I've ever seen.

Edit: s/gayest/faggoty-est/ (see how I get around your attempts at pre-emption 8-))

Editedit: In fact, "Put your lips around this and blow, it sounds a bit gay" (7) (with heaps of artistic licence, but totally worth it for such lewdness)
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Dinos Sfyris »

Awesome-o. I'm taking a copy of Cryptic Love II to the gym with me or possibly to fap over later.

When are you next coming oop norf Matt? Think I'll reserve my next crossowrd til then :)
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Matt Morrison »

Yeah ok. A bit lovey for C4C then, I guess. :(
Will reveal answers tomorrow for Dinos's benefit and hopefully can get some feedback on where I fucked up.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Dinos Sfyris »

Yeah please do. I'm 4 clues short of completion and getting nowhere. FWIW I enjoyed it for what it was. A real labour of love, and there's nothing wrong with a bit of MWM loveyness. Oooooooohhhhhh yeah some man kisses xxxxxxxxx
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Matt Morrison »

Good work on 4 short Dinos. Better than I thought you'd be able to do considering you not being Heather and all that. Here you go then:

Across
1. Fish has quick laugh after raping madly without Grace. (7) PIRANHA HA (quick laugh) after PIRAN ('raping' mixed up without G)
3. The French followed lube presenter. (4) KYLE KY jelly is the lube, LE for 'The French'.
5. Puzzle dance was reversed. (6) JIGSAW 'dance' is JIG, then WAS reversed.
7. Crustacean left surrounded by silly Morrison child's game. (8) SCRABBLE = game. Morrison child is SEB (my brother), which is mixed around CRAB (crustacean) and L (left).
9. Word destroyed our tapes. (8) APTEROUS Our cute name for apterous is just 'word'. An anagram of OUR TAPES.
12. A measurement device stupidly forms educational group. (4,2) TEAM RE anagram of 'A meter' - Heather said it should be 4,1,1 not 4,2.
13. Tangy juice added to Mexican before Pendleton strangely came home. (4,3) MILE END Heather's 'home' - LIME is the "juice added to Mexican" - I enjoyed using 'tangy' as lime juice is tangy but it actually suggests the anagrammatism. Pendleton is NED off of apterous.
14. City found in journal on Donatello artwork. (6) LONDON (run through)

Down
2. Hurley meets video to produce religious aquatist, reportedly without your text. (4,5) HOLY DIVER Heather's favourite song, it's by Dio. It sounds like a 'religious aquatist'. It's HURLEY mixed with VIDEO minus UR ('your' in 'text' language). Except I fucked up the letters, it actually should be minus UE not minus UR. Arse.
4. Pussy noises lose right after southern team. (5) SPURS PURRS are the cat noises, without one of the Rs (lose right) and after an S for 'southern'.
6. Undergarment mixed with extremely ingenious holiday destination. (2,4) ST IVES VEST is the undergarment mixed with the extremes of IngeniouS, we went on holiday there.
7. Odd pole supports flat storage for two-part village. (8) SHELFORD Heather's home village. SHELF is the 'flat storage' and it is supported by ROD mixed up.
8. Actress Halle follows her colour phone. (10) BLACKBERRY Halle Berry is black. Heather has a Blackberry phone.
10. Demonstrate crazy sugar-free exhibition. (4,6) TATE MODERN DEMONSTRATE anagram without the S ('sugar-free'). Well pleased with 'sugar-free', not seen that before.
11. One fuses with alphabet dynasty and finds one of Kirk's misses. (9) ATOMIZING I ('one') mixed with ATOZ (as in A to Z - 'alphabet') and MING ('dynasty') - ATOMIZING (although as mentioned before it was S not Z) was a conundrum Kirk was really pissed off at missing at Co:Lon.

Cheers Dinos. xxx
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Jon Corby »

"Was Scrooge dirty?" puzzles MWM (9,6)
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Matt Morrison »

Jon Corby wrote:"Was Scrooge dirty?" puzzles MWM (9,6)
CROSSWORD GAIETY, cheers ta!
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Chris Corby »

Matt Morrison wrote: That's nice! I'm always impressed by you guys both setting and solving these things, I can't do shit all of them.
Er, I think you have just disproved what you wrote on 31 July. Your clues are A1 Matt mate.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Matt Morrison »

Chris Corby wrote:
Matt Morrison wrote: That's nice! I'm always impressed by you guys both setting and solving these things, I can't do shit all of them.
Er, I think you have just disproved what you wrote on 31 July. Your clues are A1 Matt mate.
Thanks Chris, much appreciated! I never knew how fun, and relatively easy, it was to make these things, and I think maybe this weekend I might make some for you lot based around apterous or c4c things. I still maintain I'm not very good at answering them though (other than anagrams and run throughs obviously) - I have been starting to get a little confident after doing lots of Observer Everymans with Heather, but I took a quick look at the FT and the Evening Standard cryptics yesterday (only a very quick look mind) and only managed to get one clue out of both of them - an anagram obviously! Anyway, most importantly I'm starting to enjoy the fucking things. Tis all good! :)
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Dinos Sfyris »

Internal affairs holding United Nations responsible for light enjoyment? (7)
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Jon Corby »

Dinos Sfyris wrote:Internal affairs holding United Nations responsible for light enjoyment? (7)

funfair
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Dinos Sfyris »

Yep
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Graeme Cole »

Somehow blame raid to become worthy of praise (9)
Baptist's type? (4)
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Jon Corby
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Jon Corby »

Graeme Cole wrote:Somehow blame raid to become worthy of praise (9)
Baptist's type? (4)
Oiled river up north clumsily taken (9)
admirable
font
purloined

8-)
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by David O'Donnell »

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Kai Laddiman
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Kai Laddiman »

Saw a good one in the Telegraph last week:

Group of workers to raise standard (5, 4)
16/10/2007 - Episode 4460
Dinos Sfyris 76 - 78 Dorian Lidell
Proof that even idiots can get well and truly mainwheeled.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by David O'Donnell »

Kai Laddiman wrote:Saw a good one in the Telegraph last week:

Group of workers to raise standard (5, 4)
UNION JACK
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Graeme Cole
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Graeme Cole »

One of the toilet cubicles at work has had a sign on the door for weeks. At some point I'm going to replace it with its clue:

Processed food router doesn't work (3,2,5)
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Eoin Monaghan »

Graeme Cole wrote:One of the toilet cubicles at work has had a sign on the door for weeks. At some point I'm going to replace it with its clue:

Processed food router doesn't work (3,2,5)
Out of order
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Jon Corby
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Jon Corby »

Eoin Monaghan wrote:
Graeme Cole wrote:One of the toilet cubicles at work has had a sign on the door for weeks. At some point I'm going to replace it with its clue:

Processed food router doesn't work (3,2,5)
Out of order
I assumed everyone got that already. I think it was more about the aptness of the clue (which was damned cool, even though no-one had commented on it. So at least you made me comment on it now.)
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Ryan Taylor »

Jon Corby wrote:
Eoin Monaghan wrote:
Graeme Cole wrote:One of the toilet cubicles at work has had a sign on the door for weeks. At some point I'm going to replace it with its clue:

Processed food router doesn't work (3,2,5)
Out of order
I assumed everyone got that already. I think it was more about the aptness of the clue (which was damned cool, even though no-one had commented on it. So at least you made me comment on it now.)
What Jon said. I read it this morning and just smiled without commenting on it, kind of as useful as a silent laugher at a stand-up's gig.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Michael Wallace »

So I notice that newspaper crosswords still have these "Stuck? Ring this number and for just 60p a minute we'll tell you the answers" (or thereabouts, anyway). I've wondered, for pretty much as long as I can remember, who bothers using these. Even before the Internet, which has surely made them almost completely redundant it struck me as odd that someone would want to shell out so they could get told the answers a day before they're published in the paper anyway. Has anyone here ever used one? Or do you know anyone who does?

I like the idea that they're actually some sort of secret, numbers station-esque thing for spies, and that's the only reason they still have them.
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Re: Collaborative crossword writing

Post by Mark James »

Michael Wallace wrote:So I notice that newspaper crosswords still have these "Stuck? Ring this number and for just 60p a minute we'll tell you the answers" (or thereabouts, anyway). I've wondered, for pretty much as long as I can remember, who bothers using these. Even before the Internet, which has surely made them almost completely redundant it struck me as odd that someone would want to shell out so they could get told the answers a day before they're published in the paper anyway. Has anyone here ever used one? Or do you know anyone who does?

I like the idea that they're actually some sort of secret, numbers station-esque thing for spies, and that's the only reason they still have them.
My self and a guy I work with did. We didn't have a computer in work and we weren't paying for the call ourselves so, it was all good. We only needed one answer to finish it off and it was driving us mad. Even customers coming in couldn't help us figure it out. Can't remember what the clue or answer was now though.
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