You can see how long and steely I stared at this bunch of Huh clues, to no avail. This lot embraces two authors – or maybe three – a citrus fruit, a dead Egyptian and an eagle. As far as I can figure, anyway. Would appreciate your counsel of the cryptic kind to see how these [...]
Must be a record – four Huh clues in one crossword. The puzzle was Times 8570, hoarded from a few weeks back, and solved at leisure these holidays. Fine challenge too, but then I began glancing at some of my pencil-work, wondering how I managed to weasel the answers.
Maybe you bright lot can tell me, unpicking the four in question, or [...]
Only five head-scratching clues this time round, with two of them all but there….but not quite. So grab your Dolphin torch and see if you can illuminate the inner workings of this cryptic handful.
1) A song that may be desirable = CATCH [Cincinnus]
2) Unpleasant atmosphere in bird sanctuary = REFUGE [Alberich]
3) Amount of milk in [...]
Crosswords don’t just make you see old words newly, but have you meet new words full-stop. In one crossword recently I learnt POOTERISH (self-important) and GREBO (a Heavy Metal fan). Is it possible I wonder to meet a pooterish grebo? Personally, I like your chances.
In the meantime, see if you can detect the evasive melodies [...]
A fresh batch of bugger-me clues, most culled from The Guardian, with the devious Paul – or John Halpern – the prime culprit. While the Sportmanteau contest rages next-door, take a little Zen-reflection here and see if you can’t unravel the wordplay, or the wisdom, of these damned koans. Any enlightenment welcome.
Tree with many fruits [...]
Your brand-new chance to out-compile the compiler. Seven clues drawn from a batch of British sources, all of which need a little ray of light.
Series of dramas with monarch and pistol = DERRINGER [Times 8452]
For Spooner, essential father leaves here = TEA CADDY [Paul]
The Mae West Club = LIFE PRESERVER [Times 8466]
Investing in nothing, no merchant [...]
Garment made by exploited worker? (7) SWEATER
Overseas race? (5) SPEED
Every second letter an ‘a’ – bananas? (9) ALTERNATE
Pop singer’s first love is chopped crumbs! (2,6) BY GEORGE
Boats that finish in Madagascar, start there too (6) ARMADA
Above are the answers to the sublime Taupi clues, as posted last week. (ALTERNATE is truly a thing of beauty.) Even [...]
Scan this lot and you should be able to make some headway, someway, either via the definition, or at least of glimpse of worplay. My trouble is accounting for every last detail. Like how’s the DOT defined in Herodotus? Or who’s the bloody TV chef? And why are percussion instruments found in a kitchen?!
You’ll see what I mean as [...]
To round off the Mekong collection of opaque clues, here’s a raft from various Times puzzles, with a few Guardians for good measure. I have several theories about these, but urge you to float your own, and together we may plumb these chickens into clarity, if my metaphor hasn’t pulled a vital muscle by now.
Fact is, [...]
Rolling down the Mekong, you get some QCT – or Quality Crossword Time. While my fellow crewmates took snaps of limestone tors and albino bullocks, kids splashing and men throwing catfish nets, I wrestled with Pasquale and Shed, Paul and Araucaria, Hendra and Logodaedalus in an old Guardian collection, plus a slew of other English [...]