| Author |
Message |
Harvey Van Sickle
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 12:46 pm
Post subject: Re: Daily free cryptic crosswords, RIP |
|
|
On 14 Sep 2004, Dylan Nicholson wrote
| Quote: | "Harvey Van Sickle" <harvey.news@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9564EC86755ABwhhvans@194.168.222.120...
Nope. Believe it or not, I actually just thought of this while I
was writing the message. It seemed clever, but I hesitated to
include it, until I found a webpage that actually mentioned that
it has in fact been used before.
OK; I'll try again. Onfryvar?
I expressed it badly. It should just be
(
|
Ah: that's better! (I saw the answer in other posts before reading
this one.)>
--
Cheers, Harvey
Ottawa/Toronto/Edmonton for 30 years;
Southern England for the past 22 years.
(for e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van)
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Harvey Van Sickle
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 12:53 pm
Post subject: Re: Daily free cryptic crosswords, RIP |
|
|
On 15 Sep 2004, meirman wrote
-snip-
| Quote: | Oh, and the ones you are talking about might be called
double-crostics, in addition to acrostics and double acrostics. I
don't think all the answers are anagrams. Are you (plural) saying
that in the UK they are?
|
No: that's only one of the ways the answer is hidden.
Straightforward puns can be involved; or directions as to positioning
letters, with no definition at all -- "French here surrounded by
rubbish?" (official); or the answer can be spelled out across a number
of words in the clue ("dentisTRY IN Germany" for "trying")>
That sort of thing.
--
Cheers, Harvey
Ottawa/Toronto/Edmonton for 30 years;
Southern England for the past 22 years.
(for e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Odysseus
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 2:45 pm
Post subject: Re: Daily free cryptic crosswords, RIP |
|
|
Harvey Van Sickle wrote:
| Quote: |
On 14 Sep 2004, Paul Wolff wrote
In message <Xns9564A44371B28whhvans@62.253.162.203>, Harvey Van
Sickle
harvey.news@ntlworld.com> writes
for a giggle, I like "Listen closely for a sexual perversion
(4,2,4,4)".
The first word is 5 letters.
You're absolutely right. Sorry.
I'm still not getting that one; I must be out of practice (as the |
bishop said to the actress).
--
Odysseus
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Odysseus
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 3:01 pm
Post subject: Re: Daily free cryptic crosswords, RIP |
|
|
meirman wrote:
[snip]
| Quote: |
I've never figured out why cryptic crosswords seem to be rare in
the USA.
They're called acrostics or maybe better, double acrostics in the USA.
And they're not that common as it sounds like in the UK but they're
around. I used to read a magazine, I forget which, which had one in
every issue.
The "acrostics" I'm familiar with have a set of clues laid out with |
blanks for each letter of the answers; under each blank is a number
that keys to a large grid for a quotation, usually a brief anecdote
or purportedly witty observation. Once you've solved a few clues and
copied the letters into the grid, you can start to recognize words
and phrases in the quotation, which 'feed back' to help with the
remaining clues. The acrostic part is that the first letters of the
answers, read consecutively, spell out the author and title of the
source of the quotation.
--
Odysseus |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Odysseus
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 3:13 pm
Post subject: Re: Daily free cryptic crosswords, RIP |
|
|
Harvey Van Sickle wrote:
| Quote: |
On 14 Sep 2004, Bill Bonde ( ``Soli Deo Gloria'' ) wrote
[snip]
Can the words involved in the anagram be separated?
Not in a "fair" crossword, they can't. These sorts of rules of "fair
play" were (I think) established by a setter called Ximenes, and
crosswords which follow these ground rules are "Ximenean".
Almost anything is fair if it's hinted at, though, no matter how |
obliquely. Any word or phrase referring to some kind of joining or
mixing could be an indication that the letters of two separate parts
of the cryptic clue must be pooled to form an anagram. AFAICT it's no
fair having the definition inserted into the cryptic clue or vice
versa but, as someone else has mentioned, they certainly can overlap.
--
Odysseus |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Dylan Nicholson
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 3:17 pm
Post subject: Re: Daily free cryptic crosswords, RIP |
|
|
"Odysseus" <odysseus1479-at@yahoo-dot.ca> wrote in message
news:41480136.E99A8FE8@yahoo-dot.ca...
| Quote: | Harvey Van Sickle wrote:
On 14 Sep 2004, Paul Wolff wrote
In message <Xns9564A44371B28whhvans@62.253.162.203>, Harvey Van
Sickle
harvey.news@ntlworld.com> writes
for a giggle, I like "Listen closely for a sexual perversion
(4,2,4,4)".
The first word is 5 letters.
You're absolutely right. Sorry.
I'm still not getting that one; I must be out of practice (as the
bishop said to the actress).
You've never had aurul sex? |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Dylan Nicholson
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 3:19 pm
Post subject: Re: Daily free cryptic crosswords, RIP |
|
|
"Dylan Nicholson" <wizofaus@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:41480556$0$10094$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
| Quote: | You've never had aurul sex?
Er...aural... |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
meirman
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 3:21 pm
Post subject: Re: Daily free cryptic crosswords, RIP |
|
|
In alt.english.usage on Wed, 15 Sep 2004 09:01:45 GMT Odysseus
<odysseus1479-at@yahoo-dot.ca> posted:
| Quote: | meirman wrote:
In alt.english.usage on 14 Sep 2004 04:07:26 GMT
peter@seagoon.newcastle.edu.au (Peter Moylan) posted:
[snip]
I've never figured out why cryptic crosswords seem to be rare in
the USA.
They're called acrostics or maybe better, double acrostics in the USA.
And they're not that common as it sounds like in the UK but they're
around. I used to read a magazine, I forget which, which had one in
every issue.
The "acrostics" I'm familiar with have a set of clues laid out with
blanks for each letter of the answers; under each blank is a number
that keys to a large grid for a quotation, usually a brief anecdote
or purportedly witty observation. Once you've solved a few clues and
copied the letters into the grid, you can start to recognize words
and phrases in the quotation, which 'feed back' to help with the
remaining clues. The acrostic part is that the first letters of the
answers, read consecutively, spell out the author and title of the
source of the quotation.
|
tHAT sounds familiar. It's been a long time and I found them very
hard and didn't get more than a little into the grid, so maybe that's
why I don't remember the details. What I do remember from some
puzzles is the (3,3,5) sort of thing. Maybe that had a different
name, but I've seen them here.
s/ meirman If you are emailing me please
say if you are posting the same response.
Born west of Pittsburgh Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis, 7 years
Chicago, 6 years
Brooklyn NY 12 years
Baltimore 20 years |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Peter Duncanson
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 4:02 pm
Post subject: Re: Daily free cryptic crosswords, RIP |
|
|
On Wed, 15 Sep 2004 10:15:12 +1000, "Dylan Nicholson" <wizofaus@hotmail.com>
wrote:
| Quote: | "Dena Jo" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:Xns9564AEF2D8BB8DenaJo@130.133.1.4...
On 14 Sep 2004, Peter Duncanson posted thus:
Clue: "As a horse Dena Jo is lively"
Solution: "No jade"
What???
I'm not sure I understand it either. I mean the anagram is obvious, the
"jade horse" connection is obvious, but where does the 'no' come in?
As the one who wrote it I suppose I should attempt to explain it! |
First, "lively" has two functions in the clue, to indicate an anagram, and
as part of the definition.
The definition words are "As a horse ----- is lively" indicating that the
solution is a lively horse. "Jade" refers to a non-lively horse so has to be
negated. "No" serves that purpose. "No jade" has the same construction as
"no fool" in "that woman is no fool".
--
Peter Duncanson
UK (posting from a.e.u) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Peter Duncanson
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 4:10 pm
Post subject: Re: Daily free cryptic crosswords, RIP |
|
|
On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 23:36:32 -0400, meirman <meirman@invalid.com> wrote:
| Quote: |
Oh, and the ones you are talking about might be called
double-crostics, in addition to acrostics and double acrostics. I
don't think all the answers are anagrams. Are you (plural) saying
that in the UK they are?
|
No.
See
http://www.home.gil.com.au/~vburton/cryptics/cryptics.htm
The table at the bottom of the webpage gives 18 different techniques,
including anagrams.
Foreign words
Spoonerisms
Anagrams
Initials/Ends
Using odd/even letters
Same meaning - different context
Roman numerals
Palindromes
One word inside another
Reversing given letters/words
Famous persons' names
Answer hidden in clue
Word combinations
Repeat clue/word
Abbreviations
Removing letters from word/s given
Sound Alikes
Words abbreviated
--
Peter Duncanson
UK (posting from a.e.u) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Mike Lyle
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 4:26 pm
Post subject: Re: Daily free cryptic crosswords, RIP |
|
|
"Paul Wolff" <bounceme@two.wolff.co.uk> wrote in message
news:9PG8ZhKw$0RBFwR4@fpwolff.demon.co.uk...
| Quote: | In message <2qohjjF12f2stU1@uni-berlin.de>, Mike Lyle
mike_lyle_uk@REMOVETHISyahoo.co.uk> writes
Which reminds me. Any takers for my "Not the SDC Punter's Revenge"
RBQ-style cryptic? (It seems somehow to have got split into two almost
identical threads by Google.)
My newsreader threads by references, not subject lines, and quotes the
original subject when displaying the thread tree, so I can't even find
it now ... and what *is* RBQ?
|
Radio 4's flagship programme: _Round Britain Quiz_. (I'm sure you remember
now.)
If you like I'll re-post the thing when I get home.
Mike. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Dena Jo
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 4:56 pm
Post subject: Re: Daily free cryptic crosswords, RIP |
|
|
On 14 Sep 2004, Charles Riggs posted thus:
| Quote: | here comes the big one, you might have met me.
|
In 1976?
--
Dena Jo
Email goes to denajo2 at the dot com variation of the Yahoo domain.
Plonk the bastards: http://www.schmuckwithanunderwood.com/trolls.html |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
david56
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 8:16 pm
Post subject: Re: Daily free cryptic crosswords, RIP |
|
|
Harvey Van Sickle typed thus:
| Quote: | On 14 Sep 2004, Wood Avens wrote
On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 21:08:00 GMT, Harvey Van Sickle
harvey.news@ntlworld.com> wrote:
AND NOT ONLY THAT: THE CLUES ARE PAIRED AS RHYMING
COUPLETS. (That's just showing off, frankly...)
It is, innit. Trouble is, it also makes it harder, as it sets up
quite spurious (usually) connections between the clues, which one
(well, I, at least) then deliberately has to make oneself ignore.
Eeeevil.
I'll be very sad when he's no longer here to set them. (He's 83 now:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,438558,00.html.)
As far as I know, none of the other setters have done anything
approaching that level of complexity.
|
It's less impressive, but the Telegraph quick crossword's top line or
two lead one to think of a well known phrase or saying. My favourite
was these:
BUFFET - DERV - AMPERES - LAYER
--
David
===== |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
LarryLard
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 8:17 pm
Post subject: Re: Daily free cryptic crosswords, RIP |
|
|
Harvey Van Sickle <harvey.news@ntlworld.com> wrote in message news:<Xns9564E50D51244whhvans@62.253.162.205>...
| Quote: | On 14 Sep 2004, Wood Avens wrote
On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 21:08:00 GMT, Harvey Van Sickle
harvey.news@ntlworld.com> wrote:
AND NOT ONLY THAT: THE CLUES ARE PAIRED AS RHYMING
COUPLETS. (That's just showing off, frankly...)
It is, innit. Trouble is, it also makes it harder, as it sets up
quite spurious (usually) connections between the clues, which one
(well, I, at least) then deliberately has to make oneself ignore.
Eeeevil.
I'll be very sad when he's no longer here to set them. (He's 83 now:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,438558,00.html.)
As far as I know, none of the other setters have done anything
approaching that level of complexity.
|
To my mind the acme of insanely difficult crosswords must be the
Listener crossword, formerly to be found in the periodical of that
name, and now carried by the Times every Saturday. Unfortunately they
charge for access to back issues, so you will have to make do with
this link:
http://www.crossword.org.uk/listen.htm
--
Larry Lard
Replies to group please |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Harvey Van Sickle
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 8:22 pm
Post subject: Re: Daily free cryptic crosswords, RIP |
|
|
On 15 Sep 2004, LarryLard wrote
| Quote: | Harvey Van Sickle <harvey.news@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:<Xns9564E50D51244whhvans@62.253.162.205>...
|
Re: Araucaria's "alphabetical crosswords"
| Quote: | As far as I know, none of the other setters have done anything
approaching that level of complexity.
To my mind the acme of insanely difficult crosswords must be the
Listener crossword, formerly to be found in the periodical of that
name, and now carried by the Times every Saturday. Unfortunately
they charge for access to back issues, so you will have to make do
with this link:
http://www.crossword.org.uk/listen.htm
|
That's true, but I was really talking about complexity rather than
straightforward difficulty. (I hope that distinction makes sense; it
does to me.)
--
Cheers, Harvey
Ottawa/Toronto/Edmonton for 30 years;
Southern England for the past 22 years.
(for e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| |
FAQ
Memberlist
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in