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Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

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    #26
    Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

    ----N

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      #27
      Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

      I thought it was going to be Aintree as some kind of anagram out of retainer, but it's not 5 letters and doesn't work as an anagram anyway.

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        #28
        Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

        For those of us who haven't quite got the hang of crytic cross word clues, could someone post the answers and how they arrived at them?

        Or is it closed shop?

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          #29
          Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

          T---N

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            #30
            Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

            Certainly, Jason. Any particular clue you'd like to see deconstructed?

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              #31
              Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

              That's a very good idea actually, and perhaps a good way to introduce novices into the fold.

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                #32
                Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

                All of them?

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                  #33
                  Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

                  Jase: you don't deserve it, you sod, with your flounce nostalgia gags, but here goes.

                  The standard crossword clue comes in two parts, which can be in either order: one part is cryptic and the other is straight. This envelope can be pushed, but not too far and not too often.

                  Let's start with my first one. The author of The Good Soldier Svejk is HASEK. "Backing", that's KESAH. The cryptic part of the clue is "Stout fighters for autonomy get backing of author of The Good Soldier Svejk, and", which is FAT ETA KESAH AND. The straight part is "destiny intervenes" which is FATE TAKES A HAND.

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                    #34
                    Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

                    Oh, and if WE could edit his first post so that newcomers (non-OTFers) might know the "rules" that might be nice.

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                      #35
                      Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

                      OK so Lachesis is an anagram (resolved) of "his case is" and had something to do with fate...

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                        #36
                        Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

                        I must admit some of Wyatt's cross from cryptic to mystic, for me.

                        The good cryptic clue, though, as he says, is one that either points towards an anagram, some synonyms, or an inclusive (is that the term?) in one part of the clue, then hints towards the answer in the other part.

                        "Portuguese river runs as thick as shit (3)", for example.

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                          #37
                          Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

                          Not quite. Lachesis is L (ie left, ie a "hand") before ACHESIS, which is an anagram (a "resolving") of HIS CASE.

                          Lachesis (so says Wikipedia) was one of the Greek Fates. Or "Moirae".

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                            #38
                            Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

                            So with the following clue, "Fate takes a hand before his case is resolved":

                            Fate is the definition part. The rest is the cryptic wordplay.

                            takes really just introduces the wordplay. It sort of indicates "is composed of the following" or somesuch.

                            a hand could be either right or left. In this instance, the choice is L.

                            before is an indication of how the components of the wordplay should be assembled.

                            his case provides letters as "fodder" for an anagram, indicated by...

                            is resolved

                            So you have L + (an anagram of HIS CASE) = LACHESIS, one of the three fates in Greek mythology.

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                              #39
                              Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

                              T---N, anyone?

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                                #40
                                Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

                                Damn, the diversionary tactic didn't work. I'm still a bit baffled.

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                                  #41
                                  Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

                                  I think I might have it. I'll devise a clue and see.

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                                    #42
                                    Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

                                    G takes party organiser on this train ride at the fairground (5)

                                    (If I'm right with train?)

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                                      #43
                                      Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

                                      Would this work?

                                      This train runs from Milan to Manchester. (9)

                                      Or is it wrong, or too simple?

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                                        #44
                                        Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

                                        Ghost's leading lady gets together for Gilgamesh (7)

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                                          #45
                                          Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

                                          JtS wrote:
                                          Would this work?

                                          This train runs from Milan to Manchester. (9)

                                          Or is it wrong, or too simple?
                                          That's a pretty good clue. The "to Manchester" bit might be superfluous, though. In fact, you wouldn't lose anything (and you'd gain a measure of elegance) by reducing it to Milan train (9). You've still got all the wordplay you need ("Inter city") and a definition. It's a matter of personal style, though.

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                                            #46
                                            Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

                                            Mind you, I still need to be convinced that "train" is correct. I'm probably just missing something.

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                                              #47
                                              Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

                                              I don't think "Milan train" in itself would be sufficient to get you to "intercity", but I prefer the Telegraph to the Guardian. I thought JtS's clue was fairer (although I have to admit I still wouldn't have got it quickly, if at all, I was looking for some play of letters from the end of "Milan" to the start of "Manch"), not thinking about the "Inter" giveaway.

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                                                #48
                                                Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

                                                How about "Football special from Milan to Manchester (9)."

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                                                  #49
                                                  Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

                                                  I don't know about that. Ideally, every word in a clue should be there for a purpose (although sometimes it's necessary to include some non-functional verbiage to get a clue that reads gramatically) and in JtS's original "runs from" and (unless I'm missing something) "to Manchester" don't really add anything.

                                                  It's near-inevitable that some of the clues in this thread will have some words in them that don't add to the sense or the mechanics, though, because the setter has to fit a specific word or phrase - the solution of the preceding clue - in there.

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                                                    #50
                                                    Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

                                                    Andy C wrote:
                                                    [quote]I don't know about that. Ideally, every word in a clue should be there for a purpose

                                                    Agreed, ideally, but those are very, very hard to craft. My Portuguese river one above took a lot of hard work (which no-one's got yet).

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