Hey Folks - I've been having quite a bit of fun trading cryptic crossword clues with Greenhopper and Pspace. I thought it might be fun to share a few more and put it in a Watercooler type post. Cryptic clues can be daunting at first but can become a lot of fun with a bit of practice. It helps a lot to know that there are rules around how a clue is constructed. All clues comprise 2 parts:
1) An accurate definition - This is usually something specific to the answer, such as a meaning or an attribute that identifies the answer.
2) A secondary indication - The secondary indication reinforces the answer and is the part that makes cryptic clues fun. Many word play devices are used to form the secondary clue, such as anagrams, charades (breaking up the answer into smaller words which are easier to clue), hidden words (a sequence of letters within the clue), homophones (words that sound alike) and even double definitions (where the secondary indication is a different meaning for the same word).
The 2 parts together should help you get the answer without any ambiguity. The trick,of course, lies in correctly breaking the clue up into the 2 parts and identifying the device that was used in the cryptic portion of the clue. Most of this ability comes with experience but there are some standard techniques used. For instance:
Obviously this is a somewhat high level explanation. More detailed explanations can be found on Wikipedia or here . And here are two examples (the numbers in the parentheses indicate the number of letters and number of words in the answer. So the (6,6) in the first example means the correct answer has two words of six letters each. A single-word answer would have just one number, as in (11) for a one-word answer containing 11 letters. So check these out:
Big serve, oddly a cornerstone of his game (6,6):
Ans: Roscoe Tanner. Oddly indicates it is an anagram. And if you take an anagram of "a cornerstone," you get Roscoe Tanner.
An example using hidden words:
One of the rivals in each, rise, vertigo notwithstanding? (5,5)
Ans: Chris Evert. If you look in "each, rise, vertigo" you find Chris Evert, who was one of The Rivals (in the book of that name).
Having said all of that, here is a bunch of clues I put together if you would like to try them. These are all tennis related clues and mostly involve tennis players. I will post the answers next week at the end of the Comments. Good luck!
a - Terrible to loan out head of Lancelot (4,5)
b - Insipid existence, although twice as explosive (5,6)
c - "overcooked" commentator is a patron of writers with a dismantled handcart (4,5)
d - DC Captain a wizard and a staunch fan of flavoring agent? (5,6)
e - candid + dorky = great pressers (4,7)
f - Coach Sounds like a fab one with ice-cream receptacle (4,8)
g - Gonna google "oven" for sunshine supergirl (6, 9)
h - Hive-minded bear (5,4)
i - Sibling throws jar at mandarin (5,8)
j - Sounds like Trivets is going to set us down on the runway. What guts! (4,8)
k - Italian dear, before absence of color, mixes it up with her brother (4,5)
l - We hear, sports trainer is into overstretched ligament (4,6) [[Bissy scores ]]
m - Returning, among Sheila, Dan, Lea far and away the best in the world (6,5)
n - Youngest champion? Its a truancy, disguised. (5,6)
0 - Okay! Hesitated twice after having eaten, the goat did (5,7)
p - Endless change for the youngest slammer (7,5)
q - Remains of the once and future king ? (6,4)
r - Let acrobats tumble for this one slam wonder (6, 5)
s - Hence, I torch baffled musketeer (5,6)
t - Buffet followed by operatic melodies for color commentary (5,5)
u - French captain, he doesn't remember (3,6)
v - Nor radar logs, for this aviator (6,6)
w - Robed Poet mistaken for blogmaster (5,4)
x - Tragic heroine (without end), armed with a nickel is a giant killer (6,4) [[Good catch G. I got her name wrong -ptenisnet]]
y - Dr. Pierce is the last word (7)
!Smallwatercooler [[Our CEO apparently ran out of gas, hence, no "z" entry - Pete]]
This is of course a watercooler post (did you get the answer to the title clue?), so you are welcome to go OT.
