The Sphinx's Lair

humn

12:01 AM

[Another unnecessary platitude.]

Morgan G

Ok, relatively easy. Even after a cryptic is explained to me it doesn't always make sense.

humn

The fun is hopping along. (No I'm not AK, just hopalong with kindred spirits.)

Gareth McCaughan

@MorganG I don't know that I'm "really good" but I'm pretty good. Of course I got better with practice. Almost everyone does at almost everything, and that applies just as much to e.g. prodigies in mathematics or music or whatever as to anything else. I doubt you will find anyone saying cryptic clues were always easy to them. I doubt you will find many people saying cryptic clues are easy to them now, either.

Morgan G

Alright, thanks. I enjoy standard crosswords, and I'd like to enjoy cryptics, but right now they're so difficult to me that I find it hard to enjoy solving them.

Gareth McCaughan

It so happens that I just read a book that mentions someone who solves (or solved) crosswords terrifyingly fast. Like, under five minutes for a Times cryptic. Was he always that fast? Nope, he got there bit by bit. At the point at which he decided to try to get really quick he was already very good but taking ~25 minutes for a solve. What got his times further down? Practice, practice, practice.

Cryptic crosswords are not easy to get into, and you shouldn't feel bad about finding them tough.

Have you found a decent source of easy-ish cryptics to practice on?

Or an introductory cryptic-crosswords book?

Morgan G

12:08 AM

I am working on today's quiptic at the moment. about an hour down and four clues solved.

Gareth McCaughan

Excellent!

I mean, I'm sure it feels frustratingly slow, but that's what learning is like.

Morgan G

but I was recently inspired to start getting into cryptics because of this chat

Gareth McCaughan

When you've done all you can on one of these, do you then look at the answers and see what you missed?

Morgan G

yeah it does. but I guess there was a time when solving a Monday NYT crossword seemed impossible as well

humn

I do that on the toilet and then wipe off.

Gareth McCaughan

12:10 AM

E.g., there's a crossword blog called Fifteen Squared where they regularly post solutions and explanations for all the clues in the major papers' crosswords.

Morgan G

ooh. I should look into that. yeah that would be good

micsthepick

codenames anyone?

Gareth McCaughan

Given that there's a practically endless supply of cryptic clues, I think it's pretty harmless to look at other people's answers and explanations once you've done as much as you can.

(But of course you have to resist the temptation to give up before expending a lot of effort.)

And my feeling is that most people getting to grips with this sort of thing don't do enough of that -- looking at the things they didn't manage and trying to figure out what bit of knowledge or understanding was missing in their brain.

humn

@micsthepick , the best game in town is here

ffao

when I was training to solve ICPC problems, I gave up very fast at the beginning

I gradually began giving up less quickly as I realized I was giving up on stuff I could have potentially solved on my own

humn

12:13 AM

i always turn to the solutions page ... after a day or two ...

... when i was on the world stage of puzzling i stumbled on the easiest one ... got the toughies ...

... and the easiest one was in my wheelhouse, binary representation of rectangles ...

Gareth McCaughan

@MorganG And of course you can always ask for hints, solutions or explanations here -- there'll often be someone around who can help.

humn

Gareth! (cheers to you)

thecoder16

a cheer for all

Morgan G

thanks @GarethMcCaughan

humn

Perhaps a repeat sentiment, nobody seems to understand my muses like i. They have so much more than is obvious.

They're so frustrated that others just don't get it.

... they also have other problems to cope with ... frustration is almost a luxury at times ...

... the special muse for whose return call i'm attention presently also has no physical fear even though she is in mortal pain. I slipped, "do you have any fear?" Response: "What are you talking about?"

^ probably better aimed at Medicine SE. It's just that here seems understood so easily.

humn

12:53 AM

... and then the feral kitty, without a care in the world but with the most worried natural look, stretches underfoot as if it were the safest place ...

humn

1:18 AM

... catching up on news: "Here's what happened. Nothing happened." How did that happen? As art imiitates life, life imitates puzzles.

(still working a couple of puzzles based on the lack of information)

(hard to sprinkle them with clues and not contaminate the information-free zone)

humn

1:34 AM

(... can't believe life has come to this ... I'm actually waiting for someone around the world to call the next jig for my speakers ... and this ain't the place where that's required ... then again, impatience reflects indulgence...)

(... and, yes, the speakers are screaming for mercy without any help. It's just that sounds mean more through others' ears.)

Alconja

Is that a humnified request for music? I'm currently listening to this, because of your Yes clips above:

Cynic - Kindly Bent To Free Us (full album)

►

humn

Whew!

humn

1:55 AM

(In midstream, I hear more than Yes in that but haven't (yet?) fingered the other influences. Not that a crime was committed! Focus to come.)

(In other words, plus gratia, @Alconja)

Alconja

:) Glad you're enjoying it. "It's useless to refuse the muse"

humn

2:24 AM

. & ! & rewdind

("rewdind" = "rewind")

Almost made me go hotwire a car just to steal across country for hours and days.

I've learned music in the tightest spaces but the best places have been on empty roads where there's nothing else to do but let go of the wheel and watch how the music plays the scenery.

Sphinx

0

Q: Yet another word guessing puzzle

If I slice it, it looks tasty. If I play with it, my hands becomes dirty. If I leave a mark on it, it becomes red and red. If I put in on a certain animal, it runs very fast and becomes qui What is the word I am thinking of?

word

humn

... and that's not even half of it ... but that place actually exists and is where i honed my ears ...

... actually, technically speaking, some distance away, but those pictures don't seem readily loadable ...

... you haven't lived to tell until you've hiked a day into the desert thinking that trickle was sweat ... it was my gallon of water leaking ...

... sorry to nuisance ... tried to delete, had nothing to with puzzling, but too late. May we all live so long!

humn

3:34 AM

... really? another opportune interval? ... and another unnecessary repeat ... it really is a splendid cover:

Thomas Dolby - I scare myself (lyrics on clip)

►

(Coming from one with no measurable fear, physical. Others seem to scare themselves emotionally and so me.)

(fine piece of music in any case)

(When i fall out of a tree i look calmly, one by one, at each branch, as they go by, that might be a lifesaver. When i meet someone after a few years, i panic my pants.)

humn

4:01 AM

(That's not metaphorical. I'm never so fluid as when physically imperiled. But if you haven't been frozen by chills on a hot day just because someone might care about you, you might just be lucky in a different way.)

Sphinx

4:12 AM

0

Q: A great house rules here does prosper, "under" the protection of a legendary monster

This riddle is a tough one, i'm not sure where to begin. "A great house" makes me think the riddle is referring to a royal family. "protection of a legendary monster" makes me think of a coat of arms, emblem or even a flag. not sure why "under" is in quotations. I believe its asking for the nam...

riddle

humn

4:29 AM

Just to dot an ιota and to tittle a ȷot, "hotwiring" a car means not only bypassing its ignition but also installing earsplitting acoustics.

Would have to do both to get me back on the road

humn

4:46 AM

(Ooooo, been listening to your musical offerings, Alconja (no @ out of courtesy) and, again, you're afraid of your own tall shadow!)

(Thank you for offering!)

... have no idea what they're saying but it's probably clevre ... als haven't bothered to find the cimplete piece e meanwhile:

The Easter Bird. Created using McLaren's Workshop, National Film Board App

►

(sorry about the typoes... that was typoeing blind and now it's too late to repair the damage)

(in fact, probably a common occurrence around the world, now it seems time to reboot everything)

micsthepick

5:03 AM

from lovattspuzzles: Drama crushed in school yard (10) Can someone please explain how this Cryptic Clue works?

nvm, I think I've got it. The world play is Drama (play) crushed (ground) which is in a school yard. So the answer is Playground

Sphinx

5:28 AM

0

Q: Creepy video on Youtube, with secret cipher built in

This showed up in r/deepintoyoutube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1ExfbH4Jew I've posted it around, no one has solved it. I believe it is a cipher for a couple reason, at the end 26 unique letters are listed (could be arranged as a key?), and the numbers listed throughout the video are numb...

cipher enigmatic-puzzle number-sequence language letters

Sphinx

6:26 AM

0

Q: I'm good at hiding! - Can you find me?

I can be weighed, but have no mass And I can be found once in a sword I can be thoughtful or thoughtless And I can exit through a cord What am I?

riddle rhyme

humn

7:20 AM

I hope that last Windows update went better for others!

Gave me a chance to obsess on my favorite muse of all, Dianne.

She was an older woman with whom I had the most intimate physical relationship but never lusted.

She knew everything but only had the chance to share half of it.

She plucked me from the pokey once and took me to the hospital too many times.

She also brought me home from the hospital to begin with.

Get it?

(Guess i haven't yet posted a real riddle, but almost anything goes here.)

micsthepick

7:36 AM

ooh I like this cryptic: word order upset a ragman (7) (from Lovatts daily crossword puzzle)

humn

Anagram ; ; ; ; ; ;

micsthepick

yes!

The answer is part of the clue

humn

I wish Dianne were here to see this. Meanwhile i'm her to see this.

(No need for condolences. One of the only reasons i ever sleep is because of dreams where everything implausible seems normal. Dianne visits regularly.)

(Really, she was so honest and articulate that half of what she knew was enough to go around.)

Sid

Hey, CC-Experts or others who are willing to give their two cents: Can "later" be used as indicator for last letter?

micsthepick

It might depend how it is used

M Oehm

7:53 AM

Hmmm, I don't think so. It could mean that a word or phrase is placed after something else, i.e that it comes later. Do you have a (made-up, if need be) example?

micsthepick

I came up with my own: greeting Hades later in othello (5).

Sid

@micsthepick that his clearly HELLO, if I am not wrong

micsthepick

But is it an okay use of "later"

humn

Not what you're getting at but, s-hades of hell!

M Oehm

I don't see why "Hades later" is needed at all, because the answer is already hidden in otHELLO.

Sid

7:57 AM

@MOehm For example, how about this construction? [word], [word] later gives [def] - Where later means the last letter of both the words?

M Oehm

No, I don't think you can use that. Finally or ultimately, but not later.

humn

! (for your sense of humouiaeyr)

Sid

Hmm... Okay.

M Oehm

Perhaps you can get away with "the latest", which is a bit like "the last", but you would have to indicate somehow that it refers to more than one word with a plural.

humn

! (and you didn't stop. I hope that's on purpose ... if not, you're a natural ... "you can't use more than one word without a plural")

M Oehm

8:04 AM

Yes that redundancy was a bit redundant. I meant to say with a plural in "the latest", which would be something clumsy as "the latest ones". Perhaps the crypticism rubs off.

humn

(I'm giddy louder than the stereo at the moment. Muchas!)

It's time to die laughing:

Monty Python's Flying Circus - World's Funniest Joke

►

"I can stand physical pain but stay away with that feather!"

micsthepick

8:23 AM

"a different Gestapo officer"

humn

Said so right on the label. (Still, though, apologies to whom that hit too close to the heart.)

Cleverness can be cruel without even trying, except for trying to be clever.

Sid

Good God, I had 15 tabs opened right now..

humn

Ride the wild pony!

micsthepick

@Sid Sometimes I have like 25 open at the same time. I currently have 16 open...

BreakingMyself

I couldn't deal with that, I have to cull them as I go unless I'm researching something and can ignore it lol.

humn

8:32 AM

The known record holder is Khale_Kitha, with more than 300, just before breakfast.

Every time i try to save my tabs some fool makes an operating system update that makes me realize, well, it was fun finding them in the first place.

Ooooo @BreakingMyself, you gave yourself away. Save everything three different ways and get back to me.

I'm not accusing you of being AK, just of being someone with serious tasks. When that happens i get serious.

... no need here, i guess ...

... i come here to play, but depending on the moment i can turn. (Even capitalize I when that's what it takes.)

... and when i play, it's with the goal of everyone winning in a tie. Or else!

Mithrandir

8:50 AM

I think that using a capital "i" in the middle of a sentence is obsolete. Please don't remove it from my posts. Or whatever, it's too hard to keep up with all you old-style-grammar people. :(

humn

English!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Such a playful language.

It's been toyed with for so long that almost anything goes.

It's also been trodden to near obscurity.

But i like to go with the playtime version.

BreakingMyself

@humn You caught me lol.

Trying to whip up some Cryptic Clues for a crossword puzzle. I might need to playtest a couple because I'm not sure if they're too complex or something my 11 year old could solve lol.

humn

They've already made it to 11 (base whatever!)? That's the difficult part. Let's hear.

BreakingMyself

@humn She's a clever one, just smashed her SAT's.

humn

Not surprised.

BreakingMyself

9:02 AM

Reverse weight on back of potters glue potassium. (8)

humn

Thinking KG to begin with.

BreakingMyself

I've been picking answers and creating the clues to go with them lol.

humn

The best puzzles are those sought by solutions!

... oh, to back up, congratulations on her not surprising me! It's not easy. What i said was meant as complimentary.

I try to not look surprised when someone startles me. Easier all around, but not always satisfying.

... street smarts ...

... actually the streets have become soft nowadays ... it's about time ...

^ more unheeded commentary but this is where other seekers pay attention

Poettieir, please find this because i'll never sign into email again. I told you where to look. . . . . :

Ride The Wild Pony

►

. . . that's what my poetterrierrierrier played me yesterday, one way or another.

BreakingMyself

9:31 AM

Poettieir?

humn

Hang with me and you'll also get a pet name that changes with the wind.

Poett...however that ended.. is my poetic muse.

The rapscallion breaks into circles guarded by locks.

Just by chance, somone told me of a breakthrough poet.

Turned out to be Poetierrierrierrierrierr!

Whom i met while trouncing downstairs offices just to string wires.

Soha Farhin Pine

@BreakingMyself Why did you delete your answer?

CC: The endless semen, not many polyester, the heart's duplicated of a studious half-year

BreakingMyself

@SohaFarhinPine Because I wasn't making any progress and other had taken the reigns. Nothing personal. Some of the clues were clearly out of my depth even though I knew it was probably Sean Paul lol.

Soha Farhin Pine

But your answer was a piece of the whole

you gave a start to it

other answers add on to yours

consider undeleting it

the other answers can't stand without yours

BreakingMyself

I was under the impression a complete answer required all the information? I'll just vote to undelete if you'd prefer me to leave it?

Soha Farhin Pine

9:41 AM

Your answer doesn't have to be complete

you'll see plenty of partial answers

even by high-rep users

BreakingMyself

Undeleted :)

Soha Farhin Pine

@BreakingMyself :-) Thanks a lot.

Can you solve that CC?

CC: The endless semen, not many polyester, the heart's duplicated of a studious half-year

BreakingMyself

@SohaFarhinPine I can have a go!

humn

(just by the way, enjoy my typings of outside muses but everyone here are muses too by now, and those outsiders have heard along other means!)

Soha Farhin Pine

@BreakingMyself Got it?

What do you think is the solution?

The endless semen, not many polyester,
the heart's duplicated of a studious half-year
what comes after semi without individuality, I call the heart
Next, Yes!
Easter has come! Oh no...not in full. The beginning's missing.

Sp3000

10:00 AM

I'd say that you're missing an enumeration, but seeing how you've given the clue fodders verbatim I guess it offsets (although the "heart" is a bit left of centre)

Soha Farhin Pine

@Sp3000 Um...no.

> The endless semen, not many polyester makes not me

> the heart's duplicated of a studious half-year

> what comes after semi without individuality, I call the heart.

> Next, Yes!

> Easter has come! Oh no...not in full. The beginning's quite missing.

Soha Farhin Pine

10:17 AM

0

Q: Not as crude as it looks, rather studious

The endless semen, not many polyester makes not me — the heart's duplicated of a studious half-year. The duo who come after semi without individuality, I call the heart. Next, yes! Easter has come! Oh no...not in full. The very beginning's quite missing. Vow and take a well. The con ...

riddle word

Sp3000

(I meant in terms of when you posted it as a CC, but okay)

Sphinx

0

Q: Not as crude as it looks, rather studious

The endless semen, not many polyester makes not me — the heart's duplicated of a studious half-year. The duo who come after semi without individuality, I call the heart. Next, yes! Easter has come! Oh no...not in full. The very beginning's quite missing. Vow and take a well. The con ...

riddle word

BreakingMyself

11:35 AM

As if there isn't a spot the difference tag ;)

dcfyj

12:03 PM

Sphinx

0

Q: Squares in series

Easier ones this time: (1) Find three numbers which are in an Arithmetic Progression and the conditions being: (i) All numbers are distinct (ii) each of number should be a perfect square and (iii) as multiple sets are possible, find the least one (means where the range - that is the differen...

mathematics

Thrax

12:20 PM

Hey, I'm back with a new cryptic grid. I tried to take into account the feedback everyone gave me. Here you go : puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/53566/…

@MOehm How are words usually numbered in a cryptic grid?

M Oehm

You mark every square that starts a clue, across or down, and then just enumerate these squares from top to bottom, left to right. Whether it's an across or a down clue should be clear from context. If you refer to a clue elsewhere, use the number if it's unique and something like 5 across or 5ac do 1 down or 1dn otherwise.

Thrax

I updated the picture, hope it's better. Thank you!

Sphinx

0

Q: Cryptic-Crosswords (9 x 10)

Clues Down By concidence, a Santa staggered. (6) Greek warrior's weightless jump. (7) A fleet in turmoil: Muslim fast unfinished. (6) Obstetrician assembly is an intense preoccupation. (9) Wander off with ugliest rag gleefully hidden. (8) Across Fervor with alternati...

cryptic-crosswords

0

Q: What weight of Weighing scale bars shop keeper should buy?

Story: Years ago there was a poor shop keeper who had a small amount of money enough to buy only FOUR weight bars for his an old weigh scale. Now the problem is he can buy only FOUR weight bars and he has to deal with customers who buy 1 to 40 Kilograms goods from his shop so What weight of Weig...

mathematics weighing

M Oehm

@Thrax Yes, that's better. Your crossword doesn't have across and down clues starting in the same square. The standard enumeration of your grid would look like this.

Sid

12:36 PM

@thrax also, it is universally accepted that indirect anagrams are bad.

Sp3000

fyi for 6-across (1-across conventionally), usually you don't want the wordplay to overlap too much with the definition

BreakingMyself

Did anyone catch my crossword clue above? Just trying to 'bench-test' before putting a full crossword out lol.

Sp3000

Yeah I saw it but apart from the suspicious potassium, no real clue

Deusovi

12:53 PM

@Sphinx Duplicate of puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/186/… ?

BreakingMyself

@Sp3000 I'm not sure if that's because it's hard or badly constructed lol. Obviously in a crossword environment you may have other letters to play with.

@Deusovi Totally is, just worded like a story instead of a straight up question.

Sp3000

Well if it helps for feedback the surface is pretty awkward :P

Deusovi

(That was less of a question and more of a request for close votes, since I can only hammer.)

Yeah, the surface isn't great there.

Sp3000

Clue-wise both ends look like wordplay, but the right side potassium seems less likely as a def which makes "reverse" a likely def (but I fail to think of something that fits)

Deusovi

yeah, that's what I was thinking too

unless you've put the definition in the middle, in which case, SHAME

Sp3000

12:56 PM

The main sticking point is really the "potters glue" ("epoxy" doesn't really go well with wordplay)

M Oehm

The K could be the end of something-BACK

Sp3000

I was thinking about "back" but in that case shame on having "back" in the clue :P

Deusovi

sure, but it seems weird to have "back" in the clue and the answer

BreakingMyself

Maybe adding a comma to split the parts? Reverse weight is one part ('on the back of' tells you where to put it lol), potters glue potassium is another.

Deusovi

...Is there a definition?

Because what you just said heavily implies that there isn't one.

Sp3000

12:59 PM

^ Ditto that fear

BreakingMyself

@Deusovi Potters glue could have one clean answer if that's what you mean? the 'reverse weight' and 'potassium' add on to that word.

Deusovi

No, I mean a definition for the entire word.

Have you read my cryptic clue guide? (Or any cryptic clue guide, for that matter, though I think mine explains it decently well.)

47

Q: Cryptic Clue Guide

This post is not a puzzle. There is nothing puzzly hidden inside it or the self-answer, posted at the same time. What exactly is a cryptic crossword clue, and how do I write one?

wordplay puzzle-creation cryptic-clues cryptic-crosswords

BreakingMyself

@Deusovi I did but now I'm confused lol. There isn't a definition to the full word in the clue. See, this is why I wanted feedback first lmao

Deusovi

The definition is half the clue!

Sid

In which case, your clue isn't valid.

Deusovi

1:07 PM

>A cryptic clue has three parts:

a precise definition (acceptable in traditional "quick" crosswords)
a fair subsidiary indicator to the same answer (usually involving wordplay)
and nothing else.

BreakingMyself

Back to the drawing board on most of these then lol. I clearly didn't grasp that the answer needed to be in the clue like that.

Deusovi

Yup, it does. The key to a good cryptic is disguising it.

Sconibulus

Is 'and nothing else' really a part? :)

M Oehm

Occasionally, crosswords have a theme and there might be a preamble that says: "All across clues are thematic and have no definition". In that case, your clue would be valid, but such crosswords are rare and they require meticulous wordplay.

BreakingMyself

@Deusovi Some of them will still work as they're quite literal. I'll drop a couple more shortly lol

Deusovi

1:11 PM

@MOehm Yeah, we're talking about standard cryptics though. I enjoy variety cryptics, but you have to know how standard ones work first

@Sconibulus Nah, not really, but that's how I've always seen the structure of a cryptic clue described (to explicitly say that excess words are a Bad Thing™)

M Oehm

Yes, first things first.

Deusovi

@BreakingMyself Remember, the clue has to have two parts - definition and wordplay (which may just be an alternate definition).

Sp3000

Def is necessary otherwise it's really easy to be too broad/too unfair. I mean, can you imagine if I had a clue "Unusual integral (8)" or "Returning Puzzler keeps garment worn by head of restaurant (9)"?

Deusovi

Speaking of definitions, for Gareth's cryptic, it's possible that "do without" is actually the definition.

BreakingMyself

@Deusovi I will, some re-working to do for sure. Maybe a change in subject as band names doesn't hold up well if you need a definition.

Deusovi

1:13 PM

We had all been parsing it as a removal indicator. It's still possible (especially because "economy" seems hard to work into wordplay) but using "without" as part of the definition seems like something Gareth might do.

BreakingMyself

Models are well known for fasting/starving themselves, makes a little sense.

Sp3000

Seems possible yeah - I just like how PARY looks so fillable :P

Sconibulus

Frugality has seemed almost plausible at times

Sid

1:30 PM

Argh, I have 2 remaining from that thrax Cryptic crossword.

Deusovi

PAR(-t)(SIMON)Y

Sid

And I have no idea despite having crossing letters..

M Oehm

Well done. So that's the simple one.

Deusovi

Simple Simon (nursery rhyme)

"Simple Simon" is a popular English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19777. == Lyrics == The rhyme is as follows; Simple Simon met a pieman, Going to the fair; Says Simple Simon to the pieman, Let me taste your ware. Says the pieman to Simple Simon, Show me first your penny; Says Simple Simon to the pieman, Indeed I have not any. Simple Simon went a-fishing, For to catch a whale; All the water he had got, Was in his mother's pail. Simple Simon went to look If plums grew on a thistle; He pricked his fingers very much, Which made poor Simon whistle. == Origins == The...

Apparently that's a thing.

Sid

... wow.

Sp3000

1:32 PM

Simple Simon sounds slightly familiar - wouldn't have realised parsimony -> economy though :P

M Oehm

Yes. I even knew the expression. (But I never quite seem to know what exactly parsimony means.)

Sid

Google says Parsimony=Miserliness

M Oehm

Yes, I can also look it up, but I want it to be there when I need it. :)

Sid

Also, Do=Party? Is that a thing

Deusovi

7

Q: How and when did "bash" and "do" come to mean party?

I am on my way to a faculty party at the university. The Head of Sciences is retiring and is throwing a huge bash, all his staff, selected external examiners like me and various scientists from private institutions and funding bodies. The Head of Sciences is married to a French wine merchant a...

etymology differences synonyms british-english slang

M Oehm

1:34 PM

That's a very common thing in British crosswords. Using that and T for model is not very much like Gareth.

Sid

Eh, anyone through with the latest Cryptic crossword in the site? I am stuck with 2D, 8A and (possibly)9A

Sconibulus

2d is hoplite

Sid

(My complaint with that whole puzzle, is indirect anagrams)

Sconibulus

9a is salsa

M Oehm

2D has the clue the wrong way round, in my opinion. It should be jump + weightless (with variant spelling).

Sid

1:39 PM

Yeah, 9A was correct then..

Sconibulus

8a is not one of the half dozen I figured out

M Oehm

8a is another indirect anagram.

Sid

DESIGN, duh

M Oehm

Say what you will, indirect anagrams make the crossword more challenging. :>

Jan Dvorak

Indirect anagrams are "almost always unfair"

Sid

1:44 PM

indirect anagrams tend to be more unfair for a stand-alone clue.

M Oehm

Also, this might be useful for finding words ofwhich you have the crossers. (I did that for the Greeks, so I'm not as well-read as I make it look.)

Sid

In a crossword when you have cross-over letters, the unfairness reduces somewhat

Deusovi

CCCC: Cover up thousand-dollar disappearance in the past (5, 4)

a fairly simple one, I hope

@MOehm I use Qat.

Sconibulus

Jimmy Hofa

Sphinx

0

Q: No change in prior and post change?

Area of a rectangle having its length and breadth expressed integers gets increased by 103% when its sides are increaed by x% (say of length) and y% (say of breadth), where x and y are two distinct integers, greater than 0 but less than 100. Then find the values of x and y.

mathematics

M Oehm

1:52 PM

@Deusovi Yes, I think you already posted that when the 1234 pattern came up. Looks useful, but it requires me to learn a new syntax. Instead I use the tools I know, mostly Unix commandl-line things.

The Chambers thing isn't too comfortable, but it has the advantage that it knows about phrases such as "fish out of water". (But it doesn't know about spaces, so that that phrase is treated like a 14-letter word.)

Deusovi

Qat has that phrase too, though you need to use the "union" dictionary.

M Oehm

Touché.

Deusovi

Qat's multi-word support is kinda spotty, though. For that I use either OneLook (less flexible, but lots of built-in phrases - sometimes too many to sort through) or Nutrimatic (uses every word or phrase that occurs in Wikipedia at least 5 times or combinations thereof, sorts by frequency of occurrence - no backreferencing though, and it occasionally matches weird things like "of the")

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