The Sphinx's Lair - 2020-06-16

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1:20 AM

@Deusovi ah! figured that would be the only possible reason why you may not like it, with "single note" being able to clue many other words/letters than "re". I will seek to use those more sparingly, if not at all.)

@Deusovi oh frick, i didn't realize that. ugh, I need to more-than-triple-check these.

1:35 AM

@Deusovi ah, I now get it as well.

0

Q: Why was this edit to clarify a chessboard rejected?

In https://puzzling.stackexchange.com/review/suggested-edits/46838, I replaced a weird pseudo-3D chessboard that was hard to read with a more readable one from the replayer that chess.stackexchange.com uses. It was rejected because it "deviates from the original intent of the post" and "does not ...

discussion specific-question editing reviewing

@jafe they're one of my favorite bands, hehe. I don't know about prominence, as it can be subjective, but I do know that they have done concerts in the US and outside the US, and many of their music videos have >100k views.

1 hour later…

2:54 AM

@Avi only problem I would have with that is maybe some people would pronounce "an Alice is"/"analysis" differently due to a dialect(?????) but I don't know of any examples. Other than that, that's pretty evil, but I don't think it's invalid.

1 hour later…

4:03 AM

@oAlt I do. For me, the final consonant in "an Alice is" is z; in "analysis", s.

Otherwise they're essentially the same.

4:29 AM

:000

4:46 AM

@Daniil that is incorrect, sorry

@msh210 That's why I made it an Alice's instead of an Alice is, but I fear that I've explained it wrongly :(

Perhaps, you could say, an Alice's misspoken analysis

but I pronounce Alice's different than the alysis (sess vs sis sound)

5:23 AM

@Avi The issue is the last consonant. It's actually a /z/ in "Alice's".

5:39 AM

@Sid is the lower case intentional? (I'm feeling it doesn't affect anything at all, though)

6:11 AM

@Deusovi I haven't thought up of a sentence supporting my use of "to", but as for after: "Oh, I was cleaning my bedroom, taking out the trash after."

Yeah, there needs to be a comma there and a participle to have it apply to the rest of the sentence. Without the ", taking" it wouldn't work.

ahhh

ic ic

6:32 AM

(btw imma share smth: 33a and 20d were the hardest clues to make. 33a: I was stuck at first with anagramming the guy's surname, and there were no elegant results. Even after I became enlightened enough to use "lyse", I still thought for a while about "nko".

20d: I was trying to go for a surface reading communicating the idea of music playing and whatnot, but I could not find a way to clue "vulfpeck" with as few clues as possible; this combination of letters was just so annoying. Eventually I decided that maybe a long clue wasn't that bad, and I also noticed that "EP" was there in reverse; I tinkered a lot with it until it finally worked.)

6:43 AM

@oAlt which lower case?

6:59 AM

"cut" in the beginning of the c4

1 hour later…

8:19 AM

Howdy fellas

@jafe that is just a typo. Nothing majorly significant

hope y'all are safe and sound

8:50 AM

epic

9:10 AM

0

Q: one to cure a disease

I can see a disease that no one else can persieve, I have the cure and showed it so others would believe. Through my mask I've seen it spread for centuries, with just one touch I can solve every ones miseries. Though I'm locked up kept away to cure their sickness, they...

riddle knowledge

9:40 AM

https://logicmastersindia.com/PR/202006/

Next round for Puzzle Ramayan is out, if anyone wants to participate, please do.

1 hour later…

10:59 AM

yesterday, by msh210

I've just added yet another hint to my "game of charades".

...and again.

11:29 AM

@msh210 I think phillipic is a noun? Not sure the definition works there

11:43 AM

offensive can be a noun too, no?

It ... actually can. Huh.

@Ankoganit yeah, it means "an offensive" :-)

(or a kind of offensive, anyway)

12:11 PM

Ah, didn't know "offensive" can be a noun

0

Q: Stuck on a Nonogram puzzle

Help is needed. I have been stuck on this puzzle for some time. Any help or tips would be appreciated.

Gareth McCaughan

1:13 PM

"Offensive" is a noun, and it means something like "attack". "Philippic" is a noun and means something like "attack". But I don't think either of them means the other. An offensive is usually a military attack or something readily likened to one. A philippic is a denunciation. I suppose a philippic could be part of an offensive, if e.g. you decided to take down some hated politician and part of what you did was to rant about how awful they are, but it doesn't feel to me [...continues]

[continued ...] like either word can define the other.

1:57 PM

@GarethMcCaughan Hm. I was thinking "offensive" meant simply an attack of pretty much any sort, and "philippic" a tirade, so the latter is a type of the former. But maybe I'm wrong.

And if you didn't like that one, you're sure not going to like... oh, never mind, it was solved already.

("leave us")

1 hour later…

3:03 PM

Fwiw I liked "leave us"

(by that I mean the "leave us" part of the clue, no comments on the def)

2 hours later…

5:01 PM

CCCC hint: Disco is a part of the wordplay

5:16 PM

I think that was pretty obvious (to me at least). I don't see how "Disco's recruit" or "cut following Disco" could be a definition.

shot in the dark: how about "discard"?

Explain?

this is based entirely on how "disc" is in "disco's"

0

Q: Cryptic Family Reunion: Current Events

The answer to this puzzle is a list of ten thematically related words or proper names or phrases. Each of these is clued cryptically, and the theme is to be determined. Since the definition part of a cryptic clue would give away the theme, these cryptic clues use a family member (e.g., mom, siste...

knowledge cryptic-clues

and then the other stuff could follow it?

5:20 PM

How would you get rid of the "o's" then?

i don't know, i'm bad at these :(

I think "cut" ~ DISCARD seems fine, but the wordplay can't produce it. The wordplay tells you exactly how to get the answer string - every manipulation should be justified.

hangs head in shame

Nothing shameful about being unfamiliar with cryptics.

user435118

@Deusovi So the definition is "cut"?

5:30 PM

@Daniil Or "recruit".

The definition is always at either the start or end of the clue. In this one, I don't see any reasonable multi-word phrases that could be definitions, so it has to be either the first or last word.

user435118

I am stuck for ideas :(

user435118

I got DISCOING but I'm quite sure it's not that

I'm not sure how that would work for wordplay, definition, or enumeration.

user435118

cut following to FOLLOW+ING and cut the s of Disco's to DISCO = DISCOING but it's not a recruit

The rearrangement would need to be indicated.

user435118

5:36 PM

Is that the sort of wordplay that is usually done? Or am I completely off

And "cut" isn't used that way, no.

(It should be indicated more precisely what to do: if you want to remove part of a word, you must specify which part is removed.)

You might see "cutting off head" for removing the first letter, for instance.

@Sid I'm not very confident in this, but is it STUDENT? "Disco" ~ STU (as in Disco Stu, from the Simpsons), and then "cut" ~ DENT (not quite the same thing, but both are minor damage?), making "recruit" ~ STUDENT?

@Deusovi that is correct.

I have seen cut=dent somewhere before.

6:05 PM

CCCC: Anticipating pro pilot will be retiring before operation (11)

user435118

6:20 PM

@Deusovi So operation is the definition?

It could be, but isn't necessarily.

user435118

So the definition is either anticipating or operation?

user435118

> The definition is always at either the start or end of the clue.

@DA

AHH

@Daniil it could be "before operation"

accidentally hit enter, sorry

It could be a multi-word phrase.

user435118

6:28 PM

Surely it should be (x,y) then?

???

The definition could be a multiple-word phrase even if the answer is not.

"Olympic victor" or "Person standing on the podium" could define MEDALIST, for instance.

user435118

I have an answer, need to figure out the wordplay for it though

user435118

Nvm, it’s 10 letters long

People generally don't say anything about guesses unless the wordplay is fully figured out.

user435118

6:39 PM

Deleted

(I mean, clue setters don't. It's fine to talk about your theories here -- I just won't confirm anything until there's a plausible guess at the wordplay.)

Sorry for being unclear there.

You mean, unless they do it when the time comes to provide a hint?

user435118

PROSTHETICS - PRO from pro, STHE sounds like she from pension (retiring) TIC from anticipating , not sure about the last s

I don't see any extraction indicator for TIC

and the sthe is ... I don't see it either.

user435118

:(

user435118

6:54 PM

Or PRODUCTION (just because it contains PRO) :)

user435118

PROSPECTION

user435118

7:06 PM

PROSPECTION - PRO + SPEC ( you can spectate (watch) a pilot, before could mean first so the first part of spectate) + TION (pro could also mean last so the last part of operation*) @Deusovi

- If you extract only a particular part of a word, you have to specify the exact part being extracted.
- Any new words will *only* be from synonyms. "pilot" does not mean SPECTATE, so "pilot" cannot clue SPECTATE.
- Each word will only be used once, and it will apply grammatically to the words it modifies. "pro" does not apply grammatically to "operation", and you already use it in your explanation.

user435118

I feel like this requires additional plane? knowledge which I don’t have

0

Q: A Voynichian Challenge

Background: what follows is not a foreign language. Rather, it is a symbol-based code of English. You could think of it as falling between semaphore flags, which use a symbol per letter, and Shavian, which is based on English phonology. Vague Hint:

language symbols

7:40 PM

@Deusovi for eca< sting

yep!

Just to clarify (mostly for @Daniil):

The definition is "anticipating" = forecasting

Then each of the remaining words plays a role:

pro = for (as in "pro-life")

"pilot will be retiring" = a reversal of a word for pilot, ace

"before" indicates that the aforementioned comes before the next part:

and "operation" clues a kind of operation, a sting

CCCC: Rice pot: one percussion instrument (7)

TIM + PAN + I

CCCC: Be inclined to roll (4)

8:05 PM

0

Q: finding a number using clues

The digit on hundreds place of a three-digit number is 2, the digit on tens place is 3 less than the digit on ones place. 6 times the product of the three digits is 20 less than this number. What is this number?

8:15 PM

@Deusovi No, sorry, that's not the inten— nah, just kidding.

@Deusovi KEEL works as a ddef, but it's almost the same definition for both parts so I assume is not what you meant.

hm, yeah, that wasn't what I intended

that's definitely a problem - should I scrap it and give a new clue?

Depends what the intended answer is, but probably not.

Alright. I am looking for something that's more clever than that.

user435118

@msh210 It is not 11 letters

user435118

@Deusovi Where does TIM and I come from?

8:28 PM

@Daniil FORECASTING is 11 letters

@Daniil Tim Rice (though I don't like cluing someone's surname by their first name or vice versa, personally); I = one as in Roman numerals

user435118

I’m not going to get one of these in a very long time

It takes practice, and the CCCC clues aren't the best place to start.

user435118

Where do I start then?

I've heard that Kegler's puzzles are pretty good starting points. kegler.gitlab.io

For CCCCs though, the easy ones are usually snapped up quickly, meaning you'll mostly be staring at the harder ones.

user435118

I’m stuck on the first one already :/

8:35 PM

Which one?

user435118

How is Phony inside of a kennel (4) FAKE?

The definition is "phony", and the word resides inside "OF A KENNEL".

Have you read the cryptic clue guide? puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/45984/cryptic-clue-guide

user435118

It’s long but here goes

@Deusovi is this a ddef for SWAY?

That wasn't the intended answer. I should probably rewrite this clue because of the ambiguity. (I was hoping "two very similar definitions" would be ruled out, but I guess not.)

8:40 PM

Be inclined to could also mean political inclination (which was part of why I thought It was different enough to maybe be a ddef)

user435118

What’s a ddef?

A double definition.

Double definition

(A clue where the "wordplay" component is just another definition for the word.)

user435118

Why is Fathers taste baked dessert (6) PAS+TRY? Where does PAS come from?

8:48 PM

It comes from "fathers": it's the plural of "pa".

Remember, every word is used in a cryptic clue. If you have a word that goes conspicuously unused, and you have a part that you don't understand yet, it probably comes from that word.

user435118

👍

user435118

Yay! I got my first easy cryptic clue by myself

Hooray!

user435118

I’m getting the hang of it now

user435118

e.g. the definition part etc. Thanks for your help :)

8:53 PM

No problem - good luck! Feel free to ask about other clues here.

Cryptic clues definitely take practice, but I think they can be really rewarding.

Gareth McCaughan

@Deusovi I think your C4 solution is LIST. ("Roll" as in "roll call", so this isn't another double-single-definition like KEEL and SWAY.)

user435118

@Deusovi Does your CCCC remain as is or are you going to edit it?

Yep, that was the intended answer. Was planning to come up with another, but no need now.

Gareth McCaughan

Since it usually takes me a while to produce another, I suggest that @Deusovi do so after all.

user435118

@GarethMcCaughan I don’t really get that one

Gareth McCaughan

8:54 PM

It's a double definition.

"List" means both "to lean" ("be inclined"), and "roll" (as in a list of names)

Gareth McCaughan

Def #1: "be inclined", in the sense of "be at an angle". To list is (among other things) to stand not-straight.

Def #2: "roll", in the sense of "roll call". A roll is (among other things) a list of (usually) people's names.

user435118

But can you just add “call” to “roll”?

The words that are synonyms are "list" and "roll".

Gareth McCaughan

The "to" in the middle is the connector between def and wordplay, and actually I'm surprised to see Deusovi using "to" for that purpose; I expected him to be fussier about that.

8:56 PM

"Roll call" is just the most common context you see "roll" in that sense.

Gareth McCaughan

It's "roll", not "roll call", that means a list of people. A roll call is where you call out the names of the people on the roll.

(Normally I am fussier about it, yeah. I'm not exactly a fan of it, but wanted to get a clue out there fairly quickly.)

user435118

I think I get it now

Gareth McCaughan

("to" can't be part of either of the two definitions because "list" means "be inclined" but not "be inclined to", and "list" means "roll" but not "to roll". There's a little controversy over what things you're allowed to have joining the wordplay and the definition. Having nothing at all is always OK. Having something like "is" or "yields" is OK. But things like "to" and "of" are quite commonly used but strictly not quite sound.)

(And Deusovi is notoriously something of a stickler for strict adherence to the principles of correct clue construction.)

(I'm fine with "[wp] leads to [def]", and I consider a double def clue to be one where the wordplay just happens to have only a single component. Without the "leads" it's sketchier.)

Gareth McCaughan

8:58 PM

Anyway, @Deusovi, do you want to make another to replace your slightly-cooked LIST clue, or would you like me to do the next? I'm fine with either; the second will take longer.

You can go ahead - no rush.

Gareth McCaughan

OK.

user435118

@Deusovi Can you think of an easier one now for me please to practice?

Huh? I think the Kegler puzzles are a pretty good source of relatively easy clues.

user435118

They seem a bit different from the ones here, either they are or the ones I’m looking at are too easy

9:01 PM

I don't think they're particularly different - just easier.

user435118

Bruised peach is not expensive (5) CHEAP, I checked and it is correct but what does bruised do here?

It's an anagram indicator. Did you read the guide?

user435118

Um... yeah I did but can’t remember all the word indicators

user435118

Is there a list of all the indicators?

That's fine. Anagram indicators in particular are notorious for varying a lot.

Memorizing lists of indicators won't be very helpful. It's better to think semantically.

For reversals, the indicators will be something along the lines of "going west", "returning", "sent back", etc.

For homophones, "I hear", "for the audience", "overheard", "on the radio"...

The indicator should directly apply to the thing it modifies - it will tell you how the wordplay works (although it might be a bit unnatural, it shouldn't be grammatically wrong).

user435118

9:06 PM

In your previous clue, what does to tell you?

Anyway, anagram indicators are the most widely-varying. Anything along the lines of "broken", "bad", "reorganized", "anew", etc., works: semantically, it should usually be something that suggests disorder or movement of individual parts. (Here, "bruised" is pretty questionable IMO. I probably wouldn't use it myself.)

9 mins ago, by Gareth McCaughan

("to" can't be part of either of the two definitions because "list" means "be inclined" but not "be inclined to", and "list" means "roll" but not "to roll". There's a little controversy over what things you're allowed to have joining the wordplay and the definition. Having nothing at all is always OK. Having something like "is" or "yields" is OK. But things like "to" and "of" are quite commonly used but strictly not quite sound.)

8 mins ago, by Deusovi

(I'm fine with "[wp] leads to [def]", and I consider a double def clue to be one where the wordplay just happens to have only a single component. Without the "leads" it's sketchier.)

Sometimes there are words in between definition and wordplay; these words should indicate the relationship of the two parts. This is mentioned in the guide.

user435118

I don’t really get a The &Lit Clue

An &lit clue is one where the entire clue is wordplay, and the entire clue is a definition.

Instead of two separate parts that you have to split, both are the entirety of the clue.

"Russia, reorganized without last traces of Nikolai and Alexandra! (4)" is one I remember. Don't know if I used that as an example in the guide.

user435118

Cast, or characters in play! (6) ACTORS* So CASTOR = ACTORS and actors are both cast, characters and in a play?

The answer there is USSR. For the definition part, the entire phrase is a fitting definition of USSR. For the wordplay, take RUSSIA, reorganized, without I and A (the "last traces" of NIKOLAI and ALEXANDRA), and that gives USSR.

For that clue, "...characters in play" is the anagram indicator.

user435118

9:11 PM

But characters isn’t part of the wordplay, didn’t you say that the indicator must join the wordplay or is this an exception?

"Cast, or characters in play!" is a definition for ACTORS.
"Cast, or characters in play!" is also wordplay for ACTORS. It gets parsed as "(CAST OR) characters in play": that is, the characters (letters) of CASTOR are "in play", which signifies anagramming.

What do you mean?

The three words "characters in play" indicate the anagram.

user435118

👍 Didn’t realise characters is part of the wordplay

It's not necessary for the wordplay. "In play" by itself would probably work just as well - maybe it would be sketchier as an anagram indicator but it's not absolutely awful.

But it's fine to have words that aren't necessary as long as there is some parsing that includes every word.

I could use "X placed in Y" for an insertion, even though "X in Y" would also work. Nothing wrong with that.

user435118

Heavy metal star (4) LEAD - how? I know lead is heavy and a metal

Lead guitarist ?

9:21 PM

@Daniil The star of a film is the lead in the film.

user435118

@msh210 👍

Hence LEAD means both a heavy metal and a star.

I have one I cannot understand too. 'Certainly show that I am to leave to get better'. The answer is 'Prove'. Certainly show = prove, but now does the remainder of the clue help?

* how does the remainder of the clue help?

9:42 PM

"I am" = IM
to leave = to be removed from
to get better = IMPROVE

1 hour later…

10:50 PM

0

Q: I need help with a 12 piece wooden puzzle

12 pieces. See picture. Can’t find any solutions online.

puzzle-creation

1

Q: On visiting a certain place, I wrote a line of poetry. Where was I?

Longest in its kind across the globe Where five of seven meet the shore Here the rights are set in stone To cruise along the world's floor Where am I?

riddle knowledge geography

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Jun '2016

The Sphinx's Lair

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