The Sphinx's Lair

2:13 AM

@Deusovi heh, clearly this is SQUARE, and obviously 1 isn't a square number >:0

2:58 AM

OH

wait a second

@Deusovi NO + NARY

yep!

0

Q: A silent, risky riddle

I have the perfect figure. I show off in the internet. When people say I'm anorexic, it leaves me with... Who, or WHAT am I?

riddle mystery

CCCC: Following engineering mishaps, uncapped pen ends up deformed (9)

Not surprised if this goes quickly

3:16 AM

@Deusovi can I ask a question regarding your feedback on my latest?

Sure.

So regarding "Elton originally nicked"...my thought was that "Elton originally, nicked" would clue REG. Since only a comma needs to be added, I thought this would be fair game. I guess I'm just not sure I understand why the clause needs to be preserved when passing from surface to wordplay.

well, adding a comma is itself a problem

Generally, the rule I see is that unnecessary punctuation can be added, but necessary punctuation can't be removed.

Ah! That, I did not understand.

Got it. I will update the puzzle itself to address the remainder. Thank you!

And I can see how you can interpret the "nicked" there as an adjective, but that's just a descriptor of "Elton"-the-person in that clause rather than more detailed instructions on how you should synonymize -- it mentions that he had a nickname, but doesn't tell you specifically to use the nickname.

In other words, without the "as" it's defining "Elton originally, [a person who was given a nickname]" rather than "Elton originally, [as he might be nicknamed]". The first is just a descriptor; the second gives 'instructions' on how to synonymize, in a sense. (Not cryptic instructions, just regular ones.)

3:28 AM

Hmm. I think this is the same issue that came up with "cut" in a later clue. One can speak of "cut flowers", which are "flowers that have been cut".

There, "cut" could've been an instruction - I'm just not convinced that "cut X" means "first letter of X".

When using a past participle, I think it's the progressive form (but I'm 35 years past my grammar lessons), there is an implied "having been". So if I read "Elton originally, nicked", I would interpret it as "Elton originally, having been nicked".

(also, the word "to" there is extraneous)

"to" was the connector between the definition and the wordplay. It is unusual, but "stupid" can be a noun. Most famously in Smoke on the Water "Some stupid with a flare gun..."

Oh, are you interpreting "nicked" as a wordplay transformation or a semantic one?

If the former, then just adding a comma would be okay, but I'm not convinced nicknames are really a transformation solely on strings of letters. (Like, "Elton originally, returned" would work.)

"having been nicked" could make sense as an interpretation if it's a thing you're doing to a string of letters, but in crossword clues like "[name], informally", it's not a cryptic-style transformation but a semantic one.

3:34 AM

In those terms, I think I meant a semantic transformation.

(I'm probably overanalysing this - it just feels wrong to me even with a comma and I'm trying to explain why.)

I would feel comfortable using "Elton originally, nicked" as a regular crossword clue for "REG".

Hm, I wouldn't.

(on another note, could someone pin my C4? hehe) (edited to add: nice thx)

As I see it, "REG" is not a synonym of "Elton originally, having been given a nickname" - the latter part there is grammatically like "having been dunked in a pool of water" more than "as he would be called informally".

3:37 AM

Ah, I think I might see the distinction. You are regarding "nicked" modifying "Elton". I regard "nicked" as modifying "Elton originally". That said, putting it that way makes me doubt my interpretation.

It implies -- at least to me -- that this process of being given a nickname is a separate thing that fundamentally changes the word you would use to describe the person. Like, "Ice, melted" would be fine for WATER.

Ah, yeah.

I'm not sure a name is given a nickname so much as a person is. A parsing where it modifies "Elton, originally" seems to be one too many layers of indirection.

Interesting! I'm not so sure about that last statement, given the frequency with which certain nicknames are used. While someone named Robert could be nicknamed Jim, it seldom happens, whereas Bob is a common nickname.

True, a person is given a nickname based off of their current name. But it's still the person that is given the name, rather than the other name. There's a map-territory distinction here. "Who's Bob?" doesn't get the response "Oh, that's the six-character-sequence Robert."

Well, I certainly understand your perspective, and appreciate you taking the time to talk it over with me! I'm not sure I'm convinced, but honestly this sort of ambiguity is what makes cryptics even possible. I am terrified at the thought of trying to make a German cryptic.

Like I said before, it's very possible that I'm just overanalysing this and other people wouldn't see the issue here. Glad my attempts at explaining have at least made sense.

3:46 AM

In the climate nowadays, it is refreshing to have a conversation about a disagreement that doesn't devolve into name-calling :-)

Agreed! And thank you for not taking my feedback too harshly - I know I'm often too negative about puzzles that I leave feedback on, and forget to stress how much I did enjoy them. (I definitely enjoyed this one!)

No worries. Apologies if I came across as defensive...really not the case. I do want to improve my setting, and your (and other) feedback is very valuable for that, since it describes your interpretation, and doesn't just tell me that I suck.

Nope, you definitely didn't come off as defensive!

4:07 AM

@oAlt MISSHAP*+_EN

Sid

@oAlt I think this is MISSHAPEN coming from (MISSHAP)* + (- p)EN

Oh

Lollll

hehehe

Oh boy

HAHAHAHAH

dat snipe doe

@jafe ur turn

CCCC: Maybe evens is the opposite of evens (4)

I think I know what the answer is, but I'm deficient in C4's already. LOL

As much as possible I'd love to restock beforehand

Q: I was discovered long ago, but not in the form this riddle wants

4:14 AM

2

I’m taught in high schools around the world. Something that’s described by me is often mispronounced as something bad. Another has something to do with the sun. Said aloud I can sound a little like an incantation, and for the mathematically inclined I can be very useful. My ending matches with s...

knowledge pattern connections-puzzle

5:26 AM

0

Q: Cultural Center

Samoan number Egyptian gas Filipino actor Czech sauce What do the above items have in common? And can you find another member of this set?

9:22 AM

@jafe ODDS ddef? A particular odds is 50%, which is sometimes called "evens"; and obviously the plural noun "odds" is the opposite of "evens".

9:35 AM

Also @jafe i just noticed, the enumeration for 1A in your latest crossword seems like it should be 8 instead of 7.

@msh210 yep, that's correct

@oAlt fixed, thanks!

9:55 AM

noice

10:47 AM

CCCC: That animal part provides nutritious foods (11)

searches for nutritious foods

11:12 AM

@oAlt Check the fridge.

11:29 AM

indeed. I'm hoping against all odds that it contains the answer

12:41 PM

Answer? I thought you're looking for food.

1:00 PM

food is always the answer

1:20 PM

@msh210 are you implying that "nutritious foods" isn't actually the definition part? gasp

@jafe I agree

2:35 PM

um, just to confirm here: there is a policy against posting duplicate answers, right?

I did the regular please-check-previous-answers comment and the person defended themselves by saying they checked other answers afterwards, and that checking beforehand would have affected their thinking

cipher visual lateral-thinking history flags

1

Q: Fun with ^#**#!@ flags

"Hi Pat." "Hey, did you get my note about our next trip?" "If by 'note', you mean 'generic insane scribbling', yes I received it." "What? This trip is going to be great!" "Pat, you sent me a tour description written by a Nigerian spambot. You also sent a picture that looks like you got drunk at a...

0

Q: Why do they get to be happy?

Everyone like me is happy. But I never am. Well, except in England. (First post here, hope it's not too obscure!)

@bobble oh, I saw that one. I haven't really read all of the guidelines/policy stuff though, so I don't think I can say anything other than my own opinions.

Also, @JeremyDover I'm itching to see sarsaparilla react to your flags puzzle LOL

3:20 PM

@oAlt I did not mean to imply that.

@bobble um... why can't he write up his answer and not hit Post without checking the other answers??

shrugs

" Yes; I know and I also placed a comment under that answer; and up-voted. I generally do opposite. If I think I know the answer, I answer it and then read other answers. If I do not know the answer, I just read (and enjoy) other answers. If I read the answer before posting mine, the other answers will influence me. Are there any guidelines about this those I can read and follow?"

@msh210 yea

@oAlt You know, I meant to put a hat tip in there, but it got lost in fighting with the HTML parser over special characters.

4:27 PM

@Deusovi, since I think you've done Marching Bands before: is it legal to have a Band word entirely contained in a Rows/Marchers word?

The Band word would be running backwards, and I only ask because I'm desperate

Sure, don't see why not

your goal should be to keep your splits 'interesting', though, so you probably wouldn't want to have HEAD and HEADLIGHT as the first entries in 1 and A

4:52 PM

Well, of course 1 & A have that, but I'm running into problems at B and 10

5:49 PM

AGGGGH I was almost finished and then I realized I made a mistake in an early part of the construction... let's see how much that broke!

Q: A Pleasant Dinner Party Conversation

1

I used to be single, dig it? Then I found someone else who was single, and now we're in a relationship. The thing about relationships is that it's more than the sum, or even the multiple, of its parts. We're just... together. Now, we've got neighbors - a couple in a relationship like ours. You k...

mathematics

Q: Lose me once vs lose me twice

6:14 PM

0

Lose me once and get rich. Lose me again and get poor. What am I?

Q: Yet Again and Again, Another Riley Riddle

6:38 PM

0

My prefix is angry. My suffix is too. My infix is a name. Without me, life is lame.

Q: If you crack me once, I won't break

8:14 PM

0

If you crack me once, I won't break. You can continue once, twice... nine times! Then it's time for a break. What am I?

Q: Some say I killed my brother

8:38 PM

0

I was godless yet I warred with God. Some say I killed my brother - inside he bled a lot. In general I had a bad reputation yet to modern ears I can sound quite sweet! Who was I and can you explain my description?

cryptic-clues history

Q: Ten miles south, east, north and west

9:02 PM

0

I'm standing on the surface of the Earth. I walk ten miles south, ten miles east, ten miles north and ten miles west. I end up exactly where I started. Where on earth am I?

mathematics logical-deduction