The Sphinx's Lair

@Anonymus25-ReinstateMonica Besides the aforementioned part-of-speech problem, there's also the exclamation mark. It makes me think the clue is intended as an &lit — but I don't think it works as an &lit.

samm82

2:17 PM

@Jafe NORMAN BATES*, def: "dude who keeps murdering people"

Tough break to be the musician with the same name

msh210

2:46 PM

@Jafe So what are the asterisks for?

oAlt

@msh210 for surface purposes: it's "batsh*t" but with two less asterisks

samm82

@oAlt That makes a lot more sense lol

That's also a super clever way to buff out the surface

msh210

@oAlt ohhh I thought it was the word bats (insane)

oAlt

hahahah

well, tbh, i also thought it was just "bats" at first then wondered why a three-asterisk footnote was there

oAlt

3:11 PM

@oAlt two more*

bobble

3:35 PM

@oAlt do you mean "with two MORE asterisks"?

oAlt

@bobble look at the message above yours, heheheheh

bobble

@oAlt it wasn't on my screen, weird

we'll chalk this up to stupid school internets

oAlt

oof

Deusovi

3:55 PM

i love the phrasing of "dude who keeps murdering people" as if it's some faux pas equivalent to, like, leaving your dirty dishes in the sink

bobble

well he at least keeps the debris out of the sink!

Deusovi

"you killed someone *again*? oh, norman..."
laugh track plays, sitcom credits roll

@bobble fair point!

samm82

4:29 PM

@Deusovi Obligatory Friends without the laugh track

Y'all think I'm good to drop a CCCC or should I wait for @Jafe's approval?

bobble

Deus

2.9k 1 9 32

i found your other account, deus

Deusovi

4:45 PM

@samm82 go ahead

samm82

CCCC: Wrongdoing inspired by subtle mischief (7)

bobble

my immediate parsing is "wrongdoing" inside of "subtle" = "mischief"

MikeQ

Is it D(EVIL)RY, where "dry" refers to subtle humor?

Sid

surely, that should be it.

samm82

@MikeQ Yup! You're up

MikeQ

5:00 PM

Ok, it's been a while. I'm pretty sure this is valid:

CCCC: Conductive metal is mostly cumbersome to produce. (8)

samm82

@MikeQ CUCUMBER = CU (copper) + CUMBER(-some); def: "produce"?

bobble

what's "is" doing?

MikeQ

@samm82 Yes, that's it!

samm82

I've only ever seen "mostly" to clue all but the last letter; can "mostly" clue more than half of a word?

Regardless, I liked the double interpretation of "produce" :)

MikeQ

@bobble Is an extra "is" not valid?

bobble

5:09 PM

Ideally every word serves some purpose in the clue

samm82

CCCC: Law enforcement leaders help German trading places with Frenchman to be honest (10)

Deusovi

5:22 PM

adding "is" is okay if it's between wordplay and definition, because then it's indicating how the two sides are linked

("to" serves this purpose in your clue: it can be parsed as "wordplay [leads] to definition")

but you can't just add "is" anywhere

bobble

If I can somehow get "help" to yield "friti" (questionable) and add a space between "French" and "man" (more questionable), then L_E_ + (fr->G)ITI + MATE is a perfectly good parsing :)

#greatC4solutions

MikeQ

@Deusovi My mistake, I overlooked the extra "is". Like I said, it's been a while.

Deusovi

it's fine! meant it more as an informational thing than "you have broken the rules and are now going to be publicly shamed before you're hauled off to Cryptic Jail"

bobble

Now, if you did an indirect anagram, that would send you to Cryptic Jail

Sid

5:49 PM

I think I have done something like this before but I don't remember whether it was fair or not: Is it okay to do a [word] -> zero -> O?

Deusovi

like, "naught" → O?

i'd be fine with that, but not because of the intermediate link through "zero"

Sid

@Deusovi yeah something similar

Sphinx

0

Q: Zeno's unusual pets

Zeno's pets walked forever, yet never seemed to arrive where they were going. What were they? Hint

riddle knowledge wordplay

Deusovi

i consider "zero" and O synonyms (e.g. "Hawaii Five-O", "Sociology one-o-one [=101]"), etc. so things meaning "nothing" should generally also work for O

and i wouldn't do visual resemblances otherwise (so "stick" cannot clue I, because those don't mean the same thing. but Y = "junction" because Y is an actual word in various fields meaning a three-way junction)

msh210

7:25 PM

The answer to the C4 is clearly LEDERHOSEN. "Law enforcement leaders" → LE. "help German trading places with Frenchman" → take the French LE and translate it to German DER. "to be honest" → very poorly indicated extraction and anagram of HONEST to yield HOSEN. And it's an &lit because "lederhosen" in slang refers to cops who help Germans be honest while they're trading places with Frenchmen.

samm82

@msh210 That's... creative, I'll give you that ;)

Jafe

8:31 PM

@samm82 that's riggt

bobble

it's rigged!

Dmihawk

9:39 PM

good morning puzzle people :)

Prince North Læraðr

Good afternoon, time-traveling ~~nerd~~ kiwi

I was gonna say freak, but that's too mean :(

@Dmihawk How are you doing in Nezada?

Dmihawk

freak is acceptable :P

Prince North Læraðr

Meh, the term is a little too strong :P

Dmihawk

all good here in New Zexico, it's surprisingly warm for the start of June, although TFS has crashed, so I am sitting here with no work to do lol

how you doing?

Prince North Læraðr

I just started my summer class at a local community college!

Fundamentals of communication (aka Public Speaking)

Dmihawk

9:46 PM

oh neat! what are you taking?

:o yes! you have my wholehearted approval <3

Prince North Læraðr

Hehe

I'm also taking Voice and Diction a little bit later (which is all about the way you say things)

Dmihawk

that's awesome, I love public speaking :)

Prince North Læraðr

Hehe

I just want to improve on it. I don't think I'm too bad at it, but figured some classes would help. As an added bonus, the classes are also free because I'm still in high school

Community college is so great because it's like they actually want you to go to college and succeed in life, and, you know, not about making you broke for the rest of life because American college system is way too expensive

Dmihawk

oh, so you're doing this in addition to high school? (admittedly my only exposure to Community college is the TV show Community lol)

lol you keep answering my questions as I type them :P

get out of my head North!

Prince North Læraðr

Hahaha

It's a busy summer ahead though - I was selected to be drum major for our school's marching band, so there's a lot of training to be done over the summer (the drum major is that dude in front of the band in a parade that has a spinny stick - it's also the highest leadership position in marching band)

msh210

9:52 PM

@PrinceNorthLæraðr Cool. Do you also get credit for them if you continue at the community college?

Dmihawk

wow, look at you go! :D

msh210

@PrinceNorthLæraðr nice

Prince North Læraðr

@msh210 Yup! And they're even transferrable to our state universities (Univerisity of California (UCs) and California State Universities (CSUs)

msh210

@PrinceNorthLæraðr yeah. I liked teaching CC because the students there actually were interested in learning. (Most of 'em.)

@PrinceNorthLæraðr great!

Prince North Læraðr

Though I'm not sure if I'm going to be applying to any UCs - they're all phenomenal schools, but none of them really have a solid music program aside from UCLA, and UCLA's music composition program is okay. Not to mention it's freakishly difficult to be accepted into UCLA

Cal States though - they're not too bad. Also significantly cheaper than UCs. In-state tuition still costs roughly $15,000 per year at a UC? It's like around $6,000 for a Cal State though

msh210

9:56 PM

If you actually attend the community college and get your associate's degree, I imagine a bunch of other colleges will accept the transfer. You can look into that.

Dmihawk

are student loans a thing in the US?

msh210

@Dmihawk yes

Prince North Læraðr

@msh210 Yup. That's my current plan unless some of the privates I'll be applying to will offer me a good scholarship (read: full tuition + board)

Highly unlikely, but could be possible.

Dmihawk

fingers crossed

msh210

good luck

Prince North Læraðr

9:58 PM

Thanks :)

I'll probably actually start applying around September/October/November-ish if I can get my composition portfolio done

But that's enough about me :P

msh210

@PrinceNorthLæraðr Are you finishing up your junior year, now, then?

Prince North Læraðr

Yup. It already finished, actually

(But I still have to take my AP Physics test after school ended grr)

bobble

10:33 PM

there's a thing at my school which I think is funny

so, they put some arrow-stickers in the hallways to try to "control traffic flow" or something for the COVID precautions

and then some students (because they're teenagers) moved the stickers, so there's this situation

The green lines are arrow stickers and the black line is a wall

samm82

a classic goof

bobble

(no one follows the arrows, we just walk where-ever we want)

samm82

I would've loved some arrows in the hallways in high school - the amount of people who would slowly walk in huge groups so no one could get past was unbelievable

bobble

They could've painted the arrows or something I guess, but putting these down as moveable stickers is just asking for trouble

Chill bro, it was just a guess, lololololol. — SantiagoKodela 28 mins ago

sigh

a) I'm not a "bro"
b) "guess"es that undeveloped shouldn't go in answers

hopefully review queue does its job

samm82

10:51 PM

Would it be worth it to throw down a comment or nah?

Devil's advocate: they might use "bro" gender-neutrally, and this site is known for its learning curve

bobble

I'm not engaging any more, if you think it might help you could try. I hope the answer is headed for downvotes/deletion

I know there's a learning curve, but I'm still confused why you would post a "guess" in the Answer box. As its name suggests, it's for answers, not comments, not guesses.

This might be biased since I've never used any internet community before really - I don't have baggage from e.g. forums since I didn't frequent them!

samm82

Should I say the answer would work better as a comment or is that not strictly speaking true?

bobble

We're pretty lax about comments compared to the rest of the SEs ('specially since there's the partial answer policy), but it would probably frustrate them since they can't comment

samm82

Oh I see - I'll toss it in just for posterity's sake

@bobble I haven't really used "forums" before PSE per se, but I found that there were a lot of "unwritten" (ie. buried in meta) standards/conventions I was unaware about, partial answers being one

bobble

I am probably unusual in that I may have uh read most of the big meta posts before joining

samm82

11:03 PM

better than the alternative lol

bobble

I've been "sir"-red in comments a few times here, I think

samm82

I've found that I tend to assume people online are like me (ie. white North American male), but I wonder if that's semi-common across most demographics or pretty exclusive to white people, North Americans, and/or males

@bobble ngl I knew you were female at one point but seeing your point (a) above threw me for a loop because I had forgotten :/

bobble

@samm82 I have pronouns in my profile (chat and main). 'tis fine to forget, my brain hasn't settled on a gender either :) I identify as either "genderqueer", "nonbinary", or "???" depending on which makes most sense to the listener.

Though I present as female and that's what people tend to take me as

Dmihawk

in my head, all I hear is "a wild bobble appears" Pokemon battle music :P

bobble

the bobblies will see you soon

Bubbler

11:15 PM

@bobble I tend to do the same

samm82

@bobble Fair, but checking profiles before using pronouns is only something I've only done since joining PSE, so someone not used to forums in general might make the same mistake I did/still sometimes do

bobble

Which is why I don't mind mistakes :)

samm82

Fair fair

(also happy pride month btw)

bobble

\o borgaborg!

Sciborg

a) There is a definite tendency towards assuming people are male online
b) *HAPPY PRIDE MONTH :D*

throws some rainbow confetti

Dmihawk

11:22 PM

a wild 'borg appears! Pokemon battle music intensifies

Sciborg

\o/

Gareth McCaughan

There's a definite tendency to assume people are male, but I think the trend is towards not doing it so much.

samm82

^^

Sciborg

i am bad at choosing words after a long workday, my b

Gareth McCaughan

fair enough!

Dmihawk

11:23 PM

how you doing 'borg?

Sciborg

borg is doing well, how's kiwi been? :D

Dmihawk

enjoying a surprisingly warm day for June :)

work is quiet, because someone killed our TFS lol

Sciborg

yipes

how is the bobble?

it's been a bit toasty over here as well

bobble

did you see the bobble's picture above

Sciborg

i have come to expect nothing less from students

one time at my college a research student hid the majority of the Bee Movie script in the small print under their research poster and it took the professors a few months to notice, and by then it had already gone to print and been hung up on the wall for all to enjoy

samm82

11:29 PM

a champion

bobble

gods the Bee Movie

I have seen that too many times

it never gets better

Dmihawk

haha that's brilliant

Sciborg

what are you talking about it's a masterpiece

samm82

it definitely hits different at 4am with the squad

Sciborg

Bee Movie is the pinnacle of human creativity

bobble

11:31 PM

(among other Movies Which bobble Dislikes Due to Forced Watches: The Emperor's New Groove, both Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-s, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown)

samm82

@bobble Someone force bobble to watch Shrek: the Musical

bobble

Oh, there's also some Shrek movie where they tell ghost stories or something? Add that to the list

Dmihawk

awwww not The Emperor's New Groove :( I love Kronk

bobble

Also every Spy Kids

Sciborg

SPY KIDS IS A MASTERPIECE, BOBBLE

samm82

11:33 PM

@bobble I think so - somehow that slipped through the cracks of our Saturday Shrek Nights in uni

Sciborg

Shrek was a religion in my dorm

samm82

@bobble Can you "unstar" a chat message? :P

bobble

For a short time after starring, yes

Sciborg

"Do you think God stays in heaven because he, too, lives in fear of what he's created?" is deadass a quote from Spy Kids 2

samm82

@Sciborg Steve Buscemi didn't have to go so hard but he did

Sciborg

11:34 PM

chef kiss perfection

bobble

I will LEAVE the ROOM if you put Spy Kids on

Sciborg

moves hand slightly closer to the DVD player in a threatening way

samm82

Oh man, The Room

Dmihawk

I did not hit her, I did not!. Oh hi Mark

Sciborg

YOU'RE TEARING ME APART, LISA

Dmihawk

11:36 PM

I have seen some brilliant showings of that in theatres

including where several thousand plastic spoons were thrown

Sciborg

my partner forced me to watch it once and i still haven't forgiven him

bobble

I'm surprised no one is flaming me for the CatCFs

samm82

Your partner is doing good work

Haven't seen 'em tbh

Sciborg

It's kinda like Birdemic - it's not even so bad it's good, it's so bad it's worse

it is, however, substantially improved when you watch it drunk

samm82

@Sciborg Is that a weird Sharknado spinoff?

Sciborg

11:38 PM

oh you sweet summer child

you have not been broken by the nightmare that is Birdemic

your mind is pure

bobble

Are there movies that don't improve when you watch them drunk?

Birdemic: Shock and Terror

Birdemic: Shock and Terror (often shortened to Birdemic) is a 2010 American independent romantic horror film written, directed, and produced by James Nguyen, and starring Alan Bagh and Whitney Moore. Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, Birdemic tells the story of a romance between the two main characters as their small town is attacked by birds. The film was largely self-financed and was produced through Nguyen's Moviehead Pictures company for a budget of less than $10,000. The film has gained notoriety for its poor quality, with many critics citing it as one of the worst films of all time...

Sciborg

@bobble Star Wars Holiday Special

MikeQ

@Sciborg (cue 1 minute of silent clapping)

samm82

Dang - the reviews of Birdemic from Google are almost perfectly split between one star and 5 stars lol

Sciborg

(awkward scene of man fighting copy paste static bird image with a coat hanger)

MikeQ

11:40 PM

Why use a coat hanger when you can pull out toy machine guns from nowhere

Sciborg

please, please watch it Samm, you will.... you will have an experience

it's almost religious

bobble

> In January 2009, Nguyen traveled to the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah to promote the film freelance, handing out flyers to passers-by from his van, adorned with stuffed birds and paper signs that read "BIDEMIC.COM" (spelling Birdemic wrong in his haste) and "WHY DID THE EAGLES AND VULTURES ATTACKED [sic]?", and renting out a local bar to screen the film.

> poorly rendered CGI eagles and vultures that, in addition to performing physically awkward aerial maneuvers (non-animated bird sprites in the background will simply rotate 360° in mid-air), spit acid and explode with unrealistic smoke upon impact with the ground with a plane dive sound effect.

samm82

@Sciborg It's definitely getting added to the list of "things to do with the crew once we're all vaccinated and back at the student house"

spit acid?!? explode?!? that's some next level stuff

Sciborg

it is unironically the funniest movie i have ever watched and it's not on purpose.

bobble

gasp you ranked it over Camelot?

Sciborg

11:42 PM

okay, maybe it SLIGHTLY ties with Camelot just because seeing King Arthur in blue eyeshadow doing Broadway moved us to tears

bobble

(for context)

in [grid-deduction] Puzzle Solving, Jan 3 at 4:43, by Sciborg

you're sure this is a serious, genuine musical and not, like, a porno?

samm82

O_O

> On February 27, 2010, Birdemic received its Los Angeles premiere at the Silent Movie Theatre,[14] sponsored by Bloody Disgusting and hosted by Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim,[15] followed by a cast-and-crew attended screening at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas on March 2,[16] with follow-up screenings in Tempe, Arizona[17] and New York City.[18]

Dmihawk

which raises a very serious questions, are there high-production-quality pornographic musicals?

samm82

Why am I not surprised Tim and Eric had something to do with Birdemic lol

Sciborg

the best part of Camelot is that it was made in like the 1960s, and the makers of the film didn't realize how gay it is

Arthur and Lancelot just actively PINE for each other for like half the movie

bobble

11:46 PM

(no one cares about what happens after intermission, by the way - just skip that part)

Sciborg

and then at the last minute the filmmakers remembered they were straight and paired off Arthur with Guinevere in a "oops" sort of way

but Birdemic is mostly funny because of how it is so, so, so very bad and the actors don't seem to realize it

bobble

to be fair, they couldn't see the CGI

Sciborg

they just commit to the absolute cringiest scenes on the planet, the sound quality sounds like it was filmed in a 7-11, etc.

MikeQ

I can't attest to the sequel Birdemic 2, but at least Birdemic is watchably so-bad-it's-good.

Sciborg

it's like something i would make if i was actively trying to parody and make the worst movie possible with a budget of $10, except the guy who made it is 100% serious about it

samm82

11:50 PM

The final boss of method acting

Sciborg

my favorite scene is at the restaurant when the two main characters are discussing their jobs and the camera awkwardly moves between them with 2-second pauses in between, which is bad enough, but then it cuts to the waitress and she says "WHAT CAN I GET YOU" with low-quality blast-your-ears sound quality at 999% volume

bobble

am I allowed to still be friends after revealing my tastes in movies?

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