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3:01 AM
Omg @JeremyDover just after I sent that comment I think I found a way to progress
 
4:00 AM
Anddd at a deadlock again... got 5 more digits though
 
 
1 hour later…
5:07 AM
Nvm, someone got it
I shall see what I was missing in that sudoku
 
 
3 hours later…
8:36 AM
@AncientSwordRage i think you get to go next
 
CCCC: 100 Database Floats ( 7 )
@Jafe ok cool thanks!
 
9:00 AM
@AncientSwordRage C+ORACLE
which apparently is some kind of boat
 
9:20 AM
@Jafe Correct! (Boats Float)
is the boat from Spirited Away
(or at least I thought it was)
 
ah, haven't seen that one
 
And Jim Hawkins finds (or builds?) a coracle in Treasure Island.
 
CCCC: Covering covering covering (4)
 
@MOehm not the muppet version he doesn't :p
(that's the only one I know)
 
hehe
 
9:27 AM
Well, that shows my age. I had to read the book to learn about coracles. :) But I don't think the one on TI was a floating bathtub.
 
@MOehm no I think I looked up the boat in spirited away when I saw it last, but clearly found the wrong boat
@Jafe I have ... ideas
 
9:47 AM
I have three ideas, but I don't want to shotgun them out without being more confident...
 
10:03 AM
@Jafe I think it's OVER, Covering (def) which is also covering the c over ing
covering as a containment indictor
 
10:32 AM
that's right
 
10:42 AM
YAY
CCCC: 101 saints buried ( 4 )
 
should that maybe be 101? :)
 
@AncientSwordRage How does floats=coracle? One's plural and the other is singular. Unless I'm missing something.
(Or if you prefer: One's a verb and the other's a noun.)
 
@msh210 boats float
 
@AncientSwordRage They do. So?
 
that's all
@Jafe shhh
 
10:48 AM
But that doesn't mean "floats" can clue "boat". It's gotta mean the other word (or a generalization thereof, say).
 
yeah
 
@msh210 I'm sure I've seen it before... I'm probably wrong though, or at least used to much looser cluing rules
 
"The definition [...] does, however, have to agree in tense, conjugation, pluralization, and other aspects with the answer word. This means 'becomes taller' would not be a valid definition for 'GROWING', but it would be a fine definition for 'GROWS'." -- Cryptic Clue Guide
same thing with the current clue, which i assume is meant to be CI+STS?
 
it's only 4 letters long, i think it's only CI+ST which worse less
 
ah right
 
10:53 AM
ahhhh yes, sorry for the sloppy cluing
@Jafe that is correct
 
1
Q: General Approach to Solving Cryptarithms

stadepalliI have recently started honing my problem-solving skills, starting with number-related puzzles. Cryptarithms have appeared frequently, so I was wondering whether there is some sort of general approach to solving these problems? Such as a sequence of reproducible steps? I understand that for easie...

 
@TakingNotes it's either CIST, if I had my plural correct or CISTS if I went back and edited the clue length
 
btw in finnish crosswords which i grew up with it's absolutely fine to clue e.g. BOAT as "floats"... i had difficulties following that rule when i first started making crosswords in english
CCCC: KoЯn cover "Frayed Ends of Sanity" has track's intro in place of its finale, leading to heated debate (11)
 
@Jafe would you consider 'floats' a verb phrase ?
 
yeah looks like the same situation as described there
interesting
 
11:01 AM
probably fairer/better if it was 'floats on water' or something that would work in the clue
 
11:35 AM
@Jafe con(k->t)rover*+sy
 
@msh210 that's right
 
I'm not 100% sure this is legal, but, well,
CCCC: "Lean to your left." "I won't." (6)
@Jafe That page does say Ximenes wouldn't approve.
 
@AncientSwordRage (just a small note that that would need to be "floats, perhaps"/"floats, maybe"/"floats?", etc. since "floats" is a description, not a definition, of a boat. But otherwise, the clue is good :D )
Oops, I didn't see that msh210 said that earlier already, sorry
Goodness why can't I remember that I should fully backread first before replying >_<
 
11:59 AM
left is a funny word... it could mean the abbreviation L or indicate reversal, deletion or picking the first letter
 
0
Q: Spoilers in linked/related sidebar

deep thoughtHere is a situation where I avoid linking one of my questions to one of my answers, and the reason I give is: But please do not link it, because then when someone looks at the puzzle, "Unsolved maths problems as puzzles" would show up in that pesky 'linked'/'related' sidebar ... which would be s...

 
@Jafe or 'democrats' ?
 
that as well
don't you hate it when you post a puzzle and the sidebar is like "related: vader was luke's dad all along"
 
12:21 PM
@oAlt thanks! I need to do that more often
 
@Jafe What??
Dangit, why'd you have to give away the end?
 
heheh
 
That's it, now I won't be watching it.
 
@msh210 POV: eating Maror with a jokester
 
1:17 PM
@Mithical That's not the intended solution, I'm afraid.
 
Aww. I was so sure.
 
 
1 hour later…
2:26 PM
@msh210 Ximenes is definitely on one end of the Cryptic's strictness spectrum
 
@AncientSwordRage Fair enough, but I think the cryptics I "grew up with" followed his rules, or very similar ones anyway, so that's what I'm used to. The C4 usually does, too, afaict.
 
@msh210 good to know
 
(Not to say I haven't posted some sketchy clues, myself. I have.)
CCCC is Cryptic Clue Chat Chains! Latest clue is ⤴/⤵ there! Join the fun! See Deusovi's Cryptic Clue Guide and GPR's Archive & Statistics of past clues.
4
 
2:46 PM
0
Q: How to solve this one on blood relations?

Nayanthara ThomasIn a family of eight persons- P, Q, R, S, T, U, V and W- there are four males and four females. There are three married couples and two persons are unmarried. Each of them reads a different magazine, viz India Today(R), India Today(H), Outlook (H) , Frontline, The Week, Businessworld and Sportsst...

 
 
1 hour later…
4:08 PM
@AncientSwordRage epic
@JeremyDover I saw your hint, and rot13(V nyfb qvfnzovthngrq gur gra fnaqjvpu fhz, ohg va nabgure jnl: V qvfpbirerq gung fvk va gur fgnvepnfr ertvba (ertvba arnerfg gur "31") pna bayl tb va E6P3 be E6P4. Cnegarevat guvf jvgu gur snpg gung fvk pnaabg tb va E8P2, fvk va gur W-funcrq ertvba (ertvba cnegvnyyl pbirerq ol 10 naq ubevmbagny 29 fnaqjvpu fhzf) pna bayl tb va E7P5 be E8P6. Gung vzcyvrf E7P6 pnaabg or fvk.)
rot13(Gung zrnaf gurer'f n svir-fvk-frira gevcyr va E4P7, E5P7, naq E6P6, naq guhf n gjb-guerr-sbhe gevcyr va E5P8, E6P8, naq E7P6. Svanyyl, gung zrnaf E7P8 pnaabg or gjb, guerr, be sbhe, juvpu zrnaf vg'f fvk, juvpu erfbyirf gur gra fnaqjvpu fhz.)

Just putting it here because I admittedly lack the strength to finish your sudoku now that I'm at a second impasse :P
 
4:33 PM
@oAlt My logic is a bit different there, but we get to the same place. Once you have that, 3s and 4s get fairly constrained in the bottom, and there's some logic you can do with the remaining 11 sandwich sum. Once you get that, the rest falls apart.
 
 
3 hours later…
7:28 PM
0
Q: A splash of Minecraft?

Taco タコスI was playing Minecraft the other day and came across a beautiful splash message. Subsequently, I was inspired to create a puzzle for it. Svir, look out below! Shorty's slang stays surprisingly stout. F-B is surely Newton's demise. How many blind mice? they/?. Once upon a time... Have you seen ...

 
 
4 hours later…
11:25 PM
Thanks booble and Spevacus. Yes, I do seem them now! Evidently I made three flags but the first was 7 years ago and I forgot. Also, on the one I made a few months ago, I did receive a response but just was unaware. — user1032531 19 mins ago
Count of times I've been called "booble" (to my knowledge) now: 2
(it doesn't ping me so for all I know there are others)
 

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